Celebrate July 4th with Homemade Popsicles

If you're expecting a sunny 4th of July, you'll need some cool treats to help you celebrate until the evening's fireworks.  Carla Emery shares her recipes for easy and delicious homemade popsicles.

These are cheap, easy, and even more fun for children than going to the store. Children like strong, sweet juices like grape and cranberry for popsicles—but when kids are hot, anything will do. My little ones enjoy goat’s milk popsicles. Popsicle making is a nice way to use leftover juices from canned fruit, too.

OF HANDLES AND MOLDS

You can use wooden sticks for handles and sturdy small bowls or cans for containers—work up a collection. Or buy popsicle molds; Tupperware and Back to Basics carry them. If you have a big family or lots of small friends, I recommend getting at least 2 molds so you can have one freezing while they are consuming the other. You can even make parfait popsicles by freezing a layer of one color and then a layer of another color. My plastic holders soon got lost or fell apart, but then we substituted sticks in a bowl or can and were fine. Fill the molds not quite full, insert your holder, and freeze.

UNMOLDING

Don’t let the gremlins pull the holders until you’re sure the center of the popsicle is solidly frozen and you have loosened the sides by running hot water over the back of the mold. Otherwise they might pull out the holder prematurely, leaving a hole that it won’t freeze back into. You don’t have to unmold all the popsicles at once. Just loosen as many as you need. Refill the emptied units and return to the freezer.

BASIC FRUIT POPSICLES

Puree 1 cup any kind of fruit or a mixture of fruit and mix with 1 cup water. Pour into your ice cube tray. When they are starting to freeze, add a wooden stick or toothpick to each section. 

PUDDING POPSICLES

Susan Staley was in Germany when she sent me this recipe. She said, “If your children love the Fudgsicle-type popsicle, you can easily make them. Just make up a batch of pudding and freeze it in your popsicle molds. They’re delicious and you can make different kinds beside chocolate. Butterscotch is very good. In fact, any flavor of pudding your children love hot, they’re bound to like cold in hot summer weather.”

ANY FRUIT ICE

You could juice pomegranates or barberries or red currants, or cook and strain quinces, or grate pineapple, or boil and pulp apples or rhubarb—whatever you have. Sweeten to taste, add lemon juice if the flavor needs it, and freeze.

GINGER ALE JUICE

Combine ¾ cup sugar and 2 cups water. Heat and boil 5 minutes. Cool. Add 1 cup orange juice, ½ cup lemon juice, and 2 bottles ginger ale. Freeze.

Planting and Growing Quinoa

Quinoa is a small, hearty and delicious grain similar to millet. Though native to the Andes Mountains, its resilient nature allows it to grow in certain parts of the U.S. as well. Here are few tips from Carla Emery on growing, harvesting, and cooking quinoa. 

Climate: Colorado and New Mexico are good places to grow quinoa. It thrives in the 6,000-7,000-foot zone in the central Rocky Mountain area, in northern California and northward near the Pacific Ocean, and in the interior Northwest as well. Extremely hot weather actually holds back the seed setting process of this crop. According to Steve Solomon, "Its seeds sprout in chilly soil, and its frost-hardy seedlings may tolerate night temperatures in the low 20s."

Planting: Sow in spring in fertile soil as soon as the soil is warm (April or May). Steve Solomon again: "Quinoa must be sown early while there remains adequate soil moisture... early sowing - leading to the earliest possible harvest when weather is most likely to be dry - is essential... One organic farmer in the dry highlands of eastern Washington's Cascade foothills grows quinoa like wheat, because when crowded and under competition, the plants don't branch, but instead concentrate the harvest into a single seed head that can be harvested with a combine like wheat. I think the gardener will do better planting in rows about four feet apart, the seed sprinkled thinly in the row and gradually thinned to about eight inches in the row... Far less than an ounce of seed will sow 100 row feet, yielding 25 to 50 pounds of seed." 

