Happy Thanksgiving

Pecan Pie

Find out what stores have pecan pies on sale. Buy one! 

I do like homemade pecan pie & there is seldom a time you will find me saying don't make something homemade, but to me a good store bought one is just as good.  With the price of pecans it was cheaper this year to just buy one. So I did.

$5.98 for a delicious pie that I only have to thaw out Thanksgiving morning.  Oh & if you live in this house don't forget the cool whip!

Thanksgiving is a great time to make lots of yummy food, but there is no need to feel guilty if you don't make everything yourself!

Cornbread Dressing

The day before you want to make your dressing bake a 9x13 pan of yellow cornbread (you can use sweet but I prefer the traditional kind)

Other ingredients:

1-2 cups shredded, cooked chicken or turkey (optional)
1 stick butter
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced bell pepper
1 cup finely diced onion
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 T. sage
1 T. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. Cajun seasoning (Tony's)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (if you like it spicy & we do)

Now crumble your cornbread that should be a little dried out.  (You can also crumble it up the day before & let it get a little hard or pop it in the oven crumbled to do the same thing)

In a skillet sauté your celery, bell pepper, & onion in the butter.

When it's soft mix it all in with the cornbread, chicken or turkey, & seasonings.  Mix it very well. (I usually use my hands) 

--Now taste it and see if the seasonings are good. You may want to add a little more of salt or something.

Whisk up the eggs & broth.  Pour this all over the cornbread until it is just saturated not real soupy.

Bake covered for about 40 minutes.  Uncover & continue to bake about 20-30 more minutes or until set.

*This is the recipe I slightly adapted that my mother-in-law makes. She also adds in diced boiled eggs to the cornbread mixture which adds another yummy element.

Almond Biscotti

Almond biscotti

3 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. finely chopped almonds
2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Mix all wet ingredients in mixer for about 5 minutes.  Then stir in the almonds, baking powder, & flour.
On a greased an floured cookie sheet divide dough into halves and make 2 'logs.'
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and still a little soft

Remove & let cool for about 10 minutes.

Now slice them into about 1 inch thickness.

Set back on cookie sheet and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Cool a little and serve!

About to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee & continue doing homeschool with my daughter.

Yankee Stuffing

I was born up north but have resided in the deep south for most of my life so we lovingly call this Yankee or bread stuffing.  I don't do a lot of measurements but I'll tell you what goes in and then you season it to your liking.  This will make about a 9x13 pan or you can stuff it inside the bird. (Only stuff right before you're about to bake it)

6 cups of bread, toasted & cubed (or a little stale)
1/2 stick butter
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1 egg
poultry seasoning
sage
salt & pepper

In a skillet sauté the celery, mushrooms, & onion in the butter.

When just begins to soften turn it off.

Mix this along with the seasonings & toss into the bread cubes.

Whisk egg into the chicken broth.

Now add some chicken broth to just moisten everything.---NOT soupy.

Place in the bird and/or dish.  Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.

If you want the top a little crunch remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

Thanksgiving Menu

Turkey

Stuffing

Cornbread Dressing

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Sweet Potatoes

Green Bean Casserole

Cranberry Sauce

Crescent Rolls

 

Pecan Pie

Delicious Lunch Salad

This is a salad that my daughter & I just adore.  If you don't like blue or feta cheese it may not be the one for you, but if you do...yum-O.  The combination of the salty bacon & cheese paired with the tart apple & sweet dressing...divine!

Salad:

1 small head  romaine lettuce
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked crisp
1 small apple (we like jonagold best)
2 Tablespoons crumbled blue or feta cheese

Chop all ingredients and divide among 2 salad bowls.

Dressing:

1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Place all dressing ingredients into a jar & shake well.
(This will make enough dressing for about 4-5 salads so you won't use it all this time)

Pour dressing over salad.

Refrigerate left-over dressing.

