Would you like some super-easy guacamole to put on top of your cheap homemade burritos?  Here's a recipe you can make with your eyes closed!

Don't skip using the citrus juice or vinegar; the acidity prevents the avocado from turning brown (oxidation).

Simplest Guacamole

1 avocado
1 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice, 
       OR 1 Tbsp. vinegar and 1 drop lime or lemon essential oil
Salt to taste
chili powder to taste (optional)

Mash the avocado with the juice.  Sprinkle with salt.

You can jazz this up many ways: other flavor options are to stir in chopped or pureed tomato or onion, a little salsa, mixed in diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, or some sour cream. 

This can also be made into an easy salad dressing: increase juice to 2 Tbsp and stir in 3 Tbsp. olive oil.  To make it even creamier- and lighter-, puree this along with a medium-sized cucumber. A big handful of cilantro added before blending provides a nice flavor boost.  If the dressing is too thick, add more lime/lemon juice and oil.

No, this one doesn't have any wine in it; it's not THAT kind of cooler.   It just... makes you cooler.  Both ways.  (Right?)

This is great for using overripe fruit, which is what I happened to have sitting on my countertop.  The pear needed a couple bruises cut off, then it was ready to become part of a cold, refreshing, lightly sweet drink with a hint of mint.

1 pear
1 banana, the darker the better
one 4" sprig of fresh mint
1 tray of ice cubes
2 cups water
1-2 Tbsp. honey, optional

Put all in a blender, run on high until smooth.  Makes about 4 cups.

This recipe makes a big batch, about 11-12 cups (5 pounds) of refried beans.  The point is to have enough to freeze for later.  Since I buy beans in 25-lb bags for about $17, the beans for this cost just $1.40, a big onion was $ .30.  Not counting the spices – which are a small amount- this adds up to just under $ .08 for each half-cup serving of refried beans!  I used them to make some burritos to freeze for my husband’s lunches.

You can make these fat-free, but I prefer to use at least some fat, for a few reasons.  One is that it helps in digestion- fiber is easier on your system when there’s some fat there to help it along.  Another is that it helps make certain vitamins available- vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble, which means if you don’t eat fat along with those vitamins in your food, your body is not able to absorb them.  Besides all that, fat helps you stay full longer, plus helps the beans taste more moist and delicious!

According to CalorieCount, a half-cup of these -before the cheese- have 3.7g fat, 15g fiber, 21g protein, 27% of your RDA for iron, plus are high in magnesium, potassium, and thiamin.  How’s that for cheap, filling nutrition?

5 cups dry beans (about 2 lbs) – I used black beans but pinto are also good
1-2 onions, coarsely chopped
9 cups water

Sort through the beans and remove any dirt or rocks.  Rinse them, then put the beans, onion, and water in a pressure cooker.  Put the lid on and bring up to pressure.  Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes.   Let the pressure drop completely before opening up.  

If you don't have a pressure cooker, put the beans and onion in a big pot, cover with about 3 quarts of water (12 cups), bring to a boil, and simmer for about 4 hours.  Check occasionally to make sure there's still enough water to barely cover the beans, adding more if needed.

You’ll have about 12 cups of cooked beans.  Drain them but keep the liquid.  Stir in:
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. liquid smoke
¼  c. coconut oil – OR use bacon drippings and omit the liquid smoke

Puree or mash them - I put 3 cups at a time in my blender.  Add a little cooking liquid if they’re too thick.  They WILL thicken some as they cool.  Taste them and add more of any seasoning you think they still need.  This version is lightly flavored.

To make bean and cheese burritos, stir in 4-8 oz. mild or medium cheese, shredded on the biggest shredding holes.

If you’re making 6-oz burritos, you’ll need about 24 flour tortillas (size about 8” across). If you want 4-oz burritos, you’ll need about 40-48 tortillas.

My 12-year-old science nut convinced me to buy a red cabbage-  why?   

While walking through the produce section together, I had told him that the vegetable could be used to make a pH indicator.  He was excited.   You can see how to do this in the one-minute video, below.
Meanwhile, you don't need the whole head of cabbage for such a project, so it got chopped up into a creamy, flavorful, no-mayonnaise coleslaw.  The recipe is below this cabbage video. 

