The Mitford Museum – Hudson, North Carolina

There are so many amazing things we got to do and see on this trip to North Carolina. In planning our trip originally I would have missed this little gem. As I was planning for what to pack I thought about a few books to take. I must admit up front that I barely read a thing on this adventure but I had the next book in the Mitford series in the stack, Come Rain or Come Shine. I chose it because it was about a wedding in North Carolina and I thought it fitting since we were going for a wedding in North Carolina. LOL

I realized upon picking that book I had not been to the Mitford website in ages to see what was happening with Jan and her writing. I did a search to find the official website and something else popped up, too.

A link for The Mitford Museum showed up and I thought, “Is this the same Mitford?” Well, folks, it is! There is now a Museum for all things Jan Karon and Mitford and it opened in October 2021. I immediately searched for where it was and when it was open and then we added it to our travel plans. It is located in her childhood home of Hudson, NC in the actual school where she attended as a little girl. It is not a huge museum but a cozy stroll through the life and works of Jan Karon that just gave me all the feels. Feel free to click on any individual photo to see it more closely…. especially that desk!

The entrance as you go down the hall… with a lovely map of Mitford on the wall just like the ones in the books.

Jan’s actual writing desk full of photos, marked up manuscripts and other lovely things she wanted to share with her fans

Miss Fannie’s hat! I loved the displays so much.

A lovely large Nativity just like the one I imagined in Shepherd’s Abiding.

She mentioned Hudson as a true inspiration for the people we meet in Mitford. She also lived in Blowing Rock (just up the road a bit from Hudson) while writing the first five books… three in the series and two children’s books. So, guess where we went next…

Emily and I toured the museum and my patient husband and youngest son sat and enjoyed a bit of quiet reading while they waited. They were so kind to let us go and do this. I guess it makes up for the Texas Ranger Museum I went through with Dan one time long ago. Although, don’t tell him this, I enjoyed that somewhat, too. LOL I am a museum kind of gal. If you go on the right day there is also a little coffee shop and of course, there is a gift shop open when the museum is open. You know I bought something… a little stacking pot, cup and saucer to enjoy tea as I read. It was specially designed just for sale in the Mitford Museum store.

I could not believe how much Blowing Rock reminded me of Mitford as we drove through. They happened to have a “contaminated water ban” the day we went through so we didn’t stay super long but everyone I talked to knew who Jan Karon was and about all her books. She is very famous there.

I won’t share too many surprises so that you can make a plan to go and enjoy the loveliness of it all for yourself. Hudson is a quaint little town and the drive off the main roads into the town are gorgeous. just up the road is another little town called Lenoir and we stopped for lunch there at the 1841 Cafe. It is an old hardware store that has been converted.

Girlie and Youngest indulging my photo taking craziness. They are such good sports!

I ordered a Whistle Stop BLT with fried green tomato. I also had the sweet potato fries and a really delicious creamy sriracha sauce for dipping. I do love a good diner!

Blowing Rock is a beautiful town just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. We spent some time driving on that, too, on our way back to Asheville that day. Dan has a cousin that lives in Asheville and she let us stay two nights with them so we could do some touring around.

The day we drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway it was overcast and rainy but perfect for photo taking. My daughter has been putting up photos of our adventures since we got back if you want to check some of those out. You can see her Photography Instagram stuff @photos_by_emily316

Add these stops to your North Carolina itinerary if you make it there. I have some more adventures to share so stay tuned. Until next time…

Happy Travels!

~Leann

Jam Making Season

Photo by Marta Robles Diaz on Unsplash

As the holiday season closes in quickly I decided to do an inventory of our canning pantry. I still have an abundance of peach and apricot jam from two years ago. A friend of mine had a big harvest and she shared with us. We have a deal that she brings me all the fruit, jars and supplies and I do all the canning. Then we divide the spoils. It has helped us to fill our pantry with delicious fruit jams to last us through the winter for several years.

The problem is that I have two children that are not huge stone fruit fans. They prefer the berry jams. Our oldest has said he loves the cherry jam I made a few years ago so I am making a batch of that tomorrow. Our middle boy gets his own batch of blackberry jam. I usually make him 6 jars at a time. It is his favorite. Our youngest boy is a huge fan of the strawberry jam. My daughter and husband eat anything I make. I grew up on plum and strawberry but enjoy it all. The kids go through the berry jams really quickly.

