Salsa

Edited to add: The writing of this blog post was originally begun in 2015. I didn't realize the post had not been completed or posted until today when another friend was asking about the recipe.

Oh sweet friends! What a joy it is to visit with you again finally! God has been so good to me! He has so richly blessed me and has been teaching me and keeping me in awe of His mighty love and grace through my garden!

I have been so busy with life and taking care of the garden and canning that I haven't had much free time lately to write full blog posts! The most I have been able to do until now is quickly post pictures and short descriptions or status updates on Facebook of my gardening adventures. I have just had the greatest joy watching God at work there! I invite you to take a look at my album there titled "In the Garden" if you are able!

My first garden, a Back To Eden Garden, has not disappointed in the least! Until we had really high temperatures and lack of rain recently, the garden was so big and lush and beautiful! I have had some weeds, but they haven't been overwhelming, and they have been very easy to remove. I even left it to tend itself for a couple weeks! :)

When I did the bulk of my planting, what I wanted most was enough tomatoes to make salsa and marinara/pizza/spaghetti sauce (We use the same sauce for all three. :) ) and my pumpkins, the sugar pumpkins and PA Dutch Crookneck. The tomatoes were the most important, though! Well, as it turned out, there were very few things I planted that were not successful! Praise God! He did it, not me! I have a terrible brown thumb! The only things I planted that didn't produce were a few herbs! I can't wait to plant my fall crops!

As I stated before, tomatoes were the most important, and God blessed them! There were a couple times I just knew I was going to lose my plants, but God kept them going! I had enough tomatoes to make my salsa and sauce and still have tomatoes left! I think I may end up doing another batch of spaghetti sauce and can the rest of the tomatoes if there are any left over.

Today, though, I will share the salsa recipe since I have had some ask for it. A couple years ago, my dear friend, Barbara Ann and her daughter-in-love, Lisa, who has also now become a dear friend, came over to my house to help me can my tomatoes. I was still very new to canning then. I was quite overwhelmed with all that went on in such a short period of time. You can read about that experience here. When we were all done, I had lots of jars of food and no clue how any of it got done! :D I didn't even have recipes! Fast forward to this week! Boy did I miss their help! For some reason, making salsa and sauce completely intimidated me! I guess it was because I didn't have a flow of procedures to rely on. I didn't know the most efficient way to get it all done. Well, the tomatoes wouldn't wait, and I just had to jump in head first! I felt like I was slow as molasses on a cold winter morning, but everything is finally done! This is what I did.

First I gathered all the ingredients so that I wasn't constantly stopping to pull something out.

No, I didn't put dehydrated chicken in it. It just happened to be sitting there
since they are the dogs treats I made the other day. :)

Next, I chopped up all the vegetable except the tomatoes in the food processor trying to be careful not to chop too finely.

I have several friends who do not peel their tomatoes before making their salsa, so I decided to give it a try. I just remove some of the core and any rough or bad spots. Then I ran them through the processor moved them to the strainer perched over a dishpan to let them drain like this.

You don't need to drain your peppers and onions and garlic! I just wasn't thinking. I dumped this and the juice into the pot before I started on the tomatoes, and added a little Tony's Seasoning on top of it. For some reason, I didn't take a picture of that! Gasp! :) This is just to give you an idea of one way to drain your tomatoes. Just remember not to dump the juice from the tomatoes!! I worked in small batches for the tomatoes and measured as I went to avoid cutting up too many tomatoes. Once they were chopped and measured out, they were added to the pan with the other vegetables.

Once I had all the tomatoes in, the other spices and ingredients were added and stirred together.

Ahhh! Doesn't that look amazing and delicious?

I got my jars into another large pot to heat them up. Once my jars started boiling to sterilize, I turned up the heat under the salsa, mixed the clear jel with some of the reserved tomato juice, poured it into the salsa, and let the salsa cook until it was thickened to my liking.

Once it was thick enough, I filled the jars to 1/2 inch headspace, wiped the rim, sealed with lids and rings, and processed for 15 minutes in a water bath. Make sure the jars are covered with at least an inch of water, and start timing only after the water reaches a boil.

