Easy Cinnamon Sauteed Persimmons

Almost 500 persimmons were gleaned off the happiest little tree a couple of weeks ago by the Mister, Em, and me. Fuju Persimmons are the kind that you can eat right off the tree, like an apple. Throw them in a pan for a few minutes and they get softer- and sweeter.

Sauteed Cinnamon Persimmons

2 TB ghee (or other quality fat: coconut oil, butter, bacon drippings, etc)

6-8 persimmons, sliced and seeds removed (I do not peel)

1-2 tsp cinnamon (I like to go big with cinnamon)

pinch of Himalayan pink salt

* a few slices of apples add quite a bit of sweetness and deliciousness

Heat pan first. 

Add fat until melted.

Toss in just the persimmons and other fruits if using.

When beginning to brown, turn off heat.

 Toss with cinnamon and pinch of salt.

Enjoy!

You might enjoy:

Nourished Kitchen has a full post on why her family, like ours, keeps a good stock of ghee. I trust her recipes and information as a valued source to nourish my family with food.

I keep track of recipes I've tried- and want to try- on Pinterest. Join me there and let's share!

This would be sooo good in Baked Oatmeal with extra chopped apples thrown in the pan.

Random joy: Bill Murray "You're awesome" bath mat. Because you are. And you have to shower anyway so why not be reminded?

xo,

Amy

How I Make Hemp Milk- the easy way

Making your non dairy milk from scratch is seriously so super easy, and so super cheap, you might just want to add it to your list. Or not. And did you know you can freeze it?? When you have the energy, make a few batches and pop them in the freezer.

Most recipes will tell you to strain the milk to get the itty bitty bits out. I don't. For two reasons.

• Straining takes out the fiber, much like juicing vs whole food smoothies. I want all the nutrition I can get out of those little babies.

• Why? The texture doesn't bother me or the fam so... I don't. Unlike nut milks, there really isn't much left as the hemp seeds are naturally soft.

Gather your ingredients:

1 cup hemp seeds

4 cups water (play with it. more water goes farther, less is creamier.)

1 pinch of salt (Celtic sea salt is pictures. use what you have.)

1tsp yacon syrup OR 2  dates OR 2TB maple syrup, etc

2 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean is lovely but I rarely do as I use my hemp milk for savory baking and cooking, too 

Put it all in the blender and it's go time! About 60 seconds. Yes, a VitaMix is amazing and yes I have and love mine. Did I say love? I meant LOVE. But just use what you have. You may have a bit more texture in a standard blender. C'est la vie. 

You are done, baby! Pour in a jar and chill. You can freeze it, too, which is great for making up the months worth all in one go.

xo,

Amy

PS

Elana's Pantry offers recipes using yacon syrup and many more worth browsing- and trying.

5+ Super Fave Man Food Recipes

I adore my mister. Butterflies still sore in my tummy with one wink from him. There is so much I do appreciate about him. Nauseas yet? Yeah, he doesn't want to hear it either. Words just don't cut it. Actions speak louder than words.

What the mister wants is smokin' hot chicken pot pie. Freakin' amazing brownies. A plate piled with chocolate chip cookie dough balls and nutbutter milkshakes. Gluten free and dairy free and all the better for it.

Here are 5 (bonus links above!) of our most heavily rotated Man Foods*:

• Perfect Pot Roast from The Pioneer Woman. I used to think it would take another 20 years to get a moist and tender roast. Nah. Just do what she tells you and I promise- perfect pot roast! 

•  My own Roasted Garlic Tomato Marinara. Toss with GF pasta, spaghetti squash, or I love it over a piping hot baked sweet potato. 

• Bacon Wrapped Keilbasa. Need I say more?

• Kale with Bacon. I swear he loves this.  Most kale haters will change their mind when you add bacon.

• Almost Instant Paleo BBQ Sauce. Really, it's baked BBQ chicken he loves but there are 4 million recipes for that and your Grandma's is probably totally better. This sauce is delish'- and really almost instant!

Enjoy these tasty favourites and I hope you find a new blog or two to follow. These are some powerful food makers!

*I know- ladies love their meat and butter, too! Whether you are makin' these for your own mister or for you- I hope you enjoy.

Dried Apples for Food Storage and Winter Snackin'

A canners dream. A lug of apples or pears, spray free and picked that morning for $8! Two please! Now...to put them up. First thing was dried apples.

Wash, core (I don't usually usually core tiny apples), and slice your apples. You can peel but being spray free I didn't bother.

