Whey Biscuits

So I was going to attempt something really exciting today and bake my first loaf of bread since highschool, and in the proper way.
But I got a little freaked out and really don't need to be eating a loaf of homemade bread right before Thanksgiving.....

So I think I'll try these biscuits instead.  I have some delicious whey in the fridge leftover from a gallon of raw milk I purchased from a local farm that I used to make some lemon cheese with juice from my Meyer Lemon tree. The cheese is delicious, the raw milk was amazing (i don't drink milk from cows, but i think i'm sold on the raw alternative: soooo good) and now i have some super yummy whey left over. I'll feed some to the chickens, maybe make some lacto fermented something, and do a little baking.

I used that recipe as reference, but found that my flour is self rising baking flour and had a great little recipe on the side of the bag too - so i combined and this is what i did (recipe is halved and made 4 biscuits):

• 1 cup flour (self rising)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup Crisco
• Chopped fresh herbs: rosemary, sage, basil, oregano - about 1-2 tablespoons
  
• 3 cloves garlic finely diced
• 1/2 cup whey
  

Mix the salt, garlic and herbs with the flour and cut in the shortening. Add whey slowly to make a slightly sticky, kneadable dough, you may not use all of the whey. Blop your biscuits on a lightly greased pan and bake at 450 for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms lightly brown.
Yum! They turned out SO good, and the herbs really made a difference. Savory and delicious, and a perfect accompaniment to the turkey soup i made.  Very easy to do and a hit with all the guests.

Stuffed Shroomies

Stuffed mushrooms, how I love thee. The prefect appetizer for any occasion. You take a little bit of effort, but your componants can be prepared in advance to be popped into the oven as my guests arrive, greeting them with tantalizing shroomy smells and piping hot deliciousness (don't burn your mouth!)

With the holidays coming up, I thought I would write down this old favorite of mine in case any of you were pondering new ideas for the stuffing of mushrooms.

Don't get me wrong, I love cheesey, creamy, indulgent stuffed mushrooms - but i think this recipe is a nice alternative: still completely decadent, but without the mass amounts of cheese and olive oil some recipes call for. I have made these many times, and each time fiddle with the ingredients and the amounts, more of this, less of that, new herbs or veggies - so don't be limited by this recipe, but rather think of it as a good sounding off board and make it your own (or do it as is, it'll be great).

Stuffed Button Mushrooooooms
(note, the amounts of shroom and breadcrumbs here come from an old recipe i originally used as reference - i haven't made these in a while, sadly, so you may find you need more breadcrumbs - simply add some more as needed, but it should be about half wet/hot ingredients to half dry)

• 24 medium to large sized buttom shrooms (about one big package)
• 3 slices turkey (or real) bacon, optional
• 1 onion, diced very fine
• 1 jalapeno, diced very fine, seeds removed, optional
• 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs (you can use the dried ones, but crush them up to more like dust)
  
• 3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• few pinches other fresh herbs, rosemary, oregano, thyme etc
• reduced fat feta crumbles, or shredded Parmesan (or both) you can also substitute ricotta for the feta
  
• splash white wine
• little oil
• salt and pepper
  

Filling can be made ahead and stored in a ziplock bag, extra can be frozen for next time.

Clean mushrooms with a brush or cloth, not under water, and remove the stems. Save about half or 3/4 of the stems and chop finely.

Finely chop the veggies and herbs and bacon if using. Saute the veggies and bacon in a little olive oil with the mushroom stems until the onions are clear (cover pan while sauteing to keep the moisture in and speed cooking while alleviating the need for more oil). Once veggies are cooked to your liking, add the finely chopped fresh herbs and splash of white wine.

In a separate bowl while veggies are cooking, mix the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper and cheeses. I would say there should be either equal amounts cheese to breadcrumbs or slightly less cheese - more or less depending on how decadent you want it.

Mix the wet/hot ingredients into the dry, mixing thoroughly. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or herbs and light dash of olive oil as needed. The texture should be moist and spoonable, but not "wet" or too crumbly dry. The cheese should act as a binder and the onion mixture as a flavor-soaker-inner (nice technical verbage, ay?)

If you are stuffing now, simply use a regular spoon and scoop up spoonfuls of the filling, turn spoon upside down and press into the mushroom cavity to be flush or slightly heaping above the rim of the mushroom. Lay out the mushrooms on a cookie sheet side by side as you stuff them. When all are stuffed and nestled together (not quite touching) sprinkle a little salt all 'round as well as a little more parm. These can wait on the counter for you, or be cooked right away. If set aside, cooking time might be slightly longer since the fillings will have cooled.

When your guests are about to arrive preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Stick these babies in as you see your guests approaching up the walk  (or about 20 minutes before you're ready to snack) and bake until the mushrooms are getting soft, the tops are slightly browning and bubbling, and there's a general feeling of sizzle and aromatic goodness in your oven.  I have written here about 15 minutes, but i'm pretty darn sure the last few times it has taken 5 or 10 minutes longer - you can also blast the broiler at the very end if you want more browning to occur. The key is that the mushrooms get soft all the way through, but NOT mushy - need to be picked up easily with two fingers. All ovens are different - so just keep an eye on them please.

CAREfully remove the shrooms with a spatula and your hands, or with some tongs and spread on a nice serving platter. Serve with some robust red wine and cocktail napkins at hand - but do let the shrooms cool just a touch before serving - don't want any ER visits for your guests' mouths!

