I just made a really luscious batch of baconnaise. I thought I'd better write the recipe down in case it turns out well. Usually my baconnaise doesn't actually emulsify properly, and gets all hard in the fridge. But it seems to be pretty good this time so far.
Baconnaise
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
shake of pepper
1/2 cup liquidy bacon grease*
1/2 - 1 cup high oleic expelled pressed sunflower oil
*Sometimes I get bacon grease that doesn't solidify at room temperature. This is what I used for my baconnaise. If you're using more solid bacon grease, warm it up slowly before using, so it's liquid but not very warm.
Dump first six ingredients into a quart mason jar. Blend together with an immersion blender. Mix together 1/2 cup bacon grease and 1/2 cup of oil in a pourable measuring cup. Slowly add oil mixture into egg mixture while running the blender (you don't have to be very slow. Just don't leave huge puddles of oil on top of the mix).
Once all the oil is blended in, stop and test the mixture. If it's the consistency you like, stop there. If it's thin, continue to add oil slowly until it begins to thicken up, testing frequently to see if you've reached the desired consistency.
If the mix is watery looking and won't thicken up, add another egg yolk.
******************
Good news! It's been a week since I wrote this recipe down, and the baconnaise is still lovely and luscious as ever! I highly recommend it if you've got lots of bacon grease sitting around, or a need for mayo.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Friday, January 8, 2016
One Week into 2016
So it's the first full week of 2016. How's everyone doing on their resolutions? I've been doing... ok, I guess. It's been a rocky week for me, so considering that, I'd say I'm doing better than I thought I would be.
Chad went on a business trip this week, and I get very needy when he's gone. The last time he went on a business trip, I ended up eating dozens of cookies. This time, I only ate a little chocolate, so I think that's a win overall.
I haven't been exercising as much as I'd want, because I've been sick the last few days. I have something going on with my face. It's clearly infected, but I don't know what's causing it. This happens to me occasionally, and the last couple of times, the doctor/dentist told me it was like a sinus infection. This time, my face is swollen and my jaw won't open quite the whole way. I'm just going to wait a little while to see what happens. It's not nearly as bad as the last infection I had, which was so painful I was crying and screaming that I didn't want to live. I'd much rather take it easy and let my body heal itself, than go to a doctor and be told to take antibiotics. I'll take them if I have to, but I don't want to if it's not necessary.
This is a very clear reminder about why I want to eat better. I don't want to continue getting these terrible infections, which I'm sure are at least partly due to bad eating habits. I ate a lot of sugar between Christmas and New Year's, and sugar is really hard on your immune system. I deserve better than that, right?
So I'm going to chillax today and let my amazing body do what it needs to make me better. Then I'm going to start getting active again. It's going to get snowy and cold again, so I'm planning on getting most of my exercise on my exercise bike. I'm grateful I have it, even though it's pretty boring to use it. I don't know how people get anything done at the gym; indoor exercising is so dull to me. It's worse than washing dishes or doing taxes. Clearly I need to move somewhere that's warm all the time so I don't have to do indoor exercise. Or, I need to get over it and go out in the snow and cold!
Chad went on a business trip this week, and I get very needy when he's gone. The last time he went on a business trip, I ended up eating dozens of cookies. This time, I only ate a little chocolate, so I think that's a win overall.
I haven't been exercising as much as I'd want, because I've been sick the last few days. I have something going on with my face. It's clearly infected, but I don't know what's causing it. This happens to me occasionally, and the last couple of times, the doctor/dentist told me it was like a sinus infection. This time, my face is swollen and my jaw won't open quite the whole way. I'm just going to wait a little while to see what happens. It's not nearly as bad as the last infection I had, which was so painful I was crying and screaming that I didn't want to live. I'd much rather take it easy and let my body heal itself, than go to a doctor and be told to take antibiotics. I'll take them if I have to, but I don't want to if it's not necessary.
This is a very clear reminder about why I want to eat better. I don't want to continue getting these terrible infections, which I'm sure are at least partly due to bad eating habits. I ate a lot of sugar between Christmas and New Year's, and sugar is really hard on your immune system. I deserve better than that, right?
So I'm going to chillax today and let my amazing body do what it needs to make me better. Then I'm going to start getting active again. It's going to get snowy and cold again, so I'm planning on getting most of my exercise on my exercise bike. I'm grateful I have it, even though it's pretty boring to use it. I don't know how people get anything done at the gym; indoor exercising is so dull to me. It's worse than washing dishes or doing taxes. Clearly I need to move somewhere that's warm all the time so I don't have to do indoor exercise. Or, I need to get over it and go out in the snow and cold!
