Prepped Living Blog

We haven't posted an update on projects since last summer - 9 months! - so we thought it past time that we made a post. The list will not likely be complete since it has been so long, but here are a few highlights from the last nine months: Food Preservation Canning -  Condiments -  Mixed Berry Jam, BBQ Sauce, Hot Sauce, Cowboy Candy Fruits, etc. - Apple-Pear Juice, Apple Juice, Pears, Spiced Pear Sauce, Apple Sauce, Tomatoes, Cranberry Juice Meals - Turkey Pot Pie Filling, Kung Pao Chicken, Beef Bulgogi, Beef Cubes, Turkey, Meat Broth Freezing - Plums, Berries, Meat, Bone Broth, Onions, Hot Peppers, Green Peppers, Herbs, Celery Dehydrating  - Onions, Microgreens, Plums, Apples, Herbs for Tea, Culinary Herbs, Celery, Celery Leaves, Tomatoes Sewing/Knitting - Child's Cloak, Potholders, Baby Quilt, Knitted Stocking Cap, Modifying Clothing Extracts and Liqueurs  - Coffee Liqueur, Lemon Extract, Vanilla Extract (both vodka-based and bourbon-based), Maple Extract Fo...

We love making vanilla extract and recently made two new extracts: lemon and maple. Why would we make our own extracts? First, it is much more affordable than purchasing them in the store. Second, we can be assured that the ingredients are clean with no fillers or unwanted chemicals. Vanilla - We use a lot of vanilla in nearly all of our baked goods and enjoy different flavor profiles. We keep two "flavors" on hand: a vanilla infused in vodka or Everclear and a vanilla infused in bourbon. You could also do it with rum, which sounds amazing! We keep two containers for each type of vanilla - one container for use and one container in which we  infuse the vanilla. For the first jar, we purchased a glass oil/vinegar set with the pour tops. We keep the vodka vanilla in one and the bourbon vanilla in the other. These containers make it easy to dispense and measure the vanilla without spilling. The second jar is what we use for the "mother" container (the jar in which we ...

A while ago, we reported on the blog that we made coffee liqueur with used coffee grounds. The result was a strongly flavored coffee liqueur. I used this for a mix in many drinks, but it was pretty strong and not quite the same as the Kahula brand of liqueur. Part of it is likely because I used vodka to make the liqueur rather than rum. We had run out of coffee liqueur and wanted to either get or make some more. We have a friend who makes a wonderful homemade coffee liqueur, so we asked him for the recipe and gave it a try. This was a more mild liqueur that makes a better mixer than the previous recipe we tried.  What are the benefits of making your own liqueur? First, you know what the ingredients are. Second, you control of the quality. Third, it is much more economical than purchasing a brand name liqueur, especially if you use an economical brand of rum. Just remember, though, that the quality of your ingredients will affect the quality of the results! Here is the recipe we use...