Is Recession Preparing a New Breed of Survivalist? [Survival Today

Yahoo ran an interesting article this morning indicating a rise in the number of survivalist communities cropping up around the country. I have been wondering myself how much of the recent energy crisis is causing people to do things like stockpile food and water, grow their own vegetables, etc. Could it be that there are many people out there stockpiling and their increased buying has caused food prices to increase? It’s an interesting theory, but I believe increased food prices have more to do with rising fuel prices as cost-to-market costs have increased and grocers are simply passing those increases along to the consumer. A recent stroll through the camping section of Wal-Mart did give me pause - what kinds of things are prudent to have on hand in the event of a worldwide shortage of food and/or fuel? Survivalist in Training

I’ve been interested in survival stories since I was a kid, which is funny considering I grew up in a city. Maybe that’s why the idea of living off the land appealed to me. My grandfather and I frequently took camping trips along the Blue Ridge Parkway and around the Smoky Mountains. Looking back, some of the best times we had were when we stayed at campgrounds without electricity hookups, because it forced us to use what we had to get by. My grandfather was well-prepared with a camp stove and lanterns (which ran off propane), and when the sun went to bed we usually did along with it. We played cards for entertainment, and in the absence of televisions, games, etc. we shared many great conversations. Survivalist in the Neighborhood

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Tsukemono (Pickled Vegetable) Recipes

« Thread Started on Mar 11, 2008, 1:07pm »
I was trolling the internet for tsukemono recipes this morning and I thought I’d share what I found. It’s not the most spectacular list, but you have some options. The same basic recipe applies, just change the vegetable matter in question. ;D

- Imagawa

Yatsume Zuke

1 medium head cabbage
3 medium mustard cabbage
4 T or 1/4 cup Hawaiian salt
2 T roasted white sesame seeds

Sauce:
1/3 c shoyu
1/4 c Japanese vinegar
1/4 c brown sugar, firmly packed
chili pepper to taste

Chop the head cabbage and the mustard cabbage into 1/2? size. Put them in a large container and sprinkle the Hawaiian salt and mix well, leaving for about 30 minutes or more. Squeeze the vegetables to drain the excess water and put them back into a big container. Add sesame seeds.

Prepare the sauce bringing it to a boil. Pour the hot sauce over the vegetables and mix well. Leave the mixture for 3-4 hours at room temperature. Keep in covered jar in the refrigerator.

Takuan (Pickled Daikon)

INGREDIENTS:
dried daikon radish
15% (of the weight of daikon) nuka (rice bran)
6% (of the weight of daikon) salt

PREPARATION:
To make dried daikon, hang daikon outside for 2 weeks. Mix nuka with salt. Put nuka mixture at the bottom of a barrel. Place daikon on the nuka. Cover the daikon with nuka. Place another layer of daikon. Cover the daikon with nuka again. Repeat the process one or two more times. Put a lid and place a weight on top of the lid. Pickles should be ready to eat in a month.

Namasu (Daikon and Carrots)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound daikon radish
1/4 pound carrot
3/4 cup dashi soup stock
1/3 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp sake

PREPARATION:
Peel and cut carrot and daikon radish into thin strips. Put a pinch of salt over the carrot and daikon and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse them and squeeze to remove excess water. Put daikon and carrot strips in a large bowl. Put dashi, vinegar, sugar, and sake in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Pour the vinegar mixture over carrot and daikon strips and mix well. Leave it overnight.

Nukazuke

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 lbs komenuka (rice bran)
7 oz salt
1000ml water
2 togarashi (red hot pepper)
2 tbsps karashi powder
1 clove ginger
1 clove garlic
*some vegetable leaves, such as cabbages

PREPARATION:
Boil water in a large pan and dissolve salt in. Cool the salted water. Put nuka in an earthen pot. Add salted water gradually in nuka and mix well. Add karashi powder, red pepper, and peeled ginger and garlic in the nuka and mix well. Add some vegetable leaves in the nuka mixture. Flatten and press the surface of nuka firmly by hands. Wipe inside of the pot with a clean cloth towel and put the lid on. Stir the nuka once a day and change vegetable leaves every two or three days. Wait for about two weeks until the nuka is moistened. When nuka is ready, rub some salt in your favorite vegetables and pickle them in the nuka mixture for a few hours to half-day. Nuka mixture must be stirred once or twice a day. In summer, it’s best to keep it in the fridge. This nuka mixture should last long time for making pickles.

Add nuka and salt as needed. The ratio is 5 parts nuka to 1 part salt.

Gari (Pickled Ginger)

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb fresh ginger root
3 cups vinegar
2 cups sugar
2 tsps salt

PREPARATION:
Wash fresh ginger root and rub off skin. Slice the ginger thinly and salt them. Leave salted ginger slices in a bowl for one hour. Dry the ginger slices with paper towels and put them in a sterilized container/jar. Mix rice vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Pour the hot mixture of vinegar and sugar over the ginger slices. Cool them. The ginger change its color to light pink. Cover the jar and store it in the refrigerator.

“A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities.” - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

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Archaeologists have found 5,000 year old noodles in China. Buckweat is indigenous to Japan, and noodles in Japan go back to at least, if I recall correctly from about an hour ago, the Nara period or before. Also, there are no problems with the scallions. It is unusual to eat fresh fruit with meals in Japan. The sauce that you make is potentially problematic, however a simple dashi or something like that should not be a problem.

You just need to pick the right rice.

Long-grain rice has starches that crystallize when they get cold. That’s what makes long-grain rice go hard when it’s refrigerated.

Short-grain (risotto) and medium-grain (sushi) rices don’t crystallize if you make them right. The starches are different. There’s a whole episode of Good Eats on rice that explains the science.

Get a “calrose” or “kohuko rose” sushi rice, rinse it well before cooking, and it should be just fine even refrigerated.

Get a decent rice cooker (the automatic ones). When using it, add 1/4 cup more water than it calls for - it will make the cooker cook just a little longer (it has been my experience with several of the automatic variety rice cookers that they don’t cook *quite* long enough).

