Fall Apple Cake

Here's what I know: that this world- as cold, and confusing, and complicated as it can be- still has apples in it. And cinnamon sticks. And salted caramel frozen yogurt. So let's make cake and let our mouths (and hearts) rejoice!

I made my Fall Apple Cake today. I made it because I wanted to give you something simple and super quick to sweeten up your day. Behold:

Y'all. You won't believe how perfect this is. This cake is a one bowl cake. You don't need a mixer. You don't need crazy ingredients. You don't even need a cake pan. This beauty is made by mixing dry ingredients, apples (and nuts, if desired), and wet ingredients in one bowl, like this...

...and then patting it into a regular baking pan...

...and throwing it in the oven until it's lightly brown and set. Check it:

Easy, easy, easy. And ooooooh so good. This is the perfect way to welcome autumn!
 
Oh man. Love yourself a little today and make this. Make it for you. Make it for someone who lives with or near you. Make it for someone who works with you. Just... make it. Trust me.

Here's how to bring this goodness home:

Fall Apple Cake

Adapted from family recipe

In a large bowl, mix together:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt

To those dry ingredients, add: 

3 cups peeled, diced apples
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, almonds)

Mix well to coat apples and nuts in flour mixture.

To the same bowl, now add:

1 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir well to combine all ingredients. Finished batter will be thick, like cookie dough. (Don't freak out.) Press into ungreased 9" x 13" pan and pat smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Don't overbake! Cool on wire rack.

Store in airtight container in cool place. Keeps up to 3 days.

I love serving this cake cut in thick squares and topped with cinnamon whipped cream or, as I did here, with a scoop of Oikos' Salted Caramel Greek Frozen Yogurt with just a light dusting of cinnamon. (Have you tried that stuff? Omgosh.) I also like it straight out of the pan with a cold glass of milk. But however you serve it, it's perfection. Simple, quick, apple and cinnamon and brown sugar perfection.

Let our mouths rejoice!

Hope you enjoy. And happy fall, y'all, from Texas. -Brin

Magic Milk Bread

I am in love. With bread. I am in love with this bread.

Imagine this: light, beautiful loaves- two of them- made from normal ingredients you probably have on hand. Imagine, further, that this bread doesn't need to be kneaded. Imagine that it also doesn't require any fancy equipment or processes. Imagine that it does its own thing while you're folding laundry or checking email or putting off cleaning the bathtub. Imagine all those things, and then reach for this bread recipe. Because honey, it delivers. Maximum reward for minimum effort. That's what this bread should really be called!

Summer's Ghost

We know that in September, 

we will wander through the 

warm winds of summer's wreckage. 

We will welcome summer's ghost.
-Henry Rollins

Fall is out in the stores. I'm expecting, any moment now, to see pumpkins and leaf-strewn wreaths on front porches of houses I drive past. I love later summer/early autumn- its decay and moodiness and restlessness. Summer's is the only ghost I welcome.

I have Beef Stroganoff simmering on the stove and am half-heartedly mixing up leftover bits of cornbread and chunks of thick, white loaves for dressing. (Stuffing, if you're from up north?) Chicken and dressing will hit the freezer soon. I'm trying to make extras of meals and freeze them up for days I just don't want to cook. Which lately has been most days. Strange, seeing as how the kitchen sink just went in and we dreamed of home-cooked meals all summer. Very strange...

It seems I've hit a wall (early) with this renovation. Tonight will be night 93 on the air mattress and I think I'm just exhausted. He is adamant that the bed NOT be put together until the master bedroom is painted and floors are redone, so I toss and turn and toss and turn. I'm praying the bedroom is move-in-ready in a week. Y'all, I fear for life on planet Earth if I have to crawl off that thing many more mornings. How was this so much easier at 24 than it is at 36?

Ah. But there's progress in the kitchen! The countertops will be finished soon, so all that's left in this phase will be to paint and hardware the cabinets, tile a back splash, hang shelves and begin setting up. I'd show you, only right now it's a jumble of tools and pantry items and opened boxes of spices and a strange assortment of unpacked dishes. (Read: whatever was at the top of the dishes box is what's been unpacked and used.) The tentative "have company over" goal date of September 1 blew by without so much as an apology. It's okay. It's really okay. Those who matter, don't mind... and those who mind, don't matter. Right?

