Fermenting Whole Cabbage Heads - Sauerkraut

Fermenting sour kraut is easy, but fermenting whole cabbages is even easier. There is no chopping involved. This method is used for fermenting large or small amounts of cabbage heads fast. The whole outer leaves are used in dishes like cabbage rolls. I will go a step further and use them to make Dolmas. Pickled grape leaves are outrageously expensive.

As I stated in my previous blog, I could only find three cabbages
that had tightly packed leaves. 

What you will need:

Whole Cabbages

Spices of your choosing

Salt, preferably sea salt or pickling salt

Spring water, well water (Tap water has chlorine that will impede the fermentation progress) 

Coring knife and cutting board

A Crock, food grade bucket or barrel with a lid

Cut the core out of the center of the cabbage heads.

Add a generous amount of salt to the center. This will aid in pickling
the cabbage throughout. 

The cabbage should be packed tightly together inside the container. 
I cut some of my heads in half and salted them to help pack them
into the crock. 

Here I am salting the cabbage halves.

The brine solution that I am using is 2 tablespoons of sea salt
for every four cups of filtered water.

Gently poor the brine over the cabbage until it is covered by
at least one inch of brine.

Add the spices if you chose to use any.

Once the cabbage has absorbed the brine, add more brine if needed.

Use a plate or weights to submerge the cabbage completely.

Place the lid on the crock.

Store in a cool dark place. Check the brine level for a couple days to
ensure that the cabbage is completely submersed. Let set for at least
40 days. 

After 40 days, check to see if the cabbage is pickled to your satisfaction. At this point, it can be stored as is in a cold room or refrigerated to slow down the fermentation process. It will continue to ferment, but at a much slower rate. 

The brine solution is very good for you. It is full of probiotics and can be served as a beverage over ice. If you cannot have salt, do not drink the brine. It is salty. It is the perfect beverage after a workout or a day of exertion. 

My plan is to use the larger leaves to make Dolmas, cabbage rolls or to chop it into sauerkraut. My original plan was to ferment using my 10-gallon crock, but I will have to wait until I can find enough cabbage to fill the crock. Maybe they will be abundant and on sale around St. Patrick's Day.

Enjoy,

Mrs. Smith

Grocery Haul - It's Been a Hot Minute

It has been at least six months since I have done any major shopping at Sam's Club or Azure Standard or anywhere for that matter. It was definitely time to place an order at both places. We picked up our order from Sam's Club after my appointment on Friday in the city. 

There were a few things that we could only get if we had them shipped, so I have placed an order to be delivered along with a modest Azure Standard order that I will pick up. I had to go inside the store to pick up a few things that I wanted to hand pick myself. The store was packed. I think that some people we panic buying. It sure looked like it anyway. The line to get to the eggs was deep. I was in and out in short order because I knew what I wanted and where it was. I maneuvered through the store and around shoppers with ease. 

I did notice that there are less options available, again. Mayonnaise was one of those items that I had to order. What store doesn't carry Kraft Real Mayo? They only had brown beans in 12-pound package, and I wanted black beans. They are carrying smaller packages with less options these days. This seems to be the new trend. If stores like Sam's are not going to carry large bulk items, what is the point? 

I also noticed that they were low on most meats, eggs and milk. Milk was definitely not bargain at all. I didn't peruse the whole store because I just wanted to get out of there asap! Bread flour was another item that I had to have shipped along with the black beans and mayo. I haven't been able to buy bread flour at Sam's for several years now. At least I can have it shipped.  

When I tried to put peanut butter in my cart, the only option I had was to have it shipped. I was certain that that couldn't be, and I was right. I was certainly wrong about the mayo. The store had plenty of peanut butter and it was on sale for $2.00 off. I bought two. I think all in all that I went over my budget by $10 and this was one of the reasons why. Dang sales!

It was also time to buy meat. Ugh! Beef has really shot up in price, so Number One Husband decided that we would purchase a whole beef chuck roll and hand trim it into the cuts we need. This made the price $5.98 a pound for premium cuts of chuck. I also purchased a 10-pound roll of ground chuck at $4.38 a pound and a boneless leg of lamb for $4.98 a pound.  

Hand trimming a chuck beef roll coming soon.

I ran into the Walmart that was next door, also packed, to pick up cabbage, bell peppers, Romas, and celery. I was only able to find four Roma tomatoes that were decent enough out of the miniscule amount that they had to offer. They only had three heads of cabbage that were well formed out of the seven heads available. I really needed four, one for soups and stews and three for preserving. The bell peppers were okay, and the celery was good at a great price of .96 cents. 

