http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/awrey03_09.html

Awrey Bakeries Recalls Select Cakes Because of Possible Health Risk

Contact:
Mark Foukes
1-866-743-7543.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 27, 2009 – Awrey Bakeries, LLC is voluntarily recalling the lots identified below of the following products:

Product Code #7250

Marquise Chocolate Peanut Fantasy Cake

9” Round

Product Code # 7290

Marquise Cake Variety Assortment

#1 9” Round

Product Code #374520

Banana Split Ripple Cake

8” x 8”

Product Code #374521

Banana Split Ripple Cake

8” x 8”

On March 26, 2009 Awrey was notified by one of its suppliers that peanut pieces provided to Awrey ‘s during the period of January to May 2008 had been sourced from the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) Plainview, Texas facility. Although Awrey has no evidence that there is a safety issue with these products, it is taking this action out of an abundance of caution because the PCA facility is the subject of an investigation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning a recent salmonella outbreak.

These products were distributed nationwide to foodservice distributors and supermarkets and sold to consumers through Awrey Outlet Store.

Awrey Bakeries, LLC requests that customers check the lot numbers of any of the above-listed products they have purchased. The lot number can be found on the side of the case. If customers find that they have these products in their possession marked with any of the lot numbers listed below, they are asked not to consume the products. Customers seeking a replacement or refund for recalled products should return affected product to the distributor or store where it was purchased for a full refund.

Other varieties and lot numbers of Awrey Bakeries ‘ products are not affected by this recall.

If you have any questions, please contact Mark Foukes, Director of Quality Assurance and Sanitation at 1-866-743-7543.

The affected lot numbers are:

022008

060308

020608

031808

061008

031108

032808

072408

050708

072808

042308

121208

040408

080108

020309

041008

091708

042508

041908

101708

112008

120308

050108

Thought I would share some of the latest Jackie Clay newsletters.
Particularly since there is a section on canning butter we were discussing.

Ask Jackie

Disturbing National Animal Identification talk now spreading to vegetables in your garden

Posted: 23 Mar 2009 01:07 PM PDT

Because of lots of public outcry, the NAIS, a government “wonderchild,” sponsored largely by large agribusiness type animal/poultry growers, apparently shriveled and came to a standstill last year. The NAIS is basically an animal/poultry identification system, wherein each and every homestead and individual that houses even one or two animals or chickens, will be required to register and identify each and every animal on their place. It gets even worse. What if you sell, show or give an animal away? You have to document each movement (at your expense, of course). And what if the animal dies (they do, you know!). It’s looking like they are wanting an autopsy at your expense to prove what the animal died from.

This Franken-bill is, in my opinion, only the start. The government has learned not to cause public outcry by taking giant steps. So it nibbles away at our freedoms in tiny bits that are “for our safety and own good.” They say things like “mad cow,” “bird flu” and people agree to anything.

Now they’re talking about tracking the vegetables farmers grow and sell (or give away) because of “bacterial contamination,” etc. For crying out loud!

For more information on this, check out: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-875

and on the NAIS:
http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/omni/jes/divajes_111_hromni2009_jes.pdf and
www.nicfa.org

Most of you readers know me pretty well and know I’m not highly political or radical. This stuff scares the crap out of me. First it’s your animals and vegetables and pretty soon it’ll be your children. We need to keep informed and active on this one or we’ll lose yet another freedom that will about kill self-reliant living! Gee…could that be what this is really all about?

Oh, by the way, we have our radiator fixed and a new, used fan on the way. Wow, it was hard to find parts!

Readers’ Questions:

New book

I was wondering when you are going to publish your own cookbook? I know one person asked and you said sometime next year, just wondering when next year was. I can’t wait to get one of them!

Teresa Ro
New Freedom, Pennsylvania

I have just finished the new book and we’re working to put in photos, etc., along with all the finishing editing, etc. But it’s a book on growing and canning your own food, not a cookbook (although it does have a lot of recipes on how to use your home canned foods). It won’t be too long before it is available. — Jackie

Buying wheat from the feed store

Can a person buy their wheat that they are going to bake with and eat from the local feed store?

Bonnie Plasse
Rolla, Missouri

In a survival situation, that wheat would sure be okay. But it isn’t cleaned like wheat is that is destined for your table. It has more dust, small bits of chaff, bug parts, etc. If you want cleaner wheat, buy it from a bulk foods store or bread wheat outlet. — Jackie

Autobiography

After reading “Jackie’s Childhood” in the March/April 2009 “Ask Jackie” column, my mom and I wish you would write your autobiography pre-”Starting Over”. You are an interesting person and we enjoy your writing.

Pam Ayala
Arlington, Washington

Me interesting? You should just ask my kids. They agree I’m pretty boring. I will mention this to Dave and see what he thinks. — Jackie

Canning pasta, shredded zucchini, and pickled squirrel

I recently received a free issue of BHM and was so impressed I ordered a 4 year subscription and all available back issues. I love the straight forwardness and the canning issues, I am learning a lot. Now my questions are: May a person can spaghetti, made with burger, noodles, and ingredients? And how would you can fresh shredded zucchini? And have you ever heard of a recipe for pickled squirrel? Myself and my wife love to can and when I come up with something useful I will send it in.

Conel Rogers
Makanda, Illinois

While you can home can pasta and rice recipes, such as chicken rice or chicken noodle soup, spaghetti, when canned, is a quite dense product, as you have much more pasta in it. So I wouldn’t recommend canning it. Can your seasoned sauce, complete with favorites, such as mushrooms, meat balls, sweet red peppers, or roasted tomatoes. Then just boil up your spaghetti pasta and you’re in business.

Shredded zucchini doesn’t can up very well; it gets mushy. It’s better frozen or dehydrated. Or best used fresh from the garden, of course.

I’ve never heard of pickled squirrel, but I’m sure someone, somewhere has done it. Any recipes out there? — Jackie

Growing grass for chickens

We would like to know what type of grasses chickens prefer to eat. We know chickens will eat anything, but we wanted to know if there was a type of grass or ground cover that chickens like better. We were thinking of clover, maybe vetch, or alfalfa. Also which would be the most nutritious?

Robert & Gloria Leustek
Gladstone, New Jersey

You’re right, thinking that legumes like clover, vetch, or alfalfa are both highly nutritious and loved by chickens. We are planning on turning our chickens out into our new orchard where it was planted in clover, along with the wheat and oats we harvested last fall. They will be “free ranging,” and also fenced in at the same time, being able to scratch, eat clover, bugs, and weeds at will. And they’ll stay out of my other gardens! — Jackie

Canning meatloaf

I found where you told how to can meatloaf in Aug 14, ‘07 blog. Can it be roasted or baked in a wide mouth glass jar or does it have to be cut up and put in a glass jar after it is baked?

Nancy Foster
Dallas City, Illinois

I used to just pack the meatloaf mixture into wide mouth quart jars, raw and process it that way. But now canning experts don’t recommend raw packing a dense product like meatloaf. So, instead, I make mini-loaves, just a little larger than my jars to allow for shrinkage during baking, then put them in a roasting pan, side by side and bake them just long enough to thoroughly heat them inside and shrink them down. I pack them hot, into hot jars and make a broth from the pan drippings and tomato sauce and pour over the meatloaf, leaving 1? of headspace. These are processed (qts) at 10 pounds pressure for 90 minutes. If you live at an altitude over 1,000 feet, consult a canning book for directions on increasing your pressure to suit your altitude, if necessary. — Jackie

Canning cream soups

I was wondering if you could tell me the recipe AND how to pressure can cream of chicken (or mushroom, or whatever) soup? I’m convinced that what I can make at home will be much healthier than what I buy in the store. And I use it a lot as a base for recipes.

