Posted in Homeschool Kitchen
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I really enjoy my Old Farmer's Almanac newsletter and I have learned so much from it. Today's newsletter offered and link to "Gardening Jobs by the Month," which is of interest to me as a novice gardener. So many of those of you that I've spoken to lately are considering either planting a kitchen garden next year or expanding the one you already keep, so I thought you might benfit from this information, too. Here's the link: http://www.almanac.com/garden/jobs/index.php Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<>< |
Posted in Homeschool Kitchen
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Saw this on Redneckatheart's (Homesteadbloller) blog and thought I'd give it a try... 1. Do you have magnets on your fridge? You mean, is there a fridge under my magnets?! 2. Do you have a calendar in your kitchen, if so, what's the theme of it? I have a calendar that my FIL gives all of his extended family every Christmas. He orders it from somewhere and it has HUGE daily squares to write in. We all love it. 3. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool? My wooden spatula. 4. Are you lucky enough to have a pantry of some kind? No. 5.What is your favorite appliance? My electric skillet and my bread maker (I let it knead the dough and rise there and then I bake it in my oven). 6. Do you have an eat in kitchen (table in it)? Yes. 8. Do you have a picture of your kids on the fridge? Yes. 9. Do you ever cook breakfast in your PJs? Is there any other way? 11. Are you lucky enough to have recipes that were passed down from your mom or grandma? Yes, and they are in the cookbook that I've made for myself. 12. Whats your favorite food? Mexican, Italian and Briar (that's Ohio-speak for Kentucky country cooking)! 13. Whats your favorite thing to cook? Taco soup. 14. Is your coffee pot electric or stove top? Electric 15. Do you ever make your own bread? Yes, it's the only kind of bread we eat. At least at home. 16. Name one thing that you have hanging on your wall in your kitchen. The last Christmas my daddy was alive he made me a 6 ft. long shelf for my antique and reproduction tins. I love it! 17. Is there a clock in your kitchen? Yes, on the stove and microwave. 18. Do you have a bowl of fruit sitting on your table or counter? Yes, on my counter - oranges, bananas and white grapes, at the moment. 20. Does your kitchen have a theme? Country w/antique and reproduction canning jars and tins - all serving a function, not just to look at - and a lot of blue sponge-ware. 21. What's for supper tonight? We had boneless/skinless chicken breasts fried in olive oil w/Spike seasoning and my own herb seasoning mix sprinkled on w/noodles and salad. 22. Do you have enough cabinet space? I will once I clean them out - AGAIN. 23. Does your family use paper plates? On occasion - usually in the Summer. 24. Do you have a good set of china? Yes. It is what I have from our wedding. Actually, it's NOT the pattern I picked out - my mom went behind my back and changed my registry to what SHE liked and I didn't find out until we started opening our wedding gifts. I was blessed w/many sets so I kept them. Anyway...I have in mind that I would like to put them on e-bay and then get the one I REALLY wanted (English Rose)...it's been 24 years, think she'll notice? 25. Do you wear an apron to work in your kitchen? Not as much as I should. I wear my grandma's "all over" apron when I fry or bake. I'd like to get another one so that I can keep hers nice. 26. Name one thing, if anything, that you would like to change about your kitchen. Can I make it 3? Ok...a Farmer's sink and a reproduction woodburning stove, like a Hearthstone or something; and a new floor. Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<>< |
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If you don't already, you really should sign up for the Old Farmer's Almanac free newsletter...SO MANY useful and intersting goodies in there. In today's newsletter there is a link to 33 great sandwich recipes. We can ALL used something that's easy, tasty and healthy so I thought I would share the link with all of you. http://www.almanac.com/recipes/search/results.php?categorynumber[]=29 ENJOY! Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<>< |
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I get SUCH enjoyment out of my Urban Homemaker newsletters from Marilyn Moll (http://www.urbanhomemaker.com). If you don't get her free newsletter, you MUST sign up. She is simply a wealth of information...ALL useful and lovingly put together. I have long gotten her product catalogue which is also a joy to look over and learn from her articles, therein. I have learned so much from the books I and my friends have ordered from her. That's why I wanted to tell you about this BEAUTIFUL new book that she is offering, below...THE RICHES AND TREASURES OF HOME. PLEASE click on the link to get a preview of this lovely, entirely well-done book. I am SO HOPING to be able to PRE-ORDER this on Friday - the LAST DAY this offer is available!! So, I'm figuring that if I am this impressed with this book that YOU will be, too! It is beautiful and looks like it will be a joy to read and learn from it's old-time advice. If you order it...enjoy! Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<>< ======================================== |
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My aunt sent me this in an e-mail and I thought it was so sweet I just had to share it with you. Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf The History of Aprons The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath, but along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven. It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids. And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. Af ter th e peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron--except love. |
