Thursday, February 18, 2010

Birth of a mother!



I have now got a Mother!! Not a human mother - I already have one of those wonderful persons in my life. It is a red-wine vinegar mother!

I decided last weekend that I would try to make some of my own specialty vinegars as we tend to go through quite a bit around here. I went to one of our local health supplement/food stores, Hedley's Health Hut, and purchased a liter of Bragg's cider vinegar with the hopes that there would be enough of a residual mother in it to act as a starter for some of our own. Wonders to beat all wonders - I actually have the start of a full-bodied red-wine vinegar mother. I have yet to actually sample it - perhaps I will on the weekend. It sure smells great - tart with a bit of a fruity bite to it. The neat thing is that the hubby made the Bordeaux wine in 1989, so it is a joint effort. I am surprised that it happened so quickly as most of the instructions I read said that it would take 2 or more weeks for a mother to start and it has only been 6 days. I guess that cupboard above the refrigerator (a good 77F or 25C) is the perfect temperature for vinegar. Never really had a use for that cupboard anyway other than collecting junk...it can finally earn its keep.

Well, that's all for now - take care and maybe try your hand at a little vinegar as well.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

February Frolics

It is finally February! I love February - the days are getting longer but it is still wonderfully cold and crisp outside. The air is always so fresh in the winter and the sky is so clear you feel like you can just see forever. We had a bit of a snow in the past couple weeks (the snow piles on the side of the driveway and roads are about 4 ft high now) and everything is white and sparkling and I can't get enough of it.

When I was a kid, I loved being out in the snow for hours. I hated coming inside because the thawing out started and the pain began! Ouch! My fingertips and ears always suffered the worst. I can't remember it ever stopping me though and I've lived to to tell the tale. Whenever I drive down our street I see a "little buddy" of mine digging a fort out of the snow piles on the side of the road - the child in me wishes she could jump out and join her. My little buddy always gives me the biggest, frost kissed smile and wave when she is out there.

I have been quilting like crazy - I have so many quilts to finish I am not sure when I will be done, if ever. This is when I have to pause, give my head a shake, and ask myself - why would I want to be done anyway? I always have a wonderful project to look forward to and the knowledge that I will be totally relaxed as a result. I can only see a win/win situation here...lol. I have completed two and a half quilts since the beginning of January. Two were belated Christmas presents/cabin warming gifts and I extended my hubby's quilt so he could tuck it around his feet a bit more. They were all rag quilts (not REAL quilts but I can live with that) and I was very pleased with how they turned out. They were all made of three layers of cozy flannel and all were from the same fabrics but with different backings and a few different blocks thrown in. As two of them went to my hubby's siblings, I wanted to connect them to him by having some of the same fabrics. Whenever I make a quilt for someone I like to think that I am sending those persons receiving the quilt a nice warm hug that just keeps hugging.


Well, anyone who knows me knows that I am somewhat of a foodie. I love making food and trying all sorts of different types. I am also kind of a purist - if I can make it from scratch all the better. So, I got thinking about this and have decided to start posting food thoughts, food recipes and some my food adventures, including the misadventures. I think it will be a blast - feeding folks is something I absolutely love doing (my family and friends will be nodding their heads here - lol) and writing about it can only be all good.

The picture at the right looks like someone threw a bunch of stuff into a roaster and expected it to look good. It is actually the start of wonderful homemade chicken stock that is the basis of many wonderful soups we eat during the winter season. Watch for an upcoming post, with instructions, about how you can make this great broth with a limited amount of work!

Starting this weekend, I am going to be making wine and cider vinegars and will keep you posted on how they turn out. I sure hope they turn out better than my wine - but that is another story...


I almost forgot! I have my first follower - Sarah - welcome to my blog!

Take care!
Find you inner child and play in the snow!
Kathy