Won Ton Taco Lamb Pizza Bites

1 12 ounce package of won ton wrappers
1 14 ounce jar of pizza sauce
1 8 ounce bag of shredded mozzarella
1 pound ground lamb
1 packet taco seasoning
3 tablespoons garlic salt
1 small bowl of water

Begin by preheating the oven to 450° F
Brown your lamb in a medium saucepan for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Add 3/4 cup of water and taco seasoning to the pan and stir together. Cook for 5-8 minutes until all of the water has boiled off.
Add about 3/4 of a teaspoon of pizza sauce to the middle of a won ton wrapper. Add a pinch of cheese and a little of the seasoned meat as well, enough so there are about 2 teaspoons of filling.
Fold your won ton wrapper into a triangle with the filling in the middle. Wet your fingers in the bowl of water and press down the open edges of the won ton wrapper to create a seal. Then fold over the sealed edges once and press them down again to create a stronger seal.
Repeat this process with each pizza bite, putting your finished won tons on a baking sheet.
Before baking, touch the middle of the won ton wrapper (where the filling is) with a damp finger. Sprinkle garlic salt on top of the dampened part so that it sticks to the won ton wrapper.
Bake for 8 minutes until the pizza bites are golden brown.

30th annual Guernsey SWCD Conservation Day Camp

I just love this photo, taken on the first day of our conservation camp.  The kids are canoeing on Salt Fork Lake.  In the canoe in the foreground with the dark hair is a sweetie named Jacey.  She and her mom used to deliver the paper to the office, and I got to know them both.  Jacey is originally from China, and was adopted along with her sister Jodi and brought to Cambridge to live.  Off in the distance in the red canoe are sisters Jessica and Susannah, 2 more girls I've enjoyed getting to know.  They are part of a family of 13 kids.  Their mom is a little flighty, but the nicest, gentlest, most loving mother I've ever seen.  Most of the kids have attended con camp over the years.  These 2 girls are the youngest, and so the dynasty will soon end.  LOL

Here is Jessica with her fish.  

Mysterious Old Stone Fort along the Tuscarawas River in Coshocton cty.

 One of the great mysteries of Ohio history is the identity of the builder of the Old Stone Fort located on the south bank of the swift flowing Tuscarawas River in Coshocton county, a mile from the hamlet of Isleta.  Here is a website with more info:

http://www.midwesternepigraphic.org/croghan.html

The Old Stone Fort, claimed to be the oldest standing
building west of the Appalachians.
The object on the left near the base is a granite marker
with the names of all the donors to the restoration done
in the 1950s.

Close up of plaque on building.  

The Tuscarawas from the St Rt 751 bridge, just south
of US 36.  Looking west.

Rabbit & Black Bean Tostadas

12 store-bought tostada shells
2 (16-ounce) cans refried black beans
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups chopped cooked rabbit meat
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup prepared cole slaw
Assorted toppings: shredded cheese, cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, green onion, lime wedges, salsa, etc.

In a large saute pan, stir together the refried beans and the 1/2 cup salsa. Stir in the rabbit meat, and turn on heat to medium. Cook until heated through, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Place the tostada shells onto a baking sheet, and bake for 5-10 minutes, until crispy.
Divide the rabbit and bean mixture evenly among the tostada shells, and top each with a layer of shredded lettuce, and then top with a small amount of the cole slaw. Finish with any combination of the remaining suggested toppings. Serve immediately.

Easy Lamb Taco Casserole

2# ground lamb
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
3-4 tablespoons New Mexico red chile powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas, quartered

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground lamb and onion, and use a wooden spoon to crumble the meat. Add the cumin, oregano, chile powder and salt, and continue to cook until meat is cooked through and onions are translucent.
Add the flour and garlic, and continue cooking until flour is toasty and garlic is fragrant, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring briskly with a spoon to incorporate. Bring mixture to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Simmer mixture for about 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the black beans.
Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Ladle a small amount of the meat mixture into the bottom of the pan. Then, add the following layers in this order...
An even layer of 16 of the tortilla quarters
1/3 of the meat mixture
1/3 of the shredded cheese
Repeat these layers for a total of three times.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. Allow casserole to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Sheeprock

 The sheep are doing brush clearing in the side yard. We have 3 clumps of trees that are growing up in a series of rock outcroppings, and the previous owners let it get overgrown with brush and briars. The girls are getting fat on the browse, and seem to enjoy lying on top of the rocks. Its probably a welcomed break from the wet ground.

Green Chili Rabbit Enchiladas

For the sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped green chile (I used canned)
1/2 teaspoon oregano

For the casserole
2 cups chopped or shredded cooked rabbit
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red chile powder
2 tablespoons chopped green chile
1/4 cup minced onion
12 6" corn tortillas, quartered
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

For the sauce
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, and cook until toasty, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Gradually whisk in the chicken stock, stirring well to avoid any lumps. Stir in the milk, salt, green chile, and oregano, and cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 15 minutes, stirring often.

For the filling
Place the rabbit meat in a medium sauce pan with a lid. In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock and flour, whisking well to combine. Pour the stock and flour mixture over the meat, and stir to combine. Add the salt, red chile powder, 2 tablespoons chopped green chile, and minced onion, and stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until bubbly, stirring often.

To assemble the enchiladas
In a greased 9x13 pan, ladle in 1/4 of the prepared green chile sauce. Layer 16 of the tortilla quarters on top of the sauce so that they form a layer that covers the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the prepared rabbit meat mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Cover with 1/2 cup of sauce. Top with an additional 16 tortilla quarters, and then layer on the remaining rabbit mixture, 1/2 cup of cheese and an additional 1/2 cup of sauce. Top with the remaining tortilla quarters, and then cover with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with lettuce and tomatoes.

Grilled Veggie Lamb Steak Rolls

 Steak & Marinade
2 lbs lamb leg steak, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil


Veggie Filling
1 carrot
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 zucchini
1 squash
1 bunch green onions
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper


Balsamic Glaze
2 tsp butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup fat free beef stock

Season lamb with salt, pepper and garlic powder on both sides
 Place lamb strips in a large zip lock bag and add in Worcestershire sauce and olive oil, mixing it all together until well coated
 Place in refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour but 2-3 hours would be best, turning the bag every 30-45 minutes
 While marinating, cut veggies into matchstick size pieces, all the same length, season with salt & pepper, set aside
 In a large nonstick pan melt butter over medium heat
 Add in onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes
 Add in balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and beef stock, allowing sauce to come to a boil and reducing by half
 Once sauce has thickened transfer to a bowl and set aside
 Place veggies into the same large nonstick pan, and cook over medium high heat just until veggies begin to soften
 Transfer veggies to a bowl, set aside
 Preheat grill (outside or inside) to medium heat
 Assemble rolls by laying out the lamb and placing a good amount of veggie into the center of each slice and roll lamb around the veggies, securing with a toothpick, repeating until all rolls are completed
 Place rolls, seam side down, onto preheated grill, cooking for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness is reached
 Reheat balsamic sauce over low heat on the stove while meat is cooking
 When finished,place onto serving platter and drizzle sauce evenly over the rolls.Serve immediately

Sunshine and flowers

After 19 straight days of rain we finally have some sunshine.  These lilies have naturalized around the stone outcroppings in our side lawn.