Lemon Cream Pie

As I discovered when I asked for comments about favorite pies, a bunch of you readers love a good lemon pie.  So, as a gift to you, I'd like to share this recipe I found.  If you frequently get a hankerin' for a lemon pie, this recipe is definitely one to add to your box.  It comes from this month's Real Simple.  Click here for the link to the recipe (and much better pics of a much more put-together looking pie).

I think these are the ingredients that MAKE the pie! 

The crust is made of crushed gingersnaps.  And the filling uses real lemon zest and juice.

Everyone loved the pie.  Girl 1 said she could do without the lemon zest, but it didn't stop her from gobbling up her slice at dinner last night.  Then, this morning, my little lawyers were hard at work trying to convince me that a slice of lemon pie qualifies as fruit so that they could have it for their morning snack.  (I let it slide this time, since I was ready for another slice myself ;)

Okay, maybe I should work on my pie-serving skills.  Thankfully, it still tastes great.  And, seriously, to see much better pics and to get the recipe, check out the original recipe.

An Even Better Coffee Creamer

If you tried out the Honey Vanilla Creamer and liked it, you're gonna love this one! 

While it doesn't use goat milk, it does use half-and-half.  I bought a 2 cup carton (the smallest my supermarket carries) for a recipe last week that only called for 1 cup. 

I can't stand to waste food.  So, I thought I'd find a way to use that other cup of half-and-half before it goes foul in my refrigerator. 

And . . . Voila!    Another homemade coffee creamer!

Homemade Vanilla Creamer

1/8 c. packed brown sugar

1/8 c. honey

1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract (the real stuff, if possible)

1 c. half and half

Combine brown sugar, vanilla, and honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Stir occasionally until sugar is melted.  Don't let it get too hot or bubbly. 

Remove from burner and slowly whisk in the half-and-half. 

Store in a glass container in your fridge for a week or so.

Yum!

For the Love of Barbara . . .

If you haven't already picked up on this, I'm reading through an essay collection by Barbara Kingsolver right now in all my free time (read with sarcasm).  Anyway, I'm loving her, and I'm sure you do, too.  So, here's a good excerpt for today:

"Of all the ways we consume, food is a sensible one to attend to.  Eating is a genuine need, continuous from our first day to our last, amounting over time to our most significant statement of what we are made of and what we have chosen to make of our connection to home ground.  We can hardly choose not to eat, but we have to choose how and choices can have astounding consequences.  Consider this:  The average food item set before a U.S. consumer traveled 1,300 miles to get there.  If Mr. Average eats ten or so items a day (and most of us eat more), in a year's time his food will have conquered 5 million miles by land, sea, and air. Picture a truck loaded with apples and oranges and iceberg lettuce rumbling to the moon and back ten times a year, all just for you.  Multiply that by the number of Americans who like to eat -- picture that flotilla of 285 million trucks on their way to the moon -- and tell me you don't think it's time to revise this scenario."

What to Do with Rainbow Chard?

Confession time . . . Before growing it in my own garden, I'd never before tasted Rainbow Swiss Chard. 

In my defense, have you ever seen the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Catalog? 

When the girls get their allowance, it seems to burn holes in their pockets.  They virtually chuck it away at the first quarter machine that crosses their path.  So, we instituted a new rule.  They're only allowed to spend money on items they went into the store intending to purchase.  That has seemed to solve a lot of problems for us.  Want gum now that you're seeing it in the checkout line?  Have a look.  Decide which kind you want so that you can buy it next time we're here.  

I think I need to go by similar guidelines myself when it's time to shop the seed catalog.  Before I open the catalog and indulge myself in those glossy photos of heirloom fruit, I should make a list of the items I know I want to grow.  Then, and only then, should I open the catalog and make my selections, sticking to the list, of course.  

Since I didn't follow these guidelines, I have a lovely crop of Rainbow Chard and no idea what to do with it.  When leaves were young and tender, we used them in fresh salads.  I've tried a few recipes (like the previously posted soup) and a more recent Chard with Pinto Beans and Goat Cheese (pictured below) that was lackluster at best.  

I mean, it was beautiful in the catalog, in the garden, on the cutting board, in the casserole dish, on the plate.  But, other than the soup and salad, I'm just ill-equipped for getting this beautiful green to the table.  Suggestions? 

Healthified Italian Sausage Soup

We might tend to think of a soup like this as being more appropriate for a cold, winter day, but, if you are attempting to eat in season, this is actually the time to try out this recipe. 

