Winter slammed into us with a seemingly 40 degree drop literally overnight. I'm still running here and there without a jacket and I get those looks (what's wrong with you??) I chalk it up to thick iron rich blood (after a young adulthood of slight anemia - go figure) Now I seem to be quite iron rich (I've been tested - it's up there - but apparently I'm ok) Honestly, it has helped me understand myself more. I've been like this for a while. People can be chilly at work and there I am in a T-shirt bangin out the day. I've given up on gazing wistfully at intricate sweaters that would look oh-so-pretty at work but would have me uncomfortable in a matter of minutes. Also our office is in a building where the windows are set into a brick exterior and you cannot open them...sigh. I really should have been a park ranger...
So today I woke up to a disaster of a kitchen (remember I live with men) so in my PJ's I scrubbed bleached swept and mopped and in a matter of an hour and a half the kitchen and its owner were happy.
The thermostat in my home read 63 but I am pretty comfy. The kitchen is truly the heart of any home I've ever been in so on a chilly day (and a day off) I wanted to get my domestic freak on...
I'm going to be doing another batch of potato soup and it calls for crumbled bacon - awesome tip bake it at 350 degrees until done - it comes out perfect every time plus it heats up a hobbit kitchen...
Done to perfection and yes I do save bacon grease - a little goes a long way with other cooking :)
I have a friend and when either one of us frequents a farm market we grab garlic or other little yummies we think we may like...I always have suspicions as to garlic being radiated or not, you cannot truly tell until after you roast it - I can't explain it but there is a different smell to it.
I invested in this toaster/convection oven a while ago because I knew we would be doing the basement over (it's coming out splendidly I can't wait to show you!) and there will be a 'bar kitchen' down there (read possible rentable little one bedroom situation) This little mighty appliance can cook chicken & bake bread! I roasted the garlic in it while the bacon was cooking in the big stove because I didn't want either to 'absorb' the flavor of the other - I slice the top off the garlic head, drizzle w olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and put in a foil 'gift pack' twisted at top- 350 degrees for 40 min
This is the finished garlic! It is a lovely golden color, sadly though they were irradiated because the smell was off - they can still be used but not in my weekly bread batch (or at all if you are fastidious about irradiated food) The tip off should've been the empty cloves. A true farm garlic will start to sprout, it can't help it. I cook it green sprouts and all! What can I say? I'm a sloppy garlic lover. I think some are sold dried as well? But this one had the tell tale signs -
and when you love your little men the way I do - well go for the real deal.
Every week I brew 1-2 quarts of tea for my own iced tea. This is a quart Ball Jar (because I LOVE Ball Jars!) I suspend 6 tea bags tied to a wood skewer over the top, boil the water, pour and let it steep for an hour or more until cool.
This is a small (pint) Ball Jar I bring my tea to work in (everyday) It started when I read some scary things about plastic being an endocrine disruptor. Any little change is one in the right direction. It isn't that much heavier and I'm reducing my waste stream. Ball Jars are made to withstand pressure and boiling - they are workhorses, not delicate and honestly not that breakable either
You may have noticed the computer in the background? My son rigged up an old main frame and flat screen so I can watch my vlogs and youtube things while I cook (I think the boys just feel secure when I spend hours in the kitchen?) My favorites? Old 'In search of" (history channel?) videos with Leonard Nimoy (yeah I know), Kirsten Dirksen Channel on YouTube which is a fair trade company that features Tiny Homes and intentional living practices from around the globe, Cold Antler Farm Vlog - which features Jenna talking about her life and farm (This is the farm I go to in NY state for 'classes' when I can! I also love Peak Moment, The Domestic Geek, River Cottage (the early years - where Hugh sets up a homestead along a river in Dorset (I think?) and learns sustainable practices - the UK is way ahead of this with these things! Sometimes I will binge out and watch Netflix; The Vikings, Breaking Bad, American Horror Story, whatever. Oh I am also a complete and helpless documentary nerd.
It's my kitchen and I dig it - I am hoping to 're-do' it in the next month or so. Nothing fancy just trying to get this place rentable - so I can get to my own dirt. I've sourced old cabinets (instead of this arsenic (I'm sure) ridden factory rollout kitchen) I found an engineered (uber cheap) floor that will give it that scrappy look, Chalk paint for my the pie safe my dad made (this will hold potatoes, onions, garlic, my homemade wine and canning goods. I've also got my eye on reclaimed wood slabs (again cheap - perhaps free!!!) for counter tops. I'm happy about this because a few months ago I wasn't sure about the mortgage etc or keeping the place. In that time though, I was able to psychologically divorce myself from the notion of home being a set place...home is where I roast my garlic, brew my wine and bake my bread. It's an energy exchange. It's wherever I am feeding the people I love.
One last tip! When its a bit chilly and you are finished baking - leave the oven door open
for the rest of the heat to escape and make your kitchen even more cozy...
Enjoy your home - but remember it is not four walls and things that make it home - it is you, your energy, and the love you give that makes it so.
Namaste
