Category: Turkey Tracks: My Life in Maine

Our Life in Maine, My Craft Projects, Quilting, Recipes, Book and Media Reviews

A Chicken Soup Version

Turkey Tracks: February 8, 2022

A Chicken Soup Version

Remember the chicken carcasses and bones I’ve been freezing?

I have two now, plus some chicken bones added in from other meals. It’s time to make chicken soup, so I defrosted the bones last night.

*Note that I cook by method, so just read the whole recipe, then if you must, create a list of what you need or would like.

Today dawned with icy slush and rain, so the trip I was going to make to get some chicken thighs to add to this soup will not happen—especially after my morning police call (to see if I’m ok) said ”Stay Home today.” And when I ventured out to the garage, I saw why: 2 inches of slushy ice rested on the driveway. It will freeze later, and…oh my.

So, I’ll make the soup from what I have here in the house. First, cover the bones with water, add some salt, bring everything to a bubbling hot, turn down to a simmer for at least 40 minutes. (You could also add savory veggies at this point, but I’m in a hurry as today is also cleaning/laundry day, and my veggie supply is limited. Note that after cooking you would discard these savory veggies.)

Yes, those are the giblets wrapped in paper—which I had to remove. But look at all the lovely fat coming out of the bones. Skim as needed.

Meanwhile, assemble the veggies you want to have in the soup. Here’s what I had on hand. I’m eating the rainbow today! The radicchio is going in as it needs to be eaten, and I thought its bitter taste would add some interest. I later added in some frozen corn too. I’m finding in winter I would rather have these organic frozen veggies than the tired veggies shipped in her from the other side of the world. I wish I had some celery though, especially with a chicken-based soup.

I will saute these in the duck fat I keep on hand. And I will use a big dollop, probably about 1/4 cup, as I do not want my veggies to burn in the pan. And based on a lot of research I believe clean animal fats are really good for you. (See Mary Enig and the Weston A. Price Foundation for more information.) Except for really good olive oil and coconut oil and red palm oil, I avoid the plant-based oils. I cut the greens off the 3 leeks before I took this picture. More on leeks down the page.

Leeks are in the allium family—along with all the onion and garlic vegetables. This family provides us rich sources of the sulfur that has been so depleted in soils. And sulfur is crucial to good health. Some cannot tolerate the allium family—if you can’t, you likely know that by now. (If you are interested in the sulfur issue, go to Stefanie Seneff’s web page for more info—she runs a research team out of MIT.)

Leeks can have some dirt in the end toward the upper green stem—so take a close at the inner layers of the stem so you can rinse out the dirt. Or, put the cut bits into a strainer and wash the dirt off there. Don’t be afraid of getting some dirt into the mix if you see some on the cut leeks in your pan. Remove and rinse the offending piece then. Actually, there are lots of goodies in dirt, and too many of us don’t get these critters anymore, which is why swimming in ”wild water” is a good idea. I cut mine in half and ruffle the green end to check for dirt. If the dirt isn’t gritty, which I don’t want, I don’t get too picky.

No dirt here:

AC is well aware of everything I do at all times.

With these veggies, I want to saute the veggies that need more cooking first (leeks, onion, garlic, carrots, cauliflower), and then add in the more tender veggies—in this case the cabbage, the yellow squash, the red pepper, and the radicchio. Frozen veggies go in last. Remember to cook down the veggies, without burning, until they start to turn golden and ”grunge” is forming in the pan. Then start adding in the more delicate veggies, turning and stirring until they, too, sweat out and melt down. Last, in a cooking whim, I added about 1 1/4 cups of short grain brown rice and turned it around in the hot veggies for a bit—just to give it some flavor too. Too much rice, and the mixture will become thick and lose its liquid—just add more water after all is cooked.

Here I added some ladles of broth to stop the cooking and to get all the good grunge loose in the pan. A big ladle like this one is a go-to tool in my kitchen.

I strained off my broth. Look at the beautiful color, even after only 40 minutes of simmering. And the trip to the garage was to put the kitchen garbage in the bins out there. Chicken bones will smell in a few hours.

