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I finally got it together to bake some bread yesterday afternoon. I bought that Magic Chef Countertop Convection Oven last week and as it turns out… It’s really a first-generation air fryer. None of my pans would fit in it, so I tried my Ninja Foodi 10-in-1. It was at least big enough around to use my smallest glass pie pan. I mixed up my dough… not following any recipe, for sure. The resulting dough wasn’t my best, and I knew that even if I baked it in the oven, it wouldn’t be a great loaf. It rose to a moderate height. I preheated the Ninja, placed the plate of dough in, and hoped for the best.

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After a while, I could smell bread baking. I was hopeful, but I didn’t want to open the lid and let the heat out, so I waited the requisite time. When the timer went off, I opened it up and was surprised I had a loaf of baked bread. It was about the thickness of a tall apple pie and much the same color. I let it cool a bit, and I cut it in half. I know, you aren’t supposed to cut bread when it’s warm. Bread continues to bake internally after removing it from the oven. If you cut it open, it won’t finish baking, and you can end up with gummy bread.

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I was surprised. The crumb looked nice. I cut a slice and slathered it with butter. It was quite good! I wouldn’t call it a successful loaf, but it was edible. What it means is… air fryers are not the best appliance for baking bread. I’ll keep looking for an affordable bread machine and/or a countertop oven that will handle one or two loaves of bread.

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We finally caved and turned the air conditioner on yesterday. It was 87℉ in the house, and that’s before the afternoon sun hit the red brick on the west side of the house. The AC brought the temperature down to a “pleasant” range, and we sighed with contentment. Still, I wasn’t about to cook anything. I made some chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and sweet heat pickles and called it a day.

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When it finally cooled down a bit at 8:00, we went out to clean and sweep the pool. My photo memories showed me sitting by a sparkling clean pool this time last year. I’m hoping it will be ready soon! I’ll miss the pool the whole month of July. At least the littles can come to play, and I’ll see them when I get back.

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💜

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For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.  Psalm 102:3 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the chance to take a dip in the pool. And to have an air conditioner to turn on.
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Almost all the contiguous states in America are under some sort of heat warning. We’ve been getting warnings for a week now that it’s coming. That’s all well and good, but we’re still going to need bread. Sure, we could go buy some at the store, but I’ve been baking for a couple of months with nothing but fresh-milled flour. Well, that’s not exactly true. I had a hankering for some sourdough bread this week. I haven’t even tried to master using FMF in my sourdough recipe, so I made a couple of loaves with store bought flour and it really stirred up my IBS. I won’t be doing that again anytime soon.

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The last time I baked in our house, my poor husband nearly melted. This week, I took my dough out to the farm and baked it there. Doable, but highly inconvenient. So, I’m trying to come up with an alternative. We went to town yesterday and stopped at Goodwill to see if they had anything. To my surprise, they had a Magic Chef Convection Oven that sits on the countertop. It was less than $20! Even if it doesn’t work, I haven’t lost much. I asked CoPilot, Microsoft’s Ai, if he could scale down my favorite recipe to work in this model and he spit it right out. I can see how Ai can assist us with time intensive jobs to save us time. Still, it kinda creeps me out.

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If the convection oven doesn’t work, I found out I can bake in my smoker. That ought to be interesting. I’ll be experimenting this week and see if I can bake bread without driving Mr. FixIt crazy with the heat coming from the kitchen. I don’t have a lot of time to devote on this because I leave on the 29th for Colorado. There will be at least one mowing… maybe two before I leave. I’m taking the bare necessities with me… mainly meds, toiletries, and a change of clothes. Little will take me to their favorite thrift shops and get me set up with something appropriate to wear.

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I knew the time would start to fly by as soon as June hit. I wasn’t wrong!

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💜

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The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.   Proverbs 16:9

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the wisdom to know time passes, things change, but Jesus stays the same… day in, day out.

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#heatwave, #keepingcool, #bakingalternatives

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I’ve been baking with sourdough since the COVID-19 lockdown. Everyone and their brother were comforting themselves by baking bread, and yeast became hard to find. Enter sourdough. It was THE big thing on social media. Well, that and Miss Brenda Gannt’s buttermilk biscuits! Whole small businesses have sprung from that phenomenon. From it has grown the fresh-milled flour movement that is currently all the rage. I know some people will jump on the bandwagon till they burn out or it just becomes too burdensome for them to mill flour every time they want to bake something.

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The grain mills are not cheap. I look at this as an investment. Buying one at the age of 72 may seem counterintuitive to some of you, but I’m a Gemini. I need to learn everything. And since I started my blog, everything has become blog fodder. I have a daughter and a grandchild who are really into baking, so someday they may start a micro bakery. Who knows?

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I’ve been wanting to bake something with sourdough lately. I have a lot of commercial flour left over that needs to be used up. I’m thinking I’ll make some sourdough to give to the family. And I want to dehydrate some of my starter because it’s been around for quite a while. I want to take some with me on the July trip to Colorado and bake some sourdough for the family. I can’t take any fresh-milled flour with me because I’m traveling light, and I don’t want to go through the hassle. Preserving dried sourdough starter is easy in a food dehydrator.

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I’ll film some of my exploits in the kitchen in the coming days. We were supposed to go camping on Tuesday for a few days, but they’re predicting rain, and who wants to go to a campground and just sit there for three days? We don’t have a TV in the camper, and Mr. FixIt would be bored. There isn’t much room in there for me to do much more than knit anyway. We rescheduled for September, which will work better for us anyway.

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Have a beautiful day and…be a blessing for those who need one.

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💜

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Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.   John 6:32-35 ESL

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***Gratitude Journal***  Today I am grateful for the wild yeast that God gives us to bake beautiful loaves of daily bread.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-16T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/16/its-alive.html", "tags": ["Baking","In the Kitchen","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/11/whole-grain-buttermilk-biscuits.html", "title": "Whole Grain Buttermilk Biscuits", "content_html": "\n
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My latest attempt in the kitchen? Baking Buttermilk Biscuits with Fresh-Milled Flour! I decided to try a traditional recipe and swap out the commercial white flour for a blend of Soft White Wheat and Kamut. Both have very low gluten content, so I figured I’d give it a try.

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I ground the wheat berries and Kamut on nearly the finest setting I could. I was pleased the resulting flour wasn’t overly hot. That can harm some of the nutrients, and I want to preserve as many as possible. I don’t cook with a recipe, but here’s the best I can do.

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Whole Grain Buttermilk Biscuits

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Dry Ingredients:

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Directions:

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If you have leftovers, warm them in a toaster oven or under the broiler till they are the temperature you want. Don’t keep them in too long, or you will just have hard hockey pucks.

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Honestly…I love baking with fresh-milled flour. The results are far more flavorful than those you get with commercially milled flour. And you get all the nutrients that commercial mills strip out and replace with enhancers, chemicals, and synthetic vitamins and minerals.

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If you don’t have access to fresh milled flour, you can use this recipe with commercial flour. Fresh flour starts losing its nutrients as soon as it’s ground. If you find a place that sells “fresh milled flour”, ask them when it was ground, where and how it was stored, and what kind of berries were used.

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💜

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The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah. 1 Kings 17:16

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for the supportive community that is eager to share new cooking and baking techniques with the newbies out there. More and more young people are eager to learn the old-timey ways of doing things and that’s not only heartwarming…it’s reassuring that maybe these skills won’t be lost after all.
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Mr. FixIt went to town yesterday for the annual reunion dinner for the place he worked most of his adult life. I was up bright and early making chicken and noodles for his contribution to the potluck. As he was leaving, he called me out to see this beautiful box turtle making a beeline to the hedges. I try to photograph the turtles I find here. Then if I recognize them again, I’ll know it’s one of our regulars. Box turtles commonly live twenty years but there have been documented cases of them living forty to fifty years.

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Once I sent Mr. FixIt on his way, I got to work in the kitchen. I made Almond Milk with Cashews, Oats, Almonds and Dates with a splash of my home brewed vanilla extract. It is so delicious and creamy. I made a video showing how I made it and I’m in the process of uploading it to YouTube. Once we get that fiber optic internet out here, I’ll be able to make more videos. It takes so long to get anything uploaded with the service we have now.

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Once the Almond Milk was cooling in the fridge, I mixed up some cornmeal mush and put it in the fridge for breakfast. Then I made a double batch of Sue Becker’s Basic Whole Wheat Bread. I’d never made this recipe before. It didn’t rise as much as I hoped it would, but it made three loaves of bread and a pan of cinnamon rolls. I just can’t get over how flavorful this bread is. The fresh milled flour is a huge game changer. 

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I sure wish I would have known about grain mills back in the day. I would have raised my family on much healthier food. We visited with our son and his wife last evening and she told me the young girls are all learning how to do the grandma things and homesteading. I’m thrilled the pendulum swings back. I’m hoping my new Substack, Kneading Faith, can help these young people learn the old timey skills. It’s an honor to share our knowledge with the younger generations.

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We don’t have a busy week. We are scheduled to camp 6/17-19 but the weather looks like it will rain again. We may have to reschedule again. I hope you have a Blessed day today and enjoy the special gift that is June.

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🩵

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And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.   Philippians 4:19 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***  Today, I am grateful for the blessings of family.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-08T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/08/baking-day.html", "tags": ["Baking","In the Kitchen","Fresh Milled Flour"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/07/so-this-is-what-real.html", "title": "So THIS is What Real Food Tastes Like!", "content_html": "\n
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I padded into the kitchen at around 8:30 yesterday morning. I turned on the teakettle and emptied the dishwasher while it heated. I watched a little hummingbird hovering around the feeder. We haven’t seen very many this year. We need more feeders. I also want to put out bird houses. The Carolina Chickadee and the House Martin abandoned the little birdhouses in the backyard. I think there was too much activity for them. I’d like to set some posts in the pollinator gardens with birdhouses to offer more nesting spots.

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When the water boiled, I fixed my cup of RYZE mushroom coffee and settled in the Big Red Chair to wait for Mr. FixIt to get moving. I turned on the television and opened YouTube. I’m almost finished with the class Sue Becker did on baking with Fresh Milled Flour. It’s informative and has answered some questions I’ve had. She has an Ankarsrum Mixer that I would LOVE to have. I watched her kneading the dough, and it looked much better than my Kitchen Aid Pro. The problem is it’s $749.95 online! Yikes!!! Maybe someday.

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When Mr. FixIt was settled in HIS Big Red Chair, I headed to the kitchen to make breakfast. I found a recipe in Sue’s cookbook for Basic Multi-Grain Pancakes. I got all the ingredients in place, and when it was time to add the flour, I poured the necessary amount of wheat berries in the NutriMill. I used half Soft White Wheat and half Spelt grains. It took less than thirty seconds to grind the flour. I added the salt and baking powder to the freshly milled flour, whisked it together, and poured it in the bowl on top of the combined wet ingredients. You don’t want to stir too much when you’re making quick breads like pancakes, muffins, and cakes or you can develop the gluten and they get tough.

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I had pancakes on the griddle less than two minutes after grinding. OMGosh! I’m not sure I can explain how amazing they were! I’m telling you, it’s like I never knew flour had FLAVOR. My tastebuds were doing the tango! I will use up the commercial flour I have by baking for others. But I’m hooked on fresh-milled flour. Oh, and. Mr. FixIt told me THREE times how good those pancakes were! We’ve got a winner, folks!

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Mr. FixIt went out and mowed the fenced-in part of the yard while I cleaned house. It looked like it was going to rain, so I went out to the garden to trim back the yellowing leaves and fertilize the tomatoes. We have quite a few tomatoes set on our tomato plants, and they look great, but the lower branches keep turning yellow. I’m hoping the fertilizer helps. I got it on just in time before the rain started. 

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Today will be kinda slow. Mr. FixIt is going to his company picnic, and I’m going to bake bread! I will try to film it for you…or do a Facebook Live. I hope you enjoy your weekend!

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🩵

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For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”   1 Timothy 5:18

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful for discovering eating the way God intended…with whole grains, whole foods.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-07T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/07/so-this-is-what-real.html", "tags": ["Health","God","Baking","In the Kitchen","Fresh Milled Flour","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/03/separating-the-wheat-from-the.html", "title": "Separating the Wheat from the Chaff", "content_html": "\n
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If you’ve been reading my posts here, you know I’m on a quest to improve our nutrition. Mr. FixIt (aka Hubs) and I are in our early seventies. We want to be in good shape to keep up with our combined family. We have four great-grandchildren…so far! I’ve done a pretty good job of eliminating sugar and processed foods from our diet. I cook from scratch with fresh ingredients - not cans or boxes.

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I follow several pages and groups that look to do the same thing. What grabbed my attention was the recent surge in freshly milled flour. Ancient cultures in the Middle East began grinding seeds between stones during the Mesolithic period around 10,000 years ago. From such humble beginnings, the mighty staple of bread was born.

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I’ve been baking bread off and on for years, but it’s only been since the Covid lockdown that I’ve thrown myself into perfecting the process. I never realized there was so much to learn about something so simple as bread. I got really good at baking sourdough, then when I realized we were eating two loaves a week and I was gaining weight like crazy…I knew we had to cut way back.

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Instead of baking bread, I studied the details of what makes a strong dough and how to know when the bread is done rising. That went on to learn about the history of flour and how Big Agra stripped the nutrients from flour in order to create a shelf-stable product for the home baker. This was great till people started getting beri-beri and other diseases caused by nutrient deficiencies. Then the government stepped in and made the flour mills put nutrients back into the flour. The only bad thing with that is, not all the good nutrients can be returned…at least not with natural ingredients.

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Hence, the freshly milled flour craze was born. With an electric flour mill, you can have a healthy, nutrient-packed ingredient to make bread that is good for you. I’ve been stocking up on the grains I want to try. You can buy small amounts online to discover which grains give you your favorite bread. I received eight pounds of Spelt berries yesterday afternoon. After I put the groceries away, I sorted through about five pounds of them to clean the chaff and little sticks that find their way into the fabric bags of grain.

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I’ve never done this work before, and I found it to be meditative and peaceful. My mind wandered as I picked through the grains. What was it like for women coming across the prairies to find a better life out west? How did mothers find the time to invest in the sorting of grain, the grinding of wheat, and the baking of bread? In my grandparents’ day, fifty-pound sacks of grain were carried by wagon to the local mill where it was ground for them. The same was done with corn for cornmeal and grits.

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This is going to be an interesting endeavor, and I’m excited to bring you along with me to see what all the hype is about. I should have all the grains sorted and cleaned by the time the grain mill arrives this Thursday!

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🤍

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and the doors on the street are shut—when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are brought low— Ecclesiasted 12:4 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal*** Today, I am grateful for the opportunity to own a grain mill. The possibilities are endless now!
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#milling #grains #flour #ancientgrains

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-06-03T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/03/separating-the-wheat-from-the.html", "tags": ["In the Kitchen","Fresh Milled Flour","Country Life"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/06/01/the-saga-of-the-grain.html", "title": "The Saga of the Grain Mill", "content_html": "\n

I’m a sucker for trends. I’m a Gemini…I want to do all the things! I’ve done this with sewing machines, those cute little circular knitting machines, and the Ninja Creami. I have an entire appliance garage in the office off the kitchen. “Hi, my name is Ginny, and I’m a trend addict.” I have really good intentions, but I’m so easily distracted by sparklies!

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My current obsession is Fresh Milled Flour. It’s all the rage on YouTube, and I follow at least a dozen “influencers” on the subject. I started baking bread in the late ‘70s. I had the entire collection of Mother Earth News magazines and fancied myself as some latent, back-to-the-land hippy. Never mind that I lived in East Denver on a busy street in a farmhouse that predated the surrounding area by at least 50 years. If I had known you could mill flour at home, I would have jumped at the chance.

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Fast forward five decades, and here I am, living on a five-acre homestead in West Virginia. Saying we’re retired is a misnomer. We’re busier now than we ever were working and raising kids. At least, it seems like it. I haven’t entirely jumped into the prepper movement, but I have committed to making our food from scratch with the healthiest ingredients I can buy. Being on a fixed budget means we buy in bulk at the best prices, as well.

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Once I finally decided to make the investment and get a home grain mill, everyone else was on the bandwagon, and mills were scarce as hen’s teeth. I had researched the different types of mills and decided to buy a manual one. buyer’s remorse set in almost immediately when I started thinking about the actual application of using something I had to not only manually grind, but also to carry it back and forth and clamp it to my counter. I ordered a return label before I even received it.

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While I was originally thinking a manual mill would be best in case of long-term power outages…not entirely unrealistic in this day and age…I ultimately decided to buy a NutriMill Classic. It’s a high-speed unit that grinds about any hard grain and only weighs thirteen pounds, as opposed to thirty-eight for the manual mill. I think it will work great for my needs. It arrives sometime this week.

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I’m determined that this will be a healthy lifestyle change that is sustainable and won’t be a fever-dream of obsession that burns out quickly. Stay tuned for more adventures—indoors and out!

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ᓚᘏᗢ

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And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. Genesis 1:29 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today, I am grateful that God is opening my eyes to eating real food and treating my body like the temple it is.
\n\n \n", "date_published": "2025-06-01T04:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/06/01/the-saga-of-the-grain.html", "tags": ["Health","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/05/28/failure-or-lessons-learned.html", "title": "Failure? Or Lessons Learned?", "content_html": "\n
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I’ve been baking with Fresh Milled Flour for the last month or so. I’ve tried different recipes and different grain combinations and have never had a flat-out failure till yesterday. It was really humid and rained all day. The kitchen was cool. The flour was milled four weeks ago, and I hated to waste it, but it was past its prime, and I tempted fate. I followed the recipe to a T. I could never seem to get enough flour in it to pull into a ball, and I didn’t want to overdo it. Consequently, the dough was loose and sticky. I let the dough rise in the pans for the suggested time, but when I went back to look at it, I knew it was way over proofed. It was literally flat and oozing over the rims.

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Thanks for reading Kneading Faith! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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I nearly threw it away, but I figured baking it wasn’t going to cost me anything but time and a little bit of gas. So, in it went. When the internal temperature hit 195̊, I pulled the sad-looking bread out of the oven and was so disappointed. My first thought was to throw the whole mess out. Then I thought, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” I broke the cardinal rule and cut into a warm loaf, slathered it with butter and homemade plum jam, and it was surprisingly delectable! Of course, in the next day or so, it may end up hard and dry. Perhaps I will make a bread pudding or a French Toast Casserole.

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My fresh milled flour is gone now. I decided last week to buy a grain mill of my own. Wouldn’t you know it…I’m always late to the party, so mills are scarce as hen’s teeth to find. I finally decided to buy a manual mill online. Being the fickle woman that I am, I decided over the weekend that the manual mill was probably not going to work for me. My 72-year-old shoulders and wrists weren’t going to like all that extra work. I hadn’t even received it yet when I called and asked how to return it. They were wonderful, and even though I’m going to have to absorb the shipping, I knew I’d made the right decision. Especially after it arrived yesterday morning, weighing 36.5 pounds! I don’t have a sturdy table to bolt it too, so I would have to mount it to a board and add another 3-5 pounds to the total weight. Then I would have to haul it back and forth from storage every time I want to use it.

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There was a time when I would chastise myself over all of this. Thankfully, 72 years have given me the wisdom to know these mistakes aren’t failures…they are lessons. I’ll have fresh flour the next time I bake. I’ll try a different recipe. I won’t put a pan of hot water in the oven (that’s turned off) to boost the rise since we’re heading into summer. I won’t wait 20 minutes to check the proof. Self-recrimination doesn’t get me anywhere, but I can learn from lessons every single day with my dignity intact and a continuing desire to become a better baker.

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ᓚᘏᗢ

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But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal*** Today, I am grateful for the patience it takes to truly learn a craft that supports my family in eating the way God intended us to.
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Since I found out I nearly killed my coffee grinder getting two cups of flour on Wednesday, I decided I had to have a bona fide grain mill. I’ve been researching them for at least six months. I’ve made graphs and charts and comparisons. I finally decided it had to have some specific qualifications. I wanted a manual mill in case there is a long moment in time when we might go without electricity. A manual mill is much quieter than the electric versions. Loud noises really bother me. I wanted it to have the option of adding a motor to it if cranking it becomes bothersome for me. I also wanted it to grind coarse to make grits or cornmeal as well as very fine to make pastry flour…and all the goodness in between.

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I sat at the computer most of the day going down rabbit holes, trying to find one that would suit my needs. I usually use my laptop, but this time I happened to be on the desk computer which has an extension on it that scours the internet for coupons or good deals whenever you are shopping online. Lo and behold, when I pulled up the mill I settled on…I received an alert stating there were sixteen possible coupons for money off! I clicked “scan all deals” and found one that was $50 off! This was on Lehman’s Hardware in Kidron, OH. If we drove up there to buy it, I wouldn’t get that $50 off. It so happens, there was no shipping…so I saved the time and the money for gas and food. Not to mention how much more I’d be tempted to spend once I got inside that magical place! If you haven’t been there…you MUST go. It’s in the middle of Amish Country and there’s so much to see and do.

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Over the past few years, I’ve made a little bit of money on my blog. So, I took what I made in the last year, plus the $50 off coupon, and my final “new money” expenditure was only $39!!! I’m excited about that! I love the taste of homemade bread with fresh milled flour. It reminds me of what food used to taste like till Big Agra hijacked our food chain. There is an adjustment in your digestion when you start eating whole grains. Theres a LOT more fiber, but there are a lot more nutrients as well. I’m hoping the mill will arrive soon…I can’t wait to try it!

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We’re having a bit of a cold spell here on the homestead. I went out to the pollinator gardens in the far field this morning before the dew was off the grass. I wanted to check on the four lavender plants I planted out there this week. Nothing has touched them so far! I have one more to go in the ground and one to go to Mrs. FixIt 1.0 today. I think I might set the last plant in the fenced-in back yard. I’d love to have that lovely aroma of lavender come through the bedroom windows on a warm spring night.

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I hope you have a lovely Memorial Day Weekend planned. And remember all those who served our country and gave up their lives to keep us free. It’s not about the BBQ.

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Be Blessed…

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Ginny

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Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left.  Matthew 24:41 ESV

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today, I am grateful for being led to the perfect grain mill for us and for the people from whom I will learn to mill.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-05-23T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/05/23/a-wise-purchase.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/05/22/ginnys-sourdough-buttermilk-pancakes-with.html", "title": "Ginny’s Sourdough Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Milled Flour", "content_html": "\n
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Image created through AI via Copilot

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I’ve been baking with fresh milled flour (FMF) for the last month or so. It’s become the latest craze on social media…like sourdough or home-brewed vanilla during the lockdown. I’ve been studying the techniques from several FMF enthusiasts and homesteaders for the last year, and finally have decided to try it myself. I revived my sourdough starter last week, and with just a couple of feedings, it’s bubbling away! I think I will invest in a grain mill for my kitchen. Now I need to decide if I want a manual stone mill or an electric model. From a self-reliance standpoint, a manual model makes sense, but they’re slower and take a lot more effort.

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Do any of you mill your own whole grain flour? If so, what model of mill do you use? What would you do differently if you were just starting today?

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Ginny’s Sourdough Buttermilk Pancakes with Fresh Milled Flour

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Ingredients:
1 cup fresh milled Soft White Flour
1 cup fresh milled flour blend of my choice (I used a combination of Einkorn and Kamut that was left over from baking on Tuesday)
1 cup fresh sourdough starter discard
1 cup warm buttermilk + ½ cup warm water
1 large egg
2 tbsp oil or melted butter (plus more for cooking)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla extract (I used my 4-year-old home-brewed extract…extra special!)

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Instructions:

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  1. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the sourdough starter discard, warm buttermilk-water mixture, egg, oil/melted butter, honey, and vanilla until smooth.
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  2. Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle in the fresh milled Soft White Flour, fresh milled flour blend, and salt. Here’s where you can adjust the thickness. When you’re happy with the consistency, add the Baking Powder and Baking Soda and use a whisk to quickly blend them in. Don’t overdo it or you’ll make the batter tough. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate. Don’t worry if it’s a little loose. It cooks up beautifully.
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  3. Heat & cook: Preheat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Grease with butter or oil. An oil spray bottle works great! Pour ¼ cup of batter per pancake and cook until bubbles form on the surface, then flip and cook until golden brown. I use a large cookie scoop to get consistently round pancakes.
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  4. Serve & enjoy: Stack high, top with fresh fruit, warm syrup, or a dollop of butter, and dig in!
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Tips for Perfect Pancakes:

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Yield: 18 four-inch plus 7 six-inch pancakes.

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ᓚᘏᗢ

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And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, “Quick! Three seahs[a] of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.” Genesis 18:6 ESV

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Gratitude Journal Today, I am grateful for the many cooks who have helped me grow my skills over the course of my 70+ years.
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📌 Save this recipe & tag me when you make it! 💬 Let me know your favorite sourdough creations!

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*Note: Image created with AI via Copilot

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-05-22T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/05/22/ginnys-sourdough-buttermilk-pancakes-with.html", "tags": ["Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen","Fresh Milled Flour","Recipes"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/04/22/living-a-rich-life.html", "title": "Living a Rich Life", "content_html": "\n
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I thought about my grandma a lot yesterday. She pops into my mind most days…usually when I’m cooking. My cousin Tammy seems to have been thinking about her as well because she sent me this precious meme with a grandma and her littles. It brought tears to my eyes.

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Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes

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We live a rich life here on Marshmallow Ranch. We pinch our pennies and make do with what we’ve got a lot more of late. But we don’t feel deprived in the least. Even when we’re doing something as mundane as a doctor’s visit, we still make it fun. Mr. FixIt has a bad back…too many years of hard work, hard play, and abusing his body has caught up with him. We’re making progress in getting him some relief so yesterday was a very good day. This strong man never, ever complains. I really admire him.

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I found the mug my own littles gave me for Mother’s Day a long time ago!

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We stopped at Sam’s yesterday and bought a crate of eggs…seven and a half dozen for $22 and change. That’s $10 less than a month ago…one of the bright spots in my day. We got home and I brought all the groceries in and put them away, then we just hung out together all afternoon. Mr. FixIt dozed off around 5:30 and I went in to start supper.

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I didn’t feel like cooking a big meal earlier, then I thought of my grandma and how she could feed a crowd with a chicken and some fresh veggies from her garden. I took out some chicken thighs, broccoli, and corn on the cob and set to work. I wanted to make a dinner like my grandma’s so I washed four thighs, patted them dry, dipped them in buttermilk, then coated them well by dredging them in seasoned self-rising flour. Yes, self-rising flour. Baking soda gives fried foods a really crispy crust. If you don’t have self-rising, just add some baking soda to all-purpose flour and it does the same thing. Also, I let the thighs sit aside for a bit to let the coating dry a little. I fry them on medium heat in a skillet with canola oil and butter. Grandma used butter alone, but I think that tastes a little too heavy for me.

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While the chicken was frying, I cleaned the corn and heated up the water with about a tablespoon of sugar and some salt in it.. When I could see the chicken was almost done, I brought the water back up to the boil, popped the ears of corn in, turned off the heat, and immediate put a tight-fitting lid on the pan and let it sit while the rest started to come together. I steamed the broccoli, sliced and buttered the fresh bread I baked on Tuesday. Everything came out perfectly and at the same time. We had dinner together in the dining room. I like that so much better than eating in front of the TV. It forces us to chat about life and what we see out the big picture window. The dinner was perfect and I know it would pass Grandma’s inspection. Especially the bread. She LOVED homemade “yeast bread” and I would indulge her on my visits home by baked a few loaves and hot rolls.

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By the time I was finished, I was too tired to do the dishes. I always like my kitchen to be clean in the mornings to start the day right, but we’ve been busy and we’re not caught up yet from traveling. They’ll still be there this morning. I have to go back into town yet again this afternoon. 

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My view as I head out to the camper at dusk.

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Isn’t it beautiful outside?!

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🩵🌷🩵

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“Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.””  ‭‭Luke‬ ‭12‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   Today I am grateful that we are finding some relief for Mr. FixIt’s back pain. Chronic pain really wears on a person and I hate it when he hurts.

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#CountryCooking, #FarmLife, #FriedChicken

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-04-22T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/04/22/living-a-rich-life.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/04/05/good-bread-cures-everything.html", "title": "Good Bread Cures Everything!", "content_html": "\n
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Back when Mr. Virgo and I lived in Denver, we had the kids over for Christmas and I made our traditional chili and cinnamon rolls. I decided to use one of those disposable aluminum baking pans for the rolls. I rarely baked with a recipe back then and I suppose I made mor dough than I actually needed because when I pulled them out of the oven, they were all sticking out of the pan like cork screws! We laughed till we cried. 

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Yesterday was baking day here at Marshmallow Ranch. I tripled the King Arthur recipe for Japanese Milk Bread and it was PERFECT. But…the rolls peeked up out of the top of the pan like “The Rolls That Ate Denver!” I had to take a quick picture and send it to Daughter #1 with “Look familiar?” I knew that would give her a giggle. I love when we share the lighter moments of life. There were far too many hard moments and I want my girls to remember the happy memories.

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Something else happened yesterday that took me back to that same time period. I was only working three days a week and Daughter #1 was working for the school district. She told me they were looking for Special Ed. paras to help in the severe needs classroom. I have a lifetime of experience with special needs kids with my brother, so I figured it would be a good fit. I’m not sure I lasted two weeks when I had to admit defeat. SpEd teachers are angels walking this earth and deserve to be paid the highest salaries. ALL teachers do.

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I received a letter this winter saying I had money in my PERA retirement account and I needed to withdraw it or it would be sent to the Colorado Lost Money Department and I’d have to deal with them. I finally got around to filling out and mailing the papers and forgot all about it. Well, yesterday was PAYDAY! I opened the envelope and started laughing. My retirement fund amounted to $57.24. I could hear my grandma’s voice saying, “Don’t spend it all in one place!”

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Mr. FixIt was on “drain watch” with all this rain. Our storm drain out back tends to overflow when the ground is completely saturated and if it gets too high, we have to run a pump in the stair well to keep it from coming into the utility room downstairs. We feed root killer down there to keep the forsythia roots from blocking the drain pipe and I don’t know if we started early enough this spring to stay ahead of it. It didn’t come in the house so I’m thinking we’re ok.

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So, the bread and rolls turned out great, the drain didn’t flood the house, and I am $57.24 richer! It was a pretty good day!

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🩵🌷🩵

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“Work brings profit, but mere talk leads to poverty!” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for good memories to tide me over through difficult times. And bread…I am grateful for bread. Bread cures a multitude of ills.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-04-05T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/04/05/good-bread-cures-everything.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/03/24/a-quiet-sunday.html", "title": "A Quiet Sunday", "content_html": "\n
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Mr. FixIt and I enjoyed each other’s company yesterday. I made a nice breakfast of grits and eggs…one of our favorites. I’m happy to see the price of eggs is easing up a bit. I buy them by the case with 7.5 dozen in it. I know it’s a lot, but I don’t have to buy more for a month or so. We use a lot of eggs. We eat them just about every day and I bake with them a lot. 

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When my sweetheart left for the bowling alley, I headed to the kitchen to bake some homemade pop tarts. They are super easy with a simple, tender, and delectable crust with jam sandwiched in between. I used up the last of the Caramel Apple Jam that my friend Loretta gave me for Christmas. 

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I was happily mixing up a double batch of Betty Crocker’s Oil Crust and I thought the dough looked a little funny but I pressed on. I rolled the dough out between two sheets of plastic wrap, trimmed the sides to grease a rectangle then proceeded to cut each rectangle into eight smaller rectangles. I lined cookie sheets with parchment paper, placed a small rectangle of crust on it and spread a heaping teaspoon of the jam on it being careful to keep the edges clean. I placed another small rectangle of crust on top and sealed the edges down with a fork. I finished by poking holes in the top crust to let out any steam to further help keep the jam from leaking out the edges.

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I love to keep the light on in the oven and check what’s baking. It’s very satisfying. I waited about five or ten minutes and checked the pop tarts and I was a bit confused. They were really puffy. That’s when it dawned on me. I checked the flour jar and sure enough, I used self-rising flour! Sometimes a mistake turns into a happy accident. Such was the case with these little delicate treats. They were so light and had a wonderful tooth. I would exactly call the pastry flaky, but it was really tasty. I might just try this “mistake” again next time I bake a pie or tarts.

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It rained off and on all evening and I love that. I especially love sleeping in the camper when it’s raining. The sound of the raindrops on the roof is soothing. I played on the computer for a while looking at Google Earth. There is a feature now where you can look at a particular spot and see the changes through the years. I looked up The Farm, my Mom’s old house, my house in Colorado, and our house here in WV. It was fun seeing the changes taking place from one year to another. I took a screenshot of “Marshmallow Ranch” to give you an idea of the size of our fields. This is what I mow. I’ve slowly been adding a couple of pollinator gardens each year so I mow less and less as time goes on. I have to wean myself off keeping this place looking like a golf course.

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I hope you had a good weekend. We’ll be heading to Athens today to meet friends for brunch. I’ll give you a review of the restaurant tomorrow!

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💚

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““When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil. And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.” ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for the opportunity to visit with my dear friend and neighbor from long ago when we lived in England. You can make new friends…but you can’t make old friends. They are to be cherished like silver and gold.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-03-24T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/03/24/a-quiet-sunday.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Farm Life","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/03/23/bread-baking-day.html", "title": "Bread Baking Day", "content_html": "\n
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Since my sourdough has been a little unpredictable lately, I decided to make a double batch of Japanese Milk Bread. It’s the same recipe I made for the Thanksgiving hot rolls. So tender and soft! The recipe shows the loaf made in four pieces in the loaf pan. I did that the first time but didn’t see the point other than looks, so I just made it in a regular loaf shape. The recipe makes one loaf so I doubled it and it worked just fine. You can find the recipe here.

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As I was working up this bread, I was reminded the dough is deceiving. I waited the requisite 60-90 minutes for the first rise and it only puffed up a little. I thought I’d messed up another bread batch, but I decided to heat a small saucepan of water to a boil then put it in the bottom of the oven. That brought the rise up much better. I’ll bet I let that bread rise between 2.5 and 3.0 hours. Then I shaped it and let it rise in the pan another 1 to 1.5 hours before baking it.

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Bread baking is a science, but it’s also an art. After you’ve baked for a while, you get a feel for the dough. And there are so many factors that affect the rise. Temperature, humidity, quality of ingredients, and barometric pressure all make a huge difference in your results. 

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Other than the baking, we didn’t have much else to do yesterday. It was quite a bit cooler last night than it has been, but I toughed it out in the camper anyway. I just turned the little ceramic heater on, turned the electric blanket up a bit and I was snug as a bug in a rug. Mr. FixIt goes bowling tonight so I’ll have my little bit of weekly quiet time. Who knows? I might learn something new and share it with you this week!

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Hope you have a Blessed Sunday!

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💚

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“And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”   ‭‭Mark‬ ‭2‬:‭27‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for a safe travel day for Big as she went home for Spring Break. They’re planning a big meal today with her favorite green chili that her Mimi makes for her.
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#Bread, #Baking, #Family

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-03-23T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/03/23/bread-baking-day.html", "tags": ["Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/03/17/success.html", "title": "Success!!!!!", "content_html": "\n
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Y’all are going to get so tired of reading about my bread baking adventures, but I finally got good results with the sourdough yesterday. The biggest problem I had before was using something other than King Arthur flour. I’ll not make THAT mistake again. My starter is happy and healthy again! Also, I didn’t use Vital Wheat Gluten this time. I think that was a contributing factor of the dense bricks I was making. Come to find out, that stuff is really for bread made with fresh milled flour. I am still looking into getting a grain mill but I’d really like to try baking with fresh milled flour before I make that big of an investment. 

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The main thing I did yesterday was watch my rise time. I think I was over proofing my dough so it ran out of gas too early. It didn’t take any time at all to make the first rise. I skipped the second rise and just shaped the dough. Once it rose, I popped it in the oven and got two nice, soft loaves of bread and eight killer cinnamon rolls. I made cream cheese icing this time and it was really good.

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Mr. FixIt was bowling last night so I had the evening to myself. I took my time baking, then I thoroughly cleaned the kitchen. Now I’m ready for the week. I need to start gearing up for the summer work load. I don’t like to go from the Big Red Chair to the tractor overnight. I want to get more walking in and build up my stamina. 

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I saw some more photos of the wedding yesterday. I can’t wait to see more…it was stunning! We had quite a bit of rain over the last couple of days. It’s good for the drought. We had such a dry summer last year. It cut down on our mowing but at what price? It’s rare to see so many forest fires in such a rainy state. This morning is knitting group then I’m going to try to finish the taxes and get that out of the way. Then I can focus on making our travel plans for the summer.

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I hope you are all safe from the storms over the weekend and you’re seeing signs of spring!

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☘️

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“Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture.” ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for time in my kitchen and things turning out right. It feels good. We are so fortunate to have food, water, a warm bed, and a roof over our heads. 
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-03-17T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/03/17/success.html", "tags": ["Family","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/03/10/this-bread-is-makin-me.html", "title": "This Bread Is Makin’ Me Crazy!", "content_html": "\n
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Look at this beautiful dough!

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Y’all…I couldn’t believe how my bread turned out yesterday. Instead of that light, fluffy loaf like last week, it was the dense brick of the week before. Same recipe…in general. Week before last, I added a tablespoon of Vital Wheat Gluten. I read somewhere that it helped with the rise. Last week, I hit the ball out of the park with perfect loaves and realized afterward that I forgot the VWG. I made bread yesterday with three changes. I added the VWG, I used oil instead of butter, and I used White Lily all purpose flour instead of my usual King Arthur. I honestly think it was the extra gluten, so I’ll try eliminating that next week. I made a pan of Cinnamon Rolls yesterday and Mr. FixIt and I had a small one with a cup of tea before bed last night. They were disappointing, too. They tasted good, but just not the way I wanted them.

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The dough was light and puffy, but the loaf was dense and didn’t rise much. Maybe I overproofed the dough?

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I did as much as I could with the taxes yesterday. I can’t find the receipt for the real estate taxes last year so I need to call today and get the amounts. I know I could let someone else do our taxes but, even though I complain about it every year…I actually don’t mind doing them. And I don’t want to pay someone else to do them. As long as I can keep doing it, I will.

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I FaceTimed with Daughter #1 yesterday. Saturday was the one year Angelversary of her half-brother’s passing. I cannot imagine what that has been like for his parents. Even though her father and I have been divorced for 46 years, I still care for him and his wife. Parents aren’t supposed to bury their children. There’s a word for losing a parent or a spouse, but there isn’t a word for a parent who has lost their child. Some use “orphaned parent” but that’s convoluted. The word vilomah is perhaps the closest I’ve found. In Sanskrit, it means “against the natural order.” Losing a child is definitely against the natural order of things.

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I’m heading to knitting group this morning. I’ll take cinnamon rolls with me and see if these gals can give me any feedback on what they think went wrong. The weather will steadily get warmer all week. I need to get out in the hedgerow and cut through some big wild grape vines before they choke out the tops of some trees. Outdoor work is looming!

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💚

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“The Sovereign Lord will show his justice to the nations of the world. Everyone will praise him! His righteousness will be like a garden in early spring, with plants springing up everywhere.”   ‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭11‬ ‭NLT‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful we can still take care of ourselves. We have good health, strong-ish bodies and sound minds.
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-03-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/03/10/this-bread-is-makin-me.html", "tags": ["Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/03/09/im-procrastibaking.html", "title": "I’m Procrastibaking!", "content_html": "\n
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Honey, if there’s anything I really hate to do, it’s paperwork like taxes and bills and balancing my checkbook and making budget cuts. But here we are, smack dab in the middle of tax season and I always have to make sure the checkbook is balanced and ready for that. The bills I don’t worry about so much because I have them on autopay. And the budget cuts? Don’t get me started. Let’s just say, we are heading into a season of belt tightening in the coming months, so I’m cutting as much out of our spending as I can. That may entail some travel cuts…we’ll see.

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So…I bake. I procrastibake, to be exact. When I SHOULD be doing any number of other things. When I padded into the kitchen yesterday morning for my first cup of the day, I noticed we were getting pretty low on bread. I fed the starter Friday evening and fed it again yesterday to be sure it was strong and active. When my starter doubled in size, I mixed up my preferment and set it aside for the night. This morning I’ll get it out and mix up the dough so I can bake by evening time. This way, I’ll have freshly baked Cinnamon Rolls to take to knitting in the morning. My gals will be thrilled! Mr. FixIt will go bowling this evening. I’ll work on the taxes while the bread is rising.

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Remember, the time changed as the clocks sprang forward an hour at 2:00am local time this morning. We have to change all the clocks on the appliances and Mr. Virgo’s wall clock in the living room. Everything else does it automatically. Please be extra careful with these time changes…especially the one in spring. For some reason, it messes with your circadian rhythms and there is a spike in heart attacks. That’s what happened to Mr. Virgo. The cardiologist explained it to me when he came out to tell me they’d done everything they could.

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The weather is going to be beautiful this week…perfect for field camping! We’ll even be up in the 70’s by week’s end!

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Come on, Spring!!!

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☘️

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“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”” ‭‭Hosea‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

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Gratitude Journal Today I am grateful for the coming spring. We’ve made it through the long, dark winter and warmer days are ahead. I can’t wait to sit in the sunshine with my coffee in the mornings!
\n\n", "date_published": "2025-03-09T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/03/09/im-procrastibaking.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/02/27/baking-day-at-marshmallow-ranch.html", "title": "Baking Day at Marshmallow Ranch", "content_html": "\n
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I’m finally getting a rhythm with this baking. I’ve found a recipe that I like and can replicate if I keep myself on task and don’t get distracted by sparklies. I fed my starter on Tuesday afternoon when I got home from the farm. It had more than doubled by bedtime so I started the levain. A levain is an interim step between the feed and mixing the dough. You add starter, flour, and water. It’s really like a BIG starter. (This recipe uses a cup and a half of levain.) Then you cover it and let it set out on the counter overnight.

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I used my go-to Ruth’s Soft Sourdough Sandwich Master Recipe. I can make two loaves of bread, a small pan of cinnamon rolls, and a pizza from one batch of dough. It’s nice to get so much in return for a few hours in the kitchen. It all came out great but I think I let the cinnamon rolls bake about five or ten minutes too long. They were just a little tough. You can see the glaze is a rich caramel color. I added some coffee to it and it really added a new dimension to the flavor palette.

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There was a real feel of spring yesterday. It got up to 67° and was just lovely. Walking out in that just feels like velvet on your winter-parched skin. Mr. FixIt and I worked on the center console of his truck. The latch broke and we were trying to get the pieces out. So far, we haven’t found a place to buy the replacement latch…but we’ll keep looking.

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Daughter #2 came home from the hospital late yesterday afternoon. She’ll need oxygen and home nebulizer treatments for three weeks but she says she’s breathing much better now. Her wife is still pretty sick but she doesn’t have asthma so fortunately she’s not as bad. I sent them some ginger ale and Gatorade Tuesday night so they’d have it the rest of the week. #2 doesn’t have to go back to work till Saturday, so hopefully she’s feeling up to it. They’ve been very accommodating at work.

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It’s back to the taxes today. Argh…not my favorite time of year. I sure hope I find those external hard drives soon!

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🩵

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“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful that my daughter was discharged from the hospital and is on the road to recovery. Prayers answered! Continue praying for their health and for all who are suffering illnesses that are spreading.
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#Baking, #Sourdough, #Family, #Healing

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-02-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/02/27/baking-day-at-marshmallow-ranch.html", "tags": ["Family","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/02/20/the-zen-of-bread-baking.html", "title": "The Zen of Bread Baking", "content_html": "\n
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“Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” I’ve heard this proverb since I was a child. My grandma used to say this to me when I was bored and complaining there was nothing to do. If I didn’t have something to do, she’d make sure to find me something so I quickly learned to at least LOOK busy. If not, I’d be oiling all the wood in the house or scrubbing something.

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I love having my hands busy doing something. In the summer it’s usually doing something in the garden. I knit and crochet and write because it soothes my soul. Now I’ve thrown myself into baking bread. Creating something beautiful from such simple ingredients is deeply satisfying. Baking bread stimulated all our our senses. From mixing and kneading the dough to the heady aroma wafting from the oven…from eyeing that crusty loaf to cradling that perfect slice in my hand and spreading butter and jam over it. And the taste….oh, the taste is divine. There is nothing as good as hot bread fresh from the oven in my opinion.

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Mr. FixIt made a trip to town yesterday. He always calls before he heads home to see if I need anything. I asked him to stop and get some ham from Aldi for sandwiches. He said, “Speaking of sandwiches, do we need any bread?” Nope, I told him. I have two loaves and a pan of cinnamon rolls rising, plus some dough in the fridge for making a pizza. That man knows how good he has it here. He may have to put up with my sassy demeanor and my intrepid independence, but he knows he’ll be rewarded with yummy things from the kitchen. I think that’s a fair trade!

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OMGosh! It is so cold here! Our high temp has been in the mid 20’s with lows barely out of the teens. This has been a hard winter on several fronts. When I put the camper out behind the house facing the “far field,” I could clearly see where the pollinator gardens were…lying dormant, waiting for the warmth of spring to bless us with bees and butterflies. I can’t wait to hear the songbirds return…and the owls and whippoorwills and nightjar in the hedgerow. I want to ground myself in the grass with my bare feet and feel the sun on my face….wear tank tops and shorts and flip flops…sip cool drinks in the shade of the maple tree out back. It’s coming, dear friends. The sun is rising earlier and setting behind the far ridge later and later. Soon, we’ll hear the high-pitched call of spring peepers followed by thousands of green tree frogs with their intermittent calls back and forth. After that, the occasional deep-throated bullfrog will charm us. The night sounds of crickets and katydids and cicadas. 

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Just hang on. The world may be a dumpster fire, but spring will come and remind us there is still beauty in God’s World!

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🩵

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“We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.” ‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***   
Today I am grateful for the smell of freshly baked bread in my kitchen and the ability to give my family good food to eat.
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#baking, #bread, #springiscoming

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-02-20T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/02/20/the-zen-of-bread-baking.html", "tags": ["Baking","In the Kitchen","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/02/09/he-went-tokroger.html", "title": "He Went To……Kroger!", "content_html": "\n
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When either one of us go to town, we can just about bet one or the other of us will stop at Sam’s. We have a large pantry and I keep it well stocked. There were times both of our families experienced food uncertainty, so I am a food hoarder. I always have been. In the past, I automatically bought two of everything when I shopped for food. Fortunately, Mr. FixIt has helped me become more frugal in our years together so I don’t feel that compulsion to over buy. Still, we have enough food to carry us through at least a few months.

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Mr. FixIt had an appointment in town last Wednesday, so he called me from Sam’s to see what we needed. We were getting low on eggs and they are…well, scarce as hen’s teeth. Sam’s carries those crates of eggs with 7.5 dozen eggs. It came it to $4.10 a dozen so I told him to go ahead and get them. Then I had to make some room for them in my fridge. 

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We eat a lot of eggs. Now that I am making these Sourdough English Muffins, I fix us a breakfast sandwich that put the fast food joints to shame. It tastes a lot better and I know what’s in it. We eat grits a couple of times a week with a couple of over-easy eggs on top. If we have pancakes, Mr. FixIt likes a couple of eggs on top of his. Of course I need eggs when I make French Toast. I think I’ll bake a quiche today for our supper.

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Mr. FixIt’s league is bowling at 1:00 today so everyone can be at home for the Super Bowl. I’m always excited when the Eagles make it there. Mr. Virgo loved the Eagles since he was from South Philly. Every year we were together and they would tank, he’d say, “They just break my heart…every single year.” They never won the Super Bowl till 2018…five years after Mr. Virgo died. Oh, he would have been SO excited! That’s why we have to cheer them on in his memory!

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I hope you find peace and joy in your day. We all need that right about now.

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💜

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“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭21‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal*** 
Today I am grateful to have a pantry full of ingredients to make nutritious food for my family. I am grateful for a well stocked kitchen with the tools I need to produce good meals. I am grateful to have an appreciative spouse who loves my cooking. 
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#eggs, #cooking, #SuperBowl, #PhiladelphiaEagles

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-02-09T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/02/09/he-went-tokroger.html", "tags": ["Marriage","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/01/29/make-it-a-good-day.html", "title": "Make It a Good Day", "content_html": "\n
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Monday was such a bummer finding Grandma’s house had been broken into. I sat with those feelings of disappointment, anger, confusion, disbelief, and violations for a while. Then, like I always do…I had a little conversation with myself. I could carry it, or I could do what I could and make it a good day. I called the Deputy Sheriff and answered all his questions then I sent all the photos I took and he said he’d look into it. I know it’s low priority and nothing may come of it, but I did all I could do and moved on.

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My big chore of the day was baking bread. We were down to just a few slices of sandwich bread so that was on the docket. RuthAnn Zimmerman shared “Kate’s Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread Master Recipe” from the blog “Venison for Dinner” the other day and I decided to try it. I’ve been getting mixed results with my sourdough. Sometimes it’s light and airy and sometimes it’s like a brick. I’ve had to throw too much of it away. When I made King Arthur’s Sourdough English Muffins last week, the recipe called for sourdough starter AND regular yeast. It was exactly what I was looking for in an everyday loaf…the tang of sourdough and the predictable rise of store-bought yeast.

