The Needle in a Haystack

Feb 21, 2012... Date night

We got lots of small projects done around here today, spent a bit of time on auctions for the business...and some times getting dinner and snacks planned for our date night ( which we did at home).

 Chris tried his meat searing techniques on a chuck roast.... I would call that a fail... chucks require a slow cooking to tenderize and lossen the fibers... disappointing with a 12.00 piece of meat.

  I tried this  Soft Pretzel Bites recipe from Making Memories for us it was fail . The baking soda taste was really strong...AND I learned a very hard lesson  about baking soda and aluminum pans, I might have ruined this one.. I am not sure... but I do know I am going to start collecting stainless pieces... I know of two folks who have tried this recipe and loved it, so I am not sure if it was the pan..or some other operator error... I ended up tossing them and making chex mix instead.

   Despite our cooking failures, the movie we had picked was awesome!  You can stream it for free off the internet or buy the DVD...  We watched it off the internet projected on the TV.... both of us enjoyed it so much.  Back to Eden , is a true story of gardening God's way, quick, easy sustainable. We had studied this method for a few months now and this movie pushed us over the top to give it a try. We will certainly be keeping you up to date on the " no till " method of gardening.

   Matthew 6:19-20

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven . . .

..makes you wonder how much "stuff' we really need..

  Think about it...and have a fine day...all day long!

Feb 16,2012

Another busy day around The End of the Road.   After breakfast we headed out to a tree and vine pruning demo provided free of charge by a local Ag agent.  I can not recommend using your local extension office for free or almost free classes. We really enjoyed getting to know some new folks and learned a bunch too.

Peach and Apple tree pruning

 Grape vines ( and yes, this helped make our decision to plant grapes this year)

raspberries, blueberries and figs.

Thanks to Robert and Mary Jane for allowing us at their farm!

It started rainy just as we were leaving  so we were able to do a bit more cleaning ont he spare room.... 3 box loads for the local women's shelter. The room is really coming together.... a nice visit with my friend Shelley and it was time to fix dinner.

Chris decided to cook again... its a new sport of his I could get use to! Tonights menu... homemade chili cheese fries

 We found this fry maker at the market for 3.00... sturdy and well made it did the job perfectly!

The insides were tender... the outside crispy!

I was not idle!  A friend at the shoppe gave us this recipe for Microwave Bread and Butter Pickles...  easy and delicious!

 Billy's Microwave Bread and Butter Pickles

  2 sliced cucumbers

  1 onion ( sliced)

  1 1/2 cup sugar

  1 cup distilled vinegar

   1t  mustard seed

   1t salt

   1/2 t celery seed

   1/2  tumeric

 Place all ingredients in a microwave bowl and microwave on high for 4 minutes

stir and microwave for another 4 minutes

stir, microwave 2 more minutes then pour into sterile jar ..allow to cool and stick into fridge. They are ready to eat when cooled.

...these are delicious!

 

"Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

..have a fine day...all day long!

Feb 15,2012

Guest Post by Chris on Pizza-pa-looza and how to cook a steak.... he really has been doing more food prep the last couple of days...

next up we need a pizza stone and a pizza peel. The pizza was delicious but the center was not as done as the crust.

Beef...it's what's for dinner! Believe it or not, I cooked this in 5 minutes in the OVEN. I'll be perfectly honest, it's not quite as good as grilled....but it's mighty close!

See this link for instructions: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html

It is VITAL that you get your cast iron skillet HOT HOT HOT on the stovetop before putting the steak into it

 

²² The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³ and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

 ²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

   They replied, “Certainly, O king.”

 ²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

 ²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”

   So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, Daniel 3:22-26

Chris

   post script.. I told Chris when he picked a verse he had to find one that sort of went along with his post... :)... God IS faithful........all the time...so have a fine day, all day long!

 

Feb 14, 2012

We had an awesome Valentines Day... busy , but great.

Along with planting 100 onion sets, gracoery shopping, delivering a computer, laundry, general sweeping, and animal care....

  our Valentines present to each other...was this

.. an outdoor pizza oven.   Our goal was to not spend more then 20.00 on the whole project and after a scavenge hunt around the property  we came in right at the 20.00.

