Homemade Flour Tortillas

Just made this batch of fabulous homemade flour tortillas for chicken enchiladas tonight for the fam. Honestly, tortillas are so easy and carefree to make. Once you taste them you'll probably never go back to supermarket ones. You also get the added advantage of knowing exactly what went into them.

This is the recipe I use:
Homemade Flour Tortillas

2 3/4 cups flour (extra for your work surface)  5 tablespoons lard (of course you can use whatever healthy fat you wish. my own rendered lard is super flavorful!) 3/4 teaspoon Salt 3/4 cup Warm Water Add salt to your measuring cup of water. Stir to dissolve. Combine flour and lard in a bowl. Work the mixture with your hands (it will only be sticky for a minute) until it comes to a fine crumble. Just work it through until it's all crumbly and even textured. Pour about 2/3 of your water into the dry mixture. Stir with a fork until mixture is chunky. Add remaining water (if needed) until combined and turn out onto a floured board. Knead gently until it comes together (5-10 times). Cut in half, then half again, and so forth until you have 16 pieces.  Place on a plate and cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes. One by one, roll them with a rolling pin until they are about 6 inches in diameter.  Heat a dry skillet over medium to medium high heat. Cast iron works great! Roll and cook as you go. Let each tortilla cook for 30-45 seconds. You're looking for brown, not burnt (if they cook too long you'll have tortilla chips!) so don't hesitate to remove when done.

Note: Your skillet should be hot enough that the dough begins to cook immediately, but not so hot the flour (from rolling) smokes. The best ones will come from a pan that's hot enough to allow the shortest cooking time on each side. I err on the side of "hot". You want them to cook very quickly. Just watch them close. And don't be concerned that they will stick; they won't. It's the nature of the dough.

And in case you want to make a batch of enchiladas, this is absolutely the easiest recipe ever!

Chicken Cheese Enchiladas 

Ingredients: 

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup (I know it's not the greatest but I have honestly never found anything that tastes the same as a replacement. I just try to buy a health food store brand if possible.) 

1/2 cup sour cream 

1 cup Pace Picante Sauce 

2 teaspoons chili powder 

2 - 2 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken 

4oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or a jack, cheddar blend) 

12-16 flour tortillas warmed (microwave for 15 seconds) (for pre-made I use              6 -10-inch ones and cut them in half after they're rolled) 

1 small tomato, chopped (optional)

1 green onion, sliced (optional)

Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl. 

Stir 1 cup of the soup mixture in with the chicken and cheese in a large bowl. 

Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas. Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side down in a greased 13x9 baking pan. Pour all the remaining soup mixture over the filled tortillas.  

Bake for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with chopped tomato and onion 10 minutes before done, if desired.

Tips:

Stir 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, or any other veggies like, green chilies, sweet pepper, onion, or whatever into the chicken mixture before rolling.

Use the other half of an 8oz. block of cheese to shred and sprinkle on top. 

Whole Wheat Tortilla's are really good in this too, lots of flavor!

WARNING!!! Your family's going to freak and want these once a week! At least!

Le Creuset Soup Pot

I was looking closely at my enamel coated cast iron pots the other day and thought I would do a short review on them.

First of all, I am a cook. It's sad when you live in a day and age where that is often seen as an indulgence, and that women who are in their homes preparing real food for their families are just killing time and could be doing something more useful. But if you are another one of those people like me, dedicated to having better health through nutrition for your family, you will understand where I'm coming from. Food is not just something that you buy the cheapest, most adulterated thing out there and then expect you bodies not to get sick on it. Food can bring health, or steal it from you, and it's important in this time period to know what you are putting in your body.