I apologize for no pictures, but hopefully this recipe will be a good guide for you. I like my shroomies spicy, so don't add the jalapeno if you want a milder version. You could also put in finely diced celery, bell peppers, or maybe blue cheese or really anything you'd like!
Have Fun!

The Co-Op is Live!

An Austin Homestead is ready to close up the circle of production. I have Kombucha, I don't have eggs yet, but will, and I have a desire to reach out to this great community and spread the love. You help me afford supplies and feed, you get good stuff, i get good stuff, the hens get good stuff, we all win!  Please invite any friends you know would be interested in buying locally and consuming high quality, fresh goodies.

You can request membership to my new Co-Op here, as well as via a link on the left side of this blog.

Bear with me while I work through the learning process and baby steps of a new entrepreneurial venture, but i think this will be a great step for my little urban homestead and a great way to give something back to my loyal friends.

Current availability : Plain Kombucha Tea 16 oz for $3, Flavored (with cinnamon and cloves, cranberries, or other requests) Kombucha 16 oz for $3, Bring your own jar and knock off a dollar.  Also, very soon Scobies to brew your own KT will be available on special request.

Co-Op members will be given a link to a spreadsheet with available items listed. You will simply enter the number of items you desire and subject to availability will be able to pick up said items most weekends (specific pick up/delivery specifics will be specified once i get a better sense of who and how many co-op members i rustle up)

Can't wait to hear from you!
Miranda

COMING SOON: New Mini Co-op to Purchase Goods from the Austin Homestead

Hi folks!
I'm happy to announce that my entrepreneurial spirit is in full swing. As loyal readers, you know that i am the happy mother of 4 beautiful hens, and an experimenter and succeeder in the brewing of Kombucha Tea (KT). Since I live alone with my husband and animals - we simply have more KT and eggs (in theory, they're not quite laying YET) than we can consume in a hasty fashion. I don't, however, make enough of any of these consumables to warrant a full scale advertising corporate identity or even farm stand, nor guarantee availability at all times.

That being said: I would love to form a small scale, local co-op to partake in purchasing and consuming of my wares - for your benefit and for mine. You will help me pay for the things that make my life more fulfilling and healthy, and bring something healthful into your own home while buying as "local" as it gets.

Wares I will have available for purchase will vary with the season, but will rotate around these assorted items: Kombucha Tea, flavored and unflavored, bottled by me or bottled into your bottle at a discount (you can bring bottles as a deposit towards next time, or have me fill it on sight), Yard Fresh Eggs, by the dozen, half dozen, or even by the egg if you don't mind skipping the fancy egg carton, freshly made pasta and pesto, seasonal produce, maybe even cheese! I also crochet beverage cozies that are great for personal use or as gifts, among other silly and useful crafty things.

I will create a google document that you can simply open up online and place your order. The spreadsheet will tally your totals and orders will be filled upon availability. I will do my best to keep the spreadsheet current by week, and if something is unavailable when you want it, you will be sure to get first dibs the following week.   This document will also be an easy way to 'tell your friends' and they can request participation in the co-op as well.  As we go along I'll have a better idea of exactly how much KT i can really bottle in a week - and luckily it keeps in the fridge so i can bottle as it comes and save it up for the weekend.  I'm still working out the kinks - but I will either set up a set time to meet co-op members at an established locale, or set up  'open hours' Saturday afternoons to coincide with the farmers market schedules.

I am open to comment and suggestion, so please let me know your interests, needs, and preferences, and feel free to give me any ideas about facilitating local goodnesses.

Would this be something you'd be interested in? Do you have friends that are looking for a local source for KT or even scobies to purchase for their own homebrew? Would you buy local, yard eggs for about $3 a dozen? Let me know!

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Well the whole baked pumpkin may have been a bit of a bust (though i still plan on making yellow curry with it tonight) but at least I got some yummy pumpkin seeds out of it. It's cool because the seeds are already cooked inside the shell - will be interesting to see if they come out tasting different or having a significantly different texture.

 

Normally my pumpkin seeds are quite crisp and flavorful, best eaten warm.   In the past I've burnt batches by heating them too hot or too long. The last time i made them i referred to this recipe for guidance. The seeds turned out PERFECTLY.  I season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder, and my homemade seasoning salt.

Today I'll do the same, but with the roasted seeds. Coat seeds in light oil, seasonings of choice, and heat oven to 300. Place seeds in the baking pan in the oven, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes.

***Whilst toasting these already roasted seeds i discovered two things: either the temp should be cooler or cooking time shorter. I fiddled with both, but think i would suggest 300 for only 15 minutes, stirring often. Mine got ALMOST too burnt - but just saved them.

100 Omnivorous Foods

I just ran into this list on Chiot's Run while hunting for directions to make a cheese press. Sounds interesting, so why not. (I clearly have time to waste in between christmas present projects, heck i cleaned the carport today!)

