Fruit salad

I woke up the other day thinking of a very special lady and realized we are going to my oldest daughters new house for a BBQ this weekend and I know what I will bring!
My hubby and I were together for about 9 years before his grandma passed away, I had know her since I was about 8 through church, her and my mom were friends. I knew her by Grandma Ernie way before hubby and I met and got married but after she really was Grandma Ernie (hubby's grandma)! She is missed a lot and this is something that screams her name and makes me smile. This was one of her favorite things to make and bring to family functions, she would make it up the night before and store in quart jars. The next day she would just take it out of the fridge and since the lids were on just put in a bag and she was ready to go. She also made lots on purpose so as we left each of us had a jar to take home. Here is as close to her recipe as I could remember.

1 package strawberry jello
1 package cherry jello
1 can pineapple,  crushed
1 cup peaches
1 quart strawberries
3 bananas
2 cups grapes, purple and/or white
2 cups apples, red and/or yellow
1/2 to 1 cup coconut flakes
1 jar cherries
1 can fruit cocktail, think grandma may have also put in juice

Follow the instruction on the packages of jello, then add the fruit above (sliced into bite sized pieces) or the fruit of your choice (this recipe is very forgiving) stir and store in quart jars, or containers of your choice, (I love wide mouth canning jars) leave in the icebox until jelled. You can also add other fresh/frozen fruit. The above is just how Grandma made it (close to), she made this fruit salad more during the summer when most of the ingredient she could pick herself. Wish me luck that I am close to her recipe, if not hopefully someone in the family will know what needs added this weekend. All grandmas recipes were in her head sadly, I don't think she ever wrote any down.

Fried Pumpkin

I had a couple of people ask for the recipe on my fried pumpkin and I finally got the last pumpkin done yesterday yay! I canned a total of 12 quarts for pie and froze 14 quarts also for pie's and froze 24 quarts for fried pumpkin.


After letting it boil gently on the
stove top for a half hour its
soft and ready to mash



I cut, seeded, peeled then cut the pumpkin
into small cubes




This is my favorite it makes tiny to
medium size chunks :)

It only takes a minute to mash, I have
also pureed it the end result is
good either way.



In the above skillet I added about a  pint of mashed pumpkin, then to the above skillet I added:

3 Tbl sugar

2 Tbl brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbl butter

I let it cook over low to medium heat for about half an hour make sure to stir often, sorry I forgot to take a picture of the end result, the pumpkin will cook down and turn a little darker in color when done. It tastes sooo good on a hot buttered biscuit! I have also when I did not have fresh pumpkin available purchased canned pumpkin and this worked fine also. Fried pumpkin is very forgiving if you like it a little sweeter add more brown sugar, if you like more Cinnamon add it. :)

 

Jim's Jerky Recipe

I finally got hubby to stop long enough to write down his marinade recipe, this is for 4 pounds of thin sliced beef

 1 cup of soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar

We sliced the meat (beef) very thin and added the mixture above into a pot and heat on low until the brown sugar is combined, this takes just a few minutes, cool and add the beef to this mixture and let set over night in the fridge or at least for 12 hours.

The next morning it looks like this, all soaked and added to the dehydrator and ready to go. Turn the temperature to 155 degrees F, for 10 hours for thin sliced, 12 to 14 hours if  thicker (play it by ear, you can tell when its done). I let it dehydrate overnight, then the next morning it looks like this

First batch done just in time for hubby to take with him this morning for the week to snack on. I had forgotten how much cheaper it is to make it yourself. Yay! :)

The 4 pounds of thin sliced makes 5 batches in this dehydrator

Dehydrator another yard sale find

I have been on the look out for a dehydrator for a while now (since mine broke) :(  I have found a few but they had been used (a lot). This past Friday I stopped by a yard sale (can you believe, yard sale winter...) on the way to take mom to speech therapy and low and behold they had a dehydrator, still in the box! I spoke to the lady, she said she never got around to using it yay! Happy Dance, because I got it for $5.00! This was a big thing on my list for saving money, I do can and freeze, but dehydrating food can be so convenient to use! just put it in a zip lock bag or jar and store on the shelf, cant wait to try it out this week. (but making soap first) :) Another big thing on my list toward saving is getting our cellar repaired, it is usable the way it is (but just). The cellar is well over 100 years old and the concrete in places is in bad shape. I know it would be easier to take out and replace, maybe close to the same (cost wise) but I like the old, when I walk down there I feel like the stories it could tell.... Well one step at a time. :) See my dehydrator, ain't she pretty

Well the first item I am making is beef jerky, hubby has a recipe he used a lot a few years ago before our old dehydrator bit the dust. We all liked it so that is what I will use first. Problem is with hubby's hours, getting him to write it down for me. You know how it is....he says a little of this and a little of that and let Marinate over night. Well I need it wrote down with the amounts or I know I will not get it to taste the same :p
I also found a powdered egg recipe that I want to try over at Modern Day Redneck, we have been getting a lot of eggs lately and I had never thought about dehydrating them, I think its a great idea!
If anyone has some good recipes for dehydrating meat, veggies etc. please give me a holler I'd love to try them :)

Coleslaw?

Take one or more of these

Clean, peal and shred

Add some of this or make your own

If you have any of these, give them the peals

and add the dressing to this

A neighbor down the road gave me this recipe last week, needless to say my hubby has never found a turnip he didn't like and I also like turnips, although my mother hates them. I got her to try this type of coleslaw and she could not tell the difference between it being made with cabbage or turnips and actually got seconds! This is also a very easy item to make when using pre-made dressing. I usually make my own dressing, but I found this Kraft on sale a few weeks ago, I also had some coupons I used and with purchasing it on Tuesday (this is 10 percent off day) I bought 6 of them. (By the way this dressing by Kraft is really delicious)! This only takes a couple of minutes to make, but does need to be put in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy :)

Really good sandwich bread

I usually make bread twice a week and this recipe makes a really good sandwich bread. Hubby came home a couple hours early yesterday just as I was putting them in the pan for the second rise. So one ended up my normal (white) bread, the other hubby had a hand in. It really did turn out nice, I think I will make his version again.

Ingredients:

2 Cups of warm water about 110 degrees

2 Tbl of active dry yeast

2/3 Cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups flour

In the bread machine I added all the wet ingredients, then added the sugar, salt and flour, then I made a well in the center and added the yeast. I turned on the bread machine and let it do the first kneed, rise and rest, then I removed it and punched it down and shaped them into loaves (hubby added a few ingredients to his before I shaped it). Both pans were well oiled and a little flour sprinkled around the pans. Let them rise for at least 30 to 45 minutes (or double in size)

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes in a pre-heated oven

Hubby rolled the dough out, then added over the top

1 Tbl of butter (unsalted)

1/2 cup (unsweetened) applesauce

2 Tbl sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

He also wanted to add raisins, but I was out! Next time though I will add them

Then I rolled it up and tucked in the corners (this is the same as I always do bread) I just do not add anything on top, then left it along with the other to rise.

My bread usually does rise good, but these did double duty. The only thing I did different was the bread machine first rise.

As you can see rise they did! They were to big to fit in my oven, I had to remove the above rack. I think I will use the bread machine method again, just to see if that was it or if it was just a fluke.

Mine turned our really good but....

Hubby's was better, really good actually, this
recipe is a keeper!

Deer Roast

Pictured is 2 small deer roasts about two pounds each. I cubed 4 slices of bacon and lightly fried the bacon in the cast iron skillet then removed the bacon and set aside. I then added the deer roasts and browned them both on all four sides in the bacon grease (sorry drippings!). Next remove the roast but leave  the crumbles in the pan, they have a lot of flavor!

 I then add 2 tablespoons of flour to the grease and let this lightly brown it only takes a few minutes. I then added to the pan 2 1/2 cups of water and stir, bring to a slight boil for a minute. Then put the roasts back in the pan.

 Turn off the burner and to the pan I added 6 large chunked potatoes, 1 cup carrots, 1 large sliced onion, 1/2 teaspoon garlic, 1/2 cup sliced celery and the bacon that I had sat aside then salt and pepper to taste and a tiny dab of Worcestershire sauce over the roast and a half cup of water over the vegges, I then put on the lid and baked in the oven. 375 deg for 30 minutes

This is how it looked coming out of the oven, this is a very versatile recipe, I have previously added corn and green beans, another time I added a packet of onion soup mix because I had no onions in the kitchen. I have also marinated the roast over night in the fridge. I serve this with my grandmas fry bread recipe and a saled, delish!

Cajeta

Found a new recipe this is for Cajeta (Mexican caramelized candy), I'm sure a lot of people have heard of this but its new to me! Anyway I had to give it a try...and I love it!! The caramel taste is excellent! The only thing is it takes quit a while to cook, you start with 3 quarts of milk and the finished product is a little over 3 cups but it is soooo good. Ingredients that I used are as follows:
3 Quarts whole goats milk
3 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
(I know this is VERY rich but you don't eat a lot at one setting)
dissolve the cornstarch and the baking soda in a cup of goats milk stir well
add the rest of the goats milk to a pan and bring to a boil and also add the cup of goats milk with the cornstarch and baking soda dissolved, keep an eye on it and stir constantly, cook until you have the consistency of mmm.... oh sorry... caramel sauce, then stir in a teaspoon vanilla and your done. Pour into clean jars and if not canning this put in the fridge.
It only lasted a couple of weeks in my fridge (everyone loved it I think it was a toss up between my sister Linda and hubby on who ate the most! :)
This caramel candy has the consistency of caramel and is a dark rich color its good on toast, ice cream, dip for apples, oh and its so good drizzled on pumpkin bread, I am also going to try it in my next apple pie etc....
So I am making a double batch today and its going to be canned! Although I may still have to hide a few in the pantry so we can enjoy some this winter. haha

This is how it looks in the beginning

This is after 45 minutes, its almost there!

This is after a total of about 2 hour 15 minutes you
can see the color change. At this time I add the
teaspoon of vanilla.

Sorry I got busy canning and with the hot water bath I forgot to take any pictures of the finished product. I cleaned and sterilized 6 - 1/2 pint jars (I made a double batch) and added the Cajeta I left about 1/2 inch from the top, then hot water bath for 10 minutes and finished. Oh but do be careful at the last stage you can scorch it very easy, so make sure you keep stirring!

Lemon Butter

Picture of Mom stirring the lemon butter isn't she sweet!

I just made a recipe from Rhonda's blog (down to earth) you can click on her blog it is on the right side of my blog under blogs I read or click here to go directly to the recipe. It turned out really delicious and very "lemony" if that is a word ! Anyway I did just as Rhonda explained and it was easy and  I will make this over and over again and hubby loved it! Thanks goes to Rhonda for this and many other wonderful ideas. I cant wait for my daughter Melissa to try it she loves loves loves lemons!

Buttermilk Biscuits

This is a recipe that came about because I misplaced my cookbook and didn't have any oil.
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter (cold) (not margarine)
1 1/2 cup buttermilk (cold)
I baked this at 410 degrees
combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and baking soda. Add the butter (cut into chunks) into the flour mixture, I just use my fingers (very clean) to rub the butter with the flour mixture until it looks kinda like small peas or crumbles, then add the buttermilk stir together. Flour a clean surface and drop mixture on it and sprinkle top with flour, (just a little) I knead the dough for a couple minutes then roll out 3/4 to an inch thick, I use a glass to cut the biscuits because when I need my biscuit cutter I can never find it. I butter the pan and sprinkle with flour (tiny amount of butter and flour), add biscuits to the pan and let set for couple of minutes while the oven is preheating and bake 18 to 20 minutes. I have used this recipe over and over again, it's amazing what you come up with when you can't find your cookbook and out of oil and its 4am and hubby needs breakfast before leaving for work!