Everything Dough

I use this dough recipe for pretty much EVERYTHING.   The thing that is nice about this recipe is that you can customize it pretty much any way you’d like.  It makes a fairly large batch, so when I make it I will usually make a couple of different things from the same batch of dough.  You can also refrigerate it after the first rise and then cut a chunk out during the week when you want fresh bread, shape it and let it rise, and then bake fresh bread with very minimum effort.  If you find the recipe to be too large, you can easily cut the ingredients in halves or thirds. 

This recipe works great with any flour that you have on hand.  I tend to mix half organic white flour with whatever whole grain flour I have.  The more whole grain flour you use, the denser a final product you will have and the more time it will take for your dough to rise.

 

Here is the basic recipe

2 ½ Cups Warm Water

2 Tablespoons Yeast
3 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon sea salt
1/3 Cup Olive Oil
*6 Cups Flour

*Feel free to experiment with different types of flour.  I have recently started adding vital wheat gluten to this dough when I am using whole grain flour.  It helps with a fluffier, softer texture.  I bought Bob’s Red Mill and I believe the box recommends 1 ½ teaspoon vital wheat gluten per cup of whole grain flour.

I always make this dough in my Kitchenaid.  You can definitely do it by hand, it just takes a bit more work.

 

1)      Mix your water, honey, and yeast together and let it proof for about 5 minutes.  It should become very foamy/bubbly.

2)      Add your vinegar and oil to the water mixture.

3)      In your mixing bowl, mix together the flour and salt.

4)      Poor your liquid mixture into the salt mixture and either kneed in the Kitchenaid with a dough hook for 2 minutes, or kneed by hand for 3 – 5 minutes.

5)      Oil a large bowl (I do this right in my Kitchenaid bowl) and form your dough into a ball.  Place it in the oiled bowl to rest until doubled in size.  Depending on the temperature in your house, this can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

Now that you have your dough you can do whatever you please with it. 

 

English Muffins

1)      Roll out dough to about half an inch thick.

2)      Cut circles in the dough with a biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or large cup.

3)      Place on a cookie sheet that has been lightly dusted with corn meal and cover with a towel.

4)      Allow to rise until about doubled in size.  This can take anywhere from 1 – 3 hours.

5)      Heat a large skillet (I use cast iron) and med/low heat and gently place a couple of dough circles. 

6)      Brown on each side and allow to cool.  You will know when they are finished when you can tap on the bottom and it sounds hollow.

Sandwich Bread*

1)      Grease (not oil) a sandwich loaf.  This recipe makes 3 – 4 sandwich loafs.

2)      Cut a portion of the dough and with your hands flatten it.

3)      Roll the dough up into a log.

4)      Place the dough into the greased pan, seam side down and allow to rest until doubled in size.

5)      For a softer crust, brush with egg.

6)      Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until brown on top and hollow when you tap the bottom.

·        You can also use this dough for a free formed loaf.  If you would like to make an herbed dough, add the herbs in when you are kneading all of the ingredients together.

 

Pizza Dough

1)      Cut off a softball size portion of dough.

2)      Stretch the dough or roll it out to desired size.

3)      With a fork, poke holes all around the dough.

4)      For a thin, crispy crust, bake right away at 450 until firm.  For a fluffy crust, allow to rest for 30 minutes and bake at 450 until firm.

5)      At this point you can freeze your pre-made dough, or add toppings and cook until desired doneness.  You can also add your toppings and freeze before baking again.

6)      To reheat pizza, place frozen pizza in a 450 degree oven or even on the grill and cook until done.

Lemon Rosemary Pasta

Every year for Christmas I like to give a mix of homemade gifts.  One of the food gifts I make a lot is pasta.  I have come up with a couple of unique pasta flavors that store well and are also vegan which is important to me when I am making up my gift giving list.  For this recipe I do use some special equipment that I have, but you can certainly do without it.  I always use try to use the best produce I can find and Organic, if at all possible.  This makes a small size batch, but just double/triple if you want to make a larger batch.


