Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today - an On going Thread #3]

Frugal Dad .com ^ | July 23, 2009 | Frugal Dad

[nw_arizona_granny]

Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition Category: Roundups | Comments(15)

Did you hear about the guy that lives on nothing? No seriously, he lives on zero dollars a day. Meet Daniel Suelo, who lives in a cave outside Moab, Utah. Suelo has no mortgage, no car payment, no debt of any kind. He also has no home, no car, no television, and absolutely no “creature comforts.” But he does have a lot of creatures, as in the mice and bugs that scurry about the cave floor he’s called home for the last three years.

To us, Suelo probably sounds a little extreme. Actually, he probably sounds very extreme. After all, I suspect most of you reading this are doing so under the protection of some sort of man-made shelter, and with some amount of money on your person, and probably a few needs for money, too. And who doesn’t need money unless they have completely unplugged from the grid? Still, it’s an amusing story about a guy who rejects all forms of consumerism as we know it.

The Frugal Roundup

How to Brew Your Own Beer and Maybe Save Some Money. A fantastic introduction to home brewing, something I’ve never done myself, but always been interested in trying. (@Generation X Finance)

Contentment: A Great Financial Principle. If I had to name one required emotion for living a frugal lifestyle it would be contentment. Once you are content with your belongings and your lot in life you can ignore forces attempting to separate you from your money. (@Personal Finance by the Book)

Use Energy Star Appliances to Save On Utility Costs. I enjoyed this post because it included actual numbers, and actual total savings, from someone who upgraded to new, energy star appliances. (@The Digerati Life)

Over-Saving for Retirement? Is it possible to “over-save” for retirement? Yes, I think so. At some point I like the idea of putting some money aside in taxable investments outside of retirement funds, to be accessed prior to traditional retirement age. (@The Simple Dollar)

40 Things to Teach My Kids Before They Leave Home. A great list of both practical and philosophical lessons to teach your kids before they reach the age where they know everything. I think that now happens around 13 years-old. (@My Supercharged Life)

Index Fund Investing Overview. If you are looking for a place to invest with high diversification and relatively low fees (for broader index funds with low turnover), index funds are a great place to start. (@Money Smart Life)

5 Reasons To Line Dry Your Laundry. My wife and I may soon be installing a clothesline in our backyard. In many neighborhoods they are frowned upon - one of the reasons I don’t like living in a neighborhood. I digress. One of our neighbors recently put up a clothesline, and we might just follow his lead. (@Simple Mom)

A Few Others I Enjoyed

* 4 Quick Tips for Getting Out of a Rut * Young and Cash Rich * Embracing Simple Style * First Trading Experience With OptionsHouse * The Exponential Power of Delayed Consumption * How Much Emergency Fund is Enough? * 50 Questions that Will Free Your Mind * Save Money On Car Insurance

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://farmaid.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-recipes-from-farm-aid.html

Pumpkin Whoopee Pies

1 1/2 sticks (6 oz) butter (1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened)
1 cup Packed light brown sugar
2 Large eggs
1 cup Canned pure pumpkin puree
1 Tbs Pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
3/4 tsp Salt
1 2/3 C Flour
4 ounces Cream cheese, chilled
1 cup Confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Whisk melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, 1 tsp vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and 3/4 tsp salt. Fold in flour with a rubber spatula.

Using a tablespoon, drop generous mounds of batter on baking sheets. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes.

Use an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with cream cheese. Add confectioner’s sugar, 2 pinches of salt, 1/2 tsp vanilla and mix on low speed until blended, then beat on med-high until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Spread and make sandwiches once fully cooled.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://homegrown.org/blog/2010/03/earthship-biotecture/

Earthship Biotecture

The keynote speaker who kicked off this year’s Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) was Michael Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, and also known as “The Garbage Warrior”. Why, you ask, was the Garbage Warrior speaking at a sustainable farming conference? Others at the conference wondered the same – until Michael said this: “Independent of shifts from outside forces (the economy, the availability of petroleum-based materials and fuel, etc.), we want to ensure that individuals can continue to draw the sustenance of life from the Earth”.

Sounds like what farmers do doesn’t it?

Caroline Malcolm is a HOMEGROWNer and an Environmental Science and Policy major at Northeastern University in Boston. She has written an informative blog about Earthship Biotecture. Thanks Caroline!

Imagine living in a home built from indigenous and recycled materials that regulates its own temperature, generates its own electricity, treats its own sewage, harvests its own water, and produces its own food with little to no mortgage payments or utility bills. While it appears to be an out-of-this-world concept, Michael Reynolds, principal architect of Earthship Biotecture, has created fully sustainable, self-sufficient Earthship dwellings that can be built anywhere in the world in any climate.

Architectural pioneer and environmental warrior, Reynolds has spent forty years designing his Earthships. He is radically evolving the current way of living in order to reverse the negative impact of human development our planet in a way that is innovative, affordable, and accessible. Earthships are built upon Reynolds’s principles of biotecture, a combination of biology and architecture. The homes are built from 45% recycled materials including tires, compacted earth, glass and plastic bottles, and the balance from indigenous resources that use little to no manufactured energy. To prevent further degradation of the environment, Earthships make use of natural sources of energy, namely solar and wind, for heating, cooling, and electricity.

Aside from meeting energy needs, Earthships are treating sewage for water recycling, landscaping, and food production. Some waste is treated in an exterior botanical cell for use as “humanure” in outdoor gardens. Grey water from sinks and showers is used for year-round indoor growing.

Growers use layers of gravel, sand, and soil stacked in unique Earthship planters and the treated gray water enters from the bottom leaching upwards to the soil. Many Earthship dwellers create more growing space in their homes by installing hanging bucket planters from the ceilings that simulate the planters. PVC tubes inserted through the bottom of the bucket bottom water the plants, just as in an Earthship planter.

Using this method, growers at the Phoenix Earthship in New Mexico produced a number of herbs and many colorful, exotic flowers in addition to a cornucopia of tasty, organic fruits and veggies including: broccoli, carrots, eggplant, corn, greens, squash, cucumber, peas, and watercress, tomatoes, blood oranges, grapefruits, limes, coconuts, strawberries, bananas, figs, melons, and pineapple.

From heat and electricity, to fruits and vegetables, Earthships are transforming the lifestyle of many homeowners and restoring the health of the planet. By embracing the principles of biotecture to build a sustainable Earthship and relying on the natural materials and processes of the Earth to meet basic needs, individuals can break their dependency on expensive, toxic materials and fossil fuels to sustain themselves. In the spirit of the “garbage warrior” Michael Reynolds, we all must take part in the restoration of our planet and of independent living!

The latest initiative from the Earthship Biotecture folks is the “Pockets of Freedom” mapping project: A “County by county map of the United States where permitting for environmentally friendly housing is quick and easy.” If you have information to share about your own “Pocket of Freedom”, let Michael know about it too!

Giveaway! For a chance to receive a copy of the Michael Reynolds book “Comfort In Any Climate” and a “From The Ground Up” DVD, leave a comment here and let us know your thoughts! We’ll pick a winner at random on Friday March 26th.

http://www.earthship.org/begin-here/pockets-of-freedom

[Nothing wants to open for me today...I couldn’t see the earthship site.....granny

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://justbraise.com/category/quick-cooking/

Pita Wedges
1 packet pita
olive oil
za’atar*

*Za’atar is a wild thyme-based spice mixture available at Middle Eastern or specialty markets or in the International section of high end groceries. Each blend is slightly different based on the producer, but other spices include sesame seeds, sumac, salt and Aleppo pepper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice pita into 8 wedges. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with za’atar. Use as a base for the following meze dips:

Tzatziki
4 Persian cucumbers (or 1 regular, seeded), diced
2 pints Greek-style yogurt
2 lemons, juiced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 sprigs fresh dill, washed and chopped
salt to taste
paprika, for garnish

Mix first six ingredients. Place a dollop on a pita wedge, sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Hummus
1 16 ounce can chickpeas, washed and drained
2 cloves garlic
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt to taste
za’atar, for garnish

Place first 6 ingredients in a blender. Blitz until smooth, adding water, 2 tablespoons at a time as needed to process. Salt to taste. Place a dollop on a pita wedge, sprinkle with za’atar to serve.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip
2 cups roasted red peppers (if using jarred, drain and pat dry)
1 lemon, juiced
1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 cup tahini
salt to taste
capers, for garnish (or a single caper berry)

Place first six ingredients in a blender. Blitz until smooth. Salt to taste. Place a dollop on a pita wedge, sprinkle with capers to serve. Note: Replace tahini with yogurt, feta, almonds or walnuts for a totally new dip.

Moroccan Carrot Salad
1/2 pound carrots, washed, peeled and grated (about 4 large carrots)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients until combined. Season with more salt to taste if desired. Serve as a side dish or with pita wedges (above). Note: Try this salad stuffed in a pita with roasted chicken or one of the above dips.

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Lemon Stained Glass Cookies

This week my classes are celebrating their second week of holidays. As Hannukah is just about leaving us, we’re busy cutting cookies for Christmas. This week, we turned boring sugar cookies into zippy cinnamony-lemon treats. We took those zippy cookies and added another element, cutting out smaller shapes in the cookies, then filling those cut outs with crushed hard candies.

The kids loved how our opaque sugar powders (ground Jolly Ranchers) turned into smooth clear centers. When held up to the light these cookies are really dazzling. Of course, in class, our cookies were eaten so quickly we didn’t even bother to poke a hole at top to hang them.

A word to those working these cookies in your own kitchen: keep an eye on the flour and dough scraps! At the end of each day I am thrilled I’m not the one to mop up the floor (and sorry for the one that does). If it’s any consolation I do have to scrape off the bottom of my shoes. (recipe at bottom, photo tk)

****

Sweet Potato Latkes with Applesauce
Makes about 20 small latkes

2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 small Vidalia onion
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
Add one:
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Grate sweet potatoes and onion using the largest setting on a box grater. Spread potatoes and onions on a paper towel, cover with more paper towels and press to expel water. Transfer the potatoes and onions into a bowl. Add eggs and salt. For regular flavored latkes, add ground pepper. For cumin flavored latkes, add cumin. For cinnamon “dessert” latkes, add the cinnamon. Alternatively, after adding the eggs and salt, divide the mixture between three bowls and add the seasoning to each for three different latke flavors.
Warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place a scoop of potato batter into the pan and flatten with a spatula. Fry until darkly golden, about 6 minutes, flip and fry another 5 to 6 minutes.Transfer to serving plate and serve with applesauce and sour cream.
*****

Lemon Stained Glass Cookies
Makes about 30 cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 ounces clear hard candies, broken into small pieces (Recommended: Jolly Rancher)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Note: an easy method for breaking hard candies is to put them through the coffee grinder.
With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, lemon extract and lemon zest. Beat to combine about 1 minute more. Sift in flours, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Mix until just combined.
Form the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a well floured surface. Flatten dough into a sphere and sprinkle with flour. Roll out dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut desired shapes using large cookie cutters. Transfer cut dough to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Use smaller cookie cutter shapes, removing shapes from the cookies, leaving approximately a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Gather scraps, form into a ball and re-roll dough for more cookies. Poke a hole at the top of the cookies (to create ornament cookies). Sprinkle a layer of hard candy in the small cookie cutter holes. Bake 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool about 10 minutes on cookie sheet before removing them with a thin spatula.

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During the party, we’ll be frying these up and serving them with dipping sauce. In class, we boiled them, put a dash of miso in our water and had an Asian fusion dumpling soup that the kids dug.

Vegetable Wonton Soup
Makes about 60 wontons

Filling:
1 cup edamame beans, shelled
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon ginger
6 scallions, sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/4 head of cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Wonton wrappers

Blitz edamame, garlic, soy sauce, honey and ginger in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in remaining filling ingredients. Place a wonton wrapper on a work surface. Use your finger to brush the edges with water. Add approximately 1/2 tablespoon to the center of the wonton, fold in half, corner to corner, forming a triangle and sealing edges. Pinch the triangle corners together. Place on a cookie sheet and repeat with remaining wontons. Freeze the wontons overnight on the cookie sheet then transfer to a freezer bag or cook them to eat immediately.

To cook: (Fried) Heat sesame oil over medium high heat. Add in a few wontons. Cook 2-3 minutes each side until lightly browned. Serve with dipping sauce. (Boiled) Bring water to a boil. Drop in a few wontons. Boil 5-6 minutes. Add hot water over 1 teaspoon of miso paste (optional) and a few pieces of seaweed, stir to combine. Add wontons and garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro.

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Curried Butternut Squash Soup
8 servings

1 large butternut squash, reserve seeds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tart apple, plus (recommended: Granny Smith), peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon curry
4 cups (1 quart) chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment: Immersion Blender

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, deseed, reserving seeds. Place facedown on a baking sheet and bake 40 minutes. Rinse seeds and lay out on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake about 10 minutes, until golden and just beginning to pop.

Warm the olive oil in a saucepot on medium high heat. Saute onion and apple, 10 minutes. Add curry and stir to incorporate. Scoop squash flesh from the skin. Add flesh to saucepot. Add stock, bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender (or carefully with a stand blender). Serve, sprinkled with seeds or chopped apple.

Apple Grilled Cheese
8 servings

16 slices thick cut potato bread, challah or brioche
Gruyere cheese (or cheddar), sliced
2 tart apples (recommended: Granny Smith), cored, sliced into 16 to 18 segments
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

NOTE: Other delicious additions include roasted garlic, caramelized onions, thick-cut bacon, and/ or sautéed mushroom

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lay 8 slices of bread on a baking sheet. Top the bread with a few thick slices of cheese. Layer with apples then top with another single slice of cheese. Top with the second slice of bread, brush with melted butter and bake, 15 minutes, flipping sandwiches and brushing with more butter halfway through baking.

Cranberry-Apple Crumble
1 9-inch crumble

Filling:
4-5 tart apples (recommended: Granny Smith, McIntosh, Cortland), peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons flour
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Crust:
1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Topping:
1/2 cup crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

Make Filling: Toss filling ingredients until evenly combined, set aside, allowing flavors to mingle.
Make Crust: Mix crushed graham crackers, melted butter, lemon zest and nutmeg. Push into a 9-inch pie tin, coating into an even crust on bottom and sides, approximately 1/8-inch thick.
Make Topping: Mix filling ingredients with a fork until large crumbs form.
Assemble Pie: Add filling over crust. Sprinkle topping over apple filling. Bake or freeze.

A few hours before serving, preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove crumble from freezer, remove any coverings and bake on middle rack 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees F, bake 30-35 minutes, until bubbly, fragrant and apples are tender. Cool on a rack at least 1 hour before serving.

(Optional) Reheat a slice in the microwave and top with a scoop of vanilla, caramel or cinnamon ice cream.

Cranberry-Caesar Salad with Turkey
12 servings

Croutons:
Stale bread
Olive oil
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Dressing:
4 anchovies, patted dry
3 large cloves garlic (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
1 egg
3 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons tarragon or apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh-ground black pepper

Make Croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Assemble bread on a sheet pan. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bake 10-15 minutes, until golden.
Make Dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired. Note: If you trust the source of your eggs and know they are fresh (bought direct from a farm or Greenmarket) you may eat them raw. If not, boil egg for 1 minute before using.
Assemble Salad: Toss dressing with leftover salad greens, about 1 cup of shredded turkey and croutons.

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Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Coconut Frosting
Makes 24 mini muffins. Bake time= 15-18 minutes.

Muffins:
3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons crushed ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground flax (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration:
Black, green, orange, red, blue food coloring, assorted dried fruit and candies, etc

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 mini muffin cups with liners. In a medium bowl add pumpkin, egg, molasses, butter, ginger and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Sift in whole wheat flour, baking powder, flax, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and baking soda. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix ingredients.

Scoop batter into muffin liners. Bake 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. While baking, whisk together frosting ingredients. Divide frosting into small bowls. Dye one green, one orange, one black, etc. Set aside.

Remove muffins from oven. Let cool 10-15 minutes. Frost and decorate with assorted candies and dried fruit.