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The recipe called for whole milk, but we don’t really drink milk anymore. It said you could substitute plant-based milks or buttermilk. I had some buttermilk in the back of the fridge from baking biscuits the other day so that’s what I used. The dough was perfect, easy to work with and shape, and made a really good loaf. The flavor was wonderful and the crumb held up to spreading a shmear of butter and jelly. There is nothing like a warm piece of bread fresh from the oven!

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My friend Loretta gave me a jar of black raspberry jelly the other day and I could hardly wait to use it. My grandma always made what she called “black cap jelly.” It isn’t made with traditional red raspberries. And black caps aren’t blackberries either. Black raspberries are smaller, more tart, and have a thinner skin than blackberries. Loretta went berry picking last summer and didn’t have time to make the jelly so she canned the juice. Now she can pull a jar of juice from the shelf and make this elixir of the gods anytime she wants. And I was a lucky recipient of this treasure.

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I remember going berry picking with Grandma when I was a little girl. I wanted to relive the experience one summer when I came back for a visit. I took my berry bucket and hiked up on the hill to the old home place. It took me a little while to get my bearings and find the berry bushes. Everything was grown up and unrecognizable but I finally found them. It was a little late in the berry-picking season and I didn’t get very many. But I did get something for my efforts…chiggers!

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I don’t know if you’ve ever had chiggers or not, but those little buggers are awful. They are a tiny mite that is so small you can only see them with a magnifying glass. They live in moist, grassy areas like lawns, brush, and out in the woods. To keep them at bay, you should wear long pants and socks pulled up over the bottoms of the pant legs. A long sleeved shirt is a must. The problems is, they’re active right in the peak of the summer heat and humidity and no one wants to bundle up like that when it’s hot.

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It took me a while to realize what was wrong when my ankles and the tops of my feet were on fire. Itchy red spots broke out around my waist and ankles. I was miserable. Calamine lotion did nothing. I used an old home remedy and painted each spot with clear nail polish. I’m not sure if it was that or just the tincture of time, but they finally got better after several weeks and I was left with dark brownish purple spots for quite a while.

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After our snack of bread and tea, I went out to help Mr. FixIt take out the old headlights on his truck and install the new ones my bonus son gave him for Christmas. It took a little trial and error but we got one side finished before it got too chilly. Mr. FixIt has a little trouble with the dexterity of his fingers so he’s my walking instruction manual and I’m his hands. We make a good team. I learn about things that really interest me, and he still feels useful.

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I have to run to town today to get the tags on my truck and get it inspected. I also need to get the oil changed and the tires rotated but I’m not sure I can get all of that done in one day. We’ll see!

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❄️🩵❄️

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“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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#baking, #mechanics, #marriage

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-01-29T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/01/29/make-it-a-good-day.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/01/23/i-finally-found-it.html", "title": "I Finally Found It!", "content_html": "\n
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Sourdough English Muffins
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I began learning how to make sourdough bread during the Covid lockdown…like a gazillion other people did. Yeast was hard to come by so sourdough experienced a renaissance and everyone was doing it. Therefore, YouTube was (and still is) packed with instructional videos. I’ve been making it long enough to spot the recipes that probably won’t work so I can avoid the costly waste of ingredients. While I was learning, I came across a recipe for English Muffins, tried them, and they were divine!

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A Strong Dough
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I quit baking sourdough around the time the world opened back up, but I decided I’d start again this winter. I got a good, strong sourdough starter going and commenced to baking bread. Every once in a while I try a different recipe for sourdough bread, but I always seem to come back the Tartine Bread Book by Chad Robertson. Their beginner recipe consistently works for me. I was lured away to try a different recipe yesterday was bitterly disappointed at the flat dense loaf it produced.

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English Muffins Ready for Last Rise
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I’ve tried a few English Muffin recipes and could never get them right. You know how sometimes things you’ve apparently forgotten just come back to you in a rush? Well that’s what happened and I found the original recipe on the King Arthur Baking website. ([www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/e...](https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/english-muffins-recipe) ) I followed the steps yesterday and voila! Perfectly wonderful muffins with a nice crumb, nooks and crannies, and tangy flavor. 

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Muffins Rising in Front of the Fire
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Mr. FixIt had an appointment in town yesterday so I stayed home and baked. I had to laugh at the end of the day when I surveyed my totally destroyed kitchen. Mr. Virgo worked his entire career in restaurant and hospitality management. He knew how to cook and ALWAYS had everything clean as he went. Not me! My ADD brain has the kitchen looking like a bomb went off as I tried to cook a meal for an army. I finally gave up and I’ll finish cleaning it this morning.

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A Recipe Failure
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Flat Sourdough
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Are you all bread bakers? Did your mom and grandma bake bread and teach you how? What’s your favorite kind of bread? Extra points for sharing a recipe with us!

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❄️🩵❄️

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“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”    ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭4‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***
Today I am grateful that I connect with people I love on a regular basis. I’m grateful I can provide comfort when my loved ones encounter struggles. And, I am grateful that I have the love and support of so many people.
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#baking, #cleaning, #englishmuffins, #sourdough

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-01-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/01/23/i-finally-found-it.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/01/19/more-soup.html", "title": "MORE Soup!", "content_html": "\n
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Even though we still have a container of leftover broccoli cheese soup, I had stew meat in the fridge that needed to be cooked. I have hardly any room left in the freezer. So I made a big pot of beef stew with carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms, parsnips, a small can of diced roasted tomatoes and stewed tomatoes. I added a spoonful of beef soup base from Sam’s, a good spoon of minced garlic, a generous shake of black pepper, just a little salt, and two shakes of Cajun seasonings for a little kick. When you cook by guesswork and your senses, it isn’t easy to make dishes taste the same as those before it. This one came out just perfect. So now we also have two containers of beef stew to add to the leftover rotation.

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Mr. FixIt’s foot looked slightly better today and he said it was no longer hurting like it did Friday night. I believe he got nipped by the cold but not severely. I’ll keep an eye on it. Maybe now he’ll wear boots when he goes out to feed the birds instead of mesh tennis shoes. Men…gotta love ‘em, even when you want to shake ‘em by the scruff of the neck sometimes. 

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I watched Big compete in another swim meet yesterday. They were swimming against a pretty good team. It’s hard to keep up with the scoring of a swim meet. I’ve never really understood all the workings, but it was fun to watch my girl on the screen. When the meet was over, we watched football and that’s pretty much how we spent our day. 

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Oh, I did crochet some more on the market bag. The video that shows how it’s made lasts an hour and a half. I’m making the same size and so far I’ve been working on it since New Year’s Eve and only have about 3-4” done of the sides. My ADHD brain gets easily sidetracked! Ohhhhh…SPARKLIES!!! We’re heading back into a deep freeze today with more snow a low of 4° tonight! 

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Stay warm, my friends…and wear boots when you go outside!

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❄️🩵❄️

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“Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.”  ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***
I am great full to have lived many years in a state of peace and tranquility. Even in the face of uncertainties, I am grateful to have a warm and safe home, clean water, and fresh food.
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#faith, #cold, #health

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-01-19T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/01/19/more-soup.html", "tags": ["Faith","Health","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/01/18/let-the-sun-shine.html", "title": "Let the Sun Shine", "content_html": "\n
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OMGosh, y’all…the sunshine was amazing yesterday! It was 43° and it felt glorious after the deep freeze we’ve been in the last two or three weeks. Today. Will be warm as well, but there’s an 85% chance of rain! The downside of that is, the polar vortex is coming in with a vengeance and will stay through the week. I really don’t mind…as long as I don’t have a lot of places to go. I’m happy to be a hobbit and bake and crochet this market bag I’ve been working on.

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We did have to venture to town yesterday. We had a very late breakfast at IHOP where I got a free stack of pancakes with my reward points. Way too much to eat so I brought half of them home. Then we picked up our prescriptions and headed right back. With more cold weather and snow in the forecast, and being a Friday, the store was packed wall to wall with people grabbing up milk, bread, and toilet paper like it was a precious commodity.

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Mr. FixIt napped all afternoon in his Big Red Chair then went out to fill the feeders. He was having some trouble walking on the snow when he turned his ankle a little and by evening it was pretty swollen. We’ll have to keep an eye on that. 

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When it was time to cook some supper, I took stock of my supplies and settled on Broccoli Cheese Soup. It’s the easiest thing in the world to make. I don’t usually keep broth in the pantry but I do have a jar each of chicken and beef soup base. I added a good tablespoon of the chicken base along with four cups of water and a heaping tablespoons of chopped dehydrated onion. I sautéed half a container of sliced white mushrooms and chopped about three cups of broccoli and added that to the pot. I added some black pepper and a couple shakes of Cajun seasoning. That always boosts the flavor of soups. I brought it to a light boil and let it simmer for five minutes. I mixed a whole can of evaporated milk and a tablespoon of Wondra Flour to make a white sauce and poured that into the soup pot. That simmered for three minutes till it was thickened. I added two cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese and stirred till it was melted then used my immersible blender to make the perfect creamy soup. I took some of the bread I made on Wednesday and toasted it for dipping. It was delightful!

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It was a beautiful day and we had fun getting out and about for a little bit. Hopefully Mr. FixIt’s foot is better this morning or else we’ll have to go to town to get it looked at. Say a little prayer for him, please.

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❄️🩵❄️

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“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” ‭‭3 John‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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***Gratitude Journal***

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I am grateful we have adequate health insurance coverage as we age. There are so many who have none and they are left to fend for themselves. I’m grateful for our medical care team who take such good care of us. 🙏🏼

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#broccolicheesesoup, #inthekitchen, #soup, #comfortfood

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-01-18T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/01/18/let-the-sun-shine.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2025/01/16/a-good-day-to-stay.html", "title": "A Good Day to Stay Inside", "content_html": "\n
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One of Mr. FixIt’s former coworkers at the tool plant died over the weekend. He’d been ill for quite some time so it was not unexpected. Still, it’s always sad when you lose a friend. He’s lost so many over the last couple of years. We seem to be at that age now. A lot of his friends worked for him and he often played golf and fished with them over the years. 

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Mr. FixIt was an engineer in the plant and helped design tools for gardening and firefighting. We were watching the news last night and he kept stopping and rewinding over and over. Then he said, “Look at this. It’s a brush fire tool. I helped design it.” I love when we go to hardware stores. He always gravitates to the tools like the kind they manufactured. He’s always a bit disappointed at the lower quality these days. Yet proud to see things he’s designed still in use.

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He met his friend Harry in town this morning so they could go to the viewing together. Afterward, they had lunch then he ran some errands. While he was gone, I indulged in binge watching homesteading, baking, knitting and crafting videos. I found a video for One Hour Sandwich Bread and decided to try it. The bread wasn’t anything you would win a ribbon for, but it was quick and tasty. It only goes through one rising and I think the crumb would have been much better with a second rising. I will try the recipe again with a second rise. In the meantime, here’s the video: https://youtu.be/sRK18hBDd_w?si=o4153o15-soxvwmK 

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I also made two batches of Almond-Cashew-Date Creamer.  I love it because it’s thick and rich and it has NO artificial ingredients or fillers or stabilizers. I have about a pint of nut pulp from the straining process that I’ll use in a recipe in the coming days. I didn’t get to make the chicken livers yesterday. Mr. FixIt ate in town and wasn’t hungry for more than a ham sandwich on that nice, warm bread. I’ll try again tonight.

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I worked so hard getting this weight off and now I’ve gained ten pounds in the last six months. I need to get control of that before it gets out of hand. You don’t suppose baking has anything to do with it, do you?  We have a couple of weeks coming up with really frigid temps. It was -1 yesterday morning at 8:00 and there are several days that will be in the single digits. Thank God we got our furnace fixed last year. I can’t wait till it warms up and I can get out and be more active again.

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❄️🩵❄️

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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#baking, #bread, #comfort, #home, #winter

\n\n", "date_published": "2025-01-16T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2025/01/16/a-good-day-to-stay.html", "tags": ["Self Care","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/09/15/a-day-in-the-kitchen.html", "title": "A Day in the Kitchen", "content_html": "\n
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Hey, y’all…I just thought I’d drop in and say hi! It was another really busy week with trips to town every single day. Oy! But there were some good things in there. I went to my favorite grocery store and stocked up on the things to cook from scratch instead of buying ready made stuff. I’ve gotten a bit lazy and started buying more convenience foods. Mostly out of necessity because of time constraints. Mowing and travel just took it out of us this summer. I also took the camper in to get a tire replaced. The sidewall had all kinds of bubbles on it. I just bought them in late June so they shouldn’t have done that. I was so surprised…and grateful…that the owner of the tire shop replaced BOTH tires for free! We always buy all of our tires from her so she goes out of her way to make sure her customers are happy. Nice lady!

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I used up the last of my almond milk this week so I made some from scratch yesterday. It was a lot of work, but I know what’s in it and there are no preservatives. It’s flavored with vanilla and real maple syrup and tastes SO much better than the store bought variety. After the almond milk was finished, I started on the yogurt. I used a good quality whole milk from grass-fed cows. I also used a good quality Greek yogurt culture. I love a rich and thick yogurt so I’m hoping this does the trick. 

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When you make almond milk, you have nut pulp left over and there was no way I’m going to waste that goodness. I decided to make some muffins. I used a cup of the pulp, 2 eggs, a couple of tablespoons of butter, a cup of the leftover milk from the yogurt, two teaspoons of cinnamon, the grated peel and juice of one orange, and a couple of spoonfuls of my homemade vanilla extract. I mixed all that up in one bowl. In another bowl I added two cups of organic all purpose flour, one cup of oat flour, one teaspoon of baking power, two teaspoons of baking soda, a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of chia seeds, a couple of tablespoons of ground flax seed, and a cup or more of chopped pecans. I stirred the dry ingredients to combine them then folded them into the wet ingredients. I filled my cupcake pan for a total of six large muffins and topped them with some pearl sugar that I found in Denver. I baked the muffins at 425° for fifteen minutes, but I think next time I’ll bake them at 375° for 20-25 minutes. They had a very small spot in the crown of the muffin that could have used a few minutes more but they were getting pretty dark.

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In the middle of all that, I made some wonderful roasted red pepper hummus. We had a nice little snack while we watched the WVU-Pitt game. Next up was CU-CSU, so both of my “homes” were represented on TV. We don’t always get to see those teams. It was a beautiful day and it felt so good to work in a well organized kitchen. I’m hoping with repetition, these things will become easier and quicker to make. Even though I enjoy it, it was a long day on my feet. I don’t know that I’m saving myself any money, but at least I know what’s in our food!

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I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather wherever you are. And, if your weather is less than perfect, I hope it turns around and gets better soon! Have a happy and blessed Sunday!

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💙

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“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains.” James 5:7 ESV

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#InTheKitchen, #Cooking, #Hummus, #Muffins, #Yogurt, #AlmondMilk, #ScratchKitchen

\n\n", "date_published": "2024-09-15T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/09/15/a-day-in-the-kitchen.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/08/10/this-is-more-like-it.html", "title": "This Is More Like It", "content_html": "\n
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Mr. FixIt had a couple of things to do in town yesterday and that gave me the whole day to myself. I didn’t do much till around noon when I decided I’d better go to the farm to mow. The grass was long but not as bad as I thought it would be. I got it mowed pretty quickly and took some time to sit on the front porch and contemplate how peaceful it was. The birds were singing. A little western blue-tailed skink wiggled out from under my chair and soaked up the sun till I moved and he went on his way in a hurry. 

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This was exactly what I needed to center myself and feel anchored. I was home. 

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It wasn’t long before the temperature spiked and it was time to head back home. I stopped first at Happy Jim’s Trading Post. When I bought those cook books there in June, I left behind a few that I regretted picking up. I was thrilled to see they were still there, plus a more on sewing that I had to have. I mean, for $4, how could I resist? A quick stop at Piggly Wiggly to pick up a few things and I got everything put away before Mr. FixIt got home. 

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I was happy when he said he’d like to have hotdogs for supper. That always makes for an easy time in the kitchen and a quick cleanup after. After the news and a couple of episodes of Big Bang Theory and I was ready for a little after dinner sweet. Remember when we were in Colorado and bought “sugar biscuits” at Whole Foods? They were a whopping 400 calories…each! I knew I could make them for less. I’ve been baking biscuits in my air fryer for the last few months. I adapted them and the results were delicious!

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I put about 3 Tablespoons of sugar in one pie plate and a few tablespoons of evaporated milk in the other one. I dipped each biscuit in the milk then the sugar and placed them in the air fryer, turned the heat to 330°, and cooked the first side for 10 minutes (I actually did 7 minutes and checked them then added 3 more.) I turned the biscuits over and cooked them for another 3 minutes. I popped a couple biscuits in each bowl, added about a cup of lightly sweetened strawberries and topped with sugar free whipped cream in the can. It came out to about 400 calories. Twice the volume for the same calories as a sugar biscuit alone from Whole Foods.

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My sister-friend in Florida has dubbed me MommaPie because of my baking skills. I’ll take that. I ended the day feeling energized and ready to really re-enter everyday life again. That’s always a “thing” I have to go through every…single…time!

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🩵

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“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”” Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

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#TheFarm, #StrawberryShortcake, #ReEntry

\n\n", "date_published": "2024-08-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/08/10/this-is-more-like-it.html", "tags": ["The Farm","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/05/11/a-lazy-day.html", "title": "A Lazy Day", "content_html": "\n
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Supper…yummmmm!

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Honestly…we didn’t do mucha nuthin’ yesterday. We slept in, had our breakfast, and sat firmly rooted in our Big Red Chairs all day. Along about 4:00, Mr. FixIt said he was getting a little hungry so I made lamb chops with rice and asparagus. I sautéed mushrooms and Vidalia onions in butter and removed them from the pan. I seared four lamb chops seasoned with Tabitha Brown’s Sunshine Spice Mix with a little extra garlic then deglazed the pan with a splash of Fre…red de-alcoholized wine. I drizzled a little buckwheat honey and fresh orange juice over the chops and set them aside to rest for a few minutes. Then I tossed the mushrooms and onions back in the pan with a pat of butter and served that over steamed white rice. I also steamed some fresh asparagus with lemon and butter in the microwave. The whole meal was finished in thirty minutes and was as good as any you’d find in a restaurant for less than a quarter of the cost. Mr. FixIt gave his hearty approval and you know it feels great to please your man’s tummy!

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We read on the internet that the Northern lights might be visible if we happened to get a clear sky late last night so we made plans to drive out to the Calhoun County Park. It’s about fifty minutes from us, but it is a designated “Dark Sky” area and we figured we might get a better view from there. I have seen the Aurora Borealis twice before in my life. The first was when I was a little girl…maybe about five or six. We were staying out at The Farm over the weekend. My dad came in and woke me up to tell me he had something special to show me. He carried me outside in my jammies and pointed up to the sky. There above us were green and pinkish yellow bands of light dancing across the sky. It is one of the few good memories I have of my dad doing something nice with me.

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The second time I saw the lights was about midnight sometime in the mid-00’s. Mr. Virgo was still living and he always went to bed really early so I stayed up…probably to play a game on my iPad or work on my genealogy. I was calling it a night and went to the door to check the lock when I caught a glimpse of something in the sky over the Flattops Wilderness Area. It was unmistakably the Northern Lights dancing across the sky. I thought of waking him up, but he had to get up at 3:00 and had a long day ahead of him so I just watched by myself. It didn’t last very long and they just faded away. I’ll let you know tomorrow if Mr. FixIt and I catch sight of them.

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Other than that, it was a pretty low key day. I learned another one of my mom’s cousins passed away last week. She was 95 years old…the oldest of her branch of the family and the longest lived. I spoke to my cousin Tommy’s widow. It’s been several years since Tommy passed away and she has found love again. She never would have dreamed it would happen. They are such a good match and I’m so happy for her. It was much cooler here yesterday with rain off and on. And, today I am meeting the Former Mrs. FixIt and our daughter at the library for a needlework class. Fun weekend ahead with Mother’s Day!

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🩵

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“And God said, “Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years, and let them be lights in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth.” And it was so. God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. God set them in the vault of the sky to give light on the earth, to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.”

\nGenesis 1:14-19 NIV\n
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We really don’t get much of a winter in West Virginia anymore. Global warming, climate change…whatever you want to call it…times, they are a’changin’. The forecasters are predicting snow here in the mountain state. I doubt it will amount to much, but Mr. FixIt plugged the snowblower battery into the charger…just in case. I sit here in my Big Red Chair, Echo by my side, watching the temperature fall and the little snowflake icon promising me it’s real.

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It was lovely to stay home all day. It was Mr. FixIt’s turn to make breakfast. His specialty is oatmeal with the perfect touch of vanilla, butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. He topped mine with blueberries. SO yummy! It might just as well be Groundhog Day…the movie…as every day here is much the same. Especially during the winter months. It reminds me of a song one of my besties sent me yesterday by Harry Chapin…Circle. You can listen to it HERE.

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I worked a little on that blanket and I finally give up. It’s a very complicated pattern. Each square needs to be perfect or it won’t fit together. I’m trying a different approach but I’m not holding out much hope. I could have made ten things in the time I’ve been messing with this one.

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When I got frustrated with it, I decided to get back to the book I’m reading…The Pioneers by David McCullough. It’s about the Ohio Territory and the formation of Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It starts out with the first settlement formed being Marietta, OH just up the river from where I was born. I’m only 75 pages into it, and I really have to concentrate, but I’m enjoying it. My son-in-law’s day…our dear friend Ben…is reading it, too. He has a lot of family from around these parts so one of these days when they make it out to is it, we’ll explore all these haunts.

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Mr. FixIt was deep into a war movie when I decided to read. Since it was sunny and not to terribly cold, I took my book and a hot beverage and went out to the camper. I turned on the electric heater, snuggled under my blanking in the recliner, and read till it was time to fix supper.

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I picked up a rotisserie chicken at Sam’s on Thursday. Some of the supermarket varieties are so scrawny it doesn’t really pay to buy them. But the ones at Sam’s are plump and juicy and you get a lot of meat for $4.98! AND…you don’t have to cook! I had a bag of baby gold potatoes and a bag of broccoli florets handy. I quartered the little potatoes, sprayed them with a light coating of avocado oil and seasoned them with something I got at TJMax some time ago…a roasted vegetable seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and paprika. I put the seasonings in a bag and tossed the oily potatoes in it and dumped them in the air fryer. 390° for 21 minutes.

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While the potatoes were cooking, I put two leg quarters of the chicken in the microwave to reheat and steamed the broccoli. Everything came out at the exact same time and it looked like I’d worked over a hot stove all afternoon. You always know when what you’ve made for supper is a hit with the hubs….there were lots of yummy sounds coming from his side of the room. I will admit…it was great!

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Even though I’m not a big TV fan, I’m a big Mr. FixIt fan so if spending quality time with him in the cold months means we watch the idiot box more often…so be it. We don’t know what the future brings…either of us could be gone tomorrow. I’ll tolerate some mindless TV if I can be with my sweetie.

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I think I’ll do a FB Live this morning…Saturday Coffee with Marshmallow Ranch. Let’s shoot for around 10:00 Eastern Time, shall we??? Hope to see you here in a bit!

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🩵

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”In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.“

\nPsalms 127:2 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2024-02-17T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/02/17/all-my-life-is-a.html", "tags": ["Fun","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/01/31/the-art-of-customer-satisfaction.html", "title": "The Art of Customer Satisfaction", "content_html": "\n
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Ya’ll, I’ve got a great story to tell you today. When the Ninja brand of smoothie blenders came on the market, I kinda thought the brand seems sketchy. Like Ronco or some fly-by-night “As Seen on TV” company. You know…QVC or HSN caliber. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with that, but the brand screamed cheap plastic junk from China. I bought one of the blenders and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. Then, in 2015, they launched their first coffeemaker. As it turned out, we needed a new coffeemaker at the time. Again, it was really good quality.

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Since then, I bought one of their air fryers and a food processor…all good quality. About three years ago, a friend of Mr. FixIt’s called at Christmas to say he’d been working part time at Kohl’s and he could get us their friends and family discount on anything they carried. Our pots and pans were on their last legs, so I hinted to Mr. FixIt that a new set of pots and pans would be an awesome Christmas present. And they were under the tree come Christmas morning.

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They were awesome. I especially liked the ten year warranty. Being non-stick, I was afraid the coating would come off quickly but I was pleasantly surprised when month after month, the pans continued to be rock solid. A couple of months ago, I notice a small bubble in the coating on one of the saucepans. I checked the other one more closely and sure enough, it also had a couple small bubbles. A few weeks later, I could tell the coating was beginning to slough off, so I called customer service at Ninja Kitchen.

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I spoke to a helpful gentleman who actually put me on a video chat and had me show him the bottom of the pans and agreed that was covered under the warranty and he would send me the 2.5 quart and the 1.5 quart saucepans. In less than two weeks, I received a box from Ninja, but it was the 3.5 quart saucepan…bigger than the one I used most often. Then yesterday, I received a 5 quart sauté pan which is a skillet with straight sides. Both wonderful pans, but not the saucepans I needed replaced.

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I made another call to Ninja customer service and explained that I had received two pans, but they weren’t the one’s I needed and could she help me. She pulled up my warranty claim and saw the original request then she searched her computer for the 2.5 and 1.5 quart saucepans. She found the 2.5 but the 1.5 could take 4-6 weeks before they could get one to me. I told her that was fin…I understood they are a big company and I was willing to wait. 

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I was shocked when she said, “No, you need your cooking pans and since we cannot get the 1.5 quart to you in a timely fashion, and the two pans you received were wrong, I’m just going to send you a whole new set!” Hokey smokes! That’s a $300 set, plus the sauté pan at $130 and the 5 quart saucepan which is probably around $90. Now THAT’S good customer service!!!

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Mr. FixIt said I’m going to have a boat load of pots and pans. He’s right! I may need new kitchen cabinets! Nah…not really. I just need to get rid of several old pans that I don’t use. That’s for another day. I just wanted to tell you all what a great job Ninja did for us. In a world where so many people do nothing but complain, I wanted to tell you about a big company that takes customer service seriously. And that’s good news!

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🍳

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”The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.“

\nPsalm 23:1 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2024-01-31T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2024/01/31/the-art-of-customer-satisfaction.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2024/01/03/using-it-up-cooking.html", "title": "Using it Up: Cooking", "content_html": "\n
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I sat in the Big Red Chair for a few hours yesterday and worked on the basket/tote that I’m crocheting using scrap yarn. It’s coming along and looks so pretty. I love the colors and feel good that I’m ever so slowly reducing my stash. We watch some shows on TV and Mr. FixIt snoozed a little in his big comfy chair. Along about 3:00, I asked him what he’d like to have for supper. 

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We both thought about it a while. In the past, I might have suggested he run over to town and get some hamburger and I’d come up with something. Instead, “Use it Up!” Went through my mind. I had a couple of pie crusts out to make an apple pie for our family Christmas, but with so many of them not coming due to covid, it was still in the fridge. I went through the ingredients I had on hand and one recipe came to mind…Quiche!

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I love when a plan comes together and tastes yummy to boot. With things I already had on hand, I baked a beautiful Broccoli and Bacon Quiche in about an hour.

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BROCCOLI & BACON QUICHE  \n\nPreheat oven to 375°.\nPar-bake a readymade pie crust for about 10-15 minutes.\n\nTurn the oven down to 350°.\n\nBeat four large eggs. Add 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream. You can use Half & Half instead of the heavy cream. Add 1/4th tsp each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Herbes de Provence (a blend of savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.) Add 1/4 cup softened cream cheese and beat with an electric mixer till smooth and combined. \n\nWhen the crust is par-baked, sprinkle some grated mozzarella, crumbled bacon, and chopped broccoli in the bottom. Then pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle with a little paprika and place in the oven on the middle rack. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for ten minutes then cut and serve.
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It was delicious, but it was a little too rich. When I make it next time, I’m leaving out the cream cheese and just using milk instead of adding the cream. If you try it, leave us a picture and tell us what you think!

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I’m having some of our knitting group over this morning for some fun and fellowship. We usually meet on Mondays and since Christmas and New Year’s Day were on Monday this year, I thought we might gather here. I hope you have a wonderful day, dear ones!

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🩵

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”Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.”“

\nActs 27:34 ESV\n
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#Cooking, #Quiche, #UseItUp

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I finally made a hat for me!

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Ten years ago when I faced my first Christmas without Mr. Virgo, I could never imagine a life without him let alone one with all this joy in it. I cooked a nice breakfast of grits, eggs and turkey sausage. When the dishes were done, I headed to the studio to play. I made four hats and sorted through some antique hand-pieced quilt blocks I picked up this summer. I absolutely love these blocks. They’re shabby and aged with the occasional stain on them. I can’t decide what to make with them…whether I want to make a small quilt, or divide them up and make several wall hangings. I thought of making table runners, but for now I’ve bundled them in packets of nine blocks to keep them safe and in the back of my mind.

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I brought the hats upstairs to do the finishing work and ended up doing a little holiday baking. I made two full sheet pans of Rolo Pretzel Cookies and a batch of fast Two-Ingredient Fudge. You can find my fudge recipe here. Well, three ingredients…I added walnuts! I made a big pot of White Chicken Chili. OMGosh! It’s been years and years since I made that and it was SO yummy! With the tender chicken, chunks of onions, carrots, white beans and fire-roasted corn in a thick rich broth, it was comfort food without a ton of calories. I trimmed the calories down by eliminating the tortilla chips, cheese, and avocado and adding carrots as an extra veggie. You can find the White Chicken Chili recipe I used here.

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I enjoyed several phone calls with family far and wide. We watched football while I did the handwork on the hats. It was a beautiful, relaxing day. I’m so grateful I have spaces in the house to work that are away from the heat of the family room. Mr. FixIt keeps it pretty warm in there and for some reason, it about made me sick. So, I just retreated to my own comfort zone. I usually sleep in the spare bedroom because of our different heat preferences. I keep a board over the heat register and open the window…even when it’s in the twenties outside. Poor Mr. FixIt comes in of a morning and shivers, bless his heart. I’ve never slept better in my life so I think we’ve found a happy medium. Life is too short to be miserable or to take offense. We have plenty enough fun to make up for the time spent in separate corners of the house.

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I think I’ll play in the kitchen some more today. Not sure what’s on the menu yet! Cookies? Another pan of fudge? Those sugared nuts I’ve been talking about? Who knows? Maybe I’ll do a Facebook Live! That would be fun to get to visit you at Christmas.

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And here it is…Christmas Eve. I have such a clear memory of my brother and I kneeling on the floor of the living room…looking out the picture window…hoping against hope that we’d catch a glimpse of snowflakes for Christmas Eve. We had just moved to the new house. It was a mansion compared to the ratty old houses mom and dad had rented. Christmas was always slim pickin’s at our house, but that year we felt like Richie the Rich Kid!

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Fond memories. I’ve known a few people whose entire childhood was filled with perfect holidays with the perfect family. That wasn’t us. But now…as an adult…I choose to focus on the GOOD times. Too many people go through life blaming their problems on their upbringing. I know…I was one of them for far too many years. You can’t rewrite history, but you CAN change the narrative!

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May this years’ story be the best one yet!

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🎄

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”In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.“

\nLuke 2:1-5 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-24T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/24/i-love-my-life.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/23/a-job-well-done.html", "title": "A Job Well Done!", "content_html": "\n
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I finished the last hat and scarf set yesterday and actually had a chance to sit down and relax with a little knitting of my own. I love knitting with Lion Brand’s Thick and Quick yarn. It’s super bulky so it knits up quick, and it’s super soft, warm, and washable. It ticks all the boxes for a cozy winter hat that will last for years and years.

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My tally for the year in knitting gifts is twenty-three hats, six hat and scarf sets, seventeen Christmas stockings, fourteen scrubbies, one pair of slippers, two pairs of socks, and a crocheted trivet. Not bad when you add in a king-sized quilt, two month-long camping trips, and mowing two farms. This between furnace repairs, a totaled car, and a new roof. It has been a REALLY busy year!!!

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I had to put the shop on vacation while I was doing the last big push to get this stuff finished because we got into that grey area where it was too close to Christmas to receive something on time. I certainly wouldn’t want someone to buy something and be disappointed that it didn’t arrive on time. I still made some sales on special orders, but for the most part, I’ve taken the month of December to just play with yarn.

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Now that the gifts are taken care of, I can get in the kitchen and start baking today. I went over to The Pig yesterday and got fresh flour. Mine had grown stale as I haven’t been baking nearly as much as I used to. I looked at my weight on a graph yesterday. One graph show just this year, and the other shows 2017-now. I had a huge weight gain between 2017 and February 2020. Those are the first years Mr. FixIt and I were together and set up housekeeping. I think the term is “fat and happy”. I baked and ate and baked some more. Then Covid struck and Mr. FixIt’s two strokes helped me feed my emotional eating machine till I finally got a handle on it in March.

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I think I am at a point where I can bake now without fear of “going off the wagon.” I’ve learned a lot about the “why” of eating and can easily enjoy fruit instead of dense sweets without feeling deprived. Because every once in awhile, I indulge in a goodie and don’t feel guilty about it. Life is too short…eat the cookie. Just not a dozen cookies, and maybe some fudge and sugared nuts, and brownies. All things in moderation.

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So that’s what I’ll do today. Bake…and feed the neighbors!

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🎄

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”“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”“

\nLuke 6:37-38 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-12-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/12/23/a-job-well-done.html", "tags": ["Health","Holiday","Baking","Crafts","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/12/07/popcorn-pancakes-and-the-perfectly.html", "title": "Popcorn Pancakes and the Perfectly Prepared Pan", "content_html": "\n
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I’ve seasoned a couple dozen iron skillets in my day and I’ve never quite gotten it right… till now. It started with that griddle Mr. FixIt bought at a junk shop in Colorado. I read about all kinds of methods. Stove top, outdoor grill, oven. Water, never water. Lard, avocado oil, vegetable oil, grape seed oil. Metal spatulas, NEVER touch with metal. Low and slow heat, turn up your oven to the highest setting. It was all so confusing. So, this time I kind of chose a little of this and a little of that and did it intuitively.

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I cleaned the skillet well, with salt and grape seed oil and a paper towel. I wiped out all the salt and oil and let it sit overnight. The next day. I put a very small amount of grape seed oil in the skillet (about a teaspoon) and wiped the the entire skillet, inside and out. I turned the oven up as high as it would go which on my stove is 550°F. I placed a sheet of foil on the bottom rack of the oven and when the oven came to temperature, I put the skillet upside down on the upper rack, shut the door, and set the time bake to one hour. That cuts the heat off and I can go about my day. When the pan was cooled, I repeated the process. 

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I was concerned about that mottling, but it didn’t stick so I’m good.

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The real test to see if a skillet is seasoned is to use it. I mixed up a batch of Long Table’s Popcorn Pancakes, heated up the skillet on medium heat, and cooked the pancakes two at a time till the batter was used up. I didn’t put oil or butter in the skillet at all. The pancake batter has enough butter in it to keep the pancakes from sticking and man…that skillet was as non-stick as any commercial nonstick skillet. I was amazed. I asked my dear friend, Kate…the Campground Gourmet and she said I’d seasoned it enough if it wasn’t sticking at all. I trust her with ALL things cast iron!

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We had a lovely day yesterday. I did the shopping at Sam’s while Mr. FixIt had his appointment. Then I had my annual mammogram. At the risk of a little TMI…losing thirty-three pounds made a HUGE difference in the comfort level. Compression wasn’t nearly as painful as it normally is. Ladies…please don’t put off preventive health care. We need to take care of ourselves or we can’t take care of anyone else.

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A nice early supper at our favorite diner and we were home before dark. The roofer comes today. AND….drumroll, please….today is the LAST day of open enrollment for Medicare so let’s hear it for reduced spam calls, emails, texts, and annoying 45 minute commercials that yammer on and on and on! Whew. Now…if the 2024 election was over, I’d be a really happy camper!

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📞

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”An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.“

\n2 Timothy 2:5 ESV\n
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Simply Joy…make it a mocha in this minimalist mug!

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I really love baking. It’s been awhile since I’ve baked a pie. Mainly because I haven’t been eating all that yummy stuff and truth be told, by sweetheart doesn’t need all that sugar either. When it came time to volunteer items to bring to our family dinner this afternoon, I elected to bring the Sour Cream Apple Pie as well as those yummy Brussels sprouts. I filmed the pie baking session and it recorded correctly this time. I’ll get that edited and posted as soon as I can.

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We had a lovely day here at home watching football and eating leftover turkey. I played on the computer, creating some designs and tweaking my Pinterest account. I haven’t spent a lot of time on there this year. When I went in to look at it, I was really amazed at how many pins I’ve managed to accumulate over the years. Pinterest is one of those places where you can find yourself going down a rabbit hole of delightful photos and cool projects. I have these great ideas. It’s just I can’t live the 200 years I’d need to do them all. I’m like everyone else…it’s all eye candy and dreams!

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My sister-in-law and her family went to the Michigan-Ohio game so that was really exciting. I kept looking for them when the camera panned the stands, but there were only about 110,000 people there was practically no chance I’d see them. But I can tell them I looked for them!

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This was one of those days that had me feeling nostalgic. I used the beautiful crocks my Aunt Peeps gave me many years ago. With the house smelling of apples and cinnamon, the Christmas tree twinkling in background, my sweet husband sitting opposite me talking to the football players with a running commentary, loved ones checking in… it made me happy to be alive and so very grateful for my many blessings.

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I hope you enjoy your day and it’s peaceful and relaxing.

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🎄

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“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

\nPsalm 118:24 ESV\n
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For a little ten pounder, this turkey sure gave us a lot of meals. The two of us didn’t eat very much of it. I got a good-sized container of meat for sandwiches and maybe a casserole. Then I cooked down the carcass and got two quarts of wonderful, rich broth. I also got two containers of broth with meat and veggies for soup. And a quart of meat to make turkey salad. That’s a lot of potential meals from a ten pound turkey.

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As I was preparing to spatchcock the turkey, I got out the camera and tripod to take a video to demonstrate the process. I went through the whole thing, stopping and starting the camera. It was going great! Then I sat down in the afternoon to edit the video and… all I had was snapshots. I didn’t have the camera on video at all! So, you get photos today instead of a cooking video.

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I had quite the fright on Tuesday evening. I’d been having trouble with my iPad for a few days. First it was crashing regularly. Then it said the memory was full. I started taking stuff off of it and it still said it was full. I disconnected it from the cloud and that removed 36,000+ photos and it STILL said it was full. When it crashed again, I knew there had to be some sort of bug involved. I figured the only thing I could do was erase the iPad and bring it back to factory settings. 

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All went well. I downloaded the apps I needed to write my posts. Then, when I went to schedule yesterday’s post… I couldn’t get into Facebook. I couldn’t access any of my writing. I lost all my copies of the part that I post on Facebook. I could feel anxiety creeping in but I managed to create the post on my phone and decided to have a good sleep and work on it in the morning. I often sleep on a problem because the next morning, it seems the answer is right in front of me. I took Facebook off the iPad and re-installed it. And sure enough, it works perfectly! 

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I remember when my mom died in 2004 and I spend six months in West Virginia renovating the house for sale. There was no earthly way I should know how to do half the things I did, but I had books on electrical, plumbing, and all manner of fixit things. When I lay down at night, I read a little about what I needed to do the next day but it didn’t always make sense to me. I didn’t know what the tools were called or what the procedures were called. Then, when I woke up, I just KNEW. It was uncanny.

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I am finally at a place where I can just knit and work on Christmas stuff. There are still so many things around the house that needs done, but I can get to that after the holidays. Now that I have so much of my list completed, I can just enjoy December. What a treat!

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I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. Did you try a new menu or do something different? How did it turn out. Share a recipe or links so we can try it, too. Maybe we’ll have Virtual Cookie Exchange sometime before Christmas!

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❤️

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“This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God. They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.”

\nEcclesiastes 5:18-20 NIV\n
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Dear Santa…I can explain!

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Shop Now

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Breakfast here at Marshmallow Ranch is determined by Mr. FixIt’s blood sugar. When it’s low, he gets a nice, breakfast and yesterday we had French toast. I made a cooking video of the preparation, but my iPad is running critically low on memory. I need to do some housecleaning in there and get some room back before I can edit and post it.

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I had the afternoon to myself as Mr. FixIt went to town and I waited for the furnace dude. As I started decorating, I took some videos of my special ornaments I’ve toted around with me for decades. Again…no room on the iPad to edit, so they’ll have to wait, too. I didn’t put as many things out this year. I wouldn’t say I went minimalist, but I definitely went for a curated look. Mr. FixIt was really happy with it all when he got home.

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The heat exchanger was riddled with holes! It’s no wonder it didn’t work…and it’s a miracle we weren’t overcome by carbon monoxide!

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The furnace man came at 1:38 and was done at 3:10. He showed me the old heat exchanger and it was riddled with holes. When he was finished, I was happy to discover there was no more rank smell coming from the exhaust outside. I’m guessing our gas and electric bill will improve with the new efficient heat exchanger and every penny saved is a blessing.

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Noom gave me a day off yesterday so I didn’t have to record my food. I am nearing the end of the course and they are preparing me for living my life without their daily support. I’ve been down this particular path many times before. I’ve lost the same fifty pounds so many times, I’ve lost count. But, this time feels different. This time was more personal. I’ve been on weight loss programs before, but they were auditory based. I’m definitely a visual learner so reading the lessons every day, especially in the way Noom presents them, has had what I feel is a lasting, lifelong effect on me. This is the first time I’ve really felt confident his is a lifestyle change and not just a fad diet and I’m really excited by that. Again, if you decide you would like to try the app, you can use this link and get two free weeks and 20% off. And, I’ll be happy to help you in any way I can.   https://noom.com/r/JthjXSfaA 

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After Mr. FixIt got home, he helped me put all the boxes for the Christmas decorations back down in the basement so the living room is clean again. I seasoned the cast iron griddle for the second time and took a video of the process. I only need to season it one more time. I love how it came out, so I’m thinking of repeating the same process with my two favorite cast iron skillets and my griddle. They are getting tacky from the kind of oil I used and I’d like them to feel exactly like this new-to-me griddle feels.

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I was supposed to join my brother on Skype this week for his semi-annual IP meeting, but it’s been rescheduled for next week due to the holiday. I’ll spend some time in the kitchen today. Mr. FixIt will do the Turkey Trot on Thursday morning with our son’s family. I am more than likely going to stay home and start the turkey so we can have our own little Thanksgiving Dinner in the afternoon. Then the family gathering will happen on Sunday.

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If you are traveling this week, do be careful. There are supposed to be storms in the east and we want you all to be safe. My prayers for travel mercies go with you all. And if you’re staying home like I am, I hope you enjoy your day and give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy by  living in a free country!

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🍁🦃🍁

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“Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High,”

\nPsalm 50:14 ESV\n
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“Let’s Stay Home”… a different configuration of yesterday’s sweatshirt. I love the hygge vibe!

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My Noom lesson yesterday started delving into intuition vs. instinct and how we can train our minds and bodies to become more in tuned. If you are unsure the differences between the words, don’t feel bad. I’m a “wordie” and I wasn’t entirely sure of the absolute meaning either. Intuition is based on past experiences and is often expressed as a gut feeling. You just “know.” Instinct is a reaction… screaming at the sight of a mouse or jumping when someone scares you for example. 

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In my experience, there are many levels of intuition. I feel intuition is often times the Holy Spirit whispering a warning to be careful, or an affirmation that you’re going to be ok. I got both yesterday. I was heading out to help Mr. FixIt with something yesterday and got the nudge.

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“You’re going to fall.”

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That was alarming. But just as quickly I got “But, don’t worry…you aren’t going to get hurt. Sure enough, I stepped on a railroad tie and didn’t get my foot quite on it solid and down I went! It was the kind of fall we called a “garage sale” during my skiing days. It means stuff was flying everywhere…namely my arms and legs. And, just as the warning said, I didn’t get hurt. A little sore from moving in ways I’m unused to perhaps, but not hurt. I sure keep my Guardian Angel busy!

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I had a nice time at knitting yesterday. There were three of us then a fourth came by to visit for awhile before she headed out of town for the holiday. One gal was working on a blanket with some incredibly thick yarn and knitting needles the size of broomsticks. The other gal was knitting a doll. I finished another hat for a christmas present. When I got home, I started another one. 

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A Star with a History

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When I stuck my head out the door to call Mr. FixIt in for supper, he pointed with pride at his newest decoration… a lighted star hanging from our pergola. This star is an important piece of history in the town we grew up in. Some of my earliest memories surrounding Christmas was shopping downtown with my mom. Market Street was always decorated every year with either stars, trees, candles, or lanterns stretched across each intersection. These decorations were rotated around and ultimately phased out when they were no longer usable. Mr. FixIt’s dad owned the old Palace Theater in East End and somehow he managed to get one of the stars. It’s been in Mr. FixIt’s big building out back for years and I just found it recently. I asked him if he would hang it at Christmas and… there it is, in all its glory! After this holiday season, I’m going to see if I can get it to look like it did when it hung over the streets of Parkersburg.

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In another little bit of good news, the part for the furnace is finally in and the furnace dude is coming today to put it in! Timely, as the temps are taking a nosedive in the coming days. 

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I’m looking forward to the rest of the week…spending time in the kitchen, decorating the tree, gathering with the family, watching football, and knitting. This is what I worked so hard all summer for!

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🍁🦃🍁

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“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”

\nPsalm 107:1 ESV\n
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Looking forward to cozy nights in? So am I!!! Snuggle up in this soft and cuddly sweatshirt. Tis the season for hygge comfort.

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I’m usually finished with my post by 10:30PM at the latest. Last night I didn’t even start till quarter to twelve! There isn’t an ounce of creativity left in me, I’m afraid. Mr. FixIt was gone all afternoon so I tore through the house like a mad woman. And STILL didn’t get that living room done. I made progress. But I kept getting distracted by sparkly things and just couldn’t help myself. 

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I made supper with that Cabbage Roll Casserole I shared with y’all a while back. It’s so quick and easy and really yummy. I worked all evening on a t-shirt design that came to me while I was cleaning. I kept thinking of the words of Christmas and started visualizing them in my head. Then I arranged them and voila! I came up with the CUTEST Christmas shirt and I’m sharing it before I head to bed. 

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I also wanted to share something I found the other day at the Kroger Store. I think I told you about it the other day, but if you haven’t ever seen it, you should try to find it. Pear’s Soap. It’s actually made in India and I used to buy it when I lived in England. That and Yardley and Crabtree & Evelyn. Pear’s soap is a translucent amber color and I love the smell it has some sort of fragrant herbs in it. If you ever find it, you should give it a try. It’s very gentle on the skin.

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I’ve also started using a new lotion to try to stay ahead of my inevitable “winter skin.” It isn’t greasy and I love how it makes my skin feel. I put it on at night so it has a chance to soak in while I sleep. My dermatologist recommended it so it’s got to be good, right?

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So, that’s all I’ve got today. I tried my hand at recording a cooking video but I’m going to have to do some serious editing! lol Do you all find you don’t like your voice on tape? I never have, even though others say nice things about it. So, maybe I’ll get brave one of these days and do one. I promise I’ll get an earlier start tomorrow.

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Wednesday and the week’s have over!

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🍁

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“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

\nProverbs 14:23 ESV\n
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#Work, #WinterPrep, #Organizing

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Christmas Words! This design came to me yesterday while I was cleaning and it took me a long time to get the design just right. I love it!

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Posies by my doorstep, shining in the afternoon sun!

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I needed a hearty-ish breakfast to start my day. At the same time, I’m doing that bouncy thing on the scale. I’ve lost the same two pounds twelve time in the last three weeks. I know what it is. I’m not working outside like I was all summer and you cannot expect to lose at the same rate when you aren’t burning off the calories. Also, the more weight you lose, the harder it is to lose more. That’s because your metabolism slows down. I hauling thirty pounds less fat around with me every day, so just walking the same pace I did when I was thirty pounds heavier isn’t going to cut it.

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Mr. FixIt and I love grits. And, they are “Green” on the Noom list of foods so I’m encouraged to eat better. I watched Miss Brenda Gantt making her Southern Grits from Andalusia, Alabama and she puts a whole stick of butter and half a brick of cream cheese in hers. If I did that, they definitely wouldn’t be on the “Green Food” list, but ohhhhh, they would sure be scrumptious! I just cook them up in water with salt and a couple tablespoons of butter till they’re nice and thick.

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Once the grits are done, I take them off the heat and put a lid on them. Then I fry a couple of eggs with the smallest amount of oil in the skillet… just enough to keep them from sticking. Mr. FixIt likes his eggs over medium so I cook his up first. Sometimes we have a little ham or turkey sausage with it, but we passed on the meat yesterday. I want to get those two pounds off for good this time! I like my eggs over easy and I put mine right on top of the grits and mix it all together. It’s laruppin’ good as my grandma used to say!

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Neat as a pin, and not nearly as crowded as it used to be.

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I finished washing all the cups and mugs that were in the cupboard that had the mice in it. I scrubbed down the cabinet itself, then lined the shelves with that cushioned liner. I think it lasts longer and it’s cheaper than all the others. I don’t like to use self-adhesive shelf liner. After awhile it just gets gummy and the heat and humidity in the kitchen can actually make it shrink a little. Then the adhesive around the edges gets dirty and it’s a mess. With the cushioned liner, you can easily take it out and spray it off if it gets dirty then put it back in when it dries.

