Fire Cider...It Will Cure What Ails You!

Tonight I finally got around to making up a batch of fire cider. This is one of those recipes that I keep meaning to start, but I either don't get around to getting all the ingredients at the same time, or I have them all but just feel too lazy or overwhelmed to even start slicing things up. Well, I was determined to do it NOW so we could have it ready when needed.

What exactly is fire cider, and why am I making it? I am going to be brief (you can follow the link to read more) because I want to get off to bed and I am too tired to think straight. First the why. When I was growing up, I remember my great-grandmother always cooking, baking, and creating in her kitchen. I wish I had paid more attention then, but since I was so young I am not sure it would have made much of a difference. She was from such a different era as well as place than I was. She grew up on the Russian steppes, and was an amazing cook. She could (and DID) make vodka out of anything. I have very strong scent and flavor memories associated with her. One of these is the concoctions (potions? medicines? whatever you want to call them) she would make to stave off illness or outright banish it from an infirm body. I remember one particularly strong one that knocked me on my butt as a child (our whole family was quite ill at the time with some bronchial issue), tasted of blackberry syrup and brandy, and eliminated the virus within 24 hours. It really was that impressive.

Those memories stayed in the back of my brain until a few months ago when I ran across this recipe for fire cider. I have often made up my own herbal teas and tisanes, but this one just reminded me so much of something my great grandmother would make, that I wanted to try it and perfect my own recipe for the family. This version of fire cider should be excellent whether it is used to prevent a cold or flu from taking hold, or to expel one from the body. It is also useful in maintaining a healthy digestive system, which has become an important issue for my hubby and partner. When his gut doesn't hurt, the rest of his brain and body feel better.

If you are knowledgeable about herbs, you can use those which are most relevant to your particular needs. If you are not knowledgeable, please either find someone who is, or just use the basic recipe.

I borrowed this recipe and tinkered a bit with it to suit my own tastes and what I could find at the store. I had to substitute some cherry peppers for the habanero/cayennes (although I would have much preferred the latter), so I am hoping it will have the heat I am looking for. Next time I will try to find the peppers I want, rather than make a substitution. Whatever chiles you use, remember that your cider will be spicier if you include the seeds, so be aware of that when making your choices. I ended up chopping the chiles finely, with most of the seeds as they are a milder pepper. I am hoping it doesn't become too spicy, but if it does, I will add a little more honey to cool the effects a bit. I also used rosemary, mint and sage fresh picked from the garden. I am now wishing I had put in more mint, but it can always be added a little later on if necessary. I used a 1/2 gallon jar and expanded my ingredients accordingly as I know that if the recipe works as I expect it to, we will use it up during the coming winter months. I may try a little turmeric root next time as well, as it has immune-boosting properties. I will try to post some photos of the concoction tomorrow.

Remember, fresh quality ingredients will work better than dried, conventionally grown ones. Ask around at your local Farmers' Market for the ingredients you need. For a smaller amount of fire cider, use a quart jar instead, and simply use a smaller amount of the roots. You may have to tinker with the amounts to get the taste you prefer. We like ginger a LOT, so I use more than other people might.

Fire Cider (adapted from Rosemary Gladstar’s version HERE)



1 head Garlic, peeled and chopped fine

i large Ginger root, peeled and chopped fine

1 large Horseradish root, peeled and sliced

1 large Onion, diced (I used white)

1-2 Chile Peppers (Cayenne, Habanero, whatever flavor/heat combination you prefer), sliced thin

1-2 Oranges, zested then juiced (lime would also be fantastic)

Herbs (I used Rosemary, Peppermint, and Sage), crushed then chopped fine

1 quart Apple Cider Vinegar (preferably a brand with the mother of vinegar)



Honey to taste, once it has fermented to your liking



Slice your ingredients and layer them in a half-gallon jar. Cover the ingredients about 2-3 inches above the herbs. Cover and place the jar in a cool dark corner (closets work well) for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. You can let it sit longer if you feel it needs to be more potent (although I would not let it go beyond 3 months or so without straining it). Strain out the herbs and other material, and place in a clean glass jar with a lid; add the honey at this point to your taste preference. It can be kept refrigerated for several weeks. When you feel a little under the weather, have a small glass of it; the cider should taste spicy and sweet.

Salt Dough Ornaments

We have been busy around here, so I haven't been as good about writing every day. Well, that and a certain amount of innate laziness I have to try and overcome. It can be a huge effort to overcome inertia and actually do something more creative some evenings. In a similar fashion, the days are generally filled so I don't get to sit down without interruption very often. Even trying to plan certain activities during the day can take an overwhelming effort to accomplish.