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1-Hour Whole Wheat Dough
adapted from epicurious.com
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Add 3/4 cup warm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir in yeast and let sit 5 minutes. Brush another medium-sized bowl with olive oil, set aside. Into the bowl with yeast, sift in the flour, sugar and salt and pour in the olive oil. Knead the mixture in the bowl until smooth and sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer the dough to the olive oil coated bowl, turning so the oil covers all surfaces. Cover and let sit in a warm area until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Punch the dough down. (Here you can refrigerate the dough overnight.) Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll out the dough with a rolling pin from the center out.

Fig & Caramelized Onion Pizza
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cups arugula
8 fresh black figs, halved
1/2 large ball mozzarella, sliced
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (Recommended: Dodonis feta)
1 1-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe above)

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a warm medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions, salt and the leaves from 1 sprig thyme. Saute for 15 minutes until soft and just beginning to caramelize, stirring every once in a while. Add the balsamic vinegar and sauté another 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat.
Turn the oven to 400F. Roll out the dough and transfer to baking pan. Brush the dough with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and the leaves of the remaining thyme. Sprinkle the arugula over the dough, assemble the figs. Top with the caramelized onions, top with mozzarella and feta. Bake 15-20 minutes until dough and cheese is golden.
NOTE: Add procuitto to the pizza for an extra special pie.

Classic Cheese with Fresh Basil Pizza
Makes 1 14-inch pizza

1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh basil
1 large ball mozzarella, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1-Hour Whole Wheat Pizza Dough (recipe above)

Turn the oven to 400F. Roll out the dough and transfer to baking pan. Spread the tomato sauce over the dough, sprinkle with salt and arrange the basil over the sauce. Arrange the mozzarella over top, drizzle with olive oil. Bake 15-20 minutes until dough and cheese is golden.

summerrolls.jpg

Last week was Mushroom Summer Rolls. I learned that the Vietnamese translation of these rolls (and spring rolls) is technically “mixed fresh vegetables,” or something similar– so summer roll/ spring roll is interchangeable. I like saying summer roll for un-fried/fresh rolls. Spring rolls for the ones you fry. We made summer rolls.

Mixed reviews on these from the students. I laid out all the vegetables for the kids to chose whatever filling they want and I’d say 20% made solely carrot rolls. They declared them delicious though (the fully carrot rolls), so that’s a start. Some made carrot-sugar snap pea rolls. Most adventurous and some mushroom-loving souls chowed down on creativity and filled them with everything on the platter. A few in my Friday class (K/1) started making square, triangular and “people stuffed” rolls. Best not to ask on those.

Everyone enjoyed the challenge of not only rolling these, but also figuring out the correct time to leave the rice paper under water to make it pliable. There was also the aspect of sharing– only 2 bowls of warm water and one rice paper at a time.

One of my K/1 boys told happily declared he doesn’t like vegetables. “Well, what do you like?” “Mashed potatoes, white rice and chicken.” Adventurous eater. “But you ate pizza last week.” “That’s because it was pizza.” “Hmm, touché.” His roll? Rice paper rolled with “invisible” vegetables. I wonder if he’ll eat our upcoming gnocchi.

Mushroom Summer Rolls
Makes approximately 8 rolls

Marinade:
4-6 ounces mushrooms, sautéed 10 minutes in 1 tablespoon sesame oil (Recommended: Enoki or Shiitake)
1 lime, juiced & zested
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon sirachi or other hot sauce (optional)*
Filling:
1 packet 10-12 inch rice paper wrap (Available at Specialty markets in their Asian foods section, or Asian markets)
1 bunch fresh mint (or Thai basil)
1 pint bean sprouts
1 red bell pepper, julienned (sliced thin)
1 carrot, julienned (sliced thin)
15 sugar snap peas, julienned (sliced thin)
3 scallions, sliced
1/2 English cucumber, julienned (sliced thin) (Alternatively, remove seeds and slice regular cucumber)

*Note: Ginger opens up the taste buds and has a heat of its own. Be careful adding any additional hot sauce– This gets spicy fast!

Combine ingredients for marinade, mix to combine and set aside for 1 hour, up to overnight. Fill a large mixing bowl with very warm tap water. Lay a damp paper towel in front of you as a work surface (in class we used damp paper plates). Fully submerge rice paper for 20 seconds in the water until slippery and pliable, the warmer the water the less time needed. Remove with both hands, keeping spread apart and lay out on towel. Working in just the center 3-4 inches of the rice paper circle, layer preferred ingredients, including mushrooms and a little marinade, horizontally. Fold over the right side of the rice paper to just over center. Fold over the left side of the paper to just over center. Fold the bottom side over then push down slightly and roll to complete, keeping the ends tucked in. Continue until remaining ingredients are used.
NOTE: Use the leftover marinade as a dipping sauce!
NOTE: Other fun ingredients include shrimp, beef, lettuce, rice, radish, baby turnips, pickles, cabbage, cilantro. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter to marinade for a peanut dipping sauce!

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Ooey Gooey Granola Balls
Makes about 24 2-tablespoon balls.

2 ripe bananas (aprox. 1/2 cup mashed)
1/2 cup raw honey
1 teaspoon orange zest (use an organic orange so there is no pesticide)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup ground flax seed (or sesame seed)
1/4 cup bee pollen*
1/4 cup unsweetened dried fruit (raisins, apple chunks, goji berries, apricots, etc)
2-1/2 cups raw oatmeal (recommended: Bob’s Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal)
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a potato masher to smush the bananas in a medium mixing bowl. Mash in honey, orange zest, cinnamon and ground flax until well combined. Add bee pollen, dried fruit and oatmeal. Stir until evenly combined. With wet hands, scoop and roll golfball size spoonfuls (2 tablespoons) between your hands forming balls. Arrange on cookie sheet. Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. (While waiting, make fruit salad.)
NOTE: When I make this at home I cut the amount of banana and honey and replace it with peanut butter. Also, as long as your batter remains moist and gooey you can stir in more goodies—chopped nuts, toasted seeds, coconut flakes, chocolate chip. Add ingredients at 1/4 cup intervals. Be creative and have fun!

* Bee Pollen is a natural way to address and relieve seasonal pollen allergies. Look for NYS pollen, as the flowers are more likely to be what we encounter in the city. Bee pollen is also high in protein, amino acids, and vitamins like B-complex and folic acid. (It’s the bee’s energy and food source through the winter!) It is also thought to contain antibiotic properties, helping us fend off sickness (like seasonal flu).

Zesty Yogurt-Fruit Salad
4 servings

2 cups plain yogurt
1 apple, cut into bite-sized pieces (aprox 3/4 cup)
1 pear, cut into bite-sized pieces (aprox 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup seedless grapes, sliced in half
1 teaspoon orange zest (use an organic orange)
1 orange, juiced
1 teaspoon cinnamon plus some for dusting

Mix ingredients to combine.
NOTE: Use whatever fruit you like– whatever is in season!

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Raw Beet Salad
Active Time= 15 minutes. Cook Time= 0 minutes.
4-5 medium-sized beets
3-4 medium-sized carrots
2 scallions, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons raw honey
2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
salt to taste

Peel beets and carrots and slice in a food processor with shredding attachment. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with scallions and mint. Place apple cider vinegar, orange juice, mustard, honey and celery seed in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Toss ingredients to coat, season to taste with salt.

NOTE: 1/2 cup mayonnaise or sour cream can be added to this dish if you prefer cream-based coleslaws.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://justbraise.com/category/gardening/

We didn’t know much about growing corn (or anything else) when we decided to plant it– We had heard something about tasseling, but upon speaking with our CSA farmers, decided that was something boys in Indiana cornfields do for a few pennies for some arcane reason no one could be sure of.

Other hints we received before planting:
(1) At least 12 stalks are ideal to get pollination going, and therefore create kernels.
(2) Small plots of corn like to be planted in squares– not rows– rows are for large fields, think pollination.

Some hints we did not receive– and didn’t research enough before planting:
(1) In small spaces, to avoid cross-pollination, you should plant all one corn variety– OR– early season and late season corn to avoid cross-pollination. The above picture is two of our different corn varieties with minimal cross-pollination. D and I planted 4 different corn varieties, 4 stalks of each variety– oops.
(2) Tasseling is what boys in Indiana cornfields do to prevent cross-pollination. (There might be machines these days that do this if needed though most farmers plant all one variety.)
(3) There does exist early-season, mid-season, and late-season corn. Let’s explain this a little. As first time gardeners, and not doing much garden reading before actually planting anything, much of our knowledge base was our own common sense, and anything we could ask others without being a pest. I always thought of August as corn month and therefore thought all corn was harvested in August. Apparently, we had an early corn variety and while I waited for August to roll around before picking any corn, I grew upset at one of our varieties that began to die in late July. Why? It was an early variety that was done producing. So while D was upstate for 3 weeks working and I was tending the garden, all I could think of was something is wrong with this one stupid corn variety. We’re not planting it next year. Eventually I realized it was early season corn and when D asked me why didn’t you pick it? My response was, what else? Because it wasn’t August.
(3) There does exist dwarf corn and tall corn varieties. And I now realize this is true for many other plants. Not only did I grow angry at our one corn variety that decided to die in July, I was also upset at it because it grew to a puny 4 feet while our other corn shot to a commanding 7 or 8 feet.

Lessons learned?
While D claims to not want to plant corn next year I may override his decision. This year was a learning year. Next year’s single variety will thrive!

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http://justbraise.com/category/breads-grains/

Kibbeh with Black Cherry Sauce (aka Middle Eastern meatballs)
10 servings, appetizer

Kibbeh:
3/4 cup onion (about 1 large onion), rough chopped
1 cup fine-ground bulgur, cooked
1/2 pound ground lamb
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons olive oil

Puree the onion in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl. Add cooked bulgur, lamb, beef, salt, pepper and allspice. Mix until thoroughly incorporated. Roll into small meatballs, about 1-inch in size. Add olive oil to a sauté pan set over medium high heat. Cook until browned on both sides. Serve with Black Cherry Sauce (recipe not included).

*****

Banana-Coconut-Oat Bread
1 loaf

1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup brown sugar (substitute: honey)
1/4 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1 tablespoon flax seeds, finely ground
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, in 1 tablespoon pieces, room temp
1/4 cup coconut oil, in 1 tablespoon pieces, room temp
1-1/2 cups ripe bananas, (about 3 large bananas)
1/4 cup buttermilk (substitute: plain or coconut yogurt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1 cup raisins (substitute: dates, currants, 1/2 chopped walnuts, chocolate chips, etc)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9”x5”x3” loaf pan, set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flours, oats, brown sugar, shredded coconut, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and allspice. Add butter, coconut oil, bananas, buttermilk, vanilla and eggs. Using a potato masher, smash and mix the ingredients together until fully incorporated. (It’s okay to leave some larger pieces of banana). Stir in raisins. Transfer to loaf pan.

Bake the bread on the middle rack approximately 1 hour 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.

*****

Moong Dal Chilla (Indian Lentil Pancakes) with Raita
8-10 servings

Moong Dal Chilla:
1 cup moong dal (split yellow mung beans found in Indian food section. Can substitute yellow split peas)
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 red onion, shredded
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup whole cooked chickpeas
ghee (clarified butter) or olive oil

Rinse moong dal and soak in a water bath overnight (minimum 4 hours). Blitz drained moong dal in a food processor with 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, until a smooth paste forms.

Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add carrot and onion, sauté 5 minutes until softened. Add salt, cumin, ginger, garlic powder and turmeric, sauté 2 minutes more, until flavors are released. Transfer to a medium bowl.

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Stir in chickpea flour, cilantro, whole chickpeas and 1 cup water, mixing until well combined. Set aside for 15 minutes. Transfer batter to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and lightly oiled (jelly roll pan with 1 inch sides). Bake 10-15 minutes, until just golden at the edges. Serve with raita, fruit chutney or chopped tomatoes.

*****

Nori Wrapped Cod Cakes
8-10 servings

2 pounds fatty white fish like cod, pollock, haddock or salmon
2 eggs
1 cup cooked brown rice
1/3 cup chopped scallions, whites and light green only
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, stems and leaves
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce
nori (seaweed), cut into 1/2-inch strips
panko crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs)
grapeseed or other neutral oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and brush with oil,

In a food processor, puree fish with eggs until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and fold in brown rice, scallions, cilantro, pepper, salt and fish sauce. Place about 1 cup of panko crumbs on a plate. Dampen hands with cold water, then shape fish batter into balls, about the size of a golf ball. Roll in panko crumbs then wrap the nori strip around the formed fish ball. Place on baking sheet, seam down, and flatten slightly to about 3/4- inch thickness. Continue with remainder, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. Serve with soy sauce.

Note: Make these Fish Balls Thai flavored by adding red or green Thai curry paste. To make these Norwegian or Spanish, remove fish sauce and scallions for some parsley, garlic and red onions. Thai-style can be served with a little sweet-sour sauce, Spanish with some sofrito (tomato sauce), New England-style with tartar, etc.

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Beet and Spinach Gnocchi
8 servings

1 lb russet potatoes (recommended: small potatoes)
1/2 cup pureed beets (about 2 small beets; use pre-cooked or see method below)
1-1/4 cups semolina flour, plus more
4 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained (or: chop, sauté and drain your beet greens! The flavor is similar to spinach.)
2 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, plus
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons butter
4 3-inch rosemary sprigs
Parmesan cheese

Special Equipment: Ricer or Food Mill

NOTE: In class, I cooked, peeled and cooled beets and potatoes early in the week. This made assembly of the gnocchi a super fast snap!

Preheat oven to 400F. Snip greens from beets (save for another use), wrap in foil and roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Remove skin under cold running water, set aside to cool. Boil whole potatoes, skin on, until soft, 25-30 minutes. Cool and peel potatoes by slipping the skin between two paper towels.

Pass beets and potatoes through a ricer into a medium bowl. Stir in drained spinach, flour, eggs, nutmeg, salt and a few turns of black pepper until well combined. (NOTE: Drain spinach by pressing the water out.) Batter should hold together when pressed but still be sticky.

Scoop a heaping spoonful of the dough onto a semolina-dusted work surface. Roll into a log, about 1/2-inch thick. Slice into 1/2-inch long pieces, transfer to a semolina-dusted parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue to re-flour (if necessary) scoop and roll dough until done.

Warm butter in a skillet. Add rosemary and sauté 2 minutes until fragrant. Add gnocchi to pan and a pinch of nutmeg, cooking until browned, about 4 minutes each side. Continue until all gnocchi is cooked, adding more butter if needed. Once complete, toss gnocchi together lightly in a serving bowl with any reserved rosemary or butter from pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

NOTE: Leave out the beets and try sweet potato or winter squash (like pumpkin) gnocchi. Or, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste (red gnocchi), pureed spinach for green, or other veggie for another color. Serve with sautéed mushroom or tomato sauce.

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Butternut Squash Empanadas
Makes 24 6-inch empanadas

Empanada Dough:*
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (or freshly ground flax seed)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup very warm tap water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Filling:
1 butternut squash (or other winter squashes, acorn, buttercup or sweet pumpkin, for example)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon muscavado sugar (alternate: dark brown sugar)
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped

*Note: You can alternatively use thawed pastry dough from the store

Preheat oven to 350F. Slice squash in half length wise. Scoop out seeds (reserve, wash and toast with salt for a snack). Prick the squash with a fork, brush with the olive oil. Bake 30-45 minutes until squash is soft when pricked with a fork. Set aside to cool. Turn oven to 375F.

In a medium mixing bowl sift together flours and wheat germ. Work in the butter with your hands until batter is granular. In a small bowl, whisk ONE egg with salt, warm water, and vinegar, then add to the dough. Add egg mixture to the flour and knead together a few minutes until smooth. Divide the dough into 24 portions. Roll into balls, cover, and let rest at least 30 minutes on counter.

Scoop squash into a bowl, leaving behind the skin. Add nutmeg, salt, sugar and sage. Use a potato masher to mash the squash until it’s smooth/ even in texture. Taste, add more salt if needed. (You can alternatively put filling ingredients into a food processor, puree until smooth.)

Whisk the second egg in a small bowl and set in your work area.

