Canning

Summer Canning is here! I have started to can up a storm. The WSU Extension Office has a class call "Stocking the Pantry". It is a food preserving class covering Drying/Freezing, Jams and Jellies, Canning Fruit and Pie Fillings, Pickling Food, Tomatoes and Salsa and finally, Pressure Canning Meats and Low-acid foods. I missed the first 2 classes but I have learned SOOO much in the classes I attended. Mainly.....I need to be much safer in the way I process our food! I learned that head space is important, as is how much you crank the ring. I have been turning them WAY too TIGHT! I always wondered why I had juice sputtering out of my jars! RING TOO TIGHT!! I have now been following the guidelines given and have been very successful with my "problems"!

I do have one thing to say! Follow a CURRENT-TESTED-RECIPE! Use the Ball Canning book or go to an Extension office and get the most up-to-date information regarding safety in food preserving! Don't use Grandma's pickle recipe or just turn the jam jar upside down to seal! (I am totally guilty of that one---been doing it forever!) It's just not safe anymore~you must water-bath process Jam and jellies....pretty much everything...including pickled foods! (I just water-bathed the first pickles in my life!)

Botulism is odorless, colorless and tasteless! Use approved canning methods ALWAYS and you can rest easy about serving your home-canned foods!

OK....here is my RANT! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT HOME-CAN BUTTER!!!!

There is a frightening "RECIPE" flying around the internet and LDS Churches everywhere that it is SAFE? to can butter! Don' t be an idiot! IT IS NOT ONLY UNSAFE...IT COULD KILL YOUR FAMILY!! There is no "canning" done....you are just heating the butter and doing the old upside down seal trick! It is NOT safely processed!

If you have done this....throw out the jar, lid and contents! Once it is contaminated with botulism...it is considered hazardous waste! NO KIDDING!

I actually was gonna try this before I took the canning classes! So glad I didn't do it! Not even worth the risk!

You can buy commercially canned butter by Red Feather!

The photo shows apricot nectar, cherry pie filling and 6 pints of dill pickles waiting for the canner!

Be safe and have fun canning for your family!

Granola

Yesterday in Sunday School our teacher, Sister Morgan told a story about living in a ward where the Relief Society had a lesson on the Word of Wisdom. In that lesson comments were made that if you ate meat MORE than 2 times a week or didn't feed your kids homemade granola you weren't keeping the Word of Wisdom! Funny! And confusing for some...the Bishop had to counsel with the Relief Society to correct the misinformation. So...in honor of Sister Morgan, I give you a recipe for Granola! I made it this morning and it was really yummy! I got the recipe from Joyous Notions. It is a great "food storage friendly" recipe and healthy.

Granola

Melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter. Add 1 c. of chopped nuts (i used almonds today). Toast the nuts for a minute or two. Add 2/3 c. honey or real maple syrup, 1 t. cinnamon and 1 t. vanilla. Mix well and pour over the following things that have been mixed together in a really big bowl!

10 c. rolled oats (NOT quick oats)

1 c. unsweetened coconut (bulk @ Winco)

2/3 c. brown sugar

Line 2 sheet pans with foil and spray with Pam. Divide the granola between the pans and spread it out evenly. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes....stir at the halfway point.

Let cool and enjoy! Yum!

The Word of Wisdom was given in 1833 to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints by the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is a health law that members of the Church follow today. Members abstain from Alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, coffee, tea and other habit-forming substances. It encourages healthy eating and moderation in all things. By following the Word of Wisdom we are promised strength and vitality as well as wisdom and knowledge. It is a true principle from the Lord.

Fresh Raspberry Pie

Raspberries are crazy this year! I went out and picked enough for a pie this morning and there are still bunches to get ripe! Yahoo...I love raspberry jam! It feels pretty good to bake this pie from scratch! The recipe comes from Mennonite Girls Can Cook! I love their blog!



Fresh Raspberry Pie


1 baked 9 or 10 inch pie shell
About 4 cups of fresh raspberries


Put the raspberries in the pie shell.

In a microwave safe bowl mix 1 cup sugar, 3T. cornstarch and 1 cup water together. Microwave on high for 2-5 minutes...stirring every minute (It took about 4 minutes in my microwave) until thick. Add 3 T. raspberry jello and stir till dissolved. Let stand for 10 minutes.


Carefully spoon the glaze over the berries. I was fussy and turned my raspberries upside down so the filling wouldn't go in the hole. :)


Refrigerate for a couple of hours and serve with whipped cream!

Pizza Dough

Here is the recipe I use for pizza dough! I make it in the Bosch and it will make 2 sheet pans of pizza.

3 c. warm water
2T. honey or sugar
2 T. yeast I use SAF
1 T. salt
1 T. Dough enhancer
6-8 cups flour-all white, all wheat, or a combo

Put water, honey and yeast in mixer. Mix up and let sit for a few minutes till it bubbles. Add 3 c. flour, salt and dough enhancer. Mix till smooth. Add flour until it cleans the bowl. Knead for 5 minutes if using white flour, 8 minutes for wheat and combo.

Rise till double and make your pizzas. Bake @ 400 degrees for around 15-20 minutes.

I don't put the salt in my dough. I like the taste a lot better. Try it both ways and see which you prefer!

OMGsh! She's a Rooster!

So....We have been noticing that our hen named Jeaneen has been growing! ALOT! She is way bigger than her sister hen and has more comb and wattles! Well...apparently Jeaneen is now JEAN! A ROOSTER! Jean is such a nice boy that I am going to keep him. I didn't really want a rooster because they are noisy etc. Jean is a very sweet rooster that is very social and is nice to the hens. So he gets to stay! I don't have the heart to give him away! Here is his picture with some other pics of the new coop! Monte did a super great job and I think it's the bomb! I have a nice chair to sit on next to the run so I can watch and listen to the soothing sounds of my peeps! Heaven!

Chicken Update!

The coop is officially done! The chicks spent their first night----last night! They seemed to enjoy being in the new bigger space! They have definitely grown and aren't little balls of fluff anymore! I love to sit and watch them peck around. It's very soothing!

Baby Chicks !

Wow..It has been busy around here! I got my first batch of chicks...ever. I have always wanted chickens for the delicious eggs! My husband is the best and decided to build a coop...he is in the process right now. The run is built, the house is started. They, Monte and Brennan, started framing yesterday but the weather was terrible, rain, hail, wind. Maybe this evening after work we can get some done. We got the windows at a re-claimed building supply store and we have basically scrapped the rest of the lumber. We did have to buy a big air nailer and stapler, and some treated wood. But not that much.

The chicks started out as 3 Barred Rock, 3 Aruacanas, 2 Rhode Island Reds, and 2 Buff Orpingtons. Brennan named his Barred Rock "Aretha Franklin". Unfortunately, Aretha died overnight. I get so attached. It is sad. But...the other 9 girls look great! They will eat out of my hand and don't scatter when I come in to check on them. They are getting feathers REALLY FAST! We got them on Friday as little fluffy puffs...They are now fluffy puffs WITH full on wings! They can't go to the coop until they have all their feathers...about 4-5 weeks! That will be here soon! They are supposed to start laying at 20-25 weeks...so in the summer, we should start getting some eggs.

More Pics on Friday...1 week old!