I managed to get the truck in 4wd low, up the existing steep driveway on about 2 inches of remaining snow. Finally we have some “normal” Ohio winter weather which means it is no longer in the single digits! I decided to take a mid-week mental health check and come to Valhalla for an evening. We are at the final trim and decorate part of the build, with about five or six hours of total work left. The theme of the decor is a little bit Norse, a little Scandinavian, and Bears! Lots of bear themed stuff going on. We decided to forego doing a laminate floor and utilize rugs instead. Why at this point not spend another $400 on a floor? Well the concrete is so well finished that it resembles marble, and we will be breaking ground on the main house in about 7 weeks! So this will either be an overflow for visitors and/or my study/office.
I will post soon on our unorthodox financing scheme for the house, but for now lets look at how I am spending my evening(other than hanging up some bear stuff!). First of all my pack of M&M’s on the trip for lunch wore off, so food was in order! In fact a very traditional dish that would have been at home on rural dinner tables from Finland to Germany to Scotland and Ireland was in store. Here is the list of ingredients:
Serves 1 or 2 with lunch size portions
- 12-16oz pork loin
- 1/2 Large turnip
- 1/4 small head of cabbage ( About 12 oz)
- 1/4 small onion of your choice yellow or white
- Salt and Pepper
Chop up the veggies in good size chunks
Slice the pork loin into bite size portions
Preheat a pan on the wood stove or campfire (A regular stove is ok too!)
Put in the pork and a little water to prevent sticking
When the pork has browned on both sides, add the veg!
As the veg begins to cook occasionally add about a tsp of water. Cover pan if you have a lid, I did not.
Continue to constantly stir until the pork is cooked thru and the veg have just a bit of crunch left (not soggy)
Salt and pepper to taste and serve with a dark ale or strong mead!
It was really simple and surprisingly good. When I do it again I plan to marinate the pork in Belgian ale before hand! So what to follow a meal fit for a Jarl with? Coffee of course, but not just coffee, but a Sami style cup of goodness! The Sami people of Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia have a particular method of enjoying a cup o’ joe. Coffee is to be made by boiling the water and coffee and then allowing it to cool or adding a splash of cold water to settle the grounds. Then several chunks of bread cheese (usually reindeer based) are placed into the cup before the coffee is poured over. I was not able to source reindeer cheese, but regular bread cheese is available so that is what I used. Bread cheese looks like a crusted bread and is very dense. It is so dense that it will squeak as you bite through it!
I had never prepared coffee in this way so it was quite the experiment. The result was a good cup of coffee (starbucks verona found on clearance) and when it came time to enjoy the cheese, it was quite a treat with a flavor and texture much like a coffee cheesecake! Excellent! and I will do the same in the morning for sure!
Well I am off for now, look for house plans and updates as we finally enter the last 6 months of transitioning to a slower pace and lifestyle and explore what it takes to become a modern hunter/gatherer/grower tribe.