tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71949253063788878532024-03-12T19:53:28.245-07:00How to Survive the Wintercer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-28810180006931597432013-07-05T06:11:00.002-07:002013-07-07T15:47:25.461-07:00Picnics Then and Now<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8_TUXIkZcATzvLZ5d4pEBoOozSCV_CYm-yg9ivWaJH4-l2G62C8AxzkHaPXxC7Ei8uQc3_e4Ie2ofJvlToGMBiYonlvhT9FsVXCPWadytvqbyVv53CD41Qhac_8KaGNWQSzidES4YFIr/s1600/Photo-7_5_13,-8.52.49-AM-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8_TUXIkZcATzvLZ5d4pEBoOozSCV_CYm-yg9ivWaJH4-l2G62C8AxzkHaPXxC7Ei8uQc3_e4Ie2ofJvlToGMBiYonlvhT9FsVXCPWadytvqbyVv53CD41Qhac_8KaGNWQSzidES4YFIr/s320/Photo-7_5_13,-8.52.49-AM-13.JPG" width="320" /></a>Yesterday was Independence day and George and I are so bad at having fun these days that it took us all day to decide what to do. The fireworks we attend are on July 3, so that really wasn't on the table. I suppose that we could have hunted down another show but one is enough for us. Anyway, we messed around all morning then worked all afternoon, then headed to the local lake for a summer picnic.<br />
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We are also bad at picnics. Growing up for me a picnic involved my mom packing all day the day before, then us piling in the truck and travelling to one state park or another. Then my dad would set up an elaborate dining shelter constructed from various tarps and clotheslines and other camping equipment. We would turn on the country station, settle in and "people watch" while Dad built a fire and roasted a five course meal. My job was to get as wet, muddy and sunburned as possible during all this. (I remain skilled at this and can still manage to go from middle aged professional lady to 8 year old redneck child in about 15 minutes.)<br />
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Flash forward 35 years and to our family picnics. These are usually a part of a vacation or day trip to a hike/battlefield/produce pickup/etc. I pack the<b> Official Reese Family Hoagie</b>. We hop in the car, drive until lunch, find a park and jump out. In approximately 15 minutes the entire picnic takes place. I unpack my <b>Go-Bag</b>, unpack the hoagie, a bag of chips and some fruit. George reads a map while we eat, run to the bathroom, and pack back up. If it is raining, the picnic takes place in the car. <br />
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We go on a lot of day trips, and this strategy works for us. It has several advantages in that we have an economical lunch, avoid fast food restaurants (as I write this, we haven't been to McDonald's in at least 10 years...) and we get to see a lot of state parks around the region. But it's not really a picnic.<br />
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Last night we came close to something in the middle of these two types of picnics: I did not cook on site, but I made a<b> Couscous Salad</b> (adapted from Giada after last weeks' cooking show watching). I picked up some fried chicken from the grocery store along with a loaf of Italian bread and a hunk of watermelon. We packed up Rebecca's patriotic cake and a gallon of iced tea. We headed to Moraine State park and grabbed a table with a view of Lake Arthur. George even got out a chair!!! We used a real table cloth (OK it was a sheet), ate a leisurely dinner, then hung out for about 2 hours while Rebecca picked berries, Julie took a nap on the picnic bench, and George and I just relaxed.<br />
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Maybe we will get the hang of this someday. Maybe our grandchildren will need to be hosed off before we come home when we take them for picnics...<br />
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<h3>
Official Reese Family Hoagie </h3>
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(Feeds 5)</div>
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1 loaf Italian bread, cut in half, top to bottom.. You can scoop out some of the bread from the top half if you think it's too bready.</div>
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Layers of lunch meat, cheese and veggies as desired. </div>
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Cut as appropriate for shape of loaf. I usually cut it in quarters, once lengthwise, then once crosswise, the cut some of the quarters into eighths. </div>
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Store in sandwich bags, pack dressings separately. Picky people remove what they don't want</div>
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Go Bag</h3>
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I keep this packed at all times for quick access with: </div>
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Paper plates and plastic ware.</div>
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A few water bottles</div>
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Sharp knife</div>
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Roll of paper towels</div>
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Assorted bags for garbage and collection of berries, interesting rocks, shells, dead animals, etc)</div>
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Twister mat (this works as a table cloth, or mat to sit on if there is no table, or a makeshift tent or raincoat, or I suppose a form of entertainment if you get really bored.)</div>
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Hand sanitizer</div>
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Tube of sunblock</div>
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Tube of bug repellent</div>
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Emergency snack (hard candy or animal crackers or granola bars)</div>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Couscous Salad</h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Dressing:</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">2 tablespoons cider vinegar</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1 1/2 teaspoons paprika</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1 teaspoon kosher salt</span></span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">1 T Lemon Juice</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Whisk together until smooth.</span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: #efebdf; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Couscous:</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1 1/3 cups couscous</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/2 teaspoon kosher salt</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Saute the couscous untill browned. Add 2 c water and bring to boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until done. Cool. Add to dressing with:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">2 cups packed baby spinach leaves, coarsely chopped</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1 tomato, seeded and chopped</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/2 c good feta, crumbled</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/4 c chopped green pepper</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/2 c chopped cucumber</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/2 c chopped red onion</span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Kosher salt</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Chill and serve.</span></span><br />
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<br />cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-83297063010463764242013-07-04T09:58:00.002-07:002013-07-04T09:58:39.806-07:00The New Stuffed Zucchini<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">I love my stuffed zucchini recipe, I really do. The only thing I don't like about it is that I can't find small squash around here after about July 4th and the farmer's markets don't hit full speed until about Mid July. Also, I have a bunch of new friends at work who are vegetarians and I have been thinking about increasing my repertoire of vegetarian main dish recipe that will fit my fix and freeze lifestyle. I was watching cooking shows last Saturday morning and I saw Rachel Ray do something like this:</span></span></span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; line-height: 15px;">Zucchini Rollups </span></span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">2 medium firm zucchini</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">cooking spray</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">salt</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Slice the zucchini lengthwise and spray both sides with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Roast at 350 for about 20 minutes or unit bendy</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">Cool and drain.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">1/2 c diced sweet onion</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">2 cloves minced garlic</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">2T olive oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">1 T Italian seasoning</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">4 c fresh spinach</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Saute until done, cool.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Combine cooled veggies with:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">2 cups ricotta cheese</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano</span><span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; outline: 0px;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;">2 egg yolks, lightly beaten</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">Place filling mixture on zucchini slices and roll up. Freeze or place in baking pan and top with a small amount of jarred pasta sauce. Bake at 350 until hot.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; outline: 0px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif; line-height: 15px; outline: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 15px;">I made my version for dinner last Saturday and it was a big hit with me and with George. Rebecca and Julie ate it few bites at least and didn't really complain, so I am considering that a moderate hit. I took the leftovers to Melissa, and she liked it too. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but I can't see why it wouldn't work. I am also planning to give it a shot with eggplant. </span></span></span>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-28714616174739693242013-07-04T08:20:00.002-07:002013-07-04T08:20:56.988-07:00Marge's SandwichesIt is that time of year again where I get really bored with cooking. I am exhausted when I get home from work and it's hot and everyone is grumpy. I am greeted at the door (or on the cell phone) with "What's for supper?" quickly followed by "What are we doing this evening?"....so dinner lately has consisted of sandwiches from frozen stocks of<b> sloppy joes</b>,<b> ham bbq</b>, pulled pork, or something similar. My recipes for the sloppy joes and ham bbq come from a friend of my Mom's growing up: Marge MacAdoo. Marge had 4 boys and worked shifts at the local glass plant. Somehow my summer memories are filled with our two families spending weekends camping and fishing and going on vacation together, always with at least one of the meals being one of these sandwiches. Looking back that seems like a huge accomplishment to me. I don't remember Marge considering herself a fabulous cook, but her sandwich recipes have gotten me through many busy nights and weekends of my own. And I have never once bought a can of Manwich.<br />
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<h3>
Marge's Sloppy Joes</h3>
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1 lb hamburger<br />
1 small onion, chopped<br />
1 can condensed tomato soup<br />
1 t worchestershire sauce<br />
1/2 t dry mustard or 1 t prepared yellow mustard<br />
1 1/2 t vinegar<br />
1 T brown sugar or molasses<br />
1/2 c catsup<br />
1 t chili powder<br />
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*these days I usually at least triple this and freeze in 4 portion batches.<br />
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1) brown the ground beef and onions<br />
2) add the rest of the ingredients, mix and simmer 30 minutes or until reduced.<br />
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<h3>
Marge's Ham BBQ</h3>
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1 lb chipped chopped ham (these days I use Larry's Ham from Schnurr's)<br />
1 catsup<br />
3 T brown sugar or molasses<br />
2 T cider vinegar<br />
2 T worchestershire sauce<br />
1/2 c water<br />
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Mix all ingredients and simmer 20 minutes or until thickened.<br />
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*these days I usually at least triple this and freeze in 4 portion batches.<br />
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<br />cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-91961841072338941342012-09-02T13:42:00.000-07:002012-09-02T13:42:42.694-07:00Freezer SoupsI have posted before that I don't freeze too much in terms of fresh fruits or vegetables. I did freeze a lot of apples last year though and they worked out great for pies and crisps and cobblers. I will post my plans for those later, but today I though I would talk about how I freeze meals ahead for dinners. <br />
