raw flax crackers, baked oatmeal, mint chocolate cream bars & pickled okra (the reviews!)

BUSTED!!

okay, so i said i would post about the results of the various kitchen goings-ons, as well as their 'pricing' & i did not. however, after several emails from various folks asking how things turned out, i will procrastinate no longer. :)


*in my defense, it is not so much that i have been procrastinated, but rather i have realized that both our 2 week vacation & the start of school are looming & these sorts of things do tend to take priority over blogging...however much i may want to post...:)*


ok, so...

recipe #1... raw flax crackers (the link will take you to laura's post w/the original recipe)


cost break down (these are, of course, based on what we have available in our area)

*2 cups carrot juice pulp *FREE*
(our neighbor makes carrot juice daily & saved some pulp for me :)
*2 cups flax seeds $1.74
(i got a bag of bob's red mill organic flax seed from our market. after doing the math it came out to about $2.32/# or $.87/cup)
* 1 cup of raw almonds $1.25
(based on $5.76/#)
*large handful of fresh (organic) cilantro $.75
(got some from the market, $1.50/bunch)


(i didn't calculate the cost for the following as they are staples in pretty much every kitchen)
*3 garlic cloves
*1 TBS Braggs/soy sauce
*1 tsp onion powder
*1 tsp ground cumin


grand total, ~$3.74 for the batch , our rating...***** (out of 5 starts! :)
(i didn't count how many crackers it made, bit i think it was at least 50 or so tortilla chip size...laura??)

definitely a keeper...all natural, organic crackers are expensive!! i love that we now have an alternative. :)


aydin was my "little chef" today...:)



don't you just LOVE the colors??


Drain and rinse almonds. Process them in the food processor with the cilantro, garlic, Braggs, onion powder and cumin.


Get the almond nice and homogenized.

Put mixture into a large bowl and add the pulp and the flax seeds (the flax seeds do not get drained and rinsed because the flax seeds have soaked up all the water!). Mix well.


Spread out onto 4 dehydrator trays lined with teflex (we only have one teflex liner, so we substituted parchment paper cut to size).




Dehydrate at 145 for 2 hours, then turn down to 115 and dehydrate for another 6-8 hours.
(we have a dehydrator that we got at a tag sale, no dials just a dan...plug it in and it does it's thing. i checked the temp, it runs at about 160 degrees so ours didn't take nearly this long. i just kept checking the crackers after the first couple of hours. once they began to curl up at the sides, i flipped them. i will also say that the crackers on the parchment paper 'baked' much faster, and were much easier to flip as well.)


Flip crackers over and peel off teflex. Dehydrate another 2 hours or so until crackers are totally dry and crispy. (so, this recipe estimates about 8-10 hours total 'cooking' time, but ours only took about 4 hours or so. i should have written it down, but i did not expect there to be much variance. it was a good thing though...since i got done "cracker sitting" early, we had time to go to the pool! :)


Break into cracker sizes and store in airtight containers. (i split this batch with a neighbor, it filled three (2 cup) tupperwares with crackers...i would say each tub contained 15-20 crackers of so. since ours came our off a circular model with a vent hole in the center (think bundt cake) i just broke them into random tortilla chip-sized pieces.)


the verdict: these were yummy, both us & our neighbor thought so. i love the way the house smelled & they were easy & fun to make!! i think next time i'll add a bit more garlic, onion powder & cumin, the boys said they could use a bit less cilantro.


they keep well also, i think a week or so. possibly longer...ours are all gone, so i can't really say for sure. i would like to try it with the apple pulp, too. a keeper.


recipe #2...slow cooker baked oatmeal


super easy & very yummy! NOT loaded with sugar & i LOVE that we had everything on hand. :)


we had some for breakfast & then the next day as as snack.


recipe #3...raw mint chocolate cream bars cost break down...

CRUST
* 3/4 cup almonds $1.00

(based on bulk $5.75/#)

* 5 dates, pitted

* 10 prunes (or more dates, if preferred–replace 2 prunes with 1 date)

**i used 10 dates $3.25

(based on $6.98/#... the math...there are roughly 8 dates in a cup, a cup costs $2.50, so each date is about $.30)

(did not calculate the costs for the below as these are, again, pantry staples)

* 2 tsp vanilla extract

* 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (raw cacao powder if you have it)

* pinch sea salt

FILLING
* 1 1/2 cups soaked cashews $1.50

(based on bulk price $8.41/#)

* 1 cup non-dairy milk (i used reg milk b/c that is what i had)

* 1/2 cup agave nectar $1.75

(i got a bottle of 'wholesome sweeteners organic raw blue agave', 11.75 oz ,~ $5 something.)

