Bret and Alex Chickpea and tomato soup

Chickpea Soup

Two caans of chickpeas, rinsed

one box of beef broth

one large onion, diced

6 oz fresh leaf spinach, chopped

1 can diced tomato

beef steak (flank, sirloin or similar), cooked and diced

lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper

fresh parsley to serve

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 tsp. bovrite or other beef based boullion


fry onions and beef with seasonings, put all ingredients into pot, bring to boil, simmer for 30 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Pumpkin spice pancakes

    1 1/2 cups milk

    1 cup pumpkin puree

    1 egg

    2 tablespoons vegetable oil

    2 tablespoons Apple Cider vinegar

    2 cups all-purpose flour

    3 tablespoons brown sugar

    2 teaspoons baking powder

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    1 teaspoon ground allspice

    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

    1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients, fry batter in butter.  Serve with maple syrup, whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkle.

Autumn Beef, Bean and Pumpkin Soup

1 1/2 c. kidney beans (dry)
1 to 1 1/2 lb inexpensive beef steak
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
2 carrots
1 parsnip
5 c. hot water
1 tsp fresh thyme (1/2 tsp dry)
1/2 tsp dry oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried taragon
1 can diced stewed tomatoes
1 tsp garlic chili paste
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Soap Making - Cocoa and Coffee Soap

http://natureshomespa.blogspot.com/2012/12/coffee-and-cocoa-soap-easy-3-oil-recipe.html

Coffee and Cocoa Soap: Easy 3 Oil Recipe and Tutorial

Fresh Brewed Coffee and Cocoa Soap.....Easy Crock Pot(Hot process)Recipe
 and Full Tutorial How-To
                                                                                                                   

Mocha just took on another meaning for me! I've been wanting to try fresh brewed coffee in a soap recipe for awhile and got inspired to do it after reading Jan's post (She's gone Digital),   I swear you can smell that soap thru cyber space!

I've made soap with fresh brewed tea and honey and wanted a coffee recipe to compliment it.  How fun is that, tea and coffee luxury homemade soap!

I also wanted to make a simple 3 oil recipe that would be a good starting recipe for new soapers as well as a good basic and affordable cleansing, nourishing bar. Full tutorial and recipe below.....

If you wish to make a smaller batch, please use Brambleberrys Lye Calculator and reformulate your
recipe to get correct lye and liquid amounts, etc.

Recipe:

11.6 oz         Coconut Oil  (22% of recipe)
18  oz           Olive Oil    (34% of recipe)
23.3 oz         Crisco Vegetable Shortening (which is soybean at 75% and palm oil 25%)  (44%)

7.2  oz          Lye (sodium hydroxide)  this is a superfat of 6%
17.5 oz         Liquid  ( I used coffee, you can use plain distilled water, or tea)

1   oz            Cocoa powder, unsweetened (optional if you aren't making mocha soap)
1 -  1 1/2 oz  Fragrance oil,  (I used .8 oz of Brambleberry's Almond Biscotti)

Yields:         77.7 oz

Ingredients For 3 Oil Recipe:
Lye, Crisco, Coconut oil, Olive Oil, Liquid of choice (I used coffee)

Crockpot, Stick blender, pyrex or something like it to mix lye/water, long handled mixing spoons, I use silicon.  Rubber gloves, and eye protection.
Scale to weigh ingredients.

If you choose to make this with distilled water instead of coffee, that is the only other ingredient along with your fragrance (optional) you will need.  ( I added cocoa powder to go with the coffee )

You can purchase Lye on line at Brambleberry or in the USA you can still find it at ACE hardware in the plumbing section.  Very affordable.

 Always wear protective eye ware and rubber gloves when working with lye.
I use glass or stainless steal when measuring my lye.

Have vinegar near by to neutralize any splashed lye.


Designate a crock pot for your soap making adventure, I got a used one at a thrift store.

1:   Measure your brewed coffee (or liquid of choice) on a scale by weight.
         In a separate container measure lye by weight.

2:  In a well ventilated area, (I go outside) pour your lye crystals into the coffee (liquid of choice)

NEVER pour liquid into lye, always pour lye into liquid.  Now stir until all lye crystals are 

dissolved. Gloves and eye wear a must.

  When thru stirring lye into water, drop the empty lye

cup, spoon into vinegar water to neutralize it.  Always put anything with active lye on it into your vinegar solution when you are thru using it.

3:  Preheat crock pot to LOW.  Measure (by weight ) coconut oil, olive oil and crisco into large container that is microwave safe.  Place in microwave and heat until melted.

                                                     
4:  When all oils are melted together, pour into crock pot. Crock pot should be on LOW.

NOTE: if you are making this with cocoa powder, at this point take out a little of your melted oils and mix with 1 oz of cocoa (unsweetened) powder and stir, consistency liquidy, not dry, just want to make sure you don't have lumps of cocoa powder in your soap!  Add back to crock pot and stir.

                                                             
5:  Now you slowly pour your lye mixture into the crock pot with the melted oils. Stir with long
        handled spoon a bit.

                                                             
6:  Get your stick blender out and begin to slowly blend, stirring blender around  the crock pot.  This
        is when the magic begins!  As you blend away, the liquid/lye and oils begin to saponify, which
        means you are literally turning your oils into soap by the chemical reaction to the alkali (lye).

