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.

Applesauce and New Hampshire?

The cool fall air is a wonderful change from the summer.  I got some pre-used row cover for one dollar from Agway, and the rest of the garden gets covered with a tarp on nights when the frost might come.  We've been lucky so far.  Friday night, I had been frantically covering the plants with every spare blanket I could find in the house.  It seemed like a good idea at the time, until I realized that I would have to wash all of those blankets and that while they were keeping frost off of my tomatoes, I had no fleece to curl up with on the couch.  I have a very large pot of apples on the stove working down to sauce.  There is good apple tree in the backyard, and with Jon's request for applesauce for breakfast in the mornings, I decided that it was a good time to pick every single apple that I could reach with a step ladder.  Halfway through that, and with the information that these apples didn't usually keep beyond a couple days, I retreated to the kitchen to start what I realized was a couple days' worth of applesauce making.

Hindsight: Apples sauce 10x better than pears.  What was I thinking doing about 12 quarts of pear sauce a few weeks ago?!

This should have been the time that Jon and I would start packing, finishing projects, and avoiding packing for a move to Vermont (this time I'm very glad that I procrastinated).  We found a cute 3rd floor 1 bedroom in Bellows Falls, and gave a deposit.  It seemed perfect until....

1.  Got a call from that landlord saying one of my references said some bad things about me.  Me!

2.  Found out that we might be able to live in the apartment of our dreams in New Hampshire, but it wouldn't be available until February or March.

My very first landlady had made up things about me so that this new person wouldn't rent to us.  We found out that she had said that I had broken the lease, moved out early, and left her with no one to live in the apartment.  Jen and I moved in May 23, 2009, and left May 23, 2010.  Jen even called her to ask specifically if we had until the end of the month, and she said no, we had to be out on the 23rd.  I never found out what else she said about me, but the perspective landlord said that it sounded made up and that she was searching for not nice things.  Be careful who you rent from in Dover!!! 

Because all of this happened in one day, it got us thinking why we were moving to Vermont in the first place.  So for now, we are going to stick it out here at Jon's parents', and wait to hear about the apartment of our dreams.  Moving isn't something to rush into, especially when you aren't just by yourself.  I was a gypsy when I was single, but now that I'm married to someone with their own business....I can't just hop around.

I also will probably continue to be a housewife-translator over the winter with the hope of moving back to New Hampshire.  And I will bake too many things and spin yarn.