Miracles, Blessings & Homemade Burn Salve

   Just as I thought everything was getting back to "normal" a few weeks ago, in regards to blog posting, canning routine, and just normal life; a huge "curve ball" was thrown into the mix. On March 17th my Knight was burning leaves and an unexpected "surprise" was in the fire. A spray paint can had unknowingly found its way into the hot flames.  As the can got hotter and hotter it exploded and released its pressure and last bit of paint. Acting like a blow torch, it sent large flames in the direction of my Knight, who was shirtless. Causing 2nd degree burns from one side of his abdomen to the other and from his belt-line to just below his breast. His left fore-arm also sustained 2nd degree burns. The intense heat singed his beard, mustache, eyebrows, and hair on forehead. Plus, other minor burns on his hands, nose, and chest. (no pics...too gross)

   After a trip to the ER, a concoction of pain meds, tons of anti-biotic ointment and gauze, lots of bed rest, and lets not forget the many many PRAYERS that were sent heavenward by countless friends and family, we are beginning to see healing of the wounds. His arm is the first to show signs of good healing. Today he was able to go without the bandages all day, while keeping it moist with salve (see recipe below). The salve is so that it doesn't dry out, crack, and then cause more pain. It should also help to reduce scarring.

   Though we rejoice in seeing this healing, the pain to the nerve endings are still there. This is what causes him the most discomfort. Second degree burns are the most painful of all burns, because the nerve endings are exposed, yet not damaged as they would be in a 3rd or 4th degree burn. And since the largest wound is across his stomach area; it becomes almost impossible to get into a comfortable position, since we use are stomach muscles to sit, turn, bend, lay down, etc.

   As we look at this "curve ball", we find MIRACLES throughout it all. First miracle, he had on jeans and shoes. Not shorts and sandals. Thus, keeping his feet and legs from getting burned. Second miracle, he was shirtless. If he'd had a tee shirt on it could have caught fire spreading the flames on up to his chest or around to his back. Third miracle, he had his hand up in front of his face lighting a cigarette (this is the one and only time I will be grateful he smokes) breaking the wind from the lighter when the explosion occurred. This act saved his face, eyes and ears from sustaining burns. Fourth miracle, his hands didn't sustain any major burns, just a few first degree on the back of the hands. His passion is playing his guitars. Fifth miracle, the bottom of the can flew past him at an extremely high velocity of speed embedding itself into the deck beam that were behind him. Had that hit him it would have been as a large bullet, causing sever damage or possible death. 

   There you have it, 5 Miracles in a matter of a few seconds that could have changed this whole unfortunate situation into something much more worse than it is. Now please don't think I am down grading the severity of his injuries. I am not. They are extremely bad, grotesquely ugly and very painful. But, we can see that our Lord and Savior was protecting him. For that, we are very thankful.

   Blessings have abounded. Family and Friends have rallied around us and provided us with wound care supplies, ointment, bandages, meals, and financial help. We are so BLESSED to have such caring and giving people in our circle of relationships. How can we say "Thank You" enough for all that each of you have done to help our family get through this? Words do not seem enough to express what is in our hearts.


   Now that his arm is past the point of infection, we can now use a salve to keep the wound area moist instead of the expensive triple antibiotic ointment we were using. So since, I am one who likes to use Natural products I have a recipe for a Beeswax Burn Salve that I will make. This salve is similar to the formula used for the better known: Burt's Bees Salve. Which can be rather expensive when using it in the amounts that we will be using it. Thus, we will be making our own. Saving our ever fading checking account from further drainage. (severe injury + no insurance + no work = ever fading checking account)

Homemade Burn Salve

Homemade Burn/Wound Salve
This salve can bring soothing and healing to; burns, minor cuts, cold sores and rashes.

1 quart of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ounce fresh calendula herb flowers
3 ounces beeswax, grated
cooking thermometer
Optional:
5 drops Tea-Tree Essential Oil - for calming the skin and fighting infection
10 drops Lavender Essential Oil - for soothing wound area and promote healing

Mix the olive oil and the flowers in a crock-pot and heat to a 175 degrees F overnight (You can do this in a double boiler/saucepan on the stove on low heat, but the longer the flowers are infused in the oil the stronger the infusion and final product is). Strain the oil from the flowers, then discard flowers.

Place the oil in a saucepan over medium heat (kept in over a double boiler). Add the beeswax and stir. Allow the wax to melt. When the mixture is fully melted, add essential oils if using.

Then pour into a jar. (I like to use a large mouth "squatty" jar for easier access to salve.) Let cool completely and secure with lid. Use: apply with fingers to burned, cut, rash or wounded area. Can leave moist over area or rub into skin leaving it soft and moisturized.

