Homemade Appalachian Pimento Cheese (and a Book Review)

I've spent the last couple of months savoring and drooling over a new cookbook.  Well, to be clear, this publication is part travelogue, part coffee-table style pictorial, and part cookbook.  The short title is Victuals, which, in case you're like me and didn't know, is pronounced like vittles.

The full title is Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes – author being Ronni Lundy.

I recently moved to southern Appalachia, and was excited to get my hands on a copy for many of the same reasons written about in the Introduction:

…[T]he people of the southern Appalachian Mountains have been right about victuals all along.  About the way you say them, the way you raise them, the way you cook them, keep them, and share them.  About saving seeds, and working the land, and simmering pole beans, and making real cornbread.  About the connections between earth and the table, and between the table and the people seated around it.

Chapters include:  Roots and Seeds, Salt of the Earth, Corn, Beans, Apple-achia, Preserving, and Husbandry.  States mentioned and/or profiled include Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina.  The author travels to locations within these states to profile individuals, chefs, restaurants, and small farms and businesses who are keeping the history of southern Appalachia alive with their practices and products.  With words, she weaves history, childhood memories, and present day reality together to paint images of the true story of the southern Appalachian Mountains and their people.  The photographic images placed in between are breathtakingly beautiful, and they, too, tell the story.

Let me not forget the recipes! (I couldn't, if I tried.) Each chapter provides food preparation instructions that have been passed down for generations, and offers new twists on old – even forgotten – classics.  This is not the type of cookbook that can be flipped through in one sitting.  You will be salivating and wiping the drool from your mouth more than once -- maybe even every time you take a peek.

Recipes range from the simple to the elaborate, yet everything is doable.  I'm going to share here a simple recipe from the book for homemade Pimento Cheese, which is part of the more elaborate recipe for Lisa Donovan's Pimento Cheese Nabs, described as a cracker snack "for every mountain pickup truck driver's glove compartment emergency ration."

All you have to do is mix all the ingredients together well.  It's delicious on a sandwich right away, but if you could let it sit in the refrigerator for some hours or a day, you'd get an even better treat for your taste buds.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 3 oz. finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 3 oz. finely shredded mild cheddar cheese
  
• 1 (2 oz.) jar pimentos, strained
  
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 tsp finely grated yellow onion (grater I use) 
  
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

More about Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, with Recipes via Amazon.
More about the author, Ronnie Lundy.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.  The words and opinions here are all my own.
Shared at Coffee and Conversation, This is How We Roll, Happiness is Homemade, and The Homemaking Party.

Crockpot Apple Butter – 'Tis the Season!

There won't be a lot of typing for this post, since I'll be letting the photos do the talking for me…

Folks, now's the time! The apples are at their peak, in both freshness and price, and the fall flavors are calling your name.  If your crockpot doesn't already have a spot on the counter, shove some stuff aside and bring her out.

This apple butter recipe is so stinkin' easy! The crockpot does most of the work.  All you have to do is prepare the apples, watch, stir, and wait.  And, believe me, waiting will be the hardest part.

Peeling and slicing the apples is a little annoying, I'll admit, but even with just my humble apple wedger and corer, it wasn't too bad.  If you have a peeler-slicer-corer, you are way ahead in the game.  But no matter what you use, the time it takes to get these slices of sweetness in the crockpot is so worth it.

Just a few autumn spices is all you need to add to your apples.  Cinnamon and nutmeg just scream fall, don't they?

I highly recommend sitting your slow cooker next to a window with a wondrous view of the fall colors outside.  It adds to the mood the aromatherapy coming from the crockpot creates.

When it's all done, ladle the thick, dark, sweet goodness into jars.  You can freeze or can them for later.  But don't forget to leave some out for slathering on some biscuits right away! And if you're so inclined, put some back for Christmas gifts.  (Recipe after one more enticing image.)

Crockpot Apple Butter Recipe
Adapted from recipe at Simply Canning.

*I used a 5-quart slow cooker, filled to the brim with sliced apples.  Adjust your additives, based on the size of your crockpot.

Ingredients

• apples – peeled, cored, and sliced (I used fresh from the orchard, Fuji apples; any on the sweet side variety will work)
  
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups white granulated sugar
  
• 1 tsp cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Peel, core, and slice apples – enough to completely fill your crockpot.