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I’ll trim that foam stuff off sometime this week. The cable is from an old under-the-cabinet TV.

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Mr. FixIt brought me a can of that expanding foam spray that you use to fill gaps in things. It’s a really pain to work with and you sure don’t want to get it on you because you’ll have to wait till it wears off. I dropped a little on the counter, but I picked up the excess with a paper towel then used a nylon scrubby and some grease cutter and got it off before it hardened. I had a hard time getting the stuff to spray up into the cracks around the board that was over the hole in the top of the cabinet. 

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We’re going to paint the kitchen in the spring, so we’ll paint the interior of the cabinets and put new plywood shelves in them. For now, this will have to do. It’s clean and safe, so that’s all we need.

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I found out the reason there was a hole in the first place was the roof leaked in that spot one time and Mr. FixIt had to get up in there to fix it. He had it up there good, but a mouse can get through the smallest space. I wore vinyl gloves while I was working with the spray foam so I just squirted it on my fingers and shoved it up in the crack. That works fine. Now, when it’s hard, I can go back with a knife and trim the excess off that expands out of the crack as it cures.

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This isn’t all that’s going to Restore. But it’s a good start!

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Once I had that all done, it was time to decide what was going to go back in the cabinet. I had already started the ball rolling by picking out three mugs I didn’t want anymore. We picked up each one and decided if we should keep it or let it go and I am so happy to say we filled a medium-sized tote full and I’ll take it to Restore for Habitat for Humanity. Now I can get back to the living room this week. I have already taken several tubs of camping stuff downstairs to the storage room and it’s looking better.

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I have a boat load of things to do this week. It’s time to renew the tags on my truck, get it inspected, get the oil changed and tires rotated, and I need to have the transmission flushed. The furnace part should be in this week so hopefully the repair man will be here to put it in and it fixes the problem. We also need to take Mr. FixIt’s truck to the dump to empty some old building materials he’s gathered then he gets to do all the same things with his truck soon.

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I looked around yesterday and thought how nice it will be when this is all finished and I can sit down and knit or make a quilt or bake cookies for the holidays or whatever my little heart desires. I never dreamed retirement would be this busy! I don’t know how I did all this plus work sixty hours a week and take care of my family. 

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But, before I start all that, I have knitting group this morning and I’m really looking forward to fellowshipping with my new friends. I hope your weekend was good and that you have something fulfilling to do this week!

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🍁

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“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”

\nProverbs 13:4 ESV\n
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A friend wanted this ornament with the year on it so I thought I’d offer it here, as well.

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Shop Now

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-11-13T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/11/13/the-continuing-saga-of-the.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","In the Kitchen","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/11/02/a-day-at-the-keyboard.html", "title": "A Day at the Keyboard", "content_html": "\n
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With the first day of NaNoWriMo under my belt, I came out with 11,550 edited and proofed words. That doesn’t mean that’s the final draft… it’s just the beginning of my working draft. But it’s a good beginning! It took me over an hour to just FIND the manuscript. It’s been so long since I’ve worked on it that I couldn’t even remember the working title I was using. I finally found a copy as an attachment to an email. I tried every which way to open it and nothing worked. I broke for a second cup of RYZE and remembered… I wrote all that on my iPad. When I searched it, there it was. 

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I’ve decided to move it all to my laptop. For no other reason than it is new and more reliable. It’s painful to write thousands of words and then lose them in the ether. I learned that the hard way a long time ago. “Save early. Save often.” My mantra. I saved the iPad file into a Word document and emailed it to myself. Voila! 

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I haven’t worked on my book since probably 2018. Fortunately, the last time I worked on it, I did some heavy editing but I hadn’t accepted the additions or the deletions. I spent the rest of the day working on that and some formatting issues. I think spending time away from the work is critical. It allowed me to read it from a fresh perspective and I am happy with today’s results.

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I need to take breaks away from the screen throughout the day. I have dry eye so I need to use eye drops several times a day. It’s really easy for me to get swept up in what I’m writing and forget to do that. If I don’t, I pay for it with blurry vision and twitchy eyes. Unfortunately, I didn’t do a great job with that task yesterday so I must do better today.

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I tried something new yesterday. I seldom succumb to the lure of a flashy Facebook ad because I was burned by a couple of things I tried a few years ago. I’m much more discerning these days. I’ve been very happy with Noom, the weight loss app, and RYZE, the mushroom coffee and I hooked up with them through Facebook. So I was intrigued when I recently saw an ad for Popcorn Pancakes. 

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I LOVE PANCAKES! But most pancake mixes lack flavor and they’re sorely lacking in nutritional value. All hat… no cattle, so to speak.

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The creators of Long Table Pancakes were featured on Shark Tank. This guy knows what he’s doing. The whole thing started when he wanted to impress a certain beautiful acrobat. She needed some pretty nutrient-dense food to fuel her long and grueling workouts. Entrepreneur Samuel McClure Taylor to the rescue. Samuel was a former actor. He wanted to make a light pancake that was nutrient-dense for the woman he was smitten over. Most whole-grain pancakes are dense and heavy. He wanted that lighter-than-air pancake that was bursting with great flavor AND wholesome nutrients.

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Hence… this pancake mix was developed through much trial and error. The wheat we eat today is what I call “Frankenfood”. It’s been genetically engineered to produce fast crops with high yields for less investment. Samuel went to the farmers who grow heirloom grains. These are the grains our great great great great grandparents ate and the seeds have been passed from generation to generation. Samuel tried popping popcorn from heirloom kernels and grinding it into “flour”. With the addition of other heirloom grains like organic wheat flour, organic oat bran flour, and almond meal… these showstoppers had the folks on Shark Tank swooning. It does have some cane sugar, but real quality cane sugar has such a pure sweetness, it doesn’t take much to delight your tastebuds. 

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I can tell you from personal experience…I have NEVER tasted a pancake like this! It was truly flavorful. I mean packed-with-a-punch flavor that made me want to take tiny little bites to make breakfast last a while. Long Table Pancake Mix is only available in a handful of boutique stores. But they have a booming business online. As with all things that are really good for you, it’s a little pricey, but for a special breakfast treat… I think it can’t be beat!

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With all that, Samuel didn’t get an offer from The Sharks, but that didn’t stop him. His company continues to contribute to sustainable agriculture practices by teaming up with actual farmers developing nutritious products that will not only. Change your breakfast experience… it will change the world. One pancake at a time. If you are interested, I’d encourage you to give Long Table’s pancake and waffle mixes, as well as artisanal maple syrups a try. Support entrepreneurs and small businesses this Holiday Season. Long Table Heirloom Pancake & Waffle Mix

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🍁

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“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

\n‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV\n
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Who doesn’t love pancakes? Get this comfy shirt for those frosty mornings when nothing but a piping hot stack of flapjacks dripping with butter and real maple syrup will do. More pancakes, please!!!

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Shop Now

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\n\n", "date_published": "2023-11-02T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/11/02/a-day-at-the-keyboard.html", "tags": ["Writing","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/10/29/a-speedy-saturday.html", "title": "A Speedy Saturday", "content_html": "\n
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You know, for not doin’ much a nuthin’, the day sure got away from me. I basically piddled doing one thing or another without accomplishing a lot. I did move the black walnuts over to the garden. The hulls need to rot off and if I leave them in the buckets, they’ll just mold. Grandma used to take them to the basement and spread them out on old newspapers to dry. But to be honest, I don’t have the square footage available here to do that…in the basement or in the building. I spread them out in a single layer and shut all the gates. I can see the garden from the bedroom so if something gets into them, I should hear/see the nut snatchers. I don’t think a bear would scale the tall fence for walnuts when there are plenty down by the creek. The deer can’t get in with the gates closed. So, if anything gets into them, it’s got to be something small.

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I worked on the computer a lot yesterday…designing some Christmas ornaments for the shop. In the middle of the day, I decided to bake Mr. FixIt a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It’s his favorite and I’m trying to get some calories in him to build up his strength. He’s feeling better every day. He’s still congested, but he hasn’t had a fever for a couple of days now. I’ll run another Covid test on him tomorrow, but I think the worst is past us. I’ll test myself again tomorrow, as well. God was watching out for him, I’m telling you that.

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Along in the afternoon, I moved the dresser away from the wall in the bedroom and vacuumed the cool air intake vent. I did the same in the hallway and guest bedroom. I don’t think there is a blockage on the supply side of the furnace. And, there doesn’t seem to be any blockage from the blower into the rooms. Personally, I think our son might be onto something. He thinks maybe bees got down into the exhaust from the furnace burners and it’s tripping a safety switch. Either that, or the motherboard is faulty. We have to figure this out pretty soon. The temps are taking a nosedive in the coming days and it’s going to get pretty nippy in here!

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Isn’t it sad about Matthew Perry who played Chandler on Friends? He passed away from an accidental drowning in his hot tub. He has struggled with the disease of addiction for many years and I know from personal experience how terrible that is to live with. I was blessed…my miracle came instantaneously after I overdosed. I never had a desire to drink or abuse prescription drugs after that. Others aren’t so lucky. They fight and lose over and over and over till that particular demon takes them. My prayers go out to those who knew and loved him…both in real life and those who loved the characters he played.

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I think I may try to sleep in the camper tonight. It will be quite some time before the temperature will be above 50° at night. Mr. FixIt hasn’t needed me at night since the first couple of days he was sick so I can slip away. I need to get out to the farm and get the furnace and the gas stoves turned on and make sure everything is working right.

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I spoke with my sister-in-law in Utah last night. They are Jewish. We talked about the war in Israel and how everyone in the Jewish Community knows someone or is related to someone there. It breaks my heart. I am so worried for my Jewish friends and family and for everyone affected by the violence perpetrated against them. I pray earnestly for them all.

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Please pray for peace.

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🍁

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“And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.””

\nExodus 33:14 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-10-29T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/10/29/a-speedy-saturday.html", "tags": ["Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/10/25/cleaning-out-the-pantry-and.html", "title": "Cleaning Out the Pantry and Freezer", "content_html": "\n
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This monstrous sycamore is right across the dirt road from the near field.

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I feel like the ant…busy, busy, busy getting things ready for winter. Putting things to bed for the year. Clearing out the old and unusable stuff out of the pantry and the freezer. Today is trash day and I throw the old foodstuffs out the night before so as to keep the neighborhood wildlife at bay. 

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I’ve never been good about going through the pantry and cleaning it out. I have a gazillion other things that seem to take priority. But since I deep cleaned the kitchen, the pantry was the next logical thing. I had noticed pantry moths this fall, and I can’t have that. I have a pair of really expensive LLBean washed wool slippers. I hadn’t seen them for a while and found them under our bed…moth eaten! It broke my heart. So, I’m cleaning like a mad woman. 

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Mr. FixIt found a good deal on ground turkey at Sam’s club the other day. Five pounds (two 2.5 pound packages) is usually $15.92 but he got it for $13 and change. I needed to do something with it yesterday other than my usual MO…stuff it in the freezer before it goes bad. That’s a bad habit because so many times it just sits in there and gets freezer burn. I’m making a pledge to reduce the amount of food that gets thrown away. It’s terrible! Since I was puttering in the kitchen anyway, I got busy and did some cooking. 

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I bought some Pork Sausage Seasoning at the Piggly Wiggly last night. It had 8 ounces in a packet. Zero calories. I had to do some math to figure out how much to put in with one package of two-and-a-half pounds of 93% lean ground turkey. I also added 1.5 cup of Panko crumbs, 1 cup of self rising flour, and two eggs as an extender. It made sixteen good sized patties at 177 calories a patty. I had one for breakfast and put the rest in servings of 2-3 patties in vacuum seal bags for the freezer.

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I still had two-and-a-half pounds of ground turkey left so I mixed up much the same recipe but used different spices to make turkey burgers. We had that for supper. It made ten bigger patties for only 282 calories each. They are also in vacuum seal bags. I fried the sausage patties and the turkey burgers for a few minutes on each side to get the browned look, then finished them by baking in a 350° oven for 20 minutes. I turned them over and baked for another 5-10 minutes to make sure they were cooked through, but not too dry. Both kinds of patties came out really good but I was especially pleased with the sausage. We usually eat Jimmy Dean’s or Butterball Turkey Sausage and I am not happy with their seasonings. These tasted all the world like pork sausage patties.

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I went out on the mower late yesterday afternoon and started mulching up the leaves along the hedgerow…keeping a weather eye out for the bear, of course. I saw more fresh sign and have paid special attention to the trees and underbrush. I found a place down by the creek that had been dug up by something BIG, but not sure why. We have a lot of voles down in that area of the field. 

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It’s time to start looking for seed for the pollinator gardens for next year. My friend Aimee is an Education and Outreach Specialist at West Virginia Conservation Agency and has the 411 on all things pollinator. She’s guided me to Ernst Seed to look for heliopsis. I’ve protected my five little milkweed plants with my life and they have opened with a proliferation of seed. Aimee says in three years, it will be everywhere!!! I’m praying for monarchs!

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🍁

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“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

\nGalatians 6:9 ESV\n
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The calories between Christmas and New Years don’t count nearly as much as the calories between New Years and Christmas! This cute sweatshirt is perfect for those Cookie Exchange Parties!!!

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Shop Now

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-10-25T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/10/25/cleaning-out-the-pantry-and.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/10/21/cold-and-rainy-days-call.html", "title": "Cold and Rainy Days Call for Comfort Food!", "content_html": "\n
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A sesame seed brioche bun is the perfect canvas for this savory pulled pork topped with Duke’s Moonshine Barbecue Sauce.

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There’s something so cozy about a chilly, rainy day in West Virginia. The clouds are  grey and heavy with rain. Periodic downpours plink-plink-plink on the exhaust pipes stick out of the roof. I spent the morning on the computer in the office. I didn’t accomplish much other than cleaning and organizing so I can work more easily. I brought some more things in from the camper…my knitting, primarily. But I didn’t take the time to work on it. I will soon.

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After tossing the chunks of pork in the dry rub to coat evenly, the initial sear creates a crust on the meat that keeps the flavor sealed in!

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When Mr. FixIt went to town on Thursday, I asked him to get me a good sized Boston Butt roast. We both love roast pork. Sometimes I just make it fairly unseasoned so I can serve it in several different ways. But when I’m feeling all bougie-like, I make Dutch Oven Pulled Pork from Our Salty Kitchen.  Honestly, it’s the best pulled pork I’ve ever made and is a reliable recipe, time after time. We had pulled pork sandwiches last night for supper. SO delicious!

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You only add one half cup of water to the Dutch oven and the meat braises in it’s own juices, rendering down into its own “barbecue sauce.”

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Another taste treat I pull out of the cupboard on cold days is my faithful tin of Blue Lotus Chai. It is a traditional Masala Chai. It’s something to be savored. I love it, but I’ve had this same tin for ages. I divvy it out like gold. I was really feeling it yesterday because I had THREE cups! I’ll probably be buzzing all night! I usually add a decaf teabag to the cup for a little richer flavor. Sweeten how you like. And I used about a quarter cup of Silk Original Almond Milk. I worked at the desk, sipping my chai, and listening to the rain out the window. What an incredibly relaxing afternoon!

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Masala Chai…it comes with its own tiny wooden spoon for measuring out about a quarter teaspoon per cup.

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This is such a treat…slowing down and nesting after being on the go since…well, all year, really. Mr. FixIt went to town yesterday to get a part for the furnace and, unfortunately, that didn’t fix the problem. It’s supposed to be pretty chilly this weekend and we’ll probably be doing without the furnace, but I have all the trust in the world in my husband’s abilities. He can fix anything!

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Mmmmmm….leftovers!

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Today will probably be spent much the same way. I do need to do some designs for the shop and get back in the swing with that. I kind of slacked off during our trip. I’m sure the rain and wind will bring down much of the beautiful color we saw earlier in the week. The woods look so lonely and bare when they’ve been stripped of their foliage. That’s when the long, dark nights of winter become a little harder to take. I’m vowing to keep myself active and occupied all winter so I don’t get the “grey gloomies” like I usually do!

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🍁

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“Give us this day our daily bread,”

\nMatthew 6:11 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-10-21T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/10/21/cold-and-rainy-days-call.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/09/10/getting-things-done.html", "title": "Getting Things Done", "content_html": "\n
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When Mr. FixIt and I were drinking our morning beverages yesterday, he asked if I wanted to go to town with him. Our Bonus Daughter and her daughter were having a yard sale. Our only great granddaughter was selling lemonade so, of COURSE we had to go. Clearly I had other things lined up that need doing before I head out to camp with Gail tomorrow, but the biggest takeaway from losing Mr. Virgo is just how quickly it all can change. I slipped on my tennies and we were off.

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Fortunately, it didn’t turn into a terribly long day. We had a wonderful time. The kids were playing on the porch. Little Girl and I played Princesses and Little Boy showed me his Slime. The Former Mrs. FixIt was there. Once it was time to go, Mr. FixIt and I stopped at some garage sales down the street and The Former Mr. FixIt was right behind us. We looked at all the treasures and ended up splitting a set of knives. Neither one of us needed all of them.

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At the last sale, we ran into another guy we graduated with. In the course of conversation, there were two other women there who were widows. I made a beeline for them and gave them a hug and asked how they were doing. If you know, you know. We get it. We’re in a club we didn’t ask for. When they learned I went on and married my bestie from high school, they both said they didn’t think that was in the cards for them. 

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It may not be. Not everyone who becomes a widow or a widower want or need to be in a relationship again. But you never know when God is going to drop someone on your doorstep. If you’re open to another relationship, you’ll likely notice them. If you aren’t, you may not even see that ship that passes in the night. Either way, it’s ok. You’ll know if it’s right for you or not.

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We stopped at Mary B’s on the way home and had a quick early supper. I almost always get Liver and Onions there. It’s such a comfort food, hearty, and feels like a total splurge while not really being that high in calories. We got home and looked at a couple of episodes of a series we’ve been watching lately. It’s about solving cold cases. That kind of show appeals to my science side and my data gathering skills. I popped some popcorn and then just about finished the kitchen. I still need to wipe down the cabinets, clean the stove and oven, and mop the floor.

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Whew, this was quite a chore! I’m really glad to be past this job. It’s a lot easier to keep a room clean, a little at a time every day, than it is to tear it apart and do a deep cleaning. Hopefully we’ll keep up with it. Now I can spend some time getting the camper ready to leave tomorrow for four days and nights of relaxation, knitting, checking out antique shops, and doing whatever our little hearts desire. I think I’ve earned this little getaway!

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Today is Mr. Virgo’s birthday. He would have been 73 today. That is hard for me to imagine. He will always be 62 years old in my head. I don’t often dwell on his loss anymore. It doesn’t really serve me and ends up just making me sad. So, I throw myself into a project and think it through in bites…just like getting through the project. By the time I’m through, I have something beautiful to look back on and I’m here…in this moment.

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Living a good life.

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Happy Birthday, Mr. Virgo! 

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?

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“She carefully watches everything in her household and suffers nothing from laziness.”

\nProverbs 31:27 NLT\n
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No ads today. Enjoy your Sunday!

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-09-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/09/10/getting-things-done.html", "tags": ["Grief","Gratitude","Choices","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/09/08/diving-deep-in-the-fridge.html", "title": "Diving Deep in the Fridge", "content_html": "\n
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There aren’t too many tasks that I truly loathe, but one of them is cleaning the refrigerator. I hate wasting food and I always end up throwing stuff away. I hate the idea of opening one of those plastic tubs and see a science experiment in there that would have really pleased my 8th grade science teacher. (Shhhh…I’ve been known to toss it, plastic container and all!) Ugh!

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Mr. FixIt left early and headed to town for his errands du jour. I put off the inevitable with a hot beverage, then sighed. I wanted a second cup, but that meant I had to get up and go into the kitchen where the “Refrigerator of Doom” sat…glaring at me. I put the kettle on, that ran a sink full of soapy water. I set my hot drink to the side and started throwing stuff away. It’s unbelievable the sheer amount of waste. Granted…most of it was condiments. 

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There were three opened jars of pickled beets. Now, I love the occasional pickled beet. And when I’m at the store, I can never remember…did I finish that jar? Who am I kidding…I’ve never finished a jar of pickled beets in my life. But I’d get another one…you know,  just to be sure. I took some on the relish tray to the family picnic last Sunday and no one touched them. That’s how popular they are around here. So, out they went. Whenever I think I might want some, I’ll remember tossing three nearly full jars that were WAY out of date…but really, do they EVER go out of date?

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There were several half-eaten jars of my homemade jam that were dry as shoe leather. Same with salsa. Those made me sad because I remember how much work it took to make them. Note to self: Think twice before you make more jam and salsa. Save yourself the work…before and after. I carried three loads of clean jars downstairs and put them on the shelves where we store such things. 

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I’m ashamed to say, I cannot remember the last time I tore that fridge apart and cleaned every inch of it. I’m hoping it’s memory loss and not that I’ve been so negligent. I took three trash bags of stuff out of there. Granted, they weren’t full…the contents were heavy. And, I haven’t touched the freezer yet. Our trash is picked up on Wednesday, so anytime I need to toss freezer contents, it goes out on Tuesday night or else we’ll have a passel of possums and a riot of raccoons out there digging through it.

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Of course, the rest of the kitchen looks like a bomb went off, but I was so proud of the fridge when it was finished. I put in a fresh box of baking soda and carefully inscribed the date when it needs to be replaced. 10/07/2023. False hope.

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*sigh*

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What I remind myself when I’m doing such chores is this. We are blessed to have this home with a kitchen in which to cook. And the means to pay the utility bills to make it convenient and to have running water and food to store away. There are so, so many who lack even the most basic necessities of life. I am grateful for God’s provision. I have nothing to complain about.

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?

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“The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.”

\nPsalms 145:15-16 NLT\n
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Autumn Leaves Mug…perfect for sipping while leaf peeping!

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Shop Now

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-09-08T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/09/08/diving-deep-in-the-fridge.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/09/03/home-from-the-farm.html", "title": "Home From The Farm", "content_html": "\n
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Pumpkin Kitty has squeezed herself into the little ditch beside the sidewalk…waiting for Dad to come by.

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I worked all day Friday and all day yesterday on my shop. I’ve been a little behind in getting the fall stuff our and now its time to start on the Christmas stuff. I have a deeper empathy for those who not only run their own small businesses but also have the time crunch of being ready for the holidays.

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When I had Needles & Pins my little needlework shop in Glenwood Springs, I didn’t really have distinct seasons. Most of my supplies were for counted cross stitchers and some of those beautiful Santas and Snowmen and Angels take a LONG time to work. There were small projects that could be finished in a reasonable timeframe, but I sold all seasons, all the time.

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This shop is different. You have to start planning for the holidays months in advance and if you get behind, you could miss the opportunity to make some good sales. If I could get this up and running steady, I could make it a steady side hustle that would really help us out in our “fixed income years.” There are certain things you can’t say in posts or the algorithms will kick you down the ladder of engagement. Words like s.h.a.r.e and c.o.m.m.e.n.t are no-nos, so asking you to do those things is counter productive. But if you’re feeling generous and would like to expose more of your friends to what I’m doing here…I would be ever so grateful.

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So, back to yesterday. As I was coming home, I passed my cousin’s place down the road and they were gathered for a cookout. I went down the road to the turnaround in front of their house and circled back. In order to get over to the bunkhouse where the fire pit is located, you need to down a steep and narrow driveway then drive through the creek at the bottom and back up the other side. I just flip my truck into 4WD and she handles it like a champ.

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I couldn’t sit around for very long because Mr. FixIt was expecting me and there’s no cell service at the bunkhouse so I couldn’t call him. It was fun to catch up a little. My cousin and his wife are both retired now so ostensibly we could see each other more often. It just hasn’t turned out that way this summer. You know how it is after you retire…you’re busier than you ever were when you were working!

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I have everything ready to put the pork roast in early this morning. I’ve got the dry rub mixed up. I have the crudités just about ready to go in the container I’ll take with us to the picnic. I need to mix up a batch of homemade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. I have several kinds of crackers. I had to laugh when I stopped a the deli at the Piggly Wiggly. I wanted to get some hard salami and have it sliced thin enough to make little roses to decorate my tray.

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Deli Clerk: “How thick do you want this?”

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Me: “Oh, well thin enough to form into roses for my charcuterie board, but not so thick as they would break.”

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Deli Clerk:

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Me:

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Deli Clerk:

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Me: “Thin. But not too thin, or too thick.”

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Deli Clerk: “Ok. How ‘bout I cut a slice and you tell me which direction to go…deal?”

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Sure ‘nuff, that’s a deal. Sometimes I forget where I am and that I’m a logophile in the smallest county in the state. We don’t even have a stop light. There are a lot of well educated West Virginians who are worldly and erudite. But the majority, I would have to say, are linguistically challenged. So I try not to come off as pedant, but I do love words. I like to challenge people a little to expand their vocabulary, but I never mean it in a showy way. I just don’t always “read the room” accurately. That’s actually an autistic trait. 

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Off for a fun day of family fun, food, and….cornhole!

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?

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“But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.”

\n1 Timothy 5:8 NLT\n
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No ad today…it’s the Lord’s Day. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-09-03T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/09/03/home-from-the-farm.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/08/03/embracing-the-august-cool-down.html", "title": "Embracing the August Cool Down", "content_html": "\n
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Ahhhhh, the low Tuesday night was 56° and I slept in the camper with the windows wide open. After the deadly heat of July, this is a most welcome change for us. The house stayed cool with fans running and we didn’t have any heavy work to do. I had Mr. FixIt pick up a pork roast when he was in town Tuesday so I popped it in the slow cooker so it wouldn’t heat up the house. When it was time for supper, I dished up the tender fall-off-the-bone pork and added a garnish of Chow Chow Relish on the side. I shucked a couple of ears of corn, opened a jar of my home canned half runner beans to heat up, and sliced both fresh tomatoes and cantaloupe and called it good. It was a perfect summer supper!

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When I was growing up, Grandma would walk over to the kitchen garden on the other side of the creek and bring in a mess of sweet corn. She’d shuck it…or get us kids to when we were old enough…then she would boil it to death till is was tough and gummy. We ate it all like we hadn’t seen food in a month of Sundays, but I never knew what GOOD corn was till I lived in Colorado. Not to steal any thunder from Silver Queen, but there is nothing like Olathe Sweet Corn. It’s like crack…you can’t stop once you’ve started. But I learned a trick when I lived in the Rockies. You put your water on to boil while you shuck the corn. Then, as soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, you drop your corn in, cover the pot tight, and turn off the heat. In five minutes, your corn will be piping hot and the kernels will just pop all that juicy sweetness with every bite. I firmly believe you should never COOK corn…you should heat it in that hot water and eat it al dente. SO good!

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After supper, and the news, I asked Mr. FixIt if he’d like to go for a walk with me. We drove over to the park in our little burg and walked three laps and greeted the most beautiful standard poodle that waited patiently for us to come around every lap for more scratches behind her ears. She was a sweetheart. After our walk, we drove around to see what has happened while we were gone. The little mom & pop grocery store closed while we were out of town and that was very sad. They’ve finished the work on the water system in town and made significant progress on the new addition to the medical clinic. Other than that, it’s just the same.

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When we got home, I realized I was out of yogurt for my usual bedtime snack, so I made my collagen protein shake instead. I added a fresh, juicy peach and a cup of blueberries and it was Purple Peach Passion with a dash of Pomegranate. And the added bonus of hydration. I never drink enough fluids and run a little dehydrated most of the time, so this was good for me. It also satisfied my sweet tooth!

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The fields look like a manicured golf course. No water, no seeding, no fertilizer…just God and Mother Nature…doing their thing! I love summer. We caught this beautiful sunset from the top of the hill on the way home. Fall will come and the leaves will turn and fall off. Then my beloved woods will lay dormant…their bare naked arms reaching for their blankets to ward off winter’s chill. I want to bottle up these temperate days and save their beauty for January and February. 

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It will be here all too soon.

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?

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“It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter.”

\nPsalms 74:17 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-08-03T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/08/03/embracing-the-august-cool-down.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/07/13/what-a-fun-day-in.html", "title": "What a FUN Day in the Kitchen!!!", "content_html": "\n
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I got up yesterday and went to the grocery store to buy the things I needed to teach the girls how to prepare several traditional Jewish dishes. I was so enamored with the King Soopers near Ben and Sue’s house that I wandered around for an hour and half just having a completely marvelous time! I’ve been doing a lot of the cooking and cleaning up to help Sue since she’s still recovering from knee surgery. She still gets in there and does a lot, but I swore I would NOT allow her to wait on us while we’re here.

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Daughter #1 and Little came over around 1:30 and Little’s friend and her mom came at 2:00. We promptly got to work. The first thing to do was mix up the matzo ball batter and get it chilling in the fridge. Then I taught the girls how to pare and core the apples, chop them, toast the walnuts and chop them to make Charoset. We added cinnamon, honey, brown sugar, and Kosher red wine then popped it in the fridge to chill.

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Next up was the Matzo Ball Soup. We poured a large box of low sodium chicken broth into a stock pot with a tight fitting lid. Little filled the broth container with water and we poured that in as well. While it was heating up, we sautéed a mirepoix…chopped onions, celery, and carrots till the onions were translucent. We added that to the pot and adjusted the heat to a simmer. We did add about half of the soup mix packet that comes with the boxed matzo ball soup mix.

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We removed the matzo ball batter from the fridge and started forming small balls around the size of a big marble. You need to do this with wet hands. This allows the surface of the matzo ball to be smoothed out to seal any cracks, thus preventing them from falling apart while cooking. You keep the lid on the pot while it’s simmering, then remove the lid quickly when you add a matzo ball then put the lid on fast. This traps the steam in the pot and makes your matzo balls fluffy.

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Once that was done, it was time to start the Hamantashen. These are triangular shaped cookies filled with a variety of different fillings. We chose raspberry jam, apricot jam, and chocolate. Traditionally they are filled with poppyseed paste, but I couldn’t find any. I think it’s usually only sold for Purim in the spring. We mixed up the dough and it needed more flour than the recipe called for. We finally got it at just the right consistency. We rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper then cut it in circles with a biscuit cutter. We placed the circles on a cookie sheet (I forgot to line it with parchment paper so they stuck a tiny bit). Then we dropped a scant teaspoon of one of the fillings, folded up three edges and pinched the three resulting corners together.

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We also needed to bake the cookies about five minutes longer than the recipe called for. Once the last sheet of cookies was in the oven, we started making the potato kugel. Daughter #1 has discovered a brilliant hack to make this a much easier process. Traditionally, potatoes are peeled and then grated into ice water to keep them from turning a dull grey. Once they’re all grated, you have to squeeze all the water out. If you have any arthritis in your hands, this is a killer. So my brilliant daughter just buys a big bag of shredded hash browns. So smart this girl.

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My daughter added about a half a cup of vegetable oil to a 13”x9” pan and popped it in the oven to get hot. We added about half of a chopped onion, half a cup or so of matzo meal, and salt and pepper to the hash browns and tossed that together. Then, we whipped up six eggs and poured it over the hash browns and combined them well. Once the pan was hot, we poured the potato/egg mixture in and baked it in a 400° oven till crispy and browned around the edges. Yummmmy!

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The last dish we prepared was Matzo Brei…a sort of Jewish French Toast. We took six sheets of matzo and crumbled it into a bowl then put hot water over it to let the matzos soak it up. In a separate bowl, I beat four eggs with a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar, added a few shakes of cinnamon, and a generous tablespoon of my home brewed vanilla. We scooped up handfuls of the now soggy matzo and squeezed as much water out as we could and put it in the egg mixture. Once all the matzo was in the bowl, we mixed up the “batter” and dropped it by spoonfuls into a medium hot skillet with melted butter in it. We fried them till they were golden brown on each side then removed them from the pan and worked on the next skillet full.

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We were just finishing when Mr. FixIt and Ben walked in the front door. They took the camper to the cattle ranch out on the eastern plains. I was tickled when I learned they were able to park it under cover to protect it from severe weather. I fed the guys with all that yummy Jewish food and called it a night! My back hurt and my feet were cramping from standing on them all day. But it really was a fun afternoon of cooking foods I haven’t made in ages. I left the photography to Little so I’ll just post the ones I have. We didn’t get every dish but you’ll get the idea. I’ll try to leave a link to the recipes we used. Some were just in our heads because we’ve made them for so long.

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?

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“So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths.”

\nColossians 2:16 NLT\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-07-13T00:00:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/07/13/what-a-fun-day-in.html", "tags": ["Fun","Cooking","In the Kitchen","Mental Health"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/04/18/another-cold-spell.html", "title": "Another Cold Spell", "content_html": "\n
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My new shoes in the “Ocean Waves” pattern. I got them for the beach!

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OMGosh! It’s been really chilly the last couple of days but it warms up on Wednesday. The low last night was predicted to be 39° and 36° tomorrow night. I took the quilt top to the quilter yesterday morning. I stopped for donuts on the way in case there were folks there and sure enough, the parking lot filled up right after I arrived. We all sat around and talked about the projects we’re working on and nibbled on our pastries. It was so much fun. I miss having a stitching group to get together every week. Maybe this fall I’ll organize something!

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I got a notification that a couple of samples I ordered from my shop had arrived so I stopped at the Post Office to get them. Then I headed home to help Mr. FixIt clean house. We got in the habit of stacking books and magazines beside our Big Red Chairs and we have a tendency to throw our jackets on the back of the sofa. So it just took a little while to get things put away. 

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We have to go to town today for an appointment and to pick up prescriptions. I noticed some little black ants in the camper this weekend so I need to get some ant poison to leave in there. I really need to move the camper around to the back of the house and get it away from the maple tree because that’s where the ants are coming from.

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By late afternoon, we were ready to stop for the day and I fixed supper. I thawed out some salmon and made saffron rice with mushrooms and steamed asparagus. OMGosh! It was SO yummy. Mr. FixIt never complains about my cooking, but he has…only once…told me something was good but I didn’t have to make it again. *giggle* He’s such a gentle man. Anyway, he raved about this meal so I need to make it more often. I think I only have one more meal left out of that large salmon filet I bought in late January. Fish is really good for you!

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He had never had saffron rice before. I haven’t made it in years. I bought some saffron at the store a year or two ago and finally decided yesterday was the day. I don’t know if you’ve ever cooked with saffron or know where it comes from. It originated in Greece but today it comes primarily from Morocco, Greece, India, and Iran. It comes from the saffron crocus and looks just like the little caucus that blooms in the early spring except the stigmas are longer. Each flower only produces three strands of saffron that are harvested in the mid morning while the flowers are still closed. And all this is done by hand. It takes at least 1,000 to produce one ounce of saffron which can costs $60.00 an ounce or more. You can get a .07oz tin for under $14 through my affiliate link on Amazon HERE.

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I take a couple of good pinches of the saffron and put in a tiny dish. If you have a mortar and pestle, grind it with a half teaspoon of sugar then add 2-3 tablespoons of warm water. Stir and let sit for the the saffron to “bloom”. Then add a little salt. While the saffron is soaking, caramelize some onions and sliced white mushrooms. Stir in the cooked rice and the soaked saffron along with another pinch of the dried saffron and you have a beautiful, rich side dish that goes wonderfully with seafood, chicken, or lamb.

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Two more sleeps…it’s time for a road trip, y’all!

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?

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“But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.”

\n1 Corinthians 8:8 NIV\n
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#Saffron, #Cooking, #Salmon

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“What happens at the campfire, stays at the campfire”

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Shop Now

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-04-18T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/04/18/another-cold-spell.html", "tags": ["Health","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/04/07/hokey-smokes.html", "title": "Hokey Smokes!", "content_html": "\n
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The bottom of our Dwarf Rhododendron doesn’t look so good.

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Yesterday was one of those days when all I did was make more work for myself. I sat down to continue working on the taxes and I couldn’t find our receipt for the real estate taxes anywhere. So, off to our little village I went. I picked up a package at the Post Office then headed to the County Courthouse. After greeting the very nice guard at the entrance, I headed down the hall and ran into one of my Facebook friends. Rain and I hadn’t met in person yet. We came to be friends online through our mutual friend, Sparky. I introduced myself and we stood in the hallway for forty-five minutes. She loves to fish. Me, too! She makes jewelry out of old silverware. Me, too! (Though not for some time.) She loves to read, write, and takes awesome photographs. We love a lot of the same things so I think we’re going to be fast friends.

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After we said our goodbyes, I went on down the hall to the Sheriff’s Office. I asked for a copy of our real estate taxes. She asked, “Paid or Due?” Turns out, the new ones are due at the end of the month so I just went ahead and paid them while I was there. I mean, it’s only money, right? Oy.

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Next stop was the Piggly Wiggly. I love to tell you about my trips to the Piggly Wiggly because I just love to say…Piggly Wiggly. Whoever came up with that name deserves an award or a side of ribs or something! The Pig is the kind of grocery store you find in a town with 706 souls. There’s a large selection of locally produced items like jams and jellies and the like. There’s a small produce section that keeps the staples you need when a trip to town is out of the question. It’s got everything but alcohol. I think the section I love the best is all the Piggly Wiggly Merch. T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, socks, tote bags all with the uber cute Piggy mascot. There are a couple of t-shirts with our town name on them and of course the local high school team has a strong presence. It’s small town living at its best and everyone is so friendly and nice.

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I spent the rest of the day making phone calls and chatting with customer service over an item that needed returned. Finally, I looked up and saw the time. It was going on 5:00 and I needed to start supper. I took liver out of the freezer a couple of days ago and it had to be cooked last night. I had a package of ready made mashed potatoes in the fridge, but I was really disappointed to see they were bad…even though they were still in the “use by” date. So, out they went. I found some instant mashed potatoes in the pantry, but I think they were perhaps around since the Civil War. Out they went. In a last ditch effort, I got two cans of sliced white potatoes out and put them on to fry.

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We wanted sautéed liver and onions. When I cut into the onions, they were rotten so I had to call Mr. FixIt in town to buy more. Finally, finally, finally I got everything cooked including some of my home canned half-runner beans and we ate high on hog, I’m telling ya!

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I never did get back to the taxes. They’ll have to wait for today. Mr. FixIt kept busy all day working on the last of the hallway trim then he started on the big bathroom. By the end of the day, we were whupped. And mowing hasn’t even started yet! The cold front came in Wednesday night and it will be noticeably cooler the next few nights, so no “camping” for me till it warms up again. Mr. FixIt told me I need to get back out to the farm before I miss all the spring flowers! Soon, soon.

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?

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 “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.”

\nHebrews 4:11 ESV\n
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When life hands you lemons, grill some salmon!

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Shop Now!

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-04-07T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/04/07/hokey-smokes.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/03/03/seldom-a-dull-moment-at.html", "title": "Seldom a Dull Moment at Our House", "content_html": "\n
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Our Giant Sycamores in the Hedgerow

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I can’t say I never have them. Dull moments come to us all. Yesterday was one of those days that things just seemed to need doing, like…right now. I was in the middle of my work on the project when Mr. FixIt decided it was time to do something about the gas stove in the family room. I have noticed the walls were getting discolored up by the ceiling. Then, I saw something that wasn’t supposed to be there…under the stove itself.

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On closer inspection, it was soot. The stove has never produced soot before so I knew something was wrong. I did a little research online and we finally figured out the logs were not positioned correctly. When we had the new carpet put down, we moved that stove. When we put it back, I noticed the logs had become displaced so I put them back as best as I could remember. I had no idea whatsoever that they have to be in a certain position in order to work properly or they create soot. There’s even a photo of the proper placement in the instruction manual. Because I didn’t know this, it didn’t occur to me to say anything to Mr. FixIt or he would have caught my error. Now we have to repaint the family room. But, I was getting tired of the bluish grey anyway. I want to paint the whole house with the same color we used in the hallway…Swiss Coffee. It helps sell a house if the rooms are all one color and we’re still planning on moving to town before too much longer.

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Once we got that messy job finished, it was time to fix supper. I bought a big salmon filet at Sam’s week before last and cut it up in meal sized portions and froze them. I took a bag out Wednesday night for last night’s supper. 

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We have a set of Ninja Cookware and I love that you can put the skillets in the oven. I baked two medium sized potatoes. Then I melted a little butter in the pan. I sliced up several big mushrooms and placed them in the skillet, put the salmon on top of the mushrooms, then nestled the potatoes on either side. I sprinkled Tabitha Brown’s Salt Free Sunshine Seasoning on top and added some fresh ground pepper and a squeeze or two of lemon juice. I covered the pan and put it in a 350° oven for about 15-20 minutes. I removed the pan and placed asparagus spears on either end of the salmon and popped it back in the oven for another 5 minutes or so till the spears were just perfect. Oh. My. Gosh! It was amazing!

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So, we got some things done that needed doing and we had a veritable feast afterward. I love when a meal comes together and it’s the crowning touch to a busy and productive day!

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?

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“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

\n1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV\n
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*Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The products I link to are items I have personally used or have been used by someone I know and trust. On occasion, I may share something on my wish list. Your purchase price is not affected by my affiliation.

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-03-03T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/03/03/seldom-a-dull-moment-at.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/01/30/stretching-your-food-dollars.html", "title": "Stretching Your Food Dollars", "content_html": "\n
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I cracked the egg in the skillet and it became the shape of WV!

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We are big breakfast eaters here at Marshmallow Ranch. When I askMr. FixIt what he’d like to eat, sometimes I get an answer. Other times it’s… “I don’t know.” Those are the mornings when I have the green light to just make whatever I want and he never complains about what’s put in front of him.

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Like most everyone, our food dollars are getting stretched to the max. I’m always on the lookout to find ways to use up leftovers so nothing gets thrown out. (I’m not always successful.) I follow the Facebook Page for Sugar Butte Farms out of Logan, Ohio. It’s run by a young couple and I admire their work ethic. They have a lovely page where they share videos and recipes. 

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The other day, they were featuring breakfast foods and posted a video for making sausage patties in bulk. They packaged them up and stored some in the fridge and some in the freezer. I watched the video again yesterday as I mixed up a double batch of these delicious patties. We both loved them!

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I remember my grandma telling me about adding “fillers” to their meat during the Great Depression. They would add oats or flour to extend the servings. When Hubby #2 was in medical school, I added TVP (Texturized Vegetable Protein) to hamburger to make meatloaf, chili and spaghetti sauce. This recipe for the sausage patties reminded me of that.

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I was in the Piggly Wiggly Saturday afternoon and picked up a pound each of regular and hot sausage with this recipe in mind. When Mr. FixIt didn’t have a breakfast request yesterday, I knew just what to make! Here’s a link to Sugar Butte Farm’s video, as well as the recipe.

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Farmhouse Breakfast Sausage Patties from Sugar Butte Farms\n\nPreheat oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper\n\n1 pound Ground Breakfast Sausage\n1 cup Flour\n1 cup Grated Cheese, your choice of variety\n1 Egg\n\nAdd ingredients to a mixer bowl and mix till well blended. Form into patties and place on the parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes. (Mine were a little thicker so it took closer to 25 to 30 to get done. I turned them over halfway through so they’d be evenly browned. Like I said, I doubled the batch and used one pound each of regular and hot breakfast sausage. When I make them next time, I’ll use all hot sausage because it really wasn’t very spicy at all. I think the extra ingredients toned down the flavor. We served them on a toasted bagel with a fried egg on top. Yummm!
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I needed a fast meal yesterday afternoon so Mr. FixIt could eat before he went to the bowling alley to hang with his buddies. I had some sauerkraut, a Polish Kielbasa, and a can of cubed potatoes. I put all the ingredients in a covered saucepan and simmered them for thirty minutes or so. We just served it on the plate with a dollop of mustard and called it good!

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The weekend was lovely and restful and I’m ready to hit the ground running this morning. I hope your weekend was grand!

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“Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table.”

\nProverbs 14:23 MSG\n
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#Frugal, #MealPlanning, #Cooking

\n\n", "date_published": "2023-01-30T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/01/30/stretching-your-food-dollars.html", "tags": ["Choices","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2023/01/26/eating-from-the-pantry.html", "title": "Eating From The Pantry", "content_html": "\n
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My cousin in South Carolina is wicked smart. She can go shopping and come back with a car load of goods and more money in her purse than when she left the house. It’s incredible! I am always in awe when she posts on FB about her bargains and I try to emulate her financial acumen…though not nearly as successfully.

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One thing she does at this time every year is eat out of the pantry for a month and buy little to nothing save for a few perishables. We were out of eggs yesterday, so I did ask Mr. FixIt to pick up some when he was in town. I stood in front of the pantry and looked at what we had. I chose spaghetti. Then I had a peek in the fridge and grabbed the last four slices of bacon and two big cloves of garlic. 

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I cut the bacon in little pieces, put about half a cup of water in a skillet and dumped in the bacon. I gave it a good stir and set the heat to medium while I smashed and minced the garlic. I put the pasta on to cook. The water evaporated on the bacon and it fried up so nice and crispy. Once the bacon was done, I strained the crispy pieces out and put about a teaspoon of the bacon grease back in the skillet.

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Still on medium heat, I gently stirred the garlic for about 30 seconds till it was lightly golden brown. You do NOT want to burn garlic or it gets terribly bitter and you have to start over. I put the garlic in a bowl along with another scant tablespoon of the bacon grease. Then, when the grease was cool enough not to fry them, I added three fresh eggs and one extra egg yolk and one cup of finely grated parmesan cheese, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of freshly cracked pepper.

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I carefully drained the water from the al dente pasta and reserved a cup of the hot cooking water. It was pretty starchy, and I needed that for the sauce. After I put the pasta back in the pan, I gently poured a half cup of the pasta water in the egg mixture and whipped it carefully. Then I poured the sauce in the hot pasta and added the bacon. I tossed it several times over the next two to three minutes and watched that raw egg sauce magically cook by the heat of the spaghetti. Voila! Spaghetti Carbonara! Everyone should know how to cook this incredibly easy dish. It’s quick, economical, and looks like you’ve been slaving in a hot kitchen all day. So, so yummy!

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Yesterday was one of those days where I felt like all I was doing was cooking and cleaning. I made French Toast and bacon for breakfast. It was NOT a low fat, low carb day. But we seldom eat so rich. It’s just nice to know you can whip up something so delicious with stuff you have on hand. Oh, and by the way…Dollar General has had eggs at just under $4.00 so we got two dozen.

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Mr. FixIt and I talked the other day about getting chickens. I guess we aren’t the only ones because there have been several stories in the news of late about the truth of rearing chickens. I’ve heard of people adding up the numbers and, not only was it a full time job keeping up with the hens, they ended up paying about $18 a dozen. We are at a point in our lives where we would just as soon pay someone else’s to raise our food. I’ll buy in bulk from farmers and farmer’s markets before I’ll spend all that money and maybe not have good results.

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I worked at my desk yesterday and wasn’t quite as productive as I’d been the day before. There’s a big learning curve in what I’m doing but man is it a blast! I finally reached my brother. He has lost two phones since Thanksgiving! I have no idea what’s happening to them, but they can’t find them anywhere. He has a land line which is how I spoke with him, but he can’t hear very well on it. We’ll be going to Colorado this summer sometime so I’ll make it a point to straighten all that out. 

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Mr. FixIt is at the beginning stages of purging the house. He’s lived here since the late ‘70s so it’s going to be a huge undertaking. It’s like when you catch your kids doing something awesome. You want to thank them and point out how happy you are, but you don’t want to jinx anything so you let it go! lol Let’s just say, I’m tickled to death and I’ll do anything to support him while he gets to work. I’ve already done the big purge when I sold the Colorado house. I know what he’s up against and it isn’t pretty nor is it easy. But it IS satisfying.

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The week is half gone and we’re sliding into the weekend soon. Mr. FixIt is going to the WVU Basketball game on Saturday with his son. I elected to stay home. I have so much to do and I am not crazy about crowds. While our little county doesn’t have any reported cases of Covid, you KNOW it’s here. They’re just not reporting their positive tests anymore since we’re taking our tests at home for the most part.

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It’s been an ordinary day in the ordinary life of some ordinary folks. But man…we sure do have fun with it!

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?

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“…Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!”

\n1 Peter 4:7-11 MSG\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2023-01-26T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2023/01/26/eating-from-the-pantry.html", "tags": ["Choices","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/21/food-glorious-food.html", "title": "Food Glorious Food", "content_html": "\n
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Yesterday was a culinary delight and yet it was simple from start to finish. Every morning, I ask Mr. FixIt what he’d like for breakfast. Yesterday he elected to have French Toast. I make a pretty mean version with heavy cream, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and my homemade Vanilla Extract. It is light and fluffy and not overly sweet. My vanilla gives it a wonderful depth of flavor. Balance that with sausage patties and sugar free syrup and you have a breakfast as good as any quality restaurant could serve.

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We took our tea to the family room and while I finished the third Christmas stocking, Mr. FixIt watched his shows. At some point we went out to start up the generator. We pulled and pulled and finally he went to the garage and came back with some starter fluid that you spray into the carburetor. Afterwards, it only took one quick pull and it started right up. We let the gennie run for about 10-15 minutes then shut it down and stored it on the covered front porch area. Now it’ll be ready for the big storm front coming in at the end of the week. 

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We won’t be getting a lot of snow, I don’t think. But it’s going to be bitter, bitter cold and very windy. It’s the wind that gives us trouble here in the Mountain State. We have lots and lots of trees and the wind knocks limbs and trees down across wires and takes them out. We can easily go days without power here, so we are ahead of the game…just in case.

