November 17, 2018 by Cindy-just-living

Simple Romance

After a long day I was surprised with homemade vegetable soup and homemade bread with a glass of Der Champion from Buck Creek Winery.

The vegetable soup has been a work in progress and is now perfection.

Vegetable Soup

by Alan Jung

@alan_jung

2 medium onions chopped

3 ribs of celery finely chopped

saute these in a tablespoon of olive oil

add

3 minced cloves of garlic

28 oz can of diced tomatoes

14 oz can cut green beans

14 oz can of wax beans

14 oz can carrots

14 oz can diced potatoes

14 oz can corn

15 oz can tomato sauce

14 oz can black beans that have been drained and rinsed

salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.

simmer for 39 minutes before serving.

The bread recipe is at

bakedbyrachel.com/garlic-and-herb-pull-apart-bread/

This is melt in your mouth.

And of course, candlelight! A perfect evening.

February 2, 2014 by Cindy-just-living

Granola

When you have a Hippy Weekend, you must make some really good granola. This recipe made our Sunday morning healthy and tasty.

3 cups organic oats

1/3 cup wheat germ

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup organic raisins

1. preheat the oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment

2. combine the oats, wheat germ, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl.

3. in a separate bowl, combine the honey, molasses, oil and vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until the oats are thoroughly coated.

4. spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

5. remove the pan from the oven and stir the granola.

6. add the raisins

7. cool and store in an airtight container.

On this morning, we combined ours with some of our homemade yogurt and fresh strawberries.

(We thought that we might add some flax meal and substitute the molasses with sorghum. We may also decide to use other dried fruits)
Another Hippy Weekend Success!!!!!

February 2, 2014 by Cindy-just-living

Big Mom’s Sauerkraut

Our dinner of soup beans and corn bread must have sauerkraut if it is to be a true southern meal. I had canned some sauerkraut last fall and brought it to add to our meal. Again, if I can anything, Big Mom is always in my memory talking me through the process.

Canned Sauerkraut

I usually use 2 or 3 heads or cabbage. I put these in a big bowl and use a cabbage chopper to finely chop the cabbage.

I very tightly pack the cabbage into hot quart jars. I add 1 tablespoon of canning salt and 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar on top of the cabbage. Then, I fill the jar with boiling water.

Insert a butter knife into the jar to work out all of the air bubbles. If the water level falls below 1/2 inch, add additional water.

Seal the jar with a lid and ring.

This next part is very important. I store these in my shed with a plastic container under the jars. The jars cannot be disturbed until they have “worked” or fermented. They will smell badly during this process and it will usually take several weeks for the entire process to be completed.

Cooking Sauerkraut:

Open the canned sauerkraut, drain and thoroughly wash the kraut.

In a skillet, add enough canola oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.

Add the kraut.

Serve hot on top of your soup beans.

February 2, 2014 by Cindy-just-living

Big Mom’s Corn Bread

Soup Beans must have old fashioned southern cornbread. I taught my daughter-in-law the way that I was taught. Without measuring spoons or cups and by sight and feel. She did an awesome job. I had two big pieces.

1.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

2. Put a rounded scoop of Crisco in an iron skillet, about the size of a rounded tablespoon. Place the skillet into the preheated oven.

3. In a medium bowl pour a pile of corn meal and a pile of self rising flour of equal size.

4. Add 1 egg

5. Add salt poured into a finger measure of approximately 1 teaspoon. (Sheila is demonstrating in the above picture)

6. Add enough milk to make a batter that is similar to cake batter in consistency.

7. Pour the batter into the hot skillet with the hot oil. This should sizzle a bit when you pour it into the skillet.

8. Place the skillet back into the oven and bake until golden brown and when a toothpick is stuck into the middle of the loaf and comes out clean.

9. Turn the bread out onto a plate. The bottom is the top on the plate.

Another Hippy Weekend Success!!!!!

February 2, 2014 by Cindy-just-living

Homemade Yogurt

To make your yogurt you will need

1/2 gallon (room temperature) organic milk

3 or 4 tablespoons (room temperature) plain organic yogurt that has a live culture. (We used Stoneyfield)

a thermometer that has a clip and will register 185 degrees

an 8 or 10 quart pan and a

4 or 5 quart pan with a lid that will fit inside the 8 or 10 quart pan

metal or plastic spoon

heating pad with a medium setting.

1. Sterilize the pans, spoons, and thermometer with a dishwasher or by boiling water.

2. place the milk in the smaller pan

3. fill the larger pan with enough water so that when the pan with the milk is set inside, the water is to about the same level as the milk.

4. When the water is boiling, set the pan with the milk inside and bring the milk to 185 degrees. 5. Maintain the 185 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir frequently.

6. Fill a sink with enough cold water so that when the pan of milk is immersed, it will be at about the same level as the milk inside the pan.

7. Cool the milk to 110 degrees.

8. Remove the pan of milk from the sink of water and add the 4 tablespoons of room temperature yogurt.

9. Stir to fully mix the yogurt into the milk and cover with a lid.

10. On a cutting board, lay a heating pad on a medium setting.

11. Set the pan of yogurt and milk on the heating pad and cover with a bath towel.

12. Let the milk and yogurt work for seven hours. (Do not disturb the pot)

13. After the seven hours, thoroughly mix the milk curds until the mixture is creamy.

14. Place in air tight containers and chill in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Sweeten the yogurt with fresh fruit.

Another Hippy Weekend Success!!!!

February 2, 2014 by Cindy-just-living

Pickled Squash

One of our family favorites has become the pickled squash recipe. We have run low on our reserve stock so what better time to replenish the stock than on Hippy Weekend!

You will need:

6 to 8 yellow summer squash

6 or 7 onions

1/3 cup of canning or kosher salt.

* Cut the squash and onions into 1/8 inch slices

* Layer these in a large bowl with the salt.

* Put a layer of ice on the top and cover with a towel

* Allow these to stand for about 1 1/2 hours.

* Drain and rinse the squash and onions.

Combine in a saucepan:

3 cups distilled vinegar

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seed

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon peppercorns.

Bring to a boil.

Add the squash and onions to the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil.

Pack hot into hot pint jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. Remove air bubbles. (we use a butter knife to move the contents around until the air bubbles are gone)

Clean the tops of the jars with a clean dry towel and seal with the lid and rings.

Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

This made 7 pints!

Another Hippy Weekend Success!!!!!!!

January 14, 2013 by Cindy-just-living

Onion Soup

Our household, like many, has recently battled the flu. When I was growing up, my Aunt Louise would bring me Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup or my dad would onion soup. So, to help rid my household of the flu this year, I modified Dad’s Onion Soup recipe to make a fat free version. Much to my surprise, it was actually tasty.

Modified Onion Soup

3 medium sliced onions

4 to 5 cups vegetable stock

chopped green onions or dinosaur Kale for garnish

Pour 1/4 cup vegetable stock into a medium pot. Add onions and on medium heat cook until caramelized adding additional vegetable stock as needed. When the onions have become a deep caramel brown add the remainder of the vegetable stock. Simmer for 30 minutes. Sprinkle green onions and/ or dinosaur kale on top. I didn’t add any additional seasoning, but could add some salt.