Roasted Pecans

Did you know that the nuts you buy at the store are often not as good for you as they could be because of the chemicals and processes they have undergone?

I didn't either. That's another one of those things I learned when I read Nourishing Traditions. I also learned that soaking nuts and seeds (as well as grains and flours) helps remove naturally occurring substances that can make it harder to digest them.

I am sure there are recipes online for preparing all types of nuts. I more or less use the recipe in Nourishing Traditions. I have tried almonds and pecans. I wasn't a fan of the almonds, but I might try again and add more salt. That's what I did with the pecans and I found that, in addition to the nutritional benefits, we really enjoy the taste of these, much more than the ones we buy at the store already roasted.

I add a bag of pecans, approximately 4 cups, to a container large enough to accommodate the pecans and several cups of warm water. I bought my pecans at Costco. Not the healthiest, but I'm on a tight budget so I do what I can.

Nourishing Traditions calls for just a couple teaspoons of sea salt. I add a full Tablespoon. At least. I stir it all together until I know the salt has mostly dissolved. I come back and stir it a few times. Unless I'm sleeping while they soak. Then they just are what they are. I let it soak for at least 7 hours, usually just overnight. When I get up, I turn the oven on to 200 or 225, then strain the water out using a colander, making sure it's pretty well drained. I pour the pecans onto a baking sheet in a layer and stick them in the oven. I leave them there at least all day. Of course I have to sample once in awhile to make sure the salt is right. If it's not seeming to be quite salty enough, I sprinkle on a little more, but only if the nuts are still moist.

At the end of the day, I usually turn the oven off, but leave the nuts in there. When I get up the next morning, they are perfectly done and ready to top my yogurt!

Let me know if you try it!

It's official. I'm ready for summer.
Well, at least I will be by the time it gets here.

I FINALLY made sauerkraut again. My mouth is watering just at the thought of it. On a polish dog. Or just plain. Cuz it's really, really good. Well, it will be. 

I've made this recipe many times before. My Mr. Picky Pants used to love it when he was a baby and would practically make a meal of it. Once I added shredded apple to it and it was pretty good. If I ever did it again, I'd leave the apples in bigger pieces because I don't really like soft apples. 

If you haven't read about lacto-fermentation, you should Google it. I first read about it in my favorite, most life-changing cookbook, Nourishing Traditions. I have it in hard copy and on my Kindle. That way I can look up a recipe whenever I am (there's a new one now for babies and kids too. Can't wait to get my hands on it!). So anyway, I learned about lacto-fermenting food there. It's much like pickling, only way better for you. After doing alot of reading, in addtion to the wealth of knowledge in that book, it's my understanding that, while pickling veggies and such in vinegar does preserve them, it lacks the health benefits of lacto-fermenting. And it doesn't taste nearly so delicious.

In order to lacto-ferment food, one must have whey. In fact, this is teh third time I have purchased cabbage in order to make sauerkraut, but then didn't make it because I could not find a close source of the culture needed to make any cultured item I'd need to make in order to get whey. Well, when I was out of town visiting friends recently, we went to a garden store and -- lo and behold, they had what I needed! So I finally made chevre this week. I can't stand the taste of goat milk. But I like the chevre I make because, when I make it for myself,  I make it with cow milk. Which begs the question -- is it still chevre? I'll have to look into that, but it gave me whey and that's what I was going for. Another plus for using cow milk is that the whey I got will leave no goaty aftertaste in my fermented foods. 

Here's chevre I had this morning, with pepper jelly and crackers. Yummy. 

If you decide to make this, do it soon. It takes some time to sit and ferment. Just how much time varies, depending on your taste. You need to let it sit out for 3 days, then refrigerate, but it still needs to age in there. I like mine at least several weeks old. 

I used two and a half heads this time.

Then I cut it up into small pieces. As with the apples, I used to shred it.
But I like the texture better when I cut it up small, but not so small as to be shredded.

 

Then I add sea salt, whey and caraway seeds. If you don't like caraway, you don't have to add it, but I love it!
I found this cool, very old crushing tool years ago. Someone told me it has an actual name.
It's kind of like a big pestle, as in "mortar and pestle" , but that wasn't it. Whatever you use, you need to do it for about ten minutes or so to release plenty of juices.

When I pack my jars, I use the wood pestle pounding thingy to push in down so the liquid will cover it.
My tool is perfect because it just fits perfectly into a wide mouth canning jar.

Now for sunny days, friendship, eating outside and sauerkraut! 

I can't wait!

It's Sad, Really

It's sad, really. 

Most people know when they've strategized and plotted and planned to harm people, been involved with people in ways they shouldn't, doing things they shouldn't. Most know when they have or are living a fake life, when deception is their main thing. Most know when they find glee in hurting, or in triumphing by hurt and pain caused unjustly and dishonestly. Most know when they've lied about those things outright OR by omission, and gotten key people to believe them and help cause more pain and damage to their intended person, as well as collateral, often innocent victims, such as children. And they certainly know of their intentions and successes to gather people around them and join them, knowingly or unwittingly, in perpetuating all of it.

Did I mention gleeful?

It's even more sad when that kind of person intentionally finds ways to gather more information in order to cause further harm. Especially when the people affected by their behavior write about the pain and grief that has been caused by them, then they intentionally stalk those forums for more ammo. Feeling glee and triumph if they see any sadness, or anything they can twist for further use against them.

These people KNOW, and so do these. And often they do nothing to change it.

It's sad, really.  

Menu Plan Monday: French Dips

Funny how comforting it feels to start a post for Mean Plan Monday. It's been awhile, and gives me a feeling of "normal" even though my "normal" has changed!

Going from cooking for eight, then for fewer and fewer until now I cook for anywhere from just one to four or five, depending on who I'm with. It's been quite an adjustment learning to cook for less people, and I have friends and family who have enjoyed the fact that it is taking me some time to realize I don't need to make much food.

Between new business endeavors, including getting my Etsy shop back up and running (this week I hope!) and getting ready to sell some recently acquired treasures via Craigslist, picking up kids from school (their father decided to move 45 minutes away from where the family house is, where I apparently have to stay until it sells -- so it's alot of driving back and forth), and lots of other things, I'm definitely keeping busy! But, just as always, despite how busy I may be, having home-cooked meals with and for my kids continues to be something important to me. 

I hope you are ready for fall and pumpkin patches and cooking food in the crockpot! Let me know if you try any of the recipes I include below, and how you like them.

Thinking of Pumpkin Butter and SOUP, and maybe Soup's On Saturday...





Here are some things I have made in the past couple of weeks that I thought I'd share:


~ Homemade pizza using Trader Joe's or bread machine pizza crust. I've made this with or for the kids every Friday night for close to two years now. Now that I only get every other Friday with the kids, I make sure we keep doing it. My daughter especially always wants to have it. I think it is part the yummy pizza and part just feeling like "normal" and keeping tradition. I think I will post more about this in a couple weeks.



~ Taco Corn Chip Casserole This was a recipe I found while searching out instructions for a home decor idea a friend mentioned. It turned out to be a good recipe we enjoyed. And I had leftovers to share with friends the next day. They loved it too! (Suzy is dressed kind of risque but just scroll down and you will see the recipe right away!)

Her photo is prettier than mine, but mine sure tasted good:)

I made a small dish for Mr. Picky. NO veggies. 

Watermelon went great with it!

I have made French Dips for my family for years. 

It is something everyone has loved. 

Well, except Mr. Picky Pants. But that's just him. 

Despite the warm days, it started getting chilly outside this week in the mornings and evenings 

so it was a perfect time to make a favorite hot sandwich. 

Ingredients:
Sliced Roast Beef
Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
Mushrooms
Onions
Green peppers if desired
Jack or Mozzarella cheese
Au Jus

To make them, I saute mushrooms and onions in my red pan in some olive oil, bacon fat, or butter. If you like peppers, you'd add those too. I would normally add some salt, but au jus is pretty salty, and you are going to dip thirsty bread into it and soak it up, so use caution if you aren't familiar with au jus.

For heating the roast beef, I use one of several methods; I have added the sliced roast beef to the mushrooms and onions as they are sauteing, but some people don't like the veggies on their sandwich and it's hard to pick them out. I have also heated the au jus in my red fry pan then added the roast beef until heated through. This is my favorite method because the au jus gets into the beef and the beef gets into the au jus and it's really quite yummy when the juice soaks into the bread. In a pinch (when I get started late!), I have also microwaved the beef -- but please do not repeat this because I wouldn't want word to get out.

I have used packaged au jus many times, especially when we're camping. But, as noted above, the sodium content is very high, so read your package and try to choose the one with least sodium. This is not sea salt! And make sure there is no MSG. I have also used canned Beef Consomme which is really good. Using a home cooked, cooked-down beef bone broth is best. For extra tang, to the consomme or home cooked beef broth, I like to add a couple teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and sometimes a little garlic.

