Dutch Oven Fun!

Last night I got to take another Dutch Oven cooking class. What fun! This one was a breakfast class. Laurence was signed up to go with me, but he is swamped at work with conversion of the Rosebud Mine. So, my good friend Kit generously took her time and went with me. Our teacher had 4 different recipes for us to make, Kit and I teamed up to make Dutch Oven Scrappel.Here she is adding the cornbread topping to the scrappel. (That's Bishop Swanson holding up the lid for her).

Our scrappel is done and looks pretty good.

The Bishop and Andrew made Sausage Balls.

The other team made Breakfast Pizza and the Mountain Man Breakfast below.

We had some really good breakfasts!!

Dutch Oven Scrappel

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. "Little Smokies"
• 3 large apples (we used red delicious, but I would use a baking apple)
• 1 package Marie Callendars Corn Bread Mix
• Water for Corn Bread Mix
• 1/2 C. brown sugar
• Butter
• Syrup

Preparation:

• Heat Dutch Oven
• Put Little Smokies in the bottom of the Dutch Oven.
• Core and slice the apples into 3/8-1/2" slices and layer them on top of the Little Smokies.
• Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the apples.
• Mix the cornbread mix per instructions. Pour on top of the apples.

Cooking:

• Cooks in about 45-55 minutes. Check with a toothpick. (Ours was done in 45 minutes.)

Serving:

• Spoon on plate topped with butter and syrup.

No Surpise to Trife With!!

This has been such a fun week!! Saturday night I was unable to sleep, (I do that most of the time lately!), and was up changing the clocks etc. I heard steps on the deck....... I thought to myself, those dang deer, I can't believe they're up on the deck!! grrrrr
Imagine my surprise when the "deer" rang the door bell. I went to the door and was DELIGHTED to have my "deer" daughter Aisling standing there. What a wonderful surprise!! She had told me she wasn't coming for spring break. She even told me that as she was driving through Bozeman!! :)An added bonus was that she got to be here for St. Patrick's Day!! I LOVE St. Patrick's Day! It was so fun to get to share it with her once again. I've always gone a little overboard with St. Paddy's Day, and I've missed having her here for it. I served a mission for the LDS Church in Dublin Ireland in 1979-1981. I LOVE Ireland and the Irish People!! I have dear friends there and my heart is there.This year, since I wasn't feeling particularly well, I had sort of been a little lack lustre about it. Having her here made me make a great dinner. Can I tell you how much I like corned beef? I don't ever remember eating it in Ireland, but I do like it.
Here is our Irish Trifle complete with sprinkles on top. (It was prettier before the whipping cream lost it's volume).

And now we're back to real life.... my Deer Daughter returned to Ogden today. But it sure was fun! The best gift a mom could get!! Thanks Aisling for making my day, week, month..... Love You!!

YUMMY Dutch Oven Cooking!

Last summer Laurence's brother Glen came out and spent a couple of wonderful weeks. He really got us back into cooking with cast iron and Dutch ovens. We had so much fun!! I have continued to cook using cast iron since then. I am so glad I have!! Thanks Glen!

My friend Annette and I decided to take a Dutch oven cooking class through our Community Ed. at the school. I am soooooo glad we did!!
We had prime rib, rolls, cornbread, potatoes and cobbler. It was so very good. I learned a lot. First was the prime rib. It was boneless and he cut it into 2 pieces that would each fit inside a 12" Dutch oven. First he liberally sprinkled a mixture of oregano, paprika, garlic and pepper over the prime rib. Then put a layer of salt in the bottom of the oven. Next, in went the meat. One was with the fat up and the other was with the fat down, just so we could see if there was a difference.

Then the oven was filled on up with salt. The salt acts as an insulator. However, you can do it without the salt as well. (I think if I do it myself I'll forgo the salt, but it was fun to try.) Next, on with the lid, and then 16 charcoal briquets on top of the oven and 7 underneath. It was to cook for about 3 hours. The oven was turned 1/4 turn every 30 minutes and the lid was turned the opposite direction 1/4 turn at the same time. This was to prevent hot spots.

This is a farrier's pouch that he has adapted as a utensil holder. It is really a great idea. I was thinking that it sure would have been nice last summer when Glen and Laurence went camping. It rolls up so nicely and keeps everything together.
Our fearless instructor was checking out the blackberry cobbler. Notice that all of the ovens sit in their very own oil pan. This holds the briquettes and controls the fire danger. Standing right behind this is my dear friend Annette.

Cornbread was cooked in my Dutch Oven. It was really good!! (I got to bring home the leftovers!!) And so, so simple!!

2 packages Jiffy cornbread mix

2 eggs

1 can corn (he says creamed corn is even better)

Put into the Dutch Oven and cook until a toothpick comes out clean.

You can add jalapeno peppers or bacon or honey or cheese if you would like. You need to double the ingredients for a 12" Dutch oven.

The other recipe that he made was

Dutch Oven Potatoes

2 medium onions sliced

1/2 cube butter/margarine

5 cloves garlic minced

1 1/2 C. sliced fresh mushrooms

15 potatoes sliced

1 can cream or mushroom or chicken soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 C. sour cream

2 T. worcestershire sauce

1 T. soy sauce

salt & pepper to taste

Heat a 12" dutch oven using 18-20 briquettes on the bottom until oven is hot. Add butter, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Stir, then cover and cook until onions are translucent. Add potatoes. Add remaining ingredients and stir until all potatoes are coated. Cover and cook 60 minutes using 10-12 briquettes bottom and 12-14 briquettes top heat. Stir pot gently every 15 minutes.

Be sure to rotate this every 30 minutes, just like the meat.

CAN I JUST TELL YOU.......

I am so anxious for spring I can't stand it!! I love all the seed catalogs etc but I want the REAL THING!! These are my pic's from last summer, for now I have to use them to remind me that winter does NOT last forever!! Even in Montana.

MY POOR SWEETIE!!

Laurence has been having problems with his foot again..... a couple of years ago we went to a neurologist that really helped him, but it's back.....
The pain starts in his back and works it's way down. For a few days he was able to use his cane, then he graduated to his crutches. Now he has basically graduated to his bed, chair etc. He also crawls frequently....:(
He has an appointment to see the neurologist again, but March 2 is the first time they could get him in......
It is so, so swollen. He can't even get his crocs on. When I took him to the clinic he just had a sock on, used his crutches and I had to drive the car up to the base of the steps.
When I took him into the clinic last night, they put him on percoset, prednazone and indomet. We can't convince the doc at the clinic that it's not gout. It does act like gout, but the tests have all shown that it isn't. So now with the percoset, he gets some relief but is still in a lot of pain.
So, my dear friends and loved ones, please remember my dear sweetheart in your prayers. Thanks!

Valentine's Day 2010

I truly was not expecting anything from Laurence this year. I know he loves me dearly and I also know we are broke. But he surprised me with these on Valentine's. What a sweetie! I can't believe he was able to pull the surprise off. He has been so sick this week, he hasn't left the house except when he absolutely had to. He even missed 3 1/2 days of work. While I was gone to the gym on Saturday he went to the floral shop and then he hid them in his office. Isn't he sweet!!

Only In Montana

Yesterday Laurence called me into the living room to show me this.

Turkeys in our neighbor lady's apple tree. I'm guessing that since we had such an early hard frost she still has apples in the tree. By the time all was done we had 5 large turkeys in her little apple tree.

It seemed like it should be the beginning of a joke... how many turkeys can you get in one small apple tree???

They came back again today, but I only saw 3 actually in the tree.

A few days ago I had 29 in the yard, but none in the tree that time.