Robin Birds Video & 1880 Steamed Brown Bread Recipe and My Homemade Minestrone Soup with Meatloaf

Finally the rain has stopped, but it's due to begin again tonight. We've been raining for like 11 or 12 days off and on. It's a mess out there. We've had some pretty crazy storms. I was glad for the partial sunny day yesterday, although today is no sun at all. We are so spoiled in California with all our sun. But this time of year, we go weeks without the sun, but sometimes in January we be very cold and have gorgeous sunny days.

Here is a another video I took of some Robins, I tell you I have to stalk the birds to get video's of them. Bird watching is a tricky thing, you have to be very quiet or they will quckly fly away.

Steve put together the cabinet for me Wednesday. Because of the storms we've had, all the furniture I ordered came late. The Cabinet had to be assembled. My room is a mess right now, so photos of my craft room will be forthcoming as I try to organize this room now. I am about two thirds of the way done. I am so far very happy with the way things are fitting in the cabinet and I even had room to fit extra things in there, so that way the room looks really neat without a bookcase that become very sloppy looking.

I just got back from taking our two dogs, Edie and Effie to the vet's. In order for the dogs to get their heartworm meds they have to take a test each year, that cost $39.50. Why so expensive for this yearly test I always wonder? my total vet bill for the hearworm test, and Edie's Rabies shot, plus she gets a pre-med for vaccine reactions, because both her and Effie have bad reactions to the shots and they had a nail trim, so my vet bill was $129.80, which was cheaper then September's bill, so I guess I shouldn't complain.

I made some homemade Ministrone Soup and some Steamed Brown Bread from a 1880 recipe first found in cookbook called Miss Parloa's New Cook Book of 1880.

It was really good bread and the soup was good too. I made up my own recipe for the soup. I can tell you what I put in there, but I don't have exact measurements.

Here is the photos for the Minestrone Soup and Steamed Brown Bread followed by the recipe.

In the 1880's they used 16 oz. vegetable cans, that seemed yucky to me so I used a bunt cake pan

similar to this one sold at Macy's.

I put the bunt pan in a steamer and added water only up to the top of where the bunt pan would end.

I just used a vegetable and pasta steamer. Is there any other kind? I'm not sure.

Here is what the uncooked bread looks like in the bunt pan after the pan was greased and floured.

After you get the batter in the pan you cover the pan with foil.

Now you put the foil covered bunt cake pan back in the steamer, I had it originally in the steamer to be sure it fit and I could get it back out.

Here is what the Brown Bread looks like after it has been steamed.

Here is the brown bread all finished and ready to eat!

Another photo of the bread ready to eat.

Recipe for the Steamed Brown Bread follows from Miss Parloa's New Cook Book of 1880.

2 cups buttermilk-if you don't have buttermilk take 2 tablespoons of the milk out after measuring the milk and add 2 tablespoons vinegar this will curdle and sour the milk.

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup raisins

3/4 cup light or dark Molasses (I use Grandma's)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Grease and flour bunt pan or if you prefer you can use four 16 ounce vegetables cans (41/4 x 3 inches) or 7-inch tube pan or like me I used a bunt cake pan. I'm not sure if a tube pan is the same as a bunt pan or not? I would think a tube pan was shaped like a tube.

Beat all ingredients in a large mixer bowl on low speed, scraping bowl constantly, 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl constantly 30 seconds. Fill cans or pan 2/3 full. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Place cans on rack in Dutch oven or steamer; pour boiling water into steamer to level of rack. Cover steamer. Keep water boiling over low heat or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. About 3 hours, mine took about 1 hour and half. (Add boiling water during steaming if necessary.) Immediately unmold bread.

*If you are using self rising flour, decrease baking soda to 1 teaspoons and omit salt.

If you prefer to bake the bread, bake it at 325 F. Pour batter into greased 2-quart round casserole. Bake 1 hour.

Kat's Minestrone Soup

1/2 head of cabbage chopped

1 red onion chopped

1 cup celery

1 carrot sliced

1 cup of cooked shell macaroni

1 can chopped canned tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce, small or large

1 can garbanzo beans or great white northern beans

4 cups water

5 beef bullion cubes

pepper

I added leftover crumbled meatloaf, yes meatloaf and my husband loved this soup because it was in there!

Have a great Friday and wonderful weekend! ~Kat

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

The more I read about Martin Luther King, the more I like him. I like to do a lot of reading in the evening or work on a stitching craft of some sort. I was just a young child when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, so I never really knew much about him. When I was in school he was not in text books yet either. So I read about him whenever I get the opportunity, but also I love hearing from his family on TV when they talk about him, since they knew him best.

Here is one of his quotes below.....

Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. ~Martin Luther King Jr.

Another

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. ~Martin Luther King Jr.

This weekend on Saturday I started cross stitching Nature's Alphabet, by Bucilla. It's counted cross stitch. I will be done with this in a million years. LOL! well okay not that long.... but doing it just a bit each evening will take me awhile. After you're done stitching you add little charms. When I am done with this cross stitch project, I want to do Holly Hobbie
Holly And The Suitor Counted Cross Stitch Kit. Since I want to do the Holly Hobbie cross stitch as well, I will be sure to work on the Nature's Alphabet like crazy in the evenings.
Holly Hobbie was very popular when I was a young. I remember the figurines were being sold at Hallmark, sadly I don't have any. So I can cross stitch her and that will remind me of her once again.
Check out my Finished Cross Stitch, these were all gifts I made for others, click here. I have tons more to photograph. I have been a avid cross stitcher & beader for a long time. I also have done plenty of crochet.

