GRANDMA's BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES

When I was a little girl I watched my (very German) Aunt Welentina Ezlinger make pickles in her basement. I climbed up on a stool and watched her line up the hot jars and put "seeds" in each one. She then packed the jars tight with cucumbers from her garden and poured a hot vinegar liquid over them. That was almost 60 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so impressed!! I think of her when I make this recipe.

We love these bread and butter pickles!! They are fresh and bright tasting and are worlds better than commercial pickles!!

 

 

 

GRANDMA's BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES        6 PINTS

 

4 cups water

1/4  cup pickling salt (not regular salt)

10 large pickling cucumbers

ice cubes (I use 2 trays of ice cubes)

3 cups sugar

2 cups water

2 cups apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

2 teaspoons mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

 

Wash the pickling cucumbers and slice them into 1/8" slices (I cut mine just a tad thicker than 1/8").

 

 

In a LARGE bowl, mix 4 cups water and 1/4 cup pickling salt until well dissolved. Add cucumbers and ice cubes and gently swirl, making sure the slices are all submerged.  Let cucumber slices soak for two hours.

 

After 2 hours, drain the cucumbers (throw away the liquid) and rinse completely with fresh water (I rinse mine 2 or 3 times).

 

In a large/deep pan, mix 3 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons ground turmeric, 2 teaspoons mustard seed and 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. Bring this mixture to a boil.

 

Reduce heat to LOW and put the cucumber slices in. Stir gently and let the cucumber sit in the hot liquid until they are all hot (but not cooked). Don't let the cucumbers boil.

 

Remove the slices from the hot liquid (with tongs) and pack directly into sterilized PINT size mason jars (pack as many as you can get into the jars...pack tightly).

 

When the jars are all packed with cucumber slices, bring the pot of vinegar liquid back to a boil. Remove from the heat and pour into the jars of cucumber slices, to within 1/4" of the top. Run a CLEAN knife around the sides of the jars to remove any air bubbles.

 

Wipe off the rims of the jars with a clean moist towel and screw on the two piece lids.

 

If you are going to use these pickles within 2-3 months, you can just keep them in the fridge at this stage.  If you want to keep them for a lot longer or if you want to store them in the pantry, you'll have to process the PINTS immediately in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

 

Whether you keep them in the fridge, or put them through a hot water bath, you will have to let the cucumbers "pickle" for 2 or 3 weeks before you eat them, gently "shaking" the jars once a day.

 

 

 

ENJOY !!

 



SOFT COCONUT DROP COOKIES

These cookies are WONDERFULLY SOFT, rich, flavorful and easy to make. The recipe makes about 3 dozen big 4" cookies and if you store them in an airtight container, they will stay soft and chewy (they are totally addicting!!)

 

Soft Coconut Drop Cookies are PERFECT lunch box cookies, bake sale cookies, potluck cookies or "anytime cookies". They are delicious.

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (lightly packed)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Cream the shortening, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.

Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, coconut and nuts (if you are using nuts) and beat until well mixed (batter will be thick).

Take a well rounded tablespoon of cookie dough batter and roll it into a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet spaced 3" apart (I use parchment paper instead of greasing the pan). Bake at 350° for 11-14 minutes (my electric oven takes a full 14 minutes). Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet a minute or two before you remove them.

After they are cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container.

 

ENJOY !!

 

Note: Recipe calls for butter flavored shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco). I'm sure they could be made with butter instead, but they will bake differently and probably spread out a lot more. I also don't think they would stay soft and chewy.



TOMATO VEGGIE SOUP

We have already had frost a few times this fall and the yellow leaves are starting to fall; that means its SOUP time!! This recipe is a wonderful use for all of those extra garden veggies you have this time of year. Tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, celery and anything else you can think of to add to the soup; this recipe is very versatile (and yummy).

