Scottish Shortbread

This is the easiest cookie/dessert to make, ever.  And they will make you look good, in the bargain!

You'll need a shortbread pan something like this:

They can be gotten here or here, or try yard sales and second hand stores.

And for fun, this a great website for looking at pan designs and finding recipes.

However, they don't sell the pans.

Okay, here's the recipe:

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour

Yep, that's IT!  Amazing how flour, butter and sugar make amazing tasting goodies.  I think every country has their own version of this kind of cookie.

Now, for the flour part, you have to get the feel for the dough.  If I'm using all purpose flour, I use 2 Tablespoons less than a full cup.  If I'm using pastry flour, I use the full cup.  If I'm using half wheat flour and half gluten-free flour blend, then I try 1/2 cup each and then play with it.  If I'm using just gluten-free flour blend, I start with a cup and then see if it needs to be a bit denser.  So.  Once you get the flour amount figured, it's easy-peasy!  The dough needs to be stiff but not dry.  If it's dry, it will fall apart.  If it's too wet, it doesn't bake up well.

I usually make at least a double batch and I use my food processor.  I have been known to make 10 batches at a time in my Bosch.  That's fun.

So, add the butter and sugar to the food processor and process until smooth.  Then add the flour and process until it forms a ball that runs around with the blade.

Grease the shortbread pan with melted butter, but don't get it on too thick.

Press the dough into the pan using your hands and pushing down on it pretty well so the dough goes into all the pretty little indentations of the mold.

Bake at 325* for about 30 minutes.  I usually let it go a bit longer in my oven until the top is really golden brown.  If it is underbaked, the dough will stick to the mold and all the beauty of the design is lost.  I've had that happen too many times, and it's disappointing.

Take it out of the oven, loosen the side edges with a knife and then let it cool in the mold for ten minutes.

Take a cutting board and lay it over the top of the mold, then flip the whole thing over and lay it on the counter.  Carefully lift the mold and then drop it on the cutting board to pop the cookie loose. Then remove the mold completely.

Cut the shortbread on the cutting lines built into the mold and then cool on a cooling rack.

My family likes them while they are still warm, but they also freeze well. I've done that for wedding receptions in the past.

Enjoy!

DIY Dishwasher Soap

Because I have what is called Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (or MCS), I have to be really careful about scented and perfumed products.  I make a lot of what we use for cleaning and body care.  And what is so cool is that the home-made stuff usually works way better than store-bought, and it's way cheaper!

Dishwasher Detergent

1 cup Borax
1 cup Washing Soda
1/2 cup Citric Acid
1/2 cup Sea Salt (for scrubbing action)

Mix all of it together and store in a plastic bag or a jar of some sort.

The citric acid can make the mix clump up, but it works fine anyway.  If the clumps bother you, you can leave the mixture out on the counter for a couple of days, stirring it several times each day.  That should take care of getting rid of the problem.

I get Borax and Washing Soda at WalMart.  Citric Acid through Azure Standard, and Sea Salt at Trader Joe's.

If you're looking for a rinsing aid, filling the appropriate cup in your dishwasher with white vinegar will do the trick.  Way cheaper than buying a brand name.

My source for this recipe is DIYNatural.com

"Cream" of Vegetable Soup

This is a wonderful soup for fall.  I freeze some of the summer's bounty of zucchini and yellow squash so I'll have some for this soup after the warmth of the season has fled.

1 sweet onion, or a leek, peeled or cleaned and chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
4 Tablespoons butter (or olive or coconut oil)
2 pounds of potatoes, scrubbed and chopped.  I leave about half of the skins on.  I most often use Russets, but Yukon Golds or Red Potatoes are awesome.
2 quarts chicken broth
Several sprigs of fresh thyme tied together
4 summer squash (zucchini, yellow crookneck, etc.) sliced
Sea salt
Sour Cream or creme fraiche

Saute the onions or leeks and the carrots in the butter or oil until they are very soft.

