It's Fall In Klamath Falls...

It is fall around here..This weekend I decorated my front porch, door and made some yummy Granola. It is my sisters recipe and she makes it every year for christmas giving..
A great homemade treat.

This should have been my Friday Food entry #7

I strung some orange lights along the railing as well..

Maple Pecan Granola

5 cups coarse rolled oats

½ cup untoasted sesame seeds

½ -¾ cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup raw peanuts with skins

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cup sliced almonds

½ cup slivered almonds

1 cup flake coconut

1/2 cup maple syrup

½ cup honey

1/8 cup canola oil

1teaspoon vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, Mix syrup, honey, oil & vanilla together & stir into the dry oat mixture.

Mixture will be crumbly & sticky

Spread onto a jelly roll pan. Bake 250 degrees stirring every 15 minutes until dry &golden brown

Cool well and store in airtight container…

I added 1 cup raisins when granola cooled. Very good over yogurt

Bon Appetite!

Plenty of memories and pictures

Home from a fabulous photo filled trip. Clay & I are home  with great memories. Funny stories and lots of new places we have chosen to stay on another trip next year.

This is a fruit stand in Penticton BC. Look at those pretty purple petunias!

Here in the two pictures  you can see the crystal clear glacial water.
We had lunch by these shallow waters..









and next is Flathead Lake,  we loved it here too.. Will bring the boat next time.




As we left the park you can see The Rockies in a distance. A nice picnic spot.

The last picture is probably my favorite of Lake Moraine. In Banff Canada.

We were lucky to have super weather for September. There were  many other travelers and the resorts were full..

Along the journey to Canada

We found this hotsprings along side the road  that flowed into Owyhee River. I had to test the water temp which was at least 105 degrees..Very Nice.. but quite shallow. Above me is the river .

This is what Lake Owyhee looks like this time of the year.. really low but beautiful weather and taking lot sof pictures.

Here, we are today Sunday September 20th resting for three days at Swan Lake Montana.. Cute one room cabin and tucked in the woods. We were lucky to get it on short notice... Our camping plans were drastically changed back in the Hart & Steen Mountains, in Oregon the first night out  when we found our tent poles broken and not repairable on the spot so we are making our way sleeping in motels & cabins. Which suits us fine,  this is an adventure for sure.. We stayed in SunValley  one night and it too was gorgeous to see but  now we are on our way to |Glacier Park come Tuesday and on into Canada towards Lake Louise & Jasper,  Follow me as we continue on our journey.... The weather is mild and we are having a great time exploring. Followed the Oregon trail & Lewis & Clarks as well for while...Now onward ho!  We heard there are bears in the woods.. & I hope the Indians are friendy.....

#6 Friday Food Entry Nutty Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

#
Okay, before I left town for vacation I made these lovely sweet and dainty cookies. They turned out really good.  I hope they travel well as they are a bit fragile....I altered a family recipe by adding a bit more sugar and a 1/2 cup of butter to the shortening while creaming..





Nutty Carrot Oatmeal Cookies

w/ cream cheese & orange icing
*These cookies are pretty with flecks of orange carrots throughout and fragile to pack. But well worth the effort...

INGREDIENTS
1 cup shortening plus 1 cube unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shredded carrots
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ -1 cup old fashion oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in carrots
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to carrot mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto un greased baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes 350 degree oven. Remove to wire rack to cool….&   icing while warm.
ICING
Mix about (4oz) \ ½ brick of cream cheese
with ½ cup powdered sugar and thin with orange juice to spreading consistency. Spread or drizzle over warm cookies… refrigerate to set icing. Before packing....If you are taking these on a trip or giving as a gift.

Bon Appetite!

Checking the final list! ...What? 4 New Tires?

Okay one more detail... Clay decided we should get new tires before we leave... I am sure he is thinking of the rough roads we may come across in the Steen Mountains.. So I smile and agree ... and we leave in the morning.
In the meantime I made a batch of cookies to take, * recipe on Blog Friday* and compiled the final list of things to go and checking them off my list:

Stopped mail delivery, Made Bank deposit
and Packed in Car...

