One Kitchen, Many Hearts - Spring Fever

Ahhhh.... spring.  When the flowers are in bloom, the birds are constantly chirping, and it's already 95 degrees in Phoenix.
Thank goodness for air conditioning and great friends.

This month's OKMH box came, like all the others seem to, at the perfect time.  Last week was rough for the country, and as the end of the semester picks up, things have gotten even crazier round these parts.  Kirsten's completely overstuffed USPS boxes (two of them!) were the perfect pick-me-up for both HRH and me.

Behold, The Goods.

Do you see all of those gorgeous hand-written labels on those jars?  The threats of horrible repercussions should The Husband even think about looking at them were being composed the second I unearthed the first beautiful bit of homemade deliciousness.

Not only did Kirsten send me a jar of Wickles "Wannabes" (I've never had the real thing), strawberry jam made from strawberries picked by The Sons, a barbecue glaze that I MIGHT let The Husband use, should he fancy grilling, and some sweet and spicy zucchini pickles that I know I'm either going to have to eat all in one sitting or hoard after labeling it "My Precious," Kirsten also sent a jar of strawberry-rhubarb jam from her friends at Friske's Farm Market.  I can hardly stand it - I love love love rhubarb.  We had a big plant when I was growing up, and summer wasn't summer without rhubarb pies and rhubarb sauce (delicious over vanilla ice cream) and other rhubarb stuff.  The Husband also adores it, so this one is going to get its own safe.

I would have been happy to surround myself with these five new friends, but she had to go further and send me some gorgeous colors - blue and yellow, my two absolute favorites - to action on the mitts and paws ASAP, a so soft (like "it's so fluffy I could die" soft) scarf, also in blue, an "adult juice box" (AKA margarita in a squeeze bottle), and some Max-Freeze for those days when I feel my age after a morning run (we call those days "weekdays).

All of this in one cardboard box, friends.

But apparently, even this wasn't enough.  I think that now we have spent over a year getting to know one another, we've come to think of one another's families as our own.  Kirsten and HRH had an instant bond when we met up in Michigan last November; Kirsten got to spend some time with a pink-loving girl, and HRH got to get her favorite thing ever: attention.  It was a relationship made in heaven. Since then, we've been in discussions for an OKMH betrothal between HRH and one of The Sons.  

To sweeten the deal, HRH received her own OKMH-in-training package, containing a bazillion sheets of construction paper (we got through a lot of construction paper in this house), nearly the same number of sparkly Disney princess stickers, a few princess-themed markers, and some sparkly pink nail polish for her own mitts/paws situation.

HRH lost no time Stickering All the Things.

I call this one "More is More is More."

When I say everything got stickered, I mean everything.

The most wonderful aspect of receiving this package every other month isn't the contents thereof; it's the friendship that has evolved and flourished in these last 18 months among the seven of us.  We are all so very different people, but we have become close in spite of - or perhaps because of - these differences.  We complement - and often compliment - each other well.  And there's not a USPS shipping container big enough to hold the joy I have found in making these friends.  Thank you, Kirsten, for the lovely gifts and the even lovelier thoughts behind each one of them.

Now, I'm especially excited for you to see what I sent to Beka (Kvetchin' Kitchen) this month.  It was my first box of mostly homemade stuff, and I may have had more fun making them than she did unpacking them.  Although from the video that Megan sent me, she pretty much lost her (expletive deleted).

But also check out what Beka sent to Megan (Wanna Be a Country Cleaver), although since they live so close to each other, I'm not sure actual shipping was involved.

And you need to see what Megan sent to Mads (La Petite Pancake).

And also what Mads sent to Jeanne (Inside NanaBread's Head).

And don't forget to see what Jeanne sent to Kat (Tenaciously Yours,).

Or what Kat sent to Kirsten (Comfortably Domestic).

What's been in your mail lately?

Just Peachy!!!

I need to preface this entry by saying that the kerfuffle with Zooey on Monday isn't the reason I have been away from the blog for the week.  It was finals, and I was in a grading frenzy.  As for Devil Dog, who is currently snoozing at my feet, she turned three on Thursday and took her birthday in a barking stride.  Hopefully now that she is officially an adult coonhound, she will settle down, but I have a notion that trash bin diving will always be a hobby of hers.
But she is cute, isn't she?