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 1/2 cups water
2 large tomatoes (I used a ton of cherry tomatoes)
1 (15 ounce) can ro-tel tomatoes with juice (I use mild)
4 cups beef broth  (not bullion)
1/3 cup uncooked barley
1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper (I like 1/2 teaspoon)
2 cups chopped zucchini
1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans (or your favorite bean)
pinch of red pepper flakes if you like heat (optional)

Spray a large soup pot with vegetable spray and sauté the onions, celery and carrots until the onions turn soft and a little sweet.

Put the undrained can of rotel tomatoes

PLUS the two fresh tomatoes into the food processor and blend until smooth, then add to the pot.

Add everything else to the pot and simmer SLOWLY for 45 minutes, that's it; just stir it once in a while.

I'm SURE this could be easily done in the crockpot as well.

ENJOY !!

EASY OVEN BROWN RICE

We've been trying to eat healthier lately, and "nutrition empty" white rice has been replaced by brown rice at our house.

Before now, I have only had moderate luck making brown rice. Not only do you have to babysit brown rice on a burner for 40-ish minutes, but the end result can be a little crunchy, (or worse yet), it can be gummy and sticky. Then, of course, there is the dreaded layer of rice that always cements itself to the  bottom of the pan (insert frown here).... not fun!!

Well, my cooking friends, your brown rice "issues" are over!! This super easy method will give you fluffy brown rice every time (with every grain cooked) and NOTHING sticks to the pan....super easy!!

 

This recipe makes three cups of cooked rice, which is a lot of rice for smaller families. So, I divide the leftovers into 1/2 cup or 1 cup portions and I freeze it. This way you can have brown rice ready in a flash for a weeknight meal (or to add to soups, etc.)

1 1/2 cups brown rice
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 teaspoon kosher salt (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375° and spray an 8" x 8" baking dish with vegetable spray.

Put the dry rice in the prepared baking pan.  Heat the water, butter and salt until it just comes to a boil, then pour over the rice and stir everything just enough to get the rice to an even level in the pan. Then cover the pan with aluminum foil.

COVER PAN TIGHTLY

I use heavy duty aluminum foil and crimp the edges tight on all four sides. It is important that you trap the steam in the pan.

Bake at 375° for one hour. After an hour, remove the pan from the oven and take off the foil. Fluff the rice with a fork and that's it!!

 

 

If you aren't going to eat the rice as soon as it comes out of the oven, make sure you still remove the foil so that the condensation doesn't drip back into the rice.

ENJOY !!

PERFECT BLUEBERRY CREAM MUFFINS

This muffin is sweet, moist, light, full of flavor and pretty to look at (I love muffins than have nice rounded tops). They are very quick and easy to make and they freeze well; what more can you ask for?

 

BLUEBERRY CREAM MUFFINS       MAKES 24

3 large eggs
1 + 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 + 1/2 cups sour cream
1 + 1/2 cups blueberries

In large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until well combined. Leave mixer running and drizzle in the vegetable oil, stir in vanilla.

In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Add this dry mixture (to the egg mixture)alternately with the sour cream (I added it in thirds).

Gently fold in the blueberries.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners and fill about 3/4 full (I use an ice cream scoop). 

Bake in preheated 400° oven for 20 minutes (my electric oven takes 23 minutes).

* Adapted version of recipe found on Allrecipes.com

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Do you have a lot of zucchini this summer? If so, this is a great way to use it. This treat is super chocolate-y, super moist (in fact it gets even more moist on day two), super easy to make and freezes very well.

(2) one ounce squares of unsweetened chocolate (melted)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 cups shredded zucchini (squeezed dry then measured)
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 + 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Things to do first:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°
2. Toss the chocolate chips into the measured flour to get them well coated,that way they won't sink to the bottom of the bread as it cooks.
3. Grease two large (9" x 5") loaf pans. I lined mine with parchment and then greased the parchment (this bread tries to stick to the pan if you go light on this step, but with the parchment paper, the zucchini bread tips right out.

4. Shred the zucchini then squeeze some of the water out of it (with your hands) before you measure it.

Directions:

In large mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), combine eggs, sugar, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix until smooth.