Chocolate Bars
Cell Phone & chargers
Tent..
Sleeping bags & pillows
Mattress,& pump
2 camp chairs,
Foldable table
Cooler,
More chocolate bars and
Staple food box of minimum food * we will purchase as we need* if we are camping
or we stay in lodges, cabins or resorts.
Stove & Fuel & lighter
Flashlight
Tool box of emergency car repair stuff..
AAA card for real HELP if Needed....
Books & playing cards.
Lantern
Thermos & cups
Buster's bedding, food & treats
Passports & Busters health certificate
Maps & Cash for travel & coin for laundry
Camera, Binoculars, GPSs extra batteries & charger...
Clothes for warm & cooler climates
Towels & Wash cloths  & Paper towels, TP
Shoes
Coats & sweatshirts  Yikes   the car is getting really full....
I think that does it....I hope because I am running out of space....We don't want to look like the Hillbillies going down the road....do we?
Ok, I am ready and the computer goes in last....I am sure we will forget something but we are REALLY leaving tomorrow Morning!  I hope I can post  as long as I have service & battery if not I will upon return.... We are going to have a great time.... will be back in a couple weeks....

Packed and ready to roll....WAIT!..

Well, I am ready, Buster is ready  and the car is ready... Clay was ready but now we have an electrical problem that needs to be taken care of before we leave town for a couple weeks....... Something is going on with our diningroom light. It poofed off the other day like a bulb burned out...so we thought..  Then we noticed when we turned off our bedroom light  the diningroom light was on.  hmmmm Well how could that be? So we turned on the bedroom light and the diningroom light turned off... Now that was weird and then we checked all of the lightswitches and noticed that the one  in my sewingroom was also out..... Clay checked all the  usual things you do when you are not an electrician.. and everything looks fine, no bulbs burned out, there is power to the switches... but no lights...appears that  electrical panel switches are  all ok....But  we can't leave  things like this and come back after our trip (to well, any number of things could happen,)  trying to be optimistic here... so we called an electrician and he is to be here today....sometime???  Why do they do this... tell you they will be out but not give you a time? I do hope it is an easy fix.... The car is packed and I hate waiting...... I now must plan a meal at home tonight... hmmm left overs or Thai Take away?  I hope we can leave early tomorrow....I will be taking the laptop with us so I can keep you all posted... now I better go check see if I have enough chocolate bars packed...

Finished, Fresh Tomato Salsa & on going on Vacation

The fall is maybe my favorite time of the year,  I know I have  posted a lot of food items lately and I feel sure I am  not sharing a fact that I Love Food & to eat...as well as to cook, Trying different recipes, textures and flavors,  and probably one of my husband and my favorite snack items is Tortillia Corn Chips with Salsa. After  purchasing may brands the past few years, I came upon a recipe that we altered a bit to our taste. We love it and  have used it to top eggs, and tacos and other Mexican dishes, now for the second year we have made our own. This year we  put it up in pint jars and managed to get 10 for the pantry processed today. That will last for a few months....if we ration our consumption.
There is such a satisfaction in planting organic & heirloom seeds and plants, growing, harvesting and processing your own food with no preservatives.  It is a lot of work but  my it looks nice on the shelf. Forget about the sore back and dirty fingernails from start to finish. Ahhh! yet another harvested crop ...now can we go on vacation? I will be taking you along with me as we travel next week  to South Eastern Oregon, into Idaho and Montana and on to Alberta, Canada...  So pack light, bring your passport  .... Enjoy the sites with us  and enjoy the journey.... but  be sure to bring a plenty of chocolate and a treat for Buster! Yes, he is riding along too. 

Nectar from our bees

Our first frame of pure gold... Our bees produced many pounds of honey this year for only one hive.   A full hive of honey can excede 100 lbs by summers end.
There are 10 more frames in the hive right now to feed them for the cold winter. We only harvested one frame this year. After extracting it, and letting it drip all night into a container,and sampling during the day... we actually we managed to jar 6 1/2 pints. The partial jar we will use ourselves this fall and save the rest for Christmas gift giving once we design our own private lable for BlueSky Farm Honey.
Isn't it pretty? So clear and golden. Yummy! Now on to the next project, Fresh Tomato Salsa..... 

Friday Food Entry #5 Marionberry Puffy Pillows

I found this delicious MarionBerry Cheese Torta in  our local grocery Store, Product of Rising Sun 
Farms, More recipes available at http://www.risingsunfarms.com/  Rising Sun Farms strives to use the hiighest quality ingredients  supporting organic and sustainable agriculture.

