Trying to be like the original example of a homesteading woman:
"She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family, and organizing her day. She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden." Proverbs 31:15-16 (The Message)
Is a freezer an option for storing bulk grains? I am limited on refrigerator space, but I have 2 freezers (aside from the one on the fridge). We're trying to move our diet to a more healthful one and whole grains play an important part of that.
I got a newsletter from Marilyn Moll and saw that The Urban Homemaker website is having a grain sale in April. It is impractical financially for me to order from Colorado since I'm in West Virginia. Shipping charges are prohibitive. I found a company in Georgia that has whole grains, including certified organic. The company is called Homegrown Harvest. They seem to have a broad selection of products.
So, now I just need to know where/how to store the grain. Anybody have any tips?
I am craving the taste of summer. I have started a little herb garden in my kitchen window. I imagine by the time the herbs are ready to use, it will already be time to plant some outside. In the meanwhile, I've found that packaged salad is a great way to supplement my winter meals. I buy the romaine mix from the supermarket. Head lettuce is too expensive for the quality right now. I can feed our family of six twice with a small bag of pre-made salad. The cost is about 20 cents per serving.
As a side for a winter stew or casserole, it makes the meal so much more special: like a burst of summer fun with the snow falling all around. Throw in a loaf of fresh baked bread, serve everything on your best dinnerware, light some candles, and make your family feel like they're being treated to a night out in the middle of the week.
"She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from far away." Proverbs 31:14
Our house is so busy with everyone coming and going that I rely on my crockpot to provide some of our meals that can be ready whenever someone has time to sit down to eat (or wants to pack it to go). I found a recipe for Beef Barbecue Sandwiches in an advertisement to buy a cookbook. I had to modify it to suit us--After 2 1/2 years in San Antonio, Texas we're all barbecue snobs. This takes a few minutes of preparation the night before you want it and then you can store it in the fridge to reheat after you complete the recipe.
"Quick" Beef Barbecue Sandwiches
Makes 12-16 servings
Use a 4-5 quart slow cooker
Ingredients:
3- to 4-lb. beef roast, cut in half
1/2 cup water
1/2 to whole bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (depends how "sloppy" you like your sandwiches)
12 to 16 Kaiser rolls (or you favorite type of bun)
1. Place roast in slow cooker; pour 1/2 cup water into cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour and then on low 8 to 10 hours.
3. Remove roast from cooker; discard juices (I saved them in the freezer for soup base.)
Shred roast with 2 forks and return to cooker. Pour sauce over top. Mix together.
4. Cover and cook on low until thoroughly heated. (You can warm you sauce in a pan on the stove or in the microwave to speed up this step.)
6. Spoon meat mixture onto rolls using a slotted spoon; spoon additional sauce over top of meat, if desired.
I buy pre-shredded slaw mix and slaw sauce to make up just what we need for the meal at the moment (no finding mystery slaw in the back of the fridge this way!) I serve with our favorite chips or fries and my home-canned bread-and-butter pickles. Leftover barbecue can be refrigerated for a couple days or frozen for in meal-sized portions for about 2 months.
Note: The next time I find a good deal on beef (or whenever I get my whole, grass-fed cow order in), I'm going to have my dh fire up the smoker grill and smoke a couple roasts for about 2 hours. Then I can use those roasts in the crockpot and they will have the extra Texas BBQ smoky taste that we all love.
BTW, this recipe will work with pork roast as well.
Our 24 hens are laying 23 eggs a day. I'm giving away some, selling some, cooking some. When the eggs get more uniform in size, we're putting up a "Fresh Eggs for Sale" sign out by the road.
Now the problem...although the eggs are magnificent in flavor, I'm running out of ideas to cook them. We're really fond of quiche, omelets, egg salad...but there has to be more ways (i.e. other ingredients) to spice up table-time with egg based concoctions.
I'd like to put a small booklet together to give to family, friends, and regular egg customers. If you have recipes that your family loves, please send them to me. These are the categories I'm looking for:
Appetizers
Breakfasts (make ahead as well as make right now)
Casseroles
Main Dishes
Desserts (simple and fancy)
Thank you in advance for all the help. If you send a recipe you don't mind me reprinting I'll put your blog link and name with it if you like (or you tell me how you want credit for the contribution). I'll also make the booklet available for a pdf download here when it's complete.
For Valentine’s Day last year my husband bought me a
beautiful little citrus tree. The whole even of picking out the tree was a
treat. We went to Lowes garden center on a cold and rainy February afternoon.
I examined every flowering plant there from orchids to
bromeliads. I kept returning to the little citrus trees, blooming with
sweet-smelling flowers. Some already had little perfectly round green fruits.
I finally decided on the healthiest looking citrus tree, we
paid for it, and put it in the car, being careful to make sure it wouldn’t fall
over on the trip home. I was grinning like a kid with a shiny new bike. My
husband was grinning with gentle amusement at my delight with such an unusual
Valentine’s Day gift. (You can read my perspective on Valentine’s Day gifts here.)
The tree filled our house with a fabulous scent. I took care
to keep it watered. I researched the variety online and found that Calamondins
produce a sour fruit similar in flavor to a lemon. The three little fruits that
were on the tree when we purchased it ripened to a lovely bright orange.
One evening in early May, my husband grilled salmon and I
picked the three little oranges which had grown to the size of a nickel each. I
sliced them into wedges and we squeezed them over the fish. The fresh citrus
flavor was fantastic.
As the weather turned warmer, I transplanted the tree into a
larger container and put it on the back porch. It continued to flower and
produce tiny fruit until September. At that point the flowering stopped and the
fruit grew. When night-time temperatures began to drop, we moved the tree into
the family room in front of the big windows.
By the end of January this year, the more than dozen fruits
were turning orange. In preparation for harvesting them, I searched the
internet for recipes in which to use them. I settled on marmalade. I printed
two recipes, one using the addition of regular oranges and the other using
orange juice.
I have never made orange marmalade, but the recipes looked
simple. I harvested 18 fruits from my tree, sliced them, and removed the seeds.
I sliced two navel oranges, removed the pulp, and sliced the pith away from the
peel. The pith went into the compost bucket and the Calamondins, oranges, and
peels went into the food processor. I got two cups of orange mush.
Lesson 1—Follow the Plan:
I decided to combine both recipes, using three cups of
orange juice along with three cups of water. I started to add six cups of sugar
but got interrupted in my counting by a question from my dear son. Since I
couldn’t remember whether I had already put in four or five cups, I added
another cup and a half.
Every endeavor should
follow a specific, single plan.
“But if any of you
lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without
reproach, and it will be given to him.
But he must ask in
faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea,
driven and tossed by the wind.
For that man ought not
to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded
man, unstable in all his ways.”--James 1:5-8
I cooked and stirred the mixture over medium heat, checking
the temperature every few minutes. When it reached 220°F, I turned the flame off
after 15 minutes. While it cooled to 190°F, I lined up my
sterilized half-pint canning jars. When the temperature was right I spooned the
mixture into the jars. I had enough to fill nine half pints. I placed the jars
on window sill and waited for the jar seals to pop down. Four of the jar seals
did not pop down, so I started a large pot of water boiling. I placed the jars
in the boiling water for five minutes then placed them back on the window sill.
Soon all nine jars had sealed themselves.
Lesson 2—It looked good on the outside:
The mixture in the jars was a beautiful light orange color
with bits of orange peel suspended throughout. The taste was wonderful (I
licked the spoon!), but even after sitting overnight, instead of having nine
jars of marmalade, I had nine jars of orange syrup.
As tasty as this was, it was not the plan I had for my
Calamondins. I had set out to make marmalade. I searched the internet again,
this time for solutions to fix watery marmalade. Finding that others have had
similar problems and trying one possible solution, I decided to pour all the
jars back into the pan and try to “cook it down.”
Although the jars
appeared a beautiful orange the first day, inside the marmalade was not what it
was intended to be.
“Your adornment must
not be merely external…but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the
imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the
sight of God.”--1 Peter 3:3-4
Since I had another project underway, I wasn’t as attentive
to correcting the problems as I had been in the original preparation. I got the
mixture up to 220°F,
turned the flame down to simmer, and set the timer for 30 minutes.
Periodically, I would walk away from my other project to stir the “marmalade.”
At the end of 30 minutes, I decided it needed more cooking down, so I continued
to set the time – at 15 minute intervals, and to stir it occasionally.
Well it did cook down. This time instead of filling nine
half-pint jars, I filled six. I put the re-sterilized, filled jars back onto
the window sill. Each top popped down and by evening it was obvious that the
marmalade was setting up, although now it was a dark orange instead of light
orange.
Lesson 3—“Sticking” to the Task:
The next day, I made biscuits and sausage for brunch. I made
extra biscuits to use for trying out the marmalade. I opened one of the jars
and dipped into the marmalade. It was very sticky instead of jelly-like. This
made it difficult to spread, and the taste was a bit darker than before, still
tasty, just not as good as the first day.
I was disappointed in the texture of the finished marmalade.
I thought I had ruined it, but the flavor is fine. I won’t throw it away. I
probably also won’t give any of this batch to my mother-in-law, a marmalade
fan. But, I have a great recipe for Orange Marmalade Chicken Wings, and I can
always heat up a bit of syrup and add some marmalade to use on my Amish
Pancakes. Next time I will know to spend more time at the beginning to get
greater results at the end.
“For this very reason,
applying all diligence, in your faith supply virtue, and in your virtue,
knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control,
perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness,
brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
For if these qualities
are yours and are increasing, they will render you neither useless nor
unfruitful in the true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.” --2 Peter 1:5-8
Valentine’s Day is coming up. We’re going shopping for a
dwarf lemon tree this week. Maybe next year I’ll try to make my own Lemon Curd.
It’s absolutely wonderful on my homemade Lemon-Blueberry Scones!
Today I got to do something I love to do. I made bread. Not the quick bread you mix in a bowl, pour in a pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes. I did many of those loaves for Christmas gifts. No, today I got to make the kind of bread you spend time with; the kind you put you hands in. I haven't made yeast bread for months. Maybe even for a year.
I didn't realize how much I missed it until I started assembling my supplies. First, I had to proof the yeast. That's actually a fun process, filled with anticipation waiting to see if the yeast is still viable. Sometimes it takes 10 minutes for the yeast to foam.
Then I had to mix in the salt and oil. My nice foamy yeast settled down to get ready to receive the flour, one cup at a time. I tried to stir in the first cup by hand, but it didn't smooth out as much as I would have liked so I got out my small hand mixer. It was only strong enough to do three more cups of flour. Then I was back to mixing by hand.
By the time I had added the sixth cup of flour, it was getting so stiff I decided to incorporate that one with my hands...so begins my favorite part of bread making: my hands in the dough.
After working in as much of the flour as I could, I turned it out onto the counter and set the timer for 10 minutes. It only took about eight minutes of folding and turning a quarter turn to get a smooth consistency. I was little disappointed the bread worked up so quickly. Kneading bread is one of the best ways of relaxing that I have ever done. But the dough was ready and I had to move on.
I oiled my antique bread bowl (circa 1830s), placed the dough in, flipped it to coat all sides with oil, covered it with a clean towel, and set it to rise on the back of the stove away from drafts. Periodically, I checked to see that all was well. I can’t resist peeking. After about an hour and a half, the dough was ready to punch down.
I punched it down, held it in the middle to divide into two loaves and tore it into two fairly even pieces. Again, I got to knead it, although for this part my technique is different. I take the dough in both hands and turn it away from me several times, stretching it smooth on the top. I patted it into a loaf shape and placed it in the greased loaf pan. Then, I got to repeat it for the second loaf.
While the loaves were rising on the back of the stove, I made a quick shepherd’s pie for supper before my dh and ds headed out for their Boy Scout meeting. It’s one of my dh’s favorite meals. We were introduced to really superb shepherd’s pie at Quincy Market in Boston when we were stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base several years ago.
Back to the bread…since the temperature in the house was a little cool, it took longer than the 30 minutes the recipe said it would for the second rising. It ended up being about an hour and 15 minutes. I put it in the oven right as the boys got back. Thirty minutes later, the loaves were beautifully browned and the whole house smelled wonderful. I pulled them out of the oven, rubbed a stick of butter over the tops and while fighting off my ds and my second dd, I turned them out of the pans and wrapped them in aluminum foil for about twenty minutes. This step makes the crust soft and delicious.
No one was willing to wait to make sandwiches tomorrow, so I sliced up one of the loaves, smeared a little butter on the still hot slices, and handed them out to everyone. Even my 23-month old grandson sat quietly and gobbled his slice. Of course, I had to pass out seconds. There is just enough of the first loaf for my ds to take a sandwich to school tomorrow…if he can wait that long.
“He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for man to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth…bread that sustains his heart.” Psalm 104:14-15
Thank You, Father, for simple pleasures that strengthen my soul. Amen.
Amish White Bread – makes 2 loaves
2 cups warm water (110°F/45°C) 2/3 cup white sugar 1-1/2 tbsp active dry yeast 1-1/2 tsp salt ¼ cup vegetable oil 6 cups flour (the recipe calls for bread flour but I used Gold Medal Organic All-purpose flour)
In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water, then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam.
Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well-oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well-oiled 9x5-inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes.
Quick Shepherd’s Pie—serves 6
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks 2 or 3 carrots, peeled (or just washed), sliced, and cooked till just tender 1 can creamed corn 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
Boil potatoes until soft. Drain, reserving 4 cups of water used to boil potatoes. Mash potatoes with ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup milk, and a dash of salt. Set aside.
In a 9x12-inch baking pan, layer ground beef, carrots, and creamed corn.
Pour potato water into a large skillet. Add 2 or 3 beef bouillon cubes and bring to a boil. Mix ¼ cup flour with ½ cup milk and pour into boiling potato water. Stir constantly until thickened. Pour over layers in baking pan. Incorporate the gravy throughout the layers.
Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top of the meat mixture and smooth it together to make a crust.
Bake in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through. Don’t let the potato crust get brown.
Our 24 hens are laying 23 eggs a day. I'm giving away some, selling some, cooking some. When the eggs get more uniform in size, we're putting up a "Fresh Eggs for Sale" sign out by the road.
