10 Parsnips (peeled and sliced)
2 T garlic, minced
2 T Earth Balance Buttery Spread
2 T Nutritional Yeast Flakes
Splash of Soy Sauce

Bring a stock pot of water to boil. Then, toss in the sliced parsnips. Bring to a rolling boil and cook until fork tender. Once tender, drain off water. Now, place the butter and minced garlic in a saucepan to lightly saute.

Pour the buttery garlic into the cooked parsnip pieces. Add in nutritional yeast and soy sauce. Use a potato masher to mash the parnsips and incorporate all the ingredients together. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley flakes for a great side to any hearty meal.

You asked for it! Here is my recipe for Vegan Apple Pie Pancakes! While wintering in California I whipped these up in the Seed Bank closet of a kitchen. They passed Jere and Sasha’s approval… why not try them out on your family this weekend!

1 1/2 c organic all purpose flour
3 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 c vanilla flax milk (soy, almond or coconut)
1/2 c apple sauce
1 T maple syrup or agave nectar
1 t vanilla extract
1 T Earth Balance
Combine the dry ingredients together. Create a well in the center of the dry mix and add the milk, apple sauce, maple syrup and vanilla. Mix well.

Add a tablespoon Earth Balance to a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Then, once the butter has melted pour in your pancake batter. Be sure and watch these babies as they cook fast. Flip the flapjacks to brown on both sides. Serve piping hot with maple syrup. In the picture above I splurged with a bit of cream cheese, apple sauce and agave drizzled over the whole stack.

Feb/Mar Issue 2012

I grew up in the midwest and one of the most popular magazines among my mom’s farmerette friends was Country Woman. So I grew up with this magazine and have fond memories flipping through the pages and admiring country women from all over the US! I used several projects within the pages for 4-H and whipped up quite a few of the recipes over the years So, last year when Sharon Selz contacted me about being in the magazine I felt so honored. Last April they sent a photo crew to our farm in Missouri and we spent the entire morning and afternoon taking pictures. It was great fun and everyone was incredible to talk with. The above cover was shot in the greenhouse attached to my home along with seedlings that were for sale at our seed store in Missouri. The entire experience is one that I will cherish and my thanks goes to the wonderful crew at Country Woman for offering me such a sweet, full-circle experience!

If you’d like to read the article… visit our blog at Rareseeds.com by clicking here. You can pick up the Feb/Mar 2012 issue where your favorite magazines are sold.

An email I received…
Hello! l recently reread an article of yours in the Fall 2011  Heirloom Gardener on the preserving of food. While I grew up with, and have continued canning and freezing much of what I grow, I’ve only pondered drying, with a few stabs at solar power. Your article makes me yearn, once again, to try dehydration , but over the years, my research of electric driven dehydrators leaves me unable to choose one. I have tried 2 models, but was not impressed. I am overwhelmed at the choices. Your writing gives me confidence in your knowledge and experience, and I ask if you would be able to recommend to me a dryer, so I could know it to be a top operator. [barring the lemon, or build error, etc.] I really need to have someone who knows what they’re doing, say, “I’ve used this and it gets the job done right.” Thank you so much, for at least your time, and your so-enjoyable blog. Good evening. K-

Dear Kay,
Thanks for your kind note! It was wonderful hearing from you. Now to your question…

When I was a teenager my mom bought an American Harvest dehydrator by Nesco. We had a small family of three and this little workhorse did the job for us for several seasons. We picked it up at our local farm store and I must admit the price was right at only about $65.00. We made sure that the model we purchased had a thermostat, which I think, besides time, is the key to getting food dried right! Mom still has our Nesco dehydrator and is quite pleased with it.

Once Jere and I got married purchasing a dehydrator was on my list and now 5 years later I finally got my dream dehydrator! Years ago I remember getting Rural Farm Delivery advertising card packages in the mail that offered everything from composting toilets to Excalibur dehydrators. That Excalibur card always was salvaged from the stack, but since we were doing ok with our Nesco model we didn’t invest in the more costly one I was drooling over.

So, this last season after reading through review after review on every dehydrator imaginable I decided to invest in an Excalibur, complete with thermosat and timer. I knew it came highly recommended from friends and fellow homesteaders. The price point was always a set back, that is until I found Excalibur’s factory blemished auctions on Ebay. You can save some major dollars buy purchasing one of the models on their eBay page. The blemish is only on the outside housing, the mechanical workings of the dehydrator are perfect. In fact, I still can’t find the blemish on mine! I purchased mine towards the end of the season last year, so I can’t wait to get busy with it! I know it comes highly recommended and is well worth the money!

I hope this helps you! So how do you solve the dehydrator dilemma and choose the best model for your homestead? Just be sure and read through the reviews carefully on the models you are interested in. Make sure you get one with a thermostat! Then, when you’ve loaded the trays be sure and complete the suggested time for each fruit or veggie and snap them to check for moisture. You’ll be on your way to delicious homegrown dried fruit and veggies in no time!

image credits: pears by norwichnuts’ and cilantro drying by boboroshi. 

AND THE WINNER IS: GRACE WILLARD!  

Thanks to everyone who entered this giveaway! It was lots of fun! I plan to do more in the future. If you have something you’d like to giveaway… please feel free to contact me!

I am sure all of you are quite swamped with holiday baking, decorating and gift wrapping and maybe a few last minute run-like-a-crazy-person trips into town to pick up a few overlooked gifts.

However, in the midst of all the crazy fun activities check out my giveaway this week! Elizabeth from SwankyPlace.net is offering up one of her absolutely adorable Sweetheart aprons to one lucky person who comments on this post! I found her Etsy shop on a random search and have been smitted ever since. Elizabeth has impecible taste for oh-so-cute fabric and her retro styling is like icing on the cake. I’ll let her tell you a bit about herself and then we’ll move on to the juicy details on how you could be our possible winner…

“My name is Elizabeth but at SwankyPlace Aprons, everyone calls me Betty Love because I love to sew… especially aprons and kitchen accessories. I grew up in the 1960’s and 70’s when aprons were a staple in every kitchen and everything was made from scratch. My aprons are a fresh take on those familiar vintage designs. This way I can enjoy all of the fun things in todays world while staying connected to my past.

I hope my aprons inspire you to tie one on. I put a lot of thought and care into each and every apron I make and use only the highest quality fabrics. That way, when you buy your apron from SwankyPlace you know it will provide you with years of loyal service.”

Also, check out Elizabeth’s website at SwankyPlace.net and connect with her via the links below.
blog: http://swankyplace.net/blog
Etsy: http://swankyplace.etsy.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swanky-Place/293516245722
Twitter: http://twitter.com/swankyplace

Click here to visit our Facebook page and like Heirloom Girl!  Then you can sign up for the chance to win one of two giveaways! You might win a gift box filled with garden seeds and our new book “The Heirloom Life Gardener!” The second giveaway is all things crafty!   The winners will be annouced in December. Contest ends December 23, so don’t delay!

Crochet my turkey applique for a festive addition to linens or even baby clothes. (I’m making a pin out of mine!) Check out the pattern by clicking here and visiting Crochetspot.com