Blueberries???

My kids LOVE to plant things. Especially Alden.
Our friend Emile DeFelice, owner of Caw Caw Creek Pastured Pork, recently bought Alden a live oak, which the kids planted in our front yard.

Today, we planted blueberry bushes. I REALLY hope we keep them alive. We added the egg shells we've been saving to the dirt, and watered them with the rainwater we've been collecting in our swimming pool. I'll keep you posted on this project. I killed my raspberry bush last year, so I hope we do better this year.

Chicken Taco Soup

We make this ALL the time. Easy, healthy, delicious! If you are missing ingredients, you can easily just substitute others types of beans, different tomatoes, etc.

Chicken Taco Soup

32 oz chicken broth
2 cans (15oz) chili beans
1 can Great Northern Beans
1 can Mexican style tomatoes
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 cans white corn
2 packages of Lawry's (or any type) Chicken Taco spices and seasoning
1.5 lbs boneless chicken breasts (I usually throw in the frozen ones from Meijer)

Throw everything in the crock pot
Close to dinner, take out chicken, shread, put back in.

Top with cheese, cilantro, etc.

It makes a HUGE pot and we always have extras to freeze too! Enjoy

Almond Oil Lotion Recipe

This lotion is amazing!

Ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon borax
1/4 cup distilled water
1/2 cup almond oil
1 tablespoon grated beeswax
(scent as you like onces its cool)

Directions:
Dissolve the borax in the water in a glass measuring cup.
Set aside.
Mix together the oil and beeswax in another glass measuring cup.
Place the glass cup in a pan of water (about 1-2 inches of water), making a water bath.
-Or use double broiler
Heat the oil-beeswax mixture in the water bath over medium heat until the beeswax is melted, stirring occasionally.
This takes 10 minutes.
When the wax is melted, bring the borax-water mixture almost to a boil.
This can be done by putting the glass cup in the microwave on HIGH for 1 minute.
It can also be heated on the stove top in a water bath.
Remove the oil-beeswax mixture from the water bath.
Slowly add the borax-water mixture to it, stirring briskly.
You can also put the mixture in a blender and whip.
Allow the lotion to cool completely.
Stir the scent into the cooled lotion if you would like more of an almond scent.
This lotion will thicken as it cools.
Pour the lotion into a clean container with a lid.
To use: Massage a small amount into your skin. You REALLY only need a small amount!!

The best place to get the ingredients is http://www.camdengrey.com/
By far the best prices!!

Super Yummy Hummas!!

Hummas:

2 cups cooked chickpeas (canned is ok, soaking your own is best)

3.5 - 5 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust to taste)

2-3 T tahini

2 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 small to medium garlic clove

1/2 t toasted sesame oil

1/2 t sea salt

3-4 T water (or less/more as desired)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and puree until smooth, adding a little water at first, then more if desired to thin it. Scrape down sides of bowl several times throughout and puree again until very smooth.

Chocolate Torte Royale

This is my absolute favorite dessert. It is a tradition in the Mehltretter family instead of birthday cake. Make sure you make it the day before you need it. It is easy, but it takes a long time to cook/dry/cool.


Chocolate Torte Royale

You make it in two parts, the shell and the filling. The shell calls
for egg whites, but save the yolks for the filling or you will double
your egg use. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. I don't recommend starting
this recipe at 11pm, as you leave it in the oven for 3 hours. You also
chill it for a few hours before serving, so it is best to make it the
day before it is served.

Meringue Shell:

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of vinegar
then
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 tsp of cinnamon

First, you have to make a cooking surface. Cut out a paper grocery bag
or some heavy brown postal paper to cover a pizza pan or cookie sheet.
The recipe says draw an 8 inch circle on the paper. I make my shell in
about a 10 inch circle because I like it more on the thin side, and
then it also feeds more people.

Then, assemble the egg whites, salt and vinegar in a mixing bowl and
use an electric mixer, beating it until soft peaks form. Gradually
blend in sugar and cinnamon and mix it until hard peaks form and the
sugar is dissolved.

You then spread this mixture around the circle, thinner on the bottom
and mounded around the edges. You can use a teaspoon to make the edges
have ridges - I just use a spatula.

Bake for one hour and then leave in the oven after you turn the heat
off for another two hours so it will dry out completely.

Twin Cream Fillings:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Melt 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips (6 oz) - I do this in the
microwave, but don't overcook. Try a minute at a time and let it stand
in between if you are not confident about the time.
Cool slightly and spread about two tablespoons of the straight
chocolate over the bottom of the cooled meringue shell. This is layer
one.
Then, add to the remaining chocolate the two egg yolks and the 1/4 cup
of water and blend them. Let this chill until it thickens.

Meanwhile, combine the 1 cup of heavy cream with the 1/4 cup sugar and
1/4 tsp of cinnamon, and whip until stiff. Spread half of this over
the chocolate - this is layer two. The remaining half of the sugared
cream is then mixed into the chocolate and spread on top to make layer
three.

Chill the torte for a few hours or overnight before serving. Do not
worry about leftovers, you won't have any.

Unfortunately, his recipe does not work quite as well in hot climates
with no a/c and limited power for the fridge.

Here is our favorite spaghetti sauce recipe. It can easily be double or tripled and frozen for later. we eat it once a week and it would probably be great for meatball sandwich's too!

From Allrecipies.com (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Spaghetti-Sauce-with-Meatballs/Detail.aspx)

Italian Spaghetti with Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

MEATBALLS
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg, beaten

SAUCE
3/4 cup chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 bay leaf
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper


DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, garlic powder and beaten egg. Mix well and form into 12 balls. Store, covered, in refrigerator until needed.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Stir in tomatoes, salt, sugar and bay leaf. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 90 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, basil, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and meatballs and simmer 30 minutes more. Serve.

( I usually throw the meatballs in and let them simmer for over an hour, just to make sure they are cooked all the way. We usually used diced tomatos. Also add oregano to everything! :)