Showing posts with label Recipes. Show all posts

Sour Cherry Jam Recipe

Hooray! Can I just tell you how excited I am now that it is cherry season? It means it is the beginning of all my summer and fall canning. And I've got so much planned that I am excited to share with you. First up is Sour Cherry Jam. Have you ever heard of Sour Cherries or Tart Cherries before? They are not easily found in stores and most often at food stands or farmers' markets for a very limited time at the beginning of Cherry Season. Just like their name says, they are sour. They are beautifully bright red and are best used in another creation like jams, syrups, ice cream topping, pies, or dried and not really eaten as a table fruit. You can find dried tart cherries in the grocery stores for about $5.99/lb. At least that's how much they are in the health section of my local Kroger store. 

In Utah, the best sour cherry variety is Montmorency and it is the most common tart cherry grown in the US. It is heary and can withstand more front than sweet varieties because it blooms latest in the spring avoiding late frosts. 

Tart Cherries are perfect for pies or crumbles because they really let you control the sweetness factor  and they hold their shape wonderfully when cooked. These are what are standard for commerical pie filling cherries.  Once you find a source for Sour Cherries you'll be so excited finding ways to use them up. If you need time to decide though, pit them and freeze them because they won't last long fresh and actually really hold up to freezing well.

I happen to have found an old neighbor with a Sour Cherry tree in his yard. I was driving my girls over to a friend's house and I looked out the car window at this tree we were driving by and thought "that looks like a cherry tree" so of course I had to go have a look. Yes I am that type of person. I noticed that the cherries were quite a bit smaller than other cherries and very bright, shiny red so I figured I had just found one of these rare cherry trees. I knocked on the person's door and he was very happy to let me come back and pick as much as I wanted. I hauled my girls back there the next day and we picked 3 grocery bags full and hadn't even made a dent in the tree!

We returned all hot and sweaty from being out in the sun and sure enough when we bit in to one we found out they were tart cherries!

I thought about all the ways I wanted to use them up and we tried Sour Cherry Jam, Sour Cherry Syrup (awesome in my Tart Cherry Lime Mocktails!) and I dried a whole bunch for the kids. 

Making Jam is so easy. Every recipe is different depending on the type of pectin you use. I like the low sugar one and feel like it is plenty sweet. You can even find a no sugar fruit pectin as well. Look for a recipe that has 3 cups of sugar or less for 4 cups of fruit. 

DIRECTIONS  ___________________________________________________________________
First you want to wash, pit and chop the sour cherries and measure the EXACT amount on your pectin box instructions into a sauce pan. (Making jam really is a science so you have to follow the amounts exactly or your jam won't set)

2.  Add water and pectin package into fruit and bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat,  which means that it doesn't stop bubbling when you stir it. And stir constantly. (You can also add a 1/2 tsp butter to reduce foaming if you want)

3. As soon as it hits a rolling boil, pour in the sugar called for all at once and return to a rolling boil. Time for 1 minute at a full rolling boil on high heat stirring constantly then remove from heat and skim off any foam. 

4. Ladle quickly into clean glass jars. I like to use the 6 oz jars. You only need 1/8 inch of headspace. Wipe jar rims  and cover with lid and screw on the band to finger tight.

5. Place onto water bath canner rack and lower into the water to cover jars by 1-2 inches. If you need more water, have some boiling water waiting nearby. 

6. Cover the canner and bring water to a gentle boil. Process Sour Cherry Jam 10 minutes (add 5 minutes for elevations 1,0001-3000 ft and 10 minutes if your are at elevation 3,001-6,000 ft above sea level.)

7. Remove jars after alloted time and place upright. (Some people turn jars upside down but you shouldn't do this). Just set on a towel and let it cool completely for at least 24 hours. Check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If the lid springs back, it means it is not sealed and you can either refridgerate and use immediately or you can reprocess it again with a new lid if you have any other batches of jam to do. 

That's it. It really goes so quickly. One of the best ways we love enjoying our Sour Cherry Jam is by swirling it through a little bit of plain yogurt. In fact, that was one of my tricks to slowly get my babies to start eating plain yogurt.

As an aside, I remember being an exchange student in Germany and trying to buy yogurt and being so confused why it was so sour. I didn't realize what real yogurt was supposed to taste like. Ours is like melted ice cream in the states! Slowly I got used to it and now I love it. If you want to start weaning your family off the high sugar yogurts,  start with 1 tsp of Jam/ Jelly (that is only 4 grams of sugar) and compared to the amount of sugar that is dumped into store-bought yogurt, it is infinitely better. Then slowly I would add less and less til they would eat just plain yogurt with berries mixed in. Try it, it works! 

I hope you find yourself lucky enough to snag some tart cherries this season. There are some U-pick farms as well as farmers' markets where they will be available for about 2 weeks in July.

