Wild Black Raspberry Pie

Oh my!  The other day, we caught a "Bird" picking the wild raspberries.  And by bird, I don't mean bird.  I was skeptical there would be any left.  However, this is proving to be a banner year for the wild berries!  So yesterday we braved the brambles and went in the woods!

As you can see, there will be more in the next day or so.  We picked about 2 quarts of itsy-bitsy berries. 

It goes alot faster if you have helpers.  Someone needs to carry the basket, right?

One neighbor has an old Farm All parked out back.  The berries love it.  I love the tractor.

My Mom goes crazy for Raspberries.  So I decided to make a pie.  Gee...where to find a recipe?

Well as luck would have it, I cracked open my newest cookbook (compliments of Mama Pea) and came up with this:

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 C finely crushed Graham Crackers

3 T Yogurt

1 1/2 T Honey

1/4 t Cinnamon

Combine very well and press into a well buttered pie pan.

Bake at 350 for approximately 15 minutes or till golden

I toasted a little of the extra and sprinkled on top.  Also, all I had was Greek Vanilla Yogurt and it was divine!

Vanilla Pudding

2 C Milk

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1/8 t Salt

2 T Cornstarch or Arrowroot

1 t Vanilla

Gently heat 1 1/2 C Milk. 

Stir in sugar and salt.

Combine the reserved 1/2 C milk with the Cornstarch or Arrowroot.

Add to the milk once it has become very hot.

Cook and stir over low heat until it thickens.

If you are using Cornstarch, continue to cook for a few minutes more.

Cool a bit and add Vanilla.

Berry Pudding Pie

Fill prebaked pie shell or crumb crust with 3 C. or so of fresh berries (you can use any kind!)  Pour Vanilla Pudding over them while Pudding is still warm.  Chill.

Now doesn't that look yummy?  It was!

During our walk in the woods, I had to take a picture of my favorite spot:

I could live there.  Minus the poison ivy, poison oak, mosquito's and all other types of itchy-scratchies.

Don't know if I have every really captured the expanse of the fencing our happy hens have to run in our not:

Hard to tell maybe, but it's pretty good size.  The bravest go all over, but mostly they still hang around up front.

We shared a few berries with the girls too! 

At Least Somethings Growing!

Yesterday I received a copy of the book I won from Mama Pea's giveaway!

To say that I was honored, thrilled, excited to have a little piece of history from someone such as her would be an understatement.  Many, many of us have grown to love her as our own little Mama.  This book will be treasured.  Thank you, Mama Pea!

She had bazillions of entries for this book!  But one entry in particular just tickled me silly!   I know Pig Pen's Aunt Lori is out there reading blogs.  Well, she actually left a comment on Mama Pea's!  I just have to share it again:

Aunt Lori said...

Hi Mama Pea, I am Apple Pie Gal's Aunt Lori. She talks about you all the time. She is rubbing off on me. After my divorce after 26 yrs. of marriage, I am finally trying to take care of me. I have never cooked real healthy for myself so these would be helpful.Glad to meet you, maybe you will inspire me also.

How can you not want to give her a big, squishy hug?  To this I say...ya know what Aunt Lori, you DO deserve a copy of this book.  Your very own is on it way...so don't be throwing out anything from Barnes & Noble my dear!  We all want you happy and healthy!  XOXO

My personal bookshelf has increased tenfold over the last year.  Here are the ones I am working on now:

Soap making is a project that I absolutely have to dig into.  Sure wish my Lavender and Calendula made it thru the monsoons...

Of the two, I like the plain cut language in this one best:

Grains.  Even if small scale, I am off to a bit of a start in that direction.  I have corn for drying and buckwheat planted.  This is a nice book with all sorts of information including how to plant, harvest, even use up your grains.  Yes, it has recipes  :)

Since I have the Grain Mill now, I really needed a great book on bread making with grains.  Jane recommended this one.  Have you noticed two certain some one's like Laurel's Kitchen books?  Well, they cant both be wrong!  It is a very good book.

If I can, I'd like to figure a better process for root crops.  I say "IF" because our cellar is pretty scarey...might have to get over it:

And then Jody and Susan both recommended this one:

Very thought provoking.  I am really enjoying this book!  Talk about a forward-backwards thinking man.  Confusing?  Read the book and you will know what I mean.  In other words, he sees what is happening, predicted it even, how it impacts our farms and the old, kinder ways needing resurrection.  You know, when we actually cared for things the right way and family was family.  Well, I am sure there is much more to come as I just got it and am only on Chapter 5. 

