Defrosting Your Freezer Fast

Is your freezer ready for this year's harvest? Here is a fast way to defrost.

Remove any foods you have that need to stay frozen to freezer chests or another freezer.

Place a box fan in front of the freezer opening. It may need to be propped up if you have a chest or are doing the top of a refrigerator that is not frost free. Make sure to drape the electrical cord up so that it cannot get wet when the ice melts.

I like to keep some towels, bucket,  and mop handy. Notice my lovely muck boots!

My upright freezer had at least an inch of frost/ice built up on some of it's shelves. It was completely defrosted within two hours!

Take some old towels and clean and dry before replacing your food. Also if you keep your freezer full, it will save you money. It will not have to work as hard to keep everything cold. We 3/4 fill empty plastic jugs and place in freezer as it empties. (This ice also comes in handy when taking a freezer chest somewhere or to crush when making ice cream.)

Ready for the garden veggies, fruit, and  the game meat!

Fourth of July Pies

Make them Red:

Strawberry-rhubarb or Cherry-rhubarb or Cherry

Make them Blue:

Blueberry

Make them "White":

Apple

Use cookie cutters to help decorate your crusts. 

Brush some cream or egg beaten with 1 Tbsp water to help your crust turn golden

and help sugar sprinkles stick.

Fallen Cake Trifle

My first attempt to make angel food cake from scratch ended in a fallen cake!


But it was still good-tasting cake!

When you have lemons, make lemonade.

So the fallen cake became Trifle

Tear or cut cooled cake into bite size pieces.

Make a batch of cooked chocolate pudding for one pie (you want the thicker version). I used the Make-a-Mix Pudding and Pie Mix recipe.

After pudding has cooled some add 1 cup sour cream–this is a key ingredient. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and refrigerate.

Have a bowl of strawberries sliced, sprinkle a little sugar or stevia on to help draw the juice and let set for a little while.

When pudding has completely cooled.

Arrange layers in the following order:

1/2 cake pieces on bottom

1/2 strawberries–you can arrange nicely around the outside of the bowl to make it fancy looking

1/2 pudding/pie filling

1/2 cake pieces

1/2 strawberries

1/2 pudding/pie filling

Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours.

To serve you can garnish with more strawberries, whip cream, and/or chocolate curls.

Rich Chocolate Beet Cake

This cake is soooo good you won't need to encourage your family to eat their beets when you serve this.

Oven 350°F pre-heat
Spray  and dust or line with parchment paper 9" x 13" pan or 2-9" round pans

Pureed beets with coffee

Prep beets: Blend or puree cooked, skinned or canned beets to equal 2 cups. Pour 1/2 cup cold very strong coffee over the beets.

Mix dry ingredients together in mixer bowl:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. baking soda

Add All the other ingredients. Mix thoroughly–about 1 minute on low speed, scrape bowl, then 2 minutes on medium speed:
Beet puree
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup oil

Pour into prepared pans. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes,  then dump from pans onto cooling rack if desired. Cool completely before frosting.

Filled with Dark Chocolate Ganache
Frosted with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Dark Choclate Ganache

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate-place in metal or glass bowl and set aside.

Heat together on low until just beginnning to boil:
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. butter

Pour over dark chocolate. Let stand about 5 minutes to soften chocolate. Slowly stir until mixture is smooth.

To crumb coat cake. Immediately spread a small amount on all surfaces.

To glaze a cake. Pour over immediately or when only slightly cooled.

To use as filling. Set in refrigerator until partially set. Whip if desired. Spread filling using a butter knife.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

To frost a layer cake or 1/4 sheet (9" x 13") cake:

Soften 1/2 cup butter

Slowly beat 2 cups powdered sugar into softened butter.

Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla and pinch of sea salt.

Continue mixing in 1 cup powdered sugar.

Now add 1/3 to 1/2 cup cocoa powder.

Dribble in 1-2 Tbsp. milk or cream while mixing on low.

Slowly mix in another 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

Add more milk if needed to make spreadable. If too thin add a bit more powdered sugar.

Frost sides first, then the top.  I prefer to keep buttercream frosted cakes in the refrigerator.

Note: If you beat on high after adding cocoa the frosting will lighten in color.

Fave Cookbooks

They are the tattered, torn, smudged, and smeared ones.

Do you have some too?

Better Homes and Garden
Standard cookbook covering the basics. Even most of the index is missing. But I appreciate how the notebook lies open flat.

Make-A-Mix
My daughter-in-laws received this one from me this year for Christmas. Many years ago I borrowed my moms to make the Mexican Meat for burritos. Six months later she gave me my own copy so she could get her's back!

Sue Gregg's Cookbooks Set
How do you turn American white flour-fat-white sugar laden fare into something more healthy? Sue's cookbooks are loaded with good information and healthier recipes that will get you started improving your diet and be springboards for improving your family favorites.