blog address change

The web address has always bothered me.  I wanted goodmuse and got ggodmuse.  So follow me to:

wheathoneywatermilk.blogspot.com

How to Make Your Own Flavored Gelatin

1/2oz. or 2 1/4 Tbl. unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
3 cups fruit juice
juice of l lemon
sugar, to taste

Soak the gelatin in cold water until softened.  Strain fruit juices, if needed, and then heat to boiling point.  Pour hot juice over gelatin. Add lemon juice. Add sugar to taste.  Chill until jelled.  Serve with fruit, custard sauce or whipped cream.

21-year-old Raspberry Gelatin

I tried it last night.  It gelled, but had a metallic taste.  Good-bye, Jell-o.

Granola

I've decided that I really don't like the dried apricots, I put in the granola.  I think dried pineapple, cranberries and raisins are my favorite fruit combo.  I also used a 3 to 1 ratio of honey to maple syrup.  Real maple syrup is expensive.  I think next time I'll use maple flavored syrup.

Week 4

Okay, did I make the mistake of saying I had the whole wheat bread thing, down?  My mistake.  I tried yesterday to make only one loaf.  I have a new doorstop.  I am DETERMINED to make a great single loaf of whole wheat bread!

Today, I am trying again.  Instead of just halving the ingredients, I am altering the amounts.  So far the proof came out good.  I used 1 1/2 Tbl. yeast, one cup ww flour, and one cup water.  I let it sit for 45 minutes.  It rose nicely.  On to step two; added one cup ww flour & 1/4 cup vital gluten, and mixed well.  I added the oil, honey and salt and continued to add ww flour.  I continued to mix to a nice dough.  I sprayed the kitchenaid bowl with a light coating of Pam and floured it.  I added the ball to the mixed and started to knead on #2 for 10 minutes.  I was worried about the dough sticking to the bowl, so as I saw that beginning to happen, I dusted the sides with a powdered dough enhancer that contains lecithin.  I probably added maybe two tablespoons full.  I placed the dough in my Hammarplast dough bowl and it is rising well.

This bowl is probably one of the best investments I ever made.  You don't need to grease it, the air circulates all around it and with the lid you don't have to worry about drafts.  I purchased it from Williams Sonoma, probably 25 years ago.  I understand the company doesn't make them anymore.  Too bad.

I have been cooking my little fingers to the bone!  I canned chicken, sloppy joes and made granola.  I also had to cook some more wheat and make non-fat milk to go with my breakfast.  I canned mostly 1/2 pint jars.  It is enough for Chris and myself.  I canned some larger pint jars, if we need them.  I had planned on doing plain ground beef also, but it was just so much easier to make it all sloppy joes.  I have a great recipe for them that I made x4.

Sloppy Joe's                                                               

 1 lb. lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

2 cubes beef bouillion

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp prepared mustard

In a skillet, brown meat with pepper & onion; pour off fat.  Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes.  Serve on hamburger buns.  Refrigerate leftovers.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Canning Friday

I am sooo tired.  Chris and I have been canning spaghetti sauce all day long!  He asked me why we needed to can it instead of just freeze it in foodsaver bags.  Because what happens when the electricity goes out?  The freezer doesn't work.

The sauce spent a few hours on the stove and then we got to work.  We checked on the last items we canned, from 1999 and lets just say I'm sure the worms in the compost bin are eating good tonight.  We really geared up when we didn't know what to expect from Y2k.  This time we canned mostly 1/2 pint jars.  That is enough for two servings of sauce since we're empty nesters...I did can some larger jars for company or when I have to take dinner in to someone at the last minute.

I also made some cafe de Cebada, like I used to drink on my mission.  Cebada is barley in Spanish.  More tomorrow.