THE BEST (really) Grain Free Gluten Free Brownies

(video at the bottom)
I've always liked brownies but never liked the fact that sugar was the main ingredient. I've tried many 'healthier' brownie recipes over the years, tweaked them a little, and still have not come up with anything close to the 'real deal' ... until now. In fact, I like these brownies BETTER than the 'real deal' and they are much better for you.

With almond butter or some other kind of nut or seed butter as the base and honey to sweeten, these brownies can be enjoyed instead of feared.

Grain Free Brownies
FIRST (optional but really good!)
Soak about 10 prunes for a few hours, a day or over night. Blend the prunes and 1 1/2t instant coffee granules (optional) WITH the soaking water until smooth. Add only as much water as needed to help it blend (you may need to add more water).

Preheat over to 325* and grease a bar pan (15" x 10 1/2")

Place 2 cups (512g) of nut or seed butter in a mixer bowl.
Add the prune/coffee puree and 3 eggs.
Mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides at least once.

Add 1T vanilla and sweetener. If your nut/seed butter is sweet already, only use 1/2c to 3/4c sweetener. If it is not sweet, add 1c sweetener. I prefer honey.
Mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides at least once.

In a separate bowl combine 1/2c dark cocoa/cacao powder, 1t baking soda and 1/2t salt. If you did not use the prunes, now is the time to add the 1 1/2t instant coffee granules (optional).
Stir to mix well.

Spoon the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients while blending. Mix well. Scrape at least once.
Optional: Stir in 1/2c to 3/4c dark chocolate chips (I do this for any nut or seed butter except the chocolate hazelnut butter). You may melt this if you'd like to.

Pour onto the greased bar pan, spread out evenly and bake at 325* for about 30-35 minutes, or until the center is done.

Cool on a wire rack. Cut. Store in an airtight container ... on the counter for short term or in the fridge for about a week.
Enjoy!

THE BEST Gluten Free Grain Free Almond Flour Muffins

I've been spending a lot more time recently doing videos instead of posting on here and I think I've come to the conclusion that I like to post blogs better than make videos ... so I'm going to shift back into that and still do some videos as time allows. [10-17-15 videos are easier for me right now because we do not have the internet!! I'll do my best.] But for now, here is a video I just did the other day: Gluten Free Grain Free Blueberry Muffins (or whatever berry or other fruit you prefer). I'll post the recipe and instructions here but you may watch the video too if you'd like :) I'll put it at the bottom of this post.

I order the blanched almond flour from Azure Standard, however if there is not an Azure Standard drop point in your area you can find blanched almond flour on Amazon, Vitacost, or other such place.
Another starch may be substituted for the Tapioca Starch, however the texture might be a little different (Arrowroot starch, potato starch, etc.).

Blueberry Muffins
Gluten-Free, Grain-Free
Preheat oven to 350*
Have ready 12 paper-lined muffin cups.

Combine well in blender...
3 large eggs or 4 small eggs
1/2c plain non-dairy or dairy milk
1/3c sweetener (I like honey)
1/4c melted butter (or other oil such as coconut)
1 1/2t vanilla
1/2t other extract to suit your choice of fruit (see below)

Mix first and then blend with above until just combined. Do not overmix...
2c blanched almond flour
1/2c tapioca starch
1/2t baking soda
1/4t salt

Pour in to 12 paper-lined muffin cups.
Top each with one heaping tablespoon of berries or other fruit.
Bake at 350* for 30-35 minutes or until done. Check around 25 minutes.
Cool on rack for about 10 minutes before removing muffins.

Allow muffins to cool completely on wire rack before storing in an air-tight container. Store on the counter if using quickly, the fridge if using within a week or so, or the freezer for long-term storage and a quick breakfast or snack.

VARIATIONS / IDEAS
Blueberry with lemon extract or 1t lemon zest
Raspberry with almond or orange extract and/or orange zest
Cranberry with orange extract or zest (may also add chopped nuts)
Peach with almond extract (add a teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4t nutmeg for spiced peach)
Dehydrated strawberries with no extra extract (fresh strawberries are too runny)
Chopped, canned pineapple chunks with no extra extract
Chopped apples with almond extract (add 1t cinnamon and 1/4t nutmeg if desired)
There are SO MANY VARIATIONS!!!