This is a treat for something quick and easy when  you want a  snack or afternoon tea treat.
You will find the MarionBerry Cheese Torta with the other prepared fancy cheeses in  the store cheese dept.
Follow the direction under the lid. I used wonton wrappers as I had those already, They were a bit tougher and heavier than the puffed pastry would have been.  
Bon Appetite!

Marionberry Pastry Puffs

The Pears were ready .. I was not!

Here they are... or at least one basket full.. Thank Goodness, Clay helped me peel, pare & core them and we managed to get 15 quart jars from a 40# lug. They were kind of expensive this year, but  well worth the freshness...and I  insisted on Bartletts.

 I didn't think they would be ready until tomorrow  but  Surprise! Today was canning day! Don't they look pretty?  They are ready to put on my pantry shelf. Now we can go on our road trip... next week,  so I guess they ripened in the right time...afterall.

 

Family visit & day trip

My daughter Nancy and her husband Simon came from Washington to spend the LaborDay weekend with us. We had a great time. We went to Crater Lake for a day trip since they had never been there. Crater Lake is only about 54 miles from our house.
 It was created by a volcano eruption of  Mt. Mazama roughly 7,000 years ago. The erupted mountain fell back into the crater creating a Beautiful lake. You can see a small island called Wizard Island on the left side of the lake. The lake is fed by snow melt and rain and is about 2,000 ft deep.
 It was a gorgeous day with plenty of sunshine. We enjoyed a picnic lunch on the overlooking wall by the lodge.  Nancy & Simon left this morning and now Clay & I will make plans to head out for our own road trip next Tuesday through Idaho, Montana & up to Canada. I will be posting pictures for sure.

 

#4 Friday Food entry Chicken Chow Mein

This dish is an easy Cantonese Dish.

Chicken Chow Mein
Recipe is from (Ideals Chicken & Poultry Cookbook)
1 lb raw chicken, thinly sliced
2 Tbls vegetable oil
1 cup diced celery  you can add brocolli,  red sweet pepper  & carrots
½ cup sliced water chestnuts
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup water or chicken stock
2-3 Tbls soy sauce
1 cup bean sprouts
½ cup bamboo shoots
½ tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbls corn starch mixed with 3Tbls water
4 cups chow mein noodles or cooked noodles.

In a large skillet fry chicken in vegetable oil 4-5 minutes until almost dine.
Add Celery and cook until tender about 3 minutes
Add remaining ingredients, except cornstarch mixture and nooodles.
Bring to boil, then Stir cornstarch mixture to thicken, Serve over chow mein noodles..
Serves 4
Bon Appetite’

The Beach day & night

We are home from the beach, Lincoln City was gorgeous! Weather was perfect. Sunset picture was a favorite and the lower picture was taken as the morning marine layer was lifting Sunday Morning.  Very relaxing time and of course the salt water taffy was delicious. Home now for the weekend, as company coming for Labor Day holiday, Nancy (Daughter and Simon  her husband)  for a few days and then we pack to leave for Canada via Idaho & Montana.. around the 15th. I love the freedom to travel.

Friday Food Entry #3 Lemonade Cookies

Gee, It's Friday already and I chose a light but yummy dessert cookie to share. I am going to the Oregon coast and these are my take along surprise treat....
The recipe is one from Cat Cora's "Cooking from the Hip." For anyone not knowing who she is, she is the only female Iron Chef champion on Food Network and the executive chef of Bon Apetite. I really love her recipes and am happy to have this cookbook.

These cookies were fun to make "Like a magic trick, from lemonade make lemon cookies"

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Makes about 4 dozen

Lemonade Cookies

1 - 6 oz can of frozen lemonade concentrate ( fill a bowl with warm water & plop the unopen can in it to thaw while you prepare the dough.)

1/2 lb ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar plus extra to sprinkle over the cookies

2 teas. finely grated lemon zest (optional)

2 large eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teas. baking powder

1/8 teas. salt

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar with a mixer. Add the lemon zest if desired. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each one. Continue beating until mixture is light & creamy 4-5 minutes. set aside. In a seperate bowl wisk the flour, soda and salt.

