Monday, August 30, 2010

Vintage Image

Baklava Recipe

Recipe Yield 3 dozen
Ingredients
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped fine nuts ( I like blanched Almonds and roasted walnuts mixed )
1 cup butter
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom (optional)
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar plus a little extra for the top
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey


Directions


1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2.Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan.
Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work.
Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.
Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts,
layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3.Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.
You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4.Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted.
Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5.Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar on the top.
Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

VARIATIONS

Instead of brushing each layer of phyllo with butter, cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds all the way through, drizzle with 1 cup vegetable oil, and let stand for 10 minutes before baking.


Persian Baklava:
Using the almonds and cardamom in the filling: Omit the lemon juice and cinnamon from the syrup
and add 1/4 cup rose water or 1 tablespoon orange blossom water after it has cooled.

Paklava(Azerbaijani Baklava):
For the filling, use 2 cups blanched almonds, 2 cups unsalted pistachios, 1/4 cup sugar,
1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Crush 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads and let steep in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter for 15 minutes
and use to brush the top sheet of phyllo.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

A seashell Flower

By Brianna from Dutch Harbor, AK

This is a gorgeous, romantic, and elegant craft which can be applied to a number of other crafts as an enhancement, although it is completely stunning on its own! The shells (if you live near bodies of water) are free, which is the best part!
Approximate Time: Depending on the size of rose you wish to make, this craft takes from 20 to 30 minutes.

Supplies:
10-15 cleaned oyster shells per rose
3 sticks round, all-temperature mini-glue sticks
1 low-temperature mini-glue gun
1 small to medium auger, nautilus, or snail shell per rose (cleaned with dish soap and water)
Optional: shiny, clear, indoor spray paint/lacquer (This makes the iridescence of the shells and their colors really shine through!)
Instructions:
Load glue gun with glue stick and plug in to warm up.
While glue gun is warming up, arrange your oyster shells from largest to smallest.
Find the two largest, (pieces are just as good as full shells) and glue ends together, so that the shells rest on your work surface opposite from one another.
Find the next two largest from the ones left, and repeat the process, only having turned your base about forty-five degrees.
Now that you have a complete base to work from, start finding the medium-sized shells, which usually have more of a curve to them, like the inner petals of a rose.
Take those and glue them after turning base another forty-five degrees, these two should angle up about twenty to thirty degrees, to mimic the opening of a rose bloom.
Rotate your rose another forty-five degrees and use 2-3 of the next smaller size shells, gluing them in at a slightly steeper angle, almost closing the bloom.
Take your snail, auger, or bit of nautilus shell and stand it upright in the middle of your rose, gluing and holding it there until it is cooled.
Once all of the rose has cooled securely, take it outside and place on a piece of cardboard. Spray with lacquer lightly, making sure to get in-between the layers of petals. (Don't go overboard, or the spray paint will loosen the glue and your rose with fall apart easily.)
Let dry as per instructions on your paint can.
Display in a nice copper bowl or hot-glue to another project such as one involving sea glass or drift wood; a mirror or vase.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Great Grand Marnier Cake Recipe

For the cake:
1 box butter yellow cake mix
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
Light Zest of 1/2 an orange

For the syrup:
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup Grand Marnier


Heat oven to 325.
Butter and flour a non-stick bundt pan. (You can always use that sick spray called Pam, but I prefer B and F--just make sure you use enough so the cake doesn't stick)
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, and Grand Marnier and zest. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
Bake the cake on the lower rack (bottom third of the oven) until a tester comes out clean, approximately 40-60 minutes.
In a medium saucepan on medium high heat, bring a stick of butter, water, and sugar to a boil. Once at a boil--stir constantly with a rubber spatula or whisk and continue to cook for 5 minutes---NO LONGER than that! (PS the syrup is dangerously hot!) Make sure you watch the mixture the entire time (one, for safety, and two, for best results). Being extra careful (the mixture will bubble wildly) add the Grand Marnier, bring to a boil again, and cook for only 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Remove the cake from the oven and with a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the warm syrup over the top. Let cool to room temperature. Invert cake onto a serving plate and serve. (PS--this cake is best made 1-2 days ahead of time).
Be sure to watch your oven and check the cake often for doneness.

Picture frame from Record

Is this not too cute.
What a fantastic idea for old records.
This great tutorial can be found
Along with many others !

The little garden Vegs

As most of you who follow me know I live in the  high dessert at an elevation of 3,200 feet and  have 60 a day growing season.
We have already dropped to 32 degrees at night and I am covering the plants every night with plastic.
When checking out what grows well here I was told you just can't grow these plants here.

The bare spot is where spinach has already been harvested.

The little garden Update

This year is our first year in the little garden.
I have been very pleased with our harvest and type of plants you can  grow here.
I was told most of them would not do well here.
We have 60 days of growing here period. We have already dropped night temps to  32 degrees on the 24 th of august and fall is setting in.
We have harvested tons of great food from the garden
Planted in mostly aged horse manure.
I harvest every third day . Beans squash, peppers, cucumbers, beets ,parsley , herbs and chard.
My favorate are the bush beans.The little plants have produced enough beans to put away for 15 meals into the freezer plus many good dinners on fresh beans.
They take up only a space 4 by 4 feet and 15 inches tall.


The Bush Bean
PLANT TYPE: Annual


SCIENTIFIC NAME: Phaseolus vulgaris
LIGHT: Full Sun
SOIL TYPE: Well-drained, deep sandy loam
pH RANGE: 6.5 - 7.5
MOISTURE/WATERING: Average
MATURITY IN DAYS: 70 - 75
KNOWN PESTS: Root maggots and cutworms
KNOWN DISEASES: Foliar disease, both fungal and bacterial

OVERVIEW:

No garden is complete without bush beans. There are many varieties of bush beans to choose from and every gardener is sure to find one to suit their tastes. Bush beans do well in almost any garden as they are not too fussy about soil.
To ensure the best flavor, bush beans should be picked while still slender and no inner bean is well developed. For fresh bush beans all summer, plant every two weeks and pick frequently.
PROPAGATION / SOWING OF BUSH BEANS:
Direct seed bush beans after risk of frost when soil warms to 18-24°C (65-75°F). Sow bush beans 1" deep and 2" apart in rows 18" (bush beans) to 24" apart (shell beans). Reseed until mid summer for a constant supply all season long. If using untreated bush beans seed, plant thicker and thin to desired density. Use Garden Inoculant at the time of planting to help boost soil fertility*.
COMPANION PLANTING OF BUSH BEANS:
Bush beans are excellent grown with most vegetables except the onion family, basil, fennel, kohlrabi.
CARE & GROWING OF BUSH BEANS:
Both bush bean types require a full sun location, soil pH of 6.5-7.5, and well drained soil. Good air circulation around bush bean plants is essential, especially for late shelling or dry type beans, as they are very susceptible to fungal diseases which prevail later in the season. Bush beans are light feeders; compost or well rotted manures worked into the soil at the time of planting is sufficient.
HARVESTING OF BUSH BEANS:
Use maturity days as an indicator. Harvest once the bush beans are smooth, firm and crisp. Keep bush beans constantly picked to ensure a fresh supply. Bean formation in the pod is a sure sign of over-maturity. Dry & Shell Beans: Harvest when the bush beans pods are completely dry and brittle. Cut or pull pods from bush bean plants and shell the beans. Store beans in an air tight container in a cool dry spot. For fresh eating of horticultural or shell beans, harvest when bean formation starts to take place within the pod.

Note: My beans are in a mixture of horse manure and sandy loam. Also mixed in a good dusting of sulfer dust to ward off  fungal diseases .
Happy gardening

Hope this helps id some of those other beans

http://www.seedman.com/beans.htm

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/beans.cfm

http://growingbeans.org/

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Fun in the Sun

Need to keep the kids entertained these last few weeks check out the fun in the sun sun glasses.
Tutorial found HERE

Old T Yarn Making

So what do you do with all those old raggy T shirts and news ones that don't fit ?
I found this cleaver tutorial with photos on how to make a simple yarn out of them.
Tutorial can be found HERE on craftpassion.com
Check out her other recycle  tutorials while your there.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

NATIVE FRY BREAD RECIPES

NATIVE AMERICAN FRY BREAD RECIPES



Traditional


1 pkg. dry yeast
3 cups warm water
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
6 cups flour
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup cornmeal


Dissolve yeast in warm water then add salt and sugar.
Let stand for 5 minutes covered with a towel.
Add flour and oil to liquid mixture. Mix and put on
floured bread board and knead until mixture is smooth.
Put dough in a greased bowl, cover with towel and
let it rise for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from bowl and put
on bread board, knead in the 1/2 cornmeal.
Make dough into 2 balls rolling each into 12 inch
circles 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 2 inch squares and drop
into hot cooking oil. (Works best with cast iron skillet.)
Fry 5 to 6 pieces at a time for only a few moments.
Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with white powdered sugar.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blackfeet


4 cups flour
1 Tbsp. powdered milk
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
11/2 cups warm water
Oil for frying

Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly. Add water.
Knead until soft, then set aside for one hour.
Shape into small balls. Flatten each ball into
a circle with or rolling pin or by hand.
Fry in a skillet half-full of oil until golden
brown on both sides.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Creek


2 cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Sift flour,salt and baking powder then add milk
and more flour to make dough stiff. Roll out onto
floured bread board and cut into 4 X 4 squares
with a slit in the center. Fry in hot cooking oil
until golden brown. Drain on plate with paper towels.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cherokee


1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup milk


Mix ingredients adding more flour if necessary to
make a stiff dough. Roll out the dough on a floured
board till very thin. Cut into strips 2 X 3 inches and
drop in hot cooking oil. Brown on both sides.
Serve hot with honey.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chickasaw


2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup warm milk
Stir first three ingredients then stir in the beaten egg.
Add milk to make the dough soft. Roll it out on
floured bread board, knead lightly. Roll dough out
to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into strips 2 X 3 inches and slit
the center. Drop into hot cooking oil and brown
on both sides. Serve hot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pumpkin Fry Bread
Add the following to the ingredients shown above to make Pumpkin Fry Bread
2 cups fresh pumpkin or 1-16oz. can pumpkin
1 tbsp. milk or water
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Drop into hot cooking oil and brown on both sides. Serve hot with butter or powdered sugar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Old Fashioned


4 cups flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup warm water


Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add
in the shortening and water. Add only enough
water to make dough stick together. Knead dough
until smooth, make into fist-sized balls. Cover them
with a towel for 10 minutes then pat them out into
circles about the size of a pancake.
Fry in hot cooking oil in cast iron skillet until brown
on both sides. Drain on paper towels, serve with jam.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Navajo #1


1 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 C powdered milk 1/4 t salt
warm water
Combine the ingredients and slowly add enough warm water
 to form dough. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it
is smooth soft and not sticky. Cover and let rest 1 hour.
Shape into small balls and pat into flat circles about
1/4-1/2 inch thick. Set aside.In skillet, heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil.
Brown dough circles on each side and drain on paper towels.
Serve with chile beans and your favorite taco toppings
for"Navajo Tacos."

Navajo #2


3 cups unbleached flour, sifted

1/2 cup dry powdered milk

1 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup warm water or milk
2 quarts oil for deep frying

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl
and kneaduntil smooth and soft, but not sticky.
 Depending on the altitude and humidity, you may
need to adjust the liquid or the flour, so go slowly
 and balance accordingly. Be careful not to overwork
the dough, or it will become tough and chewy.
Brush a tablespoon of oil over the finished dough
 and allow it to rest 20 minutes to 2 hours in a bowl
covered with a damp cloth. After the dough has rested,
heat the oil in a broad, deep frying pan or kettle
 until it reaches a low boil (375º). Pull off egg-sized
balls of dough and quickly roll, pull, and path them
 out intolarge, plate-sized rounds. They should be thin
in the middle and about 1/4 inch thick at the edges.
Carefully ease each pieceof flattened dough into the
hot, boiling oil, one at a time.
Using a long-handled cooking fork or tongs, turn
the dough one time. Allow about 2 minutes cooking time per side.
When golden brown, lift from oil, shake gently to
remove bulkof oil, and place on layered brown paper or
paper towels to finish draining.Serve hot with honey, jelly,
fine powdered sugar,wojape, or various meat toppings.
Hint:
The magic is in frying the bread quickly!
The hotter the oil, the less time it takes to cook.
The less time it takes to cook, the lighter the texture
and lower the fat content.
----------------------------------------------------------


Osage


4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp and a half baking powder

1 tablespoon melted shortening
2 cups warm milk
Shortening for deep frying

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into bowl.

Stir in shortening and milk. Knead the dough into a ball.
Roll out dough on lightly floured board.
Cut into diamond shapes and slice a slit in the center.
Heat shortening in deep fryer to 370 degrees.
Fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown on both sides.
Drain on paper towels.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seminole



2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk


Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add milk gradually
making sure the dough is stiff. Put on floured bread board
and pat it out with your hands until it is 1/2 inch thick.
Cut into strips with a slit in the center.
Fry in hot oil until both sides are golden brown.

Beaded Belt

Beaded Belt


Pony Bead Pattern
You need:

--256 Pink Pony Beads
--256 Purple Pony Beads
--144 Black Pony Beads
--1 Lanyard Hook
--¾" Metal Ring
--6 Yards 1/4" Satin Ribbon


Basic Instructions:
Fold your ribbon in half to find the center. Use a half hitch (see detail below) to secure it to lanyard hook. Lace beads using pattern at right as a guide. Finish by tying off with a double knot.

The Pow Wow

For many years the hubby and I have attended the local Native Pow Wows.
Our friend JJs Aunt Pauline Bell Riggs is the founder of the Selitz Pow Wow grounds. She was a fine woman and dearly missed.

We were there for grand entry and the royalty ceremony.
The photo is outgoing royalty and the young woman in the dark purple has served 14 years .Her name is Jennifer Easter and part of JJ's family. Grand entry is where everyone comes in flag ceremony and national anthem is song. Prayer follows.
We enjoyed the grand entry and dancers, the fancy and grass dancers are my favorite and always a joy to see them dance.

This weekend is followed up by next weekend in Grandronde at spirit mountain casino.
http://www.grandronde.org/
I did miss this year the quality of venders that usually attend the event. There were allot of cheap jewelry and foreigners food venders this year.

Evan so everyone should attend at least once in there life.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Zipper Necklace Link

Ok We have had the zip flower so why not a great necklace to go akong with it.
Found by Donna on the Chat board this great zipper Necklace.
tutorial found HERE

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Light Bulb Birds

Light bulb birds
Who would have thought how cute these are.
The photos and tutorial were sent by Donna on the chat board to this site.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Orange Lime Pie with Meringue Topping

Orange Lime Pie with Meringue Topping
Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2008 The food network
I have not tried this recipe yet but it looks good.
Let me know if you try it out.
Ingredients

18 cinnamon graham crackers, broken up
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
4 eggs, separated
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 orange, zested
1 lime, zested
1/4 cup sugar
Special equipment: 8-inch springform pan, food processor, stand mixer


Directions :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. with the rack in the middle of the oven. In a food processor, pulse crackers until crumbly. Slowly drizzle in butter while pulsing until crumbs are moist but still crumbly. Press mixture into a springform pan using the bottom of a measuring cup. Make sure the crust goes at least 1-inch up the sides. Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together egg yolks, milk, lime and orange juices and zests. Pour into crust and bake until pie sets, about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Preheat broiler. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Slowly add sugar until meringue turns glossy. Increase the speed and continue whisking until meringue holds medium soft peaks. Top pie decoratively with meringue. Broil in the middle of the oven until meringue begins to brown on the top, about 3 minutes.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Cricut Creation Kristens Stool

This was made with a cricut buy Joesmom for her grandbaby.

Darling stool found over on the Chat forum made of Dust tape ?