Firestarters from Old Candle Wax and Sawdust

I am sorry that I haven't been posting as much as I would like. I have been substituting for the school Secretary while she is on maternity leave and I just haven't had the time. I will try harder to be more consistant. Hope everyone had a great holiday and are looking forward to a great new year.

My husband and I were looking to make some fire starters. I found a site at Firestarters from Old Candle Wax and Sawdusthttp://lumberjocks.com/projects/3793 and I just loved the whole project so I am including it in my blog. We have tried this and they work perfectly. Thanks Tim.

SUPPLIES LIST:

• Wax (old candles work great)
• Sawdust
• Something to melt wax in (double-boiler method is best and safest)
• Something to mold them in (paper cups, paper egg carton, cupcake cups)
• Craft paper and string if you want to wrap them.

1) Here are the materials I used. Since my wife makes candles we’ve got plenty of wax around the house – I’m using a few melting tarts, an old jar candle and some various scraps. I also have a melting/pouring pot and some votive cup molds.

2) Next, it’s time to melt the wax. NOTE: Wax is flammable (duh…) so it’s best to use a double-boiler if possible. Otherwise use low heat and keep a close watch on the wax until it’s melted.

3) After the wax is fully melted it’s time to add the sawdust, mix enough in to make a heavy sludge. It should pretty thick when mixed together.

NOTE: Pouring these can be very messy, it’s probably best to let the mixture cool down some and thicken. Then when pouring you can use a spoon or stick to make the process a little neater. I prefer to have a lot of sawdust and enough wax to bind everything together.

4) Now it’s time to mold the starters, simply pour or scoop them into whatever your molding into.

5) After a couple of hours these will setup, if you’ve used a metal mold you can pop them out now – if they stick a little you can put them in the fridge for a few minutes and they should come right out.

6) Now you can finish these if you want to. I like wrapping them in brown paper and tying the ends. You can stack these by the fire and they look nice.

7) Now when you’re ready to get a fire going just drop one of these below the wood pile. Light both ends and the center and it should burn for 15 minutes or more – plenty of time to get the fire going!

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

Tuesday Tip Day~Homemade Coconut Milk

Have you ever had a recipe that calls for coconut milk and you go to the store to find out prices are outrageous? I know because this time of the year I use alot of coconut milk. Did you know that you can make your own coconut milk right at home? It is so simple and it tastes great. Best of all you know what is in it and the price is just right. There are two ways that you can make this milk. You can either get your coconut from a fresh coconut or from dehydrated coconut shreds.

Coconut juice is the coconut water from inside the coconut– it is used for making deserts and for drinking. Coconut milk is not coconut juice—Coconut milk is made from the meat, or nut part, of the coconut—To make coconut milk just add some of fresh coconut to a blender w/ a little hot water and blend till smooth. That is the coconut milk that we pay so much for at the stores.


To make coconut milk from dehydrated coconut shreds:

1 Cup coconut shreds
1 Cup hot water
Place in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain out any leftover chunks.

If you are feeling adventurous you can get a fresh coconut and grate it using the same ratio as above.

Coconut and Chocolate Pie
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust
1 cup milk
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
1/2 cup cornstarch
7/8 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake crust for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool. In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, coconut milk and 1 cup sugar. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water. Bring coconut mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer and slowly whisk in the cornstarch. Continue stirring mixture over low heat until thickened, about 3 minutes. In a glass bowl, microwave chocolate chips for 1 minute or until melted. Divide the coconut pudding evenly into two bowls. Mix chocolate into one portion. Spread on the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the remaining portion of pudding on top of the chocolate and spread smooth. Refrigerate for about an hour. Whip cream with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Layer the cream on pie; if desired garnish with chocolate shavings.

Did you know that if you use coconut milk and place it all over the scalp and massaging it into the hair roots is also beneficial in the treatment of hair loss. It nourishes the hair and promotes hair growth. It will also leave your hair soft and shinny.

Food Storage Friday

A few years back my Sister-in-Law Dondee brought these to a family gathering. They have now become a staple in our family. They are so easy to make and best of all most of the ingredients come from our food storage.

Scotcheroos
1 cup Light Corn Syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Cook corn syrup and sugar together in a large pan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir until evenly coated.

Pour into greased 13x9-inch pan and pat into place.

Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread over cereal. Cool at least 45 minutes, or until firm. Cut into bars.


I found this video on YouTube hope it helps.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Your neighbors will think you slaved in the kitchen with these muffins. They are so good! Its like eating pumpkin cheesecake.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 24 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside. You will want this to still be rather thick and not runny. Don't over mix it.

Streusel Topping:
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Muffin batter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. I like to make a little indent in the muffin batter with a spoon. I then just add the cream cheese mixture on the top. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Best Toffee Ever

I love Christmas time. With all the smells and sounds of Christmas.

I thought about what I wanted to do for my blog this month. I came up with a few different ideas but settled on giving. I wanted to think of all the different things we can give at this season. I know that candy is one of my favorite things to make and give away at Christmas. Today I am sharing with you a simple and favorite recipe that my family makes every year. Toffee! It is so good it just melts in your mouth. It is simple and really easy to make. Don't get addicted.

2 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Perfect Pumpkin Pies

Who can't resist the smell of a freshly baked pie? Making pumpkin pie is simple and well worth your time and effort.

Pumpkin Pie:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (see below)


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Pie Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1/2 cup water

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water until mixture forms a ball. Divide dough in half, and shape into balls. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Roll out dough on a floured counter. Don't over work it. Use as directed in pie recipe.

Have you ever wondered to make those fancy edgings on your pies?

Day Before Mashed Potatoes

The Holidays can get so busy I found this recipe a few years back and I thought I would share it with you. It makes cooking on Thanksgiving morning much easier. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

9 potatoes, peeled and cubed
6 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic (optional)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, and mash until smooth. I like putting them in my mixer to make the super smooth and creamy. Mix in the cream cheese, sour cream, onion powder, salt, pepper and butter. Cover, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking dish.
Spread potato mixture into the prepared baking dish, and bake in the preheated oven about 30 minutes.

Layered Chili

This recipe is the easiest chili recipe if you want to add chili to your food storage. I can it and everything just goes into my jars in layers. It is simple and doesn't take much time. The most time consuming part is cooking the hamburger.

Layered Chili

2/3 cups dry Kidney beans rinsed

2/3 cups ground beef, browned and drained

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

dash of black pepper

2 TBS Chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I omit this)

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

2 Tablespoons tomato sauce

This recipe is for quarts. Have your jars sterilized and lids warm. I like to place my clean jars in the oven set at 225 to warm them up and to sterilize them. Place each ingredient in the jar in order. Fill remainder of jar with hot water leaving a 1 inch head space. Process at 15 lbs of pressure for 90 Min. When ready to use garnish with cheese and sour cream. Easy dinner.

Shelf Stable Magic Mix

I wanted to have a mix that was like Magic Mix that didn't require refrigeration. I have found one that I like and thought I would share it with you.

Magic Mix (no refrigeration required)

3 Cups Flour

4 Cups Powdered Milk

4 Cups Powdered Butter

2 Tbsp. Salt

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. I like using my mixer with my whisk attachment. Mix until it is well incorporated. Place in a #10 Can with a lid and place on the shelf for up to 6 months. You can use wheat flour if you would like. This will make approximately 1 gallon. You can use this for anything that calls for Magic Mix.

Tuesday Tip Day

Out of onion powder? What?

This last weekend I was making some onion soup mix and I had ran out of onion powder. I pondered on the situation and decided to grind up some dehydrated onions and see how it turned out. To my surprise it tasted wonderful. I will now make my own onion powder. This way I know what is in it and not all that added junk.

Onion Soup Mix

2/3 Cup Dehydrated Onions
1/2 Cup Beef Bullion
2 tsp. Parsley
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine Powder
2 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 tsp. Onion Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Powder (Optional)

Mix well and place in an airtight container. This mix can be used with anything calling for onion soup mix. You will learn to love it!

I did make some Alfredo sauce with my dehydrated onion powder it called for 1 tsp. I think next time I will cut it in half. So if you try this only use 1/2 of what you would normally use.

Food Storage Friday

Chicken Fried Steak

One of my favorite thing to eat in this whole wide world is chicken fried streak. I have no idea why but I love it! I love the way it tastes and the yummy gravy that comes with it. Sense I love it so much I had to learn how to make it. When I first thought of making this dinner, I thought to myself it has to be hard. I am here to tell you that it is not! If you will follow my simple recipe you too can make delicious chicken fried steak at your house.

