Tomato Soup (for canning)

Tomato Soup

10-12# Roma tomatoes
10-12 stalks celery
1# carrots
8 onions
2 cloves garlic
1 quart stock (such as chicken)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup salt
1 cup butter
1 cup flour

Cut the celery, carrots, garlic and onions into large chunks and place in a deep stock pot.  Add the chicken stock and slowly bring the mixture up to a low boil.  Cut tomatoes into quarters and add to the pot, stirring periodically to avoid scorching. Cook at a very low boil for several hours or overnight.

Run the soup through a foley food mill and place into a clean stock pot.  Return to heat and add sugar and salt.

Cream together the flour and butter in a mixer.  Add a ladle of the soup at a time to the creamed mixture until it is thin enough to add to the soup.  Stir in the creamed mixture with a wire wisk to prevent clumping.

Ladle soup into hot jars.  Cap the jars and process in a pressure canner for 20 minutes at 10#

The Best Pasta Salad. Ever.

The Best Pasta Salad.  Ever.

1 pound spiral pasta

1 jar (14 oz) roasted red peppers, minced

1 pound feta cheese, crumbled

3/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

For the dressing:

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 tsp oregano

1 teaspoon Basil

1/2 tsp finely chopped fresh mint

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Cook the pasta just until done.  Do not overcook.  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Add cold pasta to a large mixing bowl and add peppers, olives, and cheese.

Mix dressing and pour over the pasta mix, gently stirring.

Chill at least 4 hours, better overnight.

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

Crockpot Ranch Chicken

4 lg chicken breasts (with bone and skin)
1 onion, cut into 8 pieces
4-6 potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into fourths
2 cans Ranch Style Beans

Salt, pepper, and season the chicken breasts and arrange in the bottom of the crockpot.  Add the onion and potatoes; top with the Ranch Style Beans.  Cook on high for about 4 hours.

*Great throw together meal that you can cook all day.

Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:

4 quarts chicken stock (any good meat stock will do)

3 cups dried mushrooms

4 shallots or 1 small mild onion, finely diced

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup cold milk

6 T Clear Jel

Bring 1 quart of the chicken broth to a boil, and pour over 1 cup of the dried mushrooms.  Allow it to sit for 1 hour to rehydrate the mushrooms.

Finely chop the remaining 2 cups of mushrooms in the food processor.  

Melt butter in a large saucepan and add shallots.  Cook until lightly browned.  Add the stock and the stock & mushrooms; bring to a low rolling boil.

Mix the clear jel with the milk, and add to the soup mixture.

Ladle soup into pint jars, process at 11 pounds for 45 minutes.

To serve:  heat soup to a boil then add 1/2 pint of heavy cream.

This can be used in place of Cream of Mushroom soup for any recipe.
Yields 8 pints

Sweet Southern Cornbread

Preheat oven to 400º, place 3 T shortening or lard into a 12" cast iron skillet and place into the oven to melt.


1 1/3 cups Flour
1 1/2 cups Cornmeal
9 T sugar
3 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 can evaporated milk (or home canned goat milk)

Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly by hand. Add the eggs and milk and mix until well blended. Remove the skillet from the oven and rotate to coat the skillet thoroughly with the oil. Add the hot oil to the batter and mix well. Pour batter into hot skillet and bake in the oven for 45 minutes or until done.

Beautyberry Jelly

We've got these berries growing like mad in our woods, and picked 2 quarts of

berries. To prepare them, rinse and clean the berries, then put them in a heavy
pan and add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil then remove from
heat. Cool berries, then strain through a cotton cloth.

To make jelly you need:
4 cups of the juice
4 T bottled lemon juice
1 packet pectin
7 cups sugar

Place the berry juice, lemon juice, and pectin into a heavy saucepan. Bring to
a rapid boil and boil for 2 minutes. Add sugar a bit at a time, then bring to a
boil again. Boil for another 2 minutes and test....when it sheets off a spoon
it's ready. Ladle into jars and process in a BWB for 5 mins.

Toast and Egg Cups

Toast & Egg Cups

Ingredients:

6 slices bread

6 strips of bacon or sausage patties, cooked

6 medium eggs

butter

country gravy

Thoroughly butter 6 holes in a muffin tin.  Insert a slice of bread by holding onto the corners and pushing the center of the bread into the tin.  Lay a piece of cooked bacon or sausage in the bread cup.  Crack an egg into each cup.  Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes until the egg is firm.  To serve remove each cup and top with a small pat of butter and cover with gravy.

