chickensense

I’m not too short: both my feet reach the ground.  :) 

Still, I do have trouble reaching top-shelf items in my cabinets. So I was pleased today when I discovered an unexpected benefit of using plastic ice cream tubs to store my flour, sugar, salt, dry milk, and cornmeal. My long spatula can hook the handles and pull the tub right off the top shelf for me. Cool tool!

These tubs are much easier to use than the Rubbermaid tubs I used to use. The tubs can be heavy when full, but the handle keeps them easily manageable. I keep a working supply handy in the tubs, and store the large bags in the chest freezer or pantry. Even things that don’t come in large bags are easier with the handles, such as dry milk and salt.

The tubs are not air-tight however, so keep a small bag of desiccant (silica gel) in with the salt and sugar to prevent lumps.

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I have had lots of trouble over the years getting loaves that aren’t “gummy” inside when using my bread-machine. I’ve written before of my joy when I found I had over-looked the “super rapid” setting on my machine while accidentally using recipes intended for “super rapid.”  Pressing that magic button at the right time helped immensely, but all loaves were still at least a little gummy in the middle (usually more than a little).

I finally found, from several sites online, that bread that is undercooked and gummy inside is bread that didn’t rise sufficiently. After some experimenting, I found a couple of things I had been doing wrong:

1. I use all-purpose flour instead of bread flour, which doesn’t rise as well because it has less gluten and because of some chemicals they add to the bread flour (see note).
   

   fix: compensate by using 1 tablespoon vital gluten per cup of flour

2. I keep my whole wheat flour in the freezer so it is very cold when I add it to the ingredients, which I’ve realized hinders the action of the yeast.
   

   fix: set the timer to begin the bread in 1 hour to give the wheat time to get room temperature

3. For recipes that have any whole wheat flour at all, I wasn’t using the “whole wheat” setting, which allows extra rising time. (I thought they meant to use that only for 100% whole wheat bread. Oops.)
   

   fix: always use the whole wheat setting if there is any whole wheat flour in the recipe

I am now always careful to use vital gluten (available in the flour section of your super-market), especially with wheat flour; I always set the delay-timer to allow whole wheat flour to come to room temperature before mixing begins; and I am more careful to use the proper buttons on my machine: whole wheat if there is any whole wheat flour in the recipe, and super-rapid if I have used a super-rapid recipe.

(If you don’t have any vital gluten but want to use all-purpose flour in a recipe for white bread, you can compensate for the poor rising attributes of the flour by setting the machine to the whole wheat setting. This setting allows extra rising time, which is what all-purpose flour needs.)

Hopefully now my bread will continue to come out as nice as the last few loaves have. No more anticipating and salivating only to have to loaf come out as an inedible gummy mess.

(The photo is of the honey wheat bread I made tonight.)

My Honey Whole Wheat Bread (2 Lb Loaf)

(Based on a recipe from my Gold Medal flour bread machine recipe booklet)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 or 5 tablespoons vital gluten
• 2 tablespoons butter (or shortening), chopped
• 2 tablespoons dry milk
• 1 teaspoon yeast

Instructions:

Place all the ingredients in the order above into the bread machine pan. I put half the vital gluten after the all-purpose flour, and half after the whole wheat flour, which I hope helps it to incorporate better.

Use the 2 lb Whole Wheat setting on your bread machine. If your flour is frozen or refrigerated set the timer to start in an hour to allow the ingredients time to reach room temperature before they come in contact with the yeast.

When finished remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. To more easily slice bread, use a serrated knife and a gentle back and forth sawing motion.

NOTE: Bread flour is a high-gluten flour that has very small amounts of malted barley flour and vitamin C or potassium bromate added. The barley flour helps the yeast work, and the other additive increases the elasticity of the gluten and its ability to retain gas as the dough rises and bakes.

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I have 2 blocks of my Vintage Valentine Applique Quilt done.  I’m plugging away at the 3rd. I love the pattern, but am not so happy with the fabric that was in this kit.

Vintage Valentine Block 1

Vintage Valentine Block 4

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Baltimore Bliss, an absolutely gorgeous quilt available as block of the month patterns from Sindy Rodenmayer of Fat Cat Patterns.

Be sure to visit the Fat Cat Patterns each month to get the next quilt block for free.

