Sunrise ~ Stormy Weather ~ Roasting Pie Pumpkins ~ Nothing Wasted (Our Motto)

 Winter is on the way.  These very short beautiful snippets of a sunrise are coming to an end.  We enjoyed one, mostly likely the last, grill out on the porch.  

Stormy, rainy days moved in here and there, and the camper was finally cleaned out for the season.  Leaves are starting to change color around the area now.

I use my melon baller to remove the seeds/stringy innards.  I use it for all of my squash.  It works great.

We got 9 pie pumpkins this season.  One rotted before I could bring them inside, and we gave one to the chickens for a treat.

I line my baking pans/sheets with parchment paper and roast at 350° for 60 minutes.  I typically check them, and continue roasting if necessary.  The above pie pumpkin (Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkins from Baker Creek), weighed in at a little over 5#!  Not all of them are that large, but wow!  Save those delicious seeds to roast.  Here is our favorite recipe:  Whiskey-Bacon Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I have also used Sherry in place of the whiskey, and they tasted great.  You can simply roast them too, but flavoring them is fun and delicious.  I bake these at 275° for 1 1/2 hours, stirring during the baking time.

I remove the baked pumpkin pulp with a spoon, and puree it all in my food processor.  I put it in freezer containers by the pint, cool it, and freeze it.

The chickens get the last bit of what's left after cleaning out the seeds.  Nothing wasted.  You can compost the skins.

Sorry if this is all a repeat from all the previous years.  I feel like it is, but sharing again.  I will be trying some new recipes with pumpkin.

Dehydrating Mushrooms ~ Freezing Rutabagas

 

I had a handful of mushrooms to dehydrate.  I used my smaller "Dash" dehydrator.  It has 5 trays, and I can dehydrate with how many trays I need.  They only thing I don't like, is no way to set a time on it.  I set and watch it, shutting it off when they are dry.

Do you make mushroom powder?  I am reading up on that, but what I'm thinking, is why powder?  I just rehydrate for meals.  How would powder come in handy?  Thoughts on this?

I didn't really get a definitive answer on blanching rutabaga or flash freezing, so I opted for blanching this time around.  We do love them, so I will be doing this every year.

Nettle Homemade Teabags

 

I have a travel size mat and iron, I use to seal my brew bags.  You could also use a flat hair iron if you have one.

I bought my brew bags from Mountain Rose Herbs.  I'm sure the price has changed since then.  These are great for traveling, going to a gathering, or any other time you want specific brews, and you are not at home.

These are nettle tea, and I store them in an amber jar until I use them.  I also have many tea infusers, but teabags come in handy for a convenience tea (no cleaning a infuser or tea ball).  They also come in handy to deliver medicinal teas to someone who is sick or feeling ill.

This and That ~ Questions

 Somewhere, in an undisclosed location....

I have installed a 3M hook to hold this multi-tool.  I am just frustrated trying to find a screwdriver in this place.  Until the garage is completely purged and organized, it will be where I can access it, and in hope that my husband does not find it (ha ha!).  Projects, repairs, and renovations have been crazy busy this past year and a half.

I also have this for whatever vehicle I am driving at the time.  

Over the summer, during tomato season  I was intrigued to find a recipe by Ball, that uses the jam/jelly maker.  It's a small batch recipe for 2 pints of pizza sauce.  Has anyone tried this sauce recipe?  I did not freeze any whole tomatoes this year, so this is on the try-it list for next tomato garden season.

I have a question.  It may sound dumb to some of you, but I have never read an e-book from our library.  They have a cookbook I want to look at, but I have never "ordered" an e-book from their catalog.  I do not own a kindle.  I do not wish to read it on my cell phone.  Do you download it to your PC and read it that way?  Also, if that is the case, will it take up a lot of space on my PC?  I would love to look at this cookbook, but like I said, I have never placed a hold on an e-book via their catalog.   

One more question on canning:  is there a tested recipe for canning Queso?  I am seeing recipes online, but prefer a Ball recipe or BHG tested recipe.  I once spent time and ingredients on a jam recipe I found in a Taste of Home magazine.  It turned out terrible, made way too much and did not taste good.  I emailed them and asked if it was a tested recipe.  They never answered me.  So....asking here first.  I'll be digging out canning recipes.  Thoughts?  I'm looking for a real recipe, no velveeta.

New Cracker Recipe Tried ~ The Good and the Bad

I dusted off my rolling pin, and tried a new cracker recipe for our hummus.

 

Recipe states to bake 15 minutes on parchment, flip over and bake again on parchment.

Cut into crackers, and make sure they don't touch and bake 30 more minutes on a lower heat.  I had to remove the thinner ones on the edges, or they would burn.

I left them cool on the baking tray.

My review?  First, I do not like to try a recipe, where the website online, has no comments.  I like to read through the comments and get tips or tricks or whatnot.  I went ahead and tried it, as I was looking for one without white flour, wheat flour and without any sweetener or sugar.

I do like this recipe, other than the original recipe calls for salt, and the to top it with everything bagel seasoning (I used homemade).  It is too salty.  I will omit the salt next time.  Although, my husband loved these crackers as is.

Delicious with homemade hummus!

Tahini too expensive?  You can make your own tahini:  Click Here.

Secondly, do not use parchment.  The dough sticks with the first flip.  You could use the parchment, but you lose some of the dough after the first bake (when peeling off the parchment).  I will be using my silicone sheets next time (for the first flip), and I may try other seasoning such as rosemary and garlic.

