Crunchy Wings

I love crispy wings, but it is just too much trouble to deep fry them at home. I read online that you could get crunchier wings on the grill by dusting them with cornstarch. So, why not?

Another technique for getting crispy skin, letting the drummies dry in the refrigerator overnight.

I mixed cornstarch and my own rub together, and coated the wings. They set for 1/2 an hour, while I got the grill going.

A 300f grill for twenty minutes a side (cover down), moving the pieces around the grill to get them over the hot spot. Only one hot spot! It took forever, moving these things around to get them hot enough to crisp up.

In the end, there was more crispiness to hold sauce, but because the rub was cut with cornstarch, there was a lack of spice and salt. I'll make some adjustments and try this again.

Cheesemaking: Tomme Collins

It's been a month of aging for this batch of large tommes; they'll be ready sometime in May or June. I'm already getting requests for them, but there's just no way to speed up this cheese.

It freezes really well, I still have a few small pieces stored away for pasta and pizza.

Monday Menu: Teriyaki Sauce and Grilled Veal Flank

(You may not notice from this photograph, but the flash is working on my camera after restoring the factory settings.)

It's been a very long time since I ate anything with "teriyaki" in the description, due to the prevalence of wheat in commercial soy sauce. However, the San-J brand makes it possible to enjoy this flavor again.

I lacked regular honey, so I had to use Dan's precious comb honey to make Sake Teriyaki:

6 Tb. of Sake
6 Tb. of Tamari
3 Tb. of Honey (I had to use 4 Tb. of comb honey)
1 Tb. of grated Onion
2 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 Garlic clove, finely minced


All the ingredients EXCEPT the honey are simmered for 5 - 7 minutes, until they are fragrant and softened.

I added the honey, which incorporates quickly, instead of dropping to the bottom in a lump and scorching. It simmered and reduced - maybe three minutes in all.

I cooled and strained the mixture to remove the solids (necessary because of the waxy comb honey).

Truly, a beautiful cut of meat. I let it marinate in about a tablespoon of the sauce under refrigeration before cooking.

I basted the steak with sauce and turned it every thirty seconds, about three to four minutes total time. No additional salt was added.

The meat rested under foil for 8 minutes, then was sliced over rice and steamed cauliflower.

Sure, it's medium well/well done - but veal flank is one of those forgiving cuts that is tender and moist even when fully cooked through. The teriyaki was sweet and savory, a blast from the 80's when just about everything on every menu was served with this seasoning.

Weekend Cook: Spicy Pork Tamale

Spicy pork shoulder tamale with mole.

I used the basic tamale recipe here, with the following changes.

To the meat, I added a section (one wedge) of mexican chocolate, ground.

To that, three tablespoons of dry-roasted pumpkin seeds.

I ground those, too, and added them to two cups of shredded pork, and 1/2 cup of Candeleros brand mole sauce.

This alone was very tasty and had a creeping heat. If the filling is fine, how can the rest of a recipe fail?

This time, instead of duck fat or Crisco, I sprung for lard.

It made a very fluffy batter.

I used equal amounts of meat and batter this time, and made thinner tamales.

There were nine in all.

They steamed for 1 1/2 hours.

The verdict? The meat to masa ratio was right where I wanted it, I loved the texture and flavor of this version, everything was very moist and delicious.

There was only one thing wrong - three hours afterward I still had the flavor of lard in my mouth. I don't know if I'm just sensitive to it, or if it always coats your tongue afterward, or what.

I'll have to try this again before I make it for company.

Weekend Cook: Pork Ribs and Shoulder

Spicy, fall-apart St. Louis ribs from the smoker and a creamy cole slaw.

(Big Green Egg at 250f-275f)

What I really wanted was pulled pork shoulder (center) for making tamales, but as long as the grill is going, Dan threw on some ribs for lunch. They were both coated in Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom.

After three hours, I put the ribs in foil with a slurry of 1/4 cup of Long Trail Ale and 1/4 cup of KC Masterpiece. They went back on to the grill for 2 hours. The pork shoulder was finished three hours after that.

The ribs were as lovely as ever. My cole slaw recipe is here (just scroll down to the bottom of the page); there will be another tamale experiment tomorrow.

Wheatless: Glutino Frozen Pizza

Between the rehab pony, doubling cheesemaking (to get the summer product done), and the regular rhythm of farm life, it's hard to find time to cook from scratch. I had to try some new convenience foods - and I hate doing that because there is always the chance I'll become sick because of my wheat allergy. I don't need that at any time, but it is especially inconvenient when I'm busy.

