It’s been a rough couple of days out here at the lake. Over a foot of snow and it’s still coming down. On Saturday night we had the misfortune of living on the only street that lost power.
Gee, how could that have happened?
No one came out to fix it until about 24 hours later. Priorities people. There are only five or six houses in our neighbourhood that are occupied at this time of the year. I guess cottage country is the lowest on the totem pole, as it were. We made it into a good day though, playing in the snow with the little ones and heading into town (where only 1cm fell) to have breakfast at the in-laws (thanks guys!). It’s a good thing our compact SUV fit under that tree!
We had dinner (cheese, crackers, veggies, winter ale…perfection) by candlelight as we sat in front of our woodstove and read books. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a snowy evening.
What it did make me think of was my Back to Basics series. Lack of power in this day and age, for any length of time is a pain in the behind, a big one. The fridge gone, the stove gone, the heat, the television, music, computer, lights, everything. It really makes you wonder how people got along without it!
Given that I’ve been using an electric food processor and a stand mixer for each post so far, I can’t say that they are truly as basic as they could be, but I hope that my readers would appreciate the ease in which you can make all of these foods. If you happen to have a hand cranked mixer or grinder, than go right ahead. I will continue to stick with my electric ones for now, thank you very much.
Today in our next post of the Culinary Fundamentals Series, I will show you how to make nut butters. An everyday food in our household, they are a lot easier than you think of to make. If you can find dry roasted, pre shelled nuts, all you have to do is grind them and you have nut butters. But let’s take a closer look at the details:
Nut Butters
Hazelnuts
Peanuts
AlmondsOr
Whatever nut you would like
1. Nuts should be dry roasted, shelled and preferably unsalted (this is so you can control the salt).
2. If you cannot find already dry roasted unsalted nuts, then here is a short instruction list:
- Shell nuts and lay out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- In a preheated 375°F oven, roast for 8-10 minutes. But make sure you watch the nuts after five minutes or so to prevent burning. (This guideline is for any tree nuts and peanuts)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool to slightly warmer than room temperature.
3. Pour nuts into bowl of a food processor and whizz until creamy, scraping down sides as necessary. Depending on the nut you use, you may find it necessary to add oil to make a creamier product. Choose neutral oils for best results, or try nut oils for a complimentary flavour (such as macadamia or walnut).
4. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks at room temperature or infinitely longer in the refrigerator (Best to refrigerate walnut and pecan butters immediately to prevent rancidity.)
5. Like any nut butters, yours may separate. This is normal. Stir before using to incorporate the oil back into the nuts.
Additions:Any nut butter can be taken to the next level of flavour and smoothness with the addition of several things, try some of these in yours:
- vanilla extract
- salt
- powdered sugar
- honey or agave nectar
- cocoa powder (nutella anyone?)
Delicious recipes to use your nut butters in:
Idle Hand Bars (a sweet and salty take on Nanaimo Bars) on Guilty Kitchen
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies on Guilty Kitchen
Almond Butter Cookies on Gluten Free Girl and the Chef
Almond Soba Noodles on 101 Cookbooks
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups on Pete Bakes!
Those nut butters look great! But more importantly, glad to hear everyone is safe and power has been restored.
On the flip side, no wonder people got so much done prior to all the time-wasters like tv, computers, video games…
Ethan recently posted..Roll Tide in Tuscaloosa!
Wow, what gorgeous photos!! So glad that you all are safe and sound… sometimes being “unplugged” has its benefits!!!
I haven’t made nut butter in what seems like forever and now is a perfect time to whip up a batch.
Wonderful suggestions for add ins!
Nancy@acommunaltable recently posted..A Thanksgiving legacy – Potatoes Hashed in Cream
great post! we lost power over here on our little island too…and the winds are picking up as I type, so we’re starting to wonder how long the light will last tonight…yahtzee by candlelight anyone? Theresa
Island Vittles recently posted..Homemade Vegetable Bouillon
Those nut butters are wonderful! Perfect to boost our energy levels during the winter.
Cheers,
Rosa
fantastic! thanks for this, so incredibly helpful 🙂
the snow photos are beautiful, even though it’s cut off your power!
I’m madly in love with this Culinary Fundamentals series. I hope you’ll inspire more people to do more from scratch.
Anyway, I can’t believe the amounts of snow you’re getting already! I know the first photo was meant to show the problem, but it is so very beautiful. The power outage almost seems quaint. Sounds like being forced “off the grid” for the day wasn’t so bad.
Irina@PastryPal recently posted..Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Yay for basics – thanks for sharing! I’m planning to try making “sunbutter” – roasted shelled sunflower seeds… any suggestions?
BEAUTIFUL snow photos!!!
Steph (The Cheapskate Cook) recently posted..This Should be a Thanksgiving How-to Post
I would think that sunflower seeds may need extra oil…a bit dry. And just blend until you can’t blend anymore!
I found your blog through food blog forum where i was reading your comments, and you were giving some great advice. You have a new follower now 🙂 Nice to meet you.
Delishhh recently posted..Cranberry Orange Molds Indian Trail Cranberry Orange Mold
WOW! You know there are days that I daydream of times gone by and a simpler life. Then my surfer talks me back into reality, for his own good. He knows me too well. I am glad that you all made it over to the in-laws for a bit.
Tickled Red recently posted..I Am Grateful
Love basics and what ou did with this post.
Sounds wonderful! So I didn’t read anything about the nuts being soaked first- should this step be added plus drying and then do the other things? What do you mean when you say “Choose neutral oils for best results? What are neutral oils? Would avocado oil work? Where would I get nut oils such as macadamia or walnut? Thanks!
Soaking, drying or low temp roasting of the nuts is not included, as the recipe calls for already roasted nuts with instructions on how to roast them. Neutral oils would be avocado, grapeseed, canola, macadamia, etc. You can find nut oils at most health food stores.
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