Sharing our family recipes that are delicious, simple to make, and all made from scratch. From our kitchen to yours. Food for busy; yet hungry people, people just like you! Welcome, visit, look around, ask questions, and enjoy all that is offered here.
Please see our affiliate notice, located on the sidebar. Thank you for supporting Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household!
DIY Glitter Old Fashioned Christmas Light Bulb Ornaments, How to Reupholster Dining Room Chairs with Velvet Fabric, DIY Snuffle Ball for Dogs, that you can make, Almond Joy Bark Recipe, and a Happy New Year Banner are this week's featured posts!
Our Favorite Holiday Books, How to Make a Fabric Basket, Choosing One Word for 2021, and Chocolate Star Shortbread Cookies are this week's featured posts!
Friday Favorites included an Elf on a Shelf, DIY Repurposed Candlesticks with Sheet Metal Shades, A Repurposed Violin Case Shelf, Reindeer Treats, A Simple Christmas Table Setting using Holly, and Galvanized Tin Trees are this week's featured posts!
Grinch Cookies with a Printable Tag, Pesto Quesadilla Kid Fun, Easy Hot Chocolate Mix, DIY Gum Machine Snow Globe, and Giant Cardboard Christmas Ornaments are this week's featured posts!
Christmas Home Decor 2020, Starbucks Copycat Gingerbread Loaf, Raspberry or Peach Ragulech, and a Gumball Machine Christmas Snow Globe are this week's features!
How to Make Sugar-Free Snipped Dates, naturally sweet and the perfect topping for oatmeal or even cold cereal in the morning. Easy and delicious, Sugar-Free Snipped Dates sweeten without adding refined sugar to your morning.
Our Favorite Gadgets for Baking Cookies, Christmas Trees Made from Scrap Molding, Easy Egg Nog Cookies, Candy Cane Sugar Cookies, Pastel Colors Whipped Soap DIY, and How to Make Personalized Embroidered Ornaments are this week's featured posts!
Family Traditions when your Family isn't Traditional, English Toffee Cookies, Chewy Choco Chips, and Nuts Cookie Bars, How to Make A Beret (with free pattern), Homemade Marshmallows, and Quilted Star Ornament are this week's featured posts!
Bananas in Orange Caramel Sauce is perfect to make and enjoy this time of year! Fresh oranges have flooded the market place and green-tipped bananas are never a problem! This is one fruit dessert that will not leave you looking for something else, once you leave the table...
First Frost Theme Tablescape, White Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge, Crafting with Postage Stamps, English Toffee Cookies, and Faux Snow Christmas Ornaments are this week's featured posts.
This Beef Stew from Provence is delicious. Rich with flavors from red wine, bay leaves, and thyme. While Beef Stew from Provence does require a rest in the red wine marinade, feel free to start this dish one day and cook it the next! The orange zest and black olives round out the flavors and compliment each other.
25 Homemade Gifts, a DIY Wall Mount Gift Wrap Organizer, Christmas Gift Bag Wall Art, Fall Dried Fruit Potpurri, An Acorn Tablescape, and a DIY Dollar Tree Candle Stand (made from skewers!) are this week's featured posts!
How to Make a Clothespin Bag, 12 Books on Yoga that will Inspire, Sausage and Root Vegetables Sheet Pan Dinner are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
From our family to yours, we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving Day! Thank you for your visits here at Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household, we appreciate it more thank you know!
Chocolate Rolled Oat Cookies, a Vintage Turkey Collection, a Christmas Garland from a repurposed sweater, Mini Burlap Trees, a Paint by Number Craft, and a Pie Take-Home Container with Tag are this week's featured posts!
Welcome to this week's Funtastic Friday link-up!
Thank you for joining us, and sharing your wonderful ideas!
Amazing Cranberry Apple Pie, Honey Whipped Cream, Gingerbread Pear Muffins, and Keto Chicken Broccoli Casserole are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
While I am feeling better (about 50%) this cold is still in charge...I have managed to get a few of the highlighted recipes from the last two weeks, up and running, with posting dates scheduled. With a couple of the recipes still waiting to be written up. Since I am running behind in recipe writing, I thought I would share a bit about this fun topic.
