Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Food. Show all posts
24 November 2012
Thanksgiving Desert Pictures
I forgot to take pictures on our T-day, which was Friday for us. So this is the next morning damage. Pie and Champagne.
26 January 2012
Sprouting Wheat for Flour
Many people with more eloquence and a lot better pictures have touched on this topic before. But here's my take on it. We started grinding our own flour, because grain stores longer than flour, plus it makes better bread. Having done some research on sprouting it's generally accepted that sprouting the wheat berries makes it more digestible. It unlocks more nutrients and is assimilated better into our bodies.
First off I start with white wheat berries, I intend to try spelt, and emmer in the future. I don't measure exact amounts when sprouting I just roughly fill each 1/2 gallon mason jar to the 2 pints line. Then I fill each jar to rinse off the grain a few times. I use the handy green sprouting lid so I don't lose any grain when dumping out the water. I've also used cheesecloth and a rubber band, whatever works right? After the grain is rinsed, fill the jar with water and let it sit overnight 8+ hours. I usually go in the neighborhood of 12-15 hours soaking, it depends on when I fill the jar and when I remember to dump it out, it's a pretty forgiving process. The grain should've swelled to almost filling the jar, which is why I leave so much room at the top!
The next morning dump out the water and begin sprouting. It's exactly the same as all other sprouting at this point, rinse grain and keep it moist by rinsing twice a day am/pm. Until it sprouts tiny tails like above right.
Now comes the drying part. I layer the grain into 2 electric dehydrators using the fruit leather trays so the grain doesn't just fall through. Then I plug in and dry it all day. One of my dehydrators is faster so I just monitor it. You could also build one of these to avoid the electricity, which I do intend to build now... a pellet stove dehydrator. The grain should feel just as it did before sprouting, meaning it can't be crushed by a fingernail and it looks similar to this.
To grind it I use either my country living grain mill or my vitamix dry blender. I know the country living grain mill can grind it to the powdered flour consistency I'd need for bread, but it's really difficult. But grinding it to a "cornmeal" feel is rather easy (and a good arm work out). To get it the rest of the way I'll use the vitamix. But for this demo I use the blender the whole way because picture taking is just easier that way.
Before I grind I put the grain in the freezer, this keeps it from over heating during milling and having the oils go rancid. The risk is low for only grinding for a short time. In the blender it takes just over 1 minute to grind 2 cups of grain into flour. But I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Here's some links for more sprouting info. GNOWFGLINS and sprouted bread wiki style.
Now go make some bread! Any leftover flour I freeze, because flour with the bran inside it, like this has, will go bad much faster. Plus it's not "fortified" with anything to keep it's shelf life. So leftover flour --> freezer!
First off I start with white wheat berries, I intend to try spelt, and emmer in the future. I don't measure exact amounts when sprouting I just roughly fill each 1/2 gallon mason jar to the 2 pints line. Then I fill each jar to rinse off the grain a few times. I use the handy green sprouting lid so I don't lose any grain when dumping out the water. I've also used cheesecloth and a rubber band, whatever works right? After the grain is rinsed, fill the jar with water and let it sit overnight 8+ hours. I usually go in the neighborhood of 12-15 hours soaking, it depends on when I fill the jar and when I remember to dump it out, it's a pretty forgiving process. The grain should've swelled to almost filling the jar, which is why I leave so much room at the top!
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The next morning dump out the water and begin sprouting. It's exactly the same as all other sprouting at this point, rinse grain and keep it moist by rinsing twice a day am/pm. Until it sprouts tiny tails like above right.
Now comes the drying part. I layer the grain into 2 electric dehydrators using the fruit leather trays so the grain doesn't just fall through. Then I plug in and dry it all day. One of my dehydrators is faster so I just monitor it. You could also build one of these to avoid the electricity, which I do intend to build now... a pellet stove dehydrator. The grain should feel just as it did before sprouting, meaning it can't be crushed by a fingernail and it looks similar to this.
Before I grind I put the grain in the freezer, this keeps it from over heating during milling and having the oils go rancid. The risk is low for only grinding for a short time. In the blender it takes just over 1 minute to grind 2 cups of grain into flour. But I'd rather be safe than sorry.
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Here's some links for more sprouting info. GNOWFGLINS and sprouted bread wiki style.
Now go make some bread! Any leftover flour I freeze, because flour with the bran inside it, like this has, will go bad much faster. Plus it's not "fortified" with anything to keep it's shelf life. So leftover flour --> freezer!
05 January 2012
13 September 2011
Onion Harvest
About half our onions tops started to flop over, a sure sign they are ready to come up. I knocked the rest over so the whole bed looked rather like one big onion blanket. I had turned the water off to each onion garden bed so they would be dry and the dirt would fall off easily, mud on onions is difficult. But then like mother nature is wont to do... it rained, totally unexpected and overnight. Oh well, so we had to get the onions up now or the bottom ones covered by all the onion tops would rot. So away we went pitchforking and lifting the beauties out. I planted two full onion beds with the onions from Mr. H THANK YOU!!
Since the rain had ruined all my drying work, we had to set the beauties in the sun to cure for the day and get all the mud (which wasn't too much) off.
We lined them up along the garden fence, over the arbor, on the rim of 3 compost bins and 2 halved 55 gallon drums, plus one giant wheel barrow. About 1/4 to 1/2 will go into salsa making (provided we get any red tomatoes this year) and the rest of the onions will be for storage, or onion powder. I even gave about 1/4 of the flat of onion starts away to neighbor Kara and my Mom. Needless to say I HAVE ONIONS!!! YAHOO!!!
I waited a week or so to finish this post because I wanted to count how many onions we harvested, the total: 428 or roughly 140 lb. of onions. I braided about 1/4 of them and then trimmed the tops for the rest to be stored in burlap bags. It feels good to have put away that many. I have started making onion powder, I can only stand to do a little at a time because I cry so horribly when that many onions are cut up.
Since the rain had ruined all my drying work, we had to set the beauties in the sun to cure for the day and get all the mud (which wasn't too much) off.