Fermenting whole cabbage heads coming soon!

We topped off the tank and headed back into the mountains. It was good to get home, but then I needed to get everything put away before the Sabbath started. Getting an almost 23-pound chuck roll and a 10-pound roll of ground chuck to fit in the refrigerator along with everything else was no easy task. 

Until we process the meat, the fridge is just going to be bursting at the seams. I cooked up the rest of our old eggs from the refrigerator and fed them to the chickens. They were getting dried out, so I made the hens and the raven very happy this morning. 

I started the process of organizing the freezers this morning. This time of the year I am able to use our antique propane and kerosene refrigerators that we have in the shop as freezers. They give us additional freezer space in the winter months without using any fuel. I carried out extra items from the inside freezer to our makeshift winter freezers this morning to make room for 38 pounds of meat. This should give us enough freezer space inside the house for the chuck roll and the ground chuck. 

Once the meat is processed, I will finish up re-organizing the fridge and the freezers. It's a good thing that we are not picking up our Azure Standard order for a week or so. I should have plenty of time to process our first haul. 

Happy Day!

Mrs. Smith 

Wild Burros and More...

We went for a drive on New Years Day and saw these burros acting like they were mountain goats. They were grazing on the side of this rocky cliff. I have no idea what they were eating, but it must have been good because they just kept climbing higher and higher.

Our New Years Day dinner of black-eyed peas and greens. Southern cuisine at its best.  

Number One Husband is a true southerner, He poured milk over his
apple bread. Milk is not my thing, but it makes him happy...

Gag!

We were finally able to chase the cows out of our yard. I like the cows, but they like to rub on everything. A 1,400-pound cow can do a lot of damage. They are still hanging out outside our fence. They are taking shelter from the blowing wind and snow that our house provides. It has been very windy and cold the last few days. 

I saw the strangest license plate the other day along with the scrolling 
of some pranksters, I asked permission to take a picture. 
 

Shabbat Shalom,

Mrs. Smith

Picture of the Day - Uninvited Guests

This is what happens when you leave the gate open...

Three cows snuck in last night before we closed the gate. All three of them are black, so Number One Husband didn't see them when he closed the gate. We tried to get them out this morning, but they did not want to leave because our grass has not been cut or grazed for years. We gave up trying pretty fast because it was 14 degrees outside.

Two of them are not scared of us at all, but the third one is skittish. This one enjoys hanging out next to our porch. They slept outside the gate to take shelter from the wind and blowing snow the night before last. They will probably leave in the morning. It won't take them long to graze our fenced area.

She looks like she is standing on the grill.

This is Rabbit who is standing on the grill.

The sun has set, and the temperature has dropped. It is going to be a cold this New Years Eve. It's only 3 degrees at the moment. It was - 3 degrees when I got up this morning. I think it will drop well below that overnight.

I baked Grandma Ruby's apple bread this evening. You can find the recipe here: Grandma Ruby's Apple Bread . The house is nice and warm now. I also cooked a big pot of rice in the pressure cooker and de-boned a rotisserie chicken. I want to make chicken and dumplings out of the leftover meat and bones. It's been a nice and quiet New Years Evening. We are looking forward to tomorrow

 


Happy New Year,

Mrs. Smith

Preparing for the New Year - Un-Traditional Black-Eyed Peas and Greens

I woke up early this morning to find out that it had snowed.

Snow covered cows taking shelter from the blowing snow.
They all left once the sun rose above the mountains.

Preparing for New Years Day and the New Year...

I started prepping for the new year early this year. I want to start the new year off on a good note. I cooked a pot of black-eyed peas and greens for New Years Day. ✅I'm pretty sure I would be hard pressed to find any mustard greens around here, so I will use cabbage and kale. 

Finding frozen or canned black-eyed peas this time of the year in the past has been impossible. I did find one last bag of old peas one year that took forever to cook. I do not want to make that mistake again. Azure Standard has the best tasting peas that I have ever had. I will have to buy a bigger bag the next time I place an order. I may have to make another pot if I don't stay out of them. They are just delicious, and I haven't even dressed them up them yet. 

This recipe is spot on even at this altitude
which is a bit surprising.

We will also be having beef sausage, fried potatoes, sweet potatoes, greens, salad and cornbread alongside the black-eyed peas. You know, a real southern style fills the table up kind of meal. Maybe I could talk Number One Husband into making his grandmother's baked chocolate pudding. It is a really interesting, sweet desert. I'm sure it was a Great Depression era desert made with milk, eggs, butter, flour, sugar and cocoa. 

