Month: October 2012

Spice cabinet

/ thepantrybook / Leave a comment

20121031-155127.jpg

20121031-155518.jpg

I reorganized my spice cabinet! I just squeal with excitement when I open the cabinet and see the matching jars lined up. I put my most frequently used spices in larger jars (chili powder, curry powder, 21 Seasoning Salute, oregano, thyme, bay leaves, and cumin) in the front. Then I put all my sweet spices to the left and a few of those are big too (cinnamon sticks, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, mulling spices).
In general, I buy spices whole and grind them as needed. But I go through pumpkin pie spice, chili powder, and 21 seasoning salute fast enough that I just buy those already ground.
I also took the bottles I don’t use very often (like pickling spice and dill) and put those in a plastic tub on the top shelf – it’s still easy to grab if I need it, but it doesn’t obscure my view of the regular use jars.
Other than keeping the sweet spices together (which I use for chai) , I also like to keep hot spices together (chili powder, cayenne, ancho, chili pepper flakes, etc.) and herbs together (rosemary, marjoram, basil, cilantro, chives, and parsley).

Yay!

What’s For Dinner? Grass-fed BBQ Brisket with Potatoes and Kraut – Yumsky!

/ thepantrybook / 2 Comments

Yumsky!

I think I am on a roll with dinner lately because this one’s another high-fives-all-around meal!!!

I baked this grass fed beef brisket in my Dutch Oven (the tight-fighting lid being a critical component) on 300 degrees for a few hours today and ohmygoodness, was it good. We were worried about losing power, so we thought we’d cook a hunk of meat in a vessel that retains heat (thus, the Dutch Oven). I used the recipe from Wellness Mama here. Basically, you pierce the roast on all sides with a knife (she said every 1/2 inch, but I probably did it a lot more than that) to physically tenderize the meat. Then you add liquid smoke and Worcestershire sauce and marinate in the fridge for a few days. The recipe said to cook it for 8-10 hours, but this brisket was kinda puny, so it was done after about four hours. I just pulled it out of the oven when it was done and then reheated it at 200 degrees right before dinner. And around the time I was reheating it, I realized we had no veggies, and Kent suggested we use up some potatoes. So, I just cut about six CSA potatoes into very small pieces (to cook faster) and quickly sauteed them with butter on the stove since I didn’t want to delay dinner. Once the potatoes were done I just dumped them in the Dutch Oven in top of the roast while we made a salad and set the table. By the time we served it, the potatoes had soaked up the sauce and it was delish!! We served it with some of Kent’s homemade BBQ sauce and the saurkraut we’re keeping out until the storm passes – in case we lose power and have to keep the fridge closed for a while. If you make this, you won’t be sorry – I promise!

What’s for Dinner? A Bier Rocks Recipe!! YUM!!!

/ thepantrybook / 2 Comments

A new family favorite! This is a high-fives-all-around meal. My sister introduced me to this winner meal and I am oh-so-grateful. I made a few tweaks to her recipe (we added the saurkraut at the end to preserve the living enzymes), but all the credit goes to Aunty Kristen!! Thanks, Sis!

I had eaten all the sauerkraut by the time I thought to take a picture, but I promise I had a lot on my plate!

 

Ingredients:

grass fed ground beef (1 pound)

bread dough (the same soaked dough that we make in bulk and use for loaves of bread, dinner rolls, pizza dough, etc.)

1 onion

garlic, minced, to taste (we used 5 cloves)

lactofermented sauerkraut

organic mustard

 

Simply brown your ground beef with garlic and onions, then be sure to drain your meat! Grass fed beef is already quite lean, but any liquid will make your bier rocks soggy =(

Roll out your dough and cut into squares (we had eight from the amount of dough that would have made one loaf of bread).

Place a few heaping spoonfuls of  the beef mixture onto your dough square and bring up the corners of the dough to make a pouch and then seal with your fingers. Then place the whole thing, seam-side down, on your baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Heap sauerkraut and mustard onto the bier rocks on your plate. Don’t hold back! The enzymes in the saurkraut help to digest the rest of the meal. When your digestion is improved, that means you are absorbing the nutrients in your food. Yay for probiotic foods!!!

I think this recipe will be in monthly rotation around here. I am thinking of making up four or five batches and freezing them. Gotta love freezer meals!

