Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts

I just found this fabulous recipe at The Pioneer Woman Cooks and had to share. In addition, The Pioneer Woman cracks me up; she is a hoot.

Until next time, God bless.

The Tonic

You are probably wondering just what in the world is THAT in the jar. It is "The Tonic." Some 20 years ago I got the recipe at a meeting of the Austin Herb Society. I have no idea where they got the recipe but I wrote it down. I'm a compulsive note taker and almost never throw the notes away which is how I found the recipe several weeks ago while organizing my old spiral note books.

The ingredients are: 1 cup each of fresh, grated horseradish, chopped fresh ginger root, chopped onion, chopped garlic pods, and about 1/8 of a cup of cayenne pepper. Pour a quart bottle of unpasteurized, apple cider vinegar over the ingredients (Bragg's is best).

Place where sun can get to it a good part of the day, shake one minute every day. Let it infuse for at least two weeks, but three or four weeks is fine. Strain the solids through cheese cloth and bottle the tonic. Take a tablespoon every day. If you feel a cold coming on, take 2 or 3 tablespoons throughout the day. A mild salad dressing can be made with the strained solids by pouring a second bottle of vinegar over them, shake once a day for about two weeks, strain. Viola! You are good to go on your salads.

A quick run down on the ingredients:

Garlic - has antibiotic and antiviral properties.

Horseradish - contains a high concentration of glucosinotates which have shown to increase the liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogens.

Onions - high in Vitamin C and offers same benefits of garlic.

Ginger - aids in digestion, has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

Cayenne - aid in blood circulation and digestion, contains Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Certified Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar - antibacterial and antiviral properties, high in enzymes and potassium, helps to relieve arthritis stiffness, and may aid in normalizing weight.

It takes several days to get use to the heat of the cayenne; the first few tablespoons sort of takes your head off, at least that is my experience. Of course, if allergic to any of the ingredients or if on meds that might conflict, don't take it. However, in another couple of weeks, hubby and I will be taking it. :D

Until next time, God bless.

Spring in the Texas Hill Country

Having been born and reared in Houston where it is green year around, it took a while for me to truly appreciate the Texas Hill Country. Spring is the most beautiful time here because as summer progresses the landscape slowly turns brown since rain days are weeks and weeks apart. And, the white caliche reflecs the sun back up on you. Texas Hill Country is not a desert, but it is an acquired appreciation if you come from an area that has a lot of rain and stays green even in winter. :D

I decided, though, to capture this loveliest time in the Hill Country when I got sidetracked by Luc wanting me to throw his ball.

Luc's ball bounced into this patch of horehound. Horehound patches are very dense so I walked over to help him find it when I heard the bees. And much to my surprise, I realized horehound has the teeniest blossoms. I'd never noticed because usually I run over it with the riding mower. Ok, I'm kind of heartless at times.

Horehound is an herb and was used in the past in a syrup for chest colds and coughs, asthma, indigestion, and applied externally on minor abrasions and skin rashes.

I think the above is a nightshade, notice the five yellow stamens. It is also known as belladonna. The foliage and berries are very toxic. It has a long history of usage in cosmetics, medicine, poison and was used as a surgery anesthetic before the Middle Ages. I cannot help but wonder how many people made it through the surgery knowing what we know now. I read where several wives of Roman and assorted emperors were acquainted with this plant. :D However, see the agarita next to it? Those leaves are dagger points.

Agarita, though, has the sweetest smelling, yellow flowers in February and early March. By late April, red berries are on the bushes. Early Texans placed an umbrella or sheet under the agarita bush and shook the bush to gather the berries for jelly. Some people still make agarita berry jelly. I'm not one of them; but if I ever have an opportunity to try it, I would.

The above is called antelope horn milkweed which is a food for the monarch butterfly caterpillar. Bees seem to really like it, too, because there were usually two or three on each flower. I could only capture a photo with one bee; they would fly away before my ever-slow Coolpix would snap.

I think milkweed blooms are interestingly beautiful but can be poisonous to cattle and humans.

I do not know the name of the two wild flowers above but both brighten the landscape.

Here is mullein which has been a valued medicinal herb since antiquity. The leaves were used to treat wounds, sprains, were smoked to relive coughs and to treat lung diseases. The dried flower stalks were used as tapers to start a fire.

The above is wild lantana, but the foliage is poisonous to animals -- news to me -- which means I need to remove it from the house side of the yard fence. I can't have either of my two dogs munching on the leaves. I do get a cheery lift when I see the flowers.

Some people call the above johnny jump-ups and others call it a day lily. I like johnny jump-ups; it kind of makes my heart sing when I hear or say the name. Just a few drops of rain brings these babies into bloom. Even though we have had over 10 inches of rain this year, we still have not recovered from the dreadful drought last year. You can tell by the cracks in the ground that we still need rain. I bought some grass seed today to see if we can improve on our lawn which died last year because we only had about 11 1/2 inches of rain for the entire year!

This is a flower on a catalpa tree. Fishermen love this tree because it attracts the catalpa worm, a favorite food with fish. :D

Last, but not least, is the prickly pear cactus blooms. Aren't they magnificent? It has been a food staple in Mexico for centuries and is gaining popularity here as an exotic food. Hmmmm, maybe I should become a prickly pear cactus farmer! We have no shortage of prickly pear around here. After the bloom, a pear like fruit appears -- covered with thinner-than-hair spines, I might add. Jellies are made from the fruit. Again, one of those things I haven't tried, but if I ran across a jar, I'd probably buy it. :D

Where are the bluebonnets, you ask? I've only seen a few along side the road; I think last year's drought may have had some effect on them for this year. However, I have a few pictures taken in 2006. Unfortunately, the photos do not do justice to the magnificence in looking over a field of bluebonnets. The beauty takes your breath away, but give your imagination some freedom when looking at these pics. (Sorry if I mislead you because the prickly pear cactus was not last as stated.)

