Nancy on the Home Front

Double Decadent Brownies

The hardest part of the Grain Mill Wagon Challenge has been deciding which recipes I will share. Since we’ve been using our own milled grains for quite some time I have an abundance of recipes using whole wheat. One of my favorite recipes using whole wheat is these Double Decadent Brownies

This is a delicious brownie recipe that is even better if allowed to sit overnight. This gives the bran a chance to soften, giving them a more pleasing texture. You can almost convince yourself that they are good for you!

Double Decadent Brownies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, unsalted
2 cups brown sugar
¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp espresso powder (Optional)
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 large eggs
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt your butter.

Then add the sugar and stir to combine. Continue to heat until the mixture is hot and just starting to bubble.

Stir in the cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Cool the mixture until you can actually stick your finger in the batter and it just feels warm. Whisk in the eggs, stirring until smooth and then add your flour and chocolate chips, stirring until smooth.

Spoon the batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan or two 8 x 8 pans.

Bake the brownies for 3o minutes until a sharp knife poked into the center reveals wet crumbs but not raw batter. The brownies should feel set on the edges and in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting and serving.

I like to pour the batter into two 8×8 pans, that way we can enjoy one pan now nd put the other brownies in the freezer to enjoy at a later date!

As I mentioned they are even better if allowed to sit overnight, if you can wait that long!

Prudent Pantry: Plum and Crabapple Jam

This week the giveaway is a brand new WonderMill Grain Mill! I am currently taking part in the Grain Mill Challenge and WonderMill was kind enough to send me a grain mill. Since I already own one I decided to give it away to one of my readers. Click here to enter!

Fall in Vermont means beautiful foliage and crabapples!

Before making this delicious jam I had never cooked with crabapples before. Usually they are used in jellies rather than jam. When combined with plums they impart a sweet-tart flavor and the color is absolutely gorgeous. A perfect fall jam. Don’t overcook it as both plums and crabapples are naturally high in pectin and this jam thickens considerably after it is cooked.

Plum and Crabapple Jam

3 cups of quartered unpeeled crabapples
1 ½ cups water
1 cinnamon stick about 4 inches long
4 cups of sliced blue or purple plums
5 cups of sugar
¼ cup dry red or white wine or grape juice.

Place crabapples, water and cinnamon stick in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and boil gently for 10 minutes or until fruit is soft. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick. Press crabapples though a sieve; discard solids.

Return crabapple pulp to saucepan. Add plums, sugar and wine. Bring to a full boil and boil rapidly, uncovered, until mixture will form a gel, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

jam, prudent pantry — Combine crabapple pulp and plums.

Ladle into sterilized jars and process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Makes about 6 cups.

Linked to: FrugalFollies, DelightfulOrder, LauraWilliamsMusings, DeborahJeansDandelionHouse, FreshEggsDaily, HomesteadRevival, Prairie Homestead, NewLifeOnAHomestead, PreMeditatedLeftovers, RealFoodForager, GastronomicalSovereignty, MindBodyAndSoleOnline

My Garden: Time To Plant Garlic

It’s been a busy fall, so many garden chores still to complete before the first snowfall. I’ve had to make a few trips out of state in the last few weeks as my father has been in and out of the hospital. As a result those garden chores are not quite completed.

This last week I did manage to get my garlic planted. You may remember my abundant yield of garlic this summer. I definitely wanted to get some planted for next summer.

Planting garlic is very easy. The first step is to prepare your garden bed. I added some compost, pulled weeds and raked the bed smooth. I had some local garlic which will hopefully do as well as this past summer’s garlic.

garlic, gardening, prudent living — Garden bed prepared for garlic!

Break the garlic bulbs into individual cloves.

garden, garlic — Individual garlic cloves.

Then I planted each clove into the soil, root side down, 5-6 inches apart. Each clove was pushed into the soil about 4 inches and covered with dirt. I don’t want the frost to push them out of the ground.

The bed still has to be mulched with hay but at least the garlic cloves are in the ground getting a good start before the snow flies!