When the rice is done, move it to another container and fluff it up with a fork (a rice paddle or big wooden spoon is better if you have one) within a minute or two. This will serve to keep the rice from overcooking, but fluff gently as you don’t want to break the individual grains. Serve within a few minutes of fluffing.

This is how I make my rice, and I’ve always had good results. Everyone has their own technique. YMMV, as they say...

- Imagawa

In hot weather, it makes sense for people to snack rather than eating larger meals. Chilled fruit and sake or barley tea sounds like a good hot weather snack for a couple of gentlemen, Heian or other times

Noble Cousin!

Greetings from Solveig! Aside from making sure to buy short grain rice, you need to both cook it properly and protect it from being dehydrated by your frost free freezer. You can protect it from the refrigerator by wrapping your onigiri or at least putting them in an airtight container before putting them in the fridge. In Japan, premade onigiri are sold in sealed plastic pouches which are quite clever. The nori is kept out of contact with the rice until you open the package. This keeps the nori crisp. Leaving it in contact with the rice will make it kind of soggy.

I know that you can not afford an automatic rice cooker, so here is how to make rice.

1. Wash your rice.
2. Measure an equal volume of rice and water into your heavy pot and then add a bit more water.
(You have to add more water as you get further and further from harvest as rice dries out during storage.)
3. Cover your pot with a heavy lid. Weigh it down if necessary.
4. Turn on medium to medium hot heat. Wait for a boiling sound that goes “choro choro”.
5. When the rice goes “choro choro” you may wish to turn down the heat slightly.
6. When the rice goes “pop pop” turn the heat onto high for about 15 - 30 seconds
7. Take the rice pot off the heat and let sit for maybe ten minutes.

DURING ALL OF THIS - DO NOT OPEN THE LID OF YOUR POT
DO NOT STIR THE RICE.

Now then, you may get some scorched rice on the sides and bottom of the pot, do not worry about this. It is called “shitogi” (as I recall) in Japanese and is actually used in some recipes. As you get better at cooking rice, this stuff will become more and more edible.

Jun 20, 2008, 3:22pm, Norie wrote:
Yes, but I am the worst rice cook in the entire eastern seaboard. (; It never comes out right...

Originally, I was cooking rice in a heavy pot with a glass lid, until I accidentally broke the lid. After that, I used an iron pot or some such thing to cover the mouth of the pot. I taught myself to cook rice by sound. I was very surprised when I learned later on in Japan that I had accidentally taken up the traditional way of cooking rice in Japan before the advent of automatic rice cookers.

[I think this may be a re-enactment group....LOL...granny]

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I’ve taken premade musubi to Pennsic. After a few days in the cooler some of them got a little hard, but they were still edible (and some of them were just fine). Looks like this recipe on justhungry.com

(http://www.justhungry.com/2007/01/onigiri_omusubi_revisited_an_e.html)

with the plastic wrap might be especially good for storage. I actually used sushi rice - I mean not the grain they sell as sushi rice but rice mixed with vinegar and a little sugar.

You could also make ojiya aka “Japanese Risotto”. You can make a vegetarian version, which will save on cooler space since the veggies can be stored in the shade (especially if you’re in the bog), a carton of vegetable stock doesn’t have to be refrigerated. here’s a link to a recipe I found that you could adapt pretty easily:

http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-ClNxmZY_eqldsDj2yXOL?p=282

Or you could do this for the non-cooler route:

Cooking at War (without ice) or, Eating Well at Pennsic Without A Cooler:
http://www.dglenn.org/words/war-cooking.html

Camping Without a Cooler: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/A....a%20cooler.html

Sweet Rice is also known as Mochi-goma, some folks have a hard time working with it as it is Super-sticky. If you are cooking it in a rice cooker-wash it(togu), add your water- and let it sit for a day. Sometimes folks also do a 50/50 mix of Mochigoma and regular rice(pearl rice) to cut down on the stickiness.
Besides making onigiri, I make Ohagi-which is usually made for Boy’s day,but it is basically balls of mochigoma coated in An (sweet bean jam paste) or rolled in Kinako.(roasted soybean powder mixed with sugar)
Ohagi is a great treat with a bitterish tea like Mugi-cha, or even a strongly-brewed genmai-cha, complementing the sweet/bitter taste experience that the japanese like.
Sometimes Mochigoma was also used to make Sekihan(red bean rice) which was used for celebrations. It comes out a little salty. I sometimes make a rice gruel (Okai) from it by cooking mochigoma with Osui-mono(a clear broth made with shiitake or masutake mushrooms) then adding some furikake to it before serving. (great for cold winters)

Ohagi (aka Bota mochi)
2 cups mochigoma
1 cup regular rice (pearl rice)
3 1/2 cups water
1 can tsubushi-an or koshi-an (i have found chinese-style “an” sold in sealed bags in asian markets-usually a reddish-brown color)

(*note about An (ahng) it is made from soaked, and boiled azuki beans, though other beans can be used, ie:lima beans-which make a lovely whitish an—the beans are then mashed, and cooked with sugar to form a paste—Tsubushi-an has bits of bean still in the mix- while Koshi-an is smooth)

Rinse and soak mochigoma overnight. The next day, cook both types of rice together with the 3 1/2 cups water. While still hot, mash the rice grains partially with a wooden rod or spoon dipped in water. Make rice balls about 1 1/2” diameter between palms of hands dampened with salt water. cover rice balls with a layer of An. Makes about 24-28 balls.

Sekihan (aka Red rice)

2 cups Mochi rice
1/2 cup regular rice
1/2 cup Azuki beans
2-1/2 cups water (including azuki water)
red food coloring
salt to taste
black sesame seeds(kurogoma)

Rinse azuki beans. Add enough water to cover and soak for 2 hours. Cook at medium heat for about 40 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let stand for about 30 minutes. Drain and reserve the ‘’bean water’. Add enough water to the bean water to make 2-1/2 cups liquid. Try to keep the beans from breaking.

Rinse rice. Add 2-1/2 cups liquid, 2 drops red food coloring, and the azuki beans. Mix well. Let stand for about 30 minutes. Cook in automatic rice cooker. During cooking, the beans will float to the surface. When ready to serve, carefully stir to mix the beans with the rice. Serve into bowls, and sprinkle with a little salt and black sesame seeds.

