Backyard Chickens - Hatch #3

My latest venture into unprocessed foods had been raising backyard chickens. The result is organic, free range eggs that taste so much better than store bought eggs. Though, I'd love to talk about the health benefits of eating eggs from your very own chickens, I'm instead concerned with documenting my success and failure when it comes to hatching chicks in our incubator.

So, I'll start off by saying that our first hatch was the most successful even though I didn't follow all the rules and was somewhat fumbling along in the process. In the second hatch, only three eggs hatched, which I later discovered had to do with the temperature being slightly too low since it is winter.

So for hatch #3, here is what I did.

We started with close to fifteen eggs; however, we discovered in our first candling that one of the chickens didn't have fertile eggs. So, of course we had to take those eggs out. In future hatches, rather than wasting eggs I'm going to make breakfast and inspect each egg as they go in the pan. Since you can tell by the size of the dot on the yoke, I'll know which chickens have fertile eggs. Oh, and yes, it's completely fine to eat fertilized eggs; as long as a chicken hasn't had a chance to sit on them.

So after removing the six eggs, we candled for the second time, and had to remove another. This reduced our final hatch to eight eggs. Since it is winter, I checked the incubator regularly to assure the temperature was at least at or above 99.5 F. I also added water on occasion, but kept the initial humidity at around 40. On day eighteen, I removed the turner from the incubator and set the eggs down on the grate. After this I didn't open the incubator until all the chicks were hatched and I was sure that none of the remaining eggs had peep holes. I also added more water and monitored the humidity to keep it at or above 60 once the turner was out. When some of the eggs were peeped, I added more water to increase the humidity even more, and this seemed to help them along. We had three hatch today which was great.

Another thing I did this time is I numbered each egg by the day that they were laid in order to see if the success or failure of a hatch depended at all on this date. What I found was that the day made no difference. I saved eggs for five days before putting them in the incubator and then added eggs for day six after the other eggs had been in there for a day. Out of the eggs that hatched, we had two day six eggs, two day one eggs and one day five egg.

Hatch Data:
Day 22: day 5 Welsummer egg hatched.
Day 23: day 1 Welsummer egg hatched.
Day 24: day 6 Welsummer egg, day 1 Road Island Red, and day 6 Road Island Red eggs hatched.

The eggs that haven't hatched and probably won't are two Road Island Red eggs and one Welsummer egg that I dropped before putting in the incubator. Since the egg didn't break, I put it in the incubator anyway to see if it would be okay. I'm guessing the answer was no.

Anyway, five out of eight isn't bad at all. I think for future hatches I'll try to do the same thing I did this time. I will resist all urges to open the incubator prior to all the eggs hatching. At least I'll make sure there are no peeps before doing so. When removing chicks, I'll remember to put a wet paper towel in the incubator since this really helps raise the humidity.

The things I will most likely change will be that I won't be hatching in the winter again. It is too much work with constantly having to adjust the temperature since the temperature in the house effects the temperature inside the incubator. I also plan to add a wet paper towel when I take the eggs out of the turner. This method is very effective for raising the humidity and it seems like I'm always struggling to keep it over 60. Lastly, I'm going to plan for the birds hatching on day 22 or day 23. I don't know if this is in any way related to when I take the turner out, but I may try taking the turner out a day earlier to see if the eggs hatch earlier. I'll also probably add day seven as well to try my chances at getting more chickens. If I do that, I'll save eggs for six days, then add day seven afterward. I believe it's okay to save eggs up to six days, but I'll probably double check that before doing so.

Overall, I'm happy with the hatch and I look forward to raising the little darlings.

Feingold Ranch Dressing

• 1/2 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise (or homemade mayo)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 

Mix all spices with sour cream and mayo.  Refrigerate.  Can be used on salads or as a chip dip.  Thin by mixing with whole milk before serving as a salad dressing.

Note: Measure dry ingredients and store in baggies for a quick dressing mix.  For Fiengold stage 2, add 1/8 tsp pepper and reduce salt by 1/8 tsp.