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Along about 4:00 in the afternoon, I decided to start making a quiche. And I’ve got to tell you…I think it was the best I’ve ever eaten. It’s certainly the best I’ve ever made…and I’ve made some really good quiche in my time. Again, I do not cook with recipes except to find out recommended cooking times and temperature. I’ll do my best to tell you how I made it.

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It was a really good day and I was thrilled to stay home to enjoy it! I still have lots of things to do, but we won’t be celebrating the FixIt Family Holiday Extravaganza till the 30th. 

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There’s plenty of time!

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?

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“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land with streams, springs, and deep water sources, flowing in both valleys and hills; a land of wheat, barley, vines, figs, and pomegranates; a land of olive oil and honey; a land where you will eat food without shortage, where you will lack nothing; a land whose rocks are iron and from whose hills you will mine copper. When you eat and are full, you will bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.”

\nDeuteronomy 8:7-10 CSB\n
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#Cooking, #Quiche, #Winter

\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-21T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/21/food-glorious-food.html", "tags": ["Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/14/its-beginning-to-feel-like.html", "title": "It’s Beginning to Feel Like Christmas at Our House!", "content_html": "\n
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Mr. FixIt and I split the holiday shopping duties. I take care of the girls. He takes care of the boys. Which isn’t really even because there’s a lot more girls than there are boys in our family. I don’t really mind, though. I know how to shop for girls…I’ve done it forever! Mr. FixIt took off for town yesterday morning to do his shopping and left me at home to bake. I needed to add to the cookie trove.

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The first thing I did was make Rolo Turtles. You know, the ones that use a square pretzel for the base and you put a Rolo in the middle. You put the cookie sheet filled with these in a 250° oven for about four minutes. When you take them out, you press half a pecan on the top and let them cool. Easy peasy!

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I also made Two Ingredient Fudge. It is SUPER easy to make. Line an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. I sprayed a little nonstick cooking spray on the glass to help it stick. Pour 2.5 cups of semisweet chocolate chips and one can of sweetened condensed milk in a glass bowl. Microwave for two minutes. Stir it all together and scrape it out into the parchment lined dish. You have to work fast because it hardens up pretty quickly. Put some plastic wrap over it and put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. Take it out. Lift out the fudge by the parchment paper “handles”. Cut in squares. SUPER easy!

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Then I made Cowboy Cookies. I have a dear friend who makes them. Patti is the Head Baker Gal for Buffalo Baking Co. based in Colorado. She makes the BEST Cowboy Cookies! Mine don’t hold a candle to hers, but Mr. FixIt says they’re REALLY good! A Cowboy Cookie is a chocolate chip cookie with a twist. It has oats, coconut and pecans in the recipe which makes for a really nice, dense, chewy cookie. I used a recipe from Food Network. You can find it HERE. But if you want the real deal, you can order some from my friend HERE.

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I finally finished around 9:30 last night. I got a surprise phone call from my Uncle Bud…the uncle that owned the family farm and sold it last year. Bud was a Junior in High School when I was born so he wasn’t all that much older than me. We never had money to go on vacations when I was growing up, but we went every summer for a week to visit my Uncle Bud and Aunt Viv. It was a week of playing with my cousins and our moms would sit in the kitchen talking and drinking coffee all day. 

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Uncle Bud would pile us kids in his little VW Bug and takes us to all kinds of places…the fish hatchery or huckleberry picking on Dolly Sods. He was a practical joker. He told me one time he’d caught a mongoose and it was in a box in the basement. He took us down to see it. There was a little hole in the door and he said if I bent down and looked in, I might catch a glimpse of it. When I bent down, he released a latch and the door opened and out flew an old raccoon tail he had on a spring. It about scared me to death and everyone laughed…including me once I got my heart back in my chest! I think now he might think that was a dirty trick, but we were young and entertainment was scarce.

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Mr. FixIt’s Peanut Butter Blossoms

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Anyway, it was so nice to talk with him. I told him about my cookie baking and he told me how they didn’t have sugar when he was growing up because it was rationed in the war. Everyone had a cane patch and a Mr. Williams from over near where we live would go around the countryside with a portable cane mill. He’d work a pipe that turned a big roller and it would squeeze the juice out of the cane. Then that juice would be boiled down to make sorghum molasses. And that’s what folks used for a sweetener.

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When I was little, Grandma always had a jar of sorghum in the pantry. Grandma had a milk cow and we churned our own butter. In the spring, the butter took on the flavor of the spring onions the cow got into so toast with butter took on a taste that wasn’t necessarily pleasant to a kid. Grandma would mash the butter up in a dish and add sorghum and stir it up. Then I spread that on my toast. It covered up the funny taste of spring butter really well.

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Just having that half hour or so to reminisce with my sweet uncle did me a world of good. It lightened my heart and it turned out to be a lovely day. I set up our new Apple TV and played with it a bit between batches of cookies. I haven’t figured out how to watch the nightly news in real time yet, but I’ve only just begun to explore it. There’s certainly a lot to see that’s free.

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We’re going into town today for just a couple more things. I told Mr. FixIt exactly what I’d like for Christmas and he said he thought I’d better come with him to pick it out myself. I don’t mind that at all. Maybe we can find something perfect for him, too! Honestly…we need nothing. But it’s nice to have a little something to open on Christmas morning.

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?

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“Give us this day our daily bread,”

\nMatthew 6:11 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-14T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/14/its-beginning-to-feel-like.html", "tags": ["Family","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/12/07/step-one-is-done.html", "title": "Step One is Done", "content_html": "\n
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The making of tamales is a laborious undertaking. After going through a week of cooking for Thanksgiving two weeks ago, I’m not going to do an all day marathon and get these things done in record time. I’ve watched a great video…multiple times…on the how-tos of tamale making so I think I have a pretty good idea of what’s involved. 

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The cook in the video makes everything from scratch, including the red chili sauce. I don’t have access to dried red chilis like guajillos, ancho chiles, or chiles de arbol here in the nether regions of West Virginia. So, I am making do with a ready made red enchilada sauce from a can. Yesterday, I seared medium chunks of a good sized Boston butt pork roast. I placed the meat in my 8 qt. cast iron Dutch oven along with half an onion, two bay leaves, some Kosher salt, some whole black peppercorns, and four whole cloves of garlic. I added 10 cups of water, brought it to a boil, covered it with the heavy lid and lowered the heat to a simmer for about three hours. 

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The meat came out fork tender, just like the lady in the video said it would. I scooped the meat out of the broth, shredded it with two forks, and covered it tightly with Saran Wrap. When it was cooled, I strained the broth into quart jars, covered them tightly, and everything went into the fridge. I’ll assemble the tamales today sometime then steam them. It’s labor intensive and I can see why women get together in groups and make hundreds of them at a time. It is a tradition in most Hispanic cultures.

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Other than that, and cleaning the kitchen twice, I didn’t get much else accomplished. We’ll see what today brings. The nice thing about getting the pork prepared yesterday…if I don’t feel like making the tamales today, I can bag up the cooked meat and freeze it then get it out when I’m ready. Easy peasy!

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And the big bonus? It was still nearly 60° T 11:00 last night! Guess who slept in the camper???

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?

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“My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.”

\nIsaiah 32:18 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-12-07T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/12/07/step-one-is-done.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/27/recipe-roundup.html", "title": "Recipe Roundup", "content_html": "\n
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Who doesn’t love a little pie with their topping?!

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Many of you have been asking for the recipes I used for this year’s Thanksgiving Extravaganza, so I’m going to leave them here for you with my critique/comments, for what it’s worth. 

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I made a wonderful Apple-Cranberry Compote but without the figs. They’re kind of hard to come by around here. I found the recipe on a website for diabetic friendly recipes. You can find the recipe HERE.

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The turkey was a fresh twenty-one pounder from Butterball. I followed this recipe:

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\n[www.wyseguide.com/citrus-dr...](https://www.wyseguide.com/citrus-dry-brine-turkey/)\n
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I adapted Kaleb’s recipe for dressing. I made half with Italian sausage and the other half with oysters. I couldn’t find chestnuts. This recipe puts the dressing in a slow cooker and I’ll never make it any other way!

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\n[www.wyseguide.com/easy-slow...](https://www.wyseguide.com/easy-slow-cooker-stuffing/)\n
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I baked the bread for the dressing as well as the hot rolls from a recipe I’ve used for thirty-five years. I actually won First Prize in the County Fair with this recipe. It makes four loaves, or two loaves and two dozen hot rolls, or…four dozen hot rolls. Perfect for a crowd! The recipe is from America’s Best State Fair Recipes by Catherine Hanley. You can purchase the book online HERE. I really recommend you get this cookbook…there are so many wonderful recipes in it. My copy is worn and stained so you know it’s that good! The recipe was submitted by Elaine Janas of Minneapolis, Minnesota for the Minnesota State Fair. I am hoping it’s ok to share her recipe here with adequate recognition and praise because it really is awesome!

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“Sweepstakes White Bread\n\nWhen an exhibitor wins a blue ribbon in the same \"lot\" three\nsuccessive years at the Minnesota State Fair, she or he must skip two\nyears before entering in the same classification again. So Minnesota\nhome bakers now have two years to try for the top prize in white bread\nas Elaine Janas takes her brief hiatus. In a state where superb yeast\nbakers abound, the bread categories are so competitive that judges\nhave to resort to using fractions of points to award ribbons. But Elaine\nJanas is the all-time champion, as her bread wins the sweepstakes\naward for the best-of-all bread entries, in addition to blue ribbons for\nwhite bread. Besides sharing her recipe here, she also offers some of\nher baking secrets that have never been published. See Elaine Janas'\nYeast Baking Tips, pages 80-81. She credits state fair judges with\nhelping her perfect her yeast baking as she studied score cards and\nmade changes to improve her recipe and technique during the nearly\n25 years since she entered her first loaf of bread. Her big three-rise\nrecipe makes four loaves of bread.\n\n2 (1/4-oz.) packages active dry yeast (5 teaspoons)\n1/2 cup warm water (110F/45C)\n1 teaspoon sugar\n2 cups milk, scalded\n1/3 cup sugar\n1/3 cup shortening\n2 tablespoons salt\n1-1/2 cups cold water\n5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour\n5 to 5-1/2 cups bread flour\nButter\n\nIn a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with 1 teaspoon\nsugar. In a large bowl, combine scalded milk, 1/3 cup sugar, shorten-\ning and salt. Add cold water to cool mixture to lukewarm. Stir in\ndissolved yeast, 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 cups of bread flour.\nBeat well, until smooth. By hand, stir in enough additional flour to\nform a stiff dough. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Knead a\nminimum of 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Wash\nand grease large bowl. Place dough in greased bowl. Cover with\nplastic film; let rise in a warm place, 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until doubled in\nsize. Punch down dough. Cover; let rise 30 minutes. Punch down\ndough. Divide dough in 4 pieces; shape in oblongs. Cover with an\ninverted bowl and let rest 15 minutes. Grease 4 (8-1/2'' × 4-1/2') loaf\npans. Shape dough pieces in loaves. Place in greased pans and lightly\ngrease tops of loaves. Cover and let rise until loaves are light and\nalmost as high as you want them when baked, about 45 to 60 minutes.\nPreheat oven to 400F (205C). Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes or\nuntil loaves sound hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from pans.\nImmediately butter tops of warm loaves. Makes 4 loaves.\n\nElaine Janas \nMinneapolis, Minnesota\nMinnesota State Fair”
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I made my sweet potatoes a little differently, too. A long time ago, when I was on one of my many weight loss journeys, I learned about this method and have used it quite a bit over the years. Peel about six good sized sweet potatoes and thickly slice them. Place them in a large glass casserole dish, dot them with butter, and cover with foil. Bake at 350° till they are fork tender. Then I place them in a bowl, add a couple good shakes of cinnamon and a couple cups of fresh cut-up pineapple and mash it all together with a potato masher. Spread in a casserole dish, brush with melted butter and sprinkle about three or four tablespoons of brown sugar on top. About thirty minutes before supper, put them back in a 350° oven till they are heated through and the brown sugar is a little bubbly. (In the diet days, I used Butter Buds and Brown Sugar Substitute which will cut down the calories and sugar a good bit.)

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For the Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, sauté several slices of bacon cut up in little pieces and till crispy, toss in a bag of whole, trimmed Brussels sprouts, stirring to coat and pop that in the oven to roast for about fifteen minutes or until they are tender.

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And the last dish was the Winter Vegetable Salad with Maple Balsamic Glaze. You can find the recipe on my Pinterest page HERE.

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And, that’s it. Any of this would be just as good for Christmas Dinner, too! It was one of the more labor intensive meals I’ve prepared, but it was really special. I invited the kids to take whatever leftovers they wanted so things were pretty well cleared out in a hurry! That’s a good testimony of a successful dinner party, I’d say.

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It will be time to start baking for Christmas before we know it, but I’m going to take a little time to recover from this week before I start in on that! I didn’t do a thing yesterday but put the dishes away, eat leftovers, and take a nap! Nothing wrong with that, either!

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“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

\nHebrews 13:16 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-27T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/27/recipe-roundup.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/25/gearing-up-for-the-big.html", "title": "Gearing Up for The Big Day", "content_html": "\n
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First, I truly hope you had a good Thanksgiving Day if you celebrated yesterday. And for those of you…like me…who are having their dinner today or over the weekend…hang in there, kiddo. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.

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I’ve been cooking since Monday. Every day…all day long…cooking and cleaning and planning. I’ve done this all my life…work on something till I drop. And when I drop, believe me, it isn’t pretty. Mr. FixIt has a long held tradition with his kids and their mom and aunt and anyone else who joins them. They go to the City Park and walk the Turkey Trot along with about 4,000 other health conscious individuals. I always elect to stay home. For one thing, I’ve got way too much to do. For another…this is their thing…something they’ve always done. I want them to still have that one thing. I have things I do with my kids alone. It’s ok. And, it gives me a little space to check in with my physical, mental, and emotional heath to see how all this rushing is affecting me.

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It took a long time for me to learn to listen to myself…to care, love, and nurture myself. In the past, I’d keep pushing till I crashed and burned…and beyond. Yesterday morning, I kissed my husband goodbye and gave him the obligatory warning to be careful. I mixed up one batch of dressing and put it in the garage refrigerator. Then I sat down and checked in. Immediately…the feelings I’d been pushing down all week came bubbling up and over. I let them flow. And, instead of negative self talk, I asked the little worker bee who is me…”What do you need to do right now, sweetheart?”

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“Sleep, please.” My inner voice sounded tired and frazzled.

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“Ok, darling…let’s go take care of YOU!

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I climbed in the bed in the guest room. It’s dark in there when you draw the curtains. I snuggled down under the soft, fleecy blankets, and turned on the 432hz music I’ve been sleeping to. And drifted off to sleep. This was at around 10:30am. I woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon. My body needed that and I didn’t feel at all guilty about it. I got up and got back to work in the kitchen.

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Mr. FixIt called on his way home from town and asked if I’d thought of anything I needed from the store. I thought about it for a moment and said, “You know what? If they have ready made pies, why don’t you pick up a couple? That will be one less thing for me to worry about making.” I know I’m known for my homemade baked treats, but I decided to work smarter…not harder. I doubt our guests will care one way or the other.

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After getting both pans of dressing baked, I loaded them up in the two slow cooker crocks and put them back in the garage refrigerator. I’ll take them out this morning and let them come to room temperature and turn the cookers on. I got the turkey cleaned and rubbed down. Kaleb on Wyse Guide said to run your hands under the skin to separate it from the meat and put your dry rub in there as well as the cavity and then on top of the skin. Then you set the whole thing in the fridge on a rack in a shallow sheet pan, uncovered, so the skin can air dry. That helps it get really crispy and golden brown in the oven.

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I placed the giblets and the neck in a saucepan, added about half a box of chicken broth, three sticks of celery and a carrot cut in chunks and a minced shallot. I threw in a few stems of fresh thyme and a generous couple of shakes of poultry seasoning, covered it, and set it on the back burner of the stove to simmer for an hour or so. I strained off the broth and set it in the fridge for tomorrow’s gravy. Then I nibbled on the neck bone. Not a lot of meat there, but what’s there is sweet and tender. 

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I realized when I got everything tucked in the fridge…I hadn’t taken the time to eat more than toast all day. I cut up an avocado and put it on top of some cottage cheese and called it a day. I’ll start back at it this morning and we’ll be sitting down to eat around 3:30 this afternoon. It’s amazing the amount of work that goes into a spread like this. The new recipes added some time to the prep this year, but if we like the new dishes, they can easily be incorporated next year. You know, once you make something, it’s usually easier the second time.

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I saved a video from Martha Stewart making the BEST New York Cheesecake. It’s time to make that again…but certainly NOT today! Christmas is a month away!!!

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“For land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God.”

\nHebrews 6:7 ESV\n
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#Thanksgiving, #Blessings, #Food, #FarmLife

\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-25T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/25/gearing-up-for-the-big.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/23/is-it-wednesday-already.html", "title": "Is it Wednesday Already???", "content_html": "\n
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Maple Balsamic Glaze for the Winter Vegetable Salad

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I spent the majority of yesterday in the kitchen. I needed to get a good deal of prep work out of the way before the rush starts to prepare the actual meal on Friday. There were three main components of the meal that I wanted to knock out. First, as always…there’s breakfast. Then the obligatory cleanup. THEN I could get started.

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Mr. FixIt headed to pick up the kids and go to the dump to empty the load of old shingles we gathered when the roof was replaced. I headed into the kitchen. The first thing I did was make a Maple Balsamic Glaze for the Winter Vegetable Salad. When I say the first…I mean the first and the second. I burned the first batch. I thought I was letting it thicken when in actuality I was letting it boil till it made a savory rock candy. Bad.

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Maple Balsamic Glaze

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I hated like the dickens to throw that pricy real maple syrup and balsamic vinaigrette down the drain. And, I used the last of my balsamic so I had to run to the store. Once I returned, I started over and it worked much better because I didn’t let myself get distracted and I kept the fire very low. It was really easy to make. Two cups balsamic vinegar and about 3/4th cup of real maple syrup. Whisk together in a saucepan, bring to a boil then turn the temp down to a slow simmer with small bubbles. Let it cook till it reduces by half. Remove from heat and cool then put into a jar with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator. It was SO delicious! It can be used drizzled over a salad or basted on oven roasted veggies.

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The second thing I made was the Citrus Dry Rub for the turkey. This was a little more labor intensive. You can find the recipe on Kaleb’s website, Wyse Guide HERE. I measured the spices out in a nonstick skillet….I used mixed peppercorns, coriander seed, fennel seed, and fresh bay leaf. The directions said to grind this mixture in a coffee grinder. I looked for one in our little burg and they didn’t have one. I picked the next best thing and bought a mini food processor. After toasting the spices over a low to medium heat till they became aromatic, I put them in the little processor and hit go. 

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About half the spices ground up easily, but the white peppercorns were still hard as a rock and that wasn’t going to work. I stood there going over and over in my head, trying to figure out what I could use to grind them up when it finally hit me….the pepper grinder! I took the tricolor peppercorns out and set them aside. I put in the part of the rub mixture that was still intact and put it in the pepper grinder and got to work. It took quite a bit of time to turn and turn and turn the grinder, but it worked exactly like it was supposed to! When that was finished, I put all the aromatics in a dish.

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I added the Kosher salt, grated orange and lemon zest, and the ground up herbs along with the brown sugar and the baking powder and rubbed it all together between my fingers till it was completely combined. I put it all in a pint jar, put a lid on it, and stored it in the fridge till I rub down the turkey on Thursday. Next, I made toasted and seasoned pecans to top the Winter Vegetable Salad and set them aside. I sautéed the Italian Sausage for one of the pans of dressing and stored it in the refrigerator in a covered container.

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I cut up a fresh pineapple for the Baked Sweet Potatoes. I reduce a lot of sugar by using pineapple instead of brown sugar. I add some pecans, butter, a handful of dried cranberries, and a little cinnamon and nutmeg and bake them in a baking dish. A lot better for you, too! That being said, I fried about 1.5 cups of bacon pieces to use on top of the Brussels sprouts that I’ll roast. I drained them on paper toweling and stored them in a ziplock sandwich bag in the fridge.

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The Purple Heart Wandering Jew the former Mrs. FixIt gave me this fal is blooming!

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In between all of these things, we got the Christmas decorations out of storage and put them in the living room. My back was better yesterday, but not completely. By the time I got all this stuff done I was fried and ready to just sit for a little while. 

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I will bake some bread today to tear up and dry out in the oven for the stuffing. Thursday night I can make the Butterhorn dough and bake them last thing before I cut the turkey. I’ll get everything ready to bake the pies on Friday morning. It’s a really good thing we have two ovens. I could actually use three. I think that’s it. (I really need to sit down and write out the menu so I don’t miss anything!)

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I’m tired just thinking about the next three days…but ohhhhh, I do so enjoy it!

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?

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“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”

\nProverbs 15:17 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/23/is-it-wednesday-already.html", "tags": ["Fun","Holiday","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/11/21/let-the-cooking-commence.html", "title": "Let the Cooking Commence!", "content_html": "\n
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No, we’re not having venison. But this beautiful boy was in the near field when I got home last night. An 8 point white tail buck! I haven’t seen one this big in quite a while. The field was full of deer. There was a smaller 4 point buck, as well as the twins from this spring!

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There is a Kroger Store across the river in Ohio that I always go to when I’m on the hunt for something special. It’s as close to a Colorado grocery store that I’ve found in this area. They carry a lot of hard to find items and let’s face it…if you’re going to go to all the trouble of making a Thanksgiving dinner, it might as well be fabulous, right? 

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I’m making the stuffing from scratch this year. I’m going to make a new Brussels Sprouts salad I found on Pinterest that looks heavenly. I already made the cranberry sauce last night while Mr. FixIt was bowling. I used a recipe I found online as a guide and did my own thing, which is how I roll.

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Speaking of rolls, I’m trying something new in the bread department, too. Kaleb from the Wyse Guide blog has a video that he made with his grandma where they make Butterhorns…a buttery crescent roll that’s been around since as long as I can remember. I’m looking forward to trying that, as well.

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I’m also going to try Kaleb’s Citrus Dry Brine for the turkey this year. You don’t need to do a wet brine for a fresh turkey because it’s pretty darned juicy on its own. But this dry brine gives the meat a well seasoned flavor and a crispy, brown skin that’s just gorgeous to look at and tastes great, too.

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Usually I just do the same old things, but this year I want to shake it up a bit. We may be having some extras around the table and there’s nothing I love more than feeding people. Like I said before…cooking is my love language. And, it’s something I really enjoy doing. I texted our friend Richard last night and he’ll stop by today for a jar of the cranberry sauce I made. I don’t know that there’s anyone in the family but me that really loves it, so this way it won’t go to waste.

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Here is the recipe for the cranberry sauce. I’ll include more recipe links tomorrow.

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Ginny’s Fresh Cranberry Sauce\n\n2 apples, peeled and chopped\n1/2c. Maple Syrup\n1/2c. Water\n1/2c. White Wine\n1 Bag Fresh Cranberries\n10 Dried Apricots, cut in small pieces\nJuice and Zest of 1 Orange\nDash of Ground Cloves\nDash of Ground Cinnamon\nDash of Ground Nutmeg\nDash of Salt\n\nCombine all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till apples are tender and mixture is thickened. Mash the sauce with a potato masher. Pour into jars and cover. Let cool then store in the refrigerator. Can be made several days in advance. I’m sure you could can this as well.\n\nYield: 2.5 pints\nI used two wide mouth pint jars and one jelly jar. Honestly, I think this is the best cranberry sauce I’ve ever made. When you just use straight cranberries and sugar, it can be kind of overwhelming. The apple and apricot in this sauce mellows out the bitterness you sometimes get. Yummy!
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“give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.””

\nLuke 6:38 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-11-21T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/11/21/let-the-cooking-commence.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Farm Life","Kindness","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/10/13/the-great-spangled-fritillary-and.html", "title": "The Great Spangled Fritillary and Happy Anniversary!", "content_html": "\n
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Wow, was yesterday crazy busy! I’m trying to use up the food out in the camper…the lazy way. Rather than pack it all up, carry it inside, and put it all away…I’m bringing my sweetheart out to the camper every morning for a little dining “al fresco”. So far it’s been great! We’ve been eating up the croissant breakfast sandwiches and tea. We’re going to have to have bacon and blueberry pancakes soon. Maybe we’ll do that today for our anniversary! Four years…can you believe it???

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Back to yesterday. Once breakfast was done, we hit the ground running. Mr. FixIt dug up all the elephant ear bulbs on Monday and let them dry in the sun for a day. Then he trimmed back the stringy roots on them and tucked them in a bin lined with a plastic bag. He didn’t close the bag or anything. They need to get air but remain cool, dark, and dry till spring. 

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Once that was done, we took the cover off the pergola for the winter. I put the cushions away in the building and stacked the chairs. Once we get a couple of boards replaced on the pool deck, we can lash down the deck furniture to keep things from blowing around out there in case we have bad storms.

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Next up was cutting up the maple tree we took down yesterday. I swear…I’ve used a monster sized chainsaw in my life. We used to cut our own wood. Maybe it was because Mr. FixIt was watching me carefully to make sure I didn’t get hurt, but I was all thumbs. I got the chain caught twice…once really bad when the tree trunk rolled over on the chain bar. Mr. FixIt said a bad word. I don’t blame him…I might have said a few myself!

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Once we regained our zen and I found the rhythm, things moved along just fine. We piled the limbs in the back of Mr. FixIt’s pickup and made two trips over to the burn pile. We are going to have one heck of a bonfire one of these days! We cleaned up our work area and I ran the riding mower over the fallen leaves to mulch them up. Then we carried the two tubs of elephant ear bulbs down to the basement.

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In the middle of all that, we stopped for a break and I made some broccoli cheese soup…sans biscuits. I didn’t have it in me to bake, too. The soup was wonderful and there’s enough leftover to have more today. We are supposed to get rain all day today so I am hoping to have a quiet “inside day” with my sweetheart. We’ve just been go-go-going for what seems like all year. We still have so much to do before it gets really cold in a few days.

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I went out to the camper to get something yesterday afternoon and there was a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly sitting on the arm of my chair. It was flexing its wings and they looked odd. I think the back pair are malformed or under-developed. If you look at it compared to one on Google images, it’s really apparent. I never did see if it could fly…I had work to do. I hope it went on it’s way. This is why I want to turn part of our fields into native habitat for the flora and fauna to live the way they’re supposed to.

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???

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“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,”

\nColossians 3:23 ESV\n
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Green Chili. Forgive the mess in my kitchen. Things get out of hand quickly when I can.

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I rarely work with an itinerary. I usually have a vague idea of what I’d like to accomplish the following day, but I’m always really flexible in case something comes up that needs my attention more than what I intended. That’s what happened yesterday. 

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I got up early and finished piecing the last row of blocks, then I laid them all out on the floor and played mix and match till I got the look I was going for. I noticed a couple of the blocs are much smaller than the others and I could have sewn the seamed a little wider than a quarter inch. I’ll have to give them a closer look and either rip them apart and resew them, or start from scratch. It’s a good thing I have extra ten inch squares to work with.

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By the time I got them all arranged, it was 2:00 and I had other things that needed doing. I wanted to can the green chili that I made on Sunday so it will last on the shelf all winter. I had a lot of the pork roast left over so I put another slow cooker full of green chili on to simmer while I loaded up the canner with what was already made. As soon as that canner was running, I started on the pinto beans I bought a couple of weeks ago. 

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I’ve been watching canning videos and there are women who can their dry beans so they’re ready at a moment’s notice for a winter meal. I made up twenty pints of beans and put them in my big canner. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting at the bar in the kitchen, babysitting the canner to make sure it gets to the proper pressure and stays there for a full seventy-five minutes. Before long, I will fill another canner with the second batch of green chili. I may be at this for a while.

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I chatted with Daughter #2 and her wife yesterday morning while I was sitting at the sewing machine. She is a tattoo aficionado. When she saw my face, she was alarmed. “Mama! What’s going on with your face?!” I explained I was doing what she asked me to do…treat the dangerous skin cells. I also told her it felt like battery acid on my face. She suggested I put Aquaphor ointment on the inflamed skin to soothe it. I put some on and it felt better almost immediately. I will never go outdoors again without slathering on sunscreen.

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I recently received a jury summons but the trial is scheduled for Monday. I already had something planned and paid for so I asked if I could be excused. I hadn’t heard back so I called yesterday. Turns out, I have been excused so one less thing on my plate. I have been summoned for jury duty many times over the years. A few times I actually went in and either was dismissed after questioning, or a last minute plea deal was accepted. I’ve served on a jury once. I believe in fulfilling my civic duties. But I’ve never been called since Mr. Virgo died. I don’t know how I would do with medical subjects or graphic photos. My PTSD kicks in just thinking of serving. I mean, I will if I have to. In our county, we can request to be excused for any jury duty once we hit seventy years of age. My memory isn’t what it used to be, and I have trouble hearing and following along sometimes. I certainly would hate to affect a trial negatively because of that. I have nine more months before my next birthday. We’ll see what happens.

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I’m not sure I’m going to push myself to get this quilt top finished this week. I want to be sure I do my best work and rushing won’t achieve the results I am looking for. This is a relatively new behavior for me. There was a time when I would push my way through something till I’m pulling my hair out. I don’t want to do that anymore. If I don’t enjoy an activity, I’m not interested. I think I’ll set it aside and pick it up next week. In the meantime, we’re chasing down an electrical problem in Louisa the Lincoln, the lawn at the farm needs mowing again, and the pump needs to be primed. Perhaps today will be the day for these chores.

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““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

\nMatthew 6:25 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-09-07T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/09/07/working-without-a-schedule.html", "tags": ["Aging","Choices","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/09/05/strong-women-raising-strong-women.html", "title": "Strong Women Raising Strong Women", "content_html": "\n
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In my defense, I was not standing in her driveway. Her driveway is in Colorado.

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My oldest daughter is a rock star. I mean to tell you…she is as solid as they come. How she came to be this way with an anxious wreck for a mother is beyond me. At least, I was when I was raising her. The only thing I can think of was her dad’s influence. Or maybe she’s channeling my grandma. Either way, the woman is S T R O N G. When I sent her “off to college”, she didn’t go too far. She elected to go to the nearby community college so her baby sister wouldn’t forget her.

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While I was thrilled to have her nearby, I did insist she live in the dorm for at least a couple of years to get a more realistic college experience. Setting her up in her dorm was fun and exciting and pretty darned easy considering I could see her anytime I wanted to. We lived in the same town. Not so much for Daughter #1 and Big.

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My granddaughter has just spent her first full week away from her parents and she’s doing great. So is her mom, I’m happy to report. I FaceTimed with my daughter this weekend and caught her and her husband doing laundry. I asked how it was being so far away from her first born and she said it really wasn’t much different. Big has been on a swim team since she was a little little kid. Once she could drive and get herself to and from practice, they didn’t see much of her anyway. The biggest difference is not seeing her in school. Big went to the same high school where her mom teaches so they saw each other all the time.

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My stepson and his family came over this afternoon for a cookout. Their youngest is also a freshman in college and elected to go to the community college nearby, as well. She happily shared all her classes and her schedule and seems to be loving it. It does my heart good to see young people go out into the world and chase their dreams and have fun doing it.

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I ended up storing two quarts of shredded pork in the fridge for meals later on in the week. I turned the third quart into a pot of Pork Green Chili. My West Virginia family had never heard of this Colorado delicacy. They aren’t big on spicy foods, but they were good sports and at least tasted it. So now I have three quarts of green chili in the fridge. That ought to feed us well for a while. I made the sugar biscuits with strawberries for dessert. They were a big hit. No one had eaten their strawberries with biscuits either so it was a big culinary adventure at Marshmallow Ranch yesterday.

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I am half finished making the reconstructed blocks for my bonus granddaughter’s wedding. She and her fiancé were here for the cookout so I showed her what I’ve done so far. I wanted her to understand what kind of work went into the quilt. I’ve heard too many horror stories of women working for months to make a quilt for someone only to find the husband uses it to get down on the ground under the truck when he changes the oil. That’s not happening with one of mine. I make sure they understand the work that goes into a quilt. This young couple will take super good care of it.

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We got exactly an inch of rain from Friday to Saturday and we are expecting more. And I’m extra happy to report there isn’t a single drip from the ceiling in the little bathroom. My repair work on the roof worked out! My stepson got up on the roof yesterday and measured it so we can price the shingles. Just to reassure you, we are not going to be putting that roof on. Our boys will take care of that for us. They’re young and handy.

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We may go out to the farm today to prime the pump. I’m sure it will be too wet to mow. It’s been a really nice weekend with a taste of fall in the air, a cozy family gathering, and good food. You can’t ask for anything better.

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Here’s a link to the recipe for the Colorado-Style Green Chili. I generally followed the recipe but didn’t measure. I just used what I had. 

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?

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“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

\n1 Timothy 5:8 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-09-05T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/09/05/strong-women-raising-strong-women.html", "tags": ["Family","Holiday","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/28/smack-my-headi-forgot-the.html", "title": "Smack My Head…I Forgot the Beans!", "content_html": "\n
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I added about half a teaspoon of baking powder to the self-rising flour this time and I love how high these biscuits rose…and so light and fluffy!

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Ever have one of those moments where you just KNOW there’s something you’re forgetting to do? Well, when I woke up yesterday morning at 6:00 (why that early, I have NO idea), I checked to make sure my post actually…you know, posted. It did. And you wonderful people started talking about how good those soup beans and ham hocks and iron skillet cornbread sounded, I was like… “Dang! I knew there was something I was supposed to do before I went to bed!”

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I forgot to put the beans on to soak. I know there are shortcuts like bring them to a boil then cover and remove from the heat. Or cook them in a pressure cooker. But they never quite taste great unless I cook them the way I always do…in a slow cooker seasoned with a couple smoked ham hocks and chopped up onions and a generous grind of fresh black pepper. I’ll try again today!

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Since I woke up so early, I decided to get up and work on the sweater and get it finished. And I did. However, when I tried it on, the sleeves were too short so I ripped them back out to the point before decreasing for the cuffs and added a couple of inches. I’m not exactly sure what went wrong other than the fact that it’s hard to read the length correctly till you try it on with both sleeves. Of course, it could be that this is only my second sweater and I just don’t have the technique down yet.

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Mr. FixIt lounged around this morning and didn’t get up till “brunch-time” so I fixed a big spread…sausage, eggs, fried potatoes, cooked apples, and homemade biscuits. I used Tipper’s recipe again and I’m telling you…I am SOLD. Seriously the best biscuits ever. I stored the leftovers in a plastic food container, then before bed last night, I warmed two of them up in the microwave for twenty seconds, spread a nice portion of real butter on top and a dollop of my homemade plum jam. 

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*swoon*

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Other than those two things…I didn’t get a thing accomplished yesterday. Mr. FixIt went out after it cooled down to wash and wax the Lincoln. We live on a gravel road and the dust is terrible. Then you get a sprinkling of rain and you can imagine what it looks like. We watch a lot of reruns of Law & Order and last night we watched an episode of America’s Got Talent that we had recorded last week.

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It actually felt pretty good to not have anything pressing to do. It’s supposed to be in the 90’s today and tomorrow, so there may be a whole lot of nothing getting done around here the next couple of days, as well. And that’s ok. One doesn’t have to be totally productive every single day. Accomplishing self-care is still an accomplishment.

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“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.”

\nPsalm 127:2 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-28T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/28/smack-my-headi-forgot-the.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","Crafts","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/23/my-endofsummer-walkabout.html", "title": "My End-of-Summer Walkabout", "content_html": "\n
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The sycamore are changing…last to leaf out…first to die.

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I have never run a marathon, but I can imagine you feel pretty beat up the next day if you hadn’t properly trained for it. Now, I have no idea how to properly train for a weekend canning marathon, but I don’t figure sitting on my hiney knitting like a madwoman helped the situation. I fixed breakfast yesterday morning and went to my recliner with my coffee. I knitted for an hour while Mr. FixIt flipped through the channels then decided I’d better get busy and process the last canner full of soup.

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We don’t have many pears this year because we had a couple of late freezes.

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When I stood up from the recliner, I could hardly walk. My calves were tight and I swear I could hear my feet screaming. It wasn’t pretty. I pushed on and stretched a little and pretty soon I was limbered up enough to get around. I finished the canning, peeled a bag of apples, made a galette, then cleaned up the kitchen. I got another hour of knitting in before it was time to fix supper. We had one of those summer suppers…a burger patty, fresh tomato and onion slices, a dollop of cottage cheese and a small handful of chips. The house was already too hot…I didn’t need to add to it.

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Apple Galette ready for the oven.

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Mr. FixIt worked on the Lincoln yesterday. The housing for the headlights had condensation inside so he got in there to clean it up and seal up the seams. While he finished up, I walked around the property and took pictures. There are bright yellow, red, and orange leaves turning here and there. We have pears this year…not a ton, but a bucketful if they make it that far. It was nice to have a slowish day.

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Queen Anne’s Lace

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This is the last week our little yarn shop will be open so it’s our last Tuesday to get together with my new knitting friends. I’m hoping we can arrange someplace else to gather because I really enjoyed it. 

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The Pink Dogwood Mr. FixIt planted for me turns scarlet in the fall!

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I was reminded yesterday of the passage of time. As my older daughter and her husband take Big to college to get her set up in her dorm, our little great granddaughter started Pre-K. Don’t you wish you could freeze time…just a little? Whenever I have one of those moments…those Kodak, this-doesn’t-happen-every-day moments…I make a concerted effort to soak it up. Because, I was so busy living life and raising kids that these special moments slipped by me without me realizing how special they truly were. 

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Elephant Ear leaf…close up.

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Sitting at the corner of 70 and Forever gives you pause.

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?

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“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

\nPsalm 90:12 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-23T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/23/my-endofsummer-walkabout.html", "tags": ["Aging","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/22/a-job-well-done.html", "title": "A Job Well Done", "content_html": "\n
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What beautiful Georgia Peaches…and they taste SO good!

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My cousins over in the mountains near the panhandle of West Virginia routinely can hundreds and hundreds of jars of food every year. They butcher beef and pork. They raise cattle. One has a high tunnel and they sell plants, flowers, and veggies. Their larders look like something out of a magazine. So, when I accomplish what I did this weekend, I feel a little like… “Meh, they do this all the time. It’s not a big deal.” Yeah…tell my feet that! lol

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Scalding the peaches for a minute then plunging them in cold water lets you slip the skins right off of them…easy peasy!

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I didn’t start working on this stuff till rather late on Friday afternoon. Then it wasn’t just dig in and do. I had bags of groceries and produce all over the kitchen…that had to be carted in from the driveway. When I have a zillion things to bring in the house, I sweetly ask Mr. FixIt why on EARTH he decided to build the garage/building/driveway so FAR from the door. Oy!

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This is the first time I’ve tried dehydrating peaches. I’m thinking of adding them to oatmeal in the deep winter. doesn’t that sound yummy?!

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So, in forty-eight hours’ time, I dehydrated two big containers of mushrooms, canned twenty-eight quarts of tomato sauce, one and a half pints of tomato paste, fourteen quarts of peaches, a dehydrator load of peach slices, and fourteen quarts of vegetable beef soup plus enough to can another four quarts, I think. I took the last canner off the heat last night just before midnight. I was going to save the soup for today, but I got my second wind and Mr. FixIt had to substitute on the bowling league last night, so I just went for it!

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Parsnips, carrots, potatoes, celery, onions, fresh corn cut from the cob, garlic, the tomato paste I made Saturday, a large container of V8 juice and six containers of low sodium broth (beef, beef bone, and chicken), a head of cabbage coarsely chopped, and two large bags of sweet kale salad mix that had lots of yummy veggies in it (and it was one sale!). seasoned to taste and easy on the budget. This will taste so good when it’s snowing!

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I ran two canners last night. One has the little weighted gauge…you just select what pressure you want to run and then you can pretty much do what you want as long as you are within earshot of the kitchen. You have to listen for the “jiggle, jiggle” of the steam rattling the weighted gauge. The other canner has a dial gauge. It’s a lot trickier. You have to watch that gauge and adjust your flame to keep it at, or a little above, the pressure you want. Because, if it drops too low, you have to start timing all over again. The processing time for vegetable beef soup is eighty-five minutes at ten pounds pressure at our elevation. I got my knitting and made myself as comfortable as I could on the bar stools and finished the first sleeve of the sweater I’m knitting.

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I heated the soup up enough to pack it hot, but not so hot as to cook the veggies. pressure canning will cook them plenty during the processing time.

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While the second canner was processing, I cleaned up the kitchen and emptied the first canner and cleaned it so I can run the last bit of soup today. And that’s it for a little bit. I still have some jams I’d like to make, and a batch of apple butter and applesauce. But other than that, I should be finished with the canning. Now I can focus on clearing out the old freezer downstairs so we can get a new one. I’d like to be able to buy some things in bulk and freeze them.

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Doesn’t this look yummy?!

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I’m not a “prepper” by a long shot, but I am a good homemaker and I like to have enough set by to be prepared. A lot of us didn’t have things in place when the pandemic hit and I’d like to avoid that kind of uncertainty again. I like to be able to help people out with a meal should they need one without a lot of planning or running to the store. 

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We’ve had a lot of thunderstorms here the last couple of days. You can feel the change…fall is creeping in ever so slowly. I went out yesterday and checked the milkweed to see if we have any monarch butterflies coming out and I didn’t see a single caterpillar or chrysalis either one. I did see a sweet little butterfly on our African Lilies, but no monarchs. I hope they come back. I’m even more determined to build a pollinator garden now!

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?

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“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.”

\nProverbs 15:17 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-22T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/22/a-job-well-done.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/21/putting-up-tomatoes.html", "title": "Putting Up Tomatoes", "content_html": "\n
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A bushel and a half of tomatoes took me a little more than fourteen hours of work to process. I ended with twenty-eight quarts of tomato purée and a pint and a half of tomato paste. I just cooked down the last of the purée because there wasn’t enough to make a canner full and I can use it in the vegetable beef soup I’m going to can the first of the week.

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My helper was unable to come over yesterday, but I managed to get it all done without too much trouble. Mr. FixIt put the finishing touches on the new steps by mounting solar lights on each step. We went out and sat on the deck when we were finished and it felt so good to catch our breath and enjoy the quiet evening.

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If I were a great deal younger, I would invest in a freeze dryer. You can preserve a lot of food in a shorter amount of time, and it doesn’t take a whole room to store it. I don’t use my dehydrator like I should. I keep forgetting to use it. I did get a load of mushrooms dried. When I shared my canning shenanigans of this weekend with my friend Gail, she told me she has taken to dehydrating her tomatoes. Then when she’s ready to use them, she reconstitutes them with very little moisture and they come out thick and rich. I may have to try that. I dehydrated tomatoes a couple of years ago and I stored them in olive oil. They got all yucky looking and after a year, I threw them out. Maybe I didn’t need to store them in the fridge in the EVO, but my home economics brain said not to store them at room temp. I guess I’ll need to research that some more.

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My first canner load of tomatoes, the pulp separated from the juice. The pulp floated at the top and there was a golden fluid in the bottom half of the jar. I know they are perfectly fine…they just didn’t look pretty. I Googled it and read that you should do a hot pack and heat the sauce, then process it. I tried that, and the second batch didn’t separate nearly as much. Good to know. I made two batches with no flavorings, one batch with chili and garlic, and one batch with Italian herbs.

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I’m working up the peaches today. I love a good Peach-Blueberry Pie in the depths of winter, so I’m canning these in slices. And maybe a batch of jam. I think Peach Jam is my all time favorite. Once the peaches and soup are finished, I think I’ll take a couple of days off and go to the farm for some R&R and get off my feet for a while. I remember helping my grandma can when I was little. She made it look effortless. Let me tell ya…my dogs are barkin’!

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?

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“Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;”

\nProverbs 30:24-25 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-21T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/21/putting-up-tomatoes.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/20/in-my-country-kitchen.html", "title": "In My Country Kitchen", "content_html": "\n
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I got up pretty early yesterday. Well, early for ME. I ran to Riverbend Farm for see if I could get some of her wonderful tomatoes, but alas…I believe I missed the window. It’s getting a little late in the season for tomatoes. I did the next best thing and went to one of my two favorite farm stands. Ward’s Market is where my mom always used to get her produce in the summer. They had canning tomatoes…a half bushel for $15. I bought a bushel and a half…which equates to 75 pounds of tomatoes. 

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I dropped the half-runners off to the former Mrs. Fix-it and she gifted me a big pot with two different varieties of Wandering Jew…a plant that is pretty near impossible to kill. Which is good, because I am NOT good at keeping houseplants alive. I showed her my tomatoes and gave her the biggest one in the box! It really was the prettiest tomato of the season, I think.

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After our visit, I headed to the Kroger store in Belpre, OH. It’s the closest to a Colorado grocery store that we have in this area and I just love it. I bought all the ingredients to make Vegetable Beef soup that I’ll can. On my way home, I pulled into Witten’s Farm Stand and bought a head of cabbage for the soup and a half bushel of peaches for $40. I’ll can those and make a batch or two of peach jam. We went through what I made last time and it is so, so good!

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I got started on the tomatoes and I was so happy with this Weston Tomato Press & Sauce Maker. So quick and easy to turn quartered tomatoes into purée while expelling the skins, seeds, and cores into a separate container. If I had chickens or pigs or a compost pile, I would have disposed of all that pulp that way. But, I don’t so out it went. 

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I was nearly finished straining the tomatoes when Mr. FixIt called me out to help him with the railing. It’s been way too hot to work out there midday so we needed to get a lot done before dark. As it was, we could barely see when we cut the last board and screwed it in place. I am really proud of the job my sweetheart (and my stepson) did on these steps. You can sure tell an engineer built them because they’re sturdy as can be. If we need to grab a railing to keep from falling, that thing isn’t budging!

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I also sliced two large containers of mushrooms and put them in the dehydrator.

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So, as I sit here typing, it’s going on 10:30pm and I’m whupped. I have a canner load in, working it’s way up to 10 pounds of pressure. When it gets there, I need to I start timing and making sure it stays there for 15 minutes. Then I can turn off the heat and let it cool overnight. I don’t have room in the fridge for the rest of the tomato purée so I’m going to put it in a crockpot to simmer overnight to thicken. My stepdaughter and her husband are coming over this afternoon to help us get some things done. She’ll help me with the canning and he’ll help Mr. FixIt with hauling brush.

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It’s going to be a busy and productive day here at Marshmallow Ranch!

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?

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“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.”

\nProverbs 13:4 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/20/in-my-country-kitchen.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/19/hard-work-and-a-foggy.html", "title": "Hard Work and a Foggy Bottom", "content_html": "\n
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Here on Marshmallow Ranch, we have two creeks bordering our property. They join down at the end of what I call “the far field” where it pretty much comes to a point. At this time of year, temperatures during the day can get quite hot but drop to really great “sleeping weather” temps at night. The ground is saturated from all this rain we’ve been getting so we get fog in “the bottom”…the lowest spot on the property. We have two neighbors within sight…both situated on the other side of the creeks. When we went out to star gaze Wednesday night, the fog rolled into the bottom and the neighbor’s porch light cast an eerie glow in the mist.

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I love waking up and looking out the window into a milky fog. It takes me back to when I was a child growing up just six blocks from the Ohio River. We often waited for the school bus in a pea soup fog so thick you heard the bus coming before you saw it. With the fog and the cooler night temperatures and the chorus of bugs all around, I’m really enjoying knitting this warm, cozy sweater. I know the house will smell like apple butter soon and leaves will start falling from the trees. 

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Didn’t even make a dent!

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Up until I moved in with Mr. FixIt, I dreaded autumn because it meant winter would be fast on its heels. Now…after mowing five acres for the last five years, I’ve learned to relish the cool, crisp days of fall. And with all this beautiful yarn, I’ve learned to appreciate winter. Actually, it took the Covid lockdown to make me appreciate being safely tucked in the house with my sweetheart by my side. After all, I can dread winter or I can embrace it. Either way…it’s still going to be winter. So why would I want to just plan on being miserable for three months or so?

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We’re working hard on the projects we want to finish before the snow flies. Mr. FixIt and I got the second railing put up on the deck stairs. I took the hedge trimmer out and cut the heck out some big forsythias and flowering quince along the field side of the house. I went around front and cut down the peony bushes and some tall weeds that got out of hand. I knitted through the heat of the afternoon, but I didn’t look at the pattern, and relying on my mistaken memory, I forgot to decrease stitches before I knitted the cuff. I’ll need to tease that out today. My mom would have said, “You need to stop and lick your cat over.” One of her folksy sayings that meant…fix it. Lands, she was something to deal with when I was sewing my own clothes. She made me rip out so many seams the fabrics would wear thin.

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Here it is…Friday. Big’s last weekend at home before she heads off to college. When your kids are growing up, you think…”Maybe when they’re out on their own, I wont worry.” Ha! Then things settle down and if you are blessed with grandchildren, you get a whole new set of concerns. She is going to do great and you want to know why? Because her parents did great and they poured their hearts and souls into their kids so they’ll do great, too. 

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Today, I’ll help Mr. FixIt with anything he needs, then I’ll head to town to look for produce to can this weekend. I need to drop a jar of half-runners over to the former Mrs. FixIt’s house to thank her for the home canned salsa she gave us a couple of weeks ago. I’d like to can tomatoes and peaches. And, all this brush I cut down the last couple of days isn’t going to grow legs and find its way to the brush pile on its own!

