Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Every gas station and drug store is full of plastic roses and boxes of cheap candy.Children every where are filling out Hello Kitty Valentine Cards to give to everyone in their home room class. Some love sick little boy is buying his girlfriend of 3 whole months a cheesy gold plated bracelet that says "Be Mine" on it. Husbands ...
how-to
The Money is in the Mixes – Homemade Mixes
When I go shopping, I shop mostly for items that are versatile and can be used in a variety of different recipes for a variety of different dishes ( except for the training pants I still buy, which are only good for one thing). I also try to spend as little as possible while still being reasonably healthy. But like most people in the world I am also busy ( or lazy on occasion) ...
How to Peel a Tomato
Should you ever try to can tomatoes or make salsa or spaghetti sauce from fresh tomatoes, you will have to peel your tomatoes first. Just the thought of having to tediously peel tomatoes with a knife is enough to deter anyone from the task. Lucky for us, some genius discovered this very easy method to peeling tomatoes. This also works for peaches, grapes and those tiny little ...
Under Pressure: Canning Part 2
Okay, you have collected all of your items on the canning checklist and you have a bushel of vegetables washed and prepped. Many vegetables require pressure canning in order to be stored safely. These foods are low in acid and have to be processed at higher temperatures in order to kill any harmful bacteria such as botulism. These vegetables include green beans, squash, ...
You Can Can-Can Too!!! Part 1
This post contains affiliate links I'm sure you have all been desperately worried about where I have been ( can you detect the sarcasm?), but I assure you that I am perfectly fine. I have been out of town for a while hanging out with my parents in Tennessee and learning a very valuable life skill; how to can food. We country folk like to call it "puttin' up" and it was ...
Rising to the Occasion – Sourdough Part Deux
I have been meaning to get this posted for the last few days. The luscious loaf you see here is long gone now, and has currently been replaced by another. That's the beauty of sourdough starter. With very little effort you can easily make endless loaves of bread for a very long time. The older the starter is the better it becomes, gaining more and more depth with every feeding. ...
Starting Something – Sourdough Part 1
Gloom and Doom. That's the word on the street these days. Everyone is tightening their belts and pinching their pennies in case they lose their job, inflation skyrockets, or the nation collapses in on itself. Whatever the reasoning there is no doubt that people are looking for more and more ways to spend less. Well, I'm throwing my idea into the hat...make some dough. ...
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
This is a fly by the seat of my pants invention, inspired by a few different recipes, but totally my own. And it was sooo good. I am finally getting rid of the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers ( yah!!! freezer space!) and some dried cranberries that have been floating around my kitchen for a while. If you don't have cranberries, use raisins or currants instead. You really ...
Chop Chop! – How to butcher your own chicken
I give you fair warning. If you have a incredibly weak stomach then you do not need to read this entry. Please scroll past it!Okay, fair warning has been given and I can only assume that you have a strong stomach and you have seen a dead chicken before. Whole chickens are cheap. Usually $.99/lb but I have seen them as low as $$.79/lb. Whole chickens are great for a number ...