Vintage Kitchen Vixen

Making Homemade Vanilla Extract (Edible Gifts)

July 3, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Making vanilla extract from scratch is a reward all on its own. Whether it’s to save a bit of money, to enhance your baking experience, or to make a thoughtful handmade gift, there’s something special about extracting your own vanilla flavour.

MAKING VANILLA EXTRACT FROM SCRATCH

To some, making vanilla extract from scratch seems out of the realm of possibility.

The truth is, it couldn’t be easier to make!

No matter how many different ways you roll the dice, vanilla is expensive.

Taking the DIY approach, however, will save you a few bucks and give you a cool kitchen project.

All you need is a handful of vanilla beans, a half-pint mason jar, 80-proof alcohol, and six month’s worth of patience.

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Cucumber Salad: a Victory Garden Recipe

June 26, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 1 Comment

Looking for a cucumber salad recipe? When cucumbers and herbs are plentiful in the victory garden, it’s time to make this refreshing cucumber salad. Tossed in a light and creamy herbed yogurt dressing, it will leave everyone wanting more!

VICTORY GARDEN-GROWN IS BEST!

I’ll be honest.

I make this cucumber salad year-round, but only when cucumbers are less than $1 apiece.

I wish I was joking about this, but I’ve seen cucumbers selling for $3 each on more than one occasion.

Crazy!

By the way, there are many reasons why I call gardens victory gardens, which you can read about in my victory garden post.

Whichever way you cut it, victory garden-grown herbs and cucumbers are best.

Let me tell you why.

Did you know that most produce loses 30% of their nutrients within three days of being harvested?

Unless you’re buying the herbs and cucumbers from a farmer’s market, it’s pretty hard to pinpoint when they were picked and how long they’ve been sitting on the shelf for.

Fortunately, cucumbers aren’t on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen list for 2021, but they have been on that list in the past.

Unless you’re buying organic produce, it’s more than likely that storebought cucumbers have been treated with something.

Therefore, not only are garden-grown cucumbers fresher and more vibrant, but they’re safer and more nutrient-dense, too!

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Making and Maintaining a Sourdough Starter (it’s easy!)

June 19, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Why bother with store-bought yeast when you have your own sourdough starter in the fridge? Learn how to make and maintain this old-fashioned leavener with only three ingredients: flour, water and time.

SOURDOUGH: A NOURISHING TRADITION

Sourdough first came on my radar when I read through Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series as a child.

I would have given almost anything to take a bite out of one of Ma Ingalls’s good sourdough biscuits!

Indeed, sourdough has been around for a long time, much longer than most people would guess.

Did you know that sourdough bread dates back to at least 3700 BC?

While sourdough was shelved away for a while (like a number of other old-fashioned skills and traditions) it is experiencing a resurgence.

When yeast was hard to come by in some areas, sourdough was back in popular demand, and it’s no small wonder why!

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Bacon Parmesan Dandelion Salad (a way to eat your wild greens)

June 12, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

A dandelion salad in spring is a gift to your liver. It turns out that those pesky dandelions growing in your backyard are one of Nature’s greatest gifts!

DANDELIONS ARE NATURE’S GIFT

At some point in history, someone decided to go to war against the dandelion.

Troops of herbicidal homeowners were riled up to destroy this sunny plant and the war continues to this very day.

I really don’t understand it, because dandelions are one of the healthiest plants out there, and they’re FREE!

Dandelions are truly God’s gift to humankind because they are brimming with vitamins and minerals.

These nutrient-dense weeds are full of vitamins A, B, C, K and E, and pack more potassium than a banana.

Sulphur, magnesium, manganese, calcium, iron, and silicon, are just some of the other minerals found in dandelions.

One thing that might turn some folks off from eating dandelions is that they are bitter, but not so fast!

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Why Everyone Should Forage (and 7 beginner tips)

June 5, 2020 by Sylvia Rose 8 Comments

Learning how to forage is like learning how to raid Nature’s pantry. Here are four simple reasons for why everyone should forage and some best practices to keep in mind.

THE FORAGER’S PATH

My foraging journey began two or three years ago when I lived by a forest trail.

It was a beautiful respite from busy living and I walked there frequently, delighting in the rich canopy of green.

Sometime after the Pokemon GO! game came out, I was walking through the woods trying to catch Pokemon (I am SO ashamed to admit this) when I stopped dead in my tracks and came to my senses.

Why was I putting so much time and energy into imaginary critters when I didn’t even know what was growing around me?

I loved the woods, but I was a stranger.

Why was it that I could identify Pokemon and corporate logos, but not something real and tangible?

Something needed to change!

RELATED: Things you can do with violets

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German Potato Pancakes Recipe (Kartoffelpfannkuchen)

May 29, 2020 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Kartoffelpfannkuchen, or, German potato pancakes, is a simple traditional dish that makes for an easy meal. All you need are a handful of ingredients, a food processor and hot skillet!

plate of german potato pancakes Kartoffelpfannkuchen

WHAT ARE GERMAN POTATO PANCAKES?

Growing up, German potato pancakes were a special treat on our table. Of course, we just called them potato pancakes, but when I asked my mom for her recipe, she looked at me blankly.

“Do you mean latkes?” she asked.

“When have you ever called them latkes, Mom? You’ve always called them potato pancakes.”

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