( ;D folklorish note: It is said that foxes love Azuki beans and a smart person could get favors from foxes by using them as bribes...but beware..)

Hope that helps

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This thread talks about “Military Food” for the historical Japanese Soldiers.

Solveig-sensei!

I’ve gotten somewhat skilled at searching Google images with key kanji. Sometimes I find a page in which I uncover another couple of key kanji which leads me to new searches.

At Pennsic I promised you a recipe for “Japanese Granola.” I have just recently found the book and the following two recipes comes from the Bansen Shukai as recorded in The Samurai Sourcebook by Stephen Turnbull.

Thirst Pills

4 monme of the flesh of umeboshi
1 monme of korizato (crystallized or rock sugar)
1 monme of winter wheat

Crush with a stone and make into pills.

Hunger Pills

40 monme of ginseng
80 monme of buckwheat flour
80 monme of wheat flour
80 monme of mountain potato
_4 monme of chickweed
40 monme of yokui (pine) kernels
80 monme of glutenous rice

Mix together and soak in 3 shou of sake for 3 years.
When the mixture is dry, roll into balls the size of a peach.
Three a day should be sufficient rations.

Kuni no chi kore hei nari / The blood of the Kingdom is its soldiers.

Kuni no kokoro kore shi nari / The heart of the Kingdom is its chivalry.

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Nuka Bran Pickles [thread about making them]

Nuka Nuka Update!

Well, it’s been a week; one down, one to go until the bran is ready, according to most sources. The bran hasn’t gone bad or molded so I must be doing something right. I’ve been turning it over with my hands, a paddle sometimes and if I’m feeling particularly lazy, I just shake the container it is in.

I also tried another pickle method to see what the results would be. I chopped up some daikon and threw it in an empty jar with a screwtop lid with rice vinegar, a bit of soy sauce and sugar and some regular white vinegar to top it off. The results so far have resulted in very close to the package daikon, though it’s more acidy and astringent than the ones at a restaurant. I might need to add more sugar or soy sauce to balance the flavor out.

The other half of the daikon is hanging from my kitchen window on a string to be dried out and then plopped in the nuka bran when done.

The most reliable recipe I’ve found for daikon pickles calls slicing them and saltingng them lightly (2-3% by weight), letting them sit under weight or a press for half an hour, then pouring off the liquid, giving them a quick rinse and dry and then putting the vinegar/sugar solution on them. At that point, you can either press/weight them at room temperature for a few hours then eat, or weight/press them in the fridge for the next day or later. Very nice if you add a little chile or dry chipotle or shichimi togarashi.

Noble Cousin!

Greetings from Solveig! If you prefer to use cultured microbes instead of wild microbes, then you can obtain 100 10 mg capsules of Lactobacilus Acidophilus for less than $2.00:

http://www.puritansale.com/acidophilus-0....0944&ci_sku=463

However, the above product is not vegetarian. A vegetarian version is more expensive:

http://www.outletnutrition.com/027917001135.html

And, here is a vegitarian formula which claims to be temperature stable:

http://www.outletnutrition.com/maxi7msupreme.html

Regardless, you can introduce a controlled culture for modest cost without resorting to adding yogurt.

Eggshell and mustard powder are commonly used to reduce sourness. Salt can also be used.

How do they work?

Increasing the salt concentration slows fermentation and slows acid production.

Eggshells react with the acid that’s already in the nukadoko, reducing acid levels (increasing pH for you chem types). Changing the pH can make the bed more hospitable to desirable cultures and less hospitable to undesirable cultures. They also absorb moisture (which increases the salt concentration to a tiny degree). Eggshells, though, are normally only used to “cure” a sour bed, not during the starting process.

I haven’t the foggiest why dry mustard powder makes a difference. I can guess that, like eggshells, dry mustard absorbs moisture (increasing the salt concentration to a tiny degree). It’s a tested and traditional solution, though. Dry mustard powder is commonly added to a bed during the starting process.

Souring of a bed can be caused simply by too much moisture/liquid in the bed. If your nukadoko is feeling too wet, it’s important to take up some of that excess moisture. Adding dried soybeans is a common and traditional trick, but so is setting a (new) dry sponge or a few layers of paper towel on the surface of your nukadoko and just letting some of the moisture absorb out.

Edit: Meanwhile, the daikon put in a mix of soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, all in a pickle jar in the back of the fridge a month ago are developing quite nicely. Could be a mote sweeter but yum yum!!!

Edit2: Annnnd another batch goes south. I think I’m going to quit the nuka bran pickle project for now. Especially since the jar in the fridge technique works quite splendidly.

So the quickie Daikon Shoyu-zuke (about 15 minutes prep time spread over 4 hours or so):

1 1/3 lb (600g) diakon

1. Cut Diakon into 1cm half-moons and set to dry for 1 hour
2. Turn and let dry another hour.

Zest (or finely cut strips of rind) from 1/2 yuzu or lemon
1 1/2” piece of kombu, cut into very fine strips
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp sake
1/2tbsp mirin

3. Mix the liquids in a bowl
4. Add the zest and shredded kombu and mix
5. Add the diakon and mix lightly
6. Weight the mixture down to ensure the diakon is covered with the liquid

After 30-60 minutes, mix again and re-weight for another 30-60 minutes.

Ready to serve (and best) after only 1-2 hours marinating, but will keep for 2-3 days.

Daikon Shoyu-zuke is a quick marinated pickle, though. It’s not intended for long-term storage, refrigerated or not.

Nukamiso-zuke is odd, because while it’s a fermented pickle it’s also a quick pickle not intended for long-term storage. The nukadoko itself is a different matter, and can live for decades if properly maintained.

Traditional takuan is a storage pickle (ideally it should ferment for 2 months before eating), and should last for months more in the bucket without refrigeration before it’s taken out, cut up and served.

That “in the bucket” part is important. I’ve seen finished takuan packaged as whole diakon roots in long sealed plastic bags with the pickling liquid included to preserve it. Once it’s out of that environment the pH and salt concentration can start shifting and it’s subject to the same sort of spoilage anything else is.

The link provided is to the Japanese section, which has a great deal of modern recipes, but I figured there was enough foodies around that would be interested:

http://visualrecipes.com/recipe-search/cuisine/Japanese/

The neat aspect is that the recipes are laid out step by step with pictures - you know, like an SCA project. ;) Coil the rings, boil the potatoes, cut the rings, strain and cool the spuds, knit the rings together and add enough mayo just to coat the pieces of food, a tad of brown mustard and some dill and green onion. Now you have some chainmail aventails and a bowl of potato salad. Serves 4. ;D

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TEA

Greetings from Solveig! I am something of a tea snob. Regardless, if you are interested in buying tea via mail-order in the United States, I suggest that you order from Tea Circle:
http://www.tea-circle.com/. I’ve been buying stuff from these folks for several
years now. I would, of course, like to mail-order tea directly from specialty stores in Japan, but I haven’t worked that out.

Matcha should be kept refrigerated until you open it up. You should also keep it dry. DO NOT try to use leaf tea for matcha. The process involves getting correct loose leaf (generally unavailable) and then grinding it in a stone hand mill (which can be bought, but is rather expensive).

When we asked the proprietor of our favorite sushi-ya what they were serving, Steve brought the bag out from the kitchen so I’d know what to get. Yamamotoyama sells green teas both loose and in bags:
http://www.yamamotoyama.com/loosetea.html
http://www.yamamotoyama.com/teabag.html
http://www.yamamotoyama.com/catalog.pdf

Their hoji cha (roasted green tea) and genmai cha (green tea with roasted brown rice) are nice.

If you don’t mind being a non-purist, I live on Bigelow’s green tea with lemon at work. Still good in the cup after it’s gone cold....

I’ve had genmai cha before at a friend’s - it’s good stuff. It definately has a nutty character from the roasted rice.

I don’t mind being a non-purist - I like trying things the traditional way and the modern way. Tea that’s still tastey when cold is always a good stand by.

Genmai cha is my daily tea of choice.

Just some thoughts on matcha, for those who don’ study.
I order from several places, including tea circle, but one source not mentioned here is www.maikotea.com
They have a wide variety of teas available and will alert you when the first harvest is coming in. I am still finishing off the gyokuro from Mays harvest...
In reguards to matcha powder, there are several different varieties and grades...from a practice grade on up. If you are planning on basic usucha (thin tea), you do not need as high a quaility matcha as you need for koicha (thick tea).
On another note, even the person who prepares the tea will affect the flavor. Water temp and wisking affect flavor. Wisking tea is an art, and the amount and skill will be reflected in the flavor of the tea.

You may be able to find all sorts of loose teas at a local natural goods store or co-op- these sorts of places usually have all sorts of neat gustatory treats in stock and teas may be available in bulk.
I have some tea I bought in Nara... but it’s been a year so it’s probably gone bad by now. I drank a lot of tea while I was in Japan but since it was summer, it was always served cold (or in ice cream form...)

Noble Cousins!

Greetings from Solveig! Sencha is my daily tea of choice. Genmai cha is a bit low class.

Historically, matcha leaves were kept in sealed ceramic tsubo (urns) until they were ground in a stone mill and then used. Today, you usually buy preground matcha. I used to patronize a store in Tokyo which had their own motorized tea grinder continuously grinding tea on the display floor. My tea teachers generally refrigerated their ground tea until use. Before actually making matcha, you should de-lump the powder by forcing it through a sieve.

What is going on? You are trying to prevent either fermentation or oxidation prior to use. You are also attempting to prevent lumps.

Greetings Solveig!
yes, I know that genmai cha is esentially made of stems left over from the sorting of sencha and gyokuro, but I love the earthy flavor the rice adds.
When I want for a high class tea, I use my gyokuro, or shade grown tea. best brewed in water at 40c.

When you are using macha for tea ceremony, you should remove it from refrigeration and let it start to warm to room temp before trying to sift or prepare it, otherwise it will develop ‘static’ and will not create the proper ‘mountain’ in your natsume.

I buy from http://www.matchaandmore.com and am very satisfied. The proprietress is a member of the Chicago Urasenke Association, as well as a teacher, and imports all of the tea and tea-containing products (like the matcha candies) on an as-ordered basis, in order to ensure freshness.

This does add a week or two to the order processing time, but I have found her to be extremely helpful.

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Sunomono (Cucumber and Daikon Salad)

INGREDIENTS:
1 small daikon radish
1 small cucumber
5 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

PREPARATION:
Peel daikon radish and slice it into thin slices. Slice the cucumber to the same thickness. Salt the cucumber and daikon slices and wait about 5-10 mins. Wash off the daikon and cucumber slices and drain the water through a strainer. Mix the vinegar and sugar in a cup. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumber and daikon slices. Set aside at least 15 min. before serving.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Small daikon—a bilingual oxymoron.

What is small for a daikon would be many times the size of a small cuke. You probably want the daikon/cucumber mix to be about 50/50 by weight or volume.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

While this is a fine modern recipe, I do not recommend it for pre-modern recreation purposes. One problem is the use of sugar. While sugar was used for a variety of purposes in Japan prior to 1600, actual domestic sugar production didn’t really get going until (if I recall correctly) the 17th century. There are a number of sugar alternatives which might conceivably have been used including mizuame.

Sunomono (Su-no-mono) is Mono “a thing” (in this usage food) perpared No “with/in/of” Su “vinegar”. The amount of vinegar it is in is dictated by the foods, the preperation thereof, the timeperiod, and locality.

Here are some of the basic “mono”, these are akin to western food terms of baked, boiled, simmered, chopped, BBQ, roasted, pickled, etc.

Agemono = deep fried in oil
Itamemono = stir-fried
Mushimono = steamed
Nabemono = Cooked together in a Donabe (crockery pot)
Suimono = Soup/Broth
Tsukemono = Pickled
Yakimono = Grilled or pan fried (little or no oil, high heat)

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[I think it is candied fruit peels, as in oranges.?..granny]

Greetings from Solveig! While searching for ingredients, I ran into this web site which has several okashi recipes.

http://www.midorikai.org/wagashi_recipe_index.html

Great site, thank you for posting this, Solveig-sensei.

