What did you do in the garden today?

[Dinogrrl]

I finished pruning all the trees/bushes around the perimeter of my yard (a task that took all summer), so over the winter I'm hoping to get my old garden patch cleared out, dig up and pot the rosemary that's still there, see if the oregano's still alive, and then start figuring out what sort of raised beds I want in the new garden area around my patio. I have some cherry seeds in the fridge to attempt growing come spring...but I need to figure out where I want to plant trees! But I guess I have a while before I need to worry about that!

 

[NewBoots]

Made hasenpfeffer with dumplings and German pickled cabbage yesterday, it was all delicious, the dumplings were new to me, partially cooked on top of the stove then dropped into boiling water. Fluffy like little clouds. Today I made onion soup with toasted bread topped with cheese, we'll have some more tomorrow and I'll still have a container for the freezer.

The only difference with the sprouts is we add chopped onion in with the bacon.

That's the way I make them too except I usually use shallots though onions would have a hard time overpowering the sprouts.

I might be finally getting busy on the Xmas cooking, I made the salted caramel pear butter today and the jars are sitting on the counter cooling. I've promised to at least start on the candied pecans and get the lights up outside so total laziness is right out. Oh and who posted that pear butter recipe? It is so delicious and really easy to make, I'll be making it again and I am betting it'll be a unique gift too.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Mmmmmmmm, hasenpfeffer. I should make some sometime. Maybe with the next batch of kits - this batch is going into sausages.

 

[oldhen2345]

Finally got the groceries for the Christmas Baking Gift marathon. Need to make 6 Banana Nut Bread loaves, 2 batches of Chocolate Fudge, 2 Batches Egg Nog fudge and 2 Batches Oatmeal, Raisin Cookies and 2 batches Chocolate Chip cookies. Now I just need to find gift boxes to fit the stuff in. Can't seem to find a box the right size. Going to the Dollar Store tomorrow to see if I can score boxes. Most are not big enough for the loaves, or are Real Big. LOL the store only had a large bottle of Egg Nog. I have already had two small glasses. I anticipate weight gain before this is over.

 

[Fishychix]

Made hasenpfeffer with dumplings and German pickled cabbage yesterday, it was all delicious, the dumplings were new to me, partially cooked on top of the stove then dropped into boiling water. Fluffy like little clouds. Today I made onion soup with toasted bread topped with cheese, we'll have some more tomorrow and I'll still have a container for the freezer.


That's the way I make them too except I usually use shallots though onions would have a hard time overpowering the sprouts.

I might be finally getting busy on the Xmas cooking, I made the salted caramel pear butter today and the jars are sitting on the counter cooling. I've promised to at least start on the candied pecans and get the lights up outside so total laziness is right out. Oh and who posted that pear butter recipe? It is so delicious and really easy to make, I'll be making it again and I am betting it'll be a unique gift too.

Sueby post 2565. It sounded so good I had to look it up
Thanks! I look forward to trying it out.

 

[Fishychix]

No! the link doesnt work

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning all. Just did some catching up. A lot going on here. The house has been quite busy with contractors working inside and out. I had a new window well installed to stop the water leaking into my basement. It's in and working, but we're waiting for a break in the weather for them to finish the "aesthetics" of it all. New wall in the basement built and plastered, to be finished then painted this week AND the ugly wallpaper in my kitchen is gone. Finally. The plasterer finished those walls yesterday and they will be painted this week. I'm also having the professional painter do my living room ceiling so I can avoid my messy painting skills. Slowly getting the cardboard cut up and packaged up for the recyclers. I am excited to say that I finally got my coat rack put together. I only put 3 double hooks on it so I don't overload it. The weather has been pretty icky here. We had the snow / slush storm early last week, then it got really cold and froze. It warmed up the day before yesterday, then we got about 1/2 inch of rain yesterday afternoon. I have a small patch of wet leaves to rake up before the big snow storm moving in on Wednesday. Good golly. Among other things I mounted another motion sensor light in the backyard for when my DD takes her dogs out for a potty break. The other day the little Jack Russell mix, Ellie went missing. DD found her in my bedroom. I actually managed to squeeze in making some chocolate chip cookie dough. I roll it up and keep it in the freezer for slice and bake cookies. I'm hoping to make some shortbread cookies today. Yum. I'm looking forward to seeing how your lettuce grows @Sueby. After reclaiming the sunroom after the holidays I'm really hoping to grow some of my own. I did put the tiny leaves left on the roots of some hydroponically grown Boston Bibb lettuce in a cup of water in the window sill. Let's see how that grows. Still hoping @Compost King pops in for an update. I would really like to k now how he is doing. Have a great day everyone.

