Friday Fotos

 

Carolina blue sky

 

Hey there!

It's Friday Fotos

and we're here to share a little piece of our world.

I'm asking anyone who is so inclined

to continue to pray or light a candle for peace for our country.

Let's keep seeing the light!

 

 

Yes, folks, we had snow!

Last Friday it snowed nearly all day long,

and although it didn't accumulate into a silvery blanket,

we got enough to make this gal very happy!

It's still early in the year,

so maybe we will be blessed with another frigid blast!

 

No need to worry about the wildlife around here.

There are always rations-a-plenty for wayward souls.

The seed and suet feeders have needed refilling

on almost a daily basis.

We're content to provide for those who

give us so much entertainment and delight.

Henrietta

 

The chooks are faring well through the chillier nights.

Although my heart goes out to two of our hens,

for they have decided that this is the perfect time to molt.

I'm hoping that their feathers quickly return to keep them toasty.

Until then, they have ample sunshine

and the warm bodies of their companions at night to stave off the cold.

A friend pulled up her Brussels Sprouts the other day

and the chooks enjoyed the sweet leaves for some time!

We are getting zero eggs now.

In fact, I had to buy eggs from a neighbor

lest we be without for the foreseeable future.

For the life of me,

I can't recall where I got this recipe,

but the chooks enjoyed it.

It can be altered to fit what you have on hand,

and I'll bet it will be scarfed up in no time!

Well, actually, it takes them some time to finish it,

as there are many layers of goodies.

Sometimes chickens are known to pick out

just the things they like in their feed.

They didn't seem to mind any of these ingredients!

A sticky treat

 

 

And, speaking of treats...

This has become my favorite weekend breakfast.

I'm not sure where I was when avocado toast became all the rage,

but I'm usually late to the party.

Anyway, I absolutely adore this mouthful of bliss.

Avocado spread on oatmeal (or millet) bread

(which has been sprinkled with olive oil),

and then topped with a fried egg seasoned simply with salt.

Oh.  My.  Stars.

So flippin' good.

What's your favorite weekend breakfast pleasure?

 

Golden Milk

Recently, the dermatitis on my hands has come back
with a vengeance.
It seems there is no rhyme or reason,
as it showed up unexpectedly about 3 years ago
and left on its own after a year.
I never had skin issues up until then,
and I never did find any pattern to connect it to anything.
Allergy testing was done then (and now),
with nothing showing up as a possible cause.
A little over a month ago,
it reappeared and I have no idea why.
After a couple of trips to the doctor,
there is still no explanation.
It seems that this condition is enigmatic.

 There have been several suggestions regarding how best to treat it.
Many involve using some form of turmeric.
Turmeric is a spice known for its anti-inflammatory properties
and is used in treating everything from skin conditions
to digestive issues to cancer and cardiovascular disease.
The research continues, but until I find out more,
 this lil' cocktail is being enjoyed every evening.
I figure it can't hurt. 
My doctor suggested it,
as she herself has suffered from the condition.
(She is the best doctor I've ever had,
so willing to share integrative remedies,
rather than relying on medication.)

This recipe might sound like a strange combination,
but it actually is quite tasty.

Golden Milk
(Wellness Mama)

2 C almond milk
1 t turmeric
1/2 t cinnamon powder
pinch ground pepper
1/4 t ginger powder
pinch cayenne
1 t honey

Blend ingredients together 
and heat until hot, not boiling.
Enjoy!

Homemade Corn-Free Ketchup

Our son has been plagued with food sensitivities since he was a wee one.
Gluten, dairy, pineapple, coconut (and all dander) 
are a few of the things he must avoid to maintain good health.
Last year, during his annual checkup,
we decided to retest him for food allergies.
Although he no longer tested positive for soy and apples (yippee!),
he had developed a corn sensitivity.
Ugh.
It's mighty hard to avoid corn, it's in almost everything!
Now, you need to know that he was thrilled when he could eat mayo, 
having avoided eggs earlier in life.
And ketchup is a staple.  

He continued eating store-bought mayonnaise and ketchup, 
even though he knew about the sensitivity.
(Sometimes we have to learn the hard way.)
I even called the companies whose products we use,
and sure enough, they informed us 
that the vinegar used in making the condiments was indeed corn-based.

It caught up with him a week ago, when he had a reaction.
He decided to take himself off of his two favorite condiments
and see what happened.
Nothing did, so we found our culprit.
Thankfully, apple cider vinegar can be used
in anything that requires vinegar,
without the interference from corn. 

Can I just say how amazed I am 
that he could just quit cold turkey?
I wish I had such fortitude.

 We already have a corn-free recipe for homemade mayo,
so the challenge was to find a substitute for his all-time favorite, 
the red stuff.
 The bonus is that it's also sugar-free, using only honey as the sweetener.
Our version is adapted from the recipe posted here.

We left out a couple of things and used honey instead of agave,

and it turned out just fine.

 Forty minutes of simmering on the stove

thickened it up nicely.

Another allergy-friendly substitute!
Bring on the burgers and fries!

Homemade Corn-Free Ketchup 

1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 T local honey
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T onion powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C water

Bring all ingredients to a boil,
then simmer for 40 minutes.
Let cool and store for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
Makes 2 cups.