One of my specialties is candied orange peels, so the Zabon Satozuke recipe looks really good.

- Akirakeiko, who has been learning about all kinds of interesting Thai desserts (candied water chestnuts, anyone?)

ETA: I forgot to mention that there is another excellent wagashi recipe site, http://konny.fc2web.com/info/jsweets_e.html. I’ve tried some of his recipes and they turned out well.

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What other grains would have been staple foods, particularly in the 15th and 16th centuries and would they have been eaten by choice or only out of necessity? I’ve seen a couple of references to barley, but I’d like to find more choices...I’m allergic to barley unless it’s been malted and fermented.

Luighseach

Go here. Otagiri-dono was researching things one could do with millet:
http://tousando.proboards18.com/index.cg....ead=2459&page=1

From http://tousando.proboards18.com/index.cg....ead=2459&page=1

Quote:
:

Millet-Sweet Potato Congee
http://www.recipezaar.com/113224

This one sounded intriguing, so I shopped with it in mind this week.

I chose to toast the millet on a cookie sheet in the oven, then rinsed and strained it through a dishtowel.

The recipe uses about half a decent sized sweet potato. The Asian sweet potato I acquired at Nob Hill Foods has a rosy skin and the inside is as hard and yellowish white as an unbaked Idaho.

I also went with two slices of ginger instead of one because I LIKE ginger. I completely forgot about the cinnamon stick while shopping, so I added a generous shake of powdered once the mixture started setting up.

The final result is, not surprisingly, the texture of couscous. Toasting lent the millet a nutty flavor that’s quite pleasant. If you are expecting this to be really sweet, it’s not. It’s nowhere near as sweet as commercial flavored oatmeals, for example. It’s much subtler. The flavor of the sweet potato itself is very delicate and the millet sucks up the ginger, cinnamon and honey very thoroughly. I would imagine that one could be more generous with the proportions of the flavorings if one wanted for a sweeter result. For that matter, a different variety of sweet potato, carrot (which can cook up quite sweet) or even apple, might be interesting if one wanted to experiment.

This recipe cooks up into enough millet to serve six. I loaded up the leftovers into a plastic container and slammed the lid on while still hot to see if the resulting condensation will keep it from turning into adobe - because, of course, I was cooking for one.

Cooking time is under an hour. I would imagine putting the millet in water before bedtime to soak would reduce cooking time significantly.

In case anyone was wondering, it’s sufficiently sticky one can easily eat it with chopsticks. And yes, it is VERY filling.

http://tousando.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=food&action=display&thread=2575

http://www.soyandpepper.com

I came for the sushi article, and I stayed to explore the rest of the blog. Neat stuff!

http://tousando.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=food&field=ordertime&order=desc&page=3

Index, and there are several other threads to check......

http://www.japanese-food.us/tsukemono-(pickled-vegetables)—page-239.html

http://www.japanese-food.us/tsukemono-(pickled-vegetables)—page-238.html

Prev Part XXIX. TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) Next
TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) : Page 238

Vegetables, sprinkled over with salt, are pressed ina cask or some such receptacle under a heavy stonefor from 2 or 3 hours to 3 days.

Vegetables rubbed with a lot of salt to preserve themare pressed under a heavy stone for a long time.

Vegetables pickled with salt for seasoning, are putinto miso (bean-paste), wine-lees, or mustard.

Notes: A vegetable pickled for a long time does not lose its flavor; a vegetable pickled for a few days has its own taste and the taste of the seasoning, but loses its flavor. When you serve pickles, serve a salty one and a non-salty one together.

Pickles, arranged attractively, should be served in a big bowl or on small individual plates.

Prev Part XXIX. TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) Next
TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) : Page 239

2 Ways of Pickling with Salt

(Methods chosen for their simple directions)

1. HAKUSAI (Chinese lettuce) PICKLED WITH SALT

Ingredients:

HAKUSAI 20 Ib.

SALT 16 oz.

A stone .. weighting about

20 Ib. for pressing.

to put the vege-

tables in.

A cask ..

Method: Cut the hakusai into half or quarters, lengthwise. Wash well, after soaking in water in which bleaching powder has been dissolved.

Put some salt in the tub, lay the hakusai flat on

the bottom of the tub, sprinkle salt over them; repeat this until the tub is full. Cover with a tight lid, and press under heavy stones.

A section of a big cask showing layers of Chinese lettuce pickled in salt

http://www.japanese-food.us/tsukemono-(pickled-vegetables)—page-240.html

Prev Part XXIX. TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) Next
TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) : Page 240

In summer, water will rise in the tub after 7 or 8 hours; in autumn after 1 day and in winter after a few days. When the water rices, the vegetables are pickled. Serve with shoyu.

Small turnips and komatsuna (greens) are also pickled in this way.

2. PICKLED SLICED JAPANESE RADISH

Mix with the chopped leaves, sprinkle 1 T. of salt over them and rub them together. Put into a big bowl; cover with a lid which is smaller than the bowl. Put a heavy stone on the lid to press the daikon.

You can serve after 4 to 5 hours.

Take out about a handful each time. Squeeze the water out; loosen and serve with shoyu or vinegared shoyu.
Prev Up Next
TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) : Page 239 Home TSUKEMONO (Pickled Vegetables) : Page 241

Continues with more pages on pickled vegetables.

From a recipe sharing list

Stuffed Mushrooms
Posted by: amorosa8

48 mushrooms, baby portabellas or creminis
1/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened, 8 oz
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T.. minced fresh parsley
2 T. minced fresh thyme
3 T. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Remove stems from mushrooms. Wipe caps clean with a damp paper towel. Brush mushrooms with melted butter and place in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Combine remaining ingredients until well blended. Pipe evenly into mushroom caps. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Note: The recipe for stuffed mushrooms is designed specifically for petite sized mushrooms, so check with your local grocer at least a week before your party to ensure availability. Makes 4 dozen.

Grilled Dijon New Potatoes
Posted by: chefcatleslie

6 small new potatoes
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 green onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Scrub potatoes then boil potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes then drain and cool.
When cool enough to handle slice potatoes in half.
Whisk mustard, olive oil, onions, rosemary, garlic, sugar and paprika.
Add potatoes and toss to coat then preheat grill for medium high direct cooking.
Cook potatoes 10 minutes turning often.

Tarragon Carrots
Posted by: chefcatleslie

2 cups baby carrots
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In medium saucepan cover carrots with cold water then add 1 teaspoon kosher salt.
Bring to a low boil then reduce heat and cook seven minutes.
Drain and return saucepan to stove top.
When residual water has evaporated add tarragon and butter.
Cook stirring often until butter is melted then season with salt and pepper.

Bajan Cabbage & Bacon Salad

Recipe By: Anne-Marie Whitaker of Barbados. Anne-Marie says that this is not a low-fat recipe, and it tastes best made with her brand of hot sauce, “Tropical Inferno”. By all means, use it to taste, or use any other hot sauce you prefer.
4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 pound Bacon — chopped
1 head Cabbage — cut in thin strips
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1 tablespoon Bonney Pepper Hot Sauce (Tropical Inferno)
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
Salt to taste
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok; fry bacon 3 minutes. Remove bacon from wok; drain on paper towels. Drain bacon fat from wok. Add remaining oil; stir-fry cabbage 4 minutes (cabbage should still be fairly crisp). Combine cabbage and bacon in a bowl. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, seasoning salt, hot sauce, paprika and salt; stir well. Add dressing to cabbage mixture; mix well. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

Huggs,
Judith in Bama

God is not mad at you, no matter what!

To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnHerbGarden/

A Farmer’s Prayer

Lord, bless the land You’ve given me,
And may I always know As I tend each crop and creature. You’re the One who helps them grow.
Grant me the strength and wisdom
Please protect me from harm,
And thank You For Your gracious gift-The blessing of a farm.

-Robin Fogle

[Interesting, she put an ad on Craigs list to sell eggs and had so many orders, she took it off....granny]

http://singlemomurbanhomesteader.blogspot.com/2009/03/american-idol-goes-to-my-church.html

http://urbanhomesteadingintheict.blogspot.com/2009/03/wichita-garden-show.html

Over at the Sedgwick County Master Gardeners booth, they had a complete veggie garden growing, in square foot frames, raised beds, pots and hanging baskets. They had a way to garden for anyone!! I loved it!! And, the luscious veggies were just begging to be picked, but I resisted. This mini-hoop house looked interesting. It’s far sturdier than our pvc pipes wrapped in plastic.

[Check out the photo withe the above, a neat set-up and easy to design and make for a raised bed....granny]

[A wild thought, I wonder what one would get if they started a group at Yahoo for making trades/barter list?

Would it take off like Free Cycle?

Free Cycle is now a trademarked name.
granny]

Buy Local Food In Kitsap
Why, Where, Who, How, When To Buy Local Food In Kitsap, Wa. [A CSA Farm]

http://www.buylocalfoodinkitsap.org/springtime-coming-to-pheasant-fields

Urban Homestead Facts
LOCATION
Pasadena, CA
(Northwest Pasadena, one mile from downtown Pasadena)

PROPERTY SIZE
1/5 acre (66’ x 132’ / 8,712 sq.ft.)

GARDEN SIZE
~ 1/10 acre (3,900 sq.ft. / ~ 66’ x 66’)

GARDEN DIVERSITY
Over 350 different vegetables, herbs, fruits, berries

FOOD PRODUCED
6,000 lbs annually
challenging for 10,000 lbs in 2008 (read more)

URBAN HOMESTEAD SUPPORTS
4 full-time adults, volunteers, and many clients

ENERGY USAGE
6.5 kwh day (and going down!)

SOLAR POWER PRODUCED
9000 kwh ( as of 10/20/08)

GALLONS OF BIODIESEL MADE (since 2003)
1,500 gallons (as of 2/12/08)

“EARTH IMPACT FOOTPRINT”
5.2 acres per person
Tally Ho 2008
PRODUCE
4,340 lbs (9/31/08)

EGGS
Chicken 921 & Duck 1028 (10/22/08)

HONEY
25 lbs (10/20/08)

Steps Taken
Everyday Steps

Growing 99 % of produce
- 6,000lbs on 1/10 acre

Self-employed Working at home:
- honey business
- produce/flower business
- craft business

http://urbanhomestead.org/journal/2009/03/08/homegrown-documentary-screening-news/

Should be an interesting blog, home schools and there are two gun law bills in the Senate, that she has info and links on.

http://familyprep.blogspot.com/2009/03/living-simply-saturdays-change-of-pace.html

http://aforgevillagefarmer.blogspot.com/2009/03/home-made-seed-tape.html

Home Made Seed Tape** EDIT
The soundtrack for today’s post is “Best of You” by the Foo Fighters.

So far, the air is quiet today. I’m hoping that we’ll have a little reprieve from the spring winds tonight, so that the Hubby-true and I can have a fire in the fireplace— one last cozy night before the season officially changes.

I love using seed tapes, but buying them from seed companies is so bloody expensive.

So today, I made home made seed tape for planting beets and greens. And it was nearly free.

Using toilet paper.

How cool is that?

Here’s the general procedure:

1. Lay out your tp, I tend to use strips of 5 or 6 sheets at a time, just because its easier to handle.

2. Deposit your seeds on the sheets. I used beets (Cylindra and Crapaudine) and so I put one seed per sheet to give each enough space.

3. Fold the sheet in half, dabbing with water to seal. Voila! Your very own seed tape.

4. Plant Away!**

I can’t remember where I read about it, but it’s really ingenious, especially if you use the square foot method of gardening, which I...uh...more or less manage. The tp breaks down pretty quick, too.
Biodegradable. Cheap. Easy. What else could a gal ask for? *laughs*
**It occurred to me with Barry’s comment, that I use these right away before the water “glue” has a chance to dry. If not using right away, I would use a slurry of flour and water.
at 12:27 PM
2 comments:

Barry said...

Brilliant! In the April 2009 Organic Gardening there was a small how-to article on making seed tapes using newspaper with a flour and water mixture to stick the seeds to it. But your method eliminates the flour/water step. Excellent post and I cannot wait to try it.
March 8, 2009 3:20 PM
The Forge Village Farmer said...

