Steel Cut Oats (from the Crock Pot) to Start the Day

CROCK POT OATMEAL - AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!

A love of oatmeal and my family's rapidly declining interest in microwaved old fashioned oats led me to the internet to see how other people fancied up their oats.  I found a few good ideas and have since altered them to our particular tastes.  One of my favorite ideas is steel cut oats made overnight in the crock pot.

Crock pot oats appeal to me for many reasons:
#1 I don't have to cook in the morning.
#2 Warm, hearty breakfast keeps us full longer and makes the day more enjoyable.
#3 Waking up to the smell of breakfast wafting from the kitchen is just as delightful as falling asleep with the aroma of fresh baked bread cooling on the counter top (more on homemade bread later).

The following recipe is how I make oatmeal for the four of us.  It's good as-is but we also like to top it with walnuts, jelly, yogurt or raisins in our bowls.  Sometimes when I know we will be adding something sweet to it in the morning I leave out the honey.  Like most recipes, it's a matter of personal preference.  Crock pot oatmeal is very versatile, I hope you try it, like it and find your own favorite flavor combination.   

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups almond milk (or other milk)
1.5 cups water
2 Tablespoons chia seeds or flax meal
2 Tablespoons honey or other sweetener
oil to coat crock pot

optional add ins:
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pieces of fresh fruit (apples, bananas, peaches) or 1/4 -1/2 cup dried fruit or 1 cup frozen fruit

Method:

-Oil the crock pot.  Honestly, I don't know what it's like if you don't.  Everywhere else on the internet implied that if you skip this step you will be scrubbing and crying.  With the crock oiled it does stick to the sides.  Once it cools down it scrapes away more easily (if you want to get every last bit out - and that's the good crunchy part, so go for it).  I soak it for a bit in the sink and it comes right off.  I don't know if it would do the same if you didn't oil the crock.
-Add all ingredients, stir and set the crock pot to low for 7-8 hours.
-It keeps in the refrigerator and reheats nicely.  We had leftovers once, and they didn't last beyond the next day but were still good then.  I added a little more milk when reheating to hydrate the oatmeal.

Cooked oatmeal in the morning, before stirring, with a crunchy ring around the outside.

The oatmeal after stirring.  This batch was made with dried peaches, vanilla and cinnamon added to the main recipe.

Basic Fermenting for beginners

WE FERMENT!  Indeed we do.  We make cheese, yogurt, beer, wine and bread as well as some experiments with citrus enzyme cleaners.  We have (or will soon have) posts concerning all of these ferments, but wanted to expand on our sauerkraut recipe we wrote about last year (see post).  We have made several batches of sauerkraut over the past year with cabbage only and the kids love it.  Our current batch is made with carrots and turnips (an experiment) so stay tuned as we should be posting in a couple of weeks about our results.  For now we wanted to share the basic methodology.

Our basic Kraut / vegetable fermentation method:

Placed in refrigerator after reaching desired flavor

Shredded vegetable:  Root veggies or cabbage or other brassicas.  All vegetables can be mixed according to your availability.  Fill up your container with sliced or shredded veggies.  Cabbage is the traditional vegetable used, but you can easily ferment most brassicas, carrots, rutabagas, turnips, beats or even burdock root.

Whey:  We use whey to fill the liquid portion of the fermentation vessel.  Whey introduces lactobacillus and also helps reduce pH.  Many fermenters simply use water as there are naturally occurring lactobacillus on the outside of most vegetables.  Ever notice that white film on cabbage leaves or the outside of carrots?  On grapes?  Much of that film is composed of microbes ready and willing to turn your fruits and veggies into fermentable goodness.  We add whey only because we have it readily available.  It is not really necessary. 

Vinegar:  Vinegar reduces the pH giving the lactobacillus a boost.  This is also reportedly not necessary according to the master fermenters.  We add it simply out of paranoia and to give the acid loving lactobacillus an advantage over the other microbes.  Caution:  If you decide to use vinegar, do not add too much.  We add about ¼ cup per gallon.  If you add too much, you will pickle your veggies before the lactobacillus can do its job.

Salt (uniodized):  It helps break down cell walls of the veggies.  Iodine in Iodized salt will kill or inhibit lactobacillus growth.  Any non-iodized salt will do.  I have heard of people using sea salt, Kosher salt, Morton salt, etc.  We simply use the cheapest un-iodized store brand we can find.  You can make a brine or you can simply sprinkle salt in as you go.  Some fermenters go so far as to rub salt into the shredded veggies prior to addition.  We are lazy so just sprinkle some in as we go.  Do not overdo it with salt.  We add about 1 tablespoon per gallon.  You can do more (up to 3 TBS per gallon).  If your brine solution is too strong the lactobacillus will not be able to thrive and you will end up with brined (unfermented) veggies.      

