Cooler Corn

You can do this in one of those tiny cooler that's just big enough for a 6-pack, or you can fill a huge cooler & feed a crowd!

 

 

Cleaned and shucked corn

Boiling water

One cooler

 

 

1. Clean out your cooler

2. Toss your corn cobs in

3. Cover with boiling water

4. Corn should be cooked in about 30 m minutes & stay that way for a couple of hours!

Electrolyte Solution

 Single Serving

1 c water

2 dash salt

1 1/2 t sugar

Four cups

1 qt water

3/4 t salt

2 T sugar

Treva's Salsa

On this day in 2017, I had a craving for my sister's salsa. She had given me the recipe and even made it with me so many times that she had to have been absolutely incredulous that I'd ask AGAIN. Much to her own credit, she helpfully left the entire recipe for me on my Facebook & I have committed it to the special cookbook that my mom gave me just in case I need salsa when the power is out. I love that girl more than this salsa...and that's, honestly, a lot!

2 cans petite diced tomatoes (I like Great value brand best *Treva's note*)
1/2 onion
6 - 12 pickled jalapeño rounds
1/3 c fresh cilantro
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 dashes pepper

Toss all but one can of tomatoes in a food processor
Combine with second can.

Real (aged) Eggnog

 I made this Eggnog exactly one time before losing this recipe & the nog was SO GOOD. Well, i just found the recipe again & here it is! You can pretty easily double this...and you'll def want to!

INGREDIENTS: 

1 dz egg yolks

1 c light brown sugar (or 1/2 c dark brown + 1/2 c white)

1/2 c heavy cream

2 c whole milk

2 c bourbon (I used cask strength & I'd do it again)

1/2 c dark rum

1/4 c congac, brandy, or sherry

pinch salt

pinch nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine egg & sugar until bln=ended & creamy (do not heat!)
2. Add remaining ingredients
3. Cover tightly
4. Age 6 wks to a year

To serve: make some whipped cream from 2 c heavy cream & fold into nog

Apple Butter!

I’ve been searching for an apple butter recipe that uses vinegar & this is as close as I got when I was gifted apples from a friend’s tree! Really I’m looking for one that included vinegar AND apple cider AND uses a slow cooker…maybe I dreamed it…

You will need a mill for this unless you really feel like peeling apples and putting them in a blender.

 

Ingredients:

3 lb Apples

3/4 c apple cider vinegar

1/2t salt

1 c water

1 c packed light brown sugar

1 T apple pie spice

1 t vanilla extract (optional, you only need it sometimes…)

 

Directions:

1. Core & wedge the apples. 
2. Add to a pot along with apple cider vinegar, salt, and water.
3. Simmer, covered 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Turn off heat when apples can be mashed tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
5. Run through sauce mill
6. Return to heat and add sugar, spices, and vanilla. 
7. Simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens (15 minutes)
8. Enjoy on hot toast with butter!
9.  

Makes 4 to 5 cups (1qt jar, 2 pint jars, or 4 jelly jars)

Keeps 3 weeks in the fridge (lol – as if!)

 

To can:

1. Jar hot apple butter leaving ¼ inch headspace 
2. Water bath 15 minutes
3. Let sit in hot water 5 minutes
4. Remove & cool!

Apple Pie Spice

Ingredients:

 

1½ T  cinnamon, ground

1½ t nutmeg, ground

1 t allspice, ground

 

Instructions: 

1. Seriously? Stop it.
2. Mix that stuff up and use it!

Cankle Soup

 No soaking required (but you can if you want to)! Make sure to use the low sodium broth to prevent the beans getting too tough. Besides, the ham hocks will add plenty of saltines.

1 onion

1 large carrot, cubed

3 celery stalks (leafy stuff, too), cubed

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 c White wine, water, or broth

1 t herbs de provence

1 pound dry beans (about 3 cups), rinsed & picked

2 large ham hocks, smoked

2 Bay leaves

6 c low sodium broth (chicken, vegetable, beef, doesn't matter)

1. Sauté the onion, carrot, & celery until pan starts developing a fond 
2. Add the garlic & saute until fragrant
3. Deglaze the pan using the wine (I like to use a little bit, develop more fond, use a little more, etc until the fluid is gone)
4. Stir in the herbs
5. Toss the cooked veggies & everything in a large slow cooker and cook on low 12 hours
6. Remove the ham & shred disposing is any chunks of fat.
7. Stir the ham back in and serve over rice or with cornbread!

White Chicken Chili

We just had this at my parent's house & it was great! Everyone asked me to keep this recipe!

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 jalapeño, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t dried oregano
1 t ground cumin
2 (4.5 oz.) cans green chilies
3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
5 c chicken broth, (I like Kettle & Fire brand)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. sour cream

1. Sauté the onion & jalapeño in the oil
2. Add the garlic, oregano, & cumin & stir until they're fragrant
3. Add in the chilis (I like hatch green chilis!)
4. Add the chicken cubes & cook until nearly done but not brown
5. Add broth, salt, & pepper and simmer for 10 minutes
6. Add the beans & corn & bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes
7. Stir in the sour cream & serve!

Pastor Sauce

I had some leftover, plain pulled pork from a dear friend of mine. So I made the marinade and used it to dress the pork, which as a perfectly passable pastor in a pinch!

5 guajillo chilis, dried

4 ancho chilis, dried

1 can pineapple, slices or chunks

1/2 white onion

1/4 c vinegar

2 T minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

1 t cumin, ground

1 40g packet Sazón con culantro y achiote

1. Bring 2 cups water to boil
2. Add chilis 
3. Simmer until chiles soften, about 10 minutes
4. Remove and discard stem and seeds
5. Coarsely shop chilis
6. coarsely chop one onion half
7. Strain pineapples, reserving juice reserve juice
8. Add chilis, pineapple juice, onion, vinegar, garlic , & cumin Ninja Master Prep
9. Puree until smooth
10. Cook mixture until slightly thick & onion loses "raw" taste
11. Remove from heat & stir in Sazón

To Use as a Marinade:

1. Marinate cubed pork 2-24 hours
2. Pan-fry pork & pineapple chunks until cooked through & golden
3. Serve in corn tortillas with remaining onion half chopped & fresh cilantro

Healing Broth (for canning)

1 t coriander seeds, or ½ t ground
2 cloves garlic, whole or ¼ t ground
1 T sesame oil
2 T fresh ginger root, minced
½ T chili garlic paste
8 c chicken broth, low sodium
2 strips lemon peel, without pith
2 T soy sauce, low sodium
2 T fish sauce
2 T lime juice
2 T hoisin sauce

½ t peppercorns or ¼ teaspoon cracked

1 t cinnamon

1. Add all ingredients to a pan
2. Simmer 30+ minutes or longer until very fragrant
3. Strain 
4. Ladle into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace
5. Process at 10# pressure 25 min for quarts or 20 minutes for pints

Cowboy Caviar

This makes A LOT of bean salad, so make sure you're serving a crowd. I'm taking this to a Superbowl party!