For more videos please see our playlists:
https://www.youtube.com/user/FrugalHomeHealth/playlists

Easy, Healthy, Frugal, Fast, Freezer Breakfasts

In effort to save time in the morning yet still provide the troops with a healthy start to their days, I prepare various breakfast-type items for the freezer. A little bit of time and effort on one day when it's convenient for me saves a lot of time and effort each morning.

Some of the freezer breakfast ideas I share in this video are:
Freezer Smoothie Packs (video and post coming soon!)
Freezer Copycat Egg McMuffin Sandwiches
Freezer Waffles / Freezer Pancakes / Freezer French Toast
Freezer Gluten Free Muffins (video and post coming soon!)

Enjoy!

Chicken update, All about eggs

I've uploaded a few chicken videos on youtube ... if you'd like to see them, here's the link to the 'Chicken' playlist: CHICKENS.

A few are videos of our new chicks and the other is a video showing how we take care of our eggs - including how we chart the amount gathered each day, to clean or not to clean (not!), what we do with the eggshells, and more. If you are not able to watch videos but still would like to know what we do with the eggs, please let me know and I'll just do a blog post :)

The chicks are doing well but are in need of a bigger 'brooder' ... so we'll probably move Sadie's whelping box into the living room. Soon they will be able to live outside and that will be a lot better!! But for now we are enjoying them in the house, learning who is who, and trying to figure out names. So far, sadly, we only have one name besides the three given by our old lady friend. I'll share about that in my next weekly "new laying flock" update, coming in a day or two, Lord willing.

Ok, I must get back to work. Have a great day!

Raised Beds in the City

Our country and city gardens are coming along well enough I guess, though with the unexpected move we did not get everything planted that we had hoped to. Maybe we'll have a bigger-than-usual fall garden to compensate? We'll see :-) I would love to post more but I still do not have the internet at home and time is limited. I plan on posting a country garden update soon though. A lot of rain has caused some flooding but all seems ok now. A week or two ago I did a quick video of our raised beds in our (former) meeting house parking lot ... a lot has changed already but here's the video link: Raised Beds in the City. Most of the spinach is going to seed and the lettuce is just now bolting... and the kale will eventually. It'll be good to freshen up my seed supply!

A word of encouragement from a brother: just enjoy gardening; tomorrow a tornado could wipe it all out. I was beginning to stress out a little about how "behind" we were but he helped put things in perspective. It's always a blessing to be out in God's creation working with the soil ... if that's all that ever becomes of our efforts, praise the Lord!

A country garden photo: delicious strawberries.

Easy Homemade Sauerkraut

Making your own sauerkraut is super easy :) I know I've posted a 'how to' blog before on this subject but here is a quick video demonstration. I hope it is helpful!!

Easy Lacto-Fermented Apple Chutney

Another super easy lacto-fermented food ... probably a good one for beginners since it is sweet. Excellent alone or paired with yogurt, pancakes, cottage cheese, etc. Video at bottom :)

3c chopped apples, any variety
1/2c seeds or chopped nuts - sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.
1/2c dried fruit (chop if larger) - dates, figs, dried apricots, raisins, etc.
1/2c distilled or filtered water
1/4c fresh lemon juice
1/4c starter (whey, water kefir, ginger soda, kombucha, liquid from carrot or other veggie ferment, etc.)
2T unrefined sweetener - pure maple syrup, honey, sucanat, rapadura, etc.
1/2t sea salt (such as Redmonds Real Salt)
1 - 2T spices to taste
(I use a combination of spices but you may use only cinnamon or a pre-made mix such as 'pumpkin pie spice'.)
My combo: 1T cinnamon, 1/2t nutmeg, 1/2t ginger, 1/4t cloves, 1/4t allspice, 1/8t cardamom, 1/8t anise seed ... or something like that :)

Mix together thoroughly. Place in a 1qt mason jar with a tight lid or an airlock (D-I-Y Fermenting Airlock Tutorial). Leave on the counter to ferment 2-3 days, after that store in the refrigerator. Keeps about 3 weeks but really you should have it eaten by then. :)

For more videos please see our youtube playlists.