So the only thing growing by leaps and bounds around here is my bookshelf!  :o)

That's not entirely true...

The garden is growing!

Expensive or Rich, You Pick

One thing about fellow bloggers that can be detrimental to your pocket book, is all the wonderful things you learn.  And in our defense, it's for the greater good.  Right?  I mean really, how can anyone argue with a healthier lifestyle.  No question mark.  But to accomplish these things it may take an initial investment.  As with any thing, you simply have to have the proper tools, do you not?  (at least that's what we tell ourselves ;)

I ask, how many of us recently purchased a sewing machine?  A composter?  Heirloom Seeds?  Binders? Reference Manuals?  Raised beds?  Buckets?  Fencing?  Chickens?  Canning Supplies?  Dirt?  CoOp Land?  And so on...

My most recent investment was this:

As you know, MamaPea has one very much like it.  She raved about it here.  So after working hard and allowing myself to indulge, the mail man brought it to me.  I love the mail man.  Except when he brings us bills.

I told MamaPea she is expensive and that I was going to 'out' her.  Her response tickled my funny bone:

"Out" me?  Huh?  Wha . . . ?  I have nothing to be outed about.  I am pure.  I am innocent as the driven snow. 

See, she's funny like that!  Her review of this was spot on!  I haven't had much time to play with it yet, but I very much look forward to using it often!  My first whirl with it leads me to the next part, I made these (and so should you!!!  Excellent!):

OK so mine aren't cute, no shock there!

Now Jane knows I got my mill in too.  Here's the other part about making friends in blog land...they keep you motivated!  Who doesn't read her posts and think, "Geez, I should do that!" (click for GrapeNuts Recipe)

Yesterday, that mail man I love so much, delivered this:

Take a closer look:

Like I said, motivation!  It's a bread bowl and a 'no excuse' note!  I better get kneading and fast!!

For anyone thinking you can't make lasting friendships via the waves, I beg to differ.  Not a day goes by that I don't look forward to your posts, emails and the occasional call.

You are an exceptional group of people and my life is richer because of ALL of you!  Thank you!!!

Rub A Dub Dub!

So I've had a week or so to use and enjoy a batch of homemade soap that I received as a Give Away from Carolyn at Krazo Acres!

Soap making is something I admire, fear, and really want to learn!  Therefore, I was thrilled to the point of peeing my pants when I won! 

The results?  Splendid!  You really can feel a difference!  Lather?  Better than store bought!

Reasons not to learn?  Ummm...none!  Thank You, Carolyn!  Especially for providing me with enough bars that I can make it thru this next job before I decide to suck it up and learn!  :o)

If you've not seen Carolyn's blog at Krazo Acres, might I suggest that you do so?  She's super funny, enlightening and all things admirable!  I promise you'll learn a thing or two!

Speaking of the job...by this time next week, I will be gone again.  :o(  Boo!  Hiss!   However, the good part is that I will be with a group of people I truly love!  So there is a bright spot!  Six weeks just seems like an eternity!  With Spring teasing us endlessly (snow expected tonight), and of course my little peeps...I don't suppose I need to tell you that I don't want to leave?  Oh yes, not to be left out (my bad!), Pig Pen!  :o)

I'll probably have monster chickens by the time I get back.  And they'll hate me, peck my eyesballs out and all sorts of other horrible things.  OK, maybe I am being dramatic.

They are growing so fast and I have enjoyed the daily changes in them.  They all have wing feathers coming in.  Tail feathers are starting to appear and -we are learning new tricks!

So today when Pig Pen gets home, we are going to raise the light for the first time, put bedding down in the entire coop in case we have an 'escapee' and need to provide a soft landing/warmth.  But the question is, since they are quickly outgrowing their current space:  do we next let them into the coop or do we devise some sort of larger brooder (i.e. play pen)?

What say you's?

Oh and all the pasty butts are under control thanks to all your wonderful advice!  We have happy chickens!

PJ's, Puppies and Peanuts

Today I finished a quilting project that has been needing done.  Now I can clean my house up from the Christmas Chaos!  Or not...whatever.

