Late July always reminds me of sitting on my nana’s porch shucking corn. I really hated it at the time but now it brings me great memories. My very last memory of shucking corn with her was in 1982. She was 80 and her porch was the size of the entire front of the house…
Food
How to Smoke Peppers the Easy Way
I thought that if I could smoke Cheese I could smoke some chile peppers and sure enough, I did! It was sooooo easy too! You can smoke all sorts of peppers with very little work or cost if you don’t own a smoker. What?!?!? What do you mean I can smoke peppers if I don’t…
Smoke Dried Tomatoes
If your garden is like mine, right now there are tomatoes everywhere. You can only do so much to make salsa, spaghetti sauce, and marinara. Smoke Dried Tomatoes are perfect when you have 6-10 (Roma are best) to put up quickly. This is all you need: Roma tomatoes – Peeled or Unpeeled and slices 1/8…
Cherry Jam Chocolate Cupcakes
Cherry Jam Chocolate Cupcakes!! We love cupcakes at our house. My husband loves them more than just about anything. Not the wonderful works of art that you get at cupcake bakeries these days. Nope, my plain-palate husband loves the old-fashioned kind moms used to make for bake sales. I, on the other hand, love new…
What to do with all the Jam????
Have you been thinking of canning some of summer’s bounty but just cannot imagine trying to eat it all before 2020? Or, did you really get into the groove of canning, making all kinds of jam/jelly/marmalade then gave it to ALL your friends, family and neighbors as presents and STILL have cases of it left? …
My jam/jelly/marmalade did not set!!!
My jelly did not set up, what did I do wrong? Has this ever happened to you? You’ve followed a recipe exactly and then after the jelly cooled; it looks like pretty colored syrup. It could be any number things and here are a few reasons why. Some of the citrus or soft fruits take…
Small Sweet Peppers
Last week, I was at Sam’s and saw a bag of very small red and yellow sweet peppers in the produce section. I bought a bag for $2.88. I wasn’t expecting much but when I opened the bag, the peppers were so sweet and tasty I couldn’t resist going back for more! They are about…
Pressure Cookers 101
Great Score at the Flea Market!! I scored big time today! This afternoon my husband and I went to the local flea market where I found something I needed…….another pressure cooker. Guess how much I paid? A mere $2! It works wonderfully. Bought it from a lady who was afraid of it. A hot water…
What should I make first?
That’s a question I get all the time. You should start with a fruit that you or your family personally like for your first jam or jelly. There are fruits that are more forgiving than others. Strawberry is one that comes to mind. You really only need a pot, sugar, pectin, and an old-fashioned potato…
Do I have to pick/buy and put up on the same day?
Today, it is snowing in Oklahoma and many people are home. It is the perfect day for making jam or marmalade! Tis’ the season for citrus fruits so a quick trip to the store will garner you a bag full for a fairly small amount of money. If you keep jars, lids, sugar, and pectin…