Queen's Edge Farm: Happy Thanksgiving

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Today was a good day. I was up early to put the turkey in the roaster. We ate dinner around NOON. Afterwards we headed over to the kids grandparents. The kids ran around on the farm picking up acorns, pecans and hickory nuts. It was pretty nice out there, though a tad cold. I need to look for everyone's gloves, hats, etc.

ETA: I forgot to add earlier that we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving parade this year. I watched every year when I was a child, but this was the first year my kids had ever seen it, at first they weren't too excited, but really enjoyed seeing all the floats like Shrek, and seeing some of their favorite Disney characters/actors on the floats. We also sent out emails to Santa for the girls "wish list".

My menu for this year was: roast turkey, cornbread dressing, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, chocolate cream pie, and apple pie. Everything that I cooked yesterday and today, I used my Watkins products from the vanilla to the Apple Bake Seasoning. In the stuffing I used Watkins Chicken Broth seasoning. Trying to use the products to be able to honestly answer to people about the taste, etc.

Here's the recipe for my Cornbread Dressing

1 cup chopped celery or 1 tsp celery salt
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used dried onion)
1/4 cup butter (melted)
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
salt/pepper
4 cups dry bread, cubed
4 cups cornbread, cubed
1 egg, beaten
2 cups water
2 packages of Watkins Chicken Soup/Gravy Base

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a large, round cast iron skillet (or pan of your choice, at least 9 X 12).

Saute celetry and onion in butter. Stir in seasonings. Mix bread and cornbread, and add sauteed veggies and egg (use hands to mix). While mixing, add enough broth to reach desired moistness. Mix well. Spread in pan and Bake for 40-60 minutes (times varies depending on oven) It came out awesome! Better than usual, even my husband commented that it was good. The only difference was the Watkins Chicken Base, so I assume that was it. Ya'll should order some and try it.... LOL!

Sitting by the wood stove now as the temperature is 40, and the wind is blowing strong. I can feel the drafts blowing up between the floor boards as I walk across them, barefoot! I need to find my slippers or put some socks on. The kids have crashed on the floor around the wood stove, and the cats are curled up in the chair next to the stove.

It's only 9:30, but everyone but me is asleep, and it is very peaceful and relaxing. Had to stop and throw another log on the fire, as I felt a draft blow across my feet. (One of the drawbacks of living in a 110 year old house, but it's worth it.)

Did some Christmas shopping online last night and today, ordering a few presents for my girls. They are always with me, so it's hard to shop for them.

I am off to make some more hot tea, just wanted to say hello and hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving this year!

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Grandma's Yummy Cinnamon Rolls

2 pkgs active dry yeast or 5 tsps if using bulk yeast
1/2 cup warm water (not too hot)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, butter, margarine
2 tsps salt
2 cups milk, scalded
1 1/2 cups cold water
10 to 12 cups flour (white or whole wheat)

Yield: 4 loaves

Soften yeast in warm water, springkle in a tsp of the sugar
In LARGE mixing bowl blend sugar, shortening, salt and milk until shortening is melted. Add cold water, cool to luke-warm. Stir in yeast. Gradually add flour to form a stiff dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth and satiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover with foil or damp towel. Let rise in warm place (85 to 90 deg) until light and doubled in volume about two hours. Punch dough down by plunging fist in center. Knead dough for about 5 minutes.

Roll out one fourth of dough to a 16 X 12 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 TBSP of melted butter. Combine 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1/3 cup sugar and 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon (or more to taste). Sprinkle mixture over dough. Starting with 16 inch side, roll jellyroll fashion. Either cut into 16 1 inch slices or leave as a whole loaf. Place on a greased pan, cover and let rise in warm place until light, about 30 to 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees about 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Mix one box 10X sugar with 2 tbsps water. If too stiff, add more water until icing consistency, add a drop of vanilla too. Spread on baked bread while bread is still warm.

2010 Homestead Stats

Laundry Soap

Homemade Laundry Soap:
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder
~You will also need a small washpan or bowl that holds about 2 gallons.

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the washpan. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Transfer soap (using a funnel if necessary) into empty plastic laundry holders, milk containers (I use my empty glass milk bottles and old Fab containers) Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

Wild Mustang Grape Jelly

5 cups grape juice (about 3 1/2 pounds of ripe grapes)1 (1 3/4 ounce) box of sure-jel pectin7 cups sugarBefore getting started it is best to clean the entire kitchen, making sure the sink is empty. Bleach the sink and all utensils used in making jelly (I do this as I sell my grape jelly as part of my homesteading business.)

Wash the canning jars in warm soapy water, and rinse well. Set off to side.

Place a large pan of water on the stove to heat. Once it starts steaming, place lids and rings in the bottom, and 2-3 jars (depending on if you use actual jelly jars or pints) to sterilize.

Next make the grape juice using clean washed grapes (make sure you use rubber gloves when picking or washing wild grapes)To 3 1/2 pounds of clean grapes (6 cups of grapes) add 1 1/2 cups water.Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 10 minutes.Strain and squeeze out all of the juice with cheese cloth (see paragraph below)
I didn't have cheese cloth, so I poured the grape mixture into a large spaghetti strainer with a large pan underneath. I had to stir it around some as the skins and seeds would sink to the bottom, and clog the colander up. Stirring allowed the liquid to drain out. I then used a large metal spoon and squished it some to get more of the juice out.

In a very big pan, put 5 cups of the juice (it’s okay to add no more than ½ cup water to even out amount)Add the fruit pectin to the juice.Mix well.On high heat, bring to a full rolling boil, and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.Stir in sugar all at once, and bring back to a full rolling boil, again boil hard for 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove jelly from heat, skim off foam
Use a large spoon inserted inside the jar to lift CAREFULLY out of the water. DO NOT TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE JAR OR THE RIM WITH YOUR HANDS.
Ladle jelly into hot jars, place a lid and ring onto jar (do not tighten yet).
Set jars to the side. After a while you should start hearing “pings” as the jar seals.
When jars are completely cool, tighten rings and store on pantry shelf.**SIDE NOTE: Wild Mustang Grapes are normally ready the end of June, so be prepared. Keep an eye open for vines on the side of the road, or any that friends and family may have growing in their yard. Many people just let them grow and don’t do anything with them, so it shouldn’t be hard to find a good supply. Also, the more you pick off the vine, the more the vine produces new grapes, so you probably won’t EVER run out of grapes to use until the vine dies or you get sick of making jelly. Good luck and feel free to contact me at queensedgefarm@yahoo.com for questions.