Tuesday, August 22, 2017

T Stands For Tuesday & I am Late to the Party


   Hello everyone, so sorry I am late for our T Party.
Seems I have been busy busy more than usual these past few days.  Our hostess is Bleubeard and Elizabeth and the link is in my right hand column.

   Yesterday I got up early to join the VRC-Virtual Running Club where we walk or run a 5K or 10K race.  I had built up for a few days and was able to walk my 5K in around an hour.  I was thrilled to read that they raised so far $80,000 dollars for the National Park Foundation. They have fun swag too for all their events-finishing medals, t shirts, I got my solar glasses from them too for the eclipse.



I had grabbed my camera and took lots of photos along my route here in our woods. I will share those photos another time since it is so late in the day already.

After my race I got out my two 8 quart dutch ovens and made a chocolate meringue pie and also a beef roast with veggies. Everything turned out soooo good. These meringue pies turn out so well in the dutch ovens that I don't think I will bake one in my gas oven again. Here are a few photos:
   It was so hot and humid again yesterday that I really got over heated being in and out of the heat most of the day.
  I was definately exhausted by the end of day.




Pot Roast ready to go on to the coals-I put in beef broth then added in onion, garlic, tomatoes, seasoning.  This actually cooked faster than I had anticipated.

   While making the pie and tending to the ovens-I grabbed my special glasses and watched the eclipse-very cool to watch-we were around 98% totality





I added in potatoes and carrots, then later added in garden beans, and then last added in fresh corn from my friends garden.

The guys were planning on fishing at night-so dinner was served early around 4 pm I invited one couple.  After the guys left to fish for bass, us girls stayed up late talking.

I didn't realize how tired I was-when I ended up sleeping in til 8:30am this morning-unheard of for me lol  at 9am my friend was picking me up to check out a new Amish store about an hour away from us for getting produce to can.
  It's late in the season but we were hoping to find tomatoes. We each got a box of tomatoes and she also got a big box of fresh green beans to can up.  We ended up browsing in a few antique stores as well
    Sooo a really  nice day.

This past week I have spun up another skein of bison yarn,  and got another 7 ounces of fiber in the mail today. I also got my new celtic Scottish spindle in the mail too and I also received fresh corn husks to make paper with a couple days ago from a friend's garden
   I decided even though tired I really needed to get this cut up and cooking in the soda ash for the two hours-rinse well-and then be ready to make the papers tomorrow. Although I have kept the fresh husks in the frig I did not want them to spoil on me.

   If you do an online search for how to make paper from corn husks you will find videos and several articles. There is also two ways I have found to make the paper. 
   One can not chop up the husks still cook for two hours in soda ash (ratio-one tablespoon soda ash or washing soda per one quart of water) rinse and rinse and rinse again with gloves and then lay out the husks first in one direction and make a layer on top going the other direction and then use towels or those blotting papers on top and bottom and weight it down-I use books. Like papryus paper
   Or as I did tonight-cut the husks up so they will break down easier, cook for the 2 hours in the soda ash, rinse very well, and then add to blender with water to make pulp-and use the deckle to form the papers




Since I mostly dye with natural plant stuffs I always have the soda ash on hand. I have read although not as strong can also use washing soda-found in most grocery stores with the laundry soaps to cook it down with

I have also made a batch of bread and butter pickles since my last post



I won a postcard that arrived today-wow that was fast-I will share a photo in my  next post.

and tonight while waiting for the corn husks to cook, I am eating a bowl of ice cream along with drinking a diet lemon lime soda. 
    If any of you have been to Chicago you may have heard of the restaurant Berghoff  They are a German restaurant fabulous food and has quite a history. Years ago I bought four of these mugs that celebrated their 100th birthday back in 1987-wow has it really been that long ago lol
      I think they had gone through some changes in the '90s and one of the ancestors kept the brewery and did catering. Looking it up online I see they are back as a full restaurant.
   Berghoff  was a place my family always went to for lunch when we visited Chicago-I grew up in Indiana and Chicago was a cool place around Christmas time especially. Allot of fond memories. When I met my husband I found this was one of his favorite places too and he even knew some of the owners-fond memories.



