tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72549124466239166492024-03-13T16:02:54.188-07:00Pint-sized PioneeringDoing our best to eat locally and sustainably, raising our own food on a small lot in the city, making hand-crafted cuisine, and keeping it real.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-44324272244326578202013-10-25T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-25T04:00:12.566-07:00Squash chiliLately, I've been cooking with squash the way some people cook with salt. <br />
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Gene's been a good sport about it but I do recognize that he's had to hold his tongue a few times about all the pumpkin on the menu. Thank you for your patience, honey!<br />
<br />
In the past two weeks we've had:<br />
<ul>
<li>stuffed acorn squash</li>
<li>pumpkin whoopie pies (recipe coming soon)</li>
<li>lasagna with squash</li>
<li><a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/10/soup-week-kielbasa-squash-and-wild-rice.html">squash soup</a></li>
<li>butternut squash chili</li>
</ul>
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<br />
I had been planning to make this spinach salad from <a href="http://debbiekoenig.com/2013/10/12/the-perfect-fall-salad/">Parents Need to Eat, Too</a> but a weekend of soggy, foggy forecasts, a recipe for <a href="http://ericasrecipes.com/2013/09/29/cheesy-stuffed-garlic-bread/">Cheesy Stuffed Garlic Bread</a>, and a <a href="http://www.feastie.com/recipe/tasteovers-jackie/black-bean-butternut-squash-chili?utm_source=Feastie+Users&utm_campaign=46902d8578-weekly_18_10_201310_18_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_27f2277162-46902d8578-341417873">recent post in Feastie</a> turned my cravings toward chili instead.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://debbiekoenig.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/131012-spinach-salad-with-maple-roasted-butternut-squash-450x527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://debbiekoenig.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/131012-spinach-salad-with-maple-roasted-butternut-squash-450x527.jpg" width="341" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: Debbie Koenig</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>SQUASH CHILI</b> - <i>Serves 6-8</i></div>
<div>
<i>I used butternut squash for this recipe. Use whatever you have on hand. This recipe goes together quickly but needs a long simmering time. Assemble it in the morning before work and throw it into the slow cooker. You can buy fresh prepared butternut squash in the produce section of your grocery store to save even more time.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
<div>
1 pound ground beef</div>
<div>
1 onion, diced</div>
<div>
1 can black beans*, drained & rinsed (16 oz/pint)</div>
<div>
2 cups chicken broth* (16oz/pint)</div>
<div>
1 large can stewed tomatoes* (32oz/quart)</div>
<div>
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into half-inch cubes</div>
<div>
4 cloves garlic</div>
<div>
1 TBSP chili powder</div>
<div>
1/2 tsp cumin</div>
<div>
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1/4 tsp cinnamon</div>
<div>
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper</div>
<div>
1 T kosher salt</div>
<div>
Fresh black pepper</div>
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<i>*home-canned items from my pantry</i></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Brown the beef in a large stock pot.</li>
<li>Add the onion and cook until translucent.</li>
<li>Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours.</li>
<li>Top with freshly ground black pepper and any other toppings that tickle your fancy: cubed avocado, sharp cheddar, green onions, cilantro, croutons.</li>
</ol>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1374913_10151964755691407_542448040_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://scontent-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1374913_10151964755691407_542448040_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lunch leftovers: squash chili & mini pumpkin whoopie pies</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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Tonight I'm going to make pumpkin overnight oatmeal. Do you love or hate pumpkin?</div>
Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-7612443699863050802013-10-23T07:52:00.000-07:002013-10-23T07:52:23.244-07:00Not a good thingMartha Stewart <a href="http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-martha-stewart-food-bloggers-20131017,0,4211575.story">pissed off a few people last week</a> with a condescending comment about lifestyle and food bloggers. <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d1d; font-family: latoregular, Arial; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19px;">"Who are these bloggers? They’re not trained editors at </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d1d; font-family: latoregular, Arial; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19px;">Vogue</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d1d1d; font-family: latoregular, Arial; font-size: 14.399999618530273px; line-height: 19px;"> magazine. I mean there are bloggers writing recipes that aren’t tested, that aren’t necessarily very good, or are copies of everything that really good editors have created and done. So bloggers create a kind of popularity, but they are not the experts. And we have to understand that."</span></i></blockquote>
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This she uttered just moments after lighting up about how much she likes Twitter, and that she's probably not "too big" because others have larger followings and fiefdoms than does she.<br />
<br />
I've been blogging for over three years now. I'm not a "trained journalist" but I don't pretend to be, either. Her comments lead me to believe that as long as I'm re-tweeting her thoughts, I'm an acceptable serf. But as soon as I express my own opinions, or develop and post recipes, I'm to be put down as a member of the unwashed masses. <br />
<br />
Count me in the "<a href="http://www.blogher.com/dear-martha-stewart-heres-what-you-should-have-said-about-bloggers">seriously annoyed</a>" camp.<br />
<br />
She also talked about the Home Depot wares not being "schlocky" (shoddy). I assume by this comment that she is referring to her line of items that Hope Depot sells.<br />
<br />
Since she's into luxury items and quality, let's examine the quality of the enameled cookware sold under the Martha Stewart name. I've had two, identical Dutch ovens from the Martha Stewart line. These ovens <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/martha-stewart-collection-collectors-enameled-cast-iron-round-casserole-6-qt?ID=643418&CategoryID=7552&LinkType=PDPZ1">retail for around $150</a> at Macy's. <br />
<br />
Last year friends of ours moved and couldn't keep their Martha Stewart Dutch oven due to space issues. I had one that I'd gotten on a super duper clearance for $40 around the time Gene and I got married. At just three years old it was chipped and severely <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2010/10/pot-braise.html">discolored</a>, whereas my girlfriend's had only been used a couple of times and looked brand new. <br />
<br />
"Ohhh, shiny!!" And off my three-year-old one went off to the Goodwill, the new one taking its spot.<br />
<br />
Here is the Martha Stewart one after less than a year of regular use. See the staining on the bottom? There is a chip inside the pot but I have no idea how that happened. It's also stained (which you can't see here) along the liquid/fond line on the sides. Scrubbing & soaking have not made much of a dent.<br />
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In addition to the discoloration, its handles have chipped, despite the fact that we hand-wash it fastidiously with non-scratch pads. The three-year-old Dutch oven this one replaced was considerably more stained and chipped, hence its replacement.<br />
<br />
Le Cousances was a French brand of enameled cookware that has <a href="http://cookware.lecreuset.com/cookware/content_LCstory3_10151_-1_20002">since been purchased by Le Creuset</a>. I bought mine in 1998 for around 200 francs (USD$40) in a store called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrefour">Carrefour</a>. I brought that bad boy back from France in my luggage in the days before strict weight limits. <br />
<br />
I have used this Dutch oven for 15 years. I've <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2010/06/roasted-chicken-with-garlic.html">roasted chicken</a>, made chili, and created countless meals in this cookware. It's earned a place in my kitchen for the rest of my life. Here's the inside of it:<br />
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Flawless. This picture was taken after I'd used the pot to make pumpkin chili that had started with browning ground beef and ended with 3 hours of simmering on a gas flame. Clean-up took me about 2 minutes.<br />
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Here's a side-by-side comparison of the Dutch ovens' thickness. The Martha Stewart one, at bottom, is considerably thicker. Both are heavy beasts, even more so once full, but the Martha Stewart is unnecessarily difficult to manhandle due to its heft.<br />
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<a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/House/1020131114a_zps002d78b4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/House/1020131114a_zps002d78b4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
The undersides of the lids also show a difference in quality. The Cousances lid has no defects in the enamel. The MS lid, however, has places where the enamel did not adhere to the cast iron, creating opportunistic areas for rust to form.<br />
<br />
I'll concede that the Martha Stewart Dutch oven works fine, despite its cosmetic deficiencies. The stained areas do, however, tend to get darker with time and never fully disappear.<br />
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The only other Martha Stewart item in my kitchen is a rotary food mill that looks like this one. <br />
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<a href="http://www.kasbahouse.com/images/4603H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://www.kasbahouse.com/images/4603H.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I use the food mill extensively during canning season but am looking to replace it with one that has a larger capacity and a stronger spring for pushing the food through the sieves. The MS one takes a long time and a lot of effort but I think that's more a byproduct of it being a rotary mill, not a Martha Stewart product.<br />
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In actuality, my experience with an expensive Martha Stewart product is that it is, after all is said and done, high-priced "schlock". The enameled cookware is not worth the money we pay for it, clearance prices or not. A cast-iron item should last a lifetime with proper care. I, do not equate the Martha Stewart name with quality but instead with self-serving pursuit of ego-stroking and money. Not only will I not purchase another item that has her name on it, I won't even bother to take it for free.<br />
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The moral of this story is to buy quality, not names. This is not a new lesson, and I'm <a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/2011/01/08/a-tale-of-two-dutch-ovens/">not the first</a> to reach this conclusion. My next major kitchen purchase will be a Le Creuset, and the Martha Stewart oven will go off to Goodwill.<br />