I have been wanting to help the kids make salt dough ornaments for a few months now. I have run across the recipes in too many places to count for the last several years, and always thought it would be an easy and fun project to do with the kids. Things always seemed to get in the way, though. I was finally able to sit down (ha, ha. Actually I didn't get to sit at all for several hours!) with the family and help the kids make ornaments last night. While Greg worked on making the dough, I helped them roll it out, cut, and transfer the ornaments. As usual, my little independent-minded children wanted to do everything themselves so I tried to let them as much as possible. The kids did most of the decorating, and we left a few undecorated so they could be colored or painted after they were dry.

As with any new project we have a few little learning experiences that will hopefully prepare us for the next round of making decorations. We all had a good time, and made quite a few nice ornaments for the tree. I want to send a few to family members too, so I'll let the kids pick those out. I'm looking forward to having these on the tree soon. Growing up, we often made new ornaments every year; I think this was mainly in school, especially when we were little. I have fond memories of so many of these ornaments, and I want my children to have the opportunity to have these same kind of connections as they grow up.

For our dough, we ended up using some whole wheat flour and kosher salt as that is what we had lying around. Normally this wouldn't be a problem in baking, as the salt would be well incorporated. Our ornaments ended up looking more grainy (as Greg jokingly called it, more like some rawhide dog treats), but I like the texture of it. They appear more homey to me, and since it was a craft project for the kids to enjoy I think it is just fine. With this recipe the dough is only slightly cooked at a low temperature to actually dry out the dough. Please remember, this dough is not edible, and quite nasty if you try to eat it. Make sure your animals don't get to it either; I imagine the salt content would not be healthy for pets if ingested.

Before I actually get into the recipe, I want to talk a little about the lessons we learned. Since we used the materials we had on hand, our dough turned out a little different than it might have otherwise. Had we used a generic highly processed white flour and table salt, the dough would have been more paste-like and less grainy. I have also seen recipes with only 1/2 cup of salt, but I think a larger amount might act as a preservative and drying agent for the dough over time. I have read about adding other ingredients to the dough to change its consistency (cooking oil, lemon juice). I have no experience using them so I cannot say how they will truly effect the dough. We may experiment at some point in the future and I will update you later if we do.

For the dough:



1 cup flour

1 cup salt

1/2 cup water

Food coloring

We ended up using one batch of dough per color (4 colors overall), as each batch made a small amount of dough. Dissolve salt in the water first, then stir in the food coloring. More food coloring will create a darker, intense hue while less will create a lighter shade. This will make it easier to incorporate into the flour more evenly. Add the water/salt/color mixture to the flour and mix thoroughly.

If you make several colors at once, I suggest you put the dough into plastic bags or under cling wrap to prevent it from drying out too quickly. If your dough turns too crumbly, add a little water. Sculptural elements can also be added using a little water to bind the pieces.

Roll out the dough and use cookie cutters or a cup to cut out ornaments. Lay on a cookie sheet on top of waxed paper; unless you want to take a chance they will bond quite well to your baking pans, that is. Be sure to poke a hole with a straw or toothpick so you can put a ribbon through the ornament when it is dry.

Bake in an oven at 250 degrees until they are dry. Depending on how humid your area is and the thickness of the ornaments, it can take an hour or several days. Ornaments can also be dried in the air over several days. If you use plastic decorating elements in the oven, check them often to make sure they don't melt.

Ornaments can be decorated while wet or dry. I sprayed the ornaments a little with water before adding the decorations then we used some sequins and small plastic beads while the ornaments were wet, and pressed them into the dough so they would stick better. Once dry, ornaments can be painted with a variety of paints, glitter glue, spray paint, markers, etc. Be creative and play around! Clear spray paint can also be used to seal the ornaments. Be sure to store them in a box wrapped in tissue or paper to protect them when not in use, as they can be fragile.

This dough can be used to make ornaments for any occasion, or just for fun. Here are a few images of ours.

A Better Day

I have been trying to think of something to write about all day, and came up with too many options. We actually had a reasonably productive day, and have a plan to come up with an action plan for dealing with the house, life, and everything else. Well, maybe not everything else, that would take far too long and be rather speculative anyway. We had planned to talk while taking the kids for a drive to another city about an hour away from here. The plan was to warm up some ribs for lunch (leftovers from today), and make S'mores over a fire. Our grand plan has been slightly diverted since we discovered the park we were intending to visit doesn't have camp grills like we thought. Hmm. So much for getting out of town. Maybe we will have Plan B (or C or D) in place by morning.

