Author: Ol' Fuzz Face

Farmhouse Living, Garden Talk, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

7 Reasons Why We Want to be Garlic Self-Reliant

You might well ask, why would you want to be garlic self-reliant? You can pick it up in any grocery store. Why make a big deal out of growing your own garlic? Let me give you 7 good reasons why.

Hi! Old Fuzz Face here. Living in our nearly century-old Serendipity Farmhouse, with its expansive 1.203 acres of land, the pursuit of garlic self-reliance has become a tremendously rewarding and practical endeavor.

Before I give you our 7 reasons to become garlic self-reliant, let me make a confession. I don’t just love garlic (Allium sativum), I’ve spent my life in pursuit of international garlic adventures. Midway through my list of reasons, I will take a break to tell you about two of those adventures.

Our 7 Reasons Why We Want to be Garlic Self-Reliant

In theory, our 1.203-acre estate could support a great deal of agriculture. We could grow rows of corn, beets, leafy vegetables, etc. Unfortunately, we’re a bit past the age to keep up with such large gardens. Besides that, our soil is very poor in nutrients and very high in rocks. That’s why we have to be selective about what we grow. You can be sure there was never any question that Allium sativum would hold the top spot on our garden list. Here are just seven of the many reasons why.

Reason 1 – Freshness

Growing our own heads ensures we always have access to the freshest possible produce. Store-bought garlic, even from specialty markets, can lose its flavor and aroma over time as it sits on shelves.

We harvest our homegrown Allium sativum at the peak of ripeness and we can use it within two weeks of harvesting. We know it will retain all of its bold and pungent qualities. This freshness translates to a more flavorful culinary experience. Executive Chef Blondie will settle for no less.

garlic

Additionally, we’ve learned several different methods of preserving fresh garlic. We can preserve it in wine or we can ferment it. We even dehydrate it and make our own garlic powder.

Reason 2 – Cost Savings

Purchasing garlic from the grocery store can add up quickly, especially if used frequently in cooking as we do. This vegetable is a relatively inexpensive crop to grow, and the yield from even a small plot such as ours can provide ample supplies for a household. Over time, the cost per pound of homegrown garlic will be a fraction of what one would pay at the store.

Planting
Harvesting
garlic
Drying

Reason 3 – Garlic Variety

Commercial markets typically offer a limited selection of garlic types. They often stock only the most common varieties. By growing our own garlic, we’ve opened up a world of diverse flavors and characteristics. From the robust, pungent hardneck garlics to the milder, sweeter softneck varieties, we can experiment with different types to find the ones best suited to our culinary preferences.

Reason 4 – Organic Control

One of the primary advantages of growing our own garlic is the ability to control the quality and cultivation methods. Some store-bought garlic comes from producers who have treated it with chemicals. Sometimes, it may come from distant regions. This results in a loss of freshness and nutritional value. By growing our own heads, we can ensure that it is free from harmful pesticides. At the same time, we know our Allium sativum will be packed with the essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that make garlic a true superfood.

Time Out For 2 International Garlic Adventures

South Korea 1969 – Kimchi and Much More

My very first international garlic adventure was in the late 1960s when I spent several months in South Korea. That was where I had my first encounter with kimchi.

garlic

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of garlic. Some sources say Korea is number two. I was young and not prepared for the large quantity of this vegetable found in Korean cuisine. But I soon learned that garlic is a defining feature of most traditional kimchi recipes and many other dishes.

This experience was truly a delight to my youthful palate. Soon I became a denizen of the Korean and Chinese restaurants in that South Korean town. The pungent aroma and flavor of the garlic in the many dishes I sampled led me to seek out garlic-enhanced cuisine throughout the world.

Moldova 1994 – If you can’t beat them, join them.

I had a far more extreme international garlic adventure during a business trip to Chisinau, Moldova in the 1990s.

Picture me having lunch with a group of Moldovan business associates in a fairly high-class establishment. Imagine my surprise when we were served fresh, raw garlic and green onions as an appetizer.

garlic

That moment became a high challenge and test of machismo. Was I man enough to match them one-for-one on the number cloves I ate? I was! – All of us consumed liberal amounts. Needless to say, the subsequent meetings on that warm summer afternoon, in that very small, poorly ventilated room, left a strong impression on my memory.