We were able to use the Swiss chard, onions, and new potatoes from our garden for this recipe.    Even if you're not growing these items yourself, you can most likely snag them at your local farmers' market right now. 

Ingredients:

2 slices bacon (we use turkey bacon)

1/2 lb. lean Italian sausage

4-6 new potatoes (cut into 1/2" pieces)

1 large onion (or several smaller ones), chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

4 c. water

3.5 c. chicken broth

4 c. chopped fresh kale or Swiss chard leaves (thick stems removed)

1/2 lb. pinto beans (soaked overnight, then cooked all day in crockpot on low heat)

1 c. half-and-half

1. Cook bacon and brown sausage, then set aside.  Crumble bacon, once cool.

2.  In large pot, mix potatoes, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, water, and broth.  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat to low; cook uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Stir in bacon, sausage, greens, and beans.  Cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes and greens are tender. 

4.  Stir in half-and-half; cook until just heated.  Add additional salt to taste.

This was a delicious, spicy soup!  It made enough for us to freeze for a repeat meal later on.  We served it with some goat cheese and crackers and a big salad, but it was hearty enough that it really could've stood alone as the meal.  Enjoy!

Never Buy Yogurt Again!

This post has been a long time coming.  I tried 7 batches of yogurt before I was finally ready to post about it.  I'll be honest.  When I first read how easy it is to make yogurt at home, I was a little embarrassed that I've been buying it from the store all this time. 

All the info I've read about yogurt making touts how easy it is to do.  I apparently was blocking out the part where they say "unless you're using goat milk," which of course I am.  Apparently the different construction of the fat molecules in goat milk makes getting it to set up as yogurt much more challenging.  I've yet to succeed with goat milk.  I did eat a jar earlier this week, but it was so runny that I had to pour it over my granola.  Apparently, in Europe, they prefer a runny yogurt.  It's considered more gourmet.  Since I've grown up with my Dannon from a plastic cup, I prefer to be able to spoon my yogurt into the bowl, so I refuse to count this thickened milk as a success.

Still, I'm not giving up on making yogurt from our goat milk.  In an effort to rule out other variables, I made a batch this week with cow milk from the grocery store and had great success.  So, since I'm assuming that most of you drink cow milk, I thought I'd pass along this little blip of success on my journey toward goat milk yogurt in hopes that you may be able to take it and run with it for your own families.

Here's how you do it: 

1.  Heat 1/2 gallon of whole milk (cannot by Ultra Pasteurized -- click here to see why -- read the label.  If it comes in a jug and just says "pasteurized," you're good to go) to 180 degrees.  Stir pretty much constantly once you get to 140 degrees so that you can be sure not to scorch the milk. 

Adding a thickener is optional.  I found that the cow milk came out thick enough without it, though.  If you try it the first time and found it too thin for your liking, add 1/4 c. powdered milk next time.  Add it to the milk BEFORE heating it.

2. Once your milk has reached 180 degrees, plunge it into a sink full of ice-cold water.  Watch it closely as the temperature will drop quickly.  When it reaches 120 degrees, remove from water and act quickly with the next step.

3. Add your starter culture.  You can go one of two routes here.  The easiest thing is to add 2 Tbs. of yogurt to the milk.  Be sure that the yogurt you choose is plain and contains active cultures.  It should say on the package. 

This one says it on the back near the nutrition information.  I love this Greek yogurt, so I tried this one (in several of my attempts). You will only ever have to buy one little tub, though, since you can just reserve 2 Tbs. from a previous batch to reuse next time.

Your other starter option is to buy a powdered culture from a supplier.  I've had success with Dairy Connection's ABY-2C culture, which is similar to a Bulgarian yogurt and I'd read is a good one to use with goat milk.  Cultures for Health, which is where I order my cheesemaking supplies also has several yogurt options, including a Greek that looks yummy.  It only takes a smidgen of this culture per batch (yes, smidgen is a technical term.  I just learned this myself.  Apparently a smidgen is 1/32 of a tsp.)

Whichever culture route you go, you stir it in immediately once your milk temperature has dropped to 120.

 Then, pour it into mason jars and cap tightly. 

Submerge in a small cooler full of nearly boiling water (I just had some water heating in a big pot on the stove alongside my milk so that it would be ready for the cooler.)

