Roasted Beet and Kale Salad...and Late Night Single-Serve Chocolate Cake

We picked the first few beets today, and aside from the usual canned beets and pickled beets that I plan to make, I wanted to try roasting a few of the beets. I've never tried them roasted and had been looking forward to it if we had extra...and we do. :)

Adding to the fun of cooking, this past week we had a wind/electrical storm that took out the electronic motherboard on my kitchen stove.....so as we await the arrival of a replacement board, we are minus a stove. The burners still work (gas stove), but no oven. So...roasting these beets would mean using my microwave.

Four years ago when we remodeled our kitchen, I bought a Sharp Carousel Convention microwave. The intent of this purchase was that I would use the microwave to bake, roast, etc., during the summer so as not to heat up the kitchen when it was so hot. Of course, convention would take hold, and I'd use the oven and heat up the house. But with no oven available, it was time to test out this convection microwave.

I trimmed the beets and scrubbed them as usual. Then I found a glass pie pan and placed the beets in it along with about 2 Tablespoons of water. I microwaved the beets at 350 degrees F for approximately 10 minutes until they tested soft when pierced with a knife. I let them them cool until I was able to peel them and proceeded with the roasted beet and kale salad recipe.

Roasted Beet and Kale Salad

6 medium-sized beets, trimmed and roasted
Approximately 2 cups kale, washed and trimmed
1 Tablespoon honey mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine roasted beets and kale in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Combine apple cider vinegar, honey mustard, honey, and olive oil in a small bowl. Whisk until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust flavors if needed.

Pour dressing over beets and kale and stir to coat vegetables completely. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let flavors meld together.



After dinner, the boys decided to go fishing, and Kevin and I sat down to watch a movie. As is usually the case, my sweet tooth went into overdrive. I searched through my Pinterest recipes and came across a single-serve microwavable chocolate cake recipe. I've never baked a cake in a microwave before, but as the oven was out of commission, I decided to give it a whirl. Wouldn't you know....as soon as I'd pulled out my cake from the microwave, the boys returned home from fishing! And I had 2 more cakes to make  lol.....but they were definitely worth it. I found the recipe on www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com

One-Minute Chocolate Cake

1 Tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 stevia packet (or 1 Tablespoon more sugar)
2-3 teaspoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla

Combine dry ingredients and mix very, very well. Add liquid; stir. Transfer to a little disk, ramekin, or coffee mug. Microwave 35-40 seconds (center will be soft like a lava cake center). If you don't want to eat your cake straight from the cup, be sure to spray your dish first (and then cool before trying to remove it).  Edit:  If you want a more cake-like texture, microwave each cake for 1 minute.

Ranch BLT Pasta Salad

As it's picnic and soon-to-be-reunion time in my family, I thought I'd share another Wildtree salad recipe that would make a delicious addition to any reunion table. And if your reunions are anything like mine, there won't be a bite left afterwards to eat!

Ranch BLT Pasta Salad

1 bag Wildtree Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix 1 cup light mayo 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 pound pasta, prepared according to package directions 8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 avocado, diced 2 cups arugula 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved In a mixing bowl combine the Ranch Dressing Mix, mayo, and Dijon mustard. Set aside. In a large bowl combine all other ingredients. Add the Ranch Dressing mixture to the rest of the salad and fold in until everything is evenly coated. Serve cold.

Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

One of the first recipes I bookmarked on the Wildtree recipe page was Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches. My family goes nuts over pulled pork, so this will be one of the first recipes I try as soon as my kit arrives this week. This just screams summer picnic!

Hickory Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon granulated garlic 3 pounds pork roast 2 tablespoons Wildtree Hickory Smoked Grapeseed Oil, divided ¾ cup Wildtree Cactus Pete’s Agave Barbeque Sauce ¼ cup water ¼ cup Wildtree Fresh & Easy Coleslaw Dressing 2 tablespoons light mayo 12 ounce bag coleslaw mix 8 buns Combine salt, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, and granulated garlic. Rub mixture over entire pork roast. Heat 1 tablespoon Hickory Smoked Grapeseed Oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the roast and sear on all sides. Transfer roast to a slow cooker. Whisk together Cactus Pete’s Agave Barbeque Sauce and water; add to the slow cooker. Cook the roast on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Pork should be very tender and shred easily. While the pork is cooking, prepare the slaw. Whisk together the Fresh & Easy Coleslaw Dressing and mayo. Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat in the dressing. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Once the pork is finished cooking, shred using 2 forks. Toss the pork in the liquid from the slow cooker; keep warm. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon Hickory Smoked Grapeseed Oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the red onion and mushrooms and sauté until tender and golden, about 20 minutes. Serve shredded pork on buns with sautéed mushrooms and onions and prepared coleslaw.  Serves 8.

