Wassail

Wassail

One of my all-time favorite winter drinks. I've made Wassail one way for SO MANY YEARS. That recipe found HERE, is great and long lasting but FULL of sugar.

However, I need something healthier -especially since the name Wassail comes from the words
Waes Hael
(one historical version anyway found here)
OR
Ves Heil Hal
(another historical link here)

That said BOTH mean Good Health.

So I found 4 similar recipes that had varying amounts and differing spices.

Putting them together I created two amazing recipes - both the same taste but for differing budgets.

Wassail

2 cups fresh cranberries

2 sliced oranges
2 sliced lemons
1 qt Apple juice or cider
2 C Cranberry juice

1 qt Orange juice

1 tsp Cinnamon
3 Cinnamon sticks
2 tsp whole cloves
2-inch fresh sliced ginger
1 tsp Allspice

2 C Pineapple juice

1 cracked whole nutmeg

Add all ingredients into either a crockpot/slow cooker or large stock pot on low for several hours to allow the spices to flavor fully.

~~~~~

Now for the budget-friendly version of the above recipe, you can buy frozen concentrate of apple, orange, pineapple & cranberry juice.
One qt of apple cider was almost 6.00 yet a frozen 100% apple juice was 1.20.
I used 2 frozen apple concentrate, 2 frozen orange concentrate, 1 pineapple & 1 cranberry then added almost 2 quarts of water and the rest of the ingredients.

Boiled Egg Salad Sandwiches

Boiled Eggs Salad Sandwiches

served on my hubby's Fresh Bread (recipe for the bread later)

5 Boiled Eggs - peeled

1/4 -1/3 C. Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise

Sliced bread (6 slices as this made 3 large sandwiches)

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Paprika

A few drops of Tabasco if desired, this adds such a yummy factor!

Combine all ingredients. I use a strawberry/egg slicer to get the eggs sliced nicely to start off. Add the seasonings and dressing, finish combing until your desired consistency. Spread across sliced bread, sprinkle with a bit more paprika and serve immediately. Yummy, yummy, yummy! 

No this isn't trick photography, my hens lay us wonderful eggs with very bright yellow yolks.

Increase or decrease amounts depending on how many sandwiches you would like to make. 

This is a family favorite

Coop or Hutch Natural Cleaner

As I love and adore the Fresh Eggs Daily Blog I found this wonderful coop cleaning recipe on her blog.

I only had ONE small problem the other day... I needed to clean out our rabbit hutch from where our new bunnies decided to pee inside their nest - on the wood.
I couldn't wait a full month for the cleaner to be ready.

Hence I made a NOW batch omitting the vanilla and cinnamon and adding in all the goodness of the oranges.
I pulped them, squeezed them and even zested them so that every bit of orangeness was mixed into the vinegar.
I have a second batch made properly setting downstairs so I can clean the coop out in a month, but yesterday was shear desperation of getting the rabbit pee off of everything!

Ingredients for the proper mix

Four oranges (or six limes, four lemons or two grapefruit or a mix)

Two cinnamon sticks

Two vanilla beans 

 Bottle of white vinegar (or cheap vodka)

Two canning jars

Spray bottle

Due to the thick mix of desperation I ended up straining it into a large tin can I couldn't spray the rabbit hutch with it in a spray bottle but used a thick Ikea hand cleaning scrub brush to scrub the walls of the rabbit hutch.

Afterwards it smells amazing! No more nasty, vile pee smell (and with rabbits it gets STRONG smelling).

So really this recipe is great for many small animal areas and is fantastic for cleaning up strong smelling odors!

I can't wait to try to right mix on the chicken coop!

Broiler Barbecue Rabbit

There are a few things to know about cooking Rabbit. The majority of recipes call for long cook times at a lower heat.
As this was my first time cooking rabbit I turned to the BEST source I could think of.
My Grandma's old Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking circa 1947.

                   

                         Broiler Barbecued Rabbit

1 dressed rabbit, 1 1/2 lbs                       1/8 tsp pepper
2 cups cold water                                     1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt                                                   1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup butter, melted                             1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp grated onion                                   1/4 c water