Sarah Axsom
Natchitoches, Louisiana

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work at home. If you make a condensed version like store bought soup, it’s too dense to home can (the center of the jar doesn’t always heat enough to kill bad bacteria), and if you use a homemade cream of whatever soup, with milk, it tends to curdle and look yucky. What I do is to can up small jars of chicken bits in broth or diced mushrooms in water, then when I want cream of… soup, I make a simple white sauce (2 Tbsp margarine, 2 Tbsp flour heated together, milk added to make a thicker soup and add the chicken or mushrooms.) It takes only a couple minutes and is much better, and more healthy than store soup. — Jackie

Growing enough to can

My question is concerning how to figure out how much of each vegetable to can and to eat fresh. Our garden was too small last year to do what I wanted. I know you wrote about this but can’t remember where to find it. I have your first CD and have been subscribing for 2 or 3 years.

Also, I feel like such a dork! I made a comment to you on line that you should write a book on dairy goats. I’d ordered the little book Starting With Dairy Goats and WOW you wrote it. I feel fairly confident with our upcoming kidding the first week of April. Now if I can just get the girls comfortable on the milk stand all is well.

Good luck with that radiator problem. My husband has a portable mill. When big equipment goes down it can be an economical killer to get it up and running smooth again.

Dinah Jo Brosius
Battle Ground, Washington

What we do is to eat all we want fresh and can the extra. Very soon you discover what you really need to grow more of in your garden so you have enough to do both. I used to alternate some foods so I had more room. Herbs, especially, I grew on alternate years, saving the room for more carrots or beans that we ALWAYS ran out of by the next summer. Of course, I expanded the garden every year until I had enough room for everything I needed and even a little room to try “exotics” we weren’t used to having in the garden.

We finally found a local radiator guy to fix the radiator; we couldn’t find a used or even after market NEW one anywhere in the country; I spent 3 days on the internet and phone. And just yesterday, we found a fan for it. (When the fan bites a chunk out of the bottom tank of the radiator, it really, really damages it!) So in a few days, Will should have the dozer back working again. Thank GOD! — Jackie

Turning jars upside down after processing

Are you suppose to turn processed jars upside down for 15 minutes or so after removing from the canner to insure them sealing?

I’ve been canning for years and have never heard much less done this. I’ve not had a problem with jars not sealing either. My friend tells me that it must be done that way.

Nancy Hanson
Washburn, Wisconsin

No, don’t turn your jars upside down to seal them. In fact, this can cause jars NOT to seal. Check all your canning books and manuals. None say to turn them upside down. Old recipes for jams, jellies and preserves that weren’t water bath processed used to say that and I suppose it did help them seal because the whole contents of the jar remained hot that way. But it’s much better to be sure your jars seal by water bathing them instead of inverting them. — Jackie

Canning butter

I tried canning butter for the first time. I noticed on the bottom of the jars the butter is liquid, the body of the jar is solid looking and the lid is sealed tight. Is it normal for the butter to be liquid on the bottom and the rest solid? Is it safe?

Colleen Lebo
Jonestown, Pennsylvania

Yes, that is normal. Mine has it in the pantry, right now. To prevent this, you can heat your butter while melting it, stirring as you do, to drive off the excess moisture in the butter. Some folks shake it as it cools to mix in the liquid so it doesn’t settle. I don’t. As canning butter is “experimental”, I can’t tell you that it is safe. I can tell you that I’ve used it for years with no problems, as have many, many other people. — Jackie

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=93067

WND HOMELAND INSECURITY
State drops warnings over ‘militia’ members
‘Had that report been reviewed by my office it would never have been released’
Posted: March 27, 2009
9:17 am Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

The chief of the Missouri highway patrol is blasting a report issued by the Missouri Information Analysis Center that linked conservative groups to domestic terrorism, assuring that such reports no longer will be issued.

The report warned law enforcement agencies to watch for suspicious individuals who may have bumper stickers for third-party political candidates such as Ron Paul, Bob Barr and Chuck Baldwin.

It further warned law enforcement to watch out for individuals with “radical” ideologies based on Christian views, such as opposing illegal immigration, abortion and federal taxes.

Chief James Keathley of the Missouri State Patrol issued a statement that the release of the report, which outraged conservatives nationwide, prompted him to “take a hard look” at the procedures through which the report was released by the MIAC.

“My review of the procedures used by the MIAC in the three years since its inception indicates that the mechanism in place for oversight of reports needs improvement,” he wrote. “Until two weeks ago, the process for release of reports from the MIAC to law enforcement officers around the state required no review by leaders of the Missouri State Highway Patrol or the Department of Public Safety.”

He said the militia report was “created by a MIAC employee, reviewed by the MIAC director, and sent immediately to law enforcement agencies across Missouri. The militia report was never reviewed by me or by the Director of Public Safety, John Britt, at any point prior to its issuance. Had that report been reviewed by either my office or by leaders of the Department of Public Safety, it would never have been released to law enforcement agencies,” wrote Keathley

The report simply “does not meet” the needed standard for “intelligence,” he said.

“For that reason, I have ordered the MIAC to permanently cease distribution of the militia report. Further, I am creating a new process for oversight of reports drafted by the MIAC that will require leaders of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Department of Public Safety to review the content of these reports before they are shared with law enforcement. My office will also undertake a review of the origin of the report by MIAC,” he ordered.

The warning earlier prompted Americans for Legal Immigration to issue a “national advisory” against relying on any such reports.

The Missouri document, it said, “attempted to politicize police and cast suspicion on millions of Americans. The ‘Missouri Documents,’ as they came to be called, listed over 32 characteristics police should watch for as signs or links to domestic terrorists, which could threaten police officers, court officials, and infrastructure targets.

“Police were instructed to look for Americans who were concerned about unemployment, taxes, illegal immigration, gangs, border security, abortion, high costs of living, gun restrictions, FEMA, the IRS, The Federal Reserve, and the North American Union/SPP/North American Community. The ‘Missouri Documents’ also said potential domestic terrorists might like gun shows, short wave radios, combat movies, movies with white male heroes, Tom Clancey Novels, and Presidential Candidates Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and Chuck Baldwin!” ALIPAC wrote.

It said the report cited the Southern Poverty Law Center as a resource.

“When many of us read these Missouri Documents we felt that the false connections, pseudo research, and political attacks found in these documents could have been penned by the SPLC and ADL,” said William Gheen of ALIPAC. “We were shocked to see credible law enforcement agencies disseminating the same kind of over the top political propaganda distributed by these groups.”

[Two excellent blogs, first has lots of urban chicken links, both have fun photos and recipes]

http://urbanhennery.com/?cat=20

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/02/back-into-bran-muffins.html

For a while I was stuck on oatmeal, cooked slowly on the stove with extra bran, a handful of wild blackberries from the freezer tossed in at the last minute. A bowl of hot oatmeal with a splash of cold milk, a dash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of cinnamon made for dozens of wholesome and invigorating breakfasts.

Next I hit upon bran muffins. My first creation called for making up large quantities of a complicated mix of dry ingredients ahead of time, thus allowing you to stir together the actual batter in seconds flat. Then I came upon a banana bran muffin recipe and latched onto it. The muffins were tasty, but they always made a mess of the pan. It took me longer to wash the muffin tin than it did to make the actual muffins. And using paper liners didn’t help, as ridiculous amounts of muffin would stick to them. Of course none of this kept me from consuming a couple hundred of them—or motivated me to come up with a non-stick version.

After the bran muffins came that classic American breakfast staple—cold cereal with milk. I found an organic, whole grain variety I liked and began purchasing it in quantity whenever it went on sale. To each bowl of cereal I would add small scoops of organic oat bran and wheat bran as well as a handful of dried cranberries or raisins.

Not long after purchasing 11 boxes of this cereal, a hankering for bran muffins appeared in the most incessant way. I could think of nothing else, but I refused to go back to those annoying pan stickers. I set out to create an entirely new bran muffin, and, perhaps because I was so determined, it did not take long to come up with one that I considered scrumptious.

My long held pet peeve regarding bran muffin recipes is that they almost always include some type of bran cereal. This, to me, is ridiculous. Why make muffins from scratch using overpriced (and often overprocessed) cereal when pure organic bran is available for a couple of pennies per serving? I recently came across a recipe that had the nerve to call for two different kinds of cereal.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to increase the fiber in your diet, this is your lucky day. These bran muffins are made from 100% whole grains, including plenty of both wheat bran and oat bran (giving you soluble and insoluble fiber at once), and yet they do not taste like sawdust or have the consistency of little bricks. I baked up a batch of the blueberry bran version during my mother’s recent visit, and she declared them to be the best muffins she had ever tasted. The honey and molasses add moisture and flavor and are better for you than granulated sugar.

