November 29, 2010

Potato Patties

Here is a great way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.  These potato patties are a savory alternative to the traditional flour-based pancake.  I cook mine in bacon grease, but butter or beef tallow would work well too.  Serve with a few pieces of bacon and a gently fried egg.    


Potato Patties:
makes 2-3 potato patties

1 to 1 1/2 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes
1 egg
milk (optional)
grease for cooking
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix potatoes and egg.  Add enough milk until mixture has a slightly runny consistency.  Drop by 1/2 cup-fulls onto hot greased pan (350 degrees on my nonstick griddle).  Sprinkle with salt and pepper if desired.  Cook about 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Flip, and continue cooking until both sides are golden brown.  Serve with bacon and eggs.

Linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.

November 28, 2010

Meal Plan Nov 28- Dec 1

We had a quiet Thanksgiving with my husband's family (as usual).  This week I'm taking the kids to the other grandparents' house, which is why I've only menu planned through Wednesday.  My husband will have to beg for food at his mom's house, which is a whole 1/4 mile away from ours! 

Over the past week I killed my first deer (post about that coming soon) and helped my in-laws cut up 2 sides of pork.  So, in addition to the frozen fish that some hunters brought out last week, we also have venison and pork on the menu!  It's so nice to have some variety- thank goodness for deep freezers!  I am also excited because I will soon be tasting raw milk for the first time! I had been hesistant to contact the dairy farmer since he's so far away (60 miles) that it just seemed ridiculous, but he's making a trip out here anyway, so my father-in-law asked him to throw some milk in his truck.  I don't really care for milk by itself, but my husband and son drink tons of it, so I'm going to try it raw.  Also, I'd like to try making whey and cream cheese, as I've just learned how easy it is to do.

Here's what we're eating before the big trip:

Sunday- BBQ Pork Ribs, leftover creamed spinach, leftover sweet potatoes
Monday- Pork Shoulder Roast with Potatoes and Carrots
Tuesday- Venison in a Salisbury Steak Sauce served with mashed potatoes, sauteed broccoli
Wednesday- Surf and Turf (Steaks and Walleye Fillets- a birthday dinner), fried potatoes, rolls, spinach, birthday cake

After that, I'm outta here! 

November 23, 2010

The Things Kids Say

I've been reading this book about how good food makes your kids smarter, so this morning when my son reached for the cheesy, processed crackers instead of his freshly-cooked egg I said, "Better eat your egg so you get smart!  Those crackers will make you dumb.  You don't want to be dumb do you?"  My extremely independent son said, "Lemme be dumb please!" 

November 22, 2010

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Inspired by a Cook's Country recipe for roasted cabbage wedges, I cut some brussels sprouts in half, drizzled them with oil, sprinkled them with equal parts salt and sugar and a teeny bit of pepper, and roasted them.  I couldn't stop eating them!  Roasting really brings out the sweetness in vegetables.  This is my new favorite way to prepare cruciferous veggies.  I'm going to try this with broccoli this week.  What a delicious, healthy side dish for Thanksgiving too!


Roasted Brussels Sprouts
serves 4 (or 2, if you eat as many as I did!)

12 oz fresh brussels sprouts
olive oil
1 tsp each salt and sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper

1.  Rinse brussels sprouts.  Trim ends off, and cut in half.

2.  Combine salt, sugar, and pepper.

3.  Arrange brussels sprouts on baking sheet, cut side up.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt mixture.  You don't have to use all the salt mixture.

4.  Roast at 400 for about 20 minutes, flipping once partway through.

5.  Serve immediately.

Linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

November 21, 2010

Meal Plan, Thanksgiving Edition

One of the great things about having hunters come out and hunt on your land is they bring stuff like walnuts, honey, fish, and elk.  Today we got to eat some walleye.  What a treat!  Here's what we're eating the rest of the week:

Sunday- Fried Walleye, Baked Acorn Squash, Iced Pumpkin Cookies
Monday- Potato Leek Soup, Pear Cranberry Pie
Tuesday- Broiled Steak, fried potatoes (using beef tallow!), roasted broccoli
Wednesday- Tacos with all the fixins, carrot sticks
Thursday- Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Sausage Stuffing, Homemade Cranberry Sauce, Sweet Potato Casserole, Rolls, Mud Spinach (family recipe), Corn Pudding Supreme, Pumpkin Pie with Whipped Cream, Pumpkin Roll
Friday- Baked Whitefish, leftover sides
Saturday- Turkey Pot Pie

Have a great week!