<br />
(UPDATE: a little <a href="http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2011/Macys-Recalls-Martha-Stewart-Collection-Enamel-Cast-Iron-Casseroles-Due-to-Laceration-and-Burn-Hazard/">internet research</a> <b><u>is</u></b> a good thing when you're unhappy with a product...)Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-58654048107666132522013-10-20T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-20T04:00:05.681-07:00How to use unwanted beerI belong to a barter group. At our last barter I picked up 3 bottles of some kind of beer and 1 large bottle of another. I don't like beer, but Gene does.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, Gene didn't like either of these beers. He deemed one "watery piss water" and the other was "a good, well-made beer but not my type". He forbade me from getting beer from people again.<br />
<br />
So much for that.<br />
<br />
We were stuck with four bottles of beer neither of us would drink.<br />
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With "Soup Week" well underway, it made sense to make a quick bread to accompany dinner.<br />
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<b>Beer Bread </b><br />
<i>From <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/beer-bread-73440">food.com</a></i><br />
<br />
3 cups flour, sifted<br />
3t baking soda<br />
1t salt<br />
1/4 sugar<br />
12oz beer<br />
1/4 cup butter, melted<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 375 and grease a loaf pan.</li>
<li>Mix dry ingredients with beer.</li>
<li>Pour batter into the loaf pan. Top with melted butter.</li>
<li>Bake for 1 hour, then remove from pan and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes.</li>
</ol>
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I also made a delicious Irish stew with the big bottle of beer. It was loosely based on <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/beef-guinness-stew-10000001963989/">this recipe</a>. Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures or write down my recipe changes.</div>
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What would you do with several bottles of unwanted or undrinkable beer?</div>
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Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-89438452567252145832013-10-18T08:09:00.001-07:002013-10-18T08:09:23.787-07:00Pantry staples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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People know that I'm always on the look-out for free produce. This summer I was the lucky recipient of <a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/08/roasted-tomato-soup.html">tomatoes</a>, <a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/09/whole-wheat-banana-bread.html">bananas</a>, a <a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/09/a-lot-of-pumpkin-bread.html">pumpkin</a>, plums, corn, a friend's CSA share while her family was on vacation, quince (which have yet to become something), <a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/08/preserved-grape-leaves.html">grape leaves</a>, and probably a few other things I can't remember.<br />
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With a small household budget, I try to stretch every dollar as far as it'll go and I'm happy to accept these offerings. They usually send me into a frenzy of preserving activity.<br />
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I was posting pictures to Facebook of something I'd made with some unexpected cast-offs when a friend queried: how to you have the things on-hand to make this stuff at a moment's notice? I shrugged off her question and replied that I simply have a well-stocked pantry.<br />
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But her question has been in the back of my mind ever since. What, exactly, does having a "well-stocked pantry" mean?<br />
<br />
To me, it means always having on hand what I consider to be essentials. When I'm running low - and by "low" I mean probably 10% of something remaining - I add it to my grocery or canning lists. I never, <u>ever</u> run out of these items. I could open my pantry right now and make nearly any baked good (unless it has unusual ingredients), a hearty soup, or a pasta dish. <br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><u>Baking</u>: white & whole wheat flours; granulated, confectioner's & brown sugars; leavening agents; spices & seasonings; vanilla; vegetable, olive, & spray oils; chocolate chips & cocoa powder; gelatin; corn syrup; powdered milk</li>
<li><u>Fresh produce</u>: onions, garlic, potatoes, lemons, seasonal fruit & greens</li>
<li><u>Canning</u>: vinegar, pickling salt, whole spices, lots of lids (bought 500 on ebay a few years ago)</li>
<li><u>Freezer</u>: berries, small supply of various meats; butter; variety of vegetables</li>
<li><u>Home-canned items</u>: chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, green beans, jams, salsa</li>
<li><u>Pantry</u>: whole-wheat pasta, rice, refried beans, tuna fish</li>
<li><u>Herbs & spices</u>: I pretty much walked up to the bulk spice section and said, "yes".</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><u>Dairy</u>: milk, cheddar, eggs</li>
<li><u>Bread</u>: sandwich bread, tortillas</li>
</ul>
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What are your pantry essentials that I didn't list here?</div>
Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-27134548637108652302013-10-08T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-08T04:00:05.198-07:00The C-word is comingThe C-word is coming. No, not that "C" word, another one: Christmas.<br />
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Christmas is, at the time I wrote this, <a href="http://www.howlonguntil.net/">just 80 days away</a>. Walk into any major retailer - Costco, Lowe's, Target - and the truth is unavoidable.<br />
<br />
Because of how bills work out, I have just two paychecks that have any hope for leftover funds in the next 80 days. My parents' and Kaelen's birthdays each fall in that time span. My cousin is getting married on New Year's Eve and my brother's birthday is mere days into the New Year. Money is tight.<br />
<br />
As much as I hate to admit it, I'm thinking about holidays and gifts. Mostly I'm trying to figure out how to manage it all on a margin-less budget. Gene starts a new, full-time job in December (hooray for two incomes for the first time since we've been parents!). Financially, however, that won't affect our situation much until after the holiday. Luckily I've squirreled away a few toys for Kaelen's birthday and financial expectations are - I hope - relatively low for adult gift-giving. I've got a trunk full of luscious yarn and, provided I get on with making things, will knit some really gorgeous gifts for loved ones. Kaelen is going to get a pair of slippers.<br />
<br />
If you're starting to think about holiday gifts, now is the time to make those liquors. <br />
<br />
Last month I started some <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/09/feeling-boozy.html">slivovitz</a>. It's a deep garnet color now. I haven't tasted any, though my boss had some of his own (he was inspired by my post about plums from him!). He said it's pretty damn good.<br />
<br />
Every year I think about making an orange liqueur, and every year it's too late by the time I remember around Thanksgiving. Orange liqueur takes at least 2 months to infuse the alcohol. Other flavored liquors can take longer depending upon the recipe you're using and the flavor you want to achieve. <br />
<br />
Have you seen what a bottle of Grand Marnier costs? Yeah, it's delicious and amazing, but bottles of booze starting around $30 are out of our reach. I made my batch of orange liqueur for about $15. I already had the brandy from my slivovitz and had only to buy the oranges.<br />
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<a href="http://robertburnswines.com/sitewp/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/GRM0010103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://robertburnswines.com/sitewp/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/GRM0010103.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<strong>ORANGE LIQUEUR (aka Grand Marnier)</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/homemade-grand-marnier-191348"><em>From food.com</em></a><br />
Zests of 6 oranges<br />
1/2 cup sugar<br />
2 cups of brandy (cognac is also fine)<br />
<br />
1. Pour boiling water over the oranges to remove the wax. If you're using organic oranges, this is not necessary (but do wash them well). Remove zest.<br />
<br />
2. Mix zest, sugar, and alcohol.<br />
<br />
3. Store in a glass bottle in a cool, dark place. Shake whenever you think about it, or once every couple of weeks. I'm using the original bottle the brandy came in. As the orange zest ferments, it may cause the cork to pop off the bottle (this happens every time I had a vanilla pod to my bottle of vanilla vodka). It's fine and not an indication that anything is wrong.<br />
<br />
4. The orange liquor will be ready in roughly 2 months. Strain out the solids using a fine mesh sieve first, then a coffee filter. It will keep indefinitely.<br />
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What would do you do with Grand Marnier? I love it in hot cocoa. It's better than Ambien for me.<br />
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On second thought, I might not give any away after all.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-37716699320600953132013-10-06T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-06T12:35:20.512-07:00Soup week - Seafood chowder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last month I splurged and made salmon for our fourth wedding anniversary. I had to filet it myself, however, and it was my first attempt at butchering a fish.</div>
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I was pleased with the filets but disappointed by how much meat was left on the carcass. Part of the problem was that I didn't have the right knife. Rather than throw it out, I put the rest of the fish into the freezer.</div>
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Fast-forward to October.</div>
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I thawed the salmon carcass and poached it gently for about 5 minutes. It didn't need long. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My zombie salmon</i></td></tr>
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Removing the last bits of meat was a breeze. I got about 1 1/2 cup of meat which would have otherwise been discarded.</div>
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I wanted to make chowder with this salmon. Ever since I was a little girl, clam chowder has been one of my favorite things to order in a restaurant. I don't order it often anymore but dang, it's still on my top 10 list of soups.</div>
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But I didn't want to make just a salmon chowder: I wanted a clam chowder <i>with salmon in it</i>.</div>
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Behold, the results. </div>
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Gene often complains that I never make things the same way twice. Here's the recipe I developed AND documented so that I can repeat this... and make it again I shall.<br />
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<b>Salmon & Clam Chowder</b><br />
<i>Recipe by yours truly. Serves about 4 as a main course.</i><br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1 tbsp unsalted butter <br />