Happy Canning!

Tiara
- The Provident Princess
Canning & Preserving, Canning and Preserving, Cherries,
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Make Cornmeal from Popcorn in a Blendtec or Vitamix!

Are you wondering if you read that right? Yes, yes you did.

I know we've all heard it said that "Necessity is the mother of invention", but Plato was really on to something. All my best breakthroughs have come from needing something I didn't have yet. Case in point. I wanted delicious cornbread to go with the ribs my husband was smoking but all my cornmeal was rancid. So I needed a way to grind my own cornmeal because there was no way or time for me to run to the store to grab some before dinnertime.

(side note- You might have seen that I am trying to work my way through my freezers and pantry. I had gotten a great deal on Bob's Red Mill Cornmeal over a year ago and I had been saving it so long it went rancid before I remembered about it. oops. Luckily I only had 2 packages left)

I do have a grain mill. But, did you know that most grain mills aren't strong enough to grind corn? It's true. In the instructions, most mills will say it absolutely can't grind corn or it will break. I got a Blendtec forever ago for green smoothies and grinding my own flour but one of the things I was most excited about was that it can grind corn! I was soooo excited. And it is so easy.

Directions ________________________________________________________________________



I like to use NON-GMO or ORGANIC popcorn to make sure my family is avoiding an exposure to genetic engineering or chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. I needed 1 1/4 Cups for my recipe so I started with about a cup and a half of popcorn and it was just about perfect.


I just turned it on to the highest setting (10) and let it go until it auto shut-off after 50 seconds.



It was the perfect consistency. It took me about 2 minutes from start to finish, using just plain old popcorn from my pantry. I don't think I'm ever going back to packaged cornmeal. Obviously I can't manage to get through it without some of it going rancid. Popcorn on the other hand keeps for years.


And it made a pretty incredible cornbread. I use a soaked cornbread recipe based off of Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions.

INGREDIENTS ___________________________________________________________________
1½ cups cornmeal
1½ cups flour
2 cups buttermilk (or 1/2 plain yogurt and 1 1/2 cups milk or 2 cups milk + 2 TBLS vinegar)
2 Tbsp. lard or coconut oil
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder
3 eggs
⅓ cup non-GMO sugar (you can use honey but all the goodness is killed off by te=he
¼ cup melted butter

INSTRUCTIONS  _________________________________________________________________
Combine the cornmeal, flour, and buttermilk in a bowl, mixing to moisten everything. Cover and leave in a warm place for 12-24 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven with 2 Tbsp. lard or coconut oil.
In a small bowl, mix salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
In another small bowl, whisk eggs and mix in honey and melted butter.
Pour wet ingredients into the soaked flour and fold in. Dump the dry ingredients over and continue mixing until thoroughly combined.
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, swirl the melted oil around to evenly distribute and cover the edges, then scrape the batter into the hot skillet.
Place skillet in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Serve with honey butter (1:1 ratio) and enjoy!

This cornmeal turns out delicious every time. I've even just soaked it for only 6 hours and it still was amazing. It's one of my husband's favorite dishes. Let me know if you try it or what else you use ground cornmeal for. I love making polenta as  well.


Tiara
-The Provident Princess
Cornbread, Grinding Popcorn, Healthy Food,
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Homemade Garlic Powder

Homemade garlic powder has the most incredible scent and flavor. You'll be wondering what you've been eating all these years. Well, that's actually one of the reasons why I make my own spices.

Most packaged spices, including garlic powder that we buy from stores are full of anti-caking powders and other fillers so we really don't know what we are eating. There is also no way of knowing how old the spices are. We know that the antioxidants and other nutrients start breaking down over time so we could end up with something that is virtually tasteless and void of nutrition.

I wrote a previous post about how easy it is to dehydrate garlic. Seriously, it is. But I've had a lot of people ask what I actually do with this garlic and how I use it once it is dehydrated. It's so easy to throw a few slices in when I am sauteing veggies, making soups or dips. But my favorite thing is just to make homemade garlic powder.


Homemade Garlic Powder
I use a spice/coffee grinder and just fill it to the top of the silver fill line and process til it is a light fluffy powder. Watch out though. If you try to remove the lid right away you will end up with a cloud of garlic powder everywhere. So you need to let it rest for the dust to settle. I usually use up a bottle of garlic powder every few months; but once I had one for almost a year and I never had a problem with it clumping. But that is why I keep my dehydrated garlic in the slices and just grind what I need when I need it. It keeps the strongest flavor and I never have problems with caking.


Dehydrate Garlic Slices

 I use my dehydrate garlic slices but if you don't have any available then you could totally just use granulated garlic. Costco has a big jar of good California granulate garlic that I love.