Keep the seedbed damp until it has germinated. You can eat the young greens you get from thinning the plants; they're nutritious and tasty. Quinoa will grow about 4 feet high. Steve Solomon wrote, "Keep quinoa well-weeded to allocate all soil moisture to the crop. With only a little fertilizer, quinoa grows fast to a magnificent six or seven feet tall, with numerous bushy side shoots."

Harvesting and Using Quinoa

Harvesting: About mid-summer, it grows a sizable seed head heavy with tiny seeds. Harvest when dead ripe. You can thresh out the grain directly from the field, but threshing will be easier if you harvest and then dry the plants indoors a while more before the flailing. Steve Solomon: "The main hazard is rain. Should the drying seed be moistened, it will sprout right in the head; so if rain threatens once the seed is drying, the plants should be cut, bundled, and hung to finish under cover...When the heads are dry, thresh the seed by walking on the stalks, spread on a tarp. Clean by pouring the seed back and forth between two buckets in a mild breeze."

Of Quinoa and Saponin: Steve Solomon: "The seed coat contains a bitter, somewhat poisonous soap or saponin that prevents insect damage and bird predation, but also must be removed before we can eat the grain.  Fortunately, the saponin can, with patience, be soaked out at home; commercially grown quinoa, which is beginning to appear in health-food stores, conveniently has the saponins and seed coat mechanically removed." Wash only as much quinoa as you're going to cook and eat very soon. The saponin coating needs to be on if the grain is to be stored.

• Steve Solomon's Saponin Soak-Out. "Soak a pint of dry seed overnight in a half-gallon mason jar with a screen lid such as is used to sprout alfalfa, then drain and refill. Continue soaking the seed and rinsing with cold water two to four times a day. Some varieties have harder seed coats containing more saponin than others, and the hardness of your water will regulate the effectiveness of soaking. The foaming saponins may be removed in 36 hours at best; when the water stops foaming when rinsed, the seed is ready for cooking. If 72 hours of rinsing and soaking pass with no end to the foaming, bring the seed to a boil for only a moment, pour off the hot soapy water, cover again, boil rapidly again for only a moment, and pour off the water a second time. Now the seed is ready to cook."

• Other Saponin Wash-Out Systems. Blend about 1⁄2 cup of quinoa with cold water at lowest speed. Keep pouring off the foaming water and adding fresh water. Repeat until the blending doesn't release any more foam. Another system is to make yourself a quinoa-washing bag out of a loose-weave cloth like muslin. Then put in the grain, tie the bag shut, and wash in a series of cold-water baths until there's no more foam released. 

Cooking Quinoa: Steve Solomon: "Add enough water to just about cover the soaked grain; simmer for 20 minutes or so. The cereal is good any time of day. Nutritionally it is oil-rich, and leaves you feeling satisfyingly full for a long time, much like oats." Quinoa grain has a delicate flavor and twice the protein of rice. Substitute in any rice recipes. Quinoa will expand to four times the original bulk in the cooking, so 1 cup of the uncooked grain will give you 4 cups to serve.

 

Cloche Use for Early Spring Gardening

Cloche: A cloche (pronounced "klosh") is a lightweight covering for a plant or plants that can easily be moved. A cloche is the simplest cover to build and use. It can easily be moved to different parts of the garden to cover different plants. When the cloche is put on over tender young plants in early spring, it's called a "hot cap." Unlike cold frames, cloches allow light to reach a plant from every direction. 

You can reuse cloches to cover as many as 3, 4, or more crops in the same year. Cloches are especially well suited for use in the maritime Northwest, where plants need protection from excessive rain and cold winds more than from very low temperatures. The weaknesses of cloches are their vulnerability to heavy wind and their inability to keep plants as warm as cold frames or greenhouses.

Cloche Materials. A cloche can be made of anything that transmits light, so the possibilities for design are nearly limitless. They can be made of cheap materials - cheaper than those needed to make a cold frame or greenhouse. 

To cover a row of plants or a section of garden, you can build one large cloche or a series of modular cloches that link together. The word "cloche" is French for bell. In Europe, gardeners have covered plots for centuries, and in the 1600s, French market gardeners used a glass jar in the shape of a bell to cover a plant. Now cloches for individual plants may be made of waxed paper, plastic, fiberglass, or glass. Or your cloche may be a big, plastic-covered tunnel or tent that covers entire rows of plants. A wide variety of cloches are available commercially, with an equally wide range in prices. When open-air gardening begins in the summer, wash your cover material, dry, and store in a shady place until needed in the fall.

Homemade Cloche Design. You can scrape together a cloche by making half-circle hoop rows out of old coat hangers and then covering them with plastic. Or cut out the top, bottom, or side of any 1-gal. plastic or glass jug. To cover a wide raised bed, use sections of hog-wire fencing curved to fit the beds and covered with plastic.

• Tunnel: In general, the tunnel style is made by stretching 4-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting over a line of half-circle hoops. The hoops are bent and fastened to strips at the top and bottom sides so they will stay put. For example, you could put the plastic over 6 x 6-inch mesh concrete-reinforcing wire. The reinforcing-wire cloche looks like the tunnel style except the wire is arched from where it is nailed to a 10-foot lumber plank over to the other side, where it is nailed to a parallel plank. Then the plastic is put over that. The 2 end openings are covered with more plastic.To ventilate a tunnel cloche, on cloudy days you open the end away from the wind. On sunny days you can open both ends. A breeze is created by the warm air leaving the cloche. As the weather gets warmer, you'll be able to leave one end open continuously. When the weather gets hot, of course, you take off the plastic and put it away until fall, when the weather gets cold again.

• Tent: This cloche is lighter, portable, and easier to build than the tunnel. It has 4- or 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting stretched over an umbrella-tent-style support.

Using a Cloche. Cloches can be placed over any area of your garden, large or small, that you want to protect. To water, weed, and harvest, you lift the cloche off the bed, tilt up one end, or take off the plastic. If your cloche has no natural opening, you must remember to ventilate by propping up one side.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed peppers are a great way to branch out from the typical Mexican food of tacos, quesadillas, and enchiladas. They are simple to make and taste delicious. It is very easy to take this vegan recipe and add 1 cup of the meat of your choice to the mixture. I would suggest using red, yellow, or orange peppers instead of green peppers if you want a sweeter, more flavorful shell.

VEGAN STUFFED PEPPERS

Cut around the top stem with a sharp small knife as if you were going to make a lid for a jack-o-lantern. Lift it out, and scoop out seeds and pulp. Plunge 4 large, de-seeded peppers into boiling water. Return to boil, remove peppers, and drain. Combine 2 cups corn kernels, 1 cup cooked beans of your choice (I would suggest black or refried), and 1/2 cup tomato sauce. You can also add white or yellow rice and meat to this mixture. Stuff mixture into peppers, and sprinkle liberally with cumin. If you are not a fan of cumin and are not vegan, sprinkle the peppers with shredded cheese instead. Place peppers in a baking dish with a little water for moisture. Bake 20 minutes in a preheated 375-degree oven. 

Lemonade

Citrus juice always taste best on a hot summer day, especially if it is freshly squeezed. To get the maximum juice from the fruit before squeezing, quickly heat the fruit in hot water for several minutes or roll to soften it.

ORANGEADE

Combine 2 tablespoons of sugar or other sweetener, 1-cup water, and the grated rind of 1 orange in a saucepan. Boil 5 minutes. Cool. Add 2 cups orange juice and 2 cups cold water. Serve chilled over ice.

LEMONADE

For each serving, mix 4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener, and 1 glass ice water. For a batch, juice 5 lemons. Add 5 cups water and sweeten to taste. Serve with a slice of lemon in each glass. 

