Blackberries and Raspberries

The blackberries are late! They are just starting to get ripe. Generally they are bursting with berries the week of the Fourth. Well, they are bursting with berries, unripe ones that is. I was looking forward to making jam this week. It isn't going to happen. I guess predicting when the berries are ripe is about as sure as the slot machines on Las Vegas vacations. Don't count on it!

Growing wild here we have red raspberries, black raspberries and blackberries. All the berries have a slightly different texture and taste, but can be used interchangeably or mixed in recipes. Do you know which are which?

The first to get ripe are the black raspberries. In fact they are almost finished for the season. We do not have a lot of these, but there is one nice patch close to the house. We made two pies and had a few to eat from that patch. They are my favorite, sweet and delicious. The black raspberry would be the one on the right. You know it is a raspberry because the center is hollow after you pick it.

Red raspberries, the one on the left, are the jewels of the berries. They are pretty and shiny, almost sparkling in the sun. The berries emerge from what resembles a burr. The plants are covered with small prickers. They are almost fuzzy. I do not think these have as much flavor as the other berries, but they still are delicious. We do not have many of these. Just enough for eating a few here and there.

That leaves the berry in the center, the blackberry. You know it is a blackberry because when you pick it the center remains. Blackberries generally are larger than raspberries. We have an abundance of these. They are flavorful, but out of the three berries these have the most seeds. That doesn't matter much to me. I still love them, but I have several recipes that strain the seeds out for my husband who is bothered by all the seeds. This is one of our favorites.

Blackberry Shrub

4 quarts blackberries
1 quart vinegar
sugar

Mash the berries and cover with vinegar. Allow to sit overnight. Strain. Put in a large pot, and add 2 ¼ cups sugar for each pint of juice. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 minutes. This makes a concentrate that can be added to water. Use about two tablespoons per glass, or ¾ a cup of shrub concentrate in two quarts of water. I also like it mixed into iced tea. Mixed with ginger ale, or lemon lime soda, it makes a great party punch.

But the blackberries are late. I won't be making shrub for another week or so. I can only console myself with the small amount of raspberries available and wait patiently for the blackberries.

For more on berries:

Wild Berry Picking 101
Blackberry Freezer Jam
He'll Take His Blackberries without the Seeds

No Fail Pie Crust

Homemade pie crust tastes better, and is less expensive than store bough crusts, but for a long time I didn't make them. I used to be afraid of making pie crust from scratch. Seemed they never turned out quite right. They might taste good, but my crusts were never very pretty. Pie Dough can be tricky.

I've learned a few tricks since then that have made pie dough a lot easier to work with. Keep your ingredients cold. Chill your bowl and pastry blender. Roll out the dough between waxed paper. These things do help, but awhile ago I was talking to Tim's grandmother about my pie crust struggles and she gave me an easier answer; a recipe that is easier to work with.

She didn't give the recipe a name, but I am calling it Grandma Norma's No Fail Pie Crust. A little wordy perhaps, but appropriate. This dough is easy to work with, freezes well, and tastes great. It makes homemade pie crust a lot less scary.


Frugal Fridays

Beans, Beans, The Miracle Fruit. . .

Can you finish that line? Beans do have quite a reputation for the side effects that they sometimes produce. The real miracle of beans is the variety of ways they can be prepared. Add to that they they are an extremely inexpensive source of protein, and they are truly a food that should be included in your menu.

This week's featured food at Frugal Upstate is beans. If you haven't checked out Jenn's frugal food series yet, you need to. Each week a staple food item is featured and readers are invited to share their favorite recipes. Eggs and Tuna have been featured the previous two weeks.

Looking through my archives I found several beans recipes. Here the are for you:

Chickpeas
Curried Chickpeas

Pinto Beans
Refried Beans

Navy Beans
Beans and Weiners

Black Beans
Crockpot Mexican Lasagna
Black Bean Salsa

Mixed Beans
Homemade Baked Beans

Be sure to check out the other great bean recipes over at Frugal Upstate and to add you own!