Measure out 1/2 cup of the thawed lemonade & set rest aside. Add one third of the flour mixture to the creamed butter & sugar . Stir, then add about 1/3 of the 1/2 cup lemonade. Continue adding the flour and lemonade alternately, stirring after each addition, until the mixture shows no streaks of flour. Beat on low speed with the mixer just until all ingredients are combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the cookies , checking them after 8 minutes. When the edges are just starting to brown, remove them from the oven (the centers will still look soft) Using a pastry brush, immediately brush the tops of the cookies very lightly with the remaining lemonade concentrate, then sprinkle with sugar. Transfer to a a rack and cool completely.

The dough can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several days. Straight from the refrigerator they should bake for about 12 minutes. Aren't they pretty?

Bon Apetite

Lincoln City, Oregon here we come...

Its waiting for us.. We are headed to Lincoln City Oregon on Thursday. I am ready to leave my footprints in the sand. Check out a few Lighthouses and much much more....Clay & I will meet my sister Karen & her husband Wayne for a couple days of family fun. I will be posting pictures of our mini-holiday when I return, and you can still view my Friday Food Entry post on Friday as Promised, (It sure is nice that Blogger allows us to pre schedule ) The weather is to be typical for this time of the year... 68 during the day. I don't think rain will bother us if it does fall a bit... More to come.... I must make sure to carry extra batteries for the camera...I wonder if Clamming season is open?

Fish On! What fun

Saturday, we had the greatest day fishing out of our boat on Fish Lake here in Oregon. Only 40 miles from our house to the lake. The Biggest ones (I caught 2 of them and 4 others...Clay caught 3 ) the largest were just under 14 inches and smallest two were 10 1/2 inches. I know I shouldn't toot my own horn but I am.. We figure we are really good at fishing or the fish were really hungry. A beautiful day by all accounts. Warm enough for me to get sunburned and Buster to retrieve sticks from the lake & swim back to shore. I cleaned the fish once we got home & now they are in the freezer for a big fish fry......Company is coming... what a treat. I may have to use them in a Friday Food Entry.... Can't wait to go again.. Fishing is always more fun when you catch one..don't you think?only next time I will put on extra sunscreen...

#2 Friday Food: Lemon Saltimbocca

What is Saltimbocca? Besides being Simply Delicious. Taken from (WizeGeek).

In Italian, saltimbocca means “to jump in the mouth,” which is supposed to be a reference to the fact that the dish is so good that it literally jumps into the diner's mouth. It is made by wrapping the meat of choice in thinly wrapped prosciutto, adding some sage leaves, and then marinating the meat in a mixture which varies, depending on the nation where the dish is being prepared. Then, the saltimbocca is sauteed, and served with its own drippings; capers may be added as well, in some regions.
As a general rule, the meat is pounded, to make it extremely tender. Pounding also softens the meat, allowing it to absorb more of the marinade and more of the drippings during the cooking process. As you might imagine, saltimbocca is not by any means low in fat, and the fats are part of what make the dish so rich and flavorful.


Lemon Saltimbocca (serves 4)

4 skinless chicken breast
4 sliced prosciutto
4 slices lemon
1 Tbls Flour
1 1/2 Tbls Olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbls unsalted butter
1 Tbls chopped parsley

Season the chicken with salt & pepper, use a rolling pin pound the chicken breasts to flatten slightly. Wrap a piece of prosciutto around each breast. Top with a slice of lemon, secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle chicken with flour to lightly coat.
Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.
Add chicken and cook 4-5 minutes each side until cooked through. Remove & Place chicken on a plate. Add wine to the skillet and simmer over high heat until reduced by half. Add butter and parsley and stir until butter is melted. Drizzle sauce over chicken. Remove toothpicks and serve with vegetable or salad leaves, if desired. I steamed yellow wax beans from the garden.
Bon Apetite!

Diary of my long short day

Exhaling! ahhhhhhhhhhh

Ever had one of those days when you start something late and it takes all day to accomplish? After getting a late morning start this morning (8:00) Yes I slept in... drank my morning coffee and looked over the list of things I hoped to accomplish today... Checking them off as I completed them. Wondering do you do this? Well any ways, I managed to jump right into my domestic goddess apron, Yes I changed from my pajamas to shorts & top first, it was kinda hot today. Brushed my teeth and went to collect eggs (6 today.) Fed the girls & the quail, and returned to read my email... Of course it was on the list.

