2015 Year In Review

Happy New Year!

I hope this post finds you relaxing from the whirlwind of last year and especially last month.

We ventured back "Home" to Wisconsin for a 12-day trip over the holidays. We made a quick overnight stop in Asheville, North Carolina to see my brother and visit the Biltmore House, which was decorated for Christmas.

Photo credit Biltmore.com

We had a great time visiting with family and friends. There is always something left on the list to be done or visited for next time. Just this past Saturday we drove (the car adorned with colored Christmas lights including the dog, fish and 2 rowdy kids) straight through 7 states.

Now that we are back to our "New Home" in North Carolina, it is time to look back on how God has richly blessed us in the past year.

2015 Top 10 Favorite Posts

(click photos for link)

Garden Totals

What a year...
Having moved to North Carolina and completely missing the chance to grow seedlings and not yet having a tilled garden... I am a little afraid to add up the garden totals this year.  Even though we reconditioned a 10' x 10' planting bed into a 12' x 24' garden, timing was limited due to the move in March and having to navigate a new planting zone. In Wisconsin, we left behind a tended raspberry bed that we loved and cared for, mulberry bushes, pear trees, apple trees, established asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb.

New to the garden this year was:

• Cantaloupe
• Tabasco Peppers
• Mini Pumpkins
• Rosemary

Here is where we are coming from in garden totals:

   2014: 309 pounds
   2013: 433 pounds

2015 Totals

Beans - Green: 1.5 ounces (Don't know what went wrong. Grew well but no beans)
Cantaloupe: 6 pounds
Corn - Sweet: 7 pounds 4.9 ounces
Cucumber: 14 pounds 2.9 ounces
Lettuce: 27 pounds
Mint: 0.2 ounces (Minimal picking as is new, let grow)
Oregano: Let establish this year
Pepper - Banana: 2 pounds 0.4 ounces
Pepper - Bell: 1 pound 5.3 ounces
Pepper - Jalapeño: 3 pounds 0.1 ounces
Pepper - Tabasco: 1 pound 0.7 ounces
Popcorn: 2 pounds 12.1 ounces
Pumpkin: 1 pound 1.1 ounce (From a small plant that came home from school)
Pumpkin - Mini: 8 pounds 3.5 ounces
Raspberry: 2.9 ounces (Hopeful for this year after some seriously needed pruning)
Rosemary: Finally!!! Let grow to establish
Tomato: 59 pounds 3.3 ounces
Watermelon: 41 pounds 2.8 ounces

Total Weight Harvested in 2015... 173 pounds 8.5 ounces

Now to plan for this coming year's garden! :)

2014 In Review

It is time again to reflect on last year and get ready for the year ahead.

I thought it would be fun to look back on all that has happened both on Sustainable Blessings and in our yard this past year.

Here is a listing of the most popular posts in 2014:

1. Tater Tot Casserole

2. Beer Cheese Pretzel Dip

3. Morel Mushroom Hunting

4. Lemon Bars

5. Honey Oatmeal Bread

What We Grew In 2014:

We continued to weighing the harvests from our garden and yard this year. Last was the first year I weighed any harvests and we came in at 433 pounds 3.5 ounces!

Asparagus: 10.5 ounces, our first harvest after planting them 3 years ago!
Beans - Green: 1 pound 5.7 ounces
Corn - Sweet: Raccoons ate it all!
Cucumber: 39 pounds 14.3 ounces
Cucumber - Pickles: 3 pounds 6.7 ounces 
Garlic: 0.7 ounces 
Garlic Mustard: 0.1 ounce
Kale: 4.5 ounces
Lettuce: 2 pounds 6 ounces
Mulberry: 9.11 ounces
Nasturtium: 0.2 ounces
Onion - White: 8.1 ounces
Pear: 8.6 ounces
Pea - Sugar Snap: 6.1 ounces
Pepper - Green: 5.5 ounces
Pepper - Jalapeño: 5 pounds 14.4 ounces
Raspberry: 3 pounds 2.8 ounces
Rhubarb: 3 pounds 1 ounce
Strawberry: 2.7 ounces
Tomato: 200 pounds 4.4 ounces
Tomato - Cherry: 3 pounds 15.7 ounces
Violets: 0.1 ounce
Watermelon: 36 pounds 6.7 ounce

Total Weight Harvested in 2014... 309 pounds 5.91 ounces!

