Making and Canning Broth

Soups and stews are staples in our fall and winter menus. I find them so warm and satisfying on a chilly day. It also helps that they are frugal menu choices, in most cases, and can be made from what you have on hand. That is my kind of cooking!

A good soup starts with a good broth. Making your own broth is a healthy and economical alternative to purchasing canned broth for your recipes. It also is very easy.

It is hunting season around here, and frequently you will find a pot of venison bones simmering on my stove. Those "leftovers" from the meat processing will become the base of many body warming soups over the winter months.

You don't have to have a hunter in the family though, to make your own broth. Making broth is easy, and can be done with any meat. I most often make venison broth, but often I make chicken broth. To make chicken broth, I roast a chicken one night for dinner, and the next day use the carcass to make broth.

Place the bones in a large stockpot. Cover them with water. Cover the pot and simmer until the broth is to your liking. Larger pieces, like venison, will take longer. Those will need to simmer for three to four hours. Smaller pieces, like chicken, only need an hour or less. Remove the bones. It is not essential, but I often will also strain the broth at this point. Meat that remains on the bones, or that is caught in the strainer, can be picked off and added back into the broth. Allow the broth to cool. When the broth has cooled skim off the fat.

Many cooks will add spices and vegetables to the simmering pot to enhance the flavor of the broth. I do not. I make a simple broth, and then add spices and flavorings when I use the broth later.

If you have made a large batch of broth, it is easily preserved. It can be frozen in freezer containers, or it can be canned. I prefer canning for the ease of use later. Broth should be pressured canned at 11 pounds pressure. Pints need 20 minutes, while quarts need 25 minutes.

Making your own broth is a very easy procedure. The time involved is almost entirely for simmering, and the end result is so much better than buying broth in a can. I encourage you to give it a try!

Many soups in my home start with this basic broth, but my favorite jump start to soup is starting it with canned stew meat. Check here next Thursday for more on that!

Carnival #141

This week the carnival can be found at Gotta Little Space. Thanks to Rina for hosting this week! Here are a few of my favorites:

The Wonder of Green Smoothies
Fruits and veggies all blended together in a yummy drink, or so Sarah claims. Interesting....

Homemade Applesauce Muffins
I have quite a bit of applesauce from this season. These muffins sound like a delicious way to use my sauce.

Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup
This sounds like a delicious variation of an old favorite.

Thank you for joining us this week!

Home Roasted Peanuts - MMM good!

Roasted peanuts of any flavor are usually more expensive than their plain unsalted non-roasted counterparts. For this reason I choose to roast my own peanuts at home. I get the gourmet flavor without the gourmet price tag which comes in really handy during the holiday party season!

Honey Roasted Peanuts

• 2 c unsalted non roasted peanuts - already shelled will make it easier but if you're determined to do it super cheap and are really motivated then shell away ;)
• 2 tbs honey - just eyeball it
• salt - to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Mix honey, salt, and peanuts in a bowl with a wooden spoon until the honey and salt evenly coat the peanuts. Spread peanuts in a single layer on the parchment lined baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to completely cool. Stir with wooden spoon to break peanuts apart. Store in airtight container.

Tips

• You can sprinkle with salt after removing from the oven. It turns out well either way.
• Be sure you use PARCHMENT paper not WAX paper. Parchment paper does not burn in the oven and is non stick while wax melts and can burn if placed in a hot oven.
• Give it a gourmet flair with a sprinkle or paprika, ground red pepper flakes, garlic powder, ground Italian spices, cinnamon, allspice, or other spices.
  

Jenn also blogs about crafts, recipes and other home projects at Frugal Front Porch.

A little girl's headband

Kellie is a mom, wife, tree-hugger, and Martha Stewart wannabe. She blogs regularly at Greenhab: The Browns Go Green and the Green Phone Booth.

I've been mom to a boy for 4 years now, but just recently became mom to a little girl. There are so many cute things out there for little girls - clothes and shoes and purses and accessories - I can hardly stand it. This is definitely where Doting Mom and Environmentalist don't mix very well. I'd love to go right out and buy every adorable thing I see, but it's just not the environmentally responsible thing to do - not to mention that times are a bit tight. But throw a little Crafter in the mix and you have a winning combination!

My little girl Macy is growing out her hair right now. It had been shaved at one point and I think it's super cute short but, like every little girl, she wants long, flowing hair. Needless to say we've been using lots of clips, rubber bands and head bands. I thought for her Christmas stocking I'd whip up a bunch of headbands with elastic that will actually stay on her head.

Here's how I made them. I'd urge you to measure the head of the person you're making this for and use those measurements, not mine!

Materials: scrap fabric, elastic.

