Spring Cleaning....the Fridge

Dusting.....check
Mopping.....check
Donate clothes to Goodwill.....check
Cleaning out the fridge of all those leftover ingredients from winter baking.....CHECK

Spring cleaning always feels so tedious.   Why does the reward have to be just having a fresh and clean house that Mom and Dad would approve of?  Why not reward yourself in the sweetest of ways?  That was my thought today as I put together a list of things to do around the house.  Believe it or not, besides the birthday cobbler, I've been trying not to partake in much baking lately.  This is all thanks to my goal of reducing bad stuff from me and my hunnie's diet...complex carbs, processed sugars.  Let me just say, its been TORTURE!  I decided today that I wanted to clean out the fridge and cupboard of some of those leftover baking ingredients from the holidays, and in an attempt to avoid processed sugars and fats usually in baked goods, I came up with pretty healthy recipe, replacing sugar with local raw honey, replacing bleached flour with whole wheat flour, and replacing butter with coconut oil.  

 

These muffins are full of flavor and the nuts and whole wheat flour make them very filling.  The use of real honey instead of sugar also makes them more moist than you'd expect from a whole wheat muffin.  You may not have all the ingredients lying around the fridge, but they can easily be substituted by something you probably do have tucked away in the pantry.  Don't have apple butter?  Replace with apple sauce...or fresh apples.  You get the idea.  So get to that fridge and start cleaning!

 

Honey Nut Muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon apple butter
1/4 cup pecans, chopped 
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  In another bowl blend together oil, honey, eggs, and vanilla until just combined.  Then stir in milk and apple butter.  Add 1/3 of dry mixture to wet mixture and stir until combined.  Repeat until all dry mixture is combined into wet mixture.  Lastly, fold in nuts (or any other fruit you might have on hand).  Mixture will be somewhat thick.  Scoop into lined cupcake tin and bake for 15 minutes.  Check doneness by sticking a toothpick in the middle--if the toothpick comes out clean, the muffins are done.  Yields ~ 1 dozen.   

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Birthday Blackberry Cobbler

I was dreaming last night of camping.  We were in a campsite along the coast, looking out at the ocean and enjoying something warm and sweet by the campfire.  All of a sudden in the middle of the dream, I hear a beeping noise.  Everyone around the campfire starts looking around, trying to identify the source of the single high pitched beep.  I awoke to realize the battery on our fire alarm had decided to die...at 4:30 AM.  (Why don't those things decide to start beeping at, I dunno, 4 PM instead of at the crack of dawn?!)  On most days, waking up this early would really leave me grumbley, but not today.  It's my hunnie's birthday!  My hunnie...he's an outdoors kind of guy, and one of his favorite camp treats is campfire cobbler, where you throw a can of pie filling and some pancake batter into a foil pouch and cook it right over the flames.  So it was no surprise when I asked him what kind of treat he'd like for his birthday and he said without hesitation "Blackberry Cobbler, baby". 

 

There's a few different ways to make cobbler.  While some spread the cobbler dough at the bottom of the dish and sprinkle fruit on top, others sprinkle fruit on bottom and pour a liquid batter over it.  The way I like to do it combines these two concepts--a thick layer of fruit spread on the bottom of the dish with cobbler dough "plopped" over top in mounds.  It's the way I learn to do it in 8th grade Home Ec, although these days I make the dough from scratch instead of using Bisquick. 

 

This recipe was so easy, I had it in the oven before 6 AM.  The only problem is now I have to wait until after dinner and birthday presents for us to enjoy it!

Blackberry Cobbler
12 oz frozen blackberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch cinnamon
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
Pinch of cinnamon & sugar for dusting over top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Use cooking spray or a little softened butter to grease a deep dish pie pan or round casserole dish.  Spread frozen blackberries in single layer on a paper towel and let thaw for 15 minutes.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.  In another bowl, gently mix together blackberries, sugar, cinnamon, cornstarch and lemon juice.  Spread fruit into the greased cobbler dish.  In a third bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.  Alternate pouring the egg/milk mixture and the melted butter into the flour mixture, until all are combined.  Dough should be a little sticky.  Pat portions of the dough into the shape of a biscuit and "plop" on top of the berries.  Depending on the size of your cobbler dish, space the dough evenly apart.  Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over top.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Then remove foil and bake for another 6-10 minutes, or until dough is golden on top.