Seasoning Salt

Making your own seasoning salt can be a fun way to put your personal touch on any dish. We love sprinkling this seasoning on popcorn.

Seasoning Salt
(makes about 1 pint)

2 cup sea salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon turmeric

In bowl, combine all ingredients until mixed well. Store in airtight container in dark place. Use to season anything you would normally put salt on.

Makes a frugal and easy gift too! Just place mix into a mason jar and label.

Morel & Asparagus Quiche

Spring is in full swing and glimpses of summer are sneaking through around here. This recipe captures the harvests of this time of year and combines them into a very special recipe you will love.

Morel & Asparagus Quiche
Ingredients:

• 1 pie tin

• 1 pre-made pie crust
• 
3/4 cup shredded cheese
 (used mozzarella)
• 6 eggs

• 1 cup of milk

• 1/2 tablespoon thyme 

• 1/2 tablespoon basil

• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cup of uncooked morel mushrooms, chopped 

• 6-8 spears of asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped


Directions:

• If you are using fresh morels, check out our prior post on how to prepare morels.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Sauté morels over medium heat for 10 minutes. Always cook morels! 
• Place shredded cheese into the bottom of the pie crust.
• In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, thyme, basil, onion powder and Parmesan cheese.
• Add morels, asparagus and spinach to egg mixture. Stir to combine.
• Pour into pie crust.
• Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and the eggs are solid in the middle. (You could check this with a toothpick or a fork).

Click for more homemade recipes from Sustainable Blessings.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Do you like jalapeño poppers? This dip blends the hot pepper into a warm and creamy appetizer perfect for your next event. And it's a great way to use any pickled jalapeños or dehydrated jalapeños you may have from your garden.

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons dried jalapeños (rehydrate with 1/4 cup water)
  (OR 1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeños)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 - 8 ounce blocks cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Instructions:

• Combine softened cream cheese and mayo well. Stir in jalapeños, onion and garlic.
• Spread in an oven-proof baking dish (used a medium sized dish).
• Sprinkle top of dip with bread crumbs.
• Bake at 350° F for 20 minutes.
• Serve warm with crackers or corn chips.

Enjoy!  Click for more homemade recipes from Sustainable Blessings. 

Homemade Croutons

Add crunch to your next salad with this simple recipe. Save your day-old bread and make delicious homemade croutons. Customize this savory recipe to your liking with your own blend of seasonings.

Croutons

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 cups of day old bread, cubed

Italian Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° F.
In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Stir until combined and bread is coated well.
Place crouton mixture onto a large baking pan.
Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Stirring every 5 minutes.
Allow to cool. Store in air tight container and use within 2 weeks.

Makes 8 cups.

Helpful Tip:
When your bread is getting too dried out, cut it into cubes and place in a plastic bag in the freezer. Once a large gallon bag is full, you are ready to make the croutons.

Enjoy!  Click for more homemade recipes from Sustainable Blessings.

Golden Mexican Rice

Replace prepackaged rice mix with this simple homemade recipe. Chicken broth and seasonings give this rice its distinct taste and namesake. My family loves to top the Golden Mexican Rice with taco fixings or add the recipe to crunchy tacos to make the meat stretch further (even the picky eater likes tacos this way).