1/2 medium white onion, diced<br />
2 stalks celery, diced<br />
1 bottle clam juice<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
4 medium red potatoes, cubed<br />
3 cups chicken stock (I had an experimental batch of <a href="http://localkitchenblog.com/2011/09/12/corn-cob-stock/">corn cob stock</a> on hand, so used that)<br />
1 tsp salt <br />
1/4 tsp dill weed<br />
1/4 tsp pepper <br />
1/8 tsp thyme<br />
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
1 cup corn (frozen or canned)<br />
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water<br />
1 can of baby clams, drained<br />
1-2 cups of salmon, flaked (canned is OK)<br />
1 cup cream or half-and-half<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
1. Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onions and celery. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.<br />
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2. Put the clam juice, garlic, potatoes, stock, salt, dill, pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes into the stock pot and bring to a simmer.<br />
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3. Simmer gently until potatoes are soft, about 8-10 minutes.<br />
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<i><u>NOTE</u>: You don't want to allow the chowder to boil from this point onward. The corn and clams could become chewy and the salmon dry out.</i><br />
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4. Add the corn and bring back to an almost simmer.<br />
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5. Stir in the cornstarch to thicken slightly (use more cornstarch for a thicker chowder)<br />
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6. Add the clams, salmon, and cream, and stir gently to incorporate. Allow to cook at an almost simmer for 5 minutes so that flavors blend.<br />
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True to my west coast roots, I served this with sourdough rolls and freshly ground pepper. Go ahead and offer up some oyster crackers if your tastes go that way. I won't judge.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-2869922820473454652013-10-04T04:00:00.000-07:002013-10-05T06:01:54.829-07:00Soup week - Kielbasa, squash, and wild rice<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This week's weather is getting better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My office view has gone from this...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To this...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Today it's a gloomy blanket of grey drizzle across that same view. Sigh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But, that same weather is what inspired this, the second in a series of posts on soup. The first post was the <a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/10/soup-week-potage-vert.html">green potage on the left</a>. Today's focuses on that orange jewel in the middle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Let me begin by saying that Gene does not like squash.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I, on the other hand, love it. My dad is a New Englander. Maybe that has something to do with it. Forget the Thanksgiving yams with their weird marshmallow topping: hand me the butternut squash puree with butter. I'll happily have a dinner of an acorn squash with butter and brown sugar or maple syrup. When I was pregnant a local restaurant served chili in a cooked pumpkin bowl that you ate as you devoured the chili. Divine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Quite a few years ago I stumbled across Emeril Lagasse's recipe for <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/smoked-sausage-butternut-squash-and-wild-rice-soup-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">"Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash, and Wild Rice Soup"</a>. Intrigued, I made it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And guess what: Gene loves it. In fact, he asks me to make it every winter. The problem is Emeril's version is a pain in the ass to make, gets a ton of things dirty in the kitchen, and requires way more hands-on work than a rustic soup has any right to ask of someone. Cube & cook & puree & saute & cook & mash...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Screw that. We can do better than spend 3 hours on making <i><u>soup</u></i>. This will still take about 2 hours from start to finish but there's considerably less hands-on time and fewer things you'll need to get dirty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I made this recipe healthier AND dairy-free by omitting the cream. Swap out the kielbasa for vegan sausages and add some liquid smoke to make a vegan version of this soup. <span style="line-height: 18.39px;">A note about the squash: I used 1 butternut, 1/2 acorn, and a quart of sugar pie pumpkin that </span><a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/09/canning-pumpkins.html" style="line-height: 18.39px;" target="_blank">hadn't sealed</a><span style="line-height: 18.39px;"> because it's what I had on hand</span><span style="line-height: 18.39px;">. To streamline this recipe even more, you can use squash puree found in the frozen section of the grocery store or cubed squash from the produce section.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Here's my version of that soup. I halved it from the original, which makes a TON. The corn and squash make it sweet. The kielbasa lends it savory smokiness. The rice provides texture and a nutty taste. Try it and let me know what you think!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Photo: <a href="http://blog.hellolittleone.com/smoked-sausage-butternut-squash-wild-rice-soup/">HelloLittleOne.com</a> (because I forgot to take pictures)</span></i></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Kielbasa, Squash & Rice soup </span></b><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Inspired by <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/smoked-sausage-butternut-squash-and-wild-rice-soup-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">Emeril Lagasse's original version on foodnetwork.com</a> </span></i><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Serves 4-6</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b>Ingredients</b><br />
1 squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, cut in half and seeded<br />
1 tablespoon olive oil<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />7 cups chicken stock<br />
1 1/2 cups chopped onions</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">3/4 pound kielbasa, cut into half-inch </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">cubes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">1 cup corn</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup wild rice</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Directions</b><br />
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.<br />
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Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or
until tender. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 16px;">While the squash is cooking, coat the bottom of a soup pot with the olive oil and brown the sausage over medium-high heat until browned. Add the onions, corn, salt, and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.39px;">Once tender, remove from oven and allow squash to cool until workable. Scoop out the pulp and use a potato masher</span><span style="line-height: 18.39px;"> to mash the squash in a bowl.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.39px;">Add the stock and the squash puree. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until the rice is done but not mushy. Add more stock if you want a thinner soup.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.39px;">Adjust the seasoning and serve. This soup reheats beautifully. We had it with beer bread, for which I'll post a recipe soon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 18.39px;">CANNING NOTE: I did not can any of my Soup Week soups. I stored them in the fridge in canning jars for ease of finding & accessing them. If you want to can your soups, use the </span><a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/soups.html" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; line-height: 14.39px; text-decoration: none;">National Center for Home Food Preservation website's guidelines for canning soup</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.39px;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.39px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.39px;">Next soup post, my west coast and east coast roots collide in a most delicious way.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 14.39px;"><br /></span></span>Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-12939052777890037752013-10-02T04:00:00.001-07:002013-10-02T10:04:58.193-07:00Soup week - Potage VertLast weekend we had a number of storms sweep through the Pacific Northwest. It rained so hard that we had standing water in our backyard, a rarity. In a matter of hours my grandparents' barometer dropped from the Y of "Stormy" (gold dial hand) to below the S (black hand). It had been straight up earlier in the day. I took this Sunday night around 9 p.m., just as a storm front was moving in from the south.<br />
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I took this photo from my office on Monday, the same day a <a href="http://www.king5.com/news/local/Strong-windstorm--Western-Washington-weekend-225716201.html" target="_blank">tornado</a> touched down about 20 miles away. It was pouring when I took this.<br />
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When it's stormy I like to put on slippers, cuddle up with a book or some knitting, and have soup. Or, if I'm at work, I put on a pair of slippers and have a cup of tea while I do something exciting... like reconcile a budget and track down paperwork.<br />
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So today marks the first of a few soup posts. <br />
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My French host mother, Marie-Claude, makes a brilliant green puree called potage. She makes it "au pif" (by the nose), by raiding her pantry and assembling a variety of vegetables from whatever she has on hand. My favorites were the bright green ones.<br />
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I googled recipes for it and found some potages that seemed similar to hers. Some were in English, others in French. They all seem to have a base of potatoes, some have apples or carrots. Taking inspiration where it comes, I decided to deviate from the recipe path and attempt to recreate hers from 17-year-old memories.<br />
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Here's the result. The parsnip is a hidden gem in this, giving it a mild sweetness. I used mustard greens and feared they'd overpower everything else. They didn't. That said, I think I'll switch to spinach next time and add it in at the very end in order to maintain its bright color. I used bouillon cubes because, well, there were two left in the box and I wanted it out of the cupboard. I wouldn't use chicken stock in this recipe unless you really want to, as it can quickly become the dominant flavor in this delicate soup.<br />
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Make yours "au pif" using ingredients you have on hand. It's essentially a vegetable puree with greens. If you have a pressure cooker, pull it out for even faster cooking times.<br />
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<strong>Un hommage en potage</strong><br />
