Friday, December 30, 2011
Got Milk?
Thursday, December 29, 2011
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)
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.
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.
This was my breakfast this morning...
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)
**********
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.
**********
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
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.
**********
This was my breakfast this morning...
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
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...
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
Friday, October 21, 2011
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:
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. :)
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Chicken, Chicken, and Chicken
Well, we haven't killed our roosters to put them in the freezer yet. It's likely I'll get Bo to do it sometime in late October when they will be about 6 months old. Should I wait longer? What do you think? But I was excited when I found a natural "whole chicken" (about 3 lbs) at the grocery store. The packaging claimed to have fed the chicken grass only, no antibiotics, and no hormones. I bought it and today will be the second day we will be eating that particular chicken. I thought maybe I'd share with you the recipes for the meals I've made.
The first thing I did was remove the skin and boil the chicken. You can do so much with boiled chicken AND the broth from boiling it! When the chicken was cooked through, I pulled as much meat off the bones as possible and put it in a storage container in the fridge. Then I added the bones back to the broth, added some veggies and let it simmer for about 3 hours.
Perfect Chicken Stock
Bones from a whole chicken
4 Carrots, chopped
Celery leaves (about a cup) or 2 celery stalks, chopped
2 yellow onions, quartered, skin left on
2 bay leaves
6 stalks of thyme
6 stalks of parsley
10 pepper corns
1 lemon, quartered
Put everything in your largest pot. Cover with cold, clean water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer.
Simmer for 4-6 hours.
Strain the soup through a sieve.
Then refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, peel the chicken fat off the top. The soup should be jiggly and jelled.
(Keep the chicken fat to fry potatoes.)
Reheat the broth by bringing it to a boil.
Fill approximately 3 quart sized jars with broth. Screw lids on tightly.
Process in pressure canner for 25 minutes.
The first night, I made barbeque sauce and added it to some of the shredded chicken. I only separated out as much as I thought we would eat that night. We used homemade sandwich bread and made barbeque chicken sandwiches. Here is the recipe for the barbeque sauce:
All Natural, Homemade Barbecue Sauce (makes about 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ cups finely chopped onion
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
4 Tablespoons raw honey or real maple syrup
1/3 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar
1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Several grinds fresh black pepper
1½ cups water
Heat olive oil in a 4 qt pot. Add onions and sauté on medium heat, then reduce heat and cook until caramelized (about 20-30 min).
Add garlic, stirring for about a minute.
Stir in brown sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, water being last, and stir to combine.
Bring mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.
Store any remaining sauce in a storage container in the fridge.
For lunch the next day, I decided on chicken salad. You can eat yours on crackers, sandwich bread or pita chips. I like mine plain; just chicken salad and a fork. My recipe is pretty general, doesn't have a lot of ingredients, and can be seasoned to your liking. It’s super easy for a quick lunch.
All Natural, Homemade Southern Chicken Salad
2 cups shredded chicken
2 Tbsp homemade or natural mayonnaise
A sprinkle organic garlic powder
A dash of sea salt
A grind of fresh black pepper
1 stalk celery, chopped small
A handful of grapes, chopped small
Start out with chicken in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Then add remaining ingredients and continue to mix well.
Chicken and dumplings is an often requested meal from my super picky son. Funny thing is my not so picky daughter doesn’t care for them. Go figure! Keep in mind that this was the second night we ate from the “whole chicken” so I couldn't follow the measurements for this recipe exactly. Using what was left of our shredded chicken served 4, if small servings, and we had no leftovers. The recipe below serves 4-6. Also keep in mind that this recipe starts from boiling the whole chicken. We had already done that so I simply placed the leftover shredded chicken in a large pot filled with adjusted amounts of water, onion, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme and parsley and brought it to a boil. Then I reduced the heat and let it simmer while I made the dumplings. Right before I added the dumplings to the simmering pot of chicken and water, I removed the onion and bay leaf and followed the directions from there.
Chicken and Dumplings
1 (3 pound) whole chicken
1 onion, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
In a heavy pot with a lid place the chicken, onion, lemon, salt, pepper, water, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer all over low heat until tender, about 1 hour.
Let chicken cool slightly in pot, then remove and take the meat off of the bones. Discard the bones and skin. Discard the onion and bay leaf. Return broth and chicken pieces to the pot. Simmer over low heat while making the dumplings.
