A Dozen Egg Yolks: French Vanilla Ice Cream

The recipe for French Vanilla Ice Cream follows a brief "Chicken" story.

I am married to the chicken policeman. You might not think that chickens need a policeman. You might be right. Nevertheless our chickens have one. Is someone picking on the other chickens? Banish them to another pen. Have they quit laying eggs? That might result in banishment, too. Are they roosting on the nests? Not allowed; all chickens must roost inside the barn on the roosting rods. 

This spring Mike purchased about 20 chicks. They were all supposed to be pullets (females). They began their life with us in a box in the garage where they were kept warm and toasty with a heat lamp. After they grew from tiny puffs of fluff to feathered youngsters they were moved outside where they had access to both a pen in the barn and the fenced outdoors through a tiny chicken-sized door. It was time to learn the rules. 

The pullets seemed to enjoy their new surroundings, especially their outdoor pen where they could scratch in the dirt and hunt for bugs. When evening came they settled down on the ground outside to sleep. Chicken infraction in progress! Mike sprang into action. By banging on the pen, prodding them with a pole and a little hollering, they got the idea that they needed to go inside for the night. The next night a similar event occurred. Within a week they were so well trained that anytime either of us would walk by the chicken pen, regardless of the time of day, they would simply line up and march into the barn. I don't call him the chicken policeman for nothing!

The new pullets in the foreground have now begun to lay tiny brown eggs.

Eating fresh greens gives the yolks a vibrant yellow coloring.

 We don't have chickens just to keep us entertained. We love the wonderful eggs. Eggs are nutritious and vital in the kitchen for baking and cooking. Egg yolks especially are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. According to the American Egg Board, "egg yolks are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient that contributes to fetal brain development and helps prevent birth defects. Choline also aids the brain function of adults." Need I say more? Is that enough to justify making French Vanilla Ice Cream? I think so!

Separate the yolks from the whites. Be sure to keep the whites yolk free if you're going to use them to make Angel Food Cake.

French Vanilla Ice Cream
(for a printable recipe, click here.)

make one gallon

12 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 quarts whole milk (approximate)
6 tablespoons good quality vanilla
half and half or cream, if desired

In a microwave safe bowl (I use an 8-cup measuring bowl) mix together 4 cups milk and the sugar. Heat for 4-5 minutes in the microwave until milk is hot and sugar is dissolved. In another bowl lightly beat the egg yolks. Temper the yolks by slowly adding a portion of the hot milk/sugar mixture while whisking vigorously. Then slowly pour the yolk mixture back into the milk/sugar mixture while continuing to whisk. If you do it right, you'll won't have any bits of cooked egg in your mixture, it will still be a liquid. Return to the microwave and heat for 5 more minutes at 50% power until very hot. Microwaves will vary. You can't go wrong by using an instant-read thermometer and cooking until you get a  reading of 160 degrees, but most recipes recommend cooking until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Now I usually place the mixture in the refrigerator to chill, but if you're in a hurry it is possible to go ahead and freeze for ice cream at this point.

When ready to freeze ice cream pour egg mixture into freezer canister, add vanilla and half and half or whipping cream if desired. Frankly, Mike and I are perfectly happy using only whole milk. With the egg yolks, its certainly rich enough for our taste. But feel free to use as much half and half or whipping cream as you desire. Fill the canister up to the marked line (you've got to leave at least an inch for the ice cream to expand) with whole milk. Give the dasher a quick swirl to combine everything together and place the lid on the canister. Freeze as desired.

This is the point where I hand the canister over to Mike and let him do his thing. He always sets up on the patio where he sets the ice cream maker in a metal pan to contain the salty water. He adds layers of ice and rock salt in about a 6 to 1 ratio, turns on the machine and just about the time dinner is ready, so is the ice cream!

He replaces the lid and covers it with ice until we're ready to eat. Some recipes recommend allowing the ice cream to "ripen" for four hours. We could never wait that long. It is amazingly wonderful!

Wondering what to do with your left over egg whites? Make Angel Food Cake! It uses a dozen egg whites. It is the perfect companion to the ice cream. Click here for my recipe for Angel Food Cake. 

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And What Do You Do With Molasses?

