Homemade Chicken Broth

Homemade chicken broth is not only frugal, but easy to make after your are done with your next whole chicken recipe.  This recipe can be made following Crock Pot Whole Chicken. Here are two alternative methods for making your own homemade chicken broth.

 

Chicken Broth

Ingredients:
All the drippings, scraps and bones from a whole chicken
10 cups water, (or enough to cover the bones)
1/4 cup salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves

Crock Pot Method:

1. Place all ingredients in crock pot. 
2. Cook on high for 6 hours. 
3. Strain broth through a fine strainer or cheesecloth.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Freeze in ice cube trays or in pint mason jars. (If freezing in mason jars, leave 1 inch of space at the top of the jar to account of any expansion of the broth.)

Stove Top Method:

1. Place all ingredients in stove-top pot. 
2. Bring water to a boil. 
3. Simmer for 2 hours.  
4. Strain broth through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. 
5. Allow to cool.
6. Freeze in ice cube trays or in pint mason jars. (If freezing in mason jars, leave 1 inch of space at the top of the jar to account of any expansion of the broth.)

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Homemade mashed potatoes are easier than you think. The taste is incomparable to instant potatoes. Make this easy recipe for your next family gathering.

Homemade Mashed Potatoes:

6 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 11 medium sized potatoes)
1/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Optional Add-Ins:
salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves of garlic, minced and cooked
1/2 cup yellow or white onion, diced fine and cooked
4 ounces cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese
1/2 cup sour cream

Optional Toppings:
shredded cheese
crispy bacon, broken into small pieces
sour cream
diced chives

Bring large pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and continue to heat for 25 minutes at a rolling boil. Strain potatoes and return to pan. Mash potatoes with potato masher or fork. Add butter to potatoes, stir until melted and combined. Add any add ins at this point. Pour in milk and whip vigorously.
Add any toppings and enjoy! 

Basic Sandwich Bread

When I look back at our journey to become more healthy and consume more natural foods, one event stands alone.  My husbands declaration that the we are not going to buy bread anymore but make our own.  We did this at first purely for the quality of the bread that we can make versus buy.  But making your own bread is one of the most frugal things you can do to help your family save money at the grocery store and nothing beats the smell of a fresh loaf in the oven!

When it comes to bread making there is a great division in our family... My husband prefers the "hands on" kneading method of bread making while I prefer the "hands off" bread machine method.  It is simply preference, you get the same result. We both agree the bread machine's cube shaped bread is not great. So when I make bread I only use the bread machine on the dough setting. The dough setting mixes your ingredients, allows the bread to rise, and kneads it for you. Then you can finish baking it in your regular oven.

The below recipes will get you started should you "rise" to the occasion!

Basic Sandwich Bread
makes 2 loaves

2 cups warm water (110 ° F )
2/3 cup sugar or honey (we use honey)
1 1/2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup oil (we use olive)
6 cups bread flour (we use 2 cups whole wheat and 4 cups bread flour)
1 Tablespoon vinegar (as a natural preservative) *
1 Tablespoon flax seed ground *
1 teaspoon wheat germ *
1 Tablespoon steel cut oats *

In a large bowl, completely dissolve the sugar or honey in warm water and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.

Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Add vinegar. Combine with the flour. Add any ingredients that have a (*) by them if you prefer. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic. It should be slightly sticky but not so sticky that it clings to your hands. If it is, add a little flour to obtain the right consistency. If it's too dry, it'll break or flake apart in crumbs; use a little more water in this case.

Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into two loaves, and place into two well oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Cover with a kitchen cloth or plastic wrap and allow to rise for 25-30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

Bake at 350 ° F for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack.

We currently have a West Bend Bread Machine. It is works great and is very durable.

Bread Machine Dough Version
(makes 1 loaf, as most all bread machines can only hold 1 loaf)

1 cups warm water (110 ° F)
1/3 cup sugar or honey (we use honey)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 cup oil (we use olive)
3 cups bread flour (we use 1 cups whole wheat and 2 cups bread flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar (as a natural preservative) *
1 1/2 teaspoon flax seed ground *
1/2 teaspoon wheat germ *
1 1/2 teaspoon steel cut oats *

Add water, sugar or honey, vinegar and oil to bread machine. Layer bread flour, salt, flax seed, wheat germ, oats and yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting.
When dough setting is complete, remove dough.
Shape into a loaf, and place into a well oiled 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Allow to rise for 25-30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.

Bake at ° F for 30 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack.

To freeze: Let loaf cool completely. Put in an airtight plastic freezer bag and place in freezer for up to six weeks.

To thaw: Take loaf out of the freezer and allow to thaw for at least 3 hours prior to use.
 

Preserving 101

You may ask yourself why would we spend time canning, freezing, drying or dehydrating when the grocery store is just miles down the road.

My answer is simple.

I like to know what I am eating.

I know what I grow in my back yard and how we grew it. I love the process for growing and caring for your own plants, whether it is fruits, vegetables or flowers. I am greatly rewarded by a sense of accomplishment and enjoy the beauty of it.

Scientific advancements and food don't always make a great combination.
 I want ketchup with no high fructose corn syrup. I want Mexican rice without preservatives. I want yogurt without dyes.

I am frugal. I love using coupons to get great deals for my family but not at the expense of their health. Too often the majority of coupons are for convenience foods that are loaded with dyes and preservatives.

What is Canning?

Canning is saving your cooking efforts in jars. You choose meals to cook because you love them. Wouldn't it be nice to have the meal or sauces saved for the next time you want them? By canning you are simply preventing the food from spoiling by removing air and sealing the jar. 

What is Freezing?

Freezing is preserving your food in the freezer. Simple huh? You basically can freeze anything but there are a few suggestions you will want to follow. You can not freeze things in cans or eggs in shells, unless you like explosions of these items in your freezer. Just because you can place any food in the freezer doesn't mean you want to consume it once thawed. Mayonnaise, any cream based sauce and lettuce will not preserve well. Personally, I also like to avoid freezing block or shredded cheese, as it becomes soft and has more moisture in it.
You want to protect your food while it remains in the freezer by wrapping the item is plastic wrap, plastic bag, wax paper or foil. 
Here is our tutorial on how to prepare your vegetables for freezing through a process called blanching. 

What is Drying?

Drying is removing moisture from the food through sun light. This is the oldest method of preserving your harvest. This method has such a low amount of moisture remaining in the food that microorganisms can not survive on the food and does not spoil. This method also uses much less space than canning or freezing does. Drying is great for herbs and vegetables. When this process is completed you can store your food in plastic bags or a sealed container of your choice.

What is Dehydrating?

Dehydrating is drying out the food with the help of your oven or dehydrator appliance. If you decide to use your oven, this method can take all day depending on the food. So be sure you are planning to be home. You can purchase a food dehydrator that can be keep plugged in and working while you are away. The food dehydrator does take longer to dehydrate than the oven but you can set it up and simply proceed with your day.

For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.    Deuteronomy 16:15

No Mess Cupcakes

Every parent has found themselves tackling the task of cupcake chef and decorator. This job can be made much easier with a few tricks.

Stress Free Tips:

1. Use store-bought cake mix instead of making your own from scratch. Easy.
2. Use paper liners in the cupcake pans. Can often find these on sale after the holiday or at craft stores. No Mess.
3. Once you have mixed the cake, pour batter into a plastic bag and seal. Then cut the corner off for a no mess batter dispenser. Easy and No Mess!
4. Make decorating easy. 
• Let your special person select sprinkles and a frosting color.
• Use store bought icing instead of making your own, add food coloring drops to get the right color.
• Spread icing with a knife or use a pastry bag if you have one. Just start at the center of the cupcake and work your way out.
• Apply sprinkles. Pour some sprinkles in a bowl. Hold cupcake over bowl and use a spoon to shake sprinkles on. Tip Cupcake slightly to allow extra sprinkles to fall back in the bowl.

 I usually like to make things from scratch but baking is not my "strong area" in the kitchen.

Know you capabilities and allow yourself a few cheats in life!

Cooking Basics: Hard Boiled Eggs

For some unknown reason, I can not remember the steps to make hard boiled eggs. We don't make them too often, which is probably why I can not remember how!
Hard Boiled Eggs are a great protein source and yummy too!

Hard Boiled Eggs

Eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
water
stock pot

Place eggs in a pot; pour enough water over the eggs to cover by 1 inch. Add baking soda to the water. This will make it easier to peel.
Cover and turn stove to high; bring to a boil; turn off heat and place pot on a cool burner.
Let the pot sit with the cover on for 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill a large bowl halfway with cold water; transfer the eggs from the pot to the cold water.

Replace the water with cold water as needed to keep cold until the eggs are completely cooled.
Chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours before peeling.