Monthly Archives: November 2014

Nov29

How to Make Homemade Crock-Pot Chicken or Turkey Stock

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Wait! Don’t throw out that turkey carcass from Thanksgiving! I know that you are probably sick of turkey by now; but with just a little effort, you can have rich turkey stock for savory winter soups.

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Simply put the bones, skin and all, into the Crock-Pot.

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For added flavor, add vegetable scraps and herb clippings. Usually I am an advocate of composting carrot peelings, celery leaves, and onion ends; but they are put to good use here. Herbs are optional, but I like to add thyme clippings or even parsley that has gone to seed (pictured above).

Cook on low overnight or 8-10 hours. The longer you can let the stock simmer, the better it will taste.

Use a strainer with small holes to strain out the stock. Refrigerate the stock until the fat has risen and hardened slightly, then skim it off of the top.

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I like to freeze my stock in quart bags for easy use in soups later. I also like to freeze some in ice cube trays so I can use a bit of stock to deglaze a pan when cooking.

The most obvious use for this stock is for yummy homemade chicken or turkey noodle soup, but I have also used this stock in beef stew. I have been in the mood for bacon-potato-corn chowder, and this stock will add nice flavor to this as well. Maybe I’ll let my Crock-Pot make lunch tomorrow!

Have you ever made homemade stock before? How do you like to use it?

I still have plenty of homemade pumpkin puree left, once my Crock-Pot is done making lunch, maybe I’ll put it to work making pumpkin butter. I have read that pumpkin butter is a good base for making homemade pumpkin spice lattes, and I would love to put it to the test!

Nov27

Oven-Roasted Pumpkin Puree

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Happy Thanksgiving! I don’t know how your last few weeks have been, but mine have been a whirlwind. Our family experienced the loss of my Grandpa, and then I went back to work teaching. I have had my nose in the books studying alkali metals, valence electrons, tangents, proofs, the cardiovascular system, and graphing inequalities. Whew!

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It has been nice to have a little time off to spend with my family and to play in the kitchen a bit. I thought that it would be silly of me to buy pumpkin puree when I have perfectly nice large pumpkins already at home. Fall decorations will be coming down anyway soon, so why not turn one of them into pumpkin puree? In case you were wondering, those strong muscular hands above belong to my husband.:)

First, slice a side off of the pumpkin and scoop the seeds into a bowl for another use.

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Tilly from Simply Grateful Housewife has an easy way to clean the seeds in her Squeaky-Clean Pumpkin Seeds post.

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I’ll let you read all about it on her site, but I ended up with over 2 cups of clean seeds from my pumpkin!

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Slice the pumpkin, then use a spoon to scrape off any strings or seeds.

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Cut into chunks (do not remove the rind) and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg if desired.The spice sprinkle was my husband’s idea, and it really made the house smell festive!

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Bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet at 375 for 30-40 minutes, or until fork-tender. You will find it quite easy to slice off the rind at this point.

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Puree in small batches. Notice the color is bright and fresh, quite different from canned pumpkin. If you have ever steamed fresh green beans and then compared them to canned green beans, you probably noticed a similar difference in color.

Some say that if you puree a large pumpkin rather than a small pie pumpkin, you will get a watery, stringy product. I did not find this to be true.

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From that one pumpkin I got about 12 cups of puree. Economically, I saved money by making my own fresh puree. The pumpkin cost $6 at a local pumpkin patch. Typically a 15 oz can sells for $1.99; this week you may have seen them on sale for less. Essentially I got 6 cans for $6 each, enjoyed a festive decoration, and I have some pumpkin seeds to play with too! 😀

Anybody have a yummy recipe for roasted pumpkin seeds? Feel free to add the link or recipe in the comments!

Homemade pumpkin cheesecake made with oven-roasted pumpkin puree is a much anticipated part of  today,  a holiday dedicated to gratefulness and enjoying God’s blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov15

A Tribute to My Grandpa

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Today we say goodbye to my Grandpa, a sweet man with a quick sense of humor.

When my dad asked me if there was anything that I wanted from his house, my main request was for cuttings from two particular plants.

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This friendly vine is from a renegade vine that had climbed up a tree in his backyard. This vine had grown so rampantly that it encircled the tree with a radius of at least 6 feet and had some leaves as large as dinner plates! From this tree hung a little swing enjoyed by his grandchildren and great-grandchild.

This is not just a houseplant beginning to grow, it is a part of my memories.

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This is the lone cutting that rooted from many of its kind brought back for me. I have never wanted a cutting to root as badly as this one. It is from a patch growing on the side of his house in the backyard. I don’t know if my Grandma planted it on purpose, or if it was an escaped houseplant that thrived in its shady South Florida microclimate.

it may be just a rooted cutting to you, but I can still see where it grew and imagine the lizards scurrying though the lush growth.

