Make Your Own Vanilla Extract – 2 Ways!

Written by Cami Mills on . Posted in From Scratch Recipes, Humble Home, Humble Homestead, Natural Living. Leave a Comment

After I learned how easy it is to make vanilla extract, I have never regret taking the little bit of time to make it to keep on hand. Vanilla extract is one of those pantry staples that is just always in our kitchen. When I started making an effort to eliminate processed foods by cooking from scratch, I gained an appreciation for the quality of ingredients used in cooking. The quality of individual ingredients in a simple meal could be the difference between delicious and blah. I don’t know about you but I want to strive for delicious every time! Homemade vanilla extract is delicious.

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Cold Brew Coffee at Home

Written by Cami Mills on . Posted in From Scratch Recipes, Humble Home. Leave a Comment

Beverage

Cold Brew Coffee

Expensive to buy but so easy to make at home. Two ingredients will take your coffee drinking to the next level. 

  • 8 h 5 min

    Total Time

  • Easy

    Difficulty

Ingredients for 3 Servings

  • 1 cup

    coarse/medium ground coffee beans

  • 3 cups

    filtered water

Total Time

  • Preparation Time

    5 min

  • Cooking Time

    8 h

Tools

  • Coffee Grinder

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  • Mason Jar

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  • Fine-Mesh Sieve

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  • Cheesecloth

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Method

  • Grind coffee beans to a coarse or medium size.

  • Add coffee beans to large jar or container.

  • Add water to jar and mix together.

  • Keep in refrigerator overnight. The longer the better!

  • Strain using fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

    Cold Brew Coffee Beans

  • Enjoy over ice. Add your favorite flavoring or creamer to make it your own!

Notes

Container

No need to go out and purchase some fancy container. Any jar with a lid will work. I use a quart size mason jar. A french press coffee maker would work to brew and strain the coffee beans. Double duty!

Coffee Beans

I have made cold brew at home using medium roast coffee beans as well as medium-dark roasted beans. I have used flavored and unflavored beans. It has all come out well. Although I have not attempted to make it with store bought coffee grounds, I am sure that it will work. Lately, I have just been buying whole beans and grinding them at home. I find that it tastes better and it saves on the cost of buying coffee.

Water

Use filtered water to make your cold brew. I am not a fan of unfiltered tap water. The taste really throws me off so I don’t want that taste in the background of my delicious coffee drink.

Tools
  • Coffee Grinder

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  • Mason Jar

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  • Fine-Mesh Sieve

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  • Cheesecloth

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More Delicious Ideas for You

  • Classic Cornbread

    25 min

  • Homemade Dinner Rolls

    50 min

  • Onion Powder - E. Jean Homestead

    Homemade Onion Powder

    20 min

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The Science Behind Cleaning with Vinegar

Written by Cami Mills on . Posted in From Scratch Recipes, Humble Home, Humble Homestead, Natural Living. Leave a Comment

 

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE.

I have heard about and read about how cleaning with vinegar is a natural option but never have I seen where someone cited actual research. My curiosity led me to do some research on the scientific proof of how effective cleaning with vinegar really is.

The internet is great because there are plenty of people out there willing to share their tips and tricks for every topic that you could think of. The internet is also great because you can educate yourself on subjects that have been researched and written about in scholarly journals.

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Homemade Onion Powder: Step By Step Guide

Written by Cami Mills on . Posted in From Scratch Recipes, Humble Home, Humble Homestead. Leave a Comment

DIY Onion Powder - E. Jean Homestead  

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. For more information, visit my disclosure page.

Cooking majority of our food at home means we use certain staple items almost daily. Spices and seasonings are an example of often used staple items. I did some research on which herbs and spices could be grown and/or made at home. Knowing that it is possible the question became does it make sense financially. We are looking to be frugal after all.  

DIY Onion Powder - E. Jean Homestead  

Let’s get into the step by step process. At the end, I will break down the numbers to help determine if making onion powder at home will save money.  

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Classic Cornbread Recipe

Written by Cami Mills on . Posted in From Scratch Recipes, Humble Home. Leave a Comment

Bread

Classic Cornbread Recipe

Ditch the store bought box of cornbread mix. Make this easy, from scratch cornbread recipe instead. 

  • 25 min

    Total Time

  • Easy

    Difficulty

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cup

    flour

  • 1 cup

    cornmeal

  • 1/3 cup

    sugar

  • 2 tbsp

    baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp

    salt

  • 2

    eggs

  • 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp

    milk

  • 4 tbsp

    oil

Total Time

  • Preparation Time

    5 min

  • Cooking Time

    20 min

Goes Great with

  • 10″ Cast Iron Skillet

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  • Glass Mixing Bowl

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  • Bamboo Wood Spoon

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Method

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.

  • Grease 10″ cast iron skillet or square baking dish. Set aside.

  • Add dry ingredients to large mixing bowl. Mix well.

  • Stir in wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

  • Pour mixture into greased pan.

  • Bake at 400° for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean.

Notes

My favorite way to bake this cornbread is in a 10″ cast iron skillet like this one. I highly recommend having cast iron skillets in your kitchen! However, as an alternative, you can use any type of square or round dish that is around the same size.

To grease my cast iron skillet before baking, I usually will put a little butter in the skillet and set the skillet in the oven as it come us to temperature. It does not take long for the butter to start to melt, so keep your eye on it. Once the butter turns soft and begin to melt, I pull the skillet out and swirl it so that the butter coats the entire skillet.

Tools

More Delicious Ideas for You

  • Homemade Dinner Rolls

    50 min

  • Cold Brew Coffee

    8 h

  • Carrot Ginger Pumpkin Soup

    1 h 5 min

Homemade Dinner Rolls

Written by Cami Mills on . Posted in From Scratch Recipes, Humble Home. Leave a Comment

Bread

Dinner Rolls

This easy recipe for yeast dinner rolls is a family favorite. It can be made in less than an hour so it is a perfect addition to any weeknight meal.

  • 50 min

    Total Time

  • Easy

    Difficulty

Ingredients

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp

    warm water

  • 1/3 cup

    oil

  • 2 tbsp

    active dry yeast

  • 1/4 cup

    sugar

  • 1 1/2 tsp

    salt

  • 1

    egg

  • 3 1/2 cup

    bread flour

Total Time

  • Preparation Time

    35 min

  • Cooking Time

    15 min

Tools

  • Stand Mixer

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  • 9×13 Baking Dish

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  • Cast Iron Skillet

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Method

  • In your stand mixer bowl, combine water, oil, yeast and sugar with a whisk. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

  • Heat oven to 400° F.

  • Using dough hook, mix in salt, egg and flour.

    Stand Mixer

  • Knead with hook until well incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. This should take a few minutes.

  • Form dough into 12 balls and place in 9×13 backing dish or a cast iron skillet. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

    Dinner Rolls - E. Jean Homestead

  • Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

    Dinner Rolls - E. Jean Homestead

Notes

If you find that your dough will not come together because it is too dry, add water a tablespoon at a time until you have the desired consistency. Add flour (a tablespoon at a time) if dough is too wet.

Goes Great with

More Delicious Ideas for You

  • Classic Cornbread

    25 min

  • Cold Brew Coffee

    8 h 5 min

  • Homemade Onion Powder

    8 hr

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