Crabapplehouse Sloppy Joes

I never refuse a good Sloppy Joe....

Brown together 1 pound ground beef and 1 chopped onion. Add 3/4 cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp. chili sauce, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp. prepared mustard, 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar, and 1 Tbsp. brown sugar. Mix well, and simmer over medium-low heat 15-20 minutes.

Serves 4-6

Slow Cooker Herbed Beef Stew

I LOVE a good beef stew. B. not so much, but even HE didn't mind this one, and so I post the recipe here, for all to enjoy, because this ones great!

1 lb. beef round, cubed ( I used beef stew meat- reduced for quick sale!)

4 Tbsp. seasoned flour*

1 1/2 c. beef broth

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

4 carrots sliced

3 potatoes, cubed

2 onions, diced

Put meat in slow cooker, add seasoned flour and toss to coat. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 10-12 hours.

During last hour, add:

1 rounded tsp. fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried

1 rounded tsp. fresh basil or 1/2 tsp. dried

1 Tbsp. fresh or parsley or 1 tsp. dried

1 rounded tsp. fresh marjoram, or 1 tsp. dried

(If you add the herbs at the beginning, the flavor cooks off)

*For the seasoned flour.mix together 1/4 c. flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. paprika, and a pinch of pepper.

Serves 6-8

Cheese Fondu Revisited

Some time ago, I posted this recipe. But. I have since improved it, and now make it without the can of plastic-y looking orange soup. So much better.

Melt 2-3 Tbsp. butter of butter over medium heat. Once it starts melting add about 1 clove minced garlic. Watch carefully so the garlic doesn't burn.

Meanwhile mix together 2-3 Tbsp. flour, 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 1/4 tsp. dry mustard. Whisk into the melted butter and garlic, and let bubble for a minute or so.

Slowly whisk in 1 cup milk, and allow to thicken. Remove from heat and stir at least one cup of shredded cheese, depending on your cheese love. Mine is deep. I usually use up odds and ends, but a bit of Swiss makes it spectacular, and Asiago? *Swoon*. Serve with your favorite cubed bread. Or mix it with hot noodles for mac and cheese, OR add some bacon, slice up some hard boiled eggs, lay them over toast and smother in sauce. Mmmm-mmmm.

Catsup

1 c. white vinegar

1 1/2 inch cinnamon stick, broken

1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

1 teaspoon celery seed

8 ponds tomatoes (about 24 medium)

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, cinnamon, cloves and celery seed (or just tie them in a spice bag or coffee filter to save straining later). Bring to boiling, remove from heat and set aside.

Wash tomatoes, remove stem ends and cores; cut into quarters. Place tomatoes in colander to drain.

In a 8-10 quart Dutch oven or kettle, combine tomatoes, onions and ground red pepper.

Bring to boiling; cook uncovered 15 minutes stirring often.

Press tomato mixture through a food mill or sieve, discarding seeds and skins.

Return puree to kettle, stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently , uncovered for 1 1/2- 2 hours or till reduced by half. (measure depth with ruler at start and finish)

Strain vinegar mixture (or remove spice bag) into tomato mixture (discard spices). Add lemon juice and salt, simmer uncovered , about 30 minutes or to desired consistency, stirring often.

Ladle catsup into hot, clean half pints, leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rims, adjust caps, and process 15 minutes in boiling water canner.

Yield: 4 half pints

This is *much* sweeter and spicier than store bought. I wasn't a big fan of it for just catsup, but it is BAR NONE THE BEST for sloppy-joes, or baked beans. I make it just for any recipe that calls for catsup.

Whole Kernel Corn

3-6 pounds of ears per quart

Salt (optional)

Water

Husk corn; remove silk; wash. Cut kernels from cob, do not scrape cob. Pack corn loosely into hot jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Do not shake or press down. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint, 1 teaspoon per quart, if desired. Ladle boiling water over corn, leaving 1 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust caps. Process pints 55 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 25 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a steam pressure canner.

Note: sugar content in young ears and sweet varieties of corn may cause browning.

MIxed Fruit

Any combination can be used pretty much, but we like peaches, pears, (or apples) and pineapple together. I like that I can open a jar, and add any odds and ends of fresh fruit for a quick fruit salad.

3 or more varieties of fruit

Sugar

Water

Prepare fruit as directed for individual recipe for type of fruit used.

I peel, pit, and cut mine into chunks or cubes. Treat if necessary to prevent darkening. (I use water with a bit of lemon juice)

Make a light syrup : 2 1/4 cups sugar, 5 1/4 cups water= 6 1/2 cups syrup

Bring syrup to a boil and add fruit and cook until hot throughout. Pack hot fruit into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace, ladle hot syrup over fruit leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, adjust caps and process pints 20 minutes, quarts 25 minutes in boiling water canner.

I find that fruit shrinks less when I hot pack it, and the pineapple tastes WONDERFUL in this.

Potatoes

2-3 pounds potatoes per quart

Salt (optional)

Water

Wash white potatoes; drain. Peel potatoes, wash again. Leave small potatoes whole, cut large potatoes into quarters. Cover potatoes with water in a large saucepot, boil 10 minutes. Drain. Pack hot potatoes into hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. add 1/2 teaspoon salt per pint, 1 teaspoon per quart, if desired. Ladle boiling water over potatoes, leaving 1 inch headpsace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps, and process pints 35 minutes, quarts 40 minutes at 10 pounds pressure in a steam pressure canner.

These were okay. They are much firmer than I expected, but we found them kind of gummy and bland. I don't know if I'll make them again.