Okay guys, bear with me…..this is going to be a long post. I wanted to tell you that in advance in case you wanted to get comfortable, get a drink, or pitch a tent. It’s hard to do a canning tutorial without tons of pictures. So, here you go! I wanted to can peaches this year – I first thought about freezing them, but mom changed my mind. Moms have a way of doing that. 🙂 So, we went to our family’s produce market and bought two boxes of peaches. They were so pretty! I enjoyed working with them and smelling them…..and okay, eating them. [Read more…] |
Easy Saran Wrap Alternative: Shower Caps to the Rescue!
We all have them – bowls that don’t have lids. Or maybe they have a lid but your 2 year old hid it somewhere and you can’t find it even though you’ve looked high and low. Or maybe it’s just a weird shaped bowl that a lid wouldn’t work on…..but sometimes you need to cover those bowls anyway. Enter shower caps! Yes, shower caps. They work great on any bowl that doesn’t have a lid. I like covering my bread bowls with them when I have dough rising. It keeps the bugs out….or dust….or flying magnetic letters.I love how handy they are so I always keep a good sized stash around. If one gets dirty, I might wipe it off……or I might just throw it away and get another one. Or, if I do something dumb like stab a knife through it, then I just pitch it and get a new one. They are nice to have in case of a lid emergency. [Read more…] |
Pear Butter
Our July guest post is from Allison at The Novice Life. Take it away Allison! My name is Allison and I live on almost 6 acres with my husband and 4 month old son! Included on our hobby farm is an Apple orchard so we are now self-taught apple farmers! With 120 trees, we do sell at farmer’s markets, but it would be a shame to not save some of the goodness for ourselves. So, I’ve learned to preserve the ‘fruits of our labor’! [Read more…] |
How to Season an Iron Skillet
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| This family is in love with cornbread. Here is a true statement – cornbread is best in an iron skillet. I’m not even going ask if you think that’s true, because it is. And I don’t care what you say. :-p If you haven’t tried the cornbread recipe above, you might want to. It will make your family love you and bring you flowers. Barry gets really excited when I say I’m making cornbread. BUT in order for your cast iron skillet to work, it needs to be seasoned. Why? Seasoning makes it just like a non-stick pan….well, except for all the hazards of using non-stick. I really am not fond of non-stick pans, but I have several. As they die, I will replace them with nicer iron skillets, cast iron enamel, or stainless steel. I’m secretly feeding them arsenic so they die quickly. SHHHHHHHH! [Read more…] |
How To Cut A Pineapple
 We be lovin’ pineapple up in this house….that’s street slang (or as street slang as I can get). A fresh pineapple makes canned pineapple taste like sawdust. I really fell in love with fresh pineapples when I was in Trinidad…..we would buy them at road-side stands and come home, cut them up, and inhale them. They were SO good……almost made me want to move there – except for the whole 100+ degrees all the time thing. I like buying them when I can get them for a good deal ($1.99-2.50). How do you choose a good pineapple? Most people will tell you to pull the middle leaf out of the top….and if it comes easily, it’s ripe. That’s not been a good indicator for me. Here’s how I do it – your pineapple should have a yellow tint, starting from the bottom up. If it’s mostly green, it’s not ripe. Also, smell it…..at the bottom where it sits. If it smells sweet, and it’s yellow chances are it’s a doggone good pineapple. It’s a good idea to let your pineapple sit upside down about 30 minutes before you cut it. All the sweetness resides in the bottom (sorta like me!), so if you do that, it’ll let the juice distribute before you cut. Let’s cut this bad boy! [Read more…] |
Homemade Microwave Popcorn
 I love popcorn. Really, it should be evident by my Kettle Corn post. Homemade popcorn on the stove just blows everything else out the window. We have one of those old fashioned stove-top poppers and it’s just awesome…..and I really mean that – not like some people say awesome but don’t really mean it. However, sometimes I want popcorn and I want it NOW. I don’t want to wait or wash the popper. Have you noticed that the good stuff at the store is expensive? But kernels aren’t? Today I’m going to show you how to make your own microwave popcorn. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s cheap……but it’s not as good as stovetop – be on the lookout for one of those poppers at a yard sale (that’s where we scored mine!). |
 You’ll need a paper bag (we used a GIANT size), masking tape, popcorn kernels, olive oil, and popcorn salt. I got our salt at Sam’s in a HUGE container…..but real butter is better. Better butter, better butter, better butter……… |
 Pour the kernels right down into the bag. I’m getting really excited about what is going to happen! |
 Pour the oil over the kernels. It’s a good idea to pour the oil after the kernels are already in the bag. It helps them get coated a bit better…….I learned that the hard way. I learn tons of stuff the hard way. |
