Strawberry Jam

Ben: Do you know what the preservation room is for?

Riley: Delicious jams and jellies?

Those lines from one of my favorite movies always make me smile. I wish I had a whole room dedicated to preserving food! There’s just something so satisfying about a colorful array of jams, jellies, soups, and salsas lining the pantry shelves in gleaming glass jars. Sigh.

Since this week is all about strawberries for me, I’m sharing two of my favorite strawberry jam recipes. The first one is just your basic low-sugar strawberry jam, but once you taste it, you’ll never go back to commercially prepared jams again! The second recipe is a strawberry lemon marmalade that adds a tangy twist on a traditional sweet favorite. This recipe also brought home a blue ribbon from the Florida State Fair, so even a few food judges liked it!

I hope you enjoy the recipes. If you still don’t do any canning, I urge you to try. Find a friend that you can borrow a water bath canner from or just use a stock pot and give it a try. It really is easy. The most time consuming steps are washing and sterilizing the jars and washing, hulling, and slicing the fruit. If I’m alone, I’ll put a movie in the laptop, pull a stool up to the counter, and enjoy myself. If I have help, then the conversations flying around the room really lighten the task.

If you’re not sure how much to make, think about how often you can get the ingredients at a good price and how much of the jam your family will eat in a week. I can only get strawberries at a good price once a year, so I multiply the amount we eat in a week times fifty-two. At one point, that meant 52 pints of jam, at least. Now that I make several other jams besides strawberry, we only need 12 to 24 pints for the year. And, yes, properly prepared jars will last the whole year and still taste great!

Oh, and don’t forget to can with Christmas in mind! Just about every time I can anything, I can an extra batch of half-pints which are set aside for gifts. No more gift-giving stress for me. I do have to get better about adding a note to the gift tag to get my empty jars back, though. No sense letting perfectly good jars go to the land fill when they could be refilled with homemade yumminess.

Strawberry Jam

3 cups sugar, separated

1 package low-sugar powdered pectin

8 cups cleaned, hulled, crushed strawberries

½ teaspoon butter

Prepare canner jars and lids.

Measure sugar into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of the measured sugar with the pectin.

Place strawberries in a large, stainless steel Dutch oven. Stir in pectin mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add butter. Add sugar all at once, stirring constantly. Return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center the lid on the jar, and twist ring onto jar until tight. Be careful not to over tighten.

Place jars in water bath canner. Jars must be completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove lid, and wait 5 minutes. Remove jars, cool, and store.

Makes 3 pints.

Strawberry Lemon Marmalade

1/3 cup thinly sliced lemon peel

¼ teaspoon baking soda

4 cups sugar, separated

1 package low-sugar powdered pectin

4 cups cleaned, hulled, crushed strawberries

Juice from one lemon, about ¼ cup

Prepare canner, jars, and lids.

Combine lemon peel, baking soda, and enough water to cover in a small pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.

Measure sugar into a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup of the measured sugar with the pectin.

Place strawberries, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a large, stainless steel pot, mix well. Stir in pectin mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once, stirring constantly. Return to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center the lid on the jar, and twist ring onto jar until tight. Be careful not to over tighten.

Place jars in water bath canner. Jars must be completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove lid, and wait 5 minutes. Remove jars, cool, and store.

Makes about 6 half-pints.

Strawberry Fields Forever

It’s strawberry season here in Florida which means strawberry picking time! We have several strawberry fields nearby that open for U-Pick just after the Florida Strawberry Festival ends. What a treat! Bright red, juicy sweet berries fresh from the farm! Yum!

Most years, we pick 100 quarts or more which we turn into jam, syrup, and wine, and of course, strawberry shortcake and snacks! Unfortunately, weather and time were not on our side this year, and we came home with a measly 56 quarts. I didn't even get to take any good pictures out in the field; the rain was that bad. Well, at least I can still make one 5-gallon batch of wine, 12 pints of jam (for us), 12 half-pints of jam (gifts), and a round or two of strawberry shortcake.

In celebration of Strawberry Season, I’ll be sharing some strawberry recipes this week. Be forewarned, I do a lot of cooking from scratch using basic ingredients. Strawberry shortcake around here does not include those strange sponge-like cakes from the store, disgusting pre-made glazes, or even whipped cream in a can! It’s simple, it’s fresh, and it’s good!

Strawberry Shortcake

 

8 cups strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced

½ cup sugar, divided

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup butter

1 beaten egg

2/3 cup milk

Whipped Cream

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Stir together strawberries and ¼ cup of sugar in a medium bowl. Refrigerate.

Stir together remaining sugar, flour, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Combine egg and milk. Add milk mixture to flour mixture. Stir just to moisten.

Drop dough into 8 mounds on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire rack at least 10 minutes before serving.

To serve, slice shortcake in half, horizontally. Spoon berries over the bottom layer. Replace the top layer. Top with more berries and whipped cream.

Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chill mixing bowl and wire whip mixing beater in freezer for at least 1 hour.

Combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla in chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peak form, about 5 minutes.

Tips:

This shortcake biscuit is nothing more than a regular biscuit recipe with sugar added. Feel free to use your favorite biscuit recipe and add a little sugar to make the shortcake more dessert-like.

Don’t like white sugar? Substitute honey. However, do not refrigerate the honey-coated strawberries. Have you ever seen what the refrigerator does to honey? Talk about a tooth-breaker!