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I have posted before about my crock-pot obsession and how I have several recipes for cooking with meat and beer. <a href="http://howtosurvivethewinter.blogspot.com/2010/11/hunk-of-meat-can-of-beer-and-crockpot.html">http://howtosurvivethewinter.blogspot.com/2010/11/hunk-of-meat-can-of-beer-and-crockpot.html</a> These days I tend to try to double up on these recipes and put a batch in the freezer for later. The recipe for <u>French Dip Sandwiches</u> can be used as such or thickened with a little flour when re-heating for <u>Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches.</u> Last weekend I fired up 2 crockpots full of <u>Beef Stew</u>, and now I have 4 meals worth in the freezer. <br />
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I also made my Salsa last weekend, which inspired me to make Julia's favorite: <br />
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<h3>
Tortilla Soup</h3>
1) Combine in crock pot:<br />
<br />
1 quart "Salsa Juice" see my Salsa recipe, previous post<br />
3 chicken breasts<br />
1/2 can beer (I threw this in for a little more liquid.)<br />
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2) Cook 5 hours on low in crock pot or until the chicken will shred easily.<br />
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3) Add 2 c sweet corn and 1 pint salsa. (I used fresh corn that I cut raw from the cob)<br />
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4)At this point I devided this into 3 portions and froze two in Food Saver bags*.<br />
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5) The third portion I stored in the fridge for a couple of days until I was ready to serve.<br />
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6) Before serving add 1 c shredded sharp cheddar and 1/4 c sour cream.<br />
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7) Heat to desired temp. Top with crushed tortilla chips and more salsa.<br />
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Note that I freeze everything except the dairy ingredients. This saves room in the freezer, time on my bulk cooking day, and I think it tastes better when you add the dairy ingredients fresh.<br />
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*Tip: When I freeze soup in the food saver bags, I use a large bag and freeze it flat, so that it is no more than an inch thick. That way to thaw, you just pop the bag into a sink of hot water and it is ready for the pan in 15 minutes or so.<br />
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I used this strategy to make another favorite soup which contains a lot of my favorite short cuts:<br />
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<h3>
Brocolli Potato Chowder</h3>
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1) Combine in a large soup pot:<br />
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1 large vidallia onion, chopped<br />
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1 pound chopped bacon ends (I get these at the butcher, they are cheaper than the sliced bacon, usually lean and thicker sliced than regular bacon, they work great for soups)<br />
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Saute these until the bacon browns and the onions are translucent. Pour off any excess bacon fat<br />
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2) Add:<br />
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1 bag frozen hash brown potatoes (the cubes, not the shredded ones)<br />
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2 pounds fresh chopped broccoli<br />
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4T chicken soup starter (this is like a paste that is in the grocery store soup section next to the boullion.)<br />
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1 T Italian seasoning blend<br />
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Enough water to cover.<br />
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3) Bring to a boil and add 1 box of orzo pasta. Cook 5 minutes or until the orzo is done. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BclNWPVzdvVvgQBR9pf12v1BX6GZ28rVqR_8HKJCqESZRGgWBYfJ5LPbP5PYLRT5rvVyBxbJBOUy568lDzWoQ8F7gXjXe5L6hbvwUZIgM9w_YF8XS3HRj3lt5Rjig19p9XBvr8tvP7F4/s1600/0827121752a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3BclNWPVzdvVvgQBR9pf12v1BX6GZ28rVqR_8HKJCqESZRGgWBYfJ5LPbP5PYLRT5rvVyBxbJBOUy568lDzWoQ8F7gXjXe5L6hbvwUZIgM9w_YF8XS3HRj3lt5Rjig19p9XBvr8tvP7F4/s320/0827121752a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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4) This is when I divide this one for freezing.</div>
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5) To reheat, add grated sharp cheddar to taste (about 1/4 c per serving) and just enough half and half to give a nice white color to the soup. You can also use milk. I sometimes add a little flour when the soup is cold to thicken it up a bit. As long as you stir well and don't add the flour to the hot soup it will not make lumps.</div>
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I have also frozen a simpler version of this soup with just the broccoli and onions. I froze that one in smaller portions so that I can make it up and take it to work for lunch.</div>
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cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-31145934086458572242012-08-05T16:10:00.001-07:002012-09-02T14:05:07.653-07:00Salsa, Zucchini Quiche, and Tomato SaladIt's been a slow start to the canning year. We had a bizzarre spring and late frosts, so the berry crop was awful. There was not a single mulberry on my tree! George planted me some new trees, a mulberry of my own and a quince too! Hopefully the deer will leave them alone, but time will tell.<br />
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<h3>
Homemade Salsa</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWLPyzu1NdRF5D83h5uVDUzHgG5V1xGMhm67tW00hWSbnXPxY86Xo1sWX3D3f6XA94QWhGJEROk19hhlNUI5BOF1Ss25hXIf9jMTAqR0VhmyPgFjMEmsRYTa2Fh5jTxRGHvaqMPpPV04Q/s1600/0827121750a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fea="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjWLPyzu1NdRF5D83h5uVDUzHgG5V1xGMhm67tW00hWSbnXPxY86Xo1sWX3D3f6XA94QWhGJEROk19hhlNUI5BOF1Ss25hXIf9jMTAqR0VhmyPgFjMEmsRYTa2Fh5jTxRGHvaqMPpPV04Q/s320/0827121750a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The beginning of the canning season is usually my Homemade Salsa, which I always get compliments on. Sometimes people cannot believe it is canned and not made fresh! I am pretty sure the secret there is that this is only cooked for 10 minutes and I strain it as I can it, which results in a chunkier salsa. I can the juice seperately and use it in soups. One time we tried it for bloody marys, but it was too strong for that. It makes a good chili base or a nice bean soup broth. So here's the recipe:<br />
<br />
15 c peeled cored chopped ripe roma tomatoes<br />
4 large green bell peppers, chopped<br />
3 large sweet onions, copped<br />
6 jalepenos, chopped*<br />
1 1/4 c cider vinegar<br />
3 T minced garlic<br />
2 T minced cilantro<br />
3 T salt <br />
3 T lime juice<br />
<br />
Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil.<br />
Reduce heat and simmer 10 min.<br />
Pack hot into hot jars.<br />
Process 15 min in boiling water bath.<br />
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*Tips: Wear gloves then chopping hot peppers, reduce heat by taking out the seeds. Peppers are usually hotter in dryer years and later in the summer.<br />
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<h3>
Zucchini Quiche</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXdvrx4CDxMzrFX5cfuAOVMVYDEwZsizhq0QYwFWf9YKrNwZnwI-l49nzLIquMa_WUyTDtnBJ_A5xEf5vnTRNNVRkL7wryVT3cFpGPmaR5RuGkki9YhU9S4N40c89g-v8YOB4FysnKgmq/s1600/quiche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" kda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrXdvrx4CDxMzrFX5cfuAOVMVYDEwZsizhq0QYwFWf9YKrNwZnwI-l49nzLIquMa_WUyTDtnBJ_A5xEf5vnTRNNVRkL7wryVT3cFpGPmaR5RuGkki9YhU9S4N40c89g-v8YOB4FysnKgmq/s320/quiche.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last week my freind Paula made Zucchini Quiche for beer club, immeadiately claiming the Zucchini Queen title and intimidating me to the point where it will be a long time before I make zucchini anything for one of our pot lucks. She was good enough to share her recipe, and as good as it was, I couldn't resist tweaking it just a little. Here is my version:<br />
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4 c shredded zucchini<br />
1 c diced sweet onion<br />
2 T olive oil<br />
1 T garlic paste (fresh elelphant garlic ground up and preserved in olive oil)<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/2 t itailian seasoning<br />
1/4 c half and half<br />
1 1/2 shredded jalrseburg or swiss<br />
1/2 c shredded parmesan or asiago<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 pk crescent rolls<br />
<br />
Bloom the garlic in the olive oil. <br />
Add onions and saute until translucent. <br />
Add spices.<br />
Add zucchini and saute until excess liquid is gone.Cool.<br />
Spread crescent rolls in greased 9 x 13 pan. Spread mustard over.<br />
In a large bowl, combine the veggies, half and half, cheese and eggs.<br />
Spread over crust. Top with drained tomato slices.<br />
Bake 30 min at 375.<br />
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This was great! As I am currently low-carbing though, next time I think I will leave out the crust and call it frittatta.<br />
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<h3>
Tomato and Corn Salad</h3>
Like I said, Paula took the Zucchini Crown last week, so I had to come up with something good this week. I have made the standard Tomato Mozzarella Salad many times. People like it, but no real raves. I thought and researched and shopped and thought some more and this is what I came up with:<br />
<br />
4 c seeded chopped red and yellow tomatoes (chopped to the same size as the cherry tomatoes)<br />
2 c whole red and yellow cherry tomatoes<br />
3 ears fresh sweet corn, shelled<br />
1/2 c red onion, sliced long wise into slivers<br />
1/2 c fresh mini basil leaves<br />
1/2 c fresh mozzarella, cut into about 1/2" x 1/4" rectangles<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 T cider vinegar<br />
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Seed the tomatoes by cutting them in half cross-wise and then squeezing slightly to remove extra liquid and seeds.<br />
Combine the tomatoes and the raw corn and refrigerate 4 hours to allow the acid in the tomatoes to slightly cook the corn.<br />
Add the rest of the ingredients just before serving. Toss.<br />
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Unfortunately, Paula didn't even show up this week....oh well.<br />
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<br />cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-82086530436092942222012-04-04T08:40:00.000-07:002012-04-04T08:40:10.992-07:002011 was the year of the BerryI didn't post a lot last year because there was so much going on in our lives. Highlights included getting my oldest off to college then an internship in Disney World, taking on managing a busy institute under a new director, caring for several elderly relatives, and looking after the rest of my brood which included a new puppy just at back to school time. <br />
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In between all the chaos I found myself continuing my obsession for local food and canning. We made a day trip to Erie to search for cherries. We were too late for cherries, but the blueberries were spectacular. I think next year I will go for blueberries and just pick up some frozen cherries.<br />
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I did a lot more freezing last year too. It was easier to process fruit on hot humid days and the Food Saver makes it a lot more convenient to use the frozen product. Successes included:<br />
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Apple Pie Filling: I used my peeler/slicer <a href="http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Green-Apple-Slicer-Peeler/dp/B003FIH7QE/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1333550478&sr=8-15">http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Green-Apple-Slicer-Peeler/dp/B003FIH7QE/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1333550478&sr=8-15</a> then added about 4 cups slices to 1/2c flour and 1 c sugar. I mixed it all up and froze in food saver bags. I use these for Dutch apple pie mostly. In 2012 I plan to do a lot more and use them for crisps and cobblers too.<br />
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Frozen peach puree: I took the leftovers from the canning peaches or those that were a little too bruised to use for canning and I pureed them in the food processer with a little lemon juice. I put the puree in a small food saver bag and sealed it then flattened it out before freezing. I use this by chopping off the desired ammount and adding it to smoothies. I also did this with some mangoes I found on sale at the local fruit stand.<br />
