Update! Finally i know....
Most recent news is that we are broke! Yay!
Welcome to a recession ladies and gentleman.
Sooo in light of that fact we have decided to move into the second home on my parents property to save money and help them bring in a little cash to finish fixing the place :) While this was a difficult decision for us to come to we believe it is the best one for our current financial situation and the bleak outlook for next years economy. There are however quite a few perks to living there, one of them being the new kitten we get to adopt and the space we have to grow a garden!
I have been researching a program called The Mittleider Method since last winter and am excited about the possibilities it brings. Dr. Mittleider created the Food For Everyone foundation which is a world wide non profit that teaches people, especially in poor and desolate locations how to grow gardens that produce 5-10 times the amount normally in less space and using HALF the water a traditional garden does! Its pretty revolutionary in my opinion and its incredibly simple.
They have A TON of free information on their website and forums, you have immediate access to Jim Kennard (Dr. Mittleiders successor) to ask questions on the forum and QA about your unique problems too!
Their main site is www.foodforeveryone.org
I just signed up as an affiliate so if after reading their info you wish to purchase any of the books of software sets (which are the best deal) you can come back through the link below and I receive a 40% commission just for telling you about it.....pretty cool if you ask me!
Check it out Here
Since this is the first time we have tried this I have decided to keep a blog recording our progress. We have access to a digital camera now so we should be able to document our progress on it the upcoming year. The address for that is http://themittleiderexperiment.blogspot.com
Happy gardening!
(And yes I know this a random post after so long but....I plead brain fatigue, goodnight!)
Monday, November 24, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Recipe Marathon....
A bunch of newly tried and tested recipes for you....
Artichoke Dip
Awesome with warm bread....
24-26 oz Artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup mayonaisse
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp onion flakes
2 tb grated parmesan cheese, extra
paprika
Preheat oven 180 degrees
Squeeze excess moisture out of artichoke hearts. Chop. Combine artichoke, mayo, parmesan and onion flakes together, salt and pepper lightly.
Spread in 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with extra cheese and paprika. Bake 15-20 min depending on oven.
Notes: Worked great in our oven. In our friends required longer time/higher temp to get warm....could just be malfunctioning oven though.
Homemade French Bread
Like this one....
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 envelopes regular yeast
1 tb veg oil
2 tsp salt
5-5 1/2 cups flour
1 egg white plus 1 tb water
Mix water and yeast together, allow to get bubbly. Stir in oil, salt, and flour to make soft dough. Kneed 6-8 minutes
Proof 30-45 min
Punch down bread. Cut in half with sharp knife. Form into two loaves and place on greased and cornmealed cookie sheet. (I didn't have cornmeal and it worked fine)
Proof 30-45 min again.
Brush w/ egg, cut slits diagonally.
Bake at 400 for 25 minutes
Notes: Tasted amazing. Had some issues getting tops to brown even with egg white. Let me know how yours turns out...
Bannana-Apple Bran Muffins
Yummy and moist....
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed bannana-2 med
1 cup buttermilk-or reg milk works too
1 cup unprocessed bran
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour- reg flour works too
3/4 all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamin
1/4 tsp salt
Several small granny smith apples cut into 1/2 inch cubes
*choc chips, walnuts, etc would also work well in this recipe
Preheat 400
Whisk eggs/brown sugar. Add second group of ingredients.
Add dry ingredients all at once. Mix til just combined. Add apples or other add ins.
Place in muffin tins. Bake 15-25 min til golden and springy.
Notes: Recipe said to mix dry ingredients seperately and then make a well to add wet ingredients. Didn't want to dirty another mixing bowl so I didn't.....:D
Should Be Illegal Ribs
It's true....
3 lbs pork back ribs
7 oz honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup brown sugar (do not pack down)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 med onion chopped
12 oz BBQ sauce
Preheat 325
Combine all sauce ingredients. Add and subtract items to get flavor profile desired.
Place in baking dish. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce. Cover ribs with all of remaining sauce. Cover tightly with foil making sure no air escapes.
Bake 3 hours. Uncover and add reserved sauce. Broil on high for a couple minutes to get sticky sauce. Serve immediately with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a salad.
Kevin's Garlic Mashed Potato Discovery
We discovered that if you throw whole peeled cloves of garlic in with your boiling potatoes they cook at the same rate and can simply be mashed together with the potatoes. Eliminates biting into a crunchy piece of garlic :)
Dani's Yummy Easy Pancakes
The infamous cell phone recipe....
1 cup flour
2 tb sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
2 tb veg oil
Mix. Cook. Eat.....with syrup and butter.
Makes 3 large pancakes.
World Famous Bannana Bread
Sooo good....
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tb sour milk (just add a squirt of lemon to reg milk)
1/2 cup chop nuts
3 mashed bananas
Cream group 1. Add eggs 1 @ a time.