Not all foods labeled "gluten-free" actually are, and people like me have to do the old "trial by error" for every new item.

(The words "Gluten Free Facility" have always meant "safe" for me.)

Tonight, I tried two versions of Glutino frozen pizza: two cheese and three cheese.

The only difference seemed to be visual, the cheese topping on each tasted exactly the same to me - but I wasn't about to eat them naked like this.


(Two cheese on the left, three cheese on the right)



To one, I added leftover spicy chicken bits and onions from the other day with grated parmesan and Vermont mozzarella. To the other, dried garlic sausage and mozzarella. I baked both according to package directions.


I liked that these Glutino pizza crusts were thinner and crispier than the crusts purchased alone. The flavor of the sauce was as neutral as any other processed food.

The gussying up with premium ingredients made them really nice for a quick meal.

I have to travel to St. Albans to get these at the Hannaford (miffed that they hide these in with regular frozen pizzas and not in a dedicated "gluten free" section), but at least I don't have to wait until our travels take us to Burlington to get them again.

VERDICT: wheatless

Salmon Cakes or Patties - whatever!

Brunch, anyone? Salmon cakes (or patties) elevate breakfast to special event.

I can no longer order these in restaurants because they always contain some sort of gluten. If I want them at all, I have to make them myself.

I sliced up a small onion and a clove of garlic, and sauteed them with an anchovy fillet as I was pulling condiments out of the refrigerator.

Done, before I figured out what I was going to do, but onions and garlic are always a good place to start.

I added the onion mixture to two baked salmon fillets left over from this cook.

Ignore the egg, I didn't use it. The mixture that holds this all together:

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
3 Tb. Wheatless Breadcrumbs
2 tsp. Dijon
A splash of Worcestershire

It was cohesive without adding the egg, so I tested it with a small patty.

Held together just fine.

No adjustments to seasoning necessary.

I refrigerated the patties for brunch tomorrow.


Crunchy on the outside, moist on the inside. Brunch for two, done!

Life on the farm 020110: WWJWD? (What Would Judge Wapner Do?)

(Scene on the way to farmer's market.)

During the winter we make a monthly meat delivery to customers in South Burlington on the weekend. Afterward, we stop at the indoor farmer’s market to visit and load up on organic veggies, cheeses that I didn’t have to make myself - and for my husband Dan, it is the opportunity to have pastries and all sorts of wheaty things we can’t have around the house because of my allergy. I call this “cereal bingeing”.

We also go to Pet Food Warehouse for cases of wheat-free cat food. The service is tops, employees are attentive and there are always friendly dogs to meet, because of their pet washing service.

Last time we went, Dan was excited to be parking the truck next to another Silverado. That must be a man thing, because he made a big deal about it that I totally didn’t understand. I left him talking trucks to passerby and walked to the entrance.

A car pulled in while he was being social, the driver exited and opened a door to let out her dog. That’s when it all went bad. The dog took off like a streak across the parking lot.

It was a pit bull, a white one with red spots, taller than I’ve ever seen before – and it was trailing one of those retractable ribbon leashes, fully extended, with the plastic handled box swinging wildly, twelve feet behind it.

(Retractable leashes)

It was coming straight for me, and Jesus, it got bigger every second.

The entire incident was over in less time than it took you to read this, and yet it all seemed to happen in slow motion.

Have you ever seen a gaucho work boleadoras (bolas) to take down cattle?

(From WikipediA)

Hold on to that thought.

On its way, the dog sped by a tall, thin woman. The weighted end of the leash wrapped around one of her legs, the line went taut, and down she went, square on her backside, in the blink of an eye.

The dog reached me; stopped still, and wagged its wee stumpy tail. I gave it a “Nice Doggie” and tried to get some fingers under the metal collar, hidden by thick folds of skin. It had a clean, short coat. Very soft.

Dog Lady had been standing by her car, screaming “Bad girl! Bad girl!” as though the beast had actually ever turned around and returned to her in the past.

She retrieved her dog, and then went over to apologize to Thin Woman, still on the ground.

As far as I was concerned, my involvement was over, and I wanted to get away from that extremely powerful, undisciplined dog before my luck changed.

Thin Woman got up, had words with Dog Lady, entered the store, turned around, and left. No purchase. Strange.