Cherry Cobbler

The other day Tim brought home a bag of cherries that a co-worker gave him. The thought of a cherry pie made with fresh home grown cherries cooling in my window made me very happy. Then I started pitting all those cherries.

Pitting that bag of cherries gave a whole new perspective to the saying, "Life is a bowl of cherries." Pitting cherries, like life sometimes, was messy work. After about 1/4 of the bag was done I decided I didn't have enough energy for a pie crust and looked up a cobbler recipe. After 1/2 the bag was done I decided I would make a drop biscuit topping instead of rolling out the dough. About 3/4 of the way through I decided when we plant the orchard there will be no cherry trees.



Thankfully the cobbler turned out to be delicious. So delicious, in fact, that I only cringed ever so slightly at the thought of pitting more cherries when Tim walked through the door with another bag last night. I even think a cherry tree might be nice in the orchard. But I am buying a cherry pitter if I ever have my own tree!

Theme and Variation - Venison Roast

Venison is not a meat that I grew up with, but in the past two years have greatly enjoyed. Learning to cook venison has been and continues to be a process. It is a very lean meat that gets dry and tough quickly. We have quite a bit in the freezer so venison is on the menu a lot, but we don't get tired of it.

Steaks are easy. Throw them on a hot grill and cook to medium-rare. YUM! But roasts have taken a little more practice. We've eaten a lot of tough dry meat, but I'm finally getting more consistent at cooking the roasts right.

Here is a basic recipe for cooking a venison roast. It can be varied by simply changing the liquid, the spices, and adding herbs and or vegetables to get a completely different flavor.



The last time I made a roast I used deer broth for the liquid, peppercorns for spice, and I added chopped green onions and garlic from the garden. It turned out well, but the dish made from the leftovers was even better.

Be sure to save the liquid and the leftover meat. Use them to make a stew or a casserole. Using the leftovers from the combination above I made a rice dish. I cut up the leftover meat into bite size pieces and returned them to the pot. I brought it all to a boil and added 2 C rice and a little salt. I simmered it until the rice was done.

Cooking the same kind of meat frequently does not have to mean lots of repeats on the menu. Though I've used the example of a venison roast, this really applies to all types of meat. Find the technique that works best for the meat, and then change things up with the spices and other ingredients you use. Pair the flavors you've chosen with sides to match and you'll keep everyone interested in dinner, even if you are continually serving the same basic item.

I've really come to enjoy venison. I think even when we are old and gray, well I'm already gray, but not old, and on medicare insurance we'll be enjoying our venison.

Frugal Fridays

Crockpot Mexican Lasagna

My grocery shopping schedule has been thrown off, and having guests for over a week now has completely emptied the kitchen. Yesterday, we cleaned up a lot of leftovers for lunch. After lunch, I found myself with a very empty refrigerator. (Which reminds me, I should clean it now while it is empty.) Among the few leftovers that remained were Black Bean Salsa and several pieces of rabbit. I also had a partial package of corn tortillas from making enchiladas a week ago; a perfect start to Mexican Lasagna. Since I had the main ingredients out already, I put this together in the crockpot right after lunch. It was ready by dinner. What a delicious way to use up those leftovers!

Crumble Bacon Quickly

Mmmmm bacon. Bacon for breakfast. Bacon in our beans. Bacon crumbled on salads and baked potatoes. Bacon, bacon, bacon. We like it!

We use bacon crumbles to add a flavor to a lot of things. A quick and easy tip to make bacon crumbles quickly is to cut it before you cook it. I use my kitchen shears to cut up the slices, and then fry it up in a pan. It is ready in a hurry and saves you from waiting until it it cool enough to handle. It works for me!


Photo: goatopolis

Create Digital Recipe Cards

I always love reviewing new recipe sites. Today I found Key Ingredient and spent a bit of time digging around and playing with the website. I like its search engine. It fits the way I cook. You just enter the ingredients you want to include and it pops up a list of recipes for you. There are other sites that allow you to do this, but you have to dig for that option on the other sites. On Key Ingredient that is the main option and is found top and center on the main page. Find Easy Recipes and lots of other categories of recipes.

