Dill Pickle Soup on a Freaking Cold Day

We are experiencing winter now, real winter on the prairies. The temperatures over the weekend have been BELOW 30 below...with the slight wind it is nearing 40 degrees below Celsius (which is 40 below Fahrenheit). It is biting cold, something you can only understand if you have experienced it. If you dress for it and stay out of the wind it is not the end of the world but I am glad I don't have to go anywhere and that my morning chores take about 10 minutes. In the meantime there is plenty to do inside and we are staying close to the wood stove.

I'm determined to use up leftovers and stick to a tight kitchen budget in 2016. I bought a 2 lb package of hamburger the other day (we are currently out of home grown beef) for $6.50 which was on special at the butcher shop (right now hamburger is $4/lb). I got over 3 meals out of it by having shepherd's pie two nights in a row and making the leftovers into Dill Pickle Soup. If you have never heard of such a thing, you are not alone. My brother introduced us to the soup after having it somewhere in Alberta. I was hesitant to try it but I really do like it (although it isn't something I could eat all the time). There are many versions of the recipe online and I only referred to them for the general idea. Interestingly, I've always had it with ground beef in it but none of the recipes I saw had meat in them. I would compare this soup to potato soup that someone was dunking their burger in while they ate. I can imagine that after pieces of the beef and pickle fell into the soup someone got the idea to add the two intentionally. Anyways, that's what the soup tastes like to me and you can make it either with meat or without and can add more or less pickles to your own taste.

I began by simmering about 3/4 c each of onion, celery, and shredded carrot in a cup of water with 1 Tbsp chicken OXO. I had no homemade broth on hand and hadn't considered how salty the soup would be with pickles and pickle juice added. Although it didn't seem too salty when I ate it, I was thirsty all afternoon! Once the vegetables were tender I used my stick blender to puree them into a more smooth consistency. That step is not necessary but I had the time. 

I made this soup as I always make homemade potato soup. I microwaved a cup of skim milk before adding it to the pot. Normally I would add leftover mashed potatoes at this point but in this case it was about a cup and a half of leftover shepherd's pie. There was corn and peas in the casserole so that made it a nice consistency and the potatoes and milk made the soup nice and creamy without adding cream or flour. At this point your soup is ready and it was delicious. I debated even adding the pickles but in the end I put about 1/3 c of homemade dill pickles in my food processor and added just a dash of pickle juice to the soup. Because I added very little it just gave the soup a certain "je ne sais quoi"--tangy but not overpowering. I have had the soup with much more pickle (most of the recipes call for a cup each of pickles and juice) and I like it both ways. 

We enjoyed the soup (kids wouldn't touch it!) and it is just something different to break the monotony of being indoors in cold weather. Have you tried any new recipes or improvised any new meals lately?

A Quilt for Christmas

I don't remember If I mentioned getting a quilt top finished in the days before Christmas. It was for my sister-in-law and they live about 5 hours away. I knew I wouldn't have time to get the quilting done and bind it before Christmas but I knew she wouldn't mind waiting for the finished blanket. So we wrapped the quilt top and I explained that I was having it quilted after Christmas and would deliver it when the baby comes late-January or early February. Yesterday I picked the quilt up from the long-arm quilter that I've used before and I was very happy with the results.

I am not sure what fabric I will use to bind with. I fear it may require a trip to the fabric store (cringe!). The project has certainly cost enough already and professional quilting is not in my budget in the future. I do quilt baby quilts myself but it is hard with my little machine. I will have to practice a lot before I attempt to quilt a larger size on my own.

Hopefully the blanket will be enjoyed for many years to come and keep a family snug on the couch on cold winter evenings. Are you working on any projects to get you through the cold winter months?

Christmas Shopping Already?

Who on earth would want to begin the Christmas craziness so early in the new year, you ask? Well, possibly the very thrifty. 

Yesterday I spotted $5 Christmas decorations on at 90% off. I got two at .44c each. This is the way I've bought most of our Christmas decor--after season sales on great discounts. But in an effort to reduce the wanton consumerism of the whole thing (why get another wreath just because they are reduced? Don't want more stuff to store 11 and a half months of the year!) What's special about these decorations is that they say the year and there is a spot for a photograph so I've put a picture of each of my boys in the decorations and I'm kicking myself for not getting a set for each of the grammas. A meaningful, thoughtful, easy-to-mail gift for under $1. 

