Homestead at Bridle Creek

Life is Good

From the Kitchen

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It is said that the kitchen is the heart of the home.  This is certainly true here at the Homestead. Our kitchen is the gathering place of choice for most of our guests.  It is a place where we gather to enjoy good food and great conversation.  Around the kitchen table, not only do we eat, but important decisions are made, life's joys celebrated and problems solved.  My mission is to provide food that will not only nourish the body but feed the soul as well.  Our food is clean, wholesome, and delicious.

Solar ovens – the proof is in the bread!

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solar-oven-leslie-editedI first became aware of solar ovens several years ago, while attending a church activity. The entire evening revolved around food storage and alternative methods of cooking during emergencies.  One of the sessions I attended was ‘How to Cook Using a Solar Oven’. I have to admit, I was skeptical about the claims being made by the teacher regarding this black box with a clear plastic cover and how it could cook pretty much everything, including pasteurizing contaminated water to make it drinkable.

When the presentation was over, a group discount was being offered for those interested in purchasing an oven, so I decided to buy one –  just to have it on-hand in case of an emergency.

When the oven came, I opened it up to make sure everything was in order and then stored it away in my garage with my other emergency items.

Many months passed.  I had not even thought about my solar oven – until one day, when I was searching for something in my garage,  I came upon that black box – the one that was suppose to cook things. For some unknown reason, I decided to pull it out and try it.

My first baking experience was a loaf of homemade bread.  solar-oven-bread-leslie-edited

I have to admit that I was shocked at how well it turned out. It looked beautiful and it tasted better than any loaf that I had baked in my electric oven!  From that point on, I was hooked with the simplicity and Eco-friendly way of preparing amazingly delicious food.  I started using my solar oven regularly.  As in most things, it takes time – and a little trial and error to master cooking in a solar oven. I admit  –  I’m still learning. . . . but loving my oven!

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing tips that I hope will be helpful and recipes that I have found to work well in my solar oven.

Leslie

 

 

Happy Pumpkin Spice Season!

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With the onset of fall, the grocery stores are stocking their shelves with everything pumpkin!  A recent trip to the local Trader Joe’s store found my grocery cart filled with all kinds of seasonal goodies.

trader-joes-pumpkin-cereal-boxOne of the items that I picked up was Trader Joe’s Pumpkin O’s, a pumpkin flavored breakfast cereal.  Although it was good as cereal, it didn’t take me long to figure out what I wanted to do with it.

When our youngest was studying in Baltimore, we became acquainted with what soon became our favorite breakfast place – The Blue Moon Cafe.  This tiny restaurant – truly a hole-in-the-wall – served up the best breakfast in town.  Their signature dish was something they called “Captain Crunch French Toast”.  It was good enough that after eating it, my father, a man of few words, exclaimed  “I would come back to Baltimore for this!”

pumpkin-cereal-french-toast1After tasting this cereal, I knew that it would make a perfect coating for my version of this Baltimore treat. . . . and it did not disappoint.  Golden, crispy, mild pumpkin and spice flavor . . . . It was a real winner.

The recipe is simple – but greatly enhanced by using pumpkin butter in the egg mixture.  Warm maple syrup makes a perfect topping – but if you can find some spiced apple cider syrup to top it with. . . .

What’s that?  You don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area?  Not to worry.  Sprouts Marketplace carries the same cereal.  Theirs is called Pumpkin Loops.  Wherever you find it, the cereal is seasonal – only on the shelves for a short time. . . so you will want to pick up a few boxes before they disappear.