You will need the following:
1 1/2 Cups Flour I use this one
2 Organic Lemons
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Rosemary
1 tsp Sea Salt
Water

Chop your fresh rosemary and rest your lemons by running the lemons on a microplane or using a lemon zester.  Only rest the yellow, once you get to the white stop as the white is not pleasant to eat.  Juice both lemons in a 1/2 cup measuring cup and fill the rest with water.

I use my Kitchenaid Mixer to mix up the dough.  Combine all of the ingredients except the water/lemon with the paddle attachment.  Then add the water/lemon and combine until it looks like a crumb mixture.  It should form a bath when you smoosh it in your hands.  Switch to the dough hook and let it kneed for a couple of minutes.

If you don't have a kitchenaid mixer, get ready for your workout.  Call your zumba friends over and make a night of it.  Mix the dry ingredients, and form a well in the middle.  Add the water/lemon to the middle and slowly incorporate the flour until you have a uniform mixture.

Wrap the completed dough in plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature for a half hour or more.  This will relax the gluten in the dough.  The next step is to cut the dough in thirds and roll it.  Make sure an unused dough is covered with plastic wrap so that it doesn't dry out.  This is the pasta machine I use.  It is easiest if you have two people, but doable to do alone.  Start at 1, running the dough through a couple of times, then go to 2, passing the dough through twice until you get to 4.  You can make the pasta thinner, but I like the thickness of 4.

If you don't have a pasta machine, you can roll your dough with a rolling pin.  I like to use a silicone pastry mat to roll out the dough, and also to cut it on.  It eliminates the need for extra flour.  If you have a sticking issue, just dust a little bit of flour on your dough.  My silicone mat is nice because it has measurements on it.  I lined my pasta sheet up to the measurements and with a pastry wheel, cut the dough with the wiggly side at 1 inch increments.

Once the dough is cut, I put them in a dehydrator set to about 145 degrees.  Dehydrate them until all of the moisture is gone and they feel brittle.  I left mine on for about 3 hours and they were finished.  If you don't have a dehydrator, you can set your oven to it's lowest setting (probably 200 degrees) and dry your pasta out on a cookie sheet, with the door propped open with a wooden spoon.  You could also skip the drying step and freeze them or use them right away.

To cook, add pasta to boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes or until the are cooked to your desired consistency.

Lemon Rosemary Finishing Salt

This is a really fast and simply recipe that can be given as a lovely, thoughtful, homemade gift.  The ingredients are so few and simple, that the quality really does make a difference.  I make sure to use a good sea salt, fresh rosemary, and organic lemons.

You will need:
1 Cup sea salt
1 Organic Lemon
2 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary

Chop your fresh rosemary and rest your lemons by running the lemons on a microplane or using a lemon zester. Only rest the yellow, once you get to the white stop as the white is not pleasant to eat. 

Combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a lid, shake to combine.  Let cure for 2 weeks.  This will draw out all of the moisture in the herbs and infuse the flavors into the salt.

Introduction to fermented foods

I wanted to get this post up fast so that I could share a recipe.  I will be back later to modify/elaborate.

Fermentation is the oldest form of persevering food.  Salt it used to combat unwanted bacterial growth so that good bacteria can grow and multiply.  This good bacteria helps to preserve the food, and is also essential to good gut health.

Kimchi, Jalapeño purple sauerkraut, dilly pickles, and apple pepper slaw

The main things to remember when fermenting are making sure that you have good produce (preferably organic), because most of the good bacteria is on the outside of the produce.  Also, make sure you are using a trusted recipe that has the correct amount of salt, and you will need an air tight vessel for fermenting.  I like to use fido jars that I purchased from Wegmans.  When fermentation starts, a gas will be produced, which will cause pressure in your vessel.  If you have not used a vessel with an airlock, you will need to burp your container.

Apple Pepper Slaw

1 pound shredded purple cabbage
1/2 - 1 apple, washed and shredded
1/2 large bulb of celeriac (celery root), peeled and shredded
1 large carrot, washed well and shredded (I don't peel it)
1 large onion, peeled and shredded
1 bell pepper, chopped finely
4 tsp. sea salt (do not use anodized salt!)

