Sun Dried Tomatoes

Okay so they're not "sun dried" but oven dried. It's really the same thing though. Isn't it? I'm saying yes. Tomatoes become super sweet and their flavor intesifies as they are drying which gives a boost to lots of different dishes. I will tell you that it take hours upon hours and even some more hours after that to produce sun dried tomatoes. This is probably why they're so darn expensive in stores. However, it is harvest season, so you should be able to go to your local farmers or farmer's market and pick up some incredible tomatoes for a reasonable price. I get mine from two different farmers. The tomatoes I canned and made tomato sauce from, cam from my friends over at Blue Marble Farm. The sweet little beauties that I decided to dry came from Living Acres Farm. So why these guys and not my super market? Well that's easy enough to answer. Get a tomato from a local farmer, then get a tomato from you local super market. Now take a bite of each. The super market tomatoes taste like, well, nothing. Now the tomatoes from my farmer friends? Well each variety has their own taste. Some are sweet and less acidic. Some have that acid bite that people look for in a good tomato. Think that all tomatoes are these perfect round, pinkish red (and I use the word red loosely here), globes? You'd be wrong again. They come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. My favorite are these small deep purple, almost black in color. They make a great sweet snack and were the ones I kept raving about last year on facebook. My favorite this year has been these two or three bite yellow ones. I eat them as if they were an apple. You can't keep me away from tomatoes this time of year, which is probably why I ended up with 2+ bushels. When you find out what tomatoes are really like, they become almost like candy and something I can't leave alone. Oh and one more thing, the uglier the tomato, the better it tastes.  Onto the recipe shall we?

What You Need:

Tomatoes
salt (optional)

What To Do:

You can peel the tomatoes if you choose. I did not as I had already peeled a good 200 tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes in half and remove the core. Remove the seeds. Depending on the size, you may need to quarter them. I used some smaller ones, the two biters as my fried calls them, so I just left them in half. Place them on a cooling wrack, that fits on a baking sheet. This is so that air can circulate around all sides of the tomatoes. Line your tomatoes up on the cooling wrack so that they do not over lap or touch. Give them a sprinkle of salt if you so desire and pop them into your oven. Now here's the hours and hours part. The lowest temp setting on my oven is 170 which was perfect for drying. I can't tell you how long it took. I put them in during the early afternoon and shut it off just before 10pm when I went to bed. They were getting close to being done at the time but I was worried that they would become over done if I let it go all night. So I turned the oven back on in the morning around 7am and by about 10:30 most of them were done. I have a few that were still a bit damp so I let them go a while longer. You know they're done when they don't feel sticky, wet or mushy. They should be leathery in feeling and not brittle. Brittle means they've "dried" to long. I let mine cool and stored them in a mason jar in my freezer. If you're going to use them within a week or so, you can soak them in olive oil but I haven't been able to find safely preserve them in oil unless you freeze them of course.

How To Make: Mayo

I wish I had some pictures of this but I don't. It's really interesting to watch how three simple ingredients turn into a thick creamy sandwich spread that most people seem to enjoy. Hellmans was always my favorite and Miracle Whip was never an  option. It just didn't taste like mayo. I guess that's why they call it a salad dressing. Whatever, it was gross. So mayo. Eggs, oil and vinegar. That's all it takes. Well you also need a very strong arm to whip it all for a long time, or a good food processor with a one of the holes on top and I have always used for drizzling oil into what was in there. The taste is pretty good. In fact, if you can believe this, I have turned two people from haters of mayo, into likers. I would say lovers but I believe that the only fat you can truly love, is bacon.

What You Need:

1 large egg
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 to 5 cup light flavored oil (veg, canola, and olive all work well)

What To Do:

Put the egg into a food processor and turn it onto to the fastest setting possible. Very, very, VERY, slowly start to drizzle in the oil. This is important. Only do a couple drops at a time in the beginning. If you add the oil in to fast, the emulsion (which is what mayo is) will break and you'll have something that looks more like yellow curdled milk than mayo. After you've gotten about 2 cups of oil in, add in your vinegar. This does a couple things. It adds a bit of tang to your mayo, and it helps to "preserve" it, (vinegar is an acid after all). Switch back to adding in the oil and continue doing so until you've gotten your mayo to the consistency you want.  I have never gotten mine to the gelatinous globs you can get from a jar of Hellmans, but that doesn't bother me. Mine is always smooth, creamy and tasty. You can always add in spices too, especially some salt which will enhance the flavor a bit more.
Keep your mayo in an airtight container in the fridge and it will last at least a month.

