Thursday, December 11, 2008
Granola in a Roasting Oven..
Posted in In the Kitchen
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The oven was occupied by bread and I really wanted to make some granola today. So, I decided to make it in the roasting oven! It came out wonderfully
Here's how:
10 cups of oats (I don't use quick oats for this) 1 cup of coconut oil 1 cup of raw honey 1T of cinnamon 1T of vanilla (I used some Mexican vanilla that a neighbor brought back for me...yum!) 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
And that's it for our granola. You can add coconut, raisins, nuts etc. but my family likes it a bit more basic.
Measure out the coconut oil and honey into a sauce pan and put it on the stovetop on low to melt a bit. Next, measure the oats, cinnamon and flour into the roasting oven and blended them well. Back to the stovetop...stir the coconut oil and honey mixture until smooth, remove from heat and add the vanilla to it . Pour it over the oats and mix until everything is well blended. Turn on roasting oven to approx. 300 degrees. Cook for about 1 hour, mixing every 10-15 minutes.
Here's what it looks like while it was cooking....
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Busy Autumn...Harvest and Babies!!
Posted in In the Kitchen
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That's right, we've placed an order for some baby chicks and cannot wait to have them here! We've ordered (all pullets): 2-Black Australorp and 1 Dominique as an early birthday present for our almost 10 year old. Now it's time to set up the brooder and plan out the chicken coop...wow, this almost feels like being pregnant and nesting!!
Now onto the harvest...canning, freezing, dehydrating..oh my! We've been blessed with a couple of bushells of squash, several sugar pumpkins (to can), 2 bushells of apples,150 lbs of wheat berries, 150 lbs of potatoes, 25 lbs of onions and 20 lbs of carrots....oh and another 4 bushell of corn for the freezer. I'm exhausted just thinking of the work to be done over the next couple of days, but feel sooo blessed to have this bounty of fruits and veggies for our family. We're also going to re-stock our supply of dried beans and brown rice to make sure we have plenty for the winter. Between the winter/economy, I think it would do a person good to make sure they have something set by for harder times....I know my husband has heard rumors of layoffs at work...and he works at the railroad! Supposedly one of the most secure jobs you can hold! Luckily, we have nothing to fear......we know our Lord will provide for us and get us through tough times !
Be blessed...
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For the brooder, we've been blessed with a 100 gallon aquarium with cover and heat lamps (Yay!!) and it'll be in the bathroom (a huge room with lots of wasted space!) My Dad's a carpenter and he's offered to help with the coop....I'm soo excited! LOL
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Homemade Pasta for Dinner...$5
Posted in In the Kitchen
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We found a pasta machine at a thrift shop for $20 and after some discussion....decided to buy it. Let's just say it was a wonderful purchase. Supposedly the retail price was $265 This evening, we made a basic homemade pasta with sauce and it was excellent. We had my parents over for dinner and fed everyone (8 people) for less than $5!!!!
So if you're ever at a thrift shop and see a pasta machine....don't pass it up. It's worth every penny! :o)
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and we can make any kind of pasta(and sausage etc). With the Nutrimill, we can mill different grains/beans and use them in the pasta machine. I'm really looking foward to the wholesome and inexpensive meals we can make with it!Sunday, September 14, 2008
Menu for the next two weeks...
Posted in In the Kitchen
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Our menu for the coming week is...
Breakfasts are never really planned. We eat eggs, toast, oatmeal, fruit, homemade yogurt, and occasionally pancakes or waffles. I make muffins and freeze them for the days that we have to fly out of the house early. Cheap, wholesome and healthy! Lunches are also unplanned. The rule is that leftovers are always eaten first. Otherwise, sandwiches are the norm. PB &J, egg salad, tuna, chicken salad, etc. Sometimes I'll make mac n cheese or different soups if time allows. Dinners for this week: Sunday-Beef stew with fresh bread Monday-Baked garlic & parmesan chicken thighs, baked potatoes and mixed veggies. Tuesday- Arianna's B'day! She's requested spaghetti with homemade pasta and sauce. Wednesday- Thursday-Baked ham, potaoes, baby carrots and fresh bread. Friday-Split pea soup in the crockpot, with fresh bread Saturday- nothing planned here...we're attending a wedding so I have the night off! :o) Sunday-Tangy pork in the crockpot over brown rice, green beans and winter squash. Monday-Navy bean soup (leftover ham from the last week...will be kept frozen) with lots-o-veggies and bread Tuesday-Roasted chicken, potatoes, winter squash and green beans. Rolls or biscuits on the side. Wednesday-Chicken veggie soup and rolls or biscuits. Thursday-Lentil stew and fresh bread. Friday-Cookout with family for Arianna's B'day Saturday-Pork roast on the rotisserie, mixed veggies and brown rice.
That's all for now folks!:o)
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Thursday, July 31, 2008
Making yogurt in a crockpot..
Posted in In the Kitchen
Making yogurt in a crockpotWhat you'll need: -7 1/2 cups of warm water -3 1/3 cups powdered milk (this is a bit more than you would use to normally reconstitute the milk, but I've found it makes the yogurt a bit thicker and creamier. You could also just use 2 quarts(8 cups) of regular milk in place of the water and powdered milk) -1/4 cup of store bought yogurt to use as a starter (or 1/2 cup of your own yogurt if you already make it yourself) 1.) Mix the water and powdered milk right in your crockpot and let it sit for a couple of minutes to completely dissolve. 2.)Turn the crockpot on low and leave it for about 2 1/2 hours. (This will bring the temp of the milk up to a point that it'll kill any bad bacteria.) 3.) Shut the crockpot off and unplug it. Leaving the lid on, let the yogurt sit for 3 hours (this brings the temp of the milk down enough that it won't kill the good bacteria in the yogurt.) 4.) Take 2 cups of warm milk out of your crockpot (I just dip in one of my clean, glass measuring cups) and mix in the 1/4 (or 1/2) cup of yogurt that you want to use for the starter. Mix with a wisk until completely blended (maybe a minute? Really easy and quick) and then pour the mixture back into your crockpot. Mix everything together, put the cover back on and then lay a quilt or thick towel over the crockpot for insulation (you want to keep it warm but not hot. Crockpot is still off and unplugged.) Now go to bed or walk away from it for the day! (6-8hrs) 5.) When you wake up, you'll have yogurt! Pour it into a clean jar or container (we try not to use any plastics anymore), cover and refrigerate. When it's nice and cool, it's ready to eat! This is by far, the easiest and least expensive way I've found to make yogurt and it's come out sweet and creamy each time. My children love mixing jams, homemade granola etc. into the yogurt to make their own "flavor"! |
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
How to make Kombucha....In Pictures!
Posted in In the Kitchen
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Okay, I've been asked by several people to post a how-to on making Kombucha. So....into the kitchen!
These instructions will make 68oz of Kombucha to drink. (You'll need to hang on to 12 ounces as the starter tea for your next batch) What you will need: -Stainless steel pot -Glass jar to brew in (size will depend on amount you plan on making) -Black tea (5 tea bags) -Plain white sugar (1 cup) -Spring water 80 ounces + some for evaporation (tap is fine but if you live in the city like I do, you have to worry about chlorine.) -Glass or plastic measuring cups -Kombucha Scoby with 12 oz (or 1 1/2 cups) starter tea. -Paper towels (or paper napkins) -Big rubber band -Vinegar to help sanitize utensils, jars, pan etc. We start off by washing everything thoroughly. (Rinse really well as soap will kill the Kombucha.) Then splash some vinegar on or in each of the things that will be in contact with your Kombucha. Remember...no metal! You are going to pour at least 80oz (10 cups) of water into your pot to heat. I always add an extra few ounces to cover any evaporation.) I am doubling this whole recipe/process so I have much more water in my pot
While the water is heating, get your brewing jars ready. (I bought my jars for around 7$ a piece at Wal-mart. I have 4 so I can always have 2 jars brewing, and 2 more ready to go) You need 5 tea bags. I usually suspend them from the sides and then wrap a rubber band around the edge so they don't fall when I pour the hot water in.
Here's my assistant photographer....
If you are using spring water (or good well water) heat it until it's just about to boil. (If you are using tap water, you'll want to bring your water to a boil and leave it boiling for at least 10 minutes to get rid of the chlorine. Make sure to add plenty of water to allow for evaporation!)
Measure out your 80 ounces(10 cups). Pour the measured water into your waiting jar. Wait 5 minutes and then pour in your sugar. (This can be a bit tricky...if you pour it in too soon, the sugar can carmelize...if you wait too long it may not dissolve. 5 minutes is usually safe!)
Let your tea steep for about 20 minutes. Then take out the tea bags and give the sweet tea a stir. We want all of the sugar dissolved and distributed.
Cover your tea and let it sit until cooled to room temp. (Feel the jar, if it feels cool, it's probably okay...if it's still warm, leave it alone! This usually takes several hours.)
The realtor called while I was waiting for the tea to cool and my lovely photographer thought it would be funny to take a picture.....
While the camera's out.....here's my little monkeys!
And me....
The tea has cooled and now it's time to transfer my scoby's to their new home. This is where they "live". I keep one corner of my pantry for brewing and fermenting (As you can see...there's also some kefir in there right now...)
Your next step will be to remove 12 ounces (or 1 1/2 cups) of sweet tea from your jar. (This will allow room for the starter tea and keep the total amount the same so you have the same ratio...more on that at the end) You can drink this tea if you want...I personally dump it down the drain as I don't care for sweet tea
Now you are going to take 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups ) of starter tea.... and put it in your fresh batch of sweet tea. (The starter tea is put in to get the ph level of the tea off to a good start....which is necessary to avoid mold. A note on mold...if after watching for several days and you are sure your kombucha scoby is growing mold...looks like what you'd see on bread....throw it out, sanitize your jars and start over. Mold isn't anything to mess around with in this case. I try to keep a backup scoby with starter tea in the fridge...just in case!)
Next you're going to go remove all jewelry/watches and wash your hands again...rinse them very well (I even splash vinegar on my hands) Carefully take your scoby....
and slip it into it's new home of sweet tea.
Here they are in their new homes! The one on the right shows the layers of babies on the scoby. Also, note how they can go sideways....it's totally normal for them to float on the top, on their sides or even rest on the bottom. Mine usually make their way back to the top (They actually have now...24 hrs later)
Now it's time to strain this past weeks brew into the pitcher. (I always strain it as I pour it into the pitcher and then again as it goes into the glass. There are little brown globs of spent yeast etc. and though it wouldn't hurt you ...might even be good....I personally don't care for texture in my drinks. Just remember you want a plastic or nylon strainer....no metal! :o)
You'll notice the bubbles...that's normal....kombucha is naturally carbonated!
And here it is ready to go into the fridge. But before that.....
Salute!
Now for some more info...I us a 10-10-15% ratio when I make k-tea. Meaning 80 ounces of water-8 ounces of sugar-12 ounces of starter tea. Once you are experienced at making kombucha, you can play with these numbers a bit but this is what I use. If you are starting out with for the first time, you can start with 32 ounces of water-2 tea bags-3.2 ounces of sugar and-4.7 ounces of starter tea. If you want to make a bigger batch than you have starter tea for, you can add distilled vinegar (white, apple cider or white wine), to make the amount needed. (Some people say you can use just vinegar on occasion as a starter if you have somehow run out of regular starter tea.) Places to get scoby's and starter tea...from friends or family if possible! With every brew you'll have a new baby that can either be kept together or passed along (I've already gotten several family members going on k-tea from my "babies") If you need to purchase them, there are several places on-line you can buy from and there's several sellers on E-bay. I have had excellent luck with this seller and you can also purchase strainers etc. from him. (Hi Mike!) He also has a wonderful website with additional info here. I hope you've enjoyed this how-to on making kombucha and though I am by no means an expert, please feel free to ask any questions you may have! Kombucha is such a wonderfl, healthy and frugal (when made at home) drink for your family...it's worth the time and trial & errors!
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Saturday, July 5, 2008
Kombucha...the gift that keeps giving!
Posted in In the Kitchen
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If you've never heard of Kombucha...let me just fill you in! Here is a link to some basic info on kombucha, but bottom line, there are sooo many health benefits. I drink kombucha tea (or k-tea) for several reasons.... -metabolism, appetite control, weight-loss -digestion -liver function, detoxification -immune system booster -sleep better -much less painful menstrual cramps to name a few.
It's so simple to make, inexpensive and it tastes good (kind of like sparkling cider) All you need is plain old black tea and white sugar! Now we don't usually use white sugar in our home, but the kombucha seems to like it best so I do buy it just for this. Though it's often referred to as a mushroom, kombucha is actually grown with something called a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) and with each brew, a new scoby is "born". You can keep these babies or give them away to friends and family (which I've been doing a lot lately!) Then each of those babies will produce new scoby's that can be passed on! So it really is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only giving continual health benefits, but giving new cultures to be passed on. How cool is that! Now, I am by no means a doctor and kombucha tea is potent stuff....it may not be for everyone. I urge you to take the time and do the research (the internet is a wealth of knowledge.) There are so many testimonies out there of kombucha curing ailments from cancer to eczema.....but you know your own body and it's conditions. You are the best judge as to what will benefit your families health. Personally, I plan on this being part of our daily healthcare regiment from now on! The next time I make it (Tuesday) I'll try to take pictures of the process to share with all of you.
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