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Old time German comfort food at its best! < Back German Creamy Sausage, Potato, and Sauerkraut Soup Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 4 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, finely diced ¼ cup flour 1 ½ cups chicken broth 2 ½ cups milk 1 14oz. Polska Kielbasa, halved and sliced 1 ½ cups cooked diced potatoes 1 cup sauerkraut ½ teaspoon dried parsley 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Black pepper, to taste Preparation In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and sauté for about five minutes until tend or translucent. Add flour and stir until completely combined. Cook for one minute and then add the chicken broth and milk. Turn heat to medium high and cook, stirring often until broth begins to thicken. Reduce heat to medium and add kielbasa, potatoes, sauerkraut, and parsley. Simmer for five minutes and then add the cheddar cheese. Stir to combine and remove from heat. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve hot. So hearty, so good. This would be perfect served with the Mile High Biscuits! Yum, yum! Previous Next

Easy and convent meal that you can keep all the ingredients in your food storage! < Back Beef Stroganoff Food Storage Style Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 lbs ground beef 1 large handful of spagetti noodles 2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup 1 Tablespoon Garlic Grandulated Powder 1 Tablespoon Onion Powder 2 teaspoon Black Pepper (to taste) 2 teapsoon Salt (to taste) 1/8 cup milk Preparation Start boiling water, add a dash of salt to water Cook the hamburger in a seperate pan Once hamburger is cooked, take out of skillet and you can strain the grease if you want. Put the 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom in the skillet and start mixing enough milk to make thick gravy. Once milk and soup are combined add garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Add hamburger back in the mix thouroughly, make sure that you taste it! It needs to be strong, because once you mix with the noodles it dulls the flavor out! And who wants that! Check on noodles and I like them aldente! Mix together, call everyone to the table and serve up! https://video.wixstatic.com/video/1acc64_3e2f30f2ca6b489d9d50d69fe6b91c43/1080p/mp4/file.mp4 Previous Next

It's easy to have homemade yogurt, as long as you follow a few key steps. < Back Homemade Yogurt Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: N/A Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1/2 gallon (1.8 liters) milk (see note) 2 tablespoons (30ml) yogurt with active live cultures (see note) Preparation Making Yogurt: Step-By-Step There's more than one kind of yogurt. The style you end up with will depend on a variety of factors—the milk you use, the starter you use, the temperatures and times of the culturing process, the vessel in which you make it, and whether you strain it for an even thicker product, à la Greek yogurt and labneh (more on all of this below). By playing with the variables at your disposal, you'll be able to dial into the style you like most. It's a personal journey toward the very best yogurt of your dreams. These are the basic steps. Step 1: Choose Your Milk The milk you use will have a huge impact on your final yogurt. Let's start by looking at the obvious variables, like fat percentage. I prefer whole milk, both for yogurt and, well, life, but you can use 2%, 1%, or skim, as well. They all work. Some folks like to bulk up leaner milks with some dry nonfat milk powder (roughly from 1/3 to 3/4 cup powder per quart of milk) to thicken it, especially in the absence of luscious dairy fat. You can also thicken your yogurt by adding a small amount of unflavored gelatin (1 teaspoon per quart of milk) before scalding the milk in step four, below. You don't have to add either of these things, and I'd suggest starting out by not adding them, but it's something to play with over time as you seek your own house style. Beyond fat percentage, there's the milk's origin and processing to consider. Most types work. You can use raw milk, if available, or pasteurized milk; grass-fed milk or milk from cows raised on feed; homogenized milk or creamline milk (Homa of White Moustache recommends stirring the cream in only after the yogurt has been made for the best texture). The one kind of milk that routinely gets a bad rap is ultra-pasteurized milk, which most major organic brands are, as well as the UHT milks that are shelf-stable at room temperature when unopened. I've managed in my tests to successfully make yogurt using ultra-pasteurized milk, but my limited success doesn't disprove the wisdom of more experienced yogurt makers that it's a more difficult kind of milk to work with. I'd avoid it. Step 2: Choose Your Starter The starter is the set of bacterial cultures that will ferment the milk's natural lactose sugars into lactic acid, thickening the milk and souring it at the same time. There are a million options. You can buy freeze-dried starter cultures, which look like powder, or you can use a plain store-bought yogurt with live active cultures. Store-bought is easier, plus you get some extra yogurt out of it, but your options are limited to what's on supermarket shelves. Freeze-dried starter cultures come in wider varieties. I've had good experience with the products from Cultures for Health. They sell basic yogurt cultures, plus ones tailored for specific yogurt styles, like Greek and Bulgarian yogurt, as well as a handful of heirloom varieties. Some of the heirloom varieties they offer are mesophilic, meaning they do their work at room temperature (as opposed to the more common thermophilic cultures used in most store-bought yogurt, which requires a warmer environment); this can take longer and often produces a runnier yogurt than thermophilic cultures. I had mixed success when attempting to make some of those mesophilic cultures during my testing, as you can see in the photo above, in which some of the samples separated into distinct layers of curd and whey. For most people starting out, a