Sofrito

Sofrito is very common in a lot of Latin cooking. I've been making some Cuban inspired dishes lately and they all have started with sofrito. Yes you can find it in a store, along with the other Hispanic foods but it's pretty easy to make. There are two types that I am familiar with, red and green. The green tends to be cilantro based and the red is either tomato or red pepper based. Sofrito is also one of those things that everyone has their own secret recipe for. I doubt you'll ever find two that are the same. I start mine with tons of garlic, onions and bell peppers. This recipe makes two cups and I use about 1/2 cup per recipe. It will keep in the fridge for a week or two but you can freeze it in 1/4 to 1/2 c sizes for later too.

One Year Ago: Maple Roasted Root Veggies
Two Years Ago: Buffalo Potato Skins

What You Need:

1 bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
1 large spanish onion, chopped
1 large red pepper, chopped
2 tbs dried oregano
1 tbs ground cumin
1 (5oz) can tomato paste
1 tbs veg oil
salt and pepper

What To Do:

In a large skillet heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic, onion and pepper and cook until they start to soften. Add in the the oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and the tomato paste. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste has turned a dark red, almost brown color. Let cool and transfer to a food processor/blender. Let it rip until smooth or just slightly chunky. Store in a GLASS container (unless you want everything else that goes in your plastic container in the future to taste like sofrito).

How to Make: Instant Oatmeal

A while back I had saw a blog post talking about the prices of a box instant oatmeal, compared to an entire pound of oat. The blog post talked about it being no more difficult to turn on the stove and make the real thing instead of the processed box version which often was full of sugar, additives and very little fruit. The blogger showed how he just boiled it away on the stove top for a few minutes and that was that. This, I thought, was a great idea! My husband loves oatmeal in the winter time and will eat two packages of the instant stuff at a time. When you go through two boxes a week at about $4 a pop for the organic stuff, it gets a little pricey! So I told him that I was going to buy regular oats that he could just cook in the pan in the morning. This was met will all sorts of heartache. He hates to cook and he certainly didn’t want to find a pan, measure the oats, measure the water blah blah blah. Basically he was telling me it would be to much work for him. So, I set out to create an instant oatmeal that was just like his packets. All he would have to do is add water and pop it in the microwave. What I came up with is so much cost effective then those pre-made boxes, and better for you too.

One Year Ago: Plum Crumble


What You Need: (Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal)
9 cups quick oats
1/3 c brown sugar
1 1/2 c raisins
2 tbs cinnamon


What To Do:
Remove 2 1/2 cups of the quick oats and place into a food processor. Pulse a few times until they are broken down, but not quite to powder form.  Stir the raisins, brown sugar and cinnamon into it and then combine the whole thing together with the rest of the quick oats. Once combined thoroughly, store in an air tight container, making sure to label it. One heaping 1/2 scoop is equivalent to one packet of the store bought stuff. Just add about 3/4 c water and place in the microwave for 1 minute. If this isn’t sweet enough for you, add in some honey, maple syrup etc, after cooking.
Not a cinnamon raisin fan? Make a chocolate version by adding in some cocoa powder and dried milk, maybe some chocolate chips? Omit the raisins and add in a bit more sugar for a cinnamon roll version. Add dried apples instead of raisins. The possibilities are endless.