The goal is to keep your yogurt at an approximate temperature of 116 degrees for 6-8 hours as it sets up.  I found that in the kitchen, the cooler did the job pretty well.  About 4 hours in, I heated a bit more water and threw it in, just to keep things warm.  If it's a hot, sunny day, you could just sit the cooler outside.

Another option would be to use a Yogatherm or something similar.  I'd read about good results with goat milk, so I forked over the $40 for this electricity-free option.  It basically just super-insulates the milk to better maintain the temperature.  It's available at either Dairy Connection or Cultures for Health (see links above).

At the end of the 6-8 hours, open it up to be sure it's thickening.  Then, refrigerate overnight. 

In the morning, enjoy a bowlful with some fresh berries and honey.  Or, at least, that's what I'd do.  :)

1/2 gallon of yogurt is a lot.  Luckily, it should keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks.

  Don't forget to save those 2 Tbs. for your next batch, and you'll never have to buy yogurt again!

Snap Peas and Asparagus Penne

Before I share this recipe, consider this great excerpt from Barbara Kingsolver:

"If we are blessed with an abundance of choices about food, we are surely also obliged to consider the responsibility implicit in our choices.  There has never been a more important time to think about where our food comes from.  We could make for ourselves a safer nation, overnight, simply by giving more support to our local food economies and learning ways of eating and living around a table that reflect the calendar.  Our families, of course, will never need to be as beholden to the seasons as the Native Americans who called February by the name "Hungry Month," and I'm grateful for that.  But we can try to live close enough to the land's ordinary time that we notice when something is out of place and special."

If you are making an effort to live "around a table that reflect[s] the calendar," consider putting this recipe on the table this week:  Sugar Snap Peas and Asparagus Penne.  In our area both snap peas and asparagus are in season, and we've got so many peas right now, we're struggling to eat them all.

Sometimes simple is just best.  This recipe is so easy, and it's simplicity lets the local, in-season flavors of the asparagus and snap peas really shine. 

Ingredients:
1 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. (or about 2.5 cups) of sugar snap peas, trimmed
8 oz. dry penne pasta
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 c. grated or shredded Parmesan (we used shredded -- it's what I had)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add asparagus and cook for 2 minutes.  Add peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions (I was able to boil my veggies in a big pot with a strainer inside so that all I had to do was lift out the strainer once veggies were done, and I had veggie-flavored, boiling water ready to use for the pasta.)  Drain pasta.

Place pasta in the bowl with asparagus and peas.  Toss with olive oil, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

Enjoy!

You could get really creative with this and kick up the flavor factor by adding some bacon, crushed red pepper flakes, cherry tomatoes, or maybe some sun-dried tomatoes.  Because tomatoes are not yet "in season" at our house and the kids won't eat anything too spicy, we just went basic, and it was great!

Honey Vanilla Coffee Creamer

Tomorrow, I will head to the grocery store with a list of about 50 items.  Not on the list = milk or eggs.  I love that!  I'd love to reach a point where I can eliminate ALL dairy items from the list. 

I recently discovered flavored coffee creamers.  Mmmmm!  So, as I've got enough goat milk in my fridge right now to fill the Duggers' breakfast glasses, I thought I'd try my hand at making some delicious creamer. 

Honey Vanilla Coffee Creamer

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. whole milk

¼ c. raw honey

2 tsp. vanilla

 

Whisk together cream, milk, and honey in medium saucepan over medium heat.  When the mixture begins to steam, remove from the heat.  Whisk in vanilla. 

Pour into a glass bottle and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.  It makes about 2 1/4 cups.

Stir into your favorite cup of Joe.   Yummy!

Beet Juice!

Our organic backyard beets are ready for juicing! 

This morning, John and I (no, not the kids) enjoyed a beet and apple combination that, according to Natural News, boasts these health benefits:

1. improves blood structure by building red blood cells

2.  improves circulation

3. cures diseases of the large intestine and digestive system

4. dissolves stones in the liver, kidneys, and bladder

5. lowers blood pressure

6. improves HDL levels (good cholesterol)

7. increases the number of CD8 cells in the colon, which are cancer-destroying cells

To borrow a line from the article:  "Not bad for a common item found in most grocery stores."

:)

Eat Local; Eat in Season

Yesterday, a County Extension agent held a meeting here in town to help us coordinate the upcoming Farmer's Market.  It will begin in June, run for at least 6 weeks, and be located right on Main Street.  Now, we are trying to get the word out and get local farmers to commit to being there once (or possible twice) a week for the duration of the 6-weeks.