Why do we eat black-eyed peas and greens on New Years? 

I know why we eat them, it's because we like them, and we are southerners. It is a tradition of ours that we enjoy. For us, we like to start the new year off by eating healthy. It's kind of like the tradition of eating turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving. Others have superstitious reasons for eating black-eyed peas and greens along with other things. We don't buy into the magic pea theory, nor do we participate in those kinds of traditions. 👀👀👀 

Black-eyed peas cooked with smoked beef bacon fat, salt and pepper. I will add onions,
garlic, tomatoes, peppers and a splash of vinegar and cook them a bit more before serving.

Greens - Cabbage, kale, beef sausage, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, with a pinch of sugar
and a splash of vinegar. We actually had a bowl for a late breakfast along with homemade bread.
I always order beans and greens with cornbread and chow chow at Cracker Barrel.
 It's the best thing on their menu in my opinion.

Last minute prep.

I put some mung beans in a jar to soak for sprouts. I'm not sure if they will be ready on New Years Day, but soon after that we will add them to salads, smoothies, Super Ramen and more. Another healthy choice. ✅

We have started having healthy teas using herbs and spices to boost our immune systems. Even Number One Husband is participating in my hot drink concoctions. He does not drink hot coffee or tea, so this is a tough one for him. ✅

I also prepared some homemade Basic Electrolyte Powdered Drink Mix. You can find my recipe here: Homemade Electrolyte Sports Drink Mix Staying hydrated is so important to keep our bodies functioning properly. It is hard to stay hydrated in this climate and at this altitude. ✅ 

Other preparations...

I spent some time today filing 2024 away. I printed out a new calendar for 2025. ✅ I failed to pick one up the last time I was in town, so I found a printable freebie that is perfect for our needs. And did I mention that it was free? I still need to fill in all of our important dates and times. I usually do this on New Years Day along with the last of the filing. 

Every year I...

I set up my study binder and filed last year's studies/notes away. I spend quite a bit of time throughout the year deciding on next the year's studies. This year I just wasn't sure what to do for 2025. I finally decided this past week. The last week of the year I might add. ✅

After much thought, my final choices for my 2025 Bible study and devotion are Grace for The Moment Devo/Journal and reading through the entire Bible using the Abide Bible. 

"Grace for the Moment Journal." Lucado shares timeless, inspirational thoughts for everyday life. With 365 entries and specific thought-provoking questions, "Grace for the Moment Journal" is ideal for daily reading and writing. Excerpts from his extensive writings, paired with a verse of Scripture, emphasize the help and hope of God in everyday moments. 

I found the devotion book at a thrift store earlier in the year. I ordered the Abide Bible about a week ago after months of going back in forth on the matter in my mind. I found a great price on one and put it on my watchlist and within hours I received an offer, and they accepted my counteroffer. I picked it up from the post office today. ✅ I look forward to reading through the Abide Bible using the features and techniques that were developed by BibleGateway and Taylor University. This will be my main study for the whole year. 

 

• 

Features Include:

• Praying Scripture: Pattern your prayers after biblical texts, personalizing the prayer and gaining language for the thoughts and emotions you want to express.
• Picture It: Place yourself in a biblical narrative as a bystander or participant in important events.
• Journaling: Focus and reflect on Scripture and its meaning for your life, opening yourself to God’s voice as you ponder.
• Engage Through Art: Consider a classic piece of art—photograph, sculpture, painting—and let it deepen your meditations on scriptural truths.
• Contemplate: Follow the church’s longstanding practice of reading, meditating on, praying, and contemplating a passage of Scripture in order to experience God’s presence through the words of the Bible.

• Bible book introductions provide a concise overview of the background and historical context of the book about to be read
• 365 Day Bible Reading Plan guiding you through the entire Bible in a year
• Line-matched, single-column Scripture text for improved readability
• Smyth-sewn binding lays flat in your hand or on your desk
• Two satin ribbon markers allow you to easily navigate and keep track of where you were reading
• Easy-to-read 9-point NET Comfort Print

More plans...

On New Years Eve and throughout New Years Day we will celebrate with food and talk about the future. We will talk about our personal goals and our joint plans for the year. We will write them all down on paper and simultaneously forget where we put it. Depending on the weather, we may go for a ride or a walk bit where we will continue our discussions. 

This is how we have celebrated and spent most of the 38 New Years Eves and New Years Days that we have enjoyed together. It may seem boring to most, but I can assure you that it is time well spent.  

Happy New Year,
Mrs. Smith