{Me & My Hunnie, the Birthday Boy}

 

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1 Year Blog-iversary

A little over one year ago I wrote my first blog post...about corn.  Remember that???  Skillet Corn & Black Bean Salad....YUM!  Since then there's been posts on pickles, planetary transits, and puppy dogs.  A few things have happened in one year...my hunnie and I have made a house together, I graduated with a Master of Science in Engineering Management, and my solo running days have been replaced by jogging with our crazy (yet adorable) rescue dogs.  Yet here I am, one year later, writing about...corn!  I guess some things haven't changed.

A few weeks ago, before my week-long travel for work (and bachelorette shenanigans), I paid another visit to Market on the Move, where in addition to some incredible peppers, squash, and organic tomatoes, I scored 8 ears of corn.

My hunnie is a HUGE corn fan (perhaps a true mid-western boy at heart).  In addition to good ol' fashion corn on the cob paired with sausages or BBQ chicken, he loves it in enchiladas, chili, johnny cakes, and even salsa.  But with so many peppers (and squashes), I knew there was no way we'd get to cooking up all that corn in one week.  Queue in one of my new favorite books, a birthday gift from my big sis: "Canning for a New Generation".

Let me just say, this cookbook is a great beginners guide to preserving local harvests, year-round...freezing, dehydrating, canning...you name it!  It also has some really delightful recipes, and the step-by-step directions and photographs really help when you're canning for the first (or second, or tenth) time.  With so much produce entering our house lately, this cookbook is finally starting to get that pretty little crease right in the binding.  (Oh I can just hear my sis gasping right now....she HATES when I crease book bindings!)

So back to my Blog-iversary....I mean the corn.  

Upon realizing we had more corn than we'd eat right away, I decided I would freeze some of it for later cooking.  A few weeks after freezing, my hunnie and I were enjoying locally grown corn (which even after freezing was still sweet and crispy) in both homemade chili and corn muffins.  

Freezing Corn

6 Ears of Corn (fills approx. 1/2 gallon ziploc bag)

Bring large pot of water to boil.  While water is heating up, shuck corn.  Once water is at a boil, blanch a few ears at a time for 2 minutes.  Then, using tongs, transfer ears of corn to an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.  Repeat for all 6 ears of corn.  Lay ears on a clean towel to air dry for 5-10 minutes.  Use a large, sharp knife to cut the kernels from the cob, and use a cutting board (or in my case, large cookie sheet) to gather all the loose kernels.  Liana Krissoff suggests resting the cob flat, horizontally, on the board and cutting straight down (parallel to the rows of kernels), periodically turning the cob until it is clear of kernels.  I then set the cob vertically, and holding the cob from the top, run the knife downward along the cob to snag any stragglers.  Place the corn in freezer bags, leaving some head space, and use within 1 year.

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Market on the Move & Oven-to-Freezer Tomato Sauce