Not far from our town, located next to the highway and near an Amish-Mennonite community is a Bulk Buy Store. It is owned and staffed by people from that community. There's no fancy packaging in this store, rather most items are measured into bags or  little plastic containers and given a plain label. Its a frugal way to purchase a variety food items. There are certain things that I always buy there: spices, grains like flax seed or quinoa, assorted sprinkle decorations for cookies and cakes and saf-instant yeast which comes in a one pound package, is the best, and lasts me for months (I keep it refrigerated). Its a bit out of the way for me, so I don't go there often and when I do, I want to be sure to pick up everything I need. You would no doubt make a list, but I always think I'll remember everything and sometimes I do. 

Soft in the middle, crispy on the outside. Perfect!

You Know You Want a Cracker!

Who makes crackers? Is that even allowed? And why would you? Don't they just come in boxes that you pick up at the grocery store? Well, yes, they do. And they're pretty tasty, too. Although a bit pricey, don't you think?


However, do-it-yourself crackers are a definite possibility. They, too, are tasty. You can include some nutritious ingredients and leave out all the preservatives.  They won't last long enough to need preservatives. And the price? Well, you won't save much money if you buy all the ingredients just make one batch, but if you plan to make them often or use the ingredients in other recipes, they fit well into to the frugal budget.


I love these rustic Seeded Sourdough Crackers. You can use a variety of seeds or just one kind, the choice is yours. 

The healthy basis of your crackers.

In a large bowl measure:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup ground flax seed (flaxseed meal)
1/2 teaspoon salt
(You'll add a little all-purpose flour later.)


Add

Sourdough starter is white and has a tangy scent.

2/3 cup sourdough starter
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Mix together well. Add enough all-purpose flour to make a stiff dough. 

Gather it all together and knead it just a little. Four or five, maybe eight times should be enough. It is a fairly soft, silky dough. Divide into halves and flatten into discs. 

Don't add salt until your done rolling.

Scatter 1-2 tablespoons of seeds onto your work surface. I used a combination of sesame, poppy, flax and coarsely chopped raw sunflower seeds, but you could use just one or any combination you like. I was given a handy-dandy silicone baking mat for Christmas and it is perfect work surface for this, but your counter top will work fine, too. Place your disc of dough on the seeds and roll out quite thin. Pick up the dough, scatter another 1-2 tablespoons of seeds on your work surface, flip over your dough and continue rolling until dough is 1/8 thick or less. The seeds should be firmly embedded in the dough, but a few may fall off. Transfer to a sprayed baking sheet. I used my pizza stone, but a cookie sheet is fine, too. If desired, sprinkle cracker dough with kosher salt. (I set my second disc of dough aside and repeated above directions after I baked the first batch and the stone had cooled.)

Using a pizza cutter, cut into desired shapes; about 1 1/2 inches seems to be a nice size.


Bake in a 400 degree oven for 7-9 minutes. Watch closely the last few minutes. You want them to be very brown and crisp, but not burnt, of course. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly and enjoy! They are the perfect dipper for your hummus. Try them.

For a printable recipe, click here.

Only on Sunday: Mother-in-law Meatloaf

My mother-in-law loves my meatloaf. She lives in a small town about 20 miles away from us, but worked and attends church in the town near us. For many, many years she stopped by our home on Wednesday evenings, after work and before church, and ate dinner with us. It wasn't a formal invitation. We just knew she would always be there. It was a good way to keep in contact and it saved her extra driving. Oh, the meals we've eaten and the changes we've seen! From a baby in a highchair to empty chairs when the guys headed off to college equals an astounding number of dishes. She's eaten my best and my worst. She's never complained, but may have left a little hungry a time or two. Mostly I think she's liked whatever I fixed and out of all the meals, this I know: she loves my meatloaf.

What makes this meatloaf unique is the topping of piquant sauce with its mystery ingredient of nutmeg. Sweet and tangy, it really is delicious. The meatloaf is simple with oatmeal used to bind ingredients making it healthy and easy.

My mother-in-law retired more than a few years ago, but she still continued to come on Wednesday evening for dinner before church. Then one year her church cancelled Wednesday evening services for the summer. She found another church to visit and kept coming on Wednesday evenings. After a year or two of this, it hit me. "Come Sunday after church for lunch," I told her. And she did. Still does. The years are relentless and she's had a few health issues in recent years, but still, on most Sundays, here she is. And if we're having meatloaf, that's the only day I make it.

You, of course, can make meatloaf whenever you choose. Here's how I make mine.