Besides looking for recipes you can also create your own digital recipe collection. Your collection can be made from recipes already on the site, recipes at other web pages, and your own recipes. When you enter your own recipes you have the option of making them public, sharing them with friends, or keeping them private. The recipes are stored in neat little digital recipe cards like the one below I created. If you are a blogger, a widget is available to post the recipe card onto your blog.



This site has a lot to offer. I am still digging around and checking out the many features. It is one that I will be going back to.

Homemade Baked Beans

Wow what a great week! The week went so fast, and now I am trying to get a few things caught up and switching gears for the Memorial Day weekend. How can it be Memorial Day already? Doesn't that mean summer and breaking out the sexy swimwear, or in my case the very modest full coverage swimsuit? YIKES!

My brother and his family are here this weekend. We will be celebrating my niece's birthday, heading to the Vandalia Gathering, and enjoying some summer food favorites, including baked beans.

Baked beans are something that I make a little differently every time. What goes in is greatly dependent on what I have on hand. One of my favorite recipes for baked beans to either follow or use as a general guide is Old Settler Beans.

Old Settler Beans
1/2 lb chopped bacon 1 onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground beef 1/4 smoked sausage, sliced
1/3 C ketchup 1/3 C white sugar
1 tsp liquid smoke squirt mustard
1/2 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp salt
16 oz kidney beans 32 oz can pork and beans
16 oz butter beans

Brown meats and onion together. Drain grease. Mix sugars, ketchup, mustard, liquid smoke, slat and pepper. Add meat misture and combine with beans in a large casserole. Bake covered at 350 for one hour, or simmer in the crock pot on low for four or more hours.

Some of the ways I like to vary this is using BBQ sauce instead of the ketchup, liquid smoke and sugar, varying the combination of beans, or adding green pepper. I often just use bacon, but it really is better with the combination of meats. I usually use dry beans which does lower the cost of the dish. Using the variety of beans and meats gives the dish an interesting texture and color. The flavor is just delicious!

What summer favorites will you be making for the holiday weekend?

Keeping Guacamole Fresh & a Recipe

Guacamole seems you love it or hate it. There is no in between. I love it! What is not to love people? The color may not be the most appealing, especially if the guacamole is exposed to air and turns dark, but the taste is wonderful!

To keep your guacamole from getting dark and slimy is really easy. First be sure to use lemon juice in your recipe. Just like using lemon juice with other fruits, it helps to keep the original color.

Guacamole tastes best when it sits a few hours in the refrigerator to let the flavors blend. Even with lemon juice in the mix, a few hours of sitting can give your guac a layer of dark yuck. To keep that from happening take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it right on top of that bright green goodness. Smooth the plastic right over the guacamole so no air can get to that top layer. Then take a second piece of plastic and put in on top of the bowl. It helps keep the first piece in place and gives you double protection. When you are ready to serve, your guacamole will be as bright green as the minute you made it!

There are a lot of variations of guacamole, but here is a simple recipe to get you started.

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
2 TB lemon juice
1 small tomato chopped
2 TB onion finely chopped
1/4 red pepper
1/4 garlic powder
salt to taste

Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and scoop out the fruit into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Mix remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate.

Enjoy your bright green and delicious guacamole! Works for Me Wednesday!


Photo credit: Shutterbuggal

Summer Carry In Favorites - TT #26

Summer is not even here yet, but the carry in picnic season is in full swing. I love this time of hanging out with friends and family, and enjoying the goodies that everyone has brought. Here are some of my favorites to bring the summer carry ins.

1. Pasta Salad
It is colorful, inexpensive, and delicious. It also holds up to the summer heat better than other favorites like potato salad.

2. Black Bean Salsa
This is a delicious combination of flavors. I usually tone it down a bit for carry ins by using one can tomatoes with chilies and one of just diced tomatoes. I made it like this for a function on Monday and someone (you know who you are) still said it was too hot. Geesh, just goes to show you can't please everyone!