Your shredded ingredients should weight about 2 pounds.  If you have more than two pounds, add more salt per the 4 tsp. salt to 2 pounds veggies ratio.

If you do not have celeriac, you can use a different mild root vegetable, or just add more shredded carrots.

Make sure your vessel is cleaned well, but free of detergent residue.

In a kitchenaid mixer, add your cabbage and salt and mix on low until you can see that the cabbage has been massaged enough to release it's juice.  It will look almost like it has been cooked.  If you do not have a kitchenaid, you can do this step by hand.  It may take a while, and you can use a wooden spoon to help along with the process, or a pounder if you have one.

Next, add in the remaining ingredients and stir.  Take a handful at a time of your slaw mixture, squeeze out the juice and place it in your airtight vessel, tamping and packing it down as you go with your wooden spoon.  Once you have added all of your cabbage mixture, take the juice and poor it on top.  You should have all of your cabbage covered.  This will prevent any mold growth.  Seal your vessel and keep at room temperature for 4 - 5 days, burping daily to release pressure.  Start tasting the slaw at 4 days, when it gets to your desired sourness, refrigerate.

I like to triple this recipe.  We haven't ever had it in our fridge for over a month, but it should last 6 months to a year refrigerated.

Our Adirondack Mountains Vacation

Baby Chicks!

Bryan (my husband) and I would really love to have a small hobby farm, but we just don't have enough yard space.  Right now we sit on an acre of land.  It is large enough for some fruit trees, a garden, and a fairly large yard.  We decided that chickens are probably the only animal that we could raise on our small piece of land.  So yesterday we loaded the kids up and headed down to Tractor Supply to check out the new baby chicks.  We are planning on raising the chicks for meat.  I really hope we don't get too attached.  Right now they are really cute!

While we were purchasing our chicks we noticed that one had a broken leg.  They store manager informed us that someone had been banging on the bin earlier and she is sure that he was trampled then.  We didn't want to leave him there to die by himself so we decided to bring him home with us.  We made a little cast for his leg out of a plastic straw and some first aid tape.  He seems to be doing really well.  He is eating and drinking and moving around.  We do have him in a little spot by himself until he feels better.  If all goes well he should be healed in about two weeks and ready to join his friends.  I will try to take some more pictures tonight...

Cornish Rock Baby Chicks

Aren't they so cute!?!  We are feeding them organic chicken feed and water right now.  When they get a little bigger we will let them outside so that they can eat grass and bugs too.

Caring for Blueberry Bushes

Every year the office that I work in puts a group order together for Blueberry Bushes.  For the past 4 years or so I have purchases several bushes each year.  Through trial and error I have finally figured out how to get the biggest crop out of your blueberry bushes.

The blossoms are so beautiful in the spring!

Before you plant your bush you want to make sure that you have your soil prepared.  Blueberries like acidic soil.  They will grow without the acid, but it will not produce much fruit.  When deciding where to plant your bushes, look for a sunny spot with good drainage.

PH Tester

To test your soil acidity you will need a PH tester.  I purchased mine from Amazon.  You can also find one at a hardware store.  You are looking for a PH of below 5.  To achieve a lower PH you can either purchase a soil acidifier (like this one) from Lowes or Home Depot, or you can buy a big bag of elemental sulfur from a farm and tractor supply store.

When placing your plants, dig the whole twice the size of the root ball, and space each plant 5 feet apart.  Sprinkle the soil acidifier in the bottom of the whole and use a mixture of potting soil and peat moss.  The will allow for your roots to move easier in the dirt and give them a head start with growing.  Pack the dirt firmly and add more soil acidifier.  

To keep the weeds away from the base of your bushes, cut a circle of garden fabric and place it around each base (you will have to cut a line through the circle to be able to put it around the bush).  Cover each circle with wood chips and water the plant.  You should water the plant on a regular basis for the first spring/summer and then as needed from then on.

The first year you plant your blueberries you will want to pinch the buds (the flowers in the picture above) off of the plant so that all of the plants energy can go into making the root structure stronger.  

When planting blueberries you want to plant several different varieties so that they have a better chance of cross pollinating.

