Ill let the photos do the talking..
Merry Chistmas 2011
Until next time.........Cheers!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Homemade crackers...reduex
I have big plans....big plans for a great Christmas Feast with Family and friends. One of my ideas to to make a special pre dinner dish that consists of a Stick of Cream Cheese, Toasted Sesame Seeds and Soy Sauce.
And what better goes with this than home made crackers.
Last time I made some funky but delicious Caraway Rye crackers (which I have made again since then as I really like them) check it out here: http://fritzseyeontheworld.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-caraway-rye-crackers.html
This time I wanted to try my hand at a more mainstream cracker. Straight flour based. the recipie I based on what I did before but used all purpose flour as the main ingrediant and used pure olive oil as my oil of choice.
The recipie looks like this:
2 cups All Purpose Flour, 1 Tsp Salt, 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda (this is the dry team)
1/3 Cup Pure Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 Cup of H2O (this is the wet team)
Mix the dry team together, in a separaet bowl mix the wet team together. The add the wet slowly into the dry and stir with a fork until a dough forms.
Break dough ball in half and flatten each half into a sheet pan (paper lined of course), score the dough and add sesames if desired (or poppy seeds or nothing at all)
Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or until hard and brown.
And what better goes with this than home made crackers.
Last time I made some funky but delicious Caraway Rye crackers (which I have made again since then as I really like them) check it out here: http://fritzseyeontheworld.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-caraway-rye-crackers.html
This time I wanted to try my hand at a more mainstream cracker. Straight flour based. the recipie I based on what I did before but used all purpose flour as the main ingrediant and used pure olive oil as my oil of choice.
The recipie looks like this:
2 cups All Purpose Flour, 1 Tsp Salt, 1/2 Tsp Baking Soda (this is the dry team)
1/3 Cup Pure Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar, 1/2 Cup of H2O (this is the wet team)
Mix the dry team together, in a separaet bowl mix the wet team together. The add the wet slowly into the dry and stir with a fork until a dough forms.
Break dough ball in half and flatten each half into a sheet pan (paper lined of course), score the dough and add sesames if desired (or poppy seeds or nothing at all)
Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes or until hard and brown.
Couple this with the Cream Cheese, Sesame Seeds and Soy Sauce with fresh vegis and my home made ranch dressing and you have a great start to Christmas Dinner!!!!
Until next time, try these at home, ill have alot more new things coming down the pipeline soon!
Cheers!!
Photos from the last few weeks
Greetings all!
With all the prep work into Christmas Time I havnt had much time for blogging. But I have still been active in taking pictures and creating things.
In this post I wanted to share some of the cool images I have experienced over the last few weeks.
With all the prep work into Christmas Time I havnt had much time for blogging. But I have still been active in taking pictures and creating things.
In this post I wanted to share some of the cool images I have experienced over the last few weeks.
Sunset over the 6th floor parking deck at Lowes Corporate HQ in Mooresville NC
The next series of photos is from the W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir in Wilkesboro NC
Flowers, Berries and a new (used) oil tank (our old one rusted through)
The following images were taken one the North Wilkesboro Greenway in NC
Even in Winter plant life still goes on. I found these mushrooms growing on the side of a felled log next to the river.
Coming soon..............Cracker making, bread baking and the great planned Christmas Feast!!
Until next time....Cheers!!!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Salty Caper, Kitty in the Dryer and Corn in Wilkesboro
12-13-2011
As a follow up to the homemade ranch, I have discovered (now into my 3rd batch of Ranch Dressing) that a pint of buttermilk, 8 oz of Sour Cream and 3 cups of Mayo plus 1 bunch of Italian Parsley and maybe 4 oz of scallions from my herb garden (yes they are still growing and OK) makes 3 full batches of Ranch dressing.
Now if I can keep my daighter from eating it all it might last longer than a week. Folks...this is good stuff!! STOP BUYING IT FROM THE GROCERY STORE!!! This is far better for you as it has no Corn Syrup, preservitives etc......AND it tastes better than anything I hae ever bought at the store!!! Plus, the ingrediants can all be used in many other applications!!
So this weekend my family and I treated ourselves to one of our favorite pizza places. The Salty Caper in Salisbury NC!!!
http://www.saltycaper.com/
Their pizza is by far the best brink oven pizza I have EVER HAD!!! Not only that they have a huge specialty beer selection of High to Super high gravity beers!!
If you ever come through Salisbury, or live here but have never been....GO ASAP!!!!!
I didnt take many pictures as I was busy eating and drink some awesome beer!! (As seen to the left)
Check out there website and visit them if you can!!
They also have a sister place in Mooresville NC.
I find beauty even in a harvested corn feild!!!
Until next time....
Cheers!
As a follow up to the homemade ranch, I have discovered (now into my 3rd batch of Ranch Dressing) that a pint of buttermilk, 8 oz of Sour Cream and 3 cups of Mayo plus 1 bunch of Italian Parsley and maybe 4 oz of scallions from my herb garden (yes they are still growing and OK) makes 3 full batches of Ranch dressing.
Now if I can keep my daighter from eating it all it might last longer than a week. Folks...this is good stuff!! STOP BUYING IT FROM THE GROCERY STORE!!! This is far better for you as it has no Corn Syrup, preservitives etc......AND it tastes better than anything I hae ever bought at the store!!! Plus, the ingrediants can all be used in many other applications!!
So this weekend my family and I treated ourselves to one of our favorite pizza places. The Salty Caper in Salisbury NC!!!
http://www.saltycaper.com/
Their pizza is by far the best brink oven pizza I have EVER HAD!!! Not only that they have a huge specialty beer selection of High to Super high gravity beers!!
If you ever come through Salisbury, or live here but have never been....GO ASAP!!!!!
Check out there website and visit them if you can!!
They also have a sister place in Mooresville NC.
and now the cute portion of the blog......
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| Brightheart is growing fast and is super rotten!!! |
and no we didnt put her in there, she found the warm spot herself!!!
I will leave you all with some pix I took while out for my lunchtime walk in North Wilkesboro NC...
Until next time....
Cheers!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Christmas Tree Farm and Homemade Ranch Dressing
12-04-2011
Today, the Watkins Family and my family headed out Pinetop Farm to cut our own Christmas tree. Here are some details on the farm (it is also where we pick our fresh blueberries when they are in season.)
Later that afternoon when we dropped off the Watkin's tree, I helped Eric put up his Christmas lights on his house. I look forward to seeing them at night!
Now for the "Homemade" section of my blog.
Today, the Watkins Family and my family headed out Pinetop Farm to cut our own Christmas tree. Here are some details on the farm (it is also where we pick our fresh blueberries when they are in season.)
Pinetop Farm - Blueberries
830 Majolica Road , Salisbury , NC 28147 . Phone: 704-637-7208. Other Phone: (757) 870-4343. . Open Thurs 5 PM-8 PM, Sat 9 AM-noon(Blueberries);Sun, Wed, Thurs, Fri 1-5 PM, Sat 10 AM-5 PM(Xmas Trees). Typical harvest dates: Blueberries - mid July Choose & Cut Christmas Trees - Day after Thanksgiving White Pine to 9 feet, Leyland Cypress and Scotch Pine to 8 feet. Pre-cut Fraser Fir 6 - 10 feet. Balled and burlaped available for Leyland Cypress Wreaths Garland. Special Services: Hayrides after Thanksgiving Day. Directions: Located on Majolica Rd one mile west of Salisbury Mall off Statesville Blvd. (Hwy 70) or one mile west of Hwy 150 off Sherrills Ford Rd.
830 Majolica Road , Salisbury , NC 28147 . Phone: 704-637-7208. Other Phone: (757) 870-4343. . Open Thurs 5 PM-8 PM, Sat 9 AM-noon(Blueberries);Sun, Wed, Thurs, Fri 1-5 PM, Sat 10 AM-5 PM(Xmas Trees). Typical harvest dates: Blueberries - mid July Choose & Cut Christmas Trees - Day after Thanksgiving White Pine to 9 feet, Leyland Cypress and Scotch Pine to 8 feet. Pre-cut Fraser Fir 6 - 10 feet. Balled and burlaped available for Leyland Cypress Wreaths Garland. Special Services: Hayrides after Thanksgiving Day. Directions: Located on Majolica Rd one mile west of Salisbury Mall off Statesville Blvd. (Hwy 70) or one mile west of Hwy 150 off Sherrills Ford Rd.
Funny thing was as we found our tree the sun started coming out, I guess thats a good sign ;)
 |
| Thats our tree in the foreground! |
Caught a ride on the trailer pulled by the tractor to get the tree back to the lot.
The Watkins and Steckler 2011 Christmas Trees Headed Home
Later that afternoon when we dropped off the Watkin's tree, I helped Eric put up his Christmas lights on his house. I look forward to seeing them at night!
We got home and cut off an inch of trunk and got the tree into a 5 gallon bucket filled with rainwater I harvested from my rain barrels. Hopefully we can get it into the house by tomorrow and start decorating.
Now for the "Homemade" section of my blog.
This weekend I did make sourdough bread from a starter I started (wow that is alot of starts) I feed the starter everyday and used it to help make this weeks sourdough bread. As this was my first time doing this, I didnt take any pictures. The bread didnt rise as I would like but man it was delicious. I will definitely make this again and giove you all the breakdown of how to do it.
But what I do have for you all is how to make your own (incredible!) ranch dressing. This was so easy to do, anyone can make it and it is WAY better than anything you can buy in the store (NO CORN SYRUP!!)
Host of ingredients: 1 clove of garlic, 1/4 cup of diced scallions (green onions) (these I grow in my herb garden), 1/2 cup flat leaf Italian Parsley diced, 1 cup of mayo, 1/2 cup of sour cream and about 1/2 cup of fresh buttermilk.
First step, mash and dice up the garlic clove.
Then chop up the scallions and parsley
The put the mayo, sour cream, garlic, scallions and parsley in a bowl
and mix it up!
Then the final step, adding the buttermilk!!! I give a guideline of 1/2 a cup but what you really want is to add enough until you are happy with the thickness of the dressing. Too little and it clumps like mayo, but with just the right amount is flows oh so nice!
and there you have it, homemade ranch dressing! I like to store mine in mason jars, but you could use a dressing bottle you saved from your last Store Dressing Purchase.
Until next time and my next homemade project..have a great one!!
Cheers!
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