this is my post for the november blog party. be sure to check out all the great posts as there are quite a lot of delicious and eye opening recipes!
during the late spring, summer and fall, my breakfast beverage generally consists of wandering around in the garden and picking a handful of whatever speaks to me. but once winter takes over, i must turn to my shelves for that morning cup. generally, i will do a combination of dried herbs or grab some mate or green tea. but when i want a real treat, i reach for the roasted root chai.
i can never make enough of this ahead of time to store for the winter! seems i'm always searching out more roots to keep myself stocked so i can blend a quart at a time...i should probably blend a half gallon! kids and adults alike gulp it down and request more, every time! this recipe will make about a quart of pre-mixed chai. this chai is caffeine free but you could add some green tea if you'd like a blast of caffeine.
roasted root chai
2 cups mixture: roasted dandelion roots, roasted chicory roots
6 Tbsp. fennel seeds
6 Tbsp. anise seeds
6 Tbsp. cardamom pods, gently broken up
6 Tbsp. whole cloves
4 Tbsp. dried ginger root
2 Tbsp. largely grated nutmeg (i buy it whole and use a cheese grater to grate it for this project instead of using the finer holed nutmeg grater)
3 - 4 tsp. black peppercorns
24 bay leaves, broken up
14 cinnamon sticks, broken up (a mortar and pestle works well for this)
blend the mixture in a bowl and pour into a quart jar to store.
to use, add 1 Tbsp. chai mix per cup water. simmer for 5 minutes then let steep for another 15 minutes.
add 1 Tbsp honey per cup and 2 Tbsp per cup of water. Stir, pour and serve!
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
dreams come true...
i had a dream a few weeks back about catching a rabbit and butchering it...well, it sort of came true today (warning, graphic photos ahead....don't say i didn't warn you!)
i was minding my own business, working at the computer today on the next issue of herbal roots when i realized it was getting dark. it was only about 9:30am so i knew a storm was coming. i ran outside to load up the wood cart to bring inside so i'd have a supply of wood to keep us warm and to cook our meals with.
as i was coming back in, i noticed the dog walk over to the side of the house right off the porch. i looked down and saw a dead rabbit. upon inspection, i realized it was freshly killed, most likely by my dog so i seized the opportunity and brought it inside to butcher.
first, i had to clear it with my daughter who gets upset about butchering. she knows it's our way of life but she's still unsure about the whole killing to live process that we go through. i talked to her about how the rabbit was already dead and the dog was about to eat it, or worse yet, eat a bite or two and then leave it to rot. i talked to her about skinning the rabbit and tanning the hide so we would have a soft rabbit pelt. she asked if i could make her something with the pelt, like a dress or something. i pointed out the size of the rabbit was much smaller than her so a dress most likely wouldn't work out but perhaps some trim on a dress or something...with that, she was agreeable to me butchering it.
she chose to leave the room but sage stayed by my side the entire time watching and playing. this is the first time i've butchered anything other than a chicken but i'd heard it is rather easy to butcher a rabbit so i dug out my carla emery book and flipped to the rabbit section.
first, i had to cut off its head and drain the blood (note the bottom of the bucket is muddy water, not blood, i grabbed the closest thing which was a harvest bucket that had some roots in it).
after draining, i tied string to the hind legs to hang him by off the basement doorknob. not the ideal site but it was cold and raining outside.
next, i cut a slit from one hindleg to the other...
then pulled the fur down the length of his body. this was fairly easy to do although i did get hasty and rip it twice. i'll know better next time.
inside out fur.
naked rabbit, ready for gutting.
my gut hook knife sure came in handy, it cut through the rabbit like butter.
all gutted...the hardest part was trying to cut around the vent hole to remove the instestines in their entirety...there was bone all around it so i did a real hack job of it. but, it was successful, no torn or cut intestines!
fresh rabbit skin, waiting to be stretched and dried.
salted and tacked up on the side of the garage (interior). once it dries i'll work on the next step. i'm debating if i want to use the brains to brain tan the hide...or save the skull for a friend who collects skulls....decisions, decisions...
i forgot to photograph when i deboned and pan fried the rabbit. anyway, after browning, i made a gravy and added cooked potatoes and carrots and chopped up the rabbit into bite sized pieces. i would have added herbs but i was side tracked with phone calls, hide stretching and kids so i forgot to. next time, herbs will be added!
anyway, the gift from my dog turned into our lovely dinner, along with some cornbread and a salad.
dig in!
the kids loved it! well, all except jaden who ate a bite, said she liked it and then wouldn't touch it again.
i was minding my own business, working at the computer today on the next issue of herbal roots when i realized it was getting dark. it was only about 9:30am so i knew a storm was coming. i ran outside to load up the wood cart to bring inside so i'd have a supply of wood to keep us warm and to cook our meals with.