We had originally found the plans at Garden Fork TV. This guy has so many great ideas and this one was at the top of our list.

we used the top to an old stand that was behind the shed

 We built an insulated well house with our pump enclosed so the old well enclosure worked wonders as a stand.... it was a two man job..

...and now a picture of where I crawled to retrieve the bricks left over from the old pony barn that was on the property when we moved here.. I braved spiders, dirt, and  a gaggle of slugs...not to mention there was some sort of unidentified scat under there... racoon? skunk? velocoraptor?

 Anyhow.. we then began layering brick

We did not have an old bedframe and could not find one at the local dump or resale store so we ended up at Tractor Supply and bought some angle iron...

some of our bricks had holes in them so we had to turn them sides ways on top to hold in the heat..

and there you have it...! We are christening it tomorrow with a pizzapaloza... I can't wait!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1Corinthians 13:4

Have a fine day......all day long

 

 

Feb 10th, 2012

 I'm a bit irritated today.... OK I am A LOT irritated... last night our car, and two others were hit while parked by a driver who smashed the cars then fled the scene on foot....  Our car is drivable with the hood , grill and a rear quarter panel needing replace... our friends car was busted into tiny pieces.... ( his was pushed into ours)... all this while we were in our Ham Radio class .. and out of 18 folks no one heard a thing until a passerby stopped to say it looked like a wreck.  This just happens to be an up close and personal example of the lack of morals and responsibility of our society. 

   As bad as that was , I couldn't let the day go by without wishing my sweet sister in law Lydia a happy birthday.

 bonus pic of my niece Sophia)

..and a picture of Cadence in her Valentines dress I made her in my sewing class. I thought it would be perfect for passing out treats at her preschool party

Do not fret because of evildoers
         Or be envious of the wicked; Proverbs 24:19

Sigh~ and have a fine day...all day long!

Feb 7,2012

  So, Chris and I really have been trying to eat more locally , so when our CSA had a run on turnips we decided to try a turnip soup recipe that sounded like it had potential.  I must confess neither one of us has ever eaten a turnip to our knowledge, but we were willing to give it a try. I roasted the garlic ( I can tell you I am in love with warm roasted garlic on toast), chopped the onions nad turnips... added the chicken stock and simmered away... the turnip tops went into a pot with a ham chunk ( Chris does like turnip greens).... and I made up a loaf of an herb bread.............and we waited.............

    We prayed, we tasted... we headed to the fridge and immediately fried up a pound of bacon....

a delightful healthy turnip soup....not so much....

  The bread was really good though!

GARLIC HERB BREAD

• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

I made mine in the bread machine...

So dinner tonight was homemade bread, turnip greens and bacon...

not as healthy as I had hoped...

We are going to try roasting the turnips next... if that doesn't cut it... turnips are just off the list... at least we tried.

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt. Colossians 4:6

Have a fine day..all day long!

Feb 6, 2012

...

The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community."  Bonhoffer

 This  quote stuck with me today as we visited a friend in the hospital and then attended a funeral for the husband of another friend.  When Chris accepted the call to pastor the tiny congregation at the Market, we knew it couls never be about us.... the only agenda we were given ...1) preach the gospel... 2) love the people... and I must say we do both. They are our family, and we cry and laugh with them... good times and bad... beacause that is what family does.

  And speaking of family, one of my cousins  was just diagnosed with breast cancer... , being far away is tough because  we all feel like we want to do SOMETHING... but its comforting to know we can pray... and that is the best SOMETHING!

  Despite how tired I was I headed out to sewing group... and I was sure glad I did... such a lively, fun bunch of ladies... and I was able to finish up Cadence's Valentines dress... bad picture.......... but you get the idea!

I think she will be the hit of her preschool party!

For nothing will be impossible with God. Luke 1:37

 

... absolutely!... and have a fine day... all day long!

Feb 5, 2012

I thought I would post a picture of what our lab looks like when we hay treat the graden ... for some reason she thinks we put it down as a personal back scracher for her.... From the look on her face I think she knows  she went a bit over board with the straw

  We had quite a busy weekend at the shoppe and while thankful we both came home all three nights soaking our tootsies and worn out.  We love meeting all the new customers and visiting with the old.

