Cold Brewed Coffee

You know the saying about necessity being the mother of invention? Well, here is a case in point. I guess one could argue that this isn't about necessity and I certainly didn't invent this but I'm excited about it and wanted to share.

Last week was a good week with the exception of one day. I'm sure good things happened but it was one of those days where the not-so-good eclipsed the good for me. The last straw was when I knocked my beloved french press off of the dish drainer. I had already broken a drinking glass that afternoon and shattering my french press resulted in me dissolving into a puddle of tears. Weeping would be a better description. I recovered and my sweet husband cleaned up all the glass. This week is going much better but is sadly devoid of coffee. Coffee is a wonderful thing, the smell is intoxicating, it warms the soul and is an excellent conveyor of cream. Real cream. We don't drink coffee everyday but when the weather is grey and cold (like this week has been) and each day bring a thunderstorm and steady rain (like this week has), I start wanting a good hot cup of fresh coffee.

Yesterday afternoon I remembered a recipe, directions really, for cold brewed coffee made in a glass jar. Unfortunately it takes 10 to 12 hours to brew so it wasn't much help yesterday but today I got crackin and made myself some. I ground enough fresh coffee beans to measure 2/3 of a cup of grounds and mixed that in a quart jar with 3 cups of filtered water. Stirred it up good and set it on the counter to brew. It's hidden behind the vinegar and olive oil since it seemed like something my little darlings would like to explore (read: pour out all over my kitchen floor). In the morning I will be able to strain it and stir a tablespoon or so of the brewed coffee into a mug of hot water and then stir in my cream. I can hardly wait!

Raisin Scones

Every couple of weeks we have hot scones for breakfast. Basically a scone is a lightly sweetened biscuit. Beyond the basics, the sky is the limit with scones. You can bake up savory scones with herbs and cheese to serve with a rich stew in the winter or quiche and a beautiful salad in the summer. Of course, small dainty scones with strawberry jam and devonshire cream is a must for tea party. This recipe is tried and true, and it's bona fide since it comes from a bread book written by a British baker. I have adapted it a bit for my taste and I always double the recipe to feed the horde. This recipe is dedicated to my dear friend Sally, who has never been too old for a tea party!

Raisin Scones

adapted from 100 Great Breads by Paul Hollywood

1 2/3 cups unbleached white flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons of butter

2 medium eggs, beaten

scant cup of milk

1/2 cup raisins

sugar for sprinkling

Mix together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by hand (I always use my hands, they are your best kitchen utensil!). Mix together the eggs and milk, then stir into the flour and butter mixture. Knead lightly in the bowl or on a floured surface, adding more milk if the mixture is too dry. Knead in the raisins until evenly distributed. Pat the dough into a thick circle and cut out with a biscuit cutter. For breakfast I use a large size but for a tea party I would use my smallest cutter. Put the scones on a buttered baking sheet and sprinkle them with sugar. I only use raw sugar for baking and it makes the loveliest crust on the tops of the scones. If you only have granulated sugar it will be just fine, but raw sugar is amazing for this. It will make you will make you feel quite fancy indeed! Bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Serve right away with plenty of butter, jam and devonshire cream. Be sure to wear your best hat!

Grade B Baby!

For several years I have been reading about Grade B maple syrup. The elusive syrup that is made after the Grade A syrup you find in the store, the stuff maple syrup makers save for themselves to pour on their pancakes and drizzle over their vanilla ice cream. An internet search showed where I could order some, after I won the lottery that is. I resigned myself to enjoying the regular stuff until that fine day when we could visit Vermont and hunt some down.

Well then, I was perusing our natural food store, filling up my jar with some blackstrap molasses from the bulk section, when what should I see but a spigot labeled Grade B Maple Syrup! Could it be? If you happened to see a woman crying in the bulk section, that was me. I filled up my jar, toted it home and proceeded to sample the nectar with a spoon. Of course, my husband caught me so then I had to share. Now every Friday morning you will find us pouring our Grade B (that's what we call it) over our pancakes and the person who cleans up the kitchen gets to lick the spoon!

Oatmeal Breakfast Squares

Above you can see all that was left from our breakfast yesterday, one lonely little square that I defended long enough to snap a picture. They are ravenous, these kids of mine. I double every recipe and add lots of fruit and vegetables alongside everything but still their appetite is amazing. In my search for easy, nutritious, and yummy breakfast items I have made quite a few unusual things. This however, was a hit from the first round. I adapted the recipe to use unrefined sweetener and to be vegan. In the last two months we have switched to a mainly vegan diet for health reasons and it has been surprisingly easy and nice. Many pregnancy problems I have chronically experienced have disappeared and I have a lot more energy. So, when I can, I convert recipes to use no eggs or dairy. These oatmeal squares were super easy to adapt and they are delicious. A pan of them provided a great camping breakfast for us last week so keep that in mind if you are planning to do any camping this summer.

A word about substituting eggs, this recipe uses a "flax egg" which is one tablespoon of flax meal and 3 tablespoons of water. Mix it in the liquid ingredient just like you would mix in the egg. Of course, you can use an egg if you want. The best thing about vegan baking is that you can eat the dough/batter! Talk about liberating. A healthy fear of salmonella was instilled in me at a young age and I must say that I have been enjoying the vegan chocolate chip cookie dough I've been making and I haven't been quite as diligent in scraping out the cake batter bowl as I have been in the past. Pretty fun!

Oatmeal Breakfast Squares

1 flax egg, see above (or use 1 egg)

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup rice milk (or whatever milk you use)

1/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup nuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine all ingredients and spread in a greased 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and set. Cool for a few minutes and cut into squares. I double this recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13 inch pan. You can add diced apples or any dried fruit you like.

I hope your family enjoys this as much as we have!