The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I've been thinking really really hard about what I want for Christmas and my birthday.  Mostly for the sake of my mom.  Nick says he's bought me my birthday/Christmas pressie in the form of a plane ticket home.  But my mom, she has Kris Kringle Syndrome.  She HAS to buy things for her kids.  It is really nice, but if I don't figure out what to ask for... she'll waste her money on something that I might not be crazy about.  Not that she has bad taste, just that I am really really picky.  


So I've been racking my brain about this for awhile and I can't think of anything.  I suppose I need generic work clothes, but sometimes only getting clothes is a little boring.  The only other thing that keeps popping into my head is that I would really like a pet chicken.  Well actually two.  (They are rather social creatures afterall...)  

Via

In my opinion, chickens would truly be the gift that keeps on giving.  Forget "___ of the month" clubs, hens can lay like 250 eggs a year, which would mean I would have plenty for baking and making quiches.  I'd probably never have a moment where I'd need to run to the neighbors for an egg, I could just pop into the backyard and say "Heyyyy Ladies!!!" and they would cluck politely and show me how they made a cute little egg for me.  I would rest assured knowing these hens had a cruelty free life because hello I would be raising them.  (Though in fairness my biggest dilemma is how to get Heidi to coexist peacefully with birds.  I'm not sure if this is possible.)  

Via

I spent some time researching different breeds of hen - Did you know that some breeds are better for eating, while others are better for laying, and some just look cool - like show chickens.  People seriously show them, like a dog show but a chicken show.  Also some are feistier than others.  I'd pretty much decided that I wanted a good layer, nothing too feisty and maybe one that lays those chic little blue/green Easter egg types.  But then I discovered The British Hen Welfare Trust which rehomes commercial laying hens.  Doesn't that sound perfect?  Giving a laying hen a better future for Christmas?  Better than ending up as Christmas dinner don't you think?

My boy Jamie Oliver with some rehomed hens.  

Anyways, Mom, if you are reading this... 

I would like one of these neato chicken coops for Christmas from Omlet.    

Also, Mom, if you are reading this, Nick says please don't actually buy me this.  He's not convinced of the merits of chicken keeping like I am, particularly when I keep telling him I want to move back stateside.  But, between you and me, friends, when we buy our next house - it will have a massive garden and I WILL have chickens.  Quote me.  You're all invited for egg salad sandwiches when I realize this dream. 


Anyways I need to know, bloggers, what's on your Christmas list?  Maybe I will put together a little master list so we can help each other think of the most awesome presents/gifts.  Be honest.  I seriously need help this year.    



ps.  Before you think I'm a spoiled brat please know that I'm really very thankful that I am in a place in my life where deciding what to put on my Christmas list is a major dilemma.  
pps.  I would just like to note that I start a new job on Monday and am super pumped about it. 
ppps.  Check out this huge list of egg dishes on Wikipedia.  Who knew?

The First Year : Gardening Lessons Learned

As the end of the growing season is upon us, I just wanted to take a minute to say how awesome growing stuff is.  I honestly can't tell you how much I love it.  Well actually I love it so much that I have decided to make it my plan B in life.  If all else fails (and maybe even if all else doesn't fail) I am going to go to school for organic farming or horticulture and create an organic cooking school/retreat on a farm.  I know I told you that already.  Whatever.  It will be freaking awesome.  You can all pay me and I'll let you come.

Also I just wanted to recap some things I have learned in my first year of growing... for all of our benefits.

• Most importantly, plants WANT to grow.  It's not that hard, if you water them and give them sunlight they grow.  I don't know why before I started gardening I thought it was this big complicated mystery.  Here's a secret: it's not.
• Follow the instructutions on the seed pack.  This may seem like a "duh" but sometimes I would plant things too late and then they wouldn't really work out.
• Tomatillos are rock stars in the garden.
• Everything that is from a warmer environment than here should have been grown in the green house; ie: eggplant, cucumber, peppers, etc.
• lettuce and radish give you instant gardening gratification... and by instant I mean like a month.
• Potatoes are really easy and taste 100 times better fresh from the soil.  
• Don't dump water on seedlings, just mist them with a spray bottle.  
• Grow bags are not all they're cracked up to be.
• And finally, grow things you would want to eat!  

