Yogurt.

Cream-top yogurt with homemade granola has become somewhat of a staple in our house. We can't get enough of it. I cringe, however, when I go to pick up a $3 32 oz. plain organic yogurt that I know will be gone in a matter of 2-3 days. I just can't justify spending that much on breakfast when I could eat toast or eggs for a lot cheaper.

Considering our habit's expense and my love for making things from scratch, I decided that it was time to start making our own yogurt. It's so easy it's laughable--All you need is a crock pot, some milk, and some yogurt (yes, that sounds weird, but you'll see).

Sunset Hill Yogurt

1. Pour 1/2 gallon of milk (preferably raw or organic and pasteurized. Avoid ultra pasteurized) into your crock pot. Cover and turn on low for 2 1/2 hours.

2. Unplug the crock pot. Let sit for 3 hours.

3. In a separate bowl mix 1/2 c. plain yogurt (w/ active cultures...just look for those in the ingredient label) with 2 cups of warm milk from the crock pot. Pour the mixture into the crock pot. Replace the crock pot lid and wrap the crock pot with heavy towels. Let sit for 8-12 hours.

4. Viola! You have homemade yogurt. Will keep for 7-10 days. Keep some yogurt reserved as a starter for your next batch.

The great thing about homemade yogurt is that it is half the price of the store-bought stuff.

Store bought organic yogurt: 32 oz. for $3.

Homemade organic yogurt: 64 oz. for $3. (I buy gallon jugs of $6 organic milk).

I've been chowin' on this for the last two days and it is yummy. Totally worth it.

Top 10 of 2010

Hi Friends,

I don't really blog here any more (thank you school and work and life), but I've been thinking a lot lately about food and how thankful I am for the year-in-food I've had.

With that in mind, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to distract myself by posting a Top 10 of 2010. Not sure what the actual theme of the list is, other than it has to do with food:

10. Sharing bulk items from Bloomingfoods with the Feltigan house. This was our first year to do so and it's been great to know that there's a giant bucket of sugar around somewhere so you don't have to run to the store.

9. Food blogs. I've kind of OCD'ed out to some rad food blogs this last year and have a learned a lot in the process. Some of my favorites are the food section of the Atlantic, Cheeseslave, and Food Renegade.

8. Homemade granola. I've tried lots of granola recipes over the years in order to find the most economical and healthy option. I finally arrived at this beauty and have never looked back.

7. Homemade brew. Ok, now, I have to admit that I haven't really had that much of the homemade beer that the Guff has brewed, but it's pretty cool nonetheless that he makes it and shares it with everyone.

6. Canned garden goodness. I think this is our 3rd year of canning now, and we've really hit our stride. A major breakthrough was Will's creation of "restaurant style" salsa. I have to admit, I hate chunky salsa. Even if it's from the garden, it still reminds me of the nasty ketchup-salsa you get from the store. Now we have La Cha-esque salsa at home whenever we want it.

I've also expanded my repertoire of delicacy canned goods to include pickled garlic and pickled red onions. Fancy pants.

5. Eating good in the neighborhood. We have eaten out quite a bit in the past year. I will unabashedly blame this on our excessive schedule of work/school/practicum/band commitments. Even though I'd prefer to eat out less, I have come to REALLY appreciate the fact that not only do I live in a community where I have endless local eatery options, but I can also choose to eat somewhere that sells local meat and foods. Upland, Nick's, and Farm (pizza or burgers only!) have become regular stops for us from time to time.

4. Dehydrated herbs and veggies. After a failed attempt at making fruit leathers in 2009, I broke out the ole' dehydrator this year to give it one more try. Lo and behold I sucessfully dehydrated lots of tomatoes, basil, zucchini, and peppers.

3. Cream top yogurt. What in the world have I been doing eating the low-fat crap? My regular breakfast now includes cream top yogurt, aforementioned homemade granola, flax seeds, honey, and cinnamon (if I remember). Yum.

2. Will at the Farmer's Market. This past summer Will started working regularly at the Bloomington Community Farmer's Market for our friends Matt and Mandy of Schact Farm. Not only do we get lots of good meat and eggs (especially during that awful salmonella outbreak this summer!) from Schact, Will also barters for other yummy treats from the market. Mushrooms and peppers have been among my favorites.

1. Community dinner. Although this isn't new to 2010, it has started to occupy a new place in my heart. I think that all of us on Sunset Hill have come to enjoy the space that community dinner provides to share food, friends, and fellowship. When I'm able, I especially enjoy the opportunity to cook for everyone. I've come to realize that this is my favorite form of hospitality.

After all of this, what could I possibly have to look forward to in 2011? Well...

1. Raw milk. We are FINALLY on the waiting list! Homemade butter and cheese and yogurt, here I come...

2. Fruit. Apple and peach trees should be ready for harvest, along with our recently transplanted blueberry bush.

3. Hard cider. Did I mention that Will's gonna be making that from the apples?

4. Beeezzzz. (or bees). Guff is getting some bee gear for Christmas. At least that's the buzz around town.

...and last but not least...

5. RHUBARB!

You will know from an old post that I have a long-standing love affair with rhubarb. Well, we finally transplated it to a new spot where it is MUCH happier. It was probably ready to harvest this year but I wanted to make sure it was good and ready before going to town. My heart does a little pitter patter when I think of all the yummy pies, sauces, and jams that are in my future...

Well, that's it for 2010. Now that I've totally implicated myself as some sort of yuppy hippy bleeding heart foody, I hope you don't judge me too much. I just really love food and its role in community.

Vinagre!

I'm a complete sucker for PBS. Big surprise there. I was at home knitting the other night and found myself watching this cooking show called Daisy Cooks! Ms. Daisy started talking so enthusiastically about this condiment she grew up with called "vinagre" and made the bold claim that she would live without ketchup before she'd live without vinagre.

I was hooked.

I think God really wanted me to try out this concoction because Tim Felton showed up to my house on Monday with the key ingredient of vinagre: pineapple. Who buys pineapple in December??? Like I said, this was divine intervention.

Daisy claims you can use vinagre on just about anything. I haven't actually eaten anything with it yet, but I think I'm going to cook some pork chops and then spoon the peppers and onions from the vinagre on top. I did taste it, however, and it's pretty wild!

My belief in the divine fruition (pun intended) of this recipe was evidenced last night by the fact that I was actually hugging the quart of vinagre will singing its praises to my husband. Winter in Indiana will do strange things to a person....

Vinagre

2 ripe pineapples 1/2 large Spanish onion, sliced thin 1 tablespoon smashed fresh oregano leaves 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 20 garlic cloves, crushed 6 Habanero peppers or chili pepper of your choice, stems cut off, peppers coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, or as needed 1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed

1. Cut the tops off the pineapples and discard them. With a big knife, cut off the rind from the pineapples with as little pineapple attached as possible. Put the rinds in a pot large enough to hold them comfortably and pour in enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and boil until the pineapple peel is very tender, about 30 minutes. Top off with water if necessary to keep the rinds submerged.

2. Meanwhile, put the onion, oregano, peppercorns, garlic, Habanero or other chili pepper, vinegar, and salt in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid.

3. Strain the pineapple liquid over the seasonings. If there is not enough liquid to cover the ingredients, re-cover the pineapple with water and boil for 20 minutes. Taste and add a little salt and/or a little vinegar, if you think it needs it. You can use it as soon as it cools, but it will get better as it sits.

tryptophan is my drug of choice

Y'all,

I was recently challenged by my friend, co-communer, and fellow blogger Josh to update my blog. Well, here it is.

Some of you bloggers out there may be wondering, "why such the long hiatus?" I've got a good excuse--cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. Our camera is shrimped and therefore I've been unable to take any pictures. In fact, the only reason I'm able to do this post is because my sister took some pics over Thanksgiving and I swiped them from the ole' facebook. That's my story. We've been doing plenty of canning and gardening and cooking over the last several months, but I guess you'll just have to put your big girl pants on and hold tight until next year. Now, moving on...

This Thanksgiving we decided to shrimp the ole' Butterball turkey and instead went with a more local, less synthetic, and more fresh (you'll learn how fresh in a minute) Schact Farm heritage turkey.

• Local=Schact Farm is on the southside of Bloomington and is operated by our friends Matt and Mandy Corry.

• Less synthetic=check it out here. They can say it better than I can.

• Fresh=This turkey was caught and harvested the week before we ate it. Since we help out at the farm from time to time, I wouldn't doubt if Will had caught or at least attempted to catch the bird we eventually enjoyed on Thanksgiving day.

Here's us with the bird...

(This picture likely qualifies us for Awkward Family Photos.)

And here it is as part of my mom's exceptional Thanksgiving spread...


And here is a picture of a guy trying to be funny at the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning...
Oh, and ps--the turkey was REALLY good.

Happy blogging y'all. Maybe I'll see you after the holidays when I hopefully have a new camera???

Red pepper and tofu recipe

I discovered this recipe in March while we weren't eating meat during Lent. It's now one of my favorites and is perfect for bell pepper season. It'll feed you for a couple of days as well!

Tofu Stir-fry with Noodles and Red Peppers

2 T canola or vegetable oil

1 package extra-firm tofu. Cut it into lots of cubes.

2 red bell peppers, cut long and thin, seeds removed.

1/2 head of green cabbage, cut thinly.

2 garlic cloves, slivered.

1/4-1/2 t. red pepper flakes (I use ground red pepper since that's what I have).

2 T peanut butter, smooth or creamy.

1/4 c. soy sauce or tamari

1/4 c. rice vinegar.

1/2 package of spaghetti, cooked.

Heat 1 T. oil in large skillet over high heat; add tofu and 1 t. salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, 8-10 minutes until golden.* Transfer to plate when finished.

Heat remaining 1 T. oil in same skillet over med-high heat. Add bell peppers, cabbage, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 t. salt and mix. Cover. Cook, tossing occasionally, until veggies are crisp-tender, 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Stir together p.b. and 1/4 c. hot water in a small bowl until smooth. Stir in soy sauce and vinegar.

Add tofu, spaghetti and sauce to skillet. Simmer until heated through and saucy, 1-2 min.

Adios mis amigos, hermanos y hermanas

*I've talked to a lot of folks who never feel like they're able to cook tofu correctly. The key is to get the oil HOT and be patient while the tofu cooks. The more it looks like the color of french fries, the better the taste and texture!

Beetakopita

Yes, I know it's supposed to be called spanakopita.

For the second year in a row we've had pretty measly (not measle-ly) spinach production. We have, however, had a BOUNTIFUL harvest of beets (they are super easy to grow and can be started outside from seed). The Roses love their beets, so much so that Will risks his life by drinking the beet brine straight from the jar when we pickle them.

sick.

With so many beet greens, Will had the idea of making his own "Beetakopita" recipe. It goes something like this...

Beetakopita

2-3 lbs beet greens, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. feta cheese

16 oz. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. fresh parsley, chopped (1/4 c. dried)

1 T. dry dill

2 sticks butter

1/2 box of phyllo dough

Saute onions and garlic in large saucepan until translucent. Gradually add handfuls of beet greens until wilted. Stir in feta and ricotta.

Layer phyllo dough and mixture in a greased glass baking dish: 10 sheets on the bottom, add beet/cheese mixture, 10 sheets in the middle, add mixture, and 10 sheets on top. Brush butter on the top of the phyllo as you layer.

Cook at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, uncovered.

(picture missing; camera is on the fritz).

Adios mis amigos, hermanos y hermanas.

Rhubarb Orange Jam

Yes, this is my jam.

I have some sort of debilitating, romanticized idea of rhubarb. No idea why, really. Maybe it's because my dad told me this story once about how rhubarb seemed to be growing every where in Logansport, IN, and that he'd pick it and just eat it like candy when he was a kid. I guess I developed a dream of doing the same and believing it would be easy to grow this supposedly ubiquitous plant. Unfortunately, I'm afraid the rhubarb I've been waiting two years to harvest is going to be a dud in it's third, harvest-able year. It's maybe had two sickly stalks over the past two years.

This summer during a trip to the infamous Kedzie house in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago, I noticed they had a rhubarb plant that likely had about 30 stalks on it. My spirits were crushed.

Oh well.

In a moment of weakness the other day, I impulsively bought 1 1/2 lbs of rhubarb at the store. It was just so red and stalky...I couldn't resist. As I cut it up for my recipe, I yearned for the day I would have my own absurdly-producing rhubarb plant. *sigh*

This is one of the easiest and quickest canning recipes I've ever made. A great endeavor for a beginning canner!

Rhubarb Orange Jam--makes 7 8 oz. jars (via Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving)
5 c. rhubarb, finely chopped ( chopped mine in the food processor)
2 oranges
6 c. granulated sugar
1 package fruit pectin.
Prepare jars and lids (i.e. bring to 180 degrees in a water bath until ready to use).

With a vegetable peeler, peel half of one orange. Thinly slice the peels into 1 in.-long slivers. Set aside. Juice both oranges to produce 1 c juice. Add water if needed.




Combine rhubarb, orange slivers, and orange juice in a large stainless steel pot. Bring to a boil. Now, add sugar all at once.

While stirring frequently, return mixture to a boil. Once it is at a rolling boil, stir constantly for one minute and then remove from heat. Skim off foam with a spatula.

Ladle mixture into hot jars, leaving 1/4 in. headspace. Use spatula or plastic chopstick to remove air bubbles. Put lids on and screw until finger tight. Process cans for 10 min. Let sit in bath for 5 min. afterwards, then remove.





Adios mis amigos, hermanos y hermanas.