Whiteley Creek Homestead Bed and Breakfast Brainerd Minnesota

oatless oatmeal

Grain-free hot cereal. Nuts, pumpkin seed, flaxseed, spices, eggs, milk, banana, and almond butter. If you weren't privy to its ingredients, you'd be hard-pressed to guess that it isn't oat bran, steel cut oats, or rolled oats. Nutrient-dense. Pure love.

Oatless Oatmeal (paleobreakfasts.com)

Serves 2.

¼ cup walnuts

¼ cup pecans (I subbed whole raw almonds.)

2 tsp raw pumpkin seeds (I used 2 tbsp.)

2 tbsp ground flaxseed

1 tsp ground cinnamon

dash (1/8 tsp) ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

3 eggs

¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1 banana, mashed

1 tbsp almond butter

Combine walnuts, pecans (or almonds), pumpkin seeds,
flaxseed, and spices in a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it is a
coarse grain texture. Do not grind it all the way down into a powder. Whisk
eggs and milk together. Combine mashed banana and almond butter and add to
egg/milk mixture. Mix well. Stir in the nut mixture. Heat in a saucepan until
it reaches a hot cereal consistency. Add additional milk, if needed. Stir
frequently. Serve with milk and fruit.

 

 

green tomato pie

Last night's freeze warning had me scrambling to gather in the remaining veggies. It was a scene played out many times during my childhood in the gardens my parents tended. To use up the green tomatoes, my mother made pie. So, it was only natural that I should do the same.

It begins with removing the skins by scalding the tomatoes. To do this, fill a pan with water one-half to two-thirds full. Bring to a rolling boil. Score an "x" in the bottom of each tomato with a paring knife. Lower into boiling water. After 30 to 45 seconds, scoop the tomatoes out of the water and place in a bowl of ice water. The skins will easily slip off. I used my mother's green tomato pie recipe but reduced the sugar. It is still plenty sweet. This pie certainly is not prized for its beauty. In fact, it normally has a top crust to cover its drab green color, which I eliminated to reduce fat calories. However, it is a special autumnal treat and a perfect way to salvage green tomatoes before a freeze. 

 

Mom’s Green Tomato Pie

two crust pastry

4 cups peeled thinly sliced green tomatoes (scald to remove
skin)

1 ¼ cups sugar (I used ¾ cup.)

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp salt (I omitted.)

4-5 tbsp flour

2 tbsp lemon juice

Combine and toss with green tomato slices. Place in pastry.
Cover with top crust. Bake at 425° 50-60 minutes. Filling thickens as it cools.

zucchini patties

The weather service has issued a freeze warning with lows dipping to 28° from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. in the overnight hours. What's a girl to do... When there is no room in the freezer to squeeze in even one more loaf of zucchini bread? When Dick has long ago stopped being fooled into thinking that zucchini slices can pass for apples in crisp? When even the hens no longer bother to lift their heads for yet another oversized zucchini treat? With three ingredients (zucchini, egg, and red onion) and a few minutes time, you have simple, tasty zucchini patties. (If I had chosen to use a green onion, all three ingredients would have been produced on our property. I opted for a red onion, instead, to add additional color.)

The recipe was borne of necessity this past weekend when a sweet young couple (who stated in their cabin's journal that they'll be returning to stay again at our bed and breakfast in "seven pages" which is the timespan since their journal entry a year ago) had, in advance of their stay, requested a "paleo" menu. My online research led me to paleobreakfasts.com, hence the patties... and a use for more zucchini.

Zucchini Patties

1 green onion (I used ½ red onion.)

1 small to medium zucchini

1 large egg

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in a little olive oil until translucent but not
brown. Grate unpeeled zucchini. Whisk egg in a bowl. Add onion and zucchini to
egg and mix thoroughly until zucchini is coated. Heat olive oil in pan on
medium low. Using an ice cream scoop, put mounds of zucchini mixture into pan
pressing down to flatten. Fry until lightly browned on one side, then flip over
to brown on other side.  

growing buckwheat

You may have made from-scratch buckwheat pancakes or used a mix. Or you may have ground your own buckwheat flour. But have you grown buckwheat?