To Make Dumplings: In a medium mixing bowl, cut shortening into the flour and salt. Stir in 1/4 cup water (more if needed) to form a soft dough. Roll out dough on a floured surface, with a rolling pin, until very thin. Cut into 1 inch squares using a pizza cutter or knife. Or you may just break small pieces off and roll into a ball. Drop dough into simmering broth and chicken meat. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off, then 10 minutes more with the lid on. Serve immediately.
What do you do with a whole chicken? What do you do with shredded chicken? I'd love to hear some of your chicken recipes!
The first thing I did was remove the skin and boil the chicken. You can do so much with boiled chicken AND the broth from boiling it! When the chicken was cooked through, I pulled as much meat off the bones as possible and put it in a storage container in the fridge. Then I added the bones back to the broth, added some veggies and let it simmer for about 3 hours.
Bones from a whole chicken
4 Carrots, chopped
Celery leaves (about a cup) or 2 celery stalks, chopped
2 yellow onions, quartered, skin left on
2 bay leaves
6 stalks of thyme
6 stalks of parsley
10 pepper corns
1 lemon, quartered
Put everything in your largest pot. Cover with cold, clean water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a slow simmer.
Simmer for 4-6 hours.
Strain the soup through a sieve.
Then refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, peel the chicken fat off the top. The soup should be jiggly and jelled.
(Keep the chicken fat to fry potatoes.)
Reheat the broth by bringing it to a boil.
Fill approximately 3 quart sized jars with broth. Screw lids on tightly.
Process in pressure canner for 25 minutes.
The first night, I made barbeque sauce and added it to some of the shredded chicken. I only separated out as much as I thought we would eat that night. We used homemade sandwich bread and made barbeque chicken sandwiches. Here is the recipe for the barbeque sauce:
All Natural, Homemade Barbecue Sauce (makes about 2 cups)
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ cups finely chopped onion
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
4 Tablespoons raw honey or real maple syrup
1/3 cup raw organic apple cider vinegar
1 6-ounce can organic tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Several grinds fresh black pepper
1½ cups water
Heat olive oil in a 4 qt pot. Add onions and sauté on medium heat, then reduce heat and cook until caramelized (about 20-30 min).
Add garlic, stirring for about a minute.
Stir in brown sugar and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, water being last, and stir to combine.
Bring mixture to a gentle boil.
Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 30 minutes.
Store any remaining sauce in a storage container in the fridge.
For lunch the next day, I decided on chicken salad. You can eat yours on crackers, sandwich bread or pita chips. I like mine plain; just chicken salad and a fork. My recipe is pretty general, doesn't have a lot of ingredients, and can be seasoned to your liking. It’s super easy for a quick lunch.
All Natural, Homemade Southern Chicken Salad
2 cups shredded chicken
2 Tbsp homemade or natural mayonnaise
A sprinkle organic garlic powder
A dash of sea salt
A grind of fresh black pepper
1 stalk celery, chopped small
A handful of grapes, chopped small
Start out with chicken in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise and mix well. Then add remaining ingredients and continue to mix well.
Chicken and dumplings is an often requested meal from my super picky son. Funny thing is my not so picky daughter doesn’t care for them. Go figure! Keep in mind that this was the second night we ate from the “whole chicken” so I couldn't follow the measurements for this recipe exactly. Using what was left of our shredded chicken served 4, if small servings, and we had no leftovers. The recipe below serves 4-6. Also keep in mind that this recipe starts from boiling the whole chicken. We had already done that so I simply placed the leftover shredded chicken in a large pot filled with adjusted amounts of water, onion, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme and parsley and brought it to a boil. Then I reduced the heat and let it simmer while I made the dumplings. Right before I added the dumplings to the simmering pot of chicken and water, I removed the onion and bay leaf and followed the directions from there.
Chicken and Dumplings
1 (3 pound) whole chicken
1 onion, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
In a heavy pot with a lid place the chicken, onion, lemon, salt, pepper, water, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer all over low heat until tender, about 1 hour.
Let chicken cool slightly in pot, then remove and take the meat off of the bones. Discard the bones and skin. Discard the onion and bay leaf. Return broth and chicken pieces to the pot. Simmer over low heat while making the dumplings.
To Make Dumplings: In a medium mixing bowl, cut shortening into the flour and salt. Stir in 1/4 cup water (more if needed) to form a soft dough. Roll out dough on a floured surface, with a rolling pin, until very thin. Cut into 1 inch squares using a pizza cutter or knife. Or you may just break small pieces off and roll into a ball. Drop dough into simmering broth and chicken meat. Simmer for 10 minutes with the lid off, then 10 minutes more with the lid on. Serve immediately.
