A Thing Of Horror

Dear Readers,

Prepare yourselves.

The thing I am about to show you will Shock and Horrify.

And if it doesn't, you belong in a mental institution.

I was browsing the pattern catalogs at our local fabric store.

I picked up a Burda Style catalog.

On my way to the costume section in the back of the magazine, I flipped past the maternity section.

And saw-

That.

o.O

How to Roast Whole Chicken on a Grill & Earn Your Dessert: Impossible Coconut Pie!

Roasted chicken is a favorite...especially on the grill!  

Yesterday, I had the chance to shop at Whole Foods, I love that place.  It's kind of a big deal because we don't have anything like it in WY.  We load a cooler in the car, stock up on organic beef, chicken and fish and dash home.  Yes, I know...it's not a cheap endeavor, but I see it as an investment.  

Anyhooo, back to roasted chicken...

Quite simply, organic chicken rocks and it's not outrageously priced, even at Whole Foods.  If you haven't tried organic chicken, you're in for a HUGE surprise.  It's tastes SO much better than the industrial chicken that we find in our large chain markets!  I strongly urge you to consider organic.




These are the seasonings I like to use, the small crocks hold kosher salt and coarse black pepper.  The fresh herbs are rosemary, greek oregano and thyme...mmmm.

When I cook outside, I use a Big Green Egg which is a large ceramic cooker that can be used as a grill, oven or smoker, we love it and highly recommend one!


If you don't have a ceramic cooker, no problem.  Just make sure you have a grill that you can regulate.  A good thermometer would help immensely.  

Part of the fun of cooking outdoors is the nature factor, this little beauty stopped by to see what was for dinner.








Now that the grill is steady at 350 degrees, it's time to prep the chicken.

Prop the cavity open with a plastic spoon, and sprinkle the cavity with Costco's Organic No-Salt Seasoning (good stuff), salt and pepper too.

Now it's time to fill the cavity with flavor! Rough chopped onion, and sprigs of fresh herbs: rosemary, thyme and greek oregano.  This step is strictly for flavor, don't eat it.

Season the outside of the chicken as well by first, rubbing it with olive oil and liberally sprinkling all purpose seasoning, salt and pepper until chicken is covered with it.

Now it's time to cook!
I take the easy way out and put the chicken on as is.  You could tie the legs together but it's just fine if you lose a few onions to the grill. 








When roasting chicken, cook at 350 - 15 minutes per pound.
To make dinner even easier?  Grill some veggies and some good crusty bread while you're at it!




Such an easy and tasty meal for a summer evening!

Who wants dessert??

From the moment I saw this...

...on Pinterest of course, I've been slightly obsessed.  I love coconut cream pie and make a dang good one but, it's a lot of work for a summer day.  Along comes Julie, of The Family Kitchen with the answer to quickie coconut pie using Bisquick.  But it gets better, a recipe for "homemade" Bisquick...with butter...too!  I was sunk.





However, not all was twinkly, starry wonder in the Camp Wander kitchen as you can see.  Next time, I'll use a bigger pie plate!


In fact, next time I'll double the recipe and use a 9 X 13 baking dish.


Learn from my mistakes, that's why I'm here, to make you feel superior :)

Truthfully, I'm just as excited about the DIY Bisquick recipe as I am about the coconut pie!

Recipe:


2  C flour
1  t. baking powder
1  t. sugar
1/2  t. salt
1  stick of butter 


Combine all ingredients, cut in the butter with a food processor or a pastry cutter and store in the freezer.


I love this!










This pie is so dang easy...

1/2  C. sugar

1/2  C. homemade Bisquick
4  eggs
1/4  C. butter, melted
2  C. milk
1/2  t. vanilla
3/4  C. coconut shreds

Mix all ingredients together by hand and pour into a 12" pie plate that has been greased with spray or butter.  Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.

Pretty simple, very delicious and soul satisfying even if you lose some to the bottom of the oven.

