Homemade Cream Cheese: Make Your Own Monday #9

In order for you to see all of the things I put on my list for 2010's Make Your Own Mondays, you will have to stay tuned each week.  Some weeks, it will be boring.  It's inevitable that there will be weeks that feature things you already know how to make or that in fact everyone but  me has made at one time or another.  That is the nature of any list made by one person.

This week, it's cream cheese.  It was on my list for next fall, but after last week's 13 schmears, I thought I'd move it up.  My personal verdict: buy it when it's on sale and stock up.  However, now I have a new life skill.  If I had access to a cow or cream at a really good rate, perhaps I'd make it again. 

Homemade Cream Cheese:

1 pint heavy cream

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

In a double boiler, heat the cream over gently boiling water until it reaches 190 degrees. (I used a candy thermometer).   

 

 Add the lemon juice and continue to stir until it thickens almost like a custard. It will coat a wooden spoon well.

 It will be really thick at this point.  Let it cool on the counter for about half an hour, then pour into a cheese cloth lined seive and put into the fridge for 24 hours.

 

 The next day, peel off the cheese cloth and use as desired. 

 

 I would highly recommend trying one of the schmears.  They were amazing.  Not only were they good on bagels, I put some on baked potatoes, some in scrambled eggs and others in meatloaf.  The possibilities are endless.

 

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Loco Moco

Friends of Dave from My Year on the Grill all over the bloggie world are posting island flavors in a virtual house warming party.  He and his wife just moved to the US Virgin Islands for the next 6 months.  My contribution is from the Pacific, but can be enjoyed anywhere in the world.  Happy Days, Dave!!!

My parents went to Hawaii last year and absolutely fell in love with Loco Moco.  It is incredibly filling and makes a great meal any time of the day.

2 scoups of white rice

1 cooked hamburger patty or slice of Spam

One fried egg

1/2 cup brown gravy

Put 2 scoups of rice in a shallow bowl or on a deep plate. Top with a hot grilled hamburger patty or slice of Spam, top the meat with a fried egg (usually cooked sunny side up) and top with gravy.  Serve with soy sauce or ketchup.

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Saturday Stories: Letters

Along with old pictures, legal documents and stories from old memories, I have saved letters written to me from my grandparents and some from my dad when he was flying bombing raids over Vietnam.  Today, I dug out a couple from Bumpa to me.  I don't know what made me save them.  I was just a little girl when I received the first and a teenager when the other was written.  I am so glad I still have them.  He wrote in a beautiful script.  His letters were few because, according to Mamie, they had to be perfect.  He would spend days composing letters, crumpling up and discarding rough drafts. 

Dated June 22, 1976

Dear Granddaughter:

I want this to be a red letter day (he wrote in red pen) when you get a special invitation from us.  We would like to welcome you to the Big Red House for a red hot time at your grandparents'; and we will be reddy to do almost anything your heart desires, excepting talk about Baby Doe (Bumpa developed quite an obsession about Baby Doe Tabor during the 1970s because of a William Henry Jackson photograph he acquired).

I don't have a fishing license yet but we could manage that too because we have a truck to carry all the fish in the county.  Maybe you should bring a long sleeved blouse and slacks to protect you from mosquitoes because they like granddaughters especially well.  We will have to search for some big worms to lure the fish onto the hooks.  I will point them out to you and you can put them in the can of dirt.

This is Mamie's last day of school (she worked as head baker in the cafeteria) so she will have lots of time to spend with you.  She doesn't know all the fine points about fishing but she sure knows how to play store and make believe.  You see, fishing is the real thing, so that's where I fit in.  If we could borrow your Dad's new station wagon we could just throw the dead fish in the back end and it wouldn't matter whether it rained or not, would it?

I think it will do you a lot of good to have some of this intelligence rub off on you for a while.  They might have you skip a grade when you go back to school next fall.

Your red blooded Grandfather,

Bumpa

PS Mamie says you can't spend all your time fishing because she might have some plans for you, too.  She's a land lubber, but I lubber just the same.

Dated February 3, 1982

Dear Kristen:

This is a very important day as you will find out in about fifty years, unless the Social Secrity checks no longer arrive to gladden the hearts of the elderly.  This is the special day that we stand watch for the mailman who is the most welcome sight on the horizon.  It is an instant relief from boredom even though one of these checks reads like another from month to month.  Other important days are more surprising when we get a letter from you.

