Kitchen

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Cotton-lined dish washing gloves


41ZtqK26hQL._SY300_I usually don’t post about products but have any of you used these? Casabella Premium Water Stop  Latex Gloves (affiliate link – see my Disclosures page). I just discovered them and they are working wonders for the eczema on my hands that flares up periodically with the use of irritants like dish soap and hot water. But, what’s a city girl to do? The dishes have to be done. NYC apartment = no dishwasher. I can’t make the kids do the dishes yet. And the regular latex gloves from the store irritate my hands just as bad as dish soap with all those powdery linings. Well, guess what? These are wonderful! They have a “cotton flocking” which means that tiny cotton fibers have been adhered to the interior of the glove. Now, I will warn you that when I first got these and opened them up my first thought was, “These aren’t lined with cotton.” You see, I was expecting a cotton fabric lining and that is not what it is. It feels like a soft, less rubbery glove on the inside. I wasn’t sure that it was what I wanted but decided to try them out. I have been using them for around 3 weeks now and let me tell you the are well worth the $7 price tag. The lining (though not what I expected) doesn’t irritate my hands, they fit well and don’t slip and they have yet to crack or get a hole which is something that I can’t say for the gloves I used to buy at the grocery store. I’m sure they will wear out eventually but right now I am very happy and will definitely order more. They have definitely made dish washing a much happier chore at my house.

 Note: These are latex, so if you have a latex allergy I would avoid them since I don’t know that the cotton flocked lining would protect your skin sufficiently. 

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Cranberry Ginger Kombucha

Cranberry-ginger Kombucha Cranberry-ginger Kombucha

We’ve been brewing kombucha lately. A friend gave us a scoby and this is our fourth or fifth batch. If you’ve never brewed kombucha you can read more about what it is and it’s health benefits at Wellness Mama.

So, once you brewed your kombucha and decanted or siphoned it off from your brewing container, add the liquid to a glass swing top jar.  Then toss in about 1/2 cup of ginger root (peeled and chopped), and 1/2 cup cranberries.  Let it sit again on your counter for about 3 more days. It will continue to ferment feeding off the ginger and the sugar in the cranberries. This second fermentation will also add carbonation. Be sure you release the carbonation about twice a day, otherwise the pressure will build, and as the swing top jar is designed to do, it will fly open on it’s own. If you want more carbonation, leave it on your counter for a day or two longer until the fermentation is slowed and there is very little pressure when you open the lid.

Once you are satisfied with the amount of carbonation, remove/strain the ginger and cranberries, and refrigerate your new delicious, homemade drink.

Our kombucha fermenting. You can see the scoby floating on the top. Our kombucha fermenting. You can see the scoby floating on the top.

For more information on starting your own kombucha you can refer to the resources below. They are my favorite books. Some of them are even on the Kindle.  Wild Fermentation is especially facinating as it discusses how to begin cultures and ferments using just the natural yeasts and bacteria in your environment without using purchased starters – after all that’s how Maggie would have done it – passing each starter along from friend to friend and neighbor to neighbor. So, if you don’t want to buy a starter go about it the old-fashioned way using a little modern technology to boost your efforts. Post on Facebook and ask your friends. You never know who secretly has kombucha brewing on their counter. And if you find someone they will certainly have a scoby to share and you’ll be off on your brewing adventure.

Wild Fermentation: The Flavor, Nutrition, and Craft of Live-Culture Foods

Real Food Fermentation: Preserving Whole Fresh Food with Live Cultures in Your Home Kitchen

How to Make Probiotic Drinks for a Raw Food Diet: Kefir, Kombucha, Ginger Beer, and Naturally Fermented Ciders, Sodas, and Smoothies

(See my Disclosures page here.)

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Fall Recipes: Pumpkin, Spiced Chai and more…

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“Don’t you just love New York in the Fall?”

Anyone ever see You’ve Got Mail? It may be a cliche one-liner, but there is something special about Fall. The leaves change, the air is crisp, you pull out your favorite sweaters and hats, and curl up on the couch in the evenings with your favorite afghan spread across your lap. Add these recipes to your list of fall favorites. They are delicious and they fit the season perfectly.

Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin Butter on homemade spelt biscuits

Pumpkin Butter on homemade spelt biscuits

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
Allergy-Friendly Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread 001

Spiced Chai Tea

Christmas Chai Tea

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Probiotic Chocolate “Pudding”

130831_0000A new favorite for my kids. It’s not actually pudding mind you. But it’s very tasty and makes a great healthy dessert. Simply melt a handful of chocolate chips. (Try Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips if you need to avoid dairy, nuts or soy.) To cool the chocolate down a bit stir in a bit of cream, coconut oil, or almond milk depending on your dietary needs. Then mix in 2-3 heaping spoonfuls of your favorite yogurt. I like plain whole milk yogurt. And just like that you have a yummy mock chocolate pudding that is delicious and full of probiotic goodness. Eat up kids.

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Allergy Friendly: Stir Fry!

Beef stir fry with ginger and garlic.

If you can’t have sesame and soy eating Chinese, Korean or other Oriental dishes is out. Here are some my favorite ways to adapt your favorite Chinese food to make them allergy friendly.

These recipes are free of soy, sesame, egg, dairy, nuts and either corn or wheat.

Start with a pot of your favorite rice cooked according to the package directions (I like brown rice).

Beef Stir Fry:
Next saute 1 1/2 lbs of  your favorite cut of beef cut into thin strips with salt and pepper. Throw a 6 cloves of garlic, 2 tbls. of fresh ginger root into the food processor and process until minced and add to the pan. Now add your favorite veggies – onions and peppers, broccoli and carrots, string beans, etc. Cook until the beef is done and the veggies are fork tender.

Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir Fry:
Begin by cutting uncooked chicken breasts into strips and saute with your oil of choice. Chop your favorite veggies – mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, onion, etc. Add the veggies to the pan stirring often. Next, prepare your sauce. Combine 2 cups of chicken stock, 1/4 cup of vinegar, 3 tbls. honey, salt/pepper (to taste), 2 tsp. garlic powder, crushed red pepper (optional). Whisk to combine. Add 2 tbls. of corn starch and stir into the sauce to thicken. (If you can’t use corn starch, then add some extra oil to your meat before you add your veggies and sprinkle 2 tbls. of flour (wheat or spelt) over the chicken. This will coat the chicken and combine with the fat to make a roux which will then thicken the sauce when you add it.) Pour over the meat and continue to cook over medium heat, stirring until thickened.

Click here to see my other allergy friendly recipes.

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There’s new cast iron in my kitchen!


This lovely 5 Quart Dutch Oven found it’s way to my kitchen this summer as a gift from my wonderful family. I had an old enameled cast iron sauce pan that I loved. But, I had used it so much that the enamel was starting to chip and it was only 3 quarts and I was finding that as my family grows I couldn’t make a big enough batch of rice and have enough left over for another meal. This pot is just the right size, and if you’ll notice, the lid doubles as another 10″ pan, casserole or baking dish. Very handy for biscuits and rolls. To see my complete list of cast iron, visit the Cookstove. (See my Disclosure page for info on Amazon links.)

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My General Store – one stop shopping for homemade things

Brookshires store shelvesVisit my General Store to find all the recipes for the things that I make myself in one convenient place. They are organized by category for easy reference. Let me know if there is a recipe that you’d like to see that isn’t posted yet. I’m updating things all the time. Happy shopping!

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Crock Pot Cooking: baked and mashed potatoes

I love my little red crock pots.

I love my little red crock pots.

I’ve been cooking my baked potatoes in my crock pot for the last year. It was a great discovery for me as I can throw them in early in the afternoon while the kids are napping and know that they will get done in time for dinner. And I don’t have to heat up the house by turning the oven on. And my latest discovery is mashed potatoes. Sounds strange for crock pot cooking I know, but it works great and I find it more convenient than using the stove. Tips and directions are on the Cookstove. Click on the link and then scroll down.