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Frozen bananas: I know these are not local, but when they are cheap I buy the overripe bananas and peel and freeze them for banana bread or smoothies.<br />
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Frozen mulberries: these were the find of the year last year. I froze a few <br />
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Frozen blueberries: Just pop them in the bag and into the freezer. I add these to smothies too or use them in muffins or crisp or cobbler.<br />
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Frozen peaches: I did some of these on a day when it was just too hot to can them. They are ok for crisps, but they aren't as good for eating straight or in a pie for some reason.<br />
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As I have mentioned, I commute an hour each way to work at the lab and back. It is far to easy for me to stop at Starbuck's or Wendy's or Panera for a quick, tasty, fattening breakfast. Lately I have been trying for better though. With the five minutes I have between the last time I walk the dog and the time Rebecca is ready, I throw a few things into the blender to make a smoothie.<br />
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<h2>Commuter Smoothie</h2><br />
I start with 2 containers of lite yogurt, any flavor that catches my eye. Then I add two or three of my frozen selection of fruits or some fresh strawberries or canteloupe or whatever is left in the fridge. Sometimes I even add a packed of prepared cooled oatmeal. I top it off with about 2/3 c milk and hit frapee. The smoothie gets poured into 2 pint sized mason jars and a re-used lid tops it off. Add a straw and I have the perfect commuter breakfast, plus an additional snack for later in the day.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-24822542705521842812011-07-15T11:25:00.000-07:002011-07-15T11:25:55.083-07:00Stuffed Zucchini, Daycations, and Mulberries<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAIxLOAWde1xmqxGy4JFG8G6KMrqBt3FT406vA2KkpWEX7B7wW5yOj1ziZgQHBguLUVsQ4RvVBMowNV7z6rfTA3KKjPO1fCHd5wSa3g5jxDaZVztxIG5hLHsyFnghRWJRvKloMBsfibwo/s1600/0702110954-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDAIxLOAWde1xmqxGy4JFG8G6KMrqBt3FT406vA2KkpWEX7B7wW5yOj1ziZgQHBguLUVsQ4RvVBMowNV7z6rfTA3KKjPO1fCHd5wSa3g5jxDaZVztxIG5hLHsyFnghRWJRvKloMBsfibwo/s320/0702110954-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Heritage Breed Turkeys from a day trip to Tionesta and Tidioute</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We are cheap and it is a busy year. Our oldest is working goes to college this fall, our middle girl is learning to drive and babysitting the wonderful neighbor boys, and our youngest is her usual busy self. I am having a ball at work but too busy to take serious time off and George getting time off is always a problem. We probably will not manage to get away for a whole week this summer, but we love our day trips. A few weeks ago we went to Allegheny National Forest Hearts Content and to the upper Allegheny River where the girls waded and lost shoes and we hiked and generally had fun. We also visited a farm stand where they specialize in heritage breeds of livestock and organic veggies. The peacocks were scared of me so I only got a picture of the turkeys. Did you know that most turkeys that you buy in the grocery store are bread to be so breast-heavy that by the time they are mature they can't even stand up? Kind of makes Thanksgiving Dinner a little gross...I like dark meat better anyway...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Mulberry Jam and Syrup</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am not going to go into detail of the recipes for these, just a little note on how much fun we had picking the berries and making the stuff. Mulberries grow on trees like the one below that George found for me in a graveyard. The girls and I spent a whole week's worth of evenings picking these and some black raspberries as mentioned in the last post.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSbXceff7JfmzesAFY4mVxXBB6Q2EMBttwBSlNeia51qAnxj79HU5WmUqrdrV6y77Qo_E1Y17quZdOcHxOZ8MK46Vc1lad6qpmgsn9Ohwk2AA9qVXWrOyavYDSbAke2kfgx0th5VYCHIm/s1600/0703110928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSbXceff7JfmzesAFY4mVxXBB6Q2EMBttwBSlNeia51qAnxj79HU5WmUqrdrV6y77Qo_E1Y17quZdOcHxOZ8MK46Vc1lad6qpmgsn9Ohwk2AA9qVXWrOyavYDSbAke2kfgx0th5VYCHIm/s320/0703110928.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Graveyard where the Mulberry Tree was found.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGL8fZ5KaIPoflyu-PRXNLZDDDelzrSnfWZz7VlteiBoO8O_6eR8yInBMMWCxSrGWJM_ZkNdllJi51aZgtXVKf-De25yuRsAEtm5lzWFvG7V9w2abyoVOmEZKuoyBdKNEdYxh6UCIMcEG/s1600/0703110928a-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGL8fZ5KaIPoflyu-PRXNLZDDDelzrSnfWZz7VlteiBoO8O_6eR8yInBMMWCxSrGWJM_ZkNdllJi51aZgtXVKf-De25yuRsAEtm5lzWFvG7V9w2abyoVOmEZKuoyBdKNEdYxh6UCIMcEG/s320/0703110928a-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Closeup of Mulberries on tree. The dark ones are the ripe ones.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKf5hvTbGCwDvG3jXpE-SS29rfwbMS0EG_6v35HJvnN2X9Jt6A3UHl63oc3dqWqTNpPzljIZ9fXN5t7F4cRJUNlHqyVKX-puVnGND3hCRjvkqUzwxYaDqaHD_GHU8jx6FpJFVKEV4UD9f/s1600/0703110929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKf5hvTbGCwDvG3jXpE-SS29rfwbMS0EG_6v35HJvnN2X9Jt6A3UHl63oc3dqWqTNpPzljIZ9fXN5t7F4cRJUNlHqyVKX-puVnGND3hCRjvkqUzwxYaDqaHD_GHU8jx6FpJFVKEV4UD9f/s320/0703110929.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This lady may or may not have worn sunglasses at one point during our week of berry picking madness.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aZG67idXYLYTLZip9xEi4cxPwUpVNvp42Ah7LY-Ii-Z9qn016RN8zzWxJkaXyEf7lXqTwk8KSElUxaiV1UfSL9CXYRM94qPU7QEobU_dJLudYkLFYTM4BpwTDDCy-C8cCYdZmGi8ryCk/s1600/0703111018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5aZG67idXYLYTLZip9xEi4cxPwUpVNvp42Ah7LY-Ii-Z9qn016RN8zzWxJkaXyEf7lXqTwk8KSElUxaiV1UfSL9CXYRM94qPU7QEobU_dJLudYkLFYTM4BpwTDDCy-C8cCYdZmGi8ryCk/s320/0703111018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are honeysuckle berries. Don't eat them.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_C8N4Cn5nVsaAiHF0GbEFIzhbfzRmwCrH2DQJFj8zLTbaRwBEyL6RQl5oOB2e6iuzYL4_kvqywHHPGCueIpBoVQyoEofkcfufGNoGJAxmF1VylJTVub2SX80h5ksrseMkCgrXzUj4tAGB/s1600/0703111402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_C8N4Cn5nVsaAiHF0GbEFIzhbfzRmwCrH2DQJFj8zLTbaRwBEyL6RQl5oOB2e6iuzYL4_kvqywHHPGCueIpBoVQyoEofkcfufGNoGJAxmF1VylJTVub2SX80h5ksrseMkCgrXzUj4tAGB/s320/0703111402.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">These are Mulberries. By all means eat them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made the jam using the recipe in the sure jel packet for raspberry cooked jam. I didn't remove the stems from the little guys because they didn't come out well and they were so tender I didn't think they were a problem. They turned red during processing and aren't really noticeable, so I guess it's OK. The jam is a little runny, but that is normal for me, and it tastes wonderful.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I made the syrup by following the recipe for jelly, again for raspberries, but leaving out the pectin. I also added a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice which took away the cloying part of the sweetness and brought out the flavor of the berries.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><u>Stuffed Zucchini</u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one of my favorite summer recipes, but unfortunately it requires an oven, so I only make it on cool days.</div><br />
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1. Blanch small to medium zucchini in boiling water for 5 minutes, then immerse in cold water for 5 minutes. <br />
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2. Scoop out the centers of the squash to create boats.<br />
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3. Chop up the innards of the squash and saute in olive oil with some chopped onion and a little garlic and salt.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrIY4mHa8KqCsbSuvlUnyBnIqNjzcdjqFAEITVtuiLnMLvO5YUGSr2T0oQM-z96a0tM1Wvok2U-SFMIwvo4Adw3BDHijf86G5WrLwfeb028MOmPmeFVZKGkqvwn-e2KiSj49Et8tGpge6/s1600/0712111834.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrIY4mHa8KqCsbSuvlUnyBnIqNjzcdjqFAEITVtuiLnMLvO5YUGSr2T0oQM-z96a0tM1Wvok2U-SFMIwvo4Adw3BDHijf86G5WrLwfeb028MOmPmeFVZKGkqvwn-e2KiSj49Et8tGpge6/s320/0712111834.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Clockwise from left: Water for cooling blanched zucchini, scooped out zucchini innards pre chopping. Scooped out Zucchini shells, chopped zucchini innards for saute.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIOLDyycCKfr5wRKeGU4x8ebAxgDPgQwusbVsbj2mvnwxApXpB1nS5JCfb1OyaqI0TlfJO7dQEkTLHwoSysq4G-8ZudrnyZcAukzKwTMBomgHwGcf1ki29bsGP1d4HcCpzf8x1o0mwDsG/s1600/0712111837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTIOLDyycCKfr5wRKeGU4x8ebAxgDPgQwusbVsbj2mvnwxApXpB1nS5JCfb1OyaqI0TlfJO7dQEkTLHwoSysq4G-8ZudrnyZcAukzKwTMBomgHwGcf1ki29bsGP1d4HcCpzf8x1o0mwDsG/s320/0712111837.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Chopped onions and homemade pesto.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">4. Puree the sauteed stuff and add some pesto, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and an egg. Combine until it resembles a thick batter.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbQhNWzgz5Is6pdM2Z1wHDok6eYPJhG4rCmTd_QoHyjYK_xx-TVAnU5waoZIXfLnW_37YBrj30-s3StuaYV5Q5B8RYmpqYYaAr2vmd1FHaBDI_1R4mKJuK0Qa_lTEQGzuZ37Z3KpzUXqh/s1600/0712111843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbQhNWzgz5Is6pdM2Z1wHDok6eYPJhG4rCmTd_QoHyjYK_xx-TVAnU5waoZIXfLnW_37YBrj30-s3StuaYV5Q5B8RYmpqYYaAr2vmd1FHaBDI_1R4mKJuK0Qa_lTEQGzuZ37Z3KpzUXqh/s320/0712111843.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sauteed innards and onions</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">5. Return stuffing to squash boats and bake at 375 for about half an hour. These can be frozen and re-heated, or frozen before baking.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E1aP7QH7bN0DA1SI77pYY55dlqEuJxSy86a_gFKs7ZuNQ8sR2hYU1-dbF2EwKo9Btnsr88UcZOG_B9PMOB1OB03m9_cIbK2GQVh1g4sYwM2AY3FFXAjk1ehzpGztYlSDm-nhnAH7W5Om/s1600/0712111929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_E1aP7QH7bN0DA1SI77pYY55dlqEuJxSy86a_gFKs7ZuNQ8sR2hYU1-dbF2EwKo9Btnsr88UcZOG_B9PMOB1OB03m9_cIbK2GQVh1g4sYwM2AY3FFXAjk1ehzpGztYlSDm-nhnAH7W5Om/s320/0712111929.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What is left of finished product by the time I remembered to take a picture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This weekend we are planning to take a day trip to North East, in Erie County Pa to look for cherries or whatever we can find up there.</div>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-82459541172424580182011-06-26T16:46:00.000-07:002011-06-29T12:28:37.638-07:00Gleaning Ill Gotten GainsConfession is good for the soul right? Right? It all started so innocently...George said lets go for a ride and I will look for stuff to take pictures of. I said sure. The next thing I knew we had stopped at an old cemetery and I was filling my shirt tails with raspberries from the edge of the mowed area. I couldn't help myself, there they were, ripe and plentiful and mine (sort of) for the taking. I don't think the occupants of the cemetery minded, but it ended with George shaking his head and telling me that he didn't think berry picking was supposed to be a contact sport. I have one less non-stained shirt to wear on the weekends, several new scratches, and a few jars of blackberry jelly. And George found an Mulberry tree and pointed it out to me...I know what I will be doing the rest of the evenings this week.<br />
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Black Raspberry Jelly<br />
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Place 2 pints of ripe raspberries in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil for 5 minutes and run an immersion blender through the berries to crush. <br />
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Run the berries through a food mill or sieve to strain out the seeds. I used several sieves of decreasing pore size to repeatedly strain the pulp so that I retained as much of the pulp as possible while removing the seeds. I wasn't going for a perfectly clear jelly, but I wanted more of a seedless fruit spread. If you want a clear jelly you should strain the pulp through a cheesecloth or jelly bag and let it sit undisturbed overnight without squeezing. <br />
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Measure 3 c of the juice/pulp and add 1 package of powdered pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil. Add 4 2/3 c sugar all at once and return to a boil. Boil for 1 minute then pour into hot jars and process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath.<br />