Add group 2. Add group 3.
Bake 350 for 45 min-1 hour. Take out when slighty underdone for extra moist bread.
Notes: I mashed bannans in the bowl which left some nice chunks in the bread which we loved. If you don't like that mash thoroughly before adding.
Poor Kids Pizza Crust
When you are poor and want pizza....
1 pk quick rise yeast
1 cup water warm
1 tb oil
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
----------------------------------
We think adding would help:
salt, onion powder, fresh/dried herbs
Mix yeast with warm water. Stir in oil and flour.
Cover. Proof 15 min.
Flour hands and surface. Roll out to desired thickness or simply press to shape on greased pizza pan or casserole dish.
Cover with sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake at 350 for 20+min.
Tasty.
Artichoke Dip
Awesome with warm bread....
24-26 oz Artichoke hearts, drained
1 cup mayonaisse
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp onion flakes
2 tb grated parmesan cheese, extra
paprika
Preheat oven 180 degrees
Squeeze excess moisture out of artichoke hearts. Chop. Combine artichoke, mayo, parmesan and onion flakes together, salt and pepper lightly.
Spread in 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with extra cheese and paprika. Bake 15-20 min depending on oven.
Notes: Worked great in our oven. In our friends required longer time/higher temp to get warm....could just be malfunctioning oven though.
Homemade French Bread
Like this one....
1 3/4 cup warm water
2 envelopes regular yeast
1 tb veg oil
2 tsp salt
5-5 1/2 cups flour
1 egg white plus 1 tb water
Mix water and yeast together, allow to get bubbly. Stir in oil, salt, and flour to make soft dough. Kneed 6-8 minutes
Proof 30-45 min
Punch down bread. Cut in half with sharp knife. Form into two loaves and place on greased and cornmealed cookie sheet. (I didn't have cornmeal and it worked fine)
Proof 30-45 min again.
Brush w/ egg, cut slits diagonally.
Bake at 400 for 25 minutes
Notes: Tasted amazing. Had some issues getting tops to brown even with egg white. Let me know how yours turns out...
Bannana-Apple Bran Muffins
Yummy and moist....
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed bannana-2 med
1 cup buttermilk-or reg milk works too
1 cup unprocessed bran
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour- reg flour works too
3/4 all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamin
1/4 tsp salt
Several small granny smith apples cut into 1/2 inch cubes
*choc chips, walnuts, etc would also work well in this recipe
Preheat 400
Whisk eggs/brown sugar. Add second group of ingredients.
Add dry ingredients all at once. Mix til just combined. Add apples or other add ins.
Place in muffin tins. Bake 15-25 min til golden and springy.
Notes: Recipe said to mix dry ingredients seperately and then make a well to add wet ingredients. Didn't want to dirty another mixing bowl so I didn't.....:D
Should Be Illegal Ribs
It's true....
3 lbs pork back ribs
7 oz honey
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup brown sugar (do not pack down)
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 med onion chopped
12 oz BBQ sauce
Preheat 325
Combine all sauce ingredients. Add and subtract items to get flavor profile desired.
Place in baking dish. Reserve 1/2 cup sauce. Cover ribs with all of remaining sauce. Cover tightly with foil making sure no air escapes.
Bake 3 hours. Uncover and add reserved sauce. Broil on high for a couple minutes to get sticky sauce. Serve immediately with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a salad.
Kevin's Garlic Mashed Potato Discovery
We discovered that if you throw whole peeled cloves of garlic in with your boiling potatoes they cook at the same rate and can simply be mashed together with the potatoes. Eliminates biting into a crunchy piece of garlic :)
Dani's Yummy Easy Pancakes
The infamous cell phone recipe....
1 cup flour
2 tb sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk
2 tb veg oil
Mix. Cook. Eat.....with syrup and butter.
Makes 3 large pancakes.
World Famous Bannana Bread
Sooo good....
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tb sour milk (just add a squirt of lemon to reg milk)
1/2 cup chop nuts
3 mashed bananas
Cream group 1. Add eggs 1 @ a time.
Add group 2. Add group 3.
Bake 350 for 45 min-1 hour. Take out when slighty underdone for extra moist bread.
Notes: I mashed bannans in the bowl which left some nice chunks in the bread which we loved. If you don't like that mash thoroughly before adding.
Poor Kids Pizza Crust
When you are poor and want pizza....
1 pk quick rise yeast
1 cup water warm
1 tb oil
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
----------------------------------
We think adding would help:
salt, onion powder, fresh/dried herbs
Mix yeast with warm water. Stir in oil and flour.
Cover. Proof 15 min.
Flour hands and surface. Roll out to desired thickness or simply press to shape on greased pizza pan or casserole dish.
Cover with sauce, cheese and toppings. Bake at 350 for 20+min.