I have two pots.  One is a Le Creuset 7-1/2 quart Bouillabaisse Pot in Flame. It lists for $385 but can be had on Amazon for $299. I paid $185 for mine on a great deal I found online. The second is a Lodge 6 quart dutch oven in Pumpkin. It lists for $118 and I bought mine on Amazon for, I think $60. It is on there now for $77.79. (both my Christmas gift for that particular year)

Before I continue I need to be very clear; I love both these pots! I'm not in any way suggesting that I am disappointed in my Lodge pot. It is a great cooking piece that I would not want to be without. I'm simply pointing out that there is indeed a reason you pay more for Le Creuset. And I believe that that difference lies primarily in the enamel coating and the firing process they use. Pictured below are the insides of both pots. As you can see the Lodge is darkening and wearing from a lot of use, where the Le Creuset hardly looks used. Add to that the fact that the Lodge pot is a year old, and the Le Creuset pot is 15 years old!

So, I guess that's my only point here. If you need affordable enameled cast iron pots I highly reccommend Lodge ware. But if you ever get the opportunity to buy Le Creuset on a good deal, take it! You will not regret it.

(And for all of you out there who have wondered how the heck you pronounce this word correctly, here you go:   "Le Creuset" - (Luh Cruhzay) - the "eu" sounds like the "u" in full, rather than "crew". It would be "crew" if it were "cruset".)

(Just for the record; I have no earthly clue why blogger is highlighting some of the lines.)

"JBird Frenzy"

So, here we go with Josie's 3 year old quilt, "JBird Frenzy". 

I had a chance when visiting at Thanksgiving to pick Abbie's brain concerning colors and patterns. JBird Frenzy will be based on the quilt at the right. I'll probably use the same basic pattern, which is a combination of various sized blocks put together somewhat irregularly. It makes for a very interesting look. 

The color scheme is bright, clear colors. I have exchanged the two blacks with a dark navy and one other darker blue print with some kind of strange buds on it. It's a gorgeous print. 

The colors I have kept exactly the same, meaning I bought the exact brand and colors, is the chartreuse green and the orange solid. 

I really like the aqua-ish print (bottom of the pile) and the block green (next up) that will make up the blue and green blocks. 

The last change I made is to exchange the three red shades with bright, watermelon-y pink shades. In place of the red gingham block will be the JBird print.

Of course there is also the white fabric which is not shown in my fabric pile.

I have laundered all the fabrics, made up all the templates, and am ready to start cutting.

Can't wait to get going!

Les Miserables

   Every year for my birthday we plan on a family trip to the movies, whoever wants to go that is. I get to pick what movie I want to see and this year it was, of course, The Hobbit. We got to the theater only to find out that it was sold out and had been for quite some time. Such a let down!
   The next day I was heading to Joann Fabrics to at least begin the process of choosing fabrics for Josie's 3 year old quilt, so I decided since I was up there already that I would treat myself to the $4.50 matinee of Les Miz. I offer here my honest critique.

   First of all I'll take the characters one at a time: I was aware that Russell Crowe has a wonderful singing voice so I was not surprised that he was good. He was perfectly cast for the military/police type character of Javert. Throughout the movie they used a recurring theme of Javert walking along the very edge of a building, representing him constantly walking the fine line between his humanity and what he considered his honor and duty. His death scene was delivered with a dispassion that was entirely appropriate for what he viewed as the futility of reconciling his situation. Javert could not win. He viewed his plight as having lost the battle no matter what he did. He could not kill Valjean, but neither could he show mercy and forgive. Russell Crowe delivered this scene beautifully, his voice with a rich, buttery smoothness that was very pleasing to my ear.

   Hugh Jackman is not a personal favorite of mine as actors go. I don't dislike him in any way. I simply don't always care for his style or look. For me his singing voice was slightly harsh and abrupt. With that said he made a wonderful Valjean. When he delivered that awesome piece of music when he prays protection over Marius, where the vocalist is required to sing very high and yet very soft, almost impossible to do, it was just too beautiful for words. I admit to shedding a few tears. The different looks they gave him as he moved through the years were very well done and I could completely believe that he was Valjean.

