Almost back on the farm

Ok so apartment living has gotten to me. I feel like a caged animal. So on my days off I go down to Brown County and spend time with Lydia, Travis and baby Henry.

We work in the greenhouse, and gardens. And now there are 2 litters of baby pigs.

So since I spend so much time there and really only sleep and eat here... I am moving all my blogging over to their website:

hoodsheritagehogs.com

See you there!!

"Impossible Quiche"

Fresh and hot out of the oven! Spinach with Colby/jack and Parmesan shreds.

This is an easy dish I've been making since my kids were little. We like it hot or cold and for any meal or for packing an eat-out-of-hand picnic or lunch. It's simple to adjust the ingredients to suit the season and your tastes.

THE BASIC RECIPE:

Grease a pie pan or iron skillet. I like to use butter because it gives such a nice golden crust and because we make our own from cream from pasture raised cows. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk together 2 cups milk, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. (If you would like a creamier texture use 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks. You can save the whites for an omelet or for making a meringue desert)

Now for the fun part:

Veggie Possible                              Meat Possible                 Cheese Possible

Spinach                                           Breakfast sausage              Cheddar

Broccoli                                          Ham                                   Mozzarella

Zucchini                                          bacon                                 Feta or other goat cheese

Tomato                                            Smoked or polish              Butter cheese

Salsa                                                sausage                             Asiago

                                                                                                  Parmesan

                                                                                                   Jack

                                                                                                   Colby

                                                             

You'll need about a 1 1/2 to 2 cups veg, 1 cup of meat, and 1 1/2 to 3 cups cheese. ( Reserve 3/4 cup for the top).

Mix and match according to your preferences. Just remember that cheeses like Feta, Asiago, Goat cheese go a long way. Other cheeses like Parmesan and mozzarella don't make for a very creamy filling. So a blend of cheeses is a good idea.

You can do an all veg or all meat pie if you like just adjust the amounts a bit.

Now mix your selected veg, meat and cheese into the base mix. Pour it all into the pie pan and top with the cheese you reserved for the top.

Bake for 45 minutes or so. It should be browned around the edges and firm to touch in the middle.

Set out to cool for 15 minutes before cutting so that it is set.

With avocado,salsa and lemon

Enjoy!!

Meatza Pie

Meatza Pie ready for the freezer.

Since Brian has developed type II diabetes we have changed some of our eating habits. Most notably there is no bread in the house. Which means no more ordering pizza delivery. This was one of our guilty pleasures since we moved to the apartment. We were like little kids on Christmas morning when the pizza guy knocked.

I miss pizza. So does Brian. So I started racking my brain for a recipe. Hmmmm.... I remember Pam making something she called Meatza Pie when she lived with us. Maybe I can make a version of that?

So this is what I came up with:

2 pounds of grass finished ground beef- keep it lean. You don't want a greasy pie.
6 whole wheat crackers crushed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 of a large onion diced
1/2 of an orange pepper diced (you could use a green, yellow or red pepper. I just happened to have an orange one)
A splash of Catsup, a dash of hot sauce and a large pinch of oregano (dried or fresh)

Mix it all up good and let it sit for about 15 minutes.
While you wait, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9 X 13 cake pan. I have one of those little bottles you pump up to pressurize oil. I put in olive oil or grape seed or safflower oil. I think it works better than a can of non-stick spray and I know for sure what's in it.

Now press the meat mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. That's right  like a meat crust for a deep dish pizza.

Next:

Mix 1 egg with 8 ounces of Ricotta until smooth. Spread over the bottom of your meat crust.
Pour in 1 quart of spaghetti sauce. Preferably homemade, but that's not always possible. Just remember the better the sauce the better the pie! In the summer I think I'll try adding zucchini to the sauce. I'd love to add mushrooms but Brian doesn't eat fungus. He studies it, but he won't eat it.

Next add a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan, then a thin layer of shredded  mozzarella. Now add your toppings. Brian is partial to pepperoni so this time I layered it on. Meat on meat = Man Pie!

Next comes another layer of mozzarella. you could put it in the oven now if you like the cheese to be the top layer. I added another layer of pepperoni.

Put it in the oven until the cheese bubbles in the middle and is browned a bit around the edges. Check to be sure the meat is done. A meat thermometer should read 170 degrees when placed in the middle of your pie.

Take the pie out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

This freezes nicely so it's great to have in your freezer pantry. Just make sure to wrap it up tight so no air gets in.

ENJOY!

Let me know if you try this recipe and what things you change about it. I'd love to hear from you.

Dot

Shopping list:

• 2 lbs grass finished ground beef  - lean low fat content
• eggs- cage free, free range, organic, all natural - better yet fresh from your hens!
• onion
• Sweet pepper- red, yellow, green, orange - go wild and add some color + flavor
• Catsup- homemade if you have it.
• Hot sauce- we got some really great hot sauce at the farmers market
• Whole wheat crackers
• Oregano - dried or fresh. Remember it is easy to grow and doesn't take up much room on a sunny windowsill. :^)
• 8 oz. Ricotta
• Cheese: Parmesan, mozzarella ( fresh mozzarella is good too. I can't wait 'til we have a cow again so we can make our own.)
• Toppings of your choice: zucchini, mushrooms, pepperoni, olives. . . use your imagination.

Count down

Two and a half years from now Brian will be a graduate of Purdue University with a BS in Plant pathology. This will be the sentinel event I have been waiting for ever so impatiently.
He will be doing his graduate work at University of Kentucky. So as soon as he has that degree in hand we are going to be shopping for a farm somewhere around Lexington, Ky. Not to close in. With some trees and a good deal of pasture, a livable house and water a good deal of water.

And yes I am counting down the years, months, weeks, days, hours minutes.
2 years
3 months
3 weeks
3 days

:^)

Henry T.

Brand New!!

 24 Hours Old

Henry T. Hood: 8 lbs 8 oz,  20 inches long, first son of Travis & my Daughter Lydia, much anticipated little brother of big sister Taylor.

He had a bit of a difficult entry into the world, but everyone is doing fine now. He is our 5th grandchild. The 3rd boy grandbaby and the third redheaded grandbaby.

Watch out world the redheads are winning!!!

Sweet Hot

Who knew? Jalapenos pickled in a sweet vinegar pickle are so yummy!

Sweet then with a kick!

We will definitely make these again... maybe even again this year. Those crazy pepper plants are loaded again. Good thing we only planted two!

"I'm glad I'm not a better gardener"

"Or I'd be drowning in veggies!" That is my daughter's assessment of the success of our little raised bed garden in her side yard. It's beds are bursting with tomatoes, basil, beans, onions, carrots, cilantro, cucumbers, watermelons, canteloupe, peppers, pumpkins, and beets. "Can you imagine what would have happened if I'd been better at remembering to water it?"

We've put up jars of pickled beets, green beans, zuchini relish and sweet hot jalepenos. We've  frozen plump bags of  green beans and watermelon juice. And now the tomatoes are finally starting to turn yellow, orange and red. Look out salsa here we come!!