9-10-11 Carrots

Freshly picked carrots from Billiam's garden. Organic to boot. There's nothing more full-filling than pulling vegetables from the soft morning dirt.

Freshly washed and cut carrots waiting while the water boils for the blanch. My trusty Kerr canning book says to blanch 2-5 minutes. I chose to blanch the full five minutes as I gave my carrots a big chop. The best color orange on the planet!

After the blanch and before the bagging.

Bagged and freezer ready 9-10-11 organic carrots!

I'm a total ten year kitchen slacker! Not that I'm not busy in the kitchen, just lazy to blog about it. Today I've harvested my half row of carrots to learn I need at least a whole row if not two next summer to get me through soup and stew mode during winter. And this will be the last time I write the date 9-10-11 on a freezer bag!

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Recipe AGAIN!

These muffins are totally worth grating carrots for!

1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled and grated carrots
1 large tart apple peeled cored and grated
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 cup sliced almonds or walnuts or pecans
1/3 cup sunflower seeds or wheat germ
3 large eggs
2/3 cup vegtable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 dedegrees F. Lightly grease muffin tin or line with papers and coat papers with nonstick spray.
Place raisins or cranberries in a small bowl of hot water. Set it aside while you assemble the rest of the recipe.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts and sunflower seeds. (I added two tablespoons of wheat germ in addition an it was just fine). In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, orange juice and vanilla. Add flour to mixture, and stir till evenly moistened. Drain the raisins or cranberries and stir them in.
Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan. Bake 25-28 minutes. Remove from oven to cool.

I got this recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Wheat Baking Cook Book.
Its a keeper! Enjoy!

Classic Apple Pie With A Whole Wheat Crust

This recipe is wonderful! Anything with a stick and a half of butter has got to be good!
Taken from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking cookbook.

Whole Wheat Crust

1 Cup traditional whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon buttermilk powder (optional)
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons orange juice
2-4 tablespoons ice water

Whisk together the flour, buttermilk powder (I used regular powdered milk) sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and work it into the the dry ingredients using your fingers, a pastry blender or fork, or a mixer until the dough is unevenly crumbly. This isn't exact science; the goal is a crumbly mixture featuring uneven bits of butter, with the butter being in recognizable pieces.
Sprinkle the orange juice over the dough and toss to moisten. Add ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough is cohesive. Grab a handful; it it holds together willingly and doesn't seem at all dry or crumbly, you've added enough liquid.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and shape it into a round disk. Roll on its edge along a floured work surface, as though the disk were a wheel, to smooth the edges out. This will result in a rolled out crust with smooth, rather then ragged edges.

Pat the disk till it's evenly round and about 1 inch thick and roll it like a wheel again. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days, depending on the recipe. For optimum results, we found that dough made with predominantly whole grains needs at least an overnight rest in the refrigerator. The rest softens the flour's bran making the dough easier to handle, and yields a smoother-textured crust.

THE FILLING:

5 to 6 cups sliced peeled apples such as Granny Smith or your favorite pie apples
(about 4 large or 6 medium apples, about 2 pounds)
1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup packed light or brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

TOPPING:
1/2 cup traditional whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup lightly packed light or brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

About thirty minutes before you're ready to assemble the pie, remove dough from the refrigerator. Allow it to warm up a bit and become flexible.15 to 30 minutes
Flour your work surface, and roll the dough into a 12-inch circle. Tranfer the dough to a 9-inch regular (not deep dish) pie pan thats well greased and at least 1 1/4 inches deep. Trim and crimp the edges, making a tall crimp. Place the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you're preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F

TO PREPARE THE FILLING:
Cut the apple slices into halves or thirds: you're looking for apple pieces that are about 1 inch square. Place the apples in a shallow, microwave-safe bowl, and microwave them uncovered for about 5 to 6 minutes, until they've softened but still retain a bit of "bite." Remove them from the oven, transfer them to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, spices, salt, vanilla and lemon juice. As you stir, the mixture will become syrupy. Add the butter and flour, and stir until everything is well blended. Set aside.

