Make Your Own Fire Starters

 

 

The winter chill is upon us and there is nothing better the sitting next to a cozy fire. Commercial fire starters can easily run $9.50 for a box of 24. So why not make them yourself and save a little money this winter.

Take an ordinary toilet paper roll or a paper towel roll ( if using a paper towel run cut it in half so you can make 2).

Stuff your toilet paper roll with ordinary dryer lint until it is full.

Then place it in your fireplace or wood stove and lite.

Warning:

Fire starters work because they are highly flammable please take all necessary precautions when using them. Safety first!

If you save your fireplace ashes this winter they will act as garden fertilizer this spring. ( more to come on that).

Always make sure your ashes are completely cool if your throwing them away in the garbage. They can catch your can, your house or even the garbage truck on fire. Last year alone there were several garbage truck fires due to the disposal of hot ashes.

Homemade Peanut Butter

Have you ever wondered how to make homemade Peanut Butter, its actually not that hard at all. It also has a whole lot less ingredients in it then what I read on a store bought can last night.

Ingredients

For this recipe I used unsalted peanuts though the recipe I was going off of says any kind of peanuts will work- salted, unsalted, roasted, honey roasted or even organic peanuts. Personally I think any kind of nut would work - especially almond and cashews since I know you can buy both of them as very expensive nut butters.

2 pounds of unsalted shelled peanuts (which came out to be 4 cups after the shells and skins were removed) Note the bag in the picture is a 5 pound bag and I didn't use it all.

1 Tablespoon of peanut oil per cup - Total 4 Tablespoons for the entire recipe. ( the original recipe called for only 2 teaspoons per cup but I found this to be way to dry and not spreadable at all so I added another teaspoon - which for those who don't know 3 teaspoons equals a Tablespoon).
I have seen where some people use grape seed oil instead of peanut oil - but in that case I'm not sure if the oil amount would be the same or not.

1 Tablespoon of Honey per cup as a sweetener. Total 4 Tablespoons for the entire recipe This is optional but I think it taste better this way.

This is what 2 pound of peanuts look like still in their shells.

This is what those same peanuts looked like after we took off the shells and skins. These peanuts are now ready for the food processor. This is 4 cups of peanuts we measured them out. For my food processor I felt that anymore then 2 cups of peanuts was to much so we made 2 batches of peanut butter and combined them in a jar.

So as I said I added 2 cups of peanuts to the food processor and turned it on. You are going to want to chop them until they are a fine powder. If you don't chop them as fine you will have a chunkier peanut butter.

After the peanuts are finely chopped to you liking you can go ahead and add the oil. 1 Tablespoon per cup of dry peanuts and turned the food processor back on.

Then I added 1 Tablespoon of honey per cup and again turned the food processor back on till it was mixed in well.

When your happy with the consistency and level of sweetness it is done and can be stored in a jar.

I placed my jar of peanut butter in the refrigerator since I didn't use any heating in making it. I also knew with the size of my large family it would not take that long to finish it. They love peanut butter. To be honest I'm kind of surprised they didn't finish it in one sitting.
This peanut butter is thicker then commercial ones. I also find it to have a slightly different taste as you can taste the peanuts in it.

Long Term Storage

1. The government "experts" do not recommend canning peanut butter though before 1978 a recipe for just that was in the Ball canning book. They are one of the foremost experts on canning. This has caused major controversy among the canning community.

2. It is "safe" to roast the nuts in the oven and can them. So if you wanted to have your nuts roasted and canned it wouldn't take long to make up a batch of peanut butter.

3. It is safe to freeze peanut butter - though I do not know how long it will keep.

How to make Sweet Cream Butter from scratch

Have you ever thought about making your own butter? This is a fun activity to do with kids. It can also be made in a jar by shaking it back and forth until the separation of butter and buttermilk occur. While making butter is a fun activity do you realize it can be a very useful skill to have. Here in the north snow storms are a common occurrence, as a result the store shelves are often picked clean. What would happen if you walked into the store and there was no butter or margarine? Knowing how to make butter from scratch will give you one more option and since this seems to be a lost skill in the modern era there is a pretty good chance that what you need will still be on the store shelves.

One quart of heavy whipping cream will make about 1 pound of butter and a 1/2 quart of buttermilk.

Ingredients

1 container of heavy whipping cream. - I used a pint size which will make about a 1/2 pound of butter, but a quart will easily fit into the bowl.

Pour the cold, heavy cream into a chilled mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on and go slowly up to high speed and let the cream go through the stages of whipping cream, heavy whipping cream, and finally, two separate products of butter and buttermilk.

This is what heavy cream looks like - keep mixing.

As you can see the cream will start to change its look as it breaks down. - remember to scrape the sides occasionally to get all the heavy cream mixed in.

As the butter begins to separate from the buttermilk, turn the speed to low.

The butter is now ready to be drained.

Drain off the buttermilk from the butter.

As you can see you now have butter and buttermilk. the buttermilk is done and can be put in a container and placed in the refrigerator for making pancakes, biscuits or anything else that calls for it.
Your not done just yet.

The directions call for you to knead the butter with a wet wooden spoon or a rubber scraper to force out any remaining milk as you need. I have found it easier to do this by hand.

When it seems that all the milk is out, refill the bowl with ice water and continue kneading to wash out all the remaining milk. I found it easier after rinsing it in water to run it under cold water. I keep kneading it under cold water till the water runs clean to make sure all the buttermilk has been removed. This is important because any buttermilk left in the butter will cause it to spoil.

Shape the butter as desired you now have sweet butter.

If you want salted butter mix in a teaspoon of flake salt ( you can use regular table salt, though I would start with less and work up to a teaspoon. Remember it is always better to add less to start because you can always add more but you can't take it away)

If you want bright yellow butter instead of white add butter food coloring.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

Hot Chocolate is a winter time staple for most families that you can now make yourself.

Prep time is 10 minutes     Makes 12 servings

6 cups of Instant Nonfat Dry Milk

1 1/2 cups of Sugar

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of Baking Cocoa

1 1/2 cups Miniature Marshmallows (optional)

Combine dry milk, sugar, cocoa and marshmallows in a large bowl and mix well.

After it is mixed pour it into 2- quart size mason jars or another container with a lid to seal it.

 

(Note: picture taken outside for lighting purposes)

To Serve:

Measure 1/2 cup of hot chocolate mix into a mug. Stir in 1 cup of hot water or Milk. Makes 12 servings.

To give as a gift:
Place in a mason jar and decorate with fabric and a ribbon to attach serving instructions to it.

Planting Garlic

Did you know that mid to late October is the perfect time to plant garlic at least here in the Midwest. A fall planting will allow you to harvest your garlic mid summer. In our home the garlic will then be dried and turned into garlic powder which is a staple here.

The first thing you want to do after deciding where you want your garlic to be planted is to turn up the soil getting rid of as many weeds as possible. My son volunteered to help me out for this job.

You will then want to get some garlic to plant. For the first year you can purchase regular garlic at the grocery store this will work just fine. For the following years it is a common practice to save some of your new garlic to plant in the fall. So in theory with a little time and effort you could only have to buy garlic your first year and every year after that is just free bonus garlic.

To get the garlic ready to be planted you first need to peel it and separate out the garlic cloves. Each of those bumps on the sides of your garlic is a clove and will produce a garlic plant.

This is what the cloves will look like when they are ready to be planted.

Make 1 inch deep holes approximately 3 inches apart.

Place 1 clove of garlic in each hole pointed side up.

Cover with loose top soil.

Layer with straw.

I will watch how the garlic progresses and provide follow ups this coming spring and summer.

Homemade Velvetta Cheese Clone

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups water- very hot

1/2 cup instant dry milk ( or powdered milk same thing) plus 1 Tablespoon

1 1/2 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin

1 1/2 lbs of cheese shredded ( 24oz) - Buy the block cheese and shred it yourself I'll show you why this is important later on. ( Mild Cheddar will give you the closest flavor but any kind will work)


Here is the official recipe - I will show you how to do this very easily later in this post:

1) Line a 8x4x2- 5" loaf pan ( a regular size bread pan)

2) In a blender put 1/2 cup of hot water, 3 Tablespoons of dry milk, and 1 teaspoon of gelatin in. Whip until gelatin dissolves.

3) Quickly add 1/2 pound (8oz) of cheese to the hot water mixture.

4) Whip until blended

5) Pour into a prepared pan

6) Repeat this twice until all the ingredients are used.

7) Cover the pan with more plastic wrap and chill overnight before unmolding.

8) Keep cold and slice as needed.


I found this way to be the easiest:

I have found it to be easier an less confusing to pull out 9 cereal bowl. In the top 3 bowls I put 3 Tablespoons of milk in each bowl. In the middle 3 bowls I put 1/2 teaspoon of gelatin in each bowl. And In the bottom 3 bowls I put 8oz of cheese. ( there is only 24 oz of cheese that your shredding so this will come out more then a cup in each bowl. - to avoid measuring you can just shred 3-8oz blocks of cheese 1 in each bowl).

