A Distinctly Different Homestead

Homemade Sausage

{ 05:15, Tuesday, July 22, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 0 comments } { Link }

I haven't yet tried this, but it's on my short list of new recipes to make soon.

Homemade Sausage
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
5 tsp sage
2 1/2 tsp salt, fennel seeds, thyme, black pepper
1 1/4 tsp white pepper, cayenne pepper
5/8 tsp garlic powder
1/3 tsp ground cloves, nutmeg, allspice

Mix well. If time allows, let sausage sit overnight in the refrigerator to allow flavors to blend. Form into patties and cook as needed. Do not overcook! You may add an egg to the mixture if desired.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

{ 03:35, Thursday, June 26, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 0 comments } { Link }

This is a great tasting sauce that is wonderful in many other recipes.

Homemade Pizza Sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 (29 oz) can tomato puree
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute garlic in saucepan in the olive oil. Stir in remaining ingredients. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. store in fridge for up to a week. Makes about 5 1/2 cups sauce.

Homemade Mayo

{ 11:08, Friday, April 25, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 3 comments } { Link }

This recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs, The Nourishing Gourmet. I haven't yet made this, but am excited to get the ingredients I lack so I can! I encourage you to go visit Kimi and learn, learn, learn!

Homemade Mayo

2-4 egg yolks (I use farm fresh eggs from my local farmer)

½ tsp. mustard

1-2 Tbsp. lemon juice (of course fresh is optimal)

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

2 tsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. celtic sea salt

¾ c. oil- hemp or grapeseed (I use grapeseed)

1. Combine everything EXCEPT the oil. I use a container just large enough for the stick blender to go into.
2. Mix with a stick blender until creamy.
3. While blending, add the oil in small increments and mix until it’s homogenized. My daughter holds the container in place while I pour oil with one hand and with the other I lift the blender up and down as it’s blending- the quick up and down motion helps the mixture to homogenize, and it will thicken right up. That’s it! This mayonnaise lasts about 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

Italian Salad Dressing

{ 06:34, Saturday, March 22, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 1 comments } { Link }

Here's a great homemade salad dressing. Enjoy!

Italian Salad Dressing
3/4 c vegetable or olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp grated Parmesan cheese

Combine and shake well. Let sit at least a couple of hours to blend flavors.

Ranch Dressing

{ 08:54, Sunday, March 2, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 4 comments } { Link }

I'm not a fan of Ranch Dressing, but my Honey and Lambies like to dunk carrots into it. It hasn't been in my fridge for over a year, but I came upon this recipe at A Mixed Bag of Nuts and thought I'd try it. I'll update when I have an opinion (from my family, not me).

Ranch Dressing

1 ½ Cups Mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
½ Cup Sour Cream
¼ Cup heavy cream (from our raw milk)
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
ALL SPICES BELOW ARE TO TASTE
½ - 1 tsp. Garlic powder
½ - 1 tsp. Dry dill weed
½ - 1 tsp. Black Pepper
½ - 1 tsp. Onion Powder
½ - 1 tsp. Salt (best is Celtic sea salt or real salt)

Dump all the ingredients in a blender and blend on medium to high speed for 1 ½ minutes or until the mixture looks runny. Taste test and sprinkle in more seasonings as you see fit. Bottle and enjoy. Mixture will thicken more as it stands.

Homemade Evaporated Milk

{ 02:33, Monday, February 18, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 2 comments } { Link }

I was making a recipe for a church potluck and my heart sunk when I realized that I didn't have a can of evaporated milk. A quick search of recipezaar came up with this one, and it worked just fine!

Homemade Evaporated Milk
2/3 cups dry milk powder
3/4 cups water

Mix well, use just like canned milk.

Enchilda Sauce

{ 06:56, Friday, February 8, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 2 comments } { Link }

We had enchiladas today using this sauce, and I must say that they were as good or better than any restaurant enchilada I have ever had. Make some this week; your husband will love them!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
6 Tbsp oil
6 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup chili powder
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
4 tsp sugar

Heat oil and cornstarch together for one minute. Add chili powder, cook for one minute. Stir in broth and whisk well. Add remaining ingredients and then lower heat to simmer. Simmer until thick, about 30 minutes.

Momma

Homemade Maple Syrup #1 and #2

{ 07:55, Monday, January 7, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 1 comments } { Link }

I made these both the other day, and they're both very good! I found them here.

Homemade Maple Syrup #1
Combine in saucepan and simmer 15 minutes:
4 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups water

Remove from heat and stir in:
2 tsp maple extract

Homemade Syrup #2
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 cup corn syrup (dark if you have it)
1/2 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Bring sugars, water and corn syrup to a boil, and then simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly, then stir in extracts.

Easy, huh! I'll be trying this later in the week, and doubt that I'll be buying store syrup anymore. How nice to have warm syrup without much fuss! And how frugal!

Momma

Homemade Steak Sauce

{ 01:01, Friday, January 4, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 1 comments } { Link }

A-1 is great, but this is even better!

Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp oil
4 Tbsp honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
garlic salt to taste
dash of sweet basil
a dash of oregano

Blend all together. Shake well before serving!

Momma

Cream of...recipe #2

{ 12:52, Friday, January 4, 2008 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 0 comments } { Link }

Here's another Cream of...recipe to replace the cans. I don't like it as much as recipe #1, and of course, it's not quite as simple! The benefit of this recipe is being able to make it in bulk ahead of time and store it. I might try recipe #1 with the addition of this recipe's spices.

Cream of...#2
2 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup chicken bouillon powder
2 tsp. EACH parsley flakes and onion flakes
1 tsp EACH celery seed, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp garlic salt AND freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper

Blend well and store in an airtight jar.

To use:
For one can of soup, use 1 1/3 cup hot water and whisk in 6 Tbsp. spice blend. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to your preferences.

Blessings,
Momma

Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix

{ 01:29, Wednesday, December 26, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 0 comments } { Link }

I don't often use this, but I know many people do. Here's a better version of the store-bought!

Dry Onion Soup Mix
4 tsp. beef bouillon granules (or crush four cubes)
8 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp seasoned pepper

Mix well and store airtight.

The quality of your bouillon makes a huge difference. Please don't buy the run of the mill cubes or powder from the grocery store! They are full of unpronounceable, poisonous ingredients, including MSG. Frontier Natural makes a great, healthier alternative. I pay much less through my co-op than they ask on this site. It's worth the search!

Makes 1 package's worth.

Momma

Homemade Berry Syrup

{ 07:30, Wednesday, December 26, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 0 comments } { Link }

I made French Toast for breakfast on Christmas morning, and decided to make it special by making a fruit syrup. I did not measure anything, so feel free to experiment and let me know your measurements in the comments.

Homemade Berry Syrup
about 10 frozen strawberries
water to cover well
1/2 cup sugar or honey
2 Tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Combine ingredients and bring to a soft boil. Boil until berries are softened. Mash with a potato masher until chunky. If desired, blend until smooth. Make sure to refrigerate leftovers.

This was a big hit at my house yesterday! We have leftovers, and plan to serve them over ice cream.

Momma

Homemade Seasoned Salt

{ 04:14, Saturday, December 22, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 1 comments } { Link }

Yummy! I never buy a store-bought MSG mix anymore.

Seasoned Salt
6 Tbsp kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme, marjoram, garlic salt, celery salt
1/4 tsp EACH curry powder. onion powder
1/8 dill weed

Combine all seasonings in your blender and mix until powdered. Store in an airtight container.

I will post a side dish using this seasoning next time.

Momma

Another Use For Flax

{ 10:04, Wednesday, December 19, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 3 comments } { Link }

Did you know that you can use flax as an egg substitute? Just replace 1 egg in a recipe with 3 Tbsp ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp water. I do this in almost every multi-egg recipe I have!

Three tablespoons of ground flax (without the water) also replaces 1 Tbsp of oil.

Please do grind your flax fresh, as it rapidly goes rancid. Just throw it in your blender for a few seconds and whir!

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Momma

Sweetened Condensed Milk

{ 07:04, Thursday, November 15, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 2 comments } { Link }

Don't you hate it when you're making a recipe and find you are out of something you thought you had? That happened to me with sweetened condensed milk. I found this recipe somewhere on the Internet and it has worked fine whenever I've used it! No more expensive cans for me!

Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 cup powdered milk
3/4 cup sugar

Place in a blender and while blending, slowly add in:

1/2 cup hot water

Blend until smooth.

Yield is equal to one can of purchased (15 or 16 oz).

Momma

Best BBQ Sauce

{ 07:47, Monday, October 22, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 2 comments } { Link }

I just love this sauce...You can make it then cook a pork roast in it, then pulled the pork and serve on sandwich buns. You can do the same with beef. Or you can just use it as a BBQ sauce. Versatile and easy. just what I like!

The Best BBQ Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until smooth and hot, about 10 minutes:

1/2 cup sugar
8 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp minced onion
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup butter, cubed
6 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp prepared mustard

YUM!

Cream of...Soup Substitute #1

{ 07:16, Monday, October 22, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 3 comments } { Link }

This is one of my MAIN recipes. I use it a couple of times a week for a for other dishes (tuna/beef noodle casserole, mashed potato pie, chicken pot pie, vegetable chicken gravy over biscuits...). It deserves a stand alone entry. Besides, Stephanie needs it!

Cream of Chicken Soup

This recipe yields about the same as 2 cans cream of chicken soup whisked with one can of milk which is what I used BEFORE finding this great recipe! I usually quadruple this for saucy meals.

2 Tbsp melted butter (or red palm oil...it's even better!)

3 Tbsp. freshly ground whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup chicken broth (I use 1/2 cup water and 2 tsp. Frontier Naturals chicken-flavored broth powder)

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp. salt

Whisk flour into melted butter slowly until smooth. Remove from heat and gradually add liquids, stirring with whisk until smooth. Return to medium heat. Add salt, cook and stir till smooth and thick (about 10 minutes).

Easy and NO chemical additives, preservatives, etc, though the quality of your chicken boullion is important. Find and use Frontier Naturals!! This is a multi-purpose gravy that substitutes for all the "Cream of" soups:

For celery, omit chicken broth, use one cup milk and add 1 cup sauteed celery.

For beef dishes, use beef broth powder instead.

We don't eat mushroom, but you could experiment and figure out how many mushrooms are right!

Momma

Home-made Seasoned Salt and Curry Powder

{ 01:03, Friday, October 19, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 0 comments } { Link }

Seasoned Salt

6 tablespoons salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or garlic powder
2 1/4 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon celery salt

Curry Powder
4 Tbsp dried coriander
2 Tbsp ground tumeric
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp fenugreek
1 1/2 tbs EACH ground black pepper, poppy seeds, ginger and
dried red chile
3/4 tsp dried mustard
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Taco Seasoning

{ 12:57, Monday, October 15, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 2 comments } { Link }

I have tried several different taco seasonings over the years, but have never found one we REALLY like. But we have now!

Taco Seasoning
1/4 cup dried onion flakes (I used the blender and chopped these fine. No big bites of onion for me!)
4 tsp cornstarch
4 Tbsp. chili powder
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tsp beef bouillon
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

Mix well and store in an airtight container.

To use: Add 1/4 cup spice to 1 1/2 pound hamburger and 1/2 cup water or so. Mix well and cook until most of the water has evaporated. I add a little extra water when cooking beef for taco salad, leaving the meat saucy, so it covers the greens like a dressing. YUM! No more dry taco salad!

Enjoy!
Momma

Thousand Island Dressing

{ 03:07, Monday, September 17, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 1 comments } { Link }

My choose-y husband likes this better than bottled dressing!

1000 Island Dressing
Combine well and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving:

2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sweet relish
1 tsp finely minced onion
1/8 tsp salt
healthy dash of pepper
1/2 cup mayo

Keeps 1 to 1 1/2 weeks in the fridge

Momma

Tarter Sauce

{ 02:16, Thursday, September 13, 2007 } { Posted in Homemade Mixes and Sauces } { 2 comments } { Link }

This is my original recipe created because nothing else tasted just right!

Tarter Sauce

2 cups mayo
1 cup chopped dill pickle
2 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix well, adjust seasonings to taste. Pickle juice in teaspoonfuls may be carefully added if you like your sauce thinner.

Momma