Mamie keeps a well stocked larder for these wintry days and we have plenty of both, without the need to travel over the salty roads until the washing has to be done (they never owned a washer or dryer!) at the laundramat, or when your great grandmother needs to do some errands.  It is quite monotonous for her to wait for company or the sound of the telephone when the wind is howling around that span of windows where she spends most of the day.

Marion gets provoked with Alton's attention to the Rubic's cube, and they pass the other idle hours poring over jigsaw puzzles.  I suppose Mamie will be relieved too if I ever master the cube.  We are involved with jigsaw puzzles, too.

We have been sleeping near the television set during the recent cold spell.  It bothers Mamie when I sit up late and switch channels for a complete coverage of programs.  With our new set we can get the latest analysis of the economy and the stock market performance.  It has become very interesting, but the report is scheduled for 11:30pm when her eyes are the heaviest and her patience is burdened to the limit.  When the sound is barely audible to me (he was very deaf) it is loud for her and there doesn't seem to be much room for compromise unless I turn off the set when she hits the sack.  It would be more worthwhile to pick up a magazine in most instances because the entertainment is so poor.  We do enjoy one of the ads over and over again.  It shows how the dog is persuaded to change his mind about leaving home on account of his nutrition.  Do you suppose that Suzie (my dog) would become a vagrant?  She has pretty good catering and she should think it over.  Talk to her about life on the road and the sacrifice she would have to make as a loner.

There is a new petshop in the mall near Buffalo.  The young attendants are friendly and enthusiastic.  There was a large stock of puppies but they were expensive in our estimation.  The lowest price that we heard was over three hundred dollars.  Maybe there are some employed Buffalonians who can afford that luxury.  We talked with a young girl who showed affection for the cuddly pups in her charge and she was emphatic about her  preference for German Shepherds.  It was odd that there wasn't a German Shepherd in sight.  Maybe they just took to the road on account of the TV ad that any smart dog would endorse.

We just returned from our local mall as my second installment begins.  Since the mall opened several years ago, my purchases have been limited to an occasional cup of coffee with a side order of buttered toast in protest to the huge public subsidy that the mall merchants have exclusive priviledge to enjoy with unfair advantage.  Today I wavered for my own advantage without any serious qualms because of a tempting shoe sale and the fact that we were temporarily loaded with our own government subsidy (social security checks).  Alton had told me about the fifteen dollar oxfords that normally sold for about thirty dollars in fair competition.  The moral of this story is the fact that we are men of high principles and nothing sways us excepting money.

We hope to see you here in April, or as soon as your folks can make arrangements.  By that time the weather should be more moderate.  Will your statewide music competition be finished by that time?  We were thrilled to learn about you role as pianist.  Your young brother is being exposed to culture everyday, isn't he?

Have you seen the radical change in the latest Kodak camera?  Some critics have already complained about the retail price but the stock market quotation reflected more optimism among investors.  I think that Eastman and Polaroid should concentrate on their instant developing color film, and put more emphasis onto the reduction of prices for their popular film apparatus.  Kodak stock has enjoyed a steady increase every day excepting one since the sudden release of the camera, but it seems like a reckless gamble at this stage of trial.

Mamie wants to reach the post office before the noon closing today and I want to get washed up for a visit to a nearby town, so this rambling letter will have to end right here.  Mamie and I are conscious of the work that you did to distinguish this writing paper ( I made them homemade stationery for a Christmas present).  We like it and it will be reserved for top drawer communictions like this one.

Love to you and the family,

Bumpa

PS Say hello toSuzie

PPS Put some of your hoarded money into circulation to bolster the national economy.  If it works I'll dip into my paltry sum.

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Crab Pizza

I have been at parties where the hostess whips out a brick of cream cheese, pours a jar of salsa or chili sauce on top of it, then dumps some cooked shrimp on top and surrounds it with crackers.  I have had to bite my tongue from saying something like, "You could make that so much more tasty..." or worse, "Mine is better."  If you make an appetizer like the above, my humblest appologies but  You could make it so much more tasty and mine is better!

