Guacamole and Salsa - by me!

Total Time : roughly an hour - it took me two hours, first an issue with our water well, and numerous interruptions from the kids. ;)

*I started off with a BUNCH of tomatoes to use up from my garden. If you don't have a lot of tomatoes laying around you'll want to get at least 15 Roma Tomatoes. Roma Tomatoes are preferred due to the fact they're meatier than regular tomatoes.
*Two bunches of cilantro
*a very large red/purple onion
*6 very mushy Avocados - if you are not able to get some very soft ones from the grocery store you can put them in a brown paper bag on the counter overnight, they should ripen well.
*a large head of garlic, or two average size heads.
*Salt
*black pepper
*vinegar
*sour cream, at least 8 oz
*4 limes or a bottle of lime juice
*can of black beans, drained and rinsed
*olive oil
*jalapeno peppers, I used two for mild flavor


I started off making the guacamole first.

Mash the meat from all of the avocados in a large bowl - I mash it with a fork

Add in 8oz of Sour Cream - some folks prefer to omit the sour cream or add in mayo, but I've found this to retain the best flavor and color, and helps it go a little further.

I then add in roughly 2tsp of black pepper, 1T of salt, and just over 1/8 cup of lime juice - or the juice from one lime.

I use a tiny Black & Decker food chopper, for chopping everything else.
Add in 3 fine chopped or "processed" Roma Tomatoes - don't puree the tomatoes, you just want them small, not pure liquid...
1/3 of the large red onion - chopped finely
1/2 a bunch of the cilantro - chopped finely
1/2 seeded jalapeno - chopped finely
5 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
Add all to the bowl.


Mix all together.

If it comes out a bit too avocado tasting add in a bit more lime juice & salt - too limey add in some salt - too salty add in a little more sour cream or lime juice.

Makes roughly 3 pints, if I'm fixing it for just my family of 4 I separate it into two containers and throw one into the freezer for use at a later date. It keeps WONDERFULLY well in the freezer, but should be put in the fridge at least overnight to thaw.



Salsa
I chopped all of the remaining tomatoes, put them in a large bowl- roughly 2.5 pounds (same bowl I did the guac in, after washing it)

I also chopped the remaining 3/4 onion, 10 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 seeded jalapeno, 1 1/2 bunches cilantro, added all of them to the tomatoes.

I then added in the can of black beans that had been drained and rinsed.

Now this is where it gets a bit tricky.
I add in just a "splash" of olive oil - roughly a tablespoon
about 1/2 cup of vinegar, but if the salsa tastes too much like just a lot of tomatoes, add in a bit more until you have a balanced taste to it.
I add in about 1/2 cup of lime juice - about 3 limes.
2T of salt
and about 1 1/2 tsp of black pepper


Again, like with the guacamole if its too salty add in a bit more lime juice, too tomato-y tasting add in more vinegar, too much lime add in more salt, or if you have a few more tomatoes add those in to help tone down the lime or salt taste.


You can also add in a couple of bell peppers if you like (I would of had I not forgotten to get some & hadn't ate the ones I'd picked out of my garden.) You can also add in a can of whole kernel corn that has been drained and rinsed, again, another thing I forgot while I was at the store, and didn't pull any out of my freezer (sheer laziness..lol). A lot of people tend to like to put chili powder in their salsa, I don't like it in mine, and that's just something you can experiment with testing out for your own salsa.

You can also add in more jalapenos or even hotter peppers if you want a hotter salsa...I have to keep in mind my ulcers & the kids' sensitivities to "hot" things, therefore the jalapeno is more just a flavor enhancer than a spice.

Allow both the guacamole and salsa to sit in the fridge for about an hour, at least, before serving for the full flavor to set, but if in a pinch it's still good immediately.

You can also freeze the salsa, but at times when you thaw it it will be a bit runny, just drain off some of the excess juice.

ENJOY!

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BlackBerry Cobbler

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen, thawed & drained) blackberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking POWDER - not soda!
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
Ice cream

Directions:


In a medium bowl stir together the blackberries & sugar.

Set aside for roughly 20 minutes, until it starts to get juicy with the blackberry syrup.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, & milk - GENTLY stir in the melted butter until all is blended.


Spread the batter mixture into the bottom of an 8x8 (preferably glass) baking pan.

Spoon the blackberries over the top of the batter.


Bake 45-55 minutes in a 375° oven - the key to knowing when it's ready is the dough will be on top & a lovely golden color.


Serve warm with the ice cream (or whipped cream if you so desire!) (Yea, I'm out of ice cream & wasn't going to wait on any to get here, it was still yummy!)

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Cost Cutting that I Use

This is my recipe for laundry detergent. It makes 2 1/2 gallons of detergent, initial cost is maybe $15-20, depending on the prices in your area, however when you break it down the cost is only about $1 per bucket of detergent, and last us - including the detergent I made for my mom, so 6 people - around 9 months. It is also AWESOME if anyone has skin allergies, I can't comfortably use any other detergent, even "free and clear" ones because they all break me out to some degree, I've never had an issue with the stuff I make.

