New England-Style Grilled Cheese, with Home-Made Honey Viniagrette Salad, and Tomato Soup

Since the weather is cold and clammy due to the Nor'easter, I decided to make one of my favorite "rainy night" meals--grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I also decided to do my weekly chicken baking at the same time since I would be using the oven for the grilled cheese.  What I mean by "weekly chicken baking" is, that each week, I buy the "club pack" size of chicken at Wegman's (usually around 12 boneless, skinless, chicken cutlets) and I cook up 8 of them in the oven with some herbs and spices, let them cool and either shred them or cut them up into smaller pieces and put them in Ziploc bags in the fridge.  This way, I have cooked chicken already on hand for busy nights when I have school--I can just take a handful, add taco seasoning, or sloppy joe seasoning, to make a quick meal. 

I also take the chicken and use it as a topping for various types of salad that I bring to school in my Bento box (that's the subject of my next post, btw!).  For instance, for a "Tex-Mex" salad, I sprinkle the chicken with cumin and lime juice and top my salad with the chicken, rinsed black beans, diced purple onion, and a little sprinkle of cilantro.  For the dressing, I mix sour cream with some of my salsa, and add a few drops of hot sauce.  Voila, instant Tex-Mex.  For my sides in my Tex-Mex box, I put some more black beans, mixed with a little lime juice, and some of the purple onions.  In the bottom box, I put some salsa and bring some chips in a baggie.  I make myself a rice ball and sprinkle it with cumin for a snack.

That's just a teaser, I'll post the rest of my Bento box salad ideas in the next post.  :)  Back to the grilled cheese!  Now, being a New Englander, the only way I make grilled cheese is with either white American sliced cheese or sharp cheddar sliced cheese.  I'm not a cheese racist in the least, the white American just melts better and tastes creamier in my opinion.  And, it's a long-standing tradition handed down from my grandparents, so it works for me.

Here's how I do grilled cheese.  There are three of us in the family, but Jeremy doesn't like tomato soup so I make him two grilled cheeses instead. 

New England-Style Grilled Cheese
8 slices of whole-grain "white" bread
4 slices (or more if you like it really cheesy, like the boy) of white-American cheese
"real" Mayonnaise, for spreading (now, for those of you who are going "eww," relax, it will turn out great, trust me.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place a pizza stone or cookie sheet on the middle rack.  Spread each slice of bread with the mayonnaise on one side.  Open the oven, pull out the middle rack.  Place 4 slices of the mayonnaised bread, mayo facing down, evenly spaced apart.  Place a slice of cheese on each piece of bread, then top with the 4 remaining slices of bread, mayo side facing up.  Close the oven and let the sandwiches bake until the down facing side is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes, depending on your oven.  Flip the sandwiches over, then bake for a further 5-7 minutes, or until also golden brown.  Let sandwiches cool slightly, then slice them diagonally and serve with the tomato soup.  Now, this is where you'll notice the difference between using softened butter and mayo.  The egg in the mayo causes the bread to crust up really well, so the sandwich is nice and crunchy and the oil leaves a nice shine on the bread.  I accidentally stumbled across this when I forgot we were out of butter when I was making grilled cheese and didn't want to use oil.  I saw the jar of mayo on the counter, and had a lightbulb moment. 

Tomato Soup

1 can of Campell's Condensed Tomato Soup

Open can of soup and empty into a saucepan, add a can of.... who am I kidding?  If you don't know how to make tomato soup, I am so, so sorry.

Finally, on to the salad.  I wanted to serve a protein with my meal as I knew Hubs would be starving when he got home from work so I decided to take four of the chicken cutlets left over from my club pack and flatten them out and roll a couple of salami slices up in them to make mini-pinwheels as a garnish for our salad.  (Here's the thing with me that my Hubs and son sometimes find really anal about me, my insistence on the fact that there must be a protein and a vegetable or fruit with every meal).   I also love making my own salad dressings and viniagarettes, it's a lot cheaper and there are no preservatives.

Honey-Mustard Viniagarette Chicken Salad with mini-Chicken Pinwheels  

4 boneless, skinless chicken thigh cutlets
6-8 slices of Genoa salami (from the deli counter)
Penzey's Shallot Pepper seasoning (or, just use a lot of pepper)  (www.penzeys.com)
Onion powder
Garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Get out a cutting board.   Open each cutlet out onto the board, evenly spaced apart.  Cover the cutlets with a sheet of waxed paper, making sure the cutlets are completely covered.  Press the waxed paper firmly into the chicken.  Take a meat mallet (I actually use my old wooden rolling pin that the handle fell out it, hold it vertically and use it that way as a mallet.  I find it's faster as it covers more surface area) and pound out thinly to a 1/4" thickness.  Take off the waxed paper, and cover each cutlet with one or two slices of salami until surface of the cutlets is completely covered with salami.  Starting at one of the short ends of the cutlet, tightly roll up each cutlet, securing with toothpicks if needed (I didn't).  Place rolled cutlets, seam side down on a greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle each roll with the spices and salt and pepper.  Place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake until chicken reaches 160 degrees with a meat thermometer, or until juices run clear.  Let chicken cool cocompletely, then slice into 1/4" wide slices, starting from one of the short ends.  Add more salt and pepper to the sides of the pinwheels if desired.  Place the chicken over a bed of lettuce, spring mix, or other desired salad greens.  Drizzle the salad, especially the chicken pinwheels, with the honey-mustard vinaigrette.  Recipe follows.

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette  Also makes a great marinade for chicken wings or baked chicken breast/thighs.

1/3 C. red wine vinegar
1/3 C. vegetable (or olive if you want a stronger tasting oil) oil
1 tsp. McCormick Italian seasoning
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Colman's English mustard (I LOVE this stuff, Jamie Oliver turned me on to it) or, any other yellow mustard and add a little extra vinegar to counteract that Colman's has a high vinegar content than regular yellow mustard.
1/4 C. honey
1 TBSP of sugar, or a little less to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of your spices with the mustard and let stand for 5 minutes, so the dried herbs can reconstitute.  Next, add the honey and combine.  Add the vinegar and whisk in the oil so it emulsifies.  Or, you can just do what I do, which works like a charm every time for oil & vinegar dressing--mix the honey/mustard/spice mixture into a clean jar with a lid, then add the vinegar and oil to the jar.  Screw on the lid and shake until dressing emulsifies.  This used to be the boy's job as a younger kid before supper.  He loved shaking the jar up and down.  Drizzle the dressing over the salad, especially the chicken or store refrigerated to use later as a marinade.

Here's a photo of the finished meal.  Toddy thought my plating looked professional looking.  Enjoy!

New England-Style Grilled Cheese, with Home-Made Honey Viniagrette Salad, and Tomato Soup

Free Books! And Things I've Learned on My Commute, or a Handy Travel Guide For People Traveling I-95 Through Baltimore

Free books!  No, sorry, not for you, for me!  As many of you know, Stratford University, where I attend as a Culinary Student, recently took over the old Baltimore International College, which lost its national accreditation.  Stratford is a modern, progressive university and they are cleaning house, literally.  They consolidated two lumbering college buildings, several miles from each other (a real pain, I tell you) into one modern, updated building.  This included renovating the library and moving it to the other building.  They also wanted to update the library so they are literally vomiting out boxes of free books in boxes in the hallways for students to take.

You know me, I am a complete bibliophile.  Both of my parents were voracious readers and my childhood home was lined with bookcases EVERYWHERE.  My friends used to joke that our house should be called "The Library."  Both loved their books and couldn't bear to throw them away, so they'd keep them and reread them from time to time.  My sister and I never had to buy a book for ourselves, we'd read theirs, and if we wanted to get a new book, we were never told "no" when it came to books.  We've each collected a "Library" of our own over our lifetimes.  This was in the days before e-readers, so we physically had a lot of books on our shelves.

So, when the boxes were put out there again today (this is the third time they've purged as they got more new books for us) you know I was right there, picking through the books like a fiend, not unlike the tag-salers I used to get at my yard sales in Puerto Rico.  I made a "pile" and kept my eagle eyes open for any cookbooks.  I ended up with (ahem) ALL cookbooks, except for one tiny tome on what life was like during the London Blitz for the various writers and playwrights.  Here's a pic of my haul:

Okay, so maybe some of these may be circa 1978, but they HAD stoves back then, people.

Mind you, I missed out because it was my Hospitality Supervision class tonight so I only had my cute, little Japanese vinyl tote with the kokeshi dolls on it that barely holds my textbook, a 1-subject spiral notebook, and if I squeeze it in the right way, a pen.  If I'd had my backpack with me for Culinary classes, I could have filled that sucker right up.

I ended up getting home early tonight as we only had a mid-term and some library research, so we left at 8:15.  I got home at 8:45 (no, I wasn't speeding, I got lucky and there was no traffic) and Hubs and the boy were still up and sitting in the living room.  I had my arms full of books, so I had to kick the front door with my boot instead of ringing the doorbell.

The boy opened the door, saw my books, and like all teenagers do when they feel their parents are ridiculous, rolled his eyes at me and said, "'Sup."  Then he put his earbuds in and proceeded to pretend that he had ever seen me.  I then saw some suspicious bruises on his neck (after he'd spent all afternoon at his girlfriend's house) and proceeded to go off on him about the white-trashiness of hickey necklaces and then my volume button seriously went up...  OMG, you're not going to that girl's house anymore, obviously you're not being supervised over there, I don't want to be a 43-year old grandma, I raised you better than that... OKAY, whew!  I think he got my point.  Back to normal blood pressure and blogging.  (Seriously?  Hickeys?  W.T.F).