Crab Pizza:
12 ounces cream cheese
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 small onion, minced really fine
dash garlic salt
1/2 bottle chili sauce
1 can crabmeat, drained
Mix the first 6 ingredients in a bowl.  On a platter, form it into an oval the size of a small flat football.  Pour the chili sauce on top.  Sprinkle the crabmeat on top.  Sprinkle parsley on top for pretty.  Serve with fancy crackers

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Chocolate Custard: Recipes from Long Ago

I have a cookbook called "Good Things to Eat from Off the Air" published in 1932 that is filled with radio tested recipes. Those were the days of the country homemaker with a radio tower in her backyard, broadcasting to the ladies in the local counties all about her special cake  or bread recipe (sounds a lot like today's blogging doesn't it?)  Here is an old-fashioned chocolate custard that could have been used as a pudding or a cake filling.  I personally made a yellow cake, poked holes all over the top and poured it over it and put it in the fridge.

Chocolate Custard:
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/8 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cocoa
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

 Sift sugar, flour, salt and cocoa.  Add slightly beaten egg and milk, and cook over boiling water until thick.  When cool, add vanilla.

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Homemade Granola Cereal: Make Your Own Monday #8

When I was pregnant with Princess Pat, I fell in love with Nature's Path Pumpkin Flax Granola cereal.  I could have eaten that stuff every morning and never gotten sick of it.  It was expensive, though, so I only ate it when I was feeling splurgy (I may have made that word up).  A few months ago, I tried it again and darn it, if they hadn't changed the recipe slightly and put way less cereal in the package.  I had to come up with my own version.

 

 Here is what I did:

4 cups oats (quick or old fashioned)

2 cups coconut

1 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

2 Tbsp whole flax seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

2 cups chopped dried fruit (optional)

Combine the oats, coconut, almonds, oil and honey.  Spread on a greased jelly roll pan and bake 300 degrees for 45 minutes (or until crispy), bringing it out half way to toss/stir.  Let cool on the pan, then add seeds and fruit as wanted.  Store in a Tupperware type container.

 

This made wonderful yogurt parfaits and was great plain with milk.

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Saturday Stories: The End of the Journey

For those of you just joining in, every Saturday I record a bit of my family history.  I started this as a new year's resolution in 2009 in order to get some of my family stories written before those of the older generations pass on and I lose this treasure.  Over the last few weeks, I have been relating the story of my grandfather (Bumpa) and his twin brother (Alton) as they journeyed across the country during the Great Depression. 

Bumpa and Alton started their trip with great expectations.  They were fresh out of high school, they were young and strong, they had no responsibilities to weigh them down.  I think there was a bit or romance in their natures as they dreamed of crossing the country, traveling by rail, visiting new places and expanding their horizons.  Like some who could afford a trip to Europe, this was to be their "Grand Tour."

Reality was something different altogether.  Traveling was rough, dirty, hungry work.  With little money, the boys often relied on the kindness of strangers for transportation, meals and lodging.  When the weather or other circumstances got in the way, traveling lost its allure and became drudgery.

By the time the twins reached Casper, WY, they had reached their limits.  Almost out of money and thoroughly discouraged, they viewed the Rocky Mountains as a hurdle that they just couldn't get over.  Both agreed that it was time to head home to New York.

Their homecoming was yet another of the many cooincidences that abounded through their adventure.  The boys had separated to hitch rides home a day or two before.  Neither knew where the other was nor when they'd reach their house.  Bumpa was the first home.  He entered the back door and found his mother in the kitchen.  Seeing him, standing there in the doorway as though he'd just come in from a walk around the block, Nonny started sobbing and threw her arms around her son.  She had had no word from them and had worried from the minute they had left home months before.  After she had hugged and kissed him and fawned over him as only a mother could, she asked where Alton was.  Not ten minutes later, he walked in the door with a "Hi Mom."

There were so many things that happened as a result of this trip.  Bumpa developed a passion for trains.  He and my grandmother, Mamie, took many trips later in their lives all over the country via train.  They had train pictures and train books all over their home.   Also, Bumpa learned the difference between a hobo, a bum and a tramp.  He never turned anyone away without a bit of help, but he also never let any transient into his home or near his wife or children.  Often, he'd get out the car and take them into town to the Salvation Army where he knew they'd get whatever kind of help they needed.  Being on the road with men like these had taught Bumpa to be careful, but also to be generous.  So many times people who had nothing had reached deep into their cupboards or pockets and shared with him; a complete stranger.

