Food Fest--New Year's Friendly Family Competition

Each pizza creation gave a unique but scrumptious food experience.

Last year was the beginning of a new tradition in our family with a food challenge to ring in the 2011 New Year. Our Pizza Bake-Off, available in an archived post, was such a hit with the grandchildren, our judges (they're SO easy to bribe!!!), that we all decided on another food competition to bring in 2012. 

After several discussions, we settled on a RibFest this year. The adults are all dreaming up the various ingredients and cooking methods, made even more challenging by some food allergies to work around, but it's sure to be another event that offers great fun and food for all. I'm making my two ranges and the outside grill/smoker all available for the cooks. 

I've taken special requests on side dishes that include Napa cole slaw, baked beans, and corn casserole.

Note:  Any attempts at weight control/loss will be put on the back burner until this food challenge is over!

Question: What are your New Year's Traditions?

FOOD RULES, A MUST-READ

I really enjoyed this book! Easy and fast to read, the book is written tongue-in-cheek by Michael Pollan. It's one that a family could pass around and everyone could read in a day. More white space than print, but don't be fooled:

       The print is powerful! 

You can find used copies on Ebay for less than $10, total. Newer versions have delightful artwork. Once you read it, the book becomes part of you, so you can pass it on. You won't forget what you read. Follow what it says, and you'll eat better and feel better for it.

Lucky Duckies

The post office called at 7 a.m. to let us know our ducklings had arrived, so Chris scrambled out of the house to  pick them up and get them settled into their new home. The photos are from one day later. They weren't a bit camera shy!

This particular variety of duck, the Pekin, will become white later on and are respected as table fare. I know! AWWW! But, look at it this way--we'll give them the best food and care a duckling could possibly get, providing them a very good life!

Venison Stew, also works for beef and pork, for the crock pot

Step One:  Heat the butter and oil in a frying pan. Add seasonings to flour or cornmeal. Dredge the meat and then brown in the oil.
1 pound of meat, cut into 1" cubes
2 T. butter (or 1 if using beef or pork)
2 T. olive oil (or 1 if using beef or pork)
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of pepper
dried thyme
flour or cornstarch for dredging

Step 2:  Place meat in the bottom of a crock pot. Add the following and turn hear to high. When hot, turn the heat to low and allow to simmer for 6 to 8 hours.
2 stalks of celery, cut into 3/4 " chunks
3 potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
3 carrots, cut into 3/4 " chunks
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper
3 cups water
You can also add chopped or pearl onions (they look so cute!) or minced garlic. Suit your tastebuds. I do it different ways depending on the people around the table.

Step 3: After all that simmering, add the following. Stir and heat through.
1 cup peas
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tsp. savory
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/2 tsp. of tarragon
additional salt and pepper to taste

Step 4: Add a thickening agent.
EITHER
Use 1 T. butter in a saute pan and lightly brown 1 T of flour in it, then add 1/2 cup of water and stir until smooth before stirring into the crock pot
OR
Dissolve 1 tsp. cornstarch into 1/2 cup water and stir into the crock pot.

Turn heat back on high for 10 minutes before serving.
Serving suggestion:  Fresh homebaked bread, fried mushrooms, a glass of cranberry juice. Earthy, full of flavor, and comfy!

Mini and Me in the Mushroom Forest

For the second day in a row, I found myself living off the grid. Actually, not so much off the grid as that the grid was off. Two days of wind, rain, and then last night's hail and I could see clearly that Nature was making a game of the grid. Forget firing up the fossil fuel generator. This was a gift! Forget chores. It meant mushroom hunting time had come and I had the additional gift of a few hours before I had to get to work!

I gathered up Mini, my calico mushroom cat, and we went to my favorite mushroom-finding place. It's not so much that she finds mushrooms as that she just loves being out stalking with me. Today, I could actually smell the mushrooms. Maybe Mini can too. I haven't asked.

After a few minutes I was dismayed that my early training in tree identification was failing me. I would head out to a tall elm tree only to find a profusion of robbed acorn shells and a scattering of oak leaves. That would be heartbreaking to my dad who was a timber buyer, purveyor of the finest in veneers. The only thing that consoled me was remembering the names of the many wildflowers I found, the wild phlox, spring beauties, yellow violets, may apples and many more. The vegetation looked like mushroom country.

Sure enough, Mini and I found some mushrooms, just nineteen, but each one excited me every bit as much as the first one. I cut the morels neatly at the ground's edge, dropped them carefully into a bread bag and felt thankful for each gift.

Throughout this hunt, my hoodie had protected me from the fine mist in the air as I kept my eyes on the ground. Mini didn't seem to mind the cool mist but, before long, she meowed loudly, that urgent sound cats make and you know that, to them at least, it's important. Not wanting the claws to come out, I pulled myself up out of my mushroom stupor, pulled my eyes up off the ground, and saw the  tree tops being whipped all around by the wind. I thanked Mini and we headed back to the house, mushrooms in tow, and our time together well spent.