You Know You're in the Country....

... when you say things like, "I'm going to town tomorrow."  "Town" of course is 60 miles away.

November 19, 2010

Frugal(er) Potatoes and Gravy

Here's a penny-pinching tip for making mashed potatoes and gravy that my mother-in-law taught me. Save the water you cook your potatoes in, and use that for the extra liquid in your gravy instead of plain water.  You save a couple cups of water this way.  Every bit counts right?

This post is linked to Frugal Friday.

November 18, 2010

Bottoms Up!

What is my kid doing?

 I think this is a yoga pose called "Downward Dog".


He used to do it randomly, without warning.  Now he still does it randomly, but he lets you know beforehand.  "MyDoSomeYoga!"

Maybe he is trying to find his center in the midst of the baby's crying..... or something like that.



Yeah, my two-year-old does yoga.  We're very worldy, sophisticated hicks.

November 17, 2010

You Know You're in the Country When...

...there are no traffic reports on the news, only weather.  At every commercial break on the radio there is a weather update.

Lest you think there are no traffic jams in rural places, think again!  There's a construction project going on in the town 60 miles away.  We have to drive through it to get to the interstate.  My husband and his family bemoan the fact it will take them 10 whole minutes longer to drive through town.  It's a major traffic jam.

And that's in town!  Out in the middle of nowhere we have to watch out for deer, antelope, and the occasional cow (or worse, a whole herd of them standing in the middle of the road). 



Rural traffic jam

Which brings me to another subject- the proper course of action to take after running over a cow.  My father-in-law told me the story of his two uncles.  One accidentally ran over a cow that belonged to the other.  They got in a fist fight because the first uncle didn't butcher the cow right then and there.  So, if you ever run over a cow, don't let it to go to waste!

November 16, 2010

Preparing for Baby When You Don't Know the Gender


We did not find out the genders of our children until they were born.  With our first child, our midwife insisted it be a surprise.  It was fun to be surprised, so we decided to do that again with our second.  But that made preparing for baby a little more difficult.  If you or someone you know has decided not to learn the baby's gender, here are some tips on how to prepare for baby.

Think White.  This is really the only color I can stand to see both of my children wear (although I guess technically white is not a color).  Yellow looked decidedly unfeminine on my girl, and my boy didn't look very good in it either.  White onesies, short and long-sleeved, as well as white t-shirts are all useful.  Also, white towels, crib sheets, and blankets all look very fresh and can go with pretty much any color scheme.

Stock up on diapers and other practical items.  There are lots of lists out there that tell you what to buy.  Stuff like medicines, baby wipes, shampoo, etc.  I know there is a list in Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn (and it's also a great book anyway!) 

Find a diaper bag that doesn't look like a diaper bag.  Just because you are a mom doesn't mean you have to lose all sense of style!  I use a cheetah print diaper bag.  It does have a pink lining, but nobody sees that.  My cousin carried a large purse that was white with black handles, and it looked very chic.  She was able to stuff a couple of diapers in there for her toddler along with her wallet, sunglasses, etc.

Baby Carriers.  There are plenty of beautiful ones out there that don't scream "boy" or "girl".  Check out the Ergo website.   

When it comes to baby gear, alot of what's out there is suitable for both boys and girls.  As I've done my shopping, I've kept in mind that it needs to work for both genders.  This is practical even if you do find out the sex of the baby, since you never know what the next one will be!  I've used the same infant car seat for two kids now.  It's brown and green, but it's a pretty pattern that works for either sex.  I chose gray for our convertible car seat.  Our playpen is black.  Our high chair is animal print.  Our jogging stroller is bright red.  You get the picture. 

