Comments on Crunchy Chicken: Life and strawberry jerky

Oh wow! I remember that episode with the raccoon!...

2008-07-23T06:01:00.000-07:00

Oh wow! I remember that episode with the raccoon! And I remember being terrified too.

Love the outfit! My daughter loves historic garb. ...

2008-07-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Love the outfit! My daughter loves historic garb. She has a sunbonnet, and I just made her a colonial outfit after our visit to Williamsburg. Have been meaning to blog about it ... What's the going rate for Laura nightgowns? Maybe I should set up shop. ;) We have read all the books and my daughter is starting over. We had a lot of discussion about the depiction of Native Americans ... and yet it also is informative to understand how people saw each other.

Great news on your husband. Um, no jinxing right,...

2008-07-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Great news on your husband. Um, no jinxing right, so let me try again. Interesting news on your husband. I'll be sending loads of good vibes your way. Love the Little House on the Prairie get-up.

How do you dry the rose petals?? I have climbing ...

2008-07-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

How do you dry the rose petals?? I have climbing roses in my front yard that produce thousands of mini pink roses with a wonderful smell. I have been resenting them because they give no food. Would be great to make them useful beyond being pretty.
Glad to hear medical stuff is going well. Would also love the soap recipe. Garlic, I had the same thing happen with garlic that wouldn't grow.

Thanks for all the dehydrating hints and tips. I'l...

2008-07-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for all the dehydrating hints and tips. I'll have to try those Clean-A-Screen trays. I do have the American Harvest (borrowed from my brother).

Mimi - I haven't made homemade paper, but that's a good idea!

Just hooked up to your site via Casuabon's book......

2008-07-19T07:51:00.000-07:00

Just hooked up to your site via Casuabon's book...enjoying it very much...about sticky dehydrator fruit...if you have an American Harvest style dehydrator you must get these inserts:

http://www.amazon.com/Nesco-American-Harvest-Clean-A-Screen-Tray/dp/B00004W4V8

They work like a charm...I imagine you could make some like these but they are a worthwhile investment...you can compare site listings for the best price

dried flowers are really nice in homemade papers a...

2008-07-19T05:07:00.000-07:00

dried flowers are really nice in homemade papers as well. Figured I had to stop lurking for that one. I do enjoy your blog. Keep it up super-girl.

One of my favorite things to do with dried fruit i...

2008-07-18T16:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do with dried fruit is to put it in oatmeal. Just pop it in while the oatmeal is cooking and the water is boiling. It warms up and partially rehydrates, and is then yummy and chewy. I bet strawberries would be awesome in oatmeal.

I will light some sage, and be thinking of Mr. Cru...

2008-07-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

I will light some sage, and be thinking of Mr. Crunchy. You are crackin' me up about LHOTP, I am reading the series to my kids, also have a few of the abridged, illustrated books that my younger kids like. Your daughter's outfit is sweet, where'd you score it? My mom sewed me a bonnet when I was young. Great post! JenK

Re. the flowers, I love lavender tea. Kind of w...

2008-07-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

Re. the flowers, I *love* lavender tea. Kind of warm and spicy, a bit like honeybush tea if you're familiar with that. You just take the dried flower heads and rub them between your hands and then put the tiny bud bits that fall out in a jar. Use about half a teaspoon per cup, add boiling water and steep for a couple of minutes.

I also love lavender cookies, I use this recipe:

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Cookie/LavenderCookie.htm

And lavender jelly is good on turkey. We used it like cranberry jelly last Christmas. It's also yummy on milky deserts like plain yoghurt or with cheese. There's a recipe here:

http://www.happyvalleylavender.com/lavender_recipes.html

Both of these mean the little bud bits when they refer to lavender.

I love rose jelly, too, but have never made it, and some people like rose added to regular tea but I find the flavour too subtle!

