Tammy's Recipes

I allowed Yehoshua to very carefully sit on the couch and take this picture of Ruth and me! This was the first time I have ever let him use our camera.

I had put Ruth in my mei tai so that we could get the house cleaned up before Sabbath started. :) I really love the mei tai, and mine is a homemade one (a gift from my friend Ruth back before I had a baby named Ruth!) which makes it extra special. :)

When Ruth was a newborn (maybe about 6 weeks old) I was able to sit her in the mei tai sideways, with both feet sticking out one side, and pulled tightly enough to keep her snug. Now she's a big girl and faces me. :)

I've been getting side-tracked here lately. As much as I enjoy writing about kitchen stuff, I usually have lots of "other" topics on my mind as well. Finding a good balance, managing my priorities properly, and going to bed on time is not my forte... :)

My grandma gave us 2 pecks of peaches from their tree this week, and it's been fun having the fresh fruit to eat! I made a big dish of Fresh Peach Crisp yesterday, and it's already gone! Can I blame it on the children? They loved it!!

We don't have fresh peaches very often, so we eat most of them fresh. What are some of your favorite ways to use peaches? I'm not sure if I'm ready to try a cobbler again, and I really need to stay away from all that butter and sugar anyway... :P Is a post about losing weight too off-topic? ;)

I've learned so much about xylitol over the past 4 months! It's strange to think that not so long ago, I barely knew what xylitol was and was completely oblivious to its great dental benefits.

Thankfully, I stumbled across a blog by a dentist and spent many hours reading her archives. If you're at all interested in trying a different approach to your dental health, Dr. Ellie's blog is a great place to start. And along with all of her helpful answers and advice, she's a very kind person who gives of her time and resources to help others have healthy teeth.

My first experience with xylitol was when we got some granulated xylitol through a local co-op. At $6.20 a pound, it was not going to replace our sugar consumption, that's for sure. But the great part is that it only takes a small amount of xylitol to help teeth stay clean and healthy. (Read more...)

Since a number of months ago, the search feature on my website hadn't been working properly. It would display half (or less!) of the results it should have, making my content very difficult to locate. 

I'm feeling very geeky today because I actually replaced that search box with a Google search box for this website! And it works! Or, it should. :)

I wish I would have tried replacing the search feature sooner, as it was really fairly simple to do. I generally leave all the site maintenance to Joshua, since I'm doing good just to understand the minimal stuff. :)

Joyce left a comment about her difficulties with making homemade bread:

I would love to make our bread, but I just can't seem to make it work out. I have made countless, awful loaves of bread. Usually the problem is that it tastes and smells like raw yeast after baking. I have a mill and all the best ingredients, and yet...

I have literally tried dozens of recipes and combinations of ingredients, but my bread is never edible. I'm feeling a bit defeated right now. I tried again last week and again the loaf was horrible and heavy.

Does anyone here know what causes the strong yeasty smell in homemade bread? Besides being too much yeast, does that smell come from a rise time that's too short? A baking time that's too short?

Joyce, have you tried my homemade wheat bread recipe? It turns out consistently great for me (and many others).

If you're using 100% whole wheat flour, I really recommend getting a few of the dough conditioners (see the additional notes in the recipe) as they will make a fabulous texture to the bread. The dough conditioners we use are all natural ingredients that develop a good texture and feed the yeast -- they're not preservatives or anything. ;)

Staci also emailed me these questions:

Your posts on the grain mill have inspired me to want one of my own.  I have several questions:  How do you get your grain and yeast for such a good price?  I live in Tallahassee, FL, and the wheat berries are $.99 a pound and the yeast comes in the expensive packets.  

Also, what type of flour do you use to make cakes?

We purchase our wheat in 50-lb bags. These bags can usually be ordered through a bulk food store, a health food store, or a local co-op.

Dry yeast can be found in 1-2 lb packages at bulk food stores, health food stores, Sam's club, through a co-op, or through a restaurant supply store.

There are a variety of flours, specially formulated for various foods, but I only use two kinds: whole wheat flour made from hard wheat berries (good for yeast breads) and whole wheat flour made from soft wheat berries (good for quick breads).

The flour made from soft wheat berries is known as "pastry flour" and makes wonderful muffins, quick breads, cake donuts, crumb topping for apple crisp, pie crust, cookies, cake, etc. 

While it is possible to use regular wheat flour (made from hard wheat) in quick breads, using pastry flour in yeast breads doesn't work very well at all, since the soft wheat is lower in gluten and yeast breads need gluten to develop a good texture.

