Make Ahead Breakfast: Hash browns

Myself and Papa Hodge were the worlds worst cooks when it came to hash browns until i found this recipe. Over the years we have either burnt or under-cooked every batch of hash browns we've had (embarrassing). I was determined that I had to change that because Papa Hodge loves hash browns and i hated to not be able to cook them for him. Like always i went to Pinterest and went on a search for not only great hash browns but ones that would freeze well too so i could make them ahead of time. I came across this Original Recipe and thought i would give it a try.  They turned out great other than i didn't like how they froze the hash browns into one large block which required thawing before cooking. Extra time spent thawing in the mornings defeated the purpose of  making them ahead of time. So i played with the recipe and came up with an alternative way to freeze them which is how i freeze most things (flash freezing it first). They worked great and tasted amazing cooked fresh and they are just as good cooked after they were frozen. I have also used these in casseroles and breakfast burritos which worked well. The best part of this recipe is that the only ingredient you need is Potatoes. I am so excited to be able to share this one with yall and hear what you think of them.

Make Ahead Breakfast: Hash Browns 

Makes aprox. 3 Meals using about 8 medium sized potatoes

Ingredients:
Potatoes

Butter (for cooking)

Extra: Parchment Paper (for freezing)

-Peel POTATOES, and wash. (put peels into compost bin)

-Cut potatoes in half width ways.

-Put potatoes into large cooking pot and cover with water.

-Bring to boil, boil 10mins. 

       (should just be able to put fork into potatoes but
       not push all the way through)

-Dump out hot water

-Run potatoes under cold water for 10mins

-Cover potatoes with cold water and place in fridge overnight

-Next morning, drain the water and pat the potatoes dry.

-Grate potatoes into a large bowl either with a hand grater or
         a fancy electric grater (I don't judge).
-Get out a cookie sheet and line it with PARCHMENT PAPER

-Place hash browns onto cookie sheet, put into freezer,
          freeze for 1 hour

-Take out hashbrowns and separate into quart size freezer bag

(1 bag= 1 pan full of hash browns=4 servings total)

-Label with words “Hash browns” and add the Date Made

⚫To Cook: Either fresh or frozen, heat butter in a pan at medium heat or #4. Place potatoes into pan in a single layer and slightly smash together. Set timer for 8mins and LEAVE IT SIT. Do not flip them to check them unless you have to because it does really affect the way they cook (try waiting 6mins befor checking). Separate into 4 sections and flip. Cook about 6mins or until golden brown. Serve.

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Make Ahead Breakfast: Banana Bread

Yes, you read that right Banana Bread!! Although a lot of you may have only had this as a snack or dessert we like to have this as a yummy filling breakfast round here. I got this recipe from my Grandmother (Nana) after years of eating her banana bread I just knew I had to incorporate it into our Hodge home recipes as well. So one day I went over to her house and said Nana I've loved your banana recipe for years and although I've tried others I just can't come even close to matching your recipe. She smiled real big, walked over to her book shelf full of old cook books and pulled out this bright red Betty Crocker 40th Anniversary Book.

Turned the book to page 42 and there it was.

A cool fact we found out about this book was that it was published in 1991 which just so happens to be the same year I was born and that the original recipes were back from around the 60's. I really love finding old style recipes to incorporate into some of my modern style cooking. Nana talked about this recipe and why she thought it turned out better than most. She said that the secret ingredient was BUTTERMILK. At that time I had never used buttermilk before or even bought it. Thankfully she showed me a nifty little trick to make buttermilk right at home :)  *I explain this below*. And that's how it all got started with banana bread becoming one of our make ahead breakfast ideas.

Make Ahead Breakfast: Banana Bread

Makes 2 (8in) loaves or 1 (9in) loaf       

Ingredients:

1 ¼ Cup Sugar ½ Cup Butter

2 Eggs 1 ½ Cup Banana (approx 3 medium sized)

½ Cup Buttermilk or ½ Tbsp Vinegar mixed with ½ Cup Milk(mix together let sit 5 mins)

1 tsp Vanilla 2 ½  Cup Flour

1TSP Baking Soda 1 tsp Salt

1 Cup Nuts(optional)

-Take out 2 EGGS, sit aside.

-Place rack into lowest position.

-Preheat: 350℉

-Pour BUTTERMILK into bowl or make buttermilk by putting VINEGAR into a measuring cup then     fill it to ½ cup mark with MILK. Stir, set aside. (it will “curdle” some that's normal)

-Add SUGAR to a mixing bowl

-Soften BUTTER, add to sugar bowl, Mix.

-Add EGGS, Mix. *place egg shells into composting bin*

-Mix in BANANAS, BUTTERMILK, and VANILLA. *put banana peels into composting bin*

-Mix in FLOUR, BAKING SODA, SALT.

-Optional: Add NUTS

-Grease 2 (8in) pans or 1 (9in) pan.

-Pour batter into pan.

-Bake 50 mins for 8 inch pans or 65 mins for 9 inch pan.

-Cool 5 mins

-Remove from pan, Cool completely on cooling rack.

-Serve.

*It is really good if you spread butter on it and heat in microwave for 15 secs*

⚫Storing:

Counter-4 Days if wrapped in plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag

Fridge- 10 days if wrapped in plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag

Freezer-6 months, put in freezer bag and freeze.

To thaw: Take out of freezer, leave in ziplock bag, and leave 

on counter to thaw overnight. Refrigerate after cutting.