And here is what I am looking forward to in my quest for food self sustainability:

• Ducks and chickens... but especially ducks.  They're much cuter than chickens don't you think?  Chickens give me the creeps a little.
• Growing Jerusalem artichokes - most underrated and totally delicious vegetable ever.
• Planting fruit trees
• An asparagus patch : it takes a few years to get these started, so we have to wait for our forever home to invest in this.  
• A pumpkin patch : Pumpkins are my favorite and they keep for months in the pantry.  I have a few pumpkin recipes in mind for this month so hopefully I will get around to posting them.  I know I have been neglecting the blog - especially the recipes bit.  

Do you guys have any good growing tips?  

The Taste of Tomatillo Success

Guess what......

My hard work has finally paid off because last weekend I made the most delicious enchiladas with tomatillo salsa ever.  Like seriously, I got mad at Nick because he pretty much inhaled them, and I wanted him to savor them since I have been growing the damn things since the beginning of the year!  How delicious do they look though... 

Ok a little messy I'll admit but I think I could eat homemade enchiladas every day of my life.

Here's the recipe I concocted for the Enchilada Sauce : 

Ingredients

• 1 can of crushed tomatoes.
• Diced fresh tomatoes, (equal to about a cans worth)
• I'm sure you could use two cans instead, but I had fresh on hand.
• 1/4 cup of diced onion
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil 
• Chipotle powder
• onion and garlic spice blend

Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, and oil to a wide skillet, and simmer until the water has boiled off and it's begun to thicken, about a half hour.  Let it cool a bit and pour into a blender, puree until smooth and season with Chipotle powder, salt, pepper, and extra onion and garlic spice blends.  The chipotle powder really adds an amazing smokiness to the sauce.  I highly recommend not skipping that step!

Meanwhile while my enchilada sauce was simmering away, I made this simple tomatillo salsa:

Ingredients : 

• 1 pound of tomatillos
• 1 onion diced
• salt

I boiled my tomatillos for about 10 minutes, then popped them in the blender to puree with the onion and salt to taste.  This recipe was definitely simple and effective, which I think is good for tasting your produce, but I think with my next harvest (which is currently waiting for me in the fridge) I will roast the tomatillos rather than boiling.  But either way the salsa was still delicious!

Next I sauteed a bunch of mushrooms and peppers to fill my generic Old El Paso corn tortillas with (hey I can't make everything from scratch!).  I smothered these with my smokey enchilada sauce and grated a heart attack inducing amount of cheddar cheese on the top, and popped in a hot oven to melt and get nice and crusty while I made a simple guacamole.  (2 ripe avacados, some lime juice and salt.).  And before I knew it I had this in front of me...

It was absolute perfection.  

Best meal of the year.  

Go make these for yourself.  

You'll thank me later.  

I love gardening.

Do you love gardening?

Are my garden posts the most boring ever?

Actually I love gardening so much I have been thinking a lot about screwing vet school and starting an Organic Farm / Vegetarian cooking school.  

Where fabulous people could come and cook for a week at a time.  

Like a relaxing cooking vacation.  We could do yoga and ride horses in the morning and then pick our food and then cook.  Would you come?

The First Feast

This is me.  Holding zucchini like a creep. 

A happy creep.  Finally all our hard work has paid off. 

Actually its not that hard.  It's pretty easy.  All the little seeds needed was a bit of love and water.  

And this is Heidi.  Looking at me like I'm crazy.  

I've had requests for her to feature more on the blog (hi beans) so here she is.   

Can you believe we have a patio under all those weeds she's standing in?