Already looking forward to next summer’s harvest.

harvest, garden, prudent living — Garlic Harvest

Linked to: MsGreenthumbJean, TootsieTime, CraftyGardenMama

Frugal Tips: Freezing Peppers

For all you gardeners don’t forget to go to the contest page and enter the Garden Giveaway!

Do you have an abundance of peppers from your garden? If not take advantage of the low prices right now and stock your freezer with frozen peppers.

prudent living, prudent pantry — Peppers are abundant and inexpensive right now.

Peppers are quite easy to freeze. Select crisp, tender green, red, yellow or orange peppers.

freezing, vegetables — Red, Yellow & Orange Peppers

Wash; cut out stem and remove seeds.

peppers, produce — Washed, cored & halved peppers.

You can freeze peppers whole, as halves, strips or diced.

freezing produce — I dice my peppers to freeze them.

Do not blanch. Pack peppers into plastic freezer boxes or freezer bags or use your food sealer. Seal, label and freeze. The peppers may not be as crisp as they were when they were picked but they will be perfect to use in soups, stews or stir-fry’s.

prudent living — Peppers ready for the freezer.

Linked to: LearningTheFrugalLife, HomemakerOnADime, AnnesFunnyFarm, CraftyGardenMama, PremeditatedLeftovers, FrugallySustainable, ThisChickCooks, WeAreThatFamily, ASothernDaydreamer, Earning-My-Cape, TheNYMelroseFamily, GastronomicalSovereignty, AdornedFromAbove, AnOregonCottage, SideWalkShoes, SemiHomeMadeMom, TheDedicatedHouse, FeminineAdventures, Thrifty101, BrambleberryCottage, NaturalMothersNetwork

Judy’s Famous Cookies

In September I was accepted to take part in the Grain Mill Wagon Challenge. What an honor! My challenge was to make 5 recipes using grain milled flour from my new WonderMill Grain Mill. One of the recipes I decided to make a batch of Judy’s Famous Cookies.

For each recipe I had to write a blog post. I have been using a WonderMill Grain Mill for years and milling my own flour has been something I’ve really enjoyed. I purchase organic wheat berries and grind my own flour regularly, this enables me to have the freshest flour possible.

Wheat berries last indefinitely as long as they are stored in a cool, dry place.

The first recipe I will share I’ve had for as long as I’ve been grinding wheat berries! It’s from my dear friend Judy.

Judy’s Famous Cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter (or use ¼ cup butter, ½ cup applesauce)
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups oats
1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup coconut
1 cup raisins (or chocolate chips)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the butter (or applesauce), the sugars, egg, water and vanilla. Add the oats, whole-wheat flour, salt and soda. Add coconut and raisins.

If necessary, add another ¼ to ½ cup whole-wheat flour for a stiffer dough.

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container.

These cookies can also be frozen to enjoy later.

Prudent Pantry: Wheat Berries Revisited

One of the more popular posts from last year was my Wheat Berry post. I thought this was appropriate because tomorrow I am starting the Grain Mill Wagon Challenge. For the next five Fridays I will be sharing recipes that use home milled flours using my WonderMill grain mill. The majority of my recipes will be featuring wheat berries.

wheat berries, pantry, prudent living — Hard White Spring Wheat Berries

One of the items found in my pantry are wheat berries. Wheat berries are a true whole grain! Without these kernels there would be no flour. They are loaded with nutrients and are as easy as rice to prepare, perfect for a meal any time of the year. Did you know that raw wheat, if kept dry and free of insects, can last hundreds of years without any loss of quality or taste. Unfortunately, once wheat is ground into flour, it will last only a few days without turning rancid, which is why regular store-purchased flour is heavily bleached and full of preservatives. I started buying wheat berries more than 15 years ago even though I didn’t own a wheat grinder. I had a friend that would grind the berries for me. Eventually I purchased a wheat grinder of my own and have been happily grinding my own wheat for years.