good store-bought yogurt with live active cultures, such as Fage, will be easy to procure and will yield great results, but, once again, you're free to experiment and find what you like best. Step 3: Scald the Milk With your ingredients chosen, the first actual step in the process of making yogurt is to scald the milk by bringing it up to about 180 or 190°F (82 to 88°C). Of all the variables I tested, skipping the scalding step was one of the few that led to near-certain failure. Scalding does a few important things. First, scalding the milk helps kill off any unwelcome microbes that may have found their way into it. The less your starter culture has to compete with, the better. But this isn't the only reason to do it—otherwise, ultra-pasteurized milk would be a lot more successful. That leads us to the single most important thing scalding does: It denatures the whey protein lactoglobulin. According to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking , lactoglobulin, once denatured, gathers on the surface of the milk's casein proteins. This coating of lactoglobulin acts as a barrier, making it more difficult for the casein proteins to bind to each other in small, tight-knit groups, which would form a lumpy, broken curd, not the smooth one we expect of yogurt. Instead, the caseins bond more loosely into an interconnected network that makes for a consistent, gelled mass. How long you scald the milk determines how much water in the milk is allowed to cook off, concentrating the milk proteins and fat and resulting in a thicker texture. This is another one of those levers you have at your disposal: scald the milk more briefly for a looser yogurt, or hold it at the higher temperature for upwards of 30 minutes to concentrate it. Just be careful to scrape the bottom of the pot during this step, or you'll end up scorching the milk and infusing the yogurt with a burnt taste. Step 4: Cool the Milk If you were to add your starter culture to the hot milk, you'd kill it and then you'd have no yogurt. So you need to let the milk cool down to a temperature zone in which the lactose-eating bacteria can survive and thrive. Going by a thermometer, that's around 105 to 113°F (41 to 45°C), or you can just do it by touch: When you can comfortably hold your finger in the warm milk for three to five seconds, it's about right. Step 5: Add the Starter Freeze-dried starter cultures can be stirred right into the milk. If using yogurt as your starter, it helps to thin it first with some of the warm milk so it can disperse evenly, then stir that into the pot. Step 6: Incubate This is the big moment, when your liquid milk transforms into thick cultured yogurt. To make it happen, you merely need to give the milk and bacteria the opportunity they need to do their thing. Throughout much of my testing, I obsessed with creating the most temperature-stable environment possible, worrying about fluctuations of even a couple degrees. You have more latitude than that—that, really, was Homa's point. This isn't to say the incubation temperature doesn't matter. It does, and it can affect the final yogurt, but it's more complicated than simply holding a single "perfect" temperature without variation. Here's what happens during this phase: The lactose-eating bacteria produce lactic acid as a byproduct, which begins to sour the milk. As the pH drops and the milk grows more acidic, the milk proteins begin to bond and gel (which the scalding step helped prep for). How quickly the bacteria eat the milk sugars and produce lactic acid is connected to the temperature of the milk. The warmer it is, the faster they'll do it. This means that you can hold the cultured milk at 110°F (43°C) and have the milk gel within a few hours. According to McGee, though, you can go lower—as low as 86°F (30°C)—and still get yogurt. It'll just take a lot longer, upwards of 18 hours. The lower the incubation temperature, the more delicate the final yogurt will be, but it'll also hold onto the whey better without weeping and breaking quite so easily. But the timing also depends on how strong your starter culture is in the first place. A weaker culture with a lower concentration of healthy live bacteria will require more time to take hold in the milk, while a more robust culture will work more quickly. I think this was Homa's point when she told me to just let the culture do its thing: There are variables you can control, but you also need to allow for variations in what is quite literally a living food. Not all batches will act the same under equal conditions. According to Homa, my initial troubles with making a culture that could span generations of yogurt batches were likely related to the strength of the culture I was using. "Even if you set the yogurt in your first batch and get a good result, you may still not have a potent culture. It'll work, but not on the second round." She encouraged me to let go of a rigid culture schedule, in which I was incubating the yogurt at 110°F for eight hours, then moving the successfully set yogurt to the fridge. Instead, she advised giving it time to let the process happen more gently but more fully, leaving the yogurt to sit out longer at room temperature even after it had set and allowing it to become more sour and potent. After that, she said I should let it ride for a few days longer in the fridge. "I think the more you let it just be , even in the refrigerator, the more potent it'll get and the less fragile." It was the magic advice, and it's what finally helped me break through to a culture that could last much, much longer. Ah, but how does one incubate the yogurt? Well, there are many ways, and many devices out there you can invest in to do it. You could buy a dedicated electric yogurt maker, though I'm allergic to space-hogging, single-use devices like that. Some people set up a cooler filled with warm water (right around 110°F or so) and hold jars in there. I found that an immersion circulator works well for holding a consistent temperature for the jars. You can wrap the jars of warm cultured milk in towels to insulate them, or set the jars in a turned-off oven with its