Wildtree--I'm A New Rep!

I've been looking for something for a very long time for a business that would fit into my idea of what a healthy lifestyle would be. We garden, can produce, hunt, and fish and have done so for a very long time. I always wanted to know where our kids' food came from...no processed foods from the store. No excessive sugar or artificial products. I guess I was "green" a long time before it was popular. I grew up in a family who grew their own vegetables...my mom and both my grandmothers. My grandparents raised their own meat, made butter, and sold eggs to survive. I never knew they didn't have much....what they had was everything to me as a child, but I never truly appreciated it until I was grown up with children of my own.

I've fed my boys what we could grow in the backyard, and my husband supplied the meat (venison, catfish, chickens, and the occasional pig from the neighbors). We've eaten well without much means.

I've also worked from home for about 10 years now. I'm trained as a medical transcriptionist and have worked for a few clients across the country during this time. It's allowed me to be at home with the boys...to homeschool them when needed (high school mostly)...to be there for their school and sporting events. I've enjoyed the flexibility that working at home has brought to our lives.

As I move closer to being 50 years old, the old gal just can't do what she once could. Family medical conditions have caught up to me, and the physical demands of a transcriptionist are getting harder. If you've never worked at a desk for 8-12 hours at a stretch, this may not seem possible to you, but sitting in a chair for that long is tough work! I love what I do and have been happy to help the patients that I type for. Unfortunately, though, it takes a toll.

Big Smile:  I've found a company that fits what I've been looking for.....and I didn't even know it existed until just a few weeks ago! I've been transitioning the family to nonprocessed foods. I buy non-GMO, heirloom garden seeds and try to run our garden without any chemicals, using natural pest deterrents only. But I still needed to find a way to still work from home and make money to support my family. Wildtree is giving me that chance.

I stumbled across Wildtree one night as I was searching for companies who allowed you to work from home. I wanted it to be in the food industry, and it had to be a company focused on health. What I found was Leslie Montie's story about how Wildtree was founded:

Leslie Montie never dreamed she would become the founder of a company that helps families enjoy great tasting, nutritious meals in minutes.

When Leslie discovered that her two young children had medical conditions requiring special dietary restrictions, she began her search for healthy alternatives. "It was amazing how this impacted our entire family." recalls Leslie. "I needed to come up with meals that my children would not react to, yet still enjoy. And since I was a full-time working mom, they had to be easy to make." Leslie sought the help of her mother and father, Frank and Judy. As concerned parents and grandparents, they immediately began experimenting with new ways to flavor and prepare foods. "It was really a hit and miss sort of process and we came up with some great ideas," said Leslie. "I remember thinking that others could benefit from what we discovered; how to make mealtime an enjoyable and effortless experience, dietary restrictions or not!" Leslie's sincere desire to help others was the inspiration that led her to found Wildtree in 1996. Leslie and Judy began by selling their specialty blends at local cooking fairs. They were overwhelmed by the reception and quickly gained a loyal following. When an enthusiastic customer asked Leslie if she had considered selling through home parties, she loved the idea. "I held my first party a few weeks later and knew it was the ideal way to bring our products directly to families." The combination of Leslie's natural marketing ability, Judy's talent for product development and Frank's manufacturing expertise laid the foundation. Wildtree was officially launched in 1999 to local acclaim as a party plan company.

So...if you're looking for a way to earn some money from home and continue being organic, green, and help the ones in your family and around you, please consider Wildtree...either as a consumer or as a business opportunity. It just might be the answer you've been looking for.

Stuffed Mushrooms

A sleepless night had me surfing the Internet, and I stumbled on so many delicious-sounding recipes. We love stuffed mushrooms, and I found this keeper at www.sweetsugarbean.com

Sausage & Asiago Stuffed Mushrooms with Balsamic Glaze

20 large mushrooms, cleaned with damp paper towel, stem removed and saved for later use
2 links Italian sausage
1 tsp dried rosemary OR 2 tsp fresh, finely chopped
1 tsp dried fennel seed
1 onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces (120grams) cream cheese 
3 ounces (90grams) Asiago cheese, grated
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper

In a large bowl, toss the mushrooms with the balsamic vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and place in a preheated 350* oven for about 30 min.  Stir once or twice.  Remove from oven.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium high heat, squeeze the sausage meat out of the casing  and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart with the back of a spoon.  You want it fairly crumbly and in small pieces.  Stir in onions and garlic and spices, and cook a few minutes longer, until onion is softened.  (If you find that your sausage filling is too greasy, drain it on paper towel first before adding the cheese.) Remove from heat and place into a bowl, along with the cheeses (save some of the Asiago for topping).  Stir well to combine.   Take a teaspoon and fill each mushroom cap.  Sprinkle with  remaining Asiago.  Bake at 375* for about 30-40 minutes, until golden.  Can easily be doubled if feeding a large crowd.  

