Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Friday, November 29, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Photo #28
I missed Thursday's update, so here's your waterfall a day late:
I hope to get a few quick things up this weekend and next week talk abut homemade laundry soap!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I hope to get a few quick things up this weekend and next week talk abut homemade laundry soap!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Photo #27
I loved my trip to Croatia. If you love waterfalls it is definitely worth a look!
I hope you have a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Pork Loin Chronicles Volume 4
Now I will try to show the breakdown of how to make these dishes into a cooking cascade. In these instructions I will be assuming that you have a nearly 10 pound pork loin and want to make the same dishes I did.
Day 1: Take your thawed pork loin and cut it in half. Put one half back into the fridge, covered. Cut the remaining half in half again. Prepare both halves in the dutch oven and roast. One roast is served as roast pork today. The other half is sliced and marinated in barbecue sauce and put back in the fridge. Leftover plain roast can be added to the bbq pot if desired.
Day 2: Retrieve the marinating barbequed roast pork. Prepare bbq pork and bake. Take the raw refrigerated half of the pork loin and slice off 1/3 (about a pound and a half). Put the remaining 2/3rds back under cover and refrigerate. Take the pound and a half chunk and slice it into 2 or 3 strips about an inch and a half thick. Make the marinade. Marinade the pork strips in a covered dish or freezer bag. Place it back into the fridge until tomorrow. Enjoy barbeque pork sandwiches today and Chinese barbecue pork tomorrow.
Day 3: Take the marinating pork out of the fridge. Prepare Chinese Barbecue Pork according to the recipe. While that is baking take the last of the raw pork and cut it into bite sized pieces. Follow the Slow Cooker Pork Green Chili recipe up to the step where it tells you to transfer the meat into the crock pot. Instead let it cool somewhat and return it to the refrigerator. Have Chinese bbq pork today!
Day 4: Finish the Slow Cooker Pork Green Chili recipe where it left off. This is the biggest meal and it reheats well.
There you have it. Four days of different main dishes all from the same pork loin. The leftovers from these kept us fed for the rest of the week around here.
I hope you have a lovely evening,
Kristin
Day 1: Take your thawed pork loin and cut it in half. Put one half back into the fridge, covered. Cut the remaining half in half again. Prepare both halves in the dutch oven and roast. One roast is served as roast pork today. The other half is sliced and marinated in barbecue sauce and put back in the fridge. Leftover plain roast can be added to the bbq pot if desired.
Day 2: Retrieve the marinating barbequed roast pork. Prepare bbq pork and bake. Take the raw refrigerated half of the pork loin and slice off 1/3 (about a pound and a half). Put the remaining 2/3rds back under cover and refrigerate. Take the pound and a half chunk and slice it into 2 or 3 strips about an inch and a half thick. Make the marinade. Marinade the pork strips in a covered dish or freezer bag. Place it back into the fridge until tomorrow. Enjoy barbeque pork sandwiches today and Chinese barbecue pork tomorrow.
Day 3: Take the marinating pork out of the fridge. Prepare Chinese Barbecue Pork according to the recipe. While that is baking take the last of the raw pork and cut it into bite sized pieces. Follow the Slow Cooker Pork Green Chili recipe up to the step where it tells you to transfer the meat into the crock pot. Instead let it cool somewhat and return it to the refrigerator. Have Chinese bbq pork today!
Day 4: Finish the Slow Cooker Pork Green Chili recipe where it left off. This is the biggest meal and it reheats well.
There you have it. Four days of different main dishes all from the same pork loin. The leftovers from these kept us fed for the rest of the week around here.
I hope you have a lovely evening,
Kristin
Monday, November 11, 2013
Pork Loin Chronicles Volume 3
I still had about 3 1/2 pounds of pork loin left. What do I do with that? My friend Jinger Burton had just posted an amazing slow cooker recipe for Pork Green Chili that she said I could share with you. I tried the recipe on Saturday and my house did smell divine.
Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde
Ingredients:
3 TB olive oil
1 medium to large onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic - minced
4 pounds boneless pork, trimmed and cut into bite size chunks
½ - 1 tsp EACH: salt, pepper, cumin
1 C tomatillos, husked removed and coarsely chopped
28 oz green enchilada sauce (or for homemade green chile sauce use fresh roasted green chiles that have been peeled, seeded, and pureed with ½ C water, 1 TB vinegar, & salt until smooth)
4 oz can diced green chiles (if using the enchilada sauce)
2 chopped fresh jalapeños (or to taste)
1 small handful chopped cilantro (or to taste)
Heat the oil and sauté onions and garlic until fragrant. Toss pork in a little flour with the salt, pepper, and cumin (adjust spices to your taste) and add to onions and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned on the outside. Transfer pork, onions, and garlic to the slow cooker and stir in all other ingredients.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Reduce to low and cook an additional hour or two. I thickened mine a little bit with a corn starch slurry so it could be eaten easily in a tortilla with black beans and sour cream.
Delicious, and your house will smell absolutely divine.
Slow Cooker Pork Chile Verde
Ingredients:
3 TB olive oil
1 medium to large onion - chopped
4 cloves garlic - minced
4 pounds boneless pork, trimmed and cut into bite size chunks
½ - 1 tsp EACH: salt, pepper, cumin
1 C tomatillos, husked removed and coarsely chopped
28 oz green enchilada sauce (or for homemade green chile sauce use fresh roasted green chiles that have been peeled, seeded, and pureed with ½ C water, 1 TB vinegar, & salt until smooth)
4 oz can diced green chiles (if using the enchilada sauce)
2 chopped fresh jalapeños (or to taste)
1 small handful chopped cilantro (or to taste)
Heat the oil and sauté onions and garlic until fragrant. Toss pork in a little flour with the salt, pepper, and cumin (adjust spices to your taste) and add to onions and garlic. Cook until the meat is browned on the outside. Transfer pork, onions, and garlic to the slow cooker and stir in all other ingredients.
Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Reduce to low and cook an additional hour or two. I thickened mine a little bit with a corn starch slurry so it could be eaten easily in a tortilla with black beans and sour cream.
Delicious, and your house will smell absolutely divine.
I made it the quick way with the canned sauce and chilies. I served it without thickening it and added sour cream and black beans to my bowl. Very good! One of my kids really liked it, too (without beans). My house did indeed smell divine. Thanks, Jinger!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Kristin
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Pork Loin Chronicles Volume 2
One of the next things I did with the pork loin was make Chinese Barbecued Pork.
I have meant to try this for a long time. I used a variant on this recipe.
This is how it came out:
It came out more moist than the pork I have eaten in Chinese restaurants, but no one around here thinks that is a bad thing. The kids liked the flavor as much as the restaurant pork. They also liked that the homemade stuff had a more natural color (I omitted the red food coloring that is usually added.)
This one is getting added to our more regular menus. If I fine tune it to suit us I will post my recipe here.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I have meant to try this for a long time. I used a variant on this recipe.
This is how it came out:
It came out more moist than the pork I have eaten in Chinese restaurants, but no one around here thinks that is a bad thing. The kids liked the flavor as much as the restaurant pork. They also liked that the homemade stuff had a more natural color (I omitted the red food coloring that is usually added.)
This one is getting added to our more regular menus. If I fine tune it to suit us I will post my recipe here.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Pork Loin Chronicles Volume One
Recently I took a pork loin out of my freezer and put it in the fridge to thaw. That sucker weighed over 9.5 pounds. I needed to come up with multiple ways to use it without getting sick of pork.
First I made almost half of it into roast pork like I did in this post. We ate that for super on the first night. When I cleaned up I made the leftovers into Barbequed Pork!! This is one of my childhood favorites.
Barbequed Pork
Leftover Roast Pork
Barbeque Sauce
1/4 water
Slice the leftover pork and cover it well in barbeque sauce. Try to get as much of the surface area covered as possible. Refrigerate covered overnight. Place marinated pork slices in a ovenproof baking dish with a lid along with 1/4 cup water and more barbeque sauce (I used about a cup to cover over two pounds of slices.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Use a fork to break apart the meat into little chunks or shreds. Add more barbeque sauce if desired. Serve in buns or just on a plate.
