We have had a bad event on the farm. We lost two of our
chickens! My husband found the first one lying dead by
the feeder. A few days later he found the other one- same
case. Don’t really know the cause of death but with
chickens this happens. So far the rest seem fine and are
laying again. The other “girls” and the two “guys” are in
mourning. This is just an event that can happen on the
farm.
I don’t know about the rest of you but I am tired of
winter! I want to start yard work and the garden. I so
look forward to the fresh produce from the garden. You
can do so much with the fresh bounty from your garden-
large or small.
Well to help us through the winter we had Valentine’s
Day. I hope you all remembered your special ones. Just
remember to appreciate them every day!
The next national holiday (I say national because it is
celebrated all over the country) is Mardi Gras. The
holiday is celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana with
parades, costumes and lots of good food. It’s the food that
gets the attention around the country.
Mardi gras, or my favorite term Fat Tuesday, is on
March 4th of this year. Of course it lasts for several days. I won’t be making it to New Orleans, but I can certainly
enjoy Mardi gras food. Some well known favorites are
Gumbo, jambalaya, anything with seafood, fried okra,
King’s cake, beignets and many other delicious dishes. I
think I will make some gumbo. Here is a recipe for gumbo
made in a slow cooker:
Gumbo with Chicken and Smoked Sausage
½ lb smoked sausage, sliced
1 cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped green pepper
¾ cup all purpose flour
¾ lb chicken breast, cooked, cooled and shredded
½ cup chopped celery
8 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 ½ tsp Cajun seasoning
1 tsp salt
½ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp black pepper
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot sauce
4 cups hot cooked rice
¼ cup sliced green onions, optional
In large skillet, brown sausage, onion and green pepper,
drain all but 2 TBS. fat. Set mixture aside and keep warm. Add flour to fat in skillet, stirring constantly, to
make roux.
In slow cooker, combine chicken, sausage mixture, roux,
celery, water garlic, bay leaf, Cajun seasoning, salt,
thyme, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cover
and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high 3 to 4 hours.
Remove bay leaf. Stir in rice and green onions, if
desired. I thought this sounded yummy, but I do think I
will add some shrimp about the last 10 minutes. It just
needs to cook until it is opaque. Enjoy your Mardi gras
at home or at a restaurant. Let’s forget about the beads,
huh?
Next week we can talk about corned beef and cabbage and
Reuben sandwiches!
Janet