With Sam’s Club berries going on sale a few times this summer I have washed and frozen berries several times to make jam later in the season. It is time and so I spent the week canning berry jams… strawberry jam, triple berry jam on the stovetop (strawberry, blueberry, cranberry) and then I had an overstock of plums so I did plum jam in my instant pot. We are now restocked for all the toast and jam we can enjoy and I have gifts for teachers and neighbors.

I usually start the day before I cook by preparing jars and equipment. Jars are washed and sterilized. They are ready to fill. This is my setup every time I can. The towel keeps my counters clean and clear of sticky messes. I use that blue funnel for pouring. I park the pot from the stovetop next to the cooling rack and then ladle jam into the jars one at a time. It minimizes spills because the jars are lifted closer to the top of the pot.

I pulled frozen blueberries out, added chopped strawberries and snagged a fresh bag of cranberries which are now in supermarkets for the holiday season. I really love this combination. You could do any variety of berries for a triple berry jam, though. I cook berries and sugar without pectin because they have plenty to turn them into jam without much coaxing.

I have a few really good books I have used over the years to figure out ratios of fruit to sugar and tips for knowing when it is ready to pull from the stove and put into the jars.

My favorite is the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving. There are loads of how-to chapters and recipes to put you on the path to great canning success. The other three books below have some good recipes and ideas for unique canning and gift making. I have used all of them at some point.

Ashley English has a series of homesteading books to choose from. She has chicken keeping, dairy making, bee keeping, and more along with some newer books. One of her newest books is on building your own home apothecary from herbs and such you grow yourself. I am studying up on that one now. She is very informative. I wish she were still keeping up her blog but you can find her on Instagram @smallmeasure.

Homemade Preserves and Jams by Mary Tregellas has some really great gift ideas and lovely photos. She also wrote Notes from the Jam Cupboard and Preserving the Season.

This book, Lip Smackin’ Jams and Jellies, is one of two cookbooks Amy and David Butler offer. There other cookbook is a pie cookbook, Farmhand’s Favorite Pies, and I own both. They also have a variety of decorating, crafting, entertaining books that are loaded with creative ideas.

This is from my strawberry batch from Wednesday.

This is plum on the left and triple berry on the right. I must say that cooking plums in the instant pot was a breeze! Here is a link to the recipe I used. I will definitely be doing that again.

Are you hungry now? If you have not tried your hand at making jam it is really not hard. I seal all of my jars with a water bath at the end. That is probably the most tedious part for me. There are plenty of youtube videos to help you through that process if you are like me and need the visual. Once you get the hang of it you will be on your way to a pantry full of fresh jam for your family and maybe some great gifts for the holidays. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to help you out if I can. Until next time…

Happy Jamming!

~Leann

Looking for Instant Pot Recipes?

Do you own an Instant Pot? I am now the owner of TWO… a six quart and a three quart. We have recently been gifted a hand me down RV trailer from my MIL. I bought the smaller one for the trailer when we travel but find myself using it in my home, too. They are so super uncomplicated and great for getting meals on the table quickly. With a little bit of reading and maybe some youtube videos you can be on your way to dinner on the table in no time by tonight.

The problem most people have expressed to me about trying an Instant Pot is that they are afraid of pressure cookers. If you grew up in a home where your mother or grandmother had that giant pot on the stove that had a rattling lid and constant hissing and steam flowing out of it I get that. My grandmother cooked her black-eyed peas in one all the time when we went to visit. It freaked me out! LOL I literally thought it would explode and some of the old style pressure cookers did and were more dangerous. The new IP designs will not do that. They are super safe if you pay attention to the instructions. They are literally foolproof!

Once I had my first IP I decided to dive in with a cookbook. I try to eat mostly paleo and AIP. My first cookbook was one I found from Jennifer Robins. She is a paleo chef. She has a great blog and sends out menu and recipe newsletters once a month. Her first IP book is Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot. It is SO SO SOOOOOO GOOD! I have used many recipes in this cookbook and they have all been delightfully successful with my family. My family doesn’t even know I am feeding them “healthy” with these recipes.

She did a second book for the IP that has a more budget friendly focus. I, honestly, did not find the first cookbook recipes unaffordable. The second book is great, too. The book is entitled Affordable Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot.

