Almost St Valentine's ❤️

 It's almost St. Valentine's Day 💖
It's a day I love.
When the kids were little, we had an advent for it.

Each day they got a little tid-bit in their mailbox.

When we first began doing it, they each had a tin cup,

and each morning they would check their tin cup

for a goody.

Then one year, I found little mailboxes.

Those filled with treats was their Valentine that year.

We kept them and used them each year after that.

I still have the tin cups and have given them their mailboxes.

There is even a larger tin cup with a label my daughter made,

because they had each made me a card or surprise.

Alas, my kids are grown.

I just mailed off a little Valentine package to each of them

in this morning's mail.

Several years ago, a friend shared some spice thins with me.

They were a store bought cracker/cookie 

that's now been discontinued.

They were delicious, and I finally found a recipe

 that is remarkably close and equally delicious.

I will share the link to the recipe I used at the end of this post.

So I made some of those and some button-ups.

Button-ups are essentially a shortbread cookie,

partially dunked in chocolate and topped with a cinnamon candy.

I also did some chocolate hearts but had them all boxed up

and had forgotten to take a picture.

Another fun little treat for this week is a blossom.

I have been given multiple starts 

of my great-grandmother's geranium plant.

Each and every one has met its fate.

It is a true deep red.

My mom gave me her plant (from Ggma) at the end of summer.

It needed trimming and was "spent" looking.

I kept 4 stems and stuck them in starter pots of soil.

Three have lived and one died.

Of the 3 that lived, 2 are blooming.

They are certainly a cheery sight during the winter gloom.

They have been fun and easy to propagate.

I don't have room inside so they only get a north facing window.

I guess they don't mind.

And the plant Ma gave me is looking good too.

On a side note:

I also have a pole bean and a tray of spinach planted.

I just can't help myself.

I purchased one of those little green houses on clearance last fall,

but it's still too cold for it.

I will probably set it up the end of the month and

see what kind of trouble I can cause in the garden.

(Never mind the dirty window.  Tis the season.)

All and all, blooms and treats~

It must be Valentine's.

Spice Thins / Pepparkakor

  

Mountain Man Trail Mix

It is a bit of an oxymoron,

but my mountain man (Mr. LB) loves this.

When he's riding or fishing etc.

and needs to pack food along,

this is packed with both protein and energy to keep him going.

I'm sure if I could work bacon or steak into the mixture,

he would like it even more:)

Ingredients:

Group One

5 cups rolled oats (not instant)

1 cup almonds (or any nuts)

1 cup pecans (or any other nuts)

1 cup pumpkin seeds 

1 cup sunflower seeds

2 cups dried fruit 

(I used dried apricots [chopped,] craisins, and dried blueberries)

Group Two

1/8 cup honey

2/3 cup real maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Sea salt

In a large bowl, mix up the ingredients in group one.

Place on baking sheet(s) and toast in a 350 degree oven

for 5 minutes.  Stir and toast another 5-6 minutes.

Transfer back into the large bowl and mix in group two ingredients.

Place back on sheets, sprinkle with sea salt,
 and repeat toasting process.
Don't be surprised if little noses followed by little fingers
make their way into the kitchen.
It smells so good.
When you remove it from the oven,
pour it back into the bowl to cool.
If you let it cool on the sheet,
you will have to pick it off as it will stick.

Once cool, I like seal-a-meal bags
to keep it fresh and on hand for outings.
It makes about 10 cups of granola.
That is of course depending upon how much
disappears before you get it into the bags.
Enjoy.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Grain Free Cheesy Bread - Yum

Howdy Folks,

I just wanted to share a little recipe I have with ya'll.

If you have followed along here for some time,

you probably know we don't eat a lot of grains.

There are certain dishes though, that just need "something."

This cheesy bread recipe is easy and pretty darn tasty.

I can't take credit for it as it was shared with me by a friend

a few years back - Thanks Pam:)

We especially like it with sloppy joes or chili.

You can find the recipe for my sloppy joes way back yonder.

(We still ate bread back then.)

Any-hoo, here ya go. Bon Apatite!

Cheesy Bread

2 Tbl. butter - melted

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar etc)

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup almond flour

3 Tbl. coconut flour

1 tsp. baking powder

 Mix all ingredients together.

Form 2 "logs" and divide into 6 portions (3 each.)

Flatten each portion onto greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350* for about 15 min.

That's it.
And here I need to apologize.  It was getting late so we served up
and ate and I neglected to take a picture
so you could see how yummy looking it is topped with sloppy joes.

