Taco Dip

This is the taco dip I came up with a few years ago. I didn't particularly like spinach dip, so this was my alternative to that. It has been a favorite for years and is super easy to put together which is why I decided to share it. We usually enjoy it on club crackers but I think tortilla chips would be good too. Enjoy!

Taco Dip

1 package Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix

1 package Kraft Mexican Taco cheese (8oz)

1 cup light mayo

2 cups sour cream

1 tsp. taco seasoning

1 box Keebler Club crackers

* In a large mixing bowl mix the sour cream and the mayo together.

* Add the package of Knorr and taco seasoning, stir to mix.

* Add all the cheese and stir until mixed.

* Put in an appropriate container and refrigerate several hours,

   or overnight.

* Serve with crackers.

* Makes about 4 cups. 

Ceramic Deer Project

This little ceramic deer once belonged to my husbands grandparents on his mom's side. It has seen decades outside in the elements. My husband brought it home for me to paint as a Christmas gift for his mom this year. The challenge was in trying to make it look like a white tail deer. I looked at a whole lot of internet pictures, and hopefully did it justice.

If anything it looks better than before. Now, if you know the recipient, don't show her this on the internet!

Kale Salad With Peanuts and Ginger Viniagrette

I had a kale salad at Houston's in New Orleans. It was so delicious that I absolutely wanted to recreate it. I made it for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit! Even if you don't like kale you may want to try this salad. It might just change your mind!

Kale Salad with Peanuts and Ginger Vinaigrette

Salad

4 cups finely chopped kale

1 cup finely slivered green cabbage

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 chopped green onions

1/3 chopped salted peanuts

Vinaigrette

1/3 cup peanut oil

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/4 cup Rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp. honey or agave

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. minced ginger root

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. siracha sauce or 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

Topping

Finely crumbled Feta cheese

* Mix up vinaigrette combining all ingredients in a container that

can later be shaken. I think it is nice to mix up the vinaigrette a day

before to help flavors meld.

* Chop and mix all salad ingredients except peanuts. Save the peanuts

 until later on. You can chop and bag these ingredients a day ahead as well.

* About a half hour before serving place salad ingredients in a big bowl,

 shake up and pour vinaigrette over salad. Toss to coat. Add peanuts and

 toss again. Put in refrigerator for about a half hour.

* Toss again and serve with a light sprinkle of finely crumbled

 cheese on the top. 

Cranberry Chutney

* This is a side dish or a great addition to a left over sandwich from your turkey feast.

There is a lot of flavor packed into it. I have made it for years. It thickens naturally and

 is so easy to make. It also keeps for weeks. We really love it! 

If you have never made anything like this I would say try it, you just may have

 a new favorite as well.

Cranberry Chutney

2 packages fresh cranberries (24ozs)

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup golden raisins

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. allspice

1 cup water

1 medium apple, chopped (approx. 1 cup chopped)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 stalk celery, chopped

* Combine in a medium saucepan; cranberries, both sugars, raisins, spices, and water. Stir to mix. Cover and heat over

 medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

* Next add the onion, apple, and celery, and simmer uncovered med to med/low heat,

for 15-20 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.

* Remove from heat. Cool. Place in an appropriate container and

chill for at least a half a day. I usually make it a day or two before I need it.

* Recipe can be easily halved. 

Garden Salsa Time!

I finally gathered enough tomatoes in order to make some salsa. This year the weather has 

definitely affected the number of tomatoes I will have, so we will savor each batch. 

Garden Salsa

1 gallon tomato puree (1 large soup pot full)

3-4  sweet peppers ( any combination of banana, etc.)

1-2 Tbsp. garlic, minced

3-4 jalapeno peppers or combination of spicy peppers

2 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 medium/large onions (red and/or yellow)

1  1/2  -2 Tbsp. salt

1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped

* Blanch, core, peel and chop a large amount of ripe tomatoes,

to me this is about a gallon. Puree in food processor. Pour

tomatoes into large soup pot.  Simmer until it's about half

of what you started with stirring occasionally. This usually

takes about 2 hours.

* During the final half hour of tomatoes cooking, cut onions,

then chop peppers by hand or in food processor. Pour

into a large bowl. ( I use food processor)

* Wash and chop cilantro and add to bowl.

* Mince garlic (I use already minced) and add to bowl.

* Juice lemon or lime and measure approx. 2 Tbsp. into

small bowl.

* Wear gloves(I wear gloves the whole time because the

 tomatoes can stain your hands) and cut open hot peppers.

Scrape seeds with a spoon into a small side bowl. Mince

by hand or in small food chopper. Add to bowl. I keep

seeds in small bowl to add accordingly for mild, just a few,

 to hot (add them all!)

* Once tomatoes have reduced add the bowl of chopped

veggies and cilantro, lemon juice, salt,  vinegar, and seeds.

