Let me count the ways... Nibbled fresh from the greenhouse bed As a salad As part of a salad mix On sandwiches In burritos Tossed with pasta Piled on rice noodle dishes As part of a finger food plate with cheeses, fruit, etc. As you can see, I'm really loving the arugula right now. What are your favorite ways to eat this delightfully succulent, spicy green? ...
Farmhouse Recipes
Chocolate, Chocolate Everywhere: Making truffles from scratch
Handmade gift-giving is an important tradition I strive to always carry out. My do-it-yourself nature aside, I just plain like making things for people. However, running a small handcrafting business this time of year really motivates me to look for new ideas that have nothing to do with wool or acorn caps to create something to show appreciation to the people in my life. This year, I decided ...
Custard Pie
Spring brings so many wonderful things, but few can rival the egg. With modern marvels like lights on timers, we can enjoy farm fresh eggs all year, but the Spring is when we look forward to an egg-stravaganza! This is when all those egg recipes come out, and egg salad sandwiches make their way into lunch baskets. As egg production really picks up, we can look forward to selling them and ...
Bone Broth: A Homesteader’s Staple
The question that has challenged mothers everywhere for centuries; How does one feed a family healthy, nourishing food on a budget? While this is a complicated question that involves many pieces like where to shop, growing your own food, family budgeting, and so on, I would say that which meals are regularly cooked is of great importance. In our single income household, ...
How to Make Yourself a Damn Fine Cup of Coffee
Every morning, a cup of coffee is my simple pleasure in the middle of the morning hustle and bustle. After getting two nine-year-olds out of bed, fed, coached through getting clothed and presentable, reminded to do their chores, equipped with lunch baskets and hopefully out the door on time (while I'm multi-tasking like mad and doing more chores), that cup of coffee is like a small vacation. Heck, ...
Saturday Morning Baked Eggs
Baked eggs were always a weekend favorite my mom made when I was growing up, and with all these chickens we've got, it is still a favorite in my house today! It's very easy to get going when you wake up, and you can serve it with toast, fresh fruit, sausages, or whatever makes your breakfast complete. We eat a lot of eggs, so it's always good to change things up a bit from the scramble ...
Gluten-Free Rice Treats
No-bake treats are a great do-it-yourself kitchen activity for kids. I still remember the powder sugar coated no-bake cookie balls I used to make from the Betty Crocker for Kids cookbook when I was growing up. I felt like such a gourmet chef! A while back, a friend served up these tasty rice treats for a snack while our kids were playing, and it became an instant favorite. ...
And We’ll All Have Chicken and Dumplings When She Comes…Gluten-Free!
Wondering what to do with that old, tough bird? Whenever we have an old stew-hen or rooster past it's prime, it's chicken and dumplings time. I don't recall where I came across this Cracker Barrel chicken and dumplings recipe, but I've been using it for a long time, and found that it adapts very nicely to a gluten-free version to accommodate my son's special diet. It is one of my kids' favorite ...
Hearty Winter Rice
On a cold, rainy winter's day, nothing warms you up at the end of the day like a piping hot home-cooked meal. But what if you've had a busy day, working hard, transporting children, and all the other numerous things that keep one away from home, so that when you finally get there at the end of the day, everyone is hungry and you need dinner FAST. More time than I can recall, this rice dish ...
Molasses Snow Candy
Remember when they made snow candy in the Little House on the Prairie books? Growing up in an area where we just didn't get a whole lot of snow, I was always fascinated by this treat. I never quite got it to work out though. I ended up with gooey messes, teeth stuck together, and goop that just tasted like plain molasses. Last year I found The Little House Cookbook by Barbara M. Walker, and lo and ...