A couple weeks back I was on my way to the salon to visit my favorite esthetician when I noticed a busy farmer's market taking place at the nearby Baptist church.  Now imagine the amount of people at a Baptist church on Easter Sunday...and multiply that by 2; that was the number of people at this farmer's market.  The place was hoppin'.  But unlike a farmers market, this event had lines of people, all waiting to get their chance to walk from one tent to the next to get their veggies; and when they did get through the row of tents, folks were carrying away literal boxes of fruits and veggies.  I was intrigued, but quickly forgot all about it an hour later when I was pulling out of the salon parking lot.  It wasn't until I happened to read the newspaper yesterday that I came across a posting of addresses for the next "Market on the Move".  One click led to the next and I was on a non-profit website reading all about a weekly event that travels to parking lots all over town.  Turns out the Baptist church was hosting a M.o.t.M. event that Saturday, and the line wrapped around the building because a $10 donation got patrons up to 60 pounds of veggies and fruits!  How can they offer it so cheaply?  Well most of the veggies are perfectly good, but after inspection at sorting facilities, they've been set aside because of visual appearance (awkwardly shaped, variation in color, too big, too small...etc).  Some of the veggies are what would be considered "last chance" produce--they're so ripe that grocery stores can't put them on the shelves and get them sold fast enough.  Market on the Move's solution brings produce to local Arizona communities at a fraction of grocery store prices, and in the process prevents actual tons of perfectly good food from spoiling and going into landfills.  Not to mention, acquiring so much produce means you can pass on the freshness to friends, family, and those in need. 

Long story short, this is a fantastic program.  I was so excited upon reading about it that I was up and out the door bright and early today, eager to experience my first Market on the Move event.  Here's what my $10 donation got me and my hunnie:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 12 zuccini squash
• 18 cucumbers
• 8 green bell peppers
• 9 pasillo peppers
• 23 roma tomatos

This didn't even amount to the 60 pound maximum, but I didn't want to get greedy.  I did some rough calculations and this would have cost me about $20 at the local grocery store.  Upon coming home, I split up my goodies into a pile to be rinsed and refrigerated and a pile to be preserved.  Not feeling confident enough to can tomatoes (urgh...botulism), I decided to go the freezer route.  I adapted this recipe from Foodperson.com for tomato sauce that you goes from oven to freezer (so you can avoid the canning process altogether).   Now I am anxiously awaiting the chance to make pasta for my hunnie...he humors me enough to get almost as excited as I do about fresh, local, and truly homemade food.

Oven-to-Freezer Tomato Sauce

11 large roma tomatoes (yields about 5 cups of tomato sauce)
1 medium red onion
6-8 garlic cloves
Salt
Ground black pepper
Olive oil

Set oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.  Wash and trim tomatoes of anything you wouldn’t want to eat, such as stem or scars. Cut tomato in half and then into fourths (thirds for smaller tomatoes). Lay out tomatoes in large pans with a 1" lip. Tomatoes don’t have to be in a single layer, but don’t mound above the height of the pan’s lip.  Peel garlic cloves, cut onion into large cubes, and sprinkle over tomatos. Generously sprinkle tomatoes with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast about 2 hours, or until the tomatoes have cooked down*. 

Let cool, then puree tomato mixture with blender or food processor.  Transfer to freezer bags, lie them flat (for better storage) in the freezer, and when you're ready for homemade tomato sauce, let the bag defrost and then reheat in a saucepan.

*I slightly overcooked mine so the veggies would have a little char to them Pin It

Spring Gardening

While I haven't been so good about updating my blog or maintaining a consistent jogging schedule, my hunnie and I have been staying on schedule with watering our garden.  One of the best features of our little blue house is the big backyard; and although it's full of desert sand, we managed to put together a nice little gardening space.  This past Winter, we even enjoyed salads made with cabbage and other assorted greens from our own garden!  Now, with Spring planting well underway, my hunnie and I anxiously spend the days watering and waiting for early-Summer radishes, peppers, okra, squash, and sunflowers.  Gardening has been a great way for us to learn more about this desert climate, spend time outdoors, and practice farming tactics that were (and still are) utilized by local native American tribes.

{Easter Lilly}

{Mint & Chives}

{Desert Wildflowers}

{Cabbage & Collards}

{Cactus Bloom}

{Sweet Peas}

{Tomatillo sprout}

{Hound Dog}

{Garden Box, a.k.a. Doggie Bed}

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Berry-cherry Pie

Isn't it funny how sometimes, less is more?  After the hunnie left for work this morning I was unable to fall back to sleep, and yet with less sleep I still had a hugely productive morning.  I walked the doggies, got the car detailed, and of course did the usual weekend tasks of laundry, vacuuming, and sweeping.  I even did some work in the garden.  Now, I've got the whole afternoon open, to...work from home :-(  Did I mention that less work on the weekends is more fun?

One area where "less is more" is null and void...pie.  Yes, how could less pie be more?  And what about the pie filling...why do just one fruit filling, when you could do a mixed berry, cherry filling?  Whoever said more fruit is worse?  I'm pretty sure nobody.  My hunnie is a big fruit pie fan, and yet I have admittedly never made a mixed berry pie before.  So in the midst of getting so much done today, I decided to play around with one of Betty C's berry pie recipes.  One bite of this pie brings a burst of sweet flavors, leaving you wanting...well, more!  Happy Saturday!
 

Berry-cherry Pie

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoon cornstarch

16 oz frozen mixed fruit*

1 pie crust

1 recipe crumb topping (see below)

In bowl, gently toss frozen fruit with sugar and cornstarch.  Let the coated fruit thaw for 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Roll out single pie crust and place in greased 9 inch pie pan.   After fruit has thawed slightly, pour onto pie crust.  Pour crumb topping over center of pie and use hands to evenly spread the topping over the pie.  Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 25-30 minutes until fruit is bubbling and crust is golden.

 

*I picked up the strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, cherry mix available at our Super Walmart and added in some frozen raspberries.

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup rolled oats

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch ground ginger

6 tablespoon butter

In medium-sized bowl, stir together oats, flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and ground ginger.  Using a fork, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

 

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Foster Update + A Cautionary Tale

I'm sure you've all been wondering...whatever happened to that sweet, yet very rambunctious hound we were fostering?  Well, after a couple training classes to establish a stronger relationship and understanding between dog and human, Holmes has transformed from that lovable Tasmanian devil to....well...a MORE lovable, slightly less devilish dog.  So, in case you haven't figured it out yet....we failed as foster parents, because in the end we ADOPTED Holmes!  The truth is, we have fallen for him...especially my hunnie, who has found his new best bud.  You can't help but fall in love with his big floppy ears and those dark melancholy hound dog eyes.  You can't help but laugh when he gets a new squeaky toy and just squeaks and squeaks it like its the coolest thing in the world.  And you can't help but smile to see the Holmes and Georgia together, whether playing or napping, like best buddies. 

 

Now to my cautionary tale--
One morning last week, I could hear the dogs tussling through the house as I lay in bed trying to sleep. This is standard doggie behavior and never malicious, but when I heard Holmes give a high pitch yelp...a sound not of excitement, but of pain...I jumped from bed to see what had happened. At first I thought Georgia was biting his mouth and wouldn't let go, but I quickly realized the reason the dogs weren't separating despite my efforts to break them apart was because Holmes had gotten his lower jaw twisted in Georgia's collar and was stuck. I calmly tried to pry his long skinny jaw from her collar, but after he panicked and struggled to free himself, I realized he was strangling Georgia (the dog of all dogs, the princess of the house) and her lips and tongue were turning blue and her body was becoming limp. I screamed at Holmes to "relax", and in my own panic that she might be dead, I began to cry. Thank goodness I had enough sanity in that moment to grab the meat scissors from the knife block and cut Georgia's collar off of her. She slowly took in a few breaths, Holmes licked her face to comfort her, and a couple minutes later she was breathing normal, walking normal and even wagging her tail for a treat. This was a close call, and after searching online, I realized that this is not as unique an event as I thought--many dogs have rough-housed and gotten themselves into this predicament, and unfortunately if the owner wasn't around, many of those dogs have died. Thanks to the invention of the Break-away collar, incidents like this can be prevented. A breakaway collar is designed with a safety clip that releases if caught or tugged on.  

 

Georgia's arrived today and I now feel confident that we've done everything we can to prevent her from another strangulation incident.  See here for more info.  Like I said, Holmes and Georgia are back to normal, playing and wagging their tales like nothing ever happened.  My hunnie and I are so thankful to have these silly dogs in our lives and only want them to be happy and safe.

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