Simply Homemaking

For the Birds

2012-02-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

I made some lamb stock the other day, and after it had chilled, I took off the fat that had risen to the top. I froze the stock and saved the fat for the birds. Here is what I did:

Place the fat in a saucepan and add approximately an equal amount of peanut butter.

Melt and stir together. Turn off the heat.

Gradually add equal amounts of corn meal and quick rolled oats until it is nice and stiff.

Pack it into a container (I used a cereal bowl) that is lined with plastic wrap.

Chill thoroughly and slice it into pieces that will fit in your suet feeder.

They love it!

You may substitute any animal fat, and can add many other things to the basic mix... dried fruits and nuts and seeds. Just be sure your mixture is thick enough, but not so dry that it won't hold together.

This post is linked to Frugal Tip Tuesday. :) and, Simple Lives Thursday!

Sweetened Fried Apples

2012-02-12T15:31:00.000-08:00

Here is a simple, quick and delicious way to serve apples. It will take less than 15 minutes to prepare. These can be served alone or as a topping for vanilla ice cream or yogurt, or even in a bowl with a little heavy cream poured over them. If you've never had fried apples, you are in for a treat!

Sweetened Fried Apples

2 apples
3 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons Sucanat or Rapadura

In a cast iron skillet, melt 3 Tablespoons butter on medium/low heat.

While it is melting, core and slice the apples without peeling them. You can make them as thin or thick as you like, but of course, the thicker pieces will take longer to cook.

Saute the sliced apples in the melted butter until they begin to soften. Stir frequently as they cook.

Sprinkle on 2 Tablespoons of Sucanat, the cinnamon, and continue to cook and stir until they are becoming a little caramelized.

You may increase or decrease the amount of Sucanat and cinnamon to suite your taste. You can also add more butter if you wish.

Thank you, Elliot Coleman

2012-02-11T09:09:00.001-08:00

A few years ago, we read this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Harvest-Organic-Vegetables-Garden/dp/1890132276/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328980386&sr=1-3

His description of a simple hoop house set us on the path to having an unheated greenhouse in the wintertime.

The photo above shows what I went out and picked today. It is 20 degrees F. this afternoon and there are fresh greens for a salad!

If you have some land, or even a small plot, I highly recommend trying to grow some cold-tolerant things in the winter, under some sort of cover, whether it is a hoop house, a cold frame or a simple cloche.

Even a small amount of organically grown fresh things from your own efforts is such a blessing when there is snow on the ground.

Thank you, Elliot Coleman!

How to Peel a Whole Head of Garlic in Less than 10 Seconds!!!

2012-02-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.thekitchn.com/smart-tip-peel-an-entire-head-157145

You've got to see this. Please excuse his, er... slightly crude language, Gentle Readers, but it's worth the risk. You will love this!

My husband hates Curry...

2012-01-31T15:55:00.000-08:00

He really does. That would not be a problem, but I love curry and he can't even stand the smell of it. Sigh... One must be kind to one's husband, so I NEVER make it. I was recently whining to a friend of mine about the problem and the horrible life I have because of it. ;) She said I could come to her home and make curry. So, I did!

Here is my recipe:

THE MOST WONDERFUL CURRY IN THE WORLD (Well, it seemed like it, since it's been well over a year since I had any curry at all! :-0 )

1/4 pound lamb stew meat (you can substitute beef or poultry meat, if you like)
4 nice apples
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups homemade chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced diagonally
3 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes

Cut the lamb meat into little cubes. Peel, core and cube 3 of the apples.

In a cast iron Dutch oven, or other heavy bottomed kettle, heat the olive oil on medium low. Add the meat and, constantly stirring, cook it until it is all brown, but not seared. Lamb needs to be cooked gently.

Add the onions, cubed apples and the spices, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots and sweet potatoes to the pot. Return to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut the remaining unpeeled apple in half. Remove the core and slice into small wedges. Cut the wedges in half. Add them to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.

Here is the story in pictures:

Cubed lamb meat:

Lamb after gently browning in extra-virgin olive oil:

Cutting 3 of the apples into cubes:

Cutting the onion into small wedges:

Apples and onions added to the browned meat and spices added in:

Covered, simmering:

Peeled carrots are sliced diagonally:

About 2 cups of the carrots:

Peeling the sweet potatoes ready to cut into 3 cups of little cubes:

Here is the unpeeled apple ready to put in the pot for the last 10 minutes of simmering:

And here is the curry all ready to eat!

This recipe is linked up at Kelly's Real Food Wednesday!

Yummy Buttery Scones

2012-01-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

I LOVE scones and wanted to come up with a healthier version. Here it is:

Healthy Scones

1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 egg
1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dehydrated cane juice (either Sucanat or Rapadura)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon unrefined salt

At least 7 hours before baking, whisk together the sourdough starter, egg and milk. In another bowl, combine the flour, dehydrated cane juice, and nutmeg. Cut in the butter until it is crumbly.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture, stir to moisten all of the flour, cover tightly and let rest at room temperature for at least 7 hours or up to 12.

When it is time to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Dust your work surface with unbleached flour and pour the dough onto it. Using a little more flour to prevent sticking, press the dough to flatten it somewhat and sprinkle the salt and baking soda over the dough. Make sure the baking soda has no lumps.

Fold the dough in half and press it out again. Do this 15 times altogether.

Divide dough in half and form into two rounds. Flatten them with the palm of your hand to about 6 inches in diameter.

Cut each round into 8 equal pieces and put them on a baking pan, either un-greased, lined with parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat:

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes. Here they are! These scones are sweet, tender, and delicious. Best eaten warm with real butter, but they keep well and can be reheated.

A Faux Chenille Baby Blanket

2012-01-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

I ran across this blog post recently and was enchanted... Fortunately, I had some lengths of cotton flannel fabric on hand.

I used 1.25 yard pieces of 2 different flannel prints. Two of each print. They are layered like this: The first one is placed right side down. Then, layer on the two contrasting pieces. It doesn't much matter which way you put them, right side up or upside down. Lastly, place the last piece right side up.

Pin the layers together, using plenty of pins. Then, sew seams on the bias, one inch apart, all across the layers until it is covered with the stitching. My main fabric has little pink polka dots all over it, so it was easy to follow the lines for the stitching.

Using your sewing shears, cut through THREE layers of the fabric, half-way between every 2 lines of stitching.

Carefully sew around the edges to baste all the layers together, and then apply bias trim all around. I made my bias from 1/2 yard of flannel, following the instructions in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12VNavQleCM&context=C389d683ADOEgsToPDskL8VIhF0R4TqilgAxhgfKNr

Before I sewed on the binding, I trimmed the corners to make them curved.

Here you can see a detail of the side where I finished the binding by stitching it on by hand:

Here is the blanket before I washed and dried it:

And here it is after it was washed and dried. It is beginning to fray nicely.

I really don't have a victim for this blanket just now, but I'm certain one will show up someday and I'll be able to give her a nice snugly blanket!

My dolls will keep an eye on it until then. :)

Saving the Pumpkin!

2012-01-26T13:58:00.000-08:00

I had a nice little pie pumpkin sitting on the counter getting sadder and sadder. I didn't want him to go to waste so this is what I came up with.

Pie Pumpkin with Sausage/Rice Stuffing

1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
2 Tablespoons butter
1 green onion
1 garlic clove
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
small bunch of fresh kale

1 small pie pumpkin

Carefully cut the "lid" from the pumpkin and scoop out all of the seeds.

Bring 1 cup water to a boil, add the salt and stir in the rice. Cover. Place over low heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Make sure it doesn't run out of water. It is better to have a little extra and drain the rice than to not have enough to finish the cooking. Alternately, you can combine the water, rice and salt and allow to soak for 12 hours before cooking the rice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a heavy skillet, brown the sausage, chopping it up. While it is cooking, dice the green onion and mince the garlic and add that to the skillet. Stir frequently.

