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 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. 

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. 

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).