No way! Dandelion Jelly?! And it's good?!

You can eat a dandelion? I did NOT know this! Well, maybe I thought somebody somewhere tried to eat one once but I can't imagine they would taste good.

OK, so I'm reading my pioneer book...the one that told me about the sour milk coffee cake (which has been a hit!)...and the ladies are making dandelion jelly. With curiosity peaked, I picked up the computer and googled it. I've heard of dandelion tea but I don't know anything about it. I mean, my fear is that I pick all of these dandelions, go through the trouble to prepare the jelly, eat them, only to find out that the kind we grow here in Alabama are poisonous. There is only one kind of dandelion, right? Just kidding.  :)  So, I first establish that there is only one kind and that they aren't going to make us deathly ill. Then I google the recipe. I'm super excited because I have all the ingredients and dandelions are growing in may yard RIGHT NOW so CJ and I head outside to pick some.

Let me just say that while the dandelions were steeping, the concoction smelled pretty nasty. I still couldn't imagine this tasting good. Then I was eating a grilled cheese sandwich while waiting (yes, I washed my hands) and I accidentally tasted my finger. It tasted a bit like earwax. Now, don't tell me you haven't accidentally tasted earwax before. I mean, no one does it on purpose but it happens. Anyways, earwax, not yummy. But I read all over the internet, and you know everything you read on the internet is true, that the finished product has sort of a honey taste to it. Would you believe this? It actually kind of does! It's seriously not bad! Has to be all the sugar, huh? Nonetheless, I'm pretty psyched that you can eat dandelions.

My husband is not so psyched about eating a flower that is not typically eaten. But he did tell me that in this book he is reading, they eat dandelion soup. Then he proceeded to tell me that he will NOT be eating dandelion soup unless he is starving to death. Funny man. He eats everything I put on the table.

So, are you interested in trying dandelion jelly? Here ya go!

Dandelion Jelly
About 4 cups of dandelions without the stem
3 cups of water
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 box pectin (all I had on hand was the low or no-sugar pectin but 1 box of either is what you use)
2 cups sugar if using low or no-sugar pectin OR 4 cups if using regular pectin
yellow food coloring (if desired)

Pinch or cut off the head of the dandelion so you have mostly yellow in your bowl. A little green is ok and should not affect the taste.You should have about 2 cups of petals when you have them all trimmed.

(borrowed this picture from here because it looked good and looked easier than my pinching them off)

Pour 3 cups of boiling water over the petals and allow them to steep for 20 minutes-24 hours. I let mine steep for about 3 hours.

Drain the liquid off with a coffee filter or jelly bag. Don't be scared off by the amber color. It looks nasty now. You can either leave your jelly this color or add food coloring here.
If yours doesn't equal 3 cups, it is fine to add a little water.
Mix in lemon juice.

(borrowed this picture as well. I just get so carried away with my cooking that I forget to take the pictures.)
Pour liquid into a pot. I use a large one because once the jelly begins to boil, it tends to foam and will overflow.
Bring to a boil and add sugar.
Allow it to reach a hard boil, that cannot be stirred away, and start the timer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add pectin (and food coloring if desired).

Again, allow it to reach a hard boil, then start the timer for 2 minutes again.

Remove from heat and pour into sterile jars.

Process in hot water bath for 15 minutes.

Recipe makes about 5 full half pint jars (that I processed) and about a third of another for a tester jar. The photo looks a little dark here but it is actually closer to the color of honey.

Sour Milk Coffee Cake Recipe

I'm finding, since owning this cow, that some weeks I end up with more milk than my family can use. I make everything from yogurt to cheese to buttermilk to butter and we drink it and cook with it and STILL end up throwing some out because it goes sour. I actually started giving some of the sour milk to my dogs. They seem to like it pretty good but there is still more milk going down the drain than I would like.

So, I'm reading this book titled Prairie Promises. It is a fictional story set in pioneer days. In one chapter, a character makes mention of baking a coffee cake from sour milk. Perfect! You know I had to try it. Now, I don't know if using sour pasteurized milk will produce the same effect. You may have to look that one up. Sour pasteurized milk is absolutely rancid. Also, you can create sour milk by adding a tsp of lemon juice to non sour milk and letting it sit for about 15 minutes.


