Fresh Cranberry Orange Relish

I have no idea where I first got this recipe. I may have created it myself. I never use a printed recipe so when I share one of my favorites, it's hard for me to come up with exact measurements. Cooking is a matter of tastes and personal preferences so taste as you go and I will do my best to tell you how I make this traditional family recipe.

Today I was cooking for about 12 people so this recipe will serve about 12 or 15 people a 1/3 cup serving. Half it or double depending on your family. This is best made a day or tow ahead of time to allow the flavors to meld. Keeps for a couple of weeks in frig. Make enough for Christmas and freeze up to two months.

Place the ingredients below into a food processor and process to the consistency you see in my photo. This is also good served along side any dish that needs a little zip! I serve it with while beans and homemade buttermilk cornbread - yummy!

KATHY'S FRESH CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH
2 12 oz bags fresh cranberries
2 oranges (peeled, sliced and remove as much of the white inner lining as you can) see picture of what mine looked like
Peeling from one of those oranges
2 small Gala Apples cored and cut into chunks
1 cup pecans halves
1 teas. cinnamon (I use Ceylon)
                                                         1 cup sugar
                                                         juice of 1 small lemon

So Easy Recipe!

I saw this on Facebook - I do not bake dessert. Too lazy to spend too much time in the kitchen BUT... I am seriously going to try this one.

Three Ingredient Fruit Cobbler - Frozen Fruit, Cake Mix, and a 7-up 

Place frozen fruit in a baking dish. Add dry cake mix over the top. Pour soda slowly over cake mix. DO NOT stir the cake mix and the soda - this will give you a 'crust'.

Bake 350 for 45-50 min or longer until berries are cooked...that's it...seriously!

What to do with all that squash you grew

Are you in the middle of a squash bonanza like me? I've eaten it fried, dried, in casseroles and stir fried! I wanted to share a simple way to preserve squash by dehydrating and also this good recipe for dried squash chips that I made this week.

First how to dry squash:
I use a purchased dehydrator. It was not expensive and there are lots of choices for these on line. There are also instructions for making your own solar dehydrator too. I like the one I have. It has served me well for several years and is plenty big for what I need to dry. The photos below are a step-by-step on drying zucchini. The same method works for any summer squash. If the squash was extra large I cut the round slices into two sections.

1. Slice 1/8 in. thick

   

2. Layer slices on rack 

3. Ready to remove and store in baggies

Seasoned Squash Chips:

Using the same method as above except before layering slices on your racks, put the squash slices into a gallon sized baggie and add 1-2 teaspoons each of dried oregano, dried basil and garlic salt plus about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Zip up the baggie and shake to coat all the slices. You can use purchased Italian seasoning mix if you don't have dried basil and oregano. If you do that use less salt. Now put on the racks and dry as above. These make a great healthy snack

seasoned chips ready for drying

Next week I will post my Zucchini Lasagna experiment. The photo below shows that it was a hit!

Tad slurped it up!

Fun Gardening, Cooking and Craft videos!

OK I'm guilty. I spent way too much time today on Youube. But  it is a Saturday morning after all - or was when I started! LOL!

Here are a few awesome tips I found there.





and one more...these girls are sort of silly but it's a cute idea.

How to Make Stevia Sweetener and Liquid

Of course this is assuming you are already growing Stevia. If not, it's an easy herb to grow. It is hardy in zones 9 and 10 and is grown as an annual otherwise. I grow mine in a big pot and winter it over in the cool greenhouse. It grows fast and likes moist soil and sunshine.

Harvest the leaves at any time but be sure to harvest them all in the fall before frost. I don't let mine bloom because it wants to go to seed after it blooms. Besides, cutting it makes it fuller with lots more leaves.

For Stevia liquid:

Cut the stems about 2/3 of the way down. This leaves room for the plant to grow more branches below where the cut.  I dry mine with the leaves still on the stems. you can dry them in the sun (cover with net to keep clean) or in a dehydrator. I put mine in my hot empty greenhouse. If you use a dehydrator, set it on 95 degrees and it will take about 24 hours to dry.

Strip the leaves from stems and grind in a coffee grinder or use a motor and pestle like I did.

To make the liquid stevia, dissolve 1/4 cup pure homegrown stevia powder with 1 cup hot filtered water.  Stir and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours.  After 24 hours strain the stevia out of the liquid and store the liquid stevia in the refrigerator. Tastes just like the expensive stuff you buy at the grocery! 

Some people use the leaves dried as a sweetener.  It works and is healthy (300 times sweeter than sugar). I personally don't care for the taste but you should try it for yourself. . 

1.                              

Things Your Mama Didn't know!

This freaked me out! I always was told to rinse the chicken before cooking - wrong! Oh my Goodness - read this post - I never knew this about flushing the toilet either!

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/washing-chicken--do-i-really-have-to-do-that--162045546.html

Sweet uses for sour lemons!

As a hot tea with lemon addict, I end up with lots of left over lemon slices. I have always composted them but after reading these great tips from DIY Natural.com, I think I may use some of them for a few of the suggestions below.

Make an all-purpose cleaner

This is one of the simplest ways to use your leftover lemon peels. Add the peels of several lemons to a large jar, and fill with white distilled vinegar. Allow the solution to “steep” in a cabinet for a few weeks. Strain out the peels, and use the vinegar solution as a great lemon-scented all-purpose cleaner…perfect for de-greasing, disinfecting, and leaving things smelling fresh. Add the citrus-infused vinegar to a spray bottle and use to clean countertops, sinks, toilets, spills, stovetops, or other surfaces.

 Refresh and sanitize cutting boards

Lemon does a nice job of eliminating odors that are trapped in your cutting boards (like garlic and onion!). It also sanitizes boards due to its antibacterial properties. Take half a squeezed lemon with pulp intact, and rub vigorously over a cutting board that has been sprinkled with a coarsely ground salt (like kosher salt). Rinse well and allow to dry.

Deodorize garbage disposals

I always used lemons and oranges for this when I had a garbage disposal at my former home. Smelly garbage disposals can be freshened up with leftover lemon rinds. (I’m always careful to put smaller chunks down the disposal so it doesn't clog.) Simply drop rinds down the disposal with a few ice cubes and run the disposal.

 Freeze lemon peels for recipes

You can freeze your rinds (or even whole lemons) and use them in recipes calling for lemon zest. You can also zest your fresh lemons before using them, and store the lemon zest in the freezer. Store flat in a zip-top baggie so it’s easier to break off a chunk of frozen lemon zest. Allow to thaw before adding to recipes. Add small amounts to foods, smoothies, or desserts for a bold flavor.

Start seeds indoors

If you have lemons that were cut in half and juiced, you can use those lemon “cups” to start seeds indoors. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the lemon if desired (for drainage), fill the lemon halves with soil, and plant your tiny seeds in them. This entire lemon cup can be planted outdoors in the spring. Orange halves would work here too.

 Remove rust stains

The acid in lemons helps remove rust stains. This can be helpful in showers where shaving cream cans have left a rust ring, or sinks where iron pots have been left. Sprinkle salt on the rust stain and rub with half of a lemon that still has pulp inside. Allow the salt and lemon to sit for several hours, scrubbing periodically if needed. Allow the lemon to rest on the surface overnight if the stain has not yet disappeared, then rinse well with water.

Do you have tips for using lemons? Post them here and share with us!