Heart Art, Sauerkraut Making and Such...

Hi everyone.. 

Posting tonight on food again.. 

I know ... I know.. 

This is a little project though that is very good for you..

Actually, I have spent most of this day and yesterday doing craft stuff.. 

We had to cancel our last Keepers of the Home meeting due to so much sickness. 

Now we are having it this Saturday and where it is the month of February we are doing some HEART ART.. 

I can't show you all though until after the meeting as I like to surprise everyone that attends.. 

Now back to the story... 

Food... 

Well, I have been concerned about digestive health and did some study on it and found that fermented food is very good for that.. 

Read about it HERE..

So... 

I bought a cabbage and some Greek yogurt.. 

I have made sauerkraut before but for some reason I did not get to it last Fall.. 

I noticed on several blogs that they just make one cabbage at a time and decided to do just that.. 

Also.. 

I found that some recommended fermenting it with whey.. 

Hence... 

The Greek Yogurt.. 

All I did was to put a piece of cheesecloth into a strainer over a bowl and place the container of yogurt in it over night.. 

In the morning I had a lovely cream cheese that you can mix with jam or honey and use on your toast or bagel.. 

It would be good with herbs, too.. 

The next day I shredded the medium cabbage up and added 2 tsp. of sea salt and 4 T. of the whey.. 

Put it in a bowl and pound down with a meat hammer or such for about ten minutes to get the juices going.. 

Then place in a jar and keep in the fridge.. 

I found the recipe for it HERE..

There was still some whey left and I plan to use it in some biscuits.. 

You can freeze this until you need it.. 

Don't waste it as it is as good as buttermilk.. 

Then last night I made kind of a Bubble and Squeak Recipe.. 

Anyway..  

Here is the recipe for Sauerkraut Bubble and Squeak.. 

In a large frying pan add as much chopped bacon as you think you would like.. 

I used about a quarter of a pound for the two of us.. 

Let it fry up a bit and then add a couple of peeled and sliced potatoes and one sliced onion..(or however much you need)

Let it fry up and turn a couple of times only.. 

You want it to brown a bit.. 

I added pepper but no salt as there is enough in the kraut..  

When almost tender and browned add your jar of sauerkraut.. 

If you find it too salty then rinse it in cold water and drain.

Heat through and enjoy.. 

I make this recipe usually with fresh cabbage but it does not have the nutrition in it that the kraut has and I always add fresh parsley and lemon juice .. 

I didn't add parsley to the sauerkraut one.. 

We both liked it as well as the original so from now on I will take the few minutes it took to make the jar of kraut.. 

And I love having the whey.. 

Now when I buy a cabbage I will also buy an extra one for doing this.. 

Do you eat fermented veggies? 

Thank you so much for dropping by again.. 

If you live in the Salisbury area and would like to attend our Keepers meeting please let me know.. 

We would love to have you.. 

What are you doing for projects these Winter days? 

Take care, dear hearts.. 

And the Winter Goes On..

Hello everyone.. 

Just a little posting here on the Lord's Day.. 

We are having some typical Winter weather in Eastern Canada.. 

As you know we are retired so our days are not as exciting as yours.. 

I find my posts during this season are a bit blah .. 

We get up in the mornings and just do what the day brings forth.. smile.. 

Usually a few household chores and such.. 

Some days we go shopping or visiting.. 

Or perhaps we will have friends or family over.. 

As you can see that includes food... 

You all must think that is all I blog about.. 

Food and recipes.. 

I must admit that I love to cook and Winter brings out the inclination to try new recipes and such.. 

I even try them out on our friends with limited success sometimes.. grin.. 

Remind me to tell you about the Chicken Chow Mein recipe that I tried out on some friends the other night.. 

They brought a wonderful delicious cheesecake, though.. 

A couple of exciting things did happen, I think.. 

I saw a robin!!

We do not see many of them and it was a little thrill to see the dear thing eating it's dinner of berries growing in the Library parking lot.. 

Then I bought a pot of tulips.. 

Both things brought me the promise of Spring here in my Winter kitchen... smile.. 

I am not putting down Winter or trying to hurry my days but here in New Brunswick this year has been a bit trying as far as the weather goes.. 

For some reason the storms seem to come on Sundays and Bible Study nights.. 

Or if it is not bad roads then it has been the flu... 

Oh well.. 

Spring will come... 

I just want to enjoy these family times and long cozy evenings.. 

I do need to start thinking about some housecleaning and such.. 

But for now I will just dream about it and make my lists.. 

Drink my tea and enjoy the season.. 

How about you girls... 

Are you enjoying this season?

I made a fish chowder and the recipe was requested.. 

So instead of just emailing it I thought I would share it with you all.. 

I know.. 

Another recipe.. 

I am planning on doing a craft soon.. 

I promise.. 

Here you go.. Veronique.. 

My version of a Simple Fish Chowder.. 

In a soup pot put tablespoon or so of oil.. 

Then add a chopped (quite small) carrot, half of an onion and a stick or two of celery.. 

Saute for a few minutes then add a couple of diced potatoes and enough chicken broth to barely cover.. 