Bon Appetit!

Rebecca

Daybook 11

Outside my window- It's overcast and windy, but this morning the sun was out.

I am thinking about- I ache ALL over... Yesterday and today I worked with Dad and my brothers- roofing. Today I feel like an old lady. Or Sophie from "Howl's Moving Castle". But that's pretty much the same thing. :D

From the kitchen- I made a marinade for the meat we're having for supper.

I am creating- Does roofing count as creativity? 'Cause that's what I've been doing the last two days.

I am reading- I'm waiting for a the next "Kane Chronicles" book to get picked up from the library...

I am hearing- Amanda's playing "Moon River" on the piano. So pretty. :)

I am planning- S'pose I should work on supper soon....

I am wearing- A black dress. I came home from work and decided I needed to put on something pretty. My working clothes aren't exactly glamorous. :D

My hair is- Braided, and coiled into a low bun.

Around the house- We're babysitting my niece and nephew while my brother and sister-in-law are gone for their anniversary.

Will Work for Leftovers

1,000 unemployed worms arrive with an appetite and a resume'

Welcome to Science Tuesday!

(6th Grade Science Required)

This is where it all began.  The Tale of Two Composters, which begs the question...

If I have a Worm Tower AND a DIY Kitchen Scrap Composter, couldn't I combine the two?

(This is where that 6th grade summer science class comes in handy)

I pondered this question for awhile, read some barn burner worm articles then, I went with my instincts because they rarely fail me...usually. *ahem*  And after all, who doesn't want more worm castings?

I decided to give the composter/worm bin experiment a go.  I ordered 1,000 red wrigglers (champion composting worms) from Amazon.

These are NOT my hands.

I had to rework a few things first though.  I pulled my composter up out of the ground and emptied it.  I had 7 inches of layered kitchen scraps and dirt and, 2 earthworms...who were  pretty peeved.  And then I began to make their bed...

What I did differently now that I was making a home for worms was fairly simple.  I placed an inch thick flat rock between the bottom of the hole and the bucket for air flow.  Next, I made a bed of damp peat.  I tore up strips of newspaper then soaked them in water, wrung the paper out until just damp and placed a 6 in. layer of damp shredded newspaper on top of the peat.

The peat and the newspaper create an insulated bed or nest for the worms.  Once you have these in place you can add the worms to the composter, the fun part!

When the worms have disappeared into the bedding, it's time to add your compostables.  In my case, it took and hour for the worms to dive down into their bedding.

Come and get it!

Is it odd that I find this exciting?  I could hardly wait to add the worms and the leftovers.  However, I've held my breath for 2 weeks now, not knowing if my experiment was going to prove successful but, there's a lot of action going on under the lid, I believe we're in business!

Before setting the lid on, I like to cover the diner with several layers of damp newspaper as an added layer of insulation.

If you're going to make your own composter/worm bin, be sure to source back to the original post of the DIY Kitchen Scrap Composter to see how to prepare the galvanized garbage can.  It's very important!

Let me just say I still like the Worm Tower premise, it's what prompted me to consider these changes to the Kitchen Scrap Composter.  It made sense to speed up the composting process by adding worms, I only hope I can keep up with the ravenous wrigglers.

Experiment and Explore!

Rebecca

Rose Petal & Mint Body Scrub

Beautiful!

I'm a happy camper, I found the perfect blend of ingredients that will soften my wizened and weathered WY skin.  Too descriptive?  Sorry, I'm just being honest!  But, after my rose petal and mint treatment, things are lookin up! (don't ask).

Changing subject...

For all of you fortunate gardeners with roses in bloom, pick your most fragrant rose and put it to use in a jar with these ingredients.  You will wear the most satisfied, silly grin on your face, I promise!

These are the ingredients I chose but, you can mix up your oils and scents as you wish...keep the rose petals though, they're so lovely in a body scrub.  Thanks to The Beauty Department for the inspiration, great blog btw!