With rose petals and lavender you can make 'bath teas' - herby mixtures that you put in a muslin bag or large tea ball and put in the bath while it's running. I made lots of this for Christmas presents last year. Here are my recipes (use about 2 Tablespoons per bath):

**Rejuvenation**
* 1/2 Cup Lavender
* 1/2 Cup Rose Petals
* 1/2 Cup Sage
* 1/2 Cup Rosemary

**Skin Toner**
* 1 Cup Chamomile
* 1/4 Cup Comfrey
* 1/4 Cup Lavender
* 1/4 Cup Lemon Peel
* 1/2 Cup Peppermint
* 1/4 Cup Rosehips, Crushed
* 1/4 Cup Rosemary
* 1/4 Cup Sage

**Hard Days End**
* 1/2 Cup Lavender
* 1/2 Cup Uncooked Oatmeal
* 1/4 Cup Dry Orange Peel
* 1/2 Cup Chamomile
* 1/4 Cup Rosemary
* 12 Bay Leaves, Crushed

**Sports Remedy**
* 1 Cup Chamomile
* 12 Bay Leaves, Crushed
* 1/4 Cup Rose Petals
* 1/4 Cup Sage
* 1/4 Cup Rosemary
* 1/4 Cup Oregano

Hope that's not too long a comment!

--Heather from New Zealand :-)

Crunchy- I am a major LHOTP fan. I loved that show...

2008-07-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Crunchy- I am a major LHOTP fan. I loved that show growing up and it got me through many a months of bedrest while pregnant. I have always looked forward to my daughter falling in love with that show. She is still too young. Anyways- I had a lady I found on etsy make a ton of bonnets so I could give them away as gifts to little girls. I would be happy to send you one. It would be my thanks for having such a great blog that I look forward to reading every day. Every little girl needs a Laura Bonnet. Also- where did you get that nightset made. I need one.

Finally- so very happy to hear your husband is responding well. I will continue to keep him in my prayers!

Glad to hear that so far things are going well for...

2008-07-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Glad to hear that so far things are going well for Mr. Crunchy. I'm keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers. Keep us posted.

As another posted stated, "How do you do it all?" I have a 2 and 4 year-old. Many days I feel lucky to get the basics done -- laundry, basic cleaning, dishes, making meals, and dog grooming. Yard and garden are hit and miss.

--Ave

No jinxing, but I will keep hoping for the best fo...

2008-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

No jinxing, but I will keep hoping for the best for you and your husband. I'm glad that the stem cell transplant went well.

You saved the best for last, and I hope it is good...

2008-07-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

You saved the best for last, and I hope it is good news that does last.

On the strawberries... I think you could probably ...

2008-07-18T11:28:00.000-07:00

On the strawberries... I think you could probably turn the jerky into a strawberry syrup or a jam by simply soaking it in hot water for an hour or so. We do this on backpacking trips all the time... soak jerkied and dried food to get a reconstitued sauce.

I've never done strawberries, but for soft fruits ...

2008-07-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

I've never done strawberries, but for soft fruits like peaches, apricots, and mangos the key is (if you have time) to peel them up when they're still flexible and turn them over so a dry spot is against the tray for the last half of the drying. I do mine on a high temp for about 10-12 hours, flip them, and then finish on a lower temperature until they are jerkylike but not stuck.

But for really yummy fruit like strawberries, I mix them with applesauce and make fruit rollups -doesn't take a ton of grape juice or raspberry or sour plum to make the rollups be that fruit's flavor, and the fruit rollup trays are smooth so no sticking.

This might not be the best idea for keeping berrie...

2008-07-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

This might not be the best idea for keeping berries from sticking to dehydrator trays but I use screening. You know, like the metal screens for windows. I bought a length of screening from the hardware store and cut out circles that fit on my trays. Maybe there's a metal toxicity issue I'm missing somewhere, I don't know... Berries will stick but the screens are flexible enough to pop them off. Screening also works for apples and pears and probably will work for stone fruit as well.

