Spanish Rice

Spanish Rice, to me, is either win or lose. There is no mediocre. This one is definitely a win, and I *think* it has to do with the home-canned chili sauce (which means I will have to get that recipe on here too!). My canned sauce has a sweetness to it that I think would be lacking in the storebought.

Of course, make it with storebought if you must. And hey~if you want to add some sweetness, just add some sugar! Try it and let me know if you like it.

I like to serve Spanish Rice with some cheese quesadilla topped with salsa and sour cream. It's cheap, it's light, and it's muy delicioso.

Here's what you need:

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* 1 small to medium chopped onion
* half a green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can canned tomatoes
* 1 cup water
* 3/4 cup uncooked long grain rice
* 1/2 cup chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 pinch ground black pepper
* 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown your ground beef and cook your onions in a large, oven safe pot over medium-high heat with a bit of oil. Drain excess fat and turn heat down to medium-low. Stir in the green bell pepper, tomatoes, water, rice, chili sauce, salt, brown sugar, cumin, Worcestershire sauce and ground black pepper.

Put the lid on and let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Add shredded cheddar cheese and put in 375 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. (Or-in the mid summer, just put the lid on tight and turn heat down low on burner to avoid turning on the oven.)

Pumpkin Butter (the easy way...)

I hate winter. I hate that I can't feel my toes for three months out of the year, and that the tips of my fingers are always blue. I hate that burrow myself in my homemade cave, and STILL can't find any warmth. And I hate that feeling I get, in Fall, when I bask in the sheer beauty of the season, only to remember that Fall is shortlived and winter is coming.

But, if I happen to be making pumpkin butter while in one of these particularly grumbly moods, my smell and tastebuds are powerful creatures, and can actually turn my mood around! (Matt is VERY thankful for my little mood switchers...) THEN, Fall is luscious and spicey and warm...and winter doesn't seem all that bad, IF I have a supply of pumpkin butter on hand.

I have never made pumpkin butter from a real pumpkin and here is why: I have never grown pumpkins (yet.) When you don't grow your OWN pumpkin, paying $4.00 for a pumpkin (plus doing all the prep work) doesn't seem worth it when I spy a can of pumpkin puree for $1.20 at the grocery store.

Next year, I hope to plant many Many MANY a pumpkin (because I am sick to death of the ridiculous prices that they are sold for and frankly, I LIKE having pumpkins around IF I didn't have to scoop into our retirement funds to do it!) When I do grow my own pumpkins, then it would be worthwhile to do it from scratch. But for now, I can get my pumpkin butter fix the easy way. And so can you!

Just four little ingredients are all you need:

29 oz. can of pumpkin puree
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg. sure jell
Mix first three ingredients together in a saucepan, stirring on medium high heat until really hot. Then, add sure jell and boil hard for 1 minute.

Ta DA!

Pumpkin products are not recommended for hot water bath canning, though I have known people to do it and get away with it just fine. But it SURELY wasn't me. Nope. Not I said the fly. Hear me now, as I shout from the rooftop:

I hereby state, that I do not endorse this sort of canning criminal act, and certainly don't recommend it! Nor do I accept any responsibility for the sickness thereby produced by inappropriate canning methods.

Pumpkin butter (and other pumpkin products) CAN be frozen so-there is a way for all to be right with the world this winter.

IF it can make it to the freezer.

Edited 3/19/13:  I have, since posting this recipe, had many successful years of growing pumpkins and have used my homegrown pumpkins instead of canned pumpkin very successfully.  Simply boil/roast fresh pumpkins and then puree insides.  I then measured 29 ounces of puree with my kitchen scale.  Either way- a winning recipe.  :-)

Pickled Eggs

Here's the thing: the term "PICKLED EGGS" just doesn't CUT it with these guys. Corynn refers to them as 'pink eggs' which, really, is MORE descriptive because 'pickled' doesn't describe them at all. They are sweet and cinnamony, not overly sour.

15 oz. can beet juice
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2c. white vinegar
1/2 c. cold water
1/2 t. salt
4 whole cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
6 hard-cooked eggs

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat for about five minutes... then cool. Pour over hard boiled eggs.

Eggs need to cure for five days for peak taste.

And it is peak.

Homemade Sorbet

I should say, this recipe is adapted from the Ball Blue Book of Canning and any soft fruit can be substituted to accomodate the season.

I made strawberries because that is the season that we just got out of.

And it is GOOD. VERY good.

If you like strawberries, you will think this divine.

If you are addicted to sugar, this will not fail you.

If you are hot, this is COOL. VERY cool!

You will need:

4 cups sliced fruit-any soft variety (I used strawberries)
2 cups sugar
1 cup orange juice (I used pinapple because that is what I had)
2 T. lemon juice

Puree fruit in food processor or blender.

Add remaining ingredients to a saucepan and stir over heat until sugar dissolves.

Add fruit puree.

Add to a freezable container.

(Now, the BBB-that is, by the way, Ball Blue Book) says to put it in a 13x9 inch pan and once frozen, bring it out cut it up, puree it again. Put in freezer safe canning jars and freeze in individual portions.)

