Haymaker's Punch recipe (aka switchel)

Are you hot? Thirsty?... here's a solution.

Waaaaaaay back in the super crinkly days (Pioneer days), they used to make haymaker's punch as a refreshing, nutritious drink. Here is that recipe, it sounds bad but it is really delicious, quenching and nourishing for your body. Also, it is a probiotic.

In a 1/2 gal (2 litre) jar:

2" Ginger, sliced

1 Lemon, quartered

5 Tbsp Honey or Maple Syrup (we recommend maple)

1/4C Apple Cider Vinegar (on the lighter side of 1/4C)

Fill the rest of the jar with water 

Shake well, let sit in fridge 24 hours before drinking.

Will last a week or so in the fridge.

Homemade Ketchup Recipe

I came across this ketchup recipe while watching Off Grid with Doug & Stacy so since our organic Heinz ketchup was almost empty, I decided to give it a try.

As you might expect, that very morning Brad came home with 2 new and massive Heinz ketchup bottles... so I put them in storage.

Refilled with homemade ketchup

5 Tbsp Honey

1/8 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Cayenne

1/8 tsp Cloves

2 tsp Salt

2 can Tomatoe Paste

1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar  ** See not below

2 Tbsp Fermented Veg Juice (sauerkraut, etc.)

Water

Put paste in bowl, add spices, ACV, Honey and Salt. Mix and add water to consistency (3-5 tsp ish). Allow to sit 3 days. Lasts months in the fridge.

Having a small amount of the Heinz available I was able to easily match the consistency.

 ** The recipe calls for 1/2C ACV but I personally find it too vinegary... but Brad LOVES it and said he prefers it to Heinz. If you are vinegar sensitive decrease ACV to 1/4 C and increase Water to consistency.

The snowstorm and Valentines

We ended up with about 4 inches Friday through Saturday and they say another 3 inches on Sunday.

Entrance island with its usually red roofs are snow covered.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentines Day!

A Valentine's bouquet from Brad

I made him a chocolate bowl (it broke - a lot...)

With strawberries and chocolate hearts and lips.

I found (on TikTok again) a recipe for what they claimed would be phenomenal Artisan bread -- so, naturally I had to try it. And it was. Phenomenal.

Artisan bread Recipe:

6C Flour, 2 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Active Dry Yeast, 3.5C Warm Water. Mix dry ingredients then add the water.. Mix only enough to blend, no kneading, just mix until blended but still sticky. Cover and rest in a cold oven (yes, cold) 8-12 hours (overnight). Note: It will quadruple in size.  Pour onto floured counter, sprinkle flour on top. Shape to circle and no longer sticky. Divide in 2. Put in dish with parchment paper.  Put into cold oven, turn oven to 450F and bake 30 minutes covered then 30 min uncovered.

Because there were two halves, I put one in a stainless bowl with parchment in the oven at 450F and the other in a cast iron dutch oven on top of the woodstove. Turned out the woodstove was too hot (should have used a trivet) and that loaf burned a bit on the bottom, I promptly removed it and put it in the oven with the other half. It ran 15 min behind the other and was 'well done'... but still edible, soft, chewy, crispy and delicious...

After supper I am making another batch. I will bake it first thing so it is ready for breakfast as we are going to Nanaimo tomorrow for a Family Day delayed massage day.

Woodstove loaf - still not too shabby. Underside was much browner.

Oven loaf - given to Stacey -- unwillingly ;)

Birdies are still very much enjoying our bird feeder but I am eagerly awaiting the thaw so they can forage again as they are making a mess of the railing.

Surf & Turf

Steak & Cod cooked to perfection as always on the BBQ

We watched 'Misery' of all movies for Valentines... seemed fitting I suppose after 16 years together. LOL

1 week old Broccoli Microgreens

Remember the microgreens I planted last Tuesday that will be ready to harvest next Tuesday... they are doing fabulous so I moved them to the window. I'll put them on the table overnight though as that window might be cold overnight.

 

A bit of cooking and Liver Spots

While Brad was finishing up his project (Thank God he's done) I have been busying myself with - well, cooking! I'm not what one would call Julia Childs by any stretch and my poor kids lived at home when I had even less culinary skill but I've been having pretty good success.

The other day I saw a couple of videos on FaceBook and thought I'd give them a try...

Zucchini rollup.

Cover cookie sheet with zucchini, cover with beaten eggs and cook 20min at 350F

Coat with cooked ground beef/veg or anything and cheese, cook 20min at 350F again.

Love it!

Again, same idea really.

Omelette Pizza.

Place bread in pan, cover with beaten eggs, bake at 350F for 20 min.

Add toppings of your choice. Bake at 350F for 20 min.