   I am pretty much totally not an Anne Hathaway fan. I have never liked her in anything I've ever seen her in. She just does not appeal to me on any level. However! Oh my word! She was perfect as Fantine! Vulnerable in every way, she conveyed her lost-ness in such a believable way that by the time she succumbed to her fate as a prostitute you felt every degree of her degradation and hopelessness. But the crowning moment was when she delivered Fantine's song, I Dreamed a Dream. I have heard more powerful renditions by far, but never have I been so moved and affected by one. I am a former vocalist and I know full well how hard it is to sing through emotion. Most of the time you are taught to somewhat divorce yourself from it in order to deliver a clear performance. But Anne didn't divorce any of it! She sang through tears of agony running down her face, grimacing with pain, and never missed her delivery of the song. I think everyone in the theater was crying, some audibly! It was stunning! If I never watch the whole thing again I would watch just that performance over and over. It was one of the most touching things I've ever seen. The way she used her face and her expressions to convey the hopelessness of her life's dreams was heart wrenchingly beautiful.

   Eponine: What can I say? Eponine's song has always been one of my favorites in the show, but this actress just did not work for me. I didn't feel that her look was right, her singing was just so-so for me, and her facial expressions didn't hold up well in a close-up camera application. I am sure others would feel differently. I didn't care for the performance.

   While we're here I'll address the Thenardiers. Sorry, but Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter just didn't work well for me. I love HBC - when she actually acts! She is an amazing actress who seems to only choose ridiculous roles anymore these days. But I'm sure my dislike was more due to the fact that Alun Armstrong of the original London cast spoiled me for all time for any other Thenardier.

   Cosettes, both young and old, were wonderful. Both girls had sweet, pure voices that really worked for me. Amanda Seyfried's voice is incredible! When she hit those high soprano notes they were so clean and pure I could hardly believe it. Just beautiful. And the casting for both was very well done.

   Aaron Tviet as Enjoiras was amazing, but for me the absolute stand-out star of this movie is Eddie Redmayne as Marius! Marius for me has always seemed quite a peripheral character, a bit too immature and easily led to attract my attention. Not so as played by Redmayne. He comes across as young, yes, but full of honor and fervency. I have seen this young actor in various British period pieces, but never have I seen the length and breadth of his talent. He brought off a performance that was first rate. His eyes expressed eloquently all the passion and energy of young love and revolutionary spirit, and his singing voice is truly amazing. His delivery of his lament at the loss of his friends and their cause is simply beautiful. Once again, as with Anne Hathaway's performance of Fantine's song, he is able to sing through intense emotion with control and effectiveness. Watching his face as he sang was just beautiful. I absolutely loved him in this! I can't say it enough.

   So...there's my critique. Keep in mind it's only my own opinion. Every person who sees the film will take away different things from it. These are my observations. All in all here's what it comes down to. Held up musically against the original soundtrack, obviously it doesn't hold up. But I don't think it was meant to. This version was meant to portray real people, and it did that admirably. Held up against the Liam Neeson movie version, it doesn't hold a candle to that either, as a retelling of Victor Hugo's story. Remember, it was a book long before it was a musical. That was a more enjoyable movie as far as just the acting out of a story line. Plus, I am a huge Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush fan. But, for what the makers were attempting to do, tell a story but not exclude the music, it was very good and I would recommend it wholeheartedly. It is very long so be prepared for nearly three hours. Some around me were unashamedly snoozing by the time two hours had gone by. Those who do not enjoy the musical format will probably get bored.
 

New Field Bag for Gramma...

It is inevitable. You are sewing away like a fiend for everyone else and all of a sudden it strikes you that maybe you should have something new too. I'm making a lot of new field bags this year. In case you don't know what a field bag, for us it signifies a bag that we carry when we go on hikes, walks, or outings of any kind. It's a receptacle for treasures and all manner of "interesting things", as well as for stashing a water bottle, and hats and mittens when you don't want to wear them. They are also an ingenious method for teaching kids to cart their own stuff. They can take, and/or pick up, anything they want, as long as it fits in their own field bag!

I decided my field bag was looking a bit trail worn. I had made it quite a number of years ago and it has served me well. I kept the same dimensions for the new bag because I have been very happy with the general shape and depth. The base fabric is a piece of beautiful Duluth sample canvas that I picked up for $2 at their outlet store in Wisconsin. It has a very sturdy and comfortable padded adjustable cross-body strap.

