 A new kind of frozen yogurt. Everyone thinks about losing weight after Christmas. Or not. It is winter in North Dakota and so we need a few extra carbs to get through these cold winter nights. After a good night's sleep, it's important to Break Your Fast by eating. Many people do not appreciate food - but some of us wake up and think, "I'm starving. What can I eat." Time is precious in the morning, even with out children to get ready for school, I sometimes run out of time to eat a good breakfast. So, here are a few quick items to cook, and/or grab on your way out the door. Be sure and scroll all the way to the end to get some tips about easy morning smoothies. 1. Overnight Oats: Mix 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats with 1/2 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. raw honey, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tbs. each chia and ground flax seeds. Mix well and place in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, top with 1/2 cup organic berries and 2 tbs chopped raw almonds or walnuts. You can take this one to work and microwave for a hot cereal. If you make your own granola, you can use that instead of oats. YUMMMY goodness times two. Omelets are the quickest hot breakfast around. It's even simpler if you prepare your toppings and grate your cheese the evening before. 2. Breakfast Tacos: Cook 2 eggs with chopped sausage, 1 tsp. Parmesan cheese and place in a sprouted grain tortilla and top with salsa (red or green) and 1/4 of an avocado or 2 tbs guacamole. 3. South of the Border Omelet: In a little coconut or olive oil, sauté chopped onion, Ortega chiles, tomato, and mushrooms until soft; add 3 whisked eggs and cook until bottom is set. Flip and cook 1 minute longer. Serve with 1 slice sprouted grain toast. 4. Berrylicious Smoothie: Combine 6 oz. tart cherry juice, 3/4 cup frozen organic mixed berries raspberries, 1 tbs chia seed, and 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, ice if necessary. Blend until smooth. Here are a few tips and tricks to get that smoothie on in the morning. 1. Buy a Nutra Bullet. You will love it. 2. Take a quart of greek yogurt -- plain or vanilla. Mix in cinnamon to taste. Then spoon into silicone cookie molds. Freeze until solid. 3. Toast some oats. Yes, toasted oats have a richer flavor and you can easily do that in an oven set to about 300° in a high-sided cookie sheet. 4. Peel some bananas, or get those frozen bananas out of the freezer, peel and chunk. 5. Find those blueberries you purchased at the peak of summer and froze. Open a bag or two of those blue-tiful berries.
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CLICK HERE for the article about Great Uncle Jake and his 105th birthday. He actually got to read it and sent me a note. I'm looking for that note.
By 9 a.m. Saturday morning, I was up to my elbows in homemade vegetable soup, a hand-knit sweater, and framing a photo for a wedding gift. Somewhere in the middle of it all, I turned on my cell phone. I think I was going to call my mother, instead, I found a message. My children maintain if I turn that phone on, it would be more useful. However, in spite of having a cell phone for nearly 10 years, it's mostly always off. In case of an emergency, it's on. On the other hand, my Uncle Ed uses his phone, and he has a computer with e-mail. The message was from him. He had called on Friday. I called him back right away. "Do you want to go to a birthday party for a 105-year-old in South Dakota," he asked. It surprised me, because I didn't know what he was talking about. "Uncle Jake," he said. "We are meeting your mom and dad in Wishek, and then driving to Bowdle." Darn. Looking at the mess in my house, and not being able to figure out how to leave it, I turned him down. "Take pictures," I said, before hanging up. "Thanks for reminding me. I will go get the camera right now," he said. Sure enough, by Sunday evening I had e-mail with photos of Uncle Jake, my parents, some aunts and uncles, and the cake. Now, I'm not sure but I think Uncle Jake is my grandmother's brother because they have the same last name. That would make him Uncle Ed's uncle and my, well.... You get the picture. We've never been able to decipher the second cousin, once removed, thing, so why try? The photos were great. Not knowing what to expect, I was surprised. I remember seeing Uncle Jake at the family