- Thread starter
- #31
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
Well until you do, I return your greeting.
Rathbone: Eggs for Hatching, Eggs for Eating, Eggs, Eggs, Eggs
- Thread starter rathbone
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #32
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
A pressure cooker. A pressure cooker is what I want. But I do not have any money. Nope. No money. So I continue to work away on my "water bath" skills. I am thinking a lot about Christmas - or more correctly I am thinking about Christmas gifts and the fact that I have no money to buy them.
Personally - I hate the gift part of Christmas. I hate the fact that I am supposed to buy gifts for so many people and I hate the fact that no matter how hard I try - probably the gift is not exactly what they wanted and they will do one of two things; they will keep it out of a sense of guilt that I bought it for them or they will ditch it and either way...that gift was completely wasted.
I need a gift that most people will enjoy, that doesn't cost too much, that isn't around cluttering up their house when they didn't really want it and something that if they didn't like it - ditching it wouldn't be a big deal. That gift is gonna be jam.
Who doesn't eat jam? Maybe diabetics? Hmmm...Most of my friends are Native American and diabetes is rampant here on the rez. I guess I could make something besides jam right? And that is how I arrived at (drumroll please) Flame Roasted Red Pepper Spread for Bruschetta.
The red pepper spread was my project this weekend. If you are thinking about trying it - the flame roasting is time consuming. However - I guarantee your home will smell downright heavenly. Red bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic - all flame roasted...and then fresh chopped basil. Yep, heavenly!
Personally - I hate the gift part of Christmas. I hate the fact that I am supposed to buy gifts for so many people and I hate the fact that no matter how hard I try - probably the gift is not exactly what they wanted and they will do one of two things; they will keep it out of a sense of guilt that I bought it for them or they will ditch it and either way...that gift was completely wasted.
I need a gift that most people will enjoy, that doesn't cost too much, that isn't around cluttering up their house when they didn't really want it and something that if they didn't like it - ditching it wouldn't be a big deal. That gift is gonna be jam.
Who doesn't eat jam? Maybe diabetics? Hmmm...Most of my friends are Native American and diabetes is rampant here on the rez. I guess I could make something besides jam right? And that is how I arrived at (drumroll please) Flame Roasted Red Pepper Spread for Bruschetta.
The red pepper spread was my project this weekend. If you are thinking about trying it - the flame roasting is time consuming. However - I guarantee your home will smell downright heavenly. Red bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic - all flame roasted...and then fresh chopped basil. Yep, heavenly!
Britesea
Sustainability Master
OOOH
calendula
Lovin' The Homestead
I would love to get jam for Christmas. We can all kinds of stuff for Christmas presents too. I mean, who doesn't like food? We canned jelly and apple butter, spaghetti sauce, relish, even ketchup. We make cookies and soap too, it goes over really well. I think people will appreciate your gift.
- Thread starter
- #35
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
I hope so Calendula. I have always cooked or otherwise made my Christmas gifts. But there is that time factor - trying to get everything made and given out within just a few days time. So I really really hope (fingers crossed) that by learning to can this year, I will have the hard part out of the way and maybe just maybe I will not be so rushed and thus be able to enjoy my holiday a little more.
Edited to add...I am hoping to add soap making to my skills list. I am loving this group - you are all teaching me so much.
Edited to add...I am hoping to add soap making to my skills list. I am loving this group - you are all teaching me so much.
- Thread starter
- #36
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
Beans, beans, the magical fruit...yes you know the rest.
Beans are an integral part of our diet. When my husband and I had children we made a decision that beans would play a large part in our diet. They are healthy and...they are such a large part of his culture. My husband is Mexican - as in from Mexico as opposed to being American born of Mexican descent. When I was little my mother would admonish us to eat our vegetables so we would grow big and strong. The Mexican staple is the bean - el frijol. My husband was told daily "comete los frijoles pare que crezcas fuerte" (eat your beans so you will grow strong). Same advice as my mother - but for his family the bean is the source of strength. And we eat beans every day.
My mother made beans but I will confess - they didn't have the flavor that the beans my husband makes have. He takes beans to a whole new level - and surprisingly it is through the simplest methods. Forgive me Britesea - you had to hear this already but - I wanted to share a recipe for, yep you guessed it - beans.
Beans are best when they are new. You can still use up those old beans you have on hand but for the tenderest, most mouthwatering beans, choose fresh new beans. In this recipe I am using the old stand-by: pintos.
Sort and clean your beans. Remove any stones, dirt clumps and any beans that look old or odd -especially moldy looking beans.
Rinse them with water. Place them in a large pot and cover with water plus extra water- your beans are going to swell.
Heat the beans to boiling and then turn off the flame and let them sit - at least four hours but easily overnight.
Pour off the water, rinse under cold water and then fill the pot with cold clean water covering them plus an extra inch of water.
