Cassie-b

December - Time to shop!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Just a little info regarding the first Thanksgiving menu.

Foods Available to the Pilgrims for their 1621 Thanksgiving -

FISH and other SEAFOOD: cod, bass, herring, shad, bluefish, and lots of eel, clams, lobsters, mussels, and very small quantities of oysters

BIRDS and OTHER MEAT: wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, and other miscellaneous waterfowl; they were also known to have occasionally eaten eagles (which “tasted like mutton” according to Winslow in 1623.), venison, possibly some salt pork or chicken.

GRAIN: wheat flour, Indian corn and corn meal; barley (mainly for beer-making).

FRUITS and VEGETABLES: raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries (these would have been dried, as none would have been in season), peas, squashes (including pumpkins), beans

NUTS: walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, ground nuts

HERBS and SEASONINGS: onions, leeks, strawberry leaves, currants, sorrel, yarrow, carvel, brooklime, liverwort, watercress, and flax; from England they brought seeds and probably planted radishes, lettuce, carrots, onions, and cabbage.  Olive oil in small quantities may have been brought over, though the Pilgrims had to sell most of their oil and butter before sailing, in order to stay on budget.

OTHER: maple syrup, honey; small quantities of butter, Holland cheese; and eggs

Some perhaps startling omissions from the authentic Thanksgiving menu

Ham. (The Pilgrims most likely did not have pigs with them).
Sweet Potatoes-Potatoes-Yams.  (These had not yet been introduced to New England).
Corn on the cob. (Indian corn was only good for making cornmeal, not eating on the cob).

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Space bar -

I spend enough time in front of my computer, that I’m lucky not to have carpal tunnel. I do have a bit of arthritis in my space bar thumb, so I took the time to learn to use the space bar with my other hand. It slowed me down for about a month, but now it’s not a problem at all.  That what comes of all that typing. I’ve been typing since I was 8 years old.

That’s a lot of spaces!

(car·pal tun·nel syn·drome n
a condition of pain and weakness in the hand caused by repetitive compression of a nerve that passes through the wrist into the hand)

Cool Weather Soup

My blog friend over at Clear Lake Reflections asked for a spicy cool weather soup.  Seems like his weather just turned a bit chilly.

Spicy Chili soup

1/2 pound. dry pinto beans, soaked overnight and drained (or a can of pinto beans)
1 pound ground beef, browned – I used stew beef, browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 or 2 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
3 tablespoon chili powder
salt and pepper - to taste

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for several hours, or - my favorite lazy way, put all ingredients in a crock pot . Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

It’s getting near holiday time

I’ve been thinking about the holidays, and the special cooking and baking that I always manage to do. 
And I ran across this cute little tutorial about baking cookies with your cat.

Baking Cookies With Your Cat

1. Look in cookbook for cookie recipe.
2. Get cup of coffee.
3. Get cat off of cookbook.
4. Find that special recipe.
5. Get cat’s nose out of coffee mug.
6. Go to fridge and get eggs.
7. Get dry ingredients from cupboard.
8. Break eggs in small bowl.
9. Sift dry ingredients in large bowl.
10. Answer the phone.
11. Cat ate eggs; get more from fridge.
12. Get cat out of flour bowl and dust cat off.
13. Get Band-Aids for scratches on hands.
14. Throw flour out and get more.
15. Preheat oven for cookies.
16. Looking at cat & wanting to bake cat now. Cat runs for cover into bathroom.
17. Flour the counter to roll out cookie dough.
18. Big crash in bathroom; run to see what happened.
19. Cat has toilet paper all over floor; stuff spilled and knocked over on top of bathroom counter.
20. Yell at cat. Cat falls in toilet bowl.
21. You can sense cat is angry.
22. Take cat out of toilet to dry cat off.
23. Get bandages to cover more scratches on arms and legs.
24. Cleanup bathroom.
25. Hear a thump in kitchen ... Oh Gosh ... now what?
26. Get cat off floured counter in kitchen.
27. Try to pick out cat hairs from flour.
28. Step on cat’s tail and get bitten. 
29. Get coat, car keys, and go to store to buy cookies.

My cat, Smokey Joe, loves to bake!

Another hurricane?

Too Many Apples!

Apple update.  I have canned over 50 jars of applesauce, and have dried about a half gallon of apple slices. 
Add to that one apple crisp, and I know I’ll be glad later, but right now I’m really sick of apples. 
Till next year that is. 

V0TE

Vote!

So, have you decided who you’re voting for?
Or are you still on the fence?

I’ve had a hard time deciding this year.