UPDATE July 2009: I have my very own blog now: chickenlady quilts on Blogger.

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I think I have created the most amazing cornbread recipe, if I do say so myself. I’ve been making it for a year now and always receive many compliments. It is a little bit sweet, crusty and absolutely delicious. It is so popular around here that I make a mix of it so I can whip it up any time I need to.

Chickensense Skillet Cornbread Mix

5 cups white flour
5 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup powdered milk
2 1/2 teaspoons each baking soda, baking power, and salt

Mix it all together and store in a covered container until ready to use. Shake or roll the container to mix the ingredients together well.

To Make Corn Bread (from the mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add 1/4 cup margarine to an 8″ cast iron skillet and place in the preheating oven.

Meanwhile, measure 3 cups Skillet Cornbread Mix in a mixing bowl; set aside.

Crack 1 egg in a measuring cup, mix well with a fork. Add enough water to measure 1 cup. Pour the water/egg mixture into the cornbread mix and stir until moistened. If it is too dry, add up to a 1/4 cup more water. The batter should be a bit thick. (Don’t stir too much or the cornbread will be tough.)

Once the oven is hot, very carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven, taking care not to spill the melted margarine. Pour the cornbread batter into the skillet. Use the back of a spoon to spread the batter, and slosh some of the melted margarine from the sides over on top of the batter. Don’t stir the margarine into the batter.

Return skillet to the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

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Recycle old CD/DVDs using beads, string and glue.
Look at these pretties! I’ve heard that if you hang CDs out by the garden the flashes from the sun keep the birds and other pests away.

You’d never guess that these were anything more than pretty garden art. They’d even be a great gift for a gardener.

From Country Woman magazine: CD Spinners

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Looking for something to do with leftover chicken? I found some recipes (see below), that sound so gooood! I spent so much time browsing recipes that it got too late to cook any of them, so I ended up making some grilled cheese sandwiches and soup tonight. (They were really good though, because I used “hoop cheese” instead of plain american cheese. I have no idea where you can get hoop cheese, I get it from the little corner store, call The Little Place.)

I really need to use this leftover chicken tonight so it doesn’t spoil, so I have picked it off the bone, cut it in cubes and put it in a ziplock bag in the freezer. Then in the next couple of days I can try one of these recipes. (I see I have a huge piece of turkey breast in the freezer too. I may mix it with the chicken in one of these recipes…)

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-= Exported from BigOven =-

Chicken, Cheese, and Biscuits

“A melange of Cheddar, chicken, mushrooms and green beans is capped with flaky buttermilk biscuits for a yummy all-in-one meal.”

Recipe By: allrecipes.com by Jill M.
Serving Size: 4

-= Ingredients =-

1 tablespoon margarine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cubes chicken bouillon
1 pinch ground white pepper
2 ounces Cheddar cheese ; shredded
1 cup Chicken breast ; cooked & diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms ; sliced
1 cup fresh green beans ; chopped
1 can (10 oz) refrigerated biscuit dough

-= Instructions =-

1. In a saucepan, heat margarine until hot and bubbly. Add flour, mustard, and sage; stir quickly to combine. Stirring constantly, add milk. Cook and stir until smooth.

2. Add bouillon and pepper, and mix well. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. Stir in the cheese, and cook until melted. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and green beans. Cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Pour chicken mixture into a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish. Separate biscuits into 2 layers, making 10 circles. Arrange biscuits over chicken mixture.

5. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) until biscuits are golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

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-= Exported from BigOven =-

Cornbread Chicken Casserole

Recipe By: http://beprepared.com/recipes.asp_Q_ai_E_248_A_nam
Serving Size: 6

-= Ingredients =-

~~ — Cornbread — ~~
1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 tablespoon Vegetable oil
3/4 Cup Dehydrated Buttermilk
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Butter ; melted

~~ — Chicken Filling — ~~

2 tablespoons Butter
1/4 Cup Chopped Yellow Onion
1/2 Cup Celery ; Sliced Thin
1 3/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1 can (12 oz) Cream of Chicken Soup
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 1/2 Cup Chicken ; freeze dried

-= Instructions =-

Cornbread:

1. Mix all cornbread ingredients except for butter in mixing bowl until smooth.
2. Pour into greased 8-in. square baking pan and bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes or until done.
3. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool crumble cornbread and place 3 cup of cornbread crumbs into mixing bowl.
4. Add 1/2 cup butter to crumbs; mix well, set aside.