Mix together sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl.  Pour over top of apples.

Cover and cook on low for 12 – 24 hours.  (I know that's a huge gap in time, but it really depends on how juicy your apples are, and how low your crockpot cooks.) Stir occasionally.  Once the apples have broken down, you can take the lid off or leave it off-center so steam can escape.  Still stir occasionally, but now use a whisk.

As the hours slip by, the apple butter will thicken and become a deep, dark color.  You'll know it's done when any "watery-ness" has been absorbed or escaped.  Turn off heat when the apple butter is at your desired consistency.

[Note:  I know it's tempting to crank the temperature up to high to speed up the cooking process.  But be careful! The apple butter could easily scorch on the bottom, and it most certainly will splatter as it thickens.]

Your apple butter will last about a month in the refrigerator.  You can also freeze it for up to six months, or can it for your pantry with a 10 minute processing time (pints and half-pints) in a boiling water bath.  Just so you have an idea how far it cooks down, my five quarts of sliced apples gave me a little over 6 half-pints of butter.

Shared at Simple Saturdays, Simple & Sweet Fridays, Happiness is Homemade, and Tasty Tuesdays.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs' tails wag.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

From my buttery mountaintop to yours!

Parmesan Mashed Potato Pancakes (Leftover Makeover)

I like potatoes.  Just about any way you make 'em, I'll probably eat 'em.  But I'm especially partial to Grandma Logue's mashed potatoes.  So smooth and creamy, I can just taste them.

Right now.

Mouth watering as I type.

Her "secret" is evaporated milk.  But try as I might, I never get them quite right.  Consequently, I always make more mashed potatoes than I eat.

Since I know I'm not the only one with this occasional predicament, I'd like to share with you a way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.  You might call it a leftover makeover.

Parmesan Mashed Potato Pancakes

Some people eat them for breakfast.  Can't say I blame them.  Sounds good to me.  Tonight I made them to go with our dinner of Italian dressing marinated baked chicken breasts.

I added parmesan cheese, onion, and freshly ground black pepper to our leftover mashed potatoes.  Minutes in the nonstick skillet resulted in a slightly crunchy outside, with a smooth and creamy middle.  The crust reminded me of a tater tot.  YUM!

Recipe for Parmesan Leftover Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients

• 3 cups prepared (leftover) mashed potatoes
  
• 2/3 – 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
  
• 2 tbsp finely diced yellow onion
  
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  
• vegetable oil, for frying
  
• kosher salt, for sprinkling

Procedure

1. Combine mashed potatoes, cheese, onion, black pepper, egg, and flour in a large bowl.  Mix together.  (Today, I used a bit over a 1/4 cup of flour.  The consistency of your mashed potatoes will have an impact on the amount of flour used.)
   
2. Heat vegetable oil (enough to cover bottom of pan) in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
   
3. Drop mashed potato pancake batter by rounded tablespoonful into pan.  They will spread some on their own, or you can help them out a bit with the spoon.
   
4. Fry in batches until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side.  Don't overcrowd the pan, and try not to flip too soon.
   
5. Transfer mashed potato pancakes to draining rack, or a paper towel lined plate.  Immediately sprinkle with kosher salt.

Shared at This is How We Roll and Tasty Tuesdays.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs' tails wag.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

From my mountaintop to yours!

Homemade Smoky Taco Seasoning Recipe (and a Reminder)

There are a million places on the web to find a taco seasoning recipe.

Seriously.  I just googled "homemade taco seasoning" – without the quotes -- and received about 1,170,000 results in 0.64 seconds (thank-you-very-much).

So this post is not so much about the recipe (though one does follow).  It's more about the reminder.  Why do many of us go out and buy a packet of taco seasoning, when we can make it ourselves? Wasting that dollar, when we all know those dollars add up.  I know I'm guilty of it.  If you're like me, you probably already have the spices needed to make taco seasoning sitting in your pantry.  If not, the one you might be missing is worth the small investment even if you only cook at home a few times a week – the ingredients are not uncommon or rare.  And you can control the heat.  And the salt.

And the smoke.

Yep.  I typed smoke.  You see, the only paprika (a needed ingredient for taco seasoning) I had in the pantry was smoked paprika.  But I went with it! And it was good! So don't be scared if that's all ya got.  It works, too.