Take the tough ribs out of the kale, chop and add to the skillet. Stir and cook until the kale is well wilted, then stir in the mozzarella. Remove from heat. Add the butter and the cooked hot rice and combine well.

Spoon the mixture into the pumpkin. Replace the "lid" and put the pumpkin in an oven-proof bowl or dish.

Bake until when you insert a sharp knife into the pumpkin flesh, it pierces all the way through easily. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve slices of pumpkin along with some of the filling. This will reheat nicely the next day, too.

Another Breakfast of Oats!

2012-01-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

I love oats... I love oatmeal... here is my newest way to enjoy them for breakfast!

Oats for Breakfast - 1 serving

1/2 cup whole oat groats
1 Tablespoon live whey
1 Tablespoon whole wheat flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
water

24 hours ahead of when you want to serve these, rinse the oat groats (they are just whole oat "berries"), cover them with water, about 2 inches above the oats. Stir in the whey and whole wheat flour. Cover and allow to soak at room temperature.

After 24 hours, drain and carefully rinse. Return the soaked oats to a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.

Add water until it is 1 inch above oats. Bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, tasting a few now and then until they are as tender as you want them to be. Be sure to keep enough water in the pan to cover them.

When the groats are done, strain out any extra water. Serve with butter, milk, and maple syrup.

This post is linked to 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven!

Also at Monday Mania!

Goodie Balls

2012-01-17T20:20:00.000-08:00

I've been making these, in one form or another, since 1976! Most of you, my gentle readers, were probably not even born then. :)

Goodie Balls

Peanut Butter
Honey
Unsweetened, medium flake, dried coconut
Brown sugar (or Rapadura)

Mix equal parts of peanut butter and honey. Gradually stir in the coconut until the mixture is stiff enough to roll into little balls.

Roll the dough into small balls and then roll them in brown sugar or Rapadura (which is more finely ground than Sucanat.)

You may also add raisins or other chopped dried fruits or chopped nuts. Other nut butters can be substituted as well.

Grain Soaking Musings...

2012-01-14T06:26:00.001-08:00

Having read Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, I've come to believe that pre-soaking of grains, nuts and seeds is quite important in that it deactivates the "anti-nutrients" present in these things and makes the the nutrients considerably more "bioavailable." After doing this for some time now, I definitely notice a difference in how I feel in my tummy after eating unsoaked versus soaked. If I eat something made with unsoaked grains (i.e. flour) it kind of sits like a rock in my stomach, if you know what I mean. Properly soaked items "agree" with me. Now, as far as I know, I am not "gluten sensitive," but many people are and for a lot of those folks, the pre-digestion accomplished by soaking renders the product more easily digested.

I currently make my breads, either using a traditional sourdough method, or with a very long slow rise, so that by the time the bread is baked, it has been soaking for many hours. For instance, to make 2 loaves of bread, I start it the night before and only add 1/4 teaspoon of yeast. Here is an example of that: http://eatnourishing.com/recipe/overnight-soaked-whole-wheat-bread/

It might seem silly to apply this to sugar-laden cakes, but I was asked to make a cake, a "real" cake and wanted to find a way... I could have used sprouted wheat flour, but no, this cake needed to be made with white flour.

I looked for a recipe that includes buttermilk in the ingredient list. I substituted 1/2 milk kefir and 1/2 fresh milk. I knew that even at room temperature, the kefir would discourage any nasty bacteria from proliferating in the batter for quite a while. Voila! What I ended up doing is mixing the cake last night, leaving out the leavening, and then this morning I beat in the leavening, thoroughly, and baked the cake as usual. It worked out just fine!

The original recipe comes from Taste of Home Baking, page #114, called "Pineapple Layer Cake."

Here is how I did it:

Cake:

1/2 cup palm oil shortening
1 2/3 cups pure cane sugar
3 egg yolks
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups mixed half and half fresh milk and milk kefir
1/2 teaspoon Rumford baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Topping:

1/2 cup pure cane sugar
3 Tablespoon corn starch
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 can (20 ounces) sliced pineapple, drained ( save the juice)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice

The evening before baking, in a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and egg, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt and add to the creamed mixture, alternatively with the milk/kefir , and beat after each addition. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit, at room temperature, overnight.

In the morning, add the soda and baking powder (make sure there are no lumps) and beat well. Pour into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish, and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree F. oven for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Cool completely.

In the meantime, make the topping:

In a medium-sized saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Drain the pineapple and put it in the small bowl of a food processor and process until there aren't any big pieces. Add that to the saucepan. Also, measure the pineapple juice from the can, and add 3/4 cup of it to the pan. Stirring, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 2 minutes - until it is nice and thick. Cool completely.

When the cake and the topping are cool, spread the topping on the cake, cover and chill.

When it is time to serve, each piece can be topped with sweetened whipped cream and maybe even a dollop of blueberry pie filling.

Oh. Yum.

Saving the Carrots

2012-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I buy too many carrots. I don't usually grow very many, because, well... I guess I get tired of the thinning and fighting the weeds until the little things get going. They take forever, it seems. That being said, I have had a few very successful carrot crops. Not this last year. So, I've been buying them at the grocery store. And like I said, I buy too many. I think my idea of what is "enough" has not quite calmed down since the children all left home.

About 3 pounds of carrots were in our refrigerator and they had little white roots all over them. I had to face the facts. They were not going to get eaten before they rotted.

Lacto-Fermented Carrots

1/2 gallon jar
Either a lid with an airlock, or some nice clean rocks to hold the vegetables under the brine

3 pounds carrots (approximately)
1/4 cup kefir whey (other live whey would do just as well)
1 quart of water (+ maybe just a little more)
1 Tablespoon sea salt

Wash and peel the carrots, cutting off the tip and the stem ends.

Slice them all thinly, either with a sharp knife or in a food processor

Place the sliced carrots in the jar. Mix together the whey, salt and water until the salt is dissolved and pour that over the carrots. You might need just a little more than a quart of water. The carrots need to be submerged.

Top with an airlock lid, OR, put some clean rocks on top to hold the carrots under the brine.

Let it sit on the counter for 3 days. Taste them. If they are getting a little sour (not rotten), store them in the refrigerator.

I really like these! They will continue to ferment in the refrigerator, but it will be slow and I will enjoy them for quite a while to come.

Lamb Chops - Quick and Easy

2012-01-12T15:08:00.001-08:00

Have you ever cooked lamb chops? There are many methods and fancy recipes to be had in books and on the internet, but here is my favorite way to make them. For 4 darling little lambchops... sigh.... :( heat 2 Tablespoons of ghee in a small cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. If you don't have ghee, you can use kettle-rendered lard.

Place your chops in the pan. Allow to cook gently (adjust the heat so it is not too hot) for 3 minutes. Turn them over and cook for 3 more minutes.

Salt lightly and serve!

The thing to remember with lamb, is that you do NOT cook it at high heat as you can with beef. You do not want to sear the meat. Just cook it gently until it is barely done and then it will be tender and moist.

Be sure to eat all of that good fat. Lamb fat is very healthy.

Oh, by the way, that sort of purple glob is some blackberry jelly a friend made for me. Some people like lamb with mint jelly, but I didn't have any.

This recipe is linked with Simple Lives Thursday #78!

2nd Tiny Tip of 2012

2012-01-11T03:48:00.000-08:00

Have you ever priced nice duvet covers? :-0 !!! We have a wonderful down comforter that I put on our bed in the colder months. It needed a cover. I bought 2 second-hand bed sheets at a thrift store, sewed them together on 3 sides and then turned them inside out. I sewed little ties on the corners of the comforter and inside the corners of the cover to tie it in place. I just use little safety pins to hold the opening closed. It works very well, cost less than $4.00 and I think it's pretty!

