Frustratedearthmother's Journaling Journey

[frustratedearthmother]

Dawn, you might have a really great idea there! Instead of a tur-duck-hen, you may start a new trend with a loin-bac-ham. It goes along with my belief that one can never have too much pork, lol.

I know how challenging, but also kinda fun, it is to live in an RV. In my first marriage we lived in a 30 ft RV for about a year....and just for an extra challenge...it was about a 1950 model...older than dirt, but it was shelter. A couple years ago DH worked out of town for about a year so we bought a fancy-dancy RV for him to live in. We could only really afford it cuz the company he worked for gave him a living allowance and paid for moving it. We didn't even have a truck big enough to pull it. We really hated to sell it when his assignment was up - but without a truck that would handle it, it just didn't make sense to keep it.

 

[moolie]

I've done the pork loin wrapped in bacon, with a few extra slices on the bottom of the pan--hubs said, "did you seriously cook that on a bed of bacon?" "Yes, yes I did "

It was delicious, I think adding ham would make it really wonderful

 

[Denim Deb]

I'll borrow a line from Emeril and say, "Pork fat rules!"

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I totally agree! (as I sit here enjoying the aroma from two garlic-stuffed, bacon-wrapped pork loins merrily cooking away in the oven)

Foot ball game on the TV - go TEXANS!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Not a bad day today. I slept in until almost 7am! I didn't even go out to milk until 8. DH just haaaaaad to go to town for one more last minute shopping trip before starting the 'no shopping for a month' experiment that starts tomorrow, lol. He did good though - he didn't go overboard. I was impressed. He probably would have bought more, but he wanted to get home by noon - just in time for the Texans kick off!While he was gone I started canning. I canned up 8 pints of the beefy/vegtable soup that I cooked yesterday. Then we lazed around while the game was on and got busy again as soon as it was over.

DH loves to organize things. So, he took some things from the breezeway and moved them up to the garage apt. It's been designated storage area now - that ought to keep any more people from moving in, huh? However, I do wish I could get my niece to move in. She's determined to be independent after her mom (my sister) passed last month. She's in school taking pre-med classes and right now, they are kicking her butt. I wish she'd quit her job, move in with me and concentrate on her studies. Unfortunately, she just rented an apt - and I think she's regretting it.

While DH was organizing the breezeway I canned 7 pints out of the 2 pork roasts that I cooked this morning. I sill have about half of one that we'll munch on tomorrow. AND, I finally caught and moved those stinkin' roosters out of my small garden area. 'Bout time! Now I can start my fall garden. Oh, and I've got some collards in the dehydrator. I've never dried greens before, but what the heck, I thought I'd try it. They've only been in a couple hours and I think they'll be done in another hour or so. Instant gratification - I love it!

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Dried greens? That's one I've never heard before. Be sure and let us know how it turns out! Our greens are just now coming up, but we are getting a good rain here, so I should have tons of them soon.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Follow up: I just pulled the greens out of the dehydrator. They were only in for about 4 hours.... they came out fairly crispy and kind of fragile. I'm going to store them in glass jars rather than vacuum sealing them in bags which I had planned to do. I think they'll be great in soup - DH and I just love soups! I may try drying them less next time into more of a leathery state instead of a crispy state... I'm wondering if I'd sprayed some "pam" type substance on them and salted them if they would make a chip like snack - kind of like kale chip? Might need a bit more experimenting.

I might cut them a little bigger next time also. I cut them into strips about an inch wide, and of course they shrank up much smaller than that. All in all - I'm pretty pleased with the results - but I will keep experimenting. I'm going to try cabbage next.

 

[Wannabefree]

Dried greens....sounds like a pretty good experiment Let me know how those cook up later, it'd sure save a lot of freezer space for me.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'll let ya'll know how the greens work out as soon as I cook some up.

Sitting in my office at work - took a late lunch but just ran a couple errands so I've got a few minutes. And, I'm a little stinky and sweaty and here's why: Not only is today the start of "operation pantry/freezer cleanout - no grocery purchase" month - but it's also the first day of my 90 day major body improvement program. I really wanna lose weight/firm up before the wedding in January. Maybe if I announce it here - I'll be more inclined to follow through. Our employer gives us 90 minutes a week of free wellness time. We can take 3 - 30minute sessions or 2 - 45 minute sessions per week. My plan is to do 3 sessions a week. My co-worker and I just finished two miles in about 35 minutes, not bad, but I need to do better. It's soooo gorgeous outside today that we chose the track over the gym, and fresh air/sunshine does good things for my head!

I was a slacker and didn't really plan for today's lunch - so I have a frozen dinner that was stashed in my fridge at work - hope it's still good. I'm not real excited about it... ugh. I'm gonna have to get my lunches ready the night before from now on since I won't be doing much eating out for awhile.... Save money, save calories - it's all good!

 

[Dawn419]

Can't wait to hear how the dried greens turn out!

I love picking a mess of poke greens in spring and cooking them up! Back in TN, I knew a lady who used to can her poke greens so that the family could eat them anytime of the year. I got to try them once and blech! I'll wait until spring and get them fresh. I'm like that with spinach, too. Don't care for it canned but have no problem eating it straight out of the garden.

Oh my, a 1950's model RV! Our little "Broke Down Palace" is a '75. I think it'd be a fun project to restore it once we're no longer living it but doc just says "money pit" everytime I bring the subject up!