* 1 tsp mint extract (actually had this on hand :)

* 1 tbsp vanilla extract (staple)

* 1 tsp xanthan gum $3.25

(i bought the smallest little container from our local amish food store, it cost me $3.25. i am setting the price at that for this recipe b/c i have never in my life used xanthum gum & i doubt that i ever will again. )

* pinch sea salt (staple)

* 1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach $.75

(they had a 9oz bag of organic spinach marked down to $1.49...woo-hah!)

* 1/2 cup coconut oil $1.00

(bought a jar of spectrum organic coconut oil for $7 something at the market)

* 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (raw cacao powder if you have it)

grand total invested...$11.00, our rating...* (out of 5 stars :(

i was so very excited to make these, but they were not nearly as good as i was expecting...:(

they were ok the first night. we tried them straight from the freezer first, for more of an ice cream bar effect. but they were much better from the fridge. the boys each ate 2 small pieces.

day #2...things went downhill. the mint green started turning brown (think avocado sitting out) & it tasted grittier. (of course, that could have been my fault. perhaps i didn't grind the mixture enough??)

day #3, had to toss it. the colors were all weird & it just looked totally unappetizing.

recipe #4...pickled (fermented) okra

okra tug-o-war...

be'be won...:)

the pickled okra was amazingly easy & the end result is quite tasty. we LOVE pickled okra, so this is a very, very good thing. :)

i put ours in the fridge after 3 days, then tasted an okra a day starting after 3 days in the fridge. at first, they were bit tough, but after the 5/6th day they were just right.

they do have a bit of a fermented tang to them, so i thought the boys might reject them, but they did not. in fact, quite the opposite...they ate more than me. :)

i have more in the works right now, as well as some pickled cucumber slices.

please do share your own fermentation recipes, trials, successes & failures.

oh, & on that note, i was planning on making the fermented preserves from nourishing traditions next, but a friend said that they are very ferment-y & not much of a treat at all.

so, thank you for the heads up mamma rae & i'll start looking for a recipes for jam using honey (vs sugar).

will let you know if i find one & how it turns out...:)

happy kitchen explorations!

pickled okra, kale chips & more...

a gorgeous stained glass fairy made by my mother, a wedding gift. no relevance to today's post, but i just LOVE her, don't you?

we are getting into all sorts of fun, new things around here! i am totally loving it!

monday we picked okra from the garden & set it fermenting, following a recipe from sally fallon's book "nourishing traditions" (i cannot recommend this book enough, it is amazing!) sadly we spaced on picking our first lot, so it because a nice treat for the chicks & our bunny, niro. :)

we did harvest enough to fill a pint jar....which will not last long as we are a pickled okra loving family! we followed her recipe for pickled cucumbers.

here is our jar on day 1...isn't it gorgeous??

pickled cucumber (makes 1 qt)

*4-5 pickling cucumbers or 15-20 gherkins

(we just stuffed the jar with as many okra pods as we could :)

*1 tbsp mustard seeds

*2 tbsp fresh dill, snipped

*1 tbsp sea salt

*4 tbsp whey

*1 c filtered water

wash cucumbers/okra & put in a wide-mouth quart jar. combine remaining ingredients & pour over cucumber/okra adding more water if necessary to cover.

the top of the liquid should be at least 1" below the top of the jar.

cover tightly & let sit at room temperature for 2-3 day, then move to cold storage.

and here it is on day #2, happily fermenting...:)

and again on day #3, ready for cold storage (cool, dark, temperature of about 40 degrees)

i have also gotten sucked into the raw food craze, just a bit, but is is exciting. when i first heard "raw food" i thought, as most of you do probably...salad, salad & um, more salad?? this is very much NOT the case!

my first raw food 'project' was this raw chocolate fudge cake with raspberry filling. i made it for papa, for father's day. it was quite good, too good. lance absolutely loved it, but the boys & i thought it was a bit too chocolaty (as a chocolate loved, i honestly cannot believe that i just typed those words), but it is true.

i have a confession...i am a hershey's special dark sort of girl. (gasp!) i have tried to like the organic chocolates out there, really, i have...but they just taste bitter to me. if by chance, you do like the higher cocoa content varieties, then this cake is most definitely for you! :)

it was good...what i would do differently next time?? i would not do a layer cake, it is much too rich for that & i would leave out the coconut. also, i would go for fresh raspberries vs the filling.

this week's delicious delight?? raw mint chocolate cream bars ...our father's day was, well, a bit chump as orin's birthday celebration was also that weekend & a sleepover to boot. so, i thought that we would do a little something extra this weekend & lance absolutely loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, i think he'll love these as well. :)

other raw food adventures??

last night we made kale chips, following a recipe from laura over at crooked moon mama

this might wound weird, but i really loved the way the kale felt as i massaged in the marinade & it was such a lucious shade of green afterwards.

