Yorkshire Parkin

I was looking through a book I have of 'homemade' everything; from bath 'pretties' to foods to dried flowers. They had a photo of 5 different breads and named them all... and proceeded to give recipes for everything except the one I was most interested in! Yorshire Parkin. A bread that looked so dark it was almost black and had tiny dots of 'something' in it. I was a bit miffed it didn't give the recipe, but I suspect it is an oversight as it does give for all the other breads. Anyway, it piqued my interest so I had to come to the computer to look it up.

I will share with you what I found: A moist ginger cake usually served cut in squares. It originated in Yorkshire, where oatmeal is always used in its preparation.


Ingredients

4ozs lard or margarine
4ozs golden syrup
4ozs black treacle
4ozs sugar
8ozs plain flour
8ozs medium oatmeal
pinch of salt
4 teasp. ground ginger
2 teasp. ground cinnamon
1 teasp. bicarb. of soda
1 egg

Method

Heat the oven to 150C or gas mark 1.

Melt the fat. Add the syrup, treacle and sugar and warm over a very low heat till the sugar begins to dissolve. Avoid overheating the mixture, keeping the saucepan warm rather than hot.

Sieve the dry ingredients, make a well in the centre and gradualy beat in the liquid from the saucepan & the beaten egg. Mix to a soft consistency, adding a little milk if required.

Pour into a greased flat tin so that the mixture is 1 inch in depth. Bake for 1 hour in a cool oven (300 degrees,or mark 1) and partly cool it in the tin, then turn out to finish cooling.

Serve the parkin cut into squares.

Moisturizing Cream & Body Lotion

Some day you are going to find me (hopefully) on a couple acres of land, barefoot, in a long white skirt with my hair braided down my back. I'm going to be gathering eggs from the chickens and then I'm walking into the house to continue whipping up some homemade lotions, bath scrubs and bath fizzies. I'll do this inbetween making my homemade soap and baking the bread. When I need a break I'll wander out to the garden and check my peppers and tomatoes, possibly stop by my flower garden to say hello to fuzzy yellow and black bumble bee's and then come back inside home where I'll sip some ice cold freshly squeezed lemonade.

Peppermint Body Lotion

1/4 t borax
1 t white beeswax
1 t lanolin
2 T petroleum jelly
5 t apricot kernel oil
4 t cold-pressed sunflower oil
10 drops peppermint oil

Disolve borax in 2 T boiled water. Melt the beeswax, lanolin and petroleum jelly with the apricot kernel and sunflower oil in a double broiler. Remove from heat and stir well. Add the borax solution, whisking until cool. Stir in the peppermint oil. Pour into a large glass jar and store in a cool dark place.



A Favorite Oil

3 T almond oil
1 t wheat germ oil
10 drops chamomile oil

Pour into a pretty glass bottle and store in a cool place.





Moisurizing Cream
(fragrance free for guys and girls)

2 T carnauba wax
1 T white beeswax
1/2 c almond oil

Melt the waxes and oil in a double broiler over low heat. Remove from heat and pour into a pot. Let cool to set up. Use as any moisurizing cream, especially before going out into the cold outdoors.

On a Whim Soup

The other night I was in the mood for soup and homemade bread. I admit that I don't (ever) truly follow recipes, but use them more as a 'guide' of sorts, and I rarely measure. Still, I'm going to attempt to share this soup recipe with you because it was so yummy and perfect for a cold rainy evening.

I added things 'on a whim' and ended up with a wonderful Spicy Vegetable Cheese Soup... so that is what I'll call it.


Spicy Vegetable Cheese Soup


7-8 cups water with
4-5 chicken bouillon cubes and 3 beef bouillion cubes (or just use chicken broth)

add;

1 chopped onion
3/4 cup grated or finely chopped carrots
2 stalks of diced celery

When tender add;

1/2 c flour mixed smooth with 3/4 c water

Whisk into the liquid and stir until thick over medium high heat. Reduce to medium and add 1 c milk.

Add;
1 3/4 c assorted shredded cheese, I used monterey jack with jalapeno, and cheddar.

When heated through and cheese is melted... serve.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Noted:  Looking back on my early posts in 2006 - back when I had to take the pictures on a camera and literally plug into my computer with a cord to upload them.  Also - it was rare for anyone to even have recipe blogs back then so the photos and the posts are almost 'vintage' by now.

 

 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread 

 1 3/4 c sugar 

3 eggs 

1 c vegetable oil 

2 c shredded zucchini 

1 T vanilla 

3 c flour 

1/2 c cocoa 

1 1/4 t salt 

1 t baking soda 

1 t cinnamon 

dash baking powder 

1/2 c mini chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350. 

Lightly grease 2 loaf pans and line with parchment paper on the bottom (optional). In a bowl mix together the sugar, eggs and oil until blended. Stir in zucchini and vanilla. In another bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, soda, cinnamon and baking powder. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir just until blended. Add the mini chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake 1 hour until done. Cool completely before cutting. 

Best for cutting the next day after wrapping in plastic wrap and refrigerating. If you don't currently have zucchini... don't buy it. I can almost guarantee you can get free zucchini just by putting out the word! Either your neighborhood or workplace... someone within "2 degrees of separation" from you has zucchini coming out of their ears from their garden and would love to share a couple with you for free! Just put the word out. 

 

 

 

Molasses Cookie Mix

I started to make this particular recipe in 1998 and was surprised to find out that my husband and three kids love this cookie. My husband lists it as his 2nd favorite out of the 20 different recipes I make at the holidays. I guess I was suprised that it's also one of the kids favorite since it seems like such a simple, old fashioned cookie.

Molasses Cookie Mix

6 c flour
3 c sugar
1 T baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 T ground ginger
1 T ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t ground nutmeg
3/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t ground allspice

Additional ingredients

3/4 c butter or margarine
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
sugar

In a bowl combine the first nine ingredients. Mix and store in an airtight container or zip lock baggie. Will make 9 cups of mix - or 3 batches of cookies.


To make cookies: Cream butter, add egg and molasses. Mix well and add 3 cups of the mix. Shape into 1 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Bake 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 9 minutes at which time the edges should firm up and surface crack. Cool completely. You should get about 4 dozen per batch.