This is a yummy dinner, with a little "wow" value, but so simple to make.
First, you are going to need to set up some "dipping stations" with three small dishes.
In the first, you will beat together 2 eggs and 1/3 cup of milk.
In the next bowl, you will add 1/2 cup of flour and in the third bowl, you will combine 1 1/2 c dry bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 tsp dry thyme leaves and 1/3 c parmesan cheese.
To make dry bread crumbs, just pop a couple slices of bread in the toaster, and toast. let the slices of toast cool, then tear into pieces, and give a buzz in a food processor. Instant bread crumbs. If you need fresh crumbs, skip the toasting step.
Now, you need one package of the thin-sliced, boneless chicken breasts. Depending on how many slices are in your package, that will determine how much of the other ingredients you need. I had 6 slices, so I need 6 slices of ham, 6 sticks of swiss cheese (about 1/2 inch thick, 3 inches long), and 6 toothpicks.
Now take one slice of chicken, layer on one slice of ham, and a stick of cheese.
Roll them up, and secure by sticking a toothpick straight through it. Repeat with all.
Now you are going to start dipping. Take the first roll, and dip it into the egg wash, coating all over.
Second, dip it into the flour.
Next...go BACK to the egg wash, and dip again.
And last, roll it around in the crumb mixture, coating all over.
Place on a baking stone/sheet. Repeat with all.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. The cheese will ooze and get crispy in the edges, and the outside will be brown and crunchy.
Enjoy!
Printable Version:
2 eggs
1/3 c milk
1/2 c flour
1 1/2 c dry bread crumbs
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/3 c parmesan cheese
1 package thinly sliced chicken breasts
sliced deli ham (1 slice per chicken slice)
sticks of swiss cheese (on stick per chicken slice)
toothpicks
In a small dish, beat eggs and milk.
In a second dish, add flour.
In a third dish, combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, herbs and parmesan cheese.
Layer a ham slice onto a chicken slice. Place a stick of swiss cheese on top, and roll up, securing with a toothpick. Repeat with all.
Coat one chicken roll in egg, then flour, then egg again, and finally crumb coating.
Place on a baking stone/sheet. Repeat with all.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
Enjoy!
* * *
Conni is an army wife and homeschooling mom of three, living in North Carolina. You can find out more about her on her blog: MamaHen
As we spoke of Spring plans, my family and I decided to write a list of some of the "Homesteading Blessings" we enjoy during this season. I thought we would share them with you, and maybe you could add a few of your own to the list!
Our homestead! Small though it may be, it is home!
Spring flowers that burst forth in the reminder of God's perfect plan for renewal of this Earth!
Laughter, and the funny antics our animals do everyday. Ever seen a chicken who thought she was a dog? We have two!
Fresh grass for the livestock.
A cup of tea shared on the veranda.
Outdoor grilling that mean no kitchen clean-ups, LOL!
The old swimming hole that becons as the weather warms.
Children playing on the lawn.
Church picnics that warm us with fellowship and joy.
Easter! The glorious celebration of the resurection of our Lord and Saviour!
Cool evenings that are just right for a brisk walk.
Gardening!
Love shared, and sorrows halved.
Early morning and breakfast served in the wonderful Spring air!
So many more, were I to write them all, I might never finish!
Share yours, won't you?
Until we meet again, may the Lord bless you GOOD!
Bev
Bev resides deep in the woodlands of South Carolina. Surrounded by her loving husband, children, family and friends, she thrives on her love of God, family, and the land.
"Homesteading is more than just a lifestyle. It is a lifestyle of Hope and Heart!"
Hello to all our homesteading friends! We hope all is well in your little corner of the world today.
Fred and I have been asked to blog about our straw bale home building project. As many of you may know, we are building a house made of straw bales! We're doing quite a bit of the work ourselves to eliminate the high cost and a 30 year mortgage. We're hoping in the end to have a low mortgage for about 5 years. We do not want a mortgage payment when we retire or the high costs of heating and maintaining our home! Our first plan was to have NO mortgage payment. But that would have been very difficult to do. Maybe if we were younger and had more time? So I encourage you younger folks to think about getting out of debt and building debt free now....while you are young. It's such a good feeling!
There are a few reasons we are building a straw bale home.
1.) The "R" value is high........35 - 50! That's good. Average is 25 in a standard home.
2.) It conserves energy and saves you a lot of $. It lowers the heating and cooling utility bill big time.
3.) Anyone can do it! It's tedious work......plastering those bales of straw, but even a child can help build a straw bale house.
We're at the point where we are doing some of the work ourselves and doing some pricing around.
This past weekend, Fred and I visited a unique store in downtown Syracuse run by Habitat for Humanity. They recycle surplus building materials that are donated for new building projects on a budget... maybe some low cost materials for our construction project! We would like to find good windows at a bargain price. We also checked out the kitchen cupboards and interior doors. It was time well spent. I think we may go back and buy some picture windows for the sun porch when the time comes.
Thank you for joining us in our adventure! We will strive to keep you up to date on what we are doing. Some weeks may be more interesting than others.....depending on where we are at and what we are doing.
Fred & Teresa and family live in central N.Y in a rural farming community. They enjoy living the country life on their 1 acre homestead "Red Maple Roost!" Our goal is to one day be "off the grid." We strive to live a more self sustaining lifestyle on a shoe string. Blessings one and all!
I love this time of year! Days are slowly getting longer; the sun is warmer (when it does come around), and everything is ’springing’ to life.It’s time to fling open some windows, let some fresh air in and get down to spring cleaning and organizing!
In order to get down to cleaning, I need to have things organized, first. As a homeschool family, I believe we are extra challenged to keep clutter at bay!All those projects, papers, supplies, books, and wait - why is there a clay canoe in my bathroom sink? (As my youngest daughter admitted, “I wanted to see if it would float”.Hmm, well…okay, she IS learning, I tell myself!)If you are a homeschool parent, you may know exactly what I am talking about!
As much as I love all of my children’s beautiful writings, projects, creations, copy work verses, math lessons, craft projects….I know you’re nodding your head right now… reality though is that I just can’t keep it all, keep my sanity and keep our home organized! Keeping our homeschool projects and such organized can be a challenge.So, as we go about our learning we keep record and memory of projects and such by taking pictures. This works for us! Don’t get me wrong, we keep some special things such as a poem, special story, etc. in a scrapbook that we have for each child, along with pictures of what they’ve done as well. Not only does this serve as a very special ‘Memory Book’ of sorts, but it keeps things organized in a manageable way that is very simple.
Once the clutter of paperwork is cleaned out, we go through our curriculum. This is a great time to take stock of what we have on hand for next year! What worked?(What didn’t?) What will need to be purchased? What is my oldest child done with that I can reuse with a younger child? What needs to be tossed?
We do the same with clothing; winter clothing gets tucked away for next year and out comes spring/summer clothing. Things that need to be passed down to the next child get moved, things that need repair go into the sewing area, and things that are beyond repair go in the ‘rag bag’ for use in cleaning if they have no other use.I like to have 3 boxes or large plastic containers available when I start this process. I use one for things to donate, one for things to sell (or give away) and one for things that need to be tossed, along with a large canvas type bag or ’stuff sack’ I use as the ‘rag bag’. These come with me through the house as I embark on this process. I go to each room or area until all has been gone through. When I do my Spring Cleaning, I get brutal and toss, toss, toss! Once I’ve combed through each room, it’s time to get down to cleaning!
A Few “Green Spring Clean” Recipes:
Although it seems we clean all the time, this time of year we deep clean! Everything gets dusted, wiped down, and cleaned off. It’s just amazing how many dust bunnies can accumulate in such short order!
I use natural, homemade, non toxic cleaners for everything. Not only are these ‘green’ but they are a huge money saver!I use a variety of recipes depending on what I have on hand. I love to use essential oils — not only their pure fragrances but also for their anti-bacterial properties!But if you don’t have essential oils in your home at this time, you can simply make up your own natural cleaners without them.
Here is a short list of supplies to gather, right from your kitchen and laundry room:
Vinegar
Baking Soda
Lemons
Salt
Borax
Olive Oil
Now gather up some old sour cream containers (or used glass canning jars with lids), a couple of empty sprayer bottles, some of those old articles of clothing that are in the rag bag, and maybe a green ’scratchie pad’.
In just a few minutes you can have basic, frugal, non-toxic cleaners that WORK to clean your home. Let’s get these items all together and get going on a “Green Spring Clean”!
Surface Cleaner
This works great on counter tops; I use it on the kitchen floor for spills and such too! Take one of your empty sprayer bottles, and add 2 cups of warm water, 2 TBS of Vinegar, 1TBS Borax, and 1TBS Lemon Juice. Shake it up well and voila; you have a multipurpose spray cleaner that is a great surface cleaner!
Bathroom Scrub
Grab another one of your old containers.Add in a 1/2 cup of both Baking Soda and Borax, 1TBS of Salt and sprinkle in drops of Lemon Juice (about a TBS full will do the job).Now, I say “sprinkle in” because you don’t want your liquid caking in to one big clump with your dry ingredients! Mix this slowly; as you add your lemon juice a drop or so at a time. Once you have it all in the container, put the lid on tightly and shake it up to mix a bit more and you have a great non-toxic scrub for your toilets, showers and tubs! Now with some elbow grease and one of those green scratchie pads and/or toilet brush, you’ll have sparkling clean tubs and toilets!
Carpet Cleaner
Grab one of those handy empty sprayer bottles!Pour in 2 cups of hot water & 2 TBS baking soda.Shake well and spray over the carpets lightly, let it sit for awhile and vacuum up. This freshens up the carpeting without those toxic, dusty powders or those terribly toxic carpet cleaners! I like to add essential oils to this mixture to kill germs and add a nice scent too! 20 drops of Lavender essential oil will do the job (or any essential oil you like that has anti bacterial properties that you like).
Now that we have a few basic cleaners made up, how about a wonderful Spring/Summer Potpourri blend to bring a little ’spring’ into the home? I love to have our home smell nice and inviting, and here is a potpourri blend that you can easily make up and set out in a pretty dish, or toss a cup into a simmering pot of water! You can even take a handful and put it into those single, old socks that you can never find the match for… tie the end in a knot and you have the most frugal sachets around! Tuck them into dresser drawers and closets for lovely fragrance throughout the home! (No one will ever see them and they use those mystery single socks that you’d just toss anyway!)
Spring & Summer Potpourri Blend
1 Cup Dried Lavender Buds/Flowers
1 Cup Dried Rose Petals
½ Cup Dried Rose Buds
1 TBS Whole Cloves
½ Cup Dried Chamomile Flowers
½ Cup Dried Calendula Flowers
Place all ingredients in a wide bowl, mix together well; you can also drizzle 20 drops of Lavender essential oil and 20 drops Geranium essential oil over the mixture and mix well.The remainder you can leave sealed in a container or Ziploc type bag for about a week, shaking up and tossing around the ingredients every few days.I store in Ziploc type bag and replace as needed. This also works beautifully in homemade, hand sewn pretty sachets!
If you’re looking for more natural cleaning recipes, come on over to our website and check out our Homestead Simplicity: Natural Clean EBook.It’s LOADED with naturally clean recipes!
As you can see, with just some simple organizing, basic ingredients and elbow grease you can have a ‘green spring clean’ too!
Joyfully Home keeping,
Lisa
“She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.”Proverbs 10:27, NASB
Organic gardening has become all the rage, and for good reason. Organic means the practice of natural growing techniques, non-chemical fertilizers, and pesticides, and that means healthier plants, and in the mix, a healthier You!
When planting gardens, there are many things to consider, from soil alkalinity, to rainfall. One of the best ways to solve difficulty in both of these areas is to mulch. Mulch provides a way to cushion the soil from harsh sun, drought, and keep it more aerable. Mulches ranges from rubber and plastic, to living. All offer the benefits of weed control. Some prefer to use an organic mulch of leaves, straw and hay. But, only one offers the chance to "treat and eat," and that is "living" mulch. So, what exactly is a living mulch?
A living mulch is using under-story, and companion planting, to form a canopy that blocks the sun from reaching those pesky little weeds that are trying to invade your garden plot. And, it is edible!
I call living mulch "magnificent mulch," because it is one of the least expensenive, and easiet ways to shelter the soil, while providing the added benefits of more food on the table.
How do you create a living mulch?
First, it is important to find what plants grow well together, because like companion planting, you need to know which benefit each other. Living mulches must contribute to the growth habit of those plants it understories.
The following is an example of a garden plan that shows a list of plants, and their living mulch counterparts. You will notice that some of the living mulch plants are harvested quickly and might require a second sowing, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Tomato with Basil as an understory
Bush Beans with cumcumbers or squash
Cabbages with dill or sage. Sage helps deter cabbage butterfly.
Eggplants with lettuces
Potato with onions
Brussel sprouts with spinach
Beans with oregano
Sunflowers with melons'
Sage with carrots
Jalepeno and hot peppers understoried with cilantro, or sweet basil
Kohlrabi with mint
Mustard with cauliflower
Corn with tansy or summer savory.
Borage with your strawberries will help deter predatory insects. On the downside, it can also deter honeybees.
Radishes with turnips
On a different note, but equally important is pest control. Natural pest deterrants can be found in many flowers and herbs. For example Geraniums, help prevent infestations of Japanese beatles, (abundant down here in the South). They are good companion plantings for Peppers and tomatos. Marigolds help deter the dreaded nematodes, and beet leaf hoppers. The dwarf varieties thrive as underplants for cukes, squash, and kale.
The list goes on and on! The main thing to remember is that as in anything, perserverance is the key!
Fantastic Fertilizer:
The single greatest natural fertilizer you can have is a good compost amended directly to the soil, and compost tea. The benefits of this range from modifying and maintaining soil ph to moisture balance. There are so many different thoughts on what makes good compost, so rather than listing them all, I am simply going to share my favorite compost recipe, :).
You will need a good sized bin, (follow this link COMPOST BIN PLANS to simple and easy plans to build one) a hoe, and a thermometer that will measure to 150 degrees Farenheit. You can use leaves, alfala meal, straw, hay, dehydrated cow, chicken or turkey manure, rabbit pellets, egg shells, vegetable scraps, cardboard and paper, to start your compost pile. An important note, be careful about adding fresh manure or hay, because both contain active weed seeds, and once you spread the compost, you spread the weeds! Also, paper can be added, but with caution. Never add those that are printed with inks or dyes, because that will also go into the soil. Oh, and don't let the smell throw you! It is actually supposed to be rather stinky!
Allow the mixture to sit covered for one week, and then mix well, leaving it loose, not packed down, and recover. Good circulation is a must. Continue to add to the pile, and use a long-handle hoe, or similar instrument to stir weekly, or bi-weekly, until the mixture reaches between 140, and 150 degrees F. Allow it to sit for another 15 to 20 days, stirring weekly, keeping the pile in those temp varients as closely as possible. It should then be ready to use as a coarse compost, or to make compost tea.
Compost Tea:
There are also as many different ways to make compost tea as there are recipes for it. This is the easiest way I have found.
You will need:
2 Five gallon buckets with handle, and lid
One yard Cheesecloth or unbleached muslin
Two gallons of non-chloronated water
Non-dyed kite string or something similar
Patience, LOL! This tea takes some time, but it is worth it.
Fill the bucket two thirds full of the darkest, richest compost, and pour water over it, sealing tightly with the lid. Allow it to sit in a sunny location for two days. Place the cheescloth or muslin tightly over the five gallon bucket, and secure well with string. It should be fairly taut. Slowly drain the "tea" into a clean container. Seal, and sit in a sunny location for about 4 to 5 hours. The tea will be rather warm. Cool to about 70 to 80 degrees before applying to the base of your plants. You can use this tea two to three times a week, and it will give you great results!
Happy gardening HSB friends, and until we meet again, may the Lord bless you GOOD!
Bev resides deep in the woodlands of South Carolina. Surrounded by her loving husband, children, family and friends, she thrives on her love of God, family, and the land.
"Homesteading is more than just a lifestyle. It is a lifestyle of Hope and Heart!"
Whey is such a good helper in your kitchen. It has a lot of minerals. One tablespoon of whey in a little water will help digestion. It is a remedy that will keep your muscles young. It will keep your joints moveable and ligaments elastic. When age wants to bend your back, take whey ... ~ Hannah Kroeger Ageless Remedies from Mother's Kitchen (taken from Nourishing Traditions)
I think I should definitely start including more whey into my diet; young muscles, moveable joints and elasticity of ligaments will come in handy!
I purchased goat's milk and organic non-homogenized cow's milk yesterday for cheese and yogurt making, so now I'll be able to have some good quality whey, as well. I'd rather have raw milk; but you do the best you can, and at the moment, this is the best quality milk I can get.
Now, to decide what to make with my milk, suggestions anyone? I will definitely make a quart of yogurt from the cow's milk, probably some buttermilk, and I was thinking of trying one of the soft cheeses ... I saw a recipe for lemon cheese in Home Cheesemaking that sounded very interesting, and I already have the ingredients for that one. Those of you who make goat's milk cheese, please tell me what type of soft cheeses are simple to make and the tastiest. Recipes would be most welcome, of course!
I know I neglected to post the last update on the Real Food Challenge; but as only a couple of people seemed to be participating, and I didn't do so well with the last weeks of the challenge I decided to skip it. Let's just say that I keep my food as real as is practical, and still have plenty of room for improvement ! Val, and anyone else who participated, feel free to comment and share how you fared in the last week of the challenge.
I'll be waiting for your cheesemaking suggestions!
These are yummy cookies, very rich in flavor, with molasses, and lots of spices. Yummy winter cookies.
To start, you need 1 stick (1/2 cup) soft butter and 1/4 c shortening.
And 1 cup Brown Sugar
Mix those until creamy.
Beat in an egg
Stir in 1/2 cup Molasses
Now add 1 tsp salt
Two teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon each of cinnamom...
Nutmeg
Allspice
and Ginger
Now mix together, adding 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Be sure to scrape the sides occasionally. Mix well.
Now if you use plastic wrap, cover the dough with the wrap, pressing against the dough. I don't buy it, so I am placing my dough in a smaller bowl with a lid. Put it in the fridge, and chill 1 - 2 hours.
While I was making the dough, Hickory was sitting on a little table, intently looking out the window.
Of course.
...
Now after an hour or two, heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line your baking stone/sheet with parchment paper. And put some sugar in a small bowl. 1/2 a cup or so.
Then using a spoon or small scoop, scoop out about a rounded Tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a ball.
Roll the ball in the sugar to coat.
And place on the baking stone.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. They will crack slightly and still be somewhat soft.
Let them cool a couple minutes before removing from the paper, and let them cool completely. Using a couple sheets of parchment paper makes this job very easy. I just use one baking stone, and keep it in the oven. when one batch is done, I slide the paper and cookies onto a cooling rack, and using another rack, slide the next batch right onto the stone. While one batch is baking, I can be preparing the other. It cuts down the time that the oven is on.
When they are all done, you have these.
Enjoy!
***
Printable Version:
Chewy Molasses Cookies
1/2 c butter (soft)
1/4 c shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 c molasses
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
Sugar for rolling
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, shortening and brown sugar together until creamy.
Beat in egg and molasses.
Stir in salt, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.
Stir in flour.
Be sure to scrape the sides of bowl to mix well.
Cover dough with plastic wrap, or place in bowl with lid.
Put it in the fridge, and chill 1 - 2 hours.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
Line your baking stone/sheet with parchment paper.
Put some sugar in a small bowl. 1/2 a cup or so.
Then using a spoon or small scoop, scoop out about a rounded Tablespoon of dough, and roll it into a ball.
Roll the ball in the sugar to coat.
And place on the baking stone.
Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. They will crack slightly and still be somewhat soft.
Let them cool a couple minutes before removing from the paper, and let them cool completely. Using a couple sheets of parchment paper makes this job very easy. I just use one baking stone, and keep it in the oven. when one batch is done, I slide the paper and cookies onto a cooling rack, and using another rack, slide the next batch right onto the stone. While one batch is baking, I can be preparing the other. It cuts down the time that the oven is on.
Enjoy!
Conni is an army wife and homeschooling mom of three, living in North Carolina. You can find out more about her on her blog: MamaHen
Stop by and congratulate Herbs & Honey for being this week's Featured Blogger, and while you're there be sure to check out her great posts like Kitchen Blessings #1 and #2 and read how she likes to spice things up in Kitchen Blessings #3.
This recipe for Homemade Pasta Dough sounds very tasty, and I think that just might be "what's for dinner" at my house tonight.
Please help me choose the next Featured Blogger. If you have a blogger you'd like to nominate as our Featured Blogger of the Week, send me an email at senioreditor@homesteadblogger.com . Keep in mind that Featured Bloggers must be at least 18 years of age and their blog must be encouraging, uplifting, and/or inspiring.
Need some inspiration for crafty things to make and do? The Crafty Crow (my favorite craft site) has a crafts from around the world theme this month, and oh the imaginative things that have been posted thus far: teacup candles from England, bubble spinners from Japan, rose syrup from India ... so many interesting things to craft. Check it out and let me know which crafts you plan to try! The rose syrup is a must for me and I do love the candles.
Since we're thinking Spring and Spring Cleaning around here this week, I thought we could share our favorite recipes for homemade clean.
My favorite all-purpose cleaner is simply:
1 part distilled water
1 part white vinegar
a few drops of lemon essential oil
Mix in a spray bottle to clean away dust, dirt, fingerprints and other grimy stuff from most any hard surface!
For scrubbing bubbles, sprinkle on a little baking soda and then spray with your vinegar solution for extra scrubbing power.
There are lots of good recipes and tips in the archives of this topic; and I do hope some of you will share your own recipes and tips for making the homestead sparkly clean using homemade cleaners! I look forward to reading what you use to spring clean.
It is time for spring cleaning at my home, how about yours?
I started in the kitchen yesterday and got a few things done before the sunshine lured me outside for the afternoon! I plan to clean the windows and woodwork, and if I have the time and energy tackle the stove, refrigerator, and other appliances today. I recently organized all of the cabinets, so that part is already done, thank goodness! After the kitchen is clean and sparkling, I'll move on to the other rooms in the house.
So, how do you go about spring cleaning?
Do you have a system that you always use, or like me just hit the areas that are most obviously in need of a good cleaning first?
If you need some help getting started with your spring cleaning, check out Tipnut's Guide to Spring Cleaning for tips, cleaning recipes, motivation and more!
I'd love to read about how you spring clean, and any tips you have to share would be great!
Join us on the Front Porch to talk about anything and everything that has to do with homesteading! Catch up on the latest news at HomesteadBlogger. Chat with our Front Porch Team as they blog about their favorite topics. The Front Porch is the heart of our community. Make yourself right at home!
! Val, and anyone else who participated, feel free to comment and share how you fared in the last week of the challenge.
! 
