Posted in Homestead Kitchen

It is most definitely soup weather at my house today, cold (at least to me) and rainy.  I read recently that January is National Soup Month (as well as National Hot Tea Month).  I love to simmer a pot of soup or stew on the back burner of the stove for hours on cold winter days.  Some days I don't have time for that however, and then it's time to make my favorite soup of all: Veggie Cheese Soup.  It is quick to prepare, but oh so tasty!

Here's a basic recipe, though I don't ever use exact amounts, I just eyeball it and adjust to my liking.

Veggie Cheese Soup

2 Tbl butter

2-3 potatoes, peeled and diced

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2-3 stalks celery , sliced thinly

3 carrots, peeled and diced

water or chicken broth to cover vegetables

1 chicken bouillon cube if you are using water

1 cup half & half or whole milk

2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)

dash Tabasco

salt & pepper to taste

parsley for garnish

Saute all veggies except potatoes in butter until onions and celery are softened.  Add potatoes and enough water (or chicken broth) to cover.  Add bouillon if using water.   Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender.  Stir in milk, cheese and seasonings.  Heat through, but do not boil.  Garnish with parsley, if desired.  Enjoy!

This soup served with a green salad and Quick Rolls is a family favorite at our house.

I have 2 new soup recipes from a friend to try out in the coming days.  Once I've taste tested them, I'll post them for you, as well.

Do you have a family favorite soup recipe to share with us?  Please post it and put a link in the comments section so we can add some new soups to our menus this January!  

Next week I'll be back posting in the Garden.  This week I'm mostly plotting and planning what I want to grow anyway; and I like to visit the Homestead Kitchen now and then.   

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without pie, at least that's how my husband feels about it! 

I will of course make a pumpkin pie, a walnut pie ... perhaps a chocolate pie, my favorite and what my grandma always made me for my birthday, which sometimes falls on Thanksgiving.   And this year I'm making Exquisite Pie ... something I haven't had since I was still in school (that's been oh... a LOT of years ).  I still remember Mrs. White serving this pie at holiday time and I loved it.  I doubt my girls will be as excited about it as I was since they don't like raisins; but when I saw it yesterday in the recipe book my favorite Aunt made for me (also many years ago), I knew I wanted to make an Exquisite Pie this Thanksgiving.  If no one else likes it, I'll just eat it all myself !

Here's the recipe for those of you who do like raisins! 

Mrs. White's Exquisite Pie

1 cup sugar

1 stick oleo, melted (that would be margarine ... but I'll use butter)

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 well-beaten eggs

1 tbl. vinegar

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup raisins

Mix all ingredients and pour into:

1 nine-inch pie crust (shallow)

Bake at 350 - 50 minutes.

OK, what's your favorite pie or Thanksgiving dessert?  Please share your favorite recipes with us! 

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

OK, even though I really do not at all enjoy preparing the Thanksgiving turkey for roasting, it just wouldn't be the same without the bird.  So, here's a delicious (though rather icky) way to prepare a turkey. 

Soften 1 stick of butter.

Mix your choice of  dried herbs and spices in with the butter.  I use Poultry Seasoning, which is a mixture of thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, black pepper and nutmeg.  I also add a bit of garlic powder and some paprika.  

Set this aside while you rinse your turkey, and get it wrestled into the baking pan (well, that's how it goes with me ... one year I actually dropped the lovely, raw thing on the kitchen floor ).  Oh, and please don't forget to remove that well-hidden, little plastic baggie full of "assorted parts" that you'll possibly need for gravy.  Another of my Kitchen Adventures ... one year I dug the neck out of the turkey and somehow missed that bag.  When I peeked into the oven to check on the turkey, I saw something that didn't look quite right and managed to remove it before it became part of the meal .  Cooking is a never-ending adventure around here!

