Category: In The Kitchen

Around the Homestead, Gardening, In The Kitchen

Organic Gardening & Tamale Pie

Gretchen

I am already getting into spring mode at our farm.  This weekend will be spent pruning our fruit trees and shrubs and starting a few seeds.  Organic Gardening offers an Almanac where you can select your region and it will give you a month-by-month guideline for things you should do each month.  February is pruning month for my area. 

We are still awaiting the first baby lamb of the year.  The girls appear as if they could go at anytime, but still no babies.

I made tamale pie for dinner on Monday, it was really good.

Tamale Pie

1 lb. of hamburger

1 Onion

1 T Olive Oil

1 qt. Frozen corn

3 T. Taco seasoning

1 qt. Ro-tel

Topping:

1 ¼ c Whole wheat pastry flour
¾ c Cornmeal

2 T Sucanat
2 t Baking powder
½ t Sea salt
1 c milk, buttermilk, or fresh cream
¼ c Olive Oil
1 large egg or two small eggs

Cook onions in olive oil in a cast iron skillet until transparent.  Add hamburger and cook until no longer pink.  Once the hamburger is fully cooked add ro-tel, taco seasoning and corn.  Simmer 5 minutes.

In a bowl combine milk, oil, and eggs and mix until well combined.  Add dry ingredients and mix with a fork until just moistened.  Don’t over mix. 

Pour the meat mixture into a 9×13 casserole dish.  Top with cornmeal mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

We top our’s with a little ranch dressing and homemade salsa. 

I try to make the NT salsa whenever possible.  However, now that tomatoes are out of season and I refuse to buy them at the store here is what I do for salsa.  I have a lot of canned ro-tel in the pantry, so when we run out of salsa in the wintertime here is what I do.

Quick and Easy Salsa

1 qt. homemade ro-tel

Chili powder to taste

Place ro-tel and chili powder in a food processor.  Tah-dah.  It’s quick, it’s easy, and it taste pretty good too.  You could always add cilantro, garlic, and other seasonings if you would like.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week.

Homemaking, In The Kitchen

Lavender Linen Spray

Gretchen

I LOVE this recipe and use it every night before bed.  Just one spray on your pillow at night is perfect.

Lavender Linen Spray:

3 cups Distilled Water

3 oz. Vodka

15-30 drops Lavender Essential Oil

1 Amber Glass Spray Bottle

Sterilize the glass container by placing it in boiling water for 3 minutes.  Allow to cool.  Pour distilled water and vodka into the glass bottle, using a funnel if needed.  Add the lavender essential oil and stir or shake until mixed.

Oh, I about forgot to mention.  Look for the mini bottles of Vodka near the checkout at your local liquor store.  They are either 1.7 oz or 2.7 oz, I can’t remember, but buying one or two of these would save you from buying a pint.

Around the Homestead, Homemaking, In The Kitchen

Monday at Home…

Gretchen

Monday I was home by myself.  It was extremely cold, so I tried to get chores over with early in the morning so I wouldn’t have to dread them any longer.  I drug a hose out of the building and everyone got fresh water, fresh salt and mineral, and I Everyone was doing well.  The sheep and llama don’t seem to mind the cold very much.

I got a slow start on housework when I returned indoors.  It was just one of those days I was really dragging.  I baked bread, walked on the treadmill, worked on our taxes, and did some reading and note taking.

In the afternoon I made another loaf of bread called:

Quick Sourdough Bread

I used all olive oil (4 T.) instead of butter just because it was easier, whole wheat bread flour, and sucanat instead of sugar. 

Any tricks on how to measure out flour without having to sifted would be wonderful.  I think I would make this again if I didn’t have to sift three cups of flour.  It’s not bad.  Mine didn’t need 40 minutes to bake, however.