I made a few other meals with the pork loin. We'll get to them soon,
-Kristin
First I made almost half of it into roast pork like I did in this post. We ate that for super on the first night. When I cleaned up I made the leftovers into Barbequed Pork!! This is one of my childhood favorites.
Barbequed Pork
Leftover Roast Pork
Barbeque Sauce
1/4 water
Slice the leftover pork and cover it well in barbeque sauce. Try to get as much of the surface area covered as possible. Refrigerate covered overnight. Place marinated pork slices in a ovenproof baking dish with a lid along with 1/4 cup water and more barbeque sauce (I used about a cup to cover over two pounds of slices.) Bake at 350 degrees for about 2 hours. Use a fork to break apart the meat into little chunks or shreds. Add more barbeque sauce if desired. Serve in buns or just on a plate.
I made a few other meals with the pork loin. We'll get to them soon,
-Kristin
Friday, November 8, 2013
Quick Fixes: Yogurt Cucumber Salad
Here's a side dish I can whip up in a couple minutes. It also makes a good breakfast.
1 cucumber-peeled and cubed
1 tomato- coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 cup plain greek yogurt
Combine all ingredients & serve.
Plain, simple and so tasty!
See you tomorrow.
-Kristin
1 cucumber-peeled and cubed
1 tomato- coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 cup plain greek yogurt
Combine all ingredients & serve.
Plain, simple and so tasty!
See you tomorrow.
-Kristin
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Photo #26
I hope you have a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Recipe Experiment: Power Cookie ---> Granola Bars
As I was doing the posts this week about leftover oatmeal, I had an idea of another possible way to use it. I had never found a recipe for granola bars that I had liked at all. Usually they are so hard and crumbly that by the time you get them out of the pan you have a pile of regular granola. In fact that was what made me work out the recipe for power cookies in the first place.
My thought was, what if I added leftover oatmeal to the power cookie recipe. It had the potential to make a pan of bars kind of like the consistency of chewy granola bars. It was definitely worth a shot.
So tonight I tried it. I used the power cookie recipe and just added 1 cup of leftover oatmeal along with the eggs. I let it mix until well blended then proceeded to mix the dough the same way as the cookies. Then I poured the dough out onto a greased rimmed cookie sheet and baked it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
The results were not quite what I expected. The bars taste fine, the kids like them just as well as normal power cookies, but the texture is much more cake-like than chewy granola bar-like. They are very crumbly. This is not what I was looking for.
I may try again. Maybe if I omit the baking soda and add another cup of dry rolled oats along with the cooked ones I will get a texture more like a granola bar. A little honey to make them a tad stickier may help as well.
If I try it I will post my results here.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
My thought was, what if I added leftover oatmeal to the power cookie recipe. It had the potential to make a pan of bars kind of like the consistency of chewy granola bars. It was definitely worth a shot.
So tonight I tried it. I used the power cookie recipe and just added 1 cup of leftover oatmeal along with the eggs. I let it mix until well blended then proceeded to mix the dough the same way as the cookies. Then I poured the dough out onto a greased rimmed cookie sheet and baked it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
The results were not quite what I expected. The bars taste fine, the kids like them just as well as normal power cookies, but the texture is much more cake-like than chewy granola bar-like. They are very crumbly. This is not what I was looking for.
I may try again. Maybe if I omit the baking soda and add another cup of dry rolled oats along with the cooked ones I will get a texture more like a granola bar. A little honey to make them a tad stickier may help as well.
If I try it I will post my results here.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Quick Fixes: Power Cookies
As my family and I were getting ready for a conference, I was trying to come up with a good grab and go snack. One we would want to eat and wouldn't take any work. I came up with a cookie recipe with lots of good stuff in it. I call them power cookies.
Power Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter)
1 cup rapadura (or 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cranberries or raisins
1 cup finely chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips
Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla and blend. Mix in salt and baking soda. Gently stir in fruit, nuts and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
When I remember to make these they usually help a lot in getting through a busy week.
-Kristin
Power Cookies
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup peanut butter)
1 cup rapadura (or 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup cranberries or raisins
1 cup finely chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips
Cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs and vanilla and blend. Mix in salt and baking soda. Gently stir in fruit, nuts and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
When I remember to make these they usually help a lot in getting through a busy week.
-Kristin
Monday, November 4, 2013
Cooking: Blueberry Pudding Muffins
These muffins are some of my favorites and a good use for leftover oatmeal. I call them pudding muffins because they are so warm and moist. In about 1/2 an hour you can have a whole basket of muffins.
Blueberry Pudding Muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Makes 24 muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup leftover oatmeal
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
rapadura (for topping)
Grease or line two muffin tins. In a large bowl mix the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Add the milk, butter, vanilla and eggs. Mix lightly just until dry ingredients are moistened. In a small bowl mix water and oatmeal until well blended. Add oatmeal mixture and blueberries to the batter and mix gently. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cups of the muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with rapadura. Bake for 20 minutes.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.
-Kristin
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Makes 24 muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup leftover oatmeal
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
rapadura (for topping)
Grease or line two muffin tins. In a large bowl mix the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
Add the milk, butter, vanilla and eggs. Mix lightly just until dry ingredients are moistened. In a small bowl mix water and oatmeal until well blended. Add oatmeal mixture and blueberries to the batter and mix gently. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cups of the muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with rapadura. Bake for 20 minutes.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.
-Kristin
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Quick Fixes: Stovetop Oatmeal
Good Morning!
Today I am going to talk about one of our old time staples: Oatmeal. We used to eat this so often that my technique went through a lot of changes over time. I started out like many people with oatmeal packets cooked in the microwave, but those cost too much and were really, too sweet. Then I moved on to quick cook in the microwave, one bowl at a time.... I even worked out an elaborate system of 6 steps to make sure there was a big serving and it was nice and creamy. That did not last long. I tried making a big batch in the microwave, and that took a really long time (it usually boiled over, too so the mess was awful.)
Around this time I found out that the kids really liked the oatmeal cooked in milk. That made the leap to stove top seem impossible. How long was I going to need to stand there to cook it and keep it from scorching?? This was supposed to be a quick breakfast. Ughh.
Then I had an idea: powdered milk! I can do the cooking part with water and add powdered milk right before the batch is supposed to sit. It worked like a charm. It worked so well we had oatmeal all the time and I was left with extra, that I had to find something to do with! Now nobody in my house eats oatmeal, but I still love the recipes I made from the extra. So yesterday I made oatmeal to show you how I do it and I will make other things with the finished product today.
On to the recipe!
Stovetop Oatmeal
3 cups cold water (use less if you like stiff oatmeal, this makes it really creamy)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
handful of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
1 cup instant powdered milk
In a 2 quart saucepan add the water, oats and fruit. Bring to a boil over medium heat stirring occasionally. Once the oats are boiling set kitchen timer for 6 minutes. Add powdered milk and stir 1 minute, the timer will now be on 5 minutes. Turn off burner, cover pot and let rest until timer goes off (5 more minutes). Stir, and serve.
Makes 4 servings in around 10 minutes.
I didn't add fruit to this batch, since I am using it in blueberry pudding muffins today. (I'll share that tomorrow)
I hope you have a lovely morning and a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Today I am going to talk about one of our old time staples: Oatmeal. We used to eat this so often that my technique went through a lot of changes over time. I started out like many people with oatmeal packets cooked in the microwave, but those cost too much and were really, too sweet. Then I moved on to quick cook in the microwave, one bowl at a time.... I even worked out an elaborate system of 6 steps to make sure there was a big serving and it was nice and creamy. That did not last long. I tried making a big batch in the microwave, and that took a really long time (it usually boiled over, too so the mess was awful.)
Around this time I found out that the kids really liked the oatmeal cooked in milk. That made the leap to stove top seem impossible. How long was I going to need to stand there to cook it and keep it from scorching?? This was supposed to be a quick breakfast. Ughh.