It was a simpler, kinder time when mothers, though nervous could send their eighteen year old sons out into the wide world with faith that they would be okay.  It was an era of strangers helping strangers because they had an extra helping of beans or room in their car for a passenger.  It was a time of discouragement and economic fear, but it was also a time when the horizon offered adventure for two young men willing to take life by the horns. 

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Mol-e!

Now that I am in Arizona, I am experimenting in Latin cooking like never before.  Mole (pronounced moe-lay) is a common Mexican dish served all over the country using ingredients found locally.  I combined a few recipes and the results were really tasty.  It wasn't too spicy or sweet.  Goldilocks, which at the moment is Princess Pat's favorite bedtime story, would say it was "Just right."

Mole:

sauce

2 dried Ancho chiles

2 dried Anaheim chiles

2 dried Pasilla Negro chiles

1/4 cup raisins

2 Tbsp natural peanut butter

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves, garlic, minced

1 can diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp cocoa

chicken

4 boneless, whole chicken breasts

1/4 cup olive oil

salt & pepper

2 tsp lemon juice

For the mole sauce:

Rip off the stems and shake out the seeds from the dried peppers.  Along with the raisins, soak the chiles in hot water for 30 minutes.  In a skillet, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil.  In a food processor, place all of the sauce ingredients and blend until smooth.

For the chicken:

Pour the lemon juice, salt and pepper over the chicken.  Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Brown the chicken on all sides.  Pour the mole sauce over the chicken and simmer, covered 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice, beans and/or corn tortillas.

 

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Homemade Bagels and 13 Cream Cheese Schmears

 Homemade bagels are surprisingly easy to make.  In a little under an hour, you can have bagels hot out of the oven ready for some cream cheese.  My love affair with cream cheese started when I was a little girl.  Between cream cheese sandwiches made with anything from jelly to black olives and rolled up meat/cream cheese/gerkin pickle appetizers, I have been pigging out on eating cream cheese since I was old enough to pick up food on my high chair tray.  My brand of choice has always been Philadelphia, but regardless of what I am using, it is one of my top 10 favorite foods. 

This week, I decided to get a little fancy.  I occasionally buy vegetable or chive & garlic whipped cream cheese.  Here are 13 of my own creations.  Each of the following starts with 3 ounces of cream cheese. Make each a few hours or the day before serving to let the flavors blend together.

1. Orange, Garlic & Thyme

 

(add 2 tsp orange juice, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp thyme and 1/4 tsp grated orange rind)

 2. Dried Cranberry & Rosemary

(1 Tbsp chopped dried cranberries and 1/2 tsp rosemary)

 3. Mango & Green Chili

(3 Tbsp chopped mango and 1 tsp canned chopped green chilies)

 4. Chocolate

(1/2 tsp vanilla, 1 Tbsp powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp melted chocolate chips)

 5. Smoked Salmon & Dill

(1/2 tsp dill weed and 1 Tbsp chopped smoked salmon)

 6. Raspberry Chipotle

(6 whole raspberries, 1 tsp honey, and 1 diced chipotle pepper)

 7. Salsa & Cheddar Cheese

(1 Tbsp salsa and 2 Tbsp shredded cheddar cheese)

 8. Gingerbread

(1/4 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp molasses, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp allspice, and 1/8 tsp ginger)

 9. Lemon Poppy Seed

(1 Tbsp powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp poppy seeds and 1/8 tsp lemon extract)

 10. Mediterranean

(1/2 tsp basil, 1 tsp chopped sundried tomatoes, 1 Tbsp kalamata olives and 2 Tbsp marinated artichoke hearts)

 11. Blue Cheese & Currant

(1 Tbsp blue cheese and 1 Tbsp chopped dried currants)

 12. Rum Raisin

(1 Tbsp raisins, 1/2 Tbsp coconut, 1 tsp orange juice, and 1/8 tsp rum extract)

  13. Pesto

 (2 Tbsp pesto sauce)

 Thursday-13

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Peanut Butter: My Family's Obsession

My family goes through an 18oz jar of peanut butter a week.  I am not sure whether to be ashamed, afraid or proud.   When the kids need a quick snack, they grab a spoonful of peanut butter or a piece of toast with some spread on top.  We put peanut butter on waffles, apples, celery and even cheese sticks.  It's great in oatmeal with fresh strawberries. Besides the normal PB & Js, we make sandwiches with peanut butter and honey, bananas, and/or cream cheese.  I have three different cookie recipes my kids love: plain, one with chocolate kisses and one with a peanut butter frosting.  I have an easy microwave recipe for a peanut butter ice cream sauce.  The Engineer requested peanut butter candy this year for his birthday instead of cake.  Another favorite is a homemade version of Reeses's Peanut Butter bars.  Peanut butter is part of breakfast cookies,  oatmeal fudge bars , no bake cookies and rice krispie scotcheroos.    It's fantastic in this chicken dish. 

