Don't mind the messy kitchen, it was baking day!

OK, it's Roasted Tomato Sauce.  I've been gathering what's left in the garden and slow roasting it in the oven.  This particular batch of sauce has Roma tomatoes, Red Siberian tomatoes, Yellow Jubilee tomatoes, a few cherry tomatoes, peppers, and onions.  (one earlier batch had squash chunks roasted as well).

There is no recipe for my sauce.  Once all the veggies are washed and chunked into whatever baking dish is available,  I drizzle olive oil over the veggies, then sprinkle salt and sugar and the herbs I have on had.  The it all goes into the oven.  I roast it until it looks right to me (usually a couple of hours).

Once I've pulled it out of the oven I let it cool down for an hour or so then dump the whole thing into the blender and puree it.  Each batch has been just a little bit different depending on what (and how much) is ripe.  I have jarred each batch and then water bath canned them.

Which means we'll be eating a lot of pasta this winter!  But there is nothing like homemade sauce in the middle of winter.

*  I spent yesterday cleaning up the garden.  Since it was a cool and rainy summer, I left the tomatoes a bit longer hoping that more would ripen and I could make tomato sauce for the upcoming winter months.  It frosted twice this week.  The first night everything was covered the second night we forgot.  I picked a bunch of green tomatoes and will hope that they ripen in a box in the basement.

*  A couple of weeks ago I made this Apple Dumpling desert that was absolutely fabulous.  The only thing healthy about it is the apples.  But, oh my, is it ever good.  Don't let the amount of butter and sugar scare you.  Or the bottle of Mountain Dew.  Go for the taste.  It's definitely a once in a while type of desert.


Happy Thursday!

 I put them in the mail on Wednesday with the hopes they arrived in time for Valentines Day.

*  Yesterday my sweet baby girl tripped over a door stop and did a face plant.  She fell on the right side of her face and at first glance she looked ok.  Then I took her glasses off to dry her tears and her glasses had slammed into the side of her eye.  She has a very "pretty" black and purple eye.  We put a Hello Kitty bandaid on her cut and then mama kissed it to make it better.

*  There is an food swap coming up and while we don't often have a theme, this one is a soup swap.  Last time I made cream of broccoli cheddar soup.  I'm not sure what to make this time.  Any suggestions?

*  Happy Thursday!

What does one do with 62 pie pumpkins?  Give them all away, of course.  Why, you ask?  Because hubby and I don't like pumpkin anything.  Corrine might like it, but she won't get it here.

I have started baking them down for some people who want pumpkin and won't do it themselves or don't know how.  Even though it's super easy...I just cut the pumpkin in half, clean out the pumpkin guts, put each half upside down in a baking dish, pour water in the dish and bake in the oven at 375 until it's soft.  Then I scoop it out and puree it in the food processor.  I'm also going to bake down some pumpkins for my food swap next week.

I may have to put some on neighboring front porches (with a note on how to prepare it), ring the door bell and run like crazy!

I froze some of the Roma Tomatoes as they ripened so they wouldn't go bad before I had enough to make some sauce.  The beefsteak tomatoes rotted with all the rain.  I also grew some Green Zebra tomatoes, but they did not peel well enough to get any sort of meat for the sauce.  (Hubby says they are good in salads though).

I'll list the ingredients that I put in (because I don't measure, I just taste)-
*Tomatoes, peeled and seeded.   I like to use a variety because my cousin says it is "like symphony in your mouth"
*brown sugar
*salt
*balsamic vinegar
*fresh (or dried) basil
*fresh (or dried) oregano and thyme
optional-
*roasted garlic
*red pepper flakes
*any other fresh or dried herbs to taste

A quick, easy way to peel tomatoes is to cut an "X" in the bottom of the tomato, drop it into a pot of boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Immediately plunge the tomatoes into ice water.  The skins should peel right off.  I squeeze the tomato a little to squirt out the seeds.  Chunk the bigger tomatoes and put them into a food processor or blender.  I pulse to keep it on the chunkier side.  Add tomatoes to a  nonreactive pot.  Mix in the rest of the ingredients to taste and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally, reduce heat to a low-medium and cook for 60-80 minutes or the desired consistency is reached.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare canning jars.  Spoon 1T lemon juice into hot, clean jars.  Using a ladle, spoon sauce into jars leaving one half inch head space.  Wipe jars and adjust lids.  Process in a boiling water bath.  I boil the jars for 20-25 minutes, but we above 5000 feet.  Remove jars from water bath and listen for that satisfying "ping" to indicate the jar is sealed.  If you don't hear the ping, test the lid but pushing down in the center.  If it "pops" try to reseal it or use in the next two weeks.

I found the original recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine.  But I have since changed it and added things based on what is in my kitchen at the time of canning.  And I've never made a batch that is the same.   I'm debating whether to buy more tomatoes at the local nursery or buy sauce as needed this winter when my lone two jars are gone.