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar (optional)
• 1/2 cup homemade chocolate syrup  
• 1 cup (approx.) homemade strawberry syrup
• 1/2 cup Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips (chopped)

Whisk together all ingredients except chocolate chips and pour into the ice cream maker.  Run ice cream maker for approximately 20 minutes.  Add chocolate chips after 15 minutes.  Freeze ice cream up to 3 hours before serving.




Note: Ghirardelli chocolate chips are one of the few types of chocolates that are made with real vanilla. 

Spicy Fat Free Salad Dressing Recipe

• 1 clove garlic (finely chipped)
• 1 Thai pepper (finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• dash of black pepper
• juice of 1 lemon

Smash salt into chopped garlic and pepper with a fork.  Squeeze lemon and mix in with the salt garlic and pepper.  Sprinkle black pepper over the salad and drizzle dressing over the salad.  This recipe makes enough dressing for one dinner plate size salad.

Double Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup homemade chocolate syrup  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (chopped)

Whisk together all ingredients except chocolate chips and pour into the ice cream maker.  Run ice cream maker for approximately 20 minutes.  Add chocolate chips after 15 minutes.  Freeze ice cream up to 3 hours before serving.

Variation: Add peppermint extract instead of vanilla to make mint double chocolate ice cream.

Ceylon Cinnamon Extract Recipe

After looking all over for Ceylon cinnamon extract and not finding it on line or in any store, I decided to make my own extract. 

Ingredients:

• 8-10 small Ceylon cinnamon sticks (can be found at Whole Foods)
• Vodka

Clean and sterilize a half pint mason jar.  Add the cinnamon sticks and then fill the remainder of the jar almost full with vodka.  Put a lid on the jar and shake.  Note: Lid can be used and does not have to seal.  Store jar in a dark place to conserve flavor.  Shake jar every couple of days.  Cinnamon will be ready in four months. Strain extract and place in a clean jar.  For a stronger cinnamon flavor, the cinnamon sticks can be left in the vodka.

Cinnamon Basics
Flavor Extracts

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

• 2 cup water
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 cup Hersey's chocolate powder (or another natural powdered chocolate)
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 1 tsp natural cinnamon extract

Mix water, sugar, and chocolate in a pan until the chocolate is moist.  Stir slowly over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil.  Stir constantly for approximate 3 minutes and then remove from heat.  Once the syrup cools stir in flavor extracts.

Use syrup for chocolate milk or an ice cream topping.  Keeps in the refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Note: Cinnamon extract is not strong enough to make the chocolate taste like cinnamon but it flavors it enough that the syrup does not taste like Hersey's chocolate.

Feingold Stage 1 Baked Chicken and Vegetables Recipe

• 1 chicken (cut up) 
• 2 potatoes (peeled and sliced thin)
• 2 zuchinis (sliced thin)
• 1 large onion (cut in half and then sliced)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil or light in flavor olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut chicken into pieces and place in a large baking pan.  Layer the potatoes, zuchinis, and onions on top of the chicken in that order.  Sprinkle salt and basil over the chicken and vegetables.  Sprinkle the parsley and mince the garlic over the chicken.  Trickle the oil evenly over the vegetables.  Bake uncovered for one hour.

For Feingold level 2 - add 1/4 tsp black pepper, 2 green peppers (sliced) and 2 large tomatoes (sliced).  

Bread Maker Nan Recipe

• 3 cups (14 3/4 oz) bread flour
• 1 1/16  cup (8 3/4) oz water
• 1 1/2 tsp yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread maker, set to French bread dough setting, and press start.  Once the dough cycle has completed, remove dough and kneed slightly on a lightly floured surface to assure elasticity.  Preheat oven to 450 F with a baking stone on the bottom rack.  Separate dough into 6 equal parts and form into balls.  Flatten each ball out on the floured surface to form a round disk.  Transfer dough to a greased baking sheet and poke flat disks with a fork.  There should be room for three pieces of bread on each sheet.  Place a cooking sheet on top of the baking stone and bake for 10 minutes.  Bread will not be browned but will be cooked and soft.  Bake the second sheet of bread.



