vanilla

Homemade Almond Milk

By in Beverages, Cold, Homemade 10 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

almond milk

Almond milk has been a constant in our fridge for a long time. I use it mostly in my granola and drinks. We still use regular milk for cooking, but I find that if I have too much it starts to bother me, so I keep it to a minimum and always make sure to have an alternative on hand.

I started making my own almond milk about a month ago. It’s cheaper then buying a carton from the store, especially if you can buy your almonds in bulk. Since I’m the only one that uses almond milk on a regular basis in my family I can never finish a full carton by the time it goes bad. Making my own saves me money and I don’t have any waste. Plus, it only takes two ingredients for the base recipe, rather then a bunch of extra fillers that I don’t need. I find it much more convenient to make it myself then to run out to the store for more. As soon as I’m out I soak some almonds overnight, blend it up in the morning and I’ve got myself some fresh almond milk.

I also love the adaptability to flavour it up as I please. If I’m going to use it for cooking I leave it plain, if I’ll be using it for granola and drinks I like to flavour and sweeten it up. I do think that almond milk is an acquired taste, especially if you’re used to using another alternative, like soy milk. But it has quickly become my favourite milk substitute, right alongside coconut milk. I like to flavour it with vanilla and cinnamon, my kids think it tastes like eggnog and actually beg to drink it. That never happened with the stuff I got from the store.

If almond milk is a regular at your table, or you want to have a small batch rather then having to buy a big carton, this recipe is for you. It really couldn’t be simpler.

In other news, Kitchen Simplicity is featured in the spring issue of Celebrate Home Magazine. You can view the free magazine online through issuu or browse through the pdf version. In the issue I share four recipes for a spring brunch. They have lot’s of lovely articles about gardening, cooking, and, of course, all the different ways to celebrate home.

Almond Milk

Pick and choose your optional mix-ins or use them all for a delicious beverage that tastes great on it’s own.

  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 3.5 cups water (plus more for soaking)
  • pinch sea salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional

Place almonds in a bowl. Cover with enough cold water that the almonds are completely submerged. Set aside and let soak overnight (or at least 8 hours).

Drain and rinse the almonds, place in your blender along with 3.5 cups fresh water. Cover and process on the highest setting for one minute. Line a fine mesh sieve with cheesecloth. Pour the almond mixture through the cheesecloth. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and, using your hands, squeeze out as much liquid from the almonds as possible. Discard or save the almonds for another use (once I come up with some good ones I’ll be sure to share!). Whisk in sea salt along with desired flavourings. Pour into a storage container and refrigerate (let sit for a couple hours before using for best flavour) . Stir or shake before use. This should stay good for up to 5 days.

Makes: 3.5 cups

Adapted from Oh She Glows.

Christmas Tree Hunting + Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

By in Candy, Christmas, GF Sweets No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

christmas tree hunting

Last weekend we braved the snow and the cold and headed out west to find a Christmas tree with my family. I haven’t gone tree hunting in many, many years, so I was really looking forward to it. And, it did not disappoint. It was so much fun, despite the cold. And, after we all found our perfect tree, we made a fire, sharpened some twigs and roasted some homemade marshmallows to make s’mores. It was a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas season.

One day I want to get a tree like this. I think it would be adorably hilarious. It just looks so whimsical. :) But, since this was the first time we’d gotten a tree as a family we needed to find the classic “perfect” tree. So the boys went on a search and when they found it, Max helped his Daddy cut it down.

I didn’t get any pics of the s’mores fun because I was too busy roasting marshmallows and making sure my baby girl didn’t make a dash for the fire. But they were delicious and I love how the homemade marshmallows caramalize over the fire – so much better than store-bought I tell you!

When we got home, we turned on the christmas tunes, poured some eggnog and decorated the tree. Now all that’s left is to bake some gingerbread cookies to hang on the tree. It’s officially Christmas at my house!

I just had to share this marshmallow recipe with you. It is a crowd pleaser. I made both chocolate and vanilla marshmallows, and these vanilla marshmallows won, hands down. They are great for roasting, melting on top of hot chocolate (I like to cut up any scraps and turn them into mini marshmallows!), given as gifts, or used in your favourite Christmas recipe that calls for marshmallows.

They are also pretty much foolproof. My candy thermometer crapped out on me while I was making these marshmallows so I ended up cooking the sugar syrup far past the soft ball stage, and they still turned out fabulously soft and chewy. Although, there were strands of hard sugar stuck on the whisk, and the occasional sugary crunch in a marshmallow. Oops! But, that is to say, don’t be intimidated by making marshmallows, it’s easy peasy and not nearly so stressful as you might think. And if you don’t have a candy thermometer, not to worry, I’ve got instructions for that too.

I’d love to know, how are you kicking of this holiday season?