Monday, January 4, 2016
A Boost to my Resolve
Have you heard the latest news? Scientists have discovered that sugar, namely fructose, fuels the growth of cancer.
This isn't a new idea, of course. There's lots of studies out there pretty much pointing in the same direction, showing that sugar both increases your risk of getting cancer and makes the cancer worse once you have it. I don't know why this isn't common knowledge by now, but I guess no one really wants to hear it in the United States.
This was a pretty interesting sounding study, though. It's a rat study, so take it with a grain of salt; after all, humans and rats are pretty different. Still, the results are intriguing and I hope it leads to even better research.
The gist of study is that a diet high in fructose (through sucrose) is correlated to a much higher rate of breast cancer than a diet high in starch. And the more sucrose the rats ate once they developed cancer, the faster the tumors grew.
I certainly needed a boost in my resolve to cut sugar way back in our diets. This certainly helps.
This isn't a new idea, of course. There's lots of studies out there pretty much pointing in the same direction, showing that sugar both increases your risk of getting cancer and makes the cancer worse once you have it. I don't know why this isn't common knowledge by now, but I guess no one really wants to hear it in the United States.
This was a pretty interesting sounding study, though. It's a rat study, so take it with a grain of salt; after all, humans and rats are pretty different. Still, the results are intriguing and I hope it leads to even better research.
The gist of study is that a diet high in fructose (through sucrose) is correlated to a much higher rate of breast cancer than a diet high in starch. And the more sucrose the rats ate once they developed cancer, the faster the tumors grew.
I certainly needed a boost in my resolve to cut sugar way back in our diets. This certainly helps.
Thursday, December 31, 2015
A Brand New Year
I really don't like new year's resolutions. Usually people create impossible goals, and end up feeling like failures when they can't reach them. I certainly have been there, but I stopped making resolutions a long time ago.
That being said, I still think the beginning of the new year is a perfect time to stop and reflect on your life, and change directions if you notice you're not down the path that's best for you. And after a hard year like I've had, I really need some redirection.
Chad and I are going to have our traditional new year celebration soon, consisting of a movie and nachos, so I won't spend a lot of time on this post. But I wanted to write down what I want to change in my life, so it's maybe a little more concrete.
Number one, I want to start feeding myself properly. My body is an amazing gift from God, and I should nourish it with the best foods I can find. My goal is not to cut out junk because thinking in negative terms creates a vacuum that draws in the candy bars. Instead, my goal is to fill my plate with lots of good foods so that there's not much room left for foods that make me feel bad.
I also want to start exercising my amazing body so that it's strong and well maintained so I can do the things I love, like gardening and hiking. I'm going to go easy on the exercise, because I'm out of shape and I don't want to hurt myself. I also don't want to exercise so hard that I start hating it.
I want to make space in my day for the things I love, which means I have to change the way I think about my time. It's precious, and I should stop trying to find ways to waste it. This will also make space and time in my life to help me find more meaning in my days.
I want to start treating myself with the same respect and love that I treat others, because no one else will treat me that way until I do.
So how was your year? Was it good? Did you have rocky spots? Is there anything you want to change? Whatever 2015 looked like for you, I hope that 2016 is even better. Happy New Year!
That being said, I still think the beginning of the new year is a perfect time to stop and reflect on your life, and change directions if you notice you're not down the path that's best for you. And after a hard year like I've had, I really need some redirection.
Chad and I are going to have our traditional new year celebration soon, consisting of a movie and nachos, so I won't spend a lot of time on this post. But I wanted to write down what I want to change in my life, so it's maybe a little more concrete.
Number one, I want to start feeding myself properly. My body is an amazing gift from God, and I should nourish it with the best foods I can find. My goal is not to cut out junk because thinking in negative terms creates a vacuum that draws in the candy bars. Instead, my goal is to fill my plate with lots of good foods so that there's not much room left for foods that make me feel bad.
I also want to start exercising my amazing body so that it's strong and well maintained so I can do the things I love, like gardening and hiking. I'm going to go easy on the exercise, because I'm out of shape and I don't want to hurt myself. I also don't want to exercise so hard that I start hating it.
