Old-Fashioned Apple Butter
Crockpot Preparation:
For each pint (2 cups) of fruit add:
Stir well. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. Stir every 2 hours. Remove cover after 3 hours to allow fruit and juice to cook down. Spoon into hot canning jars and proceed according to canning jar directions. Or spoon into freezer containers. Allow apple butter to cool and then store in freezer. Oven Preperation: Preheat oven 325 F. Cook applebutter uncovered in oven until thick about 3 to 4 hours. Makes about 5 cups.
The peaches are ready for pick-up tomorrow. We will be taking the kids to the farm tomorrow. We don't pick them we just put the box in the car. I'm not as brave as my mom taking a WHOLE BUNCH of kids to pick and eat peaches. Oh my what a fun memory. We ate more than we picked and we picked a lot.
We have the day off Tuesday and will be canning. Just in time, because we have 1 pint left on the shelf.
It's time once again to return to school. The girls are attending a brand new school. The bus will pick them up here if needed and bring them here after school. We have backpacks ready to go and the parents are filling them (soon I hope). Hayli is excited as most social butterflies. Kylie is so shy I hope she will find a friend soon.
Maci is in for a shock when the girls go to school. She will miss them. I do not think Joe and I can rustle up enough noise to keep her happy. We cannot do the Maci Train as well as the girls.
Cajun Meatloaf
Makes 1 loaf
SEASONING MIX
MEATLOAF:
Melt butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, green bell pepper, green onion, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and seasoning mix. Sauté until mixture starts sticking, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan well. Stir in milk and catsup. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Put ground beef and pork into ungreased 13”x9” pan. Add eggs, cooked vegetable mixture (remove bay leaves), and bread crumbs. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. In the center of the pan, shape mixture into a 1 ½” high x 6” wide x 12” long loaf. Bake uncovered at 350F for 25 minutes, then raise heat to 400F and continue cooking (about 35 minutes)
Cajun Sauce for Beef excellent with Cajun meat loaf, roast beef sandwiches, hamburgers, and pot roast. Makes 3 1/2 cups or about 6 servings
Note: Fresh jalapeños are preferred; if you have to use pickled ones, rinse as much vinegar from them as possible.
Combine the onions, bell peppers and celery in a small bowl and set aside while you start the roux. (Note: Unlike the roux in most other recipes in this book, the roux we use here is light brown, Therefore, instead of heating the oil to the smoking stage, we heat it to only 250 degrees F; this prevents the roux from getting too brown.) In a heavy 2-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium-low heat to about 250 degrees F. With a metal whisk, whisk in the flour a little at a time until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until roux is light brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to let the roux scorch or splash on your skin. Remove from heat and with a spoon immediately stir in the vegetable mixture and the red, white, and black peppers; return pan to high heat and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bay leaves, jalapeño peppers and garlic, stirring well. Continue cooking about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. (We’re cooking the seasonings and vegetables in the light roux and the mixture should, therefore, be pasty.) Remove from heat. In a separate 2-quart saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock. Stirring until dissolved between each addition. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the sauce reduces to 3 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Skim any oil from the top and serve immediate.
Hayli and Kylie awoke this morning to put the finishing touches on the Dirt Cake... including the last minute addition of sprinkles.
Dirt Cake
Cream the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Mix pudding together with the milk, add the Cool Whip to pudding mixture. Then blend in with the cream cheese mixture. Crumble the Oreo's in a blender, leave the cream in the Oreo's. Line the inside of a clay flower pot with foil. Alternating cookie crumbs and filling, ending with the cookie crumbs on top. Top with gummi worms and a plastic flower. Enjoy!
Just found out my little sis in MN makes bowls for the Empty Bowls Project. Great job Kat. She will be working this weekend throwing pottery bowls. Check out the site to get the know --> http://www.emptybowls.net/
Then Kylie went home and rocked out her hair.
and Maci is not understanding the whole thing.
Some people come into our lives and quickly go... Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts and we are never, ever the same...
Toasty Baked Oatmeal
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups Regular Rolled Oats
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/3 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup firmly packed Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
Wet Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups Milk
2 large Eggs, well beaten
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter
1 cup blueberries, cherries, or diced apples
Preheat oven to 325. Mix all wet ingredients well in one bowl. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine bowls. Pour into a buttered 8 inch square baking pan. Bake until liquid is absorbed and top is light golden, about 45 minutes. Serve warm with cream, half & half or milk.
Green Beans with Sesame Vinaigrette
From: Gourmet / August 2004
1 and 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
Cook beans in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. When beans are cool, drain and pat dry. Whisk together oils, vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until combined well, then add beans and sesame seeds and toss to coat.
Makes 6 servings.
Spiced Cherry Jam
4 cups pitted cherries
1 (2-ounce) package powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 and 1/2 cups sugar
Place pitted cherries into a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Pour chopped cherries into a heavy 8-quart saucepan along with pectin, lemon juice, almond extract, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Bring to a rolling boil. Stir in sugar and return to a full boil. Reduce heat to a slow boil and cook for 3 minutes. Pour into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace and seal with canning lids. Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes or according to your canner manufacturer's instructions. Yield: 5 to 6 half-pints
Joe and I decided to build a 8'x4' stone planter for our backyard. We built the first one then decided to build a second planter 5'x 3'. It was hard work and should last longer then the raised landscape timber walls. We transferred the birdbath fountain into the new planter. This birdbath was constucted from a stump, old wire hanging basket, and large metal mixing bowl. The fountain is solar powered.
The grandkids and friends have decided the planter makes a wonderful stage.
School is out for the Day. Hayli and Kylie came to play with the neighbor kids. Maci stayed home with Lisa
Maci came to visit and relaxed back in her new highchair. She even slept through the arrival of her 2 big sisters after school. I am glad she is comfortable with noise.