Reason 5 – Health Benefits of Garlic

Allium sativum is renowned for its impressive array of health-promoting properties. It can boost the immune system and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Because we grow our own, we can be confident that it’s packed with beneficial compounds, such as allicin and antioxidants. Also, this vegetable has long been revered for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and immune-boosting properties. This makes our homegrown bulbs an invaluable addition to our diet.

Reason 6 – Convenience

Having a ready supply of fresh garlic right at our fingertips has been a game-changer for the soon-to-be-world-famous Serendipity Farmhouse Test Kitchen. No more last-minute trips to the grocery store for us. With our own garlic patch, we can simply step into the pantry and find what we need, whenever we need it. This convenience allows us to incorporate this superfood into our cooking more freely, elevating the flavor and nutritional value of our meals.

Reason 7 – Sense of Accomplishment

Growing our own food, like garlic, has been an incredibly rewarding experience. Yearly, we witness the transformation from a humble clove to a thriving plant, and then harvesting first the garlic scapes and then the flavorful bulbs. This leads to a profound sense of accomplishment and pride. This connection to our land and the food we produce is deeply satisfying.

Imagine our joy when we harvest our own fragrant bulbs, curing them to perfection. And the satisfaction increases when we incorporate our garlic in a wide array of culinary creations, from savory stews to zesty pestos.

Summary

After hearing our reasons for wanting to be garlic self-reliant, you might consider doing the same yourself. Miss Blondie and I hope you do.

Regarding my two international adventures, you might want to accuse me of being obsessed with Allium sativum and recipes using it. But I want to reassure you, I am not obsessed. It’s just that, for me, having just the right amount of garlic in my favorite dishes is a Way of Life, and I intend to be garlic self-reliant.

Until next time, Keep it Simple, Keep it Practical, and Happy Cooking!

sourdough troubleshooting
Uncategorized

Sourdough Troubleshooting for a Practical Man

Maybe some of you will understand when I say: “Sourdough bread making can be fun, even when you mess up.” Yep, that’s what I did. I messed up and it ended up in my producing a not so good-looking loaf of bread. But, if it weren’t for that mess up, I wouldn’t have learned how to develop a skill I call Sourdough Troubleshooting. And, let me tell you, Sourdough Troubleshooting is just what every practical man or woman needs to learn to make a good loaf of crusty bread.

sourdough troubleshooting

Hi! Old Fuzz Face here! – Today, I’m going to give you two examples of how I solved sourdough problems using practical “Sourdough Troubleshooting.” But first, I must let you know that it was actually Mr. Monte, our SFH Test Kitchen Quality Control Expert, who taught me how to employ these troubleshooting techniques.
So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Problem #1 – Sticky Dough & A Flat Loaf.

Problem #1 – Sticky Dough & A Flat Loaf

Sticky Dough
sourdough troubleshooting
Flat Loaf

The problem with Sticky Dough and A Flat Loaf first appeared when I attempted to make a loaf that was half all-purpose flour and half home-milled hard white wheat. I followed my basic recipe to the “T”. I used 1½ cups of King Arthur All-Purpose flour.

The King Arthur website gives the weight of its all-purpose flour as 120 grams per cup. So, 1½ cups of all-purpose flour would be 180 grams. Using that statement, I milled 180 grams of hard white wheat to give me the second 1½ cups of flour to make a total of 3 cups.

That’s when Mr. Monte started voicing his disapproval in his straightforward unmerciful way. – He knew things were going wrong. In fact, he even published a highly critical YouTube short showing how wrong it was for me not to listen to him. (See: Fuzzy! You messed up again!)

In essence, he was correct. There was too much water for the amount of flour I used.

Sourdough Troubleshooting by Guesstimate

I weighed a cup of my all-purpose flour. It was 145 grams, that is 25 grams more than the expected 120 grams. That means thall all my loaves before this were roughly 436 grams, 76 grams more than the 360 grams I thought I had been using.

– Simply put, when I used only 360 grams for this loaf, I had too much water. Of course, my dough would be wet and sticky, and my loaf would spread out and be flat.