I want to make space in my day for the things I love, which means I have to change the way I think about my time. It's precious, and I should stop trying to find ways to waste it. This will also make space and time in my life to help me find more meaning in my days.
I want to start treating myself with the same respect and love that I treat others, because no one else will treat me that way until I do.
So how was your year? Was it good? Did you have rocky spots? Is there anything you want to change? Whatever 2015 looked like for you, I hope that 2016 is even better. Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Garden Tour
It's been such a mild winter here in western New York (and all of New England and the Mid Atlantic as well), and I've been hearing crazy stories about how how spring bulbs are starting to spring up already, and garlic is a foot tall in gardens. I got pretty curious about what's going on in my garden, so I took a stroll around the yard with my camera (and a good pair of boots, because it's muddy!).
And what do you know! The daffodil bulbs really are sending up shoots.
They're pretty small yet though, as you can see by their size compared to those leaves. And it's not all the bulbs; only the ones that are more out in the sun are popping up. The ones more in the shade are still sleeping.
Actually, I left some bulbs in the garage too long because I didn't know where to plant them, and I noticed they had started to sprout. So not wanting to waste something awesome, I stuck them in some vases.
So far, only one has bloomed, but it's such a fun thing to walk into the kitchen and see a beautiful blooming hyacinth. Plus, it smells awesome.
And you know what? My garlic is coming up, too!
But it's certainly not a foot tall. It usually gets about that big before it gets covered by snow anyway, so I'm not worried about it. It is, afterall, called German Extra Hardy and can withstand some pretty frigid cold snaps.
One thing I worried about with this warm weather was that my apples would break dormancy too soon and their buds would die. However, it looks like they're nice and sleepy still and should make it through to spring.
So while I was out there, I took a picture of my newest toy, too.
I got it all together on the Sunday after Christmas. It was quite a project, but not as bad as the reviews made it out to be. The box came with two pieces that weren't supposed to be there, and two pieces that I needed weren't there. Thankfully, they're not pieces that are structurally necessary, so I just put it together and contacted the company about it.
It's a really cool little planter! The planting space is about 6 inches deep, and the space underneath is good for storage. The clear plastic is pretty sturdy, but the black plastic, which covers the base part and is the tray for the soil to sit in, is flimsier. However, the frame is very sturdy and well designed, so if the plastic breaks, I figure I can replace it with wood or some other material and just keep reusing the frame. I like it a lot!
It's currently sitting in the cleared out raspberry spot. It's less windy there, and there's no threat of falling ice, but in the spring, we'll move it over to it's permanent home on the south side of the house.
There, between the raspberries and the concrete slab. And if I like it, who knows? Maybe I'll get another one and put it where the raspberries are. I don't know what variety those raspberries are, but I don't like them very much. The canes and the berries are really waxy, and my fingers are so sticky from wax after picking them. Plus the berries have a crumbly berry disease, and I'm not at all sure how to help the poor plants. But I suppose that's far enough down the road that I don't need to think about it right now.
So there's what's going on in the ole garden. It may look asleep, but things are still growing!
And what do you know! The daffodil bulbs really are sending up shoots.
They're pretty small yet though, as you can see by their size compared to those leaves. And it's not all the bulbs; only the ones that are more out in the sun are popping up. The ones more in the shade are still sleeping.
Actually, I left some bulbs in the garage too long because I didn't know where to plant them, and I noticed they had started to sprout. So not wanting to waste something awesome, I stuck them in some vases.
So far, only one has bloomed, but it's such a fun thing to walk into the kitchen and see a beautiful blooming hyacinth. Plus, it smells awesome.
And you know what? My garlic is coming up, too!
But it's certainly not a foot tall. It usually gets about that big before it gets covered by snow anyway, so I'm not worried about it. It is, afterall, called German Extra Hardy and can withstand some pretty frigid cold snaps.
One thing I worried about with this warm weather was that my apples would break dormancy too soon and their buds would die. However, it looks like they're nice and sleepy still and should make it through to spring.
So while I was out there, I took a picture of my newest toy, too.
I got it all together on the Sunday after Christmas. It was quite a project, but not as bad as the reviews made it out to be. The box came with two pieces that weren't supposed to be there, and two pieces that I needed weren't there. Thankfully, they're not pieces that are structurally necessary, so I just put it together and contacted the company about it.