Are you a Yellowstone fan? Where we live in Montana, the Yellowstone television series is filmed in and around the valley. My husband and I want to (someday) watch it, hoping we can identify all the different places used in the filming process. Currently, we do not subscribe to Paramount Network. But I did get to be involved with Yellowstone at my seasonal job...
My employer ABC Acres partnered with Yellowstone Productions to make RIP'S Huckleberry Heat. And I got to be part of the cooking process! You can see the ABC Acres Facebook post here. But I thought I would share some of the photos also...those peppers are beautiful and hot! And yes, the huckleberries do grow wild around here.
I have enjoyed my time at ABC Acres, learning a lot along the way. Proof that no matter how long you have been cooking, there is always something new to learn!
In the kitchen at ABC Acres, busy making RIP'S Huckleberry Heat, hot sauce!
Repurposed Alarm Clock (so cute!), What's your favorite Halloween candy?, Wood Burned Chargers, How to make Tartan Trees, and DIY Leather Ornaments are this week's featured posts!
Three Ingredient Nutella Brownies, Classic Pumpkin Bread, Easy Tabletop Turkeys, and Preparing and Using Chicken Feet are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
Yesterday I had no choice but to realize that while I thought I was getting away with avoiding the cold that has been sweeping our shared home, I did not. You know you have lost when that familiar scratchy spot begins growing at the upper part of your throat.
Later when I did a check-in with friends, they too were getting a cold...so I called into work and for a couple of days it will be rest, tea, and healing for me. Of course, with all that there is to do, I would like instant healing, but alas I will have to be satisfied with the regular old fashioned kind, done in due course...
A day in the Life of Virtual Learning, Paper Christmas Trees, Ultimate Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes and Easy Quote Art using Maps are this weeks featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
With work slowing down a bit, it is time to think about cooking more for my own family! I am excited to get back to it and here is a sample of the recipes that we will be enjoying again and of course shared, right here for others to enjoy! We have enjoyed these dishes multiple times through the years and while I love finding new dishes to try, we enjoy old favorites like these time and time again...
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili with Charred Beef. I do not make chili often, but this one is delicious and that touch of sweet potatoes is perfect!
Best Keto Mug Cheesecake, Coffee Milk Buns, British Style Pub Pickled Onions, and Simple Life Gift Ideas are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
We were in the path of the storm that came south from our neighbors to the north!
We got a foot of snow about a week earlier than our usual, but from what we have been told, there is always a pretty good snowfall before Halloween. When I looked back on my memories feed on social media, it turns out that we did get a sizable snowfall last year before Halloween...
Everyone needs a delicious, family-favorite meatloaf recipe, to turn to. Melt-in-Your-Mouth-Meat Loaf is just what you need. Easily the one meatloaf to serve the family, time, and time again! You will want to keep this recipe handy...
Almond milk or juice, Coiled Paper Coasters, DIY Fabric Rose, and Pork Loin with a Baked Applesauce are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
Tonight we got our first snowfall! That means that summer is really, really gone! I say that jokingly because we were away so much, that I did not get many of the outdoor chores done, that I had wanted to get done this summer, I guess there is always next year!
I have been working on a solar lighting/flower garden at the end of the root cellar in our side yard. It is almost complete and I will share it next week. Walking to our door at night proved to be a bit of a problem. There was a light in the driveway, and a light at our door, but nothing in between. Then I got the idea for solar lights between the flower pots. I love how far solar lights have come in the last couple of years. Making it easy (and economical!) to be creative in your yard.
Are pork chops on your menu often? Looking for something new and delicious to serve family and friends? I offer Scalloped Potatoes and Rutabaga with Pork Chops Thyme and Cheddar Cheese a delicious one-pan meal! Even for those that only think they don't like rutabagas...
Cheesy Ditalini, Fermenting Food in Mason Jars, A Family Time Capsule, and, Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Carrot and Apple are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
Breakfast is on my mind. Our weather here in Montana is changing and the mornings are quite cold. They are also dark. I for one look forward to daylight savings time and getting back that hour of daylight, just as we need it most, for coming home!
