A new project beginning!

Hello...well...me...!  It has been years since a post has been added to this blog!  Six years, to be exact. So what am I going to attempt with this forum...??  Well...it began as a cooking/pantry emptying project and it may continue along those lines in some form or another, but I am also committing myself to write, write, write.  So there may be book reviews, random thoughts and silliness.  I don't expect to have followers - I will use this for writing practice, computer competency learning and as a journal (that can be seen by anyone who stumbles upon the page...NOT private, in other words...lol).

Now to tell you about this delicious homemade ricotta cheese!  

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/187884615684472067/

I have made this a few times in the last month.  Pictured is the ricotta with fresh-picked Canadian blueberries and bourbon honey from Turkey Hill Apiary in Lakeville, Minnesota.  A tasty treat!!  Perfect with a glass of red and some crackers.

You can get the honey on their website at https://turkeyhillapiary.com/ or follow them on Facebook!

More to come...

Abundantly Blessed

Once again, I find myself in need of a pantry cleaning and just too much inventory!  Our garage freezer is in it's death throes.  We are limping it along until the new one arrives this morning (thank God for the people at Lowes who sold it to me over the phone yesterday and will deliver it this morning!).  I know the oppressive heat and humidity have contributed to the big green thing's demise - we are a sweltering 82degrees already at 5:30 in the morning.  That puts the heat index in the upper nineties.  Not good weather for freezers. 

It was overwhelming to try to figure out what we were going to do with all the quickly defrosting food!  So....it is not only the pantry that needs cleaning out - the freezers do, too!!


Blessings,
Chriss

Long time no blog...

well...so this blogging thing really takes more dedication than i realized. 

Perhaps I will change the focus a bit.  After all, this blog, for now, is just supposed to help me stick to my goal of using what I have in the bottomless pantry (and refrigerators and freezers) before I go out and purchase more ingredients/foodstuffs.

New focus...

Will record recipes used and results.  Will record items from pantry that are obscure, weird and just not that easy to use and what I end up doing with them.

To date, I have been shopping twice in September and spent approx. $85.00 each time. 

More to come...

A big day...

Big day today.  A benefit for friends in town and a BIG wedding to cater out of town.  This morning I am going to get some things ready for the benefit and make bread dough before I go to work.  I use the recipes from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francios.  A fabulous book that allows me to create a variety of breads from scratch written by Minnesota authors!  What more can you ask for? 

The best this I do with these recipes is to add kalamata olives (make sure you read the bottle and get the pitted kind - I won't make that mistake twice) to the boule.  My family raves...

These authors have a new book out called Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  My next purchase!

*leftovers last night - soon I will need to get creative...so far this has been a breeze!

Day 2: September 9, 2010

I am helped along in my little project by the fact that I am assistant chef at a catering business/cooking school.  Last night's little event provided Hubby, son and me with luscious leftovers: individual servings of duck breast, beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin, sauces for each and roasted veggies!  Some fresh tomatoes from the garden will top the meal off beautifully.

I am excited to have my niece and her husband coming from Alabama for a visit next week!  They will stay for seven days - a challenge to my challenge!

Time to plan meals!!

Note:  Last nights meal: leftover chili.  Tonight: leftovers from work.

Day One - September 8, 2010

The decision to share my daily musings with the world wide web did not come easily.  BUT - as a woman in her 40's (early, thank you) who just sent the oldest off to college and who's youngest, and only other, has a driver's license and may become difficult to locate, I am ready for some fun and challenge!  What harm can a little sharing do, huh?

I actually began my personal pantry emptying project on September 1 - but didn't plan as well as I could have and, subsequently, have already failed!  Three frozen pizzas for home and massive amounts of junk food for a night of fun have put me back to square one.

I will give myself a little credit here and note that I have done well the last few days, with help.  Super Guy made pheasant in the crock pot on Monday and I made chili last night.  The chili was delicious with my home-canned tomato/onion/pepper melange and my home-canned "salsa #1 - 2009" which turned out to be very un-salsa-like.  Cornbread with hot peppers (Garden Salsa) fresh from the garden topped off the meal beautifully.