Prairie Story

Honey Muffins

2014-05-26T12:29:00.001-05:00

Here's my basic "go-to" honey muffin. So simple, but they can easily be jazzed up by adding lemon or orange zest to the batter, and sometimes I'll add a little cinnamon or chopped nuts to the top before baking. They are best served warm with preserves or honey, of course!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 15-18 Minutes | Makes: 9-12 Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup honey

Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 400, and line muffin tins.
- Combine dry ingredients.
- Stir together wet ingredients, then add to dry just to moisten.
- Scoop into muffin tray. I like my muffins bigger so I only divide into 9, rather than 12.
- Bake 15-18 minutes.

Nuts & Bolts

2013-12-01T16:48:00.000-06:00

'Tis the season to start preparing all the yummy festive snacks… A classic - it's always a good idea to have Nuts & Bolts Mix on hand. I'll make a huge roaster full, bag and store in the freezer. Then when we get the munchies or are having a lazy afternoon watching our favourite Christmas movies we have the perfect snack. I've also noticed that regardless of what company is over (kids or adults), they always gravitate towards Nuts & Bolts leaving the bowl quickly emptied.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 2 Hours | Makes: Lots

Ingredients:
Dry:
12 cups cheerios
6 crispex or chex
6 cups shreddies
6 cups gold fish
1 bag bugels
1 bag stick pretzels
2 cups peanuts (optional)1 1/2 cups margarine

Seasoning:
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp soya sauce

Instructions:
- Combine all dry ingredients in large roasting pan.
- In small saucepan, melt margarine and stir in all seasonings. Bring to a boil, then cool.
- Pour over cereal mixture, stirring to coat.
- Place roaster in 250 degree oven for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

Garden Harvest

2013-09-22T06:50:00.002-05:00

Well... this is pretty much how my kitchen has looked for last several weeks. Vegetables from our garden, as well from Mr. Piper's garden down the road. As much as I LOVE all the garden goodies, I completely enjoy turning and processing into food for my family for the months to come! My freezer is full of soup, and almost all my canning jars are full! I still have a big box of tomatoes to get through this week, but I'll likely just make tomato juice; oh and fresh dill that I need to wash up and package for the freezer. But other than that, I think I'm done for this year - here's what I made:

Borscht

Garden Vegetable Soup

Zucchini Pan Bread

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cake

Sweet Relish

Salsa

And from my apples this year:

Apple Crisp

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

Old Fashioned Apple Cider

Sweet Relish

2013-09-15T12:56:00.000-05:00

I really wanted to make some relish with my cucumbers this year, and started searching through old community cook books (Domain's Nothing But The Best, and More of The Best which are my regular go-tos, and St. Gerard's Roman Catholic Church Cook Book which is Jason's go-to. But then I remembered my sister-in-law, Jaime, who always makes good relish! She is a Prairie Girl too, born and raised in southern Manitoba, and I believe this recipe came from her mom. Thank you for passing on to me!! Some call this a hot dog relish, but we like it on anything. Tonight, we'll be having ours with BBQ Pork!

Prep Time: 30 Minutes / 24 Hours | Cook Time: 10 Minutes | Makes: about 4 Quarts

Ingredients:
14-15 cucumbers
4 cups onions
1/4 of a red pepper
1/2 cup course salt
5 cups white sugar
4 cups vinegar
1 cup flour
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp turmeric

Instructions:
- Shred cucumbers, onions & red pepper
- Toss with salt, and let stand refrigerated over night
- Next day drain out excess liquid
- Combine and heat vinegar, sugar, flour, celery seed, mustard seed and turmeric. Warm to a steam, not boil.
- Pour over cucumber mixture, stir and store/can in mason jars.

Old Fashioned Apple Cider

2013-09-14T07:42:00.000-05:00

A few years ago, my husband started raving about and craving the Apple Cider his grandma used to make. So naturally, he called up his mom and scribbled down the recipe on a scrap of paper. Every year since, we make Apple Cider out of crab apple harvest! Our kids love drinking it cold, but my favourite is on a cold winters evening, especially around Christmas, to crack open a jar and warm with mulling spices. Mmmm... soooo good!

Ingredients:
5 quarts boiling water
4 quarts apples
6 tsps cream of tarter
Sugar

Instructions:
- Sprinkle tarter over washed & quartered apples.
- Pour boiling water over apples, let stand 24 hours.
- Strain through cheese cloth.
- Bring juice just to boil for 10 minutes.
- Add sugar to taste.
- Store in juice/mason jars or freeze in containers.

