Beefplate - Beef Bacon

This year when getting the beef butchered, I forgot to tell them to cut the beefplate in 1/4" strips. Opps! So now it is my job to cut the meat. Thankfully we have a power slicer.

This is the meat that is usually turned into short ribs.

We prefer to turn it into beef "bacon." After marinating it in the following basic solution:

Per pound of meat
1 Tbsp. Morton's Tender Quick (I get this at the local grocery store.)
1 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. maple syrup

Depending on how "spicy" you like your "bacon" you can add: black pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, chipolte powder, granulated garlic, etc. Maybe add some liquid smoke if you don't plan to smoke in a smoker.

Put meat in glass or plastic container with a lid. Sprinkle over the meat and rub in well. Let set covered in your refrigerator for about 10 days if the meat is not sliced, probably 5-7 sliced. Turn daily.

Now you can smoke it or just use as is. This will not be as crispy as pork bacon. We find it works better wrapped around filets and wrapped around ground patties for "Poor Man Filets" than pork bacon.

That Vitamin Movie

Free for the next week.

Chocolate Muffins

Chocolate Muffins - THM friendly
Oven 375°F Yields 6 regular size muffins
Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free option

I don't know if it is the high altitude, my lack of microwave savvy, or what, but the *Muffin in a Mug* recipe from the Trim Healthy Mama book were easy, yet not quite right for us. This is the result after playing with the recipe. It does take a bit longer, but I end up with extra for lunches.

Mix well in mixer bowl:
3 eggs
1 Tbsp butter (or coconut oil to make dairy free)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
3 Tbsp xylitol
15 drops liquid stevia (or equivalent choice of sweetner)
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
6 Tbsp flaxseed meal
3 tbsp water
2 pinches sea salt
1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla

Pulse in:
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp coconut flour

Let rest 1-2 minutes for batter to thicken slightly before filling greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Fill to about 1/4" below top.

Bake at 375° F for about 15 minutes. Muffin should spring back from finger test. If you over-bake muffins they will be dry.

I like to sprinkle a few dark chocolate chips and/or soaked nuts on top before baking.

Soapmaking

A neighbor kindly gave me some lard she had rendered. Tried it in pie crust last week. But what I really wanted to try it in was soap. I used a bit of elk tallow before and liked it.

So this is the ratio I used: 15% extra virgin olive oil, 15% pomace olive oil, 40% coconut oil, 30% lard.  I used Bramble Berry's lye calculator.

I infused my lye solution with about 3 Tbsp dried Calendula petals. (These were from flowers I grew last summer.) Then strained them out.

When lye solution and oils were about 95°F I mixed. After about 20 minutes of hand-stirring I added the essential oils, lavender, calendula, cedar, and then another teaspoon of Calendula petals. I continued to stir for about 4 more minutes.

My molds were recycled (2) almond milk and (2) cream cartons. I cut off the angled tops and cut down one side to make flaps for covers. Then I inserted one carton inside the other. Taping around them to hold together. While not perfect. These work and are the right price.

Wrapped up to cure.

Bars cut at about 28 hours and hardening in the air.

If you have lemons, make lemonade!

This little one had a blast juicing the lemons we received in our Bountiful Basket. She giggled and giggled and giggled as she squeezed the lemons on the juicer.

So was very proud she made the lemonade for a special dinner.

2 1/2 cups lemon juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
 Mix these two with a few cups of hot water until sugar is dissolved.

Then add the following:
1 pint canned cherry juice (we made Cherry-lemonade)
and water to make 1 gallon. Adjust to taste. Chill serve over ice.

More places to visit

These three center more on homemaking...

homeliving.blogspot.com

culinaryreformation.com
deeprootsathome.com

Prepared with Sugar Cookies

It is always handy to have some sugar cookies baked up and in the freezer. 

Here one of our daughter-in-laws and two of the granddaughters quickly frost the cookies. 

Some were for Sunday lunch 

and the rest went to a surprise birthday celebration after church on Sunday night.

Homemade Granola Bars

Being hunting season, this is a big hit with the hunters. I don't remember where I found the original recipe, but here it is with my tweaks. You do not need to be precise with the ingredient amounts.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Honey

2/3 cups Peanut Butter

3 cups Granola-I used a homemade soaked granola that was very plain

Your choice of Mix-ins: dried fruit, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc

Butter 9" x 9" pan (or equivalent size)

Heat honey in a heavy sauce pan on medium-low. Let boil one minute. This will make it thick enough to be the glue for holding your granola together.