I also whipped up a pot of Broccoli Soup that was really good.  I used “fresh” cream I had frozen and it worked great.  We had Sloppy Joes and Broccoli Soup for dinner.  It was a perfect day for soup since it was so cold and yucky outside. 

Sloppy Joes:

½ lb hamburger

1 cup beans, cooked (I use leftover pinto, black, whatever I have)

Ketchup, Mustard, and Sucanat to taste

Served on homemade bread with canned sweet green tomatoes, Yum!

As promised, here is the ketchup recipe I used this summer to can homemade ketchup from tomatoes out of our garden.

Ketchup:

2 gal. tomato pulp

*This consists of the juice, ran through a food mill, and boiled hard for one hour, you should have 2 gallons remaining once it’s boiled.

1 cup cane juice crystals

1 cup sucanat

3 cups white vinegar (could possibly be decreased so it’s thicker)

1 t. ginger

1 t. allspice

1 t. ground mustard

1 t. cinnamon

3 T. sea salt

Tomato Paste

Once you have boiled the tomato juice hard for one hour, add one add sugars, spices, and salt.  Boil for another 30 minutes.  Bottle and seal.

I canned mine in pint jars although it was still pretty thin in consistency.  When I was ready to use it I took two pints of the ketchup, put it in a pan, added one 6 oz can of tomato paste, cooked on low until the tomato paste was dissolved, and then placed in a quart jar in the refrigerator.

Hope everyone is staying warm and had a nice weekend.

Around the Homestead, Gardening, Green Living, In The Kitchen

Cold Weather and a “Green” Air Purifier

Gretchen

It snowed here yesterday, so I got to leave work 1 and 1/2 early.  Yea!  I got dinner made and over with early so we could relax a bit.  I cut out the pattern for a shirt I hope to make.  I took a sewing class awhile back, but I’m still not completely comfortable yet.  I figure the best way to learn is by going for it, trial and error.

I have been adding some supplements to my routine over the past few months in hopes of missing out on all the winter illness that goes around.  Randy and I have both started taking MonaVie.  It seems to be working really well combating bugs.  I had a sore throat off and on, but it never progressed into an infection and no other symptoms joined in so I was pleased.  I also used to have extremely painful cramps and no longer have to deal with that monthly inconvenience as the MonaVie seems to have given my body the boost it needs to overcome some of the things I was struggling with.  I have also added liquid kelp and brewer’s yeast to my diet to help with thyroid support.  I just add the recommended 4 drops of liquid kelp to a glass of water and sprinkle 1/2 t.-1 t. brewer’s yeast on my oatmeal or mixed in my kefir shakes for breakfast.  The brewer’s yeast has a fairly strong flavor, so I only use what I can disguise in tasty food.

This week’s menu turned out nicely.  The only adjustment was spaghetti last night instead of baked spaghetti due to our homemade mozzarella going bad.  We are having the ham and beans tonight and homemade cornbread topped with homemade maple syrup.  Yum!  We also use ACV on our ham and beans to help with digestion one of its many benefits.

I’m also on a mission to increase the number of house plants we have.  House plants are a great way to purify the air inside your home.  I am lucky enough to have a neighbor with established plants who starts them for me.  Try finding someone who will let you take starts off the plants, put them in a jar of water until they have rooted, and then transplant to a pot.

This is a fun little website on houseplants.  I have two Schefflera (these will start from a cutting), a Pothos, a ton of Aloe, and a Philodendron (of course).  I also have a Bouganvilla staying indoors with us through the winter.  Not the handiest plant to move around as it has thorns and is a climber, but I “just had to have it.”  If you have pets/children be sure you are aware of what plants are poisonous so you can keep them out of reach.  I doubt this is a comprehensive list, but will at least get you started.  Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we have to breathe the same stagnant, stuffy air day after day.  One other suggestion, be sure to watch for heat vents.  Placing a houseplant too close to a vent can be bad news for the plant.

