Old-Fashioned Skills

Wild Violets and 5 Things to do with them

June 7, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 5 Comments

Wild violets are as lovely as they are useful. Here are several different ways to put these pretty purple blooms to good use!

Wild violets were the last thing I was expecting to find in my backyard when I moved into my new home.

It was late September when the house was purchased. All there was to see outback was a neglected garden patch with the last stragglers of a tomato harvest.

It was December when I moved in, and by then there was a thick blanket of snow on the ground. Winter passed, and as it started warming up, I was eager to see what I had to work with.

Finally, the snow melted and the drab brown lawn turned emerald. One day, I looked outside and was delighted to see hundreds of wild violets coming into bloom.

RELATED: Wild Dandelion Salad Recipe

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Pastry Cream for Beginners

June 4, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 2 Comments

Pastry cream is a breeze to make, but most people shrug their shoulders and pick up a box of instant vanilla pudding instead. Not in this kitchen! Ditch the box and learn how to make your own pastry cream from scratch.

Not everyone goes around calling it pastry cream. The French call it crème pâtissière and the popular North American term is pudding, but in my circle, it’s called pastry cream, so that’s what I’m going with.

It’s a simple concoction of milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla. Some recipes call for butter to give it an added richness, but while butter makes everything better, it’s completely optional.

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How to Make Choux Pastry (and what to do with it)

May 31, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 3 Comments

Choux pastry (a.k.a. pâte à choux) is a wonderfully light dough that’s used to make gnocchi, cream puffs, and éclairs. Learn how to make it yourself and dazzle everyone at your next party!

CHOUX PASTRY: YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND

Choux pastry is one of my greatest allies in the kitchen.

It’s a versatile recipe that can be turned into savoury appetizers or classic desserts that most folks just can’t get enough of.

Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to shy away from attempting to make their own because it looks intimidating.

What this means for you is that when you give this a go yourself, you will wow your family and friends, impressing them with your kitchen prowess.

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Flavoured Simple Syrups Made Easy in 5 Steps

May 21, 2019 by Sylvia Rose Leave a Comment

Why buy simple syrup when you can make your own at home? Learn how to make this artisanal strawberry simple for summer and never spend a dime on store-bought syrup again.

MAKING SIMPLE SYRUP FROM SCRATCH

Flavoured simple syrups are just about the easiest thing in the world to make.

If you can boil water, you can make a simple syrup!

If you can make a simple syrup, then you can make a flavoured simple syrup.

The worst that can happen is that you forget your pot on the stove and return to a burnt caramel mess.

That won’t happen because we always remember to put on a timer, right? Right.

Simple syrup is so easy to make that it’s even in its name.

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Making Milk Kefir (An Easy Beginner’s Guide)

May 14, 2019 by Sylvia Rose 15 Comments

Making milk kefir is one of the easiest things you can do in the kitchen. Learn how to make this tangy probiotic drink and never spend another dime on commercial kefir again!

MAKING YOUR OWN MILK KEFIR

You may have noticed kefir in the dairy section at the grocery store stashed beside the goat milk.

It’s a fermented, gut-healthy probiotic drink that is slowly gaining in popularity but still has a long way to go.

When bought at full price (compared to making your own at home) the cost can be slightly prohibitive for a non-essential grocery item.

Even if it was more affordable, commercial kefir tastes nothing like the homemade version.

The kefir that I make at home is akin to drinking yogurt in liquid form.

It’s a thicker, tangier version of buttermilk, but oh, so much better.

When it comes to probiotics, it kicks yogurt’s butt, making it a daily go-to beverage for optimal gut health.

I’m not going to focus on kefir’s many virtues in this post, but if you’re curious, you can find a good summary of its health benefits on Healthline.

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