Lavender Sachets

My mother loves to pick up lavender sachets for our dresser drawers at the local farmer's market. She loves to smell of fresh, clean clothing and in order to prevent a stale smell in our clothing and linens she scatters lavender sachets throughout the house. If you have access to lavender plants, you should consider making your own sachets. Dried lavender is quite easy to make or buy as well.

LAVENDER SACHETS

Mix 1/2 oz. of dried powdered lavender flowers with 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cloves. Sew them up tightly in a little cloth pillow and leave the pillow in a bureau drawer to perfume the clothes. Carla Emery calls this project, "an old-time elegance." 

Kidney Bean Chili

This post for kidney bean chili will go well with my earlier post about homemade cornbread. I love vegetarian chili, especially topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. This is an easy meal that can be thrown together with very little prep time and left on the stove all day to cook.

KIDNEY BEAN CHILI

Soak 2 cups dried kidney beans overnight (or use canned kidney beans). The next day, pour off water. Simmer beans with 2 onions and 2 peppers (both chopped), 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1 pound skinned, chopped tomatoes, 2 cups tomato sauce, and 2-4 cups water, depending on how soupy you like it. Seasonings could be 1 tablespoon each of chili powder and soy sauce (tamari). Optional ingredients are 1/2 pound slices mushrooms or 1-cup corn kernels (add those just a few minutes before serving). Simmer all for about 2 hours before serving. 

Hummus Dip

When I get home from work, my favorite go-to snack is a generous helping of hummus and pretzel twists. Hummus is a protein-rich food that tastes great on a multitude of dishes, including sandwiches, salads, and as a dip for vegetables and crackers. While store bought hummus tastes great, you just can't beat this homemade version!

HUMMUS

Puree 2 cups precooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) together with 1 garlic clove. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. If it seems too thick, thin by adding a little water. Chill before serving. Stir in or sprinkle on top chopped parsley for extra flavor. 

Cracker Jack Popcorn!

Popcorn is a delicious treat whether it is plain or seasoned. When I am in the mood for a sweet snack I usually head straight for chocolate chip cookies or a brownie. However, this recipe for cracker jacks would be the perfect combination of sweet and salty to satisfy my craving!

CRACKER JACKS

Start with 8 or 9 cups of popcorn. Put into a dishpan with enough room to move it around easily. In a separate pan, combine 2 cups of packed brown sugar, 1 stick of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 cup white syrup (like corn syrup) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Cook together at a full rolling boil for 5 minutes. If it spins a thread, it is ready. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. (Hold pan over dishpan of corn before adding soda so that if it runs over, it will fall on the corn.) Stir a moment. Pour over popped corn. Stir until all is coated well. Put in a roaster in 200-degree oven for 1 hour. Stir occasionally so it will not become one mass. Store in a covered container.  

Homemade Food Coloring

Food coloring has always been a bit of a mystery to me. What ingredients really go into making food coloring? Surely Yellow No. 5 cannot be found growing in nature. To avoid the unknowns of store bought food coloring, The Encyclopedia of Country Living lists herbs and food products you can use to make your own colorings.

Black: barberry leaves

Blue: blueberries

Brown: nut hulls (walnuts are best), tea, coffee, rose hips, tobacco, hickory chips

Green: beet tops, sunflower seeds, birch leaves, Spanish onion skins (outer leaves only), elderberry leaves, spinach, cabbage, rhubarb leaves

Orange: orange juice

Pink: cherries, beat and sassafras roots

Purple: blackberries, cherries, huckleberries, cranberries, raspberries, grapes, purple cabbage

Red: red onion skins, bloodroot, fresh beet juice, madder root, and logwood

Yellow: the stem, leaves, and flowers of apple bark, barberry stems and roots, cinnamon, curry, ginger, the stems, leaves, and flowers of goldenrod, hickory bark, mustard, paprika, pear leaves, saffron, tangle wood stems, turmeric

If you lack the time, ingredients, or patience to create your own homemade food coloring and have a small selection of store bought food colorings at home, use this chart to create new colors with what you have on hand.

COLOR BLENDING CHART:

2 drops yellow, 1 drop green, and 1 drop red= blue

1 drop red, 2 drops green, and 1 drop blue= gray

2 drops blue, 1 drop green= dark green

3 drops yellow, 1 drop blue= light green

12 drops yellow, 1 drop green= olive

2 drops red, 1 drop blue= orchid

3 drops red, 1 drop yellow= orange

3 drops red, 4 drops yellow, and 1 drop green= tangerine 

Homemade Corn Bread

It may be June, but it feels like fall. This weather is perfect for a dinner of vegetarian (or meat) chili and homemade cornbread. This classic meal is warm, filling, and quite tasty. One reader of The Encyclopedia of Country Living states that she "didn't add the melted butter [to the batter] and they were really good anyway." If you are looking to cut calories, feel free to skip on the butter, but not on taste!

