Rosemary

Fresh chopped Rosemary is a fragrant addition to many recipes!

I am living proof that anyone can grow Rosemary! I potted this plant last year and it did beautifully on my porch all summer long. I put it in the garage in front of the window for the winter and promptly forgot to water it! The poor plant next to it didn't fare as well. I found it today and it is still alive and well! Quite fresh actually! I gave it a good watering and figure it's probably good for another 6 months now! :) Fresh rosemary is so wonderful in recipes too, like the peasant bread I made today in the recipes section. If you grow it yourself you don't have to worry about any pesticides or preservatives!

Starting Seeds Indoors

Since it snowed again today (after wearing capri pants yesterday!) I am starting my seeds indoors for fear some things won't have time to make if I don't! I had a bunch of egg shells left over from making breakfast burritos (which I carefully cracked the tops off of for this purpose) that we put some potting soil in and put in some seeds. You can sow these egg planters directly into your larger pots or the ground when they are ready! My five year old had a blast filling them with potting soil! The hubby built me a growing stand with some old lights that were taken out of a construction project and some scrap lumber! It's perfect! I hope to see pumpkins, flower, broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes popping up soon! The stand is in front of the large window in our garage where we'll use the lights for supplemental light to get in a few more hours a day for optimum growth!

Compost

I decided to put my kitchen waste to better use with a composter! I hate to throw so much stuff away that could be useful. After wistfully perusing the internet and catalogs I talked the hubby into building one. I was thinking along the lines of just an outdoor bin to turn over by hand but he went above and beyond! Here is the finished product. I'll let you know how my first batch of compost turns out soon! I love that it is made almost completely from leftover pieces and other second use materials- an old barrel and leftover electrical conduit!

Saturday Night In

Sometimes going out is just plain difficult. I decided tonight to cook a delicious pasta dish since I will be obstaining for awhile. I also made some peasant bread to go along with it! Here's how I did it.



Ingredients for Pasta


1 pkg of your favorite pasta (I used bow tie)


1 pint of heavy cream


1 c. white wine


1 c. mushrooms


1 onion


1 tsp. minced garlic


olive oil


shrimp or chicken (optional)


salt & pepper





Ingredients for Peasant Bread


1 pkg. yeast


fresh rosemary


4 c. flour


2 c. warm water


salt


melted butter

Start the peasant bread first so it has ample time to rise.
Add the packet of yeast to the 2 cups of warm water. This helps activate the yeast and get things going, be careful to use warm, not hot, because you can kill the yeast!



To the mixer add 4 cups of white flour. A sprinkle of salt (I love Trader Joes Himalayan pink salt crystals) and some fresh chopped rosemary (I prefer fresh to dried because dried can be really pokey!), it’s very easy to grow! Pour in the water/yeast concoction and mix (I used the dough hook). The dough will be very gooey!


Pull out the bowl, cover with a damp towel and set somewhere warm to rise (again not too hot!). Let rise 1 hr. or until double!
Meanwhile start caramelizing the onions. Slice off the ends and peel away the papery layers (this can go in your compost). Slice into small slices. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and add the onions.
Once the onions start to look opaque I added some salt and reduced the heat. Cook the onions until they are browned and wilted and smell deliciously sweet (the slower the better!).
Heat a pot of water to boil and add your pasta (I used bow ties, I just love them!). When the water returns to a rolling boil follow your package cooking instructions for timing! Don’t overcook the pasta!
Meanwhile I’m peeling shrimp. I used a package of Mexican White Tiger Shrimp from Trader Joes. Always start with uncooked shrimp. Using the pink already cooked shrimp makes them overcooked and rubbery! (PS- shrimp shells can go in your compost! If you have a pile bury them at least 12 inches deep so animals don’t dig them up!). FYI these shrimp also have to be deveined… you can buy uncooked shrimp already deveined and peeled to save time!
Next I drained the pasta, gave it a quick rinse with cool water and tossed with a little olive oil to hold in the moisture.
Heat a couple teaspoons olive oil in a pan and toss in some minced garlic. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink (this will happen fast!)
Shape your dough into two piles on a greased cookie sheet. Spray your hands with cooking spray to handle but it will be sticky still. Spray some saran wrap with PAM and cover dough, return to warm place to rise a bit more.
In your onion pan add two tablespoons butter, a teaspoon of minced garlic, and a handful of sliced mushrooms. Saute over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to soften. Toss in shrimp and sauté a bit more. Then pour in 1 cup of white wine (you could use Marsala, I used what I had on hand which was St. Clair Malvasia Bianca, I’m not picky). Let simmer for about two minutes. Next add 1 pint of heavy cream. Let cook at a boil for 3-4 minutes, add some salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the saran wrap from your dough and brush the tops with melted butter. Sprinkle on some chopped fresh rosemary and a little crushed salt (I used the Himilayan Pink again).
Put in a pre-heated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
Plate your pasta in desired portion sizes. Pour on the sauce and goodies, give plenty of sauce for dipping that yummy bread! Sprinkle with some grated parmesean (I used a parmesean and romano blend). Put in the over on warm!
When your timer goes off reduce oven temp to 350 degrees and bake the bread an additional 15 minutes. Serve piping hot with your pasta and enjoy!