No More Experimenting

I had two other soups that I wanted to share this week and still haven't written the posts.  My husband told me to just make foods that we know we like instead of experimenting.  I am not good at listening (especially when he is at work)!  This soup won my heart after half a bowl, alittle more salt, then alittle less.  My tummy was GROWLING while I was making it and I was completely full after one bowl.  A savory, hearty soup with lots of veggies.  I saw a recipe on another blog and I like to try new things, don't like to follow directions, and am horrible at measuring.  This is what came out....

Start out with some roasted veggies.  This is what I threw on the cookie sheet with some olive oil for 30 minutes:

1 carrot

2 stalks celery

3 bell peppers

2 onions

1 bulb garlic

Meanwhile, I simmered 2 cups chicken stock and 2 cups mashed butternut squash.  They were frozen and needed to thaw!

After the veggies had roasted, poured half of the stock/squash mixture into the food processor with the onions, garlic, and some of the carrots and celery.  Then I added lots of thyme, sage, salt, and pepper.

Finally, I threw all of that in the soup pot with:

the rest of the veggies

some diced yellow squash

1 cup roasted, shredded chicken

2 cups water

more seasonings to taste

Heat until steamy!  Experiment!  Enjoy!

(Don't worry Justin, I won't make you eat it when you get home :)



Chicken Corn Soup

This is by far the most requested soup at my house.  One of the best things about this is that we use corn from our garden or my husband's families' farm.  We freeze tons each year for the winter months.  I usually add 2 packages to each pot of soup, each being about 2.5-3 cups.  I typically roast a whole chicken every few months, pull apart the meat and freeze in small, meal sized portions.  I use the carcass to make chicken stock.  Those are key elements to make this soup quick and easy!

I am going to try to get this into recipe form, although most of the time I just throw things together. 

Chicken Corn Soup

8 cups chicken stock

3-4 carrots, chopped

2 onions, chopped

2-3 cups cooked, shredded chicken

5-6 cups corn kernels

1 cup milk

garlic, salt, pepper to taste

Simmer the carrots and onion in stock until tender.  Add corn and chicken.  Stir in milk and spices.  Add water if you would like a thinner soup.  Heat soup until hot.  Serve with bread, biscuits, or grilled cheese!

This makes a big pot so you can have leftovers for another meal or freeze some for another day.  I hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Sauerkraut Soup

Sauerkraut is a favorite at our house.  I remember my mom making it when I was young.  My sister and I would eat as little as we possibly could get away with.  Now I enjoy it much more and my husband LOVES it.  We don't use it as a condiment, it is part of the main meal here!  We ferment our own for about a month and a half in an old crock.  I scored this year and got 10 heads of cabbage at the farmers' market for $9.  The guy who sold it to me looked at me funny and said "that's a lot of cabbage".  I explained we were making sauerkraut and then he seemed to understand!  I have canned and frozen the kraut and either way it seems to do well. 

Our favorite dish is kraut and sausage with mashed potatoes.  I decided it was time to branch out and try kraut in a soup.  Browsed a few recipes online and then threw this together with what I had.

Sauerkraut Soup

Chop 4 stalks celery, 3 carrots, 1 onion, and 3 cloves garlic.  Saute the veggies in 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or your fat of choice).

Add 3 cups chicken stock and 2 cups sauerkraut brine.  Simmer mixture until veggies are soft. 

Add 2 cups sauerkraut and chopped smoked sausage or kielbasa.

Season to your liking and heat through.

(I added thyme, pepper, onion powder, and more garlic.)

My husband gave this recipe the thumbs up and I am happy to have another way to enjoy our homemade kraut!  We always pack our kraut with lots of brine but you could always add more stock if you have drier kraut.

Did I mention how much our dog loves kraut?  She is German after all :)



7 Reasons Why I Love Homemade Soup

I love soup.  I could eat it every day.  Warm, hearty, goodness, especially on a snowy winters day......mmm:)  I have almost completely eliminated canned soups from our cupboards.  I still have the occasional cream soup stashed away for a casserole but I have been working on perfecting a homemade version to keep on hand for such occasions.  Here is why I could eat soup every day....

1. Endless possibilities.  You can experiment and throw almost anything in a pot to make a delicious meal.  Pretty much, I can't screw it up so what's not to like?
2. Use up leftovers.  Have a bit of meat leftover?  Veggies in the crisper nearing the end of their life?  Throw 'em in the pot!
3. Easy to make tons.  I love making a huge pot of soup and freezing some for a quick meal another day.
4. Pack in those extra veggies.  Soup is a great way to get an extra serving.  Not that my husband and I have trouble eating veggies (we love them) but soup is just another way to enjoy them and get lots of them in one dish!
5. Comfort food.  Doesn't it just make you feel homey?
6. Crock it.  Throw everything in the crock pot and forget about it until you are hungry!
7. Biscuits.  I love pairing soup with warm biscuits, dripping with butter :)

We have a handful of favorite soup recipes that my husband requests and plenty more that I try out from time to time.  My goal is to share those favorites over the next few weeks so you can enjoy them too!  What is your favorite soup?  Wanna share it here on One Acre Farm?

A new twist on breakfast!

I have been reading a bit about the GAPS diet as a way to cleanse and heal the intestinal tract.  I was intrigued and thought about trying it.  My husband reminded me that I have a list of things to try in the kitchen and I need to focus on one at a time.  Yup, I forgot again that I need to slow down and master one thing at a time.  But it won't hurt to try a new recipe here and there right?  Here is one alternative that was posted on Real {Fast} Food's facebook page.

