OK...I ran out of solar a couple of times (my fault...too much internet surfing and youtubing on cloudy days) and with the home computer battery having crapped the bed a while back, it won't stay on unless plugged in and drawing power.
Anyway, had some pantry triumphs over the xmas.
For dinner on the day, I made duck braised in cranberry sauce (which was supposed to be jelly made from no sugar cranberry juice bought on super sale with some buckwheat honey (the sweetener of the month) and some pomona brand pectin). The jelly didn't set up and is quite tart, which I like. So I braised a half pint of my home jarred duck in a bit of that failed delicious jelly. It was AMAZING. Side dishes were roasted squash (a hybrid something random from my garden that looked like a pumpkin and had innards like a spaghetti squash..yes, I saved the seeds to roast later and to replant because it was a) delicious and b) ripened up in poor storage conditions) and a roasted onion. Both roasted inside the woodstove.
I was SWEATING from keeping the stove hot enough all day to bake this cake...
It is a honey based cake with apple sauce (buckwheat honey, and a can of apple sauce from the pantry) and spices. I had clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg all of which were called for. It was AMAZING. I had dried figs that I forgot to stir in, and they were supposed to be raisins but I was out of raisins. So, chopped up figs and threw them on top of the layer pans. It was amazing. I will be making it again but maybe 1/4 recipe. this was a half and it was still a ton of cake. It was pretty dense in the middle which might be due to the baking at a lower temp than I really wanted (see above...SWEATING) trying to keep the coleman stovetop camp oven thingy hot. If I make a smaller version I can do it in the cast iron dutch oven and it will be easier.
I packed up a slice of cake for the neighbor because it was A LOT. She returned a huge slice of pecan pie her daughter made and some penuche. I had never had penuche. It was delicious and more dairy than I should have and I'm a bit snotty.
Anyway, over ate and it was excellent. Made a coconut milk (powdered coconut milk in the pantry) mocha (cocoa in the pantry) and opened a buttload of treats from various relatives.
I am in town today, this is the office computer, office closed for the week! (we get crazy amounts of time off at full pay) to pick up yet another package. As much as I love sugary treats, if there aren't any in there, that will be fine.
One Aunt sent a ton of good food for meals and snacks, and another sent chocolates. Good people. I got coffee and cookie packs from another friend, every more coffee and chocolate from yet another friend (people know me??), smoked duck from yet another.
I am rolling in good food.
Just did a formal inventory of the office pantry and will take inventory at home as well to restart January.
I won a 5$ coffee shop gift certificate on a radio show on Sunday, more to do with "exclusive listenership" than with my brains or speed dialing abilities, and hope to share that with a friend's grown kid on Sunday.
I still have one xmas meal out to buy someone as planned, but otherwise, I think things are winding down.
I have 21" of snow, the bottom 1-2" is compacted ice so the total total that fell is more, on the ground at the homesite right now. Bit sick of it, but it is super pretty.
It was cloudy 5 days running, zero solar gain on the batteries, and that is partly why I ran out of power. Also, the batteries are getting old, and they are outside and the temp overnight was about 10F. It will be colder tonight and tomorrow night, maybe also Friday night. Then rewarming toward freezing during the day and 20s over night. That is easier on the batteries.
OK, off to pick up that last box as the post office lady will be reopening post lunch now.
More, anon!
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