Note:  T=tablespoon
        t=teaspoon

Homemade Red Pepper Flakes

This summer we grew jalapeno peppers

from starts we bought from friends at the farmers' market.

As we don't use many peppers in our food,

I knew that these were destined for something else.

After reading how to easily make red pepper flakes

on the Old World Gardens blog, 

I decided to give it a go.

The peppers were picked, washed

and the ends were trimmed.

 They were then placed (as is) on a cookie sheet 

lined with parchment paper.

I've read that it's important to line the surface

so that the heat doesn't get imbedded into the pan.

I use parchment for most of my oven-based cooking,

so we always have it around.

The peppers were left in the oven most of the day

(at least 7 hours) at 170 degrees.

This dries them out slowly.

If you have a dehydrator, that would work too.

 The food processor does a great job of pulverizing the peppers.

The jar is kept right next to the stove top.

One of my favorite dishes in which to use these 

is my mom's homemade gravy (tomato sauce).

It was one of the first recipes I shared here on the blog.

You can find that recipe here.

I'm so glad I tried this 

and I will be sure to grow more peppers next summer

so that I can make enough to share!

Homemade Mayo (corn-free, df, gf, sf)

We recently had C retested for allergies.
It had been about 10 years since he'd had one
and we wanted to see if there were any changes.
Turns out, a new allergy popped up-corn.
Ugh.

Do you know that corn is pervasive in most store bought items?
Another culinary challenge is not what I needed,
but thankfully, there were options available.

The perfect addition to any sandwich or salad dressing.

Since the brand of mayo we usually use is made with distilled vinegar,
we called the company to find out if it was corn-based.
It was.

That meant that I needed to find an alternative.
This recipe is made using apple cider vinegar
and so is safe for corn-free diets.
And since it was revealed that he was no longer sensitive to apples, it was the perfect choice.
The bonus is that it tastes so much better than store bought.
Enjoy!

Homemade Corn-Free Mayo
(Cooking God's Way)

1 egg yolk 
1 whole egg
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 1/2 t sea salt
1-2 t honey or maple syrup
pinch paprika
pinch garlic powder
1 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil 

Add yolk, whole egg, (both room temperature) lemon juice, 
ACV, salt, spices and honey to food processor.
Pulse a few times to incorporate.
Turn on processor and begin adding oil in a small stream
while machine is running in order to create an emulsion.
Once you see the ingredients melding together,
(the processor actually makes a different sound),
continue adding oil until all is incorporated.
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.
Transfer to a glass jar and store in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Macaflower (vegan)

Roasted veggies are a favorite of mine.
Everything from carrots to potatoes to peppers and eggplant,
roasting adds such a great flavor and sweetness to anything you might pick from the garden.

Cauliflower was roasted at 425 until tender

and I had planned to make soup with it.

Then, Sister brought me some nutritional yeast,

which is a wonderful substitute for cheese.

 After researching a bit, 
I found a recipe using what I had on hand and tweaked it.

I call it 
Macaflower.

Cauliflower Mac and "Cheese"

4 C macaroni noodles

8 oz. cauliflower (roasted)

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1 t salt

1/2 t paprika

1/2 C nutritional yeast

1/3 C unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice)

1 T lemon juice

1 t Aminos or soy sauce

2 t Dijon mustard

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Add cooked (or roasted) cauliflower to blender,

along with remaining ingredients.

Blend until smooth.

Pour over drained noodles.

Enjoy!

(Next time I think I will add 1/2 t of cayenne,

just to give it a little kick.)

If you're expecting creamy mac-n-cheese like your grandma made,

you'll be disappointed

The nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor,

but it's not gonna be that deep, sharp taste of aged cheese.

But you know what?

It's close enough.

 

Leftovers didn't last long.

I'll be making this one again.

 

Rice Crust Quiche Remix

Lately,
I've been trying to do a better job
of using leftovers in new ways.
It makes the food more interesting,
and it's been a challenge coming up with ideas 
to use what we have.

Earlier in the week,
portobello mushroom "burgers" were on the menu.
I don't eat meat, so this is my stand in
when the boys are eating their turkey burgers.
Two kinds of steak fries were prepared as sides.
The mushrooms were huge, so there were leftovers.

They were chopped up and added to my rice crusted quiche mixture.
Included in the deliciousness was some cheddar cheese
and Malabar spinach, 
grown by my farmer friends, Faye & Lynn.
The crust was made using instant brown rice,
instead of the usual basmati.
It's the first time I've bought instant rice,
but brown rice is something that's been
difficult for me to get just right.
The difference in texture was barely noticeable,
and the brown rice is a better nutritional boost of fiber.

You can find the original recipe for rice crusted quiche here.
The leftovers of quiche were savored for lunch 
2 days in a row.
Leftovers from leftovers!
Showing gratitude for all that we have
 includes not being wasteful with food.

"Without frugality, none can be rich, 
and with it, very few would be poor."
~Samuel Johnson

Without frugality none can be rich, and with it very few would be poor. Samuel Johnson
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/search_results.html?q=frugality

Do you like to turn leftovers into something special?