The next stuffed mushroom recipe I stumbled across was on www.italianfoodforever.com for Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms. These sound very similar to ones we had while in Des Moines, so I'm hoping to try these out very soon.

Ricotta Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

6 large mushrooms
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons finely minced onion.
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 red hot chile pepper, minced (optional)
3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 cup full-fat ricotta cheese
Salt and Pepper
5 Tablespoons freshly grated pecorino or Parmesan cheese
Olive oil for brushing

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Remove the stems of the mushrooms and chop them finely.

In a heavy frying pan, heat the olive oil and then add the mushrooms and onion. Cook until softened. Add the garlic and chile pepper, if using, and cook another minute or two.

Allow the mixture to cool and then add the parsley, tomatoes, and ricotta cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Lightly oil a baking sheet and place the mushroom caps cut side up. Brush the caps lightly with olive oil and then spoon the filling in.

Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender when pierced with a knife and the tops are lightly browned.

Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins and Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

When you have teenagers (and young adults) who have an endless stomach, you have to have snacks on hand. Trying to make them healthier snacks that are also tasty can sometimes be tough, but I found 2 recipes this weekend that everyone agreed were hits.

The first recipe I tried was Peanut Butter Banana Muffins. Really easy to make with ingredients I already had on hand. Doubling it was easy too, because I knew if they were a hit, I'd have to make more anyway!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
6 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare 10 muffin tins with either muffin cup papers or lightly spraying with vegetable oil.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Mix the banana, peanut butter, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and egg together in another bowl.

Mix the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined.

Fill the muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown.

Next on the snack list was trying my hand at homemade granola. We all love it, but it can get pricey to buy too often, so why not make it? I looked over lots of different recipes online and found one at honestcooking.com that sounded pretty good....and it was super easy and delicious.


Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

2 cups oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or other spices as desired (cardamom, nutmeg, etc.)
2-1/2 cups additions:  Dried fruit, seeds, nuts, flax meal, bran cereal, puffed rice cereal, crushed pretzels, chocolate chips...whatever you like. (I used chocolate chips, raisins, and black walnuts)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
6 Tablespoons olive oil, canola oil, other oils....or melted butter (I used butter)
1/4 cup honey, maple syrup, or Agave syrup
1 Tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Depending on desired thickness, line a square (8x8 or 9x9) or rectangular (9x13) baking dish with parchment paper (aluminum foil works too), then lightly grease the paper with a non-stick cooking spray, oil, or butter. Thicker bars are a little more decadent, if you're planning on using this as a dessert.

Process 1/3 cup of the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground.

If necessary, chop up dried fruit and nuts.

Stir together all dry ingredients (oats, ground oats, sugar, salt, cinnamon, fruits/seeds/nuts).

Whisk together wet ingredients (oil/butter, honey, peanut butter, and water).

Mix together wet and dry ingredients and then spread in the pan. Press firmly into the corners and edges so the top is even.

Bake for around 30 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Thicker bars will likely take longer, so you'll need to watch them, depending on how much batter you've spread in what size pan. The edges will become deep golden, and they may feel underdone in the center, but that's okay. They'll firm quite nicely as they cool.

Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes, then take them out of the pan using the parchment paper/foil. Let cool completely before cutting.

It's Jammin' Time: Strawberry Balsamic Jam....Plus Baking Powder Biscuits!

I've been craving strawberry jam all winter, and I finally got my hands on some strawberries yesterday. Going through all the different jam recipes I've accumulated, I decided to try a strawberry balsamic one that I've seen on a couple of different blogs. Balsamic vinegar really adds sweetness when heated...I use it all the time when I roast veggies, so it made sense that it would add sweetness to the strawberries, and boy did it! I think I've found my most favorite strawberry jam recipe :)

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

(This recipe is for 1 batch of jam....I doubled it, and it turned out awesome.)

2-1/2 pounds strawberries (about 7 cups), sliced
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar

Rinse and trim strawberries. Toss with lemon juice and then stir in the sugar. Let fruit macerate for about an hour or so until the juices start to run.

Place the berries in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. The strawberries will begin to break down as they heat up. (I used a potato masher to help speed up the breakdown process.)