Sour Milk Coffee Cake
1/2 cup lard or butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant coffee
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together lard or butter and sugars.
Blend together remaining ingredients except baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and blend well.
Pour into well greased and floured tube pan or round cake pan.
Sprinkle on most of the topping. Marble or swirl it into the cake.
Add remaining topping as garnish.
Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
Remove from oven and allow it to cool until it is cool enough to handle.
Remove from pan.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Right before entering the oven...

And the finished product....

Yummy, yummy, yummy!!!



Raw Ice Cream and Homemade Chocolate Syrup

OK...So I know it's the middle of winter but I live in Alabama where we don't really have a real winter.  And kids all over the world don't care if it's 20 degrees outside when it comes to ice cream!

Bear, CJ and I hung out with Delilah's co owners last night. You remember Delilah, my dairy cow? Well, J decided to fix ice cream for his and T's 3 children and my 2 because they were kind of bouncing off the walls. Actually, they probably were bouncing off the walls. And the ceiling. And the stairs. And the furniture. Anyway, we thought the grown ups would have a little time of peace and quiet while the little people were enjoying some yummy, delicious ice cream. Yeah, well, we got a little peace and quiet.

So, I'm all about easy, wholesome recipes. What is easier and more wholesome than a little raw cream, a little raw honey, some real vanilla, ice, and a blender? I decided to try and make it myself today at home. And I make my own chocolate syrup from cocoa powder. It's not store bought but it is wholesome and it was yummy to me. Experiment and make it yours!

Homemade Raw Ice Cream

3 cups fresh, raw creamSweetener of your choice, amount to your liking (I used about 1/4 cup honey)
Real vanilla, amount to your liking (I used about 1 1/2 Tablespoons)
About 5 or 6 cups of ice

Add all ingredients to blender.
Blend on high until you have ice cream.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

2/3 cups unsweetened cocoa1 2/3 cups raw sugar
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon real vanilla

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa, sugar, and water.
Bring to a boil and let boil 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
Regrigerate leftovers. Syrup will thicken as it cools.

pictures to come...

Got Milk?

I just couldn't resist. This was such an awesome site.  Look at all those half gallon jars of milk!  Look at my big 2 gallon dispenser!  And can you see the cream in those half gallon jars?

Raw Cream Butter, Raw Milk Yogurt, and Homemade Sandwich Bread Recipes

Butter from raw cream is the easiest thing in the world to make. It is so rewarding to spread a little fresh butter on a piece of toast that you baked. It takes a little while to make the butter but, oh, the natural freshness!

Raw Cream Butter
Fresh raw cream (you can also used pasturized heavy cream if you are totally opposed to using raw milk but are interested in the task of making butter)
a pinch of salt (optional)

Equipment:  Either use a jar twice the size of the amount of cream you have (because once you begin making the butter, it froths up and the agitation won't be effective if there isn't any room) OR a mixing bowl and blender OR a butter churn. My butter churn resembles a hand crank mixer. 

Simply shake cream in jar, mix, or churn butter until you start to see the "fat globules" join to make butter that looks just like what you would buy in a store.
Remove the butter and rinse and squish under cold water, rinse and squish, and rinse and squish. Rinsing is a key factor in keeping the butter for more than just a couple of days.
Add a pinch or 2 of salt if you desire. I have heard it is for preservation but it seems to last just as long without it.
Place it in an airtight container and refrigerate OR if you like spreadable butter, purchase a butter keeper. I just ordered mine and I can't wait to use it!

Unfortunately but fortunately, homemade butter doesn't have commercial preservatives so it won't last as long as store bought butter but, with my family, butter doesn't hang around long enough to go bad in my house.

And just a little side note...you will have a little liquid left over. Strain and use it to make cultured buttermilk (I'll post that one later)

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Let me first say that raw milk yogurt has a tendency to be slightly runny. This is normal. Almost every recipe I've found notes this tendency. If you prefer a thicker yogurt, research adding powdered milk. I don't add it but it's all a matter of preference.