PINK LEMONADE

Add to a pint of lemonade prepared in the recipe listed above, 1 cup or less of strawberry, red raspberry, currant, or cranberry juice.

LIMEADE

For each glass use 3 tablespoons lime juice, fill with water, and sweeten to taste. Serve with a slice of lime in each glass. 

Preserving Herbs

It is very convenient to have potted herb plants in my kitchen window. I love to use fresh herbs in many of the dishes I cook. Some recipes call for dried herbs, so I have used Carla Emery's advice from The Encyclopedia of Country Living to dry herbs for future use. 

HANGING BUNCHES

Cut off the top 6 inches of the plant, or use whole plants, bunch them, tie the bundles with string, and hang them up with the root end upward in a shady, airy place. I plan to hang them from the pot rack over the stove. This will give them ample room to hang without getting in the way of the counter. Allow at least 2 weeks for drying. If you dry your herbs whole like this, crumble them or rub them through a sieve to remove the stems and midribs when you're ready to use them.

STORING DRIED HERBS

To store leaves, seeds, or roots, you can use baby food jars or other empty jars that are airtight to prevent flavor deterioration. The fewer times you open the lid, the better they keep their strength. And try to keep them in a cool, dark, dry place away from heat- not on a shelf over or beside the stove. The cool storage inhibits evaporation of the flavoring oil in the herb, and the darkness protects the color, which fades when exposed to light.

COOKING WITH DRIED HERBS

They are at least 3 times as strong as fresh herbs. Figure 1 teaspoon of dried herbs equals 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.  

Mocha Mixes

Flavored coffee drinks may not be the healthiest morning beverages, but they sure do make the day seem much brighter. I prefer to drink vanilla lattes, but on the rare occasion I crave chocolate I get a hot chocolate or mocha.

Hot chocolate originated many years ago when the ancient Native Americans steeped crushed cocoa beans in hot water. The Spanish later added sugar to this treasured drink to sweeten the bitter flavor. Eventually, a mixture of sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa beans was combined with coffee granules to create a mocha. "Mocha" means flavored with a mixture of chocolate and coffee. In The Encyclopedia of Country Living, Carla Emery explains the process of creating cocoa powder, coffee grounds, and the eventual combination of the two if you are interested in the entire story.

For those who cannot wait to make their own mocha mix, here you go!

BASIC MOCHA

Combine 2 cups strong black coffee (instant is okay), 3 cups hot milk, 4 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder, and 3 heaping tablespoons of sugar. (If cocoa powder is already sweetened, skip the sugar.) Beat until foamy.

SPICED MOCHA MIX

Combine 1-cup dry nondairy creamer, 1 cup cocoa powder, 2/3 cup instant coffee, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Keep it in a jar in a cool place. To serve, add 3-4 teaspoons to 1 cup of very hot water. Also can be served with a dollop of whipped cream on top, or cold with ice chunks in it, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! 

Hot Fudge Sauce

To go with my last post on homemade vanilla ice cream...

It's hard to beat an ice cream sundae on a hot, summer day. If you love to indulge in ice cream smothered in chocolate, nuts, whipped cream, coconut, fruit or candy, this hot fudge sauce will make your sundae even more delicious and satisfy your chocolate craving. I recommend using vanilla, chocolate, or coffee ice cream with this sauce only because they are my favorite ice cream flavors!

HOT FUDGE SAUCE

Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of cocoa, 2 tablespoons of butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and cook over medium heat in a heavy pan until thick. Stir constantly (it will stick). When cool, store in a jar in a cool place. To reheat, place jar in hot water until it is heated. If you want it thicker, add just a bit more cornstarch. 

