The Apple of My Eye

Getting more into the holiday mode,gathered those to put out front for most welcome guests. Just gets me more in the spirit. Although Woke up to a frosty landscape this morning; almost like a sugar coating. Signs of winter returning

Speaking of harvest, we still havea bumper crop of apples here in the kitchen, just waiting to be used. There’s a great selection of Apple Varieties along with the characteristics and use of each.
For Storage: Handle apples gently to prevent bruising. To maintain quality, juiciness and crispness, store fully ripe apples in the crisper section of your refrigerator. Store them away from onions and other foods with strong odors. Never store them next to broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, or spinach. Apples emit ethylene gas which will speed the ripening of other fruit, so keep them away from kiwi fruit, peaches, plums, pears. and other produce which over-ripen quickly. When stored properly, most apples will keep for about 6 weeks. Today’s.. check out PickYourOwn.org for a guide to U-Pick orchards and pumpkin patches near you.

And to paraphrase, when life, gives you apples… make apple tart.

And while I like to make it year-round, but it’s especially good in fall when fresh apples are at their best.

Apple Tart
Courtesy of cooks.com

INGREDIENTS:

/2 c. butter
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. grated orange rind
1 c. flour
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 (20 oz.) can apple pie filling
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Beat butter, sugar and rind until light and fluffy. Add flour; mix well. Spread dough on bottom and 1-inch high around sides of 10-inch springform pan.

Combine cream cheese, marshmallow cream, eggs and spices, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Stir in pie filling and juice. Spoon over crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and knife inserted near center comes out clean. Loosen tart from rim of pan; cool before removing rim of pan. Top with whipped topping. Makes 12 servings.

Scheduled to go with “Team Cante”r buddy Gaynor to bring Alle back to “Joaniland” for the winter.. We’ll be having Dr Sid, the equine vet do a chiropractic check on em to make sure they’re footloose and fancy free.

After Joanie gave us a brief overview of how the horse and rider are judged and the communication process between horse and rider, we set up a pattern that we each judged each other on. Nancy is by far the most advanced; having been in contention for state Champion. She as is typical of the folks there, is real helpful, so supportive and humble. It was a great lesson, and I got to see again how Alle is teaching me, since she’s so solid. Joanie would have us critique each other asking “what was good”… After my first pattern, I piped in and said “what’s good here is that I have Alle!”

Back at home at Joanieland and her “barn family”. Now if I could ride half as well as them… The journey continues. Rest well, Alle. - also the “apple of my eye”

Go Find Balance

Daniel: I’m just scared. The tournament and everything.
Miyagi: You remember lesson about balance?
Daniel: Yeah.
Miyagi: Lesson not just karate only. Lesson for whole life. Whole life have a balance. Everything be better. Understand?
- Karate Kid

Ah yes.. the continued quest for focus, balance and discovery. I could be talking easily about both horses and our business… and I am.

One of the marks of a great rider is their incredible sense of balance. and the ease at which it seems to come. They do however , spend years of practice perfecting their ability to balance in the saddle. As “dependable Dean” a well known trainer and competitive roper in these parts told me when I first started riding… “it’ll take you about 5 years to feel real comfortable in the saddle”. When the horse zigs they zig, and when the horse zags they zag and manage to stay in the centered, full and upright!

This same balancing ability that is so necessary to horseback riding is as important for success in other areas of your life; like biz. Unless you have taken lessons in running a business you may be like a new rider that takes an untimely tumble with the first sharp turn the horse takes. Ah yes, go find balance.

It seems the nature of the hospitality business is a “jack of all trades”… it isnt about serving muffins. This includes cooking, housekeeping, record and bookkeeping, business marketing, horsekeeping (in our case) with barn and equine maintenance and the list goes on and on…

If your passionate about your business and then you are more likely to find yourself a workaholic. But a success life involves balancing business work with time for family, rest, and fun.

Is your riding off balance?