So, after normalcy had returned, and Hubs stopped looking at me like I had turned into a Lycan in front of his eyes, I set my pile of books down on the table.  Warily, he eyed my loot and said, "Um, I do hope some books are going to be leaving the house to make room for these new ones."  "Well, these are for my CAREER," I replied, smiling sweetly at him.  "They're considered to be Professional Gear when we do our final government move."  "Huh." he said and resumed watching the election results.  (Silly man, I know half the crap in your <air quotes> Professional Gear is actually arty photography books and photos from your period of being obsessed with photographing mannequins--I can play that game, too).

Seriously though, I DO plan on using these books in a professional capacity.  Hubs and I had been looking into the idea of starting with a food truck, but after I got a couple of books on how to operate a food truck business, he practically had to scrape me off the floor when I found out that these so-called "roach coaches" now cost a tidy sum--around $50,000-$70,000 just to buy the truck and basic equipment.  Whoa Nellie!  The Cheapo Chicos can't afford that.  So Hubs, being the resourceful ex-Senior Chief that he is, had a lightbulb moment and said, "DRMO!"  I was like, "Was that English?"  What he was referring to, for you non-Navy types (and twits like me) is the government's liquidation program for stuff they no longer need.  Turns out, they have a huge website of all sorts of discarded equipment they no longer need, most of it barely used, and you can buy it on the cheap.

Hubs found some mobile kitchens on the website from both the Army and the Marine Corps--probably they'd been used in Iraq or Afghanistan, and they no longer needed them with the military troop drawdown.  He went down there tonight to look at them and he is confident they will meet our needs.  They have coolers, freezers, steam tables, steam kettles, flat top grills, 6-burner stoves, dishwashers, prep areas AND ALL OF THE POTS, PANS, AND UTENSILS.  It's like a complete restaurant in a box.  We are going to put a bid on a couple of them this weekend when the auction opens.

For those of you who don't know, our plan, when we move to Maine, is to buy some property in a rural area near the numerous snowmobile/4-wheeler trails and park ourselves right near the end(s) of the trails to serve all the hungry people who've been in the woods on the trails all day.  Hot soups and hot comfort food in the winter for the snowmobilers, and gourmet sandwiches, salads, and refreshing drinks in the summer for the 4-wheelers.  Sounds like a win-win to us.  Plus, we'd be selling produce, herbs, and honey from Hubs, the Gentleman Farmer which we'd grow on our land.  I can't wait!!!

Of course, to achieve this dream, yours truly has to get through and graduate from Culinary School.  To do so, I have to commute 20-something miles to downtown Baltimore several times a week on I-95 to do so.  I thought I'd share some of my observations I've seen on my commute and also provide a sort of "Travel Guide" to those who might repeat my journey.

Things I've Learned on My Commute, or a Handy Travel Guide For People Traveling I-95 Through Baltimore

1. People in MD don't know how to merge.  They think the acceleration lane to get onto 95 means you must slow down and then pull out at the last second, never mind there is a semi in the right lane.

2.  People automatically turn into sheeple when they get within two miles of the White Marsh or Towson/Essex exits.  You really can't blame them; those areas were complete messes for years until they rearranged the traffic patterns so it's natural that they'd be idiots.

3. Toll collectors at the Ft. McHenry tunnel do not appreciate being handed a twenty dollar bill for a three dollar toll.  They will let you know this by sighing loudly, taking their time to count back your change--usually all in one dollar bills--and thrusting your change back at you.  Conversely, they do not appreciate being blasted by Linkin Park or inadvertent cigarette exhalations.  Noted.

4.  Remember to roll your windows up before going into the Ft. McHenry tunnel, otherwise you will go temporarily deaf and you will experience a ringing in the ears for awhile after.  (Also, your teacher will not be pleased when he has to call your name several times for the attendance).  Roll your windows back down so your ears can pop from the altitude difference from the tunnel.

5.  Even though you are a die-hard New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan, DO remember to stop by the Beverage Barn to pick up the pocket-sized Baltimore Ravens and Baltimore Orioles schedules.  That way when you are coming off I-395 into the city by Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, you can avoid going down Conway St., bypassing both the traffic and the rabid Baltimore "Birds" fans.

6.  When you have gone past the Inner Harbor and are getting into Little Italy where Stratford is located, roll your windows up again, so when you are stopped at the numerous stoplights, you can avoid the people trying to wash your windshield for you, or the people who brazenly walk up to you and ask if they can buy a cigarette for thirty cents.  Click. Doors. Locked.

7.  Upon parking in the lot at Stratford, grab your 150 tons of Culinary gear (my textbook actually weighs 10 LBS.--I weighed it) and head in for class, locking your doors so no one steals your toll money again, forcing you to give the toll collector the $20 bill in your wallet.

8.  Ah...4.5 hours later, your class is over!  Check all around your vehicle and make sure you have the pepper spray out.  You can't take any chances, a woman jogging in Fell's Point was dragged into an alley last week by a man with a knife and sexually assaulted, and that's literally right.around.the.corner. Quickly unlock and leap into your car, locking the door immediately.  Set radio to 98 Rock, knowing they will play Linkin Park right when you are getting to the toll booth, yay!

9.  After going through the tunnel & toll again (this time, deciding at the last minute to be considerate and turning your radio down) race out of the toll lane in low gear, knowing you've got to outrace all the semis barreling along next to you.  You push your 12-year old, valve-challenged car to its limits, but yes!  You've managed get up the steep hill without being squished between two semis.

10. At the top of the hill, roll down your window and breathe in through your nostrils deeply.  Suddenly, the pungent smell of Old Bay hits your olfactory senses and you are in heaven.  You've just gone over the factory where they still make it.  Mmmmm...

11.  Still enjoying your Old Bay buzz, lazily look out your window to the left to view the beautiful neon artistry of the Natty Boh sign and the Dominos Sugar signs.  Pure artistic bliss...  Okay, eyes back on the road!!!

12.  Cackle to one's self as all the through-staters barrel past you in the left lane, going 70 in a 55 mph zone.  Ha ha, through-staters, the rest of us with MD plates know about the Staties hiding up the road and of course, the locations of the speed cameras.  Yep, you can have my ticket, New Jersey!

13.  The stretch of interstate after the Towson/Essex exit is nice and dark, perfect for picking that surreptitious annoying booger.  (C'mon, admit it, we've all done it).

14. Warning!  Bears in the trees at mile markers 69.2, 69.9, and 72--almost ALWAYS.  Hey, Smokey, we're not that stupid.

15.  Getting ready to go over Gunpowder Falls and it's nice and dark.  Good time to rearrange the bra (or, to take care of any remaining boogers).

16.  ACK!  Fallston Exit.  Bright...lights...cannot...see.  Quick check in mirror to make sure boobs and boogers are where they should be, lest any other drivers see me in this prison yard lighting.

17.  Exit 77B!  You've made it.  DO turn on your hi-beams to avoid nature's creatures.  I once almost clotheslined a deer and scared the shit out of a godzilla-coon coming off the exit.  I like to hunt deer, not hit them with my car.

18.  I hope you enjoyed experiencing my commute with me.  Oh, and if you're ever in MD and you cut me off, I will roll down my window and flick a booger at you.

(Seriously, the booger thing only happened to me once.  I blew my nose into a tissue and had a hitchhiker that would not for the life of me, come off the end of my nose.  Then again, I've seen so many people drilling their noses for gold around here, it probably was mild compared to that--love y'all, Beck)

New Recipes from my Taste of Home mag--can't wait to try these!

So, I subscribe to a couple of different magazines and love getting them in the mail.  One of my favorites (besides my naughty little guilty pleasure, People Magazine) is when I get my Taste of Home in my mailbox.  This issue is a "special" edition (meaning it would cost like $10 if you just bought it at the grocery store checkout) so it's chock full of some really neat recipes, so I thought I would share some of the ones I found interesting with my family and friends who don't have the pleasure of getting this magazine.  Note:  I tweaked the recipes slightly from the originals in the magazine to improve them, ie. when they called for "chopped" veggies, I changed it to "diced" as huge chunks of green pepper, for example, sounded unappetizing.

Warm Chicken Fiesta Dip

1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 10 oz. can of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 10 oz. can of Ro-Tel (a combo of canned, diced tomatoes with chilis) undrained
1 jalapeno (or other hot pepper), finely chopped
4 cups of cooked, shredded chicken (or the leftovers from a rotisserie chicken)
2 C. (8 oz.) shredded cheddar
1 green (spring) onion, sliced thinly
Tortilla or corn chips to serve.  You could also use fat-free Wheat Thins if you're watching your calorie count.

Marinated Mozzarella Cheese Cubes

1/3 C. good quality extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped finely
1 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp chives, minced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb. mozzarella cheese, cubed into 1" squares

In a large Ziploc bag (gallon or quart sized), combine the first seven ingredients, then add cheese cubes.  Seal bag, and shake to combine ingredients.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before transferring to a serving dish and serving with toothpicks (I usually put a handful of toothpicks in a shot glass to serve).

Bacon Bleu Cheese Appetizer

1 8 oz. wedge of bleu cheese
1 TBSP honey (you KNOW I always use honey from Naughty Toddy's Honey Pot!!!)
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
assorted crackers (I use Carr's Rosemary Water Wafer Crackers--they are also delicious with baked Camembert, hint hint).

Place the cheese on a platter or serving plate.  Drizzle with the honey and sprinkle the bacon "bits" all over cheese.  Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes so the cheese can "ripen" and develop its full flavor.  This recipe is so easy, my dog could make it.  Well, that is if he doesn't eat the cheese or bacon first...