* Simmer for about a half hour more. This is when I test the

salsa periodically to see how spicy it is, then can or freeze

as desired. 

*Also, if you like roasted veggies you can do that before

cooking.

Mexican Black Bean Soup

This delicious soup is vegan as per the recipe, but I usually add a spoonful of
sour cream or some taco cheese stirred in which would make it vegetarian. I
also use veggies from the garden if I have them.  Enjoy!

Mexican Black Bean Soup

1/2 cup red or yellow onion              1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 sweet bell pepper - chopped         1 Tbsp. olive oil

1  15oz. can tomato sauce                 4 cups vegetable broth         

1  15 oz can petite diced tomatoes  2 cans of black beans

1 can Green Giant nibblet corn        1/4 cup fresh cilantro - chopped

1 jalapeno pepper - deseeded & minced

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin                    1 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano                                    1/2 tsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper                        1/2 tsp. salt or to taste

juice of 1 small lime

* Heat soup pot over medium high heat. Add oil, onion, garlic, and peppers. 
Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add spices and stir for about 30 seconds, then 
slowly add in the vegetable broth. Turn heat to medium and add tomatoes, 
tomato sauce, black beans, corn, cilantro and lime juice. Heat and simmer 
approximately 10 minutes. Serve hot, freezes well.        

Cabinet project

 I guess when you need something, sometimes that spurs you on to making it yourself. Necessity and all that. I needed a small cabinet that had a tall area on one side and a few shelves on the other. It also had to be just over 5 feet tall to fit under a light, and I wanted wood. After looking on line and searching many stores to no avail, I decided to try to build it using some scrap pieces of wood, 2 X 4's, and 1X2's laying around in the garage and I had to buy the large flat wood. Shout out to Zac Martin for telling me what kind of screws to get for connecting the wood!

After looking at pictures on how some cabinets were put together on line, I set to work. It only took 2 days to put together and then a few days to paint. Kolby helped me with the holding of wood while I cut the doors on the table saw, too. (We didn't need a repeat of the stair building incident!) No, it is not of high quality and if you are a real wood worker you may need to turn away. But the result is a cabinet I hope lasts a while and it holds the hammock and umbrella just fine. Not too bad for an amateur!
Happy building!
Krista

Organic Garden Clean out & Plant

 

What a nice greeting this little dragonfly gave to me upon entering the garden today. There is always something new around every corner. As you can see the onions are beginning to dry down so I am pulling them periodically and having them dry out for later use. 

I usually leave them in the garden if it is a nice sunny day and then gather them up in the evening to put them in the garage or covered deck to continue drying. Now on to the peas. 

The peas have really dried up in the hot weather they hate! So now it's time to pull them out and assess. 

They pull out pretty easily with the trellis of chicken wire and then I just pull out the stragglers left in the dirt. 

I don't use a hoe much but in this case it's perfect for tilling up this small section of dirt to get it ready for a new planting. I added a small amount of my main three (blood meal, bone meal, potash) and then make a furrow with the handle of the hoe, then plant the seeds.

As you can see I ended up putting the wire back in because the bean plants were too far over the new section of planting, and I was worried the new seeds would be drowned out by the bean plants. 

At first I thought I might plant more green beans, because let's face it, you can never have too many green beans, but I finally decided to plant more cilantro for salsa making. I figure it should be maturing right about the time I am in full salsa making mode. I already have some growing in pots that should be ready soon for early salsa making. 

This is the look of the wild garden in full swing. Since the space is small, I realize that things will grow in and around each other, but it doesn't bother me. I just enjoy seeing what will mature next!

My final task today is cutting even more blight out of the tomato plants and even some small ends of vines that are growing too wildly, but will not have any chance to set and mature fruit anyway.  That's it from the garden today. Happy gardening!!

Spicy Chicken Salad

This salad is a great one to make in the summer when many of the veggies can come from your garden!

Spicy Chicken Salad

Mix marinade/dressing together first in small bowl:

1/2 cup peanut oil (if not having with chicken, use only 1/3 cup oil)

1 lime - juiced                                  

1 Tablespoon Agave or honey

1 teaspoon each; chili powder & cumin

1/2 teaspoon each; garlic powder, onion powder,  & salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

                                                           

1 can Green Giant Nibblet corn - drained  1 can black beans - rinsed & drained

1/2 large or 1 medium cucumber - peeled, deseeded & chopped

1 small zucchini - chopped                                           1 medium tomato - chopped

1 bell pepper (any color) - chopped                           3 radishes - sliced

1 bunch green onions - chopped                                1/2 cup fresh cilantro - chopped

2 jalapeno peppers - minced                                       3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salad greens - whatever you like but keep separate from other veggies.

