Tableware Moves Out of the Kitchen

You may notice, that I'm broadening the scope of The Practical Omnivore.  I certainly could write an entry a day on food (not that I ever have) but I find myself wanting to write about things around the home as well and it seems that a food themed blog might as well become an "At Home" blog.

I'd like to spend a bit of time mentioning the website Pinterest.  I've had several discussions of late about Pinterest and the purpose of pinterest.  In fact, I thought I summed it up quite well when I put together this description in response to the question, "What is Pinterest":

"I like to think of it as an aggregator. As people run across things on the internet that they are interested in they can create a "pin" which includes an image from the website and link back to the original source. Most of the information/ideas you run across on Pinterest are already out there on the internet but Pinterest gives you the ability to view what your friends and/or total strangers are interested in. Users can also, within limits create content.


The ability to catalogue these interests into different "boards" on your own account is a helpful way to keep up with things you run across. It has a social component as you are networked with friends but it is not social in the sense that there are no private messages, chat, etc. Any social interaction is held in comment section below you "pins". All that said, I'm a little bit addicted! You can view the Pinterest site without having an account just to get an idea."

Someone else came along and said something to the affect of, "It's an online creativity board."  Uhm... well yes, that's succinct and regretably spot-on.  Perhaps, I occasionally overthink things.

However, back to photo. Please ignore the small little corner of hunter green wall.  The walls are slated for a redo, they came with the house.  I find them well, dark and very green.

Anywho, I've been running across this idea on Pinterest to use tiered serving trays for jewelry organization.  As I've been in desperate need of some help in that department I thought I would give it a try.  I've also run across the whole repurposing glass and ceramics into tiered serving platters both on Pinterest and out there in the real world at craft fairs.  I thought I'd combine the two.  Voila.

I wasn't sure that I actually liked the combination I came up with until I put jewelry it.  Now, I've decided I am pleased with how it turned out.  The best part, I hit Goodwill on a half-off housewares sale and the two plates and one glass cost a total of $1.47.  At that price, I can decide to hate it later.  I did use acrylics I already had to create the "marbled" glass and I had glue.  Those obviously didn't require any extra expense beyond walking to my craft closet.

If you are interested in creating a similar project and would like some direction, try this tutorial at Sew Retro.

Somewhere In the Moment

First, let us begin with the black eyed peas for the New Year's Day Hoppin' John.

Lately, I find myself less and less interested in tradition but New Year's black eyed peas is definitely one tradition from which I cannot walk away.  We had a quiet New Years dinner with sister Elaine and my Mr. Steak and 'Taters. Mr. Steak and 'Taters dutifully ate two black eyed peas to bolster his luck in the New Year.  Elaine and I ate quite a bit more than two.

Shall we break down the pot:  Ham from the freezer. In November, I cooked a whole ham from a company that gives pigs a better life than some and then had a ton left over... I cubed a great deal of it and froze it in two cup portions.  Next bay leafs purchased at the farmer's market last fall and dried at home.  They have an amazing flavor.  Local sweet onion.  Turkey stock that I made and froze in cup portions in November.  Fresh thyme from the herb pots.  Dried black eyed peas, reconstituteded.  (Dried peas are an amazing thing.)
It is a wonderful thing to cook a dish with no need to open a can and know that I was so involved in so many aspects of each ingredient.  It's a difficult feeling to explain but I find a great sense of peace and self accomplishment when I am so involved in the food I prepare.

Second, a break from tradition.

Remember, I'm not feeling particularly traditional at the moment.  This explains the spring-ish tablecloth that I used at Christmas rather than pulling out my very traditional reds and greens. I also felt inspired to come up with something a bit different for the table.

Centerpiece Breakdown:  A little bit old, A little bit new, Touches of blue - Hecworth Silver plate Candelabra found on Ebay for $10 plus shipping, Vintage Blue Mercury Glass beads also sourced from Ebay about $10, Assorted ornaments from my Christmas decoration box and from Dollar Store, Turquoise blue perching bird an impulse buy at Walmart $2, Aluminum tray with decorative handles was a $1 thrift store find that had to have rust removed

I'm just in love with the silver and blue.  In love to the point that I packed away the ornaments with the other Christmas goodies but have simply not been able to disassemble the tray, candelabra, and mercury beads. 