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When we got home I went searching on my own land and found a couple more pints of raspberries and blackberries. I combined them with the mulberries I got from the cemetery and made some mixed berry syrup. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvtio4sW_w_VkYzXqaLktphr2m1pbVmBoZ08ySVGK3aBM0mj86twtF8nZAD4lW08tb2xVHVg1Jldauh5e0fl1wPJnbCcqUDsa3E2qq5yAnPoEc-_4VMQst_-LTjs0vPASclkNzFUj1Z6F/s1600/honest+raspberries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJvtio4sW_w_VkYzXqaLktphr2m1pbVmBoZ08ySVGK3aBM0mj86twtF8nZAD4lW08tb2xVHVg1Jldauh5e0fl1wPJnbCcqUDsa3E2qq5yAnPoEc-_4VMQst_-LTjs0vPASclkNzFUj1Z6F/s320/honest+raspberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honest Blackberries</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I prepared the juice from the mixed berries as described above, then I added an equal amount of sugar and returned to a boil. I then poured into hot jars and processed 30 minutes. I will probably use the syrup on pancakes, though it is a bit runny, but I will also make soda by mixing a couple of tablespoons with soda water. You could also add it to lemonade or pour it over ice cream.<br />
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I don't know what I am going to do with mulberries yet, but they are sweet and delicious. I may just do syrup and jelly, but I may venture into some other territories.<br />
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I guess I feel guilty about gleaning, but not guilty enough to stop.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-89439095447466402062011-06-12T10:58:00.000-07:002011-06-14T08:43:38.729-07:00Hello again.Wow, it has been a long time. I have to say that last winter was probably the roughest one I have gone through. Weather wise, emotionally, and psychologically, it was really tough. But this is a new summer, and now it's time to heal and start preparing for next winter.<br />
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One of the fun things I did this early spring was to attend the local "Farm to Table Conference" in Pittsburgh. I learned a lot about local farmers and things to do with local produce and food products. I may have mentioned before that I buy all my meat from Schnur's Custom Meats on Bonniebrook road in Butler. They are a local butcher/packer/farm. They make their own products like seasoned beef and buffalo patties, beef sticks, and my favorite, Larry's Chipped Ham. They are friendly, open Saturday mornings, and they sell everything vacuum packed and pre frozen, which is perfect for my lifestyle. I can pop the packages in warm water and they are thawed and ready to cook in no time.<br />
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At the Farm to Table event I attended a talk by David Eson of Isodore Foods and decided to give his service a try. Isodore foods is a CSA sort of organization that delivers pre-ordered produce to a central location once a week for customers to take home You can learn more here <a href="http://www.isidorefoods.com/">http://www.isidorefoods.com/</a>. This is great for me as one of their drop-offs is located in my building at work. It's kind of like a surprise present every Thursday afternoon.<br />
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This week kale greens and green onions were among my veggies. This morning I fixed a few recipes with these and some other stuff I got from Isodore (I will mark the Isodore stuff with an asterisk.)*<br />
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<u><strong><span style="color: black;">Cheddar Bacon Quiche with Kale Greens</span></strong></u><br />
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On a side note, I really have to start wearing my glasses when I take the pictures.<br />
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1) Line a pie pan with a prepared pie crust and bake 20 min at 350. If you are a perfectionist you may want to line the crust with parchment paper and fill with beans or rice so that the crust stays in shape while it bakes. I just poked it a few times with a fork.<br />
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2) Combine 3 eggs and 1/2 cup cream* and wisk together. Add 1/2 c bacon crumbles and 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese*, mix and pour into the pre-baked pie crust. <br />
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3) Place the quiche in the oven and bake at 350 until set and browned on top, about 30 minutes or so, I confess, I did not time it.<br />
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4) While the quiche was baking, I combined 4 c chopped kale*, 2c chopped spinach*, and 1/2 c green onions* with 2T olive oil and sauteed until tender.<br />
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5) I suppose you could add the greens to the quiche before you cooked it, but my children have a tendency to be green-a-phobic, so I served it on top.<br />
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George initially balked at quiche for lunch so I made him a manly hot sausage sandwich. When he went for seconds though, he came back with a healthy serving of girly food. 2 out of 3 girls loved the quiche. The odd one out said she didn't like french food and wouldn't even taste it. She was on her own for lunch.<br />
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</div><u><strong>Pasta with Salmon and Kale</strong></u><br />
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I was rooting around in the freezer today and I found some salmon which was in danger of going bad, so I decided to make some salmon cakes. When I unwrapped it, though, I was only able to salvage a little, so I decided to do this instead. It utilizes the leftover stir-fried kale from above. <br />
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1) Stir fry the Kale (see above).<br />
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2) Boil water for penne pasta. I double dutied by poaching the salmon in the water that I used to boil the pasta. I added two frozen salmon fillets to the cold water and when it came to a boil added 2 c uncooked penne. After 5 minutes I removed the salmon and continued to cook the pasta until done.<br />
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3) Flake the poached salmon and combine with the cooked pasta, 1 c of the stir fried kale, and 1 c halved cherry tomatoes. Add 1/2 c shredded asiago cheese and 1/4 c olive oil and toss.<br />
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This is going in the fridge to be my lunch for the week. If I am going to pack, I am going to eat well.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-3425743302174043132010-12-24T12:40:00.000-08:002010-12-24T12:40:51.062-08:00Merry Christmas!!!One last Blog post before Christmas! The finale of our Holiday cooking is our huge batch of sugar cookies that we make every year on Christmas Eve. I have backed away from all the different kinds of Christmas cookies that I used to make to concentrate on candy making, but I can't resist these fabulous soft and fun to make and eat goodies once a year. This makes about 8-10 dozen cookies and takes the four of us about 2 hours to decorate. By the end, we are all sick of cookies and sticky up to our elbows, but the cookies are so good they are usually gone within a few days. The recipe is from a former family member, and we decorate with a variety of colored sugars and sprinkles. This year I also found some intricate little sugar decorations at a cake shop, and we added them for a special little touch.<br />
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<u>Soft Sugar Cookies</u><br />
8.5 c flour<br />
3 c sugar<br />
4 t baking powder<br />
2 t baking soda<br />
2 t salt<br />
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Mix these together and rub in 1 lb butter or margarine.<br />
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1.5 c milk<br />
1 T vinegar<br />
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Mix these and sit 10 minutes for milk to sour, add:<br />
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4 t vanilla<br />
2 eggs, <br />
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mix these in with the milk, then add to the shortened dry ingredients a little at a time until completely mixed. Chill overnight, then roll out to 1/4" thick and cut out shapes. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Cool, frost, and decorate.<br />
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<u>Icing</u><br />
1 stick butter<br />
2 t vanilla<br />
4 c powdered sugar<br />
3 T milk<br />
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(actually, we used about 4 times this much icing)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyl__10dDQif7hPQRJGz2eax_L6ZRImSSO-nBnyduwn2hKEZEcnPNqbzKEtkDOm3UZfb0S-mazY0UZiIUESchK6nqaLxlXRYLcfiyxbEhICgE2boXRysp8uYCWH-4ncCDd4K46tnbwHmZL/s1600/cookies+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyl__10dDQif7hPQRJGz2eax_L6ZRImSSO-nBnyduwn2hKEZEcnPNqbzKEtkDOm3UZfb0S-mazY0UZiIUESchK6nqaLxlXRYLcfiyxbEhICgE2boXRysp8uYCWH-4ncCDd4K46tnbwHmZL/s320/cookies+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alternatively, you can decorate with sugar before baking and forget the icing. My dad likes them this way, but this year my kids over ruled their Grandpa.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZwZqXchKFP2G2OIDXI2NxO4tWTa8KCm2qDf-KpiTychsfbt-7SLp2zMfDLFaFba7ZuAMarnojeGDZCNMW70RcZN7knBOZKGD5SsUBlfeOZPN5BtaedXi0srq6BY0oUrw0TexfpGoo9tn/s1600/cookies+1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZwZqXchKFP2G2OIDXI2NxO4tWTa8KCm2qDf-KpiTychsfbt-7SLp2zMfDLFaFba7ZuAMarnojeGDZCNMW70RcZN7knBOZKGD5SsUBlfeOZPN5BtaedXi0srq6BY0oUrw0TexfpGoo9tn/s320/cookies+1.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxKQzyJSKuWfM3g4SE-PSdY1NHx3kBRFH90E52eaDZqRvhBSOU9xBsl-qmdXMR9URnOoLmnU9vtwt4g9JJMO-9xQgHDOqKolW_G9U0ErpkcU-e54VgIuKHCaXS1mPKx9AnfQhOrnVBudt/s1600/cookies+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxKQzyJSKuWfM3g4SE-PSdY1NHx3kBRFH90E52eaDZqRvhBSOU9xBsl-qmdXMR9URnOoLmnU9vtwt4g9JJMO-9xQgHDOqKolW_G9U0ErpkcU-e54VgIuKHCaXS1mPKx9AnfQhOrnVBudt/s320/cookies+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>In addition to the traditional Christmas shapes we make crabs and lighthouses to symbolize our yearly trip to Chincoteague. (i.e. Sandy-Claws, the Christmas Crab) and other stuff to remind us of fun stuff we've done through the year. This year the dinosaurs symbolize the time Melissa and Julia spent volunteering at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History summer camps, where Rebecca was also a camper. <br />
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Merry Christmas!!!!cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-75882322705366921742010-12-19T15:17:00.000-08:002010-12-19T15:19:35.189-08:00Christmas GiftsOk, now it's time for the big payoff. You have spent tons of time slaving away on all those goodies and now you finally have an excuse to force people to eat them and tell you how fabulous they are. Of course I am talking about Christmas. I have spent a few minutes making some last-minute easy treats like chocolate mint spoons, and fluffernutter bars which are specifically for gift giving. <br />
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The <u>Chocolate Spoons</u> are really super simple, but they make a cute addition to packages or gift baskets. I used some leftover melting chocolate and dipped some red spoons in it then sprinkled with crushed candy canes. These can be used to flavor coffee or hot chocolate, depending on the tastes of the recipient. The <u>Fluffernutter Bars</u> were a last minute invention when I needed to use leftover chocolate from an encore batch of Marshmallow Elf Pops. I spread some peanut butter and marshmallow fluff on seperate graham crackers, then put them together and dipped them in chocolate, then sprinkled with some festive jimmies. <br />
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</div><div align="left">When you are forcing someone to eat your candy, you should probably put it in attractive packaging. Every year I head to the dollar store in early November to stock up on baskets, treat bags, chenille stems (used to be called pipe cleaners) and any other inexpensive little festive boxes they might have. This year they had tiny Christmas boxes in the shape of chinese food takeout containers. We also make boxes out of scrabook paper. It would take too long for me to describe how to do this, but it is really easy, and here's a link: <a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Paper-Box">http://www.wikihow.com/Fold-a-Paper-Box</a>. </div><div align="left"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gkvTbfqfGDqSwRsZ_lSiOYXjLvOPyw0vh3Xa3JfnpcgXWdoIpPGVzL0rR_L10tx0kC-Uib-G9XOf_-zjJ9IIsxvfg6ZAdh23Pwj61K6rGFZXTu1hSfdgO7E-T56ozQ8hQckZs7v5mtN0/s1600/boxes.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gkvTbfqfGDqSwRsZ_lSiOYXjLvOPyw0vh3Xa3JfnpcgXWdoIpPGVzL0rR_L10tx0kC-Uib-G9XOf_-zjJ9IIsxvfg6ZAdh23Pwj61K6rGFZXTu1hSfdgO7E-T56ozQ8hQckZs7v5mtN0/s320/boxes.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">One little tip though, cut a little strip off the paper on either side after step five for the bottom of the box so that it fits nicely inside the top nicely. I buy one of the big stacks of the scrapbook paper and it lasts us about 3 or 4 christmases. It makes a box about 4" square, and you can fit all kinds of goodies in there.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SymKeyWmgfcezIDzmcVJtH98ouZFsaKt4z0rOfJLg43Qn5or-CKSOKXF_opMQl4LwSYMnRvf2M0WG4WsuXZgR1sJ5XvdkfRYIHfingiMsq9iIFOvLk_K767sGMPwyWKDtktdQindfFsR/s1600/christmas+basket.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SymKeyWmgfcezIDzmcVJtH98ouZFsaKt4z0rOfJLg43Qn5or-CKSOKXF_opMQl4LwSYMnRvf2M0WG4WsuXZgR1sJ5XvdkfRYIHfingiMsq9iIFOvLk_K767sGMPwyWKDtktdQindfFsR/s320/christmas+basket.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div align="left">Arrange your homemade presents nicely in your dollar store basket or a bag and head off to distribute them. So far this year, we have given baskets to my work-study students, Rebecca's baton teachers, and at church, the Sunday school teacher, choir director, and pastor.</div>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-67763868764921285682010-12-10T13:20:00.000-08:002010-12-10T13:20:26.013-08:00Candied Pecans, Maple Butterscotch, and Chocolate Covered Marshmallow PopsEach of these is and easy quick entry and each fills a special role in my Christmas preparedness routine. <br />
