This and That | Hot chocolate, from-scratch faves, and more
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Hello, readers! Today seemed like a good day to gather together some miscellaneous bits and pieces.
Ready?
Hot chocolate mix
Sonia and Zoe made a big batch of hot chocolate mix recently and it's been their dessert of choice ever since.
(Recognize my Kuchenprofi funnel? I wrote an adoring post about it a while back. Still in love with it!)
Click here for the hot chocolate mix recipe.
I am trying not to buy tea.
Is there a thing that you almost always are tempted to buy at the grocery store?
Tea is that thing for me.
There are just so many fun flavors available and I want to try them all!
The problem is that sometimes my tea cabinet gets to be overflowing. So, I am trying hard to walk right by the tea aisle without getting distracted by all the shiny new flavors.
As a result, my tea cabinet is totally not out of control for the first time in a long while.
Once we finish up another box or two, I might let myself buy some more. 😉
My 3 fave from-scratch foods
Ok, well, maybe they're not exactly my favorites because how could I not put homemade bread on the list?
(Oatmeal molasses bread. Recipe coming tomorrow!)
I was doing an interview with Country Living the other day, and the writer asked me what my three favorite staple from-scratch foods are.
The three that popped into my head were:
- granola (because it's stupid expensive at the grocery store. Oats are totally not expensive, so I never can understand this. And the recipe I use requires no stirring while baking. So marvelous.)
- chicken broth (because it's so good for you and you can make it out of what's basically trash)
- yogurt (because it's not hard and it's a tiny fraction of the cost of store-bought)
But of course I would also love to include homemade bread, which is cheaper even than bottom-of-the-barrel basic bread.
And it tastes eleventy-thousand times better.
What would your top 3 be?
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Bread most definitely tops the list. I make long-fermented sourdough everything (sandwich bread, waffles, biscuits, cinnamon rolls . . .) because my middle son and my husband can digest it easily, which is not the case with other wheat flour breads. One time I figured out how much a loaf of sourdough bread costs me to make, and because the ingredients are literally only flour, water, and yeast, it was something like 15 cents. I hate baking, but sourdough baking is kind of like baking for cooks like me, because it's not very exact.
Next would be yogurt (which I learned to make from you and have been doing now for over seven years, with only one new starter needed in that time).
And last would be salad dressing. I only make variations on a vinaigrette and a very basic ranch dressing occasionally, but that's all I need anyway.
Whoops, I meant the ingredients in sourdough bread are literally only flour, water, and salt--NOT yeast. Kind of ruined the whole point of that sentence there. 🙂
Do you have a tried and true sourdough starter recipe and sourdough bread recipe you would be willing to share? I tried making the starter once over several days but it never worked. I was so disappointed that I haven't tried again. But, recently we have discovered that it really helps with my husband's digestion so we've just recently started buying it. I'd love to make it. L Previously we had 100% whole wheat bread or sprouted grain bread. Thanks so much!
My husband made our starter years ago using a method from Darina Allen's (a well-known Irish cooking school owner) "Forgotten Skills of Cooking" book. She recommends using spring or distilled water, which we do because we have iron-heavy well water, and you should also use it if you have municipal water because of the chlorine. She also recommends using an airtight jar, but I think my husband just used a bowl covered with a dish towel. Mix 1/4 cup of tepid water with 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour and leave it at room temperature for 24 hours. Next day, add another 1/4 cup of flour and 1/4 cup of water, mix it well, cover, and leave another 24 hours. Do this every day for an additional 4 days, meaning it should take about 6 days to get a good starter going. It will be bubbly and smell kind of like yeast when it's ready. I store mine in a quart-size Mason jar with a lid in the refrigerator. (I seem to recall our starter was not exceptionally lively when we first made it, so the loaves were heavier. It got better though, so don't give up if they seem too dense to start with. It took us a couple of tries before the bread was good.)