Isn't that simple?  If you don't have a coffee filter, any other absorbent paper will work, including (white) construction paper or paper towels.  My favorite is the construction paper.  You can read more about why this works here. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * 
Coleslaw with Bacon and Buttermilk (or Kefir) Dressing
adapted from America's Test Kitchen

If you are going to eat this coleslaw RIGHT AWAY, you can skip the salting step, which keeps the cabbage from releasing water and diluting the dressing as it sits.  However, if you’re not a fan of raw onion, cook it along with the bacon; salting the onion also mellows it.

½ medium head of red or green cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot or apple, grated
½ medium onion, sliced thin
Salt
6 slices bacon, chopped, cooked and drained
½ c. buttermilk or kefir
2 Tbsp. oil (I used coconut oil)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ Tbsp. caraway seeds
¼ tsp. mustard (dry or prepared)
2 tsp. sugar or honey
Black pepper to taste

Combine the cabbage, carrot/apple, and onion in a colander; sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt. Let stand over a bowl until the veggies wilt, 1-4 hours.  Rinse, drain, and pat dry.  Add in the bacon (and onion if you cooked them together.)  Stir together the buttermilk/kefir, oil, vinegar, caraway, mustard, and sugar.  Pour over the salad, and toss to coat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

One of the things that makes me happiest is seeing people be creative and resourceful- what can they make or do with what they already have?  This group, below, has taken that a new direction-  and it's a blast!

(Now I'm REALLY wanting to get a baby grand...  it doesn't quite work the same on an upright piano!)

I recently answered a question about how someone could make a Bisquick recipe when he didn't actually have any of the baking mix.  You can make your own mix to have on hand, but that's not necessary either.  Here's one way you can do it. 

Find your favorite Bisquick recipe (one is below), but make your own substitute.  Bisquick is simply a mixture of flour, leavening, shortening/fat, and salt.

The following recipe calls for 2 cups of Bisquick.  To get 2 cups of substitute, do this:

Pull out a one-cup measuring cup. Put in the bottom of it: 2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 cup shortening, coconut oil, or softened butter. Fill the cup the rest of the way with flour, and level off.  Dump this into your mixing bowl and mash with a fork until the butter/shortening is mixed in. Add one more cup of flour. This is your "Bisquick".  Proceed with the rest of the recipe.   You can find a ton of recipes at the Bisquick site.


7-Up Biscuits (especially tender and light)

◦3 Tbsp butter, cut in 3-4 pieces
◦2 cups Bisquick
◦1/2 cup sour cream
◦1/2 cup 7-Up or other lemon lime soda

Preheat the oven to 450 F.   Put the butter in a 9x9 pan and put it in the oven to melt.  Meanwhile, put the Bisquick (or your substitute ! ) in a bowl and stir the sour cream into it.  Stir in the 7-Up.  This dough is soft.   Pull the melted butter out of the oven.   Sprinkle some flour on the counter, dump the dough out on top of it, and sprinkle the dough with a little bit of flour.  Pat it about 1/2" thick.  Cut with a biscuit cutter, a canning jar ring, or the mouth of a drinking glass.  (You can pat it into a square, and cut 9 even squares out of it, instead.)  Put the biscuits in the pan, on top of the melted butter, and baked about 10 minutes, until golden brown.

This recipe came earlier from 
http://realmomkitchen.com/8665/7-up-bisc…

With a name like “Tres Leches” (“Three Milks”), you’re not going to get a truly authentic recipe without using dairy, but this one has the creamy moistness of the real deal.  If you can have dairy products, use the ‘tres leches’ mixture from my other, traditional, Tres Leches Cake.


Make the ‘tres leches’ mixture:
1 14-oz can coconut cream (NOT cream of coconut), divided
3/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil, or dairy-free margarine
1 tsp. vanilla
1 14-oz can coconut milk

Combine 2/3 c. of the coconut cream, sugar, and oil/margarine.  Boil until thickened and darker; it took about 8 minutes in my microwave.  Add the vanilla and remainder of the coconut cream.  Set aside to cool.

Make the Vanilla Cake from Living Without magazine.  I made it without eggs, as well (more allergies); instructions for doing that are included below the recipe.  (However, I didn’t have egg replacer, so I replaced the 4 eggs with 1/2 c. applesauce, 2 tsp. baking powder, and 3 Tbsp. water.)

When the cake is done baking, let it cool for ten minutes, then poke holes with a skewer, every inch all over the top.  Pour the coconut cream mixture over the top. Refrigerate at least 3 hours; overnight is better.

