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!

If I Buy Comet...I Can Afford Peter's Cornucopia!

Now that I've re-discovered Comet and boy is it CHEAP! A six pack of 24 oz can's at BJ's cost just a little over two dollars! I can justify spending a little more on these organic products that I get from Peter's Cornucopia in Utica. I LOVE that store.I just wonder why they don't have rest rooms there? They do serve food and very good food to say the least! Wait a minute here. I should justify buying these products as I have high cholesterol! Yep! It wasn't pretty.
I learned the hard way by taking the blood test after indulging in a liverwurst sandwich with my father a few days after baking about 20 dozen of different Christmas cookies with my best friend Jen. There had to of been at least 10 lbs of butter room temping on the counter!
Anyway those days are over. I have here a jar of Grapeseed Oil Veganaise. Egg Free, Dairy Free, No Preservatives and GMO free as well. Its absolutely delish! Really and I'm a mayonnaise lover from way back. Price tag on this jar is $8.49 which is right up there for a 32 Fl.Oz. Jar but is worth every penny.
Ya know you would think that if these health food stores wanted to make more money it would market to the people who don't have a high income! Keep them healthy too as there are a lot more poor people in this world than rich. Why is it the rich get the best of everything. Duh cause they are rich AND informed...Oh boy big can of worms there, better not go!
The other product I love here is called Earth Balance Organic buttery spread made from "Expeller-pressed Natural Oil Blend...blah blah blah and crushed soybeans. No MSG, alcohol or gluten. Non dairy, no transfat and an excellent source of ALA Omega -3! There's a big fat price tag of $4.99 on this tub of 13 oz. and an expiration date.
Just thought I'd share this with ya! A tuna sandwich sure would taste good right now!

Homemade Wheat Thins! Fresh!

I made these the other day an they turned out really good! This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cook Book. I hope they don't mind me sharing their recipes. You can buy the cook book your self at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/.
Its a great book!
Heres the recipe for your very own homemade Wheat Thins!

1 3/4 cups Whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
4 tablespoons of butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
additional salt for topping

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it thoroughly, using your fingers, a pastry blender, a mixer or a food processor. Combine water and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with Parchment Paper.

TO ROLL AND CUT THE DOUGH:
Divide the dough into four pieces; keep the other pieces covered while you work with one piece at a time.
Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll the piece into a large rectangle which should be at least 12 inches square when trimmed. Keep your pin and surface evenly floured. Flip the dough frequently to keep it from sticking, but to much flour will make it difficult to roll. Keep rolling until you get the dough as thin as you can get it with out tearing, at least a 1/2 inch thick. Trim the dough to make even edges using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut squares approximately 1 !/2 inches wide. Transfer squares to the prepared baking sheet; you can crowd them together as they don't expand while baking. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

TO BAKE THE CRACKERS:
Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time until crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. If some thinner crackers brown to quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly so watch them closely.
Remove crackers from oven an cool. Store in airtight containers.

Make At Home Laundry Soap

10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes

Recipe #1

1 quart Water (boiling)
2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Borax
2 cups Washing Soda

Add finely grated bar soap to the boiling water and stir until soap is melted. You can keep on low heat until soap is melted.
Pour the soap water into a large, clean pail and add the Borax and Washing Soda. Stir well until all is dissolved.
Add 2 gallons of water, stir until well mixed.
Cover pail and use 1/4 cup for each load of laundry. Stir the soap each time you use it (will gel).
Recipe #2

Hot water
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1 Soap bar

Grate the bar soap and add to a large saucepan with hot water. Stir over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
Fill a 10 gallon pail half full of hot water. Add the melted soap, Borax and Washing soda, stir well until all powder is dissolved. Top the pail up with more hot water.
Use 1 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Recipe #3

Hot water
1/2 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
1/3 bar Soap (grated)

In a large pot, heat 3 pints of water. Add the grated bar soap and stir until melted. Then add the washing soda and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved, then remove from heat.
In a 2 gallon clean pail, pour 1 quart of hot water and add the heated soap mixture. Top pail with cold water and stir well.
Use 1/2 cup per load, stirring soap before each use (will gel).
Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #4

2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated - you could also try the other bar soaps listed at the top)
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax

Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load.
Recipe #5

Hot water
1 bar (4.5 oz) Ivory Soap - grated
1 cup Washing Soda

In a large saucepan add grated soap and enough hot water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is melted.
Fill a large pail with 2.5 gallons of hot water, add hot soap mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Then add the washing soda, again stirring until well mixed.
Set aside to cool.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, stirring well before each use (will gel)
Recipe #6

2.5 gallons Water (hot)
1 Bar soap (grated)
3/4 cup Washing Soda
3/4 cup Borax
2 TBS Glycerin

Melt bar soap over medium-low heat topped with water, stir until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2.5 gallons of hot water, add melted soap mixture, washing soda, borax and glycerin. Mix well.
Use 1/2 cup per full load.
Recipe #7

2 cups Bar soap (grated)
2 cups Washing Soda
2 - 2.5 gallons hot water

Melt grated soap in saucepan with water to cover. Heat over medium-low heat and stir until soap is dissolved.
Pour hot water in large pail, add hot soap and washing soda. Stir very well.
Use 1 cup per full load.
Recipe #8

2 gallons Water (hot)
1 bar Soap (grated)
2 cups Baking soda (yes baking soda this time–not washing soda)

Melt grated soap in a saucepan with enough hot water to cover. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently until soap is melted.
In a large pail, pour 2 gallons hot water. Add melted soap, stir well.
Then add the baking soda, stir well again.
Use 1/2 cup per full load, 1 cup per very soiled load.
Powdered Laundry Detergent - Recipe #9

12 cups Borax
8 cups Baking Soda
8 cups Washing Soda
8 cups Bar soap (grated)

Mix all ingredients well and store in a sealed tub.
Use 1/8 cup of powder per full load.
Recipe #10 - (Powdered)

1 cup Vinegar (white)
1 cup Baking Soda
1 cup Washing Soda
1/4 cup liquid castile soap

Mix well and store in sealed container.
I find it easiest to pour the liquid soap into the bowl first, stirred in the washing soda, then baking soda, then added the vinegar in small batches at a time (the recipe foams up at first). The mixture is a thick paste at first that will break down into a heavy powdered detergent, just keep stirring. There may be some hard lumps, try to break them down when stirring (it really helps to make sure the baking soda isn’t clumpy when first adding).
Liquid Detergents Note:

Soap will be lumpy, goopy and gel-like. This is normal. Just give it a good stir before using. Make sure soap is covered with a lid when not in use. You could also pour the homemade soap in old (and cleaned) laundry detergent bottles and shake well before each use.

*If you can’t find Fels-Naptha locally, you can buy it online (check Amazon).

Optional:

You can add between 10 to 15 drops of essential oil (per 2 gallons) to your homemade laundry detergent. Add once the soap has cooled to room temperature. Stir well and cover.

Essential oil ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil

Morning Glory Muffins

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!