I now clean my pot and put all the ingredients into it, including the frozen green beans and corn.

Bring the pot up to a simmer so the rice cooks—taste as you go along—it will take about 25 minutes to cook rice. Otherwise, simmer until the carrots are soft—that doesn’t take long. DON’T COOK TOO FAST OR TOO HOT. Taste to check on the herb and salt levels. If you wanted to use fresh herbs, here’s where you would add them.

When the rice is done, the soup is done. So, ladle up yourself a bowl and enjoy!

Tomorrow I’ll probably buy some boned chicken (I would prefer thighs) and add it to the soup. So I’ll just refrigerate the pot of soup when it cools. To this basic soup, you can also add a bit of cream. Or, an egg yolk beaten into a bit of some hot soup in your soup bowl to give a velvety smooth texture and lovely taste. Then add more soup. Added cheese is nice. Without the rice, putting hot soup over noodles is nice.

I could go on…

“Whirlygigs” Has Landed

Turkey Tracks: February 7, 2022

“Whirlygigs” Has Landed

I love this modern pattern. There are so many geometric shapes involved—and each catches your eye differently. Wendy Sheppard is the designer, and I got the pattern from Simply Moderne magazine, No. 26.

The fabrics are all Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society—collected into a stash over the years.

I pieced the backing and had enough of the stripe for binding cut on the bias.

AC likes quilts.

The quilting isn’t showing up so well in these pics, but it’s the Bayside pantograph and a ”parchment” colored thread.

I told the new parents of the baby girl for which this quilt was made that this quilt is meant to be used, thrown up on, dragged around, spit up on, and washed and washed as needed.

I hope baby girl attaches herself to all the color and pattern interest along the way.

But one never knows…

Knitted Work Using Fabric Selvages

Turkey Tracks: February 4, 2022

Knitted Work Using Fabric Selvages

It is a really ICKY day here today—raw and wet and icy.

It’s a great day to stay home and sew. And I have that lovely and healthy soup to eat. I added in some cooked broccoli yesterday. Today maybe I’ll add some cream or cheese.

Northeast Wildlife came yesterday and closed and wired all the places up high on the roof where the flying squirrels got in—along with any place where they might try to enter. There may be some bat entries too, but we’ll deal with that in the spring as that requires caulking entry places. The squirrel solution is elegant—there are traps places in the entry holes that allow egress but not entry. Meanwhile, all my bird feeders went home with Northeast Wildlife.

Margaret-Elaine, a local quilty friend here, commented on yesterday’s post by noting the placemat upon which my bowl of soup sat. She thought I had woven it with, I think, the old-fashioned hand-weaving looms I have—and I have made a lot of rugs and placemats with the two sizes I have. The frame is rectangular and has nails at the top and the bottom where one strings the ”woof” base.

But these placemats have been made by knitting (garter stitch) the selvages from quilting fabrics.

When I get a long enough strand, I just add it into the ongoing project. The pieces are linked together by making slits in each end one wants to attach and looping them through the ”mother” ongoing strip. You can see the linking knot in the picture. It works better to keep the ongoing strand length to 2-3 feet as it twists as one works. And it is easy to add a new strand when needed. If it is short, it just takes a little time to ”update” the project.

I like using selvages as they don’t shed like cut fabric would. I have wondered about using the looms to make something with these selvages, but that requires A LOT of strips AND one has to lay in a base on the hand loom around which one plaits the added strips—so one has both the woof and weave parts. This knitting method is already pretty thick.

I have saved my “warm” selvages (orange, red, pink, etc.) as I think I have one more selvage quilt in me. I do like them. I gave away all the cool and black/white/grey selvages. After I make the ”warm” selvage quilt, I’ll be done I think.

For this current selvage-knitting project, when I get a big enough central piece, I’m going to stop there, pick up stitches along one side, and create another “patch” or ”block.” And then, when I’m done there, I’ll stop and move to another side. It might take…years. LOL.

Here are some of my selvage quilts: a ”cool” one and a star one.

Have a great day everyone!

What To Do With the Roasted Lamb Shoulder?