Recipe development notes

Flat Bread (Nan) Experiments & Recipe Development

I heard that you can make Afghan style flat bread with just flour, salt and water.  This can be cooked in a frying pan or in the oven.  My goal is to produce a recipe that I can use with a bread machine and that also uses yeast. My hope is that by using the same (lack of ingredients) that is in the traditional nan, then it will be closer to the actual thing.

#1
My first experiment to produced flat bread was edible but a little too tough.  I used an unmeasured amount of all purpose flour and about 10 oz of water and mixed this by hand.  After mixing, I had to add a lot of flour so it was not too sticky and could be kneeded.  I let it stand for about 30 minutes and then formed round flat bread with my hand and baked at 400 degrees.

Suggestions:  I need to get the water and flour quantity right so I don't have to add too much flour afterward.  Also, I should cook at a higher temperature and use a baking stone under the pan. Will also use bread flour next.

#2
I used the recipe I have for French bread dough but did not include other ingredients.  I used yeast 1 1/2 tsp, Bread flour - 3 cups, and water 8 3/4 oz.  The bread machine is mixing this but the setting takes over 3 hours to mix.  If this does not work out, the next trial will be my pizza dough recipe minus the other ingredients.

Here is the Nan Recipe I developed from this experiment.

Natural Tomato Pasta Sauce

• 1/2 cup olive oil (or enough to layer the bottom of the pan)
• 1 Onion (finely chopped)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper (optional)
• 2-3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 5-6 Roma tomatoes (chopped)
• 3 x green onions (chopped)
• cilantro (about 1/4 tsp)
• oregano (about 1/4 tsp)
• basil (about 1/4 tsp)

Saute unions in the oil on high until browned.  Stir in garlic, salt and pepper and cook until the garlic smell starts to become strong.  Stir in tomatoes and sprinkle in cilantro, oregano, and basil to taste.  Cook tomatoes on medium to medium high for several minutes and then stir in green onions. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally until the tomatoes become a chunky sauce and the liquid evaporates enough for the oil to rise. 

Stir in noodles and serve.

How to make Quality Chocolates

There are many ways to make chocolates with minimal effort.  However, making quality chocolate will require a little more work.  To make chocolate the easy way, simply melt baking chocolate, stir in a little natural shortening, mix with nuts and then drop spoonfuls on wax paper.  This way of making chocolate is entirely acceptable, but the problem you'll find is the chocolates do not keep well.  Adding shortening softens the chocolate, but the chocolates will melt easily when left out of the refrigerator.  Furthermore, chocolates left out for a day or two will develop a gritty texture.  So, if you've tried this method and are ready for the next step, you may be in for a little more work.  However, the extra effort is well worth it.

Choosing The Right Type of Chocolate

The First Step will be choosing the right type of chocolate.  Chocolates made with baking chocolate, chocolate chips, and chocolate bars will end up with a bad texture if left at room temperature.  When making high quality chocolates, you must find chocolate that is called "Couverture" chocolate.  This is usually sold in big blocks or little medallions.  Although, couverture chocolate rarely has artificial ingredients, some included artificial vanilla.  So be sure to check the ingredients or the manufacture website before purchasing.

Where to Find Couverture Chocolate

If you usually buy chocolate in a grocery store, you may find it a little more difficult to find couverture.  There are plenty of options to choose from when looking on-line; however, it may not always be the right time of year to ship chocolate.  Some distributors will only ship in times of the year when it is cool enough and some will charge you extra to pack the chocolate with special cold packs.  A good price for couverture chocolate is anywhere from $10 to $12 a pound.  Paying for shipping and packing materials will make it much more pricy.   Overall, the best way to get couverture chocolate is to find a local specialty store that sells it.   I googled gourmet stores, chocolate shops, and confectionery shops.  Most of these places will only sell prepared chocolates, but don't be afraid to ask around.  I called a local chocolate shop and the owner gave me the name and address of a nearby coffee shop that also sold candy and couverture chocolate.

How to Make Chocolate with Couverture

Once you find your couverture chocolate, it is time to start making chocolates.  When making the easy chocolates, all you had to do is melt it and you were pretty much done.  However, with couverture, you will need to temper the chocolate.  This process can be a little tricky, but not impossible.  I had good results after my second attempt.  I recommend reading several different guides to tempering chocolate before trying it.

