Homemade Vanilla
Posted in: Cooking, General Tags: frugal families, frugal gourmet, homemade, how to make vanilla extract
I can’t easily think of one thing I do that yields such delicious, gourmet results with the least amount of effort as when I make home made vanilla extract. I used to buy my vanilla extract from a reputable herb and spice company and I loved their vanilla but when the cost of their vanilla [...]
Rhubarb!!!!!
My rhubarb is coming up! It’s actually been coming up for a few weeks now and it’s finally tall enough to begin harvesting. “> Last year I found a fantastic book at the bookstore at Sturbridge Village (OSV.org) entitled, “The Joy of Rhubarb” by Theresa Millang. She has recipes from sweet to savory, sauces to [...]
Easy Artisan Bread
Easy, no-knead artisan bread has been all the rage. Mother Earth News and other magazines have touted the nearly effortless, tasty results. I was intrigued. I already make our bread but it tends to be a traditional white sandwich style bread. My boys have recently begun to enjoy the tasty, chewy, rustic type artisan breaks [...]
Thanksgiving Leftover Makeover
Posted in: Cooking Tags: how to use up leftover turkey, leftover turkey recipe, Thanksgiving leftovers
I love Thanksgiving leftovers. I cook extra just for the leftovers but the family does like me making over the leftovers. Here are a few of my fast, easy Thanksgiving leftover makeovers. Turkey Tacos Just take diced/shredded turkey and use it in place of hamburger. You can use store bought taco seasoning or make your [...]
How much bread will a baker bake?
How much bread can a bread baker bake if a bread baker baked all day? Our PTA has an annual Election Day bake sale to raise funds. These funds are used for a variety of things: reduce the cost of field trips for students, bring in special guests for the students like authors, provide money [...]
Pan de Muerto, “Bread of the Dead”
Posted in: Cooking, General Tags: Bread of the Dead, Day of the Dead bread, Pan de Muerto
Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated around this time of year. We don’t celebrate it but the Spanish teachers discuss this holiday with the students as part of their Spanish class. I have volunteered to make the bread for the last few years so the kids can sample this traditional bread. [...]
Sourdough gone wild!!!!!
I decided to try my hand at sour dough bread. My boys have decided that they like a nice chewy bread with a crust. So today I made up my first batch of starter. I placed the following into a large glass mixing bowl: -3 packets of dry yeast (I used 4 tsp of instant [...]
I just tasted a bit of summer!
We canned peaches for the first time this past summer. I LOVE peaches! Our local orchard has a pick-your-own option that helps keep the cost down. I love a sun-warmed peach that is ripened to perfection on the tree. When you bite into it, the juice runs down your chin. sigh….. just heavenly! Anyways, I [...]
From humble apple core and peels….
Posted in: Cooking, Homesteading Tags: apple cores, apple peel jelly, cider vinegar, how to make fruit vinegars, how to make vinegar
When you peel and apple, cut it up and then throw away the peel and core, you’re throwing away at least three creations! Don’t do it! At the very minimum, consider composting them for future soil enrichment. Find a corner of your property to throw it and other non-meat scraps so that worms and fungus [...]
Making your own homemade Vanilla
Posted in: Cooking Tags: homemade vanilla, how to make vanilla extract, vanilla bean
Today I decided would be a good day to make my own homemade vanilla. First of all it is not a strenuous activity and I don’t have to be out in the heat so I was excited to work on this project. The other thing I like about making this recipe is that it is [...]