Whiteley Creek Homestead

A perfect soup day today… I chose Hamburger Veggie Soup because I had errands to run and it's an easy throw-together meal to prepare first thing in the morning to heat later. Also, I always stock the ingredients in my pantry. I made frozen banana sundaes for dessert which take minutes to prepare. Something hot… something cold. A good combo.

Hamburger Veggie Soup Makes 4 hearty servings

1 tsp oil

1 large onion

1 lb lean ground beef preferably pastured grass-fed or ideally pastured grass-finished 

1 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp leaf oregano, and 1/2 tsp leaf marjoram 

½ tsp black pepper

1 tsp Johnny's Seasoning Salt* or your own favorite all-purpose seasoning

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (I use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.)

4 c beef stock or broth

1 bay leaf

1-14.5 oz can diced or stewed tomatoes (I sometimes sub 3/4 cup mild salsa.)

2 c mixed frozen veggies like peas, carrots, and corn combo (or use any veggie from your garden or fridge like zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato…)

1/3 c quick-cooking 10 min. barley, brown rice, or quinoa (If using reg. barley or brown rice, just allow cooking extra time.)

In soup pot, saute onion in oil until the onion softens slightly and begins to turn translucent. Add beef and cook until almost brown. Add basil, pepper, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce (or Bragg’s). Add beef stock (or broth), bay leaf, and tomatoes with their juice. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Stir in the barley and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the frozen veggies. Simmer for another 5 minutes or so until the barley is tender and the veggies are warmed and still firm like fresh-picked from garden, not mushy. *Johnny’s Seasoning Salt adds wonderful flavor to all of your dishes. I order the "No MSG" (monosodiumglutamate) variety.

To make the "raw food" sundaes, I push frozen bananas through my Champion Juicer with the blank insert in place instead of the screen that is used to make juice. It tastes just like soft serve ice cream, but you must eat it before it begins to melt or it tastes like mushed bananas. I topped it with strawberries and pineapple that I whizzed in my food processor. Note: If you don't have a Champion Juicer, or you desire less cleanup, here's a banana mikshake recipe made with a blender or food processor. So very simple.

I wanted to express my appreciation to my friend Debbie's son for paving the way towards a potential caboose acquisition to complement the 1890s railroad passenger car where I serve breakfast, so I baked some chocolate cookies and boxed them up with some homemade marshmallows. To complete the gift and write a message to the recipient, I chose a card with a recipe for "The Perfect Hot Chocolate" on the card's front.  My daughter, Jessie, has made this cookie recipe six times since I shared it with her two months ago. She likes it because it's quick and it uses standard ingredients in your pantry, so the cookies are ready in a snap when the chocolate craving hits. 

Triple Chocolate Cookies from the Food Network Channel's "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger"

¼ c butter, softened (Option: 2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce)

 ½ c ¼ c dark brown sugar

¼ c white sugar (I use coconut sugar.) 

 ¼ c 2 tbsp oil (I use coconut oil.)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

½ c unbleached white flour (Sub a hearty whole grain flour, or combo of flours.) 

½ c whole wheat pastry flour

¼ c cocoa (I use cacao powder.)

¼ tsp salt, optional

1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips (I use 1/4 c Ghirardelli brand or Enjoy Life 69% cacao dark chocolate morsels.)

1/3 c milk chocolate (I use 1/4 c Ghirardelli brand or Enjoy Life 69% cacao dark chocolate morsels..)

2/3 c ½ c chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, applesauce, and sugars. Add oil, egg, and vanilla. Beat until creamy. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate and pecans. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter onto an unbleached parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Makes 16 cookies.

Who needs a flu shot when you have an "immune booster flu buster smoothie"? The combo of orange juice, papaya, and strawberries gives this smoothie a triple dose of vitamin C. I made it this morning for Dick's and my breakfast along with a toasted Ezekiel flourless sprouted grain cinnamon raisin English muffin spread with almond butter. I got the recipe from a book called Super Smoothies 50 Recipes for Health and Energy by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford that I purchased for pennies at a yard sale. The book looked like it hadn't even been opened… big mistake! The recipes are so tasty with bold colored photographs of each recipe.

