When we got our first pig butchered many years ago, I had no idea that various parts of a pig have meat with different characteristics. Some are better for cooking in one way, while others are better for cooking in other ways. I was rather horrified by all of the fat, as well as the fact that you couldn't really slice the roast into ... well, slices. I … [Read more...]
How To Make Granola
We started making our own granola when our first child was a baby. That was about 13 or 14 years before we moved out to the country to start growing our own food. Making your own granola is one of the easiest ways you can take control of the ingredients in your food and save money. Rolled oats cost a fraction of the price of commercial granola. It's also incredibly … [Read more...]
Egg Noodles
Although noodles are not expensive to buy, they cost only pennies to make, and you can use your own organic eggs. They are also delicious and incredibly easy to make. These noodles make a great chicken soup when cooked with a stew hen. Feel free to double this recipe. However, you will probably have to split it up into two batches to roll out, depending upon how thick … [Read more...]
Gluten Free Crustless Quiche
Crustless quiche is one of our "fast food" recipes that we fall back on when we are too busy to cook. Within a few minutes, it can be in the oven where it requires no attention for 40 minutes. We've even served this to company with great results. I shared my spinach and goat cheese quiche recipe with you a few years ago, and you can easily substitute other vegetables and … [Read more...]
Crafting Drinks from Nature
Pascal Baudar is an author, wild food researcher, brewer, and traditional food preservation instructor in California. His 2018 book, The Wildcrafting Brewer: Creating Unique Drinks and Boozy Concoctions from Nature's Ingredients, is a really interesting read about brewing and fermenting flavorful beverages (not just beers!) using local ingredients you can find in your backyard, … [Read more...]
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
My love of spaghetti squash is one reason I garden. Until recently you never saw it in grocery stores. Thankfully it is gaining in popularity, and I can buy it at the store if we run out of homegrown. It looks like a typical winter squash at first glance, but when you cook it, you discover that it is quite different from butternut, acorn, and all the rest. Instead of having … [Read more...]
Indian Goat and Sweet Potatoes
Although you can use goat meat in place of beef or pork in your usual recipes, I don't really like to do that. When I eat chili, for example, I expect it to taste like pork. If it tastes like goat, I just don't like it. I greatly prefer recipes that come from parts of the world where people eat goat regularly. And it makes sense that they would have figured out which spices and … [Read more...]
Nigerian dwarf meat and Goat Goulash recipe
We have fallen in love with goat meat all over again, and it's all because of a goat we called Horny Dude. Time for true confessions here. In the fall of 2016, a doe gave birth to a single buckling, and she was the only goat to give birth that fall. About a month later, I was teaching a goat class, and someone asked, "When are you going to disbud that goat?" I looked to where … [Read more...]
Butternut Squash Soup is So Easy!
One of the quickest and easiest recipes I have is for butternut squash soup. This is one of my "fast food" recipes. Just cook the squash, add 3 tablespoons of butter, sprinkle with a five-spice blend (if desired), then blend it up, and pour it into bowls. One pound of squash makes two servings, and you can easily double or triple this if you have more guests or if you want … [Read more...]
Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies
When I discovered I had a gluten sensitivity, it meant a huge shift in the way that I cooked. I used to eat breakfasts filled with flour -- homemade pancakes, biscuits, waffles, French toast and plain toast from our homemade bread. We had homemade rolls and bread at lunch and dinner, and we usually had some type of dessert daily, which was often made with wheat flour. … [Read more...]