Sunday Quotes... Cloudy

"Preserve your memories
Keep them well, what you forget
You can never retell"        
 Louisa May Alcott

Strawberry Preserves.... Cloudy...warm

This recipe is perfect for those who prefer a softer consistency to commercial jam and like a spread that isn't overly sweet, what you taste is the fresh fruit!

Fresh Strawberry Spread
5 cups strawberries
1 1/2-2 cups sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 package pectin
2 T. strawberry Jello

coarsely crush strawberries with a potato masher
Combine strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and pectin, bring to a boil, boil, stirring constantly for five minutes. Remove from heat add Jello and stir well.
Pour into sterilized jars and cool. store in the fridge. Makes four half pints.
Refrigerate for 24 hours before using.

Adjust sugar to your taste, and the sweetness of the fruit you are using, we like it on the tart side.
I buy pectin in bulk if you do too use a rounded 1/4 cup.

Farm Life... cloudy & cool

We have never had a cat that so many descriptive names have been given

to. "Up and Upon" would fit, as she can NEVER just sit on the plain

surface of something! You might remember last year she would climb in

the box that contained the Salton Yogurt maker while my yogurt was

incubating. I did not care to share it with her, but she never got the

point. So this year no box, and when I make it I wrap the container

with foam. Well I guess she misses her box, because she's settled for

this basket with a quilted top. It measures just 7" square! How comfortable

can that be?

 

Sunday Quotes... Sunny...warmer

Sweet May hath come to love us, Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;And through the blue heavens above us,

The very clouds move on.
Heinrich Heine

 

 

Fresh Strawberry Dessert .... Cloudy.. rain likely

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
Pulse graham crackers in food processor till you get even crumbs, add flour & sugar, pulse twice add butter and pulse several time till butter mixes with crumbs.
Press into a 13x9 pan, bake at 350* for 10 minutes.

1 package Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup cool whip (from 8 oz container)
1 tsp. Almond flavoring

Combine all in food processor bowl and pulse till light and fluffy and smooth (it doesn't take long)
Spread into partially cooled crust.
4 cups fresh hulled strawberries, slice them  over the top of cheese mixture

1 (3oz. box) instant French vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
remaining cool whip from container
mix pudding mix and milk together , whip with wire whip till starts to thicken; fold in cool whip.
Spread over strawberries. Refrigerate  at least an hour before serving.

Farm Life.....SUN & WARM

Finally Bubbles and Buck got out of their pen to see the big, greenworld. To leave their barn they have to walk through a slurry patch(did we mention INCHES of rain lately?)  and Buck did not want to dirty his hooves.

However since Mom and Bubbles left he finally forced himself to do it.

Flossie saw no benefit in being tied out in the grass,

the humans' broken lawnmower not being her problem!!

She longed to go free or at least back to the barn.

But the kids had a great time

stretching their legs and having a few nibbles.

Soon Flossie broke free and browsed, making her OWN food choices.

 

The kids skedaddled to the safety of the barn where the gate was promptly shut and the human went back to the house

sighing all the way for the wasted effort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Quotes.... Sunny & Warm

"If it's drama that you sigh for, plant a garden

and you'll get it.

You will know the thrill of battle fighting foes that will beset it.

If you long for entertainment and for pageantry most glowing, plant a garden

and this summer spend your time

with green things growing."

Edward A. Guest, Plant a Garden

 

Amazing Chicken.... Sunny...cool

Put this  chicken to brine today and you can have Amazing Chicken tomorrow!


1 whole chicken about 4 lbs
1 gallon water (or enough to just cover bird)
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (regular paprika can be substituted)
1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

Place water in a large stock pot add sugar, salt and seasonings stir until all dissolved.  remove neck and gizzards ,discard. Rinse chicken. 
submerge chicken on brine mix, cover pot and place in fridge overnight.

Seasoning mix:
1 tsp. Cavenders Seasoning (or your favorite season salt)
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. smoked paprika (regular paprika can be substituted)
mix together well

Remove chicken from brine, shake water out of cavity, using hand carefully separate skin from breast and rub all but one tsp of seasoning over meat under skin, push skin back down and place bird breast down in the crockpot, rub remaining seasoning over back of bird. cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
DO NOT ADD ANY LIQUID!

At the end of the day the chicken will be Amazingly tender, I remove from crockpot using two large slotted spoons and lifting it carefully to a large platter, cool just a bit and remove meat from bones to serve!
No need to add any other seasonings! Reserve cooking broth for an amazing soup base or to cook a pot of beans later in the week!

Farm Adventures.... Sunny... 70's

Here's a May Surprise - 2 huge snakes! 
 Lonesome has become my farm WatchCat. 

Twice today his stare has caused me to check what he's

looking at. Both times it was a snake. Once a King snake which is good

news, the other time a huge black snake. I tried to bucket him to relocate, but

failed, and later on went out to the chicken yard and found him again

with a girlfriend.  Well I'm now out of patience with all my losses

from snakes, 3 hens and 3 pigeons in the last couple of years, and

last week a clutch of 7 eggs destined to be chicks. So since the Man

with the gun was nearby, these 2 got a permanent home! 

 

They each  measured 6 feet long!

 Watch your step if you come over here!

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Quotes.... Sunny... 70's

Hello  May, surprise me.....And then surprise me again!

 

 

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt... Sunny.... 70's

1 quart Unsweetened yogurt **see note
1 can evaporated milk, undiluted
2 cups fresh strawberries
3/4--1 cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla

Place paper towel or cheesecloth in a colander or sieve dump all of yogurt in place plate on top and return to fridge for 2-3 hours.

when ready to make, crush strawberries coarsely add sugar and vanilla set aside.
Mix yogurt and evaporated milk together with a wire whisk, when well combined add strawberry mixture, pour in to ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions for your machine. ( I processes  mine for 25 minutes--then place in freezer for 3 hours before serving) 


***  You can uses whole milk, low fat or even fat free for this recipe

***adjust sugar to your taste and how sweet your berries are!