Flu Buster Smoothie

1 c. orange juice (I freshly squeezed mine.)

1 c. fresh strawberries (I used frozen.)

¾ c. diced papaya (I used canned but fresh is best.)

1 frozen banana, cut into small chunks

Combine all ingredients in blender. Let the fruit hang out a while to slightly thaw so it’s easier on your blender. You don’t want to let them thaw too much, though, because the fruit’s frozen state is what makes the smoothie thick. Blend until smooth. Makes about 2 ½ cups. Serves 2. To freeze bananas remove the peel, lay on a wax paper or parchment-lined baking sheet, then put in freezer. When frozen solid, transfer to a freezer bag. Keep your freezer stocked, as bananas are a common staple in smoothies.   

This snowman is made from homemade marshmallows. The recipe I used makes enough marshmallows to float in hot chocolate, to make a pan of Rice Krispie Bars, and even this snowman with a hat made from a thin mint pattie topped off with a junior mint, a fruit leather scarf, a wedge cut from a candy orange slice for a nose, and thin pretzels for arms. For the body I used three graduated circle cookie cutters. The largest size I found in my cookie cutter collection and the two smaller sizes are Wilton cutters that I purchased at Michael's Crafts. I used the middle size of the three cutters in the package for an authentic marshmallow shape, but any shape can be used.

Have you seen "The Bucket List" starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman? I haven't, but I do know that it is centered around the goals that they want to accomplish before they "kick the bucket". I have such a list… an extremely long one. I checked off one goal today… making homemade marshmallows. It sounds kinda nuts, but there has always been a huge question mark looming over my head regarding how marshmallows are made. Now I know firsthand. With the exception of drying time, it takes no longer than running to the store to purchase the already bagged variety. I chose today to make them because it was a blustery sort of day that was pleading for a cup of hot chocolate.

When searching for a homemade marshmallow recipe, I first came across one that used egg whites… uncooked. I wasn't willing to risk Salmonella, so I continued my search. I ended up with one from Martha Stewart, which proved to be an excellent choice. The vanilla flavor intensifies after 24 hours. Yum… so much more tasty than the store-bought variety that have  modified cornstarch, tetrasodium pyrophosphate (whipping aid), artificial flavor, and artificial color (blue #1). In my next post, I will share a photo so that you can see that the cutest fluffy snowman that I made from them!

Homemade Marshmallows from Martha Stewart

2 ½ tbsp Knox unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes)

1 ½ c sugar

1 c light corn syrup

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp pure vanilla (Yes, that’s tablespoons, not teaspoons.)

powdered sugar for dusting

Combine gelatin and ½ c cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let it stand 30 minutes. Meanwhile combine sugar, corn syrup, salt, and ½ c water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Clip on candy thermometer; raise heat to medium. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat. With mixer on low speed, slowly pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume- about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate. Generously dust a 9×13-inch glass baking pan (or an 8×8-inch pan for thicker marshmallows) with powdered sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan and spread evenly. Dust top with powdered sugar; let stand all day or overnight, uncovered to dry out. I used a small round Wilton cutter that I purchased at Michael’s Crafts for an authentic marshmallow shape, but any small shape can be used.

Breakfast doesn't need to be boring with the same 'ol bowl of oatmeal or raisin bran. Why not dessert for a change? This Good Mornin' Apple Crisp has all of the components of a nutritious breakfast but so much more exciting to get you fueled for the day ahead. I added yogurt on the side and poured a cup of Ginger Peach Longevity Tea that was a gift, along with a teakettle, from my daughter Lisa. You will need to get beyond the taste bud perception of the standard brown sugar/butter-laden crisp as this recipe has neither of those ingredients. Once you've resolved that issue, you will find this apple crisp to be very tasty. Here's the recipe from www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

Every morning, I eagerly await the oboe sound of the whistle from my tea kettle that was a gift from my daughter, Lisa.