Granulated Garlic
Garlic Powder


I just always save my spice jars and just reuse them, but there are a lot of cute ones on Amazon you could use if you want a cohesive look or wanted to give away some as gifts. These ones match the Spice Island jars you can get at the store.

I love easy ways to replace toxic and synthetic chemicals in our lives that don't take a lot of effort. Let me know in the comments if would be interested in seeing more ways to switch out everyday products/ ingredients with ones that are more natural and health promoting.
Clean Living, DIY, Garden Tips,
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Sour Cherry Lime Summer Mocktail


Here at Provident Princess we love enjoying seasonal foods and the easiest time to do that is definitely during summer with the abundance of crop varieties and farmers' markets popping up all over. Right now we are celebrating all things cherry. Summer always seems to include all sorts of fun drinks. And for all of you non-drinkers out there, I have the perfect Sour Cherry Lime Mocktail to share with you!  It is supper easy and like all recipes you will find here, this Cherry Lime Mocktail has the simplest and most whole ingredients. I'm not into a lot of fuss. When we buy food in season, the flavors don't need a lot of help to shine.

I was coming back from dropping one of my daughters off at a friends and I noticed a house with a beautiful cherry tree out back which didn't look touched or taken care of at all. So what did I do? I pulled over and knocked on their door of course. The nicest man answered and assured me that I was welcome to take as many cherries as I wanted.

Honestly, I know many people feel intimidated by knocking on a stranger's door asking if they are going to use their fruit; but most people are relieved to give it away. They are usually not the ones who planted the trees and don't really know what to do or can't use all the food it produces. Many people have acted like I was the one who was doing them a favor by taking it off their hands so they wouldn't have the mess to pick up later when it all fell unused to the ground. So if you ever have the chance, Do. It.

I showed back up later that day and we picked and picked and picked. It was so hot. We stuck with it until we had about 3 grocery bags half full and you couldn't even tell where on the tree we were picking because there were still so many cherries on there.

We got back home and were in for a huge surprise. The cherries weren't pie cherries like I had thought. They were Sour Cherries! Instead of the Cherry Pie filling I'd envisioned making for a decadent cheesecake, I had to think of how else to use this sour cherry harvest.

Have you seen that Cherry Juice Costco is sampling at Costco? They are touting it like it's the next pomegranate juice because of its high volume of anti-oxidants . It's made from this type of cherry! (And it is delicious btw, 2 thumbs up from the toddlers.)

Since the cherries are so tart, you can't really eat them plain, so we had to get to work washing and  pitting. My girls had a blast working the cherry pitter and really learned how to get in the groove.

So what can you do with sour cherries? They dehydrate wonderfully. Dried sour cherries at the store sell for 5.99/lb! That was by far our favorite method to eat these delicious cherries. We also made Sour Cherry Jam which I couldn't eat all the time but it is fun to have in the rotation. We also made Sour Cherry Syrup for pancakes and waffles.

I'm not a soda drinker. I've just never liked it, but my children and husband do. So every now and then I will buy some sparkling water to add to some juice to make it a little special. Sparkling water is so much better than soda. No sweeteners, added sodium or caffeine buzzes for the kids.

I had a box of La Croix Sparkling Lime Water left-over from one of these purchases and thought it would be the perfect vehicle to try our new Sour Cherry Syrup we canned. Let me tell you. This drink is like summer in a cup.



Ingredients________________________________________________________________________
3 (12 oz) cans of La Croix Sparkling Lime Water
3/4 cup Sour Cherry Syrup (you can find cherry syrup in the store too by the drink mixes if you don't               have your own homemade)
Slices of fresh limes and cucumbers for garnish (1-2 per glass)

Directions_________________________________________________________________________
Fill 4 Tumblers filled with cubed ice. In a pitcher combine sparkling lime water and cherry syrup. Add the cucumbers to the pitcher to start to infuse its flavor into the drink. You can leave it like this in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Stir to combine syrup and pour into tumblers of ice. Garnish with a lime slice and enjoy immediately.


Perfect for a summer evening spent outdoors.  I also like to garnish the serving platter with limes and sweet cherries so guests know what flavors to expect. I love how this recipe takes so little effort but really gives such an elevated look to any get-together.

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe. And if you are looking for just a single drink for yourself to enjoy, 2 Tablespoons of the cherry syrup to 1/2 cup of sparkling lime water. You're Welcome.

Cheers,

PP
Canning & Preserving, Canning and Preserving, Cherries,
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Easy Homemade Vanilla Extract

I love making thinkg from scratch. There is just something so satisfying to me about providing something to my family from start to finish. I love knowing that even if I buy the highest quality ingredients, I am still saving more money doing it myself rather than buying a premade lower quality item. That is definitely the case with making your own homemade vanilla extract.