Thanks Barry! Your comment made me think, though, and edit my post. I always plant immediately, before the water “glue” dries— it you are going to make these in advance— the flour and water mix might keep the seeds in place...
March 9, 2009 4:46 AM

http://aforgevillagefarmer.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-02-27T18%3A58%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7

[a pleasant gardner’s blog.]

Close Call!
The Hubby-True and I got home a little late this evening, work running long.

The neighbor boy greeted us, which was unusual, he keeps mostly to himself.

One of the Girls was on his porch, refusing to leave. Scary Spice, our Australorp.

Oh.

Dear.

They had gotten out of their run.

Panic. panic. PANIC!

I pick up Scary, who was quite docile, warm, and soft and race into the backyard, expecting a scene of carnage.

Luckily, there wasn’t one.

Baby Spice was still in the run, hanging out. Posh and Ginger were huddled together next to the run.

We got them safely back inside, and I fed them special milky oatmeal, which calmed them down, and they seem none the worse for wear.

Thankfully.

It looks like someone tipped up the run and let the three out. I’m betting on a curious child. Hubby-true is debating a trip over to our other neighbors’ to ask after their six-year old tomorrow.

Guess we need a more permanent structure for ‘em.

[She is talking about chickens, interesting the milk/oatmeal to calm them...granny]

I added 6 cubic feet of Happy Frog soil conditioner with bat guano and worm castings, a heaping helping of rabbit manure and 3 bags of rice husks to help fluff things up.

I was amazed, as I always am, at the contrast between the soil in my garden and the dark color of organic manure. Our compost bin is filling up with chicken poop, but it’s too hot to use just yet. It needs to mellow a little while, but I’ve already got my eye on the raspberry run for that slightly ripe-scented gold.

I’ve never tried the rice husks before, but they are definitely neat. I need to see how they react to moisture. BUT! After three years of amending, tending and growing, my hard, red, seemingly intractable New Mexico clay is starting to look like good garden soil and does not require serious implements of destruction to work. Right on.

I’ll let the veggie plot mature another week or two, and then start greens, beans and peas. We have to start them early here, or they burn up in the desert sun come late spring.

I can barely wait for the first spinach salad.
*contented, slightly anticipatory sigh*

Now. If only I could grow fiddleheads.

All said, however, I realized I’m nothing even close to a city girl anymore. Not that I ever really was, but walking through Times Square, on the ground, I felt so small.

You know you’re no longer a city person when you get home at one in the morning from a cross-country trip and your first move is to go check on the chickens...

So far, I have to say, I’m really liking the paper pots. They hold up well, but at the same time seem inherently organic— which is to say I think they’ll break down soon enough once buried— and they don’t seem to wick away as much moisture as peat pots. [Newspaper pots]

I think another two weeks and I can start chiles and tomatoes.

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/03/homemade-all-natural-lip-balm.html

She has photos to teach you how to make your own lip balm, it is a good instruction set, and not difficult to do at all.

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/search/label/dehydrating

Jello Apples
I had a box of apples going soft on me, so I thought I’d better do something with them. I’ve dehydrated apples plain and dipped in apple juice/cinnamon mixture, but had never tried the jello method, and since I live in Jello capital of the world (Utah) I thought I might as well give it a try.

Here’s me and my little helper with apples in various stages. The box on the stove has the apples in it, the handy peeler/corer/slicer machine-a-ma-jig has an apple on it all ready to get sliced up. One bowl on the counter has 2 quarts of water + 2 TB Fruit Fresh in it plus sliced apples (this keeps the apples from going brown), and the other bowl has all the apple junk that went to the compost pile when we were done. And hey, who took that picture before I had my hair done anyway?

Here’s how the process went:
Wash apples
Run them through the magic peeler/corer/slicer

Cut the resulting apple spiral in half so you have a bunch of half circles

Put the apple slices in the Fruit Fresh solution

When your Fruit Fresh bowl gets full of apples, take them to the dehydrator and put the apples on the trays
Sprinkle liberally with Jello powder of your choice (I used Raspberry) and load them in the dehydrator

When all the trays are full, dry as directed in your dehydrator’s directions—it takes about 10 hours at 135 degrees in my dehydrator.

These are pretty tasty, and lovely colored, but also an extra level of messiness to make than plain ol’ dried apples. Sprinkle the Jello on the apples over the sink so you can wash down the extra jello powder. It also leaves lots of sticky sticky sticky on your dehydrator trays, but it washes off pretty well—it’s only Jello. Dried apples will last a long time in your storage if they are in airtight containers (ziplocks are NOT airtight). They will last about a week tops if left on the counter where little people can find them and eat them!

Showing posts with label dehydrating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dehydrating. Show all posts
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Easy Jerky from Elk or Deer/Venison
I pulled meat out of the freezer that had been cut for jerky and frozen to dry later. One package of elk was from 2001—a bit old—the outside layers were freezer burned pretty bad, but there was some good meat still on the inside of the pack. The bad 2/3 went to the pan and got cooked up for the dog and cat to eat. The good 1/3 went to the dehydrator with some deer from 2005 that was still good. I’m no jerky expert, and there’s LOTS of ways to season and prepare the meat. Some people have a jerky press that spits ground meat out in nice even strips—I’m not that fancy. The way I do it it’s not hard, so here it is:
Slice the meat thin but not too thin (no more than about 1/4 inch thick, but you don’t need it paper thin or it gets real dry and crispy). I did this when these animals were brought home from the hunt and then froze it already sliced. Try to slice as evenly as possible—just do your best, don’t go crazy with your micrometer here, close is good enough.

Lay the meat on the drying trays and season BOTH sides. You can use salt and pepper, smoked salt, seasoned salt, whatever you like. Use a little more than you would on a steak. This is all to taste, so you’ll figure out how much seasoning you like. I’ve about killed it a few times with too much and too little salt, but it’s hard not to eat jerky so it got eaten anyway. This time I tried some Cajun seasoning called Slap Ya Mama on half the jerky. I don’t like spicy or cajun seasoning, so I’ll have to wait until my husband tries it to give you a report on how it turned out.
Update: 11/20—the Slap Ya Mama jerky is a hit. I even got talked into trying some. A bit spicy for me, but really good flavor. (My husband says it’s not spicy at all, just tasty—I just have crazy sensitivities to anything remotely spicy.) We’ll be making more . . .