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Our work is never done…but I tell you what. I cherish every moment I’m given on this little slice of paradise we call home.

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?

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“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.”

\nProverbs 14:23 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-19T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/19/hard-work-and-a-foggy.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/08/11/runnin-like-a-chickennbsp.html", "title": "Runnin’ Like a Chicken\u0026nbsp;", "content_html": "\n
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The morning dew on the Elephant Ears.

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There was a goodly portion of the day yesterday that was pretty laid back. Mr. FixIt had to go to town to get his hair cut. Big to-do this weekend…gotta look good, right? While he was gone, I thought I’d just sit and knit a while…which I did. Then he called and said he found a used car for us and wanted my input. We’ve been wanting to get something that would be lower mileage and get better gas mileage. His old truck has surpassed 200,000 miles and that is not a reliable vehicle should you need to make a long trip. He went by and gave it a test drive. I trust his judgement so today we’ll go pick it up. 

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A 2002 Lincoln Continental with only 52,000 miles on it. Sweet!

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The parts came in for the stove yesterday so I tore into it and got the right control panel installed. The oven works now! Hooray!!! Now I can return the other part and get my money back. I asked Mr. FixIt if he was suitably impressed with my skills. He said, “You’re some kinda woman!” I take it that’s a yes! lol

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You can learn how to make this simple and delicious staple HERE. (Photo courtesy of In the Kitchen with Matt)

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I gave him a list of things I wanted from town, so when he was on his way home, I started supper. As I was knitting, I watched cooking videos on YouTube. As I thought of a certain food, I looked up how to prepare it. It’s fair season here and that reminded me of the food trucks that sell Navajo Tacos and Navajo Fry Bread out west. I had a package of ground beef in the fridge so I fried it up with taco seasoning, heated up some refried beans, and made fry bread. It’s kinda like a tortilla, only thicker. It’s soft and foldable and makes the BEST tacos! We had some wonderful sweet corn, on the cob…dripping with butter. SO good!

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I love doing that kind of cooking from time to time, but man does it ever make a mess! By the time I got it cleaned up, the news was over and it was getting close to time to write. We got one heck of a thunderstorm right about then and it poured so hard, it filled the pool up. The former Mrs. FixIt called to say she was driving through standing water on the city streets and several of the parking lots were full of water. As I write this, storm warnings continue to arrive on my phone.

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Bumblebee
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Morning Glory
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Mildew
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Sourgrass
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I’ve made great progress on the sweater. A few more inches on the bottom and I can knit the ribbed edge. I walked around between storms and took some pictures of the flora. Even with all the rain, it was a beautiful day and I feel like I got a lot accomplished. And isn’t that what we are supposed to do every day? Accomplish something that improves our lives and the lives of others? A noble endeavor, indeed.

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?

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“for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

\nPhilippians 2:13 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-08-11T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/08/11/runnin-like-a-chickennbsp.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Crafts","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/07/27/day-eleven-was-heaven.html", "title": "Day Eleven Was Heaven", "content_html": "\n
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Little works in the kitchen, filling jars with green beans.

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Who hasn’t wanted to share their favorite things with their grandchild? It’s one of the greatest gifts in the world when a grandchild shares your interests. Little and I are two peas in a pod. I was a little disappointed on Monday when they only lasted an hour on the canning beans job. Then, I learned…it wasn’t the chore itself but the act of getting pruny hands and the icky sensation of that. The tapping of the jars. The noise and sensation was too much stimulus for Little. So we regrouped and came up with a solution.

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Measuring and adding things to containers is the perfect way to get the job done without it seeming so overwhelming. I asked Little to please count out seven jars for me and put a teaspoon of salt in each one. Then, stuff some green beans in there on top of the salt till they come up to here on the jar. Voila…we canned! And it was enjoyable this time and became a teachable moment…for Little AND for Nana. There was a lot of beaming pride when that load came out of the canner!

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But what a L O N G day! By the time I finished the last canner full, my back was screaming obscenities at me and threatening to do me an injury. I had enough beans to do maybe three more jars, but I decided to cook half of them in my little pressure cooker with a Vidalia onion and some ham. When they were done, I took half over to my friend in town. He’s retiring this Friday and I wanted to give him something. Cake? Or fresh half-runners with ham??? You know which one I’d pick…every time. He was thrilled and texted as soon as I got home how wonderful they were. He was right…I heated up a bowl for myself and one for Mr. FixIt, as well. They were SO good!

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Have you all ever heard someone say they were going to “cook up a mess of beans”? That’s what we always called it. Cookin’ up a mess of beans. I can’t think of it being used with very many foods. You might fry up a mess of fish. Or shuck a mess of roast’neers. (That would be corn on the cob.) I love the colloquialisms of the Appalachian people. It makes my grandchildren laugh. Colorado kids!

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Little’s batch of beans!

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I’m staying put today. Canning the last couple of days was a lot of work. We ended up with twenty-eight quarts plus two messes of beans cooked in the little pressure cooker. That’s a lot to get out of a bushel. And it was a lot of work. But, I’m telling you…you’d be hard pressed to find anything that tastes as wonderful as good ol’ half-runner beans. They can’t be beat! I’ll clean the kitchen then I need to block Big’s sweater so it will be dry soon and I can send it to Colorado before she heads for college. Once that’s done, I can sit down and knit for a while. I’ll put the pork roast in the slow cooker early so we can have a good supper when Mr. FixIt gets home from town.

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Only three more sleeps and Little goes home. 

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?

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“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

\nProverbs 22:6 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-07-27T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/07/27/day-eleven-was-heaven.html", "tags": ["Family","Positive Energy","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/04/21/a-stroll-along-the-marshy.html", "title": "A Stroll Along the Marshy Sound", "content_html": "\n
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We had a perfectly lovely day yesterday. We had no plans whatsoever. I saw an announcement on the FB page for the condo complex here saying we could get a tour of one of the updated units. We decided before we did anything else, we would take a look. It seems the original management company may have led the investors to believe they were collecting money for maintenance and upgrades to the condos. It turns out that was misleading. The company was fired, a new company hired, a special assessment levied, and now the desperately needed updates are being completed as quickly as possible…which is to say, at a snail’s pace.

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There is still a supply chain issue with furniture, appliances, cabinets…even paint due to the continued fallout from a number of factors, including covid and the untimely blockage of the Panama Canal, the war in Ukraine, resulting inflation…among other things. We walked in to view the updated unit and put on our masks as we were being escorted by an employee of the complex. As soon as he saw our masks, he launched into a political rant about the virus including some widely reported and debunked conspiracy theories.

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I bit my tongue as he continued to harangue us with his beliefs about the legitimacy of the virus till I could hold back no longer and asked this maintenance man where exactly he had gone to medical school. I don’t like to throw anyone under the bus, but I felt his behavior was inappropriate at best and unnecessarily aggressive. I’m not a “snowflake”, nor am I what is derogatorily referred to as a “Karen”. But I don’t appreciate being berated by someone whose job it is to show us a condo and answer any questions we may have. I’m considering my options in this regard. That aside, the new updates are lovely and “beachy” and ever so appreciated. The work on our building is scheduled to begin in 2024.

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When we were finished, we headed down the island…all the way to the ferry station on Hatteras Island. We stopped at the Blue Pelican Gallery and lo and behold…there was my friend, Jenn Johnson…owner of this fine establishment! She hasn’t been in the shop the last couple of times I’ve visited. We greeted each other like old home week and had a lovely chat as I filled my sale bag with the most beautiful yarns. Jenn has had some health struggles since I last saw her, and I was thrilled to have a few moments with just her and I…talking about God moments and how He works in our lives.

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I would have loved to sit and knit and visit longer, but we needed to head back up the island. We ended up in Kill Devil Hills at Henry’s Restaurant for our one night indulgence of seafood. I had Coconut Shrimp…one of my all time favorites. Mr. FixIt had Shrimp and Scallops. We ate indoors with a respectable distance between us and the staff and other diners. This was only the second time we’ve eaten inside a restaurant since covid began and we remarked how totally weird it felt. Honestly, I believe dining out has lost its appeal to me. I know that would make Mr. Virgo sad because fine dining was his forte. I’ve gotten pretty used to the more frugal lifestyle unwillingly imposed by the constraints of the pandemic. I’d much rather cook a good meal at home with fresh ingredients. That way, I know what’s in it and how it’s been stored and prepared. And it costs SO much less.

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It WAS Coconut Shrimp but I forgot to get a picture before I scarfed it down!

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We both wanted a walk and some fresh air after dinner, so we headed back to Duck and walked the boardwalk along the marshy edges of Currituck Sound. We took several pictures along the way, but soon the evening chill began to creep in and we were ready to head back to the truck to get in out of the wind. Right then, we received a text from my dear friend Sue that there was some sort of issue at the White House surrounding a plane or something so we headed back to the condo to catch the news. Thankfully, it was a plane of errant skydivers accidentally off course. It didn’t look like we were going to have a spectacular sunset anyway.

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Today and tomorrow look like our best bets to get some beach time and Mr. FixIt is chomping at the bit to get out there and do some surf fishing! I’ll take my knitting (and a blanket!) along with me and watch.

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Two more sleeps and it’s time to go home already. It’s not fair how long it takes for a vacation to get here and how quickly it is over.

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?

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“There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God,”

\nEcclesiastes 2:24 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-04-21T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/04/21/a-stroll-along-the-marshy.html", "tags": ["Travel","Fun","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/03/28/west-virginias-state-food.html", "title": "West Virginia’s State Food", "content_html": "\n
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I don’t remember pepperoni rolls when I was growing up. I think the first time I had them may have been when I came home from living in England in 1975. I’ve tried my best baking them over the years without much success. Which isn’t a real problem because you can find a decent pepperoni roll at just about any gas station or mom and pop convenience store. Around here, bakeries make them alongside fritters and cream horns and you can buy them by the bagful.

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We have a local bakery in our little burg that makes really good pepperoni rolls, but the demand isn’t too high so they only make them on Fridays and Saturdays. I seem to be busy on those days. I do indulge in their donuts mid-week so I feel like I’m supporting them.

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I was sitting in my recliner, knitting another pair of mittens and watching basketball yesterday with Mr. FixIt. I got a hankerin’ for a good pepperoni roll but wasn’t about to get up and go out in 30° temps to try to find some. I’ve been ruminating since Christmas about the dough I use to make my homemade cinnamon rolls. I wrote a post about them HERE. They use an interesting dough that stays soft and chewy for days so I decided to try it for pepperoni rolls. 

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Oh…My…Gosh!!!

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They were heavenly! Light, moist, chewy…divine! I brushed them with butter before and after baking. I also dusted them lightly with grated parmesan cheese and a bit of Italian seasonings. I think next time, I’ll try just brushing with butter after the baking as I think it contributed to the darker crust. Also, I wasn’t please with the parmesan cheese. It was hard, dry, and brown by the time they were baked and the flavor wasn’t on point for me.

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I filled the rolls with about six of the big slices of pepperoni and used the only cheese I had available at the time…sliced Colby Jack. Next time I’ll probably add more pepperoni and try mozzarella…maybe in string cheese form. You can use hot pepper cheese to turn up the heat a little bit. That’s always good.

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I finished one mitten of a new pair I’m knitting with the superwash wool I bought at our local yarn shop on sale. I can get one pair of mittens or one hat from one skein with just a bit left over and each skein only cost me a dollar! These will be lovely gifts come Christmas. I shipped off some hats to my Colorado grands last week and I’m looking forward to hearing what they think of them.

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Today is another chilly day so I’ll be staying in and knitting again. Not too many more days like this. I can HEAR the grass growing! We should be up to 80° by Wednesday!

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“Give us this day our daily bread,”

\nMatthew 6:11 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-03-28T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/03/28/west-virginias-state-food.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/03/27/soup-beans-and-corn-bread.html", "title": "Soup Beans and Corn Bread", "content_html": "\n
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My recipe for soup beans is very simple. Soak 1 small bag of navy beans overnight. In the morning, wash and sort through for any errant stones, then place in slow cooker. Add a good sized smoked ham hock and a medium yellow onion cut into chunks. Add enough water to cover the beans by an inch and add fresh cracked black pepper. Cook on high for 4-6 hours till tender then drop to warm till meal time. Serve with hot cornbread fresh from the oven.

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Even though we don’t technically live on a farm, we do have five acres out in the country. We garden and mow and put up food in the fall, just like we did when I was growing up, so…I call it a farm life. I love it. The peace and quiet. The spring peepers (little tree frogs) calling. The great variety of birds that visit our feeders. All the great flower beds we have around. Our property is essentially a trapezoid-shaped chunk of land bordered by two creeks and a country road. It’s our little slice of “Almost Heaven”. 

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When I was a young bride, all I wanted to do was to get the heck out of here. When I became a single mom, I elected to stay in Denver for the greater educational opportunities my daughter would receive. When my second daughter was born, any thought of moving to West Virginia was impossible till she grew up and finished college. By that time, I was married to Mr. Virgo and he had no desire to move back here. He’d spent his entire life trying to get to Colorado and that’s where he would stay till the day he died.

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Once he was gone and I passed that one year mark as a widow, I pulled up roots for a number of reasons and made the big break for my home state. God has plans for us to prosper, and I’ve prospered emotionally big time since arriving in West Virginia. It is the home of my heart. Living on my grandparents’ farm was such an incredible blessing. Then, running into Mr. FixIt again and eventually marrying and moving to this plot of land…my life has come full circle.

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I’ve kind of slacked off the baking and country cooking over the winter, but occasionally I just need to pull out all the stops and go for a great meal of comfort food. Last week, I cooked a pot of soup beans with a great big smoked ham hock, a quartered yellow onion, and a few dashes of cracked black pepper in them. We’ve each eaten a couple of bowls of beans from that pot and there was enough for each of us to have one big bowl yesterday. 

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I put the beans on to reheat in my grandma’s old waterless cookware pan that she cooked potatoes in. Then I set to mixing up a batch of cornbread. I’ll share a link to the recipe HERE. I used my #8 Griswold cast iron skillet to bake it and….oh, my….it was SO good. Crispy on the outside and deliciously moist on the inside. I don’t like a crumbly cornbread. But I also don’t like it to be too cake like or overly sweet. This recipe was perfect and it has gone in my arsenal to make again. The recipe calls for milk, but I like buttermilk in my cornbread so I easily made the substitution.

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We enjoyed a lazy Saturday. It was cold and either raining or spitting snow off and on all day. Hopefully, this is the last of Old Man Winter, but we could still get a cold stretch in April. I finished the black wool hat to match the mittens and worked on the shawl I’ve been knitting. Hopefully I’ll have it finished for the trip to Colorado in May. I’d like to wear it to the graduation since it will be outdoors. It’s still pretty cool in May in the Rockies.

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It’s hard to believe March is almost over. Our fruit trees are trying to bud out but we’ve had two nights in a row below freezing, so I doubt we’ll see pears and crabapples this year. I have the new bedding out in the Big Birdhouse so hopefully I’ll get a little time out there today dressing the twin beds. I need to check the fridge, and if it’s still not working on electric, then give it a try on propane. If it isn’t working, I’ll need to call the dealership tomorrow to schedule repairs.

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I can’t wait to go on a real camping trip!!!

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?

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“And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.”

\nGenesis 1:29 ESV\n
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#Comfort, #SoupBeans, #Cornbread

\n\n", "date_published": "2022-03-27T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/03/27/soup-beans-and-corn-bread.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/01/06/one-sock-done-one-to.html", "title": "One Sock Done, One to Go!", "content_html": "\n
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I finished the first sock yesterday. I had two skeins…one per sock. I nearly ran out of the first skein and it took me a bit to figure out what I did wrong. I followed the pattern precisely, but I think I could have made the top a good two inches shorter. Then the foot could be longer. But, as it is, these will fit Little perfectly. Tiny feet! A perfect Valentine’s treat!

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I didn’t sit all afternoon and knit like I have been. I had some other things to do. I needed to mail three packages. Two late Christmas gifts. And, a book for my dear friend Diane’s granddaughter. She is grieving the loss of her Granny, so I sent her a copy of “Rise Up, Little Bluebirds” written by Kristy Boike. Remember when I shared the story from CBS Sunday Morning about the man who lost his wife to brain cancer? She was an avid gardener and loved bluebirds. So, after she died, he started making bluebird houses. His daughter not only lost her mom, but soon after…lost her father-in-law. Her four children were struggling with the losses and, being a former primary school teacher, she wrote a sweet book that helps kids process their feelings about loss and normalizes conversations about grief. I hope it helps her. That child was the center of Diane’s universe…and vice versa.

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Mr. FixIt got the generator out and cleaned up. It started right up for him and he wanted me to go out and see if I could start it, too. I told him as soon as we became serious about this relationship that I need to know how to do everything around this place…just in case I ever have to do it on my own someday. Once you have lost your spouse, you will forever be aware of how tenuous life truly is and I don’t ever want to be caught flat footed. He reminded me of the steps to get it ready, and on the second pull, it fired right up. We have it out on the covered front porch along with the snow blower (it’s actually battery powered) so we’ll be ready for the coming snowfall. We have the battery plugged in and charging.

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On my way back from the Post Office yesterday, I stopped at the two grocery stores in town to pick up a few things. Dick’s Market for fresh ground hamburger, and deli sliced Colby Longhorn cheese and sliced Tavern Ham. Oh…that ham is fabulous and makes the best sandwiches and is great on breakfast biscuits with egg and cheese. Speaking of biscuits, I stopped at the Pig and got fresh buttermilk, bacon, and some great pepperoni and cheese to make homemade Pepperoni Rolls. I may make a batch of Cinnamon Rolls, too. We’ll see.

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While I’m not a huge fan of winter, I sure don’t mind getting stuck at home with lots of fun foods to bake and eat. And, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be stuck at home with than my sweet husband. Knitting, baking, sitting with my sweetheart, and watching the snow fall outside. It doesn’t get any better than that!

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My world is so vastly different now than it was as a new widow. This is the ninth winter since Mr. Virgo died. That first winter in Colorado as a widow was so awful. We had SO much snow that year and…thank GOD I had great neighbors with snowblowers. Between them and hiring the sprinkler guy to come dig me out of a few really big dumps…plus all the times I shoveled by hand in between…I was absolutely bound and determined I would never live where I had to deal with snow like that again. 

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Enter the Winter of 2014-15. I had moved to West Virginia to live on the farm, but Christmas found me scrambling for other living arrangements. I housesat for a friend for a couple of months up in Marietta, Ohio. I remember sitting in the front window of the second floor loft apartment…drafty and cold…watching the snow pile up outside. I was bereft. Things hadn’t worked out at the farm like I thought they would. And I spent those two months scanning thousands of photos onto external hard drives. The memories were so thick, you could cut them with a knife. And they cut my broken heart even deeper.

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By the end of January 2015, I was living in my camper up on a ridge overlooking the Ohio River. The river was frozen and made sounds like ice being dropped in a cooler…all night, every night. The train ran by within a couple hundred yards…every few hours. Tug boats pushed barges of gasoline, chemicals, and coal up and down the river…day and night. No running water. My fridge stopped working and I lost all my food. I showered at Planet Fitness and did laundry at a laundromat for the first time in three decades. It was…challenging, to say the least. But, it made me a stronger person, I think. I had to learn how to survive and thrive on my own. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. However…I wouldn’t necessarily want to repeat it.

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It’s a good life I live here on five acres with Mr. FixIt. I never dreamed I’d be where I am today…and certainly not with my old high school chum. If you would have told me this was where my life would lead, I’d have said you were crazy! Yet, here we are. This is a great story…chapter…volume of my Book of Life.

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?

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“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.”

\nProverbs 19:21 MSG\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-01-06T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/01/06/one-sock-done-one-to.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Be Joyful!","Farm Life","Marriage","Crafts","In the Kitchen","Home"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2022/01/02/one-down-to-go.html", "title": "One Down, 364 to Go!", "content_html": "\n
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We were thrilled to have absolutely nothing to do yesterday. As a matter of fact, we went to bed before the ball dropped. We decided 2022 needed to come in on tippy-toes without a big fuss as far as we were concerned. We lay in bed and followed our nightly ritual of watching funny videos. We didn’t even know what time it was…then we heard a loud “bang” and looked at the clock. Sure enough, the old year had slipped away quietly and the new year took its place without a lot of fanfare, save for a kiss…for Auld Lang Syne.

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We slept in, luxuriating in the fact we had NOTHING to do. I will have to say, though…there was a lot of football on TV yesterday and I really wasn’t interested in that…at all! I found my Bluetooth headset, turned on my rainstorm/campfire soundtrack, and happily knitted away all afternoon as the rain poured heavily outside. We kept the main door open and I can watch the rain from my recliner through the full length glass storm door. It was delightful.

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We’ve been holding off making that wonderful supper of scallops and lamb chops originally scheduled for Christmas. When we bought the scallops a week and a half ago, Mr. FixIt happily told me how he likes them prepared. With nothing but butter and garlic. “No lemon?” I asked. Nope…nothing but butter and garlic.” As I prepared the meal yesterday, do you think that information even came close to passing through my head? Nooooooooooo.

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Now, my sweet husband has never, EVER complained about anything I’ve fixed for him. There have been a couple of times when I didn’t hit it out of the park, and I could tell it wasn’t to his liking. But he has never said anything…until yesterday. He looked at his plate with delicious anticipation and his shoulders slumped. He was quiet. I asked him what was wrong and he said, “I don’t like them like this.” Ahhhhh….it all came crashing back into my head! Why didn’t I remember that? Maybe because I had a procedure a couple of days ago where they gave me a drug that erases the memory banks. I don’t know. But I felt really bad. 

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He was quite the good sport and ate them anyway, but I promised I’ll make the other half of the bag tonight…with nothing but garlic and butter! I will have to say…the lamb chops were excellent. Lemon pepper, a few herbs like rosemary, and honey with a little bit of red wine…cooked to perfection. They were really tasty and we have enough left over to have more today.

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So, here we are…a new year is before us. We step into the unknown, hoping and praying for the best. For healing…in so many ways. For love…between us all. For happiness….after so much pain and disappointment in the last couple of years. For joy…as we dare to hope covid releases us from its talons as more and more of us present with antibodies, either from having had the illness or from having had the vaccine. For hope…in knowing God has this handled already and all things will work out for our goodness in some way unbeknownst to us.

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One down…364 to go. What will you do with yours?

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?

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“Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.”

\n1 Timothy 4:4 NLT\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2022-01-02T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2022/01/02/one-down-to-go.html", "tags": ["Marriage","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/22/the-winter-solstice.html", "title": "The Winter Solstice", "content_html": "\n
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The only real celebration I observe for the Winter Solstice is letting out a huge sigh of relief. The days will start getting longer now…by imperceptible increments…until some day a few weeks from now we’ll notice it’s not dark all the time. I am a craver of light. My father walked along behind me turning off the lights in the house. I wanted MORE lights! My former husbands did the same thing. When I finally bought my own home after Hubby #2 and I split up, I didn’t put one curtain up…much to my neighbors chagrin, I imagine. I just couldn’t stand to not catch every moment of light possible. When Mr. Virgo came along, unfortunately TV and window curtains came with him. Small price to pay, but still…I hated both.

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Mr. FixIt and I live out on five acres with no close neighbors. There is, however, a large picture window on the end of the house facing our dirt road and when the lights are on, there’s no way to hide in there. When I first moved in here with my sweetheart, there were heavy, dark, blackout curtains on the windows and the bottom half of the room was painted very deep, dark green. It was a cave and I couldn’t breathe! The first thing I did was rip the curtains off the windows and throw them away. They were old and the gas from the heat had deteriorated the stitching. 

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That helped a great deal. But there was still not enough light, so within a week of moving in, we painted the walls a very soft blue/grey that was bright enough to not be garish, yet soothing enough to make you sit down and sigh. I love that room. We have a 58” television on the end opposite the window. If I’m home alone, I often turn on the “fireplace channel” and sit there knitting and rocking in my chair. It’s so soothing. However, the other day, I took the trash out and when I turned around, I caught the view through the full glass storm door and it honestly looked like the living room was on fire! I feel bad for my neighbors when they drive by…I’m sure they’ve done a number of double takes as they drive by.

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I mean, it’s not like we’re running around “au buffo” or anything. At first, this was a totally new thing for Mr. FixIt…no curtains??? I swear he went along with it because we were so newly in love, he would have crawled through ground glass to make me happy. By now he’s used to it. I bought him a clear acrylic bird feeder that sticks onto the picture window with suction cups so we can watch the birds sweep in and eat just inches from us. 

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Oh…speaking of birds. I saw a picture the other day doing the rounds on Facebook. It showed an iron skillet with fat in it from having cooked bacon probably. It suggested you put oats in the fat to absorb it and put it out for the birds. Well, before I do ANYTHING regarding birds, I consult my local bird expert, Julie Zickefoose. I sent her the picture and asked if it was ok to do. She answered with a resounding ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! Salt and nitrates are horrible for birds so DON’T DO THAT! If you see it floating around, please share that warning with the person who posts it. Thanks! We love our birds and we want to do what’s best for them!

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We saw our family doctor for the last time…he’s retiring and yesterday was his last day. Hubby #2 is also a retired physician and we have had some discussion about the emotional lability involved with such a major change. Some people think they’re not going to have a bit of trouble transitioning to retirement, then they find there are a lot more emotions involved in it that they expected. I warned our doctor of that. He looked at me like maybe I had gone round the bend. Then he said, “You know…you’re probably right.” Some people take to retirement like a duck to water. That’s how I was. But to others, there’s a lot of their “self” wrapped up in their career. I just wanted to give him a head’s up so he wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what happened.

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We went to Sam’s to get scallops for Christmas Dinner. My sweet, frugal husband looked at the bag and put them back. “Oh, I don’t really need them that bad.” I marched right passed him, picked up that bag of frozen scallops and said, “It’s Christmas and you work hard. You’re having these!” He just smiled sheepishly. Then I went over to the meat department and picked out the most extravagant yet reasonably priced delicacy I could find and chose a lovely package of lamb chops. Mr. Virgo taught me how to make them grilled with a marinade of orange juice and maple syrup with a touch of rosemary. They are the BEST!

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We helped a friend jump start his car. We picked up the two new sets of pots and pans he bought for us with his friends and family discount. We delivered the former Mrs. FixIt her set. Then we went to the grandkid’s farm to see the new puppy. When we got home, I baked two batches of chocolate chip cookies and that was it for me for the day. Today I’ll bake more, then we can deliver cookies to the neighbors on Christmas Eve.

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The days will slowly grow longer now. But as they do, there will be knitting and baking and other projects to be done around the house. Lots of birds to watch. Lots of sunsets and life moments to catch with my camera. Lots of words to write. Make some memories this week, people. I’ve again been reminded how quickly life is gone.

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❄️

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“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

\nProverbs 16:3 ESV\n
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I want to start out today with a HUGE praise! Remember how we’ve been praying for my dear friend Gail’s son-in-law, Tommy? He was diagnosed with a terrible cancer that had grown so large in his chest, it very nearly killed him before he could get to the hospital. With four little ones at home, one not much more than a newborn, the terrifying journey of massive chemo began. They were so very careful of Tommy ever since because he couldn’t get the Covid vaccine. Still, a couple of weeks ago, the whole family got Covid and we prayed even harder. His chemo finally ended and he had a PET scan done. They went to Cleveland to get the results yesterday and….THE CANCER IS GONE! He has a little inflammation left from the Covid, but the cancer has been kicked to the curb. This was absolutely a Christmas Miracle!!! God is AMAZING! The family would like to thank you all for your continued prayers!

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Now, to the more mundane here on Marshmallow Ranch. We have taken to sleeping in a little later during the winter months. There’s no pressing chores to be done outside so we are enjoying a little hibernation. Still, Mr FixIt usually gets up a little before me and I linger under the covers, reading and replying to your comments here. Yesterday, Mr. FixIt came in and said one of the kids was coming over to pick up a Christmas gift, so we scurried around and picked up the living room before they arrived.

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I cleaned up the kitchen from baking so I can bake some more. Then I sat and knitted while I watched A Christmas Story and my sweetheart snoozed in his recliner. When it came time for supper, I was at a loss for what to make. I didn’t have any hamburger set out or I would have made chili or spaghetti. Mr. FixIt had ham sandwiches for lunch, so that was out. I thought I might make grilled cheese and tomato soup, but alas…no cans of soup. I could have made some from canned tomatoes, but I had a strike of inspiration!

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I’ve never made this before, and I didn’t have a recipe nor did I take the time to look one up. I just flew by the seat of my pants. Remember last week when we talked about buying bulk at Sam’s and how expensive beef has gotten? I picked up a BIG bag of broccoli florets and had about a half bag left. I had three thick slices of Colby cheese from the deli and about a quarter pound of sliced ham. Voila! Cheesy Hammy Broccoli Soup!!! OMGosh! It was SO good. Again, I don’t cook with a recipe, but I’ll tell you as best I can how to make it.

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Cheesy Hammy Broccoli Soup

Melt half a stick of butter in a good sized sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in about a half cup or so of all purpose flour. Stir continuously to make a roux. When it starts to look a little golden, pull it from the flame and set aside for a minute. You don’t want it to scorch.

Steam about 3 cups of broccoli florets. I use a steamer basket over about an inch or so of boiling water and put a lid over it. 

While the broccoli is steaming, chop the ham and cheese and set aside in a bowl.

Put the pan with the roux back on the flame and pour in about 3-4 cups of milk and whisk it till smooth. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly and cook until it thickens. I used this seasoning blend called Farm Dust. I love it and have no idea what’s in it but you can season yours with garlic and pepper or whatever you like. Be careful not to add a lot of salt because both the ham and the cheese is salty enough.

Add the ham and cheese and stir till the cheese is melted then spoon in the steamed broccoli. If you like a smooth, creamy soup, you can use an immersion blender, but I like mine chunky. So, I used a meat chopper that I bought up in Amish Country. I couldn’t find one on Lehman’s website, but here’s a link on Amazon.

Once everything is combined, ladle it up in big soup bowls and serve with the crackers of your choice. Also goes well with hot rolls or homemade buttermilk biscuits but I didn’t get all “fancy like that.”
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There’s nothing like a big bowl of hot soup to comfort a wounded heart and ward of the chill of a winter’s night. 

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❄️

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“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

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\nPsalm 73:26 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-21T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/21/tidings-of-comfort-and-joy.html", "tags": ["Comfort","God","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/11/if-its-christmas-it-must.html", "title": "If It’s Christmas, It Must Be Time For Aebleskivers!", "content_html": "\n
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The #32 pan has a lip on it which keeps the oil from spilling over into your flame when it bubbles up.

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I never heard of aebleskivers till my friend Judy showed me how to make them back in the ‘80s. Aebleskiver literally translates to “apple slices” in Danish and the filled spherical shaped pancakes of the same name are made in a special pan. A long time ago, I had a nonstick aebleskiver pan and used it a few times. It went to the wayside when I downsized and sold my Colorado house. A few years ago, I bought one off of Amazon and when it arrived, it was cast iron. And not the nice smooth cast iron of years past, but the rough cast iron that’s made nowadays.

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I’ve been told that with enough use and good seasoning, these rough pans can become usable, but I’m skeptical. I never had much luck with a Lodge pan, for instance. The surface is so rough and pitted and the food always ends up sticking. I returned the aebleskiver pan to Amazon and didn’t think much of it. These days, if I buy a piece of cast iron cookware, it’s going to be a Griswold.

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The original Griswold foundry was established in Erie, PA  in 1865 and they made door hinges. However, in the 1870’s, they branched out into cookware and became the most respected name in the business. The company lasted till 1957. Their cookware is prized and highly collectible and people hand down their cast iron pans with as much circumstance as handing down family jewels. In many cases, in the hills and hollers of Appalachia…cast iron skillets WERE the family treasures.

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I have a couple of Griswold skillets. I have my grandmother’s cast iron waffle pan, but I cannot recall if it’s a Griswold…I’ll have to look sometime. Mr. FixIt knows by now not to even bother showing me a piece of cast iron unless it’s a Griswold. So, yesterday, when I was sitting in the living room knitting, he sent me a text from Facebook Marketplace. As soon as I opened it, my heart skipped a beat. 

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An Antique Griswold #32 962 Cast Iron Aebleskiver Pan for $85!

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I didn’t even know Griswold MADE an aebleskiver pan! And, not a bad price, apparently…I looked them up and some went for at least $135…sometimes more. I looked over at him. He smiled.

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“Offer them $75.”

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It’s what you do. 

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“It’s only been on there for fifteen minutes. They aren’t going to take that!”

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“Well, you won’t know till you ask.”

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I sent the offer and she accepted! Hmmmmm….maybe I should have offered less. Nope! The offer was just right. No need to be greedy! We made arrangements and were in the truck heading to town in five minutes. I was so excited to find this pan and add it to my collection. And, it’ll be another new tradition I can start with my grandchildren…making Aebleskivers together. I still have the Aebleskiver Cookbook so I’m really looking forward to cleaning up this pan and seasoning it.

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You never know when you wake up in the morning what is going to come your way. What kind of adventure is right around the bend? Who are you going to meet that’s going to change your course? I am firmly convinced our lives are like a mountain stream. We have twists and turns. Sometimes it is rough and rushed. Sometimes it’s slow and placid. But every inch of the journey is an education. I always know God will lead me right where I’m supposed to go.

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Today, I’m happy a funny, lumpy little pan fell in my path.

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For more information about Aebleskivers, check out this website for The Solvang Restaurant.

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?

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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

\nProverbs 3:5-6 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-11T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/11/if-its-christmas-it-must.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/12/06/old-stuff-and-new-stuff.html", "title": "Old Stuff and New Stuff", "content_html": "\n
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Daughter #1 tagged me in a post over the weekend. It seems she was going through items that had been in a storage shed for 15 years and came across a tin of hand made Christmas ornaments she and I made together when she was little. They were salt dough gingerbread men and I’m amazed they lasted this long. Three of them were broken beyond repair and disintegrating, but she laid them out on a paper towel and took pictures of them so I could remember with her.

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I got a tiny bit verklempt. I still remember the day we made them. We didn’t have a ton of money when she was a child so we handmade a lot of things. I remember cutting the hole in the top with a straw so we could string that curly ribbon through it to hang. I remember how proud she was to paint the Girl Scout. I think she was only in Girl Scouts a couple of years so this had to have been elementary school. I don’t remember what we painted them with, but I do remember putting a coat of something like ModPodge on them to make them last.

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It’s so cool to make memories with your kids when they’re growing up. And you don’t know what activity is going to stick with them and give them warm memories of their own. She remembers long bike rides and trips to the library because they were free. She also remembers what it was like to eat black and white boxes of macaroni and cheese and whatever you could grow in the yard out back. She remembers trips to West Virginia and combing her great grandmother’s long hair. This is the daughter that is not overtly demonstrative. She is a much more matter of fact, rub a little dirt in it and keep going, shake it off kind of person. I wouldn’t expect her to cry at a Kodak commercial. But this gal will drop what she is doing and run to your side in a moment’s notice if you need her. Sharing this little memory made my day.

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Talk about making someone’s day, I made Mr. FixIt as fine a country dinner as I’ve ever cooked last night. My bonus daughter gave us some venison tenderloin the other day. Now, I’ve eaten deer meat maybe once or twice in my life and was never a fan. I wasn’t really sure how to cook it. I remembered Brenda Gantt did a video this fall about cooking the backstrap so I watched that a couple of times. I soaked the deer meat in water and squeezed the blood out, then I soaked it in buttermilk for a few hours. I cut it in strips, salted and peppered it and dredged it in flour. I put some homemade cornbread in the oven, heated up some pinto beans, fried potatoes, and then fried up the deer meat. It all came out piping hot at the same time. Of course, my kitchen looked like a bomb went off in it, but it was a great meal. I think the only thing that might have made it better would have been some collard greens.

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Still didn’t get the decorations on the tree. I almost did, then my sweet husband snored his way through a couple of football games and I didn’t want to disturb him. So I just sat here and knitted happily enjoying a peaceful afternoon. I have another chiropractor appointment today. The back is MUCH better! So…maybe when I get home? We’ll see. I don’t seem to be in a terrible hurry with it this year, for some reason. It’ll get done.

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❄️

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“Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

\nGenesis 9:3-4 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-12-06T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/12/06/old-stuff-and-new-stuff.html", "tags": ["Family","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/26/let-the-games-begin.html", "title": "Let the Games Begin!", "content_html": "\n
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I just had to show you this AMAZING sourdough starter. I bought a one ounce jar of starter from King Arthur Baking Company and was thrilled to see it arrived fresh. And look…after only two days of feeding, this thing has taken on a life of its own. It is aromatic and rich and so active…I’m just thrilled! I can’t wait to get in the kitchen and started baking sourdough again.

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Another Thanksgiving is in the books…this one decidedly low key. Mr. FixIt got up at the crack of dawn and went to walk with the kids in the Turkey Trot. I elected to stay home and not overtax these aching bones of mine. I’m hoping after we solve the hyperparathyroidism issue, I can get back to my normal way of life and I can go play with the kids again.

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Our town delivered Thanksgiving meals to our door yesterday morning, so we didn’t even touch the soup beans I had in the crockpot. I’ll make cornbread today and we can have them today. I also decided to wait till today to put the tree up. I love when it’s up and the lights glow in the window, but the idea of slogging everything up the steps and putting it up is not as exciting. As with most things, this Gemini has to be in the proper space to get anything creative done.

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I loved all the video calls I had yesterday. Seeing the kids helps make the distance shrink just a little bit. They look good, they’re healthy and happy and thriving. One cannot ask for more than that in this life.

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I hope your holiday was filled with moments that warmed your hearts. I hope you held close the memories of those no longer with you. And, I hope you made new memories to take with you as we move on down this road of life.

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Life isn’t always easy at this time of year. Pace yourselves, dear ones. Eat well. Drink plenty of water. Get good sleep. Go outside and walk every day. Touch the earth, kiss the sky, and embrace nature. It’s good for what ails ya!

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They’re predicting a little skiff of snow on this morning. And so…it begins.

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?

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“for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”

\n‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭3:5‬ ‭ESV‬‬\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-26T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/26/let-the-games-begin.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/23/getting-started-on-the-starter.html", "title": "Getting Started on the Starter", "content_html": "\n
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I woke up yesterday and smiled at Mr. FixIt.

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“I’m makin’ waffles!”

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“Hey…that sounds great!”

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I padded into the kitchen, got my coffee brewing, and started to gather my ingredients. I like to make high protein pancakes because I try to keep tight control on Mr. FixIt’s blood sugars. Poor man doesn’t stand a chance, marrying a Diabetes Educator. Regular pancakes will cause a spike in blood sugar then when the simple carbs burn off, it’s crash city and that not only feels bad, it’s not good for you.

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I had the buttermilk, milk, and butter combined when I reached for the eggs and came up empty. Well, we had one…I needed three. I went in to tell my sweetheart I was running to town to get some eggs. While I was there, I picked up some more flour, another container of pancake mix, and some sugar free syrup. If you ever want a really good sugar free syrup, try Smucker’s. It tastes great and it’s thick, like regular syrup. Most sugar free syrups are runny. I got back and made a big batch of waffles. I had enough to freeze for at least two more breakfasts. You can just pop them in the toaster like the ones you buy in the freezer section.

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While I was at the store, FedEx delivered my package from King Arthur. I ordered a sourdough crock and a starter. I thought it would be dehydrated, but I was thrilled when it arrived and was fresh! After breakfast, I cleaned the kitchen, filled my flour container with the fresh flour I bought, and fed the new starter. It smelled great. Kinda of sweet and fruity with a hint of sour. The one I was using for the last year and a half had developed a lovely fermented aroma with hints of wine and apples. It had matured so well, and I was hopeful it would last me a lifetime, but I neglected it beyond repair.

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I set the bowl aside with the new starter and saw Mr. FixIt off to run errands. Then I washed all the windows in the family room. I want to put the tree up so I needed to get those windows sparkling clean. I don’t know if you have ever used Norwex products, but I swear by their glass cleaning system. It consists of two cloths. One is a microfiber terry. You wet it and scrub the glass with it. You never use soaps or chemicals with these cloths. The second cloth is smooth and has a kind of sheen to it You wipe the glass dry and polish it with that one. When the cloths get soiled, you boil them in plain water and stir them with a wooden spoon to remove any dirt, let them dry on the back of the kitchen chairs then fold and put them away the next day. So, so simple and they work without streaking.

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By the time Mr. FixIt got home, I was cuddled up in my recliner under my throw. My cousin received her books yesterday and texted. She LOVED them! She wanted to know if I had all those photos so she could scan them. I did her one better. I’ve already scanned them all so I’m in the process of emailing them to her. I can only send five photos in each email because our internet is so slow. But hey…where else do I need to be? It’s a small labor of love for my sweetest cousin.

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I bought candied fruit at the store yesterday so I’ll look for my Aunt Marge’s White Fruitcake recipe today and get started on that. I’ll have Mr. FixIt bring the decorations up from the basement so we can get that going as well. It’s going to be pretty cozy in here soon!

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?

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“for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.”

\nJeremiah 10:3-4 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/23/getting-started-on-the-starter.html", "tags": ["Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/16/kitchen-mishaps.html", "title": "Kitchen Mishaps", "content_html": "\n
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I’ve been pretty lucky in the kitchen over the years. I have won a box full of ribbons for my pies and cakes and for canned and baked goods in various fairs and contests over the years. I’ve been featured in a couple of local papers when I lived in Glenwood Springs and was known as “The Pie Queen”. I taught baking classes and baked for a couple of the restaurants in town. I can remember two major mishaps in the Colorado kitchen. 

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I was in a hurry to get my cakes to the judging table at the Colorado Mountain Fair one summer. I had to park quite a distance and Daughter #1 helped me carry the cakes. Unfortunately, she tripped and the cake flew into the air, did a flip, and landed on it’s top on the ground. She was devastated and I felt so bad for her. I couldn’t have cared less about the cake itself. Another time, the face didn’t turn out the way I wanted, and at the last minute, I tried to turn it into a kind of trifle thing and it was a disaster. 

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When you win a lot of ribbons, expectations begin to be placed on you to continue with bigger and better desserts. It really was a lot of fun, but it was an incredible amount of work. The refrigerator was off limits to my family and heaven forbid they eat something I’d been working on as a main ingredient for a complex presentation. Presentation is as important as the flavor and texture of anything you enter in competition.

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I haven’t baked like that in years. I finally quit competing when I overheard someone say the contests were getting less entries because my two friends and I took almost all the ribbons…year after year. My last year competing, I won four blue ribbons and one second place. I didn’t figure I could do much better than that. I decided if I quit before being perfect, it would help me stay humble. 

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During the lockdown, I…like so many in this country…began baking. I taught myself how to bake sourdough bread which was quite an undertaking. One of my friends is Kate Dunbar…the Campground Gourmet and currently BBQ Pit Boss on the production of the prequel for Yellowstone, 1883. Kate lost her precious husband a little over a year ago. Just before he died, she sent me some of her dehydrated sourdough starter. 

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I’d been wanting to bake sourdough for years, but it was never the right time for me. Being home a lot presented that opportunity I’d been waiting for and I threw myself into it with great fervor. There are several pounds of sourdough on my backside as a result, but man…was it ever good. I kind of got a little burned out on it after a year. I did continue to feed the starter about twice a month to keep it going. Little and I baked sourdough this summer, and now that the weather is getting colder, I got the starter out to feed it and get it growing.

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I fed the starter last week and it grew like crazy. I decided to feed it one more time before I baked my first loaves of the season. When I looked at my starter the next day, there were grey streaks running through it and I knew something was terribly wrong. I took the link off and it had an off odor and I realized I’d picked up some bad bacteria. Unfortunately, that was my only working starter and I knew I had to throw the whole thing away and sterilize anything I’d been working with…jars, spatulas, measuring cups. 

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I keep the bottle of filtered water and a jelly jar by the stove. I use the jelly jar for the water and warm it up slightly in the microwave before adding it during the feeding. And I use a small coffee measuring cup for the flour. I got into the habit of setting the measuring cup in the top of the jelly jar as it just fit. When I picked everything up to clean it, there was mold on the bottom of the measuring cup. I had inadvertently contaminated my sourdough starter.

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Fortunately, I dehydrated a batch of starter last spring so I’d have some to fall back on should something like this happen, but I was really sad I’d killed my starter because it was really ripening well and had picked up some nice wild yeasts along the way. It was starting to develop a really good flavor. I have started feeding a new starter so we’ll see how that goes. Hopefully I didn’t kill the yeasties with too high heat in the dehydrator. I won’t know for a while.

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?

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“But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’””

\nMatthew 4:4 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-16T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/16/kitchen-mishaps.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/11/11/grandmas-kitchen.html", "title": "Grandma’s Kitchen", "content_html": "\n
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(I’m not sure I would attempt to make this recipe as written. I think the measurements are off.)

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This is the cozy time of year…when you’re more apt to fire up the stove and do a little baking just for the comfort of it all. The smells, the tastes, and the memories they bring to mind are just one of the things I love about fall. I’ve always loved the change of seasons when the colors are rich and glorious and the light is filled with gold. I’ve always felt a little melancholy along with the fade from summer to winter, but this year feels a little different. We had such an incredibly busy year, I’m really looking forward to the down time winter inevitably brings.

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We did some needed chores around the place today…Mr. FixIt outside and me mostly inside. It was a beautiful day…warm enough for short sleeves. We didn’t have the stove running in the family room today, so we didn’t have a plethora of pests trying to invade our space. That’s not to say they didn’t dive bomb us when we were outside. Mr. FixIt and I moved the little a-frame around to “the campground” here on Marshmallow Ranch (aka The Ponderosa). We chained it up to another camper and covered it for the winter.

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I worked on a couple of projects today…the family room and the farm memories book I’m putting together for the family. I really need to get it finished so I can order them in time. I was going through a box this week trying to find the property taxes from last year. In the box, I found Grandma’s steno pad where she wrote down her favorite recipes. Honestly, there aren’t very many and for the most part, she didn’t cook with a recipe. But there are a few that just evoked such wonderful, warm memories of the kitchen at the farm.

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Grandma had certain recipes that she made all the time. She always had Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. She said when her kids were growing up in the depression, the ingredients for those nutrient rich handfuls of heaven were affordable and with a glass of milk from the dairy cows she kept, she could always rest easy knowing her kids were getting something good to eat for breakfast. She often made Raisin Filled Cookies in the fall when the walnuts and hickory nuts had fallen. She made box cakes but always dressed them up. Pineapple Upside Down Cake was my mom’s favorite. My Uncle Bud and I loved the Yellow Cake with Penuche Frosting. I made Grandma’s Brown Sugar Pie for Thanksgiving the first year I moved back to West Virginia and my Aunt Peeps swore you couldn’t tell the difference between it and the ones Grandma used to make…a high compliment coming from her.

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Grandma always said she couldn’t make a pie crust that was fit to eat. That’s not entirely true. There were many times when she took the extra crust, laid it out on an old flat pot lid, sprinkled it with salt and baked it plain. I could eat my weight in that…seriously. But, often her pie crust was dry and flavorless. When I found her pie crust recipe in the notebook, I had a rush of memory. I made pies for her and she raved over the crust. I told her how I made mine and she wrote it down. I don’t think the quantities are exactly right in this recipe, but it is pretty much the one I used when I baked for competition. I can’t guarantee you this would come out right if made the way it’s written so I’ll just say…let’s look at it as a great example of my grandma’s handwriting and her love for me that she would attempt to write down my recipe.

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Anyway, as I read through and did some editing yesterday, I took pictures of the recipes most of us would remember and added them in the book. I know everyone will love seeing them in her own handwriting. I certainly do. I’ve got the price down to $42 a copy. I know that’s exorbitant for a memory book, but it’s the best I can do with Shutterfly. If you know of any other place to self publish high quality photo books, please let me know.

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?

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“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

\nGalatians 6:9 ESV\n
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This was before they got bad!

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Oh…the continuing saga of the lady beetles. It was a wonderfully warm day yesterday. And, you know what that means? The uptick in the number of lady beetles takes an astronomical leap. This is my fifth November in this house and I’ve never seen an infestation this bad. Actually, now that I think about it, last fall was fairly light in the beetle department, so maybe that’s what they’re so bad this year. I vacuumed them up several times during the day clear into the evening. This is the worst I’ve seen since 2004 when my mom died.

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The day started out good, though. I had a hankerin’ for buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast. I’m getting better at making them. Like learning how to bake with sourdough, these things take time to perfect. I think this batch was the best so far and I actually ended up handling the dough more than usual. Maybe I haven’t been working them quite enough out of fear of making them tough.

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\n[youtu.be/pev2kxd5Y...](https://youtu.be/pev2kxd5YCU)\n
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Once things were put away, we got to work scrubbing the little a-frame and getting it ready to put away for the winter. We had it under the maple tree which was a HUGE mistake. It had little black spots all over it that looked like mildew. But, with a lot of elbow grease and a scrub brush, we finally got it clean. We’ll move it around to the “campground” tomorrow so it doesn’t run the risk of a limb falling on it this winter, then we’ll do a little work on it and sell it come springtime.