Tempering Chocolate

1. Use a double boiler or a mettle bowl over a pan of water.  
2. Chop one half pound of chocolate.  Set aside one third of the chopped chocolate and put the other two thirds in the double boiler or metal bowl.
3. Slowly heat the chocolate.  I heat it on medium-low or (the 4 setting).  Stir chocolate as it begins to melt.  There are exact temperatures you can use for when to remove the chocolate; however, you can tell that the temperature has been reached once the majority of the chocolate in the pan has melted.  
4. Remove the pan and set it on top of a paper towel to dry the bottom.  It is important never to let water get in the chocolate.  Water or steam can cause the chocolate to clump.  So it is also best to get the chocolate away from the stove as in case the water in the double boiler has come to a boil.  
5. Stir in the remainder of the chocolate and continue stirring with a spatula until it is all melted.  
6. Continue string until the mixture is shiny.  This is the hard part since you will need to continue stirring for 15 minutes.  The first time I tried tempering chocolate, I thought I was done stirring the chocolate after 5 minutes.  However, this was not sufficient and the chocolate ended up with a gritty texture.  Your arm may feel like its going to fall off, but it is important to keep stirring for at least 15 minutes.  The chocolate also needs to cool to a point where it does not appear easy to pour.
7. Once your chocolate gets to this point, you should slowly reheat the chocolate so that it can be poured into molds.  The best way to do this is by placing it on the double boiler on low (setting 3 or 4) and stir every few minutes.  
8. At this point, your chocolate will be ready to pour into molds.  Once the molds are ready, refrigerate or freeze them until they are firm (approximately 5 minutes).  Then turn the molds out and wrap the individual chocolates in wrapping foil.
9. Testing your tempering.  I like to test how I have done with tempering by leaving a few pieces of chocolate out of the refrigerator.  I take a bite the first day, second day, and third day to see how the texture is.  If you tempering was a success, the chocolate should still have a smooth texture on the third day.  If it was not tempered well, then the texture will be gritty.

Homemade Cotton Candy

Making cotton candy is a great way to use up all of your left over candy.  Since I started making my own hard candy, I have accumulated about five pounds of what I like to call "ugly candy."  This is a collection of broken sucker pieces, broken glass candy, and hard candies that have melted into a clump.  This candy may be too ugly or awkward to give to the kids, but its wonderful once its turned into cotton candy.  I cannot speak for other brands, but the Nostalgia Cotton Candy Maker works great.   I made a point to watch a couple of instructional videos on youtube before getting started and it is surprisingly easy.   Once it has warmed up, you stick the hard candy in, and then turn it back on and start spinning.   I made watermelon cotton candy for my first batch, and I look forward to making a variety of other flavors from my stash of ugly candy.

Homemade Pink Chocolate Roses

Valentines Day is right around the corner. So here is the perfect treat for the one you love.

Supplies:

• Rose Molds (for chocolate or hard candy)
• Double Boiler (preferred but optional)
• Wrapping Foil (Red or Pink)
• Lollipop Sticks (choose the size that fits best with your molds)

Ingredients:

• 2 Ghirardelli White Chocolate bars (all natural)
• 1 Tbsp. natural shortening
• 1/2 tsp. Natural red food coloring
• 1/8 tsp. Peppermint oil (optional flavoring)

Instructions:

Coarsely chop the white chocolate and add it to your double boiler. Note: chocolate can be melted in a regular pan but it must be tended closely to assure it does not burn. Melt chocolate over medium heat and stir until it is smooth. Monitor the double burner to assure the water does not boil. If the water comes to a boil, remove the pan and lower the heat. Replace the pan only when the steam has dissipated since steam will make the chocolate clump. When the chocolate has melted and is smooth, stir in the food coloring. Note: Roses will be red if artificial coloring is used. Stir in the peppermint oil.
Once the chocolate is smooth with the color and flavor mixed in, it will be time to pour them in the molds.  Remove chocolate from the heat and fill the molds using a spoon.

