Cooking rabbit.

It is done.  I have rabbit meat* in the fridge, and I now need to figure out how to cook it for dinner.  I'm thinking roasting or braising?  I'm very disappointed that the only recipe in my cookbooks for rabbit are hassen pfeffer, rabbit cheese, and rabbit cooked in sour cream (thank you, Russian cookbook).  I still need to disjoint it, but there seems to be some good information about that out there.  I'll post about how it goes!

*Jon and I watched a video on youtube of all places on how to dispatch and butcher a rabbit.  It was one of the hardest things we have ever done.  Just the smell...But it is a good things to know how to do, and if we plan on butchering farm animals in the future, this helps a lot.  I won't post the link to the video, because it is very graphic, but I would be happy to send the link to anyone that is interested.

So today I have a new gadget-toy: an electric mixer!!!  I am super excited to use it, and it really is so much better than whisking for half an hour...I either loose interest, get distracted, or agitate my old shoulder injury...But now I can make all the meringue that I want!  I am going to do some macaroons that call for stiff egg white peaks and then some lemon meringue pie.  Today is also bread day, with the usual wheat bread recipe.  Pictures to follow!

The rabbits are now a day over one month old, and they are huge, playful, curious, and cuddly.  I am so glad that they are healthy and doing so well!  I hope to take pictures later if they hold still.

Also,  Boston Cream Pie is awesome.  But you should follow the recipe and actually use powdered sugar, not granulated, or the glaze will be really crunchy...

Homesteading.

The kits are weaned and it is time.  This weekend, Jon and I will be processing Ruby for meat.  The kits are doing beautifully, and I should be able to tell what sex they are soon.  I am also looking to sell Max, and hopefully a fiber enthusiast would love him.

There are mice in the kitchen.  The past two days I have come in to find droppings all over the counters and the dishes in the drainer.  I am very tired of sanitizing everything...but what else can I do?  I put baking soda in the places that the droppings were (they run through it, stop to clean themselves, and there is a reaction in their stomachs that causes gas, but they can't expel the gas, so they implode).  Less cruel than poison or a trap, I think.  I will also put peppermint extract everywhere, which they detest.

I am getting very tired of this apartment (the cave), and am very much looking forward to May when we hopefully move to NH!  We are looking at the second story of a beautiful farmhouse with a view, a barn, and lovely elderly landlords downstairs.  If everything goes well, it would be everything we have been hoping and praying for.  There are lilacs, a space for a HUGE garden, trees, even a farm a few houses down.  We would be close to my parents and many friends.  The landlords used to be good friends with my grandparents, too, as well as the grandparents of my friend that lives there now.  It isn't the biggest place, and it also might have mice, but the worst noise we will have to deal with is blasting "Sound of Music" in the evening.  Thank you, Lord, for watching over us and helping bring us to this farmhouse!  I will also be able to get milk and some veggies from my parents, I might be able to barter my spinning for some eggs and lamb, and I am going to ask  my parents if we could buy meat from them.  I will try to grow as much as I can myself, and I have been working on that list to find other things locally.  So pretty much, I have been doing my knekker-happy-dance for days.

This is pretty much how I dance.
And yes, it is in Norwegian.  Norwegian is cool.

Homemade chocolate chips and cheese puffs!

Bahahhahahahaha.

 Amazingly good.  And cheesy.

Not the prettiest things, but tasty and really easy to make!  

If you watch, Arrested Development, substitute the blue paint on the walls for chocolate, and that is my kitchen after making chocolate chips.

Trying to stay motivated on a day when I feel run down. Homemade junk food.

Yesterday, I felt that I was coming down with something, and as the day progressed, I just wanted to lie on the couch.  Jon had a fever last night and tossed and turned, but today he's all better...but I am exhausted.  I ate an entire can of mandarin oranges.  I've had my morning coffee and still just want to crash, but when I lie down, I am too antsy.  My solution: baking.

Someone really needs to stop me.  I think I bake enough for a family of 10, but the two of us somehow manage to eat it all ourselves...

Fighting off yawns, today's recipes include: the most awesome and easy chocolate chips, pizza, whole wheat sesame crackers, homemade cheese puffs that are supposed to be better than cheetos, and figuring out a way to use 2 sweet potatoes for something that is not a dessert, even though I just really want to make these sweet potato chocolate chips muffins.  I probably won't make it through this list, but I just really want to surround myself with comfort/junk food today.  Or I may just give in and take a nap.  We'll see.