Beef Roast with Onion Cream Sauce (you could also use a venison roast if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one.  I have one in the freezer right now :)

1/2 C. red wine vinegar
1/4 C. ketchup
2 TBSP vegetable oil
2 TBSP soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman's--it's the one that reminds me the most of Japanese soy sauce)
2 TBSP Worcestshire sauce (say it with me, people--"Woost-a-sheer" it makes me cringe when people say "Worst-er-shire" ha ha)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp prepared mustard (I admit, I'm a bit of a mustard snob--I prefer Colman's English Mustard or Grey Poupon's original Dijon Mustard)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 3-4 lb. beef sirloin roast (chuck, rump, or tip)

Sauce:

2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP flour
1 C. milk
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1 envelope Lipton's onion/mushroom soup mix

Get out a large Ziploc bag.  Combine the first nine ingredients and put them in the bag.  Sear the beef on all sides (if you like; I do) let cool slightly; place in Ziploc bag with other ingredients.  Seal the bag and squish all of the ingredients around the beef to coat it.  Put the beef bag in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight.  Drain the marinade and discard.  Place the roast in a roasting pan and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1.75 hours to 2.5 hours, or until meat reaches your desired doneness.  If using a meat thermometer, resulting temp should be between 145-170 degrees for safety.  Let roast stand for 10 minutes before carving; in the meantime, make the sauce.

Melt butter in a saucepan; whisk in flour until smooth.  Gradually add the milk, cream and Lipton's soup mix.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes or until thickened to your likeness.  Serve over roasted beef slices.  If you like, add a TBSP or so of cooking sherry when you add the water to the saucepan--it adds a little zing to the sauce.

Mushroom Swiss Macaroni and Cheese

1 16 oz. package of mini penne pasta
1/2 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, chopped finely
1 small onion, chopped finely
2 TBSP butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced finely

Sauce:

5 TBSP butter
1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, cubed into 1" pieces
1.25 C. whole milk
1.25 C. half & half
2.5 C. (or 10 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
1.25 C. grated Parmesan/Romano cheese blend
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

Topping:

1/3 C. Panko bread crumbs
2 TBSP fresh parsley, minced
2 TBSP melted butter

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saute pan, saute mushrooms and onions in the butter and olive oil until tender.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.  Set aside to cool.  In a large saucepan, melt the 5 TBSP of butter.  Stir in the cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually add in the milk and cream; heat through.  Stir in the cheeses, salt & pepper and bacon until blended.  Drain the pasta and toss with mushroom mixture and sauce.  Lay out in a rectangular casserole dish.  Combine the Panko, parsley, and melted butter and sprinkle over casserole.  Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Garlic-Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Mustard Sauce

1/5 lbs fresh Brussels sprouts, each cut in half
2 TBSP olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream
3 TBSP prepared mustard (Colman's or Dijon mustard)
1/8 tsp white pepper (you can use black pepper, but it won't be as spicy--add a little more black pepper than what the recipe calls for)
a pinch of salt (to taste)

Place Brussels sprouts in a greased full sheet pan.  Combine oil and garlic, drizzle over sprouts and toss lightly to coat.  Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the cream, mustard, pepper and salt.  Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.  Serve sauce over roasted Brussels sprouts.

Swiss Potato Bake

5 large uncooked baking (Russet) potatoes, peeled and shredded with a grater (or, if you're lazy like me, just cut the potatoes up into small pieces)
1 C. shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 C. sliced green (spring) onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 C. (16 oz.) sour cream (not skim or fat-free)
1/4 C. melted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 C. sliced almonds (you can find these in the baking section of your grocery store)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the potatoes, Swiss cheese, onions and garlic, then place the mixture in a casserole or baking dish.  In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, melted butter, salt and pepper.  Pour over mixture in baking dish, then sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, or for safety, until a thermometer reads 160 degrees.

Garlic/Bacon/Stilton Mashed Potatoes

6 garlic cloves, peeled, covered in 1 TBSP olive oil and wrapped in foil or put in garlic roaster (I love mine!) Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until softened.  Let garlic cool for 10-15 minutes after roasting.
2.5 pounds small red or "new" potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 oz. or half of a regular-sized package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 C. melted butter
1/2 C. warm milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 lb Stilton (or bleu cheese) cheese, crumbled
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3 TBSP parsley, minced and divided

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.  Drain, and transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl.  Squeeze the garlic out of the foil into potatoes, mashing it well.  Add cream cheese, warm milk, melted butter, and salt and pepper.  Mash potatoes (I use an electric mixer to get rid of the lumps and to make the potatoes more of a whipped consistency).  Stir in the cheese, bacon and 2 TBSP of parsley.  Once mixed, sprinkle the rest of the parsley on top of the potatoes as a garnish.

Enjoy, fellow "foodies!"

Tonight's Lesson - Pate a Choux, Pastry Cream, Chocolate Ganache, Churros, and Puff Pastry

Today's lesson was a real doozy and the recipes are kinda long, so I decided to put the recipes on my blog.  Today we learned how to make Pate a Choux, which is French for "cabbage paste."  It's because of what the shape of the pastry looks like after it's baked--like a little cabbage.  You can use Pate a Choux for making all sorts of pastries including eclairs, Napoleons, churros, and other delights.

I have to admit, it was a little intimidating at first, but my Baking class Chef is a really careful and considerate teacher who walks us through all the steps and comes by every so often to check our work and give us tips and suggestions.  He's very patient with all of us and never makes us feel as if we can't ask a question.  The best thing is, he's a professional chef who has worked in the industry for over 20 years, so he knows what it's really like to work in a professional kitchen.

If you live in the Baltimore area and are interested in learning culinary skills (for professional reasons or if you just want to brush up on your skills) I highly recommend Stratford University, my school.  Every one of my teachers is a professional chef, usually with an average of 15-20 years of experience.  We get brand new textbooks as part of our tuition and we get to keep them when we're done with our classes to use as reference books--they call it "building up your professional library.

The tuition includes all of your uniforms (2 chef's jackets, 2 pairs of checked pants, 2 neckerchiefs, 2 side towels, 2 aprons, and 2 chef's hats).  You also get a huge black knapsack for carrying all of your gear.  Our knife kits include a chef's knife, a bread knife, a boning knife, a paring knife, a honing steel, metal measuring cups and spoons, a rubber spatula, an off-set spatula, whisk, microplane grater, metal spatula, melon baller, a peeler, a measuring plate (kind of like a cheat sheet--a metal ruler that has all of the different types of knife cuts listed on it) a nice pair of scissors, and a digital thermometer.

The only things I had to buy myself were a bench scraper, a pair of work boots, and a $50 parking pass (for the year).  The VA pays for EVERYTHING else, plus I get the housing allowance.  The tuition is very reasonable for people who have to pay for it themselves and the training I'm receiving is invaluable. 

Okay, on to the recipes!

Pastry Cream (make before anything else so you have time to chill it before use)

1 pint of milk (16 oz. liquid measuring cup)
4 oz. sugar
1.5 oz. cornstarch
4 eggs
2 oz. butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(This is a half recipe, meaning the original recipe is double these amounts)

Bring milk to a boil on the stove, watching to ensure it doesn't boil over.  Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and eggs in a bowl.  Take the milk and slowly add to cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly.  You don't want to add too much in at once or you'll end up with scrambled eggs!  Return the mixture to the stove and bring to a bowl--constantly whisking, until mixture thickens up until it's a little thicker than pancake batter.  Remove from heat, and add butter and vanilla, stirring to combine.  Strain through a sieve, then put in a bowl set on top of another bowl filled with ice and water.  Stir custard every few minutes or so to cool mixture down and to remove heat pockets.  Once custard has cooled, lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard, pressing down lightly.  This will ensure your custard will not develop a "skin."  Put bowl in fridge until you're reading to fill your pastries.

Pate a Choux (to make eclairs and churros)

8 oz. water
4 oz. butter, softened
a pinch of salt
6 oz. bread flour
8 oz. eggs (about 5-6 eggs, depending on size)

Combine water, butter, and salt, bring to a boil.  Add flour all at one time, stirring constantly until the mixture pulls away from the side of the pot.  Place mixture in a mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached.  Mix to cool mixture slightly.  Add eggs one at a time to form a medium stiff paste.  Fill a pastry bag with a medium tip, then pipe out long, oval shapes on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Leave spaces between eclairs.  Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 to dry out pastry.  Bake until golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.  Using another pastry bag, filled with the pastry cream (using small icing tip), poke a hole in each eclair and gently squeeze in the pastry cream, trying not to overfill.  If you have to, you can poke a hole in each end and fill from both sides to get more of an even fill.  After filling all of your eclairs, take each one and dip it in the chocolate ganache (recipe follows), shaking off the excess chocolate.  Set aside and continue dipping eclairs until done.  Let chocolate set about 10 minutes before eating.

For churros:  heat vegetable oil in a large pot to 350 degrees.  Put a star shaped icing tip on a pastry bag and fill with pate a choux dough.  Carefully squeeze out long tube shapes into the hot oil.  Fry until golden brown, then remove churros from oil and drain for a few seconds on paper.  Mix together equal parts of cinnamon and granulated sugar in a bowl, then add the warm churros to the mixture, tossing lightly to coat.  Ole!

Chocolate Ganache Icing (for dipping eclairs)

10 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped
8 oz. heavy cream

Bring cream to a boil.  Pour cream into chocolate in a mixing bowl and let mixture sit for 3-5 minutes before stirring with a rubber spatula.  Start stirring by making small circles in the middle of the bowl and working your way out to the edge of the bowl.  Mix until mixture is smooth.  Start dipping eclairs immediately.  If you find your chocolate is starting to set in the bowl, put the bowl on another bowl filled with hot water and stir briskly.  You can also add a little more hot cream if you like.    This icing is also good on cakes or a pan of brownies.