Until next time, God bless.

Herb and Veggie Garden. . . and so it begins

The more I research herbs and the health benefits, the more motivated I am to start a garden . . . again. Due to minor, but painful, physical limitations, I put off doing one until I saw the Backyard Botanical Garden at Sam's. After doing an Internet search, we bought one Saturday, March 28, our 29th wedding anniversary. :D It is not romantic; but, hey, we will be so much healthier after this thing gets going when I start using fresh herbs and veggie right off the plant.

Isn't it neat? It has 20" high, self-contained garden beds, made of cedar, has an automatic irrigation system, a trellis,and screens above the beds to keep out critters. However, we have deer which can jump over anything up to about 5 feet, and there is also Maggie, the adopted dog. Maggie jumps back and forth over the couch, so I'm not sure the plantings will be protected since she has determined all plants except for roses are intruders. We may have to get one of those 6 foot, chain-link fence dog runs from Tractor Supply to surround the garden. One step at a time, though.

Home, at last, and ready to unload the boxes.

Amazingly, the boxes were easy to unload even though each weighed 160 pounds. We maneuvered them off the truck and placed them next to where the garden is to be assembled. We hoped that we would not have to level the area; yet upon closer inspection, we decided to get some fill and level. Tuesday is D day to pick up the fill except for one small inconvenience .....a little red light appeared on the truck's dash telling us "check engine." :D The truck is with the mechanic. Hopefully, there is no major problem, and the truck will be back in working order to pick up the fill. If not, Thursday is the alternative D day.

Here is a link to the Backyard Botanical Blog which is most helpful. It has a shopping list as well as a planting guide. We are going to substitute the bagged garden soil listed with a garden soil from Geo Growers of Austin. They "make" dirt. :D I love to use organic products.

I'll keep you posted as we go along.

Until next time, God bless.

Pizza Tonight, Veggie that is

If you like veggie pizza, give this one a try because I get compliments all the time when I bring it to pot luck gatherings. Hubby loves it too.

1 pizza crust,thick or thin, your preference

Pizza sauce

Shredded cheese, combo cheddar and mozzarella

I use the following order when adding ingredients. I do not measure the toppings but spread it around until the crust can hold no more. The toppings will cook down some.

chopped red onion
chopped green pepper
sliced zucchini squash
broccoli floret pieces
artichokes

Spanish olives
ripe olives
sliced grape tomatoes
8 oz package of mushrooms, sliced
Top again with cheese

Just before adding the last cheese topping.

Place in the oven at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted; veggies stay a little crunchy. When the pizza comes out of the oven, run a pizza cutter over it.

Additional toppings:

red pepper flakes
grated Parmesan cheese
parsley sprigs- full of antioxidants and settles the stomach

Voila! Hot out of the oven, sliced and ready to eat! Enjoy.

Until next time, God bless.

Which Herbs Go With Which Foods?

I was browsing through some of my cookbooks when I ran across The Con-
gressional Club Cookbook, copyrighted 1961. The book is from my mother's cookbook collection. The foreword is from Jacqueline Kennedy -- kind of neat, isn't it?

It is fun to read old cookbooks which offer all kinds of advice from cookery terms, to protocols, to herb usage, to recipes for removing stains and for making ink and for making lye soap. One old cookbook -- not the Congressional Club Cookbook, of course -- has a section entitled "Sum Old Cures."

The more we learn about herbs the more we realize their health benefits. I use a few herbs on my own and when listed in recipes but am quite hesitant to branch out without specific directions. It is time to change that. So, here is a chart from the The Congressional Club Cookbook, and even though this is a 1961 edition, the information is still good:

Basil with: tomato, fish and egg dishes, in ground meats, with calves' liver and fricassees of poultry, in salad dressing, spaghetti, eggplant, peas, beans, turnips and onions.

Caraway with: cottage cheese, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, sauerkraut, turnips, in vegetable stock, breads, appetizers with or without cheese.

Chives with: all onion-seasoned recipes, as a substitute. Add just before serving. (I sauteed chives like chopped onions and always wondered why my dish looked so crummy.)

Dill with: shrimp, fish sauces, potato salad, beans or cucumbers with sour cream, pickles. Use either green or seed.

Oregano with: lamb, all fowl, stuffings, lentils, broccoli, spaghetti, and hot Mexican dishes.

Rosemary with: soups, spinach souffle, roast beef, pork, veal and chicken stews, peas.

Sage with: salt fish, pork dishes, stuffings for goose, poultry, or duck, in cream or cottage cheese. Use sparingly in all instances.

Sweet Marjoram with: omelets, eggs and cream cheese, chopped meats and sausages, roast chicken, lamb, pork, spinach, squash, tomatoes, mushrooms, potatoes, cabbage, slaw, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green salads.

Tarragon with: fish, chicken, egg and tomato dishes, cream or butter sauces, salad dressings, ham, boiled meats, mushrooms, peas, pot greens, cabbage, celery root, in green salads and aspics.

Thyme with: cheeses, aspics, onions, clam chowders, sparingly with chopped meats, stews, fricassees, stuffings, peas, carrots, and onions.

Make a copy of this chart for quick reference when cooking. Who knows, we might become world-class cooks after a little more experience cooking with herbs . . . hmmm, at least our families might think so. lol

Until next time, God bless.