 

Ordering From Food Co-ops

 

I am a member of a food co-op. I've actually been in 3. Two of them several years ago that fizzled out after not enough orders and now I'm in one that orders from Azure Standard.  I've been ordering here and there for about a year & half now. 
Why don't I order all of the time? Price.  When you buy in bulk you do save money sometimes.  Not always. Then there is figuring it into our regular grocery budget.  There is no way I could afford to get all of our groceries from Azure. Organic & bulk are great but they can be expensive & only getting them shipped here 1x a month would not work for fresh items.
What I'm doing now is trying to shop every other week at our local grocery store. I'm giving myself $150 to spend each time.  With the staples usually in my home & knowing how to cook from scratch this usually works. That gives me a budget of $100 to spend for an Azure order.
Maybe others have an endless budget, but I do not. We live on a modest income & do not like to use credit so this is what works for us. 
Here are some pictures from my last order & I'll list what we got & how much the total was. 
( I love reading about recipes & budgeting type things so here is a peek into my order)

5 lbs. shredded coconut

2 lbs. sushi rice

5 lbs. red kidney beans

5 lbs. split peas

1 lb. banana chips

2 cans butternut squash

1 lb. Celtic gray sea salt

1 lb. cinnamon

1 lb. Mexican seasoning

1 lb. chili powder

20 lbs. jonagold apples

1 case (6) half gallon canning jars

1 dish mat

 

Total with shipping $98.74

 

Most of these we made into applesauce that we canned. Apples typically keep for a while so the rest are in a basket on the counter for snacks.

 

 Does that sound like a lot? I stayed within my budget & these things all will be used over time in our meals.
The main tip I can give about a co-op and buying in bulk is buy things you actually use.  When you first look on the website everything will look great.  They have lots of ingredients that you've probably seen in health food store for less & then all can look so tempting.  I can tell you from experience though that if you didn't eat them before you probably won't fit them into your usual cooking either.
The only things I usually buy in the 25 lb. bags are wheat berries that I use to grind our own flour, and some beans.  Usually pintos as my family really likes these and you can also grind them to make your own cream of whatever substitute in recipes.
Do you buy things in bulk?  I would love to hear what you get & some recipes.

Menu Monday

Sunday: Chicken fajitas
Monday: Cheeseburger sliders, baked fries
Tuesday: Birthday dinner outdoors: hotdogs, chili, chips, cookie cake & ice cream
Wednesday: Crockpot black bean soup, tortillas
Thursday: Beef tips & rice, peas, rice, rolls
Friday: Crockpot BBQ pork, coleslaw, chips (didn't make this last week)
Saturday: Baked chicken thighs, salad, corn

Breakfasts are usually either eggs, oatmeal, or pancakes/waffles.  Sometimes just yogurt or chia pudding.

Lunches usually left-overs, salad, salmon patties, or some kind of sandwich or wrap.   Sometimes we eat what we call a cracker plate. 
This is a combo of several small things that I make on our sectioned plates.  --crackers, celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber, cheese, olives, fruit, etc.  My daughter loves days like those & you use up little things in the fridge.

Mac & Cheese

I don't know why, but my daughter cannot eat the easy mac type macaroni and cheese. When she does her lips and around her mouth turn red & it hurts.  It took a couple of times to pin it down, but that's the culprit.  This does not happen with the great value mac & cheese in the box.  There are so many chemicals in that stuff  & I don't like it anymore so we rarely have it.
Here is a fairly easy way to make your own mac & cheese.
Like most of my meals it makes a whole pot full.  I've never tried to freeze it but the left-overs reheated are good.

1 lb. elbow macaroni
1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 1/2 c. whole milk or half & half
2 c. shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar)

Cook macaroni according to package directions. I like it just done, not mushy.  Drain the macaroni.  While it is draining go back to the same pot and put in the butter, flour, and seasonings.  Constantly stir this with a whisk for about 2 minutes.  Then slowly add in the milk & keep whisking.  It should be like a thin gravy. If it is too thick just add in a little more milk.  When it is at the consistency you like turn the fire off.  Now stir in the cheese.  When the cheese is melted stir in the macaroni.
Yum!

