Homestead Happenings

 

Welcome to Homestead Happenings,

where we share the news about our

Piedmont homesteading adventures.

Not much to share this week,

as we are having a chilly winter, 

just like most of the country.

With snow predicted (yippee!) for the next two days,

I'll be hunkering down and enjoying the snowfall.

Amazingly, the kale is still growing,

despite some frigid temps overnight.

The row covers give us a few extra degrees of warmth,

and kale is one hearty crop.

What a treat to be able to enjoy kale

as I am working outside.

In another bed we have one Napa cabbage 

still hanging on,

and broccoli, which has been

oh-so sweet, thanks to the cold snap.

Some of the broccoli will be harvested

to make a vegan broccoli-cheddar soup.

The garlic seems to be oblivious to the weather.

It keeps growing, despite what the thermometer says,

and I'm hoping for a bumper crop this year.

Still a long way to go though,

with harvest time in May or June.

It looks like the welded wire around the bed

is keeping the chooks from scratching up the soil.

One of the tasks I enjoy doing in the winter

is clearing out the woods surrounding our home.

We have trees on three sides,

though not very deep,

but I've managed to do some serious tidying this season.

It's easier for me to catch rogue chooks when the woods are clear.

We have color even on the dreariest of days.

This nandina has a beautiful spray of red berries

and red tinted leaves as well.

The berries last well after the holidays

and provide food for the wildlife here.

There is a large holly bush that is 

absolutely loaded in berries this year!

I have trimmed a few of the branches

to bring some of the outdoors in.

The rest will be left for our feathered friends.

It's so nice to have a pop of color out there.

The girls are enjoying the pulled broccoli stalks.

They pick apart whatever is left in no time.

*Note to self-plant more food for the chooks!

Site supervisor Buttercup makes sure that I am 

doing a good job spreading wood chips.

We were gifted a load via Chip Drop this week,

so I will have plenty to do to keep me warm outside.

This was an especially good load,

as the chips are quite small and they even threw in

a substantial log that I can use as a perch for the girls.

If you can use woodchips for your garden, animals or

pathways around your yard, Chip Drop is a great free resource.

Since we signed up with them online,

we've gotten 5 or 6 nice loads.

I made some tortillas with the chickpea flour 

I had in the cupboard.

They are so good with cheese, beans and sprouts.

The recipe is simple, quick and requires only a few ingredients.

I got the recipe here.

Last year, I made a batch of vanilla

using the simple combination of vodka and vanilla beans.

Can I just tell you how amazing it turned out?

I left it in a dark cabinet for a full year,

and it has the most wonderful smell and taste.

I decided to start another batch for next year.

So easy, and much better than what you can find in the store.

Here's where I plan to spend the next couple of days.

I tend to do indoor projects during these times

when the great outdoors is inaccessible.

If we get snow, I'll be out in it, for sure,

but eventually, I'll have to come inside to warm up.

Counting my blessings 

every

             single 

                     day.

Easy Falafal (vegan, cf,df,gf,sf)

 

 

 

 

This recipe was one I've been wanting to make for a while.

I remember my mom making it on occasion 

(that woman could make anything!),

and each marvelous mouthful was devoured with appreciation.

The recipe I feature here is my rendition of one I found

on Cookie + Kate.

She adds cilantro (um, no thanks), 

and bakes it in a skillet in the oven.

My version is an easy and quick cook in my momma's cast iron skillet,

a sort of homage to her culinary proficiency,

of which I claim none.

This dish is a great example of how a few clean ingredients

can come together to make some lip-smackin' goodness happen.

 

The one thing that surprised me was that the chick peas,

or garbanzo beans, as they are also known,

are soaked, but not cooked.

Everything is simply dumped into the food processor

and whizzed until the texture is to your liking.

This may be why the outside turns out so crisp,

while the inside is soft, moist and 

divine.

The addition of cinnamon was another curiosity,

and I didn't really detect it in the delight of each magnificent morsel.

 

Another thing I like about this recipe, 

is that it's allergy-friendly.

