How to dehydrate garlic and make garlic powder

I posted yesterday that I was dehydrating garlic.  I realized I don't think I've made a post about making garlic powder with dehydrated garlic.  First, peel all the cloves, and slice thinly.  Place on dehydrating trays.  If your trays have larger holes, cover them with parchment paper first.

The holes on my trays worked fine.  Once the garlic is crisp (use the guide book that came with your dehydrator for temperature and time), you will remove them from the trays.  I did not use parchment paper, so I line my counter top with a sheet of waxed paper.  I gently push all the garlic off the trays.

I hold each side of the waxed paper up so the garlic goes to the middle and they can slide easily off the waxed paper and into a coffee grinder.  You then grind them until it turns into a powder form.

I am lucky to have a glass container that fits a canning funnel.  I pour the powder out of the grinder and into the jar.  It smells and tastes much better than anything you will find in the store.

Dehydrating Garlic

If you are wondering, I have not had time to learn to knit socks.  I have been that busy most days.  I guess that's a good thing, but I have hopes in coming out of this pandemic learning something new.

It's been a cold April here too.  We also ran out of cut/split wood, so the heaters are back on sadly.  Hubby has been working on the car after work and there was also a fuel problem, so that meant more parts and more work.

Not much I can do in the garden without the help of my husband so the peas have yet to be planted.  Yesterday snow was in our forecast again (which we got a little of) and then rain.

First thing in the morning, I dug out my fusible web (which took time to find) and some scrap fabric.  I had to patch one daughter's favorite pants.

I filled 3 large trays with garlic yesterday.  Not my home grown, but home grown in another state.  I rely on the farmer's market for a spring batch of garlic powder.  I made another one in the fall.  Tedious work, but worth the work.

The days here are going too fast.  I am writing out my to-do's on a list today to make sure some things get done.  It took an hour or more to slice all that garlic, so today I work on some household chores and outdoor projects.  I need to make a list for the green house as well. 

Update on the car.  I may have her back tonight.  She needed a new fuel pump and an oil change, on top of the intake being replaced.  Thankful to have a biker friend who is laid off to help us out.

Recipe Books ~ Mail Delivery ~ Two New Recipes

No that we lack recipes, but I am starting to lack some ingredients.  I do not want to go to the store, so I am thankful I have recipe books like this....

I also placed an order for a few more books, and one is on making your own medicine (I do have books on this, but wanted more).

My son purchased this for our daughter.  It is to hold his ashes.  I was doing pretty well about this lately, until it showed up.  I just about cried.  However, I do love the photo she picked, because that's what I remember about my "tater tot" and boy do I miss him a lot. Since we are under shut-in, I texted her photos of it.  She called him "Pooh Bear" and he even had a Pooh Bear Halloween costume at one time.

Well, as far as homesteading around here, the weather got cooler.  

I made egg salad, some breakfast veggie muffins with dandelion greens, and a new recipe of dill pickle dip, using home canned pickles.  As for the recipe for the dip, I just googled for one.

New recipe I tried for a side for dinner - Rachel Ray's Baked Salt and Vinegar Smashed Potatoes (online on her site, from another cook).  Forgot to take a photo, but wasn't really impressed.  I added the vinegar after they came out of the oven, and didn't even taste it.  They were simply smashed baked potatoes, and good, just not fantastic.

I hope to have time to get around to reading your blogs today.  I've lacked the time lately, due to a busy routine, which I am thankful for.

Routine ~ Ups and Downs ~ Healthy Snacks

There was no problem staying busy with my routine back to just me, other than the girls are home.  I had a lot on my to-do list, and 3 of us were fighting over the washing machine.

There is much stress here.  The car was worked on last night, but continues to not start.  On top of that my husband has to work with someone exposed to a person who tested positive (it's been 2 weeks, but this is more stress to worry about).  Hubby said his boss looks like he aged 20 years since he saw him last.  Also, our daughter who works had a co-worker show up for work who claimed she was tested due to being around a positive case (she was sent home).  So much to worry about, and there is too many false negative and false positive testing right now.  What can we believe to be true?  You are lucky if you have no one working in your house.  

On top of that, the girls are fighting but it's mostly because of one of them, and I'm about to lose my mind.  Being stuck in and the worry and fear this government has put on us is bad for everyone.  For the first time in a long, long time, I am worried about my husband.

I'm done with watching our Governor's briefings.  They say they have drive thru testing, but only if you have 3 symptoms, yet on the briefing they are saying they are testing people with no symptoms and testing positive, yet saying we lack test kits.  Who is to believe?  I can't watch it anymore, as I feel they are misleading us with many lies and confusion.  Also, if we all have it, how did we get it?  Did they put it in our food?  Our water?  One big headache.  Again, be glad if you have no one working right now. 