I'd love to hear what types of flours you keep on hand! What do you use the most? And is there really an amazing difference in the end products?

We were pleasantly surprised the first time we used whole wheat pastry flour (made from soft wheat). Our muffins were so delicious!! Having the right, high-quality ingredients makes it so easy to eat healthfully! 

What are those pizza pans you're using? Yours look like they have a bit of a lip to them. Have they worked well for you? I need to get some pizza pans. I've been making do with ONE - and I'm not totally satisfied with it. Any recommendations?

Our pizza pans are really nothing special. We got both of them at Wal-mart. One is a non-stick pan with holes in the bottom (similar to this one) and the other is a steel pizza pan. (When we need to replace one, I'd love to try stainless steel!)

One of the pans does have a 1/2-inch edge, which makes it easy to fill. I like both pans, though they cook differently. The one with the holes in the bottom makes a nice crispy crust, and doesn't get soggy as it cools.

The main thing I have noticed with using different pizza pans is that the thickness of the pan determines how quickly the crust cooks. Ideally, you want to have a crust that gets fully cooked while at the same time the top of the pizza gets perfectly browned.

There are different techniques to help achieve this:

If using a thicker pan, put pan on the very bottom rack, closer to the heating elements in your oven. This will put more heat directly on the bottom of the pan to cook the crust.

If using a thinner pan, put pizza on the top rack so the cheese browns quickly.

If the crust is fully cooked but the top isn't browned enough, you can broil the top for a minute or two.

I like to bake pizzas at 450 degrees, and one 16-inch pizza in the oven takes 11 minutes. When I bake more than one pizza, I have to rotate them and increase the baking time. It's definitely a science, and it took some trial and error for me to find a perfect works-for-me-every-time method!

Now, I know there are some pizza stone fans out there. Anyone else want to chime in with pizza pan recommendations? :) I'd also love to hear the temperature and baking time you prefer! :)

I'm busy canning tomatoes again today. I'm counting on you all to leave your fabulous tips below! Thanks! :D

This was one of our dinners this week -- Joshua's Grilled Chicken Pizza, cooked peas and corn (cut off the cob this time!), grapes, and cantaloupe.

Joshua has a 4-day weekend due to the holiday and a down day where he works -- so we're enjoying the extra time for family activities!

We had company most of the day yesterday (several different guests for different meals!) and visited my parents this evening (we brought homemade bread and a dish of grilled chicken squash bake, and my mom made sides).

One of our guests yesterday was a friend of Joshua's from work. When he told us that he had been a sous-chef at a Hilton hotel for 14 years, I got a little nervous! Thankfully the meal turned out okay. Cooking in front of a chef feels a little bit like playing violin in front of Hilary Hahn. Well, not that I have ever had the opportunity to do such a thing, of course... ;)

Do you ever try new recipes for guests, or do you stick to your old standbys? I try to stick with familiar menus when we're having guests, but sometimes I get these ideas that just seem like they would be great and I feel as though I simply must try them right away. Sometimes the meal is a success, but other times I'm sure our guests have left feeling like guinea pigs. ;)

It's Frugal Friday time over at Crystal's blog, and I thought I'd participate this week by answering a question someone recently asked:

I know you make your own bread and I did too for a while. But I make white bread. When I tried making wheat bread it was heavy and dry. With summer here I have been buying it. I think it is a good deal at $.75 a loaf for white & $.99 for grain.

Do you think it is even worth me making bread at this cost?

Short answer: Only you can decide if the time, expense, and health benefits of homemade bread is worth it to you!

Every home runs a little differently. One person might care more about the cost upfront, and choose to buy their bread. Another person might have special equipment that makes homemade bread very quick and easy -- and so it is worth it to them.

Others feel so passionately about consuming only the healthiest bread, and feel that the health benefits far outweigh the other factors. And some families don't eat much bread, so it's not really a big deal. Or the husband/father prefers bread from the store.

Several times recently I've been asked to sell a loaf of my homemade wheat bread (this is the bread we normally consume). In order to come up with a price, I decided to figure out what each loaf was costing in ingredients.

Cost analysis of my homemade 100% whole wheat bread (per loaf):

1 cup filtered water = $0.01
2 tablespoons oil = $0.06
1 teaspoon salt = $0.01
2 tablespoons raw honey = $0.20
1 tablespoon milk = $0.02
2 tablespoons dark brown cane sugar = $0.04
3 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour (about 1 pound of grain) = $0.58
2 teaspoons yeast = $0.08

Cost per loaf: $1.00 (no, I didn't try to get it to come out even!)

Optional dough conditioners for whole wheat bread (we do add these):

Pinch ginger = $0.01
Pinch citric acid or ascorbic acid = $0.01
1 teaspoon lecithin = $0.05
3 tablespoons gluten flour/vital wheat gluten = $0.30

Final cost for my loaf of bread: $1.37 (minus other considerations such as: butter to grease the pan/dough, fuel for the oven, wear and tear on equipment such as grain mill and bread machine, and additional strain on the air conditioner during hot months)

This does make a very large loaf, comparable in size to the 100% whole wheat loaf that Aldi sells for $1.49 (last time I checked -- a few months ago).

I realize that we are not saving money by making homemade bread -- at least, not compared to what we could spend for the cheapest bread in the grocery store.

I like making bread for taste reasons and for health reasons. Commercial bread has an odd chemical smell to me. One time I tried warming up a few slices of wheat bread (from Aldi) in the oven to go with some soup. The bread was doughy and smelled awful!

And have you ever noticed that loaves of bread from the store just don't mold anymore? Seriously. I have had loaves from Aldi (which has the cheapest price -- the price I compare my bread to) that sat here for three weeks and beyond -- even a month after the expiration date on the bag, the bread still hadn't shown any signs of aging, aside from being slightly dry. But only slightly dry.

And the taste of fresh homemade bread, well, the $1.49 loaves at Aldi just can't compare.

Health reasons -- I won't go into all of those here, but I feel as though my homemade 100% whole wheat bread just as healthy or healthier than any loaves you can buy in the store -- and comparable loaves would cost $4+ each -- if we're comparing taste and quality.

Those of you who make your bread, I'd love to hear your take on this topic! Why do you choose to make homemade bread? Do you eat both homemade and store-bought? Is the time you put into it worth the savings and health benefits -- or do you feel like you're "just breaking even"? :)

I'm too tired to write much tonight... Here is some apple crisp we made with apples that were given to us. The apples were "drops", so they were far from perfect -- but the flavor was fantastic!

Lots of jars to wash! I'm so thankful for the food. Two pints didn't seal, which is disappointing (usually they all seal, or maybe just one doesn't!) but it will be a good excuse to have pizza a couple of times in the coming week. We haven't had pizza recently. :)

And a messy stove to clean. I went to bed as soon as the last canner came off last night, so today I'll be cleaning the stove! It's not always this messy from canning... I filled some of the pans too full.

We absolutely love our homemade pizza sauce, but it sure is a lot of work! :)

My mom came over today and brought 2-3 bushels of tomatoes from her garden. I had a few tomatoes from our garden as well, and we started making pizza sauce.

It was a long, busy day. Joshua helped for a while, and my mom was here for about 7 hours too. It's 11:20pm and my last canner of jars will be done in about 20 minutes! Yay! About an hour ago, I told Joshua "I think my 16-hour day is up." ;)

We ended up with 39 pints and 7 quarts of pizza sauce -- plus a little extra sauce in the fridge for some pizza tomorrow. Our homemade pizza sauce is just the way we like it -- slightly sweet and very flavorful.

I didn't take any pictures today, but I have some posts from previous years:

Here we are in 2006 doing up tomatoes. (Look at Eliyahu! He was a baby!!)

More tomatoes and some ramblings about the overwhelmed feelings that lots of work can bring...

and pizza sauce and corn on the cob from last year -- 2007. :) We had corn on the cob for lunch today -- the very last from my mom's garden.

And while I did have a very full day, my mom spent 7 hours here helping us, and then went home to make supper and fill a dehydrator with plums from their trees. She's not some magical energetic superwoman, but when there is ripe food, my parents always make the time to preserve it. :) The work slows down in the winter, thankfully. :)

Is there anything Bethany won't try?! :)

Amid loads of apples and other fresh fruits and veggies this summer, Bethany is experimenting with making homemade cheese!

Read about her first cheese here, and read mozzarella-making part 1 and part 2 for more info! :) And if you love blogs full of beautiful pictures and various projects, be sure to subscribe to Bethany's blog, Happy to be Called "Mommy". It's one of my favorites. :)

I love cheese and hers looks so yummy... but I really don't need any new projects right now. ;)

Here's something I recently learned from our friends at Paul's Grains: Leftover hot cereal (like oatmeal or 7-grain cereal) can be added to a normal bread recipe. Just reduce the liquid in the recipe (to compensate for the moisture in the cereal) and slightly reduce the flour.

Dry cracked grains can also be added to bread, though they have the potential to make your bread drier if they haven't been soaked or cooked.

I like the idea of using leftover cereal! Now I don't have to make sure we eat every bit of the cereal I make for breakfast. :)

Here's some bread I made this morning. I used our regular whole wheat bread recipe, and added some cooked 7-grain cereal. I used about 1 cup of cooked cereal and 2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour per loaf. My loaves turned out beautifully! :)

To participate in Kitchen Tip Tuesdays: Post a kitchen tip in your blog, with a link to this post. Then come here and add your name, tip subject, and URL to this post! Links must be family friendly, as always. If you don't have a blog but would still like to share a tip, just leave a comment here with your tip! Everyone's ideas are appreciated. :) Note: Please link to your individual post, not your blog's main/front page! Thanks for participating! :)

I love potatoes. My parents got a bumper crop of potatoes this year from their garden, and we were the blessed recipients of a small box full. I like to scrub the littlest ones and put them in soup for an elegant, fine-dining effect. :)

The soup in this picture was sort of a failed experiment. It tasted good, but wasn't what I expected. I used:

Potatoes
Chicken
Chicken broth
Great Northern beans
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Garlic
Seasonings: salt, pepper

The soup tasted like chicken noodle soup, but with beans and potatoes instead of noodles. The beans really didn't fit in my opinion. The potatoes were good, but I really like regular old chicken noodle soup or potato soup better than this stuff.

It was, however, a healthy side dish that lasted for several meals. :)

I don't always take pictures of our meals, especially when we're having the same thing several times a month. This barbecue turkey burger looked so good when I held it up for a bite, so I reached for the camera.

It's actually very difficult to hold the camera up at the right angle in the right lighting and try to get a good picture while holding a very large sandwich that is threatening to fall apart on me! :|

Several of you commented on my last burger post and said that your husbands don't like turkey burgers. I think the key is to not think of turkey burgers as "like beef", but to expect something different. Many times I have tried a food expecting it to taste a certain way, and when it tasted different than I expected, I was disappointed -- even if it was a good food. (My faux apple crisp is one such food.)

What do you think? Have you ever disliked a food because it was different from what you expected and then later decided you liked it after all -- if eaten with the right mindset? Or am I making things up?

I have such a wonderful husband. He's been doing more than his fair share of cooking lately. Having three children has meant that I've needed a lot more help around the house in order for things to run smoothly. Joshua has been more than willing to pitch in -- even after a full day of hard work away from home.

Joshua made this chili. He didn't use a recipe, but included:

Leftover Texas Broil steak
Kidney, black, and Great Northern beans
Green peppers
Onions (from my mom's garden)
Tomatoes (from our garden!!)
Seasonings -- garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, chili powder, brown sugar, and cayenne pepper

We also had corn on the cob (from my mom) and some fresh whole wheat bread.

I never get tired of fresh homemade bread. :) Corn on the cob is a nice treat, even if I do have to floss right away after eating it. ;)

Ruth was sitting on the living room playing with toys and looking so cute that I had to run for the camera! Such a sweet little treasure. :)

I got some barrettes for her hair. Now her hair stays out of her face!

Ruth loves to sit up and play with toys. She says "mama" and "dada" and is still the sweetest little baby I have ever met! She's not very big (compared to my boys at this age) but she is chubby! :)

Joshua loves burgers, and he loves to grill. I've been taking full advantage of these two facts, and he's been faithfully grilling burgers for us at least twice a week these days. :)

This was a turkey burger, with garden-fresh tomatoes and sweet Vidalia onions. With fresh veggies to add to the sandwich, even I like a plain old burger -- though a garlic turkey burger is my first choice any day. :)

How do you prefer to season burgers? And that's your favorite burger meat? :)

You know how some foods really go together? Like lasagna and garlic bread. Or hot soup and homemade bread...

Well, this meal did not go together at all. I guess sometimes when you're just eating what's in the fridge, you come up with strange menus.

I had some cabbage from my mom, so I made fried cabbage. I sliced up some fresh tomatoes, and made a veggie omelet.

Oh, and we had leftover soup on the side. (Soup recipe coming this week... I hope!)

Joshua looked the food over and said, "I hope you don't put pictures of this on your blog. People will think you're pregnant or something."

Nope, not pregnant. And this was definitely not a menu I plan to repeat in the future! :)

What's your strangest food combination -- that you love? :)

I like ketchup on my fried potatoes, but that's not weird -- that's how I grew up eating them. As a child I also liked jam on my scrambled eggs. It's not too bad... :)