quiche for 2 & stew.

slow mornings call for nourishing breakfasts..

using a bit of what we have along with a bit of extra time
in prep awarded us a morning comfort meal.. 

this little 7 inch springform pan gets a work-out

in our kitchen. pies, cakes, quiche.

it's the perfect size for a smallish household. 

half pie crust recipe mixed 

then quick roll out then in the pan. 

three jUmbo eggs & 1/2 cup half n half

seasonings (salt, pepper, dried parsley)

mix the ingredients above then pour into shell

add the bacon pieces* then

1+ cup grated cheese (I used jack)

i always put a piece of foil under the pan

just in case of leakage. nothing worse! 

375 for about 40 minutes or until the middle is 

for sure w/o a doubt absolutely done...……….!

no soggy runnies at haven haus.

let it rest about 5 minutes before releasing

the spring and cuff then 10 more minutes before devouring.

and that's it in a nutshell - - or a pie shell - - of sorts.

*bacon: we bake then drain then portion then freeze

so that when the mood hits we can take a bit out

for whatever dish required or floats your boat.
and I save the bacon grease in a jar marked *oink*.

the side turned out a little wonky but

details like that don't change the flavor.

but I made sure he got that piece

anyway. ha! no... not really.

but it's funny, hm?

sliced cutie orange and baby size apple

rounded out the meal ..

and coffee. always coffee.

the hubs made the coffee and it turned out great!

think i'll keep that guy for like, ever!

.          .          .

tonight we're having leftovers.

i'm not really a "leftovers" kinda gal but choosing

to cook every two nights rather than every night

means I now eat leftovers. one night leftovers mind you...

beyond that it goes in the freezer or in the hubs tum.

tonight's leftovers?

beef stew

alongside a slice of cornbread which was a 

new-to-me recipe i'll not use again.

looks good. ho-hum-oh-so-bland.

wasn't a fan so into the circular it goes.

{it's a basic recipe * no frills}

Coddiwomple Stew

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1.5 pounds stew meat {1/2 inch cubes}

4 large celery stalks {1/2 inch on diagonal}

4 large carrots {1/2 inch on diagonal}

1 large brown onion {1/2 inch chunks}

2 garlic cloves {smashed and sliced thin}

bay leaf

1 teaspoon smoke paprika

salt & pepper {to taste}

6 new potatoes the size of eggs 

{rough sliced, cover with H2o then drain}

1/2 cup white flour

32 ounces good beef stock

15oz can cut green beans {drained}

15oz can fire roasted tomatoes {drained}

ensure everything is sliced, diced, drained before cooking.

begin by heating the olive oil in your favorite large'ish pan.

add the stew meat and brown over medium heat.

once browned, add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic,

smoked paprika, salt and pepper .. 

toss and cook for about 10 minutes.

sprinkle the flour over the mixture and toss,

cooking about 2 minutes more.

add the rough sliced potatoes .. 

toss and cook another couple minutes.

..have your crockpot ready to go on high..

pour the pan mixture into the crock pot.

add the beef stock then the green beans and tomatoes.

finally, add the bay leaf.

..stir..

put the lid on and let it go for 2 hours then reduce

the heat to low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

to consider ::: if you're using weak beef stock

put a good tablespoon of  beef better than bouillon 

in the mixture and stir, in the crock pot.

it'll help the anemic quality of some stock.

.          .         .

a gal who works at our teensie tiny market

doesn't make bread for herself

because as she said, "it's just me."

.no dear heart.

it isn't "just you." it's "you!"

so I made her a small whole wheat

ciabatta, ladled some stew into a jar,

wrapped everything up and took it to 

the market. she works hard

and deserves a hot meal once home.

In the past I brought her desserts ..

 she's my personal guinea pig.

it's the little things

that have become the big things in life.

maybe it's always been that way

and i simply lost sight... 

i know they (whoever they are) say,

"don't sweat the small stuff.."

but in present day life?

and in a slightly different gist..

the seemingly small stuff

necessitates gratitude.

.. two hour rise ..

whole wheat dough

...

after the rise it goes in the fridge for up to 2 weeks,

taking out just what you need when you need it. 

shaping then allowing it to rest then bake. 

no kneading, folks.

none.

zilch.

nada.

zip.

I find this method

makes for great baguettes,

ciabatta, pizza dough, buns.

a time saver and taste bud thriller.

The New Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day

The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

.whole wheat ciabatta.

oh and did you notice the casserole style crock pot?

it's a deep interior 9x13 that can go from the fridge

to the oven to the crock pot holder 

to keep foods toasty warm. 

or use it for its intended main purpose as a crock pot!

because of its size and varied uses I was able

to downsize my baking pan collection.

that's a win win in my book.

less is more. for us it works well.

I chose the dark gray crock ..

there's also plum and navy blue.

click below for the amazon link..

casserole style crock pot

I kept my 8 quart crock pot for making

stocks .. chicken or beef.