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Mark any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here with the link to your blog with you answers, I would love to see what’s bolded on your list and post a comment at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results (so far there are over 1170 comments)
The Omnivore’s Hundred:
1. Venison – the best was an injured doe my step dad took on their property
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos Rancheros - i live in Austin. We eat huevos rancheros here bouts.
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding – don't think i want to know.
7. Cheese fondue - the best was at a party at a friend of my cousin's in Jersey City.
8. Carp
9. Borscht 
10. Baba ghanoush.  yum! made it this summer, easy, light, delicious. but not pretty.
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart -sadly yes, even more sadly: at the outlet stores in San Marcos
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle   nom nom nom nom. esp in cheeeeeese
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes  check out Springbank Farms. Yummy wine, and I did their corporate identity artwork!
19. Steamed pork buns  i think so. and i think i'd hoped they were vegetarian.
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes – helLO brandywine!
22. Fresh wild berries –ah, the late summer days in the Willamette Valley, how i miss you so.
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans – complete protein!
25. Brawn or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper – not sure
27. Dulce de leche – yes, gross.
28. Oysters – blecth.
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas – love Wasabi
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - tummy didn't appreciate this later. me and cream = not friends.
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut -
35. Root beer float - it is all about the crusty frozen icecream/soda bits on the edges
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat – i don't THINK so.....
42. Whole insects - no, but i saw a lot in Thailand
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk - i like! can't wait to milk my own goaties!
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more – don't think so
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel – i love it!!!!!!! barbecued eel, can't get enough.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut- I do not love disgusting grease film coating inside of mouth.
50. Sea urchin – doubt it
51. Prickly pear - maybe, but i'll say no
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal – sadly, yes. but i was in 5th grade.
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini – give me those olives!
58. Beer above 8% ABV - i'm from Oregon, remember?
59. Poutine –
60. Carob chips - yeah, but they're wierd. dark chocolate all the way.
61. S’mores – of course
62. Sweetbreads – if this means sweet bread, yes. if this is a wierd name for meat, no.
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst -
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs - don't think so
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - oh hell yes: Doughboy at the Tulelake Fair!
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain -
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe - absinthe yes, but i dunno what louche means.
74. Gjetost, or brunost - don't know what that is
75. Roadkill – if you count roadkilled corn or spuds that leap out of the trucks ;)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie –  NO, but i've scarfed some Homerun pies - highschool. i was chubbier.
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong – one of my favorite teas!
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum   yes yes yes
82. Eggs Benedict – gross gross gross
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant
85. Kobe beef – nope, I prefer mine local
86. Hare - the husband and the step dad shot some buns- jack rabbits.
87. Goulash – i have my own version
88. Flowers – nasturtiums and turks cap
89. Horse – hope not, Misty would not approve
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam – i went to college with a lot of hawaiians
92. Soft shell crab - i'm not a fan of sea animals with shells, of any firmness level
93. Rose harissa -
94. Catfish oh hell yes!
95. Mole poblano –
96. Bagel and lox - lived in new york a while, took advantage
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - hate coffee: induces nausea
100. Snake

well, that was interesting.  now you do it!   Thanks, Mrs. Chiot's! 

Grilled/Fried Butternut Squash

This is an oldie, but a goodie. The silly thing about it, is that i learned this recipe while living in Australia, loved it, and then made it for my folks, and then for my grandma when i lived with her a few years ago. Gramma Viv LOVES this squash.

Let me tell you about Gramma Viv. She loves cookies, sweets, and greasy chicken. She can't eat anything green, chocolatey, or really anything at all because of her evil stomach (which i've sadly inherited). But that doesn't stop her from indulging and being kept up all night with a bad case of gas, poor thing.

This squash recipe, however, fits the bill with Gramma Viv. She, over time, has lost the healthy details, and just makes it straight up fried squash with some olive oil and not much spice, in her cast iron pan. You could do that, it is delicious, but here's the original, un-gramma'd version. She just left me a voicemail mentioning how much she loves this squash - so i had to write it down for you all.

Grilled Butternut Squash
1 butternut squash, cut in half long ways, then sliced into thin half moons, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick
oil (i use spray, non fat oil)
spices: salt, paprika, chilly powder, cayenne, pepper  -  really whatever you like. I like to do some pumpkin pie spice on one side, and cayenne and salt on the other - mix it up!

Heat pan to med- med/high. Spray with olive oil. Lay down as many squash as fit without overlapping in the pan.  Spray top with olive oil and season liberally, Heat til seared on one side with lid on the pan, flip, heat until soft through with lid on… store in oven on warm and repeat with entire squash. You can also do this on a propane grill if you're really careful - or even under the broiler in the oven.

            or if you're Gramma - just put a nice coating of olive oil in your cast iron skillet and fry those
           puppies up!

Serve with Asian sweet and spicy sauce, garlic mayonaise, or plain. The goal is to get the squash soft and wonderful in the middle and a little crispy on the outside - eat with skin on (or be finicky and strip it off like my mom does, but that's lame so don't do that)

Sorry, this picture is horrible and ancient. I told you this was an oldie!

 

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers with Turmeric, Raisons and Tofu

Wow.
Making this dish, though relatively easy, made me feel like one of those circus performers who balances the spinning plates on long sticks... But really it was pretty easy and forgiving as all get out. We both loved this dish, and were happily surprised and pleased with my experimental venturing into flavors/ingredients that don't normally find their way into Miranda's kitchen.
This recipe uses a pan, a small pot, and a baking tray - but the extra dishes are worth the result.

