Nancy on the Home Front

Smokey Butternut Squash Soup

During the cold winter months there is nothing I enjoy better than a warm bowl of soup. Whether we’re enjoying soup for lunch or making a dinner out of it you will find soup on the menu at least once a week! One of my favorite soup recipes is the Smokey Butternut Squash Soup.

The recipe is very simple and the only has a few added ingredients other than the butternut squash. One of the ingredients is bacon, which gives this soup a smokey flavor.

Next time you want to try a new soup make this smokey butternut squash soup, you’ll be glad you did. I’m sure it will freeze well but we managed to enjoy it and didn’t have time to put it in the freezer!

Smokey Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, 3 pounds. Peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

12 onion, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

4 slices of bacon, diced

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

4 slices of bacon

½ tsp. Thyme

2 ½ homemade chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place the butternut squash, onion, pepper, bacon and garlic in a large bowl. Drizzle it with the olive oil and toss to coat gently. Put the mixture into your baking pan. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Meanwhile cook the remaining 4 slices of bacon until brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

After the vegetable mixture is done, heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the butternut squash mixture and thyme and cook one to two minutes more. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and use your immersion blender to puree.

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the soup is slightly thickened. If it is too thick you may add some more chicken broth.

Serve this smokey butternut squash warm. Leftovers can be frozen or enjoyed another day.

This recipe is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Damn Delicious.

Finding Gete okosomin Seeds

Several years ago I shared my experience of being given some seeds for the Gete okosomin squash from a friend of mine in Wisconsin. No matter what the actual story is of these wonderful seeds they are definitely an heirloom squash that has been grown for years and years. In fact when the seeds were first discovered finding Gete okosomin seeds was almost impossible. As a result after my post was published I have had numerous requests for seeds.

When I first was given the seeds I planted them in my garden. Unfortunately that was the year we had a real drought and the harvest suffered. I did get some seeds but now enough to fulfill all the requests I had.

Our house then went on the market and last year I cut way back on our vegetable garden and did not even plant any of the squash seeds. I continue to get requests from people who are having trouble finding Gete okosomin seeds.

Since our house is still on the market and we’ve had a lot more interest this year I may or may not even have a vegetable garden this year. I thought I would do a little research for those of you who are having trouble finding the Gete okosomin seeds.

If you do a Google search on these Gete okosomin seeds you will find that there are not very many places to purchase the seeds.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds would be my top recommendation. Baker Creek is currently selling 10 seeds for $6.00. I love the story of Baker Creek Heirlom Seeds and am glad to support them by purchasing their seeds. Jere Gettle always had a passion for growing things, and at age 3 planted his first garden. Ever since, he wanted to be involved in the seed industry. So in 1998, at the age of 17, he printed his first Baker Creek Heirloom Seed catalog. The company has grown to offer nearly 2,000 varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs, the largest selection of heirloom varieties in the USA.

They are also available from the SeedWise website. A packet of 10 seeds is $3.50.

I also found an offer on Amazon for Frozen Seed Capsules. It lists that the capsule includes Gete okosomin Squash Seeds plus five rare garden seeds for $24.95! Seems a little high for me!

There were also two offers on Google.

Heirloom non GMO Gete okosomin Winter Squash Seeds for $0.99 plus $2.64 for shipping from eCrater-Survival Seeds. There was also a listing from Bonanza-Little Sprouts Farm’s Booth for 10 seeds for $5.64 plus $2.95 shipping.

I hope this helps for those of you having trouble finding Gete okosomin squash seeds. As soon as my garden is up and running I plan to grow these wonderful winter squash once again. They store well and have a wonderful taste. Well worth adding to your garden.

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Goal Setting Update Week 1

My first goal was to update my goal list each week. However with all the blog issues I’ve been having transferring my blog to a new host I’m a week behind! Oh well, the blog is back up and running and should be a secure site very soon. Having a post on goal setting has helped me to stay focused on what goals I want to accomplish this year.

Here is how I’m doing on my goals.