Happy to report that indeed I did quarter a chicken for supper the other night. It was not a perfect job and I'm now on the watch for a good cleaver. I've wanted to break down a chicken for frying but was put off by the actual cutting it up. Anyways, I can stroke that one off my bucket list and hope that a better knife makes the job easier. Let's add "learn to properly sharpen knives" to the list instead. 

In other random news a moose strolled past our yard yesterday. We've seen her before but not so close. She was unperturbed by the dog and I was glad. 

Husband wants to start hunting but J (5) and I agree it must be far from home. Somehow the wildlife that passes through feels more like family than food. I know, not at all the attitude a farmer's daughter should have towards her groceries. It's a contradiction that I will work to reconcile. 

I've been peacefully sewing. My brother and his wife are expecting their first child, a boy. I'm so happy for them and it takes me back to when we were waiting for J to arrive. I did not know the love I was capable of--had no idea the depths of fatigue that a human could reach, nor the joy that could catch me off guard and leave me immobilized with emotion, choking back tears. It was so intense. I can't imagine anything I do having such an effect on me now and I'm not sure I'd want it. But I'm excited to see my brother and his wife fall this deeply in love with their child and I'm glad that now I understand some of what they will need. Help, but space and solitude. Sleep. Groceries. Dishes done, some meals prepared and frozen and all our excitement but not for too long. I'm making a quilt and the pattern is called "the Bonny Scotsman". It suits my brother so much as we are of Scottish descent and I call the baby the wee bonny lad. May he be healthy and bonny indeed. I hope you are having a weekend that you will remember fondly. 

Some Un-Resolutions for 2016, and Reflections on 2015

So much for a post about how fun and meaningful our Christmas was this year--our Internet has been down and the mood has passed. Last year I didn't get time to do a post about what I hoped for the new year. Oddly, the year had that same sense of unspoken intentions...we had a productive, positive year and advanced in everything that I wished for but I never put my wishes into words. Our progress was the result of much hard work. Husband has remained busy throughout an industry-wide slow down and for that we are very grateful. We are on the same page financially-speaking, now more than ever. We both want to save money and prepare for the worst as our economy flounders. Perhaps most important of all is the fact that 2015 was book-ended by health concerns for our 5 year old. As the year began he was receiving what were, to me, devastating treatments to put his childhood nephrotic syndrome into remission. As the year ended, he relapsed and once again had protein in his urine (the sign that his kidneys are malfunctioning). To our unending relief, his little body handled the relapse on its own and he did not require treatments aside from antibiotics for a throat infection. This progress, alone, in 2015 makes it the year we became free of fear and began to live fully in the moment with gratitude and grace.

There are many posts out there about hopes and intentions for 2016, all of them more eloquent and succinct than I can muster here. But it is important to me that I outline my plans for the year. I've realized of late that the areas where I am most easily flustered and frustrated (paperwork! saying no to people!) are the areas where I must allow myself to learn and grow. Putting things off and allowing them to take up space in my mind is just not working for me, and it is not how 2016 is going to roll. So with that, here are a few family, personal and business goals for 2016.

• Get Better At Keeping Records

Papers and files grate on my nerves and unfinished paperwork weighs on the back of my mind. It is not the doing of the work, it is the procrastination and dread that leads up to it. Every month. This stems from the fact that I have no real system of keeping track of receipts, invoices, warranties, etc and I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of even getting started. For Christmas, Husband bought me an antique filing cabinet that I had been longing for. Not only is it beautiful but it is going to play an important role in taking the stress out of keeping track of our files. In the next week I plan to get files colour-coded and moved into the new-old cabinet.  done!

Aside from tax/work related files, I also need to improve my record-keeping in the garden and for this blog. Every year I intend to record what I plant and try to keep track of the yield and what worked/didn't work. Perhaps taking a quick picture of seed packets as I am headed out to the garden would help. Generally I end up using the packet to mark my row, which doesn't work because it degrades to the point of being unable to read it when I want to remember what variety of seed I had used. My kids are more independent now so I have no excuse not to be more methodical in keeping track of my garden and home. Related to the blog, I MUST get better at reporting on my kitchen budget and filing all receipts/tracking spending. Likewise, a return to menu-planning and lists, lists, lists! The last few months of 2015 became completely unorganized and directionless, although the rough tally I kept in my mind led me to believe that I was spending less on groceries and doing better at stockpiling and using in-store coupons. Although I felt I was doing okay with it, I would like to share my results in this space and that can't happen when receipts are lost in the bottom of the big ole purse! My first step towards a better record-keeping system is 1. download a bookkeeping software and learn to use it and 2. learn to do spreadsheets. I MUST schedule some quiet time in the next week where I can concentrate and get this done. Found a bulletin board with wire baskets for sorting mail/bills. Now, where to hang it?

