Friday, December 26, 2008

Cooking Together

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am a bit of a health foodie. :-) I love to read about healthy cooking and how to make things homemade that are healthier and more economical for us. I am also quite an old fashioned lady. These are a few of my favorite things ( can you hear Maria singing??) ...a homemade quilt, cast iron pots and pans, a marbled, rustic bar of homemade soap, a batch of freshly baked bread, candlelight, woodstoves, knitted wool mittens/socks/sweaters/hats, little rustic log cabins, campfires, washing dishes by hand, shelves filled with home canned goods, freshly made cheese, milking goats, a walk in the thick woods, carrying babies in slings or packs, homebirth, freshly churned (or shaken) butter, cooking over an open fire, homemade skirts and dresses, homemade corn brooms, and gardens bursting with health giving life. Mmmmm what wonderful things God made! He also created work and how good it feels to create good and beautiful things with our hands. One Sunday morning, before church, the children and I made a big pot (this is my cast iron dutch oven) of beef stew. Here are the onions and stew beef browning. My two faithful potato washers, peelers and choppers. They help me in the kitchen so much. Sunshine was trying to make her hair curly by doing the 'rag curl' method. :-) I think they did this in 'Little House and The Prairie'.
Above is a picture of all the carrots that Sunshine sliced for the stew. They are waiting to go in. The pot on the front left is our breakfast of steel cut oats. They had been soaking on the stove overnight and we are just starting to cook them here. We really enjoy them...even more so than oatmeal.
And the delicious, finished stew. I have always loved stew. One of my most sentimental memories of growing up involves beef stew. It was a snowy, beautiful Michigan winter day. The snow was falling beautifully and we were outside shoveling the driveway. Meanwhile my mother was inside making homemade buns and beef stew. The house smelled heavenly and we couldn't wait to enjoy her efforts. After we finished the shoveling we all went in and ate and ate of Mom's wonderful meal. Yummm! I love that memory.
A misc. picture of my daughter and I playing music together. Thank you Lord for music and the chance to worship you with our voices and instruments.

5 comments:

Betsy Nickel Photography said...

Yummy! Your beef stew looks really great!! I have so many comfort foods that I love in the winter time! Beef stew is one for me too! :0)

Betsy Nickel Photography said...

Hey...Just wanted you to know that you inspired me and I made Beef Stew tonight! YUM! It was so great and I thought of you while I was making it! :0)

Annie Lady said...

I am so glad you were inspired...:-) I am sure the stew was delicious! Happy cooking!

Jen said...

Looks absolutely delicious! So wonderful that your children love helping you in the kitchen. I am sure your littlest will quickly follow. :) If you have any recipes, tips or ideas along the healthy cooking route, always feel free to pass them along or blog about them! I am always on the lookout for healthy, tasty meals that are economical as well. Isaac and Isabelle love the kitchen too and it is so much fun watching them learn.

Stephanie said...

My mouth is watering and I don't think I even like beef stew! Yummy!