the contents of my fridge post christmas lunch & post bachelorette dinner party:
...chocolate cheesecake, applesauce chocolate chip bundt cake, ham, potato casserole, waldorf salad, chopped salad with salami & provolone, st. andre (!!!) cheese, mystery cheese, baguette, roasted brussels sprout salad, provolone, homemade egg nog with rum (!!!), blueberry raspberry pie, chicken sausages with onions...
my plans to revive the leftovers...
sandwiches (of course!), potato casserole with ham & egg scramble for breakfast, get the diabetes from all the sweets, salads for snack time (all the time), split pea soup, get drunk on egg nog, chicken sausages with egg noodles & cheese bits...
i love leftovers even if they do get me drunk and sick on sugar.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
merry & bright
merry everything from all of us at the farm. we are so very thankful for this blessed christmas we are having...the past years have certainly not been without adversity for our family and we realize that this year, this month, and even this week has been rough on some of our closest family and friends. we hope that for just one day that everyone can enjoy a day that is merry & bright. weather that day is today, new years, or another holiday...we wish you all one day during this holiday season where there is just joy.
as we come upon 2012, we wish many days that are full of laughter, fun, and joy...as many as your heart can handle. xoxo, always.
as we come upon 2012, we wish many days that are full of laughter, fun, and joy...as many as your heart can handle. xoxo, always.
Friday, December 23, 2011
woman's work
never underestimate the power of woman's work...cleaning, comforting, cooking, coordinating. most of the women i know are in charge of making the house operate, keeping the kids alive and well, coordinating the little events in life, making their worlds go round....they wear many hats. perhaps those hats on their own aren't particularly special, but together they make up the driving force behind their family.
i am lucky to have a fiancee who appreciates my work and a family of women who are ready to pick up the pieces should i fall and need help back up. for this i am truly grateful. most of the women i am friends with will swoop in at a moments notice and help make things happen. for this i am truly grateful.
our close family friends are dealing with an unknown illness and hospitalization right now. their son and ours are bffs. our community of friends has come together to offer prayer, dinner, and childcare. i am seeing with my own eyes...the power of woman's work. as you celebrate this weekend, please keep my friend's little family in your thoughts. xoxo.
i am lucky to have a fiancee who appreciates my work and a family of women who are ready to pick up the pieces should i fall and need help back up. for this i am truly grateful. most of the women i am friends with will swoop in at a moments notice and help make things happen. for this i am truly grateful.
our close family friends are dealing with an unknown illness and hospitalization right now. their son and ours are bffs. our community of friends has come together to offer prayer, dinner, and childcare. i am seeing with my own eyes...the power of woman's work. as you celebrate this weekend, please keep my friend's little family in your thoughts. xoxo.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
food is love
the PLaiD foundation is hosting a soup drive for patients at UNMC tomorrow. here is a little bit of what co-founder, jenn timperley, had to say when recruiting help:
Becki, my partner with PLaiD, spent last Christmas in the hospital as her daughter Abby had received her transplant just days before. There are many families stuck in the hospital over the holidays and although it's never easy to be in the hospital it is especially hard over a holiday.
One thing we thought PLaiD could do to make one day easier for these families would be to provide a meal for one day. It is so hard sometimes to get the chance to leave the hospital room and grab something to eat. You rely on family and friends a lot to stay with your child so you can run and grab something or you rely on them to provide you with picking up some fast food. I know from experience with Joe being in the hospital multiple times that something that seems as simple as grabbing something to eat...well its just not simple!
Luckily our longest stays were only two weeks, we have a 2 parent family, are local, and have a strong team of family to help when we call on them. So many families are inpatient for extended periods of time-months or more and do not have family support. It is difficult for them to get away take care of themselves and grab a meal-not to mention very costly to eat in the cafeteria for an extended time.
i absolutely love this awesome idea and the opportunity to take part in such a kind act. i believe food is love. i know the families will appreciate eating a cup of home cooked soup that was lovingly packed for just them. the PLaiD foundation is planning on doing more of these events in 2012, so i will keep in you updated on ways you can participate. in the meantime, check out their website for more info. about what they do: http://pediatricliveraid.org/
in the meantime, we have some family friends that are going through a (unrelated to the above) hospital stay. so please send lots of prayers and positive energy out into the universe for all people and their families that are dealing with illness and hospital stays over the holidays.
Becki, my partner with PLaiD, spent last Christmas in the hospital as her daughter Abby had received her transplant just days before. There are many families stuck in the hospital over the holidays and although it's never easy to be in the hospital it is especially hard over a holiday.
One thing we thought PLaiD could do to make one day easier for these families would be to provide a meal for one day. It is so hard sometimes to get the chance to leave the hospital room and grab something to eat. You rely on family and friends a lot to stay with your child so you can run and grab something or you rely on them to provide you with picking up some fast food. I know from experience with Joe being in the hospital multiple times that something that seems as simple as grabbing something to eat...well its just not simple!
