Time to build the Ark

My original plan was to post some lovely pictures this week of all the wonderful trees that are blooming right now.   Such a turnaround from last week!  However it has been raining - no POURING - for a couple of days now so the pictures would not be that great. 

If you think I'm exaggerating.....this is Hwy 101 by Gerhardt.  Full story can be found here

via here

So you see I think its time to start collecting the animals again. The last big rain storm we had like this was in January and really a lot of the fields and rivers I drive by have not totally recovered from that.   And I ask you this...... what is going to happen when the snow on good ol' Mt Hood starts melting?   Now granted it would have to get warm enough for that to happen but still and all.   Wish we could bottle some of this and send it off around the world to where it is needed.

In other news.......Mega Millions lottery is over 500 million!  So we are going to buy some tickets today.   Why not?   Can't win if you don't play right?   And someone has to win - why can't it be me?   Granted after taxes you only get around 200 million but I think I could do some good things with that amount of money.   Food Banks and Polar Bears would be my first stop and then a foundation.   I'll let you know tomorrow if I win. 

4 Wheel Drive

So I ask you ..... should I need to put my ridge in 4 wheel drive to get out of my neighborhood on March 22nd.  Keep in mind here I live in Oregon, not Alaska, not Montana, and I live in the valley not on a mountain.  In fact I think my house is 200 feet above sea level.  See why I am confused?

Here are some pictures of my house as well as where I work out in Hillsboro (taken with my phone so the quality is ok).   Really its quite pretty and once you get on the main roads it was fine. And to be honest it pretty much all gone now......lets hope it stays gone until oh I don't know November.......

in front of my house

Snow on my car as I drove to work

poor tree trying to bloom

mr snowman to greet me at work

winter wonderland

 

Easy

Ok so this is going to be brief.   But I discovered something that I don't believe I've shared and that I can't believe I didn't know (shame on those of you who did and didn't tell me).  

Did you know that if you take a chicken (preferable san's feathers and such) and put in the slow cooker on low that 6 - 8 hours later you have dinner!   Seriously how easy is that.   And it's all fall off the bone goodness. I suggest stuffing some onions in its cavity as well just for a little added flavor boost.

Then put the bones back in the slow cooker with some water and cook overnight on low and viola - chicken stock!  The only thing about this last part is that I woke up in the middle of the night and wondered who was down cooking in my chicken.   Its a little unnerving to wake up at 2 am and smell chicken goodness coming up the stairs.   So not sure I would do that again but you get the idea. 

New Cooks

I purchased a new cookbook and I have to say - I LOVE IT!

I follow Heidi's blog 101 Cookbooks and even though I'm not a vegetarian this book is wonderful as is the blog

I so far have made two recipes.

The Muesli pictured below - super simple

Recipe from cookbook:

3 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup marcona almonds

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 tsp sea salt

For each serving spoon 1/2 cup yogurt (I use plain greek) into a bowl and thin with 1/4 cup water and sweeten with a splash of maple syrup ( I use honey).   Stir in a 1/2 cup of the muesli and let it sit overnight in the fridge.

And this lovely mash for lunch.

Recipe from the cookbook with my adaptions:

3 cups or 1 1/2 cans chickpeas rinsed and drained (I just use one can)

1/3 cup chopped red onion (I leave this out)

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 tbsp fresh chopped dill (I use cilantro)

1 1/2 tbsp Dijon style mustard (I leave this out)

2/3 cup plain yogurt (I do half greek yogurt/half cottage cheese - not so tangy)

scant 1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Pulse the beans in a food processor and then just dump everything else together and viola!  Lunch for all week.  I divide it up into 4 individual containers and add more cilantro and greens on the day I pack it.  She suggest putting this on flat beard but I either have it on Olive Ciabatta or on a salad.

 So just a few minutes on the weekend and I have breakfast and lunch for the week!

Wednesday Wisdom

Really?

So today is March 6th and although it is not technically spring yet here in the great NW we are used to temperatures around the 50's and rain. 

Not what we got this morning......

I'm sure the daffodils are confused....

Granted it was really a non event but still funny that we got this light dusting.

Good news is it is supposed to up in the 60's later this week and as of right now the sun is shinning beautifully!

Quick and Dirty

As I have mentioned before I like to take the morning on Sunday's and do as much food prep as possible for the week ahead.  Today was that day.  Going with the idea of cook once eat twice (very doable since there are only two of us) here is what I made this morning.

In the slow cooker as we speak.....

Before picture.....

Chuck roast
Large white onion - rough chop
Lipton onion soup mix
Dashs of L&P Worcestershire sauce
1/4 can of chopped tomatoes (left over from spaghetti sauce)

Throw it all in the pot on low for 6 - 8 hours.  Will serve with mashed potatoes and either green salad or spinach.

The other thing I made was spaghetti sauce.   Not from scratch mind you but with a little help

Muir Glen organic pasta sauce
1lb mild Italian pork sausage
Mushroom (no clue how many - the brown paper sack was 1/3 full)
One large white onion - medium chop
One can black olives - all sliced in half
2/3 of a can of diced tomatoes
A couple of handfuls of halved small plum tomatoes
Sprinkle or two of sugar ( as needed)
Crushed dried Italian herbs

I brown the mushrooms and then add the onions.   Remove them from the pan and then cook the pork sausage in the same pan.  Once the sausage is cooked drain the excess fat and then add back in the onion/mushroom mixture and add the olives.   The add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for a while.  Add sugar as needed.   You can add a little red wine if you have some open as well but I didn't have any open so I didn't. 

This will be dinner for Monday and Wednesday and I bet there is enough to freeze some for another night as well.

Not sure which pasta I will serve it with yet.  But will do a different one each night. 

Another post coming soon with what I did for my lunch and breakfast for this week