Chicken Filling:

1. In a saucepan on medium low heat, place butter and saute onion and celery until transparent.
2. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper. Stir until well blended.
3. Add chicken; stir until mixture reaches a low simmer. Cook 5 min. and remove from heat.
4. Place chicken mixture in buttered 2-1/2 qt. casserole dish.
5. Spoon cornbread crumbs on top; Do not stir into chicken mixture.
6. Place baking dish in preheated 350°F for 35-40 minutes.

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

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-= Exported from BigOven =-

Egg Chicken Casserole

“Eggs and bread add a particular smoothness to this chicken and soup casserole.”

Recipe By: allrecipes.com Laurie Dombrosky
Serving Size: 8

-= Ingredients =-

6 slices white bread ; torn into small pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter ; melted
20 saltine crackers ; crushed
2 cups chicken broth
3 pound Chicken ; boiled & deboned
1 can (10.5 oz) Condensed chicken & rice soup
1 can (10.75 oz) Condensed cream of mushroom soup

-= Instructions =-

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl combine the chicken meat, chicken and rice soup, cream of mushroom soup, bread and eggs. Mix all together and pour mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine butter/margarine and crackers and stir together. Spread on top of chicken mixture. Pour chicken broth over all and bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until cracker crumbs on top are golden brown.

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

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My friend, Mrs. Jean, showed me the most darling frog block. I couldn’t find it anywhere online so I made it myself in Electric Quilt. Here is the block, and a quilt I designed for it.

(I have found out that this pattern was in Quiltmaker Magazine #24, Fall 1991. It is called Leap Frog, and was a 10″ block. Mine is 12″)

If you would like the Electric Quilt 6 version of the block and/or quilt that I drafted, email your request to kbarberms at yahoo dot com.

UPDATE July 2009: I have my very own blog now: chickenlady quilts on Blogger.

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I recently joined a very active online quilt group called Quilting Around the World. It is a great group of people, and they always have lots of swaps going on. So many swaps, as a matter of fact, that you have to be careful not to get in over your head.

Not heeding my own advice, I immediately signed up for several swaps:

Yellow Churn Dash Swap, which is swapping yellow churn dash blocks. This one I’ve already finished.

The Barbie Swap, which is a swap of pink, black and white blocks. I decided to use a block I call “Throwing Stars.” I spent several hours last night struggling to get the first one done. It is a paper-pieced block and it is a little tricky. I think I’ve got it now. (I hope.)

1930’s Dresden Fans, where we are swapping fans made from 1930’s reproduction fabric. These are so fast and easy to make! I’m loving it.

The January Block Lotto, where people send in one block and there will be a drawing to see who wins them all. I’m making a block I found on Quilters Cache, called Goshen Star, except I’m making it a 12 inch block in blue and white.

The Garden Swap, a 3 round swap which includes applique blocks in a garden theme. This one is, by far, the most ambitious. The first round has to be applique, so I’m making a flower with a butterfly on it. (I’ll get a photo soon.)

UPDATE July 2009: I have my very own blog now: chickenlady quilts on Blogger.

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Jesse and I just rolled, cut, baked, and frosted sugar cookies from the dough I made last night. (I posted the cookie recipe in yesterday’s entry.) I apparently didn’t cover the dough very well in the fridge, so it was dry and crumbly. I added about 1/8 cup milk and worked it into the dough with additional flour, and was able to get it to a nice consistency.

We made 3 dozen cookies: sleighs, reindeer (8, of course), wreaths, Christmas trees, crosses, snowmen, stockings, and gingerbread men.

I used to have an angel cookie cutter but it seems to have flown away. [Pun intended ]

The finished cookies are delicious. They taste great plain, and also frosted. We happened to have leftover cake frosting in the fridge so we used vanilla buttercream frosting. Yum!

(For the story of Jesse’s burns go to Jesse’s web page.)

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I’m trying a new recipe for Banana Bread tonight because I’ve got some over-ripe bananas that really need to be used. Banana bread has always been a favorite of mine, but this is the first I’ve made with all whole-wheat flour. (It certainly smelled luscious while it is baking!)