Kefir - Chapter 16... another cure

2012-01-04T07:44:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine had to take several courses of antibiotics. Not long after, she developed very painful colitis. When I became aware of this, I talked to her about milk kefir and asked her if she would like to try it. She said yes, and I got her started. That was 2 weeks ago. Last Sunday, I asked her if it is helping. Her reply? "Oh, yes!" Now, I realize that her case is not a well established, long lasting problem. I have no idea if this would help others, but in her situation, it has made a big positive difference.

First Tiny Tip of 2012

2012-01-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

When I measure out some baking soda or baking powder into something I am making, it always has lumps. I don't want to be an innocent victim of a lingering lump in the baked item, so here is what I do ~ I place the measured soda or powder into the palm of my hand, and smooth out the lumps with the back of the measuring spoon. Voila! No more lumps!

This post is linked with 11th Heaven's Homemaking Monday.

Everybody else is doing it!

2011-12-31T16:10:00.001-08:00

I see that this week, it is quite common for other bloggers to post the most popular posts of the year. So, here goes:

#10 ~ A Humble Healthy Gingerbread House This was fun to make. I had posted last year about our annual gingerbread houses, and wanted to develop a more wholesome version, so this is what I came up with. I did it just for YOU. :)

#9 ~ Oatmeal Pie (Poor man's pecan pie) I'm a little embarrassed to say that I attempted to come up with a healthier version and it failed, miserably. Like I often say, if I am going to eat something "bad," I would rather it be "real."

#8 ~ Kefir - Chapter 1 The continued interest in the wonderful benefits of this probiotic drink warms my heart. I love milk kefir and it has improved my health and the health of several close friends.

#7 ~ 46 Chicken Feet What fun I had writing that one. You'll have to read it to see what it's about. ;)

#6 ~ Canning Peaches is Easy (No Sugar) A very good peach canning method that is also very economical. My daughter took this a step further and didn't even peel hers, and it was a success! So, next year, that is what I will do. What a time saver that will be.

#5 ~ Kefir - Chapter 10 This is the one where I showed the shelf with my kefirs and explained my method a little more.

#4 ~ Preserving Avocados This is a great way to take advantage of a good price on avocados.

#3 ~ Replacing a Zipper in a Coat/Jacket Certainly useful to know this time of year.

#2 ~ Tooth Soap The interest in home made cleaning products and personal care products has increased greatly, also, along with other healthy and/or frugal choices.

AND....

The Winner is....

#1 ~ How to "Milk" a Cucumber I have had nearly 2,000 hits on this article from all over the world!

I really enjoy keeping this little blog and sharing what I learn and a bit about our life here.

Happy New Year to Each of You!

Vintage Hankie Baby Quilt

2011-12-28T10:40:00.000-08:00

I ran across this tutorial and just had to give it a try. I think it's so sweet! It is a small blanket for a new baby made with vintage sheets and vintage hankies. I just happened to have those items on hand. It only took a few hours.

Here is a closer view of one of the 4 blocks:

I tied in the center of each hankie square with embroidery cotton, and the "batting" used between the layers of the blanket is a scrap of white terry cloth I had laying around.

I love it when I can make something almost "free."

This post is linked to Simple Lives Thursday #76!

Homemade "breakfast cereal"

2011-12-28T07:37:00.001-08:00

Move over, puffed wheat! Here is a wholesome and delicious breakfast cereal. We love it!

Popcorn and Milk

Per serving...

1 Tablespoon popcorn kernels
2 teaspoons extra-virgin coconut oil
milk
real maple syrup

Put the oil in a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt on stove top over medium heat and add the popcorn. Cover the pan.

Turn up the heat to medium/high and continually move the pan back and forth over the burner to prevent burning. When the popping has nearly stopped, take the pan off the stove.

Pour popped corn into a cereal bowl and top with nice cold milk and real maple syrup.

Very very yummy. You can make the popped corn a bit ahead of time, if you like.

This post is linked to "Make Your Own Monday!"

Indian Fry Bread - my way

2011-12-26T16:32:00.000-08:00

Fry Bread is economical, versatile and delicious! Here is a simple way to also make it good for you.

Ingredients for 4 Fry Breads

1 cup freshly ground spelt flour (or whole wheat)
1/4 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
2 teaspoons Sucanat
1/2 cup sourdough starter
raw milk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Kettle-rendered lard for frying

2 Tablespoons Sucanat mixed with 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon and pulverized for a moment or two in an electric blender. This will be more than you need, but the extra can be stored in a small lidded jar to use later.

Instructions:

The night before you want to make the Fry Bread (or up to 12 hours before) combine the flour, salt, and Sucanat in a small glass mixing bowl.

Add the sourdough starter and stir.

Add milk, a little at a time, until a stiff, kneadable dough forms.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature overnight or up to 12 hours.

Turn dough out onto floured work surface and sprinkle with baking soda. I use unbleached flour for working the dough to prevent sticking.

Knead vigorously for 2 minutes.

Begin heating 1/2 inch of kettle-rendered lard in a cast iron skillet on medium/low heat.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces, make them into little rounds, and roll them out, to about 7 inches in diameter. Use unbleached flour to prevent sticking.

Carefully place one of the rounds into the pan. Let it fry until it is bubbly on top and browning on the bottom, then carefully turn it over with metal tongs and fry the top until it is browning.

Remove the fry bread with tongs and drain on paper toweling.

Sprinkle with the "cinnamon-Sucanat" - (optional)

Serve while warm! These may be topped with many other things as well. You can use them in a similar way as tortillas. Some people like to make a dish like a taco or tosdada using fry bread.

You may also add other things to the dough, like sauteed mushrooms, cooked chopped meats, cooked fresh vegetables, and suitable seasonings for whatever you like.

This recipe may be doubled or made even bigger, depending on how many Fry Breads you need.

You may substitute whole wheat flour for the spelt flour, if you wish. Spelt makes a more tender product.

The history behind Fry Bread is very sad. If you would like to find out more about it, please go HERE to read it.

This post is linked to the Homestead Barn Hop #42

"Carl" the sourdough

2011-12-25T19:36:00.000-08:00

If you visit Carl Griffith 1847 Oregon Trail Sourdough website, you can order, free of charge, (although they welcome contributions) some of the dried sourdough starter. It is extremely easy to get going, and what they send is more than enough for at least 3 "starts" if you have bad luck and kill your sourdough (don't ask me how I know... )

You can download a brochure there that explains what to do and how to use the starter. I've had mine for quite a while now - I can't remember how long. Most of that time, it has lived in my refrigerator, and I've gotten it out and fed it once a week or so, occasionally washing out the container.

For the last few weeks, it has been living out on the counter. I keep it in a little glass bowl, covered with a saucer and some plastic wrap. The plastic wrap is to keep fruit flies out. I feed it twice a day now. I just take a small handful of whole wheat flour, add a little warm water and stir it up with a fork.

I used to use the formula of 1 part water and 1 part flour, but now I don't measure, and I keep it a little more thick than how I would want pancake batter to be. That way, if I want to make pancakes for me and my husband, here is what I do:

Scoop out 1 cup of starter.
Stir into it 1 egg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon sweetener and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
In the mean time, I'm heating my griddle and then I can just go ahead and bake the pancakes.

It is so quick and easy and convenient! I serve them with butter and real maple syrup. Yum.

If I need to go away for a few days, Carl just takes a rest in the refrigerator. :)

Musings on Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

What a beautiful year 2011 has been for us here, and I am grateful for my online "family," YOU... my readers for how you have enriched my life.

Certainly, life is rarely without challenges. Everyone I have ever known has experienced as my dear mother used to say, "Into each life, some rain must fall." But the hard times make us grateful for the good times, and help us grow stronger. When the dust settles, and we find ourselves still trodding the straight and narrow path, still loving, still loved... the hard things don't matter.

If I were to die today, all I really care about is two things. First, that everyone here know that I love them. Secondly, that I have tried my best to live life to please my Heavenly Father.

When the children still lived with us, I read stories to them every night, and I always tucked them in bed. I tried so hard (not always succeeding) to never put them to bed sad. What if they, or I didn't wake up the next day? I tried to never leave them thinking I was mad at them. I guess that is a reflection of my desire that they know they are loved.

Jim and I have been so fortunate in our marriage. When we met, we knew that was it. We've had our ups and downs like anyone else, but we stuck it out, made it work and stayed committed to each other. 40 years. It only seems, looking back, like a few. Now that he's retired, we finally really have time to spend together, and it is wonderful. I always loved it when we had a little while to sit and really talk... now that is nearly every day. It's heaven. On earth.

I am very proud of our children. They are good people. Hardworking, honest, true and good. Kind to me and their father. Good to each other. I know that when I am gone, they will have a built in network of close friends, and that is a good feeling. Sometimes, it's hard watching life happen to them, if you know what I mean, but then I see the hand of the Lord in their lives, and I know I can relax and trust Him.

This evening, a few of our loved ones will come over for Grandma's Christmas Eve donuts. Tomorrow morning will be choir practice, for me, and then Church. Then we'll come home and me and my beloved will open a few gifts. Later, some family, including my dear sister, will come for lunch and we'll sit around and reminisce.

In the words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!"

Fresh Juice

2011-12-21T07:57:00.001-08:00

I don't think drinking bottled juices from the store is a very healthy choice. I've read too much scary stuff about it. I am lucky to have one of these:

It is easy to use, quick to clean up and I love it! Juicing is not my passion, understand, but sometimes I just want some fresh juice and particularly in the colder months of the year, because we have the unheated greenhouse and a supply of fresh greens all winter long.

I went out there this morning and brought in some things to use for a salad for dinner, and I also picked a handful of kale leaves and made a small amount of juice for me and my husband. It was so delicious, I have to share the "recipe" !

2 small carrots, peeled
a small handful of fresh kale
1 whole sweet apple (do not core)
1 whole lemon

I was worried the lemon might be too sour, but oh, my! It was like the best lemonade ever!

I think you would like it too. :)

This post is linked at Real Food Wednesday ! ... and Simple Lives Thursday #75.

Oatmeal - Fortified!

2011-12-16T18:32:00.001-08:00

This is a complete breakfast meal!

Wonderful Oatmeal

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon wheat flour
2 Tablespoons live whey
1/4 cup raisins
4 cups water
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
Butter
Real Maple syrup

The night before, combine oats, salt, flour, whey, raisins and water. Cover and let soak until morning.

In the morning, beat the eggs and milk together thoroughly.

On medium heat, cook the oat mixture until not quite as thick as you would normally, stirring frequently.

Gradually stir in the egg/milk mixture, stirring well. Keep stirring until it has returned to a simmer to be sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked. Remove from heat.

Top each serving with a dollop of butter and some maple syrup or raw honey.

Stand back and enjoy the ooooh's and ahhhh's from your loved ones!

This post is linked at Friday Food Flicks!

Black Walnut Biscotti

2011-12-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

I like Biscotti very much... and until today, I only liked it when other people made it. Mine never seemed to be as good. But I "invented" this recipe and it is very nice. We live in an area where at this time of year, black walnuts are plentiful and people are very happy to have you come pick them up out of their yards.

Black Walnut Biscotti

1/2 cup whole wheat sourdough starter, bubbly and ready to use
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 pastured eggs
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup freshly hulled black walnuts, frozen, then ground in an electric coffee grinder
3/4 cup Sucanat
1/2 teaspoon pure black walnut extract
Whole wheat flour, approximately 2 cups
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

The night before you want to bake the Biscotti, mix all the above ingredients, except the baking soda, together well. It should form a stiff dough. Keep tightly covered and let it sit at room temperature overnight or up to 12 hours.

Turn out the dough onto a surface sprinkled with unbleached flour. Sprinkle the 1/2 teaspoon baking soda over the dough and work it in well with your hands.

Cut the dough into two equal pieces:

Roll each piece into a rectangle that is about 3/4 inch thick:

Place the pieces on a baking sheet that is either lightly greased, or covered with a Silpat or parchment paper:

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes on a wire cooling rack. Then, using a bread knife, slice into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices:

Reduce heat in oven to 300 degrees. Place the pieces on their sides on your baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for 10 more minutes:

Cool on wire racks:

Now it's time to make the chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce for Biscotti

1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1/3 cup raw milk
1/4 cup Sucanat

Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan, and stirring, bring to a simmer. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes.

Use a table knife to spread the chocolate sauce onto the ends of the Biscotti.

Place them on wire cooling racks and let them sit until the chocolate has firmed up. Then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

My favorite way to eat Biscotti is dipped in some nice cold fresh goat milk! :)

This post is linked to Simple Lives Thursday #74! Also, the Homestead Barn Hop #41.

A Humble, Healthy, Gingerbread House

2011-12-12T11:59:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that last year I posted about our annual Gingerbread House? If you will check that post, you will see more about the method, and in particular, you will be able to get the pattern to cut out the gingerbread house pieces.

This time, I've adapted the recipe to use only healthy ingredients. As you can easily see, I am NOT an artist. I am certain that most of you can come up with much more attractive ways to decorate this little house using natural and healthy items, but using what I had on hand, and my limited talent in this area, here is my little house.

Gingerbread Recipe

3 cups freshly ground spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 Tablespoon Rumford baking powder
1/3 cup Sucanat
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup raw honey
2 pastured eggs
1/2 cup melted extra-virgin coconut oil

Royal Icing Recipe

3 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pound Sucanat
1 Tablespoon Xanthan gum

Mix all of the gingerbread ingredients thoroughly with an electric mixer. Place the dough in a covered dish and refrigerate it for 24 hours.

Use a large baking sheet (they call it a "half sheet") and either line it with a Silpat, or, grease it and then line it with aluminum foil. Grease the foil, or the Silpat, as well.

Place the chilled dough onto the pan. Grease a rolling pin and wrap it in plastic wrap. The dough is a little sticky, and this will prevent problems.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Roll the dough out carefully, to cover the pan. Be patient. It will take a little while to get it all rolled out evenly.

Here it is, all rolled out:

Place your parchment paper pattern (see the link for last year's gingerbread house) onto the rolled dough, and folding it, use a small paring knife and gently score the cutting lines into the dough. There is no need to cut all the way through.

Beat an egg well, and paint the dough using a pastry brush or a piece of paper toweling dipped in the egg.

Bake at 300 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, cut the pieces out on the scored lines and allow to cool completely.

Next, carefully remove the house pieces from the baking sheet and place them on wire cooling racks. Place the racks in the oven and let the gingerbread bake for another 10 minutes.

Now, on to the Royal Icing...

Traditionally, Royal Icing is made from powdered sugar, cream of tartar and raw egg whites. This is a little different.

First, combine the Sucanat and xanthan gum, and one half at a time, grind it to a powder in an electric blender.

In the top of a double boiler, over simmering water, place all the icing ingredients and mix with an electric mixer, while cooking, until the icing is stiff.

Assembling the Gingerbread House ~

Again, please refer to last year's post, but I have included a few pictures of what I did today. I found that I could use a piping bag for this, but it was rather difficult, and I resorted to using a table knife to spread the icing where I needed it.

The decorations include popcorn, crispy pepitas, crispy almonds and raisins. (Crispy nuts and seeds are made by soaking them in salt water for at least 7 hours and then dehydrating them. This gets rid of the anti-nutrients and makes them much more digestible.)

A view of the roof covered with popcorn:

For those of you so inclined, I hope you will enjoy this little project!

This post is linked up at "Real Food Wednesday" and "Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, AND at the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-09T10:29:00.001-08:00

We used to have a very large artificial Christmas Tree that I scored at an auction for $4. My girls used to leap up from the Thanksgiving table and immediately put up the tree and do all the decorating. Then they got married and left us. I used the tree for a year or two after that. Then I donated it to Goodwill and bought this relatively scrawny one. Plenty for one older woman to put up by herself.