1 Can Black beans
1 Can Red Kidney beans
1 ½ Pounds Corn
4 oz. Red Onion (about half of a large one)
4 oz. Celery, chopped
1 Green Pepper
2 Red Peppers
1 Jalapeno
1 oz. Oil
10 T Cider vinegar
1 oz. Water
5 T Sugar
½ t Granulated Garlic
½ t Salt
½ t Black pepper

Mix everything together & let marinate at least 4 hours before serving. It's even better the next day!

Green Chile Enchiladas

These were a hit at my house! You could reduce the fat significantly by using fat-free soup & sour cream!

1/2 lb Ground Beef or substitute
3T Taco Seasoning
1 can Chopped Green Chilies
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 c Sour Cream
10 Tortillas
8 oz shredded cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Brown beef in a large skillet.
3. Stir in taco seasoning & half of green chilies.
4. Stir together remaining chilies, soup & sour cream in a separate bowl.
5. Fill tortillas with about 2T ground beef mixture, roll up, & place in a lightly greased baking dish.
6. Top with half of cheese, soup mixture, & then remaining cheese.
7. Bake 25 minutes.
8. Enjoy hot with Black Beans on the Side.

Ground Beef Substitute for Meat Eaters

This ends up making enough to sub out about a half pound of ground beef.

1/2 T Butter
2T Brown Rice
2T Bulgur
2T Soy Sauce
2c Water
2 Beef Bouillon Cubes
2T Quinoa

1. Saute Rice & Bulgur in butter until lightly browned.
2. Add soy sauce, water, & beef bouillon cubes.
3. Boil until rice is tender.
4. Add quinoa & boil another 5 minutes.
5. Drain well.

Black Beans on the Side

I made this as a side dish, & I started out with doing just one can. My oldest & I decided that one can was not enough!

1T Butter
1 Sweet Onion, diced
2 Garlic Scapes (I think you could also use one garlic clove)
1 can Chicken Broth or 16 oz water
1/4 t Cumin
1/4 t Coriander
1/4 t Oregano
1/4 t Black Pepper
1/2 t Salt, optional (I don't use it)
2 can Black Beans

1. Saute onion in hot butter.
2. Add garlic scapes & saute another 30 seconds or so.
3. Add everything else & simmer 7 to 10 minutes or until the liquid is all gone.
4. Never eat black beans any other way again!

Sweet Lime Chicken

1/4 c Soy Sauce
3 T Honey
1 T Oil
1/2 c Lime Juice
3 cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
1 T Sriracha
3 Boneless Chicken Breast, cut in half

1. Mix all ingredients in a large, Ziploc bag.
2. Marinate in refrigerator 1 hour or more.
3. Grill 6-8 minutes per side or until cooked through.
4. Serve on rice with steamed veggies.
5. Enjoy!
   

Chicken & Broccoli Chowder

This was super fast to make, but the first time I cut the recipe in half because I didn't think we'd like it. WRONG! So, this recipe is actually doubled from the original!

3 T butter
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 onions, chopped
3 T flour
2 cans chicken broth
2 cans beef broth
3 c milk
2 pkg frozen broccoli
3 c cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 t pepper

1. Melt butter in large Dutch oven until foaming subsides
2. Cook chicken & onion in butter 10 minutes
3. Stir in broth & milk
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes
5. Stir in broccoli & simmer another 10 minutes
6. Add in 2 cups of cheese & the pepper
7. Stir until cheese melts
8. Serve with remaining cheese

Cheap Slow-Cooker Chili

1 T oil
3 lb Chuck roast, trimmed & cubed
1/2 t pepper
pinch salt
2 onions, chopped
1 sweet pepper, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
2 cans black beans, drained
1 can beef broth
1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
1 can diced tomatoes
8 oz tomato sauce
1 c cheddar, shredded
1/2 c green onion, chopped

1. Sprinkle beef with salt & pepper
2. Heat oil in heavy dutch oven & brown beef
3. Put beef in slow cooker
4. Add onion & pepper to dutch oven & cook until onion is translucent
5. Transfer peppers & onion to slow cooker and top with garlic & beans
6. Add beef broth to dutch oven & stir, scraping up fond
7. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, tomatoes, & tomato sauce to dutch oven, stirring until incorporated
8. Pour dutch oven sauce into slow cooker & stir
9. Cook on low 7 hours
10. Serve topped with cheese & green onion

Indian Trail Cranberry Sauce

This recipe makes about two 10 ounce containers of the sauce. The whole thing is just so easy that I have a hard time believing I ever paid for this stuff! I usually peel the orange & add the peel then I remove the pith & add the sections, but if I'm using clementines, I just quarter them & toss them in. I've heard that you don't have to peel oranges, but I think it would be bitter so I've never tried it. If you do it that way, let me know how it turns out!

1 bag cranberries
1 c sugar
1 orange or 3 clementines

1. Add cranberries & sugar to Ninja Master Prep, blender, or food processor
2. Peel orange, being careful to avoid the pith, and add peel to cranberry mixture
3. Remove pith from orange & discard
4. Quarter orange & add to cranberry mixture
5. Blend to desired texture
6. Pack into 10 ounce packages & freeze

Indian Trail Cranberry Sauce Recipe (from the package label)

2 pkgs (3 oz.) Cherry Flavor Gelatin
2-1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup crushed pineapple (juice and all)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) Frozen Indian Trail Cranberry
Orange Sauce Thawed

1. Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
2. Stir in Cranberry Orange Sauce & pineapple.
3. Pour into mold.
4. Refrigerate until set

Black-eyed Pea Salad

15 oz. can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
2 c corn kernals
1/2 poblano pepper, finely diced
2 green onions, finely sliced
1 t Grey Poupon (don't scrimp on this one)
2 T cider vinegar
2 T oil

1. Mix peas, corn, pepper, & onions together.
2. In measuring cup, whisk mustard, vinegar & oil together.
3. Pour mustard mix over veggies & toss to distribute.
4. Let sit 15+ minutes to let flavors meld. The longer the better.

Essence of Emeril

2 1/2 T paprika
2 T salt
2 T garlic powder
1 T black pepper
1 T cayenne pepper
1 T onion powder
1 T dry oregano
1 T dry thyme

Pizza Dipping Sauce

This is the base topping for DeAnn's delicious Pizza Hut Crust. Sometimes we top it with meat & cheese or fresh veggies from the garden, but just as frequently we bake the crust plain & dip it in this delicious sauce!

1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste (6 oz.)
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 T fresh basil (2t dried)
1 1/2 t dried oregano
1 t sugar
2 cloves garlic
3/4 t salt

1. Mix everything together.
2. That's it!

Corn Salsa

3 c white vinegar
1 c sugar
1 T ground cumin
1 T salt
9 cups corn kernels (about 12 ears)
5 lbs. plum tomatoes, diced (I like to peel them, too)
1 poblano pepper, diced
1 sweet bell pepper, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 T fresh parsley, chopped
2 T cilantro, chopped

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, cumin, & salt in a large, nonreactive stockpot.
2. Boil mixture 5 minutes.
3. Stir in corn, tomatoes, poblano, sweet pepper, onion, & garlic.
4. Reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavor to blend.
5. Stir in parsley & cilantro, bring to a boil briefly, then remove from heat.
   