It's a really cool little planter! The planting space is about 6 inches deep, and the space underneath is good for storage. The clear plastic is pretty sturdy, but the black plastic, which covers the base part and is the tray for the soil to sit in, is flimsier. However, the frame is very sturdy and well designed, so if the plastic breaks, I figure I can replace it with wood or some other material and just keep reusing the frame. I like it a lot!
It's currently sitting in the cleared out raspberry spot. It's less windy there, and there's no threat of falling ice, but in the spring, we'll move it over to it's permanent home on the south side of the house.
There, between the raspberries and the concrete slab. And if I like it, who knows? Maybe I'll get another one and put it where the raspberries are. I don't know what variety those raspberries are, but I don't like them very much. The canes and the berries are really waxy, and my fingers are so sticky from wax after picking them. Plus the berries have a crumbly berry disease, and I'm not at all sure how to help the poor plants. But I suppose that's far enough down the road that I don't need to think about it right now.
So there's what's going on in the ole garden. It may look asleep, but things are still growing!
Monday, December 28, 2015
Merry Post Xmas
I hope everyone had a nice Christmas. We sure did.
And I don't mean as far as presents go, either (although we did get some nice gifts). Our Christmas was good because we got to spend time with family that we hardly get to see anymore. We laughed and told stories, caught up with what's new and retold old memories. It was even so nice on Christmas day that Chad and I took a long evening walk in the moonlight. It was lovely.
So here's hoping that your Christmas was just as fun and lovely as ours was. See you in the new year!
And I don't mean as far as presents go, either (although we did get some nice gifts). Our Christmas was good because we got to spend time with family that we hardly get to see anymore. We laughed and told stories, caught up with what's new and retold old memories. It was even so nice on Christmas day that Chad and I took a long evening walk in the moonlight. It was lovely.
So here's hoping that your Christmas was just as fun and lovely as ours was. See you in the new year!
Monday, December 21, 2015
Life and Stuff
I've been enjoying writing about my garden the last couple of posts I wrote. It's nice to get my ideas and dreams down in words; it makes it all seem more real. It makes me feel like spring will come again, and when it does, I have plans.
What I haven't written about is my life, and that's because it's been pretty hard the last four months. It's still really hard for me to think about it, and even writing this much is giving me a cold sweat. But in case anyone still reads and is still interested in how my life is going, I thought I should mention some of this. Plus, maybe it will make it more real for me, and help me to deal with it.
I'm not going into full details. I don't know if I ever will. So let's keep it simple.
In September, I was pregnant for five weeks. And then I wasn't anymore. It was the most heart crushing thing I've ever gone through. Chad got a vasectomy in November (that's how long they made him wait, just in case he changed his mind). And now, for real, Chad and I will never have children.
I'm still recovering from everything that happened. I've felt like I've had a fog hanging over me for the last few months, but just lately it kind of feels like it's lifting. I'm taking things slowly. You can't push yourself to get over this sort of thing. And I do know I'm getting better, because I've been getting into my art again. Here's a couple pieces I've painted recently.
And I've been having these pangs of.... wanting more with my life. Wanting more friends, wanting meaning, wanting to get out of the house. I'm just savoring the wanting right now, the knowledge that there's so much I can do with my life.
So if I'm mostly writing about plants and such, well, that's just my therapy. It's soothing and it helps me to express myself at a time where I'm still having trouble being alone with my own thoughts.
What I haven't written about is my life, and that's because it's been pretty hard the last four months. It's still really hard for me to think about it, and even writing this much is giving me a cold sweat. But in case anyone still reads and is still interested in how my life is going, I thought I should mention some of this. Plus, maybe it will make it more real for me, and help me to deal with it.
I'm not going into full details. I don't know if I ever will. So let's keep it simple.
In September, I was pregnant for five weeks. And then I wasn't anymore. It was the most heart crushing thing I've ever gone through. Chad got a vasectomy in November (that's how long they made him wait, just in case he changed his mind). And now, for real, Chad and I will never have children.
I'm still recovering from everything that happened. I've felt like I've had a fog hanging over me for the last few months, but just lately it kind of feels like it's lifting. I'm taking things slowly. You can't push yourself to get over this sort of thing. And I do know I'm getting better, because I've been getting into my art again. Here's a couple pieces I've painted recently.
 | |
| Red Onion |
 | |
| Grapes |
So if I'm mostly writing about plants and such, well, that's just my therapy. It's soothing and it helps me to express myself at a time where I'm still having trouble being alone with my own thoughts.
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