When substituting honey in the biscuits, add the honey to the liquid ingredients instead of the dry.

If dessert is all about the whipped cream for you like it is for me, then by all means, add a little on top of the berries in the bottom layer as well!

Last, but not least, fresh-milled flour makes a great shortcake with a lot of flavor that surprisingly, doesn’t overpower the taste of the strawberries. Since this is a non-yeast good, use a soft wheat.

Frozen strawberries work just as well as fresh strawberries. Because strawberries get sweeter with freezing and create a nice thick juice, frozen strawberries may even be a better choice!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy dessert! Be sure to check out other yummy recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed With Grace and Full Plate Thursday at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Menu Plan Monday, 03/28

We’re off to the strawberry fields this week! A wonderful perk for living near the Strawberry Capital of the World is the availability of U-Pick farms! You can’t beat getting fresh strawberries for 3 quarts/ $1!

For those of you concerned that strawberries are one of the worst foods for pesticides, I’ll tell you that you’re right. If you knew just how many pests love to attack strawberry plants, you’d understand the excessive use of pesticides and fungicides. However, The U-Pick field we go to stops spraying altogether when they open up for U-Pick. And as long as you wash the fruit, your risk of ingesting residual pesticides is greatly reduced.

Well, I better get this menu finished so we can head out for strawberry picking and processing. When we get back, we’ll be washing and slicing and freezing and canning jam and making wine and, and, and...you get the idea. Mmmm, strawberry shortcake for dessert tonight!

                                                                                              

Don’t forget to stop by Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! If you’re looking for some new recipe resources, check out this Recipe Index Round Up.

Menu Plan for Week of 03/28/2011

Breakfast 

Oatmeal, fruit, granola, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or cinnamon-raisin bread.

Lunch

Hubby usually takes one sandwich along with chips, carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of fruit in his lunch. The rest of us will be eating either sandwiches, salads, or leftovers.

Sandwich of the week – PBJs, veggie sandwiches, or salads

Fruit of the week – Apples, oranges, and strawberries

Dinner

Monday – Chicken salad pitas and fruit

Tuesday – Grilled chicken salad

Wednesday – Spaghetti

Thursday – Breakfast

Friday – Chili, cornbread, salad

Saturday – Taco salads

Sunday – Chef salads

Snacks – Crackers and peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

Thank you for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash

I buy a significant amount of produce each week, and each week, on shopping day, the first thing I do when I get home is wash all of the produce and remove any labels. Why? Well, let me just allow these pictures to show what is in the bottom of the sink after I wash my produce.

My little camera does not do this justice, but I think you get the idea. Sand and dirt settle to the bottom of the sink and are easy to see, but I think the brown tinge to the water that wasn't picked up by the camera really speaks volumes! For those of you who buy organic and don’t think this is an issue for you, think again! You still have dirt from the field and people handling the food in the market. Are you sure the last person to touch that pepper didn’t just sneeze into their hand?

For the longest time, I used commercially prepared Veggie-Wash. My mother-in-law made sure I had a steady supply of Veggie-Wash coupons. Combine the coupons with sales, and it wasn’t too expensive to keep on hand. Unfortunately, the coupons and the sales are becoming more and more scarce, and my last bottle is almost empty.

What am I going to use next? Diluted white vinegar, of course!

First of all, did you know that just washing your produce with cool, clean drinking water removes about 50% of whatever is on it, including dirt, germs, pesticides and other unwanted ickies. (By the way, do not think that washing it a second time gets the other 50% off. It doesn’t work that way. All of my math geek friends will tell you that all you are doing is “approaching 0.” You never actually get there.)

Second, rinsing your produce in cool, clean water and scrubbing with a vegetable brush increases the removal of junk from your food to 85%. But you can’t scrub a broccoli crown, and who is going to scrub every last grape or blueberry? Not me!

Lastly, spraying your produce with or soaking it in a solution of 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar removes 98% of the nasties on your food. Simply spray or soak your produce in the solution and rinse with cool, clean drinking water. You can check out the article on NPR that explains the experiment and the results. It’s pretty cool.

I have read in a few places that washing your produce will make it go bad faster. That is possible and may be why more people only wash what they need right away. I’ve been washing all of my produce on Tuesday, and it all stays very fresh tasting until we use the last of it on Monday night. You’ll have to decide what works best for you. And don't obsess about this. Any washing of your produce is an improvement!

Here are a couple of homemade veggie wash recipes you can try at home.

Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash (1)

1 cup distilled white vinegar

3 cups water

Spray: Mix together in a spray bottle. Label the bottle. Spray generously on produce. Let sit for 2 to 5 minutes. Rinse in cool, clean water.

Soak: Mix together in a basin or sink. Soak produce for 2 to 5 minutes. Rinse in cool, clean water.

Homemade Fruit and Vegetable Wash (2)

1 cup distilled white vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons baking soda

Mix together vinegar and water in a deep container. Add lemon juice and baking soda. The baking soda and vinegar will react a bit and start fizzing.

Spray: Pour mixture into a spray bottle. Label the bottle. Spray generously on produce. Let sit for 2 to 5 minutes. Rinse in cool, clean water.

Soak: Pour mixture into a basin or sink. Soak produce for 2 to 5 minutes. Rinse in cool, clean water.