Chicken Fried Steak:

Chopped Round Steak
Eggs
Water
Flour
Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper
Oil

The ingredients will be different for each person depending on the amount of people you are cooking for. I didnt put an amount for these. You will just need to guess and add additional flour or bread crumbs.

The first thing you will want to do is mix some eggs together. for my family of I usually use 4 eggs. Add a little bit of water (about 1/8 cup) and beat them together. I then take my chopped round steak and dip it into the egg wash. I get it coated on both sides. I have found that if I just use my hands the steak will not fall apart as easily.

I then transfer the steak into my flour. I like to put salt and peper in my four.
I use whole wheat flour that I grind fresh. Make sure that each side is coated well.

Then transfer this back into the egg wash and coat it with eggs.

Then transfer this into your bread crumbs. I like to use a 50/50 combination of Italian bread crumbs and McCormick® French Onion, Pepper & Herb Crusting Blend. The Crusting Blends are new. They have only been available for about 6 months. I have fell in love with these. They also have two other flavors.

Garlic lemon and rosemary
Italian herb and Cheese.

You will want to make sure that the meat is covered with the bread crumbs. I can smell it now.

Once your steak has been covered with bread crumbs it is ready to be cooked. I like to brown my steaks in a pain with a little olive oil for a few seconds on each side to get that brown yummy look. It is not neccisary.

Then place all the steaks onto a cookie sheet. I like to line my sheets with parchment paper for an eaisier clean up. Place in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 min. Serve with yummy mashed potatoes and brown gravy. Enjoy!

Pomegranate Salad

Every year around the holidays I look forward to all the yummy things we get to eat. One of my favorite things to eat is Pomegranates. Each year we make Pomegranate Salad. My mother started this tradition when I was just a young girl. I remember her opening them up and seeing how red and juicy they were. It has turned into our little tradition in my own family. Each year my kids seem to enjoy it even more. Pomegranates are full of antioxidants and are very good for our bodies. Best of all they taste great. We enjoy eating this for breakfast or dessert.
Pomegranate Salad

3-4 Pomegranates
2 11 oz. can of Mandarin Oranges
2 Chopped Apples
1 Can of Pineapple (any kind)
Miniature Marshmallows (optional)
Cool Whip

Prepare the pomegranates by sectioning the fruit. Remove the fruit and place into a bowl. Add oranges, apples, pineapple and marshmallows. Add Cool Whip just before serving. Enjoy.

Food Storage Friday

Taco Soup.

Who can have a food storage and not make Taco Soup. It is an all time favorite soup at our house, and my kids just devour it. I seem to not be able to make it often enough. Best of all almost everything in it comes from my food storage. I call it one of my dump and go recipes because I can just dump the ingredients into my stockpot or crock pot and practically walk away until it is done. This is my kind of recipe.

2 pounds ground beef or chicken
2 cups diced onions
2 (15 1/2-ounce) cans pinto beans or black beans
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can pink kidney beans
1 (15 1/4-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can tomatoes with chilies
2 (4 1/2-ounce) cans diced green chillies
1 (4.6-ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced, optional
1 (1 1/4-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (1-ounce) package ranch salad dressing mix
Corn chips, for serving
Sour cream, for garnish
Grated cheese, for garnish
Chopped green onions, for garnish

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chilies, black olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix, and cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese and green onions.

Magic Mix

I am going to share with you a recipe that comes from the USU Extension Office. I just love this mix. I have been using it for years to make all sorts of yummy foods. I will be using it a lot in later blogs, so have some ready. This mix does need to be refrigerated in an air tight container.

Ingredients

4 cups instant (or 2 1/3 cup non-instant) dry milk
1 cup flour or 1/2 cup cornstarch (I prefer using flour and it needs to be white flour not wheat.)
1 cup (2 sticks) margarine

Combine dry milk, flour and margarine into a large bowl and mix until it looks like cornmeal. I like to put it in my mixer with my whisk beaters. It makes it much easier and only takes about 30 seconds. Keep mix tightly covered in the refrigerator. Makes 5 cups.

I will share with your our first recipe using the Magic Mix.


White Sauce :

For thin sauce: 1/3 cup Magic Mix and 1 cup water.
For medium sauce: 1/2 cup Magic Mix and 1 cup water.
For thick sauce: 2/3 cup Magic Mix and 1 cup water.

