Homestead Acres

Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

This time of year our zucchini plants are producing very well.  Our second planting is flowering and also will be producing soon!  Yes we love zucchini!  I’m always looking for new ways to use it up.  I stumbled on a recipe of zucchini brownies that I just had to try.

They came out good but seem to be just missing a little something.  Perhaps its because I left the nuts out, I also didn’t use the frosting.  I will be trying another batch soon with some nuts sprinkled in.

When you mix this together it looks VERY dry.  But as it cooks the liquid from the zucchini brings it together nicely.

Here is the recipe as found on all recipes.

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched. To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners’ sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

Its that time of year again!  The gardens starting to produce and I’m dehydrating and canning for the winter.  Dehydrating zucchini is so easy to do and saves a lot of freezer space!

Wash and slice your zucchini into 1/4 inch slices, or shred.  Place on your dehydrator rack and dehydrate at 115F until done.  Mine took about 24 hours in the high humidity weather we have been having.

Our zucchini plants are starting to produce.  So it’s time to start making our favorite quick bread.  Zucchini bread!  I started making this on Sunday only to discover I was short on eggs.  Hmmm…  I found some egg less zucchini bread recipes using yogurt as a substitute and decided to give that a try.   It worked great, and I’ll keep making it that way.  If you don’t have yogurt on hand then use 4 eggs to replace it.

Zucchini Bread

• 2/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Combine yogurt, oil, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat together.  Stir in zucchini.  Combine dry ingredients and stir into yogurt mixture.

Bake at 350F for 60 minutes or until cooked through.

In my last cooking video I showed how to make your own baking mix.  This you can substitute for any recipe calling for Bisquick.

Today I’ll show you my favorite way to make biscuits!  I have another recipe, my Grandmothers biscuit recipe.  I love it also, but dh thinks these are better.

Biscuits

• 6 cups baking mix
• 2 cups water
  

In a medium size bowl combine 6 cups baking mix and 2 cups water.  Stir until the dough starts to come together.  Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed about 10 times.  Don’t over kneed or your biscuits will be tough.  Roll out 1/2 inch thick and cut out using your biscuit cutter or a drinking glass.

Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 425F for 10 – 15 minutes.  Tops should be just turning light brown when done.

This makes about 20 biscuits.  If your family is smaller then ours, simply cut the recipe in half or freeze the extras.

Making your own premade mixes are healthy and convenient.  They also save a lot of money from buying them ready made.  I like knowing what is IN my food and how it was made.  Making my own mixes helps to make meals quickly, conveniently and healthy!

Baking Mix

• 8 cups flour
• 1/4 cup baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups powdered milk (optional)
  
• 1 Tbs salt
• 1 1/2 cups lard (or shortening, butter)

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Using a pastry blender cut in lard until it’s well mixed.

If you prefer to leave out the powdered milk, you can substitute the water in your recipe for milk, rice milk or other alternative.  Use in any biskwick recipe.

I’ll try to update this with photos tomorrow.

Pickled Carrots

• 5 pounds carrots
• 2 cups water
• 6 cups vinegar
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 1 tsp pickling spice per jar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes per jar
  
• 1 sprig of dill weed per jar

Wash and peel carrots.  Slice into rounds 1/4″ thick or into sticks.  Combine salt, water and vinegar in a pot and bring to a boil.   Add spices and carrots to jars.  Top with pickling liquid.  Remove air bubbles, add lids.  Can for 10 min in a water bath canner, adjust to your altitude.

One of my hubby’s favorite suppers is Sheppard’s pie.  I’ve experimented with different variations over the years.  So far this is our favorite.  I made this for supper yesterday, all the ingredients except the beef were from our gardens last summer.  The beef is from a local farmer.  I love having home canned foods on hand to make cooking go quicker!

A note on the recipe below.  The spice measurements are approximate, by “eyeball”.  I rarely measure spices when I’m cooking.  Before serving simply adjust the spices to suit your family’s taste.

Sheppard’s Pie

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium onion
• 1 quart crushed tomatoes
• 1 pint (2 cups) peas
• 1 tps salt
• 1 heaping TBS parsley
• 1 heaping TBS basil
• 1 heaping TBS garlic powder
• 1/2 TBS pepper
• mashed potatoes

Fry ground beef until browned.  Add onions and cook until meat is done and onions start to soften.

Add tomato sauce, spices and peas.  Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.

Spread meat mixture into a baking pan and top with mashed potatoes.  If desired sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and parsley.   Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until the top starts to crisp.

This week I decided to try making marmalade.  Now as I had mentioned before, my hubby and I don’t like the peels that in most marmalade.  So I knew my trusty food processor would be out to help me puree this creation.   We ended up with 5 half pint jars.  The verdict?  It’s delicious!

Smooth Marmalade

• 10 oranges (3 pounds)
• 1 lemon
• 4 cups sugar

Peal oranges and lemon leaving some of the white on.  Remove seeds if needed.  Discard peals.

Puree in a food processor.  Pour into a stock pot and add sugar.

Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Boil until it reaches the jelling point.  This was about 15 minutes for me.

Remove from heat, stir and skim.  Ladle into jars leaving 1/4″ head room.  Process in a water canner for 15 minutes.

Yield 2 1/2 pints.

Canning ground beef is so easy to do and very convenient to keep on hand!  I prefer to keep canned meat on hand rather then frozen for a few reasons.  It is always ready to use, no waiting for frozen meat to thaw out.  Yes, I know I could take it out of the freezer the day before but I always forget.  Canned meat keeps longer then frozen, and it never gets freezer burned! Also more then once I’ve had someone unplug my freezer with disastrous results. However a long power outage would have the same results.

A few years ago, I changed the way I canned ground beef.  Instead of pan frying it in small batches, then having to drain and rinse the fat off I started boiling it. I can place large amounts of ground beef in my stock pot, cover it with water and let it simmer until it’s cooked.  This saves me time, I no longer have to cook in small batches.  I can get it ready then go and attend to other jobs.  I no longer have grease splatting around my stove.  One of the best advantages is a nice large pot of soup stock!  After boiling the ground beef, I strain the broth and set it in the fridge to cool over night.  The next day skim the fat off the top.  You can now season the broth however you like.

How To Can Ground Beef

• Place meat in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.   Simmer until cooked through.
• Drain off stock, reserving to use latter for soups.
• Spoon meat into jars and leave 1 inch of head space.  Cover with boiling water or beef stock.
• Wipe rims and add lids.  Tighten rings finger tight.
• Place into canner.
• Pressure can for 90 minutes.
• After canner depressurizes set on a towel to cool, let sit for 24 hour so the seal can harden.
• Take jar rings off, wipe the jars clean.  Label and store in a cool dry place.
  

Our Canadian winters are long and cold.  A favorite treat during that time is our homemade hot chocolet.  Nothing taste better after coming in from shoveling the driveway sledding with the kids.

I’ve found this a much taster and cheaper alternative then buying little cans at the store.

This also makes a wonderful gift!  Fill a quart canning jar with the mix.  Add some pretty ribbon around the top and you have a quick and easy gift.

Hot Chocolate Recipe

5 cups powderd milk

1 cup non dairy creamer

2 cups sugar

1 cup coco powder

Combine in a bowl and mix all together.

Place 3 TBS in a mug, top with boiling water and enjoy!