Month: December 2021

CES Jr: Before the Freeze

~ Nicole R. Ordway ~ Leave a comment

So, yes, this year is CES Jr’s fourth winter, I think. Something like that. I potted her up this past season so she’s got plenty of space for roots and insulating soil. And yes, last winter I kept her in the garage. And this winter I figured she’d probably grown enough to be okay outdoors.

And then I got scared. Tonight’s forecasted low in my area is 37 degrees Fahrenheit, and where CES Jr currently sits is shaded by the house for most of the warming afternoon sunlight time. This means it will probably get cooler there than the forecasted low, and let’s be honest how accurate are those ever, really. So I figured there will probably be some frost around or on her in the morning. But I still wanted to keep her outdoors this winter. Sooooo…….

I put a translucent plastic bag over her, container and all. In theory this should provide a greenhouse-like effect. And then, because maybe I was panicking a little, this happened.

This container holds the bonus blackberry plant that split from the larger shrub’s rootmass when I potted up all of my berries last week. I also grow blueberries and blackberries, you know. But that’s a different story. Check out my Instagram page if you want to see more about that. https://www.instagram.com/nicolerordway/?hl=en

Anyhow, I also covered up the wee bonus blackberry. You’ll notice it’s next to, but not in, my cold frame. This is because the container area I had set aside within for this winter is already full to capacity. I wanted to grow plenty of kale. Looks like, in exchange, I might have compromised some tiny plants in containers. But hopefully it’ll survive. Blackberries are notoriously good at surviving.

Wicked Good Bison Stew in a Crock Pot

~ Nicole R. Ordway ~ Leave a comment

…with sweet potatoes, carrots, and other stuff!

So I’ve made this about five or six times now and everybody seems to get all jealous when I post about it on Facebook and Instagram that I figured I’d write up a post. This isn’t so much a recipe as a rambling post about how to make a freaking great bison stew in a crock pot. On to the goods!

That’s your supply list! Got it? Good!

Step One: Bison! Normally I get a pound of bison sirloin or such but Whole Foods had “bison for stew meat” available and I hadn’t seen that before so I tried it out. I’m not really pleased. It’s nice that it’s already cut up and all, but the pieces are tiny. I typically cut mine into 1-inch-ish slices/cubes/rectangles/shapes/polygons. These are sliced much smaller. But they WERE cheaper, so hey, trade off. For the seasoning, you steal your friend’s amazing meat seasoning recipe. At least, I did. And it’s hers, so I’m not sharing. Get your own secret seasoning recipe.

Step Two: Onions! I used the last of our onion harvest from our garden. Aren’t they CUTE?! Chop ’em however you like and toss ’em in on top of the meat.

Step Three: Sweet Potatoes! I peel them because otherwise the skins can get a little chewy in the slow cooker. Leave yours on if you want. No rules with sweet potatoes. I cut these into 1-inch-ish pieces.

Step Four: Carrots! Sometimes I get a bunch of the full-size carrots with the greens on. Sometimes I get a baggie of baby carrots. It’s all determined by how lazy I’m feeling. This round I was feeling lazy. Whatever size carrots you get, cut ’em into little rounds and toss ’em in. (See that leftover seasoning in the background? Yeah you do.)

Check occasionally for a cute supervisor nearby. Treat the supervisor, preferably with a piece of carrot. Supervisors love carrots.
Remember that leftover seasoning? Once you’ve got all the main ingredients in, scatter that stuff over it. Why not?!

Step Five: Tomato Liquids! Sometimes I remember to get a can of stewed tomatoes. Sometimes I do not remember to get a can of stewed tomatoes and I used a can of tomato sauce instead. It’s delicious either way!

Step Six: Other Liquids! I fill it up with various broths, wine, and water. Our favorite is the veggie broth but you do you, man! You do you. You’ll need about 5 cups of “other liquids,” if you have the same size crock pot as me.

Pour it in until everything is covered in liquid!!

Step Seven: Cook it! 8 hours on low does the job. Lid it and leave it.

Step Eight: Enjoy your delicious bison stew!