Then I had an idea: powdered milk! I can do the cooking part with water and add powdered milk right before the batch is supposed to sit. It worked like a charm. It worked so well we had oatmeal all the time and I was left with extra, that I had to find something to do with! Now nobody in my house eats oatmeal, but I still love the recipes I made from the extra. So yesterday I made oatmeal to show you how I do it and I will make other things with the finished product today.
On to the recipe!
Stovetop Oatmeal
3 cups cold water (use less if you like stiff oatmeal, this makes it really creamy)
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
handful of raisins or dried cranberries (optional)
1 cup instant powdered milk
Makes 4 servings in around 10 minutes.
I didn't add fruit to this batch, since I am using it in blueberry pudding muffins today. (I'll share that tomorrow)
I hope you have a lovely morning and a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Elegant Solutions: Pet Curtain
We had a problem. Our newly designed family room with its lovely heated floor opens up into our cold kitchen. Of course our pets love the warm room, but the food, water and litter boxes are on the other side of the door. There is a door between these two rooms, but there had to be a better solution than letting all the heat out into the kitchen, or constantly opening an interior door to let pets in and out. (Of course one of our furry friends would get shut on the "wrong" side of the door at night and leave us with a mess.)
Then I had an idea! Put a curtain in between the two rooms. It would do a pretty good job keeping the heat in while letting the pets pass freely. I had a simple curtain idea, too!
I put a twin flat sheet on a tension shower curtain rod. The rod slips easily right inside the ready made top seam. Once it was hung the first time I hemmed it to length, and Voila! Years later it still works like a charm.
This solution was much easier, cheaper and totally removable, unlike a pet door, especially since one of those pets is a large dog. We can keep our family room toasty, too, without breaking the bank. I love finding an elegant solution.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Then I had an idea! Put a curtain in between the two rooms. It would do a pretty good job keeping the heat in while letting the pets pass freely. I had a simple curtain idea, too!
I put a twin flat sheet on a tension shower curtain rod. The rod slips easily right inside the ready made top seam. Once it was hung the first time I hemmed it to length, and Voila! Years later it still works like a charm.
This solution was much easier, cheaper and totally removable, unlike a pet door, especially since one of those pets is a large dog. We can keep our family room toasty, too, without breaking the bank. I love finding an elegant solution.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Friday, November 1, 2013
November Writing Challenge!
A lovely member of my household is doing The NaNoWriMo.
For those of you who don't know what that is, you try to write a whole novel in the month of November! It is going to be fascinating to watch and I look forward to seeing how this adventure unfolds. I am tempted to join in myself...
But not enough. So I set myself a different writing goal. I want to get back into writing and have set a goal for myself to write daily. (Ok, me being me, I set myself lots of lofty goals around writing for November, but the primary one is to write every day.)
1. Write Every Day!
I imagine this will be harder than I think it will be. I have actually been storing up ideas and pictures all summer while I took some time off, so I think I have a good shot at making it.
So I guess I will just say feel free to follow along as I write through November!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
For those of you who don't know what that is, you try to write a whole novel in the month of November! It is going to be fascinating to watch and I look forward to seeing how this adventure unfolds. I am tempted to join in myself...
But not enough. So I set myself a different writing goal. I want to get back into writing and have set a goal for myself to write daily. (Ok, me being me, I set myself lots of lofty goals around writing for November, but the primary one is to write every day.)
1. Write Every Day!
I imagine this will be harder than I think it will be. I have actually been storing up ideas and pictures all summer while I took some time off, so I think I have a good shot at making it.
So I guess I will just say feel free to follow along as I write through November!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Photo #24
Fall might bring colder wetter weather around here, but it fills up the waterfalls, so I'm pretty excited.
May your week be inspiring,
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
May your week be inspiring,
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Photo #23
Hello just dropping in for our weekly waterfall!
I learned that I can do panorama photos vertically!
Hope you have a wonderful Friday and Weekend.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I learned that I can do panorama photos vertically!
Hope you have a wonderful Friday and Weekend.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Photo #22
This week held lots of adventures. I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. The weather seems ready to become fall here. Bringing the rains that fill the waterfalls, so I am a little happy to see it come.
This week held a waterfall for me but one that pictures didn't capture very well so here is a big one first.
Then the more modest one.
I hope your week is lovely.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
This week held a waterfall for me but one that pictures didn't capture very well so here is a big one first.
Then the more modest one.
I hope your week is lovely.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Photo #21
Hello All,
Here's another waterfall for you!
I picked a somewhat sunny picture, since it is so gray and rainy here today.
I hope you find peaceful moments in your day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Here's another waterfall for you!
I picked a somewhat sunny picture, since it is so gray and rainy here today.
I hope you find peaceful moments in your day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Photo #19
This summer has been busy in ways I did not expect. Hopefully by fall I will be recharged enough to share my adventures in my house, kitchen and out in the wild! For now I have a new waterfall for you.
I may be slow in getting back into writing, but I have more of these, and hope to be back to getting one up a week from now on.
I hope your weekend is amazing.
I hope your weekend is amazing.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Friday, June 21, 2013
Photo #18
I have been meeting my goal of hiking on a much more regular basis. I hope you all have been enjoying the pictures.
This was from early this spring, on Lacamas Creek.
Hope your day and week are peaceful.
Thougtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Photo #17
Hello readers and observers,
I am officially giving myself a break. This is a misleading thing to say, since I am hoping to work very hard for the rest of June. My goal is to work hard behind the scenes so I can resume publishing one or two posts a week in July. To use a metaphor, my life has recently been hit by a truck. I am slowly adjusting as all the new pieces fall into place, but it is taking more time and self patience than I had anticipated. (Also some of the pieces were a complete surprise and very big.) I know this is very vague. I apologize for this, I haven't decided how much I am going to write about in this public forum yet. I may slowly lay it all out, but may move it to a different blog. Anyway, this was a very long winded way to tell you that I only plan on posting pictures for the rest of the month, and exciting new things from there on. Wish me luck!
I didn't forget, here is your waterfall of the week!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I am officially giving myself a break. This is a misleading thing to say, since I am hoping to work very hard for the rest of June. My goal is to work hard behind the scenes so I can resume publishing one or two posts a week in July. To use a metaphor, my life has recently been hit by a truck. I am slowly adjusting as all the new pieces fall into place, but it is taking more time and self patience than I had anticipated. (Also some of the pieces were a complete surprise and very big.) I know this is very vague. I apologize for this, I haven't decided how much I am going to write about in this public forum yet. I may slowly lay it all out, but may move it to a different blog. Anyway, this was a very long winded way to tell you that I only plan on posting pictures for the rest of the month, and exciting new things from there on. Wish me luck!
I didn't forget, here is your waterfall of the week!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Photo #16
Waterfalls ease my soul. I hope this one comforts you.
This one was powerful enough to make me feel like I could be swept away. It was amazing.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Photo #14
I had a truly wonderful day yesterday and was able to spend it on an adventure with my children and one of their best friends. For me, especially lately if I get to chose, our adventure will contain a waterfall. Yesterday I got two.
One I'd seen several times,
And one I'd never been to before.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and get to share it with the ones you love the most.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
One I'd seen several times,
And one I'd never been to before.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, and get to share it with the ones you love the most.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Photo #13
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Photo #12
The weather is turning warmer around here. It really makes me want to get out and explore.
This is a mossy water wall on the way to Falls Creek Falls that I showed you last week.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
This is a mossy water wall on the way to Falls Creek Falls that I showed you last week.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
How I Learned to Love Making Waffles
When I mention the possibility of waffles, heads peek around corners, eyes gleam, and I am suddenly surrounded by happy expectation. Why does everyone love waffles so much? Is it the additional surface area? Is it the fancy built in syrup catchers? I don't know for sure, but waffles have an almost supernatural appeal, at least around here.
So why don't I make them all the time? Too. Much. Work!! I can only make them one at a time, The waffle iron is a pain in the rear to clean,... but they love them.
So yesterday I offered waffles (secretly hoping to be turned down.) The offer was received with great interest. "Waffles?!!" So I was stuck. I pulled out my old recipe, as I started to work I realized a few things.