Homemade Lacto-Fermented Ginger Soda, Revisited

I've been making my own homemade lacto-fermented soda for about 3 years now and made a post about my original method sometime during the first several months (see here: Lacto-Fermented Soda). I believe have perfected it since then and feel the need to revisit this topic to share my observations and alterations.
(6-30-15 For a video, please see this link: Ginger Soda)

You see, it started to not taste so good and I became less and less interested in making it. I gave it up for a few months but then decided that maybe I just needed a fresh starter. I made a new starter and that helped, however after several months it began having the same issues of not tasting quite right. It was then that I decided to change my method. In my previous method I would simply save back a cup or two from the last batch of soda to use as a starter for the next batch of soda. At the same time I had been maintaining a sourdough starter for quite a while - I would keep the same starter but feed it when it needed fed and that kept it fresh and good. I decided to do the same thing with the ginger soda - instead of saving back a cup or so from the last batch I just began maintaining a starter. This has proven to work so much better ... however I do make a fresh sourdough starter every year in the spring and I might do that with the ginger soda too. We'll see.

So, here's the way I do it now.

* Organic ingredients are always preferable but not absolutely necessary.

For the starter/bug
Fill a quart mason jar about 2/3 full. Add to it 1T FRESH grated ginger and 1T sugar. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients and air into the water. Cover with a coffee filter or cloth secured with a rubber band. This allows wild yeasts and bacteria into the jar but keeps the bugs out. If your house is cold try to set the jar in the warmest place.
Each day thereafter, around the same time each day, you will add 1T of FRESH grated ginger and 1T sugar. Mix well to incorporate the ingredients and air. Stir again approximately 12 hours later. (so you will be stirring it every 12 hours)
I like to taste my starter each time after adding the ginger and sugar. It should be pleasantly sweet and somewhat gingery. If  it tastes too much like ginger (which makes me think of alcohol) it needs more sugar. Add what you think is needed ... a teaspoon? A few teaspoons? Another tablespoon? You might also need to skip adding the ginger (or only add a small bit) for one day but add the sugar. You'll learn what's right.
After about 3-7 days your starter should be ready - a warmer temperature in the home makes the starter go faster, a colder one makes it slower. You will see bubbles on top and when you stir it you will hear it fizzing like soda. If it only fizzes a little bit you might want to leave it another day or two.
Now you have what is called a 'bug'. You are ready to proceed to the next step.

For the soda base/wort - This is for one gallon of soda.
Ingredients:
1/3c packed grated fresh ginger
1 1/2c sugar
Approximately 1 gallon of distilled or filtered water
1/3c FRESH squeezed lemon juice
1c strained soda starter/bug (SAVE THE REST OF THE STARTER! see below)

Pay attention now! This is important. You do NOT want to heat your starter! You will KILL it!

Fill a pot with a half gallon of water and the 1/3c packed grated fresh ginger. Bring to a boil, cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in the 1 1/2c sugar and allow to sit until it's at ROOM TEMPERATURE. You may cool it down quicker by putting it in a sink of cold water ... just be sure to not get the water into the pot.
Once the syrup is at ROOM TEMPERATURE add the 1/3c fresh squeezed lemon juice and the 1c soda starter/bug. Mix well.
Pour all into a glass gallon jug and add water to the shoulder. Taste it. It should be slightly sweet and gingery. Top with a coffee filter or cloth secured with a rubber band.
Leave on your counter. Stir every 12 hours and taste each time. You are looking for obvious bubbles and fizz. Also, it should be mildly sweet. If the sweetness goes away but you still do not see bubbles or fizz, add a little more sugar until it's mildly sweet again (I've never had to do this but I'm putting this in here just in case it happens to you).
This step usually only takes 1 to 2 days (24-48 hours or anywhere in between). If it's colder in your home it might take longer than 2 days. If for some reason you reach 3 full days and still do not see bubbles or fizz, you may try replacing some of the liquid with more starter (a half cup to a cup), adding more sugar if needed, and seeing what happens after another day or so. Again, this has never happened to me but it's possible.
Once you have fizz and bubbles you are ready to move on to the next step. Eventually you will learn how you like it to taste at this point too. I leave mine sit a little longer even after the fizz and bubbles start showing up.