Enjoy,

Kathy

Pumpkin O's French Toast

This is a delightful breakfast treat - French Toast coated with crushed, pumpkin spice cereal. It was inspired by a French Toast made at the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, Maryland. Pumpkin flavored cereal loops can be found at Trader Joe's or Sprouts Marketplace.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices thick sliced bread (Texas Toast, Brioche, Sourdough)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon milk or half and half
  • or
  • 1 heaping tablespoon Pumpkin Butter
  • 2 cups Crushed Pumpkin Flavored breakfast cereal O's
  • butter
  • Maple Syrup

Instructions
 

  • In a food processor, or using a rolling pin, crush enough of the cereal to yield 2cups of crumbs (leaving a few larger pieces). Set aside.
  • Crack the eggs into a shallow bowl or pie plate. Whisk the eggs until the yolks and whites are thoroughly combined. Add the milk, half and half, or pumpkin butter. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Place ½ cup of the crushed cereal onto a plate or into a pie pan.
  • In a non-stick skillet, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
  • Dip one slice of bread into the egg mixture, allowing the mixture to soak into the bread for a few seconds. Turn the bread over and repeat on the other side.
  • Place the egg-dipped bread onto the cereal crumbs. Press lightly. Turn the bread over and repeat on the second side, pressing into the cereal crumbs. Gather any extra crumbs and sprinkle over the coated bread, pressing as necessary.
  • Place the dipped and coated bread into the melted butter and cook until golden brown.
  • Turn the bread over and cook on the other side, adding butter as needed to allow for a golden crust.
  • Serve warm with butter and warm maple syrup, or for a real treat, warm apple cider syrup.
  • Serves 2

 

 

 

You’ve Never Made Frozen Yogurt? What are you waiting for?!

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Coconut Banana Frozen YogurtWarm summer days of my childhood found us dining on fresh fruit salad topped with sherbet.  It was such a treat – dessert for dinner!  While I still enjoy sherbet, it  is something I rarely purchase – and being that it can be a bit time consuming to make, I opt for frozen yogurt…… homemade.

If you have ever tried making frozen yogurt, you know that it is not as simple as opening a container and pouring it into your ice cream freezer – but the technique, once understood, is a very simple one – and one you will use over and over again.

Using a whole-milk yogurt yields the best product.  Frozen yogurt purchased at the store – or at your local frozen yogurt shop – is “low-fat” – but contains so many stabilizers that the health benefits of “low-fat” are somehow lost along the way.

For those who are lactose intolerant  – or need to avoid dairy all together, fear not! So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt makes a fabulous frozen treat!

For those who are interested in knowing more about the process of making frozen yogurt and what types of yogurt work best,  click here.

The recipe calls for using an uncooked egg. For those who are uneasy with the use of raw eggs, or may have health concerns , click here for info on how to pasteurize eggs at home.

But for now, here is one of our favorites.  A frozen yogurt, made with Coconut Milk Yogurt, Bananas – and a secret ingredient.

Enjoy,

Kathy

Coconut Banana Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt is such an easy thing to make at home – and so much better than anything you buy at the store. This recipe calls for a coconut milk yogurt - making it dairy-free – unless you add the cream cheese…….which, if dairy is not an issue for you – you are going to want to use it. The cream cheese makes this such a creamy, smooth, rich, decadent thing – you have to try it – at least once! (You are welcome.)
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups So Delicious Coconut Milk "Yogurt" Vanilla flavor
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 ounces softened cream cheese optional
  • 1 ripe banana – mashed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Combine the egg, sugar, salt and vanilla extract, whisking until combined.
  • Mash the banana til thoroughly pureed. Set aside.
  • Soften the cream cheese by stirring, whipping, or mashing. Set aside
  • Put the yogurt into a mixing bowl.
  • Add the egg/sugar mixture and whisk to combine.
  • Add the cream cheese, if using, and blend well.
  • Add the mashed banana.
  • Taste the mixture to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
  • Pour into the bowl of your ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.
  • Pack into an air-tight container and freeze for several hours.
  • Remove from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

I have used 2 cups of yogurt in this recipe for several reasons:
This recipe fits my ice cream freezer (Cuisinart)
This yogurt comes in a 24 oz container
It can easily be doubled.
The recipe calls for a raw egg.  If you have concerns about using raw eggs and would like to find out how to pasteurize eggs at home, click here

 

There’s Zucchini in This Cake? Really?

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zucchini 1 When my husband and I bought our first home, one of the first things we did was remove a large portion of the backyard lawn – to make room for a garden.

In our exuberance, we planted 7 hills of zucchini.  As the  garden grew, we began to realize that we were being over-taken by zucchini plants.  We would lay in bed at night, listening to the plants grow.  It seemed as though they would engulf the entire house!