Signs your off kilter:

• Feeling totally exhausted more than a three days a week.
• Increased irritability and grumpiness over minor issues.
• Getting into a rut — you do certain jobs and start neglecting or avoiding others.
• Lack of any sense of improvement or enjoyment in what you’re doing. The ol’ “why am I doing this?”.

Ah grasshopper, you need take a deep breath and figure out how to go find balance. Start by considering how to divide your twenty four hour day to include work, rest , and just plain fun. We all ahve the same 24 hours, no more no less. . Studies have shown that when balanced, each area improves the other. So if right now you are working too many hours and you add a little play time and rest time your work productivity will actually improve. I’ve experienced this many times myself, though it’s hard to go out and “play” when the “I should be working” tape starts playing

So in the business tack room you need to find balance for

• Marketing - balance the maintaining of current customers to the rounding up of new ones and change direction as needed.
• Maintenance- Housekeeping - buildings, stable, arena, yard, stalls, whatever
• Bookkeeping - learn to do it right or hire someone

and last but not least is… you need
A Plan - Gotta map that journey before you hit the trail. Take the time to climb to the top of the hill and survey your herd. Get an overall picture of where you are and where you want to go and how you are going to get there.. To find success you must travel in the direction of success. What are you doing, what’s your plan, what steps in what direction do you need to take?

However as we all know… “Murphy” tends to stick his neck out just when we least expect it and throw us off balance or our horse as the case may be. My first reaction is “geez what did iI do wrong to cause this”? Some bumps we can navigate around, while others just surprise us. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that it did indeed happen.

I tend to be one If you are one to brush the dirt off and climb right back on the mare. .. more for me than her. While her typical reaction has always been a stare down at me on the ground with an expression of “what are you doing down there“? I’m also aware tha I can be thrown again. Understanding this is crucial to staying on our horses for the entire journey.

The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”
~ A.W. Towzer ~

I think I’ll go get on my high horse and go for a ride.

The Pumpkin Pooch

Lions and tigers and pumpkins, oh my

Anytime Halloween and Thanksgiving  loom, visions of pumpkins are all over the place. Who says you cant have your pumpkin and eat it too? Your full service innkeeper is treating you to two Fish Creek Finds of the day 30 Ways To Eat Pumpkin

And we’ve given the Greenlight to this website with information about organic candy, how to make shrunken apple heads ources for battery-free flashlights and more.

And Ah what a patient pet and running companion I have in Manker. I overslept a bit since I had a bout of wakefulness at about 4 and dozed off just as Gaynor was confirming today’s “Team Canter” tour prior to Alle and Picken’s equine massage.. .**Sigh** these mares live the good life.

What I have found with the equine adventures as well as in “life”, that the courage, strength you feel from a particular ride or workout; doesnt last… you have to constantly recreate it.

But my Manks was ready for outside which first took us down to the greenhouse and garden and I guess he was in the Halloween mode. It was a balmy 38 here which actually did feel toasty. That’s one thing about the weather here, if you can get used to that sudden harsh plunge of temps, then once it goes up ten degrees, you’re feeling great.

Since I was feeling a bit sluggish from lack of sleep, did the perfunctory 4 mile loop up to Don’s down to his arena and back. Felt much better (more mentally I think) but ready to take on the day.

I love pumpkin pancakes. The quintessential comfort and Halloween treat From epicurous
ingredients
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups whole milk
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
4 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Vegetable oil
Maple syrup

Directions

Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Whisk milk, pumpkin, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla in medium bowl to blend well. Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth (batter will be thick). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into batter in 2 additions. Brush large nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Working in batches, pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls into skillet. Cook until bubbles form on surface of pancakes and bottoms are brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with oil between batches. Serve with syrup.

Makes about 12.

Trot on friends, trot on.

Seven in Seven

Evidence that fast food does not have to be unhealthy food. Today’s Fish Creek Find - Amazing 7 Minute Meals”.from Chef Yvonne Stephens

Amazing 7 Minute Meals” teaches the reader how to cook delicious, healthy meals quickly using the stir-fry technique. Stephens’ philosophy is to eat all six nutrients while educating the reader about herbs, spices, hard and soft vegetables, and about the benefits of fresh wholesome food. The stir-fry method results in recipes that are cooked quickly which results in better taste and less destruction of nutrients, and slower digestion. Therefore, one should have fewer cravings, more balance of blood sugar levels, lower risks of cardiovascular diseases, and a healthy way to lose weight. Colorful pictures and step by step instructions life is good.