wheat grinder, prudent living, prudent pantry — WonderMill Grain Mill

In addition to grinding wheat berries to make flour you can also enjoy them in other ways. When they are boiled, cooked wheat berries have a chewy bite and a nutty, earthy flavor. They can be eaten as a breakfast cereal with milk and cinnamon or added to a salad or a main dish. A cup of cooked wheat berries has about 300 calories and is packed with fiber, protein and iron. If you Google major cooking sites like the Food Network and search “wheat berries” you’ll find at least fifty tasty suggestions that incorporate whole wheat into soups, salads, sides and main dish casseroles.

wheat, prudent living, prudent pantry — Cooked Wheat Berries

You may not be a baker but wheat berries are definitely a staple that should be in your pantry! Try serving them to your family this week. Besides grinding wheat berries for flour do you have a favorite way to enjoy them?

Linked to: SimpleLivesThursday, CleverChicks, HomesteadRevival

My Garden: Homemade Seed Tape Revisited

The last year has just flown by. On The Home Front has been live for over a year now. To celebrate there will be a giveaway each week during the month of October. Be sure to go to the contest page and enter!

After looking through many of the popular garden posts from the last year, I found that this was one of the more popular posts. It’s not cold and dreary in Vermont yet, but it’s only a matter of time!

This post was originally appeared before this year’s growing season, scroll down to the bottom to see my results!

We’re having a cold, dreary day here in Vermont. It’s been raining on and off and I’ve even noticed a few snow flurries. Not the day to be working outside. Instead I have an inside project. I’m sure you’ve seen the seed tape they sell in catalogs. Designed to help you plant those very small seeds like carrots so you don’t have to do as much thinning. Did you know you can also make these easily at home?

Here’s what you’ll need:

Flour paste – ¼ cup flour and enough water to make a paste.

Strips of paper to make the tape, you can use black and white newspaper, single-ply toilet paper or a thin paper bag.

seed tape, vegetable seeds, planting — Strips of paper

Something to dab the glue on such as a small paintbrush or a toothpick.

Start by making the paste, start with the flour and add enough water until you have the consistency of a paste.

Check your seed packet for the recommendations as to how far apart the seeds should be planted.

seed packet, carrots, prudent living — Packet of Carrot Seeds

Dab the paste onto your strips of paper as far apart as you would plant the seeds. Just drop the seeds into the paste. Drop the same number of seeds that you would plant in your garden.

seeds, prudent planting — Allow seeds to dry in the paste.

Allow the paste to dry completely and roll up your tape. You are all ready to head out to the garden!

For most seeds you will just need to lay the tape down in your garden and lightly cover it with soil. Water and watch the seeds grow! The paper will eventually decompose and you’ll never see it again.

seeds, vegetable gardening, carrots — My homemade seed tape.

Here are the results, it was a successful year for carrots and the seed tape process.

Linked To: MsGreenthumbJean, SidewalkShoes, ASouthernDaydreamer, AnOregonCottage, TootsieTime

Frugal Tips: Homemade Candied and Spiced Nuts

The last year has just flown by. On The Home Front has been live for over a year now.

I thought this week I would feature the popular posts of the last year. Candied nuts make a great DIY gift, are a delicious, portable snack and are wonderful on salads! Here are a few recipes for a no-fail method for a crunchy, toothsome treat but secretly cost you only minutes in the kitchen! If you have a membership to a food club like Costco or BJ’s I would suggest stocking up on a large bag of nuts. My favorites are peanuts or pecans. Almonds and cashews also work well. You can make spiced nuts or sweetened nuts depending on whether you are using cinnamon and sugar or other spices such as cayenne pepper and garlic salt. Try a few this holiday season, make them to enjoy as a family or give away as gifts!

Candied Pecans

1 egg white
1 Tbsp. water
1 pound of pecans or walnut halves or pieces
⅓ cup maple syrup
Pinch of salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat egg white together with water until it becomes stiff and fluffy. Fold in sweetener, salt, cinnamon and vanilla. Add pecans and toss to coat. Spread out on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, rotating every 15 minutes.

