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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Heniehen Egg Frittata

This is one of my recipes born out of digging in the freezer because I don't know what to make for dinner.  We're getting about 7-9 eggs a day now, so most of our dinners have been focused on eggs.  I'm not complaining!
What you need:
Iron skillet (yes you must have this or all is lost, just kidding)
1 T olive oil or butter
1/2 large onion-chopped
3 cups frozen spinach
2 T garlic
Roasted red pepper-1(I used the jarred kind)-chopped
6 medium to large eggs-beaten
Grated cheese of your choice-as much as you want

Heat the pan with oil or butter on med-low until the oil runs around the pan.  Add chopped onion, and brown, add garlic.  Add roasted pepper, and let them turn a little brown.   Add spinach and let it all cook for a few minutes.  Turn down the heat to low, and slowly pour the eggs over the spinach mixture.  Do not stir.  Let it sit and cook for about 10-15 minutes or until the top is not runny.  Turn off the heat and put grated cheese on top.  Do not inhale it all at once.

Monday, December 19, 2011

I finally held Big Mama

In other news of interest, I finally held our most high strung chicken, Big Mama.  She is an Americauna with too much attitude.  Hence the green eggs.  She is tolerant of petting for a few minutes, but she's coming around.  Especially if you have oatmeal raisin cookies that didn't turn out so good for Christmas I'm going to scream now!
As for Christmas baking this year, I'm not doing so good.  Fudge was a flop again.  I made good batches of peanut brittle and hard candy.  One hard candy I made was very good, I put cayenne peppers in it.  Laugh if you want, it's good stuff. 
The "winter" cilantro we're growing is still making it.  I had someone who grows herbs tell me that it does best when planted in fall, and it will mature in spring, then die back.  It will come back in the fall. So we'll see.  I can't live without cilantro.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Sweet Potato Chili

I came up with this on the fly last night, and it turned out really nice.  Here's the ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes-diced to size of your preference
1 onion-chopped
1/2 lb bacon-cooked, and coarsely chopped
1 can black beans, drained
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis
2 cans water
1 T minced garlic
1 T each: onion powder, cumin, curry powder
1/4 cup corn starch mixed with cold water
Iron dutch oven-if you have one

Fry up the bacon (wasn't there a song about that? anyway).  Take it out of the pan and drain it on some paper towels.  Keep the grease in the pan, and throw in the onion on low heat.  Let it carmelize and brown.  Add the garlic, then the sweet potatoes.  Cover, stirring every few minutes, browning the sweet potatoes until they are almost done. 
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes, stirring often.   Add the bacon to the top, and some  grated cheese and cilantro, or whatever floats your boat.

Monday, December 5, 2011

White Dog-oops....

We had an auction to go to Saturday morning, and as usual I went to get a gallon jug from the top of the fridge to fill up for the day.  Tightwad that I am doesn't like buying bottled water at the auctions.  So I grab a jug-hmmm, it's full??  Whatever, it must have been from a previous auction, so I must go water the plants on the front porch so as to not waste water.
I water two pots, happy, smelling the clean chilly morning air, watering my ivy...wait, what's that smell?  Is it the plant? No, funny smell coming from the jug.  OH CRAP!!!! I just watered my plants with White Dog!
The Bug hadn't told me he put it up there...in fact, he left it out on the counter for a while last night in hopes I would turn up the jug thinking it was "water".  Guess that backfired.
I proceeded to confess, then pour tons of water over the plants.  As of last night, they still looked fine.

And then there were 9

What goes up, must come down.  After the joy I experienced with the Jadeite loot, it came to an abrupt halt when I got home from work. 
Time for the 5:00 cocktail, go outside, see the hennihens.  Stand in the yard and see the lake in all it's grandeur, with my Bug.  Life is wonderful.  Wait, is that a very large owl flying by? Where are the girls?  Oh, they're under a bush against the house.  Whew! 
They come out to see us, but I only see 8.  Still watching the owl, he flys away, but he acts miffed.  Walk to the Indian garden to get some Cilantro.  Come back.  Number 10 comes running from the Garlic bed where she is not supposed to be, and she is NOT HAPPY. 
Where's the other Wigger sister?  So we go out by the Garlic bed.  There is poor little Wigger sister, she was munched by the owl.  So we collected her in a bag, and put her in the freezer.  Neither of us got up the gumption to bury her this weekend.  She had just got to the point where she wanted to be held. 
I have since become very OCD with counting chickens, more so that I usually am.  When you live in a wooded area like we do, I guess you can't watch them all the time.
To add insult in injury, the light bulb went out in the hennihen house.  Proceed to tear apart the hen house to put in a new light bulb.  The hen house is a work in progress in our effort to build the perfect coop.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Weird E-bay feedback...

Someone bought and old knife.  Their feedback:

Good price on an old knife.  Suits what I needed it for.


Hope you're not a serial killer.

The Jadeite Fire King depression is over!

I never knew Jadeite Fire King would cause me so much distress. The last auction we went to I thought we'd hit paydirt-but I wound up paying retail pretty much.  I had a bad feeling that day when we talked to a guy that had been to another auction the day before, it went for nothing, and there were BOXES of it.  We were both sick(no really, total head funk)-hey, what are you going to do?
But, I saw a garage sale on Craigslist, something about 60 years worth of stuff, glassware, yadayada, so my Bug went (did I mention he's the best husband ever), and what did he find in the bottom of a box?  A bunch of Charm  plates, a mug, a lot of Fire King bakeware, an awesome easel for me to do some painting with, shingles, jack stands, A LOT OF STUFF-for $28 bucks. I've got a lot more research to do when I get home.  Ring a ding ding!!!
I'm happy.  I can get out of my Jadeite depression.  I couldn't stand green dishes. I've beaten myself for a couple of weeks over that auction! 

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Auction Goodies


I have this strange addiction to vintage lamps lately.  I'm not sure why, but I guess it's because it gets away from the typical and boring.  I hate to go to Pier One, for example when I can have a treasure hunt at an auction.  If you look at Better Homes and Gardens and other magazines, they are decorating with reproductions of vintage stuff.  So why not get the real thing for next to nothing? 
We got the yellow lamp at auction, for about 2 bucks.  The shade came for just about nothing at another auction.  The 50's style lamp came from another auction for around 10-15 dollars.  I can't remember where the shade on it came from, but I don't think we gave much for it. 
We just decorate as we go...it's more fun that way!