Our Little Mountain Cabin: WHAT IS VICKIE MAKING?

BLUEBERRY CREPES

This is worth making, but leave enough time to prepare ahead. I try to make the filling and the blueberry sauce in advance. A delicious addition to brunch or breakfast. It's great for an after dinner desert also.

VICKIE"S BLUEBERRY CREPE RECIPE

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese (softened)

8 oz. sour cream

1/4 c sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind

With hand mixer or whisk cream, blend together cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla until smooth. Stir in grated lemon rind.

Blueberry Sauce:

1 tablespoon butter

4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar depending on sweetness of blueberries

2 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoon lemon juice

If using fresh berries, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water.

Optional: Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Combine the butter, blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice in a small pot over medium-high heat. Bring up to a low boil and stir gently until the berries break down and release their natural juices about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

It will thicken up when it cools down slightly.

For the Crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

2 cups milk (I use 2 percent)

2 tablespoon butter, melted

Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.

Heat a lightly buttered 8 inch cast iron pan, or a non-stick pan, or crepe pan (according to manufacturers directions) over medium low - medium heat.

Pour or scoop the batter onto the pan, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe.

Tip: rotate pan to spread the batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides.

To assemble: Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling in center of crepe (spread from side to side). Fold crepe in half and roll.

Spoon blueberry sauce over crepe and enjoy. Makes 16 plus crepes. You may want to heat the crepes before serving. Dust with confectioner's sugar (optional).

I am making Ginger Tea today.

Ginger root has many benefits. It can be used to help symptoms of the common cold, flu, headaches, motion sickness, and much more.
Our grandmother's were right about ginger ale and crackers soothing an upset stomach!

It's warming affect just makes you feel better even if your not sick.

I find it actually gives me more energy and wards off common illnesses as an immune booster.

Ginger Root Tea (potent anti-viral)
This makes approximately 2 quarts of ginger water

Step One
One cup of peeled, chopped and minced fresh organic ginger
10 cups of water

Step Two
Organic Apple cider (1/2 cup per serving)
Lemon juice (use fresh organic lemons if possible)

Instructions:
Use the side of a metal spoon to peel the ginger. This technique makes peeling the ginger much easier.

Mince the ginger (using a food processor is a lot less work).

Simmer the minced ginger in 10 cups of water for an hour or so. Strain.

When ready to have a serving, place 1/2 cup of the strained ginger water in a pan with 1/2 cup of apple cider and a squirt or two of lemon juice. Heat and serve.

I refrigerate the ginger water in quart jars and use as needed.

Jewelweed Soap and More on Jewelweed

Jewelweed, otherwise known as Touch-Me-Nots is best known for its skin healing properties. The leaves and the juice from the stem of Jewelweed are used by herbalists as a treatment for poison ivy, oak and other plant induced rashes, as well as many other types of skin problems. Poultices and salves from Jewelweed are a folk remedy for bruises, burns, cuts, eczema, insect bites, sores, sprains, warts, and ringworm.

We have access to more Jewelweed than we could ever use growing along the stream bank. It blooms during the months of May through October and that is when I find it to be most effective when using it for poison ivy or other skin irritations.

I double infused it in olive oil and use it to make salves, soap, and more.