Nifty Little Gadgets and Projects

This summer, as I was spending my last days in Asheville, I came to realize the joy of making things at home instead of having to go to the grocery store. Sure Pintrest could be blamed for some of this, but in reality, having seen Jeff and friends around the mountains make their own laundry detergent, bread, jams, biscuits, tomato sauce, stock, all-purpose cleaner and even crayons left me very enthusiastic about starting similar practices.  Not only are these methods more cost effective but provides a more natural/ homestead type touch.

For some time I have tried to make my own bread and I would usually have created something that looked like a crusty pancake. So one day on a whim, I mentioned to Jeff the idea of a bread maker. Yes, yes some of you might think that’s “cheating” or not the way it should be, but as I have come to find out it’s actually a very time effective tool. Back to the whim I got that one day in Durham, so with this thought, Jeff and I went to Goodwill.  After searching for less than 10 minutes Jeff yells from the other side of the store, “Hey hun!  Look what I found!” Jeff found a Black and Decker automatic bread maker for only $6.00!!!!!! Since purchasing this wonderful find, I have made many whole wheat loaves as well as dough for making rolls and pizza. Best purchase I have ever made.  For anyone who is interested in a bread maker, they are everywhere at Goodwill, for an affordable cost. I’ve had mine for over 6 months now and with no problems (knock on wood) to speak of.

Like many people, I do love a good scoop of ice cream. So 2 years ago while on a drive to the Cashiers area of the mountains, Jeff and I stumbled into a Habitat for Humanity store and found an old ice cream maker. I don’t remember the price but I will tell this, it was a delicious (pun) good deal.  Lately we’ve been using it more often. The key ingredient has been sour cream. Low-fat and about a pint each time we make it.  We use a little bit of sugar, about ½ cup or so, vanilla extract and whatever ingredient we have available. The other day Jeff picked up Rose Water from a European market. It tasted soooo good!! We have also made strawberry and vanilla as well. My hope is that we make a peanut butter and jelly or jam :) ice cream soon.

Before leaving Asheville, I took it upon myself to create my own version of one of my favorite food products…..NUTELLA. Yes folks, that’s right, Nutella, the sweet, creamy, hazelnutty goodness.  In order for this project to be made possible, a food processor is highly required. Also a warning, the hazelnuts used for this project are very expensive. I went to Earth Fare and only purchased 1 cup of the nuts for $8.00. The other ingredients were not as bad:

·         ¼ cup dark cocoa powder

·         ½ cup powdered sugar

·         ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         4 tablespoon canola oil

(When I make this again I will add some skim milk to the mix for creamier texture)

I have a confession to make, I am not the most patient person in the world. There were two aspects of this project that got the better of me. First was removing the skin from the outside of the nuts. Some were easy to get off and others… not so much. The other was straining the mixture after all ingredients were placed in the food processor. When the paste comes out it is still quite nutty and chunky. Straining the mixture took quite a bit of time. Again I think I will add some skim milk next time for a smoother consistency or use a medium sized food processor instead of a big one. The final project turned out better than I would have thought.

Another DIY project that struck my mind was the idea of canning strawberries to make jam. Since moving to Raleigh, Jeff and I have found many wonderful flea markets, one of which with affordable produce, say $1.00 for a pint of strawberries kind of good.  My mom would make strawberry jelly every summer while I was at home she would always be somewhat tightly wound up during this time honored tradition. Needless to say I picked up many strawberries, basic canning goods from Target, a container of sugar-free pectin, a recipe from Peas and Thank You and set up to make my own strawberry jam one afternoon. Honestly it was quite a stressful event. You have to sanitize oh and did I mention sanitize some more?  I was so worried about the jam not tasting right or creating some sort of food-borne illness. 4 hours of sanitizing, mixing jam and all while watching the Hunger Games and the bonus material, 4 jars of very tart and sugar-free jam were canned and displayed with joy in the cabinets and fridge of our apartment.

Overall, I do believe that I'm on my way to being a homesteader. Well, a homesteader of sorts. Today shall be a busy day of errands, home projects and studying.
"Jammin" -Bob Marley