She didn’t approach us as witnesses for that lawsuit I would be calculating if I had suddenly found myself tits-up on the pavement in my good clothes.

I wondered what Judge Wapner (The People’s Court, Animal Court) would make of it all?

Cheesemaking: Connor Abbey at one month

The natural rind that will protect these cheeses has formed. For comparison, here is cheese that is just over one week old:


We won't be able to try one for another month or so; even though they are legal for sale at 60 days, these cheeses are really better at around four months old.

If it's Monday, it must be fish. Again.

Baked salmon over black rice with leftover parsnips.

Four center cut fillets coated in Dijon mustard and Dizzy Pig "Shakin' The Tree" rub were baked in a preheated 350f oven for twenty minutes.

Easy enough! Twice as much as I usually cook, because I wanted leftovers for salmon cakes.

The salmon was a bit blander than it has been - I should have used a rub with hot chili peppers in it. This always happens to us, we get on a salmon kick, and then the quality of the fish drops and we swear off it.

Weekend Cook: Cottage Pie

(Leftover steak makes great cottage pie)

Bear with me, the flash on my point-and-shoot has finally died, so as the sun sets, the pictures become muddy.

Leftover steak, diced (about a cup and a half).

These go into a casserole dish.

I cut up two small onions and 5 fat cloves of garlic. The onions were cooked on medium-low until they became translucent (lightly salted), then the garlic was added and cooked until fragrant. Both were added to the meat.

In the same pan, I cooked down two diced portobellas.

All set and ready for a topping. I didn't have any potatoes, but the pantry always has powdered tato-buds for such occasions.

I deglazed the pan using chicken stock and 1/2 and 1/2 (the liquid called for in the directions for one packet of buds).

I placed this in a 375f oven for 40 minutes.

Ta Da! Four servings of casserole from one leftover t-bone.

Want to make Shepherd's Pie? The recipe is here.

Weekend Cook: T-bones on the grill, in the dark

Black rice, steamed parsnips, cocktail tomatoes, and a few slices of beef steak from the farm. My kind of comfort food.

The parsnips were easy, just peeled and halved, given a bit of EVOO and salt; they went into a foil pouch for grilling with the meat.

Two 2-inch thick steaks were coated in Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom and went on to a preheated grill set to "high". After ten minutes, they were turned (the foil pouch was turned, too).

After ten minutes on the other side, all of these were moved to the "off" side of the grill. The hot side was reduced to "low" and the cover put down for 20 minutes: 10,10,20 rule for big steaks - it works for root veggies, too.

Covered with foil and a heavy towel and allowed to rest for an additional 20 minutes.


The meat was a bit more rare than usual, due to moving the meat around the grill during the ten-minute sear (too much flaming fire). One half of one of those steaks was enough for the both of us.

There will be enough leftovers to make something else tomorrow.

Cheesemaking: Most Milk, Ever

(Whey on the surface after cutting the curd)

Today I drew the most milk from the farm's cows, ever - 3,200 pounds (about 400 gallons). As you can see, the tank cannot hold much more.

Curds of Boucher Blue wait until firm enough to place in moulds.


Dan is sporting his arm guards, but refused to don a newly-purchased beardnet, citing that his eyelashes and brows were far longer and he wasn't going to tape them up or shave them off to make cheese, either!

Quick and Easy: Spicy Chicken Bits with Quinoa and Carrots

Another easy (and healthy) steamed dish for two made with sweet onions, one sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast, quinoa and carrots. I cooked the quinoa according to the package directions in the rice-maker.

Peeled and halved carrots on level one.

In a heat-proof dish that fits the bamboo steamer, I placed the chicken breast and sliced onion, and combined that with two tablespoons of hot chili paste.

I placed all over a gently simmering pot for about 15 - 20 minutes.

The carrots were done perfectly, but some of the chicken was a bit overcooked. The next time, I will put the chicken at the top of the steamer so I can check it more easily and either let the carrots go longer or quarter them so they cook faster. So simple to do, and the leftover chicken and onions are great for pizza topping.

Spicy Guacamole Dip

Here's a recipe for entertaining (or television watching) with no meat or cheese involved.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

For the dip combine:

One small onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, pressed
A couple shots of Chipoltle Tabasco
One Tablespoon of dried Cilantro
1/2 tsp. Dried Cumin
1/2 tsp. Powdered Onion
1/2 tsp. Powdered Garlic
1/2 tsp. Salt

Mash together with one avocado,
Add 1/4 cup of Sour Cream

Taste, and adjust seasoning (I usually add more onion or garlic powder).



