Whiteley Creek Homestead

sweet potato scones

July 30, 2009

I know I promised to share my niece Kaprina's scone recipe today but, as I was googling a healthy scone recipe to discover a way to reduce or substitute the 1/2 cup olive oil in her recipe, I came across this sweet potato scone recipe on deliciouswisdom.com. It was adapted from a recipe in Superfoods Rx by Steven Pratt, M.D. and Kathy Matthews. Kaprina's major redo of a not-so-clean scone recipe was extremely impressive. This sweet potato scone recipe has similar ingredients as Kaprina's recipe but it uses only 1 tbsp oil instead of 1/2 cup oil, just 2 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar, shredded raw sweet potato instead of canned pumpkin, plain yogurt in place of buttermilk or soymilk, plus the addition of oatbran, flaxseed, and wheat germ. It takes Kaprina's recipe to an even higher nutritional level. Thank you, Kaprina. You were the inspiration for this recipe. It is so light and guilt-free. Pair it with a yogurt smoothie and you have a perfect breakfast on the run.

Sweet Potato Scones

Yield: 10 scones

1 cup + 2 tbsp whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour.)

¼ cup oat flour

4 tbsp flaxseed

4 tbsp wheat germ

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp canola or olive oil

2 tbsp real maple syrup or agave nectar

1/3 cup plain organic yogurt (I used homemade yogurt.)

1 cup raw shredded sweet potato or yam

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1 tsp orange zest (I didn’t have any oranges. It still tastes very good without the zest.)

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, mix together flour, oat bran, flaxseed, wheat germ,

baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, combine egg, oil, maple syrup (or agave nectar), yogurt, sweet potato, dried cranberries, and orange zest. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined. Do not overmix. Knead the dough by hand for 3-4 minutes. (I found the dough to be too wet to knead, so I coated the top and underside with a dusting of flour then patted it into a circle to ½ inch thickness. This way it prevents overworking which can cause scones to be tough. My method worked because the resulting product is tender and light.) Use a water glass tipped upside down to cut round pieces. (I used a round donut cutter with the small inner circle removed.) Gather up scraps, roll them into a ball, and respread dough to cut out more circles. Place scones onto a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. I sprinkled mine with a little sugar strictly for visual appeal. They don’t require additional sweetness. These are equally good warm or at room temperature spread with a little butter.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Today’s mileage: 3.25 mile bike ride

Total Mileage for July: 28 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Today’s mileage: 7 miles

Total Mileage for July: 35 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Today's mileage: 3.25

Total Mileage for July: 38.25 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Today's mileage: 4-mile bike ride from home to the Crow Wing Co. Airport and the County Garage and back home.

Total Mileage for July: 42.25 miles

Bible Reading? Yes.
blueberry picking and mom’s supper

July 29, 2009

This morning I needed to get out the door early, so I chose to make quinoa for breakfast because it cooks in just 15 minutes without watching over it.

I sprinkled some wild raspberries on top that Dick and I had picked yesterday on our property. It was all the sweetness it needed. Those are my jean-clad legs underneath the bowl. I ate my cereal as I traveled down the road. (I am able to multi-task, but it was a stretch to eat, drive, and operate a camera, so I shot the photo when I came to a stop.) When I was driving 65 miles to earn my degree at St. Cloud State, after getting three little girls off to school, eating in the car was the only way I was able to squeeze breakfast in and get to my first class on time. I became skilled at eating breakfast… while I studied my test notes… driving down the highway. Not a great idea… just survival to keep my head above water.

This is why I was in such a hurry to get out the door this morning. I was headed to a blueberry patch east of Brainerd on Highway 18 then south on Esden Road to Roger's Berry Farm. The patch was so very peaceful. It was surrounded on three sides by dense woods with only the sound of birds, an occasional car off in the distance crunching over the pepples on the dirt road, and the plop plop of blueberries hitting the bottom of empty ice cream pails. It was cool for a July morning… light jacket weather. Perfect.

Look at these beauties hanging from the bushes! The bushes were about waist height… not the low growing groundcover wild variety I picked as a kid that were especially plentiful in areas where forest fires had passed through.

A bird had found the patch peaceful, as well, and had built a nest in a blueberry bush in my row.

You might be wondering how I managed to fill any buckets with blueberries. It appears as if I have been shooting photos the entire morning. Well, I filled two buckets plus a quart to drop off at my friend Sandy's house.

