Pumpkin Sourdough Bread

Now that the garden is done (phew! is anyone else completely exhausted for the entire month of September?) I've had more time to play around in the kitchen. We are blissfully overrun with pumpkins from our garden this year, so I was browsing the internet for a sourdough pumpkin sweet bread. I didn't have any luck (if you know of a good one, please let me know!) but it did get me thinking, and just for kicks I decided to try swapping out pumpkin for the potato in my potato sourdough bread recipe.

It worked beautifully - it's not anything like the pumpkin bread you see at bake sales; it's really more like a slightly orange sandwich loaf. You can barely taste the pumpkin. But it rises beautifully and tastes delicious (as you can see, more than half of it was gone before I got a chance to take a picture!)

I am going to continue trying to find a sourdough pumpkin sweet bread, but for now we're really enjoying this recipe (especially smothered with pumpkin spice honey butter. Mmmm . . .)

Pumpkin Spice Honey Butter

I came up with this recipe when I was attempting to make a sourdough pumpkin bread (I've been told that cinnamon doesn't react well with the sourdough starter, since it has slight antibacterial properties, and will mess up your wild yeasts. Not sure if that's true or not, but until I have time for more experimenting, I'll use this to top my toast). It is absolutely delicious (my kids were fighting over who got to lick the spoon I used to mix it up!) - perfect for any fall baked treat!

Pumpkin Spice Honey Butter
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla
1/8 tsp each cloves and salt
Mix all together well (it helps to soften the butter first) and it's ready!

Cheap and Simple Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

I'm not sure why, but we've had an infestation of fruit flies in the kitchen lately. One morning, I found four or five of them hovering around a banana peel, and remembered a trick someone had told me.

I wrapped an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper in to a funnel shape, taped it securely to a canning jar with the offending banana peel in the bottom, and left it out on the counter. The next morning, this is what I found:

Apparently, the flies go down the funnel following the smell of the banana peel, but then try to get out by flying toward the light, getting trapped at the top of the jar (this is why you need to be careful to tape the funnel securely to the jar, leaving no gaps). Simple and effective!

Ugly Tomatoes

Have you ever noticed that the tomatoes that look the worst often taste the best?

This beauty would never appear on any store shelf, but it was delicious! Sure, it's a bit tricky cutting out the stem, and those strange brown rings (they're just on the skin - anyone know what they are, and what causes them?) but it's definitely worth it, in my book, for the flavor. Unless I'm entertaining, I really don't care what it looks like (and if I invited people over, that means I'd have to share!)

Sorry, I don't even know what variety this one is (I'm guessing either a Brandywine or a Mortgage Lifter - my tomato patch this summer was a mishmash of old seeds I needed to use up (I think all of them were between 5 and 10 years old!) So there were some of those two types, some Jelly Bean, some Beefsteak, and I think some saved Romas, too - so I have quite a variety pouring in!)

Easy Probiotic Salsa

Here's another recipe that you can make in small batches as your produce rolls in. I'm loving the fact that I don't have to do a huge batch for canning (and be stuck in the hot kitchen all day!) Plus of course all the health benefits of lactofermenting, so it's easier to make and healthier for you. Win-win!

You can double or halve this recipe as you like (or quadruple as those tomatoes start rolling in . . .), and play with your spices - we like a medium salsa, so we use green jalapenos - if you like more of a kick, you can use red ones. Just make sure you wear gloves when you chop them up - I know this from painful experience!

Lactofermented Salsa
1 quart chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp snipped fresh chives (dried spices work fine, too)
2 tsp minced garlic
2 chopped jalapeno peppers
1 Tbsp sea salt
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cilantro (use more if using fresh)
Mix all together and fill desired jars. (If you have whey on hand, it helps to put about 1/4 cup on the top of each jar, to kick-start the lacto-fermentation.) Let sit, tightly covered, at room temperature for about three days (be sure to "burp" your jars at least once a day). Then store in a cool, dry place (I keep mine in the fridge).

Monday was "Salsa Day" - we came home from a weekend at Grandma's, and my sweet kids found all of these ripe tomatoes waiting in the garden. We ended up with over four quarts of salsa (and I didn't even use up all of the tomatoes!)

Surprisingly Simple (and Effective!) Deodorant

I've been trying for a long time to find natural, safe homemade versions of common household products. I make most of my own cleaners, my own dye- and fragrance-free soap, and even tried a couple of different homemade shampoos (with unimpressive results - so far!) So when I saw this blog post about using coconut oil as a deodorant, I was sceptical. When I thought about it more, though, it made sense - coconut oil is naturally anti-bacterial, so it should inhibit the microbes that cause body odor. But still, it seemed too simple . . .