*Click Here To Print*

Make Ahead Breakfast: Pancakes

For our 1st make ahead breakfast meal I choose pancakes because honestly who wouldn't want a yummy pancake first thing in the morning before school and work? But to be realistic I  am not gonna get up at 5 o'clock in the morning to prepare the batter and cook a batch of pancakes. Nope not happening in this house =) So that is when I began the hunt for homemade, freezeable pancakes  like the ones you buy in your store's freezer isle but with out all those nasty preservatives. Now dont get me wrong there are several ways you could make these healthier but I'm no health nut, just happy to cut out as many preservatives as possible.(feel free to post your alternative healthier options in the comment section below).

So i went to my favorite place, PINTEREST !!!
 I, Mama Hodge, am a Pinterest Addict. I can put away some late night hours on that site. Well after searching for the perfect recipe and getting distracted a few million times i stumbled across a recipe for Pancake Muffins. Hummm...it grabbed my interest because, well i had never even heard of such a thing. So of course i had to try them. I called Bubba and Miss C into the kitchen and that's what we made. The muffins turned out great but it made SOOOOOO many, i decided to try the batter as regular pancakes in the frying pan. To my surprise they turned out amazing!!!! Yep, i had just discovered my new recipe but would they freeze well?? A couple days later i pulled two out of the freezer, popped them into the toaster, and BAM we had ready to go pancakes before school with out Mama H dreading the 5 o'cock hour.

Make Ahead Breakfast: Pancakes                      

Aprox: 20- 4 ½ inch round

Ingredients:

3 cups All-purpose Flour                               1 Tablespoon White Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder                        2 whole Eggs

3 Tablespoons Sugar                                     1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

3/4 teaspoons Salt                                        4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

2-1/2 cups Milk                                        Extra: Parchment Paper

-Set out 2 EGGS, place on counter.

-Pour 1 Tbsp VINEGAR into large measuring cup

-Pour 2 ½ C MILK into same measuring cup, Set aside.

-In a large bowl mix FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, SUGAR, SALT.  Set aside.

-Add EGGS & VANILLA to the measuring cup of vinegar, Wisk.

-Combine WET and DRY ingredients.

-Melt Butter, stir into bowl of all ingredients.

-Heat pan to medium heat. *DO NOT GREASE PAN*

-Pour small amount into pan

-Will bubble, flip when it starts to become firm on the bottoms and side.

-As you cook you may have to adjust heat depending on your stove

-Cook to desired darkness. Eat!

●To Freeze: As you are cooking, place cooked pancakes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Once you have filled the sheet, place another layer of parchment paper on top of the pancakes and add the next layer of them. When done let cool for about 1 hour then place in the freezer (just as they are) for about 2 hours or until hard. This is called Flash Freezing which hardens them enough that they won’t stick together so you can pull out as many as you want at a time.

●To Reheat: Place in toaster and run on same setting as you do your toast. *Sometimes if you make them a little too big you may have to run it twice. You will know if it is done when it is warm and soft all through out. Serve with your favorite syrup.

-Click Here To Print-


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New Beginnings

Hello Friends, this is my new blog to talk about all things to do with -Modern Day Homesteading- That can include anything from gardening tips to homemade household cleaners. You don't have to be a homesteader to enjoy my blog, most of what i post will work along side your city-slicken lives just fine =)

Beginning this week: Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas.
*Pancakes*
*Banana Bread*
*Hash Browns*
*Oatmeal*
Most of you have seen previews for these on my FB page. I decided to bring the ideas here for an easier way to navigate back to them without scrolling through my entire FB page. I hope you enjoy whats to come and if you have any questions feel free to comment or send an email to hodgepodgehomesteaders@gmail.com

Intro to Hodge Podge Homesteading

We are what we call -Modern Day Homesteaders-.

-Yes, we have electricity and a well pump. 

-No, we don't own a large amount of land. 

Modern Homesteading is focusing on going back to the basics of living. We start seeds in our homemade greenhouse, that we later plant into our large garden for food. We "can" our garden bounty as well as dehydrate and freeze it depending on what we are planning to use it for. We have recently began the adventure of raising rabbits for an inexpensive meat source to have in the freezer. We save seeds to use for the following growing season as well as composting to make our own nutrient soil to add to the garden.  I crochet items such as hats, gloves, scarves, and household items such as hand towels and potholders. This past Christmas i was given a dandy little sewing machine that i am beginning to really get the hang of. I plan to start sewing household items and clothing as well as making sell able items to offset some of our living costs.  I cook every meal, everyday. The only time we eat out is on special occasions usually with our extended family. I prepare as much as i can from scratch and I'm learning more and more as i go. We buy most things second hand and I'm always looking for ways to up-cycle an item to help eliminate wasteful living.  

 I wasn't brought up to live this way so we have learned a lot as we've grown as a family for the past 6 years. When we decided to start a blog and spread our thoughts and helpful ideas out to the public we knew we needed a name to call ourselves. Upon discussion of it, we decided that it needed to include our Family name HODGE. After we threw a few ideas around i blurted out, Hodge Podge Homestead bc Lord knows we live such a Hodge Podge way of life and the smile on Papa Hodge's face told me that was the one! Btw I am Mama Hodge, and we have two beautiful children, our son,Bubba, who is 5 and Papa H's daughter, Miss C, who is 10. The HPH is located in the beautiful "Ozarks" of southern Missouri. 

We hope you enjoy our blog and feel free to comment with suggestions for upcoming topics and recipes. Please be patient with us in the next few weeks as we are very new to the blog world =)