Keep stirring over moderate heat until the mixture becomes translucent and has a nice rolling boil. Add balsamic vinegar and black pepper. A jell test on a spoon will let you know if the mixture has thickened enough, but this will not set up into a firm jam.

Skim off any foam and ladle into prepared half-pint jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield:  6 pints

And what good weekend breakfast is complete without some homemade baking powder biscuits to try out these jams on??

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold
3/4 cup milk, cold
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into mixer bowl with flat beater. Stir dry ingredients about 30 seconds to evenly mix together.

Cut cold butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs about the size of a pea.

Add milk and combine until the dough starts to cling to the beater. Avoid over-mixing.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough to 1/2-inch to 1-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or your favorite way). Place on greased cookie sheet and brush with melted butter, if using.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Yield:  Approximately 12 biscuits.

I had to try out both the spiced rhubarb jam (on the left), as well as the strawberry balsamic jam...both are delicious!!

It's Jammin' Time: Spiced Rhubarb Jam

Our rhubarb has done exceptionally well this year for only being 2 plants. We have started a new patch simply because I can't get enough of it, but that will be a year or two down the road before harvesting. I can usually get 2-3 rhubarb crisps a year from our 2 plants before something starts picking at it or it bolts and dies back, but for some reason this year I've had 5 crisps and even had some leftover to do something with. I'm definitely not complaining!

My first thought was to do something with strawberries, a natural choice, but as we haven't yet made it to the U-pick place, that will have to wait. I've been searching on Pinterest for yummy-sounding rhubarb recipes and came across a jam recipe on www.foodfanatic.com. It was a straight rhubarb jam...no lemon or orange, etc. I had pectin and I had sugar, so this was the ticket.

As I was making the recipe, I realized that it might be a bit bland for our tastes. When I make rhubarb crisp, I always put in cinnamon and nutmeg. So, I thought why not add the same spices to the jam? Should turn out tasting like rhubarb crisp in a jar....and it did! It's so delicious I hope I can get one more big picking from my rhubarb because I want to make another batch.

Here's the recipe:

Spiced Rhubarb Jam

6 cups rhubarb, cut into bite-sized pieces
3/4 cup water
4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1-3/4 ounces powdered pectin

In a large sauce pot, cook rhubarb in water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the rhubarb breaks down and becomes soft. You can a potato masher at this point to help break it down further, but leave some junks. It's jam, so you want some texture. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg. Let this simmer, stirring occasionally, while you get your jars ready.

When your water bath canner is simmering nicely and ready to go, add the pectin to the rhubarb mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Bring mixture back to a boil. Add sugar and boil hard for 1 minute. You'll need to stir constantly here to keep the mixture from sticking and scorching on the bottom. The color will change just a little here...mine got more rosy colored when I added the sugar.

Fill hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Add lids and rings. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Yield:  7 half-pints

Canning 101: Green Beans

It's not quite time to can green beans here in Iowa, but I've gotten some questions on how to can veggies, and for me, one of the easiest vegetables to start canning is green beans. The process itself is extremely easy, although if you grow green beans like we do, it will be time intensive. We usually grow several 75-foot long rows of beans, and by the time you pick, stem/snap, and wash them you've put in several hours (unless you have a buddy help you)....and you have yet to process them. But once you get to this stage of the game, the rest is just a matter of getting the beans processed and waiting.

As it's too early here for me to have taken pictures of my own canning station, I have borrowed pictures from http://www.simplycanning.com/canning-green-beans.html  This is a terrific site with so much information on canning, and I highly recommend adding this blog to your reading list.

To get your green beans ready for processing, snap off both ends of the bean. Inspect the bean for any blemish (bug bites, rust spots, etc.). Snap beans into bite-sized pieces and wash to remove any dirt and debris. Try to only work up how many beans you can do in one canning session. You can put the remaining beans in the refrigerator for another day to finish them, but once you snap them, they'll dry out if you don't get them processed.

When your beans are ready to can, here's what you do:


Step By Step Instructions For Canning Green Beans (Raw Pack Method)

• Carefully inspect all the canning jars you'll be using. No matter how careful you are, you're bound to have jars that develop nicks and chips. These are only good for display now...never use an imperfect jar to can with. Also on that note, while your mothers and grandmothers may have used whatever jars they had on hand when they canned, chances are they were using an open-water boil canner (and boiled the food for hours), do not use non-commercial jars in a pressure canner. They will not take the pressure, and you'll have a huge mess on your hands. Or if they seem to have survived the process, they may not seal properly, putting you and your family at risk for botulism, etc. While you can technically use other types of jars if using a water bath canner (and I have in the past), I've decided my family's health is too important to not use the proper equipment, and that means commercial-grade canning jars.
• Wash jars and closures (the rings) in hot soapy water. Rinse. Leave jars in hot water until you're ready to use them.
• Loosely pack green beans into hot jars, leaving 1-inch head space (measure down 1 inch from top of the jar to see where this is). Do not shake or press down. Add canning salt to each jar:  1/2 teaspoon of salt to each pint jar or 1 teaspoon salt to each quart jar.