We lined them up along the garden fence, over the arbor, on the rim of 3 compost bins and 2 halved 55 gallon drums, plus one giant wheel barrow. About 1/4 to 1/2 will go into salsa making (provided we get any red tomatoes this year) and the rest of the onions will be for storage, or onion powder. I even gave about 1/4 of the flat of onion starts away to neighbor Kara and my Mom. Needless to say I HAVE ONIONS!!! YAHOO!!!
I waited a week or so to finish this post because I wanted to count how many onions we harvested, the total: 428 or roughly 140 lb. of onions. I braided about 1/4 of them and then trimmed the tops for the rest to be stored in burlap bags. It feels good to have put away that many. I have started making onion powder, I can only stand to do a little at a time because I cry so horribly when that many onions are cut up.
08 August 2011
Wild Food exploits
I love hunting for wild foods, I'm really new at it but I find it a ton of fun. Jake and I scouted out elderberry bushes and huckleberries this weekend. We didn't find any huckleberries, they are elusive and well guarded. As far as elderberries go, I was unsure if the shrub/tree down the block was one, but after our friends pointed them out when we were in Idaho I am convinced this and several across the street are elderberries.
This weekend we had a fair bit of thimbleberries and a few dewberries. Those are always good, but we can never harvest enough to put up. Maybe if we lived in an area they grew and could go harvest every few days, but they don't grow within 45 minutes of us, so it's a no go on the daily collecting.
The wild cherry tree across the field was torn down about 4 days before the berries were ripe enough to pick. Thank you construction project. Neighbor Kara and I were really sad, we cleaned that tree out last year.
I was able to get Saint Johns Wort while still in flower, I didn't get enough to dry for tea but I made a half gallon of SJW infused oil and a quart of SJW tincture. I did miss the nettles this year, but I am determined to get some next year!
I still need to find a mycophile. I've never tried exotic mushrooms (even store bought ones) so I'm not sure what ones I might like. My mushroom knowledge extends from white, crimini, to portobello, I'm real versed (insert sarcasm here.)
Garden pictures to come soon, I need to go outside with the camera.
This weekend we had a fair bit of thimbleberries and a few dewberries. Those are always good, but we can never harvest enough to put up. Maybe if we lived in an area they grew and could go harvest every few days, but they don't grow within 45 minutes of us, so it's a no go on the daily collecting.
The wild cherry tree across the field was torn down about 4 days before the berries were ripe enough to pick. Thank you construction project. Neighbor Kara and I were really sad, we cleaned that tree out last year.
I was able to get Saint Johns Wort while still in flower, I didn't get enough to dry for tea but I made a half gallon of SJW infused oil and a quart of SJW tincture. I did miss the nettles this year, but I am determined to get some next year!
I still need to find a mycophile. I've never tried exotic mushrooms (even store bought ones) so I'm not sure what ones I might like. My mushroom knowledge extends from white, crimini, to portobello, I'm real versed (insert sarcasm here.)
Garden pictures to come soon, I need to go outside with the camera.
15 July 2011
26 June 2011
Chive Blossom Vinegar
I love blogs, seriously awesome information can be found on blogs! I found a recipe for chive blossom vinegar. It goes like this: acquire vinegar (I used white wine) and fight some bees for chive blossoms. I don't mind saying I stole some from the side of a neighbors yard... come on they were infested with weeds and grass and looked like crap! I got some chive blossoms willingly from Neighbor Kara and Mom.
Next, wash chive blossoms and then get them as dry as possible (excess water will cloud the vinegar). They can be run through a salad spinner, I windmilled mine in a towel and then left them outside to dry out for about an hour.
Now stuff them in a jar and cover with acquired vinegar. I placed a plastic lid and a cup on top of the chives so they would stay under the vinegar. This jar didn't have a lid so I made a make shift one with a plastic top a cloth towel and rubber band.
In about two weeks or when you like the smell and taste of the vinegar ( I suppose you could go up to 4 weeks) strain the blossoms out through a fine mesh to get every last scrap.
The vinegar will be a vibrant pink/red color and smell of garlicky chives! I've used it on salads this spring with awesome dressing results.
Next, wash chive blossoms and then get them as dry as possible (excess water will cloud the vinegar). They can be run through a salad spinner, I windmilled mine in a towel and then left them outside to dry out for about an hour.
Now stuff them in a jar and cover with acquired vinegar. I placed a plastic lid and a cup on top of the chives so they would stay under the vinegar. This jar didn't have a lid so I made a make shift one with a plastic top a cloth towel and rubber band.
In about two weeks or when you like the smell and taste of the vinegar ( I suppose you could go up to 4 weeks) strain the blossoms out through a fine mesh to get every last scrap.
The vinegar will be a vibrant pink/red color and smell of garlicky chives! I've used it on salads this spring with awesome dressing results.
12 June 2011
Making Lard
I promise I'll do a bee update but with tons of pictures and videos it's a long story. However the girls are safely transported and enjoying their new digs.
Mom and I ordered a half-a-hog from Rocky Ridge Ranch. In a quest to use more of the hog than most people I asked for all the organ meat and all the fat to process into lard. I know Lard, right? Ewww! Ok, but as fat's go it is the most like our own and so easily processed by our bodies. I have been thinking about trying to get the least processed and most gas efficient fats as possible. Turning fat into lard is really easy it turns out.
I got two of these bags of fat weighing roughly 4.5 lb.
I cubed it and put the fat into a stock pot along with 1/2 c. of water. The water will evaporate and helps the fat not burn and stick to the bottom of the pot.
Left side hasn't been heated yet, the right side is about 15 minutes into melting.
Close up uncooked.
Close up 25 minutes into cooking. See how it just melts.
Almost done. The floaties are called crackles you can eat them, they are like crunchy skin and fat. At this stage they make a crackling sound, hence the name. A word of warning, don't leave the pot because it needs to be stirred frequently. I thought they tasted similar to bacon but they are really greasy (go figure). I think they might be better with some salt? But I am not desperate for fats so maybe I'll give them to the dog....
I don't have a picture of the straining process since I was by myself, but I lined a wire mesh strainer with several layers of cheese cloth and poured the whole pot through it. Then ended up with jars that looked like this.