Turkey Tracks: February 3, 2022

What To Do With the Roasted Lamb Shoulder?

Soup, is what one could do.

Start by putting the shoulder into a pot and covering it with water—and let it simmer until you think all the ”good” has been extracted from the meat. I can’t do that for long as long-cooked bone broths (12 to 24 hours) acquire too many histamines for me to eat. So I simmered the roast for 40 minutes while I prepped the veggies and some ground lamb for the soup. Skim the broth as needed.

I sautéed the ground lamb in beef tallow and assembled some ORGANIC frozen veggies I had on hand. The ground lamb is local and came from Hope’s Edge farm. I get a whole lamb every year.

Next, I cut up and sautéed in beef tallow a bunch of other veggies I had on hand in the meat pan—which I didn’t have to wipe clean—sometimes you have to if anything has burned in the pan: onions, garlic, carrots, red bell pepper, some cauliflower, some celery. Add in some herbs. And, of course, salt.

You want to sweat out these veggies, turning them frequently, until they begin to turn golden. Do not burn then, but you want some of the brown ”grunge” that forms in the pan as you cook them down. Be patient, and don’t cook the veggies on heat that is too, too hot.

At the above point, I added some liquid from the pot of broth so I’d get all the goodies in this frying pan into the soup. You could add the meat back at this point too.

At this point I moved what was in the frying pan into a larger pot and added in all the frozen veggies. Heat until the soup is all hot and bubbly.

Then make yourself a bowl of soup.

It doesn’t take all that long at all to make a soup or stew like this one.

I froze a portion for a meal at another time.

And that left me with two lunches and two dinners at a minimum—but there will be more.

Remember that you can add things to the soup that make it taste a bit different: heavy cream, a bit of cheese on the top, or the bottom of the bowl, that will melt down into the soup, more herbs, and so on.

We are getting another storm tonight—an ice storm likely—so it’s nice that I have these meals all cooked. I have done all my weekly chores, so I will have lots of time to sew today and tomorrow—which is good as I have…sewing projects. For sure.

Playing With The Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society Stash

Turkey Tracks: February 2, 2022

Playing With the Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society Stash

I’ve had so much fun making this quilt. It’s a ”Pot-Pourri” of Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society fabrics—all in my stash.

It’s ”eye candy” for a child I think. And for me, apparently.

It’s been quilted now, and the binding is on and getting sewn down at night. Can I just say it is yummy to have on one’s lap. And this one is meant to be dragged around and loved and washed and USED.

Here’s the backing—again pieced from my stash. I lost the bottom green strip in the quilting. It’s ok.

AND I’m making a baby quilt with the Churn Dash block, which still ranks as my favorite. OK, the Radient Beauty block is also a favorite.

I started these blocks before Bonnie Hunter launched into making them as well. I was inspired by her making then ”scrappy” though. And I’m wondering how she will set hers.

I like they way these blocks look butted up to each other. The secondary pattern is interesting. BUT, one would have to plan to sew the seams so they will nest—so that is hard with scrappy blocks that get moved around before finding their permanent homes.

So, I am setting mine with narrow sashings and corner stones. I have no idea about what binding will work.

Today and tomorrow will be RAINY—on top of 18+ inches of snow. And on Friday, our temps will drop again and we will get more snow.

It is winter.

All my cleaning/laundry jobs are done for the week. There is some cooking to do today. What I thought was a small leg of lamb was actually a shoulder piece—which I realized after I roasted it yesterday and after trying to slice off the meat around the central bone—so there will be a broth made today to be used in a soup or stew. And maybe I’ll take a ride in the car so AC can get out for a bit. He’s not getting nearly enough exercise.

I mailed a baby quilt yesterday. So, more on that quilt after it arrives at its forever home.

Nor’Easter Blizzard and Sewing Day

Turkey Tracks: January 29, 2022

Nor’Easter Blizzard and Sewing Day

I’ve been waiting for a BIG snow day.

And here it is.

AC doggie is properly impressed. Other than his morning very quick pee, he’s refusing to go out.

