Do you not use dry beans as often as you intend to because they take so long to cook?  I used to have a designated "bean day" once a week, but fell off the wagon a while ago.  Here's the answer...

There are ways to speed  up how fast they cook.  If you have a pressure cooker, it can take as little as 30 minutes to cook the beans. 

If you have a grain mill (or even a blender), it can be even faster. 

Make bean flour with your mill; it cooks in only 5 minutes of simmering. 
If you use your blender, put 1-2 cups of beans in the blender jar; run on high speed until powdered.  Pour the powder through a fine-mesh sieve to catch any bigger pieces; those can take a half hour to cook.

Cooked bean flour has the texture of very smooth refried beans.  They can be thinned with water, milk, or evaporated milk to the consistency of white sauce or cream soups.  White beans are recommended for these uses, though, just because you want it to look 'normal'.  Add seasonings to taste, and you can have nearly instant soup!
If you make them regular refried bean consistency, unseasoned beans can even be substituted for at least half the fat in baked foods.  You might be able to substitute them for all the fat, but try half first.  Then work up.  For that, use the recipe for 5-minute Refried Beans, below, but only use water and bean flour, not the  spices or salt.

Store extra bean flour in a tightly covered container, to keep out pests.  Its expected shelf life is 6 months; you can extend that by keeping it dark and cool, or freezing it.  It can last longer on the shelf than 6 months, as well- smell it to see if it has gone rancid.  If it smells and tastes fine, it still should be.


5-minute Refried Beans

2 ½ c. water
½ - ¾ tsp. salt
Pinch garlic powder, opt
¾ c. pinto or black bean flour
¼ tsp. cumin
½ -1 tsp. chili powder

Heat water to boil, whisk in dry ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute, until thick.  Reduce to low, cover and cook 4 minutes.  This will thicken as it cools.  Add ½ c. salsa if you want.  My family likes it best with cubed Cheddar or Mozzarella mixed in; I use 1/2- 1 c. cheese in about 1/4" cubes.
 

“Instant” Refried Bean Mix

1 ½ c. pinto or black bean flour
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. cumin
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried onion

Mix and store airtight.

Whisk ¾ c. of this mixture into 2 ½ c. boiling water.  Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute, until thick.  Reduce to low, cover and cook 4 minutes.  This will thicken as it cools.  Add ½ c. salsa if you like.


3-Minute “Cream of Chicken Soup”

3 c. boiling water
1/2 c. fine white bean flour
1 T. chicken bouillon granules
1/2 c. diced chicken, optional
1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning or sage, optional


Whisk together water, flour, & bouillon over medium heat, stir and cook 3 minutes.  Blend 1-2 minutes.  Add chicken.


Find more recipes like this at http://realfoodliving.com/book-reviews/country-beans-by-rita-bingham  

When looking for the "Cookie and a Kiss" poem I posted last week, I ran across some excellent, related, prose.  Considering that this week is  our ward's annual "Primary Program" and I'm in charge of it, and that I'm trying to get my cookbook file sent to the publisher, here's an easy post: a list of the 'recipes' I loved:

Do you have summer squash and tomatoes coming out your ears?  This is a delicious way to use quite a bit of that summertime produce- zucchini and yellow squash baked with caramelized onions and sweet roasted tomatoes.  You can use 2 lbs of any summer squash, but the green and yellow here are pretty together.

Normally a dish like this would be soupy, since these high-water-content vegetables lose moisture as they cook.  These are salted while raw; the salt draws out water.  This makes a big difference.

Two 6-8" long zucchini equal about one pound.