TO MAKE THE TOPPING:
Whisk together the flour, oats, nuts, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the vanilla. Cut butter into small cubes, and work it into the dry ingredients till the mixture is evenly crumbly.

TO ASSEMBLE AND AND BAKE THE PIE:
Spoon the apples into the chilled crust. Spread the topping evenly over the apples. Tent the entire pie lightly with foil.

Bake the pie until the crust and topping are golden brown and the apples are bubbling, 1 hour. Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve it up warm with vanilla ice-cream.

On Mission To Back To Basic~Essential Oils

This Central New York old fashioned winter has become never ending of day in day out GRAY!
There was this comic on Comedy Central a few years ago who performed a skit about his recent visit to Central New York. I can't remember his name but he nailed it and had me rolling in laughter. He described New York in the many different shades of gray he never knew existed and ended the skit yelling,"And just when you think the sky can't get any grayer....you think it might be a great idea to slit your wrists just to see some color!"
I would never let winter render me suicidal but it can make you stir crazy and blue!
While at St. Elizabeths during which my father was getting his pace maker tweaked. My mom and I discovered there was a book sale down near the cafeteria. So down we went to pass some time. There were many great books and at great prices. Mom bought me a copy of the Readers Digest The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs. Like I need another herb book. I've got so many from my college days at Morrisville. It's a lovely book and only cost fifteen dollars so she snapped it up for me. It made the wait in the hospital wait go quicker reading and renewing my knowledge of plant materials.
In Mr. Soucy's plant material class we had to identify 10 different trees and shrubs every week. Both the common name and the botanical name. I was pretty good in that class and packed my brain each week with all this information. Sadly because I don't work in the field. I've lost most of it. So another mission of mine is too re-learn my plant materials, annual and perennial.
Anyway back to my new book. There are some really good recipes for natural beauty. For skin care, hair care, foot care, facials, pregnancy and mental I'm mean meno-pause. Also in this book are recipes for homemade gifts, green cleaning around the house and a ton more. GET THE BOOK If you see it. Its a keeper.
So I've been interested in the essential oils. I love going to the health food stores and smelling from these little power house jars filled with these kinda like sacred oils. But you really need to know what you are doing with them.
An Essential Oil Starter Kit suggests starting with these different oils:
Geranium And I quote,Astringent and refreshing, this oil has a balancing effect on the skin, making it a great choice for homemade massage oils and footbath. Invaluable for the female reproductive health. I helps overcome irritability and bloating caused by premenstrual syndrome.
Lavender:Helpful for cramps headaches nervous disorders and insomnia. Healing and antiseptic, this oil helps heal burns and other skin disorders, and prevents scarring. It's also a great insect repellent.
Peppermint: Stimulating, digestive and anti-inflammatory. Use in an inhalation to relieve nausea and respiratory problems or in a bath to soothe muscle aches.
Rosemary: For mental fatigue headaches, colds and flu.
Tea-Tree: Renowned as an anti-fungal and antiseptic, this oil can be used for clearing yeast infections, athletes foot and acne, and also as for firtst aid for minor wounds.
Tips To Know:
*Do not take essential oils internally. Except for lavender oil, they should not be applied nest to the skin.
*Pregnant and breastfeeding woman should avoid essential oils, unless on the advice of a qualified aromatherapist.
*Certain essential oils such as bitter orange and grapefruit can cause skin photosensitivity.
*Some oils such as lemongrass can also irritate sensitive skin.

Antioxidate! Cheap! And Sun Dried Tomatoes Except In The Oven.

Ok...back to normal. Holidays be gone!
LIving in a quaint little college town is wonderful. But there are advantages and disadvantages as there is every where.
Advantages are getting out of the house for a glass of wine with a friend at a local bar and having the Swinging Gates from Colgate pop in for a spur of the moment practice. Darn. No camera on hand for that. But there they stood in a half moon circle in Nichols and Beal one snowy cold night. 12 of more lovely young beautiful girls most of them dressed to the nines in perfect acappella harmony. Another adavantage is being able to go to Colgate for art shows and music concerts which are only 7 miles down the road. I don't have to drive 5 hours to New York City to get a little culture. Hamilton has a fine mix of culture right here.




One disadvantage though is grocery shopping! I popped in to the local Grand Union for jar of sun roasted tomatoes and they wanted $6.99 for a four ounce jar! There probably wasn't one tomato in the jar! Who ever prices these products should be arrested! So I bought my own vine ripened tomatoes and slow roasted them in the oven. Just slice the tomatoes. Toss them in extra virgin olive oil. Salt and Pepper them and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for 4 hours.
Homework lesson for this summer's tomatoes is to sun dry my own. I'm also gonna look into buying a Food Dehydrator.


Another expensive products around town in the health food stores and coffee houses are these bottled green tea and organic juices. Sure they are good for you but spending 3 dollars on one 24 fluid ounce bottle is ridiculas Give it up!
And the thought of all these glass and plastic bottle in landfills just turns my stomach! Not every state recycles!
I learned that visiting family in Ocean City Maryland where beaches and beers go well together.
So pretty much everyday I make two pots of tea. A pot of regular Liptons black tea. And a pot of green tea.
I'm not big on the taste of green tea but it sure does taste good with a shot or two of Northlands Pomegranate Cranberry all natural no sugar added! In the summer I'll make a whole pitcher of it. My tall tea pot holds about 5 cups of water so I use about 3 tea bags. Then after seeping when ever I get thirsty I just grab a glass of ice. Pour about 3/4's of the glass with green and top it off with a good antioxidant juice! Lots cheaper than buying a case of individual bottles thats for sure!



Oh and watching one of the Food Network shows I realized there were two kitchen utensils that I didn't have in my ten year kitchen! A hand held parmesan cheese grater and a fruit juicer thing! How did I live with out these!

Leigh Yardley's Homemade Pasta

In these trying, frustrating economic and political times. I think we should all gather more for dinner parties.
If you know me...I'm Pamme, Pamme the party planner! I love them!
I've switched over from white flour pasta to the healthy whole wheat pasta with ease and can't even tell the difference.
But I gotta tell you that Leigh's homemade pasta that we rolled out the other night was light and so delicious! And fun to make!
All she does is take 2 cups of flour. She used white flour but I expect you could use any flour you want, four eggs and a wee amount of water and mixed it up enough to form a ball. This amount of flour and eggs makes about a pound of dough.
She then cut it up in to smaller sections then sent it through her Atlas pasta maker each time setting the caliber lower to flatten the pasta. We all decided on Linguine and sent the flatten dough for the last time through the Linguine stage of cutting.
This pasta cooked up in no time in a pot of boiling, salted, olive oiled water and was sooo good with a home made cream sauce of sauteed garlic, sliced onion and orange pepper (about two cups). She then threw in about a cup of white wine to deglaze followed by a bowl of baby scallops,shrimp and orange roughy and a pint of heavy cream.
I also added some steamed broccoli for more veg and color.
It was really good.
We followed our meal with discussion over this upcoming election and parfait cups of sherbert, The grand finale of the night was rousting out this dude with a head lamp and a gun jacking fox out of the field above my house!
Yep, never a dull moment out here in sunny south Hamilton!

Boiled But Beautiful Cookies

Boiled Cookies is really a gross name for these tasty little treasures! Eating one of these is like eating candy!
I have no idea where this recipe came from. I'm thinking from my Aunt Barb. I've been making these cookies since I was a teenager. I have to say that they qualify as healthy as they are loaded in oatmeal. A healthy in moderation cookie.
Here ya go Aurora!

2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter

Combine these first four ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a rapid boil for a good minute!
Remove from heat and stir in the following:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Quaker quick oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of coconut

This mixture should thicken up good.
Spoon out on wax paper to cool and harden up.
Try not to eat them all in one day

Good Luck!