Chicken Masala // SLOW COOKER

Find your slow cooker and turn it on:

HIGH for a 4 hour timeframe

LOW for a 8 hour timeframe

PREP  IN  A  BOWL  FIRST:

2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite-size 1/2 inch pieces

2  1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 TABLESPOON lemon juice

Mix well.

THEN  ADD  TO  CHICKEN:

3 TABLESPOONS plain Greek yogurt

1  TABLESPOON  kashmiri red chili powder

1/2  teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2  teaspoon garam masala

1  TABLESPOON ginger, finely grated

1  TABLESPOON garlic, minced

Mix well, set aside while you caramelize onions.

IN  A  MEDIUM  SAUCE  PAN:

2-3  TABLESPOONS olive oil

2  medium yellow onions, finely diced

Finely dice your onions.

In a medium sauce pan, at a medium-high heat, add olive oil and onions.

Stir often and cook until until caramelized state (a dark brown).

…you could even go a bit darker than this

FOR  THE  SLOW  COOKER  LAYERING:

1  box (26.46 ounces) Pomi tomato sauce 

INGREDIENTS  ADDED  AT  END:

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1  teaspoon fenugreek powder

1  teaspoon sugar

FOR  SERVING  GARNISH:

organic cilantro, washed and chopped 

EVENLY  LAYER  IN  YOUR  SLOW  COOKER  

(AND  IN  THIS  ORDER):

caramelized onions

box of Pomi sauce 

marinated chicken

 

Cook on HIGH for 4 hours.

Cook on LOW for 8 hours.

COCONUT RICE REMINDER! 

- make an hour or so before you want to eat...

- recipe listed here just after the slow cooker instructions.

When the cooking time is up, ADD and STIR in:

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

(dairy-free option: unsweetened coconut cream)

1  teaspoon fenugreek powder

1  teaspoon sugar

Serve hot with cilantro garnish, coconut rice and (optional) fresh pitas.

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CLICK  FOR  RECIPE  AND  YOUTUBE  LINK:

Baking with Natural Yeast - Pitas

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Get the coconut rice going about an hour before you're ready to eat.

COCONUT  RICE:

2 cups water

1 15 oz. can coconut milk

2 cups jasmine white rice

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

In medium pot or large fry pan (pan with a lid!). 

Stir and bring all to a boil on med/high.

Boil/stir for one minute.

Put lid on pot. 

Turn burner to lowest setting and cook for 22-24 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let rest for 5-10 minutes. 

While the coconut rice is cooking:

(and OPTIONAL...) make your pitas - mostly for sauce dipping.

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A visual of why I keep a blog… 
I basically have to straight-up interpret my recipe edits, thoughts and handwriting for anyone wanting to try something in my stack of recipe printouts (and sometimes the interpretation is something I need for myself!).

Cranberry Sauce // Easy Make-Ahead

 

“EASY” as in three ingredients! 

I told Gavin today that the hardest part is being patient the 10 minutes it needs to be stirred.  (And really… it’s not that hard.) :0)

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar 

1 bag (2 cups) of washed whole cranberries 

Rinse your whole cranberries. 

Discard any that are brown, or swishy, or brown AND squishy. 

Bring water and sugar to a boil. 

Add rinsed cranberries to water and sugar mixture. 

Bring back to a boil and then stir at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. 

Let cool completely. 

Store in the fridge until ready to use. 

Good to use for a week. 

Optional leftover ideas: 

Grilled turkey with pepper jack cheese and cranberry sauce 

REMINDER: store in an air tight container in the fridge… you didn’t just plop this sauce out of a can.   

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Nana Nic’s Pickled Pears 🍐

White House Farm
- October 30, 2025 -
- from front yard pear tree - 

Ingredients:

• 8 cups (not quite ripe - actually mostly green) pears peeled and diced into one inch cubes 
• 4 cups white vinegar 
• 2 cups water
• 2 or 2.5 cups granulated sugar
• 6 star anise
• 2 large stick cinnamon, broken into three
• Zest of a lemon cut into curls with a potato peeler
• ½ tsp whole cloves
• 3 - 4 quart mason jars with rings and lids

Method:

• Peel the pears and cut into one inch cubes. Place in salt water to prevent browning - set aside. 
• To make the brine - In a large cast-iron or ceramic or stainless steel sauce pan combined the water, vinegar, sugar, star anise, lemon zest, cloves. 
• Bring to the boil, and then cover and simmer gently for about 10 – 15 mins.
• Meanwhile sterilize the jars in the dishwasher.
• Pack each jar with the pear cubes.
• Divide the brine and pour into each jar. 
• Make sure each jar has an even distribution of spices.
• Seal tightly and let cool completely. 
• Store in fridge. 
• They will be good to eat after four hours - better in a week and can be stored for a couple months in the fridge.
• Serve in a salad.

