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~

Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baking. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Snow Storm

The snow is starting to blow.  Many schools closed even as early as yesterday, but there is just a dusting out there so far.

I got around to trying a cake recipe I printed back in (gulp) 2019 and it over baked.  I went online and read the comments.  Sure enough someone posted the bake time was incorrect.  It was not what I was looking for in a go-to cake either.  

When our grandson passed away at 4 months old, someone brought a butterscotch chip topped cake.  I could not get the recipe, so I wanted to try this one.  Nope.  It's not the same.  

Anyway, I'm still on the hunt for this particular cake.  It was one that would be great to take to help out a family or friend dealing with loss of family.

By the way, thank you if you prayed for our friend Hope.  Her husband passed away.

Our handyman has started to remove the carpet upstairs.  It's not looking that good as far as saving the original flooring.  I'm going up there today to take a look.  We may have to sand it down, but the most important part was getting rid of the ruined carpet up there.

My seeds have all arrived.  I'm still trying to put the house back together, and I still have laryngitis.  I did manage to clean the chicken's roosts and give them fresh straw before all this snow (if it does) arrives.

Do you have a "go to" cake for taking to grieving families?

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Baking Donuts and Tidbits

 




I dug out the donut pan and baked some pumpkin/cardamom donuts.   

The results?  Well, they were good and dense.  However, I felt the recipe I tried, lacked in flavor.  I'd add more cinnamon and nutmeg to it.  They were very easy to make, and I'd consider trying other recipes, just for kicks  This recipe used a small amount of butter, and I used half whole wheat flour.

It's something "fun" for a gathering, or when you need individual servings and don't want to bake bread and slice it.

(Recipe is online with Kitchen Addiction)

I sat down yesterday and wrote a letter to my only living Aunt.  I realized I have not been in touch with her.  I am glad I kept stationary now.  Although it's much quicker to type a letter, I do love the ol' pen and paper.

The weather is beautiful, but it appears rain is possible towards the weekend.  I don't have much to pull from the garden.  The rest is in grow bags.

Friday, June 4, 2021

Kitchen-ness and Tidbits

 

Crockpot Queso

8 oz. organic pepper jack cheese, shredded
8 oz. organic Monterery Jack cheese, shredded
8 oz. organic cream cheese
1 4-oz. can organic green chilis, drained
2 herb garden green onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup organic whole milk
1/2 tsp. homemade garlic powder

Stir together all ingredients in a crockpot.  Cook on low for 4 hours or until melted.  Note:  Some organic canned chili's may differ in size, and you could cube the cheese too, but it will take a bit longer (block cheese makes a creamer dip vs. buying already shredded cheese).  Sorry for the bad photo, but my husband was gobbling it up, ha ha!  I do think it needs maybe a jalapeno next time.


Not sure if this is the reason my biscuits are flaky with layers, but it may be.  I watched a cooking show and if you "shred" the butter vs. cube you get a better rise with the biscuits.  I cube, but them use a butter blender to cut the butter chunks up a bit more.


I baked up some whiskey sticks for snacking.  I needed to use up some organic pretzels I had.

Not the best photo, but I finally got around to making biscuits and gravy for dinner one night.  I could not find my recipe for "fried" apples, so I used a new one and love it.  It's a "copycat" recipe and baked in the crockpot.



So thankful for the rain we got.  My garden and flower beds got a nice soaking.  The rainy days have also helped me get caught up with laundry and other indoor tasks.

One dose of Mother Nature's rain and the garlic ramps were one.  Now, if my radishes come up fast, I see some dip in the making.


I hope everyone is doing well.  I seem to see such a lack of blogposts lately.  Our state is back to normal thankfully.  All restrictions have lifted.  It has been so nice to see people's faces and beautiful smiles again.  I hope your weekend is fabulous!




Thursday, June 3, 2021

Pie Pumpkins ~ Interesting Tidbit ~ Stocking up and Preparedness

(2018 photo, the last time we grew them on the homestead)

There was a point when organic butter at the grocery store became horribly high priced.  It's still high, but I try to stock up when they have coupons or a sale.

However, I learned something new!  I have not tried it yet, but I have pie pumpkins planted this year.  

There are concerns all over this country dealing with certain foods, shortages, price hikes and the like.  

Most people are aware you can substitute unsweetened applesauce for oil when baking, but this next tidbit is new to me.

You can substitute pumpkin puree for oil or butter when baking, using 1 to 1 ratio.  Meaning if your recipe calls for 1 cup oil, use 1 cup pumpkin puree.