Adele’s Nature Shelf

/ thepantrybook / 2 Comments

We don’t “do” school officially yet, but we are learning all the time. I try to slow Adele down to see the wonder of God’s creation whenever I can. She loves collecting little nature things for her “Nature Shelf” (as she calls it). Here it is, recently organized in this lovely little box from Grammy.

House Dreams

/ thepantrybook / 1 Comment

I’ve been trying to organize my wants/hopes/dreams/etc. for our future home (which we have no information on the location of, yet). I wanted to link them all here, so that they are easier to find. I also want to note (a reminder to myself as much as anyone else) that we already have MORE than we could ever actually NEED. Anything that I may list here is just a WANT, because I want to be organized about what we spend our money on, that’s all. Hopefully, we can balance these wants with our current path toward being completely debt-free (no student loans and no mortgage).

Kitchen (inspiration pics to flesh out the general direction as well as specific elements I hope to incorporate)

Mudroom/Sewing Room/Laundry Room (inspiration pics and also specific millwork looks)

Homestead (a list of specific animals and plants as well as links to additional info and buying sources)

Home design (my thoughts on bits and pieces I’d like to incorporate if we build)

I also have a few posts about Adele’s room (here and here), which have mostly turned into posts about her quilt (which will probably be in progress for a few more months).

Since these posts are all about our (future) house, I thought I’d also link my posts about our current kitchen (and what’s in our pantry as well as what’s not).

Everett Update October 2012

/ thepantrybook / Leave a comment

Praising God for:

Ev is now eating so well! He’s excellent at drinking liquids from his squishy blue cup. He really seems to enjoy yogurt and kefir. I am giving him about three blue cups-worth at each meal. I have been grinding up some of whatever the rest of the family is eating in the baby food maker and mixing that with some yogurt, which has been working really well

Rolling! Ever since our weekend in CT in Oct, he’s been rolling several times a day, anytime I put him on his tummy.

New glasses. Grateful for provision to buy them (since they weren’t covered by insurance), although Everett thinks they are a chew toy.

Anat baniel method therapy. Grateful for provision to pay for the therapy. Grateful for insurance paying part. Everett’s right hand has really loosened up. We’ve had one week with no ABM therapy (Carla is out of town) and his hand is unfortunately really tight.

Masgutova neuro sensorimotor reflex integration (MNRI) therapy. Barbara has been doing about an hour of MNRI therapy (albeit less when he’s unhappy because of teething) every weekday. It takes soooo much pressure off of me to know that he is getting some therapy. One day this week, I came down after taking a shower and Barbara had been simultaneously doing ev’s therapy and teaching Adele a colors lesson in Portuguese.

Petitioning God for:

Head turning to the left. It seems like Everett has trouble turning his head to his left. I’ve been turning his highchair so that he has to turn his head left to eat. I gently touch the food to his cheek and most of the time turns and opens his mouth wide. Sometimes, though, he turns it sharply to the right and cries out, apparently in frustration.

Teething relief. Two canine teeth have popped through a bit but the gums are pretty swollen for all four. Ev likes it when I rub his gums so hard they squeak. Teething discomfort seems to have cased some motoric regression. Also, sleep for both of us has been affected. It seems like ev hasn’t slept through the night in a few weeks. The problem is that the extra nursing causes him to exceed the capacity of his diaper. Yuck! In both of our beds!

My Dream Kitchen

/ thepantrybook / 3 Comments

These are the things that I would like to include in our new kitchen (still in the dream stage):

1 – A Balance between Hardworking, Rustic Farmhouse and Elegance/Beauty

It’s a real struggle for me to envision a kitchen that will work hard and be fun and convenient to actually use, but that won’t overwhelm me with so much visual clutter that I don’t even want to be in there. I’ve been really inspired by Darlene, who also loves “Farmhouse Elegance.”

Well, this is my dream kitchen. She’s just about perfect in every way. Gorgeous and hard-working at the same time. Ahhhhhhh.

I REALLY love the combination of countertops in this kitchen too. I love raw butcher block combined with marble. I like marble that doesn’t look brand new. I hope it’s kind of scratched up, actually.

Here she is from another angle. Her stove and hood are amazing. I LOVE that inset spice shelf. And even with all the stainless steel in the side-by-side full refrigerator and full freezer, the massive amounts of wood keep it from feeling sterile. LOVE her in every way.