Apple Helps & Hints

2013-09-13T22:11:00.000-05:00

I love old cookbooks, especially all the ones I've inherited from my grandma(s). I flip though them thinking they must have done the same thing many years ago, and it's like winning the lottery when I find a page that has been marked up by them. I've posted several "helps" from my Grandma's 1927 Household Helps book and recently found another gem, her Watkins Household Hints 1947.

Since I've been processing all our crab apple harvest, I took a few minutes to look up what I could find on Apples...

First the Helps:

To Bake Apples Quickly - Core apples and prepare for baking as usual; put them in water and boil till soft (about 10 minutes); remove, and place in a baking-pan, pouring some of the water over them in which they were boiled; sprinkle with sugar as usual. Put them in a hot oven about five minutes to brown. This requires less than one-half the usual time. When baking apples, prick the skins with a fork and they will not burst.

Apples Baked with Honey - Prepare apples just as for sugar; for six to eight apples use four tablespoons of honey and mix with one cup of fine bread crumbs and 1/2 tablespoon each of cinnamon and lemon extract. Fill apples, after peeling and coring, with the mixture and bake in a well-greased, porcelain-lined baking dish. Other delicious changes from sugar-filled apples are: Fill the cavities with hone and broken walnut meats; chopped raisins and nuts, or dates.

When Making Apple Sauce, instead of straining it, beat it with an eggbeater; it will be more fluffy and saves time. If you wish apple sauce to be smooth, add the sugar toward the last; much less sugar is require when it is added just before removing from the stove; if you wish apples to keep their shape, put the sugar in at the beginning. Adding a little lemon juice improves the flavor.

To Peel Apples Easily - Pour boiling water over apples to be cooked; they will peel much easier and it saves much time.

When Peeling Apples for dumplings or stewing, etc., to prevent them from getting brown and soft put them in a basin with cold water and a little salt as each one is cut up.

And some Hints:

Apple Corer - The small end of a funnel will serve as an emergency apple corer.

Apple Buying - Look at label for grade, variety and size. For general cooking and eating: Stayman, McIntosh, Grimes-Golden, Spetzenburge, Jonathan, Northern Spy, Wealthy, Wagener, Baldwin. Choice for baking: Tolman Sweet, Stayman, Rome Beauty, ARkansas or Black Twig. Choice for pie and sauce: Stayman, York Imperial, Rhode Island Greening, Northwest Greening, Black Twig, Ben Davis, Stark.

Apple Pie - Grate cheese and sprinkle over the crust before taking pie from oven. The cheese will melt and add flavor to the pie.

Pickling Crab Apples - If baked before dropping in syrup the apples are more tender.

Crab Apple Trees

2013-08-29T18:14:00.000-05:00

Now this is exciting! I have been patiently waiting... and I mean patiently...seriously for years for my two cute little apple trees to produce some fruit. 2010 I pruned off all the small fruit to help the energy go towards the tree growing, 2011 we had a flood scare and I was just too busy to notice, and 2012 no fruit. But this year... look at these glorious apples!!

My two little helpers and I wheeled out a little wagon and started picking! It was one of the best summer evenings I've had this year, enjoying being outside together and knowing that we grew something in our own little 2.5 acres. It also took me back to a vivid memory I have from growing up on our family farm where my grandma had several crab apple and plum trees; and, how exciting it was that "the men" would help with the picking. Somehow my grandpa, dad and hired help mustered up enough energy after a day in the fields to help with the ladders to fill our many wire baskets up. Maybe they knew the reward of jam and jellies was worth their time!

Well, not only did I get to slightly re-enact a bit my childhood memory with my kids, but I got a bowl full apples. Aren't they pretty!! We rushed them into the house, washed, peeled and cored them.. and quickly turned them into Apple Crisp.

We have lots of apples left, and are looking forward to making more:

Apple Crisp

Apple Streusel Muffins

Slow Cooker Apple Sauce

Apple Sauce Cake

Old Fashioned Apple Cider

What's your favourite Crab Apple recipe?! Please send me a note or leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!

Artisan Bakery

2013-07-22T19:31:00.000-05:00

One of our favourite stops on the way to the lake is Integrity Foods along Hwy 8, north of Riverton. I think it's one of Manitoba's best kept secrets! Not only do we love stopping for their wood-fired brick oven pizza nights, and roaming around their farm yard exploring the garden, trails and many animals, but also purchasing their baking.

