Life At Cobble Hill Farm

Thank You + A Goodbye

2026-01-26T18:45:00.003-05:00

Just a quick post letting you know that I will no longer blog in this space. It's time to close this chapter.

As I've written before, I TRULY appreciate all of you who have stopped by regularly or occasionally to see what we're up to on our homestead.

It's been a nice break, being offline as much as possible and staying away from social media, and something I plan to continue.

Also, I will not be renewing this website address next month so if you would like a recipe or other post for future reference, I highly recommend that you print or copy & paste them into a word document.

Thank you SO MUCH for your interest in what I've posted over the past 16 years in addition to your comments, advice, and friendship.

Easy & Delicious Homemade Flatbreads

2025-03-25T14:24:00.001-04:00

You can have DELICIOUS soft and pliable homemade yeasted flatbreads on the table in an hour! Similar to homemade tortillas but a little bit thicker and chewier, they hold up perfectly to many types of fillings.

We love to use flatbreads as a dipper for hummus, to make individual pizzas, or stuffed with salad or sandwich ingredients. (The sandwich above is a mediterranean with tofu "feta" - delicious!)

This recipe is easily cut in half or doubled if needed and feel free to make them smaller or larger, depending on how you'd like to use them.

Ingredient Notes:

Bread Flour - bread flour provides a chewier finished product making it the best choice for this recipe.
Room Temperature Water - it is preferable to use lukewarm or room temp water rather than cold water. Microwave it for a few seconds if needed.
Instant Yeast - instant yeast (not active dry yeast) is the leavening agent
Baking Powder - (NOT baking soda) is the second leavening agent

Making The Flatbreads:

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on medium speed for 30-45 seconds, or until you get a shaggy-style dough. (If you do not have a stand mixer, mix by hand.)

2. Lightly dust a small area of your counter. Transfer the dough onto the floured counter and knead by hand until the dough is springy and tacky. This should take no more than 2 minutes.

3. Form the dough into a round ball and leave on a lightly floured counter. Cover with your mixing bowl turned upside-down over the dough ball and let rest 30 minutes.

4. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and leave on a lightly floured counter covered by a towel for 5 minutes of rest.

5. When ready to cook, preheat a large skilled on the stovetop over medium heat. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll into a rough circle or oval to about 6 inches in diameter. Use additional flour if necessary to keep from sticking to the counter and rolling pin.

6. Dry-fry (no oil) for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Once the first side is done, flip to cook the second side. Transfer cooked flatbreads to a plate or cooling rack.

More Recipes You'll Love:

The BEST Sourdough Tortillas

Super Easy No-Knead Bread

Yogurt + Flour = The BEST English Muffins

Low Oil & Refined Sugar Free Homemade Granola

printable recipe here

Easy & Delicious Homemade Flatbreads

makes 8 flatbreads (6" in size)

2 cups bread flour (+ extra for countertop)

3/4 cups room temperature water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix, using the paddle attachment, on medium speed for 30-45 seconds, or until you get a shaggy-style dough. (If you do not have a stand mixer, mix by hand.)

Using 1-2 teaspoons of extra bread flour, lightly dust a small area of your counter. Transfer the dough onto the floured counter and knead by hand, incorporating up to 2 Tablespoons additional flour if needed, until the dough is springy and tacky. This should take no more than 2 minutes.

Form the dough into a round ball and leave on a lightly floured counter. Cover with your mixing bowl turned upside-down over the dough ball and let rest 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (if you prefer to weigh them rather than eyeball it, they should weigh 55-60g). Form each piece into a ball and leave on a lightly floured counter covered by a towel for 5 minutes of rest. (They are fine resting up to an hour)

When ready to cook, preheat a large skilled on the stovetop over medium heat. Working with one dough ball at a time, roll into a rough circle or oval to about 6 inches in diameter. Use additional flour if necessary to keep from sticking to the counter and rolling pin.

Dry-fry (no oil) for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Once the first side is done, flip to cook the second side. Transfer cooked flatbreads to a plate or cooling rack.

Store leftover flatbreads in a sealed plastic bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.

pin it for later:

Egg-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2025-03-13T15:32:00.002-04:00

Today I'm sharing another DELICIOUS egg-free cake recipe! This recipe is also free of milk and butter.

Known as depression era cakes or pantry cakes, this series of egg-free cakes is made with ingredients that are fairly inexpensive and that you usually stock in your pantry (not including any frostings). They are easy to make and a wonderful treat!

While you might think a cake without eggs would be dense, it will surprise you to know that it is not at all. This cake is light, fluffy and delicious, and there is no way anyone eating it would guess there aren't any eggs the recipe.

These recipes have been so popular that I just created a free eBook that is a collection of them all plus 2 additional egg-free cake recipes. Enter your email address and we'll get it sent right to you.

You'll notice in the photos that the cream cheese frosting is slightly runny. I used non-dairy cream cheese which was a lot softer than dairy cream cheese and I also reduced the powdered sugar by half. It was softer but absolutely yummy! Once it was stored in the refrigerator the frosting set up nicely.

Ingredient Notes:

Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water. If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
Vinegar - you can use white or apple cider vinegar (you will not taste the vinegar in the finished cake). The vinegar plus the baking soda is the leavening agent in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil). If you would like to use an oil that is solid at room temperature (like coconut oil or palm oil), melt it first. If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce without any noticeable change to the cake.
Sugar - you can reduce this slightly if you would prefer a less sweet cake.
Powdered Sugar (frosting) - you can reduce this by as much as half if you prefer. It will, however, make the frosting a little bit runnier.

Making The Carrot Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
Add water/milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour. Stir in carrots just until incorporated.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until center is firm and toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.
Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, with your favorite frosting, or with the DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting recipe included.

Additional DELICIOUS Egg-Free Depression Cake Recipes:

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake Sweetened With Maple Syrup
Egg-Free Rhubarb Cake With Cinnamon Sugar Crunch Topping
Egg-Free Cranberry Orange Snack Cake
Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake
Egg-Free Banana Bread Cake
Egg-Free Blueberry & Lemon Cake

Egg-Free Chocolate Cake with Optional Peanut Butter Frosting

printable recipe here

Egg-Free Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes 1 - 8x8" cake

cake ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)
5 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

cream cheese frosting ingredients:

1/4 c. butter (dairy or non-dairy), softened
4 oz. cream cheese (dairy or non-dairy), softened
1 t. vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Add water/milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour. Stir in carrots just until incorporated.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until center is firm and toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, with your favorite frosting, or with the DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting recipe below. Store in the refrigerator if using the cream cheese frosting.

To make the optional cream cheese frosting: In a medium bowl, with a hand mixer blend the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time and blend until smooth. Frost the completely cooled cake.

pin it for later:

How To Get Started Raising Chicks: A Beginner's Guide

2025-02-27T12:21:00.001-05:00

If you're bringing chicks to your homestead or backyard for the first time, you're in for a treat! Here's a quick guide to get you started.

In addition to fresh eggs, you'll be delighted to watch their antics and see their personalities develop. Chickens are relatively easy to care for and don't require much in the way of daily attention, making them an easy animal to add to your backyard or homestead. We absolutely adore our flock!

How Many Chicks Do I Need?
Chickens are social and will do better if you have at least 2 or 3 in the flock. If you are purchasing chickens for farm fresh eggs, each adult chicken will lay one egg every 25 hours during the peak summer season. As the chicken ages, production slowly decreases, most notably after age 2. For this reason, it's helpful to add a few new chicks every 2-4 years, in order to keep your egg production up. This is important to factor in, because you may want to start with a smaller flock if you plan to add gradually.

Getting Chicks

Buying day-old chicks is a very common way of starting a flock, and the chicks can be purchased from a local feed store, farmer, or mail order (they can live up to 48 hours when first hatched without food or water). They can be ordered as sexed or straight run (un-sexed and could be hens or roosters).

If you want to make sure you're not ending up with some or all roosters, it's imperative that you purchase sexed chicks. That being said, mistakes can and have happened, but your chances are much better that you'll have all hens.

Preparing For The Chicks

For starters, you'll need a brooder and a heat plate. A brooder is a heated space or structure in which you raise young fowl. A large tote works great as a makeshift brooder. You could also try a box, galvanized tub, or whatever else you have laying around. The main thing is you want something tall enough the little chicks won't escape. A chick should have at least 1/2 square foot of space from age 1 day to about 4 weeks and then 1 square foot of space from age 4 weeks to 8 weeks.

Here's a basic shopping list to prepare for the arrival of the chicks:

Brooder (if you have a tall-sided box, tote, etc. that you can use, by all means re-purpose that - tall-sided storage tubs work great!)
Brooder Cover - this should allow for air flow so an old window screen, chicken wire or wire mesh, etc.
Liner for the brooder (non-glossy newspaper sections)
Wood Shavings (I highly recommend pine shavings over pellets or stray/hay)
Heat Plate (I recommend this over a heat lamp because of the fire danger with the heat lamps)
Chick Feeder (see note below)
Chick Waterer (it's best to use a commercial chick waterer so you don't risk them drowning)
Chick Feed
Chick Grit (mix with the feed - read the package for amount)

Prep The Brooder: Place your makeshift brooder in a safe place and away from drafts. Cats, dogs, children, and others are all things to consider. You don't want anyone accidentally letting the chicks out and you certainly don't want a dog or cat getting at them. If you are leaving them in an outbuilding such as a garage, it's important to first ensure predators cannot get in. If they can, they will quickly find and kill the entire flock.

Inside your brooder you'll need wood shavings or some other type of chicken-approved litter. I line the bottom of the brooder with newspaper first, then about 2 inches of fine wood shavings laying on top of that. This will make it much easier to keep clean.

For the feeder: It's tempting to use something from around the house - a shallow plastic container, a tupperware lid, etc. but the benefit if an actual chick feeder is that it's the proper size and, for the most part, will keep their bodies out of the food. Remember that they poop constantly so a feeder that allows them to get inside of it will quickly become filled with chick poop.

For the waterer: Again, it's tempting to use something you already have. The potential problems are 1. it will become full of poop and/or 2. they could fall and drown in an open container with taller sides. Feel free to add a small amount of electrolytes or a splash of apple cider vinegar to their water. Keep their water elevated slightly to try and keep the shavings (which they will kick around) out of it. You can continue to elevate it as they grow taller.

The day before the chicks arrive get everything ready - food and grit, the waterer full of water and placed in the brooder, and make sure the heat plate is working.

I like to place the heat plate on one side of the brooder, and the food and water on the opposite side.

Related Posts You'll Love

All You Need To Know About Chicken Roosts

No Waste Built-In Chicken Feeder

The Chicken Coop At Cobble Hill Farm

13 Lessons Learned While Building Our Coop

Introducing New Chickens To The Flock

Wait....I Don't Need A Rooster?

Chick Arrival

If you've mail-ordered your chicks, the post office will call you as soon as they arrive (I would advise letting them know ahead of time and giving them your phone number. They will very much appreciate the "heads up"). It is imperative that you are ready to pick them up as soon as they arrive. You'll hear them as soon as you get there as your package will be the one making a lot of noise.

Heat: Plug in the heat plate, lower it as stated in the instructions. As they grow, you'll adjust it.

Check Them Out: It's important to tend to them immediately upon getting the chicks home. Open your box carefully and assess the health of each. There is a chance one or two may have perished during transit. Hopefully this won't be the case. They will probably be huddled together in the corner, making it difficult to look at each, so you can remove them, one at a time and place them in their brooder once you've checked them over.

Pasty Butt: When checking each chick out, if the vent area (rear end) has any pasty or crusty poop on it, remove it with a wet paper towel. Carefully rub away the poop with the paper towel, working it between two fingers, until it comes loose. Simply pulling it off will possibly injure the tiny chicks. The poop must be removed in order for the chicken to continue to properly excrete. The chicks' vents must be checked daily for the next few weeks.

