thrift kitchen

Instapot Short Ribs in a Pinch

This is a story of how I am definitely not a professional cook and got myself into a bind. You know how you know you should do something and you think of it, sideline it, and then think of it, and sideline it…. and think of it and sideline it. […]

little woods homestead - thrift kitchen

Macho Tacos with Fresco Verde Macha

My friend Aimee and I always say we should get together some Sunday and cook a big meal. And we really haven’t. Well this weekend all those “shoulds” became reality and we crafted together the most delicious meal: Tacos! But these aren’t just any tacos. These are traditional-heritage-mexican-american-just-like-her-grandma-makes-them-tacos!

journal - thrift kitchen

Meal Plan: Mapping out a week of delish

Sunday nights find me nestled between stacks of my favorite cooking magazines and books. Pen and paper ready I delve through to find that just so perfect dish to try. Some weeks I’m ambitious and try out a new recipe for every meal. Other weeks find me a bit more […]

little woods homestead - thrift kitchen

Making Horseradish Sauce!

Ah, delicious. Kind of. Horseradish is powerful stuff. It burns through your nose in a flash and then it’s gone. It’s unlike any other “hot”. Last spring I planted a few cuttings of it in a secluded bed that’s hopefully sectioned off enough to keep it from spreading everywhere. I […]

round up

Candy Corn = nom nom nom!

CANDY CORNNNNN NOM NOM NOM NOM Okay, I just had to get that out of my system. Jason and I LOVE candy corn. But, it’s, well, a teeth rotter. Each year we get ONE bag and that’s it. Which is hard because it’s not one of those gallon sized bags. […]

round up

Using the Harvest: Green Tomato Round Up

      I’m facing down 6 tomato plants FULL of green tomatoes this week. And other than fried green tomatoes, I couldn’t honestly think of anything to do with them. I put the task to google and found 6 recipes I’m hoping to try out sometime this week and depending […]

round up

Trying out Fermented Foods

I’ve been getting into fermented foods lately, trying just about anything to give my immune system a well needed boost! Did you know you can actually make healthy soda for instance? Try out these five great recipes, a most amazing book, and this interesting article on eating fermented foods.

journal

Last Week on Craft Leftovers

In case you missed it, I shared a recipe and story about making French Toast – which is a delicious breakfast staple. It was a pretty light week otherwise because of my travels. Last weekend was the Maker Faire (awesome), and Jason and I decided to drive around the country for a […]

round up

Bread Baking Goodness

Monday’s weekly round up! A great way to get the creative juices flowing and beat the Monday blues! I am definitely in a bread mood lately! Maybe it’s because I’ve been limiting my calorie consumption starting last Monday. Nothing nuts, just getting my eating back under control. That first day […]

thrift kitchen

Thrift Kitchen: Baked Eggs!

We have, I kid you not, 18 baby chicks in our basement. They are Jason and I’s + our friend’s egg investment plan. We each get 9 each–4 of mine are broilers. So for Jason and I, we will have our own little flock of 5 layers. I wrote about […]

Crafty Business - journal

Crafty Business: Organizing Contacts

I think most of us are beyond the world of Rolodex, but there is something nice about having all the physical contact info at your finger tips. When I go to craft fairs, craft shops, meet random people, I pick up their post cards, fliers, and business cards. While I […]

thrift kitchen

Making Fancy Yogurt on the Cheap

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Two things recently happened that lead to me giving yogurt making another try. First, my dear Yankee friend Unplugged yogurt making with this great post on the process–no fancy equipment here. Second, I bought a dehydrator to make our own camping food. It came with instructions for making yogurt and a few dishes specifically for yogurt. How could I not try again? What happened the first time? Well, too hot, then too cold and that pretty much tells the story.

journal - thrift kitchen

Thrift Kitchen: Frappacheapo

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I have to admit a shameful secret. I used to drink frappachinos. You know the ones in the bottle at the gas station. Talk about a sugar rush. It’s not the healthiest thing in the world and not to mention the expensive. YIKES! They are around $3 each here in Ames.

thrift kitchen

Thrift Kitchen: Dressing Dress Up

Last week while eating a tasty greek salad at Panera, I thought, “I should enjoy tasty salads more often.” Then I wondered, “Why don’t my salads taste this tasty?” Dressing! That’s the difference. Seriously, it’s that easy to take a salad from “meh” to “delicious!” Dressing is pretty expensive though. What’s […]