Note: This is a stronger mixture and may be diluted with good results.

FYI, yes, you do need to wash the produce from your garden, too!

Pumping Iron: Cleaning Cast Iron Cookware

Cleaning cast iron cookware is about as easy as cleaning any other cookware. Actually, it can be a lot easier depending on how messy it got during cooking.

Most left behind bits of food can be scraped off with a metal spatula. Once the stuck on bits are removed, simply wipe the pan clean with a dry cloth or paper towel.

If the pan is extra messy, make an abrasive paste out of coarse salt and cooking oil. Use this paste with a dry cloth to scrub away the cooked on food. Then simply wipe clean.

If you don’t feel that’s clean enough for you and you feel strongly about using soap and water, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. The pan is made of iron. Iron + Water = Rust. Do not soak your cast iron in water, or you will come back an hour later to a completely rusty pan. If you have used water to clean the pan, make sure it is completely dry before storing. Place the pan in a warm oven or on a warm burner to finish drying it. The heat will evaporate any water your towel missed.

Soaps and detergents are made to cut through oil and grease. If you used soap on your cast iron cookware, the soap has stripped away the beneficial seasoning. You will need to season it again.

Caring for cast iron cookware isn’t all that bad, and a properly cared for cast iron skillet will serve you for a lifetime and is so durable, it can be passed down to serve your grandchildren as well. I don’t’ know too many other types of cookware that can stand by that claim. Let’s face it, what other types of cookware crossed the country hung on the sides of covered wagons or off of the packs of heavily-burdened mules and are still found in use in today’s kitchens?

Pumping Iron: Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware

A couple of years ago, I got it into my head that I needed new cookware. You see, my cookware matches my silverware. We call it the “Snowflake” pattern. No two pieces are a like. When a local house wares store was going out of business, I thought the deep discounts of a going-out-of-business sale would mean a new, matching set of cookware for me.

Have you ever gone to a going-out-of-business sale for a national chain store? There are no deep discounts on anything good. I’d have done better catching it on sale and using a coupon when the store was still going strong. News flash: 10% is NOT a real discount. That just barely covers the tax!

Anyway, about the same time I was coveting a new set of cookware, we were doing a lot of camping, which means I was doing a lot of cooking with cast iron. We have a full set of cast iron cookware that just sat in the attic between camping trips. Now, they sit prominently on my kitchen shelf!

I’d forgotten how much I like cooking with cast iron!

Cast Iron vs. Coated Pans

Coated, non-stick pans may seem appealing because of their supposedly easy clean up. However, coated pans cannot handle high heat cooking techniques like searing or frying. Too hot for too long and coating begins to emit toxic fumes.

Coated pans also need special tools, plastic or silicone only. I’m still not convinced that plastic and the heat of cooking belong together. Plus, the moment the pan gets even the smallest scratch, the chemicals that adheres the non-stick stuff to the surface of the pan are now exposed and able to leach into your cooking food.

Cast iron cookware can take the heat! In fact, it takes the heat so well, that you can cook with less heat. Once the skillet is heated, it holds on to that heat for quite a while. Cast iron evenly distributes the heat across the cooking surface creating the perfect cooking environment.  

As for being non-stick and easy clean-up, a properly seasoned cast iron skillet can be wiped clean with a paper towel. It doesn’t get much easier than this! By the way, the only thing cast iron is going to leach into your food is iron. And yes, it does leach iron into your food. However, in this day an age of widespread iron deficiencies and anemia, that’s a good thing.

Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware

Cast iron cookware needs regular seasoning to keep it non-stick and to keep it from rusting. Some newer cast iron cookware is pre-seasoned. Lodge Inc. claims its cast iron comes with the equivalent of seasoning the cookware 20 times. If you’ve picked up a yard sale find or an unseasoned piece of cast iron, you’ll need to season it before using.

1. Before seasoning, make sure the pan is clean and free of cooked on food bits.

2. Cover all surfaces with shortening, inside and outside. Remember, seasoning also prevents rust; so, the outside will need a good coating also.

3. Place cookware upside-down in a 350°F oven. Placing the cookware upside-down prevents oil from collecting inside the pan. Place a cookie sheet or a piece of aluminum foil on a rack beneath the cookware to catch the melted, dripping shortening.

4. Bake the cookware for 1 hour. Turn off the oven and allow everything to cool completely before removing it from the oven.

5. Remove cookware from the oven and wipe off any extra oil with a dry cloth or paper towel.

That’s it. That’s all there is to seasoning your cast iron. Now you’re ready for some serious cooking!

Thanks for stopping by! Come back tomorrow, and I’ll tell you how to clean your cast iron, including that crusty, rusty yard sale find! Yes, that skillet is cleanable and usable!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Menu Plan Monday, 03/21

We have a nice quiet week ahead. Yay! I have a few gardening and sewing projects I need to tackle so the break from running hither, thither, and yon will be welcome.

This coming weekend, we will be celebrating Jared’s birthday. I can’t believe my “baby” is turning 12! It goes so fast. Don’t blink!

For their birthdays each year, the kids get to decide what they want for dinner. Jared always wants lasagna! So, lasagna it is. I think I’ll make a couple and freeze the extras. Lasagna is a good meal to have on hand in the freezer for unexpected company. It goes from freezer to oven to table in about one hour. Toss a salad on the side and dinner is served with almost no work.