• Cover beans with boiling water, leaving a 1-inch head space. (You need this head space for expansion as the beans process.) Remove air bubbles using plastic spatula or other utensil (don't use metal...you could damage the jar). Wipe rims with clean cloth.

• Apply lids and adjust caps until finger tight.

• Process in a pressure canner, pints for 35 minutes and quarts for 40 minutes, at 10 pounds of pressure.

• You'll want to have a constant pressure during the time required. I have a 22-qt. Mirro canner, and if you're new to pressure canning, the 35 minutes or 40 minutes is the time that the canner is at the pressure you need, not from the time you close the canner lid until you pull the jars out. All canners will have their own instruction booklet, but for my Mirro, when I start the canner on high heat, I have to wait until the pressure builds up (without my weight being used on top) and steam is released from the vent for a good 5 minutes. Then I put on the weight...and wait. When that weight starts to jiggle, I then turn down the heat on the canner until the weight is jiggling about 4-5 times per minute and stays at that level. It will take a little practice, but before long you'll know where that setting is on your stove and how far to turn down the heat. If the weight jiggles too much, you have too much pressure and could end up with broken jars. If it doesn't wiggle enough, the pressure is too low, and you probably won't end up with a good seal.

When you've processed the beans, you'll turn off the heat and wait again. Depending on your canner and the number of jars, you may wait 30 minutes to an hour for the pressure to come down before you can open the lid and remove your beans. Use a pair of canning tongs to remove the jars and set them in a draft-free place ( I put them on a towel on the table.)

You'll need to let the jars sit for at least 12 hours (overnight is fine) before you test your seals. If you keep count as you hear the lids seal (I call it a "ping" sound), that will make it easier to tell if everything sealed properly, but it's not necessary to listen all night for them. When you go to check the seal, carefully press down on the lid...if it doesn't spring back at you, it's sealed. You'll be able to see the center of the lid "bubble" and not be flat like the rest of the lid if it's not. Put the jar in the refrigerator and eat it as soon as possible. The seal isn't good, and you'll risk illness if you put it on the shelf and forget about it. Yes, you can re-can the beans if you like (I've done it before). Just use a different jar and new lid and process with your next batch of green beans. Never reuse a jar lid...they're only made for a one-time use (I'm talking about the traditional Ball and Kerr canning lids, not the ones that can be reused.)

Remove the rings. Wash and label your jars and put them on a shelf that will be cool and dark to store.

See...that wasn't so bad was it? You've just canned green beans! Wait until you taste them, if you haven't before. I swear you'll never ever buy canned green beans from the store again. :)

Last of the Spinach Harvest...For Now

I picked more spinach today, and it's just about done for the spring crop. We'd had a short heat burst last week, and it really bolted fast this year. Will try to do a fall spinach planting...but since we've said this many years and haven't ever, will see if we get this far. Usually when it's time to plant a fall crop, I'm knee-deep in green beans and tomatoes that I just don't have the time for more spinach.

Kevin got in the squash this week....he planted zucchini, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, cashaw, and pie pumpkins. I have lots of new pickle recipes that I want to try with the summer squash, as well as the usual and traditional quick breads and baked squash.

He's also busy rebuilding our wooden tomato cages. We've been using these things for years, and they have just about given up in being useful after so many years in the weather. Good news, though, is Kev found an idea using old cattle panels and bending them into tomato cages. He's getting to them as he can, but when they're all done, we won't need to worry about rebuilding any cages for a long time!

I kept busy weeding the peas and cucumbers, and then we put up the pickle fence for the cukes to grow up. Really does make picking cucumbers that much easier...and less back breaking!

Blueberry Vanilla Muffins

Today was a lazy Sunday, and what better time to make some muffins for brunch? I went looking on the Internet for a homemade blueberry muffin recipe, and I found one that sounded good on www.willcookforsmiles.com website. She used both buttermilk and vanilla paste, neither of which I had on hand, so I improvised. The muffins turned out very yummy, and I've been told to make these again :)

Here's the recipe I used:


Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 teaspoons good vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
1-1/2 cups milk
2 cups blueberries (I used frozen but can use fresh if you have them)


Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease a muffin pan with some baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg, sugar, melted butter, and milk. Stir in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk together until smooth.

