Tutorial to follow soon.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Judy :)
October 15, 2011
October 7, 2011
Quiche Lorraine
This recipe for quiche dates back to my childhood. I remember first having quiche probably when I was around 10 years old. My brother, Jon, brought this recipe home when he was in high school. His French class was cooking french dishes. He was assigned quiche and needed to prepare it and bring it to school. I don't remember if he actually made it (probably did...he is a wonderful cook today) or if mom did. I do remember mom fixed it a few times after the French class project. I love it!
When we were married, I went through Mom's recipes and copied my favorites. This is one of them. I am a great lover of breakfast dishes especially eggs, bacon and cheese so this is a perfect dish for my appetite. It is wonderful for breakfast, lunch or supper...a real crowd pleaser.
Quiche Lorraine
9 inch pie crust
6 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg
Bake pie crust for 5 minutes. Chop bacon and fry until crisp. Remove from skillet. In fat, saute onion. Spread onion, crumbled bacon, and grated cheese in pie shell. In bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, cream, and seasonings. Pour in pie shell. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes until firm.
Serves: 8
I will often fry my bacon and onion, shred my cheese, and place in uncooked pie shell in the refrigerator the night before. In the morning, remove the pie shell and let it come to room temperature while you prepare the eggs, milk, cream and seasonings. Bake per the directions above.
Be sure to use the heavy cream and don't skimp with milk or half and half. The cream adds to the silky texture of this quiche which is why it is so outstanding! I also use Vermont White Sharp Cheddar Cheese. You get a great cheddar flavor without any fake yellow coloring. I shred the cheese by hand so it is extra creamy, too.
Tip: There is a wonderful pie tutorial on The Pioneer Woman's website. Check it out if you have ever had trouble making pie crusts or wanted to learn. I plan to try this soon.
Blessings!
Judy :)
This is one of the most requested recipes I bring to work when we celebrate birthdays with breakfast. The last birthday we celebrated my boss, Tim, decided we should cut the quiche into four servings for the four of us employees. Filled us up perfectly...hence his comment below that we figured out it only serves 4. :)
When we were married, I went through Mom's recipes and copied my favorites. This is one of them. I am a great lover of breakfast dishes especially eggs, bacon and cheese so this is a perfect dish for my appetite. It is wonderful for breakfast, lunch or supper...a real crowd pleaser.
Quiche Lorraine
9 inch pie crust
6 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 cup grated cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
dash of pepper
dash of nutmeg
Bake pie crust for 5 minutes. Chop bacon and fry until crisp. Remove from skillet. In fat, saute onion. Spread onion, crumbled bacon, and grated cheese in pie shell. In bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, cream, and seasonings. Pour in pie shell. Place on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 35 minutes until firm.
Serves: 8
I will often fry my bacon and onion, shred my cheese, and place in uncooked pie shell in the refrigerator the night before. In the morning, remove the pie shell and let it come to room temperature while you prepare the eggs, milk, cream and seasonings. Bake per the directions above.
Be sure to use the heavy cream and don't skimp with milk or half and half. The cream adds to the silky texture of this quiche which is why it is so outstanding! I also use Vermont White Sharp Cheddar Cheese. You get a great cheddar flavor without any fake yellow coloring. I shred the cheese by hand so it is extra creamy, too.
Tip: There is a wonderful pie tutorial on The Pioneer Woman's website. Check it out if you have ever had trouble making pie crusts or wanted to learn. I plan to try this soon.
Blessings!
Judy :)
This is one of the most requested recipes I bring to work when we celebrate birthdays with breakfast. The last birthday we celebrated my boss, Tim, decided we should cut the quiche into four servings for the four of us employees. Filled us up perfectly...hence his comment below that we figured out it only serves 4. :)
October 6, 2011
Fall Lamb Season 2011
Our first fall lambs were born yesterday morning...twins!
I stood at my kitchen window
quickly eating my baked oatmeal
while I watched the first lamb being nuzzled by its mom,
standing up, and taking his first shaky steps.
A great way to start the morning!
He had quite the cocky attitude by the afternoon!