Golden Mexican Rice

Ingredients
3 cups uncooked white or brown rice
6 tablespoons butter
2 cups chicken broth
3 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon taco seasoning

Instructions
Sauté rice with butter for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
In large microwaveable dish; combine chicken broth, water and seasonings. Stir in rice mixture.
Microwave covered, on high power for 15 minutes.
Then reduce heat to 50% power for another 12 minutes.
Fluff with fork prior to serving.

Enjoy!  Click for more homemade recipes from Sustainable Blessings.

Morel Mushroom Hunting

With the passage of winter comes wet soggy ground, which are perfect conditions for mushroom growth. In our area there is one mushroom that creates a mad dash to collect it: the Morel.

This beauty was growing in our raspberry patch.

This mushroom is one of the greats! Morel mushrooms can be hard to find and have a short window of time for harvesting. The work is worth it, they are very flavorful and thus used in many tasty gourmet recipes.

If you know where to look, you can find them for free! Just think that this delicacy could be growing in your area, just waiting for the picking. Here are a few helpful tips for you to succeed on your mushroom hunt.

Be Safe
Be aware that morels contain small amounts of hydrazine toxin that is removed through cooking.
Do not eat morel mushrooms raw, ever.

Always be 100% certain of the edible type of mushroom you pick as they often have look alikes that can be poisonous. When in doubt, throw it out - do not eat.

ForagingGuide.com is a very helpful site with background on Morel mushrooms and best times of year to go looking, and what to look for.

Know the Morel's characteristics
Morels are very distinctive mushrooms that have a honeycomb-like upper portion with ridges with pits between them. The coloring range from yellow to gray-black in color, depending on the variety you find. Here in Southeastern Wisconsin, we have mostly yellow or black morels.

The best places to find Morels
Morels are commonly found under deciduous trees (trees that have leaves). If the tree is dead or dying it is all the better for morel hunting. Trees to look for are ash, oak, cottonwoods or old apple trees. These are not strict rules on where to find morels. Keep your eyes open when hunting, we had 2 morels growing on southern (sunny) side of our house right out in the grass.

Harvesting
Gently hold the base of the mushroom and twist off the ground. Or you can cut the mushroom at the ground level. Note that you do not want to take the roots. You will not want to eat the soil covered root and by leaving the root behind, some people believe that more morels will grow there in the future. And keep your spot a secret so others don't beat you to the goods next season!

Happy Hunting!

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.)

Organizating Food For Meal Planning

Here it is again...  Dinner Time! This happens every day at the same time. Why does this daily event so often catch us unprepared?

Enter meal planning... But where to start?

Knowing where the food is in the house can be half the battle in meal planning. If you know what you have, then you can know what you can use to make meals for your family and those you love.

I have several areas in the home that we keep our "stockpile". I organize my food by placing frequently used foods in the kitchen cabinets and small pantry that we have. We have a normal refrigerator up stairs, in the kitchen. The extra food is placed on storage shelves in our basement
... our stockpile.

Also in the stockpile are all my canning successes! There is also a chest freezer in the basement we use mostly for meats, frozen fruits and vegetables.

When the cabinets and freezer are looking full, I thank God for all the rich blessings he has given us! But I have to admit, it is hard to see past all those bags and boxes in the freezer which can get a little overwhelming. Hence the need to organize.

I will make a simple food list of what we have on hand. Your list can be handwritten, or if you are a organization geek like me... consider creating a sortable spreadsheet on the computer. I simply list the locations of where the food is kept as the header of each column and then fill in the food below. I add an area to mark off the food as I use it up.

When I am done,  I am always surprised that there is enough food for several meals right here at home! We just needed to know where it was at.

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.  - 1 Corinthians 10:31

I also keep a running list of frequently enjoyed meals to gather inspiration from. Here are some meal suggestions that we love to make:

• Balsamic Pot Roast
• Tater Tot Casserole
• Chicken Parmigiana
• Crock Pot Whole Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
• Spaghetti with Sweet Spaghetti Sauce
• Baked Macaroni and Cheese
• Marinara Pasta Bake
• Broccoli and Cheese Soup
• Tacos made with Taco Seasoning 
• Tuna Noodle Casserole

Crock Pot "Refried" Pinto Beans

Great refried beans are the glue that holds a great burrito or taco together!

