Today is Oxtail Soup Day!

                            Oxtail soup and a buttermilk biscuit!
 

Visiting Hoffman's Family Farm is always a pleasant and gratifying.  We have been friends with the family since they first moved to their beautiful farm, Keith, Brad and Bart were just little grade school guys.  Thanks to Little League Baseball the parents got to meet each other and then we became friends.  Life is good in our little community.  So, back to our Saturday visit to their meat shop.  It is amazing and part of me wants to not spread the word and the nice part of me (yes, sometimes I am nice)  says, let this family owned business flourish with all their wonderful products and kindness.  

Carol, the mom to this clan was there along with her daughter, Tricia and daughter-in-law, Heather.  I am not going to get into what we talked about because the conversation had a wide range of catching up with each family's news.  Tricia showed me some new items they now have.  Oxtail being my, oh........yes I want them.  Then I noticed  they are now selling lamb which they said is sold out quickly.  They had one package of ribs and one package of ground lamb left.  I am now on the call when you get more in list.  I believe I have said this before but just a reminder..........no water weight!!!  You know, the ground beef you buy in the store when you fry it there is a great amount of water in the pan.  Yes, that is what you pay for, might be a few cents cheaper, or not but you are getting water.  When I fry Hoffman's ground beef......NO water.  All good healthy farm raised right in our area.  

As I type I can hear the oxtail sizzling in the pressure cooker getting nice and brown, then add to pressure cook for about 30 minutes. Once the pressure is released I will add carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, barley, baby butter beans, peas and green beans.  Throw in a couple bay leaves and a small jar of tomatoes.  It will simmer for about an hour.  Perfect day for Oxtail soup......rain and 65 degrees.  Leftovers for the week while we work in the new garden beds and screen in our back porch.  

                              

                                    fresh veggies for the soup

                                     small butter beans cooked

                                       vacuum packed Oxtail

                                            browned Oxtail

                            Pressure cooker singing and dancing

About the baby butter beans, I start with the dry ones, cover with water and simmer until tender.  If you like butter beans then give the home cooked dry ones a try.  No contest for store canned vs home cooked.  I never add seasoning until my food is cooked.  This way I control the amount to taste.  I recently read that salting fresh vegetable before cooking causes the cook time to be longer.  Since I don't salt prior to cooking I can't say for sure if this is true.

Typing away and waiting for the pressure cooker to start the cha-ching noise I realized it should be dancing and cha-chinging to me by now.  The little top safety gasket is worn out and letting the pressure escape around it.  Lucky when I buy it is in quantity, as in 3 at a time.  Usually every 2-3 years I have to replace one.  The next time I do will leave me only one so out will go the Amazon order for 3 more.  It is now dancing and singing to me.  Thirty minutes and the Oxtails will be nice and tender.  Ready to finish off the soup for supper.  Because we have supper for our evening meal and dinner on Sunday 😍

The rain has let up so it is time to caulk the places that need it on the back porch.  The next sunny day we will be painting the frame work.  Once the painting is done, set the screen door and put the screen on the frame work.  Then it is off to find some outdoor bargains for the room.  Love the thrift stores.

Take time to enjoy the sun and the rainy days.  Both have a special time in our lives.  Remember without rain there would be nothing.  It refreshes and nourishes the Earth and all living things.  Smile

Now Cook'n at the Hillside

No matter where the kitchen it is "love in the kitchen with Della"

I am at the base of the hill, still a beautiful view from my kitchen and still just a glance away from the Creek.

Since getting back from North Carolina to the Clara Cabin (home) the kitchen has been busy.  Or should I say, the cook has been busy.  The sour dough started rests in the refrigerator and every second day a loaf of sour dough bread is started.  It takes 24 hours from start to finish but oh so worth it.  Sour dough bread has less carbs, no yeast or preservatives.  I use all purpose, bread flour, rye flour, wheat.  Whatever the mood is as to what one or mixture I use.  This week I am going to try for a little buckwheat flour too.  Not much because Buckwheat does not have gluten and that is what is needed to make a good bread.  The lasagna is not the typical recipe.  A guy thought of me and brought up a smoked/leek cottage cheese.  Yes!   I could not believe it could be smoked, it is delicious and my first thought was a stuffed pasta or lasagna with it.  Today will be the tasting.  Lasagna can be anything as long as it is layered with whatever ingredients you like.  From noodles, vegetables or any type of meat.  As long is it has a delicious filling and sauce.  Red sauce or white, makes no difference.  Think out of the normal and come up with your own creation.  Fun in the kitchen.  If it doesn't turn into what you expected, next time :)

We have been busy planting, getting gravel spread, starting vegetable beds, flower beds, painting and of course mowing and trimming.  Four blueberry bushes, several mulberry trees, apple trees and soon grapes.  Yes this little 1 1/2 acre is proving to hold quite a bit.  The good thing is the lawn takes about 10 minutes to mow giving up plenty of sunshine hours to enjoy watching the flowers, trees, veggies grow and the birds.  We have so many new birds this year.  I really think they like the feeders on the side hill where they can feed and hide in the trees and low lying bushes.  Ellie and Quincy are also busy outside.  They love catching chipmunks and red squirrels.  Ellie is best at it, in fact she caught two at the same time!  She plays with them, throws them up in the air, lets them try to get away, brings them back and puts her paw on them and it starts all over again.  Until.......they are dead.  Quincy goes straight for the kill, no playing.  That is why Ellie is so good catching them, to keep them away from Quincy so she can play with them.  You make think this is cruel but.......there are many, they eat way too much bird seed and get into our garage and shed.  Survival of the fittest.  

It looks like this week is going to be a dandy with warm weather and lots of sunshine.  Just remember it is May and we still will get frosts, cooler weather and maybe even a flake or two.  It has happened many times and will again.  For this week, enjoy and take time to relax. I am sure this will be the first days of overdoing outside.