You can start with the basic plain version or go straight to one of the variations listed at the end of the recipe (which I think taste even better the second day). The blueberries will deliver copious amounts of antioxidants along with their little bursts of juicy flavor. Adding mashed bananas to the batter will give you a very moist muffin.

My favorite way to eat these muffins is cut in half and spread with peanut butter and jam. Add a glass of milk, and I am good to go for four or five hours. They make an excellent breakfast on the run or afternoon pick-me-up snack for both kids and adults. The very best thing about them is that they freeze beautifully, which means you can always have some on hand.

This is health food of the highest order—disguised as simply good tasting food. When you serve these muffins there is no need for justification or explanation. No one needs to know that you are packing them with nutrients and possibly increasing their life span—only that you baked them with love.

I have some ideas for other muffin flavor variations (such as a carrot and raisin version made with cooked carrot puree instead of grated raw carrots), but for now I am more than set. Check back with me in a couple of years.

Chock Full Of Blueberry Bran Muffins—Say Goodbye To Storebought

Farmgirl Susan’s Basic Bran Muffin Recipe
Makes about 9 large muffins

It doesn’t take long to whip up a batch of these delicious, healthy muffins. This is not a temperamental batter, so feel free to experiment by stirring in whatever fruits or nuts or other things you like into the basic recipe—or try one of my variations listed below. You can also check the comments section below for more variations from Farmgirl Fare readers.

I have included the weights of each of the ingredients, so if you have a digital kitchen scale (which can be purchased for under $30) you can simply place your bowl on the scale and dump stuff in without having to mess with measuring cups. (I love my Salter 5-pound electronic scale.) Just be sure to zero out the scale after adding each ingredient. Liquid ingredients are listed by weight—not fluid ounces—so you can pour them straight into the bowl, too. When adding the baking soda, baking powder, and salt, I recommend weighing in grams or using measuring spoons, as most home kitchen scales are not precise enough to accurately weigh such tiny amounts in ounces.

As always, I urge you to seek out organically grown and/or locally produced ingredients whenever possible. Organic wheat bran, oat bran, and whole wheat flour are bargain priced when purchased from the bulk bins at natural food stores. Organic milk and yogurt are available nearly everywhere (you might even try making your own yogurt). Look for interesting flavors of honey at farmers’ markets.

Every summer I buy 5 gallons of fresh blueberries from a nearby organic grower and freeze them in one-gallon zipper bags to be enjoyed all year long. An outing to a pick-your-own farm is a wonderful way to spend the day with kids and take home some delicious bounty. Click here to locate one in your area (includes listings in several countries).

2 cups (3oz/86g) wheat bran
1 cup (5oz/141g) oat bran
1 cup (6oz/170g) whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons (12g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (4g) salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (5oz by weight/156g) milk
2/3 cup (5-1/2oz/156g) yogurt
1/3 cup (2-1/4oz/65g) canola oil
1/3 cup (3-3/4oz/108g) molasses or cane syrup
1/3 cup (3-3/4oz/108g) honey
1 teaspoon (6g) vanilla extract (optional)

Place oven rack in middle of oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard size muffin pan (I use canola oil and a silicone pastry brush) or line cups with paper liners (which makes cleaning up a breeze).

Combine wheat bran, oat bran, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, yogurt, canola oil, molasses, and honey in a small bowl and mix well. (Note: you can use all honey or all molasses instead if desired.) Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula just until combined.

Generously fill muffin cups with batter. (I use a stainless steel scoop—these also work great for portioning out cookie dough.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool muffins in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and serve warm, or let cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy them plain, drizzled with a little honey, or spread with peanut butter and a slather of your favorite jam (apricot is very nice, as is strawberry—right now I’m loving Trader Joe’s Organic Reduced Sugar Preserves). Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze. (I think they taste even better the second day.) Defrost muffins at room temperature, or in the microwave if you are in a hurry.

Blueberry Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but gently fold 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter. There is no need to defrost frozen berries, but do quickly rinse off any ice with cold water. Note to blueberry lovers: I made a batch of these yesterday and, using my MoreMoreMore philosophy, crammed 2 cups of big fat blueberries into the batter—yum.

Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
Makes 12-14 large and very moist muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but stir mashed very ripe banana (2 small bananas, about about 9 oz/255g including peel) into wet ingredients. Then gently fold 1-1/2 cups (7-1/2oz/214g) fresh or frozen blueberries into the finished batter. Baking time may need to be increased to 25 to 28 minutes.

Cranberry Orange Bran Muffins
Makes about 10 large muffins. Follow Basic Bran Muffin recipe, but replace the 2/3 cup milk with 2/3 cup orange juice and omit the vanilla extract. Stir 1 cup (4-1/2oz/127g) orange flavored dried cranberries (I recently discovered these at Trader Joe’s and think they are absolutely wonderful) or regular dried cranberries to finished batter. For muffins with more orange flavor, stir 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated orange zest into the wet ingredients.

Other sweet recipes on FarmgirlFare.com:
—Blueberry Breakfast Bars
—Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars
—Mexican Monkey Cake
—Cranberry Christmas Scones
—Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
—Really Raspberry Tartlets
—Emergency Chocolate Cake
—Chocolate Babycakes
—Crazy Cookies
—Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
—Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners
—Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

You’ll find links to all of my tasty recipes in the sidebar of the Farmgirl Fare home page under PREVIOUS POSTS: FOOD STUFF. Happy eating!

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/09/three-no-cook-summer-recipes-mexican.html

Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw
Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe may be doubled

This delicious and healthful coleslaw-type salad doesn’t actually contain any jumping beans and is more Tex-Mex than Mexican, but when it comes to dubbing new dishes I’ll admit that sometimes catchy wins out over reality. Besides, with a name like Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw, you might even be able to talk any picky little eaters at your table into seeing if they’re able to pop a bite in their mouth before it jumps right off their fork.

The snappy tomato dressing, which was inspired by last summer’s Seven Second Tomato Glut Solution (oh how I wish I had that glut this year), whizzes together in seconds in the blender and can be used on all sorts of other things besides this slaw (see my suggestions at the end of the recipe), but you can always use a bottled dressing instead. Trader Joe’s sells a lowfat creamy cilantro dressing in their refrigerated section that’s full of flavor but not calories.

The optional cooked chicken turns this into a heartier dish that’s perfect for a summer supper with friends, or for feeding people who simply can’t fathom the idea of eating a vegetarian taco.

As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients whenever possible. They really do make a difference in so many ways. Cans of organic black beans and organic corn are versatile pantry staples, and both can often be found for about a dollar.

3 cups (about 9 ounces) shredded green cabbage
1 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded purple cabbage
2 large sweet red peppers, diced
2 medium carrots, grated
4 large scallions, chopped
1 15-ounce can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can organic whole sweet corn, drained or 1-1/2 cups cooked fresh corn
2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken (optional)
Salt to taste

2-1/2 cups High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing (see recipe below)

In a large bowl, combine green cabbage, purple cabbage, red peppers, carrots, black beans, and corn. Stir in chicken if desired. Add 2 cups dressing and mix well, adding another 1/2 cup dressing if desired. Salt to taste. Serve immediately, or for best flavor, chill for several hours or overnight. Slaw will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw Tacos
Few Tablespoons olive or canola oil
Corn tortillas

Optional toppings:
Chopped vine-ripened tomatoes
Chopped fresh cilantro
More High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing
Sour cream
Guacamole or diced avocado
Shredded cheese

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add two or three tortillas. Using tongs, turn tortillas over so that both sides are covered with oil. Let cook, turning once or twice more, until just starting to crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Set on a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook the remaining tortillas, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

To serve, fold warm tortillas in half and stuff with Mexican Jumping Bean Slaw and optional toppings, drizzling with more High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing if desired.