Ingredients:

• 7 Golden Bell Peppers (mine are homegrown and rather small- you could probably serve 2 regular sized bell peppers a person instead)
• 1 Habanero, roasted with the bells
• 1/4 cup Golden Raisins, chopped
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic
• Half a block of Tofu, diced into small cubes
• 1/4 medium sweet onion, finely diced
  
• 1 cup Quinoa cooked in 2 cups Veg Broth
• Pinches: Cumin, Curry, Cardamom, Pepper
• 1/8 - 1/4 Tsp Turmeric
• Generous Salt
• 1 Tsp freshly chopped Cilantro
• Splash Mirin (rice wine, or sweet white wine)
  

Chop all ingredients first to be ready to toss in here and there as needed.

Prepare the Bells by removing the tops (set aside for serving) and seeds. Place upside down on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil and bake in toaster oven on the convection setting at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes, turning the pan halfway through. When softened and browned to your satisfaction turn off oven and allow Bells to cool slightly, in oven or on counter. Roast the habanero with the Bells for a while, then chop up and add to the sauteing onions etc.

While you are preparing the bells set 2 cups veg stock and cup quinoa to boil. Cover and turn down to simmer for about 15, 20 minutes. When done, simply stir up a bit, recover and turn off heat. Add the raisins at this point. The quinoa is perfectly happy to wait for you to finish everything else.

While the quinoa is simmering and Bells are roasting - Saute Garlic, Onions, and Tofu (and habanero) in a pan over medium/high heat. Add all spices except the cilantro. Saute uncovered, stirring often until onions get soft. Once onions are completely softened, add a splash of mirin and cover and turn heat to low. This mixture will wait until you are ready for it.

When all the members of this ensemble are ready to your satisfaction, preheat the oven back to 375. Stir the Quinoa into the tofu/onion mixture and add the cilantro. Taste and add generous amount of salt as needed.

Position the peppers hollow side up, you may have to trim the bottom a bit, or squish down to create a flatter bottom. Stuff the peppers with the Quinoa mixture, sprinkle a little salt on top and place the pepper tops to create little lidded pepper receptacles.
Place peppers back in oven - be sure the rack is low enough to facilitate the taller peppers with their tops, and heat up until sizzling and lids have softened, about 3 minutes.

Carefully remove from oven and place the peppers on plates. You can also serve the extra filling, if any to the side. These could also be a side dish to a meat entree, perhaps a nice glazed chicken breast - but the Quinoa is super high in protein and perfectly acceptable for a light, vegetarian main course.

Quite pretty, if i do say so myself. The garlicy salty tastes combined and accented the sweetness of the peppers and the raisins in a really nicely balanced way. The habanero adds a nice bite of heat here and there, but also its unique flavor goes along super well with the turmeric. Don't be put off by the complicated sounding nature of juggling those 3 components - they really all are happy to wait until you're ready to put them all back together and reheat.

Might be pretty to serve with some sauteed or fresh cherry tomatoes to add a little red to the otherwise yellowy hue.

Roasted Pumpkin

I love Halloween: especially the few days afterward when those spendy as heck pumpkins turn into cheap-get-this-out-of-the-store deals!

I got this medium sized pumpkin for a whopping 99 cents!

Normally, i would cut the pumpkin up to fit onto my one sad cookie sheet, flesh side down. But today i discovered a great new way of roasting pumpkin: WHOLE!

Simply wash the pumpkin off, coat with a little olive oil, and stick in the oven at 400 for an hour or so. Easy as pie, har har har. When a knife goes in easily, the pumpkin is done.

I wonder how easy it will be to clean out the 'guts' without wasting flesh, but the seeds should already be cookedish which i'd think would make for even better toasted seeds.

Mmmmmmmm... 50 minutes in and it smells yuuummmmm yyyyyyyy. It's done with the knife goes in like butter.

Well: mild disappointment. The pumpkin smelled great, but upon tasting, not so sweet. The seeds will be roasted, and perhaps I'll use the meat in a curry or something more savory. The seeds do look cooked - tomorrow i'll try toasting them and report on the results.

An Evening in the Gardens

I felt the need to take some pause and reflect on the emerging and regressing beauties in the gardens.
Spinaches and greens are germinating and growing stronger, the bell peppers are slowly ripening to vibrant colors just in time for an end of season harvest, the garlic are peaking out their slender green heads, and the multiplying onions are, well, multiplying. These, along with some awkward volunteers, are filling the gardens with beauty and daily change. It's a great season here in Austin.

Day 4

oh, day four.
Today stipulates bananas and milk. and soup. as mentioned before i don't drink milk.... but i got some goat's milk, and it's actually pretty good-which is good to know since i plan on getting dairy pigmy goats. I guess the bananas and milk are supposed to curb my cravings for sweets... i don't really crave sweets much. whatever.
Slept great last night! Been going to bed right at 10, falling asleep easier each night, and had amazing Corgi puppy dreams. It walked around on its hind legs holding my hand, and holding something else in its other hand. AWESOME.

realization:
This diet is for people who snack snack snack and need something ot structure their lives. While i DO snack, i don't generally snack on things like chips and ice cream. This diet is somewhat pointless for me as it's just telling me to eat the things i already eat. Quote from someone about this diet:

This diet is for the jellyroll type, too lazy to exercise who can't stay away from the refrigerator, McDonalds or Baskins Robbins. I say, do exercise, but as a beginner. I also say, there are much better diets available.