light switched on to generate just a bit of ambient heat. You can even combine the towel and oven method. You can also use a slow cooker or a multi-cooker like the Instant Pot , though I didn't love the results I got from mine (it made a weepy and metallic-tasting curd). Perhaps my favorite method, though, was the most traditional: a clay Indian yogurt pot. Pour the warm cultured milk into one of those, then set it in a warm spot. The clay allows moisture to escape, subtly thickening the yogurt as it sets. The results are magical, leading to a strained or semi-strained yogurt without any additional steps. One warning: In my early attempts, I scald the milk in the clay pot, which you technically can do. I don't recommend that, though. The milk seeps into the clay and is almost impossible to prevent from burning, leading to off flavors later. Step 7: Strain (Optional) If you want a thick, spreadable yogurt like labneh or Greek yogurt, you'll want to strain it after it's fully set. To do this, spoon the yogurt into a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth or a large coffee filter and set it over a bowl. The whey will drip out, filling the bowl below. Your yield will decrease, though it's impossible to say by how much; it all depends on how much whey you allow to drip out. Remember, too, that you can use the whey. You can drink it, bake with it, feed it to your cats, and more. No need to send it down the drain. Step 8: Refrigerate Once you have a well-cultured, fully set yogurt, it should finally go into the fridge. The cooler temperatures will slow down the bacterial activity, ensuring the yogurt doesn't over-sour, and will keep the yogurt in good condition for longer. As Homa pointed out, the yogurt culture will get ever so slowly stronger after a few days in the fridge, so give it some time if you can. Step 9: Repeat Save a few tablespoons of your batch so that you can inoculate your next one. After all, that's the whole point! Eat the yogurt on its own, or incorporate it into your next cooking project. Directions In a medium saucepan or saucier, heat milk gently over medium heat until it reaches 180°F (82°C) on an instant-read thermometer. Keep the milk between 180 and 190°F (82 to 88°C) for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes (how long you hold the milk at this temperature will change how much water steams off and how concentrated the milk proteins and fats end up, changing the final texture of the yogurt; there's no one right way to do it). Allow the milk to cool to about 110°F (43°C). In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt with a few spoonfuls of the warm milk, then scrape the yogurt mixture into the pot of lukewarm milk. Stir well to distribute the yogurt culture. Transfer the cultured milk to glass jars, the vessels of a yogurt maker, an Indian clay yogurt pot, or whatever incubating device you may have, such as a slow cooker or Instant Pot. Cover the jars and keep warm; how you do this depends on what you have at home. You can submerge the jars up to their necks in the temperature-controlled water of an immersion circulator (set to 110°F or the incubation temperature of your choosing); place them in a turned-off oven with the light switched on; wrap them in kitchen towels and hold them in a warm place; submerge them in 110°F water held in a cooler; use a yogurt maker, etc. How long it takes the yogurt to set will depend on the temperature at which it is held. This can be as short as 3 or 4 hours and as long as 18 hours. Once the yogurt has set, allow it to sit out at room temperature for up to an additional 12 hours to ensure a strong culture; if you're working with a culture you know well, you may not need to let it sit out for so long, especially if you don't want it to grow too sour. There's no one good rule here except to give the yogurt the time it needs to sour and thicken properly. Transfer the yogurt to the refrigerator and, if you can, let it set for another 2 or 3 days before eating it (all this time is simply to allow the culture to grow strong). Strain it to make Greek yogurt , if desired. If you plan to use this yogurt to inoculate future batches, make sure to set a few tablespoons aside. Special Equipment 3-quart saucier , glass jars Notes You can use milk of any fat percentage, though whole milk will yield the richest results; you can also use homogenized or creamline milk; pasteurized milk will work, but try to avoid ultra-pasteurized products, which can have trouble setting properly. You can use any store-bought plain yogurt with active live cultures, or spoon some of your homemade yogurt into a future batch. If you use a freeze-dried yogurt culture, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Make-Ahead and Storage The yogurt can be refrigerated in sealed containers for up to two weeks (though you should use it to culture a new batch after no more than one week to ensure the culture is still strong). Previous Next

Korean steamed eggs (gyeran jjim) is a delicious & easy side dish! Eggs are mixed with water or broth then steamed until light & fluffy! It's also called volcano steamed eggs because of their volcanic cone shape and the steam that releases from the eggs. < Back Korean Steamed Eggs Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 4 large eggs 5 Tablespoons water or broth - see Note 1 ⅓ teaspoon sea salt 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil pinch of black pepper chopped green onions - for garnish sesame seeds - for garnish Preparation WHAT IS KOREAN STEAMED EGGS (GYERAN JJIM)? Korean steamed eggs, also called 'Gyeran Jjim' in Korea, is a delicious and easy Korean side dish that's made with eggs, water or broth, and seasoned with salt, sesame oil, and green onions. ('Gyeran' translates to egg in Korean and 'Jjim' translates to steamed, hence the name Korean steamed eggs.) This egg side dish (banchan) can also be called Korean volcano steamed eggs because of it's volcanic cone shape and the steam that's released during the cooking process. Steaming the eggs results in the eggs expanding in the center as it heats up and cooks. It not only