Blessings!
Judy :)
October 2, 2011
Baked Oatmeal
I found this recipe at Karen Ehman's blog probably about a year ago but had never tried it. In her article, she said it was her daughter's favorite breakfast growing up and it made a wonderful Sunday breakfast to eat on the go. The word "go" was what drew me to this recipe besides the fact that we really do eat a lot of oatmeal. Oatmeal is one of those "good for you" foods.
Last weekend, Joseph and a friend came home from college. I fixed this at the last minute on Saturday night to be ready for breakfast on Sunday morning. The finished recipe reminded me somewhat of Quaker Oatmeal To Go. You remember those square oatmeal bars that are softer and thicker than a cookie. Quaker advertised them as a bowl of oatmeal you can eat on the go. This is much better. They can be eaten on their own, or with milk or yogurt poured over them. I enjoy having them on hand during the week for a quick breakfast before leaving for work. I have made this recipe two more times this week just because it is healthy, fast, not too sweet, and just plain delicious.
The night before, combine the following in a large glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
3 cups old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups regular buttermilk (I have also used a Silk Milk product -- any of them would be fine.)
In the morning, let mixture stand at room temperature for five minutes. Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup optional add-ins: chopped, peeled apples; raisins; nuts; chopped, peeled peaches; chopped bananas; chunky old-fashioned peanut butter...whatever your heart desires!
Spread in greased 9 by 9 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut into squares. Eat as is or top with milk, cream, or yogurt. Serves 8.
The picture above shows the baked oatmeal I made for breakfast this morning. I added dark chocolate chips (remember dark chocolate is healthy in moderation), pecans, and a little bit of vanilla. Another great add-in I made this week was blueberries and walnuts. I have cut this recipe in half each time I have made it and it has come out just fine. As you can see above, a half recipe bakes well in a small cast iron skillet. You can also melt your butter for the top step in the skillet and then the skillet is already greased for your baking in the morning. When I made the recipe last night, I only had half of the amount of brown sugar so I finished it with a little bit of honey...equally delicious!
I will leave you with a picture of our dachshund, Gibson. He was on the back porch begging for a treat from my husband while I was taking pictures. Couldn't resist the picture opportunity!
Enjoy!
Judy :)
Linking with Simply...This. That & The Other's "Sweet Treat Saturday".
"/>
Last weekend, Joseph and a friend came home from college. I fixed this at the last minute on Saturday night to be ready for breakfast on Sunday morning. The finished recipe reminded me somewhat of Quaker Oatmeal To Go. You remember those square oatmeal bars that are softer and thicker than a cookie. Quaker advertised them as a bowl of oatmeal you can eat on the go. This is much better. They can be eaten on their own, or with milk or yogurt poured over them. I enjoy having them on hand during the week for a quick breakfast before leaving for work. I have made this recipe two more times this week just because it is healthy, fast, not too sweet, and just plain delicious.
The night before, combine the following in a large glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate.
3 cups old fashioned oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups regular buttermilk (I have also used a Silk Milk product -- any of them would be fine.)
In the morning, let mixture stand at room temperature for five minutes. Add:
2 beaten eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 to 1 cup optional add-ins: chopped, peeled apples; raisins; nuts; chopped, peeled peaches; chopped bananas; chunky old-fashioned peanut butter...whatever your heart desires!
Spread in greased 9 by 9 pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cut into squares. Eat as is or top with milk, cream, or yogurt. Serves 8.
The picture above shows the baked oatmeal I made for breakfast this morning. I added dark chocolate chips (remember dark chocolate is healthy in moderation), pecans, and a little bit of vanilla. Another great add-in I made this week was blueberries and walnuts. I have cut this recipe in half each time I have made it and it has come out just fine. As you can see above, a half recipe bakes well in a small cast iron skillet. You can also melt your butter for the top step in the skillet and then the skillet is already greased for your baking in the morning. When I made the recipe last night, I only had half of the amount of brown sugar so I finished it with a little bit of honey...equally delicious!