as i was coming back in, i noticed the dog walk over to the side of the house right off the porch. i looked down and saw a dead rabbit. upon inspection, i realized it was freshly killed, most likely by my dog so i seized the opportunity and brought it inside to butcher.
first, i had to clear it with my daughter who gets upset about butchering. she knows it's our way of life but she's still unsure about the whole killing to live process that we go through. i talked to her about how the rabbit was already dead and the dog was about to eat it, or worse yet, eat a bite or two and then leave it to rot. i talked to her about skinning the rabbit and tanning the hide so we would have a soft rabbit pelt. she asked if i could make her something with the pelt, like a dress or something. i pointed out the size of the rabbit was much smaller than her so a dress most likely wouldn't work out but perhaps some trim on a dress or something...with that, she was agreeable to me butchering it.
she chose to leave the room but sage stayed by my side the entire time watching and playing. this is the first time i've butchered anything other than a chicken but i'd heard it is rather easy to butcher a rabbit so i dug out my carla emery book and flipped to the rabbit section.
first, i had to cut off its head and drain the blood (note the bottom of the bucket is muddy water, not blood, i grabbed the closest thing which was a harvest bucket that had some roots in it).
after draining, i tied string to the hind legs to hang him by off the basement doorknob. not the ideal site but it was cold and raining outside.
next, i cut a slit from one hindleg to the other...
then pulled the fur down the length of his body. this was fairly easy to do although i did get hasty and rip it twice. i'll know better next time.
inside out fur.
naked rabbit, ready for gutting.
my gut hook knife sure came in handy, it cut through the rabbit like butter.
all gutted...the hardest part was trying to cut around the vent hole to remove the instestines in their entirety...there was bone all around it so i did a real hack job of it. but, it was successful, no torn or cut intestines!
fresh rabbit skin, waiting to be stretched and dried.
salted and tacked up on the side of the garage (interior). once it dries i'll work on the next step. i'm debating if i want to use the brains to brain tan the hide...or save the skull for a friend who collects skulls....decisions, decisions...
i forgot to photograph when i deboned and pan fried the rabbit. anyway, after browning, i made a gravy and added cooked potatoes and carrots and chopped up the rabbit into bite sized pieces. i would have added herbs but i was side tracked with phone calls, hide stretching and kids so i forgot to. next time, herbs will be added!anyway, the gift from my dog turned into our lovely dinner, along with some cornbread and a salad.
dig in!
the kids loved it! well, all except jaden who ate a bite, said she liked it and then wouldn't touch it again.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
rainiest october on record
all this rain is really trying for my moods. i need sun!
today i went grocery shopping. did a huge run: trader joe's, shop-n-save and aldi. phew! thank goodness greg's bonus came through as we were out of a lot of things. although i spent quite a bit, i don't plan on going for another 5-6 weeks, hopefully longer, so i tried to purchase accordingly. i did buy a couple bags of dove chocolate (which i will hoard and enjoy 2 or 3 pieces at a time) and a half dozen bottles of wine but other than that, everything was bare bones:
milk (our goats are dried off now and suddenly, my kids WANT milk!)
half and half (for greg's coffee) i buy several small containers and they will last a month or longer
10# butter
4 cream cheese
8# coffee beans (greg's habit, not mine)
2 packages mate (my habit, used sparingly when i need a kick start)
8# popcorn (our replacement for the nighttime ice cream snack...much healthier!)
2 large bottles ketchup (i miss my homemade, better luck next year with tomatoes)
6 bottles wine (trader joe's has some awesome chilean wine for $4/bottle!)
2 bags each: frozen tuna, frozen salmon, frozen broccoli, frozen green beans
6 - 1# packages block cheese: 2 sharp, 2 mild, 1 mozza, 1 colby jack
6 bags apples (stored 4 in basement and will ration them out)
2 bunches bananas (hide and hoard method again)
4 bags all natural beef jerky (quick snack when we have to run out the door to pick up the older kids)
8 containers of frozen juice (to be mixed with kombucha for a healthy drink)
3 portabello mushrooms
1 box organic salad/spinach mix (i'm craving fresh salad lately)
3 bags frozen shrimp
10# bacon (tj's...no nitrates/nitrites)
8 bags choc. chips
1 pkg dried apricots
1 pkg candied ginger
3 pkg cheese sticks
things i wanted but dutifully passed by: miss meringue cookies, cereal for the kids, avocadoes, cinnamon scones, salami, lunch meat...
i'd love to be able to stay away from the grocery store until dec 28, which would be 8 weeks. butter and cream probably won't last that long though.