How are things with you? I feel as if it's been awhile since we talked. Drop me a comment or a Facebook message or email and let me know what's on your stove and what's going on at your house and how you're dealing with the ghost of summer. That's what we're here for, right?

I'm so glad we're friends. -Brin

Monday Brain

My Must-Do List this week is getting me down. Especially because I woke up with a monster awful sore throat and aches. Ain't nobody got time for that!

There's so much I want to say this week about the stock market, the deal with Iran, and what this fall has in store for us. It surprises people, I think, when they meet me and realize I'm not all gardens and homemade bread and refinished floors. I bore people to death with documentaries on Netflix and random YouTube videos. In real life, I'm a pretty intense person. (Or so I'm told.) As a former reporter, I live and breathe news. And stock market reports. And economic collapse blogs. And weather model forecasting. But here, none of that. Here, I'm sink-shining Brin with a long Must-Do List.

We're okay with that, right? 

I think of all the things I have to tackle this week, getting back into bread making is what I'm least dreading. Fresh bread! There's something everyone can agree on. My banana bread recipe is an old favorite on this blog. (You can find it here.) In addition to having some banana bread tucked in the freezer, I also want to have bread dough I can pull out and bake in a flash. Omgosh, have you seen that they came out with a NEW Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day?! I'm so excited. I have the first (old) copy and the master recipe for the Boule (the artisan free-form loaf) is my favorite, favorite bread ever. It's ridiculously easy, even if you don't bake.

So. The kitchen. We've had a brief hold up in there. It's me. I can't decide what to do with the countertops, so everything's come to a stand still. I'll show you tomorrow and maybe we can come up with something workable.

In the meantime, happy Monday! And happy back to school to all those headed back today. May God keep you all! -Brin

Week of Tips I Love: Tip #1- Herb Bombs... Or, How to Use Fresh Herbs All Year

Hey there! Welcome to a week full of tips I love... little things that make my life easier and better! This week I'll be featuring some of my favorite quick, simple projects anyone can do to make baby steps to improve our homes and our health. (Also this week, a kitchen update. Promise!) But first up: Tip I Love #1: Herb Bombs.

Here's the goal: to preserve fresh herbs we grow or buy so we can use them hassle-free all year long. In order to accomplish this, I started freezing these bite-size herb portions so I could toss them in all kinds of recipes: soups, stews, breads, sauces, pasta... there are so many options! The best part? The herbs are already clean, chopped, and ready to use. If you're someone who uses fresh herbs- or wants to start- these are for you.

And plus, I did say quick and easy, right? Let's get started...

First, get some herbs.  Since we moved this summer, I grew this basil and these chives in pots. Super simple. If you're not the growing kind, hit up the farmers market or produce section of your local store. Look for herbs that are vibrant green and strong on their stems... i.e. not wilted, curled, or damaged. Then get your herbs into the kitchen, rinse gently in a sink of cool water, and lay out on a clean towel to dry.

Then start chopping. I began with my chives, and chopped them up into 1/4 inch long pieces. For the basil, I tore the leaves into small pieces. Then I put roughly 1 Tablespoon of herbs into wells in a freezable tray:

This is my Herb Freezing Tray Set from Pampered Chef, which I lurrrrve. I got these because I make and cook with a lot of these herb bombs, and these trays make them super easy! If you want one, holler at me and I can get you hooked up. BUT. Ice trays work great. Don't feel like you have to go out and get a fancy little set when your regular ice tray will also do the trick. Your call.

Anyway. The goal is to get about 1 Tablespoon of chopped herbs into each little well. Once you've done that, fill your tray with enough water to cover the herbs. Check to make sure that most of the herbs are covered with water, then pop in the freezer for several hours (over overnight) to let them set up.

Once your tray of herb bombs is frozen, pop those beauties out, seal in a freezer bag, label it, and stash it in the freezer until you're ready to cook. That's all there is to it! Next time your recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of herbs, you'll be ready! Simply thaw your herb bomb cube (if you don't want the water in your recipe), or throw the cubes in whole. Yes. Wow. So much easier than washing and chopping herbs every time you need them!

I make herb bombs with all my favorite herbs: basil, chives, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme. I even do blends: my Italian herb bomb has basil, oregano, and parsley. I add it to pasta dishes and sauces. My standard Soup herb bomb has chives, rosemary and thyme and it goes into most of my soups. So good!