5 cups water<br />
3 large potatoes (~1 pound), peeled and diced<br />
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced<br />
1 leek, sliced thinly<br />
2 vegetable or chicken bouillon cubes (replace water with stock if you prefer)<br />
2 cloves of garlic<br />
1 bunch greens of your choice, cleaned and tough stalks removed<br />
1 tsp salt (or to taste)<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
<u>Optional toppings</u>: creme fraiche, half-and-half, croutons, toasted & chopped nuts, truffle oil, chopped parsley or chives<br />
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1. Bring water to a boil with the potatoes, parsnip, leek, bouillon or stock, and garlic. Allow to simmer gently until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. <br />
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2. Add the greens, salt, and pepper and cook until tender, about 7-8 minutes.<br />
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3. Puree your soup in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender.<br />
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4. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.<br />
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5. Finish your soup with your preferred topping and serve with a crusty bread. Costco makes an awesome roasted garlic bread, which is what I had.<br />
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Kaelen is teething. He's been an absolute monster at times as a result, albeit a cute one. While I've been enjoying my soups for dinner, he's been gnawing on a frozen treat each evening to sooth his aching mouth.<br />
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CANNING NOTE: I did not can any of my Soup Week soups. I stored them in the fridge in canning jars for ease of finding and accessing them. If you want to can your soups, use the <a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/soups.html">National Center for Home Food Preservation website's guidelines for canning soup</a>. The potage could easily be canned, though I'm not confident that the quality of the greens would be good after a long processing.<br />
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Next post, a sweet, savory, smokey take on squash.<br />
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<br />Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-67324735853923183192013-10-02T04:00:00.000-07:002013-11-10T08:27:40.821-08:00Getting spicyI stumbled across this video a little while back. I'd forgotten about it until I fond this link stashed in this blog post I started at the same time: <a href="http://www.incrediblethings.com/food/pumpkin-spice-the-horror-movie/">http://www.incrediblethings.com/food/pumpkin-spice-the-horror-movie/</a><br />
<br />
I buy all my spices from the bulk bin because:<br />
a. It's considerably cheaper than buying them bottled.<br />
b. My grocery store's stock turns over incredibly fast, meaning they're fresh.<br />
c. I get the amount I need.<br />
d. Did I mention it's cheaper?<br />
<br />
Without a good system for organizing my spices and regular upkeep, however, my spices tend to look like this.<br />
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Ugh. I really need to get better about having the <a href="http://www.nwedible.com/2013/09/how-to-organize-your-spice-drawer-with-mason-jars.html" target="_blank">cashier tare out the jar</a> and not using baggies at all.<br />
<br />
There was a flurry of blog posts about <a href="http://www.craftionary.net/2012/08/25-best-ways-to-organize-spices-storage-solution.html" target="_blank">making your spice storage manageable</a> a year ago or so. It was the hip thing to do to spend bajillions of dollars on jars and racks and labels. I didn't want to spend a ton of money on containers. I don't want to coat everything with blackboard paint. I needed what was going to work for me.<br />
<br />
Sometime last year I went out to Bed Bath & Beyond in search of a budget-friendly solution. I picked up a ton of <a href="http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/Spice-Jar/1010167124?Keyword=spice+jars" target="_blank">these jars</a>, which I remember costing closer to $0.25 instead of the $0.99 shown on the website. I took the cardboard store display box, too. I cut labels for the top of every jar. Some of the existing bottles fit into the cardboard display holder, so I just left those.<br />
<br />
A little tidying up and my spices are again neat and easy to find. I struggle with keeping it organized but at least tidying it up takes only minutes rather than an afternoon.<br />
<br />
I'm completely out of my pumpkin pie spice mix, the recipe for which I found over at <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/" target="_blank">My Baking Addiction</a> this time last year. Rather than buy premade mixes, try doing it yourself.<br />
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<strong>Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix</strong><br />
<em>From <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/pumpkin-pie-spice-recipe/" target="_blank">My Baking Addiction</a></em><br />
3 tbsp ground cinnamon<br />
2 tsp ground ginger<br />
2 tsp nutmeg<br />
1 1/2 tsp ground allspice<br />
1 1/2 tsp ground cloves<br />
<br />
Combine all spices in a bowl, then transfer to your container of choice. I prefer to use a fork to mix the spices.<br />
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Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-40125108742053663172013-09-30T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-30T10:27:13.511-07:00Canning pumpkins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It started with the <a href="http://psl.starbucks.com/" target="_blank">PSL</a> hoopla at Starbucks. Next, the seasonal shelves at grocery stores were filled to overflowing with "fun size" candy. Costco put out an impressive display of Hulk and Princess costumes. A Some eCard meme popped into my Facebook feed, "If you say 'Pumpkin Spice Latte' in front of a mirror, a yuppie in yoga pants will appear and tell you how much she loves the fall". Finally, the trees started to turn color, the weather crapped out, and my <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2011/08/signals-of-fall.html" target="_blank">chickens exploded</a> again.</div>
<br />
It's official: fall has arrived and with it, pumpkin season.<br />
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Other people come home with unexpected purchases like shoes, candy, hot tubs (my parents got one at the fair on a whim when I was in 6th grade), or pets. Not me. Last weekend I succumbed to an impulse buy and picked up three sugar pie pumpkins from <a href="http://www.sterinofarms.com/" target="_blank">Sterino Farms</a> for $1 each. As I checked out, the teenaged cashier mumbled something about only charging me for two of them. I recently paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 for 3 cans of pumpkins at Costco, so $1/pumpkin is a good deal. <br />
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I've done this before, bringing home pumpkins with good intentions. I always promise myself I'll can them. Some years I have, and other years the chickens have been the willing recipients of a deliciously rotted pumpkin sometime in January.<br />
<br />
This year I pledged to take care of the pumpkins asap. I put them in the kitchen, where I proceeded to trip over them for a week.<br />
<br />
Last Saturday was one of just four days Gene and I have had off together since July. Once he and Kaelen were fed for the morning, I got to work.<br />
<br />
<strong>Canned Pumpkin</strong><br />
<em>Instructions from the </em><a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/pumpkin_winter_squash.html" target="_blank"><em>National Center for Home Food Preservation</em></a><br />
<br />
MATERIALS<br />
pressure canner<br />
canning jars, lids, rings, lifter<br />
very sharp, heavy duty knife<br />
horizontal vegetable peeler <br />
<br />
INGREDIENTS<br />
sugar pie pumpkins<br />
water<br />
<br />
INSTRUCTIONS<br />
1. Get your pressure canner and jars ready.<br />
<br />
2. Prepare the pumpkins: wash, cut in half, seed, and peel. Prep tips:<br />
<ul>
<li>Cut off the end of the pumpkin to give yourself a flat, stable surface while peeling. </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>I found it was easiest to peel the pumpkins going parallel to the counter. When I went perpendicular, my knuckles hit the cutting board whenever the peeler slipped.</li>
</ul>
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3. Slice the pumpkin halves like you would a loaf of bread, not in wedges. Not only will this give you more uniform pieces but it's also safer because you're not angling the knife.<br />
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4. Cut the pumpkin slices into 1" pieces.<br />
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5. Put pumpkin pieces into a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.<br />
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6. Ladle the pumpkin into the jars, leaving 1" headspace. Don't mash, puree, or cram the pumpkin into the jars. Remove air bubbles and process according to the <a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_04/pumpkin_winter_squash.html" target="_blank">NCHFP tables found here</a>.<br />
<br />
My 3 pumpkins gave me 11 quarts (1 didn't seal and became soup) and 1 pint. After leaving them on the counter for 24 hours, I washed them and put them in my canning shelves.<br />
<br />
Based on past experience, each quart yields just over 2 cups of pumpkin mush. Some siphoning is normal and as long as the seal is strong, the pumpkin will keep just fine.<br />
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To use the pumpkin, simply pour it out of the jar into a sieve. The drained pumpkin cubes will be soft and easy to use the same as you would a can of pumpkin from the grocery store. Mine will become bread and <a href="http://iowagirleats.com/2012/09/18/starbucks-clone-pumpkin-scones/" target="_blank">pumpkin scones</a> (damn that Starbucks for getting rid of them!). <br />
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Need ideas for what to do with pumpkin? <a href="http://pumpkinrecipes.org/" target="_blank">Try this site.</a>Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-63484252390578742922013-09-28T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-28T04:00:08.274-07:00A lot of pumpkin breadLast night I made my favorite <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2010/10/pumpkin-bread.html" target="_blank">pumpkin bread</a>, using the <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/08/loafing-about.html" target="_blank">industrial loaf pan</a> Gene found for me this summer. The bigger of the set will find its way to my cousin in Massachusetts this winter when I head back east for her wedding. And yes, they do fit into the oven.<br />
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I was nervous that the loaves wouldn't cook evenly, that the outer ones would cook faster and leave me no way to get them out without making a huge mess. To combat this the best I could, I made sure to turn the pan around at the mid-way point of the cooking time.<br />
<br />
It turns out that I had nothing to fear. The loaves were perfect, even cooking about minutes faster than expected.<br />
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Three of the loaves are now nestled in my freezer, waiting to be nutritious and fast breakfasts over the coming months.<br />
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I can't wait to use this loaf pan again.<br />
