Hand in Hand

Handcrafted small wooden planter boxes.  This is something we started making during days we had some downtime, but didn't feel like big projects.  This one was one of my favorites. I added rocks we found at a beach and a small air plant. It sits on my kitchen counter now.                      A few of them got some extra detail with the router. Some on top, some on bottom. Just that extra bit of detail really adds to the look. Smallest are about 6" across and 3" tall.  Triangles are about 7" and 4" tall. Rectangles are roughly 7" tall, 4" wide, and 3.5" tall.  Square is roughly 7" x 7" and 4" tall.  All are stained and sealed. $15 each.     Others had an extra bit of detail added in. A different piece of wood to really add a unique look.  

So, I made meringue cookies. Never made them before. Not sure I'd even eaten them before. If you've seen them, or had them, but hesitated to make them yourself, give it a try. I was surprised at how easy they are to make. And yes, they make a lot! I ended up with 50 cookies. I didn't have a piping bag or tips. So, I just used a baggie and cut the corner off. Keep it on the small side so you don't end up with huge cookies. They're like fuffy, sweet clouds. Crispy, delicate texture.  Be gentle with them, because they will crumble in your hand. They do melt in your mouth, though. Totally worth making.   I won't leave a recipe here, but will say I moatly followed a recipe. It stated 1/4 C sugar per egg white.  I stayed close to that, but not exact. Give it a try if you want something different.

So, scotch eggs. Basically, a sausage wrapped, soft or hard boiled egg. Whether you want the egg runnier or firmer, is up to you. For a soft boiled egg, boil for about 7 minutes. A firmer egg, boil for closer to 9 minutes. Pork sausage is what you're wrapping the egg in. Instructions are simple: 1) Boil egg to preferred doneness, then peel. 2) Portion out sausage for however many eggs you are making. 3) Wrap sausage gently around peeled, boiled egg. Be sure to have egg fully encased. 4) Deep fry sausage wrapped egg until golden brown. 5) Enjoy!      It seems like such a simple dish, but is really a nice change from the typical egg dish. You can switch your flavors by using maple sausage or even sage sausage. Go spicy, if that's what tempts your tastebuds. You can also use whatever dipping sauce you would like. Really, it's a fun dish to play with flavors. Great served alongside a salad.

Quince   What would you like to see here?  Recipes using certain foods? Specific things about gardening? Or fruits and vegetables? Feel free to chime in and let me know if there is something that maybe I can help with. I'm trying to avoid having a bunch of ads here. It makes it harder to read. But, if you'd like to send a buck or buy me a coffee, my Venmo is on the side bar of the page. Click on my profile, about me, wishlist.  Thanks a bunch.

Dried pinto beans are super cheap to buy and actually really easy to cook. Especially if you have a slow cooker. The first thing you need to do when you open the bag of beans, is to sort through them. It's easiest if you put them on a table or countertop that you can slide them into your bowl from. You're looking for rocks, wrinkled beans, any debris, or beans that just don't look good. Your dried beans should be brown, smooth, and pretty much all look the same.  This is some of what I picked out while cleaning my beans.  Once you have your beans picked through, put them into your pot. This is the full 1 pound bag of beans. For this instance, we'll use a slow cooker. Fill the dish with enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. They will absorb some water and swell up as they sit.    I get the beans ready the night before and leave them sit overnight. The next morning, I dump the water out and rinse the beans twice. Making sure the water is mostly clear ...

Meat is expensive.  One of the best ways to stretch your shopping budget, is to cut your own meat. Here in the picture is a boneless pork loin. This one weighs 11.12 pounds. Most meats cost less if you buy them as "whole in a bag".  The nicest thing about buying a whole piece of meat, is that you can cut it however you want. Chunks for stew? Thick or thin chops/steaks? Roasts? Want to grind it yourself?  All options you can choose from. From this pork loin, I ended up with 9 meals. I cut 2 roasts, 4 packs of 2 thick cut pork chops, and 3 packs of 4 thin cut pork chops. From the roasts, I'll probably end up with leftovers.  So, the breakdown comes to each meal cost me $2.46 for the meat. The meat for 9 meals cost $22.13. You can watch your local stores for "truck meat sales". My local grocers offer a sale like this twice a year. They also have butchers on hand to cut your purchases however you would like.   You can also shop at places like Costco or US Chef'...