CORN/WHEAT BREAD:

Combine 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup home-ground (or whole) wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together 1 egg, 1/2 cup honey, and 1-cup milk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and stir together. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter (or lard). Stir a moment more, but don't over stir, because you don't want to stir your bubble out. Pour into a greased 8-inch square-baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Basil

Basil is one of my favorite herbs to use while cooking. My family is originally from Sicily, and we love to make a variety of Italian dishes and desserts. I recently adopted a basil plant for my kitchen. It has settled nicely into its pot on my counter and the aroma makes me crave Italian food on a daily basis.

This past weekend I made gnocchi from scratch for the first time. It was a laborious process because of the multiple steps, but it was worth the effort! I combined it with a spicy tomato sauce, however next time I set out to make my own pasta I would love to use this pesto recipe instead.

PESTO:
In your blender, mix 4 cloves of garlic, 2 cups freshly picked basil, 1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts or walnuts), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil. As you blend, gradually add another 1/4 cup of olive oil. Pour into a bowl. Stir in 3 oz. just-grated Parmesan or other firm cheese.

Use pesto right away. If you must keep it, store in an airtight container (air exposure makes pesto turn brown). To freeze pesto, omit cheese, adding only when thawed and ready to serve.

Caramel Candy Recipe

I have not had much luck in making candy, most likely because I do not own a candy thermometer. I have tried to make caramel multiple times with only a few successes. Caramel needs to be made with a watchful eye and an overwhelming amount of patience. If you blink, it could turn from the perfect caramel sauce to an overcooked, burnt mess. Carla Emery states that you should melt the sugar but "don't scorch [it]!" This recipe is much more simple than any other recipe I have used because it includes only two ingredients and the entire process involves only 2 steps. The next time I make caramel I should be aware that I do not need to own a candy thermometer to know when the caramel is done cooking. I need to train my eyes to recognize when the color of the sauce transitions from light to dark brown. This sauce will last indefinitely and can be used to color or flavor a recipe.

CARAMEL RECIPE:

1. Put sugar into a pan and melt it slowly. (The amount of sugar depends on how much caramel sauce you would like to make. I would suggest starting with 1-2 cups.)

2. Cook until the color is dark brown.

3. Add as much boiling water as the amount of sugar you started out with. (This would be either 1-2 cups if you follow the directions above.)

4. Slowly continue cooking until you have thick syrup.

5. Pour into a jar and put a lid on it.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Recently, I have been interested in making my own ingredients instead of buying processed ingredients at the store. When I came across this recipe for homemade vanilla extract in The Encyclopedia of Country Living I was very excited. Carla Emery lists three different recipes for vanilla extract- two that include alcohol and one that does not include alcohol. I am not sure which one would taste better, especially since you would not be able to taste the alcohol flavor in the final product, however it seems that the non-alcoholic recipe can be used immediately, while the alcoholic versions need to sit between 1-2 months before they can be used.

OLD-TIME VANILLA EXTRACT:

Use 4 oz. vanilla beans, 16 oz. edible alcohol, and 16 oz. water. Slice the beans and cut into fine pieces with a sharp knife. Thoroughly powder them in a mortar with 1-2 oz. granulated sugar. Put the powder into the alcohol and water mixture. If you don't have pure alcohol and are substituting a strong whisky blend or brandy, use correspondingly less water. Let the vanilla soak in the liquid for 4 weeks. Strain. The liquid is your extract.

EASY VANILLA EXTRACT:

 Use 1 quart of any good 80-proof brandy and two split vanilla beans. Soak them in a corked jar for two months before using.

NON-ALCOHOLIC VANILLA EXTRACT:

Cut up one vanilla bean into small pieces, place in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over them; cover bowl and allow mixture to steep overnight. Blend mixture. Strain and return juice to the blender. Add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid lecithin, 1-tablespoon honey, and 1-tablespoon vegetable oil. Blend; pour into a bottle, cap and refrigerate. Before using, shake well. 

Baking with Honey

As a baker, I am always looking for ways to keep cakes, cupcakes and cookies moist. Not many people are fond of hard or dry pastries. Carla Emery received this tip from Marilyn Gordon and her husband, who raise and sell honey:

"To substitute honey for sugar in a baking recipes use 3/4 cup honey for 1 cup sugar and reduce liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup - like in cakes. If liquid isn't called for in your recipe, add 4 tablespoons of additional flour for each 3/4 cup of honey used in cookies. Bake at a temperature of 25 degrees lower than called for, as baked goods with honey will brown faster. Cakes, cookies, and breads will be moist and stay fresh longer because of the honey's moistness."

Carla also states: "Honey is acidic. If there is as much as 1 cup of honey in the recipe, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (per 1 cup honey) and get a leavening action as well as neutralize the acidic quality."

With this tip it will be fun to try new recipes, such as these honey fudge brownies.

HONEY FUDGE BROWNIES

In a saucepan over low heat, melt together 1/2 cup butter, 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix well. Remove from heat. Blend in 1 cup of honey, 1/2 cup un-sifted flour, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Add 2 well-beaten eggs. Beat the mixture well. Pour into a thoroughly greased 9-inch square pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes (or until done in the center). Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes before marking into 16 squares.  

No-Fry Doughnuts

Rainy, dreary Seattle days always have me craving a warm breakfast of coffee and doughnuts. I would prefer not to venture out into the horrible weather on these days, so an easy, at-home recipe for doughnuts is the perfect remedy. Carla Emery received a fantastic recipe from a fan for no fry doughnuts. This recipe may be slightly healthier than regular doughnuts because of the lack of frying oil. However, depending on the amount of butter, sugar, and cinnamon you garnish the doughnut with, maybe not. If you do not have a doughnut cutter laying around your kitchen, you can use a large round cookie cutter and a small round cookie cutter to create the doughnut shape and hole in the middle.

NO-FRY DOUGHNUTS

Just as if you were making bread, combine 2 packages of yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/2 cup scalded lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup shortening, 1 tablespoon nutmeg, 4.5 cups of flour, and 1.2 teaspoon cinnamon. Knead, cover, and let rise for 50-60 minutes. Turn onto a floured board and roll with a rolling pin until dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a doughnut cutter and carefully life with a spatula onto a greased cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush with more butter. Dust with cinnamon and sugar. 

Potato Pancakes

Potato pancakes were always my favorite part of big holiday breakfasts. We usually used frozen, store-bought pancakes but I still thought they tasted amazing. This homemade version is much more fresh and flavorful than the freezer burnt kind I loved as a kid. These can be eaten for any meal of the day but they taste best with a generous helping of applesauce (especially cinnamon applesauce) and sour cream.

POTATO PANCAKES

Grate 4 medium-sized peeled potatoes and 1 large onion on your smallest-sized grater. (Do not blend in blender.) Add 4 egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Whip whites of the 4 eggs and add them. In a skillet with a lid, fry till brown on each side, turning only once.

For a vegan version of this recipe,

VEGAN POTATO PANCAKES

Grate 1.5 pounds of potatoes and 2 small onions. Combine with 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, some parsley, and 2 tablespoons of tamari. Form mixture into patties and bake on a griddle or in a medium oven until crisp.   

BBQ Seasonings

Even though the weather may not reflect the season, summer is almost here! The next few months will be jam packed with barbecues and picnics. No barbecue is complete without hamburgers or hot dogs. I am a fan of veggie burgers and veggie dogs layered with delicious homemade condiments.



BARBECUE SAUCE
1. Combine 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1/2-cup vinegar, 1/2-cup water, 1-teaspoon salt, 1 small chopped onion, 1/8-teaspoon chili powder, 1/4-teaspoon Tabasco sauce, 1/2-teaspoon mustard, and 1 can of tomato sauce.  
2. Mix well.

DIJON MUSTARD

1. Combine 1 large chopped onion, 3 minced cloves of garlic, and 2-cup dry white wine in a non-aluminum pan.
2. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Then let steep for 15 minutes.
4. Strain and discard solids.
5. To your flavored liquid, now add 4 oz. dry mustard, 1/4-cup honey, 1-tablespoon plain-flavored cooking oil, and salt to taste.
6. Simmer again, stirring constantly, while you evaporate it until it's thick enough to spread.

KETCHUP

Combine equal parts of water, strong Japanese soy sauce, and molasses. Add fresh or ground ginger, coriander, and pepper. Mix well.