When I made my next loaf. I compensated by adding equal amounts of flour by weight. That is 218 grams of all-purpose flour and 218 grams of hard white wheat. For the remainder of the ingredients, I used the same amount in the second loaf as I did in the first.

This time, the dough was not sticky, and it rose much better. – Take a look at the two loaves side-by-side.

sourdough troubleshooting

The problem with this method of troubleshooting is, I was merely experimenting based on guesstimates. There was no supporting math or science for my conclusions.

Problem #2 – Recipe Fails to Fit the Standard Percentage

Problem #1 naturally led me to question why all my loaves using 100% all-purpose flour came out perfectly. If I had been using roughly 436 grams of flour, instead of the 360 grams that King Arthur cup to grams conversion would indicate. To troubleshoot this problem, I had to hit the books.

Baker’s Math for Sourdough Troubleshooting

It took a while, but I discovered a whole new world (at least for me) of baking wisdom.

sourdough troubleshooting

That new world was Baker’s Math. – This is where I learned how to troubleshoot using supporting math, science, and centuries of bakers’ observations and experiences.

Rather than bore you with details, let me get to the point. Bakers can work out formulas for baking any quantity of bread by using a common measure of weight. The amount of water, salt, and yeast or sourdough starter is a standard percentage of the weight of the flour. No matter what the weight of flour, it is always considered to be 100%.

In the case of sourdough bread the standard percentages look like this:

sourdough troubleshooting

Of course, the percentages are approximations. With the exception of the flour which is always 100%, the weight of the remaining ingredients can be varied by several percentage points higher or lower. Nevertheless, the percentages shown will normally give you a very good loaf of sourdough bread.

Sourdough Troubleshooting Finds the Problem

After learning about the standard percentage, I then examined my basic sourdough bread recipe and realized there was a problem. – In this graph the gold bars represent the standard percentage. The orange bars represent the percentage of ingredients in my recipe. – As you can see, the water, starter, and salt percentages were all higher than the standard, especially the water.

sourdough troubleshooting

The fact my regular loaves were turning out looking good was because of a fluke. I was unknowingly using more flour by weight than the recipe specified. That fact, unknown to me, compensated for the excess water in the recipe.

Lesson Learned & an Experiment to Prove It

So, as an experiment, I used 432 grams (that is 3 cups using my measuring cup) of King Arthur flour to make a loaf of bread. Instead of using my regular recipe, I computed and used the standard percentages for the remaining ingredients. – The results were amazing. – Look at this loaf of bread.

Now, there’s much more to this story. If you’d like to find out the rest of the story, check out our YouTube video. And, if you’ve learned a little something new and you like what you see, please subscribe to our blog and to our YouTube channel.

Until next time, keep it simple, keep it practical, and happy baking!!

Breads, Recipe, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

Sourdough Starter for a Practical Man

In this post and the accompanying video, I’m going to walk you through what I’ve learned are the essentials of creating and maintaining a healthy sourdough starter. By the time you finish, you’ll know exactly what you need to do to get your sourdough starter up and running.

Hi, Old Fuzz Face here. Let’s pick up where I left off in my post Sourdough Bread for a Practical Man. – There I made two simple statements: “Give me a good loaf of crusty bread.” – “Okay, if you can’t give me what I want, then I’ll make it myself.”

That’s just what I’ve been doing since April 12th, 2023. – But I couldn’t have made that first loaf of bread without Mrs. Patmore, my sourdough starter.

Sourdough baking has become popular, but people find the whole starter process mysterious and intimidating. Since I’m a practical man I had to break through the mystery, find the simple truth, and build my confidence. – A year ago, I did just that. – I did it by reading, viewing YouTube videos, and lot’s of practical practice.

What’s a Sourdough Starter?

“So, what’s a sourdough starter? – Answering this question is as simple or complex as you want to make it. – But I’m a practical man. I just want to make a good loaf of bread. So, all you really need to know is:

A sourdough starter is a mixture of flour and water that has been fermented by naturally occurring wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. It serves as a natural leavening agent in bread baking, providing flavor, texture, and rise to the dough.

