Rubber Chicken

I know we are all trying to save money. Even though most of us aren't directly affected by the economy, we've all seen what could be coming in our future. This is why I'm sharing the story of a rubber chicken.

I got the idea from Leanne Ely at Saving Dinner and if I remember correctly, she used a rotessarie chicken from the deli? I thought about it and thought about it and well, I'm a little scared of those chickens. Who knows how long they've been there and what chemicals they've been juiced up with? Giant Eagle had whole chickens on sale buy one get one free, so we stocked up.

Right this second I have a 6.56 lb chicken getting ready for tonight. It is labeled 12.36, but remember I got one free with it! Tonight we roast the chicken whole. Then after dinner, we'll take the meat off the bones and portion out enough for stir-fry tomorrow night. I think I'm going to throw it into a marinade. Then there's enough left for one more meal, you could make pizza or casserole or an omlet. Whatever floats your boat. We are supposed to cut out certain foods right now for health reasons, mostly refined carbs. So we're having a stir fry and omlette.

But wait-there's more!

Then I take the carcass and whatever veggies are leftover from last week and put it in my biggest stockpot to simmer for a few hours. I strain it (twice because I'm obsessive) and start making soups for FarmerGeek to take to work.

Today was salsa soup
Sautee carrots and celery and rosemary in olive oil. Add in stock and some salsa. All amounts to taste.

Tomorrow is Oriental Soup
I happened to have dried mushrooms but whatever... had I had fresh I would have chopped and sauteed in sesame oil, added tarragon, stock and frozen peas. (Note: Next time I would use onion, minced, chopped, or even those little baby onions...)

Wednesday Italian
Stock, basil, diced tomatoes, and a can of cannellini beans

Thursday Southwest
Stock, black beans, corn, shot of tabasco, can of green chiles, cumin

Now for the record, one $12.36 chicken will make us three dinners and four different soups for lunches. Or heck, for dinner. All low carb yumminess....

As you can see the possibilities are endless!!! Did an idea for soup just pop into your head? If so, feel free to share it here!

Egg Bread

I'm warning you, I'm on a baking/ cooking binge and I want to share all of it with you. But it's an integral part of Homesteading. I once told someone how I make my own bread and she was appalled. "Why don't you buy it at the store?" I tried the best I could to explain that just because I CAN by it at the store, doesn't mean I HAVE to... She was just horrified that I would do something like that, when you can just go buy it... (I'm stopping here or I might go on a full, all-out political rant.) Besides, I enjoy baking my bread. It's fun and it smells amazing!

With about half of our ladies laying everyday, we have become overrun with eggs. There's only a just so many eggs that two people can eat for breakfast! Then I remembered, every Christmas, my mother used to make egg bread. After a call to her, I copied down the recipe and tried it out. And of course, I had to make some changes- this is me after all!!!

There's family history behind the recipe. When my grandmother was young, she followed her mother around with a bowl. Everytime my great-grandmother went to dump an ingredient into the dough, my grandmother would catch it in her bowl and measure it so she could write it down. My great-grandmother, like most of our great- grandmothers, never exactly measured everything- it was always "A handful of this and a pinch of that" for them. So now when I make this bread, I get this visual of Grandma running around with a bowl trying to catch the eggs and flour.

Egg Bread

*In a small/medium saucepan (whatever's clean), warm 1 1/2 cups of milk to lukewarm. Then whisk in 1/2 cup of sugar and 1tbs. of salt. (It does seem like a lot of salt, but it works.)

*Next, you know the drill, get out 1/2 cup of warm water and sprinkle 2 pkgs of yeast on it.

(I do this right in my mixing bowl, but Grandma's recipe says to do it in another bowl and then pour it into the mixing bowl. Oh and pay no attention to the paddle in picture, it's not time for the dough hook yet. Use a mixing paddle or just stir by hand which I found easier right now.)

*Once that's had a minute or two to proof, pour in the milk mixture and give a quick stir.

*Add in four beaten eggs. That's right I said four- I told you this was a "use up the eggs" recipe.

I know I'm just bragging now, but can you SEE that color. I'm so proud of those girls!

*Add 1/2 cup of softened butter

*Add in 1 tbs. of Cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. of Nutmeg. Do not let this throw you, it doesn't come out "spicy" tasting.

*Now here's where I made this my own. I introduced the stand mixer. Add in around 4 cups of flour and stir until moist. Then decide what's easier, getting out the dough hook or just doing it by hand. Your call. Me, I tried the dough hook with mixed results.

*Mix in another 2 1/4 cups of flour. If you aren't using the mixer, you may have to knead in the last cup or so. If you are using a mixer keep the hook going until the dough starts to pull away from the sides and form a ball.

*Now I had to turn the dough out onto a floured board. Knead it until it becomes manageable. Seriously, that's the best description, as soon as you can make it into a ball, put it into a greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise 1 1/2 to 2 hours until doubled in size. (Use a giant bowl or it will stick to the towel. And that's okay but who needs more laundry?)

*Once it's doubled in size...

...punch down the dough in the same bowl...

*Now is a good time to take a look at your loaf pans. But don't take long or it'll be like that scene from Lucy where the dough starts going everywhere. At least I think it was I Love Lucy. Anyways, if they are the 5 inch wide pans, great! You can make two nicely sized loaves. If they are the 3 inch ones, then make three respectable sized loaves- better for French toast! While they're out you might as well grease them.

*Cut the dough into equal parts, one for each loaf. Roll into loaf shapes and make sure they are big enough to fill the loaf pan end to end. (Not necessarily side to side.) Pour melted butter on top (usually 1 to 1 1/2 tbs.) and then sprinkle a bit of sugar on top.


*Cover again, and let rise for another hour or so until it's fully risen. Meaning it looks like a loaf of bread.

*Pre-heat your oven to 350. I let my bread rise in the oven with the light on, so I have to wait until the bread is risen. Put loaves in and bake for about 50 minutes or until they sound hollow when you thump the top.

*You know the rest. Turn out onto wire racks, let cool, don't slice for an hour.

*And If you're anything like me, remember to put your rings back on...

Autumn's Warning (or I Can't Believe It's Been a Year Already)

The one thing everyone remembers about our wedding (besides the whole kilt thing) is the Cake. It was the ooeyiest, gooeyist, chocolatey, buttery, BEST CAKE EVER!!! If for any reason, you should be anywhere near western PA and find it neccessary or desirable to get a cake, by all means go to http://www.autumnscakes.com/ (and no she isn't paying me for this commercial, but seriously, not only does she make the BEST CAKE EVER!!! but she's just an amazing and nice person.)

This is what our cake looks like one year later. She warned us, she really did, she said it was never as good the second time around. She even offers to make a new cake, but we had to go move to Ohio. Of course, we did think about driving back to PA to get it, but then reality reared its ugly head. Since it is tradition, I pulled it out the original and defrosted it. I also have the champagne we drank, and I put that in to chill. I know I'm a sap. I can't help it. (Stop making little vomit noises- I can hear you!)

But since the cake looks so good, but isn't going to taste at all like Autumn's BEST CAKE EVER!!! (it really does deserve the caps and exclamation points each time), I decided to bake a new cake today for FarmerGeek. (Stop making those vomit noises- I mean it!!!!)

So today, for your pleasure, my own chocolate chocolate chip cake, which is no where near as good or as cool as the BEST CAKE EVER!!! but as good as I get. Which is why I don't make cakes for a living.

Step 1:

Put in the Mamma Mia Soundtrack. Do not question me, just do it. Man it's the first step and already you question me... this does not bode well...

Next I got out the old Betty Crocker cookbook. It always good to have a jumping off point to start a recipe. I used the Devil's Food recipe.

Step 2: Assemble the Cast of Characters

1/2 c Hot water

3 sq. chocolate- melted

1/2 c of shortening (softened)

2 c of sugar

3 eggs

2 1/8 cups of flour, sifted

1/4 tsp of soda

2 1/4 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

4 tbsp of cultured buttermilk (the dried stuff)

1 c of water

Half a package of chocolate chips

Step 3: Start Assembling

*Melt chocolate in microwave. DO NOT TASTE... I'm warning you... you WON'T like it.
*Whisk in the water. Make sure it's still hot and don't worry if it looks funny, it'll be OK.

*Cream together the shortening and sugar, only hold back 1/3c of sugar for later.

*Then add three eggs.

(Can I just say- look at those eggs... do you SEE how dark those yolks are? That's my girls!)

* Remember that chocolate mixture we did in the microwave? Time to mix that in.

(Do not get distracted by the fact that your college roommate sent you a message on Facebook... ok, but not for too long!)

* Sift the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and powdered buttermilk together. Then slowly mix into the chocolate mixture. Once that's mixed in, then add that last cup of water. Mix throughly.

* Add 2 tsp of cocoa. Then taste the batter and decide if/how much extra sugar you should add.

* Stir in half bag of chocolate chips.

* Your batter should now look like this:

And your kitchen should look like this:

And your face might look like this:

* Now carefully, pour evenly into two cake pans. And bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Now post on your blog while it's baking....

And wait for part 2....