In our small town, lots of people have backyard gardens and other small-scale farming operations.  Many growers produce far more than their families can consume yet have no good outlet for their extras.  This market will serve the farmer by allowing them a way to earn some cash while unloading surplus and will serve the community by providing us an opportunity to eat food produced locally and support our own local economy. 

In keeping with eating locally, did you notice the new gadget on the right sidebar of the blog?  It automatically updates to show you what foods are currently in season in Arkansas.  This can be helpful when meal planning and will help you know what to expect to find when you show up on Saturday  morning at the Farmer's Market.

Roasted Chickpeas

John and I are both munchers.  When we finally relax in the evening and decide to snack, we love that repetitive motion of bowl to mouth, but we don't always make the best decisions about what to snack on. 

I stumbled across this recipe for roasted chickpeas and decided to give it a try with some leftover chickpeas I had on hand from making hummus.  (For those who are confused, remember that chickpeas and garbanzo beans are the same thing.  The two names are used interchangeably, so be aware of that as you seek them out at the grocery store.)

The end result is a crunchy, spicy, good-for-you snack -- a great choice for those evening munchies!

You'll need the following:

1 can chickpeas (or the equivalent amount in slow cooked beans)

cooking spray (Check Pinterest for the DIY version of this, if you haven't already pinned it :)

1/2 heaping Tbs. cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

cayenne powder, to taste

Drain, rinse, and dry chickpeas (the drier you can get them, the faster they'll cook).  Cover a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spread chickpeas in a single layer. 

Spray the top of beans with cooking spray and sprinkle the seasonings over the beans.  Shake pan to evenly distribute seasonings.

Place pan on lowest rack of 350 degree oven.  Check every 15 minutes and shake the pan.  Cook until beans are browned and crispy.  Mine took 45 minutes.

Munch away!  Or store in an airtight container.  I found these are really best the first day.  After that, they get a bit stale.

1st Attempt at Goat Cheese!

As I've now got goat milk coming out my ears (figurately speaking, thank goodness, now that I've mastered a better aim at the milk pail ;), I thought it was time to try to make some cheese!

My amazing Home Cheese Making book has over 75 recipes, but I wanted to start easy with a soft cheese and also first try a cheese that is specifically made with goat milk. 

I decided to begin with Chevre (as this is a French word, it is intended to have a doo-hicky over the first "e" but I can't for the life of me figure out how to do that in Blogger.  Oh, well.  It is pronounced "Shev"). Chevre is French for "goat."  This spreadable cheese can be used many different ways, including as a substitute for cream cheese or ricotta in cooking.  It's really remarkably simple to make!  Even if you don't have a goat in your backyard, you, too, can make a cheese.  Even store-bought milk can be used to make most cheeses (so long as it's not ultra-pasteurized.  Click here to see why.)  Now, harder cheeses take more equipment and have to age for long periods of time.  I may work up to those later; but, for now, I thought I'd just show you how simple it is to make a soft cheese.

Bring one gallon of pasteurized milk to 86 degrees.  Then, remove from heat and thoroughly mix in a packet of Chevre culture.  (I bought my culture from Cultures for Health, which a fellow blogger recommended.  I love the Cultures website.  They have a good selection and a low, flat rate for shipping.)  Cover the pot and leave mixture to culture for 12 hours at approximately 72 degrees.

After 12 hours, the cheese should look like yogurt, solid when tipped but still relatively soft.  Here, you can see from the ring around the pot that the whey has separated from the curd. 

Place a piece of butter muslin (it has a tighter weave than cheesecloth, is used with most soft cheese recipes, is reusable, and is available from Cultures for Health for $2.99) in a colander in the sink.

With a slotted spoon, gently spoon the Chevre into the cloth. 

Gather the corners of the cloth up and tie knots to secure.  Hang the cloth over a bowl or the sink to strain.  (I installed a hook over my kitchen sink for this purpose, but you could also hang it from a cabinet knob.)  Allow it to strain for 6-12 hours.  The longer it strains, the thicker it will be.  I let mine strain overnight and got a consistency similar to cream cheese.

It came out of the muslin looking like this.

Then, I mashed it up and put it in the fridge.  I wasn't sure whether I was going to add anything to it, but I wanted to give it a first taste test after it had had time to chill.

In its pure form, it would've been a great substitute for ricotta.  I, however, wanted to use this first batch as a cracker spread, so I stirred in some cheese salt and Herbs de Provence for flavor.  Delicious!  It should stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.