Dip Their Beak: As you move each chick from their shipping box to their new home, dip their beak in water. Each chick will need their beak dipped at least once and you should watch to make sure they drink. Next, dip each chick's beak in the food so they know where to find it. They may start pecking at the shavings, but you can re-direct them to the food and they'll catch on. Watch for any not returning to the water for a drink on their own and re-dip to make sure they understand before you leave them unattended.

Cover The Brooder: Cover the top of the container they are in with an old screen or some sort of covering that allows for air flow but keeps others out and them in.

Handling The Chicks: Handling should be kept at a minimum for the first few days. They will be highly stressed and need the opportunity to adjust to their new surroundings.

Daily Chores: Keep on eye on the chicks for the next 2 days watching for signs of illness. You'll also need to keep a close eye on them for the purposes of monitoring the heat. Cold chicks will huddle and chirp loudly and hot chicks will look agitated and pant. Content chicks will spread out and enjoy their full surroundings. Adjust the heat as needed.

Keep a good eye on their food and water. They should never run out of either. You'll be cleaning their feeder and waterer often throughout the day as they will kick litter into both, and disinfecting both weekly with vinegar and water.

Their brooder/pen will need to be cleaned daily as they will spill their water, leave you lots of little "packages" and simply make a mess. They love to play and scratch and will do so quite happily. Have a second brooder or box/container handy that has a non-slippery bottom that you can safely place the chicks in while you clean their brooder.

After a few weeks they can enjoy some outdoor time as long as the temps aren't too cold (above 65 degrees Fahrenheit). Don't leave them out in their pen or container for too long and you'll want to keep an eye on them as predators (including neighborhood cats) could be lurking.

Chick Handling

Once the chicks are 2 weeks old, it's important to handle them daily. This will not only help them thrive but also allow for a much easier time when you need to pick them up and handle them in adulthood. They will be more comfortable and have more trust in you doing so.

I will say that bantams and some of the breeds collectively known as the "easter eggers" have always been a bit skittish in our experience. It's still important to hold them daily, trying to form that relationship with them.

I know this is common sense, but I still feel I need to add it. Always wash your hands well after handling any chicks or chickens.

As They Age

Weeks 1-3 - the chicks are little balls of absolute cuteness that need to be checked on regularly and are very fragile (particularly their legs). They will be vocal and enjoy running around their brooder, jumping, eating, drinking, kicking and scratching the shavings, and spending a lot of time under their heat plate or lamp.

Their heat plate will start around 90 or 95 degrees Fahrenheit and then be reduced by 5 degrees each week. You will know if you've reduced the heat too low if you find them huddled under the heat plate rather than passed out sleeping under it. It's normal for them to do some huddling, but they should not be a big pile of chicks.

They will become very active. Feel free to add a small stick (large enough for a few to perch on), a small rock or two, or even a feather duster. They will enjoy having things to go on and under.

Weeks 4-7 - the chicks are developing feathers and growing exponentially. They will benefit being brought outside for outdoor time, in a safe pen or container, as long as the temps are at or above 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Once fully feathered, at 6-7 weeks of age, they can be moved outside for good. The one thing that will hinder potentially moving them to the chicken coop, is if you have a fenced in outdoor area for them, they may still be small enough to fit through the holes in the fencing.

Give them small amounts of fresh food/table scraps as you can. They love berries, veggies, and bits of carbs like oatmeal, rice, and bread. Their feed should be their primary source of nutrition, so think of any food scraps as treats.

If you are raising chicks in the fall or winter months, it's possible that your chicks will need to stay in their brooder for longer, up to 10-12 weeks.

If you are using a starter/grower feed, you don't need to change it. If you are using a starter feed, you can change it at week 8 to a grower feed.

Moving The Chicks Outside

Chickens produce a lot of dust, so it's easy to look forward to the day when they move to their new home.....outside of the house or garage.

A few things to keep in mind prior to transitioning the little ones from the artificially heated pen to the outside.

First, wait until the chicks have fully developed feathers, usually at week 6 or 7.

Second, transition the chicks when the weather is nice if possible (not rainy, windy, etc.). Chickens are not big on change, so making the transition as easy as possible is a huge benefit. If you are going to allow them to free-range, you should initially keep them in the chicken coop only. After a week they will be comfortable with their new home and understand that this is their safe haven. Now you can allow them out and they will return to their coop on their own so that you won't have to chase them all down. Just check the coop in the evenings to make sure all have made it back.

Third, if you're adding them to an existing flock, it's best to wait until the chicks reach 10 weeks or older. They need to be old enough to fight for themselves when bullied. The way we've transitioned ours, is from the house they go to a pen (we use a dog pen) within the coop by week 8. We add extra wire to the outside of the pen so that the holes of the pen are small enough that they can't get out, but the existing flock can check them out.

The pen needs to be cleaned daily, and we daily close the flock outside and let the chicks run around the indoor pen to get some exercise. They enjoy trying out their newly discovered wings and they become very comfortable with their new home. Eventually, by week 10, they are released to mix in with the rest of the flock and the pecking order gets re-established.

Enjoy watching their crazy antics as they learn their new surroundings and find new things to get excited about.

Switch them to layer feed once they are about 19 weeks old. Get the egg cartons ready because you should see your first egg once the chicks are 21 - 24 weeks old.

pin it for later:

Chocolate Chip Biscotti (Italian-Style)

2025-02-24T15:27:00.004-05:00

These biscotti are the perfect texture for dunking into a steaming mug of coffee.

Because of their crispness and density, they stand up to the dunking remarkably well and make coffee time extra special. If, however, you prefer something not quite so crisp, I previously shared our favorite recipe for American-style biscotti which include butter, so they remain softer.

Biscottie are perfect for breakfast or for a mid-day coffee break. Make these as-is or melt extra chocolate chips and dunk half of the cooked and cooled biscotti and then lay on a silicone liner or parchment paper to dry. This is always a hit!

Making The Biscotti:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper or a silicone mat) a baking sheet.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour, beating gently until mostly incorporated. Add mini chocolate chips and continue beating gently just until fully blended.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and, with slightly wet hands, shape it into a rough log that is about 14 inches long and approx. 2 1/2 inches wide. This will leave the biscotti log about 3/4 inches thick. With slightly wet hands or with a dough scraper, gently smooth the top.
Bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and, leaving the biscotti on the baking sheet, allow to cool 5-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put a small amount of cold water in a small bowl. Using your fingers, dip into the water and lightly spread over the top of the biscotti log, making it lightly wet and softer to cut. Let sit another minute, then cut the biscotti into 1/2" - 3/4" slices. Try to keep the knife straight so that the pieces are even, top to bottom. Set the biscotti upright on the baking sheet, spacing them apart so the sides get dried out with the second bake.
Bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool.

More Delicious Breakfast Ideas:

Maple Walnut Biscotti (American Style)

The BEST Homemade Granola

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes (Egg-Free & Dairy-Free Options)

Yogurt + Flour = The BEST English Muffins

printable recipe found here

Italian-Style Chocolate Chip Biscotti

makes 14-16 biscotti

2 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease (or line with parchment paper or a silicone mat) a baking sheet.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour, beating gently until mostly incorporated. Add mini chocolate chips and continue beating gently just until fully blended.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet and, with slightly wet hands, shape it into a rough log that is about 14 inches long and approx. 2 1/2 inches wide. This will leave the biscotti log about 3/4 inches thick. With slightly wet hands or with a dough scraper, gently smooth the top.

Bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and, leaving the biscotti on the baking sheet, allow to cool 5-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Put a small amount of cold water in a small bowl. Using your fingers, dip into the water and lightly spread over the top of the biscotti log, making it lightly wet and softer to cut. Let sit another minute, then cut the biscotti into 1/2" - 3/4" slices. Try to keep the knife straight so that the pieces are even, top to bottom.

Set the biscotti upright on the baking sheet, spacing them apart so the sides get dried out. Bake 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool. Store cooled biscotti in an airtight container. If they didn't get hard enough to your liking, store them uncovered overnight to allow them to dry out further. Store at room temperature up to 2 weeks, and for longer storage, wrap airtight and freeze.

pin for later:

Eggless Chocolate Cake (with optional peanut butter frosting)

2025-02-13T15:05:00.001-05:00

Another DELICIOUS version of the best egg-free cake recipe! We're on a bit of a roll here because many of you are searching for eggless dishes with the current shortages and high prices.

Chocolate and peanut butter is a classic combination, so why not put it together as a cake? While this cake is delicious on its own, the peanut butter frosting takes it up a notch!

One of the things I love about these depression-style cake recipes, is that they utilize ingredients you already have on hand. It is made egg-free without anyone noticing because the vinegar, which you do not taste in the baked cake, combined with the baking soda provide the leavening agent allowing the cake to rise with excellent texture and crumb.

It's soooo good. I hope you give it a try!

Ingredient Notes:

Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water. If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
Vinegar - you can use white or apple cider vinegar (you will not taste the vinegar in the finished cake). The vinegar plus the baking soda is the leavening agent in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil). If you would like to use an oil that is solid at room temperature (like coconut oil or palm oil), melt it first. If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce without any noticeable change to the cake.
Sugar - you can reduce this slightly if you would prefer a less sweet cake.

Making The Chocolate Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add water/milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula just until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.
Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before cutting for the best texture. Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or peanut butter frosting.
To Make The Peanut Butter Frosting: In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter and peanut butter with a handheld mixer until completely combined. Add the vanilla and mix in. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Spread with spatula, frosting knife, or spoon on cake that is cooled to room temperature.

Additional DELICIOUS Egg-Free Depression Cake Recipes:

printable recipe here

Eggless Chocolate Cake (with optional peanut butter frosting)
makes: 1 8"x8" cake

Cake Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)
5 Tablespoons oil (*see note for substituting partly with applesauce)
1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick butter (8 Tablespoons), at room temperature

2/3 cup soft peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add water/milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula just until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

Serve as is, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or peanut butter frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter and peanut butter with a handheld mixer until completely combined. Add the vanilla and mix in. Add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Spread with spatula, frosting knife, or spoon on cake that is cooled to room temperature.

pin for later:

Egg-Free Blueberry Lemon Cake

2025-02-10T12:16:00.003-05:00

You'll never miss the eggs in this light, moist, and delicious cake!

This recipe is not only yummy, but it's budget friendly too with almost all of the ingredients coming from typical pantry staples. Serve the cake as is or, if you want to add something a little extra, drizzle it with the optional lemon drizzle. If you choose to make the light frosting, drizzle pieces right before serving as it will eventually melt into the cake.

If you don't have any lemon or aren't a fan of lemon, omit it and make this a vanilla blueberry cake. Swap the lemon juice with either white or apple cider vinegar (an acid is needed for the leavening properties - you won't taste it in the finished cake), omit the lemon zest, and increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons. If you want to add the drizzle, omit the lemon juice and add vanilla extract instead.

Whether you make this blueberry cake with lemon or vanilla, your family will love it. It's delicious!

Ingredient Notes:

Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water. If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
Lemon Juice - you can use white or apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon juice if you are choosing to make this without the lemon flavor (you will not taste the vinegar in the finished cake). The lemon juice or vinegar plus the baking soda is the leavening agent in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
Lemon Zest - zest your lemon before juicing it, being careful to not get the white pithy part right under the zest (it's bitter). This adds a little extra lemon flavoring to the cake. Omit if you are making the cake without the lemon flavor.
Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil). If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce without any noticeable change to the cake.
Blueberries - I prefer to use frozen blueberries so that their color doesn't discolor the cake and also, so they mix in nicely. If you are using fresh blueberries, simply place them, single layer, on a small sheet pan in the freezer for an hour before making the cake.
Sugar - if you prefer a sweeter cake, use the full cup. If you prefer a less sweet cake, use 3/4 cup.