3. Deviled Eggs
Give them a little zip by adding horseradish. Yes, they don't do well in the summer heat, but they never last long enough for that to really be a problem.

4. Baked Beans
Make them from scratch with a couple kinds of beans. I really should post my recipe.

5. Zucchini Strudel
A great way to use up all that zucchini, especially the ones you let get too big. No one will know it is zucchini, unless you tell them that is.

6. Veggie Tray
Keep the dip cold by putting it in a small bowl. Then fill a larger bowl with ice, and set the smaller bowl in the ice.

7. Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Especially good this time of year.

8. Garden Green Beans
Never better!

9. Sliced Garden Tomatoes
Those who don't grow tomatoes will thank you!

10. Fruit in a Watermelon Bowl
Use what is in season. It looks pretty and is refreshing.

11. Freezer Cucumbers
Cool as a cucumber can be.

12. Sugar Cookies
Can you believe I've listed eleven things with nothing sweet?!

13. Bread and Jam
Blackberry jam on homemade bread is always a hit!

Summer is almost here, so put away the down comforters, break out the picnic baskets, and enjoy! What are your favorite summer carry in dishes?

Thursday Thirteen


Apologies for the lateness of this post. We lost power this morning. It has been that kind of week.

Poke, Bacon and Eggs

Yesterday we gathered the first poke weed of the season. We gathered about a mixing bowl full. I decided to try something new to fix it.

Poke, Bacon and Eggs
First wash the poke weed. Trim off the leaves and peel the stalks, if using. Put in a pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for a few minutes. Drain, rinse and chop.

Chop up four pieces of bacon and fry in a pan. When the bacon is almost done, drain the excess fat, and add 2 TB chopped onion and 2 cloves chopped garlic. Cook until onion is soft.

Beat six eggs and add to the bacon and onions. Cook until eggs are dry, stirring frequently.

We had this for dinner last night with cornbread and beans. It made for a delicious, nutritious and economical meal, but I must say I have a love hate relationship with cornbread. You can see the love...


And the hate...




How do the kids get so many crumbs on the floor?

Spinach Pie Quiche

Many of our meals are unique creations made from a little of this and a little of that I have on hand or left from another meal. I've been cooking in this manner long enough that most times the creations turn out very well. Every now and then they turn out exceptionally. So good that the recipe must be written down to be used again. This is one such instance.

This meal began with a desire to use some phyllo and some ricotta cheese. Both were left from different recipes I had made recently. From there it turned into what I am calling Spinach Pie Quiche. This was a hit with the whole family, even the nine year old who does not like tomatoes or cooked spinach.

Spinach Pie Quiche
2 TB butter
1/2 a medium red onion, chopped
1/2 a medium tomato, chopped
1 - 4 oz can mushrooms, drained
1 - 10 oz box of frozen spinach, thawed
2 large eggs
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella
15 oz Ricotta cheese
1/2 package of phyllo dough
1/4 C butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Melt butter in frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for a few minutes until onion starts to get soft. Add tomato and mushroom. Cook a few more minutes. Add spinach, and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl beat eggs. then stir in the cheeses. Grease a 2 quart baking dish. Place two pieces of the dough in the bottom. Brush with melted butter. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on, and then 1/3 of the spinach mixture. Repeat layers until you've used all the mixtures. End with a layer of dough. Tuck the edges of the dough down into the baking dish. Brush with melted butter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown.

I love experimenting in the kitchen. It is a great way to use up leftovers and bits of ingredients, and every now and then a new dish is created that is fabulous!

Peppermint Sun Tea

Ice tea is a year round drink in this house, but it tastes so much better in the summer. What is it about sun tea that makes it taste so good Maybe it is the slow processing that makes the flavor smooth and refreshing. I'm not sure about the science behind it, but I do know it tastes great. Throw a little mint in, and you have a perfect drink for a hot day.

Our Peppermint is only a few inches high, but I just couldn't resist snagging some for sun tea yesterday. I carefully snipped what I could, being sure to leave enough of the plant for new growth. I probably had about 1/2 a cup. More would have been better, but this worked. I washed the leaves and tied them up in a coffee filter.