High Kickin’ Creamy Tomato Dressing
Makes about 3-1/2 cups

1 pound juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes (about 3 medium), coarsely chopped
1 cup yogurt (I use lowfat or nonfat)
1 cup sour cream (I use lowfat)
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1 Tablespoon ground cumin, preferably freshly ground*
1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds, preferably freshly ground*
1 teaspoon chile powder* (or more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding a little more tomato if it’s too thick. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warning note: The heat from the chile powder in the dressing becomes more pronounced the next day.

*I order most of my herbs and spices in bulk from AmeriHerb. Read more here.

Other ways to enjoy this dressing:
—Mixed into a Tex-Mex potato salad
—Drizzled over a platter of sliced garden tomatoes
—Tossed with a green salad
—With a plate of grilled summer squash
—In your favorite chicken salad
—As a quick way to give rice salad a kick

All this veggie goodness means these recipes fit right into ARF/5-A-Day. Catch it every Tuesday night at Sweetnicks.

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2007/12/building-our-bread-bakery-recipe.html

It’s Almost Too Pretty To Eat

Italian Rosemary Raisin Bread
(Pane di Ramerino)
Makes 2 small loaves - Adapted slightly from Bread

This is the second recipe I’ve made from a wonderful European book called Bread: Artisan Breads from Baguettes and Bagels to Focaccia and Brioche by authors and cooking instructors Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno (he’s French, she’s Italian). If you learn best by looking at pictures, then this is definitely the book for you because it’s packed with gorgeous, full-color photos. And while it’s perfect for beginners, I think many experienced bakers would also enjoy it. I’ve already discovered all sorts of handy tips and useful nuggets of information. The carrot herb rolls I created last month using the carrot bread recipe were a big hit, and there are several other breads I’m planning to make. At around $15, this book is also a bargain.

Pane di ramerino has been baked daily throughout Tuscany since the early 16th century. As you can see, this is a beautiful bread, and it would not only be perfect to serve to guests but would also make a lovely gift. Thankfully the recipe makes two small loaves so you can spread the yeasty joy and still have some left for yourself.

I never would have thought to combine raisins and rosemary in bread, but the result is delicious. The flavor of the rosemary is subtle, so double the amount if you want to taste it more. This is a rich, easy-to-work-with dough made with milk, olive oil (which adds another layer of flavor) and eggs. The texture of the crumb is reminiscent of a cinnamon roll. This bread freezes beautifully and can even be sliced while still frozen. (I use a large serrated knife.)

It also makes amazing toast, which I’ve been eating slathered with apricot jam and thinly sliced sharp cheddar cheese. This may sound like an odd combination, but it reminds me of the cheese and chutney sandwiches I was introduced to by an English pal when I was a kid.

The authors claim pane di ramerino is a superlative breakfast bread and “quite simply the best accompaniment to fresh goat cheese.” My friend Amanda, who writes about glorious Mediterranean food at Figs Olives Wine, suggested using this bread to make her cool weather bruschetta with ricotta salata and thyme. Mmmmmm. I’m thinking it would also make marvelous French toast - perhaps for brunch on New Year’s Day.

3-3/4 cups bread flour (1 lb, 2-3/4 oz - 533 g) plus a little more while kneading
2 teaspoons instant yeast**
1/2 cup warm milk
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1-1/2 packed cups (4-1/2 oz - 127 g) raisins
4 Tablespoons olive oil
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1. Mix the flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the milk, rosemary, raisins, olive oil, and eggs. Mix to form a soft, sticky dough, adding extra flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too moist.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead 6 minutes. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes.

3. Knead in the 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, and continue kneading until the dough is silky, springy, and elastic, about 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Put the dough in a plastic lidded container (or in a large bowl covered with a damp tea towel) and let it rise until doubled in size, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Shaped Loaves Ready For Proofing

5. Divide the dough into two pieces. Shape each into a round loaf and place on a well floured couche or work counter. If you aren’t using a baking stone, place the rounds on a parchment-lined heavy baking sheet. Lightly dust tops of loaves with flour and cover with a damp tea towel.

6. Heat oven and baking stone to 400 degrees. Proof loaves until doubled in size, about 1 hour. (Note: the book says that the loaves will spread and look slightly flat after rising, but will rise up dramatically during the initial stages of baking. Mine didn’t flatten out, but my dough was on the dense side.)

7. Cut a slash, 1/2 inch deep, across the top of the loaf, then another in the opposite direction to make an “X.”

8. Bake in the preheated oven (directly on the baking stone if you’re using one) until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped underneath, about 30 minutes with a baking stone and 45 minutes without. Cool on a wire rack.

**A NOTE ON YEAST: I prefer to use instant yeast when baking bread because you can add it straight in with the dry ingredients. If you’re using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you’ll need to proof it first. For this recipe, place the 1/2 cup of warm milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. Add this yeast mixture to the flour along with the rosemary, raisins, olive oil, and eggs.

Instant yeast is stronger than active dry yeast, so some bakers recommend using up to 25% more active dry yeast than the amount of instant yeast called for in a recipe (that would be 2-1/2 teaspoons for this recipe). Others substitute active yeast for instant yeast 1 to 1. This may take your dough a little longer to rise, but that will only result in even better tasting bread.

Alternately, if a recipe calls for active dry yeast and you want to substitute instant yeast, you may want to use a little less. The original version of this recipe actually called for 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast and I simply used 2 teaspoons of instant yeast instead.

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2008/06/whole-wheat-cookie-recipe-yip-yap.html

Bananas also happen to be one of the World’s Healthiest Foods, and are packed with vitamin B6, vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. According to the WHFoods website, they’re one of our best sources of potassium — an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function — and can help do everything from build better bones to protect your eyesight. They also happen to be inexpensive, plentiful, and delicious.

Carrying around a healthy, protected snack is all well and good, but everybody knows the best way to enjoy a banana is after it’s been baked into something like muffins or cookies or cake. The key to baking with bananas is to let them get really, really ripe — more ripe than you’ve probably had the nerve to let your bananas get. I don’t mean yellow with a few dark spots; I’m talking blackened skins with insides that have turned to mush. A little mold on the outside is even okay. Sure they look disgusting, but you won’t believe the amazingly sweet banana flavor they’ll give your baked goods. And guess what? Research conducted at the University of Innsbruck in Austria suggests that as fruits fully ripen, “almost to the point of spoilage,” their antioxidant levels actually increase!

Organic bananas can now be found in many supermarkets, and they usually don’t cost much more than the conventional ones. I find that organic bananas taste better, and of course they’re better for your health, farm workers’ health, and the environment. Organic advocate and cookbook author Jeff Cox recently published a fascinating article called “How Organic Are Organic Bananas?” on Organic To Be, a wonderful group food blog created by Dave Smith, author of To Be of Use - The Seven Seeds of Meaningful Work, cofounder of garden tool company Smith & Hawken, and all around very cool guy. Here’s a brief yet frightening excerpt:

After harvest, bunches of conventional bananas are floated in tanks of sodium hydrochlorate solution to dissolve the drips of latex sap that can discolor the fruit. Experiments have shown that fungicide-treated bananas can develop off-flavors. Yet “hands” of bananas (the small bunches we see in markets) are conventionally treated with fungicides by being placed in polyethylene bags with blocks of vermiculite treated with potassium permanganate to absorb the ethylene ripening gas that bananas give off. This allows the bananas to be stored and shipped over a month’s time before they start ripening.

And that’s just what happens after they leave the soil-destroying, chemical laden, disease- and fungus-ridden plantations. Yet according to Cox, when bananas are under organic cultivation “the soil improves in health, amount of soil life, availability of nutrients, resistance to soil pests and diseases, and its ability to produce extra high quality bananas and plantains.” Seems like a no-brainer to me.

Unfortunately locally grown bananas aren’t an option for most of us, but if you choose to buy imported bananas, the organic ones are well worth seeking out. When you find some, buy an extra bunch to ripen on the counter (if you put them in the fridge they’ll make everything else in there taste like bananas) and when they start to look really scary, whip up a batch of these flavorful, cake-like cookies.

Say It with Me Now: Yip Yap Banana Snaps!