Where Does The Time Go? + Onions, Bananas, & Soup

I cannot believe that it has been well over a month since I last blogged.  The time has just flown by. You know "LIFE" it sometimes has a way of throwing us a few curve balls along with the normal everyday workings.

We are preparing for our daughters Senior Prom and Graduation. It is so hard to believe that my baby girl is graduating high school. She has surely grown up to be a beautiful young lady. I am so proud of here.

On another note....Spring is right around the corner...One of my favorite seasons of the year. With the coming Spring time comes the flowers in bloom. We have daffodils already in bursting forth and showing they beauty. Soon the Iris, Daylilies and Dogwood will be bursting forth.

Veggie Soup

Then comes the garden...fresh fruit and veggies. Woo who...I can't wait. Even though I can all year round, I just love the burst of adrenaline that comes with a garden for the " stocking of the larder" as the veggies and fruit ripen.

Speaking of canning, this afternoon I made a huge pot of veggie soup consisting of: spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, homemade chicken broth, and spices. I cooked it until it was about 3/4 of the way done, then ladled it up into hot sterile quart jars and pressured canned. Now I have lots of wonderful home canned soup ready to 'heat -n- serve'.

Onions in Freezer

I also had a whole lot of bananas, so I made 16 dozen Banana Oatmeal Cookies. I would have made more but ran out of oatmeal. Will have to get more from the store tomorrow. Of course, we ate some, then we froze some for later. I still had bananas that needed processing, so I made up a batch of 'Banana Nut Bread Jam'.  But, still had bananas....I guess more jam and cookies are in my future for tomorrow. (Jam Recipe Below)

I also chopped up about 10 pounds of onions. Sorted into freezer bags and placed in the freezer. I haven't found a good way to can them, except to caramelize them. Caramelizing them takes a lot of time, butter, and onions. The end product is excellent, but reduces to about 1/8 of what you started with. So, I just peel, chop, and freeze.

Banana Nut Bread Jam

Banana Nut Bread Jam

3 Cup of pureed bananas (I like mine a little chunky)
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups walnuts, minced (some like the nuts toasted)
1 package powered pectin
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg
4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix bananas, nuts, lemon juice, spices and powered pectin in large heavy bottomed pot. Stir constantly while bringing to a full boil. (Watch carefully as mixture is thick and will scorch on bottom if not stirring) Add sugars all at once. Stirring continuously. Heat until brought back to a full boil. boil hard for 1 minute. Ladle jam into jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes. Adjusting time for altitude. Makes 6 half pints or 3 pints.

So what have you all been doing lately in the kitchen? Canning, Baking, Freezing?
In the craft room? Sewing, quilting, crocheting, etc.?
In the garden? Prepping, pruning, or planting?

Recipe using HC Item: Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam w/Mock Angel Food Cake

Did you know that you can use Jams for more that just slathering on a hot buttered homemade biscuit or piece of toast?

You can use it for sauces on a variety of meats, baked into cookies or fruit bars, a sauce for ice cream or cakes and so much more.

Saturday's we treat ourselves here at Rose Bud Cottage. We typically don't have sweets during the week, so on Saturday I will make something like cookies, pie, or cake to last the weekend. Today was no different.

I was in the kitchen, my usual hang out place, straightening up and prepping for dinner later. My son comes in and says, "Mom, what you planning on for today?" I tell him that we will be having Venison Roast, beans, potatoes and glazed carrots for dinner. For dessert I was thinking of making a Mock Angel Food Cake with Peach Raspberry Lavender Sauce on the side.

His reply was, "Yum! I love today. It just keeps getting better. Why can't every day be like this?"

Mock Angel Food Cake
Great cake! Moist, easy, and only uses 3 egg whites!

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar or splenda or combo of both
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup milk, heated
3 large eggs, room temp

Measure first 4 ingredients into sifter and sift four times. This lets the flours get lots of air in them for a lighter fluffier cake. In saucepan, heat the milk just to the boiling point then remove from heat. Stir into the flour mixture until smooth. In separate bowl, beat the egg whites until still. Fold, do NOT stir, into the batter until no streaks remain. Turn into a greased and lightly floured angel food pan. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Invert pan and let cool before removing.

Forgot the black-eyed peas, sorry!

This cake will not rise as high as a standard angel food cake, but it is still light and airy.

The rest of our menu for tonight's dinner consisted of:
Home-canned Glazed Carrots
Home-canned Potatoes
Fresh Black-eyed Peas
Venison Roast

Recipe using Home-Canned Items: Italian Cabbage Soup

Some have asked....What do you make with all those different home-canned (HC) items? "I don't can because I don't think I would every use the stuff."