~~Find a new hosting site for my blog and make the site secure.~~ Done!! This has been on my to do list for months but actually making the jump was kind of scary. I am so happy with my new host and am so excited to move forward from this point on.
Monetize my blog. Right now I have no ads running on my blog. I would like to start earning something on my blog instead of it just being a hobby. As soon as my site is secure I will be looking into advertisers. Who do you use? I have some recommendations but haven’t committed yet.
Create a cookbook! I have been writing my blog for over six year and have accumulated many recipes online. Time to make them available in a cookbook form, either as a downloadable PDF or in a hardcopy or both! This is in the planing stage and really I just have to start!
Be diligent about getting 10 K steps in 5 out of 7 days each week. Maybe I should try for at least 3 days out of 7! This goal is harder than I thought especially this time of year. I walk on a dirt road so if the weather is icy I really don’t want to venture out. I am very good at getting 5-6 thousand steps a day but right now I am only getting the full 10K steps in once or twice a week. I will get better!
As we continue to prepare for an eventual house sale continue to de-clutter. Get rid of at least 250 items from the house this year! I’m not going to have trouble with this goal, this past week I cleared out 11 pieces of clothing from our closet and three cookies cutters from my collection. I also went through our everyday china and got rid of three chipped plates. 233 items to go!
Read more books this year! This goal should not be an issue either, I love to read and have already finished 2 books. I have books by the bed and books on my iPad so I always have something to read! I enjoyed both of these books. My favorite was The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, just so uplifting and such a charming story. Arthur Pepper’s wife has recently passed away and he finds a charm bracelet that he’s never seen when going through her belongings. He ends up taking an trip to find out more about each charm. It’s a quick and delightful read.
Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead! I did much better with this goal this week. I actually thought about what we would be eating each and every day and made a calendar to follow. It took a little time but it sure is helpful. I stick to the meal plan and no snacking! That way my clothes should still fit come spring!
Finish 4 3 knitting projects. First project completed, I made a hat for my daughter. It’s been a project in the works and it is so nice to have it completed. She even sent me a photo! Three more projects to go!
Clean out our freezer. First step was to take inventory which I did. I have the inventory now on my kitchen desk so I can see what I have and plan how to use the food up.
Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see so often once we make a move to the west coast. We came up with a list of three people that we would like to visit while we’re still living on the east coast. Now to take a hard look at the calendar and plan these trips. Probably won’t happen until April at the earliest.

So we’re well into January and I’m looking at my goals and working on them. Having this post has kept my goals in the forefront of my mind. I just have to remember the key is to keep looking forward!

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Glazed Pineapple Kielbasa Bites

My husband has a big birthday coming up and I’m putting together a menu for 12 people who will be helping us celebrate. When planning a dinner party I like to find appetizers and main course dishes that can be prepared ahead of time. This recipe for glazed pineapple kielbasa bites is just perfect. I can make the glaze ahead of time and cut up the kielbasa earlier in the day. Before baking I will soak the toothpicks and put the pineapple on top of each kielbasa slice. Just before the company arrives I will pop these delicious glazed pineapple kielbasa bites in the oven and they will be ready to serve in no time.

Glazed Pineapple Kielbasa Bites

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) Kielbasa, I used a turkey kielbasa

1 (20 oz) can pineapple chunks, use juice for the glaze

3 Tbsp. Teriyaki sauce

1 Tbsp. Sweet chili sauce

1 Tbsp. Honey

1 Tbsp. Pineapple juice

Plain toothpicks

Directions:

Soak the toothpicks in water for 20 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a piece of pineapple on top of each slice of kielbasa and place on the parchment-lined pan. Put the toothpicks in after you put the glaze in, this will keep the toothpicks from burning in the oven!

In a small bowl combine the glaze ingredients. Glaze the kielbasa and pineapple bites. Stick each portion with a plain toothpick. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until hot. Let cool slightly and serve.

I tried these out for a small diner party we had and they were a big hit. The leftovers kept well and we were able to enjoy them the next day. I’m sure they will be a big hit at my husband’s birthday party too! Do you have a favorite appetizer that you can make before the company arrives?

I’ve Got Flowers

It may be snowing outside but I’ve got flowers inside! Usually in the winter you will find me forcing bulbs or transplanting my houseplants. Anything to get my hands back in the dirt! However as you know our house is on the market and I’ve cut way back on my houseplants and do not have any bulbs being forced. This does not mean I have to give up having blooms inside!

