Lemon Meltaways

Lemon Meltaways

1 1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon peel

In a bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add lemon juice. Combine flour and cornstarch, then add to the creamed mixture. using your hands, roll a small ball and press into a cookie shape. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool completely.

In bowl mix all frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost the cooled cookies.

V-8 Smoothie

V-8 Smoothie

2 cups filtered water
1 big kale leaf
2 big handfuls spinach or other green
1 regular carrot
2 or so tomatoes or a couple tablespoons of tomato paste
Approx. ¼ onion or a handful of green onions (for less onion flavor)
2 celery stalks
1/2 to 1/3 English cucumber and/or zucchini
1T. flaxseed
Basil leaves or cilantro or any herb that sounds good, to taste
Juice of 1-2 lemons
Red pepper for spice (optional)

Blend and enjoy!

Cherry Bomb Smoothie

Cherry Bomb Smoothie

1 ½ cups pitted red cherries
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh blueberries
1 ½ cups filtered water
4 cups organic baby spinach
3 T. flax oil
1 squirt of local honey (optional)
Ice as desired
Add all ingredients to blender. Blend, pour, enjoy!

Multigrain Sourdough Bread

I found this recipe at Nourish Your Children. I'll try it later this week and let you know how it turns out.

Well beforehand: Take out 1 cup of your starter and feed it 2/3 cups flour and 1/2 cup water. Let it set for 4-16 hours. Add 1 1/4 cup flour and 1 cup water. Let stand again for 4-16 hours. Now add 2 1/2 cups flour and 2 cups water. This will provide the 4 cups starter needed for this recipe and extra for other products.

Multi – Grain Sourdough Bread

4 cups sourdough

2 cups water

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups whole grain spelt flour

2 cups golden whole wheat

1 Tablespoon Real salt

Add ingredients to the Bosch mixer bowl in order with the mixer on speed 1. Add the last flour slowly to make sure the dough is not too dry. Stop the mixer and feel to see if it sticks to your fingers. If it is sticky then add more flour. If all the grains listed are not enough I add more unbleached flour. The amount of flour will vary depending on the flour used.You want a stiff dough.

When dough reaches desired consistency, I mix on speed 1 for 3 more minutes. Divide into 3 loaves about 2lbs. each. Place into greased loaf pans. I like glass. Allow to rise to desired height. 4 – 6 hours.

Bake @350 for 40 min. for glass dishes. For stainless steel pans 375 for 40 -50 min. Adjust according to your oven. The tops do not get dark brown, check the bottom.

Soft Oatmeal Bread

I found the base recipe at Knights and Maidens. It's quite an easy and tasty recipe.

Soft Oatmeal Bread

6 cups warm water
1 cup honey
1 cup oil
3 Tbsp kosher salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
12 cups unbleached flour
6 cups oatmeal
3 tbsp + 1 tsp SAF yeast

Mix all ingredients in Bosch bowl. Knead for 5 minutes. Grease pans. Form dough into loaves and place into pans. Cover with a towel and let rise 40 minutes to 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove to cooling racks and let cool.

Steak Marinade

This is the next recipe we will be trying for steak burritos.

1 (2 ounce) package dried ancho chiles

  1 teaspoon black pepper

  2 teaspoons cumin powder

  2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped

  6 cloves garlic

  1/2 red onion, quartered

  1/4 cup vegetable oil

  4  Small Steaks (6 ounces each)

Soak dry chilies overnight in water, until soft. Remove
seeds. Add all ingredients except meat in
food processor.

Puree until smooth.

Spread mixture over chicken, or other meats and
refrigerate at least one hour, up to 24 hours.

After marinating, heat grill to about 400 degrees F,
or if cooking inside, heat small amount of oil
in skillet or grill pan over high heat.

Salt meat to taste (optional), and grill lightly,
turning only once, until done.

Cook 8-10 minutes per side for 3/4" thick steak.