Let vegetables ferment for 1-4 weeks.  Vegetable matter must be completely submerged.  The longer they ferment, the softer the kraut and the more sour it will be.  You can check on it every few days to make sure everything is doing OK.  To stop fermentation, place in jars in the refrigerator or boil and can (though boiling will kill the live culture and thus reduce probiotic benefits).  There may be some unpleasant odor initially....this is normal.

References:  We got into vegetable fermentation after attending a Mother Earth News Fair and listening to Dr. Sandor Katz, the proclaimed fermentation guru.  We did our homework through Dr. Katz’s books as well as online.  A quick google search for fermented vegetables will give you a plethora of information.  Click on the links to learn more:

Dr.Sandor Katz’s website

Cultures for Health Website:

Food safety concerns: (MINIMAL)  Fermented vegetables have very little risk from foodborne illness.  I had originally heard this claim from Sandor Katz, the proclaimed guru of vegetable fermentation, in a lecture at the Mother Earth News Fair.  Being a food safety "professional", I was quite skeptical of this claim.  I researched back 10 years in the Center for Disease Control Database and found no references to fermented vegetables causing food poisoning.  This was quite surprising to me.  I did find several references to fermented meat and dairy causing illness, but none for fermented vegetables.  To me, this speaks volumes as to the safety of eating kraut.  The chemistry behind fermented vegetables is very hostile towards the bad bugs.  In other words, the bacteria that normally cause illness associated with food (botulism, e. coli., salmonella, staph aureus, etc.) are unable to grow at the pH and salinity levels associated with lactobacillus fermentation.  Bottom line, it is very safe!  This is probably the reason that fermentation has been used for centuries as a food preserving method.  It is safe, easy, and inexpensive - not to mention quite tasty and good for you....PROBIOTICS at their finest.  If you are still concerned, a quick boil (5 minutes or less) of your Kraut will kill any microbes.

Please comment with questions or advice.

"Oh horse apples"

"Oh horse apples" seems like something that Col Sherman T. Potter would say on an episode of MASH.  After brief research, it appears that this was never one of those euphemisms.  Unfortunate because.....

The fruit you see above is known as the horse apple, hedge apple, Osage orange, bois d'arc, bodark, or bodock.  The scientific name is Maclura pomifera.  Regardless of what you call it, it remains a very useful plant.  Before the invention of DEET and other insect repellents this fruit was used extensively to deter insects within the house.  It was used as moth repellent in wardrobes and closets; used to deter spiders, roaches and other pests in basements and insects that may be living under the bed.  It is reportedly edible though unpalatable without a lot of preparation.  The wood of this small tree / shrub has many uses as well, but is aside from the purpose of this post.

Unlike some folklore without scientific backing, studies about the insect repellent qualities of the Osage orange seem to be valid.  There is a latex like chemical within the fruit that deters fungal grow and insects.  See wikipedia reference

We found a large cache of these while out and about the other day.  They were littering the side of the roadway so being the odd people we are, we stopped, collected about a dozen and brought them home. Each kid has one in their room, one in our bedroom and a few in the basement.  There are three in the kitchen.  Though anecdotal, the ant problem that has been plaguing our kitchen for 3 weeks seems to have disappeared overnight.  If you come across these it is well worth the time and effort to collect a few and try them out.  They are found in the fall (mid-October here in Pennsylvania).

Pear Jam 2013

Sounds like a rock concert, doesn't it?

pear jam has that rock star glam

Pear jam is one of those wonderful recipes Joe and I came across last year after being gifted with so many pears (yeah Teri!).  I don't even remember where the recipe came from but it is such a fantastically fall-tasting jam.  Fall-tasting, you know what I mean.  Warming, spicy, sweet and wholesome.  This jam is it.  It beats the pants off of pear butter in how easy it is to make.  Pear butter is good but takes a lot of cranking on that food mill.  We loved pear jam so much we made it again this year and added allspice to the recipe.

As is, this recipe made just shy of two and a half pints (we filled a pint, a half pint and almost another pint).  Feel free to double or triple the recipe.  Joe and I plan to next time.   

Pear Jam  

8 cups pears, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/2 tsp allspice
lemon juice to coat pears

small diced pears

The longest part of making this recipe is peeling and cutting the pears.  Dice the pears as small as you desire, but keep in mind that they won't cook down into mush.  If you want to be able to spread this jam on toast you will want to cut small pear bits.

Place the pears into a large pot and toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.  Add the sugar and spices and stir.  Heat and simmer for about 2 hours.  Don't over heat and scorch your jam.

Pear jam for breakfast

While your jam is cooking, prepare canning jars in hot water bath.  We put the lids in a small sauce pan on the back of the stove to heat up separately.  Remember to never reuse the lids.  Reusing rings as long as they are not bent or rusty is fine.  

After about two hours the pears will be nice and thick.  No pectin is needed.  Rock star indeed.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars, put the lids and rings on tight; wrapping a towel around the jar helps prevent burning your hands.  Place the jars into the hot water bath.  Process in the hot water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove and let set on the counter to cool and seal.  Ping!

