The Davis House

Of bugs and such...

2011-05-27T09:30:00.000-07:00

Those little red aphids don't look very mean, but I know from experience they suck. And I mean that literally. So when I found them on my PRIZED tomato plants earlier this week, I begin to comb the internet for remedies...organic, natural remedies, mind you, not chemical ones. Found one that works like a charm and I want to share it. This is what you do:

First, zest one large lemon onto a napkin or paper towel. Then, bring two cups of water to boil in a stainless steel or non-reactive pot. Remove the pot from the heat source once it is boiling, add the lemon zest, cover the pot and let it steep overnight. The next morning, strain out your lemon zest, mix it half and half (or even a little stronger if you have a lot of aphids) into a spray bottle and go ninja on those little guys! (I hate killing any creature at my core, but I love tomatoes more). I did this two days in a row and the aphids either died or left town. Either way, YAY!

Now, another tip. In looking for ways to increase my plants (tomatoes, squash, peppers, flowers, all that are blooming and beginning to set fruit) phosphorus intake, I came upon this idea. I always save my shrimp shells to make stock for gumbo and whatnot (NOT Gulf of Mexico shrimp, by the way, these are Argentine reds), so had about a gallon bag full in the freezer. Crustacean shells are rich in phosphorus. I put about half the bag into a pot, covered with water, and proceeded to cook them down for about 30-45 minutes, adding more water as I went, to keep the level just over the shells at all times. When this was done, I set them off the heat and let them cool. I then strained out the shells and poured this mixture up into a 2 quart glass jar. From this, I mixed half and half with water into my sprayer and sprayed all my plants on their leaves, where the little stomata reside...the stomata being the part of the plant that takes in the nutrients. THEN, I took the shells themselves, dug two fairly deep holes in the garden in various spots, and buried them. Let's see how this affects the plants. I will report on the results.

Ha!

2011-05-27T06:53:00.001-07:00

Call me crazy, but the past three years have been so busy and CHANGING (which I love), I actually FORGOT I had this blog! Not until today, when I went to 'follow' a new friend's blog, did my signing in with my Google account lead me back to The Davis House....I imagine that since I am on a hiatus from Facebook of undetermined duration, I will be using this little tool more now. I'm glad I rediscovered this; kinda like finding a twenty in the jeans you last wore a few years ago.

My own Chicken Alfredo

2008-02-12T07:30:00.000-08:00

You're gonna need the following ingredients:

Whole wheat pasta (I used spagetti, penne or rotini would work well also)
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch cubes
Olive oil, or Smart Balance Omega 3 oil
Heavy cream, about a cup
2-3 pieces roasted red bell pepper, chopped coarse (you'll find this in jars at the market, or you can make your own if you know how)
5 cloves of garlic, minced fine
grated parmesan cheese, about 1/2 a cup
2 tsp salt, divided
fresh ground black pepper

First, saute your chicken pieces in the oil until they are nicely golden brown, not too much, you don't want a crust, just the color. Use 1 tsp of the salt here. Remove from pan and keep warm.

In the meantime, cook your pasta according to directions on package, including the other tsp of salt at this stage.

Add to pan the garlic and red pepper, saute until garlic is tender, about 3-4 minutes. Return chicken to pan, add cream and parmesan, cover and SIMMER ONLY while pasta cooks.

Once pasta is done and drained, serve with the chicken mixture on top. Garnish with black pepper and/or red pepper flakes (optional). Add a green salad and some crusty bread and this is simplicity itself. Simple AND healthy, can you beat that???

as promised....Brown Rice Instructions

2008-01-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

Now probably everybody else in the world knows how to prepare brown rice, but I didn't, and I kept trying to cook it like white rice - i.e. boiling water and salt until the water absorbs - but it would always still be crunchy. I finally decided to research, and here is what I've come up with as the easiest way to cook it. I cook it in batches and use it all week in various recipes:

6 cups water
3 1/2 cups brown rice
2 TBS. olive oil

In a large sauce pan, bring the 6 cups of water to a vigorous boil. In the meantime, add the olive oil to a large non-stick skillet, put in the rice, and toast it over high heat, stirring constantly. Once the water is boiling, pour it into the skillet and cover immediately. Turn down the heat to a low simmer, and do not disturb it for 45 minutes. It helps if the lid for your skillet is clear so that you can view the rice as it cooks, but no matter, don't remove the lid even if you can't see it. Just cook it on low. When the 45 minutes is up, remove from the heat and let sit a few more minutes. Then store in the fridge in a container and use from it in your recipes calling for rice. Brown rice is very healthy, full of fiber and much better for you than the white variety. If this is too much for you, just divide the amounts when starting out and follow the same cooking directions.

Brown Rice Meatloaf

2008-01-29T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a meatloaf recipe I developed to help me work brown rice into at least 4 meals per week.

Ingredients

3 lbs. ground turkey or beef
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (the proper way to cook brown rice will be discussed in another post)
2 eggs, beaten
1 med. green bell pepper, chopped fine
1 med. onion, chopped fine
1 med. jalapeno, chopped fine
2 TBS. garlic infused olive oil (buy or make your own)
Marsala wine
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 packages onion soup mix
1/2 cup bbq sauce
1-2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. pepper

Note:
If using turkey, add the following to the meat before mixing other ingredients:
2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1-2 TBS Liquid Smoke
2 crumbled beef boullion cubes

Directions:

Saute onion and peppers in garlic oil till tender. Add rice and cook on med-high approximately 5 minutes, add marsala (approximately 1/2 cup or to taste). Cook on high stirring constantly until rice begins to brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Remove rice from heat and allow to cool about 10 minutes.

When rice has cooled somewhat, add to meat and mix thoroughly. Beat eggs and add to meat and rice mixture. Add cheese and onion soup mix and combine well. Add salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup bbq sauce last and mix well.

Pack into 2 loaf pans and chill for several hours. Invert onto foil lined baking sheet and bake @ 375 degrees until internal temp reaches 165 degrees (approximately 1 1/2 hours).

Option: Top with more shredded cheese during last couple minutes of cooking.

Introduction to me

2008-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

I am just a woman. Just one woman in the midst of all the wonderful people in this wonderful world. I breathe. I consume. I COOK, oh my Lord, do I cook!!! I like the idea of what one puts into one's body becomes that body, and it is so true. Over the past 10 years, I have begun a journey toward complete health, and revamping my OLD habits into new and improved habits has become an obsession to me....especially the FOOD FACTOR! Join with me on my journey and I will try to help make it worth your while, and help you to learn how to love yourself by the way you feed yourself.

R'Becca