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It was a day of putting things away and doing laundry and changing beds. I cooked my own version of a rotisserie chicken in the Ninja combo pressure cooker/air fryer. It was yummy with those leftover biscuits, crinkle cut fries, and macaroni salad. We’ll need to do some mowing today. I thought for sure we were done for the year, but alas…we don’t seem to be. We need to run the snake down the drain out back again before the winter rains set in. Mr. FixIt is going to start cleaning out the big building soon. And I need to go through the boxes downstairs and get rid of more stuff. 

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We are having an early Thanksgiving Dinner tomorrow with the FixIt Family! I can’t wait!

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?

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“While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.””

\nGenesis 8:22 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-11-10T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/11/10/bugs-and-buttermilk-biscuits.html", "tags": ["Family","Comfort","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/09/16/how-to-celebrate-years-of.html", "title": "How to Celebrate 50 Years of Marriage? Breakfast for Supper!", "content_html": "\n
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While I’ve been having a wonderful visit, and I really haven’t been running around like I usually do when I’m in Colorado, it turns out…I’m two years older with hyperparathyroidism symptoms that knock my socks off sometimes. I’ve been planning a nice supper to celebrate Ben & Sue’s 50th Wedding Anniversary ever since we arrived. We’ve also been talking about making homemade Buttermilk Biscuits with Little. So, I decided to make a big southern breakfast for supper last night.

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Little got out of school at 1:00 yesterday. Daughter #1 invited me to come early and she’d give me a tour of her school and introduce me to staff. Afterwards, Little and I went to the grocery store to buy the necessary ingredients. Mr. FixIt and I brought a tote from West Virginia with some things they left when they came for a visit. One was the biscuit bowl I bought for Little. 

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When we got back to the house, we made three batches of biscuits to make sure we got it down pat. We also took a video of the whole process and Sue wrote down the directions. I made a huge skillet of fried potatoes, a double batch of sausage gravy, half a pound of bacon, and a pan of grits. We had several kinds of jams and a jar of Honey Butter I picked up from Whole Foods. 

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I know not to eat late…especially rich foods like that. Yet…ohhhhhh, they’re all so good. And sure enough…I’ve been paying the price ever since. I was supposed to go have lunch with my sweet friend Michelle today, but I knew by the way I felt last night, I wouldn’t be very good company today. I took a rain check for the next time I’m in. I’m disappointed. I’m sure she is, too. A third friend was supposed to join us but she was possibly exposed to Covid on Tuesday, so she couldn’t come either. 

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Sometimes, disappointing or not, you just have to say no. We have a huge drive ahead of us in a couple of days and I need to be at my best. Today I’ll take it easy and do a little laundry. Mr. FixIt is going to get the new tires on the truck. The kids were over till late last night and will come back Friday evening to say goodbye. I can’t believe how fast it’s going. It really has been a wonderful trip.

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?

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“So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.”

\n1 John 4:16 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-09-16T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/09/16/how-to-celebrate-years-of.html", "tags": ["Family","Baking","Littles","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/08/23/summer-sunday-supper.html", "title": "Summer Sunday Supper", "content_html": "\n
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You could just about guarantee where my mom, brother, and I would be on any given Sunday when I was growing up. Sunday suppers at Grandma’s house was just what we did. I’d guess many of you did the same. I especially loved those meals in the summer. Grandma had a “truck garden”…the garden that’s close to the house so you can run over the little bridge to pick fresh veggies. We had “Farm to Table” dining long before it became cool and trendy.

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During the week, we are often far too busy to cook a proper meal. There’s all the work outside that keeps us hopping from late March to late September. The garden, the mowing, the pool, constant repairs…it’s a big job for two people. So we often just grab sandwiches or salads for our main meal. Except on Sundays. I try to fix something nice as a reward for our hard work of the week, and to celebrate the day of rest.

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When Mr. FixIt was finishing up snaking the drain…for the umpteenth time…I headed to the kitchen, pulled some pork chops out of the freezer and placed them in a bowl of cold water to thaw. I put on a quart of my home canned half runner beans on to simmer on the back burner while a few new red potatoes were cooking in the little pressure cooker I picked up last summer at a junk shop. When the pork chops were thawed, I dipped them in buttermilk and dredged them in seasoned flour then fried in a little oil using my biggest cast iron skillet. Earlier, I cut up some fresh onions, cucumbers and tomatoes and made a little salad with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette. It was a delightful meal and reminded me of how swiftly summer and its freshness is gone.

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It will be a busy week as we make the preparations for the big trip to Colorado. I made an executive decision when I had the camper at Setzer’s. I had them repack the wheel bearings so Mr. FixIt wouldn’t have that to do. I’ll get the new tires put on this week. We’re getting pretty excited!

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It’s Monday…another day, another week, another fresh start. We get new starts every day. I hope your week brings you beauty and blessings.

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““Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

\nIsaiah 43:18-19 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-08-23T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/08/23/summer-sunday-supper.html", "tags": ["Choices","Change","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/08/14/rainblessed-rain.html", "title": "Rain…Blessed Rain", "content_html": "\n
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It has been so terribly hot and dry here in West Virginia the last several weeks. While Mr. FixIt was in town running errands today, I went over to the Piggly Wiggly to get pork chops for supper. As soon and I pulled into their parking lot, the first big drops of rain hit my dusty truck with resounding splats and I thougt, “Finally! We get some much needed moisture!” Alas, as soon as I got just out of town limits, the road was dry as a bone. Nothing at our house either.

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I called Mr. FixIt to see if he was getting rain in town but there wasn’t anything to report. I asked him to stop at Witten’s and get some fresh corn and a muskmelon. The rain nearby did have an effect on our temperature and we rapidly dropped…first to the 80’s…and finally into the 70’s. Such a relief! It was the first time in a while I’ve felt like cooking.

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I still watch Cooking with Brenda Gantt on Facebook and I’ve tried several of her recipes. When I make pork chops, I never get very adventurous with them. I usually fry them in a skillet with a touch of butter and salt and pepper. On rare occasions, I might use a dry rub and bake them, but I like to keep the salt content down. Miss Brenda makes a pork chop that has been dipped in buttermilk then dredged in seasoned flour and fried in a little oil in an iron skillet. I decided to try that.

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So many times, when I try to make a meal with multiple courses, they don’t come out at the same time. Usually, one dish comes out overcooked and dry and the others follow along in stages. Last night, everything came out perfect. While the pork chop was fried, it came out moist and juicy and not overpoweringly greasy. When I make my corn-on-the-cob, I set the water to boil, shuck the corn, drop the ears in the boiling water, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn off the burner. The corn cooks perfectly and is never soggy. I cut up a cucumber a friend gave us, along with a Vidalia onion, and a couple of tomatoes from our garden. I took a shaker jar and added about an inch of olive oil, a couple inches of warm water, a good shake of a wonderful Lemon Pepper seasoning I bought at TJ Maxx, and a healthy splash of apple cider vinegar…shook it up well and poured it over the cut veggies. Added a little more salt and pepper to taste for a lovely summer fresh salad. I cut up a couple of crook neck squash from our garden and sautéed it in a little butter with some fresh cracked pepper. Lastly, I cut up some of the muskmelon in a bowl and called outside for Mr. FixIt to clean up for supper.

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We ate in the dining room…an event reserved for those rare occasions when we have an actual full meal. Everything was wonderful and my sweetheart praised each course as he ate. I swooned over the corn. He swooned over the Tomato Cucumber Onion salad. (Thank you to whoever told me to try that. It was divine!) We both swooned over the pork chops. I really love squash sautéed. Mr. FixIt eats it boiled with a little butter, salt and pepper. He didn’t comment one way or another on the squash, but he ate it all. Our only disappointment was the muskmelon. It was mushy and flavorless. I haven’t had a good one all summer. I’m not sure what’s going on with them this year…maybe it’s the hot weather.

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After supper, we went out and watched the deer in the far field. There’s a set of twin fawns…still spotted, but growing out of that phase. The air was cooler, so I gathered my things to sleep in the camper. It is such a treat to “camp”…even if it’s on our own property. The rain will make the grass grow and soon, we’ll be out mowing again. As my friend, Frannie quoted Kelly Dwyer the other day…

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August is like the Sunday of Summer.

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To paraphrase Ms. Dwyer…It’s like the last of summer. School has started. It’s Sunday night. I haven’t even started my homework that’s due tomorrow. I’m rushing to get everything done before it’s too late.

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It would be easy to get caught up in that rush of completion and miss the last of these lazy, hazy crazy days of summer, wouldn’t it? So, here’s what I suggest…stop what you’re doing…pour yourself a tall, cool drink…grab a really great magazine…and go sit in the shade somewhere this morning before the heat of the day drives you back indoors. Then, tonight…go sit on the porch or out in the yard…and just….listen. I can guarantee you, you will NEVER sit indoors on a frigid February day and wish you hadn’t spent so much time outdoors in August.

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“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

\n2 Peter 3:8 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-08-14T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/08/14/rainblessed-rain.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/07/20/when-the-little-people-come.html", "title": "When the Little People Come", "content_html": "\n
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I had an appointment in town yesterday morning and snuck out without waking Mr. FixIt. I stopped for a coffee and read my morning devotionals while I waited for my appointment time. Once I was done, I got a text from one of my bonus granddaughters asking if she and the kids could come swim. Turned out TWO bonus granddaughters and all three great grandkids arrived. It was so much fun, but I told them there was a reason God gives children to young people. They were SO busy!

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When the kids were finally worn out and they headed home, I told Mr. FixIt I’d make him a nice supper and headed in the house. He laughed and called after me, “Are you sure you’ve got the energy left for that?” Well, I wasn’t at all sure, really…but I would give it my best shot.

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I herb roasted some chicken thighs I got yesterday…eight huge meaty thighs for $2.99! Fixed some fried green tomatoes. And opened a quart of my home-canned half runner beans. The only thing missing was hot buttered biscuits, but I didn’t want to heat up both ovens.

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It was so good to see the kids. Our granddaughter said she hadn’t been to our house since Christmas 2019! The pandemic kept them away last year, and she’s been super busy so far this summer. They loved the new carpet in the family room. It was so much fun swimming with the kids. The almost four-year-old was really timid about the water at first, but by the time they left, she was jumping in and letting me catch her and putting her face in the water. The almost two-year-old wasn’t having it. He is not crazy about water. But, by the time they were ready to leave, he would come sit at the edge with me and put his hands in the water. I held water in my hands and made like it was a big secret and asked him what it was He said “water” as plain as day. He has grown so much…they all have. The little one is about a year-and-a-half. He was a daredevil at first and we were all on our toes trying to watch him. 

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My Favorite Summer Dining Spot

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I’ve really been enjoying summer and not cooking so much. Cooking just heats up the house. It reminds me of why people had summer kitchens back in the day. I’d love to have one where I could not only cook in the summer, but can in the fall. My late cousin, Tommy, had the most fabulous kitchen set up in their garage. He could butcher, can, smoke, and barbecue to his heart’s content out there. I miss him…he was one sweet guy.

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We are having cooler night-time temperatures this week and that makes for great sleeping weather out in the camper! It’s my “substitute camping” experience…but hey…when you’ve got five acres, you might as well take advantage of it, right? 

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I hope you are enjoying your summer so far!

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“So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.”

\n1 Timothy 5:25 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-07-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/07/20/when-the-little-people-come.html", "tags": ["Family","Be Joyful!","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/07/15/waiting-on-the-half-runners.html", "title": "Waiting on the Half Runners", "content_html": "\n
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Sharing Last Year’s Bounty

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We received wonderful news yesterday. Daughter #1 and the kids got home safe and sound from their 33 day, 5700 mile adventure! I told Mr. FixIt…he had no idea what a weight that lifted off my shoulders when I saw their beautiful smiles, sitting in their driveway! She said the car fairly exploded with stuff as they opened it all up and started unloading. God is good and He kept my babies safe!

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One thing happened when they were here that absolutely melted my heart. My oldest child is NOT sentimental. Like, AT ALL. But when she was here, I served my home canned half runner beans one night for supper. Those were the only kind of green beans my grandma would grow, so when she tasted them…it was a memory from her childhood. Just like it is for me. When she was here, I asked her if she’d like a jar of my apple butter and she happily set it aside to pack when they came to pick Little up. As she was walking through the kitchen the other evening, she asked if she could have a jar of my green beans. I said, “Sure…take two!” She texted me last night to ask me how I prepared them because she wanted my son-in-law to enjoy them. There is NOTHING like having your daughter ask you how you make something. 

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I was soaking in the pool last night as the sun was setting. It was a hot one yesterday and the water was pleasantly refreshing. I thought of Little. She loves swimming and was in our pool every chance she could get. I sent her a picture and told her we’d do it again next year! 

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Mr. FixIt came out while I was floating around and cut a zucchini and a crookneck squash from the garden and went straight inside and cooked it. I was full so I didn’t have any…I just let him enjoy it. Now…when the tomatoes start ripening…watch out!

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I contacted a gal from Witten’s Farm last night, asking when their half runners will be ready. They are so much work to grow, and she said they lost two whole fields of them last year…one to rain, and the other due to lack of labor to pick them. The current price is $65 a bushel, however…I got 27 quarts out of the bushel I bought last year. That comes out to about $2.40 a quart. To me, they’re like green gold so that price doesn’t bother me a bit. Covid messed with a lot of things last year, and we will still see the trickle down from that for years to come, I’m afraid. I had a lovely chat with her, and told her I’d love to do a feature article on their farm, so watch for that later in the summer. 

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We went to town yesterday, ran a couple of errands, walked at the mall, bought some ice cream and sat in the park to eat it. It was a perfectly beautiful mid-summer day! As I wrote this last evening sitting in TOW-Wanda, Mr. FixIt texted me and said, “Look outside…there’s a deer right in front of the building!” We honestly live in a slice of heaven!

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“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

\nColossians 3:14 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-07-15T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/07/15/waiting-on-the-half-runners.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Be Joyful!","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/06/20/the-buzzard-and-the-crow.html", "title": "The Buzzard and The Crow", "content_html": "\n
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A Crow “Mobbing” a Turkey Buzzard…aka Vulture

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I grilled burgers last night for supper. We’ve been working hard, and I though it would be nice to enjoy a meal on the deck. A reward, as it were. When we finished eating, we sat back and looked around at our handiwork in the yard. It was a lovely evening. The neighbor’s rooster was crowing. He crows a LOT. And every single time, it makes me smile and reminds me…we really DO live in the country. 

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As I was lost in reverie, Mr. FixIt asked, “Is that a bird up there?” I followed his gaze to a dead branch in the top of a tree…silhouetted agains the sky. Whatever, it was…it was really BIG. I went inside to get my binoculars and focused them on the hill beyond the two-lane hardtop. I saw the distinct red head and said, “Turkey Buzzard.” Mr. FixIt took the binoculars and soon agreed.

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The Turkey Buzzard isn’t really a buzzard at all…it’s a vulture. They are listed with two separate names in most of the world, but in America…the names seem to be interchangeable. Buzzards have sharp beaks and talons and most often kill their prey. Vultures eat carrion…dead animal carcasses who have met their unfortunate demise. In these parts, mostly road kill. 

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After a while, I looked up and there was a second bird there…much smaller. I looked through the binoculars again and there was a crow. They seemed to be eyeing each other and soon, the crow dove with outstretched talons at the bird. I’ve often wondered why small birds are so brave and attack birds three to four times their size or more. And, why do the bigger birds take it? Even though the vulture was no threat to the crow, she was probably protecting a nest or chicks or even just her own turf.

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This made me think of mamas and how they protect their babes at all costs. And, just because your chicks have left the nest, you don’t stop trying to protect them. And you worry about them. I’ve been doing a lot of Bible study lately about fear, anxiety, and worry. God must have known by our nature that we humans would worry about stuff. That’s why He tells us at least a hundred times in the Bible…don’t be afraid. Cast your worries upon Him. Who can add one hour to their lives by being anxious?

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One of the devotionals I’ve been reading talks about God giving us an order. “Don’t be afraid.” If we worry which turns to anxiety and fear, we are not doing what God commanded us to do. Disobeying God is sinful. Thinking of it that term, it’s been a little easier to stop myself before I go too far down the rabbit hole of fear.

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I’ve been trying to figure out why I am so much more prone to worry and anxiety lately and I think I finally got it. Last year, while there was concern about getting covid…there was also comfort when all my peeps were at home and in their houses. Nothing much can happen to them when they’re safely ensconced. But this year…everyone is traveling everywhere. Daughter #1 and Big are on a big road trip. Little is going to fly alone for the first time on Monday. My son-in-law will fly to meet them the following week.

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I realize how totally irrational it is and that it’s all about control. As I am wont to do, I chastised myself for being so silly. Then I read a news story about families going from Cabin Fever to Separation Anxiety with the world opening back up. And…I got it! I’m not alone. It is reassuring to know others are feeling the same things and I’m not “crazy.” Like the moms in the article, I’ll get used to them being out and about in the world and stop being a “helicopter Nana.” Pretty soon, I’m sure.

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The Little Bathroom is Coming Right Along!

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In the meantime, we continue to get much done here. Mr. FixIt is making great strides with the small bathroom off the master bedroom. He got the walls and trim painted yesterday. He got the hardware back on the door so he can mount it when he’s finished with everything else. I cleaned the kitchen in time to dirty it back up again. I fed the sourdough again so Little and I can have a good, active starter for bread when they arrive. I made Cherry Hand Pies and Faux Beignets for dessert. “Faux Beignets” are so easy. Just fry pieces of pie crust (I used ready made from the refrigerated aisle) then dust them in powdered sugar when they’re still hot. I cut circles out of the pie dough, put a couple cherries from the pie filling in the middle, topped with a second circle and crimped the edges then fried the pies. Drizzle with a little powdered sugar glaze. And that was it for the day.

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Dining al Fresco…waiting for the burgers to grill: Cherry Hand Pies: Faux Beignets: Yummy dessert!

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Today is Father’s Day…a difficult day for many. I didn’t have a relationship with my own dad. I decided two marriages ago never to look for my father’s love through a relationship. I’m happy now in a new marriage and we are equal partners here. So, where to look for that “dad” I never had? Turns out…I only had to look up! My Father will love me forever, never leave me, never hurt me, never put me down. Best decision I ever made, by far!

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“So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.”

\n2 Corinthians 8:11 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-06-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/06/20/the-buzzard-and-the-crow.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/06/16/preparing-to-teach-at-marshmallow.html", "title": "Preparing to Teach at Marshmallow Ranch", "content_html": "\n
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In just over a week, Daughter #1 will be pulling into our driveway toting Big and Little. Big is really big now...seventeen and preparing to visit colleges with her mom  the following week. And Little isn’t so little anymore. She was only five years old when Mr. Virgo died. She’s fourteen now. It doesn’t seem possible...especially since I haven’t seen any of them since August 2019 when Daughter #2 got married.

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Although Big came with her mom to visit me here in WV when I was fixing up my mom’s house, she doesn’t remember it because she was only nine months old. They did come several years ago to visit the farm and my Aunt Peeps, but I was working in Colorado at the time and couldn’t get away. So, this is their first visit with Nana in the country. While I doubt my “time travel” plans will be terribly impressive to a seventeen year old, I’m firmly convinced Little is going to enjoy what I have planned for her. She is staying with us for two weeks while her mom and Big go on their college tour.

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Little has always been SO much like me. She is bright, funny, incredibly creative, loves looking through old boxes of junk, loves to cook and sew, draw and paint. I’ve been thinking of all kinds of fun things to do with her. I want to teach her to bake sourdough bread and buttermilk biscuits and grits. I want to teach her to knit dishcloths. We’ll garden. She’ll learn about the mower and the weed eater. We’ll plant geraniums. We’ll “camp” out in TOW-Wanda. I want to take her to a nearby park that has been named a Certified Dark Sky area so we can lay back and look at the stars. I want to spend time with her at the farm and teach her about the night sounds and the different birds and grandma’s flowers. I want to share the family stories that I have been entrusted with. We’ll explore the countryside and maybe visit some cemeteries and find the names on her family tree chart I made for her. I purposefully left the birth and death dates off so she can learn where to find that information.

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All in two weeks. Think we can do it? I’m 99% sure we can, and she’s going to love it. I remember taking Daughter #2 on a three week road trip for her 13th birthday, and a trip to Cozumel for her 16th. The difference between those two trips was remarkable. So I hope I’m getting in under the cutoff date when Nana’s not so cool anymore. Thank God Big has come back around and we have great conversations again. 

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Little is an old soul, and I’m truly looking forward to exploring with her.

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“Hear this, you elders; give ear, all inhabitants of the land! Has such a thing happened in your days, or in the days of your fathers? Tell your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children to another generation.”

\nJoel 1:2-3 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-06-16T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/06/16/preparing-to-teach-at-marshmallow.html", "tags": ["Family","Fun","Gratitude","Farm Life","Littles","Crafts","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/03/01/day-rain-peepers-and-apple.html", "title": "Day 350: Rain, Peepers, and Apple Pie!", "content_html": "\n
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I love sixty-four degrees! We keep the thermostat at 64 degrees year round. We have a gas stove in the family room that keeps us a little toastier, but the rest of the house stays at 64. In the summer, the AC is on...until the heat of the summer breaks. Then...as soon as I see the outdoor temperature is 64, the AC is turned off and the windows are thrown open wide. The opposite is true in the winter. As soon as the thermometer hits that magic number, I can breathe again. It means spring is well on its way...even if there are more freezes, or even snow after.

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We had heavy rain yesterday. When I woke up, I could see the water dripping from the eaves out the window and knew the rains had come. I could hear the roar of heavier rain as it came over the far hill....louder and louder as it made its way closer and closer...till it pounded the roof over my head. I smiled. I love, love, love rain. Maybe that’s why I love West Virginia so much. We have received between 1.5 and 2.5 inches of rain from this storm.

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Sometime in the afternoon, I got up from my comfy red chair to make that apple pie I told you about. As I peeled the apples by hand, I mentioned to Mr. FixIt it was a good thing I don’t like to peel apples very much, because I dearly love apple pie and we’d be having it far too often. I make my pie crust in my food processor because it’s ready in no time. But peeling the apples. Ugh. I try to make it a meditation, but that doesn’t always work. I glanced at the clock and decided I knew the perfect way to pass the time.

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I moved our little Amazon Echo into the kitchen where I sat at the breakfast bar. I knew my Colorado peeps were gathered at Ben & Sue’s house to celebrate Big’s birthday, so I made a video call. As I finished the apples, and rolled out the dough, I visited with my family and sang Happy Birthday with them. It was so much fun! We all laughed as Big opened her box in a box in a box times five to get to the money she requested. Her mom is taking her to the Olympic Swim Trials this summer to observe, then they’re coming here. We will keep Little with us while they go look at college campuses. (How is this possible???) I cannot tell you how incredibly excited I am to get my family here!!!

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I heard the very first sounds of peepers up the holler last evening...their bright and cheery calls beckoning their mates to do what little froggies do at this time of year. The creeks are roaring and our yard is filled with water, but our work on the drain last week was successful. It’s working like it’s supposed to, which is a great relief. 

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As I write this, I again remind myself of our many blessings for which we are so grateful. I think of my dear friend who lost her only sister yesterday. I think of another dear friend who lost a cousin to suicide last week. And another dear friend whose niece is suffering “locked-in syndrome” after a brain bleed and a major stroke right as they were about to have their first baby. It kind of makes any complaints I may have seem pretty puny in comparison. God is so good to us and provides for our needs. I am so grateful I have His presence in my life...to lean on in times of trouble. It’s easy to forget to thank Him when things are going great, so I’m especially mindful to express my gratitude.

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Goodbye, February...Hello, March!!! I hope you have a pleasant Monday and things go well in your world this week.

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“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

\nJames 1:17 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-03-01T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/03/01/day-rain-peepers-and-apple.html", "tags": ["Change","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/02/20/day-chocolate-chip-cookies-fix.html", "title": "Day 341: Chocolate Chip Cookies Fix Everything!", "content_html": "\n
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I’ve been on the prowl for the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for the last three decades. There was a bakery restaurant in Glenwood Springs called The Daily Bread. It was THE place to go for breakfast and lunch and I’ve spent countless hours lingering over Terry’s Eggs Benedict or my favorite salad that was served in something akin to a wash tub. I’d order mine with extra turkey, avocado, and no croutons. As soon as the server took my order to the back, I’d hear John call out...”Ginny’s here!!!” I loved that place.

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And, as much as I loved all the wonderful dishes they served, their signature was a huge chocolate chip cookie. It was a good four inches around and nearly 3/4 of an inch thick. It was dense and chewy and rich...the perfect balance of buttery goodness, deep dark chocolate, and chunks of pecans. Oh...they were divine. And, try as I might, I could neither pry the recipe out of Terry or deconstruct the cookie myself to recreate it. Nothing I ever made came close...until this week.

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One of my little guilty pleasures the last few months has been watching cooking videos on Facebook. Cooking with Brenda Gant and Emmymade are my very favorites. Emmy is bright and young and spunky and she always tastes her creations and gives a solid critique which makes you almost taste what she’s made. Brenda, with her grey ponytail and her southern drawn and her praise for Jesus mixed in makes her recipes for things like her Buttermilk Biscuits and Sawmill Gravy seem like something I absolutely HAVE to try.

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I also enjoy watching Kaleb share recipes from the kitchen of The Grey Boxwood Farm where he lives in his grandma’s house. Sound familiar? When I saw his recipe for the Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie, I knew right then, I needed to try it. This recipe uses a couple of ingredients you don’t usually see...molasses and malted milk powder. The former I had in my pantry, but malted milk powder was nowhere to be found in our semi-rural area...not even over at the Belpre Kroger store, which is a darned close comparison to the grocers I was used to in Colorado. You can find a much wider variety of hard to find items there, but alas...no malted milk powder. I had to order it from the internet.

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Baking, for me, is something I must be in the right frame of mind in order to do it well. Much like writing, if I’m not in the right headspace, you can just about guarantee the results will not be worth the time and effort put in. I saved the video in my Facebook files to look at when the mood struck me to bake them. That happened this week when we were snowed in. Like I told you the other day, when I bake cookies, I really want to mix, bake, and eat them in relative short order. These cookies are more involved and the dough really should chill in the fridge for twenty-four hours to get the best flavor.

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It was all I could do to resist baking even one pan full of cookies before that time was up. But I resisted and I have to say, the results were surprisingly good. Still not the Daily Bread chocolate chip cookie my memory carries, but maybe I’ve just built them up so much in my mind that I’m remembering something bigger and better than they really were...I don’t know. But these are really, really good. Crispy golden around the edges, thick and chewy in the center, with a depth of flavor you don’t normally find in a Tollhouse Cookie recipe. I attribute that to the malted milk powder and molasses. Just enough difference to make you sit up and take notice.

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I was so engrossed in mixing and baking these and staying present in the moment, I didn’t take any photos, so I lifted a screenshot from the video itself. I can’t take credit, but those are exactly what my cookies looked like. We dropped off a container at the former Mrs. FixIt’s house yesterday when we went to town for birdseed and prescriptions and ham hocks for my sweetheart’s Split Pea Soup. (That soup is NOT my thing, but I love him.) We are slowly polishing off the rest of the cookies, even though I packaged them in six-to-a-bag ziplocks for the freezer. (No...they never made it downstairs. Sue me.)

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If you want to try a really great chocolate chip cookie, check out the Wyse Guide Facebook page HERE. If you make them, come back and let me know what you think.

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“But don't forget to help others and to share your possessions with them. This too is like offering a sacrifice that pleases God.”

\nHebrews 13:16 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-02-20T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/02/20/day-chocolate-chip-cookies-fix.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/01/10/day-give-us-this-day.html", "title": "Day 300: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread", "content_html": "\n
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Zuppa Toscana

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Oy...it’s been a long time since our lives changed. It seems like three hundred YEARS already. I’m trying to make some changes and put some structure back in my life. I’m having a problem with my days and nights being mixed up. I go to sleep later and later and get up later and later. Yesterday morning, I woke up, took a cursory glance at my phone to see what time it was...7:23am. I turned over and went back to sleep because it was probably 4:00 before I even settled down to sleep in the first place. The next time I look at my phone, it was 1:37 in the afternoon! Good grief!

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I got up and padded into the living room, my hair all tousled, and Mr. FixIt smiled. 

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“Good morning, sleepyhead!”

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“You mean, good afternoon!”

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I made my coffee and toasted a bagel and sat cross legged in my super duper new recliner.

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“Anything new in the world?”

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My sweet husband just stared at me with that curious grin.

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I felt like Sleeping Beauty...just not quite as beautiful.

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I pulled my fur throw over me, set my laptop on my nifty little lap desk, and continued copying my posts from Facebook to my blog. I have now entered the beginning of 2016. A lot happened in that year, so I’m really looking forward to reading as I copy over. That’s the year I lived at the river, took my camper everywhere, visited Colorado three times, worked out like crazy and got really fit, went to my 45th High School Reunion, moved into my grandma’s farmhouse, and by the end of the year, started dating Mr. FixIt. I just have a few month’s worth of writing to copy over then I’m done with this HUGE project I started in December of that year!

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As the world simmers on a hot plate of violence, I am turning inward and putting my focus on what I can control. I’m not saying I’m ignoring what’s going on because I’m definitely not. But there are so many other places where the ugliness is the focus. I admit, I dipped a toe in that from time to time over the last year. It isn’t helpful here because that’s not what we’re....I’M...here for. I’m here for the respite from the harsh parts of life.

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I’m sure I’ll be focusing on a lot more recipes, and projects, and stories and a lot less on what’s going on outside my door. Maybe that’s good for you, too. In the meantime, I’ll share the best soup recipe in the world!

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The other night, Mr. FixIt wanted Potato Soup. My mom used to make really good potato soup. I never have quite gotten the hang of it. I told my sweetheart, what I was really craving was Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden. His eyes lit up. I told him I was sure I could find a copycat recipe and sure enough, I found one that is very nearly identical but with a lot less sodium!

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You can find the recipe for this amazingly great soup HERE.  

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I cut back on the red pepper flakes to only one teaspoon and I added a couple of tablespoons of Wondra Flour to the cream before I added it to thicken the broth a little. When I make it again, I’ll add a little more flour as it wasn’t quite as thick as I wanted. This recipe made enough for three meals for the two of us...one of which Mr. FixIt had a second helping. As with many soups, it tastes even better the second day. Add a tossed salad and breadsticks and you’d be hard pressed to think you weren’t sitting in that famous restaurant in town!

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?

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“Give us this day our daily bread.”

\nMatthew 6:11 KJV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-01-10T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/01/10/day-give-us-this-day.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2021/01/06/day-baking-buttermilk-biscuitsthe-old.html", "title": "Day 296: Baking Buttermilk Biscuits...the Old Fashioned Way", "content_html": "\n
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Along with grief comes a lot of triggers to bad, sad, traumatic and scary memories that can be really hard to deal with. I had PTSD after Mr. Virgo died and I really wanted to just turn off my brain and never remember anything again...ever. Thank goodness, that’s not how it works. I had “grief brain” for a couple of years, but as the bad memories faded to the background, I was really pleased the good memories could billow up in their place.

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I was scrolling through the suggested videos on Facebook the other night. I watch a lot of cooking videos. And, those cute little “talking” dachshunds...Moonpie Starbox and her little sister, Buttercup. I get the biggest kick out of “Cooking with Brenda Gantt.” She is so country...she could be my kin. She has great cooking videos. Nothing fancy, she just shows you how it’s done. Well, how SHE does it. I love her!

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I came across this video about making biscuits in a dough bowl and something way, way deep back in the recesses of my mind flickered. I had to think about it and cogitate a bit till I placed where I’d seen this before. My grandma’s sister-in-law was a small, wiry woman that lived in a little house a few miles from the farm. Aunt Ann was great! She always had a feedsack apron on over her house dress. She might have anything from a little chick to a baby squirrel or fresh farm eggs in her pockets any given time. She had those thick lenses in her glasses that magnified the ornery sparkle in her eye and a laugh like rainwater...smooth and clear and easy.

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We used to go over to visit Aunt Ann when I’d stay with Grandma some during the summer. She always had ducks and geese and chickens and more fresh eggs than she knew what to do with. There were kittens and puppies and who knows what all running around her yard. We would sit on the porch and talk for a spell and eventually it was time to go home. I remember always feeling sad that it was time to leave. I’m so glad Daughter #1 has memories of her Great Aunt Ann, too.

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I will not swear on a stack of Bibles that it was Aunt Ann that made her biscuits like this, but that’s who I immediately thought of when I saw this video. I also remember my Aunt Peeps telling me about Grandma Teters’ (her first husband’s grandmother) making her biscuits in a dough bowl. They had a house along the “turnpike” where teamsters stopped overnight to rest. It was the predecessor to the B&B. When I went to visit my Aunt Peeps one summer and she sent me home with Grandma Teters’ crocks. 

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That big blue crock on the left was Grandma Teters’ dough bowl that she made biscuits in like Brenda Gantt in her video. The next blue crock is one I purchased along the way. The third blue crock was used for whatever was needed...serving at the table, carrying scraps to the pigs and chickens, or maybe mixing up a bowl of cucumbers and onions with a little vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper...a sort of “refrigerator pickle” commonly served in the summer. Maybe with a little cut up tomatoes in it. Refreshing!

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The little yellow crock with the light blue and pink stripes around the top was Grandpa Teter’s “sody crock.” He suffered from a “sour stomach”, so whenever he walked past his bowl of baking soda, he’d scoop up a finger full and eat it, washing it down with some spring water. That was the early equivalent of Alka Seltzer or Tums. The two small crocks have cracks in them so I don’t use them. I keep them inside another bowl so they don’t get bumped and broken. 

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When I downsized, there were a few things that I absolutely refused to part with, and these crocks were among my most treasured possessions. And now, I have this vague memory and the knowledge of just exactly how Grandma Teters made her biscuits in that big, blue crock.

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You can watch Brenda Gantt making Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits the old fashioned way HERE.

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?

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“Everything that happens has happened before; nothing is new, nothing under the sun.”

\nEcclesiastes 1:9 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2021-01-06T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2021/01/06/day-baking-buttermilk-biscuitsthe-old.html", "tags": ["Fun","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/23/day-special-deliveryjust-in-time.html", "title": "Day 284: Special Delivery...Just in Time for Christmas!", "content_html": "\n
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I’ve been feeling kinda blue about Christmas this year. Covid has us sequestered and the kids all feel like they could just as well be on the moon. Top that with our firm commitment NOT to buy each other gifts this year and the season has just been...blah. I certainly have no complaints about the gift thing. We bought ourselves new recliners this year. Then the microwave went out and we replaced that. We had a trip to the beach in October. And there was an unexpected assessment on the condo this year, so we figured that was plenty. There really isn’t anything we really need anyway.

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I’ve been so blessed to have all this time and supplies to do so much canning this year and those things don’t come cheap. But there’s only so much room in the kitchen and I’ve long since run out of space to store my small appliances. There are the shelves in the basement where I can store them but I know just as soon as I cart them downstairs, I’ll need one of them. Some of them are fairly heavy and unwieldy. An idea has been bouncing around in my mind for the last several weeks.

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My dear friend Ryb had a beautiful piece of furniture built in her Colorado kitchen to store her small appliances and baking pans. I always admired that, and vowed someday to have one. Then, divorce took away my big country kitchen and the house I built was just too small for such a cumbersome piece. Segue to 2020 and the Ponderosa. Another country kitchen, but still not enough room to house all my kitchen gadgets. I’ve been scouring Facebook Marketplace for something that might work but nothing was catching my eye. So, I did what I always do...I gave it to God and went about my business.

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Yesterday morning, I was having my coffee when a notification came across my phone...from Mr. FixIt...who was sitting on the other side of the living room. 

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“Look at this,” he said.

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It was a three piece, solid wood bookcase cabinet combo. An early entertainment center, really. But lovely. Country styling. Light oak. Interesting. I figured it would be way more than I wanted to pay. I kinda had a price in mind...$300.

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“Nice! How much to they want for that?”

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“$300!”

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“Each piece?”

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“No...total!”

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We looked at each other and smiled. I texted the lady and made arrangements and by 8:00 last night, the office was cleaned out, the furniture was in it, and it was holding all my appliances! I mean...if I would have measured out the space I needed to house my stuff, I couldn’t have done any better than this! It is so solid and heavy (thank you Harry and Joe for helping bring it home!) Seriously, it took three men to get it over here.

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As I carted my appliances from the floor of our dining room into the office adjacent to the kitchen, I placed each one in just the perfect spot. And with each trip, my heart got lighter and lighter. Because, I realize how truly blessed I am. I know there are people struggling mightily this year to just put food on the table. We are blessed this pandemic hit when we were retired and not when we were trying to raise a family. But, mostly...my heart was light because God always provides us with what we need. 

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Did I NEED that piece of furniture? No, I did not. Did it brighten my heart and fill me with a sense of awe that God hears us? Yes, it did. God isn’t a Sears & Roebuck Catalog. You don’t just send out wishes and He fills them like the genie in the lamp. But He provides and wants to hear from us about all our hopes and dreams and wishes. Sometimes He says no...a LOT of times He says no. But...sometimes He says yes! We have been so blessed to be able to help out food banks and assist a few people during these trying times. This gift makes it easier for me to be organized and cook and provide for others without breaking the bank so that we CAN keep helping others. I am so humbled that God is so good.

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?

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“You will be blessed in every way, and you will be able to keep on being generous. Then many people will thank God when we deliver your gift.”

\n2 Corinthians 9:11 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-23T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/23/day-special-deliveryjust-in-time.html", "tags": ["Faith","Uplifting Stories","Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Change","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/21/day-ill-be-at-home.html", "title": "Day 282: I’ll Be (at) Home for Christmas...You’re Always in my Dreams", "content_html": "\n
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I have been in a whirlwind the last couple of weeks, as I’m sure you all have been as well. Shopping, wrapping, baking...and baking...and baking some more. Along with the baking comes a little nibbling here and there. Hey, it’s called quality control, right? It is really not a problem till your body puts on the brakes and says, “Whoa, lady! What the heck are you trying to do to me???” Yeah...that was me yesterday morning.

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I’ve been sleeping well the last week...mostly out of sheer exhaustion, I’m sure. But Saturday was one of those toss and turn nights. When I finally got to sleep in the wee hours of the morning, it wasn’t long till I jerked awake suddenly at a strange sound. I sat up and looked around the room. There was sweet Mr. FixIt....sound asleep...and singing away! I shushed him and he just kept right on singing. I smiled to myself. Whatever he was dreaming, he was sure having fun. I shook him gently and he rolled over. I laid back down, but sleep was over.

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I got up and padded into the kitchen to start my coffee and sat down to read the news. You know, there’s a lot in the news this year that is upsetting for the strongest at heart. As I said in my post yesterday, I’ve been feeling the strain of the year in not seeing my loved ones like I want to. Between that, and the virus, and the news...and overdosing on sweets...I just felt sick. I had nothing pressing that needed to be done, so I ended up laying back down after Mr. FixIt got up. 

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Sometimes a little self care is all you need to get yourself back on track. As I laid there, having my conversation with Jesus, I was reminded I could look at this in two ways. I could see the coming weeks with trepidation and fear of the unknown. Or, I could look forward to the joy after the trials and tribulations that come with life. I chose joy, pulled the covers up around my chin, and closed my eyes.

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My step-daughter and her boyfriend came over in the late afternoon to exchange gifts. At first we had a fire, but it started drizzling. So, we sat on the front porch with the propane heater running and had a lovely visit as a misty, gray rain fell. It was so nice to see them. We sent the gifts for the grandkids and their babies and will look forward to a socially distanced visit somewhere down the line. 

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No, this Christmas doesn’t look anything like holidays past. But, if we are healthy, happy, and have many joyful times ahead to look forward to...together...we can make it through this. We are doing our part to try to flatten the curve and give the front line workers a break. I know, we’re all tired of this. But, we must keep calm and carry on. We have a personal responsibility to do everything we can to protect each other and bring these numbers DOWN.

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Stay home. This is our gift to humanity.

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“I’ll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams.”

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?

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“The true light that shines on everyone was coming into the world.”

\nJohn 1:9 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-21T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/21/day-ill-be-at-home.html", "tags": ["Health","Comfort","Holiday","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/20/day-keep-calm-and-bake.html", "title": "Day 281: Keep Calm and Bake On", "content_html": "\n
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Just before the bombings started in England in WWII, the Queen issued an edict that was produced on signs and posted everywhere to encourage the British citizenry.

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“Keep Calm and Carry On”

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After all, it is what the Brits were known for. Strength and calm in the face of adversity. They are a stoic lot with dry wit, fierce loyalty, and sturdy countenance...all attributes well to be admired and emulated by all. 

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As we march toward a Christmas unlike any other you and I have likely experienced, I find myself particularly emotional. I’ve always been one to cry at Kodak commercials. Show me the ones with a soldier coming home to his mom and I’m a puddle. A news story about a little boy with inoperable brain cancer delivering toys to the hospital chemo ward because their funding was cut after Covid struck? I’m a mess. 

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Babies being born.

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People holding hands.

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Children baking cookies.

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Ahhhh...that last one gets me every time. After Mr. Virgo died, I was included in the family baking day at my son-in-law’s house and I felt a renewed hope after such a painful loss. After moving to West Virginia, I flew to Colorado at Christmas for a couple of years. Then it became increasingly expensive and the weather was dicey. I started spending more time in the summers to make up for it.

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Still, Facebook floods my feed with memories of Christmas past and much of that includes Mr. Virgo...and baking cookies. And I find my heart hurting. I cannot tease out my memories of Mr. Virgo and discard them simply because I am happily married to a wonderful man. He is woven in there like a thread through the tapestry of my life. I miss my mom at Christmas. I miss my grandparents at Christmas. Why wouldn’t I also miss Mr. Virgo? It’s only natural that I would and does not take away from my love for Mr. FixIt in any way.

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I’m missing the whole package of Colorado this year. I haven’t seen my western family since my daughter’s wedding in August 2019. Yesterday was their cookie baking day. Sue told me about it last week. So, I prepared myself for a day of baking yesterday so I could at least be doing the same thing they were doing, even though I’m many miles away. And my heart hurts. Pictures bring tears. A picture of my daughter removing a tray of cookies from the oven. My grandkids decorating cookies. Snow on the mountains. Setting up the new bird-feeder we got them for Christmas. My eyes have been leaking a lot this week.

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Then, there are the good things here on the Ponderosa. The neighbors knocking on our door, bringing us cookies and taking a tin of ours along with them. The black cat playing in the snow and sitting on the windowsill, watching me bake. The smell of cookies fresh from the oven. The feel of sourdough as I turn it and set it to rise. The smell of the cold outdoors on my husband’s collar when he returns from errands. The lights on the tree in the grand window of the family room. The phone calls and Christmas cards. The family dropping by for quick visits out of doors to avoid close contact but still getting to see each other. The packages waiting to be wrapped for our West Virginia family.

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It’s ok to feel happy and sad at the same time. This has been a long, hard year. Feeling our feelings is how we process through them. I think the hardest thing I’ve seen this year though, is watching our front line workers in the hospitals...reeling from the aftermath of people insisting on maintaining a normal Thanksgiving. The wave upon wave of illness is taking its told on our healthcare staff as well as our teachers and all essential workers. To see the news and hear of the expected travel for Christmas just breaks me. 

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I am foregoing my visits with my Colorado family...not only for my own safety, but for theirs and all the people I would contact between here and there. How hard can it be to make a sacrifice for others? 

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Yes...my heart hurts a lot lately. And this too shall pass.

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?

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“Christ encourages you, and his love comforts you. God's Spirit unites you, and you are concerned for others. Now make me completely happy! Live in harmony by showing love for each other. Be united in what you think, as if you were only one person. Don't be jealous or proud, but be humble and consider others more important than yourselves. Care about them as much as you care about yourselves and think the same way that Christ Jesus thought:”

\nPhilippians 2:1-5 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-20T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/20/day-keep-calm-and-bake.html", "tags": ["Family","Grace","Holiday","Courage","Choices","Kindness","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/17/day-baking-down-memory-lanegrandmas.html", "title": "Day 278: Baking Down Memory Lane...Grandma’s Raisin Filled Cookies", "content_html": "\n
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From as early as I can remember, I was in the kitchen making something. Out of necessity, I learned to cook the meals at home when I was still in grade school. Mom was...ummmm....challenged in the kitchen, as it were. Her culinary concoctions were enough to make me beg her to let me go to the cooking school for kids at our local community center one summer. Things were much better around the table at our house after that.

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As with many of us, this challenging year has driven me back to the kitchen and to my roots. As I was preparing to bake cookies this week, I was reminded of Grandma’s favorite cookie. She made a huge batch of Raisin Filled Cookies whenever my Uncle Bud and his family came to the farm for a visit. My uncle would whisk in, wrap his mom in a big bear hug, and reach around her for a handful of these delectably soft cookies before he headed back out the door to empty the car.

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My uncle lost his wife a couple of years ago, then continued to care for his sister...my Aunt Peeps...till she finally had to go into a nursing home. My aunt passed away this summer, and Uncle Bud has been on his own for the first time in his life. He was one of those men who honestly didn’t know his way around a kitchen. Aunt Viv was a stay-at-home mom and always took care of everything. As I went through my list of cookies I like to make, I thought of my uncle alone up on that mountain and decided I’d make Raisin Filled Cookies for him.

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These were never my favorite cookie. Grandma always used black walnuts in them because that’s what she had available. Back then, you used what you could produce on the farm and we had vast woods around us. My Uncle Bob would gather walnuts every fall...rubbing the husks off them till his hands were stained brown. They were like that for months. Then, in the winter, Bob would crack the walnuts and Grandma would pick the nut meats out and freeze them for use throughout the year.

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Black walnuts make my mouth sore when I eat them. I get blisters and I really don’t like the flavor as they’re quite strong. I called my uncle yesterday and told him I didn’t have walnuts and would pecans be ok. He said he actually preferred pecans, so pecans it was. I cooked the raisin filling and after the news, I made the dough. I ran out of dough and still had three to four cups of the filling left so I may make some Raisin Bar Cookies today.

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I was really pleased with the recipe, but they were much sweeter than I remember my grandma’s to be. She was pretty frugal with her ingredients. Even though they’re a little labor intensive, I think they were well worth the effort and I’ll make them again. The sourdough starter is well fed and bubbling so I’m going to make the dough today and bake it tomorrow.

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You can get the recipe for the Raisin Filled Cookies HERE.

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“Get a large bowl. Then mix together wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet, and make some bread. This is what you will eat for the 390 days you are lying down.”

\nEzekiel 4:9 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-17T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/17/day-baking-down-memory-lanegrandmas.html", "tags": ["Family","Comfort","Holiday","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/13/day-nailed-itkinda.html", "title": "Day 274: Nailed It...Kinda", "content_html": "\n
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Have you ever seen those posts on Facebook where someone sees the cutest thing on Pinterest and tries to make it...only to fail miserably? However, in true optimist fashion...and with much self-depredation...posts a side-by-side comparison of the two? Yeah...well. I had one of those experiences yesterday. 

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First...the turkey is STILL too frozen to remove the giblets so it has to wait till today. Since the oven was unoccupied, I simply HAD to bake...right? I was so excited to use my new-to-me cookie press from the thrift shop. It came from Pampered Chef and had a dozen or more different extruded patterns...all for the amazingly low price of $5! I had the perfect score...or, so I thought.

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I found a video on YouTube with a recipe for the PERFECT Vanilla Spritz Cookies. It had a couple “secret ingredients”. Vanilla Bean Paste which I JUST happened to buy at TJ Maxx when I bought the Indian Ginger I used for the Appalachian Gingerbread. Powdered sugar...which I just happened to find a bag of stuffed in the back of the cupboard I cleaned out this week over the microwave. And, cornstarch. Apparently, these magic ingredients create the perfect light and crisp Spritz Cookies for your holiday baking needs.

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Right.

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It took for-e-ver to mix the dough. I should have used the big KitchenAid mixer, but opted for the handheld instead. When I finally got all those dry ingredients incorporated in the butter, it was a pretty stiff dough. Come to find out afterward, I really could have added some more flour because it was raining and high humidity outside and I was working with the kitchen window open. 

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Once I finally got the dough mixed and chose my design, I set to filling the tube on the cookie press. Back in the day when I tried this before, the press I had was only about an inch to an inch and a half across and made tiny little cookies. You could easily get three or four dozen out of a batch of dough. The Pampered Chef press is easily two and half inches across and one tube full of dough nearly filled a cookie sheet. The raw cookies were pretty big and I knew they would spread so I placed them pretty far apart. I only got eight on each cookie sheet.

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The first thing that happened was...the cookie would not stick to the parchment paper, even though I had tacked it down at all four corners with a bit of raw dough. I took the paper off and buttered the pan. Nope...still wouldn’t stick. The dough just lifted off with the press every time I picked it up. So, I tried putting the pan in the freezer for a few minutes. This time, about 3/4 of the cookies stuck. The rest I had to scrape off and try again till I was finally successful.

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The first batch was perfect...very slightly brown at the edges...but they were pretty flat and didn’t hold their pressed shape much at all. Disappointing. The second batch were placed in the freezer for a few minutes before I baked them. They came out too brown and no better shaped...but still edible. By the third batch, I was just about ready to throw the whole mess out the window...batter AND press. I had dough left and it would NOT stick, so I gave up, rolled the dough in balls the size of a small walnut and baked them anyway.