How To Make: Apple Cider Vinegar

Vinegar isn’t something hard to make. In fact, it’s no harder then making alcohol. It’s about the fermentation process. It doesn’t require very much skill and it’s a great way to use every bit of something that you buy. To make apple cider vinegar all you need is apple scrapes (peels and cores), and water.  Where I live, I am able to compost. I also have chickens so very little gets thrown away in my house. If it doesn’t end up in the compost pile, it ends up being eaten by my chickens. So when I made an apple crumble last week, I almost brought the scrapes to my fine feather friends. What stopped me was the fact that I go through a lot of ACV (apple cider vinegar). I use it often in cooking and for it’s great health benefits. If I could make it with my scrapes, I’d save some money and have the really good kind. So I set out to do it.
One Year Ago: Sweet Potato Hash
Here’s what you do:
Make sure you’re using organic apples that have been washed in warm water to remove and dirt. Do not use apples that are rotten. Do not use conventionally grown apples like you would find in the super market. These apples are coated in a wax to make them look pretty, not to mention the chemical fertilizers and sprays used to keep bugs away.  Use the apples to make pie or fritter or whatever you want, just make sure to save the cores and the peels. Let the peels sit out at room temp for a few hours or until they turn brown. This is a good thing!
Place the peels into a large, clean glass jar. I used an old cookie jar we’ve had kicking around but mason jars would work nice too. Cover the peels with water and then use either cheese cloth or a paper towel secured with a rubber band to cover the opening of the jar. This allows the jar to breath and bacteria (yeast), to get, but not dust or debris.
Set into a warm, dark place and wait. Soon you’ll see a white frothy looking substance forming on top of the vinegar. This is okay. It’s excess yeast and means that fermentation is taking place. If you see any other colors such as green or black, this is not yeast and your mixture has spoiled. Dump the contents, clean the jar very well and try again. Some times it happens.
The fermentation process will actually happen twice. The first time, it turns to wine. The second time is when it turns to vinegar. After about a month, give it a taste. You’ll notice that fermentation is starting. It can take 6 to 7 months for it to turn to vinegar. Taste it once a week or so and when it’s strong enough for you, drain and bottle.
That’s it! You now have apple cider vinegar!

How To Make: Homemade Apple Butter

Since last week was all about pumpkins, I thought that this week I would do nothing but apples! Apples are another great part of the fall harvest. There are so many varieties of apples, each of them having specific properties. Macintosh for example, are bright red with a sweet white flesh that becomes pretty soft when cooked. Gala apples are widely grown because they keep well and have a nice sweet flavor. This year, I have some apples called Duchess of Oldenburg. These are an early season apple, originating from Russia in the early 18th century and is considered an Heirloom variety.  These apples are great for cooking and is what I’ve been using this year because it was available from my favorite local farm, Blue Marble Farm.  If you can’t get your hand on these beauties, mac’s are the next best thing.  My version of apple butter is made in a crockpot. This allows me to cook the apples overnight without paying any attention to them. Then in the morning, the lid comes off, the temp goes up and they get stirred every so often. The crockpot helps prevent scorching that can occur when you cook it down over an open flame.

What You Need:

Several apples, cored and quartered
1/2 c apple cider, apple juice or water
1/2 c honey
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tsp all spice
1/4 tsp cloves

What To Do:

In a large, 6 quart crock pot, mix all the ingredients together. Put the lid on, turn it to low and cook for 10-12 hours.  I do not remove the skin from my apples. It gives the finished apple butter a bit more character. If you don’t want skin floating through your apple butter, peel them and save them for making apple cider vinegar. (I’ll tell you how in a post later this week.)
In the morning, remove the lid and turn the crock pot to high. At this point, I remove some of the apples and blend them in my blender so that they are bit finer in texture. This is not a step you have to do unless you’ve used an apple that holds there shape when cooked.
Continue cooking on high with the lid removed for most of the day. By remove the lid, you let some of heat escape which in turn helps to prevent from scorching. You’re apple butter is done when it’s nice and thick and there is no more liquid. Pack into sterile jars and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