Creating Your Own Starter

Folks, the bottom line is: There are many ways to get your own sourdough starter. If you’re a practical person like me and you don’t have time to waste, call up one of your friends or go to a health food store to get what you need.

sourdough starter

That’s why, after two miserable failures, Chef Blondie and I bought a San Francisco Sourdough Style Starter Culture made by Cultures for Health.

We began making the starter on March 28th. We followed the instructions precisely. By April 11th we had sourdough starter mature enough to make this loaf of bread. 

It wasn’t very pretty, to be sure. But that loaf was tasty. – Since that day, Mrs. Patmore has served us faithfully. We have shared her with several friends. She’s a great companion in the kitchen.

Sourdough Starter – Feeding & Maintenance

sourdough starter

There are many different regimens that can be used to feed and maintain your sourdough starter. Your requirements concerning the number of loaves per week, additional sourdough recipes, such as muffins, crackers, etc. will determine how much starter you need. For example, I’m a more casual baker and I only need one or two cups of starter per week. So, much of the time I can store my starter (Mrs. Patmore) in the refrigerator.

Here’s the basic five-step feeding and maintenance cycle I use with Mrs. Patmore and my master sourdough bread recipe when I’m baking only one loaf per week:

Step 1: Remove from Refrigerator

On the day when the dough is to be prepared, remove the starter from the refrigerator. (There is usually less than a cup of starter in the container.)

When we get to step 5, you will find out that this starter was fed just before it was stored in the refrigerator. So, once the starter gets to room temperature, it will reactivate and begin to grow in volume.

Step 2: Feed & Allow to Develop

Two or three hours prior to preparing the dough, feed the starter with a quarter cup of flour and about the same amount of filtered water. Now that Mrs. Patmore is warm and fed, she’s really ready to get to work.

Step 3: Use in Bread or Other Recipe

By the time you’re ready to prepare your bread dough, your starter should be full of big bubbles. It should smell milky sweet and slightly sour. Now you have a vibrant starter.

Step 4: Refresh Your Sourdough Starter

Soon after using your starter, refresh the starter. That is feed it as you did earlier in step 3.

Step 5: Store in Refrigerator

Return the starter to the refrigerator and store until your next baking day.

As I said earlier, if you are a more casual sourdough baker like me, you can keep your starter in the fridge. If you do, you should feed it once a week. Then, on the day before you want to bake, give it one or two feedings at room temperature before using it to bake.

Now, watch the video and learn just how easy creating and maintaining a good sourdough starter can be.

Resources

For a really in-depth understanding of sourdough starter read:

Calvert MD, Madden AA, Nichols LM, Haddad NM, Lahne J, Dunn RR, McKenney EA. 2021. A review of sourdough starters: ecology, practices, and sensory quality with applications for baking and recommendations for future research. PeerJ 9:e11389 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11389

sourdough bread
Breads, Recipe, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

Sourdough Bread for a Practical Man

Give me a good loaf of crusty sourdough bread. Give me good bread I can afford. While you’re at it, give me bread made by someone I know. Give me the whole loaf, not just half.

sourdough bread
sourdough bread
sourdough bread
sourdough bread

Okay, if you can’t give me what I want, then I’ll make it myself. And it will be far better and cheaper than what you tried to sell to me. I’ll even mill my own wheat, to make it more nutritious.

Hi! Old Fuzz Face here. – Let’s get right to it.

I’m a practical man. When I encounter problems, I try to find solutions. – As you just saw, finding good crusty bread at an affordable price is a problem. My solution was to make my own.

Thanks to Farmhouse on Boone, The Rose Homestead, and especially Jill Winger at The Prairie Homestead, I now have the know-how to make a good loaf of sourdough bread, – every time. – So, using Jill Winger’s recipe, with my modifications, in my YouTube video I’ll show you how to make Sourdough Bread for a practical man.

Sourdough Bread – Just the Beginning

There are a lot of guys out there like me. They want a good loaf of crusty sourdough bread. You can bet those guys are all practical men. I like to think of them as my ‘companions’ – the ones with whom I share my bread.

That’s why I’ve decided to put together a short series of posts and videos to encourage them to make the bread they’ve always wanted, but could never find in local grocery stores. The series will talk about sourdough starter and how to maintain it. I also intend to provide some background on ancient and modern grains.

Since I will be talking to practical men, I’ll also get into the various types of equipment one can use when making good sourdough bread. – But this discussion won’t be for men only. After all, what I know about making sourdough bread was taught to me by some very capable and enterprising ladies.

Now, read the basic basic recipe and print it out. Then go watch the video and learn just how easy making a good loaf of crusty sourdough bread can be.

This is a simple sourdough bread for the practical man (or woman). It's a basic recipe that can be modified in many ways, allowing for the use of different types of grain. Based on a recipe by Jill Winger at The Prairie Homestead, we at the SFH Test Kitchen have come up with a version that suits the needs and tastes of any practical person who wants a great tasting sourdough bread - every time.

how to make Portuguese linguica
Breakfast, Recipe, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

How to Make Portuguese Linguiça – Maybe

It is my hope that someday I will know how to make authentic Portuguese linguica sausage. Recently, with the help of four good friends, I made my first faltering attempt using a generic recipe. The results were very good, but not perfect. So, my search for an authentic recipe continues. Come join me on my quest.

Hi! Ol’ Fuzz Face here. – My Dad’s parents came to America from Portugal’s Azores Islands. When they left the island of São Miguel, they had little with them except hope for the future and recipes for the finest breads, stews, and meat dishes.

Today, we’ll talk about one small part of that food tradition – linguica sausage and how it’s made. I’ll also share with you my dad’s recipe for Linguiça and Scrambled Eggs.

A Little Sausage Making Background

There’s no need to go into a lengthy discussion on the sausage making process. In our post Project Sausage, I described how my good friend Tom and I experimented with the rather unusual branch of the culinary arts known as sausage making.

Our most recent sausage making adventure began over a year ago. Tom once again raised the exciting possibility of gathering a group of our brother Knights of Columbus for a day of sausage making and mirth-filled camaraderie. It took a while to organize the event, but finally the date was set – February 29th would be the day.

In the meantime, I consulted with Chef Blondie and the entire staff of the SFH Test Kitchen. We planned for a broad-based endeavor that went far beyond just the making of generic sausage. This event would become the next step on my quest for an authentic recipe for linguica.

The Big Day – How We Made Sausage

The big day finally came. Our Pastor granted our band of five intrepid sausage makers the use of the parish hall. Once again, Tom provided all the necessary equipment (grinder and stuffer). He also procured the pork butt and the hog casings. Our crew operated with military precision. It consisted of the following brave souls:

  • Tom – the master meat grinder and team leader
  • John – the mighty meat slicer
  • Bryant – the powerful vertical sausage stuffer cranker
  • Dave – the sausage stuffer guide man, the bravest one of all
  • Yours truly – sausage stuffer repair technician and cleanup man.

No words can describe all that went on that day. But just as it was for Tom and me on our first sausage making adventure, so it was on our second. – It wasn’t a pretty sight (no one ever describes sausage making as that), but, oh my, it was fun!

The Bottom Line – How I Made Portuguese Linguica

Several different recipes were used on sausage making day. So, several shortcuts and compromises had to be employed. There wouldn’t be time for me to follow my recipe precisely as written. So, I couldn’t really expect perfect results. Nevertheless, I hoped to at least get into the ballpark.

So, watch the video to find out how this linguica was made and whether it passed the SFH Test Kitchen official taste test.

authentic Portuguese linguica

Many of you might not have the time or equipment to make your own linguica. That’s okay. Some stores like Harris Teeter carry linguica in their meat departments.

If you’d like to try out my dad’s simple recipe for Linguiça and Scrambled Eggs, go out and by some linguica. You’ll be glad you did.

Portuguese linguica is a flavorful sausage heavily spiced with paprika, chiles, and garlic. It’s a staple in Portuguese cuisine and has variations, but garlic is a must, and it almost always includes both paprika and hot chiles. This is a generic recipe that our Test Kitchen is adapting for Serendipity Farmhouse use. We intend to continue making changes to achieve a truly authentic flavor.
calabaza con pollo
Main Dishes, Recipe, SFH Food Talk & Recipes

Calabaza con Pollo – They Made the Unexpected Meal

For a weary traveler like me, a dish of Calabaza con Pollo proved to be an unexpectedly delicious meal. Now, these many years later, I have the serendipitous opportunity to share the recipe for that meal with you.

Hi! Ol’ Fuzz Face here.

In the 1970’s, Chef Blondie and I resided in San Angelo, Texas. Many years later, we made several extended trips to Houston. However, we never had the chance to sample a popular Mexican dish called Calabaza con Pollo (squash with chicken).

No, it wasn’t until I made a trip to Idaho Falls in 2017 that I was introduced to this dish so popular in Texas! Our close friend Mary, a wonderfully gracious lady, and her equally gracious daughter Carol made this unexpected meal for me. Now, several years later, Carol sent her recipe to us here at the SFH Test Kitchen.

We know that we won’t be able make this dish with all the nuances of technique that made this dish so memorable for me. Nevertheless, we will do our best to follow the recipe closely. Perhaps we will be able to capture some of the essence of what makes this dish so popular in the Lone Star State.

Calabaza con Pollo – A Little Background

Like so many recipes and foods, the origins of calabaza con pollo are uncertain. Early records trace the dish back to the 16th century. Calabaza and calabacita (zucchini) arrived in Mexico in the 1500s. Similar dishes predating the arrival of calabaza may have already existed.

None of that really matters very much. What really matters is that, over time, the dish has become a favorite of many, especially in south Texas.

And that’s where the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH Test Kitchen enters the picture. In this test, Chef Blondie and her able assistants take on the challenge of making this dish just like a Texan would.

Chef Blondie Finally Finds Flavor in Zucchini

By her own admission, Chef Blondie hasn’t ever been very partial to zucchini. She doesn’t like overcooked and mushy vegetables. But as you will see in the following video, she now thinks far more highly of that humble squash. The seasoning and cooking instructions in Carol’s recipe made my sweet spouse a convert.

This is a popular fall and winter dish in South Texas. Our subscriber Carol found the recipe online and adapted it. She realized that it makes a big difference to season the chicken well when cooking. This results in a very rich and flavorful homemade broth. She adjusted the amount of salt added to the spice mixture. The reserved broth will already be seasoned well. Of course, you may add additional salt to taste.  The original recipe only calls for 2 Cups of broth, Carol adds at least 4 cups. That gives the dish more of a thick, chunky soup consistency.
Mr. Monte

How to Avoid the Vet

When you’re tired of pills and too much medical attention, you have to learn how to avoid the Vet. I haven’t found a foolproof method yet. So far, all I can do is try entrenchment and and intimidation. – Anyway, here’s my latest medical update.

Hi! Mr. Monte here.

To my 23,417 faithful feline followers, I have an update on my medical condition. According to the Vet, my ailment is somewhat improved. (My last update was How to Handle Veterinary Daze.)

But (and that’s a very big but), Ol’ Fuzz Face and Miss Blondie are going to have to give me pills for at least another month.

Now, a little bit about yesterday’s visit. – This was the third visit in a month and a half. – I find this greatly disturbing to my feline tranquility.

As I explored the exam room, I realized that the Vet was coming. So, I decided to head back to my carrier and seek refuge there. – I hunkered down and let everyone know – this time I wasn’t coming out without a fight.

Farmhouse Living, Mr. Monte, SFH Food Talk & Recipes, SFH Lessons Learned, Traditions

A New Year for Our Farmhouse

Rested and renewed Miss Blondie and I are starting a new year for our farmhouse. We are in the midst of Christmastide, the lights on the tree shine brightly, and there is a warm fire in the wood stove. This is the perfect beginning for our 11th year at Serendipity Farmhouse. – It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Celebrating the Farm House New Year

My beautiful wife and I lived in Japan for over a decade. Our family grew and prospered there. So, it is only natural that our New Year’s Eve celebrations are highlighted by Japanese food and traditions. This year, Chef Blondie made a large batch of Gyoza. – What a treat!

Perhaps in late-January or early-February, Chef Blondie will pull out the electric skillet and show you how our dear friend Reiko made gyoza for us. She will also explain how to make up a large batch and freeze some for use several months later.