I did have a fiasco with one jar breaking and spilling hot melted lard all over the counter and the floor, after much cursing I got it cleaned up. Ugh!
After about 4-5 hours of cooling it looks like this.
One of the pots I under cooked so the the crackles were a very light brown. The other I cooked until the crackles were a golden brown. The two different pots yielded different smelling lard. The undercooked crackles smells cleaner less like bacon and just like fat or butter. The other smells of bacon or meat maybe, in any case it has a smell. The bacon one I'll use for cooking everyday things, the clean smelling one I'll use in pie's and such (not that I make many pies, but still).
From the one bag of 4.5 lbs of fat I got roughly 3.5 pints of lard. I left expansion space because I wasn't sure if it needed it ( better to be safe than sorry) then I stuck them in the freezer. It should keep for a year+ in there.
I also intend to use the lard for soap making if I can get access to more of it.
Mom and I ordered a half-a-hog from Rocky Ridge Ranch. In a quest to use more of the hog than most people I asked for all the organ meat and all the fat to process into lard. I know Lard, right? Ewww! Ok, but as fat's go it is the most like our own and so easily processed by our bodies. I have been thinking about trying to get the least processed and most gas efficient fats as possible. Turning fat into lard is really easy it turns out.
I got two of these bags of fat weighing roughly 4.5 lb.
I cubed it and put the fat into a stock pot along with 1/2 c. of water. The water will evaporate and helps the fat not burn and stick to the bottom of the pot.
Left side hasn't been heated yet, the right side is about 15 minutes into melting.
Close up uncooked.
Close up 25 minutes into cooking. See how it just melts.
Almost done. The floaties are called crackles you can eat them, they are like crunchy skin and fat. At this stage they make a crackling sound, hence the name. A word of warning, don't leave the pot because it needs to be stirred frequently. I thought they tasted similar to bacon but they are really greasy (go figure). I think they might be better with some salt? But I am not desperate for fats so maybe I'll give them to the dog....
I don't have a picture of the straining process since I was by myself, but I lined a wire mesh strainer with several layers of cheese cloth and poured the whole pot through it. Then ended up with jars that looked like this.
I did have a fiasco with one jar breaking and spilling hot melted lard all over the counter and the floor, after much cursing I got it cleaned up. Ugh!
After about 4-5 hours of cooling it looks like this.
One of the pots I under cooked so the the crackles were a very light brown. The other I cooked until the crackles were a golden brown. The two different pots yielded different smelling lard. The undercooked crackles smells cleaner less like bacon and just like fat or butter. The other smells of bacon or meat maybe, in any case it has a smell. The bacon one I'll use for cooking everyday things, the clean smelling one I'll use in pie's and such (not that I make many pies, but still).
From the one bag of 4.5 lbs of fat I got roughly 3.5 pints of lard. I left expansion space because I wasn't sure if it needed it ( better to be safe than sorry) then I stuck them in the freezer. It should keep for a year+ in there.
I also intend to use the lard for soap making if I can get access to more of it.
26 May 2011
Black Morel?
My Mom called me yesterday and said "I think I have a morel growing in my yard." This morning I went over and picked said mushroom, I would have to agree with her. It is, I think past good eating age since it's rather rubbery and has obviously been out of the ground for a while.
I've never been morel hunting or eaten them for that matter... since I don't know what I am looking for or really where to look at all. I digress, having done some research on morel's and false morel's I am pretty sure that this is a black morel... (all the pictures get bigger if you'd like a closer look)
The inside is hollow and the mushroom is all one piece (meaning cap and stem are one unit). I am pretty sure that the only morel look alike is the false morel, but that should be squat and not hollow. This mushroom stands about 5" tall but I realize morel size is subjective. So any shroomies out there? And if it is a morel.... seriously? It's all by itself in the bark next too my mother's house in the middle of the city.
What a weird spring.
I've never been morel hunting or eaten them for that matter... since I don't know what I am looking for or really where to look at all. I digress, having done some research on morel's and false morel's I am pretty sure that this is a black morel... (all the pictures get bigger if you'd like a closer look)
The inside is hollow and the mushroom is all one piece (meaning cap and stem are one unit). I am pretty sure that the only morel look alike is the false morel, but that should be squat and not hollow. This mushroom stands about 5" tall but I realize morel size is subjective. So any shroomies out there? And if it is a morel.... seriously? It's all by itself in the bark next too my mother's house in the middle of the city.
What a weird spring.
07 May 2011
Tartine Bread
I saw this book at the library and picked it up, so far it seems pretty awesome but I haven't tried baking any of the bread recipes yet. But I did find a video that is rather mouth watering.
For the LOVE of bread....
For the LOVE of bread....
24 April 2011
Rabbit Food
Carrots (both tops and root... I can get the tops from Huckleberries in large bags)
Clover/grass
Raspberry shoots
Apple branches
Willow
Poplar
Dried bean vines from last year
Sunflower sprouts (when I'm not eating them myself)
Wheat grass
Lemon Balm (it comes up so early like a champ!)
On top of all this is their grain ration. I made this recipe from many sources but the bulk of it came from my rabbit book Storey's Guide To Raising Rabbits. Here's the recipe I've settled on, it makes about 1+ month worth of feed, although that's changing now that I have a nursing momma and soon babies that will be eating this too.
17 c. Oats
8 c. Wheat
8 c. Barley
4 c. Black Oil Sunflower Seeds
4. c alfalfa pellets ( only nursing and expectant mothers get this stuff )
Everything is organic except for the sunflower seeds. But I don't fuss over that too much. Right now I have added an alfalfa pellet ( just alfalfa nothing else ) to the mixture to make sure that Big Momma is getting adequate protein. She is expending so much energy producing milk for 8 babies that I don't want her loosing a ton of weight and getting weak. The alfalfa pellet is the most processed thing these bunz eat. I'd say that's pretty good considering most bunz only see pellets and nothing else. In winter I add 1T. of molasses and 1T water (for dilution) to the above mixture of grains for extra minerals. If I don't have any nursing mothers, all the bunz get 1/3 c. twice a day of the grain mixture. Right now Big Momma gets all the grain she can eat.
