Yummy and Traditional

     Today I've been in the mood for something completely from scratch and totally yummy. So, we're turning more to our Native American roots for dinner tonight. This is a recipe my grandmother used to make, she is Cherokee and Apache, this recipe came from the Apache side and I believe was originally a Navajo recipe. We make a sort of taco using this recipe for the shell, but it is VERY versatile.

Indian Fry Bread

Yields: 4 servings 

Prep time: 15 min 

Cook time: 8 min

Ingredients:

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon powdered milk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup water

Vegetable oil for frying

Extra flour to flour your hands

Preparation:

Sift together the flour, salt, powdered milk, and baking powder into a large bowl. Pour the water over the flour mixture all at once and stir the dough with a fork until it starts to form one big clump. 

Flour your hands well. Using your hands, begin to mix the dough, trying to get all the flour into the mixture to form a ball. You want to mix this well, but you do NOT want to knead it. Kneading it will make for a heavy Fry Bread when cooked. The inside of the dough ball should still be sticky after it is formed, while the outside will be well floured.

Cut the dough into four (4) pieces. Using your floured hands, shape, stretch, pat, and form a disk of about 5 to 7 inches in diameter. Don’t worry about it being round.

In a deep heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil to about 350 degrees F. You can check if you oil is hot enough by either dropping a small piece of dough in the hot oil and seeing if it begins to fry, or by dipping the end of a wooden spoon in and seeing if that bubbles. Your oil should be about 1-inch deep in a large cast-iron skillet or other large heavy pot.

Take the formed dough and gently place it into the oil, being careful not to splatter the hot oil. Press down on the dough as it fries so the top is submersed into the hot oil. Fry until brown, and then flip to fry the other side. Each side will take approximately 3 to 4 minutes to cook. Place the cooked Fry Bread on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.

Indian Fry Bread can be kept warm in a 200 degree F. oven for up to 1 hour. They refrigerate well and can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Imbolc a Celebration of Brighid

This is the season of Brighid,
She who protects our hearth and home.
We honor her and thank her,
for keeping us warm as we eat this meal.
Great Lady, bless us and this food,
and protect us in your name.

 This is a prayer said at nearly every meal in our home in honor of Lady Brighid. Considering Imbolc is the celebration of Brighid it seems suitable to share. Also, a traditional Irish Soda Bread recipe, a featured dish at our Imbolc Feast (and most other meals).

White Soda Bread

4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour.
1 Teaspoon baking soda
1 Teaspoon salt
14 oz of buttermilk



Method:

Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees.  Lightly crease and flour a cake pan.

In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients.

Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough.  Place on floured surface and lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape)

Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough.

Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the bastible pot).  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is done.

Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.

References:

 http://www.sodabread.info/index.htm

With the approach of Imbolc we're cooking Irish and since we are reduced to stove top only as our oven has died. Tonight we made a classic Irish Potato Soup. It's the same soup my grandfather made, a recipe that has been in our family for generations with only minor alteration. Also one of the most popular soups in my house.

Irish Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb bacon
1 chopped onion
5 stalks chopped celery
6 large cubed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
2 cans evaporated milk

Directions:

1. Cook off the bacon, crumble and set aside on paper towel-lined plate.

2. Cook and stir onion and celery in the remaining bacon grease until the onion is translucent and tender.

3. Drain grease and stir in potatoes.

4. Add water to cover potatoes (about 1/2 inch above).

5. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, reduce to medium-low, simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring often.

6. Stir in bacon and evaporated milk, continue cooking until warmed through.

7. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve.

This recipe feeds my family and we usually serve it with a nice warm Irish loaf with last summers canned jam.

We are still here... for now.

It has been a VERY long time since I've posted. So, this is an update post.

Our Yule went very well, everyone's gifts fell into the crafting category. Knitting Looms, Woodworking tools, art supplies, etc were the main requests this year and of course the consistent survival gear.

Meanwhile, we are contemplating 20 acres in Alaska as well as a home improvement project. Our oven recently died a very quiet death, which has lead us to searching wood cooking stoves (I'm a little in love with the Kitchen Queen Cookstove myself).