With those thoughts and questions in mind, I am going to start sharing more of the recipes that use the HC items.

Today's I will be sharing what we call Italian Cabbage Soup. This is just a soup that I have made up that conforms to the diet that My Knight and I are on. We eat a lot of cabbage on this diet and have come up with numerous ideas for soups using it. Why soup? Because it is more filling. Some of the other soups we have came up with are: Chicken Cabbage "Noodle" Soup, Mexican Salsa Cabbage Soup, and Cabbage "Spaghetti"  and Meat Sauce.

Chicken Stock

Stewed Tomatoes

Italian Cabbage Soup - serves 2

1 pint jar of HC broth (chicken or turkey)
1 pint jar of HC stewed tomatoes (tomatoes, peppers, onions)
2 cups cabbage, large shreds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch of Italian seasoning
8 oz. of ground meat (venison or chuck)
Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
Pepper to taste


Brown ground beef and drain. In sauce pan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. This blends all the flavors.

If you like, you can top with some Parmesan Cheese, and croutons. For a more creamy soup add a few tablespoons of heavy whipping cream.


Enjoy!

Tuesday's Tips: Easy Breakfast/Snack for Family for Less than a $1.00

Starting today and continuing through the year, I hope to share tips and hints that will make that will be easier on the pocket book, helpful and overall making life a little simpler.

Don't be surprised to find tips and hints in many genres. 

Cooks in Training

Such as:

Low Cost Meals and Recipes

Cooking and Baking

Canning and Dehydrating

Kitchen Cleanup Tricks

Laundry and Bathroom

Homemade Cleaners and Toiletries

Plus, anything else that comes to mind.

Today's Tip:

20 Doughnuts + Holes for less than a Dollar

What you need

2 cans of off brand canned biscuits (.40 cents each)

Shortening

Cast Iron Skillet

Powdered Sugar

Heat shortening in skillet over medium-high heat. You will want between 1/4 to 1/2 inch of melted shortening in pan.

While shortening is melting, open the biscuits and separate each, then punch out center. We used a hand-held apple corer; it is just about the right size for the holes. Also, prepare a platter with paper towels on it to absorb extra grease.

Once shortening is hot, gently place several holes or doughnuts into the pan. Do Not crowd the pan, but you can put several in at a time. After about 30 seconds flip the doughnut or holes over to brown on other side.

Once golden brown on both sides remove from grease and place on paper towels. Sprinkle with powered sugar while hot. These are best when eaten while still warm.

There you have it a simple and delicious (not so healthy) Breakfast or Snack for under a Dollar.

Do you have a simple and low cost recipe that that you would like to share? 
You can by simply linking it below or by submitting it in the comments.




 

Home-Canned Summer Squash Soup

I received about 4 pounds of yellow crookneck squash this past week. Knowing that I would not be able to use that much squash up before it began to go bad, I decided I needed to find a way to preserve it.

I have several quart jars of dehydrated squash already, canned cubed squash gets too mushy, and nobody put me will eat pickled or relished squash, thus I had to find an alternate way to preserve.

So began the search through my numerous cookbooks and on the internet for soup recipes whose main ingredient was squash. Most recipes that I found contained flour and dairy products.  Therefore, I modified a recipe that I found to fit the criteria for canning and here is the result.

A beautiful golden summer squash soup that is full of flavor and will make a wonderful quick meal. Convenient - Easy - Quick. My kind of meal planning.

Home-Canned Summer Squash Soup

3 onions, chopped
5 cup chicken broth (you could use vegetable broth)
5 cups water
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 medium carrots, sliced
4 pounds yellow squash (you could use zucchini  or combo of both) about 16 cups
salt and pepper to taste

Saute' the onions with some of the water until translucent. Add remaining water, broth, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil, then cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add squash, salt and pepper. Simmer covered for another 10 to 15 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and let cool until able to handle. Puree small batches in either food processor or blender until smooth. Fill hot sterile jars with soup, leaving 1 inch head space. Process in pressure canner at 11 pounds pressure for 35 minutes (pints) and 40 minutes (quarts), adjusting time and pressure for altitude. Makes approximately 4 quarts.

Serving:
Bring to a boil. Heating through well before serving. May want to add a little liquid: water, broth, milk or cream, depending on preference and thickness of soup. Also, you can add fresh parsley or basil for more intense herb flavor. Or possibly add a dollop of sour cream. Use your imagination and flavor preferences.

Happy Canning!