   To Can (about 8 pints):
   Fill half-pint or pint jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
   Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Skinny Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 c red grapes, quartered
1/4 c celery, thinly sliced
1 c fat-free mayo
1/3 c honey

1. Boil chicken 20 minutes or until done.
2. Mix other ingredients together while chicken cools.
3. Shred chicken once cool & add to mayo mix.
4. Chill to let flavors meld or serve immediately.
5. Serve on lettuce cups with a side of celery sticks & ranch dressing.

Orange Marmalade Pork Chops

2 t olive oil
6 boneless pork chops
1 T lemon pepper seasoning
3 T cider vinegar
1/2 c orange marmalade

1. Heat oil in a large pan
2. Sprinkle pork chops on both sides with lemon pepper seasoning
3. Cook pork chops 5 minutes on each side or until done
4. Remove chops from pan
5. Add vinegar & marmalade to pan and whisk until combined
6. Return pork chops to pan & cook 2 minutes, turning occasionally, until heated through & well coated.

Strawberry (or Blueberry) Pancake Syrup NOW!

1 bag frozen fruit (12 oz.)
1 c sugar
1 T Lemon juice
1 T cornstarch (optional)
1/4 c water (optional)

1. Combine ingredients in a medium sauce pan.
2. Heat over high heat, stirring often, until fruit begins to thaw & release juices.
3. Reduce heat & simmer until fruit is completely thawed (you can mash it up a bit with a potato masher if you want.)
4. If syrup it too thin, mix cornstarch with water until no lumps remain & mix into simmering fruit.
5. Enjoy over pancakes or waffles!

Cheesy Egg Casserole

1 stick butter, melted
10 eggs, beaten
1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 can chopped green chilies (4 oz)
2 c large curd cottage cheese
1 c shredded cheddar

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Mix flour & baking powder into eggs
3. Stir butter, chilies, cottage cheese, & cheddar into egg mixture.
4. Pour into a 9x9 pan
5. Bake 15 minutes 
6. Decrease heat to 250°  & bake for 1 hour.
7. Let set 5 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with salsa.

Pepper Chicken Stir Fry

The amount of onion & peppers can vary depending on how many you have & how many people you are feeding.  If you increase the amount of chicken, though, increase the amount of broth/wine and soy sauce you use to make the sauce.

3 chicken breasts, cubed
3 T soy sauce
1 T sherry or dry white wine
1 T oil
1 onion, thickly sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained
1 8oz can bamboo shoots, drained
1 t grated ginger root
1/4 c dry white wine or chicken broth
1 t cornstarch

1. Mix chicken, soy sauce, & sherry in a large bowl and marinate 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil over medium heat & cook chicken until about halfway cooked (3 - 4 minutes).
3. Add onions & peppers and saute for another 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Scoot veggies/chicken to the sides & briefly saute ginger root in center of pan.
5. Stir in water chestnuts & bamboo shoots, cooking until heated through.
6. Mix cornstarch into wine & add to pan, stirring until slightly thickened.
7. Serve with Spaghetti Squash Parmesan.

Garlic Zucchini

This recipe is stupid simple, but it was so good that even my zucchini hating kiddo wanted more!

2 T butter
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 zucchini, cubed
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t salt (optional)

1. Melt butter in a large pan until butter quits foaming.
2. Saute zucchini until tender, about 6 - 7 minutes.
3. Add garlic & saute 1 minute more.
4. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

Spaghetti Squash Parmesan

1 spaghetti Squash, halved & seeded
2 T butter
1/4 c Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Bake squash, cut side down, 1 hour or until tender.
3. Cool 10 minutes.
4. Shred interior with fork being careful not to shred skin.
5. Add butter to squash strands & mix until butter melts.
6. Add Parmesan cheese & stir to combine.

Roasted Chicken Stock

I make this & can it for future use (it goes faster than you think it will). I also added back some chicken pieces and gave away canned jars of this stock with little bags of homemade pasta. You can't can it with the pasta right in it, but it makes for a precious treat on a cold day.

3 1/2 lbs chicken pieces, boneless (or 7 lbs with bone)
Cooking spray
1 onion, quartered
5 celery stalks, sliced in thirds
5 carrots, sliced in thirds
1 T olive oil
5 qt water
15 parsley sprigs
15 peppercorns
8 thyme sprigs
3 bay leaves

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray & add chicken in a single layer.
3. Combine onion, celery, carrots, & oil, then add to another pan.
4. Cook both pans for an hour to an hour & a half or until browned & cooked through.
5. Combine chicken & veggies in stockpot.
6. Add water to pot & simmer 4 hours.
7. Cool hot stock & refrigerate overnight.
8. Strain solids from stock & skim fat.
9. Freeze in desired portions.

To Can stock in jars (according to Ball Blue Book 2011):

1. Boil stock.
2. Pour boiling stock into hot quart or pint jars leaving 1-inch headspace.
3. Process at 10 pounds pressure (pints 20 minutes; quarts 25 minutes).

Swiss Veggie Fritatta

2 T olive oil
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 red sweet pepper, diced
10 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c Swiss cheese, shredded
2 t Italian seasoning

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Heat oil in an oven-proof skillet & saute onion until wilted.
3. Add zucchini & peppers to pan & continue to saute 3-4 minutes.
4. Stir cheese and Italian seasoning into beaten eggs.
5. Remove pan from heat, pour in egg mix, & jiggle pan to distribute.
6. Bake uncovered 10 - 15 minutes until eggs set & top "puffs up" and browns.
7. Slice into wedges & serve.

Favorite Low-Carb Vinagarette

You can change up the flavor of this recipe by using different flavored olive oils & vinegars. I usually use a light flavored oil with Fig Vinegar, but a spicy oil with a fruity vinegar (like peach)  might be nice, too.

1/2 c olive oil
3 T Vinegar
1 T Grey Poupon
2 cloves Garlic, pressed

Garlic Roasted Shrimp

2 lbs. frozen shrimp
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 t salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1/2 c fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes
3 T lemon juice (one lemon's worth)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place shrimp in a single layer in a glass baking dish.
3. Mix remaining ingredients & pour over shrimp.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until shrimp is cooked through.
5. Serve over cooked orzo & roasted broccoli.

Canned Beans

Bulk dry beans are so cheap that I've always got some on hand, but I still found myself buying canned beans in a pinch until I found this easy pressure canning method for canning my own dry beans. This isn't strictly USDA protocol, but I feel confident enough in the method that I'll even feed it to my kids.

dry beans
boiling water
salt (optional)

Pints Jars:
Add 1/2 dry cup beans to each jar.
Add 1/2 t salt, if desired.
Fill jar with boiling water leaving 1-inch headspace.
Process 75 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.


Quart Jars:
Add 1 cup dry beans to each jar.
Add 1 t salt, if desired.
Fill jar with boiling water leaving 1-inch headspace.
Process 90 minutes at 10 pounds pressure.

BEST Homemade Pancake Mix

I mix the dry ingredients together in mason jars & just write the wet ingredients on the lids. I have also printed out pretty tags with the recipe & instructions and tied it to the jars with ribbon for an easy gift. This makes about 8 pancakes, but you can double the recipe and freeze some. That way you can just pop them in the toaster in the morning!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl & wet ingredients in a different bowl.
2. Mix wet & dry ingredients together.
3. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto hot oiled or buttered pan.
4. Cook until edges appear dry, flip, & cook another 3-5 minutes.

Wheat Germ Bread

1 3/4 c water
3 t sugar
2 t salt
1/3 c butter, room temperature
1/3 c molasses
5 t dry yeast (2 packages)
1 c wheat germ
3/4 c warm milk
4 c 100% whole wheat flour
1 - 2 c white or bread flour

1. Warm water, sugar, salt butter, & molasses over low heat until butter just starts to melt.
2. Remove mixture from heat & allow to cool to 105° to 115° Fahrenheit 
3. Mix in yeast & allow to "bloom" about 3-5 minutes.
4. Pour milk over wheat germ & let soak in.
5. Add water mixture & wheat germ mixture to mixing bowl & stir until combined.
6. Stir in wheat flour & mix until combined.
7. Add white or bread flour until dough forms a rough ball.
8. Knead on medium speed for one minute.
9. Spray top of ball with oil, turn over, & spray bottom of ball.
10. Cover with plastic & let rise 45 to 90 minutes.
11. Punch dough down, divide into two loaves, & place in loaf pans.
12. Cover loosely with plastic & let rise until just over the edge of your pan.
13. Preheat oven to 375°F & bake bread for about 50 minutes.
14. Remove loaves from pans & let cool.
    
    To Freeze Cooked Loaves: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then freezer paper or foil. Place in freezer bag & press out as much air as possible. Write date on bag & freeze for up to 6 months.

Spaghetti Sauce for Canning

So, the National Center for Home Food Preservation has this great recipe for Spaghetti Sauce, but it calls for 30 pounds of tomatoes. My CSA, Graber Organic Farms, sells their bulk tomatoes in 20 pound boxes. So, I used the Recipe Resizer to convert the recipe to one I can use & I'm preserving it here so that I don't have to constantly look it up. Hopefully it helps you, too.

This makes about 4 quarts or 8 pints.

NOTE - Do not increase the proportion of onions, celery, or peppers. 

20 pounds tomatoes
1/2 + 1/8 c onions, diced
1/2 c sweet bell peppers, shopped
1/8 c celery, diced
3 cloves garlic
1 T salt
2 T oil (for cooking the veggies)
1/2 T oregano
1 1/2 T parsley
1 1/4 T black pepper, ground
2 1/2 T brown sugar

1. Wash, peel, & core tomatoes.
2. Boil uncovered for 20 minutes. 
3. Put through food mill or sieve (I press mine through a metal colander, which is a real pain!). 
4. Saute onions, celery, and peppers, until tender. 
5. Add garlic & saute just until fragrant.
6. Combine veggies and tomatoes
7. Add remainder of spices, salt, and sugar. 
8. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered until it is your desired thickness . (I like to reduce it by about half.)
9. Fill jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. 
10. Pressure can at 10 pounds pressure 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts.

Berry Peachy Balsamic Sorbet

This was a real hit at my house! Since I beat air into in one of the last steps, it ends up being a bit softer than typical sorbet. It's great plain on a super hot July day, but I bet a scoop would be just as good floating in vodka as a festive holiday drink!

4 c fresh berries
1 c water
1 c sugar
1 T lemon or lime juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 c Ripe Peach Balsamic Vinegar (from The Olive Twist)

1. Mix berries, water, sugar, & lemon juice in a medium pan.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Stir until sugar is well dissolved, pressing lightly to help berries release their juice.
4. Boil about 5 minutes.
5. Pour mixture through a strainer into a metal mixing bowl, reserving the juice, pressing lightly on the seeds & pulp to extract as much juice as possible.
6. Sprinkle the packet of gelatin over the hot juice & let sit 5 minutes to "bloom."
7. Stir gelatin into the mixture well & add the vinegar.
8. Place bowl in freezer about 1-2 hours until slushy.
9. Remove from freezer & beat well with an electric mixer.
10. Return to freezer for 1 hour.
11. Beat well until mixture is lighter in color & volume has doubled.
12. Return to the freezer until well frozen 

Bread Flour Substitute!

So, I don't keep bread flour around, but I do keep wheat gluten handy for making seitan or adding to whole wheat breads. It turns out that you can make a great substitute using all purpose flour & wheat gluten. It turns out great in pizza dough & here's how you make it.

1. put 1 T wheat gluten in a 1 cup measuring cup
2. fill remaining cup with all purpose flour
3. use just like 1 cup of bread flour!

Stuffed Grilled Zucchini

I have been getting quite a bit of zucchini in my Graber Organic Farms CSA boxes & it has been really great to come up with new ways to serve it. This has been one of my family's favorites! I use exclusively oils from The Olive Twist (they'll ship to you!), but you can use what you have. Sauteing the veggies in the Tuscan Herb oil & massaging the garlic oil into the raw zucchini really added a flavor pop that I would have to recommend though!

4 zucchini 

4 oz panchetta

4 oz seitan (wheat meat), chopped

4 spring onions, chopped (white & light green parts)

1 red, orange, or yellow sweet pepper, chopped

1 T pesto (if you've got it)

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1 c seasoned croutons, smashed to crumbs

olive oil

pepper

1. Halve zucchini & scrape out insides leaving about 1/4 inch wall around the exterior (save & chop the scrapings)
2. Heat some olive oil & pan fry the panchetta, bacon bits, & seitan until the panchetta is toasty & browned.
3. Add the zucchini scrapings, onions, & sweet pepper to the pan.
4. Saute until lightly browned & fragrant. 
5. Remove from heat, add the garlic & pesto and stir until just fragrant.
6. Lightly oil and sprinkle each zucchini half with pepper 
7. Place zucchini cut side down on a hot grill.
8. Grill about 5 minutes until dark char lines appear.
9. Remove zucchini from grill.
10. Add cheese & croutons to the meat & veggies and stir until combined.
11. Stuff each zucchini shell with meat & veggie mix.
12. Place back on hot grill until cheese is bubbly & delicious.

Blueberry Vanilla Lavender Jam

I got a plesant suprise in this week's CSA box...BLUEBERRIES!  After munching on about half of them, I decided that I needed to come up with a way to preserve (and share) some of them. I liked this recipe because it doesn't require any pectin (blueberries have lots of that) or any other special equipment.

2 c blueberries
2 T water

1 vanilla bean

2 c sugar
3 sprigs lavender
1 T bottled lemon juice

1. Combine the blueberries, vanilla, & water in a pan and bring to a boil.
2. Mash & muddle the blueberries a bit to get them to release their flavor.
3. Add the sugar & lavender and stir to dissolve.
4. Stir in the lemon juice.
5. Boil, stirring frequently, until the desired gel is achieved (remember, the sugar will set up more in the jar!)
6. Remove from the heat, remove lavender & vanilla, and let jam cool about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To can, use the boiling water method.  Leave 1/4 inch headspace and process for 5 minutes.

