Pear Jelly

Pear Jelly

Again this year, we had a bumper crop of pears. I made three large batches of pear picante sauce. We ate some. Gave a lot away and still had some left over. I don't remember the variety, but these are late pears. We usually have to pick them before they are ripe in order to keep them from early frost. This variety has rather thick skins, and while the flesh is firm and sweet, the skins aren't really, so even eaten fresh they are better peeled. However, you can only eat so many pears...

The Sure-jell box does not give any directions for pear jelly, only jam. I have a regular old-fashioned deep double kitchen sink and one side was HEAPED with washed pears. I *really* didn't want to peel and fine chop any more pears. I did two 5-gallon buckets full for the salsa. So, I read the directions for apple jelly and decided to try a batch. Only I decided to juice ALL the pears at one time, then measure and make the jelly later. Last year, I also had printed from a website a recipe for Pear Vanilla Jam that used real vanilla beans and sounded yummy, but it made a TINY batch and I never bothered to try it.

So, I processed all the pears (stem and blossom end removed, then cut into rough chunks) and in order to boost the pectin, I added 6 pie apples (Haralson?) and the juice of 5 lemons - or so I thought. Two of them were limes that had gone pale as they ripened. Once they were cut in half it was too late, so I added them too. Oh, almost forgot - last year I canned a lot of pear juice and pear/apple juice and no one would drink it. I made it in a steam juicer, so it's not concentrated enough to make jelly on it's own, but I opened the jars and added it to the fruit while cooking instead of the water that was called for on the instruction sheet. When it was all strained and pressed, and reduced a little I ended up with 2.5 gallons of juice!

When I measured out the juice and started heating it for jelly, I added a split and scraped out vanilla bean and the pod which I fished out just before adding the sugar. The jelly is incredible! YUM. I made two batches on Wed. and I ran out of sugar. Hopefully I'll have enough jars to finish up today. It's a lovely clear gold color, even though the bulk juice looks opaque pinky brown in the pot. :-D

BTW - if anyone needs vanilla beans, a friend bought a lot of them on ebay for less than $1 each. I was able to buy a few from her. They are about $5 each in the grocery store.

Denise
(11/06/09)

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Old Fashioned Meat Loaf

Old Fashioned Meat Loaf

1 can (10-1/2oz) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup*
2 lbs. Ground Beef
1/2 cup fine dry Bread Crumbs
1 medium or large Onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped Parsley (dry is fine)
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 lg. Egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste
a few Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 fresh Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (I add 1 cup)

*I get an organic brand instead of the Campbell's soup junk.

Combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Put into a shallow baking pan or a meat loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until done.

Deb note: halfway through cooking, I pour any grease out. This makes for a nice crust. I prefer the butt-cuts. ;)

Note: If you have enough for a second day (depending on family size, etc.), slice the cold meatloaf and lay out on a broiling pan. Broil, turning when brown. This gives another flavor that is excellent to leftover meatloaf.

Debbi
(10/9/09)

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Homemade Tomato Soup Ideas and Tips

Homemade Tomato Soup Ideas and Tips

Try roasting the tomatoes in a little olive oil first. Then make soup in usual way, ie cook onions*, add chopped veggies, seasoning, whizz in a blender or whatever, add stock, a little cream if feeling rash. I'm sure you know the drill.

*Or roast along with.

In fact, roasting any veggies before souping them works a treat. Beetroot - to die for!! Sweet potato and red bell peppers, too.

Carol - soup addict.
(10/9/09)

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Garlic Tomato and Tomato Bouillon Soups (two recipes)

I am a lifetime member of World Wide Recipes. I searched my archives for tomato soup and found the following that look pretty good:

Easy Garlic Tomato Soup

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced
2 tbsp (30 ml) paprika
2 (1-lb - 450 g) cans or 2 lbs (900 g) fresh tomatoes, chopped
3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock
3 cups (750 ml) water
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Hot sauce to taste
Butter
6 slices French bread
1/2 cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the olive oil in a stew pot. Saute the garlic until oil is infused. Raise the heat slightly and add the paprika. Saute until the paprika just begins to sizzle. Add the tomatoes, stock, water, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes.

Butter slices of bread liberally. Press one side of each piece into the grated parmesan. Broil until bubbling, watching to make sure the parmesan doesn't crisp.

Reduce heat on the soup. Add a few dashes of hot sauce and serve by placing one crouton in each bowl and covering with soup. Serves 6.

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Tomato Bouillon

4 to 6 cups (1 - 1.5 L) tomato juice
1 bay (laurel) leaf
1 rib celery with leaves, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried basil
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried chives
1 tsp (5 ml) fennel seeds
2 - 4 whole cloves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Optional garnish: sour cream

Combine all ingredients except the sour cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and serve hot or cold. Garnish with sour cream if desired. Serves 4 to 6.

janet, spinsterweaver
(10/9/09)

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Killer Quick Chocolate Frosting ala Debbi

Killer Quick Chocolate Frosting ala Debbi

2 pounds of semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (Yes, it's really 2 pounds used)
3/4 to 1 stick of Butter (**NOT** margarine!), divided
2 tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

(optional) 1 tsp espresso powder*

**More optional changes at the end

Put the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler. (Or in a small pot set into a larger pot with boiling water.) Add the butter. Melt the chips completely, stirring occasionally. When completely melted, stir in optional espresso powder, if using. Then stir in the milk and then the vanilla, mixing well.

Time to work fast... Have the first layer of a cake ready to frost. Pile half of the frosting on top and spread it quickly. Don't bother with the sides, it won't stick. Put on the second layer of the cake.

Take the pan back to the stove. Add the last 1/4 of the butter, 2 tbsp, and stir in with the flame on low as you combine the butter into the frosting.

Working quickly, frost sides of the cake. Frost the top last. This should be enough frosting to do the job. Keep cake covered.

*Espresso powder- coffee- really intensifies the chocolate flavors in anything you add it to.

**Use 1/2 of a stick of butter and a small carton (8 oz) of heavy whipping cream, and ditch the milk. Cook until thick and creamy. Use to frost between the layers, sides, and top. This is even richer than the recipe above, almost like a mousse in flavor.

This stuff is rich as hell. Decadent even. A fav around here now. I was desperate for frosting for a chocolate butter cake to take to a friend's house for lunch. That is what I came up with. I took half of the cake to her house. We sat with forks and went at it from each side. *Before* lunch and afterwards.

Adults can eat dessert first, ya know! We left her husband a piece that looked like mice had been at it.
(eg)

Debbi
(10/2/09)

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Deskunker

Deskunker Recipe

Here's the recipe I use and I know first-hand that it works better than anything else!

1 quart of 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp liquid soap

I put mine in a spay bottle and spray all over the dog.

If the hair is very long you'll need to just pour it on.

Rinse with warm water!

Also:

I've used the recipe below on deskunking. It also works on underarm stains and odor before washing shirts.

1 pint 3% hydrogen peroxide (drug store variety)
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp liquid dish soap

LaVonne
(9/6/09)

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Marian's Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Marian's Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

2 cups milk
scant 2 cups peanut butter
1 large pkg instant chocolate pudding mix
Large graham cracker pie crust
Cool whip or something like that

Mix peanut butter and milk. Add pudding mix and pour into pie crust.

Top with some kind of whipped cream. Store in frig.

Doesn't taste like much when first mixed - but man oh man - the next day, heaven if you love chocolate and peanut butter mixed.

For the smaller pie crust, cut everything in half.

Marian
(9/4/09)

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Garlic Jelly

Garlic jelly is excellent on meats, especially pork. This recipe does not make much, but the opened jar keeps in the refrigerator a long time. Use common sense of length of time kept, of course.

Garlic Jelly

2 tbsp Butter
1 head of Garlic, separated, peeled and minced
3 cups Sugar
1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
6 oz liquid Pectin

In a large saucepan, combine butter and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until garlic is light golden brown; 3 to 4 minutes. Add sugar and vinegar. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Stir in pectin. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam from top of jelly.

Pour into jars, seal and process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Refrigerate each jar after opening.

Yield: about 3 cups of Jelly

Debra
(9/2/09)

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3 Fruit Cobbler Recipes from Debra

One of the two cobbler recipes below *may* be my great-grammie's recipe. I inherited her, my great-aunt's and my great-grandpa's brother's recipe boxes. What a mess they are. All grew grapes for raisins. Great-grammie grew all of her own berry bushes and 3 or 4 varieties. she would pick the berries, wash them, then pack into washed-out milk cartons that she taped shut with freezer tape. She would then write which berries were in what box, each containing the amount she need for her recipe.

Cobbler is cobbler, right?

Up-Side Down Berry Cobbler

1/4 cup margarine (I use butter)
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup at a time)
1 cup sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
3 or 4 cups (or a #2 can) berries

Cream butter until soft and smooth. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Beat until smooth, then pour batter into a greased casserole. Put drained berries over batter. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup sugar. (I do not remember great-grammie doing that, but it was 45 years ago.) Pour 1 cup berry juice or water over all.

Bake in a moderate oven 375°F for about 45 minutes or until done. As the cobbler bakes, the crust will rise to the top - Serve warm with plain or whipped cream - (serves 6)

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Peach Cobbler

Put 1 cube of Butter in baking dish and melt.

Cut up 4 cups of fruit.

Add 2/3 cups Sugar and bring to a boil - Do not cook.

Mix and pour over melted butter:
1 cup Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Milk

Add fruit and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake at 350°F-400°F degree oven 40 minutes.

(I know some of this does not make sense.)

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Fruit Cobblers

Heat oven to 400°F before baking.

Heat 2-1/2 cups (a No. 2 can) canned fruit or berries and juice (or 3 cups fresh fruit and 3/4 cup water.) Sweeten to taste. Blend 1 tbsp Cornstarch dissolved in a little water. Cook 3 minutes.

Pour into shallow 6"x10" baking dish., dot with butter and cinnamon. Drop Shortcake dough (1/2 of the recipe) over top. Bake in moderately hot over 30 minutes. Serve hot with cream.

(There is no shortcake dough recipe I can find in my inherited recipe boxes, but I am sure most can find one.)

Debra
(7/24/09)

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Great-Aunt Auda's Raisin Cake

Great-Aunt Auda's Raisin Cake

2 cups Raisins
2 cups Water
1-1/2 cups Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Oil
2 cups Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Almond extract
1/2 tsp. Vanilla (written- Vinalla... laughing)
1 cups Nuts, chopped

Combine raisins, water, brown sugar and butter boil 5 minutes. Let mixture cool.

Add oil to mix. (The above, I am assuming.) Sift together flour, spices, baking powder, soda, and salt; add to raisin mix. Add flavoring and nuts.

Pour into 2 greased loaf pans 9"x5". Bake at 350°F for 50 or 60 minutes.

Debra
(7/24/09)

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