After picking blueberries then stopping at my friend Sandy's to drop off a quart of berries and chat a bit, I headed home to clean three cabins for arriving guests. With one hour to spare, I needed to toss together a supper to bring to my 92 year-old mother where she lives in an apartment at a Brainerd retirement center. I made the fastest recipe I could come up with. It takes a total of 15 minutes to prepare. I grabbed a gluten-free jumbo cranberry orange muffin from the freezer, cut one into 4 chunks so it would thaw faster, and put a large handful of freshly-picked blueberries into a bowl. Supper was on its way…

If you want to pick blueberries at Roger's Berry Farm, you will need to call (888) 692-4522 and leave a message regarding your desire to pick. They will call you back and let you know when you can come.
wild raspberries and canoeing

July 28, 2009

Last night we ate the last of 8 quarts of raspberries I had picked two weeks ago. The owner of the berry patch called to see if I wanted to come and pick again this morning. Sadly, I had to decline because I had too many responsibilities I couldn't put off. This evening, Dick informed me that the bushes growing along the wetlands area on our property were full of wild raspberries. By that time of day I had finished what I needed to accomplish, so we grabbed some empty containers and headed down the hill.

We quickly filled these two containers with plenty more to pick tomorrow.

After picking the berries, our canoes on the bank beckoned us to go for a paddle in our wetlands area. Notice the paddle straddled across the canoe in front of where I was sitting. That paddle pretty much stays in that position throughout every canoe trip. Whether it's traveling down a road or a waterway, Dick says he is "driving miss daisy". Oh, yea. That's pretty much accurate.

Our presence didn't frighten a duck that was out for a leisurely swim as we paddled by.

Picking wild raspberries and canoeing without leaving our property… I can't think of a better way to wrap up a busy day.
walnut grove minnesota

July 25, 2009

I thought it would set the stage, for our road trip to Laura Ingalls childhood home in southeastern Minnesota, if I picked some peas from my garden to shell on the way to the town of Walnut Grove that was the setting for her book On the Banks of Plum Creek. It just seemed fitting… while I read the book, that I had checked out from the public library, aloud to Dick as we traveled the 210 miles from Brainerd on Wednesday afternoon.

The first night, after settling in at Plum Creek Campground 2 miles southwest of Walnut Grove, we hopped on our bikes to take advantage of what daylight there was remaining. The next day, we biked 2 miles to town then 1-1/2 miles north of Walnut Grove to the unreconstructed site of the Ingalls sod house. The sign states, "The Charles Ingalls Family's dugout home was located here in the 1870s. This depression is all that remains since the roof caved in years ago."

This is a view from the other side of Plum Creek, which faces the sign marking the site of the Ingalls "earth home". It's easy to imagine Laura running down the hill to the creek to wade in amongst the minnows and play along the banks on hot summer days.

This is what the Ingalls sod house would have looked like. This replica was built 2 miles southwest of Walnut Grove at the site of the Wilder Pageant that is held three weekends in July every year for the past 32 years.

This is a scene from the Wilder Pageant during a prairie fire. The play retold the story On the Banks of Plum Creek when the Ingalls family lived in Walnut Grove.

I purchased this handmade card in Walnut Grove. It summed up perfectly our three day adventure in the sleepy town of Walnut Grove where we walked the same paths the Ingalls did so many years ago.
basil turkey burgers

July 22, 2009

Dick and I are leaving today for Walnut Grove Minnesota, one of the locations where Laura Ingalls lived as a child. We are going to camp at Plum Creek Campground for 3 days so we can visit historic sites, bike, and attend an outdoor pageant on Friday evening. I made some basil turkey burgers yesterday to bring along for a meal during our stay. We had some for our supper last night. So good! I used whole wheat buns that I purchased from our local farmers market.

Basil Turkey Burgers

Makes 8 patties.

1 cup mayo (I use Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise instead. It has a wonderful flavor with no cholesterol and no preservatives… just grapeseed oil, filtered water, brown rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, soy protein, sea salt, mustard flour, and lemon juice concentrate.)

2 tbsp dried basil

3 tbsp chopped dill pickle

1 tbsp brine from pickle jar

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 ¼ pounds ground turkey breast

8 hamburger buns, toasted (or 4 if you serve the burgers “open-face”)

Mix mayo, basil, pickles, brine, and onions in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. In large bowl, mix turkey with ½ cup basil mayo. Using wet hands shape turkey mixture into eight 1/3 cup patties. Cook burgers, about 5 minutes per side. Spread buns thickly with basil mayo. Top each bun with lettuce, tomato, burger, and a dollop of basil mayo. Garnish with a sprinkle of dried basil.
turkey hummus and cucumber wrap

July 21, 2009

Today was especially busy, so I needed to get lunch on the table pronto. This turkey hummus and cucumber wrap from Clean Eating came through timewise and tastewise… really nice mix of flavors. I used Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Tortillas that have 5 grams fiber and 6 grams protein. Many brands have only 1 gram fiber. Add some summer berries and dig in.

Turkey Hummus and Cucumber Wrap

Makes 6 servings (1 serving=one whole tortilla, filled, rolled, then cut in half to make two chunks).

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

heaping ¼ tsp dried oregano leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp Dijon mustard

¼ tsp pepper

1 romaine heart, cut into 1/2–inch strips (should yield about 4 cups)

6 8-inch-diameter whole wheat tortillas (I used Ezekiel Sprouted Grain.)

1 8-oz. container hummus (I've substituted pesto, also.)