Vegetable Gratin
1 lb. zucchini, sliced 1/4" thick
1 lb.  yellow summer squash, sliced 1/4" thick
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. ripe tomatoes (3-4 large ones), sliced 1/4" thick
2 medium onions, halved then sliced thin pole to pole
3/4 tsp. black pepper
5 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves (1 tsp. dried)
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil

Toss zucchini with 1 tsp. of the salt; put them in a colander over a bowl.  Let stand 45 minutes or until at least 3 Tbsp. liquid drains off.   Put the tomato slices on paper towels or a dish towel, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt; let stand for 30 minutes.  Put another towel or paper towels on top of the tomatoes to press them dry.  Pat squash dry with a dish towel or paper towel. While the vegetables are all draining, brush a 9x13 pan with 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil, set aside.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper.  Cook, stirring once in a while, until onions are caramelized: soft and dark golden, 20-25 minutes.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine garlic, the remaining 3 Tbsp. oil, 1/2 tsp. pepper, and thyme.  When the zucchini is drained and patted dry, toss the squash with half of the oil mixture.  Spread the squash along the bottom of the 9x13 pan.  Arrange onions on top, then put tomatoes on in a single layer, overlapping if needed.  Drizzle the rest of the garlic oil on top.  Bake about 40-45 minutes, until tomatoes start to brown on the edges.  Increase oven to 450 degrees.  Make the topping, below, and bake 10 minutes or until topping is lightly browned.  Sprinkle with basil and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Topping:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 slice white bread, shredded or crumbled (food processor or blender works well)
2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese (1 cup)
2 shallots, minced (1/4 c.- or use a mild onion)
 
Stir together.

Cherry Tomato Salad

4 cups halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-3 Tbsp. balsamic or other vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 Tbsp. chopped or torn fresh basil (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
1/2 c. shredded Asiago or Parmesan (or use a cubed mild cheese, up to 8 oz)
2 slices good-quality bread, cubed (optional to use, and best if stale)
1/2 c. halved olives

Sprinkle tomatoes with salt and put them in a colander or on some paper towels.  Let sit 30 minutes to drain juices.  Pour them off (great added to salad dressing, soup, or cornbread batter).  Toss all ingredients together, add salt and pepper to taste. 
To meld flavors and soften the bread, it's best if it sits a couple hours in the fridge; or serve immediately.

Yesterday as I dug carrots and enjoyed the slightly spicy aroma of the roots and greens, I started wondering if carrot tops are edible.  They smell so nice… not that scent is an indication of edibility.  Still, carrots are in the same family as parsley, dill, and fennel, and we eat those leaves.  On the other hand, a couple of other plants in the Apiaceae family are poisonous; Poison Hemlockand Water Hemlock are two that come to mind, though the whole plant is deadly with both, not just the leaves or root.  So what’s the case with carrot tops?

According to what I found from several sources online, the tops are edible.  I guess we don’t eat them much because we store carrots without their leaves, which are much more perishable.  As with almost any other food, keep in mind that you may personally be allergic to them; this may show up as photodermatitis (skin becomes red or irritated when exposed to light).  If you grow them yourself, you probably don’t have any pesticides to worry about eating; wash store-bought tops thoroughly.

One carrot farmer says he thinks the flavor and bitterness of the tops nicely balance the sweetness of the roots.

They’re said to be high in Vitamin K, as well as chlorophyll (obviously, since they’re green)

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin (you need to eat fat at the same meal- or with it- to access the vitamin) and is important in blood coagulation (forming scabs and avoiding hemorrhaging, including heavy menstrual bleeding) and bone growth and maintenance, as well as other helpful actions.

Chlorophyll appears to fight the growth of tumors, as well being as a good cleanser for lymph nodes, adrenal glands, and for purifying blood.

One article I found says a tea made of carrot tops is good for getting rid of intestinal worms or parasites, and juiced tops are antiseptic, good for mouthwash.  Mashed tops, or the carrots themselves, can be mixed with honey and applied to festering wounds.

To eat carrot tops, try them:
- as a substitute for parsley in any recipe
-added to a green salad
-chopped and cooked with other vegetables or rice dishes
-added to a ‘green drink’ or smoothie- though go easy on this
-as the base for a pesto (add some honey to balance the bitterness), or sautéed with bacon and garlic

Extra tidbits about carrots (the roots):

-The Dutch grew carrots specifically to feed to their dairy cows.  The country became famous for having the richest yellow butter as a result.
-Carrots have only been well-known in the USA since about the time of WWI.
-Carrots have the second-highest natural sugars of any vegetable, at 7% sugar.  Beets score #1.
-Carrots were included in puddings and cakes in the 1600-1800’s to sweeten them.
-Carrot tops were a fashionable hat decoration in the 1600’s, used as feathers were.  I love carrot greens and carrot flowers in arrangements in a vase, too.
-Many of the carrot’s minerals and nutrients are found in or just under the skin.  In other words, they’re more nutritious if you don’t peel them.