Next, add flour (that you've stirred the chocolate chips into), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix until well combined, smooth and shiny (just takes a 30 seconds or so).

Pour batter into 2 well greased large loaf pans and bake at 350­° for 60 to 70 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 60 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into tallest part of the bread comes out clean. Don't over cook.

Cool in pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove from pans. Wrap the bread in plastic wrap while they are still hot.  This keeps a lot of the moisture inside of the zucchini bread as it cools.  Don't slice the bread until it cools down completely.

If you are going to freeze them, cool completely, then double wrap them or wrap them in plastic wrap and put in a Ziploc freezer bag.

FUN TIP: If your children are picky eaters, just peel the zucchini before you shred them, that way you won't hear "Mom, what are these green specs?" They won't even know that the zucchini is in there!!

ENJOY !!

BEST EVER STRAWBERRY TOPPING

This topping rates 5 out of 5 stars for an ice cream topping, but it is also DELICIOUS over pancakes, pound cake, cheesecake and right out of the jar with a big spoon!! It is nice and thick and bright red (not a hint of watery-ness........is that a word?) 

It is economic to make for a large crowd and it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Only TWO ingredients!!

 

 

2 pounds of frozen strawberries

1 cup of sugar

 

I buy large bags of bulk frozen strawberries from our local discount store. I let them thaw for about 1/2 hour or so, then I pulse them in the food processor several times until you get a fairly small dice.

 

Add 1 cup of sugar, stir and put it in a heavy bottom kettle (heavy bottom kettles help it cook but not scorch). Cook on medium high heat until you get a good boil going, then turn down the heat to a medium low boil and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

 

After 20 minutes, remove from heat and skim off any pink foam. That's it!!  Chill in the fridge before using. Makes 4 cups of topping.

 

 

ENJOY !!



SUPER EASY FLOUR TORTILLAS

I throw away a lot of tortillas, do you? I use 5 or 6 out of a package and freeze the rest with good intentions of using them later, but I never do. Before long they are covered with ice crystals and hiding in a dark corner in the freezer.

So I recently decided to teach myself how to make flour tortillas.
I was pleased to discover that they are very easy to make in the food processor and very inexpensive as well. They also taste worlds better than the ones from the store, I promise!! It is like the difference between store bread and bread out of the oven.

This recipe makes (8) 8" tortillas

1+3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (see note below)
1/2 cup of hot tap water

In a food processor, place the flour, baking powder, salt and vegetable oil.  Pulse several times until it looks like coarse corn meal.

While the food process is still running, stream in the hot water (it doesn't have to be super hot, just hot right from the sink). When dough starts to form a ball, stop the food processor and dump the mixture out on the counter.

Knead it together with your hands a few times until it makes a  nice smooth ball (only takes a minute or so). Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball (cover them and only roll out and cook one at a time).

Using a rolling pin, roll each ball (I don't use extra flour, but some people do) out into a large circle. Roll it as thin as you can, then roll it even more. My rule of thumb is to roll them thin enough so you can see the color of your counter just a little........well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but not by much (wink) the thinner the better

DO NOT WORRY IF THEY ARE NOT PERFECTLY ROUND,

THAT WILL COME WITH EXPERIENCE

One at a time, cook on hot UNGREASED pan (I use my electric griddle at 375F, for about one minute a side or until bubbles start to appear like this

 

 

 

As the bubbles appear, very gently press them down a little with a spatula. After it has cooked for about a minute (peak under and make sure that there are little golden brown spots on the underside), then flip it over and cook the other side for another minute. Keep them warm inside of a clean dish towel until you get them all cooked.

These tortillas are truly delicious.  Now, if you want to live really dangerously, you can replace the heart healthy canola oil with un-healthy but over-the-top delicious bacon fat.  Talk about WOW!!  I don't recommend this very often, but on a special occasion, you just have to try it with the bacon fat, it is excellent. (Note: on the days I fry bacon, I put the bacon fat into a clean jam jar and keep it in the fridge or freezer).

