by Chloe Tuttle
on December 23, 2014
This orange extract makes the perfect gift for anyone who bakes or enjoys cocktails
How to Make Orange Extract
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: American
Keyword: how to make orange extract, orange extract recipe
Author: Chloe Tuttle
- 4 organic oranges if possible otherwise, 4 large oranges (bright colors make the extract prettier) *
- 1 cup vodka
Wash the oranges and pat dry.
Using a citrus twist peeler, make strips of the orange without getting any of the white pith. I use a bartender’s tool called a citrus twist peeler; it is not the same as a zester.
Place the orange strips into a pretty glass jar and cover with vodka. Shake and let this sit for 4-6 weeks in a dark cabinet. If you put it in the window, the pretty orange color of the strips will begin to fade. You can smell and tell if the extract is ready.
After about 3-4 months, I strain out the orange "twists." If they remain in the mixture too long, it can become bitter.
* You can also make lemon extract using lemon "twists." Follow the recipe for Orange Extract, substituting lemons for the oranges.
I love making gifts for friends, especially at the holiday season. This recipe for homemade orange extract is good any time of year. Just having these extracts on display brightens my kitchen.
Click here for How to make Orange Extract
by Chloe Tuttle
on December 4, 2014
The holiday season brings up memories of holidays past
Hover over the image to see the “P” and PIN for later
I remember making Christmas decorations when I was a child. we would gather things like cotton bolls, sweet gum balls and pine cones. My mother would work her magic and we made pretty decorations for our tree, and they were all made with what we found here on the farm. Read more about Chloe’s DIY Crafts from the farm
by Chloe Tuttle
on November 13, 2014
This easy roasted pecan recipe is a show stopper!
Honey Glazed Pecans
Honey roasted pecans make a great holiday gift.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: honey glazed pecans, honey glazeed pecan recipe, honey roasted pecans
Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 187kcal
Author: Chloe Tuttle
- 3 cups shelled pecans
- 3 Tablespoons honey local to you is best
- 1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Spray a heavy, rimmed cookie sheet with cooking oil spray. Place pecans on cookie sheet in a single layer.
Bake pecans for 7 minutes. Watch closely - if nuts are older it will take less time. Remove from oven and put nuts in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons honey and stir to coat pecans.
Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir again.
Spray cookie sheet again and put nuts on the sheet in single layer. Bake at 220-250 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring one time. I may take less time if nuts are old.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with a wee bit of salt. Separate any nuts that have clumped. Cool and store in air tight container. Nuts will keep fresh for at least a week. Perfect hostess gift or for holiday giving.
Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.6mg
by Chloe Tuttle
on November 2, 2014
October is cotton picking time in eastern North Carolina
Showing cotton fields just outside window at Big Mill B&B
Some things change, but fall is still harvest time on the farm. I woke up today and the big tractor was outside my window picking cotton.
We have words for all the farm jobs — we pick cotton, we dig peanuts and later we pick the peanuts, we pick soy beans and we prime or crop tobacco. We never pick tobacco. If you use any other expression, we know you aren’t from around here. So today– they were picking cotton. Read more about growing cotton
by Chloe Tuttle
on October 14, 2014
Recycling has many faces. Big Mill B&B saves used soap for Clean the World.
At Big Mill we just can’t waste or throw anything away that might have a second life. Recycling soap is such a good idea!
Big Mill B&B saves used soap and sends it to Clean the World; they are the world’s largest high-volume soap recyclers.
In the U.S. we throw away over a million bars of soap every day. “Each day nearly 9,000 children die from diseases that can be prevented by up to 62% through regular hand washing with bar soap,” a sad statistic from Clean the World. Read more about recycling soap
by Chloe Tuttle
on August 21, 2014
All across North Carolina there are some hidden art gems on the walls of old post office buildings.
Post office mural of First Flight in Williamston, NC
Here in eastern North Carolina, in this small town of Williamston, we have a real art jewel. The First Flight mural was painted in 1940 on the wall of the post office on Main Street, and it is still there for all of us to see.