If you want to be totally adventurous, take the herb bomb further and freeze your herbs with extra goodies like minced garlic, chopped onion, or freshly cracked pepper. Or freeze them in olive oil. Yum! Or... try mixing chives and parsley in softened butter, spooning into your tray, and refrigerating until firm. I try to keep Butter Herb Bombs on hand for baked potatoes and bread. (They never stay around long. Ever. Can't keep those in stock!)

So. To review, we can have it all: fresh herbs, all year long, ready to cook when we are. Try today's tip and let me know how it works in your kitchen. I trust you'll start loving these as much as we do!  -Brin

Miscommunications and Muffins

We have lots and lots of house stuff going on these next few days. As you can imagine. There are meetings with insurance agents, the bank, the realtor... and then the 5-hour home inspection we need to be present for (and simultaneously get bids from companies on repairs that have to be done immediately). The home inspection was set for today but had to be rescheduled this morning due to realtor miscommunication. I had taken the day off and everything.

Maybe I need to take the realtors/inspectors/repairmen muffins to help speed this along and get everyone reading their texts and emails. Or maybe not. We are stress eating them kinda quickly. Ha!

Do yourself a favor and make these Streusel Crumb Blueberry Muffins. Go preheat the oven now. Seriously. I don't even like blueberries, but these are incredible! Perfect. Everything a muffin should be... and more.

Many pictures to come... just as soon as I can get in the house. Tomorrow, hopefully? 

In the meantime, happy Tuesday. If you were close, I'd offer you a muffin and coffee and drive you by the house....

Mountains, Light, Heart Blinds and Rising Up

Mountains

know the secrets

we need to learn.

That it might take time,

it might be hard

but if you just

hold on

long enough

you will find the strength 

to rise up. 

-Tyler Knott Gregson 

 

Happy new year, you!

Two things I'm already taken with in 2015: Tyler Knott Gregson's poetry, and this bread- Fast and Fabulous French Bread. Early this morning, as the sun leaked through the window blinds, I read bits of Chasers of the Light and smeared butter on my homemade bread and, in that moment, felt joy leaking through my heart blinds.

Heart blinds are a thing, in case you didn't know. They're the cheap, fiddly screens we find over our hearts when we realize, suddenly, one day, that it's darker in ourselves than it need be. That we've let fear or doubt or the dullness of life leak into our spirit and- day after day, slat after slat- hang a barrier between us and the Light that's all around us. Mountains do know the secret. Bread knows it, too: that time and endurance can raise the ordinary to extraordinary heights, if only we persevere until we find ourselves lifted up.

This new year, my prayer is that we continue to chase the Light. That we don't give up. That we keep on and keep on and keep on until we rise up, out of our shadows... out of our fear... out of our doubt, and onto the mountain top.

We'll do this, this year. See you there.  -Brin

Christmas CrockPot Candy Recipe

I couldn't go on and on about this deliciousness and not post a recipe again, right? Where's the Christmas fun in that? So please, take this recipe and run to the store and then home to your crockpot. 

For more information (including tons of comments and other tips!), see the original post about this candy here. Happy candy makin' and eatin'!

Christmas Crockpot Candy. Yes.

 Y'all. I made Christmas Crockpot Candy this weekend. Oh my. Y'all. Oh my.

Just looking at these pictures makes my mouth water. Is it time for lunch yet? I want to go home and sneak a piece now....

What are you doing tonight? I'm planning to sit in front of the tree and continue addressing Christmas cards while drinking foamy, marshmallow-y hot chocolate and chowing down on this candy. Y'all. Do yourself a Christmas favor and make this ASAP.

It's Christmastime! Can you believe it?

It's Okay Again

I am amazed by the effect of lighting candles and serving dinner at the end of a long day. No matter how tired, frazzled, frustrated or overwhelmed a person is, a hot meal and time at a candle lit table seems to set things right, if only for a moment.

In an effort to get out of debt and buy a ramshackle house with a big porch, I am doubling down on our finances. This means I am working overtime trying to get super affordable, no-nonsense homemade meals on our table every night. (Super affordable because.... hello. And no-nonsense because the old guy does not do pumpkin ravioli or roasted butternut squash thingies, no matter how hard I try. Ahem.) I'm learning that as long as I treat meat as an ingredient- not the star of the show- I can stretch our meal budget much farther... and not hear him in the kitchen two hours later fishing crackers out of the cabinet. Oh yeah. I got this.

