Homemade Strawberry Jam

Here we go.  Another 2012 DIY project I was able to cross off my list this year.  Homemade Strawberry Jam.  This Summer, from Bountiful Baskets, I purchased a large amount of strawberries at a very cheap price.  I made jam, a topping for strawberry shortcakes which I froze, cut up and froze strawberries, kept for some for snacks and even made the cutest strawberry ice for fruity summer drinks.  This Strawberry Jam was a huge hit and my most favorite part about this particular recipe is that you do not use Pectin. It is completely natural!  I had never made jam before and after looking at several recipes, most of them containing pectin, I wondered how this one would gel or set, but it did and it tasted amazing!

This recipe was found at Scientficially Sweet.  Hop on over there and check out more delicious recipes!

The THREE Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries, quartered

3/4 cup granulated sugar (don't skimp on this)

2 TBS fresh squeezed lemon juice

How To Make It:

Place strawberries in a large sauce pot over medium-low heat.  Cover and cook gently until they begin to release their juices, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the sugar, increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until it has thickened, which takes between 10-15 minutes.  Using a potato masher, break down the large pieces of fruit, leaving it a little chunky.  Stir in your freshly squeezed lemon juice (love any excuse to use my grandma's glass juicer) and continue to boil gently until very thick and syrupy (takes about 15-20 minutes).  Be sure to stir often! You will know that the mixture is thick enough when you are able to see the bottom of the pot as you stir and it sets up quickly when dripped onto a cold plate.  If using a candy thermometer, the mixture is done when the temp reaches 215 degrees F.

Immediately pour your jam into a sterilized mason jar and let it seal tightly.  Cool completely before storing in the refrigerator.  Pop an English muffin in the toaster and enjoy! 

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Sweet Cornbread

Amazing!  Thank you, The Country Cook, for sharing this recipe.  The honey that you add to this cornbread mixture gives it such a delightfully sweet taste.  This will definitely be the cornbread recipe I use from now on. This, crumbled up in my Red Bean and Cabbage soup,...curtains!  I ate until I was stuffed and still went back for more!  Try it...you'll love it!

PRINTABLE VERSION
What you need:
2 tbsp. honey
1 egg
4 tbsp. butter (melted)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

How to Make it:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick spray.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, egg, butter, milk and water.  In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Give it a gentle stir to combine.  While whisking, slowly add your dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until all are combined.  Batter may be lumpy.  Pour the mixture into the greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Mixing the wet ingredients

Mixing the dry ingredients

Pour into a greased pan and bake!

Sweet Cornbread

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

This turned out better than I expected and went great with the Crock Pot Chili and with the Crock Pot Veggie Soup two nights later.  If you aren't a fan of Jalapenos you can always eliminate those and just have a delicious cheese bread.
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What you need:

3 cups flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 ounces cheddar cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/4 cups milk

3/4 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons of butter, melted

1 egg, lightly beaten

Sliced Jalapenos, couple of spoon fulls, as desired.

How to make it:

1.  Heat oven to 350.
2.  Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
3.  In a bowl, whisk together the first 6 ingredients.
4.  Carefully stir in cheese cubes and jalapenos until covered in flour mixture. This will help prevent your cheese sinking to the bottom of your loaf of bread.
5.  In a different bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
6.  Fold the wet mixture into the flour and cheese mixture.
7.  Stir until just combined. Do not over stir. Pour and spread the mixture into the loaf pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes and then remove from pan. Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.

Jalapeño Cheese Bread

7-up Biscuits

Simple.  Quick.  Melt in your Mouth.  My kind of biscuit!

I cut these with a knife because I didn't have a biscuit cutter handy, so mine aren't that pretty and were more like drop biscuits than neatly cut out biscuits.  They tasted the same, however, and went well with the Penne with Roasted Asparagus. 

PRINTABLE VERSION

the recipe:

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7-up

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.

Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan.  Place cut biscuits in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

7-up Biscuits

Bruschetta

Bruschetta from the movie Julie & Julia

if you know me, then you know about my recent obsession with the movie Julie & Julia.  There is a scene from the movie where Julie makes this wonderful looking Bruschetta, which causes my salivary gland to water every time I watch it.  So, thanks to google I was able to find the recipe, try it and just as I expected it was just as delicious as it looked.

PRINTABLE VERSION
Ingredients:
Loaf of french bread
olive oil
butter
garlic cloves
kosher salt
ground pepper
heirloom tomatoes or vine ripe tomatoes
fresh basil

Directions:
1. Cut tomatoes into chunks and chop lots of basil leaves into small pieces. In a bowl, toss tomatoes and basil with a good quality olive oil. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.

2. Cut bread into slices about 3/4 inch thick

3. Pan fry the bread in butter and minced garlic to get it toasted on the outside while retaining some softness in the center. After pan frying, sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

4. Season tomato mixture with salt and pepper about a half hour before serving. The salt makes the tomatoes release their juices and you don’t want that happening too soon.

5. Top bread with tomato mixture. If the bread is really crunchy, let the tomatoes sit for a few minutes before serving to soften the bread.

Bruschetta

Banana Nut Bread

i'm always on the look out for new banana nut bread recipes. tried this one and loved it! secret ingredient: cornflakes cereal! i blogged this recipe at Bright Copper Kettles this morning.  Check out the site and grab this banana nut bread recipe, you're sure to love it!

Banana Nut Bread

Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread

This is one of the best banana nut breads I have ever made.  I sometimes double the recipe and make a pan of muffins as well, which is an easy breakfast to send with the hubby to work or with the kids to school!

What you need to make these:
1/2 cup of shortening or butter (I will use butter flavored shortening if I have this on hand)
3/4 cup white sugar (brown sugar can be substituted)
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (i use about 3 bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
*Rasins, cinnamon, nutmeg to taste are optional

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2.  In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the banana and vanilla.
3.  In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.  Beat into creamed mixture.  Stir in oats and nuts.  At this point I also choose to stir in about 1/2 cup of raisins and some cinnamon and/or nutmeg to taste.  Pour into prepared pan.  (If desired, mix together some additional dry oats and brown sugar and spread on top of the loaf before baking). 
4.  Bake in preheated oven for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

**If baking muffins instead of the loaf, follow the same directions as above and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This is a delicious and easy bread to make and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Happy Holidays!

Oatmeal Banana Nut Bread

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated fresh zucchini
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins (optional)

Method:
1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F.  In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter.  Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.  Add the flour, a third at a time.  Sprinkle in the cinnamon and nutmeg and mix.  Fold in the nuts and dried cranberries or raisins if using.

2.  Divide the batter equally between 2 buttered 5 x 9 inch loaf pans.  Bake for 1 hour (check for doneness at 50 minutes) or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes.  Turn out onto wire racks to cool thoroughly. 

Makes two loaves.

I made this bread with zucchini from the local Farmer's Market at my husband's request and it was one of the best breads I have ever eaten.  First time baking and eating Zucchini bread and didn't realize what I have been missing out on for the past 33 years!  And of course, my kids loved it!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Red Lobster Biscuits

What you need:
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

How to make them:
Mix all ingredients.  Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Drop spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes at 425 degrees.  Remove from oven.

Melt stick of butter in microwave and add 1/2 tsp garlic salt.  Mix and brush on biscuits.  Serve hot.

These are super easy and very delicious!

And they really do taste like biscuits from Red Lobster!

Enjoy! 

Red Lobster Biscuits

Banana Nut Bread - lightened up!

the yummy stuff:
1 pkg (8oz) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chopped pecans, divided

making it!
~ in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until well blended.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in bananas and vanilla.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture just until moistened.  Fold in 1/2 cup pecans.

~ transfer to two 8 in. x 4 in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with remaining pecans.  Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

This bread has such a great flavor and this recipe allows you to enjoy an all time favorite comfort food with far less guilt by trimming the fat and calories. 

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread - lightened up!