For my third book I opted for a more family friendly but not highly paleo or aip friendly. Lisa Burns has a great cookbook that has a lot of basics for using the Instant Pot. She has bone broth, boiled eggs, yogurt making, and a lot of really tasty recipes to nourish the whole family. Her cookbook is called Family Meals from Scratch in Your Instant Pot. You should also check out her blog and Instagram accounts. You can find her at This Pilgrim Life and @thispilgrimlife

All of the cookbooks above have ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and desserts. There is no shortage of ideas for your Instant Pot if you just look. There are all kinds of YouTube Channels, cookbooks, blogs and social media accounts you can find with a simple search or hashtag (#instantpot). I just thought I would share my favorite books. The IP brand also has a lot of different kinds of cookbooks I have seen at Costco, Walmart, BN, Sam’s Club and more.

Do you have a favorite IP recipe? Blog? Cookbook? Please share with us if you do. Drop a comment below to let us know.

Three Food Bloggers I Love

Photo by Becca Tapert on Unsplash

I love cookbooks. I love recipes. I love finding something new to try. My family has it’s traditional favorites that I cook on a regular basis but they are adventurous souls like me when it comes to trying new things. I have tried some flops over the years but we have found some real winners, too. There are three healthier options blogs I am going to a lot lately and all of the recipes I have tried from them have been keepers.

The Real Food Dieticians have a variety of options on their blog from the main meals of breakfast, lunch, and dinner to snacks, desserts, drinks, and special occasion ideas. They share menu plans and themed recipes every week. They also have loads of recipes to cater to special diets and food allergies. I made a new recipe from them this morning for breakfast. I added Craisins to it but followed the rest of the recipe exactly. It was delicious! Oh, and they have a new cookbook coming in March 2022… I cannot wait!

Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

Carlsbad Cravings is a blog I recently discovered when a fellow autoimmune warrior shared it on her Instagram. Jennifer is the blogger behind the recipes. She is a cystic fibrosis survivor and a lung & kidney transplant recipient. Her story is remarkable. She shares whole food recipes that are healthy and delicious. She has loads of special diet and food allergy safe recipes on her blog. I made her Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup tonight for dinner. UPDATING TO ADD THE PHOTO FROM DINNER….

Cotter Crunch is the third one for you today. She has loads of anti-inflammatory meals on her blog. She shares gluten free and other allergy friendly recipes. She shares meal plans and help getting started with a new way of eating if you have never eaten gluten free of AIP friendly before. She also has loads of Instant Pot and Crock Pot recipes and make ahead ideas. It is a very education driven site. She is very helpful! I have a few holiday items lined up to make from her site.

Do you have a favorite food blogger? Please drop a comment below and share them with us!

Happy Eating!

~Leann

My Kitchen Sink Minestrone

This is a soup that I make when I have a large amount of items that need to be used up quickly. One of the places I learned how to improvise on soups and stews was a cookbook I have had for many years. The Italian Country Table (1999) by Lynne Rossetto Kasper (of The Splendid Table) shares Italian farmhouse cooking recipes. The recipes use basic affordable ingredients and she gives a variety of substitutes and alternatives if you don’t have a specific ingredient. It is loaded with recipes for nutritious food using fresh produce, pastas and grains, meats, and dairy items. I can always find a recipe to use up random ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry in this book.

.

• Servings: 10-12
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Difficulty: easy but with lots of chopping
• Print

This is my version of a minestrone wihtout pasta

This is a really big recipe to feed a crowd so start with a large cooking pot. The leftovers are even better the next day so I like to make enough to have leftovers.

Ingredients

• several slices of pancetta or bacon cut into small pieces
• one medium onion chopped finely
• about 1 cup finely chopped celery
• 4 to 6 large carrots peeled and chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 of a large butternut squash peeled, seeded and cubed
• 6 small to medium sized golden potatoes (I leave skins on these) cubed
• 2-3 cups cooked kidney beans (can use canned). I cook these in my Instant Pot the day I need them.
• Herbs… basil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper. I am generous with all of these (except salt) and you can use fresh or dried of any or all of them. If using fresh garlic then mince it.
• 2 32 oz. boxes beef, chicken, or vegetable broth. If you make your own then us an equal amount or half broth and half water.
• 1 Large can of crushed tomatoes (28+ ounces)
• Some kind of green leafy favorite… about 2-3 cups of raw spinach, Kale, Bok Choy, or other green of choice
• Olive oil for sautéing.
• 1 small package small pasta (this is optional if you are staying away from wheat or high carb items leave it out)