And that bit you’ve heard about the Vitamin A in carrots improving your eyesight?  My husband munches on carrots at work every day.  Last time he went to the optometrist, he discovered his eyesight had gone from 20/30 to 20/20.   Like everything else, though, don’t overdo it. Too much of anything can cause problems.

 
So, eat those carrots.  The tops, too!

For more information, see carrotmuseum.com,
http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/carrotops.html, 
wikipedia,
http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch412.html 

To read more about alkaloids and toxins in 'normal' foods:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaloid
Natural Food Toxins
Natural Toxins in Raw Food and How Cooking Affects Them

Just printed this week, a cookbook that may become your go-to source for  your cooking:

The Chameleon Cook:
Cooking Well With What You Have

140 pages of adaptable core recipes, frugal cooking information, rules-of-thumb, and guidelines for cooking everyday food with what you have on hand, including how to adapt to cooking without eggs, dairy, sugar (honey instead), or wheat.  It also includes an index.

  At 5½“x 8½“ it's intended to be easy to fit in any size kitchen.  Any level of cook will find it useful, from beginners to old-hat.  I recommend it especially for college students, missionaries, newlyweds, or anyone wanting to expand their understanding of how to make a recipe work. 

  It has a laminated cover for durability, full-color cardstock chapter dividers with photos, and your choice of plastic coil binding or plastic comb binding.
 
Cost is $14 if purchased through me, $14.95 if bought retail.  Copies may be purchased at John and Jennie's Bosch Kitchen Center, Not Just Copies, and the Sandy Bosch Store.  You can order by calling (801) 541-6999, leaving a comment on this page, or emailing me at singyourwayhome@comcast.net

Chapters include:
-Introduction and Tips
-Appetizers (Snacks!) and Beverages,
-Soups and Salads
-Vegetables and Side Dishes
-Main Dishes
-Breads
-Desserts
-Cookies and Candy
-This & That

Categories in Main Dishes include
-Beans (including cooking them from scratch, and how much is in a can)
-Eggs
-super-adaptable Red Sauce and White Sauce
(make your own Cream of Mushroom Soup and more)
-Meat, including how to make a cheap cut tender

Sections in This & That:
-Cooking Grains
-Miscellaneous
-Dairy Foods
-Dehydrated Foods (both making and using them in your regular recipes)
-Home Remedies
-Homemade Cleaners
-Seasonings, Jam, and Syrups


Some recipes in the sections include:
-Croutons
-Edible Playdough
-Fruit and Nut Energy Bars
-Granola, Granola Bars
-Homemade "Honey Bunches and Oats"
-Brown Bag Popcorn
-Cream Cheese Spreads
-Making simple fresh cheese and cottage cheese
-Snow Ice Cream
-Sweetened Condensed Milk (two versions- one using powdered milk, one using evaporated milk, cream, or half-and-half)
-Culturing Yogurt
-Apple Cider Syrup (Lower Sugar Syrup)
-Five-Minute Marmalade and a dozen ways to use it
-Honey Mustard
-Honeybutter
-Quick Strawberry Jam
-Seasoned Flour
-Seasoned Salt
-Simple Syrup and variations
-Home Remedies- Coughs, Insect Stings, Lowering Fever, Natural Deodorant
-Homemade Cleaners- Floor Cleaner, Furniture Polish, Laundry Soap, Liquid Soap, Carpet Spot Cleaner, Stain Remover, using vinegar, Window Cleaner.

If you need one (or more) shipped, I charge only the actual shipping cost plus the price of a padded envelope.

Call or e-mail today!

-Rhonda

This potato salad is just right for a nice main dish.  It has bits of bright flavors and crunchy sweetness; one of my favorite salads. 

It uses those fabulous, creamy "new potatoes" that are a hallmark of  hot summer days.  This is tossed with a basic vinaigrette instead of the usual mayonnaise, then fresh vegetables are mixed in.