1. I could have been making these in my mixer instead of the big mixing bowl by hand.
2. Waffles are better fresh, I don't need to make a huge batch to make sure I have some to "save for later".
3. I don't have to watch waffles while they cook. I can do a bunch of little tasks while I cook a breakfast my family loves.
So I set to work and while the waffle iron heated up I put the clean dishes away. While the mixer mixed I loaded the dishwasher and filled the sink with soapy water. While the waffles cooked I cleaned the microwave, heated up the syrup (you can think I'm just that awesome but really it had started to crystallize!), cleaned the waffle making dishes, and several other little jobs that needed to be done.
When I was done I had a cleaner kitchen, the dishes were done, happy kids, and the wonderful smell of waffles and syrup wafting through the kitchen. Oh yeah! and the waffles themselves.
I spent a little time reassessing my process and ended up with something much better than I ever would have guessed. So I urge you to do the same. The next time you have a task ahead of you that you are avoiding or just not looking forward to, really examine it. I plan to ask myself these questions more often:
1. Are you using all the tools available to you? I could have been using the mixer the whole time. Other tools you may not have thought about are helpers, and rubber scrapers.
2. Are you taking advantage of what will be happening? Making waffles, leaves about 2 minute wait periods, just enough for a quick task. Other jobs may leave you with the vacuum out or a sink of soapy water or a pot of hot water, etc that you can use for another task.
3. Am I trying to do too much? How many of us are home? How much do we really eat? Where is this army I keep trying to feed? They certainly are not helping with the laundry. I don't need to make a triple batch of anything, necessarily. I think more often I am going to choose to have more energy for other tasks rather than more food for later.
4. Will doing these things make my task easier or my life better in some way? Just because and idea occurs to me doesn't mean that I have to do it or even should do it. I have to remind myself that I get some crazy ideas, some should wait or just stay ideas!
So I am hoping I can find new inspiration in tasks I formerly avoided, more joy hidden in the daily jobs around the house. I will share the major ones in future articles.
Quick Hearty Waffles
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup white flour
Preheat waffle iron, oil if necessary. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs mix well, the butter will still be in little lumps. Mix in baking powder and salt. Add milk. Blend until well incorporated. Add flours all at once and blend just until mixed. Scrape the bowl and look for dry pockets and mix a little more.
Pour by measured amount onto your waffle iron. Use the amount recommended for your iron. The number of waffles you get will depend on how much batter you use. I get 7-8 waffles out of this recipe.
I hope your day is lovely.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Photo #11
Hello all! Just a photo again this week. I hope to get back to writing soon. I hope you enjoy this picture as much as I do. The hike today was wondrous.
Have a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Have a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Friday, April 12, 2013
Photo #10
I may not be up to writing this week but I can still take pictures while I recharge my batteries.
I'd love to share this one with you.
This seasonal waterfall is in a friend's backyard! I hope your weekend is lovely.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I'd love to share this one with you.
This seasonal waterfall is in a friend's backyard! I hope your weekend is lovely.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Photo #9
Quiet week here at Cascade Living, I do have time to share a photo with you.
This is a side creek I don't know if it has a name. It flows into Lacamas Creek.
I hope you have a wonderful day and a peaceful weekend.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I hope you have a wonderful day and a peaceful weekend.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Photo #8
Spring is a wonderful, if muddy, time to hike. Here is a gem from this week.
This photo, and several to come, are from a park inside city limits. This is a small portion of Pothole Falls on Lacamas Creek.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
This photo, and several to come, are from a park inside city limits. This is a small portion of Pothole Falls on Lacamas Creek.
I hope you have a lovely day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Flow: Starting Under Normal Circumstances
One of the most important aspects of this kind of cooking and living is working to establish flow. All the bits and pieces need to work together and make better things happen.
At Cascade Living I encourage you to find efficiency in your day to day living and even your thinking. If you gently observe how you do things, you will notice where things easily flow one into the other and jobs around the house happen with no stress at all. The way flow works in my experience though is things will flow, flow, flow, stop. Eventually I hit a blockage or obstacle that disrupts my flow. When this happens I react in different ways depending on the circumstances. Sometimes I just keep going and try to catch up with the flow again. Sometimes I stop and give myself a break and try again later. Sometimes, I get pretty upset that my flow was disrupted. Unfortunately, flow takes thought and practice to establish.
So how do you start?
Everything needs a place to go. Everything needs a time to happen. Over time the things that need to happen and the time available will fluctuate. Needs will change and so will priorities so flow is also a journey not a destination. It is a goal that will never be finished and done. The benefit of that is you get to enjoy the moments when it works right while they are happening. You will find flow and lose it again. So when you find it breathe it in, and when you lose it relax, you will find it again.
So start with one thing. If you have some energy and do not feel completely overwhelmed, I recommend looking around your house and finding the thing that is bugging you the most, while you are working to put it off. If you can just do it, do it right now. If you can't figure out where to start, try to break the job into smaller pieces. Get a piece of paper and write down a list of the parts. Set yourself a time frame to do the list, like: Do one thing on the list each commercial break, or once an hour. If you don't have a lot of time you can do one step each day, but that is not ideal! It feels great to just get it done. Check off each part as you do it. When you are finished be sure to really think about how it feels to accomplish this task. That feeling can be your first reward and help you motivate yourself to not let this thing, whatever it is take so much of your well being from you.
Do something nice for yourself when you are done. Call a friend, post about your victory on your Facebook or the Cascade Living Facebook Page, have a cup of coffee or tea, whatever will make you smile. Make sure you use this accomplishment to make you feel better, please do not beat yourself up about what else you have yet to do, or how long that job took. Getting one job done around the house that you a have been avoiding will free up your mind to find better ways of tackling that job in the future so it doesn't sneak up and ambush you anymore! (Or at least not anywhere near as often.) Motivate yourself with these good feelings.
For me, I get ambushed by my dishes all the time. I get so excited about the cooking that by the time I am done I am exhausted. It can be hard work just making sure everything that needs to get into the fridge gets there. So I will have to make a real effort to get unstuck and reestablish flow when doing my dishes. Sometimes I can just do them, sometimes I do need to make a list of each part and check it off. Day to day crises can and do get in the way of establishing flow. It can take a lot of tries to make a good habit around a job that you don't like to do. Be kind to yourself. If you know you always feel good when you are done it will be easier to start. Guilt is not a positive motivator and will not make things flow easily. You can be kind to yourself and still make better habits and choices.
Flow once established in one area really helps develop it in others. If you start small and build on your successes you will feel the difference. Things will get done and you won't have to even think about it, it will be just what happens. Start small and big things can happen.
Well, on that note, it may be time for me to tackle my dishes! I will write another post soon on how to get started when things are hard.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
At Cascade Living I encourage you to find efficiency in your day to day living and even your thinking. If you gently observe how you do things, you will notice where things easily flow one into the other and jobs around the house happen with no stress at all. The way flow works in my experience though is things will flow, flow, flow, stop. Eventually I hit a blockage or obstacle that disrupts my flow. When this happens I react in different ways depending on the circumstances. Sometimes I just keep going and try to catch up with the flow again. Sometimes I stop and give myself a break and try again later. Sometimes, I get pretty upset that my flow was disrupted. Unfortunately, flow takes thought and practice to establish.
So how do you start?
Everything needs a place to go. Everything needs a time to happen. Over time the things that need to happen and the time available will fluctuate. Needs will change and so will priorities so flow is also a journey not a destination. It is a goal that will never be finished and done. The benefit of that is you get to enjoy the moments when it works right while they are happening. You will find flow and lose it again. So when you find it breathe it in, and when you lose it relax, you will find it again.
So start with one thing. If you have some energy and do not feel completely overwhelmed, I recommend looking around your house and finding the thing that is bugging you the most, while you are working to put it off. If you can just do it, do it right now. If you can't figure out where to start, try to break the job into smaller pieces. Get a piece of paper and write down a list of the parts. Set yourself a time frame to do the list, like: Do one thing on the list each commercial break, or once an hour. If you don't have a lot of time you can do one step each day, but that is not ideal! It feels great to just get it done. Check off each part as you do it. When you are finished be sure to really think about how it feels to accomplish this task. That feeling can be your first reward and help you motivate yourself to not let this thing, whatever it is take so much of your well being from you.