NOTE: it seems like blogger has changed something and I can't figure out how to add pictures now. So I will add "get current on blogger" and "take better pictures" to the list of things to do!

• New Learning Experiences

It wasn't that long ago that I worried there would never be time or money for me to pursue my own interests. For a time with little babies it is true that a mother's needs are waaaay down the list of priorities. But I recognize now that nurturing my creativity and interests is not only healthy, it is essential to being a complete and happy person. In my case, my interests and pursuits are of the homesteading/crafting/farming variety. I have an ever-growing list of things I want to try in 2016 and I am excited to get started! Today's challenge: break down a chicken into pieces for baking :) Perhaps I should keep a list of all the new things I try this year!

• Make Better Use of My Evenings

True, I do some wintertime crafts and quilt bindings in the evening while I watch TV. Some gardening jobs in summer might happen in the evening. But all too often I get my kids to bed and sit in front of the TV with a cup of tea and proceed to waste a couple hours of time before bed. I want to give myself half an hour of exercise in this time slot, and read more instead of watching TV. I think if I schedule 9-10 pm my only TV time I will be happier, more fit and productive!

• Concentrate on Things That Make Me Feel Good 

Something about getting older, perhaps, but feeling rotten after eating fast food or "pub grub" is just no longer an option. I want to fuel my body with food that makes me feel full and invigorated. I MUST spend more time doing yoga, Pilates, walking and exercising (how many times have we heard that?!) I want to visit people that inspire and motivate me to learn and do better. I want to give more, learn more, do more. People and activities that suck the energy out of me will continue to be pushed to the margins of our lives. This is an area that really progressed in 2015 and I expect more of the same this year. I vowed to "invest in people that invest in me" and I worried less about why some friends always left me feeling used and unappreciated. By taking the focus from those relationships and putting my energy into relationships that make me happy, I felt the toxic anxiety fade away. Friends, work and play that brings us together and leaves a lasting feeling of joy will be a permanent part of our routine. All of the things we have enjoyed in years past shall see more of our attention this year. We have picked a direction that works for us and every step of our journey has made us happier and convinced us that living simply and authentically is right for us. 2016 will be more of the same.

Merry Christmas 2015

'Nuff said. 

One Fine Day

I seem to have fallen silent in this space lately. I've been sewing, solo parenting until the last week, and otherwise occupied although my thoughts are often on things I'd like to write about. But the opportunities are fleeting and here I am, on the 23rd of December with just a moment to pop in and wish you all the best this holiday season. 

We had friends in for pizza, wings and drinks last night and reconnected in a way that we haven't in years. Today a morning of coffee with friends turned into a day of friends and family coming and going, reluctant to leave this warm place, kids sliding on the hill, snacks and laughter and friendships remembered.  Never have I been more convinced that our authentic life will bring us peace and joy. When good people gather and are sorry to leave you know you are doing something right. Wherever you are, whatever your lot in life, I wish you contentment. No one knows what the future will bring. But if you are safe and warm and content you are doing well indeed. In case I don't make it back before Christmas Day, I wish you peace,contentment, friendship and good health in the coming year. 

The Power of 10

This morning as I tidied my kitchen I thought, as I have many times before "good enough". And I almost left things and moved on to the next task on my list. But lately I'm really thinking about how much I can accomplish in 10 minutes. I can haul my day's worth of wood into my house and sweep up the trail into the basement. I can make all the beds, clean the toilets and pop in a load of laundry. I can fold a load of laundry and actually put it away. I can even write a brief blog post. 

My kitchen as I might have left it:

My kitchen as I did leave it, 5 minutes and 53 seconds later:

I did not sweep the floor or do the dishes. I merely put some clutter in its place and the effect on my mood throughout the day can not be described. Tidying up so that things look "done" or, if not done then at least "better," makes me feel happier and more efficient. Why not?