Picking Cherries and a recipe!

Cherry picking time!!!!!

We picked several gallons of cherries and then made Cherry Jam!

We got 8 half pints of jam and 9 Quarts of pitted sweet cherries...Yum!!!!

Bing Cherry Jam

from the Book

" Blue Ribbon Preserves"

by Linda J. Amendt

4 cups pitted and chopped fresh ripe Bing cherries ( about 3 lbs)

1/2 cup strained fresh lemon juice

5 cups sugar

1/2 tsp unsalted butter

1 (3 oz) pouch liquid pectin

1 tsp pure lemon extract

in an 8 quart pan, combine cherries, lemon juice, sugar and butter.

Over med low heat, stirring constantly, heat the mixture until the sugar is fully dissolved. Increase heat to med high and bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in entire contents of the pectin pouch. Return mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Skim off foam. Stir in almond extract.

Allow jam to cool for 5 minutes before filling jars, gently stir mixture every minute or so to distribute the fruit. Ladle the hot jam into hot jars leaving a 1/4 inch head space. wipe jar rims and threads with a clean cloth. Cover with hot lids and apply screw rings. Process half pint jars in 200 degree water bath canner for 10 minutes, pint jars for 15 minutes.

We absolutely love this jam and I recommend this book to any one who loves to make their own home canned jams and jellies. There are over 300 recipes that are mouth watering and worthy of trying!

check it out for yourself!

I bought mine from amazon.com

Home Made Bread!

There is something about homemade bread that is just so satisfying to your whole body! With just a few ingredients and some kneading mixed with a little patience you get something wonderful, oh and the smell that wafts through the air as you bake your freshly risen bread is just as rewarding to the senses!
and last but not least is the taste.... no store bought bread can stand next to home made in flavor and texture!

I enjoy baking bread and look forward to that fist slice, still warm from the oven with a little butter and home made apple sauce... it just doesn't get any better!
If you have never baked bread, I would recommend you try!
it really isn't as hard as you think but, I will warn you,
there wont be any left overs to go stale!

Apple pie baked over a fire

One of my favorite cooking methods is over an open fire, Today I decided to make an apple pie in my dutch oven!

This is the oven over the bed of coals

Here is the finished pie!

I used to do alot of cooking over a fire, It really isn't all that hard, it just takes a little longer and it is alot hotter!
but, the food comes out wonderful and has a better taste than it does from a conventional oven.

For baking I use a three footed dutch oven and get a good fire going, once I have enough coals I then pull the coals from the fire and place them on a pile on the ground where the dutch oven sits and then put coals on top the lid.
I elevate the food I am baking on a wire frame to get a good air flow around it.
for this pie it took about an hour to bake and came out tasting perfect!

Crumble-Top Pumpkin Muffins

I made these this morning for breakfast and they are absolutely wonderful!!!

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose baking mix
1 cup raisins, (optional)
2/3 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (30 oz.) LIBBY'S Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
2 large eggs

Streusel topping (recipe follows)

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 400° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
COMBINE baking mix, raisins, oats, sugar and cinnamon in large bowl.
Combine pumpkin pie mix and eggs in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into
oat mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin
cups, filling 3/4 full. Sprinkle with Streusel Topping.
BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center
comes out clean. Remove from pans to wire rack; cool slightly.
Serve warm.

FOR STREUSEL TOPPING:
combine 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar and 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon in small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly.

Peanut Butter Munchies!

I found this recipe at Better Homes and Gardens and made them today, they take a little time to make but they are worth every bit of work!

Peanut Butter Munchies
32 cookies

Prep: 40 minutes

Bake: 8 minutes per batch

Ingredients;
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions;

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together
flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated
sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric
mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in
as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in
remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate
dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.

3. For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered
sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape
mixture into 32 (3/4-inch) balls.

4. On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top
with a peanut butter ball. Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut
butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a
ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter
filling balls.

5. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly
flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons
granulated sugar.

6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they're just
set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute.
Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool.

Makes 32 cookies.

To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight
container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze
for up to 3 months.

Home Made Laundry Detergent

I use this Laundry detergent every day, It is safe for the environment and very economical but most important, It cleans my clothes better than any other detergent I have bought and that is important to us, we have a well and we have a high iron/rust problem here, this detergent keeps my whites white with out the use of bleach!
It takes just a little elbow grease and a small amount of time to make it but, that's well worth it to me for the benefits I see in the end!

I pay 99 cents for a bar of Fels naptha, 2.49 a box for each,Borax and Arm and Hammer Washing soda.
This detergent will go a very long way, I saw on another web site that it costs about 2 cents per load of laundry! That's a savings I can sure live with!
I buy all of these items at my local grocery store but, if they are not available in your area, you can purchase them over the Internet. There are several different recipes I have seen and tried but the one I prefer is this;
Grate 1 bar of Fels Naptha soap and add 1 cup each of Borax and Arm and Hammer Washing soda ( This is not the same as baking soda), Mix all ingredients together, I also run this powder through my blender a few times to mix it all together very fine.
Use 2 Tablespoons per wash for regular laundry, add 3 Tablespoons for hard water or very soiled laundry.... Like I said this goes a long way!
It will not make suds in your wash but it will clean your clothes better than those expensive name brand soaps!
You can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the final rinse if you like a perfume smell to your laundry, I like Lavender for my bed sheets!

Gingerbread Men

"Run, run, as fast as you can!You can't catch me!I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

Gingerbread Cookies

1 C. shortening melted
1 C. sugar
1 1/4 C. molasses
2 eggs slightly beaten
5-5 1/2 C. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 t. ginger
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. cloves
Melt shortening, cool slightly. Add sugar, molasses and eggs and mix well.
Mix flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to shortening mixture and mix well to form a firm dough. Knead dough just a little if necessary.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies with cutters.
Bake 6-10 minutes at 375°F.
One recipe will yield about 40 average size cookies.

This was a great Family activity!

Making Apple Sauce

Its raining here again today, so I thought it would be a good day to make apple sauce!

I just core my apples and fill a large 10 quart soup pot with the apples, add enough apple juice or cider to the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking and cook until the apples are very tender and it begins to resemble apple sauce. run this through a strainer, I use a colander and pour it in over a big pot, then use a wooden spoon to separate the pulp from the peelings. Next in your pot with the apple pulp just add sugar and cinnamon to taste and cook a little while longer to dissolve the sugar and blend the flavor of the cinnamon.

That's it.... Very easy!

you can then put them into jars and can them in a water bath canner!

**When you make apple sauce use any type of apple that is very ripe to obtain maximum flavor, you can mix varieties of apples for a better flavor. I purchased deer apples from a local grower for $5.00 a bushel and picked out the best ones to make my apple sauce, then the animals get what apples I decide not to use for my apple sauce or apple butter!

Try some today, you won't be disappointed!

Holiday cooking, Blogger style

Overwhelmed with joy is hosting this wonderful Holiday recipe swap! Jump on over there and check out her blog!

I entered my crumb topped apple pie recipe, There are many great recipes that have been shared!

Holiday Cooking Blogger Style

Apple Crumb Pie

This is the best apple pie recipe I have ever made! I doubled the crumb topping though and added a little more cinnamon to the pie. It was great and people are still talking about how good this pie was!

Apple Crumb Pie
" Sliced apples, raisins and walnuts are sugared, dusted with cinnamon and nutmeg, and piled into a pastry shell. A sweet crumbly topping is sprinkled over the top. The whole pie is then loosely covered with aluminum foil, and baked until golden and brown.

"INGREDIENTS:

1 (9 inch) pie shell

6 cups thinly sliced apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

3/4 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons butter
DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Place sliced apples in a large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice if desired. In a small bowl, mix together white sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle mixture over apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Stir in raisins and walnuts if desired. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.

3. In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over apple filling. Cover top loosely with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com

Mammaw's Pumpkin Cookies

My Grandmother used to make these cookies every year and they are one of my favorites!
2 Cups Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 Cup butter ( it was Oleo in her recipe, I had to ask what that was!)
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 Cup pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Cup raisins or choc. chips (optional)
1/2 Cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Cooking Instructions:
Grease cookie sheet,beat butter in a mixing bowl for 30 seconds, add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, add egg, pumpkin and vanilla, beat well and add dry ingredients, beat well again then stir in Raisins, nuts or Chocolate chips. Dough will be soft. drop from a teaspoon 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees 8 to 10 min.

Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:
1½ cups skim milk powder
1½ cups white sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
¾ cup non-dairy creamer
Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well. For a finer mix, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well.
Store in an air tight container.
Directions:Place 2 or 3 tablespoons in a mug and add boiling water.

This is the best Hot Chocolate! My family begs for this every winter!

Home Made Granola

4 c. Rolled Oats
1 c. Sliced Almonds
1/2 c. Brown Sugar
1 tea. Cinnamon
1/2 tea. Salt
Mix well in large bowl. In small saucepan, heat through:
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. oil
1 tea. Vanilla
Mix wet and dry thoroughly. Spread on cookie sheets (2). 300 degrees for 40 minutes. Stir often. The less you stir, the browner it gets, so if you like it "toasty" stir less.

This recipe was obtained from a friend at Homestead.org

Amish Friendship Bread

AMISH CINNAMON BREAD(FRIENDSHIP BREAD)

Starter
1 package active dry yeast 1 cup milk 1 cup flour 1 cup sugar
NOTE: DO NOT USE METAL BOWLS OR SPOONS AND DO NOT REFRIGERATE. PROCEDURE TO MAKE THE STARTER
Dissolve yeast in small amout of warm water. Mix all ingredients together in ample size bowl or jar (it will grow) This is day 1 of the recipe , then the next day go to day 2 and so on.
DAY 1 Receive fermented starter in ziplock bag. Do nothing! Put bag on counter.
DAY 2 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 3 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 4 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 5 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 6 Add 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup of milk. Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 7 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 8 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 9 Squeeze bag several times.
DAY 10 In a large non-metallic bowl, combine batter with 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix with wooden or plastic spoon. Take four one gallon ziplock bags and pour 1 cup of starter in each. Give these four starters with a copy of instructions to family and friends.
TO THE REMAINING BATTER IN BOWL, ADD:
1 CUP VEGETABLE OIL
2 CUPS FLOUR 1 CUP SUGAR
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
2 BOXS VANILLA PUDDING MIX
1/2 CUP MILK 1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 1/2 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1 1/2 TEASPOONS CINNAMON
2 LARGE EGGS
In a separate bowl, mix 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons sugar, sprinkle into well greased pans before batter. Bake at 325* for 1 hour or until done.
REMEMBER: Do not refrigerate starter! As air builds in the bag, let air out. It is normal for the batter to thicken, bubble and ferment.
Also, you can try different pudding flavors-add a little character to your bread! Someone recommended a box of pistachio and a box of lemon. Try it out!