Also, we are rapidly moving forward with our rabbitry plans! We will be raising our own multi-purpose rabbits (meat and fur) we've fallen in love with the American Silver Fox for this purpose. We also plan to work with German Angoras for fiber production.

I know this seems a bit vague and quick, but I will be updating again very soon!

Harvest is a time of plenty

 The fall harvest has always traditionally been a time of plenty, a time to come together as a community and share. Since I missed posting yesterday due to a birthday (my eldest daughter is now 10) we are sharing two recipes today. Both are for the season. First, one that is a favorite for my kids, they LOVE making their own applesauce and leaving it for neighbors in the early morning.

Share the Wealth Applesauce
24 tart apples
Juice of a lemon
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup raisins (optional)

Peel and core the apples, then cut them into chunks. Place the apples in a large nonreactive saucepan, and add the lemon juice and water. Stir in the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes or until the apples are soft. Remove the mixture from the heat and add the cinnamon and raisins, if desired. Stir light for a chunky sauce and rigorously for a smooth sauce. For a pink applesauce, use red apples and leave the skins on. Once the apples are soft, you can strain out the skins or lift them from the sauce with a fork.

Makes 2 1/2 cups.
( Pour into resealable jars, decorate to give as Harvest gifts to relatives, friends, and neighbors.) 


 Next up, muffins, who doesn't love some good muffins? These are fun to make, filling, and easy to ship. Folks across the country are gathering to show solidarity in the protests that began with Wall Street last Saturday. These are people, our people, and they need our support.





Harvest Morning Muffins
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup grated apples
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbs. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 12-muffin tin or line it with paper liners. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend the eggs, sugar and oil until well combined. Stir in the grated apples and carrots. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Blend the dry ingredients with the apple mixture until just combined. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins and bake for 25 minutes.
Makes 12 muffins. 


The Sovereign People's Movement Official Demands. Where your vote really DOES count.

Good Harvest!

Check out hashtag #occupywallstreet on Twitter for more information involving the protest on Wall Street including links to the VIOLENT arrests of several PEACEFUL protesters.




I missed a post! For shame, for shame. I was distracted by some of the things happening on Wall Street right now (Article from CBSNews: Wall Street protests continue, several arrested).
So down to business Good Harvest to all, and with this harvest I wish you wisdom.
Sea Turtle Wisdom Bread

2 tsp. active dry yeast 1 cup warm water
2 tsp. sugar or honey
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
Raisins
1 egg
Water
Green food coloring

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Whisk in sugar/honey, salt, and oil. Slowly fold in flour, as it becomes harder to stir, turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop and dust the dough with flour. Knead the dough by folding it in half and pressing it with the palm of your hand until it springs back when you poke it lightly with a finger. Form into ball and place in lightly greased bowl. Dust dough with flour and cover it with a clean cloth towel. Let it rise for 30 minutes. (Shouldn't spring back, now)

After the dough has risen once, punch it down and form balls for the shell (6in. diameter), head (3in.) , and legs (2in.), and assemble on a greased cookie sheet. Etch a crisscross pattern on top of shell with a knife. Use 2 raisins for eyes. Let rise for 30 more minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush lightly with egg wash ( 1 egg whisked with 1 tbs. water and couple drops green food coloring) and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 turtles 


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Check out hashtag #occupywallstreet on Twitter for more information involving the protest on Wall Street including links to the VIOLENT arrests of several PEACEFUL protesters.

Football Food

 It's Sunday and like in many American households Sunday means football in the Fall. I actually made a batch of these this morning and decided to share. They're fun and tasty, the perfect football season treat!

Mini Football Subs

Ingredients

• Meatballs
• Spaghetti sauce

• Shredded Cheese
• Individual-size rolls

Instructions

1. To make a batch, first prepare your favorite meatball recipe, shaping each meatball into a mini football before cooking. Once they're cooked, add the meatballs to a skillet of spaghetti sauce and warm them through.
2. For each sub, cut a V-shaped notch from the top of an individual-size roll, place a meatball in the roll, and top with cheese shred laces. Finally, get the sandwiches in a huddle on a cookie sheet and place them in a warm oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese.

Recipe discovered at Family Fun
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