*For a pot luck or company I will make the sauce just a tad thinner.  Put it in a greased casserole dish. Top with more shredded cheese & allow to bake just until the cheese is melted.  --Happy Thanksgiving :)

Cheep & Yummy = Crockpot Red Beans & Sausage

Crockpot Red Beans & Sausage

1 lb. red kidney beans (or could substitute small red beans) $1.50
14 oz. pkg. smoked sausage  $2.50
1 T. Mexican seasoning blend (could use taco seasoning)  .25
2 tsp. salt
2 c. rice $1.00

Soak beans over night if you want but it's not really necessary with kidney beans.
In crock place washed beans, salt, & Mexican seasoning.
Cover with water to about 2x over the beans.
Turn crockpot on high & cook for about 4 hours.
Now add in the smoked sausage, sliced.
Allow to cook another hour or two or until beans are tender.

Cook rice in another pot according to package directions.

Place a scoop of rice in a bowl and ladle over a big scoop of the beans & sausage.

$5.25  for the entire meal.  Serves 6-8.

Now this is a whole yummy meal but my husband insists it needs a big hunk of cornbread on the side.   :)

Homemade Pizza

This is my daughter's topped with some ham, pineapple, & cheese

 

One of our favorite meals to make is homemade pizza.  Most of the time I grind up my own flour blend to use, but my grinder is still at the repair shop so we did us all-purpose flour...scary...LOL.

It's still homemade & is still better for you. Also, it's fun to make your own pizza!

 

 

Crust:

1 T. yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp. sugar

2 T. oil

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups flour

 

In your bowl (or can use a bread maker with a dough setting) Place the warm water, yeast, oil, & sugar.   Allow to set for about 3-5 minutes.

Then add in the flour & salt.

Mix or knead it until all combined and looks like a nice soft ball of dough.

Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour.

On a lightly greased pizza pan or cookie sheet roll or press out into the shapes you want. 

Now bake the plain crust for 5 minutes on 425*

Then remove & put on your toppings.

Return to the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until bubbly and the crust looks a little golden.

This will make 2 large pizzas or about 4-5 smaller ones.

 

The left has hamburger, onion & cheese

The right had it all.

They are shaped different to fit on my cookie sheet.

Cheap & Yummy = Dirty Rice

Some of the moms in our homeschool co-op were talking about different meals. A meal swap even came up.  Sounds fun to me! 
Anyhoo, I thought I'd share a couple of really cheap & really easy meals that will serve a family.

First up:

Dirty Rice

1 lb. breakfast or Italian sausage (get in breakfast meat section)- $2.50
1 1/2 cups minute rice- (store brand)- $2.99 for whole box so I'll say 1/3 would be- $1
1/2 onion, finely chopped- .50
1/2 bell pepper, finely chopped-.50
3 stalks celery, finely chopped- .25
1 1/2 c. water- free

In a large skillet add sausage, onion, pepper, & celery. Cook until sausage is browned.  Then drain a little of the grease but leave some in the pan.  Mix in the rice & then add in the water.  Allow to come to a boil & then turn fire off. Cover with a tight lid.  Allow to set about 5-10 minutes.

Serve!

Total cost:  $4.75 and I think it could even be a little less depending on the type of onion and pepper you choose.

If you have it in the budget serve with a side salad.

This makes quite a bit.  Left-overs are good & you can freeze them also.
Something else good is to reheat the left-overs in a skillet & scramble in a couple of eggs. 

Cheap & Yummy = Vegetable Barley Soup

Vegetable Barley Soup

1 can tomato paste- .50
3 quarts water -free
3 beef bullion cubes- (I get the ones in the Mexican section)- .50
1 T. oil - .10
1 bag mixed vegetables $1.50
1 cup barley $1
1 T. Italian seasonings -.25

Mix all in a soup pot. 
Bring to a boil and allow to simmer about 45 minutes.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
When the barley is tender it's done.

Total cost:  $4.35

The barley will fill you up. Of course you could add meat or other vegetables but that would add to the cost.  Served with a loaf of French bread to sop up the delicious broth would add about $2 more to the meal if store bought or make your own for about $1.  Still a good, comforting, cheap recipe!

This freezes well!

Farm to Fork

A cheap & easy meal that my family enjoys is purple hull pea soup.  I make it in the crockpot & I like to eat mine plain in a bowl with the broth.   It's a whole healthy meal in itself but you can make a pot of rice & cornbread to go along with it & it's over the top yummy!  The other night after class we made grilled cheese sandwiches to eat with it & that was good too.