By the way, I made a guilt-free pear sauce coffee cake last night (always remember to actually turn the oven on and not have the batter sit in a cold oven for 40 minutes while you stare at the oven door) and dusted the top with some of the granulated maple sugar- AMAZING.  I am very happy with the results of that experiment and hope to acquire more syrup...which may mean convincing Jon to help me tap some trees...

Granulated maple sugar

I did it.  I made granulated maple sugar.  Boy was it a lot more difficult than I thought!  The maple syrup took forever to get to the right temperature, and then the temp. went up way too much, but we caught it before it scorched or caught on fire...which the directions warned me that it could do.  It formed a lot more clumps than I expected after the last of the steam escaped, and it tastes a little different than I thought, too.  I still need to run it through a sifter, and use a mortar and pestle for some of the larger pieces.  Next time I will be a lot more confident about what needs to be done and when.  The biggest test will be to see how well this sugar works in baking and even how it tastes in coffee.  If all goes well, I might need to get myself a tap and a bucket and start making my own syrup so I have enough keep this up!

Chocolate

Jon's food weakness has to be chocolate.  He gets a bag of dark chocolate baking bits and then just eats them!  When I was growing up, eating baking bits got me in big trouble- they were 'expensive' and only to be used in baking.  If I wanted candy, I'd have to wait until Halloween or Easter.  Now, every time I bring chocolate into the apartment, it gets eaten up before I can bake!  The only thing that is safe is unsweetened cocoa powder.  Now that we are out of chocolate, and I am NOT buying any more because I'm on an either-make-it-myself-or-go-without binge, I had to get creative to satisfy Jon's craving with what I had.  SO:

Kahlua Brownies

I substituted the boiling water for some of my homemade kahlua, because I want to use that stuff up.  They are in the oven now, and I can't wait to see how they are!

I had wanted to make crackers today, but Jon called and wants me to come over and help him paint a sign for my parents' farm.  (The farm has been in my family since my great-grandparents, and they've never had a sign!  We don't even really know what the farm name means because the name came from my ancestors' farm in Scotland!)  Tomorrow, I hope to fit them in as well as make bread for another week.

 Older picture of me helping milk the cows =)

How much is too much? Everything from scratch!

Last night, Jon was going to be home late, so I had plenty of time to go crazy.

Usually, I just take on a big baking project or put a movie on and knit so I don't think about eating dinner before Jon gets home.  Last night, I decided to look through my pantry and figure out what I could buy locally, what I could make myself, and what I could live without.

Here is the list that I came up with so far:

1. Flour: http://brookfordfarm.com/
2. Rice: I'm going to try to grow some myself.  This site says that I can grow some in a bucket, so we'll see how that goes!  http://www.heirloom-organics.com/guide/va/guidetogrowingrice.html
3. Salt: Sea salt that is done in New England is so expensive!  I'm going to save up milk jugs and go collect some ocean water...the FDA says it is safe!  http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/31/mining-salt-from-the-sea/, http://www.howtobaker.com/techniques/insane-foodie-projects/how-to-make-your-own-sea-salt-2/
4. Sugar: This summer, I am going to experiment with growing sugar beets.  The crystallization process sounds tedious, so I may just use them for molasses, and then save up the crystals for things that I want caramelization with.  For granulated sugar, I am going to try cooking down and then mixing maple syrup, which my uncle produces.   http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/148932/maple-sugaring-making-granulated-maple-sugar
5. Cinnamon: It seems pretty silly to me that I use this spice so often, but I have no idea where it comes from.  Why can't I use something that is local or I could grow myself instead of relying on something that has to be shipped to this country?  I found something called cinnamon basil- it has hints of the usual basil flavor as well as cinnamate, the same chemical that gives traditional cinnamon its flavor!  It sounds pretty easy to grow, so I will be in search of seeds.
6. Yeast: This is tricky, but I'm tired of relying on store bought yeast.  I am going to make a starter and see how long I can keep it going.  I wonder how I could use the starter in recipes other than the usual bread...
7. Vinegar:  Not only do I clean with vinegar, I really enjoy a bowl of cukes soaked with it.  Through my research, I found out that store bought vinegar is so processed, that it kills all of the beneficial things in vinegar.  Vinegar used to be a cure-all, a medicine practically, and I grew up with it being used for bee/wasp stings, rashes, colds, and as a condiment.  I want to try making my own vinegar that will have these properties again!  I could also make herb vinegars, wine vinegars...