Other things I do that cut down on costs is I buy the whole 5 lb processed ham, at WM and take it to the deli and have them slice it for me, then when I get home I separate it into 1lb freeze bags, freeze all but one bag of it at a time - $7(maybe) for 5lbs of sandwich ham, instead of $3 per 1/2lb.

Coupons - when my printer has ink.

I buy the ink refill bottles for the printer...it works wonderfully until you screw it up and put the colored ink in the black and black in the colored...

I make my own cleaners using vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda, and rubbing alcohol...there's quite a few different ones listed on here : http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/153/1/Earth-friendly-oven-cleaning.html Maybe about $5 a month as opposed to my "normal" $30-ish.

Of course generic items.

I also try to go to the local butcher and buy most of my meats there, they're fresher and are generally cheaper. In the spring I build up a garden and freeze or can a great portion of it - Spaghetti Sauce & Salsa especially. I also bake a lot of my own bread.

I do have a bit of an advantage out here where I live because I have an awesome neighbor who brings me a flat (2 1/2 dozen) of eggs every week or so that his chickens have laid. He also has some hogs & a cow he's going to be taking to slaughter this spring and will just split the processing cost with him to fill our freezer - roughly $400 (maybe) for half an "organic, free range" cow and one or two full hogs, all cuts of both.

I limit my driving to just what's necessary and do all my running in the same day, planning the trip out so I don't have to back track most of the time. We (as a family, I'm quite sure Brian eats out more often than he admits) don't go out to eat more than *maybe* once a month.

I bake something daily, and cook dinner nightly. I also have a stock pile(that needs to be refreshed) of freezer safe plastic containers that I'll fill with lunch size meals, from any leftovers we have, and put them in the freezer for later. Brian then takes them to work with him - when he thinks about it - for lunch there or we'll have them here for lunch - just something we can pop in the microwave, much like any other TV dinner, but without all the "preservatives and sodium". I don't buy many snacky junk type foods - soda, only if we're having a gathering here at the house; snack cakes - not at all, I make them instead - well cookies, cakes, the like; chips are a rare purchase, maybe one or two bags a month, maybe, instead I do buy crackers for those salt cravings, but most don't go through crackers like they do chips; etc etc.

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Flame me now!

My daughter is having ...for dinner, mind you...ham slices, Velveeta cheese cubes, pumpkin bread, a banana, & ketchup.

I did try to get her to eat the leftover ham & beans, but she wasn't interested.

Instead she took my by the hand to the fridge. She pointed out the ham, then the drawer I keep the cheese in (for some reason Velveeta is the only cheese I have in there, besides cream cheese ), pointed out the pumpkin bread, then grabbed the ketchup. And has proceeded to request refills on the ketchup, now 3 times. I threw a banana in there for a bit of "value" to her meal....a banana that she actually dipped in her ketchup and ate...after the 3rd ketchup refill.

BUT I can say this is the first time she's ever really "protested" against any food, period, and she did do decent at picking out a balanced meal...of sorts...granted you count ketchup as a vegetable.

I figure it won't hurt to let her pick a meal once in a while, regardless of the head shaking I do after the fact. She did eat it all...well, all that she didn't feed to the cat, after her belly was full.

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Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust :
1 1/2 cup crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*.
In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom and about 1" up the sides of a 9" spring form pan, that has been lined with wax paper along the bottom.
Bake crust for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Set aside to cool.

Filling:
2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin mash (For directions on making fresh pumpkin mash look here.)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar & vanilla, just until smooth.
Mix in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
Set aside one cup of the mixture.
Blend 1/4 cup of sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, & nutmeg into the remaining mixture.
Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust and drop the plain batter onto the top, by the tablespoon, sporadically over the pumpkin batter.
Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake 55 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until filling is set.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan.
Allow to cool before removing pan rim.

Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

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Pumpkin Fudge

2 cups Sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup pumpkin mash
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Check out this entry for making fresh pumpkin mash.

Cook sugar, pumpkin mash, cornstarch, evaporated milk, & pumpkin pie spice until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water or until it reaches 236*F (114*C)

Add the butter, vanilla, & nuts.

Beat until mixture is creamy

Pour into a buttered plate & allow to cool.

Cut into small chunks.

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Apple Crisp

Butter an 8" square baking pan
Preheat oven to 350*

5 cups peeled and sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick of butter...or 1/2 cup ...or 1/4 pound

Put apples in the baking dish.
In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, flour, & cinnamon.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle the topping over the apples.
Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is crisp.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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Fresh Pumpkin Spice Bread

I start off the pumpkin recipe making season with purchasing a large pumpkin.

The absolute easiest way to prepare a pumpkin for baking use is :
Cut it in half.
Lay each half on a baking sheet, cut side down so that it creates a seal.
Bake in a 350* pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until pulp is soft.
Take out of the oven and let cool before moving on, remember it will be HOT and can burn you.
I then scoop the steamed pumpkin meat out of the rind, putting it into my blender then puree it.

Two cups of pureed pumpkin is equal to one can of pumpkin bought at the store.

I measure it out into 2 cup increments, into labeled freezer bags, then freeze whatever I am not going to be using immediately.



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Pumpkin Spice Bread

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups (or 1 can) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Grease & flour two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Pre-heat oven to 350*.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, & nutmeg.

In a separate bowl stir together the pumpkin & oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the pumpkin mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until wooden pick or cake tester, inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Smoother with butter and enjoy!

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Absolute Homemade Spaghetti Sauce!

Homegrown Ingredients :

4-5lbs pureéd tomatoes - a great variety of what I had in my garden...Roma is best, but I only had 2 this time
LARGE head of garlic - equal to about 15 cloves diced
10 small green bell peppers diced
15 small carrots chopped
handful of chopped parsley leaves
handful of chopped oregano leaves
medium red onion
two twigs of celery - yes! I FINALLY have some celery ready in my garden...its only taken 9 months since starting it from seed. :D

Ingredients I did not grow :
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar
3 T - white sugar
1 T each of - Marjoram, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Sage, Rosemary, & Basil
1 T black ground pepper
1 T salt
1/2 of a 46oz bottle of veggie juice - for thicker sauce also use some tomato paste - around 24oz
1 lb package of mushrooms sliced & chopped

Put all ingredients into a large pot. Simmer on low for 30-45 minutes, long enough for some of the liquid to cook down a little & release the flavors. After simmering separate into containers with lids...if canning you must can it in a pressure cooker, I don't have a pressure cooker, so will be freezing mine...I leave it on the counter to cool overnight before transferring it into my freezer.

Enjoy!

This made 5 jars of spaghetti sauce - I re-used the jars I'd saved from buying my spaghetti sauce in the past. It really looks YUM-TACULAR!


I'll post pictures of the finished product when I find my camera.

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Adventures in the Kitchen Vol 1 Ep 2

In order to cook something in the slow cooker it does NOT matter how HIGH you turn it up - if it's not plugged in it's not going to cook

Thankfully I'm just doing a pish posh of leftover cooked chicken from the fridge, added in some spices, LOTS of tomatoes, some onions, etc - for chicken tacos later, so the only reason for putting it in the slow cooker was so that the house didn't get hot from the stove and the seasonings would all blend together...but still...UGH! I've been waiting on that thing to at least get warm...for the last 5 hours...JUST noticed it wasn't plugged in.

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Strawberry Jam!

I've been wanting to get into canning & preserving & all that, seeing as I do have quite the garden going right now & if I'm able to do something with what I'm growing that's going to save me money down the road I might as well, right. Well. Not too keen on if I'm saving any money this year, but can see the potential for it to pay off in years to come.

I had a small stock pile of frozen strawberries in the freezer. I mean, hell, if you're able to get 8 lbs of strawberries for $5 you might as well get while the getting is good, right.

So I finally got all the supplies I would need to make some jelly. Canning utensils - jar tongs, headspace measuring tool, air bubble releaser, magnet on a stick to lift the hot lids out of the water, canning jars, & pectin. So far so good. I had the pan that I was going to be doing the water canning in, so I was set.

Then with all this laid out in front of me I realized I really had no idea as to what I was doing. My aunt does a lot of her own canning. My grandpa makes a LOT of jelly every year, but alas, I've never been there to witness any of this. So I went into this project exhausted and blind.

I studied & read the directions more times & MUCH for throughouly than I normally read any directions, until I was sure I was ready to do this.

Mashed up the strawberries.

Heated the jars & lids in hot water.

Then added the pectin, some apple juice, & sugar to the strawberries while boiling them.

Once it was done boiling I picked my jars up out of the water, funneled in the strawberry jam (to-be).

Set both jars back into the boiling water with the lids in place.

10 minues later I took them out of the water.

Set them on the coutner.

And waited.

I was rather a bit skeptical & anxious about it as it appeared to look like mashed strawberries...and that's it..and wasn't too sure if the lids had actually sealed.

12-24 hours later you should be able to know if the jam did well.

This morning when I got up I checked on them. They were sealed! YAY! I slightly turned the jar, to see if they'd set. The jam was set!! YAYAYAY!!!!

Now I have two jars of homemade, by me, strawberry jam sitting on my counter.... I'm kinda sad about the thought of opening one of them up to see just how well I did. LOL They look so pretty sitting there on my counter.... I didn't use the exact right size jars & think that my strawberry measurement was a little short, but nonetheless, here they are! I can't believe out RED they turned out, they're so pretty!

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