Stir in the peanut butter. (Personally, I only use *real* peanut butter. You know the kind that is only peanuts and salt!) Mix well.

Next stir in the granola. I turn the heat off after the first cup has been added. Keep mixing until all the granola is coated with the honey-peanut butter.

Now stir in your mix-ins. If you want your chocolate melted throughout mix it in right away. If you want chunks of chocolate, just put the chocolate on top of the mix in the pan immediately before scooping out the granola into the square pan. (Milk chocolate will melt easier than the darker chocolates.)

If you want a layer of goodies on the bottom of your granola bars-put the goodies into your pan before cooking the honey-peanut butter mixture.

Press the mixture firmly into the pan. Cool in refrigerator. Cut into bars (I usually opt for 8-10). Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Keep in refrigerator or freeze.

By running hot water immediately into your pan, clean up will be much easier.

Brrr...It is cold outside!

June had been exceptionally warm. So we were spoiled when the cold front hit last week-end.

The green beans were even popping out of the ground. Which meant we've had to spend time making sure a lot of the garden is covered. We didn't even bother to uncover two of the days. Yesterday we even had 3 rain-hail showers come through.

Instead I've been baking with sourdough! Look at the yummy results!

Thy Hand Hath Provided-Free eCookbook

Free.

Free is good.

It will be free on Amazon.

Today only - Monday,  May 5, 2014.

An e-cookbook that comes highly recommended.

And looks to have some super yummy recipes.

I plan to down-load mine early!

Grab one too!!

At.

Thy Hand Hath Provided

Mixing Up Some TLC

Bath Salts are a simple way to let someone know you think they are special or to give a touch of extra care when they are not feeling well.

Take some simple ingredients: Epsom Salts (this large container from Sam's Club was less than $7), Sea Salt, Baking Soda, Oil, and Essential Oils.

Mix the dry ingredients well. Then add the oils. Store in a glass jar.
I used the Long Winter Bath Salts recipe in an article at articles.beeyoutiful.com by Jill Krantz.

Plentiful Fall

Fall is plentiful–plenty of work to bring in the summer bounty and fall harvest, plenty of work to prepare for winter. Plenty of beautiful days with blue skies and gorgeous fall colors on the mountain sides. Plenty of rain and moisture to nourish the last of the garden–broccoli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce and spinach.

Each year I try to plant something new and different in the garden. This year it was sunflowers and Resina Calendula. They both did well. These are florist type sunflowers-no seeds. But we used several with blue Bachelor Buttons for centerpieces at our Bible Bee reception at the close of Contest Day the end of August.

Late summer and fall are very busy here with wood-cutting, ours is done, my parents' is not;

Canning and freezing from the garden. 
 (I thought I'd include my totals so I could see next year how much we used.)

Frozen:
17 1/2 cups peas
1 qt bag of Pesto cubes
5 qts of peaches
beet fries
10 qts corn
strawberries
raspberries
Snow Peas

Canned:
5 pts Strawberry-lemonade syrup
15, 1/2 pts Strawberry Jam
1 pt beets
48 qts peaches
11, 3/4 qts Parkinson Salsa
49 qts pears
24 pts tomato sauce
2 qts, 66 pts green beans
42 qts applesauce
1 gal apple butter
12 qts Apple Pie filling
4, 1/2 pts Roasted, diced, Green Chilies
3 qts 7 pts Cherry Juice

Also:
1/2 batch Mexican Carrots
1 cabbage into Sauerkraut
1 gallon of Beet kvass

 Plus 2 pear cakes, 2 apple pies, 1 beet cake, 4 qts dried cherries, frozen hash browns and oven fries. And there is still more to do with the onions drying in the garage and potatoes and apples in the storage room.

And now that it is hunting season: son has bagged his deer and Mr. Wonderful his two antelope. I've been making Breakfast sausage with the ground antelope using this recipe:

For 30# meat:
1/2 cup salt (I used coarse Light Grey Celtic Sea Salt)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried sage
3 Tbsp coarse Pepper
2 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper

Mix into the meat pieces and then grind to get the best flavor distribution.
You can mix the seasoning together and then use 1 Tbsp per pound of meat for smaller batches.

To fix-I make a "hamburger" type patty and fry on a fairly low setting in a pan rubbed with coconut oil. We also use it crumbled and cooked part way on pizza. If you cook it all the way before putting it on the pizza it will be too dry when the pizza is done.