That sure isn't me.... so i might just quit, since this is pointless... but i think i will take one thing from this: low cal soup is super filling and a great alternative to overeating other healthy, but higher cal foods that i often cook. Luckily it's almost winter, a season full of soup days. I'm a healthy person, with a little extra womanly chub here and there. I go the the gym daily, and binge a little much on the weekends... That being said - if i could keep the wine consumption down, i really think i could keep pushing my weight loss to at least the mid 120s.
And i still have lots of soup left - so if i do quit, at least i have that for lunches/dinner supplements for a while.

8:30 am
For breakfast i made a smoothie (forgot the soy protein powder oh well) with a shot of vanilla along with the goat milk and banana. Pretty good, actually!
We'll see if i can make it through step aerobics on it though.
8:33
Daaaaaaaamn, that was a good smoothie! Think i'll have another on my return from the gym, with protein powder this time (i know it's not stipulated, but c'mon, it's powder).
11:30
Step was HAARD this morning, and i only did half pilates - more because i actually have things to do today than because of exhaustion. Left craving a turkey sandwich though. Instead: shower and a banana smoothie. Then out for chores and hopefully distraction from tum.

12:18
See beginning of post: It is DECIDED. This diet is a fad, it is for overweight people who can't control themselves from eating 1000 calorie burgers from McDonalds. I will learn from this, though:
keep the soup on hand for crisis moments/snacking, eat fewer carbs at breakfast, and drink less booze.
We'll see how long i keep up the new attitude - but i think i've learned some good stuff fromthis.
but c'mon, i'm a mostly vegetarian person who does NOT need to be spending the next 2 days eating as much meat as i want - as i want none of it!

Am i a cop out? Or am i justified? Please let me know what you think. I need support, as i am feeling more cop out that practically thinking.

Worming Chickens Naturally

As most of you know, i have four pullets (young hens). I got three of them as day old chicks, though two looked older than two others. The fourth is a replacement hen for a 'woops' rooster.
Olive the replacement hen, is getting very close to laying : big red wattles and comb, but not yet 'squatting' as far as i can tell. The other girls continue to get bigger, puffier, smoother, and more mature looking daily.
And then there's BB:

BB is a Chantecler. That's a Canadian breed, and she won't get huge comb or wattles. But seriously, this girl is NOT maturing. Nor is she growing. While the other girls have all been leaping and bounding in their growth, development, and weight - BB is stagnating.
But she also eats a TON. She is a voracious eater, and a fanatic treat pursuer.
And she's also besting everyone in the pecking order game - not sure why, but despite her tiny self she likes to beat up everyone else. Maybe because she wants the most food, i dunno.

To the point: all this voracious eating and lack of growing makes me think
dun dun dun: does she have WORMS?

I haven't noticed diarrhea or worms in poop - but honestly i haven't been taking anthropological studies of their poo recently.... so to hedge my bets, I'm going to worm them.
But rather than get the nasty chemically wormer at the feed store - which also makes it so you can't eat their eggs, of which they have none now, but i'm not about to risk the first egg laid because they'd been wormed recently!
I've chosen to take the natural approach.
Basically, garlic is a magical vegetable root bulb thing. I know whenever i'm sick i eat the heck out of the garlic and it usually helps.

The trick here is to make a garlic concentrate and mix it into their water - and feed BB some of the garlic cloves.
Also, I've put some food grade Diatomaceous Earth into their food - known as a good wormer and general mite and flea killing all around good for you stuff.

I will repeat this regiment for one week - inspecting the ole' poops more carefully, and tending to the cleanliness of the coop and moving it around as much as possible for fresh unpooped upon ground below.

Hopefully little BB the pocket chicken will pick up the pace in the growth department!

Mashed Cauliflower Query

So, this isn't completely serious - but i found it too funny to not post here.
My friend on facebook posted a query on the 'oldness' and potential usability of some cauliflower he'd left sadly in the fridge for a while. I found the whole interaction quite humorous and thought I'd repost it here, despite the lack of accuracy on my part.

How Long can raw cauliflower stay in your fridge till it goes bad?Bought some about 2 weeks ago I think, but cauliflower doesn't wilt or anything. Wanted to know if I can still make mashed cauliflower for lunch today?

-he said

I replied:

squish it, sniff it. if it smells funky, it might be off... if it's super soft, it might taste nasty. that sort of thing lasts a pretty long time.... but it can mold or start to rot. so check for squishy, gross smells..... but if it's just kinda old and soft, you can totally still mash it.
think of how long that shit ends up in the store before people buy it?
this is why i grow my own.
you should be fine.

To which he posted this response:

Dear, Austin Homestead

What would the best way be to make mashed cauliflower?
I was just going boil it until it was soft as all get out and then mash it up with some garlic and a little pesto, but if you've got a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

Sincerely,
East Coast Cauliflower Crazy

my ideas:

i've never actually made mashed cauliflower as i do not like cauliflower. which is , of course, why i'm growing one this year ???

but i make mashed potatoes thusly, chop and cook cauli til it's soft - but not completely destroyed and nutrientless...drain most the water and mash it up with whatever flavors you want, using a cake mixer preferably and throw in one egg whilst blending (it'll cook from the heat of the hot cauliflower) - this will make it fluffier. butter would be good too, but garlic definately good.

if you only have a potato masher --- the egg might not work as well, but it might.....

that's my thought, ECCC
good luck.

