A New Recipe and Our Recipe for Chili Rellenos Making Two Meals in One Night

 Hello, I wanted to share one of our favorite family recipes that we make that is super easy and everyone likes it....which is always a bonus when you have many to feed and its a vegetarian meal...go for those meatless Mondays .......whenever. We grew a lot of poblanos for the last several years and what we didn't give sell or give away we froze for meals all winter. Using our homemade pasta  sauce and mozzarella cheese fresh grated. I never buy already grated cheese, we always grate it ourselves. It saves money that way, it melts better, taste much better and does not have the "anticaking device" which can be cornstarch. Always read your labels. Sometimes the product labels which actually change on you from one purchase to another. I always recheck the label to make sure they haven't changed anything. We cook here at our house basically three meals a day or have leftovers nothing is ever wasted and if it was something we couldn't use our chickens or compost pile take care of the rest.

You will first cut the poblanos stem off and remove the seeds, the seeds aren't too hot but if you are sensitive you may want to wear food safe gloves. I don't but I have working hands and I can feel a slight tingle of heat later in the night but nothing serious....like a jalapeno. Then you will blanche the poblanos in hot water they usually take about 5 minutes but that can vary. The poblanos will turn a color. They will still have a crunch to them but soft to eat easily. You will save the poblano water that you blanched in for your soup broth. Save one or two poblanos to put into the soup chopped up. 

I stuff the poblanos with cheese and sprinkle some on top then pour the homemade pasta sauce on the cheese and peppers and then bake for approximately 30 minutes to melt cheese and warm the sauce. The sauce will usually bubble around the sides. I bake at 400 degrees F but 

375 degrees F is fine too. 

So you can see the cheese sprinkled on top.

It us very yummy and very easy to make.

Below picture is for the soup recipe  

Once you have your blanched water from the poblanos dump in the pasta sauce, the cactus , black eyed peas, 1/4 jar of the pickled jalapenos I didn't use the juice. I also put in a jar of our black beans that we pressured canned. You can use dry beans but first soak them. This recipe was a spur of the moment creation and I used  what was on hand. When you live where we do I just don't run to the store to get what you need I use what I have and make it work. Oh that brings back memories when all the kids all still lived at home and we would go to the store we would leave Walmart or wherever we went with like three shopping carts full in a train fashion leaving the store and let me tell you it was like no one ever seen this many kids and that many grocery leave the store. My daughter Alexis the oldest daughter we still chuckle over it. Anyone who lives quite remotely understands completely. Now add a jar of your canned tomatoes or store bought ones. 

 Meanwhile I baked two tilapia fish in the over at 400 degrees F sprinkled with fresh garlic and butter. I covered the fish and baked until flaky keep and eye on it, as it cooks fast and is very tender.

In a pot I cooked shrimp that I peeled and then placed in the soup. The shrimp once it boils its done, I then sprinkle with a Cajun spice ( of your choice) or Old Bay Seasoning. Whichever you prefer. We like heat here.  

Here you can see the shrimp and tomatoes and the cactus. Bruce liked it so much he wanted me to make a blog post on it. So the Poblanos or chili rellenos without the frying, is dinner one and the soup becomes the next nights dinner. I will bake a cornbread with soup and everyone will love that. The boys all love cornbread. 

You could add sautéed celery and onions and green peppers to this also. Which I didn't have any celery on hand last night. Also you add more beans, and or pasta noodles, rice, barley, quinoa....its endless. I have never been one to make too much with seafood other than as itself...like a fish, crab etc. I just want my seafood as seafood kinda gal....but I think this has changed my mind. Now I am thinking of lots of seafood recipes. When I was growing up we ate a lot of seafood and one of the dishes was crab spaghetti and I was never so crazy about it but I did eat it. Now I kinda think I am changed and would like to make that recipe for my family.  

 Despite the chili cool weather we are still having (although one day was 73 degrees) I painted some of the bags on the porch getting ready for the shows. But I have still been doing the nature walks. It is just so renewing and mind clearing.

                                                                I see some interesting trees

I love seeing the moss or lichens 

This was looking through a tree that is falling down. 

Alexis sent me this pic from the Florida trip of Bruce holding Ledger and I just love how Ledggie is saying hey grandma aren't you supposed to be holding me? LOL! 

Keeping it simple and real.....in 2018

Live simple be simple.

Remember to "pause"

STAY ACTIVE  

Just a reminder........

We will have our FIRST CRAFT SHOW at

Grassfield Band Parents Spring Craft Show February 24, 2018 Grassfield High School - Chesapeake, VA 23323   from 9-4pm  This is a new one on the list this year....I am excited as we have done shows in January before, but this helps to get you back into the swing of the things. So mark your calendars. I will share others as I know of them. They will be at most of the regular places we already attend, as I have heard from some of the organizers. Those are further in the year. I will continue to keep you posted.

Dawn Gallop

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SCD Pecan Pie Recipe Made with Our Honey and SNOW SNOW Everywhere

 

Bruce made this pie for me and let me tell you DELISH!!