.          .          .

love you .. be kind .. be gracious

{ensure you stretch your body, your food, & your TP}

..wink..

.sherry.

haven haus.

{a place of safety or refuge}

.. haven haus, the name we've chosen

for this lovely place in an

equally lovely location

deep in the woods.

slowly yet surely we're crossing off projects from our 

amazingly long list .. a few projects are

involved and/or costly; they've been allocated to the
"phase" column. little by little.

i'm loving how using some of my more

cottage-décor pieces from our other home

are finding a new place which

softens the angular very early 70's mountain architecture.

the cottage pieces have been painted

or upcycled, creating a new feel.

for nearly 20 years I had this vintage fence portion

surrounding two sides of our air conditioning unit,

acting as a sort of camouflage. the hubs secured

it to the living room wall in haven haus. I can change

out the overall décor - pictures, artwork, flowers, etc 

with the season. after it was in place I thought it might

look great painted espresso or black which would mean

the hubs taking the metal fence down and outside,

I'd paint it, then he'd put it back up on the wall

where fasteners were already in studs.

being that the fence portion is a bit on the heavy

side (extreme understatement of the year), 

I came to the realization that once was enough 

and i'm delighted with the original patina. wink.

painting pretty metal shelf brackets and adding

old fence board with fresh stain, completes a 

little area in the dining room. the top piece

was outside for 10 years, and 5 years before that 

it made it's home on the wall 

of my late mother in law's condo balcony. 

spraying it matte black has, in my opinion, offered new life.

the bird candle piece was a tired brass tone

so that received a fresh coat of the same paint.

the picture is a treasure from back in the hub's family.

loving the warmth of this view.

my great grandmother’s bread bowl

complements the room’s tones.  

this sideboard..

is actually an 8 foot length of upper cabinets from the kitchen!

we about broke our backs removing

the confining bulk .. added feet to the bottom

and placed the piece in our living

room under the vintage fence section. 

a smaller kitchen than

in our former home requires

creative solutions for storage. 

I believe we’ve met the need. 

the top and sides of the piece

still need to be finished and sealed.

a touch of spring..

my mother gifted me this little décor piece

eons ago. I love it and was excited

to bring it out for spring. 

and just beyond you see curtains.

not verticals. curtains!

I found the original curtains at ikea for a great price..

good quality tan linen. after washing and ironing

the panels I set to work on creating a new design.

i'll share more about that at a later date.

the loft (aka man cave), the living, the dining ..

notice shutters on the dining window

adjacent to the curtains.

please notice.

no verticals!

more later … food, i'm thinking.

love,

sherry

minutiae.

.. seemingly small substance ..

.. looming large ..

such an uncertain world in which we live.

we wake .. we plan our day .. we toil .. we worry

we pray .. we seek .. we eat .. we rest

.one day to the next.

how should we then live?

for the unforeseen future, albeit temporary,

we're unsure of our footing and freedoms.

remaining at home offers blessings

in that we have opportunity to

ponder and plan projects

and revisit phased projects put on the shelf

months before. some which can actually be completed.

there are books to read, puzzles to threaten

with the trash {ahem..}, embroidery, a rare

phone conversation, movies and documentaries,

sanitizing every inch of the house,

shoveling snow ad nauseum, careful marketing while

taking every precaution, studying a toilet paper supply

and determining solutions if the supply dwindles,

washing hands, drinking plenty of water, taking

walks, taking naps, documenting food items

in the pantry, fridge, and freezer - thankful you've

taken to deepening the food supply to the point

of not needing a market visit for quite some time

if you're careful. we're being careful. 

breakfast and an afternoon meal … 

perhaps a light snack mid evening,

meets the need quite nicely.

eating a bit less to make things last can

be a good thing - practical.

i do hope you're well.

i do hope you're remaining in place

as much as is humanly possible

with social distancing paramount

to "flatten the curve."

i do hope you're not hoarding.

i do hope you're finding creative ways

to live in uncertainty.

i do hope you're seeking the One

who holds this world, and you personally,

in the palm of His loving hand.

i do hope you're in prayer ..

for yourselves and others,

for those in the medical community,

for law enforcement, fire fighters,

for our nation's leaders.

.      .      .

i have been quiet {obviously}

and find there's peace in the pause.

a time of rest and renewal

brings restoration.

here's a few views of our life most recently..

you'll see that staying home isn't an option,

it's a necessity. wink.

our driveway .. took a while

to make a dent with the 

snow-blower & shovel

only to begin again as we 

received 5 (five!) feet of the white stuff

in a 3 (three!) day period.

had to keep ahead of the deluge.

tall pines & frosting

a lil bit of snow, hm?

santa's village rooftop

& blue sky!!!

icicles..

.      .      . 

more later dear friends.

with love,

sherry