reunion in Bismarck about three years ago. Wow, he looks fantastic or as close to that as possible when you are over 100 years old. I'm sorry I didn't get the message any sooner, it would have been a great experience, and there may never be another chance. Hopefully, someone sent the photo to the Today Show and the Smucker's Jelly birthday segment because I do not know too many people who even think about living that long. Uncle Ed said Uncle Jake's getting a little tired of celebrating birthdays and was commenting on how he'd rather everybody came to his funeral instead. Perhaps that's true. Think about the changes you have seen in your lifetime. Then, think about the changes that have occurred in the past 105 years. In 1901, the Wright Brothers built a 17-foot glider. But, another man, Gustave Whitehead a Germany immigrant reported to authorities that he gained flight in his flying in a field in Fairfield, Connecticut. He stated that he was able to sustain flight where he gained an altitude of 200 feet and flew 1.5 miles just before dawn. "I was soaring above my fellow beings in a thing my own brain had evolved". The craft had two propellers driven by a 12 HP engine that weighed 54 lbs. There were no photos, so nothing could be proved. Between 1901 and 1904, Pablo Picasso was going through his Blue Period. He was painting with mostly blue colors in a style that was not recognized at the time - abstract art. In 1901, Marconi sent his first radio communication across the Atlantic Ocean, and King Gillette invented a safety razor with a disposable blade. Corn Flakes were not made until 1906. Zippers were invented in 1914, and the television came along in 1926. In was 1938 until the ballpoint pen was invented, so Uncle Jake must have written in pencil until he was 37 years old, unless he used a quill and I doubt that. In 1952, the transistor radio made music and news portable. Now, we are able to have television on our phones, televisions, and laptops. Can you imagine how life has changed for Uncle Jake in 105 years? Heck, life has changed so much in my lifetime and I'm not even half his age... Some days, I wonder what I did before a computer. There was no e-mail or Internet, no online banking, no e-books, music videos, or digital images. It was great. If I remember correctly, I gardened, canned, baked, and cooked to my heart's content. It was a great life. So, yes, I can see why Uncle Jake feels a bit like it's time to go home. Uncle Ed said, "I've never met anyone who wants to home to heaven as much as Uncle Jake."  The note on the back says the picture was take in the middle of August 1983. Enjoy! Sandy  HERE is the link to the personal column I refer to in the following text.
I'm looking for something. A piece of paper with scrawling lines of pen. Uneven rows of words that provide a piece of the puzzle of my life. It's nowhere to be found where I thought it should be found. I'll keep looking. For today, I would like to share another piece or two of that puzzle. A distant relative (please don't ask me to connect the dots) posted a photo of my father's Uncle Jake Schilling on Facebook. It's a great photo with a farmhouse and hollyhocks and loads of feelings tied to days of our youth. She shared it with me. And, when I find that piece of paper with the note he wrote to me I will share it with her. My great Uncle Jake wrote that note to me after he read a personal column I wrote about what it must be like to celebrate 105 years of life. My biggest regret is not going to the party when Uncle Ed invited me. I found the article. At one time printed on paper, now just x's and o's saved to my hard drive. With that article is the photo of Uncle Jake on his birthday. It's been a year of loss so far. According to my father seven or eight of our relatives have passed away and two just this past week. A generational turnover of sorts. In the early part of the year, I feel the need to do some spring cleaning. I've been sorting and stowing and throwing and then putting things back where they have not seen the light of day for many years. In particular the old letters I have saved. I can't seem to part with them. We will talk about that later. Today, I would like to share my column and a couple of photos of my Great Uncle Jake Schilling. Just because that photo stirred up a memory in this recipe I call my life. Valentines Day means roses and chocolate.
