January Musings and Planning for Spring!

 Jan here, in the middle of a gray January afternoon.

We had fog on Saturday morning, and the temperatures hovered around 28° all day long...and that means freezing fog, or hoarfrost! I remember reading about hoarfrost in old stories (maybe Dickens?) and thinking how awfully cold it sounded.

I was right. Even though the temps were warmer than they could be for January, the chilly damp seeps into your bones. But Sam didn't seem to care.

While Jack happily snoozes in the house, Sam can't wait to go outside. And he loves posing for pictures! As soon as he sees the camera, he sits. Silly dog!

And the leash? A necessary item. We have a herd of about two dozen mule deer in our neighborhood. They wander around eating whatever they can find, and often take their afternoon siestas in our yard. On Saturday they were at the neighbor's and Sam was safely on his leash.

It's not so much that I'm worried about him chasing the deer as it is that the deer can be dangerous. There are two good-sized bucks in our little herd, and they can kill a dog that they see as a threat.

One of the things Sam and I did on his walk was to visit our garden.

Yes! This is new! We have four units in our building and last year three out of the four of us decided to start a shared garden space. Last summer the younger one of us spent his spare time putting in a fence (it's nearly complete.) The ground has been tilled, covered with composted horse manure, tilled again, and is enjoying a winter of snow fertilizer. In the spring we'll be ready to plant.

We have an 8' x 10' spot, and I hope it will be this end. I plan to put in some perennial plants right away (rhubarb and asparagus,) so I often cast a longing look toward this corner. :-)

While I wait, I spend many hours planning the garden. Unlike Ruthy, I am NOT planning to plant thousands of mums! Eventually I hope to grow all of our summer produce here. But for the first year, I'm sticking with some tried and true easy friends - beans, radishes, lettuce, spinach, zucchini, potatoes, and peppers, among others. I know it will take a few years to get the garden up to speed. After all, a year ago this was a grassy meadow!

Another chore we took care of on Saturday afternoon was doing an inventory of our food storage pantry and freezer. We straightened, counted, and planned what we needed to bring the inventory up to the next level. We're ready for a blizzard (whenever the next one comes!)

Then, once the dogs were walked and before it's time to start supper, I turned my attention to this project!

I love this picture. Years ago when I had just graduated from college, I backpacked through Europe. One day I visited Neuschwanstein Castle. I stayed at the Youth Hostel in nearby Fussen the night before, then walked to the castle. I took the tour, then also toured nearby Hohenschwangau - King Ludwig's ancestral home. (To tell the truth, I enjoyed Hohenschwangau more!) While I was on that tour, I might have touched the piano that Richard Wagner played when he visited the royal family.

While I work on this puzzle, those memories swirl through my mind. What a wonderful way to spend a long winter afternoon, don't you think? And it's a good thing I'm enjoying it, because this puzzle is HUGE! 2000 pieces! Four and a half feet long! Two feet wide! 

But before I knew it, it was time to go upstairs and fix supper. This night it was my favorite Tuscan Style Soup, aka "Zuppa Toscana." You can find the recipe here.

It may have been a quiet afternoon, but, you know, I enjoy those times. Life is hectic enough. Sometimes we just need to slow down, muse on the future, and soak in some quiet peace.

What kinds of things fill your quiet afternoons?

Jan Drexler has always been a "book girl" who still loves to spend time within the pages of her favorite books. She lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her dear husband of many years and their active, crazy dogs, Jack and Sam. You can learn more about Jan and her books on her website, www.JanDrexler.com.

Revisiting a Favorite: Tuscan Style Soup and Italian Bread

I think we all have special dates that mark turning points in our lives. Our anniversaries. Our children's birthdays. The day we moved into our new house. The day we said our last goodbye to a loved one.

September 13 is one of those dates for me. And years ago, on September 13, 1979, I marked that important anniversary by starting my whirlwind European Grand Tour.

Okay, it wasn't so grand. But it was life-changing. And every September 13 since then, I've relived that trip. In this post from a few years ago, I shared a few memories from those two months in Europe. Enjoy!

Tuscan Style Soup and Italian Bread

Many, many years ago I spent a couple months traveling in Europe.

This was me back in the '70s. I always had
my guitar with me back then.

Yup. It was the '70s. Think backpack, Youth Hostel Card, Eurail Pass, and a three-in-one edition of The Lord of the Rings to pass the time on the trains.

I learned a lot of things.

Things like how a woman traveling alone is much safer north of Florence than south...and don't even think about going too far into France, and definitely NOT behind the Iron Curtain (yes, it was still in existence back then - I said it was many years ago).

And like how the pictures just don't do justice to the Alps, or castles, or the Rhine, or the Danube....

And when I visited our ancestral home in Sumiswald, Switzerland, I learned just how desperate my ancestors must have been to leave such an absolutely beautiful place. (Read up on the Anabaptist persecution in Switzerland during the Reformation here to find out why they left).

I wish I had pictures to share with you, but mine are all on slides. So go to your search engine and type in "Emmental Switzerland images." Or just click on the link I've provided. You'll love what you see!

Another less important (but much more tasty) discovery was that not all Italian food is tomato sauce and pasta! Who'd a thunk?

I stayed in a Youth Hostel in the Tuscany region that served a chicken dish that was divine, with a side of pasta (and no tomato sauce - just butter, garlic, and cheese), and bread. It was a revelation for me. Suddenly I loved Italian food!

(This was a WHOLE lot better than Chef-Boy-ar-Dee!)

One day, long after I returned home, I went to Olive Garden for the first time, and I fell in love with their Zuppa Toscana.