Do something nice for yourself when you are done. Call a friend, post about your victory on your Facebook or the Cascade Living Facebook Page, have a cup of coffee or tea, whatever will make you smile. Make sure you use this accomplishment to make you feel better, please do not beat yourself up about what else you have yet to do, or how long that job took. Getting one job done around the house that you a have been avoiding will free up your mind to find better ways of tackling that job in the future so it doesn't sneak up and ambush you anymore! (Or at least not anywhere near as often.) Motivate yourself with these good feelings.
For me, I get ambushed by my dishes all the time. I get so excited about the cooking that by the time I am done I am exhausted. It can be hard work just making sure everything that needs to get into the fridge gets there. So I will have to make a real effort to get unstuck and reestablish flow when doing my dishes. Sometimes I can just do them, sometimes I do need to make a list of each part and check it off. Day to day crises can and do get in the way of establishing flow. It can take a lot of tries to make a good habit around a job that you don't like to do. Be kind to yourself. If you know you always feel good when you are done it will be easier to start. Guilt is not a positive motivator and will not make things flow easily. You can be kind to yourself and still make better habits and choices.
Flow once established in one area really helps develop it in others. If you start small and build on your successes you will feel the difference. Things will get done and you won't have to even think about it, it will be just what happens. Start small and big things can happen.
Well, on that note, it may be time for me to tackle my dishes! I will write another post soon on how to get started when things are hard.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Friday, March 22, 2013
Experiments! Absorption Restoration?
After singing the praises of cloth napkins earlier this week. I had a conversation with a friend about them. They do have a down side, over time they lose absorption. I assume that is inevitable but thought I would do some research and experimentation into whether or not some of that absorption could be restored.
I did an internet search and found some good ideas from sites talking about cloth diaper care. This article in particular. I also read some articles on why the absorption dwindles over time. The main reason is buildup of detergent or fabric softener. Well I don't use fabric softener so I didn't have to worry there. But the laundry soap I do use could be the problem. The fibers can also wear out over time. Since my napkins have been in service for over a decade that may be just how it is.
I was ready to start experimenting! Before I even started my research, I grabbed a handful of clean napkins and started them soaking in white vinegar. Vinegar can be used to break down soap scum so I figured that might be a good place to start. Then I read the article I linked to above. So I devised a second cleaning method: washing them in dish soap. Finally I took half of the dish washed batch and gave them a vinegar rinse. So I ended up with three different processes to test.
Batch #1: Napkins washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed in plain water
Batch #2: Napkins washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed in water and vinegar.
Batch #3: Napkins soaked in pure vinegar and rinsed with plain water.
The napkins were then all dried separately. All we had to do now was devise a way to test for absorption. Hmm. I say "we" now because at this point I enlisted my son as a lab assistant. We finally settled on this method: We put each napkin on a plate, poured 1 measured tablespoon of water onto it and watched to see how much soaked in.
At the last second we realize we needed a "Control" so we grabbed two more napkins and tested them with no treatment at all.
Here are the results:
Control: almost no absorption, in fact you could play with the water, rolling it around the napkin.
The water just sat there.
Batch #1: (These were washed in dish soap and rinsed without vinegar) These still had beading water but a little bit of absorption.
Trust me it soaked in a little bit.
Batch #2: (These were washed in dish soap and rinsed in water and vinegar) These had better absorption, but not as much as I'd hoped.
Batch #3: (These were just soaked in vinegar then rinsed) These had some absorption, but not as much as the second batch.
Hmm. This worked some.
Thoughts and Conclusions :
Well, while these methods seem to work, they do so only marginally. I was dissatisfied with our results. So far the dish soap washing combined with a vinegar rinse seemed to work the best. I wondered if I could find a method that worked better. I went back to the results of my net search and read the articles again. I decided to try one more drastic thing.
Round 2!
Batch #4:
Based on the stripping cloth diaper method I tried a much more complicated method.
1. Put the napkins in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the napkins by a couple of inches. Put the pot on the stove and bring the water almost to a boil.
2. Take the pot off the heat, and set it in your sink (the next steps may cause it to overflow). Add 1/2 tablespoon dish soap and mix well (I used a potato masher). After agitating the napkins and soap for a while add 1 cup baking soda. This will cause the whole thing to foam up. Mix well until the foam dissipates.
3. Drain and rinse in hot water. (I filled the pot covering the napkins and stirred well with my hands to do this). Repeat the rinsing process until the rinse water stays clear. (This took me six times.)
4. Add warm water to cover napkins again and add 1 cup white vinegar. Let sit for at least 10-20 minutes. Rinse once or twice more to remove the scent of vinegar.
5. Dry the napkins.
Then I called in my lab assistant and we tested them again.
We used a control again and had the same water beading results.
Then the Batch 4 napkins were tested.
See the water beading on the green part of the napkin? Uggh!
I was very frustrated, we tested 3 or 4 napkins and the results were no better than the first round tests. So my assistant and I talked about why that might be and what we could do differently. As we talked we played with the water beading up on the napkins. With this mild agitation the water started to absorb into the napkin. We realized that our absorption test was flawed. You don't use a cloth napkin by pouring stuff onto it. You wipe stuff up with it!
So we quickly devised a new test. We poured a measured tablespoon onto the open napkin, then folded it over and pressed on it. This showed how much it would quickly absorb. We then poured the rest of the water out of the napkin onto the plate and used the napkin to try to wipe the rest of the water up.
This new test showed drastic improvements between the treated napkins and the control ones.
Thoughts and Conclusions of Round 2:
So, this much more labor intensive method does show some results in restoring the absorbancy of my napkins. Unfortunately we fine tuned the testing method after we had finished the round 1 tests, so I have no real idea if the intensive method is really necessary. Maybe later I will try again.
So the answer is yes, you can restore some absorbancy. It may be more work than it's worth, but you may extend the life of your napkins by years.
I did find one style of my napkins did not absorb much at all no matter what I did. Since my napkins have been in use for over a decade, the tags are long gone, but I suspect that they are made of synthetic fibers. At least they feel more "plasticy" than the other napkins. I talked to a couple friends to get their thoughts about that conclusion, and we agreed that the synthetic fabric napkins just don't absorb well or last as well over time. Something to keep in mind if you are going to buy new napkins.
I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. Please leave comments, questions and ideas for future experiments in the comments here or on the Cascade Living Facebook page. I am toying with the idea of making experiments a regular feature of the blog.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I did an internet search and found some good ideas from sites talking about cloth diaper care. This article in particular. I also read some articles on why the absorption dwindles over time. The main reason is buildup of detergent or fabric softener. Well I don't use fabric softener so I didn't have to worry there. But the laundry soap I do use could be the problem. The fibers can also wear out over time. Since my napkins have been in service for over a decade that may be just how it is.
I was ready to start experimenting! Before I even started my research, I grabbed a handful of clean napkins and started them soaking in white vinegar. Vinegar can be used to break down soap scum so I figured that might be a good place to start. Then I read the article I linked to above. So I devised a second cleaning method: washing them in dish soap. Finally I took half of the dish washed batch and gave them a vinegar rinse. So I ended up with three different processes to test.
Batch #1: Napkins washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed in plain water
Batch #2: Napkins washed in hot water with dish soap, rinsed in water and vinegar.
Batch #3: Napkins soaked in pure vinegar and rinsed with plain water.
The napkins were then all dried separately. All we had to do now was devise a way to test for absorption. Hmm. I say "we" now because at this point I enlisted my son as a lab assistant. We finally settled on this method: We put each napkin on a plate, poured 1 measured tablespoon of water onto it and watched to see how much soaked in.
At the last second we realize we needed a "Control" so we grabbed two more napkins and tested them with no treatment at all.
Here are the results:
Control: almost no absorption, in fact you could play with the water, rolling it around the napkin.