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Moral of the story is...sometimes those really great gadgets you find in a thrift shop are there for a reason. At least I was only out $5 and not what it would have cost new. I’ll just clean it up and take it back to the thrift shop the next time I have a bag of donations. maybe someone else will have better luck with it than I did.

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At the end of the day, I have to admit, the cookies were really tasty...light with a crispy bite and a melt in your mouth texture. Still, a full two and a half hours to bake two dozen cookies was not very time efficient. We ate some with a little ice cream last night after the news. So, all was not lost and a lesson was learned. I need a tad more “instant gratification” than that when I’m trying to make a ton of cookies for holiday gift trays. I’ll stick to bigger batches of drop cookies for that.

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“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.”

\nProverbs 24:16 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-13T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/13/day-nailed-itkinda.html", "tags": ["Fun","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/12/day-in-the-kitchenagain.html", "title": "Day 273: In the Kitchen...Again!", "content_html": "\n
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I couldn’t wait to get into the kitchen yesterday and start baking. I really thought I’d get more done than I did, but I was happy with the results. I decided to make the Appalachian Gingerbread I saw on YouTube. Actually, the video was originally posted on TikTok. I don’t know if you’ve seen many TikTok videos, but they are only sixty seconds long. Try to recite an entire recipe along with the video in just sixty seconds. She talks really, really fast! But, I was determined. 

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The first thing I did was sit down with my iPad and watch the video several times to make sure I got the gist of it. My friend Lynn actually managed to grab a screenshot of the recipe at the end of the video. As with many Appalachian cooks, the recipe wasn’t exactly word for word like the one in the video. I learned hot to cook in my grandma’s country kitchen so I am well versed in the “dab of this and dab of that” method of recipe interpretation. I added the sour cream they mentioned in the video, and used the buttermilk they mentioned in the recipe. And, I threw my own touch in and used butter instead of shortening or lard and added a teaspoon of salt for good measure.

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As often happens with making a new recipe, the results didn’t look exactly like theirs. They said the gingerbread was done when the surface cracked but mine didn’t. It also didn’t rise as much as theirs did, but it was really quite good. The recipe has a full eight tablespoons of ground ginger. Ginger is a hot spice. I bought two jars at TJ Maxx a month ago specifically for this recipe. I really don’t know a lot about ginger, other than the pickled ginger you get with sushi. This particular ginger came from India. I don’t know if that makes it hotter, or if it’s merely the quantity, but these gingerbreads pack some heat...in a good way. I think I may put a lemon glaze on them to balance the flavors.

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We took the huge turkey out of the fridge in the garage and placed it in a cooler full of ice overnight. I’ll put it in the oven today so I’m not really sure if I’ll get more cookies baked today. My next baking endeavor will be Spritz Cookies....a buttery, crisp shortbread cookie squeezed from a press with interchangeable disks to create different shapes. The spritz cookie press was invented around 1930-35. We never had one when I was growing up, but I remember the first time I saw these pretty little shaped cookies and tasted their rich, buttery goodness. I scored Pampered Chef’s version of the cookie press at a thrift store this summer for $5 so I’m really looking forward to trying it out.

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So it’s going to be another busy day here on the Ponderosa. Mr. FixIt had to remind me yesterday what day it was. I though it was Wednesday. This safe-at-home thing is great for our health but my sense of time is pretty well shot.

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It’s not forever...it’s just for now.

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You can watch the Appalachian Gingerbread video HERE.

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“But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

\n2 Peter 3:8 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-12T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/12/day-in-the-kitchenagain.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/11/day-just-a-simple-country.html", "title": "Day 272: Just a Simple Country Kitchen", "content_html": "\n
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There was a time in my life when I was fussy about my surroundings. I mean, I grew up in a tiny little house and spent as much time as I possibly could out at my grandma’s farm. I was used to just having the basics...nothing fancy. And while I was a doctor’s wife for twenty years, I can’t say my kitchen was extravagant. Big, yes...tons of cabinets and storage for days. But it certainly wasn’t like some of the kitchens the other doctor’s wives got to cook in. 

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I built my own house after my divorce in 2001 and had a simple galley kitchen with lots of light...light cabinets, light countertops, light flooring, and no curtains. I needed as much light as I could get. My kitchen was perfectly functional, but really small. I didn’t know what small was till I moved into my camper and lived for much of three years. Now THAT’S tiny living.

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When I came off the road and moved back into the little red house on the farm, I was back to my roots. The kitchen was really a nice size. My uncle made the cabinets out of cedar back when they moved the whole house onto the newly built basement. Grandma was in hog heaven in that kitchen...it was like the Taj Mahal to her, and it was perfectly serviceable for me as well.

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Then along came Mr. FixIt. When we set up housekeeping, the kitchen at the Ponderosa was already set up. Fortunately, he is a really flexible guy and gave me free rein to adjust and move things around to suit my cooking style. It’s funny. We’ve been together three years now and whenever he empties the dishwasher, he still puts things in the “wrong place.” I have to laugh because he lived here for forty years...it’s ME that’s putting everything in the wrong place...poor man. It’s a nice sized kitchen, and it’s nothing fancy...just a simple country kitchen. And I couldn’t care less. I am blessed beyond measure to have this wonderful man who is willing to share this beautiful life with me. 

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About three or four weeks ago, the big over-the-stove microwave died. We went to Lowe’s and bought a new one only to realize several hours later...we weren’t sure if it had the right kind of exhaust. Sure enough, it was the wrong kind so we cancelled and kept shopping. Mr. FixIt is quite the bargain hunter and he quickly found us a deal at Big Sandy Superstore. We ordered the new microwave and it came in late last week.

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First things first...the family room needed cleaned and organized so we could put up the tree. Once that was accomplished, it was time to tackle the new microwave. We took the old one out on Wednesday then had to run to town to get a new outlet to plug it into. Errands took up all afternoon...as they always do. There is no such thing as a “quick trip to town.” Mr. FixIt did get the outlet wired Wednesday evening, but we left the actual installation for yesterday.

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After a nice, leisurely breakfast...it was time. There was measuring. And remeasuring. Then discussion about the measurements. There was puzzling over the template...turning it this way and that. There was trimming and more measuring. Then it was time for tea. Holy cats! It took us five hours to install that microwave. There was no blood loss. There were very few bad words spoken. And we were still married when the job was complete, so I’d call that a success!

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Of course, once the job was done, I had to clean the kitchen...again. It seems that is all I get done. Cook. Clean the kitchen. Over and over and over. My friends and I were discussing the other day...our lives have become something akin to the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day. Every single day is the same stuff with very little variety to it. Breakfast. Clean the kitchen. Some other chore. Lunch. Clean the Kitchen. Another chore or two. Dinner. Clean the kitchen. News. Write. Snack. Clean the kitchen.

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Covid has done this. Retirement has done this. Comfort has done this. We had family come over yesterday and we all lamented how the year has just felt weird because we didn’t have our big family Thanksgiving Dinner and now we are facing the same disconnect at Christmas. They decided we’ll have to set up the outdoor propane heater outside our big picture window and share Christmas that way. We are only halfway kidding. I’m not quite sure but somehow we need to work it out so we can at least see each other and the babies, even if we can’t get close and be inside and give hugs around their necks.

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There is hope around the corner, though! The vaccines are coming and it’s going to help us turn the corner and start heading into a post-Covid life. We can’t let our guards down completely because the vaccines are still only 95% effective. But it’s going to be a darned sight better than this last year has been.

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Today, I’m going to try making Appalachian Gingerbread and I’m working on a surprise to go along with it. We’ll see how it works. My friend Diane came over yesterday with some extra food she had received and we neither one want things to go to waste. I have a large container of plain yoghurt now so I’m going to set it over a strainer in cheesecloth to drain some of the whey and make a soft cheese we can use on bagels instead of cream cheese. Thank goodness I am getting some of my “Merry Mojo” back!

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““Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”

\nLuke 14:28-30 NIV\n
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\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-11T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/11/day-just-a-simple-country.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Comfort","Farm Life","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/09/day-sneaky-tasting-of-the.html", "title": "Day 270: Sneaky Tasting of the Treats!", "content_html": "\n
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Ok...I know you’re supposed to let fruitcake age. Wrapping it in cheesecloth soaked with the liquor of your choice acts as a deterrent to spoiling and allows the flavors of the ingredients to mellow and refine. Yeah, right. I made it about 28 hours and I had to cut into one of those little mini loaves. 

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Oh. My. Gosh!

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Even without the aging, this is some killer fruitcake here! I love the different textures...the sweetness of the candied fruit and the firmness of the nuts with just enough cake batter to hold it all together. Add a healthy dose of Cherry Brandy in the mix and it is just a taste treat. The only thing is, it’s still pretty soft and moist so it doesn’t slice cleanly. But, who cares? You just moosh all those crumbs together and yum, yum, yum!

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I also made a pot of chili yesterday. I usually make a huge pot and have enough leftover to serve another three or four meals. This time, I used a new chili seasoning from Sam’s Club. Kinder’s Woodfired Chili comes in a box with five pre-measured packets for $4.98. So, a buck a batch. Add two cans of diced tomatoes, a can of pinto beans, a pound of 90/10 ground beef, and 2-3T of dehydrated onions that I made this summer...you get a quick and tasty meal. We still had a couple pieces of the buttermilk cornbread I made on Sunday. I heated those up and they were the perfect side. 

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Mr. FixIt likes a sweeter chili without heat. That isn’t my preference, but there are some compromises that are worth the effort. This was actually flavorful enough that I didn’t really miss the heat and my man was a happy camper. And isn’t that the bottom line? Give and take...even when it’s something as simple as a pot of chili...makes life sweeter. It’s the little things, isn’t it?

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I thought I’d bake some banana bread but just didn’t get to it. Instead, I sat in front of the fire with my sweetheart and knitted some Christmas ornaments. Maybe today. Maybe not. That’s the beauty of “off season”...there isn’t mowing or gardening or canning to do. It’s the holidays...why not just sit back and enjoy it when you can? Life is too short to stress over...stuff.

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“Give us this day our daily bread.”

\nMatthew 6:11 KJV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-09T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/09/day-sneaky-tasting-of-the.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/08/day-the-gift-of-an.html", "title": "Day 269: The Gift of an Heirloom Recipe", "content_html": "\n
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The first day of holiday baking was a huge success. After a relaxing start to the day and enjoying my morning coffee, I got to work in the kitchen. I grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s when the obligatory holiday fruitcake came to our house...usually as part of my dad’s Christmas bonus package. Fruitcakes back then came in these really great heavy-duty tins embossed with festive Victorian holiday scenes. These tins often went on to become the button boxes many of us remember sifting through at our grandmother’s homes. 

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I really hated fruitcake. It was almost a rule of thumb that children and fruitcake did not mix and if you liked it, you never admitted to it. It was thick, dark, gummy, and so sickeningly sweet. Once in a while, I might pick out a candied cherry and eat it, but that was the extent of my experience with fruitcake. The fact that it’s often soaked in booze might have been a deterrent in my house growing up. (I received a cookbook as a wedding gift from my grandma and she crossed out the word “beer” in a recipe for barbecue sauce!)

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Enter, Mr. Virgo. Fruitcake, like opera and the Philadelphia Eagles, entered my world along with that tall, handsome man. Unfortunately, he liked traditional fruitcake. I happened to mention this to my cousin’s wife and she sent me my Aunt Marge’s White Fruitcake recipe. She assured me, even a diehard fruitcake hater like me would love this recipe. The following year, I made two loaf pans of fruitcake before Thanksgiving, wrapped them in cheesecloth, and started giving them a weekly drink of bourbon.

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The week before Christmas, I brought the fruitcake in from cold storage in the garage and cut a few slices for Mr. Virgo’s gustatory pleasure. He declared it the best fruitcake he had ever tasted. I felt this was a fine endorsement and he talked me into trying a piece myself. Being the good sport that I am, I complied...fully prepared to again, hate it. But...oh my GOSH, people! It was divine! Granted...it’s still not something I’m going to overindulge in. It is definitely an acquired taste. But as far as fruitcakes go, this is the bomb. And here’s where the bad news comes in.

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I cannot share the recipe with you.

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My Aunt Marge was an incredible cook. Legendary. She worked and perfected this recipe over the years and would never give the recipe away, no matter WHO asked. I was privileged to be gifted this recipe and had to promise I wouldn’t share it. (Trust me, I asked with you all in mind...no go.)

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So, why am I sharing this when I can’t share the recipe? Basically, to share my love for my Aunt Marge. To share a tradition. And, yeah...to maybe brag a little that I finally found a fruitcake I can eat. Don’t be too dismayed. If you hate fruitcake as much as most people, you’ll just scratch your head at the thought people really eat this stuff. If you DO love fruitcake, you can Google “White Fruitcake” and find a recipe that might give you something like Aunt Marge’s. But I doubt it will be as good as this one. ‘Cause...it’s truly a family heirloom.

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Next up...Banana Bread!

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“Your wife will be as fruitful as a grapevine, and just as an olive tree is rich with olives, your home will be rich with healthy children.”

\nPsalms 128:3 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-08T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/08/day-the-gift-of-an.html", "tags": ["Family","West Virginia","Holiday","Be Joyful!","Farm Life","Baking","Memories","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/12/03/day-buying-in-bulk.html", "title": "Day 264: Buying in Bulk", "content_html": "\n
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We’re being exceedingly careful when we venture out shopping. We try to time our trips to the store when we are least likely encounter large crowds. Just about every state in the country is experiencing a large surge in Covid cases and we are bound and determined to not become statistics. It’s not easy to dodge crowds at this time of year, so we’ve taken to buying in bulk at Sam’s and limit exposure by limiting the trips themselves.

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We hit the jackpot this week. Sam’s had 90/10 ground beef for $2.68 a pound. I only bought one five pound package. I should have bought two at that price. We also bought a family pack of really nice pork chops. When we got home, I divided the meat up in meal sized packages and froze all but what I needed for spaghetti sauce last night. All told, we got four meals out of last night’s sauce. And put twelve packets of meat in the freezer. Each freezer pack came out to $2.65. Not bad for a few minute’s work.

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There didn’t seem to be a shortage of anything when we were shopping. There was plenty of toilet paper and paper towels. I was pretty amazed that all the Christmas decorations were gone, save for three styles of trees. Granted, it was Tuesday so we didn’t see any of the shopping frenzy we might have seen over the weekend, but it seemed like there was plenty of everything. Hopefully we’ll avoid the kind of hoarding we saw in the spring at the beginning of the pandemic.

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So, the vaccines are coming. Now the big hurdle will be whether people feel safe taking them. Personally, if Dr. Fauci will take it, so will we. I grew up in the polio years...I understand the importance of vaccines. I worked my whole life in the medical field, my last job in Clinical Pharmaceutical Research. By the time they get to the point of vaccinating our age group, there will have been several months of injections given and we’ll have an even better idea of how they work. I know you have to do what you feel is best, but the more people who receive the vaccine, the greater the “herd immunity” and the quicker we can get life back to some semblance of normalcy. I don’t know about you...but I’m more than ready! I want to see my Colorado peeps!

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The tree is still not up...but I’m making great strides in getting ready for it. The packages have been shipped (and received). Still a little shopping but it’s online and they are delivering it to the recipients. Then I can sit down and write the greeting cards and do a little knitting. It’s just been crazy busy around here...but in a good way!

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“Be sensible and store up precious treasures— don't waste them like a fool.”

\nProverbs 21:20 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-12-03T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/12/03/day-buying-in-bulk.html", "tags": ["Wisdom","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/11/30/day-oh-rightnow-i-get.html", "title": "Day 261: Oh, Right...Now I Get It!", "content_html": "\n
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Recipe from @joyfoodsunshine

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I finally baked those pumpkins pies today. They still don’t taste like grandma’s but I have lots of pumpkin purée left so I’ll bake some more soon. When the pies were in the oven, Mr. FixIt ran to town for something, and I stayed home to deep clean the family room so we can put up the tree. NOW I know why I have been procrastinating! 

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First...I’m a pile maker. Creative people only LOOK disorganized. We know where everything is...just ask my husband! We have a table in the family room that has a long tablecloth draped over it. I have taken to stuffing things under there, but I actually need to move the table to make room for the rocking chairs that are actually supposed to be out on the front porch but they’ve been in the family room for the last three years taking up WAY too much room. Why aren’t they on the front porch, you ask? Because we never sit out there. We enter the house from the back door. The front faces the big road so it’s dusty, dirty, and noisy out there. And, the back deck isn’t covered and the rain would ruin my pretty wooden rockers. So, there they sit and I work around them. 

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The first thing I had to do was go through my books. The one thing Mr. FixIt and I do not have in our house is a nice bookshelf. I got rid of almost all my books when I left Colorado, but I’ve slowly accumulated more over the years. I suppose I’ll just have to put them in boxes till we get a bookcase one of these days. In the meantime, my piles are still on the floor around my recliner, waiting for me to return to them today. I still have camping stuff that needs to be taken downstairs. Stacks of papers. Projects. Cards and letters. It’s sort of ironic that one of the books in the piles there is “Get Organized”.  Oy! 

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I kept myself so busy this year, I just threw things on that table and now it’s time to pay the piper, so to speak. I’ll get through it today and get the decorations brought up from the basement. One step at a time...always forward!

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“But do everything properly and in order.”

\n1 Corinthians 14:40 CEV\n
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\n\n", "date_published": "2020-11-30T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/11/30/day-oh-rightnow-i-get.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/11/29/day-looking-for-my-merry.html", "title": "Day 260: Looking for my Merry Mojo", "content_html": "\n
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I’m having trouble finding my footing with the change from uber busy spring-summer-fall to...indoors. There are a million things I could/should be doing, but I am not finding the wherewithal to get after it. I STILL haven’t made those pumpkin pies. Not that I didn’t try. I pulled the dough out of the fridge yesterday and when I started rolling it out, I knew something was terribly wrong. It was springy, like bread, so I knew the gluten got activated. Also, I used that cheap bargain basement flour from the Piggly Wiggly and it’s just not good for much of anything. I ended up throwing both the dough and the remaining flour away. I promise I’ll bake these pies today!

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We had company yesterday. It’s really something when you get super excited if someone comes over. The former Mrs. FixIt called Friday evening and asked if we had extra room in the garage freezer for a twenty pound turkey. This is the great thing about buying turkey after the holiday...you can get really good prices. Kroger had big turkeys on sale for $ .59 a pound so we asked her to pick up one for us. We already had a big twenty-four pound turkey in the downstairs freezer, so we put it in the garage fridge to defrost and put the new turkey in its place. Here’s the best part of the story, though. When she was checking out, the manager asked her if she would like a Black Friday Special. Well, who doesn’t want that, right? So, he sold her the turkeys for $ .39 cents a pound. Too bad there weren’t more turkeys (she got the last two) and we don’t have a bigger freezer. I would have bought several. It was really great to stand out in the sunshine and visit for a while and show her all the work we’ve been doing around the Ponderosa.

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My missing mojo shows up in my missing Christmas tree, too. I swore I’d have it up before Halloween, and now here we are after Thanksgiving and I’m procrastinating for some reason. Maybe my motivation will return today! I’ll start with baking those pies after church, then we’ll drag the decorations out, turn on White Christmas, and before we know it, the job will be done. Then I’m not taking it down, like...ever! lol I think the fact that we have had to forego having the family over for the holidays is what’s bumming me out. I can’t jump on a plane and fly to Colorado to see the family, either. 

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Mr. FixIt made me a bowl of ice cream last night as we watched the news. He put a little chocolate sauce on it, and I added a couple spoonfuls of cranberry sauce on top. OMGosh! It was SO good. It tastes like chocolate covered cherries. I’m determined to try as many new recipes and methods of serving the leftovers. I will freeze a container for the turkey I’m thawing out.

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“Big” sent me a picture of her “Gingerbread Camper” the other day. I had to laugh. This was the grandchild who went camping and absolutely loved it, saying over and over, “We need to do this again, Nana!” Till the next summer when her adolescent self decided camping with Nana was infinitely uncool. Yet, here she is...I knew those memories would come back with fondness one of these days. It warmed my heart.

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Have you decorated for the holidays? If you are newly bereaved, you may find it very difficult. I managed to put up the tree the first Christmas then was promptly depressed the next day. The second Christmas was when things fell apart with my Aunt and we didn’t have any decorations. I don’t think I really decorated until I settled back on the farm in 2016. Do you have favorite ornaments? What about traditions surrounding trimming the tree? I saw a story where people are flocking to buy real trees this year because of the memories of the hunt for the perfect tree. I haven’t had a real tree in many, many years. Basically, because I feel it’s wasteful, but also there’s the fire hazard and mess it makes. I have a candle with a very realistic pine tree scent. That’s good enough for me.

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It’s time to get back up and get in the game. There’s work to be done and fun to be had and memories to make...no matter the circumstances!!!

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?

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“It is truly wonderful when the people of God live together in peace.”

\nPsalms 133:1 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-11-29T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/11/29/day-looking-for-my-merry.html", "tags": ["Family","Comfort","Farm Life","Baking","Memories","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/11/14/day-more-foodi-fun.html", "title": "Day 245: More Foodi Fun!", "content_html": "\n
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OMGosh! The longer I have this new kitchen toy, the more I absolutely love it! I was skeptical when I saw the picture of the golden brown, perfectly roasted, crispy-skinned chicken in the little cookbook that came with my Ninja Foodi. I mean, who hasn’t had trouble getting a product to come out looking like the photo on the box, right? Well, I am here to tell you, I made the BEST roasted chicken last night for supper and it was a “piece of cake”, so to speak.

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When I saw the time had crept away from me and it was going on 5:00, I thought I’d have to wait another night before I cooked the chicken I bought Thursday. I was planning on trying the recipe for the Foodi and when I saw the times listed, I figured...what the heck, I’d give it a shot. Preparing the chicken itself was simple. 

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I removed the giblets from the cavity, gave it a good rinse, and tied the legs together with kitchen twine. I added lemon juice, water, honey, fresh thyme, garlic, salt, and whole peppercorns to the bottom of the cook pot of the Ninja Foodi. I place the whole chicken in the air fryer basket and lowered it into the cook pot and placed the pressure cooker lid on. I set the pressure to HI and the time to 22 minutes and set to peeling three Yukon Gold potatoes.

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A few weeks ago, I found a small pressure cooker at a thrift store. It’s not much bigger than a large saucepan. I placed the potatoes in the bottom on the steamer rack, added a generous cup of water, and placed the lid on but didn’t light the burner. I opened a jar of the half runner beans I canned this fall and set them on to simmer with a pat of butter and a tiny bit of bacon grease for flavor.

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I mixed up some gravy and set it on the back burner to simmer. About that time, the timer went off on the Foodi. I let it cool on it’s own for 5 minutes before I opened the vent and released the pressure. I gently patted the skin with a paper towel and spritzed the skin with a touch of olive oil, then sprinkled with cracked seas salt and ground pepper. I let the air fryer lid down but didn’t turn it on yet. I just wanted the chicken to stay hot. When the pressure cooker got up to temp and the weight started jiggling a little, I set the time for 8 minutes.

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I turned the air fryer on, set the temp to 400 degrees and the timer to 10 minutes. The timer for the potatoes went off a few minutes before the air fryer was finished. I let it cool a bit then released the steam. When it was almost finished venting, I ran some water over the lid to finish exhausting the pressure rapidly. I strained out the potatoes, put them in a dish with a little butter, and mashed them by hand.

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The timer went off on the air fryer at the same time the mashed potatoes were ready. The gravy had been turned down to simmer so it was hot, as were the green beans. All that was left was to take the chicken out of the pot and plate everything up. We had a delicious meal in less than 45 minutes! I was stunned! And ohhhhhhh....the chicken was as melt-in-your-mouth tender as a rotisserie chicken from the deli but without all that sodium. And the skin was indeed golden brown and crispy. Seriously, the only way you could tel you hadn’t roasted that chicken was how moist and tender the meat was.

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My forays in the world of kitchen appliances have not always been wildly successful, but I have to say, this was the best investment I’ve ever made. I can’t wait to try other things like ribs and roast.

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Oh, and speaking of appliances, Mr. FixIt and I were having our coffee yesterday, watching the news when he asked, “Do you remember if that microwave we ordered yesterday had a recirculating exhaust or external vent?” I remembered talking to the sales person earlier, but to be honest, I couldn’t remember if we discussed that feature when we actually placed the order. He called Lowe’s and, wouldn’t you know...it was the wrong kind of vent. We don’t have a vent that goes outside. So, we had to call and cancel the microwave. Mr. FixIt started researching more microwaves after supper.

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It’s always something, isn’t it? 

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?

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“Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish.”

\nJohn 21:13 CEV\n
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#NinjaFoodi, #CovidCooking, #AirFryer

\n\n", "date_published": "2020-11-14T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/11/14/day-more-foodi-fun.html", "tags": ["Health","West Virginia","New Ideas","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/11/01/day-once-in-a-blue.html", "title": "Day 233: Once in a Blue Moon", "content_html": "\n
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A blue moon is the second full moon in one month.

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Happy November! Election season is almost over and I’m lining up my new activities for the coming months. First, we had a “Blue Moon” last night. It is the first time since 1944 that the second full moon in one month could be seen in all four time zones in the continental United States. It was also Halloween and the the end of Daylight Saving Time for 2020. Yes, kids...two more months and this year is behind us! I will not be sorry to see this one go, I’m telling you what. 

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Sycamore Leaves are HUGE!

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The day started out with dense fog here at the Ponderosa. We discussed our plans for the day over a pancake and sausage breakfast. We needed to run into town to Walmart and while Mr. FixIt took care of his errand, I perused the appliance aisle. I’ve been seriously considering getting an air fryer and after asking for advice on my Facebook page, I was ready. I decided on the Ninja Foodie because it doubles as a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, toaster oven, and dehydrator. 

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Our meager pumpkin haul for 2020.

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When we got home, we took out some of the fresh fish we brought back from the beach to defrost. While it was thawing, I helped my sweetheart with a few things around the yard. We needed to get Pumpkin’s building ready for winter. I got her bed ready with the platform heater and a fresh blanket. Then we washed her heated water dish so it won’t freeze when it gets cold. She is comfy and cozy out there and protected from critters. We decided to put her in the building earlier than usual, given it was Halloween and she’s a black kitty. We live in the country and we just didn’t want to take any chances with our sweet girl. As usual, we didn’t have any Trick or Treaters here.

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The Ninja Foodie

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I unboxed my new kitchen toy and read all the directions. We wanted hush puppies and there was no way to make those in the air fryer. I did fry those in oil and drained them well. The French fries came out of the Ninja hot, brown and crispy. I placed them and the hush puppies on a baking sheet and put them in a 225 degree oven to stay hot. I normally like a wet breading on my fish but Mr. FixIt bought a dry cornmeal breading. I coated the fish and even though it browned in the air fryer, it wasn’t necessarily appealing and it was dried out around the edges. I made some homemade tartar sauce and it still tasted fine. It wasn’t bad for a first try.

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Fish and Chips...Ninja style!

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We watched college football all afternoon and evening and around 8:00 we went out to see the full moon. It had just peeked over the hills across the two-lane and it was indeed beautiful. We have the pool finished now so it’s put to bed for another season. And now...it’s yet another Sunday. I hope you have a beautiful day!

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❤️

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“it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.””

\nPsalms 89:37 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-11-01T02:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/11/01/day-once-in-a-blue.html", "tags": ["Change","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/31/day-well-butter-my-buns.html", "title": "Day 232: Well, Butter My Buns and Call Me a Biscuit", "content_html": "\n
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I decided yesterday was a great day for an iron skillet full of yummy homemade biscuits. I first tried baking biscuits when I was old enough to stand on the kitchen stool at my grandma’s elbow out at the farm. I learned to cook the way she did...a pinch of this and a dab of that. She learned to cook when “receipts” had measurements like “put in a hunk of lard the size of a hen’s egg” or “add a scant teacup full of sugar”. Grandma actually had an old coffee cup that she used as her one cup measure. She was a good ol’ country cook and I have tried to be just like her.

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I’ve tried every recipe out there and seldom make a biscuit that’s swoon worthy. As I learned to bake a mean sourdough this year, I’m vowing to perfect my biscuits this winter. My go-to method at the moment is Virginia’s Best Biscuit Mix from Big Spring Mill in Ellison, Virginia. It uses their self rising flour and they add high quality shortening right in it so all you need to add is buttermilk or whole milk. I use buttermilk. Three cups of biscuit mix and one cup of buttermilk makes a baker’s dozen of very tasty biscuits. 

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I find it takes much longer to bake than the 10-12 minutes recommended. I think the batch I baked yesterday took a good 25 minutes to get a nice golden brown. I used my new 11” cast iron skillet that recently seasoned. I added a teaspoon of bacon grease to the skillet and set it over a low flame to warm the skillet just enough to melt the fat. Then I spread it around with the back of a spoon and took the skillet away from the heat. You don’t want it too hot. 

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Working quickly, I mixed the dry and wet ingredients together and turned it out on a lightly floured surface. I dusted a small amount of flour over the top and on my hands and gave the dough three or four turns, kneading it till it was just incorporated. I didn’t even bother with a rolling pin. I just patted the dough out till it was about a half inch thick and cut all the rounds I could get out of it and placed them in the skillet. I took the leftover pieces of dough, gently pressed them together and flattened it out again. I only got a couple of biscuits that go round. The last little bit of dough was hand shaped into a biscuit and added to the pan. 

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I popped the skillet full of biscuits into a 425 degree oven and baked them about 20-25 minutes...but that was with opening the oven door a couple of times. You’ll want to watch them at around 15 minutes or so to see that they don’t burn. I always melt about three tablespoons of butter to brush on top of the biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven. Serving them hot with butter and my homemade apple butter was a wonderful treat on a very chilly fall morning.

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The rest of the day was busy...delivering food to a friend recuperating from surgery, running a couple of errands in town, and a stop at Joann Fabrics for a little sparkly thread for my knitted Christmas ornaments I’m making. I also have a project I’m making as Christmas gifts so I picked up some melting chocolate and lacy cupcake papers. I’m not doing anything this weekend except sit and knit. I need a weekend off.

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What do you want to bet it doesn’t quite turn out that way? lol

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❤️

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“If you cook bread in a shallow pan for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour. Mix it with olive oil, but do not use any yeast.”

\nLeviticus 2:5 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-31T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/31/day-well-butter-my-buns.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/26/day-the-real-feel-of.html", "title": "Day 227: The Real Feel of Autumn", "content_html": "\n
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When I woke up yesterday, I greeted my sweetheart and said, “How can it possibly be Sunday again already?” The time flies so, so fast anymore. I grabbed my coffee, Mr. FixIt his tea, and we headed into the family room for church. I know it is important to have fellowship with other Christians, but I’m telling you...I like not having to drive all the way to town and back on a Sunday. I like to sit in my comfy chair and listen to the worship music and the encouraging words of a good sermon. We can hit “pause” if we have to take a little trip down the hall. Hey, we’re older now. And, we can discuss and openly encourage each other as the message is being preached. 

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Yesterday, one of our associate pastors gave us a wonderful message. I love when visuals are used to demonstrate points. I have always been a visual learner and think in analogies, so I especially enjoyed it. You can catch it on YouTube HERE.  (They actually go live about 9 minutes, 45 seconds in.)

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I had a hankering for some comfort food yesterday. I bought a small chuck roast the other day so I browned it on either side and put it in my slow cooker around noon. Mr. Virgo used to put a can each of Cream of Onion and Cream of Celery soups in with garlic, onions, mushrooms, and a can of water. This always made a wonderful gravy. Unfortunately, I found my last two onions were too old to use and I forgot to buy mushrooms. Well, guess who dehydrated mushrooms and onions this summer and stored them away for occasions such as this? Me! I added about a cup of dehydrated mushrooms and 1/3 cup of dehydrated onions to the slow cooker, stirred it all around a bit, put the lid on and turned it to high. Five hours later, I served the roast with some of my home canned green beans, home canned applesauce, and herb roasted tiny potatoes. It was fabulous and we have enough leftover for tonight, too.

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I’m back to baking sourdough again. I took a few weeks off when I was so busy canning. While I wasn’t baking, I fed my sourdough starter once a week and kept it in the refrigerator. That slows the feeding down. I was thrilled when I took it out Thursday to warm up, fed it, and it overflowed the jar. That’s the sign of a good, strong yeast. I fed it again Friday night, then Saturday morning, I worked up my dough, formed the loaves, and set them in the garage fridge to rise overnight. A cold rise is supposed to allow the acids to build up in the dough and make a more sour loaf, so I’m looking forward to having some for breakfast this morning. I’ve found it doesn’t cut well and the flavor isn’t as pronounced until the day after baking.

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Once the bread was finished, I spent the afternoon writing an article for the winter issue of Girl Camper Magazine. The magazine comes out four times a year and you can’t get it at the newsstand. If you are interested, you can order a subscription HERE.

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I love Sundays and it was wonderful to have a nice, slow day...gentle rain...fire in the family room...the smells of homemade bread and a roast cooking...spending time with my sweetie. I was thrilled to get the news from my Colorado peeps that snow has fallen in the mountains. Hopefully, this will help knock out the wildfires and we can put that to rest for the year. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you are staying healthy.

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❤️

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“Remember that the Sabbath Day belongs to me. You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week belongs to me, your God. No one is to work on that day—not you, your children, your slaves, your animals, or the foreigners who live in your towns. In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.”

\nExodus 20:8-11 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-26T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/26/day-the-real-feel-of.html", "tags": ["Comfort","God","Peaceful Moments","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/21/day-doo-doo-doolookin-out.html", "title": "Day 222: “Doo, Doo, Doo...Lookin’ Out my Back Door”", "content_html": "\n
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When we got back from the beach, we had thirty-three pounds of bagged and frozen fish filets in our huge cooler packed in ice. We have a refrigerator out in the pole building and I needed to move some stuff out of that freezer to make room for the fish. I had several bags of vegetable soup, a pound of hamburger, and a small chuck roast in there. I put them down in the refrigerator part and yesterday, I checked and they were just starting to thaw a bit.

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I carried it all inside and dumped the soup in a large pot. I added a quart of the tomato sauce I canned earlier this summer. Then I chopped up the hamburger, cubed the chuck roast, and tossed them in a little flour, added salt and pepper and cooked them till they had just lost their pink color. I added the meat to the soup, adjusted the seasonings, and brought it to a boil. Then I canned eleven quarts of fabulous vegetable beef soup. Now I have all this great soup to add to the shelves for winter. Canning is a lot of work up front, but it sure saves time when you’re fixing a meal. And there’s nothing better than homemade vegetable beef soup!

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As I was waiting for the last canner load to process, I sat down in the family room and looked out the back door. I caught this sliver of moon hanging low over the near field beyond the pole building. You can see the honeysuckle vines on the fence to the left of the back gate. The fog rolled in as night fell. I love the little treasures I find every day here in the country. After a day of standing on your feet and working, having these moments to catch my breath and share this beauty with my love is a blessing I still have to pinch myself over.

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A friend of mine texted the other day. She was the Human Resources Director that initially hired Mr. Virgo in Aspen. We’ve been friends ever since and she was the person who came to my home the week after Mr. Virgo died to help me begin to make some sense of the paperwork involved with dying. Anne was back at her Colorado house cleaning out more “stuff” when she came across a couple of pictures she had to share with me. They were taken at our wedding and one shows Mr. Virgo walking out and up the aisle to wait for me. I smiled when I saw him. I rarely see pictures of him that I haven’t seen before.

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I don’t cry anymore when I see pictures of him. He has been placed in a safe place in my heart and I rarely take him out. I’ve learned how to live in the present and enjoy what God has given me this go ‘round. But I did have a dream about Mr. Virgo the other night. And my mom. Mom had passed the year before I met Mr. Virgo so he only got the stories. In my dream, I realized I hadn’t seen Mr. Virgo in a while so I told my mom I was headed to Aspen to see if I could find him. I’ve had that dream a couple of times since he died. The first time, I found him in my dream. He was working in an office. He was wearing a handsome hand-tailored suit and was shuffling papers at a large desk. We sat down and talked, although I can no longer remember what was said. This time, I couldn’t find him. It didn’t leave me bereft like the first time. It was more like, “Ahhhh, yes...I remember that love. He doesn’t live here anymore.” It’s ok now. It’s ok to move forward. It’s ok to have a happy life and to laugh and love again. And, it’s ok to keep those memories tucked in a safe place in your heart. Because they will never go away entirely. I am blessed to have a strong, secure man who gave me room to hold those memories.

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So, today I get my annual mammogram. Keep checking the tatas, ladies...it’s important. Then, I am going to go to the courthouse and exercise my right to vote. Who knows what I’ll get into after that? Mowing, probably. We are thinking this is probably the last time of the season since we have had two hard freezes here. We’ll have a little warm up in the coming days before the regular frosts of fall arrive. And you know what that means in West Virginia, right? The arrival of the Asian Ladybugs and those gosh awful stink bugs! Ugh...it’s just an infestation and I dread them every fall. Here’s hoping the blue Dawn and water solution I sprayed around the windows and doors helps to ward them off.

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❤️

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“They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down.”

\nPsalms 118:12 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-21T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/21/day-doo-doo-doolookin-out.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Wisdom","Farm Life","Widow","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/20/day-testing-testing.html", "title": "Day 221: Testing, Testing, 1-2-3", "content_html": "\n
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We live in a tiny, sparsely populated county in rural West Virginia where an awful lot of people scoff at the idea of wearing masks. And we’ve been extremely lucky. There have been only twenty-nine cases of Covid-19 in our county. But, up till a week ago, there was half that. With the fact that we traveled...very carefully, but still...and the fact that our numbers here at home doubled in a week, free testing was offered at the small clinic in town yesterday afternoon. We drove over and didn’t even have to get out of the car. The test itself is only slightly uncomfortable and we should have results in 24-48 hours.

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We went to town yesterday morning to pick Pumpkin up from the Kitty Hilton. They loved her there and gave her lots of loves. Poor thing made a mess in her crate on the drive home but was no worse for the wear. She was happy as a little clam to get back to her old haunts and explore. I read online that you could spray a solution of water with a little blue Dawn dish soap in it around your windows and doors to keep the Asian ladybugs and stink bugs out. I have no idea if it works, but I gave it a try. I’ll let you know. I also brought in the hummingbird feeder, cleaned it, and put it away for next year.

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We’ve been busy trying to put everything away from our trip so we haven’t messed with putting the garden to bed for the winter yet. We had two hard freezes so the growing season is over in our neck of the woods. It’s sad to see all the beautiful pumpkin and passion flower vines hanging limp on the chain link fence. Our one little pumpkin is resting on the ground out by the pepper plants so I need to get that cleaned out.

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I finally took the time yesterday to take a picture of the dining room table filled with the fruits of my labor. It’s pretty darned impressive, if I do say so myself. I still need to clear out a space on the shelves downstairs to store the filled jars. That’s when they are so pretty. Our little great granddaughter came over for a socially distanced visit last evening. She can count to ten now so we played hide and seek. When she hid, she scooted into some weeds and her baby fine hair got filled with burrs. It took us over an hour to strip them out...bless her heart. She was such a trooper and sat very still.

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Slowly getting back into the swing of things at home. It isn’t easy for me to let go after a very busy summer and then traveling. There’s still mowing to do, both here and at the farm. I need to organize all my canning accoutrements and put them away for the season. Then I can take a little break and do something else for a while. It was truly fall here yesterday...cool, rainy, and showers of golden leaves falling all around. The Lord is putting the earth to rest for the winter...I need to prepare to follow suit.

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❤️

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“As long as the earth remains, there will be planting and harvest, cold and heat; winter and summer, day and night.”

\nGenesis 8:22 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-20T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/20/day-testing-testing.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/06/day-apples-galore.html", "title": "Day 207: Apples Galore!", "content_html": "\n
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This is only about a third of what I worked up yesterday.

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I had five bags of apples and another dozen assorted loose apples in a basket and it was time to get started. I got a bit of a late start yesterday but I plugged right along for several hours...washing, peeling, coring, quartering, and slicing apples galore! I’d probably say, all told, I had almost a bushel of apples and I almost got them finished before I threw in the towel. I’ll get back to them this morning. They are resting in an acidulated bath overnight to keep them from turning brown. 

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I bought one of those apple peeler-corer-slicer gadgets a couple of weeks ago. I had one a long time ago and it worked pretty well. This one? Not so much. It’s made by Norpro and I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. The “blade” that peels the apple is curved and leaves a stripe of solid apple peel in between rows of white peeled apple. It takes more time and effort to clean that up than it does to peel the apple with a vegetable peeler and trim it up with a paring knife. A real pain in the keister.

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About halfway finished!

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I took a break in the late afternoon and went out to finish mowing. I noticed a lot of new blossoms on the pumpkin vines, but it’s way too late in the season to get new pumpkins. From what I can see I only have one medium pumpkins and one mini, and this is without really investigating amongst the vines and leaves. I need to plant them in a different place next year.

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I need to get this all finished before Wednesday because that’s when I need to start packing for our trip. Not so much with the clothes. We have a washer and dryer in our condo at the beach. No, what I want to pack is what I will need for the kitchen down there. It has the bare minimum items and I need to gather up what I will need to prepare the dishes I have planned. We don’t want to eat in restaurants or go into grocery stores out on the Outer Banks, so we’ll be taking everything with us. Good thing we have a full sized pickup truck!

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I need to pack my electronics because I have an article to write for the winter edition of the new Girl Camper Magazine. Oh, if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to check it out at www.girlcamper.com and see what a beautiful job Janine has done with the magazine. Very classy and professional yet cozy and homey. I also need to pack my knitting. I can hardly wait!

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❤️

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“Store up enough food both for yourself and for them.”

\nGenesis 6:21 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-06T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/06/day-apples-galore.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/10/01/day-my-kitchen-is-my.html", "title": "Day 202: My Kitchen is my Happy Place!", "content_html": "\n
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Someone on my Twitter feed yesterday asked “What makes you happy?” Without hesitation, I responded with “Being in my kitchen!” As long as I can remember, the kitchen has held a special place in my heart. It’s where you pour secret ingredients like “Love” and “Hope” and “Prayers” into your family’s food. It’s where you create beautiful, wholesome meals from nothing but a handful of this and that. It’s where you work out the problems of the world over a cup of coffee with your bestie. It’s where you write out cards and bills and maybe...a letter! 

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The kitchen holds the heartbeat of a home. My earliest memories involve my grandma’s kitchen out at the farm...that place I still get to enjoy and soak up the wisdom she left in its bones. With an oilcloth table covering and a kerosene lantern as a centerpiece, I spent many wonderful hours in that kitchen. Another favorite kitchen was in the farmhouse we lived in when Hubby #2 was doing his internship and residency. A big old cast iron farm sink under a wide window you could throw open made cooking more pleasant, even on the hottest days.

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When I got up yesterday, I immediately set on a pot of beans for supper in the slow cooker. Then, I set to organizing my workspace in the kitchen so I could start canning the produce stand on Tuesday. By the end of the day, I had eighteen beautiful jars of cubed butternut squash that will make wonderful soup this winter. As the canner was chattering away, I whipped up some cornbread and baked it in an iron skillet. I took the smoked ham hock out of the beans and removed the tender meat from the bones so we could get some of that rich, smoky flavor in every bite.

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The ClearGel arrived yesterday so I can finally start on the apple pie filling. I’m really looking forward to that. I love baking pies in the winter, but don’t always want to take the time to prepare the apples. My cousin has always made pie filling so I’m going to try my hand at it. I think once I get that project done, I’m finished for the season. This has been a huge undertaking and I have to admit...the diversion has been a saving grace for me. It helped me get through some bumps in my road and now, I’ve got all this great food ready to go. I’ll have all these great memories when I put the food on the table or share the occasional jar with my loved ones.

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Well, that’s a wrap on September! Let us pray October brings us moments to pause. To sit with a cup of tea and marvel at the earth turning to gold. To close our eyes and catch a thin whiff of wood smoke and wet leaves. To hear the last faint strains of crickets and katydids before they are gone for the year. Ahhhh....sweaters and leggings, here I come!

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❤️

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“He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.”

\nDaniel 2:21 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-10-01T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/10/01/day-my-kitchen-is-my.html", "tags": ["Fun","Comfort","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/29/day-away-from-the-kitchenagain.html", "title": "Day 195: Away from the Kitchen...Again!", "content_html": "\n
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I wish I could find this variety again!

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I had every intention of canning my pie pumpkins yesterday. I got up and made my coffee and toast, then turned on YouTube on the TV to search for videos about canning pumpkin. I came across a channel called the Homesteading Family. They have lots of how-to videos. As I watched, I learned some things I didn’t know about pumpkins.

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Those big pumpkins you buy to carve and decorate with really aren’t the best for baking and cooking. They aren’t very sweet and they are pretty stringy. I’ve tried making pies with them in the past and was always disappointed in the finished product. They were fairly flavorless and had little of that rich pumpkin color you see in the canned pumpkin you buy in the store. 

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I finally discovered pie pumpkins a couple of years ago. Actually, the first “pie pumpkin” I ever bought was at a Farmer’s Market in Aspen. It was about eighteen inches in diameter but only about five inches high and was a deep, burnished red-orange color. The flesh was also a deep orange and slightly sweet. It was an heirloom variety they called a “French Pie Pumpkin” and I’ve never seen another one like it. It made the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had and I’m determined to find seed for next year.

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Upon Googling “French Pie Pumpkins”, I came across a photo with my pumpkin! This is what it says about them:

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ROUGE VIF D'ETAMPES PUMPKIN

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These bright orange-red pumpkins are known as \"Rouge Vif d'Etampes.\" The name comes from the meaning “rouge vif” which in French is “vivid red.” Also known as “Cinderella” pumpkins, they are slightly sweet and make a great ingredient for pumpkin pie. The variety dates back to the late 1800’s, when they were the most common pumpkins in the Central Market in Paris.

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But, that is for another time. I currently have five round pie pumpkins that are commonly referred to as Sugar Pie Pumpkins. I learned in the video that pumpkins need to cure for a while before you cook with them. They should be stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight for a few weeks. This allows the skin to harden and the flesh to develop the maximum amount of sugars and reduce stringiness.

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So, the pumpkins are going down in the basement till early November and I can turn my attention elsewhere. Unfortunately, both yesterday and today were/are tied up with errands in town. Mr. FixIt and I went to one of my favorite farm stores yesterday. Rural King sells everything you could possibly need for a homestead and I love browsing the aisles to see what they have. At this time of year, they not only have pallets of decorating pumpkins out front, but they also have huge bins of apples, onions, and potatoes for sale inside. 

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I bought four bags of apples yesterday to make apple pie filling for canning. Another thing I learned about through YouTube was a product called ClearGel. Not to be confused with SureJel, ClearGel is a thickener used for desserts and pie fillings and produces a translucent filling that isn’t gummy. It’s loose enough to allow the heat to penetrate the filling in the jar in order to safely preserve the contents. I had to order it through mail order and it’s supposed to arrive tomorrow, then I can proceed.

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In the meantime, I’ll continue gathering what we need for our trip. I won’t know what to do with myself at the beach, what with nothing to can or preserve. I’m taking my knitting and do nothing but visit and knit and sit by the ocean!

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❤️

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“Make your light shine, so others will see the good you do and will praise your Father in heaven.”

\nMatthew 5:16 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-29T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/29/day-away-from-the-kitchenagain.html", "tags": ["Marriage","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/27/day-food-prep-made-easy.html", "title": "Day 193: Food Prep Made Easy", "content_html": "\n
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When I got up yesterday, I gathered everything to get started on the pumpkin when I remembered...I had all the ingredients in the fridge for some pre-beach food prep. Our spring trip to the beach was cancelled because of the lockdown and we chose our wedding anniversary as the substitute week. We’ve been watching the extended weather predictions as well as the Covid counts and it looks like we are likely to have smooth sailing on both counts in the middle of October. The cat is booked at the Kitty Hilton. We’ve cleared out the drain at the bottom of the stairwell out back so we aren’t likely to have problems with backed up water. Now it’s down to meal prep and packing.

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Sam’s carries these black plastic trays with clear lids that are about the size of a frozen entree. I used them a lot last fall when I was touring around in the raffle camper. They are the perfect size for two small portions or one large one so I bought a big pack of them the last time I shopped. These are the same containers I used in my Hot Logic Mini portable cooker. On my travel days, I put a frozen entree in the container, zipped it closed, and plugged it into the 12v “cigarette lighter” outlet (using an adapter) in my truck. By the time I arrived, I had a hot meal ready to eat with easy cleanup after. 

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Yesterday, I mixed up a triple batch of Bobby Flay’s Salisbury Steak and placed two portions with sauce in each container. I also made a batch of Italian Meatballs and froze them as well. I’ll make four pre-baked pizza crusts and freeze those a few days before we leave. And a good sized batch of homemade macaroni and cheese. I’ll also pack along a jar or two of the smoked pulled pork I canned for sandwiches. We have some family members meeting us there to stay in the “B” side of our condo. We will share meals out on the big deck as a safe way to visit without entering each other’s living space.

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Once I finished with all that, I didn’t have it in me to start canning the pumpkin. There isn’t a real hurry because the pumpkin won’t spoil. I thought we might get to go camping before we head to the beach, but last night convinced me otherwise. I had decided after such a busy week, I would treat myself to a night out in the camper. But the cool nights are bringing the stink bugs inside in a hurry. After jumping up and down a dozen times to snatch them up in a wad of tissue, I gave up and came back inside. I guess that’s it for camping in Big TOW-Wanda. 