If your family is a hot cereal kind of group, you may enjoy the following:
Pumpkin Cheese Ball, Using Salt in the Laundry Room, How to Make Christmas Tree Napkins, and Self Sufficient Living are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
I cannot believe another week has gone by. With my job working at the organic farm and canning for our own household in the evenings after work, I am amazed at how much I am getting done. I never planned out exactly how I wanted my retirement years to go, but I think not working, after so many years of working was a bit harder on me than I thought it would be! I do believe we feel best when we are accomplishing things important to our heart's desires. Feeding my family (and apparently another family as well) healthy organic food is part of what I hold dear.
Home-canned plums from our own trees!
The jars you see in the sink are plums I canned from our own plum trees! This is exciting only because when we purchased our property last year, the fruit trees had not had any care or maintenance in many years. These jars are quite gratifying! I canned 28 quarts of plums, and will also fill the food dryer, plus there should be enough for a batch or two of jam. Now to have that kind of luck with the apricot tree!
New recipes from Slices of Life, Apple Oatmeal Cake, Brown Paper Bag Flowers, and Easy Instant Pot Pumpkin Oatmeal are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
I have to say as I write these words that I am so glad September is over! Not because of anything bad that had happened, or horrible weather, or even that I gain some weight (I didn't it was a thought of what COULD make for a bad month, LOL!).
No, I am glad that September is over because we are done working 7 days a week! This coming Friday will be our first weekend off in four months, and we have a lot of catching up to do. There are pears to can, a cat to pet, complete the installation of the woodstove, a couple of cords of wood to stack, a bit of weeding, and of course, those pantry shelves need to be replenished.
These delicious recipes are on my list to get my home kitchen back up to speed after four months at camp!
Maple Pecan Granola, one of my favorites! No refined sugar with plenty of whole foods to get the morning started right.
Honey Almond Granola.
Honey Almond Granola, because it is always a good idea to have a choice first thing in the mornings!
How to make a face mask, DIY Gifts in a Jar, How to make Ginger Beer, and Coconut Cream Pie are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
We have been busy with the installation of our woodstove for winter use, and have hit a bit of a snag, the pipe! With delayed shipments going to stores, sometimes what you need, simply is not available. We have now moved on to plan B, ordering it online and hoping it is shipped out as promised!
Next weekend will be our last at camp, and while I will miss the serenity of the forest, there are so many chores waiting for us right here at home, it will be a pleasure to get to them.
At work, I have been canning applesauce (so far 75 quarts) and making Peach and Lime jam (24 6oz jars). Tomorrow will see me making a Pear Caramel Sauce to can and a few trays of Peach Fruit Leather to use up the last of the peaches.
And wouldn't you know it, as soon as is possible, I need to get started canning for my own pantry...and with that, how has your week gone? Getting to the end of season chores that seem to be waiting for us all?
Green Bean Soup, might sound unusual, but...it is easy to make, delicious, and light! Also perfect for the warm autumn days ahead as well as the cold winter on the way. This delicious recipe uses green beans from your own garden, or from the local Farmers Market!
A beautiful Apple Torte, Remedies for 9 common ailments, DIY Japanese Knot Bag, and Apple Oatmeal Bars are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
We have been busy around these parts! My husband has also been working hard to get the wood stove installed before winter arrives...
The heat shield is made of Hardy Board covered with corrugated tin. The platform base is set to be covered with a layer of Hardy Board, then a layer of tin. From there the stove may be set in place. Once the stove has been placed, the piping can be installed. We also have 2 cords of wood coming, there simply was not enough time to cut, split, and stack wood.....
DIY Bottle Cap Pumpkins, Instant Pot Potato, and Leek Soup, Grace Tinley Scarf, and How to Dry Hydrangeas are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
As it turns out, we will have a very busy few months ahead of us! We have been asked and have agreed to continue hosting at the campground weekends only for the month of September. We also have to get our little wood stove that has been purchased, cleaned up, and installed! Plus take delivery of two cords of wood, and get it stacked and covered...And with the added expenses to get this final project completed we have taken on temporary jobs for the next few months.
That is our strategy, to work additional job(s) in lieu of payments for needed items. We were very lucky, each of us found a job on the same day. Plus our new employers were understanding of our weekend schedule for the month of September. When September closes, there will be fruit on our trees that will need to be processed and a few gardening and yard chores to get done, like I said a busy few months for us...
