Dandelion Soda

I know, it sounds weird, right? But when you have a big jar of kombucha scobys sitting on your kitchen counter and  2 gallons of kombucha tea brewing upstairs, then soda made from dandelions really isn't that strange.  Wait--what? Kombucha? Scobys? What the heck?  Sorry, that's another post.

Being an adventurous person, I came across this one day--Fermented Dandelion Soda I was immediately intrigued. The fam, not so much. They are accustomed to my weirdness, though, and for the most part are willing tasters. 

After gathering a bunch of dandelion flowers, I first soaked them in a bowl of water with a splash of vinegar to get rid of the dirt and possible bugs. The recipe says rinse them well, but I prefer to soak for a bit and then rinse; once you see all the dirt left behind in the bowl, you will want to soak the flowers first, too.

 Here are the flowers in the crock with boiling water. Doesn't look too tasty, does it?

Now covered with a pretty plate. Yours doesn't have to be pretty. Ugly plates are perfectly acceptable.

The soon-to-be-soda fermenting happily. Well, I'm happy, at least.


I started another batch yesterday, so hopefully the two batches going will be delicious!

Please try this recipe--it's easy and you might even like it!

Yay for dandelions!

Elderberry Syrup for Strengthening Immunity

I found an elderberry bush on my  neighbor's land, and after securing permission (he had no idea what it was, actually cuts it down every year), the kids and I began picking.  At first I was thinking jelly, but didn't think I had enough berries for that, so then I did some browsing and came up with elderberry syrup.

Elderberry is known for its medicinal properties, both in the flower and the berry. Next year I will pick some flowers, but for this year, it's the berries.

The berries after rinsing.

Sorting--taking off stems, tossing yucky ones. Very tedious.

Finally in the pot! I used 2/3 cup for this.

My helper adding 3 cups of water. Now to simmer until reduced and then we'll strain out the berries add 1 cup of local raw honey once the liquid has cooled. The honey will make the syrup palatable and also add more good stuff.

 

Finished product! It will keep 3 months in the fridge. It tastes pretty good, I think. My kids complain, but it the syrup helps strengthen their immune system, then they'll just have to deal with it. It could be worse, like, cod liver oil, you know? I try to give the kids 1 teaspoon daily.   Some are more willing than others.

 

Get Your Dirt On

Things I really feel dumb about buying:

*Zucchini (I don't buy this at the store anymore, so I only eat it during the summer)

*Potatoes (this is my first year of growing a bunch.)

*Dirt

Really, is there anything dumber than buying dirt?  I don't think so.  Yesterday I dragged Tom out to Menard's and bought three cubes of dirt. Yes, I said cubes. Instead of those unwieldy and bulky gigantic bags of dirt that weigh fifty pounds, there are now cubes of dirt. Awesome, yes? But still dumb.

Today the plan is to fill the two raised beds with the dirt and plant my fall garden. I bought beets, kale, turnips and radishes from Baker Creek.  I've not done a fall garden before, so I am excited. Not so exciting are the butternut squash vines trying to smother everything.  I shouldn't complain, though, because it's food.

I've already pulled out the spent broccoli plants and one of the zucchini that was being destroyed by the squash bugs. Those things are really annoying!

Raised bed ready for planting, sharing space with the surviving cucumber plant.

One  of the many volunteer butternut squashes.

Yummy Oatmeal Squares

I found this recipe on another site,  Oh She Glows, and while it was good, the addition of Nutella and the removal of the banana has made these bars particularly outstanding. So here's the recipe with my changes.


Oatmeal Squares

2.5 cups rolled oats, divided
3 Tbl chia seeds
1/2 cup + 1 Tbl ground flax
1 tsp cinnamon (we like cinnamon, so it's a heaping tsp)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 cups milk (any kind; I've used almond and cow with the same results)
1/2 cup maple syrup or any liquid sweetener (I've used molasses and honey)
heaping spoonful or three of Nutella or peanut butter or almond butter, etc
1 Tbl vanilla
*side note: did you know that most vanilla contains corn syrup? I was shocked! Now I buy Spice Islands brand, which contains no corn syrup)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 8 inch square pan or line with parchment paper (why is that stuff so oversized? Why isn't it the same size as wax paper?)

2. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup of the oats until a flour forms.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients first, and then add the wet and stir until combined. Taste the batter and add more sweetener/nut butter to taste. Add nuts if you like.

4. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out. Bake for 35-40 minutes until it springs back slowly when touched. Baking time will vary. Cool before cutting.

The kids don't really like these, but the husband and I think they are yummy. They're filling and a good snack.

Busy (yummy) Monday

 I've been wanting to make some more Ginger Carrots and try Saurkraut, so that's what I did this morning using recipes from Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon. I'm really curious about the saurkraut, because unlike the usual recipes, this one doesn't call for vinegar. The only ingredients are cabbage, caraway seeds, sea salt and whey (or more salt, if you have no whey).  After shredding the cabbage and adding the other ingredients, you pound the veggies with a wooden pounder or meat hammer to release the juices. Then place cabbage in a mason jar and push down with a wooden spoon until the juices cover the top of the veggies. The you put the lid on tight and let the jar sit on the counter at room temp for 3 days before moving to the fridge.

That reminds me of the way my great grandma used to make dill pickles. According to her daughter, my grandma, Grandma Rose would fill mason jars with cucumbers, pour the vinegar mixture over it, leave the lids on loosely and let them sit outside on the porch. The jars would foam and ferment, and then they were put away to be eaten later. Maybe I should try that. The last time I made dill pickles, I had to throw them out, and I even used an envelope mix from the store!

Saurkraut
(makes1 quart)
1 medium cabbage, cored and shredded
1 Tbl caraway seeds
1 Tbl sea salt
4 Tbl whey (if not available, use and additional 1 Tbl salt)

In a bowl, mix cabbage with caraway seeds, salt adn whey. Pound with a wooden pounder or meat hammer for about 10 minutes to release juices. Place in a quart-sized, wide-mouth Mason jar and press down firmly with the pounder or hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage. The sauerkraut may be eaten immediately, but improves with age.

Next I had some veg pulp left over from juicing on Saturday: carrot, pomegranate, celery, chard, ginger, lemon, cucumber and apple. I'd saved it, hoping to find a use, and guess what: I did.

Using a recipe I found on www.wholefoodsmarket.com, I made my own adjustments to it, and they turned out pretty good, I think.

Carrot Apple Muffins

1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C grated carrots (or veg pulp)
1/2 C unsweetened applesauce
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 C milk (I used a bit more)
1/4 C canola or safflower oil organic extra virgin coconut oil, melted, or olive oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients. Add half the carrot mixture to the flour mixture, stir until blended and then add the rest. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick in center comes out clean.

 Levi and  also made peanut butter cookies--a  flour-free four ingredient treat that tastes pretty good, if you like peanut butter. 

Quick Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C natural peanut butter (the kind that contains peanuts and salt, nothing else)
1 C sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients and roll into walnut sized balls. Bake 8-10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cool 2 min before removing from pan.
Source: Kitchen Traditions: The Lions Clubs Cookbook (c) 1994

I'm also soaking some pinto beans to make fermented bean paste (kinda icky name, but tastes sooo good!). I've made them twice before, with white beans and black, but not pintos, so I'm eager to taste the difference, if any.

Flax Snacks

A quick little recipe for some yummy and healthy no-cook snacks!

Flax Snacks

3/4 cup ground flaxseeds (buy whole, grind yourself in a coffee grinder)
3 Tbl whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbl Cocoa
2 Tbl peanut butter
1/4 cup honey

Combine first four ingredients:

Add peanut butter and honey (mix with your hands) and form into balls.

Store in the refrigerator.

You could also add coconut or even chopped nuts and roll in cocoa.

Baked doughnuts

I've made this recipe a few times, and while tasty, the doughnuts are very heavy and dense. Might be due to the fact that I always replace some of the white flour with whole wheat. At any rate, it doesn't stop anyone from eating them.

From The Encyclopedia of Country Living,  by Carla Emery

Just as if you were making bread, combine 2 pkg yeas, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/2 cup scalded lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 1/3 cup shortening, 1 tsp nutmeg, 4 1/2 cups flour and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Knead, cover and let rise for 50-60 minutes.

Turn onto a floured board and roll with a rolling pin until dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a doughnut cutter and carefully lift with a spatula onto a greased cookie sheet and brush with melted butter.

Let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 425* for 8-10 minutes. Brush with more melted butter.

Dust with cinnamon and sugar, or glaze with icing.

EAT!!!