Tackle it Tuesday (chicken part 2)

See Putting up chicken part one here

Hello, Today is part two.

Now the stock sat a day...
It is now in this image congealed.
This stock is its own dose of 'glucoseamine conjointant'.
Do not even have to go to the drug store :)
Skim of the fat of the top and set aside.

This is now warmed a bit to be able to handle it.
Not hot just below room temperature.

The work station set up
(again do this before hand)
Time is important for nothing should ever be over 40* for more that 2 hours.

This is and antique ricer.
Go to thrift stores or antique outlets and if your fortunate grab up those good old tools.
They can now be hard to come by.

First remove the broth and strain it.

Setting solids aside.

I recycled (the now popular thing to do :) a cleaned juice container.
Once frozen the paper can just be torn away when your going to use it.
It will be a large cube to melt in a stew pot.
This a way of life many a year now for me.
Use what you have.

As with the lemon juice, I also freeze the chicken broth in cubes.
This is very handi for daily meal preparations.

Tip here.
Remember tho stagger your pot/bowls etc over the crack between stove and counter so you never have to move your stove out after a messy accident.
All of the root veggies were separated into the ricer.
No bones in here.

After an hour I had the bones out of all of the meat.
This is a patient woman's task. It is a task of love.

In the large bowl is only meat and broth.
This is the meat off the bones that were boiled down into the stock.
They were boiled with onions halved and garlic whole, celery root ends and cabbage heals. All the things that "modern"woman throw out in the trash.
As A girl it would have apaouled my elders if ever they saw me do such a thing.

With the veggies in the ricer...

All the flavors so intense and wonderful are pulled out and the solids tossed out.
These can NOT BE COMPOSTED, for there is meat in it.
It must just be tossed in the trash.

With a cleaned strainer I pressed out the broth and had meat seperated ...
This is used in three ways.
One...enchalada meat
Two...the soup to follow
Three...the gravy base to follow

soup jar
enchalada jar
gravey jar
and the liver pate' made before in part one.

Again all within an hour and a half.
Now lets get those tempratures back up or chilled fast.
The enchaladas to be made later.

For now the soup and the chicken giblet gravey
Welcome back in time folks...
This is how my elders would of done this.

The seperated fats earlier that were set aside...well very carfully tack a tablespoon or two of each and place in a hot pan.
HOT PAN COLD OIL
Heat

For gavey
Be ready by having made a slurry of flour and water.
The liver pate' and a slauted spatula

sprinkle dry flour into the oils and broum it.
This happens fast, be ready...

now add some slurry

cook the slurry it will thicken fast...be ready...

add water or broth. I added water for I have the stock
well prepaired and it is a bit concentrated of flavor.

The old school trick to the best gravy.
Add some of the liver pate now and distill it into the liquid by pressing it down into the mix with the sloughtd spatula.
This is the flavor!
I know ,, i know it is gross and yuck and all...
Just trust me
The moto was
Waste not want not.
Also the American Indian had the character of respect for all things living and would not think to toss out something that another had given its life for.

In the soup pot...

While the gravy cooks and you are standing at the stove.
Time to be spent wisely...
In the hot oil add the veggies of root.
cellery onion, and carrot.
When the have sweated out and are ah dente'
Add your slurry (half water and half flour)

Watch the thickening will occure quickly and as it does keep an eye on the gravy
once thickened..

Be ready!
At paste...add the jar of broth and meat.
Stir well...

This is at paste

added are the herbs de France.

Gravy is nice and thick.
I cook with two hands. My time matters to me.
When it pulls away at a stir, add more water a little at a time.
This is gravey for two large family meals.

Soup had more mixed vegies, and noodles, sea salts.
It simmered another good hour or so.
Two meals for home and a meal too take to the Grand parents last Sunday.

While the broth warmed to room temprature the meats that were now
par frozen had to be bagged.

With the plastic wrap they lifted and were easily seperated. See that they do not touch each other on th sheets. Well get all the bags labeled (I used a wax pencle). I used a bag for each of the parts.