How about you, how do you handle the need for extra funds in your household?
Dear Homeschooling Mom, What's Up Wednesday, Easy Black Bean Soup, and 13 Ways to Preserve Herbs are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
And just like that, August is gone! We are back home from camping and getting ready for the cooler weather ahead. Today we picked up a wood stove to install in our little apartment so we will be warm and cozy this winter. Our first winter in Montana was a bit chilly as we did not have time to get a stove installed before the cold weather came to visit and stayed!
We are also busy stocking the root cellar with basics we like to keep in bulk and taking stock of the jam left from last year while making plans for preserving the fruit in our little orchard that will be ready to harvest soon.
This year we have pears on the pear tree. Not a bumper crop but I am hoping to make a batch of my favorite Pear Butter. We will have lots of Italian Plums to get picked, dried, canned, and made into jam. Plus there will be apples to make into applesauce.
Also this fall we hope to get the gardens set up so we are ready for planting come spring. What are your fall/winter plans?
Do you have jam and jelly favorites you make each year to enjoy and gift to family and friends?
Have you ever made Pear Butter? If not, I hope you do soon. With a few simple ingredients, you can make one of the best-tasting preserves ever! It is a favorite around here and I think your family will love it.
Cheesecake Cupcakes, Z(ucchini) Apple Pie, Bread, and Butter Pickles, Creamed Corn, and How to Grown Strawberries are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
We are ending our full-time camp hosting with the month of August, and going part-time for the month of September before calling it a day! We were happy to help by staying on a bit longer (we had thought 08/19/2020 would be our last day) to be available for those late-season campers. A reduced schedule is coming about in just the right amount of time because we have fall work needing to be done on our property and a heat source to install in our little apartment. Our first winter in Montana was chilly and we had only a small electric heater for comfort!
We have also been busy learning about all the local critters at Lake Como. This is a Richardson Ground Squirrel. They eat constantly getting chubby and storing body fat in preparation for hibernation. They have been such fun to observe. They do love sliced carrots, but I think their true favorite was the dried corn we offered daily! They can go into hibernation as early as July, but we had the pleasure of seeing them, and treating them to good eats up until a week ago.
We have observed the lake level change, the seasons of rain into dry summer heat, and the wonderful little critters in search of food for their long winter ahead. Being so close to nature, it has been a calming slow down of my own schedule. I love how living close to the land helps keep us in synch with the seasons of the year and in a more indirect way, our own lives...
Everyone needs a meal that is easy to put on the table because we all have busy days! Mustard Oregano Chicken or Chops, is the perfect "freezer pantry" recipe your family will love! Simply thaw, grill, or bake, and dinner is ready. Freezer pantry recipes are like money in the bank, and a great investment of your time...
Chicken Alfredo Lasagne, How to Staycation, Fresh Blueberry Pie, and How to Sew a Zippered Pouch are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
Believe it or not, I have finally made and enjoyed my first "hobo" dinner! While I always thought they sounded convenient (and they are!) the usual ingredients suggested were often a hamburger patty, some sliced potatoes, carrots, and peas. Kind of like a chunky stew in a packet. And while I love hamburgers, I wasn't sure I would care for that combination of ingredients.
But we have had a great time with the "hobo" dinner craze happening in our little camping circle. It has worked out that Saturday nights are now "hobo dinner" potlucks. We each make up our own preferred packet of food that is cooked over the fire. While the food cooks, we visit, give knitting lessons, or just relax. Then we dine. I have even made a side dish of carrots hobo style, and they were so good. Lightly charred, tender, and sweet from being roasted, with no added sugar. Those will be made again!
Even at camp we usually have chicken thighs ready to cook up, so I started with that in my hobo stack up.
In order stack, a thick slice of onion, green beans, chicken thigh, cheddar cheese, more green beans, and another thick onion. The onion slices cook up tender and offer moisture for the green beans and chicken to cook without drying out. Season generously with garlic salt, pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. I prefer to wrap in parchment paper, then heavy-duty foil.
Tip: double wrapping in foil allows you to take the outside layer off, keeping your hands clean while you open the packet to enjoy your dinner.
Do you want to eliminate commercial dryer sheets? The ones full of chemicals and paraffin? We did too. I made the switch and we have never looked back! You can eliminate artificial fragrance and the waxy residue from your laundry. Your clothes are just as soft when you take them from the dryer...From the DIY Homemade Household side of the blog!
Lemon Yogurt Cake, from a milk carton to a Bird Feeder, and Whoopie Pies are this week's featured posts.
Hello and welcome!
I wish I could tell you that our days are filled with neverending exciting activities, while at camp, but alas...being at camp is much like being at home. There are meals to cook, dishes to wash, a bed to make, and other chores as assigned by the Ranger. But it is an excellent trade-off because we love being in the forest, breathing in the fresh air, and observing the changes in the season as the days go by. The best part? Meeting the hundreds of wonderful people who have come to camp. It is definitely a bonus!
And just like at home emergencies and routine problems come up. In the very early hours of the morning, we had lightning strikes that started a fire high up on the ridge. On the south side of the lake. My hubby got dressed and went down the hill towards town to be within cell range to call 911 and report it. All in all, there were six fires started by lightning in the Bitterroot Valley, all were put out as the day went on. The fire crews are quick to respond and get the job done! We got to observe the helicopter repeatedly flying low over the lake to dip a "bucket" for water and then fly over the fire and drop a sheet of water to put it out. We heard the buzz of helicopters until early afternoon. It was a reassuring sound, to say the least.
Steel wool fills in the gap on the right side of this cupboard.
Not pretty, but very effective!
And I can also give you some tips on having a mouse (or 3!) in your house...We heard them, they even walked over the countertop each evening searching for food, quickly climbing down into the open space behind the propane stove, the little devils! We learned for our co-host that steel wool is the best material to fill any holes in the trailer and any gaps in from one cupboard to another. Steel wool is the one item they will not chew on! We also were successful in using a live trap to capture and release the mice. We did not want to use any poison as the birds eat the mice...and while it took a few attempts, in the end, we were pleased with the outcome!
If you or anyone you know has an interest in becoming a volunteer for your local campgrounds, national parks, and federal forest lands campgrounds, I hope you visit volunteer.gov, opportunity is calling!
How to Can Rhubarb from your own garden or the Farmer's Market. Canning rhubarb is a great way to have ready-to-serve rhubarb and to conserve freezer space. Home-canned rhubarb is perfect for pies, cobblers, or just eating as, is right from the jar!
A Free Printable Menu Planner, Strawberry Lemon Water, and Visit Brooklyn Bridge Park are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
We are entering our last month for camp hosting. August is a warm month in most parts of the country and that is no less true in the mountains of Montana! There has been one saving grace, however. When the temperature rises too high, the thunder kicks in, and with it along comes a bit of rain to lower the temperature. When this happens I am most grateful, because as luck would have it we also discovered that the A/C is not working in our little trailer house!
In the evenings and between camp chores I have been knitting winter scarves. This is my "inventory" so far, but I know many more will come about in the quiet evening hours.
These will be given away to those needing or wanting a winter scarf. In the past when I volunteered to help cook and serve a weekly meal in our local church, there was an offering table. Gifts for those coming to eat could help themselves to what they needed. These will be given over to the table for the next meal.
Since we are down to the last month at camp, I had better get busy with my own discoveries of the wonderful out of doors right there at my door. First on my list is getting into the kayak and paddling around. From there is a 3.5-mile trail walk in to see some spectacular waterfalls, and of course the 3.5-mile walk back! I think a sack lunch might be a good resting period before the return trip begins!
Lacto Fermented Dilly Green Beans, Greek Chicken with Salad, and Aqua Fresca are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
At camp just like at home, I use the grill as a means to get a meal or even just a recipe completed, quickly. And of course, the best part of this getting done quickly is that I don't woman the grill, it is manned by my hubby! Getting your hubby (or any cooking partner for that matter!) involved divides the work, and everyone gets to contribute to the effort of getting dinner on the table. The roasted onion salad I am sharing with you today is the combined result of our working together to get dinner done! This grilled salad is delicious and leftovers are great on sandwiches or burgers...