Note: Molds do not need to be greased for making chocolates. Place the lollipop sticks in the molds and assure they are covered with enough chocolate so the sticks will hold up the roses. Place the molds in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes or until the bottoms of the roses are cold. Turn the mold over a cutting board or plate and the roses should pop out. If they do not pop out right away, slightly twist the mold or press on the back of the rose. Place the molds back in the freezer if the roses do not pop out easily.

Wrap roses in pink or red foil wrappers and decorate with ribbon around the stems (if you like).  Roses will keep a better texture if refrigerated.

Pumpkin Spice Eggnog Gelato

I don't care that this recipe is a little out of season because it is absolutely delicious.  If you love eggnog, I know you will enjoy this as well.

Pumpkin Spice Eggnog Gelato

Pumpkin Spice Eggnog Gelato

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie extract 

Combine the cream, milk and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.  Stir mixture until the sugar has dissolved and then heat without stirring until the milk begins to raise slightly or bubbles start to appear on the side of the pan. Do not bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. In order to cool quickly, place the pan in a bowl full of ice water. The mixture will have cooled enough once you can comfortably dip your little finger in the liquid for ten seconds.

While the milk mixture is cooling, blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until they are fully integrated.  Blend the cooled milk mixture into the egg yolks little by little until they are fully mixed.  At this point, the mixture is essentially a very rich and heavy eggnog.  Pour the eggnog into a double boiler and heat until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Note: If you do not have a double boiler, stir the eggnog constantly over medium to medium high heat until the eggnog thickens.  To avoid curdling of the eggs, never let the eggnog come to a boil.

Finally, stir in the nutmeg and flavor extracts. Let the eggnog chill in the refrigerator . When cool, pour the eggnog in an ice cream machine and run the machine for 20 to 25 minutes or until ready. Empty the gelato into a container, stir and then store in the freezer at least 3 hours.

Pumpkin Pie Eggnog Gelato

If the eggnog does not achieve a thick enough texture, the gelato may not freeze well and may melt quickly when removed from the ice cream maker.  In this case, stir the gelato well to integrate the frozen and melted gelato and then store in the freezer.  Stir the gelato several more times in the first three hours of being in the freezer.  This will mix in the melted eggnog and assure a smooth gelato texture throughout the batch.

White Chocolate Candy Cane Bars

A dangerously addictive natural treat for the holidays. I use candy bar molds for this recipe; however, you can just as easily spread the chocolate into a pan and break it into pieces when it is done.

• 1/4 cup crushed homemade candy canes
•  8 or 10 oz Ghirardelli white chocolate (2 bars or 1 bag of chips)
• 1/8-1/4 tsp peppermint oil
• 1/2 Tbsp natural vegetable shortening

Break up chocolate bars and melt in a double boiler over medium and then low heat. Make sure mixture is not exposed to steam since this will make the chocolate clump.  Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the shortening and then remove from heat. Stir in peppermint oil and crushed candy canes pieces. Pour chocolate into the molds. Tap the molds to assure the chocolate settles and then place in the freezer.  After 5 to 10 minutes, the chocolates should be ready and will pop out of the molds easily.  All measurements are approximates so mix in as much of the crushed candy cane as you like. Chocolates will become soft at room temperature so it is best to store them in the refrigerator.

Return to Homemade Chocolates Page

Homemade Sweet Catchup

Homemade catchup without the high fructose corn syrup is definitely worth the extra work. Althought making homemade catchup from tomatoes can be a bit time consuming, the process is quite easy. Since most of the recipes I found involved extremely large volumes of tomatoes for making and canning catchup, I decided on my own ration and ingredients. 

• Approximately 3 quarts of fresh tomatoes (peeled, seeded and squeezed will make 1 quart)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 small onion (chopped)
• 1/4 yellow, orange or red pepper (chopped)
• 1 small clove of garlic (chopped)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp celery salt
• 1/4 cup vinegar 

 
To remove tomato peels: Bring tomatoes to a boil for one minute and then plunge in an ice cold water bath. Tomato peels will fall off.