At harvest time, I roast the pumpkins (cut in half as shown in the photo), and let them cool down.  I scrape out the pumpkin, puree it in the food processor and freeze it in freezer containers.

Of course there are many other uses for pumpkin puree, and we even make a macaroni dish with pumpkin and sage.  

I hope you enjoyed this tidbit, and I hope to learn of many more as our country attempts to heal all the massive damage that was done to it.

Providing we have a  nice garden year and a nice harvest, we'll have them this year.  

My blogger "featured post" gadget is not working.  I will only pick up most recent posts, so that's frustrating.  I'm trying to update it. 

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Making Dirty Dishes

I don't know what I was thinking.  I had plans to clean a bathroom, muck the coop, do more decluttering. . . I managed to walk the box of borax to the bathroom though, and dug a few plastic storage drawers from the barn and washed them up. . .




. . . being lazy, I skipped my work out (the horror!) after all my him-hawing, and baked a sweet potato/black bean frittata with dandelion greens.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

The Good ~ The Bad

The Good:  we are still being provided with frozen, mashed garden grown sweet potatoes (and they taste great when reheated).  

The Bad:  I didn't can applesauce this past fall.  Organic apples are too expensive yet, and our trees have not produced.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Stupid Pie ~ Holy Basil - not just for tea ~ Honey Mustard and Onion Pretzels

(Yesterday morning's sunrise)

This time of year, everything is very wet early in the morning.  As I picked green peppers yesterday, I noticed how wet the garden still is.  

I opted to bake first, then head to the front flower beds instead.  I was sure to get "Frankenstein" feet if I went to the vegetable garden.

While my breakfast cooked, I quickly tossed ingredients together to make a pie for dinner.  Which by the way, was not a pie I'll make again.  

It was called "Stupid Pie" and

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Baking ~ Cocoa Mochas ~ Deep Cleaning


After a trip to the library, I was back home baking yesterday.


I was blessed with overly ripe bananas, so first I made banana bread (using my canned applesauce).  While that was baking, I mixed ingredients for the next item - chewy granola bars.  Lunch packings are now re-stocked.

Friday, November 8, 2013

Chutney, Chopping, and Random Talk


My 19 year-old daughter asked me what she could use to flavor her pork chops with, and aside from herbs and spices, I have now suggested apple-pear-ginger chutney.

I still have pears after all this baking and canning, so I made some.  It's great to flavor grilled sandwiches and other foods too. It's fabulous on ham.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Winter Weather ~ Black Bean Fudge Cakes

Winter has been the strangest ever this year.  On Tuesday, we had rain, then snow, then rain again, then snow again, then rain and temperatures up to the 40's.  


The house was still a bit chilly, so I baked two snacks for the family.  One, I baked Black bean Fudge Cakes (only in an 8 x 8 inch pan), and another batch of Zucchini Muffins.  Yum!  The oven warmed up the kitchen, and the Black Bean Fudge Cake was pretty good.  I love recipes from Clean Eating magazine.  I can use my raw honey, home canned applesauce and this eliminated the cost of flour.  



The day before, I cooked up a large bag of dry black beans, so I reserved some for my cake.  A perfect way to keep "desserts" healthy around here (and low cost).


Although, I can say the Black Bean Fudge "bars" were not the kids favorite.  They gobbled up the Zucchini muffins first.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Jicama Hash Browns

Sunday morning breakfast consisted of whole wheat blueberry pancakes with homemade honey syrup, sausage and a side of Jicama hash browns.

We have never tried Jicama, and know that it's also called a "Mexican Potato."  

(midway through cooking)

I peeled it, shredded it, and fried it.  First I diced an onion and cooked it in canola oil, then add the shredded Jicama with salt and pepper.  


It is sweet.  Not what I was expecting, but pretty good anyway.  It contains no fat and is very low in carbs.  Next time I will add some garden green peppers to the onion.

Friday, February 17, 2012

I'm Hooked

 In a transaction of passing from one to another, I was finally given a bag of "goodies" from my sister-in-law.  It contained crafting items, items to re-purpose, and best of all, a basket of "Stress Relief" items from Bath and Body.  

The eucalyptus/spearmint aroma is divine.  I now have shower  wash, lotion and pillow spritz.  Oh boy!  I'm loving this!

Funny how things work out too.  I'm recycling everything the lotions came in too - ribbon, stuffing, cardboard, tag and basket.  