They also get free choice hay which I get in the 50lb. bales. The hay comes in two types, alfalfa and alfalfa grass mix sometimes called orchard mix. I am not sure if the hay is organic since I had to purchase it from the feed store because I got the bunz in December. This year I will buy directly from the farmer and I'll ask those questions. Hay is harvested in the fall so that's when I will get it, should be cheaper too since it will be "in season."
Transferring the bunz to this diet was a long and slow process. They were all raised on pellets, so I purchased one bag and made the switch gradually. I had to use a bit extra in the molasses department in order to make the switch official (bunz have a sweet tooth), coercion works every time! Now they don't have any problem with the new feed. The gal I bought the bunz from insisted that I would kill them if they ate anything other than pellets. I just kept asking the question... "Then how did humans do it before pellets were invented?" Regardless, I did not kill the bunz since they've been going strong on this diet since mid January.
Another very important ingredient in the bunz diet is mineral salt. Which is used for minerals they don't get through the grains. I use the small red wheels that any pet store sells, but in the future I'll get a mineral salt lick (like for goats) and chunk it into smaller cubes then place in a small container for them. The mineral wheels I use now hang on the side of the cage but they are way to expensive and I'm all for cost saving endeavors.
I am sure that feeding this way is more expensive, I have yet to do a cost analysis because I haven't gone through a bag of each grain yet. I am just not sure how long one 45lb. bag of grain lasts. I will figure it out though and report back. Though with each bun only eating 2/3 c. of feed per day.... it's gonna be a while before I have any figures to report.
17 March 2011
How I sprout sunflower seeds part 2 (and wheatgrass too)
I think it's appropriate that I discuss green things today. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
Here's the growth continued from the previous post.
I should have uncovered them a day before I did, see they are kinda leggy and looking for sunlight. It really doesn't matter much.
This is day: 7
Picture taken on Monday the 14th. I flipped the lid and kept the sprouts in the dark for an additional day or two. Not really necessary, but I'm just experimenting.
Here they are pretty much ready to eat or harvest, the hulls come off easily with a light tug. To harvest I cut the whole sprout off at root level.
This is day number: 10 Picture taken today Thursday the 17th.
Here's the breakdown of days: Sunday the 6th washing and soaking them over night, sprouting from Monday the 7th through Wednesday the 9th. (previous post) Then the sprouts are covered and grow out from the 9th-13th. Uncover and let there be light from the 13th to today the 17th.
10 days total. These will continue to grow and green up. I can keep them in the tray for about 1 more week before they either start to mold or the sprouts start growing the second set of 'true' leafs. After that point they get tougher and the nutritional level goes down.
For wheatgrass I follow the steps for soaking, and sprouting but they sprout FAST!! I soaked them on the 9th and began sprouting on the 10th. This is the wheatgrass in it's tray right after I planted it on the 12th. It keeps on par with the sunflowers while sprouting but once it hits soil it grows like a weed. It should be called wheat weed!
This picture was taken today Thursday the 17th, only 8 days total. It can be harvested now, but I wait another 2-3 days until just before the second blade of grass starts to grow from the root, which is it's optimum nutrition.
Here's some video links to where I got most of my information.
Secrets of Longevity has a 3 part video on growing sunflowers, peas, buckwheat, and wheatgrass for microgreens. Here is part one of his series.
This is SproutPeople's video on growing wheatgrass, there channel has TONS of sprouting info. They do plug their stuff but hey I would too. For sprouting I use sprout peoples "easy sprout" they show it in the video, it's a cool plastic contraption that makes rinsing sprouts easier.
Jacob and I juice the wheatgrass and eat the sunflower greens. I am going to try my hand at pea sprouts next, should be tons of fun. Oh when I am done with a tray, I give it to the chickens, they eat any seeds left and tear the tiny greens apart. This way nothing goes to waste, after I muck out the chicken run it'll all get composted anyway.
Here's the growth continued from the previous post.
I should have uncovered them a day before I did, see they are kinda leggy and looking for sunlight. It really doesn't matter much.
This is day: 7
Picture taken on Monday the 14th. I flipped the lid and kept the sprouts in the dark for an additional day or two. Not really necessary, but I'm just experimenting.
Here they are pretty much ready to eat or harvest, the hulls come off easily with a light tug. To harvest I cut the whole sprout off at root level.
This is day number: 10 Picture taken today Thursday the 17th.
Here's the breakdown of days: Sunday the 6th washing and soaking them over night, sprouting from Monday the 7th through Wednesday the 9th. (previous post) Then the sprouts are covered and grow out from the 9th-13th. Uncover and let there be light from the 13th to today the 17th.
10 days total. These will continue to grow and green up. I can keep them in the tray for about 1 more week before they either start to mold or the sprouts start growing the second set of 'true' leafs. After that point they get tougher and the nutritional level goes down.
For wheatgrass I follow the steps for soaking, and sprouting but they sprout FAST!! I soaked them on the 9th and began sprouting on the 10th. This is the wheatgrass in it's tray right after I planted it on the 12th. It keeps on par with the sunflowers while sprouting but once it hits soil it grows like a weed. It should be called wheat weed!
This picture was taken today Thursday the 17th, only 8 days total. It can be harvested now, but I wait another 2-3 days until just before the second blade of grass starts to grow from the root, which is it's optimum nutrition.
Here's some video links to where I got most of my information.
Secrets of Longevity has a 3 part video on growing sunflowers, peas, buckwheat, and wheatgrass for microgreens. Here is part one of his series.
This is SproutPeople's video on growing wheatgrass, there channel has TONS of sprouting info. They do plug their stuff but hey I would too. For sprouting I use sprout peoples "easy sprout" they show it in the video, it's a cool plastic contraption that makes rinsing sprouts easier.
Jacob and I juice the wheatgrass and eat the sunflower greens. I am going to try my hand at pea sprouts next, should be tons of fun. Oh when I am done with a tray, I give it to the chickens, they eat any seeds left and tear the tiny greens apart. This way nothing goes to waste, after I muck out the chicken run it'll all get composted anyway.