Whisk in the vanilla. Fold in blueberries.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full with batter and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done using toothpick to test. (Mine took about 27 minutes.) Enjoy!

Tending the Garden: Kale #2

Today I was able to get into the gardens for the first time in a week. Last Saturday I'd picked the first of our kale, which is a new crop for us this year. I'd fully intended to get back to the garden last Sunday to pick the rest of it, but, of course, here in Iowa wait a few minutes and the weather will change. And it did...starting last Sunday and continuing through most of the week, we ended up with 4 inches of rain total. Way too wet in the gardens to do anything but sink in.....so both the weeds and the kale had lots of time to grow!

I definitely can see what the advantages are to having raised garden beds. Not only can you reduce weeds, but if you have a week of wet weather, you can still harvest your crops when they need it. Maybe someday, for a few crops anyway, I'll try my hand at raised gardens.

It really turned out to be nice kale. We planted Dwarf Siberian kale, not knowing anything about kale on how to grow, etc. I've been impressed so far. It's producing well so far, and while I've heard lots of people say that kale will grow straight through until frost, I'm still waiting to see how it will do if we have drought-like conditions. Our soil has a lot of clay in it, and while we've improved it over the years with organic material tilled in....it is still a clay-based soil and that can get rock-hard in a drought. I also am thinking about trying some of the full-sized varieties....if you have a favorite, please share what it is. :)

I ended up with 4 large dishpans overflowing with the kale, and while I did use some tonight for dinner in a kale slaw, I still ended up with 8 pretty full freezer quart bags. Definitely takes some time to de-rib all the large leaves that had too much time to grow this week.....will be watching closer and pick if I think it's going to be wet for a few days in a row.

Making Homemade Pasta

I've always wanted to make homemade pasta. Any kind. My mother-in-law made homemade noodles. My sister-in-law makes homemade noodles. Our oldest son learned to make homemade noodles from my sister-in-law Eileen, and he makes pretty darn good ones. For Christmas one year, she and I each gave him a pasta roller machine (great minds think alike!), and I got myself the pasta attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. That was over 5 years ago, and my attachment has been sitting on a shelf ever since. I'd let everyone else make the pasta, and I just enjoyed it.

Yesterday I decided the box had collected enough dust, so I dusted it off and tried my hand at making homemade spaghetti. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I didn't realize that these probably aren't the noodles to try on your first attempt at pasta making :) But Kevin jumped in to help in the end, and all in all, it turned out edible. Travis, our youngest son, said it was actually pretty good, so I must have done something right!

I used Bob's Red Mill basic pasta recipe using semolina flour. Really is an easy recipe to make, in my opinion anyway.

BOB'S BASIC PASTA RECIPE

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
2 eggs, or 3 egg whites, beaten
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-1/2 cups semolina pasta flour

Directions

Combine semolina and salt, add beaten eggs (or egg whites), water and oil. Mix to make a stiff dough. Knead 10 minutes or until dough is elastic. Wrap dough in towel or place in plastic bag and let rest for 20 minutes. On a lightly floured surface roll out to desired thickness and cut as desired.


To top of the homemade pasta, the sauce was definitely a shoot-from-the-hip recipe using what was hand in the cupboard plus some fresh spinach and herbs from the garden. I think it turned out yummy, and I'll be making it again soon. While I'm listing a recipe for this sauce, please know that I generally cook as my grandmothers did: Add this and that, taste, and adjust until it is how you like it. Measurements and amounts really are approximate, as I didn't measure anything exactly. Use your tastebuds and adjust the sauce to your liking...and if you make adjustments or additions, let me know what you did and how it turned out :)

Creamy Tomato Sauce For Pasta

1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 quart home-canned tomatoes (drained of liquid)
1/8 cup dry red wine
1 small can mushrooms, chopped
Chopped fresh baby spinach, approximately 1/2 cup
Fresh basil, chopped, approximately 3 tablespoons
Fresh oregano, approximately 2 tablespoons
Fresh thyme, approximately 1 tablespoon
Heavy cream, approximately 1/4 cup
Parmesan cheese, approximately 1/4 cup
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add in tomatoes, red wine, and mushrooms. Lower heat and let sauce reduce while you work on the pasta, stirring occasionally.

When you start cooking your fresh pasta, add in the chopped spinach and fresh herbs. Add salt and pepper, adjusting to taste. When spinach and herbs have nicely wilted, add in cream and Parmesan cheese. Continue to simmer to keep warm, but don't let sauce boil. Be sure to taste and adjust any seasonings if needed. Serve hot over fresh pasta.