Little Ellie gazing out of Grandma's window

 

[WthrLady]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to make some oatmeal cookies today. I can't wait any longer.

Finishing my cup of mocha and then tackling some quick online work, packaging an order, and then tackling that loom issue. UGH. I can't believe I did that. I did catch it early though. But dang it.

I need to get dinner prepped this morning so I don't play 'what's for dinner' at 530pm.

Dumplings.
My mom used to make pork roast and sauerkraut every New Years Day (smelled awesome, but I didn't eat it) TONS of kraut in a giant pot with shredded pork in it. On top of the kraut she would dollop the dumpling mix, which was just Bisquick, by giant spoonfulls on the top. That would simmer for 10 minutes, and then she'd put the lid on at let them steam another 10. I'd always have a dumpling, kraut scraped off of course.

 

[NewBoots]

2 Batches Oatmeal, Raisin Cookies

I LOVE a good chewy oatmeal raisin cookie.

Sueby post 2565. It sounded so good I had to look it up
Thanks! I look forward to trying it out.

Thank you @Sueby! I had waited so long to make it I lost some of the pears and had to add in a couple small apples I had left but it is so good! I could just eat it all, good thing I had some small gift jars on hand to keep me out of it. Mostly

The plasterer finished those walls yesterday and they will be painted this week.

Our old house was lath and plaster which when I learned why people used to hang pictures from the wood molding instead of driving a nail into a wall.

I'm hoping to make some shortbread cookies today. Yum.

One of the few cookies I love frosted. Fond memories of my moms shortbreads.

Dumplings.
My mom used to make pork roast and sauerkraut every New Years Day (smelled awesome, but I didn't eat it) TONS of kraut in a giant pot with shredded pork in it. On top of the kraut she would dollop the dumpling mix, which was just Bisquick, by giant spoonfulls on the top. That would simmer for 10 minutes, and then she'd put the lid on at let them steam another 10. I'd always have a dumpling, kraut scraped off of course.

That's how I make dumplings when I make chicken and dumplings too. Boiled for 10 then covered to steam for 10, but these were totally different. It was milk and butter heated on the stove till it was steaming, then adding the flour slowly and stirring till it "forms a thick dough" which took a very long time. So I turned up the heat and while it didn't get what I would call a thick dough, it did form a kinda blob like texture. I stopped there since the butter was starting to break out of the dough. I added the egg and nutmeg mixture and kinda scooped up walnut sized wads of it (super sticky even with wet hands) and dropped it into boiling salted water. Waited till they were bobbing on the surface then cooked them for 5 more minutes. I took them out with a slotted spoon (they were very soft) and served them with the gravy. You can kinda see them in this picture:

I will be making them again, the texture was odd but I really liked them.

 

[WthrLady]

You essentially made Spaetzle noodles/dumplins

Giant batch of oatmeal, chocolate chip, roasted pecan cookies are baked, cooled and now hiding out of passing reach in the cookie jar.

Pressure cooker died when I put the roast in and turned it on, so now it's slow cooking. I have no idea what's wrong with it. It was hard to seal shut and then allowed steam out one side. Hmmmmmm.....I'll figure it out tomorrow.

OK, down to fix the loom.