Real Food-GNOWFGLINS

I've been learning about REAL FOOD from Wardee over at GNOWFGLINS.

She is offering free mini-memberships. Follow my link. If five friends join I get a free video!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

This is the best sugar cookie recipe I have ever tried. The recipe is about 95-100 years old!

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup shortening, (half butter, half lard or shortening)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Flour to thicken (approximately 3 3/4 cups) (dough should be slightly sticky)

Mix well, cover and place in refrigerator until chilled at least 4 hours. Roll out on floured board. Cut. Place on cookie sheet. Bake in slow oven 275-350. (I use between 325 and 340 for 12 minutes.) Time will depend some on size of cookie. Temperature on how hot your oven runs. Makes about 60 cookies.

I do not roll these out thin; it is probably between 1/8" and 1/4". They will puff some when baking. I bake until the bottoms are golden-brown and they no longer look moist on top. The edges are just turning golden. We like these best with a thin glaze frosting.

It Is Very Cheesy Around Here

Lately we have been blessed with lots of milk.

So I have been making lots of cheese.

After trying four different Mozzarella recipes, I think I like my friend's the best for consistency of results.

2 gallons of cold milk
Add 2 1/2 tsp Citric Acid into 1/4 cup refrigerator cold water (must be chlorine free) Stir briskly into milk.
Heat very slowly to 88-90°F Take off heat

 Dissolve rennet into 1/4 cup refrigerator cold water (again must be chlorine free) Stir briskly with up and down motion, then top-stir butterfat back in. Put lid on and let rest for 30 minutes. Curd should set. When you have a clean break. Slice middle of pan to bottom, continue to slice forming a 1" grid. Then slice on diagonal. Slip curds. Rest 10 minutes. This lets curds separate from whey. Put bakc on heat, slowly heat to 115°F, stir up/down motion while heating, chopping to break up curds. When rubbery-may need to rest some more. Strain whey. (Whey may be heated within 2 hours to about 200°F for whey ricotta. Do not let boil. After curds form, let rest 15 minutes before draining. Hang in bag for 4 hours.)

Curds should form a big clump. Flip at 5 minutes. At 10 minutes, break up into marble size pieces. Let whey run off.  Meanwhile heat stock-pot 1/2 filled with water and 1/2 c canning salt to 170°F To to string: Drop marble size pieces in, using wooden spoons lift cheese to 2" above pan for about 5 minutes. (Look for a blister.) Taste.

Strain off salt water. Should have a blob of melted cheese. Press in cheesecloth lined container for about 2 hours.

Gouda ready to wax

Gouda waxed and ready to store for 2 months. 

Jack cheese drying. Will be waxed when dry enough.

Blessed with Tomatoes

A very dear friend sent me two boxes of beautiful tomatoes…her family had 60 tomato plants and harvested over 1000 lbs. She loves to bless others with the abundance!

So I have been busy drying…

Turning them into Italian Sauce…

And trying a Lacto-fermented Ketchup recipe.

Sweet and Easy Treat

Grandma's Girl #2 enjoys a huge strawberry!

Wash some strawberries, shake off water, put in bowl.

Fill another small bowl with a bit of sugar–we used powdered sugar.

Get out some pretty napkins.

Chocolate Avacado Pudding

Served up chocolate pudding last night using this recipe.

I used agave instead of honey, because it blends better with room temperature and cool ingredients.

Warning it is very, very rich dark chocolate. If you make it this strong you might want to top with some whip cream or vanilla ice cream.

Blending

Mr. Wonderful bought me a new blender…

Yes, it is one of those heavy duty can blend whatever I want type. A Blendtec!

We are having fun trying green smoothies, healthy juices, and such.
 I even made cashew butter today.

Here is our base smoothie recipe:
•About 1/4 cup frozen 100% juice concentrate
•About 1 cup plain yogurt
•About one handful or 1 loose cup of greens
•Up to 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed (I ground them in the new blender. It does a wonderful job! My old blender would only slightly chop the flax seed.)
•About 2 cups frozen fruit (You can use fresh, but you might want to add ice then to thicken.)
•If the fruit is tart I add a squirt of agave or up to 3/4 tsp. stevia

Push the smoothie button and enjoy!

Christmas Goodies

Sugar Cookies

The yummiest Sugar Cookie recipe we have ever found.

 Grandma's Fudge-a long time family Christmas favorite.

 

 Peanut Blossoms

I've made these, Peanut Blossoms, since I was a young girl.