Jared hasn’t decided if dessert will be a store-bought birthday cake or a cheesecake. Both have their merits. And both are great for the morning-after-the-birthday breakfast. Yes, we usually eat very healthy breakfasts around here. But every once in a while, a special indulgent treat must be allowed.

On Sunday, we’ll be enjoying a day at Busch Gardens. Busch Gardens’ passes are definitely a nice perk for living in Florida. Of course, we don’t eat inside the park. We’ll be tailgating as usual. I don’t mind. It’s kind of fun to hang at in the back of truck, enjoying a picnic together.

                                                                                              

Don’t forget to stop by Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! If you’re looking for some new recipe resources, check out this Recipe Index Round Up.

Menu Plan for Week of 03/21/2011

Breakfast 

Oatmeal, fruit, granola, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or cinnamon-raisin bread.

Lunch

Hubby usually takes one sandwich along with chips, carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of fruit in his lunch. The rest of us will be eating either sandwiches, salads, or leftovers.

Sandwich of the week – PBJs, veggie sandwiches, or salads

Fruit of the week – Apples, oranges, plums and cantaloupe

Dinner

Monday – Hawaiian pork with peppers and pineapple over rice

Tuesday – Grilled chicken salad

Wednesday – Kielbasa, potatoes and spinach skillet

Thursday – Chicken pasta salad

Friday – White Chili, tortilla chips, salad

Saturday – Lasagna, tossed salad, cake

Sunday – Sandwiches

Snacks – Crackers and peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

Thank you for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Work With What You Have

Have you ever wanted to do something but thought you lacked the tools? Happens to me all the time. I see a project I want to attempt, but then I realize I don’t have exactly the right tools to do the job perfectly as described by the instructions, and I usually don’t want to or can’t race out to purchase the missing items. The idea then gets abandoned, and I move on to something else.


Abandoning the inconsequential I-just-want-do-this-‘cause-it-looks-like-fun project is probably the best choice anyway, but what about the God-wants-me-to-do-this project? You know the ones I mean. The Bible study God wants you to host, but you won’t because you need a bigger or better coffee pot, your table’s too small, or you’re seating challenged. Or the church construction project that needs extra hands, but you just don’t own the “right” tools so you don’t get involved. Or the homeless people we all should be helping, but the budget is so tight that we just don’t feel we have the money. 

It’s so much easier to let these obstacles stop us instead of spending the time and energy finding a solution. I should know. I do it all the time. “There’s no room on our already packed schedule to volunteer for this, and no money to give for that.” By the time I’m done, I’ve this’d and that’d myself out of doing anything productive! However, this doesn’t have to be the case. 

¹As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" …

… ⁶Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. ⁷"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. (John 9:1-7)

Although this is a wonderful and touching story of how Jesus heals us from our blindness, there’s a part that I overlook every time I read the story. 

I think I overlooked it because it kind of grosses me out. Jesus spit in the dirt, made a little mud, and put it on the man’s eyes. Yes, there a small, girlie part of me that can’t help but say, “Ew!” However, that reaction had me missing a very important part of the story. 

Jesus worked with what he had on hand. He didn’t look at the man and say, “Hang on while I get my degree in ophthalmology.” He didn’t create an elaborate plan and make endless lists of things he couldn’t get anyway. No, he worked with what was available. He made things happen with what he had on hand. Let’s face it. That’s what he always did. His preaching wasn’t hindered because his outfit might not look good on the internet, or he didn’t have just the right graphics for his PowerPoint. He preached on the side of a mountain, turned a boat into a pulpit, and made miracles out of mud. 

I think we spend too much time worrying about having just the “right” tools before we’re willing to do what he’s called us to do. Even a tight budget can purchase a single can of vegetables for the food pantry or maybe even a couple of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches handed to the homeless people who have been reduced to begging on the street corner. And God already gave you the most useful tools you will ever need: your hands. As for that Bible study, you’ll probably be pleasantly surprised that God will only send the number of people that your space and your coffee pot can handle. So, what has He called you to do that you’ve avoided because you don’t think you’re equipped enough, but that God knows you are perfectly equipped just the way you are? 

Thanks for stopping by.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

Betty

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Corned Beef and Cabbage

We don’t have corned beef often, usually only once a year on St. Patrick’s Day to celebrate my husband’s Irish heritage. This is my favorite corned beef and cabbage recipe by far! It’s easy to prepare and so full of flavor. 

Corned beef does shrink significant;y during cooking. Plan from one-half to a full pound per person, depending on if your family will fill up more on vegetables or meat.

Corned Beef and Cabbage (Slow Cooker recipe)

2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks

6 carrots, cleaned and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 medium onion, cut into wedges

6 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 4-pound corned-beef brisket

1 12-ounce bottle stout or dark ale

1 tablespoon pickling spices

1 medium head cabbage, chopped into 2-inch pieces

Place celery, carrots, onion, and potatoes in the bottom of a large slow cooker. Rinse the corned beef brisket and place over vegetables. Add the bottle of stout or ale and enough water to just cover the meat.

Place spices in a small square of cheesecloth. Gather the corners together and secure in a bundle. Place the bundle in the slow cooker, tucked next to the meat.

Cover and cook on LOW for about eight hours.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Add cabbage to the juices in the pot. Increase the heat to high and cook cabbage until softened but still a little crisp, about 30 to 45 minutes.