Puff Pastry

8 oz. bread flour
8 oz. pastry flour
1 lb. cold butter
1/4 oz. salt
8 oz. cold water
softened butter

Cut butter into quarter-sized pieces.  Sift together bread flour and pastry flour into the mixing bowl of a stand mixture.  Stir in the salt.  Add the cold butter in, and using a paddle attachment, turn on low to cut the butter into the flour mixture.  End product should look like little pea-shaped balls.  Add the water and attach a dough hook.  Put mixer on low speed and mix the pastry until dough ball forms.  Remove ball from mixing bowl and let dough rest in fridge for 15 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a large rectangle.  Spread the softened butter all out over the dough.  Fold dough over itself in thirds, until you end up with another rectangle shape.  Roll out the dough into a large rectangle shape, spread with some more softened butter, and repeat the folding/rolling/buttering process again for 4 more times.

This folding/buttering process helps to create your flaky layers that everyone loves about puff pastry.  If you're going to use puff pastry right away, place on top of cobbler, pot pie, or other dish immediately, cut vent holes with a sharp knife and bake.  I use puff pastry in my chicken pot pie.  Everyone has said they love my pot pie, so I'll share that recipe with you too. :)  I take puff pastry, cut it into strips, then weave them back into a square shape, over/under, like weaving cloth.  I use a little egg wash (egg mixed with a little cold water) that I brush all over the surface of the puff pastry with a pastry brush.  I then bake it on a greased sheet pan at 400 degrees for about 10-15, or until golden brown.  After I mix up my pot pie ingredients, I put the mixture into a square casserole dish and lightly press the puff pastry square on top before serving.  Yummo!

Chicken Pot Pie

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked, cooled and cut up into small pieces (or you can use the leftovers from a cooled rotisserie chicken)
3 carrots, scraped and cut into thin round slices
2 celery stalks, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced finely
2 C. heavy cream
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
2 TBSP butter
2 chicken bouillon cubes (or 2 tsp. chicken base)
2 TBSP vegetable oil
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste

Heat a large pot or braising pan on stove until it starts smoking slightly.  Add the vegetable oil and turn the heat to medium.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and saute until veggies are soft.  Add garlic and cook until soft.  Add butter to pan and melt.  Sprinkle the flour all over the veggies and stir to coat.  Slowly add in cream, stirring constantly.  Bring mixture to the boil, add chicken bouillon cubes, nutmeg, black pepper, salt, and reserved chicken pieces.  Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is to the thickness of your liking.  You can let the mixture reduce on the heat if your mixture is too thin, or add a little chicken stock if it's too thick.  Place mixture in a square casserole dish (the size of your puff pastry) and let cool slightly before lightly pressing your baked puff pastry sheet on top.  Serve immediately.

So there you have it, Pastry 101.  Sorry no pics this time (I'll post them at a later date) I flaked out and forgot to pay my Verizon bill so I can't use my cell to upload any pictures. :(  I'll post the pics on Friday when we get paid and I can get my phone turned back on. :)

Enjoy!  More baking to come on Thursday and Friday, and Hubs and I are FINALLY going to use our McCormick & Schmick's gift card to go out on Friday night after school/work to celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary!

Meatless Wonders

Ever since I started going back to school, I find that I don't have time to cook like I normally like to and I am constantly looking for recipes that would allow me to cook dinner pretty quickly.  This week, I created one myself and the other one I got from this month's Food Network magazine.  Both turned out to be pretty good and fairly easy to make.  The interesting thing is, neither of them have meat in them.  The bonus is, no meat = less money to spend, too.  Hubs was a fan of both meals but his favorite was the one I made tonight.  Enjoy!

Cheesy Broccoli/Cauliflower Rice Casserole

This is the recipe I created out of stuff I had on hand

1 head broccoli, cut up and blanched
1 head cauliflower, cut up and blanched
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese, divided into 2 separate cups
parmesan cheese (the kind that comes in a shaker can)
3 C. rice, already cooked
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 bag of croutons, (I used Texas Toast ones)
2 C. milk
4 TBSP flour
4 TBSP butter
1 TBSP garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
herb-flavored olive oil, or plain if you can't find it.  (I used Wegman's basting oil)
1/2 tsp. coarse cracked black pepper
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blanch vegetables and set aside to drain.  After draining, oil a cookie sheet with the flavored oil and spread the veggies out onto the sheet, tossing to coat with the oil.  Drizzle more oil on top of the veggies.  Roast veggies in the oven until they are slightly browned, usually about 30 minutes or so.  When they are browned, take them out of the oven and sprinkle them with the parmesan cheese.  Set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt butter, then add minced garlic and diced onions and cook until soft.  Stir in the flour and cook for a few minutes until flour starts to brown.  Then add in the cream of chicken soup, then slowly stir in the milk.  Add one cup of the cheese, then sprinkle with the pepper and some parmesan cheese.  Mix together until cheese starts blending in.   Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately lower heat to simmer for about 10 minutes with a lid on the pan.  Taste the sauce and add salt if needed.

Grease a baking dish.  Spread out the rice on the bottom of the pan.  Top with the veggies and then pour the bechamel (cheese) sauce all over.  Sprinkle liberally with the croutons, then evenly sprinkle the remaining cup of cheddar cheese on top and sprinkle some more parmesan cheese on top as well. 

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is nice and melted, then remove from oven.  Let sit for more than 5 minutes so you don't burn the crap out of yourself.  Serves 6-8 people.  Makes great leftovers.


Eggy Delight

This is the recipe from Food Network magazine.  It was this month's "Name that Dish" recipe.  Basically, they create a recipe, then ask readers to send in suggestions on what they think would be a great name for the recipe.  I didn't really feel like spending the time to come up with a name, so when Hubs asked me what was for dinner last week (the first time I made this dish) I replied, "Eggy Delight."  (I had just finished re-reading Julia Child's first cookbook).  To my surprise, the name stuck, because Hubs has been requesting "Eggy Delight" for this week's menu since I last made it!  So, THIS was tonight's meal.

1 pkg. puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farm brand, with two sheets of puff pastry)
8 eggs
2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
16 strips of bacon, fried until crispy, then cool and crumble the bacon with a paper towel
Hollandaise sauce, or if you're lazy like me, 1 pkg. pre-made Hollandaise sauce, prepared and kept warm
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease two cookie sheets.  Take out puff pastry and unfold, spreading 1 sheet out on a cutting board dusted with a little flour.  Cut each sheet into 4 equal squares.  Take each square in your hands and start shaping it like a pizza.  When each square is now a circle, lay it on the cookie sheet and prick each square in the middle a few times with a fork.  Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Take out of the oven and let cool slightly.  After a few minutes, sprinkle some of the cheddar cheese over each puff pastry circle and top with some of the crumbled fried bacon.  Crack an egg over each circle and sprinkle with some salt and pepper.  Bake 8-10 more minutes or until egg whites are completely set.  (This makes the eggs the consistency of the eggs in Eggs Benedict, bake longer if you like your eggs more cooked and less runny).  After you have cooked the eggs to your liking, remove the cookie sheets from the oven, and let cool for just a few seconds before using a metal spatula to remove the circles from the cookie sheets.  Put each circle on a plate and top with the Hollandaise sauce.  So delicious!  A great "Breakfast for Supper" recipe.  Here is a picture of the meal I made tonight:

Please forgive the "dirty" cookie sheet--it's actually a Pampered Chef pizza stone so they tend to get stained.

I hope you enjoy these delicious recipes as much as my family did.  Oh, and by the way, we used duck eggs from our very own girls for the "Eggy Delight" and they were very good.

Superbowl Munchies

The Chicken Caesar BLT is on the left, the Italian is on the right.

So, quite a few people messaged me wanting my Superbowl recipes, so here they are!


Chicken Caesar BLT Sandwich Ring

2 cans of Pillsbury French Loaf bread (found next to the refrigerated canned biscuits and crescent rolls)
1/2 lb. deli-sliced chicken lunch meat slices (I used peppercorn-crusted deli chicken slices from Wegmans)
1 Beefsteak tomato, sliced thinly, then each slice should be halved
1 bag of cut up Romaine lettuce
1 bag of shredded parmesan cheese
1 bottle of Newman's Own Caesar dressing
6 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled into bits
Mayonnaise for spreading

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a pizza stone or cookie sheet.  Open cans of French Bread loaves.  Place each loaf on cookie sheet, seam side down.  Shape both loaves into semi-circles so that they both form a circle.  Pinch ends together to form a complete circle.  Slash each loaf with a sharp knife in several places.  Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until loaf is nicely browned.  Remove from oven and let cool until loaf is easy to touch.  Carefully cut loaf into a top and a bottom portion with a serrated knife. 

Spread mayonnaise on both top and bottom of each sandwich piece.  Set top piece aside.  Put bottom side on an attractive tray.  Sprinkle Romaine lettuce pieces over the bottom half.  Then, layer the tomato slice halves on top of the lettuce.  Shake up the Caesar Salad dressing to emulsify it, then drizzle it over the lettuce and tomato.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the dressing/vegetables.  Sprinkle the bacon bits over the cheese.  Then lay the chicken slices in a circular pattern over the sandwich.  Place the top half of the ring on the sandwich and gently press down.  Use a serrated knife to cut the sandwich into 3" portions.  I put the remainder of the Romaine lettuce in the middle of the sandwich and garnished it with an extra tomato slice to give the sandwich that "finished" look.

Italian Sandwich Ring

2 cans of Pillsbury French Loaf bread (found next to the refrigerated canned biscuits and crescent rolls)
1 Beefsteak tomato, sliced thinly, then each slice should be halved
1 bag mixed lettuces
1/2 lb. sliced hard salami (from the deli)
1/2 lb. sliced provolone cheese (from the deli)
1/2 lb. sliced ham (from the deli)
1 bottle Newman's Own Family Italian Recipe dressing
pepperocinis, for garnish
Mayonnaise for spreading


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a pizza stone or cookie sheet.  Open cans of French Bread loaves.  Place each loaf on cookie sheet, seam side down.  Shape both loaves into semi-circles so that they both form a circle.  Pinch ends together to form a complete circle.  Slash each loaf with a sharp knife in several places.  Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes or until loaf is nicely browned.  Remove from oven and let cool until loaf is easy to touch.  Carefully cut loaf into a top and a bottom portion with a serrated knife. 