Peanut Butter Cups

Probably the thing that I miss the most, since we stopped eating processed food is chocolate.  If I were every having a bad day, all I needed was a candy bar and it was an instant pick me up.  Not too long ago I was offered a peanut butter cup and when I ate it it tasted nothing like what I remembered.  It was just way too sweet. 

I have wanted to make completely from scratch peanut butter cups for a really long time and I finally got to doing it.  The are very easy to make.

 

Ingredients:

* Chocolate (You can use your favorite chocolate chips, but I used 1/2 this homemade chocolate recipe)

*   1/2 Cup Natural Peanut Butter (without the oil that floats to the top)

*   1/4 Cup Raw Honey

 

 

 

Step 1:  Make your homemade chocolate, or melt your favorite chocolate chips.

 

 

Step 2: Poor the oil off of your natural peanut butter and reserve to add back.  Measure out 1/2 cup into a bowl, and add the oil back to your jar.  (I used fresh ground peanut butter so it didn't have any oil to poor off.)

 

 

Step 3: Mix together the peanut butter and honey.  Roll into 12 balls and flatten.

 

Peanut butter and honey balls.



Step 4: Fill 12 mini candy cup liners half way with the chocolate, place a peanut butter ball on top, and cover with chocolate.

 

 

Refrigerate for several hours, until firm.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

 

Baked Chicken Wings

These are the best chicken wings I have ever had.  Not only are these tasty, but they are baked too, so I don't feel bad about eating them.  This method produces moist, flavorful meat with a deliciously crisp skin.  Don't these just look mouthwatering?  I can already taste the hot sauce just thinking about it.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 dozen Chicken Wings (I used Organic)

1/2 Cup Arrowroot Powder (If you don't have it, you can use cornstarch)

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper (We like a lot of pepper)

Coconut Oil for the Pan (You can also use butter, or olive oil)

 

Preheat your oven to 400° and oil your pan.  I have had the most success when using my cast iron griddle pan.  It holds the heat really well.  I would suggest you use cast iron, but if you do not have cast iron use a thick cookie sheet.

 

With a paper towel dry each chicken wing.  This step is really important.  This is what makes the skin really crispy.

 

In a bowl mix together the arrowroot powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Coat each piece of chicken in the mixture and place on the cookie sheet leaving adequate space between each piece.  Continue until you have coated all pieces.

 

Allow the arrowroot mixture to rest on the chicken for 10 minutes.

 

Bake the wings for 30 minutes, flipping half way.  Check a wing to make sure the meat near the bone is not pink.

 

We don't toss our wings in hot sauce because one of my boys likes spicy and the other doesn't.  You can either toss your wings in your sauce of choice, dip them, or eat them as is.  The skin has really great flavor.

 

Spring is Almost Here!

I know, it is hard to believe that Spring is almost here.  As I type this the white stuff is flying in the sky.  In a few short weeks I will be starting me seeds for my garden and I thought I would add a couple of tips that I have found helpful.

This first tip I found on Pinterest (are you on Pinterest?  It is addicting...)

www.gardeners.com

Last year we had a problem with our cucumbers going everywhere.  So this year we are planning to trellis them.  The trellis pictures is (/was) available for purchase through the link above.  I will have my husband build these for me and they will be collapsible for easy storage.

To grow your plants on a trellis you will need to teach them.  Start by placing the vines on chicken wire and if they fall place them again.  Eventually they will grab on and grow.

Underneath the cucumbers you will want to plant something that likes cooler temperatures and shade.  Lettuce or spinach would be great.  This will give you twice as much produce for a smaller space and both plants will be happier.

The trellis will also help to keep your cucumbers firm and bug/slug free.

Happy Gardening!

Chocolate Chip Chunks - Refined Sugar Free

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cocoa Butter

1 Cup Cocoa Powder

¾ Cup Raw Honey

1 Vanilla Bean

¼ tsp Sea Salt

In a double boiler melt the cocoa butter.  If you do not have a double boiler you can fill a pan partially with water, and place a glass bowl, metal bowl or smaller pan over top of the boiling water.  It is important to make sure that none of the water gets in your cocoa butter.
 