ENJOY !!

CROCKPOT PORK LOIN

This recipe is ultra easy, ultra fast and ultra delicious!! What more can you ask for? And, oh, did I mention...it cooks by itself in the Crockpot!!

The end result is moist, fall apart tender, sweet-ish, completely full flavored and very versatile. It is going directly into my "make often" recipe box!!

2 pounds (approx.) pork loin (tenderloin will work too)
1/4 cup LOW SODIUM soy sauce (regular will be too salty)
1 tablespoon regular old yellow mustard
1/4 cup real maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
2 tablespoons canola oil (or vegetable oil)
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Put the oil in your crockpot and rub it around to cover the cooking surface. Put the pork loin in.

Mix everything else and pour over the meat.  Put the lid on and cook on LOW for 6 hours. Turn it over half way through if you can, but its  not necessary.

After 6 hours, remove meat and thicken the sauce (if you want to) and put the meat back in. Whether you thicken the sauce or not, is just a matter of preference, it tastes the same.

NOTE: I use this recipe using a 2 pound pork loin roast, but a tenderloin will work too. I haven't tried the recipe with any other cut of pork.

NOTE: Make sure you use low sodium soy sauce or the final dish might be a tad salty for you.

SWEET AND STICKY CHICKEN

This recipe is one of picky-picky husbands all time favorites. There are several steps, but none of them are hard and the end result is oh so tasty!!

Yes, it IS very sweet (after all it is called "Sweet and Sticky Chicken"), but it is a real crowd pleaser and any leftovers are excellent for lunch on day two!!

You can use white or dark meat chicken, but we LOVE it made with boneless and skinless chicken thighs (and we don't usually eat dark chicken), but the thigh meat in this recipe stays very moist and flavorful (and some times, chicken breast meat, cooked like this, can be a little dry.

Cut 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs into 1" cubes. Marinate the cubes in the following mixture:

2 tablespoons cooking sherry (see substitution note below)
1 teaspoon powdered chicken bullion (or one cube crushed)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1  1/2  teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Toss cubed chicken in the above mixture and chill for about an hour.


Now, to bread the chicken:

In bowl #1, put:
1 cup flour

In bowl #2, mix
2 large eggs

In bowl #3, put
1 cup cornstarch


Toss the cubed and marinated chicken in bowl #1. Toss them around until well covered.

Shake off all excess flour mixture and put the meat into bowl #2. Stir them around until well moistened, then but them into the cornstarch in bowl #3, toss to coat well. 

Shake off excess cornstarch and fry in 1" vegetable oil (I use my electric skillet for this step).  Fry until lightly golden and well done. Drain on paper towels.

While the chicken is frying....make the sauce:

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sweet chili sauce (see note below)

Put the sauce ingredients into a saucepan and simmer GENTLY for about a minute or two (don't boil hard or it will turn into candy).

Drizzle the sweet sauce over the cooked chicken. Toss to coat well.  Keep hot till serving time.

We like this served over rice.



NOTE:  We are very shy when it comes to spicy foods, so I  use one tablespoon of Sun Luck brand sweet chili sauce in this recipe and the final sauce has next to NO heat, but its a great addition to the flavor.  If you like spicy, then I'd suggest you use something with more heat.

 

 

NOTE:  I never seem to have cooking sherry around, so in this recipe I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla + enough water to make 2 tablespoons. Sounds weird I know, but trust me, it works well in this recipe.



NO WEEP MERINGUE

We love lemon meringue pie, but since we are "empty nesters" it takes us several days to eat the pie, and by then my meringue starts to "weep" a clear liquid that makes everything.......well, we throw it away when that happens.

Recently, I found a recipe online for a "No Weep Meringue" and it truly is, just that, it doesn't weep!! Not only does it taste excellent, but the pie has been in the fridge for three days now and not a DROP of liquid has appeared!! 

For the life of me I can't remember where I found this recipe, so I apologize to the original author. Where has this recipe been all my life!?!?!?