does it result in an impressive presentation, but it gives you extra fluffy, soft, and light as air eggs that are perfectly tender. INSTRUCTIONS Mix the eggs, water/broth, and salt until the whites and yolks are well combined. Optional: For a finer texture, you can strain the mixture. Pour the egg mixture into a small pot heated over medium heat. Using a spoon, mix the eggs while scraping the bottom and sides. You should start to see the mixture thicken up as the eggs cook. When the eggs are about 75% cooked, lower the heat and cover with a domed lid or a heat safe bowl to steam the eggs. Be sure there's enough room for the egg to expand as it steams. After 2 to 3 minutes, you should start to see steam escaping from the cover. Uncover and garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and pepper. The steamed eggs should be light and fluffy. Serve immediately and enjoy! RECIPE TIPS Korean steamed eggs are traditionally cooked in an earthenware pot (ttukbaegi). If you don't have one, use a pot that holds onto heat well, such as a heavy bottomed pot. When cooking the eggs, allow large curds to form to give structure and support to the steamed eggs. This helps reduce deflation. Lower the heat before steaming the eggs to prevent them from burning. The cover should fit tightly over the pot to allow for proper steaming. Serve immediately to enjoy the full height of the steamed eggs! Some deflation is naturally similar to a soufflé. Previous Next

Classically easy homemade recipes and snacks! Desserts Beginner Blueberry Crumble Layers of plump and juicy blueberries covered in a crumbly, buttery, nutty topping and piled high with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (sigh...). This is my favorite crumble because: (1) it tastes incredible (2) it's not overly sweet; a perfect balance of sweet and sour (3) this blueberry crumble is so so easy to prepare! You don't have to blanch the fruit, or peel the skin, pit, or slice anything. It's done in 5 easy steps. Beginner Apple Fritter Cake This apple cake is easy to make and is just like the old fashioned donut! Beginner Upside Down Cakes We Have Different Upside-Down Cakes For All Your Tasty Needs! Beginner Water Pie Discover the magic of water pie. A Great Depression era recipe, it takes simple ingredients to create this deliciously creamy and buttery pie. You won’t believe one of the main ingredients is water! beginner Apple Upside Down Cake This apple upside-down cake is a wonderful twist on an old favorite. Will have your mouth watering as it bakes, because it smells as good as it tastes! Large and tasty enough for family gatherings, potlucks, parties, etc. Beginner Blackberry Upside Down Cake This blackberry cake is easy to make with ingredients you have on hand. Great to take to a party or picnic. Use a cake plate that is wider than the cake; the berries and juice run down the sides when it is turned upside-down. It looks gorgeous when done! Beginner Blueberry Upside Down Cake This blueberry upside-down cake recipe starts with a lemony cake that's baked over scrumptious blueberries in a springform pan. It's then inverted so the blueberries are on top! Serve warm with fresh whipped cream. Beginner Pear Upside-Down Graham Cake I had some freshly picked pears and graham flour to use up and I combined them into this not-too-sweet, whole grain cake. The graham flour adds really nice nutty, honeyed notes, but if you can't find it, you can use whole wheat flour. Beginner Pineapple Upside Down Cake Can you imagine a world without pineapple upside-down cake? Neither can we! And this recipe is by far the greatest of all time. Brown sugar and butter create a rich, caramel glaze that coats juicy pineapple rings, maraschino cherries and a golden-brown cake—what’s not to love? But the true secret to this cake’s beauty is in the “flip” that happens when you remove it from the oven. It might sound intimidating, but it’s so much easier than you think! The result is a picture-perfect upside-down pineapple cake made from scratch. Beginner Sticky Orange Upside Down Cake Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Beginner Strawberry Upside Down Cake Perfect Dessert For The Summer! Beginner Upside Down Coffee Cake This is a gorgeous moist and gooey coffee cake! Use any type of fresh or frozen fruit, or combination of 2 fruits. Peach, cherry, blackberry and/or red raspberry are some of the best. The deep baking pan is required due to the bubbling caramel sauce and the height of the cake. 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ... 8

< Back Orange Blossom Syrup The smell of this syrup is divine! And, if you have an English garden that you can borrow for the afternoon – enjoy! Previous Next

Yarrow tincture is a simple alcohol extract with a number of uses, both internally and externally. < Back Yarrow Tincture Prep Time: N/A Cook Time: N/A Serves: N/A Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients fresh or dried yarrow alcohol Preparation BENEFITS OF YARROW TINCTURE For many, many thousands of years, the medicinal benefits of yarrow have been used to treat an array of ailments. Yarrow helps prevent infection, is a natural analgesic, and reduces inflammation. For all of these same reasons, yarrow tincture is perfect when used externally to treat minor burns, cuts, bruises, and insect bites. Yarrow tincture may also be taken internally for a variety of issues. Yarrow contains bitter flavonoids, which are appetite-stimulating aromatic compounds that encourage saliva and bile production for healthy digestion. Its anti-inflammatory properties also help soothe gut inflammation, which can cause upset stomach or heartburn. A tincture made from yarrow flowers provides rapid relief from congestion or cough from a cold or the flu when rubbed into the chest. When taken internally, yarrow facilitates sweating and acts as an immune-booster, both actions that help your body get better, faster. Taken as a tincture or a tea, yarrow is a powerful anti-spasmodic that can be used to alleviate painful menstrual cramping and any intestinal distress that goes with it. YARROW CONTRAINDICATIONS Avoid taking yarrow while pregnant; by causing the smooth muscle lining of the uterus to contract, it could cause an accidental miscarriage. Yarrow should be avoided if you have an allergy to plants in the Asteraceae family (like daisies, ragweed, marigolds, or sunflowers). If you have a bleeding disorder, check with a health practitioner before using yarrow — in some cases it can prevent blood from clotting. HARVESTING YARROW FOR TINCTURE The best possible time to harvest wild yarrow is on a warm and sunny day, around mid-morning when the dew has evaporated off the leaves and flowers, but before the plant begins to droop under the hot sun. As with any foraging expedition, make sure you have permission to gather yarrow and that the plants haven’t been sprayed. To harvest yarrow, cut the stems about halfway down the stem. The flowers should be open and healthy-looking, avoid plants with brown, sad-looking blooms. At this point, you can dry the yarrow or, as I like to do for tinctures, use it after being freshly picked. If you don’t have any wild yarrow close by, you can also purchase dried yarrow flowers to use for making tinctures. Dried plant material has a maximum shelf life of two years, so if you already have dried yarrow at home make sure it’s relatively fresh. HOW TO MAKE YARROW TINCTURE Making a tincture at home requires very little in the way of equipment and ingredients. Essentially, all you’ll need is a jar with a tight-fitting lid, a funnel, cheesecloth, and vodka. For the jar, I recommend using a mason jar made with amber glass. A regular mason jar will work fine, but amber glass helps to block out sunlight and preserve the potency of the tincture. It’s no problem at all if you end up using a clear glass mason jar, you’ll just need to make sure you keep it stored in a dark place. When it’s time to decant the tincture, a basic funnel lined with a few layers of cheesecloth will work beautifully. I like to use Smirnoff vodka as the menstruum when I make tinctures (a menstruum is the term for the liquid in a tincture). It isn’t expensive, it has a clean taste, and it always produces excellent results. You can use any type of ethyl alcohol that’s at least 40 percent (or 80 proof ) alcohol such as brandy, gin, or rum. You don’t want to go any lower than this since you need the alcohol to act as an antibacterial agent, otherwise there’s more of a potential for spoilage. Never use rubbing alcohol (also known as isopropyl alcohol) for making tinctures as it’s toxic to ingest. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can make another kind of herbal extract called a glycerite tincture with food-grade vegetable glycerin. The method is pretty much exactly the same, and I’ve included instructions in the notes section of the recipe card below. Traditionally, tinctures made with yarrow leaves are used externally, think cuts, burns, and bug bites, whereas tinctures made with yarrow flowers are taken internally for cold and flu symptoms. I sometimes just combine the leaves and flowers to make a multi-use tincture in a single bottle. While I’m on the subject of bottles, I always store finished tinctures in amber glass bottles that have a dropper. Tincture dosages are measured by the dropperful, which takes out all the guesswork, and the amber glass helps preserve and protect the contents of the bottle. To make a tincture with fresh yarrow leaves and flowers, roughly chop or grind up the plant matter — the more surface area that’s exposed the more potent the finished tincture will be. Fill a clean mason jar about 3/4 of the way full with chopped yarrow, resisting the urge to pack the jar too tightly. Completely cover the yarrow with vodka, or your choice of high-proof alcohol, and seal the jar with a lid. If you’re using dried yarrow flowers, you’ll only need to fill the jar 1/2 way full. Dried plant material is very concentrated when compared to fresh material and it absorbs liquid efficiently, which results in expansion as the tincture sits. Store developing tinctures in a cool, dry place away from light. Every couple of days, give the jar a gentle shake. If you notice the alcohol level lowering, add a bit more until the yarrow is completely covered again. The alcohol prevents mold growth from occurring, so keep a close eye on it throughout the process. Tinctures need about 6 to 8 weeks to develop before they’re at full strength. Although it might be tempting to strain earlier, that extra time will ensure you’re rewarded with an effective, super-potent tincture. When it’s time to strain your yarrow tincture, the process is easy. Simply line a funnel with cheesecloth, or if you aren’t working with particularly fine yarrow particulates, you can just use a fine mesh strainer. If using a funnel, strain the tincture directly into a glass bottle, squeezing the remaining plant material to remove every single last drop of liquid. ALTERNATIVES TO YARROW TINCTURE You don’t have to wait 6 weeks to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of yarrow, if you have fresh yarrow available you can quickly make a poultice to use for external wounds. Fresh yarrow leaves can be ground into a paste and applied directly to the skin in the event of cuts or burns. If you’re out on a hike or away from the campsite, you can even partially chew the leaves with your teeth until a rough paste is formed, although full disclosure: the leaves will be very bitter. To keep the poultice in place, cover it with a length of gauze or muslin and secure with a loose knot. Preparation Fill a clean, empty mason jar 3/4 full of fresh yarrow leaves and flowers or 1/2 full of dried yarrow flowers. Cover the fresh or dried yarrow with alcohol, making sure the contents of the jar are completely covered. Screw the lid on tightly and gently shake the contents of the jar. Place in a cool, dry location away from light, allowing the extraction to occur over the next 6 to 8 weeks. Give the contents of the jar a gentle shake every couple of days. Keep an eye on the alcohol level, adding more alcohol to cover the plant material if needed. Once the tincture is ready to be decanted, line a funnel with cheesecloth and place the tip of the funnel into the neck of a dark amber glass bottle. Pour the solvent and the yarrow leaves and flowers into the cheesecloth-lined funnel, pressing to make sure all of the liquid makes into the bottle. Label the tincture with its contents, date of production, recommended dosages, and suggested usages. Store in a cool, dry area away from light. NOTES *To make a glycerite tincture: cover the plant material completely with a preparation of 3 parts glycerin to 1 part distilled water. As the glycerite tincture develops, it will need to be shaken every day. MATERIALS Fresh or dried yarrow flowers and leaves, roughly chopped Vodka or other high-proof alcohol (*see notes for making a glycerite tincture) TOOLS Pint mason jar (or any other jar with a tight-fitting lid) Funnel Cheesecloth Dark amber dropper bottles Adhesive label or masking tape (for labeling tincture) Previous Next