Mix together:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

I usually begin mixing with a fork, breaking up the meat and the eggs. Mix until thoroughly combined. Sometimes the hands just have to get involved. Place in a loaf pan and smooth to a level top. Top with Piquant Sauce

Piquant Sauce:
3/4 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix together and pour on prepared meatloaf

Going into the oven

Bake in 350 degree oven for 60 minutes. I always bake potatoes (regular and/or sweet) along with the meatloaf.  When I am preparing this to be eaten after church, sometimes I will bake at 250 degrees for about two hours. That way its ready when we arrive at home and we don't have to wait for lunch.

Leftovers make great sandwiches! I place reheated meatloaf on white bread with mayonnaise and you have a delicious treat!

For a printable recipe, click here.

Source: Recipe adapted from Christian Home Cookbook, contributed by Mrs. Walter E. Koehn and Mrs. Harold Wedel

Out of the oven and on the table.

Marvelous Muffins!

There is a lot to love about muffins. The simplicity. The soft texture. The yummy taste. The fact that, when compared to cookies, they have a lot less sugar and fat in most recipes. The ease at which they can be prepared. The short baking time. All the good-for-you stuff like whole grains and fruits and even vegetables that can be easily incorporated into them. Yes, muffins are marvelous! 

Muffins are a friend to children. Soft and easy to eat, they don't present some of the difficulties in chewing that some of the tougher breads and meats have for very young children. They are an ideal tool for learning to bake. Very little equipment is needed. A muffin tin, two bowls, measuring cups and spoons and something to stir with will give you a great start. I love my mixer, but it really isn't needed for making muffins. Combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately, then mix together just until everything is moistened, scoop it into the muffin tins, bake for about 15 minutes and you're done. A child can do it! And should they stir a little too vigorously, it's okay. The muffins will still taste quite good, but the texture may be less than perfect and have a few tunnels. Nobody will even notice because muffins fresh out of the oven are marvelous, even if they aren't perfect. 

Oatmeal-Date Muffins are simple to make and quite tasty. You may not use dates often in your baking so you may be surprised at the deliciousness that they add to these muffins. The intense sweetness and creamy texture contrast nicely with the oatmeal. Should you wish to substitute, dried cranberries or raisins also work well. Or leave out the fruit. They'll still taste great. These are muffins and muffins are flexible. And marvelous. 

 Mix together and let soak for an hour:
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup milk

Add:
3 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 egg

In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients: 
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda 
Mix wet and dry ingredients together just until moistened.

Okay, confession time. I didn't follow my own directions and just mixed everything together in one bowl.

Stir in 1/4-1/2 cup chopped dates.

Spray the muffin tin with cooking spray. Scoop dough into muffin tins. I used an ice cream scoop and am slightly mortified to see that I used my finger to dispatch the dough. You, of course, will not do that. You'll use another spoon and so will I, next time.  This recipe makes eight muffins. Since this tin has nine cups, I filled the empty cup with water because that's what I've heard you should do if some are empty. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Go ahead and serve your least favorite meal. No one will even care. Because there are muffins! And muffins are marvelous!


For a printable recipe, click here.

Some of My Favorite Friends are Family: A Winter Salad

There is no better gift at Christmastime than the presence of those you hold dear. Especially if they are not frequent visitors and must come from a great distance. Then your time together must be treasured. Of course you can't just sit around and eat. Or maybe you can. It sometimes seemed like we did. Over the days that we had together we enjoyed soups and Christmas goodies, vereneke, hotdogs and s'mores roasted over a bonfire and a lovely Birthday luncheon just for the ladies (the men went out for pizza). 

The Birthday luncheon was a surprise and not just for the birthday girl. Since her birthday was on Saturday, that would be the logical time to have our luncheon, but Thursday evening we learned that the bonfire and pizza lunch had been switched. And that meant that our luncheon would be on Friday instead of Saturday. That wouldn't have been a problem had the luncheon been all planned out, but I was counting on having all day Friday to figure out the menu. Still, with the help of many, a lovely luncheon came together. 

Are you horrified to see a jar of peanut butter with a knife sticking out of it on our elegant table? It was actually sunflower seed butter and it was wonderful! But somehow no one thought about placing the butter in a serving dish.

 The menu included:
Ham salad on baggets
Cucumber/mint sandwiches
Pasta Salad
Crackers with Strawberry Cream Cheese Dip and Sunflower Seed Butter
Apple Bread and Butter Sandwiches
Winter Tossed Salad

Should you wish to make a Winter Salad with grapefruit, oranges, pears and lettuce, I think you will enjoy it very much. Like most salads, it is accommodating to various amounts of ingredients.