Gingered Beef Stir-Fry

Until we tasted our first fresh, ripe, local veggie, my family & I were not veggie fans. As such I haven't many veggie-full recipes. Since then, I have been bale to participate in a lovely, local CSA from Graber Organic Farms. This is what I did with my most recent box of fresh veggies from them!

1 lb steak, sliced thin against the grain

2 T olive oil

1/4 c water

2 bunches broccoli

2 c sugar snap peas

3 spring onions, sliced thin

1 zucchini, roughly chopped

1 yellow summer squash, roughly chopped

1 T candied ginger, chopped

4 cloves garlic, pressed

Sauce:

3/4 c chicken broth

1/8 c red wine

1/8 c brown sugar

2 t olive oil

2 t cornstarch

1. Heat oil in a wok or large pan until smoking.
2. Sear beef quickly in oil.
3. Add broccoli, peas, & water.
4. Cover pan & steam veggies for 3 minutes.
5. Uncover pan & let water evaporate, about 2 minutes.
6. Add reaming veggies, ginger, & garlic and cook about 30 seconds.
7. Whisk sauce together & add to center of pan, stirring until thickened & veggies are coated.
8. Serve over rice or fresh spinach.

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

I made a delicious Maple-Bourbon grilled pork loin to slice & serve on top of salad, & I was looking for a dressing that would go well with it. This is it! It would make a great dipping sauce for chicken as well & it helped to cut the bitter flavor of some of my greens, which had begun to bolt before they were picked.

1/3 c maple syrup
2 T chopped spring onions (you could use shallots or chives, too)
3 T Grey Poupon
3 T vinegar (I used Traditional 18-year Aged Balsamic from The Olive Twist, but their Fig Balsamic would be amazing, too.)
1 T olive oil (I used Arbequina from The Olive Twist)
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t salt (I don't add this, but some of us thought it needed it)

Peach Jam Margarita

Canning season is rapidly arriving & I have so many jars of delicious peach freezer jam left, that I'm having a hard time making room for this year's batch. This recipe is helping immensely & I imagine it would work well with just about any sweet jam.  The recipe makes about 3 1/2 cups. How many people that serves really depends on the day at my house!

8 oz. Peach jam
4 oz. water
2 oz. tequila (My favorite is Margaritaville Gold, but you could also use vodka or rum)
2 c ice

1. Puree until smooth (in your Ninja Master Prep if you're an infomercial junkie like me)
2. Enjoy cold!

Substitute 6 ounces of black tea for a non-alcoholic treat.

Vodka Sauce (Penne alla Vodka)

Never mind the long ingredient list & huge number of steps, this sauce is e-a-s-y & fast! It is quite flavorful as it is & is already muted with cream, so you can even skip the sometimes obligatory sprinkle of Parmesan.

2 cans petite diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz each
1 onion, diced
1 T tomato paste
1/2 c red wine
2 cloves garlic, pressed
pinch red pepper flakes
1/3 c vodka (or red wine, or white wine, but probably not beer)
1/2 c heavy whipping cream
1 lb. pasta, cooked

1. Heat oil in a large pan.
2. Drain & puree one can of tomatoes.
3. Drain the other can of tomatoes & add them to the puree.
4. Saute the onion & tomato paste until the onion edges are starting to get brown & there is a good bit of fond in the bottom of the pan.
5. De-glaze the pan with half of the red wine & continue to cook until the wine has evaporated & more fond has developed.
6. De-glaze the pan again & cook until the wine is thick & nearly evaporated.
7. Add the garlic & red pepper flakes, cooking 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
8. Add the tomatoes & vodka & bring to a simmer.
9. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, until the alcohol cooks off, 10 to 12 minutes.
10. Add the cream & cook until hot all the way through.
11. In a large pot, combine the sauce & pasta and cook until sauce is slightly absorbed (about 2 minutes)
12. Served sprinkled with fresh basil.

Candied Roasted Pecans

This should work with other nuts as well, but I don't know. I just l-o-v-e pecans & I look forward to that time of year when the smell of German Roasted Pecans fills our local mall. Now I can get that same flavor any time of year right in my own home!

2 egg whites
1 T vanilla extract
2 1/2 c pecans, whole or halved
1/2 c turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw)
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t salt
sprinkle of cayenne pepper for heat, optional
paper bag, oatmeal container, or other covered container

1. Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees
2. Whip egg whites & vanilla together until foamy but not fluffy (about 2 minutes with my handheld mixer)
3. Fold in pecans
4. Pour sugar, salt, cinnamon, & cayenne pepper into paper bag & shake to mix.
5. Add coated pecans to bag & shake to coat
6. Spread pecans onto parchment paper in a  rimmed baking sheet 
7. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes
8. COOL PECANS 30 min before eating (THEY ARE HOT!)

Atole

My mom always made this sweet corn meal drink for us after we had been playing in the snow. I remember it as being the remedy for the bone shattering Indiana cold & boy could I use it today! Back then, she had to have it sent to use from our relatives in Colorado, but now you can find blue corn meal from Bob's Red Mill right at Walmart! Sometimes, she even whipped some up for us as a warm morning breakfast. Mmmmmmm!

I like to use turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw) instead of piloncillo, but I feel like piloncillo is more "authentic." Sometimes you can find it in the produce section at Walmart or in the "Mexican" section. Sometimes you can even find it with other sweeteners. If not, don't fret, my mom just used plain white sugar.

1/4 c blue corn meal (harina de atole)
2 1/2 c milk
1/8 c piloncillo or turbinado sugar (Sugar In The Raw)
1 t vanilla extract
sprinkle cinnamon (optional)

1. Mix atole, milk, sugar, & extract in a pan, whisk well to eliminate lumps
2. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until thickened (about 15 to 20 minutes)
3. Serve hot with a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired

I've heard that you can use regular Masa Harina instead of Harina de Atole, but I've never ever tried it. Comment me if you give that a try & let me know how it goes.

Black Bean Soup

We're digging out of a major blizzard today & nothing sounds better than some thick & delicious soup. The best thing about this is it is cheap, cheap, cheap! If you don't have ham, just leave it out. Mostly it just adds some salty flavor & could probably be subbed out for a tablespoon of bacon bits if you were really desperate to have it in there, but to make a meatless meal, just leave it out.

I didn't get a pic with the sour cream & red pepper flakes on it.
The fam dug in before I could get that done!

1 pound black beans
8 oz ham, chopped or cubed
1 bay leaf
8 c water
1/8 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 T butter, melted
1 T olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
6 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped
3/4 T cumin
3 c chicken broth

1. Boil the beans, ham, bay leaf, baking soda, & salt in a large pot until beans are cooked through (about 90 min) adding more hot water as necessary.
2. Sauté the onions, celery, & carrot in the oil & butter until onions are lightly browned.
3. Add garlic & cumin to the veggies & cook until very fragrant but not browned, 30 to 45 seconds.
4. Add cooked veggies & chicken broth to beans & heat through.
5. Serve topped with sour cream & a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.