These are the tenders made from the breasts. These alone can be us to $9. a pound.
Remember these 4 birds were only $ .57 a pound whole.

Many , many meals represented here.
Two hours time for part two I get paid the big bucks to do this folks...or should I say I refuse (as long as I am able) to pay anyone else our hard earned bucks to do it "half hearted" for me.

Sunday brunch for the family at home.
We had old fasioned fried chicken with the tenders.
The gravy made was simply heated up.
Potatoes were mached and corn served along side.
OH THE SMILES!!!!!

1/3 c flour
paperika
salt and fresh ground peper...

HOT PAN COLD OIL

All the dry ingredients in a baggie.
Shake it baby shake it.

Once chicken is cooked drain on toweling
Now after supper the toweling goes into the pan.
Dish washing is made simple, just wipe out and toss the towel into the trash and run under very rot water.
done.

Well I hope that someone out there has gained a grain of knowledge shared.

Enchaladas...

After I rest a few days!
:)

Marriage Monday

Want this button?

My Friend

There is a friend that sticks closer to me than any brother.
My friend loves me more than any other.
I Love him with a depth that the deepest well could never measure.

The other day after a answer to a hearts desire (a wheel barrow) was found on a curb for free...my friend saw it mattered to me.

He laughed and smiled and asked me "where did that come from?"..
.

I told him of how I had told God I needed one.
I reminded him of when we had spoken of it together just the day before.
He laughed with me in delight.
Now to him it became "MY Treasure".
That made it His treasure too.
The very definition of friendship.
A simple worn tired wheel borrow.

Each night after work he was to be found out in the garage.
The first evening , surprised was I, as he came to me and told of how he had filled the tire.
He told me he had varnished the handles as well...
looking lovingly at me he said..."so they wont be so hard on your hands, honey".
Each day he repeated the task finishing the tin of turpentine cleaning up the brush...
He even made a special stop at lunch to get some more.

One day he made comment to me of concern that it was still possibly going to cause me a splinter.
He was so concerned.

There stands that tool to help my life with the ease it will offer to my back.

My friend...
He would give me the moon.
He could not give me a wheel barrow for budget was not amenable.
So my other friend (God) provided it,
our(God's and mine) friend (my husband ) set it to good working order.

Being friends is caring about what the other needs.
What the other cares about is as important as your own breadth.

Friendship to us is a place of safety.
Intimacy with another where trust runs as pure as a spring in a pristine forest.
We have implicit trust in each other.

When I asked him what our friendship means to him...
It is that trust.
That implicit trust that offers safety here in this realm.
That is the foundation for all the other gifts that grow along side the pure stream trickling through our years together.


Last night as he was cleaning up dung at my request, when asked me...
"would you like me to varnish this shovel handle too?...it looks like it must be hard on your hands too."? Once he offered his help to me...he then saw my needs more clearly.

Then there is that above and beyond...where we look for ways to further give to one another.
This giving is often within the confines of unique love languages.
Sometimes though as friends we step out of our common way of offering love, extending the self into those talents yet explored.
In that friendship grows.
We each grow and set the stage for safety in growth.
To grow , to allow growth and to nurture it.

Oh friendship in marriage is a primary source of growth in humanity.
Without the unity of friendship in marriages the whole of civilization shall tetter.
Within it is the sorce of a secure nation.

Vacation to California in June of 2003

Wow, our last family vacation was 6 years ago!
They have grown so much.
Look at Dove at 5 1/2 !!!!
Oh my goodness!!!!!!!

At that time she loved Snow White and I made her that little dress and cape and head band.
Dove was so excited at the time. Now she is appalled :(

Dash ever handsome. What a cute little boy. He was 2 years old. He has no memory of the trip.

I just can not get over her beauty and innocence.

Her and her Daddy love the "Tea Cups".
Me, NO WAY!

We remember the very best thing she could do that trip was climb every step she could find, over and over.

Glee!
Look at the elder man in the background.
Perfect shot.

He was 45 and I was 41.

That blanket was everywhere with us for a few years after that.
He loved his blankets.