Whipped (coconut) cream topping
1 14-oz can coconut cream, well chilled
3 Tbsp. sugar, honey, or corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
Whip all together until fluffy, then spread on top of cake.   Using the honey or corn syrup will help stabilize the cream so it doesn’t go flat as quickly.
To get REALLY stable whipped cream, soften 1 tsp. unflavored gelatin in 1 Tbsp. water, then dissolve (12 seconds in microwave works).  Let cool slightly before pouring slowly into partially-whipped cream.

Or Lime Silk Pie.  Just put all the filling in an 8" pie crust.  The recipe is also gluten-free.  If you change the fruit to orange, and add cocoa powder, you get Chocolate Truffle Pie.

A friend recently sent me a very strange-sounding chocolate pie recipe, using avocados and coconut oil in the filling for some healthy fat.  It was so unusual I just had to try it!

It was shockingly good.  So good it deserved some variations. 

This one doesn't use cocoa at all, and takes advantage of the natural green color from the avocados.   

Are you intrigued yet?

Toasty Coconut Crust: (or use your favorite crust)
2 Tbsp. honey
½ c. coconut oil
1/4 tsp. sea salt
2 c. toasted fine-flake coconut

Pull out an 8” pie pan, OR for tartlets, line 30 mini-muffin tins with paper liners (optional, for easier removal).  Stir together the honey, coconut oil, and salt.  Add coconut and mix until smooth.  Press into the pie pan or muffin tins.  For the latter, use 1 Tbsp. per mini muffin tin and press.    Put in the freezer for 10 minutes, while you make the filling.  For easiest removal, take the mini crusts out of the pan (still in the liners) when firm, before adding the filling.

Filling:
2 avocados, about 4-5 oz. apiece
½ c. coconut oil
½ c. honey
½ c. fresh lime juice (or use the juice of 3 limes and make up the difference with water)
1 Tbsp. lime zest, or 6-8 drops lime essential oil
2 Tbsp. coconut cream concentrate (optional but softens the sharpness a little)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Put all the filling ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Pour into your prepared crust.  Chill at least four hours, until firm.  (To speed it up, try 30 minutes in the freezer.)  Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes if you want the filling a little softer.

Garnish with a dollop of coconut yogurt (or sour cream if dairy’s OK for you) and a bit of lime zest.    Makes one 8” pie or about 30 tartlets.


One website dedicated to avocado recipes - including both unique and stand-by recipes- is TheAmazingAvocado.com   

I'd love to hear back from you once you try this lime pie!

What else do you  do with avocados? 

Do you need a quick pizza crust?  This one doesn't require any rising time, which means you could have a fresh-baked pizza in less time than it takes to order out!

You may like this even if you don't have to avoid wheat or gluten.  If you don't these flours and gluten's OK for you,  the recipe can be modified back to a wheat-based crust; just use a total of 2 cups flour.

Gluten-free pizza crust

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca flour/starch (or adjust these 3 ingredients to total 2 cups)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 to 1 cup water or milk, just off boiling (very hot!)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F, grease a pizza pan or baking sheet.
Stir together flours/starches, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir in the hot water or milk and stir until it forms a dough. Pat about 1/4" thick onto the pan you're using.  Bake until just set, about 10-15 minutes, depending on thickness. Add your sauce and toppings and return the pizza to the oven until cheese is melted. (I like to put it under the broiler for 2 minutes instead, to get browned & bubbling bits on the cheese.)

There are some shade-loving, spiny-leather-leaved shrubs known as "Oregon Grape" (Mahonia).  At least one variety is native to the Rocky Mountain area, but nurseries sell different, -bigger- ones for use in landscaping. 

The berries ("grapes") are very tart but make delicious jelly.  They're free, too!

Pick the berries when they're completely blue.  They'll have a greyish-blue coating on them that will rub off, this is normal.  You don't have to rub it off.  For this size batch of jelly, I had about four cups of berries.

Rinse them, then put them in a pan.  Mash them, then add water, 1" deeper than the berries.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 20-30 minutes, until they're very soft.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, a few layers of cheesecloth, or a single layer of cotton fabric.  Let it drip for ten minutes or so.  You can press down on it with a spoon to get more juice, but this will squeeze more solids into the juice, yielding cloudy jelly.