Cut off corner of meat and taste test (Husbands only).

Slice brisket across the grain and serve with vegetables, mustard and horseradish sauce.

Tips:

My husband wasn’t about to part with any of his Pumpkin Patch Ale or Christmas Cheer Ale that he recently made, so I just used regular beer. The stout or ale would have added more flavor, but the beer did just fine, too. Use what you have!

I highly recommend that you do not skip the “husband only” step. It makes them cranky!

Did you notice that I didn’t have you add any salt?

Quilted Bible Cover

My daughter decided to change Bibles. My guess is that at 17 she’s a little tired of cartoons strewn through her Bible and wanted something more grown-up. However, the study Bible she chose doesn’t fit in her cover. So, I made her a new one out of material left over from last year’s prom dress using a pattern from Amy Ellis over at FaveCrafts. It took me about 1 ½ hours from start to finish, with the quilting taking the most time.

I used this same pattern to make my Bible cover out of recycled jeans. Obviously, I didn’t quilt this one, but it’s pretty sturdy and has held up for a lot longer than I thought it would. Also, definitely use the method for calculating measurements that is described in the directions. It works! I didn’t use it the first time and made my own calculations. The cover came out ¼” too small! I had to make a whole new one!

The instructions use ties to keep the Bible closed. I made a knot and loop as a closure. You can also dress things up a bit with a cloak frog. I don’t like how Colleen’s new cover closes, though. The material is pretty lightweight, and I don’t think the knot is big enough. I’ll probably untie it and slip a large bead onto the piece for a more secure latch.

And yes, make sure you put the pocket in! Then you’ll always have a pen or pencil to underline those verses that speak to you while you’re reading. I just use the pocket on the cover of mine.

 

Beekeeping Book Giveaway

Amy over at Homesteading Revival is giving away Keeping Bees, a new book by Ashley English. The book is filled with detailed information about beekeeping including:

• questions and concerns before purchasing bees
• hive hierarchy and "beespace"
• hive housing, location, and feeding requirements
• how to intall honeybees (in detail!)
• providing the best health and wellness for your hive
• how to extract honey
• profiles of different beekeepers from a variety of backgrounds
• honey-based recipes!

Wow! My husband wants to start a hive, so I’ll definitely be looking into this book. Make sure you head over to Homestead Revival to enter the giveaway for this valuable beekeeping resource! The giveaway ends on Friday!

Grilled Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Salad

This is one of the new salad ideas we are trying this week. The original recipe comes from the book Main Course Salads by Donna Rodnitzky. However, I had to tweak it a bit to appeal to my family’s tastes and to allow for some healthier, fresher options in the ingredients. Also, the author uses a cooked mashed potato as the base of all of her vinaigrettes. I doubt that I will ever try that. There’s just something wrong about that idea!

Anyway, this is our experiment for the week. I’ll let you know how we like it. I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t like it, but you never know.

Update, March 17, 2010: This salad was really good! The lime vinaigrette gave it a very light and cool flavor. This salad is going to be great during the hot summer!

Grilled Chicken, Black Bean and Corn Salad

Marinade

½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice

2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

1cup cooked or canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup whole kernel corn, drained if using canned, thawed if using frozen, blanched and chilled if using fresh from the cob

1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and chopped or 1 2-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained

2 tablespoons Lime Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

24 romaine lettuce leaves, whole or chopped

½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt

½ cup salsa

Rinse chicken and pat dry.

Whisk together marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Add chicken, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate about one hour.

Combine black beans, corn, and peppers in a medium bowl. Toss with Lime Vinaigrette to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Either light some coals in your charcoal grill or preheat your gas grill. Not into grilling? Then preheat the broiler.

Remove chicken from marinade, discarding the marinade. Place chicken over medium-hot coals on lightly greased grill. Cook for about 4 minutes on each side or until golden on the outside and fully cooked, no pink, on the inside. Or, broil about 4 inches from the heat source for about 4 minutes on each side or until fully cooked. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into thin slices or dicing into bite-sized chunks.

Remove black beans and corn salad from the refrigerator. Add the tomatoes and toss gently.

To serve, arrange lettuce leaves on each of 4 plates. Divide the black bean and corn salad evenly between the plates, creating a slightly flattened mound in the middle of the lettuce. Top with chicken. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette. Serve with sour cream, plain yogurt, and/or salsa, if desired. 

Tips:

Drain a can of unsweetened pineapple chunks  for the juice in the marinade. Chill the pineapple chunks in the refrigerator and serve on the side of the salad.

A nice piece of cornbread would also taste really good with this salad!

Lime Vinaigrette

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

3 tablespoons fresh or prepared lime juice

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients except oil together in a small bowl. Add oil, whisking vigorously to combine. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.

Tips:

To make a reduced-fat version of this vinaigrette, reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon and substitute with 1/3 cup of 1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water.

Find more great recipes at Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays hosted by Blessed with Grace and at Full Plate Thursdays at Miz Helen's Country Cottage.

Adding Fresh Veggies to the Menu

We’ve been seriously increasing the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables we eat. My family has always been pretty good about eating fruits and vegetables, and we’re only eating about one pound of meat each day split between four, and sometimes five, of us, but we still rely on too many carbohydrates to feel full. However, I’ve noticed that adding a simple salad to each meal has significantly changed our eating habits.