Susan’s Yip Yap Organic Banana Snaps for People
Makes about 30 very large cookies (which freeze beautifully)

Last fall I was thrilled to see that Tania had started posting again on her Canadian food blog, The Candied Quince. One of the first recipes she put up was for Yip Yap Banana Snaps dog treats in honor of her little dog’s third birthday, admitting she chose them because she liked saying the name. The name hooked me, too, and I immediately decided I needed to make some for my own dogs.

But then I saw the recipe for Garrett’s Grandma Capune’s Banana Cookies on Vanilla Garlic, and making treats for people quickly won out over making treats for dogs (I know, I know, animal abuse). The name Yip Yap Banana Snaps, however, stuck. In fact I couldn’t stop saying it. One night I crawled back into bed after getting up for a drink of water and excitedly announced to an only slightly coherent Joe, “I don’t want to build a bread bakery anymore. I think we should sell Yip Yap Banana Snaps instead!”

“Go. To. SLEEP.”

I pretty much followed Grandma Capune’s recipe the first time I made these, then I doubled the recipe so I could make my signature giant size cookies and started making various other changes, including adding a little vanilla, swapping out half of the all-purpose flour for white whole wheat flour, and using a mixture of white and brown sugars instead of just white. They aren’t health food, but they aren’t terrible for you either.

You can make these cookies with raisins or chocolate chips and/or nuts or with nothing but the spices. Joe loves the raisin version; I like them with mini chocolate chips the best. As always I urge you to use local and organic ingredients whenever you can.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups mashed very, very ripe organic bananas
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg (a little less if freshly ground, which I highly recommend)
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt

Optional additions (I usually split the batter in half and make two kinds):
2 cups raisins or 2 cups chocolate chips (per whole batch)
2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (per whole batch)

Heat the oven to 350F. Using an electric mixer (I use a hand-held mixer), cream the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.

Combine the baking soda and mashed bananas in a small bowl and let sit for 2 minutes to froth a bit. According to Grandma Capune and Garrett, the baking soda reacts with the acid in the bananas to give the cookies their lift and rise.

Mix the bananas into the butter mixture, then add the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and mix on low speed just until combined. The batter will be more like a thick cake batter than traditional cookie dough.

Stir in the raisins, chocolate chips, and/or nuts. Use a 1/4-cup scoop or 1/4-cup measure to drop cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (I put 6 cookies on a half-size commercial baking sheet).If the batter gets too gooey to handle, put it in the freezer for a few minutes to stiffen up. Bake cookies until nicely browned, about 16 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container or freeze. I think they taste even better the next day, after the flavors have had a chance to mellow and mingle.

Other sweet recipes on Farmgirl Fare you might enjoy:
My Best Banana Bran Muffins (and other flavor variations)
Chocolate, Cinnamon & Banana Mexican Monkey Cake
Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Just Peachy Blueberry Breakfast Bars
Fresh Strawberries & Orange Yogurt Loaf Cake
100% Whole Grain Ginger Pear Bran Muffins
Cranberry Christmas Scones
Spicy Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins
Really Raspberry Tartlets
Easy Emergency Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Babycakes
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy Cookies
Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
Chocolate Biscotti For Beginners
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Still hungry?
You’ll find links to all my Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the sidebar of the Farmgirl Fare homepage under Previous Posts: Food Stuff W/ Recipes. Enjoy!

© Copyright 2008 FarmgirlFare.com, the award-winning blog where we recently decided that the ratio of cute animal photos to scrumptious dessert recipes on this blog is far too high, and have set about remedying the situation.

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2007/04/beth-noknead-bread.html

The first of these, however, offered me one of those double edged opportunity/danger situations. A quick search online demonstrated that there were already been a lot of variations on this recipe, some more successful than others, in the wild. Herbs, sourdough, chocolate chip (hmmm, chocolate, that helps anything!), mushrooms, cheese… You name it, someone has tried it. Interesting, but this could take a long time and much experimentation and I was on a deadline.

Click to enlarge
Closing in on the date for this post, I was still playing with ideas in my head, not in my kitchen where I needed to be, when I came here to check on comments and found inspiration instead.

You see, two of our most dedicated bakers, Judy and oopsydeb, were talking about Farmgirl’s Oatmeal Toasting Bread—one of my favorites—and that made me think of my cinnamon swirl version of Susan’s recipe and one thing led to another and I finally went to the kitchen and seven experimental batches later, I give you…

kitchenMage’s little bit Twisted, kinda Nuts, noKnead Oatmeal Toasting Bread
(with apologies to Susan)

Filling
nuts, chopped 1/2 cup | | 2 ounces | 56 grams
cinnamon sugar A few tablespoons or so…it’s sprinkling, how exact do you want?

**To measure ice without a scale, pour 2 cups of cold water into a 4 cup measuring cup and add ice until it measures ~2 2/3 cups. Smoosh the ice cubes flat with the water surface, it should then measure 2 3/4 cups. Adjust until it does. Or buy a scale already. Really!

Mixing and fermentation
In a mixing bowl, combine oatmeal, brown sugar and boiling water. Stir well. Cover bowl with clean towel and let cool.

This mixture needs to be no warmer than room temperature before you can continue. How you achieve this is a bit different depending on whether you are using ice or cold water:
Cold water—let the mixture cool to lukewarm, 30-45 minutes and add water.
Ice—wait 10 minutes, add the ice and stir until it melts.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. The dough will be thick enough to scoop a large spoonful and have it stay relatively intact—it’s very similar to the texture of well-cooked oatmeal.

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled in bulk. (This took 3 1/2 hours in my 70° kitchen.)

Refrigerate dough overnight (at least 6 hours).

Shaping and final rise
The next morning, remove dough from the refrigerator and let it warm on the counter for an hour or two. It will still be cool to the touch.

While the dough is warming, chop nuts and mix cinnamon sugar if you don’t have some on hand (my standard cinnamon sugars is ~3 parts each brown and white sugar to 1 part cinnamon). Also, cut a piece of parchment paper and place it in the container in which the dough will rise.

Flour the counter and scoop dough onto it.

Click to enlarge
The filling is layered into the dough with two tri-folds — like folding a letter to go into an envelope — first in one direction, then the other. Start by nudging the dough into something resembling a rectangle. Sprinkle the dough with a quarter of the nuts and cinnamon sugar. Fold one third of the dough towards the middle, sprinkle with a little more of the goodies. Fold the other third over.

Let the dough rest for a few minutes. It should relax back into a rectangle, more or less. Rotate the dough a quarter turn and repeat the topping process.

Gently place the dough on the parchment and let rise until doubled in bulk. This may take a long time (4-5 hours).

When the dough is about half-risen, put the covered baking container in the oven and preheat it at 450F (230C) for at least 45 minutes, although an hour is better. (I used a 2 1/2 qt, 7 inch wide Calphalon saucepan.) If you have a baking stone, place the pan on the stone to heat.

Baking
Once the dough has doubled in size, place it in the baking pan by lifting the corners of the parchment with the dough on it. Lowering it into the baking pan and cover. Bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 400F (205C) and uncover the pan. (If you have a stone, remove the pan from oven and finish baking on the stone.) Continue baking until crust is dark brown and the loaf sounds hollow when thumped on the bottom, approximately 30-40 minutes. An instant read thermometer should register 210F (99C). Let cool completely on rack.

Not surprisingly, this makes excellent toast.

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2007/08/kevin-quick-breads-cheese-bread.html

Kevin: Quick Breads - Cheese Bread

This month we’re doing quick breads. A quick bread is one that uses something other than yeast for leavening, typically a chemical leavener. Biscuits are quickbreads — unless they’re sour-dough biscuits. Muffins are quick breads. Cornbread is a quick bread. Even popovers are quick breads, although they rely on eggs for leavening.

The chemical leaveners are baking soda and baking powder and they work by producing CO2 gas, which is the same way yeast works. Yeast, however, digests sugars and produces CO2 as part of its metabolism, while baking soda and baking powder work by combining an alkali ingredient (the baking soda) with an acid.to produce CO2. If your recipe contains an acid ingredient such as buttermilk, lemon juice, or sour cream then baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, an alkali) will react with that acid to create the gas.