Bottling your soda
This is the finishing stage that will really add carbonation to your soda and reduce the sweetness a little.
Strain off the ginger and discard or compost it. (I tried giving this to my chickens but they were not interested at all!).
You may add a little more sugar if you want it a little sweeter. Again, you will learn what you prefer. I never add more sugar but I do not like things so sweet.
Using a funnel, fill your bottles within 2" to the top (or if you are using plastic bottles you may fill a little fuller, but no more than 1" to the top). For the first few years I made this soda I was using plastic 'juicy juice-type' jugs. They are really air tight and work well enough, however I discovered a store in Rogers, AR, that had the fancy Grolsch-stole bottles (EZCap brand that are said to be the better ones) for a really good price so I went ahead and purchased a case of 16oz bottles (12 in a case). I did not regret this purchase at all and in fact just ordered the 32oz bottles for my beet kvass and for larger bottles of soda when we have company.
Anyway, fill your bottles and cap them with an AIR TIGHT LID.
Leave on your counter for a day or two or three to build up carbonation. The longer it sits out the less sweet it will be.
To check simply open the bottle and taste it, but be careful! It might spill out so open over the sink or outside. Each time you open a bottle to check it it will lose carbonation. To restore some of the lost carbonation simply put the lid back on and leave it out a little longer than the other ones.
When the soda is done, transfer it to the refrigerator. This will almost halt the fermentation process, however the organisms in the soda will continue to slowly eat the sugar ... the older it is the less sweet it will be, but it does keep indefinitely so do not be afraid to drink the old stuff!

Maintaining your starter
Now you still have this starter to think about; I will share what has worked very well for me.
Strain out the ginger bits and put the rest back into the quart mason jar. Add water until it's about 2/3-3/4 full. Add a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger and a tablespoon of sugar. This should sound familiar, right?! Just like before, you will add 1T of each grated ginger and sugar, mixing well twice a day, however this time you will only need to do it for about 2-3 days. Again, taste it to make sure it is mildly sweet and gingery. If it is too strong of ginger or alcohol, add more sugar and little to no ginger. If it is too sugary, leave off the extra sugar for a day or so.
Your starter should be bubbly and fizzy.
Now it is ready to be stored in the fridge until you need it next. I leave the cloth and rubber band on it and then I put a jar lid on top and put the ring on loosely. I do not keep it air tight.
A day before you are ready to make more soda take the starter out of the fridge, mix in 1T each ginger and sugar, stir again 12 hours later, and then 12 hours or so after that you are ready to make more soda. If it's really strong I leave off the ginger.
And the process repeats on and on.

Variations
You may wish to add a little concentrated fruit syrup before bottling it. This will give it different flavors but will also give the organisms more sugar to eat ... and might make the bottles super fizzy. If I make 2 gallons at a time I still have to use the plastic juice bottles for some of my soda because I do not have enough of the EZCap bottles. Occasionally I will add a handful of frozen strawberries, peaches or blueberries (or whatever) to the jug. This also makes it more fizzy. One time I opened a plastic bottle in front of company and I'm not joking at all, the soda shot clear to the ceiling and made quite the mess!! It was a good laugh.

Also, you do not HAVE to use ginger for the wort/syrup ... you may choose to use 6c of fruit like strawberries, grapes, blueberries or whatever. I have yet to find a fruit I like to use in place of the ginger; also, it just uses so much fruit that it seems a waste of fruit and money to me!!! I just stick with the ginger.

One final tip: When you make your first batch of soda I suggest you take notes so you'll have a better idea of what to do differently for the second batch.

Homemade Sourdough Crackers

Another sourdough product that's so easy to make: SOURDOUGH CRACKERS! [see video below!] We especially like these crackers baked 'til golden brown and crispy. You may like to add honey, herbs, or other seasonings to the recipe but this is just the basics here.

If you do not have a sourdough starter see this video to learn how to make your own:
Sourdough Starter

DIRECTIONS
Mix well 'til a stiff ball of dough is formed:
1c sourdough starter (fed within the last 12 hours
1/4c butter (or other fat)
Optional seasonings (herbs, spices, parmesan cheese, etc. These may be added later with the salt and baking soda or added now)
1c - 1 1/2c whole grain flour

Allow to sit on the counter for 8-12 hours, turn on to counter, break apart, sprinkle on 1/4t salt and 1/4t baking soda and knead 'til well combined.

