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 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...

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!