It is almost the weekend for me.  It’s going to be a cold one.  I am hoping to make some progress on the shirt I am making, clean the house, finish the laundry, and of course baking and cooking for the week ahead.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

In The Kitchen

The Week’s Menu…

Gretchen

Monday:  Bierocks and Yummy Pinto Beans

Tuesday:  Chicken and Black Bean Tacos with Spanish Rice and Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Wednesday:  Ham and Beans with Homemade Cornbread

Thursday:  Baked Spaghetti with Garlic Bread

Friday:  Homemade Pizza using this crust 

Toppings:  black and green olives, pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, banana peppers, and jalapenos.  Yum!

On the weekends we do leftovers, grill, or something quick and easy because we are usually working around the house or outside.

I’m on a mission to eat what we have on hand and make no trips to the store other than going to the dairy for milk.  Our menu could get pretty interesting here in the next week or two.  Stay tuned : )

In The Kitchen, Preserving the Harvest, Self-Sufficiency

Freezing Sweet Potatoes

Gretchen

This is a really great way to preserve sweet potatoes to use in casseroles or pie if you do not have a cellar.

Wash sweet potatoes that have been cured for at least one week.  To cure sweet potatoes: store the fresh potatoes in a warm room in the house for 14 days. Curing develops the flavor and allows for longer storage.

Peel and cook the sweet potatoes until almost tender in water, steam, a pressure cooker, or the oven. 

Let stand at room temperature until cool.  Cut into chunks, slices, or mash.

To prevent darkening, dip whole sweet potato or slices for 5 seconds in a solution of 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1 quart water.  To keep mashed sweet potatoes from darkening, mix 2 tablespoons of orange or lemon juice with each quart of mashed sweet potatoes. 

Pack into containers, leaving 1 inch headspace.  Make sure all the air is squeezed out of the bag.  Seal and freeze.

 

In The Kitchen

Green Tomato Pie

Gretchen

This is a new recipe I tried, and it turned out pretty good.  You can even freeze sliced or diced green tomatoes to use later on in pie or bread if you would like.

Green Tomato Pie:

6 medium Green Tomatoes, peeled and sliced

1 c. Cane Juice Crystals

3 T. Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 ¼ t. Cinnamon

½ t. Nutmeg

1/8 t. Cloves 

½ t. Sea Salt

2 T. Butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Dip tomatoes in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.  Peel, core, and slice into ¼ inch slices.

In a large saucepan, combine sliced tomatoes with ¼ cup water.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Remove tomatoes from liquid with a slotted spoon, reserving boiling liquid.  Combine flour, cane juice crystals, sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Add flour mixture to liquid.  Cook, stirring constantly just until boiling.  Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.  Gently stir in tomatoes.  Cool slightly 10-15 minutes and spoon into the unbaked pie crust.  Top with pie topping.  Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is gold brown.

Pie Topping:

½ c. All-Purpose Flour (unbleached)

½ c. Cane Juice Crystals

8 T. butter, softened, but not melted (room temperature)

Combine all ingredients.  Use a pastry blender to blend until crumbly.  Cover pie completely with pie topping before baking.

We served this with homemade vanilla ice cream.  Yum! 
In The Kitchen

Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Gretchen

We have plenty of sweet potatoes from the garden.  So, I have been cooking up sweet potato pies pretty regularly around our house.  This will definitely be a part of our Thanksgiving dinner as well.  Yum!  It’s really simple, so give it a try and enjoy!

Homemade Sweet Potato Pie:

1 ½ c. Sweet Potatoes, cooked, peeled

1 ¼ c. Sucanat

¾ t. Ground Cinnamon

½ t. Sea Salt

½ t. Ground Ginger

¼ t. Ground Cloves

¼ t. Ground Nutmeg

1 c. Evaporated Milk

3 large eggs (4 Bantam eggs)

*whipped topping, if desired

Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Combine all ingredients except evaporated milk, eggs, and whipped topping.  Mix at medium speed until well blended.  Reduce speed to low and add evaporated milk and eggs.  Mix well.