Classic Vanilla Marshmallows

  • 4 envelopes unflavoured gelatin
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups cold water, divided
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • icing (confectioners) sugar

Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish, line with parchment, and grease again; set aside.

Place sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook, without stirring, until mixture registers 240ºF on a candy thermometer (the soft-ball stage*).

Meanwhile, put remaining 3/4 cup water into the bowl of an electric mixer; sprinkle with gelatin. Let soften 5 minutes.

Using whisk attachment, gradually beat hot syrup into gelatin mixture, on low-speed. Slowly raise the speed to high. Continue beating until mixture is very stiff (about 12 minutes). Beat in vanilla. Using a greased spatula, scrape mixture into prepared baking dish, smoothing the top. Let sit, uncovered, until firm (about 3 hours).

Spread some icing sugar onto a work surface. Unmold the marshmallow onto the sugar; remove parchment. Lightly brush a sharp knife with oil or more icing sugar. Cut marshmallow into 2-inch squares (or use a cookie cutter to make desired shapes). Roll each marshmallow in additional icing sugar, to coat, shaking off excess. Store marshmallows in an airtight container. Freeze for longer storage

*If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can test the sugar syrup for the soft-ball stage. To do this, drop a small amount of syrup into a bowl of cold water, it should form into a ball, when you remove the ball from the water it should flatten out naturally in your hand. This is when you know it’s done and should remove the sugar syrup from the heat.

Makes approximately: 24

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Canning Basics & Vanilla Peach Jam

By in Condiments, How-to's 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

vanilla peach jam

I’ve posted quite a few jam and preserving recipes in the past but so far no canning recipes, even though canning is one of my favourite hobbies. The biggest reason I haven’t gotten around to it is because I wanted to be able to give a little canning 101 before sharing a recipe, so people could refer to it in future recipes and for people to understand just how simple the process is. So now that I’m finally doing it, expect many more canning projects in the future. :)

This isn’t going to be exhaustive because I’m no canning expert. But it’s what I’ve learned, what I know and hopefully will give you a head start if you’re new to this kind of thing. I’ve been making jam for a long time but I only started canning last summer. I didn’t have any special equipment and once I realized how easy it was, I was hooked. Jamming and preserving is one of my favourite activities to do in the kitchen. There’s something so soothing and satisfying about it. Hearing the ping of the jars sealing brings a smile to my face every time.

Let’s get started so you can get in the kitchen and know the feeling I’m talking about! :)

What you’ll need:

  • A large pot: I now own a canning pot, but when I first started out I just used the largest pot I had, which really wasn’t even all that big. If you’re starting out canning I would recommend doing smaller batches and using smaller jars anyways, so you don’t really need a gargantuan pot – that way it’s less stressful and you don’t need to buy any special equipment. You need to try it out first before you invest, right? It’s best if you can have a rack at the bottom of the pot because it protects the jars from the direct heat and keeps them from moving around while the water’s boiling, but when I started I didn’t have one so I just tried to make sure that the jars weren’t clanking into each other. If you have a small, round cooling rack that fits into your pot, you could use that, but again, it’s not absolutely necessary.
  • Canning jars and lids: you should be able to buy these at your local grocery or hardware store. You can also buy them online. I like to use a 250ml size for jams and 500ml for whole fruit (such as sliced peaches).
  • Jar lifter or tongs: This one is important. If you can, I would recommend buying a jar lifter that’s meant for canning. They aren’t very expensive and they make the process of lifting the jars so much easier. At the very least, use a very good, strong pair of tongs. You’ll be using them to take the jars out of the boiling water so you don’t want any chance of them slipping and breaking.

Things you need to know:

  1. Not every recipe can be canned. Make sure the recipe that you’re making is safe for canning. Especially when dealing with low acid foods it’s important that the pH level be above 4.6, so following a recipe is key. But don’t let that scare you off, just follow the recipe and you’ll be golden.
  2. Processing times (time that the jars are submerged in boiling water) depend on altitude. Most recipe’s processing times are for altitude’s up to 1000 feet, if you’re higher than that you’ll need to add additional minutes to your processing time. So find your altitude and follow this guide:
  • 0 to 1000 feet – time as written in recipe
  • 1,001 to 3,000 feet – add 5 minutes
  • 3,001 to 6,000 feet – add 10 minutes
  • 6,001 to 8,000 feet – add 15 minutes
  • 8,001 to 10,000 feet – add 20 minutes

How it works:

  • First you need to sterilize your jars and lids. To do this, first wash them in warm, soapy water then transfer the jars to a large pot (I use the same one that I’m going to process them in) along with hot water, to cover. Bring the water to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes, keep the water at a simmer until you’re ready to fill the jars – this will ensure that they stay sterilized up until the last moment. Do the same with the lids, but put them in a separate, smaller pot and do not boil; instead keep them at just barely a simmer, you want to soften the seal around the lids but if you boil them they may soften too much and create a false seal with the jars.
  • Remove the jars and lids from the boiling water, you don’t need to worry about drying them off, the heat will evaporate any water droplets. Fill the jars with whatever you’re canning, according to the recipe instructions. Wipe the rims and outside, clean of any drips. Place the lids on top of the jars and screw on the rings until fingertip tight (just until you reach resistance), this is also to make sure that you don’t create a false seal. Place the jars back into the boiling water, making sure the water is 1-2 inches above the top of the jars and that the jars aren’t touching; bring to a rolling boil before starting the timer according to the processing time indicated in the recipe (see: ‘things you need to know’ for processing times). This is called a boiling water bath.
  • Remove the jars and set on a kitchen towel, on the countertop, to cool and seal for 24 hours (while they cool you’ll hear them ping, which means they’ve created a vacuum seal). If some have not sealed by the end of the 24 hours put them in the fridge to use immediately. To check for seal: remove the rings from the jars, grip your fingers onto the edge of the lid and lift the jar a couple inches off the counter, if the lid stays in place, it’s sealed! Now you can store the jars in a cool, dark place to be enjoyed at a later date!

There, that’s not too hard, is it? ;) It may seem like a lot of information to process at first but once you do it, it will all begin to make sense and everything will go that much more smoothly and quickly. I promise you, it is worth it! If you have any questions or tips to share feel free to pipe up in the comments section.

And now for a recipe to put this all into practice. :)

I made this jam for the first time last year and was so sad when we moved from Norway and we couldn’t bring them along. I knew I had to repeat it again this year because peach jam is the epitome of summer canning, in my opinion, and the little bit of added vanilla just speaks of summer days. I’m looking forward to cracking these open and brightening up some of the cool winter days ahead. Peach season is holding on by a thread, so make this quickly while you still can!

Vanilla Peach Jam

  • 3 lbs peaches, peeled, pits removed and diced
  • 3.5 cups sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
  • juice of one lemon

Add all ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thick and  passes the wrinkle test*. Meanwhile sterilize 4, 250ml jars along with lids, as instructed above.

Remove vanilla bean pod from jam. Fill the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top with jam; top with lids and tighten rings to fingertip tight. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes (see: “things you need to know” for processing times above 1000 feet). Remove jars from water bath and set on a kitchen towel to cool for 24 hours. Check for seals before storing in a cool, dark place until ready to use.

*Wrinkle Test:

This applies to any jam that is made without using pectin.

Place a small plate in the freezer while you make your jam. Once you think the jam is ready place a dollop on the frozen plate and return to the freezer for two minutes. Remove the plate from the freezer and push through the jam with your finger, there should be a slight film on top that wrinkles as you push. If it’s not ready yet, boil it for a few more minutes and repeat the test.

Makes: 4 (250ml) jars

Adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Tartelette.

(Classic) Vanilla Ice Cream

By in Cool, Sweets 5 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

vanilla ice cream

Everyone needs classic recipes in their lives. This vanilla ice cream is definitely a must and worthy of the classic title. As my 16 month old daughter looks at this picture she’s humming “mmmm…. mmmm” with a tiny smile on her face. She knows a good thing when she sees it. My mother in law deemed this one of the best ice creams she’s ever eaten. I agree, it is so much better than anything you will ever get in the freezer section.

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, no fear. David Lebovitz (the king of ice cream) has a great tutorial on making it by hand. I’ve done it this way and, while it takes more work, it’s a fun project when you’re in the mood.

I got an ice cream maker for my birthday this year. It’s one of my all time favourite presents. I love ice cream but have always found the store-bought ice creams make me feel a little sick after. Not so with homemade ice cream. I know exactly what’s going in, so there’s no aching teeth or tummy aches.

With the hot weather approaching (or already here) vanilla ice cream is a great thing to have on hand in the freezer. It goes well with virtually every dessert and can cool off your day in an instant. We enjoyed sandwiching ours with ginger crinkle cookies. They were bliss.

Get this classic in your life. It’s more than worth it.

Vanilla Ice Cream

  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • pinch salt
  • 2 cups heavy cream, divided
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Put milk, sugar, salt, 1 cup cream and vanilla bean (with seeds) into a medium saucepan. Heat through just until steaming. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

Pour the remaining 1 cup cream into a medium-sized bowl. Set a fine mesh strainer over top. Set aside.

Fill a large bowl, or your sink, partway with ice water. This will be to cool down the custard quickly once it’s cooked.

To make the custard: Whisk together egg yolks. Slowly pour warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly, until smooth. Pour mixture back into the saucepan. Set over medium heat, cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of the spatula (you should be able to draw a visible line with your finger). Remove from heat and pour through the sieve that you set over the cream. Put the bowl into the ice bath (making sure the ice water only goes partway up the sides of the bowl) and allow to cool, stirring often. Once cooled, stir in the vanilla extract and place the vanilla bean back into the mixture. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Once your ready to make the ice cream, remove the vanilla bean from the custard and freeze in your ice cream maker according to manufacturers instructions.

Makes approximately: 1 quart

Adapted from The Perfect Scoop.

French Vanilla Iced (or Hot) Coffee

By in Beverages, Cold, Warm 7 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

French Vanilla Iced (or Hot) Coffee

A lot has transpired since my last post. We moved all the way across the country and back up into Canada – we”re back home! It”s been almost four years since we moved away. Everything feels so familiar and yet so different. It”s going to feel strangely wonderful to only have to drive a couple hours to see my family rather than a day of flying and dealing with jet lag. It feels good to be back. :)

When you”re moving so far away you can”t exactly keep stockpiling your pantry so the last few weeks have been much more about trying to scrounge up what I can make with the last remnants of what we have left – not exactly the most interesting stuff for a food blog. But, I was able to get a couple of posts ready for you while we were getting ready to leave, so I”ll be sharing those with you while we move into and set up our new place.

I”m excited to get back into the swing of things, I”ve missed you guys and this space. I figured I better start out by sharing a recipe that I”ve been keeping from you for far too long – iced coffee concentrate with french vanilla coffee creamer. Both are stored in the fridge so you can enjoy them anytime you want.

I”m not a coffee drinker but this combination has turned me into a coffee addict and the fact that I can have it cold or warm makes it that much more enjoyable and suitable for any day. If you have dairy allergies or want to make this healthier you can substitute soy milk, almond milk or regular milk for the cream.

I apologize ahead of time for contributing to your coffee addiction. Having a steady supply of this coffee concentrate and creamer in the fridge means it”s that much harder to resist. But at least we can feel a little less guilty about the fact that it”s sweetened with real maple syrup and can be healified to our hearts content. ;) Cuddle up on the couch or enjoy it on the back deck; either way it”s a blissful, and much looked forward to, break in the day.

French Vanilla Iced Coffee

Coffee Concentrate

I make mine in a 1 gallon pitcher, I”ve included the measurements for this smaller batch in brackets.

  • 1 pound ground coffee (6 oz.)

  • 8 quarts cold water (12 cups)

Stir ingredients together in a large container or pitcher. Let sit, covered, at room temperature for 12-24 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or paper towel. Discard solids. Pour coffee concentrate into serving container and refrigerate.

Large batch makes approximately 1.5 gallons concentrate. Small batch makes just under 3 quarts concentrate.

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

You can make this as low-fat as you like, keeping in mind that it won”t be as creamy. You can also use non-dairy substitutes such as soy milk in place of the half and half. If you don”t have vanilla beans you can use 1 tablespoon vanilla extract; heat as normal but skip the steeping process.

  • 2 cups half and half

  • 1/4 cup maple syrup

  • 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Heat through just until steaming. Remove from heat; cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and allow to cool before storing, covered, in the fridge.

Makes: 2 cups

To Make Iced Coffee

To make it hot, skip the ice and warm it in the microwave or on the stove top.

  •  ice

  • 1/4 cup french vanilla coffee creamer

  • 3/4 cup coffee concentrate

Fill glass half to three-quarters full of ice. Pour in coffee cream and coffee concentrate. Stir before serving.

Makes: 1 cup iced coffee, plus ice

For larger or smaller amounts simply use the ratio of 1 part coffee creamer to 3 parts coffee concentrate.

Coffee Concentrate adapted from The Pioneer Woman via Annie”s Eats. Coffee Creamer adapted from Deliciously Organic.

Easter Pavlovas with Lemon Whipped Cream & Vanilla-Rhubarb Compote

By in Easter, Simple Bites, Sweets No Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

pavlova

So, when I said I hogged all the rhubarb at the store I made more then just Rhubarb-Vanilla Lemonade. I also made some sweet and refreshing Easter pavlovas (in the shape of eggs) topped with lemon whipped cream and vanilla-rhubarb compote. Are you seeing a theme here? I have become obsessed with the rhubarb-vanilla-lemon combination, it’s just so darn good together. I’m sharing the recipe and some tips on making the perfect pavlova over on Simple Bites today.

“Pavlova’s are a perfect Easter dessert for so many reasons. 1) The majority of the work can be done a couple of days before serving. 2) You can make individual servings or one large dessert. 3) You can top it with whatever variety of toppings you like – or even serve it buffet style with a variety of topping and everyone can customize their own.”

Get the recipe and tips on Simple Bites.

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