                                                           

Candied Violets

Just a day or two ago,

after returning home in the dark,

I walked up to get the mail and instantly knew

the violets are blooming.

They smell heavenly.

Sure enough, the next morning I looked out at a good patch of them.

It's amazing to me how every year they seem

to surprise me by showing up virtually overnight.

They are always the first flowers to brave

the possible cold of spring.

Always a welcome site, I have used them in making 

a variety of  delicacies

including jelly, adding them to salad,

or candied violets.

That being said, I thought I would share the recipe.

Candied Violets

2 egg whites

1/2 cup sugar (I use fine but not super-fine)

6 dozen violets with stem but no leaves - washed

In a bowl, beat egg whites until frothy.

Place sugar in a shallow bowl.  Holding flower by stem, dip one at a time

into egg whites then in sugar covering all surfaces.

Place in a single layer on a waxed paper lined baking sheet.

Snip stems.  Using a toothpick, separate petals to return to their

original shape.  Sprinkle sugar on any uncoated areas.

Dry in a 200 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until sugar crystallizes.

Carefully remove violets to wire racks with a small spatula.

Sprinkle again with sugar if violets appear syrupy.

Cool, then store in an airtight container separated by waxed paper.

(or just eat them at this point:)

Keeps up to 1 week. (in fridge)

They are beautiful on cakes, cupcakes, or as a garnish to chocolate deserts.

This is not an original recipe of mine.  It's been a part of my recipe box for about 100 years (I bust be about 112 years old by now:) 

 Credit goes to the mother of Bernie Bellin of Wisconsin.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Healing Cottonwood Lotion Bar (a simple recipe)

 Do you curse those sticky little pods

that come into the house

on shoes, pets and pant legs?

They leave a coffee colored smudge on the floor

and seem to attach themselves to every light colored thing.

They are actually good for something.

They are very healing for dry and cracked garden skin.

To use them, gather those sticky pods

in a dark colored jar, 

cover with olive oil,

let 'brew' for 6-8 weeks.

If you agitate the jar every so often, it helps speed the process.

Drain off the oil for use & discard pods.

It's amazing how this oil now smells like spring.

NOTE: anytime you use beeswax, it should not be

in anything you want to reuse in your kitchen or

keep nice (Thrift store bowls or pots are great.

If you end up throwing them away, at least it

wasn't a favorite.)

My recipe and method for making the lotion bars is simple.

It a clean tin can:

2 parts infused cottonwood oil

2 parts coconut oil

1 part beeswax

(If you've been a follower for a while, you might already have guessed

that these are approximate amounts.  This is a great beginner

project because it is so forgiving & doesn't require

absolutely precise measurements.)

I set it on the edge of the wood stove while I was doing other things.

You may also set the tin can in a pan with water over low-med. heat.

Occasionally stir it with a skewer or twig

(or some other disposable thing.)

Once it is completely melted,

pour into a mold

which can be an actual mold or small butter tub

or any flexible container that can handle a little heat. 

You will need to be able to remove it from the container

so you can use the lotion.

Let cool completely.

This is wonderful for summer time dry cracked hands & feet.

I have a couple of friends that I have shared it with for 

St. Valentine's Day (thus the hearts.)

I usually ask if they have an allergy to cottonwood

because I don't know if it would bother them if they did.

I don't have such an allergy so it doesn't bother me.

Disclaimer!

You are responsible for yourself: your thoughts, your

actions, and your decisions.

I am neither a doctor nor health professional of any sort.

Use at your own risk.  This is shared as informational

and is something my family uses.

I am doing this post now since in our area,

the cottonwood pods come about the end of

March and run through mid to late April.

Depending on your climate,

they might be a little earlier or later.

Wouldn't want you to miss them:)

Doesn't it seem peculiar that some of the things

that seem to most irritate us are actually beneficial.

I am continually amazed by the gifts of nature.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Classic American Clothespins

There is nothing like an inferior clothespins

to ruffle my feathers.

Our canine companion thinks it's just a fun game.

I go to hang laundry,

get said inferior clothespin in proper pincer grip,

go to pinch clothes to line,

SNAP!

it breaks and flies,

Rip (short for seam-ripper) goes into attack mode.

Those flying objects are no match for his sharp teeth.

He'll show'em.

He's going to be so disappointed when I use clothespins that actually work.

No more attack the flying clothespin game.

One of my Christmas blessings this year

was a  bag of Classic American Clothespins

from Herrick Kimball.

Source here

I was so excited.

I actually ordered them for myself

since there was a waiting list to get them.