Liver Spots

I finally got around to preparing some liver for dog treats to sell on the online market. When I make them for Robbie we call them Liver Spots so that is the name I went with. My Mother-in-Law isn't convinced the name will fly but I don't really care, if no one buys them there will be more for Robbie.

Haven't heard anything more from Brother Sewing Machines, they are supposed to be sending me the postage label, I assume in an email and not physically, and I'm still waiting. If no word by Tuesday I will contact them again.

Hoping my seeds will arrive on Monday, the app on my phone (Shop) which tracks all my purchases says they will arrive on Wednesday but they were in Victoria on Friday so I fully expect them tomorrow.

Excited to get my seeds cracking, pardon the pun.

We are expecting a BC version of a Polar Vortex, temperatures are expected to get as low as -4C (25F)

so this will be a quiet week around here but with the beginning of Spring, seeds starting and Brad finished his project - I hope to have more to write about and more often.

Groceries and a recipe

Okay so I didn't actually DO the shopping, but for the first time since before C-19 I was feeling well enough to go along for the ride as Brad picked up a few groceries....

Looking closely you can see Brad in a mask waiting in line to enter the grocers (above the green car on the left.)

Sanitizing everything before it goes in to our storage locker

This shop was brought on by His Lordship running out of distilled water for his CPAP so if you have to be in there anyway -- make it worth the effort!

Pandemic dinner: Corned Beef Hash!

In an effort to keep the freezer meats holding, we have been making an effort to alternate between canned meats/beans (proteins) and fresh (frozen) meat - this day it was Corned Beef... Dreaded it but it turned out pretty damn good actually, we both had seconds!

Chop beef into small easy to fry bits

Boil up teensy potatoe pieces (a quicker boil keeps humidity down in RV )

With fresh bell pepper, garlic, onion - whatever I had in the fridge.

Quick fryup and then grubs up!

Really tasty.

Note: Do not add salt as corned beef is highly salty already which the potatoes help to mellow.

Caprese Chicken

Caprese Chicken

Ingredients for 2 servings:

3/4 tsp Olive Oil
2 Chicken Breasts
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tps Pepper
1Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Clove Garlic - minced
6 1/2 Cherry  Tomatoes
1/2 Tbsp Basil - chopped
1 oz Mozzarella Cheese (slice)

- In large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat
- Season chicken with salt & pepper and cook to golden and cooked through ~ 6 min a side. Transfer    to plate.
- Add balsamic vinegar to skillet to deglaze, then add garlic and stir until fragrant, 1 minute.
- Halve tomatoes and season with salt. Add tomatoes to skillet and let simmer until soft, 5-7 min. Stir    in Basil.
- Return chicken to skillet and nestle in tomatoes. Top with mozza and cover with lid to melt cheese.
 - Spoon tomatoes over chicken and serve
 - Serve on top of pasta or rice for complete meal

Nutrition facts per serving:
Calories 137
Carbs 4g
Fat 5.5g
Protein 34g

Indian Chicken

Indian Chicken

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Coriander
1 tsp Onion powder
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Chicken breasts

In ziploc bag, combine cumin, turmeric, coriander, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Slice chicken breasts into bite size pieces, add to ziploc and thoroughly coat with spice mixture.
Heat Olive oil in frying pan over medium heat, add chicken and cook thoroughly. Serve.

Nutrition stats per serving:
328 Calories
3g Carbs
10g Fat
54g Protein

Garlic Scallops

Garlic Scallops

Ingredients for 2 servings:
16 oz Scallops (454g)
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Peppercorn
1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1/8 tsp Paprika
1/4 C Butter
5 Cloves Garlic - minced
1/4 C Parsley
1/2 tsp Zest of Lemon - chopped
1 Tbsp lemon juice

- Pat dry Scallops on paper towels very well before cooking
- Heat large cast iron skillet on medium
- In medium bowl- toss scallops with a drizzle of olive oil or butter, just enough to coat it all over.       Sprinkle them with sea salt, cracked pepper, red pepper flakes and paprika. Toss to coat gently.
- Drizzle a little butter to the hot skillet, just enough to coat the bottom. Add scallops making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and sear for 2 min on each side until nicely golden. (use small spatula to flip them individually)
- Add remaining butter to skillet with scallops and then add garlic. Remove from heat and using spatula push the garlic around to infuse the sauce for about 30 seconds. The heat from the skillet will be enough for the garlic to work its magic on the butter.
- Squeeze half a lemon over the scallops and move skillet around to combine with butter. Sprinkle with minced parsley, lemon zest and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy.