"There's no such thing as too much vanilla." That is a saying my girls and I have whenever we need to measure out vanilla for a recipe and inevitably add more. We love to just open the bottle of vanilla extract and take a big whiff. It's amazing.

What isn't amazing is the price of vanilla extract lately. It has skyrocketed over the last couple of years. Last year, I went to Costco to buy my usual bottle of vanilla, only to discover that what used to cost me around $14 was $20. It's up to $25 now. That is a huge increase and unfortunately it's not going to change any time soon. I decided to do something about that and made my own vanilla extract and thought I'd share the recipe with you today.

Unlike most commodity crops, vanilla has no price regulations, which means that it is susceptible to dramatic price fluctuations due to supply and demand. For almost 10 years there was an abundance of vanilla on the market. That drove the prices down to the point where farmers couldn't make a living wage. So what did they do? They burned all their vanilla bean vines and decided to grow a different crop that would make them money.

Who can blame them?

But what that did is make an incredible shortage of vanilla beans for the next few years and prices skyrocketed. And this is where we find ourselves now.

Luckily, we don't have to be slaves to whatever price vanilla is currently selling at. We can make our own vanilla extract with just 2 ingredients. And what's best about it is that it will last forever.

INGREDIENTS   __________________________________________________________________ 
This is seriously the easiest 'recipe' in the world. All you need is Vodka and Vanilla Beans


Make sure to get grade B vanilla beans. Grade A are meant to be cooked with but grade B are meant for infusing and will give you a better flavor.  These look great or you can use Tahitian vanilla beans for a different flavor.  This is essentially a one time purchase. So while it might be a bit of money up front (about the same as buying a bottle of extract at Costco), you can continue to use these same vanilla beans indefinitely.

The good news is that even though the vanilla beans are pricey, you can buy the cheapest kind of vodka you can find. All you need is 80 proof, but the vodka itself doesn't matter. I like to buy vodka in a glass bottle so I can just use that for storing my vanilla extract too. If you buy vodka in plastic you should use a mason jar or other glass jar to store it in. Make sure it is tall enough to fit the beans standing up.

DIRECTIONS  ___________________________________________________________________
The usual recipe for vanilla extract that you would buy at the store is about 2-3 beans per cup of alcohol and is called single fold vanilla. The super fancy, extremely flavorful vanilla chefs use to create their dishes with a vanilla flavor that can't be matched by just doubling the amount of single fold vanilla is called double fold vanilla. Double fold vanilla calls for 5 vanilla beans per cup of alcohol.

Chose whichever you prefer. Just know that this vanilla extract can last forever. You can just top off the bottle with new vodka as you use it.


  • Drop the vanilla beans in the vodka whole. Don't slice them open. Some people like to slice the beans open so you can see the little seeds but it doesn't make the flavor any stronger to do it that way. If you leave your beans whole, you can pull them out one at a time for recipes that call for vanilla bean seeds. Just snip off the end and squeeze out the seeds to use in your recipe. Then just throw the shells back into the extract. It's like you are getting vanilla bean paste for free. 
  • Place your vodka in a cool, dark place and give it a shake every now and then. 
Your vanilla extract will be ready to use in 8 weeks, but will be best if you can wait at least 6 months. 

P.S. this makes a great, inexpensive gift to give to family and friends for Christmas. Just repackage it into smaller jars. These 4 oz ones are super cute and the perfect size. Make sure to get a funnel if you don't have one. You don't want to waste a drop of this delicious extract. 

Enjoy!

PP
DIY, Homemade Vanilla, Recipes
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Easy Windowsill Herb Garden


One of the little luxuries I love having in my kitchen is fresh herbs. It really make such a difference in giving your meals that little fragrant pop they need. But buying fresh herbs from the store is so expensive. And you only ever need a little bit for a recipe, so the rest just languish in the fridge until finally getting thrown away. Or is that just me? I hate wasting money on things like that.

Growing your own herbs is a no brainer that solves both these problems. Having inexpensive fresh herbs available and in only the amount you need.  I've been wanting a windowsill herb garden for awhile but hadn't gotten around to it. I saw these super cute herb planters at Crate & Barrel the other day and felt inspired. But not $30 inspired, no matter how cute it was.

The point to having fresh, organic herbs at my fingertips is to save money. So I searched around and found this one at Ikea for $9.99. I like it so much better. The added wooden base makes it more interesting. And, it was on sale! There is also a really similar one here if you don't have an Ikea near you.

If you've never grown plants before, don't be nervous. Herbs are the easiest thing ever. All you have to do is find a sunny windowsill. I give you a few more tips in helping keep them alive below.