It is free of corn, dairy, gluten and sugar,

it's vegan, 

and 

 fully satisfying.

What a great make-ahead lunch or snack idea

to use when prepping for a busy week.

 

Without a doubt, 

this will be a welcome addition to the family recipe file.

 

 

Easy Falafel

(Cookie + Kate)

 ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

1 cup dried raw chickpeas, 

soaked for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator

 ½ cup onion, diced

 ½ cup packed fresh parsley 

 4 cloves garlic, quartered 

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

 ½ teaspoon ground cumin 

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Combine soaked and drained chickpeas, onion, parsley, garlic,  salt, cumin, cinnamon,  

and  1 T of olive oil in a food processor. 

Process until smooth, about 1 minute.

Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of the mixture at a time and shape into small patties or balls. 

Place each falafel on an oiled pan and cook 3-4 minutes per side.

Makes about a dozen.

 

 

Mock Tuna Salad

 

 

This is the first cookbook I've bought in years.

I had given away all of the ones I had,

as we tend to eat the same things most of the time.

Rarely did I venture out of my comfort zone with regard to eating.

This cookbook is chocked full of wonderful vegan  meals,

which has nudged me to try a few new things.

 

I've been a non-meat eater for decades.

I never liked meat as a kid,

so by the time I got to be a teenager, I swore off the stuff.

I have gone back and forth with regard to fish though.

But sometime last year, I just didn't want it anymore either,

with the exception of tuna.

 

 

The only fish I eat on a regular basis anymore is tuna.

It's one of my favorite sandwiches, or spreads for crackers or celery.

I buy the wild catch albacore tuna and eat that a couple of days a week for lunch.

chickpea chopper

 

This recipe from the cookbook had been on my "I gotta try this" list for a while.

If I ever decided to ditch the tuna, I wanted an alternative.

This recipe didn't disappoint.

With the addition of some pickled okra, it hit the spot.

The balance of the tart, spicy okra and the mild, sweet onion was fabulous.

As usual, I tweaked the ingredients to my liking,

and it turned out just fine.

I couldn't find her original recipe,

but you can find a similar version here.

It almost looks like tuna fish salad, doesn't it?

I'm not sure that it tastes just the same,

but it's doggone good!

It's great to have another option for lunch

and this recipe gave me a solid three or four servings.

If you give it a go, let me know how you like it.

 

Vegan "No Tuna" Salad

(Minimalist Baker)

1 15 oz can chickpeas, drained/rinsed

3 T mayo

1 t Dijon mustard

splash of fresh lemon juice

1/4 C diced onion

1/4 C diced celery

1/4 C diced pickles (I used okra)

healthy pinch of salt/pepper

 

Add chickpeas to medium bowl

and mash with a fork or potato masher.

Add mayo, mustard, veg and spices and mix to combine.

Enjoy!

 

Gluten-Free Tortillas (cf, df, ef, gf, sf, vegan)

 

 

 

I found a new website called Ela Vegan for vegan recipes.

You can find it here.

Her recipes are so simple and clean as a whistle.

These gluten-free tortillas/crepes/wrappers are fantastic!

The end product depends on how much water is added,

so these transform from thicker sandwich wraps

to less thick but hearty tortillas,

to thinner crepes for dessert.

 

They look like conventional crepes, right?

Believe it or not, they are quite healthy!

That wasn't even my first desire when I was watching her videos, 

but it is an added bonus.

 

My mom, also known as Mimi,

 being the amazing French chef that she was,

used to make us crepes every New Year's.

It was one of the traditions we adored as kids.

She would have three separate skillets on the stove,

and could hardly keep up with us devouring them

hand over fist.

Ah, the good ole' days!

 

It's been a while now that I've been frustrated

with the offerings of tortillas at the grocery store.

I wasn't even looking for something necessarily gluten-free,

but these fill the bill remarkably well.

I've reintroduced gluten into my diet

over the past few weeks with success.

But I still have a gf son, and I enjoy finding new recipes

that we can both test out.

