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Sourdough Croutons
Making bread can be very rewarding, but what do we do with stale bread? One of the ways I preserve and use my bread before it gets old or moldy is by making sourdough croutons. Sourdough croutons are eaten as a snack or on salads and are full of flavor. Flavoring the croutons is as simple as finding out what flavors you like. I use many different kinds of herbs but my family favorite is parsley, oregano, thyme and rosemary. I will also make them with garlic and salt. What makes these sourdough croutons? The type of bread I cut up is always leftover sourdough bread. I make sourdough french…
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Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Sweet, savory sourdough cinnamon rolls are a delicious way to start your day. Cream cheese frosting or buttercream adds even more sweetness on top of soft chewy rolls. Our family tradition is to have sourdough cinnamon rolls Christmas morning. Although any time is a good time to eat this sweet treat. Sourdough is a type of bread that is risen with sourdough starter instead of store bought yeast. Sourdough has wild yeast and good bacteria to promote gut health and is easier to digest than traditional bread. Bread made from instant yeast usually rises in a few hours, while sourdough bread is traditionally risen for a longer time and has…
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Chicken and Dumplings
A great hardy family meal I have always loved is chicken and dumplings. It is like a creamy chicken noodle soup but with fluffy dumplings instead of noodles. Packed full of vegetables and a perfect one pot meal. Chicken and dumplings is savory, creamy, and delicious. I grill or bake chicken breast for meals throughout the week but always seem to have leftovers. This chicken and dumpling recipe is quick and easy, perfect for using up vegetables and cooked chicken. I add carrots, celery and onions but peas, green beans, or corn can be substituted. I also use freshly milled soft white wheat flour in this recipe but unbleached flour…
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Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
These mini chocolate chip muffins are small, fluffy and sweet. When I make mini chocolate chip muffins, the plate is gone within hours. I love the sweet little bite size muffins. My kids love them too. I use freshly milled soft wheat flour, that promotes brain and body health. Plus, freshly milled flour keeps those kids fuller for longer. I used to go buy pre-packaged mini muffins to-go. It was an easy fast breakfast or snack for my girls on the run. After awhile though, the price started going up and the ingredient list got longer. I knew how to make regular and jumbo muffins but they always made a…
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Gardening in February (Zone 5)
Gardening in February can be a busy month. There are many plants that can be started indoors and winter sown outside. I have always done "the lazy way" by winter sowing my seeds. However, I do like starting some seeds indoors to help get a head start on plants I want to be bigger in the cooler months. Cool season crops should be started now. Gardening in February includes the brassica family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.), salad greens, herbs and flowers. All of these seeds can be planted directly into the garden soil in the spring but to get a hard start until then, we need to grow them indoors…
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Easy Homemade Syrup
I love making this easy homemade syrup. It is buttery sweet with molasses and maple flavors. I started making this syrup because I was tired of using store bought high fructose corn syrup and overly priced organic maple syrup. This syrup is definitely not healthy but at least I know what ingredients I am using. Not only does it taste amazing, it is easy and fast to make. All you need to make this easy homemade syrup is real cane brown sugar, filtered water, butter and maple extract. I use dark brown sugar for more molasses flavor. Salted or unsalted butter doesn't seem to make much difference in flavor. Sometimes…
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Sourdough French Bread
Sourdough french bread has been one of my favorite breads to make. Crusty with a soft chewy inside, perfect to eat with butter or as a side for meals. This recipe usually makes two loaves of bread or one giant loaf. I often use this sourdough french bread when making cheesy garlic bread. I like making most of my bread with sourdough starter. The sourdough starter replaces the active yeast one could buy at the store. I find that sourdough bread is healthier and easier to digest. When sourdough is fermented, the dough has time to grow good bacteria. Another benefit is, when the dough is fermented for a longer…
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Cheesy Garlic Bread
Homemade cheesy garlic bread is perfect with pasta. We eat a lot of different pasta dishes for dinner and this pairs perfectly to soak up some sauce. I make mine with sourdough french bread but any firm loaf bread would work. To make cheesy garlic bread you will need bread, butter, garlic, salt and cheese. Sometimes I change up how I combine these items. I will use garlic salt with unsalted butter or salted butter with fresh garlic. The best way to make cheesy garlic bread is with fresh garlic. Shredded mozzarella is nice but I have also used a mix of parmesan and mozzarella. First preheat oven to 425…
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Winter Sowing
One of the easiest ways to garden is winter sowing. It's the process of planting seeds in a container with dirt and setting the container outside to sprout when it's ready. I have had great success with this method for the past 6 years. Plus it is a way I can reuse milk jugs. Winter sowing seeds a the most natural way for seeds to get ready to grow. Many seeds like having a cold season before they are willing to sprout. These plants are called hardy annuals and perennials. In my zone 5, it can can very cold in winter. Hardy annuals and perennial plants don't mind the cold…
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Gardening in January (Zone 5)
If you live in zone 5, gardening can start in January. I like to start some seeds indoors under a grow light and I also like to winter sow seeds outdoors. Now that the holidays are over, I like to think about and plan my garden for this year. It may seem too soon right now to start seeds but it can definitely be started in January in zone 5. Start by collecting seeds that need a long time to grow or are cool season plants that will be ready before the last frost. Make sure to plan your garden space and include areas that might be used for different…
