Mustard Pretzel Dip - Weekend Recipe

It is also good with pita chips, crackers and veggies.  It is based on a recipe my father made for years, and is perfect for your Super Bowl party.

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayo

1 cup prepared mustard

½ cup sugar

¼ cup dried minced onion

2 Tbls BYP Ranch Dressing Dip Mix

1 Tbls BYP Horsey Dip Mix or 1 Tbls prepared horseradish

In a bowl, combine ingredients until well blended, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to meld flavors, then serve with sourdough pretzel nuggets.  Makes 3 ½ cups.

Herb of the Week - Herb Seeds

This is the time of year to think about seeds and I wanted to turn your attention to seeds as a product of your garden, not just for saving to grow next year’s crop but for the benefit of those seeds in your tea and cooking.  So here is a look at Five Herbs to grow for the seeds:

Dill (Antheum graveolens)

Dill has medicinal properties including being a carminative (something that reduced flatulence) and a general intestinal aid against cramps and discomfort.  The name comes from the Old Norse word dilla which means to Lull.  In the Language of flowers this meaning of To Lull meant calming and soothing thought.  Dill is most famous for being used to make pickles.  You can save the entire heads and place in jars of pickled or fermented cucumbers.  The seed heads are also decorative and make great winter time dried arrangements.  You can also use them as a flavoring in breads and soups. I posted some great recipes using dill back in 2010

Pumpkin and Dill Soup

3 cups pie pumpkin cubes
1/2 tsp dill seeds
2 Tbls finely chopped onions
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbls butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper powder to taste

For The Garnish
fresh cream
chopped spring onion greens

Directions: 

Heat the butter in a deep non-stick skillet or Dutch oven, add the onions and sauté on a medium heat for 1 minute. Add the dill seeds and sauté for another 1 minute. Add the pumpkin pieces, salt and 3 cups of water and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Allow it to cool completely.

Once cooled mash the pumpkin or blend with a hand or immersable blender until smooth.  Add the milk and cook for 2 more minutes.  Serve hot garnished with cream and spring onion greens.

Coriander – the seed of Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)  

Cilantro is the herb of the year in 2017 and one thing I learned early about cilantro is you must embrace its habit of going to seed.  Cilantro is a wonderful spicy-flavored leaf used in Asian cooking and salsa, however heat makes this wonderful plant bolt and go to seed very fast in the hot months of summer. By the time the tomatoes are ready, the cilantro is long past its prime.  To avoid this issue plant cilantro at two week intervals by spreading a layer of seed right next to a planted crop.  You will have a constant selection of crisp cilantro and can also enjoy the seeds of coriander when they bolt.  Coriander is a common cough remedy and is seen to be an aphrodisiac.  The seeds are used to flavor beans, onions, potatoes, sausage, stews, wine and even baked goods.  It is a regular ingredient in curry and chili powders. I love coriander in my Do-It-All seasoning.

Here are two recipes for Coriander the first is a meat rub and the second is a crescent cookie

Lemon Coriander Cookies 

The lemony flavor of coriander enhances the fresh lemon taste of these tender cookies.

3/4 cup Butter

1/3 cup Sifted powdered sugar

1 Tbls Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Lemon peel; grated fine

1 tsp Coriander, ground

2 cup Flour

1/3 cup Powdered sugar (for dusting)

Directions:

In a large mixer bowl, beat butter until softened. Add sifted powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Add lemon peel, lemon juice and coriander; beat well. Add flour; beat until well mixed. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Shape the dough into 1 1/2" long by 1/2" wide logs. Curve each log into a crescent shape, tapering the ends. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake 18-20 minutes or until done. Remove and cool. In a plastic bag, gently shake a few cookies at a time in 1/3 Cup powdered sugar.   These will keep for 1 week in an airtight container and up to 3 months in the freezer. 

Coriander Meat Rub

Homemade rubs are a quick way to transform roasted meat, poultry, and vegetables into something special. Use this one on both steak and potatoes. 

2 Tbls coriander seeds

2 Tbls whole peppercorns

1 Tbls dried thyme, chopped

1 Tbls dried rosemary

1 Tbls plus 1 tsp coarse kosher salt

Toast coriander seeds in a heavy small skillet over medium heat until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar or spice mill. Add peppercorns and crush until broken into coarse pieces. Mix crushed spices with herbs and salt. Store in an airtight container for up to 18 months.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)  

These lovely summer edible flowers make great seed pods that you can turn into a substitute for capers.  You do this by pickling them.