Silk flowers came to my rescue. They have pages of silk flowers and silk plants on their web site. Perfect solutions to brighten up our house in the winter. Plus they look so real!

I picked out a set of mixed blooms including daisies, ranunculus and morning glory, which gave me four vases. I was able to place them in different areas of our home to add a touch of spring.

When we lived in Florida years ago I used to have many silk plants. They were so easy, no watering required and the only care they needed was a little dusting now and then.

If you are challenged by the thought of keeping houseplants but would like a little greenery or some spring blooms in your home try Commercial Silk plants. There have many options to choose from. Try a tall Cherry tree or a small bouquet of flowers like I chose. You’ll be amazed at how a simple silk plant can brighten up your home.

Using artificial flower arrangements means they’ll last forever. No dead flowers to throw out. These flowers I received from CommercialSilk.com are top quality. They arrived packed well with no damage to the silk flowers. I would highly recommend them, their products are top quality, the plants have lifelike blooms and they have numerous plants in all shapes, sizes and colors.

Have you ever used silk plants in your home? If you’re looking for options checkout Commercial Silk, I’m sure you’ll find something you love.

I received free product as compensation for writing this post, all opinions are my own.

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Planning a Winter Road Trip

Usually when we think of taking a road trip it is during the summer month when children are out of school and we take our vacation time. However traveling in the winter can be fun and it is just important to spend a little time planning a winter road trip.

In the winter the weather can be much more of an issue. You have to keep an eye out for storms that might affect your travel. The last thing you want is to be stuck in a blizzard on the highway! When I was a child we spent many winter weekends driving from Connecticut to Vermont. My parents liked to ski and they wanted to introduce me and my brother and sister to the joys of skiing. We would take off every Friday and drive north no matter what the weather was. As a result we have many memories of slow drives in the snow and even one trip where we had to stay in a hotel for the night because the driving was so bad!

When my husband and I drive in the winter we spend a little more time planning a winter road trip.

Before you leave on your trip make sure your car is prepared to make a trip. This is good advice whenever you are traveling. Ask your mechanic to check your car’s brakes, lights, oil, tired, exhaust system, heater and defroster. Have them check your car’s belts and hoses and replace any that look worn.

Have your battery tested, especially if your battery is over three years old. You can do this yourself is you have a battery tester. Clean any corrosion from posts and connections. Make sure you travel with a set of jumper cables as well.

Have the oil changed and ask your mechanic for the best type of oil to use for a winter road trip. Cold temperatures can cause oil to thicken.

Check the antifreeze level in your radiator. The last thing you want is to have your radiator freeze!

Make sure your wiper blades are in good condition. If you end up driving in rain or snow you want to have good visibility. Check your windshield washer fluid as well. Make sure it is rated for cold weather. Keep an extra container of fluid in the car. You’d be amazed at how much fluid you go through when driving in bad weather.

When you are driving always keep your gas tank at least half full. This will keep your car’s gas lines from freezing due to condensation building up in the lines.

Check your tires often. If you will be driving in snow, use winter tires, which will provide better traction on bad roads.

Pack a winter survival kit in the car, which includes an ice scraper, small shovel, sand or kitty litter, road flares, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, small tool kit, candle, matches, tin can, jumper cables. Towrope, flashlight with extra batteries, extra shoes and socks, extra gloves, a change of warm clothing, paper towels, blanket and at least one jug of water and extra food such as granola bars.

Keep your phone charged and carry a car charger for your phone.

By taking some time and planning a winter road trip you can be prepared for any situation you might come across. Plan your trip in advance and you’re your friends and family know what your plans are. Have you travels in the winter before? What advice do you have?

World’s Best Egg Rolls

My husband has been the Chinese chef in our household for years! He has developed the recipe for the world’s best egg rolls. I have not been able to find an egg roll that I enjoy more than his delicious recipe. Yes it is a bit time consuming but so worth the effort. The filling can actually be prepared ahead of time as it should cool before attempting to fill the wrappers. Once the wrappers are filled you should cook them right away. These delicious egg rolls should be eaten immediately!