Follow the directions for grape jelly from your brand of pectin, or use these quantities:

Combine 5 cups juice with 7 cups sugar, bring to a full boil for two minutes.  Stir in one box of pectin (THIS WILL FOAM UP!- use a bigger pan than you think you'll need.) and return to a full boil. Let it boil 2 minutes more, then pour into your sterilized jars.  Top with new lids (warmed in water), screw on the bands.  Process for 10 minutes.  This makes 7 tp 8 half-pints of jelly.   If you used a big enough pan, you can scrub it out, put 1" of water in the bottom, bring it to a boil, put the jars full of hot jelly into this pan, cover with a lid, and let it steam (simmer) for the ten minutes of processing time.  Lift out carefully and put them on a dry dishtowel on the counter.  Cool completely.

When the jelly is completely cool (usually the next day), wash the jars and remove the rings.  Dry the tops, label with the year and what's in the jar.

For more detailed instructions, see a post at one of my favorite websites, http://www.pickyourown.org/grapejelly.htm 

I grew up with the vague idea that the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were kind of the same thing.  Or at least I thought they were written at the same time.  Now that I know more, I want my children to know and understand better the background and history of each.  This way they can better appreciate what our Founders set up, why they did it, and at what cost.

This year I ran across the following quote, which sparked an even greater desire to learn and teach:

“If American freedom is lost, if America is destroyed, it may be by Americans who salute the flag, sing the national anthem, march in patriotic parades, cheer Fourth of July speakers–normally good Americans, but Americans who fail to comprehend what is required to keep our country strong and free – Americans who have been lulled away into a false security... 

If America is to withstand these influences and trends, there must be a renewal of the spirit of our forefathers, an appreciation of the American way of life, a strengthening of muscle and sinew and the character of the nation. America needs guts as well as guns. National character is the core of national defense.” –Ezra Taft Benson

Hosea  4:6  “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee... seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

"Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."   James Madison  Aug 4, 1822

The lesson is below this photo.

Of course, your family may only need some of these pieces, or something different, or a shorter version, or longer.  Pray to know what they need.  God cares about what we learn and teach!
*********************************************** 

FHE lesson on The Declaration of Independence

Sing a song: God Bless America,  or My Country, 'Tis of Thee

Have an opening prayer

Introduce the topic:  Hand everyone something little like pennies (or pieces of cereal, or jelly beans).  Give them several, based on how much they helped today, or if they did all of their chores (so they feel ownership).  Tell them they are like the 13 Colonies, and you’ll be England.  Take some of the pennies back and give all of them to one person.  How do they feel? 
Explain that when a government takes money from you without you getting to have a say in where it's used, it's called "taxation without representation".   The colonists knew it wasn't right, England's own Constitution even guaranteed them a say in how tax money was spent.  (With older children, you can explain more about the Stamp Act of 1765, or the Boston Tea Party in 1773.)

Have someone read D&C 134:1-2, the LDS Statement of Belief on government:

We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

 We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

Ask: What was wrong with how the colonies were treated?


The colonies had been fighting with England for a couple years already.  At first they were fighting for their right to be treated fairly, but by the summer of 1776 they decided that the only good solution was to become their own nation.

July 4th, when they finalized the Declaration of Independence, became the birthday for The United States of America.  It was the beginning of our nation but the bigger deal was how our leaders claimed that right- not from men, but from rights given to all mankind by God.

“The Declaration has three parts—the famous Preamble, a list of charges against King George III, and a conclusion. The Preamble summarizes the fundamental principles of American self-government. The list of charges against the king presents examples of the violation of those principles. The stirring conclusion calls for duty, action, and sacrifice.” ( -The Heritage Foundation- great article!!)

_________________
Read The Declaration of Independence! (see a photo of the original here.)

Words you might need to explain or discuss:

self-evident -they prove themselves true

unalienable -cannot be given up or taken

pursuit of happiness- living to your full potential, bettering yourself and your situation

evinces -shows or proves

Despotism -(1828 Webster’s: ‘Absolute power; authority unlimited and uncontrolled by men, constitution or laws, and depending alone on the will of the prince)
____________

Encourage application:

Read or relate the following: John Adams wrote in a letter to his wife Abigail:

“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”

(Note: A rough draft of the Declaration of Independence was written in June 1776;  July 2nd  is the date the Continental Congress  unanimously voted for separation from Great Britain.  The Declaration was modified a little, then read and approved on July 4, 1776, though it may not have been signed until August.)

Have someone read 1Thessalonians 5:18  In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Ask: How can you show that you remember and are grateful for our nation and freedoms?  
Bear your testimony of the great blessings God has given us.

Closing song: America the Beautiful
Closing prayer
-----------------
Choose one or more activities (or do one of these each day for a week):

-Make paper pinwheels 

-Watch a Mormon Messages video: What Freedoms Are you Grateful For?

-Ring a “Liberty bell”-  Hang a bell from a rope.  Take turns telling each other some blessing that you’re grateful for; each person gets to toss a beanbag or ball at the bell for every blessing mentioned.

If you don’t have a bell, you can make one out of cardboard or cardstock, or punch two holes in the bottom of an empty soup can (run a piece of yarn, string, or  a twist tie through the two holes; you can hook onto something for a clapper at the same time), or  make a bell from a porcelain or glass cup.  One of my children drew a large bell,  taped it to a thread, which was tied onto the ceiling fan pull (I asked him to draw a bell and find some way to hang it someplace) ... the game was a big  hit with them!  (I did have to remind them the goal was to RING the bell, not DESTROY it.)

-Write a Family Creed

-Make and hang a sign saying "Remember" over the inside of your front door.

-Decorate your table, living room, or porch with flags and red, white, and blue.

-Eat red, white, and blue foods:

Blue and white tortilla chips with salsa (red!)

Today I read an article detailing Nestle's 'horrific' discovery that children are actually helping harvest the cacao in Ivory Coast.  They pledged to help end the practice, and bewailed the fact that the practice still exists despite industry's discouragement of it.  They mentioned in passing that the recent political and economic turmoil (civil war) in Ivory Coast has made it necessary for everyone, including children, to work, and that farmers had to work "excessively long hours".  The FLA (Fair Labor Association)'s brainy solution is to end child labor by... ending poverty.

I'm sorry, Nestle and others are misguided. 

You cannot end poverty without the people improving their own situation- which can only be done by either consuming less than you earn, or earning more than you consume.  Where do the money and goods come from, without lots of individual effort? 

I grew up on a farm.  I wasn't happy with that fact until the year before I graduated, when I realized how much of a blessing that hard work had been.    I also saw my parents work harder than I had.  When it was hay-baling time, that hay had to be baled at exactly the right stage or it lost nutrition.  On top of that, we had to work around the weather.  If it rained, we had to either wait for the hay to dry out, or bale it quickly before the storm hit.  My dad worked 16-hour days during the summer to begin with, and that extended up to 24-30 hours straight during baling.  We older kids had to be out the door by 6 a.m. the whole summer to move sprinkler pipes: quarter-mile long systems made of forty-foot lengths of aluminum, each needing to be unhooked, carried forward 40 feet through tangles of knee-high alfalfa, hooked back together, and turned on.   I drove tractors, planted acres of grain, learned to shoot a rifle (at ground squirrels destroying our irrigating system), tossed heavy hay bales, bottle-fed calves in minus-30-degree weather, slogged through early-spring mud, lost boots and socks to mud holes in fields-- and learned to stop, think, notice, and appreciate better what was around me.  The summer of my junior year in high school, I saw that not only had the work helped shape my attitude and outlook, it also gave me a chance to work together with my family, strengthening ties and accomplishing mutual goals.

Too many times our good intentions, forced on others, lead to serious deterioration of a nation.  The extent to which our own nation has mandated child labor laws has resulted in a nation of young and middle-aged people with a serious entitlement mentality.  They don't understand that progress and prosperity have long, hard work at their core, and believe too often that someone else should provide for them.  Take the Occupy Wall Street group, for instance.  Or nearly any liberal/progressive.

I wish that my children had the opportunity  to spend long days harvesting cacao pods- or strawberries- or whatever else bureaucrats think is "too hard".   It's difficult for me, as a citydweller, to find enough work for them to keep their minds and bodies healthy.  They can't get official "jobs" until they're 14 or 16, by which time many of their lifetime habits have already been developed.  I've been surprised when my children think it's "too hard" learning to ride a bike, or to learn their math facts, or anything that has delayed gratification.   Hard work not only develops muscle and sinew but character and tenacity.

Justice William O. Douglas stated, “Those in power need checks and restraints lest they come to identify the common good from their own tastes and desires, and their continuation in office as essential to the preservation of the nation."

Nations go through challenging times,  it's required of everyone to work or to stay in spiraling poverty.