The water just sat there.
Batch #1: (These were washed in dish soap and rinsed without vinegar) These still had beading water but a little bit of absorption.
Batch #2: (These were washed in dish soap and rinsed in water and vinegar) These had better absorption, but not as much as I'd hoped.
Batch #3: (These were just soaked in vinegar then rinsed) These had some absorption, but not as much as the second batch.
Hmm. This worked some.
Thoughts and Conclusions :
Well, while these methods seem to work, they do so only marginally. I was dissatisfied with our results. So far the dish soap washing combined with a vinegar rinse seemed to work the best. I wondered if I could find a method that worked better. I went back to the results of my net search and read the articles again. I decided to try one more drastic thing.
Round 2!
Batch #4:
Based on the stripping cloth diaper method I tried a much more complicated method.
1. Put the napkins in a large pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover the napkins by a couple of inches. Put the pot on the stove and bring the water almost to a boil.
2. Take the pot off the heat, and set it in your sink (the next steps may cause it to overflow). Add 1/2 tablespoon dish soap and mix well (I used a potato masher). After agitating the napkins and soap for a while add 1 cup baking soda. This will cause the whole thing to foam up. Mix well until the foam dissipates.
3. Drain and rinse in hot water. (I filled the pot covering the napkins and stirred well with my hands to do this). Repeat the rinsing process until the rinse water stays clear. (This took me six times.)
4. Add warm water to cover napkins again and add 1 cup white vinegar. Let sit for at least 10-20 minutes. Rinse once or twice more to remove the scent of vinegar.
5. Dry the napkins.
Then I called in my lab assistant and we tested them again.
We used a control again and had the same water beading results.
Then the Batch 4 napkins were tested.
I was very frustrated, we tested 3 or 4 napkins and the results were no better than the first round tests. So my assistant and I talked about why that might be and what we could do differently. As we talked we played with the water beading up on the napkins. With this mild agitation the water started to absorb into the napkin. We realized that our absorption test was flawed. You don't use a cloth napkin by pouring stuff onto it. You wipe stuff up with it!
So we quickly devised a new test. We poured a measured tablespoon onto the open napkin, then folded it over and pressed on it. This showed how much it would quickly absorb. We then poured the rest of the water out of the napkin onto the plate and used the napkin to try to wipe the rest of the water up.
This new test showed drastic improvements between the treated napkins and the control ones.
Thoughts and Conclusions of Round 2:
So, this much more labor intensive method does show some results in restoring the absorbancy of my napkins. Unfortunately we fine tuned the testing method after we had finished the round 1 tests, so I have no real idea if the intensive method is really necessary. Maybe later I will try again.
So the answer is yes, you can restore some absorbancy. It may be more work than it's worth, but you may extend the life of your napkins by years.
I did find one style of my napkins did not absorb much at all no matter what I did. Since my napkins have been in use for over a decade, the tags are long gone, but I suspect that they are made of synthetic fibers. At least they feel more "plasticy" than the other napkins. I talked to a couple friends to get their thoughts about that conclusion, and we agreed that the synthetic fabric napkins just don't absorb well or last as well over time. Something to keep in mind if you are going to buy new napkins.
I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. Please leave comments, questions and ideas for future experiments in the comments here or on the Cascade Living Facebook page. I am toying with the idea of making experiments a regular feature of the blog.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Photo #7
Here is a lovely photo for you.
This is a side stream falling into the Washougal River.
It is a gray and cold day here. It's nice to have a beautiful reminder that there are rewards to living in a place this wet.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
This is a side stream falling into the Washougal River.
It is a gray and cold day here. It's nice to have a beautiful reminder that there are rewards to living in a place this wet.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
I LOVE cloth napkins!
I Love my cloth napkins. I really do. When I think of the hundreds of hours of work they probably saved me, and the money!
I keep them in this basket on top of the microwave, where they are easy to grab as you walk by. I have about two dozen of these napkins in several colors and patterns. Most were gifts, so they didn't cost me a dime. The one set I did buy I got at Goodwill for $2.99. Considering that they are over a decade old and still really nice, I think that was a bargain.
I love how they make any meal seem elegant, even hot dogs! I love that I never have to run to the store to buy napkins and never have to take out a garbage can overflowing with napkins (of course with me it would be a compost bin!) Washing them is as easy as throwing them in another load I was going to do anyway.
Can you tell I really DO love my cloth napkins. I even love picking them up all over the house, because then I know people were using them! I urge you to try them out if you haven't yet, especially if you already have some you keep for special occasions and never really use. Life is a special occasion! Break out the cloth napkins. Maybe you will look forward to finding them odd places, too.
I hope you have a wonderful day,
Kristin
Monday, March 18, 2013
Tips for the Extreme: Pets-Dogs
Dogs
1. Buy the best dog food you can afford. Dogs can live a long time, buying a good quality dog food will help your dog avoid many long term illnesses. It only takes a couple trips to the vet to make up any savings you had by buying cheap dog food.
2. Feed your dog just enough to maintain weight. Now if you're buying expensive dog food you want to be able to use less! Feed measured amounts. We fed our dog the amount listed the label of his food. Then after a few weeks reduced this slightly checking to make sure he wasn't getting too skinny. We found an amount that works for us. Be sure to experiment though, the label was not written for your dog. Your dog has his or her own metabolism and activity level so the amount that works for one dog may not work for yours. Maintaining a trim dog will also drastically reduce the risk of many diseases that can cost a fortune to treat and may require a maintenance program that limits your future lifestyle like daily shots or medications.
3. No People Food! None of our pets gets fed any kind of people food. (I realize the dogs are vacuum cleaners and that can't be helped.) Aside from health and weight issues that can ensue, I do this mostly for behavior. I don't know if this works for everyone but it has worked for us. The extent of begging around here is sad eyes, no whining, or pushing mostly he just comes by when we are done eating to see if we dropped anything. He also doesn't steal food off the counter or table, (even the coffee table! when we are not home.) He knows that the food in his bowl is his.
4. If you do give people food or a bone for a treat make sure it has very little fat on it. Your dog can experience pancreatitis after just one treat. Our dog did. We gave him a big butcher's bone that was fatty. He couldn't keep food down starting the next day. Our dog fully recovered, but it was a scary time.
5.Dogs need exercise. Medium to large dogs can need a lot of it. I walk mine around 2 miles almost every day. He probably needs more, I know he wants more. Proper exercise will do wonders if you have neglected this part of dog ownership. I have a pretty mellow dog, but his behavior greatly improved once we got him on a walking routine. I appreciate the bonus of getting myself in shape while we walk.
6. Be responsible for your dog. Clean up after him or her, fix what they break, and keep them under control to the best of your ability. If you need a fence, get one. (I know this should be a no brainer, but my dog is in a cone right now due to another owner's carelessness.)
7. Have fun with your dog. Dogs can be a lot of work and a lot of mess and expense. Make time to just enjoy this amazing creature you have invited into your life. Give your pooch a little more scratching time or play time, whatever works best between the two of you.
8. If you are thinking of getting a dog and have never really had one, I highly suggest borrowing one before you make a decision. In this Facebook age you should have no trouble finding someone who needs a dogsitter for a week or two. You can really experience what dog ownership will look like in your house and life.
9. I know this is almost cliche but, get your dog neutered or spayed. There are so many reasons, here is mine: Every time a pet is put down at the Humane Society it breaks the heart of the amazing people who work there. The people at these organizations work there because they love animals. They want to be around them and often wish they could take all of them home. They can't. So do your part and help these helpers even a little bit.
I'll let my big guy tell you goodbye!
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Friday, March 15, 2013
Ask: How do you use what you don't save?
A friend recently asked if there were ways to use what I don't save. This was in response to this post, where I talk about what I don't save and why.
There are many ways to use almost all of the things that I don't save. It just doesn't fit in with my life right now. I can give you a list of possibilities for each item I listed in the previous post. These are listed in no particular order.
Onion peels- onion peels are great for dye. I have never tried this myself but I have heard you can use yellow or red onion skins to dye cloth or eggs. A quick Google search leads to many sites giving instructions on how to do this.