To make the bread, scoop about 2 cups of starter into a big bowl (don't wash the empty jar if you use it all, just put the lid back on and put it back in the fridge--you'll put starter back into it soon), then add to that 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of distilled water. You can slightly warm the water if it's really cold. I sometimes have to add a bit more water to incorporate all the dry flour. It will make a stiff dough. I always mix by hand with a really sturdy wooden spoon, but I bet it would be way easier with a machine of some sort.
Cover that and leave it until it rises and has little bubbles. Then do the same thing--mix in 2 cups water, 1 cup water, cover and let rise. When that's risen, scoop out about 2 cups of the mixture back into your jar from the fridge. This is your starter for the next batch. To the dough still in the bowl, add about 1 and 1/4 cups water (I start with this, but almost always add more as needed), plus 2 cups all purpose flour and about 3/4 of another kind of flour. I use rye, my MiL has used spelt, whole wheat, oat . . . whatever you like. You can also add mostly whole wheat flour here instead of white if you want more whole grains. We like a more white flour bread. Cover and let rise.
When that's risen, turn it out (it will be very, very sticky) onto a heavily floured counter, sprinkle 2.5 teaspoons of salt on top, and knead it lightly for a couple of minutes. Put it back in the bowl (no need to wash the bowl first), cover and let rise again. Turn it out again onto a not-quite-as-heavily-floured surface, give it a couple of turns kneading, then cut it in half. Put each half in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper if you want to make sandwich loaves (I always do). My MiL lines Dutch ovens with parchment for baking to make those artisinal-looking round loaves. Cover and let rise. Heat your oven to about 415 degrees. If you're using the Dutch ovens, you can take the risen loaves out with the parchment paper and pre-heat the Dutch ovens, which will make a much crispier crust. Slash the tops of the loaves once or twice with a serrated knife (helps it rise more in the oven) and bake about 45 minutes. Pull them out with the parchment paper, discard the paper, and let cool.
Written out, it looks impossible, but once you have the rhythm down, it becomes kind of automatic. And I am definitely not a baker, so if I can do this, anyone can.
Sorry for hijacking your comments section, Kristen!
Hijack away! I'm SO not a sourdough expert.
My favorites are homemade vanilla extract, chicken broth and pizza.
I made homemade vanilla extract once. I still have no idea what to do with the rest of the vodka I bought for it. Maybe I'll just make more extract or something.
You can use the vodka as half the liquid in pie crusts, which helps keep them from getting tough.
And in Cosmos. Martinis. Long Island Iced Tea!
Ha ha! I wish I could take it off your hands. I need to make some natural vanilla extract. I bought the pods, but am dreading buying a bottle of vodka. Such a waste. I think I need one of those airline size/miniature bottles...
You can use vodka for cleaning or mouthwash...there are recipies on the internet. Vodka, vinegar and baking soda are soooo versatile.
How do you make homemade vanilla extract? I would love to know how to do this is done.
Thanks,
What you said. Plus pizza. Vanilla. Beef broth, too. I just like homemade!
Pesto, because it tastes so. much. better. than storebought. Hummus. All dessert baked goods. The freezer is my friend for all three, allowing me to make large batches at a time.
And for the win - acai bowls. Made from home they're about $1.25 per bowl, vs $8-$9 if purchased retail. Love them!
1) Tomato sauce (made with herbs -- including garlic-- and tomatoes from my garden); definitely cheaper than store-bought organic and it's a replay of the best of summer for me.
2) Pizza bases from a no-knead dough. I make a big batch and stash in the freezer.
3) Granola. Always make it in the spring to use all summer (and use up some winter squash).
How do you make granola with squash?
I have a very similar list to you:
Sandwich bread - My wife insisted on buying some sourdough recently but that's the first time we've bought bread in years.
Granola - exact same reason as you. It's just so much cheaper. I should probably make some more soon.
Pizza - Mostly because it's fun and cheap.
I used to make yogurt but my wife decided she didn't like eating it any more and I decided that I preferred cottage cheese as my dairy of choice so I end up buying small containers of yogurt for my daughter.
Great idea with the hot cocoa mix! My sister makes her own and uses it for homemade fancy mocha coffee. I'm not much of a hot chocolate fan, partially because it hardly gets cold here.