I’m not in a hurry to move my family to the raw foods diet that’s all the rage. If you look at plants on a cellular level, you’ll see that plant cell walls are thick. In order to get certain nutrients from vegetables, the vegetables need to be at least steamed to break down that tough cell wall barrier. Raw vegetables provide a lot of fiber which makes you feel full, but I’m concerned about the amount of nutrition our bodies are actually able to absorb. For me, menu planning and meal prep is all about keeping my family healthy. So, I’m sticking to a good balance between raw and cooked vegetables.

By the way, I am seeing first hand the benefits of adding more raw vegetables to our diet. We all seem to have more energy and better focus. Even Jared. I don’t know if that is a result of more raw vegetables in our diet or a result of fewer carbohydrates. All I know is that it feels really good!

So, in order to add more raw vegetables to our weekly menu, I’m on a quest for salad ideas. Of course, my first stop was the library where I picked up 4 cookbooks completely dedicated to salads. Yep, there are so many different ideas for salads as a main dish that the recipes didn’t just fill one book, but FOUR! It looks like adding more salads to our menu is going to be easier than I thought!

Thanks for stopping by! With summer just around the corner and local produce stands filling up with fresh-from-the-farm goodies, it’s time to move away from the cold weather, carb-heavy comfort foods and to start enjoying the lighter fare of summer. Your body will love you for it!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Menu Plan Monday, 03/14

Wow, it was quite a full weekend! The kids had a 4-H performing arts competition on Friday. Colleen had a senior meeting on Saturday along with a golfing outing with the senior class. Then we had church Saturday night, a performance Sunday morning, a last minute seminar Sunday afternoon, and still all of the usual chores and responsibilities. I’m amazed that I wasn’t exhausted at the end of the weekend.

A couple of months ago, we made a few changes to our diet. We’ve always eaten fairly healthy, but we significantly increased our intake of raw vegetables by adding a small salad to the side of most of our dinners. As a result, we’ve been eating less starch at dinner, and we haven’t been craving the sweets like we used to. I think these changes are why I had more energy and more focus during all of this craziness. My niece recommended a book to me which talks about how healthy a vegan diet is. I think it’s time to read it! I don’t think I’m ready to make what I consider an extreme change, but I’m at least willing to take a look. I’ll let you know what I find.

                                                                                              

Don’t forget to stop by Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! If you’re looking for some new recipe resources, check out this Recipe Index Round Up.

Menu Plan for Week of 03/14/2011

Breakfast 

Oatmeal, fruit, granola, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or cinnamon-raisin bread.

Lunch

Hubby usually takes one sandwich along with chips, carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of fruit in his lunch. The rest of us will be eating either sandwiches or leftovers.

Sandwich of the week – PBJs, veggie sandwiches, or salads

Fruit of the week – Apples and oranges

Dinner

Monday – Chicken and dumplings

Tuesday – Grilled chicken salad

Wednesday – Chicken, black beans, and corn salad

Thursday – Corned beef and cabbage

Friday – Taco salad

Saturday – Spaghetti and salad

Sunday – Grilled hamburgers, fried potatoes, tossed salad

Snacks – Crackers and peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

Thank you for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Coleslaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

My family likes cabbage and coleslaws, but the usual creamy coleslaw can be pretty heavy tasting, is high in fat, and can be a cause for concern during hot weather. This coleslaw with vinaigrette has a nice light taste but lots of flavor, and holds up well in the hottest weather.

Coleslaw with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, or 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro herb paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
½ medium-sized head of cabbage, shredded or 1 (10-ounce) bag shredded cabbage
1 cup carrots, sliced into matchsticks

Whisk together all ingredients except the cabbage and carrots in a small bowl.

Place cabbage and carrots in a medium bowl. Pour vinaigrette over cabbage and carrot and toss well. Serve or chill until ready to serve. Stir before serving.

We love this coleslaw during the summer and especially on camping trips.

Be sure to check out other great recipes at
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday hosted by Blessed with Grace
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage 
Frugal Food Thursdays at Frugal Follies

Quick and Easy Bubble Fun

Want a little cheap fun in the kitchen? No, not that kind! How about some big bubbles instead?

Cut the bottom off of a disposable plastic drinking cup. Mix a little water and dish soap in the bottom of a flat bottomed-bowl. Dip one end of the cup in the soap mixture. It doesn’t matter which end. They both work. And blow!

This was all an impromptu experiment created by Jared, and the pictures aren’t the greatest. But, boy, was it fun to watch Tom and Jared make big bubbles!

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed a little silliness today, too!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Cowboy Beef and Beans Bake

Cowboy Beef and Bean Bake 

10 slices bacon or turkey bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pounds ground beef, turkey, or chicken

½ cup diced onion

30-oz. chili beans, undrained

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

¼ cup molasses

½ tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tablespoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon pieces; set aside. In the same pan, brown ground beef. Drain browned beef, and set aside. Sauté onions over medium-high heat until transparent. 

In a large bowl, combine bacon, beef, and onions with the rest of the ingredients. Stir gently until mixed completely.

Pour mixture into 13x9-inch baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour.

This is such an easy recipe! Add a tossed salad and some cornbread or spoon bread and you have a yummy, filling meal. 