Yogurt from Raw Milk  (makes approx 1 quart)
2 Tbsp starter yogurt (from a previous batch OR plain, whole yogurt. I prefer Stoneyfield Organic)
1 Quart fresh, raw milk

Equipment:  You will need a thermometer and a yogurt maker OR slow cooker and a 1-quart mason jar with lid OR food dehydrator and a 1-quart mason jar. These items are used to maintain the 110° Fahrenheit/43º Celsius temperature. Actually, my best results have been with a heating pad so I am going to include those instructions. :)

Heat milk slowly in a saucepan over medium low heat until it reaches 110° Fahrenheit/43º Celsius. Be as accurate as possible because if you overheat it, it will not culture.
Remove from heat and slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons of your choice of starter.
I then pour my yogurt/milk mixture into a 1-quart mason jar, wrap a heating pad around it, turn it on high, place a towel over the top to insulate and leave it on the counter for about 8 hours. I check on the temperature often to make sure I haven't gone over 110° Fahrenheit/43º Celsius or dropped below 100° Fahrenheit. 

This picture shows my yogurt after it had been refrigerated overnight. You can see the whey on top. This is excellent to skim off the top and use in smoothies. Whey is a good source of protein and will make that smoothie last SO much longer. Yay for healthy, low calorie food that last a long time! Take note that when you skim off the whey, eat a little yogurt, refrigerate, and pull it out again for more, there will probably be more whey.

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Homemade Sandwich Bread

1 1/3 cup lukewarm water
3 Tablespoons olive oil
5 Tablespoons honey, molasses or maple syrup
4 cups unbleached bread flour or all purpose flour (you can also use wheat or a combination of both)
1½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon yeast

Mix water and yeast in a 2 cup measuring cup or small mixing bowl Allow it to sit until it becomes frothy.
Place mixture into large mixing bowl.
Add olive oil, honey and salt. Then add flour, mixing between each cup.
Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes.
Place dough ball on a slightly floured surface and knead until fairly smooth.
Rinse and dry mixing bowl and place dough back into bowl. Pour a small amount of oil onto dough and turn in bowl to coat.
Allow dough to rise, vocered, for 1 to 2 hours, until it's nearly doubled in size.
Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased bread pan (9"x5").
Cover and allow to rise another 1 to 2 hours, til it has crowned 1" to 2" over rim of pan.
Toward the end of rising time, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Tent with aluminum foil if it appears to be getting too brown.
Brush with egg whites in the last 5 minutes of (uncovered) cooking (if desired).
Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.I check on the temperature often to make sure I haven't gone over 110° Fahrenheit/43º Celsius or dropped below 100° Fahrenheit.

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This was my breakfast this morning...

2 months later...

Quite a bit has happened since I last blogged! Remember reading about the 3/4 ton truck and camper we owned? Well, Bo and I were returning from a wonderful weekend of camping, just the 2 of us, when someone in the oncoming lane decided to pass in a no passing zone. We were not seriously injured but the truck and camper were totaled. Thank the good Lord for insurance. We were given a little money for what the truck was worth and they paid off the camper. We have yet to purchase another camper buuut...we are 1 bill closer to being debt free.

Remember my friend that helped me with our rooster harvesting? Well, she decided to move back to Texas. She really had nothing keeping her here and she has family there. I was sad to see her go but there are some friends you have for a season and some you have for a lifetime. I pray we are lifetime friends and that we keep in touch but, if only friends for a season, I learned so much from her. One day this blog won't be Homestead in the Making but something more like Our Little Homestead and she will be so proud because, even though the homesteading seed had already been planted, she encouraged it to grow into the deep desire I now have.