Luckily our longest stays were only two weeks, we have a 2 parent family, are local, and have a strong team of family to help when we call on them. So many families are inpatient for extended periods of time-months or more and do not have family support. It is difficult for them to get away take care of themselves and grab a meal-not to mention very costly to eat in the cafeteria for an extended time.
i absolutely love this awesome idea and the opportunity to take part in such a kind act. i believe food is love. i know the families will appreciate eating a cup of home cooked soup that was lovingly packed for just them. the PLaiD foundation is planning on doing more of these events in 2012, so i will keep in you updated on ways you can participate. in the meantime, check out their website for more info. about what they do: http://pediatricliveraid.org/
in the meantime, we have some family friends that are going through a (unrelated to the above) hospital stay. so please send lots of prayers and positive energy out into the universe for all people and their families that are dealing with illness and hospital stays over the holidays.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
tartiflette improvised
this is a lovely recipe that i found on pinterest. i had to improvise it a bit since i was out of wine and wanted to "meat up" the meal a bit. bacon won't do as dinner for mike...bacon with another meat? just fine. bacon alone? not so much.
this makes a wonderful cold day dinner. mike had three helpings...so it's good for the hungry man in your life. i would serve it next time with a salad to balance the richness. i used golden potatoes, but yukon or red would work great, too. it reheats well the next day and tastes great for breakfast with a poached egg and fruit.
tartiflette done easy....
saute 1 chopped onion in olive oil until softened, add 3 italian sausages (cut up) & cook through, add about 4-5 waxy potatoes (skin on/cubed) & 1 - 1 1/2 c. chix broth--cover with lid and cook for about 10minutes or until potatoes become tender. stir in 1/2 c. cream and cook until thick (about 1 min), season with salt & pepper. layer 1/2 the mixture in greased pan top with cheese (i used a bit of leftover ricotta, brie, and parmesan) top with other 1/2 of mixture and more cheese. bake for about 15-20 min. in 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. serve with salad.
*a great place to find more dinner ideas made by real people who love to cook is this facebook page some girlfriends of mine started...it is really fun. check it out!
this makes a wonderful cold day dinner. mike had three helpings...so it's good for the hungry man in your life. i would serve it next time with a salad to balance the richness. i used golden potatoes, but yukon or red would work great, too. it reheats well the next day and tastes great for breakfast with a poached egg and fruit.
tartiflette done easy....
saute 1 chopped onion in olive oil until softened, add 3 italian sausages (cut up) & cook through, add about 4-5 waxy potatoes (skin on/cubed) & 1 - 1 1/2 c. chix broth--cover with lid and cook for about 10minutes or until potatoes become tender. stir in 1/2 c. cream and cook until thick (about 1 min), season with salt & pepper. layer 1/2 the mixture in greased pan top with cheese (i used a bit of leftover ricotta, brie, and parmesan) top with other 1/2 of mixture and more cheese. bake for about 15-20 min. in 350 degree oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. serve with salad.
*a great place to find more dinner ideas made by real people who love to cook is this facebook page some girlfriends of mine started...it is really fun. check it out!
Monday, December 19, 2011
we don't own a ferret
as you can imagine we get lots of critters and bird sightings out at the farm. this year i have seen deer, hawks, coyotes, turkeys, raccoons, turkey vultures, cardinals, blue jays, a feral dog, and mike swears he saw a beaver. oh, and an opossum in my trash can. in my house. twice.
one lovely evening at home, after hendrix had been put to bed, mike and i were enjoying a bowl of popcorn. mike was also enjoying a couple of beers. these beers would prove to be a good choice in just a short while. as beer almost always does.
i got up to throw the unpopped kernels away and to grab something to drink. we keep our trash can under the sink. you know, to keep the house critters (i.e. the dogs and cats) out of the trash. when i opened the cupboard door i noticed 2 red eyes staring back at me...as the body, the eyes were attached to, froze in motion. in the brief seconds that followed my whacked head was able to process the following...
why is the ferret in the trash can?
why did we get a ferret? i don't like ferrets. (my friend ashley had one when were growing up. it used to run around and nip my heels.)
wait, we don't own a ferret.
oh, shit. that is not a ferret.
that is a possum (i see possum spelled this way in my head when i say it or think it because that is how it should be spelled, dammit).
shut the door, annie.
then i calmly (really, i did) told mike that there was an opossum in the trash can. mike calmly (i know everyone can believe this, at least) got up, walked to the cupboard, pulled the can out, walked outside, and took care of business. apparently, if you don't take care of business opossums &/or raccoons will keep coming back to the site of the food. my uncle ed confirmed this for me because i was sure that mike was a baby opossum murderer.
