Really? Like WOW!

jacked

2011-10-29T07:51:00.000-04:00

My Yahoo account was jacked several times over the last two weeks. So I shut it down. I never realized how many different sites I had connected with it. I have had that account for at least 15 to 20 years. clear back to the days of Green Bay.

Now I will spend the rest of the winter attempting to reconnect to all those job, bank, shopping, etc accounts.

dog tired

2011-09-24T16:39:00.000-04:00

12 hours of OT every week leaves little time for woodworking or cooking.

Man I'm pooped.

2011-07-30T12:33:00.000-04:00

Banged this together in a week or so from some leftover red oak.

One of the daughter-in-law friends had her baby over and fell in love with my wife's grandmothers willow rocker so I thought I would just make a crappy quick one.

I did pretty darn good I think!

Oak child size rocker

Glued Screwed and plugged holes half lap and full lap joints

This is probably going to last several lifetimes and to break it I think you would have to burn it and use an axe.

2011-06-29T10:28:00.000-04:00

5 ton of wood pellets.

Set for the winer

The Gift

2011-06-24T15:22:00.000-04:00

My friend who is into quilting as well as baking and all things domestic made me a cover for my nook book. As well as being really cool and unexpected. She individualized it to my taste and style.

Want one made just for you?

Contact me and we'll see what we can do for you.

She also makes Baby quilts as well as full size ones.

I'll try to get some of those as well on this blog and If we can on one I'll set up for her later.

Reasonable prices.

Prep work

2011-06-24T08:17:00.000-04:00

Working on the garage lights. Bought some of the 0 degree ones so I wont have to purchase them again soon.
After that finding where the tools are going to go with 5 ton of pellets in the corner. Then the wine cabenet for Audrey and Mike and then............ TOYS. and perhaps a child's rocker.

Home again

2011-06-23T11:54:00.000-04:00

07:00 already 85 F

Back from Fort Hood TX.

It was hot and muggy. Central Texas is not my cup 'o tea.

After 6 months of being gone, all but two weeks, I am glad to be home to where it is 80 f and muggy.

At least I have my Family, Work shop / garage, and some time before the next adventure. Since my company lost the contract, and after Prez Obamer. announced the shutdown on the Afghan campaign. not looking forward to any further defense jobs.

Stuffed pork loin

2011-04-09T18:56:00.000-04:00

Now a favorite for those cold spring days.

Stuffed Pork Loin

Like before chop up a mess of Mushrooms, Since we live in PA. they are cheap and plentiful year round. I typically cook up a huge mess at once just to have them on hand.

And since I'm doing the Paleo diet thing pure Kerrygold Irish Butter. Yep it's worth the price and the effort to get as the cows are grass fed and organic. A Co-Op of smallholders and proud of their products. Try the Cheeses also. Find the nearest location at KerryGold. And No I am not getting compensated for this. I just like it that much.

While that is going on mix up your brine for the loin.
I'm adapting a recipie from the book "Charcuterie" by Michael Ruhlman. (this is the link) ref=as_li_ss_til

2 quarts of water
1/2 cup of salt
3/4 cup of dark brown sugar
4 packed table spoon of sage leaves ( how you pack fresh sage leaves is beyond me. I just stripped a bunch off of the plant out back.)
1 table of juniper leaves ( no got just left em out)
2 garlic cloves ( or a squirt or two from the tube)
1 table of freshly ground pepper. ( that is allot of grinding. I just dumped a couple of Tablespoons in whole.)
Let marinate overnight or at least 2 hours.

Meise in place
Sage, Parsley, onion HERB stuffing, (yes it makes a difference ) and the mushrooms you cooked earlier.
into the food processor for a buzz, You can cook the onions fist if you wish, it mellows them out.

A little chicken stock if its too thick.

Rinse the loin and discard the brine.

Cut a slit in the loin with a thin bladed knife. I use a boning knife. Open the hole with a cleaned steel or dowel, and put the stuffing in the hole. Really pack it in.

Sear the loin on all sides

This adds FLAVOR.

No salt or pepper you put it in the brine

Into the oven @ 350 for an hour or so I use a polder thermostat with a long remote probe. Internal temp of 155 f or 60c you can add a little chicken stock if that is what makes you happy but I like the crispies that forms on the bottom. to make a sauce ( it's called fond )

I bet you were wondering about those apples and the pear. I peal and slice the on the good ol made in china hand machine.

Add a little sweet wine for a glaze while you let the loin cook.