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Believe it or not...IT'S SEPTEMBER!! Those cooler temps are on the way! I LOVE fall...it's my FAVORITE time of year!! Along with those falling temperatures that invite us to pull on our favorite sweaters, collect pumkins, go on hayrides and build bonfires comes my desire to make wonderful, hearty soups and stews! One of our family's favorite cold weather soups is Taco Soup!! Oh...it is yummy, stustaining, it's even attractive to look at in your bowl. Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<>< TACO SOUP 1 lb. ground beef or chuck ~ Brown beef, drain; add onion, peppers, 1/2 of the cilantro and cook until onions and peppers start to get tender. |
I hope you enjoy it!!Posted in Homeschool Kitchen
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Here is a family favorite I thought I would share w/you. Our family has had the pleasure of going to Anyway...one of our incredible breakfasts while there was Amish French Toast! I have made this from-time-to-time ever since! If you try this, you will be in food heaven! Blessings from Amish French Toast eggs milk butter bread syrup powdered sugar ~Mix w/fork 2 eggs and enough milk to cover (this you will do as necessary for each slice of bread) ~Melt butter into med/hot skillet (do this for each serving. IF you MUST use margarine, use one that is non-hydrogenated like Earth Balance – I have to do this for one of my girls) ~Crack egg into skillet ~IMMEDIATELY soak a slice of bread in the egg/milk mixture and lay on top of the egg in the skillet; fry for about a minute or so until bottom egg is cooked through. ~Flip egg and bread – together – and let bread toast on other side. ~You MAY need to flip over on each side again until egg is fried to your satisfaction. ~Move egg/toast to a plate and top w/syrup and powdered sugar. ~ENJOY!!!!!!!!! |
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I have made my family's bread for quite a while...I can't imagine going back to store-bought bread on a regular basis. It just isn't the same. About 2 years ago I started reading up on women's health...both as a benefit for myself and my 2 daughters. One of the things that I discovered is that Omega 3's and lignans are vital to a woman's health...monthlies, skin, hair, nails, mood, etc. Some of the best places to find these are in fish and olive oil. We are not huge "fish fans" but I DO use olive oil in just about everything execpt baking sweets. I take a tablespoon of Flaxseed oil everyday. It's not a problem for me, but my daughters don't really like it. Since I wanted a way to fit more Flax into my family's diet I came up (by Devine inspiration, I'm sure) with putting Flaxseed Meal in my bread!! I also put it in my dinner roll recipe. I used to mix and knead my bread dough by hand, but now I let my bread machine do it Here are my recipes that I have tweaked over the years...I hope you enjoy...KW<>< FLAXSEED BREAD 2 lb. laof 1-1/3 c. hot (the hotter, the better) water 2 ts. butter (or margarine) 4 c. bread flour 1/4 c. flaxseed meal 1 TB. dough enhancer 5 ts. sugar or Sucanat (depends on your sweet-tooth) 1-1/2 ts. sea salt (or Real Salt) 1 TB. (heaping) yeast (cold - kept in frig) 1) Add ingredients into your bread machine in order as listed above. 2) Use your finger or a measuring spoon to form a well (hole) in the mixture to pour the yeast into. NEVER let your yeast come into contact w/a liquid before baking. 3) Set machine on "Dough." Mine will knead and rise for about 1-1/2 hours. Once this cylce is complete, let dough rise in maker for 30-45 minutes. 4) Before first rising is complete, set oven on "warm." While oven is warming, spray or grease your loaf pan. After about 10 minutes, turn oven OFF. Take bread out of machine, punch down, shape into loaf and put in loaf pan, set bread in oven and let rise for 45 minutes. You may cover w/a clean, light-weight dish towel if you wish. 5) REMOVE TOWEL, if used. Set oven at 375 degrees and bake bread for 30 minutes. 6) ENJOY!!! FLAXSEEK ROLLS
Same recipe ingredients as above. Follow 1), 2) and 3) above. 4) Before first rising is complete, set oven on "warm" for 5-10 minutes. Then turn oven OFF. On a floured board, punch down and knead dough for about 5 minutes, shape into a ball and place on lightly floured cookie sheet, cover and let rise in warmed oven for 30 minutes. 5) Divid dough by placing 3 small rolled balls into each cup of a GREASED or SPRAYED muffin pan. 6) Cover w/clean, light-weight dish towel, if you wish. Let rise in warm oven for 30-45 minutes. 7) REMOVED TOWEL, if used. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. 8) ENJOY!! |
, then I let it rise and then bake in a bread pan in my oven.Posted in Homeschool Kitchen
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I noticed, on the Homesteadblogger Home Page, the Front Porch section, that there was an entry today about making butter. Granted this was for making butter w/goat's milk, completely from scratch and sounds YUMMY in my tummy - as my girls used to say when they were little. But I, too, make my own butter, only in a much easier way. My mother used to do this as a child on a VERY RURAL (to put is MILDLY) Kentucky farm during the Depression. Only she used what she refers to a "curdled milk." The way I do it is also a great project to do w/your own kids! Here's my way... You will need: ~ 2 small cartons of heavy whipping cream ~ pinch of salt ~ an air-tight GLASS jar ~ a WOODEN spoon (NO METTLE!!) Pour the 2 cartons of cream into the glass jar. Shake (shake...shake...SHAKE) for around 45 minutes. You will notice several stages while you are shaking....it will become creamy, then like whipped cream, then a little watery. ALL OF A SUDDEN, at around 45 minutes of shaking, you will notice that a complete ball has actually shaken loose from buttermilk!! THAT'S YOUR BUTTER!! Take your wooden spoon and, while holding back the butterball, drain the buttermilk either down the drain or into a glass for your own drinking pleasure. Press and drain, press and drain, press and drain until hardly a trickle of milk is left. Add a pinch of salt (or to taste), stir salt completely into butter and then store your butter in a crock or air-tight container. I like soft butter so I leave mine on the counter in a crock. This will make just less than a pound, so it won't last long! ENJOY!! Blessings from Ohio, Kim Wolf<>< |
Posted in Homeschool Kitchen