Farmhouse New Year Plans

In looking at the statistics for this blog and for our YouTube channel, we’ve realized we have two separate audiences. The first audience, the one that’s been with us since the beginning, consists of our family and close friends.

The second audience, started growing in August and September. The folks in this audience are all about good food. They’ve learned that Chef Blondie and the soon-to-be-world-famous SFH Test Kitchen can be relied upon to provide recipes that are top quality. They also have shown great interest in the Test Kitchen’s take on great chefs like Jacques Pépin and Julia Child.

The truth is we consider both audiences to be important parts of the Serendipity Farmhouse family. This year, Miss Blondie, Pierre LeChat, Mr. Monte, and I will do our best to satisfy your interests and build a farmhouse spirit of togetherness.

A Quick Look into the Farmhouse New Year

As I mentioned earlier, you can expect to see a full post and video on Chef Blondie’s rendition of Japanese gyoza. But before that, she is working on a project around a Jacques Pépin recipe perfect for these cold days of January. So within the week, she will introduce you to Beef Stew with Red Wine from the cookbook Jacques Pépin’s Simple and Healthy Cooking. – Don’t miss it. It’s going to be a good one.

Mr. Monte’s New Year

Mr. Monte’s off to a mixed start this year. He has a minor medical problem and had to visit the vet today. That’s never on his wish list. Nevertheless, he made the most of it and finally figured out where Dr. Meyers stashes her fantastic feline treats.

Classical music? Maybe I’ll come out and look around.
Hmmm? Different exam room and toys.
Certainly not big enough for a Maine Coon.
What cute tasty looking birds.
I’m going to capture the high ground.
Mr. Monte now in command!
Now where are those treats?
Found them! Fuzz Face, don’t snitch!

Come join us for this most auspicious

Farmhouse New Year

Rested and renewed Miss Blondie and I are starting a new year for our farmhouse. There’s going to be good food, good fun, and maybe even a good feline. – Err, perhaps I’m expecting too much.

This blog and our YouTube channel work together. In our blog you will find the full, printable recipes used by our Test Kitchen staff. Our YouTube channel provides video demonstrations of cooking techniques used with our recipes.

We want to do the best for both of our audiences. So, Miss Blondie looks forward to your comments on our posts and videos. Your insights and suggestions are priceless. If you like, you can contact Miss Blondie directly at the email address listed below. You can get to our YouTube channel by clicking on the image below or by scanning the QR code.

Have a Happy New Year!

Serendipity Farmhouse
Farmhouse History, Farmhouse Living

10 Years of Serendipity Farmhouse

Ten years ago today, Serendipity Farmhouse became the house of our realities. That was when we signed the papers that finalized the purchase. Our post SFH Anniversary & Birthday tells you a little about that day.

Since early in 2018, this blog has chronicled the living history of this old farmhouse. We have shown you the important, the serious, the sad, and sometimes the hilarious events that take place here. Occasionally, we show you what this farmhouse was like before it became Serendipity. We make sure that we don’t candy coat or cover up what living here is like. But, most of all, we show you that Serendipity Farmhouse has a history with a heart.

Those before us have modernized, renovated, and built additions. Some worked hard to restore the original charm of this old farmhouse. We have made repairs, and worked to make the kitchen a comfortable place to create and experiment.

Serendipity Farmhouse doesn’t grow older with time – it grows better!

This day is special for us in many ways. Certainly the SFH anniversary is important. But today is also the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and it is the birthday of one of our beautiful granddaughters.

A farmhouse anniversary is something we can celebrate. A granddaughter is someone we can love and her birthday is something we can cherish.

This year, we’ve worked hard to add a new dimension to our Serendipity Farmhouse chronicles. Now you can see Chef Blondie in her recently renovated kitchen, testing simple farmhouse dishes created by Jacques Pepin and other fine chefs. You can also watch as Mr. Monte takes us on fantastic camping trips in his Class-C RV El Camino Del Monte.

So, when you get a chance check out our new YouTube channel here and subscribe.

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Autumn, RV Living, Trips

The Vibrant Colors of Serendipity

I prefer camping. She prefers glamping. But it really doesn’t matter. Autumn saw to it that we were both surrounded by the vibrant colors of serendipity. And it wasn’t just in our RV.