Now that your  bird is clean and ready to prepare, take a deep breath , and proceed to run your hands up under the skin of the turkey breast to loosen it.  Yes, it feels ever so nasty, but it will be worth it, trust me.  Now, take your butter/herb mixture in your fingers and once again go underneath the skin, rubbing the butter all over the breast.  If you have extra, rub it inside the cavity and over the outside of the turkey.   Add a tablespoon or so of salt rubbed around inside the cavity, and put in 2-3 pieces of celery, an onion cut into quarters, a carrot or two, and a few sprigs of parsley, thyme & rosemary, if you like. 

Now, proceed to roast your turkey as directed, basting as needed.

This method produces a tasty and very juicy turkey.   

Enjoy, and be thankful you only have to do this once or twice a year !

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

I know most of us are making our Thanksgiving preparations, and I've seen lots of posts on menu plans, recipes, etc. this week.  I thought I'd share my favorite cranberry sauce recipe today (I'm not ready to talk turkey, as that's not my favorite thing to cook...maybe tomorrow ). 

If you have a favorite recipe for cranberry sauce or some other sauce or relish for the holidays, please share it with us! 

Cranberry Orange Sauce

• 1 package fresh cranberries (12 oz)
• 1 orange
• 1 cup sugar (or to taste)
• 1 cinnamon stick

Directions

Remove zest and then squeeze juice from orange.

Put all ingredients into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes (or longer). Remove cinnamon stick, cool and refrigerate.

Blessings,

Catherine

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

Every once in a while my Dad will surprise me with some groovy thing he found at a junk store, antique sale or in some old house. When he brought this to me last year I was THRILLED, but now that I have used it... I am totally in LOVE with this gadget.
I love it when something is pretty AND useful!
Yesterday I made up my first batch of tomato sauce. When it said to run it through a sieve I had the perfect tool. A tool just like my great-grandma used, so says my Daddy.
And you know what? As I ran the tomato pulp through that sieve and swirled around the reamer... it worked just as good for me as it did for her I am sure.
This morning I got up excited to make up some more. I had my first batch going at 6 am.
Beautiful.
Keeping alive the old ways.
It's a good thing. :)

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

Welcome and Good Morning!  I hope you are having a swell Friday... 

My dear friend Lindsey adapted it from a recipe for a savory focaccia bread from a magazine we both get through email, it is such a lovely magazine.  Beautiful pictures, great recipes and crafty ideas.  It is called Seasonal Delights... go check it out!
Anyhow back to the reason you came... the Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Focaccia Bread...  the name is a mouthful in itself. Ha
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Focaccia Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (110°F)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (I used a tablespoon)
2 1/2 cups flour (I used soft white wheat)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3-4 T sugar (I used sucanat)
4 T butter, melted, divided

1/3 cup brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon for topping

1/4 powdered sugar, milk, vanilla for icing

Stir together warm water and sugar in a small bowl.  Add the yeast slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve.  Let stand until bubbly, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the flour, additional sugar, salt and cinnamon.  Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture and 2 tablespoons of the butter.  Stir to combine thoroughly but try not to knead at this point.  I had to mix it together with my hands just a bit to make sure it was all mixed up.
Cover and rest for 30 minutes.  Preheat your oven to 425 degrees after 15 minutes of the resting time.
Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 30-60 seconds.  The dough should still be fairly soft but also smooth.  Roll out about 1/2 inch thick and place on a baking sheet or stone.  Push your fingertips down into the dough, making dimples, not holes, all over the dough.  Spread the remaining 2 T butter over the top.
Combine topping ingredients and spread all over the buttered dough.  Bake for about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.
Place powdered sugar in a bowl and add *maybe* 3 t milk, a little bit at a time, until the consistency of icing.  Add the tiniest splash of vanilla extract and stir.  Drizzle over warm bread (I like to cut into strips and then drizzle) and serve.

Oh yum, these were so good.  Thankfully Shannon and the kids finished them off so it freed me of the temptation.
I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!  Love to each of you!
xoxo

Blessings,
Chasity L. Burrell
Senior Editor Homesteadblogger
Heritage Acres Farm

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

It's Spring and you may be getting more eggs than you can use. If you don't not sell your eggs and need a way to preserve them here is some good ideas. Be sure and follow the link to the website where there are lots of good recipies and more.

