Hearty Delights Delectable Dishes
Feature Handmade From the Heart
Clean Out the Crisper Lentil Stew
Ingredients
1 pound of green or brown lentils, rinsed( red lentils may get mushy)
7 cups to 8 cups of vegetable broth( pour over lentils and veggies until your crockpot is around three-quarters full)
Chicken Fajitas
Ingredients
1 bag of frozen peppers and onions
1 jar of salsa( add black bean salsa for a little extra protein and fiber)
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 packet of fajita seasoning mix
Instructions
Add your chicken, salsa and fajita seasonings into the crockpot. Onions and peppers are a bit more delicate than other vegetables, so wait to add them until about two hours before your dish is done.
Use tortillas to make fajitas or pour it over rice. Note that refried beans and Spanish rice make a great side dish to this meal. Top with sour cream, cilantro, lime juice or your favorite hot sauce.
Instructions
Add a variety of veggies in your fridge crisper that’ s about to spoil( exclude salad ingredients such as lettuce or cucumber. If you’ re adding spinach or kale, wait about 30 minutes before dinner to place it into the pot)
Add starchy vegetables such as potatoes, butternut or acorn squash
Add a drizzle of your favorite oil
This is the base of a hearty soup that helps prevent food waste. What you add next is completely up to you and your family’ s tastes.
Here are a couple of ideas:
Add canned tomatoes, oregano, rosemary and thyme for a traditional stew. Sprinkle in a little lemon juice at the end to brighten your dish.
If you’ re using sweet potatoes or squash, add a little turmeric, ginger, cumin and coconut milk to your crockpot for a delicious lentil curry.
Crockpot meals are an easy way to get dinner on the table fast during those long winter months. Feel free to alter the ingredients to suit your family’ s taste, use ingredients you already have and make these recipes your own.
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Crafting a Legacy
Rural Artisans Keep Traditions Alive
By Christy Caplan
Whether it’ s repurposing old materials into practical farm tools or adapting a soap recipe to match the season’ s harvest, creativity in rural craftsmanship thrives on ingenuity and resourcefulness. These small but meaningful acts of innovation highlight how limitations can inspire new possibilities. This creative spirit defines rural craftsmanship— not just as a way to produce functional or beautiful items, but as a profound expression of community identity.
A Legacy in Every Swirl of Clay
Rural crafts like woodworking, pottery and quilting were born out of necessity. Handmade furniture, clay pots and warm quilts were essential for everyday life. Over time, these practical tasks became forms of self-expression.
Rural Artisans Preserving Tradition
For generations, these skills were passed down as invaluable knowledge. These crafts also supplemented incomes, with handmade wares sold at markets or traded within tight-knit circles. Many rural artisans across the U. S. still preserve these traditions— meet John and Anni Furniss from Washington.
John Furniss, the Blind Woodworker
As someone who has been completely blind since the age of 16, John told AcreageLife that he found woodworking to be a profoundly tactile and hands-on way to connect with his art. Now a rural craftsman, he envisions his creations entirely in his mind before shaping them on
Both artists are fortunate to live in a small town that values public art and actively supports artists.
24 AcreageLife February 2025 AcreageLife. com
AcreageLife. com February 2025 AcreageLife 25