Orange Conserve

A wonderful addition to any smoked or cured meat.  It smells like the holidays!

Orange Conserve
6 Florida Oranges
5 cups Water
1 2" cinnamon stick
4 TBSP Lime juice
1/2 cup ground raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup Grand Marnier

Wash the oranges well.  Cut the oranges into quarters, and remove the peel with a fillet knife (reserve the peel).  Remove the membranes and seeds from the pulp, and dice the pulp...reserving as much juice as possible.
Place the orange peel into a grinder or food processor and pulverize until fine.  Place in a heavy pot, add the water, cover, and bring to a boil.  Boil for 20 minutes.
Add the orange pulp/juice and bring to a boil (uncovered).  Boil for 20 minutes.
Add the sugar, cinnamon, lime juice, Grand Marnier, clove, and raisins....stir well until the sugar has dissolved. 
Cook for 30 minutes stirring frequently.  The syrup should slightly sheet off the spoon.
Stir in the nuts and return to a boil.
Ladle into hot sterile jars....cap....and process in a BWB for 10 minutes.
Makes 6 pints.

Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving Menu
Roast Turkey
Deep Fried Turkey

Sweet Potatoes w/ Marshmallows
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Stuffing
Green Bean Casserole
Baby Carrots in Butter

Deviled Eggs
Dinner Rolls

Cranberry Sauce
Green Stuff
Pumpkin Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
Pecan Pie

Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Cranapple Juice

Super Easy Caramel Sauce

Super Easy Caramel Sauce

1 cup Sugar
6 T butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a very large saucepan, place sugar and cook over medium heat; stirring, until it is completely melted. Continue to stir and watch carefully until it reaches a dark golden color.  Add the butter and stir until it is completely melted.  Pour the cream in all at once (the sauce will bubble up) and stir until smooth. 

Spoon over brownies or ice cream .... or over ice cream on brownies!

Breakfast Sausage

We butchered a hog yesterday, ending up with 22# of meat/fat for sausage.  Here's my recipe for breakfast sausage...

22# ground pork and fat (about 70/30)
7 T Sea salt
1 cup rubbed sage
1 teaspoon each:

• Paprika
• Cayenne
• Ground cloves
• Ground Ginger
• Savory
• Mace
• Nutmeg
• Black Pepper
• Ground Thyme

Cut meat and fat into cubes, chill for at least an hour.  Sprinkle seasoning over meat cubes then grind with a coarse plate.  Make a patty and fry it up to check seasonings.  Make any adjustments in seasonings and run through the grinder a second time. 

The Best Cake I Ever Made!

We've been able to buy and put up more cherries this year than I can ever remember doing in a year.  As a result I have several new "products" in my pantry to experiment with.  Today was one of experiments...

Cherry Filled Chocolate Coconutty Cake.

1 Dark Chocolate Cake mix

1/2 stick butter

1/3 cup oil

1 1/2 cups water

3 eggs

1 qt cherry pie filling

1/4 pt cherry-almond preserves

1 cup coconut

1 tsp almond extract

In the workbowl of the mixer blend together the dry cake mix and the butter until the butter is well incorporated.  Add eggs, oil, and water and mix well.  Add coconut and almond extract, stir until blended.  Pour into a well greased bundt cake pan and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until cake tests done.  Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes then remove from pan. 

Allow the cake to cool completely, then with a bread knife remove the top 1/4 of the cake.  Use a spoon to hollow out the center of the bottom layer of the cake, then fill with pie filling.  Carefully replace the top of the cake, using toothpics to sure up any cracks if needed. 

Use the cherry-almond preserves to glaze the assembled cake, arranging the cherries and almonds on the top.

Fresh From the Garden Pasta Salad

8 oz Rotini, cooked and cooled
8 oz diced ham
1/2 onion
1/2 lg Bell Pepper
8 oz Black olives, sliced
1 large clove garlic
2 T Fresh chopped Parsley
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1 tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning Mix
1 T sweet pickle relish
3/4 cup mayo

Chop the garlic and then place into a large bowl.  Mash the garlic and the seasoning mix with the back of a spoon until well blended.  Mash in the pepper.  Add the ham, onion, bell pepper, olives, parsley, and relish.  Mix well.  Add mayo and pasta and stir until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Canning Pinto Beans With Sausage