Here is what I did (since I don't want to waste freezer space OR containers...

I just plopped it into an empty (and recycled ;-) ) 1 gallon ice cream pail and froze that.

You can too.

Then, when you are ready to serve some, simply cut out hunks enough to fill the crowd-and save the rest for later.

Puree or blend said hunks until light and fluffy.

ALWAYS garnish. It makes things lovely. Mint is a good standby! ;-)

Blueberry Recipes

Lemony Blueberry-Nectarine Freezer Jam

Freezer jams are PERFECT, considering the weather. No bending over a hot water bath in a hot kitchen, in a hot home, in HOT Pennsylvania. At least not when I don't have to...

3 cups chopped, pitted and peeled nectarines (about 4 medium)
1 c. crushed blueberries (about 1 pint)
1 T. grated lemon peel
1 ½ c. sugar
1 t. lemon juice
1 pouch freezer jam pectin

Combine all ingredients (except pectin) in a medium bowl. Let stand 15 minutes. Gradually stir in pectin. Stir three minutes then let stand for five. Ladle jam into jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Cap, Label and Freeze.

About 5 half-pints

Blueberry Lime Jam

(Note: I made this last year and everyone who I have shared it with have raved about it! I usually cut the zest in half but that is just my taste...)

4 ½ cups blueberries
6 cups sugar
2 T. lime juice
Grated zest of 2 large limes
3 3oz pkgs. Liquid pectin

Remove stalks from blueberries, rinse and drain well. Crush berries with a masher and put in a saucepan. Stir in sugar, lime juice and zest-bring to a boil over medium heat. Keep stirring to avoid burning. When mix reaches a boil, cook for one minute then stir in pectin. Return to a full boil for another minute. Place in sterilized jars and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield: about 6 cups

Blueberry Spice Jam
(Note: This is the first year I made this one but it smelled SO GOOD while I was making it!
And the taste: Matt definately prefers it over the lime and I think I might too!!!)

2 ½ pints ripe blueberries
1 T. lemon juice
½ t. ground nutmeg or cinnamon
5 ½ sugar
¾ c. water
1 box (1.75oz) powdered pectin

Wash and thoroughly crush blueberries, one layer at a time, in a saucepan. Add lemon juice, spice, and water. Stir in pectin and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar and return to a full boil. Boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off foam and fill sterile jars. Process 10 minutes in hater water bath.

Yield: about 5 half-pints

Blueberry Syrup

Yield: about 3 pints
2 Quarts blueberries
6 cups water, divided
1 T. grated lemon peel
3 c. sugar
2 T. lemon juice

Wash, drain, and crush blueberries. Add berries, 2 c. water and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Simmer five minutes. Strain through a damp jelly bag or several layers of cheesecloth. Combine sugar and four c. water in a medium saucepot; boil to 230degrees (Adjust for altitude) Add blueberry juice to sugar syrup. Boil five minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Ladle hot syrup into hot jars. Process 10 minutes in hot water canner.
Note:Fruit syrups are usually thin. If a thicker syrup is desired for serving, combine 1 c. syrup and 1 T. cornstarch in a small saucepan. Boil until thickened. Do NOT add cornstarch before canning…


Blueberry Cake with Streusel Topping

Streusel:
¼ c. gran. Sugar
¼ c. brown sugar
1/3 c. all purpose flour
½ t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground mace
¼ c. butter, cold

6 T. butter, softened
¾ c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 c. flour
3 T. cornstarch
2 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
1 t. vanilla
½ c. milk
2 cups blueberries

Mix dry streusel ingredients together, cut in butter. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter. Add sugar a bit at a time and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg. Sift together dry ingredients and mix with butter mixture, alternating with milk and vanilla. Stir in blue berries by hand. Spread batter in an oiled 8x8pan. Sppon streusel topping on top of batter and bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cake cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.

Zucchini Relish

Zucchini relish in the works!

The Recipe:
10 c. zucchine (about 3 large)
2 Lg. onions
2 red peppers
2 green peppers
5-7 baby carrots
3 stalks celery

~Chop and then grate in blender or food processor.
~Add 1/2 c. salt and let set overnight.
~Next day-drain and rinse VERY well (may require a second time!) in cold water.
~Mix together:
2 1/2 c. vinegar
4 c. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 t. turmeric
1 t. nutmeg
2 t. celery seed
1/4 t. pepper

~Bring to a boil in a large kettle.
~Add vegetables and simmer for 30 minutes
~Process in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. Yeild: about 7 pints

Volcano Pickles

Wash your cucumbers and slice 1/16th off the blossom end. Pack into clean quart jars.

Then place into each jar:
1 head of dill
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
1 TBS pickling salt
1 tsp pickling spice
1 TBS of dried red hot pepper.

Make a brine of 8 cups vinegar and 8 cups water (this is enough for 7 quart jars). Bring to a boil and pour over into jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Place lids on jars and can for 15 min in a water bath canner.

My husband's new favorite, received from Kim at Homestead Acres