With all of that being said, we purchased a couple of things from her that couldn't easily be transported the distance from here to there. Our chicken coop seemed to serve it's purpose while we had it. We had a decent size coop for the birds to climb up in at night to roost and 3 nesting boxes beneath the coop. They had a nice yard to play around in and, as often as we could stay out to keep an eye out for neighborhood dogs, they could graze free range. For some reason though, the girls stopped laying when it started getting colder. When we read up on the situation we thought that maybe they weren't feeling all cozy in the open area under the coop. We purchased from my friend their Taj Ma'chicken'hal. It's like a walk in closet with about 6 nesting boxes on the left and a big roost on the right. Their food stays nice and dry. They can stay there out of the wind and cold and have little windows at ground level for them to exit out into their "run". So far they seem to enjoy their new home but still no eggs after the 2nd full day there.

My most exciting purchase, by far, has been Delilah. Do you remember reading about Delilah? This was my friend's milk cow. Another couple along with Bo and myself decided to go in halves for her. It didn't take her long to adjust to her new home and routine. We hand milk...yes, I said hand milk...her twice a day. I get Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Friday mornings.  The other couple gets Tuesdays (the day I work), Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays. They volunteered for the weekends (and most holidays) because Delilah actually stays on their land. Of course the schedule isn't set in stone. We work together. And, I know she could produce lots more milk than she is giving us but we have more than enough for the 2 families. We get between 2-3 gallons a day. I enjoy making yogurt and delicious cultured buttermilk from the raw milk. We have made butter and sour cream from the fresh cream. I made mozzarella once with my friend and plan to make some on my own when I get all the ingredients. I can't wait to share all of those recipes with you but it's going to have to wait until another day. I have to tuck the children into bed and I must be getting to bed myself because I have a cow to milk bright and early in the morning.

Until then, we are still...

A HOMESTEAD IN THE MAKING

The Rooster Harvest

Either I have the best friend in the world or I am the worst friend ever...maybe a little of both.

I've been talking to Bo for a couple of weeks now about turning a few of those early risers in my backyard to a few meals on my dinner table.  I'm pretty sure he has been putting me off.  How convenient is it that he has, all of a sudden, become so busy with other things?

So, I called my friend and asked her to help me.  She pretty much told me from the beginning that this was not her most favorite thing in the world to do BUT she had done it in the past and, well, I had not, and she agreed to come teach me.  What a friend!

It was a cool Alabama morning, somewhere between 10:30 and 11:00 AM when she arrived.  I had run the day's scheduled events by the dad of the 3 year old I was babysitting to make sure he didn't think I was traumatizing his little boy.  He seemed to have no problem with it.  My daughter insisted on being part of the "harvest" also so I prepared both children by telling them that these were not our sweet little hens that were about to be killed.  They were mean roosters.  CJ had seen them fighting each other in the pen a couple of days earlier.  She had also noticed that 2 of my feathered little ladies no longer had feathers on their necks.  She guessed that was because of the mean roosters.  Um, yeah.  No need to get into the birds and bees discussion at age 3.  I simply told her she was right.  I told the children that God gave us some animals to eat and some animals to keep for pets and these were given for food.  I explained the process, which I'll spare you the details, and made sure both children were alright with it.  They seemed to be.

And so the rooster harvest began.

OK...so maybe I let my friend do the majority of the dirty work.  I didn't intend for it to be that way but it would have taken us a lot longer than the 3 or so hours it took.  Don't give me that look!  I got my hands a little dirty...a little.

She helped me to dispose of the feathers and I offered her as many of the naked birds as she would like to take home to her freezer for her troubles.  Being the good friend that she is, she only took 1.  She then left me to clean up.  Truth be told, I think she looked a little green as she pulled out of the driveway.  It has now become my not so favorite thing in the world to do.

I'm not usually a big fan of bleach but my house smelled like an animal processor.  That was the only thing that would get rid of the smell rather than mask it temporarily so I doused some here and there and wiped everything down.

7 birds in my freezer and fresh chicken and dumplings in my belly.  It's been a long day.  DH was proud (and I'd say a little relieved) that I tackled the project without him.  Maybe I'll teach him a little something next time...

Notes to self:

• Check on sleeping 3 year old before going to bed.  Make sure visions of headless roosters aren't dancing in her head.
• Check on best friend (ex friend???  Hopefully not...) in the morning.  :)