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<u>Spicy Candied Pecans</u><br />
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1 Pound Pecan Halves<br />
1/2 c brown sugar<br />
1/4c water<br />
3T butter<br />
2T Old Bay Seasoning or similar crab spices<br />
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Roast the pecan halves by spreading them out on a cookie sheet and baking for 10 minutes at 350F.<br />
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Meanwhile, combine the other ingredients in a saucepan and heat until boiling. Boil 3 minutes. Stir in the hot pecans and mix well. Continue to boil until most of the liquid is gone.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28xLMCNzH0luvYwyYGhqX_em9GIlOrZn5Moy_h6y2fQyHBCDbKRi6mNU1s29g_l0OBmObrBGq-4clcUhleyeS0xYzH-qrhmoPNxWqy1FOb8cCSi_WAJDIclNsWoGYkMOKI03W3Eu1gUEa/s1600/nuts+before+baking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh28xLMCNzH0luvYwyYGhqX_em9GIlOrZn5Moy_h6y2fQyHBCDbKRi6mNU1s29g_l0OBmObrBGq-4clcUhleyeS0xYzH-qrhmoPNxWqy1FOb8cCSi_WAJDIclNsWoGYkMOKI03W3Eu1gUEa/s1600/nuts+before+baking.jpg" /></a></div>Spread the sugared nuts on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put back in the oven at 350F to roast for another 10 minutes. <br />
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When the nuts come out of the oven, use a spatula to transfer them to a fresh waxed paper lined cookie sheet. This will separate them so that they don't stick together as they cool. <br />
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Mix 3T sugar and 1t salt then sprinkle that over top of the cooling nuts. This gives them a nice sweet sparkle along with the shine of the candy coating.<br />
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This one appeals to the men in my life. I made it last year for the first time and my Dad was hooked immediately. It's really easy and it's a different taste than anything you can buy in the grocery store.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTh-CkGHyiX-6BIgQOoC2cwZewCpU_Cv3hE7KUHwXN5kohxdFSYLxNhckR3aharQ4KZUIdPnz4g_cbYQMpgL29sAg4TTkm-rmAKSOaKj02k8jg3fzF3CaX5iyHw8e3vbu6uYXfOD34w78/s1600/nuts+after+baking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTh-CkGHyiX-6BIgQOoC2cwZewCpU_Cv3hE7KUHwXN5kohxdFSYLxNhckR3aharQ4KZUIdPnz4g_cbYQMpgL29sAg4TTkm-rmAKSOaKj02k8jg3fzF3CaX5iyHw8e3vbu6uYXfOD34w78/s1600/nuts+after+baking.jpg" /></a></div><u>Maple Butterscotch</u><br />
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I'm not going to repeat my recipe for butterscotch, but if you replace the butter rum flavor with maple flavor you will end up with the richness of buttery pancakes in a candy you can pop in at any time.<br />
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My basic theory is that anything that makes a good caramel will make a good butterscotch. My next attempt will be orange.<br />
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<u>Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Pops</u><br />
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This one we made for an event called Kids Helping Kids. At Rebeca's school every year just before Christmas they set aside a day for the kids to have a fair where they sell treats and crafts to one another and the money is donated to local charities like Children's Hospital. I like to have the kids involved in making the treats, so this year we expanded on Rebecca's chocolate hobby to make these little guys. I do confess I used a lower grade chocolate for these, but you can be as fancy as you want.<br />
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Marshmallows<br />
Lolly pop sticks<br />
Melting chocolates<br />
Sugar Eyes<br />
Coating Wafers<br />
White chocolate melted for glue<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWLeeQ3R-5b168ONrfwTy9cvhSJHjl3-z5N7Bu3ZpmTUyF90gLIYdd2ngYXzgL_ga2hKJSZtnvJIPRQXudrz4U3ji1qencSGOb5NKhdeyec6g0YOtVHuwCtBciBPCHW_pBrAi6AvXpUZ2/s1600/rebecca+marshmallow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWLeeQ3R-5b168ONrfwTy9cvhSJHjl3-z5N7Bu3ZpmTUyF90gLIYdd2ngYXzgL_ga2hKJSZtnvJIPRQXudrz4U3ji1qencSGOb5NKhdeyec6g0YOtVHuwCtBciBPCHW_pBrAi6AvXpUZ2/s320/rebecca+marshmallow.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>1) We poked a lolly pop stick into each marshmallow, then dipped it into melted chocolate and placed upside down on waxed paper to cool.<br />
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2) We melted the white chocolate and used it as glue to attach a wafer hat and eyes. Then we a attached a white sprinkle for a hat tassel. <br />
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3) We will wrap these in pretty baggies and sell them for 50 cents.<br />
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They were originally intended to be Santa-ish but we decided they came out more like french elves. Another case where my lack of being a perfectionist pays off!cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-24811238088747608972010-11-23T13:15:00.000-08:002010-11-23T13:15:04.817-08:00Rebecca's New HobbyI wanted to find a way to include Rebecca in my Holiday Candy Making Mania. Julia is now 15 and Queen of all Things Hard Candy, and Rebecca at 10 needed to find her own fun way to be involved. So I took some of my old hard candy molds which turned out to be a little impractical, either too large to eat or to complicated to pour, and let her use them to make painted chocolates. <br />
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This is something that she can do on her own safely with the microwave, and she turns out beautiful and tasty additions to our holiday assortments. It is moderately messy, but some scrubbing is a small price to pay for these fancy treats.<br />
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I purchased some good quality melting chocolate from Sam's Club in milk and white, and 3 colors of wafers from the grocery store. The candy wafers are made specifically for this purpose.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5pqbEjaHcHtf8GFMY3kr2YwoUhh_pCkesNUeIUf4SRgZa1PKGwOmZdNwn2s5JIkgW41np7Dx3Zr1OdXidyYNX6qBtkG64krLBBiYI3Jo0gH0cYbJcKI7pKpdDIAflOs-YRHpW-B82qY5/s1600/melting+chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5pqbEjaHcHtf8GFMY3kr2YwoUhh_pCkesNUeIUf4SRgZa1PKGwOmZdNwn2s5JIkgW41np7Dx3Zr1OdXidyYNX6qBtkG64krLBBiYI3Jo0gH0cYbJcKI7pKpdDIAflOs-YRHpW-B82qY5/s200/melting+chocolate.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSJ4kkLa0e4xFO0RkujkZOOSvE1OOE1IQRNdkYhgmX14RYUcAFuslTletfLSV52h8Pt0iKaCStNeA5zf-UcEWyFcgSKMy6v58G6cK7pKP4RpXJuo1QaKZxSWc8EN87mrFdZrBxqFNRYm0/s1600/painting+mold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPSJ4kkLa0e4xFO0RkujkZOOSvE1OOE1IQRNdkYhgmX14RYUcAFuslTletfLSV52h8Pt0iKaCStNeA5zf-UcEWyFcgSKMy6v58G6cK7pKP4RpXJuo1QaKZxSWc8EN87mrFdZrBxqFNRYm0/s320/painting+mold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Rebecca melts 5 candy wafers at a time in the microwave by stirring every 20 seconds until fully melted. She then uses a paint brush to paint a design directly onto the mold. She lets each color set before adding a new color. After she is done painting the mold, she melts the high quality chocolate and pours it over the melted design. For lollipops she adds a stick at this time.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwZB0wq5eno1gh20EZpNc2mjcDFTLianWZVMIuz9dph5zqYbERiCaowMlBrqJ0nNAvPlT4eX1BEkwQXxzoCymqM0Xgn30pRsyZX5mFZCDK_D8qRPmMSKcrORvZvqnsum-ot0W-h9fS8XF/s1600/filled+mold.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJwZB0wq5eno1gh20EZpNc2mjcDFTLianWZVMIuz9dph5zqYbERiCaowMlBrqJ0nNAvPlT4eX1BEkwQXxzoCymqM0Xgn30pRsyZX5mFZCDK_D8qRPmMSKcrORvZvqnsum-ot0W-h9fS8XF/s320/filled+mold.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>After allowing the chocolates to set up , she pops them out of the molds. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWcbCWDQdF1patNAV6_slzXRB-6SsqFGKN3F0lXhXCWS4EZxcIwd7pdBHIg3qa6_uGjwQpn0NpvPuTh66axXtfDbMVKjsye9zAsi2yqilGsPMjk298VaRpLpyOXwI9Si91-PIDigPvxs3/s1600/chocolate+bulbs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWcbCWDQdF1patNAV6_slzXRB-6SsqFGKN3F0lXhXCWS4EZxcIwd7pdBHIg3qa6_uGjwQpn0NpvPuTh66axXtfDbMVKjsye9zAsi2yqilGsPMjk298VaRpLpyOXwI9Si91-PIDigPvxs3/s320/chocolate+bulbs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Since everybody loves chocolate, she doesn't want to waste any, so with the leftover melted chocolate she makes other treats like chocolate drizzled pretzels or chocolate dipped candy canes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD8cWqKN_VB6oHvu9f51Yp7E2BUnIBg2U0m6uiq3P5jClabuxvEDYJN9vGJm19S0Lz1kq9IHe8yWcKSaNy_VTx_cWSgepbFkVPbT3bsnB4EIIFLmw-05MzWnFXtVzVV3YT3Izds8Jfrg8/s1600/chocolate+candy+cane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD8cWqKN_VB6oHvu9f51Yp7E2BUnIBg2U0m6uiq3P5jClabuxvEDYJN9vGJm19S0Lz1kq9IHe8yWcKSaNy_VTx_cWSgepbFkVPbT3bsnB4EIIFLmw-05MzWnFXtVzVV3YT3Izds8Jfrg8/s200/chocolate+candy+cane.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9kH-IS5XI63eXGyeUo_F5mLtl9MggLdzZxDwMWYEVqrfgm3I7lUI_hQBAXVnwO-TdIwxWkkJc9_VZfCaOPlaGxszIT9auLm7NrvWeZz_lStcxZPooj0VgjNAob8QQZXwaSlJHsgAwMrj/s1600/chocolate+pretzel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9kH-IS5XI63eXGyeUo_F5mLtl9MggLdzZxDwMWYEVqrfgm3I7lUI_hQBAXVnwO-TdIwxWkkJc9_VZfCaOPlaGxszIT9auLm7NrvWeZz_lStcxZPooj0VgjNAob8QQZXwaSlJHsgAwMrj/s200/chocolate+pretzel.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rebecca is having a ball making these, and now the challenge is keeping her sisters from eating them all before Thanksgiving even gets here, let alone Christmas!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-74482219120252922152010-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:002010-11-21T11:27:08.416-08:00Easy Potluck Appetizer: "BBQ Smokies"When considering a potluck recipe, you should always consider the surroundings. Take into account the weather, the other guests preferences, and the serving circumstances. You probably wouldn't want to take hot bean soup to a Forth of July picnic for your 6-year old's baton troop, but it might be just the thing for a chilly tailgate lunch with the guys<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">One of my go-to recipes is one my grandma discovered during her time living in Florida. She made it for my parents, who passed it on to me. I have passed it on many times.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><u>BBQ Smokies</u><br />
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1 lb smoked sausage (usually I use "Lil Smokies" the little smoked sausages, but they are a bit pricey, so sometimes I buy a ring of smoked sausage and cut it up. Today, though, I used some Alligator Sausage that we brought home from our fall vacation)<br />
1 can jellied cranberry sauce <br />
1 jar chili sauce<br />
1/4 c brown sugar<br />
1 T lemon juice<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob8c5rFwW2XBonyFI5i1t1ifOtP1JW2HrRNBbKI6VrmMu4k2MHQPbxGzO9tQHUBAipzrbs4ESXZw8-F1Kvn1i17oE4ql76vQsreOR3M_myLBSOB2zguWn4_geSkgzveDZAi4R9bF4H-E9/s1600/chili+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjob8c5rFwW2XBonyFI5i1t1ifOtP1JW2HrRNBbKI6VrmMu4k2MHQPbxGzO9tQHUBAipzrbs4ESXZw8-F1Kvn1i17oE4ql76vQsreOR3M_myLBSOB2zguWn4_geSkgzveDZAi4R9bF4H-E9/s1600/chili+sauce.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Combine all ingredients except cooked sausage in a sauce pan and heat to melt. </div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuqvLJj0OgN6Oz5a0q5l5qxzOA8AyLPMgmgVlgxk_KoG4u5xUCBeluLXQIyFjTWbBXjky4OWIaAAc6D5Y7BuD_7gZGVk4394-Ow-Fem_4hI8JJcOND88ZdtsjVJqq6Ciu36V6HVsyzLEK/s1600/smokies+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuqvLJj0OgN6Oz5a0q5l5qxzOA8AyLPMgmgVlgxk_KoG4u5xUCBeluLXQIyFjTWbBXjky4OWIaAAc6D5Y7BuD_7gZGVk4394-Ow-Fem_4hI8JJcOND88ZdtsjVJqq6Ciu36V6HVsyzLEK/s1600/smokies+1.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stir in the sausage (make sure you cook it first if you use any kind of fresh sausage).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlXg6D2XwGM0xhPnsz3tymm-BGavWylHZVaifj9pVhW8xrXAd-7XdRZ0y0PuTQMOs4ZrQOZ51oJksni7cIQMn6RstikikWnrkcMVDUKeHHwgYLtdJy66sFbH_j6ZxMkwU0IUgtMhi-UWG/s1600/finished+bbq+smokies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlXg6D2XwGM0xhPnsz3tymm-BGavWylHZVaifj9pVhW8xrXAd-7XdRZ0y0PuTQMOs4ZrQOZ51oJksni7cIQMn6RstikikWnrkcMVDUKeHHwgYLtdJy66sFbH_j6ZxMkwU0IUgtMhi-UWG/s1600/finished+bbq+smokies.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Pour into a crock pot and hold on warm. </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">This is really easy and no one will be able to guess your recipe. Also it appeals to every age and gender group. I have taken this to tailgates, Easter dinners, bonfires, office lunches, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-77415537258296859162010-11-15T17:20:00.000-08:002010-11-21T10:33:00.223-08:00Butterscotch!!!!Anyone can try something new, I like to try old things. This weekend I dug out an old cookbook that used to belong to my George's grandmother, Nona. I don't know if Nona ever made candy, but this book is full of great illustrations of pre-plastic candy making techniques. In the book the butterscotch is poured onto greased marble and molded by something called "caramel bars" then chopped up with a "candy hatchet". I am once again very thankful for my molds and may "Pam". <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnkn1FEA8svD4lzdL8mObwc4zOZbdn3qUbUGqffU9-P8khMx-j1Io9SHn21ypU8xb3hoeT-BpA6DDgorN_uX2_2vCuQQPVtdnwihjm8PqIf2xtzii-dUpMJSzBXPbU2pPyjW8vKCjA_OE/s1600/candy+and+cookie+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtnkn1FEA8svD4lzdL8mObwc4zOZbdn3qUbUGqffU9-P8khMx-j1Io9SHn21ypU8xb3hoeT-BpA6DDgorN_uX2_2vCuQQPVtdnwihjm8PqIf2xtzii-dUpMJSzBXPbU2pPyjW8vKCjA_OE/s1600/candy+and+cookie+book.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left">Here is what I did:</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">2 c sugar</div><div align="left">3/4 c water</div><div align="left">1/2 c corn syrup</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">Combine in saucepan and cook to 270F, stirring only until the sugar is dissolved. Then add:</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div align="left">1/2 t salt</div><div align="left">1/4 c honey</div><div align="left">2 sticks butter, cut into chunks</div><div align="left"><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56032066@N08/5194997265/" title="IMAG0145"><img alt="IMAG0145" border="0" class="pc_img" height="160" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5194997265_82b2488dd2_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
</div><div align="left">Cook to 310F, stirring constanly, then remove from heat.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/56032066@N08/5194994005/" title="IMAG0147"><img alt="IMAG0147" border="0" class="pc_img" height="160" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5194994005_7e50437797_m.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
After bubbling stops add 1 dram butter rum flavoring oil. Pour into greased molds. After setting up, break apart and dust with powdered sugar.</div><div align="left"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcYnpArEUtmmDDWdDOk6yNc7Uun4sLLQY-3pAknBe4l8sIthwnoTfOWaEf-UqtbsLlBl_L8aFoNbeAFDAB9AA6-e4D1lz0b7M-7aXls_WQ4Fyjb1KlP4_t3Sy0yUnqIQyZE3sw_tBj0un/s1600/butterscotch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBcYnpArEUtmmDDWdDOk6yNc7Uun4sLLQY-3pAknBe4l8sIthwnoTfOWaEf-UqtbsLlBl_L8aFoNbeAFDAB9AA6-e4D1lz0b7M-7aXls_WQ4Fyjb1KlP4_t3Sy0yUnqIQyZE3sw_tBj0un/s1600/butterscotch.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This was really easy and so good! I am sure I will have to make at least another batch before christmas, and this will undoubtedly continue to be one of my regular candies. <br />
<br />
Note: I edited this post a few days later to correct some things that caused me to end up with chewy caramels instead of hard butterscotch. It's good though, so I will post that later!cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-59647563995817391902010-11-15T12:46:00.000-08:002010-11-15T16:28:36.790-08:00A Hunk of Meat, a Can of Beer and a Crockpot<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-du5u7TUYAW_z5PAE4a9oIXe2KB0JOk0SfYAMNX0nbBW6OQ-BXNRGMev0tob_0zhdLgSrHx_2UuVvF_qy4ngr7pKBS7DmWS8YvsN1_2oUIYnZpDPnFEFjhlCkIaGtFtMzHmTvWZfg1QM/s1600/pulled+pork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>You thought this was going to be an X-rated post, didn't you? Well, now that I have your attention hopefully you will read the rest. ;) There are so many things you can do with this combination! Just yesterday I threw a pork roast in with a can of beer and cooked them all day. Then I stringed the pork and added enough of the juice to cover, then put it in the fridge. Tonight I will reheat the pulled pork, then pour off most of the liquid and replace with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, and we will have <u>Pulled Pork Sandwiches</u>. I will freeze the leftovers, and when I thaw them out I will add 2T taco seasoning and maybe some corn and salsa. Place on a hot tortilla and melt in cheese and you have <u>Pork Quesadillas.</u> You can also make <u>Chicken Quesadillas</u> the same way, just substitute chicken breast.</div><br />
<br />
<br />
If you start with a beef roast, you can add BBQ sauce for <u>Beef BBQ sandwiches</u>, or you can add an envelope of onion soup mix and a tsp of Worcestershire sauce while cooking in the crock pot. Then you will end up with <u>French Dip Sandwiches.</u> Or you can make <u>Pot Roast</u> by roast + beer + beef bouillon + carrots, potatoes, onions and celery. To make gravy, just remove the juice and thicken it with a little cornstarch before serving.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you start with stew meat, you can make <u>Beef Stew</u> instead of Pot Roast by just changing the meat and not making the gravy. Or you can make <u>Beef "Tips" and Noodles</u> by adding mushrooms and bouillon, then thickening the juice and serving over noodles. If you add mushrooms and onion soup mix, cook, then add sour cream and thicken, you will have <u>Beef Stroganoff.</u> </div><br />
I'm sure there are lots of other combinations but that's a start.<br />
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-du5u7TUYAW_z5PAE4a9oIXe2KB0JOk0SfYAMNX0nbBW6OQ-BXNRGMev0tob_0zhdLgSrHx_2UuVvF_qy4ngr7pKBS7DmWS8YvsN1_2oUIYnZpDPnFEFjhlCkIaGtFtMzHmTvWZfg1QM/s400/pulled+pork.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinner: Pulled pork sandwich (see above) Applesauce and Fried <br />
Baby Potatoes (see previous post)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And the best part is, it was all ready within 20 minutes of when I walked through the door!cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-53471155590178926862010-11-10T06:54:00.000-08:002010-11-10T06:54:47.243-08:00Hard CandyNow that November has settled in, I am acknowledging my next obsession. Candy Making. I love making candy, perhaps more than eating it. The foundation of my candy making obsession is Hard Tack. I remember making this candy with my mom as a kid, and now I make it with my kids, particularly, my middle daughter Julia. Julia has progressed from standing on a chair as a toddler watching from a safe distance, to being my full partner in the process. We now make 2 batches at a time and "race" to the "310" temp. Along with Julia, our process has grown and evolved through the years. We have gone from trying wacky flavors like cotton candy and pouring onto buttered cookie sheets to a sophisticated system of flavor mixes and breakaway molds. The end result has been about 10 pounds each of a fruit mix and a spice mix for the last few years. This year we will be adding a tropical mix, just for fun.<br />
<br />
Before we start making candy, we make a chart with all the flavors and colors we plan on using. That way we avoid duplicating colors within mixes. For example, Tutti Fruiti is pink, while cherry is red. <br />
<br />
This year's fruit mix went like this:<br />
<br />
Blackberry Blue<br />
Lime Lt. Green<br />
Tutti Fruiti Pink (1 drop red)<br />
Cherry Red<br />
Grape Purple<br />
Lemon Yellow<br />
Orange Orange<br />
Watermelon Dark Green<br />
<br />
We use the Lorann Oils recipe and flavorings with a few modifications. I was watching Alton Brown the other night and as much as I love him I have to disagree with a few of his points too. Primarily I adjust the color as the candy cooks, rather than waiting until it reaches 310, and I wait until boiling ceases altogether before adding flavor:<br />
<br />
<u>Basic Candy</u><br />
<br />
2 c granulated sugar<br />
2/3 c light corn syrup<br />
3/4 c water<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nQt2Yx2xi4dNGfpOWV6zRJEmhLkYcatF7IV524FaaEwb7uISd7EDehqZejVJFjjqmRIvu10TACBGTCcnsHdkZhl2cAChZVMwII1ua6An6IMtLK9zSRPf4OpaNDI1FizNoG6b0XxWSJjn/s1600/boiling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5nQt2Yx2xi4dNGfpOWV6zRJEmhLkYcatF7IV524FaaEwb7uISd7EDehqZejVJFjjqmRIvu10TACBGTCcnsHdkZhl2cAChZVMwII1ua6An6IMtLK9zSRPf4OpaNDI1FizNoG6b0XxWSJjn/s320/boiling.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Combine these in a medium sauce pan with a thermometer and stir with a wooden spoon. The wooden spoon for some reason helps keep the mixture from boiling over while the water boils out. I didn't believe it either, but it works. Adjust the color to the shade you want. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the temp reaches 310F. This is the hard crack stage in candy making. There are lots of resources on the web to learn about this, so I won't go into the chemistry/physics.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3n-VUgikoBDjQEPDYg99oY-IlQvK392-NbwpRNqpp7x7iatbr79C9hxQHe5YVuPhwLzIE3clC0pxVNI4UMI5GEr6s6cJu0Egcl3y-L6DExjtFrvu3iywy9d-sLxfZ6qPGw2Bh6EEB590g/s1600/removing+thermometer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3n-VUgikoBDjQEPDYg99oY-IlQvK392-NbwpRNqpp7x7iatbr79C9hxQHe5YVuPhwLzIE3clC0pxVNI4UMI5GEr6s6cJu0Egcl3y-L6DExjtFrvu3iywy9d-sLxfZ6qPGw2Bh6EEB590g/s320/removing+thermometer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt1x3fUzevXzgTs3gQUlO9pHTtE6Z2cWD2Ry13LQJogN1e-cQ_CIthrL08h8hiojSrasq2vgeAYoVFIUlc1TdAlowcIuABcgl6UextEZUxGMafjq4OkIM2rfIfFx7IJOtTtx8SE3CcZ6i/s1600/almost+cool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxt1x3fUzevXzgTs3gQUlO9pHTtE6Z2cWD2Ry13LQJogN1e-cQ_CIthrL08h8hiojSrasq2vgeAYoVFIUlc1TdAlowcIuABcgl6UextEZUxGMafjq4OkIM2rfIfFx7IJOtTtx8SE3CcZ6i/s320/almost+cool.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remove the thermometer, then allow the candy to stop boiling. It will still be bubbly, but there will not be new bubbles when you stir when you get to the point we are looking for. At this point, add the flavoring and stir with a silicone spatula, then pour into a greased candy mold which has been placed on a cookie sheet.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA-74R6xHkYTfINMDJ7cnKNxPmqXrJY0XnlXUPNAZ1T1579mr_VSuR0IfJwdNXtAgfqJxgry3PxPldfsaq8QuD_Qro1dufrXHNZ1alH4369wTZ_g5M_Uy68Z3MJEOQySx8GLXVKnrGQD2/s1600/adding+flavor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA-74R6xHkYTfINMDJ7cnKNxPmqXrJY0XnlXUPNAZ1T1579mr_VSuR0IfJwdNXtAgfqJxgry3PxPldfsaq8QuD_Qro1dufrXHNZ1alH4369wTZ_g5M_Uy68Z3MJEOQySx8GLXVKnrGQD2/s320/adding+flavor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MW_rb8aNZbyGCt3zptsdsl1-A49N3Pts62HfzGvtZwSnxfnXAf-2Hz9UC8L7eTc4kZqniNh0wfqI-tLKevXZztcpixiM1ECiLa7wZIT_uPB6wEx6O4ClV2fnOnEpVXYjJW1GtPeIriqI/s1600/pouring+into+molds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5MW_rb8aNZbyGCt3zptsdsl1-A49N3Pts62HfzGvtZwSnxfnXAf-2Hz9UC8L7eTc4kZqniNh0wfqI-tLKevXZztcpixiM1ECiLa7wZIT_uPB6wEx6O4ClV2fnOnEpVXYjJW1GtPeIriqI/s320/pouring+into+molds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Allow the candy to cool and set, then break apart. I resisted using the molds for years because I like my old fashioned hard candy to look rustic, and I broke it apart by hand and this is certainly possible. But a couple of years ago my friend Heather tried the molds and loved them, so it has been in the back of my mind. This year I ordered my flavorings directly from Lorann, and they were selling the molds too so I decided to give it a go. My review is that they are awesome and cut the process time in half, We didn't end up with little cuts all over our fingers like we do when we break the candy by hand. We were able to make 8 batches of candy in about 2 1/2 hours, where before 4 or 5 were all we could manage in an entire day. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJh4NrwVeLDexcYDFTdQ2YfXic-AOoQrq52wBwNpTEC3OUJrOBh0q3uq7iJfNPJ-5JngYxPIA00hwcJgTGwTrW_WL4FqWLigoViApziJg0vSozQhcXp04jrPaAwdYMEkxzgt2TFmNp2eb/s1600/candy+before+dusting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJh4NrwVeLDexcYDFTdQ2YfXic-AOoQrq52wBwNpTEC3OUJrOBh0q3uq7iJfNPJ-5JngYxPIA00hwcJgTGwTrW_WL4FqWLigoViApziJg0vSozQhcXp04jrPaAwdYMEkxzgt2TFmNp2eb/s320/candy+before+dusting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwjD20GwAYHFMRt61MxVCnSDQYI5vz0GNftBhzUSA94LlWtw948U_B7JDxXDYXfdX2bTl5uIqbFEBcuwTeDPiiSITehgrqgyjdufqnZmJDSSfDi2Y9VR85U2BUIzeRv9WkjNdugi9c1xv/s1600/sugar+covered.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwjD20GwAYHFMRt61MxVCnSDQYI5vz0GNftBhzUSA94LlWtw948U_B7JDxXDYXfdX2bTl5uIqbFEBcuwTeDPiiSITehgrqgyjdufqnZmJDSSfDi2Y9VR85U2BUIzeRv9WkjNdugi9c1xv/s320/sugar+covered.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqJ5_Yk4V5KK-6DrYMJ5_wDYiRxzl-2C1ANqvso72PLydW697yEEgP_13JMQYzHawYdAE42fI0vOx0fnTurPqpaAHb8alh1UW8SvcyERDw89CNMpMpomHA6Ihz8_D6-SPIQMmJfhi_VBi/s1600/finished+fruit+hard+tack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipqJ5_Yk4V5KK-6DrYMJ5_wDYiRxzl-2C1ANqvso72PLydW697yEEgP_13JMQYzHawYdAE42fI0vOx0fnTurPqpaAHb8alh1UW8SvcyERDw89CNMpMpomHA6Ihz8_D6-SPIQMmJfhi_VBi/s320/finished+fruit+hard+tack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After you break the candy apart, put it in a bowl and dust with powdered sugar. Then place in a strainer and shake to remove the excess powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container. It should last about 8 months, or until the humidity gets to high in your climate. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGsIN1WDyDEWBqvtPMdwnx1XbePeGEYqCXTi2nMZs9HXI55UGAoCIN7exfs8oTh1VEwPEv1MijULsjAIuh7Gly3NGIw_-uNrEgz5FoIiQBi-CPFmKzOR7lVSe33dhAvjNR3EhsxGO0Du3/s1600/dusting+sugar+byproduct.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAGsIN1WDyDEWBqvtPMdwnx1XbePeGEYqCXTi2nMZs9HXI55UGAoCIN7exfs8oTh1VEwPEv1MijULsjAIuh7Gly3NGIw_-uNrEgz5FoIiQBi-CPFmKzOR7lVSe33dhAvjNR3EhsxGO0Du3/s320/dusting+sugar+byproduct.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Also, the leftover powdered sugar has little shards of colorful candy and you can use it for a dusting sugar for brownies or cookies or something. <br />
<br />
All in all, I wish I could say that the satisfaction I get from making this stuff is somehow related to my love of science. There are certainly lots of interesting chemical and physical changes going on in those sugar molecules. But really I think it's a more primal love of the shiny glassy colors that gets me. I may have been a glass blower in a former life, or maybe a crow or a magpie.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-8065997855391944772010-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:002010-11-01T16:50:14.574-07:00Trifolate Orange Marmalade or I Swear this is the Last Canning Post for a While<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALO58KR5QG0zty5kLydOnv8lcALzDGOthAbU-oA1Rmf_ScKhGTdXuZBl2_jXh773zmDjH1ActJU20LR0Hu-21Pgbuc11f88ShoGHaIvON7Mg7gr3ZlobsMIKhIZvSh-Vzab5hoxSUc8AN/s1600/trifolate+tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALO58KR5QG0zty5kLydOnv8lcALzDGOthAbU-oA1Rmf_ScKhGTdXuZBl2_jXh773zmDjH1ActJU20LR0Hu-21Pgbuc11f88ShoGHaIvON7Mg7gr3ZlobsMIKhIZvSh-Vzab5hoxSUc8AN/s320/trifolate+tree.jpg" width="165" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6xNR22O_mHNWU4P9P58sssn7xR2l-gm-Uuw2o5gSTCCCU7Kb8y6V5v34Fd089W_HHqm6C9ohsB_K74LQVYE7xItd154zvjtdfbrD29NIHbOty03d5KadCNwbwR1uS5iSs-xJVygP2KGJ/s1600/Trifolate+orange.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6xNR22O_mHNWU4P9P58sssn7xR2l-gm-Uuw2o5gSTCCCU7Kb8y6V5v34Fd089W_HHqm6C9ohsB_K74LQVYE7xItd154zvjtdfbrD29NIHbOty03d5KadCNwbwR1uS5iSs-xJVygP2KGJ/s320/Trifolate+orange.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>One of the souvineers we brought home from our fall getaway was a small bag of what turned out to be trifolate oranges. We found these growing in the garden of a historical mansion we were visiting. The mansion was closed, but these exotic little fruit were perfectly ripe and waiting for me. A stray docent happened by and told me to go ahead and take some, so I did. The trifolate orange is a tiny hardy orange that grows on a small tree about 8-10 feet tall with lots of thorns. It is commonly used for grafting stock and can withstand a certain amount of freezing, which is why we found it growing on the southern Maryland coast. <br />
<br />
In searching for something to do with my found treasures I learned that these are not true oranges, being from a diferent genus in the orange family, and that eating them raw can cause gastric distress. They are recommended for making marmalade. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgT4PBysmQCy7bX4b9UZ2HUi8dg2ewVVtnPQuBIBmPGRy2QFz8Ths2iySt5x5r7jJg8xO0iJCCEVQ6v5a9qA1gQo1q6QTXyqJOBt8s3xbDdDmXkwDZzK4opHQnQ5Iqipz4arf1IJzjk44/s1600/seeds+and+peels.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgT4PBysmQCy7bX4b9UZ2HUi8dg2ewVVtnPQuBIBmPGRy2QFz8Ths2iySt5x5r7jJg8xO0iJCCEVQ6v5a9qA1gQo1q6QTXyqJOBt8s3xbDdDmXkwDZzK4opHQnQ5Iqipz4arf1IJzjk44/s320/seeds+and+peels.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>I had never made marmalade before, but I was game to try. First I used a carrot peeler to shave away the outer portion of most of the rinds of the oranges. Then I attempted to peel and pulp the little guys. Turns out they are packed with seeds, and a little juice, and a very little pulp. So what I did was cut them open and squeeze out the juice and seeds, then put through the food press. This left me with about 3/4 c of juice that tasted like the result of a mating between a grapefruit and a pine tree. <br />
<br />
Undaunted I decided to suplement my bitter/sour juice with an equal amount of orange juice and the pulp of 3 oranges. I then chopped the peelings from the trifolates and one of the oranges and combined them with the juice/pulp and boiled for 5 minutes. This I allowed to sit overnight in the fridge. I don't know why it needs to sit, but the Ball Blue Book said to, so I did. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzsxr4BRtvHq3FUSHWLB2uVvpO0PGlb0GzaSKQ0YT8-zv_PsxCOdyX0KNbjw0SEwAEo5_472Bhyphenhyphenjy_1Gml-dBT6rNXrILQeRHGufnT42VNt6IaxVAvfETPhAMJ2pqn9QL8Ongn6o_ZvaC/s1600/marmalade.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzsxr4BRtvHq3FUSHWLB2uVvpO0PGlb0GzaSKQ0YT8-zv_PsxCOdyX0KNbjw0SEwAEo5_472Bhyphenhyphenjy_1Gml-dBT6rNXrILQeRHGufnT42VNt6IaxVAvfETPhAMJ2pqn9QL8Ongn6o_ZvaC/s320/marmalade.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>The next day, I boiled the juice/pulp/peels with about a half package of pectin, then added and equal ammount of sugar and boiled for 3 minutes, then packed hot into hot jars and processed 5 minutes in a boiling water bath to seal. This seems to have gelled, and the result is a very classy slightly bitter marmalade.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-30889855260479259812010-10-31T12:17:00.000-07:002010-10-31T12:17:24.250-07:00Pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsT4zAMsEe320SjkwFR1AG2badJcCERvaC_sx32pO75RpWbePN5tM5jFdgwATGdQqQWX30OwXPsxWxzCnlVMyQWF9-zlpdxXeS9PT8IJKRkF2CqGUWGrbCuFOv6N8_frttFM_ATqkIs10/s1600/rebecca+apples.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTsT4zAMsEe320SjkwFR1AG2badJcCERvaC_sx32pO75RpWbePN5tM5jFdgwATGdQqQWX30OwXPsxWxzCnlVMyQWF9-zlpdxXeS9PT8IJKRkF2CqGUWGrbCuFOv6N8_frttFM_ATqkIs10/s320/rebecca+apples.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rebecca Storing Apples</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBG6PX_FETpW2G1Og3tjt8Ui-YPS_DqxzIq8_ZZJxUoz9cc0iScZ5iljjqzJnTSPfiWyETsj2fpZq6Ts43WLM2XZhBNZKQDNkQUHP6IgpxrZpaTrMTO1tKXrH2weSw_BfR1I5VJZpEQQBO/s1600/rebecca+peppers.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBG6PX_FETpW2G1Og3tjt8Ui-YPS_DqxzIq8_ZZJxUoz9cc0iScZ5iljjqzJnTSPfiWyETsj2fpZq6Ts43WLM2XZhBNZKQDNkQUHP6IgpxrZpaTrMTO1tKXrH2weSw_BfR1I5VJZpEQQBO/s320/rebecca+peppers.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rebecca Slicing Peppers to Freeze</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeJ0Jn19SPNAeQEXZK2fsvgXnOQJbo_AVGHQnflcrimYFOfzFjxj4OpsAmVMY071Hry5z7jWqVb0rQSVgpj0WKeJEvzato3UNCAGZdlWqKmBFwfCRwzV_iZcMlaEltB5HlZ4SpolkDNr2/s1600/rebecca's+pumpkin+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEeJ0Jn19SPNAeQEXZK2fsvgXnOQJbo_AVGHQnflcrimYFOfzFjxj4OpsAmVMY071Hry5z7jWqVb0rQSVgpj0WKeJEvzato3UNCAGZdlWqKmBFwfCRwzV_iZcMlaEltB5HlZ4SpolkDNr2/s320/rebecca's+pumpkin+10.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rebecca's creepy Pumpkin</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AIX9O6EmM7f9pcmdrvHO9imXglTkEZ4wTXb6gm8etu7Z6j0F_6umUdUdx40gVx8Lgv0k71uEVSHCBxOtHP0eyrlF2_U0jglLI3anXlgJ8OkIRuWssLisou5ENWFlgG3qiiyIx1FKAcrm/s1600/volunteer+squash.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AIX9O6EmM7f9pcmdrvHO9imXglTkEZ4wTXb6gm8etu7Z6j0F_6umUdUdx40gVx8Lgv0k71uEVSHCBxOtHP0eyrlF2_U0jglLI3anXlgJ8OkIRuWssLisou5ENWFlgG3qiiyIx1FKAcrm/s320/volunteer+squash.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Volunteer Squash</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDL605M5ZVHrECWAKW2LUhpI-XjfGU8Tu9pQPMGrnsqZDLddnNCRHVgqqjUKHx0SXotlStZKvMhi09htvDMHHoQF0M8PS7bwXDzMmuS_bQYtxUypXwet8Ve2lO-7sG7xhpF6a44wj4Lme/s1600/stored+squash.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheDL605M5ZVHrECWAKW2LUhpI-XjfGU8Tu9pQPMGrnsqZDLddnNCRHVgqqjUKHx0SXotlStZKvMhi09htvDMHHoQF0M8PS7bwXDzMmuS_bQYtxUypXwet8Ve2lO-7sG7xhpF6a44wj4Lme/s320/stored+squash.bmp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Squash Wrapped for Stoarage</div>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-64238405051969696942010-10-31T12:02:00.000-07:002010-10-31T12:02:13.208-07:00The End of the HarvestHalloween marks the end of the harvest here in Western PA. The small towns shift from harvest festivals to Christmas Light up nights and Holiday Craft Shows. George and I have spent the weekend beginning to tighten things up for the winter. He has pulled his beloved Tommato plants and we made our final trip to our Farmer's Market, which closes today until next July. Most of the preserving I have written about up to now has been canning, but I also do some freezing and cellaring.<br />
<br />
I dont't have a fruit cellar exactly, but we do have a storage room under what used to be and enclosed porch and is now our entryway. It is quite a bit cooler than the rest of the house, but doesn't freeze, and it has no windows. This year we are trying storing a box of apples and a box of winter squash. We wrapped the squash and apples in paper to avoid spreading of spoilage then carefully placed them in boxes. Here I should mention that a good portion of the squash were an acorn variety that came up as a "volunteer" in our compost pile. I love those little presents from mother nature.<br />
<br />
I also do a small amount of freezing for the winter. The reason that the ammount is small is that I tend to forget about the food that I have frozen for some reason, and in the many cases, such as tomatoes or soup, it takes too long to thaw them. But this year I froze a few things, such as the potatoes and green beans I mentioned before, and today I froze some more potatoes, this time with bacon. Without fail, however, I always sock away a gallon freezer bag full of frozen sweet peppers. <br />
<br />
Frozen Sweet Peppers<br />
<br />
1) Wash, seed and slice the peppers.<br />
2) Place about 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of sliced peppers in a sandwich bag, remove the air and seal.<br />
3) Place all of the sandwich bags into a gallon freezer bag and freeze.<br />
<br />
These keep very nicely all year, and are very usefull for adding to stir fries, pizzas, cheesesteaks, omlets, etc. The flavor is a little stronger in the frozen peppers, so you may not want to use as many as you would fresh. They are also much cheaper than buying fresh in the middle of winter. <br />
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This year I also did this with onions. cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-72610047619571512502010-10-15T12:11:00.000-07:002010-10-15T12:11:56.145-07:00Fall GetawayI am winding down the canning season, at least the water-bathing. I have a half-bushel of apples left to turn into applesauce tomorrow, and then I think I will begin packing up. For one thing, the harvest is nearly over, with only a few squash left at the local farmers' markets. Also, my larder is stocked to overflowing! I may get ambitious and try to take a full inventory of all that I have done, but here is at least a partial list:<br />
<br />
2 bushels of peaches, canned sliced in medium syrup <br />
peach/jalepeno jam<br />
peach jam<br />
grape jelly<br />
grape syrup (see above)<br />
20 pints of salsa<br />
stewed tomatoes<br />
tomato soup (lots)<br />
applesauce (tons)<br />
red onion relish<br />
sweet onion relish<br />
bread and butter pickles<br />
roasted red pepper spread<br />
green beans<br />
cubed butternut squash<br />
chunked pineapple<br />
spiced fruit compote<br />
spiced peaches<br />
peach syrup (leftover from the spiced peaches)<br />
<br />
After having a well stocked pantry, the next topic in my guide to How to Survive the Winter is the Fall Getaway. I find that this helps my morale immensely. We go to Chincoteague every fall to watch some of the fall migration of waterfowl, to eat the delicious local harvest (crab, oysters, and fresh fish), and to just relax. Our other family vacations tend to be more frenzied, in a do everything/see everything kind of way, but there is a comfort in our fall vacation. We return to the same small town, stay in the same hotel (often the same room), and do the same sort of activities every year. I return refreshed and ready to face the winter.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-74360561071838374102010-10-07T07:04:00.000-07:002010-10-07T07:04:42.065-07:00That's Right. I Said JellyI have a reputation as a good cook, and a crafty person, but not everything always goes well for me. I have always had trouble with jellies and jams setting properly. This year, before last sunday, I had made:<br />
<br />
3 batches of runny Peach Jalepeno Jam<br />
1 batch of runny regular Peach Jam <br />
1 batch of super gummy Grape Jelly<br />