What do you do with a whole chicken? What do you do with shredded chicken? I'd love to hear some of your chicken recipes!
Monday, September 19, 2011
The Journey Begins
I know you can read a little about me over in the sidebar but I wanted to tell you a little more. My husband (Bo), daughter (CJ), son (Bear), and I (April) live in a comfortable size home with a pool on an acre and a half in Central Alabama. We have 2 new cars, a travel trailer (or camper), and an old (paid off) 3/4 ton truck to pull it with. We have 2 credit cards with too high a balance for my taste, the mortgage payment, new car payments, and the camper payment. Is that where I want to be? Absolutely not!
On that acre and a half, though, we have 28 chickens (both hens and roosters right now) in which we collect about 7-12 eggs a day. A couple may be too old to lay but the rest of the hens are too young right now.
We have fruit trees planted and a big patch of land that, in late spring and summertime, holds a garden full of tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage, peas, and corn. After harvest, I have a walk in pantry full of jars of items I have canned. I love, love, love canning and have high hopes that every year my yearly harvest stockpile will grow larger and larger.
My in laws own somewhere around 50 beautiful acres in which we hope to build a home one day. No need for a pool because the property has natural springs which leads into a creek that could be perfect for playing in. On that acreage my father in law raises beef cattle. The older ones are pets but he sells the calves at auction. He's talked of raising one to slaughter but he hasn't done it yet.
My best friend, who lives about 12 miles away, owns a milk cow, which she hand milks twice a day. I help her milk Delilah every now and then and she lets me have milk whenever I want it.
My husband works hard 5-6 days a week to pay for all those things I listed at the beginning of this post. I work as a dental hygienist 1 day a week and stay home with our 3 year old daughter the rest of the time. My 9 year old son goes to our small town's public school. I am very involved at his school and as long as things stay the way they are there, he will continue to go to public school. My husband and I have discussed homeschooling, but at this time, feel satisfied that he is getting a good education from the teachers during school hours and from me after school hours.
What are my homesteading dreams? Well, I often enjoy reading about pioneer days. I know times were tough then and I feel blessed that, right now, we have wonderful advances in all areas of life, but what if, heaven forbid, there were some disaster which made those things unavailable to us. Could my family still survive? I would like to say yes but I wonder. While I worry about the unknown in that sense, I actually enjoy the idea of basic living. I would love to have my whole family living on a large plot of land, living off the land. My in laws garden and my mother in law puts up veggies. My mom would be more than happy to help tend the garden and help with harvest if she lived closer. We have a well, but at present it doesn't have a hand pump. I would love to raise a beef cow to slaughter. I think I would like to own my own milk cow but my husband thinks that I would get tired of milking her twice a day, including those days in which the bottom seems to fall out of the sky with whatever precipitation the good Lord chooses that day. When we determine which of our chickens are roosters, I would like to get those into my freezer. I've not done that before so it should be interesting. My husband hunts and fishes if he ever has spare time and I've helped de-feather, breast out, gut, and fillet those creatures so maybe it won't be a problem.
I am constantly learning new recipes for cooking from scratch and I hope to share them, new and old, on this blog. I plan on sharing my gardening and canning resources and anything else I think may apply to being a homesteader.
As for being debt free, I am always re-vamping our budget. We finally got comfortable about 5 years ago when we had 2 vehicles paid off and both credit cards paid off and what did we do? Sold one vehicle (not worth much), traded in the other, and charged up the credit cards again. It has been our habit to pay them off with income tax returns each year but last year we were a little shy of paying off one of them. We haven't charged too much this year and hope that we will be able to pay them off with the return we receive in March 2012. Our prayer is that we are able to NOT use them next year and start paying off our vehicles. My husband now has a company cell phone so we will be getting rid of his personal which will lower that payment. We keep a house phone because the children aren't old enough for cell phones yet. We have a digital cable package that carries our internet and my husband and children enjoy the multitude of channels with nothing on them. I personally think I could do without the television though. If we were to stay here, we have a mortgage payment (with about 50K in equity) that will be paid off when CJ graduates high school. So, do we stay or do we sell and take the 50K and build a small home on the in-laws land? Maybe we could even live in the camper for a little while. I mean, we'll be paying on that for a few years too. I could deal with it but my husband, not so much. Grocery bills continue to rise, especially if you like to eat all natural and organic foods. I don't have to purchase eggs, milk, or veggies as long as my pantry is full from harvest, and hopefully we will be able to get venison in the freezer this year. I'm hoping to come up with other ways to lower that grocery bill. If you have any ideas, PLEASE share!