Making The Egg-Free Blueberry Lemon Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment. Set aside. Zest a lemon, reserving in a small bowl, then cut and squeeze to extract the juice into another small bowl. Set both aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, lemon zest, and frozen blueberries.

3. Add water/milk, lemon juice, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.

5. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

6. If making the optional drizzle, in a small bowl stir together the powdered sugar & lemon juice. Drizzle over completely cooled pieces of cake before serving.

Additional DELICIOUS Egg-Free Depression Cake Recipes:

printable recipe here

Egg-Free Blueberry Lemon Cake

makes 1 - 8x8 pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup - 1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)

5 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Optional Lemon Drizzle

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment. Set aside. Zest a lemon, reserving in a small bowl, then cut and squeeze to extract the juice into another small bowl. Set both aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, lemon zest, and frozen blueberries.

Add water/milk, lemon juice, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.

Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake 25-35 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

If making the optional drizzle, in a small bowl stir together the powdered sugar & lemon juice. Drizzle over completely cooled pieces of cake before serving.

pin it for later

Pantry Challenge 101: What Is It, How To Do It, & Who Shouldn't Participate

2025-01-30T10:14:00.003-05:00

January is a very popular month for pantry challenges although it's something you can do at any time. What is it and how can you participate? Let's start at the beginning.

What Is A Pantry Challenge?

It's a time period, typically 2-4 weeks, where you challenge yourself to eat down the food you have in your home - pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and try to avoid grocery shopping. Although you'll be eating from all of your food stores, focus on eating down those items that are the oldest and/or perishable with the dual goals of preventing food waste and saving money.

Why Stock A Pantry?

The simple answer is, to save you money. Here is the longer answer.

Purchasing pantry items in bulk when they are on sale and/or preserving pantry staples from produce either you've grown or you've purchased, provides your family an abundance of nutritional food on your shelves that they enjoy. This changes your grocery shopping from weekly trips of purchasing everything for that week's menu to instead, purchasing fresh fruit/veg/dairy as needed and restocking your pantry when there are sale items you are in need of. Shopping in this manner offers a great way to help reduce your grocery bill.

Preparing a well-stocked pantry can be done slowly. Focusing on items purchased at the lowest prices (grocery sales are cyclical) or, of course, preserved in-season helps to make it affordable. When I first started building my pantry, I would reserve $10-15 of my weekly budget to purchase sale items - pantry staples or extra produce for preserving. If nothing was on sale that week that I needed, I simply added that money to the next week's stock-up fund.

We've been able to utilize our pantry and freezer stock on a weekly basis, since I build my meal plan primarily around what I've got on hand (what I don't have on hand goes on my grocery list). We've also leaned on it during tight financial times, allowing us peace of mind and a little breathing room.

In addition to being a great way to save money, this is where your stocked pantry can shine. You also may experience a time of financial strain, and eating primarily from your pantry helps prevent your family from experiencing food insecurity as well as reduces the strain on the pocketbook. Or you may be ill for a week or more and having staples on hand that provide you and your family good nutritional meals means not having to go to the grocery store until you're feeling better. Or you may prefer to eat as much homegrown and home preserved as you can, particularly with all of the food recalls that happen nowadays.

All of these scenarios are real life possibilities where at least a week or two's worth of excess food in the pantry and/or freezer will help out tremendously. It's up to you to determine how much makes sense for you to have on hand at any given time. Space can be an issue, although you can get very creative in figuring out ways to store it.

The keys are to focus on only stocking items your family eats, adding to your stock during either food sales or when the produce is available in your garden, and to rotate it regularly.

What Are The Rules Of A Pantry Challenge?

Eating all meals and snacks from your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer and either avoiding the grocery store (and eating out) completely during this time or greatly reducing your food purchases. Some people choose to spend money on groceries during the challenge while others do not, you decide what works for you.

As an example, you may decide to only purchase fresh vegetables, fruit, and dairy. Others allow themselves a dollar amount per week, usually a miniscule amount compared to what they would typically spend, with the goal of spending as little of it as possible. While others set a hard and fast rule of spending no money at all.

I think that the rules you set for yourself depends on a few factors: how much you have on hand, especially fruit and veggies, what your goal for the challenge is, and how easy it will be for you to provide food that your family will eat based on what you have on hand.

What Are The Pantry Challenge Goals?

These are the 3 that are most typical:

1. To Save Money - probably the most common goal, many participate during a time that they could use extra money or anticipate times being tight.

2. To Avoid Food Waste/Use Up Older Food Stockpiles - it's important if you stock-up on food to rotate it regularly, and a challenge such as this is a great opportunity to ensure this happens.

3. To See How Long You Can Get By With What You Normally Stockpile - most of us bulk buy pretty much the same things all of the time. Could you eat solely from what you keep on hand for a week or two if you had to? This type of a challenge is the perfect way to find out where your gaps are as well as to show you what you stock-up too much of. Also, if you grow/raise/preserve much of your own food, this will help you identify any gaps or excesses.

Why Do Some People Bulk Buy Before A Pantry Challenge?

This is an interesting question that, I'll be honest, when I first saw videos of challenge participants doing this, I asked myself the same question. I can't answer based on experience, because I've never done this prior to eating down my pantry. That being said, here's what I can gather:

We all make our own rules for the challenge and some people choose to ensure their family does not go without favorites during this period while others need to "fill in the gaps" to ensure they have what's necessary for complete meals.

While you may not see a huge savings by doing it this way, you can save some money simply from no add-ons when shopping weekly and it can still help identify where your stock-up gaps are.

If you do choose to bulk buy prior to the challenge, keep focused on what the challenge is, which is eating primarily from what you currently have on hand.

Can You Save Money On A Pantry Challenge?

Yes! How much you can save depends on the rules you give yourself and the timeframe of your challenge, but you can absolutely save money. If you can avoid shopping for any food products (or greatly reducing what you spend) during your challenge period, all of the money you would have spent during that time is now money saved. This takes creativity, pre-planning, and being careful to not completely deplete your food reserves.

Creativity because you may have to find alternatives to what you would normally use in a recipe. For instance, you may have to use that half a box of crackers for breadcrumbs when you run out of bread, or egg replacers (applesauce or flax seeds, for instance) in a baked good if you're limited on eggs. Planning ahead what you'll prepare for meals and snacks will give you time to think about alternative options.

Pre-planning will also help you ensure you don't use up all of your stocked food that could provide healthy meals for your family should an emergency happen. Keeping at least one week's worth of food in your reserves is a great way to ensure you are prepared if needed. It also means you have enough items to make meals from that you don't have to immediately begin purchasing all of the staples you've used up.

When Is The Best Time To Do A Pantry Challenge?

You can elect to join a public pantry challenge or conduct a challenge of your own at any time. Whether it's to eat down your pantry, to save money for a specific monetary goal, or because your income has been cut, whenever you choose to do one is a great time to do so.

You can choose to do a pantry challenge when you are getting ready for food preservation season. This will help you eat down what is left from the previous year and make room for the new.

You can also choose to do a pantry challenge when your pantry is quite full of food stocked up when you found it on sale. After you eat down your pantry you wait for each of the items to go on sale again before you add them back to your stock.

There are many reasons why you may decide to do this. If it's your first time doing so and it's a voluntary challenge (i.e. not required because of financial issues), I highly recommend starting with a 1-week challenge. This provides you the opportunity to try it out without it being too overwhelming.

How Do I Implement A Pantry Challenge?

1. Determine your reason for the pantry challenge. Do you want to save money? How much money? Do you want to reduce food waste? Figure out where your stock-up gaps are? Figure out your reason and use that to become your mantra for pushing you through the toughest days of the challenge.

2. Pick a start and end date. If it's your first time, maybe try 1 week. If you don't want to set an end date, then set an end time based on how much you want to eat down, i.e. when the freezer is 1/2 gone, when the pantry is half gone, etc.

3. Inventory your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. This will help you figure out your timeframe and your self-imposed rules. It will also give you a starting point of items you need to use up first.

4. Set your rules and stick to them. Will you allow yourself to spend any money on groceries to stock-up before the challenge? How about during the challenge? If so, how much and on what? If you do decide to grocery shop during the challenge, try to limit yourself to only once a week or less.

5. Think about the what if's ahead of time. If you're used to making pretty much everything from scratch, this may not be as much of a stretch. However, if you're not, there may be trying times during the challenge. What if you forget to take something out for dinner? What if you don't have all of the ingredients to make what you normally make? What will you do on busy nights where your time is limited? Take a look at your family calendar to try and pre-plan what you can.

**I've written about this before and it's not sponsored, but a website such as Super Cook can be very handy. It allows you to enter in which ingredients you have on hand and then generates a list of recipes (using only those ingredients).*

Who Shouldn't Participate In A Pantry Challenge?

If you are someone who does not stock up for more than a week or two, it wouldn't make sense for you to participate in this type of challenge. Instead, what you could challenge yourself to do is to set a lower dollar amount for your weekly or bi-weekly grocery shopping trip and eat from that without stopping for extras throughout the week.

If you've never tried to challenge yourself with a pantry challenge, I encourage you to give it a try. You will learn a lot about how you stock up and you will likely save a chunk of money in the process! And if you don't currently meal plan from your food stores first (pantry/refrigerator/freezer), I highly encourage you to start today. It will help reduce food waste, give a boost to your grocery budget, and change the way you plan your food storage.

pin it for later:

Eggless Banana Bread Cake (No Milk or Butter either!)

2025-01-27T09:33:00.007-05:00

Move over banana bread, there's a new favorite banana baked good in town! Super easy to make and absolutely delicious, this banana cake is budget friendly and made with basic pantry ingredients. You need to add this to your snack rotation today!

Also known as depression cake, you would never know this fluffy snack cake has no eggs, milk or butter. Bananas can be fresh or frozen, just make sure they are overripe so that their sweetness is fully developed.

We prefer this over banana bread partly because it comes out perfect every single time. In my experience, banana bread can easily go from underdone to too done by the time the center is fully cooked, and you won't find that from this cake.

If, like me, you keep overripe bananas in the freezer at all times, you now have another delicious way to use them up!

Ingredient Notes:

Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water. If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
Vinegar - you can use white or apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice if that's what you have on hand. The vinegar plus the baking soda and baking powder are the leavening agents in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil). If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce without any noticeable change to the cake.
Banana - use fresh or frozen (thawed) as long as it is ripe. If you would like to include the bananas on the top of the cake as I've shown in the photos, you'll need 1 additional banana.
Sugar - if you prefer a sweeter cake, use the full cup. If you prefer a less sweet cake, use 3/4 cup. I have successfully replaced the granulated sugar with maple sugar.

Making The Eggless Banana Bread Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, walnuts (if using), sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Add water/milk, vinegar, oil, 1/2 mashed banana, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.

5. If you are using the additional banana for the top of the cake, cut the banana into coins and place gently on the top of the batter, spaced evenly.

6. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

Additional DELICIOUS Egg-Free Depression Cake Recipes:

printable recipe can be found here

Eggless Banana Bread Cake

makes 1 - 8x8 pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

3/4 cup - 1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)

1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

5 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup mashed overripe banana (fresh or frozen - thawed)

1 overripe banana for coins on top, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, walnuts (if using), sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Add water/milk, vinegar, oil, vanilla, and 1/2 cup mashed overripe banana to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.

5. If you are using the additional banana for the top of the cake, cut the banana into coins and place gently on the top of the batter, spaced evenly.

6. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

pin it for later:

Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake (a Depression Cake Variation)

2024-10-31T21:26:00.004-04:00

If you're looking for another way to use up your preserved apple pie filling, this cake is a DELICIOUS option!

Last year I made a lot of apple pie filling from the massive number of Asian pears one of our trees produced mixed with some apples we purchased from a local orchard. We ate what we could raw, kept some in cold storage for future eating, and then I preserved the rest. Knowing we wouldn't eat that much pie I began creating other ways to use this stockpile of deliciousness. This recipe was one of the desserts we continue to enjoy.

Our Asian pear tree is biennial bearing, so I happily anticipate building up my apple pie filling stock again next year.

Using an egg-free depression cake base, this cake is easy to make and is rich and moist. Depression cakes include no butter, eggs, or milk (although milk is an option if you would prefer), making them an affordable dessert using items you likely have on hand. I've included an optional glaze recipe that does use butter and milk, although this cake is SO GOOD without it that it's not a necessity.

Some of my other depression cake recipes (all are egg free!) can be found here.

Ingredient Notes:

Water - this cake is absolutely delicious using water. If you would like a slightly richer version, replace it with milk (dairy or non-dairy).
Vinegar - you can use white or apple cider vinegar or even lemon juice if that's what you have on hand. The vinegar plus the baking soda are the leavening agents in this cake allowing it to be egg-free.
Oil - use any oil you have on hand, preferably one with little to no taste (i.e. not extra virgin olive oil). If you're looking for substitutions, I have successfully substituted half of the oil with unsweetened applesauce.
Apple Pie Filling - you can use apple pie filling that you've canned or put up in the freezer, although you will want to thaw it first. You can also use store bought. If it's super sweet you can reduce the amount of sugar in the cake to balance it out.

Making The Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add water/milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour. Stir in apple pie filling.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

6. Serve as is or with a drizzle of brown sugar glaze.

Additional DELICIOUS Egg-Free Cake Recipes:

printable recipe can be found here

Egg-Free Apple Pie Cake (using canned or frozen apple pie filling)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup - 1 cup granulated sugar (lesser amount if your apple pie filling is heavily sweetened)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup water or milk (dairy or non-dairy)

1 teaspoon white or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

5 Tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups canned or frozen (thawed) apple pie filling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

3. Add water/milk, vinegar, oil, and vanilla to dry ingredients. Stir with a spatula until combined and there are no pockets of dry flour. Stir in apple pie filling.

4. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake 25-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cool completely before cutting for the best texture.

6. Serve as is or with a drizzle of brown sugar glaze (recipe follows).

Brown Sugar Glaze

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 Tablespoons milk

In a small saucepan, boil all of the ingredients together over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thick and syrupy, 1-2 minutes. Drizzle over cake.

**If drizzled over the entire cake it will soak into the cake once stored 4-6 hours or more. Instead, you can store the glaze separately from the cake and spoon over individual pieces at time of serving.**

pin it for later:

Simple Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

2024-10-08T16:56:00.004-04:00

This DELICIOUS cinnamon swirl sourdough bread is easy to make, features a soft & tender crumb, and is quick and easy to make!

This bread is a special treat, featuring a cinnamon and sugar swirl throughout it. It makes great toast in the morning or just a little mid-day snack.

I've written this as a simple and quick (for a sourdough) recipe so that it can be made and baked within one day. Using a mixer speeds up the process, although if you would prefer to use the slower stretch and fold method, you can do that instead. See the FAQ's for details.

It also only features one rise which will reduce the sourdough tang quite a bit so, if you have family members who prefer less sourdough flavor, this will work great for them! If you prefer more sourdough tang, feel free to let it rise twice - once in the bowl it's been mixed in and then once in the baking pan.

If you prefer a Cinnamon Swirl Yeast Bread instead of sourdough, I've got a great recipe here.

Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread FAQ's

Can I make this with whole wheat or spelt flour? Yes, you can. It may not rise quite as much, but it will still be delicious. You could also try half bread flour and half whole wheat or spelt and get excellent results.
Can I add more or less honey/sweetener? Yes - adjust the sweetener to what your family prefers.
Can I omit the oil? Yes, you can. The oil does help soften the interior of the finished loaf, but it would still be delicious without oil.
Can I use the stretch and fold method as opposed to the mixer? Yes, absolutely. You will perform 4 stretch and folds (or coil folds) 1 hour apart. At step 3 you will work the salt into the dough by hand, thoroughly incorporating it, adding the reserved flour a Tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too wet and sticky. Let sit for 1 hour and then begin the stretch and fold (or coil fold) series. After the last stretch and fold/coil fold, go to step 4 and continue with the instructions.
Can I let this dough rise twice in order to increase the sourdough flavor? Yes. After step 3, let it do it's first rise in the mixing bowl. Once it has doubled in size (2-4 hours, depending on room temperature), continue with step 4.
Can I reduce the amount of sugar in the filling? Yes, you can adjust to what your family prefers.

Ingredient Notes:

Bread Flour - You can use all-purpose flour as a replacement if you prefer. Bread flour has a higher protein content which produces more chew.
Sourdough Starter - This must be an active and bubbly starter.
Honey - You can substitute for maple syrup or sugar if you desire.
Oil - I use olive oil. You can use any liquid oil that you prefer.
Sugars - I use a combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar. I find it holds onto the bread best and gives the best flavor, but if you don't have one of the sugars you can replace with all of the one you've got.

How To Make Simple Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread:

Mix: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 3 1/2 cups (470g) bread flour, sourdough starter, water, olive oil, and honey. Cover bowl and allow to rest 1 hour.
Prepare: Prepare filling by mixing sugars and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Set aside. Prepare a standard bread loaf pan with either oil or parchment paper. Set aside.
Knead: Add the salt to the dough and, using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, mix on low speed for 8-10 minutes.
Shape and rise: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press into an 8x10" rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough and then sprinkle all of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter, keeping a small border around the edge of the rectangle clear of filling. Roll up tightly, starting at the short end of the rectangle and pinch the seam. Place seam side down into the prepared bread pan. Very lightly dust the top of the bread with flour if tacky. Cover with a thin kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough has risen 1-inch above the rim of the pan, approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the warmth of the room.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 35-38 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before removing and cooling the bread on a cooling rack.

More Sourdough Recipes:

Same Day Spelt Sourdough Sandwich Bread

The BEST Sourdough Flour Tortillas

Sourdough Discard Cast Iron Skillet Bread

A yeast bread cinnamon swirl bread: Cinnamon Swirl Bread

printable recipe here

Simple Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

makes 1 loaf

Bread Ingredients:

4 cups (530g) bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup (100g) sourdough starter, active and bubbly

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (275g) water

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons salt

Filling Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter, softened

2 Tablespoons light brown sugar

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

3/4 Tablespoon cinnamon

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 3 1/2 cups (470g) bread flour, sourdough starter, water, olive oil, and honey. Start with a rubber spatula to stir it together and then switch to your hand to ensure all of the flour is incorporated and there are no dry bits. The dough will be stiff, shaggy, and barely wet. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest 1 hour for the flour to fully absorb the water.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the sugars and cinnamon. Set aside. Prepare a standard bread loaf pan with either oil or parchment paper. Set aside.

3. Add the salt to the dough and, using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, mix on low speed for 8-10 minutes. If, after 7 minutes the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add reserved flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until the sides of the bowl are clear of dough.

4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press into an 8x10" rectangle. Spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough and then sprinkle all of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the butter, keeping a small border around the edge of the rectangle clear of filling. Roll up tightly, starting at the short end of the rectangle and pinch the seam. Place seam side down into the prepared bread pan. If the top of the dough is tacky, very lightly dust with flour. Cover with a thin kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan, approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the warmth of the room.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 35-38 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before removing and cooling the bread on a cooling rack. Allow to cool at least 30 minutes prior to slicing for the best texture.

Pin it for later:

Same Day Spelt Sourdough Sandwich Bread

2024-10-04T10:11:00.002-04:00

The perfect spelt sandwich bread. It's easy to make, ready the same day, and is soft and delicious.

If you are looking for a sourdough sandwich bread that requires little work, this recipe is for you. It's put together easily and only requires one rise. This also gives it only a hint of sourdough tang, perfect for family members who aren't so fond of the strong sourdough flavor.

Spelt is a great flour to bake with. It's one of the easier digestible ancient grains, has a wonderful light nutty flavor, and is lower in gluten than our modern-day wheats. I find it lighter than traditional whole wheat both in flavor and texture, which makes it easy to substitute in many breads and baked goods recipes.

If you haven't yet tried this flour, I hope you do. I think you'll like it!

the loaf on the left is half spelt and half white flour, the loaf on the right is 100% spelt flour

Spelt Sourdough Sandwich Bread FAQ's

Can I make this with 100% spelt flour? Yes! See photo above, I found very little difference in the size of the finished loaves, it remained soft, and it will feature more spelt flavor.
Can I make this with 100% white all-purpose or bread flour? Yes! It will be delicious, soft and fluffy.
Can I add more or less honey? Yes - adjust the sweetener to what your family prefers. I find that 1 Tablespoon doesn't make it a sweet bread and just adds a hint of flavor to the finished loaf.
Can I omit the oil? Yes, you can. The oil does help soften the interior of the finished loaf, but it would still be delicious without oil.

Ingredient Notes:

Spelt Flour - You can use more (up to 100%) or less spelt flour. It offers great flavor, a nice amount of gluten for structure, and is a whole grain.
Sourdough Starter - This must be an active and bubbly starter.
Honey - You can substitute for maple syrup or sugar if you desire.
Oil - I use olive oil, you can use any liquid oil that you prefer.

How To Make Same Day Spelt Sourdough Sandwich Bread:

Mix the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 2 cups spelt flour, 1 1/2 cups bread/all-purpose flour, sourdough starter, water, olive oil, and honey. Cover bowl and allow to rest 1 hour.
Knead: Add the salt to the dough and, using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, mix on low speed for 8-10 minutes.
Shape and rise: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press into a rectangle. Starting at one of the longer sides of the rectangle, roll the dough towards yourself into a log shape. Pinch any ends and seal edges. Prepare a standard bread loaf pan with either oil or parchment paper. Place the dough into the prepared pan, seam-side down. If the top of the dough is tacky, very lightly dust with flour. Cover with a thin kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan, approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the warmth of the room.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 35-38 minutes. Allow the bread to cool in the pan 10-15 minutes before removing and cooling the bread on a cooling rack.

Other Sourdough Recipes You May Enjoy:

The BEST Sourdough Flour Tortillas

Sourdough Discard Cast Iron Skillet Bread

printable recipe here

Same Day Spelt Sourdough Sandwich Bread

makes 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 cups (250g) spelt flour

2 cups (250g) bread flour or all-purpose flour, divided (or substitute for spelt flour)

1/2 cup (100g) sourdough starter, active and bubbly

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons (275g) water

2 Tablespoons oil

1 Tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together 2 cups spelt flour, 1 1/2 cups bread/all-purpose flour, sourdough starter, water, olive oil, and honey. Start with a rubber spatula to stir it together and then switch to your hand to ensure all of the flour is incorporated and there are no dry bits. The dough will be stiff, shaggy, and barely wet. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest 1 hour for the flour to fully absorb the water.

2. Add the salt to the dough and, using the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer, mix on low speed for 8-10 minutes. If, after 7 minutes the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add reserved flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until the sides of the bowl are clear of dough.

3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and press into a rectangle. Starting at one of the longer sides of the rectangle, roll the dough towards yourself into a log shape. Pinch any ends and seal edges.