Snoozing in the sun

From London to Dakota - Saving the World

This weekend I was fortunate to run in another 5K for a great cause; Dakota's Run was sponsored by the local FCA and held at my friend Veronica's church.  This run raised money for a little girl who is fighting leukemia.  Early Saturday morning, HRH and I got in the car, picked up Veronica, and went to church!
This was my first real experience using the jogging stroller.  Um, wow.  Totally harder than it looks, although when you think that I was pushing a contraption that weighs about 10 pounds (-ish?) and had in said contraption a 27-pound Wee One, that puts things into perspective.  My time was a great deal slower than my inaugural run at the Undy 5000, although part of that was the four small stops we made because HRH needed... well, something, I don't know - you know how toddlers get.
But I can't complain; one woman, Dakota's mother, actually, was pushing a double jogging stroller!  Two kids!  Including Dakota, who is 4 years old!  So not only am I not able to complain about my precocious little girl insisting she was "all done outside" before we even hit the halfway marker, I am not able to complain about the additional weight I was lugging around.  Again, I am so fortunate to have health for myself and for my child.  As we ran together for part of the way, I learned that Dakota's mom has run in 6 half marathons in the past year.  All I can say is WOW.  What an amazing woman.
It was a great way to begin the weekend, and I hope that the crowd that gathered in orange (the color that represents the fight against leukemia) helped offset the family's medical costs and give them hope that they have a large and loving support group no matter what.
After an exhilarating and exhausting morning that also included a lavender lemonade for me when I grabbed our weekly veggies, we went out to dinner.  We do not celebrate Valentines' Day in a traditional manner; instead, each year we have dinner with friends.  This started about ten years ago; a large group of us made it a "date."  This year, there were two of the original five couples.  HRH spent the night at Nana's house, so it was actually a real date for us.  We had dinner (sushi - sorry, no pics - we were too excited to eat it, but maybe next time) and a movie (The King's Speech - amazing).  While I know there will always be a market for random chocolates in cardboard boxes shaped like hearts, I don't need a requisite day for my husband and I to offer rhyming sentiments to one another.  But it's always great to go out to dinner in the company of great friends.
Other than that, bread and pectin were on the agenda for the day today.  I have a new basic bread recipe from my friend Christie that makes three loaves, so I'll be using that to experiment with fun flavors (she keeps telling me to stop kneading by hand, though, and I'm just not sure I want to give up that exercise!).   This time I used half bread flour and half whole wheat flour.  There are still a few slices left in the plain loaf I made last weekend, so I have to wait and see how it turned out, which might actually be a boon.  We are nearly out of peanut butter, and I happened across a recipe for homemade, so I am already slobbering over the thought of homemade bread topped with homemade peanut butter and homemade lemon marmalade.

I was told that the finished
product looks like a urine
sample; I don't want to alarm
anyone who looks in my
freezer.

And the pectin - I am really excited to have discovered the website Punk Domestics!  While dinking around on it, I came across this recipe for homemade pectin (OK, so not really recipe, as it's not that involved, but still - and there are other recipes for lemons on that link), and I was delighted to also learn that I can freeze it.  I'm planning on taking full advantage of the Schnepf Farms U-Pick orchards during peach season, so I am envisioning a shelf full of glistening orange jars.  But I digress.  Making the pectin was a perfect way for me to start using those leftover pithy parts from our limoncello project.  I've frozen the remaining rinds and plan to make more pectin as I need it.  What a great way to 1) cut down on waste (I used those lemons three ways!) and 2) cut one more item off the shopping list; pectin certainly isn't that expensive, but if I can make it from rinds and water instead, I've got that money still in the bank.  I just really wish I could find a use for rinds after that - it's really not good to compost that many rinds (too much acid).

Here are a few photos from this weekend's projects.

Before I peel an orange, I'm starting to zest and dry/save it.
The lemon zest - at least thus far - has come from a few lemons
I had to juice to finish off the preserved lemon jars.