Directions

1. The first thing I do when making any soup is heat the pan, add the oil after it heats, and then start with the base of onion, celery and carrot. In this one I also add the cut up bacon to sauté with the veggies.
2. After veggies are sauteed add the herbs… oregano, basil, garlic, some salt and pepper.
3. Add the squash and cook it some to soften a little.
4. Once that is incorporated add beans and crushed tomatoes.
5. Once everything is incorporated well I add the liquid… water or broth or a combination of both works nicely and bring to a simmer.
6. The last thing I add before fully cooking are the potatoes and then I let the soup cook until all the veg is soft. I let it go for a long time…. an hour or two to let some of the liquid cook off to thicken the broth so it’s not a thin soup. The potatoes help to thicken it.
7. If you are adding a small pasta this would be a good place to add it or you can add it just after you add the broth/water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Don’t add the pasta until the broth/water is fully hot and even starting to boil.
8. Add the green of your choice just before serving because it will wilt quickly and you don’t want it to disintegrate.
9. If you want to add some kind of meat to this you can chop up some Kielbasa sausage, add some Italian ground sausage or chorizo, some cooked pork or chicken. It is a very flexible meal. Use what you have on hand and see what happens.

An excerpt from the book on improvising a minestrone can be found here. It is straight out of the book and very helpful!

The first thing I do when making any soup is heat the pan, add the oil after it heats, and then start with the base of onion, celery and carrot. In this one I also add the cut up bacon to sauté with the veggies.

At this point I add the herbs… oregano, basil, garlic, some salt and pepper.

Once the bacon has cooked a little and the veggies are softening I add the squash and cook it some to soften a little.

Once that is incorporated I add beans and crushed tomatoes.

Once everything is incorporated well I add the liquid… water or broth or a combination of both works nicely and bring to a simmer.

The last thing I add before fully cooking are the potatoes and then I let the soup cook until all the veg is soft. I let it go for a long time…. an hour or two to let some of the liquid cook off to thicken the broth so it’s not a thin soup. The potatoes help to thicken it, too.

If you are adding a small pasta this could be a good place to add it or you can add it just after you add the broth/water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Don’t add the pasta until the broth/water is fully hot and even starting to boil.

Add the green of your choice just before serving because it will wilt quickly and you don’t want it to disintegrate

If you want to add some kind of meat to this you can chop up some Kielbasa sausage, add some Italian ground sausage, or some pork or chicken to it. It is a very flexible meal. Use what you have on hand and see what happens.

I serve most of my soups/stews with sides like a salad, some kind of quick or yeast bread, crackers and some kinds of add ins like cheese, avocado, a slice of lime, some parsley, basil, cilantro, or whatever goes with that kind of soup. Tonight’s side is a Pampered Chef recipe I have used for several years… A No-Knead Italian Bread. If you don’t have a Deep Covered Baker a Cast Iron Dutch Oven will do the trick. The sky is the limit with this kind of soup. Use what you have on hand and see what happens. We had a bit of a cold snap come through this week so soup has been on my mind a great deal and I hope to share more with you as we move through the autumn season into winter.

Do you have a favorite soup or stew you love to eat on cold days? Do you have a favorite cookbook you would like to share? I hope you try this recipe and enjoy it. It is a little labor intensive on the chopping side but it is very worth it for the cozy comfort it brings. Even without the meat it will stick to your ribs on a cold night.

Let me know if I need to make a correction… sometimes I leave something out or am not clear on something. Humans make mistakes so feel free to let me know if you need clarification.

Until next time…

Enjoy!

~Leann

Budget Meals: Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is a family favorite for us. I remember this recipe from my childhood. This particular recipe is inspired by the Betty Crocker Cookbook I got when I first got married almost 31 years ago. I have made a few changes over the years but it is still really close to the original and still just as simple to make.

My version is as follows…

• 4 bell peppers with tops cut off and membrane and seeds pulled out
• 1 pound of ground turkey or chicken
• chopped onion (about 1/2 a large or one small onion)
• 1 cup of corn (frozen or canned drained)
• garlic clove minced
• salt to taste
• chopped cilantro
• 1 small (15 ounce) can of tomato sauce

Set prepared peppers aside (ready to fill in pan as seen below in round baking pan).

Saute ground meat to cook thoroughly and then add onion, corn, garlic, salt and cilantro in pan to heat through. Add tomato sauce and stir to incorporate everything together. Once the filling is made you can fill the prepared peppers. Bake in a pan with water filled to about 3/4 up the sides of the bell peppers. (again, as seen below). You can bake them without the water but it softens the bell peppers better if you use water in the pan with them. I cover them with either a lid or foil. I bake them in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Pull the lid or foil off and add cheese to the top. Place them back in the oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Use cheddar, mozzarella, or any favorite cheese that melts nicely.

I serve these with a salad or other vegetables. These are quite filling and super inexpensive to make.