Spread mayonnaise on both top and bottom of each sandwich piece.  Set top piece aside.  Put bottom side on an attractive tray.  Place lettuce pieces over mayonnaise on bottom of ring.  Layer tomato halves over the lettuce.  Drizzle Italian dressing over the lettuce and tomatoes.  Layer ham slices, then hard salami slices over the vegetables, then top with the provolone cheese slices.  Place the top half of the ring on the sandwich and gently press down.  Use a serrated knife to cut the sandwich into 3" portions.  I finished the sandwich off by placing the rest of the lettuce in the middle of the sandwich ring, then topped the lettuce with the pepperocini and placed a few more pepperocini around the ring itself.  My Hubs is not a big sandwich fan, but he LOVED this sandwich so much that he requested I make it two weekends in a row!

Ranch-Garlic Dip

Simple, but so delicious!

1 package Hidden Valley ranch dip mix
1 16 oz. container of sour cream
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced onion (fresh or dried)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a serving bowl.  Let sit for at least an hour to combine flavors.  Serve with potato chips, fresh vegetables, or beer bread cubes (recipe below).

Beer Bread Mix

I used to be a consultant for that popular food-sampling company that sells a boxed beer bread mix for quite a hefty price.  Through trial and error, and suggestions from friends, I came up with a fool-proof and "cheap & cheerful" recipe to make my own beer bread.  I think you will agree, it tastes a lot like the original!

3 C. self-rising flour
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 12 oz. bottle of beer (I prefer Yeungling, a mellow lager from Pennsylvania.  THE oldest brewery in the U.S.  They do tours and give samples: http://www.yuengling.com/ )
3 TBSP melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a bread loaf pan with cooking spray.  In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and beer.  Pour into greased loaf pan.  Level batter with a spatula, then pour melted butter over top of batter.  Place on middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 45-55 minutes or until loaf is lightly browned or until skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out cleanly.  Either slice the bread as an accompaniment to a main dish, or cube the bread to serve with dip.

I also deconstructed a dip that my company used to sell as two separate dips.  I often combined the two dip mixes to create a really tasty dip that is really delicious and really easy to make:

Garlic-Dill Dip

1 C. sour cream
1 C. mayonnaise (NOT Miracle Whip or Salad Dressing)
2 TBSP dried dill weed
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 TBSP. fresh, minced or dried granulated garlic

Mix spices together in a small bowl.  Add 1 tsp. hot water, then mix spices together so that they can rehydrate.  Mix sour cream and mayonnaise together.  Mix in rehydrated spices, then cover and chill dip for fifteen minutes.  Makes a great dip for beer bread, vegetables, or potato chips.  Also makes a great garnish for pannini or regular sandwiches.

Game Day Recipes

This year, I've been trying different recipes out for our Patriots' Game Days.  Today, I seemed to score a touchdown with the dishes I served for my Patriots family and Ravens friends.  I have to admit, I'm no egomaniac, but this stuff was AWESOME.  Here are some great recipes to try for your Pro-Bowl or Superbowl parties.

BLT Dip

1 lb. bacon cooked & crisped
1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. sour cream
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato, seeded and chopped OR 1 can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed with water
1/2 C. chopped green onions


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix mayo, sour cream, and cream cheese in a bowl until thoroughly combined.  Crumble bacon into mixture and stir.  Add shredded cheddar, green onions, and tomato, and mix well.  Pour into a baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling.  Serve with Fritos or other corn chips.  As my niece said, "Full of bacony-cheesy goodness!"

Cheesy Pigs in a Blanket with a Tangy Sauce

1 pkg. (8 oz.) crescent rolls (ie. Pillsbury)
1/4 C. Steak Sauce (ie. A1)
1-2 C. shredded cheddar
1 pkg. (16 oz.) beef hot dogs
Poppy seeds, to taste
1/4 C. barbecue sauce
1/4 C. mayonnaise
4 tsp. dijon or spicy mustard
1 tsp. yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Separate crescents into 8 triangles.  Brush each triangle with a bit of steak sauce, sprinkle a bit of cheese over it.  Place one hot dog over the wide end of each triangle.  Roll up and place seam-side down on greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Meanwhile, mix all remaining ingredients until well blended.  Cut each "pig" in half and serve on a tray with a bowl of the sauce on the side.  Yummy!

Collard Greens and Artichoke Dip

1 10 oz. pkg. frozen collard greens, thawed and well-drained
1 jar (6.5 oz.) marinated artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
1 C. Mexican-style finely shredded four-cheese blend
3/4 C. mayonnaise
3 cloves of garlic, put through a garlic press
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce (we use Frank's Red Hot)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with Ritz crackers.

As my Hubs would say, we had some "Gud Fud" today.  I hope you all enjoy these dishes as much as we all did today.  A good game day was had by all.  The Ravens gave the Patriots a real run for their money and made for some splendid (and heart-attack inducing) moments.  So happy my team will be going to the Super Bowl!

Bye-bye 2011, hello and so glad to welcome 2012!!!

The year 2011 turned out to be a really bad year for both the Homesteader's Wife and her dear Hubs, and our family--including our beloved pets.  We lost our first set of ducks to Mr. Fox several months ago.  It was very traumatic for all involved.  Walking out to find out that 3 out of our 4 dear duckies were mauled and maimed and left for DEAD was really stressful.  We thought that was THE worst thing that could ever happen to our family.  

Luckily, Lily, our Khaki Campbell female duck, survived the fox-ridden carnage.  We took her to the vet (Chadwell Animal Hospital) and they were able to treat our girl and bring her back to health.   We ended up ordering four more duckies and are now keeping our feathered/furry friends very close to us, in the hopes that we will be able to keep our ducky pets alive, no matter what.  I'm thankful that we now have a really secure duck-house AND that our other pets (aka kitty-cats) continue to choose to come inside to keep warm. 

Unfortunately, a few months later, we lost two of our beloved kitty-cats to Mr. Fox as well.  Still can't believe both of our dear cats, 3-year old Harley and 14-year old Squeaker (who traveled with us from VA to PR, then from PR to Japan, and finally from Japan to MD), were taken out in that manner.  Then to make matters worse, also this fall, we had to put down our beloved 14-year old doggie, Gus, as he was demonstrating the devastating traits of "doggie dementia."  I wouldn't wish this on any other dog parents. 

We ended up ordering four more duckies and are now keeping our feathered/furry friends very close to us, in the hopes that we will be able to keep our ducky pets alive, no matter what.  I'm thankful that we now have a really secure duck-house AND that our other pets (aka kitty-cats) continue to choose to come inside to keep warm. 

I wish each and everyone of my friends/family a truly happy new year!  Many prayers and blessings are sent from the Cichonowicz family!

Thanksgiving and the Resulting Leftovers Recipes

This year, for the first time ever, in the twenty years Hubs and I have been married, I brined a turkey instead of roasting it.  I was a little wary of trying it, but it turned out to be EXCELLENT!  Here is the recipe/method that I used to brine our turkey:

Ingredients

• 1 gallon chicken broth (I used chicken bouillon powder to reconstitute into chicken broth)
• 3/4 C. table salt
• 1 tablespoon crushed dried rosemary
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon dried Montreal Steak Seasoning
• 1 gallon ice water

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, combine the chicken broth/bouillon, sea salt, and spices. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to be sure salt is dissolved. Remove from heat, and let cool to room temperature.
2. Wash and dry your turkey. Make sure you have removed the innards. Place the turkey, breast down, into the bucket. 
3. When the broth mixture is cool, pour it into a clean 5 gallon bucket. Stir in the ice water.  Sink the turkey neck first down into the brine, making sure the turkey's cavity gets filled with the brine mixture.
   
4. After 12-24 hours, remove the turkey carefully, draining off the excess brine and pat dry. Discard excess brine.
5. Cook the turkey at 350 degrees for 4-5 hours, depending on weight, and reserving the drippings for gravy. Keep in mind that brined turkeys cook 20 to 30 minutes faster than regular turkeys, so watch the temperature gauge.  Remember that the brined turkey drippings will be saltier than a regular turkey so you will have to add a lot of water for a good gravy.

With my turkey leftovers, I created two new meals:  Turkey Pot-Pie and Turkey Soup.  The recipes are as follows:

Turkey Pot-Pie

2 C. diced brined turkey

2 ribs celery diced

3 carrots peeled and diced

1 small/medium onion diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3-4 TBSP flour

3-4 C. turkey broth/OR 8 C. chicken broth

1 qt. half & half

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1 pre-made pie crust laid into pie pan or Petz Ritz Pie crust already in pie pan, NOT pre-baked

1 sheet of unbaked puff pastry

Saute' carrots, celery, onion and garlic until tender.  Sprinkle with the flour and saute' until light brown.  Add turkey broth, stirring until liquid is thickened.  Sprinkle in nutmeg and stir.  Add brined turkey and cook until piping hot.  Pour turkey/veg/broth mixture into pre-made or Petz Ritz Pie crust.  Let cool 10 minutes, then top with puff pastry sheet.  Using a sharp knife, cut off corners of puff pastry sheet to make a circle, then pinch the rest of the sheet onto the bottom of the pie shell, making sure to securely seal the edges.  With a sharp knife, cut three slits into the top crust for venting.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15-30 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden brown.  Let sit for 15 minutes, then slice into 6-8 portions.

