If your water kefir grains are sluggish give them an eggshell!
My water kefir was doing great for about a month. I was getting "grape soda" every other day or so and had enough extra grains to give some away to a couple people. I noticed my grains weren't multiplying as fast and they started to smell "foot-y". I gave them a little molasses in a first ferment to give them some minerals. They were still stinky. I gave them a rejuvenating rest in the fridge for 4 days or so in some sugar water with a little pinky Himalayan sea salt. They still had a little footy undertone, but weren't nearly as bad. I did a first ferment with some turbanado sugar and they still weren't multiplying like I expected. The liquid that came form the turbanado ferment was like syrup. I ended up dumping it out because it was too thick for my taste. I did the next first ferment with 1/2 turbanado, 1/2 regular organic sugar and the liquid was still thick and the grains still weren't multiplying. I had heard of putting a clean eggshell in with the first ferment to give the grains some calcium. I didn't want them to die and since I'd done pretty much everything else, I thought I'd give it a shot. They went nuts! Within 2 batches, they more than doubled! There are a crazy amount of bubbles int he first ferment and the eggshell, which was a brown egg, is now white because they've dissolved the top layers of the shell.
If your water kefir grains are sluggish give them an eggshell!
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We're 95% finished with the coop. It's a good thing that we started early. The chicks now have more adult feathers than fluffy chick down and with the mild Fall we're having, I'm anticipating they'll be moved to their outside home at closer to 4 weeks than 6. This week the chicks met Jenny; the bird-crazed, known chick an other bird-killing dachshund. She once slaughtered 6 or so chicks that my cousin had won at the fair. She's brought dead birds to the door more than once. She's the one I'm most worried about trying to get into the run/coop and "play" with the neat squeaky toys we put out in the yard for her. She gets very excited and hyper-focused when she hears the chicks, especially if I'm near her playing a video of them or if she gets access to the upstairs hallway and can stand outside the door, drooling. A few days ago, she was in the upstairs bonus room with the rest of us and ventured down the hallway. Apparently I hadn't latched the door to the bathroom the chicks are in all the way and Jenny nosed her way inside. The chicks yelled and all bundled together in a corner of their brooder with Jenny eagerly trying to get at them from outside the clear box. Mike immediately scooped her up and put her outside. Jenny is one of the reasons the brooder has a latching lid. I'm very glad to know that it works! Hopefully, the girls will get big enough that they are to intimidating for Jenny to want to "play" with. Betty has become my favorite chick. I really enjoy watching the others, especially ever inquisitive, first to the treats Ethel, but Betty is the most friendly. When I walk into the bathroom to change/fill their water and food, Betty hops up on the EcoGlow, rubs the top of her head on the hardware cloth, and gives me a look that begs "pet me!". About once or twice a day I end up holding her and scratching her neck/breast/gullet. She LOVES it. If I stick my hand in the brooder for any reason, she's right there, within reach, waiting to be petted. I'm very glad I switched the wrong chicks for the ones I ordered. She is a wonderful pet and doesn't mind Katie petting her at all. Betty the Barred Rock: Lucy the Buff Orpington:
One of the perks of baking one's own bread is stale bread. I get excited about finding new ways to utilize a loaf past it's prime. Lightly stale bread becomes french toast; it absorbs the custard better than fresh bread and doesn't fall apart when transferring it to the pan. Very stale bread becomes bread pudding. The loaf I used to make this batch was leftover from my Julia Child bread baking endeavor. It was so stale that I had to use my beefy, serrated Cutco knife for fear of breaking my Great Harvest Bread Co bread knife. The loaf was extremely hard, but made a fantastic pudding. The parts that poked up above the pudding became wonderfully crunchy bits. The contrast in textures, soft pudding and crispy edges, was delightful. Bread pudding makes an excellent breakfast, if there's any left over from desert. Bread Pudding, adapted from a Better Homes and Garden's recipe 4 cups dried or stale french bread 1/3 cup raisins 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 cups milk 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp vanilla extract 1.Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 1 1/2 quart casserole; set aside. In a large bowl, combine bread cubes and raisins. 2.In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Stir into bread mixture. Let sit until bread has softened. Pour into prepared casserole. 3.Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 55 minutes or until puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. Old and stale. So much potential! The chicks very much appreciated the crumbs from the bread.