Homemade Taco Seasoning (Smoky or Not)

The following makes about the same amount as in one of the store-bought packets.  I only needed a tablespoon, so cut it in half, and still had a bit extra.  Credit to Food Renegade for the recipe.

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp paprika (smoky or not!)
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper (optional; I just gave the grinder a couple of turns)

Mix it all together and store in an airtight container.  If you'd like to make a bigger batch, visit the link above for a quintupled recipe.

Stay tuned for a recipe using this homemade taco seasoning!

Shared at Coffee and Conversation, This is How We Roll, and Happiness is Homemade.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs' tails wag.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

From my smoky mountaintop to yours!

Homemade Chocolate Syrup and What it Means to Rest in the Lord

Have you seen those "chocolate milk is good for you" commercials? I'm not going to expend any brain power trying to dispute whatever science is being used to back up that claim.  Just.  C'mon, people.

But no matter what my brain says, I love chocolate milk.  Love. It.  The sweet chocolatey goodness was rarely in our house growing up, so even at age 43 I still consider it a treat.

Chocolate milk isn't cheap.  I had a relatively inexpensive, go-to brand where I used to live.  And even then I would try to only buy it when on sale.  Since moving, I haven't been able to find anything comparable.

So I was forced to make my own (the chocolate part, that is).  Putting together just a few quality ingredients will give you a darn tasty chocolate syrup to add to your milk for a treat.

Cocoa, water, and sugar boiled together for a few minutes.  That's all it takes.  But watch your pot! Boiling over is a real possibility.

Allow it to cool, and store it in the fridge.  I use a pint size mason jar with a screw cap.

Before I give you the specific recipe, I'd like to share a passage from the devotional I read this morning.  (If you're not interested, simply scroll down until you see the bold Homemade Chocolate Syrup, but it really is just a quick passage that made me think.)

To "rest in the Lord" is the perfection of inward activity.  In the ordinary reasoning of man it means sitting with folded arms and letting God do everything; in reality it is being so absolutely stayed on God that we are free to do the active work of men without fuss.  The times God works most wonderfully are the times we never think about it.  [Oswald Chambers:  If Thou Wilt Be Perfect]

Here's the recipe! I got it from Dining on a Dime, which cited The Tightwad Gazette.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cocoa, packed
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 2 cups sugar
  
• 1/8 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 tsp vanilla (optional, in my opinion)

Instructions

1. Mix cocoa and water in a saucepan. Heat and stir to dissolve the cocoa.
   
2. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
   
3. Boil 3 minutes. (Watch your pot!)
   
4. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and vanilla.
   
5. Store in refrigerator. It will supposedly keep several months, but mine is always consumed well before then. :-)

Yield: 2 cups

Shared at Simple Saturdays, Happiness is Homemade, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs happy.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

From my restful space to yours!

I'm not a big fan of biscuits.

I know, I know.  How very un-Southern of me.

But it's true.  Now, I'm not saying I never eat them.  I can quite adequately tear down some biscuits slathered with an inch of sausage gravy.  Who couldn't?

And actually, that illustrates my point about my relationship with biscuits.  I usually find them to be dry.  Very dry.

Then I tried these biscuits – these easy, mix 'em up in one bowl, drop biscuits. Not dry at all.

I love my pastry cutter / blender to cut butter into a dry mixture.  You can also use a fork, or your hands.

I was gifted a gallon of fresh off the no-pesticide vine blueberries about a week ago, so adding those plump bursts of juiciness into these biscuits was a must.

Then I threw in a few chocolate chips.  I was first introduced to the combination of chocolate and blueberry when I made some fudgy blueberry brownies a couple of years ago.  Since I was a bit blown away by the flavor, I don't think the combination gets enough attention.

Give these jewels a try.  I doubt you'll be disappointed.  If you want to kick the sweetness up a notch – and eat these babies for dessert – try drizzling some honey over them.  O. M. G.

Blueberry Chocolate Chip Drop Biscuits

Original recipe by Jennifer at Bake or Break.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tbsp organic cane sugar
  
• 2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1/4 cup butter, softened and sliced
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
  
• 1/2 cup whole milk
  
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  
• 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter a baking sheet. [Note: I baked these in a toaster oven!]
   