Banana chips are super easy.  They key is to slice the banana consistently (which I have a hard time doing).  I slice them about about an 1/8" thick.  Then give them a quick dip in a half lemon juice half water mixture (to keep them from browning) then lay them on the dehydrator tray.  I put the tray on a cookie sheet to catch the lemon juice drips.
Check your dehydrator guide for times.  I set ours for 15 hours with the vent closed and then check them for desired doneness.  I don't like them crunchy.  I like them with a little chew.  This batch was in the dehydrator for 18 hours.  The basement smells of bananas!  Mmmmm.
After the bananas have cooked to your desired doneness, pop them off the tray and munch away.  I pulled these out and have not been able to stop eating these sweet little things!

We were gifted a dehydrator from my in-laws.  They had an old one sitting in their garage they didn't use and we were the lucky recipients.  

Shared with: Independence Days Challenge

C and I trimmed the leaf end outside and then went inside to wash the stalk and trim the other end of the stalk.  I cut the rhubarb into half inch chunks and put them into a large bowl.  Then I dug out my handy dandy sealer and put 3 cups of chunked rhubarb into each bag and sealed them up.

I've always done 3 cups per bag because it has seemed like a good starting point for recipes.  When the bags of rhubarb are defrosted, there is a lot of moisture.  I usually snip a hole in the corner of the bag and then squeeze out the excess liquid.   That method has always worked for me.  I'm not sure if there is a better or easier way.  If anyone has some experience with that I'm open to suggestions.  

Shared: Independence Day Challenge.

 It has been dropped hundreds of time so the pages were not in any order.  The rings don't match their mate and the pages are dog eared, ripped and the holes torn.
Yesterday was rainy and in the 60's (I know, in July even!), so I got out the cookbook, scotch tape and the hole reinforcing stickers and set to work.  The rings still don't match, but they are better.  I've taped the pages and reinforced the holes and put pages in their proper order.  It should be good to go until I drop it again.  But after perusing recipes while putting it in order, there are several recipes I'd like to try.    There is a while section on eggs and cheese.  Pretty soon, I'm hoping for an abundance of eggs, so I know where to turn!

milk and cream heating

whey and ricotta

The ricotta recipe and the way I made it:

Rhubarb Muffins

Mix together and set aside-
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder

Mix together-
1 1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C oil
2 t vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 rhubarb chunks
Then add 1 C buttermilk

Add dry mix.  Fill muffin cups with liners and fill the line 2/3 full.

Topping- mix together
1 package vanilla instant pudding
1/3 C flour
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 C pecan pieces
1/2 C packed brown sugar
Then add 6 T melted butter

Put 1T (or more) of topping mix in each cup.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

I have two muffins tins that are silver and one muffin tin that is the dark non stick pan.  I bake the muffins in the non stick pan 15 minutes and check for doneness.  That pan cooks so much faster than the other two.

Dee-lish!  Happy Friday.  Enjoy.

The girls in the box in front of the heater vent.

The snowy morning on April 16th.

Corrine with her snowman and Buffett.

 I'm boiling the lemons with some sugar/honey water.  After they simmered for about 10 minutes I poured the whole mess through the mesh strainer to contain the gazillion seeds.  After that I poured the lemon sugar water into the lemon infused vodka that was in the jug.  Those flavors will soak together for a few days in the fridge.   I'm hoping that it will soon be warm enough to drink some icy cold limoncello!

I signed us up for Door To Door Organics!  It's a fresh food delivery that is all (mostly) local produce.  Some of it is grown in California.  They deliver either weekly or bi-weekly.  It is probably something we will do until May or so when things start growing in the garden.  Then I'll put it on hold until next fall.  I'm super excited for all of this fresh goodness in the "off season."

We already eat pretty healthy, but after reading the blog 100 Day of Real Food I'm determined to eat even better.  (That basically means that mama has to stop snacking on pre-packaged bad for you food while at work).

As I unpacked the box, I let Corrine smell each item and we talked about it.   She was very excited about the apples.  I'm not sure what to do with the swiss chard.   I'm open to suggestions.

 I got a yogurt maker for Christmas so I have been making homemade yogurt for the last couple of weeks.  Each time it comes out a little different.  The first batch was super tart. Each batch since then is a little less tart.  It's a work in progress.

I knew nothing about making yogurt before Christmas.  In fact I didn't realize how easy it was.  I've always bought yogurt at the market.  Not the super sweet kind, but just regular yogurt.   Like Brown Cow or Stonyfield Farm.  Those are my faves.  (But if we're talking about the best yogurt EVER- in my opinion- try Noosa- it's like dessert.  OMG it's good.)

Anyhoo, back to my yogurt...I googled "homemade yogurt maker recipe" and found this wonderful website, 101 Cookbooks, that gives step by step directions.  I've not strayed from these directions yet, but I feel some experimenting coming on.