Goodness!

Steve and Dove spent most the time together as Dash and I sat on the side lines.

Oh my dear sweet little boy!

Oh what a fun time we are in store for.
I remarked while we were all reviewing these.
"Oh I was so pretty then"...
Dove said...
"shut it off mom, your still pretty, we'll have non of that talk"!

We also went to sea world and to the beach.

The San Diego Zoo as well.

Oh how fun.
We will get to do the beach too this trip.


These came right up to our table.
It was a special purchase package.
Much too costly to do this time.


This was a time of pure joy!
She was pretty small and just barely made measure to do this.
It was a real treasure to share this dream come true with Dove.
This was planned many months in advance .
Very costly.
No Zoo or Sea World this time.

We will have so much fun!!!!!!!!
That is only 12 days away!
We decided to book now so we could afford to do it.
The kids will only miss 3 days of school, they will still have 3 weeks left of the year to attend after that.
Booking now saved us and easy $500+
Saving and paying off all debt (except the house) was an amazing accomplishment. Although we would love to stay longer and do more we choose to stay within our sound boundary and own our trip and not owe anyone for it.

Oh bless the Lord oh my soul and all that is withing me.!

vacation ahead!

We get to go to Disneyland!!!!!!!!!!!!!
April 17-21!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tickets are purchased and the reservations made!We got a very good deal. Had to take advantage of it before April 30th. I am so excited. Our dear friend will tend to the living creatures and the garden for me. Wow!!!!!!!!!

His light shines award

Thank you Denise from Samaritan Woman
for such a loving gift.

Here is what is said about the recipients of this award.

"These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers.

Deliver this award to a few bloggers who must choose a few more bloggers and include the message.

It does not mean that there are not many of you out there that I love............ sooooooooo just know that each are special to me!

I have a task to do here.:)

As I see it now Debra has a way of charming a soul into humility.
Shorty Bear Denise has a way of stopping all the clatter and refocusing ya into the truth of the matter.

Its Friday :)

The stock is to be tended today. It will be a process...
Stay tuned.

Good Morning!
Check out these beautiful Easter eggs!
I found them at the $1 store 6 for 1.
You know I have used the same little plasic eggs for 20 years or so, with hand me downs from the Grand Parents and replaced.
These are palm sized. The children were Over joyed by them.
They were holding them up and looking through the prism.

NEW SHOE = VERY VERY VERY HAPPY CHILDREN!
THE KIDS WOKE UP AT 6 A.M. TO GET READY FOR SCHOOL.
THEY ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE NEW SHOES FOR SCHOOL.
This is the first time I have purchased high quality treads for the kids.
It was time. Each pair was marked down approximately 20% then the second pair was an additional half price.
It really was fun to go out as a family to find them.
It was sorta spur of the moment.
Each child has needed them, but when we were out last night I saw his shoes were falling apart.
It was time.

Thankful Thrusday

~ Hope

Good Evening…

Well I spent the day running…

I was running from the plague that is threatening my future.

Running from the feelings so overpowering that I was afraid if I stopped they might pounce on me and dilute the wine that I toast as my life.

I am still the living essence that is me.

I am. I am the same person who woke up this morning and loved my husband and children.

I am the same woman who has the little neighbor children flock to my door like geese looking for a fresh water pond.

I am the same soul who lives in the way of kindness.

My future is no different now than it would have been yesterday.

The life that I have is in HIS book far before I even breathed into it.

This threat of Alzheimer's came and tried to choke me.

It tried to wrap around my throat and squeeze.

So I fled, I fled to the place I find him in my role as a wife, mother, homemaker, gardener…all of those role so familiar and fulfilling.

I walked right up to God and told him I was angry!

I faced Him with all the tenacity He endowed me with.

I told Him, “yep…this is probably yet another opportunity for you to be glorified through my life”, but I am angry!

The doctor treated me differently, like his heart was shut off. It is the way we treat those who suffer the things, those indignities in life, or do we?

A dear friend of mine works with Alzheimer patients, and yet another is caring for elders who suffer. So many many people suffer the indignity of a condition that is treated like the Black Death.