Mama Johnson's Game Day Beer Sausages

Mama Johnson would be my husband's stepmother.  My husband remembers these tiny sausages in a beer & tomato sauce from his childhood at her home & occasionally craves them. He finally called her for the recipe & then we tweaked & tested it until we came up with the flavor he remembered.

4 pkg Lil Smokies
12 oz tomato paste
15 oz tomato sauce
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t Salt Seasoning (or 2 T Lawry's Seasoning Salt)
1 t Frank's Red Hot sauce (sub Tabasco for hotter sauce)
24 oz beer (we used Bud Light, but you may prefer a darker beer)

1. Toss everything in your crock pot
2. Cook on low all day or until game time

This recipe appears on The Exec Moms blog. Click here for more recipes that are so easy you can make them even if you can't make toast!

Salt Seasoning

A couple of years ago, we started having annual blood tests done & were horrified by the results. One of the first things I did was to stop adding salt to our food. It was rough going at first, but we don't miss it at all now. In fact, we can taste salt in the strangest places!

I used to use Lawry's seasoning salt so much that I had to come up with a homemade, salt-free version to use. After researching, trying, & combining a few recipes, this is what I got. If you want the salt in it, add about 1/2 to 2/3 cups salt. Otherwise substitute this at about 1/2 to 1/3 the amount of Lawry's salt your recipe calls for.

2 T sugar
1 T cornstarch (you can leave this out if you want. It's just for thickening & to prevent clumping when stored)
1.5 T ground celery seed
2 T paprika
1 T onion powder
2 t garlic powder
2 t ground mustard powder
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground oregano
1/4 t ground thyme
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/8 t ground cumin
1 quick sprinkle ground cinnamon (less than 1/8 t)
1 quick sprinkle cloves (less than 1/8 t)

Soda Jelly

So, at this point I'm pretty much addicted to Throwback Pepsi. The mouth feel is just so different from the regular variety that I can't help but love it, & my daughter is the same way about Dr. Pepper. When I was making all of my Christmas gift jams & jellies, she mentioned how much she would love to get a Dr. Pepper flavored one & I set out to find out how to get that done.  Well, here's how...

8 oz. your favorite soda (do not use diet!)

3 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 pouch (3 oz)  liquid pectin

1. In your biggest pot over medium heat, combine soda, sugar and water. 
2. Stir to dissolve sugar. 
3. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring constantly. 
4. Add the liquid pectin once a full boil is reached.
5. Return to a boil, stirring constantly.
6. Boil 30 seconds, still stirring constantly (set a timer on this one).
7. Remove from heat & skim any foam.
8. Ladle hot jelly into clean, hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. 
9. Place lids & rings on jars and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. (Boiling water should cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches.)
10. Remove from water bath, cover with a towel (to prevent drafts from causing breakage) & cool 24 hours.

Vanilla Martini

I think this would be a nice winter warmer if you added just a dab of peppermint extract to it. Maybe even top it with a candy cane or put two scoops of ice cream in it so it looks like a snowman.  This recipe makes just one, but I'm sure you can scale it up for a crowd!

1 oz homemade vanilla extract
1 oz good quality vodka (I use Sky or Grey Goose)
1/2 T simple syrup (make it with vanilla sugar and/or add a bit of vanilla extract)
A tiny scoop of frozen vanilla infused heavy cream (or vanilla ice cream)instead of an ice cube.

New Year's Ham Salad

So, its New Year's Eve & you still have Christmas ham leftovers. At this point, you have to either use it or lose it. Well, here's how to use it!

1/2 c light mayo
1/3 c sweet relish
2 T Grey Poupon (if you don't like the heat of Dijon mustard, use regular or grainy mustard)
24 oz cooked, leftover ham
salt & pepper

1. Mix mayo, relish, & mustard together in a large bowl.
2. Cut ham into chunks & pulse in food processor (or Ninja Master Prep) until desired chunkiness (about 8 pulses in my Ninja Master Prep).
3. Combine processed ham with mayo mixture until thoroughly combined.
4. Add salt, pepper, & more relish to taste.
5. Enjoy on fresh, homemade bread!

COOK'S NOTE: I boiled my ham in the leftover ham glaze/dressing & some water before making this then tossed in leftover cranberry relish & some leftover apple/brie appetizer. It was very good!

Roasted Broccoli

This recipe is so stupid simple that it only really has a single measurement. I have been making this for years & even my kids will eat this broccoli (although I assume it is becasue I don't use salt in anything else). The real key is to pre-heat a metal pan in the oven. After that, the rest is fool proof!

I've been mixing up the flavors a bit recently with oils from The Olive Twist, a specialty vinegar & oil store near me. They will be happy to ship you anything you want & she only charges the USPS flat rate postage fee!

Broccoli florets
Olive oil
1/2 t sugar
Salt
Pepper

1. Pre-heat the oven, with your metal pan inside, to 500 degrees.
2. Coat broccoli with oil & sugar, then season to taste with salt & pepper.
3. Pour broccoli in an even layer onto your baking sheet & bake about 10 minutes.
   

   **You can stir it about halfway through if you prefer, but we really like the crispy edges that develop if you don't.**

Click here for more Broccoli recipes from Foodista!

Coissant Bread (Brioche)

This bread will make a simple, but amazing gift & you still have time to whip some up before Christmas. This recipe takes 24 hours to fully develop the buttery flavor & flaky texture, but with only about 20 minutes total of working time, the wait it so worth it!

2 c flour
2 1/2 t rapid rise or bread machine yeast
1/4 c nonfat dry milk
1 T sugar
1 c hot water (not boiling)
2 sticks butter, room temperature
3 c flour
5 eggs, room temperature

1. Turn on your oven light.
2. Mix 2 c flour, yeast, dry milk, sugar, & water in your mixer.
3. Beat on medium speed about 2 minutes.
4. Add the butter & beat on medium speed for another minute.
5. Alternately add the remaining flour & the eggs, the dough will be very sticky.
6. Beat on medium speed using the flat beater for about 10 minutes, dough will be shiny & elastic.
7. Cover bowl & set in oven with light on for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until doubled.
8. Stir down the dough with a spatula, cover, & refrigerate 24 hours or overnight.

The next day...

1. Turn on your oven light.
2. Divide chilled dough into 2 pieces & then divide each piece into 6-10 2 ounce pieces.
3. Roll pieces into balls or short logs (the width of your pan) and place into greased bread pans.
4. Spray dough top lightly with oil & place in oven.
5. Let rise 1 - 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.
6. Set oven to 375 degrees (with bread still inside)
7. Brush bread tops with a mixture of 1 beaten egg & 1 tablespoon milk.
8. Bake 15 minute, rotate pans & bake another 15 minutes.
9. Remove bread from pans & place on wire racks to cool.

Pecan Waffles

2 eggs
1.5 c milk
1/4 c canola oil
1T baking powder
1 t sugar
1/4 t salt
2 c flour
1 handful pecans (very precise, I know)

1. Combine eggs, milk & oil in a blender, food processor, or mixer and blend well.
2. Add baking powder, sugar, & salt and blend again until well incorporated.
3. Add flour & blend until smooth.
4. Blend in pecans.
5. Cook following your waffle maker's instructions.