Room temperature Cocoa Butter

 While you are melting the cocoa butter, take the vanilla bean and split it in half.  Using a butter knife or spoon, gently scrape the paste out of the bean.  You will only need the paste for this recipe, but you can save the pod for making homemade vanilla or for another application.  Vanilla beans are a little pricey, but I like to use them when I don’t want what I am making to get an alcohol taste from vanilla extract.  If you would rather use vanilla extract, that will work too.


Inside of Vanilla Bean

Once the cocoa butter is melted, remove it from heat and add everything but the honey.  You want to make sure that the mixture cools to at least 110◦ so that it doesn’t kill off the good stuff in the honey (more to come about honey is a later post).  You don’t need to use a thermometer, just wait until it feels a little warmer than body temperature.



Raw Honey

At this point you can put the mixture in a blender and beat it up to get a smoother consistency, or just mix it really well.  Poor in to an 8X8 pan lined with wax paper and place in the refrigerator for several hours, or until firm.

I like to take them out of the pan and cut them in to chunks.  Then place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator.

My kids love snacking on these and I feel good about it because I have control over the ingredients and I know they are getting nutrients from the cocoa butter and honey.

You can use these chocolate chip chunks in any recipe that you would normally put chocolate chips. 

Or you can also poor this chocolate in candy molds or to dip your favorite fruit.

*I have linked the ingredients above to where you can purchase them.  The cocoa butter is really great.  It smells heavenly.  You should try to purchase raw honey locally, but if you can't find it I have had the brand linked and it is also really delicious.  I purchase my vanilla beans via Amazon in bulk.  It is much more cost effective this way.  If you have never tasted the flavor that you can get from a vanilla bean, you really must.  The smell is just amazing too.

All Natural Homemade Hair Spray

Specialty Bottle

Have you ever flipped your hairspray bottle over and actually looked at the ingredients contained in that little bottle?  I can't even begin to try to pronounce half of the ingredients, which begs the question, can this really be safe?

Within the last couple of years I have gradually switched out my body care products for more natural alternatives.  With [lots of] research, trial, and error I have come up with some really great alternatives to chemical laden products that I used to use on a daily basis.

When it comes to hairspray, you probably already have all of the ingredients at home.  I have tried recipes that called for boiling citrus, allowing to cool, and adding rubbing alcohol.  I didn't like these recipes because they were time consuming and the alcohol smelled awful when sprayed.  They also didn't hold very well.

To make a strong hold hairspray, all you need is:

8oz hot water

2oz vodka

2tbsp sugar

Optional:

1tsp Coconut Oil (this will only work in the summer as it will solidify at <76◦)

1tbsp Aloe Vera (the real stuff, it shouldn't have any coloring)

Several Drops Essential Oils

Mountain Rose Herbs

To your hot water, add the sugar and stir until dissolved.  Add the vodka, and stir again.  It is as easy as that.  If you would like to add the optional ingredients you can do that now.  Coconut Oil and Aloe Vera will add a little softness to the hairspray, and essential oils will give it a pleasant smell.  If the hairspray is too firm for your liking, reduce the sugar and/or vodka.

I like to use peppermint and lavender essential oil in my hairspray.  You only need about 5 drops of each, a little goes a long way.

I like to purchase my essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs.  All of their oils are pure and organic, or harvested from wild plants from regions that do not use pesticides.  They are affordable too.  You can also purchase essential oils, and many other products from VitaCost. <-- If you use this link you will be given $10 off of your first purchase of $30 or more.

I purchase my containers from two places.  If you are putting together a large order for containers you can use Specialty Bottle, but their shipping in costly, and takes a while.  Most of the time I order from Whole Sale Supplies Plus.  Their prices are good, and you can usually get a deal on free shipping.

If you would like to browse my online store for natural soaps, lip balms, scrubs, soaks, and more please visit www.etsy.com/shop/NaturalBeautyCare.  If there is an item that you would like to see me add to my shop, please feel free to message me.    