Suggested pairing with foods to spices. < Back Spice Suggestions for Different Foods Prep Time: Cook Time: Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients · Beans (dried) : cumin, cayenne, chili parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme · Beef: basil, bay leaf, chili, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme. · Breads: anise, basil, caraway, cardamon, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poopy sees, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme · Cheese: basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chili, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage tarragon, thyme. · Chicken: allspice basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme · Corn: chili, curry dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme, ancho · Eggs: basil, chervil, chili, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme · Fish: anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, savory tarragon, marjoram · Fruits: allspice, anise, cardamom cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint · Lamb: basil, bay cinnamon, coriander, cumin curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme · Potatoes: basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme · Salad Dressings: basil, celery seed, chives, dill , fennel, garlic, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme · Salads: basil, caraway, chives, dill, garlic, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme · Soups: basil, bey chervil, chili, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme · Sweets: allspice angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary · Tomatoes: basil, bay celery seed, cinnamon, chili, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme Preparation Previous Next

Even if you’ve never made homemade bread or worked with yeast before, this homemade artisan bread is for you. Watch the video tutorial below and review the recipe instructions and recipe notes prior to beginning. < Back Homemade Artisan Bread Prep Time: 4 Hours Cook Time: 25 Minutes Serves: (2) 8-inch loaves Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 and 1/4 cups (about 430g) bread flour ( spoon & leveled ), plus more for hands and pan 2 teaspoons (about 6g) instant yeast 2 teaspoons (about 9g) coarse salt (see note) 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) water , close to room temperature at about 70°F (21°C) optional: cornmeal for dusting pan Preparation 1. In a large un-greased mixing bowl, whisk the flour, yeast, and salt together. Pour in the water and gently mix together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands (as I do in the video tutorial below) to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can. 2. Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine!). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles. 3. You can continue with step 4 immediately, but for absolute best flavor and texture, I strongly recommend letting this risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Place covered dough in the refrigerator for 12 hours – 3 days. I usually let it rest in the refrigerator for about 18 hours. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s fine and normal– nothing to worry about. 4. Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it’s nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the cold dough out onto a floured work surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough in half. Some air bubbles will deflate as you work with it. Place dough halves on prepared baking sheet. Using floured hands, shape into 2 long loaves about 9×3 inches each (doesn’t have to be exact) about 3 inches apart. Loosely cover and allow to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet. 5. During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 475°F (246°C). 6. When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (some even use kitchen shears), score the bread loaves with 3 slashes, about 1/2 inch deep. (“Score” = shallow cut.) If the shaped loaves flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to narrow them out along the sides again. 7. Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (I usually use a metal 9×13 baking pan) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust. 8. Place the shaped and scored dough (on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan) in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Gently tap the loaves– if they sound hollow, the bread is done. For a more accurate test of doneness, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 195°F (90°C). 9. Remove the bread from the oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days Notes Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can sit in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, so this is a wonderful recipe to begin ahead of time. You can also bake the bread, allow it to cool, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. You can also freeze the dough. Complete the recipe through step 3. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container. To bake, allow dough to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, or for 2-3 hours at room temperature. Continue with step 4 and the rest of the recipe instructions. Flour: For the absolute best flavor and chewy texture, I strongly recommend using bread flour. You can use a 1:1 substitution of all-purpose flour in a pinch with no other changes to the recipe. I recommend avoiding whole wheat flour in this dough. If necessary, use half bread flour and half whole wheat flour. The bread will taste a bit dense. Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast, but I highly recommend an instant (aka “rapid rise” or “quick rise” yeast). The bread will rise faster. I usually use Platinum yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast. 2 teaspoons is a little less than 1 standard packet. If using active dry yeast, there are no changes needed to the recipe. The rise time in step 2 may take longer. Salt: Use a coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt, in this bread. I find the flavor slightly lacking when using regular table fine salt. If you only have fine salt, reduce to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons. Water: Use cool water. 70°F (21°C) is great, but the exact temperature doesn’t matter as long as it’s not hot or warm. Round Loaf: If you want to shape the dough into a boule (round loaf) simply shape into a round ball instead of 2 loaves in step 4. Baking instructions are the same, but the loaf will take a few extra minutes in the oven. If you want to bake the boule in a dutch oven, see next note. Using a pizza stone: If you want to bake your bread loaves on a pizza stone, place the pizza stone in the preheating oven. In step 8, place the shaped and scored dough on your preheated pizza stone. If the bottom of the shaped dough is pretty sticky, dust the hot pizza stone with some extra cornmeal. Bake as directed. No Nonstick Pan: If you don’t have a nonstick baking sheet, line it with parchment paper instead. Coat with a dusting of flour and/or cornmeal before placing the dough on top. Parchment paper can burn, so it’s best to check the box to see how much heat yours can tolerate. Lower your oven heat if necessary and bake the bread for longer until golden brown and when gently tapped, sound hollow. Flavor ideas: Before pouring in the water in step 1, add any of the following ingredients/combination of ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl: 4 cloves minced garlic + 3 Tablespoons chopped rosemary, 3 Tablespoons your favorite fresh herb (chopped), 1 cup your favorite shredded cheese, a diced jalapeño, 3/4 – 1 cup dried cranberries and/or chopped nuts, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, etc. Previous Next

The exotic smells just float off the page. < Back Moroccan Rub Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2 tablespoons paprika 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground ½ teaspoon ginger ½ teaspoon cardamom ½ teaspoon cumin ½ teaspoon fenugreek ¼ teaspoon cloves ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon cayenne Preparation Combine all ingredients. Store in an airtight container. Previous Next

My family loves ketchup, but when it comes to hamburgers or roast, they choose this Chile sauce almost every time! Leave the ketchup for the French fries. < Back Chile Sauce Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: Serves: 7-9 pints Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 20 large tomatoes (or 1 peck) 4 large yellow onions 4 large green peppers 3 cups distilled white vinegar 1 cup granulated white sugar 3 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground allspice 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 ½ teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional) Preparation Grind tomatoes, onions, and peppers through a hand grinder or food processor. Medium to small grind. Add all ingredients to a pot and boil until thick. Put thick sauce into pint jars leaving a ½ inch airspace. Wipe jar tops clean with a clean rag (some people use vinegar to wipe) and put sealing lid* on jar. Make sure that the bottle doesn’t have any chips on the top, or it won’t seal. Screw ring on evenly and firmly, but don’t overtighten. Place sealed jars in a water bath pot with a rack in hot (but not boiling) water. Lower the rack and cover the bottles with about 1-2 inches of water above the jars. Put lid on the pot and bring water to a boil. After it comes to a boil, process quarts for 10 minutes** (depending on your altitude, see note below). Keep on a gentle, but steady boil. After the bottles have finished processing, remove them from the pot and place on a cloth surface about an inch from each other, and let cool. Do not disturb the bottles until they are completely cooled. After jars are cooled, wash them off in warm water and carefully remove the lid bands. Test the seals. Store the bottled Chile sauce in your pantry. So yummy! *To prepare the sealing lid, pre-simmer in hot water so that the seal is warm when you put it on the quart jar. It will help create a better seal. **The water bath processing time noted above is for altitudes under 1,000 feet above sea level. You will need to increase your processing time according to your elevation. I’m at 5,400 feet and so I process mine for 20 minutes. To find your elevation, go to https://nchfp.uga.edu/how/general/find_altitude.html Previous Next