The front has a double layered pocket section forming four pockets total. The fabric was leftover from an apron I had made. The striped seam binding was made from a piece of cotton I had in the scrap bag. I had done the embroidery piece at some point in the past and I thought it fitted well into the design.

The inside of the bag is fully lined with a fabric from my shelf. I had bought a piece of it awhile back because I really loved it, but had never used it for anything. This fabric also lined Abbie's field bag I made her for her birthday.  


The inside has a zippered pocket, a two tiered pocket section, and a water bottle sleeve for holding my water bottle or travel mug upright in the bag. It is a soft sleeve so will simply fold to the side of the bag when not in use.

The bag turned out really well. Can't wait to take it our for it's first test drive. Susie without a field bag is like...well...bread without butter!

Christmas nests...

For a school project today the kids and I made Christmas nests. First we raided the garage for abandoned nests. We always have robins nesting in our garage during the warm seasons. We found two. Jordy was hoping there would be an egg in one and I assured her there would be no eggs in them so not to get her hopes up. Lo and behold, when I set the first one down on the floor, the kids went wild. There in the bottom was an abandoned egg! I warned them that it would be rotten inside so they needed to not touch it.

We went out for a walk and collected some small egg-shaped stones to paint and add into the nests as eggs. We brought the nests inside, glitter painted them around the edges, and decorated them with bows and pine sprigs. Then we placed our painted, glittered eggs inside. I think they will make very pretty porch decorations. The one above is mine, and the one below is the kids for their house.

The small glittered egg in the center is the actual real Robin's egg!

a busy, busy year...

I don't believe I have ever experienced a busier year than this has been! In the future I will probably count years from 2011 right to 2013, because it doesn't seem like there ever was a 2012! I'm not sure why it has seemed to fly by so much faster than other years but everyone I talk to agrees that it has.

Not that it has been a bad year. It has been very good in some ways. Our meat chicken project was a huge success and I have absolutely loved having our own home-grown, healthy chicken to cook and make bone broths with. We've had some fantastic times with family near and far, and my 60th birthday bash trip away by myself was heavenly.

Now for the bad parts; our garden! Terrible! Hardly grew a thing! (We've heard the same thing from many, many people.) I have been getting all my new seed catalogs in the mail and am sincerely hoping for a better year ahead.

I have high hope that this next year will bring many good things. We will do meat chickens again, now armed with better insight in what we need to do to make things easier. I have some new plans for garden spaces that I am hoping will up our yields on our produce. I'm also learning more all the time about how best to store each crop we raise.
Gary has had an offer for a wonderful new part time position that will bring much satisfaction to his life, as well as extra finances that we need. Sara is taking up fishing and hunting, including bow hunting! A friend of hers just bought her a new bow, and her Christmas list this year consisted of an axe, a hunting knife, and a fillet board and knife for doing fish! What a woman I have spawned!!! I'm so proud I can hardly stand it!
I have a quilt to do this next year. That will be my winter project. Josie turns three this next year and will receive her first GrammaSusie quilt, fashioned just for her. I got some great ideas from Abbie for color schemes and design while we were out there visiting for Thanksgiving. We (Tim, Abbie and us) have decided we should make that visit a yearly tradition. I'm excited about that. Abbie and I both love to cook and enjoy making all the wonderful traditional foods.
Also on the agenda is deciding what to make Jesse and Eric for a wedding gift. They will be getting married in September and I plan to make their wedding a bit of a getaway for Gary and I at the same time. There are some nice state parks out there.
So, lots of exciting things to look forward to for our family.

Right now I am embroiled in getting ready for Christmas. Most of our gifts are handmade. I'm fashioning a lot of field bags as well as other items. Purchased gifts are entirely practical and useful, but fun too. When Christmas is past I will post photos of my handcrafted items.

I hope your Christmas is bright and wonder-filled. Enjoy the miracle, love on your family, and make time to sit in front of the Christmas tree with a glass or mug of something redolent with tradition.