How To: Make Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkins are abundant during the fall.Pumpkins are a winter vegetable and are another type of squash. They come from the Curcurbita family, which includes other squash as well as watermelons and cucumbers.There are several varieties of pumpkins. The ones we are most familiar with are the large round pumpkins that people carve every year. While they have several names, most people refer to them as jack o lantern pumpkins. This type of pumpkin is closely related to summer squash; with they’re thin walls and stringy flesh. These pumpkins have a tough orange skin and a paler orange, fibrous flesh. While they are great for carving, they are not all that tasty for consuming. This is not saying that you can’t make a pie with them, it just isn’t recommended. Perhaps the best pumpkins for consumption are crooked neck squash. Most of them have tan colored skin and orange flesh. They are not what a person would typically think of as a pumpkin. In fact, butternut squash fits this category and is often found in commercially canned pumpkin puree. A pumpkin that goes by the name of “Cheese pumpkin” is probably the best for making pies. They are found mostly in the New England States, at farm stands and farmers markets. These will not produce a pumpkin puree that doesn’t become grainy or stringy when cooked down, nor does it become very watery. In reality, sugar pumpkins are more easily to find. I recommend using a blend of sugar pumpkins, which are smaller and round, along with butternut squash.


What You Need:

pumpkin or a mixture of pumpkin and squash

What To Do:

Wash the outer skin of the pumpkins and dry well. Cut in half and scoop the seeds. They can be saved and roasted as a yummy snack, otherwise, just toss them. Once the seeds are gone, cut each have in half again so you end up with quarters. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and into an oven. Turn the oven on to 400 and once it reaches temp, cook the pumpkin for 30 to 45 minutes. You want the pumpkin to be soft, but not mushy. This step does a few things. It starts the cooking process, starts to caramelize the sugars in the pumpkin making it sweeter, and soften the skin so that it’s easier to peel. Remove from the oven and once it’s cool to the touch, take a pairing knife and start removing the skin. Place the now skinless pumpkin into a steamer basket, or a colander over a pot that it large enough to hold it without it sitting completely inside. Put a few inches of water in the bottom and turn the heat to high. Steam for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is completely done, nice and soft. Then you can either transfer to a bowl and puree using an imersion or stick blender, or using a stand up blender. Once it’s completely cool once more, transfer to air tight containers or zip top bags in two cup quantities. Two cups is about 1 15-16oz can of pumpkin.

How to Make: Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkins are another thing that I love about the Fall. Really though, who doesn’t? You can carved jack o’lanterns, make pumpkin pie, and of course pumpkin butter. It’s a lot like apple butter, using most of the same ingredients and of course time, but tastes a heck of a lot like pumpkin pie! This does take some time. It’s not that it’s a hard process, just a long one. Peeling pumpkins, cooking them down, pureeing them and then cooking them even more. It is worth it though. Of course you can always start with pureed pumpkin out of a can but I like the satisfaction that I get doing it completely from scratch.

What You Need:

A sugar pumpkin, about 2-2 1/2 pounds. These are not carving pumpkins.
1 c apple cider or apple juice
1/2 c maple syrup (the real stuff) or 1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional but gives bigger flavors)

What To Do:

Wash the pumpkin and peel with  a veggie peeler to remove the tough skin. Cut in half and scoop out the sides and the stringy stuff. Cut into chunks about 1 inch in size and place into a large enough pot so that all the pumpkin is in a single layer. Pour in enough apple cider/juice to come about half way up the sides of the pumpkin. Turn the heat on medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the pumpkin is soft, making sure to stir it a few times along the way.  This takes about 30 minutes. Puree the mixture, either using a stick blender or in batches using a regular blender. Return the pot. Stir in the maple syrup and the spices. Cook over medium low heat, stirring often, making sure to bring the pumpkin up off the bottom of pan. Keep cooking until it’s nice and thick and the bubbles take a long time to pop. It will take another 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool. Place into a container and store in the fridge.

How To Make: Sour Cream

Okay, I lied. You can't make sour cream in the united states due to the fact that any cream you buy in a store has been pasteurized, thus killing the good bacteria that turn heavy cream into sour cream. However, you can make Creme Fraiche, which is very similar to sour cream but not as thick. All it requires is heavy cream, good yogurt, a very clean glass jar and some time.

What You Need:

3 parts heavy cream
1 part good quality yogurt.

What To do:

First off, let me tell you about GOOD quality yogurt. This is going to be plain, no flavors. Flavors mean sugar and we don't need that for making creme fraiche. The next thing is finding a yogurt with live active cultures. This is what makes yogurt what it is. It's the bacteria that do all the work making your final product. So, all you do is  pour the heavy cream and yogurt into a jar, give it stir or a shake to combine, pop on a lid and set it in a warm spot of your kitchen. After 12 to 24 hours you will have creme fraiche. Don't worry if it still looks pretty liquidy. Just give it a stir and keep it in the fridge. The cold stalls the growth of the bacteria, as well as thickens up the creme a bit more. Enjoy on anything you'd enjoy sour cream on or in.