Now, if I could just get my yogurt to set up. . . .

Easy Home Pasteurization Process

For now, at least, we have decided that we will pasteurize our goat's milk.  Home pasteurizing machines are costly, so we decided to try doing it the old-fashioned way.  UsWe strain the milk into our large Pyrex measuring cup and heat it using the double-boiler method. 

An instant-read thermometer is used to register the temperature.  To slow-pasteurize, a temperature of 143 degrees must be maintained for 30 minutes.  Or, for flash-pasteurization, a temperature of 161 degrees should be held for 30 seconds.  Because milk tends to keep a bit longer when slow-pasteurizing, I attempted to do that, but managing the temperature over that amount of time was pretty challenging, so I've been using the flash method so far.  As the milk nears the 161 degree-mark, it needs to be stirred constantly to avoid scorching.

After it's set at 161 for 30 seconds, immediately pour it into waiting storage containers (we're using quart mason jars with plastic lids) and submerge them in ice water to cool them quickly.

Once ice has all melted and milk is cooled, I label the plastic lids with a wet-erase marker and store in the fridge.  The whole process takes about 15 minutes, but it's not really all hands-on time, so I can be working on something else in the kitchen at the same time. 

I'm the Best Mom in the World!

Okay.  I know it can't be true all the time.  But, tonight, after dinner, I really felt like I'd achieved "Best Mom" status, if only for the duration of one meal. 

Faithful readers, do you remember my Canned Chili from my weeklong Crockpot series?  Honestly, once I saw the photo of all those canned foods sitting there next to each other, I was a teensy bit grossed out.  I do strive to provide my family more whole, less processed foods, and Canned Chili definitely wasn't fitting the bill.  So, I went to the internet in search of a slow food chili option.  Turns out that "Healthy Chili" is a bit of an oxymoron.  Anyway, I combined pieces of several recipes and came up with this vegetarian tastebud pleaser.

Just to show how different this recipe is from Canned Chili, let's compare the ingredient photo.

Canned Chili

Black Bean Chili

Now, doesn't that look yummy!  Here's what you need:

I medium onion, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 Tbs. + 1.5 c. vegetable broth (Once we have our first slaughter day, I'll be able to have a homemade version.  For now, I used one can of all-natural broth)
6 medium cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of cooked black beans, drained (Use a standard 1 lb. bag of dry beans.  I soaked mine overnight and cooked them on low all day until ready to add them to the chili pot.  I had one big serving leftover.  I plan to feed mine to the chickens.  They love unseasoned beans!  The leftovers would also make great mashed baby food.)
1   8oz. can tomato sauce (my can in the photo is actually twice this size because it was all they had in organic.  I only used half the can.)
3 good-sized tomatoes, chopped with juices
2 Tbs. ground cumin
2 Tbs. red chili powder
2 Tbs. dried oregano
Corn scraped from two cobs
1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro (optional, but recommended)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Because I like to do my prep work during the day, before the mania that is the 4 o'clock hour at our house, I filled two separate bowls with the following ingredients.  Into Bowl 1 on the left, I added the following:  1.5 c. vegetable broth, tomato sauce, tomatoes, oregano, and corn.  Into Bowl 2, add onion and bell pepper.  Into Bowl 3 (not pictured) goes the chopped cilantro.

When it's time to prepare chili (30 minutes before dinner time), heat 1 Tbs. broth in soup pot.  Saute ingredients of Bowl 2 in broth over medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin, and red chili powder and continue to saute for another minute. 

Add Bowl 1 to the mix and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, stirring frequently.

Add Bowl 3 (cilantro) and season with salt and pepper to taste.  I confess, I felt a bit like Anne Burrell, the Restaurant Chef, when I was adding the salt.  It took A LOT to get it seasoned just right.  But, as justification, because you're not using cans, nothing is pre-salted. 

Serve with tortilla chips.  Enjoy!  And, at our house, everyone did!  We had clean bowls all around!  Victory!

  Cost analysis?  This recipe made enough for us to eat it twice.  Because I generally assume that eating fresh veggies is more expensive than going canned, I was surprised to see that at $1.14 per person this was actually cheaper than the $1.63 per person that the Canned Chili cost us.

Indeed, it was a victory in every way!  Indeed, I am the best mom in the world . . . or, at least I was at dinner tonight.  ;)

I'm Becoming a Strawberry!

