Packed the crock pot

Whoops!

I accidentally packed the crock pot.

I thought mama had more than one.  And I have no idea where it is in the garage.

Wellllll……I’ll just keep you posted on the garden.

Anyone care to share one of their recipes?

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Southern Wisconsin garden

It was a slow start and hmmm…..well, the lettuce looks good.

Take a peek.

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Garden Planted!

I didn’t even do a post about thanking all the soldiers and men and women who have sacrified for our country on Memorial Day. I was swimming in garden. And I am very thankful for the fact that I am able to do that.

How the day looked in pictures:

Our fingernails. Ick.

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Finding grandma’s recipes

I visited my dad this weekend on the farm where I grew up. My grandmother’s house droops in shambles, full of mouse poop, a former shadow of itself on the now deserted farm. Empty and haunting, I remembered movement and the smell of constant meals wafting from her stove, served on the grey table  at precisely noon and 6:00 p.m. as she stood against the counter and watched us eat. The most disheartening scene– the bird feeder she’d had installed with a flat wood table right outside her window so she could watch the colorful birds gobble the breadcrumbs she spread out two times each day. Empty, without one bread crumb, the bird feeder shown an eerie bright white. Even the wind chimes that blew consistently throughout the day beneath that same tree played music no more. I searched for them, but they were gone.

You can spot the bird feeder through the window on the left.

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Carrots from the garden putting on a show.

I haven’t had one straight Bugs bunny type carrot yet. They only seemed to grow through to where the compost stopped and then they started lifting their feet like a little child who doesn’t want to touch the sea floor. I’ve never seen anything like it! They taste just as sweet as can be, but boy, did they put on a show.

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Lentil soup with ham…

I had to cook dinner in a pinch and didn’t have much on hand, but lentils. I should have used  Alison’s recipe she offered me last time, but I didn’t have access to the laptop. I’m getting awfully dependent on this thing!

So, I tried one with ham since my last one had no flavor. And I will try Alison’s lentil soup when we next have lentils.

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Stuffed cabbage rolls

The ingredients in these sounded so nutritious! This would be a GREAT recipe to make with kids. Tiny hands would have no problem with the folding and arranging and scooping. It takes a bit of pre-work, but they were delicious and filling and worth it!

Served with a side of fresh cabbage sprinkled with salt.

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Economical reasons to cook in the crock pot

When I married two years ago, my mother told me one of the most important sentences she’s ever spoken, “You need to get yourself a crock pot.”

To me, crock pots were something my grandmother used, but I listened. My mother’s always right.

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Pork loin with sauerkraut and potatoes

My mom told me about this recipe. Her friend told her about it. I do believe that is how the best recipes are born, aren’t they?

This is so simple you can memorize it and never have to use this recipe again!

End product.

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Red Beans and Brown Rice (Creole style with sausage!)

Thrown together at my brother-in-law’s house the morning we moved in, I swiped his crock pot for a couple of days. During all the confusion and unpacking of our latest military move, the crock pot meal was a God-send. Even one of the movers leaned in and smelled, trying not to lift the lid.

“You know ma’am, it smells so good, I just have to ask. What are you cooking in there?”

We found make-shift bowls and used plastic spoons I’d kept from a fast food restaurant for future camping trips! Unfortunately amid all the unpacking, I forgot to take a picture of the final product. But the fact it so quickly disappeared is proof of how delicious it was.

This one always turns out creamy and hearty. The green chiles give it just the right amount of tangy bite. It’s the ultimate comfort food. For me anyway!  Makes me wish I was from Louisiana…..

smoked sausage

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