World’s Best Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

2 pkgs of egg roll wrappers
1 lb. pork sausage
1 lb. shrimp
1 head of Napa cabbage
1 can of bamboo shoots
1 can water chestnuts
1 bunch of green onions
1 small garlic bulb
1 ginger root (match size of garlic bulb)
1 carrot
1 celery stick
2 bottles of peanut oil, enough for deep fry in wok

Ingredients for Sauce mixture (combine in large bowl in this order):

2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 Tbsp. vinegar
4 Tbsp. rice wine
4 Tbsp. sesame oil
½ cup of chicken broth
2 tsp. black pepper

Add in finely chopped green onions

Let sauce mixture sit while you prep the rest of the items

Directions:

Make the sauce mixture first and let it sit while you prepare the egg roll filling.

Prepare the egg roll filling. Chop garlic and ginger very well and put in bowl. It should look like a lot.

Chop all vegetables into small pieces. I put the cabbage in one bowl, the rest of the veggies in another bowl.

The trick for a good filling is to cook with a very hot wok.

Heat wok and add just enough oil to coat (about 2 Tbs) and to cook half the garlic/ginger. Stir-fry half the garlic/ginger until lightly brown, to infuse oil. Add pork sausage and cook until crumbled and done. Remove sausage to drain in colander, leave remaining oil in wok. Add shrimp to wok and stir fry until done. Combine shrimp with pork sausage.

Heat wok again and add enough oil to coat, stir-fry the other half of garlic/ginger until lightly brown, to infuse oil. Add veggies and cook for 1-2 minutes, then add cabbage and cook vegetables until tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Pour sauce mixture into vegetables and cook until sauce thickens. Add pork and shrimp mixture and stir until everything is coated with sauce. You may want to cover and cook a few more minutes if the veggies don’t look done. Remove and cool. It is much easier to work with a cool filling than hot.

Heat peanut oil, enough to cover 3-4 egg rolls for deep frying, while assembling rolls.

Mix 1 Tb of water and 1 Tb of cornstarch in a bowl to seal the wrappers. Roll up a heaping tablespoon of egg roll mixture in each wrapper, seal with dab of cornstarch and water.

Deep fry 3-4 rolls at a time.

Serve immediately with sweet & sour sauce, or mix equal amounts of soy sauce and cider vinegar together in small bowls for dipping.

We have never tried freezing these world’s best egg rolls but they are delicious heated up the next day for lunch!

Spring Is Coming

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine that spring is coming. The temperatures outside are well below freezing and the ground is covered with snow and ice. Even the birds are puffed up at the feeders. Spring seems along way off. However the one clue that tells me that spring is coming is the number of seed catalogs in my mailbox!

I’ve actually been receiving less seed catalogs in the last few years, I’m sure because mailing has gotten so expensive and I haven’t ordered anything form them in a few years. The seed catalogs I continue to receive are my favorites.

There is nothing I enjoy more than sitting by our woodstove with a cup of tea looking through the various catalogs and planning my garden because spring is coming!

I’ve cut way back on our vegetable garden since our house is on the market and you never know when we might get an offer! However I can’t give up gardening totally and I have eight wonderful raised beds so why not plant them!

My favorite catalog is the Solstice Seed catalog. A local seed saver, Sylvia Davatz started this catalog several years ago. She lives just a few towns over so I know that everything in her catalog will grow in my garden. Last year she passed on the catalog to another local seed saver. As a result the prices have increased somewhat. However the goal of both of these wonderful seed savers is that we should all be growing and saving our own seeds. Every seed listed in the catalog you should be able to grow and then save the seeds yourself.

My second favorite seed catalog is the Fedco Seed Catalog. This is not a glossy publication in fact there is not one photograph in the whole catalog, just black and white drawings and wonderful descriptions and information on the various seeds. There prices are very reasonable and I get a further discount when ordering through our local co-op. As a result my order is usually very inexpensive.

If you are interested in growing heirloom seeds you should request a catalog from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. This company has almost 2000 different varieties of seeds for sale. The photographs are beautiful and the stories behind the various seeds are so interesting to read. I love that the company was started small and has done so well. I would love to order all my seeds from them but instead I just order a special few. If you are interested in the Gete okosomin squash they do offer seeds!

What are your favorite seed catalogs? I love finding companies that are fairly local, like Solstice Seeds. That way I can be assured of having a successful garden. Spring is coming and now is the time to order your seeds!