But first, we need to assemble the garden. I don't sow my seeds directly in the planter. They need drainage. You can find these plastic seedling planters and saucers at any garden center or nursery for less than a dollar each. This was the smallest set I could find on Amazon (10). Maybe make a couple extra to give as Mother's Day presents!

They have drainage holes in the bottom and the saucer to catch anything that drips. And they are pretty nifty for letting you know how much water your plant needs. I just pour water til I see it start leaking into the saucer.

You can buy your herbs already started from a nursery but that will run you about $1.50-3.50 per herb depending on what size you get. A packet of seeds is about a dollar but you can usually find them Buy 1 Get 1 Free and grow them yourself. (Just stick the rest of the packet in the freezer until you need to grow some more.) You will definitely need patience but it is so fun to grow them all yourself.

I would pick 3 herbs that you use a lot and start there. Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, Chives, Mint, Dill, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, there are so many options to choose from.

I chose Flat Leaf Parsley, Dill and Basil. Cilantro would have been on the list because I use it all the time, but I have a plant out in my garden that survived the winter that I can use. Yea! So when my dill gets too big, I will try to transplant it outside and trade it out for a pot of cilantro to last for next fall/winter.

If you are growing your herbs from seeds you will also need to buy a good organic potting mix. No use trying to grow organic herbs in Miraclegro. I really like this BlackGold brand and you can find it in most stores.


Follow the directions on your packet. You won't want more than 2-3 plants growing in your pot or they will get too crowded and not grow well. I would start with 5 seeds and then thin to the best 2 or 3 when the first true leaves appear by snipping the stem down to the soil.


If you bought your herbs from a nursery, just transfer them over and add more soil if needed. Place saucer underneath and give it a good drink til you can start to see water come out the drainage holes.



Place pots in the planter and put in a sunny window to enjoy! I love how it really brightens up my kitchen counter and instantly brings color to any dish. Just snip some off next time you need something and enjoy your super flavorful and hyper fresh herbs. We loved our parsley on Jambalaya Pasta last night.

Jambalaya Pasta
If you feel like you are not getting through your herbs fast enough before they need to be trimmed again then check out my post on preserving parsley here. I also love making pesto when I need to use up a bunch of basil. Stay tuned for the recipe.

Plant Care Tips-
Water- 2-3 times a week. I usually do Mondays and Thursdays. Stick your finger in the potting mix, if it is damp 2 inches down, it doesn't need any more water. If you accidentally pour too much water in, relax. The saucer will just keep the excess until the plant wants to suck it up. If you are growing from seeds, you will need to water every day until the shoot appears and the roots grow longer. Keep the soil moist.

Dirt- I know it might sound like a good idea to use dirt from your yard to fill the pots. It's free and easy but dirt is alive. There are many different ecosystems living in there. If you remove it from its natural environment you are also removing it from its natural predators and some bacteria or diseases could spread and get into your food or your house plants. A good, organic potting mix is worth the splurge.

Proper Pruning
It may seem counter intuitive, but pruning actually promotes growth.

Basil- After the seedlings have their first 6 true leaves, prune to above the second set. From then on, every time it has 6-8 leaves again, prune back to the 1st set of leaves. Pinch off any stems that look like it is going to flower. That will make your basil bitter if allowed to flower.

Chives-  To harvest, just cut straight across. Like you are cutting grass. They probably won't grow out of control like some herbs. Pairs so well with eggs, using in compound butter or tossing raw on soups salads or potatoes.

Cilantro/ Parsley- Once the plant is 6 inches high, begin pruning by trimming the outer leaves down to the bottom of the stem. Don't cut the inner leaves. These will continue growing and producing more stems. You can eat the stems. They carry so much flavor, making them perfect for flavoring soups/ broths or sauces you will blend. I use mine all the time in guacamole and eggs, I just mince very small.

 Dill- I love dill. My favorite is to use it to garnish Borscht. It tastes so good with beets, fish (especially salmon), yogurt sauces and of course pickles. I've got a killer pickle recipe I will be posting this summer so stay tuned!

Mint- Young leaves have more flavor so the key to keeping mint at its best is frequent harvesting. I love to use mint leaves in my ice water. It is so refreshing. Just make sure when you trim to make sure there is still at least 1 set of leaves on the stem.

Oregano- This herb does better outside because it likes to sprawl. If you are dead set on it, just make sure you trim it back often so it doesn't have a chance to get woody.

Rosemary- Rosemary is a beautiful plant and grows straight up so it's perfect for an indoor garden. Just cut a couple inches off from the top leaving leaves below to keep growing.

 Thyme- Thyme is such a hardy plant. Both for cooking in high heat and for staying alive. Basically make sure you never cut below the first leaves and you'll be fine.

Last but not least. Never trim more than 1/3 of a plant at any given time or it will go into shock and may not recover.

