snowangel

Although we have never been big diner out folks because of Heidi, we are even doing less of it. Like Chris, I am paying more attention to what's in the fridge, and certainly appreciate the free venison I get every year from my FIL (I'm expecting one or two). But, one of the big differences is my driving habits. I'm more thoughtful when I drive anywhere -- this stems from when gas was $3.59/gallon, but now that it's "only" $2.05/gallon (gasp choke from someone who remembers gasping and choking when it went to $.69/gallon!), I'm keeping up with that habit. Combine errands. Double check that grocery list. But, as fuel prices have decreased, I'm not nothing that the food prices that increased because of increased fuel costs have decreased. So, add some extra beans to that pot of chili. Check that grocery store ad on Sunday. What's on sale and dirt cheap and add it to the grocery list. Pork butt on sale for $.79/lb? Well, I'm figuring a smoked butt (leftovers for posole) and perhaps some rendang on the menu. Chickens on sale for $.9/lb? I'm thinking a roast chicken and stock, chicken salad, a pot pie, etc. are in the works. In addition, the price of a lunch in the school cafeteria has risen rather dramatically, so the kids are taking their lunches, so I'm baking more bread. The killer is the beverages. Here, a carton of milk (one pint) at the school caf is $.50. For a cup of milk. Yikes. We, too, anticipate a child (young adult) in college this coming fall, and believe me, that's a driving force.

Oh, and then there are those crusty bits that just happen to fall off when one is checking the smoking butt, brisket, ribs or prime rib.

I'm the mom, but I have competition. Now that Diana has turned 18, she's discovered the joy of crust. My kids know that the heels if the loaves of bread are mine, and mine alone (at least if they value their lives). But, Diana and I have battled, of late, over the corners of pans of brownies, stradas, etc. Then there was my desperation moment today. Helping to prep for a church funeral, I realized I simply didn't have enough time to bake the bazillion dozen cookies I have been asked to do, so I patted a big lot of the dough into an 11x17 (not going to the edges) on top of parchment, and baked. The edges were irregular, and rather crispy, so as I took the pizza cutter to this "pan of bars," there were all sorts of crispy bits that fell off. Oh, my, heaven, and I don't even really like baked goods. I guess this is why, when I fry chicken, I make sure and fry all of the backs I've saved for just such a purpose. Crispy bits and heels (and, BTW, I'm not much of a chip person -- it's gotta be something out of the kitchen). So, where do you fall? In the soft middle or the crispy, crunchy edges?

Bruce, this is a work of art. I'm especially partial to Asian, be it newly created, or simply leftover curry, nuked, for breakfast. Sets me up for quite a day (just ask my family!).

Yes, that is electricity coming. As I've mentioned before, we do have a gas generator up there, which we don't use very often since for most of our season up there, the days are so long. But, everyone else on "our" side of the lake wanted power, so my FIL went in on the project. It will be nice to have electricity in the fall when the days are so short, and to have a toaster, and to be less reliant on D-cell batteries for the radio, etc. Now, hopefully, my FIL won't be lulled into an electric fridge (the propane fridge makes NO noise) or an electric stove. Quite frankly, for most of the summer, it won't make any difference.

I'm with Pam -- leave most of the fat cap on. You can easily remove the fat from the liquid later, and a person can always cut any fat remaining off the cooked brisket.

Chris, thanks for the heads up on David Thompson's penang. The idea of braising the meat first, and then adding the coconut milk and paste is genius. You'll get the flavour of the beef, with the curry "stuff" without sacrificing the flavour of the beef. But, one of the techniques I learned from Paula Wolfert was to hold the braise for the next day, separating the meat from the liquid. Basically, remove the meat, seal tightly in a ziplock. Liquid in another container. Both in the fridge, which makes taking the fat of the liquid very easy. Reheat gently in the oven. I do like doing this, and find it makes a big difference. She even advocates doing this process twice, which makes for an even more succulent dish (think rinse and repeat!).

What kind of chiles did you use? And, to echo Bruce's comment, everyone's meals look, well, just fantastic.