The artist was Phillip Von Saltza. He entered a contest with 1, 475 other entrants and won the commission. He was paid $725 to paint this oil-on-canvas mural. That was a sizable sum during the Depression. Read more about WPA Post Office murals
by Chloe Tuttle
on July 30, 2014
I grow blueberries and blackberries here on the farm and I love to use them any way I can.
Easy Blueberry Bread Recipe with Cream Cheese Spread I remember picking wild blueberries when I was a child; we called them huckleberries. If you are lucky enough to find these they work great in this bread. They just seem to have more taste!
Homemade Blueberry Bread with Blackberry Cream Cheese Spread
Fresh blueberries are wonderful in this quick bread. It freezes well.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
Keyword: blackberry cream cheese spread, blueberry bread, blueberry bread recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 588kcal
Author: Chloe Tuttle
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup corn or vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup fresh mashed blueberries (about 4 ounces whole blueberries)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons blueberry or seedless blackberry jam
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut plus 1 Tablespoon for sprinkling on top of loaves
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
To Make the Blueberry or Blackberry Cream Cheese Spread:
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons blueberry or seedless blackberry jam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two mini bread pans using cooking spray with flour like Baker’s Secret.
Whisk egg in large mixing bowl. Stir in oil and sugar.
Wash blueberries and drain. Mash and chop the berries until some juice is released. Some of the blueberries will still be whole and this is just fine. You need ½ cup mashed berries. Add blueberries to the oil egg and oil.
Stir in the jam and coconut.
In medium-size mixing bowl stir together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Add the dry mixture to the blueberry mixture.
Pour into loaf pans, filling about 3/4 full. Sprinkle the tops with the reserved coconut – the SECRET ingredient
Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly browned or until a straw inserted into the center comes out clean. With moist breads like this Blueberry Bread, it is difficult to know when they are done. The straw or small knife inserted into the bread technique is the best way to know. You can’t just go by the time. Be careful you don’t overcook.
Cool on wire racks for five minutes. Remove bread from pans and continue to cool until ready to slice. To store, wrap in clear wrap. This bread will keep fresh for several days. The recipe can be doubled.
TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD:
* Note: I often use half blueberries and half blackberries for this bread. If you are using frozen berries, drain off some of the liquid.
Yield: 2 small mini loaves and ½ cup blackberry spread Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 790IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 1mg
Read more about Chloe’s Blueberry bread
by Chloe Tuttle
on July 7, 2014
Bodie Island Lighthouse – a Beacon for Seamen since 1848
Picture perfect Bodie Island Lighthouse, NC Outer Banks
Bodie Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1848 on North Carolina’s Outer Banks near Oregon Inlet – but it had to be abandoned in 1859 because the foundation was shifting.
And for those who don’t know – it is pronounced body, like all the bodies that wash up on the shore. That really is an old yarn, but folks still tell it. Read more about Bodie Island Lighthouse
by Chloe Tuttle
on June 5, 2014
I love old hardware and farm stores but they are fast-disappearing lost treasures
Martin Supply has been in Williamston, NC for as long as I can remember. It is one of those old-time feed stores that’s disappearing all across the U.S.A.
When you walk in the front door you know you have entered a time past. One of the first things you see is all the camouflage and hunting gear. There are rifles, shotguns, hunting bows, deer stands and things I just don’t know what they are. The ammo is behind the counter. You can still buy long underwear with the back flap that drops down. Read more about Martin Supply Old time store
by Chloe Tuttle
on April 14, 2014
Canning Jam for Dummies – Step-by-Step How To Make Strawberry Jam
How to make strawberry jam – start to finish: Of course, fresh berries are better for the jam, but you can use frozen berries.
Tasty Strawberry Jam Recipe is delicious!
Spring is berry pickin’ time, so get ready to make Strawberry Jam.
My father taught me how to raise a garden and how to cultivate an orchard; my mother taught me how to can this home-grown produce and to make jam. [continue reading…]
