bits & pieces & recipes.

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the past couple days have been rather noisy. one (of 3 major projects left to do) of our projects is being completed - this one is new countertops in our 2 bathrooms along with bowl sinks and new fixtures, all to update the sizzling 70s mountain home decor. the plumber's still here and the countertop guy "finished" and left. ahem. it was at that time we noticed the backsplash was cut short. ?? sigh. the hubs contacted the counter guy who is "supposed" to return this evening to complete the job correctly. i'm thinking it's a case of measuring once before cutting rather than measure twice cut once. he had enough material to do the job - i spied it with my own little eyes. my tinsel's in a tangle. hmpfh. onward.

this area of our living room is a personal favorite. the chair was gifted by a dear friend when we moved to the forest : the dear friend now lives in her own little forested area a ways away. the pillow is vintage, as is the USN wool blanket. the lamp we used in our former home with a yellow and white shade which didn't go well with our new place, so i used rustoleum espresso paint to cover it offering a new look. 

this salad is a meal in itself.

fresh croutons, greens, 4 bean salad, egg..

homemade ranch dressing. soooo much tastier than

the store bought in my humble opinion. 

.. rAnch dReSsinG dRy mIx ..

1/2 cup dry buttermilk powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley

2 teaspoons dried dillweed

1 teaspoon dried chives

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

mix well (i use a whisk) and store 

in an airtight container in the fridge. 

for rAnch diP:

1/4 cup dry mix

2 tablespoons buttermilk

(use almost 2 tablespoons milk & add vinegar)

1 cup sour cream

mix well and refrigerate a couple hours before using.

for rAnch dResSinG:

1/4 cup dry mix

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup buttermilk

(use almost 1/2 cup milk and add vinegar)

mix well and refrigerate a couple hours before using.

i use leftover homemade baguette to make croutons. 

loads of seasonings, olive oil, butter .. toasted in a pan.

4 bean salad .. i used to purchase ready made

at the grocery store but now make it myself.

saving some $ is nice and i know exactly

what goes into the mix. it's yUm.

... beAn sAlAd ...

• 15 ounce can garbanzo beans - drained & rinsed
• 15 ounce can kidney beans - drained & rinsed
• 15 ounce can green beans - drained
• 15 ounce can wax beans - drained
• 1/2 cup onion - rough chopped
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley

drain (& rinse where indicated) veggies and put in bowl with chopped onion. stir to combine. in saucepan on medium heat add the oil, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings. stir until sugar is dissolved. put veggies in jar(s) and add liquid. close jar and place in fridge for 24 hours before devouring. delish.

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when the bathroom counters etc are completed i'll be sure to take pictures and share here on the coddiwomple blog. until then, be well - take care - keep your eyes upward for He loves you.

love,

sherry

selah.snow.slaw.

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firstly .. always

ensure your focus

is upward.

unprecedented times at hand.

the Word will guide & be comfort

for that which disquiets.

when we fear - faith falters.

seek Him first in all things.

speaking to myself .. and you

if applicable.

we got a bit of snow with another storm

on the heels of the most recent. 

a little upward back of our property view.

with the onslaught of snow came the hankering for ice cream

so without delay - and a hope our tiny town market

was even open, the hubs made his way down the hill,

returning with the most necessary of provisions. wink.

we had already plowed/shoveled snow from the drive

before the hubs went on his way. it was coming

down fast .. we had about 2 feet at this point in total.

soon enough though .. more wet globby white stuff fell from

the sky, the texture of thick mashed potatoes. ugh.

our fancy dancy monster snow blower performed well,

cutting through the snow slog. being that we have

a lengthy driveway it took a long time plowing. the hubs let me

have a turn with the heated handle monster. it's a heavy

machine and though it does most of the work, there's

a fair amount of heaving the driver need do as well.

i'm not strong. handing the reins back to the delighted hubs

i happily picked up a shovel and made my way to scooping

small portions and throwing them on the side bank. 

good exercise! the next morning my upper arms

were snarky. ibuprofen then back out to clean up the

overnight white stuff. i must admit it's fun.

we have lots of wood - much more than shown, 

especially after felling seven trees

last summer and the autumn before that ..

the hubs favorite activity, besides plowing snow,

is being a lumberjack .. complete with song.

somehow i doubt we'll be roasting marshmallows

anytime soon .. or sitting 'round a roaring fire out of doors.

the snow sure is pretty though, hm?

tonight while readying my morning liquid life

i found my inside coffee stash depleted. bah!

thankfully we keep a good amount in the

outside freezer - which is in the garage.

making my way outside to the path leading to the

garage i began to skate. a bit. ice.

boy howdy it's been about 50 years since

ice skating. there's a bit of an incline so i made

sure to gingerly take my steps - baby ones

little by little until i was on solid ground.

we now keep *ice melt* near the back door.

once spread it'll offer a fair amount of safety.

.i hope. 

liquid life is set for me to press the button

come zero dark'thirty and await its glory.

sunday morning i added a chipotle dry rub to pork ribs

and let them rest about thirty-minutes before the hubs

braved the winter weather and seared them good

out on the grill. he cut a path to the grill the night before

in anticipation. then they went in my casserole style

crock pot on low with a drizzle of spicy bbq sauce.

no other liquid was added .. here's what it

looked like about an hour from plating.

while that was slow cooking away i prepared cole slaw

using whatever vegetables were in the crisper.

green & red cabbage, celery including leaves,

carrot shreds, scallion greens.

in a separate bowl i made the slaw dressing:

1/2 cup mayo

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup milk

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

fresh cracked pepper (to taste)

just a pinch of salt

using a whisk i whirled it then poured

it over the veg. it makes a good amount

of dressing so make sure you have a good

amount of veg. we love slaw so no problem.

our starch choice was cornbread casserole. 

ever made it?

it's yUm. here's the easy peasy recipe:

1 large egg lightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

1/2 stick butter (not margarine) melted

1 box jiffy cornbread mix

1 tablespoon sugar

good pinch of salt

fresh cracked pepper to taste

1 (15oz) can cream corn

1.5 cups roasted corn 

(i use trader joe's frozen roasted corn)

set oven to 350 & spray an 8x8 baking dish

combine all ingredients well and pour into prepped

baking dish then into the oven for about 45 minutes.

spoon onto plate and thank me later. pinky promise.

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the rib meat was incredibly tender and offered the perfect

grill flavor - on a cold day in the elements thanks to the hubs.

do you grill food in winter? what's your favorite?

until next time .. love,

sherry

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