Just look at how perfect it came out for someone who has never really made a pie, while he calls me the pie princess since I have made soooo many pies I mean like 1,000's over the years and pecan pie is like my specialty.

 

 

There is not much I can eat that doesn't tear my stomach up so for more than two years now I have lived on SCD diet and it has helped exuberantly. So I am very careful on what I eat and mostly I can not even go out to eat, since I can't trust how the food was handled with other gluten items, or sugars etc.

The crust was delish too.

 

Close up of the pie crust

Here is the pecan pie before it went in the oven.

 

Here is the RECIPES on how he came up with the pie recipe.

 

He used the PALEO PIE CRUST from Elana Amsterdam  

 

The PIE recipe came from Beeraw.com and we just used our honey and it was perfect it didn't even bother my stomach at all. I only use Kosher salt, the gluten free vanilla from McCormick if I don't have any of my own homemade which I use absolute vodka which doesn't effect my stomach.

This is the recipe PECAN PIE remember only use the paleo pie recipe for the crust above. This worked out delish!!

 

It was wonderful to be able to enjoy this pie Bruce made.

 

If you would like my regular pie recipe "old Skool" style

go HERE the recipe is at the bottom of that post.

 

This has been our temps lately and let me tell you our area is not used to these temps. My daughter has always told us "we don't know cold" since she lives in Wisconsin since she met the love of her life who are wonderful son in law is from. Cody has since moved there too. The work is good, where we are rural and jobs aren't as plentiful.

 

Looking out the window of my studio.

 

 

Snow is beautiful and still here as temps have not been high enough to melt the snow. The boys still have not went back to school but they are not complaining about that.

 

 These pics are all on our farm. This is the path where I see the wild turkeys in late summer and early fall.

 Always such an amazing view just looking in the woods or just walking thru to refreshen the soul.

This is when it first started we have to continue all night while the snow is falling to keep the snow off the high tunnel and greenhouses.

The boys in front of the high tunnel while we were cleaning off the snow from the top.

WHAT A JOB!!!

 

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More pics of the snow in the trees

Paths in our woods

 

That is the chicken coop from the trees in the snow

 

 

Our grandson Ledger is all bundled up and staying warm this winter. I just love this pic...he reminds of Coop in this one.

Baby Merlin's Magic Sleep Suit

Grama Kelly got him this and Alexis says they are really warm.

#TOOPRESH

 

 

Dusty wanted to sew his patch on his coveralls which were Cody's coveralls by himself, he done very well. When he threaded the needle he was like this is "FRUSTRATING"  

 

He worked on it for awhile

 

He done good!!! I will have to get a pic of the finished product. He is at the stage he isn't into pics anymore.

 

Despite the frigid temps some of our girls are still laying eggs which is always a bonus this time of year.

My aunt fell and broke her shoulder and dislocated it well they set it at the emergency room but she still needs the surgery. This is all happened on Thursday the fourth of January. We went to bring her home from the hospital thankfully we have four wheel drive as the snow was pretty deep. She left her driveway in an ambulance the ambulance actually got stuck too and the National Guard had to come help get them going again. No one could get her out of the snow and if the lady across the street was not on her back porch hearing my aunt scream for help no one would of known. No one was coming down the road, in fact mail hasn't even been delivered since the snow started falling. Hopefully today Monday it will come. Bruce and I have taken meals up there and I made her a cake, corn bread, and corn pudding a few things to make it from day to day. We take her to the doctor tomorrow to see when the surgery will be.

 

Hope everyone is staying warm and getting some of those inside jobs done. I have cleaned out a few closets and reorganized some books.

Work on my journal too.

I think at this point everyone is welcoming reality as the snow melts and the schools open soon. I won't know until sometime today whether it will be a delay of closed again.

 

Let me some of your ideas and new thoughts and plans for the New Year.

Best,

Dawn Gallop

 

 

 

 

 

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Easy Healing Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe

 

The chicken noodle soup is super easy and very nourishing for the body and with all the collagen in the bone broth it helps to heal the body and here lately with cold season all the help one can get to stay cold free is a plus in my book. This recipe is super easy and all my boys like it since its not over spicy or so called "weird" stuff in it. Where as Dusty is picky and not so much into things that aren't familiar. Where as Cooper is willing to try anything and actually loves collards and kale. So this is a kid friendly recipe.

 

 

I use one of those large roasters to make our bone broth, you see the congealed (when it is congealed that is good as it means the gelatin is good in it) shape in the center that is the broth I did with the chicken we had the other night. I use farm raised chickens for the bone broth. You use the bones the necks, the livers, etc. Waste nothing. If you see I use the onion peelings, the whole celery and the carrots even the green parts of the carrot I buy the whole carrots and cut them myself. We run out of our homegrown carrots fast and I buy them at the market from other farmers but that is a seasonal thing. We especially love the tri colored ones. I use garlic too if I have it on hand....which mostly we do. Lydia Bastianich whom we love shows you how to make it on the show for certain broths or bases. She says waste nothing.