You would be surprised to learn how affordable this simple fat-free recipe is to make and the results are much better the store-bought canner version.  There are also very versatile as a substitution ingredient for meat.

Crock Pot "Refried" Beans

2 pounds dried pinto beans
8 cups water
2 cups beef or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons salt

Combine ingredients in crock pot. Turn crock pot on High setting, cook for 4 hours. Then turn crock pot down to Low setting for 2 hours.

I discarded one cup of water prior to mashing beans. I used a submersion blender to combine. The consistency resulted in a slight more watery consistency than the canned version.

To freeze:
Mark a quart freezer bag with title of food and date.
Turn back the upper lip of the bag to make it stay open easier. Place opened bag into a liquid measuring cup. I used a 2 cup measuring cup. Then fill the bag with the refried beans until about the 2 cup mark.
Press as much air out of the bag as possible and seal. Freeze bags laying down, then can be stored upright.

Peanut Butter Cup Dip

Nothing like having dessert first!

This dip is truly a treat in itself and a fun appetizer. It is a great for a big crowd as you can mix and match your dipping foods.

Peanut Butter Cup Dip

8 ounce cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2.5 ounces bag of Reese's Minis (the already unwrapped bites)
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

In a stand mixer, beat together cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add in the brown sugar. Add cocoa powder, flour, vanilla, salt and milk. Mix until smooth. Add the powdered sugar slowly. Mix until smooth again.
Mix in the Reese's Minis and the chocolate chips.

Serve with Nilla wafers and / or pretzels.

Refrigerate any leftovers (if there are any)!

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Need a easy comfort soup for that really cold winter day? Try chicken dumpling soup that you can make in your crock pot! Don't let the dumplings intimate you, they are very simple to make.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

1 1/2 pounds chicken, diced, boneless and skinless (any cut will do)
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup carrot, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 Tablespoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon parsley, dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

dumplings:
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Combine chicken, broth, carrots, onion and celery in your crock pot. Stir in garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. Turn crock pot on to the high setting for 6 hours.

About 30 minutes before the crock pot is done, start mixing up the dumplings. Combine eggs and water in a mixer on the low setting. Start adding flour in small amounts until combined. Add in salt and baking powder. Mix well. Using a teaspoon, drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot soup. Allow soup to cook for another 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with crackers. Enjoy!

Beer Cheese Pretzel Dip

With football season in full swing (my Packers made the playoffs this year!), snacks are a must with watching the big game. This dip is a great crowd pleaser and makes a good amount.

Beer Cheese Pretzel Dip:

2 - 8 ounce blocks cream cheese or Neufchâtel cheese, softened
1 package of dry ranch seasoning packet
4 ounces of beer (personal preference is a blonde beer)
2 cups finely shredded cheddar cheese (prefer sharp cheddar)
Pretzels or any other food you want to pair the dip with

Mix cream cheese and ranch packet in stand mixer at low setting. Slowly pour in beer until mix. Add shredded cheese and continue mixing until combined.

Serve after chilled with pretzel twists.

Balsamic Pot Roast

This pot roast is a savory alternative to traditional pot roast and of course your can make it in your crock pot.

Balsamic Pot Roast

3 pounds beef or venison roast (thawed or frozen)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 potatoes, chopped (keep the skins on)
1 small onion, chopped
2-3 cups beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place roast into the center of the crock pot. Pour broth, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce over roast.
Place chopped carrots, potatoes and onion around pot roast.
Sprinkle roast with onion powder, garlic powder and pepper.
Cook roast in crock pot on low for 8 hours if thawed. If the roast is frozen, cook in crock pot for 6 hours on high.