We are home. We had a lovely weekend, but then again, I can't recall being up there and not having a good time. Paul was due to leave the office at noon on Friday for a 1:00 pm takeoff, but you all know that noon really means 12:30, so he was home at 1:15 (after a quick stop to fill up the mini-van -- $2.45/gallon ). It was just four of us as Diana was at camp as a counselor for MEA camp. Ask if you want to know about MEA weekend (just about a state holiday weekend). The kids and I were waiting in the garage with all bags packed and a ham sandwich for Paul -- we were hot to trot. It was a glorious day -- sunny, no wind -- and the colors were beautiful until just north of Hinkley, when they started to peter out. We stopped at the Lemon Tree in Cloquet for Adult Beverages (the prices there are good and just get higher the further north we go. We stopped in Virginia at F & D Meats for ground beef, smoked fish, and sausage; Paul opted for the Fraboni's ring bologna (more on that later). Next stop was at Zup's in Cook. Zup's is interesting. I think they started as a sausage and bacon place, but have several grocery stores. We almost always stop there for bacon (outstanding; we prefer it to Fraboni's) and the other stuff we've forgotten. One of the cool things about going up this late in the season is that although the "colors" are largely gone, we notice the Tamarack trees. You just don't notice them in the summer, figuring that they are yet another needled tree. But, there's the only needled piney tree I know of that turn golden and lose their needles. I begged and pleaded with the family to stop at various more stunning sights so I could take photos, and it wasn't until I said that if they didn't stop, I'd pee my pants that this was the spot they chose. Trust me, in the late afternoon low light, they were spectacular. It was a breathtaking drive. I did not photo my normal first look at the lake. By the time we got the mini-van unloaded; fridge and stove/oven pilots lit, and a fire going, it was just too dark for a good shot. It was 40 degrees inside the cabin, as it was outside, and the temp was dropping rapidly. One of the things I've learned to do when it's cold inside and we've lit a fire is to pull the top sheet and blanklets down to the foot of the bed! For dinner that night, we had the ring bologna, kraut, baked beans and apples. Now, to the ring bologna. Neither Peter nor I are that fond of ring bologna, and this one sure was lacking in something. But, Paul and Heidi liked it, and the late season Haralson's have been just great. Cocktails for the adults; warmed apple cider (fresh pressed from an orchard for the kids. Milles Bournes and KAXE and then tumble into bed. The end of the evening trip to the outhouse was brisk! We always stay up way too late on our first night up there; at this time of year, primarily to get the joint warmed up. Saturday dawned very cloudy, and almost gale-force windy. Not a day for fishing, or for hunting. For breakfast, waffles on my neat-o-keeno NordicWare stove-top waffle iron and Zup's bacon (baked on a cookie sheet on top of parchment paper -- we are probably the only cabin on that lake with 100 sheets of the stuff!). Sitting around, talking about week, reading magazines or books, playing cards. Since breakfast was late, lunch was simple -- either a nosh on apples, smoked fish, cheese, carrots, or a grilled cheese sandwich (bread from the Italian Bakery in Virginia, readily available all over the Virginia/Cook area). One of the things I used to pride myself on was bringing exactly the amount of food we'd eat, and going home with a mostly empty cooler. Not any more! I've learned it's all about choices, and just because I think on a Wednesday I might want to eat it on Saturday -- no more! But, before I get into dinner, a couple of pictures of the cabin. I think some of my original shots may have been lost in a server upgrade: That's a sunfish sailboat and a canoe under the deck. The reference section of the cabin library. I think I cut off part of the name of one of the nature books -- it's on lichen. In a cupboard above the shelf is a pare of binocs for birding. Dinner: Squash (ick! -- but Paul and Heidi love it), meatloaf and spinach salad. Note Chef PF (Peter -- also note his short hair!). Isn't the raw spinach beautiful? It's from the farmer's market -- as the season has cooled, some of the spring crops have re-appeared. Sorry for the crappy shot of the done food, but that's part of the challenge of photoing after dark in a cabin lit with three little gas Humphrey lights. After Paul and Heidi were asleep, Peter and I pulled out a book I had found at my Grandmother's house on card games (published in 1933) and tried a new-to-us game of solitaire, accompanied by Hydrox. Behind him is our Rubbermaid ActionPacker, which does a wonderful job of hauling a whole mess of stuff, and if you pack it right, the chips and bread don't get squished. Yes, that's a box of the game "Apples to Apples" on the top -- it resides at the cabin in the summer and comes home when we make our final trip. Before Peter and I hit the hay, he shows me that he has learned a new skill: Peter fixed breakfast -- Lois's Best Coffee Cake and scrambled eggs with red bell, ham and cheese. He's taking FAC's (Home Ed to Us) and is loving cooking. While he was cooking, I went for a short walk down the road. This is what I saw a ways down the road, with a veer off to a clearing. And, close to the road end of our property. Guess what's coming? It was a fabulous weekend. We didn't even go hunting, although Peter and Paul did have a gun training session, and did some shooting at the gravel pit. We didn't see a single grouse during any of our walks (and we didn't just veg, we did so some nice walks. So, the grouse are there for your taking! But, before I close this post with a photo I took as I had my cuppa outside this morning while Peter was cooking. My every morning cuppa outside at The Cabin, although not at the end of the dock. The sun was just coming up over the point and hitting the island. As we left the cabin, we had another long look at the lake, and it was yet again (30 years running) that I left for the last time in the year with a tear in my eye. I am the luckiest woman in the world.

