Backyard Casserole

 

 I love cooking with the things that we have produced ourselves over the past year. I made this casserole all with food from my back yard, exciting right? I just pulled some garden stuff out of the the freezer and got some eggs out of the coop to make this. You could do this with anything really. It's hardly worth blogging a "recipe" but just in case you need an easy idea- here's what I did:

 

I chose to use sausage, spinach, onions, bacon, green peppers and garlic.

I also put a little cayenne, salt and pepper into the whisked eggs with some milk.

 

Here's the method:

 

-Pre-cook whatever meat you're using and put it in your baking pan.

 

-Then layer whatever veggies you like, one at a time.

 

 

 

-Next, whisk 10 eggs and 2 cups of milk in a large bowl. Add whatever spices you like and some salt and pepper.

 



 

-Pour egg mixture over meat and veggies and sprinkle with any cheese.

 

-Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes or until eggs look puffy and cooked.

 

 

 

I made this as a supper but then ate the leftovers for breakfast. It was just as good the next day.

 

Here is a picture of it cut. I'm a little addicted to kimchi right now so that's what I ate it with for breakfast when I took this picture. I also melted a little extra cheese over the top..mmm!

 

 

Next time you don't know what to make (for breakfast, lunch OR supper) give this casserole a try and tell me what ingredients you used.



Amazing Cheese Crackers

 

 

Cheese Crackers....

 

I have been hearing so much about homemade cheese crackers lately. I've seen a lot of recipes on Pinterest and today decided to try making them. With three little girls in the house, we are always in need of new healthy snack ideas.

 

I found this recipe here http://laurassweetspot.com/2012/07/27/homemade-goldfish-crackers/

and only did a few things differently.

 

I used her measurements with great success but I did add a little sea salt sprinkled over the top instead of regular salt in the dough.

 

Ingredients

• 8 ounces (2 cups)  Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Shredded
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, Cut Into Cubes
• 1 cup Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Cold Water
•  a sprinkling of sea salt

Instructions

Pulse everything (except water) together in the food processor

 

 

Until the dough resembles coarse sand.

 

 

 

Pulse in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

 

 

 

Remove dough from the processor, wrap in plastic (I used a glass bowl with lid) and chill for 20 minutes.

 

Roll out the dough

 

 

Now cut into the shapes that you want. I cut a used pie plate into a strip and shaped a little fish for my kids.

 

 

 

 Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I used the end of a skewer to poke an eye in the fish.

 

 

And then I got sick of cutting them out so I just cut the rest into squares and put a hole in the center.

 

sprinkle with sea salt if desired and Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.

 

Here are some of them finished. They are honestly the best cheese cracker I have ever had in my life. The flavor is exactly like a good quality store bought Cheddar cracker but the texture is absolutely amazing! They are crispy but puffy. It surprisingly made a good amount. I'm storing them in a glass bowl with a lid but they will most likely not need stored very long since my family loves them so much!

 

 

 

 

Now, I'm going to go...And eat a handful of these Little gems!

 

Let me know how they turn out if you try this recipe.

 

 

 

 

Homemade Peanut Butter

 

I know that my blog post aren't as elaborate as many others. I haven't really learned how to get the action pictures while I'm making stuff. Partly because my hands are too full doing something that I can't use my camera and also because every recipe I post is so ridiculously easy I feel like it would complicate things to try make it look like a bigger deal than it really is. (If I ever skimp too much on the directions I figure people can ask me in the comments).  I like the simplicity of the things I make and therefor my post seem a little boring sometimes.

 

With that being said, here is my homemade peanut butter recipe. Are you ready for it?

 

Step 1: Food process peanuts until they are smooth and creamy. About 5 minutes.

 

Step 2: Put in Jar

 

Step 3: Eat by spoonfuls!

 

 

 

 

Simple, right? You can even use honey roasted peanuts or add any other flavors you like. Maybe cinnamon or vanilla? I love it with the honey roasted peanuts I get at a discount grocery store near me although I'd rather be able to make it with fresher nuts. 

 

If it comes out a bit thin you can store it in the fridge. I keep mine in the cupboard and it has a perfect consistency. I thought the oil was going to raise to the top and that I'd have to stir it every time but for some reason mine stays creamy, yay!

 

My family loves this so much that we are adding a peanuts to our homestead garden this year!

How to make Bath Salts

 

 

 

Soak your stress away with this easy to make Salt Soak.

 

Simply put your favorite essential oil with some sea salt and wam-bam....You're done!!

Sea Salt is very very affordable, It's usually priced somewhere around a dollar. You could also do it with Epsom salt.

 

I chose to make Lavender-Almond and Citrus-Almond this time. In case you can't tell-I pretty much think almond goes with everything!  It's working for me though because everything I make smells wonderful!!