A closer look at that inset spice shelf

a closer look at the stove area

5283f8e91397e9bc3fcd52d619c2497d  ae7229e7882e78c9e7e12c3279b6ebf8  035f0c7501213e0e3dba9906554baf10

aba26223ec5212fd6dfc691a2a4a00b95ec5de51cdb64a176c4745157c33f1df

I really, really really like this one, but it’s still a little bit too cluttered for me. Maybe it’s just the staging. I bet with a few things off the counters, it would be perfect. In fact, my friend P says this one makes her think of our house in Mystic

2 – A Large, Dramatic, Gorgeous European Range

Not sure if it’s possible, but I really want a European oven like Aga or LaCornue. Soooo pretty! And I really like having multiple ovens and the use of warming zones.

so pretty – and large capacity!

ahhh, Aga!

3 – A Large, Dramatic, Gorgeous European Hood

To balance the large, dramatic, gorgeous European stove under it, of course.

Again, it might not be possible, but that’s what I love in pictures of other kitchens.

I don’t know if it would make me feel claustrophobic, but I like the side walls on this hood and I like the decorative shelf, too (but I worry it could be a greasy dust magnet – probably not worth it).

Amazing copper? hood. And I LOOOOOVE that island! And those lanterns! This whole kitchen is amazing!

Another amazing hood. I like this whole kitchen, actually. Wait a minute! Does this kitchen actually have a La Cornue with two ovens AND TWO wall ovens? Where do we draw the line, people?

Well, this one’s a triple threat. It has the airy feeling, and the amazing range and hood!

4 -Amazing natural light and a feeling of openness

I don’t think this style would fit in our saltbox, and we just don’t have that great of a view, but I really want this airy feeling.

great light!

5 – Shallow Shelves for Food Storage

It will be beautiful because it will be all glass jars, but I still don’t want visual clutter.

Maybe a wall-sized sliding door is the answer – you can leave it open when you are cooking and the open door is not in the way, but then you can close it when you are done and don’t want to see the food out.

I don’t love this particular door, but I do like the concept.

now that’s a pretty pantry. Perhaps this is a hallway, which keeps it near, but not so visible to the rest of the living space? I think this one is absolutely perfect.

6 – Open to the rest of the living space / nearby cozy lounge area

I want the kids nearby – visible – since I spend most of the day in the kitchen. Also, I’d like it to be comfortable for guests to be in the kitchen during a party.

7 – Low tech (Permaculture/Passive Solar/etc.) at least for back up

A fireplace adds ambiance as well as another way to cook if the power goes out. This one feels too rustic for my taste, though.

This fireplace is perfect! I love the whole kitchen!

And a few more miscellaneous features I’d like to add:

Stove Nook

I want my olive oil, coconut oil, salts, and a few other things very close to the stove and I like this little nook that encloses the stovetop with the hood.

Brass Hardware

love unlaquered brass for the faucet and other hardware in the room

I like materials that are beautiful even when not pristine, like marble and brass.

brass hardware. and I love those shelves

A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place (breadbox, trash, compost, recycling, and a Baking Center)

I’d like to have a designated area for storing small amounts of onions (10 max) and garlic and potatoes conveniently in the kitchen – with lots and lots of them in the root cellar downstairs.

Awesome. I’d like the bread box to be as low-tech as possible. Maybe all it needs is a moisture-barrier? I don’t want anything that’s electric.

I’d love the trash, recycling, and compost to have a home that’s easily accessible, yet not in the way.

I definitely want a dedicated baking center, where my grain mill and mixer can be on the counter at all times. But, I don’t want to look at them all the time. Perhaps garage doors, or maybe put the baking center off the side?

Antique cup drying rack

Since we use a lot of canning jars, and drinking cups, I’d like to be able to wash them quickly at the sink and dry them on something pretty.

Fridge and freezer compartments

I just don’t like the look of a huge refrigerator. And, I’d like to be able to customize the settings for raw milk versus produce, etc.

Toe-kick drawers (taking advantage of every inch of storage)

I really like to maximize all storage options.

These are close, but not quite right

For various reasons, I do not like these kitchens. Sometimes I like to have “bookends” for certain designs – it helps me clarify what I like and what is too much.

I love marble, and I like the idea of closing things off with doors, but this feels too cold and sterile for me. Perhaps it’s all the stainless steel with no wood?
This is an example of the visual clutter I definitely do not want – even though this is probably what my kitchen will look like during a canning-fest.
definitely hardworking and rustic and homey feeling, but too cluttered
looks user-friendly, but too cluttered for me

None of the pics in this post are my own. The links to the originals are all on my pinterest page.