But what would it hurt? I could try it around the house, and just shower before I went somewhere. So that's what I did - but I soon found that I didn't need the extra shower. It really worked! I've been using it for about a week now, so I can say with confidence that this is one DIY product that really does work (I'd even go so far as to say it works just as well as the Tom's of Maine deodorant I had been using). And it really is so simple! I didn't mess around with adding essential oils and such (I prefer not to wear 16 different scents, and since I'm still using conventional shampoo and conditioner, that's enough perfume for me).

All you need is 3 parts coconut oil (I used 3 Tablespoons, because I wanted to try it out with a small batch first) and 1 part baking soda (aluminum free is best). Just mix these two together and you're good! I apply it by just dipping a finger in the jar and then rubbing it in. The only slight issue I've had so far is that when the house is warm enough that the coconut oil is liquid, it seems that the baking soda settles to the bottom, so you have to stir it up again. Not really a big deal. The baking soda also seems to keep the coconut oil from getting completely hard, so it's easier to get a little bit off at a time (so far, anyway - we'll see what it's like when our house is 64 degrees in the winter!)

I just can't say how shocked and pleased I am with this deodorant! It really works!

(and no, it doesn't stain your clothes . . .)

This post is part of Simple Lives Thursday.

Steak and Potato Scramble

We don't go out to eat much, but when we do, I always liked to get the Steakhouse Scrambler from Perkins. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore, but I've found a surprisingly easy version I can make from scratch (with home-grown potatoes, eggs from our hens, and local grass-fed beef - and it costs less per serving, to boot!)
As you'll see, this isn't so much a recipe as it is a "throw these things together until it looks good" set of ideas:

Steak and Potato Scramble
Steak, cut into cubes and pan fried (I usually use round steak)
Cubed potatoes, fried until soft (most of the time I use leftover Cubed Oven Potatoes)
Scrambled eggs
Sauteed mushrooms, onions, and garlic, as desired
Layer all together and top with cheese sauce.

This was a huge hit with the kids, and of course I love it, too. It's so simple to throw together last minute on these busy summer days. We'll definitely be having this dish more often in the coming weeks!

Whole Wheat Sourdough Potato Bread

As you've probably noticed, I like playing around with sourdough bread recipes. While I love my Super Simple Sourdough Bread, it tends to be a little too sour for my kids' taste, and a little dense for my husband's. So I've reverted back to an old favorite, sourdough potato bread. It's not quite as simple, and a little less healthy, but it doesn't taste so sour and rises beautifully (sometimes too much! I just had a loaf overflow onto the bottom of the oven because I left the dough a little too wet). It's a great sandwich loaf for the whole family.

Whole Wheat Sourdough Potato Bread
Sponge:
1/2 cup sourdough starter
3/4 cup water
1 cup freshly ground whole wheat flour (NOT sprouted!)
1/2 cup plain mashed potatoes (no butter or salt)

Mix these ingredients together in a large bowl, cover loosely, and let rise overnight. This will rise a LOT so make sure your bowl is at least twice as big as your sponge.

In the morning, stir down the sponge and add:
1/3 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil, lard, melted butter, or liquid coconut oil
2 Tbsp honey
3 cups whole wheat flour (NOT sprouted!)

Mix all well (I do this in my Kitchen Aid mixer). Add more flour if needed to prevent stickiness. Dough should be soft and firm yet pliable. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down and place into loaf pan; cover loosely and let rise again.

Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. If you prefer a softer crust, cover until completely cooled.

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

These aren't exactly healthy (except for the fact that they have a vegetable in them), but they're so soft and delicious I make them anyway (you know, for a special occasion . . . like when I finally get around to weeding my garden and find a bunch of volunteer squash . . .)

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter or coconut oil
1 cup sugar (I use sucanat)
1 egg
2 cups flour (whole wheat works fine - I like to use sprouted)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup grated zucchini (or carrots work, too)
1 cup chocolate chips (I use the Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips - yum!)
Mix all together, drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake.

Probiotic Dill Pickles

Note to self:
No matter how much you love pumpkins, do not let a volunteer pumpkin grow next to your cucumber bed.

I planted my cucumbers way out back behind the chicken coop (the chickens are out in their pasture pens, so they're not close enough to destroy any vegetables, but it's very well-fertilized from their *ahem* deposits all last winter). Since I can't see the plants easily, I kind of forgot about them. When I went out to check on them this afternoon, this is what I found. See any cucumbers in there???