Freezing Eggs
Eggs can be frozen, but not in the shell. It's best to freeze eggs in small quantities so you can thaw only what you need. An easy way to do this is to put them in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer container and label.
As with any frozen food, it is best to thaw eggs in the refrigerator and use them as soon as they are thawed. Only use thawed eggs in dishes that will be thoroughly cooked.
Following are some easy instructions for freezing eggs:

Freezing Eggs

Enjoy! Nothing taste better than eggs fresh from your yard!

Grandma Rosie 

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

Shelley, Head Tomato of One Roast Vegetable has just opened registration for her Back to Basics Cooking Class. Last time around her class filled up in 4.5 hours! So if you are interested in this exceptional cooking class, jog on over and sign up right now!

What I can tell you is that I learned about the class from my friend Malia over at Home Making 911. I thought about enrolling the first time around, but then thought, “I can teach those things on my own.” Guess what? I haven’t! With Shelley’s class I now KNOW I will get aorund to it!

After viewing the sample lessons, I now know that I will even my 5 year old aspiring chef will be able to follow along with these informative lessons. Even more impressive, my 17 yo son will finally be able to put together an entire meal, instead of all the little random dishes I have taught him how to make.

So get over there quickly if you want to get in on this fabulous and inexpensive opportunity! All four of my children will be taking the class for less than $8 for each child to take the 14 week class!!! Now THAT is a simple and frugal bargain!!!

Registration is Right Now, So Don't Miss Out!

See You in Class!

Leslie Valeska

~Contributing Writer~

Leslie Valeska is the lucky wife of Thomas.  With children ranging in ages from 4-16, she has had a lot of time to learn and experience much of the fine art of homemaking. She is a writer, speaker, and vintage seamstress. For FREE daily tips and a FREE E-zine on simple and frugal living visit her blog Journey to Simplicity. Need a source of encouragement, inspiration, and support on your journey to Godly womanhood? Visit Simple Journey Ministries (she has a FREE E-zine too!)

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

One day last week I remembered that I had bought some heavy cream over the holidays for Moma's Favorite Cookie, which I am GOING to post the recipe for! REALLY! :)  Well, I thought with this much cream, it would be a good time to show the children how to make butter... well the easy way to make butter.
We pulled out the ole food processor.
Poured in all that cream and turned it on...
There were a few different stages that I told them we would see...
First of all we saw it just as a liquid, as it is as cream.
We would start seeing the cream slowly becoming thicker, until we had it at the whipped cream stage.
They all tried it at this point and sneered... sadly they thought it would taste like cool whip.  Pitiful, huh? I told them at the enormous amounts of 'stuff' added to cool whip and this was so much better, and that we could add a little sweetner if we wanted whipped cream, but we want butter!
Keep it moving, keep it moving...
FINALLY!
BUTTER! :) HURRAH!
Please forgive the skunk stripes down my child's hair... our New Years Party got a bit crazy! :) haha
Mmm... this butter is good, Mom!
We even took the buttermilk and put it in a jar to use later and washed the curds with ice water to help get all the milk off so the butter would last longer.
Now a solid. How crazy are we? Doing school when we are supposed to be on holiday? haha... so is the life of a homeschooler.
I hope you have a great day friends.
From My Homestead to Yours,
~Chas~
Chasity L. Burrell
Heritage Acres Farm

Posted in Homestead Kitchen

I am giving this fudge away as gifts. My plan was to cut the fudge up into squares and put them in round gift tins that you can purchase just about anywhere. Then my daughter Emily had a great idea. She suggested lining the gift tins with saran wrap and just pouring the fudge into these instead of the 9x9 pan. How easy is that!  Then we both had the idea that you could probably do two layers.. just put wax paper and maybe another layer of saran wrap over the first batch and pour the second batch on top after the first batch has chilled.. that way the recipients has more than one type of fudge to enjoy. 

Posted in Homestead Kitchen