So thank YOU, ECCC for our first letter to the editor.

hahaha. i seriously can't stop laughing at this photograph.

Day 3

bah.
slept pretty well last night. The potato i ate made me massively way too full. And there was nothing on TV after Nova. I became disgusted with myself and need to make a trip to the library today.

Today stipulates fruits and veggies plus soup, no potato, no banana. I am afraid of tomorrow.
I think I'll open the kimchi I made a few months ago to add some fermented goodness to my vegetable choices.

9 am
Just finished some fruit salad and green tea. Feeling fine, drowsy, not really craving anything but slightly hungry. Think I'll pick at some veggies. Need to go by the store to get a cucumber after i bike to the gym. Bah, kinda hungry and don't have any good veg and tired of fruit - think i'll have some soup before i go to the land of weights.
11:30 am
I have gotten nothing but bills done today. I feel like crying. Not sure why. tired despite good sleep. Not neccessarily craving anything, but sure as hell don't feel like going to the gym to do some squats.
1 pm
buh. close to fail. only lasted at gym through 3 sets of calves and 4 sets of squats = 20 minutes. I had a longer bike ride than normal, but i am feeling the absence of something in my diet. Picked up some broccoli to steam for lunch. That should perk me up some. Gym scale said i've lost a pound since sunday - but i'm still debating quitting this seemingly unbalanced, nutritionally wackadooly fad diet... dreaming of saltines....
6 pm
Been seriously considering quitting this nonsense. It really doesn't seem to make any sense, but I owe it to myself to follow through with something unpleasant for more than 2 days. Tonight I'll throw together some raw and cooked veggies, and try not to rip off my sober and exhausted head before bed time finally comes.
Tomorrow: bananas and milk!? I eat neither and am allergic to one. we'll see how THAT goes.

sigh.

Cleansing Diet - Day 2

Today stipulates that i can have as many fresh/canned veggies as i want - avoid dried beans and peas. No Fruits. This is great! I love veggies and have a garden bursting with bell and hot peppers, plus a few other things like baby Kale. I can also have as much soup as i want, and tonight for dinner a baked potato with butter. but instead of that i'm going to make stuffed Marconi Bell Peppers with potatoes inside.

8 am
Had to get up to "relieve myself" 3 or 4 times last night due to my intense hydration, but overall the evening was good. After the sun went down i got over my initial "the sun is going down and i want a glass of wine" craving. Dinner of cantaloupe and apples was filling, followed by soup was really filling, and a nice glass of flavored kombucha took care of my desire to have a glass at my side. didn't even crave snacks.
This morning it's salad for breakfast. Interesting. We'll see how my energy and stamina can stand up to Body Combat and Pilates on a salad stomach. I'd like to bike there, but my bike is still missing a tire on the front, so it's a cop out and drive day.
11:30 am
well that went great! Got bored towards the end of pilates, but the nice salad (chopped romain, cucumber, green onion, baby kale, carrot, cumin, salt pepper and a splash of lime) was actually pretty filling. I'm less hungry than i usually am after two gym sessions. Soup for lunch in a few.
1:30
Turns out i didn't have lunch til now. Think i'll have two bowls of soup though, it's so yummy, and i'm craving bread a little. Need to squelch that.
3:30
No cravings. This is great. Well, no cravings as long as i forget grape nuts and wheat bread exist. But i really have no idea how this diet says i'll lose 5 - 7 pounds tomorrow if i haven't cheated -- all that fruit yesterday!? i seriously felt fuller than on normal eating days.... though without the wine calories, i see their point, but i also doubt they anticipate this diet applying to folks who drink substantial wine calories every day....
ooh, and on a more homesteading note - i just made some DELICIOUS (and dangerously pungent) habanero + thai pepper hot sauce from this recipe. Turned out great.
4:30
Sun is going down, kind of craving evening imbibement but i'm ignoring that.
Tonight is supposed to be a baked potato - boring. I'm allowed to cook my veg, so i harvested some beautiful Giant Marconi peppers and plan on roasting them, peeling off most their skin, stuffing them with some jalapenos, onions, and potato, and baking for a few minutes til all bubbly and amazing. Husband's will get refried beans and cheese as well.
Let me know if you want a more detailed recipe.

I'm out for the day. Computer needs some time off. Wish me luck for the evening!

Cleansing Diet - Day 1

Day one of this strange diet stipulates:

• All the fruit i want
• No veg
• All the soup i want

I can also drink cranberry juice, unsweetened tea, need to drink a 1/2 gallon of water a day and abstain from any breads, alcohols, or fake sweeteners. That applies all week.

9 am
I am not a fruit person. I rarely eat fruit. I had to buy fruit especially for this. Grapes, cantaloupe, and the leftover spiced pineapple from this weekend make a lovely fruit salad for breakfast.
I am already craving toast.
10 am
On my way to walk to the gym and do upper body weights. Tummy says "what gives? we want some balast!" Shut up, tummy, here have some delicious fresh Kombucha.
11:45
So the tummy is definitely rumbly - but i must say, i felt quite energized while at the gym. All these complex sugars in the fruits are definitely making me feel good. But now i'm hungry. soup time. whooo! spicy! man.
1 pm
Loving the soup - but starting to feel the gassy repercussions of all that cabbage.
3:30 pm
Ack! Just realized i have no glass of wine in my future. Depressed. Here, eat some cabbage soup.
6 pm
sigh. Almost dinner time. Cantaloupe for dinner? Sigh. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this without wine. At least House is new tonight. Distract me from my breadless belly!

