Redmond RealSalt

My dear friend, Jackie, asked me to post about my use of sea salt, as opposed to iodized table salt. I suppose I should make a disclaimer by stating that my use of sea salt is based on none other than the testimonies of other like-minded individuals, and a little of my own rationale. I prefer any food that I take to be minimally processed, salt being no different. Some sea salts are not as heavily processed as table salt, so they retain trace minerals that are usually removed in the refining process (a health benefit!). Also, most commercial salt manufacturers add iodine (which we get enough of already due to the highly processed American diet) or anti-caking additives like silica or bleaching agents. Since I've been using Redmond Sea Salt for four years, I have developed a discriminating palate. Commercial iodized salt actually tastes bitter to me now. Also, with Redmond RealSalt, I don't have to use as much, which means my sodium intake is naturally decreased. There are many forms of sodium that will raise blood pressure and cause edema (fluid retention) if you have issues with those things, sea salt included. However, based on testimonies, sea salt seems to have less of an adverse effect. Still, as in all things, moderation.

Lastly, salt is essential to life. Our blood is made up of 0.9% saline, which is why it is given via I.V. infusion to normally increase blood volume in ill patients. God amazingly designed our bodies! Sea salt soaks are recommended for a variety of ailments and wound healing. It is a effective treatment for psoriasis and eczema, and well known for its cleansing properties.

Try it!

Egg blessing!

I received a phone call from a friend tonight that she was on the way home from the nearby dairy farm with milk...and 15 dozen eggs that the farmer offered to her. FOR FREE! I love free, and I love farm fresh eggs. So many people have a difficult time imagining me as a Florida farm girl, but I was for three years, just to try it out and have access to food where I could control its integrity. It was a fun hobby, but a lot of work. My chickens were my favorite. It was always a thrill to go out and lift the fanny of a hen to find an egg. I know, it doesn't take much to excite me.

Imagine my excitement to crack open some of those FREE eggs tonight and notice that they were all double yolked eggs. Betcha' never see those from the grocery store!

I am making big plans for my FREE eggs. Currently, I have four loaves of pumpkin-zucchini bread in the oven. The house smells like a farm house, the air laced with pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mhmmm.

Tomorrow I will make popovers. If you've never experienced a popover (hollow puffy rolls), you should!

Also, eggs can be whipped up and frozen, defrosted for use in a later recipe. For convenience, I freeze the eggs in two-egg portions.

Yes, this was an egg blessing! They will be put to good use!

My, how spoiled I have become

My bread machine paddle is missing. This has happened before, many years ago. I most likely pitched it out by accident with the end of a loaf. When this happened 5 years ago, I was able to buy an identical bread machine at a local thrift store for $5, from which I scavenged the paddle. Pretty thrifty, considering that a new paddle from a parts warehouse would have cost $20 plus shipping!

I am in the same position again, except that my bread machine is now 15 years old, and I have to wonder if I should just replace the entire unit. I used to see them all the time at thrift stores, or yard sales, but not so much now that I am looking to buy. And I am spoiled. I have a Kitchenaid with a dough hook, and I have the stoneware baking pans. The only problem with that, is that I have to heat up the entire oven to make it the old fashioned way, and I have to be here to babysit the loaf.

So, what should I do? Replace with another machine, or buy a paddle for $20, or just buckle down and do it the old fashioned way?

Or...should I delegate the job to Jordan, who has taken a fancy to bread making?

It takes very little to excite me

See? And I AM excited! There is nothing that compares to cooking with fresh herbs, and I usually buy them already lopped off the plant at Publix. For years, I have wanted my own herb garden or at least a garden window over my kitchen sink to have my own supply of fresh herbs readily at hand. This is even better, considering that I paid only $6.50 each for these herb gardens in a pot. The pot on the left contains rosemary, parsley, oregano, mint and basil. It is so fragrant smelling, I wish technology could support scratch and sniff blogging! The second pot contains sage, lemon thyme, garlic chives, rosemary and dark opal basil (that's the purple, large leafed plant). I don't want to move them from their temporary home on the kitchen table, but they need full sun so they will have to be moved to the back deck where I keep my container gardens.

How did I get these so frugally? Our local garden center, Holcomb's, issues Bonus Bucks throughout the year for purchases made at their store. Customers earn 10% back in Bonus Bucks for every purchase. Then, for five days in June, you can shop and redeem your Bonus Bucks for up to 50% off your purchase. Example: these herb gardens were $12.99 each times 2. The total sale was $26 and some tax, for which I paid $13.xx in cash and $13 in Bonus Bucks. This is one of my happiest frugally purchases ever, I feel like a kitty that found the catnip!

Recalled tomatoes

...and a recipe for Black Bean Salsa that does not use those recalled tomatoes.

I was in Publix tonight looking for more of those wonderful grape tomatoes that were on sale for $1/pint. When I couldn't find them, I asked the produce manager and he informed me that there was a recall on some tomatoes, so Publix decided to pull the grape tomatoes as a precautionary measure. He also told me that they plan on offering that sale again in the very near future, or I could get a rain check. I'll just wait and enjoy some of my own home-grown, salmonella-free tomatoes in a few weeks.

Here is my recipe for the Black Bean Salsa that was on our salad of several days ago:

• 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained
  
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (I used red)
  
• 2 Tbsp chopped picked jalapeno (I throw in a little extra jalapeno pickle juice or vinegar)
  
• 1 cup chopped tomato
  
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil (or 1 tsp dried)
  
• 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Chill before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Peculiar: photographs her food

I wonder if others would describe me like that. It's true. I have a food photo fetish. I love pretty pictures of the food that I create. I wonder if that's how Martha Stewart launched her own empire?

Anyway, here's our dinner for tonight, and it was scrumptious.

Hamburger Buns of the homemade kind

I decided to try some homemade hamburger buns tonight rather than run out to the store just for buns (which I thought I had in the depths of my freezer). Besides, have you priced hamburger buns lately at regular retail?! $2.39! I tried this recipe, but I used whole wheat flour instead. They were good. My family raved about them. The grilled turkey burgers that went in them, however, were not a big hit. I thought the burgers were good, but my husband prefers beef and my little vegetarian was not happy with tonight's dinner.

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• I added 4 1/2 tsp. vital wheat gluten
  

1. Combine the milk, 1 cup of water, butter, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm (110-115 degrees F). If the mixture is too hot, it will kill the yeast.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour and yeast. Pour in wet ingredients and stir until the dough starts to pull together. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough hook to mix for about 6 minutes. If not, knead the dough on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover and let stand until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Punch down the dough and divide into 12 portions They should be a little larger than a golf ball. Make tight balls out of the dough by pulling the dough tightly around and pinching it at the bottom. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. After the rolls sit for a minute and relax, flatten each ball with the palm of your hand until it is 3 to 4 inches wide. You may want to oil your hand first. Set rolls aside until they double in size, about 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Mix together the egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of water in a cup or small bowl. Brush onto the tops of the rolls. Position 2 oven racks so they are not too close to the top or bottom of the oven.
5. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the rolls from the oven and return them to different shelves so each one spends a little time on the top. Continue to bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until nicely browned on the top and bottom.