HennyPenny's random thoughts. New set of goals!

[hennypenny9]

At least I make someone smile. Oh, Amazon said sorry, could I please send it back? They sent a packaging label. I pass the PO on my way to work, so it will be no trouble to send it back. The grinder is awesome. It tends to have static, so it gets messy when I take off the lid. But it's nothing I can't deal with, especially for the price. Bear in mind that this is the first time I've even touched a grinder, so I have no way to know if it really is good, or I just think it is. And I haven't ground herbs before now, but I assumed that they would be dry. I hadn't thought it through.

 

[2dream]

I have a small food processor that I use now but its still to big for small quantities of herbs. If they are dry they are staticy and if they are fresh they stick to the sides of the bowl and I have to keep scraping. I guess the old saying is true. There is no rest for the weary. LOL Always something.

(I sent you an email).

 

[Farmfresh]

I usually just dry my herbs in my dehydrator and then place them in a Ziplock freezer bag stems and all and smoosh them up.

Most of them break up plenty fine enough. Then I pick out all of the big sticks and things and jar them up.

If I want to keep them a while I freeze the jar.

Anything I need very ultra fine - I use my morter and pestle. The only thing I need the food processor for is to make minced garlic - which I mince fresh then dry.

 

[hennypenny9]

Great tips FarmFresh! I don't have a mortar and pestle, but I've been meaning to pick one up.

Got a discouraging email from our Realtor. Some house near us is pending at a lot per sq/ft less than our is. And still no offers. Although someone came last week and again this week. Just sell, I have goals that require land! Gah.

Also, the creamer I love contains soy and/or cottonseed oil. Now what?? Anyone make there own creamer with REAL cream? My fav is plain ol' vanilla cream. I tried just adding vanilla extract to cream and it was weird, not good. Also, is it worth it to buy wheat and grind flour from that? I'm so fed up with the JUNK that's in EVERYTHING.

Sent the package back to Amazon today. I hope it's okay, I've never returned a package before. Also, it said that I was returning the grinder, not the My K-cup. Then it says that the pre-paid return slip is ONLY for the specified merchandise. I just crossed it out and hoped for the best, since I clearly stated in my email what I got extra of.

 

[hennypenny9]

Oh, look what I found!

Have you had chocolate covered espresso beans?

Yeah, me too. Yummy.

I like to think of them as big peoples Raisinettes. They are not too hard to make, and as long as you start with a fantastic espresso bean, and add great chocolate, you are going to have an awesome end product.

Better than anything you have ever tasted. Really.

So, are you ready?

I really suggest a good dark espresso roast in this. A lighter roast will be acidic and somewhat nasty. O.k..really nasty. Dont do it.

Once you have the perfect espresso bean you need to choose the perfect chocolate to go with it. A 75% /25% mix of good quality bittersweet and milk chocolate is my favorite. Use about one lb of chocolate for one lb of coffee. Chop the chocolate up and microwave on low power, stirring often (every 20 seconds) until melted. Be careful not to overcook.

Now mix in 1/2 of the coffee beans. Stir really well. Here is the tedious part. Take the chocolate covered coffee beans out, one by one with a fork, and lay on a piece of wax paper or silpat. You want them to be individual, chocolate- covered beans, not a huge mass of chocolate and coffee beans. Let them cool, or refrigerate. Continue to add coffee beans until you have used up all the chocolate. If you want a thicker chocolate let it set, and then dip them again. Youc an also use this method to put on two different chocolates, once in dark, once in white..etc.

Once the chocolate has set you can melt white chocolate and drizzle it across the beans.

I bet you are wondering why I posted a picture of chocolate rather than the finished product, arent you?

I ate them. All.

http://www.blisstree.com/kettleandcup/big-peoples-snacks-chocolate-covered-espresso-bean-recipe/

I want to try because my store bought ones have soy. OH WAIT. So does my semi-sweet baking chocolate.

 

[hennypenny9]

I found a recipe for liquid flavored creamer! I'm posting so I don't lose the page and never find it again.

One can evaporated milk (I used whole, but Im sure fat free would work, too), 1/4 to 1/3 c. sugar, 1 T plus 1 t vanilla extract. Throw it all into a container, and shake it to mix. Store it in the refrigerator, of course. There you have it. I put it in an empty liquid creamer container that I washed out for reuse and it works great! Youll want to shake it before each use the sugar will settle out if you dont.

http://homeunderconstruction.wordpr...-recipe-for-homemade-flavored-coffee-creamer/
So a batch would cost under a dollar, because evaporated milk is like $.85, right? It comes out less quantity than store bought, 12 ounces vs 18. But it wont have soy or other nonsense in it. And on sale, my creamer is $1.25 for 18 ounces. They each come out to $.07 per ounce. And I can probably get the evaporated milk on sale for less than $.85. So I'm happy. Or will be once I actually make it.

I feel slightly accomplished for today. Slept in until 10:00! Can't believe it! But I have what will be chicken broth in the crock pot, bread dough rising, bread I messed up drying for bread crumbs, and some sewing done.

 

[hennypenny9]

Just had an intriguing conversation with my mom about why she decided to have me in a birthing center. She was taking a tour of the facilities in the hospital and offhandedly mentioned that she was also interested in the birthing center across the street from the hospital. The doctor giving the tour became irate and started furiously saying how "unsafe" it was and how he was trying to have it shut down. She said was afraid, and that she decided right there to do it at the center. Then she mentioned to her regular pediatrician that she was concerned about vaccinations (note, at this time she was still researching them, and had not made any firm decisions) and he also became angry and said if she wasn't going to get them, to not bother coming back.

It's just really surprising, because my mom is not one to make people angry. She is quite humble, not confrontational. The stance of mainstream medicine seems to be that you take the doctor's word, or too bad for you. Not that nature paths are all awesome, but we've been at the same practice since this incident, and like them very much.

On a nice note, she is coming to visit tomorrow. Yeah, we're going to Costco to pick up a massive sized Olive Oil to start soap making!

 

[Blackbird]

Guess she decided that you were worth making people mad at her!

 

[Aidenbaby]

It's doctors like that that make me appreciate my caretakers. Our PCP is VERY willing to give non-medicinal methods a chance (granted she does want to know what they are and observe progress) and to me that is a sign of a good doctor. Both of my children were delivered at a hospital that uses primarily nurse-midwives. They do have doctors but they tend to reserve them for higher risk patients. I think the hospital takes the standpoint that birth is natural not medicinal. When I delivered my daughter, the birth itself went beautifully. The nurses even chuckled when the most I said at the height of labor was, "ouch, that one hurt" and that was without pain meds. Afterward was a whole different story. I wouldn't stop bleeding and they couldn't find any reason for the immense volume involved. Add to it, that now I was in IMMENSE pain and was begging for any drug they had available NOW. I ended up going in to get a D&C performed by the OB/GYN on duty. I ended up losing almost 1/2 my blood and was on the borderline of needing a transfusion. But I digress, the point I'm trying to make is that if you have a good doctor they operate more as a team than as an individual with other healthcare providers and are open to non-medicinal possibilities.

 

[2dream]

I have found very few Drs in my lifetime willing to accept non traditional medicine. I love it when they start telling me that the FDA has not approved any of the things I ask about. I usually respond with "yea, I know, thats why I like it". Because we all know how reliable the FDA is.

I don't have a regular Dr anymore. I just go to the closest clinic. There is one Dr there that I love and I usually ask for her. She thinks I am a little eccentric but usually answers my questions and never laughs or gets mad. If she does not know the answers to my non traditional questions she will take the time to find out and then tell me what she thinks. I wish she would go into private practice.