<br />
This made me chuckle.<br />
<br />
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<br />Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-24801895479230900152013-09-25T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-25T04:00:08.363-07:00Respect the bladeI don't have any feeling in the pad of my right thumb and there is just one thing to blame.<br />
<br />
Me.<br />
<br />
I've always been careful with knives. I keep mine sharp, I only use them for cutting food on approved surfaces, they don't go into the dishwasher, and they're stored carefully in a horizontal knife block similar to <a href="http://www.chefscatalog.com/product/92268-Wusthof-Under-Cabinet-Knife-Block.aspx?sourcecode=EW1GGP145&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CNHZz_jNw7kCFQeCQgodhEwATw" target="_blank">this one</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cookswarehouse.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/6/665_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.cookswarehouse.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/6/6/665_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I love my under-cabinet knife block!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was a little more cavalier with my food processor blade, however. Oh, not this one. I am always careful with this blade.<br />
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<a href="http://louisville.styleblueprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/104246-425x425-Cuisinart_food_processor_blade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://louisville.styleblueprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/104246-425x425-Cuisinart_food_processor_blade.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
This is the little devil that got me. And it was entirely my fault because this is how I tried to lift it from the bowl.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0818131124c_zps5adb2079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0818131124c_zps5adb2079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Do not attempt at home. This is a dumb ass move.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Never, ever, EVER lift out the slicing blade with one hand. That is exactly how I slipped and pulled my thumb right into the blade four years ago when I was making sauerkraut. I knew immediately that it was a bad cut, clean but deep. We rushed to Urgent Care, where the doctor decided that the best course was to glue the wound closed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Two days later I awoke to a throbbing thumb: infection. The doctor removed the glue and started me on antibiotics. </div>
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Four years later I've still got a deep, thick scar in my thumb. As often as I think about it, I roll a pen between my thumb and fingers to <a href="http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/typesofphysicaltherapy/a/Scar-Tissue-Massage-And-Management.htm" target="_blank">keep the tissue supple</a>. The nerves have regenerated a little, but not fully. It feels like I have a very thick callous on my thumb.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/a84804f5-e0b1-4212-b96a-7e72284f82b2_zps9c921fe5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/a84804f5-e0b1-4212-b96a-7e72284f82b2_zps9c921fe5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>See that half moon? Scar tissue runs straight under it, like a semi-circle. It sucks.</i></td></tr>
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I didn't make sauerkraut again until last month.</div>
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<a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0818131126_zpsd7e116d0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0818131126_zpsd7e116d0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You can bet your butt that I was extraordinarily careful. I now treat that blade with the same respect as my knives, and handle it gingerly.</div>
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I won't be that stupid again.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-25008736566684026242013-09-22T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-23T08:20:32.941-07:00What I know about treesMy house came with an apple tree in the backyard. It was one of the things I liked about the house. <br />
<br />
During my housewarming party my grandma told me that my plum tree was nearly full of ripe fruit. My plum tree? I didn't even know I had a plum tree! It was planted on the side of the house where I never went because the gate was on the other side.<br />
<br />
Over time, the house became a home. In doing so it collected more and more occupants. In 2003 it was just me and my two cats. In 2005, Gene joined the ranks. Then in 2008 we got 4 chickens, and 8 more in 2009. 2010 saw the addition of a dog and 2011 closed with a new addition taking up residence in the former office. In the fall of 2012 we welcome a German teenager into our home for a few months and our hearts forever.<br />
<br />
The yard also changed quite a bit during those same years. It had been a rental to 3 young men in their early 20s prior to becoming mine. I sifted out the gravel from the former RV parking space, threw away countless shot-gunned beer cans and cigarette butts found in the garden, put up a new cedar fence, built a chicken coop, replaced it with a larger coop, pulled out an ill-conceived raised bed, installed other raised beds, took out grass, planted grass, tested vegetable gardens in different places around the property, planted 3 more fruit trees (crab apple, dwarf apple, and dwarf pear), and witnessed the complete desecration of my backyard by the voracious, digging chickens.<br />
<br />
A couple of summers ago Gene and I put up a new chicken run in what we now know was a vain attempt at corralling the birds and still having an attractive yard. Keeping the area inside of the run nice was a constant struggle. I roto-tilled and leveled the ground, then replanted it with grass. It was a Herculean effort. Twelve months later there was not a blade of grass to be seen, the ground was riddled with chicken-sized holes, and Rosemary still didn't have enough space to stretch her stubby legs.<br />
<br />
In our household hierarchy, Rosemary and Kaelen take priority over the hens, despite the girls' (ever-decreasing) production of lovely eggs for our dining pleasure. Something had to go so that the baby and dog could enjoy our backyard with a lawn, not a mud pit.<br />
<br />
First to go were the old apple and plum trees. The apple tree didn't produce good apples and the plum tree's location was, well, stupid. I now suspect that it was planted by a critter rather than a person.<br />
<br />
In deciding to get rid of the trees - a difficult decision - I realized that I have a significant deficiency of knowledge when it comes to trees: I simply don't know how to prune them to maintain their health and productivity. <br />
<br />
The city had free pruning classes. I signed up and learned... nothing. What a waste of time.<br />
<br />
The grass is now beautiful and lush, thanks to a couple of years of chicken poop. We neither water nor fertilize the grass anywhere on our lot.<br />
<br />
Am I happier? Yes, oh yes, oh yes.<br />
<br />
This fall I want to put in more grass in the front yard. I just can't handle the neglected, overgrown flower beds any longer. Since we hope to move in a couple of years, it's time to start projects like this so that we're not overwhelmed by them when it comes time to put the house on the market.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-74367786211091073322013-09-20T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-20T04:00:11.780-07:00Efficiency tipsI just found this post, written in August 2012. I never posted it. Oops. Life has a tendency to get away from us, doesn't it?<br />
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As of two nights ago, it suddenly feels like fall in Tacoma. The nights aren't just cool, they're downright chilly. My birthday is next week. Marius gets here from Germany on Friday. September begins. Labor Day, our third anniversary, first day of public school, first day of classes at the university where I work, October 1, Halloween. Veteran's Day. Thanksgiving! Kaelen's first birthday! Christmas, New Year's... 2013!<br />
<br />
Oh crap, does time ever go fast these days.<br />
<br />
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This weekend I've felt very much like the ant in <a href="http://www.longlongtimeago.com/llta_fables_antgrasshopper.html" target="_blank">Aesop's fable</a>. I've been busily toiling away, putting up local foods for the winter.<br />
<br />
The freezer was already packed full to overflowing with blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, chicken, corn, and baby food. This weekend I squirrelled away 50 pounds of tomatoes (24 quarts) and 15 pounds of green beans. Sadly, three of the green bean jars didn't seal so they got whirred up in the food processor and turned into frozen baby food.<br />
<br />
When I worked with MBA students, I realized that I'm what they'd call an "operations" person. I really dig efficiency, and love finding the best, fastest way to do things. This is great when canning large quantities because it means I've found or made up some shortcuts to make things go as quickly and easily as possible. Here are some of those shortcuts, reserved solely for you, my dear readers.<br />
<br />
<strong>1. Plan your work flow before you start, and set up your work space accordingly.</strong><br />
Though I'm right-handed, I work best right to left, and my kitchen is set up that way. As I move through the steps of canning, I rearrange my counters so that I'm always starting items on the right and moving them through to the left.<br />
<br />
Because I set up my kitchen to maximize my efficiency during canning, I am able to boil 5 tomatoes for 2 minutes while I peel and core the previous batch.<br />
<br />
<strong>2. Minimum work, maximum outcome</strong><br />
Everyone who cans tomatoes will tell you to score an X on the bottom, to allow the skin to split when you blanch them. I used to score through the blossom nub - I think of it as the belly button - until recently. Now I score the X so that the nub is only in a single section. Why? Because those little scars on a tomato skin effectively tack the skin to the flesh, making the skin's removal more difficult. If the "belly button" is reserved to one section, you are less likely to have to use a knife to cut under it from each section.<br />
<br />
<strong>3. Tools matter.</strong><br />
I can tomatoes with a dishwashing glove on my left hand. It lets me:<br />
a) deal with hot tomatoes and boiling water without getting scalded<br />
b) gently squeeze the tomato as I drop it into the cold water, most of the time resulting in the skin coming off entirely<br />
c) squish hot-pack tomatoes down into the jar and get a denser packJenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-16881096493736587712013-09-18T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-18T04:00:09.184-07:00We all screamed for ice creamThe end of summer brings with it my birthday. I love having parties for my birthday, and have thrown gigantic Mexican food buffets and various BBQs. This year, due to Gene's work schedule and Kaelen's 6:30 p.m. bedtime, I decided to do a late afternoon ice cream party on Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Around 25 people came for the icy treats.<br />
<br />