Pickled Nasturtium Seeds

1 quart white vinegar

2 Tsp pickling salt

1 thinly sliced medium onion

2 cloves garlic

2 peppercorns

½ tsp each allspice, mace, and celery seed

Combine all ingredients in a glass quart wide mouth canning jar.  Pick the green seeds pods as the nasturtium blossoms fall.  Wash seeds and drop into pickling mixture.  Keep the jar in the refrigerator and continue to add washed seed pods though out the fall, being sure to stir well each time you add more.  You can begin using them once you have collected at least a cup.  Any place a recipe calls for capers you can substitute these pickled beauties.

Anise – Pimpinella anisum

Not to be confused with Anise Hyssop or Star Anise the spice, this herb, also called aniseed, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor has similarities with some other plants, such as star anise, fennel, and licorice.  Because it is an annual plant you can grow it here in the Midwest and harvest the amazing seeds.

Sprinkle them where you want them to grow in sunny loose soil, as they dislike transplanting.  The seeds have been used since Biblical times.  Back then it was so precious it became a form of currency.  Today we prize it for the amazing scent and the ability to help with digestive issues as well as the sweet flavor for use in pickles, salads, cookies and candies.  I did an entire Herb of the Week post on Anise in February 2011 and another in March 2013 so it is well represented with numerous recipes. 

And finally I have Caraway (Carum carvi).  

This dill-looking plant has seeds that are a popular spice, especially in central Europe.  They enhance pork, goulash, sauerkraut, cheese and pickles.  When added to cooking cabbage they reduce the smell. The seed can also be used to flavor bread and cakes.  Chewing on the fresh seed will settle the stomach and increase alertness, especially after a meal.  Chopped leaves are added to soups and salad, and the roots can be cooked as a vegetable.  The seeds are considered an antiseptic. This seed is used not only to flavor rye bread, but also in cakes, biscuits, cheese, carrot, potatoes cabbage dishes and sausage. Caraway is the main ingredient in my Savory Herb Bread. I shared a Cool Caraway Coleslaw recipe back in 2013. We did an entire herb of the week post on this herb too back in Feb 2011. I found an old reference that originated in colonial times, which used the seed tied into the corner of a handkerchief and chewed to help folks stay awake during long winded sermons.

How Tuesday - Making Essential Oil Perfume

I take January off for the most part.  I post a few blogs, send out a few orders, do not do any shows or lectures and I enjoy hot tea and winter weather.  This year I also placed getting sick in the mix and spent a week doing absolutely nothing. So now it is time to get back to work.

While I was off I was working on my sorting and scanning project. (My husband has declared that my four filing cabinets must be empty before we move.)  I have a two-year lead on that, but if I do not stay focused I will not make the deadline so each day I spend at least an hour scanning.  However, if I am really working on it I can spend half a day, but I work on blog spots at the same time, so it works in my favor.

This time I came across an article from the Herb Companion Magazine on blending essential oils for fragrance.

My mother was allergic to perfume so I never got to wear any growing up.  My husband loves cologne and would love me to wear perfume.  Many times I smell like the herbs I have harvested and he likes those scents so I thought why not try to concoct an essential oil fragrance that I can place in a mister or carrier oil and make my own “perfume.”

Smells or scents are routed to the brain’s limbic system, where memory and emotion are stored.  Through scents you can trigger patterns of behavior which is why some smells will bring back memories.

By blending essential oils you can create relaxation patterns, stimulating patterns and even  ways of preserving new memories. The wonderful thing about an essential oil blend is you can use it in just about any other finished product that uses essential oils, so have some fun and play with making your own personal blends.

Essential oils should never be used straight or undiluted.  But, blending them into something else makes them very versatile.

Here are a few examples:

• Place up to 8 drops of a blend in warm bath water for a soothing and aromatic bath treat.
• Add 5 drops to vegetable, jojoba or almond oil and use as a massage oil.
• Create a room mister by blending 10 drops to ¼ cup distilled water and shake together then use as a room or linen scent
• Place the undiluted oils in a small jar and use as an aromatherapy sniffer.
• Add 15 drops to a 1 ounce bottle of canola oil and place a set of wood skewers in the open jar mouth to create a decorative room scenter whose scent can be changed seasonally.