today i went grocery shopping. did a huge run: trader joe's, shop-n-save and aldi. phew! thank goodness greg's bonus came through as we were out of a lot of things. although i spent quite a bit, i don't plan on going for another 5-6 weeks, hopefully longer, so i tried to purchase accordingly. i did buy a couple bags of dove chocolate (which i will hoard and enjoy 2 or 3 pieces at a time) and a half dozen bottles of wine but other than that, everything was bare bones:
milk (our goats are dried off now and suddenly, my kids WANT milk!)
half and half (for greg's coffee) i buy several small containers and they will last a month or longer
10# butter
4 cream cheese
8# coffee beans (greg's habit, not mine)
2 packages mate (my habit, used sparingly when i need a kick start)
8# popcorn (our replacement for the nighttime ice cream snack...much healthier!)
2 large bottles ketchup (i miss my homemade, better luck next year with tomatoes)
6 bottles wine (trader joe's has some awesome chilean wine for $4/bottle!)
2 bags each: frozen tuna, frozen salmon, frozen broccoli, frozen green beans
6 - 1# packages block cheese: 2 sharp, 2 mild, 1 mozza, 1 colby jack
6 bags apples (stored 4 in basement and will ration them out)
2 bunches bananas (hide and hoard method again)
4 bags all natural beef jerky (quick snack when we have to run out the door to pick up the older kids)
8 containers of frozen juice (to be mixed with kombucha for a healthy drink)
3 portabello mushrooms
1 box organic salad/spinach mix (i'm craving fresh salad lately)
3 bags frozen shrimp
10# bacon (tj's...no nitrates/nitrites)
8 bags choc. chips
1 pkg dried apricots
1 pkg candied ginger
3 pkg cheese sticks
things i wanted but dutifully passed by: miss meringue cookies, cereal for the kids, avocadoes, cinnamon scones, salami, lunch meat...
i'd love to be able to stay away from the grocery store until dec 28, which would be 8 weeks. butter and cream probably won't last that long though.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
the man is keepin' us down
rhonda has a great post over at down to earth today about keeping the guvment out of our backyards and keeping clotheslines and chickens in!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
handmade holidays
sharon hit the nail on the head with her post about the extravagance of everyday living. i really enjoy her writing and today's entry is no exception. as much as i loathe to think about the holidays, i need to at least get my idea list written out so i can make room in my busy schedule to start making gifts.
and, i'd like to squeeze in time to make myself a gift...wrist warmers. i found a nifty calculator that will generate a pattern for my skinny little wrists to i need to dig out my measuring tape and get measuring!
for those interested in starting their own handmade holiday, crunchy's got a little challenge going on.
and, i'd like to squeeze in time to make myself a gift...wrist warmers. i found a nifty calculator that will generate a pattern for my skinny little wrists to i need to dig out my measuring tape and get measuring!
for those interested in starting their own handmade holiday, crunchy's got a little challenge going on.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
creative feeding update 2
it's been 1 month since i've started my personal creative feeding challenge. overall, we've done pretty well, with the exception of greg going out and buying steak and pork chops. agh! (he's on a low carb diet to try to lose weight).
our winter larder holds red skinned potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and still to harvest are turnips and sunchokes which we harvest as we use.
i'm craving red meat like crazy, i've never been a big chicken fan and all these chicken meals are not that appealing, especially since the chickens are old and have to be stewed to be any good. i'm hoping greg is able to get a deer this season...it would make me very happy. :)
i'll be needing to place a bulk order soon, mostly for flour but possibly some oats and beans too. i need to check my stocks.
i'm heartened to see others are challenging themselves to not buying as well. kathie at two frog home has issued a challenge for herself to not shop for 6 months!! i think that's terrific. her exceptions are similar to ours: milk/cream, butter, coffee and eggs. while we have an endless supply of eggs, my dairy goats are drying off so that's the last we'll see of the milk until my does start freshening in late february, early march. next year, i hope to have them staggered enough that i can milk year round. we don't drink a lot of milk, but the kids love yogurt and cheese. greg's the coffee drinker and i buy it in bulk from trader joe's. i think we have about 1-2 weeks left and then i'll need to go to tj's to get some more. i'll probably break down and buy bacon there too since they are the only ones in the area that sell nitrate/nitrite free bacon and a bit of bacon can flavor so many things, including the dreaded chicken dish! greg's been trying turnip greens and i think a bit of bacon in there will make them taste even better.
trader joe's is about 40 minutes away from us and i only go there about once every 2 months. it's been 3 since i've been so i need to plan accordingly. i generally buy good things there that i can't get around here: preservative free jerky (great for taking in the truck when we have to drive to pick up the older kids from their dad's house for a snack), butter, yogurt (for culture...this i freeze and use as needed), bacon, coffee, a few bottles of $5 chilean red wine which is delish!, cashews and almonds, cream cheese, chocolate chips....my goal on my next shopping trip is to avoid buying all the 'junk' foods we enjoy as well: pirate booty type corn puffs, miss meringue cookies (my addiction), cinnamon scones...