If you end up buying a blue stroller and you have a girl, that's okay too.  You don't have to have all pink for your girls and all blue for your boys (although my little girl wears pink every day).  Just please don't dress your baby boy in pink.  That's one color that is really not gender neutral for babies!

Did you find out the sex of your baby?

Linked to WFMW.

November 15, 2010

Black Bean Cassoulet

I promised to post this, so here it is.  According to Dictionary.com, cassoulet is "a white-bean stew of french origin, often containing pork, mutton, garlic sausage, and preserved goose or duck".  I used black beans, chicken, and beef sausage.  Feel free to add more vegetables and herbs if your family tolerates them.   It's a cozy, protein-packed meal for a cold winter's day. 

Start by browning some chicken legs in some olive oil.


Cut up some onions, carrots, and garlic (not too much if you have a picky husband!)


Slice some cooked beef sausage.


Throw it all in the pot.


Throw in a can of black beans and pour some chicken broth over all.


Cover and bake at 250 for a couple of hours.  If it's too watery for you, bring it to a boil on the stove and boil until the liquid is reduced to your liking.  Serve over rice or bread if desired.

Of course I forgot to get a picture of the finished product.  I was too hungry!

Black Bean Cassoulet
(serves 2 grown ups and a toddler) 

Ingredients:
2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 chicken legs
salt and pepper
some baby carrots
2 TBSP finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
5 oz fully cooked beef sausage, sliced
1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup chicken stock

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in medium oven-safe pot over medium heat.  Season chicken with salt and pepper.

2.  Brown chicken on both sides.

3.  Add vegetables to pot.  Saute 2 minutes.

4.  Add sliced sausage.  Saute 2 minutes.

5.  Add stock and beans.  Stir well.

6.  Cover and bake for 2-3 hours at 250. 

7.  Remove from oven.  If cassoulet is too watery, bring to a boil on stove and cook until liquid is reduced to your liking.

8.  Season to taste and enjoy!


Preparing for Winter with Firewood

A fun winter chore for our family is to collect firewood to heat our house.  We live in an underground house so we are well-insulated.  We can go all winter without turning the heat on if we keep the fire going.

The creek in early fall.

Because our soil is very heavy clay and very alkaline, the only place trees grow on our ranch is in the creeks.  When the trees die the branches flow downstream and into our fields.  Then we have to clean out the fields before we cut our hay.  So, by gathering firewood we are killing two birds with one stone- keeping the fields a little cleaner, and heating our home! 

The grass is so long, it's hard to see much, but this is where we gathered our wood.

My husband cuts up the dead trees with a chainsaw to make them more evenly-sized.  Then we pile them on the 4-wheeler trailer and haul them home.  It's a family event.  Even my 2-year-old likes to pile the wood up.  I take the baby on my back if the weather's nice enough.

We try to stack the wood neatly against our retaining wall.


Our wood supply covered in fresh snow.

This year we were super busy, so we didn't gather any wood until November.  Last year we had a blizzard the first weekend of October!  Luckily this year it stayed dry until we got some wood collected!  It's hard to gather wood that's frozen to the ground.  Now we have a stash to last us a couple months.


November 14, 2010

Menu Plan Nov 14-20

Winter is upon us!  It has snowed on and off this week, so the baby and I have been snuggling in the house more than usual.  Luckily we managed to collect quite a bit of firewood before the storm hit.  Here's what we're having this week on the prairie:

Sunday, 11/14- Chicken Enchiladas, grapes
Monday, 11/15- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Tuesday, 11/16- Hamburgers, Fried Potatoes, Roasted Cabbage Wedges
Wednesday, 11/17- Cabbage Casserole, pears
Thursday, 11/18- Roast Beef with potatoes and carrots
Friday, 11/19- Baked White Fish (halibut or tilapia), Butter Roasted Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Saturday, 11/20- Homemade Pizza, peas

Last week I said I'd post the recipe for Cassoulet, so that's coming soon.  I haven't forgotten!

My Family Food Goals

One of my goals as a mom is to feed my family Real Food.  What does that mean?  It means whole foods, foods that are unprocessed, organic, locally grown, foods that take time and care to prepare, such as those found in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.  Of course, meeting all those standards is more of a long-term goal.  After all, I'm a busy girl, and my family is used to eating certain foods.  I'm taking baby steps, since that's really the most sane way to approach this task.