Again, it is impossible to explain to Mr. Steak and 'Taters why I enjoy spending money and time on something with little utility that simply pleases me on an aesthetic level but seeing an idea in my head and making it happen the way I think it should does bring me great satisfaction.

2nd Hand Pumpkin

Well, this pumpkin isn't exactly 2nd hand but it is repurposed.

I love to carve a jack-o-lantern. It is unusual in my home if there isn't a glowing jack looking down the street on Halloween evening.  However, here in the southern United States, where the humidity clings, a carved pumpkin will literally melt in a matter of 48 hours.  In no time it seems, you'll have a nice little science experiment sitting out on the front steps.

Due to the "melting", this year I waited to Halloween day so that little Jack here would have minimal exposure and still be usable for other endeavors.  He was $4 at the grocery, he should certainly provide a little more bang for the buck.

At this point, you should know this might be disturbing to small children.  I am about to illustrate Jack-o-lantern homicide. Cue the horror film music...

 If you are working with pumpkin or winter squashes you should always work with a sharp knife. (Poor jack, he was such a happy pumpkin.)

(The carnage continues.)  Slice the pumpkin in pieces small enough to lay fairly flat in a baking pan.

Now, it's into the oven.  (Yes, he will be baked on top of being sliced into pieces.)  Use pans at least two inches deep, add about an inch of water, bake in a preheated 375 degree oven.  The bake time should be 30 to 40 minutes but this will vary depending on the thickness of the pumpkin.  The real indication that the pumpkin is done is when the tines of a fork slide easily through the pumpkin meat.  

Last, cool the pumpkin, peel the skin, and (preferably) process in a food processor or mash thoroughly with a vegetable/potato masher until you have a smooth consistency.  This is much like a pumpkin puree and should resemble baby food. Store in refrigerator or freeze, I like to freeze in 1 cup portions, for later use.

If you've never worked with fresh pumpkin, be prepared this is a much different product than the canned stuff.  Don't get me wrong, it works the same, but the color is much nicer and I think the final pumpkin product is better.

Post Script: The first photo shows the spicy pumpkin seeds I toasted in the oven.  They didn't last long.  Yummy!

Baking For the Family, Copper's Cookies

We recently began buying the Hound Dawg puppy cookies to supplement his little pepperoni inspired treats.  He loves them!

Even though it was my idea to buy them, I think they are expensive.  They are good though, made with cane sugar, molasses, flour, spices and no weird unpronounceable things.  

The Dawg thinks they're yummy.  Well, the are yummy.  Yes, I did try them. (Yes, I am THAT person...)

This week, I needed to use up some applesauce and I thought dog cookies sounded like a wonderful thing to try.  I found a great Peanut Butter and Applesauce Dog Biscuit Recipe over at dogtipper.com.  So far Hound Dawg thinks these are pretty good too.  They are.  (Yes, I tried them too.  Hey, I made them.)  

I think convenience will still occasionally beat out economics in our future "dog cookie/biscuit buying versus baking model" but I'm very glad to have a fun, easy and fairly fast way to make wholesome treats for the pooch.  Overall, they truly are much less expensive than the store bought goodies and I like being able to cut whatever shapes I like.


The question might be asked, "Why go to this much trouble over dog treats?"  The answer, "We like that Hound Dawg!"  Plus, recently we did a not entirely scientific or well controlled experiment/taste test with the Dawg and he pretty definitively told us he likes his cookies.  


Judge for yourself:

Sniff...

 

Recently, Mr. Steak and Tater's and I went on vacation.  Now, Mr. Steak and Tater's is quite fond of oatmeal raisin cookies.  In fact, it is tantamount to crises if we do not have a ready supply.  In consequence, I bake a lot of oatmeal raisin cookies. 

But, back to the vacation.  One of our destinations was the Grand Canyon, South Rim.  We flew into Flagstaff, rented a car (a convertable, tres fun) and drove to the canyon the next day. 

As we entered the park with the top down, we, like everyone else had to stop to pay the entrance fee, or in our case show our Parks Pass.  The young man manning our booth was friendly and on impulse and as they were close at hand I offered him a homemade cookie. (One of the large supply I made and packed for the trip.)