Purple hull pea soup (Totally Farm to Fork or homemade version)

4 cups frozen purple hull peas (picked from the farm just down the road)
1/2 c. chopped green onions (from my garden & frozen)
1 quart chicken broth (I make & freeze)
pinch of cayenne pepper (from my garden, dehydrated & then ground up)

Put all in a crockpot & set on low for about 6 hours.

Done!

Of course you can make this with store bought ingredients & it's good too but there's just something special about knowing it all came from close by.

October 31st

Easy Meatloaf Dinner

Tonight we're having one of my favorite comfort meals.  Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, English peas, & apple crisp.  mmm...  It's in the oven right now & smells delicious. 
I make meatloaf several ways but thought I'd share the easiest recipe & the one I made tonight.

Easy Meatloaf

1 1/4 lbs. ground beef
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 egg
1/3 c. ketchup
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Mix all together in a big bowl with your hands until well combined. Place on broiler pan and shape into loaf. (broiler pan will make the grease fall underneath but you can use a regular pan too)
Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes or until cooked though.

Brown Bears

Saturday we went on a ghost walk through our downtown with some friends.  -It was a lot of fun & if you've never been on one you may be surprised how much history you learn. (on ours anyway)

Afterwards we all came back to our house and sat around the fire pit, ate good food, & chatted.

Earlier in the day I had made a pot of chili in the crockpot so we had that & then also smores and brown bears.  I had never heard of brown bears. They were really good & fun to make so I thought I'd share the recipe.

Roasting our brown bears.

Good flash on the camera because it was about 11:00 at night.

Amounts depend on how many you chose to make:

BROWN BEARS
crescent rolls in a can
some butter, melted
some cinnamon & sugar, mixed

On some dowel rods wrap the crescent roll down, like a spiral. 
Then roast it over the fire until cooked. You can feel it to tell if it's cooked through.
Carefully remove from the rod and dip in butter & then cinnamon & sugar.
Enjoy!

Thanks Ali for sharing this new treat!

Gluten free pasta

Of the several gluten free pastas we've tried the brown rice pasta is the BEST.  You can use it in place of regular pasta in everything I've tried so far.  We don't even taste a difference. It does look a little pale brown & not yellow/white but other than that it's good.
I must say that we've tried the ones made out of potatoes & a couple other things & we did not care for them. If you even barely over cook it, mushy, yucky, goo!

Something to think about

I read this today & even though I don't feel like the whole world is evil it really struck me.  I've been betrayed by people my whole life & this is how I feel too at times.


I don't have many friends.
Alot of people that I talk to, that I say hello to.
But I don't cosider any of them friends.
Friends implies that you know something about that person, that you trust that person.
But time and time again, you find out that even though you may think this, there will always be that one that will make you regret it.
Because though your enemies may be able to maim you, you can only be betrayed by someone you trusted, right?
And when you've been fooled into thinking otherwise for as many times as I have, you start to let it affect you.
You start to question everything and everyone, until you no longer know who you can trust.
And then, in one last resort to keep your heart, your soul, from breaking from the so many knives thats been put through it, when you lose all faith and the good of humanity, and that the world is all evil
You become what I have. A lost and bitter soul, longing for someone to prove you wrong...

Crockpot

My mom used to use the crockpot often, and so do I. Well, about once a week, sometimes more.  I would say it is probably my favorite appliance other than my mixer.
I have 4 meals on my 2 week meal plan I listed yesterday that are cooked in the crockpot.

Pinto beans (for a couple recipes)
Black eye peas
Crockpot BBQ pork
Creamy crockpot chicken & broccoli

I typically pick crockpot recipes for days that we plan on being busy.  However, a roast or a pot of stew on a cold day really makes the house smell warm & cozy.

For any beans or peas it is best to soak them overnight with a little lemon juice or whey then turn on the crockpot in the morning. BUT...if you forget that throw them in early and by dinner they should be done.  Add in any seasonings, especially salt,  or a little bacon or ham & delish!

BBQ pork- I just put in a pork roast and a bottle of our favorite BBQ sauce or homemade.