1 tsp salt

Start broiler oven 10 min before baking. Set to mod hot (350F).
Clean and wash the rabbit thoroughly. Cut into serving pieces place in bowl, cover with cold water and add salt (first units of water and salt).
Soak 1 1/2 hours. Drain, pat dry with paper towels. Melt butter in saucepan, remove from heat, add remaining ingredients and beat thoroughly.
Dip rabbit pieces in sauce and arrange on aluminum foil-lined shallow pan and place in broiler 3 inches from heat source.
Broil 30 min, basting with remaining sauce every 10 min.
After top side is well browned, turn rabbit over increase heat to 375F and broil another 40 min, basting frequently.
Increase heat to 400F and broil 15 minutes so that meat brown richly. Remove to platter, pour remaining sauce over rabbit and serve with rice.

After turning the first time

Now I'm not that great at sticking to recipes. Due to time constraints I used all the methods and very few of the actual ingredients.
I had a 2.3 lbs rabbit, we soaked it for over 2 hours. Then I basted it with a store bought BBQ sauce mixed with melted butter.
After it was cooked, I heated extra BBQ sauce before drizzling it over the cooked meat and the white rice.

It was DELICIOUS!


I know I've stopped posting recipes for the last little bit and that truly is a shame since my cooking this last year has really taken off but I will try to post more of the unusual things I've been cooking!
For cooking rabbit the very first time this was a WIN!

Easter Crockpot Ham

This year the hubby wanted a very simple meal with just us. This is opposite of how we normally spend holidays.

In fact last year for Easter I had my dad and stepmother, Shayne, Sara & Sue. After the dinner Lori came by as well.

Alright so I am the person who likes to make everything BIG. I LOVE to cook big, eat big, party large and just surround myself with friends and family.

I also normally have a HUGE meal.

Due to the smallness (just us four) I downsized my menu. 

I also get the irony of serving ham on Easter. We celebrate the life and resurrection of a Jew (Jesus) with ham... but since I can't afford a full Passover meal or Lamb at all... we did ham.

I found this trick on Pinterest a few years ago and will NEVER EVER make Ham any other way!

This makes it so tender and juicy, it literally falls off the bone. Hubby didn't have use the knife once!

Crockpot Rootbeer Ham

Ham

1 C. Rootbeer

Add items to crock pot, cook on low for a few hours (4-6 hours). Cover with tinfoil if your crock pot lid doesn't fit. Every hour pour the juice/soda over the top of the ham to keep the top moist. If your ham came with a glaze packet, instead of adding water to it, use the extra juice from the ham.

I served the ham with a glaze as well as scalloped potatoes and broccoli. While it was a small meal for a holiday it was delicious!

Spicy Thai Chicken & Noodles

My original post ~ Oh Sesame! was just the noodles with grilled chicken on the side. Good, but missing something.
The next time I made the noodles (which I LOVE!) I thought it would taste even better with fresh cut lettuce.
So I went to make it and starting thinking that I also wanted chicken...
Voila the best dish EVER was created!

Spicy Thai Chicken & Noodles 

1 box Angel hair pasta
1-2 tbsp. crushed red pepper    (1 for yum, 2 for HOT)
1/4 C. Veg. Oil
1/2 C. Sesame Oil
6 tbsp. Honey
6 tbsp. Soy Sauce
(one cube of cilantro if you don't have fresh) 

4-6 Chicken Tenders - grilled

1 Head of Romaine Lettuce

To taste and to add right before serving green onions, cilantro, peanuts & toasted sesame seeds. 

Boil, cook & drain pasta.
Heat both oils & crushed red pepper. If using the cilantro mini cube add to oils and heat over med heat in a small pan.
Strain, reserve oil.
Add honey & soy sauce to oil reserve and whisk.
Toss noodles to coat - refrigerate several hours until chilled.
Top each serving with chopped green onions, cilantro peanuts & sesame seeds.

Cut lettuce and bed it on the bottom of however many plates (serves 2-4)

Top with noodles and toppings including cut up grilled chicken.

Honestly its heaven!

Saucy Apricot Chicken ~ Slow Cooker

Saucy Apricot Chicken

4-6 boneless skinless Chicken breast

1 (12oz-15oz) jar Apricot preserves

1 pkg or 1/4 C dry onion soup mix

Place all items in Crock pot (slow cooker)

cook on low 4 1/2 - 5 hours.

Serve with rice or on rolls.

I added 1 cup of small veggies to the rice and then topped it with some of the remaining sauce in the cooker, was amazing!