HOT DISH! Monica Schmidt

For Mother’s Day, I received several products made by Monica Schmidt, my favorite farm girl at Autumn Blaze Farm.  When I first met Monica a few years ago, she was going to school, teaching school and a busy wife and mom, balancing everybody’s activities.     Monica is married to Brian, and has been for the past 14 years.  They have a houseful with 2 lovely children, 4 dogs, a cat, chickens and goats…. Coming soon: bees! 

 

 

I remember when Brian started building homes for the chickens they hoped to raise, and I was impressed with his skill as well as with Monica’s commitment to keep the chickens. (I would probably have empty chicken houses because I would have decided its too much work.)  Monica talks about their journey like this: “I convinced my husband in to keeping chickens.  After a few years of keeping happy healthy chickens, we decided to take farm life a step further and venture into raising miniature dairy goats, called Nigerian Dwarf Goats.  I have always joked that, “chicken keeping is the gateway farm animal!”” She added, “We also love eating fresh fruit and veggies from our garden and soon we will have bees and sell our honey!”

 Now, their daughter enjoys showing the goats at different jackpot shows as well as training them to do therapy work.  Monica started making goat milk soap for their son to soothe eczema because goat milk soap is very nourishing for the skin. – she has also made facial scrubs (which I LOVE) and other bath products that are so fantastic, and I can’t even believe she made all of this!

If you ask her, Monica will tell you that she feels like she is living the dream of chicken keeping, milking and showing goats, growing veggies, and making all sorts of natural products from our funny farm!  I guess you can say, I’m a wanna-be farm girl!  (I say she is a farm girl)

You can learn more about the goings on at Autumn Blaze Farm and check out Monica’s adventures here.

I can’t wait to see what she dreams up next!

Hot.Chicken.Salad

One of the dishes I remember both of my grandmas making is this hot chicken salad.  I have always liked it, because it has potato chips in it.  Everyone has that one (or 7) food item that they can not stop themselves from eating.  For me, potato chips top the list.  I will eat them until there are no more to be eaten. I cannot stop. The fact that this dish has potato chips in it, on it, and all around it makes me one happy girl with a hefty NaCl intake.  The original recipe involved water chestnuts, which I have no use for.  They just take up space that could be filled with something more worth while. I have adapted it just a bit, and now its perfect. 
My kids like to cook, and I am happy to let them.  Just a few weeks ago, my daughter wanted to be in charge of preparing this hot little number.  She told my mother-in-law all about her plans to feed our family, and to my surprise, my mother-in-law had never known the bliss that is Hot Chicken Salad.  I told her I would bring her some. I lied. (because I ate it all.) This dish doesn't re-heat well.... unless you top it with more potato chips. Then its lovely. Really. I'm not just saying that.
This will feed 6-ish people depending on their appetites.  -and its easy.

Hot Chicken Salad
what you need: Stock pot with salted water, 9x13 casserole dish, mixing bowl, cutting board, sharp knife, slotted spoon, wooden spoon, 350 oven

4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 Cups when chopped)
1 Cup chopped celery
1 medium onion, small dice
1 small jar pimentos
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
1 Cup chopped pecans (ugh. or water chestnuts if you want.)
2 Cups smashed potato chips
2 Cups  more smashed potato chips (that's 4 Cups yall)

Bring salted water to a boil in the stock pot (high heat).  How much salt? eh. Enough to make it salty like the sea. This is to flavor your chicken, but remember there will be lots of salt in the potato chips. Don't go crazy. Drop the chicken breasts in to boil, place a wooden spoon over the top of the pan to keep it from boiling over and reduce heat to medium high. Chop celery, onions and nuts.  In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients except potato chips and wait for the chicken to finish its boiling process. When the chicken has been boiling for 10-12 minutes, remove it from the water with a slotted spoon and dice it up to add to your mixture. Incorporate the first 2 Cups of potato chips into the mixture and transfer from the mixing bowl to the baking dish.  Spread evenly in the dish and top with the remaining 2 Cups of chips.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, depending on how brownish you want your chips to become.  Remove from the oven and serve it up. Prepare for overflowing love and thanks from the folks you serve this to. -and be ready to make it again for your mother-in-law who may or may not have received a portion this time 'round.

Butta.

I didn't grow up eating butter. I was a sad child. I have vague memories of Molly McButter, I Can't Believe its Not Butter, margarine tubs, and even the occasional spray butter. I have done my best to suppress these memories and move past them. Today, I buy butter at least two pounds at a time, just to be sure I'm a successful cook.  (and because I have a fear that I might run out.) 
There was a conversation a few years ago about the cost of groceries going up and our strategies changing as we peruse the produce and check out the chips.  Butter, however, is immune to this money saving strategy. My mother-in-law said, in this same conversation, "we still use butter like its free."  She is a wise and wonderful woman, who I admire for her generous use of butter (among other things.) 
Now, as you all know, the holiday season is upon us and there will be much cooking and smacking of lips.  On every respectable holiday table, there is a prized spot for dinner rolls. We like carbs around here and we like fluffy yeasty buns of happiness to carry those carbs through to our... buns. SO let's take it one step further and add some cinnamon butter, y'all. Nothing's gonna stop us now.