Today was the day. I got out all the decorations, lights and the tree. Ready to go! Then nearly all of my lights failed. Ugh. This afternoon is the slot of time I had set aside. So, I just used what was still working. :) Not only that, but I put on the hand made ornaments that my girls had crocheted years ago and just added some pretty glass balls and the little angel at the top.

Next, I couldn't find my tree skirt. Of course, I found it later, but when it was time to put it there, I just decided to use an little old quilt that my mother had made.

If you look to the right, hanging on the curtain, you'll see a Santa that I made in school in the 1st grade. My sweet mother (who I miss every day, even after 28 years) saved it and always tacked it to the trunk of our Christmas Tree. We had real trees. She always made Christmas so special for me... and my birthdays... even up to a month before she passed away.

I have been feeling the Christmas Spirit since well before Thanksgiving this year. Ever since I watched this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyviyF-N23A

The other paper things on the curtain were made by two grandchildren, when they lived here with their momma for a year several years ago.

I love Christmas. I love how so many of us pause to really contemplate our Savior, and then reach out to others.

Thank you to each one of my dear readers for being, in a small way, a part of my life.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Tip - Saving the fat

2011-12-09T04:26:00.000-08:00

From the Weston A. Price Foundation:

"Beef and Mutton Tallows are 50-55% saturated, about 40% monounsaturated and contain small amounts of the polyunsaturates, usually less than 3%. Suet, which is the fat from the cavity of the animal, is 70-80% saturated. Suet and tallow are very stable fats and can be used for frying. Traditional cultures valued these fats for their health benefits. They are a good source of antimicrobial palmitoleic acid."

I buy grass-fed beef locally. Grass-fed beef is "a different animal" when it comes to nutrition. It contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, very very good for you, and CLA, which is a proven cancer fighter. The fat in grass-fed beef is good for you, contrary to what the conventional "wisdom" will assert. It is more expensive than what is available at the supermarket, but it is also much healthier. Needless to say, I don't want to waste anything. 2 days ago, I made a big pizza. I used grass-fed ground beef on it. After I cooked it in a cast iron skillet, I needed to drain off the excess fat, but didn't want to waste that, as it is a very healthy fat. I drained it through a wire strainer into a bowl and then poured it into a little jar that I put in the refrigerator. That is the fat I will use for frying eggs, or sauteing other things, until it is gone. A little, but I think important savings!

For more information about this topic, as well as a real education on the role of fats in nutrition, please read this article ~ The Skinny on Fats

If you are interested in my new "NOT SOUR Sourdough Pizza Crust" recipe, go here. This makes enough dough for a large pizza, and is very good. My husband doesn't like sour things. Although made with sourdough, and very healthy, this crust is NOT sour. He was very pleased!

An early winter soup - kale and sausage

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-08:00

Here is the soup we had for supper tonight. It was very good and warming on such a chilly evening. This recipe will serve 3, generously, and makes a complete meal.

Kale and Sausage Soup

1 pint chicken stock:

A nice bunch of tender fresh kale:

1/2 pound Italian sausage, frozen, to make the slicing easier:

3 potatoes:

Add to that, 1 large onion and two garlic cloves:

Slice the frozen Italian sausage:

Peel and coarsely chop the onion:

Peel and mince the garlic cloves:

Scrub and cube the potatoes:

Remove the stalks from the kale:

Then, roll it together:

Slice it across the roll:

And then cut it the other direction:

Melt 1 Tablespoon of kettle-rendered lard in a heavy bottomed soup pot:

Add the onion, garlic and sausage and saute, stirring, until the onion is translucent. Then, add the chicken stock, 2 cups of water, and the kale:

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the kale and potatoes are tender:

At this point, taste the broth and see if it needs any salt, but it probably won't. Serve and enjoy! Fast, easy, and wonderful!

Fresh Masa and Corn Tortillas

2011-11-30T18:24:00.000-08:00

Do you remember that I grew flour corn this summer?

When it was ready, I pulled the ears (approximately 50 of them) and hung them near the wood heating stove to dry. Several days ago I took some of the corn kernels off of the cobs. Last night I measured out 2 pounds of it and washed it carefully:

Then I mixed 1 1/2 Tablespoons of pickling lime with 1/2 cup water:

I put the clean corn, the lime water and more water in a stainless pot and brought it to a boil:

As it boiled, the kernels turned a pretty yellow color:

I let it boil for 20 minutes, turned off the heat and let it soak overnight. This morning, I drained the corn in a large stainless colander and rinsed it:

The next step is to put the corn into a large bowl, cover well with water and start rubbing the corn kernels. The little skin part on the outside will come off.

From time to time, the corn is drained again and covered with clean water. This process must be repeated until the water is clear:

Here is the prepared corn, drained and rinsed:

A close-up look at the beautiful corn kernels:

Next, I used my food processor to grind it up some. I did this in two batches:

And then I used my old Corona Mill which has metal grinding surfaces to grind the corn:

Here is what the masa looks like after the first grinding:

I ground it again, adding just a little water and here is the finished product:

A closer view:

I learned to do this from my friend, Mely, who blogs at Mexico in My Kitchen. On Mely's blog post about this process, she has a photo of her finished masa with a hand print in it. Here is mine. Hers is much nicer!

Now, on to the tortillas! Here is my tortilla press that my daughter bought for me:

Place your griddle on high heat on the stove:

Take a gallon sized food storage bag, cut off the open end and slit the sides so you can use it to line the press. Here is a piece of the masa dough that I use to make just one:

Line the press with the plastic bag, place the piece of dough on the plastic, not centered, but more towards the hinged side. You will need to experiment to see exactly where. Close the press and press down firmly with the handle. Then, open the press:

Carefully peel the plastic off of the tortilla and put it on the hot griddle. Bake it until you get some brown spots forming on the underside, then flip it over and bake the top. I forgot to get a picture of it baking, but here is what it looks like when it's done:

Obviously, I am still learning, but these were delicious! The 2 pounds of corn made about 3 pounds of fresh masa, and the way it turned out, I would be able to bake approximately 18 tortillas with that much. I made 6, which was plenty for our meal, and I froze the rest in two batches to use later.

Thank you, Mely!

I shared this recipe on Simple Lives Thursday #73.

Long Rise 100% Whole Wheat Bread

2011-11-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

15 cups + freshly ground whole wheat flour
6 1/4 cups very warm filtered water (110 - 115 degrees)
2 teaspoons dry yeast
1/2 cup Extra-Virgin olive oil
5/8 cup raw honey
2 Tablespoons unrefined sea salt
2 Tablespoons brewer's yeast (use pure brewer's yeast, not the "fortified" variety)
2 pastured eggs

2 more Tablespoons Extra-Virgin olive oil for oiling the bowl

Instructions:

In a very large bowl, measure out 15 cups of the flour. Add all of the water and then sprinkle on the yeast. Stir the yeast into the water with a fork.

Next, add the oil, honey, salt, brewer's yeast and eggs. Stir well to combine.

Add more flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough is stiff enough to knead.

Turn dough out onto a surface floured with more whole wheat flour and knead for 10 minutes, adding a little flour as it gets sticky.

The dough should be smooth and elastic. It must not be "slack", nor too stiff.

Wash and dry the bowl. Pour the 2 Tablespoons of oil into the bowl and using your hand coat the inside of the bowl well.

Put the kneaded dough into the bowl, then turn it over so that the top is well-oiled.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and keep in a warm but not hot place. The kitchen counter is fine. Allow the dough to rise until when you poke the dough with your finger, it "sighs" and the hole does not fill in.

Punch the dough down well and allow it to rise AGAIN in the bowl as before.

Set the oven to 350 degrees F.

After the second rise, oil 5 medium bread pans, form the dough into 5 loaves (it should be oily enough that no extra flour is needed at this point) and place in the prepared pans. If it does want to stick to your hands and the work surface, just put a little more olive oil on your hands and the surface.

