Useful Information: Herbs and Spices
The Care of Spices: Spices should be full-bodied and fresh; they do not improve with age. Exposure to air, heat and light whether for a brief time or standing over a long period of time when not exposed causes the spices to deteriorate. Spices need to be kept in air-tight containers, in a cool, dark place in your kitchen. Kinds of Spices and Their Uses Allspice: Flavor resembles a combination... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Simple Homemade Pie Crust That Won’t Let You Down
Making pie crust on your own should not be stressful; it should fun, easy, less expensive than buying it, and taste incredibly better. If you've never tried it, don't be afraid. It's no biggy. All you need is a few tips before you get started, because there's not much to the ingredients. Relax and don't expect perfection. Life is not perfect. We are not perfect. So don't expect the pie... More...
By Jill | 3 comments | Full Recipe...Simple Pecan Pie Recipe
Making Pecan Pie from scratch is A LOT EASIER than you might think. For years now, I've avoided baking this pie. Mainly because I've listened to distraught homecooks tell of their good intentions to make the infamous "Grandmother's Pie" only to be let down and left with an overly brown crust holding a runny filling. No thanks, but that's not the kind of baking experience I need during the holidays. I... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Lucky Leaf® Apple Galette with Maple Cream
Krista G. representing Lucky Leaf® gave me two full-size cans of Lucky Leaf® Apple Pie Filling and Strawberry Pie Filling as well as a Lucky Leaf® cook book—which contains contest-winning recipes that were tested and approved by the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. She asked me to test the recipes out in my own kitchen, and tell her (and others) what I thought. From the Lucky Leaf® cook... More...
By Jill | 2 comments | Full Recipe...Preparation of Fruits for Home Canning
Apricots: Peel or leave unpeeled; halve and pit. Berries (Except Strawberries): Wash, hull, sort over, using smaller and imperfect ones for juice. Cold-pack or precook if the berries are the kind which tend to float. To precook, sprinkle 1 to 2 cups of sugar over each quart of berries, depending upon their sweetness; let stand awhile to draw out the juice. Place in the kettle, bring to a boil,... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Canning Fruits – An Approximate Guide For Pounds Per Quart
This is only an approximate guide given to the amount of fresh fruit necessary to produce the amount of canned fruit desired. To yield 1 quart of canned fruit use: Apricots — 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds Cherries — 1 1/2 pounds Peaches — 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds Pears — 2 to 2 1/4 pounds Pineapple — 2 medium Plums — 1 to 2 pounds Rhubarb — 1 1/2 pounds Strawberries — 3 to 3 1/2 pounds Read More →
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Healthy Breads in Five Minutes a Day Video
For your viewing pleasure, here's Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg demonstrating how incredibly simple it is prepare artisan bread in your kitchen. You've already read me going on and on about their first book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Very, very soon, I'll have their NEW BOOK, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day. And I'm looking forward to exploring new flavors with you. Pick up your copy... More...
By Jill | 1 comment | Full Recipe...Preparing Sirup or Syrup for Canning Fruits
To 1 cup of sugar add the amount of water indicated below for the kind of sirup desired. If desired fruit juice may be substituted for part of all of the water. Thin Sirup calls for 3 cups of water to yield 3 1/2 cups of sirup. Medium Sirup calls for 2 cups of water to yield 2 1/2 cups of sirup. Thick Sirup calls for 1 cup of water to yield 1 cup of sirup. Read More →
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...Lucky Leaf Simple Pie Kit Giveaway
Jo of Georgia claimed her Simple Pie Kit! One more winner to be confirmed... Krista G. representing Lucky Leaf® gave me two full-size cans of Lucky Leaf® Apple Pie Filling and Strawberry Pie Filling as well as a Lucky Leaf® cook book—which contains contest-winning recipes that were tested and approved by the Better Homes and Gardens Test Kitchen. She asked me to test the recipes out in my... More...
By Jill | 4 comments | Full Recipe...Simpler Crispy Waffles Recipe
I've written another waffle recipe before that involved whipping egg whites until they're stiff then folding them into the batter. The results made a crispy waffle but it sure was A LOT of arm work. I tried another waffle recipe this week that called for less whipping using whole eggs. Yeah! This recipe produced a much crispier waffle that had snap. It was just as creamy in the center... More...
By Jill | 1 comment | Full Recipe...Creamy Creole Shrimp and Pasta
With proper planning and a little prep work, Creamy Creole Shrimp and Pasta is a pretty simple dinner to pull off. My sweet friend, Cheryl, emailed this recipe to me and said it was one of her family's all time favorite dinners. I changed it up just a bit to match what I had on hand. At first, I worried the kiddos would find it too spicy, so I chose a can of MILD diced tomatoes with green chilies... More...
By Jill | 11 comments | Full Recipe...Fresh Blueberry Spread Recipe
This fruit spread recipe is a sister to the Homemade Blueberry Syrup recipe. I took notice that the syrup recipe did not spell out to discard the fruit after it was drained. I tasted the berries and thought they just needed a little extra sugar and they could easily to be converted to a spread. I couldn't bare to throw them out, it didn't seem fittin'. HERE'S WHAT I DID 8 cups cooked &... More...
By Jill | 0 comments | Full Recipe...