I filled a gallon jar with water and placed the peppermint in with eight tea bags. It sat in the sun for a few hours. After it was chilled it was so good! You got to love a refreshing treat that doesn't send you looking for the best weight loss pills after you've enjoyed it.


Photo credit: airencracken

Beans and Wieners

Funny how simple dishes can trigger found memories. There are many foods that immediately send my mind to grade school; grilled cheese and tomato soup, tater tots, apple crisp, and beans and wieners.

Beans and wieners is such a simple and economical dish to make. The kids think it is fun too because there are hot dogs in the soup. Frugal and fun, exactly why it was served so often in my grade school cafeteria, but you can make it at home too!

Beans and Wieners
1/2 pound dry navy beans
3 hot dogs, slice
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 a small onion, chopped
ketchup
salt
pepper

Soak beans in the morning, or do a quick soak per instructions on the package. Drain beans and put them back in the pot. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add hot dogs , carrot and onion. Continue to cook about another 30 minutes until beans are soft. Add a squirt of ketchup. Salt and pepper to taste. Good served with cornbread!

Attention Chocolate and Peanut Butter Lovers

Chocolate and Peanut Butter is one of our favorite combinations. I don't think I've ever made anything with that combination that wasn't a hit. Around the holidays we will make buckeyes. Sometimes you will find that combination in this house in the form of No Bake Cookies. Our favorite indulgence, though is Jessie's Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake. The kids are thrilled when Sam's is handing out promotional products samples from Reese's. For a quick fix you may find us simply melting a few chocolate chips, and mixing in a tablespoon of peanut butter. Yes, we love chocolate and peanut butter.

Yesterday I came across a recipe for Marbled Brownies. You guessed it, they are marbled with peanut butter. I made them last night, and they were outstanding! They are almost gone! If your family too are lovers of chocolate and peanut butter, I highly recommend this recipe to you.

Amish Peanut Butter

Many of Amish restaurants where I grew up will serve their homemade rolls with a deliciously sweet peanut butter spread. We call it Amish Peanut Butter. It not is exactly the most healthy way to serve peanut butter, but it is oh so good. Try it on some homemade bread. I'm sure you will find it irresistible.

Amish Peanut Butter
2 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/4 C water
1/4 C corn syrup

Boil 10-15 minutes. Cool off then add 3/4 quart of marshmallow cream and 20 ounces peanut butter.

Enjoy!

Pepperoni Rolls - An errand day lunch solution?

Do you know what a pepperoni roll is? If you do, I imagine you must be from West Virginia.

There have been many things about this state that have surprised me. We moved just a mere four hours when coming to the Wild and Wonderful state, how could so many things be so different? Can you believe that there are foods here I did not even know existed before?

Pepperoni Rolls are a simple and delicious snack. They are said to have been popular with the coal miners back in the day. I had never heard of them before. In this state, they are in about every grocery store you stop in. There is even a whole website devoted to the Pepperoni Roll.

I tried my hand at making them this week. They really are very simple. In the basic form they are only dough and pepperoni. This is how they were first made. The flavor of the pepperoni bakes into the dough. It is quite a simple and delicious snack. Of course, you can vary them a lot by adding cheese, hot peppers, sauce, or about whatever you like.

I used a the calzone dough recipe from Electric Bread.
1 1/2 C water
4 C flour (I used all white this time, but will probably add some wheat next time.)
1 tsp dry milk
2 T sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp yeast

Throw it all in the bread machine. Set it for the dough cycle and let the machine do its magic.

When the dough is ready, take it out of the machine. I just plopped mine on the counter, but get a plate or something if you like. Then pinch off a bit of dough. I took about a tablespoon size; smaller than a walnut. In the stores the rolls are bigger, but I was making these for children so I wanted them on the small side.

Using both hands I stretched out the dough to resemble a mini pizza; just larger than the pepperoni slice. I laid a slice of pepperoni on the dough, (Use more than one slice if you'd like. Pepperoni sticks can also be used.) then folded the dough over, and pinched it together. Lay the roll on a baking sheet. Cover and allow to rise about 20 minutes. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes. This made about twenty small rolls.