Quartering and Seeding tomatoes: Cut tomatoes in quarters and remove seeds with your fingers. Squeeze tomatoes and place them in a strainer so more water will drip off. Reserve all that is strained and removed from the tomatoes and then strain in a cheese cloth for fresh tomato juice.

1. Add squeezed tomatoes, onions, peppers, garlic, salt, pepper, & celery salt to a pot and simmer over medium to medium high heat until tomatoes are soft.
2. Run mixture through a sieve or food mill to remove remaining seeds and peels.
3. Place the resulting liquid in a pot, add the vinegar and return the liquid to a simmer.  Continue to cook until the liquid thickens into the consistency of catchup.

Note: this recipe will make about 1 cup of catchup and can be refrigerated up to 3 or 5 days.

Return to Homemade Condiments Page

For larger batches and photos of the process, refer to the following recipes:

Mom's ripe tomato Catsup
Homemade Catchup Recipe

Homemade Mayonnaise

Making homemade mayo is just as fun and rewarding as making homemade butter. After reading several recipes for homemade mayonnaise, I decided on the following ingredient ratio, which worked great.

• 1 cup light in flavor olive oil
•  2 egg yolks
•  1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar or juice of 1 lemon
•  1/4 tsp salt or to taste
•  dash of pepper

1. Whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice/vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
2.  Add a couple of drops of oil and whisk well. 
3. Continue adding oil in small amounts; each time making sure that the mixture is smooth. Adding oil gradually and mixing well in between adding oil will assure that the mixture begins to emulsify. Once the mixture appears to thicken, begin adding more oil in between stirring. Once all the oil is mixed in, the mixture should be emulsified and should have the texture of mayonnaise.
4. Mayo can be stored safely in the refrigerator up to 3 or 5 days.

Notes:

1. If the mixture is thickening but not fully emulsified, try whisking in another egg yolk and then gradually adding another half cup of oil. 
2. If the mixture is still very runny toward the end of the process, the mixture most likely did not begin to emulsify and it is best to start over.
3. A food processor or emulsifying blender may be used in the place of a whisk.

Return to Homemade Condiments Page 

Quick Homemade Tomato Juice

If you've just made tomato sauce, catchup or any other recipe that results in an abundance of tomato juice, you might be wondering what to do with the excess tomato juice you've strained and saved.  Here is a fresh tomato juice recipe you can make in under a minute.

1 glass of fresh tomato juice (strained)
1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Stir sugar, salt and pepper into your glass of fresh tomato juice and enjoy.  Stir on occasion to assure the spices don't settle on the bottom of the glass.

Making Homemade Condiments

Homemade Mayo

One of the last things we may consider when making unprocessed foods is the possibility of making condiments.  However, if you think about it, its silly to put all sorts of work into making unprocessed foods and to then turn around and flavor our healthy food with processed condiments.  Of course learning how to make each condiment may take some time.  So I started out by seeking natural condiments in our local coop and whole foods to hold us over until I learn how to make each recipe.  Here are some good recipe ideas for making your own condiments.

Homemade Catchup

Basic Condiments

• Mayonnaise: Made from eggs, oil and lemon juice.
• Catchup: Takes a little longer if you make with fresh tomatoes, but definitely worth it. Try making a small batch first in order to find out what recipe is best for you.
• Mustard: There are plenty of mustard recipes. You can choose from a mustard recipe that uses mustard seeds or a mustard powder based mustard recipe.
• Pickle Relish:  Main ingredients are pickle cucumbers. Here's a very detailed pickle relish recipe and this pickle relish recipe is a little easier.

Dairy

• Butter: Can be made by shaking or by beating heavy cream.  
• Margarine: Use half butter and half oil. 
• Cream Cheese: Made by adding a little salt to yogurt and straining.
• Sour Cream: Made with cream and buttermilk. Here's a sour cream recipe with great reviews. Here's a sour cream recipe which uses heavy cream instead of half and half.

Dips

• Ranch Dip: There are a lot of good recipes out there, but here is a ranch dip recipe that is pretty easy to make.
• Salsa: There are many different recipes out there, but here's a link to one of my favorites.