Allow to double again. The sides of the loaves should nearly touch the top of the sides of the pans. When you poke a loaf, gently, it should feel "springy." If your dough rises too much in the pans, it will fall in baking. If not enough, then the bread will be heavy and not as nice, but still edible, certainly.

Bake the loaves at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. You should use a thermometer to check the temperature in your oven if there is any question about it.

Remove from oven, and remove loaves from pans and cool them on wire racks. If you don't have a wire rack, use a folded dish towel to place the loaves on. Cool for at least 15 minutes before attempting to slice. The loaves are still baking!

Keep track of how long all of this takes. The goal is to have it be at least 7 hours from mixing to placing in the hot oven. You can adjust your amount of yeast according.

If I were going to make just 2 loaves, I would use the following:

6 cups + freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 1/2 cups very warm filtered water
1/2 teaspoon dry yeast
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup raw honey
1 Tablespoon brewer's yeast
1 pastured egg

1 more Tablespoon Extra-Virgin olive oil for the bowl

This bread is wonderful, and easily digested, even by many folks who are sensitive to wheat IF you make sure to adjust the amount of yeast so you get that long slow rise.

Bazaar Soaps!

2011-11-28T17:49:00.001-08:00

A few days ago I posted about making soap. I told you I would post pictures. Here they are. I will be trying to sell these at a Christmas Bazaar on Saturday. Wish me luck!

Oatmeal Pie (Poor Man's Pecan Pie)

2011-11-23T11:45:00.001-08:00

A beloved friend, long since passed away, gave me this recipe in 1973. It is "Oatmeal Pie." Absolutely delicious and it tastes just like a pecan pie, except you use quick oats instead of pecans. Above, you can see 3 of them baking in the oven. Below is how they look after cooling.

Here is the recipe:

Oatmeal Pie - 1 pie (9 inch)

Pie filling -

2/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup quick rolled oats
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with an electric mixer. Pour it into a prepared, Unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Cool completely. It does not have to be refrigerated. I've never frozen one, so I have no idea if it will freeze well.

Pie crust - 1 pie shell

1 1/4 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cold lard
cold milk

Combine flour and salt. Cut in the lard until crumbly. Gradually add the cold milk until the dough holds together well enough to roll out easily. Gather it together on a flour surface into a nice ball and then flatten it and roll it out. Place in the pie pan. Flute the edges.

I am sharing this post at Frugal Tuesday!

Making Soap is much easier than making bread!

2011-11-21T14:48:00.000-08:00

Between Saturday and today, I've made 5 batches, from 5 different recipes, of hand made, all natural soap. If you have never made soap, and would like to learn, please don't be worried. Making soap has become very easy, since the advent of the World Wide Web. There is so much information available, literally at our fingertips!

First, decide what kind of soap you would like to make. I would suggest, to begin, just make what I call "every day" soap. It is a simple combination of lard, coconut oil, soft water and lye. After you experience success (and you will,) then you can experiment with other "fancier" recipes. I started making soap about 34 years ago ~ our little children would often leave a bar of soap in the bath water and it would get ruined. Store bought soap was relatively expensive, and so I decided to learn to make our soap. I made the "every day" soap, exclusively, until just a few years ago.

The first time, my husband was in the bathroom washing his hands, and he called out, "Do you know what I like about this soap?".... "It works!"

In the last few years, I have learned to make a shampoo bar, Castile (olive oil) soap, French milled soap, goat's milk soap, shaving soap and soap from recycled oils and fats.

Do not be impressed. The basic procedure is the same for all of the soaps I make. Only the amounts and ingredients differ.

If you are ready, first, go here and watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6etb25cNEDg

The video will give you a basic idea of how soap is made. I must mention that I never added any scents or colorants to my soap for many years. Also, I have used many different things for a soap mold, including glass baking pans and cardboard boxes. I always line mine with a damp cotton cloth to make it easy to remove the hardened soap. I've never had a mitre box and fancy cutting thing, either. I just lightly mark off my cutting lines and use a big sharp knife. Here is a link to a nice video showing a great way to make a soap mold from a cardboard box:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7Wy7t7ZKIA&feature=related

I stack the bars in a cardboard box, with air around each one to let the soap cure. I've never used a metal rack like the man in the video.

So, here is what you will need to make basic soap.

Lard (available at the grocery store or from a place where they process hogs)
Coconut oil (Get the inexpensive LouAnn brand if you can at the grocery store)
Soft water (it need not be distilled, but it is important for it to at least be soft.)
Lye (sodium hydroxide)

Large stainless steel kettle (alternately, you can use a granite-ware pan that isn't rusty)
Long handled wooden spoon (or a nice smooth sturdy stick)
Plastic container for the water (a plastic pitcher would be best)
Plastic container to measure the lye into
Digital scale
Candy thermometer
Something to use for a mold (see what I mentioned above)
Cotton cloth big enough to fit the mold all the way to the top and over a bit, dampened
A warm blanket or a couple of big towels to keep the soap warm while it is hardening
A protected surface to turn the soap onto (not your wood dining room table - don't ask me how I know)
A stick blender (This is very nice, and makes it all faster, but I made soap for many years
without this luxury. I just used a stick or wooden spoon.)

To work out the proportions in your recipe, go to the MMS Lye Calculator . Look carefully and you will see where you will choose a unit of measure (ounce, gram or pounds), the kind of lye (choose sodium hydroxide), you can ask it to include basic instructions in the print-out. Then scroll down on the page and you will enter the amounts of the fats you want to use.

I would suggest you start with 32 ounces (2 pounds) of lard and 4 ounces (1/4 pound) of coconut oil. Coconut oil will make your soap nice and bubbly, but you don't want too much or it can be drying to the skin.

When you are ready (and the pets and children have been sequestered elsewhere), gather up all of your equipment and ingredients.

FIRST I will talk about SAFETY. You are going to be using lye, which is extremely caustic and can BURN you. ALWAYS keep an open container of vinegar close by when you are working with lye. If something splashes on you, immediately pour vinegar on the area and it will neutralize the lye. ALWAYS wear safety goggles. The man in the video doesn't, but that is silly. AND downright dangerous. ALWAYS add the lye TO the water. If you do it the other way, it could explode and burn you!

Another thing.... the pan, containers and any utensils you use in making soap should be used ONLY for making soap. So, keep them safely tucked away somewhere when not in use.

I personally do not use gloves. They would tend to make me a bit more clumsy and I'd be more likely to have an accident. I just work very carefully and slowly and keep that vinegar handy. I also do not wear long sleeves. If the lye splashes on a sleeve, it will take longer to get it off of your skin. These things are MY opinion, but so far, I've never been injured.

Ok, on to the actual soap making. By now, you have worked out your recipe on the MMS lye calculator and printed it out and studied it. It will tell you how much lye to use and how much water to use. For the recipe I suggested above, the calculator says:

36 ounces lard
4 ounces coconut oil
10 - 15 ounces water (I generally pick a number in the middle of this value)
5.27 - 5.44 ounces of lye (I would opt for 5.39 - nicely and safely in the middle)

Ok... You are wearing goggles, and all the children and pets are far away and will stay there. Prepare your mold(s) by lining it with a damp cloth or parchment paper.

1. Measure fats into the stainless steel kettle (using your digital scale) .

2. Measure the soft water into the plastic pitcher.

3. Measure the lye into the other plastic container.

4. Get your vinegar and take it outside on the porch (if you do not have a porch and nowhere to
work outside, work next to an open window and try not to breathe the fumes that mixing
the lye into the water will create. The fumes will make you cough.)

5. Put the wooden spoon in your water container and take it outside.

6. Take the container of measured lye outside.

7. Very carefully, pour the lye INTO the water, and stir the water. Be gentle. Don't knock your
container over. Stir until the lye is dissolved. It will be VERY hot!

8. Take everything back inside. Don't try to carry it all at once. Be careful.

9. Set the lye/water solution someplace safe to cool.

10. Melt your fats together. The goal is to have the lye/water solution and the fats roughly the
same temperature when you combine them. That is where your candy thermometer
comes in. I only use ONE and don't worry about transferring it between the two things.
It's not a big deal. The temperatures should be about 100 - 125 degrees F, both about the
same.