If there's any truth to the saying, "You are what you eat," I may well be on my way to becoming a strawberry.  Remember my post about the Bald Knob strawberries?  And the Strawberry Butter?  And the Strawberry Pie? 

I have a confession to make.  Despite the fact that, even as I type this, I have very yummy strawberries growing in my own backyard, our family has now gone through 10 quarts of Bald Knob strawberries!

We just can't get enough! 

Anyway, I thought I'd share these with you.  They're Berry Chips, made in a dehydrator.  Judging by how many people I see eating deer jerky around here, I'm assuming lots of folks already have dehydrators at home.  If you don't, check this one out.  It's what I have.  It gets the job done, and is definitely on the cheaper end of the spectrum.

To make these, simply hull and slice strawberries.  Lay them out on the dehydrator sheets.  Plug in dehydrator.  Go to bed.  Wake up.  Enjoy Strawberry Chips. 

It's really that easy. 

They'll keep for a long time in an airtight container and make a great snack!  You could also add them to your favorite granola mix, cereal, or salad.  Yum!

Backyard Berry Pie

I beat Little Boy outside today, so I was able to actually gather some berries before he helped himself to a backyard snack.  Victory!  It's time to make some pie!  Remember my post about my recipe organization book?  Only a handful of recipes get a 5 watermelon rating.  THIS is one of them!  It's such a simple pie, but I love it.  It reminds me of summer and my mom (2 very wonderful things!). 

You'll need the following:

1 Pillsbury Pie Crust (the rolled-up kind)

1 c. sugar

3 Tbs. cornstarch

1/8 tsp. salt

1 c. water

3 Tbs. White Karo syrup

3-4 Tbs. Strawberry Jell-O

Berries

Bake the pie crust according to package directions.  (If you want to make your kids super happy, reserve any leftover strips of crust dough, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and bake along with your crust.  My momma used to do this for us when I was growing up, and my kids seem to enjoy it just as much as I did.)  Allow pie crust to cool.

Combine the next 5 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in the Jell-O.  Allow to cool then add clean, hulled berries.  Stir to coat.

Pour mixture into cooled crust.  Allow to set-up in the refrigerator for a few hours.  Top with Cool Whip, if desired.  (I prefer mine plain.)  Enjoy!

How To Crack an Egg

I know, I know. . . It seems like a pretty basic thing, but I just learned a new technique that has saved me tons of time spent egg-shell-fishing-out over the past week.  Seriously, since I read this little tidbit, I've only fished out one shell (and considering that I've probably cracked 2 dozen eggs so far this week, that's a big deal!)

Here's what you do . . .

Hold the egg so that your fingers are on the ends of the egg. Tap the side of the egg firmly on the countertop (not the side of the bowl).  The tap should be firm enough to create a little crushed, flattened portion on the side but not so firm that the inside of the egg is exposed yet.  Then, over the bowl, use your fingers to break the egg apart. 

Supposedly, cracking it on the countertop (or other flat surface) rather than the edge of the bowl (or sink) keeps the internal membrane intact and keeps small shell shards from breaking free.  Who knew? 

(This tip made its way to me via my Real Simple magazine.  Love it! :)

Strawberry Butter: A Healthier Version of an Old Favorite

It's Bald Knob Strawberry time!  I pulled over when I saw the sign and thought I'd pick up a quart to take home to the kids.  But, then I walked in . . . and they had a fan blowing across the top of the berries . . . and filling the air with their heavenly aroma.  And before I really had time to convince myself it was more berries than I knew what to do with, I was at the register checking out with my whole flat of berries. 

So, it was time to make some jam.  But, most strawberry jam recipes use nearly as much sugar as berries.  I set off in search of a healthier option and came across this recipe that uses honey as its sweetener.  Yum! 

Here's what you need:

6 c. sliced strawberries

2 boxes (1.75 oz each) powdered pectin

1.75 c. honey

2 Tbs. lemon juice

First, clean and slice your berries.  Then, feed your strawberry hulls to the chickens and watch the chaos!

Back inside, combine your berries and pectin in a large saucepan and crush berries to blend completely. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.   

Stir in honey and lemon juice; return to a rolling boil.  Boil hard for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  (Do not turn away from the stove long enough to put the empty honey measuring cup in the sink.  That's apparently how long it takes for the sticky, gooey mess to boil over onto the stove and floor.  Trust me. I learned this the hard way.)