Rob, I'd start with the Cassoulet Cook-Off. And, don't forget, you simply can't go wrong with any cassoulet recipe of Paula Wolfert's. Question, however. Your pheasants. Farmed or wild? Purchased or hunted (by you)?

I talked to my dad about this question today. Now, keep in mind that my dad, in a former life, was a farm kid (corn, soybeans and wheat, as well as livestock) and in fact, rented and farmed a hundred acres as a senior in high school for a 4-H project. Also, in a former life, he served as a butcher. He had one great comment: "Remember grass fed beef walk and walk and walk for their food. Grain feed beef? It's like watching TV and eating Fritos. Like humans, the more exercise they get, the leaner they are." Now, I don't know how much truth there is to what he said, but it sort of makes sense, and who am I to argue with a man who raised live-stock and took them from live animal to parts that he dry-aged in a meat market?

Actually, Bruce, I have been making Mexican at Home, but have not reported on it at all (bad me). Daunted by Diana Kennedy's books, I did get a copy of Rick Bayless's "Authentic Mexican" as I make my way through that book, I think that Diana will be less daunting. But, one of our favs from Rick's book has been the Northern-Style Shredded Beet with Tomatoes. I've also done with recipe with pork. The key is, after you braise the beef (works well in the crock pot in the laundry room on a really hot day -- the kind of day that you don't want to heat up the kitchen) to crisp the shredded meat up really well. Just almost crisp the hell out of it. It should not be a ragout! This dish was not as successful with venison because of venison is not known for being well marbled. Given that you have teen boys, Bruce, plan on tripling the recipe. Do what I did. Get to the farmer's market late in the day, when they will bargain, and you can get a half bushel of poblanos (essential) for a coupla bucks, toss them on the grill, freeze on a cookie sheet, package in a ziplock, and peel and de-seed when they are just about thawed. Works like a charm. Me thinks da boyz would like this dish very much. Oh, and I forgot, the Chicken Tostadas with Fresh Vegetables and Cream were another favorite (I used thighs instead of the suggested breast).

Marlene, essentially, closing our cabin up involves taking the screens off and putting the storms on; loading the indoor wood box with wood, and making sure that the drinking water jug isn't full. Oh, we also bring home any canned goods. The storms are on, and there are hardly any canned goods left, and my in-laws will bring those home next week. Oh, the other thing my in-laws will do is remove the u-shaped thingee under the sink and put a bucket there. Since there's no running water, this is the only pipe that just might freeze, and since when one removes the trap thingee, all of the water in the pipes is gone. Everything except the cooler is packed. Paul will be home at noon, and he's taking our other car to work, so it will be packed, and as I get the kids in the mini-van, he'll scarf a quick sandwich. I'm so ready to head north.

