Week 11 has passed. Two weeks to go! (By the time you read this I'll have less than two weeks to go, but I've been late at getting the blogs done, so just suspend your disbelief.) The freezer and cabinet seem to be emptying quickly. In reality they aren't, just at the same rate as all winter really, but I'm seeing more negative space in these areas, so it's just more obvious now when I take things out.
Day 71
breakfast: pawpaw pancakes with elderflower syrup, chicory coffee
lunch: black bean tostadas (fried corn tortilla pan bread, refried black beans, fresh spinach, golden cherry tomatoes sautéed in olive oil and oregano)
dinner: black bean tostadas with hot salsa, elderberry/blackberry wine, apple chips
I've been loving the fruit pancakes this winter. It was time to bust out the frozen pawpaw. Fantastic mango-ish flavor. The elderflower syrup was an interesting topping. I also added some syrup to the last half of my chicory coffee to see how it tasted...great!
Prior to my preservation challenge I had only tried a chicory and black coffee mixture, so I wasn't entirely sure what straight chicory coffee would taste like. It's not the bitter coffee I have heard described. It does have a hint of bitterness, but no more than regular coffee in my opinion. Mostly it's an earthy, nutty flavor. It takes a lot of hard work to get chicory prepared for coffee, so it's quite the treat for me.
Day 71
breakfast: pawpaw pancakes with elderflower syrup, chicory coffee
lunch: black bean tostadas (fried corn tortilla pan bread, refried black beans, fresh spinach, golden cherry tomatoes sautéed in olive oil and oregano)
dinner: black bean tostadas with hot salsa, elderberry/blackberry wine, apple chips
I've been loving the fruit pancakes this winter. It was time to bust out the frozen pawpaw. Fantastic mango-ish flavor. The elderflower syrup was an interesting topping. I also added some syrup to the last half of my chicory coffee to see how it tasted...great!
Prior to my preservation challenge I had only tried a chicory and black coffee mixture, so I wasn't entirely sure what straight chicory coffee would taste like. It's not the bitter coffee I have heard described. It does have a hint of bitterness, but no more than regular coffee in my opinion. Mostly it's an earthy, nutty flavor. It takes a lot of hard work to get chicory prepared for coffee, so it's quite the treat for me.
Day 72
breakfast: pawpaw pancakes with crabapple syrup
lunch: black bean tostada with golden cherry tomatoes
snack: apple chips
dinner: fried egg sandwich on farl with hot salsa, smashed potato with basil tomato sauce
I'm not sure if it's my newfound winter taste buds or what, but these smashed potatoes with basil tomato sauce were such a delicious surprise. I thawed my frozen taters, smashed them on top of some butter in a hot skillet, and then poured over the last of my basil tomato sauce while they cooked. The sauce pretty much evaporated leaving a very tangy coating on the potatoes.
breakfast: pawpaw pancakes with crabapple syrup
lunch: black bean tostada with golden cherry tomatoes
snack: apple chips
dinner: fried egg sandwich on farl with hot salsa, smashed potato with basil tomato sauce
I'm not sure if it's my newfound winter taste buds or what, but these smashed potatoes with basil tomato sauce were such a delicious surprise. I thawed my frozen taters, smashed them on top of some butter in a hot skillet, and then poured over the last of my basil tomato sauce while they cooked. The sauce pretty much evaporated leaving a very tangy coating on the potatoes.
Day 73
breakfast: half farl with butter and rose of sharon jelly
lunch: smashed potato with basil tomato sauce, refried black beans, half farl with butter and rose of sharon jelly, pears
dinner: fried egg sandwich with salsa on toasted farl
Who likes to cook on their birthday? Me neither. I just made do with some leftovers. Intimidating Minnow sent me flowers at work. They sure do look nicer than that lunch, ha! I relished that smashed potato though.
Today was also another egg barter day. 18 eggs for a swap of some dried mint, rose of sharon jelly, and redbud jelly. Thanks, Crystal!
breakfast: half farl with butter and rose of sharon jelly
lunch: smashed potato with basil tomato sauce, refried black beans, half farl with butter and rose of sharon jelly, pears
dinner: fried egg sandwich with salsa on toasted farl
Who likes to cook on their birthday? Me neither. I just made do with some leftovers. Intimidating Minnow sent me flowers at work. They sure do look nicer than that lunch, ha! I relished that smashed potato though.
Today was also another egg barter day. 18 eggs for a swap of some dried mint, rose of sharon jelly, and redbud jelly. Thanks, Crystal!