1 1/4 pounds small red potatoes, cut in 3/4" cubes
Vinaigrette, below
1/2 pound green beans, sliced into 3/4" pieces
3 c. sliced mushrooms, optional*
6-8 oz. smoked turkey, sliced into 1x 1/4"x 1/4" strips
1 sweet red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
1/4 -1/2 c. diced purple onion
1/4 c. fresh parsley, minced

Vinaigrette:
1/2  c. water (use the cooking water from potatoes)
1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon (or cook potatoes in chicken broth)
2 Tbsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon or other mustard
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water; they should take just about 15 minutes to become tender.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients for Vinaigrette except for the water.  When potatoes are tender, scoop them out with a slotted spoon and add to the bowl.  Toss to coat.  Add green beans to the still-hot cooking water; bring to a boil.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the beans are crisp-tender.  Scoop them out and add to the potatoes, then measure out 1/2 c. of the cooking water and add to the mixture.  If you want the salad served chilled, refrigerate it at this point.

Add mushrooms, turkey, bell pepper, celery, onion, and parsley.  Stir to coat, and serve. 

*If using mushrooms, double the ingredients for Vinaigrette; mushrooms are very absorbent.

The original recipe called for 1/4 lb. less potatoes and 1/4 lb. more meat.  If you love meat, you'll probably prefer it  with more.  I tend to use meat more as a flavoring than as a main ingredient; it's cheaper, and makes a lighter salad.

Does the thought of canning make you cringe?  Do you think it is an all-day project?

Well, sometimes it does take all day. If you're canning 100 jars of apricots, you know it's going to take a while.

If you have just  a little bit of fruit, though, it can be a little project.

Part of the simplicity of this is that this fruit already contains enough pectin to gel; it just needs sugar and cooking.  Other fruits high in pectin are apples (and things in the apple family, including rose hips), citrus (see Easy Orange Marmalade), and berries.

I have two black currant bushes in my front yard.  The berries have been ripening at different times, so my kids and I have picked them each week, for three weeks.  Each time we've only ended up with 3-6 pounds of berries, not enough that I felt like breaking out my water- bath canning pot.  So I didn't.  This small amount of jars fit pretty well in one of my cooking pots. 
I started with 6 pounds of washed currants, then pureed them in the blender.

Then I added sugar; one cup sugar for each cup of puree.

Stirred it over medium-high heat...

and kept stirring every now and then, until the mixture coated my spoon; a good sign that it would set up as a gel.  Another test is to drip a little on a cold plate (or granite countertop!), wait about ten seconds, and see how it set up.  It doesn't need to be very thick.

I poured it into sterilized jars.

The easiest way to sterilize them, if you remember ahead of time, is to run them through the dishwasher on the "sanitize" cycle.  Since I didn't think of that in time, I used bleach- about a teaspoon of bleach in one jar, with 1/4 c. water.  I put a lid on the jar, shook it well, then poured the bleach water into the next jar and repeated until they were all done. I let them sit for five minutes, then drained and rinsed them.

So do you HAVE TO sterilize?  No, but there may be microorganisms in your jars that cause mold to grow in your jelly.  I haven't found that to be an issue when I'm sealing jars, but it shortens the fridge life of unsealed jars.  If the jars are sterilized, I can get a good year out of unsealed marmalade (sometimes longer), but usually closer to 4-6 months if the jars were not sterilized first.

The pot on the left is deep enough to hold these half-pint jars- they have to be covered by at least 1/2" over the top.  I filled it about halfway with water, and brought it nearly to a boil.

Meanwhile, I prepped the sealing lids by putting them in almost-boiling water, then letting them sit 5 minutes to soften the sealing compound.

I brought it to a full rolling boil, adjusted the heat so it would maintain that, and set the timer for ten minutes.

When the timer rang, I turned off the heat and let them sit a minute.  Normally I use a jar-lifting tool to retrieve them, but it's kept with my water-bath canner...

So I dumped half the water out of the pot to expose the jar tops, then lifted them out using a pot holder.

I put them on a dry dish cloth to cool, with a little space around to help the air circulate. 

Then I cleaned up while occasionally hearing that musical "pop" that announces a jar has sealed.

The whole process took less than one hour.