You could also soak the meat in a marinade before putting it on the drying trays then you don’t need to season it on the trays. I did a teriyaki type marinade once and then my sweet husband put it on the trays and salt and peppered it anyway! It was a strange mix of salt/pepper/teriyaki, but like I said, it’s hard not to eat jerky so it got eaten anyway.
Throw it all in the dehydrator and dry until it’s done. The thinner pieces on mine were done in 6 hours at 145 degrees. Take them off and leave the thicker ones to dry longer.

This is another item that doesn’t last long around here, so I can’t even tell you how long jerky is good for—it all gets eaten before it could possibly go bad.

A dehydrator is a fantastic tool for food preservation. I have used mine to dry green beans, corn, zucchini, tomatoes, apples, apricots, strawberries, herbs, actually anything that gets in my way when the dehydrator is out has the chance of being tossed in the dehydrator and dried.

I have only owned one dehydrator—it is an Excalibur and I love it. Here’s the pros and cons:

Pros:
It’s really big—I can dry lots of stuff at one time.
Adjustable Temperature.
Timer (this way I can dry stuff while I’m sleeping and it doesn’t get too dry).
I can dry large items by leaving some trays out to make more space for what I’m drying.
The heater/fan is in the back instead of on the bottom—the bottom is smooth so it is really easy to clean up.
The trays can go in the dishwasher (top rack only I think).

Cons:
It’s really big—so if I’m only drying a small amount of stuff, the dehydrator is the same size as if I’m drying lots of stuff.
The internal temperature is not as even as it is advertised, so I do rotate trays from the top and bottom toward the middle about half way through the drying process, although you’d have to do this with a stacking type dehydrator also. The rotating process is really simple—I just pull out the two trays I want to swap and stick them back in opposite locations.

Umm . . . . I guess that’s all for cons that I can think of. Overall it’s a fantastic product.

Looks like the model I have with 9 trays and a timer goes for $249-299 right now depending on where you get it—YIPES! But I’ve had and used mine for about 9 years and it’s just as good as when I first got it—I don’t expect I’ll ever need another dehydrator. Here’s Excalibur’s site for more information: http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/

http://50shousewife.blogspot.com/

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here’s another whole wheat cookie recipe. I promise your kids (and your husband) will love them. :) They are still cookies (so don’t eat too many), but at least they have the added nutrition of whole wheat flour.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped walnuts)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375ºF.
2. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

http://50shousewife.blogspot.com/search/label/Bread

Banana Bread (the kids like this one better than the “healthy” banana bread)

1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 medium) mashed ripe banana
(1/2 cup chopped nuts)

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs and mix. Combine dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients and mashed banana to egg mixture and stir. Add nuts and stir.

Pour mixture into greased and floured 9x5x3 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.

You might like these stories:
Snickerdoodles
Russian Tea Cakes

Thursday, February 7, 2008
Banana Bread

This banana bread is not only yummy, but nutritious too. The recipe is from one of my most loved cookbooks, The New Laurel’s Kitchen. From the state of this particular page, it’s obvious that I’ve made it many times over the years. :)

3 very ripe bananas (1 cup mashed)
juice of 1 lemon
1/3 cup oil or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup wheat germ
(1 cup chopped dates)
(1 cup toasted nuts)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mash bananas and mix them with lemon juice until smooth. Cream butter or oil and sugar together and add the banana mixture, stirring well.

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix in wheat germ. Add to the banana mix and stire in dates and nuts if desired.

The dough will be very stiff. Turn it into a greased 4” x 8” loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a knife into the loaf: if it comes out clean, the bread is done.

Makes 1 loaf.
(You can also bake banana bread in an 8” x 8” pan, or make 12 muffins. Bake these for about 1/2 hour.)

Buttermilk Bread
If you’ve been reading here for long, you know that I love to make bread! There is just something so satisfying about it. The smell of fresh bread makes the whole atmosphere in my house cozy and welcoming. Mike even commented the other day that he lives in a bakery! :)

This bread is one of my favorites. The wheat germ gives it extra nutrition and the honey makes it a beautiful color.

2 Tablespoons dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)
3 cups warm 1% buttermilk (it will look curdled when it’s warm)
3/4 cup butter or stick margarine, melted and cooled
1/4 cup honey
3 teaspoons salt
1/2teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup toasted wheat germ
9 to 10 cups all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid), dissolve yeast in warm water. Add buttermilk, butter, honey, salt, baking soda, wheat germ and 4 cups flour; mix well. Gradually stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn onto a heavily floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. turn onto a floured surface; divide into thirds. Divide each portion into thirds; shape each into a 12 inch rope. Braid three ropes; pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Place in a greased 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan onto wire racks. Makes 3 loaves.

http://50shousewife.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html

[This, to me, fits our needs today in America...Granny]

Listening to the Lord

But it is too easy and promotes too cheap a grace to focus only on the high points of Palm Sunday and Easter without walking with Jesus through the darkness of Good Friday, a journey that begins on Ash Wednesday. Lent is a way to place ourselves before God humbled, bringing in our hands no price whereby we can ourselves purchase our salvation. It is a way to confess our total inadequacy before God, to strip ourselves bare of all pretenses to righteousness, to come before God in dust and ashes. It is a way to empty ourselves of our false pride, of our rationalizations that prevent us from seeing ourselves as needy creatures, of our “perfectionist” tendencies that blind us to the beam in our own eye

Quoted from The Season of Lent

Our church does not formally observe Lent, but it is something I carry over from the church of my childhood. Resurrection Sunday is not as joyful and significant for me if I haven’t been through the somber and serious prayer and reflection of Lent.

This year we are going to use the Lenten Lights devotionals from John Piper’s Desiring God website. Seven candles are lit during the first Sunday in Lent and during the Bible reading, one candle is snuffed out (not to be lit again until Easter). This continues with the final candle being blown out on Good Friday. The candles are all lit together on Easter.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

[An Excellent blog, full of hints, suggestions, recipes]

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