Broccoli, Cabbage, and other Brassica- The plant stems and leaves, that I don't save can be cooked in recipes calling for greens, gumbo or colcannon come immediately to mind. Broccoli stems, when peeled could be cut up and eaten raw either in rounds or matchsticks in a veggie platter.
Overripe bananas: Depending on your family's tolerance for overripeness, can be used in banana bread, cake, or smoothies. They are especially good blended while frozen. These can also be fed to chickens.
Pork bones and bits: You technically can make pork stock out of these. I find it really greasy and not very good. If the bones are raw you can give them to your dog, but try to clean off as much fat as you can first. (I will give more information about this, soon. Look for Tips for the Extreme: Pets.) Leftover pork bits can also be fed to chickens.
Chicken Livers: I used to use these for pate. I just have a hard time saving them up to get enough for a batch and then they end up freezer burned. I guess I could have developed a micro recipe that would make a small amount with one chicken's worth of liver? You could feed these to cats or dogs though. I don't. I have a very strict "no people food" policy for all my indoor animals.
Citrus Peels: You can scrub with them. I will sometimes scrub a messy sink with an orange or lemon peel. The peels pick up dirt and grime while leaving a lovely scent. Rinse well after scrubbing. You can keep extras in the freezer until you want to use them. You can make cleaning vinegar out of peels. You can find instructions on how to do this, here. You can use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest. This zest can be candied, used in recipes or frozen for future use.
These are just some ideas. I never said those items were not useful, just that I don't save them.
I hope some of this is helpful.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
There are many ways to use almost all of the things that I don't save. It just doesn't fit in with my life right now. I can give you a list of possibilities for each item I listed in the previous post. These are listed in no particular order.
Onion peels- onion peels are great for dye. I have never tried this myself but I have heard you can use yellow or red onion skins to dye cloth or eggs. A quick Google search leads to many sites giving instructions on how to do this.
Broccoli, Cabbage, and other Brassica- The plant stems and leaves, that I don't save can be cooked in recipes calling for greens, gumbo or colcannon come immediately to mind. Broccoli stems, when peeled could be cut up and eaten raw either in rounds or matchsticks in a veggie platter.
Overripe bananas: Depending on your family's tolerance for overripeness, can be used in banana bread, cake, or smoothies. They are especially good blended while frozen. These can also be fed to chickens.
Pork bones and bits: You technically can make pork stock out of these. I find it really greasy and not very good. If the bones are raw you can give them to your dog, but try to clean off as much fat as you can first. (I will give more information about this, soon. Look for Tips for the Extreme: Pets.) Leftover pork bits can also be fed to chickens.
Chicken Livers: I used to use these for pate. I just have a hard time saving them up to get enough for a batch and then they end up freezer burned. I guess I could have developed a micro recipe that would make a small amount with one chicken's worth of liver? You could feed these to cats or dogs though. I don't. I have a very strict "no people food" policy for all my indoor animals.
Citrus Peels: You can scrub with them. I will sometimes scrub a messy sink with an orange or lemon peel. The peels pick up dirt and grime while leaving a lovely scent. Rinse well after scrubbing. You can keep extras in the freezer until you want to use them. You can make cleaning vinegar out of peels. You can find instructions on how to do this, here. You can use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest. This zest can be candied, used in recipes or frozen for future use.
These are just some ideas. I never said those items were not useful, just that I don't save them.
I hope some of this is helpful.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Photo #6
Here is weekly photo #6.
This is a bend in the beautiful Washougal River.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
This is a bend in the beautiful Washougal River.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Cooking: Rescued Steak Fail!
Hello I have been busy in the kitchen this week, and busy in life. So of course the writing won't flow. I am going to have lots to write about in the coming weeks so this one should be the least busy on the blog for a while.
This week we were in and out of the house a lot. I pulled a lot of stuff out of the freezer and made plans. Too many plans. I filled the freezer with lots and lots of things to use later. I will talk about those in future posts.
Enter PLAN ONE! The first plan I had was to pull steaks out of the freezer and broil them for a quick hearty lunch before we went out for the day. I pulled out the broiler pan and plopped on the thawed steaks and let them cook for around 8 minutes on a side until they were well colored. I let them rest. After they rested I started cutting one of the steaks into personal portions. It was way underdone inside. I guess I need to read up on and practice my broiler technique!(Oh and using the meat thermometer might have been a good idea). I was flustered and we still needed to eat before we left so I started on quesadillas while I thought about the steak. PLAN ONE: FAIL.
QUICK TIP: you can avoid using foil for covering resting meat, just use a large metal pot lid instead.
Enter PLAN TWO! While I was flipping quesadillas, I thought, "Hey, why don't I throw the steak into the crock pot, pot roast style and we can eat it when we get home." So I pulled out the crock pot, washed and cubed some potatoes, and carrots, tossed them and the steak in and turned it on high. I also added half an onion for flavor and moisture. Good plan except for one thing, I'm the only one in my house who likes pot roast. So we ate it for supper but most of it was leftover. PLAN TWO: FAIL.
Enter PLAN THREE! So the pot roast/steak leftovers went into the fridge for a day. I came up with my next plan: One Pot Stroganoff! For this I used the steak meat and carrots from the leftovers. (Recipe to follow). It was a hit, someone even had thirds! The only complaint I got was about the carrots so I will not use them again or include them in the recipe. Unfortunately, I only used about half the leftover steak in this recipe and had a lot of leftover potatoes, so I still needed another plan. PLAN THREE: WIN!
Enter PLAN FOUR! Now what to do with a crock pot of potatoes and meat.... I made stew. I cut the meat into pieces. Well actually it broke into pieces. Mostly I removed the bones, fat and connective tissue, leaving chunks of shredded beef. I then cleaned dried out edges off the potatoes. I added the cleaned up meat and potatoes to my family stew base along with the pot juices and the onion cut into small pieces. I let this simmer for a while, but it cooked up fast since the veggies and meat were already done. Stew for another lunch and the rest went into the freezer. PLAN FOUR: WIN!
I got to have a kitchen adventure and now I will share the new recipe that saved the day.
One Pot Stroganoff
>1/2 to 1 pound beef shredded if cooked, sliced thin if raw
>1-2 Tablespoons fat
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms sliced
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
3-5 cloves garlic
1 quart egg noodles (I use whole wheat)
1 quart water
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
Melt the fat in a dutch oven or large pan. Brown beef if raw. Add onions and mushrooms cook until slightly brown and soft. Add Worchestershire and ketchup and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add meat, if using cooked beef, and water. Bring to a boil and add the noodles. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until noodles are done. Turn off heat and add yogurt. Serve hot.
You can replace all or part of the yogurt with sour cream. You can also add peas or green beans if you like.
Cascade Factors:
Beef: This recipe can use leftover beef.
Fat: You can use beef fat skimmed from pan juices or stock to brown the vegetables.
The recipe itself keeps and reheats well. I put some in the freezer but haven't thawed it yet to see how well it survives the process. I will let you know when I do.
Well that's all the cooking I'm going to talk about today. I hope my experience helps you to not give up hope when you are faced with a plan that doesn't go according to plan.
Thoughtfuly,
Kristin
This week we were in and out of the house a lot. I pulled a lot of stuff out of the freezer and made plans. Too many plans. I filled the freezer with lots and lots of things to use later. I will talk about those in future posts.
Enter PLAN ONE! The first plan I had was to pull steaks out of the freezer and broil them for a quick hearty lunch before we went out for the day. I pulled out the broiler pan and plopped on the thawed steaks and let them cook for around 8 minutes on a side until they were well colored. I let them rest. After they rested I started cutting one of the steaks into personal portions. It was way underdone inside. I guess I need to read up on and practice my broiler technique!(Oh and using the meat thermometer might have been a good idea). I was flustered and we still needed to eat before we left so I started on quesadillas while I thought about the steak. PLAN ONE: FAIL.
QUICK TIP: you can avoid using foil for covering resting meat, just use a large metal pot lid instead.
