Tuesday, February 9, 2021

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



Monday, February 1, 2021

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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