Goal Setting 2018

January is the time of the year when folks think about the year ahead and what they want to accomplish. In the past I have written down a few goals for the year ahead but I don’t keep them in the forefront and therefore don’t actually do much to accomplish those goals. So this year I decided to spend some time goal setting for 2018. Then every week I will re-visit my goals and keep track of the progress I am making. My goal setting is not just for me personally but for my blog as well.

So in the spirit of goal setting I have come up with ten goals for 2018.

Find a new hosting site for my blog and make the site secure.
Monetize my blog. Right now I have no ads running on my blog. I would like to start earning something on my blog instead of it just being a hobby.
Create a cookbook! I have been writing my blog for over six year and have accumulated many recipes online. Time to make them available in a cookbook form, either as a downloadable PDF or in a hardcopy or both!
Be diligent about getting 10 K steps in 5 out of 7 days each week.. I wear a FitBit and so often come close to this goal but with a little effort I plan to reach this goal at least 5 out of the 7 days each week.
As we continue to prepare for an eventual house sale continue to de-clutter. Get rid of at least 250 items from the house this year!
Read more books this year! I love to read and have a bad habit of having several books going at once. I would like to read and finish 26 books this year. I’ll let you know what books I’m reading. Be prepared for an assortment, as I like to read various topics!
Have a consistent meal plan each week and prepare ahead! I’m still adjusting to going from cooking for a large family to cooking for just my husband and I. I’m pretty good about planning our meals but I need to do better. I want to create a menu of healthy meals each week and not spend so much time in the kitchen!
Finish 4 knitting projects. What is it with me? Like reading several books at once I also like to have several knitting projects going at once. The problem is I have a hard time getting them done! So in preparation of an eventual move I want to finish these random projects. First up on the list is a hat! Yes I know hats are easy and I have some patterns that I can whip up in no time. However this hat is a double knit pattern that for some reason I just can’t seem to finish! It was supposed to be a Christmas present for my daughter last year and that didn’t happen. I am so close and it will be the first project to complete. Then I will look at the other projects I have on hand and keep working until I have completed 4 projects.
Clean out our freezer. I have two small freezer spaces; I no longer have our chest freezer as we sold it recently. I need to use up the various frozen fruits from the garden. Before we start harvesting more fruits and vegetables I want to use up what is in the freezer. First step will be to take an inventory and go from there.
Take a few road trips and visit family and friends on the east coast that we will not see so often once we make a move to the west coast.

So there we go, goal setting for 2018 has commenced. Each week I will re-visit these goals and if I manage to complete any of them before the year is out I will set some new goals. The key is to keep looking forward and accomplish what you can!

Roasted Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup

With all the cold weather we’ve been having here in the Northeast we’ve been enjoying a lot of soup! Recently, I have some broccoli and cauliflower in the refrigerator, and decided to make a roasted broccoli-cauliflower soup. Don’t be put off by the color, adding the roasted broccoli to the cauliflower gave it a darker green white color, but this roasted broccoli-cauliflower soup is hearty and delicious. Perfect to enjoy on a cold snowy day!

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:

8 Cups of Cauliflower and Broccoli, cut into small pieces

1 head of garlic

3 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 rib of celery

2 tsp. Thyme

4 Cups of homemade chicken broth

1 tsp. Salt

1 Cup of milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Toss the broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil to coat, about 1 tablespoon. Place the pieces on a large baking sheet and roast for 20-30 minutes or until lightly golden.

To roast the garlic cut the top off the garlic and wrap in aluminum foil, before sealing the foil drizzle the top with a tablespoon of olive oil. Seal the top and place in the baking pan with the broccoli and cauliflower. The garlic may take twice as long to roast.

While the vegetables are roasting heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the carrot, celery, thyme, stock and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Add the broccoli and cauliflower and simmer for another twenty minutes. After the garlic is done roasting and has cooled, squeeze the head and add the cloves to the soup pot.

Use your immersion blender and puree the soup for a minute until completely smooth. Add the milk and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

The flavors of this Roasted Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup intensify after a day. Serve with bread and a salad and you’ve got a dinner! I’m sure this soup would freeze well but we managed to enjoy for several lunches and didn’t have any to put in the freezer.

This recipe has been adapted from one I found on Sweet Peas and Saffron.