Imagine my delight when I found a copy-cat recipe that claimed it was just as good as Olive Garden's! But let me tell you, when I made a few modifications, the soup turned out to be much better than the restaurant version. I don't even order it there anymore....

Tuscan Style Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1/2 pound bacon - chopped
1 quart water
1 quart chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves - crushed
1 medium onion - finely chopped
2 cups kale, torn into dime-sized pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream OR 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

First, brown the sausage and bacon. I like to use the Italian sausage you find tucked away with the bratwurst in the grocer's meat cooler, but you can use your favorite. If you use links, like I do, be sure to remove the outer casing.

I use my kitchen scissors to cut the bacon into pieces before cooking it - saves so much time.

And here's how the meat looks after cooking it to crispy goodness!

When you drain the meat, reserve a few tablespoons of drippings to use later - you'll love why.

While the meat is cooking, start cooking the potatoes in a large pot with the water and chicken broth.

And after the meat is done, cook your onion and garlic in a tablespoon of your reserved drippings (not all of it - just one tablespoon!) until the onion is transparent, and then add it to the potatoes.

The soup is almost done!

After the onions/garlic are done, add the rest of your reserved drippings (think of it as flavorful oil) to the frying pan, and saute your kale pieces. You want to stir those puppies enough to coat them with the oily drippings, and then turn the heat way down, stick a lid on the pan, and let the kale steam for about five minutes.

Once the kale is steamy and tender, add the meat and kale to the pot.

Add the cream or evaporated milk, and then stir it until it's heated through. Taste it and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve it with a loaf or two of Italian bread, (and a bit of Ruthy's bread dip) and you'll be transported to the old country!

**************

We had this soup on Friday night. Partly to celebrate our lovely autumn weather, but mostly because I was feeling nostalgic. Those September 13 memories were as strong as if four years had passed by instead of nearly forty.

Do you have a special date you remember every year? Share it with us if you like!

In other news...are you ready for it?....Mattie's Pledge releases tomorrow!!!!

It will be available at all of the major online retailers - Barnes&Noble, Amazon, Christianbook.com - and at your local book store.

Do me a favor? If you don't see it at your local store, would you ask them to order it? Thanks bunches!

You can also request it at your library. I know those librarians love to get suggestions from patrons - they want to buy the books that people will read!

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com

Tuscan Style Soup and Italian Bread

Many, many years ago I spent a couple months traveling in Europe.

Yup. It was the '70s. Think backpack, Youth Hostel Card, Eurail Pass, and a three-in-one edition of The Lord of the Rings to pass the time on the trains.

I learned a lot of things.

Things like how a woman traveling alone is much safer north of Florence than south...and don't even think about going too far into France, and definitely NOT behind the Iron Curtain (yes, it was still in existence back then - I said it was many years ago).

And like how the pictures just don't do justice to the Alps, or castles, or the Rhine, or the Danube....

And when I visited our ancestral home in Sumiswald, Switzerland, I learned just how desperate my ancestors must have been to leave such an absolutely beautiful place. (Read up on the Anabaptist persecution in Switzerland during the Reformation here to find out why they left).

But another less important (but much more tasty) discovery was that not all Italian food is tomato sauce and pasta! Who'd a thunk?

I stayed in a Youth Hostel in the Tuscany region that served a chicken dish that was divine, with a side of pasta (and no tomato sauce - just butter, garlic and cheese), and bread. It was a revelation for me. Suddenly I loved Italian food!

(This was a WHOLE lot better than Chef-boy-ar-dee!)

One day, long after I returned home, I went to Olive Garden for the first time, and I fell in love with their Zuppa Toscana.

Imagine my delight when I found a copy-cat recipe that claimed it was just as good as Olive Garden's! But let me tell you, when I made a few modifications, the soup turned out to be much better than the restaurant version. I don't even order it there anymore....

Tuscan Style Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1/2 pound bacon - chopped
1 quart water
1 quart chicken broth
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 garlic cloves - crushed
1 medium onion - finely chopped
2 cups kale, torn into dime-sized pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream OR 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste

First, brown the sausage and bacon. I like to use the Italian sausage you find tucked away with the bratwurst in the grocer's meat cooler, but you can use your favorite. If you use links, like I do, be sure to remove the outer casing.

I use my kitchen scissors to cut the bacon into pieces before cooking it - saves so much time.

And here's how the meat looks after cooking it to crispy goodness!

When you drain the meat, reserve a few tablespoons of drippings to use later - you'll love why.

While the meat is cooking, start cooking the potatoes in a large pot with the water and chicken broth.

And after the meat is done, cook your onion and garlic in a tablespoon of your reserved drippings (not all of it - just one tablespoon!) until the onion is transparent, and then add it to the potatoes.

The soup is almost done!

After the onions/garlic are done, add the rest of your reserved drippings (think of it as flavorful oil) to the frying pan, and saute your kale pieces. You want to stir those puppies enough to coat them with the oily drippings, and then turn the heat way down, stick a lid on the pan, and let the kale steam for about five minutes.

Once the kale is steamy and tender, add the meat and kale to the pot.

Add the cream or evaporated milk, and then stir it until it's heated through. Taste it and add salt and pepper as needed.

Serve it with a loaf or two of Italian bread, (and a bit of Ruthy's bread dip) and you'll be transported to the old country!

 Oh! And in case you're wondering? Spring is just around the corner - this is where I spent Saturday afternoon:

And because all my photos of Europe are slides, the pictures at the beginning of the post are borrowed from:

http://www.flickr.com/photos