The creamy crockpot chicken is one I found on pinterest. If it turns out well I'll share that link.

I am a pinterest fanatic. There are lots of crockpot recipes on there that just look delicious! 

Monday

It's a cool, rainy, gray kind of day here.
I'm glad I got all the outside animals fed this morning because I didn't know it was going to rain.
We've done our daily duties & now I think I'll see if there's a good show on tv.
There's some gluten free blueberry muffins in the oven & they are smelling good!

I usually make my own blend of gluten free baking mix/bisquick, but my grinder is broken.  A good boxed one that I've had good results with is 'Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix.'  Gluten free mixes can be expensive and to have them not work is very disappointing.  I paid $6.55 for a 28oz. box at our local health food store.

2 Weeks of Meals

This post is mainly for my sister-in-law... :) I'm going to try to plan & shop for 2 weeks at a time. We went Saturday & have everything stocked for the following meals.

Breakfasts:
eggs
bacon
toast
tortillas
oatmeal w/raisins or blueberries
waffles
muffins
juice/milk

Lunches:
tuna salad, gf crackers, carrot sticks
soup and toast
left-overs
chef salad
-Also bought sandwich fixings & small bags of chips for the guys. Mostly they take left-overs.


Dinners:
chicken stir-fry, rice
bean & cheese quesadillas, chips, salsa
spaghetti w/meat sauce, peas
crockpot bbq pork, coleslaw
oven tacos, mexi salad
meatloaf, mashed potatoes, peas
black eye peas, collard greens, rice, cornbread
creamy crockpot chicken  broccoli over rice, rolls, apple crisp
Mexican cornbread casserole, beans
bean burritos w/peppers, onions, cheese, and salad
salmon patties, macaroni salad
chicken broccoli supreme, rolls, jello

I did not buy any cokes. Drinks will be coffee, ice tea, water, & lemonade.
Cheese- I bought a 2 lb. block and divided it up into freezer bags. Burger & chicken the same.

Next week I will probably have to restock on milk, lettuce, and maybe some fresh fruit but that should be it.

My Favorite Oatmeal

Put 1 cup old fashioned oats in a small pot with 2 cups of water.
Allow to simmer for just a couple of minutes or until oats are done to your desired texture.
(I like mine to have a bite)
Turn off fire and put in 1 T. coconut oil, 1 T. brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon. Stir.
Put in bowl and top with a little milk or cream.

If I'm adding in raisins or fruit I do this when I start my oats.
Ones I like are:
raisins, dates, dried cranberries, diced peaches, diced apples, but my favorite is a handful of blueberries.

For me this makes 3 servings. 

Oatmeal refrigerates well so sometimes I make a big pot and just reheat it in the microwave. After you stir in a little milk it looks the same as fresh cooked.

Many people soak their oats overnight.  It is suppose to help with the digestion and I sometimes do this but usually I forget and don't.

Long-Cooked Healing Chicken Stock (or turkey)

Any time I bake a chicken I save all the carcass.  After pulling most of the meat off I place it in my crockpot. Fill it to the top with water & any veggies and seasonings I may have in the fridge. 

(parsley, basil, cilantro, garlic, celery, carrots, cabbage are the norms around here) I use some or all.  Fill the pot up to the top but mostly it should be water.
Turn the crockpot on low and allow to cook over night.  (12 hours or so)
Allow to cool a bit & then pour the stock through a strainer to have a smooth beautiful stock. 
You can now put your stock in the refrigerator and allow the fat to settle at the top and scoop it off if you like.  I usually don't though. This is good for you when your immune system is low.
Put into quart jars or freezer bags and freeze for later or use it now. 
If you freeze in jars make sure to leave a couple inches at the top for expansion or your jars will crack.
I usually take the bones & veggies and give them to the dogs.  The bones are so soft they won't hurt the dogs now and they love this special treat.

A big, beautiful, golden pot of stock waiting to be made into chicken & dumplings!

 

Chicken noodle soup

2 Quarts chicken stock (homemade long-cooked stock is best for the healing properties)
2-3 chicken breasts or boneless thighs
1-2 cups carrots (depends on how many you like)
1 cup chopped celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. parsley, chopped
12-16 oz. pasta

Pour stock into a big soup kettle.  Add chicken and vegetables. Boil until chicken is fully cooked. (Veggies should be cooked by then too.)  Remove chicken and chop or shred it up. Add back to the pot & bring up to a boil.  Add in the noodles and cook for about 10 minutes until pasta is tender. 

Serve up a big bowl of comfort!

This is my go-to meal when anyone in our home or friends are sick. The long-cooked chicken stock I make homemade and freeze in bags or mason jars in quart portions.

Look what was lurking in our dog kennel...

Yes, a really big copperhead snake!

I really don't like snakes.

And in true redneck southern fashion it has been skinned and is tanning on a board.

Who knows what they will do with it then. 

It's definitely not going up on the wall as living room décor.

 

Homeschooling

This is our 10th year to homeschool!  There are so many blogs & web sites out there to tell you how, why, etc. but for us the best & shortest answer I can give you is...It just works for our family!
I have one child that is graduated from homeschool and he now works full-time at our family's machine shop.  I'm happy to say he seems to be a well adjusted, hard working, responsible adult. -despite the fact he was homeschooled from 5th grade on.  LOL
My daughter is in the 9th grade this year. While we have made our rounds through most of the curriculum choices out there I find a mixture of different things work for us. Also just plain old life experience that they get from not being cooped up in a school all day.
If that works for you & your children that's great.  I know many teachers & I was once a substitute myself and for many traditional school works for them. I'm not here to debate that.
I just thought I'd share the books we're using right now.

Curriculum books we use daily:

Apologia General Science
Easy Grammar
A Beka History & Geography
Writing Strands
Spell Well (for high school students)
Teaching Textbooks Math
Beautiful Girlhood & Companion Guide / Bible

A couple of other books we've got on our end table are:

Stokes Field Guide to Birds (lots of birds around lately)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Simple Life Devotionals
Storey's Basic Country Skills

Recent Pictures

The black astralorps (12 hens & 1 rooster) we just got yesterday.

Mama Silkie & her 2 babies. I think these are the cutest breed.

Of course my outdoor 'helper'  Australian Cattle Dog, Carly! 

I think she's saying cheese!!!

Purple Cabbage Salad

So I'm not the best photographer, but at least I can cook.  lol

 

1 small head of purple cabbage

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground mustard

1/2 tsp onion powder

 

Thinly slice cabbage & place in a bowl.

 

Put all the other ingredients in a jar & shake well.

 

Toss dressing into cabbage & refrigerate for about 30 minutes or longer.

 

Really easy & yummy salad/side dish.

Big Daddy's Butterscotch Cookies

Add 1 glass milk  :)

1 1/4 c. dark brown sugar
3/4 c. butter flavored Crisco
2 T. milk
1 T. vanilla
1 egg

Cream this all together.

Then add:

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. butterscotch baking chips

Mix until combined.

Place tablespoon fulls on cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

They should still be a little soft but set.

Cool & enjoy!

Good Saturday & Homemade Syrup

Happy Saturday!

Starting off our busy day with a big batch of banana oat pancakes.
I made a double batch to put some in the freezer for later.

http://vickieshomesteadlife.blogspot.com/2013/06/delicious-banana-oat-pancakes.html

Homemade syrup:

1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. water

Put all in a small pan.  Turn fire to low and when it boils start whisking.  Boil for 2 minutes whisking constantly.  Turn off & serve over pancakes when cooled a little.

How we process backyard meat chickens

After reading the latest that much of our chicken will be imported from China we've decided to go back to raising our own meat chickens again.  This video is a wonderful instruction on how to clean them.  Now I need to invest in a chicken plucker!

Apple Walnut Upside Down Cake

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks. AND it's gluten free!!!

 

Just look at this pretty picture.  This is the second time we've made this cake.  My husband & daughter made it the first time for my birthday & I made it again last night.  Just as good & still just as easy.  I rank it up with my top few favorite desserts.
I cannot take credit for this recipe though.  I got it from http://ezgf.blogspot.com/2011/09/apple-walnut-upside-down-cake.html

One more picture just because it's so gosh-darn pretty!