Tasty.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The First Few Days.....
Of married life is.....wonderful. We decided to stay in Bend so we could spend our honeymoon in Peggy and Mike's beautiful beach house in two weeks which they were so gracious to bless us with. Our little apartment here was home base for us. We take two alleyways that have adorable old cottages and huge trees and a single side street to get to downtown, a mere five minute walk from OUR HOUSE! ahh! God is so good to us!
We went to Alpenglow for breakfast and I ate these huge waffles covered in whipped cream and blackberries...mmmm. Kevin got some kind of egg omelette thingey with a bunch of veggies in it and the best home fries in bend. Yummy.
We rented movies and lounged around the house, went to Mom and Dads and opened presents there. Drank some finnegan beer with them and overall were just lazy. Then came the fun part....
I get laid off. The day before we get married technically...but I didn't find out until Tuesday cause they wanted to spare my emotions. Gee thanks guys...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skip forward to Wed the following week.
I really should never leave posts in draft forms. I never touch them again! Anyways, still on the job hunt. Trying to settle in the house and finish moving and search for a job and deal with the unemployment agency (grrr)
Highlights of this week have been Mom, Dad, Jon, Grandma and Grandpa coming over for dinner in our new "house" :) They were our guinea pigs and boy did we realize the things we are missing in our little flat....like chairs! and a table...lol! But it all worked out well. Made a bunch of new dishes which was exciting and they ALL turned out amazing! wow. I should do this more often :)
Heres the recipes cause it was all amazing:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the grilled peaches in this recipe were pretty much the highlight of dinner. I even impressed myself with this recipe....and Kevin's expert grilling skills helped too :)
We served this with bowtie pasta and buttered herbed corn from the wedding.
Grilled Chicken With Spicy Peach Glaze
Spicy Peach Glaze:
2 cups peach preserves or jam (We used fresh peaches cup up and then mashed)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce (We subed a few splashes of hot sauce)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (We used Honey Mustard)
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
(We also added fresh basil, thyme and oregano from the garden)
8 Frenched" chicken breasts
4 ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted
Combine Spicy Peach Glaze ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/2 cup. Preheat grill. Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place skin-side down and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Turn over and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes. Brush both sides with the peach glaze and continue cooking an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Place peach halves, cut side down on the grill and grill for 2 minutes. Turn over and brush with the reserved 1/2 cup of peach glaze, grill for 3 to 4 more minutes until peaches are soft.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homemade Bread
This is my standby recipe. Its SO simple and always turns out a good loaf even if you have to speed up the dough by putting it in a warmed up oven.
4 1/3 cups flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp fast action yeast
1 1/2 (ish) cups warm water
Mix flour and butter with fingertips breaking up into tiny balls. Add sugar, salt and yeast.
Gradually mix in enough water to make a soft dough.
Kneed well on floured surface 5 min or until dough is smooth and elastic. Put dough back into bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in warm place to rise 45 min or til double in size.
Pull out, kneed about 2 min just enough to pop air bubbles and get back to a less "fluffy" consistency.
Put into greased bread pan, recover with clingfilm. Allow to rise 30 min or til it reaches top of tin.
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.
Smother with honey butter and consume :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazing dessert. Dont make it too often though or you can kiss your svelte figure goodbye!
I made a graham cracker crust instead of pastry and I think it made this dessert....everyone else agreed :)
I only had enough time to boil can for 1 hour not the 3 it recommends....I think it would set up better with the 3....it was a little runny and held better refrigerated the next day.
Banoffi Pie (originally known as Banoffee Pie), (to serve 8-10 people)
12 ounces uncooked shortcrust pastry
1.5 tins condensed milk (13.5 ounces each)
1.5 pounds firm bananas
375ml of double cream
Half a teaspoon powdered instant coffee
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
A little freshly ground coffee
Preparation
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (400F, ). Lightly grease a 10in x 1.5in flan tin. Line this with the pastry thinly rolled out. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake blind until crisp. Allow to cool.
The secret of this delicious pudding lies in the condensed milk.Immerse the cans unopened in a deep pan of boiling water. Cover and boil for 3 hours making sure that the pan does not boil dry *(see CAUTION).
Remove the tin from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. Inside you will find the soft toffee filling.
Method
Whip the cream with the instant coffee and sugar until thick and smooth. Now spread the toffee over the base of the flan. Peel and halve the bananas lenghtways and lay them on the toffee.
Finally spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle over the freshly ground coffee.
*CAUTION It is absolutely vital to top up the pan of boiling water frequently during the cooking of the cans. 3 hours is a long time and if they are allowed to boil dry the cans will explode causing a grave risk to life, limb and kitchen ceilings.
Hint - Banoffi is a marvellous "emergency" pudding once you have the toffee mixture in your store cupboard. We therefore suggest that you boil several cans at the same time as they keep unopened indefinitely.