Their Artisan Bakery goods are made from ancient grains with one of their most popular items (according to Cornelius) being Sunflower Bread. We bought a big bag full for our weekend at the cabin, including Spelt Bread, Multi Grain Hamburger and Hot Dog Buns, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Ancient Grands Bread and, of course, Sunflower Bread. Sooo good!! The Artisan Bakery items are also available in Winnipeg at Vita Health.

So next time you're headed up to Hecla or willing to drive from Gimli, watch for the Integrity sign that points to a unique and memorable Manitoba destination!

Visit Integrity Foods for more information --> http://www.integrityfoods.ca

Chocolate Mint Cake Cookies

2012-03-16T20:45:00.001-05:00

These cookies remind me of Girl Scout Cookies... they are so good, and actually addictive. They are the most requested cookie from my family!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 10 Minutes | Makes: 24 Cookies

Ingredients:
1 Betty Crocker SuperMoist French Vanilla Cake Mix
1/4 cup margarine, softened
1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
10 drops green food colouring
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate Drizzle
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
1 tablespoon milk

Instructions:
- In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, margarine, oil and eggs, then remaining ingredients.
- Drop 1 inch balls onto cookie sheet.
- Bake @ 350° for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet.
- Melt chocolate chips, margarine and milk together in microwave for approximately 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in mint extract. Drizzle over cookies.
- Makes 24 cookies.

Omelette Muffins

2012-03-13T10:41:00.000-05:00

These little morsels of yumminess are full of flavour and easy to make ahead of time and then reheat for breakfast, brunch or snack! And of course you can mix it up and try different fillings if you like!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 30 Minutes | Makes: 12 Muffins

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup diced ham (or sausage)
1 tablespoon margarine
1 cup diced peppers (red, green, yellow)
3/4 cup cheese, grated

9 eggs

20-25 vegetable crackers, crumbled (or Ritz crackers)

Instructions:
- Line muffin tin with liners.

- In saucepan, fry onion and ham with margarine. Add in peppers.

- Add a spoonful of filling into each muffin paper using about 3/4 of filling. Save some for top.

- Add 3/4 of the cheese. Save some for top.

- Beat eggs together, adding in crumbled crackers.

- Fill each muffin paper with egg mixture, then top with remaining filling and cheese.

- Bake @ 350° for 30 minutes.

Haystacks

2012-03-05T20:12:00.000-06:00

I finally found my Haystacks recipe! This is totally kickn' it old school for me.... I remember one of my classmate's awesome mom would make these for our hot dog days at Domain Elementary. Oh the memories from our little 3 room school on the prairie. Anyway, feel free to make it with just chow mien noodles, just pretzels, or combo of both!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 0 Minutes | Makes: 24 Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup chow mien noodles

1 cup stick pretzels

1 cup salted peanuts
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Instructions:
- Combine noodles, pretzels and peanuts in bowl. Break up noodles and pretzels into smaller lengths. Set aside.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In microwave safe bowl melt together chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter until smooth.
- Pour chocolate mixture over noodle/pretzel/peanut mixture and combine until covered.
- Dollop on baking sheets using spoons. I try to make them stand up a bit to look like haystacks.
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes, until they set up.

Pantry Reveal

2012-03-04T13:53:00.001-06:00

I'm happy to report that not only have I completed my Pantry Challenge, but I was able to get it all done much quicker than I had anticipated. Here's the BEFORE:

BEFORE

Here's what I did:
1. Took a quick inventory - This was funny. I seriously had 10 cans of kidney beans, a few bags of quick oats, chow mien noodles that I hadn't used, and enough pancake mix to feed an army.
2. Tossed out any old, stale and expired items - Yep, sadly lots went into the garbage. Some very old cans of veggies, some stale flour, and other dried goods that I knew I had had for an eternity.
3. Planned some meal around what I found - I made a big batch of chill to use up some of the beans, a chocolate pie to use up some pudding mixes, and chocolate Haystacks out of the chow mien noodles to mention a few.
4. Cleaned out and wiped down - done!
5. Organized into areas - each shelf now has a defined theme. Starting from the bottom shelf, cans because they are heavy; then crackers, cookies and snack food; then bread, pasta and other meal time foods; then baking; and the top for cereal and other large items.
6. Used containers and Tupperware to help organize and store.
7. Went grocery shopping to restock - I've made a trip to Costco and started to replenish mostly the snack shelf, with granola bars and fruit snacks for the kids.

Drumroll please... here's the AFTER. Now maybe it doesn't look like a drastic change, but I feel really good that I got the old and stale stuff thrown out, and have a system in place going forward.

AFTER

A new addition to my pantry is this little step stool to help me easily reach items on the upper shelves.

Another new addition are my new Tupperware cereal containers. I find that we are going through cereal like crazy with kids, and buy the big bulk boxes from Costco. It only makes sense store them in these containers that you can easily pour into your cereal bowl, rather than fumbling around with a cut open bag that spills out all the time!

And lastly I got most of my dry baking goods into Tupperware Modular Mates, which keeps them fresh, but also really easy to scoop out of!

Pantry Challenge

2012-02-22T12:52:00.000-06:00

Have you heard of the Pantry Challenge? Well, I'm about to take it, because my pantry is a MESS!!

A Pantry Challenge is when you make a concentrated, focused effort to "eat from the pantry" rather than buying groceries. Many do this as a way to lower the monthly grocery bill, some do it simply to make sure they use and get to those items that you bought once but haven't exactly found the time or a way to use them, and rotate stock. OR in my case, I know I need to do a major clean, organization and overhaul of my pantry, so why do that when it's full? Right? I'm going to try to empty it first by eating!

Also, I have recently noticed that there have been some of my pantry items that have gone stale or WAY past their expiry date. Gross, and what a waste. Anyway, I'm starting the challenge, and I'm giving myself a month to have a clean, organized pantry full of new, fresh food!

Care to join me? I'm not setting any real rules for my challenge other than having my "after" pantry be better than my "before" pantry! But here's what, I'll be doing:
1. Take a quick inventory of what is in my pantry.
2. Toss out any old, stale or expired items.
3. Plan some meals around what I find.
4. Clean and wipe down.
5. Organize into areas.
6. Use storage containers, and all that Tupperware I bought to store and group items.
7. Go grocery shopping to re-stock!

Let me know if you have done a Pantry Challenge or would like to join me by leaving me a comment below. For some inspiration, check out these other bloggers who have taken their own pantry challenges!
Good (Cheap) Eats: Pantry Challenge
Balancing Beauty & Bedlam: January's Pantry & Freezer Challenge
The Vintage Butterfly: The Pantry Challenge
Going Crazy Wanna Go: Boost Your Budget Pantry Challenge

So, time to start going into the deep, dark corners and planning some meals around what I find. This should be interesting!

Crock-Pot Whole Chicken

2012-02-04T18:31:00.000-06:00

This fall my husband brought home about a dozen chickens from our Hutterite neighbours. Perfect! My freezer was full! But then it dawned on me, I better figure out how to cook these birds. So after 11 chickens, and 11 trials, I know that I've found the best, tastiest, juiciest, easiest recipe. I find that the paprika gives it a nice warm flavor. Proudly I roasted my last one up tonight!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 4-6 Hours | Serves: 8-12

Ingredients:

1 medium/large whole chicken

1 onion

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons Mrs. Dash

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

- Thaw and clean chicken.

- Quarter onion and place inside chicken cavity and place in Crock-Pot.

- Mix spices together in small bowl.

- Sprinkle spices over chicken. No need to rub, just cover generously. (And you don't need to add any water or liquid.)

- Cook on high for 4-6 hours, using meat thermometer to ensure it is thoroughly cooked.

24 Clever Ideas

2012-01-28T21:25:00.009-06:00

I received this email from several friends, and thought the ideas were so clever it was worth sharing. Kudos to the smart cookie who came up with these and the organized one who put the email together!

1. Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

2. Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings and scrapes.

3. Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or computer screen with WD40.

4. Stop cut apples browning in your child's lunch box by securing with a rubber band.

5. Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases and there will be no more hunting through piles for a match.

6. Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod in a bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music. (Hmmmm not sure about this one... )

7. Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

8. Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder gets sand off your skin easily, who knew?!

9. Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

10. Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the floor.

11. Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a stocking over the vacuum hose.

12. Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting crosses into a box lid.

13. For those who can't stand the scrunching and bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

14. Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers and clippers, behind a vanity door.

15. When travelling, store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can find them in just about every hotel.

16. A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets hold the plastic cups down to make them tip-resistant.

17. Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

18. Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so much more fun and easier for kids to eat. (Old school! I totally remember these from when I was a kid!)

19. Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff.

20. Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

21. Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit or ice-cream.

22. Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing sunburn relief.

23. Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering. (Exactly what I need for my new garden shed!)

24. Use egg cartons to separate and store your Christmas decorations.

Isn't this a cute collection of little tips, tricks and ideas that make life easier and solve everyday problems?

Miss Pattimore

2012-01-25T19:00:00.001-06:00

I finally made time to read a book that has been quite popular here on the prairies, I Am Hutterite by Mary-Ann Kirkby. I wanted to read it because we have so many colonies around us and down our gravel road, and also because there are several mentions of my mom, Miss Pattimore, who taught some of Mary-Ann's siblings when they first left their colony. Here's an excerpt:

My brother and I were both in grade five. Alex had failed grade two on the colony. The teacher had failed everyone in the second grade that year and, typically, nobody thought to ask why. Rosie was in grade four. Our teacher was Mrs. Erb. She wore nice clothes and sensible shoes and wasn't as glamorous as Miss Pattimore, Phillip's grade-three teacher who taught the primary grades downstairs. But more than attractive, Miss Pattimore made a concerted effort to help us fit in and wouldn't tolerate other students sneering at us. Once a week, on Friday afternoons, she came upstairs and taught our grades French. It soon became my favourite subject. "I really like the Frenchman, " I once overheard Father telling Mother over Lunschen in Fairholme. I feel myself at home with them." I knew he was referring to the milk truck driver from Modern Dairies who came each week to collect the milk. He was so affable, the company kept him on after he lost his driver's license due to careless driving. They just ad someone else drive him.

Miss Pattimore was young and kind with the most amazing dark hair. Sometimes she startled us by wearing a wig. It was a lighter colour and a different style than her own, and it gave her a whole new look, which I found fascinating.

Yep... sounds like my Mom.

Recipe Swap #50

2011-08-18T06:32:00.014-05:00

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday! This week we're celebrating the big 50! 50 wonderfully delicious Recipe Swaps!!

The most popular recipe from Recipe Swap Thursday last week was Better Than Coach Cake @ Everyday Mom's Meals. Oh my!!

This week I'm sharing my Great Aunt Clara's Coffee Cake. I was so happy to find a little section in one of my Grandma's recipe scribblers called Clara's Korner where there were many of my great aunt's baking recipe!

How to swap:

1) Link directly to your recipe. Scroll down to "Click here to enter" button. You will be prompted to enter the URL (link directly to your post), Name of your recipe, and Email (not visible), and then select a Thumbnail to upload.

2) Visit the other recipe links!!

3) Please include a link back to Prairie Story so everyone can see all the delicious recipes. Feel free to grab the Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday badge, or Tweet/Facebook this swap to your friends and followers.

Thank you to all recipe swappers, blog hoppers, my loyal readers, Twitter and Facebook followers, fellow foodies, family and friends for your support. I'm so happy to be able to share my Prairie Story, and appreciate that you take a precious moment or two out of your busy day to visit my blog!

Clara's Coffee Cake

2011-08-18T06:15:00.000-05:00

My Grandma Agnes Pitura's sister, Clara, married my Grandpa's brother, and their farm was a few miles down the road from ours. Crazy, eh?! Anyway, I do remember visiting my Great Aunt Clara often and it seemed liked she always had something good baking. Needless to say, I was so happy when I found "Clara's Coffee Cake" handwritten in one of my Grandma's scribblers that she wrote recipes in!

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 60 Minutes | Serves: 9

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon Cocoa
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup butter (I used margarine)
3 eggs
3 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups sour cream

Instructions:
- Prepare filling by combining 1/2 cup sugar, walnuts, cocoa and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Beat butter/margarine until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 cup sugar, and add eggs 1 at a time.
- Mix in flour, baking powder, and baking soda, alternatively with sour cream.
- Pour 1/2 of cake mixture into greased 9" angle food pan (I used 9x9 baking dish), and sprinkle 1/2 of filling.
- Pour rest of cake mixture over and top with filling.
- Bake @ 350 for 50-60 minutes.
- Enjoy with a cup of coffee!

Coffee Helps

2011-08-17T21:41:00.000-05:00

I just can't put down my Grandma's 1927 Household Helps book! I find all of the tips so interesting and find myself referring to it often. We were at our cabin last weekend and ound my weekend coffee out there needed some improvement... so I looked up the helps on Coffee.

Coffee Test - Stir a teaspoon of ground coffee in a half glass of cold water; if coffee is good quality, it will who but little discoloration and very few grounds will sink to the bottom of the glass.

Another Coffee Test - Add a few drops of lemon juice to a glass of cold water; if pure, coffee will remain on top of the water; if not the water will at once change to brown color.

For a Good Cup of Coffee - put the ground coffee in a saucer and place it into a fairly hot oven for three minute before making; this will bring out the flavor.

When Making Coffee - always warm coffee-pot first; then sprinkle little salt on the coffee before pouring on the boiling water and the flavor will be greatly improved.

To Keep Coffee Pot Sweet & Clean - put a tablespoonful of bicarbonate of soda in it, nearly fill it with water and boil awhile; rinse in several lots of clear warm water.

To Keep The Best Coffee Urn Sweet - drop a small piece of charcoal in it, or a lump or two of sugar, and prop the lid open with a toothpick.

Instead of Using Cream - bring milk just to the boiling point and pour it steaming hot into the hot coffee, using enough to make it golden brown.

Darn... all I can think of now is an Grande Non-Fat Carmel Macchiatto from Starbucks.

Recipe Swap #49

2011-08-11T06:22:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday!

The most popular recipe from Recipe Swap Thursday last week was Petite Lasagnas @ Sensible Shoppers. Totally cute! I need to try these!

This week I'm sharing my Blueberry Sour Cream Cobbler. I love this recipe because it works with almost any fruit, it's not overly sweet, and the top of the cobbler cake has a nice little crunch to it! Soooo good!

How to swap:

2) Visit the other recipe links!!

Blueberry Sour Cream Cobbler

2011-08-11T06:10:00.000-05:00

I have been making this cake for years and it is one of my all time favorites! And the best part is you can use almost any type of fruit - I've even used canned pie filling.

Ingredients:

Fruit Bottom

2-3 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Cobbler Top
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
- Place blueberries in bottom of deep dish pie plate. Sprinkle sugar over, and drizzle lemon juice.
- In a bowl, cream together margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs.
- Mix in baking soda and sour cream.
- Stir in flour, baking powder and salt.
- Dollop batter over blueberries.
- Bake @ 350 for 45-60 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
- Always best served warm!!

Household Helps Poem

2011-08-10T21:19:00.005-05:00

I like to have a clean, neat and tidy home, but it doesn't always mean I enjoy the endless picking up, laundry, sweeping and monotony of it all! Oh how I remember my working days when I had cleaners come to do the dirty work... but for now I'll just have to keep motivating myself. I found this cute little poem in my Grandma's Household Helps book that has inspired me to remember to take pride in housekeeping. As always, thanks Grandma!

With such a book of "helps" as this,

Housekeeping should not go amiss;

So, housewives, all - and others, too,

Prove how each "does its bit" for you.

Each "help" herein is "true and tried"

And some good housewife's honest pride-

Some home's delight;

Yet should your effort prove in vain,

We'll say not where to put the blame-

'T were impolite!

Happy housekeeping!

Recipe Swap #48

2011-08-04T09:06:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday!

The most popular recipe from Recipe Swap Thursday last week was Zucchini Cookies @ Angel Foods Kitchen. Oh how we love baking with zucchini!

This week I'm sharing my Borscht. Borscht really is the BEST soup ever. As kids we used to beg our Grandma to make it with her garden fresh veggies... and it's still one of my favorite comfort foods. Be sure to check out a few of my other favorite Prairie Story Beet Recipes too!

How to swap:

2) Visit the other recipe links!!

Beet Helps

2011-08-04T08:20:00.000-05:00

Here are some more old school Household Helps... this time on Beets! Don't you just love these tips and tricks! And be sure to check out a few of my favorite Prairie Story Beet Recipes.

For Washing Beets use a small brush. It does the work better and saves time and fingers.

To Skin Beets Easily place them in a basin and pour boiling water over them; let stand a minute, then drain.

Best Way to Skin Beets Without Bleeding - put them in cold water as soon as cooked; then draw the hand gently down each beet and the skins will come off easily. Leave stems an inch long on beets and the color will not cook out.

Recipe Swap #47

2011-07-28T07:50:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Prairie Story Recipe Swap Thursday! Happy August long weekend to my fellow Canadians... it's been a beautiful summer here on the prairies!

The most popular recipe from Recipe Swap Thursday last week was Nutella Blended Coffee Drink @ Around My Family Table. How can you go wrong with Nutella and Coffee!

This week I'm sharing my Garlic Smashed Potatoes. They are one of my favorite sides in summer with new garden potatoes or in winter as a total comfort food! And be sure to check out the old school Potato Helps for quick tips and tricks!

How to swap:

2) Visit the other recipe links!!