Last night I made Cheesy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes in the crock pot. Turkey ham ran $4.50 at the store, and I used half of it. By making my own soup/sauce and using the ends of random cheese in the fridge, I figured this cost about $8 to make four large servings. Very large servings. Although I wouldn't call this health food, I would call it It's-30-degrees-outside-and-this-was-warm-and-cheap-and-filling-and-the-crock-pot-did-it! food. 

To avoid the gray, Campbell's blob in a can, I made my own cream of mushroom. Yay! Creamed soup is okay again! Usually I use fresh mushrooms, but today I used canned organic ones like these in water. Fraction of the price, and comes with mushroom "broth". Takes just a few minutes and we control the ingredients. Win! Try it if you have the time or inclination:

Love this. Especially since every good holiday recipe has cream of something in it. Green bean casserole, anyone? 

I tell you: we girls at home are powerful. We put the home in a house. We turn straw into gold. (Or stuff in the fridge into dinner.) We are amazing. Let's light our candles and fire up our crock pots and show the world that family, home and love are alive and well and matter.

We got this, girls.  -Brin

No. Just...No.

Sauerkraut is tolerant, for it seems to be a well of contradictions.

-Julien Freund

Let me tell you about a well of contradictions. Because I can. Oh, can I!

First of all, sauerkraut is not tolerant. At all. Does it look pretty in the garden? Yes. Is it fun when you cut it open? Uh-huh. But I tried to make sauerkraut, y'all. I narrowed my eyes and cracked my knuckles and sharpened my knife and I tried. After carefully picking, washing and slicing my home-grown heads, I salted and pounded and cheese-cloth'd and waited and ... ... and...

 

...no. Just...no. Sauerkraut does not naturally happen like all those online recipes say. My batch sat for two weeks and never so much as changed color. Still green. Still crisp-ish. Still... odd. I threw it in the back compost before anyone discovered it and mercilessly teased me. Or, heaven forbid, ate it.

You know those girls who make their own poptarts and tea blends and such? You girls ridiculously rock. For me, some things are just better from the store.

Well of contradictions. Harrumph....

I Made Blueberry Bars Again.

I don't know who was more excited- me, or the folks who are getting leftovers.  :)

I'm thinking of you all this Mother's Day, especially those those who've lost a mother, lost a child, or long to be a mother. Have a blessed and peaceful weekend.

The Seven Chicks

I ended up with seven chicks: 2 brown, 2 white, one gray, one with brown/black stripes, and one black. And oh! So fluffy and adorable! Especially that lone little black one there. I'll take better pictures soon, but for now I'm trying to leave them under that warm, red bulb and close to their adoptive Mama. They come out from under her wings only to peck at food, crowd around the water, and play. Then it's back under Mama.

It was a wonderful weekend, taking cocoa to the hen house and watching the chicks. It was calming... oddly soothing, somehow... and I became engrossed in watching the new life, watching them waddle and peck and flap their tiny wings for the first time. I wish everyone- children, especially- could have that moment, too.

Today I'm working at finishing this quilt... finally!... and putting together another round of knitted goodies for my online shop. That, and baking bread and putting together a chicken spaghetti. I think some hot comfort food is in order to keep this cozy magic about the place.

Hope your day is cozy. -Brin
 

 Anything for a quiet life. 

-Thomas Middleton

  

Cloudy morning. Dark, quiet kitchen. Herbs dry above the sink. Plants stand up for the light.

I make iced coffee, then a zucchini dish- one to keep and one to share. The only sounds I hear are of the scrape of grating green, and the flapping of chickens outside the window.

I think I'll read a book today and listen to violin music.
 

Anything for a quiet life.

The Garden Gives Me Tomato Sauce.

In the winter, when you're straining your eyes seeing seeds into soil, breaking your back planting garlic, and freezing your fingers poking onions in the ground, you dream of this day: tomato sauce day.

Homemade, homegrown pizza-and-pasta sauce day.

I have the magic bubbling on the stove now. Fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes... onions I planted in long rows... garlic I ordered as cloves from Missouri... basil grown from seed- all of it went into my scuffed, black pot this morning. It's been puft puft puft-ing contentedly since. I'll eat what I can and freeze the rest for later.

Ever since Deb debuted her tomato sauce recipe, I've been messing with it. I add onions, a touch of olive oil, and herbs to mine, though. It tastes heavenly. (If you make it, don't skip the butter.) Totally worth all the work to make it happen. And so affordable when you grow it all yourself!