Ricotta

Do you buy your ricotta by the cottage cheese?  The stuff that has been sitting on the shelf for a couple of weeks already, and has a shelf life for a month or more longer?  Try this simple recipe.  It is only two ingredients, and it is so easy and delicious.  If you have never had fresh ricotta, you don't know what you are missing.  It has a creamy, delicate flavor, and is so cost effective to make.

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 Gallon

Cider Vinegar - 1/4 Cup

Yup, seriously, that is it!

In a pan large enough to fit 1 gallon + some wiggle room, poor the gallon of milk.  Make sure that you are not using a copper pan.  The milk doesn't react well in copper.  Poor 1/4 cup of vinegar in the milk.  You can use any kind, but I prefer the delicate flavor of the cider vinegar.  Heat the milk to about 180 degrees, stirring until you see little white flecks (curd) forming.  Stop stirring at this point so that you don't break up the curds.  If you do not have a thermometer don't worry, you should heat the milk to just below the boiling point.  You will see the milk separate and all of the curd will float to the top.  Let it rest for 5 minutes or so and then with a slotted spoon, ladle in to a strainer, lined with cheese cloth.  If you do not have cheese cloth you can use a clean dish towel.  Let the ricotta drain in the cheese cloth until it is at the desired consistency.  Depending on what you are going to use the ricotta for will depend on how firm you want it to be.  If you are using your ricotta in a pasta dish, drain for 10 minutes or so.  If you would like it to be a little firmer, say for a cheesecake drain for 40 minutes or so.  Now pat yourself on the back, you just made ricotta!  Season as you wish.  Use within a week.

Refined Sugar Free Jam

When I decided that I wanted to make jam, I knew that I didn’t want to use any sugar or pectin, but I wanted it to be really tasty.  So I found a recipe on one of my favorite blogs and modified it to my taste.  You can certainly use sugar if you would like.  The recipe is pretty basic, and then you can add other flavorings.

Here is a list of some sugar substitutes:

Honey

Agave Nectar

Maple Syrup

Molasses

This is where I purchased my jars.  Most of the jars are able to be used for canning.  I plan on giving these away as gifts, so I wanted to have some nice jars.  The shipping is pretty high, so if you want to make an order it might be a good idea to do a group order with some friends.

http://www.specialtybottle.com/

Basic Recipe:

Fresh Local Strawberries – 3 pounds

Apple – pealed and shredded  (apples contain a lot of natural pectin!)

Lemon – half

Sugar in some form listed above – 2 cups

Combine all ingredients and mash together.  Heat on med-high heat until the mixture is boiling.  Boil until the jam gets to the jelling stage (this took me about an hour), stirring frequently.  You can test the jam by putting a plate in the freezer and spooning a small amount of jam onto the chilled plate.  If you can push it with your finger and it is thick then it is good.  At this point you can take the jam off of the heat and either ladle hot jam into sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes, removing from the water and allowing to rest for 12 hours; or you can let the jam cool, ladle in to containers and freeze.  Because of the low sugar content of this jam it will only keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks, but I don’t think that will be a problem.  We have never been jam eaters, but since having made homemade jam, we haven’t kept a jar for more than 2 or 3 days.

Modifications:

Strawberry Maple Jam

Follow directions for basic recipe, using maple syrup as the sugar.  During the last couple of minutes of cooking, add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.  Process as listed above.

Strawberry Vanilla Jam

Follow directs for basic recipe, using agave nectar as the sugar.  While cooking, split a vanilla bean down the middle.  Scrape the insides from the bean and add both the bean and the insides to the jam mixture.  Once you take the jam off of the heat, carefully take the bean pod out of the jam* and add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.  Stir and process as listed above.

I purchased my vanilla beans from Amazon.com.  They are really great quality and you can't beat the price.  At the grocery store you will pay about $5 a piece for vanilla beans.  Through Amazon I got about 50 (I think it was actually 52) beans for $24.99.  Lets do that math.  $24.99/50 = .4998, or about $.50 each.  That is 10 times cheaper! 

* Save the spent bean pod for another application.  Just rinse off jam, allow to dry and store in an airtight container.

This recipe has been modified from this blg http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/05/10/how-to-can-some-jam-a-simple-method-without-pectin/