Winter Comfort Food

One of the things I love about winter is the comfort food. You know, those dishes your mom or grandma used to make that made everyone just drool at the first smell.

My favorite has to be pot roast with lots of root vegetables and hot bread with melted butter. I have fond memories of my mom making this during the many winters we had in Maryland and Germany. This was one meal that all us kids would fight over to clear the table in order to munch on the last potato or buttered bread.

This is my take on that meal:
1 6-7 lb Beef Roast, cut into 1" cubes
Olive Oil
Steak seasoning
6 Potatoes, cubed
4-6 Carrots, cubed
1 Onion, cubed
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
Water

Toss the pot roast with the oil and steak seasoning - set aside. Place the rest of the ingredients into a slow cooker and season to taste with steak seasoning. Place the pot roast in the cooker and mix. Put in enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. When the meat is fork tender, the dish is done. Serve with hot, buttered bread. Enjoy!






-- Post From My iPhone

Bucket Beef and Vegetable Soup

Today was a lazy day at the homestead, and for the past couple of days I've been craving beef and vegetable soup. Since I didn't have the canned kind, I decided to make my own.

What's up with name you ask? Well, I combined all the ingredients in the pot before putting it on to boil, and it kind of looked like the slop bucket for the pigs. Hence, Bucket Beef and Vegetable Soup!

Here's the recipe:

Beef roast, cubed
6 Potatoes, chopped
1 Onion, chopped
6 Carrots, chopped
1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped
Garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 jar Salsa
1 can Chopped tomatoes
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
2 Tbsp Steak seasoning
1 box Beef broth
Water to cover ingredients

Put all the ingredients in large pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the temperature to simmer. Cook until potatoes are soft. Yum!






-- Post From My iPhone

Schnitzels and Latkes

I grew up in Germany, and I was very lucky to have teachers and family friends that taught us to enjoy all kinds of different foods. Two of my favorites (that don't necessarily go together) are schnitzel and latkes. Both invoke all kinds of fond memories.

The great thing about schnitzels (which are basically boneless flattened veal chops dipped in a breadcrumb covering and fried) and latkes (potato pancakes using shredded potatoes and a few binding ingredients, also fried) is that they are extremely easy to make, and it doesn't cost a lot to make.

First, the schnitzel:

Now, I don't use veal in my schnitzel - only because it's just too expensive. Instead I use a boneless pork chop that I pound flat like this:

Once I've done that I prepare the rest of my dipping stations so the yumminess will get into the fryer fairly quickly (which, by the way, I've already turned on to heat the oil). It looks something like this:

Now, take your pork chop (or if happen upon a good deal, veal) and dip it into the flour:

Go ahead, and give it a good coat. Now dip it in the beaten eggs (nothing else is in here - just eggs):

And finish the dipping with a nice coating of seasoned breadcrumbs (I use pre-made Italian seasoned breadcrumbs, but you can certainly use homemade with your choice of seasonings):

Now you're ready to fry that puppy!

You want a nice golden color on the schnitzel, but don't overcook it. To keep them warm, place them in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit oven on a cooling rack placed in a cookie sheet lined with paper towels.

Next, the latkes, or potato pancakes:

This is one of those recipes that you just eyeball. Grate one potato for every person eating, and place in either cheesecloth or a towel. I personally use a paper towel, and it works great. Then squeeze the bejesus out of it - get all the water out of it that you can. 

Add about 1-2 tablespoons of flour and an egg to the potatoes and mix. Carefully fry these in golf ball sized portions that you flatten before placing in the oil. Again, these should be golden brown when they are ready. Serve immediately with the traditional applesauce or sour cream, or ketchup for those picky eaters.

Well, I hope I've given you a little taste of what it was like growing up in Germany and also given you a fairly easy and low cost meal that is sure to make your family say, "We want Schnitzel! We want Schnitzel!"

Enjoy!

Pet Preparedness

http://ipuppycam.com/blog/tag/emergency/

During Katrina thousands of pets were abandoned by their owners because they weren't prepared to take care of them or couldn't find shelters that would allow them in. 


Our pets are part of our family. My little pup is especially dear to me because he helped me during my recovery from a car accident. He's my constant companion, so I can't imagine him not being with us if we had to evacuate.


So, when the hubby and I were going over our preparedness plans we knew we had to include our dogs. But this doesn't just apply to dogs. If you have cats, turtles, birds - whatever, tailor this plan for what your pet would need if you had to bug out (don't forget carriers!).

