Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Tidbits ~ Curried Cashews ~ Homemade Noodles


Hubby was up very early yesterday.  He was already busy working on projects that have loomed over us.  One is the trash can.  When we moved in here, years ago, it came with a trash compactor.  It broke down several years ago, and we did not want to replace it. 

The front of the compactor had a cupboard piece to match the kitchen, in which Hubby removed it.  He's now putting in a slide rail for the trash can, to fill that space under the cupboard, adding hinges to the cupboard piece, and making it new again.    I'll be painting it soon to match the cabinets.  For years, the trash can was hand pushed in and out, and often left out.  It's a relief to see it get worked on now.


He's working on fixing drawer rails that broke too.  Most of my kitchen is made up of drawers.  The last homeowner, knocked down a wall, making the kitchen larger, but used a mess of used cabinets to update it.  Some day, when the kids are all gone, I'll redo the entire kitchen, and get some more ideal storage cabinets.  Anyway, he's attacking his "to-do" list with gusto.


From time to time, I get magazines from Mom.  In the last one (a 2015 issue), I read this article.

It appears one congressman is trying to pass a bill to eliminate non-gmo labeling, and label items as "natural." 

Then I dug a bit deeper on this bill.

It reads that bill (H.R. 4432) was introduced (by Mike Pompeo of Kansas) in April of 2014, but never enacted.   This is why it's so important for us to fight for labeling that tells us exactly what's in the food we buy, and not a label that covers up the junk they put in it.  

Now, about those cashews.

If you buy curried cashews in the store, they (at least here they are) sell for about $4.50 and up for 5 oz.




I made another recipe from the book, Edible DIY, by Lucy Baker.   I may have to consider buying this book, but for now I keep borrowing it from the library.



The recipe is called "Curried Cashews" but I call them "Triple C" because you use cayenne, cumin and curry in the recipe.

These really do scream "holidays."  This was a winner recipe.  

The recipe requires egg whites, so the yolks were saved to make homemade noodles yesterday.

This was the first time making my dough in my food processor.  Once mixed as you see it, it pressed together nicely for the dough.



I used my dehydrator to speed up this process, and then placed them in freezer bags and into the freezer.  You can put your spaghetti noodles in "nests" but I fit these nicely in a gallon size freezer bag.  I find the nests take longer to dry.


 Hubby ran to town for supplies, so I took some time to read through these.


This book is a bit outdated, but some scholarship information was still correct.  

I had to laugh when I read this:
 ("Have grandma write a check to the college")

And this:
("Borrow money from rich relatives")




Hubby got his requested flour-less brownie/whiskey butterscotch sundae.  He'll have to wait a long time for another, as we are both working on more weight loss.  

He brought home supplies, finished fixing the drawer slides, and worked a bit on the trash can.  He has to finish it later, as we took time to split wood together too.  It's too early to put the wood stove to bed for the summer.  It feels like 18°F this morning.  I'm glad I did not put the heat lamps away yet either. 

I'm not sure what Hubby has planned for today, but I do see a ladder. 

9 comments:

Susan said...

I did have to laugh at the funding sources in that book! I'm sure grandma is just hanging on by her fingernails in this challenging economy. How nice to have things checked off your to-do list!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Susan, I laughed out loud when I read it. Times have really changed since they wrote the book.

Mama Pea said...

Ha! I know I never had a grandparent will any money to spare let alone finance a college education! Maybe if your name was Rockefeller or Kennedy. ;o}

That man of yours is on fire! It think it is true though that leaving home (and then coming back) does give us a fresh perspective on how wonderful our own environment is. We can see it with "new" eyes and appreciate it all the more.

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

Your homemade noodles looks so good!
I was thinking of making some recently...
I bought some at the big Dallas Farmers market years ago...and they were nest shaped. I didn't think about the dry time. I dry mine like yours...only without the dehydrator.
I really, really need to get that thing out of the shed and use it!
It's still packed up... waiting in limbo on the move or not situation. ;)

...laughed at the suggestions for college money...
if only it were that easy, huh?

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, I don't know of anyone today with rich relatives, let alone their Mom. Crazy advice if you ask me. Hubby is geared up for another day. I think he plans to work on the trash can today.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Patricia, I have an Atlas Marcato pasta machine, with only the attachment for linguine and spaghetti. I bought it cheap off of ebay years ago. I should look for an attachment for lasagna or ravioli now.

RB said...

Those homemade noodles are beautiful. Never thought of using a dehydrator to dry them. Good idea. Our Grandmother use to hang them on an expandable wooden clothes rack or sometimes she'd spread them out on a pristine cotton sheet laid across a bed. If I tried that, sure as anything, a cat would soon be napping in them. LOL

The college ideas are funny, but sounds more like modern day than out of date, cause so many kids today expect everything to be handed to them, free and clear - no dues paid.

God bless.

RB
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Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, I thought I would speed up the drying to keep the cats out. If the see anything hanging by the window they jump up in them, ha ha!

RB said...

Same here with the kitties. Actually, I've often said anything within 6' of the floor is a potential cat toy, bless their hearts. LOL
God bless.
RB
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