Corn Scallop

1 can cream style corn
2 T flour
1/2 c milk
1/3 c butter
1/4 c sugar
1/4 t salt

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
2. Stir all ingredients together & pour into a buttered baking dish
3. Bake about an hour

Apple Fritters

1 c flour, sifted

2 T sugar

1/2 T cinnamon

2 t Baking Powder

1/4 t salt

1 egg, beaten

2 T butter, melted

3 or 4 apples

1. Pre-heat oil to 375 degrees
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
3. Mix in egg, milk, & butter. The batter should be very thick.
4. Core, peel, & slice apples. (I use one of those corer/slicer gadgets that you can get at the grocery store)
5. Dip apples in batter.
6. Lower carefully into hot oil.
7. Cook about 3 minutes, turning once.
8. Enjoy hot with ice cream!

Almond Pound Cake

1 c oil
2 c sugar
3 c flour, sifted
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
4 eggs
1 c milk
1 T almond extract

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Cream oil & sugar
Sift together flour, baking powder, & salt
Mix together eggs, milk, & almond extract
Alternate adding liquid & dry mixtures to creamed sugar mixture until incorporated
Pour into loaf pan & bake 45 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Sugar Cream Pie

I was just taking a look at some of the forum questions on BlogFrog and realized that I've never posted my Sugar Cream Pie recipe! Pretty specific to Indiana and Pennsylvania, a holiday just wouldn't be right without a Sugar Cream Pie to sweeten it up. Read more on the history of Sugar Cream Pie here.

Bake it in my magic pie shell, but don't use an electric mixer of any sort to mix this! Make that mistake one time & you'll understand why it has to be mixed by hand. Fortunately it isn't tough at all, so mix one up quick & enjoy!

1 1/2 c Sugar
1/3 c Flour
2 T Salted Butter
2 c Whipping cream
Nutmeg to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine sugar, flour, salt and butter. 
3. Stir in whipping cream and mix well. 
4. Add nutmeg to taste and stir. 
5. Pour into unbaked pie shell.
6. Bake for about an hour.

French Onion Soup

This recipe can be canned in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure; 20 minutes for pints, 25 minutes for quarts. It makes great Christmas gifts!

5 yellow onions, very large
1/4 t sugar
1/4 c butter
3 10.5 oz cans beef broth
3 cans water
1/2 t salt
6 slices crusty bread, buttered
1/2 c grated Swiss or provolone cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Peel onions & slice pole-to-pole (from root to tip)
3. Sprinkle onions with sugar & sauté in butter making sure not to burn or over brown
4. Add broth & water
5. Cover & simmer 45 minutes to an hour
6. Add salt & season with pepper if desired
7. Portion into six oven safe bowls, top with a piece of bread, then top bread with cheese
8. Bake until cheese is bubbly & turning brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Butternut Squash Bread

Butternut squash is a great stand in for pumpkin & this recipe is no different. If you love pumpkin bread, you'll love this, too! This recipe makes 3 loaves.

3 c sugar
3.5 c flour
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t ground cloves
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t baking powder
1 c vegetable oil
2 c butternut squash puree
4 eggs

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Combine all ingredients.
3. Pour into 3 greased & floured loaf pans (only fill them half full).
4. Bake about an hour until a toothpick comes out clean.

To puree squash yourself:

1. Slice squash in half & remove seeds.
2. Place cut side down on a baking sheet.
3. Bake at 375 degrees until soft (abut 20 to 30 minutes).
4. Remove from oven & tent to loosen skins.
5. Peel skins & puree squash in blender or Ninja Master Prep.

French Dressing (for Sweet & Sour sauce)

Mix this dressing with a bit of peach or apricot jam and some pineapple bits for a quick & easy Hawaiian sweet & sour sauce.

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c red wine vinegar
1 T lemon juice
1 T dry onion flakes
1/4 t granulated garlic
1/4 c ketchup
1/2 c olive oil
1 t celery salt
1 t paprika

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor & blend until smooth.

Hot Pepper Jelly

At this time of year, I have more peppers than I know what to do with! Well, I learned about hot pepper jelly a few years back & thought I'd try my hand at it. It's super easy & only takes a big pot of water to can! Every recipe I read goes exactly the same, so I can even recite it by memory now.

*This will fill about 6 half pint (8 oz.) jars*



12 oz Hot peppers (sweet bells take a different recipe; don't use them here)
2 c cider vinegar
6 c sugar
2 pkts liquid pectin (do not sub dry pectin; I don't know why)

1. Wash & drain peppers.
2. Puree peppers with enough vinegar to make it pretty smooth.
3. Put sugar into the pot & add pepper puree and any remaining vinegar.
4. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
5. Boil 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
6. Add pectin packets.
7. Return to a rolling boil & boil 1 minute.
8. Remove from heat, skim foam, and ladle into jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

TO CAN:

1. Wash jars & caps.
2. Pour boiling water in jars & keep hot until ready to use (this prevents them from breaking in the canner).
3. Fill a great big pot about half full of water & bring to a boil.
4. Place a rag or cooling rack in the bottom of the pot to keep the jars from coming in direct contact with the bottom.
5. Carefully add jars to pot.
6. Cover jars with boiling water so that water is about 1 to 2 inches above the lids.
7. Put lid on pot & boil 10 minutes.
8. Remove lid & let sit 5 minutes.
9. Remove jars from canner, place on a towel, & cover with a dish rag to prevent drafts.
10. Let cool 24 hours, then check to make sure the center of the lids does not flex.

Smashed Potatoes: A Recipe from Cooks Illustrated

From the November/December 2010 issue. Apparently Yukon Golds work almost as well.

Chicky Chili

16 clove garlic
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c olive oil
1 green pepper (or 2 poblanos if you're in a spicy mood)
1 onion
1/8 c Taco Seasoning
2 cans beans
1 jar Herdez salsa verde (I like this brand since it doesn't have any vinegar in it, but you can use what you like.)

1. Peel garlic & micorwave, covered, with half of the olive oil and a pinch of salt.
2. Chop chicken, peppers, & onion and sauté with Taco Seasoning in remaining oil until chicken is cooked through.
3. Mash garlic & add to chicken mixture sautéing 2 minutes until garlic is very fragrant.
4. Add beans & salsa and cook until bubbly.
5. Serve hot with your favorite taco toppings.

Cucumber Salad

1.5 c Miracle Whip
1/2 c sugar
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/3 c white or cider vinegar
3 large cucumbers
1 large onion

1. Mix Miracle Whip, sugar, salt, pepper, & vinegar together.
2. Slice cucumbers & onion .
3. Add veggies to Miracle Whip mix & stir well to combine.
4. Let set in refrigerator overnight to develop flavor.

Check Out Our New Look & Location!

The Dinner Babes have a new look & a new location at DinnerBabe.com! So we can interact with our readers better, we've made it easier to subscribe to our feed via email or through your favorite feed reader. We've even added a new recipe form so you can submit your recipes to the site. What do you think?

