Do you Shuck or Shell . . .

. . . Peas?

one down . . . 

It's a simple question.  So I thought I'd ask.  I've used both terms, but truthfully I've never really sat down and shucked/shelled peas - until I bought a bagful the other day.  Which by the way ended up only being 3 cups!!!  3 cups!!!  Did you hear me?  I sat for what seemed for like hours!!!

Truthfully, I really enjoyed it!  I think it was because I had lots of company and the time really did fly by!  But, I was thinking that if I hadn't had all the visits from family and friends, it could have been a very tedious job!  I hope to get some more and package them and put them in my freezer.  I love having local produce in my freezer - especially in January!

What I've learned - I will never complain about the price of peas.  Like clams, I never complain about the price of clams, have you ever watched people digging for clams in the mud flats?  Nope, there are some things you just don't complain about paying for!

What are your favorite pea recipes?  How do you like to use them?

I bought these beauties at a farm stand in New Hampshire with my friend Susan at From Beyond My Kitchen Window.  From there we went to a farm in Dracut, MA, and bought some veggies that they grew in their greenhouse, and then to Carlisle, MA in the hopes of purchasing farm fresh eggs - sadly they were on vacation, but it was a beautiful day for a drive!  Susan and I always have fun when we are out and about!

Thank you for your friendship, I truly appreciate your comments and your visits.  Have a wonderful week ~ and for my U.S.A. friends a very Happy 4th of July!

Chive Vinegar

After 1 week

So very simple, and so very delicious!

First, I have to thank my good friend Susan at From Beyond My Kitchen Window for this recipe.  I have made many batches of this vinegar.  I happen to have a lot of friends who like vinegar - who knew!

Just made

Ingredients

White distilled vinegar
12 -20 chive blossoms, snipped right beneath the head
Rinse the flower-heads

Directions

For a quart jar I add 20 chive blossoms

For a pint jar I add 12 chive blossom

Pour the vinegar over the blossoms leaving a little head room.  Secure the lid, and let it sit on your sunny window sill for two weeks.

After two weeks or one if you can't wait, your can remove the blossoms (they will loose color) 

pour the vinegar through a cheesecloth and then re-pour into a lovely decanter or add it back to your canning jar.

You'll notice a color change within a few hours!  

Uses

Potato salad

Macaroni salad

Bean salad - this is how I used it (or how ever you like to use vinegar)!

See the color difference

This make a great hostess gift, shower favor or a just because gift.  Enjoy!

P.S. I had to enable word verification, I've been getting LOTS of SPAM for some reason!!!  Hopefully it won't be on long, because I don't like it!  Thank your for you understanding.

Gratitude Pie

So, are you wondering what a "Gratitude Pie" is?  My pie is a mix of blueberry, blackberry and raspberry, and it's a pie that you bake and give away to your coworkers because they have so generously bought raffle tickets week after week since November for a good cause.  The good cause - was to raise funds for our 8th grade end of year activities.  Thanks to their generous support, we raised $1,014.00 for our students!

November - Election day bake sale, no school, but I dropped a pie off!

It started innocently enough - bake two pies and bring them in for a Thanksgiving raffle.  Who wouldn't be happy to have a home-made pie for Thanksgiving?

Then it was 3 more pies until Christmas (one a week) - gee, this money is starting to pile up!  Maybe I should bake one a month for special occassions.

January - Martin Luther King's Birthday
February - Super Bowl Sunday Apple Pie
February - President's Day & Valentine's Day - Cherry pie with white chocolate hearts
March - St. Patrick's Grasshopper pie
March - MCAS Pie (to cheer everyone up after the high stakes testing)
March - Family game night
April - Kentucky Derby
April -Easter Chocolate Cream pie with cocoanut crust
May - Mother's Day Apple Pie
May - Apple Pie for major school fundraiser
June - Gratitude Pie

Who knows, there may be one more in store, school's in session until the 18th!

Now, my question to you is this; do you think I should continue this for next year?  Or will people get bored buying raffle tickets for home made pies?