09 March 2011
How I sprout sunflower seeds part 1
When I sprout sunflowers I use the "black oil" sunflowers that come in bulk at the feed store. I could probably find a more organic resource but since I am not eating the shell or the seed I figure these will be OK. I did use some of the sunflowers that I saved mixed in with the black oil and I couldn't tell the difference, so I assume any sunflower will do.
For one big growing tray (the plastic kind you find near most seed starting racks) I used just shy of 1 cup of seeds. I am still playing with that measurement, I think next time I'll try a heaping 1 cup. The tray I just did seemed a little light on the sprouts. Anyway, rinse the seeds off and soak them over night. After that it's the traditional sprouting technique, of rinsing the seeds so they stay moist (about 2-3 times a day), until they look like this: (it takes about 2-3 days to sprout)
Here they are close up after I put them on top of the soil in the tray.
Then I get a tray ready with about one inch of soil mix, and evenly spread out the sunflower seeds. I have heard they grow better or at least have stronger roots if you simulate the weight of the dirt they'd normally be pushing up through. Since I don't cover my seeds with soil, I add an extra tray or two and maybe a book just to add weight. Water them well, make sure they stay moist and leave them until they start to push the weighted tray off them (seeds are strong!)
Here's the sunflower seed tray before I put the covers on. They've been watered and are ready to go.
After. (Just so ya'll get what I'm talking about)
Now just make sure they stay moist. I keep them in the dark until they are around 1-2 inches tall. Then I put them under the grow lights. I'll do a part two and take more pictures as they grow.
For one big growing tray (the plastic kind you find near most seed starting racks) I used just shy of 1 cup of seeds. I am still playing with that measurement, I think next time I'll try a heaping 1 cup. The tray I just did seemed a little light on the sprouts. Anyway, rinse the seeds off and soak them over night. After that it's the traditional sprouting technique, of rinsing the seeds so they stay moist (about 2-3 times a day), until they look like this: (it takes about 2-3 days to sprout)
Here they are close up after I put them on top of the soil in the tray.
Then I get a tray ready with about one inch of soil mix, and evenly spread out the sunflower seeds. I have heard they grow better or at least have stronger roots if you simulate the weight of the dirt they'd normally be pushing up through. Since I don't cover my seeds with soil, I add an extra tray or two and maybe a book just to add weight. Water them well, make sure they stay moist and leave them until they start to push the weighted tray off them (seeds are strong!)
Here's the sunflower seed tray before I put the covers on. They've been watered and are ready to go.
After. (Just so ya'll get what I'm talking about)
Now just make sure they stay moist. I keep them in the dark until they are around 1-2 inches tall. Then I put them under the grow lights. I'll do a part two and take more pictures as they grow.
Sprouting
I've started trying to grow micro-greens. In the winter time we get virtually no green things because we don't have a winter growing set up for outside. That being one of the many things I intend to do late fall of 2011, but that's a long way off. In the mean time we've been looking into sprouting greens. This tray of sunflowers is over crowded, I started too many sprouts... oops.
I have 2 trays of sunflowers and wheat grass in varying stages of growth. The sunflower for things like salads and the wheat grass for juicing. We don't have a juicer but intend to use our new blender (whenever it arrives) to get the juice!
Our sunflower sprout salad, with feta cheese, roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Topped with homemade vinaigrette. When I first started this Jake had is doubts... "this is going to taste yucky..." but it turns out we both really like it. I like the texture so much more than lettuce!
In other sprouting news the baby onion starts are up, I put them all in one giant tray this year with the intention of transplanting them. I put the onions outside last year and they were no bigger than a red stir straw. Maybe I should have started them earlier and also transplanted them? I have to do some major research into the best way to proceed. Last year they did ok but I'd like some bigger onions so I'll have to think on that some more.
I don't have to much else started, as much as I want to! I started the tomatoes a bit early and had GIANT tomato plants to haul in and out while hardening off.
I have 2 trays of sunflowers and wheat grass in varying stages of growth. The sunflower for things like salads and the wheat grass for juicing. We don't have a juicer but intend to use our new blender (whenever it arrives) to get the juice!
Our sunflower sprout salad, with feta cheese, roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Topped with homemade vinaigrette. When I first started this Jake had is doubts... "this is going to taste yucky..." but it turns out we both really like it. I like the texture so much more than lettuce!
In other sprouting news the baby onion starts are up, I put them all in one giant tray this year with the intention of transplanting them. I put the onions outside last year and they were no bigger than a red stir straw. Maybe I should have started them earlier and also transplanted them? I have to do some major research into the best way to proceed. Last year they did ok but I'd like some bigger onions so I'll have to think on that some more.
I don't have to much else started, as much as I want to! I started the tomatoes a bit early and had GIANT tomato plants to haul in and out while hardening off.
07 December 2010
Turkey Day Recipes
I wanted to get some of these documented so next year I didn't loose them to bookmark oblivion. Some of them are family recipes and the measurements are all fudged. I've been working on this post for a few days now, mostly because I'm lazy.... Here we go!
Pumpkin Pie
1.5 c. pumpkin pure`
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbl. AP flour
pinch salt
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. milk
oven: 450* then 350*
Mix Dry's, Mix wets. Add dry's to wet's mix until smooth. Add mixture to pie crust, bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350* bake additional 40-45 minutes until a knife in center comes clean.
Whipped Cream
1 c. heavy cream
3 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Beat cream for 30 seconds then add sugar & vanilla. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Turkey Brine
2 1/4 c. salt
1 c. sugar
1 Tbl. molasses
8 c. water
5+ garlic cloves, crushed or 3-4 Tbl. garlic granules
3 bay leaves
3 Tbl. poultry seasoning
1 Tbl. peppercorns
2 Tbl. sage
pinch of rosemary leaves
pinch of celery leaves
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let cool. Place turkey in a large but tight fitting pot, cover with brine. Add water to cover entire turkey. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours before turkey day.