I topped it off with some hot salsa (Green Mountain Gringo) to make it pretty, because green chunks in cream didn't look all that appetizing. Hot and cool flavors together - yummy!

Just before it melted

Here's a picture from yesterday, before the driveways cleared up, it was impossible to walk on the water-covered ice.

Cheesemaking: That's the last of them

(Connor Abbey, 100 wheels, fresh from the moulds - and all that we will make this year)

In December, January, and February, in addition to blue cheese, we also make our seasonal cheeses: Tomme Collins, Connor Abbey, Brother Laurent. These will be available beginning in March or May and running through the summer.

"Madison" will be undergoing some changes and may reappear as a blue cheese later on in the year.

Monday Menu: Steamed Salmon and ?Broccolini?

Steaming is a quick and easy way to cook fish, and I like that there is little mess to clean up.

I placed two center cut skinless salmon fillets in a heatproof dish that fits in the bamboo steamer; I drizzled toasted sesame oil and fish sauce over the top.

Washed broccolini, just a handful, on another steamer level.

I brought four inches of water to a low simmer, then placed the steamer on and let it be for 14 minutes.

(Healthy Fish)

Bit blurry, but fully cooked and moist. I poured the jus from the fish over the fillet and brown rice. The broccolini was a bit of a disappointment, it was way too bitter and overpowered everything. It should taste like asparagus. Holy cow! Was it mismarked broccoli-rabe?

We gave the steamed greens to the chickens because they were inedible - those chickens - they ate pretty well this weekend, I think they got leftover waffles from Sunday breakfast at Dan's parent's home as well.

I meant to make fish tacos with the leftover salmon, but we ate it all!

My Little (walking) Pony

Okay, so if you know horsies, I have to mention that right after Buttercup took a taste of the recorder, I showed Dan the proper way to lead a pony - walking on her left with my right hand on the rope under her chin, left hand holding the lead in an "s" shape.

I took her halfway around the big barn and Dan requested to do the second half. She was focused on the task and didn't need a rest at every quarter of the way (another breakthrough).

Weekend Cook: BRIBS? RIBSKET?

(Yummy moist barbecued veal)

Once again from the freezer, a cut of meat that I'm not familiar with. It was marked: Brisket.

(Four pound roast of some type)

I'm familiar with brisket, but this was not a brisket shape (point or flat), and it had the ribs running through it. Whatever! It looked like it needed a low and slow cook. I coated it in turbinado sugar and paprika, garlic and onion powder, and black pepper. It mellowed in the refrigerator overnight.

(Big Green Egg smoker)

The following morning, it went on to a 300f fire. The temperature hovered between 250f and 290f during the entire cook.

(Internal temperature at 190f, and shrunken like a Shrinky Dink)

Eight hours later, I literally stuck a fork in it to find out if it was done. If you can twist a fork in a tough cut and have the meat pull away, it's time to set the table.

Backing up a bit, I put some random veggies in a foil packet with salt, pepper, and EVOO. There's parsnips, carrots, and turnip in addition to potatoes. (The temperature of the meat was at 180f when I put the packet on.)

One hour and a half later, they were done!

Nice smoke ring - that's the pink line. Nice coloring of the "bark" (the outer crust of the meat) and good barbecue flavor overall.

What meat there was shredded easily, but this cut (some brisket over some ribs) was mostly fat, connective bits, and bones.

My Little Pony: Six-hundred Feet

After the last farrier visit, Buttercup's front hooves were aligned so that she no longer hops to move. Her back feet will take a bit longer to adjust so as not to damage her tendons.

(She is breaking the crust to get at the soft snow)

Her goal is to walk for 20 minutes each day. The first attempt netted 150 feet out and 150 feet back to the barn in the allotted time.

(Chewing on snow)

On the second day, the same distance took an hour. She's both sore and testing me, I suspect - but she hasn't tried to bite me, so it's all good.

Yesterday, Dan walked her for twice the distance.

Walking around the Winter Farmers' Market

(The Nutty Vermonter, and Fresh Tracks Farm Winery)

An overcast day made the lighting in Memorial Auditorium challenging for my flash, and most pictures came out either fuzzy or dark - but I'd like to share a few.