I rounded up yummy food for the day: a chicken which I spatchcocked this morning, some fresh asparagus, some baking potatoes, and a Granny Smith apple which I’ll have for whatever I eat as a light meal tonight.

My favorite chicken parts are the drumsticks and the wings, followed by the thighs.

I’ve been eating my big meal in the early afternoon and having a heavy ”snack” which includes fruit around 7 pm. That feels pretty good for winter.

In anticipation of the storm, I put a quilt that’s been waiting on the longarm—and I hope to finish and get it off this afternoon. Then I can trim and bind. An existing quilt only has one night or two left for its binding, so I’ll night sewing all ready to go.

I’ll write more about this quilt in another post.

Now, an update on the flying squirrels presently living between my lower and middle floors—in the ceiling area. A solution is in process—and it is pretty elegant in my opinion. These critters come and go off and on day and night. Trap doors will be set where they are getting in—and they will let them out, but not back in. All the places they can get in will be off-limits via metal screening. There are lots of places where they could attempt to get in—but those places will be protected against them. My wildlife person (Ray) says they will effectively be gone in about one day once this work is done. They will move on to another habitat.

BTW, a ”colony,” like what I have can be 20 to 30 individuals. Oh my.

I have also taken down all the bird feeders. And here is why, other than not wanting the squirrels to stay around my area. Ray saw BIG tracks in the snow—right up near the house. He thinks they are likely from a coyote. And two nights ago, AC went ballistic about something being in his yard. I had a hard time getting him to come back to me—as he was sure we were being invaded by something really dangerous. A coyote? His barking and fierceness was way different than when he chases off the deer.

So, in essence, feeding the birds has set up a situation where coyote is maybe coming to hunt around my house.

How long would it take a coyote to work up the courage to eat AC? He’s definitely a tender morsel.

So, no more feeding birds. Or the squirrels that also gather.

”My Sunny” Quilt Is Finished

Turkey Tracks: January 28, 2022

“My Sunny” Quilt Is Finished

I’ve been busy.

Mostly solving problems that come up with a household. The new printer stopped working after a power outage—which usually doesn’t disrupt my technology permanently—along with my ipodtouch which I use to listen to books. That got sorted in about 20 minutes yesterday with a MAC person who came to the house.

And today a wildlife person is coming today to address the flying squirrels who have gained access to the ceiling on the first floor. AC’s right on that problem as his hearing is so much better than mine. I thought it was chipmunks. It is NOT. So I’ve been reading all about flying squirrels. Turns out they are VERY social—with each other and with humans. Some have them as pets even, but the text I read said that flying squirrels are also very demanding about spending time with their humans, which involves interacting with them.

Anyway, I did finish ”My Sunny,” which is the first project designed by Tara Faughnan for season 4 of Sewtopia’s The Color Collective. Mine is the ”classic” version, but I am inspired by all the different and very creative layouts I’ve seen others do now—and that is part of what I really love about this online class. Note that the straight line quilting—done on my domestic as doing this work on the longarm is still a learning curve for me—is not showing up well in these photos.

I really, really like the backing I used. It just seems so modern and so perfect.

Here’s where ”My Sunny” lives for the moment—and you can see the quilting rows better here.

And here:

As I’ve said before, I want to play with this block some more—and maybe I’ll set what I do in one of the more daring ideas I’ve seen. I definitely want to try some red and orange—and darker—backgrounds.

Maybe a wall hanging???

Another Learning Curve

Turkey Tracks: January 22, 2022

Another Learning Curve

The ice maker on my frig needed replacing.

That meant I had to totally remove all food—and that meant trips to the garage to store frozen food and to bring in coolers for the frig contents.

It also meant an opportunity to take all the parts apart and to clean the frig top to bottom. This job was a fun learning curve because it was really interesting to see how all these parts fit so neatly together—in ways I had not realized.

All these parts come out easily, including the large bin at the freezer bottom—which meant I could actually clean underneath it, where things like coffee grinds had fallen.

Can I just say that this refrigerator is as clean or cleaner when it arrived 7 years ago.

