Mushrooms on a stump??? What!?

Actually, these are technically called the "Honey Mushroom". They are called this due to the yellow and brown hues. 

Within the last couple of years I have started eating these mushrooms on a regular basis. I did not even really know that they existed until I met my husband. We live in Muskegon, Michigan out by Lake Michigan on 20 acres and there are a ton a old oak stumps out in the woods. 

The first time he took me out mushroom hunting I was extremely skeptical of eating these bad boys. I have only ever ate Morel Mushrooms, as far as I had been told most other fungi could be poisonous. Well to my surprise my husband had been eating them for years along with all of his family and they were by no means poisonous, they are actually delicious! 

They usually start sprouting up around mid September, depending on how much rain we have received. The more rain the better the batch of mushrooms. They grow on old dead oak stumps. 
One thing with these mushrooms, when you cut them at the stem you need to check for bugs, if the mushrooms stem is black or darker brown then you know it has bugs. The stems should be a tanish-brown color.
The scientific name is Armillaria mellea - 


In the above picture is a comparison of some of the sizes, there are some larger versions also that looks similar to large portobellos. 
After we pick the mushrooms we bring them in the house and check the stems one more time for bug infestations. If all is well I fill the sink with water and throw the mushrooms in. I generally let them soak for 2 hours minimum, sometimes as long as overnight if we pick them in the evening. Also, depending on how dirty the mushrooms are, I will switch the water out multiple times and start with fresh. 

After they have soaked for multiple hours we go ahead and throw them in a large pot and turn the heat up to high. Once they start boiling I will start a timer. We boil them for a minimum of ten minutes and sometimes longer depending on the size of the batch we are cooking. You will know when they are done by the color they become (as seen below). 
 
The most important thing when eating any wild mushroom is to cook them until they are completely cooked, without a doubt.

After they are cooked we throw them in a strainer to drain. After the mushrooms have cooled we measure out a cup of mushrooms and pour them on into a freezer bag and freeze just like that. I never buy caned mushrooms anymore, we ALWAYS use these babies in everything from beef roasts to spaghetti. We even love frying them up with onions to throw on steak. They are delicious!

While researching this mushroom online I did find a very useful site. On this site it states that there is a look alike mushroom out there that is known as the "Deadly Galerina" that is indeed poisonous. I am posting the site below. If you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will see a picture of this mushroom so you can compare and differentiate between the two.  
 
Happy Mushroom Hunting! 

"If in doubt, don't put it in your mouth"

http://www.sierrapotomac.org/W_Needham/HoneyMushroom_071120.htm

How to make ..... YOUR OWN BABY WIPES :)

While I was pregnant I was informed by a cousin that there was this amazing recipe for home made baby wipes... She insisted that her daughter had a horrendous diaper rash and after she started using the wipes the rash disappeared. I was very skeptical but due to the price difference in making your own wipes and purchasing pre made wipes, I opted to start stocking up on supplies to make my own.

My adorable baby was born on June 23rd of this year and while he was in the hospital they provided us with Pampers Sensitive Wipes (which are supposed to be the best wipes around!). Needless to say my son got a diaper rash and had some sores on his little tush. Thinking back to what my cousin told me months before... I pulled out the recipe... the supplies... and made my own wipes. WITHIN 24 HOURS OF USING THESE HOT CAKES.... believe it or not, my son's red tush was non existent.
I SWEAR BY THESE THINGS! They are a ton cheaper than pre made baby wipes and they work GREAT!

Below you will find the recipe along with directions on how to make these AWESOME, AMAZING, GREAT Baby Wipes! :)


Things you need:

• Serrated Kitchen Knife
• Roll of Paper Towel (I use Viva because it is so soft and thick)
•  Scissors 
•  Container for the wipes (I found this container at our local Meijer's store and have found that it works great!)
• "2 cup" measure
• "1 tbs." measure
• Spoon
• Water (2 cups)
• 2 tbs. Baby Wash (any kind works, generic or Johnsons, etc.)
• 2 tbs. Olive Oil, Vegetable Oil or Baby Oil (I have tried all three and prefer the Vegetable Oil, works the same as the rest but is the best priced)

 Directions:

1. Start by taking the serrated knife and cut the roll of paper towel in half. 
2. After cutting the paper towel the ends will be messy, use scissors to trim up bits of paper towel that may be shredded.
3. Place half of the roll in the container with the cut end down. 
4. Take the "2 cup" measuring cup (do not add water yet).
5. Take the TBS measure and add 2 tbs of baby soap to the "2 cup" measure.
6. Take the TBS measure and add 2 tbs of your Oil of choice to the "2 cup" container. 
7. Now, add warm/hot water into the measuring cup, going just past the 2 cup line. 
8. Stir the mixture with a spoon until well mixed.
9. Pour the mixture over the wipes in the container. 
10. Put the lid on the container and wait 5 minutes. 
11. Take off the lid and you can now easily pull the cardboard center out of the roll of paper towel. 
12. After removing the center, reach in and you can now pull the wipes from the center of the roll.
13.  You are done! Enjoy! :)