(Bazis Studios)

Here's a stand I hadn't noticed before. I could look at these giant marbles all day, but then again, I think regular marbles are pretty neat, too. She had a lamp shining on her wares, making them highly visible.

Full Moon Farm had a chicken special and a charitable contribution pledge. In this photo you can get a sense of how shady it is without a stronger flash or additional lighting.

Willow Hill farm sports a new piggy logo for their pork products.

Veggie Crumbles (made from seitan) in the tamale ingredients mean that Tamale Girl products can contain gluten (whether directly or through cross-contamination) and are now off-limits for me.

(Arethusa)

I did get enough root veggies to last for another month.

(Got Local Kitchens)

Dan said, "Is that Jello?" pointing to the layered cups next to the cookies.

"No," I said, "That's pudding."

"THERE'S PUDDING?!"

If the portions had been smaller, he would have eaten his way from this stand to the next, and he already had a four-pack of Krin's cupcakes (from Healthy Living) waiting in the truck.

The truck with a parking ticket on it, I might add...

Flank Steak

I wanted beef tonight, but it was too cold to stand out by the grill so I made beef flank inside.

(That's hot chili paste tossed with wheatless noodles)

Six to eight minutes per side on medium heat, then rested in the pan on the counter (covered) for twenty minutes. Perfectly rare to medium well results, due to the varying thickness of the steak.

Life on the farm 011810: Ringing, in the New Year

Today, Dan went to the mailbox as he usually does before evening chores, and along with the ubiquitous bills and credit card offers, brought back to the house a curious thing.

It was a miniature white cardboard cakebox, about 4 inches tall, with red and green excelsior sticking out the seams. A delayed, misaddressed, Christmas gift?

“No”, I thought, I’ve heard from everyone, and there’s not a birthday in sight. There’s no delivery coming from Overstock or Amazon, and our wedding anniversary is a full month away.

It had no fragrance and very little weight to it. It didn’t rattle. I didn’t recognize the sender.

My perception of the object changed. Something had come through the mail that hadn’t been ordered or anticipated, and suddenly I didn’t want to tear it open (as I normally would, because I like presents).

I gingerly cut through the top of the box with long scissors, avoiding the taped seams; I didn’t want to open it in a way that was expected. It’s a different world now, isn’t it?

I poked at the paper stuffing with the scissor tips and hit something metallic and dull sounding.

Wanting to avoid direct contact with whatever was inside, I upturned it onto the counter.

It was a bell. A small green cowbell with a website address imprinted on the side: www.ceda-nv.org. Curiouser, and curiouser.

I suspected that it was a creative advertising ploy for dry-cow treatment or pipeline replacement parts. Clearly, the recipient was expected to have Internet access, a penchant for mystery, or optimism for a prize.

As it turned out, the bell is a project of the Churchill County Economic Development Authority (Nevada), and is a device to inform and attract entrepreneurial cheesemakers to relocate to the area.

The county is offering access to 24 million pounds of milk from 21 farms to a new cheese processor, with the goal of both strengthening employment in their community and creating stability for the existing farmland base.

A project worthy of note.

But what has Nevada got that a middle-aged Vermont farmer/cheesemaker could possibly covet?

No sub-zero weather for a start, and little annual snowfall.

There’s no personal income or inheritance tax - no corporate income, estate or gift taxes, low property taxes - and a county willing to get behind any comers with all the help they can muster.

I hope they can attract someone suitable through this “net” broadcast wide enough to catch my humble attention.

Currently, I’m indisposed and unable to take advantage of the opportunity - but the enticement of operating in an environment that enthusiastically supports our industry makes me giddy. I often feel that dairy farmers are paid back in lip service rather than respect, for all that we offer the community at large.

No matter the state where we reside, farmers are in a real mess. Good luck to the dairymen and women of Churchill County, Nevada.

And good luck to all who look to make their living from agriculture.

Monday Menu: Steamed Dumpling Failure

As good as this looks is as much as I wanted it. I really miss steamed dumplings and haven't been able to perfect a wheatless version, yet.

I had some pulled pork left over, and some sauerkraut from Arethusa Collective.

One cup of each into the food processor, plus one egg white to bind it together.

Looks like a cohesive filling mix to me.

One tablespoon goes on to a spring roll wrapper, edges gathered toward the center...

... like this. Four test pieces went into the steamer for twelve minutes.


Done!

Although pretty to look at, they were a technical failure. They stuck to the plate and the filling did not hold together when cut open.