Simmer very slowly until almost tender then add a can of drained clams and a pound of haddock or white fillets of fish.. 

Sprinkle on some salt.. 

When the fish is almost tender then add some scallops and a package of chopped crab... 

Make sure your heat is low and just cook very slowly.. 

This only takes a few minutes as scallops cook very quickly.. 

When everything is cooked and flaky add coffee cream to make a nice chowder.. 

Sometimes I will just add milk but cream is much better.. 

Finish off with a spoon of butter and some chopped fresh parsley.. 

Taste for flavor and add sea salt and freshly ground pepper..

This is a very flexible recipe and you can add or change the fish or veggies to your taste..  

Thank you so much for your visit and for your comments last post on the soup debate..

Terry and I both enjoyed your comments and of course homemade soup won hands down.. grin.. 

Here is a little soup hint for you.. 

I forgot to mention it on the last post.. 

But if you have a tomato base soup you can add a few chopped dried tomatoes in oil and it adds wonderful flavor.. 

Looking forward to hearing from you faithful dears once again.. 

God bless.. 

“Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!… He gives snow like wool; He scatters the frost like ashes. He casts forth His ice as fragments, Who can stand before His cold? He sends forth His word and melts them. He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.” ~Psalm 147:12-18

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire. And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” ~Isaiah 55:10-12

Sending hugs your way.. 

The Soup Debate...

Hello everyone.. 

Hope you had a great weekend.. 

We have been struck with the flu here and kept ourselves home for the last week.. 

Terry had a rougher road then I but we are both doing much better.. 

The flu has hit our province in a rather big way..

So many of our friends and family have been down with it. 

I have been looking up some homemade remedies which are on my HEALTHY Pinterest board in case you are interested.. 

We are taking Vitamins C and D and also lots of Echinacea..

Drinking lots of water and washing our hands often..

I read somewhere to sing the Lord's Prayer while you are washing your hands.. 

That is a bit long, I think.. smile.. 

I have even closed our window at night until Terry stops coughing..

On top of that I am, of course, making my homemade soups.. 

The other night as I was making one dear hubby remarks that it would be much easier just to open a can...!!

Hello... He is serious.. 

He says it would be much less work and a lot less dishes to do.. 

He dare not admit it but I think he actually thinks it tastes just as good.. 

He said  that mine tastes better but is too much work.. grin.. 

Campbell's Chicken Noodle or whatever would make him just as happy as my homemade soup.. 

Well... 

Not for this old girl.. 

Taking a half hour to make this Lentil Vegetable Soup was worth every minute of my time and the dishes fit into the dishwasher quite easily.. 

I do admit that I am a messy cook.. 

My Gram always said a messy cook was a good cook so I guess I am one of the best... grin.. 

As you can see in the pics I ate the whole bowl.. 

Then I put his half in the fridge and had it for breakfast.. smile.. 

Yes, he ate the chicken noodle.. 

I was not wasting good homemade soup on someone who did not appreciate it.. 

Well, to be honest he is not an admirer of lentils.. 

Some people would call me a domestic goddess.. grin.. 

But he says that I am just a sucker 

 for punishment  to do all of that hard work.. 

I thought he would agree that homemade is best as it is

 so much more frugal.. 

Right?? 

So.. 

What do you girls think?

Would you take the can over there in his bowl or mine with the shaved Parmesan along with a few crackers and homemade Olive Tapenade?? 

Just wondering.. smile.. 

Here is my recipe in case you agree with me.. 

Lentil and Veggie Soup.. 

In a pot add 2 slices of chopped bacon along with a teaspoon of olive oil.. 

Brown the bacon and add half of a chopped onion and 1 clove or 2 of minced garlic.. 

Also add 2 chopped carrots and 1/2 teaspoon of thyme or rosemary.. 

Cook and stir for about 5 minutes.. 

Add 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste and 5 cups of homemade or good store bought Chicken Broth.. 

Salt and Pepper 

1 large can of drained and rinsed lentils... 

Cook for another 10 minutes.. 

Add 3/4 cup of small tube type pasta and cook for another 10 minutes or until tender.. 

Finish with a good handful of chopped fresh parsley.. 

Put in your bowl and shave some Parmesan Cheese on top.. 

Yummmm.... 

Thank you so much for stopping by and welcome to the new followers of the blog.. 

So glad to have you all dropping by.. 

I look forward to hear your opinions.. 

Who made the first homemade soup in the Bible?  

Take care, dear hearts.. 

Hugs.. 

LINKED TO .. In and Out of the Kitchen Link Party

January .. A time for the Lovely..

Hello my dears.. 

A little different post tonight.. 

A few pics from my Pinterest boards.. 

I was wondering if you would like to tell me which ones spoke to you the most ... 

January is such a great time to do things that we usually may not have time for... 

Our hearts are looking at empty calender pages and we would like to fill them with lovely things.. 

In the Bible in the book of Philippians 4:6-8

tells us not to be anxious about anything but to take our cares to the Lord and He will give us His peace but also to think about things that are lovely and such.

.New International Version (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

So.. 

with that in mind I am trying to fill my mind with the lovely.. 

