cabbages

I had to add another picture of autumn.  You might see a few more even though we are home now.  Our last full night in North Carolina, we were invited to a potluck type dinner.  We brought cabbages (coleslaw), mushed potatoes, and a pumpkin brownie.  The boys provided snacks, drinks, and bratwurst.  It was yummy.  

My Beloved likes these cabbages so much, he will help.

Cabbages (non-mayo coleslaw)

Note:  If you can make this the night before, the slaw improves with age.

1/2 green cabbage, shredded or julienne

1/2 red cabbage, shredded or julienne

2 to 3 carrots, shredded

1/2 red onion, minced

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste

Mix the cabbages, carrots, and onion in a large bowl.  Mix well.

Put the sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, and pepper in a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Pour over the cabbage mixture.  Mix well.  Refrigerate overnight.

Cabbages.  My Beloved loves these as a snack.  They are pretty fabulous on tostada.  I liked them with the pork chops and the bratwurst.

Cabbages make me smile.

weather coming and pork chops

Weather is coming in here.  I am enjoying it because I will be back in Houston soon.  It is supposed to be raining today and in the 20s tonight.  So far the rain is damp but not buckets which is very nice.  

Yesterday was an interesting day.  The truck had a bad bearing in the right front and spent most of the day at the shop, Singleton's Automotive in Canton, NC.  If you ever need a mechnic in that part of the world, go there!  I am supposed to go back and visit if we are ever back in the area.

With the weather coming in, I really wanted comfort food.  Pork chops and rice.  I grew up with (and so did my Beloved) pork chops cooked in Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup.  That really is not an option any more.  I created my own.

Pork Chops and Mushrooms

Note:  Ingredients are per pork chop.  You do not have to increase one to one if you increase the number of pork chops unless you wish or you REALLY like mushrooms.  Like my Beloved does.

1 pork chop We go the thick cut and no bone

olive oil

6 crimini mushrooms, minced

2 shitake mushrooms, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 small onion, minced

1 to 2 cups hempmilk or other milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat.  Add the olive oil and heat.  Add the onions and saute until brown.  Add the mushrooms.  Saute until brown. Add the garlic.  Add the pork chop and brown on one side.  Salt with a 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  When brown, turn the chop to the other side and brown.  Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pepper.

When brown, add the milk.  Bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cover.  Cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until the pork chop is cooked through.  You can do this in a preheated 350 degree oven too.  Just make sure all the pans and lids are ovenproof.

The gravy will have browned up from the juices of the pork chop and the pan leavings.  Depending on the milk you are using, it may thicken as well.

I served the pork chop and mushrooms with rice.  This is my plate.  My Beloved's plate had many more mushrooms on it.  He likes the fungus.

driving and sewing

I was a bit antsy yesterday so after my Beloved's class we went for a drive.  We drove across Great Smoky National Park.

As we drove into the park, we saw elk.  We have another elk story but that is Montana at 3.00 am, includes a local and the interstate and I am not going to tell it here.  These elk were just grazing.

And then there were the colors.

Everything was so pretty.

We were snowed on by leaves as we drove through.

I really like the Park much better then the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Just so pretty and so many differences in the same drive.

I have been doing a bit of sewing.  I have to admit that I am missing my normal, everyday tools.  Especially my treadle sewing machine, work table, and spinning wheel.

But I got a new linen dress made.  It is very red.  I will see how I like it.  There is a lot of sewing that I have not gotten posted yet.  Hopefully, soon.

rambles and gluten free vegan chocolate chip peanut butter cookies

I am going to post some of the pictures from our rambles this weekend because I so enjoyed the colors.  

We were at the North Carolina Arboretum and it is a beautiful place.

I really enjoyed our rambles there.

This was outside our trailer this morning.

And this is what I have been doing in the mornings.  Writing letters.  Drinking tea.  Reading.  Cleaning.  It is not a bad way to spend the morning.

My Beloved and I worked on his course work last night.  He was bouncing ideas off of me and using my drafting skills.  It was fun to work together.  And our plumbing is fixed.  There is a fabulous North Carolina mobile RV repair person, Joey Fountain.  If you ever need somebody in the Asheville area, he is the person to call.

But I have been wanting cookies.  We got the most fabulous peanut butter from the grocery store we found here so I decided to use it for a cookie.  Both  my Beloved and myself had to restrain ourselves from eating all of these at one sitting!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies (vegan and gluten free)

1/2 cup oil (I used olive, it was what I had)

1/2 cup peanut butter (old fashioned, stirred)

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup brown sugar or 3/4 cup white sugar and 2 tablespoons molasses (the darker the molasses, the more you will taste it)

50 grams almond or amaranth flour

50 grams teff flour

50 grams sorghum flour

65 grams arrowroot flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup chocolate chips (make sure gluten free and vegan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Mix the oil and peanut butter together.  Add the sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  Add all the flours, soda, cream of tartar, and salt.  The dough my be crumbly.  Add the chocolate chips.

See.  Crumbly dough.

Take a teaspoon and smash it into a ball.  Place on a baking sheet covered with a silpat or parchament paper.  Bake for 10 to 13 minutes.  Let cool for ten minutes before removing from the baking sheet.  

These will not spread, so if you want flat cookies, you are going to need to take a glass and use the bottom to press them down.  I would dreg the bottom of the glass in sugar so the cookies do not stick.

My suggestion is to hide them if you do not wish to eat them right away!

Note:  I had someone come back to me who said that this made them want to go to the arboretum.  She has a lovely list of arboretums to go if you are ever interested:  55 Arboretums Everyone Should Put On Their Bucketlist.  I think may be missing some nice ones but this is a very good starting place.  

slowing down.

It has been freezing at night while we have been here.  I find it starts out chilly in the monring and then warms up as the day goes on.  This was from Saturday morning which was a busy day.

We started the day with going to the Guild show for the handcrafters of the Southern Highlands.  There was nothing that was just "I have to have this," but there were lots of ideas.  I saw quilts I liked but they were similar to what I make.  The prices surprised me.  I am not as crazy as I may think about what I think one of my baby quilts is worth.  My Beloved got lots of ideas!  We happened across information for SAFF.  It is a fiber fair that was being held the same weekend. 

Since I spin and have been having a hard time finding fiber I like, we decided to go.  I did not take pictures of the vendors but believe me when I say there were lots of ideas.  I came home with fiber and a new spindle.  I will show pictures of the fiber when I start spinning.  I was told that this fair was better then the Maryland fair for fiber.  Maryland had a better tool selection, even though I fell in love with a spinning wheel that was between four and five feet tall.

But then there were the animals.

My Beloved loved the sheep with two sets of horns.

He and this Romney bonded. 

This was my favorite sheep even though he would not raise his head for a picture.  It is an Icelandic sheep, male, and for sale.  If I had room and did not live in Texas.... sigh....

My Beloved also liked the sheep that had dreds over their eyes.  I did not catch the breed on that one either.

Then there were llamas.

And alpacas.

We ended the day quietly.

I wrote letters as my Beloved and I talked.  It was a lovely day.