 

Green Tomato Relish

My husband pulled all of the dead/dying plants out of the garden yesterday. We do still have a couple of tomato plants & peppers going strong. There were a lot of small green tomatoes on some of the plants so he filled up a bushel basket & brought them to me.
I looked up a recipe on pinterest and adjusted it a bit to suit my needs.

This recipe will not have exact measurements but here's how I did mine.

I used 2 big pots about 5 qts each.

To each pot fill up with chopped tomatoes, a half of a huge onion, 2-3 bell peppers.  1 T. ground mustard, 1 T. salt, 1 1/2 cups sugar, &1 1/2 cups vinegar.  Stir and allow to simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Put into clean hot jars and process in pressure canner at 10lbs pressure for 10 minutes.

Set on towel overnight or about 24 hours. 

Wipe off jars & store.

I always write the year on my lids with a permanent marker. The only problem with this is that when I decide to give some as a gift I always wonder if people think it's old if it's from the year before.  Of course it's just as good, but I do wonder.    Some people use stickers but that's up to you!

Yield:  1 quart, 9 pints, & 4 half-pints

Pancake Crepes

Here's a little variation on the recipe I posted a while back called Trim healthy pancakes.

I used the same recipe but turned the hot pan after pouring in the batter to make it a really thin pancake.

Mine were filled with blueberries I simmered in a pan with a little stevia.  Rolled up & topped with a little whipped cream.

My daughter had a variety with hers.  Blueberry, peanut butter, and nutella. 

Pretty simple, but a pretty & healthy breakfast!

 Pancake recipe here:  http://vickieshomesteadlife.blogspot.com/2013/06/trim-healthy-pancakes-and-fruit-syrup.html

Flour Tortillas

I must confess I usually buy tortillas. However, on occasion I will make them from scratch.  They really are really tasty & my husband and son love them homemade. 

 Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
5 T. lard or shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 to 1 1/4 cups warm water

In a big bowl put the flour, lard, & salt. Now with your hand dig in and crumble it all together like if you were making biscuits or a pie crust. The goal is to get the shortening into the flour in tiny little pieces. (I forgot to take a picture of this but you get the idea)

Then add in 1 cup warm water. Mix and then knead with your hand.  If there is a lot of flour in the bowl add a little more water. It will be a fairly stiff dough. But most of the flour should come off the sides of the bowl.--you can see that in the below picture of the just tiny bit of dough on the sides of the bowl.
Now bread this up into little balls and flatten them out a little 'below'.  Cover this with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Dough rounds

 

After 10 minutes roll out your tortillas.  1 or 2 at a time.

Cook on a hot cast iron griddle or pan for about 1 minute on each side.

 

See the bubbles here.  This is what you are looking for. Then you know your pan is hot enough.

Flip and cook on the other side.  See the little golden marks.  This is GOOD!

 

As you cook them put them in a tortilla warmer or on a plate covered with a towel to keep warm until serving. 

Yummy!

Easy Cajun 'Gravy'

Fried fish, rice, & Cajun gravy...yummy!

 

 

1 can cheddar cheese soup

 

2 cans or about 2 cups of  Ro-tel style tomatoes, undrained

 

Garlic powder

 

Salt & Pepper

 

Cajun seasoning or red pepper

 

In a pot combine all ingredients.  Season with salt & pepper to taste. If you like it extra spicy add some Cajun seasoning or red pepper.

 

Bring to a simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice, fish, or whatever you desire!

 



From the heart

While I usually enjoy life on our little homestead, there is one aspect that always takes some getting used to.  Life. 

I have to say sometimes 'life' can be happy. The birth of new baby animals, getting to see first hand the hatching of eggs & the mother hen's instinct to protect her young, watching kittens and puppies being born & nursing, feeding a baby pig from a bottle, moments like that are incredible.

There are the funny (kind of) moments when you learn not to turn your back on certain roosters, that your Australian shepherd & a Rat terrier can turn a back yard into a crater of holes in no time flat, and that mom freaks out if she sees a snake, or even a snake skin, and when a racer pokes his head out of a wood pile mom can really run fast!