 

 

To mix the essential oil and/or optional food coloring (a natural or organic dye is preferred) Just cut a piece of a paper towel and drop your oil and coloring on it. I used 2 separate paper towel pieces. Don't make them crazy wet or they will dissolve the salt. And mix it up with a butter knife. I also put the lid on and shook it a little.

 

Next, Put it in a pretty jar and you are done!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiced Apple Pear Butter- Crock Pot Recipe



 

There seems to be a common sentence at the beginning of all of my post. So here goes, You will not believe how easy this is to make! It is literally done in just a few steps and makes the house smell wonderful while it's cooking. This is a great recipe to make in the fall when pears and apples are in season. Since I'm trying to fill you in on everything I've learned over the past year I'm posting this a bit out of season but don't worry,it tastes good anytime of year!

 

Here is a picture of my finished product....

 

 

And here is what happened a split second after I snapped that close up.....

 

She's never far away from the camera!

 

 

Back to the apple pear butter recipe.

 

Here's what you need:

 

Apples and Pears

spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

a pinch of salt

and sweetener of your choice (I use brown sugar)

 

Here's what you have to do:

 

1- Peel and dice fruit into large chunks, discarding the cores.

 

2-Put them in your crock pot and sprinkle in your chosen spices, salt and sweetener of choice. (the amount of sugar will vary depending on how sweet your apples are to start with.

 

3-Put lid on and cook on high for about an hour

 

4- Reduce heat to low and cook for 9-12 hours, stirring occasionally  (I smash it with a hand held potato masher) And cook it until  it reaches a desired consistency.

 

5- Can it or freeze it in bags until ready to eat.

 

To can it - fill hot canning jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

 

 

See I told you it was simple!!

 

 

 

 

 

 



 



 

Making sauerkraut

I loved learning how to make sauerkraut this past year and  I was surprised by how easy (and inexpensive) it was to make. I was especially proud of our New Years' pork and sauerkraut meal this year. Our roast was from our own backyard pig and it was perfeclyt paired with our home fermented kraut. If you're looking for a simple and rewarding project, I would recommend you try this recipe. 

Here's how I did it.

 

You will need:

 

cabbages

kosher or pickling salt

a large container

a plate

and a weight (I used a gallon jar filled with water, but many people use a big Rock) 

 

 

*Two important things to remember when making this are to never use aluminum utensils, and that using very clean utensils is necessary for a healthy brew...so clean your container and utensils before beginning.

 

To make it:

 

1. Wash cabbages and remove the outer leaves. Shred finely and discard the cores.(You can use a food processor or shred it by hand, like I did)

 

(I cannot figure out how to rotate this picture...grrr!)



 

2. Mix 4 Tbls. salt with 5 pounds of shredded cabbage and put in your clean crock. Stir and smash this down with clean hands until juices (the salt pulls it from the cabbage) covers the layer of cabbage.

 



 

3. Repeat until all of your cabbage is gone, using the same salt to cabbage ratio, and keep layering it and smashing it in your crock. Smash until brine covers the cabbage. If you cannot seem to smash it until the liquid covers the cabbage you can make some extra brine to pour in. To do this, just put 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of kosher salt into 1 quart of boiling water. Dissolve the salt in the water and cool brine to room temperature. Add brine to cover cabbage.

 

4. Put the plate in the crock, on top of cabbage, and place your weight on the plate to keep the cabbage under the brine.

 

5. Cover the crock with plastic wrap and then place a heavy towel over the top. (You want to keep any bugs out)

 

6. Place the crock in an area where the temperature will not go above 75 degrees or below 60. Allow it to ferment for 4-6 weeks until it tastes the way you like it. The longer you let it sit the more "sour" it will get. (The higher the temp. the faster it will ferment.)

I let mine go for 6 weeks at about 70 degrees and it was delicious.

Also- It can get some mold on the top of the brine. As long as it's not green or black- this is okay. Just remove it before taking out the kraut. I have talked to many people who have been making it for years and a lot of them say that they scrape the mold off once a week for 6 weeks. Some say they just remove it when it's done fermenting. I was worried about mine the first time I made it. But then I ate it and didn't die...so now I trust what everyone had told me.

 

7. Next-taste it. If it's good then remove it from the crock. Eat it raw for all the fermented benefits or Can it to enjoy it later in the year. (If you want to keep it raw I've read that it will keep in the fridge for about two months.)

 

I don't love it raw because I feel like it has a musty taste but I try to eat some anyway...since it's good for me and all. I canned the majority of mine.

 

If you want to can it use this timetable:

 

Hot Pack: Pint Jars-10 minutes, Quart jars-15 minutes
Raw Pack: Pint jars-20 minutes, Quart jars-25 minutes

 

 

 



 

And if you want to see another sweet little thing that was brewing in my crock....

