The Weekend

Another weekend.  We only have 52 of these a year and I am very jealous of each on.  I don't share them nor give them away easily.  I cherish the ones that allow me to sit and knit, or watch and old movie and knit.  But we also cram a lot of farm work into each weekend.  Two days to get caught up with all the work around the farm, fences, feed, cleaning, that is just outside.  Then there is the wash, and underneath cleaning I try to get accomplished in the house.  And then the girls think that the weekend is for fun!!!???  Where did that come from?
This weekend we have several things to do....make our business office more user friendly (in other words get it cleaned up), order seeds for the garden, figure out how many chicks to order and make a pen for them in the barn, build a chicken tractor, and work on the bathroom down stairs.  Yeah and Kent may be gone all day to a scholars bowl meet.....So that means myself and Ethan will be working a lot.
But that brings to some good news, I have my big bulky, uncomfortable boot off and have a new light weight brace on my leg.  I can walk normal again.  Nine months have been spent in that huge "Darth Vader" boot. Yeah


So what will I be cooking this weekend? 
Beef Mushroom and Barley Soup - Relish

I will change a couple of things to fit my family but I am going to make a big pot Saturday for lunch.

1 lb of ground beef (the recipe called for sirloin steak but into 1 1/2 inch pieces, to expensive right now)
1 cup of diced onions
1 cup of diced carrots
1 (12 oz) package of mushrooms, coarsely chopped-I use baby cremini mushrooms
1/2 c of uncooked barley- use the long cooking for better flavor and texture
1 (10 1/2 oz) can of beef broth
5 cups of water
1 t. of kosher salt
1/2 t. fresh cracked pepper
2 cups of chopped Swiss chard, or kale (this adds color and nutrition)
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan Cheese to add on top of each bowl

Brown the ground meat till no pink remains.  Drain and rinse the fat from it.  Return to the skillet and add the onions and carrots.  Let this cook for about 10 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients through the pepper.  Let this simmer for 45 minutes until the barley is tender.  Add the Swiss chard about 5 minutes before serving.  Ladle into bowls and top with the cheese. 

I will also make some home made dinner rolls.  Before baking the rolls off I will brush each on with egg white and then sprinkle kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper on top.  Bake them off and they are glossy with the the white and black gleaming on top.

This will also make great left overs for Sunday night!