Cut scraps for the headband: A front and back (Same fabric, or coordinating so that it can be reversible). I measured from behind one ear, over my head, to behind the other ear and added 1/4 inch to each end for seam allowance. I made mine 3' wide (plus seam allowance), but would recommend a small width for children.

Cut your elastic. This time I measured from ear to ear, under my head, pulling it so that it's snug but not too tight.

Cut a scrap to make the casing for the elastic. You'll want to take the length of the elastic and add about 4 inches to get your casing length (Ex: my elastic was 9 inches + 4 inches to allow for stretch = 13 inches long). I made the casing piece 2.5 inches wide.

Once your pieces are all cut, you'll put the 2 headband pieces right sides together and sew both of the long sides. Turn right side out, press. Turn each end in 1/4 inch and press.

Fold the casing in half, press, sew, turn right side out, press. Then, using a safety pin, thread the casing with the elastic. Be sure not to let the elastic slip back inside.

Finally you'll insert each end of the casing/elastic into the open ends of the headband. I folded in the corners so that the ends were about the same width as the elastic casing, then sewed it all shut.

I wanted this to have a gathered look where it was wide at the top, then gathered more towards the ears. Unfortunately that just didn't work well with the fabric I used, which was fleece. (Good thing I have a lot of fabric scraps to practice with!) Next time I'll cut the headband fabric so that it's wider at the top (middle) and more narrow towards the ears.

Here's the finished product. I was having a hard time modeling it and taking the photo, so Macy modeled it for me. You can see here that it's a bit too wide for a child's head, but I thought it looked like a good size on me. I'll be making hers more narrow.


I can't wait to make some of these in coordinating prints and solids so that they're reversible. You could also use a ribbon to tie it closed instead of elastic. I thought elastic would be best for my little girl since she's not tying bows herself quite yet.

Make it From Scratch Thanksgiving

Three weeks to Thanksgiving..... THREE WEEKS! It is time for the procrastinating hostesses, who have barely given a thought to the mass of people that will be at her house for a Thanksgiving feast in just THREE WEEKS, to get with it and start making a plan. Oh yes, my name is right at the top of that list!

To help us (and mostly I mean myself) get a move on, MIFS contributor Jenn and I have pulled together previous Thanksgiving posts found here, Frugal Front Porch and Stop the Ride. Here is a little Thanksgiving inspiration for us all (me!)

The Plan
If you are hosting Thanksgiving at your house, there is so much to do. You'll want to have a clean house, and there are of course all the food items to prepare. It can't all get done the day before. You need a plan of attack. Here are some ideas:

Thanksgiving Day Game Plan
Pulling Off a Thanksgiving Feast

The Recipes
Oh my favorite part!

The main dish.
Roasting the Turkey

Sides
Cranberry Sauce
Stuffing
Potatoes and More!
Fried Green Beans

Breads
Homemade Rolls
Homemade Biscuits

Dessert
Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Pie made from a Pumpkin
Mason Jar Peach Cobbler
Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

Leftovers
Mmm.... Leftovers
Beans and Rice with leftover ham.

Decor
Makin' it all look pretty and festive!
Decorative Pumpkins.


Three weeks really is plenty of time to make and execute a plan for Thanksgiving. (Even if I did panic a little when I realized Thanksgiving was so close!)




top image credit: Lawrence OP

Carnival #140 - From A - Z

Welcome to this week's edition of the Make it from Scratch Carnival. Make it from Scratch is all about making things for yourself. Sometimes we make things for the sake of frugality, and sometimes to express creativity. Often making something from scratch is a combination of both. You just never know what you may find in this carnival. Sometimes everything from A to Z!

A
A little bit of this and a little bit of that. That is how I cook. Sometimes it turns out quite well, and worth trying to remember. Black Bean Chili is posted at Make It From Scratch.

B
Butternut Squash Risotto: Transcendence in a Bowl is posted at Cheap Healthy Good. Kris promises us that it is creamy and rich beyond it's calorie count. Oh it looks good!

C
Corn and Molasses Bread is posted at Condo Blues. This would go great with my chili.

D
Dreaming of Spring is posted at Beading Arts. Just because it is chilly outside doesn't mean we can't look to spring.

E
Elderberries can be a challenge for novices to the berry. Elderberry experiments posted at Stop the Ride.

F
Frugal? Simple Llama knows frugal. DIY iPhone Scanner posted at Simple Llama.


G
Garden tomatoes are just the best thing ever. I miss mine already. Wren Caulfield is using hers to make Homemade Pico de Gallo with Garden Tomatoes posted at True Adventures in Money Hacking.

H
Homemade Pizza is one of our favorite family meals. Gramma Greenjeans' Homemade Pizza looks delicious. It is posted at Better Gardens than Home.

I
I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream.
No, actually, drooling would better describe my reaction to Mrs. Accountability's Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Recipe | Out of Debt Again posted at Out of Debt Again.

J, K
Kara presents Homemade Candy Corn posted at An Hour In the Kitchen. I can only imagine that these must be divine!

L, M
Mansef: A Middle-Eastern feast dish is posted at Funny about Money. A little lamb and a lot of spice all put together in the crockpot. I am so trying this recipe!

N, O
October Harvest Soup is posted at Local Nourishment using what is in season to create something delicious.

P
Plarn. Not sure what that is? Check it out! Plarn Plastic Bag Keeper posted at My Recycled Bags.com.

Q
Quick breads are often the way to go, especially if you have a time crunch. Cranberry Oat Knots - A Quick Rise Yeast Bread sound quick and delicious. You'll find it posted at Making My Own Luck.

R
Rice and crockpot. Two of my favorite food things. Lizzie presents Spanish Rice in the Crockpot posted at A Dusty Frame.

S
Sausage, Swiss Chard & Potatoes Casserole posted at Family Balance Sheet. Love this flavor combination!


T
Tomato Soup is posted at Gotta Little Space. Homemade tomato soup is out of this world. Makes the stuff I grew up on taste like cardboard.

U, V
Vickie presents Chocolate syrup posted at Cooking with Vickie.

W
Whole Wheat Croissants redoux (Carnival of Super-Foods) is posted at The Titus 2 Homemaker. Oh croissants, yummy!

X,Y,Z
Zucchini Carrot Muffins is posted at Fortuitously Frugal. There have been so many wonderful Zucchini recipes this year! Think I need to pull some zucchini out of the freezer and get baking.

I hope you enjoyed this week's carnival. Next week our hostess is Rina at Gotta A Little Space. Please submit your post with the Blog Carnival Form.

The Flu & You!!!

The flu bug has officially hit my house. My oldest son, J-Man, started showing symptoms of the flu over the weekend. I am not a germ-a-phobe but thought it prudent to remind all the MIFS readers of some simple steps to reduce your exposure to the seasonal and H1N1 flu as well as what to do if you find yourself sick.

The image to the right is a microscopic view of the H1N1 flu virus.

Prevention Tips

1. Wash your hands often with regular soap and water while you sing 'Happy Birthday' to yourself. This ensures you are washing long enough to kill any germs that can make you sick. Studies have shown antibacterial soap doesn't work any better than regular hand soap. It's the time you spend washing your hands that has the largest impact on removing germs.
   
2. Try not to put your hands or other objects to your face. Kids do this far more often than adults but I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself nibbling on the end of my pen while in deep thought.
3. Disinfect toys and hard surfaces at least once a week or more often if you have lots of visitors. Soak plastics in a solution of hot bleach-water for approximately five minutes and rinse with clean water for best results. You can also use alcohol or hydrogen peroxide mixed with water to disinfect hard surfaces. For larger items, use a weak solution in a spray bottle, leave for a few moments then wipe down to avoid damage to wood or other similar surfaces.
   
4. Wash soft surfaces in hot water and/or with bleach. If the item can't be washed, toss them into the dryer for twenty minutes to kill as much bacteria as possible. If this isn't a possibility then try spritzing with a disinfecting spray (test on an inconspicuous area for colorfastness).
5. Avoid highly populated areas if there are high numbers of the bug being reported in your area. If you find yourself in an area with a high number of sick people, wear a protective mask to reduce your exposure and wash your hands as soon as you leave the area!
6. If you or someone in your home gets sick PLEASE stay home until you are fever free without fever reducers for 24 hours or according to your school or work's wellness policy. This will help reduce the spread of seasonal and H1N1 flu. I believe this is how J-Man caught it. My husband's friend brought his sick girlfriend over last Wednesday and just days later, J-Man is coughing with a fever!

What to do if you are sick?

• Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration is the enemy and usually the largest reason for ER visits.
• Get tons of rest.
• Keep the fever low. Take a cool bath or shower, wet wash clothes around the neck, take fever reducers as indicated will help regulate your temperature. If you can't keep your fever under control, call a doctor or visit the ER. Dangerously high fevers can kill!
• Cover your mouth with your elbow when you cough to prevent spreading germs through hand to hand contact.
• See or talk to a doctor about taking an Antiviral to reduce the length of your illness. The sooner you get on Antivirals, the more effective they are against the flu.

Check out Flu.gov to learn more about seasonal flu and H1N1 flu prevention, treatment and vaccine in the US.