Homemade Tortillas

Today, since it was chilly in the house, I made a double batch of flour tortillas.  Last time I made tortillas, the experience ended in a rush to minor emergency for a double ear infection.  This time, the day was quieter, the process smoother.

Making tortillas first joined my list of recipes to try because the local Aldi's stopped carrying the smaller flour tortillas, and when I looked at the salt and fat content, I knew I needed to try my own.  Many websites called for tortilla presses, but they are either expensive or poorly made, and I don't need another kitchen implement that has limited uses.  Besides, the girls LOVE rolling out tortillas.

The basic recipe:

4 c. flour (I used half whole wheat and half white)

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 T. lard

1 1/2 c. water

Mix together first three ingredients.  Add lard.  I cut it in with a pastry blender, then smooshed it around in my fingers, but you could go straight too smooshing it with your fingers.

Add water, stir in.  Because my home-ground whole wheat flour can be slow at absorbing water, I mixed in the water, then let the bowl sit while I mixed a second batch before dumping onto my counter and kneading.

Start heating your skillet(s) to med high heat now.

 Add flour to the counter, then knead into a smooth ball.  It won't be stretchy, but little excess flour should be on the counter.  If the ball is sticky, stop.

Cut it into pieces.  The original recipe (whose source I lost) called for 24 pieces, but I was afraid the pieces would be too small.  I opted for 16.

With a WELL-FLOURED rolling pin, roll out each chunk until it is as thin as you want.  Mine are not perfectly round, and some are thicker than others, but they will all taste great.

Drop into the skillet.  Cook for 1 minute, then flip and cook for another minute.  Because I forget to start my skillet early enough, my first tortillas took longer than one minute on each side.

I used two skillets to speed up the process and may try the grill some time when my husband is home.

Enjoy your tortillas.  They're quite yummy!

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Homemade Chili Powder

This year, I had plenty of chilis, so I made a double batch.  If you want a smaller amount, cut the ingredients in half!

2 c. dried chilis
We use any kind of dried pepper.  The hotter the peppers, the hotter the powder.
Last year, I made a pretty mild version, using plenty of bell peppers, but, since the the peppers are fresh instead of having sat on a grocery store shelf for a while, the taste is still much stronger than I was used to from my old chili powder!  Use at your own risk.

2 t. paprika
2 T. dried oregano
4 T. garlic powder

4 T. toasted cumin seeds
(toast over medium high heat, shaking frequently)

Throw in the blender until a fine powder is formed.
Please don't open it for a little bit, or all these fine particles will be in your eyes instead of
in the blender, and you don't want that!  (Neither do I!)

On the left, remnants of last year's batch.
I used more green peppers, so you can see it has a more greenish cast.

I'm looking forward to trying it!

I *think* this is based on an Alton Brown recipe I found last year, but since I didn't note it on my recipe card, I'm just not sure!  Check out other homestead blogs on the Barn Hop at Homestead Revival.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Steven's Granola Recipe

Yum, yum, yum.  You'd be wise to make a double batch, as this won't last long!

2 1/2 c. oats (Old Fashioned, but Quick would work)
1/2 c. brown sugar*
1/3 c. nuts or sunflower seeds
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 t. spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or other)
1 t. vanilla or almond extract
1/2 c. dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, or apples)

* or 1/2 c. white sugar, 1/2 T. molasses OR 1/2 c. white sugar, 1/2 T. sorghum!

Chop large nuts and fruits down to raisin size.
Combine oats, nuts, fruit, wheat germ, brown sugar, and spices.
Combine melted butter, honey, and extracts.
Toss the oat mixture with the butter/honey mixture to coat.
Bake at 325 for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.  It's done when there is light browning around the edges.
Cool in the pan, stirring for a crispier granola or in a storage container for a chewier granola.

My personal notes:
Don't put hot granola in a storage container or... it melts.  Let it cool for at least 10-15 minutes in the pan.
Parchment paper makes quick work of cleanup.
Don't let the granola cool without stirring or you will have a tasty, rock-hard slab attached to your cookie sheet (and then you can't eat it!)

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Cloth Napkins

I have been working on some cloth napkins for the family at the Little House.  Myle had some leftover fabric from an apron project two Christmases ago, so we started with those...

1. Cotton fabric is probably your best bet.  Cut the selvedges off your fabric.  This are the stiffer edges of the fabric.  Then, fold your fabric into fourths width-wise to see how wide your napkins can be.  Usually, for me, this is 10-11", so I begin to cut squares.  These are all 10.5".  You can make your napkins bigger, but we were making these for kids, and trying to use what we had.  Also, you can make nicely rolled edges, but these seem to hold up as well, and since they aren't our "company" napkins, I don't care if they fray a little.

2. Set your machine to a wide zigzag stitch.  Zigzag around the edges of your fabric.  I find curving at the corners is easier than going all the way to each corner, turning, and trying to start again, as the machine inevitably eats them.

3.  Trim the corners.

4.  Use.  Enjoy.

Partially finished so you can see the different stages.

Before sewing.

Zigzagged.

Trimmed.

Oatmeal Snack Mix

Recipe for my younger sister, but an awesome snack for anyone, and you can lower the sugar amount a bit if you like...

Recipe from my older sister, who is an amazing cook...

I have tried doubling it, but it doesn't bake the same way, so I wouldn't recommend it.

The stirring directions once it's out of the oven are important.  Otherwise, this lovely snack will solidify into a piece of iron (er, rock-hard oats) that will taste marvelous, but be impossible to remove from the pan.  Ask me how I know!

1/2 c. margarine
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. salt (optional)
1/3 box (3 c.) square oats cereal (I think the brand is Quaker Oats)
1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats (I think quick would work as well)
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. chocolate covered raisins

Preheat oven to 275 F
Combine the first five ingredients and heat until margarine is melted.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Mix well with cereal and oats.
Put in greased 15" x 10" x 1" pan (or use parchment paper) and bake, uncovered, at 275 F for 45 minutes.  Stir every 15 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add cranberries and raisins.  Store in an airtight container.

Until next time, remember, this is not paradise.  It's Purgatory Ranch.

Enjoy.

Homemade Laundry Soap

I haven't purchased laundry detergent in more than two years, to the best of my recollections.  My mom did bring me a container of liquid store detergent a few months ago, after I sprained my ankle and wasn't up to making my own (I was trying to lie down as much as possible, in case the ankle was broken).

So, Thursday, when I descended to the basement to start laundry, I was unpleasantly surprised to see that I had used all but one load's worth of detergent.

Gathering the ingredients: I have a hand grater (used only for soap).  For one batch of soap, I need a bar of Fels Naptha or Ivory soap (just plain jane soap... no additives, no fragrances), 6 oz. borax and 6 oz. WASHING soda.  A container to hold the soap.

Grate the soap on the smallest size possible.  In the summer, the soap has a tendency to warm up in my hand and get a bit gummy.  It can always go in the freezer for a little bit to harden up again.

Mix the soap with the borax and washing soap.  Put a lid on the mixture and shake it up.  The borax and soda can kick up some fine powder, so it's easiest to mix it by shaking.

2 Tb. is enough of a big load of laundry.

And now I'm set for the next month.