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter. A pastry blender makes it super easy. You may also use a fork or your hands.
   
3. Stir in the sour cream, then stir in the milk. Fold in blueberries and mini chocolate chips, trying not to break too many blueberries.
   
4. Drop dough onto prepared baking sheet. Original recipe calls for "3 tablespoons (not quite 1/4 cup)" per biscuit. I used a flatware tablespoon, heavily mounded with dough. Pretty easy to eyeball.
   
5. Bake for 20 minutes then check. You're looking for a light brown color and a biscuit that is firm to the touch. Try not to over bake. My little oven didn't require more than 22 minutes.

Yield: 1 dozen

Shared at This Is How We Roll, Thrifty Thursday, From the Farm, Happiness is Homemade, Tasty Tuesdays, and Simple Saturdays.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs happy.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

From my mountaintop to yours!

Three-Cheese Baked Ziti with Homemade Alfredo Sauce

This is comfort food, y'all.  It's rich.  It's heavy.  It's creamy.  It's cheesy.  What more could you want?

The original recipe came from Southern Living's Dinner in a Dish.  It calls for a whole pound of pasta, and everything is baked in a 9-x13-inch pan (resulting in 8-10 servings).  I cut the amount of pasta in half, and baked all in a 7-x9-inch glass casserole dish.  So if you prefer more pasta than sauce, go the way of Southern Living.  My desired pasta-to-sauce ratio will always be heavy on the sauce side.

I'm not a big fan of grocery store Alfredo sauce.  Maybe I just haven't tasted the right brand.  Who knows? Well, I may never know since I found Dawn's recipe for Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce.  It is scrumptious.  And easy.  (I don't do anything "quick" in the kitchen, so can't vouch for that.) Dawn says, "The secret is cream cheese!" -- I believe her.

A pot of water takes absolutely forever to boil on top of my RV gas stove, so I try to get that started first thing.  Then I make the Alfredo sauce.  After those two are done, I make the other filling and transfer all to the casserole dish.  Bake until things are bubbly and starting to brown on top.  Serve with a side salad and a thick slice of French or garlic (or both!) bread, and you have a satisfying meatless meal.

For the Alfredo sauce:  Melt a stick of butter (8 tablespoons) in a medium, non-stick saucepan over medium heat.  Add 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese and 2 teaspoons garlic powder, stirring with wire whisk until smooth. Add 2 cups milk, a little at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps.  Stir in 3/4 cup grated Parmesan (I use the kind often found on the pasta aisle) and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (I eyeball it; probably use more). Remove from heat when sauce reaches desired consistency (I usually let it thicken a bit).  Try not to drink it.

Three-Cheese Baked Ziti

Adapted from "Three-Cheese Baked Pasta" in Southern Living's Dinner in a Dish.

Ingredients

• 8 oz dried ziti pasta (penne or rigatoni could also be used)
  
• a batch of Dawn's Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce (recipe above or here)
  
• 4 oz sour cream
  
• 8 oz ricotta cheese
  
• 1 lg egg, lightly beaten
  
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1/8 cup dried parsley
  
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.
   
2. Stir sour cream into Alfredo sauce. Toss with pasta. Spoon half of pasta mixture into a lightly buttered 7-x9-inch casserole dish.
   
3. Stir together ricotta cheese, beaten egg, grated Parmesan, and parsley. Spread evenly over pasta mixture in casserole dish.
   
4. Spoon remaining pasta evenly over ricotta cheese layer. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella.
   
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until set, bubbly, and starting to brown.

Yield: about 6 servings

Enjoy!

Shared at Making a Home Linky, This is How We Roll, Thrifty Thursday, From the Farm, and Happiness is Homemade.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs happy.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

Ham & Pineapple Pasta Salad Recipe

I've been trying quite a few new recipes of late.  Until just a few months ago, I didn't cook.  (True story!) But it's a skill I want to get better at, and it's been said practice makes perfect.

When I first began gathering recipes, I hit a lucky streak.  Either the recipe was delicious as is, or I at least knew what I could do to make it more to our liking.  Recently, however, that luck has gone.  It seems everything I've tried has either been ho hum or plain ol' yuck.  Frustration has set in – I'm ill from wasting money, and tired of eating stuff I don't want so as to not waste more money.