I will leave you with a picture of our dachshund, Gibson. He was on the back porch begging for a treat from my husband while I was taking pictures. Couldn't resist the picture opportunity!
Enjoy!
Judy :)
Linking with Simply...This. That & The Other's "Sweet Treat Saturday".
"/>September 7, 2011
Before & After: Upper Kitchen Cabinet
Someday I need to do a post on the purchase of our house, but as a short story our house was a total wreck when we purchased it. We literally had to rip out all of the flooring down to the subfloor, remove the air conditioning/heating vents, apply Kilz to all surfaces and replace all of the flooring, ac/heat unit and vents, and paint everything. The house was an undeniable wreck, BUT we got a wonderful price on it and around 14 acres of land...our small dream farm. We made the house livable and was able to move in within two months of the closing.
We have now been here for seven year and with the announcement of my husband retiring, we have decided to stay. Wow! The word "stay" has really made my creative juices flow! Since we married, we have always moved after about 5 years in a location as my husband was promoted through the levels of USDA. It is an amazing feeling for me (a preacher's daughter who moved all throughout her childhood) to be able to say we are home "for good". Since we are "staying", I now feel free to make this house more of "our" house with "our" style and tastes...not just a house that will resale.
Once Charlie announced his retirement, the first project I decided on was our upper kitchen cabinet. Below is a picture from our house inspection of what the kitchen area once looked like:
The upper kitchen cabinet stretched out over the bar and really blocked a lot of light from the dining room area (where I am standing while taking the picture). I have looked at the wood backing over the years trying to decide on a way to fix the problem. I thought of adding glass cabinet doors. If glass cabinet doors were added to the front and the back the light would flow through from the dining room to the kitchen. The only problem was the cabinet doors would have to be constructed and a new framework for the glass doors would have to be installed on the back of the cabinet...expensive! I decided to just remove the doors and the back of the cabinet to have an open shelf. One that could be used from either the dining room side or the kitchen side.
About a month before I started on this project, I removed the cabinet doors from the kitchen side to live with that for a while and see how I liked it. I really did like it. This is how it looked then:
The backing of the cabinet was nailed to the frame and one vertical board in the center of the back. After talking to my dad and my brother, we determined that the support of the cabinet was from the ceiling, so taking the backing off of the cabinet wouldn't create a support issue. I talked my friend, Sharon, into tackling this project with me. Sharon owns rental houses and does all of her own carpentry, plumbing and electrical work herself. She is quite the jack of all trades!
We started early on a Saturday morning and removed the back of the cabinet. This is what it looked like at that point:
I didn't particularly like the extra vertical supports where the cabinet doors connected on the front of the cabinet. I knew I wanted to keep the single vertical piece on the back, so we decided to remove the cabinet door supports from the front and center one of them equal with the vertical piece on the back. Removing those pieces of wood was tough! They were not only nailed in, but also had wooden pegs connected into the framing. Sharon's father had a saw that resembled an electric bread knife to cut through the nails and pegs so we could remove those boards. Sharon went to get the saw and brought the saw and her father back with her. Her father is 85 years old and had been a carpenter his whole life. He sat on that stool in the kitchen and talked us through the rest of the project. A wealth of information!
After we had the center board on the front secured, we drove back to Sharon's father's house and took the original backing of the cabinet to cut trim pieces so the back would match the front. Once we had those trim pieces attached to the cabinet, the cabinet was finished to the point of painting. We finished around noon on the same day and had only spent a couple of dollars for some finishing nails. A fast and thrifty project!
Painting this cabinet opened up another whole project...painting all of the kitchen cabinets. This is something that I have wanted to do, but knew it would be time consuming. I chose to use Benjamin Moore Paint for a couple of reasons. First, I knew it was a high quality paint and I wanted this paint to last for a long time. Second, Benjamin Moore carries a low VOC line of paint. My husband is very sensitive to odors and I knew the low VOC paint would be easier on him. I chose Simply White as my paint color. I have liked this white so well, I will probably use it all over my house for my trim work when I do repaint the house...another project!
