Nancy on the Home Front

Time For Wild Strawberry Muffins

In June we can find an abundance of wild strawberries in our fields.

Vermont, spring, prudent living — Our field

They are tiny but packed with flavor and they make the best strawberry muffins.

Something about the tiny size and the burst of strawberry flavor just enhances the taste of the muffins. My husband has a real fondness for these muffins and each year he will diligently spend an hour or more searching and picking these tiny little berries. In exchange I use them to bake up a batch of his favorite Wild Strawberry Spice Muffins.

We each enjoyed a few and then I froze the rest to enjoy later this year.

muffins, berry, strawberries — Wild Strawberry Spice Muffin

The strawberries are short lived and if you don’t go right out and pick them the birds will eat them up.

This recipe would be wonderful with blueberries or even regular strawberries but I use it each year to make our delicious Wild Strawberry Spice Muffins!

Wild Strawberry Spice Muffins

1 ¾ cup flour
½ cup sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup butter
1 cup wild strawberries

Topping (optional)

1 Tbsp sugar
¼ tsp cinnamon

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients. Combine the egg and milk. Add the egg mixture and butter to the dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Fold in the strawberries.

Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full.

batter, muffins — Muffin tin filled 2/3rds full.

Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool for five minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Makes 1 dozen.

Enjoy!

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July Gardens = Weeds

It’s always fun to get away. Going away in June can be a challenge. I managed to get the garden all planted before we left and even got a few of my raised beds mulched. However, while we were away there was plenty of rain and when we got home I found my garden full of weeds!

In some of my raised beds it was hard to figure out what was growing and what needed to be weeded!

The beans are off to a good start.

Unfortunately some of my lettuce, which was too small to pick before we left had now bolted. Guess I’ll be saving the seeds instead of enjoying a nice salad!

My onions are growing well and definitely need to be weeded!

I did find a few strawberries hiding in our berry patch.

It was also nice to see some beautiful blooms in the garden.

Glad I enjoyed a nice restful vacation! I’ll be spending the next few weeks getting the gardens weeded and finish my mulching!

Home Again, Home Again

For the past two weeks I was blessed to be able to enjoy a wonderful time in the Pacific Northwest. Our youngest son graduated from Seattle Pacific University and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than a family vacation in the Cascades of Washington.

All four of our children are now living in either Oregon or Washington and they just love it. They are constantly sending us real estate ads and saying “this could be your next home!”

We had a fun time spending three days in Seattle attending the various graduation activities and doing a little exploring. The weather was absolutely beautiful. I think we only had a few sprinkles one morning.

After the graduation we headed to the mountains. With the exception of one son in law who was away on business we had everyone join us, our two daughters, a son in law, two grandchildren, our two sons and one of our son’s girlfriend. What a great week. There was limited Wi-Fi which actually was perfect. No one could spend time on the Internet! Instead we just enjoyed each other’s company.

We explored Mt. Rainier.Enjoyed a peaceful day at Riffe Lake.And spent a day exploring Mt. Saint Helen’s. Each morning we started the day with a group exercise! I never knew working out could be so much fun!

We don’t get away as a family very often and I treasured having everyone under one roof. Can’t wait until we do it all again!

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Sesame Sweet Chicken

Sesame Sweet Chicken is a family favorite. I have been making this recipe for years. It’s a perfect marinade for chicken when you’re hosting a group of friends and you’re planning to cook on the grill. I mix up the marinade the day before the party. Then I pound the chicken thin and place in a bowl or large glass dish. Cover the chicken with the marinade and turn to coat it well. Cover with plastic and marinate overnight. If you are in a rush you can marinate it for just an hour but overnight is best!

Sesame Sweet Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds of chicken (boneless thighs or breasts)
½ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup honey
3 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp chopped ginger
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp paprika

Directions:

Arrange the chicken in a bowl or shallow dish. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl and pour over your chicken. Coat the chicken well and cover with plastic wrap. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, overnight is better.

Prepare your grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill for about five per side or until done. Brush with marinade while cooking. Serve hot.

Makes about 6 servings and is easily doubled or even tripled.

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Making Dandelion Wine

I have never tried Dandelion wine until last summer when friends of ours brought over a bottle to share. It was sweet and nice to sip on at the end of our dinner. They talked about how easy making dandelion wine was and I decided to give it a try myself. I always love making something new! Dandelions are also high in calcium, protein and vitamin A, not to mention the medicinal benefits to dandelion wine. Plus, it’s so easy to make!