our dehydrator is a very simple one that i picked up at a tag sale a couple years ago for $5, no fancy temperature setting, just plug it in & there you go. i did want to get an idea of what temperature it runs at though, as many of the recipes i have seen have varying temperatures. i plugged ti in & let it run for a bit, about 10 min, then took a reading with a meat thermometer...ours runs at about 120 degrees. knowing this, i can better gauge how long things will take to crisp in our dehydrator.

at any rate, i went to check on the kale chips & the lid was ajar & the entire top tray was nearly empty! needless to say, the boys found them & loved them! they are good, and i probably will make them again at some point, but the boys & i eat kale raw/plain already, so it seems kind of silly to go through the trouble to 'cook' some up, you know?

today we have some of laura's raw curry flax crackers in the dehydrator, some baked oatmeal in the slow cooker & some raw cashew balls yet to be made. :)

we'll share photos & our family's reviews of those recipes & more soon. i have also begun to calculate recipe costs, as a lot of the raw foods use things that i don't typically buy bulk loads of...like loads of nuts, dates, etc. i will post those tallies from now on as well.

i am having so much fun checking out all of these new foods & ways/means of cooking. if you have any great recipes that you have found, please do share!

happy baking day!

homemade cheese from raw goat milk...

project #2 using raw goat's milk...homemade cheese!

i got this recipe from the lovely mama who is supplying our fresh goat's milk...miss amanda wilder!

1. pour a half gallon fresh, raw milk into a stainless steel stockpot (our was goat's milk)

2. heat over med-high, stirring occasionally until milk reaches a temp of 190-195 degrees (for us, this took 30 min)

3. IMMEDIATELY add 1/4 c of white vinegar, stirring constantly until curds being to form (which should happen almost immediately)

4. place a colander in some sort of large bowl/container to catch the liquid (whey) , then line colander with a doubled piece of cheesecloth/t-shirt/old school cloth diaper that has been bleached.

pour the pot of curds & whey into the colander.

5. pour the whey into glass mason jars, label & save in the refrigerator for use in other recipes.

(the whey will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months)

6. tie up the cloth & hang over a glad jar/bowl, allowing the last bit of whey to drain & the cheese to harden.

leave cheese to hang & firm for about 2 hours.

7. untie & marvel at your lovely, not to mention delicious homemade cheese!

our 2 gal of milk resulted in a little over 2 quarts of whey & 10.5 oz of cheese.

we ate our cheese at lunch yesterday, it was delicious! despite the fact that it was made with goat's milk, it did not taste at all goaty.

the boys did say that it needed a bit of flavoring...i am thinking of adding some fresh herbs into the curds before hanging for our next batch.

hooray for homemade goodness & the 'simple life'!

raw milk, curds & whey...

okay, so i have been wanting to take it a bit further, diet-wise...more healthy, more natural, less prepackaged, more bulk foods, etc.

i asked around for a good cookbook as a place to get my bearings & so many folks recommended "nourishing traditions", by sally fallon, that i ordered a copy...speed. (it was & is still on sale for like 1/2 off @ amazon.com if you'd like to invest in your own copy! :)


it is amazing!...and so much more than a cookbook. amazing articles said to unnerve the 'diet dictocrats' that we are currently (ill)advised by.

covers loads of ingredients & topics, sidebars chock full of info grace each page, not to mention the lengthy introduction covering "the basics".

at any rate, i am trying to resist my usual desire to jump in 100%, and just do 1/2 new recipes or 'projects' per week. so far, so good...


we have a friend who raised milk goats, so i started getting fresh, raw goat milk from her a couple of weeks back & absolutely love it! it tastes just like real milk (probably b/c it is, right! ;)

it will last 3 or 4 days as it, or you can pasteurize it by heating it in a stainless steel stock pot to 190-195 degrees & that will give you another week before it starts getting a bit goaty.

so, that was step one. (check!)

step 2 was to make a few things with the milk.

project #1: cream cheese & whey (so easy!)

1. set jar ( i used 2 qts) of raw milk on counter & let stand at room temp for 2-4 days until the curds & whey separate (when fully separated the jar will be half curds & half whey).

*we used goat milk, which is on the longer end of the spectrum, apparently, ours took 4 days*


2. line a colander with an old t-shit/doubled cheesecloth/old-school (thin) cloth prefold diaper that has been bleached. set lined colander over some sort of bowl/container so that the precious whey (the liquid) will not be lost down the drain.


*i set our inside a large plastic tupperware, as that is all i had that was large enough*


3. pour jar of separated curds & whey into lined colander. once most of whey has drained through, lift colander out of bowl & set aside in other sink (as it will continue to drip a bit).


pour whey into clean/sterilized mason jars & mark with date & refrigerate. the whey can be used in loads of fermented vegetable & fruit recipes, also used in soaking grains & a variety of other recipes.

4. carefully lift cheesecloth out of colander & tie to wooden spoon. suspend wooden spoon over a over a large jar/bowl & allow the last bit of whey to drip out.