NO WEEP MERINGUE

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cold water

Bring this to a boil (whisking all the time) and cook until it gets very thick.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.

In a large glass or stainless steel bowl (NO PLASTIC) beat three egg whites until they are thick and foamy (they shouldn't hold a peak yet).

With mixer on high, add 6 tablespoons sugar (one tablespoon at a time) beating well in between each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract + a pinch of salt and beat until stiff and glossy.

With mixer running, add the lukewarm cornstarch mixture and beat on HIGH for 3-4 minutes.

Spread on filled and cooled 9" lemon pie.  Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes or until meringue peaks begin to turn golden.

Keep finished pie in fridge.

SUPER EASY-PERFECT FROSTING

I've decorated cakes for decades and I've tried a ton of basic vanilla frosting recipes. Today's frosting is BY FAR the fastest, easiest and tastiest vanilla frosting I've ever used. It is light, fluffy, super easy to work with and it TASTES REALLY GOOD!!

BASIC VANILLA FROSTING
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup UNSALTED butter (see important note below)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (not imitation vanilla)
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1-4 tablespoons cream  (milk will work in a pinch)

IMPORTANT NOTE: This frosting will taste terrible if you use regular salted butter; well, maybe that is a little misleading. Let's just say I DISLIKE this frosting when regular salted butter is used (it just tastes weird). So, use UNSALTED BUTTER !!

With an electric mixer (I like my stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this), beat the ROOM TEMPERATURE unsalted butter + sugar + extracts + 1 tablespoon of the cream until well mixed. If it seems dry, add another 1-3 more tablespoons of cream (1 tablespoon at a time) and  once you get the spreading consistency you want...beat it for a couple of minutes more, or until light and fluffy.

That's it!! It's so easy and pipes well through a bag and tip or spreads well with a knife. Sounds too simple, but try it, you'll love it.
 

ENJOY !!

SWEET BABY RAYS BARBECUE SAUCE CLONE

We love thick and sweet barbecue sauce, and our favorite (for years) has been Sweet Baby Ray's brand.  Recently, I did an panic-internet search for something similar to SBR barbecue sauce because I had one of those "I forgot my grocery list on the kitchen counter again" days at the market and dinner was planned around grilling.

Well, I found this recipe on a ton of web sites, all crediting www.halfbakedharvest.com, so I thought I would give it a try and we were thrilled with the results.  I hope you like it too.



Bacon wrapped Shrimp coated with

BBQ Sauce and Baked

 

 

1  1/4 cups regular ketchup
1  cup dark brown sugar (gives much better flavor than light brown)
1/4  cup molasses
1/4  cup pineapple juice
2  teaspoons hickory liquid smoke
2  1/2 teaspoons ground dry mustard
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2  teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)
pinch of cayenne pepper
1  1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (not fine table salt)
1 teaspoon black pepper

Put everything into a saucepan and whisk it together. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to slow simmer and simmer 5 to 15 minutes, depending on how thick you want it to be.

You can use this immediately or store in fridge for a week or so or portion it out and freeze it for future use. 

NOTE: If you don't have kosher salt, you can use regular table salt, just use LESS, since kosher salt and table salt measure very differently.





 Happy Grilling!!

CROCK-POT CHICKEN PARMESAN

This is a quick and easy "cheater-recipe" for chicken Parmesan. YES, I KNOW, technically it's not fried and crispy chicken Parmesan, but it IS delicious and it IS quick and easy...you just throw everything into the slow cooker and 4 hours later its ready to devour...comfort food at its best, trust me.

 

 

2-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (see note)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten
1 jar meatless marinara sauce (about 25 ounces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Mozzarella cheese

Coat the bottom and sides of your slow cooker with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Coat the chicken breasts with beaten egg, then roll in the crumb-cheese mixture and place the meat in your slow cooker in a single layer.

In a bowl, mix the marinara sauce, onion flakes (see note), oregano, basil, sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over the coated chicken, DO NOT STIR.

