Unusual Planters

I was looking on Pinterest today for some ideas for containers.  What does most everyone have lots of?  SHOES!!!!  The only problem I see with using small containers, like shoes, is that they have to be water more often.  I have a couple old wagons and a couple old wheelbarrows that I use for planters and they have to be watered every day. If they were planted with succulents they wouldn't need to be watered as often.
 

                 

                     

       

        

Hypertufta Pots

I got this idea a couple of years ago visiting a mall in Pocatello, Idaho.  They are called HyperTufta Pots.
You can use just about anything for a mold.

Step 1: Gather Your Materials

You may have many of these supplies on hand. The remainder can be found at a building supply store to make a trough that measures 16x16 inches.
Tape
Tape measure or ruler
Marker
Serrated knife
Sheet of 2-inch-thick foam insulation boards
Eight 3-1/4-inch nails
Rubber or latex gloves
Quikrete Portland cement
Perlite
Peat moss
Reinforced concrete fibers
Water
Gallon container
1/2-inch dowel
3/8-inch-thick plywood board (2x2 feet)
Spray bottle
Sheet of plastic or trash bag
Wire brush or screwdriver (optional)
Wheelbarrow
Hoe


Step 2: Prepare the Mold

Using the serrated knife, cut insulation into two 16x6-inch pieces and two 18x6-inch pieces. Assemble these four sections into a square or rectangle, depending on how you join the ends. Insert two nails through the insulation material -- one near the top and one near the bottom -- of each intersection.
Test Garden Tip: For a rectangle, assemble as shown with the 16-inch section outside the 18-inch section. For a square, assemble with the 16-inch section inside the 18-inch section


Step 3: Secure the Mold
Wrap tape two times around the mold, once near the top and once near the bottom, for added reinforcement.
Test Garden Tip: Almost any type of tape will work: duct tape, masking tape, or painter's tape


Step 4: Mark a Thickness Line

Mark a line at least 2 inches from the bottom as a guide to the depth of the hypertufa; this will mark the thickness of the bottom of your trough. Note: If you create a larger container, you'll want a deeper layer of hypertufa to give your trough more support.




Step 5: Mix the Dry Materials

Put on your gloves and measure 2 gallons cement, 2 gallons perlite, and 4 gallons peat moss. The amount will allow for some left over material to make trough feet. Mix the dry ingredients in your wheelbarrow with the hoe.
Test Garden Tip: Add 1/3 cup of reinforced concrete fibers to give your hypertufa trough more strength. Find them at building supply stores.



Step 6: Add Water

Slowly add warm water to the wheelbarrow. Start with about 3 gallons and mix it well with the dry materials. You should end up with a consistency like cookie dough or a graham cracker crust. It should be wet enough to adhere so it doesn't crumble, but not too wet to ooze water. It should be wet enough to hold together when compressed, but not oozing water.
trough more strength. Find them at building supply stores.



Step 7: Form the Trough

Set the mold on the plywood board. Begin packing the bottom with the hypertufa mixture, using your previously marked line as a stopping point. Working a small area at a time, use your hands to firmly press the mixture into the bottom corners and up the sides, making sure to mash one section into another for seamless adhesion for a strong trough. Continue up the sides until the sides are covered by a 2-inch-thick layer. Spray water as needed to keep the mixture moist while you are working.
Test Garden Tip: The plywood board serves as the bottom of the mold and makes transporting the trough easier

Step 8: Add Drainage Holes

To provide proper drainage, use a dowel to poke holes in the bottom of the trough. Insert the dowel through the hypertufa until it meets the plywood base. Repeat to make six evenly spaced holes. Leave the trough to dry in protected spot.


Step 9: Remove the Mold

Your trough should dry in about 48 hours. After it's dried and hardened, carefully remove the tape and nails and pull the sides of the mold away from the trough.
The mold can be used as is. Or if you prefer a textured, aged look for your trough, gently score the exterior with a wire brush or screwdriver.



Step 10: Cure the Trough

Store the trough in a shady area to cure for 30-60 days. The hypertufa trough gets stronger every day. Your container can be left out in freezing temperatures as long as it is off the ground.
Test Garden Tip: Spraying with water often decreases the duration of this process to about 30 days

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower

I love roasted cauliflower. My daughter tried this recipe the other day and her family loved it. 

Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Cauliflower
Recipe by ourbestbites.com
Ingredients
3-4 tbs olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 head cauliflower
kosher salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons crumbled Parmesan cheese (stuff in a green can a-okay!)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place olive oil and garlic in a small bowl.  Heat in microwave for about 20 seconds and set aside.
Remove stem and leaves from cauliflower head and trim into large florets.  Slice each floret into 1/4 inch slices and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with oil and garlic mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper.  Use clean hands to toss to coat.  Add more olive oil if needed.  Bake for 15 minutes and then toss with spatula.  Bake 10 more and then toss with Parmesan cheese.  Continue baking for 5-10 minutes until slightly golden brown on edges.

Quarter Pound Beet Burger

I tried a new veggie burger last night.  It was a beet burger.  I love beets.  My husband, not so much.  He told me one time that he thought beets were a woman thing.  He'll eat them, but that's about it.  Anyway, I made this burger and it was awesome.  My hubbie even liked them.  He's actually very easy to please.

Recipe notes: If you’d like to make these gluten-free, just use gluten-free breadcrumbs – ground up gluten-free pretzels would be ideal. And if you’d like to bake them instead, do so at 375°, 8 to 10 minutes each side, then stick under the broiler to brown them. If you’d like to use a different nut butter, I would recommend cashew or sunbutter. I used tahini and it worked great.  I think PB will be too strong, but who knows? I use a food processor to make these happen quickly, so you’ll have to do some finagling if you don’t have one. And one last tip: I keep a package of frozen brown rice handy at all times. It’s perfect for occasions like this when you just need a little bit for an ingredient.
And don’t forget the fries! Garlic Curry Fries are perfect with these. OK, it’s burgertime!

1 1/4 cups cooked, cooled brown rice (see recipe notes above)
1 cup cooked brown or green lentils, cooled, drained well
1 cup shredded beets
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon thyme, rubbed between your fingers
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel (or finely crushed fennel seed)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons very finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons smooth almond butter
1/2 cup very fine breadcrumbs
Olive oil for the pan
Peel beets and shred with the shredder attachment of your food processor, then set aside. Change the attachment to a metal blade. Pulse the brown rice, shredded beets and lentils about 15 to 20 times, until the mixture comes together, but still has texture. It should look a lot like ground meat:

Now transfer to a mixing bowl and add all the remaining ingredients. Use your hands to mix very well. Everything should be well incorporated, so get in there and take your time, it could take a minute or two.
Place the mixture in the fridge for a half hour to chill.
Preheat a cast iron pan over medium-high. Now form the patties. Each patty will be a heaping 1/2 cup of mixture. To get perfectly shaped patties, use a 3 1/2 inch cookie cutter or ring mold. Otherwise, just shape them into burgers with your hands.
Pour a very thin layer of oil into the pan and cook patties for about 12 minutes, flipping occasionally. Do two at a time if you’re pan isn’t big enough. Drizzle in a little more oil or use a bottle of organic cooking spray as needed. Burgers should be charred at the edges and heated through.
Serve immediately. But they taste pretty great heated up as well, so if you want to cook them in advance, refrigerate, then gently heat in the pan later on, then that is cool, too.  I served them on a homemade hamburger bun with spinach, dill pickles and red onions.  It was awesome.  I'll post the recipe for the whole wheat hamburger buns later.  Have a good day.  Enjoy!!!!

Sourdough Whole Wheat Bread

My Whole Wheat Sourdough Starter

Well, today was baking day.  The weather if FINALLY getting a little warmer so I decided to make a large batch of bread today so I wouldn't have to bake for a couple of weeks.  I've been doing sourdough because my husband is prediabetic and we have found that sourdough bread doesn't raise his blood sugars.

This is the recipe that I used. I actually doubled this recipe.  Well, it was probably more than double because, when I make bread, I tend to add lots of extras.  Today I added some 10 grain cereal and decided to cook it before I put it in.  But, I decided to do it after I had put all my water in.  So, I probably did 2 1/2 times the original recipe.  I got 8 loaves and 9 sandwich thins.

Beth's 100% Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
3 3/4 cups filtered water ( room temp.)
5 tablespoons honey
5 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour ( packaged is fine, though)
1 1/2 cup sourdough starter, at its peak ( whole wheat starter works best)
2 T. yeast
5 tablespoons oil
3 3/4 teaspoons salt (I usually cut that in half or use Kosher salt)
5 teaspoons bread enhancer
8 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
7-9 cups freshly milled whole wheat flour
The following can be added to substitute some of the flour. Can use all or part)
2 T. wheat germ
1 c. 9 grain cereal
1/3 c. amaranth seeds
1/3 c. quinoa (these are best ground up or cooked first)
¼ c. Pumpkin seeds
2 T. Sesame seeds
¼ c. Sunflower seeds
4 T. ground flax seeds
2 c. regular oatmeal
1/3 c. chia seeds
The afternoon before you want bread, feed your starter 1 cup water and 1 cup flour (not included in recipe ingredients). That evening, when it is all bubbly and active, combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, cover loosely, and allow to get bubbly like a fed starter does but not at it's peak yet (about 5 hours). This is essentially a sponge.
(Most of the time I just do my starter the night before and do everything else the next morning.)
Next morning add remaining ingredients. Knead until the gluten is developed can see about 6-8 min in a bread machine (not the 1 loaf bread makers). I let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.   Divide into loaves and shape, placing them into 8.5 x 4.5 greased bread pans (they will be smallish loaves). I weigh out my dough and use 2 lbs. of dough per loaf. Allow to rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minute. I use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the loaves.  I bake them until it reaches 180°. Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.

This is my bread machine.  It can make about 10 loaves of bread at a time.  When my kids were all home I made bread about once a week.  The big bowl was nice. 

This what my dough looked like after 15 minutes.

I use a kitchen scraper to divide my dough.

I then weigh out the dough.  2 lbs. per loaf

I also made sandwich thins (similar to the ones you buy at Costco).

I weighed out 3 1/2 oz. of dough, rolled them in a ball and then flattened them out on a cookie sheet.

Dough flattened out for sandwich thins.

I baked sandwich thins for 15 minutes at 350°.

Loaves raising before going in the oven.

Newspaper pots for starting Seeds

I started making these little pots a few years ago and can't tell you how many I have made.  I was really interested in a soil blocker to make individual pots.  I invested in a small one and don't really care for it.  I then decided that these little pots would work very well.
















1. Take a section of newspaper.  The colored ads don't work as well as the regular black and white sections.  They don't absorb the water was well because they have a finish on them.











2. I use my scrapbooking cutter and cut several layers at a time. 









3. I cut them about 5"x9". Fold down about 1/3 of the paper (lengthwise)










4. Take a small round container, I use a empty toilet paper roll.  You could use a spice jar too. Roll the paper around it, leaving about an inch overhang at one end where you will fold it in for the bottom. Don’t roll too tight or it will be too hard to get the tube out later:

5. Fold the bottom in, as if you were wrapping a present:

6. Tape (masking tape would have been more biodegradeable):

7. Take out the roll. Turning it right side up.
8. Repeat:



9.  Fill the pots with soil and add your seeds.  I planted a whole tray of green beans, and one of corn, and one of peas.  I have found if I start them ahead of time it gives me a great jumpstart on my garden.  Living in North Idaho I need all the help I can get. 





Pictures are from the following website:
http://littlehouseinthesuburbs.com/2009/02/newspaper-seedling-pots.html

Tortilla Making

I posted the other day about making homemade tortillas.  I found a site on the internet that shows how to do it.  http://heart-hands-home.blogspot.com/search/label/Mix%20recipes

You can make them with all white flour, part white or all whole wheat.  You can add other grains too.  What ever your family will eat and how healthy you want to be.

Our family loves Mexican food: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas--pretty much anything you wrap in a tortilla.  The cost of store bought tortillas seems to keep going up--$1.67 for 10 tortillas?!
Homemade tortillas are not only very easy and inexpensive to make (about $.25 for 10) they taste so much better than the store bought ones.

Tortilla Mix
16 C. flour (use unbleached or add up to 1/2 whole wheat)
2 Tbsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. salt (you can use a little less, but some salt really does make a difference in the flavor)
1/2 C-1C. shortening  (I like about 3/4 C. of palm shortening (no trans fat!))

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and stir with whisk to fully mix.  Cut in shortening with pastry blender or hands.  Store mix in airtight container.

To Make:

Place 2 C. tortilla mix in a bowl, making a well in the center.  Add 1/2-3/4 C. warm water, a little at a time, mixing until you have a soft dough.

Knead dough for a short time till it becomes elastic.

Cover with plastic and let it rest 10-15 minutes.

Form small balls, pull the dough around the bottom of the ball to make top smooth.  Set aside, covered with plastic wrap.

Dip dough balls in flour and roll out thinly.

Cook on preheated dry griddle until top begins to bubble, Flip and cook for about 15 seconds more.

To keep warm: stack between towels.  Wrap in plastic and store in the refrigerator.

This is the recipe I used.  I used the sprouted wheat flour because it doesn't seem to raise blood sugars and it's good for you.  You could made a bunch of this up and have it handy when you wanted to make tortillas.
WHOLE GRAIN TORTILLAS
1 c. sprouted whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. chia seeds
2 tsp. ground flax seeds
1/2 c. water
Mix dry ingredients, and add the seeds.  Add water to make a dough.  You don’t want it too sticky or it won’t roll out. Divide the dough into 3 oz. balls.  Roll out.  Cook in dry skillet until lightly brown.  This recipe made 3 8″ tortillas.
My other recipe called for baking powder, but I liked them this time without it.  I filled them with homemade refried beans.
I think the worst part of fixing dinner is trying to decide what to have.  Usually when I ask my husband what he wants I get, “I don’t care”, or “it doesn’t matter”.  Boy, he’s lots of help.  The problem is he’s so easy to please it really doesn’t matter to him.  But, last night I asked him what he wanted and he told me he wanted tomato sandwiches.  Works for me!!!!  What could be easier.  Of course, we have to use store bought tomatoes and there is no comparison to homegrown tomatoes.  You work with what you have, what can I say.
Have a good day.  Do something kind to someone.

WHITE BEAN AND RED PEPPER SALAD

I've been doing some work with Pinterest.  At first I was so frustrated with it, but, I have finally figured out how to add a Pin.  I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks.  I told my husband the other night that we were ignorant to electronics.  They were advertising smart phones on tv and all the great things you can do with them.  Never had one and can't foresee ever having one.  I never said never, but they really don't interest me.  I don't want to spend my life on the phone.  You see people with their phone to their ear all the time.  Not going to happen. 

Anyway, on Pinterest I found an interesting recipe. (Actually I found lots of them.)  Below is a picture of one of the recipes I found.  Also included are instructions on making the salad and the recipe.  Enjoy!!!  Here's the website where I got the recipe:
http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2008/07/white-bean-and-roasted-red-pepper-salad.html

Start roasting peppers on the grill, if you're roasting your own. While peppers roast, put two cans of white beans in a colander placed in the sink. Rinse the beans until no more foam appears, then let them drain.

Here are the slow roasted tomatoes (thawed overnight in the fridge) and the still-frozen basil I used to make the dressing. I thawed the basil in the microwave for about one minute.

Using a food processor, blender, or the bowl of an immersion blender, puree together roasted tomatoes, basil puree, white balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, water, and Spike seasoning. Remove processor blade and whisk in olive oil.

By now you have roasted, steamed, and peeled your peppers. Cut the pepper pieces into short strips about 1/4 inch wide.

Combine drained beans, pepper strips, and about 1/2 cup of the dressing. If making ahead, this can be refrigerated for a few hours.

Just before serving stir in chopped basil and chopped oregano, and a bit more dressing. Serve immediately.

White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Salad with Roasted Tomato-Basil Dressing
(Makes 4-6 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

Ingredients:
2 cans (15 oz.) white beans, rinsed and drained well
2 red bell peppers, roasted on a grill, or use 1-2 cups roasted red pepper strips from a jar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano (optional)
sea salt, fresh ground black pepper to taste

Dressing Ingredients:
3/4 cup slow roasted tomatoes (or use 1 can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Organic Tomatoes, very well drained (save the liquid and use to replace water in the dressing)
1/4 cup frozen basil puree (or use generous 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
2-3 T water (or tomato liquid if using canned tomatoes)
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 C olive oil
1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (if you don't have Spike I would use some other type of season salt)

Instructions

If you're roasting your own peppers, preheat gas or charcoal barbecue grill to high and follow instructions for how to roast red bell peppers on a barbecue grill, or use your own method for roasting peppers.

While peppers are roasting, dump 2 cans white beans into a colander that's been placed in the sink. Rinse beans until no more foam appears, then let drain well. (Sometimes I blot the beans with a paper towel if they still seem wet.)

While beans are draining, combine tomatoes, basil puree, vinegar, 2 T water, garlic, and Spike seasoning in food processor. Puree until ingredients are well combined, then taste to see if you want to add another tablespoon of water. Remove mixing blade and use small whisk to mix olive oil into dressing.

Cut roasted peppers into strips, then put drained beans and pepper strips into a plastic bowl. (If making ahead, use a bowl with a lid.) Mix 1/2 cup dressing into bean pepper mixture. (If making ahead, refrigerate at this point.)

Just before serving mix in fresh chopped basil, chopped oregano, and a bit more dressing. (You will not need all the dressing. See below for ideas for using it.) Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve.