Homemade Vanilla Extract

Homemade Vanilla Extract - Sorry my iPhone photography skills are lacking

Homemade vanilla extract is really one of the easiest DIY real food projects there is.  I have no idea why I never tried it before!  You need 2 things, alcohol (I choose vodka, but I've seen recipes with everclear and rum also), and vanilla beans.  THAT'S it!!!

1 750 ml bottle of vodka
12 vanilla beans


The picture above is really about 1/2 of the 750 bottle and 6 vanilla beans (because that's all I had available when I started the batch), after 3 weeks.  Split the beans down the center, I chopped mine in half also because I am using a pint canning jar that was too short.  Place the beans in the vodka, wait 3 weeks.  Strain into a clean container, you may add more vodka to the same vanilla beans, I add 1-2 new vanilla beans to the jar too and start a new batch.   Enjoy using your vanilla extract!

Chicken/Turkey Corn Chowder with Barley

A while back I bought The Healthy Slow Cooker by Judith Finlayson.

I love the idea of slow cooker cookbooks, but I find I'm always disappointed.  A can of this and that, meat topped in mushroom soup, that's just not for me.  Of course we all know that real food takes a bit longer to prepare, and this is no different, it does take up front prep time, so if you want to dump this or that and go, this is not the cookbook for you.  There are great tips for parts that can be made ahead, nutritional information, and all real food ingredients.  I never follow anything exactly, and I find that every recipe calls for far more onion than I would personally like so I just decrease that part.  I've made 5-6 recipes so far, and all are winners to me.  Ok so my family was not a fan of the Sweet Potato Coconut Curry with Shrimp, but in the defense of the recipe, they don't like sweet potatoes, I thought it was wonderful.

On Saturdays at work we always bring a potluck.  This weekend I brought  Turkey and Corn Chowder with Barley (well I had chicken cooked and shredded, so I substituted chicken, I told you I never follow a recipe exactly).  I was a big hit, I had a 6qt crockpot full and every drop was eaten.  I'm providing you with my recipe with my adaptions, and it does vary from the original recipe.

The picture really does not do it justice

 Turkey (Chicken) and Corn Chowder with Barley - adapted from the Healthy Slow Cooker


1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano leaves (I used mexican)
1/2 tsp cracked peppercorns
8 cups chicken stock (I used my home canned, recipe here)
3/4 cup barley, whole hulled, pot or pearl (the others have more fiber, I used whole)
3 cups chicken or turkey, chopped in 1/2 inch cubes.  Mine was basically shredded
2 cups frozen corn kernels (I always use organic corn, I like to avoid GMO corn)
1 tsp chili powder dissolved in 2 tbsp lemon juice
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper chopped (optional) I did not use because it didn't want it overly spicy for anyone who doesn't like hot foods, but brought red pepper flakes and Tabasco to make it hotter for those who chose)

In a dry skillet, over medium heat, toast cumin seeds stirring until fragrant and they begin to brown, then grind (may substitute ground cumin).  In same skillet heat oil over medium heat, add onions, celery and carrots until just softened.  Add garlic, oregano, peppercorns and prepared cumin and cook, stirring for 1 minute.  Transfer to slow cooker.  Add chicken stock and stir.  Add barley, turkey or chicken, and corn and stir.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, until turkey and barley are tender.  Stir in Chili powder solution, add green or red pepper and jalapeno if using and stir well.  Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes until pepper is tender. Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

I started mine at 11pm and cooked overnight for 8 hours.  In the morning I, shut it off, added the chili mixture and peppers, when I got to work I put in on the warm setting, and we ate at noon.  This worked perfectly!

Seed Buying - It's what to do when It's -30 to -40 for days!

What to do on the -40 degree days?  Shop for seeds!

I've hit the seed catalogs.  It's the happiest thing I can think of (well besides dreaming of a trip to Hawaii) when it's been -30 to -40 for days on end.  I'm ready to think of green, growing things!  A girl can dream anyway.  I tend to buy from Denali Seeds because they are for and sold here in Alaska, and Territorial Seeds, which is where I ordered from this year. I actually am trying to keep my seed purchasing to a minimum this year, I have a bunch of seeds leftover from last year when I bought everything new.  I seal them in ziploc sandwich bags, and zip everything in a gallon ziploc bag and keep it in the garage, the coolest part of my house, but heated so it doesn't freeze.

  Tomatoes are the one thing I have yet to get to grow more than 1-2 green ones per year here in AK.  I was hoping that a greenhouse would help, but we had a very cold year and everything was 2 weeks behind, and my greenhouse was taken over by powdery mildew too.  I started them indoors in early March, but over-watered or something and most died and I had to start them again the beginning of April.  I will try a different soil, and water very carefully this year.  I do plan to start them the first couple weeks of March.

A fellow AK blogger at Wild Roots Homestead posted a pic of a bunch of actual tomatoes grown right here in interior alaska, and from last year, when I got nothing.  She recommended some soil treatments and varieties, I wish I could, but cannot find the actual post.  I do remember her saying she has put fish parts under the plants.  I have 19 fish heads in my freezer and I'll definitely give this a try this year.  , she also recommended several varieties of tomatoes.  I cannot remember them all, but found a couple of those I remembered  from Territorial Seeds, Oregon Spring, Siletz, and Sungold cherry tomato.  Last year I grew Manitoba Heriloom tomatoes.  I think those have promise, and did set fruit, maybe in a warmer winter I may get someting.  I also grew Nova and got basically nothing.  I have a few seeds of each left and will try those again.  I also have some seeds I saved from my CSA box that had damaged heirloom tomatoes that I'll give a try.  I have no idea what the variety is. 

So my tomato plan for the year:

• Start seeds early March on a warming seed starting mat 
• Different soils when I re-pot my starts
• Careful watering
• Fish fertalizer until they flower, then will use a blooming fertalizer
• Put out in greenhouse as soon as it is warm enough.  Sadly this is early-mid may at the very soonest.
• Place a fish head under each plant
• To limit powdery mildew I will be very careful to keep the leaves dry and ventilate better.  It was a VERY wet year for us, which is unusual, so a normal year may help. 

I'll keep you posted on my progress.  Does anyone have any other suggestions for me?

Why I haven't Posted - My excuse this time....

Well again I have been delinquent in posting.  I was off work for a couple weeks and did a whole bunch of cleaning and craft projects as I posted.  Well the second week it was -20 to -30 and our well broke.  We have had only a trickle of water for the last 10 days!  Enough to take sparse baths, and flush, but not  enough to do much else.  We've eaten a lot of prepared or take out to limit the clean up.  Apparently the can't pull it when it's -20 or colder.  So finally yesterday we were warm enough and they came out and replaced sections of pipe that had 2 holes in them.  Amazing what 2 little holes can do!  Anyway we are happily running the dishwasher, taking long showers, doing laundry and just generally doing everything that needs water.  Water, water how I've missed you!

So that's my excuse for being delinquent in posting.  I plan to get back to a decent posting pattern this coming week.

What We've Been Making Around Here

My husband made a pasta drying rack

That collapses down for easy storage

And a thread rack

I updated my sewing room/office, you can see the thread hanger on the right (do not look under my craft table though...  I know!  It's really messy!)

Yesterday I took come Christmas money and bought the wall saying, and fabric to cover the bulletin board  and pillow (but didn't buy tacks, so the board is empty right now..)

The shelves my husband lined with fabric for me on the left

Oh and I FINALLY made myself some gloves!

Homemade Ravioli

So I treated myself to a pasta maker.  Unfortunately I used it exactly twice before it broke.  I'm returning it tomorrow and planning on ordering another online.  Anyone out there own one they love or hate?  If so, I sure could use a recommendation.

I made whole wheat spaghetti, AND MY KIDS LIKED IT!  Totally worth buying one just for that!  I have to admit, I eat whole grain, but not my pasta, I just don't like the texture of it.  This was great though, so I'm sold on a pasta maker, just not the one I got.

Today My son and I made ravioli.  Any item that gets my kids cooking with me, also worth the price.  We made caribou ravioli and cheese (my daughter is a vegetarian). 

Pasta Recipe:
2 cups whole wheat flour, (or white, or 1/2 white and 1/2 semolina)
1/4 cup salt
4 eggs beated

Mix try ingredients and place on cutting board (I used a bowl, I'm messy), make a well and put eggs in center.  Mix with a fork until mixed and a dough forms, if too dry add a little water.  My dough is always a bit sticky and I take small amounts dredge in flour and roll out or put through pasta maker.  It usually takes several times of dredging and folding before the dough holds together nicely.  Roll out to desired thickness and fill with either of the following fillings. 

Meat Ravioli Recipe

1/2 # ground Caribou (or beef)
1/2 chopped onion
clove garlic pressed
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
2 small eggs

Cheese filling
1 cup ricotta cheese (homemade recipe here)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
2 small eggs or 1 large egg
1/4 c. chopped parsley

We used a ravioli stamp to shape ours.  Place on floured or greased cookie sheet in single layer, and freeze and place in zip lock bag, or cook 5 minutes in salted simmering water.  We served with marinara sauce yesterday and alfredo today.

Ham and Bean Soup (with a Balkan twist)

Sorry about the bad picture, it's taken with my iPhone and backlit.  The tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving, and will stay up until the day after New Years.

I hope all who celebrate have a wonderful Christmas or Chanukkah.  It's always enjoyable, but I'm glad to have the gift making behind me, and am looking forward to relaxing a bit.  I don't think that is going to happen just yet though, we still have a fair amount of cleaning up to do. 

The table that usually lives in my craft room needs to go back upstairs.  Oh and ahem... the rest of the dishes and empties need to go....

If you are like me you have some leftovers to deal with.  We always cook a ham for Christmas and my favorite thing to make is bean soup from the ham bone.  Here is my recipe below.


Ham and Bean Soup (with a Balkan twist)

Mmmm with bread and a nice glass of red wine....

1# of Navy or Great Northern Beans, rinsed 
Water to cover beans by 2-3 inches (about 6 cups, I doubled mine and 12 cups was perfect)
Ham bone and chopped ham ham, ham hocks also work (I also make this with kielbasa, sliced thickly and added about 45 minutes before serving if I don't have ham)
3 carrots, sliced
3 potatoes, chopped (use a variety that holds up well like red, I use Yukon Gold also)
2 celery 
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
5-6 whole peppercorns
Salt to taste 
3 Tbsp olive oil 
1-2 teaspoons Paprika
2 Tbsp flour


 Rinse and pick over beans, add to pot with ham bone or ham hocks, chopped onion, bay leaves and peppercorns and simmer until beans are tender.  You can soak the beans and add fresh water, but this makes a thinner soup.  I like it thick and hardy, so I don't do this.  Remove bone and pick off meat, I like a lot of ham so I usually add chopped ham at this time too.  Remove bay leaves.  Add carrots, celery, potatoes, tomato paste and garilc and simmer until tender.  Add salt to taste.  15 minutes prior to serving, make a roux, heat olive oil, add paprika and stir, add flour making a paste and add to the soup.  I find that adding a little broth and thinning it out some before adding, makes it easier to add.  Simmer to thicken a little.