The part that is the hardest are the unhappy times.  When you wake up and realize that something has gotten into the hen house and killed just about everything.  When it's time to take animals to the slaughter house.  When your beloved Rat terrier, who was like a little best friend gets cancer & dies.

Then there are the 'interesting' learning moments like animals coming into season & animals aren't shy when it comes to mating.  Also that not 'cutting' a male goat is never a good idea... too much info??? lol  I am glad though that my children got to experience everything, even this as it led to many teachable moments.

We're in a stage of sadness at the moment. The thing is many of our animals are getting older.   Our hens just about all stopped laying (age), our 'big pig' was sent to another farm to be bread only to find out she is barren.  A shih Tzu that was a stray I think is finally coming to his end.

Cost is a big issue too. Along with everything else, animal feed is going up.  Way up!  The fact is we don't need animals or things here that are just money suckers with no purpose.  We have been basically a one income family for 17 years.  I really know how to stretch a dollar.  Even at times now I don't always have to but it's just ingrained in my brain to not let anything go to waste.  My husband even more so & if you've ever been here it's evident by the 'supplies' or 'junk' that he's got stacked around to use one day.  --We actually do make use of most of it but it's still a bit of an eyesore.

 The other thing is our children are older too. (19 & 14)   Keeping up with chores is more of a task, just mowing our place takes a day.  I like the little homestead, and we do not have any plans to move but there are just many changes that need to take place.  Adjustments in schedules, prioritizing what we really want & need. 

Sometimes even just writing this it does make me a little sad.  I do miss many things but then again I'm happy to be in a new/different stage of life. --I think...

~Mama

Saving Electricity

I just love the sight of clean sheets blowing in the breeze.

Happy Saturday!

Cayenne Pepper!

I haven't posted in a little while as we've been busy. We have been back to homeschooling for a week now & other things around here are getting adjusted.  I will share some of that later, but for now here's our latest project. 
This was our first time to try to make our own spices from scratch and it turned out very well.  Before putting them into the dehydrator the peppers were washed & set out on towels to dry.
My husband took the following pictures:

This is a quart sized jar. So 1 full dehydrator yielded almost a quart of ground pepper. 
It smells wonderful, almost like a spicy, smoky smell & taste.
I'm very happy with the results & have another dehydrator full & running now!

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

This is my adaptation of the "fotato" soup recipe that's been going around.

1 bag frozen cauliflower
4 cups water
4 tsp. tomato/chicken bullion
3 wedges light laughing cow cheese (I used the vegetable flavored one)
1/4 cup bacon bits
salt, pepper, garlic powder

In a soup pot put the water, bullion, and cauliflower.  Cover & let simmer for about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
Now remove from fire & use a stick blender (or could put about 3/4 of it into a regular blender)  Blend up until most of the cauliflower is mashed. Leave a few 'chunks' or blend it all.
Now put back on the stove and add in the bacon bits & cheese. Stir until cheese melts & then add seasonings to taste.
This was a really great, low calorie lunch with a small salad.  It made about 4 good sized bowls.

If you try any of my recipes I'd love to hear your comments.

Church Chicken

In the crockpot before turning on

 

The past 2 Sunday's I've started this in the crockpot before we went to church & by 2:00 it is done.  Add some potatoes or rice and a veggie & you have a delicious Sunday dinner.

Place chicken in the crockpot (bone-in breasts is what I used because they were on sale)  Leave the skin on or not, you're choice.

Place some sliced onion & garlic on top of chicken.

Sprinkle with any seasonings you like.

Cook on high for about 6 hours.

Remove chicken to a platter & slice.

You can use any combination of seasonings you have on hand. 

Here are the ones I've done before:

*onion, garlic, basil, salt & pepper
*onion, bell pepper, Cajun seasoning blend
*sliced lemon, salt, & lots of black pepper
*garlic, salt & pepper, fresh rosemary

Have fun with it & enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups sugar
1 T. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 T. cinnamon

In a BIG bowl mix together zucchini, oil, sugar, & vanilla.
Then add in  the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon & salt.
Mix *by hand* until all blended.

Divide into 2 greased loaf pans.

Bake at 350* for about 45 minutes or until center is done!

*This is really good & it freezes well too*