Brine removal tips:
On t-day, remove turkey from brine rinse thoroughly. Dump brine container and fill with cool water. Place the turkey in the cool water for 15 minutes to purge excess salt. Then continue to cook in what ever method. I roasted 325* oven for around 3 hours.
Stuffing or Dressing
2 loaves of bread torn to pieces and dried
2-3 c. celery
2-3 c. onion
1 c. butter
1+ quart of stock (vegetable, turkey etc..)
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning
sage
Mix butter, seasonings, celery and onion. Pour mixture over dried bread crumbs and mix in. Add stock as needed to soften the bread. Cook 320* oven for 2 hours stirring every 30 minutes and adding stock and seasonings as needed).
Pumpkin Pie
1.5 c. pumpkin pure`
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbl. AP flour
pinch salt
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 eggs
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. milk
oven: 450* then 350*
Mix Dry's, Mix wets. Add dry's to wet's mix until smooth. Add mixture to pie crust, bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350* bake additional 40-45 minutes until a knife in center comes clean.
Whipped Cream
1 c. heavy cream
3 Tbl. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Beat cream for 30 seconds then add sugar & vanilla. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Turkey Brine
2 1/4 c. salt
1 c. sugar
1 Tbl. molasses
8 c. water
5+ garlic cloves, crushed or 3-4 Tbl. garlic granules
3 bay leaves
3 Tbl. poultry seasoning
1 Tbl. peppercorns
2 Tbl. sage
pinch of rosemary leaves
pinch of celery leaves
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let cool. Place turkey in a large but tight fitting pot, cover with brine. Add water to cover entire turkey. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours before turkey day.
Brine removal tips:
On t-day, remove turkey from brine rinse thoroughly. Dump brine container and fill with cool water. Place the turkey in the cool water for 15 minutes to purge excess salt. Then continue to cook in what ever method. I roasted 325* oven for around 3 hours.
Stuffing or Dressing
2 loaves of bread torn to pieces and dried
2-3 c. celery
2-3 c. onion
1 c. butter
1+ quart of stock (vegetable, turkey etc..)
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning
sage
Mix butter, seasonings, celery and onion. Pour mixture over dried bread crumbs and mix in. Add stock as needed to soften the bread. Cook 320* oven for 2 hours stirring every 30 minutes and adding stock and seasonings as needed).
29 November 2010
Thankful day
I have been working on evaluating the miles traveled for this meal and I've decided it's impossible. But I can get it down to the bulk items, some of the spices...yeah I'm not going there. So, here's the run down.
Turkey- Rocky Ridge Ranch- Reardan WA to Spokane WA 23.6 mi Spokane to Cheney 17.7 miles. The birds traveled a total of 41.3 miles
Milk- Spokane Family Farms 34 miles from Cheney WA
Cream- Straus Family Creamery 886 miles from Cheney
Bread (for stuffing) made by me from Montana Milling in Great Falls MT. 375 miles
Cranberries- organic from Northern Cali. Probably similar in miles of Straus Cramery so lets just say 886 miles. I need to find a cranberry bog like Mr. H!
Misc. Incalculable's
pepper
salt
poultry seasoning
butter-costco organic (I did't get a chance with this shoulder, to make my own)
Garden Goods (From our garden)
Squash
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Celery
Sage
Thyme
I could have reduced the miles traveled of the cream and the milk by getting it raw from our very local country market. And I probably would have if it weren't for the snow and the shoulder stuff. So next year we'll have about 900 miles less on our total. Wheat for bread I struggle with, no one local grows it organically so I am forced to purchase it regionally. I'd say minus the cranberries and cream we did pretty good. The bulk of the meal was kept under 50 miles! Still, room for improvement but a good job overall.
Turkey- Rocky Ridge Ranch- Reardan WA to Spokane WA 23.6 mi Spokane to Cheney 17.7 miles. The birds traveled a total of 41.3 miles
Milk- Spokane Family Farms 34 miles from Cheney WA
Cream- Straus Family Creamery 886 miles from Cheney
Bread (for stuffing) made by me from Montana Milling in Great Falls MT. 375 miles
Cranberries- organic from Northern Cali. Probably similar in miles of Straus Cramery so lets just say 886 miles. I need to find a cranberry bog like Mr. H!
Misc. Incalculable's
pepper
salt
poultry seasoning
butter-costco organic (I did't get a chance with this shoulder, to make my own)
Garden Goods (From our garden)
Squash
Potatoes
Onions
Garlic
Celery
Sage
Thyme
I could have reduced the miles traveled of the cream and the milk by getting it raw from our very local country market. And I probably would have if it weren't for the snow and the shoulder stuff. So next year we'll have about 900 miles less on our total. Wheat for bread I struggle with, no one local grows it organically so I am forced to purchase it regionally. I'd say minus the cranberries and cream we did pretty good. The bulk of the meal was kept under 50 miles! Still, room for improvement but a good job overall.
28 November 2010
Hot Chocolate
My "other mother" Mom-J suggested that I write a post on Hot Cocoa Mix's. She wanted to know if I had any recipe's for making my own mix. Their are a wealth of cocoa mix recipes on the internet and it is so easy to make it would probably make a great homemade gift idea. However I find cocoa mix's way to sweet! So I started making them old fashioned style, which takes about 10 times longer than a mix does. But I find that the best homemade things are worth a little time and effort. So here is my hot cocoa recipe and how I make it. As I said I like mine on the more cocoa less sugar side...
Measure your milk (what ever kind you like to use), these mugs are 12 oz. and just about 3/4 full. I leave room for cocoa, spirits, and marshmallows. I use the mugs I intend the finished product to go into, rather than any exact measurement. Heat the milk to around 140* if you don't have a thermometer that's fine, the finger test works good too, should be around the "pretty warm but still touchable stage." Next we add the cocoa powder. For a 12 oz. cup I use 1.5 Tablespoons of cocoa powder per cup. So since I am making two cups I used 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. But I add them one at a time, and I use my little sifter to break up any cocoa clumps. It adds an extra dish and an extra step but it's SO worth it. It prevents the cocoa from clumping up in the milk and making a horrid mess!!