My whole wheat flour was ground for me by a friend when we went in on a group buy of 5 gallon buckets of wheat this summer. It has been excellent in the honey wheat bread recipe I often use, so I know it will be good in this recipe too. (I keep it in the freezer since whole wheat flour doesn’t keep as well as white flour at room temperature.)

11p.m.- update: The banana bread was delicious! This is a fantastic recipe!

Tip: Freeze ripe bananas until there is enough for a recipe or two. Just peel, break in half, and freeze in a plastic bag. To use, just thaw and add to mixing bowl.

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It was so cold this evening that I’ve decided to bake some cookies to warm up the kitchen at least. So I’ve been browsing my recipes for some good choices. I store my recipes in Big Oven recipe software that I bought around 4 years ago. It is available online for $9.95. Good price for some good software. There is a basic version, that I had, and a deluxe version. I am now using the deluxe version (approx. $30), and I really love the fact that you can use multiple “recipe boxes.” This option isn’t available in the basic version, and I never thought I’d need it but I love being able to download and view entire recipe collections (recipe boxes).

Since it is so close to Christmas, the first thing I made is some dough for sugar cookies. The dough has to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours, so here I am blogging.

The sugar cookie recipe I used is one I have not tried before, but I found it in the “Cookies” recipe box that comes with the deluxe version of Big Oven recipe software. The instructions say to cream the shortening and sugar together with an electric mixer. Big mistake! The shortening got all inside the beaters and the sugar stayed on the outside and the two never mixed! I had to scrape off the beaters and mash it all together with a big spoon. The dough seemed very dry to me. It was so difficult to mix. Still, if they taste good, that’s what matters.

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When I was growing up we had white rice 3 times a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year… year after year after year. Let me tell you, every one of us children was pretty good at making rice. By the time I got married and left home, though, I never wanted to see rice again, and for these last 30 years I’ve only made rice maybe a dozen times.

Lately however, I’ve revived a family recipe for Adobo, a simple but excellent, tangy Filipino dish made from chicken, soy sauce, and vinegar, that is really superb served over white rice. The funny thing is I couldn’t get my rice to come out properly. Seems I’d forgotten some important things:

#1 Rinse the rice before you start. Add several cups of water, swish your fingers through the rice and water, and then drain the now milky-looking water. Repeat until the water remains clear. This removes starch and keeps the rice from becoming sticky.

#2 Don’t peek. Rice cooks by steam over very low heat. If you open the lid even once, you let out the precious steam and heat so your rice will be hard and under-done.

#3 Proper proportions. One part rice to two parts water. Actually this was something I had never known, we used to add water until it came up to a certain point on our knuckle. (We had to keep adjusting it as we grew…)

So now I’ve got my groove back and rice may be appearing more often on our dinner table.

How to make Perfectly Steamed White Rice

In a pan with a fairly thick, flat bottom, add 1 cup rice. Add some water and swish with your fingers. Drain by pouring the water slowly through your cupped hand (so you can catch any rice kernels that try to escape). Repeat at least a couple of times until the water remains fairly clear.

Add 2 cups fresh water to the pan and bring to a boil, uncovered. Once boiling, cover tightly and turn heat as low as possible. Let cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t peek!

Remove pan from the heat and let sit for another 10 minutes, still no peeking! After 10 minutes or so uncover, fluff the rice with a fork and enjoy.

Chicken Adobo ala Karen

1 Chicken, cut up
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
Garlic Powder, if desired

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray or grease lightly. Add chicken parts, don’t crowd too much. Pour soy sauce and vinegar over chicken. Sprinkle with a little garlic powder if desired.

Cook at 375 degrees until chicken is well done, and the liquid is reduced, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Turn chicken partway through cooking time if desired.

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I started a baby quilt for my neighbor’s 6-week old baby girl. I began it 3 days ago and I already have it ready to quilt. I can’t believe how it just all fell right into place. I even had a piece of batting just exactly the right size.

The fabric is a little cat print from South Seas Imports. I just had a small piece of the coordinating, turquoise, zig-zag print so I used it for sashing and in the checker border.

I’m trying to come up with ideas for how to quilt it. I thought maybe little mouse motifs or something… Anyone have any ideas for me?