 I like my popcorn with salt. Like I said, butter is better though. You can use popcorn salt OR any seasoning you want at this point – cumin, cinnamon, taco seasoning, ranch dressing powder, or oregano. Be creative. Have a popcorn creativity contest with your family……and then pour it out if it’s nasty and start over. Been there, done that. |
 Now, bend the top over (not like I forgot to do in this picture) and shake the heck out of that bag. I mean, really go at it. You want to coat all the kernels with oil and salt. No kernel left behind. |
 Now, tape the top down. I read that some people use staples…….but that just scares me a bit. I don’t want my popcorn bag on fire. I’ve already made too many mishaps in the microwave; I really don’t need another one to add to Barry’s list. |
 My microwave has a popcorn setting, so I just use that. If yours doesn’t, I don’t know what to tell ya…..just guesstimate. When the popping slows and you have a few seconds between pops, you need to pull it out…..or else it will catch on fire. Or so I’ve heard from OTHER PEOPLE. *Cough* |
 It’s a miracle! Isn’t that coolest thing ever? Don’t worry about the oily bag, it just wipes right up. |
 Dig in! It’s great warm. I used this batch to make a version of Puppy Chow, but using popcorn instead of cereal. It was pretty stinking awesome if I do say so myself. It’s gone. Sorry. Make your own. |
Homemade Microwave Popcorn
Ingredients
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 paper bag
- Seasonings
- Tape
Instructions
- Combine popcorn, oil, and seasonings in paper bag.
- Fold over top and tape.
- Shake well to coat.
- Microwave using popcorn setting.
- Serve.
Sun Tea
My mom has made Sun Tea my whole life. It was rare that I didn’t see the jar of tea sitting on the edge of the porch. My dad goes through it like my car goes through gasoline……except it’s cheaper. Wish my car could run on Sun Tea. Barry likes tea too, so when we got married I started making it for him. Him. I hate tea. It makes me wanna yak. However, I have decided that I am going to attempt to learn to love it. I know it’s good for me……I just have to keep repeating that to myself. IT’S GOOD FOR ME! So are sardines, but that hasn’t really done much for me. All you need is water, tea bags, and a glass jar. Mom gave me this glass jar. I think it used to house pickles. If your jar used to house pickles, make sure you air it out and get rid of the pickle smell before you make tea…..that wouldn’t be a nice surprise for your husband – unless you’re mad at him. It’s pretty easy to find a glass jar like this….just ask around. Or visit Sam’s and buy something just for the jar. Been there, done that. Have I ever mentioned I have this thing for glass jars? [Read more…] |
Making Any Recipe Your Own
Did you know you could write your own recipe book? It’s true. You’re an author in the making….if you’d just stop following those recipes step-by-step. I come across recipes all the time that sound delicious, but I just don’t have the ingredients…..or the ingredients are expensive. I’ll just tell you right now that I’m not going to be buying cardamom any time soon…..unless I feel like selling my birthright. It’s made from gold or something…..must be related to gasoline. So, I use recipes that I find as springboards and I go from there. Sometimes I follow a recipe 100%…..I used to always follow them, but then I got a little more confident and I started taking risks. Life without risk is like baked oatmeal without syrup…..like food without salt……like Stacy without her laptop. So, be bold and try something new (yes, even you, Rebecca Cobb). [Read more…] |
How to Cut Butternut Squash
Ya know, I’m not very fond of winter. I hate being cold. I go into “shut down mode,” which leaves me balled up on the couch, surrounded by blankets, while I shiver and cry because I hate being cold. Thankfully this year Annie is on the move, so I should stay warm from running all over the house after her……right? Anyway, I know that when it starts turning cold that butternut squash are going to be ready, and that almost makes up for it. I love butternut squash! Annie loves it too! Last year my dad planted several and we enjoyed feeding them to Annie. I enjoyed eating them myself. I like to think that this year he planted more for me, but I’m not stupid. I know it’s all about Annie now. I’m chopped liver. Who cares? As long as he grows them and I get to eat them, I’m happy. Have you ever cooked one? Does it look intimidating? I used to think so, but now I cut them up with ease. It really doesn’t take a lot of time or effort…..and the payoff is amazing! So, let me show you how to cut one so you can enjoy them this season. If your dad didn’t grow any for your 16 month old, then you can pick them up at your local produce market – and they’re cheap! [Read more…] |
How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds
So, let’s say you really aren’t feeling like making your own pumpkin puree. Or maybe you just really hate Pumpkin Pie. Are you going to cut up a pumpkin this year to put on your porch? If so, you’re going to be scraping out the innards aren’t you? Why not put them to good use and roast pumpkin seeds instead of throwing them away? It’s so easy and they’re so delicious! You’ll wonder why you never did it before. [Read more…]