Powdered Buttermilk

Have you ever walked by a product in the grocery store and told yourself that someday you would have to try it? I have been passing this product by in my grocery store for years, always wanting to try it but never seeming to grab a can and have it make it into my shopping basket. Well that ended the other week. I grabbed up a can on my way through the baking aisle.

It works great! I have used it a couple times, once because I forgot to buy buttermilk and once because I forgot I had buttermilk...that's the way I roll. I used it last night to make one of my latest favorite quick bread recipes to go along with a pot of white beans and ham soup. The weather is playing hot and cold with us, so one day we will be 70 and the next we soar back up to 90.

The white bean soup is simple enough. You take one pound of dried white beans (I used northern beans) 1 medium sized smoked ham shank (I had the butcher cut it into 3 pieces), salt, pepper. Take the beans and rinse them good and add them to a large pot, nestle the ham shank sections into the bean and add enough water to cover the beans. Turn the pot on and bring to a boil, when the pot boils turn down to a simmer add the salt and pepper (to taste) and put a lid on it. Check the pot every so often to stir the beans and add water when needed. When meat is tender pull it from the soup, take the meat from the bones and put it back in the pot. When the beans are about an hour away from being done add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. adjust your salt and pepper add more if needed. Cook until you reach the desired consistency.

Short and sweet this week. I have been exceptionally busy, but hope to make a little more room for new recipes with fall around the corner. Have a great rest of the week.

Granola in a snap

I haven't made granola in a long time so I thought I should make up a small batch...for one I had oats in the pantry that needed something done with them and two well granola goes so well with everything from milk, yogurt to ice cream.

Into a large bowl pour in 2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats. The dried fruit I added to the oatmeal was 1/2-3/4 cup large shaved flake unsweetened coconut, 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds and a handful of walnut pieces. Into a large measuring cup or small bowl add 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup a good pinch of salt, cinnamon, 2 Tlb dark brown sugar and a 1 tsp. vanilla extract or maple extract or whatever you think might go best with the dried fruit and nuts your adding and 2-4 Tlb of coconut oil. Mix this well and slightly heat if needed to melt the coconut oil. Pour this over your oatmeal, fruit and nut mixture and blend well. Make sure to coat all of the oatmeal. Spread the granola on a cookie sheet and bake in a 300 degree preheated oven for 30 min.? make sure you go in and check the granola and turn it making sure that it all becomes nice and golden brown. When cooled put granola in an airtight jar. It will keep for a couple of weeks...It won't last that long, but it could.

Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings

We spent, and when I say we I mean the bf, an entire Saturday working on the front yard. It looks amazing, thank you sweetie. I however spent most of the day working inside cleaning, doing laundry, and watching my son's Chihuahua mix puppy run roughshod over my black tortie kitten Willow. But at some point yesterday I knew the bf and I both had to come up for air and have dinner. Lunch consisted of a half bag of potato chips and a cold one.

This recipe was super simple and went together in minutes.

In a bowl you blend together 1 clove garlic mashed with 3/4 tsp. of salt, 2 Tlb honey, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, 1 tsp. sesame oil, pinch or two of cayene ( I suggest 2 pinches ). Next time I think I would bump up the honey to 3 Tlb. and I think the addition of some red pepper flakes would go a long way to give a little more heat.

Trim up 3 lbs. of chicken wings (remove the tips and separate the little drum from the little arm ).

Put them into the sauce and coat them real well. ( I let the chicken sit in the sauce for a about 20 min. ) Then place the chicken onto a foil lined, sprayed with cooking spray, heavy duty cookie sheet. Place into an oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees and bake for about 35 min. ( giver or take depending on your oven ). Turn the chicken over half way through the cooking time.

When done pull them from the oven and place in a bowl. Sprinkle chicken with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seed.

For a side I washed and cut the ends off about a pound of green beans and tossed them into a hot skillet with a 50/50 blend of olive oil and butter. I sauteed the green beans until about halfway done ( when I say halfway done I mean still pretty crunchy ) I tossed in 3 cloves of minced garlic some salt and fresh cracked black pepper and let the garlic get a little color ( don't let that garlic burn ).

Then I add just a couple of Tlb. of water, lid the beans and let them steam just a minute or two....Delicious!.

Perfect dinner to end a perfectly busy Saturday.

Thanks K.B. for sharing the 1980's, perfect condition, pint canning jars. What a find! I can see lots of good things ahead.

Happy Sunday to one and all. I have a bike ride penciled in for my morning. I hope everyone does something good today!