I hope you feel inspired to make yourself an herb garden to enjoy fresh herbs at your fingertips any time you need. Leave a comment below and let me know which herb you find yourself using the most.


PP
Basil, Cooking From Your Garden, Dill,
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How to Make Beef Bone Broth

So we all know by now how nutritious and good for us bone broth is. Even the major food brands all have their own cartons of bone broth on the shelves. I'm glad that more healthful options are being offered these days and buy a few cartons here and there for convenience. But, when I have the option, I love to make my easy homemade bone broth in a crock-pot.

Grocery store bone broth can't hold a candle to it in the health department. Do you know how I know? A good bone broth will turn into almost a jelly when it cools. That's how you know it is full of collagen. Collagen is a power house in the health department. It helps reduce joint pain and strengthen bones, improves and strengthens hair and nails, helps improve liver and gut health including detoxification among so many other things.

My sister-in-law and I went in on part of a grass-fed cow together from a local farmer here in Utah. Best way to save on grass-fed/pasture-raised meat by the way. I've been loving all the different cuts of meat that I don't usually buy from the store since they are usually way more expensive than just grass-fed ground beef. But one of the things I was most excited about was having a bunch of soup bones to make bone broth with. When you buy a cow, they ask if you want the bones. Say "YES!" The broth you get from bones is rich, velvety and chock full of the most essential vitamins and minerals that are so lacking in our diets. I just throw my soup bones in my deep freeze and take out a package or two at a time when I want to make some broth.

And making homemade bone broth couldn't be easier. You can obviously use a stock pot on the stove with this recipe too. I just love the easiness and worry free setting and leaving of crock-pots.



Start with about 2 pounds of soup bones. Ideally, half should be joint bones because they will contribute the most collagen to your broth.  Lay them out on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Anything to make clean up shorter, right? Now salt and pepper them really well. I like to use my kosher salt for things like this.


Next, you'll want to brown the bones in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turning at the half way mark. This really helps develop the flavor of the broth so much.


While your bones are browning, it's time to assemble the rest of the ingredients. I love using the inside stalks of my celery for stock. The leaves actually have so much flavor and they are a part of the plant that we don't usually eat, so I love to make sure I use them all up. When I am buying organic produce, I like to make sure I use the whole plant. You can read more about how I save money on our organic and grass-fed foods here and here.  Another thing I like about making stock is that you it helps to clean out the fridge and use up anything that is getting a little old and maybe isn't in its prime texture wise. You can see my carrots are on their last leg too. They were still perfectly crunchy but starting to sprout. Just wash your veggies, you don't need to work about peeling or chopping.

Dehydrated Onions
Start to put your veggies in the crock-pot. You make have to break your carrots in half to get them to fit. Now I'm going to share one of my favorite things to use in my broths. Dehydrated onions. If you don't have any then by all means just halve an onion and throw that in. But, once a year I get a 25 pound bag of onions for about 3 dollars! Obviously we can't get through that many onions before they would go bad so I dehydrate them.


I love them! Once, I also saw organic celery for .50 a bunch so I bought a ton of them and dehydrated them too. I love to throw them in my soups, chilis and bone broths.

Ok, so back to the broth.


Add a bay leaf or two. You can also put in a few black peppercorns. No more than 5.


Once your bones are browned, take them out of the oven and nestle into your veggies and cover with water. You want your bones covered at all time. Pour in 2 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar and turn on the crock-pot for at least 8 hours but preferably 24. It takes a while to get all the goodness out of the bones. You can leave it to simmer for up to 72 hours but I find 24 is just fine. That way I can start it in the morning and by the next morning it is ready to use to make something for dinner that day. You'll want to cook it on high until it starts to simmer then turn it to low for the rest of the time. You don't want it boiling. It will destroy the collagen if it is cooked too high. A nice simmer is just right.


When it's done, strain it over a bowl so you can catch every. last. drop. I like to keep mine in mason jars. See that white layer on top? That is called tallow. You can cook with it, especially if you want a healthy, pasture-raised fat. Or in the olden days, because the fat was so hard, it takes a long time to melt, making it ideal for candle making.


If your broth looks like this when it is cooled, you did it just right. Look how jiggly it is. Perfect. Don't worry, it will liquefy when you warm it up again.