Roasted Red Onion and Grape Tomato Salad with Feta and Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Roasted Red Onion Salad and Grape Tomatoes with Feta and Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Looking for something a bit different, that the family will enjoy? If so, you will want to make this Tagine of Chicken and Olives, a delicious old-world flavor in a quick-to-fix pressure cooker (Instant Pot!) meal...
Are you looking for a Slow Cook and No-Cook meal plan? These offered selections are sure to please the family and are definitely easy on the cook! No matter how hot it gets, dinner still needs to be cooked. After the third day of burgers and dogs (and believe me, there is nothing wrong with those family favorites for dinner!) everyone might be ready to enjoy something else for dinner. Why not make it just as easy on the cook by enjoying this slow cook and no-cook menu plan?
How to Make a Homemade Wedge Pillow because purchased wedge pillows are hard! This pillow project may appeal to a few people or possibly none at all, which is OK. Many folks and not just me live with ongoing issues from an ulcer. But a comfortable pillow will help you sleep better...From the DIY Homemade Household side of the blog!
Strawberry Snaps, Chocolate Chip Pie, Summer Squash Lasagne, and DIY Shopping Bag are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
Today is granola making day! I try to eat oats every day. I divide my breakfasts between granola, baked oatmeal, Scottish oats, and occasionally a serving of overnight oats. The easiest of these is cooked oatmeal. A pan of oatmeal is cooked and served throughout the week with the help of the microwave to get it good and hot. Sometimes I cook oatmeal with raisins, sometimes not. Sometimes I make poached dried fruit to enjoy on top along with a dab of butter, and a drizzle of honey.
Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Granola, in the works!
But the granola is a different issue! It is crisp, baked to a golden brown, and always enjoyed! I have two basic flavors Honey Almond and Maple Pecan that I enjoy and here recently I have been playing around with a new flavor of granola, one inspired by a childhood favorite - Pop-Tarts! Yes, you read that right, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Pop-Tarts were a favorite when they came out in 1964. And I am old enough to remember that day because when my mom went shopping, a box came home! And I never forgot that flavor combination and now I enjoy that same flavor in my newest granola flavor...
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Granola, tastes just like Pop-Tarts! Another easy to make granola your family to enjoy. When granola is this easy to make, why buy it?
Breakfast is an important meal for everyone. Some folks like to eat right away, while others may need a bit of time to get ready for the day and that includes eating breakfast. Fortunately, both styles are correct!
Easy Southern Pickled Okra, How to Single Crochet, and How to Cook Dried Beans are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
We are home on our 2-day leave from Camp Hosting and it appears the cat has missed us! While he has been a stubborn one most of his 17 years, this time back home is different. He is cuddly, and a solid lap cat should I take a moment between laundry and other chores to sit for a minute.
When we traveled for a year volunteering at National Parks, he went with us! It was quite an adventure for us all, as he had never been further than his own backdoor for a little sunshine! But we made him a hide-y hole in the storage under the bed, where he could come and go as needed/wanted, and he took to travel lickity split! But for our current adventures, we have a much smaller trailer and he is too fat to fit in the current storage space!
Since we home share with our daughter and son-in-law, he is really never alone. Plus we are home twice a week for him to get plenty of treats and love, should he be in the mood! Cats are funny, they run hot and cold on attention, but he seems to be softening in his demands for things to be given on his agenda...
Some recipes are too good to make only once. And that is the problem with food blogging! But we have a fix for that... Here at Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household, I have always felt the need to share something NEW from my very first day of blogging! But here lately I have come to realize that many of the delicious dishes we have enjoyed in the past are calling out to be made again. And so we shall...
With the markets full of beautiful fruits and vegetables, now is the time to enjoy this unusual but delicious Black Bean and Mango Salad! Itis the perfect salad to serve with your favorite grilled meat for a quick and easy dinner. Who knew a can of beans and a piece of fruit could result in such an enjoyable salad?
A Rock Rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner, Grilled Pork Kabobs, Volunteerism, and DIY Memo Board are this week's featured posts!
Hello and Welcome!
Today I am knee-deep in dirty laundry! When we come home from Camp Hosting for our two days off, there is laundry to do, bread to bake, and a few other assorted chores to take care of before we return to camp. It is funny really, even in the summertime, life keeps humming along on the chores we must do each day!
I thought I would offer a glimpse into our campsite and the beauty of the Bitterroot Mountains...
Honestly, this volunteer life is not so bad! We get some exercise, lots of fresh air and the best part is the wonderful people we get to meet while being of service.
Planning A Staycation, Brown Sugar Peach Ice Cream, Mosaic Garden Art, and Simple Embroidery for Beginners are this week's featured posts.
Hello and welcome!
Our time at camp is going well, we have met so many nice people from all over! Most of the campers are from our own state of Montana, but we see more and more license plates for surrounding states as well as one from as far away as New York...which as it turns out is a state we hope to visit someday.
I have been working on different dried fruit (so easy to pack and store when camping!) poached in black tea and honey syrup. I have to say, it is so delicious, even though when I poached the dried figs I had in the camping pantry, they were not very pretty. My second attempt was with home-dried plums and those little jewels were delicious spooned overcooked oatmeal. The method couldn't be simpler, and it is perfect for just about any dried fruit you have in your pantry. You could even change out the tea flavor if you choose.
Black Tea and Honey Poached Dried Plums served for breakfast over oatmeal.
Tea and Honey Poached Fruit
by the seat of my pants!
2 black tea bags
2 c water
2 c (loosely packed) dried fruit
2-4 T honey (if your fruit is sweet like figs, use the smaller amount) as desired
dash of salt
Place water, tea bags, and fruit in a medium-sized pan. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let "steep" until room temperature. Remove tea bags (do not squeeze out, the tannins will affect the flavor), bring back to a boil, add honey and simmer until half of the liquid has evaporated.
A Patriotic Flag, Fiber Feathers, Lemon Sugar Cookies, and Black-Eyed Susan Planters are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
We have had chilly weather at camp, but that did not stop the campers from arriving and enjoying as much as they could of the beautiful mountains and the lake! I have to admit at this point in my life's journey, I prefer comfort over adventure, but back there in the memory bank I too have stories of how I braved the cold, the wet, and the wind during a camping trip.
There was this one day, however, that we had non-stop rain! And for the most part, the campground was empty save for our trailer and the camper of the second host. This gave me time to get my commemorative afghan completed. When we set out for Montana I began a Weather of the Day afghan for our first year in Montana. And finally, this piece has been completed! I had to take a break from knitting for a while due to a broken wrist (I recorded the day's weather for accuracy) because the first year also brought a fall on a frozen puddle during a hike one day...
But here is my completed piece, still a novice knitter, however, I enjoy the process and try to add a skill to each new piece I make. For the record, this piece is plain knit stitch. The color key I chose was blue for sun, white for snow, grey for overcast and purple for rain...
The afghan fits nicely along the bottom of the bed in our little 5thwheel while we travel, and is a great source of warmth during those cold evenings.
Easy, reusable face shield, 111 Best Dad Jokes, Grilled French Fries, and A summertime Bucket List are this week's featured posts.
Hello and Welcome!
It has been very cold from time to time at our campground. Some mornings there is a fresh dusting of snow on the mountain caps! But when the sun comes out, it is the best place to be to hear the birds sing, breathe in the fresh piney air, and see so many families having a great time with each other. Our tubs of Swiss Chard proved to be too easy for the ground gophers to keep out of, but they ate well until we brought them back home on our days off! I will say I am never afraid to try something new...tubs of growing vegetables was in fact something new!
We are hoping to hike around the lake to see the waterfall on the otherwise along the mountains. We have been told it is running faster than ever before, due to all the snowmelt. It will be a fun day... and a good bit of exercise, around the lake is 7 miles!
Do you love the flavor of Bay Leaves in your food? Learn how to make Penzy's Bay Leaf Seasoning! One of the most versatile seasonings to keep on hand in your kitchen! If you love the flavor of bay leaves in your recipes, you will love this seasoning mix.
Hello! I am Melynda E. Brown the cook and writer behind Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household. I have been cooking and keeping a home for more years than I care to say having started in my own childhood family home as one of the oldest, looking out after some of the youngest!
Affiliate Notice.
From time to time I may share a referral to a product that I use and trust. I may earn income through an affiliate link. I only recommend the best for your family, the same as I do for mine! Thank you for supporting Scratch Made Food! & DIY Homemade Household!
