Posted by Cindy on July 1, 2009
It’s garden time again! I just love this time of year – even though it keeps me VERY busy. I feel so productive caring for, harvesting and putting away things from the garden. Two of the first crops to fill our home this summer have been zucchini and onions.
I haven’t had much experience putting either of these away, so I did a little internet research. It seems as if the quickest and easiest way to save these veggies for later use is freezing them raw. What could be simpler than that?
I grated the zucchini and placed it in freezer bags in two cup portions since most of my normal recipes call for about this much grated zucchini. So far, I’ve frozen 20 cups!
With the onions, I sliced some and chopped some. I didn’t worry about measuring since frozen onions come apart with a quick tap on the counter. One website said to place the onions on cookie sheets and freeze before bagging, but I didn’t have time to fool with that. 
Both of these will need to be used in cooked recipes since they won’t hold their original texture. For the zucchini, the directions said to add any liquid in the bag (after thawing) to the recipe since it will be the juices that are normally in the zucchini.
Mahayla and Caleb grew carrots this year. They were able to can 10 quarts – and I only had to supervise! Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of the finished jars.
Looks like green bean canning will be next on the list! Anybody have a really good idea for saving summer squash? I have attempted to parboil and freeze, but it turned out way to mushy to use, even in cooked dishes.
Posted by Cindy on October 28, 2008
I had the pleasure of speaking at co-op this week. (Boy, do I miss those gals!) We talked on the topic of healthfully and frugally making convenience mixes. I talked about my reasons for even considering making homemade mixes in the first place – MSG and red food coloring – then added that being frugal is a huge benefit even if the same health issues don’t concern your family.
Since I didn’t make a handout for the meeting, I thought I’d put all my links about the subject in one place.
Being such quick, easy and frugal mixes, these would make great Christmas gifts, too!
As usual, if there’s anything more specific you’d like to know, just comment with a question. I’ll do my best to answer it.
Posted by Cindy on October 21, 2008
Well, not exactly!
We’ve been doing all sorts of hands-on learning during our Colonial History unit and one of the activities I had planned was making butter. At co-op over the years, the kids have had the opportunity to shake cream in baby food jars to make their own butter, so I didn’t think we needed that experience again. We don’t own a butter churn, but I had an idea that the Kitchenaid Stand Mixer might give us a modern day look at the butter making process. And it did!
Easy directions:
- Add heavy cream to your mixer
- Put on the whisk attachment
- Turn it to level 8 or 10 for about five minutes
- Be prepared to cover the bowl with a couple of towels toward the end to keep the liquid from splattering
- When the liquid has separated from the butter fat, take the butter out and squeeze out the rest of the liquid
- You can keep the liquid (buttermilk) for use in other recipes
- Enjoy your fresh butter! It’s SO yummy!!
)
Posted by Cindy on August 13, 2008
A sinkful of fresh tomatoes in our house turns into about eleven quarts of diced tomatoes!
And here’s a new recipe I concocted to use up the canned tomatoes. I had a quart that didn’t seal, plus some corn and peppers that needed to be used. I didn’t have any ground beef, but I did have some shredded chicken in the freezer. So I made a *yummy*….
Chicken Chili
- 1 quart diced tomatoes and juice
- 1-2 green peppers, diced
- a cob or two of fresh corn cut off the cob (or a can, drained)
- a can of beans -any type- with juice (I used great northern)
- shredded chicken, about 2 cups
- about 1/2 cup of chili mix
- extra water to suit your taste
Mix all ingredients together and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 30 minutes. As you can see, the recipe isn’t a science, but it sure is yummy!
Now for the serious stuff…..Where are your Charlotte Mason planning and organizing posts??? I know, I know, they’re coming. I see many of you are procrastinators like me, huh??
We’re not looking for huge, in-depth posts (unless you want.) Just a simple post about something you have planned or organized to enhance CM-style learning.
- Have you made an artist study plan for the year?
- Have you put together a nature study area?
- Have you decided on a living book list for the semester?
- Have you made a plan for specific handicrafts?
- Have you organized any areas of your schoolroom?
Okay, you get the idea. Now, go write! )
Oh, and submit your posts here.
Posted by Cindy on August 9, 2008
Candace asked for these recipes. I thought others might benefit, too. So here ya go…..
Both of these recipes came from the cookbook I found at the www.msgmyth.com website.
Shake-n-bake Mix
- 4 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs, finely crushed
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp flour
- 6 Tbsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt
- 4 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp onion powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 2 tsp thyme
- 2 tsp (or less) red pepper
- 1 tsp sage powder
- 1/2 to 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Mix well and store in airtight container.
To uses: Dip meat (chicken or pork) in oil, then shake in a cup or two of the mixture that has been placed in a plastic bag. Bake approximately 1 hour in a 375 degree oven. Turn halfway through baking.
White Sauce (aka Homemade Creamed Soup)
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper to season
Melt butter and add flour. Cook on low heat, stirring at all times, for 1 minute. Add milk and whisk smooth. Cook, stirring until thickened.
Variations:
- Add 1/2 tsp dry mustard, 1 additional cup milk and 2 cups cheese for cheese sauce to be used with vegetables or mac-n-cheese.
- Add parsley and minced onion, then add to sliced potatoes for scalloped potatoes.
- Beat 1 or 2 eggs with 1 cup milk and add to cream sauce, then cook until thickened. Add to top of casseroles, pasta dishes, cooked vegetables, stuffed peppers or eggplant. It’s a tasty substitute for cheese. A tsp of parmesan cheese or nutmeg is a good addition.
- Add curry, paprika, garlic powder and any favorite herbs.
- Add 4 large chopped mushrooms to the butter, then saute for 2 minutes before adding the flour. Thin with water to desired consistency for mushroom soup.
