leder legends

 I used my bone broth and made this awesome soup : Pho A sad looking bowl of goodness! The problem was that I was determined to use what I had in the house.  Onions, a bit of celery, lots of fresh mushrooms, ginger and garlic! …meat ( meatballs) and noodles of course! My daughter told me it did not look good!  Sad but true! The fun part of Pho is all the garnishes!  It would have been so pretty! For garnish (this is where pho soup shines!): ▢  4   green onions   , chopped ▢  2   fresh jalapeño peppers or red thai chili peppers   , thinly sliced and seeds removed ▢  1   bunch fresh cilantro   , chopped ▢  1   bunch Thai basil leaves ▢  1   cup   fresh bean sprouts ▢  2   limes   , cut into wedgesI NEXT TIME! 

From:  https://radiantlifecatalog.com/blog/5-benefits-of-cooking-with-tallow-lard?srsltid=AfmBOoqKeRcycEoyFyVtdSpbpsJwzzEQyp_YN4UTmnQR-hgjST4UWnQQ   The first benefit is the healthfulness of cooking with  lard  and  tallow . As I stated above, tallow comes from beef fat, while lard comes from pork fat. These two fats, in particular, are at the top of the list as far as nutrition quality. First, they have none of the trans fatty acids that vegetable shortening does. In addition, they are high in monounsaturated fats, which is shown to actually lower the risk of heart disease. Third, lard and tallow both have a perfect ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6. And lastly, tallow and lard are both high in vitamin D, which is shown to improve the overall immune system. ( 3 )( 4 )   The second benefit of cooking with real animal fats is simply the flavor. Let’s face it; fat tastes good! How many of you have had rolls crisped to perfection in lard, or steak cooked...

I got a large pan full of pork fat from son Nathan. He thought I should make lard to get away from additives and plastics. Making lard is not a easy process but there are lots of you tube videos to watch. There are two ways to make lard: wet and dry. Basically, slowly heat the fat on very low heat and skim off the fat.  It looks so pretty! The first skim is the purest and whitest and importantly does not taste like pork! It is perfect for pie crusts! The second and third skim/strain are still beautifully white but  may taste more like meat so use it for frying.it was a learning experience and I’ll continue to learn as I cook with it.

  Bone broth!  This was put into 5 quart size ziplock bags and frozen flat! Bone Broth is really popular at the moment! Apparently , if you want to make the really good stuff at home it is a bit more complicated than just covering the bones with water and letting them boil/simmer for hours. Step one: Blanche Boil the bones on high heat for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Step two: Roast at 450° on two roasting pans. Roast the bones along with a few veggies (onion, carrots, celery) for 30 minutes.  Gently toss and roast another 30 minutes. Step three: Into the Stock pot! Thoroughly clean the stock pots used for blanching, add roasted bones and veggies. Add whole peppercorns, bay leaves and parsley. Cover with cold water 1 inch over the bones. Bring to a boil and simmer for 8 to 12 hours.  At hour number 6, I tasted the broth and added a few things!  Apple cider vinegar about 1/3 c into each pot, garlic 3 crushed cloves in each and fresh ginger about 2 inches grated ...

  So, it’s twelve days into Trump’s presidency! Just so you know- I’m a naturalized American. I’m not that interested in politics! These last four years under the liberal press and a dement president and a less than intelligent vice president have changed me. Even though, I definitely would not identify myself as a Trump fan, there is a change in the air! I’m not qualified to opine whether this will all be good in the long run but I do like the new resurgence of American patriotism! It feels good to be an American and it feels even better to be able to express that out loud! What has happened so far?   So much!  The border, south and north, is closed! The wall construction is on again!  Lots of action to send violent illegals back to their own countries! Worst first! ( or house them temporarily at Guantanamo Bay) Tariffs- high 25% on Canada and Mexico! Now on hold for 30 days! Freeze on some government programs to stop ridiculous ideas like millions $$$ to Gaza for c...

  Christmas 2024 - we received a gift of a sleigh ride and dinner out  in Fennville which is approximately 1 hour from our house.  Unfortunately, there was no consistent snow cover etc last year so it was postponed until this year.  The idea was to go for a sleigh ride and then out for dinner on the same day. That didn’t work either since the sleigh rides were only in the mornings and early afternoons and the restaurant didn’t open until later. The best laid plans etc.  Anyway, we  finally scheduled a sleigh ride at noon on Wednesday and dinner for six on Saturday.  Both were wonderful experiences. Clear skies and cold temperatures! Frosty our horse loved to “talk”! …those who don’t tip the driver who as it turns out only works for tips…no pressure! Saturday evening the roads were still clean and dry. We arrived at Salt of the Earth in Fennville . It’s on Main Street and doesn’t look like much from the outside but inviting on the inside and it was enco...