Two weeks ahead of the party I started making ice cream in my little Cuisinart. It's nothing special but it gets the job done.<br />
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<br />
Sadly, I don't have any photographic evidence of my ice cream madness. But I do have a list of the recipes I used. All in all we had eight different kinds, including two non-dairy. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
ICE CREAMS</div>
<a href="http://www.mykitchentreasures.com/2011/08/mango-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">Mango</a> (this was a surprising hit)<br />
<a href="http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/sweet-corn-ice-cream-with-salted-caramel-sauce" target="_blank">Corn</a> (awesome with the caramel sauce, even better using leftover corn-on-the-cob)<br />
<a href="http://thefarmgirlrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/chocolate-peanut-butter-ice-cream.html" target="_blank">Chocolate Peanut Butter</a> (I've made this several times now, and it's Gene's favorite)<br />
<a href="http://lusaorganics.typepad.com/clean/2013/08/this-.html" target="_blank">Raspberry</a> (loosely based on this recipe)<br />
<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Sour-Cream-Ice-Cream-354200" target="_blank">Lemon Cheesecake</a> (Add zest of 1 lemon and let it sit overnight before freezing.)<br />
<a href="http://dietersdownfall.com/cherry-garcia-ice-cream-giveaway/" target="_blank">Cherry Garcia</a><br />
<a href="http://kitchensimplicity.com/vanilla-ice-cream/" target="_blank">Coconut Milk</a> (I made half vanilla and half chocolate)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
TOPPINGS</div>
<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Hot-Fudge-Sauce-109144" target="_blank">Hot fudge</a><br />
<a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/12/07/diy-chocolate-syrup/" target="_blank">Chocolate sauce</a> (no dairy... we used the leftovers to make mochas, so I didn't mind making 2 different sauces)<br />
Salted caramel (given to me by a friend but I like the one from the corn ice cream recipe better)<br />
Coconut<br />
Toasted almond slivers<br />
<br />
Everyone had a different favorite, and there was just a little of each one left. Overall I probably made 2 gallons of ice cream. Most people had bowls rather than cones. Now I have a ton of cones and no ice cream left.<br />
<br />
Was I nuts? Probably. Did our friends and family exclaim many times over how much they enjoyed it? Yup. Would I do it again? Maybe. It was an interesting experiment and I had fun trying out all the types.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-70184162246519301992013-09-16T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-16T04:00:02.039-07:00Roasted tomatillo salsaSeveral years ago I made tomatillo salsa from the abundance of tomatillos my garden had produced. The salsa was delicious: green, tart, tangy, salty, spicy. I was nearing the end of my jar inventory and actually preserved some of it in quart jars. <br />
<br />
We went to a party that fall and I took a quart and some chips, figuring I'd make enchiladas with the leftovers.<br />
<br />
Leftovers? What leftovers? That small BBQ of perhaps a dozen people hovered up every last bit of my salsa. I swear that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02M7Sg_vvQk" target="_blank">someone licked the jar</a>. <br />
<br />
I haven't had a chance to make tomatillo salsa for several years. Last September we had an infant who was very close to crawling and a German teenager at home. The one before that I was pregnant, when handling a heavy canning kettle was overly masochistic. <br />
<br />
But this September, Kaelen has a semi-reliable nap schedule and I have cheap sources of local produce.<br />
<br />
Why roast the ingredients?<br />
<br />
First, there's the <a href="http://modernistcuisine.com/2013/03/the-maillard-reaction/" target="_blank">Maillard reaction</a>, basically a chemical change that occurs in the food and creates additional flavor.<br />
<br />
Second, it's easier. Sure, you're seeding the peppers and cutting open the tomatillos and onions, but that's about it. You're going to let the oven and an immersion blender (or regular blender or food processor) do the heavy lifting for you.<br />
<br />
As an aside, wear gloves or don't touch mucous membranes after handling peppers. I washed my hands carefully then scratched my nose. As I write this, my right nostril is burning<br />
<br />
Let's do this!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Tomatillos are weirdly sticky after you remove the husk, even after being washed.</em></td></tr>
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<strong>Roasted Tomatillo Salsa</strong><br />
<em>adapted from </em><a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/tomatillo_green_salsa.html" target="_blank"><em>NCHFP</em></a><br />
<br />
12 cups (about 4.5 pounds) tomatillos, husks removed, cleaned, and cut in half<br />
7 long green chili peppers, seeded and cut in half the long way<br />
4 jalapenos, seeded and cut in half the long way<br />
8 cups onions, cut in quarters<br />
1 head garlic (I used 3 heads of <a href="http://www.gourmetgarlicgardens.com/turbans.htm" target="_blank">turban garlic</a>)<br />
2 cups lemon or lime juice<br />
2 tablespoons cumin<br />
6 tablespoons oregano<br />
2 tablespoons salt<br />
2 teaspoons black pepper<br />
1 bunch cilantro<br />
<br />
Roast the tomatillos, peppers, and onion in the over at 425 for 15 minutes or until some of the things are starting to brown. Place with the rest of the ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Blend the salsa until smooth. <br />
<br />
Process per the instructions for your altitude <a href="http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_salsa/tomatillo_green_salsa.html" target="_blank">using this guide</a>.<br />
<br />
My weekend's work:<br />
1 gallon of <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/09/feeling-boozy.html" target="_blank">slivovitz</a><br />
13 pints of <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/08/strawberry-overload.html" target="_blank">strawberry BBQ sauce</a><br />
9 pints of tomatillo salsa<br />
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Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-33333151933779469902013-09-14T14:09:00.001-07:002013-09-14T16:51:43.582-07:00Build a better fruit fly trapThree years ago I posted about <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2010/07/fruit-fly-trap.html" target="_blank">fruit fly traps</a>. Not wanting to use a canning jar or drinking glass for mass murder, I've taken to using whatever glass container destined for the recycling bin happens to be at hand.<br />
<br />
But lately we've been overrun - overflown? - with the little buggers. We have no fruit sitting out, no appealing garbage, no houseplants, a clear garbage disposal. <br />
<br />
I think I finally figured out their breeding ground: the <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/06/overrun-by-vines.html" target="_blank">grape arbor next door</a> is heavy with purple fruit right now. When I let out the chickens this morning, I was besieged by fruit flies. Ugh. <br />
<br />
They are truly everywhere. Kamikaze dive-bombing into my wine, annoying Gene to the point that he keeps a fan on him when he's working at his computer, getting their sexy on in pairs on the walls of the kitchen.<br />
<br />
We were desperate to get rid of them. The weather is getting cooler but we still have a lot of these annoyances in the house.<br />
<br />
I decided to try an experiment. I made up a large batch of the fruit fly attractant - apple cider vinegar, water, and dish soap - and poured it into 3 different containers. I put the containers in the windowsill and left them for 2 days. The fruit flies were already starting to drown by the time I had put the containers down.<br />
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From left, the containers are:<br />
<ol>
<li>Mike's Hard Lemonade bottle</li>
<li>Safeway preserves jar (To keep my canning cred,I must point out that I did not buy this!)</li>
<li>Wide-mouth pint jar with holes poked in the lid</li>
</ol>
Two days later I estimate that the traps killed well over 200 flies. The number of fruit flies in our kitchen has decreased dramatically.<br />
<br />
With the lowest kill rate was the Safeway preserves jar. I counted about 30 fruit flies in the jar after 2 days. I'd had this jar out on the sill all summer, which probably explains why we have such a problem with fruit flies this year: the trap wasn't working well!<br />
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With a moderate success was the long-neck bottle. I didn't count the flies but there were about 50-70 in there by day 2. I suspect that the flies would enter the bottle and have a hard time getting out again.<br />
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<br />
The wide-mouth jar had the best results by far. I watched countless flies enter the holes in the lid, touch the liquid's surface, and immediately sink. I estimate there are well over 100 dead fruit flies.<br />
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<br />
It's always shocking how many fruit flies one of these traps will catch. <br />
<br />
My lesson here is that as much as the attractant in your fruit fly trap matters, so does the shape of the container. If your trap isn't working like you think it should, try a different container.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-79065010548562409542013-09-14T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-14T04:00:03.444-07:00Whole wheat banana breadA week or so ago a girlfriend of mine posted on Facebook that she was going to attempt her first solo canning, peach chutney. Being a huge enabler, I called her and offered my tools, company, and assistance.<br />
<br />
Right before I left to head over to her house, she texted me: "I have this sinking feeling that my peaches aren't ripe yet." She was right: her peaches were still rock hard.<br />
<br />
We did what any reasonable home food preserver does: we went in search of ripe peaches!<br />
<br />
We found the peaches at <a href="http://www.sterinofarms.com/" target="_blank">Sterino Farms</a> in the Puyallup Valley. As we were paying for our respective items (I picked up a few things, too, but nothing for canning), the cashier offered us some bananas.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/09/feeling-boozy.html" target="_blank">Never one to refuse free produce</a>, I immediately agreed, visions of banana bread dancing in my head. We don't buy bananas in the summer anyway, because the local fruit options are so spectacular from June well into September.<br />
<br />
A week later, the bananas were still languishing in my fridge. Darn. At least they were super soft and squishy! I found a reliable recipe at foodnetwork.com and swapped out half of the AP white flour for whole wheat. Since this bread will be breakfasts for some time, it needs to have more fiber and sticking power than regular AP white flour can provide. I also added a handful of chocolate chips because, well, hello, it's chocolate.<br />
<br />
<strong>Whole Wheat Banana Bread </strong><br />
Recipe doubled from original at <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/banana-bread-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">foodnetwork.com</a>. Makes 2 loaves.<br />
<br />
<strong>Ingredients</strong><br />
<ul class="kv-ingred-list1">
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 cups granulated sugar </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">4 large eggs </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">5-6 ripe bananas </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 tablespoons milk </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 teaspoons ground cinnamon </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">4 cups all-purpose flour </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 teaspoons baking powder </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 teaspoons baking soda </li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">2 teaspoons salt</li>
<li itemprop="ingredients">1 cup chocolate chips (optional)</li>
</ul>
<!--concordance-end-->Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter or spray 2 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. <br />
<div class="fn_instructions" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
<br /></div>
<div class="fn_instructions" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. </div>
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<div class="fn_instructions" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="fn_instructions" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Make sure your mixer is on its lowest setting. I sorta forgot (and keep my mixer on a tray for a reason).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Oops. Forgot to turn the mixer to low. There's a reason it's on a tray.</em></td></tr>
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<div class="fn_instructions" itemprop="recipeInstructions">
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>I put a sort of trough in the batter to help the bread rise into a more uniformly square shape during baking.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I like my banana bread with cream cheese and a cup of tea. What about you?</div>
Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-19790623102538497942013-09-12T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-12T04:00:04.351-07:00GravlaxI live in the Pacific Northwest, home of the all mighty salmon. We don't eat it as often as I'd like because it's still more expensive than other proteins.<br />
<br />
We usually grill it very simply. When I was a kid my mom used to wrap it in aluminum foil with a few slices of onion and lemon, salt, and pepper, then bake until flaky. That's pretty hard to screw up.<br />
<br />
Costco had whole Coho salmon for $6.99/lb. The only problem was that I had to scale and filet it myself. I've never fileted a fish. Google to the rescue! <a href="http://www.northwestflyfisherman.com/salmon_fillet.htm" target="_blank">Here's a good guide</a>.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Not bad for my first attempt.</em></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One filet was destined for our 4th <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2010/09/wedding-anniversary.html" target="_blank">anniversary</a> dinner. Oh, how our lives have changed in those four years! Gene barbequed it with some <a href="http://www.pickyourown.org/raspberry_chipotle_sauce.htm" target="_blank">raspberry chipotle sauce</a> I'd made about a week ago.<br />
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<br />
I've wanted to try making <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/11/dining/the-minimalist-gravlax-without-fear-a-stunning-dish-just-looks-hard.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm" target="_blank">gravlax</a> for a while. About two years ago I <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2011/02/bacon-and-pancetta.html" target="_blank">participated</a> in <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2011/02/bacon-and-pancetta.html" target="_blank">Charcapalooza...</a> until I got pregnant. The thought of preserving meat was a little too much for me at the time and I dropped out of the effort. But recently I've been hearing the call of home-curing meats. A blurb on NPR cinched it and I went in search of salmon.<br />
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<strong>Gravlax (cold-cured salmon)</strong><br />
6-8 ounces salmon filet<br />
30 grams salt<br />
15 grams sugar<br />
Dill (I used dried)<br />
<br />
Mix salt and sugar.<br />
<br />
Pour about 1/3 of the salt/sugar mixture into the bottom of a container. Place the salmon on top. Pour another 1/3 of the mixture, sprinkle enough dill to cover, then add the rest of the mixture. <br />
<br />
Wrap and leave the salmon on the counter for an hour then refrigerate. Flip the salmon ever 12 hours (up to 72 hours).<br />
<br />
When the salmon is cured to your liking, rinse, pat dry, and slice very thinly on the bias. It will get quite firm due to the salt drawing out quite a bit of liquid. Here's my gravlax after 24 hours. Notice all the liquid.<br />
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Serve on toasted baguette slices or crackers with your <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=gravlax+toppings+ideas&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&rlz=" target="_blank">choice of toppings</a>.<br />
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<em>UPDATE & A CONFESSION: My husband, not knowing that this little Pyrex container held a fishy treasure, grilled it up for dinner last night. I wrapped it up and froze it to make into a quiche or put on pizza when I'm feeling a little less disheartened about it. </em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em>So I have no idea what my gravlax actually tastes like. Lesson learned: label stuff.</em>Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-37966114626541507282013-09-10T18:22:00.001-07:002013-09-10T18:22:39.317-07:00$25 for free shipping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Ever wonder if the amazon.com pickers scratch their heads about the weird combinations some orders contain?</div>
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A mortar and pestle.</div>
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A dog leash.</div>
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The new Adele CD.</div>
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Can you guess which items took me to amazon.com in the first place, and which two items were the add-ons to hit the $25 free shipping threshold?</div>
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The Adele CD was my first item. Then I figured I'd wanted a mortar & pestle for a long time, so why not get one? Oh, and then I remember that I'd slammed the dog leash in the car door, breaking the latch that affixes to her collar. <br />
<br />
Of course, had I gone to the music store the CD was about $14. Sure, it was "cheaper" online... if you ignore the extemporaneous items! But what fun is that?Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-39881183599579635842013-09-07T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-10T17:36:46.662-07:00Feeling boozyMy boss has a plum tree and, huge grin plastered across his face, gifted me with bag of its fruit. After days of canning, his wife had all but banished them from her sight.<br />
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What the heck was I going to do with these? My considerations:<br />
<ul>
<li>I did not feel like peeling and pitting a metric butt ton of teeny tiny plums.</li>
<li>I doubted that the food mill could handle the pits.</li>
<li>I'm completely out of half-pint jars for jam or chutney, and don't want to buy more.</li>
<li>I doubt that we would eat plum jam.</li>
<li>The last time I canned plum sauce, we had more than we could ever eat and wound up throwing it away.</li>
<li>Free fruit is a perfect candidate for <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/03/build-better-barter.html" target="_blank">bartering</a>. BUT canned fruits and jams tend not to do well at our barters. The most successful barter items are <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/08/strawberry-overload.html" target="_blank">unique</a>.</li>
<li>It would be nice to start putting things aside for Christmas gifts, especially since I only have 2 more paychecks until The Big Day.</li>
</ul>
My thoughts turned to preserving the plums with booze. Or, rather, infusing alcohol with their lovely tart flavor. I mentioned my idea to my boss, who replied, "oh yeah, slivovitz".<br />
<br />
Slivowhowhatnow? <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/the-ease-and-appeal-of-diy-slivovitz/2012/09/10/ca93a1c0-f5d4-11e1-8b93-c4f4ab1c8d13_story.html" target="_blank">Slivovitz</a>? What the heck is that? Turns out it's plum liquor, common in Central and Eastern Europe. Sometimes it's made by fermenting plums and then distilling the juice. Short of having a still, however, it seems more common that people simply infuse vodka with plums.<br />
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Pretty much all of the recipes went along the lines of "put plums and sugar into alcohol". I used my antique half-gallon jar that probably belonged to my great-grandmother (or even her mother), and 2 quart jars.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>"Atlas Mason's Patent Nov 30 1858" I gave my grandma the Danish horse after I went there in 2006. Her grandparents were Danes and it was something of which she was always very proud.</em></td></tr>
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<strong></strong><br />
<strong>Slivovitz</strong><br />
<br />
Into a half-gallon jar, place:<br />
2 pounds plums, pierced with a knife 3-4 times<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 cinnamon stick<br />
2 slivers of lemon peel (I didn't have any, so omitted this)<br />
2 cups vodka<br />
1/2 cup brandy<br />
<br />
Shake to remove air bubbles. Shake the jars every 2-3 weeks, or as you remember (do this near a sink where you can rinse off the jar - it will leak and be sticky). The sugar will dissolve in about 2 weeks. Store in a cool dark place for 3 months. Filter out the solids after 2-3 months and enjoy straight from the freezer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>I'm going to pretend that slivovitz and tequila have a common ingredient.</em></td></tr>
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My slivovitz is on the top shelf of my canning cupboard. Our winter barter is scheduled for December 7, 3 months from now. Perfect timing!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/0906131533e_zps636dd864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/0906131533e_zps636dd864.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>I have curtains on my canning cupboards. Gotta protect the delicate complexions of all my goods!</em></td></tr>
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Look at the color change from Friday...<br />
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<br />
...to Sunday.<br />
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Wonder what it will look like in another 3 months?<br />
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UPDATED: <br />
p.s. Thanks for <a href="http://foodinjars.com/2013/09/links-boozy-infusions-blackberry-kvass-and-a-winner/" target="_blank">the mention</a>, Marisa. :) You never know who's reading your posts.Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-87286023543391885462013-09-06T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-06T09:20:29.967-07:00Lazy canning makes more workIn August I went on a <a href="http://www.pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/08/roasted-tomato-soup.html" target="_blank">canning frenzy</a> and pressure canned the black beans I'd been meaning to do for a while.<br />
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There was only one problem: five of my nine jars didn't seal. Or maybe that counts as five problems?<br />