the worst part of the no shopping rule has been not getting fruit for the kids. we got some free pears from a friend and they devoured them. i have to say, those were the best pears i've ever tasted in my life...they were from an old pear tree on her land and they were crisp and sweet, almost like an asian pear but shaped like a bosch/bartlett mix. interesting. she has no idea what kind they were but says they stay crisp until they go bad and then they immediately turn to mush. i'm hoping to get back down to her place soon to pick a bucket or two to bring home. there just may be some pear jelly in my future!
this necessary no shopping month has been great and i hope to continue it as much as possible. besides the upcoming tj trip and bulk food order, i plan to stay away from the grocer except to go and ask for the thrown out produce. i'm still working on that one!
eta: i forgot to add, although this has nothing to do with food, it has nothing to do with money: we sold a friend our extra buck and although we initially set a price and they paid it, while they were here visiting, i mentioned i was going to have to buy a new washer because mine is literally falling apart (our basement is moist and the washer has rusted through...the frame has come off from the insides and it's going to fall into a pile at any moment). they happened to have an extra washer so i suggested we trade our goat for the washer. sweet! they got their $$ back and we got a washer. we all agreed we'd rather barter than use money anyway. i'm happy that it was a win-win situation for all of us.
our winter larder holds red skinned potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash and still to harvest are turnips and sunchokes which we harvest as we use.
i'm craving red meat like crazy, i've never been a big chicken fan and all these chicken meals are not that appealing, especially since the chickens are old and have to be stewed to be any good. i'm hoping greg is able to get a deer this season...it would make me very happy. :)
i'll be needing to place a bulk order soon, mostly for flour but possibly some oats and beans too. i need to check my stocks.
i'm heartened to see others are challenging themselves to not buying as well. kathie at two frog home has issued a challenge for herself to not shop for 6 months!! i think that's terrific. her exceptions are similar to ours: milk/cream, butter, coffee and eggs. while we have an endless supply of eggs, my dairy goats are drying off so that's the last we'll see of the milk until my does start freshening in late february, early march. next year, i hope to have them staggered enough that i can milk year round. we don't drink a lot of milk, but the kids love yogurt and cheese. greg's the coffee drinker and i buy it in bulk from trader joe's. i think we have about 1-2 weeks left and then i'll need to go to tj's to get some more. i'll probably break down and buy bacon there too since they are the only ones in the area that sell nitrate/nitrite free bacon and a bit of bacon can flavor so many things, including the dreaded chicken dish! greg's been trying turnip greens and i think a bit of bacon in there will make them taste even better.
trader joe's is about 40 minutes away from us and i only go there about once every 2 months. it's been 3 since i've been so i need to plan accordingly. i generally buy good things there that i can't get around here: preservative free jerky (great for taking in the truck when we have to drive to pick up the older kids from their dad's house for a snack), butter, yogurt (for culture...this i freeze and use as needed), bacon, coffee, a few bottles of $5 chilean red wine which is delish!, cashews and almonds, cream cheese, chocolate chips....my goal on my next shopping trip is to avoid buying all the 'junk' foods we enjoy as well: pirate booty type corn puffs, miss meringue cookies (my addiction), cinnamon scones...
the worst part of the no shopping rule has been not getting fruit for the kids. we got some free pears from a friend and they devoured them. i have to say, those were the best pears i've ever tasted in my life...they were from an old pear tree on her land and they were crisp and sweet, almost like an asian pear but shaped like a bosch/bartlett mix. interesting. she has no idea what kind they were but says they stay crisp until they go bad and then they immediately turn to mush. i'm hoping to get back down to her place soon to pick a bucket or two to bring home. there just may be some pear jelly in my future!
this necessary no shopping month has been great and i hope to continue it as much as possible. besides the upcoming tj trip and bulk food order, i plan to stay away from the grocer except to go and ask for the thrown out produce. i'm still working on that one!
eta: i forgot to add, although this has nothing to do with food, it has nothing to do with money: we sold a friend our extra buck and although we initially set a price and they paid it, while they were here visiting, i mentioned i was going to have to buy a new washer because mine is literally falling apart (our basement is moist and the washer has rusted through...the frame has come off from the insides and it's going to fall into a pile at any moment). they happened to have an extra washer so i suggested we trade our goat for the washer. sweet! they got their $$ back and we got a washer. we all agreed we'd rather barter than use money anyway. i'm happy that it was a win-win situation for all of us.
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