Mint!

The formula is easy, just look at your jar and think 1/3's.  One third coconut oil (coconut oil is perfection in my opinion, moisturizing and antibacterial but an incredible oil to eat and cook with as well).  1/3 rose petals (I add 2 T finely chopped mint too) and 1/3 sugar to which you will add oil to slowly in the end...I'll show you.

Fill your jar with coconut oil, to one third of the jar.


Add rose petals either from your garden or the grocery store...we beggars can't be choosers.

I crammed rose petals in the jar, pushed them down into the coconut oil using no grace at all.  I want a big rose petal presence in my scrub!  I sprinkled mint at this stage too.

It's so pretty!

Add sugar, refined, organic or raw.  I like a finer scrub so I added plain old refined sugar.  

Note:  If you're worried about applying a non-organic sugar to your body, remember that coconut oil is antibacterial...so even store bought roses are safer when combined with coconut oil.

Time to add the oil.  I love, love coconut oil and olive oil together so this is the combo I chose.  You can use almond, jojoba, avocado, grapeseed oils too.  Just personal preference here.

Give the oil time to seep into the sugar and rose petals and continue to add more oil until the sugar is saturated.  See the air bubble coming up through the oil?  This is good!

Just plain lovely!  Of course, rose petal and mint scrub is a completely amazing gift to give someone.  When giving as a gift, I like the above presentation.  Explain that when ready to use, mash the roses down into the coconut oil and mix it up.  The roses will break down further and release even more scent!  

It's still lovely all mixed together...and incredibly luscious on your skin.  

Roses are red

Violets are blue

My dry skin

Is lookin sexy now!

Have fun feeling fantastic!

Rebecca

Manure Tea Meets Smart Water

Are you in the mood for a time saver?  I have just the thing for you, assuming you love manure tea.

As you can see, I have a lot of backyard to plant, fertilize, water and weed.  Three different levels and one, mind you, ONE hose.  A royal pain!  This is how my 30 gal Smart Water garbage cans came to be and this is how I use them to water and fertilize simultaneously and organically.

I have two, 30 gal garbage cans filled with Smart Water (please see original post for more information on Smart Water) and one, 20 gal garbage can filled with manure tea in the brewing stage (bag of manure soaking at the bottom).  A good system, but it needed some streamlining.


I now brew manure tea directly in the Smart Water cans for a shorter period, producing a weaker tea that I can use daily.  I still brew a more concentrated tea to spray on plants and lawn with a hose sprayer attachment but, on a less often basis.

My Smart Water just got Smarter!

For everyday watering, manure tea should be brewed weak, it should look like weak iced tea.  Please see the original Sweet Manure Tea post for brewing details.

Remember, manure tea is rich in fast acting nutrients, strengthens plants and feeds the soil.  It can also be poured on compost to speed up decomposition.  It's benefits are priceless when it comes to the health of your soil, where it all begins.  

Consider passing some around to friends and family, show them that they can garden smarter too.  It's not a crazy fad, manure tea has been used to fertilize crops and gardens for generations but, somewhere along the way we turned to commercially produced chemicals and lost sight of the basics.


Smarter water is chlorine free and full of organic goodness that won't harm your plants, soil or anything beneficial that resides in your soil.  And it's pretty darn economical too, like FREE.  Every time I use Smarter water, I'm enriching the soil and genuinely feeding my plants.  It's getting more and more difficult for me to resort to hose water!


Once again, if you haven't read the original posts for Sweet Manure Tea and Smart Water, please do so... you'll have the whole picture and a lot more information!

Rebecca

June 5, 6, 7 & 8

June 5- Dishes

I found several pretty dishes (for free!) at a thrift store. 

When I get my own kitchen I want all the dishes to be like these- bright and cheery. :)

June 6- Bird

Outside my window...

June 7- Daisy

Sunshine + Daises. :)

June 8- Strawberry

The wild strawberries are ripening.