I lined my loaf pan as the recipe directed.

Then I was ready to start. To make sure I had Hot Water like the recipe directed. I put hot tap water in a coffee cup in the microwave each time for 1 minute and 45 seconds.

When my first 1/2 cup of water beeped I pour it into the bowl (I was using my stick blender  you can use either a stick blender or a traditional blender). dumped in 1 bowl of milk. and 1 bowl of gelatin. I blended that up, it didn't take long at all. When that was mixed completely I dumped 1 bowl of cheese in and blended till the cheese was mixed well. I poured that mixture into the pan and started this whole process over two more times.
When the last batch was mixed I covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight to gel up.
By the next morning it had the feel that bouncy feel to it.

For this batch we used Colby Cheese any flavor will work but I believe to get the closest match a Mild Cheddar may be your best option.

It had a good flavor and it would work well for cheese sandwiches. I am not sure about nacho's as I did not try them.
I decided to use mine in a ham and potato casserole we make up. Personally my husband and I didn't think it had to much cheese flavor when melted. It had a creamy milky flavor to it which wasn't bad tasting but not the normal cheese flavor our casserole usually has. Now my 18 year old daughter on the other had liked it and said she did taste a cheese flavor to it and that it didn't have the salty taste that traditional processed cheese has.

Here is why I stated to shred it yourself:
I actually made two batches Colby which I shredded myself and Sharp Cheddar which I bought a bag of finely shredded cheese. The Sharp cheddar did not mix up as nicely it more clumped to the bottom of the bowl. Because of that it didn't have as nice of a color to it.

The Colby is on the left and the Sharp Cheddar is on the right. You can easily see the color difference.


Where do I find instant dry milk and unflavored gelatin?

Instant dry milk can be found at almost any grocery store it would be in the baking aisle.

Unflavored gelatin can also be found in any grocery store usually in the same areas where you find Jello. It is not Jello though and it will be labeled unflavored gelatin. It will be either lower or higher then the actual Jello brand. Knox gelatin is a popular brand though any brand will work just fine.

Homemade Cinnamon Sugar

Cinnamon Sugar is one of the easiest things you can make. In this day and age when the budget doesn't go as far as it use to doing a few minor adjustments can make a difference. So here is how to take back at least a small portion of control over the grocery stores. You can use any brands at all. You can make this very inexpensive or you can use all organic ingredients the choice is really up to you.

Cinnamon Sugar

1 cup of regular white sugar

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

In a bowl put in 1 cup of sugar.

and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the sugar. ( Don't worry if your bowl looks like it has more cinnamon in it then this picture. It will to be honest I usually do not measure it out I have been making it so long I don't need to).

Mix the cinnamon and sugar together.

Put the cinnamon sugar in a resealable container and enjoy your savings.

Fall Colors

We are very lucky to live in an area where we get to experience all four seasons. Here are some of the fall colors I get to see everyday.

This is driving down our road towards our house.

One of our neighbor's yard

Another neighbor's house

This is a tree at the end of our road.

This runs along the field next to our house. The soybeans that were here have already been harvested.

Making Homemade Meatballs - for the freezer

With the holidays approaching soon its time to make sure we have meatballs for our Christmas Eve Dinner. Often there are three different kinds of meatballs on the table for everyone to enjoy. Your classic Swedish meatballs, Barbecue, and what we like to call Candied Meatballs. We make our meatballs here from scratch. While there are a lot of different recipes out there we really like this one the best.

Homemade Meatballs.

5 pounds of Hamburger

5 Pounds of Italian Sausage ( if you don't have Italian Sausage you can always add a generous amount of Oregano, Basil, Italian Seasoning and Thyme to your basic bulk sausage to give it an Italian flair).

2 packages of Italian Bread crumbs

10 eggs

20 Tbsp. of water ( which equals 1 cup plus 4 Tbsp.

Salt ( I personally use this sparingly or omit it all together)

Black Pepper - I don't measure this but I do give the whole area a good sprinkles worth

Minced Onions - I also don't measure this but I give the area a good sprinkles worth if not a tad more.

Mix it all together.

Form meat it to 1 inch balls.

The meatballs are now ready to be baked. I bake them in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25 to 35 minutes. They are done when you cut one open and the center is now longer pink.