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This pattern is too cute! I just had to share….


Little Mouse Pattern by Kristie

http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?p=369114

I used ww yarn, and an F hook.
Do not join rounds, the mouse is made in one complete spiral.
Use stitch markers or safety pins to mark end of each round
Starting at nose, and working down to tail:
Ch 2
1) 6sc in 2nd chain from hook
2) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next sc) repeat around ( 9 sc)
3) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 2 sc) repeat around (12 sc)
4) sc in each sc around
5) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 3 sc) repeat around (16 sc)
It is easiest if you embroider face here
6) sc in each sc around
7) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 4 sc) repeat around (18 sc)
(2 sc in first sc, sc in next 5 sc) repeat around (21 sc)
9) sc in each sc around
10) (2 sc in first sc, sc in next 6 sc) repeat around (24 sc)
11) sc in each sc around.
12) (sc dec, sc in next 4 sc) repeat around ( 20 sc)
13) (sc dec, sc in next 3 sc) repeat around (16 sc)
14) (sc dec, sc in next 2 sc) repeat around (12 sc)
Stuff
15) (sc dec, sc in next sc) repeat around (8 sc)
16) sc dec around (4 sc)
Do not finish off
Chain 12 (this will become the tail)
Slip stitch in 2nd chain from tail, and in remaining chains going up to body.
Finish off leaving long tail.
Use long tail to close hole if necessary, weave in end.
Ear (make 2)
Chain 2
1) 6 sc in 2nd chain from hook
2) 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc)
DO NOT JOIN THIS LAST ROUND
Finish off. (by not joining, it gives you a few slightly flatter stitches, this part gets sewn on to mouse)
Contrast Ear (make 2)
With contrast color,
Chain 2
1) 5 sc in 2nd chain from hook
Join to first sc, and finish off leaving long tail
Sew contrast to ears
Sew ears to mouse.
Placement notes: I cross stitched a small “X” at the very tip of mouse for nose. (in pink)
I sewed on small button doll eyes between rows 2-3 for eyes
I sewed the ears on, using row 5.
Enjoy your mouse!
__________________
Little Mouse Pattern - Crochetville Forum.

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I decided to make cupcakes for a snack when Jesse got home from school yesterday. I’ve made this recipe for chocolate cake before— it is interesting because it has coffee in it. I’ve made it with and without coffee and it really is better with the coffee. It makes a large batch. I had enough for 12 medium cupcakes and 6 huge ones.

I don’t drink coffee often so I used 1/2 teaspoon instant coffee and 1 cup of water instead of the fresh coffee. I’m also out of confectioners sugar so I didn’t make any frosting, but the cake is so delicious the cupcakes were great without any.

‘Perfectly Chocolate’ Chocolate Cake and Frosting

This is based on a recipe from the Hershey’s Cocoa box and it’s a great chocolate cake recipe!

-= Ingredients =-
2 cups Sugar
1 3/4 cups All purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 cup Freshly brewed hot coffee
1 stick Butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
3 cups Powdered sugar
1/3 cup Milk
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

-= Instructions =-

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray two 9 inch round baking pans with non stick cooking spray. Combine first 6 dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the hot coffee and mix well with a spoon (batter will be thin). Pour batter into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and then remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:
Melt the butter and stir in the cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on medium speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla.

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I’ve really been in a quilting lull these last couple of years. In 2007 my New Year’s Resolution was to finish the quilt tops I already have before I would allow myself to buy any more fabric. I’ve mostly stuck to my resolution, and I am finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Tomorrow I will cut and apply the binding for my floral quilt. This quilt is made up of 5″ squares of floral fabrics which were swapped with about 15 ladies in Faith Quilters group in Barton, MS. After the swap we had a sewing day where we all worked on our floral quilts. It was so neat to see all the finished quilts and recognize the squares of fabric we had swapped with each other.

Today I started piecing the backing for my sunflower mystery quilt. This was another quilt project the Faith Quilters all did together. It was led by Ruthie Mann. It was so fun to see how different everyone’s quilt came out.