Well, after wading through the pumpkin vines, I did find some cucumber plants, and even a few veggies ready to pick. But I also realized that something needed to be done. I carefully pruned away most of the pumpkin vines (realizing halfway through that the bulk of them were not actually pumpkin vines, but a volunteer patty pan squash or two. This was a relief, since I don't particularly care for pattypan squash, and felt much better about ripping those out than my precious pumpkins! There were a few ripe squash of harvestable size, so I saved those and shredded them later for making into zucchini chocolate chip cookies.)

A half hour later, I had removed most of the intruding vines (except one pumpkin plant I just couldn't bring myself to pull - it had four big Cinderella-style pumpkins already growing on it, and since I didn't have any other plants with that shape of pumpkin on them, I gave in and let them stay - did I mention I'm a sap when it comes to pumpkins?) The cucumber plants were long and straggly, so instead of trying to train them up the tomato cages, as I'd originally intended, I laid them down on top of some old cardboard boxes - hopefully this will make it easier to find the ripe cukes, and keep them from rotting in the wet grass.

(Can you see that adorable pumpkin on the right edge of the picture? How could I pull that cute thing out???)

*ahem*

With the eight or so pickling-sized cukes I found under that jungle of vines, I decided to make our family's favorite dill pickles (recipe adapted from Nourishing Traditions - I changed up the spices a bit, so they taste more like what my family's used to; similar to the Vlasic dill pickles we used to buy).

Lacto-Fermented Dill Pickles
for each pint, place:
one head of dill
one clove of garlic
enough cucumbers to fill jar
1 Tablespoon of salt (sea salt works fine)
Cover with water (you can add some whey for a little kick-start), leaving an inch of headspace (this will bubble up as it ferments). Place a lid on the jar and leave at room temperature for 3 days, "burping" the jar regularly to release pressure. After three days, move the jars to a refrigerator or cool cellar for long-term storage.

I love this recipe because not only are they good for you, but you don't have to can them! I appreciate any excuse not to have to heat up the house in July and August. It's also nice that you can just make a jar now and again as you have cukes - you don't have worry about making a full canner load.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday.

The New Girls

For my daughter's tenth birthday, we gave her 5 bantam hens (purchased from a local chicken keeper). I've been thinking of getting some banty hens for a while now, since they have a reputation for being frequently broody and great mothers (I've tried to hatch eggs in an incubator three times now, with no success). We really want to be more self-sufficient as far as the chickens are concerned (it really burns me that we feed a rooster all year so we have fertile eggs, but haven't been able to hatch any chicks!) The woman we bought them from said they've all set chicks for her, so we have high hopes for some cheeping babies from our own chickens sometime soon!

Without further ado, here are some pictures of our new girls:

(Sorry about the "blue screen" effect on the pictures; it was a hot day today, and they wanted to stay under the tarp and out of the sun!)

Millie the mille fleur





Minnie the game hen (Minnie is for "miniature" - they're all small, but she's tiny!)





Nellie is a cochin/silkie cross (she looks pretty chubby, but she's all feathers!)





Marsha (short for "Marshmallow") - another cochin





And, last but not least (my favorite!) - Mrs. Blewett (another cochin)





Welcome to the farm, ladies!

Hanging Chicken Feeders

I like my chicken feeders - they're cheap to make, work well, and are easy to use. The one drawback was that, since I set them on the ground, the chickens would often knock them over and spill their feed. Worse yet, they would also more often than not knock them over onto their waterer, which would tip it enough to make all of the water slowly drain out.

So I headed to the hardware store to get some more U-bolts and S-hooks, thinking I would hang them the same way I had hung the waterers. Scanning the aisles for the S-hooks, however, I saw these bicycle hooks, and the lightbulb went on:

They work perfectly - the feeder hangs off the ground, so the birds can't tip them over, and the hooks screw directly into the frame; no extra hardware needed. I've been using them for almost a month now, with no problems. What a simple solution!

Well, What Do You Know?

Just for comparison, I made two batches of bread dough yesterday - one with my normal whole wheat sourdough recipe, the other substituting unbleached white flour (but still using the whole wheat sourdough starter). I wanted to see just how much higher the white flour loaf would rise, in the interest of finding out if it would be worthwhile switching to white flour for my sourdough loaves (they can be pretty dense).

But lo and behold, four hours after I mixed both batches of dough and set them out to rise, here's what I found:

As you can see, the darker loaf, on the right, rose better than the loaf with white flour on the left! What a pleasant surprise! I guess I'll stick with the whole wheat after all!