Roll out thin using a rolling pin or pasta roller. Place on to greased baking sheets, sprinkle with kosher salt (or other salt) and optional seeds. An egg wash may be applied first to help the salt and seeds stick. Bake at 350 until golden brown. Check after 10 minutes and then every few minutes thereafter; the thinner ones may need to be removed sooner, the thicker ones may need to stay in longer.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container.



For other sourdough videos please see my sourdough playlist on youtube.
For more videos please visit our youtube channel: Frugal Home and Health
Or see the recipe tab above.

Apple Cake using Home-Canned Apples

In this video I demonstrate how to make a delicious, moist apple cake using home-canned apples. The video is at the end of this post; the recipe is as follows:

This recipe is an adaptation of my favorite, most versatile cake recipe. For other uses of the same recipe, see my blog post here: Altering a Basic Cake Recipe

3c whole grain or all purpose flour (or a mixture of both)
1T baking powder
1t cinnamon
1/4t salt
1/2c honey or other sweetener of your choice
2 eggs, beaten
1/2c melted butter or other fat of your choice
1 1/2t vanilla
1 quart jar of home-canned sliced apples, liquid included

Have ready: 9x13 greased and floured cake pan
Preheat oven to 350*

Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour the wet into the dry and mix well until combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle with optional cinnamon and sugar (if not using frosting) - 1T sugar and 1t cinnamon.
Bake at 350* for 30 minutes, or until the center is firm to the touch.
Allow to cool before serving.

For other videos please visit my youtube channel! Frugal Home and Health

Freezer Lasagna

Freezer Lasagna is SO EASY and such a blessing to have on hand. We make freezer lasagnas in bulk, give some away and keep some for ourselves. Here is how we do it. (VIDEO DEMONSTRATION AT THE END!)

The sauce is really up to you but I'll share what I did this time ... though each time might be a little different. You may have your own favorite recipe, favorite store-bought brand or maybe you score on a deal at the discount store?

BULK SPAGHETTI SAUCE
2lbs hamburger, browned (optional ... for a vegetarian variety use about 4c of cooked lentils)
1 large onion, diced small
1 large bell pepper, diced small (I used some of my dehydrated peppers from last year's garden)
1/2c extra virgin olive oil
1 large bowl (my large bowl is 14qts) heaping full of kale (remove stems and chop small) (I used fresh kale grown from the kale seeds we saved a few years ago)
4 qt jars home canned tomatoes or 4 large cans diced tomatoes (28oz size I think?) - liquid included
4-6oz cans tomato paste
2T salt
2T basil
2T sugar
4 or more cloves of garlic, crushed (or at least a few teaspoons of garlic powder/granules)

In a larger, heavy-bottomed stock pot saute onions and peppers in the olive oil. Add the chopped kale and continue to saute till the kale has reduced.

In a blender, blend canned/jarred tomatoes and tomato paste (this is optional; some of our diners do not appreciate chunks of tomatoes so I blend them up. Also, blending them together makes it much easier to mix in the tomato paste). I find it easiest to do one jar of tomatoes and one can of paste per blender load. Pour into the stock pot. Add the optional ground beef or lentils and spices. Taste it. Maybe you need more of something? Add it.

Cover and simmer for a while, stirring occasionally; allow to cool before using. Sometimes I make the sauce one day, let it sit over night and use it the next day ... the flavors seem to combine better.

Variations to the sauce ... try adding in other vegetables like chopped spinach, shredded zucchini, sliced mushrooms and/or carrots. You may prefer other spices like oregano and/or cayenne. Sometimes we add in sliced black olives. It's really up to you.

COTTAGE CHEESE FILLING
2 - 32oz cartons of small curd cottage cheese (you may use large curd but I prefer small)
4 eggs, whisked
1/2c - 1c grated parmesan cheese
1/2c - 1c dry parsley

Mix till well combined. The parmesan cheese and parsley are really to your preference ... maybe you would like more? Maybe less? It's up to you.

Of course you will also need a few 16oz boxes of semi-cooked lasagna noodles (keep in a pan of cold water till ready to use) and grated mozzarella cheese - a lot or a little, depending on what you like. I used one single 24oz block of whole milk mozzarella but you might prefer more (most do ... I just try to be easy on the cheese).

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
This cooks easiest when it's thawed, therefore I highly suggest letting it sit out all day long before cooking. Cover and bake at 375 for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes OR until heated all the way through. FROZEN lasagna will need to cook much longer!! Bake covered for at least one hour. Check it. If it's a little cold then remove the cover and cook an addition 20 minutes or so. If it's still partially frozen keep it covered and bake till a little cold and proceed as instructed.