I'm sure making them from scratch yourself

would be wonderful,

but I needed something that was quick

and didn't require a beloved abuela to teach me.

These did not disappoint.

 

They are made with 4 ingredients 

(although I added garlic powder for the savory version),

fry up fast in a cast iron skillet,

and can be made savory or sweet!

What else could a gal ask for?

 

These are too good not to share.

 

Gluten-free Tortillas

 

1 C chickpea flour

1/2 C tapioca flour or arrowroot

1/3 teaspoon salt

(1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)-savory version

3/4-1 C water

 

Add dry ingredients to bowl, whisk to aerate.

Add water as needed to acquire desired consistency.

Pour 1/3 C batter into skillet or pan.

Cook 2 minutes each side.

Enjoy!

 

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

 

 

We've been getting our produce box from Misfits

for going on nine months

and still enjoying every single delivery.

Truth is, the service has gotten even better,

now that one can customize the order.

The organic goodies included in our bi-monthly order

save us money and it couldn't be more convenient.

These beautiful peppers came in our last box,

and I knew I wanted to do something special with them.

 

I usually roast most of the veggies we get on a sheet tray,

using olive oil and the most basic seasonings.

From there, it's easy to put together several suppers or sides

in a fraction of the time it would take if I were starting from scratch.

I made some yellow rice, by using basmati and adding turmuric,

and simply added the roasted veggies and red lentils.

Having prepared the rice and lentils the previous day

made this meal come together in no time.

 

I haven't made stuffed peppers in a long time,

but this encouraged me to add this meal to my repertoire,

especially with plans to grow peppers in the spring.

Chick peas or any type of bean could be swapped out

for the lentils,

and quinoa or orzo could be used in place of the rice.

You could add cheese (either vegan or dairy)

to make it even more satisfying.

This recipe is very adaptable,

which is helpful for those with allergies.

 

All I know is, 

this was some 

belly-fillin' 

goodness!

Vegan Stuffed Peppers

1 C cooked red lentils

1 C yellow rice

2 large bell peppers

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 small bell peppers, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 C parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin

pinch cayenne pepper

After chopping peppers, onion and garlic,

add olive oil and a pinch of salt and combine until coated,

then roast in 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Prepare large peppers by cutting the top off

and removing the seeds.

Once veg is roasted, add to a bowl

with seasonings, rice and lentils.  Mix well.

Stuff mixture into large peppers

and place in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Easy Cole Slaw

One of the best things for your gut is sauerkraut.

I tried a couple of different homemade versions in the past few months,

and loved them!

Alas, they didn't love me.

I'm not positive that kraut is what was causing a bit of

digestive disruption, but since I've stopped eating it,

I've been feeling a lot better.

How can something that's so good for you,

not be good for me?

I've learned to go with the flow,

so I had to let it go.

I still wanted an excuse to grow cabbage in the garden,

so I had to find another way to get it into my life.

Enter Cole Slaw.

Not just any cole slaw.

This is the easiest, quickest cole slaw recipe 

and what's even better, it's addicting!

Now I can have my cabbage and digest it too!

This doesn't have the health benefits of fermented foods,

but cabbage is one of the best sources of

fiber, can aid in lowering cholesterol and

blood pressure, as well as being packed with

Vitamins C and K.

It's even been studied as a cancer preventer.

It's the perfect side for burgers (veggie and otherwise),

bar-b-q, and picnic suppers.

Lisa at Downshiftology shared this version

(I've altered it just a bit),

as well as a mayo-free variation.

You can click on the link below 

with her vlog's name for the original recipe.

I don't know about you,

but I'll pretty much make anything this summer

that doesn't require heating up the kitchen.

Give it a go!

Easy Cole Slaw

(Downshiftology)

3/4 of a green cabbage

1/2 of a red cabbage

3 or 4 carrots

1 zucchini

1 C mayo (homemade recipe here)

2 Tablespoons Apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper

Shred veggies using a box grater or food processor.

Add to bowl.

Whip up dressing ingredients, add to veg.

Mix well and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

Enjoy!