I do not want to ever experience that. My friend stands up for the morons who carelessly disregard the sanctity of human life. So am I now called to sound the trumpet?

Once years ago I had a cancer scare that left me for 12 hours thinking I was to have a double mastectomy. …Never looked at this the same way again. I realized the terror of the loss of perceived beauty. The agony of threat, any threat is a very lonely time that draws souls to the knee and into a fear based relationship with God.

I was perfectly comfortable to tell him just what I thought about it:)

Well I out ran it tonight by diving into life all day. I went to a used book store and found a gardening book, ate out at Taco Bell and celebrate my family, talked about a vacation with my husband and then went to several stores to try to find new shes for the kids!!!!! We found some too. The kids are so thrilled.

We are home now a bit out of budget but I am delighted that the kids have good shoes, my belly is filled by another and I gave myself a break. I even started a new blog.

So how do you like it

BEE BLISS GARDENS?????

my new book

I will live every moment. I suggest you do the same.

Rules of warfare

#1 make you opponent think that you do not exist

#2 fire behind the lines so that they escape by running into the weapon.

#3 there is no retreat.

Armored and standing at the ready I am pissed that the attempt is being made, and I will not lay my armor or my sword down.I will not doubt God and run into the Alzheimer's either. I will live this day and the next as it is give to me.As I have this whole life of mine. I have fought for this life. I will not lay it down!!!!!!!! If it be anger to empower my stand than so be it. This to will turn into joy!

My family will live with me and embrace me as I am. For who I am, in weakness and in strength. Humor will be our tender embrace. Like Dash said. "if you ever forget who I am mom I will just say, Hi Donetta ...my name is Dan". Lord I thought it would tear my heart out. Dove said "does that mean your going to forget us or something?"... and I just ripped within my chest. It is out of the bag.The great fear. Spoken out loud and so no secrets. I learned a long time ago...We are only as sick as our secretes. Healing is found in truth. The kids knew something was up when My sweet loving husband came home two hours early to hold me. How sweet he is.

If I do forget you...will you just introduce yourself to me. I am sure I will be glad to meet you.:)

I am stronger to turn and face it now. I will ride the tide and mend my wound. Most of all I will live this life given to me to it's top!

Bee Bliss Gardens

come visit my new organic gardening blog

DNA marker for Alzheimer

Alzheimer marker is said to show a possible 65% increase risk of getting the disease.
It came back positive.
I am just doing my best to deal with this.
Roller coaster ride of emotions.
I will learn more about it as time progresses.
It is not a definitive that I currently have Alzheimer.
It just must be that I get to grow another level of compassion, or receive one?

Consider it all joy when you encounter various trial.
For the testing of your faith produce's patience.
Let patience have its perfect work.

Grace is enough

Well, My test returned regarding the Alzheimer marker. I have an appointment tomorrow at 9 a.m.
Funny it is an annoyance now more than anything. It will be what it is. I am who I am. I will not faint nor will I quiver in my boots.
I am assuming it will tun up nothing. Non conclusive is my guess. I let go. Now I find that most things that tweak in my body are somewhat disregarded. I am just assuming that it is all the stress disorder and my odd body reacting to stress in the way a serviceman POW might. I am whole though. Now more prison bars.
Just the scars left from the time there. I have been tired today and have accomplished several tasks, including ..........the taxes!!!!!!!!!!! ya!
When we recieve our returns we will be very close to our financial goals. With the hope and a promise of a trip. We are also setting aside funds for me to go to the retreat.
Well my darling , (who nightly has been coating the handles of that found wheelbarrow for me so it will be easier on my hands) , well he is showering so I need to go and get some shut eye.
Good night.
Don't mind your prayers a bit. :)
Please also pray for another nephew who is , well who I was awaken in the middle of the night over. The towers are teetering and the foundations crumbling and I am concerned for his life. It is so hard to see these generational things the curse is so wickedly devastating. I called him just to tell him I loved him. Real bad news, real bad feeling I am having about this...