Tea is soooooo good. I know the tempation! I'm a coffee person, but I adore a nice cup of green tea. I especially love Trader Joe's pomegranate white tea.
Oooh, I can't wait for the oatmeal bread recipe! I have a whole cannister of oatmeal that needs to be eaten, so I'm always looking for ways to use it up.
My favorite homemade foods are:
1. Kefir: This is a new thing I've tried and it's been awesome. I flavored the kefir with homemade fruit syrups (pineapple, lemon, and blackberry). It's so tasty that I drink it as a mid-day snack. Mmmm.
2. Ciabatta bread: Ciabatta is really expensive at our bakery, so I make it at home. I still need to work on getting better air bubbles, but the bread has a fantastic flavor.
3. Yeast rolls: I figured out a yeast roll recipe for Christmas and ho-ly cow are these things fluffy and delicious. I make a batch of 16 and freeze them for easy defrosting. It's much cheaper than frozen rolls at the store.
Oatmeal cookies rock. Oatmeal is also commonly used as a ground meat extender although I've tried that myself.
Would you post your recipe for freezable fluffy yeast rolls?
Here's another hedgehog pattern for Zoe - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hans-my-hedgehog-size-large
Definitely bread! There's just no comparison. Also, spaghetti sauce, salad dressing ( easy peasy and delicious) and I make my own homemade baking mix. So cheap to make and I use it for biscuits, pancakes, etc. plus no preservatives or other unknown stuff in it. I've made vanilla extract two Christmases in a row now, it's great and talk about less expensive! Compared to the tiny bottles of it in the store....I made two quarts and it only gets better as it sits. I gave a lot away to my baking daughters and still have plenty left!
1. Wow, your Aldi has different tea flavors than mine! For some reason, even though my Aldi is super awesome and new, they only carry plain black and plain green teas. I hope they start selling different flavors soon!
2. My faves are probably Homemade "Reese cups" (so easy!), baked oatmeal, and my homemade zuppa toscana, which everyone raves about even though I don't even use a recipe. Soup is my thang!
Also..... Candles are my weakness at the store. It doesn't matter how many I have, I always want more.
Kristen, I have a bag of frozen mixed berries that I need to finish. I found a mixed berry muffin recipe that uses fresh berries. Do you think I can replace the fresh ones with my frozen berries ? If yes, can I use the frozen berries as such or should I thaw them first ?
Thank You !
Just go ahead and use them frozen, and maybe bake your muffins a little bit longer than usual.
Another suggestion: use them frozen and first toss them in the measured flour for the recipe. This keeps them from seeping too much into the dough, and from sinking to the bottom.
Specifically:
- measure flour
- toss frozen berries in the measured flour
- separate berries from rest of flour with a sieve
- add flour whenever the recipe directs
- add berries whenever the recipe directs
Choosing just three from scratch foods is very hard. First would be breads of all types. We never buy bread, and it creeps me out how long store bought breads last. Second would be salad dressings. They are so easy. Once we started eating homemade ones, we realized just how bad the bottled ones are. Third would probably be cakes. I make them from scratch. It takes a few more minutes than a boxed mix but honestly not enough to give up the taste of homemade.
mmm....hot chocolate! One of our family favorites. I love being able to make the mix ourselves!
I wish I had more staple made from scratch foods in our house. I make granola pretty consistently, but only occasionally do I make our own yogurt. I think over the next few weeks I will take a look at our food practices and see if there are things I can swap out for a made from home version.
1. Stock. Any kind but especially from fowl.
2. Breadstuffs (bread, muffins, quickbreads, biscuits, etc). Not that I made them all that often but the price and taste differential is striking. If only I could find a pizza dough recipe that works for me.
3. Beans from dried rather than canned. Using heirloom beans such as Ranch Gordo decreases the price differential and increases the taste & texture differential.
4. Bacon. Home-smoked is da bomb!
Things I don't make myself, because of price, frequency of use, or hassle:
- yogurt
- pizza
- vanilla extract (repeated studies show that almost no one can tell the difference between vanillin and vanilla, and no one can in anything but custards and a couple of unbaked goods)
- dim sum
Bread, the occasional dessert & a quick to make salad dressing top the list. I try not to use pre-made food items as I cook so much from scratch although I do occasionally succumb to the convenience. I have canned soup in my pantry right now, shudder, but it is so handy for a fast meal. Canned soup is super convenient to pack in a thermos to send with my children for school lunches. They drink water with it, and always have fruit so I tell myself it isn't so bad. Plus they love it!
Read the Country Living interview, Kristen. You go girl! 🙂
I too love to keep a large assortment of tea on hand. Because you never know what you're going to be in the mood for! And I figure that it's the same cost per bag if I only buy one flavor or if I buy several flavors (always when on sale, of course).
To keep my tea storage under control, I put a few tea bags of each flavor into a pretty basket, then put the boxes out of the way on a high shelf. I consolidate as much as possible; you can stuff way more bags into a box, and it doesn't matter what the box says, since I go through all the boxes and consolidate again every time I restock my basket.
Favorite make-from-scratch:
*Focaccia bread, using a recipe from No Need to Knead, by Suzanne Dunaway. Easier than mixing up a batch of cookies!
*Homemade cookies. (Actually, my kids do these. I can't bake a decent cookie to save my life.)
*Broth. Ditto, Kristin!
*Granola. Ditto, Kristin!
*"Butter." 1 cup water, 1 cup canola oil, 2 cups (1 pound) butter, 1 tsp. salt. Let the butter soften, then run it all through the blender. Tastes great, fewer calories, less saturated fat.
*Cake. My mother-in-law's Crazy Cake recipe is SO much better than a mix, and it takes about 5 minutes from start to finish. (One of those you mix right into the pan, except that's really messy so I use my mixer, and then use it for sheet cakes or layer cakes or cupcakes.)
Pizza, any & all baked goods & butterfingers at Christmas. I looked at your hot chocolate mix & mine is the same except it calls for powdered sugar instead of white. so yummy & this would be next on my list
I've never heard of butterfingers homemade!! Can you share the recipe?
Kudos on the Country Living interview!! That's impressive! I hate getting magazine subscriptions, but Country Living is the one magazine I do subscribe to! Looking forward to reading it. 🙂
1. Joining the legions touting bread. I've got a sourdough starter and it makes me so happy.
2. Sport cookies/granola bars. So much cheaper than store bought, we can pack them in reused zip top bags (easier to get them out one handed) and they taste better.
3. Pudding. Might be because I just made some but I'm loving that right now. I don't like the sweetener in store bought.
Yay! Thank you so much.
1. granola (your recipe, thank you very much)
2. brownies and most baked goods
3. hot fudge sauce
I thought my husband and I were the only ones that used hot cocoa as dessert. You go girls! I use Alton Brown's recipe which is just dry milk, cocoa, and sugar. I know the sugar isn't the best for us, but neither is the Quik or coffee creamer. Everything is about choices.
My overflowing-cabinet thing is candles. I've pretty much stopped buying them, but I'm still making my way through the ones I have. My son bought me the thing that melts scented wax, so I've been using that instead. (Tea is a vice for me as well, but I'm an iced-tea drinker, so fewer options.) -- I don't think we've crossed paths before. Love your tag line...cheerfully living on less. 🙂 Nice to meet you.
My 3 faves are: 1) Apple pie. So good with Jonagold apples. And sugarfree.
2) Beef stew. I could make this every week! I will use any cut of beef. I've used sirloin to prime rib. The flavors and barley in it make it so tasty. Tender meat, flavorful gravy and plump barley. Doesn't get any better.
3) Chocolate chip cookies. Kinda like a cross between a cake and a cookie. Soft and tender with a buttery feel and chocolate sweetness that melts in my mouth. A half batch lasts 2-3days with DH eating most of them.
1. Homemade macaroni and cheese is a favorite at my house.
2. Lasagna
3. Potato soup
These are the top three homemade items I make frequently.