by Esther Henry
I am a stickler for safety in the kitchen, but don't always follow the rules and demands of the "experts." Call me a rebel. Maybe I am. But what I am about to share with you, I must put in a disclaimer, so here goes. DISCLAIMER: The USDA has not recommended canning butter or dairy,... Continue Reading →
With the prices going up on groceries, cans of cream of mushroom [or chicken, celery, etc], are flying off the shelves at two and sometimes three times the price you'd pay for them only 6 months ago. It's a tragedy. Many comfort-food recipes may call for up to 4 cans of the stuff, and if... Continue Reading →
I'm not new to dehydrating. But I am new to this new commercial dehydrator we recently purchased. I am used to using really old, round, vertically stacked dehydrators without the ability to control the temperature. I had to constantly watch it to make sure the contents on the bottom rack didn't burn, rotating the trays... Continue Reading →
Corned Beef is a staple around our household. The prices have gone up and up in recent years, but they still go on sale around St Patrick's Day every year. This year we took a "quick run" to the grocery store the weekend before, just to grab a few things. (Yeah, right!) We were not... Continue Reading →
I haven't met anyone yet, who doesn't like beef stroganoff. Because of the rich creamy base, I always thought it was exclusively a French classic, but the name "stroganoff" didn't sound French. I was curious about the history of this dish and found a well-written, concise article about stroganoff's history. You can find the article... Continue Reading →
Did you know that the USA is one of the only countries that refrigerate their eggs? We are the ONLY ones that refrigerate 100% of commercial egg sales. Most of the world does not refrigerate their eggs: they just sell them on ordinary shelves or at roadside stands out in the open. Australia was the... Continue Reading →
It seems like autumn is the season when preserving the harvest from land and sea is at full swing! Kitchens across the world at at their busiest, and ours is no exception. We are in the mountains and landlocked (not near an ocean), however, we were blessed with a huge donated load of wild caught... Continue Reading →
This Easter season, we roasted up a whole leg of lamb, and foraged dead nettles growing everywhere in our flower beds next to the house, as a side dish. They pair well with lamb and mint sauce. Dead nettles are in the mint family, although they taste nothing like mint: they are fairly bland, with... Continue Reading →
One of the newest species of mushroom I discovered on our property while taking my daily walk, was a big bunch of Turkey Tail Mushrooms growing on a dead fallen log along the creek bank. I was stoked! Before harvesting, however, I double-checked the ID with some online research and indeed, these were the genuine... Continue Reading →
Vanilla extract is such a necessary staple in every kitchen. If it's not...it should be! There's nothing more versatile to use across the board than this extract. Buying the pure extract, especially in large quantities, can break the bank! There is a cheaper option, but fake fillers, colors, flavors, etc that go into the imitation... Continue Reading →
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