My neighbor gave me some great cabbage's from their garden the other day and I made several dishes from the Cabbage and this is one of the dishes I made. We just love a hearty soup or stew in the winter, it warms the heart and soul. This pot of stew smells heavenly as it simmers away just waiting to greet the family at the end of the day. Cabbage and Sausage Stew Miz Helen's Kitchen ★★★★★ Ingredients 1 1/4 pound Polska Kielbasa Sausage Sliced 3 tablespoons cooking oil 2 pounds Red Potatoes medium chopped do not peel 2 medium size onion's medium chopped 3 carrots chopped 7 to 8 cups cabbage chopped 5 to 6 cups chicken broth 2 cloves garlic chopped 1 teaspoon thyme 2 tablespoons parsley chopped 1 teaspoon nutmeg dash Cayenne pepper Salt and Pepper to taste In a hot dutch oven brown the sausage in the oil and remove it from the pot. Brown the potatoes, onions, and carrots in the sausage oil then add the sausage back into the pot and stir in the cab...

Jaque AKA Garden Dog and I Are Knee Deep In Onions It hardly seems possible that it is time to be planting our Spring Onions already. After the garden season last fall we worked the soil with our organic compost that we make right here at The Cottage. The ground was ready so we didn't have to do much preparation just til it, make the rows and it was ready to go. We rotated the onion patch this year from the North end of the Up Stairs Garden to the South end of the Up Stairs Garden. I like to rotate the crops at least every other year to keep the soil in better condition. The Soil Is Just Perfect For Planting We Planted 225 Onions Jaque AKA Garden Dog says Are We Done Yet? Several days after we planted the onions we got about 3 inches of rain, perfect for the onion patch. I am very excited that the garden season has started here. Thanks for stopping by to look at our newly planted onions. Stop back by from time to time and see how they are...

We have had over 4 1/2 inches of rain in the past week, we are so excited, the lake has actually come up 2 feet, I feel a fishing trip coming on. I took a walk down to the dock this morning and it looks great to get some water back in the lake, but it sure is cold so I am going to sit here and get warm, kick my feet up have some tea and work on my menu for next week. I am glad you stopped by, you can help me with it. Sunday Ham Steaks with Spicy Hot Fruit (Link)  Baked Sweet Potatoes Broccoli with Lemon Sauce Cottage Bread Spicy Butternut Bread with Whipped Cream Topping Monday Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas with Green Chili  Sauce Mexican Salad with Red Salsa Dressing Strawberry Jalapeno Muffins (Link) Tuesday From Leftover Ham Ham and Potato Casserole Tossed Green Salad Leftover Spicy Butternut Bread (Link) Wednesday Spaghetti Squash with Meatballs Homemade Tomato Basil Sauce Winter Greens Salad Garlic Bread Coconut Cream Pie Thur...

It is pouring down rain here today,  so come on in the house and get dry and warm. We are so excited to have this wonderful rain and it is perfect for all the onions that we just planted in our garden. We have some hot coco and cookies on the table so get warm and help yourself.  I am so happy that you came today and can't wait to see what you have brought to share with us today I always look forward to seeing you! This Is How I Filled My Plate Last Week Breakfast Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Pie   at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy and Low Calorie Morning Snack Strawberry Milk Shake Vegan   at Yum! Yum! Yum! Lunch Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp at Tales of The T's Tomato Bisque   at Bookcase Foodie Ginger Molasses Skillet Cake   at The Alchemist Afternoon Snack Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies   at Trilogy Edibles Dinner Beef Stew   at Aunt Nubby's Kitchen Pimento Cheese Cornbread Muffins    at The Rickett Chronicles Chocolate Butterscotch C...

We were having some close friends over for brunch and I wanted to have a special muffin to serve. I came up with a Strawberry Jalapeno Muffin using my Strawberry Jalapeno Jam that I made this summer. We just loved this muffin and I hope you enjoy them. Strawberry Jalapeno Muffins Strawberry Jalapeno Muffins Miz Helen's Kitchen 8 to 10 Muffins 11/2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg, lightly beaten 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup oil Mix all the dry ingredients stir in  the wet ingredients and mix well. Spoon 2 tablespoons batter in the bottom of each muffin tin, then 1 tablespoon of the Strawberry Jalapeno Jam on top of the batter. Cover each of the muffins with the remainder of the batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve warm with additional jam on the side. Strawberry Jalapeno Jam Strawberry Jalapeno Jam Miz Helen's Kitchen 4 pints of Strawberries  7 cups sugar 2 tablespoons Jalapeno seeded and chopped fine 1 packet of Sure Jell 1/2...