Canned Salsa Recipe
22 c tomatoes, chopped fine and drained: reserve 2 c juice
12 cloves garlic, minced
6 lg bell peppers
4-6 jalapenos
7 medium to large onions
3 ribs celery
3/4 c vinegar
Scant 1/4 c salt
1 T dried oregano
1 t cumin
1 pack Mrs. Wages salsa packet
1 T black pepper
1 c sugar
3/4 c clear jel
Tobacco sauce and Tony's Cajun seasoning to taste

Chop all the vegetables except the tomatoes in a food processor. Place them in a large stock pot. Core the tomatoes and chop them. Place them in a strainer over a large bowl or other container to drain. Dump the drained tomatoes in the pot with the other vegetables. Reserve 2 c of the juice. Add the vinegar, spices, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Make sure to taste and adjust the Tabasco and Tony's seasoning. Add the reserved juice to the 3/4 c clear jel. Add the mixture to the salsa and continue cooking until the salsa reaches desired consistency. Fill hot jars to 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air pockets, wipe rims clean, and seal jars. Water bath jars for 15 minutes.

Thanks for dropping by! I hope you enjoy the recipe!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!
*To insure the safety of your canned goods, make sure to follow all safety guidelines issued by the USDA. 

Sauteed Mushrooms

Hello, reader friends!!

Last night was such a fun night in our home. Mr. Husband got home from work really early. The children and I visited the pool after they were done with their tae kwon do class, but we got home just as Mr. Husband was finishing up all the things he was wanting to get done around the house like cutting the grass and filling the deer feeder. The children and I straightened up around the house and were done just as my honey was walking in the door. We turned on the music and pulled the out the steaks and the sides. It was reminiscent of our early years for my hubby and me. We sang and danced- well...at least we attempted to dance- in the kitchen, only this time there were young whipper-snappers gagging, rolling eyes, and acting like they didn't want to watch mama and daddy!  I think it's a great thing to give such gifts to our children!

In recent years, sauteed mushrooms have been added to our steak dinners. My father and stepmother-mother-in-law are the ones responsible for this delicious addition. I'm definitely not complaining! In fact, I drop my beloved baked potato just so I have room to enjoy these mushrooms! Kudos for fewer carbs! My mushroom-hating children, especially one, even like them. That should tell ya somethin'! Thank you, Grandpa and Lena! We think of you every time we enjoy them!

I have wanted to share this recipe many times, but I have always hesitated since it is another of those that doesn't have definite amounts for seasonings. It's one of those recipes that make the popular social media meme ring true- Sprinkle until the voices of your ancestors whisper, "That's enough, child." 😜😁 Still, I encourage you to try them!

Sauteed Mushrooms
1 lb button or white mushrooms
1 stick of butter
1 cup of sweet red wine
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

To a stock pot over medium high heat, add the butter, mushrooms, and wine. I like to make sure the butter is on the bottom. Season the mushrooms well with the seasonings. Don't be afraid of them. Bring the liquid to a boil. Adjust the heat so that the mushroom continue cooking at a slow boil. Stir every few minutes. At this point, the cooking liquid is going to be very murky. When the cooking liquid starts getting low, stir continuously. The mushrooms will start getting dark. You will know the mushrooms are perfectly done when you see the liquid has clarified as you stir and the mushrooms are really dark as in the picture below.

It just doesn't get any better than this! My child had been asking for them for weeks! Yes, I know, he hates mushrooms. There is just something special about these. He ate these and left most of the steak and potato!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Potluck Fruit Salad

Hello again, reader friends! I hope this post finds you well!

After my last post where I said my kiddos weren't as eager to help in the kitchen, my youngest could hardly wait to help me with this recipe! 😄🤷 Maybe it was because I pulled out a pudding mix and the mixer. In my defense, I did say they weren't as eager! I guess it depends on what other interesting things are happening or what is being whipped up. Either way, I welcomed the help and company of both my children while we put together this fruit salad.