Holiday Countdown & Home-canned Ketchup with Odd Ingredient

Well there are only 3 days until Christmas and I am sure everyone is busy either finishing up shopping, wrapping, baking, cleaning, cooking or all of the above in various combination's. I know that I am trying to get this list under control. I have had the shopping done for a while, but need to wrap. The Baking ~ Done. The Cleaning ~ Never done. The Cooking, well that's today's story.

Yesterday evening, while I was away on business, my family was gifted with 2 large boxes of food. When I got home at around midnight I found 15 lb tomatoes, 12 bunches of bananas, 10 bell peppers, 8 lbs fingerling potatoes, 6 lbs mushrooms, 5 bunches green onions, 4 bags spinach, 3 heads of lettuce, 2 winter squash, 1 bunch asparagus,  and a pomegranate (Nope, NO Partridge in a Pear Tree) on my kitchen counter. Thank you, Lord for this Abundant Blessing.....

I know, I know, some of you are wondering by now (especially if you have been reading my post for a while)...She is always getting gifted with fresh fruit and veggies. Yes, I do. Almost weekly. It is a wonderful blessing of which I am very thankful for. It really helps with the food bill. The most rewarding part though is that we get to gift it to others as well, either as fresh fruit and veggies that I can't use or preserve before going bad or through home-canned items.

Needless to say though, that this is a lot of food and it needs to be worked up within the next 24 hours. So tonight after work, we got busy. Now my kitchen is thrashed, but we have 5 quarts potatoes canned, 4 pints mushrooms canned, 7 quarts stewed tomatoes canned, and the bell peppers, spinach, and green onions are all blanched, cut and into the dehydrator. That just leaves the bananas, plus the few odd pieces which we will incorporate into our lunch and dinners over the next few days.

Bananas, Bananas, Bananas....I get these gifted a lot. Now I'm not complaining mind you, but I am well stocked in Banana Jams, Butters and Preserves, plus I have given lots of those items away as gifts this year. So I am in need of something new to do with all these bananas.

By the way, I do have a freezer full (for smoothies and banana bread) and a bunch dehydrated (for instant snacks) for those of you who are thinking about those solutions. Thus, I am still in need of a NEW way to preserve them.

 I usually get a pretty good supply every couple of weeks and if they are in decent shape I pass them out to family and neighbors. Because of my knowing this and the fact that I didn't want more sugary items, I had already been doing some research on other ways to use them. Guess what I found?.......Banana Ketchup.  Yes, you read that correctly, Banana Ketchup.

I curled my nose up at it too. Just like you are doing right now as you are reading this. But hey, I am desperate here. Unless I go into business making and selling Banana Jam (that's an idea!) I have to try different things. Right? So I said to myself, "The bananas were free. You have the ingredients. It wouldn't really cost hardly anything but time. Why not give it a shot and see how it turns out." So I did. I was pleasantly surprised and so was My Knight.

I wouldn't tell him what I was concocting until I had a finished product. But you should of seen his reaction when he came into the kitchen and saw mashed bananas and chopped onions in the same pot. He gave me this incredibly strange look and said, "I don't even want to know, do I?" My reply was, "Nope, you don't. Not until it is finished."

After I had a finished product, I asked My Knight to come taste it. Boy, was he shocked.

He has concluded that this would be an excellent sauce for grilled chicken, burgers and steaks. There you have it. It past the test. Whoosh, am I glad. Because the Knight is real finicky, if it passes his taste test, I know it is good and will get used.

His conclusion is that it tastes more like a BBQ Sauce than Ketchup. Okay, I can live with that. So, I guess I have found a NEW way to use up all the bananas now. Guess what everyone on my list will be getting this time next year for gifts????

Banana Ketchup AKA Banana BBQ Sauce basic recipe from food.com

Banana Ketchup aka BBQ Sauce

5 or 6 ripe bananas, mashed equaling 2 cups
2 medium onions, very finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1 dash ground cloves
water, as needed
1 teaspoon red food coloring, to make it look more like commercial ketchup (opt)

My additions 
In the first batch I added:

2 to 4 tablespoons of Red Hot Buffalo Sandwich Sauce, I just emptied the bottle into it.

In the second batch I added:
2 to 4 tablespoons of commercial ketchup, I didn't measure, just gave it a few good squeezes.

Peel and mash the bananas or you can puree them in the blender. Chop the onions very fine. Place all ingredients into a large heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Cook on med-high until onions are softened, stirring frequently to keep from sticking to bottom. Wait for the mixture to cool off a bit, then run through a food processor or blender to get a more smooth ketchup-like consistency. You will want to do this in small batches to get the onions pureed into a nice smoothness. If it gets too thick, add a little water. If it cools down too much, reheat to the simmering point and pack into sterile jars with 1/2 inch head space. Place on lid and ring. Process in BWB for 5 to 10 minutes.