No BBQ is complete at our house without some pinto beans. During deer season we brine and smoke the hocks for use in a pot of beans....it's better than salt pork or bacon! I can the seasoned beans with smoked sausage and onion for a quick side dish. To do this you will need:

a pressure canner

7 wide mouth quart jars, with lids & rings

5 pounds of dried pinto beans

2 smoked venison hocks

3 pounds smoked sausage (such as kielbasa)

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Place the hocks in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 3-4 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. Remove the bones and bring the water and meat to a full boil. Add the beans, adding more water as needed to cover. Boil hard for 2 minutes, then simmer for 30 minutes. Slice the sausage and add it to the beans, taste for seasoning, and bring to a boil. Ladle into hot jars, topping them with a bit more water if needed. Fill the jars 2/3 with beans then top with water leaving 1" head room. Cap and seal the jars, process in a pressure canner for 90 minutes at the pressure recommended for your elevation. The beans will finish cooking during the canning process.

Chicken Fajita in a Jar

Chicken Fajita in a Jar

5# boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 large bell peppers

6 medium onions

Taco Seasoning

Wash 9 pint jars, then arrange on a roasting pan and place into a 250º oven. Bring a small pan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Place 9 lids into the pan of water and leave until ready to cap the jars.

While the jars and lids are heating, cut the chicken, peppers, and onions into thin strips. Layer the jars by adding the meat, 1/2 teaspoon of taco seasoning, pepper strips, and onions. Add 2 Tablespoon of water to each jar and cap.

Pressure can for 90 minutes at 10#

To use, simply open the jar and heat contents in a skillet until well heated through. Place in a flour tortilla and top with guacamole, sour cream, or cheese. Each jar makes about 3 fajitas.

Strawberry Pineapple Jam

Strawberry Pineapple Jam

5 cups Strawberries, crushed

7 cups Sugar

1 box Pectin

4 T Lemon Juice

1 large can Crushed Pineapple (20 oz)

2 T Vanilla extract

Place the pineapple (undrained) and strawberries in a heavy bottomed kettle and mash with a potato masher. Add the pectin, lemon juice, and vanilla. Bring to boil stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once and stir. Bring mixture to a hard boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Ladle into hot sterile jars and cap. Process in BWB for 5 minutes.

Makes 5 pints.

Doughnuts

We made these this morning using our fresh milk and eggs. I love having fresh food again! We are all exhausted from all the work involved with this time of year, but this was a nice project for the girls and I to do this morning. This makes enough dough for a lot of nutz!

Doughnuts

4 1/2 tsp yeast

2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

7-8 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and milk until the yeast is well dissolved. Add the sugar, salt, oil, and eggs; stir until well combined. Add the flour one cup at a time until a sticky dough is formed. The dough is very sticky and it's easiest to use a big silicone spatula to work with it.

Place the dough into a well greased bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down dough and allow to rise again until doubled.

Roll the dough out onto a well floured board. Incorporate just enough flour to the dough to make it manageable. If it gets too elastic, just cover with a damp towel and allow it to rest for 5 mins or so.

Cut with doughnut cutter (I use a reg size mason jar ring and a tiny cookie cutter)....or you can cut it into strips and braid the strips. Place them on a lightly floured baking sheet and allow them to rise for a few minutes (this is the step that makes them light and fluffy).

Deep fry at 375º for about 3 mins per side (until golden brown) then dunk into the glaze before placing them on a parchment paper.

Glaze

1/2 cup boiling water

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Add the sugar to the boiling water and stir until combined. Use tongs to roll the doughnuts in the hot glaze, then sit on a sheet of parchment to cool.

Rebekah's Competition Venison Black Bean Chili

Rebekah entered a chili cook off at the church and her chili was a big hit. Here's what she made:

Black Bean Venison Chili

5 pounds venison, cut into 1" cubes

1 onion, diced

olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3 pints ro-tel tomatoes

1 quart whole tomatoes

2 pints black beans

1/4 cup chili powder

3 jalapeno peppers (she used home canned peppers, so they could just be smooshed into the pot)

Sautee the onions in olive oil just until tender, add garlic and simmer for just a minute. Brown the meat with the onions and garlic. Add the other ingredients and stir well. Simmer for at least 6 hours, until the meat is tender.

Chinese Food East Texas Style!

When the kids were little, one of their chores was to plan and create one meal for the family each week. For me, this was extra work for 4 meals each week...but oh my were the rewards great! We had such great fun doing this, and we created some great recipes as a result. Some of these meals turned into a "theme" night, complete with decorations and props...and usually a short study on the region we were basing the meal on.

Anyway, tonight's dinner reminds me of those days. We haven't gone all out like that in a long time. I think we need to start our kid cooking night again for the new year. Even though it's just the girls, I think we'll have a lot of fun....and who knows, we might learn something!

Our recipes for the evening include:
Sweet N Sour Chicken
Steamed rice
Steamed pork dumplings
Egg Rolls

Sunset Cocktail - it's pretty and the kids love them


Sweet N Sour Chicken

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 cup self-rising flour
1 egg, beaten and add a tablespoon water
Soy Sauce
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin at an angle
1 8 oz can pineapple chunks, drained but reserve the juice
1 clove garlic
Oil for frying

Sprinkle the chicken breast with soy sauce. Mix the egg/water and place in a bowl. Roll each chicken strip in flour, then the egg wash, then flour again. Place on a rack and let stand while the oil is heated (5-10 minutes). Heat oil to 375. Fry the meat a few pieces at a time until brown and crisp, set aside on paper towels.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in the wok or skillet and add a clove of garlic. Stir garlic in oil until browned, then discard. Add green pepper and carrot to oil. Stir fry for about a minute. Pour in ½ cup of water. Cover and steam for about 3 minutes or just until crisp-tender. Add sweet and sour sauce. Add pork and pineapple, stirring gently until the meat is reheated. Serve with rice.

The sauce:
¾ cup white vinegar
¾ cup sugar
½ cup of the reserved pineapple juice
½ cup water
1 Tablespoon catsup
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch

In a pan, combine vinegar, sugar, pineapple juice, and catsup. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Add the soy sauce. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and stir it into sauce. Stir over low heat until thickened.

Steamed Pork Dumplings

For filling:
½ pound ground pork
2 green onions, minced
¼ cup mushroom paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp rice vinegar
1T soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
Salt & pepper (to taste)

20 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten

Combine all filling ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir with hands until well mixed.
Place a small spoonful of filling onto the wrapper. Brush any exposed wrapper with the egg, then fold and seal the wrapper. Be sure to squeeze out any air pockets.
Place the dumplings in a prepared bamboo steamer and steam for 15 minutes.

Egg Rolls

For filling:
½ pound ground pork
2 T cornstarch
2 T soy sauce
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ pound mushrooms, chopped fine
½ cup bamboo shoots, chopped fine
3 cups cabbage, chopped fine
1 can water chestnuts, chopped fine
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 pkg frozen egg roll wrappers

In a small bowl combine pork, cornstarch, soy sauce, and ginger. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Stir fry mushrooms about a minute, then add the pork mixture and stir fry until cooked. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir fry until cabbage is crisp tender. Cool thoroughly.

To make:
Thaw the wrappers until pliable. Use about ¼ cup filling per eggroll, placing the filling diagonally across the center of the wrapper. Fold the eggroll and use cold water to seal. Keep the wrapped eggrolls covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
Deep fry at 375 for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Here's how they look when they are ready to fry....

Sunset Cocktail

3 parts sparkling cider (fill the glass about halfway)
2 parts apricot nectar (fill until nearly to the top)
1/2 part grenadine (just enough to add the color)
Pour cider into a pretty glass, add the nectar and top with the grenadine. The grenadine will sink to the bottom and you will have something that looks like this....

Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Step 1:

1 1/2 cup goat milk (or cows milk), warmed to 110º

4 1/2 tsp yeast

6 T sugar

1 tsp salt

5 cups all purpose flour

Mix the milk and yeast until the yeast has dissolved. Add the sugar and salt, then start adding the flour a cup at a time until a sticky dough has formed. Knead for about 4-5 minutes.Place dough into a well greased bowl and allow it to rise until doubled.

Step 2:

1/2 pound butter; divided in half

1 1/2 cup brown sugar; divided in half

1 tsp cinnamon; divided in half

1/2 tsp ground cloves; divided in half

Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a large rectangle. Spread half of the butter over each half dough. Sprinkle each rectangle with half of the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Start at the long side of the rectangle, roll tightly.

Slice each roll into 1" slices, and placed in a well-greased baking pan. Place in a warm spot and allow them to rise until nearly doubled. Bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes, until done but not fully browned.

Step 3:

8 oz soft goat cheese (or cream cheese)

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

dash salt

Blend ingredients until smooth. Place a dollup of frosting on each bun, then place under a low broiler for 3 minutes until the frosting has melted and the buns have browned.