That is all that I had time for last night, but it is already quite a lot to do.  Is it worth it?  How much is too much?  I love taking on big, impossible projects!  At least I can figure out how to do things on my own if all of the grocery stores close down.

I'm appreciated!

Yesterday, as Jon and I were having lunch, he suddenly looked at me and said: 'Everything on this plate was made by you!  You made the bread, jam, even the peanut butter.  You didn't have to buy any of it.'

At at moment, I was suddenly very proud.  I had made everything, even though it was just a peanut butter and jam sandwich, with a dried fruit bagel on the side.  Maybe all this work is starting to pay off!  I'm even more inspired right now to look for more things I can do myself to keep our stomachs happy and healthy.

No news yet as of the move to NH, but we keep hoping and praying that it works out!  I would love to be close to my parents again.  I know a few farms in the area, including my parents', that I could either get free goods from or do some trading.  I'm getting ahead of myself, but I want to have a massive garden, and only go to the grocery store for things like salt and flour and toilet paper...how far can I go with this?

Last night I made up some muffins again, this time with mango, strawberry, and pear sauce.  I had one can of mango left from my smoothie craze last year, and my mother-in-law had given me several strawberries that were getting soft.  Never waste!  They are amazing muffins.  I also added in 2 Tbsp of whole flax seed and I love the extra crunch.

My mother-in-law had also given me a piece of fresh ginger that was starting to go (she loves to buy veggies and fruit, but she doesn't always get to use them), so I am experimenting with ginger extract- peeled and sliced ginger in some vodka in the fridge.  I'm not sure how it will go, but I would love an alternative to using powdered ginger, which I hear is terrible compared to using fresh in cooking.  Having an extract would be fun!

I'm going to go procrastinate some more and look up farm-y things instead of knitting Jon's sweater.

From Scratch.

My friend  is a constant source of great recipes and ideas for saving money.  She had posted a link to a recipe for bagels recently, and I was super excited!  I love bagels!  I had never thought of making my own.  I had set aside most of yesterday for baking, and here is what I came up with:

I substituted half of the flour for organic whole wheat flour and added 1 Tbsp. flax seeds, 2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds, and 2 handfuls of tropical trail mix (banana, papaya, date, raisin, etc., nut-free).  They aren't as bagel-y as I thought...less of that chewy texture, but they are light and have a crunchy crust!  I might use a different recipe next time to see if it comes out any different.  Jon was rather disappointed that they weren't like the ones from the store.  That didn't stop him from eating three of them already, though.

Yesterday, I also made two loaves of whole wheat bread (Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book) and some gluten-free peanut butter cookies.  This is my new favorite peanut butter cookie recipe, surprisingly!  Even my Grammie's 'peanutty criss-crosses' don't compare.  With only 4 ingredients, they are simple, quick, and I love that I don't have to use flour!  Jon and I have a family friend that is gluten-free, so finding recipes that she can eat has been very difficult with my budget.  This batch is for a Valentine's Day Bake Sale at the local library, and I hope that even if no one there needs gluten-free, they will enjoy them!  Jon's sculpture is featured at the library this month and March, as well, and there will be a reception March 21st.  He is very excited to be able to show his work!  I will need to provide baked goods and other munchies for this event, which will be attended by the gluten-free person, so I will be looking for other easy recipes that don't involve flours I've never heard of.  If anyone actually reads this blog has any ideas, I'd love to hear them!

These wonderful cookies have left me without any peanut butter, though, which is a main staple for us.  I have a massive bag of peanuts in front of me that need to be shelled, thrown in the Ninja food processor (BEST THING EVER), and stored.

I have one batch done already, which of course meant that I needed to have a snack.

*Drooling*

And before I forget, the bunnies are now 15 days old and huge! 

This little one is my favorite.

It just falls asleep right in my hand.  This little one is the first to fall asleep nursing, and it curls right up on Ruby's tummy in a little ball.  The biggest black one is always very sleepy and lazy, and the smaller black one is feisty, though it often falls asleep nursing, rolls into one of its siblings, and proceeds to snooze on its back with its legs up in the air.