Pour filling into prepared pie crust.  Preferably a 9” deep dish crust if buying your crust.  It will come to the very top of the crust, but will not rise and spill over when baked.  Bake 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  If crust browns too quickly cover edges with foil. 

Keep refrigerated.  Serve with whipped topping.

Makes 8 servings.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, so this is as good as it gets.

In The Kitchen

Salsa Recipe (NT)

Gretchen

The Ingredients:

4 Medium Tomatoes (I used Roma Tomatoes)

2 Small Onions

3/4 cup Chili, chopped (I used 1 Habanero)

6-8 Cloves of Garlic (optional)

1 bunch Cilantro, chopped

1 t. Dried Oregano

Juice of Two Lemons

1 T. Sea Salt

4 T. Liquid from previous ferment

1/4 cup Filtered Water

The tomatoes  have already been skinned.  To do this dip them in a pan of hot water for a minute or two.  Then move them to an ice bath and the skin will peel right off.  I used a few extra tomatoes because the Romas are a little smaller than a regular tomato.  I also used one Habenero pepper in place of the chili pepper.  These are hot, so use sparingly unless you can take the heat.

Juice Lemons

I used the food processor for EVERYTHING, even the tomatoes.  This resulted in a restaurant-style salsa, and it’s quick and easy.

Let your salsa set on the counter for 2 days before moving to cold storage.  I cut the garlic some and it is still pretty strong in the garlic department, however, garlic is good for you so we can deal with it.  This salsa is great and so much better than the store bought stuff.

 

Around the Homestead, In The Kitchen

…from the weekend

Gretchen

 

I had a really great weekend at home.  I spent Friday in the Kitchen working on some new recipes and some old favorites.

I whipped up: 

Salsa (NT p.103) we thought this was really good

Toothpaste This was a little salty for me, so I cut the salt a little bit.

Butter Spread (NT p. 150) We love to use this instead of the hard butter straight out of the fridge.

I tried and failed at making my Sourdough Starter (NT p. 489).  This is my second attempt/failure.  It always smells horrible after 2-3 days.  Ugh!

Soaked Oats (NT p. 455) Tried rolled oats, but they were a soggy mess.  I just bought steel cut oats to try instead.

Ricotta & Mozzarella Cheese  This is a great tutorial!

Hot Cocoa Mix  I didn’t make this much since there is just the two of us, but this is good on those cold and windy Kansas days.

Friday: Taco Soup with a Taco Seasoning from mommaofmany (this soup is so good) w/ cornbread

Taco Seasoning:

1/4 c Dried Onion Flakes, chopped fine (I just used Onion Powder)

4 t. Cornstarch (arrowroot)

4 T. Chili Powder

3 t. Ground Cumin

3 t. Garlic Salt

2 t. Red Pepper Flakes

2 t. beef bouillon (I crushed these with my coffee grinder)

1 1/2 t. Dried Oregano

Mix well and store in an airtight container.  To use:  add 1/4 cup spice to 1 1/2 lbs hamburger and 1/2 cup water or so.  Mix well and cook until most of the water has evaporated. 

On my days off I try to spend some time loving on my pets since they are by themselves throughout the week.  So, without further ado:

All rules have fled our home in the following (incriminating) pictures of our dogs.

They aren’t really supposed to be curled up on our leather furniture, but I just couldn’t kick them off.  Our blue heeler was a tad heavy at her vet appointment over the weekend, so we have started two-a-day frisbee playing mid-morning and mid-afternoon to try to get her slimmed down.  We have 6 months until the vet wants her weighed again, so she will be an exercising machine in the meantime.  LOL

Once again I have a nice sized “to-do” list for the weekend; however, I have to run errands in town on tomorrow.  My least favorite thing is going to town on my days off when I just want to be tucked away at home, but it has to be done.  Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.