So, what does this have to do with errand day lunches? One spending area I constantly struggle with is lunches on the days we are running errands.

These really were so simple to make, and are very economical. I discovered that besides the taste, I liked them for some of the same reasons the coal miners did. They transport well, and are an easy and quick meal. That got me to thinking, why don't I make several batches of these up and stick them in the freezer? Then I could pull them out when I need them.

On errand day I often intend to pack lunch, but on grocery day there often is nothing to pack. Other days, especially when we have to be somewhere by a certain time, I run out of time to pack a lunch. There is also a problem of what to pack that a two year old can eat on the go without making herself a complete mess. Peanut butter and jelly is not the answer! The crumbs from a pepperoni roll are easily brushed off.

To avoid eating out when running errands, I sometimes intend to get home before lunch. Dreaming! It almost never happens. We live too far away, and there are too many stops to make. Sometimes I will pick up a convenience lunch at the grocery store. That is cheaper than going out to eat, but not as cheap as a pepperoni roll. Too many times we end up going out for lunch.

Wouldn't the pepperoni rolls in the freezer be an easy solution to my lunch on errand day dilemma? I could grab those, some water, and maybe some apples or other fruit, and have an easy, economical meal! How do you handle lunch on days you are out running errands?

Photo credit (I forgot to get pictures of mine!): katrina!


Frugal Fridays

A Free Spot for Food Lovers

I know to some cooking is a mandatory chore that is approached with loathing. Not for me. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy old favorites and standbys, but I am also always on the look out for new approaches to our favorites, and for new recipes to try. My husband sometimes jokes that we have never eaten the same meal in thirteen years of marriage.

There are so many sites out there for food lovers. Recently I came across a new one, www.foodconnect.com. I will be returning. The site is colorful and easy to navigate. You can search for recipes, submit your own recipe, or even request recipes from other members. Nutritional facts are generated for each recipe, and you can create your own recipe book simply by adding a recipe to your favorites. Once you have some favorites established, menus and related shopping lists are easily generated. You can even plan parties and other events with their helpful tools.

Whether you love to cook, or see it as a necessary chore, www.foodconnect.com is a helpful site to use. I haven't submitted any of my recipes yet, but let me know if you do. I'd love to take a look. Maybe I'll see you there!

The Little House Sports Drink, Ginger Water

In the book The Long Winter, Laura relates the story of the first time she helped with the hay. It was a very hot day, and the work was physically exhausting. Laura longed for a long cold drink, but Pa warned her to not drink too much water or her stomach would get upset. Ma, however, had a surprise for them both.

Ma had sent them ginger-water. She had sweetened the cool well-water with sugar, flavored it with vinegar, and put in plenty of ginger to warm their stomachs so they could drink till they were not thirsty. Ginger-water would not make them sick, as plain cold water would when they were so hot. Such a treat made that ordinary day into a special day, the first day that Laura helped in the haying.

Today we would probably recommend that Pa and Laura drink lots of water through out the day to stay well hydrated in the hot summer sun, but there is something refreshing about a drink with a little flavor and a little sweetness when you are hot and tired. I'm not a big fan of sports drinks, but ginger water would be a great alternative. Ginger has long been a favorite around here for upset stomachs. Herbalists say that ginger is also useful in treating fevers, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and headaches. See Natural Herbs Guide.

Using the recipe found in The Little House Cookbook we made our very own ginger water. It really is very easy.

Ginger Water
Brown Sugar, 1/2 to 3/4 C packed
Powdered ginger, 1 tsp
Cider Vinegar 1/2 C

Dissolve brown sugar and ginger in vinegar by shaking or stirring. Add 1 quart of cold water, mix and serve.

The drink is very refreshing. It reminds me of lemonade though the flavor is quite different. I like the ginger taste without the carbonation found in ginger ale. I think this will be a regular item in our refrigerator this summer.

Find more frugal ideas at Frugal Fridays.

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