                                                                     
Your mixture will begin to get thicker, when it gets like a soft pudding, and you lift up your blender (turned off of course) and the mixture leaves a trail, or a trace on top, this is called "Trace".  Continue to stick blend until it gets like pudding.

7:  Next, place lid on crock pot, leave on LOW, and watch as you make soap!
        Never walk away from  a crock pot of soap cooking, watch thru the lid, if it starts to boil up as
        if to overspill, stir it and release the heat, it'll go back down.

Your mixture will go thru changes. It's edges along the crock pot will rise and curl in towards the center. You will see a clear liquid pool in the center, this is glycerin!     Commercial soap makers remove this awesome natural soap by-product and use it for other purposes, that is why store bought soap is so drying, no glycerin. Your homemade soap keeps all that moisturizing goodness.

 

My crock pot was a bit too small for this size batch, make sure your crock is big enough.

Depending on the ingredients added to your soap mixture, your soap can take a half hour to an hour to be done, I've had my coffee and tea recipes take 20 mins, so don't walk away!

My soaping friend who taught me how to make soap, (Vals soaps and more from home) showed me an easy way to tell if your soap is done......

Think of the sides of your soap as waves, and the center as a glycerin-island.   The waves will continue to grow and rise around the island which is smooth.  As it cooks, the waves roll inward closer to the center making the island smaller and smaller.  When the island has sunk beneath the waves, you will see some clear glycerin on top. Stir it back in. Turn crock pot off. If you have a removable crock, take it out. Stir to cool down your soap. Yes, I said soap....you made soap!

8:  If adding fragrance oil or essential oil, this is the time to put it in.  Stir well.  General rule of
        thumb for fragrance is no more than 1 oz per 2 pounds of soap. Of course this is entirely dependent
        on the fragrance or essential oil used. Some are quite potent. Most manufacturers give their
        recommendations for their product. Only use soap fragrance oils, not candle ones.
                                                             

                                                                   
9:  Now its time to put into mold (s). I used a wood 5 lb. soap mold, lined with freezer paper to
         easily remove the soap.  You can use any mold you want. Silicon works great, plastic too.
         Pringles cans work too.  Tap mold on table after putting in soap to get out any air pockets.
         Leave in mold over night, this recipe with coffee and cocoa was still soft after one
         night, so I left it in for two.

           Your beautiful homemade soap is ready to be cut and used.  Tip: if you let your
            hot process (crock pot) soap dry for a week or two it will become a much harder
            bar,  hence, will last longer in the shower!  But, if you're like me, one bar ends up
            in the shower right away!

                                                                 

                                       

14 Bars in this batch between 4.6 and 5 oz.

                This recipe made a bar of soap with large chocolate colored bubbles, lovely.

     

                                                                          

                                                                                           
             Any questions please ask away......   enjoy,       Anna

                                           

Funnel Cake

3 eggs

3 c. flour

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 c. milk

1 c. water

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

t tbsp baking powder


4 c. sunflower oil for frying


1) In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, water and vanilla until well blended. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; beat into egg mixture until smooth. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°.



2) Cover the bottom of a funnel spout with your finger; ladle 1/2 cup of batter into the funnel. Holding the funnel several inches above the oil, release your finger and move the funnel in a spiral motion until all the batter is released (scraping with a rubber spatula if needed).


3) Fry for 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve warm. Yield: 8 cakes.

Swiss Chard Recipe

 1 bunch of chard

4 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Sea Salt

1-2 garlic cloves, or ½ of a garlic pearl, minced

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Freshly ground black pepper

Wash the chard. Remove the stems and chop them into a small dice. Coarsely chop the leaves and set them aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the chopped chard stems and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the stems are nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Push the stems to one side of the pan and add the garlic to the other side. Cook until fragrant but not brown—about 1 minute. Stir to combine the garlic and chard stems. Add the chopped leaves and season with a bit of salt. Stir in a splash of water and cook until the leaves are tender and wilted. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil with a pinch of salt and some pepper. 

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the dressing on top. Stir to combine and season as needed. Serve hot and enjoy!

Pickled Chipotle Peppers

Pickled Chipotle Peppers

1 pounds ripe, red jalapeños (~50 of them)
1 cups red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
2 bay leaves
olive oil

Smoking the peppers
1. Prepare a bbq grill for smoking.  Once smoking is prepared, lightly coat the jalapenos in olive oil and slow smoke them for about 30-40 minutes.  Turn them periodically.

2.  Peeling/seeding.  WERE LATEX GLOVES!  The capsaicin will seep into your fingers otherwise and you'll have burning fingers for hours.  Peel all the peppers and remove the stems.  Remove the seeds and slice them into strips.  Do this all over a large plate and try to save as much pepper juice/oil as you can. This should all go into the jars and has a lot of flavor.

3.  Pour vinegar and honey into a saucepan, add the garlic, peppercorns, herbs, bay leaves, and salt.  Bring to a light boil.  Add the peppers and stir around, letting the pickling mixture saturate the peppers.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

4.  Ladel the peppers and pickle solution to sterilized jars, leaving 3/4 inch head space.  Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into each jar, which will float on top of the syrup in a thin film. Wipe the rims clean with a paper towel moistened with vinegar. Seal.

5. Process in a hot-water bath of 180-185 degrees for 30 minutes.