8 oz sliced roasted white turkey

1 unpeeled cucumber, sliced

In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, oregano, garlic, Dijon, and pepper. Add romaine and toss. Set aside. Lay a tortilla on a flat surface and spread hummus. Working down the center, top with turkey, cucumber slices, and lettuce. Roll the tortilla to make a tight bundle. Secure with a toothpick if necessary. Repeat with remaining tortillas. *Note: I made a full recipe of dressing, mixed ½ of it with 2 cups lettuce, and refrigerated the remaining dressing and lettuce to mix together later for a meal on another day.
eco cleaning products

July 20, 2009

Recently, my friend Connie invited me to a Norwex Enviro Products presentation at her house. The sales consultant demonstrated how to clean without chemicals. I purchased a pair of dryerballs that have porcupine-like protrusions that "lift and separate laundry while softening fabrics. This reduces drying time, static cling and wrinkles – naturally without chemicals." They really do work… and are such a pretty lime green color.

I also purchased this microfiber mitt that "attracts and absorbs the finest of dust particles allowing for less frequent dusting." I used it to swipe my very dusty computer screen. It lived up to its claims.

The final product I bought was Antibac Enviro Cloths in a lovely pink color that "clean everything using only water leaving a bacteria free surface. The antibacterial agent is embedded in the microfiber so, when the cloth is used to clean surfaces, it will remove 99.9% of the bacteria on that surface and destroy that bacteria (in the cloth) after a few hours." I am excited to give them a whirl, but I am a diehard fan of Melaleuca Ecosense products. My general cleaning threesome includes MelaMagic Heavy-Duty Multi-Purpose Cleaner that I add to my bucket of water along with Sol-U-Mel stain booster made from "Melaleuca Oil and other naturally derived ingredients". I spray Sol-U-Guard Botanical Disinfectant that "is proven to kill over 99% of bacteria" on surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. It is "made from plant extracts with pleasant aromatherapeutic vapors". All three products leave such a clean scent in the room.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Today’s mileage: 4.75 mile bike ride

Total Mileage for July: 24.75 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Today’s mileage: 0

Total Mileage for July: 24.75 miles (same as yesterday) I need to pick up the pace if I'm going to reach my 50-mile minimum goal for the month. If gardening could translate into mileage, I'd be well over my goal. I have been shovling and spreading mulch to inhibit weed growth and retain moisture. That's nearly completed, so I have plans to hit the bike trail at the end of this week.

Bible reading? Yes.
chocolate zucchini cake

July 17, 2009

It's time to dig out every zucchini recipe tucked away… and beg friends and family to share their favorites… in preparation for the annual mid-summer "What am I going to do with all this ding-dang zucchini?" challenge. My sister, Rita, shared this chocolate zucchini cake recipe with me several years ago and I have made it many times since then.

The topping is sprinkled on prior to baking, so this eliminates the need for icing.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Makes one 8X8-inch cake cut into 9 pieces.

½ cup oil (I used ¼ c oil + ¼ c unsweetened applesauce.)

2 eggs

1 ½ cups sugar (I used 1 cup.)

½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups shredded zucchini (approx. 1 med-size zucchini)

2 tbsp cocoa

½ tsp soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp cinnamon

1 ½ cups flour

Beat oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Mix in zucchini. Whisk dry ingredients together then add to wet and stir. Pour into 8X8-inch pan. Topping: Stir together 2 tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ cup chocolate chips, and ¼ cup chopped nuts. Sprinkle on top of batter. Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes.
gift from a friend

July 15, 2009

Last Sunday morning, I discovered this beautiful unbelievably creative arrangement of unique annuals on my side porch. Scrawled on a plant marker inside an old metal pail that held the arrangement were the words, "Thanks for the strawberries!" Les and Sandy. Sandy, who owns Country Roots Nursery 6 or 7 miles east of Brainerd on Highway 18, has been my friend for 40 years. I had dropped off some strawberries for her earlier this month when I picked berries down the road from her. She must have gone through her greenhouses and chose the most unusual plants she had, since she knows I find great joy in oddities. The tall spikes are "Joey" Ptilotus. The plant to the right of it is "Blackie Sweet Potato Vine" Ipomoea. The groundcover with white blossoms is "Sundial Mix" Portulaca and the large-leafed plant with cylindrical shapes shooting upward is "Ballerina Purple" Datura. I know this because she thoughtfully tucked the plant identification markers into the soil. What a precious combo!

Look at the magnificent blossom that burst forth from one of "Ballerina Purple" Datura's cylindrical shapes! Sandy told me that she waited for just the right day to bring the planter to me so that I could see the bloom unfurl. She timed it perfectly… except that I missed her visit because Dick and I had gone to the community theater "A Don't Hug Me County Fair" production.
peas

July 14, 2009

From beautiful pea blossoms to crunchy peas nestled in a "zippered" pod, God's creation is miraculous.

The peas hang heavy on the vines and the potato plants (in the background) are looking mighty fine, too.

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