Home & Hearth

Bottling Day

Posted on by Dan

Bottling day is always an exciting time around these parts. The ale, having spent the better part of a month fermenting, resting and clarifying, is ready to go through the last stage before we can enjoy it.

Bottling Day

My most recent brew is a Kölsch. I brewed this same recipe last year, and it was, to say the least, a hit. I take advantage of our super-cold basement during the winter, the perfect condition for the yeast used in this ale.

Bottling Day

A quick gravity check, then taste for any off flavors, and then it’s time to bottle.

Bottling Day

I know kegging beer is a lot faster, and you don’t have to wait for three weeks while the beer conditions in the bottles. But, there’s just something about all those clean, amber-colored vessels all lined up.

Bottling Day

Bottling Day

And, there’s something satisfying about capping each bottle, creating a tasty 12 oz., effervescent package of goodness. I almost like beer as much as I like spinning. Fortunately, the two activities can be combined (in modest amounts).

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Oat Drop Biscuits, v2.0

Posted on by Dan

Another week (can you believe it?), another shot at oat-filled goodness.

Oat Drop Biscuits, v.2

These pack a much higher nutrition content and are lower in fat (read: no butter). Recipe is as follows:

Stir together:
1 cup oat flour
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup chestnut flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom

Add and mix until the consistency of cornmeal:
1/4 cup canola oil

In separate small bowl, mix together and let sit for 5 minutes:
1/4 cup currants
1/3 cup finely chopped dates
1/2 cup plain kefir

Add all together and gently mix into a dense, but somewhat sticky dough. Shape into 3″ disks (about 1/2″ thick), and bake at preheated 375º oven for 20 minutes. Makes 8-10.

OK, you’re probably thinking that this is not a recipe for biscuits, but nice-smelling hockey pucks. I will admit they have a bit of a tooth, and they start to blur the lines between cookie and biscuit (I’m calling them cookuits). But did you see that list of ingredients? No refined sugar, plenty of oats, extra good-for-you additions, not to mention the chestnut flour gives these a rich, nutty taste.

And besides, who eats cookuits without something to drink. Tea? Or, like I did this afternoon…

Oranges

…a tall, refreshing glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Heart-Healthy Snack

To your health!

Oat Drop Biscuits

Posted on by Dan

We’ve been trying to include more oats into our daily diet. Sometimes, especially during the week, there isn’t quite enough time to have a bowl of oatmeal (don’t talk to me about that instant crap) for breakfast. So, I’ve started to do some testing in the kitchen for other suitable, but quicker delivery methods. A friend armed me with several recipes she had come across (thank you, again), including one for a drop biscuit. So, I’m starting this testing period with a modified drop biscuit.

Oat Drop Biscuit in Oven

The results were, to say the least, quite tasty. A cup of tea, a dab of jam, and we were ready to settle in for the night.

Oat Drop Biscuit and Tea

Recipe for Oatmeal Currant Drop Biscuit

Preheat oven to 475º

In separate small bowl, soak with 4 Tbsp boiling water:
2 Tbsp chopped dates
1/3 cup currants (or more, if you want)

Add to above ingredients (after soaking for a few minutes):
2/3 cup unsweetened kefir
1 cup rolled oats

Mix together and let sit while you prepare the following:

Sift together:
1 cup whole wheat flout
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Combine above dry ingredients with 1 stick butter (chilled and cubed) until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Add wet ingredients and gently mix until a wet sticky dough forms (don’t over mix!). Drop by tablespoon on to buttered baking sheet (I actually just grease the spot I’m dropping the biscuit) and pat/form into puck-shaped disk. Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes. Makes about 12-15 biscuits.

Try to save some for breakfast the next day :).

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Winter is Here

Posted on by Dan

I supposed there’s nothing more appropriate to have happen on the official first day of winter than to snow a good 8 inches. I keep telling myself that this will be the year that I embrace the snow, the cold, the runny nose and aching ears. It doesn’t do any good to hold a grudge against mother nature (which is what I have done in the past once I start to dwell on the amount of months remaining before habitable weather returns).

Snow

But, no grudges this year. I will happily shovel ourselves out of the drifts, merrily don my warm, woolen knits, inhale the crisp clean air and… do everything I can to stay inside and in close proximity to the oven!

Loaves of Bread

There’s nothing quite like the smell of baking bread when just beyond the wall the outside world is being blanketed by snow and brought to a stand-still in the sub zero temperatures. I have a feeling there will be a lot baking going on this season. But, the start of winter also means longer days of sunlight are just around the corner. In fact, even tomorrow will be slightly lighter. Now, that is good news.

Happy solstice!

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Pickles and (take a guess) Socks

Posted on by Dan

Virginia, I’m sad to say, is not going to have a finished big project for the month of July. Life, right now, is taking the driver’s seat, and leaving the projects we’d like to be finishing, well, unfinished. But, such is life, with its many ups and downs. We take it all.

However, I wouldn’t just post to the site without leaving you with some actual scratchcrafty goodness. Even though the big projects are on hold, does not mean the smaller projects are not being completed. These two pairs of socks, for instance, were wrapped up in the last week.

Sock #10 (52 Sock Challenge)

Sock #11 (52 Sock Challenge)

This last one is Mountain Colors Bearfoot doubled up. That means twice the squish, and probably twice the warmth.

For my own distraction today, I decided to try my hand at some pickling. I picked up 6 pounds of organic cucumbers, a bunch of dill and some garlic from the farmer’s market today.

Pickles, part 1

After comparing a couple of different recipes from several locations, I decided on a vinegar/water/salt solution, with added dill and dill seeds, peppercorns, and garlic. The solution boiled and then, after pouring it over the stuffed jars, I processed it all in boiling water for 20 minutes. The results:

Pickles, part 2

I think we’ll be ready for a cold, crunchy pickle in a couple of weeks… very exciting.

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