I thought you might like to join me .. 

The above photos are a few that fill my heart with peace and gives me creative inspiration.. 

Perhaps you would like to comment and even send me a link or two to pics that inspire you... 

Or if you have a blog you would like to do a similar post and link back here.. (just an idea)

You can just copy and paste your link to your comment or just tell me what gives you a sense of the lovely..

In my pics I have tried to select the attainable.. 

Lovely rooms, little projects, simple pleasures and as always the Word of God.. 

There are lots of things on Pinterest or the internet that inspire but there is no reality if you know what I mean.. 

A lot of it would never come near our budget so I am trying to be real and find doable projects and such...

OK?

I hope you have enjoyed this stray from the usual.. 

Sending love to you all.. 

Linked to.. FROM THE FARM BLOG HOP

Also...Pin Junkee Friday Link Party

Winter days and Winter nights..

Good Evening dear hearts.. 

Hope you are having a great week.. 

We are having a January thaw here in New Brunswick which is lovely, although it has caused a bit of flooding in the area.. 

Otherwise everything is good here on the home front..

We are just doing Winter things like baking bread, making soups, cleaning the freezer and cold room and such..  

Then we have a nice supper and enjoy the long evenings.. 

I go to bed earlier in the Winter and read for an hour or so before I go to sleep.. 

Do you read before snoozing off..

Something woke me up in the middle of the night.. 

As I lay there I heard someone walking under our open window..   

I could tell that it was something bigger then a cat so I jabbed Terry in the ribs and whispered that there was something outside.. 

It took him a minute to wake up but then he said it was just deer.. 

How could he know that...

I heard it again and gave him another jab.. 

I guess he decided he may as well get up and look .. 

The moon was bright and he could see 2 deer plainly.. 

He said one of the deer had a bad leg and it looked like it might have been broken.. 

I expect all the ice on Saturday probably caused lots of injuries in the deer population.   

The poor things.. 

We could see lots of tracks around the apple trees this morning..

At least they found something to eat.. 

I wonder if they will come back tonight.. smile..

I have been informed not to wake up Mr. Henry again as it took him sometime to get back to sleep.. 

He said my shivering and shaking kept him awake.. 

Oh brother... LOL..

I am preparing for our Keepers of the Home meeting which will be held on Saturday morning at 9 am.. 

If you live near Salisbury and would like to join us we would love to have you.. 

Just let me know by email or twitter.. 

houseofhenry@hotmail.com 

 or

HERE  which is my twitter account.. 

That is all for tonight so please keep warm and safe.. 

I hope I am not boring you and you all come back.. OK...

I look forward to hearing from you . 

God bless and keep you.. 

Hugs..

LINKED AND FEATURED AT..

 SATURDAY SPARKS LINK PARTY...

Weekending..

Hello there everyone.. 

A wet and windy night here in New Brunswick.. 

It has been quite a day as far as weather goes.. 

Traffic has come almost to a standstill in many parts of our province as the RCMP have closed major highways and cars are lined along the roads for miles waiting for the ice to be salted or whatever.. 

We headed for Moncton this morning but only went a couple of miles when we turned around and came home as the road was just a glib... 

Many accidents and vehicles were off of the roads everywhere.. 

There are videos of kids skating on the roads and some people not able to even stand up.. 

If you can imagine my Mom and husband (83 years old)  went to St. John this morning and did not get home until tonight.. 

This is over a two hour trip from their house.. 

They returned home safe but could not get up their long lane and had to have someone drive them to their door and practically carry my mom into their house.. 

So thankful I did not know what they were about.. smile.. 

And thankful to God for safe travelling mercies.. 

Anyway.. 

We have been having a good weekend regardless... 

Had some sweet visitors for supper... 

Their request as always.. 

Fried Rice, Meatballs and Salad... 

You would think they would get tired of it but they haven't yet.. 

Dustin called up and wanted to know if this was the 

House of Henry and if our rice was on sale.. 

Buy one and get one free??.. grin.. 

Funny lad, eh? 

As you can see in one of the pictures it is the bacon they love.. grin.. 

Did some baking as they were coming.. 

Golden Raisin Breads and Apple Pies.. 

Terry was so happy as Veronique brought a wonderful dessert.. 

Chocolate Lasagna...

It was simply delicious.. 

She is quite the little cook.. smile..

They bring their puppies which have grown so much.. 

Such well behaved dogs..

Charlie and Peanut.. 

We all spent some time trying to figure out a puzzle that they had given Grandpa.. 

We couldn't do it but bless his heart Grandpa figured it out..We were all shocked.. grin.. 

We had a new salad dressing that I found Here...

It is very good and excellent with a Chinese Salad.. 

To make a salad more Chinese I add carrots, mushrooms, bean sprouts, celery, pea pods and such to the lettuce.. 

Well, my dears that is all for tonight.. 

I pinned an interesting YouTube to my Pinterest.. 

You can find it HERE..

Something to think about as the Israeli Leader has passed away.. 

Thank you for your visit and taking the time to leave me your notes.. 

I appreciate it and thanks for your soup ideas last post.. 

God is faithful... 

Hugs..