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I still remember many fun times with my jokester of a Grandpa. He loved to go fishing, and to take his grandchildren out on the Everglades to fish. Ice cream cups were stashed in the freezer, and gummy orange slices were hidden o the top shelf of  the dishwasher. When we would tell him that we were coming to visit, he’d joke about having to kick the Cuban renters out. He would groan good-naturedly when we called to tell him that we were on the Ronald Reagan turnpike, as he was a Democrat. (Shhh… don’t tell his union buddies, but he actually voted for him twice!) He loved sweets, and this grandchild in particular has that trait too.

To my knowledge, this hard-working carpenter never made a million, but there is many a millionaire who would gladly write you a check for twice that to have wonderful children or a loving marriage – this man had both.

He wasn’t a veteran, but his son is.

He wasn’t an influential, highly successful business person, but his daughter is.

In the end, he had what matters most: God, a loving family, and a good reputation.

He is so missed.

I am a gardener who believes that the miracle of life in the regeneration of a cutting is just one of many created by my God. My God made man, who then sinned and brought death. Redemption from sin’s punishment, Hell, could only be purchased by a sinless One. The only possible Redeemer was God’s Son, Jesus.

He had to be the one to die on a cross, be buried, and rise again to purchase the gift of Heaven for whomever would receive it.

My Grandpa realized that his good life could not merit such a priceless gift as Heaven, it was free for the asking.

Today, because of him receiving God’s forgiveness, my Grandpa is celebrating in Heaven with his Savior and with his beloved wife.

So today I sorrow, but not without hope.

Today I weep, but not for him.

Today I mourn for our loss of a devoted father and loving Grandpa.

I have the promise from God that one day I will see him again. Maybe he’ll take me fishing.

Until then, I have these precious plants and a host of precious memories.

Nov13

How to Save Okra Seeds

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I love to save money in my garden. If your okra did well for you this year, consider leaving a plant or two to set seed for next year.

Saving your own seed means that not only are you saving money, but that you are also growing a variety that has already proven itself in your area.

All you have to do is resist the temptation to harvest the pods for my easy no-slime okra recipe, and wait for them to turn brown.

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When the pods begin to split, remove them from the plant. Do you see the brown seeds in the picture?

Store in a cool, dry place for next year. Remember to label them!

Don’t be like me, who has about a hundred tomato seeds from last season and was so sure she would remember what variety they were that she didn’t label them. I’m pretty sure they are ‘Roma’ tomato seeds; I hope I’m right.

Now you can use the money saved to buy a new variety to try, like purple carrots or yellow tomatoes!

Do you save seeds, or does the process intimidate you?

Nov7

Painting Pumpkins

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If you are still staring at the pumpkin you purchased for a decoration, and really don’t want to carve it, then watch it deteriorate into a moldy pile of goo; paint it!

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If you use non-toxic paint, you can even convert the pumpkin to homemade pumpkin puree when you switch out the fall decorations for Christmas ornaments.

What do you think? I love this idea; I can have my pumpkin and eat it too!

Nov3

November To-Do List

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Yes, it’s November already. I finally got my collards and kale into the ground.

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It was nice to have seeds still from last year. Germination rates were great.

Poor little root-bound souls. All the waiting was stressing them out. 🙂

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Triple row of daikon radishes doing well. I have an easy daikon recipe that I posted earlier this year that featured this root vegetable.

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So far the shed bed has the triple row of daikons, 2 wide rows of mustard, and a few straggling basil plants.

The large garden has been planted with onions, kale, collards, turnips, lettuce, and has a few summer crops remaining such as peppers, sweet potatoes, and zucchini.

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This is what happens when you neglect a zucchini. Ordinarily, I harvest mine when they are much smaller, but I’m glad I have a good chocolate zucchini bread recipe to use!

Here’s my list:

1. Plant garlic in shed bed.

2. Harvest and cure sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving. Replace sweet potatoes with carrots, who should hopefully appreciate the loose soil.

3. Plant out broccoli, cauliflower, pak choi, and Swiss chard transplants.

5. Resow Brussels sprouts and spinach.

6. Sow in empty spots: beets, carrots, mustard, and radish.

7. Start putting flowers and more vegetables in flowerbed. It is part of my plan to mix flowers and vegetables for winter color.

8. Make pear butter. I plan to use a method similar to my easy Crock-pot apple butter recipe.

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It’s nice to enjoy local produce, isn’t it?

With just a little work at the beginning, my winter garden should be a “set it and forget it” type of garden. How does your garden grow? Are you clearing it in preparation for the first snowfall? Are you sowing seeds for spring? I’d love to know!