The new part is going in this morning. So the day will be spent in part putting all the food back and returning ice blocks and coolers to the garage.

It is single-digit cold.

The intermittent creek is frozen solid.

But here’s what it looked like one day last week.

It’s too cold for AC to run at the Snow Bowl athletic field while chasing his ball.

Our weather for upcoming 10 days or so features cold, sun for the most part, and no snow.

Sewing is happening. For sure.

I Just Spent a Lovely Morning!

Turkey Tracks: January 13, 20200

I Just Spent a Lovely Morning!

With the bitter cold (single digits) of the last two days, AC and I stayed indoors. Basically there was no where I needed to go and lots of fun projects to enjoy here. Even AC settled in as his outdoor trips were of a very short duration.

But today I made a quick trip up to the Belfast Co-op to replenish my supply of local raw butter, organic Honey Crisp apples, and various veggies. A tin of organic ricotta cheese also jumped into the cart.

It was great to be out and about—for sure. The car was warm, the scenery gorgeous, and the sky soft with a low quiet cloud layer that feels like it holds snow.

Back in Camden, I went by the bank and then on to the Snow Bowl athletic field so AC could chase his ball. As soon as we start down the road leading toward home, he starts begging for some ball time. He’s VERY vocal, that dog. And it is hard to resist him—plus the time outside is good for both of us. There is a lot of ice on the field now, but the protruding grass gave good traction for both of us.

The pond is iced over and smooth. Several families were out skating and exploring. Here’s just one such group enjoying this winter morning.

Now there is a luscious salad lunch from the remains of my spatchcocked roasted chicken. A blog reader here said in the comments from the last post that this term ”spatchcocked chicken” was new to her. It was to me, too, about 6 months ago. My daughter-in-law is still laughing that I had no idea… There are videos online that show you how. You will need a GOOD pair of chicken scissors though.

After lunch, there will be a long afternoon of sewing, especially now that I have a tired dog. I have a quilt on the longarm and ”Sunny” on the domestic. I could not figure out how to get “Sunny” on the longarm so that the straight lines of the block seam lines lined up in a straight line so I can use the channel locks to make a straight line down the quilt. That will be a learning curve. And I did baste ”Sunny” on Innova.

There is, also, a quilt forming on the design wall.

It’s all good.

Mid-January 2022

Turkey Tracks: January 12, 2022

Mid-January 2022

Well, it’s almost mid-January.

It’s been super cold for the past few days—8 degrees yesterday morning with a wind chill of -30 degrees or so. Inside, where AC and I stayed yesterday—I’ve been busy with projects of all kinds—including an extended period of learning more about my Innova longarm. Today I’ll put ”Sunny” on Innova. And I’ve had also an extended period of cutting into my Cotton+Steel/Ruby Star Society stash as I want to get to the point where I can put what’s left into my regular stash. More on those projects in future posts.

Tuesday, yesterday, was laundry, cleaning, and general household organizing day. And this week, I undertook some cooking duties as well. I spatchcocked a chicken and made AC’s fish food. The spatchcocked chicken will cook in 45 minutes in my oven with the convection fan running—which is way, way faster than an upright chicken. It’s easy to cut out the backbone with good kitchen shears and to flatten the carcass for roasting.

Here’s my lunch salad—all made and waiting for some warm chicken on the top:

It was totally delicious—and made enough that I saved what I didn’t eat and had it for part of my dinner. I read yesterday that red bell papers are a fruit, not a veggie, and that they have more vitamin C than an orange. I also took the meat off the bones for future meals and froze all the bones for a future broth project—probably to be made after I cook another chicken.

I’m two months behind on The Color Collective’s very dynamic and interesting current projects—due to fabric-delivery issues at Sewtopia. One palette should come this week, and the other soon now. I am in no rush, really. So it’s all good.

Here’s AC hunkering down on his bed beneath Innova:

He’s such a good boy!

He did get a good run at the Snow Bowl athletic field on Monday—though it was very cold then too. I don’t take him out to run if the temps are below about 25 degrees as I’m afraid, as hard as he runs, that the bitter cold would harm his lungs.