 "Would you like a homemade cookie," I asked? 

"Does a fat boy ever say no to cookies," he queried? (I should note here that I did not think he was fat.)

It was like magic.  That young man's face lit up so brightly and as he took the cookie he immediately held it to his nose and took a long, long sniff with a look of pure pleasure written on his features.  Then, he set it aside for later.

The Grand Canyon was indescribably beautiful and awe inspiring. I will remember that first viewing of it always and along with my memories of the day, tucked into the corner will always be a memory of that fellow's absolute and pure enjoyment of that cookie.

Food is like that, it makes memories...

From Scratch

 

 The other day, I was in the check out line at a local thrift store and the cashier began questioning the older but not really elderly woman in front of me about her purchases.  The woman was explained how she reused items for storage and such.  This led to a conversation about how the woman made everything from scratch including her bread.  That peeked my interest.  After all, I was on my way home to make the above cupcakes from scratch.

(For my one international reader, actually you're almost my only reader I'm not sure how the word "scratch" crosses dialectical differences but just in case I'll explain because it's important for the rest of the story.  In the US when the term "from scratch" is used in the kitchen it refers to making something with the basic ingredients, not relying on a mix or pre-made store bought things.  Now, back to the story.)

The cashier evidenced the usual amazement that someone still makes anything, much less bread from scratch which led the customer to share a joke.  It's an oldy but it's still good:

A young woman walks into the grocery store.  After spending quite a while looking around and going from one end of the store to another a clerk asks the young lady if she needs help locating something.  The young woman looked up and said, "Oh I'm looking for scratch".  


"Scratch?" asked the clerk.


"Yes," the young woman replied.  "My Mother told me she baked everything from scratch.

I was still smiling and the clerk was still laughing when it was my turn at the check out.


Photo: What I like to call double chocolate cupcakes (recipe found here at The Wife of a Dairyman) and cream cheese frosting.

Muscadine Syrup, Ties To The Past

Pop, Pop, Pop...   Pop...          Pop

These staccato, tinny beats are erratic and unpredictable music to the ears of the home canner.  The pops, heard after jars are removed from the hot water canning bath indicate that you've achieved a good seal, that provided you followed the canning rules, you will have a safe wholesome product to enjoy over the months ahead.

The other day I found some locally grown muscadine grapes at a local grocer and stocked up.  I had syrup on the brain.   Yummy, locally grown, syrup to use over locally grown blueberry flax pancakes.


A Call to My Mother

If much time elapses between my canning adventures, I always put in a call into my mother.  With her, I do a verbal check of my own internal canning primer to make sure I still have the steps right.  Sterilize, follow the recipe, watch the head space,  seal (are the rings loose or tight?), ten minutes in the boiling water bath.  She is a resource that I both treasure and appreciate.  I know she will not always be on the other side of my phone call.

 Why

Why don't I just buy syrup?  I can.  I do.  Yet, there is something about making my own that fulfills me in a way that no purchase does.  When I do for myself, when I gather my canning equipment, climb to get the canning pot from the very top of my kitchen cabinets, when I crush the fruit, strain the juice, wait over the pot watching for a boil, I am connected to my past.  I return to childhood watching my mother process wild mustang grapes in our central Texas kitchen.  I remember laboring in the Texas heat to gather those grapes.  I remember how our hands would itch, irritated by the acid in those grapes.

Making at home feels so very self sufficient.  It ties me to a little kitchen in a tiny West Texas cotton town where my mother was raised.  I never spent time in that house.  I know it only from photos but I can see my Grandmother, a full-time educator providing for her family.  I see her standing in her 1950's era kitchen in her cotton dress following the canning rules outlined by the state Extension office.  Perhaps my Great-Grandmother, who shared the house at one time, was in the kitchen as well offering advice and lending a hand.  


Part of this is conjecture.  It is my imagination of how I hope life was.  However, I do know this, canning connects me to these people because I come from a line of women that know how to "do".  We don't need a store for all of our wants and needs, we don't need a million gadgets, and we are not dependent on coupons for mass manufactured products.  We have knowledge and industry at our fingertips.  This is my heritage.

Links

Here is a wonderful guide for Muscadine Grapes from the Lousiana State University Extension office.