I have the sashing and borders cut and ready to apply to my Kandy Korn paper-pieced wall-hanging. I still have to sandwich and quilt my small Christmas appliqué wall-hanging. All I have left on the Pumpkin appliqué wall-hanging is the quilting, which I was going to do by hand, but I’m now going to machine quilt so I can just get it done. My last finished top to sandwich is the Christmas Minnesota Hot Dish that I made in a class with Linda more than 5 years ago.

UPDATE July 2009: I have my very own blog now: chickenlady quilts on Blogger.

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What a great day! They’ve been predicting snow and sure enough around 1pm it began to really come down. We were outside making sure the goats had plenty of hay, feed, and warm bedding. They high-tailed it into the barn the instant the first flakes began to fall. We spent a little time tucking feed sacks into the larger cracks in the corners, but it soon got too cold so we started a fire in the fire barrel we use to burn paper. It was snowing too hard though and we just couldn’t get it to burn well. The temperature has been dropping all day and I finally gave up and came in, but Jesse stayed out another hour throwing snowballs at ninjas, making snow angels, and trying for a snow man.

While he was outside I started preparing the venison steaks some friends gave to us. The venison roast I tried a few days ago using a recipe from the You Cook It! cookbook was delicious but had waaaayyy to much pepper. I’m trying another recipe from that cookbook today, but I cut back on the quantities of the spices. It is cooking now and smells delicious!

Foil Venison Steak
(From You Cook It! by Kevin Michalowski)

1 venison steak
1 medium potato, sliced (not more than 1/4-inch thick)
1/4 cup carrots, chopped (not more than 1/4-inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon margarine
1 tablespoon water

Pull out enough tin foil to wrap all the ingredients into a single unit. Put the steak in the center of the foil with the margarine in the center of the steak. Arrange the potato slices on top of the steak and put the carrots around the edges. Sprinkle on the spices and the garlic. Curl up the edges of the tin foil and add the water. Wrap tightly and bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes for a medium-steak and tender potatoes. This cooking method helps keep the meat moist, but you can overdo it.
(I just sprinkled a little salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder over the steaks, margarine, potatoes, and carrots; then I poured on the water.)

When Jesse came in finally he was freezing of course so I made some hot cocoa for us and topped it with some very stale marshmallows I found in the cupboard. I use the recipe from the Hershey’s Cocoa Powder container, and it is scrumptious! We could never go back to instant cocoa in cans or envelopes.

Hershey’s Hot Cocoa
Top of Stove - 6 servings

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
Dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in a saucepan; stir in water. Cook and stir over medium heat until the water boils; boil and stir 2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat, but DO NOT BOIL the milk mixture. Remove from heat; add vanilla.

(I just dump it all together in the pan and stir with a wisk until it is as hot as I want.)

I was going to start making some fresh rolls and southern cornbread to go with the venison, but I got distracted watching the snow falling. It is so beautiful I just had to stop and share it with all of you. Now the venison is done but the rolls aren’t even ready to start rising yet! Hrmph. I’ll have to skip the rolls and just go with the cornbread since it can be done in 20 minutes. It’s all right–I just won’t mention the rolls…

By the way, the venison steaks came out fantastic! Even Jesse ate all his! I made sweet and and un-sweet cornbread so everyone was happy. The rolls are still rising so I’ll bake them later and save them for tomorrow.

What a perfect day this has been!

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In the Vicki Tate article, The 7 Major Mistakes in Food Storage, I had learned we need to use our stored foods now, so that we know how to cook them, and our families get used to eating them.

A major hurdle to actually using our stored foods, though, can be all the extra time it takes to prepare them. We just don’t have the time! However, with a little preparation and planning using our stored foods can be as fast and convenient as using store bought. One trick is to use homemade mixes! Standard homemade mixes are an immense time saver, but you can also purchase online inexpensive powdered margarine, vanilla, shortening, cheese, and eggs to use in your very own mixes.

The Mix-a-Meal Cook Book by Deanna Bean shows how to go even further than simple homemade mixes by using dehydrated ingredients to make truly “just add water” convenience! All the benefits of cooking from scratch, but all the convenience of “just add water” mixes.

The thing I like the absolute best is that every recipe includes a “mini” version so you can test it and see how your family likes it before making a 10-ton batch.

My favorite recipe from the Mix-A-Meal Cookbook is the sweet cornbread, followed closely by the hot roll mix. Yum!

