Baby Ben's Visit

Ben is here to see us for the weekend. His parents came along too. Grandma and Grandpa are both in Grandparent's heaven. He spent some time outside with Grandpa at the burn pile and after all that fresh air he's sleeping like a baby.

Fall on Cougar Creek Road

I've been busy since we got back from Kalispell. Band practice was great. George was here with his steel guitar. The band is starting to jell on some of the songs.

I made Baby Ben some applesauce and I am now finished with the 2009 canning/preserving season! Yesterday I spent part of the day putting away all the canning stuff. What a gardening season. It's unbelievable how much produce we had, tomatoes, corn, carrots, onions, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, lettuce, cukes, and GREEN BEANS.

The firewood supply was getting low so Jon and I moved six wheelbarrows of wood to the basement. Jon always makes sure we have enough firewood. We went for our walk and then I spread Columbine seeds in three flower beds. Melissa had saved the seed for me. It's a really pretty yellow and red blossom. I checked the Hens and Chicks she gave me last spring and it looks like at least 4 of them are growing.

It's going to be another beautiful sunny fall day. The last one for a while as they say we are going to get rain tomorrow. Time for another cup of coffee and check the fire.

Halloween

We drove to Kalispell to visit JP and Melissa and Collin and Rylee. We ate some good food and had a good visit. I got lots of grandkid hugs and snuggles. The kids drew designs for their Jack O' lantern faces and JP ane Melissa cut them out. They turned out really scary! Rylee's costume was a devil and Collin was an alien. They are both getting so tall. I think Collin is taller than JP was at that age. Another basketball player!

Jon and I went down to the shop to help Travis and Cindy cut up and wrap elk meat. Rod and Angus came to help. Angus and Rob can cut up an elk in no time at all. They are both very good with a knife. Jon was in charge of the grinder and Cindy and I wrapped. It took us about 5 hours to finish the project. Travis gave us some elk burger. It makes the best chili and spaghetti sauce.



I finished canning the apple pie filling, a total of 22 quarts. Next on the list is applesauce and maybe some spiced apple rings. We had a little snow yesterday but today is one of those foggy, rainy, cold, damp days. Tomorrow we get to see JP and Melissa and the grandkids.

Kazak Plov

mmmm. Tonight I made Plov. I think it is actually a Uzbek recipe which is made with leg of lamb cut in stew size pieces. It is simmered longer to tenderize the lamb. They also slice the top off a whole garlic bulb and add the bulb to the mixture. Some recipes add cumin or turmeric to the dish. This is an easier version and quick to make. It is delicious! Kazak comfort food.


Plov

1/4 c.veg. oil (or oil that can stand high heat)
2-3 gloves minced garlic
1 1/2 c. onion, thinly sliced
1 pound ground lamb
1 1/2 c. julienned carrots
2 cups long grained white rice
4 hot cups water
1-2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
ground pepper

Heat oil, saute' onion slices, add garlic and lamb. Stir until lamb is cooked. Add seasoning. Add the carrots and saute' for a couple of min. Sprinkle the rice over the top of the mixture. With a spoon handle, make a hole in the center of the mixture and slowly pour water into the hole, covering rice. Cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer approx. 25 min. until rice is done.