Overall the meal was tasty. There are some things I will do differently the next time I make homemade pasta, like make really big noodles or ravoli so that I don't have to mess with tiny spaghetti noodles (at least until I get the hang of it!), but it was fun, and I'll definitely do this again.

One Bowl Brownies--Redux

It's still too wet in the gardens today to do much of anything, and since Travis, our youngest son, and I were having chocolate craving, I decided to experiment with my favorite one-bowl brownie recipe. I've posted the original recipe in an earlier blog post, but I wanted to figure out a way to eliminate the 1 cup of vegetable oil that recipe calls for. Don't get me wrong...the original recipe is a very good one, but after researching how bad vegetable oils can be to your health, with the exception, of course, of olive oil, I wanted to try the recipe with coconut oil. As it's nice and warm in my kitchen, my coconut oil was in liquid form, so today was the perfect time to experiment!

One-Bowl Brownies Take 2

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup liquid coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until completely combined. Using the coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil will definitely make the texture thicker than the original recipe (see pictures below). Pour into an 8 x 10-inch greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes, or until they test done. Frost with your favorite frosting/icing when cooled.

The texture of this brownie version is definitely more cake-like, not that it bothers me at all! While it did test as done when I checked with a toothpick, the very center still seemed a little softer...definitely needed to be eaten with a fork than with your hands. All in all, though, it was very tasty....the coconut flavor was mild, yet it still reminded me of a Mounds bar without the actual coconut texture.

Indian Lentils, Sourdough Bread, and Fresh Lettuce with Creamy Garlic Dressing

I think I went on a garlic overload tonight. I personally love garlic, and the more the merrier. Even so, I took into consideration that my family, while they do like garlic, aren't the fanatics that I happen to be.

For dinner tonight, I decide to raid the cupboards and make something from whatever I found. I took inventory of the ingredients I had on hand and went surfing to find a recipe that would work with those ingredients. As I'm trying hard to eat more healthy meals, I wanted to do a vegetarian dinner, and in a house full of carnivores, that can be tough to do! I stumbled across two different recipes for lentils with an Indian-style theme. The first was from www.feedmephoebe.com and her Red Lentil and Spinach Masala. The other recipe was from www.wholenewmom.com and her Indian Red Lentils recipe. Of course, I had to make it my own, so I combined parts of each recipe, and I liked how it turned out.

Here's what I did:


Indian-Inspired Lentil Stew

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 quart Roma tomatoes (home canned). Can substitute 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2-1/2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
3-1/2 cups chicken broth
Approximately 5 ounces fresh spinach, chopped
Approximately 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

In a large stockpot, cook onions and garlic in the olive oil until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the cumin, garam masala, cilantro, and turmeric. Cook until fragant, about 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, scraping up any of the brown bits that formed on the bottom of the pan. Add the lentils and coconut milk. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to keep from sticking. Turn down the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Right before serving, stir in the spinach and basil.

While I love Indian food, this was my first attempt at making it myself. I thought it was really good. This is a vegetarian dish, although it would be equally good with some shredded chicken breast and some chopped jalapenos for extra heat if you like a spicy dish. All in all, I'll be making this again.


I made the Easy Sourdough Artisan Bread again to accompany this (see previous posts). This time I used only white whole wheat flour and baked it in a small cast iron Dutch oven. I really liked how the texture turned out when baking it this way, so I know it will be done this way a lot more in the future.

We also had tons of loose leaf lettuce from the garden to use in a salad tonight, and I wanted to make a creamy garlic salad dressing. This is where I think the garlic overload happened...again, I love garlic, but I was kindly told at dinner to cut back on the amount of garlic next time :)

Here's that recipe:

Creamy Garlic Dressing

1 tablespoon loosely packed, minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip as I ran out of time to make homemade)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (fresh or from the green can is fine)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Smear the garlic and salt together wtih a chef knife to form a paste. In a bowl, mix the garlic paste, mayo, sugar, pepper, and Parmesan cheese together. Whisk in the vinegar and the olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

***Note: The next time I make this, I'm going to put everything into the blender to make sure all the garlic is finely distributed throughout. Nothing worse than getting a bite of pure garlic, which can happen no matter how small you mince and grind into a paste!

Sourdough Bread and Rosemary Chicken

While I had planned to work on more kale today, after picking the first row yesterday and putting 4 quart bags in the freezer, the rain we got overnight put an end to that idea. We ended up with 0.8 inches, but it came fast, and the garden with the kale was completely soaked. It will be a few days before I can get in there without sinking in up to my knees.