Turkey Soup

3-4 C. leftover brined turkey

1 onion, diced

2 ribs celery, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 sprigs thyme, leaves peeled from the stems

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt ONLY IF YOU AREN'T USING LEFTOVER BRINED TURKEY MEAT

8 C. water

1/2 pkg. dried extra wide egg noodles

6 TBSP. chicken bouillon mix (or 6 chicken bouillon cubes)

Boil chicken bouillon mix in 8 cups of water; once mixture comes to a boil, add brined leftover turkey.  Cook for at least 30 minutes to develop flavors.  In a separate pan, saute' onion, celery, carrots and garlic until tender.  Add to broth and bring to a boil.  Once mixture comes to a full boil, add in egg noodles.  Turn heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.  Soup is ready once egg noodles are fork-tender.

This is a modified version of my Grandma Sammon's chicken soup.  I use this recipe at least 3-4 times a month as a soup-starter for different kinds of soup--anything from regular chicken soup to Mexican foods to Polish foods.  It's an extremely versatile recipe!

BLT (Beef, Leek and Tomato) Salad

Quite a few folks have asked me for this recipe so I just decided to post it here instead of individually emailing it to everyone.  It was even better the next day!

BLT (Beef, Leek and Tomato) Salad

This hearty steak and bacon salad served with leeks, lettuce and tomatoes will satisfy a hungry man's appetite
by Rachael Ray

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
4 small 1-1 1/2-inch-thick strip steaks, at room temperature
Salt and pepper
8 slices bacon
4 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 hearts romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped
2 beefsteak tomatoes, thickly sliced

Serves 4
Preparation

Pre-heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. Drizzle EVOO over the steaks and season with salt and pepper. Grill the steaks, turning twice, 12-15 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels and let cool. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings from the skillet, then add the leeks, cover and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper; set aside.

Crumble the bacon and transfer half to a food processor. Add the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, mustard, some pepper and a splash of water. With the machine on, pour in the 1/2 cup EVOO in a steady stream.

Arrange a bed of the romaine and tomatoes on each of 4 plates. Slice the steak against the grain and layer over the tomatoes. Scatter the leeks over the steak and pour the bacon dressing on the salad. Top with the remaining crumbled bacon.


I doubled the dressing recipe as we love dressing. It was nice to have the extra dressing for making lunches the next day.

 A little blurry, but you get the idea.  I served the salad with baguette slices topped with softened Brie.

How to Grow Shiitake Mushrooms

Out of all the classes we attended at the Mother Earth News Fair, this had to be one of my favorites.  I've been thinking about growing mushrooms for the past several months, not only because Hubs is a fanatical mushroom lover, but because it's my dream to be in business for myself so I can quit my job and focus on my family.  I had been doing some research and found that I could set up my own mushroom "farm" in our basement to grow mushrooms such as morels, oysters, and "buttons."  I hadn't gotten around to researching shiitake mushrooms yet, so I really wanted to attend this class.  I'm really glad I did--the instructor was informative, energized, and pretty darn hilarious.  I expected the class to be taught by some vegan hippie, only to find a guy in his mid-fifties, non-vegan, and who had a personality somewhat like my dad's was.  He was very matter-of-fact about how dicey mushroom farming can be, but he also talked about how much fun it could be.  So, here's what I learned about shiitake mushrooms and mushroom farming:

Shiitake mushrooms originated in Japan.  The word "Shiitake" comes from two Japanese words:  "Shii" = oak tree and "take" = mushroom.  So, literally, shiitake are "oak mushrooms," named for the type of tree the mushrooms grow on in Japan.    I lived in Japan for 3.5 years so I knew "take" means mushroom, but I didn't know about the "shii" part. You learn something new every day!

Shiitake are not only delicious, but they also have many different uses.  According to ShiitakeMushroomLog.com, "Shiitakes are high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms are used nutritionally to fight cancer, fibrocystic breast disease, high blood pressure, and viruses, and to help strengthen the immune system, improve circulation, and reduce cholesterol."  Now, I don't claim to be a doctor or health professional so take this info with a grain of salt.  I did a little research and found that shiitake mushrooms ARE used as an anti-cancer treatment so perhaps there is something to it.  I just like how they taste!

Shiitake mushrooms growing on a log

Basically, shiitake mushrooms are grown on oak logs.  But, according to our instructor, you can also use elm, pin oaks, sweet gum, yellow hornbeam, hard poplar, white ash, beech, sycamore, willows, and aspen logs.  You have to cut your logs in the cooler months (October-March) so any spore from other mushrooms can die off and won't interfere with your shiitake spore.  Logs should be about 3-4 feet long and about 6" in diameter--basically big enough to grow mushrooms, but not so big that you can't pick them up and carry them.  You want to choose logs that have medium density bark so your mushrooms can grow easily on them but other fungi/bacteria can't.  Also, about two to three weeks before you are ready to get started growing mushrooms on your logs, you need to either soak them in non-chlorinated water overnight or douse them really well with a garden hose a couple of times a week before you start the growing process.  This will ensure your logs have enough moisture content to support growing mushrooms.  You must not use chlorinated water or it will kill your mushroom spores! 

Our instructor recommended ordering our shiitake spore from a company called Field & Forest. www.fieldforest.net  I've checked them out and they seem to be reasonably priced.  Our instructor has worked with them for years and swears by them. Basically, the process of "seeding" your logs with mushroom spores is called "inoculating" your logs.  Usually you want to do your inoculation in the spring, when the weather starts warming up, usually after your last frost.  Temps should definitely be above freezing before you try this.  Inoculation occurs when you've drilled holes in your log and you plug the holes with the mushroom spores.  Holes should be drilled about 6" apart and to a depth of about 3/4" to 1 and 1/4" inch deep.  Our instructor has a drill with a bit in it that has a "stop" in it for 7/16."  He says it's a lot easier than trying to measure.  Here is a photo of a mushroom log drilled filled with plugs:

Basically, to inoculate your logs, you plug the spore into each hole, hammer it in until it is flush with the surface of the log, and then seal it with either a wooden dowel (as seen in above photo) or you seal the holes with wax, using a small paintbrush to apply the wax.  Our instructor swears by using beeswax (natural, no chemicals, etc) and since we have bees making beeswax right at this moment, that's probably what we'll use, too.  After your logs are plugged with your mushroom spore, you want to find a spot in your yard that is semi-shady and unlikely to be disturbed by kids or pets.  The instructor leans his logs up against his split rail fence under a grove of pine trees.  He recommends putting the logs under pines because they have less of a chance of contracting foreign fungi than if you stuck them under hardwood trees.

If you tend to live in a dry area, you'll want to make sure you water your logs regularly so the mushrooms can grow well.  Another thing I didn't know about growing mushrooms was that they are technical called a "fruit."  So when you force mushrooms to grow on a log, you are "fruiting" your logs. 

Apparently, shiitake need to be "shocked" into fruiting.  In Japan, the logs typically start fruiting after an earthquake or a heavy thunderstorm.  Since we don't normally have earthquakes here, (okay, that one last month was a complete fluke!) our instructor recommends "thumping" the logs--basically holding the log up and down (like a post-hole digger) and thumping the end on the ground.  He showed us a photo of a little experiment he did in which he set a group of logs aside, and out of that group, he thumped only half of the logs.  Sure enough, mushrooms only grew on the logs that he had thumped.  Interesting!

Other websites say you need to shock your logs into fruiting by soaking them in water that is 20 degrees cooler than the air temperature.  Some recommend sticking your logs in the fridge or freezer for 24 hours to force them to fruit.  Apparently, the colder the log gets, the more mushrooms you get.  Sounds kind of brutal to me, I'll probably stick with the thumping!

Once you've found a spot for your logs, you need to water them every once in awhile so they don't dry out.  The log is basically food for your mushrooms and the longer you can keep it around, the more mushrooms you'll get.  Some logs last up to 4-5 years with multiple "crops."  It may take up to a year and a half after you inoculate your logs with mushroom spores for you to actually harvest any mushrooms, it just depends on your climate, log choice, etc.  In the wintertime, depending on your climate, you may want to cover your logs with straw or hay; do not use plastic tarps--they encourage mold growth.

So, in a nutshell, here's a quick and dirty description of the process.  Cut your logs, order your spore, soak your logs, drill your logs, plug your logs with mushroom spore, seal the plugs with beeswax and put your logs in a shady part of your yard that still gets some light.  Water and thump them regularly to encourage fruiting.  You should see mushrooms in anywhere from 9 months to a year and a half.  Good luck!

Shiitake Mushroom Recipe:

Shiitake Mushroom and Cheddar Soup, serves 8

Ingredients:

• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• black pepper to taste
• 2 leaves fresh sage, chopped
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Place the bacon in a large saucepan, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir the onion into the pan; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic, pepper, and sage; cook over medium heat until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
2. Pour in broth; bring to simmer. Simmer soup for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle in Cheddar cheese; stir until melted.  You can garnish the soup with sliced shiitakes for presentation if you like.

Our instructor says that he prefers to dry his mushrooms and rehydrate them when he needs them.  He said a lot of people dismiss the stems as being too tough but he's figured out a way to use the stems, too.  He dries the stems, then uses his food processor to make a powder out of the stems.  He then adds cream, and garlic to make a cream sauce for anything from lasagna to lobster.

Another website recommended by our instructor is Fungi Perfecti http://www.fungi.com/  I just went there and found out that the wacky-looking mushrooms on my front lawn are called "Turkey Tail" mushrooms.  I guess they do sort of look like a male turkey's plumage.  I also found out through my research that the Asian markets love to buy shiitake that have been been "frostbit."  Apparently, they think it makes the mushrooms taste better and that they are more potent than regular shiitake mushrooms. 

Finally, I thought this quote from our instructor was quite funny:  "All mushrooms are edible; some only once." --Old Croatian saying

Delicious Soup I Made for My Sick Hubs...in only 40 minutes!