Essential oils to keep around for blending:

• Bergamot eases grieving
• Chamomile soothes and calms
• Cedar wood enhances mental clarity
• Clary sage combats depression and enhances dream memory
• Eucalyptus depletes negative energy
• Geranium works on depression, anxiety and insomnia
• Juniper cleanses and detoxifies clearing negativity
• Jasmine arouses sexual desire and creativity
• Lemon is a quick mood enhancer but also makes your mind sharper
• Patchouli strengthens and grounds
• Peppermint dispels pride, and helps one fight feelings of inferiority
• Pine invigorates and energizes
• Rose brings and remembers love
• Rosemary fosters clarity of thought
• Sandalwood stills the mind
• Sage manifests strength
• Marjoram eases loneliness and grief
• Lavender calms, cleanses balances and creates harmony

When creating a blend just measure the essential oil by drop into a small vial and roll between your palms to blend the oils together.

Remember each of these recipes uses 100 % pure essential oil, not perfume oil or potpourri oil which is not a pure extraction from the herb like essential oil is.

I created a mood enhancing blend called

Uplifting Bath Blend that was posted back in 2013.
It contained this:

6 drops lemon oil

6 drops geranium oil

3 drops rosemary oil

3 drops peppermint oil

3 drops juniper oil

Relaxation Blend

12 drops lavender oil

6 drops marjoram oil

6 drops clary sage oil

3 drops bergamot oil

Floral Fun Blend

This blend is for a relaxing scent and something that is great in a bath especially for those with sensitive skin.  It is the "perfume" blend I made for my hubby to enjoy on me!

4 drops lavender oil

2 drops rose absolute or rose geranium oil

3 drops neroli or orange oil

2 drops roman chamomile oil

1 to 2 drops jasmine oil

You can add this blend to ¼ cup of almond oil for a soothing moisturizer or add a teaspoon full to the bath water or blend into witch hazel extract and spritz onto wrists to smell and feel like a field of flowers.

Upside Down French Toast - Weekend Recipe

This is a Tyler Florence recipe that I adapted with my Cinnful Dessert Blend.  I will say, make sure you make this is in a well-seasoned cast iron pan or dutch over, because contact with unseasoned cast iron makes cranberries turn black.  We used a dutch oven which is coated so that would not happen.

Upside Down French Toast

4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend
1/2 loaf challah bread, cut into 1 inch-thick slices
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, plus more for sprinkling, divided
4 Granny Smith apples
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Confectioners' sugar, garnish, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a flat dish, crack eggs and add milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Whisk until well combined then lay challah slices in mixture to coat and absorb it all, turning occasionally.

Set a 10-inch skillet, seasoned cast iron if you have, over medium heat. Add the butter and 1 cup sugar and cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has melted and caramelized, about 8 minutes. While the sugar is melting, peel apples, core and cut into halves. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the heavy cream. Sprinkle in the pecans, dried cranberries and gently press in the apple halves so there is a flat surface. Lay soaked slices of challah over the top so it is completely covered - you should be able to arrange the large slices and small slices so there are no gaps. Sprinkle the top with some brown sugar and place into the preheated oven. Bake in the middle of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and puffy.

When done, allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes then invert onto a large plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar, if desired, and serve.

Weekend Recipe - Hungarian Baked Vegetable Stew

I love Hungarian sweet paprika.  Hungary is a place with a large number of sweet and chili peppers and they make a sweet paprika that has all the smokiness and robustness of paprika, but is sweeter than a paprika made from chili peppers.  I love it because I can eat it without causing a flair up of my rosacea.  It is a wonderful ingredient in meat rubs and marinades and I use it in Paprika Chicken Rub, Barbeque Spice Blend, Italian Dressing and Marinade and several other blends.  This recipe proves it is also good on vegetables.  I found this recipe in a great cookbook called Herbs in the Kitchen by Carolyn Dille and Susan Belsinger.  If you have a great number of root vegetables this is a wonderful wintertime baked dish you can serve as a main dish and it is perfect when the weather turns cold like it is this weekend here.  And freeze the extra, because it tastes better with age!