Now it's time to enjoy in all your favorite recipes. Stay tuned for my French Onion Soup recipe. And if you would like to learn how to make Turkey Bone Broth you can find the recipe here.
Bone Broth, Canning & Preserving, Canning and Preserving,
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How to Make Chia Seed Eggs


One of the best things that has come from the explosion of vegan cooking into 'mainstream' cooking is the discovery of the chia seed 'egg'.  Yes chia seeds. The same ones we used in the 80's and 90's for chia pets. Little did we know that these little seeds had so much more to offer. There have been many egg substitutes over the years, but what I love about using chia seeds is that there is so much nutrition in them

Chia Seeds
Most people who buy pasture raised eggs do so for their high Omega 3 content. Any grass-fed meat or dairy product has a completely different Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acid content than its factory farmed counterpart. Most American's diets are way too heavy on the Omega 6 side and desperately need more Omega 3's. Chia seeds are an easy and really cheap way to get this essential fatty acids into our diets. In fact, if you have chickens (lucky!) you should consider feeding them chia seeds to up the omega 3 content of their eggs even more.

Not only do you get the omega 3 fatty acids in a chia egg like you would in a pasture-raised egg, but there is also about 85 mg of calcium, 3 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber! I love to use these because they are so cheap and really help keep down the budget. A pasture-raised egg runs about .50 cents an egg which is a lot to me to just throw in a recipe and not even notice there is an egg in there. We only eat our pasture-raised or organic eggs when you can tell that's what they are. Scrambled or over-easy mostly. Anytime I am cooking and it calls for an egg, I reach for my chia seeds. I usually buy chia seeds when they are on sale for around $1.99/lb. That turns out to be about 45 'eggs'! That's a lot of savings over a year.

Chia seeds are amazing. They can soak up to 6 times their weight in water! Once they soak up the water, they form a gel that will bind food together just like chicken eggs do.

The actual 'recipe' is as simple as can be.


 Measure 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds. You can use whole or ground. These are ground. I just use my coffee/spice grinder.


Add 3 Tablespoons of water.

Stir and let sit for a few minutes. As the chia seeds soak up the water, it will start to gel.


When your chia 'egg' looks like this, thick and sticking to the spoon, it is ready to be used in a quick bread recipe like muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles. I even used them to make yeast rolls to take to my husbands family for Thanksgiving and they came out perfectly. Everyone loved them and no one suspected a thing.

NOTE---I will say that in that recipe and any other where I thought the black seeds might be too noticeable, I will grind the seeds first. If I do it like that, I will just add the ground chia seeds to my dry ingredients and mix them together really well, then I will add the wet ingredients and add those extra Tablespoons of water. If you try to incorporate a ground chia seed 'egg' that has already gelled it is hard to equally distribute into the rest of a dough or batter. 

You can also use this same technique with flaxseeds although I like chia seed eggs better. They seem to have a neutral taste whereas flaxseeds are more noticeable to me although I do use them if I want the colors to blend better.

This really is one of my favorite tricks in the kitchen. Leave a comment below to let me know what clever things you do to save money but not sacrifice nutrition.
Food, Frugal Ideas, Healthy Ideas,
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Thai Coconut and Mushroom Soup





I was at one of my good friend's houses for lunch the other day. We both share a passion for yummy, healthy food and love making recipes for each other to try.

She served this amazing Thai Coconut and Mushroom Soup and it was definitely a hit with all who tried it. I was feeding my 10 month old baby Andrew some hummus but he kept looking at my soup so finally I started dipping his hummus in the broth and he couldn't get enough. I was somewhat worried it would be too spicy. (I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to spice.) But he loved it. That is also one of the great things about this soup. You can really tailor it to your own taste with all the different toppings.

The lime, coconut and the spice from the chili garlic sauce all blend so well and then you get the meatiness from the mushrooms. Mmm, and who doesn't love rice noodles? The have the best texture and really make this soup feel filling.  You will love how fast this recipe comes together. Like 15 minutes start to finish. 

Bon Appetite!




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Thai Coconut and Mushroom Soup
by February-15-2018
Ingredients
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1  jalapeno pepper, minced (seeded and de-veined
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 4 cups Vegetable Broth (chicken tastes good too)
  • 1 (3-4in) piece of  lemmongrass
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
  • 1 (8oz) package mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 oz (small handful) dry rice noodles
  • 3/4 teaspoon soysauce
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons  fresh lime juice
  • 4 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
  • 3 stalks green onions, sliced
Instructions
Saute coconut oil, jalapeno and ginger in a medium sized pot on medium heat until fragrant and soft. (2 minutes) Add broth, coconut milk, lemmongrass and salt and mushrooms. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7 minutes. I love to use my dehydrated mushrooms here and they don't need to be reconstituted since they are being cooked in liquid. (3/4 cup dry mushroom slices) Once 7 minutes have passed, throw in the rice noodles and cook 2-3 minutes. When noodles are done, take off heat and add soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and lime juice. I like to just use half of a lime which is about 1 Tablespoon of juice and then cut the other half into small wedges to serve individually. You can add all the cilantro and green onions to soup now or let others garnish their own with extra chili garlic sauce on the side as well.