Mama Jo’s first try…
- Kroger organic pears 🍐 -

Some extra things I did:
2 & 1/2 cups sugar
rind of 1 & 1/2 of lemons 🍋
1 teaspoon whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks 

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Kenny’s Punkin Bread - Baking With Natural Yeast

1  1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt 

3  teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 

5  cups unbleached flour 

(Keep your flour nearby… you may need a bit more - however much it takes to not be sticky!) 

Optional: 3/4  cup sugar (Auntie Jo’s edit)

1/3 - 1/2 cup natural yeast starter

1  1/4 cup water

1  1/2 cups pumpkin puree

Mix all ingredients together.

Add flour 1/4 cup at a time until dough is not sticky. 

Cover and let rise for 20-24 hours. 

To avoid adding flour right before baking: shape dough with gluten-free flour on the outside or use water and parchment paper or olive oil and parchment paper.

Once prepped for baking: use oven safe twine to divide it into 6 sections and score to your heart’s desire. 

Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes. 

With the pumpkin puree its going to bake a little bit longer than usual… 

Cut twine to remove and discard. 

Let your baked punkin loaf rest on a baking rack before cutting and serving. 

Serving IDEAS:

Whipped butter with honey and cinnamon

Nutella 

Butter 

2025 White House Porch

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SAMOAS POWER SNACK - A Wanna-Be Girl Scout Cookie

OH MY.
So tasty!
And I have completely convinced myself that I am eating a girl scout cookie (but I'm NOT...)

This recipe, or more accurately: a version of this recipe, has been circling my Pinterest feed for a few years.  I've done this one enough times now I know what I like and what is not optional. 

So if you're like me and would buy a box of the Samoa cookies (or 2) for you to eat by yourself... I present this delightful substitute! ENJOY!

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1 and 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes - TOASTED

(the large kind if you can find them!)

2 cups (about 20) Medjool dates - PITTED

1/4 cup semi-dark chocolate chips OR dark chocolate pieces

2 Tablespoons almond butter

1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt

1/4 teaspoon Mexican vanilla

Toasted Coconut:

Bake at 400 on a small cookie tray with parchment paper for 5-6 minutes.  At around 3 minutes: pull the baking tray out and toss the coconut for it to all evenly toast up.  (BE WATCHFUL! It goes from "toasty" to "burnt" really fast.)  Set aside.

Make The "Dough":

Pit all the dates.

Layer in a food processor or a DRY or WET Vitamix blender:

toasted coconut - 3/4 of it ONLY

pitted dates

almond butter

chocolate - 1/2 of it ONLY

vanilla

salt

Process until the mixture turns into a "dough" ball.

PULL IT ALL TOGETHER:

(you'll get a bit messy...)

Work the remaining chocolate into the dough.

Pinch off small amounts - about the size of a walnut - or use small cookie scoop and roll into 16 balls.

Roll and squish the dough balls in the remaining toasted coconut.

Store in an air-tight container and refrigerate.

Edible right away for sure!

However... best chilled overnight or 1/2 a day.

Store in the fridge for as long as they last... 

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Baking With Natural Yeast - Cinnamon Bread

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Not Your Grandma’s Meatloaf (AKA: mini-meatloaves)

MINI MEATLOAFS

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 Tablespoon  hot sauce (Chalula is great!)

1 teaspoon marjoram

3/4 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 pounds 80/20 OR 85/15 organic ground beef

1 and 1/2 cups  oatmeal flour

1/4 cup fresh or dried parsley leaves

KETCHUP-GLAZE:

1/2 cup ketchup

3 TABLESPOONS brown sugar

3 teaspoons cider vinegar

Put 2 cups of Old Fashioned oats into your kitchen blender.  Start and KEEP at the lowest speed to begin and then slowly raise the speed until the blades are pulling the oats through at a steady speed.  Blend until oats look like a rough-flour.  Measure out 1 1/2 cups and set aside.

In a skillet heat the oil.  Add chopped onion and sauté, stirring, until caramelizing and charring the bottom of your pan a bit, about 5-10 minutes.   Add garlic and blend into the onion.  Cook until everything is a deep gold color and smells like garlic.  Set aside and let cool.

In a mixing bowl whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, hot sauce.  Add marjoram, thyme, Kosher salt, pepper and parsley.

In a large mixing bowl combine the meat, egg-milk mixture, oatmeal flour and cooked onion-garlic mixture. 

Transfer meat mixture into a muffin pan or 4 mini-loaf pans so that the meat mixture is level or just above the pan’s top ledge.  Keep in mind that meat shrinks, however, DO NOT FILL EXCESSIVELY.   

Separate 1/2 of your glaze from the bowl and transfer into something to serve with your dinner.

Spoon meat with remaining ketchup glaze. 

Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 25-30 minutes. 

Internal temperature of loaves should be 160 degrees when done.

Let cool 10-15 minutes, then pull out of the muffin pans with two large soup spoons.  

Optional: 

Double your glaze if you extra love it. 

Serve with the extra glaze.

 

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