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Health & Fitness

Someone's in the Kitchen with Amy

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Krista's smart phone showed me a lot of them. When you read the recipe, you will want to rush out to buy ingredients and get baking. English Muffin Bread.

 

Krista Hilton has worked at the Cutting Crew (Swampscott's winning hairdressing salon) for seven years.  I can't tell you how many of those years she has been cutting my hair, but a lot.

She and her husband, Justin, in many ways are a back to nature couple and loving it.  When Krista pulls out her smart phone to show a picture, it's a lovely display of eggs.  Yes, eggs.  Those eggs come from the Hilton's four I.S.A Brown Breed of chickens and she'll show you a picture of those cute little feathered friends as well. Introduction of some new chickens to the family can be problematic as chickens are a tough bunch and that is just what they are considering. The chickens should be the same or similar breed or the newcomers could be pecked to death.  However, Krista feels confident her chickens are good natured and the new residents will be accepted into the poultry family without incident.  Sometimes her chickens actually sleep ON her dog.

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To me an egg is an egg.  Krista says supermarket eggs can't even begin to compare to her eggs.  She describes her poached egg as "you would find the yolk to be "silkie".

I might venture to guess these four chickens were spoiled last year as they had complete freedom of the entire Hilton yard.  So much so, they helped themselves to much of the vegetable garden seed supply planted for family consumption.  This year things will be different.  An 8' x4' movable cage will keep these little critters contained but allow them to peck the ground thereby aerating and fertilizing meanwhile letting the garden grow without disruption.  The cage will be moved to another spot and the pecking and fertilizing will continue until the entire garden has been tended without pitchfork or human sweat.

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Another plus contributed by these feathered tenants; they are the organic eliminators of ticks, ants and mosquitoes.

Krista is sharing some of her delicious recipes with us and I hope you will enjoy them as I do.  Now you will be able to have your English muffin sliced as thick or thin as you so desire.  Try it with peanut butter and Krista's Triple Berry Jam.  Yummy.  Please let me know how you like the blog and the recipes.

  ENGLISH MUFFIN BREAD

            2 3/4 cups warm water
            4 1/2 tsp dry active yeast
            1 Tablespoons salt
            1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
            5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

            Mix together yeast and warm water, sprinkle the sugar over this mixture and wait about ten minutes (this allows you to make sure your yeast is alive).  Add the rest of the ingredients, mix together and  let rise in bowl until double in bulk, then spoon into 2 well greased loaf pans (I sprinkle the pans with corn meal).  Let rise in pans until dough reaches the top of the pan, and bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown. 10 minutes before done, brush with melted butter. Makes 2 loaves. Bread will be moist at first. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

            APPLE COBBLER

            2 McIntosh apples (peeled, cored, and cubed)
            1 tsp. cinnamon
            1/2 tsp. nutmeg
            1/4 tsp. ginger
            1/4 tsp. cloves
            1 cup self rising flour
            1 cup milk
            1 stick butter (melted)

            Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
            Generously grease a pie pan. 
            Put the apples in the pie pan and toss with the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves
            Mix together the flour, milk, and butter
            Pour the batter evenly over the apples and bake for 1 hour.
            Cool, slice, and serve (with vanilla ice cream of course)


     CHEDDAR AND BROCCOLI STUFFED CHICKEN

        1 chicken breast per 2 servings
        1 cup shredded cheddar per chicken breast
        season the cheese with lawrys seasoned salt, ground black pepper, ground mustard, and garlic powder
        1-2 small broccoli crowns (cut the florets of and steam them)
        plain bread crumbs
        1 tbsp melted butter

        preheat oven to 350

        Butterfly the breast completely into two pieces and pound thin
        Pile cheese in the middle of each breast and top with broccoli (you should have some cheese leftover)
        Roll filling in breasts and place in a baking dish (should have 2 roll ups at this point)
        drizzle tops of roll ups with butter
        top with plain bread crumbs
        sprinkle with lawrys seasoned salt
        top with remaining cheese

        Bake for 30 min.  I serve with rice pilaf or pasta sides

   
        TRIPLE BERRY JAM


        9 cups of and even combination of blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries
        (can use the frozen mixed berries just allow to thaw completely)
        6 cups of granulated sugar

        Mash the berries
        mix in the sugar
        bring to a boil stirring frequently
        remove from heat when it reaches the desired consistency
        ladle into hot canning jars
        put lids on jars and process in a water bath for about 10 minutes
        should yield six 8 ounce jars

        I reference the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving for recipes and proper canning instructions.

     CHEESECAKE


    Start with all ingredients at room temperature.

     Cake Ingredients:
    5 8oz pkg cream cheese (2 ½ lb)
    5 eggs
    1 pint half & half
    5 tablespoons melted butter
    1 ¼ cup sugar
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

     Crust Ingredients:

    1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
    1/3 cup sugar
    1/3 cup melted butter
    ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
    ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

     Preheat oven to 350°. Press the crust into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan.  Blend at a low speed all ingredients in a kitchen aid or similar mixer for ½ hour.  Using the water bath method, bake for 1½  to 2 hours, until top is lightly browned.

    Note: thinly slice 2 McIntosh (or similar) apples and season with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Layer them on the crust and them pour the cheesecake mixture over them.  Makes for a phenomenal apple cheesecake!

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