Collecting the dandelions was easy – we have a field full! When collecting the blossoms be sure not to use any flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides! You will need about 3 quarts of dandelion flowers. We collected them in the morning so the blooms were fresh. Separate the yellow flowers from the green sepals (the little green leaves under the flowers). The green sepals are bitter in flavor and you don’t want them to put that flavor into your wine!

Put the flower petals in a one-gallon crock and pour 1 gallon of boiling water over them. Make sure the dandelion flowers are fully covered and soaking in the boiling water. Cover and steep for three days.

After three days prepare the following:

2 oranges remove the zest and cut the oranges into slices. (You can also just use the peels, which is what we did)
1 lemon, remove the zest and cut into slices. (You can also just use the peels, which is what we did)

After three days pour the flower water mixture into a large pot and add the zest of the oranges and the lemon. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat and then strain out the solids. Add 3 pounds of sugar to the pot, stir to dissolve and allow the mixture to cool.

Once the liquid has cooled add the orange and lemon slices and add 1 pound of raisins. Also add 1 package of wine yeast. Put the mixture back into your clean crock and allow to bubble for 2 days to a week. Once fermentation is complete pour the mixture into your fermentation container. Luckily my husband is a home brewer and I was able to use one of his bottles. We allowed the liquid to sit for a couple of weeks until there was no longer any bubbling.

When the fermentation has completely stopped, transfer to sterilized bottles and cap or fit with corks. Let stand for six months to a year.

Enjoy in front of the woodstove this winter or wait to enjoy it by the bonfire next summer!

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Gram’s Steak ‘n’ Gravy

Do you ever have one of those times when you just want to enjoy some comfort food? We try to eat healthy meals the majority of the time but sometimes nothing will satisfy a craving like comfort food. Gram’s Steak ‘n’ Gravy is one of those recipes. This meal isn’t fancy and doesn’t require an expensive cut of meat, just simple home cooking.

Gram’s Country Fried Steak ‘n’ Gravy

Ingredients:

3 cups of beef broth (preferably homemade)
All-purpose flour seasoned with garlic salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
Breadcrumbs, optional
1 pound cubed steak, cut into 3-4 smaller pieces.
3 Tbsp butter
1 ½ large onions
¼ cup flour

Directions:

Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls.

Coat the steak pieces with egg; then generously pat both sides with flour, then with the bread crumbs.

In a deep frying pan, heat the butter. When the butter has melted add the steak pieces. Fry each piece until brown on both sides. Remove steaks from the pan.

Add diced onion to the pan and continue cooking until the onions are lightly browned. Add the flour and stir to coat the onions. Then add your beef broth. Stir and heat until bubbly. Add seasonings to taste. Place the steaks back in the pan and cover with the gravy. Cover and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. Tastes great with mashed potatoes or noodles.

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Being a Thrifty Cook

One can save only so much money on food, given the fact that eating and good nutrition are basic human requirements. You also don’t want to sacrifice your health by eating cheap junk food. Medical bills are way more costly than decent food! Here are a few ways to save money in the kitchen!

Avoid restaurants.

Set a realistic grocery budget. Actually setting up a realistic budget is the easy part, sticking to it is the hard part!

Pay with cash! For some reason when you are food shopping with cash you will never go over your budget! The last thing you want to have happen is not have enough cash when you get to the check out!

Eat food that’s economical but still nutritious. Beans, grains and tougher cuts of meat that tenderize after slow cooking are good choices. Eat less food that’s expensive such as steaks and seafood. Eliminate costly foods that have little or no nutritional value such as soda and dessert.

Look beyond the supermarket. This is a good time of year to consider local farmer’s markets or join a CSA for your produce. For bulk foods check out the club warehouse stores. If you live near ethnic food shops check them out for spices.

Learn to make food from scratch particularly convenience items such as baby carrots or sliced mushrooms! Try making your own pizza crust or your own bread.

Start your own garden or grow herbs in pots if you don’t have space for a garden. One or two tomato plants can pay big dividends with much effort. Growing a few favorite herbs can spare you the waste of a too big bunch from the supermarket.

Finally, how much you can save depends on how much you already spend. If your grocery cart is normally brimming with fully cooked meals, filet mignon and peaches out of season, your cost savings will be immediate and huge. But if you’re already buying store brans and economy size and eating beans twice a week, it may be a challenge to trim more.