On a side note, I really had a hard time figuring out what to call this. I started out just wanting to make a basic grape salad after a friend posted a recipe for one the other day and set off a craving. True to form, I just couldn't leave well enough alone. I just had to mix it up-- pun intended. Snicker...Anyway, this recipe was loved by both children and me. It would be a perfect dish for a potluck or backyard BBQ. We hope you enjoy it!

Potluck Fruit Salad
1 c marshmallow fluff
1 (8oz.) block cream cheese
1 c sour cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 small box instant French Vanilla pudding mix
2 lbs. white grapes washed and halved
2 lbs. apples peeled, diced, soaked in Sprite or
           lemon water and drained.
1 lb.   strawberries washed, cored, and sliced into
           bite-sized pieces
1 c chopped pecans or walnuts

Using a hand-held mixer, mix the first five ingredients. To this, add all the prepared fruit. Stir well with a spoon. Let the salad stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. If not serving right away, store the salad in the refrigerator. Add nuts when ready to serve.

Ah...it looks so much prettier served up in a nice bowl.

Thank you for visiting with me today!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Updated Hot Pickled Okra

Hello reader friends! I hope you are enjoying your summer! We have been busy, but we are definitely enjoying these long summer days.

Today I was finally able to get around to pickling some of my okra from the garden. I shared the process here several years ago, but I figured it was time for a freshened up post. Let's get started!

Click here for my video tutorial!

Hot Pickled Okra
Brine: 
4 c water
4 c white vinegar
2 T sugar
6 T canning salt

Pickling Spice:
4 T mustard seeds
2 T coriander seeds
2 T red pepper flakes
2 t fennel seeds
2 t celery seeds
2 t black peppercorns

Desired amount of okra
2 cloves garlic per pint jar
1/2 jalapeno per jar

To begin, gather pint size jars. Add water to your water bath canner, and begin heating it. You may put the jars in the water, but it is not necessary. 

Measure out and mix your spices.

Rinse your okra in cool water and drain.

Trim the stem ends of the okra, peel the cloves of garlic, and cut the jalapenos in half. It's still nice to have help with this step! My babies aren't as eager to volunteer in the kitchen as they used to be compared to my last pickled okra post, but they don't complain too much about having to help their old mama out. (I had to come back and edit to add:) I mean, it would be a little weird if they came running into the kitchen in their sweet little child ways begging to help mommy. They still have their own things they enjoy doing in the kitchen, and they do often check on me to see if I need help. I am very blessed and never want to take that for granted!

So, with that being said, back to the recipe! 😁

Next, mix the brine ingredients and put it on the stove to heat to a boil. Once it starts to boil, turn it down to low until you are ready to use it.

Finding another helper for the next step is
optional, but adding 1 tablespoon of the pickling spice, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1/2 of a jalapeno to each jar isn't! Plain okra and brine probably wouldn't be too tasty. Heehee! Start with just four jars unless you are pretty sure you have enough okra to fill more.

The jars are now ready to be filled with okra. Pack the jars snugly, but don't pack them so tightly that you crush or break the okra. Packing with one piece of okra up and one down helps with this process.

Please pardon the napkin and vinegar! I got ahead of myself. 

Fill the jars with hot brine to 1/2 inch headspace.

Remove the air bubbles, wipe the rims clean with vinegar using a paper towel. Seal the filled jars with a flat lid and ring. Place the filled jars in the water bath canner making sure the jars are covered by at least an inch of water. Place the lid on the canner. Bring the water to a rolling boil, and process the jars for 15 minutes.

When the time is up, turn off the heat, remove the lid, and move the canner to a cool eye if possible. Let the jars sit for a few minutes until the water is still. Lift the jars out of the water in the rack, and let them sit just above the water for a few minutes more. Move the jars to a doubled towel in a draft-free area to sit for 24 hours. If a jar happens to not seal, place it in the refrigerator.

I hope you get to try pickling your own okra! It's still one of my husband's favorite recipes.

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Semi-homemade Pot Pie

Hello reader friends! When a craving turns into an experiment that turns into a hit, one must share! That's what I have for you today!