11. When both things are about the right temperature, use your wooden spoon while you slowly
add the lye water to the melted fats, stirring round and round gently.

12. When they are combined, you can start using your stick blender, if you have one. If not, just
keep stirring with your spoon. If you are using the stick blender, keep it below the top of the mixture, so it won't splash out. Do it like this... Blend for 10 seconds, stir with it off
for 10 seconds. (This way, you won't burn up the motor in your stick blender.)

13. You want to keep doing this until you see it "trace". That means if you dribble some of the soap on top of the batch, there will be a nice little trail that stays up for a few moments
before sinking in.

14. When you reach "trace" you are ready to pour the warm soap into your prepared mold(s). Pour all of the soap into your mold and then put it in a safe place, covered with a warm
blanket. You will want to put something on top of the mold container first, so the
blanket doesn't dip into the wet soap.

15. Keep the soap warmly covered up for 24 hours. Check it and see if it is firm enough to cut
into bars. If not, re-cover and give it more time.

16. When it is ready, turn the soap out onto a surface that the lye will not damage. Then, cut it
into bars however you wish.

17. Set the bars, with air between them, into cardboard boxes or on a rack to cure and dry.
The soap should be ready to use in about 2 weeks. If you are brave, you can check
it with your tongue (gasp!) Just lightly touch the end of your tongue to a bar of soap.
If it "bites", it needs more curing time.

That's it! And WHY did I say it is much easier than making bread? Because it is. Once you learn the process and make it your own, it is something you can easily do. I made 4 different kinds of soap today. Once the equipment was out, it was a breeze to go from one to the other.

I hope you will do a little research, carefully read what I have written several times (maybe even print it out so you can refer to it easily), and go ahead and make your soap. It is very nice, and easy on the skin. It contains the naturally occurring glycerin, which is a by-product of the saponification (chemical reaction that makes soap), and glycerin is an emollient. It softens the skin.

Years ago, you could buy Red Devil Lye at the grocery store, and the amount that was in the container was perfect for making a batch of soap from 5# of fat (10 cups.) Then, later, they increased the amount in the container of lye. Very annoying, because without a scale, there was no way to measure the lye. THEN it became a "hazardous material" and you can't buy it at a grocery store anymore. You might try a hardware store or online (i.e. www.Amazon.com).

If you are making soap, and you've been stirring it for at least 15 minutes and it just isn't cooperating, don't worry. Leave it, and come back from time to time and give it a good stir. It will set up eventually. That happens sometimes if your temperatures are not right when you combine the lye water with the fats.

One last suggestion ~ It can seem a bit tricky to get both solutions to the same temperature. As the lye is cooling, melt the fats. If the lye water is cooled enough ( 100 - 125 degrees F.) and the fat is too hot, set it in a sink of very cold water and stir it and it will cool down quickly.

After my soaps have cured and I have them all cut up, I'll post some more pictures. The one at the top of this post is of part of a batch of Goat's Milk Soap. It will whiten, somewhat, as it cures.

Edible Christmas gifts

2011-11-16T15:49:00.001-08:00

I have been making a number of yummy edibles to give to loved ones for Christmas. So far, I've made peppernuts, a big batch of black walnut chocolate fudge, (we foraged for the walnuts!) peanut butter cookies and today I made these cookies:

(Recipe follows)

Here they are before I dipped them in chocolate:

And here is a close up of just one:

2 days ago, I made a batch of cheddar cheese, and so today I waxed it in 6 pieces for gift giving:

Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

I used freshly ground whole wheat flour in this recipe, and first I sifted it through a wire strainer to remove some of the bran. You might try that, even with purchased whole wheat flour and see if it makes a difference. I wanted whole grain, but also wanted the cookies to be more tender.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (2 oz.)
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (6 oz.
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup salted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup powdered sugar (3 oz)
1/4 cup cold milk (I had to add just a little more)
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

In the container of your food processor, or in a bowl using an electric mixer, combine the flours and baking powder. Pulse or beat in the softened butter. Add the sugar, and combine well, and then add the 1/4 cup milk. You might need to add a little more. The dough should be stiff, but it should be soft enough to roll out, and not fall apart or be sticky.

On a floured surface, roll the dough about 1/8 of an inch thick, maybe just a little thicker. I used my little square cutter to cut mine, but you can use any cookie or biscuit cutter you have, or even just a pizza cutter. Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet, and prick evenly with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees F ... for about 15 minutes. They should be lightly golden brown when they are done.

Cool on a clean (of course!) dish towel.

Melt 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler and dip each cookie. Allow to cool on waxed paper. Store, tightly covered, in the freezer if you are not going to use them right away.

These are very pleasing cookies. Not overly sweet. Just right. Perfect to eat with a nice cold glass of milk.

My plan is to get all of the baking and goodie making done well ahead of time, so I don't have to worry about any of it and can enjoy the beautiful Spirit of Christmas without distractions.

Are you making any gifts for Christmas?

2011-11-16T08:14:00.001-08:00

This will be a hand-made Christmas for us. I have a dear cousin who makes wonderful jewelry and she helped me with something for the granddaughters. I have a sewn project for all of the women in my life. Everyone else will get something to eat, except DH. I actually bought 1 item for him. I want to show you the little doll I made for someone special (who will remain anonymous for obvious reasons.)

Here she is!

What do you think?

Peppernuts

2011-11-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

My great-grandmother used to make these for the children at Christmastime. In those days, they had a wood-fired cooking stove, with a "reservoir," which is a metal-lined box attached to the side of the stove in which they heated water. Great Grandma would fill it with peppernuts (taking the water out first of course!) and the children could just help themselves to these fun treats whenever they liked.

The German word for "peppernuts" is "Pfeffernuesse." There are many recipes, but this recipe has been handed down in my family for several generations and I suspect whoever first wrote it made it up from things she had on hand.

The original recipe called for using "bread sponge" for the leavening. It has been adapted to use active dry yeast instead.

Our peppernuts are one of those things that you eat one and you think, "Huh. That's not so great," but then you can't quit eating them!

We make them in November, and then keep them in a brown paper bag to let them dry out until Christmastime. They are crunchy. They really require low humidity to get dried out sufficiently. One time I took some to Florida for our son, and they were a little soggy down there. Good, but soft. ;) These are a great favorite with our family.

Peppernuts

You will need 2 very large bowls, or a 5 gallon bucket to let the dough rise in. Do not skimp on this or the dough might overflow!

6 cups warm water
5 teaspoons dry yeast (or 2 little packets)
2 cups molasses (I use black strap, but the other kind will work as well.)
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup kettle-rendered lard
Approximately 7 pounds all-purpose flour

In one of your large bowels, dissolved the yeast in the warm water.

Add enough flour and stir until it is the consistency of thick gravy.

Add molasses, sugar, spices, and lard all at once. Stir. Don't worry if the lard doesn't mix in. It will later.

Stir in the flour a couple of cups at a time until the dough is the consistency of stiff bread dough.

Put half of your dough into another bowl, or transfer it all to a 5 gallon bucket.

Cover with plastic wrap. Every time it rises double in bulk, punch it down. Of course, you don't have to get up at night to do this.

Let it ferment this way for 36 - 48 hours.

Then it's time to bake.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

You will need 2 baking sheets or pizza pans or whatever you have that will work for baking cookies.

I use Silpats on mine, but you can use parchment paper or just grease very lightly, only once.

Here is a little video that will show you the procedure for rolling and cutting the little pieces:

Here is my bowl of dough, all punched down and ready to bake:

This is about how much dough I pinch off at one time. If you get too much, it's a little unwieldy.

Here is one of the little "snakes" right before I snip it with the scissors. As I go, I dip the scissor tips in flour so they won't stick and use flour to prevent sticking all through the process:

This is the baking sheet with the bits on it ready to bake.