So I wanted to follow up with a few pictures and clips of what Christmas is like in our neck of the woods.  For starters, it's always "PJ's and Puppies".  Over the years, the Peanuts were added...as in Rugrats or Apple Dumplin's.

This year the out-law ladies got all coordinated from our trip to the cracked out home goods store:

And here we have the puppies, minus fat-head Missy.  She's just a big lug that would knock the Peanuts down.  I know, I know...she doesn't get to do anything and Yes, I sleep with one eye open now.

Here ya go...I brought a picture of her instead:

While we opened presents at my Dad's house, he actually had his quilt all snuggled up around him!  He said he likes to 'wear' it a certain way so that he can see the little note on the back.  He said he knows it's back wards.  Whatever makes him happy!

Here we have The Enabler in the family.  She was the recipient of the enabling stuff of TicTacs and kiddie chapstick.  She uses the TicTac's to "shut'em up" in the fabric stores.  The only problem is...she let the poor little thing eat the ENTIRE Valu-Pak.  MmmHmm, she did.  With the defense that Grama's do that ;o) 

I was happy to have been able to try out my new loaf pan yesterday on a new recipe Jane at Hardwork Homstead sent me!  Super easy and -sit down now-  Pig Pen ate it up!  He's not a fan of Wheat breads.  Or so he says.  But he had one piece with butter, two pieces with homemade grape jelly, and then two pieces of toast.  Yup, five pieces in one night.  We wont discuss how many I have eaten thus far but those were the best turkey samiches I ever ate!

I had been trying to find some really good airtight containers to store dry goods in.  The Click Clack Accents seemed to top out all the consumer lists.  My MIL got me three!  Woohoo!  Sounds like a darn good reason to get back to the Amish bulk goods.  Like I really needed an excuse!!

The Seed Catalogs are pouring in!  I have to sit down and get my head straight.  Leigh over at  5 Acres & a Dream posted her 2010 review and it reminded me I haven't even done that yet!  It would help if I put pen to paper in the old journal and then ordered my seeds.  Any one else on top of this yet?  Where are you ordering from this year? 

Christmas Socks

Who doesn't get socks for Christmas?

In our family, it's a given.  We are a funny sock family.  My little brother takes issue with holes.  He can't stand them!  If a sock so much as gets one itsy-bitsy hole in them, they end up at my house like this:

Tied in a knot and left for the dogs!  Last night, Missy 'accidentally' stepped on his foot and it punctured a little hole in his otherwise pristine sock.  He made me get one of Pig Pens so that he could have a whole sock as opposed to one with a hole in it!   I think there are three letters that fit...   O-C-D  ;o)

Emma knows where we hide "the bag" and if you go retrieve one for her, she wants the entire bag.  If you so much as utter "Go get the sockie", she goes absolutely nuts!  So Tim keeps the sockie bag filled to the brim!

My big brother has no problem with holes in his socks.  As a matter of fact, we wouldn't recognize him without a hole or two!  This drives my little brother insane!  If Donnie so much as walks in with one minuscule hole, Tim is hollering at him immediately! 

So since last night was our Christmas to celebrate with Mom and my Brothers, Tim showed up with a special sock for Emma and a cute little one for Ami: 

Wasn't that sweet of him?

Donnie showed up with special socks too:

I about lost it!  I mean, c'mon!  Well of course it was all to get Tim's goat!  And it worked!  Thankfully he had another pair in his pocket...the 'real' pair!  See...the sense of humor in our family just ain't right!!!

And not to be left out, Missy got to play too:

Missy doesn't usually get to play much with the sockies because she isn't supposed to play tug-o-war.  She's a bird dog and we wouldn't want her yanking on a goose neck!  But we made the exception last night.  Don't worry, she loved it!

Enough about socks!  Who knew they could be so...interesting? 

So lets talk food!  What did we have for dinner???  Well my niece picked the menu this year.  Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes and Carrots cooked in what else?  Beer!  Yumm!   Not your usual Christmas dinner, but hey, we are a little bit like that! 