Add the sauteed veggies to a stock pot, along with the chicken broth and potatoes, and bring to a boil.
Skim the foam and then reduce the heat and add the thyme sprigs.
Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft.
Add the summer squash and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until it is tender.

Remove the thyme.

Puree the soup with a stick blender.

Add water if the soup is too thick.

Season to taste.

Serve topped with sour cream or creme fraiche.

Fermented Salsa

This has great flavor and is wonderful for your gut, as well.  As a probiotic food, it adds good bacteria to your intestinal tract and helps battle gut flora imbalances.  Using produce from your own garden or a local
organic farmer's market is ideal.

8 Roma tomatoes
1 large green pepper (if you like hot salsa, feel free to use hot peppers instead)
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup lemon/lime juice
1/4 cup whey
2 teaspoons sea salt

Peel the tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water and slipping the skins off.
Dice the tomatoes.
Mix the tomatoes, onions and garlic together and put into a quart jar.   Press down gently with a wooden meat hammer, or tap gently on a towel folded on the counter top to get the contents condensed in the jar. Fill only to within an inch of the top.
Add the salt to the top of the jar, then pour the whey and lemon/lime juice over the mixture.
If necessary, add enough filtered or well water to cover the tomato mixture.

Cover tightly with a canning lid and keep at room temperature for about 2 days before transferring to the fridge.

Cilantro-Lime Rice

This is inspired by Chipotle.  Combined with the Awesome Black Beans and some fermented salsa and guacamole, it's a great meal.

2 cups organic white basmati rice
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 Tablespoon salt
Juice of 1 small lime
2-4 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro

Bring the rice, water and salt to a boil, reduce heat to low and steam until the rice is tender, 30 - 40 minutes.

Fluff the rice with a fork and then add the lime juice and cilantro, mixing it gently until well combined.

Awesome Black Beans

I love black beans, and when I found the basis for this recipe, I was really happy.  It's so easy and they are so good.  They'll give Chipotle a run for their money!


5 cups organic black beans, soaked for 24 hours with 2 Tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar and enough water to cover by 3 inches.

1 medium sweet onion or 5-6 green oninons
Several cloves of garlic
A bunch of cilantro
Salt to taste

Drain beans and rinse well.

Put them in a stock pot and add enough water to cover them by about an inch.
Bring them to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.

Meanwhile, chop up a sweet onion and saute it in butter until carmelized.
Or, if you have trouble with bulb onions, use 5 or 6 green onions, sliced up, and just throw them in the pot without cooking them first.

Mince the garlic and toss that in the pot, too.

Chop the cilantro and add half of it to the pot.

Simmer the beans, etc. until the beans are tender and most of the water is absorbed.  If they get too dry, add a little more water.  When they are done cooking, you want the mix to be loose, but not watery.

At the end of the cooking, add the rest of the cilantro and salt to taste.  Don't add the salt until the end of cooking, or the beans will be tough.

I serve these over rice with salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Refried Beans

I serve these with Chicken Tortilla Casserole and Mexican Red Rice.

A very easy way to make refried beans.  No mess, no fuss.

4 cups organic pinto beans, soaked for 12 - 24 hours in 2 Tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar, whey or lemon juice, and water to cover by 3 inches.

Drain the beans and rinse well.

Cover with fresh water by about and inch in a large soup pot.
Bring to a boil, skim the foam, reduce heat and simmer for as long as it takes the beans to get tender. Usually it's about an hour for me.  If the water gets low and the beans are getting dry, add more water.  When they are finished cooking, you want the mix to be loose, but not watery....not so you could drain the beans, but so the water has mostly been absorbed into the beans, but not quite completely.

After they have reached the tender stage, add 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 cup coconut oil.  Don't add the salt until the beans are done or they'll get tough.

Mash them a bit with a potato masher and then either use a stick blender or food processor to take them to the "refried" consistency.

If you like them seasoned and/or spicy, you can add onion and/or garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, or what-have-you.

I serve these from the stove, or bag them in zip-loc bags and put them in the freezer for future use.