Power Outage Peaches

A few years ago, we had a nasty ice storm that knocked out power for 9 days in my neighborhood.  We spent 9 days with the wood stove being the ONLY source of heat.  Along with melting icicles in 5 gallon buckets for water for us and the animals, the stove had to keep us warm and heat our food.  I learned a bit about emergency food storage that winter. One is that food storage needs to be easy, in appropriate serving sizes and something you actually eat.  Canned food is generally most appropriate as water is precious and extra water for re-hydrating may not be practical.

Since that storm,  I have started cooking/heating on top of the wood stove as much as possible.  I have been learning what is practical and what isn't, how things cook on my particular stove...pans to use, timing etc.  Here's a recipe I have been "practicing"...just in case.  It's really yummy and satisfying.

1 can of peaches (avoid HFCS)
1-2 TBS gelatin per person
1 -2 TBS sugar/cream of tartar mix
1 large pinch of sea salt
1-2 TBS coconut oil, butter and/or cream
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla (optional)

I used to drain the liquid off, but now just leave it in for a nice peach soup.  Brown sugar or sucanat is really tasty with peaches, but plain ol' cane sugar works too.  The nice thing about gelatin is that it will dissolve at fairly low temperatures.  If you use coconut oil or butter,  put a glop on top.  When it is melted, the gelatin will be too.   This can be a light snack or a complete meal depending on the portions sizes and amount of gelatin used.

Gluten Free Wednesdays 
PennyWise Platter Thursday

Oink, Oink...Ossabaw Island Hogs

Picked up two Ossabaw Island barrows and a gilt today.  They are a small heritage breed...leftovers from Spanish exploration of the New World.  

You can read more abut them here: Ossabaw Island Hogs  and here:  On the trail of fine ham 

UMMMM.........Can you say "Bacon"?


 

According to my processor, they have a higher proportion of bacon to hams than conventional breeds and are NOT white meat.  They take to "no nitrate" sugar cures very well.

These will be raised in rotation on pasture/hay and extra milk.  They seem to have an affinity for  ummm, "predigested" grass AKA goat berries, so may become a valuable assets in sustainable parasite control for the goats.

I expect these to be ready late spring/early summer.

They are cuter in person...but not TOO cute, if ya know what I mean!




Hearth and Soul Hop 
Real Food Wednesday 
Simple Lives Thursday 
Pennywise Platter Thursday

New and Improved GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

We have tweaked the original recipe to suit our specific nutritional needs....basically doubling the rising power with the additional cream of tartar and baking soda.  This makes a thinner, lighter, crisper cookie...wafer like.  If you prefer a chewier cookie, reduce the cooking time. Yum!

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1 cup cane sugar/cream of tartar mix
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup rice flour
4 TBS potato flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
1 cup lecithin free chocolate chips 

preheat oven to 375*F

Beat eggs and blend in sugar and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients separately and then add to wet ingredients. Add chocolate chips (or substitute broken pieces of a 70% chocolate bar or 2.) Drop from spoon onto cookie sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes.

Gluten Free Wednesdays 
Simple Lives Thursday

Fig Chutney

Fig Chutney

8 TBS (1/2 cup) Fig preserves
8 TBS ACV
4 TBS unflavored beef gelatin
4 TBS Sugar/Cream of Tartar mix
1 tsp unrefined sea salt
Horseradish or mustard to taste (optional)

Mix the dry ingredients together, then mix in the wet.  Heat slowly to dissolve the gelatin, stirring occasionally.  I used the soapstone on my wood stove.
Serve warm or cool, makes 4 servings.

This was a big hit for Sunday brunch served with homemade fries and milk fed pork brats cooked in coconut oil.  Ketchup Boy was caught wiping up any extra sauce with his fries.  No one in the house likes spicy quite like me, so I gave my self a large dollop of horseradish and mixed it together on my plate.  Scrumptious!

Hearth and Soul Hop
Real Food Wednesday

Apple Beef Green Curry Stew

I put up 4 cases of applesauce in the past week and had one jar that broke its seal the next day.  Rather than reprocess a single jar, I put it in the fridge for more immediate use.

Here's what I did with that jar...after a few nibbles, that is. ;)

1 pint of homemade beef broth
1 pint of water to rinse broth jar (or as needed)
about 6 potatoes, shredded
1 pound of beef, cut in small chunks
4 TBS Gelatin
1 can of crushed pineapple (optional)
1 can of coconut milk
1 pint of homemade applesauce
or fresh cut apples
1/2 jar Thai green curry paste
unrefined sea salt to taste

Pennywise Platter Thursday
Zero Waste Food Challenge
Fight Back Friday
Simply Lives Thursday 
Monday Mania

Ratios Reference page

Homemade Baking Powder = 1 part baking soda to 2 parts cream of tartar
Before the invention of commercial breads and such, people made their own baking powder.  Baking powder is the reaction between and acid and a base....traditionally baking soda and cream of tartar.   You can tweak the ratio with more or less cream of tartar or baking soda if you are using a base like salt or another acid like sour milk.

Sugar/Cream of Tartar mix = approximately 1/4 tsp of Cream of Tartar per 1 TBS of Cane Sugar
 This mix replicates as much as possible the natural sugars and potassium normally found in a tree or vine ripened piece of fruit...unfortunately, woefully lacking in commercial fruits nowadays.

Gelatin to Muscle/Organ meat ratio = 1 TBS unflavored gelatin (preferably beef) to 1/4 lb meat (chicken, pork, goat, beef rump, thigh, liver etc.)  This approximates eating the "whole" animal.
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/gelatin.shtml

Chunky Tomato Soup

Chunky Tomato Soup
Homemade bone broth
Shredded Potatoes
Coconut Oil
Tomato Puree
Diced tomatoes and green chilis (optional)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Cane Sugar/Cream of tartar mixture
Stew Meat
Gelatin
Unrefined sea salt

Heat the broth with a little extra water for rinsing the gelatin out of the jar.   Cook the shredded potatoes in the broth and oil. Add tomatoes, sugar mixture and meat.  Cook at low temperatures, stirring occasionally until meat is tender.   I think we ate after about 2 hours.  Add a tablespoon of gelatin per 1/4 lb of meat and salt to taste.  This will be a naturally thick and hearty soup.  If using a Crockpot, add all the ingredients at one time and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Variation:
Using the leftovers, I made a cream of tomato soup by adding some fresh cream/milk and gently warming.  A dollop of sour cream would be a nice option as well.

Monday Mania
Pennywise Platter Thursday
Fightback Friday
Frugal Food Thursday 
Real Food Wednesday