Maybe you have your own recipe? Or changes you've made to this one? If so, feel free to share!!

How To Make Sourdough Bread

In this video I share how easy it is to turn a simple sourdough bread into something gourmet :~) Next time I hope to share how to make sourdough crackers ... and be watching for a video on how to can apple butter, coming soon.

Enjoy!

Delicious Homemade Sourdough Biscuits

Better late than never I guess? I could have posted this a few weeks ago but never did get around to it. Sourdough biscuits are our most favourite sourdough products ... running a close first with sourdough crackers.

Here in this video I share how simple and quick it is to make these absolutely delicious biscuits. Enjoy!

Home Canned Hot Sauce / Salsa Roja

I enjoy hot peppers and ours did very well this year. So, what to do with them all? Salsa Roja of course! I will still probably get a few more batches made before the summer gardening season is finished - though our peppers have done very well we only have 4 jalapeno plants and 4 cayenne plants and it takes 3lbs of chopped peppers per batch. It may not sound like much, but it takes a lot of peppers to equal 3lbs!! Especially the cayenne.

In this video I demonstrate how to make a batch of salsa roja. The recipe is in the video description as well as on the video. Enjoy!!
 

Sourdough Cake

In continuing on with our sourdough series, here is a video demonstration on how to make healthy, yummy, sourdough cake. The written recipe is in the video description on youtube - just click on the bottom right corner of the video where it says "youtube" and it will automatically take you to it, though you will probably have to click on "show more" to see the whole description.

Enjoy!!

PS - Next tuesday [Lord willing] I will post sourdough biscuits :~)

Healthy, Whole Grain Sourdough Pancakes

If you've never had REAL sourdough pancakes, you are missing out!! In this video I share how to make this healthy, delicious treat. Also, this is the first video in a series of sourdough videos. Coming up are videos on Sourdough Bread (sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives and fresh rosemary sourdough bread!), Sourdough Cake, Sourdough Biscuits and Sourdough Crackers ... and maybe Sourdough English Muffins. We'll see how ambitious I get.

Now, on to the pancakes!

Homemade Hummus

homemade hummus / homemade pita

I really like hummus :) so for today's 'tasty tuesday' I'm sharing how I make them. The word "hummus" is actually an Arabic word for "chickpeas" ... how appropriate, right?! I eat hummus just about any way they are to be eaten - as a dip, in a pita, as a spread, a side dish/condiment, and sometimes just by the spoonful. For a bit of trivia, visit this HUMMUS wiki page ... I thought it was very interesting and besides, it contains a few nice photos of various ways hummus can be served.

For those who cannot view the video below, here is the recipe in print:
Ingredient list:
3 1/2c chickpeas/garbanzo beans (rinse and drain)
1/4c tahini
1/4c fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4c packed fresh parsley
1/8c braggs liquid aminos (or 1t salt)
1T extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic (crush or press)

Blend all in a vitamix or food processor till smooth.
Serve as a dip or sandwich/pita spread.
Feel free to change / add / or leave out various ingredients.
For example, add 1t cayenne, a little cumin, omit the parsley and stir in when done, etc.

This is a very healthy dish, easy to make and tastes great. Enjoy!! 

Homemade Pasta using a Kitchenaid

For today's "tasty tuesday" I am excited to share that after years of thinking/debating, several hours of research and the encouragement of some brethren that know me very well, I have finally invested in a kitchenaid mixer and am VERY happy with it. I got a refurbished one - these are factory refurbished with a 6 month warranty for the same price as what used ones were going for on craigslist (though none in my area ... the closest being 5 hours away) ... delivered right to my door for free. Once I learned what a refurbished model was and read many reviews it was easy for me to choose that over a used one on craigslist. If you are curious, I purchased the mixer off "overstock.com". Just type in "refurbished kitchenaid".

I have made pasta several times now -- fettuccine and lasagna -- and am very pleased with the results. I watched several videos on how to make pasta and of course all the kitchenaid ones make it look so easy :) and it IS as long as the dough is the right texture.