Tip: This recipe uses chili beans and the ingredients for the sauce in baked beans. If you already have a favorite baked beans recipe, just add the cooked ground beef to that recipe! It’s a great way to turn a side dish into a main dish!

Keeping Chickens out of the Garden

My chickens like running free in my yard all day. Normally, I don’t mind, even when they turn areas of the yard into a moonscape with their dust bath craters and their scratching for tasty snacks tracks. Allowing the girls to forage is healthy for them and saves a bit on the feed bill. However, when it’s planting time, the last thing I want in the garden is a bunch of hungry chickens snacking on my freshly planted seeds.

The garden area already has a low fence around it to deter the dog and children from running through it, but the chickens can simply hop to the top and drop down inside the garden to scratch and dig their way to disaster. At this moment, I can’t keep the chickens completely out of the garden, but I can make the garden unpleasant for them. Jared and I laid large pieces of poultry netting and wire mesh across the garden which will keep the chickens from digging. The mesh and netting were re-purposed from another previously-retired structure, and when a chicken hops the fence and lands on the wire, she immediately hops right back out again.

This trick will also work in your flower garden and other nicely landscaped areas. Simply hide the mess under a thin layer of mulch. When the chicken begins to dig and scratch, she hits the metal wire and stops. With nothing left to interest her, she heads off to something much more pleasing.

The plants seem to be growing up through the mesh just fine, so far. By the time the plants themselves start to look like an appetizing chicken snack, the girls should be well-trained to stay out of the garden. If not, then they’ll simply go back to living in their spacious coop. Their coop is plenty big enough. I just like to spoil them with the freedom of the yard. Although, if a certain chicken doesn’t stop challenging the dog, she may find herself locked up or unexpectedly turned into dog food! Silly chicken challenged Shadow the other day. Shadow, of course, thought she wanted to play and immediately went into play stance. One good play pounce on that chicken, and she’d have been finished!

Thanks for stopping by! If you’re gardening with free range chickens living in the same space, what have you done to keep your garden safe?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Lent? But I'm Not Catholic

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of the Season of Lent, a tradition followed by many Christian religions. When I was young, I didn’t understand the forty days of Lent. I grew up in a very Catholic town but in a not-so-Catholic family. To me, Lent was a time when my friends competed over who gave up the most and who lasted the longest. I knew very little about God, even less about scripture, and nothing about church. However, a couple of years ago I ran into a very informative blog about fasting for Lent. The writer inspired me to learn more about this tradition, and although I did not belong to a church that followed this tradition, I decided it was something I needed to do personally. No one knew except me and Jesus. It worked out well that way, and I’ve been fasting for Lent ever since.

Let me share with you what I’ve learned along the way.

Lent is a forty day season of preparation before Easter. However, if you look at your calendar, you’ll realize it’s actually forty-six days. The forty days represent the forty days that Jesus fasted in the desert and resisted Satan’s temptations. The six extra days are the six Sundays between Ash Wednesday and Easter. According to this tradition, Sunday is the Lord’s day and a day of celebration, not fasting.

Fasting for Lent is not required anywhere in scripture.

The Lenten season is a time for long-standing Christians to review their lives and renew their commitment to Jesus Christ. 

Lent is a time for backsliders to be restored to their faith. 

Lent is a time for serious self-examination and intensive prayer.

Please, remember these are things I’ve learned through study and research. My church does not follow this tradition, and I don’t think they should have to. Fasting for Lent is very personal. I do not fast in the usual sense of the word, by the way. I simply give up something difficult. I’ve given up foods and I’ve given up habits during Lent. To some people, my “sacrifices” would seem petty, but to me they were very important. Every year, I struggled with my fast, and every year, I found myself going to my Bible and my Jesus for strength. My “sacrifices” are nothing compared to Jesus’ but my temptations still feel as strong to me as those He faced in that desert. How humbling to see my fleshy side staring me in the eye and laughing at my weakness over such trivial things. But, oh, how amazing to feel the Lord wrap around me in spite of my weakness over such trivial things.

Will I continue following the Lenten tradition in my very private way? Probably. I’ve learned a lot about myself and about God. And, having set beginning and ending dates sure makes things easier for me! I would also recommend a forty-day fast of some sort to anyone brave enough to put themselves and their relationship with God under a microscope. Just remember, it has to be something hard. Something you love eating or something you love doing. Calling off of work for forty days probably is not a good idea, but calling the cable company and putting your television “on vacation” for forty days probably is. How about all junk food? And I do mean ALL. That means no chips, no cookies, no ice cream, no fast food, etc. Sounds easy now, but wait until you’re out buying groceries, and you have to buy for your family what you’ve given up. Oh, and keep it just between you and God. No one else needs to know. 

Thank you for stopping by. I hope I’ve shared enough about Lent so that even if you don’t follow it, you understand a little more why some people do. It really isn’t an empty tradition without meaning. Just a very personal one that’s been made way too public. I encourage you to read Luke 4 and do a little research on your own. You might be surprised at what you find. 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Menu Plan Monday, 03/07

Things are starting to sprout in the garden! It won’t be long and I’ll be doing more grocery shopping in the backyard than at the store for a while. Ok, it’ll be about two months before we start harvesting anything, but I can still dream. In the meantime, I’ll just keep enjoying my favorite produce stand.

I’m at a bit of a loss for my menu this week. I’m feeling pretty un-creative about the menu this week. So, the menu is not written in stone this week. I may just scrap everything and have salads all week!