 

Here's my little one playing peek-a-boo.

 

Where's Baby Josie?? Where could she be??

 

Peek-a-boo!!!  There she is!!

 

 I don't know what I enjoyed more about this antique crock...Fermenting the kraut or entertaining my  toddler for an entire afternoon?! Both uses were wonderful!!

 

If you make your sauerkraut a different way, I'd love to hear about it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surprise! It's a Grain Mill!!

I'm so excited to share this news with the world....

I officially grind my own grains!! I mill my own Flour!! I make by bread from "scratch"!! I can finally say that I know what fresh flour smells like!!! And I could not be more enthusiastic about this new venture!!

 Okay, I'll try to keep my giddiness under control so I can write this post.

My love of freshly baked bread all started when we bought our little corner of the world to begin our homesteading. The first thing I knew that I needed to learn, to be a true producer instead of consumer, was making our own bread. I had never before even considered making this part of my routine. I didn't even know what exactly yeast was or how it worked...But I wanted to learn.

I started out learning how to make bread without a bread machine. I figured that this would give me a better understanding of the whole process, and it did. It was so rewarding to send a warm loaf of freshly baked bread over to the neighbors house for the first time. Especially with a batch of freshly made butter, which is what I did. It was amazing-Learning how to make bread and wanting to do it so often that we had more than enough to share!

After doing it that way for a few weeks, my sister offered me a bread maker and I figured I'd give it a go. The bread however was not up to my expectations. It made a tall square loaf with a hole up the middle! What?! That's not what homemade bread is supposed to look like at all! So I took the advice of a friend and starting doing it half in the machine and half in the oven. It works beautifully and makes it more practical for me to keep a fresh loaf on hand. I'll give you guys my recipes for that in one of my upcoming posts. For now I have to get back to the topic at hand...My new grain mill!!!

I was totally surprised by my husband this Christmas when he let me know that he was buying me a present this time whether I approved it in the budget or not...it was happening and I wasn't aloud to complain. This is especially sweet since my husband usually doesn't do gifts. Back rubs are kind of his thing on my special days and I have never found reason to complain about that..I love them! But this Christmas he just wasn't sticking to the usual arrangement and he told me very matter of fact-ly that there was nothing I could do about it. I was excited and a little bit puzzled at what it could be. I don't ask for much and certainly never anything too expensive. After he ordered it (at my sisters house, on her account and paid her by check...sneaky, eh?) I'd told him I needed the amount so that I could balance the checkbook. When he told me the amount, I almost died!  What in the world could he be getting me that costs so much??

Well you guessed it. It was a grain mill!!!!! But not just any grain mill- It was a Kitchenaid Mixer with a grain mill attachment. 

Oh.My.Gosh.

A Kitchenaid and a grain mill...I know, I know- It's a little bit more exciting than a back rub, I'll give him that credit, but already knows that. Actually, this is how the rest of our week played out:

Me: "Justin, you forgot to take out the trash again!!"
Justin: "Hun...I got you a grain mill!"

See? he's a pretty smart guy. It worked for like a week...and then I remembered that I had carried, delivered and nursed all 3 of his babies so clearly I win the "who did what for whom" game! Not that the mill gift isn't high up on the awesome list. It just takes second place to the miracle of birth.

Bet you didn't think you'd find that in a flour post...hah!

Getting back to the point here-
I couldn't believe that this wonderful man had not only gotten me this gift, but that he had remembered me commenting on a blog post over a year ago about grinding flour. I had NEVER said to him that I wanted a Kitchenaid...but man, did I ever!!

 

 Here are some pictures I snapped in action last evening as I was grinding my wheat berries.

 

 

My beautiful wheat.

My grain mill

 

My grain mill-in action

 

And my fresh wheat flour.

 

I would recommend anyone who already makes homemade bread to seriously look into a mill. The flour is really a lot cheaper for me to grind myself than to buy it packaged, so I figure eventually the cost will even out.(but that's just my way of making the cost "feel" better) Plus the health benefits are priceless.

 

 I had read a lot recently about the benefits of eating fresh flour and that even the healthiest grocery store flours need to have preservatives added as flour does go rancid. To read more about that and wheat in general, read this: http://thewholetruth.org/Health_Wheat_FAQ.asp

 

I buy my wheat berries at a local Mennonite store and keep them in a food grade bucket so I'm not having to run a few times a week to get more, However I don't buy so much that I can't use it within a short period of time. You'll have to see what works best for you.

 

Do any of you mill your own flour? What kind of grains do you use? I'm just learning myself so I'd be interested in hearing any combinations of grains that work well for you. I love learning from those who are experienced!!

 

Have a good day everyone and Happy Baking!!