A Weekend at the Cottage . . .

Chopping wood.  Yep, getting ready for hunting season.  The upside, quality time with the lads, downside – it rained!

Fall Clean Up!

And less leaves to clean up next year.  After bumping his head on low branches when mowing the lawn, Bruce got out his saw.

Yesterday . . .

Our trailer had it’s last trip for the season – being pushed into the backyard. 

Soon it will be hunting season, Bruce & I made a trial run dish that he plans to take with him to share with the lads!  What is it?  Mexican Beef Casserole.  Very easy to make and it’s very tasty.

Yesterday was Cabbage Roll Making Day!

Since my rolls were so good last week, I decided to buy another cabbage and make more.  You can’t have too many in the freezer.  Now I have four pans – should get me through the next few months.  Cabbages this year are huge – last year, not so much.  Here are my suggestions for making tasty cabbage rolls.

First, I cut out the core as much as possible.

I have a 20 quart stock pot – perfect for a very large cabbage, making soup or a large amount of spaghetti sauce for freezing.

Cabbage is submerged in water with a carving fork in the core so that you can hold it in place while cutting off the leaves. 

Using tongs, the first leaf is carefully removed.

A small knife is used to cut the leaves from the core as they soften.

My mixture – equal parts of uncooked ground beef, ground pork and cooked rice.  I also add salt & pepper and a finely chopped onion.

The spine is filleted from the leaf.  It leaves the leaf whole – much easier to roll without a slit in the middle of it.

Then the meat mixture is place over the spine.

Roll from the bottom, then tuck in the sides.

First one is done and in the pan.  If I have them, I use aluminum lasagne pans.  They are deep and a good size.

They are finished and almost ready for the oven.  I  then dilute tomato soup, pour it over the rolls, and cover with tin foil.

Placed in the oven at 375F for two hours.

They are done.  And they were soooo good.

I’ve made these for years and I do believe I finally have it right!

Canadian Thanksgiving!

Yesterday, we went to Rick & Sherry’s for turkey dinner.  I managed to snap a few pictures.  Besides Rick & Sherry, others are Bruce’s three grandsons, their girlfriends and one girlfriend’s parents.  Ryan also invited one of his college friends home for the weekend = Jorge is an international student.