Stop throwing food away. Cook what you buy, and eat your leftovers!

Are you up for the challenge? Take one step this week to help yourself become a thrifty cook!

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Pantry Essentials: Vinegar

frugal tips, prudent pantry, prudent living

I have mentioned keeping vinegar in my pantry before. Distilled or white vinegar, which is a 5% acetic acid solution, kills 99% of bacteria, 82% of mold, and 80% of germs, but is nontoxic to humans and animals. It is also a key ingredient in pickles! The acids also dissolve mineral deposits and soap scum, hence the softer laundry and clean windows!

Use vinegar to clean and sanitize sinks, countertops, doorknobs and toilets instead of bleach.

To clean and prevent mold and mildew, use in in the shower on grout.

Use it to wash windows and glassware. Here is my favorite window washing solution.

Add ½ cup of vinegar to your dishwasher’s rinse cycle and make your dishes sparkle and prevent soap buildup.

To clean stone, slate and ceramic tile floors without residue, mix 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water.

To boost floor cleaning solutions add 1 cup of vinegar and a few drops of liquid soap to 2 gallons of water.

Use vinegar as a fabric softener and add ¼ cup to the rinse cycle.

To remove tough underarm stains spray vinegar on the stain before laundering.

Vinegar can be used to polish brass, copper, and pewter., just mix equal parts of salt and vinegar into a paste.

Use vinegar to dye Easer eggs, just combine 1 cup of hot water, 1 Tbsp of vinegar and food coloring.

Vinegar can also be used to soothe minor burns, sunburn and rashes. Soak a cloth in vinegar and lay it on the area.

To fight stubborn athlete’s foot and toenail fungus soak your feet in warm water and vinegar.

So many, many uses! Do you store vinegar in your pantry?

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My Favorite Barbecue Sauce

It’s funny, growing up my parents cooked on the grill but it was always hot dogs and hamburgers and the occasional steak. I don’t ever remember them cooking anything like ribs or barbecued chicken. When I was first married I discovered ribs and how delicious they were especially with My Favorite Barbecue Sauce!

Today I am going to share that recipe with you.

Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy grilled meats with barbecue sauce. It is important to baste with the barbecue sauce the last 15 minutes of cooking. Longer cooking will make the spices bitter!

My Favorite Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. drippings or other fat
1/4 cup chopped onions

Sauté in 1 Tbsp of drippings or other fat, ¼ cup of chopped onions. Sauté the onions until brown.

Add and simmer for 20 minutes:

½ cup water
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup of Chili sauce (the kind found near the ketchup or use homemade)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp mustard (can also use either chili or curry powder for variation)

This recipes makes about 1 ½ cups of barbecue sauce. It is excellent on Country Style Spare Ribs!

When cooking country style ribs I parboil the ribs for about 3-4 minutes before placing on the grill.

The ribs are then cooked about 4-5 minutes on a side. For the last few minutes barbecue sauce is added.

Country style ribs are delicious with sautéed kale.

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7 Favorite Rhubarb Recipes

Rhubarb is the first thing we harvest from our garden in the spring. The plants seem to start poking out of the ground while there is still snow on the ground. Before you know it the plants are huge and ready to be harvested! We have five large plants in the garden, which is more than I need. One year I even bartered for bread!

As you might guess we do enjoy rhubarb. Here are my favorite ways to use it!

Rhubarbeque Sauce. This is a family favorite that I make every year. It is wonderful on grilled meats especially pork and chicken.

Rhubarb Jam – this jam is equally good on chicken or on a piece of toast for breakfast!

Rhubarb Buckle The ginger in this recipe gives this buckle a unique taste.

Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp Who doesn’t love this classic dessert, especially with a little ice cream!

Rhubarb Cake Another family favorite and an old standby.

Rhubarb, Date and Apricot Chutney – The dates and apricots give a rich favor to the sweet sour taste of the rhubarb.

chutney, rhubarb — Rhubarb, Date and Apricot Chutney

Apple Rhubarb Chutney – Love this chutney, it is perfect with grilled pork!

If your life is crazy busy like mine is sometimes rhubarb can also be easily frozen to use a at a later date. Just cut the stalks into small pieces. Place in a Ziploc bag or use your FoodSaver. And freeze. Couldn’t be easier!

Are you a rhubarb lover? what is your favorite way to use rhubarb?

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