    Two updates.  The elderberry syrup I made and we have been taking seems to be working well so far. I used the recipe from Learning Herbs  which is a bit differnt then some recipes calling form an alcohol base but the honey, ginger and cloves do add a larger immune boost and I think it works as well as one with alcohol base. I do have two cough medicine remedies calling for rum that I will make an infusion/ tincture out of this week.

  The 2nd update is out homemade vanilla started last Aug.  I doubt I will ever go back to store bought as this vanilla is by far the richest tasting I have ever had.  The recipe I followed was basic from THrifty MOM  But we ordered our vanilla beans from France on ebay and the cost was 10 nice beans for less then 5.00 which was enough for two bottles of vodka/ bean mixture.  I think I might order more beans for vanilla sugar and to make homemade vanilla for Gifts.  The total process takes about 6 months to infuse  but the six months really only requires shaking the bottles once or twice a week. 

  This week we will prepare the onion, and pea beds.  We had considered lettuce this year but found a lovely local CSA that grows the greens this time of year in a hot house so we are buying from them once a week along with our argula , turnips  and other greens. 

   So, every weekend for the last 11 years our neighbor Daniel has stayed with us.  Even if he goes out or has plans he checks in and we find him camped out on the floor or on the sofa... Qite oK with us as we consider him one fo our own after all these years... today he turned 22.

Happy Birthday Kiddo! We are proud of you!

  We didn't watch the Superbowl.  It sort of makes us sad at the how much emphasis is place on athletes, products, ... stuff..

  I was thinking of this verse

.....1 Peter 1:18-19 – For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,

   what are we handing down to our children?\

  Think about it.... and have a fine day.... all day long

A Day @ Duke University..... Book across the States N.H.

Yesterday and today have been simply beautiful here in the Carolinas. We left early yesterday to run errands and take care of some business calls in Durham and decided  a walk around Duke University campus and lunch at the Bryan Center was in order. I love the feel of sitting on the steps of an the old buildings and doing a bit of people watching. Unfortunately ( or fortunately) there was a funeral for the oldest surviving member of the Duke family so only foot traffic was allowed. We were able to eat lunch on campus but this is as close as we could get to the Chapel which was our destination.

We decided to walk a few trails  and just enjoy the sunshine ( and work of the milkshakes :) )

One thing I was curious about was this sculpture

The Scientist and Nature  You can read about it, the commision and meaning  ,here

 I finished the day with my sewing group. These ladies are the sweetest there is! I am 75% finished with my first project and 50% fiished with another. Too fun!

  We had breakfast and a business call in South Boston, Va this morning... then Chris had a service call and I had a busniess appointment  in the afternoon.

  I got home at 5:30 qith NOTHING planned for dinner. With chciken strops, arugala, tortillas, shredded cheese and ranch dressing  we whipped up snack wraps ... just like MC"d's... for have the price ..they were very yummy!

I finished my New Hampshire read .. a Gather of Days..interesting...a young adult reader... but with great content on early settlements in NH and the under ground rail road, I giv eit three thumbs up

 

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me.

– 2 Samuel 22:17-18 (NIV)

 

Good stuff huh?   Be safe...and have a fine day.......all day long!

 

Taylor's 7th Birthday

 Taylor's actual birthday isn't until tomorrow, but we celebrated tonight . He requested Thai food ( I asked if he had ever had it and he said no....) so I sort of made my own Thai sort of food and we rolled with it.

   Chris and I had stopped by the Asian Market in Raleigh for a few things, including chopstix... these fancy ones were just a 7yo size!

 We had a type fo LoMein with Thai spices.

 ..a chicken/ wun sen  dish... and spring rolls

  These are so good I have to share the recipe... they also freeze well ( uncooked)

 

2 pkgs spring roll wrappers ( not egg roll)

3 boneless skinless chicken breast cooked and shredded

5 large carrots shredded

1 large onion diced

2 eggs

3T oyster sauce

Mix the last ingredients and put a large tablespoon of mixture in to a spring rolla nd wrap.

Either freeze or deep fry until golden brown... serve with a variety of sauces.

 

For dessert we had brownies topped with ice cream, chocolate syrupa nd whip cream

...and the birthday boys drink of choice

  We had a great time ...

HAPPY BIRTDAY TAYLOR

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

...Have a fine day............all day long!