Stir over medium heat until smooth and thick. You can also add in any spices to your white sauce to change the flavor. Try adding broth in place of water for a wonderful gravy. Yield 1 cup.

Homemade Yogurt

My family just loves yogurt. They can go through a lot in one week. Sometimes that's all they want to eat for breakfast or a snack. They each have one yogurt sometime during the day. I have found the perfect recipe for making homemade yogurt out of POWDERED MILK from my food storage. I personally buy only one kind of powdered milk. Its is Country Cream 100% REAL Instant Powdered Milk. It is known world wide as the very best Instant Milk anywhere.. It is rich and creamy and tastes so much like fresh milk. It doesn't have that nasty powdered milk after taste to it. In fact my 6 year old son prefers it to store bought milk. He always asks me "Mom is this your milk or the stores milk?" I think it is so adorable. I purchase my milk from Grandmas Country Store.

I love making homemade yogurt because I know what is in it. There is no artificial flavors or preservatives. I know it is low fat and its good for my family. It was lot easier making yogurt than I ever imagined it could be. You only need a few simple ingredients to make your own yogurt at home. This will make 1 Quart of yogurt.

• 2 Quart Sauce Pan
• Thermometer
• 3 1/2 Cup of Powdered Instant Milk ( 2 cups non instant)
• 8 Cups of warm Water
• 3/4 Cup of commercial plain yogurt with live cultures. I like to use Dannon. You will want this to sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes so it doesn't shock the milk. Or some yogurt reserve that you have already made. (it needs to be plain)
• 6-8 Half Pints or something to put the yogurt in.
• Jams or flavorings

In a saucepan I take my 8 Cups of water and add it to 1 Cup of powdered milk. I whisk it together until it is all incorporated. If I am making this into vanilla yogurt I would add 1/3 Cup of Sugar and 1 Tablespoon of Vanilla but today I just wanted plain yogurt. You will then want to scald the milk. (You don't want to boil the milk.) I bring it up to 180 degrees and it is perfect. A trick to knowing when milk is scalded, is to watch for tiny bubbles to appear around the edge of your pan. If the milk seems to raise a bit and you start to see steam you know it is scalded. Immediately remove from the heat. You will want to let this sit until it cools to 100 degrees.

While I wait for my milk to cool I prepare my jars. I like to flavor my yogurt because my family likes it better than plain yogurt. Sometimes I flavor them with fruit. Today I just took some strawberry banana jam that I had made earlier and place a few tablespoons on the bottom of my containers. Make sure that whatever you add to your yogurt is at room temperature. If it is to hot or cold it will ruin your culture and your yogurt will not turn out right.

After my milk has cooled down I will add my yogurt culture. It is very important that you add the culture when your milk is at 100 degrees. Immediately after adding the cutler and mixing together pour the milk into your jars. I like using half pints or plastic ball jars. Use whatever container that you can close tightly . If I want to make a lot of yogurt at one time. I just use a quart jar.

I have a yogurt maker because I make yogurt so much. I make it about every other day. What you don't have a yogurt maker? There are a few solutions to this. The

1. You can rap your jars in a blanket or towel and place them in a cooler for insulation to keep warm.
2. You can place them in your oven with the oven light on and this will keep it warm enough. (but remember you can't use your oven for about 10 hours.)
3. If you have a dehydrator with a heating element, you can place them inside on a shelf.
4. Place on top of a heating pad on the counter and turn it to low. Cover it with a towel.

Wherever you decide to place your yogurt you will need to leave it undisturbed for 9-10 hours. And it must say slightly warm for the cultures to grow. I like to do this right before bedtime so that my yogurt is done when I wake up in the morning. You will still need to refrigerate the yogurt for 3-4 hours before eating. It makes a great after school snack for the kids. Remember to save 3/4 cup of plain yogurt that you just made for your next batch. You should get a new culture after a couple of months to refresh your yogurt. This yogurt will last about a week in the refrigerator. If it's not eaten before then.

If you don't want to make yogurt using powdered milk you can always use store bought milk.
You cannot use Morning Moo because it is a milk substitue and not truely milk. Tip: If you find that your yogurt is a bit thin. (each powdered milk is different) Try adding a bit more powdered milk and it should thicken.