Then I put a load, no two loads of laundry in to wash & hung to dry. I love to hang my clothes.

Back to the list.... sat for 15 minutes and drank a iced coffee while thumbing through recipes for the calimari I plan to cook tonight, and eggplant... Pickled the beets I cooked yesterday, boy the house smells nice.... then decided to rearrange my cookbooks, since a new one came today Thank you Mr UPS, and Amazon used books..."Julia & Jacques Cooking at Home". Quickly thumbed through it marking a couple pages.... continued checking off the list, discarded old spices and rearranged them in my cupboard moving into the pantry re arranged all my canned goods on the shelves when I realized its nearly 4Pm and its hot inside & outside, turned on A/C and fan.. Checking if I smell as bad as I think I do or if its the combination of cumin and garlic powder spilled in the drawer... My goodness how did I get on that subject?... I hurried outside took all the laundry off the line & folded it as I did... hauled the huge over flowing basket of Fresh air scented clothes & towels in and put them away... and now my followers I am sitting with my list almost all checked off... gotta get the dinner started and realized I didnt eat breakfast or lunch.. I only had a few bits of cheese & a few bites of summer sausage. ( took them off Clays lunch plate.. am I running on fumes from dinner last night? It has a long busy short day and I still have 6 hours before my bedtime... do I have time to shower? I think that would be a good idea... It's kinda hot & smelly here....and shoot maybe I will put on my jammies early they are sunshine fresh.... and have a glass of chilled wine, and a snack before dinner..... yes, thats what I am thinking.....

Summer is ending.

There is a definate sign of fall coming. The weather is cool in the mornings and the midgies are here.. pesky bugs that arrive this time of the year. They are only here a month and then gone but at night fall, I cannot leave my windows open as they love to squeeze through even the smallest screens....
This morning as I drank my coffee, I saw from my kitchen window a visiting doe that wandered by in search of breakfast. The fields around our house are turning golden brown & she blends in quite well with the dry grasses, Soon it will be hunting season and she will be hiding in the taller grasses. I really do not like the idea of hunting season, although I know all the reasons it exists. Fortunately, this doe if she stays around these parts will be relatively safe. I have seen her sisters with their babies gleaning from the fields as well.

As the early morning hours passed, I went out to the garden and picked a few things ready myself. I do love this time of the year when the garden produces its fruit & veggies. I get anxious to can & freeze the bountiful supply. My 10 chickens are also contributing to the feasts, laying 5 -6 eggs a day now. My days will be filling as the harvest time approaches quickly but first we will take a short road trip to the Oregon coast in a couple weeks.. and I do hope my tomatoes will be ripening by the time we return ... I have no more salsa and that is first on my list to do along with my dilly beans. Yes, Summer is fading and Fall is not far away. Time to bring out those sweet vanilla & spice candles too I am thinking...

Shelter in the Corn...

This morning when we managed to get out to the garden bundled in my sweatshirt and warm pants, socks & shoes.* it was mighty cold for us here in Klamath Falls ..... only 43 degrees and windy.* The sun had just cleared the mountain as it has been doing by 7:30a each morning.. I have hurt my back and slowly managed to work my way to the back door to go to the chicken coop. As I counted my "girls" all 10 were in sight... and also to my surprise were about 40 quail in my garden gleening anything the chickens had scared their way. I managed to get this picture of a few that didn't see me approach. Look close they are sheltered under my corn rows. I have noticed a bit more activity throughout the day as frogs and many different birds have found shelter here... also to my surprise and I am as greatful as the birds that My garden has flourished nicely having ammended it with topsoil & manure this spring. I have corn & squash, yellow wax beans *galore * beets and potatoes. I managed to pick a few of those beans for dinner carefully squatting instead of bending as instructed by my masage therapist.. Again today I had an appointment with her and tonight I must say Hurt worse than I did when I went there this morning. But that was to be expected after the work over she gave me.. So its back into the hot tub to soak, I think I shall have a glass of wine..*medicinal purpose* and hopefully tomorrow will be feeling better.. at least the birds will be happy... because I threw some extra treats their way into the shelter of the corn. There is a frost warning...can you believe that? And its going to be upper 80's next week... I do hope my back is better so I can get out and enjoy the warmth for a bit longer....Clay wants to go boating...