After they cooled, I took the rings off, washed them, and labeled them with contents and date.

Some of them got an extra label, since I found one for nutritional content of black currants:

OK, so this is the nutrition for the actual fruit, not fruit with sugar.  It gives me something to work from, though. 

Those currants have some good stuff in them!

Part of the carbohydrates listed is pectin- a soluble, nondigestible fiber.  It helps you feel full longer, and not only helps scrub out your insides, but helps make it hospitable to friendly bacteria (probiotics).  This last feature makes it a "prebiotic". 

Cool stuff.

For Part 1, including general collecting guidelines, see here.

Oxeye Daisy 
Leucanthemum vulgare  This is the earliest-blooming tall daisy I know of, blooming a month before the Shasta Daisy.  It’s actually been declared an invasive weed in several states. 

Eat the young leaves raw.  They get bitter with age, but they’re very good when young, before the plant blooms.  I read someplace that they are used in a salad mix in some high-end restaurant.  I’m not surprised.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are counseled to have three months’ worth of everyday food on hand, and then store more, longer-term storage foods, where possible.  This has typically been defined as a “Year’s Supply”, at least in the last couple generations.  Having food on hand is an invaluable part of being self-reliant.  It’s insurance, if you will, for times of unexpected illness, disability, unemployment, power outages, or for when a neighbor down the street needs a meal.  It’s also handy for sharing with a local food bank.  (Hint, hint: right now their supplies are very low!)

Once you get three months’ worth, how much will a year’s supply of food cost you?  When you look at your monthly grocery bill, is it overwhelming to think of buying more?  I looked an emergency supply store’s catalog; they advertise a basic year’s supply of food for ‘just’ $1,299.99.  For one person.  They list options of up to $3800 per person per year.  Is it really that much money to get a year’s supply?

Adding up all the 7 essentials, purchasing them mostly at the Home Storage Center, a month’s worth of food for one person is $25.31. This provides about 2200 calories a day; the catalog’s has 2000.

A year’s worth for one adult is $303.86. 

(It was $194.76 in 2010.  That’s an increase of 56%.  How’s that compare to your 401(k)? I’m quite sure food will go up more.  It is a great investment!  Wouldn’t you like to eat at last year’s prices?)

Figure in that you’re getting your year’s supply after building your three-month supply; that knocks it down to getting nine months’worth;

$227.90 per adult

 
SO, if you really want to spend $1299.99 plus tax, you could buy a year’s supply for not just one person, but for FOUR adults.  Yes, it’s different food than the ‘gourmet’ version ($3800), but here’s the counsel we’ve been given:          "We encourage members world-wide to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings.” “For longer-term needs….gradually build a supply of food that will last a long time  and that you can use to stay alive” (from All is Safely Gathered In, First Presidency pamphlet)

 If you’re storing food for children, plan on 50% of the amount for age 3 and under, 70% for ages 3-6, 90% for ages 7-10, and 100% for ages 11 and up.  Or store as much as you would for an adult, and have enough to share. 

For great recipes using this stored food, see my Favorite Resources page, under "Cooking and Recipes". 
____________________________________
Here is the cost breakdown:

Grains, 300 lbs- if you get 100 lbs each of wheat , rice, and oats, at the Home Storage Centers they cost between $11.45 and $15.45 for 25 lbs. depending on if you get white or red wheat,  rice, quick- or regular- oats.  If you average this out, it will cost you $13.55  per person, per month.  $162.60 per year’s worth. This category doubled in price from early 2010.  Your daily allotted amount would be about 2 ½ cups of flour, or about the size of a loaf of bread.

Milk, 16 lbs is $1.89/lb at the cannery, which is $2.52 per month, $30.24 per year.  Daily amount is just under ¾ cup of reconstituted milk.  This is enough to cook with, not enough to drink very often.  For instance, making your loaf of bread would/could use up this entire amount.

Sugar, 60 lbs is $ .85/lb there, $4.23 per month, $50.76 per year.  Daily amount is just about 1/3 cup, but keep in mind you’ll probably want to use it to help bottle fruit or make jam, as well as for making your bread or breakfast oatmeal.