My most favourite 'how-to' video though was from a man that used a hand-crank pasta roller (but the technique is the same regardless of hand or machine powered). I'm glad I ran in to him because he also has many fabulous recipes on his youtube page and I appreciate his style. And too, he's just plain fun to listen to and watch!!

Here is the 'how-to' video:


Brianna took a short video of me using the pasta attachment. She took this for our old-lady friend Christine who just loves to see what we are up to when not at her house :)

Here is a video of a recipe I made the other night ... very tasty!! This is the same guy as the 'how-to' video.


And last - a video of something I am going to try very soon (with as little cheese as possible) ... once again, the same guy. I think he's great! We enjoy trying to imitate his accent.

EASY Homemade Lacto-Fermented Carrots

For today's 'frugal friday' post I'd like to show you how I make lacto-fermented carrots. Why is this a 'frugal friday' topic? Glad you asked! Lacto-fermented vegetables can be purchased at the health food store and even in some regular grocery stores however you will pay a hefty price for them. For example, I've seen a quart of lacto-fermented sauerkraut going for over $5!! Some organic options are even WAY MORE than that!! The actual cost however is mere pennies in comparison and it does not take much time or effort to accomplish it on your own. Let me show you how ...

How to flute a double-crust pie

A few months ago I experimented with the video camera on my phone. The video did not turn out the best, but it did well enough to get the point! Thankfully, the pies turned out GREAT. I took pictures too, so here is the whole process, from start to finish.

The filling

For a 9" pie you will need about 6 cups of thinly sliced green/tart apples (like Granny Smith). Sometimes I leave the peels on if I am in a hurry and no one in our house seems to care, however we do prefer them peeled if time allows. In a small saucepan gently melt 1/4-1/2c honey and stir in 3T flour, 1t cinnamon and 1t vanilla. Pour over the sliced apples and toss or gently stir to coat well.

The crust

pastry blender

Combine 2 1/4c flour (I like to use a mixture of whole meal and unbleached flours, however 100% unbleached flour will produce a lighter crust) and 1/2t salt. Cut in 2/3c shortening with a pastry blender or a fork till the mixture has pea-size chunks. Now it's time to add the water, and here is the crucial step! Be sure to use ICE COLD water - I just fill a cup with water and add several cubes of ice. You may simply dip the tablespoon into the cup of water, avoiding the ice. Add water, ONE tablespoon at a time, till the dough just begins to form a ball. Stir GENTLY after each water addition and be very careful not to overmix or add too much water. Depending on your flours, you should need at least 5T of water for this recipe however sometimes you could need more (I've used 8-9T before). You might be tempted to add a few tablespoons at a time to speed things up, but I'm here to tell you that haste makes waste.

When your dough has formed a ball (it is smooth, holds together and is not sticky) you should be able to see the fat 'marbleized' in the flour ... it will have swirls just like marble does. This is what makes a nice, flaky crust. If you do not see the swirls of fat, then you have probably over-mixed your dough. It will still work fine, it just will not have a light, flaky texture. Practice will help, so keep trying ... your family will not mind! It helps to allow the dough to rest and cool in the refrigerator for a half hour or so, however this is not necessary if time does not allow.

Now you are read to roll it out and put it in the pie pan. This is for two crusts, so divide your dough in half first! Here are photos for that process, however this is also what I showed on the video (after the photos, at the bottom of this post). Be sure to have flour on hand to dust the working surfaces!

1: Roll the dough evenly and big enough to fit the pan.

2: Dust with flour to prevent sticking and fold in half.

3: Dust and fold in half again.

4: Unfold the crust into the pie plan.

5: Scoop in filling. It will rise over the top but that's ok.

6: Get the top crust ready as before and unfold on to the pie.

Continue unfolding...

7: Now it's ready to seal, flute and vent - see the video!

8: Bake at 375 till done - the crust will be golden brown. ~50min or so.

You may brush the top with egg and sprinkle on sugar before baking, however this might cause the crust to brown quicker - if it seems your crust is browning too fast, simply cover loosely with foil.

For saving time, make more than one pie and freeze the excess while still raw. When needed, remove from the freezer with enough time to thaw on the counter before baking. I just take mine out in the morning and bake in the evening. On this particular day I made two pies, had one that day and one a few months later. The frozen pie was just as good as the other. I've heard you can bake it right from a frozen state, however I have not tried this yet. Obviously the cooking time will increase.