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A sweet lady at our church, Mrs. Norma, recently gave us some deer meat. There was a nice venison roast, and some steaks. I found a simple and delicious-sounding recipe for the roast in a book from the library: You Cook It! by Kevin Michalowski. All the recipes sounded so delicious and looked so simple that I ordered the book online. I can’t wait until it arrives.

Tonight I am trying the One Step Venison Roast. I’ll have my home-made rolls and my butter beans along with it too. My husband did not like the idea of having venison that hasn’t been ground into sausage, but he loves beef pot roast so I’m not going to tell him this is the deer meat until after he eats it.

-= Exported from BigOven =-

One Step Venison Roast

Recipe By: You Cook It! Kevin Michalowski
Serving Size: 6
Cuisine: American
Main Ingredient: Venison
Categories: Winter, Bake, Advance, wild game, Main Dish

-= Ingredients =-
1 3-5 lbs Venison Roast
2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1/8 teaspoon Basil
2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
pinch Seasoned Salt
2 1/3 cups Water
1 medium Onion ; chopped
1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes

-= Instructions =-
Place the roast in a roasting pan and rub with cooking oil. Sprinkle with spices and add the onion and water to the bottom of the pan. Cover and bake at 250 degrees for about four to five hours. Meat should fall off the bone when done.

** This recipe can be pasted into BigOven without retyping. **
** Easy recipe software. Try it free at: http://www.bigoven.com **

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I found the coolest tip in the world from the Hillbilly Housewife web site! She advises making your bread dough in a dishpan in your lap. When it is time to knead, just add flour and knead right in the dishpan.

I found that a dishpan, with its square corners, was too awkward, but my large silver mixing bowls are perfect for kneading. I mix the ingredients into the bowl, add flour until it is too stiff to stir with a spoon then start kneading right in the bowl. Talk about easy clean-up!

My biggest tip, though, is to use lots of flour. Plenty of flour on your hands and your work surface, and keep adding flour as you knead whenever the dough starts to get the least bit sticky. This keeps the dough easy to handle.

If you do knead on your counter, I found that a flat square of plastic, similar to a credit card, is perfect for scraping the dough off the counter quickly and easily, and makes clean-up a snap.

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If I can do it, you can too! It doesn’t take long, though it can feel that way if you are out of your comfort zone. I’m talking about making and using home-canned foods; the cost difference between store-bought is astronomical!

It really is easy, and quick! You don’t have to be a stay-at-home mom, who practically lives in the kitchen, to feed your family fast, easy, healthy, inexpensive food without chemicals and additives.

You will need some inexpensive equipment and a pressure canner, but don’t worry: it pays for itself in the few months! You can buy everything with just a few clicks of your mouse from many places online including Walmart.com or Amazon.com:

Back to Basics 5-Piece Canning Kit from Amazon.com: $12    OR
Fagor Home Canning Kit from Amazon.com: $30

Mirro Pressure Canner from Amazon.com: $65

While waiting for the equipment to arrive, pick up a box of pint- and quart-size canning jars, plus an extra package of lids. You can find them in the baking section of Walmart, or your favorite grocery store; often you can also find them at Ace Hardware stores.

There are 2 kinds of jars, wide-mouth and normal. Whichever kind you get, make sure to buy the extra box of lids in the correct size. If you can’t find jars and lids, you can order them on Amazon.com; unlike plastic zipper bags, jars are completely reusable and environment-friendly.

For the recipes listed below you won’t need fruit pectin or canning salt, but if you plan to make pickles or jam you’ll want to buy a box of fruit pectin, and a jar of canning salt.

Got everything ordered and/or bought? Good. That took maybe 5 minutes online, and 15 minutes in the grocery store. I told you it was quick and easy.

Now, here are some really simple and really useful recipes to get you started. Don’t panic–you can do it. I promise it won’t strain your brain after an exhausting week at work; it is fast and easy. Just relax on Saturday afternoon and give it a try!

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Canned Meatballs

Sweet ‘n’ Sour Meatballs w/Rice; Spaghetti & Meatballs; BBQ Meatballs–you name it. When you have them canned, you’re only minutes away from a meal! You don’t need to use my meatball recipe: whatever is your favorite meatball recipe, make a quantity of it, form it into balls, place it in jars, and follow the canning directions I’ve laid out below! They’re delicious and handy!