Even the bag that she sent everything in, came to good use.  Two cats are using the large paper bag as entertainment.  One jumped in it, then the next minute, the other partner in crime, had the bag on it's side.  He was darting in and out, just having a ball with it.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Reunion is Over

I'll spare you the photos of my messy kitchen, but the end result of a very, very messy kitchen was:


Thanks to a farmgirl barter (or two), I had fun gift giving lids for my jelly this Christmas. 

This year I made my candy apple jelly using apple cider vs. apple juice.  The kids love it!  I need to make a second batch after the kitchen is all cleaned up too.

Now that I have given Mom her blanket, I can post a photo of it.  I also gifted my brother a thin line (blue line) scarf (which I forgot to take a photo of).  

I was given a pattern from a very good friend to crochet my brother's thin line scarf.  I used royal blue and black for police colors and if you would like to know the significance of the "thin line" or "blue line" meaning click on "The Thin Blue Line (emblem)."

Today is Sunday, but Monday brings more baking needs:  one daughter needs a birthday treat to take in tomorrow, one needs to bake something for Spanish class, and another needs to bring in a Mexican food dish for Spanish class also.  I am considering (gulp) visiting the frozen section of the grocery store today, for at least one of these.  There is only so much one person can do.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Santa's Helper ~ Preparing for a Christmas Reunion

Santa's Helper mailed my 9 year-old daughter a present:


The golden cat looks like her own cat.  She is in love with this apron.

 (Tiger, her cat)

My 19 year-old son baked his famous M&M cookies for our family reunion, which is Saturday.  My 15 year-old daughter is helping bake almost all the rest of the goodies.  

She has made a batch of buckeyes (left), a batch of chocolate covered oreos (right), chocolate covered pretzels, a batch of noodle ting-a-lings and has plans to help make more goodies after school.

I admit, I am stressing a bit.  I may not get everything made this year. I should have made my jelly a month ago.  Sheesh, what was I thinking?
I may break out my Christmas albums (the old-fashioned records) and play some non-stop, commercial free music to relax. 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Cinnamon Honey Butter

I spent the other day mixing up several jars of Cinnamon Honey Butter.  They will be gifted for Christmas.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Baking Bread ~ Using Homemade Applesauce

Although I have found recipes for applesauce breads using yeast, I needed something quicker yesterday.


I used a Banana-Applesauce Recipe that didn't require any oil, butter, or shortening.  


This turned out nice, and we didn't even make the optional frosting for it.  I love recipes where I can utilize something I already have made homemade, such as my applesauce.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Cabbage and Carrot Cobbler


 According to my kids, it "sounds nasty" and looks nasty.  However, it tastes pretty good.  I've been looking for healthier meals, and more with vegetables we don't eat enough of.

The photo isn't that great, but it was taken at night.  Our lighting isn't that great in the kitchen.

It's baked with a crust and the vegetables are topped on it.  The recipe did not say to cover the dish, and the onions got crispy and delicious.  The onions are what gives this dish flavor.

Cabbage and Carrot Cobbler
1 cup water
4 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
2 onions sliced
1 1/4 cup plain White Wave dairyless (see notes)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. low-sodium baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup soy or rice milk
2 Tbsp. olive oil


Preheat the oven to 375°F.


Place the water, cabbage, carrots and onion in a large pot.  Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup of the Dairyless, salt and pepper.  Set aside.


Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup of Dairyless, milk and olive oil, and stir just to mix.  The batter will be quite thick.  Spread in a greased 9 x 13 inch backing dish.  Spread the cabbage mixture evently over the top and bake for 35 minutes.


(Source: Eat Right, Live Longer, by Neal D. Barnard)


Notes:  I did not have any plain yogurt (use in place of Dairyless), so I used sour cream.  It worked great.  Also, I used regular milk, but when we have it, I will make this with goat's milk. 

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Applesauce Cake with Molasses ~ Deer Hunding Update

I went searching for a cake using my homemade applesauce, and one that also used molasses.  

 I doubled this Spiced Applesauce Cake Recipe, and baked it in a 9 x 13 inch pan.  The family loved it.  It's a very dense cake and can be eaten with hands too (kid tested).  It could use a layer of frosting for a tea party or coffee gathering, and is perfect for packing in school lunches.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Homemade Crockpot Applesauce

I had two bags of orchard apples that needed to be dealt with.  The intended purpose for them, was to make two apple pies for the Thanksgiving meal.  It didn't happen.

I peeled and cut

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Cider Vinegar Candy

I can't keep the kids out of this small batch of old-fashioned candy!  It's actually very good.  Here's the recipe:

Cider Vinegar Candy

Butter a Jelly roll pan or sided baking sheet.  Set aside on top of a hot pad.