Cinnamon butter
what you need: hand mixer and a mixing bowl OR a stand mixer with a paddle attachment
wax paper or small jars (optional)

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

Ok, ready? Drop the softened stick of butter in the bowl. Add cinnamon and sugar. Whip it. Whip it good.

You can serve it at room temp, or wrap it up in wax paper or scoop it in to a little jar and put it in the fridge for later.

One more thing: you can do this with herbs, too, if you want. Garlic would also be fantastic. ...or honey...
If you want to be fancy, you could pipe the softened butter through a pastry tip and make cutie little butters in single servings.  I just wanted to eat it, I didn't really care what it looked like. You can add this kicked up butter to whatever you want - sweet potatoes, steak, toast, waffles... anything in the world. It just makes everything butter. uh, better.  bye.

My Comfort Food

ok, so, in truth, there are a lot of things that fall in to the "comfort food" category in my life.  This is one that makes an appearance on my table any time of the day.  My kids love it, I love it, my husband loves it... all around winner.  It isn't pretty. I don't care. I eat ugly food. And I like it. I even break the rules for this one: I will order it at a restaurant. --but it has to be a real Mexican restaurant. Not white people Mexican food. (can I say that?) Anyways. here. Chorizo and eggs with corn tortillas. Pork chorizo, please. Yes, there is a difference. Warm tortillas. There's nothing fancy at all about this stuff. It comes together quickly and there is minimal clean up- which I like. As the cook, server, dishwasher, I appreciate qualities like these. You will also appreciate the cost of this little meal. I can feed my family of 4 for about $12 when I serve this alongside some black beans and rice. -Told ya: all around winner. 

Chorizo and Eggs
what you need: 1 medium skillet, wooden or plastic spoon/spatula, 1 small skillet, tongs, mixing bowl, fork or whisk

1 (9oz) pork chorizo
6 eggs, whisked
corn tortillas

In a medium sized skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo for about 8 minutes stirring frequently.  *there is a lot of oil. fall in love with it.* the color of the chorizo doesn't really change when its cooking, just take my word for it and watch the texture change.  When the texture looks more like cooked ground beef, (and its been 8 minutes or so) add in the whisked eggs. Stir them around pretty much without ceasing until they come together looking like scrambled eggs... with chorizo in them. While they are cooking, heat up the smaller skillet over medium heat and toss the tortillas one at a time to warm on both sides. Fold the tortillas up in little cute triangles and serve it up. I like to use my tortilla as a vehicle to get the chorizo and eggs to my mouth without a fork or spoon, but you do what you feel is right.

Sconey Mahoney

There was a time when I was afraid of baking. In fact, I wouldn't do it at all. There's too much chemistry. There's too much room for error. And I was chicken. Then the day came when I decided I would conquer my fears and proclaim IM NOT AFRAID ANYMORE! ...And I never looked back.

These scones are one of the favorites around my house and they're easy to adapt to the flavor of your choice by altering the dry fruit and the yogurt. Try em out- you'll be glad you did. 

Cranberry-orange scones

What you need: 

Stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or hand mixer and mixing bowl, baking sheet, oven heated to 375

4 tablespoons cold butter

1/2 Cup sugar

2 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 Cup orange yogurt

1 Cup dried cranberries

Cream butter and sugar. Add dry ingredients and mix just til combined. Fold in yogurt and cranberries, then turn out on to the baking sheet. Press into a rectangle that's about 3/4 inch thick. Make cuts through the dough to create scones that end up being 2 inch squares. Bake 25 minutes and sprinkle with sugar while they're really hot. Cut the squares again, they grow together like the cake in Alice in Wonderland. These guys are really moist- I usually let them dry out for a while before serving.  Feel free to replace the orange yogurt with lemon and the cranberries with dry blueberries. If you like a bolder citrus flavor zest a bit of orange (or lemon, as the case may be) and toss it right in when you add the yogurt. Just do it. Make these. Don't be afraid. 

Tradition.

There are few things I know for sure these days.  There are few things that survive from one decade to the next - who am I kidding-- from one year to the next.  I know this: unless something completely hinders us, we will be eating at Coney Island in Capitol Hill every Saturday til Jesus comes.  Its something we have done for a couple of years now, and we all look forward to it.  I enjoy a coney (or two...) with no onions, funyuns and a piece of bakalava. Every week. My kids and my husband may have Greek Spaghetti or a Frito Chili Pie or a coney, like me, because they're the best in town.  The food is so good and so right every time, but that's not the only reason we go.  Is there a person (at least one) in your life that loves everyone and shows absolutely no prejudice, ever? 

The lady running Coney Island is one of those people.  So many patrons from so many walks of life speaking different languages, born in different decades, wearing different shoes, wearing different hats -- all of the folks that  come in to eat, all of them hear her say "hello! its so good to see you! thank you so much for coming in!" and she's sincere. She is so happy to see all of her friends - all of her 'kids' no matter how old they are (and the little ones get suckers).  She smiles the whole time, every time. I want to stop and hug her, but when there is a line of hungry people all the way to the door every week, I feel like I might just be in her way.  You should go meet her. We all need something consistent in our lives. We all need more bakalava.  We all need more love.