Chemical leavening is a recent invention in the history of bread. Or, perhaps more accurately, their deliberate use is a recent invention with baking powder being the real breakthrough. Various combinations of chemicals were used in the early 19th century, but in 1856 a chemist named Eben Horsford developed a powder he named in honor of Count Rumford — yes, that Rumford Baking Powder. But it wasn’t until the end of the 19th century, when a German pharmacist named August Oetker started selling it to housewives, that chemical leavening entered the culinary mainstream.

Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda and an acid such as monosodium phosphate, thus providing both ingredients in a single ingredient. Baking powder usually includes cornstarch to absorb water vapor and keep the acid and alkali from interacting in the box. Adding a liquid when making something like biscuits or muffins overwhelms the cornstarch and the active ingredients combine and produce CO2. But, over time, even the ambient humidity (the water vapor in the air) will saturate the corn starch and the active chemicals will begin interacting. This is why baking powder has a limited shelf life.

Bacon/Onion/Gruyere
Another option is to fry five strips of bacon cut into 1/2” pieces. Drain the bacon and add 1/2 of an onion, minced and sauté it for about three minutes. Make the bread according to the directions at left but leaving out the butter, substituting gruyere for the cheddar. Fold in the bacon and onion, then cook according to the recipe.
Double-acting baking soda includes an additional acid ingredient (usually sodium aluminum sulphate) that kicks in when heated. Without the heat it’s inert and so double-acting baking powder works the first time by combining the bicarbonate of soda and monosodium phosphate in the presence of water, and then, when heated up by the interaction between the soda and aluminum sulphate.

The following is a recipe I’ve been meaning to try since 2004 when Cooks Illustrated published it. This seemed like a perfect opportunity and I decided to match it up with a stuffed tomato for a late summer supper.

Cheese Bread
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, May/June 2004.

Ingredient | US Volume | Metric Volume | US Weight | Metric weight
parmesan — coarsely shredded ~ 1 c | ~ 235 ml | 3 oz | 85 g
all-purpose flour 3 c | 710 ml | 15 1/2 oz | 440 g
baking powder 1 tbsp | 15 ml | 5/8 oz | 18 g
cayenne 1/4 tsp | 1.2 ml | — | —
salt 1 tsp | 5 ml | 1/4 oz | 7 g
black pepper 1/8 tsp | .6 ml | — | —
sharp cheddar — | — | 4 oz | 113 g
whole milk 1 1/4 c | 296 ml | 10 oz | 283 g
butter — melted 3 tbsp | 45 ml | 1 1/2 oz | 43 g
large egg — lightly beaten 1 ea
sour cream 3/4 c | 177 ml | 6 oz | 170 g

Heat oven to 350F (177C). Spray a 9” x 5” (20cm x 12cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread half of parmesan on the bottom of the pan.

Cut cheddar into 1/2” (1.25cm) dice.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cayenne, salt, and black pepper. Add cheddar and toss to coat.

In a medium bowl, mix together milk, butter, egg, and sour cream. Combine liquid and dry ingredients folding together with a spatula until just mixed.

Pour into the loaf pan and top with remaining parmesan. Bake in center of oven 45 to 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note, because you may hit a pocket of cheese, use the toothpick test in two or three spots.

Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then turn bread out and continue cooling for 45 minutes.

It’s hard to beat cheese bread, and this version, with the chunks of melted cheese in it is fun to eat. The sour cream keeps it pleasantly moist and the cayenne adds a great touch of spiciness. I’ve just been sticking it in the toaster oven to warm up and then eating it plain.

http://urbanhennery.com/2009/03/22/081365-our-friend-the-grinder/

At the urging of various online friends and readers, Mike and I have officially joined the ranks of home sausage makers. We’d “made” sausage previously using plain ground pork, but actually grinding ours in the recently excavated grinder was a first tonight.

The same morning I pulled out the top round roast previously mentioned, I also got out a 3.5 lb. fresh ham roast with intentions of doing something creative with it in the crockpot today. Unfortunately the morning got away from me and I was faced with braising it in the oven instead of the crockpot. No big deal really since it was pouring outside, but I still couldn’t decide what to do with it, nothing was really striking my fancy.

So I decided to turn it into sausage and consulted twitter for ideas of what to do with my fresh sausage. There were a number of ideas thrown out, including one for making pasta with it. Ding! I could combine my current homemade pasta obsession with my new grinding obsession and we’d have something delicious for dinner.

This was seriously good and we’re already arguing about who gets the leftovers for lunch this week.

*****

IMG_7379.JPG

Fettucini with Sausage Tomato Cream Sauce*
serves 2 with leftovers
take off from this Epicurious recipe

Pasta:
all purpose flour :: just over 1 cup
eggs :: 2

Sausage ::
ground pork :: 1 lb
sage, fresh chopped :: 2 tsp
oregano, fresh chopped :: 1 tsp
pepper, fresh ground :: 1/4 tsp
kosher salt :: 1.5 tsp
nutmeg, ground :: pinch
cayenne, ground :: pinch

Sauce ::
olive oil :: 1 Tbs
butter :: 1 Tbs
onion, thinly sliced :: half
garlic, chopped :: 3 cloves
Italian seasoning :: 2 tsp
red wine :: 1/2 cup
diced tomatoes :: 1 pint
sugar :: 2 Tbs**
heavy cream :: 1.5 cups
salt and pepper :: to taste
parmesan, grated :: 1/4 cup

Make your pasta dough by combining the eggs and flour until they form a rough ball of dough. Knead a couple of times on a floured surface, then wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for at least 30 minutes. Then roll either by hand or with a pasta machine, adding flour as needed until dough is not sticky. Cut into fettucini, toss with corn meal to keep it from sticking together and set aside until needed.

We ground the pork by putting it through the grinder twice. Then we mixed in the spices and gently incorporated them throughout. You could do the same with ground pork from the farmer’s market or store. I then set it aside to meld a bit while I got everything else ready to go.

For the sauce, heat the oil and butter in a deep saute pan, add the onion and saute until just tender. Add the sausage and saute until cooked through, breaking up as it cooks. Add the garlic and the Italian seasoning, cook until the garlic smells delish. Drain any extra liquid off of the pan.

Add the red wine and simmer until most of it cooks off. Drain the tomatoes most of the way and add to the pan with sugar if desired. Simmer until any juices are cooked off. Add the cream and simmer gently while you cook the pasta.

Drain the pasta and toss. Top with parmesan and enjoy.

* I’m listing the ingredients first, ala Shuna’s convincing reasoning.
** our home canned tomatoes are quite acidic this year, hence the sugar

http://ayearinbread.earthandhearth.com/2008_11_01_archive.html

Susan’s Honey Bran Whole Wheat Bread
Makes 3 large loaves, about 36 ounces each

When it comes to baking bread, my motto is If you have friends or a freezer, never bake just one loaf at a time. It only takes a few more minutes of work to bake two or three loaves, and homemade bread freezes beautifully.

This is a variation of my popular Farmhouse White, which is the kind of simple, scrumptious loaf people tend to imagine apron-clad grandmothers baking. Farmhouse White is also almost foolproof, which makes it a great beginner’s loaf. I realize that in these health conscious days white bread isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve had disappointing, doorstop-like whole grain baking experiences in the past, you might want to bake up a batch or two of the basic recipe first and then start making it healthier.

Farmhouse White is open to an infinite number of interpretations, and this is my latest favorite variation. It also makes wonderful dinner rolls and burger buns. It’s not 100% whole grain and uses white whole wheat flour, which means it’s a lighter, easier dough to work with and also rises beautifully, while still offering plenty of whole grain goodness, especially with the 2 cups of bran tossed in.

You don’t have to weigh your ingredients when baking bread, but a digital kitchen scale really does make baking and cooking a whole lot easier. It’s also nice to be able to weigh your dough as you’re dividing it into loaves (or rolls) so you know they’re the same size. I am loving my new Oxo Good Grips Kitchen Scale: it weighs up to 11 pounds, lets you pull the display out from the base so you can weigh really large bowls (so cool), and was recently voted #1 by America’s Test Kitchen, the people who publish Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Can you say incredibly useful, under $50 holiday gift?