Tomorrow: Veggies veggies veggies! I can do veggies!!!

And now for something.... completely different.

I am obsessed with food. Cooking it, eating it, planning it, growing it, gifting it....... shall we say this obsession has started to become, ahem, apparent. I fit into none of my pants, and although I'm pretty much fine with my expanding womanly body - i'd like to keep some control over it. And after this weekend's alone time with too many leftovers - i think it's prudent to take some steps to clarify the ole' bod. Granted, I usually eat healthy home grown foods - but too much is just too much, you know?

Anyhoo - while searching around on the Happy Herbalist for more info on kombucha brewing, I happened upon this recipe. I've known someone who's done this "cleanse" and i about shot her in the face having to listen to her go on and on about it all day every day for a week. But since i work alone and have no one to gripe to (except you marvelous readers), i thought what the heck, i've never dieted ever - i might as well give it a chance. The thing i'm most worried about is abstaining from wine for a whole week. yes, i'm a lush. But if the husband can back me, i just might be able to do it.

The premise is that you cook a big batch of cabbagy soup and eat as much of that as you want all week, but following wierdo dietary restrictions each day throughout the week. I've never been one for listening to dietary directions, but we'll see if i can do it. Worth a shot, right? the hardest part will be continuing through the weekend when we plan on going camping. that and not diving into the meusli box or tortilla stack whenever i feel like it ;). The reason i think it MIGHT work out for me: i like shoving food in my face. Doesn't really matter necessarily what kind of food it is. SO if i have a pot of soup i can suck down whenever i want to stick something in to my face - i should be set. right? we'll see.


The soup:
I'm making a huge batch of it, so amounts are approximate and to your own taste, i think. I'll probably add to it some throughout the week to make it a little different and fresh day to day. I bought some things from the store, and will supplement with veggies from the garden, especially lots of hot peppers

• large bunch green onions
• 2 cans tomato
• 4-8 cloves garlic
• large onion (calls for purple, i have no purple onions)
• cabbage (i'm using one napa and one savoy)
• bunch celery
• green peppers
• hot pepper or peppers of your choice
• Shitake mushrooms (i'm using dry that i have on hand)
  
• large piece kombu (seaweed, find it with oriental foods)
• water and chicken stock
• herbs for flavor: rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, tarragon, whatever

Basic soup. Chop stuff up and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until things are soft to your liking, adding the fresh herbs towards the end.


(seems a shame to make this soup all fresh and delicious tonight, only to stick it in the fridge to have to reheat tomorrow..... let's hope it still tastes good, which it does, by the way - it's all about those herbs and seasonings!)

So that is the soup recipe. Instead of laying out the whole "diet" here and now, I'll be posting daily on my progress and the details of the diet regimine. Tonight is my last night of freedom, and i'll be making stuffed bell peppers with tofu and quinoa. and drinking wine. plenty of wine.
wish me luck!

Kombucha, Step Two

The Kombucha is ready and tastes delicious! It took longer than the week it was supposed to take as my home was a bit too cool for its taste. But about a week ago i put my heating pad on the low setting underneath the jar and in 3 days, voila! Done. Tangy, fizzy goodness.

I have been sipping a bit every day, and it's time to start adding more sweet tea to get the continuous process moving.

So today i am heating up 1 gallon store bought distilled water (austin water is not acceptable as it's treated with Cloramines). I heated to just prior to boil and slowly mixed in 1.5 cups sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. I then put in 10 bags of tea (in this case 8 bags green and 2 bags chai), covered with lid, turned off heat and will allow to steep all day until cool. At that point I'll pour the sweet tea back into the gallon jar the water came in and keep this at room temperature for occasional addition to the KT jar. I plan on siphoning off two mason jars tomorrow for flavoring, thus I will add two jars of sweet tea back into the KT jar. I am interested to see how the new types of tea will or will not affect the flavor of the KT (last time used earl grey and darjeeling).

This week I'm trying some festive flavored teas. One will be ginger cranberry: grated fresh ginger and several frozen whole cranberries. The other will be cran/christmas: cranberries and whole cloves with a cinnamon stick. I foresee tastiness, will update.

2 jars: One with 1 cranberry, teaspoon shredded ginger, 1 clove; The other with 3 cranberries, 4 whole cloves, one cinnamon stick.

Filled with finished KT and lidded. (reused jars from a local KT maker)

Into the fridge over night. Should be flavored by tomorrow - will try each a little at a time to see if it gets stronger daily.

*UPDATE*
Just tasted the flavored teas, and my my my they are DELICIOUS! Delicate flavors, but the cranberries actually sweetened and flavored the tea awesomely - not too tart at all. Some fizz was maintained, and by golly this was a success! I will continue doing this with all my tea from now on! or at least most of it.

*UPDATE 2*
Monday morning - tasted the KT in the replenished jar, and it is already ready to go. So later this afternoon I'll be flavoring a larger jar with cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and cranberries. Yum!