Carne Asada Marinade

I'm gathering recipes for Carne Asada. This is the first one I'm going to try.

Carne Asada Marinade

1 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate thinly sliced or cubed meat, covered, in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Then sear in hot cast iron pan until cooked as desired.

ETA: I marinated the meat for 5-6 hours. We didn't find that this recipe added much flavor to the meat. We won't repeat this one.

Menu Planning Ideas

I'd like to share today about one of my very simplest, but favorite-est meal planning strategies. I created a form for my Home Management Binder that makes planning much more simple. I sat with my recipe box and a notebook and wrote down every meal that I make with hamburger as the main ingredient. Then chicken, then fish, then vegetarian, then bean and rice, etc. I typed it all up nice and added extra lines for new meals we liked.

Now I have a great tool for those times I need to make a meal plan with just what's on hand. It also greatly assists my tired brain when I haven't planned (bad, Momma, bad!) and it's nearing meal time. "I do have a package of chicken thighs. What can I make with it?"

We rarely end up ordering pizza due to lack of a planned meal anymore.

How To Brew Kombucha Without A SCOBY

images from Photobucket

Many people are interested in brewing kombucha, but have a hard time finding a source for a scoby (mother, mushroom...they are the same thing). Here's how to do it without spending a fortune!
Buy a 12 oz bottle of prepared Kombucha tea from a health food store.
Prepare the sweet black tea as follows: Boil just less than a gallon of water, pour into a gallon size jar, add 2 cups white sugar (do not use anything like honey, or succanat, etc), add four Lipton black tea bags.
Steep tea fifteen minutes. Remove tea bags and discard.
Let tea cool to room temperature.
Pour in the entire bottle of kombucha.
Cover with a clean, thin cloth and secure with a rubber band. Let culture undisturbed about 2 weeks. Then you should have a mother on top and the tea should be ready to strain and enjoy!
Keep back 2 cups of the tea to add to your next gallon of sweet tea, along with the mother, of course. The next brew only needs to be 7-10 days long.
You will grow a new mother with each batch.
These are directions for basic kombucha. Once you learn how to do the basic, you can get creative! Lots of folks use flavored tea to switch things up or add fruits to the finished product to flavor it.
*ETA:  Most store-bought kombucha is now pasteurized. Pasteurized kombucha will NOT grow a culture, or give you the benefits of raw kombucha. It is inferior by far. 

How To Store Eggs

'Tis the season for an abundance of eggs! My friend has a large flock and regularly gives us fresh eggs. Here is the proper method for freezing eggs for later use:

Preparation – Select fresh eggs and break each separately into a clean saucer. Examine each for freshness and remove any pieces of shell before mixing with other eggs.

WHOLE EGGS — Thoroughly mix yolks and whites. Do not whip in air. To prevent graininess of the yolks, add 1-½ tablespoons sugar, 1-½ tablespoons corn syrup OR ½ teaspoon salt per cup whole eggs, depending on intended use. Strain through a sieve or colander to improve uniformity. Package, allowing ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze.

Another method of freezing a whole-egg mixture is to use ice trays. Measure 3 tablespoons of egg mixture into each compartment of an ice tray. Freeze until solid. Remove frozen cubes, and package in moisture-vapor resistant containers. Seal and freeze. Three tablespoons of the egg mixture (one cube) equal one whole egg.

EGG YOLKS — Separate eggs. Stir yolks gently. To prevent graininess, add 1-½ tablespoons sugar, 1-½ tablespoons corn syrup OR ½ teaspoon salt per cup of egg yolks, depending on intended use. Strain through a sieve. Package, allowing ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. One tablespoon of the yolk mixture equals one egg yolk.

EGG WHITES — Gently mix whites; do not whip. Strain through a sieve. No sugar or salt is needed. Package, leaving ½-inch headspace. Seal and freeze. Two tablespoons of the egg-white mixture equal one egg white.