I made sure I sent at least a text to my younger brother who is homeschooling two young kids, and now has to do it then rest of the year.  He is so good about being positive in a rough time.  I hope I made him laugh.  We need more of that.  So yeah, our schools here are not going back, and continuing the end of the year online.  

I made coconut fruit and nut bars and a batch of hummus.  Yummy healthy snacks for us.  The nut bar recipe is online from King Arthur Flour recipes (uses coconut flour).  I use whatever nuts and fruit I have and this time used hemp seeds since I didn't have whole flax seeds.  Don't have almond butter?  Peanut butter works great.

I hope you are all doing well.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Sunday was a more productive day.  I made more homemade "lysol" wipes, cleaned sinks, did some laundry, cleaned up the kitchen, and kept the wood stove stoked.  We were to get up to 60°F, but the house still had a chill inside.

We got my car out of quarantine (via trailer) and have a friend working on it.  I picked up limbs, branches (some 20-some feet long), twigs and sticks, while Hubby finished up the mowing.

I am thankful for the folks donating masks to first responders and the like vs. those making them just for income.  I found a gal who is making one for my one brother for free.  Our state is requiring that we wear one in stores etc. and may be wearing them for more than a year.  I'll be spending more time at home, and spending way less money on take out for sure.  I mean, how in the world can restaurants afford to operate with 10 customers and how in the world can we go in wearing a mask and eat a meal at the same time?

The clerks and restaurant employees wearing gloves is a joke too.  Unless they are changing them between every customer, wearing gloves is not protecting the buyer one bit.

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

The weather outside is . . . 
High of 60° and sunny.  I still have the wood stove going.


How I'm feeling this morning . . .
I bit depressed, as Hubby went back to work today.  Not sure if they will continue the 2 weeks off/on now that out state is lifting the shut-in order May 1st.


On my mind . . .
Well, what isn't on my mind?  Seriously, at a time like this.  Will I ever get to hug my Mom or Dad, sit around a table at a family gathering?  Hold my grand kids?  Dance at a bar?  Participate in a bike week in our state?  Get a trip to the island, cabin in the hills or cabin in TN this year?  Sell at a craft show?  



On the breakfast plate. . .

Coconut flour pancakes and sausage because my waffle maker no worky.  They taste the same, but don't have the height.


On my reading pile . . .

On the TV . . .
Whatever we find interesting on netflix (if we can get it to work, since the internet is off and on lately).


On the menu . . .
-soup beans, fried cabbage
-walleye/perch and homemade fries
-bruschetta chicken, salt and vinegar potatoes, beets
-not sure on the rest yet


From the camera . . .

Hard to believe this was a few days ago.  No snow now.

These are up for sale on my "farm" blog, but I'm sure no one has money to spend right now.


Looking around the house . . .
It's looking a less bit cramped.  Our daughter who moved back in is slowly getting her belongings upstairs.


Chore I am not looking forward to this week . . .
To be honest I'm looking forward to any chore right now.  It keeps me moving and keeps myself in a routine.


To relax I will . . .
Porch time, crochet, or knit.  Bake.  It makes me happy.

Yesterday I baked some banana bread with walnuts and mini-chocolate chips.  It smelled fantastic, as I have not been doing this sort of baking (conserving the flour and the fact we are shut in and could put on some extra pounds).  In fact, we left to go on a motorcycle ride, and when we got home, my working daughter said she could smell it right away and went searching for it, ha ha!

Prayers. . . 
Mom, Dad (elderly shut in), one brother (first responder), the president, the world, us, a new baby born into our family and no one can see him yet.

Spring Garden Goodies

Early photo from yesterday.  Purple dead nettle is up.

Our rhubarb and asparagus is coming up too.

Snow ~ Score!

The weather will be much better today.  Yesterday it snowed.  And snowed.  And snowed.  

Woke up to find this at the computer.  Our daughter scored us a can of Lysol.  Love the mug she gifted me too.  So happy to see this.

This morning I realized there is no such thing as simply getting up and making a cup of coffee.  First, the chicks needed fed and watered, the mouthy and loud Tiger wanted fed, the barn cat was pawing at the door to be fed....then there is Romeo....sigh...I got my cup of coffee finally.

My husband and I went to the "Big City" and did a supply run for us and for her.  We picked up her favorite wine too.  The greenhouse did not have sweet potato slips in yet, so that was one stop we didn't need to do.  Mom was smiling this delivery, so she is doing better now.


Other news:
Our statewide shut-in order will lift after May 1st.  They are setting us free.  Sort of.  There will be three phases of opening places.  Each "phase" is minimum 14 days, and if all goes well, school open back up in phase 2 (so that passes their prom date).  The Ohio Bike Week was postponed.