Working with one dough ball at a time, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into 6-7 inch rounds, about 1/8-inch thick. Wet the perimeter of the circle with the beaten egg, then scoop 2-3 heaping tablespoons of filling just below center of dough. Fold in half, expelling air, then crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet. Continue until baking sheet is full. Brush the top of each empanada with some of the beaten egg (this will help brown the dough when baking). Bake 18-25 minutes, until golden.

NOTE: Want to decorate the tops of your empanadas? Take a few of your dough balls and roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Use miniature cookie cutters to make shapes. After you’ve applied the egg to the empanadas, top with your dough shapes.

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Herbed Pizza (Dough)
Makes enough for 3 pies. Prep time= 15 minutes. Inactive time= 2.75 hours. Cook time= 0 minutes.
2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
2-1/4 cups all-purpose white flour
2 tablespoons herbs (fresh is best, whatever you like: rosemary, thyme, oregano are all good) OR 1 tablespoon dried
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon instant yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1-3/4 cups warm water

Use an electric mixer with a dough hook (or knead by hand). Mix flours, herbs, salt and yeast to combine. Add olive oil and water and knead/mix for 8 minutes. Dough should form a ball and no longer stick to the sides of your bowl. Dust with more flour, cover and let sit undisturbed for 2 hours. Punch down and let rise another 45 minutes. Divide the dough into three equal portions, dust with flour and wrap portions you will not be using in plastic wrap and freeze.

Sprinkle a work surface with cornmeal, dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out your dough to desired thickness. I recommend about 1/4 inch. At this point, begin heating your oven between 450-500 F. Transfer dough to a sheet pan and add toppings. Bake 12-15 minutes, until crust (and cheese if applied) are golden.

Tips: if you’re making a pizza with a non-cured meat (like sausage or chicken) make sure to cook the meat first. Same goes for fresh mushrooms, bell peppers or onions! I also like some hot pepper flakes sprinkled on top of the tomato paste.

Recommended toppings to mix and match: Anchovies, olives, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, fresh greens (some people like to cook these first slightly, I like how they crisp up at the edges), prosciutto, lamb sausage, pesto, chicken, chorizo, ramps, garlic slices, fresh herbs, caramelized onions, roasted red pepper, bacon, shrimp, mussels, clams, asparagus, eggplant, etc.

Don’t forget to mix and match the dairy too: yogurt, lebne, mozarella, goat cheese, blue cheese, etc.

As mentioned, once you have the frozen dough, just thaw and continue as usual. It’s fun to have pizza dough on hand “in case of emergency” and friends are amazed when you suggest you whip up a quick pie. You can also use the dough to make focaccia, or even crackers if desired. Just alter the topping and roll out width depending on what you make!

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://justbraise.com/category/quick-cooking/page/2/

Honey Lavender Goat Cheese Cake
Makes 12 servings. Active Time= 20 minutes. Inactive Time= 2.5 hours.
Crust:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon organic lavender buds, no stems
8 ounces chocolate cookie (Recommended: Newman’s Organic Choco Alphabet Cookies)
Filling:
12 ounces goat cheese, at room temperature
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream, cold
Topping:
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon organic lavender buds

1 buttered 9-inch springform pan.

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine butter, honey and lavender. Heat until everything is just melted together. Use a food processor to pulse cookies until grainy. Add butter combination to cookies and pulse until combined. Lavender will be mostly broken apart. Push into springform pan, refrigerate 30 min. Whip goat cheese, lemon juice, honey and salt until smooth. Add heavy cream, whip until thick. Pour into crust and smooth top using a spatula. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. For topping, just before serving, warm honey and lavender a few minutes to infuse. Drizzle over cake, straining and serve.

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All excuses to not be posting, so I wanted to share this dip. It is so simple. (Can I call this a dip? For some reason olive oil does not say dip to me.)

This dip is perfect because I usually have some combination of these ingredients around (and I think most people will too). I made this 4 nights straight it is so quick and easy to throw together. Alternately, one large batch can easily be whipped up and rationed and the flavors will come out more intensely.

With this dip, D and I re-discovered the glorious thing that is sage– It is going into the garden come Spring no doubt. Though any equally hearty fresh herb like rosemary or tarragon will work well. Don’t skimp on the fresh herb! I forgot the sage one night and it was not the same. Any citrus zest– lemon, grapefruit, tangerine, will do the trick, and if you like, omit the garlic.

Orange-Sage Olive Oil
Serving Size= 4 persons. Prep time= 4 minutes. Cook time= 0 minutes.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon loosely packed fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons (a dash) balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons orange zest (or other citrus)
1/4 teaspoon salt (can mash salt with garlic to form paste, if desired)
pinch of fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients briefly with a fork to incorporate. Eat with good crusty bread.

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So now I have a pileup of butternut and acorn squashes awaiting temperatures to dip low enough to justify turning the oven on for extended lengths. And as I thought about those squash the other day, I thought about potatoes and home fries and hash, and how sweetly seductive a butternut hash might be with a morning egg.

Peeled, seeded and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes, squash will cook up in less time than the same sized potatoes on the stove top. Left alone, those sauteed squash can top salads, get mashed for sides, or, turned into cookies or pies– Or, as above, mixed into a sweet and savory hash to accompany an egg.

Squash Hash
Serving size= 4 persons. Prep time= 15 minutes. Cook time= 15 minutes
1 butternut squash (acorn, sunshine, delicata, or other winter squash will work), Peeled, halved, seeds removed, slice into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup crimini mushrooms, quartered
2 red peppers, sliced into long 1/2-inch strips
2 tablespoons fresh chives (or 1 scallion), minced
salt/ pepper to taste
2 tablespoons lard, olive oil or butter to cook

Method: Heat preferred fat in skillet over medium-high heat. Add squash and mushrooms, toss to coat in fat, then let cook for 5 minutes to brown. Add red peppers and a pinch of salt. Stir and cook about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until squash is soft and mushrooms are browned. Remove from heat, add pepper to taste and chives. Toss to coat and serve.

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Please note: I have recently found new appreciation for mayonnaise. While I still do not use it in a tuna sandwich, I can understand its place in a vinegar-based coleslaw (just a little fat, not saturated in mayonnaise). I also admit that I recently made my own mayonnaise and highly suggest a homemade version over anything store bought. (Further, I prefer homemade because I know I will actually finish it– the smallest bottle of store bought mayonnaise has gone bad in my refrigerator. With a shelf life over one year, you do not want to know what rancid mayonnaise smells like.)

Potato Salad with Corn and Green Beans
Serving size= 6-8. Cook time= 15 minutes. Prep time= 10 minutes.
1 pound potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size (I prefer the texture of new potatoes in potato salad because they hold shape and texture)
1 cup corn, sliced from cob fresh (or canned)
1 cup green beans, cleaned and halved
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
salt/ pepper to taste

Boil potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, until soft when pricked with a fork. While potatoes are cooking, place fresh corn, green beans, olive oil and garlic in the serving bowl. When potatoes finish cooking, drain, but do not rinse with water. Place hot potatoes in the serving bowl and toss. The residual heat will steam the corn and beans, leaving the beans snappy (if you prefer beans more done you can steam them for 30 seconds before you add them to the hot potatoes). Finish by tossing with the parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm, at room temp, or cold.

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[nw_arizona_granny]

Index for barter and for sale page:

[All kinds of interesting items]

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/forumdisplay.php?s=df36be61e88ec1ab0b998e37373b48e9&f=16

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hese 7 separators are extra stock from my old business.

There are 4 electric Plavas separators (13 G/h) and
3 hand cranked Plavas (13 G/h) separators. They are all for sale at bargin price.

Electric Plava $69
Hand Cranked Plava $55

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=345301

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Red raspberries, herbs and perennials for sale, SW WA, will ship also herbs and strawberries...

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=346451

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=189345

Main Dishes - Meatless/Vegetarian

Pasta Bake

I do this with a lot of varations and portions always vary but here is the basic

Pasta - Penne or Rigatoni
Chedder Cheese
Bocca Burger
Favorite Spagetti Sauce
Oinion
Pepper
Spinach

Cook pasta per directions
Shred brick cheese
chop up veggies
Drain pasta
Wilt spinach

Mix all ingredients together EXCEPT for cheese. Then pour into baking dish and cover with chedder chesse. Cook at 300 until chesse is melted across top.

I think pretty much any mixture of veggies would work (zukes/squash/eggplant)
__________________
Christie
http://www.freewebs.com/sydenyscountryfarm/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sustainablemo

#3

Rustic Roasted Veggies
Rustic Roasted Veggies

Serves: 6

These bite-sized morsels are so savory and juicy they will explode in your mouth. Roasting them adds a depth and richness that transforms ordinary cooked vegetables into something elegant. Reprinted with permission from HOW IT ALL VEGAN! by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer (www.GoVegan.net), Arsenal Pulp Press.

INGREDIENTS
2-4 medium carrots, chopped
2-3 medium potatoes, chopped
8-10 gloves garlic, peeled
6-8 mushrooms, halved
1 small yam, cubed
1/2 lb medium tofu, cubed
2-4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dill
2 tbsp rosemary
cracked chilies (to taste)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place the vegetables and tofu on lightly oiled cookie sheet or lasagna pan and drizzle olive oil over them. Sprinkle with dill, rosemary, chilies, salt, and pepper and mix together until well incorporated.
2. Bake for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven when potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork.

NUTRITION INFO
Calories: 219
Fat: 10.4 g
Carbohydrates: 25.1 g
Protein: 9.3 g
__________________

#4

Eggplant Taco filling

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup eggplant, cut into cubes (1 med eggplant)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp shallots or onions, chopped
1 can cut tomatoes with green chilies, drained
1 cup black beans,drained
2 tsp low sodium taco seasoning mix

Heat oil on medium heat, saute’ shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes.
Add eggplant, cook for 5-8 minutes until fork tender.
Slowly add tomatoes, beans and taco mix.
Serve warm.
Can use it as filling or for a taco salad.

Number of Servings: 4

Fat: 7.1g

Carbohydrates: 16.2g

Calories:140.8

Protein: 4.5g
__________________

#5

SOUTHWESTERN SNACK SQUARES

2 tbls Cornmeal:
2 pkgs. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls:
1 can (16ozs) refried black beans or refried beans:
2 tbls Southwestern Seasoning Mix:
6 oz. Sharp cheddar cheese, in block:
2 plum tomatoes:
2 green onions:
1/2 cup whole pitted black olives:
1 cup salsa: 1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Unroll crescent dough & spread over Rectangle Baking Stone. Use Dough & Pizza Roller to seal seams. Bake 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool completely. Combine refried beans and seasoning mix; spread over crust. Spread sour cream over beans. Spread salsa over sour cream. Shred cheese over salsa. Dice tomatoes & slice green onions. Chop olives. Sprinkle vegetables over cheese.Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

#6

MEXICAN PIZZA

1 can Pillsbury Cornbread Twists 1 can refried beans
1 small jar thick & chunky salsa 1 can mild green chilies
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1 small onion
1 small jar black olives 1 tomato, chopped
Sour Cream (optional)

Roll cornbread twists onto 12 X 15 Rectangle Baking Stone with Pizza & Dough Roller. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until browned. Spread refried beans on top of crust. Spread salsa on top of beans. Spread green chilies on top of salsa. Chop onion with food chopper and sprinkle on next. Sprinkle black olives and the cheese. Place back in oven long enough for the cheese to melt. Sprinkle chopped tomatoes on top and serve with sour cream.

#7

COOL VEGGIE PIZZA

2 8-oz can crescent rolls
2 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese, softened
2 tbs. mayonnaise
1 pkg. dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix
Variety of the following vegetables: Zucchini, Mushrooms, onion, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, etc.

Roll crescent rolls onto 15” Baking Stone and bake at 350° until crisp. Cool and slice into serving pieces. While baking, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise and Italian Dressing Mix. Spread evenly over COMPLETELY COOLED crust and top with sliced and chopped veggies. Serve, keep chilled.

#8

SAMP AND COWPEAS (HOMINY AND BLACK-EYED PEAS)

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 15-oz can hominy, with the liquid and lightly mashed
1 15-oz can black-eyed peas, with liquid
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne papper
1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, until tender. Add the other ingredients except the lemon juice and cook foar 8-10 minutes to heat and blend the flavors, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon juice. Serves 6.

#9

Jasmine Fantasy
Jasmine Fantasy

2 T oil, we like olive but any will do
1 leek, large, minced
1 c grated carrot
1 to 2 t pwd ginger
½ t red pepper sauce (more depending on your tastes)
2 c water
4 T soy or 2 T tamari
1 ½ c jasmine rice
¼ c firmly packed fresh, minced or cut fine cilantro or mint

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrot and cook till softened (2 mins est). Add ginger and sauce, stir in water and soy, bring to boil. Add rice, decrease to low heat, simmer till tender (15 mins est). May need to cover to get the rice fully cooked. Before finished, toss the fresh herbs. Serves 2 to 3.
__________________
“Laughter is as essential as the air we breathe”

#10

Cheese Strata

1 tsp butter
2 1/2 cups whole milk or goat milk
6 large eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
5 1 inch thick slices French bread, crusts removed
(or several croissants, sliced)
4 oz brick cheese, coarsely grated
4 oz Colby or cheddar, coarsely grated

(OR .... I used goat cheese, an Irish cheese, and cheddar)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8 x 8 glass pan.

In large bowl, mix milk, eggs, salt and pepper.

In medium bowl, toss together cheeses.

Put one layer of bread in pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Layer and sprinkle till ingredients are all used. Finish with cheese.

Carefully (and slowly) pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread/cheese layers.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until casserole is very puffy. Assemble your audience to watch as you take them out of the oven because they will most likely fall in the ten minutes they need to sit before serving.

Serves six as the entree.

Note: get creative on which cheeses you use!

The true way to render ourselves happy is to love our work and find in it our pleasure. ~Motteville

#11

chickpea rissoles

This is a great recipe. My kids (who really aren’t kids anymore sigh) love them, even thought hey hate chickpeas.

1 1/2 cup of chickpeas and/or garbanzo beans, soaked overnight (with water to cover.)
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large onions chopped
1 zucchini chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped fine or crushed
oregano
black pepper
1/4 c - 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 large egg
1/2 c of breadcrumbs

Soak chickpeas over night
Bring to a boil and skim off froth until liquid is clear
Cover pan and cook for 1 1/2 hours (or until soft)
OR cook in pressure cooker under full pressure for 20-25 minutes.

Once chickpeas are soft, set asside a few 1/2 c. of cooking liquid and then strain them, discarding the rest of the liquid.

Put chickpeas into food proccessor and add 2-3 tbl of liquid and proccess til they become a velvety mash.

Add olive oil to pan, saute garlic, onion, and zuchini (or other vege of choice)
until light golden, Remove and add to mash, Add egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, seasoning and mix well.

Take walnut pieces of mash and flatten them to look like hamburger patties.

Heat some more olive oil in the frying pan and fry them in batches until they golden brown on top.
Drain on paper towels and serve with meal or as the main course

I make them every Easter for my family.
I plan on incorporating them more and more into the dinners

#12

Spinach Stuffed Portabellos

from: allrecipes.com

4 large portobello mushrooms
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 ten ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
(I used fresh baby spinach)
1 fourteen ounce can chopped tomatoes (I used fresh)
3 Tbsp chopped green onions (I used more)
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used Provolone)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove and discard stems from mushrooms. Put oil in large skillet and add mushrooms; cook about 10 minutes, turning once. (I microwaved them on half power for three minutes.)

While mushrooms cook, combine remaining ingredients except Mozzarella.

Transfer mushrooms to baking dish. Spoon filing onto mushroom caps and top with Mozzarella.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes until cheese melts and heated through.

#13

VEGETABLE SAMOSAS AND ONION BHAJEES

Vegetable Samosas (makes 12-14 samosas)

For the filling:
10 small potatoes
2/3 cup peas (I used frozen ones)
1 onion
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
5 cardamom pods
1 inch cube of ginger, finely chopped
2 small cloves of garlic
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 cup chopped mint
1-2 chopped hot green peppers, depending on how spicy you like your samosas
juice of half a lime
salt
a little vegetable oil

For the pastry:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 container of plain yogurt (about 6 Tbs)
2 Tbs melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
a little water

For the stuffing:
Set the peas and the potatoes boiling in separate pots.