My first step on this journey was to start reading blogs that followed the Nourishing Traditions.  I read these crazy people talking about drinking raw milk and I thought, "How unsanitary and disgusting!"  I thought most of the recipes were really unhealthy because there was so much fat involved, but I was intrigued.

Then I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  That show really got me thinking.  It also made me angry.  How can fried potato strips that have been frozen and reheated pass for a vegetable in the school cafeteria?  I remember the episode where they made him serve bread and potatoes, because they were required to have two starches- as if kids today don't get enough starch.  It was mind-boggling to me to see what the government says is "good nutrition" for growing boys and girls.  Then those sweet little kids guzzling that sugary "milk" was the worst.  After that, I stopped buying the chocolate syrup. 

I finally broke down and bought Nourishing Traditions.  I remember when I first flipped through it, something clicked inside of me.  I knew what Sally Fallon Morrell was saying was true, that refined sugars and flours and man-made fats are the cause of most modern health problems.  However, she kept going on and on about how almost every item at the grocery store is bad for you.  She tells you to eat sauerkraut, but not the stuff on the shelves.  It must be 'lacto-fermented'.  And she says to eat yogurt, but not the stuff that's full of artificial colors and flavors.  Bake your own bread, she says, but you need to make sourdough (yuck).  Cook with lard, but not the partially hydrogenated stuff you find at WalMart.  Reading all this information left me feeling hopelessly overwhelmed.  Where to even begin?  Where would I even buy this stuff?  The worst part though, is where she writes something like, "If you don't have time to cook all this weird stuff, then you need to rethink your priorities".  I mean, how condescending!  Like, I've got cows to feed and laundry to do, all with kids clinging to me.  Work with me!  Then, to add insult to injury, her recipes are.... not very tasty.  The first one I tried was her banana bread.  All whole wheat flour, and some maple syrup for sweetener.  It was the heaviest, nastiest loaf of banana bread I'd ever eaten.  So I backed off.  I kept reading a couple of Real Food blogs, but I was feeding my family most of the same old stuff. 

But then I read Real Food for Mother and Baby, by Nina Planck.  What a breath of fresh air!  She tells you to eat canned salmon straight off the grocery store shelf because it's good for you!  Now that, I can do!  She tells you what's good to eat, and she doesn't make you panic.   I also starting eating lots more eggs. And then I read The Omnivore's Dilemma.  That inspired me to eat more vegetables.  And that helped me relax a little about the whole grass-fed cow thing.  I remember reading how Joel Salatin bought corn from his neighbor to feed his cows, even though it wasn't organic.  It was local and sustainable.  Now that, that I can work with. 

So, for now, I've become more mindful about what I'm eating.  I can read a food label and figure out what's in it.  I've decided to have fun with it.  I've experimented with natural sweeteners and different fats (coconut oil, anyone?).  I'm baking from scratch, making healthier treats for my son.  I still use at least half all-purpose flour when I'm baking, since my husband won't touch it otherwise.  I still use convenience foods too.  Alot of recipes I'll post on this blog won't follow Nourishing Traditions strictly, but they'll be food you make from scratch, with ingredients you can pronounce, and you can easily substitute.

My long term (5 year) food goals for my family are to reduce our consumption of refined sugars, and ultimately, our consumption of all sweeteners.   In the short term (as in the next year), I'd like to find a recipe for red sauce that I can use in my lasagna.  I'd like to make sauerkraut.  I'd like to find a good granola bar recipe.  I'll continue looking for ways to use coconut oil.  I'll try cooking organ meat.  I'd like to find some raw milk (yeah, we're a cattle ranch and we don't have raw cow's milk- weird I know).  And I'll continue learning how to have an extremely productive organic garden to feed my family!  Because I think that's the best way to ensure that what we're getting is local, organic, and sustainable.