1 batch of Grape Syrup (supposed to have been Jelly-which I had processed twice, with a new package of pectin each time).<br />
<br />
On Saturday George took me to the Franklin Applefest, and bought me a fresh load of produce including 2 fresh batches of grapes. So once again with some trepidation I set out to make Jelly. I am pretty sure that the problem with the syrup is that I forgot to boil the juice and pectin before I added the sugar. And I am happy to report that I was successful and now have a pantry full of 3 types of grape jelly, Mixed Grape (3 colors) Concord Grape, and Grape Apple (which I made by re-cooking the pulp from the first two batches with the apple cores from the 18 pints of applesauce that I also made that day). I still don't know what my Jam problem is, but I am more confident that I can make grape jelly.<br />
<br />
Also I made more soup and applesauce. And I began my venture into pressure canning with green beans.<br />
<br />
But that is another post...cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-37653948187252720272010-09-30T10:35:00.000-07:002010-09-30T10:35:30.834-07:00Applesauce and Comfort FoodsThe weather has made a turn for the cooler this week. School is in full swing, both for my kids at home and for the students who help me keep the lab running. All three of my "work kids" are stressed with lots of tests in their courses this week, so I decided to do something special for them. In the form of:<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Soft Pumpkin Cookies</u></strong><br />
<br />
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />
1/2 cup butter flavored crisco<br />
1 cup canned pumpkin<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl, beat the wet ingredients together one at a time starting with the shortening and sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Drop by spoonsful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 15 min at 350F. Cool on cookie sheet, glaze as follows: 1 c powdered sugar, 1 T butter, 2T milk. Beat together and drizzle over cooled cookies.<br />
<br />
In an adrenaline fueld frenzy last night a made a double batch of these and brought a dozen each in for the students, with 3 dozen left for the family.<br />
<br />
This week I also started my fall/winter practice of making the meals ahead of time for the kids to shove in the oven before I get home from work. I also find that cooking ahead reduces my stress from that most hated question "What's for dinner?"<br />
<br />
<u>The Rest of My Week in Cooking</u><br />
<br />
<br />
On Monday I went to the store and stocked up on pasta and grated cheese. I made <strong><u>Rigatoni </u></strong>(pasta, browned ground beef, bottled spaghetti sauce, cottage and mozzerella cheeses) for Monday's dinner and while the water was still hot boiled some medium shells and fixed a quick cheese sauce from grated cheese, milk, flour and salt cooked on the stove until the cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened. Combine the shells with the sauce, pour into a greased pie pan, and Wednesday's <u><strong>Homemade Macaroni and Cheese</strong></u> dinner is in the fridge. <br />
<br />
Also during the cooking I made some <u><strong>Beef Stew</strong></u> for Tuesday's dinner: I browned some stew meat then deglazed the pan with some red wine. Put the meat and deglaze in a fridge container with some peeled carrots, potatoes, turnips, and onions. Sprinkle the whole thing with seasoned salt. Tuesday morning before work, dump the whole container into the crock pot and add some boullion and water. By Tuesday evening you will have beef stew hot and ready to go. I added a loaf of Pilsbury french bread and dinner was done. <br />
<br />
So that's 3 meals in the time it takes to cook one, and half the dirty dishes. On Tuesday I used the time I would spend cooking to make 9 pints of applesauce. (recipe-such as it is-below). On Wednesday, I stopped in the store again and grabbed some Tortillas and Enchilada Sauce. <br />
<br />
To make the <strong><u>Enchiladas</u></strong> I browned some ground beef, then mixed in some homemade salsa, refried beans, taco seasoning and grated colby jack. Then just wrap the filling with a tortilla dipped in enchilada sauce and place in a baking dish lined with more sauce. Sprinkle with more cheese, and Thursday's dinner is in the fridge. <br />
<br />
Both the Mac and Cheese and Enchiladas cook at 350 from their cooled state for about 40 min to 1/2 hour. I made the enchiladas while the cookies were baking, saving time there. <br />
<br />
<u><strong>Applesauce</strong></u><br />
<br />
I haven't mentioned applesauce before, but believe me, it has been there. Since early September we have been buying all the local apples we can get our hands on and I have been making sauce every chance I get.<br />
George and the girls love fresh apples, but I love sauce more. <u>This is absolutely the easiest thing I put up.</u> I can make a small batch of sauce (3 pints) in about 30 minutes or a large batch (10 pints) in about 45. This does not include processing time, but does include cooking time, during which I am usually folding laundry.<br />
<br />
Applesauce is best made from a mixture of apples. I core and slice the apples using that gadget thingy, but I don't peel them. Then I add a tiny bit of water, just enough, to keep them from sticking and cook until tender. Then I run them through a food mill and add a little brown sugar to lightly sweeten. Pour hot into hot jars and process 15 minutes for pints or 20 minutes for quarts. <br />
<br />
So far I have done maybe 30 pints or so. And I am nowhere near done. Melissa can live for days on applesauce alone.cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-87847380084325468402010-09-21T09:31:00.000-07:002010-09-21T09:31:58.127-07:00Relishes, Jellies and Sauces<div class="ingredient">Ok, I confess. I am still canning. This morning I panicked that the season is getting to be over and I went out and bought 11 more cases of jars. I have invested in a pressure canner to can soups, but I have not done any of that yet. I am still in experimental mode for waterbathing and I am having a ball! </div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient"><strong><u>Jalepeno Jelly</u></strong> </div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">The star of this year's canning show has to be the peach jalepeno jelly. I may have mentioned that I can't make a good jelly to save my life, and this is no exception. But everyone loves it poured over some cream cheese and spread on a cracker in all it's runny glory. The recipe is easy, I just follow the sure jell recipe for peach jam, but I add about 6 chopped jalepeno peppers to the peaches and process as normal. I can't promise that yours will be as runny as mine, but there it is.</div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient"><strong><u>Golden Sweet Onion Relish</u></strong></div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">I love sweet pennsylvania onions, but they are only around for a short time. This recipe is pretty to look at with its golden color and the little bits of red and green pepper (this year I used one that had a little of both colors in it). And the onion still retains a little crunch. I am thinking you could mix this with sour cream and use it as a dip or a potato topper, or again with cream cheese on crackers. Or it would be great on hot dogs or burgers.</div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">5 pounds sweet onions, diced</div><div class="ingredient">1 red/green bell pepper, diced</div><div class="ingredient">1/4 cup kosher salt or canning salt</div><div class="ingredient">1 cup granulated sugar</div><div class="ingredient">1 cup light brown sugar, packed</div><div class="ingredient">1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric</div><div class="ingredient">2 cups vinegar</div><div class="ingredient">1 t pickling spices</div><div class="ingredient">1 T salt</div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">Combine the onions, pepper and salt. Sit 30 min to allow moisture to come out of veggies, then drain. <br />
Combine all ingredients in a dutch oven and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thick, about 1/2 hour. Process 10 minutes.</div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient"><strong><u>Carmelized Red Onion Relish</u></strong></div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">This one is really over the top. It will be great on salads, or over steak, or on a really good burger. It kind of has a Worchestershire taste to it, but sweeter and with some cruch. A couple of years ago George bought some Merlot wine which the vintner insisted was only good for cooking. He had intended to drink it anyway, but now 4 years later it is still in the wine rack, so I commondeered it for this recipe.</div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">5 large red onions, peeled<br />
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar<br />
2 2/1 cup dry red wine<br />
1/2 c balsamic vinegar<br />
1 T salt</div><div class="ingredient">1/2 t pepper</div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">I took a tip from Alton Brown and cooked this in my big electric skillet. Slice onions into very thin slices. Combine onions and sugar in a heavy non-stick skillet. Cook, uncovered, over medium-high heat for about 25 minutes or until onions turn golden and start to caramelize, stirring frequently.Stir in wine and vinegar. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and cook for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Process half an quarter pints ten minutes. </div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient"><strong><u>New Potatoes and Green Beans</u></strong></div><div class="ingredient"><br />
</div><div class="ingredient">Ok, this was a favorite at my house when I was growing up. I made it for my family early this summer and they, or at least those who are not horribly picky eaters, loved it. But really, most of the summer is too hot in my house to have this on a regular basis. So my plan is to freeze the potatoes and green beans and then make the cream sauce this winter. I have washed and cut the new potatoes to size, then par cooked and drained them. Then I spread them out on wax paper lined cookie sheets. I blanched the green beans for 3 minutes, drained them well, then spread them out on top of the potatoes. I put the cookie sheets in the chest freezer until everything is frozen solid, then I will pack it into freezer bags. I don't have the cream sauce exactly straight in my head, but it's really just butter, milk, flour and salt.</div>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7194925306378887853.post-54485298951319789422010-08-31T13:31:00.000-07:002010-08-31T13:31:43.363-07:00I am deeply into canning season now. Saturday I did half a bushel of peaches, including Spiced Fruit Compote with cinnamon and cloves. I think this will be great in the middle of winter served warm, maybe thickened a little and with a few dried cherries added.<br />
<br />
Spiced Fruit Compote<br />
<br />
5 lb Peaches, peeled an coarsely chopped <br />
2 fresh Pineapples peeled cored, an coarsely chopped<br />
2 t cinnamon<br />
1t ground cloves<br />
2 c sugar<br />
3 c water<br />
<br />
Make the syrup then add fruit and cook until warm throughout. Process in pints 15 min.<br />
<br />
I also tried bread and butter pickles and made some more soup. I just used a mix for the bread and butter pickles, because I'm not entirely sure they will get eaten. We will see.<br />
<br />
Sunday I tried to continue my canning Bacchanalia, but I got busy and all I got done was some pineapple, which was new, but why not? Oh and I also made some Refrigerator Dill Pickles. These are the second batch that I have made this year, and the first one was great. About a month ago I found myself in an emergency pickle making situation (don't ask) and found that I was out of pickling spices. However, I had some mulling spices and I substituted them. The result was awesome! Here is the recipe I used:<br />
<br />
Refrigerator Dill Pickles<br />
<br />
12 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers<br />
2 cups water<br />
1 3/4 cups white vinegar<br />
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh dill weed<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
8 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
3 tablespoons coarse salt<br />
1 tablespoon pickling spice or mulling spice or a mixture of both<br />
4 sprigs fresh dill weed<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, and spices. Stir, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar and salt dissolve.</span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"> Remove the cucumbers to three 1 1/2 pint wide mouth jars, placing 4 cucumbers into each jar. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover. Place a sprig of fresh dill into each jar, and seal with lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">So otherwise I have just been making more and more soup, and keeping up with the second bushel of peaches I bought. Tonight I may try again to make jelly, which is another story....maybe tomorrow I will post on that one. </span>cer25http://www.blogger.com/profile/07746705970720940587noreply@blogger.com0