Bald Eagles ~ Homemade Seasoned Salt

We've been watching a family of 4 bald eagles out in a field by our homestead.  As long as the leave my barn cats and chickens alone, we are enjoying watching them.

I made homemade seasoned salt for a recipe I needed it for yesterday.  It was better than store bought seasoned salt.

I used my homemade onion powder and garlic powder to make it too.

Homemade Seasoned Salt
2 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. organic paprika
1/4 tsp. organic turmeric
1/4 tsp. homemade organic onion powder
1/4 tsp. homemade organic garlic powder
1/4 tsp. organic non-gmo corn starch

Mix and use in any recipe.  

Homemade dry onion soup mix

Homemade dry onion soup mix
1/4 cup homemade, organic onion flakes
1/4 tsp. homemade, organic onion powder
1/4 tsp. organic home dried parsley
1/8 tsp. organic celery seeds
1/8 tsp. organic paprika
1/8 tsp. organic ground pepper

Mix together, and store in an airtight container.  1 serving.  I like to store this in my freezer if I make it ahead.  The onion powder will draw moisture if you do not.

Pumpkin Poke Cake with Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce

Thaw 2 cups of home grown pumpkin puree from your freezer (or purchase pumpkin puree) 

Mix:

2 1/4 c. organic all purpose flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 1/2 tsp. non-gmo baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. homemade pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. organic cinnamon* optional

Add the pumpkin puree to the dry ingredients, and add 1 tsp. of homemade vanilla extract.  

Bake in a 9 x 13 in baking pan sprayed with organic non-stick oil spray.  350° for 25-30 minutes.  Check center with a toothpick.

Allow to cool completely.

Using the handle of a wooden spoon poke holes in the top of the cake and drizzle homemade whiskey butterscotch sauce.  I do not measure.  I simply drizzled it into each hole made.  Top cake with organic whipped cream,  sprinkle a bit of homemade pumpkin pie spice on top and drizzle more whiskey butterscotch sauce and if preferred some chopped organic pecans.  Store in refrigerator.

This is good, but it's better when you use more of the butterscotch sauce.

How to Make Onion Powder and Onion Flakes

It's time to re-stock my onion powder and onion flakes.  Here is how you can make your own using a dehydrator (you could also use your oven if the temperature goes low enough).

Simply peel your onions, and chop them up.   You can use a non-electric hand chopper or simply dice them up quickly in a food processor. You can also dry them in slices if that's what you need for future meals, but they are too large to fit into a coffee grinder to make into powder.

Spread the chopped onions on parchment paper lined dehydrator trays, and dry in your dehydrator according to the instructions it comes with.

When the onions are dried, simply break apart your diced onions for "flaked" onions.  Place the remainder in a small coffee grinder and grind until it becomes a powder.

Store the onion flakes in airtight glass jars in your spice cabinet.  These will also collect moisture, so you may want to store them using my next tip.

Store the onion powder in your freezer to keep it dry and prevent it from hardening.  If you place it in your cabinet it will quickly harden, unlike garlic powder.  You can also put some white rice, a few beans in it, but I typically don't shake mine out.  I measure with a measuring spoon, and it's much easier for me if I don't have anything in the onion powder.  Shallot powder also hardens over time.

I recycled a jar the size of a half pint to store my onion powder, using a screw top lid.  My canning funnel fits in it perfectly to pour it out of the grinder easily.

Homemade Organic Vanilla (Madagascar) Wafers

I recently became frustrated with locating organic/non-gmo vanilla wafers.  I read the ingredients on the "organic" labeled box and it has "soy lectin" in it and other non-organic ingredients.  Another box I read had "palm oil" (not an organic, non-gmo ingredient) in it. What is labeled "organic" or just "non-gmo" may not be all what it's supposed to be.  Be sure to read your labels. 

In frustration with locating these wafers, I finally decided to mix up a cookie batter that suited us.  Here is the recipe.