4. Prepare a standard bread loaf pan with either oil or parchment paper. Place the dough into the prepared pan, seam-side down. If the top of the dough is tacky, very lightly dust with flour. Cover with a thin kitchen towel and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough has risen 1 inch above the rim of the pan, approximately 2-3 hours, depending on the warmth of the room.

pin it for later:

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

2024-09-30T16:10:00.001-04:00

These pumpkin spice cookies are so pillowy soft and delicious. The perfect fall dessert!

Once September arrives it's all about pumpkin in my kitchen. From pies to breads to granola, and of course these cookies, our family enjoys pumpkin everything. Don't you just love fall?

I shared a similar recipe back in 2013 and just recently re-worked it slightly to perfect it. It's a winner!

Your family will love these cookies. They are so incredibly soft and delicious and the perfect bite of fall. This recipe is quick and easy to make and can be doubled if you would like to.

Ingredient Notes:

Unsalted Butter - I've also successfully made these with non-dairy butter.

Canned Pumpkin - make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

Egg - used a binder for the dough. I have also swapped this with 2 Tablespoons of aquafaba for an egg-free version and it works perfectly.
Cinnamon & Pumpkin Pie Spice - you can use all cinnamon if you prefer or cinnamon plus a pinch of nutmeg also works.

Optional Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Frosting - these cookies are absolutely delicious on their own and even more so with this frosting.

Chopped Nuts - if you would prefer to skip the frosting, chopped walnuts or pecans are a nice addition to this cookie.

Mini Chocolate Chips - chocolate and pumpkin always go together beautifully, so this would also be a nice alternative to the frosting.

Making The Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix: Cream together the butter and sugars on low until combined then on medium-high for about 2 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Mix well.
Add Dry Ingredients: Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix just until combined. Stir in chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips if using.
Bake: Drop onto cookie sheet by heaping tablespoonful. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until tops look set. Remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Storing The Cookies:

If you happen to have any left, these cookies store great at room temperature in a sealed container for 3 days and in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. For longer storage, store in the freezer, unfrosted, for up to 3 months.

More Delicious Fall Recipes:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

Pumpkin Sandwich Bread

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Quick Bread

Slow-Cooker Applesauce

printable recipe here

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

makes approx. 24 cookies

Cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

cream cheese frosting (recipe follows), optional

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

For the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars on low until combined then on medium-high for about 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Mix just until combined.

Drop onto cookie sheet by heaping tablespoonful. Bake 10-12 minutes, or until tops look set. Remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:
Beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and the powdered sugar and beat on medium-high until well blended. Frost cookies once they are cooled.

Pin it for later:

Keeping Chickens Warm In Winter (Without Electricity)

2024-09-27T10:46:00.001-04:00

In cold climates chicken-keeping can be concerning. Frostbite, sickness and even death can result if your coop is not prepared for winter. Here's how to keep your chickens safe and warm throughout the winter months.

Winters can be unpredictable, depending on your climate, but also depending on the year. We live in zone 5 which means that it can get into the negative numbers during a few of our winter months. We've had some trial and error during our harshest winters and have learned a lot about what works, what doesn't, and what we can do preventively.

One of the top questions I receive is "should I heat my coop"? The answer is: probably not. I always suggest that you try these simple ideas first and if that just doesn't provide enough warmth for your flock, then you can possibly look into a wall-mounted flat panel heater.

We have one for our coop because our coop is too large for the flock that we typically have but even so, we've used it less than 5 times in 15 years. Only when the temperatures dip into the negatives and only to keep the coop above zero degrees. The fact is that providing heat is rarely ever necessary, even in the coldest of climates.

Chickens are fairly resilient and adaptable. While there are some breeds known for being cold hardy you can keep all breeds comfortable in winter by taking a few extra precautions.

How To Keep Chickens Warm In Winter:

Minimize Drafts - cover or repair any gaps and holes in the coop itself as well as around windows. This will prevent the temperature from dropping too low and too quickly as well as eliminate the potential of wind chill inside of the coop. Pay particular attention to their roosting area. You want to provide a space without drafts for them to sleep.
Provide Good Ventilation - ventilation is extremely important in all four seasons but is sometimes overlooked in winter. While you don't want any large holes or gaps that provide chilly air directly on the flock, your coop always requires good air flow. This will keep your flock healthy, reduce humidity (there should be no moisture build-up on the windows inside), prevent mold growth, and allow for a reduction in ammonia levels from their litter. A small opening at two ends of the coop (opposite walls) at the roof peak is ideal. Line these openings with wire hardware cloth, to keep unwanted visitors out, and create a door that fits it to open and close over the opening as needed to adjust the amount of air flow.
Insulation - obviously best thought of before you build the coop, but adding insulation to the walls, floor and/or ceiling will help prevent drafts. If you are able to insulate, make sure you also add very good ventilation as the insulated coop may hold in too much humidity at times.
Location - if you have a moveable coop or haven't built one yet, location can be key. Finding a space where they are protected from the wind and have access to the winter sun would be ideal.
Coop Size - right-sizing your coop can be helpful. The smaller the space the easier it is for the flock to heat with their own body heat. If you have a larger coop, you may be able to close part of it off during the coldest of months with plywood or something similar.
Dry Litter - keeping their litter dry will help reduce the moisture and ammonia levels in the coop. If it gets noticeably wet, it should be changed out right away with fresh, dry litter.
Proper Roosting - because heat rises, keeping the roosts higher up will take advantage of the natural body heat. Also, providing roosts where they can sleep flat-footed, like a 2x4 plank is ideal because this allows them to nestle down and cover their feet with their feathers.

More Tips For Chicken-Keeping:

Updating The Coop: No Waste Built-In Feeder

All You Need To Know About Chicken Roosts

Cleaning And Storing Your Farm-Fresh Eggs

Taking these precautions, as well as providing extra feed and thawed water will help your flock stay healthy and happy despite the plummeting temperatures the season may bring.

Pin for later:

The BEST Sourdough Flour Tortillas (using sourdough discard)

2024-09-24T20:07:00.005-04:00

Homemade flour tortillas are quick and easy and SO much better than anything store bought. Six ingredients that you likely have on hand are all it takes to make a batch.

These are quick to make and a great way to use up some of your unfed sourdough discard. You can easily ferment these by leaving the dough balls in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and cooking if you would like to develop a stronger sourdough flavor.

Store these for up to 4 days in a sealed bag or container at room temperature or freeze for up to 3 months. They still taste great when stored for a few days at room temp. Simply heat a skillet and quickly warm each side before filling and using.

Sourdough Flour Tortillas FAQ's

Can I make the tortillas ahead of time? Yes. You can make the dough up ahead of time and once you have rolled it into dough balls, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Then, roll out and cook. You can also make the tortillas, from start to finish, and store them after they are completely cooled in a sealed container or bag at room temperature until ready to use.
Do these have a lot of sourdough flavor? It depends. If you use recently fed sourdough starter and make/cook them immediately then they will have the least amount of sourdough flavor. If, instead you use refrigerated unfed sourdough starter/discard or you allow the dough, once rolled into dough balls, to sit for a few hours to overnight in the refrigerator prior to rolling and cooking them, you will develop much more sourdough flavor.
How come my tortillas aren't bubbling once I cook them? Your tortillas aren't rolled thin enough or your baking powder is no longer active. Make sure you are rolling them to the approximate size noted (if you divided your dough into 16 equal pieces, each tortilla should be rolled to 6 inches; if you divided your dough into 8 equal pieces, each tortilla should be rolled to 12 inches).
What is the best way to store leftover tortillas? For short storage (up to 4 days), place completely cooled tortillas in a sealed container/bag and store at room temperature. For longer storage (up to 3 months), place completely cooled tortillas in a sealed container/bag and freeze. For easier removal from the freezer container, place a piece of parchment paper or freezer paper between each tortilla before freezing.

The Ingredients

Water - room temperature unless you are using refrigerated sourdough discard/starter (see note below).
Sourdough Starter - this is a great use for unfed discard either room temp or straight from the refrigerator. You can also use active/fed starter too. If you are using unfed sourdough starter from the refrigerator, either allow it to first come to room temperature or use warm to hot water (when adding the water from the recipe) to compensate for the chilliness of the sourdough.
All-Purpose Flour - lower protein than that of bread flour, all-purpose flour allows these tortillas to remain soft and flexible.
Salt - you can reduce if you prefer lower sodium.
Baking Powder - helps your tortillas puff up as they are cooking.
Oil/Lard - oil helps create the soft texture.

How To Make Sourdough Flour Tortillas

1. Mix: In a small bowl stir together the water and sourdough starter discard. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the oil/lard to the flour mixture and, using your hands, work it into the flour mixture so it is dispersed evenly.

2. Combine: Pour the water/sourdough mixture into the dry ingredients and combine with a rubber spatula and/or your hands until all of the flour is hydrated and there are no dry bits left in the bowl.

3. Rest: Cover the bowl and let mixture rest for 30 minutes.

4. Divide & Roll: divide the dough into equal pieces (depending on which size tortilla you will be making) and roll each one into a ball by cupping your hand around the dough and moving it in a circle on the countertop a few times.

5. Rest: Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet, cover with a towel, and allow to rest at least 30 minutes. *If you would like the dough to ferment, place the covered sheet into the refrigerator overnight.*

6. Prepare To Cook: Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat until it is very hot. Use a 10 or 12-inch skillet for 6-inch tortillas or 12 to 14-inch for 10 or 12-inch tortillas.

7. Roll Tortillas: Lightly flour the counter and working with one dough ball at a time, roll it out into a circle, rotating it 45 degrees after each roll. You will be rolling these out thin - this is necessary for a light and flexible tortilla.

8. Cook: Place the dough onto the hot skillet. Allow it to cook until it is puffed up and bubbly, and the bottom is browned in a few spots. Flip it over and allow the second side to cook until the bottom is browned in a few spots. Remove from the pan and place on the towel lined plate. Wrap the towel loosely around the tortilla. Repeat with remaining dough balls and stack the cooked tortillas on the towel lined plate.

Additional Recipes You May Enjoy:

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Yogurt + Flour (2 Ingredient) English Muffins

Sourdough Discard Cast-Iron Skillet Bread

Sourdough Flour Tortillas

makes 16 6-inch tortillas or 8 12-inch tortillas

3/4 cups water

1/2 cup sourdough starter, unfed/discard

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons lard, coconut oil, or olive oil

1. In a small bowl stir together the water and sourdough starter discard. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

3. Add the oil/lard to the flour mixture and, using your hands, work it into the flour mixture so it is dispersed evenly.

4. Pour the water/sourdough mixture into the dry ingredients and combine with a rubber spatula and/or your hands until all of the flour is hydrated and there are no dry bits left in the bowl. If there are dry parts to the dough that you cannot incorporate, work in additional water 1 teaspoon at a time - using just enough to incorporate the remaining bits of flour. The dough will be stiff. Cover the bowl and let mixture rest for 30 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 8 or 16 equal pieces (depending on which size tortilla you will be making) and roll each one into a ball by cupping your hand around the dough and moving it in a circle on the countertop a few times. Place the dough balls on a lined baking sheet, cover with a towel, and allow to rest at least 30 minutes. If you would like the dough to ferment, place the covered sheet into the refrigerator overnight.

6. Before you begin rolling out your tortillas, grab a plate and place a clean kitchen towel on it. This is where you will place your cooked tortillas to keep them warm and pliable. Set aside.

7. Preheat a skillet over medium-low heat until it is very hot. Use a 10 or 12-inch skillet for 6-inch tortillas or 12 to 14-inch for 10 or 12-inch tortillas. Lightly flour the counter and working with one dough ball at a time, flatten it onto the counter and roll it out into a circle, rotating it 45 degrees after each roll. Continue adding bits of flour as needed to keep it from sticking until you reach the size you are making. You will be rolling these out thin - this is necessary for a light and flexible tortilla.