Pet Bug Out Kit Item Notes Bug out bag Leash Collar with rabies & contact info Dog food & water dishes 72-hours of water 72-hours of emergency food Dog treats Heartworm & flea/tick medicines Slicker brush Tick scoop Handy little device for removing ticks Coat Paw covers Poop bags Dog toy Blanket Laminated records Laminated contact card Laminated dog CPR card Dog first aid kit Dog first aid book Pet First Aid Kit Item Notes Waterproof Kit Container Write on the container, in indelible ink, the phone numbers for your vet, the closest emergency animal hospital, and poison control hotlines. Also list your own name, address and phone numbers. Animal first aid book, such as "The First Aid Companion For Dogs and Cats" or "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" CPR instructions Essential Vet and Contact Info Prepare and make copies of a list including: Phone number for your vet, the closest emergency animal hospital, and poison control hotlines, your name, address and phone numbers, your emergency contact person's numbers, in case you are incapacitatedy the name, age, breed, sex, identification (such as microchipping information), and any health problems. A copy of your pet vaccination records. Photo of each pet in case it is needed for ID or other purposes. Scissors Tweezers Flat slant tip instead of the rounded variety Sterile needle To remove splinters and tick heads Turkey baster or bulb syringe For flushing wounds, force feeding 10cc syringe with no needle For administering medications Eyedropper Tongue depressor To examine mouth Rubber gloves Nail clippers Comb Rectal thermometer Normal body temperature of dogs and cats is 100.5 to 102.5 F; take your pet's temperature under normal conditions to get a baseline for comparison in case he gets sick or injured. Disposable safety razor For shaving fur from around a wound Towel At least 2 Paper towels Blanket The compact thermal blanket works well; uses include keeping an injured animal from going into shock. Bandanna and/or nylon stocking Many uses, including muzzling or securing a torn earflap. Strips of cloth Dog booties or little socks To cover wounded paws or to protect so you won't need to treat. Flashlight Matches 3x3 sterile gauze pads Rolled gauze For bandaging, stabilizing joints, making a muzzle Adhesive first aid tape In narrow and wide widths Cotton rolled Cotton balls Bandages Including self-clinging or vet wrap and waterproof types Anti-bacterial wipes or pads Q-tips Hot/cold pack Ice pack Hydrogen peroxide 3% USP To induce vomiting and to use on infected wounds; check the expiration date from time to time and keep only fresh solution in your kit. Activated charcoal tablets Effective in absorbing many toxics Betadine solution A type of antiseptic iodine medicine for wounds to deter infection. Antibiotic ointment Such a Neosporin Rubbing alcohol Apply on skin as body cooling agent to aid heat stroke or fever; helps break down oils; acts as a drying agent between toes and skin folds; but do not use on wounds as it can damage skin and is not an appropriate antiseptic. Bag Balm Especially useful for treating paw pads Petroleum jelly Helpful aid for taking temperature Sterile saline eye solution To flush out eye contaminants and wounds Artificial tear gel To lubricate eyes after flushing Eye ointment with no cortisone Epsom salt Mix 1 teaspoon in 2 cups of warm water for drawing out infection and bathing itchy paws and skin Baking soda Good for soothing skin conditions Styptic powder To stop bleeding of torn toenails, etc. Milk of magnesia For stomach upset and certain types of poison ingestion. Pepto Bismol For stomach upset and some types of poison ingestion. Benadryl For bug bites and stings and other allergic reactions. Use plain Benadryl, not the other formulas. Gentle pet sedative such as Rescue Remedy Available at health food and some pet supply stores. Rescue Remedy is a Bach flower essence available in most health food stores. This gentle, natural stress reducing liquid can often help both people and animals recover from injury, fright, illness, travel fatigue and irritation. Put a drop in your water bottle and in their water. To help prevent travel sickness, a common dosage is four drops in the mouth about ten hours before the trip, repeating every four hours as needed. For stressed or injured animals, rub a drop on their ear or put a drop on the towel in their crate or carrier. Flower essences can be used along with conventional medicine. Aspirin For dogs only, 1 tablet per 60 pounds; do not use acetaminophen or ibuprofen; do not give aspirin to cats; since aspirin and other pain relievers can be toxic to any pet, consult your vet and first aid books. Can of soft pet food Can help reduce the effect of a poisoning Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid To clean contaminated skin or sticky substances Muzzle An injured or scared animal may try to bite Treats containing sugar In case the animal experiences hypoglycemic or low glucose episode. Betadine Swab Sticks Panalog A healing cream Nexaban A type of skin glue to glue a wound closed if necessary Penlight To see how the pupils respond to light; in normal animals, pupils decrease in size when exposed to light 5 inch hemostat A clamp for blood vessels to stop bleeding Liquid Ice Offers a good way to treat pet injuries such as sprains, strains, swelling and bruising using cold and compression. The non-dyed, non-adhesive stretch cotton bandage is pre-soaked in a special menthol and alcohol solution. It is lightweight, does not restrict movement, and can be applied easily even to knees. No refrigeration necessary, and cold effects last longer than other cold treatments.