So, I decided to spend my day cooking. The sourdough starter needed to be used today anyway, so that was the first task at hand. If you've never made homemade sourdough bread, you're missing out on a delicious treat. It really is easy to get a starter going, and if taken care of, it will last you a long, long time. And with so many yummy recipes to be found on the Internet, you will be sure to find one that you and your family absolutely love.

My starter (and quite a few of my bread recipes) come from Better Homes & Gardens The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Making. These recipes can, of course, be converted to traditional oven baking, but when it's hot outside (like today---about 85 degrees here in Iowa), I don't like to heat up the house by baking in the oven, so I get out my well-used bread machine. I'd hate to guess how many loaves this little machine has made (thanks again Mom for the Christmas present from way back!!). I can just add the ingredients, watch for just a short time to make sure the dry-to-wet ingredient ratio is going to work, and then go about my business outside...and when I come back inside, I'm greeted with the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread. I think that's one of the best smells in the world!

I absolutely love King Arthur flours...perfect to use whether using a bread machine or traditional bread baking. I also use Bob's Mill products (gluten, wheat germ, etc.). Wonderful products.

BASIC SOURDOUGH STARTER:

1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)
3/4 cup warm water (105-115 degrees F)
3 cups warm water (105-115 degrees F)
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons granulated sugar or brown sugar

Directions:

To make starter: Dissolve the yeast in the 3/4 cup warm water. Add the the 3 cups warm water. Stir in flour and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer or medium speed just until smooth. Cover with cotton cheesecloth (I use a dish towel, which works just fine). Let stand at room temperature (75 to 85 degrees F) for 5-10 days, or until mixture has a sour, fermented aroma, stirring 2-3 times every day. (A warmer room sppeds the process.) When the starter has fermented, transfer to a 2-quart or larger plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. (Note: I actually leave my starter out in room temperature, or at least I have so far. Will see how it acts this summer...may refrigerate it then. In any case, as I usually bake bread every other day or so, I go through the starter fast enough I haven't had an issue with leaving it on the counter.)

To use starter: Stir starter thoroughly after removing it from the refrigerator. Measure amount needed; bring to room temperature. (The cold starter should be the consistency of buttermilk or thin pancake batter. If necessary, add water to thin the starter after it is stirred and before measuring.) Use starter in your favorite sourdough recipe.

****After using your starter, you will need to "feed" it. For every cup of starter used, replenish the remaining starter by stirring in 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup warm water, and 1 teaspoon granulated or brown sugar. Cover; let mixture stand at room temperature for at least 1 day or until bubbly. Refrigerate. If not used within 10 days, stir in 1 teaspoon granulated or brown sugar. Repeat every 10 days unless starter is replenished.

SOURDOUGH WHEAT BREAD

**For 1-1/2-pound loaf (16 slices)

1-1/4 cups sourdough starter
1/4 cup milk or water
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons gluten flour
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)

**For 2-pound loaf (22 slices)

1-1/2 cups sourdough starter
2/3 cup milk or water
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons gluten flour (will be the same amount no matter which size loaf you make)
4 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast)

**Directions:

Select the loaf size. Add the ingredients to your machine according to the manufacturer's direcgtions. If available, select the whole grain cycle, or select the basic white bread cycle.

Now for the Rosemary Chicken:

I had a package of leg quarters in the freezer, and I was trying to think up something different than the usual BBQ, honey mustard/Panko recipes that I always use. I was surfing the Internet and found a food blog (I'm sorry I don't remember which one as I looked at many) where they talked about different marinades. Sounded easy enough and I'd been wanting to prune back my rosemary in the garden anyway.

Here's the marinade I ended up making:

Lemon Rosemary Garlic Marinade

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I only use Bertolli's as it is actual olive oil...some other brands may not actually be olive oil!)
3-4 gloves of garlic, depending on size of cloves and your preference
2 large springs of fresh rosemary
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used bottled as I was out of lemons...but fresh would be awesome)
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pick off the rosemary leaves and place in bowl. Peel and smash the garlic cloves (smashing releases the yummy garlic flavors better) and add to the bowl. Add in the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and whisk everything togeter until well combined. Taste to see if you need more salt and pepper. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate them covered in the refrigerator at least 4 hours (overnight would be better). Discard marinade. Bake chicken until juices run clear at 375 degrees F. Can also grill chicken until done (which would be delicious too).


No picture yet of the chicken, as it's still marinading...but the marinade was delicious so I'm anxious to get this bird finished so we can eat!