Work is not a bad thing.  People emerge stronger. 
________________________
More than 150 years ago, a French economist wrote about the same thing, declaring that only bad economists confine themeselves to the visible effect.  Here's an excerpt from Frederic Bastiat's "What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen".  It's brilliant.  You can read the entire excerpt at http://www.thefreemanonline.org/features/what-is-seen-and-what-is-not-seen-2/  or the whole essay at http://bastiat.org/en/twisatwins.html

This excerpt is from the first chapter of Selected Essays on Political Economy, translated by Seymour Cain and edited by George B. de Huszar, published by the Foundation for Economic Education.

In the economic sphere an act, a habit, an institution, a law produces not only one effect, but a series of effects. Of these effects, the first alone is immediate; it appears simultaneously with its cause; it is seen. The other effects emerge only subsequently; they are not seen; we are fortunate if we foresee them.[1]

There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one: the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects that must be foreseen.

Yet this difference is tremendous; for it almost always happens that when the immediate consequence is favorable, the later consequences are disastrous, and vice versa. Whence it follows that the bad economist pursues a small present good that will be followed by a great evil to come, while the good economist pursues a great good to come, at the risk of a small present evil.

The same thing, of course, is true of health and morals. Often, the sweeter the first fruit of a habit, the more bitter are its later fruits: for example, debauchery, sloth, prodigality. When a man is impressed by the effect that is seen and has not yet learned to discern the effects that are not seen, he indulges in deplorable habits, not only through natural inclination, but deliberately.

This explains man’s necessarily painful evolution. Ignorance surrounds him at his cradle; therefore, he regulates his acts according to their first consequences, the only ones that, in his infancy, he can see. It is only after a long time that he learns to take account of the others. Two very different masters teach him this lesson: experience and foresight. Experience teaches efficaciously but brutally. It instructs us in all the effects of an act by making us feel them, and we cannot fail to learn eventually, from having been burned ourselves, that fire burns. I should prefer, in so far as possible, to replace this rude teacher with one more gentle: foresight. For that reason I shall investigate the consequences of several economic phenomena, contrasting those that are seen with those that are not seen."


What's an example that you have seen of this principle?

Have you seen pallets lying around your town?  Have you wondered what to do with them?  This video has rapid-fire ideas; some I've seen, most I hadn't! 

Since it's so fast, though, my personal suggestion is to watch it straight through, then watch it again with your cursor on the 'pause' button.

(If you like the tune, it's "Popcorn" by Gershon Kingsley;  my  favorite version is  with the Swedish Chef from The Muppets.  But I digress...)

Do you know the difference between baking soda and baking powder?  

How long have they been around?

Baking soda, sodium bicarbonate is an alkaline powder; when it is mixed with acidic ingredients, the two react and form carbon dioxide bubbles.  The bubbles lift and lighten batter as it bakes; baking must be done right away, before the bubbles dissipate and you lose its leavening power.  Common acidic ingredients include vinegar, buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, cream of tartar, brown sugar, and honey.  Baking soda also helps foods brown better, since moderate alkalinity, along with heat,  is a catalyst for the Maillard Reaction (the reason, other than caramelization, that cooked foods turn brown).

Baking powder is a combination of alkaline, acid (cream of tartar), and starch.  You don't need to use acidic ingredients in recipes using just baking powder, since the balance is already there.  Most baking powders are made with two different alkaline powders- one that reacts right away (baking soda), and one that reacts only with heat.  This way you can save some of that leavening power for when the food is actually IN the oven.  The starch is there to help absorb moisture so the powders don't react in the can and to help the powder stay free-flowing.

To use baking soda instead of baking powder, use 1/3 the amount, and make sure there's something acidic in the batter.  For instance, if your recipe calls for 1 Tbsp (which is 3 tsp.) baking powder, you can use 1 tsp. baking soda, and use buttermilk- or sour milk-  instead of regular milk.  Or mix in 1 tsp. cream of tartar.  Or use brown sugar instead of white.  

This works in reverse, too: if your biscuit recipe calls for buttermilk and you only have plain milk, use it but switch that 1 tsp. baking soda for 1 Tbsp. baking powder (or whatever it calls for, keeping that 1:3 ratio).

As far as I can find, baking powder wasn't invented until the 1800's, but leavening powders have been around at least for centuries.  Some of the earlier ones include:

Baker's Ammonia (ammonium carbonate, "hartshorn"; NOT cleaning ammonia!- which is poisonous)- made from powdered reindeer horn.  (Seriously.)  This one actually has characteristics more of baking powder, substitutes 1:1 for it, and makes cookies especially crisp and light.