Happy Holidays!

Homemade Candy Canes

My DD enjoys working in the kitchen. Which I think is wonderful. Everyday she is learning life skills that will someday bless her own family. As we were making items to take to the family Christmas gathering the other day, she remembered that we use to make Candy Canes when she was littler. She asked if we could make them again. Sure, why not.

So we gathered the ingredients and began. As she started cooking and watching the candy thermometer she asked, "Mom, what is the story behind the Candy Cane? I know it has something to do with Jesus and a Shepard." She is right it does have something to do with those and more.

The Candy Cane Story

A candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would remind people of the true meaning of Christmas; so he made the candy cane to incorporate several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ. He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and the firmness of the promises of God.

The candymaker then shaped his cane into the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to the earth as Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which He reaches down to to reclaim the fallen lambs who, like sheep, have gone astray.

Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal life.

We shared and talked about the Candy Cane story as we prepared our own Homemade Candy Canes. Now this candy is no "walk in the park". The pulling process is quite intense and HOT. We both wore latex gloves and kept switching off during the "pulling", because our hands and fingers would get so hot from the "molten" sugar syrup. But, we did it and we have a final product.

Now please don't be a critic and say, "They don't look anything like the store kind." True, they don't look like them. But I tell you what, if you tasted one you would like them so much better that the commercial variety. Maybe it is because of the lack of preservatives and chemicals, but I like to think it is due to the LOVE and TIME put into them. They aren't perfect but they taste good.



Candy Canes

3 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Red food coloring
latex gloves

Generously grease several cookie sheets with butter or oil. You will need at least 3 or use platters. (DO NOT use anything plastic. This stuff will melt through it until it cools down.)  Preheat your oven to the lowest temp you have 150 to 200 degrees.

Combine the sugar, syrup and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Begin heating the mixture up on medium heat until sugar is fully dissolved. Place candy thermometer into mixture, raise heat just a little and let it get to the soft-cracked stage, 285 degrees F. NOTE: this stuff is extremely hot and will cause severe burns, so please be very careful especially if you have little ones around watching.

When the temperature is reached remove from the heat. Add the extract and stir in. Pour half the mixture onto a greased cookie sheet and place in the oven. This will keep the mixture from hardening on you. Now add several drops of the red coloring and mix well. Pour the red mixture onto a greased marble cutting board (this works the best) a heat-safe cutting board or large heat-proof platter, just make sure it is greased well.

Let it set just a minute to for a "skin". Put on gloves and grease them up with butter or oil. Using a greased scrapper or the edge of a large metal spatula begin to turn the candy onto itself. This will help it cool down faster. Once, it gets cool enough for you to handle (it still will be hot) begin pulling. Take the candy in both hands and pull the hands in opposite directions, stretching the candy into a long rope. Bring the ends of the strands together and twist the candy into a rope, then pull the rope out into a long strand. Continue to twist and pull the candy until it has a satin-like finish and is an opaque red color. Once the candy is still pliable but barely warm, pull it into a strand about 2” thick, and place it on the remaining prepared baking sheet. Put this sheet back into the oven, turn off the heat, and remove the baking sheet with the other half of the candy syrup. The pulled candy will remaining pliable in the warm oven while you work the second portion.

Remove the other cookie sheet of candy and repeat the process. At the end, the candy should be a pearly white color. Form it into a log 2” in diameter, just like the red candy. 

Remove the red candy from the oven. Cut a 4-inch segment from the white and the red log, and place them next to each other. Begin to pull the candies together, twisting gradually to form the familiar candy stripes. Once the twisted candy is the thickness you want, use oiled kitchen shears to cut them to approximately 8” lengths. Immediately form the hook at the top of the cane, and place it on a baking sheet to set at room temperature.

Repeat the twisting with the remaining candy. If the candy gets too hard to pull, place it in the warm oven for a few minutes to soften, but don’t let it sit too long and melt. The candy canes will get very hard at room temperature, but if left out for long periods of time they will get soft and sticky, so be sure to wrap them in cellophane once they are set.

I told you it was a process, but one that is gratifying. Knowing that you can make it. DD did a wonderful job. She stuck right in there until the end. But now that I think about it....Where was she when the "Clean-up" started....It seems like every time it time to start the dishes everyone disappears...Does that happen at your house too?

Enjoy!