Ever been there?

Enter this simple, seemingly modest pasta salad with a classic flavor combination, and a base of only four ingredients:  ham, pineapple, green onion, and macaroni.

I'll bet that caused a mixed reaction.  Some of you might think I'm just plain crazy, and others are on the side of ho hum.  Please allow me to finish.  I haven't told you about the dressing, yet.

The sweet, yet sour, and oddly creamy – more like a sauce – dressing.  It takes this pasta salad from um, ok to wow.  Jack. Pot.

There are a few more ingredients needed for the dressing, but nothing too crazy – mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, sugar, and apple cider vinegar.  You just might have all that in your fridge and pantry right now.

You really ought to try this maybe weird concoction.  I can eat it all alone for a meal.  We even ate it as a side dish with barbecued pork chops and zucchini patties.  Regardless of how we ate it, two adults finished the bowlful in 24 hours.

Here's how to make it.

Ham & Pineapple Pasta Salad

Adapted from The Recipe Critic.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. dry elbow macaroni
  
• 1 (20 oz.) can pineapple chunks (in juice, not syrup), drained -- reserve juice for dressing!
  
• 2 cups cubed ham
  
• 3/4 to 1 cup green onion (green parts), sliced
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 cup honey flavored Greek yogurt
  
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  
• 1 tbsp. sugar
  
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup reserved pineapple juice

Instructions

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Rinse in cold water.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine pasta, pineapple chunks, cubed ham, and green onion slices. (I used 3/4 cup green onion, then went back and added more.)
   
3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and reserved pineapple juice. (I needed more juice to combat the cider vinegar, so start with a 1/2 cup and taste.)
   
4. Pour over pasta and combine.
   
5. Try not to eat it all in one sitting!

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Shared at Thrifty Thursday, From the Farm, Happiness is Homemade, and Tasty Tuesdays.

Hope you find it as tasty as we did. From my mountaintop to yours,

For the Love of Carbonation I: Water Kefir (What Works for Me)

I have an addiction.  To soda.

But not for much longer! I have been able to cut my soda intake waaay down.  And to be quite honest, the number one reason for that is having the will power not to buy it.  Simple, right? (Not.) Anyone that gets a severe craving (don't we all from time to time?) knows will power sometimes needs a little help.

So I'm going to share a three-part series of posts detailing what I have been able to use in place of soda to combat my cravings.  I've titled the series For the Love of Carbonation because that is one of the top things I miss when trying to replace soda with another beverage.  The other is sugar, but that can be a whole other dragon to slay.  The replacements I'm going to share, however, do all have sweeteners.  They are just of the natural variety.

First up, is water kefir.  Don't worry, you are not about to endure a lengthy dissertation on this beneficial beverage.  I'll leave that to others who are far more intelligent than I on the subject.  Basically, water kefir is a symbiotic colony (or culture) of bacteria and yeast that ferment a certain liquid (usually sugar water).  The scoby is in the form of "grains," the word used for describing the look of the culture.  Ingesting this fermentation adds to the good bacteria in your body (it's probiotic).

And that's all I have to say about that.

Oh! One more thing.  I think the proper pronunciation is keh-FEER, but I always say KEE-fur.  So if you ever hear me do that, feel free to laugh.

Water kefir is real easy to get started, but I'm going to try not to take up too much space (we'll see) with the process.  Just a quick rundown with a few added things I learned along the way.

When you first get water kefir grains, they will likely need to be rehydrated.  Soak them in water for 3-5 days.  After that's done, get the ball rolling by adding 1/4 cup organic cane sugar to a quart size mason jar, or similar vessel.  (I've read that plastic might be ok, but glass is usually recommended.) Add enough warm water to cover the sugar and stir to dissolve.  Fill up the jar the rest of the way with cool water.  (I use filtered water.) Add your rehydrated kefir grains, and top it off with half a lemon.  Loosely cover the top of the jar so air can get in, but bugs can't.  I use a coffee filter held down with a rubber band.

About that lemon.  I honestly don't know if it's "necessary" or not.  From what I've read, the lemon helps with the pH balance.  It took a while for my grains to get started even after the rehydration period.  I'll bet I brewed at least four batches before I could tell things were really happening, and I initially began with nothing more than sugar water.  In my opinion, the lemon seemed to help.  Now that things are established, I don't need the lemon.  Or the warm water.  I dissolve the sugar in water from the previous single fermented batch.  Take that experience for whatever it's worth.

