Independence Days Challenge update for the week of 9/28

Plant:  Garlic

Harvest: Sugar Pumpkins; Corn; Tomatoes; Bell Pepper; Onions

Preserve: Processed and froze pumpkin for pies, etc; Froze corn; Froze Tomatoes

Prepare:  Still updating my Laundry/Pantry/Mudroom

Local Foods: Some Cookies and bread from the Farmers' Market
Community: Took a bag of tomatoes to the food bank; took some cat food and a bag of  litter to the local animal shelter (they are in need); printed and distributed flyers concerning the Dog Park I and a bunch of Dog owners hope to get built!

Making Do (Repair, Re-Duce, Re-Use, Recycle): Reusing the corn stalks from the corn I harvested for a Halloween decoration before putting them in the yard waste bin

Hot Dog Hash

I was watching “The Chew” one day- (Yeah I know- but hey Days of our Lives was pre-empted) Anyways, it made me reminiscent for the Hot Dog Hash my Dad use to make… It was one of the few things on his repertoire. And one of the things I love the most. I don’t know if it was incented to to find a use for the extra two wieners in the hot dog pack ( Eight hot dogs to a pack, 6 buns to a package) Or something Dads just made because they could.

Did your Dad cook when you were little? Mine did and his repertoire was:

·         Frozen Turkey, Chicken or Beef Pot Pie, which we ate in front of the T.V. watching the Galloping Gourmet

·         Leftover School Chicken (Dad worked in a School as a Janitor, and the cooks would give it to him to take home)

s·         Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese sandwiches Tomato soup was a can of stewed tomatoes with milk

·         Sausage hash with egg

·         Beenie Weenies

·         Kidney Pie (don’t ask) Suffice it to say to leave it to my dad to find the only canned kidney pie in the known universe

·         Canned Tamales, which I still love and consider a comfort food 

It’s not like dad couldn’t cook- he could stuff a great potato sausage. But the fondest memory I have is his Hot Dog Hash

HOT DOG HASH  

A Hot Dog

Some form of potatoes- I had some “Potatoes O’Brien” in the freezer, but you can use leftover potatoes as well. Dad used to use Canned Potatoes, something I haven’t seen in grocery stores in ages!

Any leftover veggies you might want to use up leftovers or

An Egg or two (Optional)

Pour a tablespoon of oil in pan, Fry the potatoes in that. While potatoes are frying, add the hot dog, sliced in medallions, Fry until the potatoes are done. Then scramble the egg if desired and add that. Cook until done.

Serves 2

Easy Take Out Luminaria

This is is so simple. Just get some colored Chinese Take Out cartons from
 your art supply store,
Dissasemble them.
Draw a design on them
Cut out design using an Exato knife or other sharp knife.
Re-assemble them.

Stick an LED Candle in them and hang them up, or border your walkway or whatever

Easy Art

I have a portrait of Romeo taken by Joel Green, a professional  photographer, that I won in an auction. Nicely framed, I wanted some similar pics of Buddy and the both of them to hangnthat would compliment them. So I took some more pics, and with an editing prohrsm turned them Blsck snd white,then “matted them using Windows Paint-- I simply framed the outside using the shape tool and filled in the rest, A trick I learned from a professional photographer I know. Then printed them on glossy photo paper.The end result is some great pics of the dogs and a few other things to hang on the wall!

Spooky Eyes

I found this on pininterest and had to try myself. So easy to do,,, just cut eyeholes in a toilet paper tube. I didn’t have any glow sticks, so I put in a LED candle. I did find I had to cover the ends with scrap paper though.

'Smore Quesidillas

A great quick dessert recipe. Instead of frying you can also cook on a BBQ grille or in a toaster oven.

'Smore Quesidillas

Two tortillas

2 Hershey bars

1 tblsp. Of peanut butter

About a cup of miniature marshmallows

About a table spoon of canola oil

Heat oil in a fry pan. Spread peanut butter on one tortilla. Place the marshmallows on the peanut butter, Break the chocolate bar into pieces and place on top of marshmallows. Top with other tortilla. Place in hot fry pan, for 30 seconds, flip and fry for another thirty seconds or until golden brown. OR put in a hot grille or toaster oven and watch for when the tortilla turns golden brown. Plate slice into four or six slices, pizza style, or two for you and a loved one or don’t slice if you are a greedy pig. I usually opt for the last choice.

Servings-4-6 (or 1 serving if you're a  greedy stingy, hungry pig)

Upcycled Orangina Bottle Oil Lamp

I love Orangina! I found  some at Trader Joes in these spiffy Glass bottles. So I start thinking how to up-cycle them before I left the store! I simply took an empty bottle, scrubbed the label off, made a wick from an old cotton tennis shoe string or use a small strip from a cotton t-shirt, punch a small hole in the cap with an Awl ( you could probably use a nail, or a small screw driver). Insert the “wick” in the cap. Fill the bottle with Lamp Oil and light!