5. remove cream cheese from cheese cloth & put in a wide mouth glass jar, mark with date & refrigerate. allow to sit in refrigerator for 24 hours before using.

as ours was made from raw goat milk, it does taste a bit goaty, more like the goat cheese that you would purchase at your local market. the texture is firmer though, i like it & there are definitely enough recipes on the wed that call for goat cheese, so no harm done.

my friend, amanda, who i get the milk from, suggested that i add a bit of honey to sweeten it up a bit, but i haven't tried that yet.

at any rate, that's it, you' re done! this recipe of 2 qts raw milk will yield 5 cups whey & 2 cups cream cheese.

the cream cheese will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month & the whey will keep for up to 6 months.

raw barley cereal...

my friend jayna has a lovely quote as her email signature...

"live simply that others may simply live" (gandhi)

i am always pondering how we, as a family, can take this more to heart...lately, my musings have involved our food consumption.

we eat pretty healthy, but i am wanting to take that a bit further, and eat more simply. i feel that we spend too much on groceries & that i spend too much time *each day* in the kitchen.

my theory is that we can all eat healthy, but without it costing us a fortune. a bit more time & prep, maybe... earlier generations lived better than we do on much less & they were also much healthier. today most of us rely too heavily on convenience foods & prepackaged products & we definitely pay for those amenities.

i want to be more on my own, living out of the pantry & cooking from scratch with basic ingredients versus the latest cookbooks & magazines loaded with new, trendy ingredients. (not that i am against trying new things)

my plan is to trade out just 1 or 2 recipes a week & slowly make my way through a few new cookbooks, my favorite of which is "nourishing traditions", by sally fallon. it is so much more that a cookbook...she has amazing articles & the hows & whys behind her methods. and the best part if that these are not new methods...she is reviving the old ones, but with their traditions as well. not just our great, great, great grandmothers' bread recipe, but the fact that she soaked her grains as well.

the other cookbooks i ordered are the waldorf kindergarten snack book & the waldorf books of soups (well, the last one i am actually borrowing from a friend).

at any rate, today is grocery day & so i had to rummage. i remembered a recipe for a raw barley cereal, though i couldn't think of where i read it & i couldn't find it on the internet either. so, i just sort of winged it with what we had *in the pantry*! :)

the recipe...

*1 cup barley

*1/4 c slivered almonds (all that we had in the cupboard)

*1/4 c or so sunflower seeds (we actually used sesame seeds as that is all i had on hand)

*2c frozen berries, thawed (ours was a medley of strawberries, blueberries & blackberries)

*sweetener (maple syrup,cane sugar,honey)

*milk of some sort (raw, soy, rice, almond)

combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, and cover with water. soak overnight.

in the morning, drain off the liquid & stir in the berries & some maple syrup/cane sugar to sweeten. we had to add a bit extra as i was using frozen berries.

scoop in to individual mugs/bowls & pour a little milk over top. enjoy!

the verdict?? 3 our of 5 liked-loved it! :)

for next time i would use a bit less barley. i would use fresh, not frozen, berries & i would also add more of both the nuts & seeds. but as i was rummaging, i used what i had on hand & it turned out well enough.

(now for the behind the scenes...)

i have two rules when it comes to food...

1) everyone can pick *one* thing to "not like"

our 3 oldest, our boys have chosen mushrooms. which is funny b/c lance & i LOVE mushrooms!

i still make whatever i am going to make anyway, but they are allowed to pick out the mushrooms, so long as they don't complain/make a scene about it. if they complain/make a scene, they have to eat them! ;)

2) "we are thankful for the food on our plates"...

someone has worked hard to grow & nurture our foods. and i have worked to search out recipes, to shop for their ingredients, to wash, chop, stew, steam, bake and/or whatever else was required to prep every meals dish. i think that the least we, as a family, can do is be thankful for the time & energy & resources that went into making each & every meal.

what this also means is that if i try out a new dish, we will all eat it this first go round & vote on whether or not it will become part of our menu rotation or not (if the verdict is split, i will usually store it to try again in 6 months or so).

they can say that they would rather i not make it again, but they cannot say the "this is gross" sort of stuff.

for this one, i said that we are definitely keeping it. it is very healthy, fits with our "live simply" philosophy & barley is tuesday's "grain of the day" in the waldorf tradition. which, if you have ever looked, there aren't a million barley recipes to choose from.

i really liked it, as did ehren...evyn shared mine & wanted more, so she shared ehren's as well. we took ours outside on the deck & ate while we watched the chickens scratch around for their breakfasts.

after breakfast, i took suggestions on how to improve (as orin & aydin gave it a thumbs down)...

orin, "cook the barley." (well, then it wouldn't be *raw* would it?)

aydin, "no barley" gotta love kid honesty.