PEPPER RELISH

1. You'll need 3 quarts of chopped cucumbers, 3 cups of chopped sweet green peppers, 3 cups of chopped sweet red peppers, 1 cup chopped onion, 3/4 of cup canning or pickling salt, 4 cups ice, 8 cups water, 2 cups sugar, 4 teaspoons each of mustard seed, turmeric, whole allspice, and whole cloves, and 6 cups white vinegar (5%).
2. Add cucumbers, peppers, onions, salt, and ice to water.
3. Let stand for 4 hours.
4. Drain.
5. Re-cover vegetables with fresh ice water for another hour.
6. Add spices to sugar and vinegar.
7. Heat to boiling and pour mixture over vegetables.
8. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
9. Heat mixture to boiling and fill hot half-pint or pint jars leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
10. Adjust lids and use conventional boiling-water processing.

Apple Fruit Leather

Fruit leather is a fantastic snack for when you are on the go. I am a fan of store bought fruit leather, but depending on the brand, sugar seems to be the main ingredient. In this recipe, Carla Emery uses cinnamon or coconut to sweeten the apple puree if it tastes too bland, instead of sugar. I love to make my own snacks (as you can tell from earlier posts) and I think that this recipe is easy if you have the time and patience.

APPLE LEATHER:

Start by peeling, coring, sectioning, and grinding the apples in your grinder. Be sure to catch the juice that runs out. Add 2.5 cups of cider or apple juice per gallon of ground apple, and then cook the whole mixture over low heat. When it is boiling and has cleared some, sweeten it if needed. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or 1/2 cup of coconut per 2 cups of apple puree. Then spread the mixture out on baking sheets to dry.

You can dry fruit leather in the sun or in your oven. Carla Emery finds that drying in the sun is the best for taste, but it can be time consuming. If you don't have an infinite amount of time, set your oven between 130 - 140 degrees. It could take up to 6 hours to completely dry the leather. When the topside of the fruit is dry, pull the fruit off the sheet. Flip the pieces of leather over and dry on the bottom side for an equal amount of time.  Drying in the sun can take up to 8 hours. 

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Homemade cheese crackers taste a million times better than anything you can buy at the supermarket. Trust me. This recipe for cheese crackers is very simple and can easily be made with ingredients you already have in your pantry. I used a pastry cutter to create the scalloped edge of the cracker, however you can also use a cookie cutter or free hand the crackers with a knife. I prefer extra sharp cheddar cheese because of its strong taste and salty flavor.

Cheese Crackers

From Carla: This is a flaky (like piecrust), tasty cracker. Use any yellow cheese. You can grate a soft cheese on the big holes of the grater and then use your fingers to work it into the flour and margarine, as you would make a piecrust.

1. Grate a hard cheese as fine as possible.

2. Rub 3 tablespoons of margarine into 3/4 cup of flour.

3. Work in 1/2 cup of grated cheese (measured after grating) and a dash of salt.

4. Blend 1 egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of cold water and add.

5. Work it into soft dough.

6. Roll out very thing and cut into rounds or whatever shapes you prefer.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the cracker dough).

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

A few years ago I began to teach myself how to bake. I was inspired by the rising popularity of cupcakes and boutique bakeries in Seattle, such as Trophy Cupcakes and Cupcake Royale. I prefer to bake from scratch using an array of cookbooks and recipes from the web. I have found that I no longer like to use boxed cake mixes or store bought frostings. They tend to be very sugary, which can overpower the taste of a great cake.

When I make frosting, the texture needs to form peaks on its own yet remain soft enough to flow smoothly through a pastry bag. I am always looking for a frosting recipe that does not use an excessive amount of confectioner's sugar or butter. I tend to make butter-cream frosting more than any other type of frosting. However, this recipe for "Quick, Creamy Chocolate Frosting" from Carla Emery's The Encyclopedia of Country Livinglooks too tempting not to try.

Whipping cream is a very flexible ingredient. The longer you whip or whisk the whipping cream, the thicker and denser it becomes. This recipe includes only two ingredients: fresh whipping cream and cocoa powder. If you can avoid butter in your frosting, I suggest you do so. In my experience, frostings with a butter base do not have as long a shelf life as other frostings. They typically have a lifespan of 2-3 days depending on the room temperature before the butter begins to separate from the rest of the ingredients. They may continue to taste amazing, but the overall aesthetic of the cupcake is ruined.

Quick, Creamy Chocolate Frosting:

1. Whip 1 cup of cream.

2. Gently stir in 1/4 cup of cocoa powder or chocolate milk drink power. 

Banana Bread Recipe

With summer just around the corner, I am more interested in baking with fruit than with chocolate. Bananas are not technically a summer season fruit, but they do work well in cakes and breads. One of my favorite breakfast treats is banana bread with walnuts. In The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Carla explains that bananas are best used when ripe. Bananas are usually picked when they are green, giving them ample time to transition to a bright yellow color once they reach the market. I have found that using over-ripe bananas with brown skin when baking creates a softer cake and a stronger banana flavor.