Here's to summer, hardworking girls everywhere, and the sweet taste of success, huh? -Brin

Uses For Leftover Cornbread

I had a post planned for today about uses for leftover cornbread. (While this may not be an issue for you, it is for this single, Southern gal.) I mean, what to do with all the sweet, cake-like hunks from yesterday's pan? I had no idea, so I began researching.

Then... a snafu. An emergency errand left the little brown dog home alone. Alone and unhappy. So what did Millie do? She plopped her paws on the counter and scarfed down the leftover cornbread straight from the cast iron pan. I knew something was amiss the moment she greeted me at the door with yellow crumbs under her mouth and on her fur. Bad dog. BAD DOG!

Fortunately I had backup leftover cornbread in baggies in the freezer. But Millie's bad binge set me back. My photos to accompany this post were not going to happen today.

Sigh.

Ah well. Without further ado, here are my new top uses for leftover cornbread, in no particular order:

1. Cornbread Croutons. Cube leftover cornbread into 1 inch cubes. Tumble onto parchment lined or nonstick baking pan and drizzle with 4-5 Tablespoons butter. Stir or turn lightly to coat. Toast at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes, turning once halfway through baking, or until croutons are your favorite shade of browned. Serve in salads, or over soup or chili.

2. Chicken and Cornbread Dressing. This is my favorite use for leftover cornbread. Crumble approximately 4-5 cups of stale cornbread into a large bowl. Add in 4-5 cups of stale bread, pinched or cut to 1 inch cubes. (I save the ends of french bread, all leftover bread, biscuits, rolls, crackers, etc., for this purpose.) Toss the cornbread and bread together. To this mixture, add: 2 stalks celery, chopped; 1 small onion, chopped and sauted in 4 T. butter; 2 hardboiled eggs, chopped; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 1 can cream of celery soup, 1 can cream of chicken soup; 2 T. dried sage; 2 T. dried parsley; salt and pepper; 4 cups shredded chicken.  Mix together, adding chicken broth or water to thin, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done and lightly browned. Serve with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce.

3. Cornbread Salad. I've made this a time or two using variations of this recipe and have gotten rave reviews each time. Easy!

4. Squash Casserole. Crumble leftover cornbread into casserole dish. In a pan over medium high heat, cook 3 sliced yellow squash and 1 small onion, finely chopped, until tender. Drain and add to cornbread. Stir in 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded; 1 egg; salt, pepper, and sage to taste. Stir to combine. Turn into lightly greased baking dish. Dot with 1/2 stick butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Yum.

5. Cornbread Pudding. This recipe is very similar to one my Grandmother has. It's a keeper.

6. Cornbread and Milk. My Great Grandfather, Henry, had the same dinner most every night: cornbread and milk. As a girl, I always thought it looked gross. Now I'm a fan. Crumble 1 cup or a large hunk of cornbread into a tall glass. Pour 1 1/2 cups cold milk over. Sprinkle with sugar. Eat with spoon. A poor, country farmer's dinner for sure.

7. Cornbread Crumbs. Butter cornbread and lightly toast in 450 degree oven. Cool and pulse in food processor (or crumble up) until you have a fine crumb. Use in casseroles and recipes in place of bread crumbs.

If all else fails, feed cornbread to the birds. Birds, not dogs. wink

Do you have any other suggestions for leftover cornbread? I'd be happy to hear them! -Brin

Dinner From My Memories

My visit to Istanbul back in March 2008 has been on my mind this week. Maybe it's the time of year, but that trip's bobbed to the surface of my memories lately: the salty, cool spray while boating across the Bosphorus Strait, the Greek Oregano spilling from crevices of stone, the ancient streets, the spices, the palaces. 

In an effort to recreate one of my favorite meals ever, I started searching the internet. What Turkish menus called Stuffed Lamb, apparently other recipes call Lamb and Rice. Hmm. Nothing seemed close... seemed right... until I hit upon a Rice Pilaf dish in the stupendous Bake Until Bubbly, the bible of casserole cooking. (You have to get that book.) Could this be it- my version of a favorite meal half the world away?

It is. If you're looking for something a little different to add to your chicken/rice/vegetable repertoire, may I present:

Brin's Turkish Palace Stuffed Chicken

Loosely adapted from Bake Until Bubbly, and my memory

3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced

(Leftover chicken is great here, but you could use turkey or lamb, too.)