Break open the cardamom pods and remove the small black seeds inside. Toss the cardamom seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds into a dry frying pan and toss over a medium flame until they begin to sizzle and crackle and smell good. Remove them to a mortar and pestle and grind them. Put a little vegetable oil in the frying pan and add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger. When the onions are limp and it all smells nice, add the ground spices. If the potatoes are done, continue. Otherwise turn off the heat to wait until potatoes and peas are cooked.

Remove the poatoes from the pot, reserving some of the water. Cut them in small cubes (just under a centimeter/half inch in size) and add them to the pan with the onion and garlic. Drain the peas and add them too. Add the rest of the ingredients and give a generous helping of salt. Add a little of the potato water (about half a cup) and cook down the mixture to let the flavors mingle. Taste for salt; it will need more than you expect.

Set aside to cool a bit while you make the pastry.

For the pastry:
Mix the flour and salt and drizzle the melted butter over them. Add the yogurt and mix thoroughly. If the dough remains too dry to roll out, add a little water. If it’s a little too moist, add a little more flour. Knead for five minutes until it is smooth and very elastic.

To construct the samosas:
Pull a piece of dough a little larger than a golf ball from the lump. Roll it in your hands to get an even ball shape. Flatten it with your palm and lay it on a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll it out to a circle slightly larger than a woman’s hand, fingers spread out (about 20 cm/7-8”). Cut the circle in half. Dampen your finger with some water (I kept a small bowl of water handy) and trace it along the cut edge of the half circle. Fold over the dough and pinch together where you just moistened it. When you pick up the dough, you will now have a cone that you can fill with the stuffing. Be generous and try to push the stuffing into every corner. The dough is a lot more elastic than I expected and can take a certain amount of abuse. When you have filled the cone, dampen the edges of the top and pinch them together to close the dumpling. Try to squeeze out any air from the inside as you go. Repeat until you have used all the dough and stuffing.

To cook, fill a small sauce pan two thirds of the way with oil or heat up your deep fat fryer. (I gave mine away when we moved, having used it once in seven years!) If you are using oil in a sauce pan, make sure it is on a very stable burner and do not over fill; the volume of the samosa will bring up the oil level when it is added. To test if the oil is hot enough, toss a small pinch of dough in it. If bubbles form around it and it immediately starts browning, the oil is hot enough. Carefully lower the first samosa in the oil. When it has turned a nice golden brown (about 2-3 minutes) remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining samosas.

Serve these hot from the pan or (if you are entertaining) reheated in the oven with a variety of chutneys.

These take some time to prepare, but they are well worth the effort!

Onion Bhajees are great served with the samosas

(Makes 20 - 25)

12 oz gram (Chick Pea) flour
1 - 2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon of caraway seed
3 - 4lb onions
Vegetable Oil for Deep Fat Frying
Sieve the gram flour, salt & curry powder into a large mixing bowl and add the caraway seeds.
Mix well, Make a well in the centre and add 1 pint of water.
Mix with a wooden spoon into a thick batter.
Leave to stand whilst preparing the onions.
Peel the onions and cut them into quarters.
Slice them thinly.
Add the onions to the batter and mix until they are all well coated with the batter.

Heat a deep fat fryer to 190 degrees C.
With two round dessert spoons form balls with the onion mixture and drop them into the oil until the pan is full.
After 1 minute use a slotted stainless spoon to make sure that the bhajees are not sticking to the bottom.
Continue to fry until the bhajees are a deep golden brown, turning occasionally.

Remove the bhajees from the oil, shaking off excess oil.

Repeat until all the mixture has been used up.

Best served immediately, crisp & fresh or they can be reheated in the oven, under the grill or in a microwave.
If they are reheated in a microwave they will lose their crispness but will still be delicious.

You can use your favourite curry powder, Madras is my favorite choice.
Use less or more according to taste.
Serve with a vegetable curry, samosas or as part of a buffet.
They can also be eaten as a hot or cold snack.
I love them cold and they and the samosas are great for a different picnic!
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#14

Stuffed mushrooms

Large mushrooms, stems removed and reserved for another use

Filling:

Feta cheese
Chopped walnuts
Dill
Milk to soften
Whole wheat bread crumbs

Stuff mushrooms, place on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes.

#15

Spinach and Cheese Quiche

This is quick and easy. It can be served hot or at room temp. The alternative to make this low fat/low cal. is in the parenthesis. 1/8 of the quiche is only 5 Weight Watcher points)

Spinach and Cheese Quiche

1 partially baked pie shell
1/3 C. cottage cheese (you can use low fat or fat-free)
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
5 eggs (or 2 eggs + 3 egg whites)
1/4 tsp. dried onion
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
a couple of dashes of nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dill (optional)
salt & pepper to taste
10 oz. frozen spinach (squeezed dry) or 2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Put the spinach in the bottom of the pie shell. Mix the other ingredients and pour in. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 min; turn the oven down to 350 and bake approx. 20 min. more or until it is set all the way through. Cool at 10 min. before serving so it will slice easier.
__________________
“Challenges are what make life interesting — overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”

#16

Moussaka

If you like eggplant you’ll love this. It’s sort of a Greek lasagna. It’s also VERY tasty version that is low in fat. It sounds time consuming, but it isn’t at all. It goes together real quick. It’s 5 Weight Watcher points per serving.

Moussaka

2 cups plain nonfat yogurt (put in a stainer lined with cheesecloth and let drip for at least 2 hours or overnight)

1/4 parmesan cheese
1 egg + 1 egg white

1 lb. ground turkey
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh oregano, or 2 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
28 oz. can of tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped; or 1/4 C. dried

2 eggplant sliced into 1/4” slices - sprinkle both sides heavily with salt and drain in a colander for 2 hours. Rinse each slice well to remove salt and pat as dry as possible. This salting process removes not only the excess moisture from the eggplant so it doesn’t turn to mush when you cook it; it also removes the bitterness you get in eggplant.

Assembly/cooking directions:

Spray an 8x8 or 8x12 (or anything in that size range; it doesn’t have to be exact. You’re going to be layering the ingredients into a ‘lasagna’ type dish).

Brown the turkey with the onion and garlic until turkey is cooked through and onion is tender. Add the spices, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer for about an hour or until thick like spaghetti sauce. You can also use your own homemade spaghetti sauce and just add the the cin., nutmeg, parsley and other spices to taste. Set aside this pan.

In a bowl, combine the drained yogurt, parmesan cheese, egg and egg white. Mix well to combine.

Broil the eggplant on each side until brown. This will only take a couple of minutes. Watch it carefully because it doesn’t take long! Do it in batches and set aside.

Assembly:

Put a couple of spoons of sauce in the pan; then a layer of eggplant; more sauce; a then the yogurt sauce. Repeat layers ending with the yogurt sauce. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of the additional parm. cheese on top if you wish. Bake at 400 degrees until bubbly. Let stand 10 min. to make it easy to slice and serve. Makes 6 servings.

Adapted from a recipe by Martha Stewart Living

#17

Tortellini with Mushroom Sauce

1 bag frozen cheese tortellinis
1 t. olive oil
1 cup of mushrooms (can be any of your choice; including wild)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped parsley or 2 T. dried
salt and pepper to taste

Cook tortellinis according to package directions. While they cook. Brown the mushrooms and garlic in oil. Add remaining ingredients and a little of the pasta cooking water (or you can also use white wine) just enough to make a sauce. Cook until reduced slightly. Toss with the tortellinis and serve.
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#18

Cuban Black Beans and Rice
Authentic Cuban Black Beans and Rice

2 cup uncooked rice (you can use either white or brown)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
2 cups green pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (or you can use pepper flakes)
1/4 cup water
3 - 15oz cans black beans (drained and rinsed)
6 dashes hot sauce (Tabasco or similar), or to taste

Cook rice according to package instructions, omitting any salt or seasoning. Heat oil in pan and cook onion, green pepper and garlic until tender. Add rest of ingredients (except rice) and simmer for 10-15 min. Serve over rice.

#19

Zucchini Tomato Bake
This is a great quick dinner with a salad, luncheon dish, or side dish. Made the low version (in parenthesis) it is only 2 Weight Watcher points per serving.

Zucchini Tomato Bake

1 onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon butter
3 med. zucchini, shredded and patted dry
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup swiss cheese (can use low fat)
1/3 cup sour cream (can use low fat or fat free)
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

Saute onion in butter until tender and put in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients reserving 1/2 cup swiss cheese. Mix well. Pour into a sprayed 11x7x2 baking dish (or similar). Sprinkle with reserved swiss cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. until hot, tender, and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.
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#20

Lentil Tacos

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. oil
1/2 lb. lentils
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups chicken stock (can use fat free)
1 cup salsa

Cook onion and garlic in oil. Add rest of the ingredients and simmer until lentils are cooked through. Serve in taco shells with your favorite toppings. This can also be cooked in the crock pot.
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#21

This tastes just like chilie rellenos. The low cal. version (in parenthesis) have only 5 Weight Watcher points.

Cockpot Chile Rellenos Casserole

2 - 4oz. cans whole green chilies or fresh chilies of your choice
1/2 lb. cheddar cheese (can use low-fat)
1/2 lb. monterey jack cheese (can use low-fat)
14 1/2 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup evaporated milk (can use fat-free)

Spray crockpot with veg. spray. Layer chilies and cheese. Mix the rest of the ingredients and poor over all. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours. Makes 6 servings.

#22

Crockpot Cottage Bake
The low fat version of this (in parenthesis) has only 4 Weight Watcher points.

Crockpot Cottage Bake

2 1/2 tsp. butter
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
3/4 cup tomato paste
4 cup cooked macaroni (can use high fiber or whole wheat macaroni)
1 1/2 cup water
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup parsley, chopped; or 2 Tablespoons dried
2 cups cottage cheese (can use low-fat or non-fat)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Saute mushrooms, onions, celery, and garlic in butter. Combine with all other ingredients except cheeses. Make layer of macaroni, then cheeses, and repeat. Cover and cook 4-5 hours. Makes 6 servings.
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#23

Grandma’s Mac & Cheese

8 oz (uncooked) macaroni noodles, boiled and hot
2 c shredded sharp cheddar
2 c white sauce (4tbs butter, 4tbs flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 2 c milk)
Breadcrumbs (optional)
Thinly sliced tomato (optional)

Make white sauce: melt 4 tbs butter on low heat in heavy saucepan. Whisk in 4 tbs flour, stirring until you have made a bubbling, smooth paste. Add seasonings and stir. Remove from heat and add 2 c milk, whisking to combine. Return to heat and bring to a boil over med-low heat, stirring constantly 1 min until thickened. Should be consistency of gravy.

While making white sauce, boil the macaroni, drain and set aside. When sauce is ready, grease a 9” baking pan and make layers of noodles, sauce, and cheese, ending the final layer with cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top, and top with thin tomato slices if desired. Bake 45 min at 300F. If top is not browned, broil for 1 min until golden.

The recipe makes 6-8 side dish servings, but we find it makes about 4 main dish servings for hungry folks. My grandma always made a double batch.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=229749

Storage cooking results and recipes

Yesterday was a good day! If you all do not want to hear about my experiments, just say so and I’ll shut up. Likewise, if anyone has any good food storage recipes, please share them for me!

Breakfast - 1 pint of canned breakfast sausage (see #1), a little flour, and some fresh milk made great gravy. The biscuits were made with lard and butter rather than crisco - need to work on that as they tasted greasy, but I am also still “frying” them more than baking them. Need practice.

Lunch - delicious!

1 pint-and-a-half jar of steak cutlets (see #2)
1/2 c. homemade onion soup mix (see #3)
3/4 c. homemade cream of mushroom soup mix (see #4)
a little milk and water and it made a great, thick gravy

a quart of carrots, drained with a little dab of butter and brown sugar (see #5)

fresh bread

mashed potatos (leftover water from this went into the sourdough starter for tomorrows bread)

Snack - popcorn (there were not enough steak cutlets in the jar to satisfy dh and oldest son) We like to add a dash of cayenne to it for a bit of flavor.

dinner - quart of ground beef, lentils, and spices cooked down thick and served with the rest of the bread from earlier.

dessert - blueberry something. (crust made of flour, butter, and pecans). Middle layer of Spiff-E-Whip (comes in a #10 can and is like Dream Whip) and homemade cream cheese with a dab of sugar. Top layer blueberry pie filling we canned last summer.

1. when we butcher pigs, we always make one whole pig into sausage (except for the loin roast, bacon, and center cut chops). I keep it about 25% fat. Brown the sausage and fill the jars, pouring a little of the grease in with it, then process just like ground beef. Pour the rest of the grease in hot, sterile jars and seal just like lard as it makes great flavorings for beans and things.

2. I have a biscuit cutter that is the right size for pint and a half jars. Dh sharpens it to actually cut meat. I take half inch round steak, when we butcher, and cut it with the rounds. Slightly brown it, stack in jar, add a bit of broth, and process according to the Ball book. The pint and a half jar holds 10 cutlets, which is one per family member, but the two youngest share one leaving two for dh. He needs three, and son needed two, so when I can again I will use wide mouth quarts.

3. Homemade Onion Soup Mix
3/4 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup beef flavored instant bouillon
4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. white pepper
PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients together well. Stir before each use. Five tablespoons of the mix equals 1.25-oz. pkg. of purchased dry onion soup mix.

4. Homemade mushroom soup mix

2 cups powdered milk
3/4 cups cornstarch
1/4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable bouillon granules
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes or 1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 t. garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram, crushed
1/2 teaspoon black or white pepper
1/2 c. dried mushrooms

Combine all ingredients and blend until mixed. Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 1 year. This recipe makes 3 cups and is enough for 9 cans of soup.

To substitute for one can of condensed cream soup:
In a 1-quart saucepan combine 1/3 cup of soup mix and 1 1/4 cup water or milk. Bring to a boil for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This can also be used as a quick fat free gravy, thin to the consistency you prefer.

#5. In the effort to not waste anything (because we would not in a true desperation scenario) I had to figure out what to do with the water from the carrots. The kids did not want to drink it, I was not making soup that day, and I did not want to wash dishes with it. I poured it in the coffee pot. dh did not say anything about the taste of the coffee being off this morning, so I guess it worked ok.

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Garlic chicken

3-4 pounds chicken (I used 3 cups of diced, dehydrated chicken that we butchered last year and soaked it in water for about 6 hours)

3 T soy sauce
1/4 c. chives
4 oz. mushrooms ( I guessed it was 1/2 cup dried)
2/3 c. water

Combine and cook for 3 hours or so.

Mix 4-6 T. butter (from the cow)
6 heaping tablespoon flour
4 cloves minced garlic (from the garden and stored in the cellar)
1 T soy sauce
1/2 pint chicken broth canned when we butcher chickens

pour in chicken and cook several more hours.

For pasta, put the pasta in a pot, barely cover with water and put the lid on. It took about an hour, but I only had to drain off maybe 1/2 c. water. It was a little more mushy than we like, but I think I can adjust for that.

Rice, I did the same way.

Hamburger gravy - use 1 quart canned ground beef, some flour, and milk from the cow. Lots of salt, pepper, and a little cayenne.

Dessert was most challenging.

Pear Custard Bars
1/2 c butter
1/3 c sugar
3/4 c flour
2/3 c. chopped pecans (from MILs trees - I have about 8 bushels on hand)

Mix all that, pat down in a cake pan and set on the wood stove with an upside down lasagna pan on it for about 40 minutes or till golden brown.

1 c. cream cheese (made from the cows milk)
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg (from our chickens)
1 quart pears (canned last summer from our trees)
1 t. cinnamon/sugar mix

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and egg until smooth (thank goodness for the hand beater - a wooden spoon would NOT get the job done.) spread over the cooked crust. Drain the pears (let the kids drink the juice) and slice them thickly enough to cover the filling in the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top. Put it on the pizza stone on top of the wood stove, covered with a larger pan, for about 90 minutes. Let sit an hour or so.

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Here are some breakfast recipes, with editorial comments.

Frumenty (this is a Revolutionary War recipe)

For two people:

soak 1 c. wheat overnight in 1 C. boiling water and 1 t. salt.

