Bluebarb Jam

3 1/2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb

1/2 cup water

2 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh or frozen blueberries

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 box powdered fruit pectin

5 1/2 cups sugar

1. Place rhubarb and water in a very large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often.

2. Add blueberries, lemon juice and pectin; mix well. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add sugar, return to full boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids, process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

Yield: 6 cups

Blueberry and Cherry Preserves

3 cups cherries, washed, pitted and crushed

3 cups blueberries, rinsed picked over and crushed

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon thinly sliced lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy 4 quart saucepan. Stir over medium heat to dissolve the sugar.

2. Boil over high heat being careful not to burn, until the mixture reaches 220 F. on a cooking thermometer.

3. Ladle into sterile jars, allowing 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims, adjust lids.

4. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

Yield: 5 half pints

Blackberry, Cranberry and Pink Grapefruit Preserves

1 bag (12 oz.) fresh cranberries

6 cups blackberries, thawed, with their juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 pink or ruby red grapefruit, juiced (about 1 cup)

1. Pick over the cranberries to remove any stems or bad berries

2. Mix cranberries, 4 cups of the blackberries, sugar and grapefruit juice in a heavy, non reactive saucepan.

3. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat, until the mixture sheets on the end of a spoon, about 25 minutes. Stir frequently, and be careful not to burn the mixture.

4. As the mixture cooks, gradually add the remaining blackberries and their juice to the hot mixture and return to a boil.

5. Ladle hot mixture in to sterile jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

Yield: 4 pints

Divine on toasted English muffins!

Mouse Traps

I'm not entirely sure how these got their name, but no matter, they are delightful for a simple lunch with some veggies and fruit, or would be just the thing with a bowl of tomato soup.

Best served warm, and they don't save all that great. Hmph, as if there would be any left to save anyhow.

1 C. flour (I would not go all whole wheat, they would be far to crumbly)

1 C. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 C. soft butter

Dash of salt (if desired, I usually desire)

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and knead to form dough. (If its still seems to crumbly, add just the tiniest bit of water)Chill for half an hour. Shape into balls allowing 1 teaspoon per ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten with a fork. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

The Very Best Green Beans. Really.

I first started making beans this way, because, even though I'm not a big canned bean fan, I still put up 80 bazilion jars of them. They were so good, I started making beans this way, fresh, frozen or canned.

Your serving size of green beans

1-2 cloves garlic minced. Or more, depends on your love of garlic. Mine is big.

Place your beans, either in a steamer over water, or directly in the pot with about 1/2" water.

Add the minced garlic and mix together.

Steam until done.

Put cooked beans (minus the cooking water) in a serving bowl, and top with butter and freshly cracked salt and pepper to taste. Toasted slivered almonds are nice touch too.

Eat, or give them all to me.

Homemade Noodles

I LOVE homemade noodles. Love them. So does B., with gravy over them (which now that I think of it, will be what we have with oven fried chicken tomorrow) And, so per the request of at least Rebecca, and maybe Amy, many moons ago, here is the recipe and tutorial.

(Isn't that all nice and pretty and inspiring. Yeah, well, here is what the rest of the kitchen really looked like:)

1.)Place 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl
See, I have one that really is a *pinch*. A dash and a smidgen are also on there, and yes, I use them often
2.)Whisk together

3.) Beat together 2 eggs

4.) Add the eggs, 1/2 a cup of milk, and 1 tablespoon softened butter to the flour and salt, and mix.

5.) When it starts coming together (just a bit more than this), turn onto a board and begin kneading until the dough is smooth, about 5 minutes.

6.) Form into a ball

Cover and let rest 10 minutes

If you have an of that grippy stuff you use to hold rugs in place, it also works wonders to keep your cutting board from sliding around.

7.) Pat dough into a disk

And roll out as thin as possible, these will plump up when they are cooked, just to let you know. (oh look, Littlest is trying to pop into the picture!) 

It doesn't have to be perfectly rectangular A hint on the recipe says to let it dry for 20 minutes before cutting. I don't think I did. Use your judgement, or time 

First cut one direction

Then cut the other and let dry for a bit longer if you choose I will state here, that I did have a bit of trouble with them sticking to the board. I don't know if I should have sprayed it, or rolled them on a tea towel, I'm not sure what to tell you.

Drop into your pot of chicken and broth, or cook in a large pot of boiling salted water 'til done to your preference. Ridiculously easy, and positively wonderful.

 Serves roughly 7

P.S. that picture really isn't blurry, the steam was fogging my camera lens!

Microwave Potato Chips

Having had the recipe for nearly a year, I finally got around to trying these yesterday, intending to make enough to go with dinner. Well, what you see is all I made, when I realized it was going to take me longer than I thought. They were VERY good (beat store bought hands down), and worth the effort, so I want to make more when I have the time. 

3 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced 1/16" thick (I used Idaho, and only cut up half)

1/4 c. olive oil

salt, and any other seasonings you are feeling adventurous with

Brush both sides of the potato, and arrange on a microwave safe plate that has been lined with 3 thickness's of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt, and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Turn, and microwave another 2-3 minutes (watch carefully- as you can see, mine are rather done.)

or until chips are dry and brittle. Repeat with remaining potatoes, etc. Let chips cool at least 1 minute before serving, store in an air tight container. Mmmmmm.