5 T. butter, divided

1 1/2 cups long grain rice

1 t. turmeric

1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice (Really. Just go with it.)

1/2 t. ground cloves

1 bay leaf

1 t. coarsely ground black pepper

2 t. kosher salt, divided

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 green onions, white and green parts, chopped

2 1/2 cups hot chicken stock (or water)

1 cup baby lima beans (butter beans), fresh or frozen

Okay. Preheat your oven to 350.

Measure out rice into small bowl. Cover with cool water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. (Or, rinse in cool water for several minutes and set aside.)

Step 1- In a small skillet with heat off, mix chicken with spices, 1 t. kosher salt, and pepper. Add 2 T. butter to skillet and turn heat on medium high, stirring often until butter melts and chicken heats through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 2- In a dutch oven, melt remaining (3 T.) butter. Add carrots, drained rice, and the white parts of the green onion, reserving the green part for garnish. Stir for 3-4 minutes or until rice absorbs butter. Add spiced chicken mixture and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in chicken stock (or water) and baby lima beans. Add bay leaf and reserved 1 t. kosher salt to pot. Stir well.

Step 3- Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, place a paper towel or flour sack towel over pot, and cover again. Leave covered for 20 minutes or until rice has absorbed all the liquid.

Stir to fluff rice, garnish with reserved green onion, and serve immediately.

You can make this without a dutch oven if you'd like. Finish Steps 1 and 2 on the stove, then pour into a large casserole dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake as directed. Leave foil in place until ready to serve.

While Turkish dishes and memories might not be haunting you, I hope you'll try this exotic take on chicken and rice. Who knows... it may have you feeling like an Ottoman princess in no time, too.  -Brin

They Draw & Cook

Recipe Photo Credit: They Draw & Cook

I've been on such a veggie kick lately. Legumes, carrots, spinach, avocado. Today I even planted a second variety of radishes in the garden. Hmm. My body must be telling me something.

But I know what my "this is super amazing" instinct is telling me: They Draw & Cook is one of the coolest cooking websites. Ever. I'd go on about it, but you can head over there and see for yourself.

Besides, I have Chick Pea Dip to make. (And serve with carrots? Woohoo!)

Happy Monday.  -Brin

Cheesemaking, Or, How to Turn Milk Into Magic

Cheese -
milk's leap toward immortality.

Clifton Paul Fadiman

I'm learning to make cheese. It was on my list of 30 things I wanted to do in my 30s. And so here I go, becoming quite the curds and whey girl.

(Actually, the whey girl is Millie. Did you know that dogs LOVE whey? I mean, they love it. Millie jumps in the air for it. Anyone know why this is- that dogs love whey?)

All cheese experts advise starting with "beginner cheeses" like mozarella or cream cheese. Cheese you don't have to load in a cheese press. Cheese you don't have to know advanced chemistry to make. Me? Ha. I flipped to Home Cheese Making's recipe for Farmhouse Cheddar and dragged out the milk.

My first stab at making homemade cheddar cheese was a success. Now I'm addicted. Farmhouse Cheddar is a crumbly white cheddar cheese- kinda along the same texture as feta- that you only have to age for a month. The ingredients are easily had and so's the equipment. I found the hardest part of the cheese making process to be regulating my electric stove to keep the heat just right; too hot and the curds break, too cool and the curds don't set. But with a little (okay, a cheese truck load) of patience, I made, aged, and waxed my first round of cheese.

If you're interested in giving cheesemaking a go, start here: cheesemaking.com. And by all means, find a copy of the book I linked above and decide what you'd like to try your stove at first.

Anyone have cheesemaking tips or advice for beginners? I'd love to hear from folks who do or want to make homemade cheese. Thanks! -Brin

Okra Canning Day

 It's snowing. I've been canning okra. Somehow these things go together to me.

Is okra primarily a southern food? I can't imagine not having okra around. When I was young, my Dad would buy gallon jars of pickled okra when he went to the "city". My siblings and I would nearly hyperventilate when we saw the jars lined up in the back of the car. Nothing said "treat" like pickled okra.

Now I'm buying Star of David okra seed and canning farmer's market bounty in the meantime. It's still a treat: the growing, the canning, and the eating.

Somehow life's come full okra circle...