 

This is a large pot of the bone broth with the fat on top which you skim off once cooled. I put it in the refrigerator and then skim off. I have canned the bone broth in the past but since it uses the pressure canner and takes a lot of time...Bruce always just wants to put it in the gallon baggies and freeze it. Then when we want to make a soup or chicken and rice or anything calling for a broth or a soup base. It's perfect all you have to do is thaw it in your slow cooker or a pan, or however you thaw something for use when frozen.

 

Here I have started skimming it off the fat.

 

Here most of the fat is gone and ready for bagging the bone broth or pressure canning it...but follow safe methods for that. I have pressure canned it many times and to me it is a whole lot easier but Bruce always wants to make excuses to pressure can it.......lol.

 

I started making bone broth when Megan my friend told me about this website Tiffany has wonderful ideas and recipes plus uses ideas and money saving techniques which I am all about.

 

 

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

I cook chicken first then allow to cool to shred

use your broth

carrots,

celery

parsley (fresh or dried)

simmer all together then once carrots are soft place in the noodles I usually just use the egg noodles you buy in a bag once they are soft its ready to eat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and its done. You can't mess it up I am not really a measurer but its mostly to your liking.

 

 

 

I wanted to show you how fast Dusty's little terrarium is growing. You can see the post about it here.

You can buy them here at Amazon it really is a great little project for kids. Plus its educational and exciting.

 

My daughter Alexis and our sweet adorable grandson Ledger. I took this picture when we were in Florida at the Thanksgiving week.

 

Flashback Friday 2013 #FBF

 

 

Our cat Stormy and our doggie Julie sitting here with me at the house while typing the blog up.

 

Remember it is getting close to the end of the year and you need to be thinking about your New Years plans, resolutions, goals......I had found a list of things I wanted to complete last year as goals and never thought again about it and low and behold I completed I actually completed all of them Which was pretty awesome!!!

also don't forget you can do things like the 52 Lists Project

or just any creative thing that helps you to release that creative energy and learn new things along the way.

Looking forward to the New Year,

Dawn Gallop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Stuffed French Toast Recipe

Hello all I have a great way to use up a lot of eggs and it taste amazing too. I even took this to the Teacher Appreciation Day at school. I was giving this recipe back when I was 19-20 years old while I was working at the hospital in Virginia Beach on the third floor which was a satellite unit for Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters. I worked with a wonderful day nurse Dee Paske who was also an amazing cook. She was around my age now then and was a great mentor and friend. She had wrote this recipe on a recipe card in her own handwriting which I want to share the actual recipe card. 

 I know it's defiantly worn and has an ink spot, you can tell how old it is. I will be 47 this year so its at least 27 years old then.

You can read the recipe top half.

The bottom half of the recipe.

Stuffed French Toast (my version) 

- I use one whole loaf of the cinnamon raisins bread (any brand)  I used Natures Own

-1 package of cream cheese I use Kraft Philadelphia Brand 

-16 eggs I use this amount because I use the pullet eggs that I don't sell because they are smaller but the yolks are normal size. Plus I'm using a whole loaf with the crust on. 

-2 cups of milk I use whole milk

-1/2 cup of real maple syrup 

-1 tsp of maple extract 

-1 tsp of vanilla extract 

-2 tsp of cinnamon 

I use a 9x13 glass pan, spray with Pam or grease with Crisco then break the cinnamon raisin loaf into pieces. 

Top the bread with cream cheese into pieces. 

Now in a large mixing bowl mix the eggs, milk, maple syrups and extracts and the cinnamon. Mix well. Pour on top of the bread and cream cheese mixture. Cover with foil and place in refrigerator for approx. 8 hours or overnight. I have made this for dinner and breakfast also for brunches. It really makes a great meal. Bake at 350 degrees until the middle comes clean. Try to avoid poking a knife in the middle where the cheese is. 

My ovens are slow I've had them calibrated and still slow. The oven on the third floor is normal and it takes approx 1 hour. My ovens on the second floor the about and 1 1/2. Allow to cool a bit and then top with warm maple syrup. Yummy! 

I took some pics while making it. 

Tearing the bread pieces. In the grease 9x13 pan.

The cinnamon raisin bread I used Natures Own.

Cutting the cream cheese into pieces patting them onto the bread.

Mix your eggs then pour in the milk. I only use farm eggs so they are much darker in color.

Pour the milk in.

Pot in the maple syrup, I only use real maple syrup.

Add the cinnamon and extracts.

Pour egg mixture on top of the bread and cream cheese.

Cover now and refrigerate for approx 8 hours.

Enjoy!!

Again Petunia laying her egg. Lately I am getting 105 eggs a day!!

They usually will pick one or several boxes and everyone lays in the same place. Aren't they beautiful eggs?

Ok enough! No cameras please!!!

I'm always looking for help with eggs.

I have been busy canning again. Strawberry jam! Amazing!

Well I hope you enjoyed the recipe. 

Wishing you a great week!! 

Cyber Hugs, 

Dawn Gallop

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