History of Chocolate in a nutshell from History of Chocolate - https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate Chocolate is made from the fruit of cacao trees, which are native to Central and South America. The fruits are called pods, and each pod contains around 40 cacao beans. The beans are dried and roasted to create cocoa beans. Mayan Chocolate: The Olmecs undoubtedly passed their cacao knowledge on to the Central American Mayans who not only consumed chocolate, they revered it. The Mayan written history mentions chocolate drinks being used in celebrations and to finalize important transactions. Cacao Beans as Currency: The Aztecs took chocolate admiration to another level. They believed cacao was given to them by their gods. Like the Mayans, they enjoyed the caffeinated kick of hot or cold, spiced chocolate beverages in ornate containers, but they also used cacao beans as currency to buy food and other goods. In Aztec culture, cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold. Spanish Hot Chocolate: There are conflicting reports about when chocolate arrived in Europe, although it’s agreed it first arrived in Spain. One story says Christopher Columbus discovered cacao beans after intercepting a trade ship on a journey to America and brought the beans back to Spain with him in 1502. Chocolate in the American Colonies: Chocolate arrived in Florida on a Spanish ship in 1641. It’s thought the first American chocolate house opened in Boston in 1682. By 1773, cocoa beans were a major American colony import and people of all classes enjoyed chocolate. Cacao Powder: When chocolate first came on the scene in Europe, it was a luxury only the rich could enjoy. But in 1828, Dutch chemist Coenraad Johannes van Houten discovered a way to treat cacao beans with alkaline salts to make powdered chocolate that was easier to mix with water. The process became known as “Dutch processing,” and the chocolate produced called cacao powder or “Dutch cocoa.” Nestle Chocolate Bars: For much of the 19th century, chocolate was enjoyed as a beverage; milk was often added instead of water. In 1847, British chocolatier J.S. Fry and Sons created the first chocolate bar molded from a paste made of sugar, chocolate liquor, and cocoa butter. Chocolate Today: Most modern chocolate is highly-refined and mass-produced, although some chocolatiers still make their chocolate creations by hand and keep the ingredients as pure as possible. Chocolate is available to drink but is more often enjoyed as an edible confection or in desserts and baked goods. While your average chocolate bar isn’t considered healthy, dark chocolate has earned its place as a heart-healthy, antioxidant-rich treat.
It's never too early to begin planning your garden. Instead of bemoaning the cold and snow, start thinking spring. Here is a short video of hints and tips for transplants and seeds using some common household items. I have already placed and received two orders of seeds. I might have enough but without a doubt there's more to be found with all the seed catalogs that continue to come in the mail. Have a question about your garden. Ask away. I would be happy to help.  Planting seedlings in rolled paper pots is a successful way to recycle, add compost-able matter to your garden and save a little money on plastic pots. Sounds ominous... but it's not.
It's coming on time to be planting our little seedlings. You will find many voices of advice out there on social media. Yes, voices of reason, but also all those "hacks" you see to make your gardening more simple. Well, here's what I think. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHaaaaaa. My spouse spends more time on Facebook than I do and so he sends me things like recipes and hints and tips to make my life easier. We all do it in February or March whether full bore hundreds of seeds or just a windowsill garden. Some of the hacks for seedlings include egg cartons, egg shells, paper pots, etc. etc. His latest post was about planting seeds in ice cream cones. Oh, yes... they are inexpensive, but with all the rest of those crazy ideas, they are never quite thought through. Imagine this. An ice cream cone poses several problems. It won't stand up on its own What happens when a cone gets wet? Even only melted ice cream will create a huge mess, and you will never be able to get those cones out of the tray and into your garden in one piece. So take this little tidbit of advice and watch the video on "pot rolling" on the home page of this website. And, stay tuned for more planting advice and photos as winter slips into spring - "Yippee the season of gardens." Got questions, please don't hesitate to comment on this post, I will respond as soon as possible. .The next two weeks find us talking about food trends on Main Street Eats with Ashley Thronberg and Doug Hamilton. It's kinda crazy and usually humans end up eating what they want anyway. However, you will find some stranger and stranger things on the shelves inyour supermarket so let's take a look at what's in and what's not for 2019.