HOWEVER - this works for non-gloopy fruit. I've dried partially collapsing, drippy raspberries on screens and it was a pain to get them off. I'd go with parchment for the really wet stuff.

Scandahoovian? Ya shure, you betcha! I lived in Wisconsin long enough to hear more than enough Ole and Lena jokes (performed with the appropriate Scandahoovian accent) that I now understand the Swedish Chef! Doncha know!

Kerri in AK

That is lovely garlic. Pretty good considering the...

2008-07-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

That is lovely garlic. Pretty good considering the year we've had weather-wise.

What are you going to do with the lavender? I'm a huge fan of lavender in cooking: roasted potatoes, shortbread, added to anything with berries. I also make lavender sugar (2 tbsp dried buds + 1 cup of sugar, let infuse in a jar for a few weeks. Strain the sugar, or grind the lavender in it, before using.)

I really like the car as dehydrator idea, it's hot...

2008-07-18T09:09:00.000-07:00

I really like the car as dehydrator idea, it's hot and dry here and I have too many vehicles I am not otherwise using and it is mango season. Hmmm.
All best wishes to the Mr. Crunchy. I hope you are not hanging out at that hospital any longer than you need to.
Crunchy needs you at home for new and more convoluted eco-experiments.
I got some garlic all set up for sprouting and then planting about two weeks ago.
The damn stuff was irradiated. Nothing happened. Usually a green shoot will emerge in two days. I really think we need to revisit the
idea of demanding that irradiated foods be so labeled. With ginger I can usually see if they zapped it or not, with garlic I can't tell.
Anyone else have these problems?
You can tell if the product has been irradiated usually if you have it in the refrigerator forever and it finally just kind of liquifies or shrivels.
Maybe they irradiated the Pharaohs.

Thanks for the update on Mr C and glad it is going...

2008-07-18T09:01:00.001-07:00

Thanks for the update on Mr C and glad it is going better than expected. And its great that nature gave you some head; I love garlic so I think I will try your scientific method. My dad had as green a thumb as any I've ever known and he had no luck w/ garlic.
It would be good for all the LHOTP fans to check out the revies and discussion on American Indians In Children's Literature at Blogspot.

Glad your husband is doing better than you thought...

2008-07-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

Glad your husband is doing better than you thought, y'all have been in my prayers. That Laura Ingalls outfit is so cute! I love Little House, but I really prefer the books to the show. As for the Christmas list, put me on there girl, JK!

My childhood was filled with LHotP - I had to get ...

2008-07-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

My childhood was filled with LHotP - I had to get the dinner dishes washed before I could go in the other room to watch the show. Motivation to get the dishes done!

You can use fresh rose petals, with the white bit snipped off, to make rose petal jam. aka gulkand
http://punjabirecipes.gurudwara.net/recipedetail.aspx?id=71

(I have a jar in my greenhouse which is just about ready to eat. Smells heavenly and tastes divine.)

I am not sure about the dried petals, maybe as an ingredient in tea?

Having never tried to dehydrate strawberries, no ideas there. My banana chips stuck, and like another commenter, I poked them from the back side of the tray and they popped off. That trick didn't work very well when using my mother's dehydrator, which had mesh screen for the trays. A dull butter knife to pry them off seemed to help the process go faster.

Do you have a good soap recipe, if so please share...

2008-07-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

Do you have a good soap recipe, if so please share. Love your blog, I read it everyday

High five on the garlic, those are some nice looki...

2008-07-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

High five on the garlic, those are some nice looking heads!
So glad to hear that things are going well for Mr. Crunchy, I hope rock bottom isn't too bad.

I had the same sticking problem with my peaches. ...

2008-07-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

I had the same sticking problem with my peaches. Maybe b/c I let them dehydrate 16 hours :)? I turned the American Harvest trays upside down and punched the little peach jerkys out from the top. Worked like a charm! Did have to soak the trays for awhile to clean them though.