Food Factory Day

Today is fully autumn in our kitchen. It's Food Factory Monday: beef stock, yogurt and for the first time, home made lemon-lime soda. Natural fermentation! Since the ginger ale was so amazing, I'm hopeful that by the weekend we'll be sipping some delicious soda. At the very least, it should be easier on the budget than the commercial soda water. If it's actually health giving, instead of harmful, I'll be over the moon. If I'm really, really lucky, the Vintner will prefer it over the carbonated stuff.

Delicious Yogurt

How did I ever get out of the habit of making yogurt? The home made batches are so superior to what I could buy. I'm so happy autumn cooking has returned.

The End of the Summer Kitchen

Today, I commence with the food factory Mondays, after a summer break. I'm making yoghurt today, and will add in making broth when the weather cools just a bit.

Cookies

I'm baking chocolate chip oatmeal cookies this afternoon. I'd post the recipe, but it's the one on the back of the bag. It's not that special, but for the boys. I want them growing up thinking that moms stay home and bake cookies. It's not about the kitchen so much today; it's about the Cottage lifestyle.

Pork Chops

So, the pork loin turned out so well, that it will become a regular favorite around the Cottage. I've made another one since then to happy results. Tonight, we'll be having pork chops. I prefer them bistro style with mustard and apple chutney and cream, and gnocchi alongside. Since I don't quite have the makings of that, I'll think we'll just have macaroni and cheese alongside to appease the toddler in the house. I'll do a jalapeno honey glaze for the Vintner, and apple chutney with brown mustard for me. I'll have green veggies to boot, but I'll be alone in that.

Pork Loin

Tonight, I'm making my first ever pork loin. I hope to master this, since they can be so impressive. I'm thinking just bay leaves and garlic for the flavoring. I'll post tomorrow as to how it turned out. I'm pairing it with white rice, and possible a green vegetable. I think spinach salad would be best, but I didn't think about that ahead of time (during the shopping.)

Lammastide baking

For Lammas, I always bake a loaf, despite the ridiculousness of baking in that heat in our climate. Lammas is obviously a holiday invented by non-Texans! Yesterday, I fed the starter, and this afternoon, I'll mix and knead the dough. I'll bake tomorrow morning. Why go through this senselessness? It's my mother's birthday, and I'll also bake a cake. If it weren't her birthday, I doubt I'd commemorate it. As it is, I feel an extra pull to celebrate the feast of loaves; it's also baking I do on any day of the week, whenever the holiday falls. I'll return to the summer baking break, after this day.