As everyone knows, Hubs and I contracted a humdinger of a stomach bug while we were at the Mother Earth News Fair this past weekend.  I'm not blaming the fair, by any means, it could just be that we got it from touching a dirty doorknob or something.  I had a much lighter case of it than Hubs did--he actually was thisclose from being hospitalized!  Two bags of saline and some anti-nausea medication and he was almost back to 100%.  He still wasn't feeling that great last night and the doctor said that due to some blood loss from the diarrhea, he should stick to soups and liquids, preferably beef-based soups to help him build back up his iron levels, due to the anemia.  So, you know me, I had to go all out and create a tasty soup for my invalid Hubs.  A little research on the internet and a little perusing through my personal recipes, and I came up with this delicious soup which made a full, satisfying meal for the rest of the family, and a delicious broth for my Hubs.  In the end, everyone was happy!

Beef and Noodle Soup
Ingredients:
1 lb. stew beef, cubed into 1" squares
1/2 lb. Ditalini pasta (the little pasta you see in Olive Garden's pasta fagioli)
3 carrots, scraped and cut into 1/4" rounds
2 stalks of celery, cut into 1/4" squares
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (divided)
8 C. beef stock, divided in half
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. Penzey's Northwoods seasoning http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysnorthwoods.html

Preparation:

I used my pressure cooker for this recipe and the result is some really tender, tender beef.  You could use a slow cooker or just put it in a pot on the stove, but it takes sooooo much longer and I find the beef isn't as tender.  When you cook meat in a pressure cooker, you don't even need a knife to cook it, it's that tender.  If you want to do the recipe in a pot or slow cooker, just throw all of the ingredients at one time (except for the pasta--add that in during the last 30 minutes or so) and simmer for about 4-6 hours or until the beef is tender. 

Place beef, all vegetables, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce, and other spices, and 4 C. of beef stock in your pressure cooker.  Check to make sure gasket is intact and vents are clear.  Place lid on cooker, close securely and put on high heat on your stove.  When jigger starts jiggling or starts releasing steam, turn heat down just a bit so the steam isn't constantly pouring out of the vents.  (about 1/4 of the way down from high on my electric stove)  Set your timer for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, take your pressure cooker and run it under cold water in the sink for about 5 minutes or until you can open the cooker.

Put cooker back on the stove burner without lid, add the other 4 C. of beef stock and bring to a boil.  Once soup is boiling, add pasta.  Cook until pasta is al dente.  Pick out bay leaves before serving.  Serve soup with a nice crusty bread.  Use a strainer to strain out veggies and to create a hearty broth for sick folks.  Even more delicious the next day--I'm having it for lunch later today!  Enjoy!

Preserving/Canning Tips from the Mother Earth News Fair

Everyone who knows me, knows how much I like to can.  I learned how at an early age from my grandma and it "stuck."  I've probably been canning for my family for about 20 years now and I was thinking I was pretty good at it--after all, no one who has eaten my canned food has died yet, so I must be doing things right.  Well, then came the Mother Earth News Fair, where I attended two classes on preserving food, and I realized I didn't know everything there is to know about canning after all!

I'll give a brief explanation of the easiest, safest ways to can and then pass on some tips I learned at the fair.

Canning Basics
There are two methods of canning; the boiling water bath method and the pressure canning method.  Boiling water bath canning is for foods that are high in acid content such as fruits, vegetables that have some sort of pickling aspect in their recipe, and tomatoes that have had some sort of acid added to them, be it lemon juice or vinegar.  Pressure canning is used for all meat, dairy products, seafood, poultry, and all vegetables that haven't been pickled.  Never use the boiling water method for canning any meats/dairy, etc. or you will be sure to poison your family!

I know a lot of people are intimidated by pressure cookers and/or pressure canners, but the technology used in today's pressure cookers/canners is vastly improved upon the type our moms or grandmas used.  Whenever I mention I cooked something in a pressure cooker, I always get asked, "But, doesn't that make you nervous?"  My answer is always NO.  Pressure cookers/canners have all sorts of reliable safety systems built in to avoid some of the problems in the past.  Companies who manufacture this equipment certainly wouldn't appreciate their customers getting blown up in their kitchens!  Take some time to research the best pressure cooker/canner for your own use and when you get it, read the instruction manual carefully to ensure you are familiar with your equipment.  I've used a pressure cooker for 20 years and I haven't exploded yet!

Equipment:

-A pressure canner if you are preserving meats, dairy, poultry, vegetables that aren't pickled.

A pressure canner such as this runs around $150-$200 brand new but you can find some

 on E-Bay

-A large stock pot with a tightly fitting lid, if you're doing the boiling water method.
-A rack (either wooden or metal) for the bottom of the stockpot so water can circulate under and around your canning jars
-Canning jars.  Mason or Ball jars are the best choice for canning and they can be used over and over again, provided there are no nicks or cracks in the jars.  I usually find the quart jars to be best when I'm canning things like tomato sauce or chili, and the pint jars to be the best when I'm making jam or jelly.  If I have to buy new jars, I find Walmart to be good on prices but I just saw our new Wegmans sells jars at a pretty good price, too.  I've also bought canning jars at yard sales and haven't had a problem with them yet.  You must buy new lids for your jars, though, as they can not be reused, no matter what.  A company called Tattler sells reusable canning jar lids that are made out of plastic, http://www.reusablecanninglids.com/ but I haven't tried them myself so I have no idea of how well they work.
-Canning accessories.  These are the tools you will use in the canning process for either canning method

Clockwise, from top:  canning tongs, funnel, jar packer, lid wand

Canning tongs:  allow you to safely remove jars from hot water
Funnel:  fits snugly on jar rim, allowing you to pack your jars neatly and not get food on the jar rims (food left on rims doesn't allow for a tight seal)
Jar Packer:  okay, it really does have some fancy proper name but I can't remember what it is so I've always called it a jar packer.  Basically, you use this tool to push/pack the foods into the jars tightly (so they don't float) and to remove air bubbles from your jars.  You can also just use a chopstick if you don't want to buy this tool.
Lid Wand:  this handy-dandy tool has a magnet on the end of it and it is perfect for removing lids and rings from their hot water soak.  Before I got this tool, I used to spend many frustrating minutes chasing lids and rings around the bottom of my stock pot with a chopstick.
Kitchen Towels and Paper Towels:  since canning involves water, it's a good idea to have kitchen towels handing for sopping up any wayward water spills.  I also keep paper towels on hand for wiping the rims of my jars before putting the lids on so I don't get any lint or fuzz on the jars (like you might with a regular cloth towel).
Kitchen Timer:  you need to keep track of your processing time.  I once got distracted making pickles and the result was that my pickles turned out soggy from me leaving them in the hot water longer than I was supposed to.  I was only supposed to "blanch" them and I ended up boiling them instead!
Cookie Sheets:  I keep a few cookie sheets around during canning so I have a way to transport a bunch of jars from say, the kitchen counter to the kitchen table so I can free up space on my counters.
Kosher Salt or Pickling Salt:  never use just plain old salt.  It usually is iodized and that can give a metallic taste to your canned foods or even change the color of your pickling brine.  I can usually find either at the grocery store, but if you're having trouble, just ask them to point you in the direction of the Kosher food section and you should be able to find it there.
-Choose your recipe.  I use the Ball preserving recipe book and have had good results.  They have a great website, too which has a lot of good information on canning and some really good recipes:  http://www.freshpreserving.com/recipes.aspx  It's not a good idea to follow the guidelines for canning in old family recipes.  For instance, you could use an old recipe for jam (which I have) but make sure the amount of sugar, pectin, etc. matches up to a recipe from today so you're conforming to today's canning standards.  For instance, I had to use 1/2 the sugar but double the pectin.  It took a few tries but I finally got it right.
-Use high-quality and fresh ingredients.  Don't can fruits or veggies that are wilting or just about to bite the dust.  Trust me, the only thing worse than eating crappy rotten fruit/vegs today, is opening a jar of crappy rotten fruit/vegs six months from now.  Yuck!

Boiling Water Canning Method:

Wash your lids, rings, and canning jars in hot, sudsy water.  Rinse with warm water and then leave on a kitchen towel to dry. You don't need to sterilize everything ahead of time; the boiling water during processing will do that for you.

Now rather than try and tell you step-by-step what to do, because I am lazy, I'm just going to copy/paste instructions from the canning website I like to use.  http://www.canning-food-recipes.com  I could re-word it so it sounds like my own but they say it so well and I couldn't do a better job if I tried.  So here goes:

Equipment Preparation

Wash and assemble canning equipment, utensils and containers. Make sure you have everything that you need before you start fruit preparation. Once you begin the canning process you need to work as quickly as possible without delays.

Ball Canning Jars

Use authentic Mason or Ball canner jars. Examine and discard those with nicks, cracks and rough edges. These defects will not permit an air-tight seal. All jars should be washed in hot soapy water, rinsed well and then kept hot. This can be done in a dishwasher or by placing the jars in the water that is heating in your canner. The jars need to be kept hot to prevent breakage when they are filled with a hot product and placed in the kettle for processing.

Jars that will be filled with food and processed for less than 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner need to be sterilized by boiling in water for 10 minutes. NOTE: If you are at an altitude of 1000 feet or more, boil an additional minute for each additional 1000 feet of altitude. (i.e.) 5000 feet=5 minutes longer.

Fruit Preparation

Gather fruit and vegetables early in the morning when they are at their peak of quality. Do not use over-ripe products. Gather or purchase only as much as you can prepare within 2 or 3 hours.

Wash products by either quick soaking and/or rinsing making sure to remove all dirt and sand including any chemicals that may be present. Dirt contains some of the bacteria that are hardest to kill. The cleaner the raw foods, the more effective the preserving process. Do not can decayed or damaged fruit. Do not let the food soak; it will lose flavor and nutrients.

