Purple Hulll Peas

I live in suburbia in a two-story white house that's a stone's throw away from our neighbors. There is a "lake" complete with fountains and I can walk to two different parks. I have a two car garage completely packed with cars, toys, and tools. We have very good schools and manicured yards.

But I love reading farm blogs. Bring on the chickens and goats! Produce has so much more flavor coming straight out of the garden.

I get fresh tomatoes, corn, and peppers from my dad and we have a small garden, compost bin, and rain barrel at the house. But how cool would it be have fresh eggs every morning. We are at the "legal limit" (3) of pets in our area but even if we weren't there are no chickens allowed.

I am smitten with these blogs right now:

The Prairie Homestead - a farm in Wyoming complete with goats, chickens, cows, ducks, pigs, ect. ect. A real live farm!

and Old World Garden Farms -  a farm in Ohio where they are slowly but surely building their homestead with chicken, bees, grapevines, a huge garden, and too many pergolas to count. 

My Dad has always had a garden and cooks like it. We just cooked up a big pot of his purple hull peas and it seems like the perfect farm recipe. 

Purple Hull Peas

Serves 6

• 1 1/2 pounds of fresh purple hull peas, shelled and cleaned
• 1 ham bone, complete with ham scraps
• salt, pepper, thyme
• 3 cloves minced garlic

Place peas and ham bone in a large pot with enough water to cover the peas by an inch.  Add salt, pepper, thyme, and garlic to taste.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 45 minute to an hour.  Peas should be soft but not mushy.  Remove from heat.  Remove the ham bone and pick off any ham scraps. Add the scraps to the peas and toss the bone.

Serve warm and refrigerate or freeze any leftovers. The leftovers will have a thick coat of fat at the top, just scrape off or heat up and it will go away.

Orange Pork Stir Fry

Man, between this and my Chinese Chicken and Broccoli I am nailing Chinese food. Or maybe our Chinese take out place is just really bad. Either way, winning. If I could just make egg rolls we would never order takeout again.

Orange Pork Stir Fry
Adapted from Simply Whisked
Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 - 1 1/4 pound pork tenderloin, thinly sliced
• 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, thinly sliced

For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (or water if you're out)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 tablespoon corn starch

In a large skillet heat oil on medium high. Add the garlic and red peppers. Saute for a minute then add the pork.  Cook until pork is no longer pink, stirring occasionally

Add vegetables to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes, uncovered.

In a small bowl whisk the sauce ingredients together then pour into the skillet.  Cook and occasionally stir until vegetables reach desired done-ness.

Serve over rice.

Next time: Will this freeze!? bc if I had this ready to nuke at any time I would be SO happy.

Tater Tots

In my dream world we have a couple of acres, a just-big-enough-for-us-house, and most importantly goats. Sometimes I feel as though my heart won't be full until I can have a couple of goats.  

We wouldn't have HOA fees or rules nor our neighboring house's shadow blocking sunlight from my garden.  A giant pantry and two deep freezes are a must to store all the food we'll produce. And as of today, these tater tots are going to be in my dream freezers of my dream home.

I was skeptical when the recipe said it was better than the tots in the freezer aisle, but I'm going to go further and say they're better than your typical restaurant. The dill makes them a great side for seafood!

Tater Tots
Adapted from Damn Delicious

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
• vegetable oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill
• kosher salt and ground pepper

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover generously with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes, drain, and let cool.

Using a box grater, grate the potatoes onto a clean lint free dish towel. Roll the towel up and squeeze to remove as much water from the potatoes as possible.

In a medium pot heat the vegetable oil up to 360 degrees on medium-high heat.

Meanwhile add the potatoes in a large bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Toss to evenly coat. On a paper towel form potatoes into tots. Mine were about a tablespoon to two tablespoons big.

Add tots to the vegetable oil 5 or 6 at a time and cook until evenly golden and crispy. About 4 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet.

Serve immediately and freeze the rest. Reheat in the oven.

Greek Panzanella

Salads for supper are only okay if they involve bread. Those are the rules. Steven and I ate way too much of this while H just ate the bread and olives.  Balanced meals.

Greek Panzanella
Adapted from Shutterbean

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• french bread, cut lengthwise
• kosher salt
• 1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, large diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, large diced
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, sliced in half rounds
• 1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 cup Calamata olives, pitted

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat a grill pan or actual grill to medium high.  Rub 1/3 cup olive oil on the french bread, season with salt, and place on the grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side. Set bread aside and cut into cubes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette into an emulsion. Place the cucumber, bell peppers, tomatoes, red onion, and olives in the bowl and toss.  Add the bread cubes and feta and mixed together lightly. Set for 15-30 minutes at room temperature and serve.