What is it about hot liquid cheese with white wine and garlic that is so addictive? Hubster and I both get cravings for this and it makes for a fun evening of dipping delicious tidbits into a bubbling pot. I discovered this recipe whilst reading all of Use Real Butter's blog in entirety. I've made several of her recipes and they have all been fantastic. This one makes its way into my meal plan every couple months or when Hubster requests it; whichever comes first. The first time I made this, I used a cave aged Gruyère from Trader Joe's in conjunction with a full bodied Emmental. I haven't been able to find a Gruyère as flavorful since. Poor Hubster was deployed to Afghanistan when I made that first, delicious batch so he's been making due with yummy, but not divine fondue. I have hope that I will one day find a stellar cheese again. I will say though that the wine I use elevates this to a whole new level of tasty. I'm not one for dry white wines (I prefer sweet moscatos), but this wine is a MUST for all recipes that call for white wine. I have no less than 9 bottles of it in my pantry just for cooking purposes. We even packed them up and brought them with us when we moved from WA to TN. They're that precious to me. It's the only wine I'll use when making this fondue and it makes a delicious baked shrimp and Tuscan beef short ribs as well. Go pick up a bottle of Chateau Ste Michelle Sauvignon Blanc. (Now that I think about it, it was the same friend who brought over a bottle of this wine and who encouraged me to bake my own bread. Thanks, Scini!) Traditional Cheese Fondue, courtesy of Use Real Butter 1/2 lb. each shredded Gruyère and Emmental cheese (1 lb total) 1 clove garlic 1 1/2 cups dry white wine 1 tbsp lemon juice 3 tbsps flour pepper and nutmeg to taste for dipping (all pieces should be bite sized): good french bread apple (I like fuji's for this application) cooked sausages carrots broccoli Toss cheese and flour together; set aside. Rub the inside of the pot with the cut side of the garlic clove. Pour wine into the pot and heat until warm, not boiling. Add the lemon juice. Add cheese by the handful to the wine, stirring constantly until melted and creamy. Add pepper and nutmeg to taste. Let the mixture come to a boil once and remove from heat. Set over flame so the fondue bubbles lightly. Spear the bread, apple, sausage, etc and dip in the fondue. Enjoy! This is a party waiting to happen! They also have an Artichoke & Garlic and a Roasted Garlic & Gruyere Cheese version that work well for this meal. The Chicken & Apple is my favorite though.
Hubster and I have finally caught the bug Bug has been fighting and he requested broth to help fight his aches. The night I went into labor with Frog, I put some bones from grassfed beef into the crockpot along with some aromatics (onion, celery, carrot, bay leaves, peppercorns) and water and let it bubble away on low for 2 days. I drank some of the bone broth for recovery from labor (the iron and gelatin really do help!) and the rest has been in the freezer waiting to be made into something delicious.
I'm not crazy about Pho. The smell of star anise coupled with the mineralyness of the beef broth has always made me retch and I can't walk into a pho restaurant without gagging. I do love the idea of pho though. Fresh veggies and herbs in a piping hot broth is right up my alley. So, since I can't stand real pho and I wouldn't even know where to get it around here if I wanted it, I made my own. Unfortunately, TN isn't just lacking in pho restaurants; we have yet to find a good Asian market. I've made this once before and I used udon noodles and bean sprouts. Hubster tried finding bean sprouts at Kroger, but had no luck. At least they had tofu so we made due with that. This soup is really a what-you-have-on-hand and what-you-like soup. Since we're sick, I upped the garlic (from Way Too Much to Seriously? You're going to eat THAT much garlic?) and ginger. Cilantro is good for detoxing the body of heavy metals and toxins so I had Hubster pick some up on his hunt for the beansprouts. The lime adds a nice bright citrus note and the vitamin c will hopefully help our cold. Hubster added a few slices of a jalapeño from our garden to his soup for an extra punch of sinus clearing power. Faux Pho Soup beef broth (preferably homemade bone broth) garlic, sliced fresh ginger, sliced cilantro, chopped beansprouts fresh lime juice tofu, cubed OR cooked udon noodles Optional: fresh jalapeños or other hot pepper, sliced Thai basil fresh mint leaves beef, thinly sliced onions, thinly sliced Pour hot beef broth over garlic, ginger, beansprouts and tofu or udon in a bowl. Sprinkle liberally with cilantro and jalapeño, if desired. Squeeze lime into soup. Enjoy! These birds are growing so fast! There are noticeable differences from one day to the next. I switched their feed from Hiland Naturals to Countryside Organics and I really think I can tell a difference. The feeder stays full longer and their isn't as much food on the brooder floor, for one thing. They don't pick through it as much trying to pick out their favorite pieces and it seems like they are getting more nutrients from it. Their feathers also look fuller and shinier. The girls are so spunky it's getting hard to take pictures of them. I think this set of pictures really captures their personalities. Betty the Barred Rock: Lucy the Buff Orpington:
I love this "salad". It's just as good, if not better, the second day. I don't know how it is on the third day, because it never lasts that long. It's lemon-y, herb-y, salty, tangy, sweet, and all around delicious. I plan to try using quinoa for half of the couscous at some point. Couscous Salad Dressing: 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed (or 3 cloves if you're a garlic nut) 1 Tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp black pepper 1/4 tsp salt Mix all ingredients well. I use a mason jar since it has measuring lines and makes it easy to shake everything together. Prepare Couscous: 2 cups water 1 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 cup plain couscous (I use the Near East brand) 1/2 of a small red onion, diced In a 2 quart saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil. Stir in onion and couscous. Turn off the heat, put on the lid, and let sit for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine: cooked couscous mix, fluffed with a fork 1/2 pitted kalamata olives, cut in half 1/3 cup (2 oz) crumbled feta 1/3 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves, chopped 1/4 cup (1 oz) toasted pine nuts Stir in dressing, and toss. Enjoy! Measure out the dressing and shake! shake! shake!!! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THESE!!! Pine nuts will go from toasted to burnt in the time it takes to blink. They aren't cheap and you really don't want to have to toss out a burnt batch. Perfect. The key is to shake the pan to roll the nuts as they toast. Be sure to take the pan off the heat so they don't keep toasting and burn.
My arms are dead from white washing the inside of the coup and painting the outside (barn red) so I'll just let the pictures do the talking.
Betty the Barred Rock: I've finally decided which season is my favorite. I've always liked Fall, Winter, and Spring equally, but this year really solidified my love of fall. I love sweater weather. Our 80º-90º heat has finally broken into pleasantly low 70ºs. Pumpkins are everywhere. Squash has arrived at our local grocery store and I remembered how much I love it. When Hubster came home from Afghanistan, we had acorn squash about once a week. It was one of Bug's first solid foods and she still gobbles it up. My serving of this didn't even make it out of the kitchen. This was the best it had ever turned out and I just couldn't wait! Oven Roasted Acorn Squash, adapted from America's Test Kitchen 1 acorn squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 Tbsp oil (I find olive oil too grassy and coconut oil imparts too much coconut flavor. Grapeseed or Sunflower are my favorites for this) butter brown sugar salt and pepper Heat the oven to 400º. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Brush the cut side of the squash with oil. Place squash cut side side down on the baking sheet and roast 30 minutes or until fork tender. Flip squash over and fill the center cavity with butter and brown sugar to taste. Salt and pepper liberally. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes until butter and brown sugar are melted. All oiled up and ready to roast. They're cooked enough when you can pierce it with a fork or knife easily. The cut edge gets a little brown and crispy too.
This gem is from a Betty Crocker cookbook. My mom used to make it about once a month and I requested a copy of the recipe when Hubster and I got married. It's been a staple in our house and it's once of the few things I actually look forward to leftovers the next day. Hubster likes it with boiled potatoes or rice. My mom used to serve it with noodles. I eat it by itself. It's like cream of beef soup. Beef Stroganoff 1 1/2 lbs beef for stew, cut into 1/2" pieces 2 Tbsp butter 1 1/2 c beef bouillon 2 Tbsp catsup (aka ketchup) 1 clove garlic (or more if you're a garlic nut), crushed 1 tsp salt 8 oz sliced mushrooms 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup) 3 Tbsp flour 1 cup sour cream optional 3-4 c cooked noodles, rice, or potatoes Brown beef in butter in a 12" skillet. Reserve 1/3 cup bouillon. Stir remaining bouillon, catsup, garlic, and salt into skillet. Heat to boiling, reduce heat, cover and simmer till beef is tender (1-1 1/2 hours). Stir in mushrooms and onion. Simmer till onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Mix bouillon and flour and add it gradually to the pan. Boil for 1 minute while stirring. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. I doubled the recipe because I love the leftovers so much. Bug and I have been enjoying them for lunch. The goal here is to get the beef just lightly brown all over. This bouillon is delicious and guilt free.
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I'm many things. Army wife, mother, avid gardener, cooking and baking enthusiast, and crafter. I'm a crunchy, homestead hopeful with a passion for living as close to the way God intended as possible. Archives
July 2015
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