Blackberry Pilsner!! Turned out Good!! :)

The beer is brewed, bottled and set and it tastes GREAT! We are super excitted. We heard that the longer it sets the better it will taste so since we have 55 bottles waiting on us we will have some that taste amazing because it is going to take us a while to drink all those!!

Homemade Yogurt and Cream Cheese

Watch this video and you will fall in love with Homemade Yogurt and Cream cheese before you even taste it...then you will taste it and be hooked!! I have been looking for a good homemade yogurt recipe and after watching this video I just had to give this a try!! Definately get the kids involved on this one! Henry and Addie sure loved making and eating it!

I doubled this recipe when I made it and had enough for some blueberry banana yogurt, frozen blueberry banana yogurt, cheese and cured herb cheese...definately a bargan for only the cost of 1 gallon for milk!

Homemade Yogurt:

6 cups milk

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Step 1: Combine Milk and yogurt in your pot and Heat uncovered to 98 degrees

Step 2: Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rest in room temperature over night.

Step 3: Enjoy! Its seriously that easy! After sitting overnight you can tell the consistency is perfect...let it chill in the refrigerator a little bit if you want it cold and toss in some berries and you have some fruit yogurt for alot cheaper than store bought! OR add some berries and put it in the freezer for a few hours and you will have frozen yogurt...much healthier than ice cream :)

Homemade Cream Cheese

(picking up where the Yogurt recipe left off)... you will need a bowl, several kitchen towels/or cheese cloth, some string and a stick to tie the string to to hang your cheese.

Step 4: Put a kitchen towel in a bowl and Transfer the Yogurt to the towel (adding any herbs and spices you would like) and close tight with string.

Step 5: Hang in the refrigerator for 24 hours, over a bowl to collect the dripping water.

Step 6: Remove the cloth and serve with fresh bread, a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil or your very own homemade crackers!

Keeps for three days in refrigerator.

Homemade Cured Herb Cheese
Follow the Yogurt Recipe Above
Follow Steps 4 & 5 from the Cream Cheese Recipe Above:

Step 6: Prepare brine (6% salt per weight) in a suitable container. Transfer cheese (without removing the cloth), to the brine and let sit for another 24 hours. Depending on the size of your cheese ball and the bowl you will be using for the brine will change the amount of water you will need. I used a tall Canning Jar and put 3 cups of water and 4 tablespoons of salt then submersed my wrapped cheese into the jar.

Step 7: Cover a brie-style cheese box (or other container) loosely with baking paper. Gently unwrap the cheese cloth and transfer the cheese to the paper, pressing slightly to suit the box. Place herbs on top, close paper tight and cover with a lid. Keep for four weeks in refrigerator.

I'm not real sure where you can get "brie style cheese boxes" but I did find some Paper Mache Boxes online and at our local craft store. I didn't get any this time around but thought they would be super cute as a gift with a ribbon and gift tag! The Paper Mache Boxes come in all sorts of shapes (hearts, stars, squares, ovals) so have fun with the designs! This would be a very great, thoughtful and unique gift but delightfully inexpensive!!

Step 8: In 4 weeks Enjoy!!

Homemade Crackers! SOO Easy!

Every time we go to the store I end up leaving without buying something because the prices are getting ridiculous! This last time at the store that particular item was crackers. After we got home and I was unloading all the groceries, I felt so bummed because I didn't get crackers...and Addie loves crackers! SO, I decided to try and make some!! Ive never tried it before but I figured it couldn't be too crazy hard...so I looked at quite a few recipes and watched a few videos and ended up with this...

Homemade Crackers:
3 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground preferably)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 Tblsp dried herbs or 1/2 cup fresh herbs (don't be afraid to use extra herbs depending upon how flavorful you want your crackers)

1 cup warm water

1/2 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step 1: In a bowl combine all your dry ingredients, including your herbs.

Step 2: Add your water and oil, stir together and then split into 2 separate balls (for 2 baking sheets).

Step 3: Roll out each ball onto a greased cookie sheet, decide how thick or thin you want the crackers to be...if you are wanting them for dipping and spreading cheeses and sauces then make sure you make them thick enough. Then cut the crackers the size you want (rolling pizza cutter works great).

Step 4: Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Start checking them at 15 minutes and you may need to pull out the crackers along the sides and let the center crackers cook longer. Make sure you don't let the outer crackers burn...unless you like burnt crackers :)

Step 5: Enjoy!! Gourmet Crackers for PENNIES!! The most expensive part is probably the cost of running your oven :)

Eggs, Salad, Arugula, Herb Excess for Sale!

One of our plans with the garden is to try to can, freeze or dehydrate and save as much as we can for winter...but some of the vegetables are just not really meant to be saved, like lettuce! SO, we have to get rid of some of our excess and want to give some of our local readers a chance to have these delightful heirloom salad blends on your dinner table too! 

Free Range Eggs - $2 per dozen / $3 per 18 count

$4 per half pound or $7 per pound

Arugula (heirloom), Lettuce (heirloom) or Herb Salad (heirloom) This Herb Salad is a blend of heirloom arugula and several varieties of heirloom lettuce accented with some sliced radishes and salad onions and topped off with basil, chives, and sage - all cut, cleaned and ready for the dinner table :)

Let me know if you are interested and I will get your dinner salad ready!