 Hungarian Baked Vegetable Stew 

•4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 large shallots, diced
• 1 medium red or green sweet pepper, diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 or 4 bay leaves
• 1 pound potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 2 turnips or parsnips
• 1 rutabaga, about 4 inches in diameter

• 1 Daikon radish
• 1 tart green apple
• 19-ounce can of chopped tomatoes
• About 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 
• 1 tablespoon light honey
• 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika (you can also use BYP Paprika Chicken Rub)
• 1 chili pepper, ground or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cups rich red wine (of course a Hungarian Wine is best)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over moderate heat and add shallot, pepper, and onion. Stir in the minced garlic and bay leaves, and cook for about 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350º F.  Wash, peel if necessary, and rough chop potatoes, carrots, turnips or parsnips, radish, rutabagas, and apple. Add to skillet along with tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.  Stir in salt, paprika, chili pepper, parsley and red wine. Mix ingredients thoroughly and transfer to a lightly oiled earthenware or ceramic casserole. Cover and bake for 1 hour.  Reduce heat to 300º F and bake 1 hour longer. Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand, covered, for about 15 minutes. Serve in individual bowls, and pass with sour cream.

January is Hot tea month

To celebrate hot tea month this year, I dragged out the infusers and the teas I “have been meaning to try.” And put them front and center in the kitchen so that I can enjoy them morning and night.  I also took my hot pot to the office so I can make hot tea at work.  I think this will start a new and tastier habit for me in the office as well as show off my new tea blends as I make and test them in the weeks before I start to sell them.

So if you enjoy wrapping your hands around a warm cup of tea, you might want to make it a habit too. And if you need incentive, the evidence continues to mount that tea is good for you.

Heart health is the most notable benefit, says Jeffrey Blumberg, director of the Antioxidant Research Laboratory at Tufts University: "People who drink more tea do appear to have less risk of heart disease, and for those who have developed some cardiac event like a heart attack, those who are tea drinkers seem to have a lower incidence of a second event."

Herbal teas are more than just decaffeinated alternatives to regular black tea. In fact, they can be very powerful & beneficial, and whether you’re looking to improve your digestion, boost detoxification, curb your sweet tooth or if you need a natural sleep aid – there’s an herbal tea that can help! The secret is to buy the right tea & brew it the right way.

Tea is a bit like food – quality matters. There is the food in its natural state and then there’s the nicely packaged processed food, which is often void of any original goodness. In tea language, this means that the processed teabags with dust-like tea inside are more than likely devoid of any original aroma or nutritional value. Meanwhile, whole leaf teas are the very best choice and well worth the price difference. These teas have whole or slightly broken down pieces of leaves & stems and are not bagged but instead bought as a loose tea. These teas are full of uncompromised nutritional benefits, and aside from having a higher content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, they also contain the fragile essential oils which are responsible for the medicinal properties of herbal tea. Loose and Fresh can truly make a difference to your health and improve your overall wellbeing. Check out the more than 25 varieties of Backyard Patch Herb Teas in our Etsy Shop.

After buying the right tea, brewing it right is just as essential. It all goes back to the beneficial essential oils. These oils are fragile and need to be preserved as best possible. Covering your tea while steeping it helps preserve these oils that otherwise easily escape in the steam, rendering the herb less effective medicinally.

Here are a few more useful brewing tips:

o    Make a whole pot of tea and use a tight lid to cover while steeping. Any tea pot with a lid or French press tea maker is good as long as it is covered up.  If you like your tea very hot get a cozy as well.  These are made by PawPrints onEtsy and are my favorite style that will fit any sizes of pot!

o    Let your tea steep for 10-15 minutes to maximize the health benefits of the herb.

o    Get a good tea cup infuser tool. The larger the better to give the leaf room to unfurl and release minerals and oils. We have been making beaded infusers for a year now.

o     Remember that herbal teas have medicinal properties and some of them can interact with certain medications. Check with your health care provider before taking any new herbal teas if you are on medication and if you are pregnant or nursing.

And finally, if you want to enjoy our teas and tea accessories like infusers, shortbreads and scones, use this discount code at checkout on Etsy for 20% off – TEASALE11

Spicy Rice Pilaf Weekend Recipe

This is an updated recipe from the 1950s when Spanish Rice” was all the rage.

½ cup chopped onion

2 Tbls olive oil

2 cups chicken broth

¼ cup dry lentils, rinsed

1-16oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup salsa

1 uncooked long grain rice

1 cup frozen corn

1-2oz. jar diced pimentos, drained

1 tsp. chili powder

In a saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in oil until tender.  Add broth and lentils.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes longer or until lentils and rice are tender.  Makes 12 servings.