To keep your apples from browning when drying, you may choose to pre-treat. This is mostly for aesthetic reasons, but it can also help your apples to retain more Vitamin A. I skipped this step but I actually do it most of the time. As you slice, toss them in a large bowl or pot with:

• 1 cup lemon juice and 2 quarts water 

OR

• 2 Tablespoons absorbic acid in 2 quarts water

Make sure they aren't in there for more than 10 minutes. Soggy apples are no good. Pat dry and pop on the dehydrator. Each one varies but mine took 16-24 hours. Some took the lesser, some more depending on their size. Look for leathery fruit with no stickiness or visible water when cut in half. Cool. Seal up in jars, vaccum pack bags, or Ziplocs. Keeps for 6 months sealed in a cool dark place, up to a year in the freezer.

You can also try them in the oven. Instructions are here, here, and here.
Enjoy!
xo,
Amy

Hearty Lentil Soup with Kale

Sometimes, my soup starts out with a theme. Like...lentils. Most often, simmering pots on the stove are the result of what needs to be cooked up in the fridge, pulled from the garden, and what I came home from the farmers market with. I rarely follow the same recipe twice. Don't have potatoes handy but the celery needs to be used up? Use it! Only have two carrots but ten pounds of potatoes? You know what to do. Throw them in the pot! Follow this recipe loosely. Don't run to the market for another carrot or kale. Use what you have and enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 TB olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 large onions, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
4 carrots (about 3/4 cup)
3 medium potatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
1-2tsp kosher salt
1 pound lentils, rinsed and picked through
2-3 quarts chicken or vegetable stock (water will do in a pinch)
             *I use 2 for a hearty soup, use 3 if you prefer soupier soup
1tsp cumin
1/2tsp coriander
salt and pepper to taste
1 small bunch kale

Optional Add-ins:
1 ham bone will add soooo much flavor
sliced chorizo (you can see some in the pot)
crumbled, cooked bacon
leftover ham
1/2cup chopped celery
1cup tomatoes or 1 15oz can tomatoes
more of this, less of that

Cook:
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or pot.
Add onions, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and salt. Cook 8-10 ten minutes.

Add lentils, stock, cumin, coriander, and any meat you might be adding. Turn it up to high heat and bring to a boil. Turn the heat back down to simmer 30 minutes, until lentils are tender.
 I prefer UNcovered to great a super hearty soup, covered will retain more liquid.

Add kale, simmer another 5-10 minutes. Enjoy! For more of my favorite recipes, follow along with my Pinterest board, Eat!
xo,
Amy

Roasted Garlic Tomato Marinara

It's the close of tomato season, even here on the mild Central Coast. And yet...I somehow scored twenty pounds of small, sweet tomatoes at our local Farmers Market for $20! This could not be passed up. The first round of tomato madness was Roasted Tomato and Garlic Marinara. Oh, my heavens. This is flavor packed!

Ready to make some sauce? Let's go!

This recipe can easily be doubled, even quadrupled!

Ingredients
2 quarts (about 8 cups) tomatoes. really big pieces, I only halved these small tomatoes
2 onions, cut into 1/8th's
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 Tablespoon fresh oregano
2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (red wine or vegetable stock works great, too)
1 teaspoon salt
sprinkle with pepper

Preheat oven to 425.
Keeping the ingredients in large pieces saves tons of time! I never seed my tomatoes but go ahead if you prefer.

Spread everything out on a roasted pan or half sheet pan with a lip to contain the juices.
Roast for about an hour, stirring things up half way through. I roasted one pan for an hour, and a second for 90 minutes simply for my own convenience.

Now you can use an immersion blender (after putting it in a bowl), your blender, or as I did- throw it all in the food processor. Don't forget to add all of those flavor packed tidbits in the pan. Scrape them in, too. We like a chunky sauce around here so just a few pulses and it's done. Blend longer for a smoother sauce.

You can use your pressure canner for shelf stable storage, and a pretty pretty pantry. I haven't checked the seals on my pressure canner this season and chose to freeze in jars this round. Fill wide mouth mason jars with 1" head space. Flash freeze to allow for full expansion before sealing with lid and ring. Remember to label with name and date. Enjoy! For more of my favorite recipes, follow along with my Pinterest board: Eat!
xo,
Amy

Freezing Fresh Eggs for Winter

The girls have not even begun to slow down and not sure how much they really will. After all, it's late October and 80 degrees today! Still, this bounty of eggs can't last all winter as even our hardy hens will need to slow and give themselves a break. Green beans and strawberry jam from the garden- no problem. But eggs? I found a few resources and gave it a whirl. When eggs are on super sale or your own flock is laying like crazy, consider putting some up for later and you'll never find yourself running to the market mid recipe.

1. Crack however many eggs you intend to freeze into a bowl.

2. Optional: Add 1 teaspoon of sugar/honey or salt per full cup of eggs. Sweet for baking, salty for savory cooking. This is to prevent graininess in the yolk when thawed. Not sure if it's necessary but better safe than sorry. Be sure to LABEL which one is sweet/salty!

3. Whisk to combine and mix the yolk with the egg, ever so slightly. You don't want to mix air in, just combine.

4. Measure out in 3TB increments. 3TB equals 1 large egg. Quite handy as our chickens lay more medium size than large and all my recipes call for large. The teeny weeny 4oz jars perfectly held 6TB or 2 large eggs, with plenty of head room to freeze without cracking the jar. I also used a salsa jar, 1/2 pint size with wide mouth, for 3 eggs and it was a good fit.

5. Freeze. If freezing in solid containers, glass or plastic, flash freeze before you put the lid on. Pop them in the freezer till they are hard and expand so they don't crack the jar. Usually takes a couple of hours. Then put on the lid AND LABEL for storage.

6. Defrost in the fridge and you are ready to roll. Use 'em up within 6 months.

I tried freezing in the ice cube tray (each little nook held 2TB) but couldn't get them back out! Defrosted and made a scrumptious frittata but still. Will not be doing that again.

That orangey richness is one heck of a lot of beta carotene.

Handy sources for slightly different takes on freezing eggs and other homestead advice:
The Prairie Homestead

Fresh Eggs Daily

Mother Earth News

The Incredible Edible Egg

For more ideas on keeping chickens, follow along with my Pinterest board: Chickens and Garden!

How to Make an Owl Cupcake DIY

 A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I had a cupcake company. This little cupcake tutorial was shared on my former cupcake blog and I'd like to share it with you here and now. Owl cupcakes. Happy Fall!

Supplies:

• cupcakes. any flavor. mine are coconut vanilla bean
• white buttercream frosting
• walnut halves
• Lifesavers, I used gummy
• chocolate chips
• coconut flakes, toasted or untoasted
• Milk Duds

1. Slather a messy swirl of buttercream on top and spread to cover. You don't need a lot, this is just to glue your goodies on.

2. Grab the bottom of the cupcake, turn it over and roll the top in coconut to cover. Gently so it stays a bit fluffy and isn't totally mashed into the frosting.

3. Using Lifesavers for eyes, put them in place. Add chocolate chip to the center.

4. Turn the walnut half on it's side and make grumpy or perky brows, depending on your mood.

5. Turn the Milk Dud on it's side for a wee beak.

For more sweet ideas, follow along with my Pinterest board, Eat: Sweet!
Enjoy!
xo,
Amy

Quick Halibut with Capers in White Wine Reduction

Halibut is one fish I have never cooked. Eaten and enjoyed? Heavens, yes. A rather delicate fish and not as common of a catch as salmon, I didn't want to try a practice recipe on what the Fisherman brought home.  But I certainly didn't have a tried and true recipe ready in my handy recipe binder. A 5 minute Google search yielded this little gem from Allrecipes.com. So, I took a deep breath and got started. This recipe was so simple and had so much surprising flavor! Ready in under 30 minutes, start to finish. A new favorite.

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 8oz halibut steaks (I used 1 piece about 10oz)
1/2 cup white wine
2 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons capers with liquid

Heat medium size frying pan. Add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the fish and brown on both sides. About 6 minutes. Remove before finished cooking.

Add the wine, scraping brown bits up, and reduce until almost evaporated. Toss in butter, garlic, salt and pepper and simmer for a minute or so.

Return the fish to the pan and coat with sauce. Cook until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately, pouring sauce over each fillet. I served over quinoa. For more of my favorite recipes, follow along with my Pinterest board, Eat!
Enjoy!
xo,
Amy

Simple Marinara Sauce

My ingredients vary widely as does how much of this or that I throw in. Cooking with what I have on hand, what needs to be pulled from the garden or what might have been deliciously bountiful at the farmers market is what ends up in the pot. I also don't actually measure. Adjust for what works to your own taste. You really can't go wrong. Here is my basic go to recipe:

6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes, include juice
3-4 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes (or an additional 28oz can tomatoes)
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
dash of balsamic vinegar or red wine
salt and pepper to taste

If you feel daring or need to clear out the veggie bin (note the end of summer squash chopped and simmered into the pot above) toss in one or more:
1 shredded carrot
2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 bell pepper
3 small squash, chopped

Heat heavy, large pan over medium heat. Add oil. Toss in onions until clear. Then add garlic. Cook for a minute or so. Pour in tomatoes, herbs, vinegar or wine, and any other veggies that please you. Simmer for at least 45 minutes, uncovered. Taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. For more of my favorite recipes, follow along with my Pinterest board, Eat!
Enjoy!
xo,
Amy

Dilly Beans with Thyme

Dill is not my favorite herb. And it's very difficult to find fresh here on the Central Coast. So, I used the thyme I had in abundance from our garden and, boy howdy! This is my current favorite snack. They should really be called Pickled Green Beans with Thyme but I grew up on Dilly Beans so regardless of the herb, that is what I shall always call them. Like bacon in any given recipe, I also double the garlic from the original recipe to be eaten enjoyed as well.