Enter PLAN TWO! While I was flipping quesadillas, I thought, "Hey, why don't I throw the steak into the crock pot, pot roast style and we can eat it when we get home." So I pulled out the crock pot, washed and cubed some potatoes, and carrots, tossed them and the steak in and turned it on high. I also added half an onion for flavor and moisture. Good plan except for one thing, I'm the only one in my house who likes pot roast. So we ate it for supper but most of it was leftover. PLAN TWO: FAIL.
Enter PLAN THREE! So the pot roast/steak leftovers went into the fridge for a day. I came up with my next plan: One Pot Stroganoff! For this I used the steak meat and carrots from the leftovers. (Recipe to follow). It was a hit, someone even had thirds! The only complaint I got was about the carrots so I will not use them again or include them in the recipe. Unfortunately, I only used about half the leftover steak in this recipe and had a lot of leftover potatoes, so I still needed another plan. PLAN THREE: WIN!
Enter PLAN FOUR! Now what to do with a crock pot of potatoes and meat.... I made stew. I cut the meat into pieces. Well actually it broke into pieces. Mostly I removed the bones, fat and connective tissue, leaving chunks of shredded beef. I then cleaned dried out edges off the potatoes. I added the cleaned up meat and potatoes to my family stew base along with the pot juices and the onion cut into small pieces. I let this simmer for a while, but it cooked up fast since the veggies and meat were already done. Stew for another lunch and the rest went into the freezer. PLAN FOUR: WIN!
I got to have a kitchen adventure and now I will share the new recipe that saved the day.
One Pot Stroganoff
>1/2 to 1 pound beef shredded if cooked, sliced thin if raw
>1-2 Tablespoons fat
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 pound mushrooms sliced
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons ketchup
3-5 cloves garlic
1 quart egg noodles (I use whole wheat)
1 quart water
2 cups plain Greek yogurt
Melt the fat in a dutch oven or large pan. Brown beef if raw. Add onions and mushrooms cook until slightly brown and soft. Add Worchestershire and ketchup and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and cook another minute. Add meat, if using cooked beef, and water. Bring to a boil and add the noodles. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until noodles are done. Turn off heat and add yogurt. Serve hot.
You can replace all or part of the yogurt with sour cream. You can also add peas or green beans if you like.
Cascade Factors:
Beef: This recipe can use leftover beef.
Fat: You can use beef fat skimmed from pan juices or stock to brown the vegetables.
The recipe itself keeps and reheats well. I put some in the freezer but haven't thawed it yet to see how well it survives the process. I will let you know when I do.
Well that's all the cooking I'm going to talk about today. I hope my experience helps you to not give up hope when you are faced with a plan that doesn't go according to plan.
Thoughtfuly,
Kristin
Friday, March 8, 2013
Ask: What Next?
Hello All,
I know this blog is just starting and I don't have much of a readership yet, but I am working on a few projects that I would like to get some feedback on.
First I made a Facebook page for this blog. It is up and running right now. Click here to check it out!
I am hoping that this will make it easier for all of you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Let's see how that goes.
I also am in the brain work stages for a couple of projects.
1. A cook along series where I provide, shopping lists, recipes, budgets and detailed instructions on a meal plan. My vision is to offer these by subscription, for a certain number of weeks, say 12. If these are successful I can expand the program.
2. A cookbook, where I can give recipes for all the stages of a Cascade. It will take some work to make it easy to use, but if I work it out it should be a very unique cookbook.
Anyway I would love feedback on these ideas, either here or on the Facebook page. Thank you for reading.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
I know this blog is just starting and I don't have much of a readership yet, but I am working on a few projects that I would like to get some feedback on.
First I made a Facebook page for this blog. It is up and running right now. Click here to check it out!
I am hoping that this will make it easier for all of you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Let's see how that goes.
I also am in the brain work stages for a couple of projects.
1. A cook along series where I provide, shopping lists, recipes, budgets and detailed instructions on a meal plan. My vision is to offer these by subscription, for a certain number of weeks, say 12. If these are successful I can expand the program.
2. A cookbook, where I can give recipes for all the stages of a Cascade. It will take some work to make it easy to use, but if I work it out it should be a very unique cookbook.
Anyway I would love feedback on these ideas, either here or on the Facebook page. Thank you for reading.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Photo #5
I hope you enjoy this waterfall.
It is near Bend, Oregon.
I hope you have a lovely day,
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Cooking: Pork Roast and a Note on Side Dishes
I came to a realization this week. I have simplified my meals to one pot meals and pretty inclusive main dishes. I really do not make side dishes that often. I just heat up frozen veggies, make carrot sticks, etc. and prepare some fruit and go from there. I could make a salad but I'd be the only one eating it and I don't like salad that much. I look for vegetables I can add to my main dishes, I don't really look for side dishes at all. I think about how to incorporate vegetables into every meal, or quickly cut up something to serve raw. I guess I'm a main dish girl. So when these cooking posts show up, many of them will not have side dishes. You can assume we ate some carrot stick or frozen peas, and I will assume you made yourself a beautiful salad, or fancy side dish that appealed to you. If you readers want more side dishes I can work on that. For now I will just let it go.
Now on to the cooking!
Pork Roast
1 or 2 Tablespoons of oil or fat
1 Pork loin roast> (I use a 6" length of a whole pork loin)
Seasoning Salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I cook my pork roast in a cast iron dutch oven. You can use any pan for the browning and another for the baking if you don't have a dutch oven. Preheat dutch oven over medium high heat. Add fat and heat to a sizzle. Add the pork and sear on all sides. I sprinkle the top with seasoning salt after each turn.
Cover roast and bake until meat reaches at least 145 degrees on a thermometer. Bake 30 minutes and then check the temperature every 20 minutes or so until done. The baking time will vary considerably depending on how hot your pan was when you seared the meat, how cold the meat was when you started and the actual weight of your roast. Remove from heat and let the roast rest covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
The roast will shrink as it bakes. Now it is ready to slice and eat!
Cascade Factors:
Pork roast leftovers: In my house leftover pork gets made into barbeque pork sandwiches, one of my favorites. I also set aside some cubed pork to make egg roll filling. This time I used some to make the fanciest ramen noodle soup my daughter has ever eaten. Of course it can be used in any stir fry. It can be spiced and shredded and used in carnitas. It can be cubed and frozen to be a quick addition in the future. I may have more ideas later, but for now it never lasts that long. How can it when we make things like this:
We had a lot of fun cooking this food. I am encouraging my kids to share more of my enthusiasm in the kitchen. I think the meals are getting better and my life a measure more cozy.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
Now on to the cooking!
Pork Roast
1 or 2 Tablespoons of oil or fat
1 Pork loin roast> (I use a 6" length of a whole pork loin)
Seasoning Salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. I cook my pork roast in a cast iron dutch oven. You can use any pan for the browning and another for the baking if you don't have a dutch oven. Preheat dutch oven over medium high heat. Add fat and heat to a sizzle. Add the pork and sear on all sides. I sprinkle the top with seasoning salt after each turn.
Cover roast and bake until meat reaches at least 145 degrees on a thermometer. Bake 30 minutes and then check the temperature every 20 minutes or so until done. The baking time will vary considerably depending on how hot your pan was when you seared the meat, how cold the meat was when you started and the actual weight of your roast. Remove from heat and let the roast rest covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
The roast will shrink as it bakes. Now it is ready to slice and eat!
Cascade Factors:
Pork roast leftovers: In my house leftover pork gets made into barbeque pork sandwiches, one of my favorites. I also set aside some cubed pork to make egg roll filling. This time I used some to make the fanciest ramen noodle soup my daughter has ever eaten. Of course it can be used in any stir fry. It can be spiced and shredded and used in carnitas. It can be cubed and frozen to be a quick addition in the future. I may have more ideas later, but for now it never lasts that long. How can it when we make things like this:
We had a lot of fun cooking this food. I am encouraging my kids to share more of my enthusiasm in the kitchen. I think the meals are getting better and my life a measure more cozy.
Thoughtfully,
Kristin
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