Melting Snow and Etsy Shop!

Hi everyone! It is spring finally here in Maine and the sun is out doing its job! Lol soon I will be planting my garden which makes me truly happy. I opened my Etsy shop last November and am doing pretty good so far and enjoying the wonderful people along the way. If you have a chance, stop on over and see what we have going on!

I make junk journals and altered books along with single signatures to use in your journal. I also have vintage finds and jewelry for sale!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChickadeePines?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

River Valley Pumpkin Fest and Craft Fair

Come check out our booth Chickadee Pines Handmade Crafts Oct. 14, 2017 where we will be featuring some of our J.R.Watkins products along with handmade crafts and soaps.

http://www.envisionrumford.org/vendors-sponsors.html

My Book Haul

Hey everyone! Summer is winding down around here and I got my new stash of books to read this winter! I am so excited to get started on them since the British Monarch is one of my favorite topics to learn about. Queen Victoria and her great-great granddaughter Queen Elizabeth II are my favorite. I am glad to have found some books on Prince Albert as well.

Camping Tips

Kitchen essentials

·         Water – 2.5 to 5-gallon containers. You need 2 – 4 quarts of water per day per person. And that’s only to drink. Don’t forget water will be needed for cooking and clean up.

·         Stove and fuel (and waterproof matches)

·         Tarp, ropes, clothesline, etc.

·         Table or something to use as a table if you want to rough it.

·         Seating – camp stools, camp chairs, logs, large rocks, etc.

·         Frying pan and Dutch oven – cast iron is best but heavy. You can transport stuff in the Dutch oven.

·         Coffee pot – can be used to heat water for tea, soup, pasta, coffee, hot chocolate or for doing dishes

·         Plastic bowl or tub – for washing up and storage

·         Rags, old towels, scrubbies and biodegradable soap

·         Eating utensils – knives, forks and spoons

·         Cooking utensils – sharp knife, can-opener, large spoon, spatula

·         Cutting board – wood or plastic

·         Cooler – good for up to 2 days if most of the food is frozen

·         Plastic tubs with tight fitting lids (or bear proof container)

·         Zip lock bags for food storage.

·         Aluminum foil (wrap foods up and cook)

Food To Take on a Camping Trip

·         Premade meals – dried, dehydrated, freeze dried (this stuff can be expensive, be creative and make your own meal ahead of time yourself)

·         Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, dry juice mixes

·         Hard cheese does not need refrigeration (I don't care what they say)

·         Cereals – granola, cream of wheat, oatmeal, muesli

·         Fruit – fresh and dried

·         Nuts – great in meals or for snacking

·         Sunflower Seeds – great in meals or trail mixes

·         Breads – flat breads and hard crackers (regular bread gets squashed)

·         Soups – instant Knorr, Ramen or bullion to make your own

·         Lentils – quick cook, dried or canned beans

·         Pasta – thinner cooks faster

·         Dried veggies

·         Honey, sugar

·         Peanut butter

·         Flavoring agents – soy sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, cilantro, cinnamon etc.

·         Canned meats – or dried

·         Alfalfa or dry beans for sprouting (in a zip lock bag with damp paper towel).

·         Chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers! (For S'mores)

·         Potatoes - you can almost make a meal out of a baked potato (with cheese), or chop and fry up potatoes with eggs, onions, almost anything. A versatile, not squashable food. 

Canning and Dehydrating

I did some dehydrating today..zucchini and squash. I also made a small batch of Black Raspberry Jam. Cut up 3 lbs. of Granny Smith apples for the crockpot to make applesauce too.

Making Relish and Getting Ready for Fall!

Made my first batch of Zucchini Relish! Starting with small batches to make it easier. Next I will be making Red or Black Raspberry Jam and some Pickled Spiced Plums to serve with Pork Roast or Beef. The Fall centerpiece here on the table was an idea from Pinterest..thought it was pretty cute and easy to make.

Chrispy Chicken Cheddar

Chicken:
4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1/2 C milk
3 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 t dried parsley

Sauce:
1 14 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 T sour cream
2 T butter

Directions
1. Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.
2. In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers.
3. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the 1/4 t salt and 1/8 t pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.
4. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk then the cheese and finally the cracker crumbs.
5. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.
6. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.
7. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.
8. Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken



MyFridgeFood.com