A Husbands Twinkling Eye...Over Key LIme Pie

After making all the Christmas candy yesterday, I had a lot of reserved egg yolks leftover since the Divinity only requires the egg whites. What was I to do with them? I don't like to waste anything, thus I need to use them up some how.

As I stood in front of the opened refrigerator door this morning contemplating how to use them, what to my wondering eye should appear?  A jar of Limes that were left over in the fridge from when I home-canned a batch up a week or so ago. Limes and egg yolks, hummmmmm.....Key Lime Pie.  One of My Knights favorite desserts (as if we need more sweet things this time of year). Oh well, he will be excited and seeing that twinkle in his eye when he sees what I made will be all worth.

I quickly whipped together a Key Lime Pie this morning, before the whole house woke up and got moving about. Don't you just love the early mornings when no one is stirring about? The house is quite and still at rest. It is so peaceful. That is the time of day that I really enjoy. I know that everyone is still tucked snug in bed and are safe. None of the electronic devices have yet started to consume our day i.e., cell phones, computers, video games, TV, etc. Life is simple and relaxed at that time of day.

Back to my pie....

This pie is so quick and easy. I thought I would share it with you all here.

Just out of the oven, still steaming hot.

Key Lime Pie Made Simple

5 egg yolks

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk or homemade sweetened condensed milk (I share how in another post)

1/2 cup key lime juice or any lime juice you have

1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust (Except I used a standard pie dough)

I think I told you before that I never make a recipe just like it says. Here's the proof. ;-)

Preheat the oven to 375. Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well. Pour into the unbaked graham cracker shell or unbaked pie dough shell. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool. Top with whipped topping and garnish with a slice of lime if desired. Yum, Yum.....Enjoy.

I do hope you enjoy your day.

P.S. As I was typing this up my Knight came into the kitchen and asked, "What are you making, Dear?" I replied, "A Key Lime Pie."   He asked excitedly, "You made ME a Key Lime Pie?"  "Yes, Honey I did." was my answer. You should have seen that "twinkle in his eyes"".  He asked if we had whipped cream, if so could he have some now....No, Honey, you must wait until it cools before you can eat it.

See I told you it would be worth it.....

Day of Candy Making & Giveaway Winner!

Today was a day (morning) spent in the kitchen here at Rose Bud Cottage. We were making preparations for a Christmas gathering tomorrow with my Mom's side of the family. Each year about 36 of us gather together to celebrate Christmas, catch up on family tales and what is happening in everyone's lives. It is always a great time.

This year my Mom is the "Host", so we will all be gathering in her home. She has asked each home represented to bring a dessert and an appetizer. Since Michele (DD) and I like to cook, we tend to go overboard. We prepared a Cherry Chiffon Cake, Pecan Pralines (Mom's favorite), Divinity Candy, and a Italian Pizza Cup Appetizer.

Making candy is always a favorite thing for DD and I to do during the holiday season. Plus, homemade candy just taste so much better. I have the proof from, a 16 year-old food critic, my son. so, I thought I would share the candy recipes with you we made today.

Pecan Pralines

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 1/4 cups pecan halves

1 teaspoon vanilla

In heavy saucepan combine sugars, baking soda, buttermilk, and salt. Stir over low heat until sugars are dissolved. Boil over moderate heat until candy thermometer registers 230 degrees F. Remove from heat. Add butter, nuts and vanilla.  Beat candy until it starts to become thick and slightly sugary. Then place saucepan on low heat to prevent candy from becoming to hard before it is dropped into patties.  Dip by tablespoonful onto waxed paper, forming patties about 3 inches in diameter. Cool. Remove from paper and store in air tight container. Makes about 15.

 Divinity Candy

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (opt)

Heat sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook without stirring until syrup when dropped in cold water forms a hard ball (250 degrees F). 

Beat egg white. Pour syrup slowly into them and continue to beat until candy is stiff enough to hold its shape. Add nuts and vanilla. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper or turn into buttered pan and cut in 1 inch squares when firm. Once cooled keep covered because it dries out quickly.

Variations: 

Cherry: Prepare recipe as above. Color delicate pink with food coloring. Add 1/2 cup chopped candied cherries.

Chocolate: Prepare recipe as above. After syrup and eff whites have been combined, add 2 squares ( ounces) melted unsweetened chocolate.

Maple: Use above recipe, but decrease water to 1/4 cup. Add 3/4 cup maple syrup.

Orange: Use recipe above. Add 3 tablespoons coarsely grated orange rind with vanilla and nuts.

Do you do a lot of baking or candy making during the holidays? If so, what kinds of items do you like to make or that you make for you family. One other item we will be making is Peanut Brittle. My husband loves the stuff, but the store bought is so hard. I make it so that it is a softer texture and more easily eaten.