Bake your bread in 8” x 4” pans if you want the rustic look of taller loaves with mushroom-shaped tops (like in the photo above), or 9” x 5” pans if you prefer shorter, more square-shaped slices (like the tuna sandwich photo). I can’t say enough good things about these Chicago Metallic commercial loaf pans. For the price of a few loaves of bread they’re definitely worth the investment—and come with a 25-year warranty. What they call a 1-pound pan is basically an 8-inch, and the 1-1/2 pound pan is equivalent to a 9-inch.

As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients whenever possible. I’ve found that organic flour makes a big difference when baking bread, and it often only costs a few more cents per loaf. Look for organic flours and brans in the bulk section of natural food stores.

If you don’t have bread flour for this recipe, just use more all-purpose flour. Increase the honey to 1/2 cup for a slightly sweeter loaf. I like to bake all my breads, including those in loaf pans, on a baking stone, as I find it bakes them more evenly and gives the bottoms a nicer crust (and it also simulates the ceramic deck in the 7-foot wide bread oven in my someday-bread-bakery-to-be), but it definitely isn’t necessary.

4 cups 1 lb-4 oz 568 g all-purpose flour
2 cups 10-1/4 oz 290 g bread flour
1 cup 4-1/4 oz 122 g oat bran
1 cup 3-3/4 oz 109 g wheat bran
1-1/2 Tablespoons 1/8 oz 17 g instant yeast
2 Tablespoons 30 ml canola oil or melted butter
1/3 cup 3-5/8 oz 102 g honey
5 cups 40 fluid oz lukewarm milk (about 85 degrees F)
4 cups 1lb-5 oz 604 g white whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons 30 ml salt

Mixing and fermentation
In a very large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, oat bran, wheat bran, and yeast (I use a wooden spoon). Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the canola oil, the honey, and then the milk. Mix well, then continue to stir vigorously, slowly adding 1 cup of the white whole wheat flour at a time, until you’ve added 4 cups, or until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. This should take a few minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 or 7 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands or the work surface.

Place the mixing bowl over the dough, and let it rest for 20 minutes. This rest period is called the autolyse. (You can read more about autolyse in the sidebar on my Farmhouse White recipe post.)

Remove the bowl, flatten out the dough with your hands, and sprinkle about half of the salt over it. Begin kneading the salt into the dough. After a few turns, sprinkle on the rest of the salt and continue to knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until the salt is completely incorporated and the dough is soft and smooth.

Place the dough in a large plastic straight sided container with a snap-on lid. With masking tape or a felt tip pen, mark the spot on the container that the dough will reach when it has doubled in volume. Set it somewhere that is preferably between 70F and 78F for about one hour. Ideally, the dough should also be between 70F and 78F. It’s easy to check the temperature of your dough and ingredients with an inexpensive instant read thermometer.

When the dough is ready to be shaped, you should be able to push a floured finger deep into it and leave an indentation that doesn’t spring back. Unless your dough is rising in a straight-sided container, it can be difficult to judge whether it has “doubled in size,” which is the guideline most recipes use. I find the finger poking method to be more reliable.

Shaping and final rise (proof)
Turn the risen dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, flattening gently with your hands to break up any large air bubbles. Divide the dough into three equal pieces.

Shape the dough into loaves and dust the tops with flour. There are dozens of ways to do this; instructions on how I like to shape my sandwich loaves can be found in this post. Place loaves seam side down in greased loaf pans (I’ve become addicted to baking spray—so convenient.)

If desired, an hour before baking, place baking stone in the oven and heat to 375 degrees.

Cover the loaves with a damp tea towel and let them rise for 45 to 60 minutes. The dough should rise well above the rim of the pans, and when you lightly poke it with a floured finger it should spring back just a little.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and the bottoms sound hollow if tapped (you can carefully pop one out of the pan and put it back in if it’s not quite done). Remove immediately from pans and let cool on a wire rack. Try to wait at least 40 minutes before cutting into a loaf, as it continues to bake while cooling. Store at room temperature or freeze in zipper freezer bags. Make sure loaves are completely cooled before sealing in bags.

Still have more flour left?
Check out all the other sandwich bread recipes on A Year In Bread.

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/03/practically-free-garden-weed-barrier.html

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Practically Free Garden Weed Barrier
We actually had a couple of days last week warm enough to get outside and accomplish something (I’m kind of a wimp in the cold). I started with my mini herb garden. I only have 3 herbs in it and have had plans on expanding it for at least 2 years, but it just hasn’t happened. It’s right along the walk up to our house. This little spot was dug out of the lawn, so the lawn just always wants to creep back into it (probably should have dug down at the edges and put some kind of barrier in). It got a little out of hand last year, so this year I’m getting a head start on it. We heard about this little weed beating technique last year and I tried it on my one flower bed and around my baby lilacs and it worked pretty well for keeping weeds down, so I’ll be putting it to use again this year.

First I pulled out the majority of weeds and grass (funny how weeds grow before anything useful). Hey, the chives are growing! They’re the green spots in the middle.Next I laid down newspaper 3-4 layers thick in a paper mache type of pattern. Use big pieces, and take it all the way to the edges—I tucked some under the rocks, and I’ll be putting rocks along the front as well to hold it in place. This is best done on a day without wind ;-). Also get it close to the base of the plants. Newspaper is cheap, biodegrades, and lets air in, unlike black plastic. Our little county newspaper is pretty scrawny, so I’ve been saving all winter for these projects and I probably still won’t have enough for what I want to cover. A few good city Sunday papers would go a long ways . . . After I got the paper laid down, I wet it so it would stay—the wind always blows here in the spring.Last, I put mulch over the paper and watered it again. We have last years grass clippings, but you could use bark or wood chips, or whatever. I’d rather have bark since it would stay put longer with our spring breezes, but hey, I’m cheap . . . I mean frugal and resourceful . . . so I use what I have.Voila. Weed barrier on the cheap. This method could easily go larger scale—like for the regular vegetable garden—as long as you have enough newspaper and mulch. This cut WAY down on my weeds last year in the beds I tried it on. I did have to add to the mulch periodically through the growing season so the obituaries didn’t show through . . . :)
More Fun from Angela at 10:42 AM
Find more posts about: garden, tips n tricks

comments:

Jayce^ said...

Another useful item, since you aren’t germinating new seeds, is to put some corn-meal down. The corn gluten is a natural pre-emergent, and totally safe.

March 24, 2009 11:23 AM
Angela said...

I’ll have to try the cornmeal—thanks for your comment Jayce!

March 24, 2009 3:02 PM
anna said...

I use the brown paper layers from the animal feed sacks. The chicken scratch, horse feeds, some of the dog foods etc all have a nice unbleached heavy paper that can be recycled into weed barriers.

Links and articles on every thing we have talked about, good blog , lots of videos:

http://www.realselfreliance.com/

http://selfrelianceadventures.blogspot.com/2009/01/emergency-notebooks.html

Monday, January 12, 2009
Emergency Notebooks
I’m putting together a couple of notebooks (might turn into more). The first is a Grab and Go Emergency notebook with copies of important documents in it. I’m thinking to make a second copy and leave it at my mom’s house or something so if my house burns to the ground while I’m away, I still have access to my information. Here’s a long ol’ list I got from a preparedness fair of what to put in it (most of these I don’t even have, so they aren’t going in mine, but I guess as you get older you get more of this stuff):

Proof of Identification
*Driver’s License
*Concealed weapons permit/s
*Birth Certificates
*Social Security Cards
*Passports
*Marriage License

Property Records
*Mortgage/Deed
*Rental agreement
*Video, photos, lists of inventory (my insurance guy said to make sure I am in the photos or video—better proof that it was actually my stuff I guess)
*Receipts for major purchases
*Payment record for major repairs
*Appraisals of jewelry, other valuables
*Titles to vehicles
*Cemetery lot information
*Firearm inventory/Serial Numbers

Insurance Policies
*Homeowners
*Health
*Life
*Disability
*Automobile

Medical Information
*Immunizations, other records
*Prescription information (drug, dosage)
*Health Insurance ID Cards
*Physicians names and phone numbers
*Living will
*History of illnesses, accidents, surgeries
*Power of Attorney for health care
*Dental records

Estate Planning
*Wills, trusts
*Power of attorney
*Funeral instructions
*Attorney’s name and phone number

Financial Records
*Tax returns (2 years)
*Credit cards front and back
*Stocks, bonds, CD’s, money market
*Recent bank statement

Other
*Personal address book
*Backup of important computer files
*Usernames and passwords for online accounts
*Key to safety deposit box
*Recent photograph
*List of where original documents are kept
*Extra set of car and house keys
*Map of area and phone numbers of places you could go in case of evacuation
*Numbers of gas and electric company
*Emergency numbers

Whew. Obviously it will take a while to get all this together and copied and I still have to buy the notebook, but I’ve started with some of the personal identification documents. You want to get the information for every member of the family, so I’ll also have to catch my husband home so I can copy the contents of his wallet. I was thinking if the documents are put in page protectors it would probably be best to keep them whole and so they don’t accidentally tear out of the notebook, otherwise, 3 hole punch them.