Pork chops with a cinnamon-cumin rub on top of a
potato-daikon radish hash and topped with the
rhubarb-lemon-chile preserve as well as chopped
pineapple and oranges

This weekend was also tinged with some sadness; I learned today that one of the two benefactors of this year's London's Run, Breanna Pena, passed away late last week.  One of my co-workers received the news from her son's school, where Breanna went last year.  I am struck at the loss of a child whom I never had the opportunity to meet, and I grieve with those who loved her.  Like Dakota, London, and the other children who fight all forms of cancer each day, Breanna will serve as a reminder that I have an absolute duty to help fight and defeat this disease.  May Breanna be at peace.

When a Friend of Yours Gives You a Bazillion Lemons, Part IV

I actually shipped off some of my precious, precious lemons (and grapefruit) to three of my friends earlier this week, so I am running low and may need to go steal some more off Danielle's tree (pretty sure she'll let me).  I'm looking forward to finding out what they make!
Last night, I decided to preserve some of the lemons I have left.  Preserving lemons is pretty simple.  The secret ingredient is salt.  No, really - you take kosher (or sea) salt and lemons that have been scrubbed clean, and stick them in a sterilized jar... voilà!  Preserved lemons!
OK, there is a bit of a process.  First, cover the bottom of the jar (I would not recommend pint jars like I used - still too small) with salt.

Helloooooo, in there!

Then, take your lemon and cut off the stem and the little bump/nub at the other end.  Slice them nearly in half; turn 90 degrees and repeat; what you'll have a lemon that is almost cut into quarters, but it's still all attached.  Do this to all your lemons (duh).
Confession - I did accidentally slice all the way through two of my lemons.  I totally squeezed them together and pretended I didn't and then shoved them into a jar where there wasn't enough room to tell the difference anyway.

Hiiiiii-yaaaaaaa!
(Miss Piggy impersonation)

Pack a bunch of salt into the lemon - a tablespoonish amount appears to be the norm for recipes you'll find online.
Once finished, shove the lemon into the jar and repeat the process, adding a layer of the salt between each layer of lemon.  You may have to really truly shove at the end to get everything in.  End with a final layer of salt.

Clearly that lemon was too big.
Got it in there anyway, like the ship in a bottle.

Now, in Morocco, different spices are added, and I would love to add a little cinnamon and whatnot into some jars next time (read: when I can get some bigger jars and a few more lemons) to see what flavors I end up with.
Regardless of the different spices that may or may not be added to the jar before sealing, once the jars are sealed, they can be left on the counter (where you can't forget them) for two or three days.  Every time you go into the kitchen, give the jars a little shake.  This helps spread around the salt AND get those juices flowing (it's helpful to have juicy lemons - look for lemons that are heavy for their size; that means they have a lot of juice - same goes for any citrus).

Mmmmm.... briny....

After three days, the lemons should be completely submerged in their juice.  If not, add more from another jar or another lemon that has been relieved of its zest for another tasty endeavor.  Then, throw them in the back of the fridge, where they need to "age" at least three weeks before using.
I am not completely certain what I will use these lemons in, but I'm thinking a salad would be nice as well as perhaps a fruited couscous or even add an accompaniment to fish... as well as perhaps snacking on them right out of the jar (once properly rinsed, of course).
I'm also thinking about what I could do with the brine.  It will be more acidic than your run of the mill brine made with water, but I would hate to just pour it down the drain.  At first I thought of having a salty dog party, but those are with grapefruit, and THOSE certainly won't fit into pint jars!
Any suggestions???

Seriously, I think one of the best things about working with lemons is their cheery color.
I would love seeing these on my shelves were I living in the frozen North.

When a Friend of Yours Gives You a Bazillion Lemons, Part III

FINALLY!!!!!

Finally, I was successful in getting good-tasting marmalade to set!
Mostly.

It's still a little more liquid than I'd like it to be, but after a taste test (on some freshly baked bread), I determined that this batch - #3 of lemon, #4 overall - is going to count as real lemon marmalade and NOT a failed attempt.
Of course, since we still have lemons, I'll be tweaking things in a fifth go around.  But, basically, I used this recipe as my starting point, modifying from what I've learned in previous attempts:

• Instead of letting the lemons and water sit overnight, I had them sit for four nights (it was supposed to be three, but I went out with a friend last night), changing the water each night.  This is in a similar vein to what one would do in order to candy lemon peel, although I didn't boil the lemons.
• I added an extra cup of sugar to the ratio; I had 8 cups of the lemon-water combo, so I had nine cups of sugar.
• The recipe didn't call to have a cheesecloth with the piths and seeds, but I did include this in order to increase the amount of pectin; this was mostly due to my terror of yet another batch not setting up.

Next time, I need to cut the lemons into fourths rather than half, as the rinds were a little long.  But overall, I am extremely pleased with the outcome; I have never been a fan of marmalade, but right now, I am trying to decide how many half-pint jars I can justify keeping.

Freshly baked bread slathered with butter and marmalade:
I can't really think of a better dessert.

Left to right:
lemon marmalade,
grapefruit syrup,
rhubarb lemon chile preserve

So far, I've been able to make the lemon marmalade, the grapefruit marmalade-come-syrup, and a rhubarb lemon chile preserve that is going to be awesome with cheese and crackers.  I also started the process of making limoncello, which will net the results in about three more months, and I tried to make that Shaker lemon pie; I would be willing to give that a second go.  I still have plans to make lemon curd with scones and some preserved lemons.  And what about the grapefruit?  I'm thinking candied peels with the remains from some tasty breakfast sides.

Adventures in Marmalade Setting

You might think that I'm cheating on the title so I don't have to give a recipe.  But the joke's on you!  This post is about GRAPEFRUIT!
Yep, I decided to try grapefruit marmalade.  Even tart grapefruit is sweeter than lemons, right?  So it can't be that hard to screw up, right?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
I found what I thought would be a pretty fail-safe recipe (clearly, I am Einstein's definition of insanity, right?).  The most difficult part of it, really, was removing the pith.  Grapefruits have a s*** ton of pith, by the way, in case you were curious, and it took a good long time to scrape it all off but keep the peels in tact.
The biggest difference between a marmalade and a jam (yes, I totally looked it up) is that marmalades don't use an "outside" gelling agent (like Sure-Jell®).  All the pectin is found in the fruit; marmalades generally use citrus, and in fact the pectin that is used to make store-bought pectins generally comes from a type of lime (fun fact of the day, right?).
Thanks to our limoncello making party, I had an entire gallon sized zip top bag filled with pithy lemon rinds, so I tossed those into a cheesecloth bag while my concoction of grapefruit, grapefruit juice, grapefruit peel, water, and sugar boiled away to ensure a lovely spread buddy for my peanut butter.
After the allotted 30 or so minutes, I started gel testing with the saucers I had frozen the night before (when I started the process - it would seem that most marmalades are a multi-day project).

What a gorgeous color, though

First saucer - runny.
Second saucer - runny.  I put the first saucer back in, just in case I needed it.
Third saucer - runny.  I put the second saucer back in the freezer, too.
Fourth saucer that was really the first saucer used again - runny.
Fifth... second saucer - runny.
I was now at over 45 minutes AND, of course, HRH decided to take a really short nap (even though she was sick and needed a good long sleep), so I did what I could, but at some point, I had to jar this stuff.
So I did, hoping against hope that, like gravy, it would "thicken as it cooled."
No dice.
For the count, that would be three marmalade batches that turned out less than expected.
However, at least I got the taste down on this one.  I think.  I mean, basically, what I have is... grapefruit syrup.

Not bad with over vanilla
with some cashews, too

So I did what any self-respecting wannabe home chef who has failed at all marmalade attempts would do: I had ice cream.
I think it's good, but I'm not sure how it's SUPPOSED to taste.
Fortunately, I was able to see our friend Ellen for coffee this morning, and I gave her a jar.  I did tell her that I wasn't totally certain of it's tastiness factor and to be honest with me (and to pour it down the sink if it really is flat terrible).
I have a few more friends who, I hope, will be willing guinea pigs for this.  Who knows - perhaps this is going to be the best waffle topping since peanut butter and maple syrup.
But I have another batch of lemons waiting to try their turn even as I type this.

When a Friend of Yours Gives You a Bazillion Lemons, Part I

We have often discussed, over dinner, the probability of tearing up the two ash trees in our backyard in order to plant ones that might be more useful than giving Scott an excuse to use the leaf blower.  We would LOVE to have citrus trees, although the type is always difficult to select (we don't have room to plant all the varieties we actually want), and certainly the quantity of any tree's offerings can often be staggering.

Thankfully, we have a friend who offered to give us some lemons, and we were only too happy to accept. 

Last week, we got a plastic grocery bag full, and when she said, "Do you want more?"  I said, "Sure!"  I  had visions of several lemony treats dancing in my head.  I love lemons for their versatility and the instant mood lift their color and fragrance gives me.

Well, today, that "more" arrived - in two large trash bags.

WOW, that is a LOT of lemons!

Let me back up for a moment.  If you search for lemon recipes, you will likely come across several that specify Meyer lemons.  The Meyer variety is NOT what grows in many Arizona backyards; in fact, Meyer lemons are illegal in the state of Arizona because it is known to harbor a disease that could devastate the citrus crop, one of the 4 C's that built this state.  No, the lemons that we have all over our house are the Lisbon, a smooth-skinned and sour lemon.

I have quite a list of items, to which I already plan to add, that I am planning on making or am in the process thereof:

• lemon marmalade (this was tricky to find a recipe - most were Meyer lemon marmalades; note that the Meyer lemon CAN NOT be interchanged with any sour variety)
• lemon extract - did you know that most "pure" extracts contain HFCS? (I'm also planning on making vanilla extract once I get myself to the store and buy some vanilla beans)
• lemon sugar (also something of which I would like to have the vanilla variety)
• lemon butt chicken - that's right - lemon. butt. chicken.
• limoncello - gotta start it now so it's ready by the time the triple digits hit!

So, tonight, after a rather long Day 1 of potty training HRH, I decided to start tackling the list while Scott gave the princess her bath and put her to bed (I had taken Zooey on a run this afternoon, and it proved too hot for a black hound dog, but even though I had to cut it short for her, she was in NO mood - read "asleep" - to go for her usual evening walk/run).

First on the list: begin the marmalade.  

The recipe that I am using (link/recipe to be posted in Part II of this saga - I hope) adds no store-bought pectin, which is why I selected it.  One less item that I had to buy, and I'll be using the "bits" of the lemon instead - that means less waste!
After I sliced 7 lemons into pieces as thin as I could possibly slice without a mandoline (on my wish list for FOREVER), I placed them into water to soak overnight... good night, my pretties!

Once I put the slices in to rest, I turned my attention to the sugar.  Three cups of sugar and the zest of three lemons later (I think I should add that I am MADLY in love with my Microplane®), I have lemon sugar.
However, adding lemon zest to sugar does create moisture, and it's important to make sure that the moisture is completely gone before storing.  I spread my sugar in a pan, and in the morning, it should be dry enough to put in the crazily large canister that I purchased for this exact purpose (I didn't want to use too much sugar and not have enough for the marmalade tomorrow).

The last item of business for the night: lemon extract.  This was easy - equal parts vodka and filtered water, and the roughly chopped peel (no pith!) of one lemon per cup of liquid.
I made a pint of extract, so I used two lemons.

Of course, this is NOT going to be ready right away... sigh...  I hid it up in the cupboard above our refrigerator, although I am thinking that I need to move it, as I can already imagine my panic when I can't remember where I put it.

Now... I have five lemons, completely bereft of their skins/zest, sitting my my fridge, so I've got to get to the store to get myself a roaster.  And I guess I could make some lemon curd.  Or some lemonade.  Or some... well, looks like my list is going to start growing pretty darn fast.

Better the 5th Day

We had a simple supper of bread and soup tonight... nothing big (soup from the store that was an impulse buy).
My mini baguettes were hastily heated (I think because someone felt bad about forgetting that I had slaved over them and bought a baguette at the store), and you know what?  Their puckishness (totally different when you are talking about bread and not people) seemed to disappear.  Still not the lightest, these were GREAT for dipping/spooning up the cheesy soup.
Next time, I think I'll make 4 loaves instead of 6 so that my bread-crust ratio is not quite so equal.  I really did like the chewiness of the bread, and it definitely is one that will hold up even when up against a muffaletta.

And I keep forgetting to tell you about the okra!!!!  While they were a little slimy (as okra can be), they were very, very tasty.  And crunchy.  And tasty - did I mention that?  Nothing like my fridge pickles - the vinegar-salt balance was dead-on for this recipe.  And their petite nature made them perfectly bite-sized.  Maybe that's why they disappeared so quickly.
One jar has already been demolished, but I am saving the brine and hoping to pick up some pickling cukes at the store this weekend to try to make some fridge pickles with it (reduce, reuse, recycle!).  I noticed today that the other jars were in the fridge, as if someone (who will remain nameless but ate nearly the entire first jar himself) was prepping them for a late night snack in the very near future.

Quite the Pickle

I was excited to receive dill this week in our CSA share, although that excitement quickly waned when I realized I really have no idea what to do with dill except to make tartar sauce or as a garnish over salmon.

I confess that I do enjoy a well-made tartar sauce (lots of pickles, lots of dill), but making it is beyond my abilities; I can't make anything with mayonnaise as the main ingredient.  It honestly makes my gag reflex step into overtime.  So tartar sauce is out (plus, then I'd have to make fish and chips, and that's just too much work).

And we don't have any salmon.  I know I can go out and get some, but we are in Arizona, not known for its consistently great seafood selections.

The only other use for dill, in my mind was pickles.

As luck would have it, we had an Armenian cucumber in the fridge; it was in our share last week, so I found this refrigerator pickles recipe by Martha Stewart.  I have no idea what a kirby cucumber is, but I figured that the Armenian one would be fine.

I knew that wouldn't use all the dill, and we also had a TON of okra (I'm so not tired of it yet, but hubby is, it seems), so I figured that I could pickle those, too.  So, I found this pickled okra recipe from my Food Network hero, Alton Brown.  Since this was an actual canning recipe, I sliced and salted my cukes as per instructions and then ran to the store for more canning lids and some dill seed.

But then, after I started the process of chopping the garlic and adding it to the pot full of vinegar, aforementioned dill seed, and mustard seed, it occurred to me that we had just received a lovely bunch of jalapeño chiles, courtesy of my mother-in-law's garden (also home to what must be the world's largest basil plant).  So, I decided to change the plan and use, instead of dear Alton's recipe, one from Emeril - BAM!
I have to say, the smell of the brine solution cooking was enough to clear my sinuses.  But it was quite lovely to see the mixture come to a boil anyway.

I am really, really, REALLY hoping that we get more garlic in our share next week.  We have gone through all of it, and I had to actually cut back on how much the okra recipe called for, which was disappointing.  Pickled garlic is something that I fancy a great deal; garlic is my favorite olive stuffing, too, so I'll be sure to be spearing the chunks out of the jar along with the pickles.

When all was said and done, I had two jars of the pickle chips and four jars of the okra.  Because we were warned that the chiles were pretty hot, I was convinced to only put one of each in TWO of the okra  jars.  That way, if those jars end up melting our mouths, we can salvage the other two (at least that's the idea).

Sadly, I am not able to report on the taste of either batch.  While the pickle pickles are only fridge pickles, the recipe still instructed me to wait a week before digging in, and I don't want to be disappointed in any lack of flavor.  I'm counting down the days until I can crack open one of those jars.  The okra, on the other hand, is going to take a month to mature, so that might just be a Christmas "surprise" for us.
No matter what, I'm pretty stoked - with the exception of the two seeds in each recipe, all of the plant-based ingredients came from our CSA.  While I'm certainly no woman of the 1800s, canning and preserving because it's a way of life, I am making use of the foods that are available to me and making sure that I am not wasting them.  And that's the important thing.  In this season of gluttonous excess, the notion of wasting food when others have none is utterly repugnant to me, and if spending an afternoon smelling of vinegar and dill can help keep me from taking what I have for granted and thus focus on how I can ensure that fewer do go hungry, then it's paid for that time tenfold.