Hello sweetness! Are you feeling like sweetness? I'm not. I'm feeling more like vinegar. Like a ball of anxiety. It's a combination of not enough coffee, impending snow/ice, not feeling prepared and too many things to do today. How about you? What mental state are you finding yourself in this morning? Then there's this nasty rendition of covid going around right now. It seems like nearly everyone I know is sick, including some of my family. In fact, that is why you haven't seen much from me lately. My immediate family and some close friends are suffering with it and I've been quarantined too. That said, my daughters and I were able to get together and do a big day of cooking on Wednesday and that will put a load of new material in the website and YouTube pipeline starting next week. The reviews from those who I gave the food to were all positive. Unfortunately, it will be a bit yet until we are back on the road with Dorks with Sporks. Quarantine is no fun, as you likely know, and many restaurants here are closed or so short staffed, it wouldn't be a fair review right now. Well, enough of that. ON TO THE FOOD! It's a great time of the year for PASTA! (sorry keto New Years dieters - just scan on past this part). If you check out the YouTube channel, you'll see that we posted a "spaghetti dinner for beginners" yesterday after a request from a viewer. In addition, I put my favorite recipe for leftover spaghetti at the end (baked spaghetti). It keeps in the freezer for months and is such a treat on a cold night when you don't feel like fixing dinner! If you want to go down the spaghetti rabbit hole, I'll surely meet you there... We can do homemade spaghetti sauce (it's super easy). I'll show you how to properly cook pasta if you want. Have trouble browning the ground beef right or is it always over cooked and burny tasting? No worries, here's how to brown ground beef for spaghetti. Would you prefer to use a spaghetti squash instead of noodles? I've got you covered. What about a baked Taco Spaghetti? Honestly, that's just the tip of the spaghetti iceberg! There's lots more! Just go over to the Loaves and Dishes website and search for all things spaghetti or pasta related. If you don't find what you want, just click reply to this email and I'll happily answer you! ____________________________ HOT COOKING TIP OF THE WEEK Bone broth is a thing that many of you are interested in and I'll be covering that in an upcoming series. Bone broth and any type of broth really (for a long time I thought, "isn't all broth a bone broth - except vegetable broth?) is a great way to start a soup or other dishes and is good all by itself, but I digress. Here's how I've managed making broths for YEARS (and for free) and I guess it's just an old cooks hack that I learned somewhere along the way. Perhaps it will help you until I get the official "bone broths" out to the world. I have one of those refrigerator freezers that pull out at the bottom of the fridge. In the top sliding drawer, I keep 2 one gallon size zip lock bags labeled "chicken broth ingredients" and "beef broth ingredients" Into these bags, I put all chicken bones (or beef bones), vegetable tops and pieces (like when I cut the top off of a carrot or have carrot peels or the top and root end of an onion or celery tops, etc.). When the bag is full, I drag out my large stock pot and fill it with water to about 3/4 full and add about a tablespoon of salt. Then I drop all of my frozen bits and pieces to the water and bring the water to a simmer. Never let the water boil. Just keep it on a very low simmer so that the bones stay at the bottom. After it has simmered for a few hours, I dip the fluid from the top gently into jars trying not to disturb the veggies and the bones. Then I can those jars. Sometimes, if I have room in the freezer, I put the broth into freezer bags and freeze them. Frozen broth keeps for a good 6 months. Canned broth keeps for at least a year. If you want a super clear broth, then as I said, be very careful dipping the broth from the pot and do not allow the water to boil because this jostles meat and what not from the bones and causes the veggies to separate. Once the broth is simmered adequately, place the whole stock pot in the fridge to cool. Any fats will solidify on top and you can gently spoon those off to get a more clear broth. ___________________________ THREE LITTLE THINGS I try and share a few small things that I'm thankful for here in this space so that hopefully it will remind you to look around and be thankful too. Thankfulness is key to finding happiness. You'll never meet anyone who is truly happy who isn't also grateful for their blessings.
__________________________ A FINAL WORD I keep feeling overwhelmed by the picked over contents at the grocery store. It reminds me that we aren't anywhere near being through this challenge yet. Perhaps you feel that way too? I think the best way for any of us to get through this is to try and be more giving and loving towards friends, neighbors and strangers. Give others a smile, even if it's behind a mask. Say a kind word like, "Hey, how are you today?" and then listen to the answer and comment appropriately. I read something the other day encouraging us to "walk each other home" and giving suggestions for how to do that. Remember when we used to walk each other home out of kindness and to ensure someone else's safety? Yeah, I do too. Let's be more like that, shall we? Till next Friday in your inbox, God willing and the creeks don't rise. Love you, Wendi Jo Unsubscribe | Update your profile | PO Box 82 , Danbury, NC 27016  |
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