snowangel

Me, and my father, and my grandmother (RIP). I grew up spending summers in a Nebraska farm. Where, if you wanted chicken for dinner, you chased one down, lopped it's head off, defrocked the bird, and either cut it up or left if whole (depending on how you wanted to cook it). When it was time for beef or pork, grandfather and I went to the yard, and selected the animal. Throat slit, blood collected (I never did remember or even know what happened to the blood). I remember well that my father, in 8th grade, for a 4-H (or was it an FFA) project raised and butchered a cow. During the school year, living in Thailand, meat was purchased much different than in the U. S. It would have been at an outdoor (OK, covered, but still basically outdoor) market, sides of beef or pork handing from thingies. They would wack of a hunk. If you were savvy, you would specifify where that hunk would be wacked from. I have always eaten well. Oddly enough, I can kill a chicken, or help kill a cow or pig, but pass out every time they draw blood from me or one of my children.

Rochelle's suggestion sounds better. Yes, I have a heated garage, with a divider. But, I don't want scales all over my car, nor do I want them all over the desk I just built.

Paul went ice fishing today. It was a beautiful day, and I had I not had three kids at home, I would have gone, too. Anyway, he's bringing home a bounty. 50 sunfish and a couple of northers. The sunnies are big enough to fillet. Normally, when we catch fish like ths, it's at the Cabin in the summer. Scale them on the dock, dump a few buckets of water on the dock, and that's it. It's winter -- serious winter here -- so we'll be scaling the fish inside. How best to do it so there aren't scales flying everywhere and I'm not discovering them years from how? I am tempted to just scale a few of these and deep fry them ala the Chinese or THai way, BTW.

Marlene's pork stock, and chilling it outside, reminded me of the outdoor fridge. For those of you in the south, it probably means a fridge plugged into an outlet, which is outdoors. For those of us way up north, it is a different thing. It is chilling the stock, at this time of year, on the deck or the front stoop. I way reduced some stock today and wanted to get it cold before putting it in bags to freeze. I hardboiled some eggs. Wanted them way chilled before going into the fridge. So, out on the deck they went, pans and bowls nestled into a bank of snow (we had our first significant snowfall of the season yesterday). My, that stuff chills fast. Goes into the fridge way chilled, thus not using too much fridge energy. So, for those of us Up North, do you use nature's fridge?

Thanks for blogging, and thanks for the "warmer-upper" for those of us where is it not warm. You prompted me to pull out my Birkies to shovel the snow. I am happy for the reminder that yes, once again, later this year, we too will have a farmer's market, and that we will again have tomatoes, strawberries and greens.

Trust you stuck the bones in a baggie in the freezer for future stock making? Even if I want boned meat, I always buy the bone-in stuff. Don't understand why you would pay more for less and not have all of those bones that are so good for stock.

I made some stock the other day (a small amount of shrimp) and some chicken stock. After reducing them, I stuck them out on the deck to cool. Sort of was too lazy -- no, make that too busy -- to take care of them. Here's what they looked like this morning: The lid on that Farberware pan is remarkably tight. I've also used cookie sheets (with a weight on top of the sheet) as lids.

Make sure and bring the pots in if it is going to snow! Made that mistake once, and had to do another round of reducing.

There have been many good points raised. I do urge everyone who has not done so to check out the cooking for and with disabilities classes. I was a "tri" author. I know first hand just how difficult it can be to cook for someone with disabilities. And, disabilities are more likely to strike those that are living in poverty. They may be elderly, they may be young. Fact is, they often don't have resources (because the resourses cost money -- Heidi is very lucky). On another note, less than a year ago from an area of North Minneapolis plagued with poverty. I'll never forget taking my neighbor (car-less) to the supermarket. As she loaded up her cart with things like toaster waffles, I suggested we stop and get her a waffle iron and buy the stuff to make waffles at the market. Well, bottom line is that food stamps (EBD here in MN) covers frozen waffles. Or the ingredients. But, it doesn't cover the cost of the waffle iron. Bottom line. I gave her a waffle iron for her birthday (an early gift), told her that when the kids were at school, make a mess of waffles, freeze them, and you will provide your kids with more for less.

Sliders and onion chips from the Castle. Just not before a 4+ hour car trip.

Just after I posted this, my cousin called. She was at the outlet mall, standing in the Le Creuset store. She knows I adore the stuff. They had one 5 quart oval in granite (discontinued color) on sale. 35% off and then an additional 20%. She wondered if I wanted her to pick it up for me. $75.00 including tax. I'll get it when I see her on Tuesday morning. Sounds like I need to braise again on Tuesday!

Now that I have Molly Stevens "All About Braising" book, I need an oval one soonest. I have a 2-1/2 quart, which is fine for some things, but not big enough for most things. I noticed that Caplan Duvall has the 5 quart oval on sale (blue) for $91 and some pennies. Will I do better at the outlet store? I've also noticed that Innova line on Amazon, which is considerably less $. Anyone have a track record with this stuff? Finally, I checked Marshall's, and they have the made in China stuff, and the lids on the ones they had sure didn't fit as nice as the LC I have.

What I did was fill a tray with some warm water, dip the bottom of the ice cube trays in the water and the cubes popped right out.