the second time this happened mike was dead sober and told me that it was terrible taking care of business. also, the opossum was not a baby and was scrappy. so i am sure that did not help. we needed to figure out the point of entry and remedy. our house was built in 1896 and has foundation problems. so the point of entry could be anywhere. except this time it was easy...pretty sure it was the ginormous hole in the floor under the sink. so i did what any country chick would do...i got the power drill and drilled some board into the floor, painted it a lovely chartreuse, added an awesome, black & white, baroque print wallpaper along the bottom, and organized the crap out of that cupboard. i am happy to report we have been opossum free for 3 months.
i used to care if animals were killed in the radius of my home. until, filthy opossums were getting into my trash can or deer were eating 20 rows of our field corn. now i am really into eating sustainable vension.
one lovely evening at home, after hendrix had been put to bed, mike and i were enjoying a bowl of popcorn. mike was also enjoying a couple of beers. these beers would prove to be a good choice in just a short while. as beer almost always does.
i got up to throw the unpopped kernels away and to grab something to drink. we keep our trash can under the sink. you know, to keep the house critters (i.e. the dogs and cats) out of the trash. when i opened the cupboard door i noticed 2 red eyes staring back at me...as the body, the eyes were attached to, froze in motion. in the brief seconds that followed my whacked head was able to process the following...
why is the ferret in the trash can?
why did we get a ferret? i don't like ferrets. (my friend ashley had one when were growing up. it used to run around and nip my heels.)
wait, we don't own a ferret.
oh, shit. that is not a ferret.
that is a possum (i see possum spelled this way in my head when i say it or think it because that is how it should be spelled, dammit).
shut the door, annie.
then i calmly (really, i did) told mike that there was an opossum in the trash can. mike calmly (i know everyone can believe this, at least) got up, walked to the cupboard, pulled the can out, walked outside, and took care of business. apparently, if you don't take care of business opossums &/or raccoons will keep coming back to the site of the food. my uncle ed confirmed this for me because i was sure that mike was a baby opossum murderer.
the second time this happened mike was dead sober and told me that it was terrible taking care of business. also, the opossum was not a baby and was scrappy. so i am sure that did not help. we needed to figure out the point of entry and remedy. our house was built in 1896 and has foundation problems. so the point of entry could be anywhere. except this time it was easy...pretty sure it was the ginormous hole in the floor under the sink. so i did what any country chick would do...i got the power drill and drilled some board into the floor, painted it a lovely chartreuse, added an awesome, black & white, baroque print wallpaper along the bottom, and organized the crap out of that cupboard. i am happy to report we have been opossum free for 3 months.
i used to care if animals were killed in the radius of my home. until, filthy opossums were getting into my trash can or deer were eating 20 rows of our field corn. now i am really into eating sustainable vension.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
end of year resolutions
i didn't make any new year's resolutions for 2011. if i did, i can't remember. it has a been a whirlwind of a year...full of emotions, highs and lows, ends and beginnings. last year, around this time we hit some major lows as a family...both cars had broke down and were not repairable, mike was still hoping to land a job, the winter weather was bad. i was having a hard time believing that things would turn around. i am a person that can hold things together, believe that it will all work out. however, i had been holding together since being surprised with a pregnancy in 2008...you know, 2008 when the whole economy took a shit. mike and i are very capable people. mike has an mba. the economy still did a number on us.
we took many gambles. we expanded clementine's. it didn't work to our hopes, but it still took guts and sometimes a little taste of courage is all you need to take charge. mike, thankfully, ended up finding the job of his dreams. the job couldn't be a better fit for him...he truly loves his job. the company is lucky to have someone so passionate and knowledgeable on their team. the soybean and corn crops did well. really well. the co-op gave us a christmas ham. mike's company gave us some steaks, a bonus, and threw one heck of a holiday dinner. we are so far from the place we were last christmas. everything didn't work out the way we thought, there certainly were bumps in the road...but in the end this is where we are supposed to be. we are doing the best we have ever done as a family.
so as the end of year approaches, i resolve to enjoy it. to keep it simple. to be grateful. to show compassion. to remember. to revel in the magic of it all.
we took many gambles. we expanded clementine's. it didn't work to our hopes, but it still took guts and sometimes a little taste of courage is all you need to take charge. mike, thankfully, ended up finding the job of his dreams. the job couldn't be a better fit for him...he truly loves his job. the company is lucky to have someone so passionate and knowledgeable on their team. the soybean and corn crops did well. really well. the co-op gave us a christmas ham. mike's company gave us some steaks, a bonus, and threw one heck of a holiday dinner. we are so far from the place we were last christmas. everything didn't work out the way we thought, there certainly were bumps in the road...but in the end this is where we are supposed to be. we are doing the best we have ever done as a family.
so as the end of year approaches, i resolve to enjoy it. to keep it simple. to be grateful. to show compassion. to remember. to revel in the magic of it all.
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