Set your slow cooker on low for 4 hours, do not disturb chicken. About 45 minutes before it's time to eat, put a nice thick layer of Mozzarella on each chicken breast and spoon a little of the sauce over the cheese and continue cooking.

NOTE: All crock-pots cook at different temperatures, so keep that in mind when you set your timer. I usually cook 2 chicken breasts, so I cut the breading in half, but I DO NOT CUT DOWN THE SAUCE. My chicken is done (nearly fall-apart tender) in 3 1/2 hours on LOW. If you cook all 4 chicken breasts, you'll need a larger slow cooker and you'll have to adjust the cooking time a little (about 4-4 1/2 hours) just keep an eye on it the first time you make this recipe.

NOTE: If you want to use fresh onion in this recipe, rather than onion flakes, just sauté them in a little butter before adding.

NOTE: Use whatever commercial marinara sauce you enjoy. Personally, I use an inexpensive brand (like Ragu) because the extra onion, oregano, basil, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper jazz up the marinara nicely.

NOTE: This would be a fantastic recipe for a potluck dinner if you quarter the chicken breasts.

FRUIT JUICE JIGGLERS

“Fruit Juice Jigglers” are a fun treat to serve your children and grandchildren when the weather turns warm because they are cool and refreshing. Better yet, they require NO cups/spoons/napkins; they don’t melt in those hot little hands AND they are nutritious!!

Jigglers are super quick and easy to mix up and after a 3 hour chill in the fridge, they are ready to snack on or take to a potluck (adults love them too!!)

 

2 cups your favorite fruit juice (divided)
2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin powder

You will find it on  

the regular Jello aisle

 

Measure 1/2 cup COLD fruit juice into a bowl. Sprinkle TWO envelopes of UNFLAVORED gelatin over the juice and stir it a little. Set aside for about a minute or until it becomes fairly solid.

 

Once it becomes solid, pour 1 1/2 cups BOILING fruit juice over it and stir until everything is completely dissolved.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and stir it again.

 

Pour this mixture into an ungreased 9x9 dish and let it chill for three hours.  Cut into squares and serve.

 

NOTE:  The dish size is not crucial: smaller dishes will give you thicker jigglers, larger dishes will give you thinner jigglers.

 

NOTE: I have only ever done this with clear (no pulp) juices, so I don't know how it would turn out with a heavy pulp juice.

 

NOTE: I use a sharp knife to cut the squares, then I use a 2" (narrow) spatula to help release them from the pan.

NOTE: You can use any flavor fruit juice or fruit juice blend.

 

 

ENJOY THE SUMMER FUN !!

OLD FASHIONED BANANA SPLITS

It is finally barbecue season!! So, why not finish off your cookout with a good old-fashioned classic banana split, complete with home made toppings? Your family will love them!!

Below you will find the recipes for three excellent ice cream toppings. They last up to a week in the fridge, so go ahead and make them ahead of time.



FUDGE TOPPING

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 and 2/3 cups white sugar
1 and 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
In a large sauce pan, over medium heat, combine the cocoa, sugar and milk. Bring it to a boil (stirring) and let it boil for one minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Tastes good warm or cold.
STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

FRESH STRAWBERRY TOPPING

1 pound ripe strawberries (washed and hulled)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chop the strawberries into medium size pieces (I use the food processor) and cook them in a heavy bottomed sauce pan with the water and sugar until it gets nice and thick. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and chill.  STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR


PRALINE TOPPING (this one is sinfully delicious!!)

1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed)
16 large marshmallows
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
dash of salt
1 cup of evaporated (canned) milk
1/2 cup toasted pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, marshmallows, syrup and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Simmer gently for one minute. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, nuts and vanilla, mix well. This is good warm or cold.  STORE IN THE REFRIGERATOR.

ENJOY !!

HOME MADE PEPPERONI

A blogging friend, over at Hey, What's For Dinner Mom? posted a recipe for home made pepperoni. It started me thinking and, after searching the Internet, I found at least  a dozen more recipes that convinced me I needed to give this a try; I'm so glad I did.