Enjoy immediately.
Note: rice noodles really don't hold up well so I would only plan to make as much as you want for one meal without planning for leftovers. Or once you get to the point of needing to add the noodles, divide the soup broth in two. One to leave in the pan to continue cooking and eat immediately, then next to refrigerate and you can add the noodles when you are going to eat the rest.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield:
Food, Healthy Ideas, Recipes
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Zucchini Apple Pie


Yes, you read that right. Zucchini. Apple. Pie.

A few years ago I was invited to meet the family of a guy I had been going out with. His step-mom made us dinner and for dessert she brought out some pie.

She served everyone a slice and we dug in. It was really good. After about 3 bites my date looked up and said "Mmm, this is good, what kind of pie is this?"

At that moment I was so embarrassed for him. I thought:
 "Really, has he never had apple pie before? Who doesn't know what apple pie is. I mean, what else could these big green slices be?"

So I leaned over and said quietly "It's apple pie."

Then to my horror he asked again, only louder "So, what kind of pie is this?"

I just sat there and stared at him, then his step-mom replied. "Oh, this is zucchini pie."

"What!" I was shocked, I could not taste it. It tasted and looked just like apple pie. I would've bet my car on the fact that it was apple pie.

I guess that's why they say 'only fools are positive.'

The joke was most definitely on me.

But it was a delicious one so I didn't mind much.

Since this is the time of year everyone with zucchini plants has them coming out their ears and can't seem to give them away; I thought I'd share this little recipe with you.

It will be a fun way to use some of your bumper crop. And,  it's always great watching people's faces when you tell them what it is they're eating.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Get dough for a double crust pie ready for a 9in pan. You can either make your own or if you don't feel like it, use store bought pie crust dough.

 If you want to make it from scratch check the bottom of this post for a no fail recipe.

Grab some zucchinis. I only used 2. You want about 4-5 cups once they are sliced.

Peel the zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. I used a measuring spoon because it left a nice round center. 

Meanwhile, put a pan with water on the stove and heat to boiling. This will be used to steam your zucchini.

Slice the zucchini halves into nice half moon slices.

Throw your zucchinis in the boiling water and cook about 6-7 minutes until they are just barely fork tender. Empty the steamed zucchini onto a paper towel-lined plate, sprinkle with a little salt and drain.

In another bowl combine:
Add 1/2 cup brown sugar 
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 
4 Tbls white all-purpose flour


Return drained zucchini back to pan and stir in the sugar mixture. It will be pretty runny, that's ok. Make sure everything is dissolved.


Pour everything into the 9 in pie crust. 

Top your filling with a few pats of butter. About 1 1/2 Tbls.

Carefully place the top of your pie crust on the pan. Go around the edges with a fork or your fingers to give it a decorative look. I also like to make a few slits on the top and sprinkle a little white sugar over it. Just to make it prettier.

Cook it in a preheated 400 degree oven for 35-40 min. Remove and allow to cool. The liquid will still be runny but will thicken as it cools.

When it's time for dessert, top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and enjoy!


No Fail Pie Crust Recipe
1 cup flour
1/2 cup shortening
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbls sugar
1/4 cup cold water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry cutter or rubber spatula. Add water and mix until the mixture forms a ball and holds together. Roll out to 1/8 inch thickness on a well-floured board and add more flout as needed to prevent it from sticking.

Shape and place in pie pan. Add filing and bake as directed.

Tips:
I don't like my crust very thick so this was fine for my double crust. If you want a thicker crust then I would either double the recipe or make a 1.5 batch.

*This article first appeared on Deseretnews.com
Cooking From Your Garden, Desserts, Pies,
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Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes


I get into such a rut with how I cook vegetables sometimes. One year I planted 3 squash plants and we were having sauteed zucchini, squash and onions every night it seemed. And while I love that recipe, my husband and I got so sick of zucchini that I couldn't even think about planting any for the next 2 years.

The same thing happens to me with cauliflower. I have a go-to recipe that I use 9 times out of 10.

This time I felt like I wanted to try something different. 

I had a 5 lb bag of potatoes I needed to start using so I tried to think what I could make with potatoes and cauliflower. Then I remembered a recipe I'd seen in a South Beach Diet Cookbook I bought a few years ago. It has a lot of great ideas for making things healthier and I remembered one thing I saw in there. 

Cauliflower Mashed Fauxtatoes. 

Basically you make cauliflower to resemble mashed potatoes. I had tried it before and thought it was pretty watery.  So I came up with my own version.

And the first thing my husband complimented me on at dinner was how good the mashed potatoes were.    (I don't usually tell him what's in his food until after dinner.)
Cauliflower Mashed Fauxtatoes, Cooking From Your Garden, Recipes
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