Return of the Red Lipstick!

No one is Immune......................................................















And I mean No one......................................................................

'Shroom -'o' -the- day': The Hedghog Mushroom

Hedgehogs are my favorite mushroom. They are absolutely foolproof. Unmistakable to identify, comparable to Chanterelles in taste, and a superior texture. This is, of course, a totally subjective opinion, but I challenge you to try for yourself.

As you can see from the picture, Hedgehog mushrooms are named for the hundreds of tiny 'teeth' growing under the cap. Take care when collecting them to keep this area clean. Once it's full of dirt, the dirt is there to stay.

Again, many prefer to dry saute' these mushrooms to extract excess moisture. After that, you may use them as you would any mushroom. They are just fantastic by themselves, though. And cute, I might add. But that's just me.

From the top they sometimes appear to be pale Chanterelles, but a quick peek underneath the cap reveals their true identity. They vary in color from white to beige to pinkish. Again, I must advise proper precautions and never eat an UNCOOKED wild mushroom. It is best not to regard them as a salad ingredient. Save store bought mushrooms for that purpose.

Hedgehogs are just coming into season now. Get out and grab some.
-EJ

Today's featured mushroom:The Shaggy Mane

Since I keep going on and on about mushroom season on the Oregon Coast, It's only fair to explain some of the different varieties we have to offer. I've talked a lot about Chanterelles , but they are not the only good edible mushroom around here.

The first picture above is of mature shaggy manes. This pic was taken off of the internet. The second two pics were taken of mushrooms we found by the roadside. They show shaggy manes in various stages of maturity.

Don't be too worried about picking and enjoying these mushrooms. They are listed, along with morels, sulfur polypores and puffballs as one the "foolproof four". Although, I'm not sure I agree with that list entirely, (I'll explain later) It really is nearly impossible to get these little guys wrong.

Shaggy manes are best picked when they are just peeking up from the ground (See second and third pictures , the second mushroom from the right). They are best dry sauteed to draw off excess water content. If your feeling adventurous, the internet has a surprising number of recipes featuring this mushroom.

As shaggy manes mature, they become prone to perishing more easily, and this mushroom MUST be eaten the day it is picked! Why? They turn to ink. Seriously. Look closely at the 3rd and 4th mushrooms in pics 2 and 3. See that blackness? Mushroom ink. Very yucky.

A friend of mine swears by these things, though. He has memories of eating them throughout childhood and really liking it.

As always, research them before you try them. Exercise proper caution when selecting and eating a mushroom your not familiar with. Happy 'Shrooming,
-EJ

Why I love my pets as explained by way of sleepless verbal meandering.

I'm not sleeping lately and it's my own fault. A few months ago I ran out of my medicine. It was always on my mind to get it refilled, but life takes the front seat and everything else falls behind. Big mistake. The result: sleep disturbance. The scary part is how subtly it builds at first, and then erupts into a major problem. I am so exhausted my body aches, my head hurts, my eyes burn and I can't think clearly. I have no energy and feel like bursting into tears over every little thing.

I get my meds in the next day or so, and should feeling better just in time for Christmas. 'Til then, just bear with me.

So I dragged Max to the stables today to deliver hay and was met by the usual loving 'hysteria' of the goats. I was instantly happy, even in spite of the insomniac fog surrounding my brain. It was nice to take a moment to scratch their fuzzy heads and watch them greedily chunk down a flake of hay.

Back at home,Max and I fed the bunnies. I was astonished when our large, mixed-breed Jack nearly fell out of the cage trying to get to us. We thought he just wanted food so we loaded him up on goodies. Nope, he wanted lovin'. So we brought Jack indoors, fed him treats and pet him copiously.

Jack was happily munching away at a celery when a few inches away, Aphrodite's fuzzy black face popped up from under a pile of laundry. She sleepily regarded the rabbit, then lay her silly head back down. It was cute enough to pull a laugh from the depths of my lethargy-induced apathy.

As I write this, Grrr is sleeping on my bed. Keeping in mind that he is Dante's cat, that's BIG. They say animals can sense when you don't feel good so I'm taking his presence as a gesture of good will. Either that or he's waiting for me to die so he can eat my face off and get his picture on MSN news.

Dante' teases me that I must have a tumor and her cat knows it. Ha-ha. So funny. If your sleeping at night, don't take it for granted. Hopefully I've learned my lesson.

peace,
-EJ

In a pinch

About a month ago my friend Jess gifted me with frozen raspberries. Today I turned them into fabulous homemade jam. I had to. This morning I made biscuits for breakfast. Slathered them with butter. Went to the cupboard-no jam. sigh....... then I remembered the raspberries. Yay!

There weren't quite enough for a full jam recipe so I substituted a cup of blackberries. Here is the recipe:

3 cups raspberries
1 cup blackberries
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin

Follow the directions in the box of liquid pectin for processing. It is too lengthy to type here but jam making is easy so don't be intimidated. It is a simple matter of boiling the berries with the sugar and pectin then ladling the mixture into sterilized canning jars and boiling that for 10 minutes. easy-peasy. Plus, it tasted better than anything bought at the store.

A suggestion: If you don't want to bother with canning the jam, you can simply follow the directions for freezer jam. Its less complicated so long as you don't mind pulling some out of the freezer to use every so often.
-EJ

Oregon, your personal 'Kitchen Stadium'

Have you ever watched the TV show "Iron Chef?". It's a cult classic. The original show was filmed in Japan but there is an American version currently running on the Food Network. In a nutshell, a challenger goes head-to-head with a renowned chef in a one hour cook-off. The objective being to make the best dishes with the themed ingredient. The winner gets , well, nothing. Except, I suppose, bragging rights on national television.

What really used to capture my attention about this show was the availability of the very best ingredients all in one location. When the starting bell goes off, the contestants get to grab anything and everything they desire to cook with. That just made me a bitter woman. I'd think "Yeah , I could make amazing meals too if I just happened to have filet Mignon and foi gras laying about the house every day!"

Back then I lived in the state of Virginia in a really big city. Now I live on the Oregon coast and I have to say, it is kinda like having my own kitchen stadium year 'round.

Salmon are in season, Deer season just ended and Elk are now up for grabs. At this time of year Crabs are filling in their shells nicely so its the best time to catch them. Black huckleberries are still fairly abundant and mushrooms are just everywhere.

Since coastal weather is mild, we are still pulling lettuces and beets from our garden. Some people are still harvesting squash, broccoli and cabbages. There are so many apple trees around here , we drive through neighborhoods and see apples just lying in the gutters. stores are bursting with inexpensive local produce. What's not to love? You can pretty much get what you want within reason and guarantee it didn't have to get shipped in from , say, Argentina.

So I'm not so bitter after all. Iron Chef can keep it's kitchen stadium.

I really want this quilt!

How amazing are these quilts? I would love to have one. if you do too then go to: oldredbarnco.blogspot.com and follow the directions there to win one.