Meet Koda

We have a new addition to our 'pack'. Koda is a 1 1/2 year old yellow lab mix. She's been with us for just one day. So far, she can sit, heel, fetch and stay. She came with some skills, and has already learned some. She's a smart girl. And she loves her ball!

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Scrumptious Sweet and Sour Cabbage with Chicken Sausage

About 6 months ago I had a hankering for sweet and sour cabbage. Which is kind of odd since I'd never really eaten sweet and sour cabbage before. But it just sounded good! (Sometimes I think our body craves what it needs.) The recipe I chose to make is one by Rachel Edelman from her "About.com" video. http://video.about.com/southernfood/Sweet-and-Sour-Cabbage.htm . I've made this recipe a couple of times and it is always great, but today I just threw in some sausage for good measure. The result was fabulous! I'm just sorry I didn't think to photograph it before we gobbled it up!

Sweet and Sour Cabbage

For this recipe you will need:
•1 cabbage
•salt and pepper
•2 tart apples
•2 tablespoons butter
•2 tablespoons flour
•4 tablespoons brown sugar
•2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

First, put 2 cups of water to boil in a tea kettle.
Prepare the Cabbage
Now prepare the cabbage. First, remove the outer leaves. Then cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the core of the cabbage. Continue to cut the cabbage so you have pieces small enough to fit into your food processor.

Place the cut cabbage into a food processor. Using the slicing blade, finely shred the cabbage. If you don't have a food processor you can also do this by hand.
Slice the Apples
Next, peel the apples. Cut them into pieces, slicing around the core. Then, slice the apples using the food processor.
Heat the Apples and Cabbage
Heat the butter in a large skillet. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the cabbage and apples. Add the apples and cabbage to the butter in the pan.
Cook the Sweet and Sour Cabbage
Next cover the mixture with the boiling water. Cook until the cabbage is tender. Then sprinkle the pan with flour, sugar and vinegar. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy.

NOTE; TO THIS RECIPE I ADDED SOME TRADER JOE'S SMOKED CHICKEN PESTO SAUSAGE. I SLICED THE SAUSAGE, BROWNED IT IN A FRYPAN FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, THEN ADDED IT TO THE SIMMERING CABBAGE MIXTURE. SERVE WITH A NICE WARM BAGUETTE OR FOR A MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACH-SERVE WITH MASHED POTATOES.

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Preserving a Bit of Summer

Jack Frost will be nipping at our noses before we know it. I don't want him ruining my herbs, so I snipped the last of my sage, italian oregano, rosemary and lemon thyme. And I cut one of my sunflowers! It's time to dry them out for winter. Earlier this summer I shared how to dry herbs by tieing them up in a bunch, putting them in a paper bag with holes in it, and hanging them. It worked very well. Last month I took the bags down and stripped the stems of their leaves, placing the herbs in some nice spice jars I found at Fred Meyer. With this batch I'm trying a little different method. I washed them and patted them dry with a paper towel, then spread them on a plate. I've tucked them away into a cupboard that I never use, so it should be plenty dark and dry in there. I'lll let the sunflower dry for a few days, then remove the seeds and bake them in the oven with a little salt. Preserving herbs is so much fun, and they are so much tastier than the store-bought ones.

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Some Girls Buy Shoes; I Buy Books

When I go shopping with women friends, we often wind up in shoe stores. For hours. It's all about strappy straps and pointy toes and how high the heel should be. I'm good-natured enough about it, but really I don't care much about shoes. I know this is downright sacreligious to some of you.

Shopping heaven for me is having a minimum of 2 hours to spend by myself in a bookstore. Give me Village Books in Fairhaven or a comfy chair in Barnes and Noble. I do believe I could settle in for winter in either location. Tonight was such an evening. Hubby was bowling; leaving me the entire evening to entertain myself at the bookstore. Now I can spend all day in the mall and leave without a single bag. Not so in the bookstore. This is where I toss all frugality out the window and indulge myself. I don't set out to buy so many books-it just sort of happens. I had recently finished reading a borrowed copy of 'The Art of Racing in the Rain.' I was so impressed I decided to buy a copy as a gift for a relative. But, as luck would have it, this wonderful book was on a sale table-buy two, get one free. So I bought myself a copy as well, then chose 'Animal, Vegetable, Miracle' as my free book. AND....how could I pass up that beautiful Sara Wilkins book bag with the picture of the pretty girl reading as she walked through the autumn leaves? Well, I just couldn't. I just couldn't!

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