Grocery shopping

I have a love/hate relationship with grocery shopping.  I love food, but I moving through a crowded store and how much money I spend.  Usually, I save over 25% with the store card/coupons, but it is always more than I expect, even with a carefully planned list.  I see something really great on sale, know the perfect recipe for it, then I need to go get the other ingredients to go with it!  I'm really glad now that this is happening with vegetables and not pre-packaged foods.  I didn't buy one processed thing.  There was an epiphany moment when I picked up a bag of frozen meatballs and realized...I could very easily make those myself.  I started to head for the bread crumbs, and then I did a mental face-palm: I can make those, too...

 Just remembered that I forgot to get some diced tomatoes...oh well, they aren't in season so I should find something else!

We have been surviving on things like pasta and beef stew recently.  I can stretch out a pot of beef stew to last 3 or 4 days.  I've stopped buying lunch meat and just cook meat and slice it up myself.  Our fridge is FULL of vegetables, and that makes me very happy.  I even got a 4 lb bag of peanuts, so I will try to make my own peanut butter again.  Shelling 4 lbs of peanuts isn't the most fun thing, but its better than surfing the internet for a few hours like I should not be doing.

The menu for dinners this week include:
Kale and Chorizo Soup
Tilapia, brown rice, and a spinach salad
Borscht
Pasta with homemade meatballs (made with homemade bread crumbs)

In other news, I am making Jon a sweater.  I had been putting that off...knitting a sweater for a boyfriend or even fiance would bring up issues of 'commitment', because sweaters take so long to do.  The sweater I made for myself took 2 years!  So now that we're married, its sweater time.  Jon also picked out the most complicated sweater I've ever seen in my life:

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/an-aran-for-frederick

I'm on my second attempt already, after having a twist in the circle.  I'm on row 24 now and it takes me about half an hour to do a row.  No kidding.  Did I mention that I spun 1400 yards of wool/llama/our angora fiber to make this thing out of?  I told Jon to expect it done in about 2 years.  He's not allowed to change sizes.

I really did completely forget that I had a blog.

Things got busy.  I started working for a print shop, then quit because some people there were...well...unpleasant.  Then I translated quite a bit.

We had a massive snow storm around Halloween that killed the power for a week.  I learned how to cook mac and cheese on a grill, take a bath in the amount of water that could be heated on a camp stove, and go to sleep at 7 pm.  If we hadn't lost everything in the fridge and freezer, and running water, it would have been really fun!

At the beginning of December, we moved out on our own.  I was SO HAPPY to move, not that I don't love my parents-in-law, but it was time.  I love knowing things don't get moved overnight, I am in charge of cooking/baking/groceries, and I can run from the bathroom to the bedroom in a towel if I want.  Not that I actually do now...its freezing!  The bad part...the apartment itself.  Lovely neighbors cause the cops to show up at all times of the night, domestic fights outside the door, small children screaming until midnight...And then the hot water lasts 10 min. max at lukewarm, the stove pilot roars like a bonfire, it is so humid water runs down the walls and leaves little yellow streaks from the stains in the ceiling, the few windows we have we need to keep the blinds closed because people walk right by them (sketchy people), the bathroom blower just blows up into the ceiling space and grows mold, and the bathroom does not even have a door.  Not to mention there are train tracks in front, a river gorge in back, we park at the edge of this cliff, and two streets go by the front door.  There are just too many things to mention...basically, we live in a cave.

I am very grateful to be living here, but we aren't looking to stay very long.  Once again, we are looking at New Hampshire.  Last time, we decided to stay in Mass. to be around Jon's family and work on Jon's business as a stone mason.  Now we are just looking to save up some money.  I miss New Hampshire!  So the dream apartment that I mentioned in September is hopefully going to work!  We'll see how that goes...

Last month, I worked for a day at a local farm, but that didn't work out.  So now I translate when I can get the work and spend the rest of my time baking interesting things and knitting.  I'm back to being a housewife!  Jon has been getting enough work and I've been translating enough to keep us going, but credit card bills are dragging us down and eating the savings.  Hopefully this spring will bring Jon a ton of work in NH and I will be able to find a part-time that will enable me to make dinner on time and keep weekends free for Jon.  I'm going a bit nuts being stuck in the cave all day.  One of my friends is working on not buying any packaged foods, so I've been looking up her recipes and experimenting with baking things instead of buying them.  Today, I made rye crackers.

Not too bad.  I don't think I'll be buying crackers again!

In other news, my rabbit Ruby had a litter of kits!  Three survived of seven, and they are absolutely adorable!

They are getting bigger every day.  The one with the pink ears has lighter brown fur now.  Ruby won't feed them on her own, so I need to hold them up to her twice a day to nurse.  But I love them.