 Winter Salad

Salad:
1 grapefruit
1 orange
1 pear
1/2 head of lettuce (not iceberg)
1/2 bunch parsley, optional
1 cup walnuts, toasted
1/4 cup feta cheese, optional


Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup canola oil

For Salad:
Wash, dry and tear lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Snip parsley leaves, if using. Wash and thinly slice pear. Cut grapefruit lengthwise (see photo) and cut around the peel to remove the fruit. Cut between membrane into segments. Do the same with the orange. This is rather juicy business. I use a separate bowl and allow that juice to drip on the pear to keep it from browning. Arrange on lettuce and include the juice. Top with walnuts and cheese, if desired. Drizzle with dressing. Pass the remaining dressing with the salad. 

Some of my favorite friends are family.

Salad Dressing recipe originally from Shepherd's Garden Seeds. For a printable version of the recipe click here.

Christmas Cookies: The Tradition Must Continue

Its the most wonderful taste of the year--Spicy Brown Sugar Cookies.  At least that's what my boys told me when we had "the talk" a few years ago. You know the talk. When you ask, "What Christmas traditions are really important?" because you know that you can't keep doing them all and be in any condition to truly celebrate the wonder of Christmas. And right there, on the top of the list, were these cookies. Are they a bit labor intensive? Yes. But they are indeed a wonderful, delicious way to celebrate a most holy and happy holiday. 

Several things have happened to make cookie making much more pleasant. One thing is my lovely assistants, a new daughter-in-law and another son's girlfriend. All that's said about sharing the load is true! I have to admit they are much better help than my boys ever were with their short attention spans, their desire to combine frosting colors and horrors! cutting a cookie out of the middle of the dough. As adults, they would probably be better help now, but their main interest is in the eating, not the making. The other thing that makes cookie making go more smoothly I will share along with the recipe a little later.

I always purchase my high-quality spices at Glen's Bulk Store.

When you think of Christmas Sugar Cookies, brown sugar and spices may not come immediately to mind, but these ingredients make simply an outstanding cookie. I usually roll out my dough fairly thick and the result is a soft, slightly crisp and buttery, lightly spiced taste of Christmas.  And when you layer on a heavy coat of cream cheese frosting, you do indeed have something very special.  

Begin by creaming together:
1 1/2 cups butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 egg

Add:
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Mix together well. This will make a fairly stiff dough.

 
Now for my effort saving tip: For so many years I would refrigerate the dough and then use every bit of my muscle power to try to flatten that stiff dough between layers of plastic wrap with my substantial rolling pin. Cold butter in the dough makes it a challenge. This year I tried something new and I wish I had tried this years ago. This year I divided my dough into fourths and immediately rolled out the dough between layers of plastic wrap to about 1/4-3/8 inch thick. Make sure the dough is completely covered by the plastic wrap. Then slip your rolled out dough into a jumbo, 2 1/2 gallon slider bag (I used Hefty) and refrigerate. Since I make multiple recipes, I usually make my dough on one day and bake on the next, but I would think an hour or two of chilling would be enough. Now it is an easy thing to pull out a portion of dough and begin the fun part of cutting out the cookies.Pull back the top layer of plastic wrap, but leave the bottom layer while you cut the cookies. They are nice and firm and easily transport to a cookie sheet. Collect your scraps and re-roll between layers of plastic wrap. Since you are not adding flour in the rolling, it doesn't get tough and I keep re-rolling until all the dough is used.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until just very lightly beginning to brown. Cool on racks. Frost as desired when cool. My frosting recipe follows. I prefer to frost each shape in the same color with the same kind of sprinkles, but you are under no obligation to continue my compulsion.

Relax and enjoy a cookie with a cup of tea and some of the people you love. Perhaps you will begin a new Christmas tradition. 

Cookies for everyone!!

 Spicy Brown Sugar Cookies
Click here for a printable recipe.

1  1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 egg
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon baking soda


Cream together butter, brown sugar and egg. Add flour, spices and baking soda. Mix well. Refrigerate dough before or after rolling out (see above). Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and frost if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

(This is enough for two batches of cookies.)

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
5 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Mix together and whip until smooth and creamy.


I believe that the cookie recipe was originally in a collection distributed by Tupperware.

These cookies freeze beautifully. Make sure the frosting is dry and separate layers with plastic wrap. They thaw in a very short time and are soon ready for any holiday occasion.

Take Stock: Making Something Out of (Almost) Nothing

A good stock is the not-so-secret ingredient in many superb recipes. It takes "okay" a step higher to "really good." It allows you to make a delicious soup in minutes rather than hours. A good stock adds depth of flavor without adding needless calories. It takes the supporting role, never the starring role, in outstanding pasta sauces, pot pies and grain or rice dishes. 