They came ready to be assembled.  The sand paper and emery board were included incase of any rough spots (as well as the springs-not pictured.)

I want them to last for the rest of my life so I first gave them a

generous dose of linseed oil.

Since I was at it, I decided to go ahead and oil my old ones too.

I then mixed up a batch of wood wax.  I melted the beeswax in a tin can

then mixed it all together in a little old chipped teacup I had.

I like the wide-mouth of the teacup.

It makes using a rag/cloth easier.

It's not set-up in this picture.

I had to stir it up several times.

The recipe that Herrick recommends is the same one that I had,

so that was reassuring.

I've used it on furniture, and really like the results. 

(Recipe included at end of post)

Here is the common clothespin available in most laundry sections of the store.

One of the old 'good' ones that my mom gave me when I was whining

about crummy clothes pins.

And on the right one of my new American Classic Clothespins.

And I just couldn't resist - the real ends of the spectrum:

a plastic clothespin vs. AC clothespin.

We have snow on the ground right now

so I haven't had the opportunity to use them yet,

but I can hardly wait.

As I was putting them together,

I told Mr. LB, "Let me see your finger." :)

The springs are nice and strong.

It will be so nice to be able to hang jeans and not break the clothespins.

Wood Wax Recipe

2 Tablespoons linseed oil

2 Tablespoons turpentine

1 ounce beeswax (melted)

Mix together and rub on wood products.

Please be sure to follow any safety precautions on ingredient labels.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Six Bean Soup Mix

This is really a Gift in a Jar idea.

The thing is that it can be a gift 

for someone else or for yourself.

I like to make up three or four at a time

for our own use.

These are wonderful both to give and to receive.

It's something that saves time

and can be used up.

Six-Bean Soup Mix

1/2 cup each (dried):

red beans

navy beans

pinto beans

lima beans

kidney beans

Great Northern beans

Then in a small zip-lock bag:

2 bay leaves

2 Tbl. dried minced onion

1 Tbl. dried parsley

1 tsp. dried minced garlic

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

And on top:

1 beef bouillon cube

1 vegetable bouillon cube 

Then for cooking:

1 can diced tomatoes

1-2 lbs. cubed ham, bacon, or sausage

To cook, remove seasoning packet & bouillon cubes.

Place beans in large pot with seven or eight cups water.

Let soak overnight.

Bring beans to a boil - let boil 2-3 min.

Remove from heat and let sit 15-20 min.

Pour off water.

Add 5-6 cups water, spices, bouillon, diced tomatos, and meat.

Now you can either bring it to a boil then reduce heat

and simmer for an hour and a half to two hours,

or my favorite...

Put it all in a crock pot or Dutch oven with low heat and leave it alone

until dinner time.

This is one of the ways I use up left-over ham.

Mr. LB loves it and even likes to have them reheated for a second meal.

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Homemade Spiced Apple Cider

September and Apples

Those two words just seem to go hand in hand.

The smell of apples in late summer and early autumn

just bring a stirring in the soul 

that conjure up visions of frosty mornings,

falling leaves, bright orange scool busses,

and apples.

Whole apples being kept in whole form

are not my forte.

Keeping in whole form + fuzz + funky odor - I'm a pro.

Needless to say, 

we preserve them in different ways.

This year in addition to our own apples,

we have had three boxes given to us.

One box will be cored and dehydrated.

The other two boxes as well as our own

were juiced for spiced apple cider.

Our neighbor has an apple press that we were able to borrow.

Washed up our apples and the press

then got to 'work.'

As we juice it,

small pieces of apple make it into the juice.

It went into my big ol' coldrun

and my big ol' canning pot.

(Lots of cider:)

Into the juice went

cinnamin sticks

allspice

bay leaves

cloves

dried oranges

nutmeg

mace

Isn't it just beautiful?

I wish the screen was scratch-n-sniff for you.
As it was simmering,
the house smelled just incredible.

As it went into the jars,

it was strained.

We ended up with 18 quarts and 1 pint.
It might be a little work now,
but come winter when the snow is flying
and we are bringing wood in to stoke the fire,
a nice hot cup of cider might just taste pretty good.

The recipe if you're interested:
2 qts fresh squeezed apple juice
2 tsp. whole cloves
2 bay leaves
2 cinnamin sticks
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. mace
1 tsp. allspice
2-3 dried orange slices
1/4 cup brown sugar if your apples are not a sweet variety.
(I also added 1 stick cannella which if you are unfamiliar,
you can find in the hispanic section of the grocery store.)
Heat to boiling then reduce heat and 
simmer about an hour ~ stirring occasionally.
I hot-water-bathed the quart jars 20 min. though I read
as little as 10 min. and as long as 25 min.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

*~*Homemade Deodorant*~*

For some reason this seems to be a touchy subject

with some folks.