Ugh, our vegetables get all our attention ...

Anyways we picked the two biggest ones today.

And we dug up enough potatoes for two.  

And took cliche dirty potatoes in our hands pictures.

And this is what I made with them.  I sliced the zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds, placed them in a non stick grill pan over medium high heat, and grated some good Parmesan over the top.  When they got nice and melty I flipped them over and did the same on the other side.  So they had a good crust.  I tossed them into a spinach salad with a bit of balsamic and olive oil, walnuts and salt.

I made a tangy mint sauce for the potatoes.  While they were boiling I chopped an onion up and cooked it in some olive oil until it got translucent.  They I added some boiling water and a few large handfuls of finely chopped mint (also homegrown from seed) to the pan.  I let it simmer down and reduce before adding salt and lemon juice.  It tastes kind of like that mint chutney you get at Indian restaurants.  Sooooo good.  

Everything was absolutely delicious. I kept wondering whether the food just tasted better because I grew it myself, or if it was actually better.  I think it was actually better.  The potatoes were much sweeter, and the zucchini had the best texture.  I don't know how to explain it.  Just go plant some things.  and water them.  And watch them grow.  And eat them.  It is the best feeling ever.  

In other news : We took Heidi to check out an obedience class Monday.  We start in 2 weeks.  I'm scared shes going to be the class dunce....  I don't think I'll ever be ready for parenting. 

I went to Leeds with my friend on Wednesday night and saw Bright Eyes.  It was some really deep shit.  I've been feeling a little emo since then.  

I got a Groupon for osteopathy a few weeks ago and it has been awesome.  But Friday he did something called Applied Kinesiology on me.  Anyone done it?  It was weird.  He put a magnet on my stomach and then put test tubes of different things in it and apparently he can diagnose me from how my muscles reacted to the test tubes.  So apparently I have a fungus in my intestines and I need to take nettle root pills.  This fungus is making me eat sugar too.  So that's cool.  I can blame the fact I just ate a brownie on a fungus and not on my lack of willpower.  Also according to him I am NOT gluten intolerant.  Hooray... except why do I feel so shit after eating it?  But he says I am sensitive to chocolate, sugar, and alcohol.  Balls.  

Victory Garden

Hi Friends,

Gardening is this new hobby I have.  And I'm so addicted.  I feel like a loser but actually I think gardening is in right now.  So maybe I'm one of those hipster kind of losers.  hell yes.  Goal in life fulfilled.  Anyways I don't really care about pretty flowers, they're beautiful and everything, but they seem so vain and fickle.  We have a few in the front yard and I tend to let them die.  My adoration goes almost entirely to my utilitarian kitchen garden.  What can I say.... lately when I'm not eating food I'm trying to grow it.  Check it out...

My strawberries were doing really well until Amy came for the week and we didn't water them.  Oops.  There are still a few hangers on but I doubt they'll amount to much.

Being from the Midwest I just gotta grow corn....

 as Nick would quote the infamous Kid Rock, 

"Skinny Models, you can keep those!  I like big corn fed Midwestern ho's."

Heres the window box herb garden plus a little salad.

Here's a view of the whole shebang.  

Tomatoes, tomatillos, cucumbers, corn, eggplant, zucchini, peppers.  

There are some potatoes, radishes, and spinach just outside of view as well.

I'm currently trying to decide whether to pick and stuff these zucchini flowers with some cheese and fry them... or let them grow to proper zucchini size.

Here's another view of the set up.  

It's dog proof.  

Heidi loves the organic fertilizer, which wasn't working out for my plants.  

So I made Nick build a fence.  Ahhh husbands are so useful sometimes.

Oh and here are my little tomatillos.  I know I shouldn't have favorites, but I am dying to make salsa verde and no one in England knows what a tomatillo even is so it's really important these are a success.  Seriously the only salsa they have here is mild Old El Paso.  Bleh.  Sorry but it just doesn't cut it.  