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

To celebrate the upcoming warm weather, I am anxious to make homemade vanilla ice cream so that I can put together ice cream sandwiches. Homemade vanilla ice cream is much better than store bought and it is quite fun to make. This would be a great recipe to make with a child because it is fun to shake the bag or turn the handle. If you are using an ice cream machine, it is even fun to watch the creamy mixture transform into a solid mass. Feel free to add fruit, chocolate chips, or nuts to this vanilla base once it has turned solid but not frozen.

VANILLA ICE CREAM

Mix 1 quart light cream, 1-1/2 tablespoons of vanilla, and 3/4 cup of sugar. First put the cream mixture into the freezer can, set the can in the freezer, adjust the top, and fill in around the can with ice and rock salt in layers. Use 3 parts of ice to 1 part of rock salt. Then turn the handle of the crank, slowly at first, then faster as it begins to freeze. This makes for a smoother ice cream. When you feel that it is becoming harder to turn, you can open it up and see if it is done. You can eat it at this point for a soft-serve ice cream or freeze it until it is solid for a harder ice cream.

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

Place frozen ice cream between two pieces of devil's food cake or any two cookies to create a sandwich. Make your own paper covering or eat immediately. Enjoy!  

Homemade Egg Noodles

One of my favorite quick home cooked meals is egg noodles topped with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and a vegetable such as broccoli or asparagus. This meal is very hearty and filling, but it easy to make. You can buy egg noodles at the store but this recipe is pretty painless, so I would give it a try!

EGG NOODLES

Combine 6 eggs, 6 tablespoons of light cream or canned milks, 1 teaspoon of salt, and about 4 1/2 cups of flour. Knead or combine the dough until all the ingredients are mixed well. Divide the dough into fourths. Roll out lightly on a floured board until paper-thin. Dry for 30 minutes. Cut into strips and drop into boiling salted water until noodle is soft, but slightly firm to taste (or al dente, as the Italians say.) 

Lavender Sachets

My mother loves to pick up lavender sachets for our dresser drawers at the local farmer's market. She loves to smell of fresh, clean clothing and in order to prevent a stale smell in our clothing and linens she scatters lavender sachets throughout the house. If you have access to lavender plants, you should consider making your own sachets. Dried lavender is quite easy to make or buy as well.

LAVENDER SACHETS

Mix 1/2 oz. of dried powdered lavender flowers with 1/2 teaspoon of powdered cloves. Sew them up tightly in a little cloth pillow and leave the pillow in a bureau drawer to perfume the clothes. Carla Emery calls this project, "an old-time elegance." 

Kidney Bean Chili

This post for kidney bean chili will go well with my earlier post about homemade cornbread. I love vegetarian chili, especially topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. This is an easy meal that can be thrown together with very little prep time and left on the stove all day to cook.

KIDNEY BEAN CHILI

Soak 2 cups dried kidney beans overnight (or use canned kidney beans). The next day, pour off water. Simmer beans with 2 onions and 2 peppers (both chopped), 6 crushed garlic cloves, 1 pound skinned, chopped tomatoes, 2 cups tomato sauce, and 2-4 cups water, depending on how soupy you like it. Seasonings could be 1 tablespoon each of chili powder and soy sauce (tamari). Optional ingredients are 1/2 pound slices mushrooms or 1-cup corn kernels (add those just a few minutes before serving). Simmer all for about 2 hours before serving. 

Hummus Dip

When I get home from work, my favorite go-to snack is a generous helping of hummus and pretzel twists. Hummus is a protein-rich food that tastes great on a multitude of dishes, including sandwiches, salads, and as a dip for vegetables and crackers. While store bought hummus tastes great, you just can't beat this homemade version!

HUMMUS

Puree 2 cups precooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) together with 1 garlic clove. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup lemon juice. If it seems too thick, thin by adding a little water. Chill before serving. Stir in or sprinkle on top chopped parsley for extra flavor. 

Cracker Jack Popcorn!