November 10, 2010

Frugal Baking Tip

My grandmother, Lit Paw Paw, taught me this neat little trick.  She is the queen of repurposing things.  She also saves everything, so if you ever need a piece of string, a slip of paper, some fabric, a jar, etc, she'll have it.  And she knows exactly where she's stored it too!  Here's her trick: when you need to grease a pan for baking, use the wrapper that the butter comes in.  Just rub the wrapper on your pan.  This works best if you are using the whole stick of butter in your recipe, so you have an empty wrapper!

Linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

November 8, 2010

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This is my all-time favorite soup.  It is another great recipe from Cook's Country (that magazine is the best)!  This soup is full of Real Food ingredients.  So delicious and hearty.  I like to double it and freeze some, although the roasting pan gets kind of crowded when I do that. 

*I don't add the heavy cream and I don't add extra water at the end , but those steps are in the original recipe.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

First you peel your butternut squash.  I found laying it on its side worked well.


Scrape seeds and pulp out of the squash.


Cut squash into 1 1/2" chunks and spread them on your roasting pan.


Grab some shallots.


Peel the shallots and toss them onto the pan too.


Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat. 


Roast at 425 for about 45 minutes.


Pour some chicken broth on the vegetables.  Throw them back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Put vegetables and remaining broth in saucepan.


Puree with an immersion blender.  Add maple syrup, nutmeg, and cider vinegar.


Seaon with salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!


Roasted Butternut Squash Soup- from Cook's Country magazine
serves 4

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
2 medium shallots, peeled and quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth (use low-sodium if you're using store-bought)
1 TBSP maple syrup
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions:

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425.  Toss squash, shallots, oil, salt, and pepper on a large roasting pan.  Arrange in a single layer.  Roast, stirring occasionally (this is important!) until vegetables are golden brown and softened, about 45 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup broth to pan and stir.  Return to oven and cook until liquid has reduced and vegetables are glazed, about 5 minutes.
2.  Puree squash and remaining broth (I like to use an immersion blender right in my saucepan).  Stir in syrup, vinegar, nutmeg, and cream (if using).  Bring soup to simmer over medium-low heat, adding 1/4 cup water at a time as necessary to adjust consistency.  Serve.

Linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

November 7, 2010

Menu Plan Nov 8-13



We had a really fun weekend with company.  We took advantage of the nice weather by doing lots of work outside.  We hauled hay to grind, cut and stacked firewood, and swept alot of dirt.  It's so nice to have an extra pair of arms to hold the baby (even if she doesn't like it for too long).  This week we have to get rid of lots of leftovers.  The weather's finally cooling off, so I'm excited about making the Cassoulet.  It's such a nutritious, cozy dish on a fall day.  It's a great way to get kids and husbands to eat their beans!  I'll share the recipe this week.
Sunday- Roast Beef with Potatoes and Carrots
Monday- Fried Round Steak, Butternut Squash Soup, Artichokes
Tuesday- Leftovers
Wednesday- Hamburgers, Sauerkraut, Carrot sticks
Thursday- Two-Bean Cassoulet
Friday- birthday party for my nephew
Saturday- Leftovers

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans!

November 5, 2010

A Sheep Wagon

Here's an old sheep wagon on the prairie:


We drove past it the other day.


Someone used to live in there!

My son, the Little Buddy, helpfully remarked, "Dis gotta flat tire Mama".


Makes me feel like I live in a castle!

Linked to Finer Things Friday.

November 4, 2010

November 3, 2010

Rendering Tallow and Homemade Potato Chips

A few days ago I tried rendering beef tallow for the first time, to fry up some potato chips.  Can I just say, they were out of this world amazing?  And I'm not a potato gal.  Beef tallow is the fat MacDonald's used to use for their french fries, back before everyone thought animal fats were bad.  Folks who've read Nourishing Traditions know that's not always the case. 

I found my tallow in the in-laws' deep freeze.  Lucky for me, they had saved it the last time we butchered a cow (I'll write a post about that in the future, if you can stomach it).  I don't really know where to purchase tallow, except straight from the farmer (that would be rancher, in our case). 

Here's how you render beef tallow (or lard).

You cut it into small-ish chunks (1 1/2" to 2").  Then you put it in a pan and cook it on low, covered, for a couple of hours.  I stirred mine every once in a while.  Here it is after about an hour:



After a couple of hours, it is ready to be strained.