Author Stephens shows that eating healthy is much faster, easier and cheaper than one might initially think. Lack of time is a primary reason people will eat fast food or a frozen meal. Unfortunately, these are loaded with chemical preservatives, enriched flour and transfats. The good news is that lots of time need not be spent in the kitchen to prepare tasty, nutritious meals.

“Amazing 7 Minute Meals” has all the sections of recipes featuring the most common meats, but also included are sections featuring veggies and desserts. Simply Mushroom Stir Fry caught my attention in the veggie section while Warm Apple Stir Fry in desserts looks to fit in particularly well on a crisp fall day.

There is just so much useful information included that any recipe collection will be better off with this book on its shelf. The recipes are simple and easy to follow, so complicated and hard to find ingredients cannot be an excuse here. This collection is much more than simply a book of recipes. Seven minutes? You have that. Go check it out.

And we can’t forget the canines this week. Manker aka the “B&B dog” is a most loyal pet and will have companions since our guests are bring their pooch with. let’s cook for man’s best friend. Manker loves this Crunchy Meaty Treats recipe. Try this treat on your pooch and see how they will stalk the kitchen while they’re cooking!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup non-fat powdered milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 teaspoon chicken or beef broth
• 1 jar baby food meat (any flavor)

What’s Next:

Go ahead & preheat your oven to 350 F or 175 C.

Combine all ingredients & mix well. Form into a ball.

Roll dough onto a floured surface. Cut out desired shapes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes. Let cool. The treats should be hard and crunchy.

Turn down treats for our canines.

Celebrating Sabbath

The Jewish Sabbath day of rest, called Shabbat in Hebrew, begins on Friday evening and ends on Saturday evening.
Shabbat is the name for the seventh day of the week. The Torah tells us, “Six days you shall work, and the seventh day is Shabbat, for the Lord your God.” (Deut. 5:13)

We anticipate its arrival.

To develop our relationship with God, we need to spend quality time with Him. We need to study His Word, and let His Holy Spirit speak to us through it. We require time to spend in earnest prayer, talking to Him, praising and worshiping Him. We need time to look at nature and reflect on all the wonderful creations that He has made. Just Ask Moses.

“Shabbat is the Jewish tool to make sure we don’t misunderstand our place in the universe.”
Just Ask Moses. In this hectic world with our busy lifestyles it is so easy to get so engrossed in other things that we never have time for God. Some of us may spend a couple of hours of a Saturday morning attending synagogue, but then the hum drum of the rat race catches up with us, and we find ourselves mowing lawns, going to the mall , or off doing other secular activities where God is just not a part of it. We need to be replenished and rested, so that our bodies have time to recuperate.

God gave us His Sabbath day as a blessing to all mankind. A day that we could truly get to know and fellowship with Him, and not have to do any work or labour. A day on which to rest, away from the worries and cares of this world. He also ordained it as a day in remembrance that He is the Creator of Heaven and Earth. The scriptures say, Exo 20:8-11 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it”.

The Bible shows the true spirit of the Sabbath. Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight..” It shows that the Sabbath is a delight. It is a wonderful day and something to look forward to each week.

Shabbat Shalom

Recyling is no longer a flash in the pan

So we’ve gone fishin’ here literally and figuratively. I go to freecycle.org for almost everything now.  It’s written in the innkeeper’s “code of ethics” :)  It saves the planet by recycling household items. You can place unwanted items on their website . Something that would have possibly been thrown out now has a home and will continue to have a home because I will pass it back to freecycle when I have no need for it.  Your wallet will thank you too.