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Today is the Lord’s Day...and time for a much needed rest. We are almost to the tail end of mowing season. That’s a reason to celebrate right there!

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❤️

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“You have six days when you can do your work, but the seventh day of each week is holy because it belongs to me. No matter where you live, you must rest on the Sabbath and come together for worship. This law will never change.”

\nLeviticus 23:3 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-27T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/27/day-food-prep-made-easy.html", "tags": ["Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/26/day-an-apple-a-day.html", "title": "Day 192: An Apple a Day", "content_html": "\n
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I knew this was going to be a busy week in the kitchen. I bought two bags of apples at the roadside stand earlier this week. I thought they were Braeburn apples, but turns out they were McIntosh. In all actuality, I’m glad of that because I love a tart applesauce and that was my main intent with this batch.

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I bought one of those little gadgets that peel, core, and slice your apples for you. You clamp it to the counter top, stick your apple on a rod with three prongs on the end to hold it in place, then turn a handle. As the apple moves nearer to the blade, the peel comes off in one long thin ribbon. It’s pretty neat, although it didn’t work quite as well as the one I used to have in my Colorado kitchen. Either they are making them cheaper or the apples themselves weren’t firm enough. I ended up not using the corer or slicer function preferring to quarter and trim the apples by hand with my favorite paring knife.

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As I finished each apple, I placed them in a bowl of water with lemon juice added to keep them from turning brown. I placed about 3 cups of apples in my food processor with the steel blade and added about a half cup of water. I processed this to a soft consistency and added it to my large 23 quart canner...the only pan I had big enough to hold all the apples. After draining the apple slices, I added them to the canner along with 1c. of granulated sugar and 3T. of lemon juice. You need that extra acidity to safely preserve the applesauce in a water bath canner.

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I cooked the apples till they started getting soft and then used a potato masher to break down the apples into sauce. I wasn’t quite getting the consistency I wanted, so I used my immersion blender to further break down the apples. I like my applesauce to have some small chunks in it so it looks homemade and not like something out of a baby food jar.

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I filled my hot jars with the hot applesauce, leaving a one-half inch headspace, wiped the rim, then placed the lid and ring to just past finger tight. My water bath canner holds eight pints. Once they came to a boil, I started the timer and processed them for 20 minutes. When the time was up, I turned off the heat and removed the lid of the canner and let the jars rest for about 5-10 minutes before I removed them from the water and placed them on a clean towel to cool.

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I had a little over a pint of applesauce left and I didn’t want to run the canner again for one jar. So, I added a little brown sugar, apple pie spice, and butter then cooked it down till it was getting pretty thick. I had a half recipe of pie dough left in the fridge from the tomato pie earlier in the week so I rolled it out, placed the sweetened applesauce in the middle and drew the edges of the crust up and over to form a simple galette. I baked it till golden brown at 375 degrees...about 40 minutes or so.

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My memories of apples involves my grandma again. She had borrowed a large copper kettle and made a huge batch of apple butter one fall. I was very young and somehow my memory has us making it in the back yard over a fire, but I would not swear to that. I do know she used a big bag of cinnamon red hot candies in it for color and flavor, but they didn’t take into account the sugar content of the candy and it came out awfully sweet. Still, nothing ever went to waste on the farm and it was eaten with delight...most often by the spoonful right out of the jar.

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As I labeled the grape jam from Thursday and the applesauce yesterday, I marveled at how beautiful the jars are...all lined up on our dining room table. We have shelves in the basement and all this work is going to be gorgeous once the jars are cleaned and lined up for winter storage. I have my ear to the ground...looking for an attractive primitive wooden cabinet for the dining room to store all these extra appliances I have accumulated over the last few months. I hate storing them downstairs because I use them fairly often. I prefer to have them a few steps away from the kitchen when I need them.

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When all was done, Mr. FixIt and I drove to town, picked up a sandwich for supper, and ate it sitting on the tailgate of my pickup as we watched some locals fishing from the bank of the Little Kanawha River. It was a beautiful, productive day. 

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Today...I need to make Salisbury steaks and Italian meatballs for the freezer and work on the pie pumpkins. Another busy day ahead!

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❤️

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“Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.”

\nColossians 2:16 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-26T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/26/day-an-apple-a-day.html", "tags": ["Gratitude","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/25/day-grandmas-grape-arbor.html", "title": "Day 191: Grandma’s Grape Arbor", "content_html": "\n
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I still remember the sour sweat of a hot, late summer day when I was around ten years old. My cousins and I had been playing up the hill on “Tea Table Rock”...a stone outcropping about forty feet up the hillside across the creek from Grandma’s house. We laid out soft, damp moss for tablecloths and served “tea” in our little cups made from acorn caps. It kept us busy for hours and our sole purpose was to stay outside and play as long as possible. 

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We were afraid if we went inside to get something to eat, Grandma might corral us into some chore or another or...God forbid...she might make us wash up. So, instead of heading into the house to eat, we snuck down to Grandma’s truck garden tucked in a small triangular space bordered by the creek, the hill, and the road. She grew an awful lot of food in that little space. We probably grabbed a tomato or two, and maybe some carrots...I don’t remember. What I DO remember is dessert!

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We crawled under the sheltering canopy of leaves covering the grape arbor. Located right on the creek bank, the coolness of the shade was nearly shocking to our sunburned skin. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, all we needed to do was reach up and grab handfuls of the Concord grapes that Grandma made the best grape jelly from. I loved those grapes...warmed by the sun. 

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There was a trick to eating them. You popped the grape in your mouth, slipped the innards out with your tongue for a quick burst of sweet juice, swallowed that part down so you didn’t have to spit out the seeds, then pressed the skin of the grape to the roof of your mouth and sucked hard. What you got was an amazing blast of sour grape. When it was gone, you spit out the skin. Heaven!

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When I went to the roadside produce stand earlier this week, they had quarts of Concord grapes. I smelled them before I saw them...that familiar heady aroma took me right back to those youthful days of looting Grandma’s grape vine. I pulled out my phone for a grape jam recipe to figure out how many to buy. Three-and-a-half pounds of luscious goodness went into my buggy. I added four big sweet yellow onions, five pie pumpkins, a flat of tomatoes, and ten pounds of Braeburn apples for a grand total of $55! Not a bad haul.

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I finished the salsa on Wednesday so I started on the grapes yesterday morning. I knew they were going to be labor intensive because I had in mind a certain way I wanted to make my jam. After washing the grapes, I stood and painstakingly slipped the skins off of each one...dropping the pulp with the seed in a large saucepan and the skins in the bowl of my food processor. I gathered all my canning tools, set the lids and rings on the heat in a medium saucepan to simmer and the jars in the water bath canner to sterilize set on high heat.

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I simmered the pulpy centers of the grapes till they were soft and the seeds could be easily removed. Then I puréed the skins, added them to the grape pulp and mashed away with a potato masher then set it all aside. Once the pulp was cooled, I pressed the whole thing through a sieve by hand to remove the seeds and any wayward stems that might have fallen in. I threw away the seeds and the dried pulpy bits that wouldn’t go through the sieve then ran the whole thing through the sieve one more time.

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I was left with a deep purple sludge the consistency of a melted milkshake that smelled of grapes and sunshine. I had almost enough to to make two batches of jam so I added about a half a cup of bottled unsweetened Concord grape juice to make up the difference. I made two batches of jam in the Ball TechFresh Jam & Jelly Maker that I told you about the other day. I’m still tweaking the recipes a little because it has a tendency to make the end product a little too thick for my taste. I ended up with eight jars of the best grape jam I think I’ve ever had. Still, no comparison to Grandma’s grape jelly, but a good close second.

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Today, I tackle the apples!

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❤️

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“And when you pick your grapes, go over the vines only once, then let the poor have what is left.”

\nDeuteronomy 24:21 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-25T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/25/day-grandmas-grape-arbor.html", "tags": ["Fun","West Virginia","Memories","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/24/day-playing-with-fire.html", "title": "Day 190: Playing with Fire", "content_html": "\n
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When I lived in Colorado, you knew fall was here when the roadside stands set up for fire-roasting green chiles. It was like any roadside stand you might see selling tomatoes and corn back east or in the south. But there, a gas fired chile roaster was set up. It looks something like a great big Bingo basket that gets rotated over a flame and slowly roasts the chiles till the skins are blackened and blistered. Then, the hot chiles were weighed out and packaged in plastic bags. All you had to do was grab a bag and take them home, clean the blackened skin and either cook with the chiles right then, or put them in freezer bags and freeze for use during the winter. 

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Any self respecting western cook had at least a few bags of fire-roasted green chiles in the freezer. I like to use them to make Pork Green Chile...a delightful change of pace from the traditional red chili with beef and beans. I also love green chiles in scrambled eggs or quiche. I’ve even seen them added to apple pie, although I have to admit I’ve never tried that...yet!

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One of the items a roadside chile stand sells is wreaths or ristras...long strands of red chiles that dry as you use them for winter decor. Sort of like putting out Indian corn or wreaths of dried leaves. You might also find jars of salsa with varying degrees of heat or perhaps red or green pepper jelly. I love a soft goat cheese on crackers with hot pepper jelly as an appetizer accompanied by smoked almonds and fresh figs or apples. That makes for a lovely treat on a crisp fall afternoon.

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One of my fondest memories of Colorado was when Daughter #2 was little. One of my best friends was Barbara, the wife of one of the surgeons in town. Her baby was about ten months younger than mine and we used to get together often to let the children play while we worked on cross-stitch projects. One fall day, we decided to can salsa. We went to the farmers market and bought our supplies and spent all day chopping and cooking and making the best salsa ever.

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I haven’t made salsa in ages...probably over twenty years. The other day Mr. FixIt asked if we could make some. I didn’t have enough of our own tomatoes so I bought a ten pound flat and some nice yellow onions at a roadside stand on Monday. Then I bought two kinds of peppers, garlic, and cilantro at the store and prepared to have another busy week preserving.

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There were several steps leading up to actually making the salsa and the first thing I wanted to do was fire-roast my peppers. I bought a couple of jalapeños for the salsa and picked up some beautiful Poblano chiles to make Chile Rellenos. I have never roasted peppers myself so I Googled how to do it. I know you can roast them over any open flame so a propane grill works fine. You can hold them over a fire and roast them like a marshmallow, but I wasn’t interested in starting a fire. I opted for roasting them over a burner on our stove since it’s gas and it worked great!

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The grates on our stove are sturdy and aren’t spaced too far apart so they work perfectly. All I had to do was turn the flame on high and lay the pepper on the grate. It snaps and crackles as the hard membrane on the skin blisters and blackens. It only takes two or three minutes to properly roast a pepper. Poblanos are a rather large, flat pepper with a fairly mild flavor although they can vary and sometimes you’ll get a surprise when they pack some significant heat. But in general, they are mild and make the best Chile Rellenos. I’m making some to freeze and take with us to the beach. 

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Mr. FixIt likes his salsa very mild with pineapple in it. I like mine to pack a punch. Therefore, I divided the tomatoes and made half his way and half mine. I used a simple recipe I found on the Ball website. This particular recipe uses one of their electric Auto Canners, which I don’t have. I followed the directions except I processed the filled jars in a water bath for 15 minutes. I added some chile powder to both batches. I added crushed pineapple to Mr. FixIt’s and just a quarter of one jalapeño for flavor. It was sweet and flavorful...just the way he likes it. I added a little extra salt to mine, added the rest of the jalapeño plus another full one, and...just before I ladled it into the jars, I adjusted the heat by adding some more Tabasco and cayenne powder. Now mine has a nice kick to it without being overpoweringly hot. You can find the recipe HERE. 

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I finished with twenty half-pints of salsa...ten of each variety. These will be so nice to have for dipping with corn chips or for topping those Chile Rellenos or any number of other Mexican dishes we enjoy. Mr. FixIt was gone all afternoon so I had the house to myself, working happily in the kitchen as I listened to old-time bluegrass by the Stanley Brothers.

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It’s FALL y’all...and I’m in my element!

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❤️

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“Work hard, and you will have a lot of food; waste time, and you will have a lot of trouble.”

\nProverbs 28:19 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-24T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/24/day-playing-with-fire.html", "tags": ["Fun","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/23/day-im-makin-waffles.html", "title": "Day 189: “I’m Makin’ Waffles!”", "content_html": "\n
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In April 2001, a brand new movie came out that kids everywhere loved. Shrek was a green skinned troll with questionable social skills who paired up with a delightful donkey named...Donkey. They lived in the swamp and met up with Princess Fiona...a girl troll. It was fun and funny. Daughter #2 and I watched it a lot! She was eleven years old at the time...one of our fondest memories.

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Donkey wants a sleepover and he declares he’s getting up the next morning and making waffles!!! Ahhhhh....waffles. That was a very special treat at our house reserved for the occasional Saturday morning. We had a rather large waffle iron and the batter invariably stuck to the plates of the iron no matter how much you oiled them. But when they did come out well, they were decadent. The butter pooled in the little wells of the waffle, soon to fight for its place when the syrup was poured on.

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I had a nice waffle iron at one point. And it may be one of the things I saved to use in TOW-Wanda when I traveled. But I haven’t see it in ages so I started looking for one. People must not be making waffles like they used to because I couldn’t find a regular waffle iron anywhere. I did find a few Belgian varieties, but that’s not what I wanted.

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I’ve been in every store in town over the last few weeks just popping my head into the kitchen department and they were either out of stock or never carried them. I know God loves for us to come to him with even the most mundane requests so I asked Him to direct me to a waffle iron. And not just any old iron either. I wanted the big square one that made four smaller square waffles. And, wouldn’t it be wonderful if it was multipurpose like these new ones are now? Where you can open it up, lay it flat and turned the metal plates over to the smooth side to use as a griddle? That, please.

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Every time I go to town, I check someplace else. Then yesterday, I was driving down the main drag of town when I just “felt” that waffle iron was nearby. I looked to my right and there was Goodwill. Masked up and phone in hand, I wandered in. I looked up and down the aisles and was not finding any kitchen items. Then, I got the nudge. “Look there!” And there she was! Exactly what I wanted. It even has the accompanying booklets to go with it!

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I took my treasure to the front to pay and the clerk asked if I qualified for the “Senior Discount”. Part of me wanted to bristle up in indignation. The other part say, heck yeah...bring it on!

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“That’ll be $2.89, please.”

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Are you kidding me??? I was nearly giddy with the experience!

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So that’s the story of the $2.89 waffle maker. 

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Guess what WE had for supper?

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“I’m makin’ WAFFLES!”

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❤️

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“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

\nPhilippians 4:19 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-23T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/23/day-im-makin-waffles.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Downsizing","Baking","Memories","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/18/day-ohhhhhtomato-pie.html", "title": "Day 184: Ohhhhh...Tomato Pie!", "content_html": "\n
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When Mr. FixIt and I were visiting the Outer Banks for our anniversary, we stopped in a seafood shop to check out what the local waters were offering. Among the many delicious varieties available was a seemingly out of place item...Tomato Pie. I asked about it and they said it was a southern thing and very tasty, however...the price was outrageous and you couldn’t buy just one piece. You had to buy the whole pie. I could only think of one thing...what if we didn’t like it? I would hate to throw all that food away. So, I vowed to try making it myself when my own tomatoes were ready.

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Over the weekend, we noticed the garden was heavily dotted with the bright red of ripe tomatoes. Yesterday was the first chance I’ve had to stay at home and play around in the kitchen. The first thing I did was check on my brined pickles. I hate to report they were a huge flop. I don’t know what happened. Maybe they were overripe. Maybe my brine wasn’t the right concentration. Maybe my jars weren’t sterilized. I don’t know. They were soggy and some were downright slimy. And there was mold on the surface. I wasn’t about to taste them. I just dumped them out and washed and sterilized the jars. That’s not bad...one failure in all the things I’ve cooked and canned during covid. It was disappointing, though.

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Once I had that mess cleaned up, I went out and picked a bucket of tomatoes. Not all of them were ripe but I hate leaving them out there for the critters to eat. I line up the ripe ones on the counter and windowsill till they turn red. I had about eight or ten medium tomatoes ready to do something with. I scalded, peeled, and cored them and gently pressed out the majority of the seeds. Then I put them in my new food processor with the steel blade and processed them till they were smooth.

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I put the tomato purée in a saucepan and simmered it till it was reduced by about a third and was the consistency of spaghetti sauce. I seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, paprika, and a pinch of cayenne and set it aside. I made some pie crust in the food processor and rolled out half. The other half went in the fridge to make something with today. I lined a 10” pie plate and set that aside. Then I made a roux. Are you familiar with that? You melt butter and stir in flour over a low heat. You keep stirring till the roux gets a nice golden brown, then you add the tomato sauce that has been cooling. Once the two were combined, I turned off the heat and browned some chopped up bacon till it was crispy. I drained it well on paper towels and sprinkled it in the bottom of the pie crust. Then I added a handful or two of grated mozzarella cheese. 

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I put the cooled tomato sauce back in the food processor on low and added four extra large eggs, one at a time till they were fully incorporated. I preheated the oven to 375 degrees, lined a baking sheet with foil and set the pie plate on it, poured the tomato/egg mixture into the pie shell, sprinkled another small handful of grated mozzarella on top, and popped it in the oven. I baked it for 50 minutes...watching it the last ten minutes or so to make sure it didn’t burn.

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We let the Tomato Pie cool a bit while we cleaned up then sat down to try it out. I have seen a dozen different recipes for Tomato Pie and it runs the gamut from nothing more than thickly sliced tomatoes baked in layers with grated cheese to a two crust version that looked kind of loose and runny. I wanted mine to look more like the one I saw in North Carolina...more like a quiche. And that’s exactly what this one looked like. And....oh, my! The flavor!!! It tasted like eating a big plate of spaghetti without the heaviness of all that pasta. I made a pie crust recipe that used butter only so the crust was very tender and flaky. It was fabulous, if I do say so myself. And Mr. FixIt loved it!

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We were in such a hurry to eat, we didn’t have anything with the Tomato Pie...but it would have been lovely with a nice green salad and a glass of wine if you choose. A luscious end of summer treat made extra special with our own tomatoes. You know me...I don’t really cook with recipes so writing it like this is the best I can do and you should be able to duplicate it in your own kitchen. If you try it, let me know how it tasted!

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It’s “Feel Good Friday” and cooking up something yummy in the kitchen on the Ponderosa makes me feel really good!

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❤️

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“Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.”

\nGenesis 9:3 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-18T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/18/day-ohhhhhtomato-pie.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/13/day-a-lazy-saturday-at.html", "title": "Day 179: A Lazy Saturday at the Ponderosa", "content_html": "\n
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I wish I would have kept track on my calendar how many nights I’ve slept in the camper this year. Not getting to have a real camping trip this year was one of the many changes Covid brought into our world. Not of the most importance, mind you...but something Mr. FixIt and I both love to do. So the next best thing was spending as many nights in the camper as I/we can. Sometimes Mr. FixIt joins me. But, sometimes we’ve worked too hard and the change from one mattress to another is hard on his back. So, occasionally, I stay out there alone. 

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Friday night was one such night. We worked so hard at the farm earlier that day, and we knew it was not going to be a restful night with all the tossing and turning and groaning with every movement. We both slept like logs and awoke feeling refreshed yesterday morning. Over coffee, I told Mr. FixIt what my plans were for the day.

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Absolutely nothing.

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I know, right? I took the day off! I read and relaxed and talked to some of my people on the phone. I did run the dishwasher. And, I baked an Apple Upside Down Cake. You make it exactly like the traditional one, only substitute apples for the pineapple. To be honest, I think I liked it better. I baked it in my trusty Griswold iron skillet. I love that thing...you can cook anything in it.

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I did some research online yesterday. We had a friend come by on Friday to show us her new car. As we stood talking, something fell from the sky and landed on the hood of her car. She jumped a little and said, “Did you see that? What is that thing?” I looked closely and it looked for all the world like a little ball of dirt. There were no trees overhead, so...where did it come from?

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Then, yesterday morning, there were several of them on the roof and hood of my truck. This was really becoming a mystery!

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I did what I always do...I asked my Facebook friends if there were any science geeks out there who might have a clue. I heard everything from alien eggs to caterpillar poop. Then a friend sent me a link to a story about these mysterious bits of clay falling from the sky. There was a story out of Wales. And another out of Georgia. After digging around on the internet and reading story after story, I finally found the answer.

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Yellowjackets!

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Unlike wasps and hornets, yellowjackets nest underground and all that dirt has to go somewhere. As the bees excavate underground, they make a wad of dirt and saliva, carry it up out of the nest, and drop it in flight. That’s where the little balls of dirt come from. Now the job is to find out where the nasty little buggers are making that nest. The article said wherever you find these little balls of dirt, there is more than likely a busy yellowjacket nest within fifty feet. There is a spot off the side of the driveway that seems to interest the cat and she sometimes jumps and dives around it. I’ll have to carefully observe then see if we can eradicate it. Yellowjackets are nasty, aggressive critters.

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Taking a day off is good for the spirit. I think I’ll take another one off today!

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❤️

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“But so many people were coming and going that Jesus and the apostles did not even have a chance to eat. Then Jesus said, “Let's go to a place where we can be alone and get some rest.””

\nMark 6:31 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-13T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/13/day-a-lazy-saturday-at.html", "tags": ["Farm Life","Baking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/11/day-breaking-a-record-in.html", "title": "Day 177: Breaking a Record in Canning", "content_html": "\n
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It has been humid the last couple of days. Add all the pots of boiling water in the kitchen from canning and this last batch of Romas in the dehydrator are taking longer than usual to dry. I don’t have any real canning projects to do today, so the humidity in the kitchen should drop significantly. Maybe then the last tray of tomatoes will finally dry.

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I made two batches of plum jam and a batch of grape jelly yesterday. I also made my sourdough loaves and put them in the fridge to rise overnight. I’ll bake them first thing this morning and get the oven off before the heat of the day. I’ve now broken my official record for number of jars canned. I’ve done around 110, if you count what I’ve already given away. Everything is still sitting on the kitchen table. I have plenty of jars left, but I’m running low on lids. I have four boxes of wide mouth lids, but only regular mouth jars, so that doesn’t help me. Maybe I can find someone who would like to trade some with me.

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The former Mrs. FixIt came out last night and we sat on the deck, chatting about canning and great recipes. A friend of hers told her about eating fried cucumbers. I’ve never heard of such a thing, and neither had she. But she tried them and said they were great! She also mentioned a recipe she learned from an old Amish woman where she used to work. It’s called “Freezer Slaw” and she says it’s delicious. If I get the recipe and try it, I’ll let you know.

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I have a head of cabbage I was going to make another jar of sauerkraut from, but then I used the jars for dill pickles. Now I think I’ll make what my mom called “piccalilly”. I’ve also heard it called “Chow Chow” or “End-of-the-Garden Relish”. It’s usually made before the first frost so your green tomatoes don’t go to waste. It is essentially shredded and chopped veggies like red and green bell peppers, onions, green tomatoes, and cabbage with mustard seed, bay leaf, black peppercorns and turmeric mixed with sugar and vinegar. My mom would sit at grandma’s table and eat a whole jar of it with a spoon...it was that good. 

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That will have to wait till next week. After the bread comes out of the oven this morning, we need to load up the utility trailer again and head to the farm to mow before the weekend rains. Saturday is our high school class picnic. We are being extra careful with Covid now, but we can socially distance and visit a little while. 

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Mr. FixIt and I both had our flu shots last week, and he had his second pneumonia vaccine...Prevnar. I’ve already had both of mine. I think it is very important to be as healthy as we can be as we ride out the next few months in this pandemic. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been so busy canning and preserving food for the pantry. Good healthy nutrition, social distancing/masks/hygiene, vitamins, plenty of fluids and whatever supplements we feel we may need to maintain good health will be our way of getting through the winter. I’m making a list of indoor projects I’d like to accomplish and I have plenty of sock yarn to work with. I think I’ll get some cotton “Sugar ‘n Cream” yarn to knit dishcloths with as well. 

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We have one trip planned to our condo at the beach. Weather will have the final word whether we go, as well as the Covid infection rate locally. We think since it’s in the middle of October, we’ll be much safer than during peak tourist season. We’ll see how we feel when we get closer to the date.

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Speaking of dates...it’s been nineteen years since the towers came down. I will never, ever forget that day...what I was doing, who I was with, how it felt. Our country pulled together for the greater good in the aftermath of 9/11. I pray we can find that common ground today.

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If 2020 has taught me anything, it’s that God laughs at our attempts to make plans. So, I’ve discovered my new word for the year...even this late in the game.

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Flexibility.

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❤️

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“I know what it is to be poor or to have plenty, and I have lived under all kinds of conditions. I know what it means to be full or to be hungry, to have too much or too little. Christ gives me the strength to face anything. It was good of you to help me when I was having such a hard time.”

\nPhilippians 4:12-14 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-11T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/11/day-breaking-a-record-in.html", "tags": ["West Virginia","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/10/day-beans-tomatoes-picklesyummm.html", "title": "Day 176: Beans \u0026 Tomatoes \u0026 Pickles...YUMMM!!!", "content_html": "\n
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Ok, yesterday was a marathon day in the kitchen here at the Ponderosa. I started out by packaging up the dehydrated mushrooms then rummaging through the garden to get a few more Roma tomatoes. I set what was ready in the dehydrator and turned my attention to the green beans.

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I had enough of the beans cleaned yesterday to set a canner on to process. Then, Mr. FixIt and I enjoyed rocking in the recliners, watching old Frazier reruns while I finished stringing and snapping the last of the beans between canner loads.

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I learned something yesterday. I should have weighed the beans, because apparently I had a LOT more than I thought. According to the weights and measures scale for produce, a bushel of snap beans should weigh between twenty-eight and thirty-two pounds. This should result in a quart of processed beans for every one-and-a-half to two pounds of raw produce. Initially, I figured I would get two canners full with enough leftover beans to cook up a mess for supper. (\"Mess is Appalachian for a batch...a dinner's worth with leftovers.)

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I ended up with four canners full! That's twenty-eight quarts. I did my math and I payed just over a dollar a quart for these babies. AND I got the fun and satisfaction of putting them up for winter. I know, I know...this is nothing compared to what my cousins can every year. They put up hundreds of jars of food. I'm a little limited by supplies this year as I was sort of starting from scratch in the canning department. I'll get more jars and lids next spring.

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When the last canner was filled and on the stove, I got out my fermenting equipment and got two quarts of dill pickles started. They will sit for one to three weeks in the brine till they get to my desired taste. I made one quart with hot red pepper flakes for a little extra pizazz. I would normally use dried whole red peppers from the spice aisle but Walmart didn't have them.

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And that was the end of my day. I was tired...but it was a good kind of tired. My hands smell like garlic and they're soft from working with wet beans for two days. My hips are sore from sitting so much. But, ohhhhh.....those beautiful jars of bottled summer take my breath away when I look at them!

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It was not till I was typing this last night to post this morning that I noticed the date. Today would have been Mr. Virgo's 70th birthday! It feels so unreal. He will always and forever be 62...a number I passed five years ago. I can't even imagine him at 70. He would have reluctantly retired. He had no hobbies other than golf and me. I never, EVER would have considered taking off in the camper by myself and having adventures without him. He told me when we were first dating that if I was the kind of woman who was going to leave him alone for long stretches of time, he wasn't interested. I had been in a two decade marriage with a workaholic who had dinner between 8:00-10:00 every night. I was ready for that one-on-one attention.

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Don't get me wrong...I absolutely adore Mr. FixIt and I treasure every moment we have together. AND, I learned I need some space to recharge from time to time...for my own mental health as well as the comfort of my spouse. Different people. Different marriages. Different expectations. Still...I think of that silver-haired man and smile now.

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Seventy.

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Wow.

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Happy Heavenly Birthday, Mr. Virgo!

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❤

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Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

\nColossians 3:23 ESV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-10T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/10/day-beans-tomatoes-picklesyummm.html", "tags": ["Positive Energy","West Virginia","Gratitude","Wisdom","Aging","Peaceful Moments","Be Joyful!","Farm Life","Widow","Memories","Marriage","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/09/09/day-learning-in-the-garden.html", "title": "Day 175: Learning in the Garden", "content_html": "\n
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I walked by the garden the other day and I noticed a few nibbled off branches on one of my tomato plants. My first thought was...the deer have been in here and snacking on my garden! At the same time, a distant memory swam around right under the surface and I knew there was something familiar about this particular scenario. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it. 

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As you’ve seen in my posts of the the last few weeks, things have really been busy here on the Ponderosa. Between mowing, gardening, harvesting, canning, and baking bread, I’ve had little time to spend perusing the plants in our little tomato patch. As I pulled the wagon full of produce and groceries from the truck to the house yesterday, I looked over and now my tallest tomato plant was noting but sticks at the top. Now, I know deer can stand up on their hind legs to reach fruit in trees, but I couldn’t see that happening in the middle of a tomato patch without other plants being damaged. That’s when it hit me....that memory of a scourge in a garden decades ago in Colorado.

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The tomato hornworm!

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As soon as I emptied the wagon, I went out the the garden to look for the nasty beasts! And...there they were. Now, here is where it would have behooved me to do a Google search and learn something about this infestation before I made an unfortunate mistake. When I saw the worms with the white egg like sacs on their backs, I assumed they were eggs. I immediately plucked the stem with the offending monster and mashed it...”eggs” and all.

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Enter YouTube. Come to find out, that was what is called a parasitized tomato hornworm. There is a small wasp that lays it’s eggs on the caterpillar. They hatch and become larvae and burrow down into the hornworm...killing it. The trick is to find the hornworms, cut them in half with an old pair of scissors, and be done with them. Then, when you find one with the wasp eggs on it, you carefully snip off the leaf it is currently chowing down on and transfer it to a “sacrificial tomato plant”...one that maybe isn’t growing so well or producing very much. Essentially just giving it something else to eat till the wasp eggs hatch and the larvae kill it naturally. You actually want more of those wasps in nature. Unfortunately...I learned this too late for two hornworms, but now I know better.

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I told you yesterday I was going on the prowl for half runner beans and I found them. They are more expensive than stringless green beans because they are labor intensive to produce. The plants are a cross between a bush and a pole variety so they do grow vines. You have to put up stakes down the rows, then two or three times during the growing season, you string twine across from stake to stake and give the vines something to grow on. Half runners produce longer than bush beans and, according to my grandma, they make the best eating beans. 

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We here in West Virginia cook our green beans to death. A country cook would think you were absolutely crazy to serve a green bean “al dente”. No, you clean your beans, remove the strings, snap them in two to three pieces into a good sized pot, add water and a little bacon or salt pork, some cut up onion, a little salt and black pepper and set it on the back burner to simmer on very low heat all afternoon. You have to watch and add water when necessary because there is no saving a pot of scorched green beans.

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After I had the dehydrator loaded with more sliced mushrooms, I gathered my tools and sat down in my recliner to string beans and watch old Frazier reruns with Mr. FixIt. It took me about three to four hours to do the first half of the bushel. I put the cleaned ones, and the remaining beans in the garage fridge to sit overnight and will get back to them today. I place wet hand towels over top of the bean to keep them fresh and moist. Once I finish, I can pack my jars, load my canner, and process them. 

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My canner holds seven quarts which takes about 14 pounds of beans. So, fourteen quarts will take about twenty-eight pounds and take two rounds with the canner. A bushel weighs about thirty pounds, so I will get fourteen quarts plus enough to cook for supper this evening. Each canner load only processes twenty-five minutes in the pressure canner at our altitude here on the Ponderosa...650 feet elevation, however adding the ten minute boil out time to time building up and reducing pressure naturally...you have at least an hour and a half or two hours per load.

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This may seem like an awful lot of work when you can buy a can of green beans for less than a dollar. I can guarantee you, if you haven’t eaten home canned green beans, you don’t know what you’re missing. Sure, home canning is work...sometimes long, hard, hot work. However, inside each sparkling jar of lovingly prepared food is a little slice of summer. It’s not just the food in the jar...it’s what’s NOT in the jar. No preservatives or chemicals....just love and memories and sunshine.

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❤️

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“Don't let anyone tell you what you must eat or drink. Don't let them say you must celebrate the New Moon festival, the Sabbath, or any other festival.”

\nColossians 2:16 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-09-09T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/09/09/day-learning-in-the-garden.html", "tags": ["Fun","West Virginia","Farm Life","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2020/08/30/day-oh-happy-daythe-drain.html", "title": "Day 165: Oh, Happy Day...the Drain Works!", "content_html": "\n
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I took yesterday off! I told the boss-man I was NOT working all day and he thought that was a fine idea. It’s a good thing, because I had another near sleepless night Friday. We had thunderstorms come through periodically all day Friday and into the night. Mr. FixIt was worried about the storm drain we cleared out with the snake this week, so he set his alarm to go off at 2:00, 3:30, and 5:00. First...I probably fell asleep about 1:30, so that was the end of sleep for me. Second, it hardy rained at all overnight so it was overkill. But, like he says...better to be safe than sorry. 

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The only thing I did yesterday that was “work related” was take the new gizmo I bought, hook it up to the hose, and run water down the storm drain for twenty minutes or so. The Drain King works kind of like a balloon angioplasty where a balloon in streamed into a vein (like a pipe) and it is inflated to open the vein. The only difference here is, the ballon makes a seal in the drain, then the water is shot out under pressure down the pipe and blasts out the clog. Voila!

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I threaded the Drain King down the storm pipe and turned on the water and then walked down to the creek to see if it was working. As you can see, there is water running through the ditch we dug out this week down at the creek. It works, it works! Now, maybe we won’t be such slaves to the whims of the rain gods and we can go camping when the tomatoes are finished!

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We went to town for supper last night and stopped at Walmart. I bought myself a kitchen toy. I’ve been wanting one of these Ball FreshTECH Jam and Jelly Makers. I’ve made jams and jellies for years and there’s always a time when I get distracted and scorch the fruit because it doesn’t get stirred like it’s supposed to. Or, I forget to set my timer and either the jam is too loose or too stiff. This little gadget takes the guesswork out of the whole process. You put your ingredients in, turn it on, and it stirs, cooks, and times the process for you. I am always multitasking when I am in the kitchen, so we’ll see how it works in the next couple of weeks.

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It was a relaxing and stress free day. I think I’ll do a repeat today. Except...I’m going to make lasagna with the rest of the sauce I made Friday. Have a happy day!

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❤️

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“But those who trust the Lord will find new strength. They will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings; they will walk and run without getting tired.”

\nIsaiah 40:31 CEV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2020-08-30T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2020/08/30/day-oh-happy-daythe-drain.html", "tags": ["Be Joyful!","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/14/remembering.html", "title": "Remembering", "content_html": "\n
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This was the \"offending\" picture I hung when I lived here two years ago. For some reason, my aunt didn't like it. While she said it was the content, I believe it was more the fact someone was in her space. She just wasn't ready for that. Now that I'm here on my own, I'm thinking of those great pieces I kept but now reside in Colorado waiting to be retrieved. This picture is one of them. I've always loved it and will get it back one of these days.

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I spent a good portion of the weekend working on the kitchen. I still have the lower cabinets to clean out then scrub the cabinets themselves. Then I can paint the walls and put in new countertops and that room will be done. The Formica is coming up off the old countertops and new ones aren't that expensive.

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I can't believe November is half over. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and there will be lots of visits with family and friends in the next couple of weeks. The holidays are fraught with emotional landmines. I hope you are gathering your support systems around you in preparation. Remember, self-care is not selfish!

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❤️

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“We love because he first loved us.”‭‭

\n1 John‬ ‭4:19‬ ‭NIV‬‬\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-11-14T02:30:57-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/14/remembering.html", "tags": ["Overcoming Obstacles","Farm Life","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/11/11/nesting.html", "title": "Nesting", "content_html": "\n
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I've put off really making this house look more like my \"home\" since I wasn't entirely sure my aunt wouldn't be coming back here to live. Although no one can read what the future holds with any certainty, it is likely she won't return here to live...just to visit, perhaps. Anyone who followed Marshmallow Ranch in October 2014 knows I came here originally to live in TOW-Wanda on the family farm to help my aunt who was living here alone. That arrangement lasted until I made the mistake of hanging a painting she didn't like in the dining room. That was the beginning of the end of my stay. Which was fine. She just wasn't ready to have someone here with her and I had other things that needed doing. Now that she is unable to live here alone, she is with her brother and I am the caretaker at the old homeplace.

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This is the home of my heart and even though it has taken me off the road for awhile, it is a welcome respite. And now I'm feeling free to make some changes that better reflect both my personal tastes and the character of the place. This cupboard has been in the family since I was about four years old. My mom and grandma took me to an auction down the road. I was young enough to be pulled in my little blue wagon. They bought me a hotdog for a nickel and I happily became addicted to auctions as I munched away, eyes as big as saucers with the activity. Grandma bought this cupboard for $5.00...an amount not easy to come by when you're pretty much living off the land. It was painted with several coats of white enamel paint. Being mechanically minded, I was curious when Pop-Pop started stripping it. He let me \"help\" and I can still remember how the paint wrinkled as I pushed it with the scraper I held in my chubby little-girl hands. I not only became addicted to auctions, I developed an instant adoration of anything old and the magic of bringing it back to life. There's only one thing out of the entire farm that I absolutely want as my own someday, and that is this cabinet. It holds so many beautiful memories for me.

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This piece gets moved from the kitchen to the dining room and back...with the whim of the occupants of this little red farmhouse. Yesterday, it got moved back into the kitchen \"where it belongs\". That's where it was when I was growing up. So it's back home. I used to hate the color Pop-Pop painted on the inside. It was undoubtedly a bit of leftover paint he had under his workbench, or perhaps something he picked up from a neighbor. It used to be this garish orange. Now it has darkened to a beautiful deep pumpkin color. Perfect for a country kitchen. I steam cleaned the floors and scooted it into place, leveling it with paint stir sticks. Soon I'll retrieve my dishes from my friend's basement and place my treasured antique crocks on the top of the cupboard.

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Step by step, my meditation of the mindfulness cleaning and decorating brings me is creating a safe haven for me. I'm creating a place of comfort for visitors to share a cup of tea and a word of friendship. A place where I can write. A place filled with love clear to the rafters. It feels really good in here.

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❤️

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“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”‭‭

\nColossians‬ ‭3:23-24‬ ‭NIV‬‬\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-11-11T02:30:29-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/11/11/nesting.html", "tags": ["The Farm","Farm Life","Memories","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/10/30/theyre-baaaaack.html", "title": "They're Baaaaack!", "content_html": "\n
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Asian beetles....not to be confused with the common lady bug. Lady bugs are sweet. They eat aphids. You see one on the rarest of occasions when it lights on your sleeve. You pick it up on your finger and hold it to the wind and make a wish when it flies away. Asian beetles? You walk into your house on the first really hot day after the first freeze and hundreds...HUNDREDS of them are on the Windows, the curtains, the floor. They're tap-tap-tapping on the ceiling. You vacuum them up only to have more an hour later. They stink if to smash them. They leave unremovable yellow spots on everything. Gross!

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Then, there was the invasion of the possums last night. I was eating dinner when I heard the familiar loud crunching in the cat dish. They simply do NOT have table manners! I've chased them off. I'd trap them if I thought I could stand to go near the trap afterwards. I think I would just catch one in the trap and then move to another state!

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The colors yesterday were absolutely amazing! The sun hit them just right and suddenly there are a lot of reds coming out. I went for a drive in the country and stopped at my favorite antique store. I bought a small section of a ladder from an apple orchard. I want to hang it from the ceiling and hang pots from it in the kitchen or herbs in the dining room. Or, I could prop it up against a wall and fold quilts over the rungs.

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Cold weather brings out the domestic goddess in me. I cooked a brisket in the crock pot yesterday that was killer. I served it with mashed red potatoes and the best Brussels sprouts. A baked apple topped it off for the perfect fall meal!

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Ginny's Brisket

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Rinse a medium sized brisket. Pat dry. Trim any extra fat on the bottom side. Sear both sides in a hot skillet. Place on cutting board and cut in large chunks. Place in crock pot. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder. Slice one large yellow onion and place the rings on top of the meat. Pour one bottle of Heinz Chili Sauce over all. Fill chili sauce bottle with water and shake then pour around the edge. Cover with lid and cook on high in your crock pot for at least 5 hours. Yummy!!!

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❤️

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“So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred.”‬‬

\n‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭24:10‬ ‭NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-10-30T01:30:39-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/10/30/theyre-baaaaack.html", "tags": ["Comfort","Farm Life","Baking","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/07/31/rhubarb.html", "title": "Rhubarb", "content_html": "\n
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My grandma always cooked rhubarb and served it as a sauce...sort of like applesauce. There was always a covered dish in the fridge with this sweet-tart, pale pink nectar of the gods. She had to swat me away from it or I would eat the whole thing.

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I used to cook up rhubarb when my father-in-law would bring us a mess of it. At dinner last night, my older daughter told us she often came home and there would be two buckets full of rhubarb on her porch and she knew Pop had been there.

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We celebrated my son-in-law's grandma's birthday last night. Since I'm not eating gluten, I didn't have cake. But I did splurge with a little vanilla ice cream with warmed strawberry-rhubarb sauce over it. Oh, that was heavenly...taking me back in time. The addition of strawberries gives just a little something extra to an already divine concoction. Grandma Lois turned 87 and she wanted me to share the recipe she used.

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Grandma Lois' Strawberry-Rhubarb

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This sauce is wonderful warm over ice cream. The family ate it over angel food cake last night although they are quite fond of serving it over warm biscuits. It's great as a side with roast pork. And...it's good straight out of the pan with a spoon. When I think of summer foods, I think of watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, corn on the cob, cucumbers and onions, and rhubarb. Once I have had those foods, it's really been summer.

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❤️

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“This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me: a basket of ripe fruit.”

\nAmos 8:1 NIV\n
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Photo Credit: sunnysidelocal.com

\n\n", "date_published": "2016-07-31T01:30:38-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/07/31/rhubarb.html", "tags": ["Family","Comfort","Farm Life","Memories","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/06/21/eat-colorfully.html", "title": "Eat Colorfully", "content_html": "\n
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Several of you have wondered what I'm doing to lose this weight. What's my secret? What am I doing to tighten up those abs or tone those arms? So, I'll do my best to give you an overview and make it as simple as possible, because face it....no one wants to follow a complicated diet and fitness program, right?

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Many years ago, I worked for an \"old school\" doctor who took me under his wing and taught me a lot. His diet was so simple.

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Seriously, if you do those things, you're just about guaranteed to lose weight. Then I met Trainer Paul in February and he gave me his dietary plan. It's great. I worked with it and this is pretty much what I do.

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First, I cut out gluten in the form of bread and pasta. I don't read labels to look for gluten because I don't buy stuff with labels. I don't eat out of a box or can if I can help it. No processed foods. I cut out sugar...period. And, I cut out diet sodas. I stopped all artificial sweeteners and use Stevia, a plant based sweetener.

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I eat a Greek yogurt with fresh berries, two tablespoons of gluten free granola and two of ground flax seeds for breakfast. Maybe twice a month I'll have a cheese omelet instead.

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For lunch, I have a salad with as many different veggies and fruits as I can get in it. For protein I'll either have chicken or quinoa or salmon on it. If I haven't had that omelet for a few days, I might have eggs and cheese in the salad. I use whatever salad dressing I like, on the side, and dip each bite in it for taste. You'd be surprised how little dressing you'll actually eat.

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I might grab fruit mid afternoon or maybe a little cheese. Watermelon has been my go to lately because it's been so hot out. I've been enjoying yellow rind muenster of late. Nice nutty flavor.

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For dinner, fish is my favorite. I try to only use wild caught but I'm not all that picky. I will not eat tilapia. I make a fabulous curried salmon...just ask Trainer Paul! I don't eat white potatoes but I do eat sweet potatoes. I also love quinoa, again for the protein and because you can dress it up with mushrooms, onions, etc. and get a really savory side dish. Spring had me eating a boatload of asparagus. I love summer and zucchini squash, green beans, caprese salad with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. Once or twice a month I have gluten free pasta with spaghetti sauce. I like grass fed bison and eat that in my sauce.

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I don't count calories. Period. I am acutely aware of what I eat and mentally keep track. You know when you're overdoing it. I don't weigh myself every day. Muscle weighs more than fat. While I weigh around 170, my muscle tone has me looking much more trim than I did the last time I weighed 150.

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I try to eat superfoods every day.

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I use real butter. Not a lot of it, but when I need butter, I use the real stuff.

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Sweet potatoes, fruit, or a square of dark chocolate satisfies my sweet tooth. I don't crave anything. Ever.

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I don't drink alcohol. I do have one non-alcohol beer or one glass of de-alcoholized wine just about every night. I drink a lot of water but still not enough I'm sure. I have nonfat milk in my latte when I buy one and I always drink half and half in my coffee. I drink Spark from Advocare or Powerade Zero when I play hard outside in the heat.

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The word \"exercise\" is seldom in my vocabulary. I go outside and play as often as I can. I really like to walk and climb stairs. I love to ride my bike long distances. And I REALLY love paddling my kayak! I like to play pickleball but haven't this year. I try to use my resistance bands and weights for upper body toning. I just started doing planks...or as my friend Ryb calls it, water boarding. lol

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That's pretty much it. I did jumpstart my weight loss with the Advocare 24 Day challenge but I am NOT spamming you on that. Just telling you I used it. It included a 10 day colon cleanse. It's amazing the junk we carry around with us. That prepared my gut to absorb the nutrients in this great food I'm eating and you are seldom hungry when your body is actually getting fed.

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As with all diet and exercise programs, check with your healthcare provider to see if you are healthy enough to exercise. Enjoy your summer and get out there and play if you are able!!!

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❤️

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“Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”

\nGenesis 1:29 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-06-21T01:30:43-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/06/21/eat-colorfully.html", "tags": ["Health","Choices","Insight","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/06/11/chef-travis-of-basq.html", "title": "Chef Travis of Basq", "content_html": "\n
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Mr. Virgo was a trained Chef but preferred the managerial side of restaurants. He owned his own restaurants, he ran others. When he died, he was running the restaurant at The Ritz Carlton in Aspen. That's about as prestigious an address you can get in the food and beverage industry.
Dining out with Mr. Virgo was a challenge. He was as quick to point out flaws as he was to offer praise. He ruined my ability to enjoying dining out for years.

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I love my birthday and I celebrate my birthday month! While Monday is the actual day, my cousins and I celebrated my birthday last night with dinner in Bristol at a wonderful restaurant called Basq. I had the most delicious wahoo (fish) dish. I even threw caution to the wind and had dessert! I was fortunate to visit with Chef Travis after the meal and sing his praises. After boating all afternoon, dining out in the evening then walking around an antique car show, I was pretty whupped. And today we're going fishing! I'll get pictures!

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❤️

\n\n", "date_published": "2016-06-11T01:30:57-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/06/11/chef-travis-of-basq.html", "tags": ["Be Joyful!","In the Kitchen"] }, { "id": "http://mashmallowranch.micro.blog/2016/03/25/fitness-friday.html", "title": "Fitness Friday", "content_html": "\n
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This was a really good week. I worked out hard enough to see results but not so hard as to burn out or cause injury. I listened to my body and took a day off when I needed to. It's a delicate balance between pushing yourself and knowing when to back off. AND...making yourself keep going. I can get lazy if I take a day off because then I think maybe two would be better and before you know it, I'm back to square one.

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I am eating healthier than I have in years. Good, healthy salads with superfoods...i.e. dark green, leafy veggies, craisins, walnuts, avocado, EVO. Yummy stuff! I've discovered the joys of quinoa. It's a tiny grain that's packed with protein. I toast it a bit in the skillet, add veggie broth and cook till it's light and fluffy then I add a variety of sautéed veggies.

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My weakness is sweets. I came up with a great recipe yesterday. Sweet potatoes are a complex carbohydrate and they are packed full of fiber and vitamins. I usually bake six at a time and have one with dinner. I add a little butter, a few chopped walnuts and a little drizzle of agave syrup. Delicious! I'm having a dinner party tomorrow night and I want to serve a healthy dessert so I played around with a couple of the leftover baked sweet potatoes. OMGosh! This is SO good! You hardly miss having a crust. If you try it, let me know how it worked for you. I've only made it the once but it was super easy and came out great.

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Crustless Mini Sweet Potato Pies

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Preheat oven to 350°F.

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Peel cold baked sweet potatoes and mash in a bowl with a fork. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs till frothy. Add vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, agave syrup, and salt. Mix well and combine with mashed sweet potatoes. Beat till a smooth consistency.

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Spray a muffin pan with Pam Baking Spray. Fill each muffin cup to the top and sprinkle each with a few walnut pieces. Bake any extra mixture in a coffee mug.

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Place muffin pan on a cookie sheet and bake on the middle rack of a 350° preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until set.

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Yield: 6 individual servings plus a little extra, depending on the size of the sweet potatoes.

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Calories: 143 per serving

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❤️

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“Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.”

\n3 John 1:2 NIV\n
\n\n", "date_published": "2016-03-25T01:30:00-06:00", "url": "https://marshmallowranch.com/2016/03/25/fitness-friday.html", "tags": ["Health","Positive Energy","Baking","Fitness","Cooking","In the Kitchen"] } ] }