This list came from the Whole Foods market list. It's based on what they are seeing people ask for and purchase as well as experiment. Where I come from, food was not too experimental, more basic ... but it's fun to try new things, so here's a few ideas to get your new year off to a flavorful start. What’s in for foodies in 2019 (Whole Foods list) Pacific Rim flavors Dried shrimp Shrimp paste Dragon fruit Passion fruit Jackfruit as an alternative to meat. I read that this can be used instead of barbecue pulled pork. And, extract of Monk Fruit can be used in place of added sugar. Shelf-stable probiotics Everything pickled again makes the shelf. Of course, if you know me, you know that my probiotics come from the farm milk we drink, homemade kombucha and sauerkraut straight from the crock. With new strains of probiotics such as Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 and Bacillus coagulans MTCC 5856 being created? Discovered? Manufacture? there are more shelf-stable products possible. Youwill find manufacturers are adding probiotics to other foods like granola, soup and nut butters. Not only that there will be probiotics sunscreen, lotion and cleaning supplies. We had a lot to say about that including the fact that we agreed sauerkraut is shelf stable. So, is this just a ploy? Phat fats Nope, there was a minuet moment in my life when I used margarine for cookies. I blame it on being a stay-at-home mom with a limited income and two children. However, I just couldn't eat the stuff on bread. And, my pie crust always had lard in it. But a lot of people gave up butter (God Forbid) and lard and things they felt were not good for them. Hoever, fats are making a comeback, and the trendiest diets are on board. People are poo-poo-ing margarine and getting out the butter and lard. Some popular ways to injest healthy fats (think grass-fed beef) are
Melt over medium-low heat. When the whey floats to the top, skim it off. ... When the milk fat sinks to the bottom and the butter turns clear, you've made clarified butter. When the milk fats brown and become fragrant, you've made ghee. Variations on traditional meaty snacks like chicken chips and thin, crisped beef jerky. Sorry, I like the traditional flavors and really have issues with chicken chips... ugh. Next level hemp (2019 Farm Bill legalizes industrial hemp production) Here's a crop after my own heart. But we will save that for another story. It's in and coming on strong in all different directions. But this hemp is not to be confused with the kind that makes you high. Here's a web page that will inform you on the virtue of hemp to our farm industry. https://ministryofhemp.com/hemp/history/. Hemp will be broght to you way of hemp hearts, seeds and oils, body care products, foods, microgreens and fabrics. I have used hemp fabric, dyed hemp fabric and it is amazing. Andalou Naturals has introduced hemp plant stem cells in their CannaCell body care collection. Non-cannabis-derived sources from the endocannabinoid system (which are named after the cannabis plant that inspired their discovery), like phytocannabinoids that exist in nature, are also becoming more visible and prevalent due to the growing trend. It’s clear that hemp-derived products are going mainstream, if not by wide distribution, then by word of mouth! Faux meat snacks We will just skip over this cause as my friend Annie says, “If you are going to abstain from eating meat, quit trying to fake it…or just eat the real thing.” Eco-conscious packaging Thats correct, any good food trend addresses the issue of packaging. I can't believe how much packaging it takes to bring food and such to the general public. And, we don't even buy processed food at the store. YIKES. Here's what you need to purchase/do. • Banning straws, • Recyclable straws • Straw-less sipper cups • FINALLY – bring your own mesh produce bags to market. • Waxed canvas or silicone covers for bowls and wrapping sandwiches. Trailblazing frozen treats Okay, Ashley's dream topic - weird flavor ice cream. Yep you gotta listen to the second episode of food trends cause you are not going to believe what she has tried. But you can surely get on board with these new ice cream flavors - avocado, hummus, tahini and coconut water or ... CocoWhip Soft Serve and ice creams with savory swirls of artisanal cheese. Who doesn't appreciate adding dairy to dairy. Globally-inspired frozen desserts are taking the stage — possibly sparked by 2018’s mochi craze and that Thai rolled ice cream craze. Popsicles and gelatos won’t be left out of the fun — they’ll get some buzz with boozier infusions coming to market. Yep, you will be carded. Marine munchies, beyond seaweed What can I say? We are fairly land-locked here in the Northern Plains. Snack time More takes on snacking nod to the comforting treats of your second grade lunchbox, with better ingredients. Portable snack packages will feature bites like prosciutto and aged mozzarella, and artisanal versions of classic snacks like cheese or peanut butter cracker sandwiches. Ingredient-conscious snack and treat makers are creating new packaged snacks that take us back to our treat-loving childhoods but with higher quality ingredients, some of which are updated to accommodate special diets. NOTE: This year’s predictions came from Whole Foods Market’s culinary experts and industry leaders who source items and lead trend-spotting initiatives across the retailer’s more than 490 stores. The in-house specialists combine their expertise from all departments including cheese, specialty, grocery, meat, seafood, prepared foods, produce and body care when preparing the forward-looking trends report. READ it yourself right here. Whether you bought one your self or were gifted a poinsettia, they can be kept as a houseplant. Now, getting them to bloom is a totally different story.
First off, poinsettias are a tropical plant. That means they don't appreciate the weather in the great white north. So keep them away from windows where temperature changes can affect their sensitivities. Being tropical, they appreciate light, humidity and even watering. You can keep them out of direct sunlight, but they like bright light -- at least six hours a day. (That in it self may be hard to find in December in North Dakota.) Temperatures should be 65-70-degrees, and the soil kept moist, but not sopping wet. That means if repotting, put them in a pot with drainage. If you are determined to force your plant to bloom again in time for Christmas, follow these tips from LOWES.COM.
Good luck with your newest houseplant - but if want my advice ... buy a new plant next December and call it good. Listen to the Main Street Eats episode on poinsettias by clicking the logo on the home page or HERE. WHAT to gift THE COOK/BAKER/FOODIE in the family this Christmas
My mother never had a set of measuring spoons or cups in her cupboard. She cut pastry with two knives her whole life. When she measured she used her hand or a tea cup. Teaspoons were weighed with the cover on the bottle or scooped out of a Schilling spice can with a table spoon. There were not special pans, blenders, food processors, nothing but your ordinary table settings and a few nice bowls. So do your foodies a favor this Christmas and get them some of these reasonable stocking stuffers. Some small items that every kitchenista needs from under $25 can be found at local stores. BE SURE AND BUY A GOOD QUALITY tool – not utensils from the grocery store. Reasonably good places to shop are: Kohl’s (has the Food Network line of tools.) William Sonoma Chefs Bed Bath and Beyond Target King Arthur JoAnn Fabrics And, don't forget to support your local cooking stores. For the baker in your life.
There are also many “pretty” measuring spoons and cups shaped like animals, etc. I have a nesting doll measuring set, I just don't want to use them for everyday cause I don't want to break them. YES, I admit I am a wild worker in the kitchen. My little girls are allowed to play with them and have had many hours of fun without ever breaking them.
If you wanna go big for your kitchen god or goddess buy them a heavy duty mixer. Kitchen-aid mixer with attachments. Mixer – 5 qt around $250 (Watch for sales) Or Pro model for around $600. There are all these wonderful attachments that save you from purchasing a multitude of kitchen gadgets that eat up space.
Good Food Processor – Cuisinart is a good brand for about $100-200. Get one large enough to handle pie crust, making sauerkraut, etc. Clay Bread Bakers -- $35-$100. TOP PICK for the baker or cook that has everything. Be sure and consider a CSA subscription so your foodie would receive a box or bag of veggies every week from 12-17 weeks for about $400-$750. That’s a gift for anyone who loves fresh veggies and doesn’t have a garden. Merry Christmas and don't forget to shop local first... |