We have only used pears for this recipe but apples would be just as amazing.  Most recipes that use apples can be made with pears and vice-verse.

 Rock on, fall.

Chestnuts roasted into a meal desired

If you saw our previous post about chestnuts you know that I collected over three pounds of them from a couple of trees at my place of work. (SEE POST)  Since that post I have collected an additional three pounds +.  The current tally is 6 lbs 4 oz. of chestnuts.  So, what do you do with chestnuts?  Well you roast them of course.  We did not have the set up for an open fire, but the oven worked as a pretty good substitute.  We baked them at 400 F for 30 minutes.  To prevent the nut from exploding in the oven, the shell must be scored to allow steam to escape.  After baking, the nut itself softens and is very starchy.  The taste is very similar to potato, but slightly sweeter and with a firmer texture.  We made a casserole from the following ingredients (AKA a "hot-dish" for you Minnesota folks):

Pre-roasted chestnuts

Chestnuts:  We used about 1 1/2 cups of roasted and shelled chestnuts.

Mushrooms:  We used about 4 cups of Hen of the Woods (HOTW) mushrooms that we had collected earlier in the day. See Post  HOTW was sauteed with onion, green and red bell pepper and garlic.

Cheese:  We used a combination of cheese ends from our local market deli.  Mostly swiss cheese.

Tomatoes:  Cherry tomatoes were thrown in there from our garden.

Add chestnuts and sauteed mushrooms to a baking dish.  Sprinkle shredded cheese or cheese pieces over the top.

Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.

This is probably one of the best casseroles we have had in a long while.  Completely vegetarian and very versatile.  The flavors blended together perfectly and the texture was perfect.

Finished meal with casserole, pear sauce and watermelon.  The majority of the food on the plate is homegrown or foraged making this meal cost only a few pennies.

Woodturning Projects.

I purchased a small inexpensive wood lathe a few months back from Harbor Freight and started toying with it.  As it "turns" out wood turning is a quite enjoyable hobby.  I have spent hours on the lathe letting my creativity be my guide.  It is also relatively inexpensive.  So far I have made several canisters a few wooden toy tops, a bowl, a honey dipper, a spindle for a loom and a mug.  The best part is I have not paid for a single piece of wood.  All of the articles have been turned from tree branches and pieces of wood I have found along the side of the road or in brush piles.  All of my expenses have came from tools and the lathe.  I'll post a few pictures of what I have done so far as well as lessons learned.  I'm sure there will be more to follow.  Many of the pieces are not quite finished yet, and if you look close, you will see that the toy top on the left is split.  Nonetheless it is becoming a nice creative outlet and a hobby that I will continue.


Lessons:
#1  Wear eye protection and preferably full face protection:  I always follow this rule when wood-working but it is especially important when you are cutting into a piece of wood turning at up to 2400 RPMs.  Wood tends to splinter and sometimes doesn't appreciate staying on the lathe while you are gouging into it.  I have had entire projects come flying off of the lathe at high rates of speed not to mention splinters of wood.  After many hours I still have not seriously injured myself and will strive to keep it that way.

#2  Keep your tools sharp:  This is challenging for me as I have not quite mastered sharpening lathe tools on my bench grinder.  I just bought a finer stone and hope that works.

#3  Not all wood is created equal, especially green wood:  I have had wood from what I think is a hackberry be quite wet and heavy as well as quite difficult to cut into.  I have had wood that will develop cracks all the way through overnight completely ruining my hard work. I have had wood that the experts on-line say will crack and split, but seems to have completely dried out without doing so.

#4  There is a lot of sawdust:  This itself is not a problem.  The problem is that I tend to be completely covered in sawdust when I am at the lathe.  There is some minor discussion between the adults in the house when sawdust finds its way into the kitchen, living room or bed....
  

NUTTY as a .........

Marie with the small Nut Wizard.

Another contraption that the Eggers’ picked up at the Mother Earth News fair in September was a device called the Nut Wizard® made by Seeds and Such Inc.  It picks up nuts, apples, and nearly anything else from the ground.  We purchased two of these tools, one large and one small.  The large one we use for picking up black walnuts and hickory nuts, but could also be used for medium size fruit such as apples, pears, etc. as well or even golf balls if that is your thing.  The smaller one can be used for acorns but also other small objects such as toy legos or other flotsam that kids may have, also brass from the shooting range.   Of course we use them primarily for foraging and it has cut our time collecting walnuts, hickory nuts and acorns significantly.  A five gallon bucket can easily be filled in a couple of minutes without continuously bending over.  This device saves your back and time and in my very humble opinion worth every penny.  I see us using the Nut Wizard® a lot in the future.  The  The only thing to do now is get those buggers out of their shells……… but wait……….there is a tool for that also so stay tuned.

 Marie us using the Nut Wizard to pick up acorns.  She filled a two gallon pail without much effort.