Oil, 10 qts –this isn’t sold at the cannery, but the last good sale price I found was $2.50 for 1 ½ quarts (48 oz.) At that price, after tax, it’s $1.43 per month, $17.17 per year.  It’s only $14.38 if you buy it at Sam’s Club ($6.98 + tax for 5 qts.)  .)  Daily amount: about 2 ½ teaspoons; will also be used in making bread. Fat is necessary to help you digest fiber, as well as to access the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Salt, 8 lbs- 4# box at Costco or Sam’s Club is a dollar; $ .16 per month, $2 per year.  Daily amount: about 2 tsp. It never hurts to store extra salt; it is an excellent preservative for meats and more.

Legumes, 60 lbs– the cannery sells black beans, pinto, and white, from $16.00 to $18.55 for 25 lbs.  Averaging the prices, it’s  $3.42 a month, $41.09 per year.  Daily amount: about ½ cup dry, or 1 ½ cups cooked.

In addition to the above, storing some water is an essential part of your home storage.  Plan on 1 gallon per person per day, for 2 weeks (14 days).  This is enough to drink, and not much else. 
Water, 14/gal/person-   You can store this for free by using 2- and 3- liter pop bottles, or juice containers (not milk jugs- they break down).  Or use the 5-gallons square jugs or big blue barrels; they’ll run you about $1 per gallon of storage. 

Total daily food allotment: 1 loaf of bread, 1/3 c. sugar for cooking or preserving, 1 ½ cups of beans, 2 ½ tsp. oil, a little salt, ¾ c. of milk.  You won’t get fat on this, but it will keep you alive.  It also stores in a fairly small amount of space.


When you’re done storing these items, you might decide to add a few ‘gourmet’ items- spices, flavorings,  and unsweetened cocoa are high on my list here, as are non-hybrid garden seeds.  Practice growing them now; you can save seeds from what you grow, for next year’s crop.

Notice that the costs were just for food, not containers to store them in. Most of my storage containers cost nothing.   You CAN get buckets for free, with a little effort- most bakeries give them away; all their frostings and fillings come in those buckets.  Plan on washing them at home.  There are two main sizes; 5 gallon and 2 ½  gallon.  I keep packages of dried fruit in the smaller buckets, also cornmeal or other things that I don’t use as much.  They are a great size for a pantry, too.  Some of the buckets have gaskets, some don’t.  The ones that don’t seal well are still good for storing sugar.

If you want all your wheat, powdered milk, sugar, and legumes in #10 cans from the cannery, it will cost you $86 more to get a full year’s worth, $65 to do 9 months.

I don’t can my wheat, sugar, or beans because we go through large quantities; one batch of bread would use a whole can.  It’s pretty silly storage for me.  Besides, it’s easier for me to find space for 10 buckets than 60 #10 cans; they hold about the same amount of food.

When I walked over to a friend's house early this week, she had brown paper bags of popcorn on the counter.  "Look at this!" she exclaimed, and told me all about it.  Now I'm excited to share it with you!

You don't need the overpriced, often chemically-laden bags of microwave popcorn; only a brown paper bag (lunch-sized), plain popcorn kernels, and toppings of your choice.

Put 1/4 to 1/3 cup of popcorn in a bag, and fold it over once. The original instructions, on Allrecipes.com, said to staple it once.  While I was surprised to find the metal caused no problem, I also found it wasn't necessary.  So I just fold the top over.  The original also said to add oil to the popcorn before cooking.  It works just as well without, and the oil soaks mostly into the bag, not into the popcorn.

Stand it upright, then microwave on high power until there are about 2 seconds between pops. On my microwave, that's right at 2 minutes.  My neighbors' takes 2 1/2 minutes.  Plan on between 2-3 minutes. 

Do not walk away during this time! There are reports of bags catching fire- so don't let it cook too long!

The bag will fall over during the last bit of cooking.  That's fine.

Top off your popcorn with a drizzle of melted butter and some salt, close the bag, and shake to coat.  I prefer 1-2 teaspoons of butter for a bagful, but use whatever you like.  It's easier to shake if you used the 1/4 cup of kernels.

You could also use butter spray, or olive oil, or coconut oil, Parmesan, cinnamon/sugar, Seasoned Salt, Ranch dressing mix powder, or cheese powder and a bit of cayenene and mustard powder.  The sky's the limit.

Enjoy!

One of the goals last year was to learn what "volunteer" foods there were in my yard, and learn to use them.  Most people call these foods 'weeds', but that's just because they normally don't get used.  The definition of a weed is just a plant in the wrong place. 

One unexpected side effect of this project was that I do a little less weeding, and a little more harvesting!  Below are some of the 'free food' plants in my yard.

Should you want to try this at home, here are a few common-sense guidelines:

1) Eat it only after you're SURE what it is and if it's edible.  Look at different photos of the plant, or have someone who knows come check it with you. I prefer to identify it from two sources, to be sure.

2) Eat only the parts you know are edible.  Just because the leaves are edible doesn't mean the seeds are.  Remember the potato plant: the tubers (roots) are great, but the tops are poisonous.

3) Try a little bit first, wait a while to see if you react to it. Even if it's edible, you could be allergic to it. 

4) Notice where it's growing, think about if that's a problem.  Plants growing alongside busy roads will most likely have picked up extra chemicals, externally as well as internally. 

With all that out of the way, for additional information on the plants, try the database at Plants For A Future   and the identification handbook Common Plants of the Yard and Garden.  My new favorite book is Wild Edible Plants; From Dirt to Plate, where the author, John Kallas, not only tells you what is edible, but how  to prepare it.

Shepherds' Purse
Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.)

My daughters love to nibble on the heart-shaped seed pods.  Leaves are good raw or cooked, but definitely best before the plant starts to get tall.  That's all I've done with the plant, though Plants For A Future lists a lot more possibilities.

Common Mallow, "Cheeseweed", "Cheeseplant"
Malva neglecta

 Scientific names can be hilarious!  Take this one, for instance, or Tribulus terrestris(puncture vine).  Anyway, I digress...

 My children like the “cheesies” (round, button-shaped seeds) so much that one son transplanted some INTO his garden.  All parts of this plant are edible- root, stems, leaves, and fruits (cheesies).   They are pleasantly flavored, and can be used like okra to thicken things.  The section on mallow, alone, in John Kallas' Wild Edible Plants is worth the price of the book!

Or, how to make storage space out of 'no space'.

This is what the batter using a whole egg looks like.

This is the same batter with only 1/2 egg in it.

The brownie after cooking: see that small shiny spot close to the center?  It's still a little doughy, but will finish cooking as it sits.

Simple, quick, and a nice size to use almost anywhere.

An old gardening neighbor, years ago, told me, "Make sure you have a place to sit on every side of your house, to enjoy your yard and nature."  This is a cheap and quick way to help with that.

Upside-down, so you can see how it's assembled.  The 2x2's are the white boards here, sitting flush inside against the legs.  Use two screws to connect the 2x2's to the legs.  Then use four screws to go through the bottom of the 2x2's into the seat boards. 
This way, you have no screws showing on top. 
The 1x6's are connected to the bench by screwing them to the sides of the legs, 2 screws each side of a leg.  This makes a huge difference in the stability of the bench.

For a similar bench, see here or here.  If this isn't what you want, try 'the mega-guide to free garden bench plans'.  Some of the links don't work anymore, but it still has a lot to offer.

When everyone's out of school, what do you like to do? 

I've always been the kind of person who wonders where that side road goes, who likes to stop and read all the historical markers, and who likes to explore little areas to look at trees, or rocks, or whatever is there.  Last year I decided it was time to start doing some of those things, instead of just wondering what was out there and feeling trapped in a rut.  And have fun with my children, exploring with them.

I started with a brainstorming list; local places I'd wanted to visit.  Then I asked my children what places they wanted to go.  Not surprisingly, most of their 'wish list' places charge money to go to.  We go on a little 'field trip' once a week, while my husband is at work.   The biggest way to keep my teenagers happy is by including a 'food stop'.  For instance, when we go on a hike to the waterfall up Battle Creek canyon, we first stop at Daylight Donuts, a cute old house that's been converted to a drive-through donut shop.  When we go to visit friends in Cache Valley, we either visit the Gossner cheese factory to get fresh cheese curds ("squeaky cheese"!), or drive up to the Pepperidge Farms factory to see what goodies are at their outlet.   And we 'have to' visit the Climbing Tree at the mouth of Blacksmith Fork canyon- a fabulous old willow with some branches that obligingly rest on the ground so little ones can climb up.   Before we go, I also like to look up history or tidbits about the area, so I can talk to my kids about it as we drive, or point out things like the old trail along the road, or where the railroad used to run, or where the pioneers built their first reservoir.
When we drive into the mountains and come out through a different canyon, I pull out our map when we're home, and show them how the canyons and mountains connect.  Most of what we do just costs gas money, plus whatever snack we stop and buy to eat.  About once a month we'll do something that costs more. 

What's interesting in your area?  Ask neighbors, a random mom at the grocery store, look online, call your city's tourism center.  Here's part of our Ideas List:  (Everything's more fun when you invite another mom and kids to come with you!  And as you can see, we never get everything done in one summer!)

-drive all the way up Emmigration Canyon, loop across to Heber.  Stop at Granny's for shakes, stop at the old train depot to see the Heber Creeper.  Go home through Provo Canyon, stop to play and eat lunch at Vivian Park (bonus if the Heber Creeper comes puffing in while we're there).  One of these times I'll let my older kids tube down the river, too. This route passes 5 reservoirs- tell my kids their names and a little history, including which one supplies our family's water.

-visit Stansbury Island (west side of the Great Salt Lake) to see the oolitic sand.  Float in the lake.  

-dig for geodes near Dugway

-ride bikes over to the nearby lake, play in the stream and lake, watch the clouds go by.

-find some of the hot springs in the area

-drive back to the family farm (2 hrs away), walk by the river, hike up the old cabins, then climb the hill.

-visit the Fremont Indian sites to see the hieroglyphics; see the Anasazi dwellings (takes more gas money, this is in the "more expensive' category)

-visit This Is The Place Heritage Park- try to time it so the mulberries are ripe on the trees lining the dirt street.  Remember a little money to buy old-fashioned candy from the glass jars in the General Store.

-drive through Parleys Canyon (originally the Golden Pass Toll Road), brush up on the history of the canyon, Sentinel/Suicide Rock,  and Park City.  (Great family history; Parley P. Pratt is an ancestor of mine.)  Drive home through Provo Canyon, stop to hike to Bridal Veil Falls.  Stop at La Brioche, an Argentinian bakery started by a former neighbor of mine, for their bread-apart bread ($1.79/lb, similar in taste to French bread) and Dulce de Leche-filled meringue cookies.

-hike to the Y, visit my sister, and get ice cream at the BYU Creamery.  If we're not worn out, also go through the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum(which is free; it's also one place I worked when putting myself through college).  Maybe make it a separate trip and also see the Museum of Paleontology. 

-Visit the Kennecott (Rio Tinto) copper mine again.

-Spend a day at the Thanksgiving Point Gardens (probably just the Children's Discovery Garden, for them- shrub mazes, water features to splash in, miniature lighthouse to climb....)  Maybe have lunch at Porter's (or at the Garden), or drive a few more miles to The Peppermint Place's outlet.

-day trips with just the older kids: hike Mt. Olympus, or Timpanogos.  Visit Timpanogos Cave.

- Go to Fault Line Park, have races rolling down the steep hill, which is a fault scarp.  Eat lunch there, drive over to the G.K.Gilbert Geologic Park, (also see here)  which is on another part of the fault line, as well as on a glacial moraine.

-spend a morning at the Wild West Jordan Park.  Munch on Conchas,  Cochinitos, and/or bolillos from  Alicia's Panaderia (Mexican bakery) nearby.

If you want more Utah ideas, check outUtah Family magazine's "No Bored Kids" summer calendar    or Utah Outdoor Activities.  If you're in a different area, try a search for similar terms.

An interfaced brim holds its shape, see here for the whole photo, which is not mine.

If there's no interfacing, crinoline, or something similar, the brim flops, like this.  Click here to see this one as an apron; it's very cute!

Daisies, in the chrysanthemum family. They contain a chemical bugs hate.