Now what goes really, really great with that?  Let me just tell you, it pays to beg and bother and whine and and pester and then beg some more!  A certain blog buddy who is well known for sharing fabulous dishes took the time to email me her recipe for rye bread!!!  Yahooooooey!  After previously failing miserably with another rye bread recipe, I knew if I could get my hands on hers, it would be divine.  And it was!!!

Thank you, MamaPea!  It was a huge, HUGE success!  I will forever keep it in my recipe box and cherish it always!

Bread Addiction

I think I have a new addiction and it's going to cost me a few pounds.  Every where I go and with every bite I take, I think of bread.  Every winter, I put on what we call the "Winter Spread".  It's generally about 10 pounds!  Yikes!

At this rate, it'll be 20!  But I have a wierd way of justifying things in my mind.  Such as:

It's not loaded with ingredients I can't pronounce.
It's always fresh.
It makes my house smell sooooo good.
It makes for great croutons in the dehydrator (got some going now!)  I cut up my left over French bread, and sprinkled it with garlic and thyme.  Thought it would be super yummy at Thanksgiving time.  Or snack time.
It tastes divine.
It's FUN!
And I am pretty sure it's a real crowd-pleaser.

I've already tried several different recipes and haven't found one yet that I did not love!  Is that bad?

Then yesterday, I went to B&N, where I always gravitate to the DIY and Cookbook sections.  I need another cookbook like I need a hole in my head.  Did I mention I am addicted to those too?   Not only do I keep my cherished ones in the house...

I have boxes of them in the garage!  (I should probably borrow a book on organizing, huh?)

So naturally, I want another one!

I told Pig Pen this one is officially on the list!  Do any of you have it and if so, what are your thoughts?  I came home and read all the reviews and it must be 'The One'.  All the ladies in my family may have to make sure Pig Pen knows where to find it on Christmas Eve night.  Just sayin'.

Side note, have you ever checked out this website?  The Fresh Loaf.  I thought it was pretty cool.

Today I tried a recipe from TastyKitchen submitted by Krista Maurer.  Click the link if you are curious.  I was a little scared at the part that says to add 'up to' 9 C of flour so that the dough is not sticky.  Mine was pretty sticky and I did have to go the distance with it.  But it turned out pretty darn good!  I also had to turn my oven down a bit, it must run hot and I didn't want to over-brown the top. 

Super yummy!  I don't think there is such a thing as BAD homemade bread.  Good-bye to the skinny jeans!

Return of the Hunters

Pig Pen made it home safe and sound!  The boys spent last week on their annual bird hunting trip.  This year they came home with the usual...and one unexpected trophy.

The first Turkey!

I think this was a real source of pride!  Now we wont be having this for Thanksgiving because ya know, it's wild and all.  So I suppose that means we will just have to eat it all by ourselves.  Darn.

What greeted me yesterday morning when we were finally able to get outside in the winds was this...

I thought to myself, "What the Heck?"

Then I remembered, that Pig Pen had to drop one of the boys off before he finally made it home and about 15 miles from the house he called and said he lost a tire.  Not thinking, I asked "Well can't ya put the spare on?"

"No hon, the tire fell off and the axle broke."

Musta looked like the 4th of July on those back roads he was forced to take!  Good thing it didn't happen 12 hours away!  He's a real Fix-It kinda guy, so now he has something else to fix! 

I think it was the year for boat issues because The Eliminator tried to sink his.  I wonder if he knows boats don't float with alot of water in them?  He does now and man I wish I had some pictures of that!

On the other side of things, he got to take all of yesterday off!  That is a real treat around here, let me tell ya!

So we went rootin' around the garden.  We harvested our LAST crops and came up with 30 lbs. of Sweet Potatoes, 10 lbs of Beets, a 5 gallon bucket full of Green tails and 12 lbs of Carrots. 

Do you have alot of clay in your area?  We sure do.  Here is a lonesome Pontiac Red we found:

Looks like a little Piggy!

And then there was this little "Ducky" of a Sweet Potato:

But they all eat the same!

I wanted to have a nice dinner ready to welcome him home.  So of course I wanted to show off my new Bread Making skills.  I found a recipe on TastyKitchen for French Bread.  I was working it as directed and wouldn't ya know it...the Power kept going out!  We've had ferocious winds here!  And of course, my oven is all digital. 

It really got my goat that I had went thru all the trouble and had no way to bake it!  Pig Pen has looked at a few outdoor bread oven designs but needless to say with sustained winds over 45mph and gusts into the 60's...lighting any type of fire probably wouldn't have been such a good idea anyway!

That's alright though, the power came on in the nick of time and I whipped together another loaf and Voila...

The worlds best-ever French Bread!  I chose this recipe because it said it was better than store-bought.  I love a good challenge!  Well, I can tell you the claim is sooooo true!  It was absolutely wonderful!  I gave it 5 mitts!!

Here is the link if you would like to give it a whirl:  Amazing French Bread submitted by theambitioushousewife.   Boy does she deserve a big hug for sharing that one!

Is It Bad Manners or Bread?

Mahumisbredsralygut!!

Translation:  Mmm hmm, this bread is really good! 

And talking with your mouth full is bad manners, right?  Sorta like a good belch is a compliment to the cook I say! 

I suppose that when I set my mind to something I go berserk!  I finally got down to the business of bread making!  I have been wanting to get back to this for some time now and I know many of you are pretty good at it.  It has me motivated!  Most of my bread making experience is with a bread machine so I want to broaden my horizons a bit.

I'll need help here, so be ready!  There are questions in italics scattered thru out where I am soliciting your advice and expertise! 
 
A while back, MamaTea emailed me her recipe for Honey White/Wheat Bread and she later posted it HERE.  Everything she said I found to be spot on!  I didn't take many photos, but here are the before and afters:

The 'after' photo is really more about the vultures descending upon it!  aka Da Moms!

I ended up with 3 loaves and 4 mini's.  Mini's because I have to keep my Apple Dumplin's happy too!  Nana brought her a loaf and she didn't hesitate...or wait for it to be sliced!  One question for Mom...is that bed head or is she making a fashion statement?  Heheheee!

She had it for breakfast the next morning too!  This bread was really good toasted!

We also made homemade butter to go along with it.  Have you ever made it?  It was so easy I almost felt stupid!

Not stopping there, I had a Halloween Party to go to and needed something to go along with the Hot Pizza Dip I was bringing...

My Bro and SIL

So I made Focaccia! 

I've never made it and I am not entirely certain that I have even eaten any in the recent past.  I read that it is akin to pizza dough and judging from the texture, it was a bit chewy like a pizza dough.  Does that seem right?  It tasted great and sometimes that's all that matters, huh?

Hot Pizza Dip - Compliments of my good friend, Heather 

1 block Cream Cheese, softened
1 t. Italian Seasoning
1 C Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
3/4 C Parmesan Cheese, grated
8 oz Pizza or Spaghetti Sauce
4 T Green Pepper, chopped
4 T Green Onion, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, sliced (I added that part)

Combine Cream Cheese and Italian Seasoning and spread in bottom of shallow baker. 
Layer half of the Cheeses
Peppers, Onions, Garlic
Sauce
Other half of the Cheeses
Sprinkle top with Granulated Garlic and Oregano (I added that too)
Bake in 350 oven about 15-20 minutes
Serve with bite sized pieces of bread

I doubled the recipe in a large round stone.  A brownie pan would work well.

Focaccia -Taken from Grit Country Skills Series "Guide to Homemade Bread" and Allison Martin

2 1/2 t. Yeast
2 1/2 C Water
2 T olive oil
About 7 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t. salt

Mix all ingredients in stand mixer for about 5-6 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
Let dough rise 1 1/2 hours
Press dough into oiled pan.  I used my stone jelly roll pan.
Let rise 30 minutes
Dimple the dough w/ your fingertips all over
Brush with olive oil
Here's where I went off the recipe...I sprinkled the top with Kosher Salt, Granulated Garlic and Oregano
Let rise another 1 1/2 hours
Bake in 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes

Then because I needed something for breakfast, I made Jane's English Muffins!  You can find Jane's recipe HERE. 

This was a first for me too!  Jane must have known this was on my hit list and one of Pig Pens favorites!  These will be a goner!  And a KEEPER!  Is that possible??  I absolutely loved these!  P.S.  I used a fork!

Now that I am totally Carbohydrated up for a few days, I think I will try to incorporate some proteins or something else in my diet.  But alas, I love carbs so I think it should include something on a bun...Hmmm...wonder where that recipe will come from???

Thanks for sharing your great recipes...I'm having a blast here!