Pumpkin Nutbutter Pancakes

1 c. pureed squash
1 c. nutbutter
5 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

I used butternut squash that I have TONS of thanks to the great growing capacity of our compost pile ;)  I chose almond butter to use up what I had in the cupboard.  I fried the cakes on my griddle with butter.  They cooked differently than regular pancakes and needed to be really bubbly and glazing over before your flipped them.  Believe me, I has some that turned out pretty sloppy from trying to flip when I usually would! 

These are definitely different.  It took about 3 years before Justin enjoyed pancakes with my baking mix made with half wheat flour; I think it will take at least that long to get him used to these.  I, however, liked the change!  I used our homemade maple syrup to top my pancakes.  Justin tends to lean toward molasses as his pancake topper which he said helped cover up the squash taste that he didn't like.  I am still not sure if butternut squash really has a taste of its own but I would like to try peanut butter to see if the more familiar flavor might make a difference. 

Justin had made some chicken sausage the day before.  We got a good deal on boneless-skinless chicken breasts and purchased about 80lbs.  I know it sounds like a lot but we don't eat beef (no I am not trying to make any kind of statement it is just the main trigger of Justin's gout so we really limit how much we eat) so chicken is our staple meat.  Unfortunately, I was working the day the chicken was delivered so Justin got stuck processing it.  He spent six hours splitting breasts, marinating, and packaging.  We now have tons of chicken in the freezer and about half just needs to be thawed and grilled for quick meals!  I love that he was willing to do that to make our meal prep easier later.  Anyway, he took some of the chicken scraps and ground it with spices for sausage.  A tasty experiment that I am sure we will repeat!!  A nice addition to our new approach to breakfast!

Piece of Cake

Last weekend was my niece's second birthday.  I am thankful that we were able to have the weekend off and that it was time for a January thaw which allowed us to escape and head up to NY for the party.  My sister let's me practice my cake decorating skills for her daughter's parties.  She says that sometimes she is a perfectionist but most of the time she doesn't really care if things are perfect.  Great news for me!  This year the theme was bumble bees.  Here is my modification with the Wilton Lady Bug pan.

My fingers were purple for awhile after all of the black icing!  My mom said no more black next year because it was like tar when she was doing the dishes ;P

This year and last my niece has had her own cake to destroy.  She likes stars so we have stuck with that pan!

A real food journey...

Real food.  Two simple words but together it can mean so much.  I guess I have always had the bug to cook real food but life got in the way.  When we were first married, I had lots of processed food in my cupboards.  There was stuff in those containers that I don’t want in my body but it was easy, convenient, and cheap.  I loved to cook and bake but it wasn’t a priority.  Over the last three or so years, I have read and read and read some more about homemaking, homesteading, and natural food choices.  I keep reading and thinking I could do so much better than what I am doing.  I have such a desire to change the way we live so that we can have the lives God intended.  My goal is health, self-sufficiency, and simplicity.  Why can’t I be at the place where I feel like I have accomplished those goals?  It is all about the journey.  I read the other day about how delays and setbacks are sometimes needed to make things happen along the way so we can be used in ways we couldn’t imagine.  I keep reminding myself of this and (at my husband’s gentle reminders) try to be patient.  This year I am going to be deliberate about the changes I make as I work through several goals and processes.  First, I wanted to reflect on the things that we have accomplished over the last few years and share those ideas over the next few weeks.

·         homemade baking mix—I will have to share this recipe soon!  My mom always made her own baking mix for pancakes and waffles.  I use it all the time for breakfast, biscuits, and much more.  The whole-wheaty goodness gets me every time!

·         cookies—When we moved into my house I made the rule that we would not have any more store-bought cookies in the house.  Of course there are a few exceptions…such as Oreos for recipes like this one.  I have to figure out a homemade version!  Each year I buy a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies.  I have so many memories from my days as a scout and I want to continue to support that mission. 

·         purchased boxed or frozen meals—I used to keep these on hand for busy days when I didn’t have time to cook or when I was working and my husband was alone for dinner.  Now I just make huge batches of casseroles and other meals and pop individual servings in the freezer.  They are great quick meals and work-day lunches.

·         canned soups—No more of these!  I love soup.  I could eat it every day during the fall and winter.  My husband is not such an enthusiast but he bears with me.  I always make a big pot and freeze several large portions so we can heat it up with grilled sandwiches or fresh biscuits for an easy lunch or dinner.

·         dried goods—I am slowly incorporating more dried beans, rice, barley, lentils, etc.  I opt for the most whole, natural version and try new recipes with them.

·         less pasta—Pasta used to be our staple.  It was easy and versatile.  Justin could cook it quickly and easily on the nights when I was only home for about 45 mins on my dinner break.  It wasn’t healthy so I just sought out other options.  We still enjoy it once in awhile especially if we make our own!

·         homemade ice cream—Definitely a favorite treat at our house!  We started doing this before we were even officially dating.  I bought Justin an ice cream ball early in our relationship but we often used the hand crank maker at his parents.  Now we have our own electric one.

·         preserving our harvest—In the last two years I have done a ton of canning and freezing from our garden, others gardens, and the local farmers’ market.  This past summer/fall I did several batches of jam, spaghetti sauce, salsa, and applesauce.  We have lots of frozen snow peas, corn, beets, jalapeno poppers, and zucchini.  I have experimented with ketchup and apple butter.

·         sauerkraut—My husband and my German dog’s favorite!  I really can’t take credit for this because all I really do is buy the cabbage at the farmers’ market and freeze or can it in the end.  Justin is the real mastermind behind our two crocks of kraut this year.  I will have to get him to share all his secrets!

·         homemade yogurt—More probiotics!  Read about my investigative process here. 

So even though I feel miles behind the many women that I read about, I have made positive changes in the last few years.  It is a journey and I am learning so much along the way!  Wanna join me?