Brummet's Conscious Blog

Dave & I feel so very honoured to have received this gushing review from a lady we met a few years ago. At that time, I was looking for someone to sew new dog bed covers for us and Celia happened to be offering sewing services.  She became a "family" member in our hearts right away. Such a sweet person, so kind, and always supportive.  She became a customer re: jams, jellies, syrups, etc that I produce from this yard. She came for a drum lesson once, which was super fun! I don't see her often except online because... well... I work from home - which can be isolating. I actually adore isolation, but occasionally poke my head out to be around people in person. lol Usually we see each other when it is warm and I'm out in the gardens :) Dave is the opposite, he's with people all the time and he likes to cozy down and get isolated once in a while. Anyway, Celia has become some one very dear to me and I'm very happy to share her review of our cookbook with you t...

Old Fashioned Milk Trick  Did you know that there is such a thing as dehydrated milk powder? Well there is and it is a fantastic staple to have in the cupboard. There are also dehydrated soy, rice, oat and almond milk powders available in specialty stores for those who prefer these alternatives. In the year 1802 the first known written record about powdered milk was put to paper, it talked about how it was convenient but not well-known yet. An evaporation technique was officially patented in 1837; since then there have been many documents detailing advances, patents and innovators. Put very simply, powdered milk is made by spraying a fine mist of skim milk on delicate screens, where it is dehydrated and then bagged.  To get skim milk, dairies let the milk settle in a chilled room where the heaviest, thickest cream rises to the top - this cream is skimmed off and is often sold as whipping cream. The milk is again left to settle in the chilled setting for a little longer until t...

Nutritional Cooking  Living this conflicting era is a challenge. With news broadcasts telling us that pollinators are declining, the availability of food is threatened, budgets are getting tighter while prices of food climb and all the while experts tell us obtain nutrition from food. Getting the most out of the budget we are spending on food has fast become a priority.  Cooking with nutrition in mind is the focus of our cookbook: From One Small Garden - Over 300 Delicious Nutritious Recipes . Despite common belief, it can be pretty simple to provide a healthy menu plan without a lot of extra shopping and spending. In fact, you can save quite a bit of money simply by being a little craftier and less wasteful. Let's start with the most common mistake, over-cooking. Over-cooking vegetables or any food for that matter dramatically reduces the nutrients. Therefore, choose to steam vegetables, rather than boiling them, and cook gently, so that the veggies still have texture and ar...

How to Make Homemade Soup Stock There is nothing like the comforting steam rising from a warm bowl of nutritious soup. Making a large pot of homemade soup or stew is a great way to utilize leftovers and to extend the menu plan without extra spending. The added bonus is one can easily freeze soup or stew in portioned sizes for future meals. It is nice to have options in the freezer from split pea to ham and barley, borscht or tomato soup - being able to choose what is desired at the time; just thaw, heat up on the stove and serve.  Frugal shoppers are fully aware that store-bought stock or broth can be pretty pricey: $3 (or more) for only 3-4 c. of stock. An alternative is the powder or cubed stocks laden with colouring, additives and salt. Surprisingly, it is very easy to make your own nutritious beef, chicken, ham or vegetable stock.  Keep a large container ready to collect clean, disease-free vegetable peels, cores and trimmings. Add the inner onion or garlic peels, as well ...

Fork and Beans  They say early experiences affect who we become as mature adults, and perhaps in my case - it just might be true. My first baking experiences were in my mother's kitchen where my biscuits were requested often. Occasionally during the summer months I was engaged as a volunteer at a large industrial kitchen where my mother worked, and learned a few tricks of the trade there under the guidance of the head cook. I recall the steamy heat of the place, way too many dirty dishes and a small table where the exhausted staff could gather to share stories and rest. Later, as a young adult I had the pleasure of working for a year as a pastry cook in a busy restaurant, and all those tricks I learned in my youth sure came in handy! I'd like to share one of those baking tricks with you today.  There's nothing like the comforting decadence of a beautiful slice of pie. Store bought shells can be laden with lard and preservatives, come with excess packaging, are shallow and a...

Media Appearance I was pleasantly surprised to learn recently that our cookbook was featured on Jane Ammeson's Travel & Food blog last year!  Thank you Jane ! Check it out @:  https://janeammeson.com/2021/08/30/one-small-garden-recipes-for-taking-advantage-of-the-growing-season Find the cookbook here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T7YRHPN ~~   Visit the Brummet's   Main Website Find them elsewhere online  HERE   ~~  

Uncommon Ingredients Explained  Clear Jel is a refined cornstarch that reacts better for freezing and canning recipes in particular; cornstarch tends to go cloudy in these situations. Clear Jel is used in the same proportion of cornstarch (1:1) in baking recipes. Like traditional cornstarch and the health store alternatives - arrowroot and potato powder - this product needs to be combined with the sugar (or flour) prior to adding to any other ingredients in order to reduce clumps from forming.   Sea salt is healthier than regular table salt; with its reduced processing it also has a smaller ecological impact. It is a natural source of iodine, which, among other nutrients, is essential for a healthy sex life. A local herbal consultant once told us that sea salt can also be used in place of Epsom salts in your bathwater.    Tamari is considered to be less salty than soy sauce and is often stocked in health food stores. You can find low-salt versions of both tama...