Heat to boiling and then turn down the flame so the beans are cooking on low.
Add a teaspoon (or more if you like) of salt. Add 4 dientes (cloves) of garlic (or more if you like - I like more). Add half a finely chopped onion if you like the flavor of onion.
*a delicious addition - hamhocks, bacon, saltpork etc.
Simmer beans for an hour - adding water if necessary but unlikely you will need it.
When the beans are quite soft - take a potato masher and mash just a bit of them. Cook 15 more minutes. These mashed beans will give the water a gravy-like consistency.
These are basic beans. Basic meaning you can now use them to make many other things.
Want refried beans?
In a large frypan, heat 2 - 3 T of oil (tradition calls for lard which tastes the best but choose which type of fat is good for you - we use olive oil)
Pour in two cups of beans with whatever broth come with them.
Let the beans heat up in the oil.
Mash them with a bean masher.
If they look a bit dry - add a bit of the bean broth.
Remember - traditional refried beans are not stiff at all but actually a bit runny.
Want some zing in those refried beans?
Sautee sliced chiles in the oil before adding the beans.
We eat beans with almost every meal and there are even sauces you can make to put your beans in. My MIL makes a gorgeous mole' sauce for her beans (mole is traditionally for meat but they were always quite poor and my hubby LOVES beans in mole' gravy).
Beans are an integral part of our diet. When my husband and I had children we made a decision that beans would play a large part in our diet. They are healthy and...they are such a large part of his culture. My husband is Mexican - as in from Mexico as opposed to being American born of Mexican descent. When I was little my mother would admonish us to eat our vegetables so we would grow big and strong. The Mexican staple is the bean - el frijol. My husband was told daily "comete los frijoles pare que crezcas fuerte" (eat your beans so you will grow strong). Same advice as my mother - but for his family the bean is the source of strength. And we eat beans every day.
My mother made beans but I will confess - they didn't have the flavor that the beans my husband makes have. He takes beans to a whole new level - and surprisingly it is through the simplest methods. Forgive me Britesea - you had to hear this already but - I wanted to share a recipe for, yep you guessed it - beans.
Beans are best when they are new. You can still use up those old beans you have on hand but for the tenderest, most mouthwatering beans, choose fresh new beans. In this recipe I am using the old stand-by: pintos.
Sort and clean your beans. Remove any stones, dirt clumps and any beans that look old or odd -especially moldy looking beans.
Rinse them with water. Place them in a large pot and cover with water plus extra water- your beans are going to swell.
Heat the beans to boiling and then turn off the flame and let them sit - at least four hours but easily overnight.
Pour off the water, rinse under cold water and then fill the pot with cold clean water covering them plus an extra inch of water.
Heat to boiling and then turn down the flame so the beans are cooking on low.
Add a teaspoon (or more if you like) of salt. Add 4 dientes (cloves) of garlic (or more if you like - I like more). Add half a finely chopped onion if you like the flavor of onion.
*a delicious addition - hamhocks, bacon, saltpork etc.
Simmer beans for an hour - adding water if necessary but unlikely you will need it.
When the beans are quite soft - take a potato masher and mash just a bit of them. Cook 15 more minutes. These mashed beans will give the water a gravy-like consistency.
These are basic beans. Basic meaning you can now use them to make many other things.
Want refried beans?
In a large frypan, heat 2 - 3 T of oil (tradition calls for lard which tastes the best but choose which type of fat is good for you - we use olive oil)
Pour in two cups of beans with whatever broth come with them.
Let the beans heat up in the oil.
Mash them with a bean masher.
If they look a bit dry - add a bit of the bean broth.
Remember - traditional refried beans are not stiff at all but actually a bit runny.
Want some zing in those refried beans?
Sautee sliced chiles in the oil before adding the beans.
We eat beans with almost every meal and there are even sauces you can make to put your beans in. My MIL makes a gorgeous mole' sauce for her beans (mole is traditionally for meat but they were always quite poor and my hubby LOVES beans in mole' gravy).
- Thread starter
- #37
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
I just saw a sticky on posting recipes to the recipe thingy...am I really supposed to? I can't think anyone would be looking there for the elusive Mor-Good Frijol recipe?
framing fowl
On a mission
Well, you won't get kicked out if you don't... but some people don't have time to keep up with all the journals and the recipes do tend to get a little lost when journals get very large. It does make it easier to find again if you repost it in the recipe section. You'd be amazed how fanatic we all are about food around here!
- Thread starter
- #39
rathbone
Lovin' The Homestead
I will post over therer then...I just thought people will laugh when they see I am going to try to teach them how to make one of the most basic foods.
framing fowl
On a mission
Nope, we're not going to laugh at you. You wouldn't believe the simple things I've learned here because I never wanted to be in the kitchen. I was ALWAYS outside helping Dad! That's one of my favorite things about this forum is the kitchen section!
