Sauerkraut

Ben went a little overboard and bought 4 pounds of cabbage. But, he loves sauerkraut, so I used a widemouthed mason jar for the extra.

Sauerkraut is so easy to make!

For one mason jar worth of sauerkraut:
One medium head of cabbage
Sea salt or pickling salt
Knife or shredder
Bowl
Jar with lid
Cloths: towel or bag, one to set it on, one to cover the jar

-I like to put the cabbage through my shredder, but slicing it with a knife works just as well. If you don't have a weight, save an outer leaf to keep on top of the kraut.

-Next, I add salt to the cabbage. The ratio 1 1/2Tbsp per 3 pound, let this sit while cleaning up to start the juices extruding.





-Last, in a clean mason jar (or crock, depends on how much you're making), add a small amount at a time, press down each addition. This minimizes the air bubbles that can push the liquids up and out of the jar as it ferments.

Leave about an inch or so at the top.

Place the weight or leaf on top, pressing so the juices rise over it.
The lid is set on loosely so the gases can escape. I've got kids, so I screw it on about 1/4 turn.


-Set it on a cloth on the counter in a moderate temperature area (I put it on the fridge in the winter for warmth, but in the corner of my counter in summer). Cover with a cloth and check every couple days to make sure the liquid isn't escaping.






You can leave it for a week to 10 days (sooner in the summer, longer in winter).

Sometimes, a yeast grows on top of the leaf that I use to protect the kraut -that's why the leaf! Smell the kraut if you're unsure. If it doesn't smell worse than fresh sauerkraut ;) then it should be fine. Pull the leaf out, wipe any yeast off the jar side and enjoy.

Lasagnette?

I think the picture speaks for itself. Pea Puree Lasagnette from Poor Girl Gourmet is a winner. We made the noodles from scratch, so it did take that extra 1/2 hour (~15 to mix & knead, then the time to roll the noodles out). Oh, & I did add an extra layer of noodles. Beyond that, the recipe itself went together quickly.

The bacon & butter won over my picky 3 year old and she ate her whole piece. TJ gave it rave reviews & asked for more tomorrow. The older girls ate theirs without fuss. :) LX was the only one to abstain & that's because he's not to the age to appreciate gooey fillings yet (he's a finger food man). Definitely a recipe to make again!

Cheese Pretzels

I made dough. Wonderful, fabulous, cheesy dough. I'd purchased Baby and Toddler Meal Planner by Annabel Karmel at a local shop whilst living in UK. I haven't made this recipe since then! She calls for Gruyère or cheddar, -I normally have cheddar- but I substituted Swiss & Parmesan. So stinking good.

Squash Bread

Our neighbor stopped by the other day with some squash. The really big one was made into patty pan size zucchini breads, recipe from Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, And Other Good Things by Landau & Myers.

Yummy lunch!

Bread & Tomato Salad

Yum! I was out of scallions/green onions, so for the children (who aren't so used to salads regularly yet) I omitted onion. The tomatoes are from our neighbor. I subbed mozzarella, which i had in the fridge, & had the basil & mint in the garden.

Croutons

Last night, I thoroughly enjoyed reading through a bunch of Poor Girl Gourmet. This morning, I used up the two day old sourdough bread: French toast for breakfast & croutons (recipe from the book) that will go with a salad. The crusts will be processed for crumbs, for stuffing or coatings.