There are lots of different recipes, and I was skeptical,

but thought, "It doesn't hurt to try."

The cost to make a stick of deodorant?

Maybe 25 cents - ish.
(It's so little, I didn't take the time to do the actual figuring.)

One thing that was advised

was that you try it on a weekend when you plan to be home

so you aren't in public sniffing your underarm

every 5-10 minutes:)

I went ahead and took that advise.

I didn't have any sniffing problems; 

however, after a short time I noticed little white things

all over my floor.

One more word of advise:

it doesn't take as much as store bought deodorant.

1-2 swipes does the job.

What I really like (in addition to the lack of mystery chemicals)

is that there is no odd purfumey smell

if you do perspire.

You simply don't smell anything.

Also, it washes away better.

Most of the recipes I found call for tea-tree oil as it is an antiseptic.

Being sensitive to tea-tree, I used lavender.

Men could use pine or cedar, etc.

So here is what I used: 
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
15 drops essential oil
Mix it well and press into deodorant container.
Let set 2-3 days before using.

I can honestly say,
I don't see myself ever buying store-bought deodorant again.

Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Mediterranean Venison Stir Fry

This was created by cleaning out the fridge.

It quickly became one of Mr. LB's favorites.

It was pretty easy really and falls into 

the "Use it up," category.

We use brown rice which takes longer (about 40 min.) to cook.

So first get the rice started.

Then begin cooking venison stew meat over med/med-high heat

in cast iron skillet slightly larger than you would need to cook only the meat.

I use about 2 pounds.

This makes enough for our dinner and a lunch for hubby

the next day.

If you have a large family, multiply accordingly.

While the meat is cooking, add garlic salt and pepper.

When about half way cooked and there is still lots of juice in the pan,

add about a heaping tablespoon of minced garlic and

about 1/4-1/3 cup chopped onion (to taste:)

Next, chop about 1/4-1/3 cup kalamata olives and

about 1/2 cup mushrooms.

Also prepare about 1+ cup each fresh broccoli and cauliflower.

When meat is cooked through and the juice is evaporating rapidly,

add the olives, mushrooms and 1-2 tbl. Worcestershire sauce.

Stir it up to make sure the onions, garlic, olives, and mushrooms

are mixed into the meat evenly.

When juice is nearly gone, toss the broccoli and cauliflower

over the top.

Add about 1/4 cup water and cover for about 5 min.

By this time, rice should be just about ready.

Turn off burners! That's very important.

To serve, spoon rice onto plate, 

then cover with meat mixture.

Sprinkle feta cheese over all this.

Then as we would say on the ranch,

"Tucker up."

*Note: You could substitute a different meat, but the flavors

really are meant for red meat.

Also, if your venison is 'gamey,' rinse it well before cooking.

The blood is where the 'gamey' flavor comes from so

by rinsing, it leaves only the yummy meat flavor. 

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches

Candied Citrus Zest Recipe (like Airheads)

Right in time for Halloween.

I have had this recipe forever

and finally got around to giving it a whirl.

They look just beautiful.

Recipe:

1 pink grapefruit

4 oranges

6 lemons

6 limes

8 cups cold water, divided

6 cups sugar, divided

1. Using a vegetable peeler (I used a paring knife) peel

rind from fruits trying to include as little of the bitter white pith

as possible.  In a large saucepan, cover the zest strips with

2 cups cold water.  Bring to a boil; drain and rinse zest

under cold running water.  Repeat procedure two more times,

using fresh water each time.

2.  Return blanched zest strips to the saucepan.  Cover with 4 cups 

sugar; add remaining 2 cups water.  Bring to a boil; reduce

heat to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until zest is

translucent in color, about 10 minutes.

3.  Remove from heat; cool and drain.  Lay strips on a wire rack

set over parchment paper.  Allow to dry for at least

4 hours at room temperature.

4.  Toss zest in remaining sugar, coating completely.

Transfer to an airtight container.  Store at room 

temperature for up to 1 month.

Warning: when I ate them, I made a

"Kodak face."  I am not the sweet/sour 

sort of candy lover.

My son thinks they are great.

(They resemble the Airhead candy)

Also, when I tried to use a potato peeler,

I had issues so just used a paring knife.

They also make a great centerpiece though

I think they might be gone by the weekend:)

Until next time,

Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches