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Next Day Popcorn

February 26th, 2019

We all have a few weird things we like, things other people think we’re crazy for preferring. One of my weird like is next day popcorn. We always make a bit extra so I can eat it the next day for lunch or a snack.

I’m not sure exactly what I like about it, perhaps it’s the slight staleness. Oddly enough, I have another friend who also prefers next day popcorn to freshly made, I guess I’m not that weird after all.

Do you have any likes/preferences other people see as a bit odd?

Lemon Vanilla Sugar

February 25th, 2019

In my efforts to clean out the freezer, last week I made a strawberry rhubarb cobbler (recipe from Sweet & Tart), it was delicious. Not only did the recipe have lots of lemon juice and zest, instead of regular sugar I used up my stock of lemon vanilla sugar. Whenever I need lemon juice but not the zest, I either freeze the zest or mix in with sugar (or salt) to preserve it for future use. When I use a vanilla bean, I rinse it off and add it to the container as well. That way, I have a delicious lemon vanilla sugar to use when making scones, pies, or other sweet treats.

All you have to do it mix the zest in with sugar (or salt if you’d like lemon salt for chicken/fish), stir, and let sit. I add vanilla beans as well, as I use them.

It’s the perfect way to make the most of the ingredients I’m buying and it makes things taste better. A hint of lemon, with a bit of bitterness from the peel, always enhances the flavor of whatever you add it to. I’ve used up my supply of sugar now, which is perfect timing because citrus is coming into season and I’ll be ordering a box of lemons soon.

What great tips do you have for making the most of the ingredients you buy?

Blizzard Breakfast

January 21st, 2019

Earlier this week I made a batch of rough puff pastry. Originally, it was supposed to be for dinner that evening, but I didn’t finish it in time. I was hoping it would a good batch, but wasn’t sure since it was my first time making any kind of a puffy pastry. I’ve been wanting to make the recipe for egg galettes from the ‘Jerusalem’ cookbook a few years ago, since I had a batch of pastry, I figured I’d give it a try.

It was well worth it, the pastry puffed nicely, the roasted red peppers and onions were perfect, and thankfully the chicken have been laying a few eggs once again to top it all off with more homeraised goodness. It’s a great recipe and would definitely be quick and easy if using store bought pastry. I was happy to have red peppers in the freezer, herbs from the basement garden, onions in the pantry, and eggs from the chickens to make it mostly produced on the farm.

What delicious goodness have you been trying/baking/eating lately?

Roasted Chestnuts

December 17th, 2018

Many years ago we harvested chestnuts from the family property and roasted them in the oven, they were good, but it was sooooo long ago. When I saw them at the local co-op, I decided to get a few for us to try again. I roasted them in the oven last night and they were delicious!

Now I need to read up on whether we can grow chestnuts here in Maine, if so, I’ll be planting a couple of trees, not only for us but for wildlife as well.

Have you ever had roasted chestnuts? What did you think?

Deviled Delights

May 15th, 2018

The chickens are laying like champs right now, which means we are flush with eggs. When you have chickens, there’s always that balance between having enough chickens to get the eggs you want in the winter and being overrun with eggs in the summer. I’d rather have a few too many than not enough, I barter with them, the dog LOVES them, and we eat a lot as well. Having a large cache of eggs, means I can take deviled eggs to events.

This past weekend, I made three different vareities: Smoked Salmon Stuffed Deviled eggs (from The Herbal Kitchen), Wasabi deviled eggs (adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe, I soaked the eggs in soy sauce for a few hours before cutting/stuffing), and my own recipe made with eggs I pickled in homemade pickle brine.



They were all a hit, everyone had a favorite, mine were the pickled ones with the little violets on top. I’ll definitely be keeping these recipes in my rotation for years to come. As always, with fresh eggs, steaming is the only way to get them to peel beautifully, here’s my blog post on how to do that.

Are you a deviled egg fan? Do you have a favorite recipe?

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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