lace your boots!

We're going on an adventure. I want to delve into the realm of non participation with the global economy.
I'll try to learn about permaculture, squats, local currency, locally grown foods and free music and free food and free conversation and free friendship. I'll need a blog to give me a place to report. I'll need an audience to listen, care, advise, answer, argue etc.

Join me, it'll be fun.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Fitty Cent Recipes

Banana Bread of Courage

juice of one lemon
3 ripe overripe bananas
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter or vegetable oil (whatever is cheapest)
1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats or just more flour (oats are nice but kind of expensive)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

optional a.k.a. expensive:
one cup dates,
or one cup chopped nuts.
or one cup peanut butter, mixed with butter and sugar mixture

preheat oven to 375 degrees
grease loaf pans
mash bananas and mix with lemon juice until smooth
cream margerine and sugar, add banana mix, stir well
in separate bowl, stir together dry ingredients. when all else is ready, add dry to wet ingredients.
Quickly turn stiff dough into loaf pans. Bake 30--45 minutes. to test for doneness, insert knife into loaf. if knife comes out clean, bread is done.

Makes: 1 loaf -or- 12 muffins
4x this recipe, 12 muffins and 5 small loaves



Tassahara Yeast Bread

-Make Sponge
start with biggest bowl, 5 cups lukewarm water (test on wrist, a little warmer than body temp like baby's milk)
add 2 Tablespoons yeast (or about 2 packages) stir until yeast dissolves
add 1/2 - 3/4 cup sweetener
add 2 cups milk
add 7-9 cups whole wheat flour
mix thoroughly, cover bowl with damp cloth, leave in warm place to rise overnight, punch down, remix in morning,

add:
2 and 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2-1 cup oil
6-8 cups flour, or until dough is good. good dough sticks to itself more than the bowl, can be cut with a knife.

form loaves, leave room to rise in whatever pan you place the loaves in. good to have your loaf pans oiled, if first use. (never wash loaf pans with soap, don't wash away good grease!)
you don't need loaf pans. Cookie sheets or anything made of metal will work. just keep it greased, and leave room for expansion.

place loaves in pans, cover with damp cloth, let rise 1 hour
bake at 350 degrees 1 hour or so. when crust is hard and bottom brown, bread is done.
let cool for 5 minutes before you cut.
makes 6-8 small loaves.
cool to add some rye flour if you can find it cheap, or white or whatever you have. After you have made bread once you will remember the right consistency and adjust the amount of flour you use accordingly.

MORE TO COME...

4 comments:

Jeremy Trombley said...

This is a great idea for a blog, Brendan. I hope you can generate some interest and get the ideas flowing. I'll gladly try to help out too.
Today I began the process of making a batch of
Chicha
Which may be a good, quick and easy option for a fifty cent alcohol solution. The ingredients are corn, yeast, sugar cane juice, cinnamon, and allspice. The spices and yeast are obviously more expensive, as is cane juice (though you could probably use sugar), but corn is pretty cheap. And it only takes about two weeks for the entire process! I'll let you know how it goes.

NM said...

Your banana bread is awesome!

btmc said...

thanks guys! I'll try to bring more recipes, and more ideas. currently I'm researching Ithaca HOURS and Burlington Bread

Anonymous said...

I've made this bread before. It is REALLY good. especially when you care about the food you are making and share it with people!nsmpjgr