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This precisely sums up how I felt about it:<br />
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A quick google search - sans cussing - revealed that I've been getting sloppy with my canning. My headspaces have been uneven and I haven't been removing air bubbles as carefully as I should be.<br />
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Lesson learned. <br />
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I may purchase one of these canning funnels with the headspace measurements. Or I could pony up a buck at the dollar store for a dedicated kitchen ruler.<br />
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Neither a new funnel nor a ruler was going to solve my problem of five cans of unsealed beans. It wasn't an option to reprocess the beans unless I wanted five jars of flavorless mush.<br />
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I turned to my favorite <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-black-bean-veggie-burgers/" target="_blank">black bean burger recipe</a>. Gene loves these, I love them, and they very economical. I made three jars' worth of the burgers, and froze the rest for <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Light-Refried-Black-Beans-103826" target="_blank">refried beans</a>.<br />
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Three jars of beans makes about 12 burgers. These burgers freeze great and even hold together better if you start them from frozen instead of thawing them first. I make the entire thing in the food processor, working in batches, then mix by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. I portion them out into half-cup patties and freeze them on a cookie sheet. We've found that a bun squishes the burger and makes them very messy to eat. Our favorite way to eat them is nestled in a grilled tortilla with sriracha mayo, a slice of tomato, and any regular burger toppings you'd like. <br />
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<strong>Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers</strong> (from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-black-bean-veggie-burgers/" target="_blank">allrecipes.com</a>)<br />
<em>Makes <span id="lblYield" itemprop="recipeYield">4 patties</span></em><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1 (16 ounce) can</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">black beans, drained and rinsed</span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1/2</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces</span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1/2</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">onion, cut into wedges</span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">3 cloves</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">garlic, peeled</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">egg</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1 tablespoon</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">chili powder</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1 tablespoon</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">cumin</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1 teaspoon</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">Thai chili sauce or hot sauce</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-amount" id="lblIngAmount">1/2 cup</span> <span class="ingredient-name" id="lblIngName">bread crumbs</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<ol><span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name">
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.</span></li>
<li><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.</span></li>
</span></span></span></span></ol>
<span itemprop="recipeYield"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name"><span class="ingredient-name">
</span></span></span></span><strong></strong>
What would you do with five jars of black beans?Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-80533064192412523462013-09-04T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-04T04:00:14.092-07:00Cle Elum, WAKaelen and I drove to Cle Elum, WA the other day to spend birthdays with friends. It was a glorious day, both in terms of weather and time with wonderful people. Check out the view, looking west from the hills above Cle Elum.<br />
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<a href="http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Jennspeeps/media/0824131238_zpscade4314.mp4.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" video 0824131238_zpscade4314.mp4" border="0" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/th_0824131238_zpscade4314.jpg" style="width: 160px;" /></a><br />
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Direct link to the video: <a href="http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Jennspeeps/media/0824131238_zpscade4314.mp4.html">http://s282.photobucket.com/user/Jennspeeps/media/0824131238_zpscade4314.mp4.html</a><br />
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For those who don't know where this is, it's right off I-90 in the middle of the state, and only about 20 minutes from where I got my undergrad.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cle+elum,+wa&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cle+Elum,+Kittitas,+Washington&ll=47.195398,-120.939249&spn=5.326919,11.865234&t=h&z=7&output=embed" width="425"></iframe><br />
<small><a href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cle+elum,+wa&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Cle+Elum,+Kittitas,+Washington&ll=47.195398,-120.939249&spn=5.326919,11.865234&t=h&z=7&source=embed" style="color: blue; text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: small;">Lots of memories driving out there. It's beautiful country.</span></small>Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-77091460034896263692013-09-01T04:00:00.000-07:002013-09-01T04:00:03.793-07:00Discolored pressure cannerIs the inside of your pressure canner getting discolored?<br />
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Add 1/2 tsp of cream of tartar the next time you do some canning.<br />
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You're welcome.<br />
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<br />Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7254912446623916649.post-88351063623549727552013-08-30T04:00:00.000-07:002013-08-30T04:00:01.066-07:00Preserved Grape Leaves<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The house next door to us has sold. Sadly, the couple with a little girl that wanted to buy it didn't get it. Instead, it's destined to be a rental again. The new owner has replaced the roof and torn out all the carpeting. I'm hopeful he'll be a conscientious landlord as he stops by frequently to check in on the house. The previous owner was an absentee landlord who lived in CA and whose brother lived some 40 miles away. The plan was to move into the house after her son graduated from high school. <em>Riiiiight.</em> From what we saw, the plan was to continue accepting rent money but not to pay the mortgage or do a damn thing about upkeep.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The <a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2013/06/overrun-by-vines.html" target="_blank">massive arbor</a> that threatens to take over our house is still there, weighed down by grapes, honeysuckle, climbing roses, and something else I don't know. We have to keep a close eye on the grapes, lest they go through another overnight growth spurt and finish their attempts to remove all of the gutters from our house.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Arg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But they're a free source of grapes for our hens, and grape leaves for us. The invasive grape plant needs to be put to good use, so I'm going to pick some leaves from my side of the fence (<a href="http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com/2012/07/what-to-do-with-pilfered-rhubarb.html" target="_blank">NOT STEALING, PEOPLE, NOT STEALING</a>!!) and preserve them for winter dolmades.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times;">OMG. Grape leaves are <a href="http://www.amazon.com/California-Style-Leaves-alafia-DR-WT/dp/B000LRIIC4/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1377117326&sr=1-1&keywords=grape+leaves" target="_blank">expensive</a>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I was glad to have washed the grape leaves before I went to the next step of blanching them.</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0813131932_zpsadd5d896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0813131932_zpsadd5d896.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Washed</em></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0813132007_zps6367825e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i282.photobucket.com/albums/kk268/Jennspeeps/Cooking%202013/0813132007_zps6367825e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Blanched - note color change</em></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Preserved Grape Leaves</b> (from <a href="http://about.com/">about.com</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="line-height: 13.5pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Ingredients:</span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black;">30 grape leaves per pint<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">Salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><!--[endif]--><span style="color: black;">1/4 cup fresh lemon juice per pint</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">Preparation:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><!--[endif]-->Bring a pot of water to a boil and add enough salt to make it taste like the sea.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><!--[endif]-->Bring a canning kettle or other large pot of water to a boil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><!--[endif]-->Fill a large bowl with ice water.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><!--[endif]-->Dip the grape leaves in the boiling salt water for 30-45 seconds, then drop them into the ice water to cool. Drain them once all the leaves are fully cool.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><!--[endif]-->Working with about 6 grape leaves at a time and roll them up from the side.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><!--[endif]-->Pack the rolled up leaves into the jar (you will likely need to fold one of the ends down to make them fit), leaving at least 1/2 inch of head space at the top of the jar.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><!--[endif]-->Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add the lemon juice. Boil for a minute or two, then pour over the grape leaves to cover them.</span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Clean the edges of the jar and seal the jar. Process for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath. Let cool and store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times;">Once they're processed, they look like, well, leaf cigars in a jar. Not pretty but, let's hope, tasty. I'll post a follow-up recipe this fall when I use them to make <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/dolmades-stuffed-grape-leaves-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">dolmas or dolmades</a>. Do you have a favorite stuffed grape leaves recipe?</span></div>
Jenn, Pint-sized Pioneeringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14250365416220253434noreply@blogger.com3