Recipe originally found in Ball Blue Book with a few tweaks of my own.
Ingredients:
2 pounds green beans
1/4c canning salt
2 1/2c water
2 1/2c vinegar
2tsp pepper flakes
8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
one big handful of thyme or other herb that sounds good to you (dill, oregano, etc)

Trim ends off the beans and cut to fit in the jar. Combine water, vinegar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pack beans lengthwise leaving a 1/4" headspace. Tuck garlic and herbs in around beans. Sprinkle pepper in each jar.Ladle hot liquid over beans, leaving 1/4" headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims. Adjust two piece lids. Process 10 minutes in boiling water canner.

Yield: about 4 pints, 2 quarts, or 8 half pints.

This is not a complete canning lesson. More of a simple recipe. For a few great canning tutorials online, head here:

• Ball Jar Company has an abundant website full of recipes, tips, and resources. See the basics here.
• Simple Bites Canning 101 is easy to follow and you'll enjoy poking around this lovely food blog

For more of my favorite ideas and resources on canning, please follow along with my Pinterest board, Can It!

Enjoy!

xo,

Amy

Radishes: Pickled, Fermented, Just Plain Sliced

Headed out to the garden today and found a handful of radishes ready for harvesting. Our fall garden is just starting to kick in. Time to plant more radishes! The first two I nibbled on while the chickens kept me company. Now...what to do with the rest. I'm thinking...

Marissa of Food in Jars has a quick pickled radish recipe posted on Serious Eats.

Or maybe give fermenting a try? Serious Eats shares how here. 

Martha has a plethora of radish recipes just waiting for me to try.

We'll see! How do you like to enjoy your radishes? For more of my favorite foodie ideas and recipes, follow along my Pinterest board: Eat!

Welsummer Hens and the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

 Meet Squirrel. When she first came home from Farm Supply at about two days old, she was tiny. I mean teeny tiny her whole first month. It seemed like she hardly grew in her first month as our other chicks grew and matured around her. She looked just like a baby squirrel. Hence, her name. She's caught up now with other girls but follows me around telling me all about everything. Other chicken keepers have called the Welsummer's flighty and easily spooked but our Squirrel's (we have two) were handled so much as chicks they aren't as easily spooked. Welsummer hens are just about my favorite breed out of the eight different types we have. Sweet, chatty, and beautiful. Photo by Jessica Wilson. 

Photo by Jessica Wilson

Like leaving dial up behind, once you have fresh eggs you really can't go back. Buttery rich in flavor as well as higher in Omega 3's (double!), protein and other good stuff. When you buy farm fresh you aren't just supporting small farmers and chicken keepers, you are truly getting more nutrition for your dollar. Okay. Hopping off my soap box. Now, how to make a perfect hard boiled egg.

1. Cover the bottom of your pot with one layer (just one) of fresh eggs. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs by and inch or two.

2. Bring to a quick boil. Leaving on the hot burner, put a lid on it, turn off the heat
and let sit for 12 minutes for a softer egg and up to 15 for a firmer egg (my preference). Rinse in cold water.
No more dry eggs, and sulfury grey rings!

For more tips 'n tricks on raising chickens, follow along with my Pinterest board, Chickens & Garden!

Enjoy!
xo,
Amy

How to Cook Fall Off the Bone Tender Whole Chicken

Okay, this is really one half of a chicken. When you raise your own chickens, do all the butchering and processing...you don't just go around eating a whole chicken like it was nothing. They become far more precious. Also, they fit better in the vacuum sealer bags. But the timing is the same for half or whole.

So, this is ridiculously simple. Rinse your chicken (if you are a chicken rinsing kind of cook) and put in the bottom of a pot big enough to hold it and fill the pot with cold water until your chicken is covered.

Add a few vegetables you have on hand. I usually add a carrot or two, cut into three or four pieces, and one quartered onion. I planted a lot of onions in the garden. I mean...a lot and have been looking for ways to use all those onion tops. In place of the whole onion, I tucked the greens in the pot instead and found they added great flavor and I got to use the onion itself for another purpose.

Put the lid on. Heat to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and let sit for 90 minutes. Leave the lid on- seriously. No peeking.

After 90 minutes, you are done! Tender every time, never chewy or tough. I usually save the stock for cooking and soups, removing the chicken to a colander to allow it to cool quickly. I de-bone and shred or chop the chicken to use in recipes for the week.
For more of my favorite recipes, follow along my Pinterest board: Eat!

Enjoy!
xo,
Amy