CONGRATULATIONS go to DebDoo!!!   She was the closets guess to the number of Home-canned (jarred) items that I have in my pantry inventory last week. I have a total of 527 jars.  DebDoo  give me a shout so that I can get your jar of Banana Split Preserves to you.

Homemade Biscuit Mix w/multiple uses and variations

I am going to make a huge assumption here. I am willing to take a risk in saying that most of the homemakers across America have made or make biscuits, muffins, pancakes, or waffles. These standard staple bread items of the average house are great for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

How do we go about making these? Well, a good majority will use a mix that was purchased from the grocer where all one does is add water or milk, stir and bake. This is easy, but can be expensive. Or we have individual recipes for each item and sometimes multiple recipes for each item.

What if I told you there was a recipe that you could make a mix at home that would work for all 4 of the items; biscuits, muffins, pancakes, and waffles.  Would you be interested? I was when I came across it in a 1958 cookbook set that I recently acquired; Encyclopedia of Cooking Volume 2 authored by Mary Margaret McBride.


Because I don't make these items everyday, I cut the recipe in half. This gives me enough mix to make on average 4 batches of something. I can keep the mix fresh with making less. Oh, and it stores well in the refrigerator for a couple of months.

There recipe is as follows:

Homemade Biscuit Mix

8 cups sifted enriched all purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt

4 tablespoons baking powder

1 cup shortening

1. Mix and sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl.

2. Have shortening at room temperature. Cut it into flour mixture with pastry blender or fork until mixture is like coarse corn meal.
3. Store in a closely covered container.
4. Mix will keep 3 to 4 weeks in a cool cupboard and much longer in a refrigerator.
5. Rich Homemade Biscuits: Sift in with the flour 1 cup dried/powdered skim milk.

To make 6 Biscuits: Measure 1 cup biscuit mix into a bowl. Stir in 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk. Using a fork until mixture cleans side of bowl and rounds up into a ball. Turn out on lightly floured board. Knead gently 1/2 minutes. Roll or pat out dough 1/2 inch thick. Cut with floured biscuit cutter. Bake on ungreased baking sheet in very hot oven (4750 degree F) 12 to 15 minutes.

To make 6 Muffins: Measure 1 cup biscuit mix into a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 well beaten egg, and about 1/2 cup milk. Stirring only until just moistened. Do not beat. Drop batter gently by spoonfuls into greased muffin pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake in hot oven (425 degree F) 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

To make 6 Pancakes: Measure 1 cup biscuit mix. Beat 1 egg well; combine with 1/2 cup milk and 2 tablespoons flour. Add to mix and stir only to dampen flour. Then add more milk to make batter just thin enough to pour. Pour by spoonfuls onto hot, lightly greased or ungreased griddle. Bake until bubbles on top burst. Turn and bake on other side.

To make 6 Waffles: Measure 2 cups mix; add 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Combine 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1 well beaten egg, and 1 1/2 cups milk. Beat liquid ingredients into biscuit mix. Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter into waffle iron. Bake 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown.

There you have it. Simple. Inexpensive. Handy. Homemade. No Preservatives.

A rough estimate at what it would cost to make a cull batch of this mix will cost you around $.85 to $1.50 (depending on if you buy generic or name brand). Whoa! What a savings compared to the store bought stuff at $4 plus dollars a box.

So if you are looking for a way to cut back on you grocery bill, I would recommend giving this a try

***Don't forget to make your guess of how many jars of home-canned goodness we have on hand. Go to yesterday evenings post (Organizing Larder) and leave your guess in the comments.***

Happy Savings!

More Peaches.....

 More peaches!!! Yes, more peaches. Within the last two weeks or so we have been gifted with lots (I mean lots) of Tango Peaches. Thus, the dilemma was how to use them and not let them go to waste.

So for the past few post, I have been sharing some of the creative ways I canned up a variety of peach delicacies. Now I am not one to waste anything if I can help it. (I cut the end off the toothpaste tube to get the last little bit out) I know, pretty obsessed with getting the most out of everything.

How does that relate to peaches? If you have read the previous post for this week you have read about how my family spent the day in the kitchen processing meat and canning. That day I peeled and cut up approximately 20 pounds of peaches, which means I had peelings and pits from all those peaches. Waste not, Want not...is the motto.