It's been well over a year since an update on Princess Heidi. She's now 14 and in high school. And, still as big (or tiny) as a minute -- she continues to wear size 10 girls clothes. But, high school brings many changes. Big ones. She's only at school 2-1/2 days a week. On these days, she needs to bring a lunch. For her, usually a sandwich, some little cookies and plain yogurt with cut-up fruit. The other big change is that the bus arrives at 6:40 am, so it's an early day, and my oh my, it's really dark that early up here in Zone 3. One afternoon, they are out in the community. It could be at a store, shopping for supplies. Or at a retirement home; my, the do love having the kids come in. The local Lions group frequently hosts them for picnics (which do move indoors as the weather changes. One day a week, she's at a vocational center; she's apparently a wiz with a shredder. The other day, she's at an apartment with her class. Our school district rents an apartment so these kids can learn some daily living skills. She hates making beds, apparently, and is not permitted to clean the tub (she just wants to get in an have someone turn on the water. Although I said above that I send her with a lunch three days a week, that's not really true. I send ingredients. I have sent a loaf of bread (which they froze, so it's warmed or toasted in the toaster), cheese, mayo, P/B and J, fruit, and a mess of yogurt containers. So, she's learning how to make sandwiches and open yogurt containers. A bonus of the apartment is that they have a microwave (my other two school-age kids would kill for a nuker at school), and she's learning to transfer the contents of the plastic container into a Correll bowl. She can't quite reach the nuker yet, but bangs on it when the buzzer sounds, and is responsible for finding an aide to help her get it out. She also has every other week table washing duty. I could not ask for a better educational program for her, and the staff is beyond belief. I've noticed that the original pictures of Heidi disappeared during a server change, so I'll have to take some pictures of her this weekend when we're at Cabin, and post one or two. She's quite the charmer!

Chris (and Marlene, if you are able to score a whole brisket), if you aren't intended to braise the entire thing, braise the flat and smoke the deckle (or the thick fatty part). In addition to the Molly Steven's recipe I noted above, I've also braised one with onions, roasted poblanos and beer. As I recall, I did tuck in a coupla hot peppers, and some stock. This one I took sort of past the slicing stage and used it for a big party with corn tortillas and all the fixings.

We're going to hunt for grouse (instead of swimming), so I've been madly gathering all of the blaze orange we own. One hat per person, two very heavy sweatshirts (Heidi and Peter), and a vest for Paul. My blaze is up at the cabin. Paul will start on the rudimentaries of shotgun training with Peter. Diana is up at Eveleth, working at camp this weekend, and called this morning to say just how beautiful it is up there right now.

I'll get my Labour Day pics up soon, along with a report. But, I've made my list for this weekend, and we leave Friday noonish. This is my list. Can anyone guess what I've planned for meals?

