Recent Kitchen Endeavors

Wow, what’s this – posting two days in a row?  It’s like I’m on a roll or something…

http://justanotherdayoutwest.com/recent-kitchen-endeavors/

My SuperBowl Sunday

Oh yeah was there a football game on today?  I haven’t had the TV on at all.  Don’t know who is playing, what time it started or what channel to watch it on.  I have watched and enjoyed football at other times in my life.  It seems I just have better stuff to do now.  Really, watching my chickens fight over scraps is more entertaining than actual football, and they basically do all the same stuff.  One chicken gets a piece of something good and starts running with it, meanwhile the other hens are trying to take the good stuff for themselves.  Same thing but with fewer commercials.  I figure if any of the ads were really worth seeing they will be on youtube soon.  Plus, the overwhelming commercialism just sets me on edge.

If I was going to follow a non-horse sport, it would be hockey.  In fact when I had cable in the past, one of the ways I justified it was that I would be able to watch some hockey games.  Ok, a lot of hockey games.  What’s not to love about a season that is six months long?  A sport that takes a great deal of skill to play.  Any idiot can run across a grass field.  Try tying on a pair of skates and chasing after a frozen chunk of tire.  That requires real athleticism, coordination and fitness.  And who doesn’t love a good fight?   Even saying all that, I haven’t kept up with how the teams are doing, let alone watched a game this season.

Better stuff to do… that would be watching the World’s Greatest Horseman Finals this morning.  It was webcast live from San Angelo, TX.  There were some great rides and amazing runs.  Ron Emmons won it on Olena Oak.   I got to watch that team win the Magnificent 7 in Sacramento this past June.  Looks like the horse is just getting better and better.  Considering he marked a 228 in the cow work today, I don’t know if he can get any better now.   To me it looks like a grueling morning of competition.  Starting out in the herd work, then run a reining pattern, next is steer stopping finishing up with cow work.  The horses have to be fit and the riders have to stay focused to get through four events without leaving anything on the table.

Once that finished up I worked a couple of horses.  Jr got some time to hang out away from his pen.  Sierra is getting more fit and doing better with lateral work.  I messed around with the yearlings, mostly watching the colts play tug of war with what looks to be a scrap of T-Shirt that has blown into their pasture.

I made a Quiche.  Crust recipe from The Coconut Mama, here.  I’ll probably use this recipe again.  The coconut flavor does come through, but not obnoxiously so.  Somehow the almond flour recipe didn’t seem right for a Quiche.  Maybe that’s just me.  Although I did love the almond flour crust recipe for pecan pie.  The Coconut Mama also had a Quiche recipe I sort of followed… my modifications: added chopped red bell peppers and mushrooms (left over from pizza last night) and I used prosciutto instead of bacon, then I only had about a cup of milk and no cream – so I used up the milk and added coconut milk instead of the cream.  It all tasted pretty good.  The only coconut flavor that came through was in the crust, the coconut milk didn’t come through in the filling at all.

Next, instead of typing away at this computer, I need to be cleaning the house.

OMG… you gotta try this.

Ok, I wound up with a chocolate craving tonight.  No idea why this time.  Just wanted a quick fix.  So I was scanning through recipes and found this: quick pudding recipe at Tropical Traditions.  Please be warned that it is decadent.  I’m including a link for their Coconut Cream Concentrate (below) as that is the one thing that might be tricky to find at the store.  Actually, I really like their Virgin Coconut Oil too.  If you follow the Coconut Cream Concentrate link and purchase anything from them, they will include a handy book all about Coconut Oil.

1-Pint (16-oz) – Coconut Cream Concentrate

Of course,  me being me, I had to wing it a bit with the recipe.  I did not want to take the time to warm the concentrate or the oil prior to mixing it in, so I just put the whole mess over a small pot of water and the stove and made like a double boiler.  Because it was all warm after that I stuck it in the fridge for all of about ten minutes (tops was fifteen mins.)  If you leave it in the fridge too long, it will solidify completely giving you fudge.  I added some shredded/flaked (unsweetened – also from Tropical Traditions) and mixed it in.  Something like a Pots de Creme/Chocolate Mousse with coconut.  Abs. O. Lute. Ly.  Heavenly.  Or, utterly sinful.  Certain boundaries get blurry for me where chocolate is concerned.

At some point in the next week or so, I’m thinking of telling you how my gluten-free kitchen is stocked.

Full disclosure:  the Coconut Cream Concentrate link is part of a referral program they offer.  For each order placed using that link, I get credit with them.  To my way of thinking it’s a win/win… you get something good for you (all the products from them have been superb), plus a free book – and I get to buy more goodies from them.  Details on this.   Really truly though, everything about this company seems good.