Then put the notebook somewhere not hidden too deep, but camoflauged enough so you know what it is and can get it quickly if needed, but it doesn’t scream to theives to steal it (it has your WHOLE LIFE in it!)

My second (and maybe third) notebook is for any prep information I have that I want to keep. Remember if the power is out you won’t be able to look it up on the internet! So print it off and put it in a notebook. Right now I have a file folder packed with stuff that is going to go into this notebook so I can actually use it instead of being stuffed in a file where I’ll never look at it if I even remember it’s there. Instructions, recipes, information. Anything you think will be useful. Copy, print, write stuff down and put it all in one place.

HEY, don’t stop reading! There were some good questions brought up in the comments! Click on comments and read on! :)
More Fun from Angela at 11:15 AM
Find more posts about: emergency notebooks, gear
12 comments:

Becky said...

Okay, I have a question, because my husband and I can’t decide. If there is an emergency, wouldn’t it be better to have all your ORIGINAL documents ready to go?

Because copies tell you what info you have, but they won’t fly if you need to get across the border or something (because we live in Alaska, not because we’re fugitives...). Hee, hee!

And if you use copies, where do you keep the originals? In the house? In a different location completely?

What do you think?
January 12, 2009 12:28 PM
AP said...

Hey, that’s really a good question and I was thinking some of the same things as I was working on this. Most stuff on the list is for information (like your insurance policies) but if you actually had to go somewhere, you WOULD want your original drivers license, passport, probably even Social Security cards and birth certificates (all the copies of my kids’ birth certificates have “void” on them). Maybe put the originals in your notebook (of course your DL will be in your wallet) or somewhere nearby.

If you do decide keep them off location they should be in a place you have access to 24/7 (not your safe deposit box at the bank that you can only get to when they are open—nobody else will get to it there, but you might not be able to either). I don’t have a passport, but if I needed one I wouldn’t want to wait for a bank to open to get it! The bank is right up there with the store on places I want to avoid in an emergency. I’m not sure where I could keep mine off site, but maybe a relative’s house?

Probably makes more sense to keep the originals of important documents together (of course mine are in 6 different locations right now) and ready to take with you. In the notebook would probably be fine.

That’s my thinking on it, Any other ideas are welcome :)
January 12, 2009 1:40 PM
D n C said...

I have two notebooks... one with copies and laminated at that...and then the originals all in another place... so that way I can get that one i need depending on the situation.
January 13, 2009 12:27 PM
Joanna said...

I was looking at your past posts and saw the cores/peels from slicing apples, and that you compost them. I make apple jelly from my cores and peels, then compost them.

In case you’re interested, follow these instructions for extracting the juice, and then these instructions for making the jelly.

I’ve really enjoyed your blog, and have bookmarked it to come back. :)
January 13, 2009 7:23 PM
Melonie said...

This is a great list and the comments are excellent as well.

I would add one thing to the general list for identification: military service members and dependents should make copies of their military-issued ID cards, as well as their military issued or International drivers license (not just their Stateside one). Some civilians who travel overseas also have an International drivers license - they’d want a copy of that also. :-)

As for us: our originals (outside of what’s in our wallets, of course) are in a huge Ziploc bag in our file box. It can be grabbed on its own in an emergency (the baggie) or we can just grab the entire file box if need be. I have photocopies in each of our BOB’s - that way if we somehow miss a bag, no matter whose it is, I still have copies in whatever I *am* able to grab. Diaper bag, my daughter’s bag, an adult bag - each has a manila folder with the vital records in it. I saved space and paper by copying on both sides, of course. ;-)
January 14, 2009 6:50 AM
Melonie said...

Hi again. :-) One other note for anyone military (active, retired, prior service non-retired, Reserve or Guard) - keep a copy of your (or your service member’s) most recent orders as well, or a DD214 if you’re no longer in the service.

Divorced folks, especially those with custody of any children, might want extra copies of their finalized divorce decree & any applicable parenting plans. I know they aren’t small, but usually the first page, the page stating who keeps the children, and the signature page are adequate in an emergency.

Hope that’s of assistance to someone - these are things that have stood out for our family as I went through our vital records for copying; I’m pretty sure I’m not the only divorced and remarried military spouse out there. LOL
January 14, 2009 6:54 AM

http://mayberry-keepitsimplestupid.blogspot.com/

Interesting blog on survival, by those who do understand what we are thinking.

A million links.

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

[more hidden links/urls]

Real Self Reliance
In search of a realistic self-reliant life

* Home
* About
* RSS

The Self Reliant Web Digest #7

Self reliant how-to’s & information from around the web.

* Practically Free Egg Carton Dryer Lint Firestarters (Adventures In Self Reliance) - Fun little preparedness project.

* Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) [Wolfe’s Blog] - An intro to a very useful communication tool.

* Lists (Abraham’s Blog) - All good preppers need lists.

* Walden, and 99 other Free Online Books Every Student of Humanity Should Read (Universities and Colleges) - Thanks to Art of Manliness for pointing this out.

* Tools for self reliance may be a matter of perspective (Our Right To Self Reliance) - Learning to repurpose stuff.

* Using a Gratitude Journal as a Personal Motivator to Save Money and Enjoy Life (The Simple Dollar) - A little bit of gratitude goes a long way toward being mentally self-reliant.

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

[hidden urls, near end of page]

Self reliant ideas and skills from around the web.

* Small Steps To Emergency Preparedness (Safely Gathered In) - Changing little habits and doing little things can make a big difference with the going gets rough.

* Security is an illusion. Freedom is real. (Wise Bread) - What you thought was cautious living may not really be as safe as you thought.

* Avoid Identity Theft: 9 Preventative Measures (Stepcase Lifehack) - Take responsibility and guard against identity theft.

* Coleman whitegas latern (Abraham’s Blog) - If you don’t know how to use a white gas latern, check it out.
http://hotdogjam.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/coleman-whitegas-lantern/

* Use Personal Marketing To Persuade Yourself to Save (Get Rich Slowly) - Hey if radio and tv ads are going to advertise things that you don’t need and are back for your finances, you might as well help counteract their influence by marketing to yourself (and you know… watching less TV).

* How To Make Your Own Luck (Get Rich Slowly) - Attitude makes all the difference, and you can change your attitude. He mentions a newsweek article called What it Takes to Survive, which is itself worth a read.

http://www.realselfreliance.com/page/2/

Bart and I got together the other day and made this video. It shows a way to make your own toothpaste using stuff you probably already have in your kitchen.

Here’s all it takes:
3 parts baking soda
1 part salt
1.5~2 parts Vegetable glycerin
Some kind of essential oil (This is just for taste, so pick something you like - cinnamon, tea tree, mint, etc…)
Maybe some water, depending on how you are going to store it.

Just mix it up, and store it.

You can also leave it as a powder. It just takes some getting used to.

http://www.wisebread.com/15-real-simple-ways-to-save-thousands-of-dollars

Many, Many money saving tips.

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