The days are growing shorter, the nights longer. I'm actually contemplating putting my shorts away, but more time indoors has given me time to find the cord thingee that allows me to hook up the camera to the computer. And, as we prepare to head north again this weekend, I'm reminded that I'm woefully behind on cabin reports. Unfortunately, we have only had two visits to The Cabin since I last reported. Work duties for Paul have prevented a visit since Labor Day weekend, but this coming weekend looks clear, and it will be MEA weekend (which means that all kids in MN have Thursday and Friday off). So, tomorrow, I will do the final mow on the lawn, finish waxing the kitchen floor, grocery shop, and pack some clothes. But, back to a lighter a brighter time -- the middle of August. We headed north, four of us in the mini-van (Peter was at camp, so not with us). My best friend, Susan, and her two kids joined us. It was a bittersweet trip -- Susan's son Nick's last trip before entering UW Madison. It was indeed a glorious weekend. My FIL was also up north, which meant a really nice boat for fishing (and a little tubing for the girls). We also were able to pick more blueberries, but this was an adult only trip, and Susan, Paul and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing stories with my FIL about the trials and tribulations of raising teenagers (not much has changed in the last 40 years, BTW). The berries were plentiful, which did lead to a meal of blueberry pancakes, and a blueberry/lemon quick bread. Other meals included waffles, bacon, some more bacon, sandwiches and salads for lunch, sirloin on the grill for one night, sweet corn, home-grown tomatoes, and a fish meal. The girls baked browning (trashing the kitchen in the meantime). Some photos: This is my new toy, which I received for by b-day. A Nano and a players for the Nano, so when there's just the news on the radio, we have tunes. It is well loaded with a wide variety of music. The sound on this thing is pretty good, and it has a rechargable battery. As you can see, the weather was warm enough during the day that swimming was a popular activity. The deck rail makes a very handy clothes line. But, the nights were cool enough that the dew was heavy, so we did bring everything in at night. A basswood tree needed to be taken down, which my FIL dropped nicely with the trusty chainsaw. Nick and Paul took care of getting it chopped up. Cutting wood provides warmth two ways -- one while chopping, the other while burning! The fishing was great. We had a couple of walleye meals and one sunfish meal, and both Susan and I took home more sunfish. They had great luck trolling for sunfish using crawler harnesses. Since I do think some of my initial cabin photos are no longer on the server, an inside shot, looking from the kitchen door into the dining/living room. You can see the screen porch through the door. The kitchen, complete with the gas stove, minimal cupboard/counter place, and the Servel gas fridge: We played cards, walked to the point, fished, walked the road, picked bouquets of flowers. And enjoyed listening to music -- on the Nano or the radio. Enjoyed not listening to the news. Read trashy novels and had no agenda, which is a very good thing -- all folks should do this every so often. A boy and a fishing rod, on the dock, waiting for dinner. He did get fish, and when we talked, we both acknowledged that this activity, in just this location, is the best possible medicine for almost anything. Dead calm, absolutely quiet, in one of the most beautiful spots in the world. Finally, my favorite moment of the year. The morning we left. The night had been cool, and when I got up (very early, before anyone else), I got the coffee going. I grabbed a cuppa, and headed out the door, carefully shutting the screen door very quietly. As I looked at the lake, I went back into the cabin, grabbed my camera and a pareo (my preferred towel). I headed to the lake, sat on the dock, took some pictures with my cuppa. Hung the camera on a tree branch, stripped down to nothing, and got in the lake, and swam among the mist, with the sun just hitting the trees on the lake. While I say that every swim is the best swim of my life, this particular one was absolutely stellar, and one I shall remember for many, many years. This was the one I'll be telling folks about for years. What the photo doesn't convey is that I was swimming in the midst of the mist, and the only sounds were the birds. Swoon.

I have braised a brisket before. Actually, not a whole brisket -- but the fattier end. Molly Stevens Pot-Roasted Brisket with Rhubarb and Honey. Although I hate raisins in general -- they are either shriveled or plump and well, squishy, they did prove to be essential. I did document the finished product here. Do note what most of of mention in the "Braising with Molly" topic -- low and slow in the oven. Her temps are simply too high. I've also done this dish with a venison brisket, to rave reviews. I am, however, interested in a braise with a more Mexican/Hispanic bent. Some onions and poblanos? Shredded and served in tortillas with some pico with the last of this summer's tomatoes and peppers and cilantro? I have another venicon brisket i the freezer...

College visit. Could use suggestions of where to stay (budget, teen, ice machine so I can have a cold cocktail after a day or two of looking at colleges -- gasp/choke!), but better would be a place to eat. I'll have had enough of college food services "box lunches." Anything interesting? Any meat markets worth hitting?