Up-cycled Berry Basket

Sitting around, with nothing to do? Me, too. I have about 6 of these plastic berry baskets. so I decided to take some ribbon and do some weaving! Now a basket that's perfect for giving out a small amount of cookies or Christmas candy (If I make some) or a small gift! The only thing I would do a bit different is a handle out of pipe cleaners!

AARF Fun!

Romeo and Buddy checking out the goodies!

What I did on my weekend. Well I had to work, but I did have some time to attend the annual A.A.R.F (Animal Assistance and Rescue Foundation), where I adopted Buddy, Whine and Cheese Auction. While auctioning, I bid on some great items, and won two... A gift basket of dog goodies, which includes a grooming and a pet sitting certificates!

YUMMY!!!

And a guilt free  Raw Chocolate Cheesecake, which as you can see is slowly getting eaten, piece by delicious piece, from Deceptive Delights, a bakery that specializes in no guilt desserts! And too SWAG Bags full of goodies and food for Romeo and Buddy! All in all a good night and a great organization for dogs!

Independence Days challenge update for week of 9/14

I am not a cut flower type of guy, but thought these looked great and had such great fall colors!

Plant: nothing

Harvest: Pumpkin, tomatoes, apples

Preserve:: Nothing

Prepare:  Still working on remodeling the pantry/laundry/mud room for maximum storage

Local Foods: Bought some cookies and pumpkin bread as well as some fall flowers. Also attending an auction for AARF tonight! (AARF is were I adopted Buddy through)

Making Do (Repair, Re-use, Reduce, Recycle): Just the standard recycling, re-using, composting.       Started making halloween costumes for the dogs from some old water battles. Started making some christmas gifts as well.

How to handle a peach harvest!

I was wondering what to do with my peach harvest… One measly peach! SO how to maximize this one sparse yet delicious and sweet peach? I decided to make a peach shortcake! Easy to prepare just like strawberry short cake, except substitute sliced peaches for the strawberry’s!

Semi-Home Made Crackers

Ever watch Sandra Lee on the Food Network Show “Semi HomeMade”? Well, I must admit to watching time to time… Not for the “Tablescapes” or the Cocktail- (Sandra is a bit of a lush!) I do watch to see what semi Home made treats she is making up! Sandra is a similar kind of cook to me… anyway, I thought I would share how I made some Semi Home Made Crackers:

1 tube of Crescent Roll biscuit dough

1/3 cup of melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll biscuits. Instead of rolling them, spread them out on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with butter, then bake in 350 oven for 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Enjoy with cheese, baba ghanoush, hummus – whatever you desire

Arts Aglow lights up the Night

The large art installation by Celeste Cooning. Click here to see a video in action

The annual Burien Art’s Aglow festival was held on Saturday. Quite fun with all the lanterns and such, the highlight of the evening is the procession, led by VamoLá Brazilian  Drum & Dance Ensemble, and joined by hundreds of people wearing lit costumes and carrying handmade lanterns, through the local neighborhood. This year besides the Community Garden setting up lanterns and lights, a lot of the homes along the route of the procession also set up lanterns, to celebrate.

Many folks dress up in ornate lit costumes

Independence Day Challenge for week of 9/6

I got my peach harvest. -1 stinkin' peach. But that's 100% more than I got last year!

Plant: nothing

Harvest: Corn, Peach, Green Beans, Tomatoes

Preserve:: Nothing

Prepare:  Started remodeling the pantry/laundry/mud room for maximum storage

Local Foods: Bought some cookies and Baba ghanoush and bread at the Farmers Market

Community: Attended a B-Town D.O.G. (Dog Owners Group) Meeting to establish an off leash dog park here in town

Making Do (Repair, Re-use, Reduce, Recycle): Making lanterns out of discarded items for the annual Lantern Festival, and just the standard recycling, re-using, composting.

Crock of Stock

Well I got this meat order I ordered from Blue Valley. I ordered some knuckle bones for the knuckle heads (dogs). There were so many! So I thought about it for awhile and decided to make soup stock. Then I decided to try using the Crock Pot to do it. So I simply cut up an onion, some carrots, Roasted the bones at 350 for an hour then added them to the crock with the veggies, set it on High  (so it would simmer) and went to work. When I got home the stock was ready. I let it cool and froze half of it, and the other half put in the fridge. Now a nice stock for soup when fall weather hits! And Knuckle bones for the pooches!

Happy Labor Day

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!