We have had unseasonable warm weather and we have been in the garden. We planted  225 Spring Onions in the past few days. We usually plant sometime in the last two weeks of January, then by March we are eating fresh green onions. I am sure glad you stopped by so we can sit down and take a break, sit out here on the Herb Garden patio with me and we will talk about next weeks menu, can you smell that rosemary bush? Sunday Herb Crusted Ribs with Orange Sauce Sweet Potatoes and Pearl Onions Turnips and Greens Herb Crusted Ribs with Orange Sauce (Link)    Green Tossed Salad   Yeast Dinner Rolls (Link) Spice Bars with Caramel Sauce Monday Pinto Bean Soup The Pinto Bean Soup Miz Helen's Kitchen 2 cups of dried Pinto Beans 8 cups water 1 medium yellow onion chopped 3 cups stewed tomatoes and green chili's 3 cloves garlic minced 3 teaspoons chili powder 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 11/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon oregano Sort and rinse the beans really wel...

We had the greatest 1st Anniversary Party last week. I want to thank each and every one of you for making it such a special day for Full Plate Thursday! I am so excited that you are here today, it is such a cold crisp day come on in the house and get yourself by the fire, I will get you a cup of tea and I know that someone is bound to have a great muffin to go with it. I can't wait to look in your basket to see what you have brought today. The Winner of The 1st Anniversary $50.00 Gift Certificate to Amazon Is Erin at A Crafty Cook with her MonteCristo Bites with The Most Page Views Congratulations Erin! This Is How I Filled My Plate Last Week Breakfast Asiago Breakfast Bake   at Little Bit of Everything Morning Snack Girl with Dragon Cookie   at The Enchanted Oven Lunch California Roll Dreaming   at The Blest Nest Simple Arugula Salad with Olives and Avocado Sauce   at Dishes and Dishes Pear Gingerbread Muffins at Everyday Art Afternoon Snack Gluten Free ...

I had this great package of ribs in my freezer that I wanted to use but it was to cold to grill or Bar B Q. I wanted something that was warm and cozy and said winter time treat. What better place to gather a winter time flavor than our garden. I gathered some turnips and greens, pearl winter onions, rosemary, and thyme, then stopped by the barn and grabbed some sweet potatoes from the cold storage bin;  and then I headed for the kitchen. These ribs turned out so good we will be having them over and over again. "Honey Bunny" already wants to know when they will be on the menu again.  I roasted the herb crusted  ribs with sweet potatoes and pearl onions from our garden, then served it on a bed of fresh  garden turnips and greens with a great orange sauce. Herb Crusted Ribs with Orange Sauce Herb Coated Ribs with Orange Sauce Roasted Orange Sweet Potatoes and Onions Miz Helen's Kitchen For The Ribs 6 Country Style Pork Ribs 1 tablespoon Extra Virg...

When I looked at the calendar today I thought this month is just flying by. We have been very busy here with the 1st Anniversary of Full Plate Thursday.  Come on in this kitchen and warm yourself by the fire, I will get you some hot tea and some of these wonderful  Muffins that I just took out of the oven. Lets take a look at the menu for next week. Sunday  Herb Roasted Chicken With Winter Vegetable's Herb Roasted Chicken with Winter Vegetables (Link) Winter Greens and Grapefruit Salad Cottage Bread Spice Cake Monday With Leftover Chicken Chicken and Vegetable Soup Hot Toasted Dilly Bread Dilly Bread (Link) Left Over Spice Cake Tuesday From The Summer Freezer Stuffed Peppers Mashed Potatoes Tossed Green Salad Dilly Bread Sunshine Cupcakes Wednesday From Summer Freezer Fruit   Blackberry Waffles Sausage Homemade Blackberry Syrup Thursday From Full Plate Thursday 1st Anniversary Party Dinner Cider Sauced Stuffed Pork Chops   at Once A Month Mom Roasted B...

It's Our One Year Anniversary Party! Welcome to Full Plate Thursday One Year Anniversary Party! Today this is Post number 54 for Full Plate Thursday, I am so excited that we did not miss one single week in our first year. Some of you here today were here for the very first post and others may be here for the very first time, and you are all so special to me. I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am that you show up every week to enjoy the great food and fellowship that has developed here at The Country Cottage. We have some of the greatest cooks on the planet that come here and bring their incredible food to share. You have given me so much this year, we have laughed together, cried together, and formed wonderful friendships. Each week I have visited your blogs and left you a little comment and from that I have come to know and love you.Thank you so much for being a part of our journey that leads us to sharing a table with others for just a moment in time and touch each oth...

I just love the flavor of dill and every year we grow dill in our herb garden. When it heads out I always save the seed then we have wonderful fresh dill seed to season special recipes. I really enjoy making this old favorite with my homegrown dill seed. Dilly Bread Dilly Bread Miz Helen's Kitchen 2 packages yeast 1/2 cups warm water 2  cups small curd cottage cheese, slightly warm 3 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons minced onion 4 teaspoon dill seed 2 teaspoon salt 1.2 teaspoon soda 2 unbeaten eggs 2 tablespoons butter about 6 cups flour or enough to make stiff dough Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar. After the yeast is proofed out add the cottage cheese, onion dill seed, salt, and eggs. Mix well. Add the soda to a little of the flour and add the flour 1 cup at a time mixing after each addition until the dough is stiff. Place dough in a well oiled (I use Olive Oil) bowl, cover with a cloth and set in a very warm place. Let the do...