And in another hoo-Rah for recycling… here’s some handy, dandy recycling facts to help you convince the skeptics in your life. (Don’t feel bad, we’ve all got ‘em.) One person’s trash is another’s treasure: Trade not-quite-right holiday gifts at eswapit.com, swapthing.com, or throwplace.com.

Recycling is no longer a “spectator sport”. Git ‘r done

Two of the rewards of rising early at here the thrill of the catch for anglers, the pleasure of fresh-caught trout, and coffee for all. And so it was as we angled  for this mornin’s breakfast . And since we have hunters as “most welcome guests” as we say here… fry up breakfast to put some giddyup in their git along.

Fish Creek Trout Breakfast
4 thick slices bacon
4 8-10 oz. trout, cleaned, heads and tails on
1 cup yellow cornmeal
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil

1. Fry bacon in a large, heavy skillet until brown and crisp, about 15 minutes. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve bacon fat in pan.

2. Rinse fish and dredge in cornmeal. Salt and pepper both sides to taste. Add vegetable oil to the bacon pan. Heat the pan until very hot, then fry fish in oil and fat for about 5 minutes. Carefully turn the fish (a wide, long spatula is ideal for the task), then cook the other side. Shake the pan frequently to ensure that the fish doesn’t stick. Trout should be golden and crisp on the outside, moist and tender inside. (If your pan is too small, cook fish in batches and keep warm in a low oven.) Serve 1 trout per person, garnished with bacon.

This is no flash in the pan.

Get your Deer in Gear

The question was simply put:
“Given that you have a tag, are hunting in the correct unit, have a legal hunting weapon, a knife and optics, boots and the requisite amount of blaze orange, what else do you consider essential to have with you when deer hunting?” It’s a question asked by shooting clinic guests and hunters since hunting season in Montana is in full swing. Gives new meaning to “shot heard ’round the world”

The answers from a mix group of folks, all of whom pack a passion for deer hunting, were mixed.

Read on, and you might find yourself saying, “Why don’t I carry that?”

From: Rand Devlin, Dillon

“Many items quickly come to mind, like survival gear, a drag rope, shooting sticks and a grunt call.

“Assuming you have all hunting items covered, the next most important item to me is a camera to capture the hunt for life. Even the oldest hunting photo can take you back the exact place and time.”

Jesse Bradley, Bismarck

“I have been hunting mule deer in the Elkhorn Mtns for the past tw oyears. A must for me is to carry a handheld GPS. It really gives you confidence when heading down into unfamiliar territory. I feel lost without it.”

David Moss , Whitehall

“Water to wash your deer out after you shoot it, and rubber gloves. Handiwipes to clean up your knife and other things. You don’t want to contaminate. I also have a 21Ž2-gallon jug I fill up with warm water and keep in the back of the pickup to wash things off. If you save the heart and other things, you should have plastic bags.

“Cold-weather gear because you never know. If the weather is nice, you have to have ice and a cooler.

“Also a short-handled saw to split the pelvis bone and a rope to hang it up or drag it with. We like to bring along a kid’s plastic sled. It works great to drag a deer out, especially if there’s snow on ground.

Oh, I almost forgot another important tip from the woman’s perspective - Bring several rolls of the white stuff! We need it.  trust me.. it’ll make your life easier

Now to get yourself in ear… Don’t overlook the importance of studying the many clues left by deer. To improve your luck on white-tailed deer, learn the major types of deer sign, what they look like, where to find them, how to interpret them and what they mean in terms of formulating a hunting strategy.

“The first step is to buy a compact notebook and pen, and a detailed topographic map of your hunting area, as our Dan here says He should know… He’s an NRA instructor and owner of the Fish Creek Gun Club If you’re into technology, this also can be done using a good GPS unit. Those marketed today have many functions useful to the scouting hunter, and it’s simple to become proficient at storing location coordinates of deer and deer sign along with notations that will allow you to return to the exact location.

Whether you use a simple notebook and map or a sophisticated GPS, the most important notations, , are those about sign. The major types for which to watch are droppings, tracks, trails, feed areas, beds, rubs and scrapes. The amount of droppings you see indicate how many deer are using the area, and the freshness indicates whether deer are currently using that area,.