Day 74
breakfast: pear pancakes with elderflower syrup, chicory coffee
lunch: fried egg sandwich on farl with fresh spinach, hot salsa
snack: apple chips, elderberry/blackberry wine
After the use of a measuring cup and making a bit of a mess, I have estimated my flour and cornmeal will hold me until the end! My careful weekly rationing has worked out. Whew. It looks like I also have some wiggle in the flour.
Today I shared my stack of pear pancakes with my son. It feels good to share food. I miss sharing food! Things are looking really doable to finish this off, so I'm starting to see places where I can start spreading the love. Can't believe I can do this!
breakfast: pear pancakes with elderflower syrup, chicory coffee
lunch: fried egg sandwich on farl with fresh spinach, hot salsa
snack: apple chips, elderberry/blackberry wine
After the use of a measuring cup and making a bit of a mess, I have estimated my flour and cornmeal will hold me until the end! My careful weekly rationing has worked out. Whew. It looks like I also have some wiggle in the flour.
Today I shared my stack of pear pancakes with my son. It feels good to share food. I miss sharing food! Things are looking really doable to finish this off, so I'm starting to see places where I can start spreading the love. Can't believe I can do this!
Day 75
breakfast: smashed potatoes cooked in chive butter with spinach and fried egg
dinner: crappie cooked in chive butter, wild onion hushpuppies, pear chow-chow tartar sauce, pear wine
I invited Intimidating Minnow over for dinner, and we ate some crappie that I caught with him and his friend Pat. If you read my older post about making hushpuppies, ditch that recipe. The wild onion hushpuppies I made for this meal were the real deal! I'll post the recipe below.
breakfast: smashed potatoes cooked in chive butter with spinach and fried egg
dinner: crappie cooked in chive butter, wild onion hushpuppies, pear chow-chow tartar sauce, pear wine
I invited Intimidating Minnow over for dinner, and we ate some crappie that I caught with him and his friend Pat. If you read my older post about making hushpuppies, ditch that recipe. The wild onion hushpuppies I made for this meal were the real deal! I'll post the recipe below.
Day 76
breakfast: apricot smoothie, wild onion hushpuppy
lunch: wild onion hushpuppies, applesauce
dinner: blue gill tacos on corn pan bread with fresh spinach and hot salsa, wild onion hushpuppy with pear chow-chow tartar sauce, pears
Intimidating Minnow came over for dinner again, yay!
breakfast: apricot smoothie, wild onion hushpuppy
lunch: wild onion hushpuppies, applesauce
dinner: blue gill tacos on corn pan bread with fresh spinach and hot salsa, wild onion hushpuppy with pear chow-chow tartar sauce, pears
Intimidating Minnow came over for dinner again, yay!
Day 77
breakfast: eggs with wild onions, apple chips
lunch: eggs with wild onions, applesauce, apple chips
snack: elk sausage
A friend of mine offered me a barter that was a nice surprise this late in my winter challenge. Her dad hunts elk and so Katie had some elk sausage available for trade! So I got a pound of the goodness in exchange for some half-pints of forsythia jelly, redbud jelly, and rose of sharon jelly. My son said it was the best sausage he had ever eaten. I agree! Thanks, Katie!
Am I out of jellies, syrups, and dried herbs for bartering? Nope! I think I originally counted around 52 jars of items I made for bartering, some half-pints and some pints. I still have enough for the last egg barters plus some. It really paid to put up all those things.
breakfast: eggs with wild onions, apple chips
lunch: eggs with wild onions, applesauce, apple chips
snack: elk sausage
A friend of mine offered me a barter that was a nice surprise this late in my winter challenge. Her dad hunts elk and so Katie had some elk sausage available for trade! So I got a pound of the goodness in exchange for some half-pints of forsythia jelly, redbud jelly, and rose of sharon jelly. My son said it was the best sausage he had ever eaten. I agree! Thanks, Katie!
Am I out of jellies, syrups, and dried herbs for bartering? Nope! I think I originally counted around 52 jars of items I made for bartering, some half-pints and some pints. I still have enough for the last egg barters plus some. It really paid to put up all those things.
Recipe:
Wild onion hushpuppies: Stir together dry ingredients - 1 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (with xanthan gum), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped wild onions. Stir together wet ingredients - 1 whisked egg, 3/4 cup soy milk, vinegar added to soy milk to make 1 cup total. Pour wet into dry, mix well. Drop by large spoonfuls into canola oil, turn to brown evenly.
Wild onion hushpuppies: Stir together dry ingredients - 1 1/2 cup cornmeal, 1/2 cup gluten-free flour (with xanthan gum), 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped wild onions. Stir together wet ingredients - 1 whisked egg, 3/4 cup soy milk, vinegar added to soy milk to make 1 cup total. Pour wet into dry, mix well. Drop by large spoonfuls into canola oil, turn to brown evenly.