When I have the "innards" all warm and ready, I broil sourdough sandwich buns under the broiler until lightly browned. This step helps to prevent the bread from getting too soggy, breaking off, and becoming a floater when it is dipped into the au jus. Then I place sliced or grated mozzarella or jack cheese on one or both sides, depending on who I'm cooking for and how much cheese I have, and place back under the broiler until cheese is melted.


Now add the meat and veggies as desired. You must cut in half to get good dipping leverage. Dip, and enjoy!

Living

It's hard to start posting again, like nothing has happened, when my world is shaken and my life seems so diminished. But, I am strong -- or so they say. My PsyD counselor says I am "resilient" (too bad the 'powers that be' did not listen to her and changed her words to fit their agenda) and I guess I am. As I've told friends who are also in hard situations, and others who have been affected by what has happened in my life -- and remember this because one day you, too, may need to know it; We are stronger than we think, and stronger than we want to be. If that day comes, I will cry with you, then I will remind you that yes, yes you can...

Okay, now. On to LIVING... 

I love vintage. 

I love whimsical. 

So little wall signs, mostly from the 50's-70's, that have cute little sayings, verses, jokes, etc. strike my fancy, because they are often both. Usually depending on what vintage they are, they come in metal, wood, chalkware, cast iron, and other materials. I'll show off some of mine to you from time to time. 

This is one I found recently. I thought it was timely. I chuckled. I hope you will too.

Isn't this the TRUTH? 

STRENGTH and "SCHMARTS" be yours,

Life Unravels

Well HELLLOOOO Readers. Helloooo? You there? 

Yoooo-hooooo...anyone? Tap, tap, tap...

Testing, testing...

I know... If you are there, I'm totally spoiled by blog readers and by those of you who haven't removed me from your blog reading lists.



Life has a very odd way of not turning out the way we hope, pray, and expect. My dream of life since I was a small girl was to be married to one man my whole life and to raise a loving, caring, close family. I have acted upon that at every turn and put my whole self into blessing my family.


My lifelong dream has been crushed. Cruelly and with malice aforethought, by someone bent on destruction and retribution. Someone who is frantic for appearances, and desperate not to have to live an authentic life.

I took a blog break because of some personal things that were happening and I was prioritizing, taking each blow as it came and still maintaining my home then getting it ready to sell, caring for my children and all that entails, and doing lots of activities with my kids and family and friends -- which I did and did well.  I never would have known, in a million years, that I would have to PROVE I was functioning well.

Or I would have kept up my blog, kept each and every receipt, photographed each and every grocery trip, each and every meal and activity and journaled each and every moment with my kids and what I did every day.

It's very sad that some people are so clever as to rewrite history effectively enough that they get others to believe them. Those who know me know what truth is, and they have walked and are walking with me through it all, even as I write.

There are those who know and have known the truth, but have remained silent because they are afraid (some people are very intimidating) or because it's easier and more comfortable to "stay out of it". I am sorry for those people, because they have to live with themselves. I broke away and I have been pounded and shamed for it, yet I hold my head high because I do know the Truth, and Truth will prevail, with or without your help.

There are those who might wonder, 

but you know deep in your heart, 

when you ponder what you have seen and heard, 

both the obvious and the nuances. 

You know. 

And you know what? 

Even with the very high price I am paying, I am glad I broke away. 

So very, very glad. 

Happier and happier as each day goes by. 

Thank you God for new beginnings. 

God is still sovereign and He loves me. 

I hope and pray that each of you is in a wonderful, mutually loving and caring marriage. But, if you are a SAHM mother, especially a homeschool mother, and your marriage is threatened in any way, my advice to you is to try your best and, while you are, keep track of all of these things, have plenty of witnesses, take photos and JOURNAL, JOURNAL, JOURNAL. 

Okay, enough about that.



Life moves on and so must I. 

Yogurt in an Igloo

There are lots of posts around the internet for how to make your own yogurt. Google away, and you'll probably find at least ten different ways to do it.

Some call for raw milk and others say that won't work because of the competing good bacteria. One calls for for powdered milk, another says you can use non-fat, 1%, 2%, or whole milk. Opinions vary from using a powdered culture to using store-bought plain yogurt. "You MUST hang your yogurt to get a non runny product". "Don't bother hanging it, it's just fine without". Different temps, use the oven, use a yogurt maker, use a cooler...