Yummy....
We went to Alpenglow for breakfast and I ate these huge waffles covered in whipped cream and blackberries...mmmm. Kevin got some kind of egg omelette thingey with a bunch of veggies in it and the best home fries in bend. Yummy.
We rented movies and lounged around the house, went to Mom and Dads and opened presents there. Drank some finnegan beer with them and overall were just lazy. Then came the fun part....
I get laid off. The day before we get married technically...but I didn't find out until Tuesday cause they wanted to spare my emotions. Gee thanks guys...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Skip forward to Wed the following week.
I really should never leave posts in draft forms. I never touch them again! Anyways, still on the job hunt. Trying to settle in the house and finish moving and search for a job and deal with the unemployment agency (grrr)
Highlights of this week have been Mom, Dad, Jon, Grandma and Grandpa coming over for dinner in our new "house" :) They were our guinea pigs and boy did we realize the things we are missing in our little flat....like chairs! and a table...lol! But it all worked out well. Made a bunch of new dishes which was exciting and they ALL turned out amazing! wow. I should do this more often :)
Heres the recipes cause it was all amazing:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
So the grilled peaches in this recipe were pretty much the highlight of dinner. I even impressed myself with this recipe....and Kevin's expert grilling skills helped too :)
We served this with bowtie pasta and buttered herbed corn from the wedding.
Grilled Chicken With Spicy Peach Glaze
Spicy Peach Glaze:
2 cups peach preserves or jam (We used fresh peaches cup up and then mashed)
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce (We subed a few splashes of hot sauce)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (We used Honey Mustard)
1 small jalapeno, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
(We also added fresh basil, thyme and oregano from the garden)
8 Frenched" chicken breasts
4 ripe peaches, cut in half and pitted
Combine Spicy Peach Glaze ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 1/2 cup. Preheat grill. Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place skin-side down and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until golden brown. Turn over and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes. Brush both sides with the peach glaze and continue cooking an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Place peach halves, cut side down on the grill and grill for 2 minutes. Turn over and brush with the reserved 1/2 cup of peach glaze, grill for 3 to 4 more minutes until peaches are soft.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homemade Bread
This is my standby recipe. Its SO simple and always turns out a good loaf even if you have to speed up the dough by putting it in a warmed up oven.
4 1/3 cups flour
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp fast action yeast
1 1/2 (ish) cups warm water
Mix flour and butter with fingertips breaking up into tiny balls. Add sugar, salt and yeast.
Gradually mix in enough water to make a soft dough.
Kneed well on floured surface 5 min or until dough is smooth and elastic. Put dough back into bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm and leave in warm place to rise 45 min or til double in size.
Pull out, kneed about 2 min just enough to pop air bubbles and get back to a less "fluffy" consistency.
Put into greased bread pan, recover with clingfilm. Allow to rise 30 min or til it reaches top of tin.
Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.
Smother with honey butter and consume :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazing dessert. Dont make it too often though or you can kiss your svelte figure goodbye!
I made a graham cracker crust instead of pastry and I think it made this dessert....everyone else agreed :)
I only had enough time to boil can for 1 hour not the 3 it recommends....I think it would set up better with the 3....it was a little runny and held better refrigerated the next day.
Banoffi Pie (originally known as Banoffee Pie), (to serve 8-10 people)
12 ounces uncooked shortcrust pastry
1.5 tins condensed milk (13.5 ounces each)
1.5 pounds firm bananas
375ml of double cream
Half a teaspoon powdered instant coffee
1 dessertspoon caster sugar
A little freshly ground coffee
Preparation
Preheat the oven to gas mark 5 (400F, ). Lightly grease a 10in x 1.5in flan tin. Line this with the pastry thinly rolled out. Prick the base all over with a fork and bake blind until crisp. Allow to cool.
The secret of this delicious pudding lies in the condensed milk.Immerse the cans unopened in a deep pan of boiling water. Cover and boil for 3 hours making sure that the pan does not boil dry *(see CAUTION).
Remove the tin from the water and allow to cool completely before opening. Inside you will find the soft toffee filling.
Method
Whip the cream with the instant coffee and sugar until thick and smooth. Now spread the toffee over the base of the flan. Peel and halve the bananas lenghtways and lay them on the toffee.
Finally spoon or pipe on the cream and lightly sprinkle over the freshly ground coffee.
*CAUTION It is absolutely vital to top up the pan of boiling water frequently during the cooking of the cans. 3 hours is a long time and if they are allowed to boil dry the cans will explode causing a grave risk to life, limb and kitchen ceilings.
Hint - Banoffi is a marvellous "emergency" pudding once you have the toffee mixture in your store cupboard. We therefore suggest that you boil several cans at the same time as they keep unopened indefinitely.
Yummy....
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