I know I have a lot to learn but I'm enjoying the journey. I hope you'll enjoy reading about it and maybe you can help. Until then, we are still...
On that acre and a half, though, we have 28 chickens (both hens and roosters right now) in which we collect about 7-12 eggs a day. A couple may be too old to lay but the rest of the hens are too young right now.
We have fruit trees planted and a big patch of land that, in late spring and summertime, holds a garden full of tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, sweet potatoes, cabbage, peas, and corn. After harvest, I have a walk in pantry full of jars of items I have canned. I love, love, love canning and have high hopes that every year my yearly harvest stockpile will grow larger and larger.
My in laws own somewhere around 50 beautiful acres in which we hope to build a home one day. No need for a pool because the property has natural springs which leads into a creek that could be perfect for playing in. On that acreage my father in law raises beef cattle. The older ones are pets but he sells the calves at auction. He's talked of raising one to slaughter but he hasn't done it yet.
My best friend, who lives about 12 miles away, owns a milk cow, which she hand milks twice a day. I help her milk Delilah every now and then and she lets me have milk whenever I want it.
My husband works hard 5-6 days a week to pay for all those things I listed at the beginning of this post. I work as a dental hygienist 1 day a week and stay home with our 3 year old daughter the rest of the time. My 9 year old son goes to our small town's public school. I am very involved at his school and as long as things stay the way they are there, he will continue to go to public school. My husband and I have discussed homeschooling, but at this time, feel satisfied that he is getting a good education from the teachers during school hours and from me after school hours.
What are my homesteading dreams? Well, I often enjoy reading about pioneer days. I know times were tough then and I feel blessed that, right now, we have wonderful advances in all areas of life, but what if, heaven forbid, there were some disaster which made those things unavailable to us. Could my family still survive? I would like to say yes but I wonder. While I worry about the unknown in that sense, I actually enjoy the idea of basic living. I would love to have my whole family living on a large plot of land, living off the land. My in laws garden and my mother in law puts up veggies. My mom would be more than happy to help tend the garden and help with harvest if she lived closer. We have a well, but at present it doesn't have a hand pump. I would love to raise a beef cow to slaughter. I think I would like to own my own milk cow but my husband thinks that I would get tired of milking her twice a day, including those days in which the bottom seems to fall out of the sky with whatever precipitation the good Lord chooses that day. When we determine which of our chickens are roosters, I would like to get those into my freezer. I've not done that before so it should be interesting. My husband hunts and fishes if he ever has spare time and I've helped de-feather, breast out, gut, and fillet those creatures so maybe it won't be a problem.
I am constantly learning new recipes for cooking from scratch and I hope to share them, new and old, on this blog. I plan on sharing my gardening and canning resources and anything else I think may apply to being a homesteader.
As for being debt free, I am always re-vamping our budget. We finally got comfortable about 5 years ago when we had 2 vehicles paid off and both credit cards paid off and what did we do? Sold one vehicle (not worth much), traded in the other, and charged up the credit cards again. It has been our habit to pay them off with income tax returns each year but last year we were a little shy of paying off one of them. We haven't charged too much this year and hope that we will be able to pay them off with the return we receive in March 2012. Our prayer is that we are able to NOT use them next year and start paying off our vehicles. My husband now has a company cell phone so we will be getting rid of his personal which will lower that payment. We keep a house phone because the children aren't old enough for cell phones yet. We have a digital cable package that carries our internet and my husband and children enjoy the multitude of channels with nothing on them. I personally think I could do without the television though. If we were to stay here, we have a mortgage payment (with about 50K in equity) that will be paid off when CJ graduates high school. So, do we stay or do we sell and take the 50K and build a small home on the in-laws land? Maybe we could even live in the camper for a little while. I mean, we'll be paying on that for a few years too. I could deal with it but my husband, not so much. Grocery bills continue to rise, especially if you like to eat all natural and organic foods. I don't have to purchase eggs, milk, or veggies as long as my pantry is full from harvest, and hopefully we will be able to get venison in the freezer this year. I'm hoping to come up with other ways to lower that grocery bill. If you have any ideas, PLEASE share!
I know I have a lot to learn but I'm enjoying the journey. I hope you'll enjoy reading about it and maybe you can help. Until then, we are still...
A HOMESTEAD IN THE MAKING
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