Freezer Strawberry Jam

June 14, 2011 by
 
I wanted to share one of my FAVORITE canning ingredients: Pomona’s Universal Pectin
It is great because: You don’t have to use as much sugar and you can do big batches of jams and jellies at one time, unlike regular pectins.  AND it is all natural.  Here is the basic freezer jam recipe, turns out great every time! PS I find Pomona’s locally at Whole Foods.  I’m sure other stores sell it, I just don’t know which ones.
 
FREEZER STRAWBERRY JAM
8 cups mashed strawberries (as chunky or smooth as you like)
4 tsp calcium water (prepared according to package directions)
1/4 cup lemon juice, optional
1 1/2 to 4 cups sugar, your preferred amount of sweetness (or 1-2 c honey)
4 tsp pectin powder
 
Clean and hull your strawberries. (I like using a huller to waste as little as possible.)
What? You don’t have a huller?! I’ll show you why I love them:
 
When you open up your box you’ll find two packages inside.  Just follow the directions.
Prepare calcium water according to package directions.
Mix strawberries, lemon juice if using, and calcium water together in a pot, bring to a boil.
Mix your pectin powder and sugar together in a bowl.
Add pectin/sugar mixture to berries.
Stir 1 to 2 minutes, return to a boil.
Fill containers, label, and freeze.
Filed Under: Canning, Freezer

Italian Pasta Salad

June 9, 2011 by
 
Summer is fast approaching, so salads are making it to the table more and more.
This is one of my favorite pasta salads to make, since most of time I have things in my fridge or pantry to put in it.  Get creative with it and find what you like!  I’m not giving amounts for ingredients since I never measure for this.  It just depends on how many of the add-ins I put in, how big of a dish I’m making, etc.  And if your pasta salad will be sitting for awhile you might need to add a little more of the Italian dressing.

ITALIAN PASTA SALAD
cooked pasta, I used bow tie
Italian salad dressing
 
Add-ins:
mushrooms, sliced
olives, sliced or whole
hard dry salami, chopped
cherry tomatoes, cut in half
red onion, chopped
basil, cut in chiffonade
fresh baby spinach
roasted red peppers, chopped
provolone cheese, cubed
baby mozzarella balls
pepperoncini’s, sliced
 
Mix everything together, add more dressing as needed.
Chill until ready to serve.
 
 
 
 
 
Filed Under: Pasta, Salad / Dressings

Minute Sausage Patties

June 6, 2011 by
 
Have you heard of “minute steaks”?  They are little steaks which cook up extra quick.  This is my sausage version.  I don’t particularly love freezer meals, since they really never do taste quite as good as before they were frozen.  Instead I freeze components to make quick meals.  Breakfast included.
I rarely think to un thaw meat, especially for breakfast.  And honestly, we don’t usually have meat every morning and when we do, I really don’t want to serve my family large amounts of meat.
This is a great way to have smaller portions of meat and honestly, my hubby and kids don’t miss it.
I have gotten more than 12 patties out of a pound, but you could up the amount of meat used in your patties if you want.
These make it so quick and easy and I even use them for quick dinners in a pinch.
I serve them with biscuits or English muffins and eggs for breakfast sandwiches.
 
MINUTE SAUSAGE PATTIES
ground sausage (We buy ours from Butcher Boys here locally)
 
Measure meat into desired patty size (I weigh or use a scoop, or shape into a log and slice thinly).
Put between two pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap and flatten out very thin.
Flash freeze by laying single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for a few hours, or until frozen.
Then put in a zip lock and label.  OR stack in a freezer container without flash freezing, just separate by a piece of parchment or wax paper.
When ready to cook, just put in a pan frozen.  Because they are very thin they will cook through quite quickly and there is no need to unthaw first.
 
Filed Under: Breakfast, Freezer, Pork

Strawberry Shortcake

June 2, 2011 by
 
Is there anything better than fresh berries?  When they’re in season I’m always trying to think of new ways to use them, but nothing beats good old strawberry shortcake.  I serve this often when we have summer bbq’s and it’s always a big hit, for the kids and adults alike. 
 
STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
 
4 cups flour (plus extra for dusting)
2 T baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
2 cups heavy cream
1 large egg, beaten
sanding sugar for sprinkling, optional
 
Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Cut in butter with a pastry blender, leaving pea sized chunks.
Fold the cream in with a spatula until dough just comes together.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat to about 1 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut in 2 to 2 1/2″ rounds and place on a cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. 
Brush tops with beaten egg and spinkle with sanding sugar (or granulated sugar) if using.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until light golden.
Let cool, then slice and serve with berries (macerated or plain) and whipped cream.
 
For macerated berries:
3 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 T lemon juice
1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar (depending on how sweet the berries are)
 
Toss berries with lemon juice and sugar.  Let sit for about 20 minutes.
 
Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Martha Stewart
Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins, Desserts Tagged With: ,

Strawberry Fool

May 31, 2011 by
I’m a fool for fools.  Strawberry fools, that is.  And don’t forget flummery either.  Our strawberry garden bed has gone CRAZY and is alive with little green berries.  I can hardly wait for them to turn red!  Until then, I’m only somewhat happy with the not-as-tasty ones from the store.  But I thought I should share this recipe so you have it when your berries are ready!  Try it, and you’ll be a fool for fools too! : )
STRAWBERRY FOOL
1 lb frozen strawberries (unthawed) or fresh
1/4 to 1/3 cup granulated sugar, depending on sweetness of berries
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp instant clearjel (optional, just stabilizes the whipped cream so you can make it ahead of time)
1 tsp vanilla
Puree the strawberries with the granulated sugar in a blender or food processor.
Whip cream with powdered sugar and clearjel to stiff peaks.  Add vanilla.
Measure out about 1 cup of the pureed strawberries and fold into the whipped cream, leaving some streaks.  Mix in more to taste.  Cover and refrigerate or serve immediately.
Filed Under: Desserts, Irish

BBQ Baked Beans

May 27, 2011 by
 
Are you ready for the long weekend?  Any plans?  I’m hoping for some sunshine so we can play in the yard and dirt. : )  Last weekend we had a fun cowgirl birthday party for our four year old.  I was so grateful for sweet amazing friends who helped celebrate with us and make it an extra fun day.  I made a little BBQ spread fit for cowgirls and boys alike and I just had to include beans on the menu.  My mom always made her baked beans for bbq’s, and while I don’t mind them, they were made from canned pork and beans and I really wanted to make some from dried beans.  So I tried to make my own recipe up and boy were they good!
I think they’d be a great addition to any bbqs you have this weekend, and the great thing is you can make them rain or shine!  If you don’t have oven space, these would work fine in a crock pot as well.
 
BBQ BAKED BEANS
 
1 lb pinto beans
8 slices smoked bacon, chopped
8 oz ham, chopped
2 onions, finely chopped (I use smoked onions )*
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup bbq sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp salt
 
Rinse and sort beans, put in a bowl or pot and cover with water by a few inches.
Let soak overnight.  Drain and rinse again.
In a large pot cook the bacon until crisp.  Drain off most the fat.
Add the garlic, onions, and ham.  Saute until fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add rinsed beans, and 6 cups water.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until beans are soft.
Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for another hour.
Pour into a casserole or 9 by 13 pan and bake at 325 degrees for 2 hours.
 
We smoke about 6 onions at a time and I put them in a gallon Ziploc in the freezer. That way, whenever I need one, I have some on hand.  If you don’t have smoked onions, you could add 1/4 tsp liquid smoke at the end of cook time.
 
 
 
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Hand Grinder and Cracked Wheat Bread

May 24, 2011 by
I came across these pictures today, buried in the surplus of recipes to share.  I think they are from over a year ago!  I really love this grinder we bought from our trusty food storage expert, Jan at Healthy Harvest.  (On a side note, I’ve known Jan from when I was a young kid and she was a friend of my parents.  Amazingly knowledgable and willing to help you learn! If you have any questions give her store a visit!)
I’ve been wanting a hand grinder for some time now, since my wheat grinder doesn’t allow me to change the coarseness of the grind.  This one was so easy my baby could do it!  (And she totally loved helping too!)
As you can see we ground it fairly coarse.
To make cracked wheat bread, just substitute up to one half of the wheat in your favorite whole wheat bread recipe with a coarser ground wheat.  It adds a great nuttiness and heartier feel to the bread.
Filed Under: Bread, Yeast, Giveaways / Reviews