I just can't wait to make my own!

In other food news, this week is Sheffield Food Week, and today Nick and I had a nice lunch in a pop up restaurant but I found two black curly hairs in my food.  Which was pretty unfortunate, but at least they comped the bill and I could see a man with an afro making my food because seriously who knows where that could have come from!  Also tomorrow night we are going to a food foraging lecture, which I'm super excited for!  Foraged food recipes to follow.

We also attended our first scuba diving class last week, which was cool.  We got a great deal on Groupon.  Does anyone have a scuba certification?  We are trying to decide which certification to go with.... like the one where you can go it alone or the one where you still need a guide.  Any tips? 

Also I just joined Daily Mile and need more friends.  Anyone?  Anyone?  Bueller? Bueller?

Mary Mary quite contrary how does your garden grow?

Rather ravenously to be honest.  

I thought you might like to how green my thumb is...

We've got all sorts of stuff growing at Casa DeCourcy right now.

The only problem is we can't plant anything in our garden without it being terrorized by Heidi.

But, I'm pretty innovative and we have found some good growing solutions...

The hanging bags work like a charm because you can fit 7 plants in them 

and they are totally out of reach of the dog.  

They seem pretty happy in there so far,

 but we won't find out if there will be lots of tomatoes and tomatillos until later. 

Doesn't everything look so happy and healthy?  

Nick is getting a teensy bit irritated about the number of pots we have bought, 

but hopefully they will pay for themselves with fresh food goodness.  

I have big plans for making salsa. 

The only salsa you can buy over here is Old El Paso.  

Definitely not my favorite.... 

Thats why all visiting Americans are required to bring a jar of 

Rick Bayless's Tomatillo Salsa.

But hopefully this year I will be able to make my own!  

They don't even sell tomatillos in the grocery store here, 

in fact, no British person I have talked to even knows what they are.

In other news, people have been nagging me about this blog thing.  I wish I had new material, but truth be told, I haven't been getting busy that much lately.  My job is super duper horribly boring and I only really have my mind to entertain me which means no photos to share which means boring blogs usually.  But if you must know these are some things that have gone through my head at work lately...

(sorry for the repeats if you follow me on FB or twitter.)

• When I am at work I feel like Harry Potter must feel when there are dementors around.  You know when your soul gets sucked out and you feel like you'll never be happy again...?  Ok yeahhhh debbie downer.  
• I had the thought that I was Ash Ketchum the other day and that Heidi was pikachu and that I could tell her to shock everyone on campus.  That made work enjoyable for a few minutes.
• I have been thinking about quitting my job to pursue my dream of being in a 50 cent video, but everyone keeps laughing at me.  I don't really know why... 
• Today I occupied myself by reading The Jungle Book for the 2nd time.  Yeah I read the whole book today, at work, in it's entirety.  I need a Kindle.
• A few days ago I bought myself a pack of mints and ate them as slowly as possible for entertainment.  
• I put on hand lotion frequently to give myself something to do.
• On Wednesday I only sold £3.00 worth of stuff the whole day, and 60p of that was a candy bar I bought myself to eat because I was soooo bored.

In all seriousness I really need a new job.  I feel shitty saying that because when I was unemployed I told God that ANY job would make me happy, but I am a liar (public confession).  I need a job with challenges.  There are very few opportunities in Sheffield though so if any one wants to see my resume in the USA holler atcha girl.  I'm so ready to move stateside.  

In a positive note tomorrow is the Eurovision Song Contest and I am soooo excited for the ultimate display of Eurotrash to occur.  You can see my Eurovision 2010 Highlights post here.

Come See My Green House!!

Hey Friends,

Check this out.

Nick and I found this little greenhouse at the grocery store for only £25 (score!) 

and we put it together yesterday.

It's not the most classy looking green house ever, but whatever - 

even Martha Stewart had to start somewhere.  

Anyways, come on in!

It's actually quite cozy inside, 

and I let my little seed babies spend their first day out today. tear...

(Momma's got separation anxiety...)  

Until now they've been growing in the kitchen.

I still have to bring them in at night, in case they get too cold, 

but I am so pleased with their progress.

And the fact that it appears I may in deed have a green thumb!

Here are my tomatoes and sweet peppers.

We also have eggplant, strawberries, mint, basil, and tomatillos growing now.

And here are my little carrots.

They got attacked by some weird green fly thing,

 but I went on a crazy fly slaughter and killed them all....

with my bare hands.

Ahem.... anyways my carrots seem to be growing pretty well now, 

and there are no more flies brave enough to hang out around here.

So yeah I've become a crazy gardening lady. 

But I'm just so excited to eat something that I have grown.

I've got so much more to plant in the next few months that

Nick is worried we are going to run out of room.

But there is a plot of land behind our house that is totally overgrown and unused

so I am plotting to make a little vegetable plot there.  

(Overuse of the word plot?)

Nick is also worried (notice a trend here?)

 that this is trespassing, but seriously, what are they gonna do?

Arrest us for growing corn?

If they do....

 I'll have to sacrifice one of my phallic vegetables to a place where the sun doesn't shine.  

So be it.  

Hope you had a fabulous weekend.

Slowwww Food

About a week ago I picked up a few packs of seeds.

I planted them in a little propagator in our kitchen.

And slowly, very slowly, they have come to life.  

Sometimes I think maybe I am far too impatient to ever really be a gardener.

And other times I think it's the most exciting thing ever.

Look....

This little seedling will hopefully produce tons of golden tomatoes for me by summer.

And these carrots are coming along ever so nicely.

And look at this beauty!  

I searched high and low for tomatillos last summer - 

I LOVE them in salsa, but I couldn't find them in England.

Who knew they would sell tomatillo seeds at the garden center?!

I can't wait till they're ripe and ready for the picking.

This cute little guy wants to be a basil plant when he grows up.  

He'll be perfect match for my summer tomatoes.  

I've also planted mint, strawberries, eggplant, and peppers.  

But they're trying my patience a little more and

 haven't all decided to pop their heads up from above the soil just yet.  

I'm not sure whether I have a green thumb or not 

- this is the first time I've been really invested in any plants.

I just can't wait to see what summer brings.  

It is one of my goals in life to be as self sufficient as possible, 

(....maybe I was Amish in a past life... nah)

and I think growing your own food is very exciting and special.  

It really makes you respect all the hard work that goes into growing food.

I also like the idea that this is the most seasonal, local, organic food I can get my hands on.  

It's fantastic!

Are you growing anything?  

If you haven't started yet it's not too late! 

 Go get yourself some seeds!

But hurry, summer will be here before we know it....

A Mini Herb Garden

Ever since we moved here I've been wanting to plant a few herbs for cooking purposes.  Any food snob knows that having your own herb garden is pretty much essential.  Buying the herbs fresh from the grocery store is so expensive and some always go to waste.  But if they're planted the herbs will last ages.  So today Nick and I headed to our local nursery to pick up everything we need to create fresh and delicious spring dishes.  Carrying everything home without a car was pretty rough, but luckily my big super musclely husband carried the pot home!  Oh and all together, the compost, plants, and pot only costs £20!  Not bad, eh?

From top left clockwise we have our major contenders, French Parsley, Oregano, Purple Sage, Moroccan Mint, and my personal favorite Chocolate Peppermint!  Oh my gosh does that stuff smell good!

We're still missing a few of the big players, like Rosemary and Basil, but we're only so buff you know.  Maybe next weekend.

I hope they grow super fast so we can start using them!

ps.  What are your thoughts on garden gnomes?  The nursery had tons of them!  They also had a snow white.  What do you think, snow white and the seven dwarfs - the perfect garden accessories?