Our field of buckwheat serves many purposes. It improves the soil's fertility as a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers by 1)adding nitrogen to the soil as it grows and 2)providing compostable material when tilled into the soil post harvesting. 3)The tiny blossoms, when they become part of the whole, are a mass of solid white that can best be described as a snow-covered landscape. Beautiful. Simply beautiful. 4)Finally, the blossoms feed the bees that in turn 5)provide us with dark, intensely-flavored buckwheat honey.

Today, a neighboring farmer mowed the buckwheat in preparation for harvesting after the stalks had transitioned into autumn hues of caramel, gold, cream, and rosy red and the blossoms had dried and turned black. 

Unhulled buckwheat, which has the outer coating intact, produces a flour that is darker and more intensely flavored making a heavier pancake than hulled buckwheat (aka buckwheat groats).

Here is an amazingly light, tender buckwheat pancake recipe that is a perfect way to savour this season's autumn harvest.

carrie elkin danny schmidt storyhill fest

Late afternoon yesterday, as the day transitioned into evening and then darkness descended upon us, Dick and I sat encircled by mature pines at the Clearwater Forest Camp outside the small town of Deerwood near Brainerd (Minnesota). Informal rows of lawn chairs faced an outdoor stage in the early September afternoon sunshine and pre-autumn, sweater-cozy night. 

Labor Day Weekend 2011, we were drawn to this same event to hear Ellis Delaney perform. Ellis was not in this year's talented folk musicians lineup, but my disappointment rapidly waned when I discovered Austin Texas musician Carrie Elkin had returned. In this photo... my one and only before my batteries pooped, Carrie accompanies Nels Andrews on stage.

It was, however, Carrie's "Company of Friends" duet with her guy Danny Schmidt, who wrote the lyrics, that impacted my life... my lifetime. The message. Oh, the message. "When I die, let them know me as the footprint that I left upon the sand. When I die, let them toast to all the things that I believe." What is the legacy that we leave behind when we depart our earthly home? What do we want to be remembered for? What are the things we believe? The little things that bring us joy. The things we stand for. The way we choose to spend our days.

Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair Sept 8-9, 2012

The Little Falls Arts & Crafts Fair, which is held annually during the weekend following Labor Day, is celebrating its 40th anniversary on September 8 and 9, 2012. (Little Falls is located 30 miles south of Brainerd, Minnesota.) Over time, the festival has grown to 650 exhibitors, 40 food vendors, and many musicians. With the upcoming weekend's sweater-cozy temperatures, it's the perfect outing to greet early autumn. 

One year, I purchased locally grown hops from a festival vendor that were similar to this garland that drapes the French doors in our "out my kitchen window cabin." Growing on the vine, hops are green. In their dried state, they are tan. The ones in this photo have been dyed a rosy color.

 

 

raspberry ricotta ice cream

I've made ice cream but not ice cream with ricotta cheese as a star ingredient.

Pureed, ricotta loses its cottage cheesy texture to lend a rich creaminess without imparting a cheese flavor. Lemon zest adds a subtle summertime freshness. Oh. Yum.

Raspberry Ricotta Ice Cream

Puree 1 ¼ cups ricotta, ½ cup cane sugar, ¾ tsp vanilla, 1
tsp grated lemon zest (1 lemon), and a pinch of coarse salt. (I used sea salt.)
Stir in ½ cup heavy cream. (I whizzed all ingredients except the cream in a
blender, then added the cream and pulsed a couple times to incorporate.) Freeze
in ice cream maker, then mix in 1 cup berries. Transfer to a container and
freeze until firm. Makes about 4 servings.

 

double chip bars

Several years ago... O.K., let's get real here. Several implies a few. Three or four. More accurately, upwards of 25 years ago, I clipped a recipe from a Family Circle or Woman's Day Magazine. 

Called Double Chip Bars, I made the recipe today. Not to be confused with a Double Chip Bars recipe, originally published in the Taste of Home Quick Cooking Recipe Book copyright July/August 1999 p.10, that is floating around the Internet. The two recipes, that each make a 9x13 pan, are vastly different. The Taste of Home version calls for 1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, 1 cup peanut butter chips. That's a whopping mass of sweet! Here's the Family Circle/Woman's Day version that I tweaked to reduce the sugar content and still it is plenty satisfying for a sweet treat.