If you’ve visited our About Serendipity Farmhouse page, you know Blondie and I have a special definition for the word ‘serendipity’. – Serendipity is the answer to a prayer you never prayed but should have.

For us ‘serendipity’ is not mere chance. It’s something you must seek. It’s like the trail marker hidden in the shadows. You must look for it and recognize it for what it is. It’s far more common than you think. You can find it everywhere. – Even on an RV trip or in your own backyard.

Serendipity is not just good luck. It is a gift freely given by a firm Guiding Hand. And accepting that gift is an act of faith.

Vibrant Colors – First Reflections

October 24th was the first day of the last RV trip for the year. There was no special purpose for the trip. It was just an opportunity for us to break from routine farmhouse chores and be together. Little did we know that during this trip we would see some of the most spectacular Autumn views ever.

Unlike Monte’s Feline Fantasy RV Trip last June, I did the driving to Shenandoah River State Park. Unfortunately, Mr. Monte is just as obnoxious as a back-seat-driver as he is when he’s behind the wheel.

Despite Monte’s criticism and complaints, we arrived at Site #1 with no undue problems. Setup was quick and easy. Sweet Miss Blondie and I took a short rest and then headed down to the river. We decided to walk along River Trail. And that’s where the surprisingly vibrant colors of our serendipitous trip came into full view. They reflected off the still water and made fast a pleasant memory in my mind. – Here’s just a bit of what we saw.

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Views along River Trail

As afternoon turned into evening, Chef Blondie performed her kitchen magic in our somewhat less than commodious RV kitchen. She decided that her ever-popular Indian Chicken Curry – The ECDM Way would suit the weather and the season.

I assisted with the menial tasks of making rice and general cleanup. My great diligence and effort were rewarded by one of my favorite camper meals.

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Indian Chicken Curry for Dinner

Upon Further Reflection

This wasn’t the trip of a lifetime. This trip was but another treasured part of a lifetime with the one I love. It was a moment in time. Serendipity is knowing that those special moments are always there.

Those moments can be as simple as waking up in our RV and doing the morning chores surrounded by magnificent Autumn colors. Should you want more than that, you can have a brunch cooked outside. Perhaps you would start with sizzling, fried bacon. If you’ve planned ahead, you just might have a fresh loaf of homemade sourdough bread. – Could anything be better for brunch than French toast on sourdough bread with crispy bacon and hot coffee?

Brunch on an Autumn Day

After brunch, we set out to do just exactly what we had planned to – that would be not much of anything. Basking amidst the vibrant colors, it was so pleasant to simply take another walk, play a few hands of Rummy, and spend time relaxing in the shade of the RV awning. After all, this trip was just an opportunity for us to break from routine farmhouse chores and be together.

The afternoon silently slipped away, and the shadows began to lengthen. Soon, the setting sun intensified the hues and vibrance of the Autumn colors. We took it all in for one final moment and then closed the RV door. There would be no supper this evening. Brunch was more than enough for the day.

Mr. Monte requested Blondie and me to join him in watching Jacques Pépin. He did his best to persuade Blondie to have the soon-to-be-world famous Test Kitchen try more of Jacques’s recipes.

With all the fresh air and beautiful views this day, though, Mr. Monte soon joined us in closing our eyes. We all slipped off to the Land of Nod. – The day was beautiful, but even the most beautiful days must come to an end.

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Mr. Monte Watches Jacques Pépin

Vibrant Colors – A Final Reflection

Yes, it was a wonderful and relaxing RV trip in the Shenandoah Valley. But when your farmhouse is at nestled in the Blue Ridge, within sight of Skyline Drive, the vibrant colors of serendipity are present right there on your doorstep.

Whether you go to the Rappahannock County Court House to vote or walk to the mailbox or pray for the Poor Souls, the Autumn colors are there to remind you of how that firm Guiding Hand brought you here.

Vibrant Autumn Colors of Serendipity on our Doorstep

Upon final reflection, the vibrant colors of serendipity are one more answer to a prayer we should have prayed but didn’t. – We are thankful for trail markers and the firm Guiding Hand that brought us here.

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There’s more to see in the video of the Vibrant Colors. Check it out and subscribe to our YouTube Channel