I bake them at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Here is what they look like when they are done - the top:

...and the bottom!

Here you see a tray of the baked peppernuts next to a brown paper bag. When the pan has cooled just a little, I dump the peppernuts into the bag:

Like this:

This recipe will half fill the bag. It makes a LOT. When they are all done baking, close the top of the bag and either staple or clip it shut. Put it in a warm room and let it sit for about a month. It takes me about 4 hours to do the baking, which is a little tedious, but I only do it once a year, and it's a labor of love and a family tradition.

I have posted a healthier version of this recipe at Eat Nourishing.

This post is linked up at Homemaker Monday !

Stir-Fry

2011-11-11T08:34:00.000-08:00

I am going to tell you how I make "Stir-Fry" for us. Here you can see my cast-iron wok, heating on the stove. It is enameled on the outside, but smooth cast iron on the inside and works beautifully. I bought it on clearance for only $10 a number of years ago. What luck! :) There are many kinds of woks available, and even if you don't own a wok, you can make stir fry very well in a heavy-bottomed skillet, so don't let that stop you.

When I want to make stir-fry, I look and see what vegetables I might have on hand that I could use. Here is what I had this time:

1 large onion, sliced thin
1 turnip, peeled, quartered and sliced
1 small carrot, peeled and sliced
a fist-sized chunk of cabbage, sliced
1/4 of a head of cauliflower, sliced

To make a stir-fry, heat some fat (I used lard, maybe 2 T) in your wok while you prepare your vegetables. Choose fat that can stand high heat... so lard, ghee, coconut oil would all be good choices.

Start adding the vegetables. Add the toughest ones first and let them soften (stirring) and then add the others. Stirring constantly, cook the vegetables for a while until they wilt slightly, then add any meat that you might like. I added 1/2 # frozen fully-cooked shrimp. Stir and cook until your meat is done ( or in this case, just until the shrimp were heated through.)

We served this over oven baked brown rice with naturally brewed soy sauce.

This concept is so very versatile. You can use just about any kind of fresh or frozen vegetables and any kind of small pieces of meat that you enjoy. Meat is not necessary, of course. I've made many stir-fries without meat.

It is quick and easy to do. Enjoy!

Don't tell anyone.... ;-)

2011-11-08T06:56:00.000-08:00

I have been asked to bring cookies for a crowd to a meeting tonight. I used to ALWAYS make homemade cookies for such affairs. One day, several years ago, I ran out of time and so stopped at the grocery store and bought a few packages of cheap cookies, arranged them on a large platter and that's what I took. They were a big hit! Got gobbled up! Now that's what I almost always do. (Blush) Just thought I'd show you in case it might save you some trouble.

We will not mention nutrition in this post. :)

Wholesome Soaked Cornbread

2011-11-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

Have you ever heard of "pellagra?" It is a nutritional deficiency disease. Here is a quote from Wikipedia about pellagra:

"Pellagra can be common in people who obtain most of their food energy from maize (often called 'corn'), notably rural South America where maize is a staple food. If maize is not nixtamalized, it is a poor source of tryptophan as well as niacin. Nixtamalization of the corn corrects the niacin deficiency, and is a common practice in Native American cultures that grow corn."

In order to "nixtamalize" corn and therefore make the vitamin B3 available to our bodies, the corn needs to be soaked in calcium hydroxide (pickling lime.)

Many of us have a wide variety of foods in our diets and will never run the risk of contracting pellegra. Nevertheless, it is a good thing, whenever possible, to prepare our foods to maximize the nutritional value and help to optimize our health. Not only is this a healthy choice, but it is frugal, making the most of what we have.

That being said, I've come up with a recipe for cornbread that is delicious and very nutritious.

First, you will need to make some "lime water." It is very easy. Just put about 1 inch of "pickling lime" into the bottom of a 2-quart jar. Fill with water, cover tightly and shake well. Then, let it sit on the counter all night and the lime will settle:

In the morning, carefully pour off the slightly cloudy liquid, leaving the lime in the jar. Save the liquid in a cool place, but there is no need to refrigerate it.

Here is my jar of lime water, 1 cup of whole grain cornmeal and a measuring cup:

I stirred 3/4 cup lime water into the cornmeal, covered it with plastic wrap and let it soak overnight:

I lined a wire strainer with a cotton cloth and set it in bowl and then poured the soaked meal into it and let the liquid drain out. Next, I added fresh water, stirred it up again and let it drain again.

Finally, I gathered up the cloth and carefully pressed as much liquid as I could from the soaked cornmeal and emptied it into a mixing bowl:

Then it was time to make the cornbread. This all can sound rather complicated, but it takes much more time to talk about it than to actually do it, and like anything else, after a bit of practice it becomes second-nature.

Wholesome Soaked Cornbread

1 cup whole meal cornmeal that has been soaked in lime water
1 cup freshly-ground whole wheat flour
3/4 cup raw milk
2 Tablespoons kefir whey
1 pastured egg
5 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder (Rumford)
1/3 cup Sucanat
2 Tablespoons melted butter

In a mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, milk and whey. Stir well. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for at least 7 hours, or up to 12.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.

Add the baking powder, egg and Sucanat to the soaked mixture and stir together thoroughly. Add the melted butter and incorporate.

Pour into prepared baking dish. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes.

Here it is, just out of the oven:

I refused to wait until it had cooled very long, so here is my piece with lots of nice butter, ready to eat!

I encourage you to try soaking your cornmeal.

Since there are only 2 of us here most of the time, I will cut this into serving-sized pieces and wrap each one carefully, plop them into a freezer bag and freeze them. Then I can take out what I need and the extra won't be wasted. This much cornbread will last us for 4 meals.

I thought canning season was over!

2011-11-03T11:24:00.000-07:00

I really thought I was done canning for the year. Then, yesterday the neighbor brought a wheelbarrow half-full of pears from their tree. I sprang into action! Here are a few of them:

Recently, my daughter canned 20 pounds of peaches. She came up with a lovely recipe that did not include sugar. Last year, when I canned the pears, I did use sugar. I've been trying to get away from that as much as possible, so was intrigued with her recipe. Her "syrup" has water, honey, lime juice and vanilla. Here is the combination I came up with. I peeled the pears, cut them into chunks, filled the jars with the chunks and then with the boiling "syrup" that had:

18 cups water
3 cups honey
juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup vanilla extract

I processed the jars for 35 minutes in quarts - 8 of them. Probably about 1/3 of the "syrup" is left over, so I will do some more tomorrow.

A few weeks ago, a friend offered to let me in on a really good sale of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (all hormone and antibiotic free.) I picked up my order yesterday and came home and canned it. There was 20 pounds of meat and I got 18 1/2 pints.

Canning meat is much easier than fruits and vegetables! I will use this chicken breast meat to make chicken salad.

I guess canning season is never really over... I know that many things that I can would be better for us if frozen. We used to move a lot. I got in the habit of canning so I could take the food along. And then there are the inevitable power outages... and I've lost many things in the freezer. I do dry some of our things. We also have our unheated greenhouse, so we have fresh things through the cooler months.

I don't plan to give up canning.

Fast Food - My Way

2011-10-31T16:06:00.001-07:00

If you've read my profile, you know I sew for a living. Today was an unusually busy sewing day and it was past dinnertime when I was trying to figure out what to make for supper. Voila! My version of "Fast Food."

1. Home canned chicken thighs

2. Home canned potatoes

3. Home canned green beans

I dumped each of the quart jars into oven-safe containers and popped them into a 350 degree F. oven for 1/2 hour. Add a little salt and butter and dinner was ready! All of the real work happened long ago.

Usually, dinner takes a bit more fuss, but this was delicious and very quick and easy!

Another Tiny Tip - retrieving egg shell

2011-10-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

If you crack an egg into a bowl or pan, and a little piece of the shell falls in there (arg!) just take half of the shell and use it to scoop the offender out. It works much better than using a spoon or something like that.