Why use Blackstrap Molasses in Cooking?

Some people are wondering why they should cook with Blackstrap Molasses instead of using the regular molasses.  The Blackstrap molasses is much healthier.  It is the thickest and darkest molasses, so it has more minerals.  It has, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and selenium.  The regular molasses is processed with sulfur which is believed to cause allergic reactions. 

HOMEMADE BROWN SUGAR

This is so simple to make.  It is much better for you, and stays fresh.  It tastes great, and works well if you have run out of your store bought brown sugar. 

1 cup of granulated sugar
2 tsps. un-sulphured molasses (blackstrap molasses)

First, put in a small bowl.  Next, Cut (mash) the molasses into the sugar with a fork.  This will take a little effort.  Do not be discouraged it will work in fast once it starts to.  Finally, put the finished brown sugar into a Ziploc bag and put in the refrigerator to keep it fresh. 

COOKING ON THE OPEN FIRE

We had a sleep over outside in our yard the other night.  We decided to cook outside and make it like a real camping trip.  It was an interesting experience.  My husband had put an old wood stove out on the lawn and taken the doors off.  The first night we had hot dogs cooked on a stick.  This of course worked out fine. 
The next morning I decided to make waffles, coffee, bacon, and scrambled eggs on it.  This didn't work very well.  The waffle iron was one of those old cast iron ones from the early 1900's.  I couldn't get it hot enough on this set up and it stuck.  The coffee turned out great.  The waffles ended up being cooked in the cast iron frying pan like you would cook pancakes.  The only think is that the stove wasn't level so it made them a very interesting shape.  Then the scrambled eggs turned out great.  We ended up calling the waffle, pancake things, flip flaps.  They looked terrible.
The thing is though that everything tasted way better then when you cook inside.  There is just something about cooking on a fire.  I think we will do it more often.
 

Making Homemade Bagels

Wow!  Making homemade bagels can be a big job!  You have to start them with potato water.  So it is a good idea to think ahead and when you make potatoes, save your water for bagels.  I usually make mashed potatoes for supper the night before I am going to be making bagels.  I just save my water in a covered kettle in the fridge until I am ready.  Then I heat the potato water till warm on the stove.  This is one of my favorite things to make even though they take so long.  There is nothing like them.  They are so fresh and yummy.  The other thing that makes them a big job is that they have to be boiled 3 minutes on each side and then baked.  If you are still interested in making them after getting this information, I have included my favorite recipe.  These are the best topped with cream cheese and a homemade raspberry freezer jam.
Some benefits of making your own bagels is that they are a lot cheaper then buying them.  You can freeze them and use when ready.  If you raise chickens, this is a great way to use up extra eggs.

BAGEL RECIPE

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups potato water
2 packages of yeast
1 Tbs. of sugar
1 Tbs. salt
3 Tbs. canola oil
3 eggs
6 cups of flour

Heat water to just warm on your wrist.  Pour into your largest mixing bowl.  Add the yeast, sugar, salt, oil and eggs.  Beat with a wire whisk until all mixed.  Add the flour 3 cups at a time.  Then, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed until smooth and elastic like.  Wash out the mixing bowl and dry it.  Grease the bowl and put the dough in it, cover with a cloth, and set in a warm place to rise.  Once the dough rises once, push it down and get ready to form it.  Start by forming the dough into 2 long log rolls.  Then cut each of these into 12 pieces.  These little pieces will each be 1 bagel.  Roll each one in your hands like a play dough snake.  Then, join the ends to make a ring.  Pinch together and just dab with water where you pinched it to hold it together.  After you have formed all the bagels, let them set and rise for about 20 minutes.
While they are rising.  Get your largest kettle, add 1/4 cup sugar and a gallon of water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Once it is boiling, Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Add bagels to the water about 4 to a time and boil 3 minutes on each side.  Then put on a greased cookie sheet and bake.  These will bake until they are lightly brown on bottom and the top.  Keep in mind they are mostly cooked from boiling.  They are just going into the oven to brown. 
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations

Ya I'm an apron wearing mom!

One of the things that people like to tease me about, is the fact that I am almost always wearing an apron.  I love to cook, but am very messy while cooking.  I don't like to ruin my clothes, so my solution is to always wear an apron.
I love to sew aprons.  They are very easy to make, and I love picking unique fabric to sew them.  I like to make mine reversible.  I do one side seasonal, and then the other side something that is great for anytime of year.  I use ribbon or lace for the ties.  All I do is cut both prints of fabric to the size I want, you can use an old apron as a pattern.  Then,  put both pieces facing each other with prints together.  I sew almost all the way around 1/4 inch in.  I leave about a 4 inch opening at the bottom that doesn't get sewed.  Then I flip the apron around, so the prints are on the outside and tuck in the opening.  Now, I sew all the way around again 1/4 inch in.  Add the straps and the project is done.  Of course not everyone wants to sew their own apron.
 Luckily, there are places that sell really unique aprons.  Check out this link!! 
http://www.zazzle.com/mainewildsensations/aprons

Am I just a housewife?

I am just a housewife some people would say. I am a lot more then that. I am a homeschooling mom, a cook, the cleaning lady, assistant treasurer and Sunday school teacher for teen girls at church, I love to do crafts and most of all, I am famous around this small town for doing weird home projects.

My friends call and ask "So what is today's project?" So I thought why not write a blog about it. Each day I will write about what is going on, what I have done for a project and how it turns out. It should be interesting.

I believe very strongly that there is nothing that a housewife can't do if she wants to. Let me tell you about my biggest project. My house, I bought a house 3 years ago. It was built in the 40's, rumor has it that the mafia built it as a hunting camp. I don't know if that is really true or not. I just know that I loved the house and had to have it. Now this is the crazy part. My house was in horrible shape. It was all moldy and I gutted it out and have been redoing it slowly. I do it as I have time and as my purse will allow. I don't want to go far in debt, I just want to do a daily project until it all gets done. I work on this place so much that I have been mistaken as a contractor in my small town.

My favorite place to go is Home Depot!! That is a project in itself to find what I need and then to load it on the pickup and to unload it when I get home.

A housewife's job is NEVER done!!!

enjoy!