Made from Scratch Sunday

Dory doing her hen thing.

Since having chickens and an abundance of eggs (I get 5 eggs a day from the girls), I have been experimenting with different quiches. I made this recipe up this morning, because I had left over ricotta cheese from making stuffed shells the other night!

From the girls.

A quiche is also a great dish to take to a brunch because quiches serve well at room temperature! This recipe whips up quick because it is sans crust.

Spinach & Ricotta Quiche

5 Eggs

1 bunch fresh spinach, chopped into smallish pieces – give the stems to the chickens or compost

½ c. ricotta cheese

½ c. milk

¼ c. flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ c. chopped onion

1 tsp. oregano

Pinch of thyme

Pinch of rosemary

Pinch of roasted red pepper flakes

Looks like a good Sunday morning to me!

A few shakes of salt and pepper

¼ c. parmesan to coat bottom of pan

Preheat oven to 350. Sautee onion, garlic and spinach until the spinach is cooked down. Beat eggs in medium mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients and mix well. Grease your pie dish (I used a 10” pie pan but you could also use a small casserole dish) and sprinkle parmesan on bottom the bottom of the dish. Pour egg mix into dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy.

On the hunt.

I am upping the ante and challenging my thrifting skills to the max.

Find the following for under $500 total:

• Claw foot tub – Not sure if I am willing to take on a refinishing project right now, so no rust please!
• Cast iron farm sink – I’d really like one with the vintage metal base cabinet. I think the size is about 42” long.
• Faucet for bathroom pedestal sink
• Front door – Must be 36”x80” and a window would be nice, but not required!
• Back door – Needs to have a half window. Looking for 32”x80”
• Bathroom door – A chippy old antique wooden door. I have a vision to hang it on sliding barn door hardware.

As Barney Stinson would say, “CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!”

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day loves!

Bargain finds for the shanty.

I have found some pretty sweet deals over the last few weeks. Check 'em out...

1.  Pedestal sink: Free. Cha-chings. I got this from a friend who never got around to putting it in her house that she recently sold.

2.  Dutchwest wood stove and chimney pipe: $350. Seriously, a steal. A wood stove is going to be my main source of heat, so it needs to last. I found this on Craigslist, and I don’t think the people knew what a gem they had. It is barely used, heavy duty and will last me a lifetime.

3.  Another view of the pedestal sink.

4. & 5.  Granite countertop slabs: $50 for all four pieces. Craigslist killing. I am either going to change the oval cut-out into a square one for the kitchen sink or just resell it, because I kind of have my heart set on one of those old cast iron farm sinks with the drainboard sides. For the other pieces, I plan to find some old thrift store cabinets to rehab. I want to put all of my base cabinets on castors so I can move them around (I may have a small issue with commitment) and down the road, I will be able to use them in a garage or basement for storage.

6.  Casement window: $59. I got this at a building supply overstock warehouse place. I’m going to use it in my bathroom. I can see the view from my claw foot tub now!

7.  Double hung window: $89. From the same building supply warehouse. This will be for my living room. It is a pretty good size (37”x59”) and will be going on a south-facing wall so I think it will make a big impact and light the place up nicely! Both windows are wooden on the insides – a look I adore.

On a slightly unrelated topic, please bear with me as I go on a mild rant…

While shopping for the aforementioned building supplies, I was repeatedly asked, “Is your husband doing the work?”

Seriously, people. 

Now, I am not a hardcore.feminist.manhater by any means (please, buy my dinner, open car doors, change my oil, and I will make you a casserole), but there is just something that pulls a little trigger of emotion in me when people assume I am incapable of doing “a man’s work.” I guess I have a lot to prove by building the shanty, and the immediate assumption that I couldn’t possibly be installing windows or countertops or whatever, all by my little lady self, rubs my ego the wrong way. I am woman, and I will figure this shit out. I am tempted to not let a man touch this building project and raise a shack of womanpower. Just tempted – let’s not get crazy.

Also, don’t tell me things are not going to fit in my car. I will prove you wrong.