Queso Fresco cheese

* First mix together the marinade/dressing in a small bowl. Then chop the chicken into pieces about

one inch long, but about 1/4 inch. Place chicken into a medium bowl and take about 1/8 cup of the

marinade and mix into the chicken. Set aside while you prepare the veggies.

* Mix together in a large bowl; corn, black beans, cucumber, zucchini, tomato, bell & jalapeno peppers,

onions, radish, and cilantro. 

* Over medium high heat in a medium fry pan sauté the chicken until completely cooked. I usually check by cutting one of the biggest pieces in half. Once completely cooked, drain off any liquid and place into

a bowl.

* Pour remaining dressing/marinade onto the veggies in the large bowl and toss to coat.

* Put some of the salad greens on a plate or in a bowl, put about 1/3 cup of chicken on greens, then as much of the veggie mix as you would like, I am guessing that's about a cup and a half. Top with some of the cheese crumbled on the top.

* You can leave off the chicken and cheese if you want to keep it all veggie, and it's still delicious!

* I keep the chicken, veggie mix, and salad greens all separate so you can keep them nicely for left-overs the next day. This keeps well. You could also make it ahead and then pull it all out to serve.

* I would say it serves about 6 to 8 people. 

Re-Purpose Project Step 8 Finished Project!!

Step 8:
Sitting area for my little visitors. I am finally finished!! This is the book nook to come and get comfy in to read or a fun place to put on a show!!

I saved this old couch cushion because I thought I might just have an opportunity to use it. (Yes, I am a saver!) First I used a piece of newspaper to make a rectangle the size of the opening in the center. Then I used that template to trace the shape on the old cushion. 

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Once I had the newspaper template traced I used my electric knife to cut the foam rubber. I saw them use an electric knife at Jo Ann Fabrics one day when I needed foam for some chairs and thought it was a great idea! Once the shape was cut I made sure it fit in the opening, made some more paper templates for the sides and back and sewed the cover with a zipper in the back. Once that was completed I made two little pillows with some other extra pieces. 

And there you have it! There is room for plenty of books and maybe a basket of puppets too!.

This was one of the most fun projects I have taken on in a long time!

 From the beginning with an entertainment cabinet no one wanted, to a fun book nook!

 Now I guess I have to do
the homework I have from the past two classes I just finished!
Until next time, happy re-purposing!!

In the Organic Garden - Get Rid of Blight & Flowers

I have returned from the northern Minnesota Boundary Waters area. It was a great learning trip but now it's back to the garden. I was greeted with my black-eyed Susan flowers much more in bloom. I just love this blooming time of year!!

My daisies however were starting to have many of them in the dying state. Since I want them to keep looking beautiful and produce more blooms, I will dead head them by removing the old flowers. I dead head through out the summer but start to taper down to let some seeds mature for the fall. I leave many of the seeds for little birds in the winter. I also leave my plants all winter with out cutting them down. Sometimes my rabbit friends eat them down in winter but otherwise they stay to make the blanket for my plants.

There they are again, looking good!!

Now on to the vegetable garden. I see that some early blight is showing up on the bottom leaves of some of the tomato plants. I will cut off those branches and dispose of them away from the garden.

 If I can keep up with the blight now, in mid to late August I won't have to worry about it. By that time I have plenty of fruit set and don't need to worry about what is taking place on the blight side. I just want to have the fruit ripening so I can get my salsa on!

My last surprise was the verbena finally blooming by the marigolds. The slugs kept eating the plant down so short for a while I thought it would never bloom. That's what is so much fun about gardening.There are always little surprises around each bend. Whether it's the chipmunk scampering by, the pretty birds eating at the feeders, a lovely humming bird enjoying bee balm, or just the observations of each flower or vegetable in various states. It really can be a serene moment of zen!

Happy gardening!!

Re-Purpose Project Step 7

Step 7:

It was finally time to make the curtains for the puppet show theater. I think they turned out pretty great! 

The final part will be to make a sitting cushion inside for little ones. That will not happen for a little while as I will be up in the northern part of Minnesota all week studying biomes for a class. I hope the weather is cooperative and doesn't rain on me!! (I probably just jinxed myself!) Should be very interesting. If we have any sort of signal I may be able to blog about what we are doing, but I am not sure. Until next time! 

Re-Purpose Project Step 6 (part 4)

Step 6 (part 4):

Last side of the cabinet painted. I think the whole project looks so cute!

I decided to include to fairly recent characters because kids love them so much. I hope they will stand the test of time like the rest. 

Now it's on to making the curtains for the puppet theater show time. 

Re-Purpose Project Step 6 (part 3)

Step 6 (part 3):

One side is complete. It really is such a good feeling to go back to those days of your children's 'favorite books, and your students' favorite books. So many happy memories!!

I also loved to have a bag (of course it was always heavy) of books to read to any classes that I would sub for last year. I will miss that, but have many new stories to share with my new classes. 

One side complete, and one more side to go!