I think that setting the dumplings on a bed of spinach would have fixed the first problem - I'd just eat the leaves that stuck to the bottom. The second problem was caused by using leftover meat; it absorbed the egg white instead of becoming bound by it.

The third problem is that these wrappers are meant to be served either fresh or deep-fried, not steamed, but one can still dream. Further to that, I could have come up with a mayonnaise(y) sandwich filling that didn't need to be cooked, and eaten them as they were - but that wouldn't have resolved the craving for real Chinese-style dumplings.

Ah well, I'll add the remainder of the filling to a soup, and give this another try, soon.

Inflations

What are these? They are milking claw inflations, the only part of the milking machine that touches the cows and performs the actual milking motion (squeeze, release). This is a box of new ones waiting to be installed. The following is from Wikipedia:

Milking machines

The milking machine extracts milk from all teats.

"Milking machines are used to harvest milk from cows when manual milking becomes inefficient or labour intensive. The milking unit is the portion of a milking machine for removing milk from an udder. It is made up of a claw, four teatcups, (Shells and rubber liners) long milk tube, long pulsation tube, and a pulsator. The claw is an assembly that connects the short pulse tubes and short milk tubes from the teatcups to the long pulse tube and long milk tube. (Cluster assembly) Claws are commonly made of stainless steel or plastic or both. Teatcups are composed of a rigid outer shell (stainless steel or plastic) that holds a soft inner liner or inflation. Transparent sections in the shell may allow viewing of liner collapse and milk flow. The annular space between the shell and liner is called the pulse chamber.

Milking machines work in a way that is different from hand milking or calf suckling. Continuous vacuum is applied inside the soft liner to massage milk from the teat by creating a pressure difference across the teat canal (or opening at the end of the teat). Vacuum also helps keep the machine attached to the cow...

The four streams of milk from the teatcups are usually combined in the claw and transported to the milkline, or the collection bucket (usually sized to the output of one cow) in a single milk hose. Milk is then transported (manually in buckets) or with a combination of airflow and mechanical pump to a central storage vat or bulk tank...

Milking machines keep the milk enclosed and safe from external contamination. The interior 'milk contact' surfaces of the machine are kept clean by a manual or automated washing procedures implemented after milking is completed. Milk contact surfaces must comply with regulations requiring food-grade materials (typically stainless steel and special plastics and rubber compounds) and are easily cleaned."

Weekend Cook: Pork Shoulder

(Smoky pulled pork ready for saucing)

In the freezer, I had a choice of pork shoulder, veal brisket, or beef ribs to cook this weekend. If there are any pork ribs, they are well hidden.

(A small shoulder coated in Dizzy Pig rub and refrigerated overnight.)

It's been about six months since I last made pulled pork shoulder; into the smoker it goes...


...right after I unstick the frozen dome with some hot fire dropped down the chimney. It took about an hour and a half to defrost the gasket and get the top open (it was -2f). There's a fire cube in the bottom vent as well.

Finally! On at 250f for about eight hours, until the thermometers register 195f.

Voila!

It's always worth the effort.

Two spills, and seven bushels

I've slipped and fallen in the driveway twice getting in or out of the truck. There's a hidden sheet of slick ice underneath the snow.

The corn-burning furnace is hungry; Dan is already looking for a bigger hopper. One fill-up (seven bushels, about 350 lbs.) lasts for 12 hours in below zero weather.

Dan has offered to dig out the grills if I'll put something on the smoker this weekend.

The Cat Pile

One of the places that the barncats hang out in during cold weather is in the parlor, which has radiant floor heating.

Cleo

The Chicken Kitten and Cleo are the official greeters.

Found In The Washer

No, it's not a concert salute. I'm trying to see if this lighter will work after traveling through the washing machine. As you can see, no harm was done - but I could do a separate blog just on objects I find in the washer and dryer. Or rather, what Dan leaves in his pants.

At least it wasn't another papier-mache'd paycheck.

Holiday Eats: Cheetah Dip (artichoke cream cheese)

(Those are "Mary's Gone Crackers" brand crackers.)

This is a wheatless nibbly thing for holiday entertaining that is quick and easy. It's a cheat. Instead of making something from scratch, you just dump ingredients together and whiz them in a blender.


I put one small jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and one half container of chive cream cheese into the food processor - whizz, whizz, taste - a little more cream cheese to get the consistency I want, and done! Bonus that it tastes and looks like it was real work to make.