So I took all those peelings and pits and put them in a large stock pot and added just enough water to cover. Placed on the stove and brought it all to a boil. Covered and allowed it to boil at a steady pace for about 20 minutes. Then I strained all that rich Peach Juice out into another pan. Returned the juice to the stove and added sugar to taste and a touch (1/4 cup) lemon juice. Heated it through until the sugar had dissolved. Then I ladled it into jars and processed in a BWB for 20 minutes for quart jars. This yielded 3 quarts and 1 pint jar of rich pure Peach Juice (no chemicals added).  

Peelings & pits being cooked down to juice.

Happy Canning,

Peach Butter with a Twist

 For the past several years, I have given away half-pint jars of jams, jellies, preserves or butters to family and friends for Christmas gifts or stocking stuffer's (we do stockings @ my parents w/my siblings and their families that's 14 stockings to help fill each year).

Some people prefer "Butters" to the extra sweetness of jams and jellies. I try to make a variety: Apple butter, Banana Butter, Plum Butter, etc. I had given away my last Peach Butter the other day to my Ex (yes, we do get along for the most part-which is wonderful).

So when we were gifted with about 20 pounds of peaches this last week, I needed to make more peach butter. You can find a basic recipe for Peach butter here, but I always tweak my recipes some. I usually never make anything exactly the same way twice. I get close, but not exact since most of the time I am just making up the recipes as I go.

Now I can hear some of you saying, but this is "canning" we are talking about...we are suppose to follow the recipes to the letter... Yes, for most things you need to. I agree. But when it comes to the butters, jams, jellies, and preserves there is usually so much sugar (which is a preservative) it is really hard to go wrong on those. I have never had any problem with any spoilage, but that is me. You can use this recipe (which is mine) but keep in mind it is not a USDA approved recipe and you will be using it at your own risk. I take on no liability for the outcome. Except to say that mine turned out wonderful and delicious.

Peach Butter with a Twist

20 peaches, peeled, pitted, then grind or mash (I used a food processor to grind up)

3 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 cinnamon stick

Combine all ingredients into a large heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil on medium-heat, stirring often. (This mixture is a heavy mixture and will splatter when it boils, unless constant stirring is done. So, be prepared for a mess if you aren't stirring.) Continue to boil for 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours until thickened. A spoonful placed onto a chilled saucer should remain smooth with no watery sign. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Fill hot sterile jars to within 1/3 inch head-space. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes for pints. This recipe yielded  10 half-pint jars.

Peach Almond Jam

 I was looking for new and different recipe to use up some of the peaches that we were gifted with this week. I have in recent days canned a lot of peaches in the form of: peach pie filling and peaches in syrup. I still have plenty of those and wanted something unique to use as stocking stuffer and gifts for Christmas. After some searching, I found this recipe for Peach Almond Jam here except that I modified it some. I added more peaches, cut back on total sugar, then doubled extract and almonds.

This makes an excellent gourmet jam that is GREAT for gift giving. The unique distinction in this jam is the fact that it has almonds within the body of the jam. This add a crunch and extra texture that is usually not found in jams. Nuts are usually added to Conserves, but I really liked this added texture here.

Peach Almond Jam

5 lbs. peaches, peeled and finely chopped (8 cups)

1 cup almonds - chopped (I used my coffee grinder and did a rough grind)

1/2 cup lemon juice

6 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 pouch liquid pectin

In 6 quart sauce pan, place fruit, lemon juice and almonds. Then stir in sugar. Place over high heat and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and immediately stir in pectin and almond extract. You can skim off the foam with metal spoon if you want to have a "pretty" finished product. I usually do not do this. I just ladle it all into clean hot sterile jars. Fill to 1/4 inch head space. Process in BWB for 5 minutes for half-pints and 10 minutes for pint jars. Yielded 7 half-pint jars.

   

Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam

This is a very tasty gourmet jam. Great for gift giving. It has beautiful color and flavor. The hint of lavender adds a floral note, but you can omit it if you would like.

I like to add it, because it gives the jam an unexpected flavor that just adds to the fruitiness of the taste.

 Peach Raspberry Lavender Jam

4 teaspoons dried lavender buds (natural food market)

3 pound peaches, peeled and finely chopped

1 pint red raspberries, rinsed

2 1/4 cups sugar

6 tablespoons lemon juice

1 pkg pectin

Put lavender buds in a small bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over the buds and steep for 10 minutes or so. Strain the scented water into a bowl and set aside. Discard the buds.

In a 6 quart sauce pan over medium-heat, combine peaches, raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until liquid has thickened and is like the consistency of maple syrup, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lavender water and pectin. Return to a full rolling boil, stirring often and boil hard for 1 to 2 more minutes.

Remove pan from heat and ladle into sterile jars. Process in a BWB for 10 minutes for pints and half-pint jars. This will make approx. 7 half-pint jars.