Many herbs or spices, especially sage, can make the meatballs bitter when served so it’s best to keep it simple and add more seasonings, if desired, when getting ready to serve the meatballs.

Recipe By: www.recipezaar.com
Serving Size: 7 quart jars

-= Ingredients =-
4 lbs ground beef, (85/15% lean mix)
1 (1/4 lb) package saltine crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon garlic powder (more or less, as desired)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt (more or less, as desired)

-= Instructions =-
Before beginning, wash jars, lids and bands, then run them through dishwasher cycle to sterilize.

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Form into golf-ball size balls, or smaller if desired, packing ingredients together tightly.
3. Pre-cook the meatballs by boiling for 5 minutes in water or broth.
4. Place meatballs in quart-sized canning jars. Fill with the boiling water used to pre-cook (Add your own boiled water if more is needed.) Pack only to within 1″ of top of jar.
5. Wipe rim of jar to remove grease or food bits.
6. Place lid on jar. Screw on band.
7. Place filled jars in the jar rack that came with the pressure canner.
8. Add water to canner, to about 2″ deep.
9. Place lid on canner and make sure it is securely fastened.
10. Open canner’s petcock.
11. Turn on medium-high heat.
12. When steam is rapidly escaping through petcock, close petcock. Pressure will start to rise at this point.
13. When pressure reaches 10 lb., start lowering heat, till the needle on the pressure gauge stabilizes at 10 lb.
14. Start timing: 90 minutes for quarts (70 minutes for pints).
15. When time is done, turn off heat, and leave the canner alone till pressure reaches zero.
16. Open petcock to release any remaining steam and remove the lid.
17. Carefully remove the jars, and set in a draft-free place to cool.
18. When cool, remove bands, wipe down jars with a warm, damp cloth.
19. Push down on the center of each jar’s lid. If the lid flexes up and down, it is not sealed properly. Put that jar in the refrigerator and use as soon as possible.
20. Label jars with the contents and date, and store in a cool, dry place.

TO USE: Remove lid and set jar in pan of hot water to melt the grease before removing meatballs, one at a time, with an iced-tea spoon; or place in microwave just long enough to melt the grease, then remove one at a time, using an iced tea spoon.

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Canned Potatoes

Have home-made mashed potatoes in less time than it takes to cook instant! And sooo much better.

Ingredients–
potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
1 tsp. salt
Hot water

Instructions–
Wash and peel the potatoes, cut them up, then place in clean, washed quart-size jars. Add salt and hot water from faucet to about 1/2 inch from top. Seal and pressure cook for 40 minutes at 10 pounds.

TO MAKE MASHED POTATOES: Pour a quart of your canned potatoes into a bowl, drain off the liquid and discard. Add a bit of warm milk, margarine, and mash with a potato masher. Mix with a hand-mixer if a smoother consistency is desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat in the microwave for a few minutes until warm.

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Don’t stop now; just think how much store-bought Beef Stew costs; but you can make it for soooo much less! Also chili, clam chowder, chicken, beans–you name it. This saves you money and TIME. Cook up one huge pot of your specialty dish to can enough for several meals. You can have home-made entrees ready to eat 15 minutes after you get home from work. Ultimate convenience, the peace of knowing exactly what is in the food, and huge money savings. You can’t afford not to give it a try.

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It is amazing how alien this cooking business is to me! Even after a year, it all is so different–I just don’t seem to think in the right way for it. I have lived and breathed office procedures my whole life, any situation, any problem in an office environment wouldn’t faze me or stump me, but not so in my kitchen!

I just had an epiphany that I am sure all you cooks out there will laugh at. I just realized that I can cook big batches of black-eye peas or butter-beans, and “can” them in jars. Then they’d be ready whenever I need them without having to have planned it 4 hours in advance! And at a fraction of the cost of store-bought cans! Duh!

I have been thinking and thinking how to have cooked veggies, beans, peas, etc. always ready without having to pay supermarket prices for tin cans. It is so obvious, but I never understood; that’s what canning was invented for; it is not just for packing raw veggies from the garden!

Woohoo! I’m going to get my black-eye peas cooking right away. My husband adored the last peas I made; it just takes so long. Will he ever be surprised that he can have them whenever he wants…

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