Crock pot meatloaf, yum

     My meatloaf is never the same. Heck nothing I cook ever tastes the some way twice, WHY?  Because I can't seam to follow directions, that's why.       When I make meatloaf I usually just open the refrigerator and start throwing stuff in a bowl. I'll then open the cabinet and raid the spice rack. Monday morning I had about 4 pounds of burger I needed to use up. Everything is cheaper when ya buy it in bulk.        I started with the burger meat then added; One small cut up green pepper One small sliced banana pepper One cut up plum tomato  About 1/8 cup dales I used about a cup of oatmeal, i didn't have enough bread crumbs & didn't feel like breaking up the bread Two tablespoons flax seed (it's good for ya) One packet onion soup mix One crushed clove of garlic Just a tad bit of some other spices  One container ricotta cheese ( it was on sale and i had to use it up) I mixed it all up with my clean hands. I feel using my hands is the only way to get it mixed together really good.       Then I put it in my crock pot, yes my crock pot. I set it on low for about five hours. I've been cooking my meatloaf in a crock pot for awhile now. I'm not sure why I started doing it, maybe because it was too hot to turn on the oven.  I like it better in the crock pot, I think my family does too.       I use to lay my meatloaf flat, put mozzarella cheese, onion and pepper in it. I would then roll it up, so it had a nice little surprise in the middle.       I'm always looking for new recipes to try. How do you make meatloaf?

my apple crisp recipe

Apple crisp

A few weeks ago I bought some apples, they were demolished in days. Yeah, an apple a day keeps the doctor away;-). I was delighted my kids were eating something healthy. I figured ild buy more apples. Yup, they sat in the refrigerator about a week. The bag hadn't even been opened. I had an incredible awesome idea,( every so often that happens) I would make apple crisp.

     Here is my recipe, but once again I don't measure very well. I know how, I just choose not too. I'm a rebel like that.

• 9 delicious apples I had delicious so that's what I used) peeled and cord them, I cut them into quarters, then cut the quarters into quarters.
•  I placed the apples in a bowl I had put about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in
•  I added about 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• I also added about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, WHY? Because as I was digging out the brown sugar I noticed the vanilla had just a tad bit left in the bottle, so why not use it up

• I mixed it all up and dumped it in a 9 by 13 spray oiled pan

Now for my favorite part, THE CRISP!!!!

•  1 cup oats
• 1/6 cup stevia
•  2 tablespoons flax seed ( shh don't tell anyone, I'm try to make it a little healthy)
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• a dash or 2, or 5 of cinnamon
•  1 stick of cut up butter
• I mashed this all together, I started out using a fork, but decided my clean hand would get the job done faster

• I mixed in a finely chopped cup of walnuts
•  crumbled my crisp on top of the apples
• pop it into a 375 degree oven for about 45-60 min

And ta-da, apple crisp is done

Top with whipped cream, or ice cream and enjoy.

 

   Now it feels like fall.

     As I was peeling, and cutting, the apples I was thinking of making apple pie, apple crisp, apple sauce, apple everything, at my cousin's house in NY. I miss that. I miss apple picking too. NOW GO MAKE SOME APPLE CRISP and let me know how it turned out.

big juicy pink melons

Watermelon every where In the spring, as I was shopping for plants for my vegetable garden, I stumbled across watermelon plants. My daughter was with me, she likes watermelon and asked if I would get some to plant in our garden. SURE, why not.

I planted my four tiny plants at one end of my garden, about 2-3 feet apart. I think it was about 2-3 feet, I didn't measure it, my husband always tells me my perception is off. Anyway, I watered my tiny watermelon plants, gave them some vegetable food after they had set roots in the ground for a couple of weeks, and I watched them grow, literally. The vines got huge. I had to keep moving them back into their spot in the garden. NO NO, we want to mix with the cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and beans is what they kept saying. I also had to keep flipping them back, for fear my husband would wack them off with the lawn mower. These vinie plants soon had beautiful tiny flowers. The bees seemed to enjoy the buds a lot. My crop was abundant, I wasn't sure how to tell if the watermelon was ripe, so I googled it. Yeah, I still use google. I came across a great video on YouTube. In the video the person said when the "spoon leaf" and the curly q thingy (technical term;-) ) turn brown the melon is ready for pickin'. I was so happy when I picked my very first beautiful melon. Oh yum, I can't wait to eat it. I cut open the fruit, it was white. I thought maybe it was just a white watermelon, what do I know, I ain't never grown no melon before'. Yeah NO, it wasn't ripe. I kept a closer eye on the rest of the melons, checking them twice a day. I waited until the "spoon leaf" died and fell off. This time I had a juicy, pink, ripe gourd. There were melons everywhere. There was no way my family of four could consume this much fruit. I had so many watermelon, I was giving them away. I juiced a few melons. Poured the juice in ice cube trays,then froze them, for consumption later. I've since used up the frozen treats. I've enjoyed them in juice, & smoothies. There must be a way I can can these beautiful fruits. Again I turned to the Internet, and found a recipe for jelly. What did we do in the olden days without Internet? Here is the recipe I tried to follow; -Watermelon Jelly makes 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pints 6 cups pureed watermelon (remove any seeds prior to pureeing) 5 cups white sugar 6 tablespoons bottled lemon juice 1 packet powdered pectin Whisk together sugar and powdered pectin until they are fully integrated. Combine watermelon puree, sugar/pectin and lemon juice in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil and let cook until the temperature of the nascent jelly reaches 220 degrees. This can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes, depending on the width of your pot, the heat of your stove and even the weather you’re having. Check set using saucer test before removing it from the heat, to ensure that it will set. Remove from the heat and pour into prepared jars. Wipe rims, apply lids and screw on bands. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. When time is up, remove from canner and let jars cool. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove rings and test seals. You can eat immediately or store unopened jars in a cool, dark place for up to a year. *Note: This jelly can take up to one week to set. Please give it time.- My first batch of jelly did not jell. I even followed the directions:-(. I asked an experience jelly maker if I could re process it. She said sure, or I could use the failed batch in cookies. I decided to re cook it. I added a little more pectin. It worked, I got JELLY. My watermelon were all picked. My plants looked like they were withering up and dieing. Oh no, watermelon plants produce two harvests a year. Yea more melons, more juice, and more jelly. good thing my son LOVES the jelly & frozen cubes.

Watermelon are very good for you. Besides tasting great and being low in calories they are an excellent source of Vitamin C. They have a high beta carotene concentration, thus offering a fair amount of vitamin A, and vitamin B, especially B1and B6. They also have potassium and magnesium. EAT YOUR MELONS. (Unfortunately I am not responsible for the creative watermelon art, or photo. I do take a very awesome screen shot though;-))

Market at the square

As my daughter, her friend and I headed down the mountain to Trenton, my trunk was full. We were going to the square for the farmers market. This was my first time selling jelly. I have sold stuff at craft fairs before, but never food, and never in the south. When we got there, about 45 minutes early, there were inmates setting up shade tents. Yup they put the low flight risk inmates to work down here. Several other vendors where already setting up their goods. I took my folding table out of my trunk, and started setting my creations on the table. Mint jelly, rosemary jelly, hot pepper jelly, watermelon jelly, and low sugar watermelon jelly were all placed on the bright yellow table cloth I had just purchased for this event. I put some crackers on the table too, so people could sample my product. I also placed some jalapeños and sweet pickled jalapenos next to the jelly. Within the first five minutes I sold two jars of hot pepper jelly. People loved it. A few people said it wasn't hot. Maybe I'll make some with just jalapeños next time. The watermelon jellies sold too. The two kinds of jelly that sold are the ones that I opened for people to sample. Next time I'll open a jar of each. People like to know what they are buying.

I chatted with some very lovely people in between sales. Yeah, I know, its the south everyone is nice.. Two of the other venders are also from the mountain. The candle couple who I spoke to for awhile live around the corner from me. Being this was my first time selling at the local farmers market I didn't have to pay the minimal fee. I made about $14.00 profit. That is $14.00 more then I would have made staying home, and I had fun. Having fun and making money works for me. I have watermelon and peppers I need to use up.. I also have sugar, I bought extra because it was on sale. I have plenty of jars. It looks like I'll be grabbing some pectin, and cookin' up more jelly soon. I will be at the square in Trenton on Saturday morning, maybe I'll see you there.

Ricotta frittata & a bird

A face book friend posted a link to a bunch of ramen noodle recipes, the other day. A few of the recipes caught my eye. Today I tried one of them, but of course I can't follow directions, so I changed it up a bit. Here is the recipe as it appeared on the Women's Day web site; Ricotta Frittata 2 cup(s) (10 ounces) frozen green peas 3 package(s) (about 3 ounces each) any flavor ramen noodle soup, but you’ll need only 2 seasoning packets 1 container(s) (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese 3 large eggs 0.5 cup(s) milk 0.5 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese 0.25 teaspoon(s) pepper 1 can(s) (14 1/2 ounces) tomatoes -- Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bring a half-filled 4- to 6-quart pot of water to boil. Add frozen peas and return to a boil. Break up noodles as directed on package and add to pot. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until noodles and peas are tender. Drain in a colander. Meanwhile stir ricotta, eggs, milk, Parmesan, pepper and the 2 seasoning packets in a large bowl until blended. Stir in noodles and peas. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake about 20 minutes or until set. Heat tomatoes in a saucepan or microwave until hot. Spoon over frittata. Cut in squares to serve.

My husband will not be ok with this as a meal. I heated up some EVOO & crushed garlic & cooked up some chicken breast. I added extra peas because I could not find a small package. I did not put the tomatoes in a can over it. When my creation (well not technically mine) was almost done I put the chicken, tomatoes, & cut up peppers on top of it with some parmesan cheese. My almost 17 year old daughter loved it. My husband said " honey it's ok for a side dish", then in a very nice way he asked me not to make it again. I think it lacked a little flavor. I think it needs diced onions, & some fresh cooked carrots. It did set nicely because of the eggs. All in all, I think this is an easy recipe, & it wasn't half bad.

Peter Pipper pick a peck of pickled peppers

 I planted about 6 pepper plants this year, so I have enough peppers for all of the tri state area. My husband does not like the hot peppers as much as I do. What AM I GOING TO DO with all these peppers.   I decided to pickle peppers, &  make hot pepper jelly a few weeks ago. Yummm it is so good.  I made more today. I also made watermelon, rosemary, and mint jelly. Great now what am I going to do with all this jelly?   I went down to the farmers market today to get info about setting up a table to sell my jelly, & a few can goods that I've made. The market is   held at the square in a small town near where I live.  There were about 10 tables set up. People were selling veggies, honey, bread, candles, & soap. One lady had 2 jars of blackberry jam on her table along with some honey. That's the only jelly that was there.   I started up a conversation with the couple who were selling breads. I had to try the tomato bread, so I bought some.  I asked them about the fee, time, & other info for the market.  The first time is free.  FREE I like free. After that it is $5.00 or 10% of your sales if they are under $5.00.  It's from 9-12 on sat morning, and you must live within 50 miles.  Yup, I do. You just show up & set up.  I also asked about the parking lot down the road where people are always selling stuff, kinda like a flea market.  Well, ya just go there, set up, & maybe, just maybe someone will be around to collect a $3.00 for the use of the space for the day. WHAT!!!!!!!   Back where I come from they have a much bigger farmers market, & I'm pretty sure you have to somehow pre register. There is no "flea market" place where lived in NY, I'ld have to think if there was the fee would be more like $25-$50.   Next weekend I think I am going to bring my teens, have one go to the flea market spot, with yard sale stuff.  The other child will sell my canned goods & jelly. I'll go back & forth between places. Wish me luck!!!

What, may I ask, is a hot water bath?

What, may I ask, is a hot water bath?? Many years ago (about 13) I had a garden, in the village of Catskill, yup the village. I planted zucchini  & tomatoes.  I grew a beautiful zucchini. Tomorrow I'll pick that perfect crop. Yeah right. The deer thought it was ready for pickin' that night. I never had a vegetable garden again, until now. ........ The growing season is much longer in AL then it is in NY. I put most of my garden in in April. I have plenty of produce for my family, & extra to give away. There is one problem with that,EVERY ONE down here has a garden. I decided to freeze some veggies. My husband, he's the pratical one, said " if the power goes out, we lose everything". I had a bright idea ( yup every so often I amaze myself) I'll start canning. ..... I never caned before. I remember my mother making jelly.  I do wish I had payed attention back then. ( I still don't pay attention, now there's something else to blog about). Anyway, I did some research, asked some questions, bought some books, jars, vinegar......  & started canning.........  I do not have a pressure cooker, so all the canning I do is "hot water bath", as if there is any other kind of bath;-).  A hot water bath is really just Boiling your jars of stuff in water.  Perhaps someone will buy me a pressure cooker for Christmas, or my birthday;-)  ....... I've canned tomatoes, pickles, relish, hot peppers, corn salsa.  I've made watermelon jelly, mint jelly, rosemary jelly & hot pepper jelly. My son loves the sweet pickles & corn salsa. He also likes the watermelon jelly, almost too much. Whom I kidding, he's 15, he just likes to eat. I love the sound of the jars popping as they are cooling. (it's the little things in life I enjoy) ...........  I like giving away my creations, so my loved ones can enjoy, or critic,the creations too.   Some, ok almost all, my cooking is done by trial & error.  I am not good at following directions, just ask my husband. .......... I know what is going into the jars, i am trying to feed my family, & myself healthy foods, sometimes.  I'm  delighted that I can safely store my home grown produce to enjoy for months, years to come.  The squirrels  store food for winter, I think they have something here.  FYI, if ya have a banana that's about to go bad, peal it, wrap it in foil, & stick it in the freezer. It will make a great smoothy. I'm telling ya this because I have some bananas I WILL NOT throw out.