Yes, you can purchase a can or box of the stuff and it does a good job. But look again. Is there any Turkey stock? And glance at the price as you pull it off the grocery shelf. Yikes! Especially when you can make it yourself out of almost nothing at a fraction of the cost using (can you guess?) that turkey carcass after your holiday meal. What? You just threw it away! Never do that again. True, you are going to invest some time and a little effort into this. But the reward will be the ease at which you grab a bag of Turkey Stock from the freezer and make something wonderful.

How long does it take to go from this...

...to this? (Not very pretty, I know. I didn't say this was pretty. I said it was good.)

After you have removed all the meat from the turkey, use the remaining bones to make stock. You could place them into a large stock pot, but, because I make far too many kitchen decisions based on the number of dishes that require hand washing, I leave mine in the roaster. Before cooking the turkey, I usually set aside the giblets in the refrigerator and I retrieve these now. The neck and gizzard I add to the roaster, the liver I discard. I leave the wing tips and skin in the roaster as well. 

Every stock includes carrots, onions and celery.

 Now select one or two onions and three or four stalks each of celery and carrots. Wash, but it is not necessary to peel your vegetables. Coarsely chop and add to the roaster along with some parsley (optional, I don't always have), thyme sprigs and peppercorns. Throw in a bay leaf if you want to. Cover with water. Now, traditionally, you would bring to a simmer on the stove top. But, because I have left everything in the roaster which is too large to work well on the stove top, I tuck it into the oven.

Set the oven at 325 degrees and let it simmer for three or four hours. You want a gentle simmer and not a harsh boiling which could make a big mess in your oven and that wouldn't make anyone happy. I think you'll be fine at 325 degrees, just keep an occasional eye on it and turn it down a little if necessary. Get busy and let it go longer? It's ok. 

A wonderful scent will drift through your home as it cooks.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before straining. Strain through a colander into containers and refrigerate. I usually use my large gallon pitchers but it might be better to use smaller containers which may cool down faster. I have seen recommendations to cool containers in an ice bath before refrigerating to bring the temperature down quicker. That is probably a good idea since we're talking about a large quantity of hot liquid. Discard bones and vegetables. Refrigerate overnight.
Any fat will rise to the top and harden. It can easily be scooped off and discarded.






 

The stock will have a slightly jelled consistency. Ladle about two cups into quart sized freezer bags.  Place bags flat on a cookie sheet and place in freezer.

When frozen, they can be stored upright in baskets like a little file cabinet in your freezer.  To use you could of course remove from the freezer and allow to thaw in the refrigerator. However, I am not always one to plan too far in advance so I often grab a frozen bag to use immediately. Since it was frozen flat and thin, it is not difficult to rap the bag on the side of the sink to break and remove a chunk to a pan on the stove where it thaws fairly rapidly over the heat.

A Final Hint

Should you wish to reuse your freezer bags I have found that the best way to do this is to store them in the freezer. Washing out a bag and getting it dry and germ-free is a tricky proposition. However, if you remove the contents while still frozen and pop the bag back in the freezer immediately, then it is a simple thing to rinse and reuse, particularly if you are putting something directly back in the freezer. I am not sure if the Food Police would approve of this, but I am quite sure that the Recycle Queen would't complain although there may be some raised eyebrows when a stash of empty bags is discovered in your freezer. 


How to use your Turkey Stock

• Replace part of the water with turkey stock when cooking rice or grain.
• Add to canned spaghetti sauce for less "tomatoey" taste.
• Soups, of course, even chili or cream soups
• Replace part of the milk with turkey stock in a cream sauce

Oven Turkey Stock
For a printable recipe click here.

Turkey Bones, neck and gizzard if desired

1-2  onions

3-4 carrots

3-4 celery stalks

3-5 parsley stalks, optional

3 sprigs thyme or 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

7-9 peppercorns, could use ground pepper

bay leaf, if desired
Water to cover (I used about 1 1/2 gallons)

Leave bones, neck and gizzard in roaster. Wash and coarsely chop onions, carrots and celery. Add parsley, thyme and peppercorns as well as a bay leaf, if desired.  Cover with water. Place in a 325 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours. Cool slightly and then strain into containers. Discard bones and vegetables. Refrigerate stock overnight. Remove fat which has hardened on the top. Stock can be used or frozen for later use. Makes at least a gallon of stock.