Banana Bread Recipe:
1. Cream 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 cup honey in a bowl.
2. Stir in 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1-teaspoon vanilla.
3. Sift 1-teaspoon baking soda with 2 cups flour.
4. Add to creamed mix.
5. Add 3 mashed bananas and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (preferably walnuts or pecans)
6. Pour into greased loaf pan.
7. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, or until done.

If you simply cannot bear to part with chocolate in your pastries, add 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini or regular size) to the batter. This will add a hint of chocolate but not overpower the banana.

Homemade Salsa Recipe

I am a huge fan of spicy flavors. I believe that any dish can be made better with a dash or two or five of hot sauce. When it comes to Mexican food, adding homemade salsa to a cheese quesadilla or taco completes the meal. I prefer to use jalapeno peppers in my salsa because they are not too high or low on the Scoville Heat Scale. In the Encyclopedia of Country Living, Carla Emery describes jalapeno peppers as “very hot” with a Scoville rating of 3,500 to 4,000. They have a much sharper taste than a mild pepper. In comparison, the hottest of the hot peppers such as Cayenne, Serrano, Tabasco, and Habanero have Scoville ratings upwards of 20,000. The hottest pepper of all, the Tepin pepper, has a Scoville rating of 160,000-600,000! Just the thought of eating one of these peppers makes my eyes water and my tongue burn. I would need a gallon of milk to quell the intense burning from these peppers!

Carla Emery has a fantastic recipe for homemade salsa for those interested in trying a spicy yet tame jalapeno pepper salsa with their next Mexican meal. For the more adventurous cook, try her recipe for spicy salsa made with hot red chilies.   

Spicy Homemade Salsa:

1. Chop 3 fresh jalapeno or Serrano chilies, 4 ripe big tomatoes, 1 globe (or 6 green) onion, 2 garlic cloves, and 1/4-cup fresh parsley (or cilantro) leaves.

2. Mix together.

3. Stir in 1/2-teaspoon salt.

4. Enjoy!

Even Spicier Homemade Salsa:

1. Combine 4 fresh (split and seeded) red chilies, 2 cups boiling hot vinegar, and 2 peeled garlic cloves.

2. Cover and let steep 2 days.

3. Add 1 cup chopped tomatoes and blend thoroughly.

4. Add 2 dried chilies.

5. Cook half hour in double boiler.

6. Strain out solids.

7. Store in refrigerator.  

How to Pinch a Penny

In today's world where food, movies, and countless other purchases are just a click away, it's hard not to spend money on items that you don't necessarily need. I personally fall prey to websites that allow you to "click-and-pay" all in one swift tap of your finger on the screen. Do I need the two-bowl Le Creuset set in a beautiful deep, inky blue? No, probably not but "Click!" and it's on its way to my home in only a matter of days. 

With a wedding on the way and a need to save for ribbons, cake, shoes, and numerous other marital accoutrements, I find Carla's advice on "How to Pinch a Penny" particularly useful. She wisely suggests the following:

Don't buy anything new if you can help it. Write what you need on a list, and then watch and wait. You probably don't need it all anyway. Never buy on impulse. Buy only what's on your list. If you see something you like, go home and think about it. If it was really that good, you can put it on next month's list. Attend auctions and yard sales; go to secondhand stores. If you can't find a bargain, wait.

Spring Cleaning with Homemade Cleansers

Spring has sprung and we all know what that means. It's time to scrub those floors, wash those windows, and partake in the annual ritual known as Spring Cleaning.

As a type-A, hyper-organized person, I find this process cathartic and love seeing the finished product of a home rid of dust, grime, and old clothes. What I don't love is the cost and harsh smell of many of today's cleaning solutions.

Happily, Carla's readers come to the rescue with various homemade cleaner tips that will keep your wallet full and your house smelling like springtime daisies, not chemical cleansers.

Here are a few of my favorites that will give you great Spring Cleaning success:

• To clean painted walls Lynn Woodworth writes: "I use a mixture of 1⁄4 c. turpentine, 1⁄2 c. milk, and 2 T. liquid soap, dissolved in 2 qts. hot water. It gives a nice finish to flat or semi-gloss paint."

• To clean the refrigerator use a weak solution of baking soda.

• To polish rust from copper or silver use a paste of water and wood ashes. Or use half a lemon sprinkled with salt to clean copper...Repeat until you win. Carefully dry afterwards to prevent more rusting.