DB Scones/Biscuits (3 gluten and dairy free versions)

Audax Artifex was our January 2012 Daring Bakers’ host. Aud worked tirelessly to master light and fluffy scones (a/k/a biscuits) to help us create delicious and perfect batches in our own kitchens!

Whoops, somehow I kept forgetting to make time to post this months Daring Baker challenge!  This month we were given a biscuit recipe.  Even though I didn't personally eat any of these (due to my Whole 30 pledge) and I couldn't make the provided recipe (because the rest of the house is dairy free and currently wheat free) I still felt like trying out some recipes on the kids and John to see if any would be a hit.  Here are the results...

First, I made these Coconut Flour Bacon Biscuits from Primal Den Mother.  John and the kids weren't impressed though that may be because they were slightly over baked or because of the coconut flour.  I personally like coconut flour baked goods more than they do and from the smell I think I might like these.  

Next I tried GF Buttermilk Biscuits from Food.com.  I used Spectrum butter flavored shortening and So Delicious cultured coconut milk in place of the butter and buttermilk.  They had a good smell but the texture was too gummy and no one was interested in them.

Finally I made the Almond Flour Biscuits from Elana's Pantry.  These were the clear winner.  John and Alex both liked them a lot and they had a good looking texture after baking.  I can see myself having these occasionally after the Whole 30 is over, though I do find that her almond flour baked goods start all tasting too similar if I have them often.  

*For the official Daring Baker scone/biscuit recipe for this month visit our host, Audax, at Audax Artifex or take a look at the DB Scone recipe pdf.

Penny has been crazy about Play Dough lately.

She is our little princess. A tiara picture for you mom!

Alex isn't such a monster, he just seems to want to look like one. 

Snowy walk at the farm

We're finally getting some snow, so we took a walk at the farm with visiting family.  Alex loved the ice and Penny even tolerated her new snow suit.

New discoveries: this sign and a scary trapdoor in the middle of the barn floor

Dark Days Pumpkin Soup

This week's Dark Days meal is a holiday detox one. Even though I didn't eat huge amounts, the refined sugar and rich food I did eat have me reaching for comforting vegetable dishes. Lots of parsley, arugula and kale salads and for lunch today this soup.

Usually I spice my pumpkin/winter squash soups with curry or warm spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, etc.  But in a search for "winter" books for Alex I found a gem of a cookbook at our library.  It's called The Winter Harvest Cookbook.  Way ahead of the current locavore movement this 20 year old book was reprinted last year and it is full of ideas on how to cook winter produce.  What I like the most about it is that even though meat, dairy and grains are present in the recipes the focus really is on bringing out the best of the seasonal vegetables.

So this time I made my pumpkin soup a little different by following a recipe in the book that called for juniper berries.  I cooked leeks and onions in turkey shmaltz, added cubed pumpkin and a little ground juniper berries.  These softened together for 10 minutes and then I added chicken stock and cooked it for 30 more minutes.  To finish I pureed the soup and tasted for seasoning.  All the vegetables were local and the chicken stock and turkey shmaltz were from local birds as well.  And the apple is from Rennie Orchards.  A perfect little lunch for a Dark Day.

Visit Not Dabbling In Normal on Sundays for the round up of Dark Days meals. You can also visit our coordinator at Unearthing this Life to see some of our Midwest group entries.  

The Winter Harvest Cookbook by Lane Morgan

The pumpkin I used was a Jarrahdale pumpkin

The kids on Christmas morning
Alex is showing Penny the gems he got and Penny is holding the doll I made her.  Alex's new rockhound paraphernalia surround them.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Photo Outtakes

Yes Megan, it is "an impossible task" but that doesn't stop us from trying to get a decent picture of the kids for Christmas sharing.

There were "interesting" faces

And some sweet ones

In the end you have to *try* and enjoy the process as much as the result, in practice I'm still trying to figure that out.

But the sweet moments help.  She yelled "Huggies!" seconds before.

Autumnberry Ketchup

For several years now I've been all talk, claiming that I'd try to make something other than jam and fruit leather with the plentiful autumn olive berries, aka autumnberries, we have around our property.  Well this year the Spice Rack Challenge, mace, gave me a second reason to push myself to make some ketchup.  Mace if you don't know is the outer covering of nutmeg and is similar in flavor.  Though it is sometimes found in sweet recipes I find mace more suited to savory dishes.  Seasoning for pot roast or a pinch added to faux cheese sauce (made with nutritional yeast) are two of my favorite ways to use mace.  And you often find it in the spices in ketchup.  

I based my experimenting on a cherry ketchup recipe I found online from Jose Andres.  After making one batch with the exact same spice amounts I found his recipe a little too assertive and made some adjustments.  I love the resulting milder condiment.  It is very similar in taste to good store bought ketchup though my son Alex still found it too "mustardy".  I guess a few more batches are needed to fit his palate.  This shouldn't be a problem, we have enough berries on our land to fill a pool!

Perfect with homemade fries
(cooked in beef tallow, from my Gallagher Farms steer)

Autumnberry Ketchup
Based on several basic ketchup recipes online and this cherry ketchup from Jose Andres.
Makes ~1 1/2 cups

24 ounces of autumnberry pulp* (~3 cups)
1 teaspoon whole mace (or 1/3 teaspoon ground)
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground dry yellow mustard
1 inch piece of cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon whole allspice berries

5 whole cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

-Add your prepared autumnberry pulp and the salt and spices to a saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes.
-Add the vinegar and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
-Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the whole spices.  Store in the fridge until use.

*Instructions for autumnberry pulp:
Rinse and drain the berries.  Place in a pot with a tiny amount of water and cook covered over medium heat until the flesh is loose and the seeds squish out easily.  Strain the pulp either with a chinois, mesh strainer or a food mill.  I prefer the food mill.  Chill until use.  Be aware that the pulp may separate into the red skin material and a milky liquid.  If it does, stir it well before measuring for a recipe.

More autumnberry recipes
Autumn Olive Jam and Leather
Spiced Autumnberry Jam
*I also found a good article on mace at the Kitchn.  It has a great photo of mace covering a whole nutmeg.  
**Updated to add some more information about autumnberries/autumn olive:
Autumnberries are also known as autumn olive (scientific name: Elaeagnus umbellata) and are found in various places across the US, most heavily in the mid-west and New England. They are prevalent in my part of Michigan and thrive in nutrient poor, dry, disturbed areas. Here is a good link with pictures and information on how to identify the plants: Information on habitat and identification of autumnberry (aka autumn olive)

I've been busy sewing more this month. I just finished this jacket for Penny. She has a major Hello Kitty addiction.

And is also fond of apples.

We went to Rennie Orchards.  The kids loved their teepee.

Any hike means eating a ton of autumnberries off the bushes that are everywhere.

Alex's new photo expression, *maybe* it is a slight improvement over the tongue out and other crazy faces of the past months.

I added this post to the Make Your Own Mondays 

at Natural Family Awareness

Shelling Beans

At first appearances shelling beans aren't a very rewarding crop to grow. A 3 foot by 10 foot bed will yield only just barely enough beans for a single pot of soup.  And as I am more and more interested in pursuing a more paleo or primal style of eating, beans are generally frowned upon because of their anti-nutrient, high carb, Neolithic status.  But there is fun to be had and Penny and I were busy harvesting and shelling today and when it comes time to eat our beans we'll be sure to soak and cook them well.

We had three methods of bean removal.  The first is the Thumb Slide.

The second I call the Zipper Pull.

And the third Penny came up with and I named the Tear and Fling. 

It's not pictured because it results in beans flying in every direction and me scrambling to gather them back up. But rest assured Penny wore a smirk like this one while doing it.

 

Bonus video with Penny saying "beans"

Patio "Soup"

My cooking in the past weeks has been all about the grill and the new vegetables coming to market.  Can we all give patty pan squash a standing ovation-- it is just too awesome!  I miss it so much the rest of the year.  In my kitchen I'm making old standards and nothing really new.  The kids are busy outside inventing though.  Penny and Alex were having fun the other day making "soup" out of anything edible that they could find growing near our patio: currants, catnip, grape leaves, black raspberries, and serviceberries were in this batch that I caught them making. 

More "soup" making

Flamey gets a petunia hat

John's new water pumping windmill

We visited downstate last weekend.  Alex played Battleship with Grandpa.

Climbed in some trees

And amused Great-grandma Helen

Currants, tomatoes and finally real summer weather

We're busy, busy, busy enjoying summer.  This past week has been full of beach, a double set of houseguests, gardening, a parade, fireworks and just general playing outside.  Most of the garden harvest so far has been herbs with just a couple quarts of strawberries before the ants started getting them.  No matter, we gorged ourselves on the ones from the farm market.  Now raspberries (black and red) and currants are ripe.  The currants, only just ripe, are tremendously tart but Penny loves them anyway.  She was stuffing her face with them this afternoon and it made me think of this picture of Alex from 2003. 

Alex, 15 months-old picking cherry tomatoes

From today
Penny, 15 months-old picking red currants

And a slideshow of some other recent photos

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR