I’m grateful I can vote, and I feel confident it will be counted fairly. I’m not worried today, bc I think it will be close. Meaning really neither side can do much, and election 2024 will likely be the telling of how this congress acts or doesn’t act. I’m not feeling a red wave, but dreaming of a blue wave with lots of whales on a sunny AZ day to keep myself from stressing. lol
Costco has a great price for roasted Chickens, and I save the carcass with a little of the meat to throw in a huge pot for soup makings. Having a bulb of roasted garlic, I throw in half of it mashed into the pot with 8 cups of stock (chicken, vegetable, or homemade). Two pealed and coarsely chopped parsnips, one rutabaga, and one turnip to boil.
Sautéed in my cast iron pan is one onion sliced thinly, 4 coarsely cut carrots, 3 chopped celery stalks, 1 poblano pepper . When soft and translucent, add spices: 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, handful of dried fresh herbs thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and red pepper. For the few minutes the spices begin to smell real good, add a pealed, grated fresh apple. Then, toss it all into the chicken pot.
BOIL at least an hour. Longer only makes it tastier. Enjoy on these cold winter evenings with a crusty piece of bread.
Pre-Soak Dried Fruit
1 and 1/4th cups golden raisins
1 and 1/4th cups dark raisins
2 cups unsweetened dried fruit ( I used dried apricots and marjoram oranges)
1 cup dried unsweetened figs, chopped
1 cup dried unsweetened cherries
3/4th cup dried unsweetened prunes (I didn’t have prunes so I used double the figs)
3/4th cups dark rum
1/4th cup Orange liquor
SOAK all of the above for at least 24 hours, and up to a week in the rum and liquor.
Cake:
In a small bowl COMBINE:
1 1/2 cup of pastry flour
1/2 teas. baking powder
1 teas. ground cinnamon
1 teas. ground ginger
1/4 teas. nutmeg
1 teas. salt
In a larger mixing bowl BEAT until fluffy:
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
3/4th cups light brown sugar
5 eggs
Then ADD:
1 Tablespoon each of orange zest and lemon zest grated fresh from the fruit
1/2 cup of pure orange juice
1 pealed and grated green apple
3/4th cup slivered almonds (or pecans)
3 Tablespoons of thinly sliced dried crystallized ginger.
and the pre-soaked fruit mixture and the small bowl of flour mixture
STIR well
Put into 2 loaf pans that have been lightly greased and covered in parchment paper
BAKE 300 for 1 hour and half
WHEN completely cooled:
soak cheesecloth in Sherry or Triple sec, wring out, and wrap bread, and then cover in wax paper. Store at room temperature for a month if using right away, or tuck away in the freezer for the Holidays, to bring out a little at a time.
If you’re like me, you like to bake in advance and have things ready for guest when they pop in over the Holiday. THIS is one of my favorites.
Ms.Cindy@wildsproutsblog 