Further thought. Imagine yourself in your new kitchen. Are you sure, absolutely positive beyond a doubt, that you will have enough outlets (as in twice as many as you think you will need). In our Former House, I was blessed with outlets everywhere. I didn't realize that I was so blessed until I moved into a house with a Kitchen With Virtually No Outlets. Two duplexes. Yes, that's it. Two weeks from now, we have plans to farm the kids out, get out the Skil saw, and rip into the rock and get us outlets. Neither of us can stand it. Yes, two times as many outlets as you think you will need. Put them everywhere. I've developed a new hatred for extension cords.

I, too am a firm believer that all bones are fair game. I often mix previously roasted meat bones with new bones and meat. Sometimes I roast the new bones, sometimes not. (Depends on how lazy I'm feeling. In any case, I sure don't worry about how "cleaan" the old, previously roasted bones are. I once absconded with the carcass of a pig from a pig roast for smoked pork stock. Pork stock is good. I'm surprised at how often I reach for it.

Recently made Bacon Candy with bacon from Lenny's meat market in New Ulm, MN. Also made some with "thin" bacon ends from Hackenmueller's meat market in Robbinsdale, MN. Both were delish. I love bacon. In all forms. My BBB sandwich (Bacon, more bacon sandwiched between bacon). Bacon Candy. Lardon's has a garnish for almost anything. THis is the most perfect food, IMHO.

This one has me drooling. And, wondering if the scallion pancakes are those kind that are made by spinning a log of dough?

"Task" lighting really didn't become an issue until I turned 45 and started wearing reading glasses. Think ahead, dude. At about that age, it became all important. And, do, for the rest of the area, think about uplighting. It's wonderful.

Any burger made of ground chuck, served on a substantial toasted bun (squishy cheap supermarket buns need not apply) eaten at The Cabin. It, in my book, should have onion (grilled or raw) and a slice of a great tomato, and a smattering of mustard, but to me, it is really about where it is eaten and with whom it is eaten. If a really great tomato isn't available, forget it. No cheese (cheese has it's place, but not on a burger). No bacon (I love nothing more than bacon, but don't confuse things). Mid-may, I will have one, and photo same, and you will all know why that is the best spot for a burger.

Have you asked your favorite small local market to order a case or two of them? Have you asked them to start stocking them?

So, I'll further complicate the lighting issue. I'm dealing with it now, in our new house. In our former house, we had a huge dining area attached to the kitchen (I had a mongo kitchen). I wanted that dining area to be able to both a dining area and a "homework" area (no other place in that tiny house). So, after much looking and deliberation, I put in a ceiling fan. ONe which had both up and down lighting. I love up lighting. I am searching now for appropriate fixtures for the New House that have both up and down lighting. I did have specific task lighting (which I installed myself), but really liked the ability, in the living area of this space, to have both task (down) and ambient (up) lighting. Varmint, as you went into this process (forgive me if I''ve missed this in the old long thred or this thread) what were your thoughts on lighting? It's not just about how pretty the fixtures are (ask my folks; the fixtures were beautiful -- before I replaced them with something functional -- but not really what was called for. Before I replaced the lighting in my old kitchen, I hauled out every single flashlight I could find, duct-taped them to here and there -- ceilings, bottom of cabinets -- and tried to envision what I wanted and what I needed.

Please assure me that you are composting only stuff like veg scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds. No meat (other than egg shells), please, or it's not compost.

We thought about low voltage lighting in our old kitchen, and came to the same conclusion. Yes, I (yes, me!) installed track lighting under cabinet (made the bottom of the cabinets, of which I had tons, into sort of an I-beam). Yes, you can install them in the i-beams. It is a ton of work for a DIY. May add to your budget. Scrimp on cabinet handles, but not lighting. Shallow stuff is really hard to find, and I discovered that I just needed to "make my own." But, I'm not a pro, at woodworking or electrical. (but, then again, I have never had to go to hospital for electrocution or carpentry accident.) Have you had your electrician come over again, with plans and elevations and give advice? What does Daddy-A say?

My family thinks I am a trash maniac. I look around my neighborhood and look at how full trash cans are for a small family and go "yikes? I keep bacon grease in a container and use it for whatever. Every scrap of paper and cardboard are recycled. Every plastic bag is recycled. I make every effort to buy products with minimal packaging. I freeze all sorts of tomatoes, etc. so I don't have to buy canned stuff and recycle the cans. Every veg scrap and egg shells are composted. I have a wonderful, pottery compost thing by the sink that works well. Even in the dead of winter, I don boots and dump the stuff into the compost (never mind it doesn't do anything at this time of year). I periodically add dirt (I keep a bin in the warm garage) to the compost. I have eliminated as many publications as possible and do them on-line to avoid using trees and having trash/recycling. No to oil down the drains -- don't care whether toilet or sink. All that sewage has to be taken care of somehow, and I want my kids to have as clean a place to live as possible. Don't use plastic trash bags for trash. Use paper grocery bags. I think Glad and Hefty have the greatest scam going on the market. They have people convinced they have to spend money for a product that is produced for the express purpose of being thrown away.

There are a number of threads on pizza toppings here and here and here