Panna Cotta with Blackberry Sauce

I can only describe Panna Cotta as the richest Jell-O you'll ever have...and you'll be dying for more! This is a simple summer dessert that could easily be paired with whatever fruit is in season for a year-round delight. You could even layer it in a trifle dish with fruit and poundcake. Yum-o!

1 packet unflavored gelatin

3 T water

3 c heavy cream

1 c milk (whole or 2%)

1 c sugar

2 t vanilla extract

9 oz blackberries (more if you've got 'em)

1/4 c water

3 T sugar

1 T lime juice

mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

For the Panna Cotta

1. Line a 9x12 pan with parchment and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine heavy cream, milk, sugar, & vanilla extract.
3. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently & making sure it doesn't boil.
4. While mixture heats, add gelatin to water & set aside.
5. Once cream mixture simmers, remove from heat & add gelatin.
6. Stir well & let cool 20 minutes.
7. Pour into 9x12 pan & refrigerate at least 6 hours. (I let mine set for 2 days & it was still delish.)

For the Blackberry Sauce

1. Combine 6 oz blackberries, water, sugar, & lime juice in blender or food processor.
2. Puree well until sugar is well incorporated.
3. Press sauce through a mesh colander to remove seeds.
4. Refrigerate, covered, until needed.

To Serve

1. Cut panna cotta with a large biscuit cutter. (Or scoop it out with a spoon if you're not picky about appearances.)
2. Spoon sauce over plated panna cotta.
3. Top with some of the leftover berries & a sprig of mint.

Teriyaki Sauce

You can simmer this sweet & salty sauce until it's thick then just spoon it over your dish, or mix it up as-is & use it as a marinade. Either way, it adds a nice oriental flavor to your grilled meats.

1 c soy sauce
3/4 c sherry

1/2 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar

1 t powdered ginger

1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder

Tomato Sauced Zucchini with Chicken Parm

Farmer's market season is upon us, so I thought I'd post this delicious dish. Using fresh, locally grown herbs & veggies bumps up the sweetness factor while also supplying you with more that 4 times the antioxidants & flavenoids than grocery store fare. You could also omit the chicken & just serve the zucchini as a side to any dish you like!

2 t olive oil

1/2 red onion (red ones are sweeter, but you could use any kind you have)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped (I like to peel them too, or use one 14 oz can)

6 leaves fresh basil, shredded

1 bunch parsley

2 zucchini (more if your family really likes them)

1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c seasoned croutons, crunched into crumbs

1 egg, beaten

1 1/4 lbs. chicken breast (about 2 large breasts)

1/4 c ricotta cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees.
2. Saute onion in hot oil about 1 minute
3. Add garlic to onion & saute until garlic is lightly browned
4. Add chopped tomatoes & basil
5. Simmer mixture uncovered 5 minutes, then partially covered another 15
6. while tomatoes mixture is cooking, wash zucchini & slice into super thin strips using a potato peeler (or a Titan peeler if you're an infomercial junkie like me!)
7. Scrape the tomato mixture into an oven safe bowl & keep warm in preheated oven
8. Without cleaning the pan, heat another tablespoon olive oil & add zucchini
9. Cook covered 4 minutes, stir well, then cover & cook another 4 minutes
10. While zucchini is cooking, pound chicken to an even thickness & slice each breast into thirds.
11. Add zucchini to tomato mixture & heat another tablespoon oil in pan
12. Mix croutons & Parm together
13. Dip chicken pieces in egg, dredge in croutons, & add to pan.
14. Cook about 4 minutes, flip, & cook another 4 minutes or until done.
15. Spoon zucchini mixture into plates, add 2 pieces of chicken each, & top with a scoop of ricotta cheese.
16. Sprinkle with any remaining Parm & serve!

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey
1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that's pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Coconut Cream Pie

This pretty pie is an Easter favorite. You can also sprinkle colored sugar on top to make it look like an Easter Egg!

12 oz can cream of coconut

12 oz half & half

3/4 c sugar

2 eggs

2 c sweetened, flaked coconut

1/4 c cornstarch

1 t vanilla

1 pre-cooked, 9 in. pie shell

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spread coconut on ungreased pan & bake 5 minutes
3. In a saucepan, combine cream of coconut, half & half, sugar, eggs, & cornstarch
4. Bring to boil over low heat, stirring contantly
5. Remove from heat & stir in vanilla & 1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
6. Pour into pie shell & chill until firm, 2-4 hours
7. Top with a generous amount of shipped cream/topping and sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Chocolate Pudding

Ever wanted to whip up a quick dessert for the family, but you're out of instant pudding mix? Well, this recipe is almost as fast to mix up as store bought instant! Mix in mint chips, brownie pieces, butterscotch chips, or just layer with hunks of peanut butter for a quick parfait!

3 c milk

2t butter

1/8 c corn starch

1/4 c flour

1/2 c + 1/8 c sugar

1/4 t salt

2 eggs

5 T cocoa powder

2 t vanilla

1. Heat 2 1/2 c milk & the butter.
2. While milk is heating, make a paste of the remaining milk & other ingredients.
3. When milk is nearly boiling, add paste to hot milk & stir well (I used and electric hand mixer for a smooth pudding).
4. Cook 1 minute.
5. Enjoy hot off the stove or spoon into individual cups & chill.

Sweet & Simple Salad Dressing

This quick & easy dressing is perfect for gearing up for the summer salad season. So good, even my kids will eat salads!

3 T Honey

1 1/2 T Vinegar (white, rice, or cider)

1/4 c mayo

1 t Grey Poupon (yeah, it has to be Grey Poupon)

1/8 t olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a screw top jar.
2. Shake like mad.
3. Enjoy!

Layers of Love Chocolate Brownies

3/4 c flour
3/4 c baking cocoa
1/4 t salt
1/2 c butter, cut in pieces
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
3 eggs, divided
2 t vanilla
1 c chopped pecans
3/4 c white choc chips
1/2 c caramel ice cream topping
3/4 c semi-sweet choc chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 8-inch-square pan. Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until creamy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Reserve 3/4 c batter. Spread remaining batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle pecans and white morsels over batter. Drizzle caramel topping over top. Beat remaining egg and reserved batter. Stir in semi-sweet morsels. Spread evenly over caramel topping. Bake 30-35 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Holiday Layered Jell-O

This Jell-O is one of our Thanksgiving menu traditions. Everyone LOVES it!! The middle layer is divine. I'm adding it to our Christmas Eve menu this year.

1st Layer:

1. Make one large (6 oz) package of Lime Jell-O according to package directions.

2. Pour into oblong dish and let set until firm.

2nd Layer:

1. Combine 1 large package of Lemon Jell-O and 2 cups of boiling water.

2. Add 1/3-1/2 package of marshmallows; stir until dissolved.

3. Add 8 oz cream cheese; stir until dissolved.

4. Cool and add 1 c Cool Whip

5. Pour over set green layer

3rd Layer:

1. Make one large package of Cherry Jell-O according to package directions.

2. Pour over firm middle layer and let set until firm.

Top Jell-O with Cool Whip. Eat and Enjoy!!

You could switch Jell-O colors to make this fit for different holidays...