I stop and stir in the cocoa after every tablespoon I add the milk, which will also prevent excessive cocoa clumps. Once the milk and cocoa are thoroughly mixed I add the sugar and spirits. In this case I added 1 Tablespoon of sugar and 1.5 teaspoons (ish*) of Kahlua.
Peppermint Schnapps is another fine addition. Or the spirits can be left out entirely, however I would add a teaspoon or so more sugar if you leave it out.
I always add the marshmallows to the bottom of the cup and pour the cocoa over the top. This melts the mallows and adds some additional sweetness to the slightly bitter hot cocoa.
Once the all the ingredients are added I raise the temperature of the milk to around 160*-170* which is the standard "latte" temperature at most coffee shops. This way the hot cocoa isn't at a gulping temp and will last longer and melt the mallows. But if it's for kids the 140* temp is usually pretty good.
Pour hot cocoa into mugs, sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy.
Hot Cocoa Recipe
2 3/4 full 12 oz. mugs of milk
3 Tbl. Dark Chocolate Powder
1-2 Tbl. Sugar
1.5 tsp. Kahlua or other spirits
handfull of marshmallows per mug
Measure your milk (what ever kind you like to use), these mugs are 12 oz. and just about 3/4 full. I leave room for cocoa, spirits, and marshmallows. I use the mugs I intend the finished product to go into, rather than any exact measurement. Heat the milk to around 140* if you don't have a thermometer that's fine, the finger test works good too, should be around the "pretty warm but still touchable stage." Next we add the cocoa powder. For a 12 oz. cup I use 1.5 Tablespoons of cocoa powder per cup. So since I am making two cups I used 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder. But I add them one at a time, and I use my little sifter to break up any cocoa clumps. It adds an extra dish and an extra step but it's SO worth it. It prevents the cocoa from clumping up in the milk and making a horrid mess!!
I stop and stir in the cocoa after every tablespoon I add the milk, which will also prevent excessive cocoa clumps. Once the milk and cocoa are thoroughly mixed I add the sugar and spirits. In this case I added 1 Tablespoon of sugar and 1.5 teaspoons (ish*) of Kahlua.
Peppermint Schnapps is another fine addition. Or the spirits can be left out entirely, however I would add a teaspoon or so more sugar if you leave it out.
I always add the marshmallows to the bottom of the cup and pour the cocoa over the top. This melts the mallows and adds some additional sweetness to the slightly bitter hot cocoa.
Once the all the ingredients are added I raise the temperature of the milk to around 160*-170* which is the standard "latte" temperature at most coffee shops. This way the hot cocoa isn't at a gulping temp and will last longer and melt the mallows. But if it's for kids the 140* temp is usually pretty good.
Pour hot cocoa into mugs, sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy.
Hot Cocoa Recipe
2 3/4 full 12 oz. mugs of milk
3 Tbl. Dark Chocolate Powder
1-2 Tbl. Sugar
1.5 tsp. Kahlua or other spirits
handfull of marshmallows per mug
01 November 2010
Canning List 2010
With the impending shoulder surgery just 2 days away I figured I should get this last bit of documentation up before I forget in my drug induced stupor to get shit done. I should go and count how many jars of each item I have for a truly accurate number but lets be honest here.... I'm lazy and just getting the list was a heroic effort for me. I've been really busy lately getting dinners cooked and frozen, and other such food staples ready and in the freezer. Jacob doesn't cook, with him working full time all the domestic tasks are my 'job' and I love it. The kitchen is my domain, saying goodnight to my knives on wednesday morning will be difficult for me. I don't give up control easily, I have issues, I know. But I should be able to dictate dinner from the sidelines even if it drives me crazy.
Here's the 2010 list of dried, canned, frozen glory!
Dried (not including herbs, culinary or otherwise)
Parsnips
Zucchini
Peaches
Cherries
Apples
Canned
I pretty much used Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, however most of the recipe's I tweaked to my own liking. If they aren't from Ball, then I've tried to include the link to other's pages. Here we go.....
Apple Pie Filling
Peach Apple Spice Jelly (left over from pie filling made into jelly)
Peach Apple Pie Filling
Cranberry Sauce
VanillaBean Maple Apple Butter
Apple Sauce
Peaches in light syrup
Cherries in light syrup
Summer Solstice preserves (screwed this one up, should be jelly like instead of jello... even the best canners get distracted.)
Gingered Zucchini preserves
Strawberry Jam
Raspberry Jam
Green Tomato Salsa ( tweaked, since recipe states not to can it)
Roasted Everything Salsa
"medium" Zesty Salsa
Ketchup
Peach BBQ Sauce
Hot, Sweat, Sour Sauce
Pickled Hot peppers
Tomato Sauce (unseasoned)
Tomato Juice
Diced Tomatoes
Green Beans
Carrots
Pickles
Balsamic Onions
Jerked Onions
Roasted Garlic Balsamic Jam = awesome!
Beans: Black, great northern, kidney, pinto, garbonzo ( or equivalent from our garden)
Chicken Stock
Frozen
Huckleberries
Strawberries
Rasberries (not many but next year they should produce wildly!)
pesto
Chickens (purchased from Halperns)
Turkeys (soon to be added from Rocky Ridge Ranch)
Celery
Onions
Bread for stuffing
Tortillas
Loaves of 'Plop' bread or otherwise known as no knead bread
Dinners galore from mac n' cheese to chicken tetrazzini
Scones and quick breads
Granola
Parsnips
Zucchini
Peaches
Cherries
Apples
Canned
I pretty much used Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, however most of the recipe's I tweaked to my own liking. If they aren't from Ball, then I've tried to include the link to other's pages. Here we go.....
Apple Pie Filling
Peach Apple Spice Jelly (left over from pie filling made into jelly)
Peach Apple Pie Filling
Cranberry Sauce
VanillaBean Maple Apple Butter
Apple Sauce
Peaches in light syrup
Cherries in light syrup
Summer Solstice preserves (screwed this one up, should be jelly like instead of jello... even the best canners get distracted.)