So, as National Peanut Butter Lover's Day (March 1st) approaches, I thought I'd share how we do our part to keep peanut butter on the shelves of the local grocery stores.  What is your favorite ways of eating this frugal protein? 

 WFMW 

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Ice Box Filled Cookies: Recipes From Long Ago

In my opinion, this type of cookie is the epitome of old fashioned.  The fork pressed edges, the filling ranging from raisins to jam, everything screams slower-paced, apron clad homemakers.  The unusual thing about this particular cookie is the wonderful spice added to the dough. 

Ice Box Filled Cookies:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Jam, marmalade or jelly for filling

Cream the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Combine the dry ingredients and add.  Roll into a 2 inch diameter log, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight.   Slice into 1/8 inch thick slices.  Place a slice on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Place 1/2 tsp of jam in the middle of the slice.  Place another slice on top and seal with a fork around the edges.  Bake 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on a wire wrack.

 

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Homemade Fig Newtons: Make Your Own Monday #7

 It has started to occur to me that anything I can buy, I can make.  Well, almost anything.  I still haven't figured out, nor do I ever expect to figure out how to make shredded wheat (triscuits, mini wheats, etc.).  But everything else seems to be fair game.  So, here is this week's attempt: fig newtons.  They tasted just like the cookies.

 

 This recipe takes a bit of planning, so don't jump in and expect to make these in one fell swoop.  It won't happen.

For the Filling: (note I ended up with TONS left over, so feel free to cut the recipe down)

1 cup finely chopped dried figs

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup apple juice

Combine all three ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat and simmer for 1-2 hours.  Pour into a blender and process until smooth.  Put in fridge to cool completely. (note: this makes a good jam substitute)

For the Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 tsp grated lemon zest

2 egg, separated

1tsp vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter, sugar and zest.  Add the egg yolks and vanilla.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold in.  Combine the salt and flour and stir in by hand.  Wrap the dough and put in the fridge for a couple of hours.

To Assemble:

On a well floured surface, roll out the dough into a 12 X 16 rectangle.  Cut into four 4 inch wide strips.  Spoon filling down the center of each strip.  Fold the dough over the filling and pinch the edges together.  (I would suggest at this point putting the dough logs back into the fridge to firm up again).  Slice them into little newtons and bake 350 degrees for 12 -15 minutes.  Cool on a wire wrack.  Store for one day in a sealed container before serving so they can achieve that soft cake/newton like texture.

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A Love Note

My grandparents were married just a few years shy of 70 years when they died less than a year apart.  My grandfather fancied himself something of a poet and often wrote poems for people and special occasions.  This is one he wrote to my grandmother:

Be A Merry Married Man

So many years of ecstasy

No mortal should deserve.

Her loving trust and constancy

Are treasures to preserve.

This has been Utopia

And you can share joy too

Just kiss your bride "Good Morning"

And bliss will follow through.

Then after work do hurry home

To greet your charming Mrs.

She'll be there, with love to spare

And food that's most delicious

What better thing on earth for two

Than tender matrimony

And a child or two, God's gift to you

And to "your one and only."

With the gold certificate

That makes you Man and Wife

You may live and love forever

'Tis guarranteed for life

Treat her right, both day and night

She'll say that you're divine,

Or something else for your delight

--Whatever comes to mind.

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Saturday Stories: The Hobo Jungle

The trip that Alton and Bumpa took across the country was frought with danger.  Here were two small town boys, just barely out of high school with no worldly experience facing hardened men on the road.  Although they started their adventure with what they thought was a sure plan, obstacles often arose which led them to plan B or even C.

One time, outside a big industrial city, Bumpa and Alton were separated.  Through word of mouth, the boys knew about certain places that they could stay.  The last resort was a hobo jungle.  Hobo jungles or camps were squatter towns.  These tent cities were a law unto themselves.  Yes, there were people who were law abiding citizens who stayed in these camps, but there was also an element ripe for crime.