8. Place the dough onto the hot skillet, careful to not let it fold over onto itself. Allow it to cook until it is puffed up and bubbly, and the bottom is browned in a few spots. Flip it over and allow the second side to cook until the bottom is browned in a few spots. Remove from the pan and place on the towel lined plate. Wrap the towel loosely around the tortilla.

9. Repeat with remaining dough balls and stack the cooked tortillas on the towel lined plate.

Pin it for later:

Quick & Easy Cheddar Jalapeno Biscuits

2024-09-16T16:17:00.001-04:00

Simple and quick biscuits that feature a bit of a spicy kick from the jalapenos and a delicious cheddar bite. They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

This is a super easy biscuit recipe that can be used as plain buttermilk biscuits as well. They are flaky, cheesy, and absolutely delicious. Use them as a side with dinner or as a base for a breakfast or brunch sandwich.

Make Ahead Biscuits

You can prepare these biscuits up to a day ahead of time and store the unbaked biscuits on the sheet pan in the refrigerator until ready to bake if you'd prefer. Twenty minutes before you need them simply preheat your oven and take them from the fridge and pop them in the oven. In 15 minutes, you'll have hot biscuits for your meal!

The base recipe can even be made ahead of time in larger batches and stored in your refrigerator. You can double or triple the recipe, flour through butter, blend as instructed, and then store in a mason jar or other container for up to a few months.

When you want to make biscuits, for every 4 biscuits, simply stir the ingredients in the jar and then measure out 1 1/2 cups of the biscuit base and add the 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese, 2 Tablespoons jalapenos, and 1/2 cups buttermilk to it (omit cheddar cheese and jalapenos for plain buttermilk biscuits). Follow the recipe to shape and bake.

These biscuits taste best eaten freshly made, but you can store baked and cooled biscuits up to 3 days and reheat in the microwave for 15-20 seconds, or 400-degree oven for 5-8 minutes.

Jalapeno & Cheddar Biscuits Ingredients

all-purpose flour - a great base for fluffy biscuits.
baking powder - the leavening agent, giving biscuits their rise.
salt - adds flavor, omit if you use salted butter.
unsalted butter - if you only have salted on hand, simply omit the added salt. You can use dairy or non-dairy butter.
cheddar cheese - you can use any type of cheddar that you prefer.
jalapeno peppers - you can use fresh, frozen or pickled, whichever you have on hand and whichever you prefer. Omit if you would prefer a cheddar cheese biscuit without the pepper kick.
buttermilk - if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can add 1 teaspoon vinegar (apple cider or white) to 1/2 cup of milk (dairy or non-dairy) and let sit 5-10 minutes before using. You can also substitute with greek yogurt watered down slightly with a bit of milk (so that it's pourable consistency) or just plain milk (dairy or non-dairy).

Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Overnight No-Knead Artisan Bread

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes (with or without eggs)

2 Ingredient English Muffins

(printable recipe here)

Easy Jalapeno & Cheddar Biscuits

makes 4 biscuits

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cold & cut into cubes

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons finely diced jalapeno peppers

1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a small or medium sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3. Toss cold butter cubes into the flour mixture and, using your fingers, a fork, or a pastry blender, cut in the butter until you have a mixture of small flat pieces and round pea-sized pieces.

4. Add in your shredded cheese and jalapeno pieces and stir.

5. Mix in 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. You want the mixture to be slightly dry but all of the ingredients to hold together when pressed with your hands. If it's too dry, add the remaining buttermilk, 1 Tablespoon at a time until this texture is achieved. Pour out onto countertop and knead lightly to form a ball of dough. Push dough to a square that is roughly 1/2" thick. Cut into 4 biscuits.

6. Place biscuits on prepared sheet pan and bake 13-15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

pin it for later:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

2024-09-13T09:32:00.004-04:00

This is a must-try recipe for all you fellow pumpkin lovers. It's super moist, full of delicious pumpkin flavor & spices, and features little chunks of chocolate. Perfect for ushering in fall.

The Best Pumpkin Bread Recipe

This delicious sweet bread is easy to make and uses ingredients that you likely already have on hand. It features an amazingly moist texture, super soft crumb, and warm fall spices.

Because it is so moist it freezes well too. I like to slice it and freeze it on a cookie sheet and then transfer those frozen slices to a freezer-safe bag or container. This way, whenever we want something a little sweet, we've got the perfect little treat!

Even if you have a go-to pumpkin bread recipe, I hope that you'll try this one.

Pumpkin Bread Ingredients

Flour - you can sub half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat or white whole wheat if you prefer.
Baking Soda & Baking Powder - the leavening agents.
Cinnamon, Nutmeg, & Ginger - the spices that give the warm fall flavor. If you don't have nutmeg or ginger or don't care for them, leave them out. Add an extra 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in their place.
Pumpkin Puree - you can use canned, frozen (thawed & excess water drained off) or freshly made, just make sure this is pumpkin puree and not pumpkin filling.
Light Brown Sugar - adds the sweetness and light caramel notes to this dessert-type bread. You can use white sugar if you do not have light brown sugar.
Oil - use a neutral oil or melted butter. If you prefer to use less oil, you can very successfully sub out half for unsweetened applesauce.
Eggs - use room temperature eggs or 1/4 cup aquafaba in their place if you prefer egg-free.
Chocolate Chunks - I prefer the chunks but if you have chocolate chips on hand, use about 1/2 cup of the chips in place of the 1 cup of chunks.
Vanilla - optional but delicious.

How To Make Pumpkin Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Prepare a 9x5 loaf pan by coating with a light amount of oil or butter, or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla (if using).

5. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

7. Bake 40-48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.

8. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf and placing on a wire rack to cool.

More Delicious Recipes You May Enjoy:

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Quick Bread

Amish Friendship Bread (+ Starter)

Easy As A Boxed Mix Brownies

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

printable recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk Bread

makes 1 loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chunks

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Prepare a 9x5" loaf pan by coating with a light amount of oil or butter, or line with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla (if using).

5. Fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined. The batter will be very thick.

6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

7. Bake 40-48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached.

8. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing the loaf and placing on a wire rack to cool.

Pin it for later:

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

2024-09-04T14:50:00.000-04:00

It's pumpkin everything season! One of my favorite treats for late summer and fall is a pumpkin pie smoothie. It's refreshing, delicious, and this healthy drink is perfect for breakfast, or a mid-day treat!

We used to have a smoothie shop at our farmers market that sold a delicious pumpkin pie smoothie. The problem was that they only made it for a few weeks each year. I wanted to enjoy it for a couple of months, not only a couple of weeks.

So, based on their ingredients I came up with a recipe that is pretty close (confirmed by the surprised smoothie shop owner). And possibly better.

My husband, who is not a pumpkin pie fan, laughs at my happiness when September arrives, which is when I feel like pumpkin season can start. He decided to finally try this smoothie 2 years ago, after hearing me go on and on about how delicious it is. He was sure that he wouldn't be a fan. Well, I'm happy to report that he loves it. I've made this twice this week and both times he's requested one and after drinking it said, "I can't believe how good that was".

It really is delicious!

Smoothie Ingredients

It's simple to make, features a smooth consistency, and is easily adaptable. Want more spice flavor? You can add more. Want it a bit thinner? Add more milk. Want it non-dairy? No problem at all.

I recently started adding cashew butter. This adds some protein and a very light pie crust-type flavor. It's delicious but completely optional.

Pumpkin Puree - not pumpkin pie filling - can be canned, frozen or fresh
Frozen Ripe Banana - used as a base for this smoothie to add creaminess and a hint of sweetness
Maple Syrup - used as a sweetener. You can substitute honey for this, although I have not tried it.
Yogurt - dairy or non-dairy can be used. Any style, although you may need to add a bit more milk if you use greek style since it's quite thick. Added for creaminess and a pie filling-type consistency
Milk - dairy or non-dairy can be used. Once your smoothie is blended you can add more if it seems too thick.
Spices - if you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch each of ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Salt (optional) - just a tiny pinch, but again optional. Salt helps accentuate the flavors.
Cashew Butter (optional) - this adds to the creaminess as well as a hint of pie crust flavor, and the added protein will keep you satiated. I think walnut butter, almond butter or pecan butter would be good too. This is completely optional - use it if you have it.

Tips For Making A Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

This smoothie is super simple, here are a few tips to help you out.

If you have a small blender, it will be perfect for this recipe. Since this makes a single smoothie, you don't need to use a larger one. I always make it in my nutribullet (affiliate link).
If your blender has a speed dial, start with low and as it blends slowly turn it up to high.
Make sure your frozen banana was frozen when it was ripe (skin was speckled). That's when it's the creamiest and sweetest.

More Pumpkin Recipes To Try:

Pumpkin Nut Bread

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

find a printable recipe here

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

makes 1 smoothie

1 frozen ripe banana

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt

2-3 Tablespoons maple syrup (more if you want it a bit sweeter)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend

tiny pinch of salt (optional)

2 Tablespoons cashew butter (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. If you prefer it thinner, add a tablespoon or two of additional milk and blend again.

Pin it for later:

How To Know When Pears Are Ready For Harvesting

2024-08-30T07:54:00.001-04:00

We just picked our pears for the year. When we first started growing them, we didn't even think about how to know when they would be ready until it was almost harvest time.

Most fruit ripens on the trees, so you don't have to necessarily think about it. Pears, however, aren't meant to ripen on the tree. Instead, they are meant to be picked when they are mature and allowed to ripen after picking. Because pears ripen from the inside out, if left too long on the tree they would be rotten by the time the outside appeared to be ripe.

How do you know when pears are ready to be picked?

Color? Depending on the variety, the coloring changes of the pears may give you an indication that harvest time is getting near. But unfortunately, this won't tell you exactly when they are ready.

Yielding and less firm? Pears will still be quite firm when harvested, so assessing firmness also won't provide an indication.

Pears are ready when you gently tilt it to a horizontal position (from its hanging vertical position) and it snaps away from the branch. In general, this will be late summer to winter, depending on your zone and what type of pears you are growing.

We live in zone 5a and grow Anjou, Bartlett, Comice, and Kieffer varieties and ours are typically ready to be harvested by the end of August.

related posts:

Planting Garlic - 5 Easy Steps

The Buddy System: Companion Planting In The Garden

Homestead Where You Are: 10 Things You Can Do NOW To Increase Your Self-Sufficiency

How do you ripen pears?

Pears will typically ripen in 1 week when left at room temperature.

You do not want to refrigerate them until after they have ripened unless you are trying to slow down the ripening process. If you are, place pears that you want to ripen at a slower rate in a paper bag and store in the crisper/produce drawer of your refrigerator. This should slow down their ripening. You could also store in a root cellar/cold storage, checking weekly for signs of ripening.

If you would like to speed up the ripening process, place pears in a paper bag along with a ripe banana or apple. These are both fruits that are more prone to releasing ethylene gas which triggers the ripening process of the pears and accelerates it to just a few days.

(This information is not pertinent to Asian Pears which ripen on the trees.)

Pin for later:

Sourdough Discard Cast Iron Skillet Bread (Easy & Quick)

2024-08-26T15:41:00.007-04:00

There are many ways to use sourdough discard, and this, by far, is one of my favorites and the absolute easiest! A light and fluffy flatbread, this recipe is easy to pull together and have on the table in less than 20 minutes.

**updated 2/17/25 - I reduced the amount of baking soda**

Not only is this a fantastic way to use up sourdough discard, it's also a great last-minute recipe that can be made when you forgot to make bread or decide last minute that bread would go great with your meal. Just found out you have company coming over? Grab your sourdough and whip this up.

It's not necessary to have a newly fed sourdough starter or even a room temp one, making this the perfect quick bread. Because the lightly crispy crust will soften over time, it is best to eat this immediately. The smell alone will encourage this to happen.

This bread dough is easily doubled, just use a larger (12-inch) cast iron pan. Once you've made this, you will see why you will want to make a larger amount. If you double the recipe, pour the mixture into the center of the hot pan and work quickly with a spatula to spread it out in the pan, so that the bottom gets cooked evenly. Bake in the oven a couple extra minutes, keeping an eye on it.

Sourdough Discard Bread FAQ:

What is sourdough discard?

This is the portion of sourdough that is usually removed prior to feeding your sourdough. It's typically not as active as the sourdough starter because it hasn't been recently fed.

What if I don't have any discard?

Replace it with active or inactive sourdough starter.

What if I only have a larger cast iron pan?

I think you would be fine using a larger pan. You can do one of two things:

1. Double the recipe and make a larger bread. You will have to spread it out quickly with a spatula so that the bottom gets cooked evenly, or

2. Follow this recipe with the amount for a 10-inch flatbread and instead pour the sourdough mixture into the center of the larger hot pan. Working quickly, spread it out with a spatula to roughly a 10-inch circle.

What if I don't have a cast iron pan?

Use an oven-safe pan. I don't know that the bottom will get as crispy with a different pan, but the bread would cook up just fine.

Can I make this oil-free?

You cannot. The oil not only keeps this bread from sticking to the skillet, but also gives it the crispy crust. You could possibly cut the oil amount in half, although I have not tried this.

About The Ingredients:

Sourdough Discard - see explanation above. If your discard is very thick, add a tablespoon or two of water and whisk into it in order to thin it out slightly.

Baking Soda - This is the leavening agent because sourdough discard isn't very active on its own, having not been fed recently.

**A note about whisking the baking soda into the sourdough discard. In order to ensure you don't have a lump of baking soda in the bread, make sure your baking soda is completely powdered or, better yet, sift it in if you can. Sourdough starter is VERY stretchy and thick, so this is the best way to make sure the baking soda gets fully incorporated.**

Salt - you can use less if you prefer. This is simply for flavor. If you would like to sprinkle a coarse salt over the top along with the herbs, reduce the salt in the recipe by half so the bread doesn't get overly salty.

Herbs/Herb Blend - Use any herb or herb blend that you like! You can use fresh or dried herbs. Some good options include Italian herb blend, basil, rosemary, or Herbes de Provence. I also like to use a little bit of garlic powder with my herb blend, but you certainly don't have to. Alternatively, or in addition to herbs, you can sprinkle the top with parmesan or another cheese or chopped nuts.

Oil/Butter - Use an oil (such as avocado) which will stand up to the higher heat, but you can also use butter for flavor. If you want to incorporate butter, use 1 teaspoon oil and 1 teaspoon butter.

How To Make This Skillet Bread:

This bread is SO EASY!
Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the oven has come to temperature, set a 10-inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough, baking soda, and salt (see note above). Set aside.
Add the oil or oil & butter to the hot skillet. Swirl in the pan.
Using a spatula, pour the sourdough mixture into the center of the hot skillet. The mixture will be very sticky but once in the skillet, it will be easy to drag to the edges with the spatula.
Sprinkle the top of the dough with any of the optional ingredients.
Cook for 3 minutes, or until there is a lightly browned crust on the bottom of the bread.
Carefully and with potholders (it's hot!) transfer skillet to the oven and bake 5-8 minutes, until the top is springy and no longer doughy.
Drizzle with melted butter if desired.

printable recipe here

Sourdough Discard Cast Iron Skillet Bread

makes one 10-inch sourdough flatbread

2 teaspoons oil (or oil & butter blend)

1 cup sourdough discard/starter

1/4 teaspoon baking soda (see note above)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried herbs -or- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs -or- 1-2 Tablespoons parmesan or other cheese -or- 1-2 Tablespoons chopped nuts -or- a combination of any of these (optional)

1-2 Tablespoons melted butter (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, baking soda (see note above) and salt. If your sourdough discard is quite thick, add a tablespoon or two of water to thin it out. Whisk well. Set aside.
Add oil or butter/oil mixture to the hot skillet and swirl once fully melted.
Pour the sourdough mixture into the center of the hot skillet and, using a spatula, pull to the edges. Set timer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the top of the bread with herbs, cheese, nuts, etc.
Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake 5-8 minutes, or until bread is lightly puffed, springy & golden and the top is no longer doughy.
Remove from the oven. Drizzle with melted butter if desired.
Eat immediately.

Pin it for later:

Carrot Tops (Greens) Vegetable Broth

2024-08-23T12:16:00.003-04:00

Wondering what to do with those beautiful carrot greens? I love to add them to homemade veggie broth. If I'm not making broth within the week, I simply wash them, dry them in my salad spinner, roughly chop them, and then add them to my ongoing vegetable scraps freezer bag for the next time I make broth.

Carrot tops, also known as carrot greens, are a great way to add additional flavor to your homemade broth. And yes, you can absolutely add them to a chicken or beef broth as well.

What Is a Vegetable Scrap Soup Freezer Bag?

Let's talk first about the freezer vegetable scrap bag. You can use any freezer safe bag or container that you'll leave in your freezer to add (washed) vegetable scraps to that are delicious in vegetable broth.

What I don't use: I tend to stay away from most cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, etc.) and beets, which will impart a strong or bitter flavor and/or color to the broth.

What I do use: I like to add carrots or carrot peels, carrot tops, onions, onion peels, celery stalks, celery leaves, tomatoes, herbs, kale leaves, kale stems, other assorted greens, mushrooms, and leek trimmings.

How Do I Make Homemade Vegetable Broth?

There are 2 basic ways of making homemade broth. You can either:

1. Add water and the vegetables/vegetable scraps and simmer for 60 minutes or,

2. For even more flavor, sauté the vegetables/vegetable scraps in the pan with a little bit of oil, then once the vegetables have released some of their liquid (and flavors) add herbs and other optional ingredients, water, and simmer, for 60 minutes.

**If you would like to cook this longer, it will make a more condensed and even more flavorful broth.**

**If you would like to turn this into a chicken or beef broth, just add meat and/or bones to the simmering pot.**

How To Make Carrot Tops (Greens) Vegetable Broth

I'm sharing a basic recipe, but you really can use a variety of vegetables and herbs, as noted above, and don't necessarily need to purchase vegetables specifically for making the broth. If you are using scraps you have on hand, measure out how many cups of scraps before adding to the pan and cook using twice as much water as you have vegetables/herbs.

I always always add fresh or dried herbs. A couple of bay leaves and a (generous) handful of parsley are my go-to, but I sometimes add others (thyme & rosemary are also favorites) as I have them.

Optional ingredient to any vegetable stock is 4 Tablespoons of tomato paste. It adds extra flavor that fits so well in many soups. From time-to-time I even add a few Tablespoons of nutritional yeast for a bit more umami flavoring.

1. Wash all vegetables and fresh herbs. Cut the carrot greens away from the carrots, and reserve 4 carrots to use in this broth. If there are more, either add them in or save them for use in another recipe. Chop the carrot greens, whole carrots, onion, celery stalks and leaves, and garlic cloves roughly into chunks.

If you are using vegetables from your scrap bag, so they are pre-washed & chopped, you can skip this step.

2. If you are first sautéing (recommended), heat a stock pot or dutch oven on medium heat. Once warm, add 1 Tablespoon of oil to the pot (or water if you prefer to water sauté). Add in your vegetables (not your herbs), salt and pepper and allow to sauté about 5 minutes, stirring them as needed to prevent burning. Add the chopped garlic and allow it to become warmed, stirring to prevent burning.

3. Add the remaining herbs and water. Turn burner up to medium-high heat, cover with lid and allow to just come to a boil. Add in tomato paste if using and stir.

4. Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer, covered loosely (leaving lid cracked) 60 minutes. Longer is fine.

souper cubes 2 cups freezer molds

How To Store Carrot Tops Vegetable Broth:

Store in the refrigerator in a jar or other container for up to 5 days. Freeze and store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 4 months. I use souper cubes freezer molds (affiliate link) and then transfer the frozen broth to freezer-safe containers.

If you would like to pressure can, follow pressure canning instructions to do so safely.

How To Use Carrot Tops Vegetable Broth:

You can use this as a base for soups, stews, as the liquid in gravy, or to cook your beans or grains in.

the broth on the left has added tomato paste and the one on the right does not

find printable recipe here

Carrot Tops (Greens) Vegetable Broth

1 Tablespoon oil (sub with water if not using oil)

4 medium-sized carrots (not peeled), chopped

4 stalks celery (with leaves if available), chopped

1 medium-sized onion, with peels, chopped

Carrot greens from 1 bunch of carrots, chopped

4 whole garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

2 whole bay leaves

pinch salt & pepper

9 cups water

Optional: any other fresh or dried herbs that you would like to add

Optional: 3-4 Tablespoons tomato paste and/or 2-4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once warmed, add the oil (or water), carrots, celery, and onion. Sprinkle with the pinch of salt and pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes to allow the vegetables to soften, release their juices, and begin to brown. Stir in the garlic and sauté another minute, stirring frequently.

2. Add the water, carrot greens, bay leaves, and any additional herbs or spices you may be using. Increase heat to medium-high, cover with a lid, and allow to just come to a boil.

3. If using tomato paste and/or nutritional yeast, stir in now. Decrease heat to medium-low, cover loosely (with a cracked lid), and allow to simmer 60 minutes. If it simmers a little longer it will simply deepen the flavor.

4. Taste to see if any additional salt, pepper, herbs, or spices is needed.

5. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Strain into storage container(s). (You can compost the solids or feed to chickens, pigs, etc.) Store in refrigerator 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Pin for later

Sweet Pickle Relish (water bath canning instructions included)

2024-08-19T12:53:00.004-04:00

Relish seems to be a summertime condiment found in many refrigerators and on many picnic tables just waiting to be placed strategically on hamburgers or hotdogs. But relish comes in handy year-round. It's not just for burgers and dogs.

You can add relish to chicken salad, deviled eggs, homemade tartar sauce, pasta salad, homemade thousand island dressing, potato salad, macaroni salad, homemade burger "big mac" sauce, and you can use it as a sandwich spread. So many ideas. And I'm sure you can think of more. These ideas make it a staple in our pantry.

I struggled to find a relish recipe that my husband loved. I'm not a huge fan of sweet pickle relish (sorry - I'm a puckery dill pickle girl), but my husband really enjoys it. My sister-in-law came across this recipe and it was a hit in her relish-loving household, so she shared it with us. And boy, are we happy that she did. It has become a staple in our summer canning routine.

We hope that you enjoy it as well!

the chopped vegetables after sitting overnight

the vegetables and brine simmering

get a printable recipe here

Sweet Pickle Relish

makes 6 half pint jars

4 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, & diced (I usually end up with 4 - 4 1/2 cups)

2 1/2 cups sweet onion, diced

1 cup green pepper, diced

1 cup red pepper, diced

1/4 cup pickling or kosher salt

3 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard seed

1 1/2 Tablespoons celery seed

1 teaspoon turmeric

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the diced cucumbers, sweet onion, green pepper, red pepper, and salt. Toss to combine. Cover bowl with a clean towel and allow to sit overnight (or 4-10 hours).

The next day (or 4-10 hours later), drain and rinse the vegetables in a colander several times to remove the salty residue. Press out all of the liquid, pressing the vegetable blend with the back of a wooden spoon against the sides of the colander. Set the vegetables aside.

Sterilize 6 half pint jars, and prep the lids, rings, and your water bath canner by filling with enough water to cover the filled jars by 3 inches. Bring the canner water to a boil while you finish preparing the relish. (If you're using the canner water to sterilize, simmer the jars for 10 minutes, turn the burner off, and leave the jars in the hot water until ready to use. Then, turn the burner back on to bring water to a boil for processing. In a small pan simmer your lids for a few minutes before they are needed.)

In a saucepan or dutch oven combine the rinsed and strained vegetables and all other ingredients (sugar, apple cider vinegar, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric). Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Pack the relish into the hot jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. (it will seem watery, but the veggies will soak up some of that juice and the relish will become a perfect consistency after it sits a bit) Use a non-metallic utensil to eliminate any trapped air bubbles in the jars. Wipe the jar rims and place on the lids and screw bands, tightening only until finger-tight.

Process for 10 minutes in a boiling hot water bath, adjust for altitude as needed.

How To Freeze Zucchini (Shredded & Sliced)

2024-08-16T10:24:00.003-04:00

Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that most gardeners have in abundance every summer. Most. This, of course, depends on whether or not you can keep the squash bug and vine borers at bay. This is a struggle for me every summer. If you don't or can't grow it, you can find it in abundance at farm stands, farmers markets and grocery stores.

We eat zucchini in just about everything, especially when we're harvesting it in the summer. From cake (the BEST chocolate zucchini cake) to fritters to just plain grilled zucchini drizzled with olive oil. It's a vegetable that makes for a light side at your summertime meal or adds moisture (and nutrition!) to quick breads, cakes and muffins.

Why Freeze Shredded Zucchini?

I, personally, freeze a lot of my zucchini in this manner. I like to be able to add it to soups, stews, chili, quick breads, muffins, etc.

I like to freeze the shredded zucchini in 1/2 cup zucchini pucks and then I always know how much zucchini I have when I'm taking it out of the freezer to add to a recipe.

Shredded zucchini requires no blanching so it's shelf-life in the freezer is a little less than that which is blanched, such as the sliced zucchini below.

How To Freeze Shredded Zucchini

1. Wash your zucchini and set aside to dry.

2. Grate your zucchini (leave the skins on for the extra nutrition) with either a manual box grater or a food processor fitted with the shredding disc.

3. Freeze. You can add the shredded zucchini to freezer-safe bags or containers or freeze in measured amounts, such as in souper cube molds or, like I've shown, silicon muffin pans (mine are 1/2 cup).

**A note about shredded zucchini - however you freeze it, consider doing so in smaller amounts. It will freeze into a fairly solid cube, so you will not be able to separate it out when taking it out to use.

Pin it for later

Using Frozen Shredded Zucchini

If you are adding the zucchini to soup, stew, or chili, you can certainly add it frozen and it should be fine, thawing in the warm or hot liquid.

For all other uses, you will want to thaw it first. Remove how much is needed (how many pucks or bags or containers) and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Whether or not you will need to strain off the liquid is going to depend on your recipe/how you're using it. For instance, if you're making something like our Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Quick Bread, you will not want to add additional liquid, so you would strain off the majority of the liquid (don't worry about getting it completely dry because when you use zucchini fresh it has a fair amount of liquid, so you want to have it about the same). If you are adding it to a soup or stew, the additional liquid may work out ok.

For best flavor and texture, use within 6 months.

Why Freeze Sliced Zucchini?

Sliced zucchini is wonderful added to soups or stews, or casseroles.

Zucchini frozen this way is best put into freezer bags or vacuumed sealed bags. I encourage you to consider flash freezing your zucchini slices before transferring to freezer bags so that you can remove as many or as few as you would like rather than a large clump. It takes a bit longer to do this, but it's worth it.

ice water bath for sliced zucchini after blanching

How To Freeze Sliced Zucchini

1. Wash your zucchini.

2. Slice off the ends, discard, and slice the remaining squash into approx. 1/4-inch-thick coins (leave the skins on for extra nutrition). **The huge zucchini with a large quantity of sizable seeds may not work best for freezing in slices.**

3. Blanch in either boiling water or a steamer for 3 minutes.

4. Using a slotted spoon or a skimmer, transfer to an ice water bath (bowl filled with cold water and ice cubes) for one minute.

5. Strain and dry. Remove from the ice bath and place on a towel to dry out slightly.

6. Freeze. You can either put the sliced zucchini directly into freezer-safe containers or bags and place in the freezer or you can flash-freeze them first (my preferred method). To flash-freeze, lay the zucchini slices in a single layer on a lined baking sheet (lined with a silicone liner, parchment, or freezer paper). Freeze for a few hours or until solid, and then remove and add to a freezer-safe bag or container. Place immediately in the freezer.

For best flavor and texture, use within a year.

Using Frozen Sliced Zucchini

If you are adding the zucchini to soup, stew, or chili, you can certainly add it frozen and it should be fine, thawing in the warm or hot liquid.

For all other uses, you will want to thaw it first. Remove how much is needed and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Whether or not you will need to strain off the liquid is going to depend on your recipe/how you're using it. If the added liquid will interfere with the recipe, strain it off.

Easy Blueberry Upside Down Cake

2024-08-12T07:46:00.000-04:00

Blueberry season is getting close to the end in our area. It's time to make all of the delicious blueberry things while our fridge is still full of fresh berries. This cake is one of our favorites.

This cake is pillowy moist, easy to make, and features a nice hint of lemon which compliments the blueberries perfectly. We find it to be vibrant and sweet, while not overly sweet.

Flipping The Cake "Upside Down"

If you're concerned about the topping sticking inside of the pan, although I have never found it necessary to do so, you can absolutely line the cake pan (bottom) with a piece of parchment. The main key in getting the cake to release in order to turn it upside down on a plate is to make sure you release the sides of the cake by sliding a butter knife between the cake and the cake pan (after cooling for 5 minutes). Don't skip this step!

Notes About Some of the Ingredients:

Flour - I have only made this with all-purpose flour. If you try another flour, I would love for you to comment what you tried and how it worked!

Butter - you can use non-dairy butter instead of dairy if you prefer. Between the cake and the topping you'll be using 16 Tablespoons total or 1 cup.

Lemon Zest - make sure you're getting just the yellow part of the peel and not the white pith, which is bitter. If you don't have 2 lemons to zest or don't care for it, leave it out. You can instead add a 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to both the cake and the topping. The lemon zest is delicious if you have it though.

Buttermilk - if you do not have buttermilk or are making this dairy free, add 1 1/2 teaspoons white or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to 3/4 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy) and let sit 5 minutes before adding to the batter.

Maple Syrup - I think maple syrup compliments blueberries in the most delicious way, but if you don't have any, substitute with equal amounts of honey. They add to the syrupiness of the topping.

Blueberries - fresh or frozen work beautifully in this recipe. If you are using frozen, do not thaw them. I've given a range of 1 1/2 cups - 1 3/4 cups because you want the entire bottom of the cake pan covered with a single layer of blueberries. Depending on the size of your blueberries, it may be a little more than 1 1/2 cups.

Making The Cake:

you can see that 1 1/2 cups of blueberries was not quite enough this time so I ended up sprinkling on a few more

Spread the topping paste across the bottom of the prepared cake pan. Top with a single layer of blueberries.

Carefully scoop out the cake batter on top of the berry layer and smooth, ensuring the berries stay put on the bottom of the pan.

On to the recipe!

view printable recipe here

Blueberry Upside Down Cake

makes: one 9-inch cake

Cake:

12 Tablespoons unsalted butter, brought to room temp

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

zest of 1 large lemon

3/4 cup buttermilk (see note above for instructions to make if you don't have buttermilk on hand)

Topping:

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

zest of 1/2 of 1 large lemon

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9" round cake pan by buttering it or spraying it with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest of 1 large lemon. Set aside.
If you are making buttermilk, mix together 3/4 cups of milk and 1 1/2 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-4 minutes. Add in the vanilla and the eggs, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and beating until well combined.
With the mixer on low, beat in half of the dry ingredients followed by half of the buttermilk. Mix just until combined, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the remaining dry ingredients and remaining buttermilk, mixing just until combined.

To make the topping:

Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and lemon zest of half of a large lemon in a bowl. Stir together until a paste-like consistency forms. Spread into the bottom of the prepared cake pan, using a spatula to get all of the butter-sugar mixture.
Pour the berries into the pan forming a single layer of blueberries on top of the topping.

Putting it all together:

Carefully scoop the thick cake batter over the berries, making sure to keep the berries on the bottom of the pan, and spreading the batter evenly from side-to-side.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake is no longer jiggly in the center when moved.
Remove the cake from the oven and set the pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Using a butter knife, go around the entire edge of the cake to loosen. Take a plate or cake stand and place on top of the cake pan. Flip the pan (the pan will still be hot - use potholders) so the cake is now on the plate or cake stand. Leave the cake pan on the plate/cake stand for a minute to ensure the topping comes off. If any of the topping sticks in the pan, using a spatula, scoop it out and onto the cake.
Allow to cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 2 days. For longer storage, wrap and freeze for 1-2 months.

How To Make & Use Zucchini Milk (freezer friendly)

2024-08-07T11:20:00.006-04:00

If you've never heard of zucchini milk before, then the title may be a bit baffling. Have no fear, it's a simple to make substitute for milk (dairy or non-dairy) in many recipes as well as a way to thicken soups or stews and make it a bit creamier.

I find zucchini milk a great way to preserve the bountiful summer squash harvest in a way that adds flavor and nutrition to future meals. I've used the milk, which is typically thicker than traditional milk (depending on how watery your zucchini ends up being and if you're using it freshly blended or thawed from frozen), in soups, stews, muffins, quick breads, and casseroles.

While many people shred zucchini to freeze for use later (I do as well), this recipe is liquified zucchini = zucchini milk.

How Do You Use Zucchini Milk?

Substituting milk in a recipe - zucchini milk will likely be thicker than regular milk (almost applesauce consistency) so there may be some instances where you may have to thin it slightly before using. If it's thawed from frozen, it will not need additional thinning. This is a great, nutritious, frugal, low-fat substitute for milk in many baked good recipes. And perfect to have in the freezer in case you are in need of milk for a recipe and are out!
Adding to smoothies, soups, sauces, or stews - I like to add this to either replace milk or also where a bit of a creamy consistency would work.
Freezing zucchini milk - freeze in 1/2 cup to 1 cup portions, or whatever seems right for your recipes. I LOVE to use my Souper Cube silicone containers to freeze liquid such as this, and then I can transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer safe bag or container. You could also use a mason jar or pour the zucchini milk right into a freezer safe bag and lay flat in your freezer.

Freezing zucchini milk in souper cubes containers. Once frozen I put the cubes in a freezer safe bag or container to store long-term. This makes them easy to store and easy to use.

Other recipes you may enjoy:

Zucchini Fritters

The BEST Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Cinnamon Swirl Zucchini Quick Bread

I like to make both - peeled zucchini milk and unpeeled.

Should You Peel Zucchini?

The recipe is written with peeling your zucchini. This is primarily because otherwise whatever recipe you use the zucchini milk in would have a greenish or yellowish hue. I like to make both versions, peeled and unpeeled, because the peels are full of nutrients. I add the unpeeled zucchini milk mostly to soups, especially minestrone or farmer's stew as well as to smoothies.

How To Make Zucchini Milk:

1. Peel the zucchini. (this is not necessary but without peeling, you will end up with a green or yellow milk)

2. Remove the seeds if they are larger. More seeds or larger seeds = thinner milk.

3. Cut into small chunks.

4. Liquify in a food processor or blender. (Don't add water) My Vitamix blender struggles for just a couple of seconds and then the zucchini starts to liquify and it blends up quickly.

5. Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days or in the freezer in a freezer safe bag or container up to 6 months.