In medium pot, heat 1/2 c. milk and 1/2 c. cream (I just used 1 cup of unskimmed milk) and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon mace (having no mace that I know of, I used allspice) and 2 T sweetener (I used honey). Cook just until hot. Add soaked wheat and cook 10 minutes. My family LOVED this and has asked for it to become a regular breakfast. In fact, I made it in the middle of the week, throwing in some dried peach dices and it was an even bigger hit!

Cornmeal Mush (we have always eaten this a couple times a month= I triple this recipe for the ten of us)

4 cups liquid (milk makes it creamier - I usually do half water)
3/4 cup cornmeal
salt and butter if desired, honey or brown sugar for topping

Bring the liquid to a boil, whisk in the cornmeal and let cook for just a few minutes. Salt really makes all the difference in whether this tastes bland or great.

Fried leftover Oatmeal (this came from an old WWII rationing cookbook and my kids loved it. Dh was just so/so about it)

3-5 cups leftover oatmeal
6 slices bacon, or 1/2 cup breakfast sausage
2 eggs
flour, salt and pepper

Fry the meat (I used a half pint of canned sausage) and mix with the leftover oatmeal. Put in loaf pan and let it chill as much as possible. Slice the loaf into half inch thick slices. Beat 2 eggs and add 2T water - mix until light and foamy. Dip the slices in the egg mix, then dredge in flour. Salt and pepper to taste, then fry in the bacon or sausage grease (I used lard).

#15

Here’s the main dishes we did the last 3 times (we were having so much fun with this that we did it twice last week. )

Chipped Beef on toast or rice
1/2 c. chopped celery (I used 3 T dried celery and water)
1T chopped onion
3 T butter (I used bacon grease)
1/2 c. flour
1 can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup water
1 jar dried beef (I used a pint of canned beef - drained)
2 T parsley (I omitted this)

Saute the celery and onion in grease. Add the flour and brown. Add milk and water, stirring until thick and smooth. Add the meat and heat through. Eat over rice or toast.

**Not a family favorite. DH says his mom used to make it with the little jars of dried beef and it was good, so I will try that next time. He said the flavor was completely different. However - it was edible.

Shepherds Pie
1 pint of ground beef
1/2 pint of tomatoes
leftover corn (guessing half a cup?)
leftover green beans (maybe quarter cup)
Some garlic salt, a splash of worcestershire, and a dash of cayenne
Combined all that, stuck it in the Spider, then topped it with leftover mashed potatoes and put the lid on. It took about an hour for it to get hot all the way through, but it was good.

Lentil Rice Casserole (This got 5 stars and will become a regular meal)

2 quarts chicken broth
2 1/4 cups lentils
1 1/2 c. brown rice
3/4 c dried onion or 2 1/4 c. fresh diced
1 1//2 t basil
3/4 t oregano
3/4 t thyme
1 t. garlic powder

Combine, cover, and cook for 2-4 hours depending on oven temperature.

#16

Side Dishes, desserts and Breads from the last couple weeks.

Leftover Veggie Casserole (from a WWII rationing cookbook)

1 cup each of 4 different leftover vegetables (I used carrots, green beans, corn, and peas - you could also use broccoli, etc).

1 medium onion diced (or 1/4 c. dried)
3 T. fat, divided
1 t Herbs D’Provence, divided
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
3-4 slices stale bread
1-2 T butter or bacon grease
2 T flour
1 c. milk
1 cube bullion

If using fresh onions, saute in fat. Mix with the leftover vegetables and the salt, pepper, and 1/2 t. herbs d Provence. Melt 1-2 T fat or butter, toss the torn up bread, 1/2 t. Herbs. Melt 2T fat, and brown 2T flour. Add milk and bullion and cook until thick and bubbly. Add the sauce to the vegetables, top with the bread crumbs and bake 30-60 minutes.

** This just got an OK. Dh said it needed more seasoning. The kids said it would be good with fresh vegetables. Since it was a multi-step recipe, it would probably go on the “nothing better to do but cook” list.

Rationing Mayonaise

(the best thing I can say about this recipe is YUCK. Everyone else said it was NOT mayo, but was good. I did NOT like it.)

1 small potato, boiled and well mashed
1 t. mustard
1 t. vinegar
1/2 cup oil
salt and pepper
mix the potato with the mustard and vinegar. Beat the oil in slowly.

Harvest Mix

1 spaghetti squash
2 medium zuchini
1 c sliced mushroom (I skipped this, but would have used dried)
1/4 c green onions (I used regular onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint diced tomatoes, drained*
3/4 cup mozzarella (I used homemade)
3 T dried bread
1/4 c chopped parsely (I skipped this)
1 t. italian seasoning

Steam the spaghetti squash, scrape out meat. Mix diced zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Stir in the spaghetti squash strands. Add tomatoes. Put in dutch oven and cook on low stove for several hours or until the zucchini is tender. Sprinkle the cheese and dried bread on top for the last 15-30 minutes.

*We all really liked this! I used the drained tomato water in soup for the next meal.

Oatmeal Molasses Cookies (from a WWII ration book)
2 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
1 t. soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. lard
2 eggs
5 T molasses
2 t. vanilla
1/2 c nuts if available
1/2 c raisins if available

Make like cookies.

**The kids said they would miss their cookie treats, but this is NOT the recipe to use - at least not for us. I thought it was high in ingredients, and the taste was nothing to brag about. I also discovered that cookies are really hard to make on top of a wood stove. I’ll try again when dh finishes the solar oven, but I think the cookie idea is out, unless someone gets me an actual wood cookstove or someone else has a better way to do it!

WWII Wacky Cake
1 1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
3 T cocoa
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
6 T fat
1 T vinegar
1 t vanilla
1 c cold water.

Sift the dry ingredients into a 9x9pan (double the recipe for a 9x13). Make a well in the center and pour in the mixed liquid ingredients. It will bubble like a small volcano. Mix gently with fork until blended, but still lumpy - don’t overmix. It took about an hour to bake.

**Mixed reviews. The kids thought it was great fun to make. The taste was very different than what we think of as cake. Dh really liked it, the kids liked making it. I’m keeping the recipe, but it would not be a frequent thing.

The only new bread I tried was scones and english muffins. The scones worked great:

Leftover oatmeal Scones
2 T butter
2 T honey
1 c. leftover oatmeal
2/3 c milk
1 3/4 c flour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Melt the honey and butter and mix them into the leftover oatmeal. Mix in the milk. Mix the dry ingredients and add. Pat to 1 inch thick, cut in wedges, bake on a greased sheet (mine were more fried than baked).

**These were good, but required so much baking powder that I would probably only make them if I had oatmeal I had to use up.

English Muffins (The kids said they would miss these)

It was a total disaster. So bad, I am not even going to post the recipe. I am only mentioning it in case someone has a recipe that actually works!

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Finally found an (almost) palatable way to fix powdered eggs.
Used some fake ham bits (TVP), some freeze dried onions and peppers, powdered milk, flour and real cheese. Seasoned with garlic powder and sweet curry powder.
Put the ham bits, onions and peppers in hot water to soak for 20 minutes.
Mixed the powdered eggs (3 tbl spoons), flour (1 tbl spoon) and powdered milk (2 tbl spoons) and seasoning with enough water to make a gooey mess.
Mixed in the soaked stuff with a little of the soaking water. Consistancy about like pancake batter.
Baked at 350 in a well oiled cast iron skillet for 25 minutes or so, till the stuff took a firm set. Topped with cheese and back in the oven for few minutes more.
Not gourmet, but a fairly passable quiche.

alan

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More breakfast recipes:

Porridge

1 c. oats
1 c rice
1 c. 6 grain flakes
1 c barley
2/3 c wild rice
1/2 c cornmeal
3 T flaxseed
1 t salt
14 cups water

Combine all in a dutch oven and set it on the stove over night, after the fire has been banked. It is supposed to take 8-10 hours, but took more like 12. It had an excellent flavor, though!

Vanilla Barley Porridge

3 c rolled barley flakes (tough work getting that done!)
2 T honey
pinch of salt
4 cups water
1 T butter
1 t. vanilla

Combine, cover, and put on stove at night after fire is banked. It’s supposed to be cooked for 7-9 hours, but took about 10. We ate it with cream and some rehydrated banana slices. It was just OK - but a good use of barley.

Breads/Snacks

I decided to focus on my sourdough starter the last few weeks, so found these old recipes.

Sourdough flapjacks (serves 2)

Add 1 c. water, 1 c. flour, and 2 T sugar to your starter and let sit overnight. Remove the mother (I keep 1/2 cup) and use the remaining in this recipe.

1 t. soda dissolved in 1 T water
1 T molasses
1 egg
1 t. salt
2 T melted lard, grease, or shortening

Mix with starter, add flour if needed for consistency, fry like pancakes. (We ate these for dinner)

Sourdough donuts (great snack!)

Night before add 1 c water, 1 c flour, and 2 T sugar to mother. Remove 1/2 cup mother and use the starter in the recipe.

To the starter add:
2T brown sugar
1 t soda dissolved in 1 T water
1/2 t salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. nutmeg
1egg
2 T melted fat
1 1/2 c. flour

Knead about 25 times, pat or roll 1/2 inch thick and cut. Fry at about 400 degrees, drain and dip in powdereed sugar, cinnamon sugar, regular sugar, or fill or frost. (This was my husbands grandmothers recipe and it is delicious!!! The entire recipe was gone in moments and they have a delightful flavor and the texture of a cake like donut)

#20

Light meal and side dish recipes:

Zuppa Bastarda (I have no idea what that means, but that was the name of the recipe when I found it )

1 lb dried cranberry beans, soaked overnight
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T fresh chopped sage
salt and pepper to taste
8 thin slices of old bread
olive oil

Put the beans, onion and garlic in the dutch oven with 4 inches of water covering and cook overnight on a banked fire. Add the sage and continue to cook another hour or two. Add the salt and pepper - the soup will be very thick. Toast the bread slices and place them in bowls. Drizzle olive oil on the bread liberally (I probably used a teaspoon per slice) then top with the soup and parmesan cheese.

**It was very good. I think I will add some tomatoes next time, but it was also good just as it was.

Calabacitas

2 T butter or oil
2 medium onions chopped
6 green chilies, peeled and chopped
2 medium zucchini, in 2 inch pieces
1 quart whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 c water (I used the corn juice)
Cheese, if available (I omitted it because it called for cheddar)

Melt the butter and saute the onions. Add the veggies and water and cook for 3-4 hours. Sprinkly with cheese if you have it.

**This desperately needed salt and pepper. It was good, but needed tweaking according to taste - I might add some cilantro next time. Also, because of the zucchini, it would normally be a summer only dish if stores were not open.

Garlic Soup

4 heads garlic, separated and peeled
1 large onion, chopped
2 quarts of chicken broth
half pint of tomato paste (my homemade is thinner than store bought)
3 T olive oil
Crusty Bread (I used sourdough french)

boil the garlic cloves for 1 minute. Drain and add the onion, broth, and tomato paste. Cover and cook for 6 hours or so. At this point you are supposed to blend it - but in the spirit of these experiments, I can not use my blender! I used the baby food grinder. Add the olive oil and put in bowls and serve with bread and some olive oil to dip the bread in.

**My family LOVES garlic.....but I was asked to never fix this again. It tasted like tomato soup that someone had thrown a bunch of garlic in. On a scale of 1-10, I’d give it a 2.

Corn Fritter Cakes

1 1/4 c. flour
1/4 c cornmeal
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t salt
pinch of white pepper (I used black)
2/3 c milk
2 eggs
3 T butter
2 T minced bell pepper (I used Annaheims)
1 quart whole kernel corn, drained
1/4-1/2 c fat

Mix the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the milk, eggs, and butter stirring until just barely combined. Fold in the corn and pepper, do not over mix. Heat the fat and fry about 1/4 c. of batter at a time until crispy. Drain.

**These were delicious and dh has asked if I will make them next time we have chili.

#21

Main dishes.

Dh had asked if we could make it really real, so I tried.....

First, dh and son went out and butchered a chicken, brought it in, and I fried it. YUK. We have always let our chicken “age” a day or two in the fridge, so I don’t know if that was why this was so tough, or whether it was because we culled a laying hen who’s not doing her job - but either way.....I’ll try to avoid that in the future. From now on, fresh chickens get made into dumplings or soup or something!

That evening, dh and son shot a rabbit. I am not a big fan of rabbit anyway....but I used this new recipe and it was edible. The rest of the family loved it. And, just in case you are wondering, jackrabbits are considered predators in Wyoming and you don’t need to wait for a season to shoot them. We have set up woodpile warrens for them, so they like living here, and we hardly ever kill them so they feel safe.

rabbit
salt and pepper
4 strips bacon
4 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic,minced
2 T flour
1/2 c white wine
half pint tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 t. thyme
1 t. basil
1 1/2 c mushrooms (I left this out)

Salt and pepper the rabbit (It has been cut into 8 peices). Fry the bacon until crisp, drain and crumble. Cook the rabbit in the bacon fat and brown on all sides. Saute the onions and garlic in the fat, sprinkly with flour and add the white wind. Add the tomato sauce, water, and seasonings. Put all the ingredients in the dutch oven and cook for 3-5 hours depending on how hot your stove is.

** we all liked it!

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Zuppa Bastarda...
Zuppa Bastarda is Italian and translates as “ Bastard soup”.

I found this description regarding the name of the soup... Bastard soup is so named because it uses black beans, which are called fascistini in honor of what Elda Cecchi calls “that black-shirted bastard who brought Italy to the brink of destruction during WWII.” On the positive side, it is very easy to prepare. “All you need,” she says, “are good fascistini beans, some stale bread, and, above all, some exceptionally good extra-virgin olive oil. Il gioco e fatto!” The game is won.

This is where I found it http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/3510/6196

Kitty

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Breakfasts, Breads, and Desserts:

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Biscuits

2 c. homemade biscuit mix (if recipe needed, let me know)
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 T oil

Mix the biscuit mix and milk, roll or pat to 1/4 inch thick. Mix the sugars, cinnamon, and oil. Spread on the dough, roll up like cinnamon rolls, and slice 3/4 inch thick. Place in greased dutch oven and bake 20 minutes or until done.

** yummy and much faster/easier than cinnamon rolls. Only made 8 rolls, though, so we ate them for dessert.

Hot oatmeal and Rice

2 c. oats
2 c. rice (I used brown)
2 T oat bran or wheat germ (I used oat bran)
pinch of salt
10 c. water

Combine in dutch oven the night before and place on stove with banked coals.

**It was ready in the morning, but was pretty bland. The texture was good, but it needs something to remove the blandness.

Maple Oatmeal with Dried Fruit and Spices

5 c. oats
2 1/2 c. dried fruit (I used some cranberries, raisins, blueberries)
1 t. apple pie spice
10 c. water
1/2 c. maple syrup

combine in dutch oven and put on banked stove the night before.

**Absolutely delicious, but would be reserved for special occasions because of the heavy fruit and syrup requirements, which I expect would be treated as pretty precious.

Hot Barley Cereal

2 c. rolled barley
salt
9 cups water

combine in dutch oven and cook overnight on banked fire.

**Dh refused to eat it - a first that I can think of (he is not fond of barley to begin with). The kids and I ate it, but it was so bland that there are MUCH better uses of barley.

Breads:

Split Pea Fritters (I know....but give it a try, they are great!)

3/4 c. split peas
4 c. water
2/3 c reconstituted milk
1 T dried egg white or 2T dried whole egg*
3/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. each cayenne and black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t. onion powder

* if using a fresh egg, cut the milk to 1/2 cup

Simmer peas in water for 30 minutes or until partly tender. Drain peas and let cool to just warm. Add milk and stir until soupy. Add egg, flour, baking powder, salt and seasonings. Mix well to thick batter. Heat 1/4 c oil in large skillet. Use a scant quarter cup per fritter and fry both sides until crispy. Can also be cooked on a griddle, but I did not try that.

** YUM. This recipe only made 10 fritters, and everyone wanted more. My son dipped his in ketchup, but the rest of us just loved them plain.

Barley Bread

3 c. barley flour
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
oil to fry if desired

Mix all to stiff dough, add milk or flour for proper dough consistency. Knead until smooth and plump. Use 1/4 c. for each cake. Either roll out between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick, or roll out like a tortilla. Cook in hot dry skillet or fry in oil.