When I cooked a huge turkey that left me with more meat than I knew what to do with, I knew a pot pie would be a perfect solution to use up a big part of the leftover meat. I had to hide my face when I admitted to my sister I didn't know how to make a pot pie, though. Truth was, I did, but I just didn't know I did. 😄 I had made something similar before, a long time ago, that I called a pot pie soup (after writing this post, I found I had even tried to turn it into a pot pie, but it was basically a hot mess. Evidently, it was so bad, I erased it from memory, and had to face it again when trying to post my current recipe. I took that post off the blog! 😄), but I guess I thought there was some kind of magical, perfect pot pie recipe somewhere. Fast forward to the present, where I am more comfortable in the kitchen. My sister told me the basics which sounded familiar enough, so I ran with it! This pot pie is worthy of being on the blog. To those who have been with me since the early years, thank you for not deserting me while I learned! 🙈

I'm sorry I don't have the normal step-by-step photos. I guess I have a great excuse to make it again! 

Pot Pie Recipe

6 T butter

1 small onion chopped finely

4-5 c mixed veggies of choice*

1/2 c all purpose flour
32 oz. Chicken broth from the carton

Garlic powder

Salt

Ground black pepper

1/4 t basil

1/8 t ground thyme

4-5 c cooked diced chicken or turkey

2 T heavy cream, optional

1 package of two pie crusts or phyllo dough
1 egg yolk with 1 T water

Gather all your ingredients making sure they are all prepped. When all ingredients are prepped, remove the dough from the freezer to begin thawing. Turn the oven on to 400° so that it can preheat as you work. In a large stockpot, melt the butter. Add the onions. Cook and stir often until the onions begin to soften. Add the frozen vegetables. *I used a frozen blend of soup vegetables, dishing out the tomatoes I forgot were in there! Stir that around until the vegetables are mostly thawed. Stir the vegetable mix continuously as you sprinkle in the flour. Quickly sprinkle in desired amount of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the basil and thyme. Cook the mixture for about a minute. Continue stirring as you pour in the chicken broth. When all the broth has been added, quickly add in the chopped meat. Continue stirring to prevent the bottom from burning until the filling is as thick as you like. When the filling has reached your desired thickness, remove from heat and stir in the cream. The cream doesn't have to be used, but it sure adds that little som'em-som'em! Sit the mixture aside until your baking dish has been prepared. To prepare your baking dish, roll out one layer of your thawed dough to a size just larger than your baking dish. If your dish is not non-stick, spray the dish with cooking spray. Place the first layer of dough on the bottom making sure the crust reaches at least halfway up the sides of your dish. Pour your pie filling into the pie crust, but don't pour over the top edge of your crust. Any remaining filling can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple days. Roll out the second crust to a size that will overlap the first. Place the second crust over the filling and fold the edges of the two crusts together. With a sharp knife, cut a few slits in the top crust to let steam escape. Whisk the egg yolk in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water. With a basting brush, brush the egg wash over the entire crust. Place the pot pie in the oven to cook for thirty minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

There you have it, my friends! I truly hope you get to try it! There are a lot of steps, but none of them are hard. It really is quick and easy. Let me know what you think!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Sour Cream Cornbread

This afternoon and evening were full of experiments in the kitchen. The first experiment was intentional. I wanted to use up some peaches in my pantry and blueberries in my freezer. I decided to play with my mama's banana pudding recipe and make a pudding with the berries and peaches. I will be sharing that recipe soon. Today, though, I want to share the cornbread recipe that I made.

After completing the pudding, I got busy making my chicken, broccoli, and rice soup that Mr. Husband requested for supper. Just as the soup was in its final few minutes of cooking, Mr. Husband walked in the door. He heartily inhaled the aroma wafting from the pot and asked if I was making cornbread. 😳 "Umm...yes, dear. I am." Uhhh...making cornbread was the furthest thing from my mind. He had no clue I had been in the kitchen making a surprise dessert before making supper while he was outside in the horrible heat and humidity waging war with ants. I scrambled around the kitchen gathering ingredients only to realize I didn't have milk. Heavens to Betsy! Not making cornbread was not an option! Mr. Husband won't eat soup without cornbread. We have been married right at twenty years. When will I ever remember this!? But who makes cornbread without MILK?!?! My mind raced. God surely knew my heart and caused me to remember our favorite Sour Cream Muffin recipe that uses no milk. It only has flour, butter, and sour cream. Without taking time to second guess, I decided I was just going to have to jump in head first and try my best to make the cornbread work using the same method.

I commenced to tossing and stirring ingredients into my bowl until the batter looked right. I held my breath and patted it into my greased cast iron skillet. I was sweating it nearly the whole time the cornbread was in the oven.

When the cornbread finally decided to turn golden along the top, I pulled it from the oven and checked to make sure it was done in the middle. I breathed slightly better when I realized I had passed the first hurdle. It was done and soft! When it turned out onto a plate beautifully, breathing was even better. It looked very different than my normal cornbread, but it was beautiful.

I clenched my jaw when Mr. Husband walked by and looked at it. He asked what was wrong with my cornbread. 😆 I had to fess up and tell him what I did. He wasn't sure, but he watched as I cut a test slice. Oh goodness, y'all! IT WAS SOOO GOOD! Mr. Husband loves the sour cream muffins, so he had to have a bite to see if my reaction was exaggerated. He was not disappointed! In fact, he said I might have to make this new one from now on! 😳😳 I ran to my notepad and wrote down everything I did so I can make it again.

I hope you get a chance to try it. It is so soft and tender! The flavor is amazing!

Sour Cream Cornbread
2 c self-rising cornmeal mix
8 oz sour cream
1-1/2 sticks butter, melted
1/4 c butter flavored Crisco
1 egg

Preheat oven to 425°. Grease a 10 inch cast iron skillet. To a mixing bowl, add the cornmeal mix. Add the Crisco. Cut the Crisco into the cornmeal until it resembles small peas throughout the cornmeal. Add all other ingredients. Mix well, but mix lightly, being careful not to over mix. Pour the mixture into the greased skillet. Place the skillet into the oven. Turn the heat down to 350°. Bake the cornbread 25 minutes or until the top turns a light, golden color. Remove the pan from the oven, immediately turn the bread onto a heat-safe plate.

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!

Canning Potato Wedges

Good day, reader friends! It's been another busy day here in the meadow of simple blessings.

As the sky began to grow with light this morning, the song of the whippoorwills gave way to the calls of bobwhites and song birds. My four-legged child made sure we made our morning trip out the door. I figured I might as well water my flowers by the house since I was already there. After I had taken care of my first baby and flowers I ventured up to the garden to get my watering chores done there before the sun had a chance to rise above the trees. It is always so peaceful in the garden so early in the morning. Even in the middle of the summer, mornings there are still usually cool enough to be incredibly pleasant. I love spending quiet moments there talking with my Lord and enjoying His creation. These are a couple pictures from my time there this morning.

That wasn't why I started this post, though. I came here to tell you my husband can completely relax about all my potatoes he was worried were going to go bad. When I came in from the garden and had finished devotions, breakfast, and coffee, I got busy taking care of the last fifteen pounds of potatoes. I got them peeled and cut into wedges. I canned them just the same as I did the potatoes in the post from yesterday except I added a quarter teaspoon of pickle crisp to each jar. I have read that it helps potatoes keep more of their firmness for making french fries or potato wedges with the canned potatoes. I guess time will tell for that one.

This is a picture of what pickle crisp looks like in the store.

And added to the jars 😁

These are the little white balls that are supposed to hold the crispness of vegetables hostage until the cook is ready to used said vegetables.

My nine pounds of potatoes today yielded 11 quarts of wedges (ahem...make that 10. I lost one in the canner. 😣) with a handful of wedges leftover which I threw into the pan of chicken that's in the oven for supper tonight. The canner and chicken will soon be done, so I guess I better get started on those beans!

I hope you have had a beautiful day today, my reader friends!

Until we meet again, may you be blessed!