Happy T Day everyone, so sorry I am very late to the party this week. I will visit you all tonight and tomorrow.

15 comments:

  1. You are so talented with the cooking and canning! I love bread and butter pickles...my grandma used to make them, so good. Your stew looks really yummy and that pie!! wondering if I could ever manage to cook a pie in a dutch oven. One of the historic re-enactors at (a log cabin) our State Fair claimed that pies actually cooked faster and more evenly in the dutch oven with the coals on the lid. Yours looks fabulous!

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  2. I feel SO bad I've been offline all day, resting and staying in bed. As a result, I haven't checked my blog until now. Looks like I'm not as late as I thought, though.

    So glad you got to see the eclipse. I was totally impressed that you bought the glasses, because I was too late to even think about it until it was too late.

    I have never had any soda ash, but used washing soda and it worked fine, although it took forever to get rid of all the slime (I was working with day lily leaves and stems). I think that took even longer than it took to cut up the pieces to cook the mess. I ended up cooking mine about six hours, I think. I'll have to check my notes. I got next to nothing after all that hard work, and doubt I'll ever do it again.

    LOVED the stein/glass from Berghoff's. It must be local, because I have never heard of it before.

    Thanks for sharing your solar run, your yummy pie, your pot roast, your corn husk paper, your trip to the Amish store, your b & b pickles, and your water filled Berghoff mug with us for T this Tuesday.

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  3. Love the look of the things your baked and canned, those ovens are wonderful. Glad you are having fun with your group. Perhaps you need a rest today? Glad the postcard got there so quickly. Happy T Day, hugs, Valerie

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  4. You've been very busy! I've done the dutch oven stew over the coals but never a pie. Bread and butter pickles are my favorite pickle. The mug is a nice way to remember a place you visited.

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  5. Wow, you have had a lot going on! Looks like some good eating is on the menu with your dutch oven meals and pies, and all your canned goods.

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  6. I've never made paper from plant material. I had a kiddie kit so I've made paper with recycled papers and water. Congrats on your virtual race. Your stew and pie look amazing. I have never done any canning. No room in the dollhouse for storage. I have made freezer jam and pickles, but not big batches. Have a great day!

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  7. Your Dutch oven cooking amazes me and this week you have 2 of most favorite things to eat. So I am drooling Kathy. Really drooling. :) Happy belated T day. Hugs-Erika

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  8. Wow kathy i hardly know what to comment on ... you have been busy and you put me to shame... I commend you for being out there cooking that heat and humidity.. I live near you and no way would i have done that... I think i cooked in my crock pot mostly this past week... Some cooler weather in store for us i see... gonna love it.. my allergies have taken off again..uughh... looking at the forecast i'm thinking it might be ragweed... Happy T day! Hugs! deb

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  9. Wow, congratulations on completing your 5k and a great way to raise money for the National Parks too! Now that chocolate meringue pie looks so delish, please can I have a slice ...lol ...it looks so yummy 😁. Wishing you a happy belated T Day! J 😊

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    Replies
    1. Love l I was going to say just about the same things. Hmmm thst I found to comment about your walking and the pie of all things...lol...maybe that's why I'm always up s pound or too on the waistline.

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  10. Wow, you have been having busy days, well done on the 5k run.
    Your food looked delicious, especially that meringue pie. I think I may need to go raid the biscuit tin.
    Belated tea day wishes.
    Yvonne xx

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  11. The things you baked and canned are looking fantastic! YOu are so so busy! Great!

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  12. sorry for being late, i was out of town...
    it is incredible how busy you were! all that canning, you will enjoy it after the season... we had a total eclipse here in 1999 and i remember it well - it was a bit of an eerie Feeling when everything turned dark at noon and temperatures fell... and now i´m hungry, it is time for lunch here - so sad i can´t just grab into the pc;))
    smiles...

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  13. Oh My Goodness! You have been so busy - I'm glad you found time to watch the eclipse though! Your chocolate meringue pie looks delicious but I am not a fan of Beef - no special reason, just lost the taste for it! Have a great week! Chrisx

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  14. This is so cool, Kathy! Your baked goods look fantastic. It's been years since I've baked in my Dutch oven, but I remember it being fun. You've clearly mastered the art!

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