**I made these like tortillas and they were a nice accompaniment to soup, but I think I would add onion powder or something if I make it again. Apparently, my family likes barley as an ingredient, and not the main basis of the recipe.

Savory Bread

2 c. flour
1 T sugar
4 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
1/4 t. seasoning salt
4 T parmesan cheese

Mix the dry ingredients, except seasoning salt and parmesan. Cut in the butter. Mix the egg and milk and add to the dry mixture. Knead 20-30 times. Divide in half and pat half down into a greased dutch oven to cover the bottom. Sprinkle the seasoning salt and parmesan on top, then cover with the other half of the dough. Cut through all layers to score into bite size pieces. Cover and bake 20-30 minutes on a very hot stove until brown..

**This was nice because it was quick, and it was tasty. I had made soup that day and half the kids dropped their “bread bites” into their soup.

Pecan Bread

3 c. flour
1 c. sugar (I used brown for some reason)
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1 c. chopped pecans
2 t. lemon juice
3 eggs
1 c. milk
1/4 c oil

Grease dutch oven. Mix the dry ingredients and add the pecans and lemon juice. Beat the eggs, milk, and oil together and add to flour, stirring just until mixed. Spread evenly in the dutch oven and bake about an hour until it passes the toothpick test.

**This was supposed to be a side dish, but we ended up eating it warm with some honey or syrup drizzled on it, so I would say it was more like dessert.

Desserts

Caramel Rice Pudding

3 c. cooked rice
1/2 c. raisins
1 t. vanilla
14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
12 oz. evaporated milk
1 T sugar
1 t cinnamon

Grease the dutch oven. Mix ecerything except the cinnamon/sugar. Cover and cook 3-4 hours. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

**Really good flavor, but calls for “rare” ingredients of two types of canned milk. Also, my stove was too hot and the bottom burned, so either place on a medium stove, or raise up off the stove somehow.

Apple Pecan Cake

2 1/2 c flour
3 c rehydrated chopped apples
1 c oil
1 t. vanilla
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c pecans

Blend all ingredients and pour in greased dutch oven. Cook on hot stove 45-60 minutes, covered.

**YUM. Nothing else to say about it, other than it was good and easy.

Dutch Oven Pound Cake (dh’s great grandmothers recipe)

3 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter
3/4 c sweet lard (as opposed to “porky” tasting lard - I used crisco)
1 t. rum (I used vanilla)
9 eggs
2 c. flour

Cream the fats, rum, and sugar with a fork (she never would use a mixer, I don’t know if it was stubborness), Add eggs one at a time, beating after each and then adding a scant 1/4 c. flour after each. Repeat until all eggs are beat in and flour is the last ingredient. It is important to beat it very well with a fork after each egg.

Bake in greased dutch oven for an hour to an hour and a half.

*I have made this periodically before, but we love it. Dh says for an authentic taste it must be slightly charred.....

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Side Dishes and Main Dishes

3 Grain Medley

2/3 c. wheat berries (not ground or flaked)
1/2 c pearl barley
1/2 c wild rice
1/4 c fresh parsley (I used 1/8 c dried)
1/4 c butter
2 t fresh lemon peel (I used 1 t dried)
6 green onions, sliced (I used half a small onion chopped)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 quarts broth (any flavor)
2 oz. pimento (I used 1/2 t dried crushed red pepper)

Mix all, place in greased dutch oven on stove for 4-6 hours or until grains are soft.

*We ate this as a main dish, but think it would work better with a steak or something as it left us all hungry. It had good flavor, though.

Green Beans and Tomatoes

2 T butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 pint drained green beans
1/2 pint drained tomatoes
1 can cream soup (I used powdered white sauce)
1 t worcestershire

Melt the butter and saute the onions. Add the rest of the ingredients and bake 30 minutes.

**This was good, but I think I will add some bacon grease or a bit of salt pork next time.

Green Pepper and Cabbage

2 t. oil
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 small onion chopped
1 pint tomatoes, drained or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 t sugar
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

*I used all dried veggies, reconstituted, except the tomatoes which were canned, and guessed at the equivalent amounts

Heat the oil, mix the ingredients in it, cover and bake until veggies are tender - about 40 minutes.

**This had good flavor, but I think the texture would be alot more pleasing with fresh ingredients. It’s a keeper for summer, but towards the bottom of the list for dried veggies.

Double Corn Spoonbread

3 c milk
1/2 c cornmeal
1 1/4 t salt
1/4 c butter, sliced
2 c canned corn
1 t hot pepper sauce (tabasco)
1 T baking powder
6 eggs
1 c shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

Whisk the milk, cornmeal and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 minute or until thick. Stir in the butter, cornmeal, and hot pepper sauce until the butter is melted. Sprinkle the baking powder on top. Beat the eggs and whisk them into the mixture, then fold in the cheese. Bake in greased dutch oven for 3-4 hours or until set

*this was very good

Posole

2 T olive oil
2 lb boneless pork or chicken (I used canned pork)
1 med onion chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced (I used 6)
1 T chili powder (I used Mortons Chili Blend)
2 t oregano
1/2 t cumin
30 ounces white hominy, drained and rinsed
half pint green chilis with juice
6 c broth of choice (I used chicken)
1/4 c fresh cilantro (I used 2 T dried)
1/2 t salt
pepper to taste
1 pint pinto beans (cooked or canned) if desired (I did not)

Brown the meat in oil (I skipped this step since I was using canned meat). Place in dutch oven and add onion, garlic, seasonings (not fresh cilantro), hominy, chilis, and broth. Cover and cook 4-8 hours depending on stove temperature. Add cilantro if using fresh, and adjust salt and pepper. If using fresh cilantro cook another 30 minute or so. Put in soup bowls and top like you might taco soup - sour cream, onions, lettuce. whatever, and serve with warm tortillas.

*We only topped it with chopped onions, but some shredded cheese would have been nice. Dh said he could eat it once a week, but could I throw in a dash of jalapenos. The kids and I love it. It would also be good over tortillas.

Irish Lamb Stew
(thank you to the neighbor who knew of my experimenting and brought us over some lamb to see what I could come up with!)

1-2 T olive oil
2 lb lamb shoulder, cubed
8 new potatos, sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
8 small onions, halved
3 large carrots, sliced
4 ribs celery, sliced
2 T fresh parsley (I used dried)
2 1/2 t. Mrs. Dash (I used Lawry’s salt free 17 spice blend)
2 t dry thyme
1 bay leaf
2 c. broth (I used veggie broth)
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the lamb in oil. Layer the potatoes, onions, carrots, and celery in the dutch oven. Place the meat on top. Pour in the broth and sprinkle the seasonings on top. Cover and cook all day on medium stove.

If you want a thicker sauce, mix 2 T butter with 2 T flour, remove meat and veggies, whisk the Beurre Manie (butter and flour) into the juice, replace the meat and veggies and cook another 30-60 minutes.

*It was our first time eating lamb, and we were pleasantly surprised. As a spinner/weaver, I would have a hard time killing a lamb, but the taste might just make me overcome that.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showpost.php?p=2814524&postcount=34

3 sourdough recipes to share
Sourddough Wheat Bread

3/4 C. water 3/4 C. milk 1 pkg. active dry yeat 1 C. Sourdough starter 2 1/2 C. whole wheat flour 2 Tbsp. molasses 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. butter 1/2 tsp baking soda 3 C. and 1-2 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Boil water & combine with the milk. When luikewarm, add yeast & dissolve thoroughly. Add 1 C. starter & 2 C. whole wheat flour. (I have a kitchen Aid Mixer with a dough hook). Mix on speed 1 for 1 minute. Cover and let rise for 90 minutes. Mixture will be bubbly & will have doubled in size. Add molasses, salt, butter, baking soda, 3 C all purpose flour, I use 1 cup high glueten flour and 2 C. unbleached flour and 1/2 C. Whole wheat flour. Mix on speed 1 for 1/2 minute; turn to Speed 4 for 1/2 minute, gradually adding 1-2 Tbsp flour; then reduce to Speed 3 to knead dough for 1 1/2 minutes. Place dough on floured board & allow to rest for 10 minutes. Shape into 2 round loaves & place in greased 9 inch cake pans. Allow to rise 45 minutes. Slash top of each loaf with a sharp knive. Bake at 350 and check at 30 minutes. My oven is fast. Recipe says 375 for 45-50 minutes. Yummmmmm!

Sourdough Cornmeal bread

1 pkg. active dry yeast 1 C. warm water 2/3C Sourdough starter 2 Tbsp. salad oil 2 Tbsp. molasses 1 tsp. salt 1 C. cornmeal 2 3/4 white all purpose flour I add gluten flour along with the white all purpose.

In large mixer bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Add starter, oil, molasses, salt, cornmeal & 1 C. flour. Thoroughly mix ingredients for 1/2 minute on Speed l. Stop mixer; add 1 3/4 C. flour. Mix for 1/2 minute on Speed 4, then knead dough on Speed 3 for 1 1/2 minutes. Place dough into a greased bowl & let ries 90 minutes. Punch dough down, form into a ball & let rise on a floured board for 10 minutes. Form into 2 small round loaves & place in greased 9 inch cake pans dusted with cornmeal. Cover & let rise 90 minutes. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. This is a nice moist bread.

Sourdough English Muffins

1 pkg. active dry yeast 1/4 C. warm water 1 C. warm milk 1/2 C sourdough starter 1 Tbsp. sugar 3/4 tsp. salt 3 1/4 C. all purpose flour Cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add milk. , starter, sugar, salt & 1 C. Flour. Combine ingredients on Speed 1 about 1/2 minute. Add remaining flour by mixing dough thoroughly for 1/2 minute on Speed 4. Reduce to Speed 3, knead dough 1 1/2 minutes longer. Place dough in greased bowl & let rise 90 minutes. Punch dough and turn onto cornmeal dusted board. Roll out dough to 1/2 thickness. With a 3 inch floured cookie cutter, cut dough and place rounds cornmeal side up 1 inch apart on an ungreased cornmeal dusted tray. Let rise 45 minutes. Bake on an ungreased griddle (I use my electric skillet) at 340 setting until golden brown on each side about 10 minutes per side. Cool on a rack. Split with a fork & serve with butter or jam.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.dinnergarden.org/

Interesting info on gardens......

http://www.dinnergarden.org/needSeeds.html

Get Vegetable Seeds for Free!

We send seeds for free to anyone in the United States who wants to start a garden! We mail seeds anywhere from Maine to Hawaii and Texas to Alaska. You can also pick up seeds in several states around the country. Below you will find a list of locations where you can pick up our seeds. These folks have all graciously agreed to partner with us by distributing Dinner Garden seeds to anyone who wants them in those areas. None of our distributors charge anything for the seeds, so be sure to pick them up! Can’t make it to a distribution site? No worries! Contact us using the form below, and we will mail seeds to you, for free! Please note that our distribution sites don’t mail seeds. They are only available for pick up at these sites.
California
Covina

The Iglesia De Cristo Elim now distributes Dinner Garden seed packs. Their address is 550 S. Hollenbeck Avenue, Covina, California 91723. Ask for Paster Jorge Monzon. Their website address is www.iglesiaelim.org/comunidad.html. You can also email them at comunidad@iglesiaelim.org.
Tujunga

The Bailey Human Care Center of Tujunga United Metodist Church now distributes Dinner Garden seed packs. Their address is 9901 Tujunga Canyon Blvd, Tujunga, California 91042. Ask for Sue Garner.
Florida

The Cooperative Feeding Program in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is now distributing Dinner Garden seed packs. Their address is 1 NW 33rd Terrace, Plantation, Florida 33311. You can find them online at www.feedingbroward.org. You can drop by to pick up a Dinner Garden seed pack for your family. Please note that the Cooperative Feeding Program does not ship seeds. If you need seeds mailed to you, please follow the link below to complete our online request form.
Idaho
Kimberly

We have a new seed distribution partner in Kimberly, Idaho. Kimberly is southeast of Twin Falls. If you are in Hazelton, Jerome, Filer, Twin Falls, Kimberly, Eden, Hanzen, Murtaugh, or Buhl and can make it to the Crossroads United Methodist Church at 131 Syringa Avenue, Kimberly, Idaho, please stop by to pick up Dinner Garden seeds! Crossroads United Methodist Church is located adjacent to Highway 30 as you enter Kimberly going east on Highway 30. They are directly across Syringa Avenue from the Arctic Circle. You can call them at 208-423-4311 to let them know you will be stopping by! Their website address is www.crossrdsumc.org.
Minnesota

If you live around St. Paul, Minnesota, and need seeds, please visit the Q Kindness Cafe at 350 St. Peter Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 to pick up Dinner Garden seeds. You can call them at 612-387-4977 or go visit them!
Montana

If you live around Billings, Montana, and need seeds, please visit The Rubber Stamp Shop at 2822 3rd Avenue North, B-14, Billings, MT 59101 to pick up Dinner Garden seeds. You can call them at 406-248-1313 or just stop by!
New York

We’re in the Big Apple! East Side Tabernacle is giving out Dinner Garden seed packs. Their website is www.eastsidetabernacle.org. They are located at 254 East 2nd Street, New York, New York 10009-8031. Ask for our friend, Pastor Abner Rosario.
North Carolina

Asheville, North Carolina is a beautiful city. If you live around there, you can pick up seeds at Chitwood & Fairbairn, P.A. Their website is www.wncdisability.com. They are located at 245 South French Broad Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801. You can call them at 828-252-0492.
Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is now home to a Dinner Garden distribution site, thanks to the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation! Their website is www.mwcdc.org. They are located at 301 Shiloh Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15211. Stop by to pick up a pack of Dinner Garden seeds for your family!
South Carolina

If you live in Charleston, South Carolina, you can now pick up seeds at the Essex Village Church of Christ. Their address is 736 Savage Rd, Charleston, SC 29414. Ask for Stefano Mugnaini.
Texas

If you live in North San Antonio, you can pick up seeds at 741 W. Ashby Place, San Antonio, Texas 78212. The sign says Big Kahuna, but the restaurant is now Saatea Lounge Vietnamese Restaurant. You can call them at 210-733-8473.

If you live in South San Antonio, you can pick up seeds at Inksell, 8403 State Hwy 151, Suite 200, San Antonio, Texas 78245. Their number is 210-892-0560.
Utah

If you live in Salt Lake City, Utah and need seeds, please visit One World Everybody Eats at 41 South 300 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 to pick up Dinner Garden seeds. We have a large supply there for those of you in the area.
Virginia

If you live in Central Virginia, in or around the Richmond area, please contact Farm to Family. They have converted an old school bus into a mobile farmer’s market. They are carrying Dinner Garden seed packs to distribute. The Magic Veggie Bus goes into the community to sell veggies and other good stuff right where people live and work, so they are bringing our seeds to you! Visit their Where and When to Find Us Page to find where you can pick up seeds or to contact them about getting seeds!
Don’t live in those places?

Would you like seeds to start your own garden? Please click here to complete our request form for seeds!

Please note that due to incredibly high demand, we are backlogged in our requests while we wait for additional funding for supplies. We will ship seeds to you as soon as we have the money to do so.

If you would like to contact us by mail or call us, please use the address and phone number below.

The Dinner Garden
P.O. Box 700686
San Antonio, Texas 78270-0686
210-979-1776

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.dinnergarden.org/recipesPreservation.html

Recipes for Preserving Your Garden Produce!

Eating fresh produce from the garden is an amazing summer treat. At some point, though, you’ll find that your garden is growing more food than you can eat in a week. You then run the risk of your food spoiling, shriveling, or rotting. What a waste! To help you fight this progression of time, we’ve created some recipes for you, so you can preserve your food!
Pickled Mustard Greens

Let’s talk about mustard greens. Mustard greens make a great fall, winter, and spring crop. If you tear off the greens without pulling up the plant, you can continue to harvest greens throughout the season. At some point, though, you will find the need to save your mustard greens, and pickling is a great way to do that.

Americans don’t eat a lot of pickled vegetables. We eat pickled cucumbers (pickles) and pickled cabbage (sauerkraut) but not much beyond that. However, in China and Korea, pickling is very popular. Looking to those countries, we find an easy way to preserve our mustard greens for several months.