Popcorn is a delicious treat whether it is plain or seasoned. When I am in the mood for a sweet snack I usually head straight for chocolate chip cookies or a brownie. However, this recipe for cracker jacks would be the perfect combination of sweet and salty to satisfy my craving!

CRACKER JACKS

Start with 8 or 9 cups of popcorn. Put into a dishpan with enough room to move it around easily. In a separate pan, combine 2 cups of packed brown sugar, 1 stick of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 cup white syrup (like corn syrup) and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Cook together at a full rolling boil for 5 minutes. If it spins a thread, it is ready. Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. (Hold pan over dishpan of corn before adding soda so that if it runs over, it will fall on the corn.) Stir a moment. Pour over popped corn. Stir until all is coated well. Put in a roaster in 200-degree oven for 1 hour. Stir occasionally so it will not become one mass. Store in a covered container.  

Homemade Corn Bread

It may be June, but it feels like fall. This weather is perfect for a dinner of vegetarian (or meat) chili and homemade cornbread. This classic meal is warm, filling, and quite tasty. One reader of The Encyclopedia of Country Living states that she "didn't add the melted butter [to the batter] and they were really good anyway." If you are looking to cut calories, feel free to skip on the butter, but not on taste!

CORN/WHEAT BREAD:

Combine 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup home-ground (or whole) wheat flour, 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 tablespoon baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together 1 egg, 1/2 cup honey, and 1-cup milk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones and stir together. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter (or lard). Stir a moment more, but don't over stir, because you don't want to stir your bubble out. Pour into a greased 8-inch square-baking pan. Bake at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes. 

Basil

Basil is one of my favorite herbs to use while cooking. My family is originally from Sicily, and we love to make a variety of Italian dishes and desserts. I recently adopted a basil plant for my kitchen. It has settled nicely into its pot on my counter and the aroma makes me crave Italian food on a daily basis.

This past weekend I made gnocchi from scratch for the first time. It was a laborious process because of the multiple steps, but it was worth the effort! I combined it with a spicy tomato sauce, however next time I set out to make my own pasta I would love to use this pesto recipe instead.

PESTO:
In your blender, mix 4 cloves of garlic, 2 cups freshly picked basil, 1/4 cup nuts (pine nuts or walnuts), 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 cup olive oil. As you blend, gradually add another 1/4 cup of olive oil. Pour into a bowl. Stir in 3 oz. just-grated Parmesan or other firm cheese.

Use pesto right away. If you must keep it, store in an airtight container (air exposure makes pesto turn brown). To freeze pesto, omit cheese, adding only when thawed and ready to serve.

Caramel Candy Recipe

I have not had much luck in making candy, most likely because I do not own a candy thermometer. I have tried to make caramel multiple times with only a few successes. Caramel needs to be made with a watchful eye and an overwhelming amount of patience. If you blink, it could turn from the perfect caramel sauce to an overcooked, burnt mess. Carla Emery states that you should melt the sugar but "don't scorch [it]!" This recipe is much more simple than any other recipe I have used because it includes only two ingredients and the entire process involves only 2 steps. The next time I make caramel I should be aware that I do not need to own a candy thermometer to know when the caramel is done cooking. I need to train my eyes to recognize when the color of the sauce transitions from light to dark brown. This sauce will last indefinitely and can be used to color or flavor a recipe.

CARAMEL RECIPE:

1. Put sugar into a pan and melt it slowly. (The amount of sugar depends on how much caramel sauce you would like to make. I would suggest starting with 1-2 cups.)

2. Cook until the color is dark brown.

3. Add as much boiling water as the amount of sugar you started out with. (This would be either 1-2 cups if you follow the directions above.)

4. Slowly continue cooking until you have thick syrup.

5. Pour into a jar and put a lid on it.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Recently, I have been interested in making my own ingredients instead of buying processed ingredients at the store. When I came across this recipe for homemade vanilla extract in The Encyclopedia of Country Living I was very excited. Carla Emery lists three different recipes for vanilla extract- two that include alcohol and one that does not include alcohol. I am not sure which one would taste better, especially since you would not be able to taste the alcohol flavor in the final product, however it seems that the non-alcoholic recipe can be used immediately, while the alcoholic versions need to sit between 1-2 months before they can be used.