Potash or pearl ash (potassium carbonate, an alkaline salt)- made by adding water to  the ashes of 'vegetables' or weeds, steeping overnight, then evaporating all the water by boiling.  The fine 'ash' left is used as baking soda.  There's a fascinating article on the process in the 1802 "Domestic Encyclopedia"

Saleratus, or soda ash (sodium carbonate, an alkaline salt)- also known as washing soda... sometimes used also in the boiling water step of making bagels, as it helps them brown better (Maillard reaction!!!).  An interesting bit of chemistry with this one is that when you heat  sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) by itself above about 160 F, you end up with sodium carbonate (washing soda), with byproducts of carbon dioxide and water (which dissipate into the air).  2NaHCO3(sodium bicarbonate) → Na2CO3(sodium carbonate)+ H2O + CO2  (It works fastest at 400 F.)

Baking soda's first large-scale appearance was in 1846, when a factory was built to make this new product, created by doing the opposite of the formula above- dissolving sodium carbonate in water, then pumping in carbon dioxide.  (There's a more efficient method now.)

  Can you believe we've had this useful leavener less than 200 years, and baking powder less than 150?     Boy, are we spoiled in the kitchen nowadays...



Read more:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Leaven.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saleratus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washing_soda
http://chestofbooks.com/reference/The-Domestic-Encyclopaedia-Vol3/Pearl-Ash.html

Being used to fresh, fragrant, flavorful whole wheat bread, hotdog buns from the store are something I tolerate but don't like.  (White, squishy, pasty stuff.  And if it ever gets wet... OK, I'll stop now.)

Making your own hot dog buns - or hamburger buns- is very simple.  You can make a bunch at once, cool and slice them, then put them in a bag in the freezer to use later.  They are delicious!

Homemade Hotdog Buns

Start with any bread dough, this time I used buttermilk-honey whole wheat.  Pinch off about 2 oz. dough, a little bigger than a golf ball but a little smaller than a racquetball.   Roll one under your hand on the countertop until it’s the length of a hotdog. Place about 1” apart on a greased baking sheet.  Let rise until nearly double, brush with a little beaten egg if you want deeper color and some and then bake about 15 minutes at 375 until bottoms are golden brown.  See slideshow below.    Two pounds of dough will make 16 buns; my 2-loaf recipe will make about 24 buns.    You can fit 16-20 buns on one 12x18 baking sheet.  You could  fit more, but they'll be so squished they'll only rise UP, and not spread like you need.

Faster rising & baking:

Turn your oven into a proofing box!  Move the rack inside to the next notch higher.  Turn oven to 375, let it heat for ONLY 1-2 minutes.  Turn off the heat, pour a half cup of water on the oven floor (DON’T pour it on the element!) and put your shaped dough in.  Let rise in the warm, steamy oven for 20 minutes.  Turn the oven back on to 375 – leave the tray in this time- and set the timer for 20 minutes.  The oven preheating will accelerate the buns’ rising and increase ‘oven spring’, as long as you had steam in there so the buns’ crust doesn’t set too soon.  You’re baking them here, too.    The tops won’t brown on their own this way, with most the heat coming from the lower element, so when you have 2 minutes left  (from the 20), turn the oven off, turn the broiler to high, and let the buns stay there, under the broiler, for that last 1 ½- 2 minutes.  They’ll brown.  Unevenly.  But they'll brown.

Pull out and brush the tops with butter or oil.

In the last few years, we've all heard that it's more inexpensive to eat high-calorie, nutrient-sparse foods.    Are we then doomed to a life of either nasty nutrition or perpetual poverty because of our ballooning food budget?

No way!   The whole premise turns out to not really be true.


But then, those of you who cook your own food probably took the earlier studies with a grain of salt.

Fresh and whole foods are cheaper especially if eating from scratch... whole grains and legumes are especially inexpensive per serving (you know, that stuff that stores long-term really well!).

The original studies, we now learn, were comparing price per calorie in healthy vs. unhealthy foods.

Now, if you're comparing a fresh apple to a side order of fries, it looks something like this:

1 medium apple, about 5 ounces (141g) = about 80 calories    at $1.50/lb,  this costs $ .47  (if you buy them when they're on sale for $1/lb, then it's $ .31)

1 medium order of McDonald's fries, about 5 ounces (147 g) = 453 calories, in my city it costs $1.49

Both weigh approximately the same.  You'll feel about as full with each one; they both fill the same amount of space in your stomach.  According to the old numbers, though, the fries are much cheaper because   $1.49 divided by 453 calories gets you 3 calories per penny.  The apple, at $ .47 for 80 calories, comes out at 1.7 calories per penny. 

This would matter in a country where every calorie is precious.  Our problem here, though is the reverse.  Most of us eat too many calories, and being full with fewer calories is a helpful thing.

The price difference gets worse, too.  Here in Utah, sales tax on food is 3%.  Sales tax on food from a restaurant, however, is 8%.  That means you're paying one to two cents to the government when you buy the apple, and twelve cents when buying those French fries.  (Maybe that's where the money came from to fund that first study saying fast food was cheaper?!)

So is healthy food always cheaper than fast food?  No, not always.  Often.  It depends on what you buy.  (like Dave Ramsey says, eat "beans and rice; rice and beans" for those trying to live very frugally.) 

But your grocery budget already told you that.

************************************************
Click on the link below to read the article that sparked this blog entry:

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Market/Are-healthy-foods-really-more-expensive-Not-necessarily-say-USDA-researchers

A little while ago I went to a local specialty store, Against The Grain, which is specifically for those who can't have wheat or gluten, to pick up some Expandex.  While there, I saw some individually wrapped, big mound-looking macaroons.  They were 2 ounces apiece, about 3" across,  and cost $1.29.   The ONLY ingredients on the list were coconut, egg whites, and honey.  It sounded healthy and yummy, so I bought one to figure out how to make them.  They are not the light, crunchy, meringue-type macaroons, but instead a dense, more lightly sweet confection. 

The coconut provides a high amount of fiber (75% of the carbs in coconut are fiber!- coconut fiber has been shown to control blood sugar especially well), as well as some healthy fats (medium-chain fatty acids, including lauric acid).  Read an article here, or a website on coconut research here.

The egg white helps bind it, and contributes protein.

The honey, of course, sweetens it, as well as helping moisten and bind.

Here's what I ended up with after a couple experiments:

Three-Ingredient Macaroons

2 egg whites
1/2 c. honey
3 cups unsweetened, fine-flake coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment, or grease it.  Beat the egg whites until just foamy, then whisk in the honey.  Stir in the coconut until well mixed.  If it won't hold its shape yet, let it sit for 15-30 minutes to let the moisture absorb into the coconut. 

Use 1/4 cup packed (1.7 oz prebaked weight) for 1 1/2 oz macaroons, or a scant 1/3 c. scoop for 2 oz (2.2 oz. prebaked weight), bake  17-18 minutes, until just turning brown on the tops.  Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes before you take them off; otherwise they'll fall apart.

This makes 12 (1 1/2 ounce) macaroons, or 9-10 (2 ounce) ones.

Have you ever looked at the gourmet syrups on the store shelf?  Have they sounded delicious, but cost more than you're willing- or able- to spend?


Start with one jar-- any size-- of jam, jelly, or preserves.  Scoop into a bowl, then fill the now-empty jar about halfway full with water; use a little less if the jam was runny, a little more if it's very thick.  Add about 1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice for each 1-2 cups you now have, to perk up the flavor (optional but good).  Whisk together until evenly mixed.  Serve warm.

18 ounces of jam will yield 26-28 ounces of syrup.

You can use any kind, homemade or storebought, including the ones made with no added sugar.  It's a handy way to use up jam or jelly when you've made/bought way more than y

We've tried blackberry, rhubarb, apricot, elderberry, black currant, blueberry, cherry... 
next maybe I'll pull out a jar of lemon-honey marmalade.  That should be fantastic with blueberry pancakes!

My vivacious 86-year-old grandmother bottles pineapple on a regular basis- has since before I was born- since she lives near a plentiful source.   She is one of those people who knows how to make anything  out of anything  and waste precious little to none of it.    As she ate some of my fresh pineapple salad earlier this week, she related how she'd been teaching my cousin to bottle fruit.  I was intrigued with what she told me about using the peel and cores.  Growing up, we kids used to always chew up the cores, which are admittedly tough and less flavorful, but we could only handle a few before the acids started hurting our mouths.  See the slideshow above to learn what she does with them.

Once you've cut the pineapple  into wedges, free of cores and peels, it's ready to cut into whatever size you want.  You can then bottle it, freeze it, or use it right away.  Like all cut fruit, it has a relatively short refrigerator life.