SFH Journal: 2020-04-13 through 04-19

Easter: For us here at Serendipity Farmhouse, Easter and the Octave of Easter were celebrated with great joy despite the many problems around us. This feast, by its very nature, takes precedence over worldly cares. – He is truly Risen!

In the spirit of “making do” (see How We Make Do), we found a fantastic rack of lamb hiding in our freezer. We had never prepared one before, but a quick study of recipes and a few minutes on the grill and that rack became the centerpiece for our Easter dinner. (We used this recipe for Grilled Rack of Lamb with Garlic Herb Marinade.)

Desert presented a greater challenge. We had a can of cherry pie filling. Why not have a cherry pie? I’ll tell you why not. We only had one pie crust, not the required two. – Pause for a momentary, “Drat!” – End pause and look for an alternative. Our search was rewarded with the flavorful desert you see in the picture at the top of this post. – Yes, there was still vanilla ice cream in the freezer and some of it adorned the cherry cake on our desert plates. (We used this recipe for Delicious Cherry Cake with Crumb Topping.)

Inventory: The pie crust problem encountered on Easter Sunday highlights a need for the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH Test Kitchen to have an up-to-date listing of all food items on hand. That is why we have spent several days inventorying and reorganizing our pantry.

To keep track of our supplies, items on hand, quantity of items, expiration dates, etc. we have been using a program called “Food Storage Planner” (FSP). We have used it for years, but have not been as careful to update it as we did early on.

Because we didn’t have a current inventory and, because yours truly is not so very observant, we had to make a last minute recipe substitution for Easter Sunday dessert. As I started accounting for every item in the freezer, low and behold, hidden behind bacon and other items, I found an unopened box containing two frozen pie crusts. – Beautiful Wife said words to me – fortunately, they were melodious and forgiving.

Lesson Learned: Keep your pantry inventory up to date.

The Notorious Ma “G”: She is cunning and fearless. She commands respect and can cause shivers of fear to overcome your being if you cross her. She is everything that a strong, forceful, and loving mother can be. She is, after all, the notorious Ma “G”.

Early in the day at an undisclosed location, her vehicle quietly pulled into a parking lot, precisely on the hour. She had her cell phone in hand while a 320 ounce Maine Coon cat gave her updates gleaned from a network of police scanners. – She had made it to the rendezvous point undetected.

It only took a minute or two. The items were transferred. A sum of cash was exchanged. All items were disinfected. Then, the vehicles warily pulled out of the parking lot. Once again, the notorious Ma “G” had shown the truth in the saying, “A mother’s work is never done.”

Pitcher Plant: Observant and curious Spouse asked me to take a picture of this probable pitcher plant that appeared in our garden this week. Hopefully, I can find out more about it and why it might like to make a home in our garden.

 

SFH WX Station Report – Weekly:  SFH WX 2020-04-13 through 04-19