I painted the upper cabinet the next weekend. I sanded (by hand), used a primer and two coats of Simply White semi-gloss. Oops, sorry for the mess! This was taken this weekend (Labor Day weekend) when I decided to tackle painting the lower portion of the cabinets.
I purchased an electric sander to save some sanding time. I love, love, love the electric sander! I sped through sanding the drawers and cabinet doors in about 3 minutes and sanded the lower backing and framework in about 7 minutes. What a time saver! I used a 180 grit sandpaper. I didn't want to sand the cabinet down too much--just prepare the surface so the primer would adhere. It worked perfectly. I am changing my drawer pulls and cabinet handles to a brushed nickel color instead of brass. I used a pricier drawer pull and am looking at a more simple cabinet handle for the cabinet doors ( all 24 of them!). I only have seven drawers so I splurged a little more on them. Below is the finished product:
And yes, except for the top shelf of dishes, I use those dishes everyday. The dishes are not just for looks. I wanted this to be a practical addition. I will slowly work my way around the kitchen painting the rest of the cabinets as I have free weekends. What projects have you been working on?
Enjoy your week!
Judy :)
We have now been here for seven year and with the announcement of my husband retiring, we have decided to stay. Wow! The word "stay" has really made my creative juices flow! Since we married, we have always moved after about 5 years in a location as my husband was promoted through the levels of USDA. It is an amazing feeling for me (a preacher's daughter who moved all throughout her childhood) to be able to say we are home "for good". Since we are "staying", I now feel free to make this house more of "our" house with "our" style and tastes...not just a house that will resale.
Once Charlie announced his retirement, the first project I decided on was our upper kitchen cabinet. Below is a picture from our house inspection of what the kitchen area once looked like:
The upper kitchen cabinet stretched out over the bar and really blocked a lot of light from the dining room area (where I am standing while taking the picture). I have looked at the wood backing over the years trying to decide on a way to fix the problem. I thought of adding glass cabinet doors. If glass cabinet doors were added to the front and the back the light would flow through from the dining room to the kitchen. The only problem was the cabinet doors would have to be constructed and a new framework for the glass doors would have to be installed on the back of the cabinet...expensive! I decided to just remove the doors and the back of the cabinet to have an open shelf. One that could be used from either the dining room side or the kitchen side.
About a month before I started on this project, I removed the cabinet doors from the kitchen side to live with that for a while and see how I liked it. I really did like it. This is how it looked then:
The backing of the cabinet was nailed to the frame and one vertical board in the center of the back. After talking to my dad and my brother, we determined that the support of the cabinet was from the ceiling, so taking the backing off of the cabinet wouldn't create a support issue. I talked my friend, Sharon, into tackling this project with me. Sharon owns rental houses and does all of her own carpentry, plumbing and electrical work herself. She is quite the jack of all trades!
We started early on a Saturday morning and removed the back of the cabinet. This is what it looked like at that point:
I didn't particularly like the extra vertical supports where the cabinet doors connected on the front of the cabinet. I knew I wanted to keep the single vertical piece on the back, so we decided to remove the cabinet door supports from the front and center one of them equal with the vertical piece on the back. Removing those pieces of wood was tough! They were not only nailed in, but also had wooden pegs connected into the framing. Sharon's father had a saw that resembled an electric bread knife to cut through the nails and pegs so we could remove those boards. Sharon went to get the saw and brought the saw and her father back with her. Her father is 85 years old and had been a carpenter his whole life. He sat on that stool in the kitchen and talked us through the rest of the project. A wealth of information!
After we had the center board on the front secured, we drove back to Sharon's father's house and took the original backing of the cabinet to cut trim pieces so the back would match the front. Once we had those trim pieces attached to the cabinet, the cabinet was finished to the point of painting. We finished around noon on the same day and had only spent a couple of dollars for some finishing nails. A fast and thrifty project!
Painting this cabinet opened up another whole project...painting all of the kitchen cabinets. This is something that I have wanted to do, but knew it would be time consuming. I chose to use Benjamin Moore Paint for a couple of reasons. First, I knew it was a high quality paint and I wanted this paint to last for a long time. Second, Benjamin Moore carries a low VOC line of paint. My husband is very sensitive to odors and I knew the low VOC paint would be easier on him. I chose Simply White as my paint color. I have liked this white so well, I will probably use it all over my house for my trim work when I do repaint the house...another project!
I painted the upper cabinet the next weekend. I sanded (by hand), used a primer and two coats of Simply White semi-gloss. Oops, sorry for the mess! This was taken this weekend (Labor Day weekend) when I decided to tackle painting the lower portion of the cabinets.
I purchased an electric sander to save some sanding time. I love, love, love the electric sander! I sped through sanding the drawers and cabinet doors in about 3 minutes and sanded the lower backing and framework in about 7 minutes. What a time saver! I used a 180 grit sandpaper. I didn't want to sand the cabinet down too much--just prepare the surface so the primer would adhere. It worked perfectly. I am changing my drawer pulls and cabinet handles to a brushed nickel color instead of brass. I used a pricier drawer pull and am looking at a more simple cabinet handle for the cabinet doors ( all 24 of them!). I only have seven drawers so I splurged a little more on them. Below is the finished product:
And yes, except for the top shelf of dishes, I use those dishes everyday. The dishes are not just for looks. I wanted this to be a practical addition. I will slowly work my way around the kitchen painting the rest of the cabinets as I have free weekends. What projects have you been working on?
Enjoy your week!
Judy :)
August 30, 2011
Retired at 50
My husband is retiring tomorrow and he is only 50 years old. Our current government has done away with his position in the Department of Agriculture. Sure, this is not quite what we had planned for our future, but some great things are coming out of this change: we have retirement, we have health insurance, and we have a whole new adventure to explore. Below is my husband's goodbye letter to his friends and coworkers. I'm very proud of his outlook and very thankful for the way God has blessed our family and cared for our needs.
Charlie Meek signing
off from NRCS!
Effective August 31, I will be retiring from NRCS. When I started my career as a student trainee
in Cookeville, TN in May of 1981, I never dreamed such a wide array of opportunities
and blessings would come my way. I’m
grateful to have worked in three different states (TN, GA, AL) and to have been
a part of the conservation effort in numerous ways, especially serving the
RC&D Program since 1996 for which I felt at home.
As much as I have loved the positive aspects of working for SCS/NRCS,
for some time I have felt a strong pull in my heart to serve God in a greater
capacity and spend more time on our small farm experiencing what I view as real life, such as smelling fresh
mowed hay stored in the barn or walking out to the barn in the wee hours of the
morning and hearing a lamb bleating to its mom and saying hello world. Thus the
early retirement option sure seems to be a good fit so I’m going to jump and
pursue some dreams. Short term plans
include additional involvement in ministry and service to others, expanding our
small farm enterprise especially marketing lamb, and last but not least, I hope
to continue to support the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council which I have been
given the privilege to serve since February 2004.
Stepping out the door I find myself with a lack of words to
adequately thank family (especially my wife and son), co-workers within the
NRCS family and NRCS partners (for which many became special friends) for your
unwavering support. You have made an
amazing difference in my life and I can never thank you enough! I’m confident those 30 years of support and
friendship will be precious memories that will last till the Breathmaker calls
me home.
If you wish to check in with our family and track some of
our doings, you can follow my wife’s blog at http://ameekperspective.blogspot.com/
. Also feel free to contact me via
e-mail at meekcj2@gmail.com.
In His grip,
Charlie Meek Tuscumbia, AL
I think we will be seeing more of husband looking like this:
AND this:
Lamb, anyone?
Blessings!
July 18, 2011
Imparting Grace by Richella Parham
Visit Imparting Grace today to read about other writers' experiences with "grace". Imparting Grace is written by a friend from college. She is one of the top 25 blogs I enjoy reading. (See the side column for the other 24!). I have added my article entitled Grace Through A Kidney Transplant to her link party. If you haven't read it, click over and read it then visit Imparting Grace's link party. You will certainly enjoy some lovely reading.
Judy :)
Judy :)
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