The dough and the baked bars...     

The bar with icing...

Double Chip Bars

1 ½ cups flour (I used a mixture of freshly ground barley,
oats, and a bit of spelt.)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup butter or margarine

¼ cup peanut butter

2/3 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 1/3 cup granulated sugar (I used raw sun-dried
cane juice which has the texture of white sugar but is the color of brown
sugar.)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cup white chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli
brand.)

1 cup milk chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli brand.)

½ cup sweetened unsweetened flake coconut

½ cup chopped peanuts (I used walnuts.)

Drizzle:

¼ cup white chocolate chips

½ tsp oil (or water*)

Heat oven to 350°. Line a 13x9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting foil overhang edges; generously coat foil with oil. (I used natural parchment paper allowing it to come up a bit on two sides of the pan then lightly coated with oil. The baked bars easily come out of the pan.) In a bowl, stir whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a saucepan, melt together the butter and peanut butter, then remove from the heat. Stir in the sugars until blended. Let the mixture cool slightly, then stir in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture, white and milk chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Mixture will be stiff. Press batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes. (I'd go 25 minutes otherwise they get too firm.) Transfer pan to wire rack to cool completely. To make drizzle, melt together white chocolate chips and oil in microwave about 1 minute. Stir until smooth. (I subbed water for oil and used a toaster oven's warm setting instead. The chips don't take long to melt. Stirring until smooth, add a little more water, if necessary, to achieve a drizzly consistency.) Scrape the melted mixture into a small plastic bag; snip off the corner and quickly drizzle over the pan of bars. (I drizzled with a spoon instead.) Cut into twelve or twenty-four bars.

nest making

It happened sometime Saturday, June 9. A milestone. Phoebe laid our flock's first egg... on the ground outside the chicken coop. We placed the egg in one of the coop's fourteen, straw-lined nesting boxes to show Phoebe, as well as the remaining five hens in our flock, the proper location to plop their eggs. Human intervention proved unnecessary, as our hens' innate nest making ability kicked in. Today, I discovered three eggs in a perfectly formed nest hollowed out atop a bale of straw leaning against the coop's interior wall. Apparently, we have hens that politely, patiently wait their turn.        

   

inukshuk (inuksuk)

I returned home from running errands today to find Dick putting the finishing touches on an inukshuk he built for me as a surprise... as a remembrance of our recent journey across Ontario.

What is an inukshuk, you say? Inukshuk, which is also spelled inuksuk, is the singular form of inuksuit and means "in the likeness of a human" in the Inuit language. We were first introduced to these rock sculptures as we recently travelled across the Canadian province of Ontario. Initially, we thought they were just a pile of rocks. As we began to see one erected every mile or so, their shape became recognizable to us as that of a human form. Their purpose, however, was puzzling. It was two weeks later at the annual Living Green Expo in St. Paul where the inukshuk resurfaced. Don Shelby, a retired WCCO-TV evening news anchor, was a presenter at the expo. He described the construction of his green home. Of course, I was intrigued with the house's sustainability factor, but it was the rock person erected beside his house that got my attention. 

At the conclusion of Mr. Shelby's presentation, I anxiously waited in line to ask him about his rock person. He explained that, in his younger days, he was in the service stationed in the Arctic where the stone figure called inukshuk was commonplace. He built one in his yard in remembrance of that time in his life. O.K., so I was first introduced to them in Ontario and now, strangely enough, they had resurfaced at the Living Green Expo. I have never seen one before and now it's two separate occasions within a two week timespan. Ah, yes, life is fun. But, I still yearned to satisfy my curiosity regarding their purpose. Online research provided the answer. The Arctic is barren... void of landmarks as a point of reference to aid one's sense of direction or location. Erected at intervals, an inukshuk with outstretched arms pointing in the direction one should travel, can be instrumental... crucial, really, in finding one's way to a destination and back home again. Dick's and my inukshuk stands ever so dutifully marking the way back to our home.