Remove from heat.  Skim off foam.  Ladle into clean, hot canning jars to within 1/4 inch of tops.  Seal according to jar manufacturer's directions.  Place jars in boiling water bath with boiling water 2 inches above jar tops.  Process for 10 minutes.  Remove jars from water and allow to cool away from drafts for 12 hours.  Test lids for proper seal before storing.

I'm calling this recipe Strawberry Butter because it's more similiar in consistency to a butter than a jam, jelly, or preserve.  I doubled the recipe and made just under 7 pints; then, once I'd had a chance to try it and deem it yummy, I doubled the recipe again and made 7 more!.  I love that it's all-natural and not loaded with sugar.  Enjoy! 

Ultra-Pasteurized Milk: Who Knew?

I had long ago read that if you could only afford to buy your family one organic grocery, make it  milk.  Kids just consume so much of it, and making an organic choice ensures that the milk in their cereal is both antibiotic- and synthetic-growth-hormone-free.  This may seem bad, but the stuff is so expensive that I switched only the kids' milk to organic.  I guess I figured that for John and I the damage had already been done;  after all we've been drinking our hormones for decades. 

But, my most recent reading has given me even more to think about when it comes to milk choices.  Since we began looking into the purchase of dairy goats, I've become more aware of the debate surrounding raw vs. pasteurized milk.  Most people prefer the safety of pasteurized milk.  I guess this is why the "Ultra-Pasteurized" label on our milk cartons won't even give most of us pause.  If pasteurized is good, then ultra-pasteurized must be even better, right? 

The cheesemaking book I'm reading first introduced me to the problems with ultra-pasteurized (UP) milk. Sometimes labeled as UHT, ultra-high temperature, this milk has reached temperatures of at least 280 degrees for at least 2 seconds at some point during processing.  That's way hotter than the process used for standard pasteurization.  In fact, it's hot enough to break down the milk proteins that make it so good for us.  My cheese-making book tells me to avoid this milk for cheesemaking because it is too dead to support the good bacteria growth necessary to produce cheese.  It claims that UP milk essentially has the nutrictional value of water.  Water?!

Naturally, I went to the refrigerator and checked my labels. 

Wouldn't you know it -- the kids' organic milk is ultra-pasteurized!  So, I'm essentially paying $3.20 for a half-gallon of milk, and in return providing the kids the same nutrition as if I had just turned on the faucet. 

Studies show that ultra-pasteurization does nothing to make our milk safer than standard pasteurization, so why is it even being done?  Wouldn't you know it'd be about the bottom line.  Ultra-pasteurization gives the milk a must longer shelf life.  In fact, unopened, this stuff would keep for months in your pantry.  However, marketers quickly discovered that Americans are suspicious of milk that can be purchased unrefrigerated, so they refrigerate it to appease us.  Seems like a waste of energy and resources, right?

That's not the only way this is bad for our environment.  This process which provides milk a longer shelf life, also allows larger commercial dairies to buy out smaller ones and ship to our supermarkets from longer distances.  So, if you make an effort to reduce your environmental impact by purchasing more food generated closer to home, this milk is fighting you every step of the way. 

Further research revealed that 80% of organic milk sold in the US is ultra-pasteurized.  In fact, to buy standardly pasteurized organic milk, you'll probably have to visit an upscale market.  Horizon, for example, actually produces two different varieties.  They send an ultra-pasteurized version to most markets and reserve their standard pasteurized product for Whole Foods and similar upscale markets.

So, as consumers what are we to do with all this information?  I can fill my kids' glasses with synthetic growth hormones and antibiotics or I can give them "milk" that is so dead that those quotation marks are justified.

Whew!  All of this makes me really thankful that we're about to be milking our own dairy goats right in our own backyard. 

Antibiotic free?  Check. 
Growth hormone free?  Check. 
Locally produced?  Check. 
Healthy and wholesome?  Check!

Don't just take my word for it.  Do some research on this for yourself.  This website is a great starting point.

Prepare to Be Disgusted . . .

WARNING:  Before you read this, you will want to put down that bowl of cheese puffs or fruit roll-up or Cadbury egg.

Did You Know . . .

The average American ingests about 14 lbs. of chemicals per year in the form of food additives (colorings, artificial flavorings, preservatives, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, hormones and heavy metals).

14 POUNDS!!!  Enough said.

Statistic courtesy of William Powers' 12x12:  A One Room Cabin Off the Grid and Beyond the American Dream