A tender vanilla cake filled with layers of whipped cream frosting and juicy strawberries. The classic flavors of strawberry shortcake in a layer cake. < Back Strawberry Shortcake Layer Cake Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner Ingredients Cake : 2½ cups all purpose flour* 3 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1¾ cups granulated sugar ½ cup vegetable or canola oil 2 large eggs, room temperature 2 large egg whites, room temperature 2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract , optional, but highly recommended ⅔ cup sour cream ¾ cup milk , preferably whole or 2%, room temperature Filling: 3 cups sliced or diced fresh strawberries , divided 2 tablespoons strawberry jam additional whole strawberries , for garnish, optional Frosting: 8 ounces cream cheese , softened to cool room temp 1 cup powdered sugar ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract 2¼ cups heavy whipping cream , really cold, straight from the fridge Preparation What tastes like a strawberry shortcake, looks like a beautiful layer cake, and is sure to impress anyone and everyone you serve it to? Answer: STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE CAKE! If you’ve been around these parts for a while you know that I absolutely love baking with strawberries . During spring and summer, there are always strawberries in our kitchen. They are my favorite fruit to bake with! I’ve had a Strawberry Shortcake Cake on my summer “to-bake” list for years. My goal was to come up with a cake that had all the flavors of strawberry shortcake stacked high in a gorgeous layer cake. My main criteria were that the recipe needed to be fairly easy, completely from scratch, and it needed to taste AMAZING ( duh ). I fully expected to have to play around with this recipe multiple times until I got it right, but, somehow this came out perfect – just the way I wanted it – on the first try. Strawberry Shortcake Cake Vanilla Cake: I made three layers of a fluffy vanilla cake. The cake layers are light, yet sturdy enough to hold our filling and topping. If you’d prefer a two layer cake, you can bake the cake in two pans, rather than three. Your layers will be slightly thicker than mine. Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting: Strawberry shortcake has to have whipped cream (and not the kind in a can or that questionable whipped topping in a tub). This is the real deal – freshly whipped cream, lightly sweetened with powdered sugar, and flavored with a touch of vanilla. In order to keep our whipped cream firm, I also add cream cheese to it. This stabilizes the cream and helps it hold its shape. You will have enough frosting to frost the sides of your layer cake, if you desire. I like the rustic look of leaving the sides exposed. Strawberries: Find the best strawberries you can and toss them with some strawberry jam (this makes them glossy and sweet). Strawberries go in between our cake layers, as well as on top of the cake. You can decorate the top of the cake however you like: I used a combination of diced strawberries and whole strawberries. I used thinly sliced strawberries for layering in between the cake (see below). What I love about this cake is its versatility. It’s pretty enough to be served at a dinner party, yet casual enough to be part of a summer BBQ. If you know someone with a summer birthday, this cake would be extra pretty studded with candles and served to your loved ones. However/whenever you choose to make it – just make it! Grab those beautiful summer strawberries before they are gone. Instructions Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt until combined. Set aside. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (preferred) or a hand mixer, beat sugar, oil, eggs, egg whites, and extracts until combined. Add the sour cream and beat until combined. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until just combined. While still beating, slowly add milk, then the remaining flour mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Be careful not to overmix it. Line three 8-inch cake pans** with parchment paper and grease the pans. Evenly divide the batter between the three pans. Tap/gently drop the pans on the countertop a couple times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If necessary, rotate the pans once during bake time to ensure even browning. Place the pans on a rack to cool completely. Filling: Combine the strawberries and jam and set aside (these will be used for the filling and topping). Note: I sliced the strawberries for the filling (about 2 ½ cups), and I diced the strawberries for the top of the cake (about ½ cup). You can slice or dice, your choice. You'll need about 3 cups total. Frosting: Place the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment (preferred) or hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until smooth. While the mixer is still whipping, slowly pour the heavy cream down the side of the bowl. Stop and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl periodically. Increase the speed to high and continue whipping until the cream can hold a stiff peak. It is important that the cream stays cold so that it will thicken properly. If you're using a hand mixer, hold the bowl near the top and don't hold the bowl against your body. Assembly: Place one layer of cake on a platter. Top with one-third of the frosting, then top with about 1 ¼ cups of strawberries. Place another layer of cake on top and repeat. For the third/top of layer of cake, top with remaining whipped cream frosting, then place the remaining strawberries in the center. Decorate the outside with whole strawberries, if desired. Notes *TO PROPERLY MEASURE FLOUR: Fluff the flour with your measuring cup, scoop a heaping portion and level it off with the back of a knife. **CAKE PANS: Using three cake pans produces cake layers that are on the thinner side (my preference for filling and stacking). If you'd prefer the cake layers thicker, or you do not have three 8-inch round cake pans, you can divide the batter between two 8-inch cake pans. Increase the bake time to 22-27 minutes. EGGS AND MILK: To quickly bring eggs and milk to room temperature place the four eggs in a bowl of really warm tap water for about 5 minutes. Microwave the milk to take the chill off, about 15 seconds. FROSTING: This frosting is stabilized with cream cheese, so it tastes like cheesecake whipped cream. If you don’t want the flavor of cream cheese you can use 8-oz of mascarpone cheese instead. Just be aware that the frosting will be softer than if you use cream cheese. Alternatively, you can use vanilla buttercream frosting or freshly whipped cream . Note: the homemade whipped cream will not be as stable, so you’ll want to add the frosting right before serving. STORING: This cake is best served the day it is made. After assembly, refrigerate the cake, then bring to room temperature before serving. Previous Next