OLD-TIME VANILLA EXTRACT:

Use 4 oz. vanilla beans, 16 oz. edible alcohol, and 16 oz. water. Slice the beans and cut into fine pieces with a sharp knife. Thoroughly powder them in a mortar with 1-2 oz. granulated sugar. Put the powder into the alcohol and water mixture. If you don't have pure alcohol and are substituting a strong whisky blend or brandy, use correspondingly less water. Let the vanilla soak in the liquid for 4 weeks. Strain. The liquid is your extract.

EASY VANILLA EXTRACT:

 Use 1 quart of any good 80-proof brandy and two split vanilla beans. Soak them in a corked jar for two months before using.

NON-ALCOHOLIC VANILLA EXTRACT:

Cut up one vanilla bean into small pieces, place in a bowl. Pour 1/4 cup of boiling water over them; cover bowl and allow mixture to steep overnight. Blend mixture. Strain and return juice to the blender. Add 1/2 teaspoon of liquid lecithin, 1-tablespoon honey, and 1-tablespoon vegetable oil. Blend; pour into a bottle, cap and refrigerate. Before using, shake well. 

No-Fry Doughnuts

Rainy, dreary Seattle days always have me craving a warm breakfast of coffee and doughnuts. I would prefer not to venture out into the horrible weather on these days, so an easy, at-home recipe for doughnuts is the perfect remedy. Carla Emery received a fantastic recipe from a fan for no fry doughnuts. This recipe may be slightly healthier than regular doughnuts because of the lack of frying oil. However, depending on the amount of butter, sugar, and cinnamon you garnish the doughnut with, maybe not. If you do not have a doughnut cutter laying around your kitchen, you can use a large round cookie cutter and a small round cookie cutter to create the doughnut shape and hole in the middle.

NO-FRY DOUGHNUTS

Just as if you were making bread, combine 2 packages of yeast, 1/4 cup warm water, 1/2 cup scalded lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup shortening, 1 tablespoon nutmeg, 4.5 cups of flour, and 1.2 teaspoon cinnamon. Knead, cover, and let rise for 50-60 minutes. Turn onto a floured board and roll with a rolling pin until dough is about 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a doughnut cutter and carefully life with a spatula onto a greased cookie sheet. Brush with melted butter. Let rise until doubled in bulk. Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush with more butter. Dust with cinnamon and sugar. 

Apple Fruit Leather

Fruit leather is a fantastic snack for when you are on the go. I am a fan of store bought fruit leather, but depending on the brand, sugar seems to be the main ingredient. In this recipe, Carla Emery uses cinnamon or coconut to sweeten the apple puree if it tastes too bland, instead of sugar. I love to make my own snacks (as you can tell from earlier posts) and I think that this recipe is easy if you have the time and patience.

APPLE LEATHER:

Start by peeling, coring, sectioning, and grinding the apples in your grinder. Be sure to catch the juice that runs out. Add 2.5 cups of cider or apple juice per gallon of ground apple, and then cook the whole mixture over low heat. When it is boiling and has cleared some, sweeten it if needed. You can add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon or 1/2 cup of coconut per 2 cups of apple puree. Then spread the mixture out on baking sheets to dry.

You can dry fruit leather in the sun or in your oven. Carla Emery finds that drying in the sun is the best for taste, but it can be time consuming. If you don't have an infinite amount of time, set your oven between 130 - 140 degrees. It could take up to 6 hours to completely dry the leather. When the topside of the fruit is dry, pull the fruit off the sheet. Flip the pieces of leather over and dry on the bottom side for an equal amount of time.  Drying in the sun can take up to 8 hours.