Category Archives: food

Growing my own

March 19, 2020Farming, food, funsusanmanzke

Years ago, I sprouted seeds in my kitchen. With all that is going on, I decided to get started sprouting again.

I could have sprouted some seeds in a jar. I found simple directions on Google:

How to Grow Sprouts in a Jar

Place one to two tablespoons of seeds in your jar, and cover with approximately two inches of warm water. …
Drain the water, using a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
Rinse the seeds by adding water to the jar, swishing the seeds around, and draining.
Repeat twice a day, every day until your sprouts are the desired size.

I’d suggest you start with one teaspoon of seed for alfalfa seed. Here’s a link to growing alfalfa:
https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Alfalfa-Sprouts

I didn’t start growing my alfalfa seeds in a jar. Like any kid, I wanted a ‘toy’ to play with and bought a sprouter online. Kitchen Crop VKP1200 Deluxe Kitchen Seed Sprouter, | 6″ Diameter Trays, 1 Oz Alfalfa Included

That ounce of alfalfa that’s included will take me a long way, but I also ordered some seed mixes.

Water drains from the top, through the sprouting levels and is caught in the lower green level. I’m to put the water through this straining system two to three times a day.

It’s like having another pet, though it is not a Chia Pet. It will grow edible sprouts. I’m not so sure about eating Chia sprouts. At least those packaged as a pet are not recommended to eat, but the ones that are sold as edible chia seeds are.

You’ll have to wait a few days to see how my project is growing.

Today I feel like a farmer again. Bob would be proud.

The challenge

March 17, 2020animals, Chickens, foodsusanmanzke

I am challenging myself to write something on my blog every day. I’ve been trying to do this for some time now, but now, with the new changes in the world, it has become even more difficult. I won’t be getting out as much now.

I have food in the pantry, the refrigerator, and in the freezer. I even make my own bread–I got in the habit of making bread because Bob only liked my bread and not any store-bought varieties. Now I’m hooked on my own baking, too.

On a news report, I heard some of the food that people need to replenish often. They talked about needing bread, eggs, and milk.

Besides making bread, my hens help solve the egg problem for me. I usually get two to three a day. When I feed the girls I gather eggs and thank them for their efforts.

Bob made the nest boxes we have out of five-gallon buckets. The girls seem to like one more than the other two we have. I always find all their eggs in one nest. They must take turns.

I usually can’t eat all they give me, but with the chickens around, I won’t go hungry.

Now I wonder what I can do about milk. Hmmm.

Purple lunch

February 24, 2020food, Friendssusanmanzke

I’ve had purple food before, like grapes and plums. I’ve also had purple drinks, like a grape float. I’ve never had a purple potato, until today.

Friends, Ray and Judith, came for a visit. Often when they come they bring something from their garden. In winter, it had to be something that lasts through our cold months.

Last week they brought me potatoes. Some were small and two large ones were purple!

I roasted one of the purple potatoes while they visited. It took one and a half hours.

On the outside, the uncooked potato looked rather ordinary. It wasn’t until I cut into it that the real purple appeared.

Today, I ate half of the roasted purple potato for lunch with a bit of butter and salt. It tasted like an ordinary potato, so yummy.

If I’m smart, I’ll keep a portion of the second purple potato, with eyes, and plant it this spring.

I think I’ll do that, unless I get real hungry, and eat my last one.

Thanks, Ray and Judith, for the special treat.

Lunch after ‘the’ call

February 21, 2020food, Friendssusanmanzke

Today I had lunch with my friend Jennifer here at my house.

Green Salad with French dressing and a bowl of Lentil and artichoke soup.

Jennifer brought the vegetarian soup and salad. I provided hot tea and fresh bread.

We ate and we talked.

It was a lovely afternoon. Much a relief after a call I had with Social Security concerning Bob’s death and the necessary paperwork.

The call made me nervous. It started out with something like, “…what you say is true and correct under penalty of perjury.” Of course, I was going to tell the truth, but the woman’s statement made me mentally question myself. It didn’t help me that I had a hard time hearing her questions and had to ask her to repeat.

At least the SS call is over and I was able to calm myself with a nice visit with my friend. Thanks, Jennifer.

Kolacky by the lazy baker…me

February 16, 2020food, Friendssusanmanzke

My friend Joyce sent me a copy of her Kolacky recipe. Here it is:

Ingredients: 1 cup room temperature butter, 1 – 8-ounce package cream cheese also at room temperature, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, thick jam or canned fruit filling, such as apricot or prune and a little powdered sugar for dusting

Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract.
Combine flour and salt; add in a fourth at a time to butter mixture, blending well after each addition. Chill dough until easy to handle.
Roll dough to 3/8 inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut 2-inch circles or other shapes. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
Make a ‘thumbprint’ about 1/4 inch deep in each cookie. Fill with jam.
Bake at 350 F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until delicately browned on edges.
Dust with powdered sugar

Joyce said, “I roll the dough very thin, and cut out squares. Put just a dab of filling in the middle. Pinch opposite sides together (looks like a bow tie). I bake my Kolacky at 375 for 10 minutes, more or less.”

I followed Joyce’s directions until it came time to roll out the dough.

The beginning — softened butter and cream cheese

Instead, I used a melon scooper to make balls of dough. I flattened them a bit by hand and made a thumbprint in the center before filling with jelly.

My jelly bubbled all over the pan. I had put too much in. You only need a dab. Luckily I used parchment paper on the pan. The dried jelly looked messy but pealed off the paper and tasted like a fruit rollup.

The filling on the parchment was a yummy treat for this baker.

Joyce’s Kolacky looked more like the ones my Grandma Jo made. Mine didn’t, but they did taste good if a little messy.

Susan Manzke

Writer, Speaker, All-Around Good Person