Apple-Pork Barbecue Sandwiches

Is this 'nesting'? I can't shake the urge to eat all the food in my freezer to make room for new food in my freezer.  When this baby is born (umm in like a million years) I want to be able to pick a quart-sized bag at random each morning, let it thaw all day, then nuke it just in time for Steven to get home. He will be in awe until I dump both kids on him and GTFO. Ha.

Apple-Pork Barbecue Sandwiches
Adapted from Everyday Slow Cookers
Serves a lot and freezes well

• 4-5 pound pork shoulder roast
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups hot and spicy barbecue sauce
• 1 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 12 buns

Place roast in slow cooker and top with garlic and onions. Add enough water to cover the roast. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

Drain and discard cooking liquid. Shred roast and toss with barbeque sauce and applesauce to coat. Sprinkle cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Cover and set on low until ready to serve.

We had it on a sandwich with coleslaw and pickles.

Slow Cooker Brussel Sprouts

I think I finally burnt Steven out on roasted vegetables. Nothing is easier than throwing a whole sheet of them in oven and living off that as sides for days. These weren't that much harder and the reduction was a nice spin on a classic.

Slow Cooker Brussel Sprouts
Adapted from Damn Delicious

• 2 pounds brussel sprouts, trimmed and the halved if they are large
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place brussel sprouts in a slow cooker and stir in olive oil and butter. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours (or low from 3 to 4 hours).

Meanwhile make a balsamic reduction.  Place balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil then low heat until it is simmering.  Let the liquid reduce by half (about 7 minutes). Set aside and let cool.

Serve brussel sprouts with balsamic reduction and sprinkled with parmesan. 

HE PASSED!

Steven has passed ALL of his actuarial tests! He only has a couple of easy peasy projects before he gets whatever this certification is called. He has been working on this since the month we started dating in November of 2007.  Now it's time to party hard (or as hard as you can with a pregnant wife and two year old).

Berry Pretzel Tart

We hit up the beach with the McFarlings earlier this summer and I brought the perfect summery dessert.  Its sweet, salty, served chilled, and delicious.

Berry Pretzel Tart
Adapted from Dinners on a Dime
Serves 12

Crust:

• 2 cups crushed pretzels
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filing:

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 7 ounces plain greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3 ounce packages of strawberry gelatin (jello)
• 16 ounce package of frozen strawberries
• 16 ounce package of frozen blueberries
• whip  cream (or make your own with 3/4 cup heavy cream and 1 tablespoon sugar)

Preheat the over to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Pulse all the crust ingredients in a food processor to combine. Press mixture into dish and bake for 8 minutes.  Let cool completely before adding the fillings.

Beat cream cheese and sugar for 2 minutes with a mixer on medium speed. Stir in yogurt and vanilla.  Spread of cooled crust. Cover and chill for 2 (or more) hours. 

In a bowl mix jello with 2 cups of boiling water.  Let cool for at least 15 minutes then stir in berries (no need to thaw them). Pour over the cream cheese layer and spread evenly.  Let chill for 2 to 3 hours. 

Serve cool with whip cream.

Grilled Greek Pork Patties (part III and final part of the perfect meal)

Now all that's left is our meat and dip.  I served with a side salad but the cucumber side is much prefered.

This is good, y'all. Like dip leftover pita in the grease residue good. Lick the spoon on the dipping sauce good.

Grilled Greek Pork Patties
Adapted from Delicious on a Dime
Serves 4

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Serve with:

• pitas
• mixed greens
• tomatoes
• red onions

Preheat a grill to medium or a grill skillet to medium-high. 

Combine all the pork patty ingredients in a large bowl with your hands.  Form 1 1/2 inch balls and press into football shape.

Spray with grill or skillet with non-stick spray and lay the patties down flat.  Grill for 8 to 10 minutes turning once halfway through.

While the patties are cooking, whisk the dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl.

Serve the patties with dipping sauce, mixed greens, tomato, red onion, and pitas. Try to get a bite with all the ingredients at once!

Cucumber Salad (part II of the perfect meal)

Here is our perfect meal side. Easy ingredients and goes great with the dipping sauce in part III!)

Cucumber Salad
Adapted from Delicious on a Dime
Serves 6

• 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 cucumbers, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
• salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Toss onions with 1 tablespoon rice vinegar and set aside. Place cucumbers in a colander and toss with a pinch of salt. Drain cucumbers for 10 minutes then pat dry.

Combine onion, cucumbers, olive oil, remaining 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Add dill, salt and pepper.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Pita Bread (the perfect meal part 1)

I made the best meal of 2016 and probably 2015 and 2017.  Part 1 is homemade Pita Bread. Mine didn't get as hollow as I would have liked but it has a little puff.  It was much better than store bought but not quite as good as a Greek restaurant (getting there).  We used ours as more of a flatbread than a pocket sandwich. You probably have all the ingredients so go ahead and make this since it needs to rise for 8 hours to 3 days!

Pita Bread
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Makes 8 pitas

• 16 ounces of flour (3 cups) plus a 1/4 cup for rolling
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cup water, room temperature

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients.  Mix on low speed (2 out of 10) with the paddle attachment for 20 seconds.  Mix on medium speed (4 out of 10) for 10 minutes with the dough hook.

Let the dough rest in a covered, oiled bowl for 8 hours to 3 days in the refrigerator.

One hour and 30 minutes before you want the pitas done, place a rack at the lowest space in the oven, and place a baking sheet  in the oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.

One hour before you want the pitas done, remove the dough from the fridge. Cut into 8 even pieces and keep covered with a damp cloth. On a lightly floured counter pull one piece out, shape into a bowl then flatten into a disc and place on a baking sheet. Repeat until all pieces are done. Cover with the dough with oiled plastic and let rise for 20 minutes at room temp.

After 20 minutes, roll each disk flat to a circle under 1/4 inch thick. Let rise for another 10 minutes.

Spray the baking sheet that is in the oven with cooking spray (keeping it in the oven). Take one piece of the dough. Roll flat again and mist with some water.  Throw onto the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 3 minutes. It should be puffy but not brown. Remove with tongs and keep warm in a dish towel.

Repeat for the rest of the dough pieces, you can do more than one at once.

Sweet and Spicy Moroccan Shrimp

As an ignorant American I can barely point to Morocco on a map (it's right below Spain) but boy can I whip up some Moroccan shrimp in 15 minutes flat.  The one thing I was at a loss on was sides.  What do Moroccans eat with their shrimp? According to wiki, couscous. Although I don't think they would have been mad at this garlic bread either.

Sweet and Spicy Moroccan Shrimp
Serves 4
Adapted from Simply Whisked

• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon gound cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili power
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• black pepper
• 1 1/2 pound of shrimp, deveined
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all dry ingredients (everything but the shrimp and olive oil) in a small bowl.  Toss the shimp with the mixture until evenly coated.

Heat the oil in a very large skillet (or do two batches) over medium heat.

Add shrimp and fry until cooked (turns pink) flipping once.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms and Garlic Bread

Low carb pasta, high carb bread. That should all balance out right...right?

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms
Adapted from Shutterbean

• 1 medium spaghetti squash, halved and deseeded
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounce mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
• sprinkle of dried oregano or italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Rub spaghetti squash halves with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour until you can push down on the squash with an oven mit. When spaghetti squash is done let cool for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown the mushrooms in the oil stirring occasionally for 6 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and garlic then cook until garlic is fragrant. Turn off the heat, add the raisins and cover until spaghetti squash above is ready.

Shred the spaghetti squash with a fork and add to mushrooms. Add Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Stir well and serve with garlic bread or else you will starve.

Garlic Bread

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 1 large loaf of italian or french bread
• 8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• pinch of red pepper flake
• salt 1/2 teaspoon if butter was unsalted and 1/4 teaspoon if butter was salted
• 1//2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

 Preheat the broiler.  Cut the loaf lengthwise and arrange pieces cut side up on foil on a baking sheet.

Melt butter in a small sauce pan, add garlic, pepper flakes, and salt. Heat until garlic begins to sizzle but don't let it brown.  Remove from heat and stir in oregano.  Spoon butter mixture evenly over bread then sprinkle with parmesan. 

Cook under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes.  Keep your eye on it, it would be heartbreaking if anything were to happen.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.  Eat as much as you can, its best the same day but wrap any left overs in foil and store in the fridge. Reheat in the oven.

Indecisive

I could spend 10 minutes in the toothpaste aisle deciding what toothpaste best fits my needs.  Huggies alone makes 8 different kinds of diapers- which one would a good mom buy.  Don't get behind me while I'm trying to pick apples. I know I like honeycrisp, but dang, so expensive! I have so much to do today but don't even know where to start, so I get lost in instagram. 

The number of decisions I can make in a day are limited and wasting them on inconsequential choices is tiring. Unfortunately the only person more indecisive than me is Steven, followed closely by Henry.  So here is how I cope: 

Make the decision once. 

After price-checking and taste-testing for years the apple of our home is officially the Pink Lady. I buy it in bulk at costco so I don't even have to choose the individual apples. It's a middle-priced apple but always good quality. Our Costco price is usually cheaper than a regular grocery store. Done and done.  

I also started to use Amazon subscribe and save for diapers and wipes. The same brand and fit  come on a monthly schedule. After price checking, its usually cheaper than store.  I am not getting the best deal 100% of the time, but now I can stop thinking about it.

Buy in bulk.

Buying in bulk means making the decision 1/12 as many times!

Go with the cheapest.

If you can't tell a difference and don't have a favorite then grab the cheapest (by ounce or count) that you can find. 

Eliminate the bad choices.

I just took every item of clothing that didn't fit out of my dresser, yelled KON MARIE, and threw them away stored them away in my closet until I fit in normal people clothes again.  I split the clothes that fit into working out/nothing to do and nicer clothes, then put them back in the dresser.  Every morning I can literally wear the first thing in a stack by knowing that day's plans. The decision is made by whatever is on top.  When I am putting laundry away all the clean clothes go to the bottom of the pile so I'm not wearing the same things over and over.  My dresser is oh-so-tidy and it takes a minute to get dressed.

Have a system.

The question "What do you want for dinner this week?" is met with blank stares 110% of the time. Our dinners are decided by the next meals on my pinterest boards which are divided into the different proteins, vegetarian, pizza/pasta, ect. If it doesn't look good enough to eat that week or looks too hard then it gets cut from the board all together. It also gets cut once it gets made, so the recipe furthest down is the one that we eat that week unless I have a special hankerin'.

Roll a die.

When indecisiveness turns into procrastination. Have a lot to do but want to do exactly zero of it? Write it down as a numbered list then and roll a die. Whatever it lands on, that's what you are going to do. Those are the rules.  If you don't have a die then google "roll a die". If you have a weird number of items use: http://www.roll-dice-online.com/.  Let the gods decide this one.

Happy deciding!

Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken Legs

Growing up drumsticks were standard with kid's meals but now it seems that chicken nuggets have replaced the leg on kid's plates and in their hearts. And that sucks. Chicken legs are cheaper and easier to make. Ain't nobody got time for fry up individual chicken nuggets, but I can sure throw a couple of legs in the oven. And let me state for the record (before I have this second kid and all standard's go out the window) frozen chicken nuggets are cheating.

Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken Legs
Adapted from Simply Whisked

• 4 chicken legs
• 3 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place chicken legs on parchment papers on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle legs with basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour - make sure the internal temp has reached 165 degrees.

In a small pot over medium low heat, heat honey, balsamic vinegar, and garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook for about a minute until sauce thickens. Stir.

Remove chicken from oven, glaze and glaze with honey mixture before serving.

Caramelized Onions

Onions are probably my favorite food. I buy them in bulk and always chops a little extra if they are in my recipe to snack on while I cook. It's the crisp and juicy texture that I can't get enough of. 

My favorite onions are blooming onions but since I don't want to weigh a billion pounds I avoid making them.  These caramelized onions are coming in at a respectable second.  They are good on eggs, pizza, grilled cheese, and even plain toast. 

Caramelized Onions
Adapted from Shutterbean

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• kosher salt

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Cook onions covered stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.  Add the stock, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar.  Cook uncovered until onions are caramelized stirring occasionally between 30 minutes and an hour. Season with salt, let cool, and keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Sweet Corn Pancakes

I thought we had pancakes nailed down tight with buttermilk pancakes but these may take the... cake. The corn and cornmeal make these pancakes less sweet and a little denser which leaves more room for syrup, so spring for the good stuff.

This was Steven's birthday breakfast complete with about two pots of coffee and a very sticky toddler.

 

Sweet Corn Pancakes
Feeds two adults and one toddler with one cake leftover
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup kernels of corn, I cheated and used canned
• a pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 and 1/4 cups buttermilk (or a tablespoon of lemon juice in the measuring cup then fill the rest up with milk)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extra
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• another pinch of salt

Melt butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat, add corn, and saute for 4 minutes until corn starts to brown. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. I did this the night before and refrigerated the corn.

Whisk the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, and corn together in a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of soda.  Stir the dry into the wet ingredients and mix until combined but can still be lumpy. Its early, don't go through too much trouble.

Heat up the skillet/griddle to medium high and spray with nonstick spray.  Ladle 1/4 cup of batter at a time about 3 inches apart.  When the pancake starts to bubble, flip it and cook until golden brown on the bottom. Adjust your heat as needed and repeat until batter is gone.  I respray between pancakes.

Serve with more syrup than you would typical buttermilk pancakes.