                                                                                              

Don’t forget to stop by Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! If you’re looking for some new recipe resources, check out this Recipe Index Round Up.

Menu Plan for Week of 03/07/2011

Breakfast 

Oatmeal, fruit, granola, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or cinnamon-raisin bread.

Lunch

Hubby usually takes one sandwich along with chips, carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of fruit in his lunch. The rest of us will be eating either sandwiches or leftovers.

Sandwich of the week – PBJs or veggie sandwiches

Fruit of the week – Apples, pears, plums, and cantaloupe

Dinner

Monday – Chicken and vegetables in teriyaki sauce over rice

Tuesday – Chicken Cacciatore over homemade pasta, tossed salad

Wednesday – Grilled chicken salads

Thursday – Cowboy beans, salad and cornbread

Friday – Chicken with creamy paprika sauce, tossed salad, veggies

Saturday – Pizza and salad

Sunday – Baked chicken with peach BBQ sauce, macaroni salad, cole slaw

Snacks – Crackers and peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

Thank you for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Thank you, Lacey and Mike!

For several years now, our household built into the schedule something we called “Gas Free Days.” These were days that my vehicle did not leave the driveway. We either walked or biked wherever we needed to go, or we didn’t go anywhere. My husband had to drive his truck to work each weekday, so we tried to minimize all traveling on the weekend. We attended church on Saturdays; so, it wasn’t unusual to give both vehicles a day of rest on a Sunday.  However, with the severe sticker shock at the pump, it’s time to take more drastic measures.

We are down-sizing to one vehicle.

This would probably be a major undertaking and culture shock for most people. The kids have performing arts lessons and activities that they need to get to. Groceries must be purchased and brought home. Life must go on. And it will…just a little differently.

Along with adopting “gas-free days,” we also changed our outlook on a lot of things over the last few years. I drew an imaginary boundary on a map. Any activities outside that boundary had to be exceptional for us to attend them regularly. Honestly, I did this because I just got tired of spending my life driving around Pinellas County where it takes an hour to go 10 miles!

By reining in our activities and bringing everything closer to home, we are ready to downsize to one vehicle, except for one small problem. Grocery shopping! The stores near me are fine for grabbing one or two items in a pinch or taking advantage of sales, but way too expensive to shop at regularly, especially for fresh produce.

My children’s performing arts classes are located about halfway between our house and my favorite produce stand. So, I thought I could get some of the shopping done after I dropped the kids off at class. Unfortunately, I didn’t have anything I could bring the produce home in if we rode our bikes. I needed potatoes and tomatoes. I could just feel the tomato sauce running down my back at the mere thought of putting that mess into a backpack. What to do? I do have a small rolling cart; so, we walked. Praise God that it was a beautifully cool, overcast day! The distance was a lot farther on foot than it seemed in the truck!

The walk to the performing arts center was lovely. Even the stroll to the produce stand was nice, but I was starting to feel the miles a bit. “Well, this new way of life is definitely going to help me reach my weight-loss goals,” I thought as I wandered along, nodding hello to neighbors I’d never met.

By the way, do you know how much 10 pounds of potatoes, 3 pounds of onions, 2 pounds of carrots, 7 plums, 5 apples, 2 heads of romaine lettuce (ours are not big enough to eat yet), 2 stalks of celery, 5 tomatoes, 1 bunch of radishes, and a book (yes, I always have a book with me. You never know when you’ll be stuck somewhere waiting) weigh? A lot more than I thought it would. Okay, if I’d thought about it at all before I started on this crazy journey, I’d have had some idea that I’d be pulling the equivalent of a small child behind me in that little cart. Oh, and the sun came out. It waited all day until after I left the produce stand to show itself. So, three miles later, I was sweaty and icky, but I did have a bit of tan going on and my hair turned a shade lighter. Ok, maybe not an entire shade lighter. It just felt like it baked enough to turn an entire shade lighter. And, I’d made it back to the performing arts center, with my produce, and I was still standing! A little wobbly, but still going!

When it was time to head home, my friend Barbi was leaving at the same time. She lives very close to us so I went ahead and accepted her offer to drop us and our cart full of produce off on her way home.

My legs were still a little wobbly, and I still had one more store to try to get to for the rest of the groceries. There had to be a better way!

Enter my dear niece Lacey and her husband Mike to my rescue!!! That sweet pair sent me the most amazing bike trailer ever! The base is sturdy and made out of steel, but is still light-weight. The cargo area seems to be made from a nice, tough cordora, and it can carry up to 180 pounds!! Woohoo!! And it follows the bike like a dream. I barely know it’s there!

A Thing of Beauty!

My Happy Helper!

 

By the way, for the record, I did cry when my niece sent me her note telling me to stop haunting the thrift stores and yard sales for a trailer because she and Mike were sending me this trailer. I cried when Fedex arrived with this huge box…for me. And I cried when Tom, Jared, and I put the trailer together and attached it to the bike so I could take it for a test run. But most of all, I cried when I’d read my niece’s note filled with beautiful words of love not just for me and my family, but more importantly, for God. She made my heart sing!

Thanks for stopping by! I’m so excited about being able to get groceries with my new bike trailer! It won’t be as fast as driving, of course, but it will be way faster and less grueling than walking! What kind of changes have you had to make because of the rise in gas prices?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty