YUMMY!

Hi there!  Thanks for stopping by Two Dogs.  It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.  Spring is upon us in a big way and the The Chiweenie Brothers, Burger, and I are all enjoying it. 

The flowering quince is in full bloom

And the bleeding heart is beautiful this year. 

I have a recipe to share with you today -- van dwellers don't leave -- that makes the possibility of roasted vegetables a reality in the hot days ahead when you don't want to heat up your kitchen.  Have been wanting to try  roasting some vegetables in my crock pot and since I had a sack of brussel sprouts in the fridge, I decided it was a good day to try this.  NOTE:  I am not a huge fan of brussel sprouts, but I have to admit the sauce in this recipe makes those little cabbages uber good, not to mention healthy. Those two words usually don't go very well together!  Throwing in some carrots made the whole thing even better.  YUMMY!

SPICY ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS FOR THE CROCK POT  adapted from PureWow.com

Ingredients
1 1/2 Pounds brussel sprouts
1/2 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup rice-wine vinegar  (I've used plain ol' wine vinegar and it works just as well)
1/4 Cup honey
2 Tablespoons Siracha  (If you don't like super spicy, cut this back to 1 tablespoon)
Salt and pepper to taste

Use some of the olive oil to coat the bottom of your crock pot. You don't need a lot, just enough to keep the vegetable(s) from sticking. Turn your pot to high.

Trim the base away from the brussel sprouts and discard.  Cut the sprouts in half.  Put the sprouts in your crock pot and stir them around to lightly coat with the oil. Place a paper towel over your crock pot and place the lid on top.  The paper towel will absorb the extra moisture.  You may need to change it out once.  Cook for about 1/ 1/2  to 2 hours, maybe more.  It all depends on your crock pot and the size of the sprouts you are making. 

Once your brussel sprouts are tender, mix up the remaining oil with the rest of the ingredients and pour over the sprouts, mixing well.  Cook for another half hour or so.  Dig in!!

I made this with fewer brussel sprouts and added carrots (cut in small chunks).  You could use any assortment of vegetables that you normally roast in your oven and it would be wonderful; any of the root vegetables, sweet potatoes, onions, bell peppers, etc.  Use whatever you want, but I'd try it with the brussel sprouts first.  And I gobbled this up so fast I forgot to get a photo.....you will have to be content with the flowers.  Sorry! 

WHY I WANTED THE VAN DWELLERS TO STICK AROUND -----

As many of you van dwellers know -- or maybe you don't -- they make a 12 volt crock pot that you can plug into your vehicle's cigarette lighter.  How cool is that?  It even comes with a cord to secure the lid.  One of these is on my wish list!!  So, if you are planning on changing camps, just going for a drive that may last an hour or two,  or travelling to another destination, make this recipe and let it cook while you are on the road.  And just think of all the other things you will be able to cook while you are driving down the road enjoying the scenery.

Next, I want to try roasting these little gems in a solar oven.  But that's down the road.  Why?  Because I haven't put one together yet.  It's on my To-Do List :) 

Hugs to you,
Shawna


 

Recipe

Good morning!  So glad you could stop by today.  I don't know if any of you are canners, but I wanted to share my Dilly Beans recipe with you in case you have a bumper crop of green beans or want to buy some from a local farmer's market and can a few.  They are easy and delicious..............and they are super to take along on a picnic, but they won't last until next summer!  You can begin eating them after they have sat on the shelf for a couple of weeks to let the flavors develop.  Because of the high acidity of the vinegar, these beans can be safely processed in a boiling water bath  Hope you like them!

Dilly Green Beans

4 pounds whole green beans
1 3/4 t crushed dried hot red pepper
3 1/2 t dried dill seed, OR 7 fresh heads of dill
7 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled, OR use equivalent in chopped garlic (you know, the kind in the jar :-)
5 C apple cider vinegar
5 C water
1/2 C less 1 T pickling salt (non-iodized)


Wash beans thoroughly, remove stems and tips, and cut them as much as possible into uniform lengths to allow them to stand upright in 1-pint canning jars---  Or you can use 1/2 pints, just cut them shorter----, coming to the shoulder of the jar.  Have jars clean and very hot, and lids and sealers ready in scalding water.  In each jar place 1/2 t dill seed (or one dill head), 1 garlic clove (or equivalent in chopped garlic), and 1/4 t crushed hot red pepper.  Pack beans upright in jars, leaving 1 inch of headroom.  Heat together the water, vinegar, and salt; when the mixture boils, pour it over the beans, filling each jar to 1/2 inch from the top.  Run a table knife down and around to remove trapped air, adjust lids, and process in a Boiling-Water Bath (212 F/100 C) for 10 minutes (or longer if you are above 3000 feet; check a reliable source for correct processing times) after the water in the canner returns to boiling.  Remove jars, complete seals if necessary.  Makes 7 pints.
PS If you substitute GROUND cayenne pepper for the CRUSHED hot red pepper be sure to halve the amount of cayene:  Use only 1/8 t of cayenne to each jar.  Wait at least two weeks for these beans to develop their flavor.

If you give this a try, please let me know how you like them. I would love to hear from you!!!!

Making butter.............

Hey!  Good morning!  I'm so glad you came back to visit.  Now that you know a few things about me and my family, I want to get down to business.  Today we are making butter. Yes - you can make your own butter and it couldn't be easier.  Really!  Trust The Frugal Queen!  Just take 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and put it in your food processor for about 10 minutes.  It might take less, depending on your model.  Once your cream has magically turned yellow and buttery  just squeeze as much moisture out of it as you can and add about 1/4 teaspoon of salt if desired. A piece of cheesecloth works, but a spatula works better. The more moisture you can get out, the longer it will last.  Well ---- this is butter for Pete's sake, it probably won't last long, especially if you slather it on some bread you have whipped up in your bread machine.  It is truly that easy.  Way back when I lived in a little town of 73 people there was  a family who raised cows for milking and I bought my milk from them.  It came in gallon jars and had this thick layer of cream at the top.  The food processor was a new kitchen gadget for me at the time and I was trying to make whipped cream, not understanding that the processor wouldn't incorporate enough air into it to make it white and fluffy.  But it did make butter!  I turned my back for a second or two and when I looked back ------ no whipped cream, but the butter was done!!!

And speaking of butter, I ran across a recipe for making spreadable butter.  Another easy peasy thing to do.  Nothing coming from this blog will NOT be easy.  I am as into EASY as I am into FRUGAL.  If it isn't easy to do, you won't find it here.  Perhaps I am just LAZY --- but as Alton Brown says, "That's OK by me, too".  Just put a cube ( 1/2 cup) of room temperature butter (if you are not into making your own, store bought will do!!) into your food processor along with 1/2 cup olive oil (or canola) . Whizz away until blended well. If it doesn't blend to your liking, add 2 tablespoons of water. Store in a pretty little dish in your refrigerator.  Now how easy was that?  Not only does this make it easier to spread, it also stretches your butter budget.  Have a great day! 

Oh, but before you go, I must show you a picture of the little Princess riding in her carriage..............usually she is by herself, but that sweet human face peeking through is my grandson Fletcher.  His dad talked him into taking a ride in my bike trailer with Toonie Mae. I can visualize some cute scrapbook pages out of the pictures I took of these two!