Droppings also can tell you something about the particular deer that left them. For example, extremely large clumps of deer droppings are a sign that a large deer is in the area. Droppings near a thicket might give you an idea where that large deer is living and which direction he is traveling.

“A set of deer tracks can also be telling If a track is dry and eroded, it was made a few days prior. If it’s fresh and well-defined, the track may be only hours old. If you find a very large hoof print, it was probably made by a mature buck. Does often travel in groups, so if you find a single set of tracks, it’s likely the marks are from a buck. It is not a simple matter to learn how to interpret tracks in this manner.  Experience,  however, is usually the best  teacher. The more you study deer tracks, the better you’ll be able to use them to help you when scouting for the best hunting zone.

While it goes without saying, a prime target (pun intended) is to be safe out there.  . The IHEA offers hunters a variety of information about techniques for safe hunting Simply “google” the phrase “hunting safety tips” and a gazillion web sites will come up Nothing like being there up close and in person at a shooting clinic. to get you all uh, fired up.

I hope, whatever method you choose to learn how to be safe, that all of you who hunt always keep safety in the front sight as it were.  It only takes a second of carelessness for an accident to happen. The more armed with info you  are,  the less likely it is that an accident will happen to you. Now that you have some information on what to look for while scouting, the next part is for you to get out there, git ‘r done.. and git ‘r done safely.

Equine Ponderings and Other Insights

Ah the lessons my horses (and life in Montana) continue to teach me. According to wikipedia:

Procrastination is the deferment or avoidance of an action or task to a later time and is often linked to perfectionism.

Okay, who knew me when they wrote this?I ’m always goin’ round and round on that big wheel o’ life. Horsekeeping, housekeeping, horticulture(yup the greenhouse ), innkeeping .. it’s a constant wheel It applies to everything I can think of. Sometimes you’re on top, others in front, sometimes squashed and a few rare times behind pushing it forward but the point is the wheel is always moving and you can’t stay in the same place 100% of the time. I seem to be in a season of running in front right now. But like I said vis a vis Picken’s uncharcteristically calm demeanor as of late, “i’m waiting for it to fall apart like a cheap watch”.

It’s interesting to note some important changes. As I’ve focused on simplifying and finding balance much has changed. I’m spending less time worrying about the little details and perfect to do lists in my head and that’s wonderful. I’m spending more time doing things for me than I used to - even learning how to say no occasionally. But I still struggle to let go of many of the old demons that would rob me. I’m constantly amazed at how hard it is to replace those old files in my computerized brain with new ones. The old files are worry and perfection.
When I get out on my horses.. I am transformed.. My focus is on them , their cues, their well being. Knowing I can do that is so transformational, but also a necessity, lest an unforced dismount be in my future. While I still “free float” and think about what ’s going on in the other stalls of my life… it’s reeeelaxed and new answers and insights unfold.

I’m trying to step back today and find a game plan to answer my question. I’ve got to find some solutions to motivation and goal reaching. Anyone have anything that’s really worked for them? I’m all ears. As I hope the “mare du jour” is since it means she’s listening to me

I am so grateful to G-d that He has brought these great creatures into our lives.

Job 39:19-25
“Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? “Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons. “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword. The powerful horses went out. They were in a hurry to go all over the earth. The angel said, “Go all through the earth!” So they did.

Zen and The Art of Equine Balance

Being around horses transforms people. There’s nothing quite like a horse to cause a person to renew what for me can be best described as my contract with G-d One minute I’m thinking about next weekend’s guests, and the next moment, in the presence of the horse, they’re totally present. Be here now… zen

Now, there are all sorts of spiritual explanations for this, but I like to think it’s because we’re standing next to a creature who can smoosh you with an accidental shift of weight in a “New York minute“.So there you are, and if the horse accidentally stepped on your foot, your bones would be reduced to the consistency of cornmeal, and this animal is listening to you! In fact, they’re usually more than eager to try to figure out what you want them to do.

To really get great performance from your horse, you can’t force these behaviors out of them.You have to find that balance between being firm and being patient. You dont want to get walked on literally and figuratively, though they must know who’s the boss. Almost always, the horse will try his or her best to do what you want – but often, they don’t quite understand our requests. Then, it’s easy to become frustrated with the animals, and you’ll see people getting pretty upset with their horses for ‘misbehaving’.

When a horse starts to buck, or in Picken’s case sometimes the occasion, “crow hop”, my natural and initial reaction is to tense up. We don’t want to get thrown, The body stiffens, and the combination of the equine activity and stiff human is the perfect recipe for bouncing right up and off the back of your mount. Yeehaa! (At least until youcome in for the landing .)that has us off-balance and getting bucked off the back of this horse called Life. The balance can be difficult to find – but it’s not difficult to maintain. In fact, once you get the hang of it, does get easier . All the movement happens naturally, just by relaxing into the flow of things, although there are days when I’m feeling a bit off kilter going out…. at loose ends. Having to be “fully present” with the mare is the perfect medicine.. trust me.

Iit’s almost always because the human half of the equation is over-thinking, getting impatient, or being inconsistent with their cues.I had this experience recently doing a “bushwhacking” trail section of Fortier’s with Patrick… He’s done this section countless times, but each time, it’s a little different, because by the very nature of bushwhacking, that section has no trail. So even the Patrick was a little off direction seeing the fence we should nt have been seeing I’m trotting on Alle following saying to her “follow that horse” with a sense of urgency since your intrepid innkeeper didnt want to lose Patrick. With an animal that can sense the most subtle shifts in body language, you’re effectively having your mind read. There’s no room for trying to pretend you’re not having an emotion.

But all of a sudden, I remembered… my contract with G-d as it were… “G-d has a plan” and all of a sudden… deep breath and I knew all would be okay.. there’s a plan here for us… I could feel myself physically relax more. Before long we came to a clearing which took us yet another trail less traveled and back to Fortier’s … Well done Patrick. Alle was a total partner and what I got most was how easy it is for me when I remember my contract, my G-d.

Life is just like this It’s easy to get bucked. All we have to do is tense up, fight the motion, and pretty soon we’re being jostled all over the placeJust some food for thought. And speaking of which, your intrepid innkeeper has just a recipe to fortify for the next Fortier adventure

Ranch Omelet from grouprecipes

• 1 cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro
• Dash salt
• Dash ground cumin
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno chile peppers, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, , shredded (1 ounce)
• 3/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 recipe Corn-Pepper Relish

Directions

1. In a medium mixing bowl beat egg product, cilantro, salt, and cumin with a whisk or rotary beater until frothy.
2. Coat an unheated 10-inch nonstick skillet with flared sides with cooking spray. Heat skillet over medium heat or until skillet is hot.
3. Pour egg mixture into prepared skillet. Cook, without stirring,until egg mixture begins to set on the bottom and around edge. Run a spatula around edge of skillet, lifting egg mixture so uncooked portion flows underneath. Continue cooking and lifting edges until egg mixture is almost set. Sprinkle with cheese. Top with three-fourths of the spinach and half of the Corn-Pepper Relish.
4. Using the spatula, lift and fold an edge of the omelet partially over filling. Top with remaining spinach and the remaining relish. Cut omelet in half; transfer omelet to warm plates.
5. Corn-Pepper Relish: In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper; 1/4 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed; 2 tablespoons chopped red onion; and 1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

I shall remember my contract with G-d, as Picken came up sore today… What’s His plan? Keep her in prayer though… never hurts. Trot on friends, trot on.

Foiled in the Kitchen No More

Resourceful is as resourceful does… The intrepid innkeeper in her typical “how many ways we can use this” mode has found some all l purpose uses for yes… aluminum foil.

Not all recyclables are created equal. The energy that goes into recycling, the actual amount of a product that can be recycled, and the amount of times a product can be recycled varies greatly. Aluminum foil is a great option for food storage and general kitchen use.