1006 Calories
39.1g Carbs
54.9g Fats
96.2g Proteins

Mongolian Beef

Mongolian Beef

Ingredients for 2 servings:

3/4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Ginger root

1/2 clove Garlic

1 1/2 Tbsp Soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp Water

1 1/2 Tbsp Honey

1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper flakes

4oz Beef flank

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 large Scallion (green onion)

- Heat 2 tsp Olive oil in frying pan over medium heat, add ginger and garlic and saute for 30 seconds; quickly add soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.

- Add honey and red pepper flakes; raise heat and simmer for 3-4 min, until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.

- Slice beef into strips, place in ziploc bag with cornstarch and toss until all strips are evenly coated.

- Heat remaining 2 tbsp Olive oil in frying pan, until its hot but not smoking. Add beef and saute/stirfry for 2 min until it begins to darken around edges, stirring every now and then so that it cooks evenly. Set strips aside and clean the pan.

- Return pan to heat, add meat and simmer for 1 min. Add the sauce and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add the green onions and cook for 1 min further.

- Transfer to plate and serve.

Nutrition stats per serving:

465 Calories

46.5g Carbs

19.8g Fats

27.3g Proteins

Beef with Cumin

Beef with Cumin

Ingredients for 2 servings:

10oz Beef flank

2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Cumin

2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

2 tsp Soy Sauce

2 medium Scallions (Green Onions)

- Cut meat into strips; pat with paper towel to dry

- Mix spices( Garlic powder through Salt)  in ziploc bag; add meat; remove air from bag and squirm spice mixture to cover meat

- Heat Oil in frying pan over medium-high heat

- Stir-fry meat until almost cooked, 3-5 minutes

- Reduce heat. Add Soy Sauce and Scallions

- Cook for a minute or two until scallions are soft. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutrition stats per serving:

330 Calories

6.3g Carbs

19.6g Fats

32.3g Proteins

Mediterranean Chicken

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1/2C Cherry Tomatoes -halved
1/2C Olives -chopped
1.5Tbsp Capers -rinse and drain
1.5Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Chicken Breast -boneless, skinless
2 dash Salt
2 dash Pepper

- Slice olives, rinse capers, and toss together with the tomatoes and 1Tbsp olive oil in bowl.
- Cube chicken, season with salt & pepper to taste.
- Preheat frying pan with 1Tbsp olive oil, add chicken and sear quickly to golden brown
- Flip chicken until almost cooked through ( ~2 min remaining)
- Add tomatoe mixture to skillet and continue cooking until tomatoes have softened. ( ~2 min)

Transfer chicken to plate, spoon tomatoe mixture over the top and serve.

Nutrition stats per serving:
420 Calories
3.95g Carbs
20.5g Fats
54g Proteins

Adding some recipes to the blog

As mentioned previously I have been doing a lot of cooking lately in an attempt to accommodate Brad's less-carb (not carb-less) diet that he started about this time last year. We've been eating very few carbs and I have been using a program online to organize a meal plan and provide a weekly grocery list.

I have decided to post a few exceptionally good recipes which we find delicious and surprisingly simple even in a small RV kitchen. I will add the label 'Recipe' to each one so that they can be found easily in the sidebar of the blog.

This time of year, using the BBQ is a bit difficult but in very short order I will try to adapt them to accommodate BBQ cookers because many of my readers are RVers and RVers love to BBQ... this information will be added as a footnote to each recipe.

Now, it is important to note that I have already adapted these recipes because generally they are for whole meats - ie chicken breast, steaks,etc. For ease in a small kitchen - not to mention to ensure it is cooked through - I generally cut such proteins into cubes as it shortens the cook time (ie propane use). I have had no trouble getting any of the ingredients even on our small little island so everything should be easy to access for everyone.

The biggest problem for an RVer will be the spices, there are a few but typically not too many. With the bulk of the recipes we have settled upon for our dietary needs I would guestimate likely 6-8 spice jars. Fortunately, before we left our house to go on this adventure I added a curtain rod behind the cooker which holds approximately 15 spice jars. There are so very many options for RV spice racks online that I suggest you simply google it if you need to organize something for your particular space.

Once complete, I will put together a weekly meal plan with grocery list. Which, naturally, anyone can switch around each week so that Monday night isn't always meatloaf night for example. :D but the weekly shop list will be the same and this will include lunches...

Keep in mind that our own dietary requirements will be part of this: Brad does not eat cheese (except cooked Mozza) and I cannot eat hard greens (like broccoli stems). I also cannot eat lettuce except romaine so anything calling for iceberg lettuce I just simply use Romaine instead and I would encourage you to edit them yourselves to accommodate your own dietary needs in the same manner -as needed.

I thought about adding a recipe page to the blog but have decided not to as this is not a cooking blog, this is a travel blog and I intend to keep it that way... so the recipes will simply be added as regular posts.

I will post them intermittently between our regularly scheduled (not so much) programming.