Yep. Lots of opinions.

And they probably all work just fine.

For myself, it's all about making it simple. And cheap. And deeeelicious.

I originally followed directions for using the oven and the results were sorta slimy. So then I tried using the cooler because, by golly, I was NOT purchasing another space taker-upper for my kitchen (as in a yogurt maker)!

The cooler worked great. But then, the stopper to my cooler broke off and got, um, misplaced. And the other cooler is huge and needs a good cleaning. And they took so much water and so much space while they did their magic.

So here's what I use and it is PERFECT:

Okay, so it's the brand Igloo. But "Yogurt in an Igloo" sounds so much
more fun than saying "Yogurt in a Drink Dispenser".

It perfectly fits four one quart canning jars (that's a gallon to all of you who maybe forgot). It doesn't take much water or space, and it makes the yogurt turn out creamy and delicious!

So, here's the skinny:

~ Turn on your tea kettle filled with water.

~ Sterilize 4 one quart canning jars and lids.

~ Bring ONE GALLON MILK to 175-180 degrees F. If you want to be precise, you really won't need the entire gallon. But pretty close, so mayizwell play it safe and just do the whole gallon. Then let it cool to 105-110 so the heat doesn't kill your squirmy little active cultures.

OPINION ALERT: If you are buying organic milk from a trusted source, go for whole milk. If you cannot afford that, get skim. I personally think that getting the proper amount of fat is healthy, especially for growing children. But research shows that toxins are stored in fat cells. So if you don't know what is going into the cow that makes your milk, try not to ingest the fat.

~ Pour the milk divided evenly between your 4 sterilized quart jars that have been allowed to cool. Don't get stressed about who gets more. The jars won't care. Just be sure you leave a few inches at the top so you have room for the cultured yogurt.

~ Drop in about a quarter cup of plain active yogurt into each jar and stir. Just plop it in, no need to measure precisely. Well, I don't. But my sister who asked for these instructions probably will, because she's a precise kind of girl. She'll be happy I told her a quarter cup instead of a plop.

~ Place caps on jars. Screw lids down tightly. You don't want watery yogurt do you?

~ Now, you are going to need to fill the Igloo to just below where the jar lids will be, with water that is between 105-110 degrees. I try for 110 or a scad (sorry about the non-measurable measurement Sis) bit higher myself. I fill it about halfway with faucet-warm water, then take it's temp and add boiling water or cold water until I get it right. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT put your jars of yogurt in first, then dump boiling water in, thinking you will cool it. It's gonna kill those active lil cultures. Water first, then jars.

~ Put your jars in the Igloo. If you've filled it past where the bottoms of the lids end up, drain some out.

No Silly. Not that Igloo.

See, what'd I tell ya? They fit perfectly.

The N on one lid was so I knew which one was which when I tried Nancy's plain yogurt for one
of the starters. It was a pretty nice starter, just slightly tangier than when I used the
powdered culture and every bit as creamy.

Make sure your Igloo is in a warmish area, or wrap it real good with some towels or a blanket. I put mine in front of a heat vent in the laundry room.

Now go have a glass of kombucha or kefir and read all about how healthy it is for you and your family to ingest as many good, live, cultured foods as possible.

Then, for goodness sakes, go to bed before the sun comes up. That yogurt is going to need a good 8 hours in it's bath. It is very shy, plus you don't want to allow precious heat to escape, so DO NOT OPEN THE LID.(Alternatively, I hear you can make it early in the day and let it sit for about 8 hours, then refrigerate. I have not tried doing that.)

Dream about bunnies and rainbows and unicorns. Or a pina colada on a beach in Bora, Bora. Or about one day having your entire house clean and your laundry done all at the same time for an entire hour. Whatever puts you in your happy place so you can get some good REM Zzzzs.

When you wake up in the morning and realize it was mostly all a dream, it will be nice to remember you really do have some fresh yogurt to eat for breakfast.

Take the jars out and dry them off. Open a lid and check on the consistency. Now is also a good time to stir in a little vanilla if you like vanilla yogurt. I am thinking you could stir in any flavor extract if you'd like. I love orange extract in other things, but I have only tried vanilla for yogurt.

It will probably be just fine to eat for breakfast, but if you want optimum consistency, only eat one quart and put the rest in the fridge for a few hours and it will set even more.

My favorite is plain, topped with some pure,
grade B maple syrup and a couple of walnuts.

What's yours?

If you try this at home, please tell me how it goes!