Panini Club

May 20, 2011 by
 
Okay, so this isn’t a club sandwich.  But.. close enough. : )  It does have ham, bacon, and tomato which you do usually find in a club sandwich at least.  We had a gorgeous sunny day today so I’m in the mood for sandwiches!  One of our favorite good-weather dinners.  And paninis definetely make it feel like a little more thought was put in even if it wasn’t ; )
We don’t usually use plain mayo in sandwiches either.  I usually mix in some pesto or freshly chopped rosemary to some mayo and keep that in the fridge for sandwiches.  So much better!
 
PANINI CLUB
 
Ciabatta, or other good quality crusty bread
Mayonnaise
Ham
Avocado, sliced
Bacon, cooked crisp
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, thinly sliced
 
Slice bread, spread two sliced with mayo.
Top one with remaining ingredients and the remaining slice of bread.
Cook in a panini press*.
*Other options: Cook sandwiches in a heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet- top sandwiches with another heavy skillet to press them down as they cook. Flip and cook the other side the same.
You could also use this method in a grill pan.
 
Filed Under: Sandwiches / Wraps Tagged With: , ,

Corn Fritters

May 17, 2011 by
 
I feel a little bad about not posting as much lately.  Then again, not really : )
I’ve been busy with life, enjoying our new kitchen and the occasional sunshine we’ve been having.
I drove up north with my Mom on Saturday to spend the day with my Grandmother.  It may seem a bit depressing to say I helped her with her funeral planning, but it was really a sweet day and I was so glad to help her with something important to her.  Have you ever heard the saying “Tough old bird”?  They’re talking about my Gran when they say that.  (I say that with affection, I might add).
At 96 I’m totally amazed at her spunk.  We had so much fun talking about cooking and old memories.  Like my Great Uncle Ernie and how he loved to pull my pigtails at the holiday table. : )
And making homemade maple bars with warm butterscotch frosting with Grandma. 
 
So I suppose that’s why I’m feeling so nostalgic today, and wanted to share a recipe that both my mom and grandma made, and now I love to make as well.  These are super easy, and kids love to help mix the batter.  Just throw it all in a bowl and hand em a wooden spoon.  Usually fritters are deep-fried but we always make them this way since it’s healthier and we just always ate them that way too.  Think of them like savory little pancakes, in which you can hide all kinds of veggies. : )
 
CORN FRITTERS
 
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (you can add a little more milk if batter is too thick)
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 can corn, drained
 
Put all ingredients except corn in a bowl, mix until combined.  Stir in corn.
Drizzle a small amount of oil on a griddle or in a skillet over medium high heat and drop batter by large spoon fulls.  Flip over when browned on one side. (This is a lot like making pancakes).
Done when second side is cooked.  Serve warm with a little butter and salt and pepper.
 
Recipe source: My Grandma
 
Filed Under: Side Dishes Tagged With: ,

Popovers

May 11, 2011 by
 
One of my favorite things to make.  Especially now that I have a real popover pan.  For years I made them with a muffin tin, as my mom did for years and years. 
They were good, one of my favorite breads to make, but then I bought a popover pan (they basically are a little skinnier and taller than a muffin tin’s cups).  First time I made them, I couldn’t believe how much better they were!  Definitely worth the very small investment (I found mine on sale at Cost Plus World Market awhile back for around $6) but even if you don’t have a popover pan or want to buy one, use your good old muffin tin and I guarantee you’ll love them!  They are best eaten fresh, straight from the oven while they are still piping hot and tall.
 
POPOVERS
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
2 T butter
 
Whisk milk, flour, eggs, and salt together in a bowl until smooth.
Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.
Put 1 tsp butter in each cavity (or 1/2 tsp if using muffin tin)
Put pan in 450 degree oven for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted.
Divide batter between cavities (about halfway up) and bake for 20 minutes.
Serve hot. Makes 6 popovers or 12 muffins.
 
Recipe source: Jamie Oliver
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Filed Under: Bread, Quick & Muffins Tagged With: , ,