According to Green Options:

Although foil is not made from petroleum, the mining and processing of aluminum is extremely resource intensive. The good news is aluminum foil is 100% recycleable, and recycled aluminum foil uses 95% less energy to produce than foil made from virgin aluminum.

Aluminum foil can be recycled over and over again. You can’t say the same for plastic wrap. So buy recycled aluminum foil and recycle it when you’re done. Foiled not again . Aluminium foil is not only used to wrap food. It can also be used to :

Bake a perfect piecrust

Keep the edges of your homemade pies from burning by covering them with strips of aluminum foil. The foil prevents the edges from getting overdone while the rest of your pie gets perfectly browned.

Create special-shaped cake pans

Make a birthday cake, a Valentine’s Day heart cake, a Christmas tree cake, or whatever shaped cake the occasion may call for. Just form a double thickness of heavy-duty aluminum foil into the desired shape inside a large cake pan.

Soften up brown sugar

To restore your hardened brown sugar to its former powdery glory, chip off a piece, wrap it in aluminum foil, and bake it in the oven at 300°F (150° C) for five minutes.

Decorate a cake

No pastry bag handy? No problem. Form a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil into a tube and fill it with free-flowing frosting. Added bonus and time saver: There’s no pastry bag to clean — simply toss out the foil when you’re done.

Make an extra-large salad bowl

Ah you ‘re in your salad days. You’ve invited half the neighborhood over for dinner, but don’t have a bowl big enough to toss that much salad. Don’t panic. Just line the kitchen sink with aluminum foil and toss away!

Keep rolls and breads warm

Ah, to paraphrase an old Swiss saying, ” bread is not hard, but no bread is hard. Want to lock in the oven-fresh warmth of your homemade rolls or breads for a dinner party or picnic? Before you load up your basket, wrap your freshly baked goods in a napkin and place a layer of aluminum foil underneath. The foil will reflect the heat and keep your bread warm for quite some time.

Toast your own cheese sandwich

Next time you pack for a trip, include a couple of cheese sandwiches wrapped in aluminum foil. That way if you check into a hotel after the kitchen has closed, you won’t have to resort to the cold, overpriced snacks in the mini-bar. Instead, use the hotel-room iron to press both sides of the wrapped sandwich and you’ll have a tasty hot snack. Not bad, huh

Polish your Silver

Is your silverware looking a bit dull these days? Try an ion exchange, a molecular reaction in which aluminum acts as a catalyst. All you have to do is line a pan with a sheet of aluminum foil, fill it with cold water, and add two teaspoons of salt. Drop your tarnished silverware into the solution, let it sit for two to three minutes, then rinse off and dry.

And of course… the recipe for above Autumn Apple for that perfect pie crust your intrepid innkeeper ewas alluding to - adapted from Allrecipes

Makes 6-8 servings

Crust:
2C. all purpose flour
1T. Sugar
1t. salt
1/2 C. ( 1 stick ) butter
1/2 C ice water

Filling :
6 Med apples, sliced thin with skin on
1T. grated lemon peel
3/4 C . sugar
1t. groud cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/4 C all purpose flour
1 12oz raisins

To make crust:
In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and salt. Using pastry blender or 2 forks, cut butter and shortening into flour mixture until it resembles small peas. add ice water, a little at a time, until crust comes together into a rough ball. Remove from bowl. Divide into 2 balls. Cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 min

To prepare filling In large bowl mix together Flour, Lemon peel, Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Craisins . add apples and trun until apples are coated with mixture. Heat oven to 450* F. Place oven rack in lowest setting.

Assemble pie:
Roll out 1 ball of dough into 13-inch circle 1/4 inch thick. Fit dough into 9 inch pie plate.
Trim leaving 1/2 inch of pastry around edges. Fill pie shell with Filling mixture. Roll out remaining ball of dough into 13 inch circle 1/4 inch thick. Lay top crust over filling. Trim and crimp edges. Using Fork, perforate dough in several places.

Bake for 15 min . Reduce heat to 350*F. Bake for 30 to 40 Min, or until pastry’s is golden. Serve warm or cold.

That’s a wrap!