Spicy Cashews

4 cups roasted cashews
¼ cup butter
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp. cayenne pepper
½ Tbsp. garlic salt
½ Tbsp. red pepper (optional)

Preheat an oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Set nuts aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the remaining ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the nuts and butter mixture. Toss until the nuts are thoroughly coated. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Serve warm or let cool and store in an airtight container.

Honey-Roasted Peanuts

4 cups peanuts
2 Tbsp. butter
⅓ cup honey
½ tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. salt
⅓ cup superfine or baking sugar

Preheat an oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner. In a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add the honey, vanilla and 1 tsp. salt and stir until combined. In a large bowl, combine the nuts and honey-butter mixture. Toss thoroughly to coat the nuts. Spread the nuts onto the baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until browned, stirring every 5 minutes.

Remove the nuts from the oven and stir and sprinkle generously and evenly with the sugar and remaining salt, shaking pan as you go to coat the nuts completely. Let cool, then stir once more, breaking up any large chunks. Store in an airtight container.

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Recipe Box: Homemade Noodles with Peas, Asparagus & Pancetta

Have you ever made your own noodles? Last year our youngest son went to visit his oldest sister. While there the two of them took a noodle making class. My son came home inspired and it wasn’t long before we had our own pasta maker. I’ve made noodles a couple of times but my son is the one who is the best pasta maker! He can make a batch of noodles in no time, which is just what he did a few weeks ago. There is nothing like a fresh batch of noodles with some homemade sauce.

First the noodles:

Making noodles you basically need two ingredients, 200 grams of tipo “00” flour and 2 eggs. Place the flour on your counter, make a well in the center and crack the eggs into the flour. Using your fingers work the eggs into the flour, a little at a time until everything is combined.

Knead the dough until it is a smooth lump of dough.

noodles, prudent living — Knead dough until it is smooth.

Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in the refrigerator for ½ hour to chill.

While the dough is chilling make your sauce. For this recipe we made a delicious light sauce using peas, asparagus and pancetta.

3 oz pancetta or bacon, chopped (Op)
1 ¼ pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1 inch pieces
2 cups of frozen peas (do not thaw)
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, pressed
½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon peel
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
¼ cup thinly sliced fresh Basil, divided

Cook pancetta in a large skillet until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

Pour off all but 1 tsp drippings. Add asparagus to drippings and sauté for 3 minutes. Add peas, scallions and garlic and sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Following the directions from your pasta maker form your noodles.

pasta, prudent living — Homemade Noodles

Add to boiling water and cook just for about two minutes and drain, reserving the cooking liquid. Add the vegetable mixture, ¼ cup pasta cooking liquid, ½ cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of the parsley and half of the basil. Toss, adding more cooking liquid if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley and basil over the top. Serve, passing additional Parmesan if desired. Bon Appetite!

noodles, pasta — Homemade Noodles with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta

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Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce

You may have seen on Facebook the rather large box of tomatoes my husband brought home from the Farm Market. Our tomatoes didn’t do very well and I wasn’t able to preserve as much sauce as I usually do. However after spending all day in the kitchen my pantry is now filled with 15 quarts of Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce. I love this recipe, it is delicious just heated up and served with pasta. Before doing all this canning there was only one jar left in the pantry, it is such a nice feeling having my shelves well stocked once again. If you have any tomatoes left give it a try, you’ll be glad you did! By the way when I made this recipe I multiplied it times 7!

Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

8 cups coarsely chopped peeled tomatoes (I dip the tomatoes in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then place in a sink of cold water to help loosen the skins)

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2/3 cup red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
½ cup chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp pickling salt
½ tsp sugar
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste

Directions:

Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, wine, wine vinegar, basil, salt, sugar and tomato paste in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until the mixture reaches the desired consistency, stirring frequently.

Remove your hot jars from the water bath canner and ladle the sauce into jars to within ½ inch of rim. Process 35 minutes for pint jars and 40 minutes for quart jars.

prudent living, preseving — Chunky Basil Pasta Sauce ready for the pantry.

Makes eight cups.

This recipe is from my favorite canning book Small Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp & Margaret Howard.