Serve the roast by pulling the meat apart and with a side of the vegetables.

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

This the easiest crock pot chicken ever! Not only does this chicken taste just like a rotisserie chicken but it is the entire chicken cooked in the crock pot. Yes, the whole chicken!

Crock Pot Chicken:

1 whole chicken, thawed (any size that will fit in your crock pot)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
olive oil

Mix together in a small bowl the above spices. Set aside.

Roll several pieces of aluminum foil in small balls and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. (I used 4 balls.)

Rinse chicken and rub with olive oil. Rub the spice mixture all over chicken. (I put some inside the cavity and also under the skin covering the breasts.)

Lay chicken on aluminum foil balls in slow cooker, breast-side down.  Aluminum foil should prevent chicken from actually touching the bottom of the slow cooker.

Cook on high in crock pot for 5 hours.

Adapted from Crockin' Girls.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Nothing says October like pumpkin carving. But do not just throw out those
jack-o-lantern seeds. You can easily roast them for a healthy snack.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

seeds of one large jack-o-lantern pumpkin (about 2 cups)

Salted Seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Seasoned Seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Sweet Cinnamon Seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar

Preheat oven to 325 ° F.
Clean any pumpkin pulp off the seeds. I fill my sink or a large bowl with water and sort the clean seeds into a strainer.
Let the seeds drain most of the water off.
Place seeds into a bowl. Place the ingredients from your selected recipe in the bowl. Stir until well mixed.
Pour seeds onto a parchment paper or foil lined baking pan.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Remove seeds from pan and allow to cool.

Enjoy!

Additional Activity:
We love to guess the number of seeds that will be in the pumpkin and then count them to see how close our guess was.

Pumpkin Brownies

Healthy brownies? Could it be? Not only is this recipe beyond easy, it eliminates the oil, eggs and butter. And is still delicious.

Pumpkin Brownies

1 - 19.5 ounce box brownie mix
1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional, used regular and mini sized)

sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 ° F.  Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.  In a large bowl, mix together only the powdered brownie mix and pumpkin until combined.  Add chocolate chips if you want.

Spread batter into prepared pan. Add sprinkles at this time if you choose to.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. This recipe does not rise like a cake. So, no you did not do anything wrong.

This recipe makes a fudge type of a brownie. It does not make the cake type of brownie. But it is yummy and you don't feel guilty eating more than one!

Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff recipe.

Quick Homemade Applesauce

Nothing says fall like the smell of freshly cooked apples. This recipe is so easy that you can make it quickly to be a side with dinner tonight.

Quick Homemade Applesauce:
4 apples (used Granny Smith variety)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
1/4 c water

Wash your apples. Peel and core apples. Cut apples into small pieces, about 8 pieces per apple. Or you can use an apple corer for quick work. We have a Norpro apple peeler / corer, that works great.

Place apples into a large microwavable bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon and water. Stir apple mixture.
Microwave covered for 5 minutes on high. Stir and microwave covered another 5 minutes.
Stir applesauce one more time. No need to mash as the apples should not be chunky.

Makes about 6 servings.

I think this applesauce tastes like warm apple pie filling. Who wouldn't love dessert as a side dish with dinner?

Coming up will be my recipe for canning Applesauce. Yum!

Marinara Pasta Bake

This recipe is a great way to have a meatless meal and be frugal. And it is easy easy!

Marinara Pasta Bake

1 pound pasta of your choice (used radiatore)
1 quart jar of Sweet Spaghetti Sauce or tomato based sauce of your choice
2 cups mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, shredded
Parmesan cheese 
parsley
optional fillings: 1 cup cottage cheese, spinach, onions, green peppers

Preheat oven to 400 ° F.
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Cook until al dente (the lower time suggestion) and drain. Pour pasta in 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
Combine pasta with Sweet Spaghetti Sauce, stir well. Mix in any optional filling at this time.
Top with shredded cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the cheese starts to lightly brown.