As we looked for ways to share our bounty, it soon became apparent that our friends and neighbors had had enough of our generosity.  They refused to answer their door when they saw us with bags of the green cylinders in hand.  Drop and run didn’t work either.  People at church began to lock their car doors – out of the fear that the ‘zucchini fairy’ might leave  10 pounds of the stuff in the front seat during services.

In an effort to disguise our gift, I began baking zucchini bread. . . . which soon joined the list of banned substances in our neighborhood.  Experimentation and research finally joined in harmonious results.  Soon, batches of zucchini relish, mock apple pies, and chocolate zucchini cakes were flowing from the kitchen – much to the delight of all recipients. . . .

And so, with that as an introduction – I share with you my recipe for chocolate zucchini cake – topped with a decadent chocolate ganache frosting. . . . I promise – if you don’t tell anyone that there is zucchini in this cake – they won’t know the difference.  This cake is rich, moist, and almost brownie-like.   You will want to grate and freeze zucchini in 3 cup amounts – just so that you can make this year round!

Enjoy,

Kathy

Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Ganache Frosting

Moist, decadent, almost brownie-like.
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup butter – room temperature 8 ounces
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa Dutch-process works well with this recipe
  • 3 cups shredded zucchini
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Ganache Frosting

  • 7 Tablespoons heavy cream
  • 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions
 

The Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  • Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
  • Grate the fresh zucchini - until you have 3 cups. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until smooth.
  • Beat in the eggs, adding one at a time.
  • Stir in the sour cream, buttermilk or yogurt.
  • Measure out 1 cup flour and set aside.
  • Combine the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour and the baking cocoa.
  • Add the flour/cocoa mix to the wet ingredients, beating together until well incorporated.
  • Drain any accumulated moisture from the shredded zucchini. If your squash is exceptionally moist, gently squeeze the squash to remove excess liquid.
  • Combine the drained squash with the reserved 1 cup of flour (this will help suspend the squash throughout the batter).
  • Add the squash and the chocolate chips to the batter, stirring gently to combine.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan,
  • Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when gently touched, and the cake looks set.
  • Remove from the oven and cool completely before frosting with Ganache Frosting

Ganache Frosting

  • In a small saucepan, combine 7 Tablespoons heavy cream or half and half with 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  • Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is completely melted.
  • Pour the melted chocolate/cream mixture onto the cooled cake.
  • Spread over the top of the cake.

Notes

If you don't have buttermilk, sour cream or yogurt on hand, you can sour milk by adding 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup milk - and letting it sour for 5 minutes before using.

Lemonade Anyone?

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Lemonade-on-the-Porch-214-editedHave I mentioned that it is hot?!  With the heat and humidity soaring this past week, we have gone through gallons of lemonade.  A frosty cold glass of sunshine – seems to hit the spot.

I have been surprised at how many requests I get for my lemonade recipe.  Having had fresh lemons available my entire life, I forget that for most of the country, lemonade is made from a frozen concentrate or powdered substance  – and not from fresh lemons.

As good as those options may have become, (insert a shudder here), there is nothing that can compete with fresh squeezed lemonade. . . . and so – I gladly share my recipe.

Go out and find some fresh lemons, and treat yourself to this bit of heaven on ice!

Enjoy,

Kathy

Homestead Lemonade

Tart, sweet, icy cold - pour a glass and sit a spell.
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup lemon juice fresh squeezed
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4-5 cups cold water

Instructions
 

  • In a 2 quart pitcher, combine the lemon juice and sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
  • Add 4 cups of cold water, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust to your desired strength/sweetness - adding water and/or sugar as needed.
  • Serve chilled.

Notes

Here at the homestead, we have very different opinions on how lemonade should taste.  I like my lemonade to taste like lemons!  My other half prefers a watered-down version of lemonade.  The basic recipe for lemonade is as follows:
1 part lemon juice, 1 part granulated sugar, 4-5 parts water.
The type/tartness of lemons you use will determine how much you use.  As with all recipes, taste and adjust to suit your liking. . . .

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