Speaking of mornings, after breakfast today we took a walk as a family down to the river. We really need the exercise, and since Claire needs a LOT of physical input (or her behavior goes downhill and she acts out more) we figured it would be a good start to the day. It had warmed up to a brisk 21 degrees Fahrenheit, so the little people were bundled up nicely. It was probably a mile or so overall, and we didn't stick around long to throw rocks into the river like we usually do. I snapped a few photos; here is one of some ice along the riverbank.

This afternoon I tried taking a few new pictures of our pigs, since they have been growing up fast. They are now about 9 months old, and definitely of breeding age. We originally planned to use another boar (or try AI) for the girls, but we also didn't plan on having them here this long either. So we have to be flexible. We recently expanded their roaming area, which is bounded on several sides by electric wire fence. It gives a pretty good shock (really, ask me how I know!), yet the pigs seem to test it every single day. I wanted to get a good low angle on them, so I was really close to the ground. My piggies however, being the curious sorts they are, were wondering just *What the Heck* I was doing, and kept coming over to investigate. Forgetting all about the fence in the process. When they accidentally touch the fence, they give out a might squeal and run off about 10-15 feet. I am pretty sure all three of them touched the fence while trying to investigate what I was doing. Sigh. Silly piggies. The light was terrible, but here is one photo I have of our boar, Marley.

We also dealt with a long-awaited "Mothra" project that Claire has been asking us to do for her. She has been asking for us to make her a "Mothra" she can fly. It has been a fun project to figure out, and I know the kids willl love it when they are done. I'll try to put up a post or tutorial on it as soon as we finish one, but I have been taking some photos along the way. Today was cutting them out with the scroll saw, and here are some of the templates before being cut out.

Hopefully we can actually cut some stress soon and get out of town for a few days. I am SO looking forward to it!

Taking A Walk

Late this afternoon as the kids were winding up to be loud and rowdy, we decided to take them out of the house for a walk. Rather than walking down to the river, like we often would, we drove out to the hills. One hill in particular. It isn't the most outstanding feature around, but it is a nice, steep hill that folks like to drive up and down in their four-wheelers and ATVs. From the looks of the trails, a few even make it.

At the base of the hill, its steepness is deceptive. What looks like the crest of the hill is actually about the halfway point, leaving you breathless and wondering why you chose *this* particular challenge to undertake. This afternoon, it was chilly and the breeze had picked up to a blustery wind. If there were trees around, their leaves would have swirled around us as their trunks broke the chill. Yet this land is truly desolate, with the only vegetation the scrubby ankle-high grasses that found a hollow to grow out of between rocks.

The climb was at a good 40 degree angle, which sent my breath flying as I am quite out of shape. My stamina was apparently still lounging on the couch eating chocolate, damn it. We held the kids hands to help them along, and to keep chilly little fingers a bit warmer. Even with the lure of ice cream for the ones that reached the top, we made it to just under the halfway point. It was too cold and windy for all of us, so we turned around vowing to conquer it another (warmer) day.

What Are You Cooking?

Every year, I wonder if we should have something different to eat for Thanksgiving. It is such an American holiday, and I feel a particular pull to at least do some of the "traditional" fixings. In years past, I have had a variety of "non-traditional" meals. Duck breast, ham, beef, maybe even enchiladas, not counting my years after High School being poor and without family at all, where I ate whatever was around unless invited to a family meal by friends or co-workers. Then there were the many years of holidays spent on the Florida coast where we gorged ourselves on fresh shrimp and crab for the holiday. I always felt like such a rebel, consuming seafood when everyone else was downing turkey or ham. It was always strange, though, when my mother insisted on her rutabaga being included. As an homage to her own family traditions, she picked one up faithfully every November and December and cooked it. Even with shrimp. Truly an odd arrangement.

I used to plan alternate family dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I talked about Indian, Mexican, and more. I championed sweet potato pie, black eyed peas, even my mothers' beloved rutabaga. Yet I kept coming back to the basics. I love the flavor of a good turkey, especially slathered with an amazing gravy made from its own juices. The rich saltiness of the gravy goes so well with the meaty texture and flavor of the turkey. Especially with a kick of spicy-tart cranberry sauce on the side. None of that horrid canned stuff for us. No, I get fresh (as much as I am able) berries and cook them with a cinnamon stick, some cloves, and orange or pineapple juice as a sweetener to counter the sheer tartness of the cranberries. Let it simmer for a while for the flavors to marry and it is the ultimate partner in my turkey-gravy-berry trio.