How To Make: Peanut Butter!!

I was so excited the first time even just the idea popped into my head. I’ve mentioned a number of times before that I’m not happy with how the United States runs our food industry. I’m not happy seeing studies that link soy to infertility, that link growth hormones (which is in our milk and beef) to puberty happening in our children at such an early age. And by early I’m not talking 12ish, I’m talking about parents brining they’re little girls into to see the doctor because she hit puberty in kindergarten. KINDERGARTEN! So I’m a HUGE advocate for buying local, buying organic and making everything I can possible can at home. It’s not just delicious meals that I like to bring to my readers, but I hope to show you that every day items you buy from the shelves really don’t take much effort to make in your own homes. Most of the time, it’s cost effective too. Take Wednesday post about making your own Jam. It cost me just over a dollar a jar to make. Peanut butter is the same way. I bought one pound of peanuts from the bulk section for under three dollars. When I compare that to the the popular brands at my local grocery store, it’s roughly the same price. However, the biggest difference is mine has much less sugar and no added salt. Do you know that Americans consume roughly 4000 mg of sodium daily. WHO (World Health Org) recommends not exceeding 2400 mg while other health agencies suggest not exceeding 1500 mg.  So now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that you need some fancy equipment to make peanut butter right? Nope, wrong. I made it in my food processor and I have to tell you, it’s not some fancy high powered brand either. Besides, once you taste real home made peanut butter, you’ll never go back. I’m certainly not. Oh and one more thing. I’m not sure if this will work for ALL types of nuts but I have also had success with cashew. If anyone try’s a different type of nut, such as almonds, please let me know how it turned out!
What You Need:
1lb roasted, UNSALTED peanuts, no skins (unless you like them in your peanut butter)
2 tbs honey
2 tbs Peanut or Veg oil
What To Do:
Grind the peanuts up a bit in the food processor until they’re chunky, like what you find to top ice cream with. Add in your honey and turn the food processor back on. With it running on high, very slowly add in your oil. You’ll see the peanuts go from chunks, to a paste. At first, it's going to look like a big glob and you'll think you need more oil, but trust me you don't. Just let your food processor do the work and in another minute or two, you'll see nice creamy peanut butter. You’ll never get “smooth” peanut butter that you would buy in a store, but the more you let the food processor go, the less coarse the peanut butter will become. The amount of oil needed will also depend on the fat content of the type of peanut you buy, Spanish peanuts tend to have a high oil content.  Store in an air tight container for up to 2 months in the fridge.
You can also do this almonds.

How to Make: Homemade, no sugar/low sugar Jam

Every couple of years I make jam/preserves/jelly whatever you want to call them. I say every couple of years because I tend to make two to three dozen jars at a time. I know what you thinking, “What the heck does she do with it all!” Well, I’ll you. First, I have two kids who are PBJ-aholics. You ask my daughter what she wants for lunch and she will tell you, “PB-Jelly please!” How can I tell her no? Now I know you’re thinking about all the sugar that is in not only the jelly but the peanut butter as well, but since this post is how to make jelly and not peanut butter, we’ll only focus on the jelly for now. The sugar in my jelly, is all natural. It comes from the fruit it self and nothing else. Now that the sugar issue is explained, lets get down to the cost. When the particular fruit you want to use is in season and you can get it for cheap, then do so, BUT make sure the fruit is ripe and taste good. “Ripe” fruit you get in a store is usually far from being truly ripe and never had a chance to develop flavor. Here’s my secret. I use frozen fruit! Frozen fruit is always picked when it’s ripe. They are always sweet and I know you probably have a bag in your freezer right now for smoothies. Frozen fruits have always made the best jams for me and because they’re frozen, most brands haven’t added any additional sugar either. The next thing you need are canning jar. I use the half pint jars because it works better for my family then the real tiny jars. I don’t get the fancy ones either. Just the regular half pint jars with bands and lids.  The last thing you need is pectin and maybe some lemon juice. The pectin is what makes jam, jam. It binds the fruit and juice together to create the giggly consistency. You can find it in any super market, right where you’d find the canning jars. I don’t buy the boxes anymore either. I used too, but I found out that one packaged wasn’t enough for my jams to set properly. So now, I buy the container. Make sure you buy the one that says no sugar/low sugar formula. Otherwise, you’re looking at about 5 cups of sugar for a batch of jam.  Then all you do is follow the directions. This particular brand let me do anywhere from 2 to 10 jars at a time. For every two jars I needed a specific amount of fruit, water and pectin. I could add sugar or honey if I choose too and certain fruits, like blueberries, required some lemon juice as well. I will tell you that my batches of 10 jars, only made batches of 8 jars. Why? Not sure, but this has always been the case when it come to me and making jams.