Now, I digress, and return to a 4th of July trip, and some not smoked meat. We were heading to Duluth for a night with a friend, and bound and determined to take Scenic Highway 23, peeling off 35 at Askov. I dutifully did my duty to search out meat markets. One popped up (that I didn't know about) -- Kettle River Jerky. I mapquested it, and found what looked like the right place. A steel building, with just a house number. I gingerly knocked on the door, and a "come on in" was heard. Me: "Do you sell retail?" Her: "Why of course." Me: "Let me get my husband from the car, he has the money." Turns out they turn out a lot of jerky. They make jerky two days a week, and three days a week he delivers to convenience stores (Her: "We go as far south a Hinkley!") So, Paul and I talked to her about what kinds of jerky (flavors) they sell, and we settle on terikayi (sp?) for Peter and sweet and spicy for Paul. So, she takes us into the back room, she goes into the cooler and pulls out two packages, each 4 oz. No sooner does she pull them out that she realizes that these are unlabled packages, and she doesn't remember which is which. We don't care, figuring we'll figure it out as we eat it. We get to the front room to pay, and she asks if we'd like a bag on the hot and spicy jerky ends. Price? $5.00 for 12 oz. of jerkey. Memory? Priceless. Minnesota is amazing.

So, let's reprise our most recent weekend before we get to previous ones. What's so amazing is how small these towns are, and how the local "meat locker" is so busy. Hampton: Greg's. They were on my radar because they placed #1 in bacon at the state fair. This place is in the middle of no-where, on Hwy. 52, just south of Hampton. Very visible because it's on the highway and the side facing south-bound traffic says something like "smoked meat." This place was hopping. Old guys bringing in their dead chickens, cows and pigs for processing. We bought some ring sausage and bacon. We bought the regular bacon, not the double smoked. For breakfast, this ranked highest, because it was the sweetest of what we had purchased. For BLT's, a thumbs down. Just goes to show that bacon in different dishes serves different purposes. We haven't tried the sausage yet. Cannon Falls: Lorentz Meat's. Oddly, they don't have a retail location, but do sell their wares at the EconoFoods on Main Street. They do have a dedicated cooler at the EconoFoods that only has their products. A variety of sausages and bacon (only one kind). This was my favorite all purpose bacon of this taste testing (only the four we visited that beautiful Saturday). None of the sausages hit me that day, so no Lorentz sausages for a future report. (I should add that I'm not a big fan of smoked sausages -- call me a heretic because in general, I'm all over smoked meat products). Denison: Meat Locker. I'm not even sure what the name is. Dennison, for as beautiful as the area is, is singularly and unattractive town, and this place was a hole in the wall. They had one cooler with a couple of kinds of sausages (none in stock for what was advertised on the sign) and three packages of bacon. More on their bacon after the Nerstrand report. Clearly, they are a meat locker, and their purpose is primarily for breaking down cows, chickens and pigs. They had a HUGE freezer. Nerstrand: Nerstand Meat Market. This place was hopping, just like Greg's. We got bacon, and as I perused the sausage selection, I saw a packaged with a printed label that said "misc" with the word "RED" printed in red Sharpee above it. What a lovely choice. This was a fab sausage -- redolent of sweet red peppers and a few -- remember this is Scandinavian MN Lutheran country -- a very nice blens, not too finely ground, not too coarse. I wish I'd bought more. But, back to the bacon. Greg's was the favorite for breakfast, and we were a house divided on the rest -- I liked Lorentz best, Peter Nerstrand and Paul Dennison. These are all homespun places, and we are clearly the strangers, as the owner gets caught up on Norma's health (she has cancer) and Joyce's new baby. But, they are friendly, and have all of the time in the world to talk about their product. If we don't head to the Cabin this weekend, we're contemplating a run to Foley, MN (4 meat markets!) and Pierz (which has a meat market that the NYTimes proclaimed a few years ago has the best bacon in the country). Such bounty!

RecipeGullet has several recipes with "grape" in the title (ignore the grapefruit ones) right =title&search_pattern=grape&k_keyword_0=&k_keyword_1=&search=Search&num_quick_cats=2]here.

I happened across two lugs of peaches (on sale; end of season), so I have many, many glistening jars of jam -- blushing peach (peach/raspberry) and peach ginger. The final batch did not set, but makes wonderful syrup. I'm thinking of wrapping each jar I give as a gift in an embroidered flour sack dish cloth. I'm stitching fast and furious!

Wild Rice.