Gingered Zucchini preserves
Strawberry Jam
Raspberry Jam
Green Tomato Salsa ( tweaked, since recipe states not to can it)
Roasted Everything Salsa
"medium" Zesty Salsa
Ketchup
Peach BBQ Sauce
Hot, Sweat, Sour Sauce
Pickled Hot peppers
Tomato Sauce (unseasoned)
Tomato Juice
Diced Tomatoes
Green Beans
Carrots
Pickles
Balsamic Onions
Jerked Onions
Roasted Garlic Balsamic Jam = awesome!
Beans: Black, great northern, kidney, pinto, garbonzo ( or equivalent from our garden)
Chicken Stock
Frozen
Huckleberries
Strawberries
Rasberries (not many but next year they should produce wildly!)
pesto
Chickens (purchased from Halperns)
Turkeys (soon to be added from Rocky Ridge Ranch)
Celery
Onions
Bread for stuffing
Tortillas
Loaves of 'Plop' bread or otherwise known as no knead bread
Dinners galore from mac n' cheese to chicken tetrazzini
Scones and quick breads
Granola
09 October 2010
Chicken Experiment
Since we started eating meat again we've been extremely picky about where it comes from, who's raising it, and how. I touched more on our thoughts in the post On Meat Eating so I won't go into them here. Regardless we found a couple raising chickens that fit our criteria, for chicken the criteria is:
1. Local
2. Organic or better
3. Harvested Humanely
4. Not Cornish Cross
I will hand it to the Cornish Cross chicken and it's genetic engineers, they know how to make a bird PACK on the meat. These are the birds they show in the movie Food Inc. Birds that have so many health issues they are impossible to list, and for the most part if you eat chicken in the USA this is the bird you eat. It's the most cost effective, the 'CC' chicken can be harvested at 2 months of age, it takes normal chickens 4 months to come close to the same weight. But you also ingest all that animals health issues, um no thank you. So I decided to run an experiment. I purchased a chicken from Rocky Ridge Ranch that fit all the criteria accept that last one. Then Jake and I picked up our chickens from the Halpern's a local couple raising Delaware or RedStar's for meat. The difference's were obvious even before cooking.
The chicken on the left is a "real" chicken, what chickens are supposed to look like. Long legs that can support the body weight, proportional leg and breast meat. The chicken on the right is the Cornish Cross, short fat legs that can't walk far or at all, and giant breast meat. I affectionately refer to the CC chicken as the freak show chicken. We wanted to see if we could taste the difference in the meat. Being solid vegetarians for 3+ years and only eating "real" chicken not freak show chicken when ever we did eat meat. We wanted to know, can we taste a difference between them? So I decided to slow cook each one.
With a resounding YES we can taste the difference! The CC fell apart, that was sure nice but I am wondering if it's because through tampering with it's genetics it's joints and ligaments were weakened. Or is it just because this bird didn't walk much in it's life. In any case the meat has NO flavor of it's own, and if it weren't cooked in anything would be really yucky. But what was truly bad about this bird was the texture of the meat. Mushy, soft, and lacking any firmness at all. The 'real' chicken had a much richer taste like mushrooms. That might not make sense but, that's the closest taste I could come up with. I wonder if that's what people mean by "gamey" when referring to meat. Maybe we are all so used to the mush flavor of CC meat that if it's not breast meat it's gamey? I don't know. The real chicken didn't fall apart however, but retained much of it's consistency and was lovely to cut into. It didn't produce as much meat as the CC did, but I knew it wouldn't. Nothing can compare with mutant tampering.
It was a good experiment to run, eye opening for sure. For a much more through Cornish Cross vs. Heritage chicken experiment see Antiquity Oaks Chicken for dinner?: part one, part two, part three.
1. Local
2. Organic or better
3. Harvested Humanely
4. Not Cornish Cross
I will hand it to the Cornish Cross chicken and it's genetic engineers, they know how to make a bird PACK on the meat. These are the birds they show in the movie Food Inc. Birds that have so many health issues they are impossible to list, and for the most part if you eat chicken in the USA this is the bird you eat. It's the most cost effective, the 'CC' chicken can be harvested at 2 months of age, it takes normal chickens 4 months to come close to the same weight. But you also ingest all that animals health issues, um no thank you. So I decided to run an experiment. I purchased a chicken from Rocky Ridge Ranch that fit all the criteria accept that last one. Then Jake and I picked up our chickens from the Halpern's a local couple raising Delaware or RedStar's for meat. The difference's were obvious even before cooking.
The chicken on the left is a "real" chicken, what chickens are supposed to look like. Long legs that can support the body weight, proportional leg and breast meat. The chicken on the right is the Cornish Cross, short fat legs that can't walk far or at all, and giant breast meat. I affectionately refer to the CC chicken as the freak show chicken. We wanted to see if we could taste the difference in the meat. Being solid vegetarians for 3+ years and only eating "real" chicken not freak show chicken when ever we did eat meat. We wanted to know, can we taste a difference between them? So I decided to slow cook each one.
With a resounding YES we can taste the difference! The CC fell apart, that was sure nice but I am wondering if it's because through tampering with it's genetics it's joints and ligaments were weakened. Or is it just because this bird didn't walk much in it's life. In any case the meat has NO flavor of it's own, and if it weren't cooked in anything would be really yucky. But what was truly bad about this bird was the texture of the meat. Mushy, soft, and lacking any firmness at all. The 'real' chicken had a much richer taste like mushrooms. That might not make sense but, that's the closest taste I could come up with. I wonder if that's what people mean by "gamey" when referring to meat. Maybe we are all so used to the mush flavor of CC meat that if it's not breast meat it's gamey? I don't know. The real chicken didn't fall apart however, but retained much of it's consistency and was lovely to cut into. It didn't produce as much meat as the CC did, but I knew it wouldn't. Nothing can compare with mutant tampering.
It was a good experiment to run, eye opening for sure. For a much more through Cornish Cross vs. Heritage chicken experiment see Antiquity Oaks Chicken for dinner?: part one, part two, part three.
08 October 2010
Pepper flakes
Cayenne Pepper flakes from both green and red cayenne's dried then ran through the food processor to make flakes and seeds. I think this will last us for 2 years unless we gift some of it away....
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