So I crushed my fruit, stirred in the water and pectin and boiled away. Once it was cooked, I ladled it into my clean and sterilized jars, put the tops on and into my water bath canner it went. Don’t have a water bath canner? No problem! You just need a pot deep enough to cover your jars with 1 to 2 inches of boiling water. I could have done that in my pasta pot with no problem. Boil them for 10 minutes, carefully remove and let them cool for 24 hours. After that time, push down on the top. If it springs back, it didn’t seal and you need to store it in the fridge. If it did seal, store it in your pantry where it will last a few years. Oh and by the way. If you hear POP during the time the jars are in the canner or sitting on the counter, it’s alright. It’s just the sealing of the jar.

Once a jar of jam has been opened, store it in your fridge until it’s gone!

BACON

There is a reason for the title being in caps. I mean, it IS bacon after all. It deserves to be capitalized and shouted from the roof tops. Bacon makes everything better. Having a bad day? Have some bacon! Boyfriend left you? Bacon will be there for you. It really is a cure all and there is nothing wrong with eating a couple pieces as long as you do so in moderation. The is only one thing that I don’t enjoy about bacon. Thankfully, cooking it in the oven means I don’t have to clean the stove top, my counters and the wall when I’m done with breakfast that morning. It also makes the perfect, crispy bacon, every time.
What You Need:
Bacon
What To Do:
Lay you bacon out on a cold sheet pan, making sure it’s one with sides so you don’t cause a fire in your oven from the fat dripping every where. Place the pan full of bacon (or just a few pieces if it’s for you) into a COLD oven. When you start with a cold pan and a cold oven, the bacon warms up gradually and stays nice and long and flat. It won’t curl up and shrink. Turn the oven to 400 degree and cook for about 15 minutes or until it’s cooked to your desired crispness. Remove the bacon from the tray and let drain on paper towels. Enjoy the deliciousness!

Video: Breaking Down a Whole Chicken

 

Here it is! The second ever video on GOC. I am having a blast thinking of things I can show you guys on a video. It’s pretty fun to make them. This time I did it by myself and used a trusty tripod to hold the video camera but I think it still came out pretty well. So, breaking down a chicken is pretty easy. It doesn’t take a whole lot of time and is pretty economical to do. For less then $1 a pound you can easy eat a few meals out of a single chicken. Nothing goes to waste either because the parts you typically don’t eat, like the neck and spine, can still be saved for making your own chicken stock. Enjoy the video and please let me know if you like them.

Oh and just a quick warning, I am a mom of two and you WILL hear my two kids in the background. They are always interested in watching me cook. In fact my daughter has helped me make things on numerous occasions and she’s only 2 and half. At one point, my son feels it was necessary to let out a few high pitched screams, so I wouldn’t turn the volume up very loud!

Breaking down a whole chicken

How To: Butcher a Quail

So this happens to be my first every video post! I’m excited and I plan to start doing this a little more often. Here’s a quick back story. Two years I raised chickens, but we didn’t have a fenced in area and most of them disappeared. This year, I decided to do it again. My brother in law Alec, re-did our chicken coop and created a nice big fenced in area for the birds. He also decided that he wanted to get and hatch some quail eggs. They were in the incubator for what seemed like forever but in reality it was one a few short weeks before they started hatching. Soon we had about 9 quail. Shortly after they were born, we lost two, and a few weeks after that we lost another one. By the time they were out in they’re special pen within the chicken coop, we were left with one female and 5 males. The males didn’t always get along and it was just a matter of time before we’d have to take care of a few of them. Which brings us to this video. Butchering quail is completely different then butchering chickens. It’s 100 times easier and faster.
Please be aware that video is very graphic. I am killing a very much alive quail, so if you’re of a sensitive nature, do not watch this video.

How To: Butcher Quail

How To Make: Homemade Ricotta Cheese

This is so simple, you'll wonder why you ever bought it at the store. Not only that, but I'll never need to run to the store to pick up a container when I want to make lasagna! Three ingredients plus a little cooking time is all you need!

What You Need:

6 c milk
1 tsp salt
3 tbs distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice

What To Do:

Line a large sieve with two layers of dampened cheese cloth or food safe paper towels and place over a large bowl.
In a large stainless steel or enameled pot, bring the milk and salt to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Once it boils, turn the heat off, add in the vinegar and give it 1 stir. Let it sit for one full minute then strain through the cheese cloth. Let sit for 20-30 minutes, draining the water or whey that is left behind. The long you let it drain the thicker it will become.

How To: Boil Shrimp

Few things are harder to cook right then shell fish. Most have internally thermometers, turning a bring red when done but shrimp are a little different. Yes they turn red, but they also become opaque, and go from being perfectly cooked to over cooked in mere seconds. They also tend to lack in flavor. By salting the water and adding in some lemon juice and lemons you can punch up the flavor a bit. You can add in dried chilies or even whole spices like peppercorns or coriander seeds.

What You Need:

lots of boiling water
salt
lemons
shrimp

What To Do:

Bring a lot pot of water to a boil. Once it's at a roiling boiling add in salt. You want fairly salty water, it should taste like the sea. Cut a lemon or two in half, squeeze the juice into the water and then add the lemons themselves into the water as well. If you water isn't boiling still, wait for it come back up to a full boil before putting in your shrimp. You'll notice that they sink to the bottom and start to change red almost immediately. Once the shrimp become opaque, start to just barely curl and float to the top, they're done. If you serving them cold, shock them in ice water as soon as you pull them out of the boiling water to stop the cooking. If you're eating them as part as a dish, pull them out a little before they're done and toss them with whatever your serving them with to finish the cooking.

How To Make: Compound Butter

Lately, I've started making lots of these compound butters to help my cooking a life a little bit. I've been buying fresh herbs but don't always use all of them during the week. Instead of throwing them out or letting them go bad just sitting into the fridge I mix them into some butter. Then when I want to flavor something I just drop a bit of the flavored butter into the dish and viola: two birds, one stone. I had some dill on hand for a dish I was doing but only need a small amount so that's what I used for this example.

What You Need:

butter
salt and pepper
herbs/garlic

What To Do:

Let a stick of butter soften on the counter until it's at room temp. It makes it easier to work the herbs into it. Chopped the herbs into whatever size you want and mix into the butter along with a bit of salt and pepper. Roll it into a log on wax paper or plastic wrap and store in a zip top bag in the freezer. To use, just slice off as much as you need and let sit out for a few minutes before adding it to your dish. I made dill butter last week and added it to some roasted fingerling potatoes after they had been cooked. The butter melts and the dill coated the potatoes.

Perfect Pie Crust

It has taken me years to come up with a pie crust that was simple enough for me to actually make and yet still taste good. Everyone has their own way of making pie crust. Some use all butter, some use a combo of butter and lard, sugar or no sugar. Then of course comes putting it all together. Purest will do it all by hand but I find that using a food processor it so much easier.

What You Need:

2 1/2 c flour
1 stick very cold butter
1 tbs agave or honey
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
a pinch of salt
ice cold water

What To Do:

In a food processor fitted with a the blade, place the flour and salt in the processor and give it a pulse to combine it. Slice the butter in half long ways, then in half long ways again, so that you have 4 long square sticks. Cut those sticks into chunks and place into the food processor. Pulse the processor a number of times until the butter is incorporated and the flour looks like wet sand. Be sure to pulse it and not just let it run.
With it running quickly add in the agave and the vinegar and slowly add in enough cold water until it just comes together into a dough. Turn it off and dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Use your hands to quickly form the dough into a disc. You want to work the dough and handle it as little as possible. Cover it with the plastic and put it in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes before rolling it out for dough. Makes enough for 2 crusts.