Take the loin out when the probe hits 155 f you can see I'm letting this rest for a while. The temp actually went up to 174 inside the stuffing. ( a little high but the brine helped to keep it moist. )

I made a little sauce out of the drippings.
Apple and pear on the side with the reduced wine. ( who needs stinking veggies).

And happy customer .

No tip but at least I didn't have to clean up the mess.

Chicken Marsala

2011-04-08T07:56:00.001-04:00

Staying with the theme, new camera. It's chicken Marsala!!!!

Line a full sheet pan with Foil.

A nice coating of spray grease.

Saute' a mix of white and crimini mushrooms in butter ( irish butter is the best )

Set the oven to 450 F and put the chicken, skin side down, in the oven for 30 min. Turn and continue cooking for an additional 30 min until the skin is crispy. Meanwhile, back at the stove top......

After the mushrooms have cooked, ( ( they loose most of their moisture and start to brown ) add chicken (4 cups to start ) stock and reduce by half so you end up with 2 cups of stock and mushrooms. Reduce the temp to a simmer and add 3/4 cup sweet marsala wine and reduce back to 2 cups. and add 1/4 cup of cream. Thicken with a teaspoon of corn starch slurry at a time, until it is the desired thickness. TASTE IT. It should be slightly sweet, and a little salty very rich tasting.

Serve with mashed and something green

Another satisfied customer.

chicken casidillias

2011-04-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

New camera, It has a "food" selection so I had to try it out.

The Mess is in place
(Mise en place (pronounced [miz ɑ̃ plas], literally "putting in place")

Sliced onion sauteed with Shredded Precooked chicken, warmed up and dusted with some of the

"Brothers Rub"
10 Tablespoons of chili powder
2.5 Teaspoons of powdered garlic
2.5 Teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2.5 teaspoons of salt
.5 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
Mix and save in a spice bottle

Home made Guacamole
Sour Cream
Cilantro leaves
Diced yellow, red, and orange sweet pepper
Diced tomatos
Sliced (on the bias ) chives or spring onion
Shredded cheese. ( Ok I cheated and bought a bag of the sargento mexican 4 cheese. )
Flour tortilla shells.

One Shell in the pan and a layer of cheese then some of the pepper mix, tomatoes spring onion and chicken.

More of the cheese and cilantro leaves

Another shell on top and then flip onto a pizza turner

Get it nice and crispy on side two then evacuate to a cutting board for what else ? Cutting.

I use a pizza cutter

serve with the guac and sour cream.

You'll never get that at a restaurant!

Airing of the Quilts in Tunkhannock, PA

2010-10-02T18:00:00.001-04:00

This just blew my mind. I thought it was going to be just another something to do on a nice fall saturday. If you get a chance GO.
http://www.airingofthequilts.com/

food update

2010-08-30T19:25:00.000-04:00

I can, it seems, loose weight. I am down to an average 240 US lb's . I'm not going nuts here just no excessive carbs. I'm walking in the mornings and eating three meals and I'm never hungry.
I did hit a stubborn point at 245. but I think the walking is the turning point.

I'm working on several things for sale none of them will make me any money but will keep me busy and use up allot of old lumber. It has to be better than the crap for sale out at the hayfields this weekend. perhaps a junk sale at the wife's church.

Let's see if this works or not

2010-07-26T19:03:00.001-04:00

New Diet the Doc suggested. I wouldn't have bothered as he is a young guy and I take his suggestions with a grain of salt.
BUT..... He looked as if he had dropped a few pounds and was on this thing himself. It's called the paleo / primal / caveman diet and I went and bought the book OK so I'm trying it. I'm halfway throughout the book and about two weeks into this thing.
Here it is in a nutshell. Eat meat, no problem there, eat vegetables, Again no issues, eat fruit, I like fruit. NO grains. W.T.F. no rice!!! NO. beans or legumes, including peanuts. no starchy vegetables Like potatoes SCREW THAT. No taters. Call the doc for clarification F*&^ that no taters.... I knew I liked this guy I should try for an 80% rate and taters are a vegetable. So there.
I also drink milk and eat cheese. OFF Limits but screw that Iv'e been drinking milk since forever.
I really will miss bread and rolls but I can live without them if I have to.
What really found amazing was the amount of processed food containing the off limit items. It seems the entire center of the any grocery store is made up of stuff made from or containing grain, legumes, rice and sugar. So I shop the outer isles. The local Wegmans ( Grocery ) has a Healthy natural section and it has tons of stuff in that section, problem is most of it is made with the off limit crap.
You gotta sharp smarter old man.