Technically, pickled vegetables can be kept covered at room temperature and do just fine. Pickling has been around for over 4000 years as a method of food preservation. It involves either fermenting the food in salt or storing the food in vinegar. Both processes use acid which kills bacteria. With salt pickling, fermentation creates lactic acid. Vinegar contains acetic acid. Since the pickling solution kills the bacteria that cause food to spoil, cold storage is not necessary.

Nevertheless, we recommend storing your pickled vegetables in the refrigerator for a couple reasons. They will last far longer in your refrigerator than they will on your counter. Also, as far as our taste buds are concerned, pickled vegetables taste better cold.

The first recipe below uses salt and vinegar for pickling your greens. The second recipe only uses salt.
Pickled Mustard Greens

* A large bunch of mustard greens
* 2 cups of water
* 1/4 cup of white vinegar, minimum 5% acid
* 2 Tbsp white sugar
* 1 Tbsp salt
* 2 garlic cloves (optional)
* hot peppers (optional)
* You will also need a clean glass or ceramic jar. We are not canning the greens in this recipe, so you don’t need special mason jars or canning equipment. We will be canning our produce in the fall though! We used an old applesauce jar for this recipe.

Rinse the mustard greens in a bowl of water. Pour the water on your garden. Tear the greens into pieces and pack them into your jar. Pack them as tightly as you can. Pour your water, vinegar, sugar, and salt into a pot. Add your garlic and peppers, if you are using them. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat, and let it cool for one minute. Pour it into the jar, over your greens. Let the greens sit for a minute or two. They will now be soft enough to pack in several more greens. Make sure the liquid completely covers the greens. Let them cool for an hour, then refrigerate them. After a couple hours, cover the jar with a piece of plastic wrap, a plate, or the lid, if you have it. After three days, the greens will be ready to eat. They will keep for three to four months in the refrigerator.

Salt Pickled Mustard Greens

* A large bunch of mustard greens
* 1/4 cup salt
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 Tbsp white vinegar
* You will also need a clean glass or ceramic jar. We used an old applesauce jar for this recipe.

Rinse the mustard greens in a bowl of water. Pour the water on your garden. Tear the greens into pieces. Place several greens in the jar, then sprinkle them liberally with salt. Add several more greens to the jar and sprinkle them with salt. Continue this process until you reach the top of the jar. Pack them as tightly as you can. Fill the jar with cold water. Cover with a lid and shake the jar a couple times. Remove the lid, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the top. Cover the jar with cheesecloth or a towel and place on the counter to sit for several days, up to a week. The greens will turn yellowish brown and taste salty and sour when they are ready. Cover the jar with a lid again, shake, remove the lid, and drain half the water. Save the water for pickling more vegetables. Add fresh water to the jar to cover the pickled greens, cover the jar with a lid, and shake it. Remove the lid, add a tablespoon of vinegar to the top, cover with the lid again, and store in the refrigerator. These pickled greens will keep for several months in the refrigerator.
Pickled Dilled Beans

This next batch of recipes comes from our new friend Linda. She’s a Master Food Preserver and Food Safety Advisor. Did you know there was a job like that? How much would you love that job? Linda says this is a really popular recipe. Sean, our COO, ate a lot of pickled dilled beans when he was a kid. He highly recommends them.

* 4 lbs fresh tender green or yellow beans (5 to 6 inches long)
* 8 to 16 heads fresh dill or use 1 T. dried dill weed or 1 T. dried dill seed per pint
* 8 cloves garlic (optional)
* 1/2 cup canning or pickling salt
* 4 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
* 4 cups water
* 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes (optional)

Yield: About 8 pints

Procedure: Wash and trim ends from beans and cut to 4-inch lengths. In each sterile pint jar, place 1 to 2 dill heads and, if desired, 1 clove of garlic. Place whole beans upright in jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Trim beans to ensure proper fit, if necessary. Combine salt, vinegar water, and pepper flakes (if desired). Bring to a boil. Add hot solution to beans, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 min.

Note on substituting dill: For each quart try 3 heads of fresh dill or 1 to 2 tablespoons dill seed or 2 tablespoons dill weed.
Marinated Peppers

This is another very popular recipe. You cannot use this oil mixture on other vegetables. Each type of vegetable will vary in the way they absorb the acid, so some vegetables will not pickle with this solution and could be dangerous to eat.

* 4 lbs firm peppers, Bell, Hungarian, Banana, or Jalapeno Peppers*
* 1 cup bottled lemon juice
* 2 cups white vinegar (5 percent)
* 1 tbsp oregano leaves
* 1 cup olive or salad oil
* 1/2 cup chopped onions
* 2 cloves garlic, quartered (optional)
* 2 tbsp prepared horseradish (optional)

Yield: About 9 half-pints.

*Note: It is possible to adjust the intensity of pickled jalapeno peppers by using all hot jalapeno peppers (hot style), or blending with sweet and mild peppers (medium or mild style).

* For hot style: Use 4 lbs jalapeno peppers.
* For medium style: Use 2 lbs jalapeno peppers and 2 lbs sweet and mild peppers.
* For mild style: Use 1 lb jalapeno peppers and 3 lbs sweet and mild peppers.

Procedure: Wear plastic or rubber gloves, and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes. Select your favorite pepper. Peppers may be left whole. Large peppers may be quartered. Wash, slash two to four slits in each pepper, and blanch in boiling water or blister in order to peel tough-skinned hot peppers. Peppers may be blistered using one of the following methods:

* Oven or broiler method: Place peppers in a 400 F degrees oven or broiler for 6-8 minutes or until skins blister.
* Range-top method: Cover hot burner, either gas or electric, with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skins blister.

Allow peppers to cool. Place in pan and cover with a damp cloth. This will make peeling the peppers easier. After several minutes of cooling, peel each pepper. Flatten whole peppers. Mix all remaining ingredients in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Place 1/4 garlic clove (optional) and 1/4 teaspoon salt in each half pint or 1/2 teaspoon per pint. Fill jars with peppers, add hot, well-mixed oil/pickling solution over peppers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.

Process pints or half pint for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. For elevations over 1,000 feet, up to 6,000 feet, increase time to 20 minutes. If at 6,000 feet. or above, process 25 minutes.
Fruit Preserves

In the last section, we preserved food with salt and vinegar. Sugar is also excellent for preserving food. For hundreds of years, humans have used sugar to preserve their food by making candies, fruit preserves, jam, and jellies. It’s even been used for preserving meat! Sugar kills the bacteria that attempt to invade your food by dehydrating them. Like food preserved with salt or vinegar, sugar preserved food can sit on your kitchen counter and remain just fine. Before the days of refrigeration, people covered preserves with cheesecloth to keep bugs and other pests away, and the sugar took care of everything else. However, food is still much safer when refrigerated, frozen, or canned after being preserved and will last far longer this way than it would resting on a shelf. Thus, we recommend canning, refrigerating, or freezing all of your sugar preserved food.
Fig Preserves

* 3 pounds washed and quartered figs
* 3 packed cups brown sugar
* 1 cup water
* 2 lemons, thinly sliced, seeds removed
* 1 pinch salt

Figs mixed with sugar

Toss the brown sugar and figs together. Rest in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours.

In a large, heavy pot, add all the above ingredients, except the lemons. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemons and cook on low for several hours (three or more), stirring occasionally so mixture does not stick or burn. Skim off all the yellowish foam from the surface of the mixture. DO NOT LEAVE POT UNATTENDED because burning happens quickly.
Figs, lemons, and sugar in crockpot.

Alternatively, cook the mixture in a crockpot for seven to eight hours, on high for the first hour, then on low for the remaining time. Cook the mixture with the cover removed for the last two hours.
Figs, lemons, and sugar after 3 hours in crockpot.

For either method, cook until very thick. If canning, cool the preserves and refrigerate for 24 hours. Heat to boiling then ladle hot preserves into hot jars, seal with hot lids and bands, and process in a hot water bath for 10 to 15 minutes.
Figs, lemons, and sugar after 7 hours in crockpot.

If not canning, the preserves may be stored in refrigerator for up to one month or in the freezer for six months.
The finished fig preserve after chilling 24 hours.
Pickled Watermelon Rind

Here’s a good one for you. This is another pickle recipe, so you are preserving your produce by pickling, but preservation occurs with everything we’ve used so far, acid, salt, and sugar. This recipe also uses something that most people throw away, so you’re extending your food. If you haven’t had pickled watermelon rind, you’re in for a treat. They are sweet and spicy with a nice zing to them. Pickled watermelon rind is eaten in the South in the United States and throughout Asia. In the South, recipes lean towards sweet, while in Asia, they are spicy, hot, and loaded with vinegar.

For this recipe, feel free to adjust the spices to your taste. These pickled rinds will keep for four months in the refrigerator and for several years if you can them.

* 8 cups of watermelon rind, green skin removed
* 1/2 cup pickling salt
* 8 1/2 cups cold water
* 3 cups white granulated sugar
* 2 cups white vinegar, 5 percent acidity
* 5 cinnamon sticks
* 1 Tablespoon whole cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon mustard seed
* 1/2 Tablespoon whole allspice
* 1 inch by 1 inch slice of peeled ginger root (optional)
* 2 or 3 whole hot chili peppers or to taste (optional)

1. Cut the rind into 2 inch long by 1/2 inch wide strips.
2. Add the pickling salt to the rind in a stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowl. Do not use plastic.
3. Place in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
4. Rinse the rind thoroughly with cold water, then place the rind and 8 cups cold water into a stainless steel saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Drain the rind.
6. Blend vinegar, 1/2 cup water, sugar, and all the spices in your stainless steel saucepan.
7. Heat the mixture to simmering.
8. Remove the pot from heat, cover, and let the mixture rest for one hour.
9. Next, add the drained watermelon rind to the spice mixture and simmer gently for two hours. Stir the rinds occasionally. After the first hour passes, watch to make sure too much liquid doesn’t evaporate.
10. After the rinds have finished simmering, if you are canning them, follow these steps.
1. Pack hot rinds loosely into clean, hot pint jars. To each jar add a small piece of your cinnamon sticks, ginger, and chili peppers.
2. Cover with boiling syrup, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed.
3. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened clean paper towel. Adjust two-piece metal canning lids.
4. Process pints for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.
5. Remove lid from the canner. Allow jars to sit for an additional 5 minutes before removing jars.
6. Let the jars cool completely. They will store in your pantry for several years.
11. If storing the rinds in another container, cool the mixture. Store in the refrigerator in glass or ceramic containers. Do not use plastic. These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for four months.

Check out the video, for a play by play account of putting together this recipe!

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.dinnergarden.org/summerProduce.html

Summer Produce

Here is some information for you about your Summer produce. This page covers descriptions of the plants, harvesting your produce, and even some recipes!
Amaranth

About the Plant

Amaranth is an old crop. It was a staple for the Incas and the Mayans. It has been used as a food source for over 6000 years. Its genus is Amaranthus. Three species are grown for food: Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus caudatus, and Amaranthus hypochondriacus. We have been growing Amaranth caudatus with the common names Hartman’s Giant, Vietnamese Red, Kerala Red, Love-Lies-Bleeding, and Mexico City Red.
Amaranth Leaves

Amaranth can grow very large, as tall as 10 feet. Its broad leaves vary from burgundy to olive green. The stalks are typically burgundy regardless of leaf color. It grows magenta flower heads that look like large feathery plumes.

The plants are easy to grow. The seeds are incredibly tiny, so they’re a little difficult to manage, but once they’re in the ground, they start growing quickly, with germination occurring within 10 days. Surface sow the seeds when temperatures are warm. You should see small seedlings within 15 to 20 days.
Growing Conditions

Plant amaranth seeds 2 feet apart. The full grown plants can be anywhere from 2 to 10 feet tall, depending on the type, with leaf crowns of 1 to 2 feet wide. Plant them in soil amended with compost that has good drainage. Amaranth doesn’t like soggy soil. It loves high heat and full sun. Amaranth is also very tolerant of dry conditions but water it regularly for full growth. South Texas has brutal summers, and very few plants grow in the garden during the summer. Amaranth is one of those few plants. It performed better than our okra, winter squash, and Asian melons, which are our other summer crops of choice. We had no problems with bugs, pests, or diseases, which is typical for amaranth. It’s a very easy crop to grow.
Amaranth Plants

In 30 to 40 days, you can begin harvesting leaves to eat. Just trim a few leaves off each plant at a time. After 50 to 60 days, you will see seed development. The seeds are a grain, so you can also eat those.
Eating Amaranth

Amaranth grain and leaves are eaten all over the world. They are very popular in South America, China, and India. The grain contains a complete protein. Amaranth contains vitamins A, E, K, B6, C, riboflavin, and folate. You also get the minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, and maganese. The amount of fiber in amaranth grain is three times higher than wheat. Finally, amaranth oil from the grain is predominantly unsaturated, and it is quite high in linoleic acid.

The taste of amaranth leaves is very similar to spinach. Bitterness becomes a problem when the leaves are cooked too long. Stir frying the leaves is a great option for preparing the leaves. You can harvest the leaves throughout the season. Simply snip a few leaves from each plant, leaving enough for the plant to continue to grow.
Amaranth image from www.blossomSwap.com

You can cook the amaranth grain like other cereal grains. Boil 1 cup of the grain with 2 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Cook it for 18 to 20 minutes. Add it to soup instead of rice or barley. You can also grind it into flour. It doesn’t contain gluten, so if you’re on a gluten free diet, it can be a great part of your diet. If you aren’t gluten free and want to use it in baked goods, mix it with other flour.
Saving the Seeds

You can gather thousands of seeds from the Amaranth plants, up to 50,000! Cut off the seed pods and hang them upside down indoors. Collect the seeds on a tarp as they fall. You can also place them in a large paper bag to catch the seeds. Remove any chaff from the seeds before cooking or storing them. Place them in a container and store them in a cool, dry place. They keep longer in the refrigerator, up to 6 months, just make sure they are in a sealed container, so they don’t pick up moisture from the refrigerator. You can also save the seeds to plant next year. If you have any extra seeds, mail them to The Dinner Garden!
Eating Amaranth

Stir fry a large handful of amaranth leaves with 1 tsp of fresh, chopped garlic. Cook it just until the leaves wilt.

Cook one cup of grain in 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth for 18 to 20 minutes. Let is rest for 5 minutes. Fluff the amaranth grain. Toss in 1 tablespoon of fresh, chopped Thai basil and 1 teaspoon of fresh minced ginger.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=345596

recommendations for Alternative medicines

I thought I’d start a thread about ways and books to help with using alternatives to the prescriptions which wouldn’t be available should life get rough.

One book that has a lot of information in it about HOW antibiotics work, why some work and some don’t, and alternatives is Natural Alternatives to Antibiotics by Dr. John McKenna. It is also a pretty good home remedy reference.

I also own a number of Herbal Medicine type books...quite a few describe how to grow the herbs. If you look for a book for growing herbs/plants for medicine make sure you select one that had pictures or good drawings of the herb in question. It’s REALLY easy to mistake them.

---

Yes, with good results. My main “herb of choice” for many things is echinacea. With honey for sore throats, as an infusion or tea for sore back. Since the stuff grows wild here in Wisconsin, it’s easy to gather.

Dr. McKenna promotes a generally healthy diet with a lot of natural gut bacteria (things like yogurt) and herbal teas. Lots of Old Farm Remedies but he backs them up with science...trying to explain why it works. He also debunks some of the things that don’t work.

I RARELY get infections and have only had to have antibiotics 3 times that I can think of...pneumonia 10 years ago, 2 horribly infected ingrown toenails that went nasty, and a totally nasty infected tooth that had to be cleared up before a root canal. SO, I haven’t had to use any of them AS antibiotics, but I sometimes wonder if it’s because I use the various herbs as sore joint and back, or cold remedies? (I’ve ALWAYS had a really healthy immune system tho)
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RabbitTalk.com
Rabbits for profit, Rabbits for fun....Rabbits for just about everyone!

#4

Michael Moore’s books are a must have...they have great pictures. I personally use his “Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West” and “Medicinal Plants of the Pacific West”.
Matthew Wood’s books are also worth the space on the bookshelf.