Have you ever read the ingredient list on a package of commercial pepperoni or looked closely at a slice of it and wondered what all those "bits" were? Exactly!! Pretty gross thought wasn't it?? Well, now I have pepperoni and I know EXACTLY what is in it.

The recipe I decided to try is very simple because it does not involve sausage casings or a smoke house or any weird preservatives. It's just meat and spices baked in the oven at a super low temperature for 8 hours ............ and it was really good (even picky-picky husband love it!!)

 

 

First of all, when it's all cooked, it's NOT going to be bright red/orange like commercial pepperoni, and it's not going to be shaped perfectly round, but that certainly didn't bother us. At least I know exactly what is in my sausage!!

1 pound of ground pork (see note below)
1 pound of ground beef (very lean, I used 96%)
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons mustard seed
2 teaspoons fennel seed
1 teaspoon paprika
1 to 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (see notes)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 slightly heaping teaspoons salt (see notes)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water

Grind the dry spices together (I used my mortar and pestle) until they are roughly ground (it doesn't have to be super fine).

Mix the two ground meats together (I used my stand mixer). Then mix in the spices, the liquid smoke and 1/4 cup water. After it's well mixed. Cover it well, and chill it for 48 hours.

After 48 hours, mix again and roll the mixture into 2 logs and place them on a foil lined baking sheet (make sure the baking sheet has a lip).

Bake in a pre-heated 200° oven for 8 hours. Most of the recipes tell you to keep turning the "logs" every two hours, as they bake, but I didn't turn them at all, and they were fine. Your house is going to smell wonderful!! 

After 8 hours, they will look like this:

The "pepperoni" logs will be quite firm to the touch when they come out of the oven. Since I used very lean mean, I didn't have much grease in the bottom of my pan, but, if you use a fattier grade of meat, you might have to wipe off any obvious grease on the outside of the baked sausages before you chill them.

CHILL  BEFORE  YOU   SLICE !!

Let the baked logs cool a little, then wrap them in plastic wrap and chill them until they are very cold before you slice them.  Use a sharp knife and slice the sausages very thin.

We were very pleasantly surprised how easy this was to make and what a nice flavor it had. We will definitely be making this recipe again!!

NOTES:  For the ground pork, a small pork butt roast works great because it has the right amount of fat, but you can also just buy a pound of ground pork (UNseasoned....not sausage).

UPDATE: Since posting this recipe, I've tried the same spice mixture with ALL ground pork and I think we like the texture even better. If you use ALL pork, just reduce the cooking time to 6 hours.

NOTES: I used 1 1/4 teaspoons of crushed red pepper flakes and it was just the right amount of heat for us, but then we are pretty timid when it comes to food heat tolerance. If you like spicy pepperoni, just add more flakes.

NOTES: Several of the recipe I found online called for Morton's Tender Quick which has salt, sodium nitrate, sodium nitrite and propylene glycol in it.  The only advantage to using that product (that I can see) is to give your sausage that bright pink color.  Since that is not important to me (and I tend to keep my pepperoni in the freezer)I just used plain old table salt and it worked fine.

BIG MAC SECRET SAUCE

Every once in a while, rather than going to McDonalds and buying a "maybe hot...maybe not"  Big Mac (with only 3 ounces of beef) , we make a full size version at home. Here's another idea: Ever thought of Big Mac sliders for a kids party?  

This recipe tastes EXACTLY LIKE the secret sauce on the Big Mac, trust me, it really does.  It's quick to put together and lasts in the fridge for at least a couple of weeks.  Surprise your family with home made Big Mac's for dinner.

BIG MAC SECRET SAUCE

1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 heaping tablespoons French dressing  (salad dressing)
1/2 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 heaping tablespoons dill pickle relish
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon dry onion flakes
1 teaspoon ketchup
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix everything and chill for several hours or overnight.  Makes 1 cup.

 

 

ENJOY !!