Use an electric beater to blend butter, shortening (or lard) with sugar.

Blend in the egg and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients to wet and blend well, then cut dough in half.  Roll out two long logs about 1 inch in diameter (in parchment paper).  Place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

Slice and bake 10-12 minutes.  Time depends on how thick you cut the dough.  Remove from oven when edges start browning.   Cool on wire racks.

Homemade Vanilla (Madagascar) Wafers
1 1/3 all purpose organic all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder*
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup organic butter
1/4 cup lard* or organic shortening
1 farm fresh egg, organic fed
1 Tbsp. homemade madagascar vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Instructions are above recipe.

*lard from an organic farmer, not the processed lard you find sold in grocery stores.


Here's more help for an organic baking powder substitute as well.  You may need to buy online to get these organic/non-gmo (or try a health food store).  Our grocery stores do not sell this, but I am able to find a few items about 3 hours from our homestead.  

Homemade Baking Powder
2 Tbsp. non-gmo baking soda
4 Tbsp. cream of tartar, non-gmo 
2 Tbsp. arrowroot powder, non-gmo

Mix and store in airtight container.
Tip: 1 part soda, 1 part arrowroot powder, 2 parts cream of tartar (to mix any amount).

Homemade Madagascar Vanilla Extract

I've been making my homemade vanilla for years.  I simply purchase madagascar vanilla beans (non-gmo, organic), and organic vodka.  I'll admit, it's become more difficult to find an organic grain vodka, but make sure it's grain, not a potato vodka.

Place 1 cup of vodka in a pint canning jar.*

Slice 5 vanilla beans down the center of each, and then cut each bean in half. 

Place vanilla beans into the vodka filled canning jar.

Place lid/rim on and store in a cool, dark location for 3-6 months.

Shake the jar once a day.

Strain, and store in amber glass bottles.

It makes a wonderful gift for Christmas, so start early, and have it ready in time.  I purchased amber bottles, created my own label, and it was very much appreciated.  Include recipes, or the recipe to make it when gifting.

*use any glass jar that will hold 1 cup of liquid and still leave room for shaking the jar.

Gifted ~ Homemade Crushed Red Pepper Flakes ~ Hot Banana Pepper Relish ~ Dehydrated Tabasco Peppers

It was a day to label all those jars and find a place to store them for winter.  In doing so, I found a pint of last years green tomato salsa.  I cooked a small amount of corn off the cob, and black beans, mixed those in with a bit of our hot salsa and the green tomato salsa and boom - a cold meal was made.  If you call it a meal.  It was a back up for the two coming home from a very hot day.

Latest berry picking.  Looks like a snack vs. freezing it.  Or into a smoothie.

Hubby brought home a loot of peppers, given to him from a co-worker.

I was tickled pink to get them too.  I was so, so happy to receive the generous gifts - hot banana, chili, jalapeno, and tabasco peppers.  And one single habanero.

Here's what I made:

Fire powder.

Fire powder is a mix of hot peppers that we simply use to flavor just about anything.  The habanero went into the fire powder, along with a few of every hot pepper.

To make them, simply slice hot peppers, place them with seeds on parchment paper lined dehydrator trays.  Dehydrate per your unit's instructions.

Allow to cool.  I like to grind the peppers first, then toss in the loose seeds (or grind up everything) to have whole seeds in the mix.  Store in an air tight container.  Your dehydrator instruction book may also instructions for this, as well as many dehydrator books available today.

I use the same process of dehydrating and grinding, to make crushed red pepper flakes with the chili peppers.


Dehydrated the tabasco peppers, and ground them into a powder.  I can add water to make tabasco "sauce" or simply use it as is.  No canning or freezing required.

I canned hot banana pepper relish, using the hot banana peppers, some of the jalapenos, and our home grown green bell peppers.

68 Things You Can Make Yourself

Alfredo Sauce 

Angel Food Cake

 

Angel Food Cake, Citrus

Applebutter

Applesauce