Once you strain it through a colander, it looks like this:


Looks just like vegetable oil!

It will return to a solid state once it's cooled.  I suggest storing it in the fridge.

To make potato chips, use a mandolin or a good knife and a steady hand to slice some potatoes really thin.  I used red potatoes to make these, because that's what I had:


Put enough tallow in your pan to reach a depth of 2".  Heat your tallow on medium high.  Drop a small slice of potato in the fat.  If the fat is hot enough, the potato will start bubbling and rise to the surface. 

When the fat is hot enough, drop a handful of potato slices into the fat.  Don't crowd them.  Cook about 3-5 minutes per side.  Try not to overcook them.

Drain on a paper-towel lined plate.  Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.   I didn't get a picture of the chips because they were gone too quickly!  Delicious!

You can also re-use the tallow to fry another batch of potato chips.  I would guess the tallow would keep about a week in the fridge (probably longer, but I really don't know). 

November 2, 2010

Housekeeping- Make it a Habit!

I used to sleep on dirty sheets.  I admit it.  I would sleep on them for several weeks without washing them.  Gross!  This summer I had had enough.  I knew I needed a system to clean my sheets once a week.  It's not like it's hard to wash them.  You just throw them in the washing machine, switch them over to the dryer, and then remake the bed.  Not really a hands-on chore.  It just requires some forethought.  So, I made a decision to toss them into the washer every Monday morning.  That way I could definitely get them dry before bedtime.  Now, I sleep on clean sheets!  Mission accomplished. 

Do you have a chore that you need to do on a regular basis?  Start a habit!  If you can make it part of your routine, it'll probably stay there. 

What housekeeping chore do you struggle with?

Linked to WFMW.

Big's Macaroni and Cheese

I always get nostalgic in the fall (who doesn't?) and I start missing the food from my childhood.  This is my grandfather's recipe.  He and my grandmother moved in with us when I was 8.  I have lots of fond memories of them.  I called both my grandfather and my grandmother "Paw Paw" until I was about 3.  My grandfather was 6'1", and my grandmother is about 5'1".  So I started calling him "Big Paw Paw" and her "Lit Paw Paw" (Lit as in little).  I'm not sure why I've always spelled it "paw paw", but I know I've done that since I could read and write.  As we grew older, my brother started shortening their names to just "Big" and "Lit".  Big died in 1997, but Lit is 89 years old.

Since I only make it about once a year, I just use the white pasta, but you could surely use whole wheat.  This tastes best when you let it sit a few minutes after baking.  It's also great cold. 
Big's Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1/2 lb elbow macaroni (uncooked)
2 cloves garlic, peeled, still whole
1 lb cheese (I love extra sharp cheddar), cut into 1/2" chunks
1 egg
1 cup milk
salt and pepper
shredded cheese for topping

Directions:

1.  Cook noodles with whole garlic cloves in boiling water until al dente.  Drain, discard garlic.

2.  Grease an oven-safe glass bowl (or other deep casserole).  Layer noodles with cheese chunks, finishing with noodles. 

3.  Combine milk, egg, salt and pepper.  Pour over noodles, filling all spaces.  Top with shredded cheese.

4.  Bake at 350 degreese until brown and bubbly (at least 30 minutes). 

5.  If you want a crust on top, preheat broiler.  Broil 2-3 minutes, or until browned.  (I love the crust!)

Oh man, just typing this post makes my mouth water!

Visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for more great recipes.

November 1, 2010

Gratituesday- Honey

I am so excited about this honey.  My neighbor gave it to me.  A bee company put some hives on her land this summer, and they gave her a 5 gallon bucket of honey in return.  She is keeping it in her basement, thinking it will last longer.  She had to cut it out of the bucket with a knife. 


This is the weirdest honey I've ever seen.



Oops, you can see my reflection on the spoon!  This is the jar that was still pretty cold, and thus, hard.

I had set the other jar in my garage, which is apparently warmer than my kitchen.

It tastes delicious too.  I've already used some to make granola bars.  Can't wait to try it in my Honey Wheat Bread. 

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!