Country Critters

A Morning Walk

Happy Canada Day

Vanilla Ice Cream

I recently made vanilla ice cream and it was delicious!!  I wanted to share my recipe with you.   You can now find all my ice cream recipes (eggless recipes and non dairy too) and ice cream making directions here:  http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/makinghomemadeicecream.htm    If I have more recipes to post I will be adding them to that page.   

Vanilla Ice Cream

6 eggs
3 cups cane juice crystals
2 T vanilla (only the real stuff)
2 c. whole cream
Whole Goat Milk, as much as needed to fill ice cream maker container (whole cow milk will work too.. :)
1 T arrowroot powder (helps make the ice cream smooth.. but this is optional if you don’t have any) 

In a big mixer (like a Kitchen Aid or Bosch) mix together (with the wire whip) the eggs and cane juice crystals until light and lemony colored. Add vanilla and mix again. Add cream and arrowroot powder (if using). When all of this has mixed together completely pour it into your 1 gallon ice cream maker container. Add whole milk until you reach the "fill line" on your ice cream maker container.  Follow the instructions that came with your ice cream maker or click on the above link for general instructions.

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

We are having taco salad for dinner tonight.  I always cook up my hamburger and add taco seasonings to it before adding it to my salad.  I realized this morning I was out of taco seasoning and it was time to make more.  This is another product that I make myself now.  We are not real big fans of the taste of the taco seasonings I use to buy from my health food co-op and I wonder about MSG in it as well (the grocery store stuff definitely is full of yucky things typically).  I recently was reading an article (wish I could remember where now.. maybe Dr. Mercola? If I find it I will give the link).  It said that if a product lists “spices” in their ingredient list and they purchase bulk mixed spices from a supplier that adds MSG to their spice mix then the company that uses the spice mix does not have to claim that it contains MSG. So basically something can say it is MSG free but still may contain MSG if they have the word "spices" listed in the ingredients.  If you have MSG sensitivities like my hubby does or you just want to avoid it for health reasons …  read your labels carefully!   

Taco mix is so easy to make. It takes less than 15 minutes to make up a batch, the recipe doubles easily.  I usually make a double batch but today I did not have enough dried onion, so I settled for a single batch.   

Bulk Taco Seasoning Mix

¾ c dried onions
½ c chili powder
¼ c salt
3T garlic powder
3T cornstarch
3T ground cumin
1T to 3T cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like it) 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Store in plastic or glass container with a lid. 

It takes approx. 3T of this mix to equal one packet that you would buy in the store.   

This recipe makes about 2 cups.  I store it in a canning jar in my cupboard.

Beating the heat with a different kind of popsicle

I got this from my Living on a Dime (linked) newsletter today and thought I'd share it. Any way of beating the heat is a good thing.

For non-traditional popsicles:

• Freeze applesauce in popsicle molds.
  
  
• Mix fruit or jam into yogurt. Freeze in small, snack sized Ziploc bags for frozen yogurt on the go. Cut a hole in the end of the bag for easy access/eating.
  
  
• Mix gelatin and freeze. Add gummie fish or worms before freezing for added fun.
  
  
• Freeze syrup from canned fruit.
  
  
• Add food coloring or sprinkles to yogurt or softened ice cream for added pizzazz. Then freeze in popsicle molds.
  
  
• When you have leftover jam or jelly, put 1/4 cup of hot water in the jar and shake well. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.
  
  
• If jelly or jam doesn't set up well, use for popsicles or add more water, boil and make syrup.
  
  
• Make a batch of pudding. Add coconut, nuts, marshmallows, crushed cookies or sprinkles if desired. Pour into molds. Freeze several hours until firm.
  
  
• Stick a toothpick in the center of blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or sliced bananas.
  Dip in chocolate if desired. Freeze on a tray. Once frozen, store in freezer bags.
  
  
• For easy snow cones, freeze orange juice (or any other flavored juice) in ice cube trays. Store frozen juice cubes in a plastic bag. Blend 5 cubes in the blender until they have a shaved ice consistency. The shaved ice will keep its consistency if kept frozen in a container.
  
  
• For watermelon popsicles, blend one cup each watermelon chunks (seeds removed), orange juice and water. Blend well. Then pour and freeze into molds.
  
  
• For strawberry popsicles, blend 2 cups strawberries, 1 cup vanilla ice cream or yogurt, 4 cups orange juice and 2 tablespoons sugar. Blend smooth. Pour into molds and freeze.
  
  
• For banana popsicles, dissolve one 3 oz. package strawberry gelatin with one cup boiling water. In a blender, mix gelatin, 1 banana and 1 cup yogurt or ice cream. Blend well and pour into molds.

new template - new day

I fiddle faddled with my template last night until too late, then I couldn't sleep - I'd better keep with my rule to turn off the computer by 9:00 p.m.! Today soon I'll be leaving to work at the thrift store. I didn't have time for my Bible study because I watered outside then came in and got on the computer - I need to keep with my rule not to turn on the computer until noon. It can certainly overpower everything else!

A high school classmate is trying to get all 23 (or less - some passed away) of our class of '69 to share their lives. One guy would like to have a 50th reunion - in 10 years that just may happen if we start now.

Fill in the blanks

Us old ???

Janet and Mya went home today, .  But while Janet was here we had some fun shopping.   We went bra shopping and clothes shopping. The best part was no kids!!!  Just us two.  It was so fun and nice. 

We had one lady laughing so hard she had tears running down her face.  It was because Janet was telling her how much we have in common.  We are born 6 weeks apart, Janet is the older one.  Our atm pin numbers are the same( we did not set it up that way). Janet broke her leg 12-27-93, I broke my leg 12-27-07, the same leg, the same way(slipped walking), same surgery , but my leg has more hardware. There are so many other things that are the same too.

So anyway, we are out shopping Janet is looking at some shirts and I said no those look like something grandmas would wear.  Janet says you are a grandma!!!! Thanks Jan, I did not feel like one until she said that!!!!  It was then out shopping we both saw that we are getting older and saw our age.  We are going to be 40 years old this fall.   Where did the time go??  The past 25 years just flew by and we got older.

Then Janet made a few good points. 1. is we survived with out cell phones, the kids just don't believe that.   2. is we lived with out texting!! , if we had it back then we would have to learn how to spell better.  3. is that we lived with out computers to help us with our school work, there was no spell check , there was the "look it up in the dictionary", if we knew how to spell it we would not need to look up.

Blessings Mj

how to clean

Just thought this was very helpful information

Cleaning 19 minutes a day:

Kitchen, 4 ½ minutes daily - Start with sink - keep empty and shiny, will motivate to also clean counters, refrigerator doors, and the stovetop.

• Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes
• Wipe down the stove top and counters
• clean floor 

Bathroom, 2 minutes daily
Clean basin and around the edges of the tub and toilet.
• Wipe the mirror and faucet and spray show curtain

Bedroom, 6 ½ minutes daily - make bed first thing
• Fold or hang clothing and put away jewelry
• Straighten out surfaces and dust

Family room, living room, foyer, 6 minutes daily
Tidy sofa, pick up crumbs from it, dust furniture and straighten up

my home town - Main St.