The average time advised for the first ferment is 48 hours.  Temperature plays a role in that, though.  Warmer = quicker.  I learned to tell when mine was done (in addition to a "cloudy" appearance) by noticing whether or not all the sugar was gone.  If I strained out my grains too soon, I would see a bit of residue left in the bottom of the jar.  Waiting just one extra day would "clean up" the rest of that sugar.  But remember! No sugar means no food for your grains.  Leave them too long like that, and they will starve.  With a bit of practice, you'll learn what's best for your taste.  I know I'm going to reintroduce sugar in the second ferment, so I try to let the grains eat it all in the first cycle.

Finally.  The second ferment.  For the love of carbonation.  This was the hardest thing for me to get down.  Now that I'm doing it, I don't know why it was so hard.  Here's my experience.

A lot of recipes I found for the second ferment said to simply add a 1/4 cup of fruit juice to the strained (grains removed) water kefir and place it into an air-tight bottle / container for an additional 24-48 hours.  But that didn't work for me.

I tried it first in a standard lidded mason jar, even though it is not truly air tight.  I'm pretty cheap frugal, and didn't want to spend money on flip-top bottles when I have a load of mason jars all around me.  But I got little to no carbonation, so I broke down and bought a couple of those bottles.  That helped a bit, but not enough to my liking.

Then I tried fresh fruit.  BINGO! It works fantastically.  I get serious bubble action, folks.  Highly effervescent, slightly stingy carbonation.

And with the fresh fruit, I returned to the mason jar.  After a day or two, I strain the "finished" kefir and pour it into the flip-top bottles to store in the refrigerator, where the process continues at a slower pace.  This has turned into my best practice.  (I now consider the flip-top bottles worth the purchase.  I have two - I think 24 oz. each - bottles in rotation.)

I've used strawberries, blueberries, apples, lemons, and pineapples.  I started adding dried spearmint on a whim, and now won't be without it.  I discovered that I'm not fond of the blueberries as flavoring by themselves, or in any mixture (though I adore them fresh and in baked goods).  And my favorite combination thus far is pineapple mint.

I have no strict recipes for the second ferment.  I just add whatever fruit I have on hand and mint.  I slice the strawberries, halve the lemons, and chunk apple or pineapple.  There are no rules.

Just remember to "burp" your concoctions at least once a day.  I haven't had an explosion, thankfully, but I have had overflows upon opening the flip-top bottles.  And I've had oozes using mason jars.

I know this wasn't a traditional how-to, but I hope it provides you with some tips and ideas for getting your second ferment of water kefir to a taste of your liking.  And maybe, if you're like me, it will help to cut down your intake of bad-for-you soda without having to give up the love of carbonation.

Stay tuned for parts two and three (they might be a bit shorter).  Sign up now to be notified of each new post by email.  You can also find and follow me on facebook and feedly. From my mountaintop to yours!

Shared at The Art of Homemaking Mondays, Monday of Many Blessings, Thank Goodness It's Monday, Tasty Tuesdays, Tuesdays with a Twist, Chain Linky Climb, From the Farm, Happiness is Homemade.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps pay for the RV, supports our mountain homestead dream of owning land, as well as my blogging activities, and makes the dogs happy.  Hopefully, the purchase benefits you, too!  The price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

Vanilla Simple Syrup – Get More Out of Those Beans

Do you make your own vanilla extract? I do, too.  Have some brewing right now.  (This is how I made it.)

Making vanilla extract is easy, cost effective, and I know for sure what's in it.  Even though I let the vanilla steep for weeks, even months, the used bean pods are still so fragrant when I remove them from the extract.  I hate to even throw those "scraps" away!

So I don't.  I put them to work for me again.

I'm sure a lot of you have heard of putting spent vanilla bean pods in sugar.  Sounds like a good idea, though I've never tried it.  I thought about it, but then decided to take a different route.  Instead, I made vanilla syrup.

It was so simple.  As in, simple syrup.  Gather equal parts of water and sugar.  (I used a cup of each.) Mix them together in a pot on the stove.  Throw in your spent vanilla bean pods.  Bring it all to a boil, and let it roll until the sugar is dissolved.  It won't take long.  Remove from heat, and let it all steep for a while.  I basically just let mine cool completely.  Maybe an hour.

Remove bean pods from your newly made vanilla syrup.  (I guess you can dispose of them now, unless you have a way to use them further.) Store syrup in a jar in the fridge.  Not sure how long it will last; been using mine for weeks.

My favorite way to use the vanilla syrup is over fruit.  Oh, is it good.  Makes humble fruit taste delectable.  I usually spoon it over sliced strawberries.  (And maybe, if I have it, add a dollop or two of whipped cream.) Just the other day, I poured lightly drizzled some sweet vanilla syrup over a bowl full of blueberries and diced apple. Mmmm…I could drool right now.

I have also used it in place of vanilla extract.  I'm sort of "in between" brews right now.  My new batch could be used, but it would be better if I waited.  The vanilla syrup worked great.  Certainly not as strong as the real stuff, but was just fine in a pinch.

Let me share this with you, too.  This is an image of the underside of the lid I use to cap the jar of vanilla syrup.  I usually give the jar a shake before drizzling or taking a teaspoon.  Can you see all the vanilla? I was really surprised at how much still came out after those beans had been steeping for months,  making extract.  So glad I didn't waste it!

Do you extend the life of your "spent" vanilla beans? How so? I'd love to hear your ideas and experiences.

Shared at Freedom Fridays, Simple & Sweet Fridays, Happiness is Homemade, Tuesdays with a Twist, Coffee and Conversation, Monday of Many Blessings, and Tasty Tuesdays.

From my mountaintop to yours!

Do what you can with what you have…and don't forget to take pictures.  Well, I got half of it right.  I didn't do so hot with the pictures part.

Does the word "picture" sound antiquated to you? It does to me.

Anyway. It was just me and the dogs for dinner one night.  I wanted something easy, hearty, comforting, and meat-free.  Easy, peasy, right? For someone who doesn't cook, not so much.  So I turned to an expert – Rachael Ray, and settled on her Boo's Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese recipe from 365: No Repeats.

I went to the store to get some frozen butternut squash.  The recipe actually calls for it initially in that state.  I didn't have time to roast one anyway, and to be honest, I didn't want to.  Unfortunately, there was no frozen butternut squash to be found in the store I chose.  So I went with what was available, yellow squash with onions (still of the frozen variety).

Got home and fumbled my way through the recipe, making little adjustments here and there, and finally got a finished product.

Y'all.  It was good! Real good.

If I've piqued your curiosity, and you want to know more, here's what I did:

Summer Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Adapted from "Boo's Butternut Squash Mac-n-Cheese" by Rachael Ray in the 365: No Repeats cookbook.

Ingredients

• coarse salt
  
• 1/2 lb. penne pasta
  
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  
• 1 tbsp. dried thyme (or 2 tbsp. chopped fresh)
  
• 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  
• 1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
  
• 1 bag frozen yellow squash with onions (about 12 oz.), defrosted 
  
• 1 cup half and half
  
• 2 cups (8 oz.) grated sharp Cheddar cheese
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan-Romano
  
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions.
   
2. While the pasta cooks, heat a medium heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the thyme and cook for a minute or 2. Add the flour and cook for a minute or 2 more. Whisk in the broth, then add the squash and onion mixture. Cook until warmed through. [At this point, I broke up the squash into smaller pieces. Nothing too difficult, just allowed it to go a bit and begin to break down.]
   
3. Stir in the half and half and bring the sauce to a bubble. Stir in the cheeses in a figure-eight motion and season the completed sauce with salt and pepper, adjusting for taste.
   
4. Drain the cooked pasta well and combine with the sauce.

Yield: 5+ servings

Hope you like it! From my mountaintop to yours.

Shared at From the Farm, Freedom Fridays, Simple & Sweet Fridays, Chain "Linky" Climb, The Art of Homemaking Mondays, and Tasty Tuesdays.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps support my mountain homestead dream as well as my blogging activities, and the price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.

Easy, No-Bake Energy Bars

We've been doing a pretty good job with meals lately.  We've managed to cut our food waste way down by only making what we will eat and / or eating leftovers for lunch, as well as not being afraid to utilize the freezer for future consumption.  Really pretty simple stuff, but stuff I didn't take time to do before.  Here recently, however, I've been missing something.  Snacks!

I haven't been buying a lot of junk finger foods since we moved.  That certainly doesn't mean I haven't been tempted in the grocery store.  Even stopped and gave some things a hard look.  But I've done a pretty darn good job of resisting.  Think money.  Think chemicals.  Think health! (It's not 100% effective, mind you, but does do the trick most of the time.)

My point is this:  I realized that the body's desire to snack is rarely there.  As long as I eat a bit of breakfast and a lunch, I'm usually good 'til dinner.  Which must mean, at least for me, if it's in the pantry (cupboard, fridge, whatever) I. will. eat. it.

But, ya know, cravings do come.  And they've been swirling around me the last several days.  I usually have some sort of fruit around, but I eat it with breakfast or lunch.  So I didn't want that.  I did make myself some popcorn one day, and that was good.  But I still wasn't satisfied, and I'm sure you know what the problem was – I wanted something "sweet."

So finally I went through my Pinterest boards to find a homemade granola bar recipe to try.  One of those things that's been on the to-do list for some time, but haven't felt the urgency until now.

I settled on some Oatmeal Energy Clusters because I already had all the ingredients, save one.  The basic recipe is from The Chew's Clinton Kelly.  I just made one addition.  You'll need:

• 2 cups quick oats
  
• 2 tbsp chia and/or flax seed mixture (I use Decadent Blend Chia & Flax Seed with Coconut & Cocoa)
  
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used minis)
  
• 2/3 cup shredded coconut (try to get unsweetened)
  
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
  
• 1/3 cup raw honey
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  
• 1/4 tsp salt

Put everything in a big bowl, in the order typed above.  Mix it well.  I had to do it with my hands to really get it together.  If your mixture is stubborn, try adding some more peanut butter and/or honey.  You could also warm the honey and peanut butter together, to get more of a liquid.  Then add to the other ingredients.  But I was too lazy to go through all that.  Here we are mid-mix.  I forgot to snap an image before starting.



Now.  If you follow Clinton Kelly's recipe, you would put the mixture in the fridge for a while, pull it out and roll pieces (roughly 1-inch in size) into balls.

I knew that would not work for me.  Popping a 1-inch "cluster" in my mouth would not result in a craving satisfied.  I know that's my brain talking, but it doesn't matter.  I need more than one bite to my snack.  If you're like me, you'll want to make bars.

Take something akin to a 9"x9" pan and line it with parchment paper.  (I used a toaster oven baking tray that measures 10"x8".) Press the mixture out evenly to the size of the pan.  You could add another piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin, if it'll fit.  But, again, I just used my hands.



Lift the bottom parchment out of the pan and square off your gonna-be bars, if necessary.  The pan was really just a guide.  Then let everything dry for at least an hour.



Now it's time to cut the bars.  My pizza cutter worked well.  I made a single cut down the middle long-ways.  Then another cut down the center the opposite way.  Then each half (which is quartered) into thirds.  Does that even make sense? Lord, help me.  Let's just say I got a dozen bars.  Each one measured approximately 4-inches by 1 1/2-inches.  The image below only shows eleven bars because I ate one already! (She sheepishly grins.)



Another good thing about these bars, in addition to requiring more than one bite to eat, is they are relatively healthy.  They're full of fiber, protein, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants, including Vitamin E.  Chia and flax seeds also add Omega-3.  You can also customize them even more.  Maybe add dried fruits or nuts.  Go crazy with it!

These bars should last about a week in a sealed container on the counter.  You could put them in the fridge to extend the shelf life a bit.  Give them a try! Real food with no added chemicals is a good, good thing.  From my mountaintop to yours.



Shared at Art of Home-Making Mondays, Homemade Mondays, The Homemaking Party, Thrifty Thursday, Happiness is Homemade, Coffee and Conversation, Wonderful Wednesday, From the Farm, and Tuesdays with a Twist.



Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a very small commission if you click a link and buy something. This helps support my mountain homestead dream as well as my blogging activities, and the price you pay will be no different than if you arrived at the same destination through any other link. My opinions are my own, to be sure. If I link to a product and say I like it -- I truly like it! Thanks for reading, following, and supporting Stephlin's Mountain.