Juliette de Bairacli Levy’s “Common Herbs for Natural Health” easy at home remedies for everyday type ‘ailments’ and Stephen H. Buhner’s “Herbal Antibiotics, Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug Resistant Bacteria”. (these days more and more bacteria are becoming resistant to ‘mans antibiotics’)

I have many more books but the ones I’ve listed are those that I turn to first...and they look it too.

For female type issues I suggest Susun Weed and Rosemary Gladstar.
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“At The Worlds Beginning There Was A Mother”
~ Chinese Tao Te Ching~

#5

We have wild oregano growing on our property which I use as a tincture for its natural antibiotic qualities.

#6

#7

I am getting a silver generator thingy so I can make my own colloidal silver.
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#8

My go to herb is yarrow. It grows wild all over the US. It is great for almost anything that ails you and most has been scientifically proven. I use it for colds (make tea with yarrow, mint and honey to taste) which it is AMAZING. When I was in college, my anthropology professor gave me some from her garden when I came to class with the flu. I’ve never had a cold that lasted more than 2 days if I was drinking yarrow tea 4x a day. My hubby takes coumadin so he’s a bleeder. Yarrow is great for stopping bleeding. Also crush fresh yarrow and put it on wounds, under a bandaid and it helps to keep wound from getting infected.

“http://www.altnature.com/gallery/yarrow.htm

Yarrow is a very valuable medicinal herb, with much scientific evidence of use in alternative medicine as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, stimulant, and tonics, vasodilator and vulnerary. Yarrow is used against colds, cramps, fevers, kidney disorders, toothaches, skin irritations, and hemorrhages, and to regulate menses, stimulate the flow of bile, and purify the blood. Medicinal tea is a good remedy for severe colds and flu, for stomach ulcers, amenorrhea, abdominal cramps, abscesses, trauma and bleeding, and to reduce inflammation. The main constituents are volatile oils including linalool, camphor, sabinene, and chamazulene, sesquiterpene lctones, flavanoids, alkaloids including achilleine, polyacetylenes, triterpenes, salicylic acid, coumarins, and tannins which prove these uses in alternative medicine to be effective. Extracts of yarrow exhibit antibiotic activity and may also act as anti-neoplastic drugs. Externally for treating wounds and stopping the flow of blood. Yarrow oil has been traditionally used in hair shampoos. Some caution is advised , large or frequent doses taken over a long period may cause the skin to be more sensitive to sunlight.

Folklore
It was one of the herbs dedicated to the Evil One, in earlier days, being sometimes known as Devil’s Nettle, Devil’s Plaything, Bad Man’s Plaything, and was used for divination in spells.

Recipe
An aromatic tea: To 1 tsp. dried herb add 1 cup boiling water, steep for 10 min. sweeten to taste. Take at bedtime.

Article by Deb Jackson & Karen Bergeron”
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http://slatehillfarm.blogspot.com

#9
Old 03/17/10, 10:11 PM

Yarrow looks a lot like Queen Anne’s Lace....that’s why I’m hesitant to harvest mushrooms and herbs that I can’t positively identify.
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#10

I think that Yarrow doesn’ look at all like Queen Anne’s Lace which DOES look like Poison Hemlock. Yarrows leaves and even the flower head are quite different from the other two, Yarrow leaves are SOFT and FEATHERY, lovely to stroke along the cheek. http://www.altnature.com/gallery/yarrow.htm , http://www.altnature.com/gallery/Wild_Carrot.htm , http://altnature.com/Herbs2003/pages...mlock6420.html
I have all three growing around the place.
Yarrow has really been trying to take over my garden, it’s one of the first herbs to show up in late Winter...makes me smile. To slow down her advance through the garden I’m going to dig some up and tincture the roots.
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#11

Once a person has a good Identification guide it’s a good idea to get out into Nature with that guide or guides and identify what’s available. It amazes me just how many medicinals grow within a short walk of my house...And if I hadn’t taken my weed-walks I wouldn’t even know what I know now.
WILD Medicinals on the property: Yarrow, Yellow Dock, Hawthorn, St. John’s Wort, Plantain, Self Heal, Burdock, Sorrell, Wild Rose, Blackberry, Wild Cherry, Red Elderberry, Goldenrod, Oregon Grape, Pearly Everlasting, Chickweed, Jewel weed, Wild Mustard, Foxglove, Fireweed and Cleavers....I’m sure I’m forgetting somebody. (White Pine, Oak, Willow, Juniper, Madrone)
TAME Medicinals I’ve planted: Wormwood, Agrimony, Cronewort/Mugwort, Bee Balm, Evening Primrose, Boneset, Hops, Lavender, Rosemary, Echinacea, Motherwort, Rue, Horehound, Mullein, Sage, Comfrey, Valerian, Wild Ginger and Elcampane.

I’ve been told that Native American tradition says that ‘All medicine that we need usually grows within 2 miles of home’...Nice if it’s true.

Oats, Queen Anne’s and I’m sure I’ll remember more
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#12

Great thread! I just bought the McKenna book. Amazon had it for 1.99. I have a few of the herbs listed and will be searching for more. I ordered Elderberry bushes from Starks and will keep my eyes open for more useful wild and cultivated plants. I think I have confused Yarrow and Queen Ann’s Lace but I will have to wait a while to see which I have. I am glad they are both useful whatever it is!

Can you buy comfey anywhere? I have not seen seeds or plants anywhere around here.
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#13

#14

Horizon herbs has roots for sale...I think I paid $10 for 6 roots and received 8 roots.
www.horizonherbs.com
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#16

Elderberry for the flu has already been mentioned — it works.

Turmeric — take for any kind of inflammation. I’m currently using it to deal with the lung effects of the flu; Dr. said I had illness-induced asthma, and I’m not so sure it hasn’t morphed into the real thing, but the turmeric, taken every four hours or so, is cutting it so I can breathe. Unfortunately, unless you live in the tropics, you won’t be able to grow your own, and the culinary herb isn’t as effective as the medicinal 95% preparation (you could use the culinary spice turmeric, but you might have to take as much as half a cup of it each day).

Cranberry for bladder infections and UTI’s. It works.

#17

I was watching a show about Alaska this morning and FIREWEED jelly was mentioned. I have Fireweed in the garden (Thank you Ma Nature) so I got online and look what I found:
http://montana.plant-life.org/species/epilob_angus.htm and http://alaskaoutdoorjournal.com/Depa...weedjelly.html

I know that fireweed is good for tummy troubles but had no idea it’s helpful for cuts, boils, and urinary issues/prostate troubles. AND it’s a food source as well...WooHoo!

So folks keep your eyes peeled this Summer for FIREWEED.
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#18

I seen Tumeric Root at our local Health Food store and many Indian food markets carry it.
Don’t know if the roots can be planted like Ginger... in pots.
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#19

Quote:
Originally Posted by marinemomtatt View Post
I seen Tumeric Root at our local Health Food store and many Indian food markets carry it.
Don’t know if the roots can be planted like Ginger... in pots.
Possibly — it’s in the ginger family. We might have to find out more about it’s cultural requirements. I did read that the roots have to be boiled for several hours, then dried and ground to get the spice.

#20

We use Uva Ursi, also known locally as Kinnickinnick and Bearberry for bladder problems, works wonderfully! http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-uva-ursi.html Also, tumeric and Alzheimers- Here is something on it http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART03001...Reasons-to-Eat Turmeric.htmlchickweekhttp://www.altnature.com/gallery/chickweed.htm thanks for the yarrow info, prolific here, and have used it, but need to more.

#21

Don’t forget Apple Cider Vinegar. Mixed with honey (2 parts vinegar, 1 part honey), it can soothe a sore throat and thin mucus. Not to mention the loads of other benefits it seems to have for lots of people.

Also, cinnamon (I buy it in caplets) is wonderful for regulating blood sugar. I am a non-insulin dependent diabetic. I can’t really adjust my medicine unless sugar goes crazy high. So when it is up more than I’d like, I hit the cinnamon and it helps. There is also a supplement called Cinnergen (sold at vitamin and health food stores) that takes blood glucose down quickly and dramatically.

Good old cranberry for urinary tract infections, and eating a good yogurt or drinking a beer every so often keep the vaginal bacteria balance in check.

#22

My staple natural remedies are,

Cayenne pepper- good for heart attacks, colds, to stop bleeding, heal frostbite, cures glacoma when put into the eye, the uses are endless.
Honey_ good from sore throats, coughs, healing wounds.
Tea Tree Oil- anti fungal, anti bacterial, anti viral
Lavender essential oil~
Rescue Remedy~ Perfect for trauma and stress
Vitamin C
Apple Cider Vianger
Ginger
Camomille
Echinechea
Oilve Leaf extract

#23

Cayenne....I’d read about Cayenne and heart attacks, so decided to make up a tincture. Once it was made I thought it would be best to ‘try’ it on myself before ever giving it to someone having an attack. OH MY GOOD GOLLY! that stuff HURTS! I would NEVER give Cayenne tincture to a stranger or friend...might get sued or jailed for assault. I would give it to my husband if need be because he KNOWS how painful the tincture is, he saw my pain and agony...~lol~...

Rescue Remedy...we were told by our Vet to try Rescue Remedy on our dog Dallas who HATES to ride, gets all stressed out and drooooly. We dosed her once on her tongue, a couple days later she wouldn’t have anything to do with it so we dosed her water, then when we were headed home from the camping trip she wouldn’t drink the water...we were only using a couple drops (((SHRUGS)))
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#24

cayenne tincture is a tough one to take, but it still a good one to have on hand. I took it for migrane once...it worked, but I wouldn’t want to have to take it regularly.
I also recently started using cayenne for my heart burn...yeah I know it sounds contrary, but it works REALLY well!

#25

I make my own Cayenne caps. Hadn’t thought about Migraine or heartburn help. Kinda makes sense though, Cayenne as a painkiller is superb...gotta think about the heartburn help...

#26

I have heard that cayenne in caps are a shock to the stomach since you don’t taste it first, and should not be used that way...how have you found your stomach to react? I have never taken it that way, but I really like cayenne ;-)

#27

Cascara Sagrada is a good laxative.

Golden Seal is one I hope to add to our herb garden. If I feel like I have a sinus infection coming on, that will stop it in its tracks. My sister called me when she was sick, and I told her to take Golden Seal. She was amazed by how well it works.

Tea Tree oil helps with Poison Ivy. I’ve never had poison ivy (knock on wood), but DH gets it all the time. Tea tree oil seems to help with the itching quite a bit. I’m hoping I inherited my dad’s immunity to poison ivy, oak, and sumac.
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Discontent is the want of self-reliance.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

[DelaWhere]

>>>Talk to Delawhere, he has the first 2 threads up, so they can be down loaded on his site, but I cannot find the number of the post he put the link in.<<<

Here is the link of Thread 1, 2 and the first part of 3.
(Sure wish Eagle50AE were around to archive more)

http://www.pixiesites.com/granny-archive.html

[DelaWhere]

Granny, as you know, I too have breathing problems - chronic bronchitis COPD with lots of coughing (couple of hours) needed morning and night to clear it.

Back when I ordered the herbs from AmeriHerb,(a few months ago) I got three things that I had researched - Mullein leaf, Ursa Uvi and licorice root. I had read quite a bit about it - it was used to treat TB victims to help solve their breathing/coughing problems, and it was used by the Indians to treat lung congestion too.

I have waited to say anything until I could say positively that it works. It does. Since I have smoked for well over half a century, I make up cigarettes with a mixture of the three herbs and smoke one first thing in the morning and within 5 minutes, the phlegm loosens and is easily coughed up, and lungs and bronchial tubes are clear. It then seems to last almost all day. Then, since when I lie down at night I have about an hour or two of coughing, I smoke one before going to bed and within 5 minutes I am breathing clear again. (No, there is no buzz no weird stuff at all - actually it is quite mild and bland, and the licorice root is as much to add some flavor as well as aid as an expectorant.)

I had previously tried the N-Acetyl Cysteine and it did help a little, but not enough to be worth-while.

After using my mixture, I had another evaluation with the Doctor - he couldn’t believe how much better I did. Said he had fully expected that I would have gotten worse, and said he had not had any other patients make this kind of improvement on any medication.

You would probably have a problem with the oxygen, but wonder if it would help you too.

[DollyCali]

sharing info?

Hi all. I was in conversation w /nw_arizona_granny the need for those of us who are WILLING & INTERESTED to share some personal information.

I have hers & she has mine & I volunteered to compile a list for those wanting to be part. She has health issues as you know & for her life’s breath is precious & weighed in the use thereof.

It will NOT be posted on the thread but will be shared via FReepmail or email.

any who participate will get the list of all. You will NOT be given the list if you wont participate.

why? not sure we can trust our gov’t any longer to be assured we will have this thread or any internet access. are we paranoid? HELL YES

I hope we would have an avenue to keep contact.

Ariz Granny & I are both going to start collecting info from these threads onto Document files for reference in case we can no longer be here for whatever reason.

If you want to be part of this here is what we want

name
address/city/zip
email
cell phone & /or land phone

Will give a week for those interested to “sign in”

Once I compile my file of info I will share with you also.

I am truly fearful for our republic. My Christian Faith sustains me & my love of God’s creation & the healthful cures/foods/provision are encouraging for/to me, aren’t they for you?

God is sovereign... but we also must do our part to survive.

[nw_arizona_granny]

This message contains the following:

1. Evenflo Recalls Top-of-Stair Plus Wood Gates Due to Fall Hazard
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10181.html

2. Lennox Hearth Products Recalls Vent-Free Gas Logs and Fireplaces Due to Gas Leak and Fire Hazards http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10182.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm205851.htm

From: U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
Subject: Walong Marketing, Inc. Expands Nationwide Voluntary Recall Flying Horse Sesame Chewy Candy Due to Undeclared Peanuts

Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010, 6:57 AM

Walong Marketing, Inc. Expands Nationwide Voluntary Recall Flying Horse Sesame Chewy Candy Due to Undeclared Peanuts
Wed, 24 Mar 2010 07:28:00 -0500

Walong Marketing, Inc. of Buena Park, California is expanding a voluntary recall of Flying Horse Sesame Chewy Candy due to undeclared peanuts to include Flying Horse White Sesame Chewy Candy. The recall was initiated on February 16, 2010 for Flying Horse Black and White Sesame Chewy Candy. People who have severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious or life threatening allergic reactions if they consume this product.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm205903.htm

Blue Line Foodservice Distribution voluntarily recalls “Spice Paks”

Company Contact:
Pat McGuire
248-442-4502

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 23, 2010 – As a result of a recall of Black Pepper by Mincing Overseas Spice Company, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution of Farmington Hills, MI is voluntarily recalling Little Caesars Spice Paks. The Spice Paks are small white packets, approximately 1.5’’ X 2.5’’ that contain black pepper and other spices. The Spice Paks may have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The packets do not have lot codes or UPC codes. Before they were removed from the stores, they were available upon request to consumers at many Little Caesars stores in the US, Canada and Mexico. The Spice Paks are not used in making any Little Caesars food products.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonellacan result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e. infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

To-date, no illnesses associated with the Spice Paks have been brought to the company’s attention. However, Blue Line Foodservice Distribution has voluntarily initiated this recall because of its commitment to the health and safety of consumers and its commitment to providing them with high quality products.

Consumers who have the Spice Paks in their possession should not use them and should throw them away. The stores have disposed of all Spice Paks in their possession.

No products other than the Spice Pak mentioned above are involved in the recall at the stores concerned.

For more information customers can call 800.722.3727 from 9 a.m. – 11 p.m. ET Monday – Friday, and 3 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET Saturday.

For more information, go to the CDC and FDA websites.

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Page Last Updated: 03/24/2010

[metmom]

I hope we would have an avenue to keep contact.

why? not sure we can trust our gov’t any longer to be assured we will have this thread or any internet access. are we paranoid? HELL YES

I hope we would have an avenue to keep contact.

Would you also consider a list of those who would share a non-FR email address, like a gmail or yahoo account for the time being? I sure understand and agree with the concerns you have.

I would really like to keep in touch with like minded folks but have some reservations about divulging personal information like that that would compromise my screen name.