Nomday: Pork and Squash

Pork and Squash

Approximate Cost: $30.00

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 7 hours

1-1/2 lbs. boneless pork shoulder roast or chops

1 red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups 1" cubed butternut squash

16 oz. package baby carrots

6 medium red potatoes, quartered

12 oz. jar homestyle pork gravy

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp. dried sage leaves

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/2 cup water

Salt and Pepper to taste

Set pork in crockpot with prepared vegetables. Cover with gravy, ketchup and spices. Cook on low heat.

Garden Take Two: Week One

I have not posted about the garden in a long while. That is because the garden was pretty much a bust the first round. I do not have a green thumb at all and it takes a ton of effort for me to work with plants, but I have a new garden buddy.

Amber is one of my belly dance students and a member of bint Hazine dance troupe. She is a total sweetie! In dance Amber is still very shy and unsure of herself, but she and I do chat during private lessons so I learned a lot about her other interests, including gardening. Last week Amber asked to see my sad little garden and I showed her. I met a whole new side of Amber that day.

It was a complete 180 in our relationship, I was all shy and reserved about my complete lack of garden skills and Amber was all in that dirt like a pro. She gave me some awesome advice and I begged for her help. This week, we broke into three more large bags of soil and planted quite a few happy little sprouts!

Thank you Amber so much for helping me make my sad little garden happy again!

Planted on 2012.03.16

Tomatoes:

Four sprouts planted in the sunniest portion of the garden. Amber watered them with seaweed water to help the roots.

Amber said:

-plant oregano or parsley near tomato plants to improve flavor.

I am most excited about making paste or sauce and maybe even sun drying a few for snacks!

More information:

http://www.gardeningchannel.com/growing-roma-tomatoes/

Yellow Peppers

One lonely sprout in the center of the garden.

Usually I prefer red or green peppers but I so wanted a different color in the garden. They will be just as good for snacks or stuffed peppers. Nom, nom, nom!

More information:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=50

Red Onions

Stuck about a dozen in front of the tomatoes. I hope they don't change the flavor.

Amber said:

- don't plant onions near beans because they do not get along. (I had no idea!)

I use red onions much more often than white, and typically they do not make me cry as much. I hope having them growing just outside the window won't make me cry every day.

More information:

http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/onions.php

Strawberries

One lonely plant, that is already sprouting berries, in the shady side of the garden.

Amber said:

- Strawberries love pine needles!

I am considering moving the strawberries to the patch where all the neighbor's pine needles fall. At least the plants will be happy.

I remember as a kid, I would pick wild strawberries all around the backyard and in the fields. I am so excited to offer that to JD too.

More information:

http://gardening.about.com/od/fruitsberriesnuts/a/Strawberries.htm

Spearmint

Two plants, one near the berries and one near the tomatoes.

I heard somewhere that mint keeps ants away so I really wanted mint in my compost ajacent garden.

I hope the mint does not flavor the tomatoes too though, that could be bad.

I really want to make mint teas, or use the leaves in Mojitos and summer drinks.

More information:

http://www.adagio.com/herbal/spearmint.html

Chives

The chives are just seeds between the tomatoes and the red onions. Amber planted these for me.

More information:

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/herbs/chives.cfm

Oregano

More seeds, between the pepper plant and the front line of the garden.

More information:

http://www.naturalnews.com/oregano.html

Wheat Grass

Seeds in an indoor pot.

Amber said:

- "I brought these for the cat."

- The red wheat grass is good for smoothies.

More information:

http://cats.about.com/library/weekly/aa051497.htm

Nomday: Weekend Chicken

Nomday: Weekend Specials!

So much left over foods from this weekend of cooking adventure I did not make a crockpot today. I may have a special Wednesday Nomday if we run out of meals though.

Saturday :

Chicken Curry

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 – 15 minutes

2 lbs. Chicken breast (cubed)

1 bag baby carrots

6 medium potatoes

1 package curry paste (instructions vary, please see packaging)

Partially cook chicken before adding remaining ingredients.

Sunday:

Chicken Ramen

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

2 lbs. Chicken breast (cubed)

1 green pepper (bite sized)

3 – 4 green onions

16 oz. chicken broth

1 package ramen noodle

Cook chicken before adding to pot. Add chicken, veggies and noodles to boiling broth. Add water if needed. Cook until noodles are soft.

Nomday: Beef Stew?

Okay, so, one household is not a fan of beef in any form save ground, and the other prefers roast to stew chunks. That means two different styles on a recipe meant to be beef ‘stew’.

Approximate Cost: $20.00

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 9 – 10 hours

4 - 6 medium potatoes, cut into pieces, unpeeled

12 small whole white onions, peeled, fresh

1 8 oz. bag baby carrots

1 red or green bell pepper, seeded, cut into pieces

1 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes (ground beef works too)

2 cans beef broth

Oregano

Paprika

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Place potatoes, onions, and baby carrots in slow cooker. Add bell pepper and beef. In small bowl, combine broth, oregano, paprika, parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour over meat and vegetables.

Also, to add to the sometimes humorous stories that go along with Nomday recipes; the “Mad” Cow Dis-ease. It may not be the most appetizing thought while cooking beef stew, but my little brain gets a little worped.

What if all of the cases of Mad Cow Disease were actually on account of a bovine rebellion? Imagine it. Day after day, cow after cow enjoys the easy, albeit dull existence of farmed life. Every cow, grazing easy or fed fattening trough vittles. Not a predator in the world, or the few villains that do make it across the safety barricades, are eliminated post haste by the defenders of the cows. The cows have no idea that their valiant caretakers, who feed and house, protect, and provide medical attention when needed, are really just saving the cattle for themselves. The cows don’t know this. They are happy in their little comfy world. That is, until one cow sees the reality behind the veil. “Dear me!” he thinks. “I must warn the others!”

He goes ‘mad’, our rebellious bovine does. Mad as hell and as he communes with other of his moo-brothers/ sisters, they too go mad! They run amok, they cry out at all hours! What are the farmers to do? Ah! A plague. They cannot merely kill these trouble makers. They must make example of them. Remove them from the herd first, post warning that these are the infected, the unwell. Stay away!

Mad cow, or just irate?

Winter Garden Week Three

The gardening blogs are going to be rather uneventful for the next couple weeks I think. Nothing is sprouting just yet. There is not any real work to be done until something greeny starts popping out. Does anyone have any advice how to alleviate the tedium of waiting?

I was gifted with a few more seed pockets this week though. Thank you so much, Max! So, now I am pleased to announce, the victory garden will have spinach, oregano, chives, eggplant, and African daisies! This is all so very exciting and it makes me even less patient!

I did find out that while it is very convenient to water the garden from the kitchen sink spray nozzle, I will have to do some major soaking every now and again with the outdoor hose or the reserve water in the shed.

Maybe next week there will be some action to report. Until then I will continue to take my umbrella out in the moonlight and dance around the garden fence with my invisible garden gnomes!