Water Bath Canners

Fill the kettle with the appropriate amount of hot water and begin heating it on the range. The water bath requires 1 to 2 inches of water above the tops of jars. This can be difficult to determine before the filled jars are in place but after a batch or two you will learn how much water you you have to add. It is always a good idea to have an extra small pot of water heating just in case.

Packing Jars

Raw Pack (Cold Pack)

Pack raw fruit into jars and cover with boiling hot sugar syrup, juice or water. It is necessary to leave a head space between the lid and the top of food or liquid. This space is needed for the bubbling of liquids and fruit expansion. If the jars are filled too full the contents may overflow during processing. The amount of head space is usually between 1/8 and 1/2 inch. Check the individual recipe for the exact amount of head space.

Hot Pack

Heat fruit in syrup, in water or over steam before packing. Fruits with a high juice content and tomatoes can be pre-heated without adding liquid and then packed in the juice that cooks out.

To Fill Jars

Pack each jar to within 1/4 inch of top or as specified in individual recipe. For non-liquid foods(ie. peaches) it is necessary to remove any trapped air bubbles by running a rubber spatula or table knife gently between the solid product and the edge of the jar. Add more hot syrup as needed. Wipe rim and screw threads with a clean damp cloth, place lid on top and screw bands on tightly and evenly to hold rubber sealing lid (or sealing ring) in place. Sometimes it is necessary to position and hold down sealing lid while you tighten the band to insure the lid is centered on the top of the jar. Do not over-tighten. Jars are then ready to be placed on the rack inside hot water canner.

General Processing

Water Bath Method

Place jars on rack immediately after packing. Lower filled rack into canner. Jars should be covered by 1 to 2 inches of water. Add additional boiling water if needed. If you add more water, pour between jars and not directly on them (this is where the extra pot of heated water comes in handy). Cover pot with lid. When the water comes to a rolling boil, start to count the processing time. Boil gently and steadily for the time recommended for the food being processed. When the cooking time is up, remove jars at once and place on a rack or on towels away from heat and away from any draft.

Test for Seal

After jars have cooled between 12 and 24 hours after processing, check seal. To do this press down on the center of the lid. The lid should be con-caved and not move when pressed. Another method is to tap the lid with the bottom of a teaspoon. If the jar is sealed correctly, it will make a high-pitched sound. If it makes a dull sound it means the lid is not sealed or possibly that food is in contact with the underside of the lid. Do not be alarmed if during the first the first hour or so of cooling if you hear a popping sound come from the jars. This is a good sound to hear as it most often means that the vacuum effect has taken place which causes the lids to pop down and seal.

After jars have cooled thoroughly, the screw bands may be removed if desired. Be sure to label canned jars with content and processing date. Store jars in a cool dark, dry place.

If fruit is not covered by liquid it may darken during storage but does not necessarily mean it is spoiled. To avoid this be sure fruit is covered by liquid while still leaving the recommended head space. Also be sure to remove trapped air bubbles with a slim rubber scraper, spatula or kitchen knife. To do this effectively, tilt the jar slightly while running the tool between the fruit and the edge of the jar and also pressing inward against the fruit a few times. A spatula-shaped wooden spoon that has a flat end instead of rounded, is good to have for stirring sugar syrup in a flat bottomed pan during the cooking process. Avoid storing canned food near a furnace, water heater or hot water pipes. Jars need to be kept cool for longer storage life and to protect against spoilage. Be sure to store in a dry place. Rusting of the lid or band can cause seal to break. Sugar Syrup
Syrup Sugar Water Yield Light 2 cups 4 cups 5 cups Medium 3 cups 4 cups 5 1/2 cups Heavy 4 3/4 cups 4 cups 6 1/2 cups
To prepare syrup, while heating water, add sugar slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve. Bring to a gentle boil. Fill jars while syrup is still boiling hot.

Good Things to Know

Canned fruits oftentimes will float if the sugar syrup is too heavy, if jars are packed too loosely or if air remains in the tissues of the fruit after processing. To avoid this use a light or medium sugar syrup, make sure fruit is firm and ripe and pack fruit tightly in jars without crushing.

Canned peaches, pears and apples may show a blue, red or pink color change after processing. This is sometimes the result of natural chemical changes that occur as fruits are heated.

Tips I Learned at the Fair, Some of Which I Never Knew Before!

I admit it, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks, and this old lady hound sure did get schooled at the fair!

-Lift your jars straight up out of the water, don't tilt them to get the water off (I admit, I have always done this!) The water will evaporate off the lids while the jars are cooling.  Tilting the jars could push food up into the headspace.  Whoops!  Guess I'll be pulling my jars straight up and out of the water from now on.
-After 24 hours, once you have confirmed your jars have sealed, you're supposed to take the rings off the jars before storing them.  Otherwise, moisture could build up under there and you could end up with rust, which could erode your seal.  Good thing there's no such thing as the Canning Police or I would be in some serious trouble if they took a gander down in my basement and saw all of my numerous canning jars with rings still on them.  That's a big oops 10-4 right there!
-Canning jars can be FROZEN, lids and all!  I have made freezer jam with those plastic freezer canning containers before but I never knew you could freeze the actual glass jars before.  This tip really would have come in handy that time my veggies didn't seal right and I was forcing everyone to eat tons of veggies every day to use them up before they went bad!  Probably not a good idea for things like pickles, though.  I imagine they'd probably turn to mush.

Finally, to round out our boiling water canning method discussion, here's a recipe given to us by one of our canning instructors at the fair.  Her name is Sherri Brooks Vinton and this recipe comes from her new book, "Put 'em Up!, a Comprehensive Home Preserving Guide for the Creative Cook. From Drying and Freezing to Canning and Pickling."  I reallllly wanted to pick up Sherri's book at the fair as she was so knowledgeable and pretty down to earth, but I waited too long and they sold out.  I'll have to see if I can find it online.  Anyhow, here's Sherri's recipe for Spicy Carrots:

Spicy Carrots
Ingredients:
4-6 garlic cloves, sliced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, sliced, with seeds
1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
2 lbs. carrots
4 C. distilled white vinegar
1 C. sugar
3 TBSP. Kosher salt

Prepare:
1. divide the garlic, sliced jalapenos, and pepper flakes (if using), among three clean, hot, pint canning jars.  Trim, peel, and cut the carrots 1 inch shorter than the height of the jars.  Pack the carrots into jars.
2. bring the vinegar to a boil in a large non-reactive saucepan.  Add the sugar and salt and stir to dissolve.  Pour the brine over the carrots, covering the vegetables by 1/2 inch with liquid.  Leave 1/2 inch of headspace between the top of the liquid and the rim of the jar.

Can:
Use the boiling water method.  Release trapped air bubbles.  Wipe the rims clean; center lids on the jars and screw on jar bands, just until they are secure--do not tighten!  Process for 15 minutes (from when the water starts to boil).  Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes.  Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours.  Check seals, then store in a cool, dark place for up to one year.

Pressure Canning
Once again, I bow to the expertise of the folks at Canning Food Recipes.com and give you their directions for pressure canning:

Follow manufacturer's instructions for opening and closing the pressure canner. Have 2 to 3 inches of hot water in pressure canner and stand the jars on the rack insert so they are not touching each other or the sides of the pot. Fasten lid and turn on heat. Steam, mixed with air, will start to flow from the vent. This is about 8 to 10 minutes after the first sign of steam. As the air is driven out from the canner, the steam will change from a white vapor or cloud to nearly invisible.

Start processing time when pressure has been reached or when weighted gauge begins to rock. It is then time to close the the pet-cock or regulator. Maintain a steady pressure during processing.

When processing time is up, remove the canner from heat and let the pressure return to zero without assistance. Standard heavy-walled canners take about 30 minutes when loaded with pints and about 45 minutes when loaded with quarts. Do not attempt to cool pot with cold water. This can cause liquid to escape from jars and keep lids from properly sealing. It can also cause pot warpage.

After pressure reaches zero, wait 2 minutes longer and then slowly open or remove the pet-cock or regulator. Unfasten cover and tilt the far side up so any steam remaining will escape away from you. Using a jar lifter, remove each jar and place on a dry, non-metallic surface or towel. Leave space between jars for air circulation.

After jars have cooled, test for seal and the screw bands may be removed if desired. Be sure to label canned jars with content and processing date. Store jars in a cool dark, dry place.

Processing Times

Processing, or canning times, are usually for an altitude of 0 to 1000 feet. If you are canning at a higher altitude, the times will need to be increased. This is because water has a lower boiling point at higher altitudes. Because of the lower boiling temperature the processing time is increased to ensure that the harmful bacteria is destroyed.

Water Bath Canner

For the Boiling Water Bath method, process an additional minute for each 1000 feet in elevation. (i.e.) 5000 feet=5 additional minutes of processing time.

Dial Gauge Pressure Canner

For pressure canning at higher altitudes the time remains the same but the pressure needs to be increased.
2000 to 4000 feet, 12 pounds pressure.
4000 to 6000 feet, 13 pounds pressure.
6000 to 8000 feet, 14 pounds pressure.


I find that I enjoy pressure canning more than the boiling water method.  It's less messy and you know for sure your food is being safely processed.  Plus, you don't have to constantly check to make sure there's enough water covering your jars or add water if it runs low.  There's also something kind of satisfying about harnessing the power of steam in your kitchen.  Must be something that rubbed off from Hubs taking me to see so many steam trains over the years!  So that's all for today's lesson, folks.  If you have any favorite canning recipes or tips, please leave them in the comments section or shoot me an email rebeccacichonowicz@gmail.com and I'll include them in my blog.  Thanks again for reading!  The next "lesson" will be on how to grow Shitake mushrooms. :)