With nowhere else to turn, Bumpa wandered into one of these jungles alone.  He later related that the atmosphere literally made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.  He saw the most desperate kind of people.  They eyed him with suspicion and malice.   Now you have to realize that Bumpa was not a puny weakling.  He was not a big man by any means, but he was enormously strong.  Looking at him, you wouldn't think he was an easy mark, but being in that camp made him nervous.

Finally, one man offered to share a pot of beans with him.  He sat down to eat and started to observe some of the goings on around him.  Apparently, an illegal fencing operation had been set up in the camp.  People covertly lugged items up to this area and exchanged them for cash.  Bumpa turned to his host and asked what was going on and the man replied, "You mind your own business and don't get involved in what doesn't concern you."  Bumpa didn't say anything more, but continued to watch.  Pretty soon an automobile pulled into camp and some swanky dressed Al Capone type characters went over to the fence and did some business. 

That was enough for Bumpa.  He thanked his host for the meal and took off out of the camp.  The oppressive feelings of evil and danger were too much for him.  He hadn't gone more than a quarter mile out of the camp when streams of police cars rushed past him in to the camp.  Cops jumped out of their cars and started billy clubbing the men, breaking up the camp and the operation within it.

Bumpa said it was probably the scariest, most awful experience of his entire trip. Tweet

Valentine Crepes with Pomegranate Sauce

 I was recently sent a sample of PAMA pomegranate liqueur to create with in the kitchen.  I immediately thought of a Crepe Suzette type dessert with flames and grandeur.  Unfortunately, I have sons; curious children, who have been known to burn dish towels on Yankee Candles, houseplant leaves on tea candles, and all sorts of other things that I hadn't planned for them to incinerate.  So, I simply made a sauce and poured it over crepes.  The end result was still delicious, if not as exciting as I'd hoped.

 

Basic Crepe Batter:

4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups milk
1/2 stick butter, melted
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and salt. Gradually add the milk alternately with the flour, making sure to get out all of the lumps. Beat in the butter last. Cover the bowl and put in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

I make my crepes in a small frying pan. Put a small dab of butter in the bottom, swish it around, and ladle some crepe batter into the pan. Swish it around to cover the entire bottom of the pan and let cook until the top is no longer wet. I flip mine and cook for about 30 more seconds and then slide it onto a plate. Top that cooked crepe with waxed paper and repeat.

PAMA Pomegranate Sauce:
1/2 cup 100% Pomegranate juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur
Combine juice and sugar in a pan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Heat to boiling, then lower heat and simmer, reducing the liquid.  After about 10 minutes, add the butter, stirring to incorporate completely.  Add the liqueur and continue to simmer until thick and syrupy. 

Pour over folded crepes.

 If you don't feel like cooking and are feeling like purchasing a decadent Valentine treat, PAMA teamed up with morecupcakes.com to create a chocolate pomegranate cupcake.

They sell for $60/dozen.

Pretty, aren't they!

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More Than 13 Valentine Ideas from Around the Blogosphere

Here are some places I found with all sorts of ideas of how to have a frugal or homemade Valentine's Day.  I got a little carried away and found ideas for just about everyone.  I hope there is something you can use.

1. MSNBC 10 frugal but fun tips for Valentine's Day

2. The Simple Dollar 9 Tactics for a Frugal Valentine's

3. Suite 101 - Frugal Valentine's Gifts

4. Family Education  - Homemade Valentine's Cards and Crafts

5. Family Fun - More Homemade Valentine's Ideas for Kids

6. All Crafts - Homemade Valentine's Decorations

7. More Cupcakes -  Order Pomegranate Cupcakes (these are not frugal by any means; just checking to see if you were paying attention)

8. DotComWomen - More Homemade Decorations and Cards

9. Homemade Dipped Chocolates

10. Dipping and Decorating Strawberries - Video!

11. Valentine Dinner Recipes

12. Kid Recipes for Valentine's Day

13. Healthy Recipes for Feb 14th

14. Vegetarian Valentines

15. Real Food Green Living Valentine Ideas

16. Gluten Free Valentine Recipes

Thursday 13

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Frugal Garden Preparations

Well, that snow just keeps on coming.  Although the rest of the country is being covered  in snow, we are getting just enough to be annoying.  So, as I wait for the weather to turn drier and warmer, I have done what I can inside.

All of my tomatoes, green peppers (including bell, ancho and jalapeno), broccoli, herbs, cauliflower, cucumber and cantaloupe seeds are in little biodegradable pots in south facing windows.  By pouring the packets of seeds onto little white plates, I was able to get exactly 3 in each pot and then I put the leftovers back in their envelopes and back in the freezer for future use. 

I made seed strips this year for the first time.  I will be the first person to admit that I am not a patient person.  I usually start the carrot rows with good intentions, putting one teenincy seed every inch or so, but after about a foot, I start to lightly sprinkle the seeds and after about 3 feet I am scattering those darned seeds helter skelter all down the row.  This method results in my having to thin out and waste carrot plants later on, as well as finding the occasional carrot in the neighboring rows, too.

So, after reading Jeanette's comment on my post about planning this year's garden, I started investigating how to make my own seed strips.  Who knew they'd be so easy and save me from buying 5 packets of carrot seeds for a 15 foot row?  Here is what you do: cut newspaper into 1 inch wide strips (make sure not to use colored newspaper, as the colors contain lead).  Make up a thick paste of flour and water.  Spread the paste along the strip of newspaper (which by the way is a standard 18 inches long for those of you measuring and planning).  Pour your seeds onto a plate (solid colors work best here) and with tweezers, place a seed every inch or half inch down the strip of paste covered newspaper.  Let dry and store until you can plant it.  With this wonderfully frugal way of planting and ensuring a neat orderly row, I decided to make enough tape to do two rows on either side of the drip line we use in our AZ garden.  As I wait for warmer weather, I am also making tapes for my beets and spinach.

Lastly, did you know that Starbucks gives away all of their used coffee grounds especially for gardens?  They have these cute little buckets in front of their counters where they put bags of grounds for the taking.  I may be the last person on earth to find out about this, but just in case, I thought I'd pass it along!

WFMW

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Raisin Quick Bread: Recipes from Long Ago

Usually when I think of a raisin bread, I think of a yeast bread that takes a few hours to knead, rise, form, rise and bake.  This recipe, found in a vintage Sun-Maid raisin ad, circa 1940,  is a quick bread that stirs together in about 5 minutes.  It does take 90 minutes to  bake, but that is time that I can be doing other things.  You will notice right off that there is no fat in this.  It makes a dense, sweet dessert bread.  Very unusual, but very delicious; especially with a slab of butter spread on top.  Add nuts if you want (about 1/2 cup); pecans or walnuts would be great.

Raisin Quick Bread:

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup raisins

Wash raisins and drain.  Beat egg, add milk, sugar and mix together.  Combine with flour sifted with baking powder and salt (aka combine dry ingredients and add).  Add raisins and beat thoroughly.  Spread in a greased, paper-lined bread pan.  Bake 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees.

 

Also found in the ad:

Raisin Jellied Salad (which I did not try and am not sure that I ever would)

1 package lemon flavored gelatin

2 cups boiling water

1 cup raisins

2 Tbsp finely cut green chili pepper

1/2 cup finely sliced celery

3 slices pineapple

Pour boiling water over gelatin and stir until dissolved.  Add raisins and allow mixture to begin to set.  Add chili pepper, celery and pineapple cut into pieces.  Mix thoroughly.  pour into individual moils and chill.  Unmold on lettuce - garnish with mayonaise.

Tempt Your Tummy Tuesday

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Homemade Graham Crackers: Make Your Own Monday #6

As part of last month's Daring Baker's challenge, we were asked to make homemade graham crackers as well as the baked dessert chosen.  Well,  I will never buy graham crackers again.   Although at first, the texture was crunchy, after storing them in a Tupperware container, they achieved that classic graham cracker texture.  They were good, I tell you, good, good, good!

 

Graham Crackers: (adapted from 101cookbooks.com)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
7 Tbsp butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/3 cup honey
5 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.

Divide the dough in half. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4 inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 4 1/2 inches to make 4 crackers. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets.  Repeat with the second batch of dough.

Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.

Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the tough, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.

 Homemaker Mondays

Real Food Wednesdays

Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

DIY Tuesdays

Mouth Watering Mondays

Make It From Scratch Carnival

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