Entertaining for some Ladies

I've always been a 'guy's gal' but sometimes, and especially when the husband goes out of town leaving me all alone, it's nice to have a gathering with just a bunch of chicks. Bonus for me: i get to make up and cook a bunch of yummy appetizers, my favorite things to cook.
I like to entertain with mostly vegetarian fare, with maybe a decadent omnivorous item here and there. Tonight is such a night.
All but the pineapples are strictly made up by me, the pineapples have been adapted from a higher sugared recipe.

The garden is teaming with peppers and basil, but since i usually make stuffed peppers for barbecue type shin digs, i thought i'd go a little fancier tonight. Here's the menu:

• Spicy Hummus with Yellow Cayenne -served with garlic rubbed pita and carrot sticks
• assorted olives and yummy cheese (purchased as is from store, and the cheese is NOT as good as my homemade mozz, by the way)
• Jumbo Garlic Shrimp
• Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus (i know, it's not in season, deal with it)
• Pesto Balsamic Dip

The Recipes:

Spicy Hummus

• 2 cans garbanzos, or two cups dried
• 1 yellow (or red) fresh cayenne pepper (could use any fresh hot pepper)
• 4 frozen ice cubes meyer lemon juice, thawed
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• salt and pepper
• curry powder, chille powder, or any other spice to taste if desired. optional.

I got this tip on how to make creamier Hummus from my friend, Foy but sadly could not find dried garbanzos at my store. So i simply dumped the garbanzos plus a little liquid, i would suggest half to 3/4 cup, with 1 teaspoon of baking soda, brought to a boil and simmered about 30 minutes. I think it might be better at 40 minutes. After simmered allow to cool if you're using a blender, or go right at it if using an immersion blender. Add the other ingredients and blend until smooth. Serve warm, or refrigerate. Serve with a sprinkle of paprika and drizzle of olive oil on top if you feel really fancy. You can also put tahini or olive oil in your hummus when blending, i prefer oil free hummus.

For the pita, just rub a broken garlic clove all over the bread and heat til warm in a cool oven. (not pictured)

Garlic Shrimp

• Package frozen jumbo shrimp (try and find wild, i'm poor and bought farmed) You could also cook them from scratch as raw shrimp, but this was a nice easy fast way.
  
• 1 big garlic clove
• drizzle olive oil
• salt, pepper, oregano

Finely dice the garlic and add to a saute pan with a little olive oil - enough for the garlic to play around in, but not enough to pool substantially. I'd say about a tablespoon+. Simmer the garlic in the oil until it's foamy but not long enough to burn. In the meantime spread thawed shrimp on a platter and sprinkle with seasonings, then add to med/hot garlicy foamy pan and toss about in the garlic oil about 3 minutes or so. They'll be warmed up, but you don't want to cook them much further than they already are. Remove from pan and put in a glass bowl to marinate in the yum garlic liquid and place in fridge, toss occasionally to spread the yum around. Once cool, serve on a bed of fresh basil leaves: oh so elegant.


I believe it was this dish that when tasted by Casey inspired the exclamation of "yum, wow, that's amazing!" something like that. :)

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

• Asparagus, trimmed
• Prosciutto

I microwaved the trimmed asparagus for about 2 minutes to help encourage them to cook quickly.
Wrap the meat around the veg and spread on a baking sheet. You can also do a few sans-meat on the same sheet, though they won't be 'strictly' vegetarian. I heated the toaster oven to 375 on the convection setting with a TINY bit of water in the pan, just a bit. Enough to steam the aspagrass a little, but enough not water to crisp the prosciutto. Cook until the asparagus are bright green and wilting, and the meat is crispy. You may want to turn a few times. I cooked mine about 10 minutes at the most.

I'm serving this and the shrimp with a pesto, balsamic dip. I'm simply thawing out some pesto ice cubes, adding balsamic, and a little more oil. voila.

Spiced Pineapple
(not pictured, i forgot, sorry)

• 2 cans pineapple chunks in their own juices
• 3/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick

Empty one can pineapple into pan with juice, drain the other can and only add pineapple chunks. Add other ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simply turn off the heat at this point and allow to cool. Transfer cooled pineapple with juice into a bowl and marinate at least over night. Makes a really nice, Christmasy tasting spicy, tangy fruit dish. Transfer to a serving bowl with a straining spoon, leaving the juice behind. Keep the juice for a tasty, spicy beverage. Serve with little forks, toothpicks, or your fingers.

The olives I served on a cute little bamboo platter my sister gave me, along with a little cup for discarded pits. Always serve olives that still have their pits with such a little dish or you'll end up with shy guests sticking olive pits in your potted plants and under the couch cushions.

I believe the food of the evening was a great success - Sadly i have very few woman friends, so I am intensely full this morning after eating MORE than my share of shrimp and prosciutto. Next project: flavoring and bottling some finished Kombucha Tea. We sampled the KT last night and all agreed it was quite tasty.

A Book all Gardeners Could Totally Use!

I made a run to Half Priced Books yesterday while i was waiting for both my car and bike to be repaired. I picked up this book (initially as a gift, but i think i'll keep it!) and have fallen in love!


Compost: The Natural Way to Make Food for Your Garden by Kenneth Thompson

I've tried to read other compost books. They're either too vast, too detailed, too sciency, or too touchy feely. This book is the perfect balance. Kenneth provides all the science theory, details, and ratios - but also has a down to earth way of describing just what all that means and the bottom lines of what and what not to do.

I love this book - go out and grab a copy. And after that, go out and pee on your compost heap! (Read the book to find out why)