So...the good?  It's easy, tastes good, gets crisp like a cracker should be.  Very little ingredients.  I rolled the dough into sort of a log shape, then flattened it, then I used the rolling pin (over a second sheet of parchment).

The bad?  Use silicone baking sheets, it sticks to parchment, and omit the salt in the dough (unless you use a different, less salty topper for the cracker dough).  Also, do not leave the kitchen during the last 30 minute baking time.  It's hard to get the entire dough rolled evenly, so you'll need to watch for the outer crackers to be removed and continue to bake the thicker crackers in the center.  I sort of rotated them around, putting the thicker ones at the edge of the pan.

The recipe is online, 3-Ingredient Everything Bagel Grain Free Crackers (it has more than 3 ingredients).  Recipe is by Liz Moody.

 Bake time:  1 hour (or more, until crackers are crisp), with a 10 minute dough rest time in addition.

I have made many different types of homemade crackers, and we like this one the best.  I have also made many types of hummus. You can search my blog for beet hummus, pumpkin hummus and a few other types.

Updated:  I placed my crackers in a rubbermaid container, after covering the top with plastic wrap.  The crackers lost their crispness over night.  Can anyone recommend an airtight cracker container without breaking the bank?

. . .from the handiwork journal

 

. . .made a head hair wrap using #2 fine yarn.  I think it turned out super cute.  I have enough yarn to make a few more to sell, and use up yarn.

. . .finished the XL hot pad.  I gifted these to the family years ago.  They are great for 9 x 13 baking dishes at the holidays, or for baking sheets, your larger baking dishes and even pizza stones.

. . .made a few more dishcloths (knitted), and I am getting worn out making them.  Seriously, why did I think it would be a good idea to do one last craft show??  I have been timing myself, and it takes me almost 3 hours to make one of these.

. . .finished the crocheted strawberry keychains/keyfobs.  Daughter K was making a trip over, to pick up some home canned tomato soup, taco sauce and other items.  I finally got them done in time for her, when she arrived.

If you didn't read the story about these, I had made one back during the kitchen floor repair work (that was a year and a half or so).  I was playing around with some yarn and made one.  I later gave it to Daughter K.  She attached it to her purse.  Her co-workers saw it and pretty soon I was getting 3 orders.  I had no intentions of making them for sale, but I made them ha ha!  

. . . learned a new crochet stitch work!  I learned the wiggly/wavy pattern for a hot pad.  I am working on this being a Christmas gift.  I'm having fun with it, but lack the time to work on it.  I just needed a break from knitted dishcloths.

Also, the person who made the Youtube tutorial, said their template would be on their website, and it is not.  The pattern won't print correctly either, so I'm going by the photo and winging it.  I even sent a message to inquire.  I got zero answers.   It is supposed to be 8 x 8 inches, but mine measures 9 x 9 inches.  Either way, a cute way to make a hot pad, and/or use cotton scraps of yarn.

I started a second one using black (for someone with a black and white themed kitchen) as the starting yarn, and it came out smaller.  The ecru cotton (for the starting base) I used on the first is the same yarn company, but I had it for probably 14 plus years.  

They are not the same thickness.  Do you find some colors are not the same thickness?  It could be that they just don't make the yarn the same over the years.  I will be making the first one over again, but starting with a different yarn color.

That's all for handiwork updates.  I'll be back to update you on the Christmas present hot pads.  I think they are super cute, and they are so different from anything I have made.  The first two rows use a good amount of cotton yarn, but the smaller rounds are great for scrap yarn.  

The rain kept me indoors yesterday (there is so much to do outside and inside these days), but they say it will be going away today and tomorrow.  It's been on the chilly side, and more of a sweatshirt weather.  

I need to take inventory of my bulk herbs for tea making today, and write out a list for anything to re-stock.  

Happy Homemaker Monday

 

We had a crazy weather weekend.  Saturday the wind was so bad, that many ferry lines, and outdoor activities were canceled.  It was so dreary out - wind, rain, and what I call "corn" snow (pellet snow).  Yes, it was snowing here.

I got some rosemary dehydrated.  I still need to dehydrate more sage.

Today I am joining Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

The Weather . . .

50-60's for the highs, and 40's for the lows, rain possible mid-week.

As I look outside my window . . .

It's pitch dark at the moment.

Right now I am . . .

Getting ready to post this, sipping some hot coffee.

Thinking and pondering . . .

To freeze or bake with some over ripe bananas.

How I am feeling  . . .

Tired.  We were either on the run for supplies, or working outside, and it wasn't the chicken coop.  

On the breakfast plate . . .

Not sure, but eggs will be involved.

On the lunch plate . . .

Have no idea.

On the dinner plate . . .

Leftover roast and vegetables.

What I am wearing . . .

Still in PJ's ha ha!

On the reading pile. . .

Nothing right now.

On  my TV . . .

Nothing special.

On the menu . . .

I will need to work on this later this morning.

Looking around the house . . .

The kitchen is a hot mess, but I will take care of that.  We just spent so much time working on things this past weekend.

To do list . . .

-remove items from the camper for the season
-write out a menu plan
-clean up kitchen
-pay bills

From the camera . . .

The canned applesauce needs rings removed, labeled and put away.  I may be canning more applesauce soon.  

Devotional, quote, prayer. . .

No current prayer requests.