Here is 4 cups whole milk with 1/3 powdered milk wisked in.  Heated to 180 degrees, but not boiled.

After the milk has cooled down to about 110 degrees, I added this yogurt culture.

Then I poured the milk into these handy cups and put them into the yogurt maker WITHOUT the lids.  The condensation on the lids will drip into the yogurt (ok I forgot to take a picture before it was finished).  Then turn on the maker and wait.  One batch was done in two hours, another took almost 4.  I just keep my eye on it.

This is one of those recipes that just tastes good, although it's probably not so good for you.  And it tastes better two or three days later.  I don't even remember where I came across the recipe, but it's one I've made for dinner for 20 plus years.

The basics-
chili
cheese
onions
fritos or frito style corn chip

Pre heat oven to 350.
Start with a layer of fritos.  Next add in layers (in no particular order) chili, cheese, onions and more fritos.  I always end with a layer of cheese, but I never layer in the same order.  Bake the whole mess until hot all the way through and bubbly.

Ideally I would use homemade chili, but we use canned turkey chili a lot too.

I tried to make Divinity today.  I'm not sure why.  I'm most certainly not a good candy  maker.  Cake, pies and cookies are my best.  I used Paula Deen's recipe.  Mine looks nothing like hers.   I'm not sure where I messed up.  Most likely it is the altitude.  Or it could just be my impatience.  Or it could be a faulty candy thermometer.  The sugar boiled for a good 20 minutes and it never got hotter than 225 degrees.

I have four cookie sheets of round white oozing circles of sweetness.

Corrine and I took the boys for a walk the other day.  One of the neighbors was giving away bags of apples.  Corrine very excitedly said "apple.  apple"  She does love her apples.  Anyhoo, we've gone through all of our apples, so now we'll work on the neighbors apples.

I made an apple impromptu.  I think it is kind of like an apple cobbler except the topping isn't a biscuit topping it's more of a batter.  The recipe is from The Pillsbury Family Cook Book.  I think the book is from the 60's.  It was my  moms.  The cookbook has definite seen better days.  It is a binder type of book and the pages are all dog eared and falling out.  She gave it to me when she found the same cookbook is practically mint condition at an indoor antique mall.  One of these days I'll sit down and put the pages in order with the little hole stickies to keep them from ripping out again.

Apple Impromptu-
4 C peeled, sliced apples
3/4 C sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1 T butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 t vanilla
1/2 C all purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 400.  Place apples in a well greased 8 or 9 inch baking dish.  Combine 1/4 C sugar with the cinnamon, sprinkle over apples.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cream butter and gradually add the remaining 1/2 C sugar.  Blend in egg and vanilla.  Add flour and baking powder.  Spread over apples in pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes.  Serve warm or cold.

We always make a double batch of the topping.  Goes well warmed with vanilla ice cream.

Obviously this batch is not a 9 inch pan.  My 9 inch baking dish had brownies in it and feeling lazy I just added some more apples and tripled the batter portion of the recipe.

We put apple butter on just about every bread product we can.  I use it in place of syrup on pancakes and french toast.  We put it on PB&J's, biscuits and toast.

Applesauce today.
Apple Butter tomorrow.

Yesterday was a very busy day in the kitchen.  I hadn't planned on being home and when plans fell through I had an unexpected day free.  We made one large loaf and four mini loaves of zucchini bread, a casserole and pickled beets.  I had a small baseball bat size zucchini.  Corrine loves zucchini bread (actually she loves any kind of bread) so I made some for her and some for a friend.  And I still had some shredded zucchini left to freeze for later.

I made a buffalo chicken casserole.  A small one for us and a larger one for a friend.  Her husband was just in a very serious bike accident and has been in and out of the hospital all week.  She needs freezer meals for the next month or so while she cares for him.  This was our chance to give back.  When Corrine was in the NICU we had lots of donated freezer meals and this friend made a huge casserole for us.

The beets were ready.  Actually some were past ready.  Bryan and Corrine love pickled beets.  So I made pickled beets and some beet chips.  The beet chips didn't turn out great.  I didn't have a slicer so I hand sliced them and they were way to thick to bake.  Next time.
I got the recipe I used for the pickled beets from our 96 year old neighbor.  Bryan like the jar that he tried and it was a very easy recipe.

Cook beets until tender, skin and cut as desired.  Put in sterile jars.  For quart size jars put 1 tsp salt on top.  For pint size jar put 1/2 tsp on top.  Then pour the following mixture over the top: (I mixed in a bowl and then poured) 2 C water, 1 C vinegar and 1/2 C sugar.  Use a half and half mixture if a more vinegary taste is desired.  Seal jars in a boiling water bath.  That's it.   Easy Peasy.  Almost completely done in a nap time.
I sealed 7 jars, but made 8 and a half jars.  Bryan will eat the beets that are in the jar in the fridge for his lunches.