How To Make: Bread Crumbs

Making your own bread crumbs is so easy you'll wonder why you ever bought them in the store. Not only that but it's a money saver too. If you've been following me over the past year you know that I'm a mom of two. My oldest is almost 2 years old and like most children, she hates the crust on her bread. I cut them off before making her sandwich, but instead of throwing them away and wasting money, I place them into a zip top bag and then into the freezer. Once the bag is full, I make breadcrumbs! I also use the ends of bread that everyone leaves in the bag. Why throw money in the trash when you can do something with it! What's really great about making your own is that you can use whole wheat bread, making it healthier for your family.

What You Need:

Crust and Ends of Bread
Your favorite herbs

What To Do:

Take the ends of your bread and pop them into the toaster, toast until nice and dark. Preheat your oven to 350 and scatter the crusts into a single a layer on a baking sheet. Bake until dried out and toasted. Once cooled, pop everything into a food processor and let it whirl until the bread is broken down into crumbs. From there you can add in your favorite herbs such as oregano, parsley, and thyme, and give it another pulse to combine or leave them plain. Place the crumbs back into a zip top bag and store in the freezer.

Roasted Tomato Soup Base

During the summer, there tends to be an over abundance of red, juicy, sweet, vine ripened tomatoes. Tomatoes are another veggie (or is a fruit?), that I can't seem to get enough of. The recipe is for the amount of tomatoes I had on hand today but you can use as much or as little as you want. I’m calling it a base because after you make the basic soup you can do whatever you want to it. You can add in all sorts or herbs or pasta and tiny meatballs or all sorts of veggies or even use it to make minestrone!
This is also a tested recipe so you can find the girls reviews at the end along with any additions or changes they made.


What You Need:


5lbs of tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 cups chicken or veggie stock


What To Do:


Core the tomatoes and cut them in half. Place on a large baking sheet that has been drizzled with olive oil, cut side up. Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves and place on the baking sheet with the tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and garlic and sprinkle it all generously with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until very soft and caramelized in spots. Remove from oven and let cool for a bit. Squeeze the soft garlic out of the skins and into a blender along with the tomatoes and any liquid that has accumulated onto the baking sheet. Puree until nice and smooth. Pour into a large pot and add in the stock. Simmer over low heat for at least 20 minutes, longer if you want a thicker soup with richer flavor. 

Jessica (the college student on a budget):

Her changes:

1 large tomato
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
1/2 c. Chicken Stock

Jessica sliced the tomatoes and followed the recipe from there. She added in mini meat balls and put it back into the oven for 20-30 minutes instead of simmering it on the stove top.

Here is what she had to say:

I loooooooooooooooooooooooooove this recipe!  If I would have known that homemade tomato base was so easy to make before, I would have made it much, much sooner.  I simply have nothing more to say.  It was just PERFECT and delicious.  I can't wait to make it again!!!

Christi (mom of 3 girls) says:

I'll admit.  I've never had tomato soup before.  Ever.  It has never sounded very appealing so I've always avoided it.  So when Erica sent me the recipe for her Roasted Tomato Soup I was really hesitant about trying it.  Well you know how the saying goes.  Try it!  You'll like it!  Or maybe that is Yo Gabba Gabba.  I digress.  So I bought the tomatoes (which were $1 a pound today whoo!) and took the plunge.  Wow!  Can I say that I was EXTREMELY surprised?  It is amazing!  Not only was it simple to make but it is actually VERY tasty!  In fact, my husband had two bowls.  I fully expected him to turn his nose up at it since he is male and it didn't contain steak or potatoes.  When I asked him if he liked it he didn't bother stopping to eat.  He just nodded his head as he spooned the soup in.  What a fantastic recipe!  This soup would go well in a bread bowl or with some tortilla chips.  I can say that we will definitely make this again!