Today I took my mom for her birthday lunch, it was late, since her birthday was December 31. We went to On The Border, a Mexican Restaurant. Back when it was her birthday just after the Holidays, Steve was really sick, so I just met her for some coffee and gave her a birthday card and gift and then promised her a birthday lunch.
I was so worried about Steve that day that I rushed home to make sure he was okay. He had a really bad flu. Thankfully he is doing fine and it was not long lasting.


I am about to do a Craft Room Make-Over, that will accommodate my computer, sewing machine and beading desk & all my supplies, fabrics and what nots. I just purchased a huge storage cabinet, chair and corner end table for my TV. Finally I will be able to get my craft room that I have wanted all my life. A complete room that is dedicated to all my favorite things,.
I can move everything into one room and store it all nice and neat too. I will get the delivery on Wednesday which is suppose to rain the hardest of course.
Here is some photos of the furniture.

I will be sure to take before and after photos of my craft room. It's going to be quite a change. I am so excited! Have a wonderful Tuesday! ~Kat

Little Finch & Handmade Jewelry

Wow this week sure went by so fast. Here I made a little video today trying to capture video of cute little Finch birds, every time I try to capture them for video they fly away but today one stayed for a second or two. So sweet! I took the video with my Flip Camcorder again. Turned out so great, just wish it was longer. Will try again soon, but it's suppose to rain all the way until next Friday! Eeeks!

I've been told these little birds are the American Gold Finch. I get a lot of them because of this tree and bush we have in our yard called Crepe Myrtle. They feed off these bushes and trees we have just about all year long. I never have to put bird seed out for them. They are so happy feeding off the bush, especially winter and spring. During the summer, spring and fall the Hummingbird feeds off this bush and tree. We have four bushes and four trees in our backyard. I believe the varieties of of Crape Myrtle's we have are, Basham's Party Pink, Baton Rouge, Biloxi and Byer's White. But there are so many varieties I would have to take a closer look to be appositely sure.

Both the Finch and Hummingbirds are among my favorites.


It's a cute little bird don't you think? Well onto other things like Jewelry! LOL! Here is a bracelet that I made it's a pet charm bracelet not for your pet but for you. It's made with pink Grade A Cat's Eye beads, but you can have it in two colors of blue, purple and green.

http://krystalkats.com/jewels/index.php?item=348 Go ahead and click on the link and see the photo larger and read more about this bracelet. Also available in a Breast Cancer style with a pink or silver ribbon.

It would be a cute Valentine Bracelet as well with a cute little heart charm added to it.

Here is darling pair of earrings thta would be so cute with this bracelet, although I put it at my Artfire Gallery.

I will try to add it to Krystal Kat's soon!

Be sure to check out the jewelry and my video! have a great weekend. ~Kat

Another Recipe Apple and Pear Applesauce Yummy!

Good evening! Happy Monday!

Last night I made some homemade pear & applesauce. It's really yummy and you should give it a try. I made it up one day with fruit that was going to go bad. So I decided well pears and apples would make a good applesauce. It was so good I decided to make it again and this time I canned it. The trick is to let the fruit set out until it gets soft, about 3 to 5 days after purchasing it.



Here is the recipe;
2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 Fuji Apples with skins removed and cut into slices or junks
4 Bartlett Pears with skins removed and cut into slices or junks
4 Red Pears with skins removed and cut into slices or junks
few drop of lemon juice
Also be sure to remove the cores from each pear and apple.
Altogether you will need 12 pieces of fruit, if you want more apple taste use more apples then pears, or an even amount of apples to the pears.
Makes 4 16 oz jars. (I used the Ball Collection Elite Jars, the one photographed on the right).

Add all the fruit to a pot, then add 2 cups of water, 1 1/2 cups sugar and cook until apples and pears are really soft, then use a potato masher and mash the apples and pears into a sauce, it will be a bit chunky, but that is the good part. It's a slightly chunky Pear & Applesauce.

I used the water bath canning technique to can me Pear & Applesauce. Here are some directions, it's not hard. But be sure to read it very well for food safety reasons. If you don't have the supplies such as jars and a water bath canner you will have to make a small investment in supplies. It's worth it, you can make homemade jellies and jams and can your own fruit and veggies you grow in your own yard or on your own property, or perhaps fruit that is given to you from friends or family that grow their own.

More information about canning can be found on Ball and Simply Canning.

Have a wonderful week! ~Kat

Snow Days with the Family and Dogs & Flip Camera

On January 2, my husband, daughter and me went to Emigrant Gap, Sierra Mountains in California to play in the snow with our two dogs, Edie our Chihuahua and Effie our Chorkie, that’s half Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier. After playing in the snow awhile we stopped in Auburn close to home and had lunch at Marie Callender's for salad bar and pie. Yummy!

I didn't think our dog Effie the Chorkie would like the snow at all she hates getting her paws wet, but she loved the snow. Edie our Chihuahua usually loves all things when it comes to going on trips, but hated the snow. So at the end of the movie I am talking to Edie about the snow and she looks pathetic. Almost like she is saying get me out of here. But Effie our black and red dog is chasing snow balls, which I am very surprised about, because she hates getting her paws wet. Anyway we had a great family day. Even though this is not all my family it was still fun.

Again I took this video with my new Flip Camera, I can’t tell you enough how much I love this thing……



Have yourself a lovely Friday evening!
~Kat

Love My New Flip Video Camcorder!

Wow! I just love the new Flip Camcorder in HD. It takes fantastic little videos up to 2 hours worth or so and it's so clear and the price is just right and so tiny you can put it in your pocket and pull it out in an instant. LOVE that feature.

Here is the video I made of my Swarovski Crystal Suncatchers. Check it out!
My Crystal Suncatcher Video

Happy Friday!

~Kat