I then look toward the sweet potato for my next hit. And Yes, I think food can be a drug, and I am totally addicted to the exquisite flavors of a fantastic meal! This isn't the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows floating on top like some fruity tropical drink stuffed with 16 umbrellas, sprigs of mint, celery, and seven fancy swizzle sticks that I make. I prefer the simple baked sweet potato with pastured butter on top, and a pinch of salt. Sweet potatoes and yams are already naturally sweet, so why add the cloying stickiness of commercial marshmallows to them? I can't think of too many other foods that are more revolting. I would personally rather eat fried crickets than the sweet potato/marshmallow sludge. I like the contrast of the earthy sweetness of the potato to the salt and creamy butter. It makes me feel grounded and whole.

Speaking of feeling grounded, I think pumpkin pie (homemade, of course) deserves a spot at the table. I have tried pecan pie, even a chocolate version which was amazing, yet it wasn't quite the same. The best pumpkin pie is consumed about a day after it is made, to allow the flavors to fully generate. I am a crust lover, preferring mine deeply tanned, while Greg loves his custard. Together we leave not a crumb behind. I would love to add a tart cherry pie this year, but sadly they are not available. It would be a spectacular counterpoint to the meal. At last, this is the majority of what we are having. My in-laws have ordered stuffing and carrot casserole from Furr's Cafeteria (*shudder*). Greg has convinced me to make a healthier and better tasting version of the carrots, so I will add that to the list. I may even whip up a few white potatoes for them (we eat them maybe twice a year), but again I may not. Now all I need is a bottle (or two!) of wine and we will be set! Too bad the in-laws don't drink. Oh wait, that means more wine for me, Hooray!!

Eggnog

Eggnog.

The cooler weather always brings out new cravings from the taste buds. Pumpkin pie, Hot Apple cider, Beef Stroganoff, Hot soup and Sandwiches. My senses always seem to be tuned to the seasons, and taste is one of the foremost that get triggered. For my husband, he starts craving eggnog. I have never been a big milk drinker (although my family loves it), or a huge fan of thick creamy drinks. I think it is the sensory aspect of it for me; I don't like the thickness in my mouth or throat. It just feels wrong to me. However, my family feels differently, so this post is dedicated to them.

Is there a history of eggnog? Who would have thought of it, but there apparently is quite a bit. A very brief internet search provides us with a few historical references, like one from Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages to this one. Fascinating!

We love to cook and bake in our family, and often tinker with other recipes until we come to something that is more our tastes. Since we try to avoid sugar in general, we also use different sweeteners than simple cane sugar. Xylitol, erythritol, agave and even honey are staples in our pantry.

This recipe was our starting point. We used Alton's recipe for many years before we had to radically change our diet away from carbs and refined sugars (more on that another time). This eggnog is still a great one unaltered, but here is what we have done to make it our own. I have to note that we will continue to refine this recipe until we get it to a point where we are completely happy with it.

This recipe makes just over half a gallon, so you may want to cut it down if you want a smaller batch:

Ingredients

• 12 eggs (organic, free range and fresh will taste the best)
• 1/2 cup xylitol
• 1/2 cup erythritol
• 1/2 cup agave
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 packet Knox Gelatin
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups whole milk
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Beat eggs until they start to turn lighter in color and a little frothy in the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand held mixer (A stick blender would probably work well too). Add the xylitol and erythritol slowly until they have dissolved, then add the agave.

Put water into a small saucepan, and slowly add the gelatin over low heat, stirring constantly, until dissolved. If it clumps up, it can be reincorporated at the end in a blender.

Bring the milk, cream, and spices just up to boiling in a large pot while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and gradually add the milk mixture to the egg mixture. This tempers the eggs by bringing them slowly up to the temperature of the milk without instantly cooking the eggs into a solid mass. Return the combined egg and milk mixture to the large pot and add the gelatin slowly while constantly stirring until incorporated. Add the honey, and heat on the stove while continuing to stir until it reaches 160 degrees (or until too hot to taste).

Put into a stainless steel bowl and put into ice bath and stir until cool or you are too impatient and ready to drink it NOW. Put remaining eggnog into gallon container in fridge and enjoy!

It doesn't last long in our house, maybe a day at best.

Cooked vs. non-cooked eggnog: This is a cooked eggnog recipe. You can also make this uncooked, which some people prefer. However, raw eggs may contain salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a serious food-borne illness. The choice is up to you. Bringing the eggnog up to 160 degrees will kill off the harmful bacteria. There is a great website that discusses egg safety here.

With vs. without alcohol: This recipe is without, mainly because we are staying at the IL's and they don't drink, and we didn't have any with us when we made the eggnog. If you want to have an alcoholic eggnog, add approximately 3-4 Tablespoons rum, bourbon, etc. to taste with the milk mixture before you combine it with the eggs, if you want the flavor of the alcohol without so much of the effects. Add in at the end before you cool it, if you want the alcohol to remain. It is up to you!