Once they are done it is important to let them cool completely. Putting hot food in the freezer will allow for ice crystals to form on your food and it will speed up freezer burn. Once it is completely cool you can bag these in a labeled and dated freezer bags for later use.

These meatballs are completely cooked and can be used just as you would the frozen store bought ones.

Here are a few ideas you can use your meatballs for:

Swedish Meatballs- I place the desired number of meatballs in the crockpot and add 1 can of Swedish Meatball Sauce to it. When its hot its ready to serve.

Barbecue Meatballs- I place the desired number of meatballs again in the crockpot and add barbecue sauce to it till they are completely covered.

Candied Meatballs- For this we like Sweet and Sour Sauce add enough to cover completely. and cook in a crockpot till heated.

Meatball Subs - I cook them in the crockpot with spaghetti sauce and a generous amount of spices ( Oregano, Basil, Italian Seasoning and Thyme and a Bay Leaf). If you let this cook all day the spices will blend beautifully with the sauce. To serve place on Sub Buns with cheese.

For Spaghetti and meatballs - I make the exact same sauce as I do for Meatball Subs but instead of making subs I cook and serve it on a bed of Spaghetti.

I know there are many ways to make Spaghetti but personally I cook it in just plain water with no oil or salt added to it. When it is done I drain it leaving it in the colander and running hot water over it to break up any starch left behind. You can reheat spaghetti the same way buy putting it in a colander and running hot water over it till it is to your desire warmth.

Pumpkin Time - making homemade pumpkin puree

As many of you know fall is the perfect time for Halloween pumpkins but they are not just for the kids enjoyment. With a few simple steps you could have fresh pumpkin for all your yummy treats all winter long. So grab a few extra pumpkins and enjoy this season right along with your kids while filling your freezer at the same time.

Pumpkin Puree

You will need a pumpkin - you can use any kind, they all seem to work well.

First you will want to wash off your pumpkin to remove any dirt and debris from it.

Then I cut off the top of the pumpkin like you would if you were going to carve it.

Next you will want to remove all the guts and place them in a bowl to use later. There are several different methods to gut removal here they are:

• The traditional way by just digging in and cleaning it out

• My daughter Danielle's way - she cuts the pumpkin in half to make it easier to scrape it out.

• My way - I have found it to be easier to cut the pumpkin into many chunks and then scrape each piece individually. This makes them really easy to handle.

After removing all the guts cut your pumpkin up into smaller pieces. About palm size is a good size. This step may already be done depending on how you cleaned out your pumpkin.

Put your pumpkin skin side up in a pan which I lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray.

Once all the pumpkin is in we add some water to the bottom of the pan. The water will prevent it from burning as well as steaming your pumpkin during the cooking process.

I bake mine here in Southern Michigan in a preheated 400 degree oven for 45 minutes but cooking times may vary depending on your location. What you are looking for is the pumpkin to be very soft so it will be easy to mash.

When the cooking is done let it cool. Since I do multiple pumpkins I transfer the pieces with tongs to another pan or bowl to let it cool. You just baked this for 45 minutes it will be HOT!!!

Once it cools you can remove the outer skin this can be done by peeling the skin off or taking it off with a knife.

Once all the skin is removed the pumpkin is ready to be mashed up. A blender or a food processor works well for this. You want the consistency of baby food.

When you have researched desire consistency you are ready to bag it.

I suggest bagging it in smaller portions because defrosting a large bag of pumpkin for only a few cups is a waste of your time and of good pumpkin. We put ours in 3 cup increments (Great Grandma's pumpkin pie recipe).

Once your bags are filled make sure they are labeled and dated. While it is easy to tell what it is now it won't be in a few weeks. Always date it, this is really good when it gets lost in the bottom of the freezer. You will be able to tell if it is still good or not.

Place all the bags in the freezer for later use. Now you have fresh pumpkin puree ready for any recipe.

The longest part of making homemade puree is the baking but most people won't mind the warm heat from the oven in the fall, and the wonderful smells that come from it.

We are lucky enough this year to find organic pumpkins from an Amish farm for a dollar a pumpkin (since our pumpkins didn't grow this year).

According to a site on the internet - it says it will keep for up to 2 years if frozen with all the air removed. But no matter how long it has been if it does not look, smell, or taste right it is best to throw it away.

You are probably wondering what to do with all your pumpkin guts: the seeds can be removed, washed off and baked for a tasty and healthy treat.

Please note: to take all safety precautions necessary when cooking.