Mmmm....HOT!

I dislike dilly beans, but I love my husband.  He and his friends have decided that the hot dilly beans I make are something they can't live without, in addition to my molassess cookies.  So, because I love them, I make something I don't like and try to remember *DO NOT LOOK INTO THE POT* or I'll get a nose full of vinegar yuckiness that seems to invade the brain. 

I had a ridiculous amount of green beans and an empty house last night so I decided to get it over with.  This is the second batch I've made this month, but they seem panicked that they won't have enough.  And they want me to try them out with jalepenos in addition to cayanne pepper.  Let's hope they don't set their throats on fire. 

There are the requested jalepenos.  They look huge, but they were the smallest I could find on short notice. 

I love the vivid green in this picture.  Shockingly good quality since I took it on my cell phone.  Nothing better than fresh veggies.  I've found that the guys seem to like the smaller green beans and I'm amazed how crisp they stay since they're so delicate.  I prefer these when cooking as well.   

And, there's the finished product.  Garlic, jalepenos, cayenne all visible.  And only one nose full of vinegar for my efforts.  Success!

Strawberries!

So, remember that onslaught of fresh produce I was talking about a couple of posts ago.  It showed up on my front porch last night courtesy of my favorite "Foolish Boy Honey" friend.  He was overrun with strawberries at his house and figured I could find SOMETHING to do with them. 

Such an awesome present to have waiting for me when I got home.  Especially considering I thought I was going to have to go pick them myself. 

Then it was time to start processing them for one batch of jam last night.  The photos I'm not going to show you involve me struggling with trying to figure out my new food processor.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get it to puree the berries.  I tried with a little liquid, I tried without liquid, I tried throwing the berries at the spinning blades through the feed tube.  That only resulted in sending the berries flying against the sides of the container (still whole).  Finally, when I realized there was another larger blade in the drawer that I had overlooked that was actually for use with the 7 cup container I was using I was in business. 

Notice the random essential ingredients I have sitting on my counter.  A pineapple, some garlic vinegar, butter, pasta and my KitchenAid mixer.  Wow, I need to get organized. 

And the finished product.....

As you can see I still have 2 1/2 gallons of strawberries left and more on the way.  I think I'm going to have to start canning the jam in quarts and I'm slowly being coerced into making strawberry wine.  All strawberry recipes are being welcomed, so let me know what you've got people!



  

 

Forking Fantastic!!!!

So, my best friend and fellow foodie, Kenna (check out her blog), bought me the Forking Fantastic Cookbook awhile back and I'd totally forgotten about it until I was rummaging through my stack of cookbooks and happened upon it.  It's an amazing book full of fun recipes by two ladies that run an underground dinner party club.  It seriously sounds like so much fun and if I had more time I'd definitely give it a try.  But, those are dreams for another day. 

I love the fact that they are so honest and humerous when telling their stories and describing their recipes.  It makes me feel better to know that other people explode strawberries all over the ceiling or scorch carmelized onions when they answer the phone and forget they are cooking.  Not that I'm admitting to doing either of those things, but don't currently look at the ceiling in my kitchen.

So, after a fun read through their book I decided to try out their Commando Chicken recipe.  It sounded fun, easy and delicious.  It's commando because the chicken sits directly on the oven rack instead of in any kind of roasting pan, allowing the awesome juices to drip down on the potatoes on the rack below. 

So, some lemons, some olive oil, some spices and a chicken and some potatoes later......

 Seriously....YUM!  I can't even begin to describe.  You need to go out and buy their cookbook right away!

It's about that time.......

So, it's canning time again.  We're about to be bombarded with an amazing amount of fresh local produce from our and our friends' orchards and gardens.  I'm super excited as this is one of my favorite times of the year and really gets my creative juices flowing.  First I need to catch up a bit as I've been completely remiss in my posting to the blog.  Now, I'm not going to try to catch up from last November, but I did try some recipes in the last month or so that warrant mentioning. 

It all started with a wonderful find at Home Depot.  The hubby was wandering around grabbing necessary, but boring, items so I found myself in the books and magazines section.  I came across this amazing canning magazine by Homes and Gardens.  It had so many fun new recipes it was a must buy. 

The first adventure from this new resource was fresh corn salsa.  Corn fresh off the ear, tomatoes, onions, jalepenos....goodness.  I think next time I'll make it a little spicier, but it's a great fresh tasting alternative on tacos. 

I like lemons, the hubby has an un-natural obsession with honey.....so, next up is Lemon Honey Jelly.  This led me to realize that I need a new citrus juicer (already purchased) as it was quite a bit of work, but the results are amazing.  We had this on bisuits the other night and it's the perfect combination of sour/sweet lemony goodness.  Definitely making this one again. 



Then came Strawberry Margarita Jam (it has lime and tequila!) that is awesome with huevos rancheros.  It's a nice little detour from traditional strawberry jam. 

And last, but not least, there was cranberry orange spread.  I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out or exactly what I was going to use it for, but it sounded interesting and easy.  I poured it over cream cheese and served with crackers and pita at a girls' night and it got rave reviews, so definitely a keeper. 

Not a bad day's work. :)

 

Red Peppers

So, as a child, I absolutely hated green peppers.  Don't put them on my pizza, or in my fajita, or anywhere near my salad.  I still feel this way, but discovered about a year ago that I don't feel the same way about red, yellow or orange peppers.  This started a mild obsession and I have since put them in everything imaginable (pasta, kabobs, sandwiches, pizza, etc.).  I still don't care for them raw, mind you, but sautee or grill them and I'm a happy girl. 

So, with my overachieving in the canning department the weekend before, I didn't get a chance to use up the three bags of red peppers I'd purhased from Costco.  I love Costco.  So many options, so many yummy, yummy, options. 

So, last Saturday, the task was canning roasted red pepper spread.  The recipe sounded amazing and I was up early and ready to go with plans to clean the house, make some jewelry and use the 16 red peppers that were waiting for me.  Well,  let me tell you, there are a lot of steps to making roasted red pepper spread.  First you have to roast the peppers, then you roast the tomatoes and onions and garlic.  Then you have to peel and chop all of the roasted items.  Then mash them up in the Kitchenaid, since I don't yet have a food processor.  Then everything gets thrown into a pot with a few other ingredients and simmered to reach the right consistency.  Only then do you actually get to put it in jars and can it. 

Needless to say, since this was my first time trying this out, I was not efficient and it took me forever since I was making two batches.  I learned a lot and if I ever attempt this again I'll be updating MY recipe to make things run a little smoother and quicker.  However, the house smelled amazing and the results look yummy.  Even Eric was suggesting possible uses for our freshly roasted, peeled, smushed, cooked and canned red pepper spread. 

I love the cute new Home and Garden canning jars.  The shape is short and fat and the patterned lid makes everything look more professional.

My kitchen helper, apparently, got tired of the whole process and decided his time would be better spent relaxing on OUR BED in the sunshine.  Silly, and bad, dog. 

WE NEED FREEZER ROOM!

So, in anticipation of Eric filling his Washington deer tag I was trying to figure out ways to make more room in the freezer.  Keep in mind, we already have two freezers that are at maximum capacity.  It's hard to keep up with a hubby that participates in every season imaginable (elk, bear, deer, turkey, game birds, fishing, crabbing, the list goes on and on...).

The first items attempted were venison chili and venison stew.  When you're ready to eat the chili you just add a can of kidney beans and heat.  Eric tried it out when I had tonsilitis and said it was good.  The stew just needs to have some corn starch added to thicken it up when it's being heated.  Eric tried that last night when I was at my dance class.  He didn't thicken it, but said he liked it just as it was.  So, I guess those are both passing as a success and an option to clear out the freezer.  And he hasn't gotten sick yet, so I guess I'm using the pressure cooker correctly. 

Then, for fun I tried orange jelly, bruschetta and pears.

Haven't tried the orange jelly yet, but I'm thinking it will be great on scones.  Or to be used in thumbprint cookies.  I've never made them, but I hear they're pretty easy.  Maybe they'll need to be my new adventure into holiday baking.



 

I love bruschetta, but never seem to make it at home.  I haven't tried this one yet either, but the fresh basil in it smelled amazing while it was cooking. 

 

Fresh cinnamon pears in no sugar apple juice just sounded like a yummy recipe that I had to try.  Plus, I thought the cinnamon sticks made it look kinda pretty. 

All in all, a successful day canning.  I might have overachieved with my planning and was exhausted by the time I was done.  I think I need to figure out how to do things in moderation.

And, I was right, the hubby got his Washington deer this weekend and it's currently residing in our refridgerator waiting for processing.  With Idaho deer season looming on the horizon,  I see ANOTHER freezer in our near future. 

Another Good One!

And really quickly I have another great recipe recommendation from my friend Marci.

Cayenne Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

I baked the chicken instead of frying and carmelized the red onions because I'm not a huge raw onion fan.  It was totally awesome and worth sharing.

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cayenne-rubbed-chicken-with-avocado-salsa