Category: Cooking

Because we have so much produce coming out of our garden, we decided to make mixed pickles, which we can use in the winter as a mixed salad. I hope it works well, as we have never done this before!

Mixed Pickles

Ingredients:

1 1/4 pounds 3 to 4-inch cucumbers, cut into 1 -inch slices
2 cups 1-1/2-inch pared carrot slices
2 cups 1-1/2-inch celery slices
Onions 2 Cup
1 sweet red peppers, cut into wide strips
1 sweet green pepper, cut into wide strips
Cauliflowerets 3 Cup
2 hot red peppers, seeded and cut into rings
Canning salt 1 Cup
Water 4 Quart

Sugar 2 Cup
Mustard seed 1/4 Cup
Celery seed 2 Tablespoon
Vinegar 6-1/2 Cup

Directions:

Dissolve salt in cold water.
Pour over prepared vegetables.
Let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place.
Drain thoroughly.

Add spices and sugar to vinegar; boil 3 minutes.
Add vegetables; simmer for 5 minutes.
Pack hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space.
Remove air bubbles.
Adjust caps.
Process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

Ingredients

Sweet Cherry Jam

3 lbs. fully ripe dark sweet cherries

One 1-3/4-ounce pkg. regular powdered fruit pectin

1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 cups sugar

Sort, wash, stem, pit and chop cherries. Measure 4 cups chopped cherries.

In a 6- or 8-quart Dutch oven or kettle, combine cherries, pectin, lemon peel and lemon juice. Bring to boiling over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Quickly skim off foam with a metal spoon.

Immediately ladle jam into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process jars in boiling-water canner for 5 minutes (start timing when water begins to boil). Remove jars from canner; cool on racks.

4 pound(s) uncooked whole white potatoes
2/3 cup(s) uncooked celery
2/3 cup(s) uncooked red onion(s)
1-2 hard boiled egg(s)
3/4 cup(s) fat free mayonnaise (or as much as needed to make a nice creamy salad)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp table sea salt
Instructions:

Wash Potatoes. Boil California White Potatoes in their skins. When they are tender (you can tell by piercing them with a sharp knife). Carefully place potatoes on a plate to cool. Slip skins off potatoes and place potatoes in a bowl overnight in the fridge.
The next day, cut the potatoes lengthwise in half. Then cut the half lengthwise. Slice potatoes very thinly. It takes a while, but it is worth it.
In a food processor finely chop the onion and then the celery. Also use the food processor to chop the eggs. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, add enough mayonnaise to make a creamy salad. Check the seasonings and add more salt or pepper if desired.
I like to decorate the top of my salad with stuffed eggs.

Note: Be sure to use a red onion. It makes all the difference.

Grape Salad

Ingredients:

2 lbs green seedless grapes
2 lbs red seedless grapes
8 ounces fat free vanilla yogurt
8 ounces fat free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Splenda granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, to taste
Topping Ingredients
1/4 cup splenda brown sugar, packed, to taste
1 cup crushed pecans, to taste

Directions

Wash and stem grapes.
Set aside.
Mix vanilla yogurt, cream cheese, white sugar and vanilla by hand until blended.
Stir grapes into mixture, and pour in large serving bowl.
For topping: Combine brown sugar, and crushed pecans.
Sprinkle over top of grapes to cover completely.
Chill overnight.

Since I am off at me niece’s Bridal Shower, I am printing up this recipe for a wonderful, hearty, soup!

Miracle Soup

It’s called Miracle Soup because it’s so Easy!

2-3 Cans FF Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Pounds ground Turkey
1 Tsp. Salt
1 TBS. Parsley
1 TBS. Basil
1 TBS. Chopped Garlic
1 Cup each: Celery
Onion
Green Pepper
Sliced Carrots
1/3 cup barley
1 can French style Green Beans
1 can Red Kidney Beans
1-2 cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes

In large soup kettle sauté garlic with small amount of oil. Add turkey and brown. Add broth, salt, parsley, basil, onion, green pepper, celery, carrots, barley, and a dash of pepper and the stewed tomatoes. Simmer slowly about an hour or until veggies are done. Add green beans and kidney beans and heat another 15 minutes. Thicken gravy with flour serve with a garden salad and hot crusty bread. This recipe also freezes
well.

Note: Add any other vegetable that you might like. I like red peppers as well, as maybe mushrooms, although the mushrooms do not freeze well.
Enjoy!!!

Ready In: 3 Hours 20 Minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness.
4. Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Brush roast with glaze three  or four times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.

Hubby and I just love this recipe. Tonight I am making salmon, and I may use this same glaze!

“Herb-rubbed roasted pork loin with a sweet, tangy glaze.”
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 (5 pound) boneless pork loin

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a bowl, combine sage, salt, pepper, and garlic. Rub thoroughly all over pork. Place pork in an uncovered roasting pan on the middle oven rack.
3. Bake in the preheated oven approximately 3 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), depending upon your desired doneness.
4. Meanwhile, place sugar, cornstarch, vinegar, water, and soy sauce in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to bubble and thicken slightly. Brush roast with glaze 3 or 4 times during the last 1/2 hour of cooking. Pour remaining glaze over roast, and serve.

I have had a lot on my mind lately and when this happens, I cook. I chop, I saute and I bake slowly in my oven, casseroles of deliciousness!

Today I decided that since I wanted to use up some beef from the freezer, I would make a New England Pot Roast. The nice thing about that is, that you chop up a lot of vegetables, , do a light saute of everything, and then place it in a low heated oven, and the rest is done by low heat, and a fantastic Dutch Oven!

That was the best item I ever bought. A heavy, green Dutch Oven, that you can use on the top of the stove and inside the oven too! I never knew that I needed this pot, until I actually had it and started to use it!

I’m going to put the recipe for New England Pot Roast below. It’s easy. At least it is, when you’ve got the right pot!