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...]
Buckwheat zucchini fritters
If you have a garden and you planted zucchini, there's a good chance that you have more than you know what to do with. So, I thought I'd share one of my favorite zucchini recipes with you. We started making zucchini fritters years ago using a recipe from a very old Betty Crocker cookbook. Then, when I had to go gluten-free as part of my regimen to beat Hashimoto's, I started … [Read more...]
Celebrating summertime with the best varieties of tomatoes
Reading Epic Tomatoes by Craig LeHoullier took me back to my childhood and enjoying tomato sandwiches with my grandfather during the summertime. Though I've reviewed many books this year, this is one of the most delightful perhaps because of the many delicious-looking photos, descriptions, and the author's personal stories about different tomato varieties. LeHoullier even … [Read more...]
Homegrown Pork: Learn to raise ‘the Einsteins of the farm animal world’
As I'm getting started with pigs, I was happy to discover Homegrown Pork: Humane, Healthful Techniques for Raising a Pig for Food by Sue Weaver, and I can't imagine a more comprehensive guide to raising pigs. Not only is the book very well-organized and thorough, but it will certainly endear you to these intelligent and entertaining animals if you're not already. In fact, … [Read more...]
Book review: Restoring Heritage Grains
I keep hearing more and more about gluten allergies. In fact, I learned in Restoring Heritage Grains that over the past 60 years, gluten allergies and celiac disease have become at least four times more common. The book's author, Eli Rogosa became interested in this topic after learning to grow wheat crops in the Middle East. She was impressed by how well these crops grow in … [Read more...]
Make caramel coffee creamer
Until I was in my 30s, I was never a coffee drinker, but it started with coffee ice cream. Then I moved up to those super sugary, flavored coffee drinks. Then I started making coffee at home and buying the flavored creamers at the grocery store. Once we moved to the homestead, and I started looking to make everything from scratch, I figured out this recipe pretty quickly. If … [Read more...]
Make cream soup from scratch
Baby, it's cold outside, and one of the best things for warming up on a cold day is a bowl of hot soup. For many people this means grabbing a can from the pantry, but there are plenty of good reasons to make your own soup from scratch. I promise it's not hard! All of my children knew how to make cream soups from scratch by their early teens. And it's not time consuming. … [Read more...]
Recipe: Ranch salad dressing
What do you do if you are concerned about food additives in prepared foods, but you don't have a ton of time to spend making things from scratch? Making your own salad dressing is actually one of the easiest ways to eliminate artificial ingredients from your diet. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up a batch of ranch salad dressing, regardless of whether you're making it … [Read more...]
3 amazing green bean recipes
It's green bean season! And I'm sharing my three favorite green bean recipes. Cook in a small amount of water, and when they're crisp-tender, drain off the water, and add a couple tablespoons of butter. If you're a garlic fan, crush a couple cloves or garlic and add to the pan. Salt to taste, and add a healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper. For an Asian side dish, … [Read more...]