It’s springtime and gardening is top priority for alot of us. Although I can no longer garden, however when I catch a sale I do still can and preserve. I love my own recipes for pickles, salsa, jams, preserves and syrups. So I thought our question of the month would be, do you garden and can? If so what is the most common? Ok…so its two questions. LOL
Ball Home Canning Kit
Price: $45.63 USD
Did you know that wooden cutting boards are no longer allowed in commercial kitchens. The grain of the wood is a perfect place for bacteria to thrive. Even bleach can not remove it all, without drying out and damaging your board. So when purchasing a new cutting board, be sure it’s not made of wood.
Marble Pastry Board 18×18
Price: $46.95 USD
6 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 envelope GOOD SEASONS Italian Salad Dressing & Recipe Mix
1-1/2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 loaf (16 oz.) French bread, cut in half lengthwise
MIX butter, salad dressing mix and cheese until well blended.
SPREAD onto cut surfaces of bread. Place on baking sheet.
BROIL 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese mixture is bubbly. Cut into 24 slices.
1 lb. beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1/4 cup A.1. Original Steak Sauce, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce
1 tsp. GREY POUPON Dijon Mustard
TOSS steak with 2 Tbsp. of the steak sauce; let stand 10 min. to marinate. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 Tbsp. steak sauce, the barbecue sauce and mustard; set aside.
PREHEAT grill to medium-high heat. Thread steak onto eight long soaked wooden or metal skewers.
GRILL skewers 6 min. or until steak is cooked through, turning after 3 min. and brushing generously with the barbecue sauce mixture.
I love my rotisserie. And of course one of my favs to cook in it is chicken. The skin is crisp and golden brown, the meat is juicy and so tender it practically melts in your mouth. I thought I would share the recipe that I use.
1 roasting chicken, about 5 pounds
salt and pepper
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sherry
1 teaspoon garlic powder
dash ginger
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange on rotisserie skewer and truss to keep legs and wings close to the body.
Allow chicken to cook for about hour on 375. Combine ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil or heat. Brush sauce over chicken while rotating. Brush the chicken with the sauce every 15 minutes or so. Cook for about 1 hour longer, or until chicken is tender and cooked through.
Tip: Be sure to tie your chicken tight around the legs and the wings.
I love teas. I prefer them cold, as I am not a hot anything drinker. I love sweet tea and I like different flavors providing they are fairly strong. The darker the better, even through green tea is better for you. I tend to drink unsweetened tea in restaurants because I find tea to be too sweet at some places. So my Question of the Month is:
Do you drink Sweet or Unsweet, and what is your fav flavor of tea?
Celebrating Spring with Sangria Punch
3/4 cup COUNTRY TIME Lemonade or Pink Lemonade Flavor Drink Mix
1 qt. (4 cups) cold reduced calorie cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup cold orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 cups cold club soda
2 medium oranges, sliced
2 medium limes, sliced
EMPTY drink mix into large pitcher. Add cranberry juice cocktail, orange juice and lime juice; stir until drink mix is completely dissolved.
REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.
STIR in club soda and fruit. Serve over ice cubes in tall glasses.
I am a country cook on a city schedule. So I do alot of prep work which saves me time in a crunch. One of the things that saves me a ton of time is chopping vegetables and keeping them in the freezer door.
When the grocery store has a sale on bell peppers I buy a few. I dice some of them and I slice the rest. Then I put them in a freezer containers and freeze. I do this with celery, onions, all peppers, and a variety of fruits.
Then when I need these ingredients for soups, stews, etc. I go to the freezer and grab a handful or so. They are already washed, and sliced or diced, so prep time is very minimal.
Herbs and Spices enhance our foods and can make all the difference in the world to our palettes. However contrary to popular belief dried herbs and spices do not make for a long shelf life.
Next to the stove on the counter or in a cabinet is the most convenient place to keep our herbs and spices and it is the worst place to keep them.
To increase the life of your herbs and spices, keep them in a cool dry place and away from the heat and humidity of the stove. If you have herbs and spices that you very seldom use, store in the freezer.
The Complete Spice Book: From Allspice to Vanilla–the Ultimate Companion to the Ancient and Everyday Wonders on Your Spice Rack
Price: $70.87 USD
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup water
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained
1 can (10-3/4 oz.) 98% fat-free condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 tsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Combine stuffing mix and water in large bowl. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, pound chicken to 1/4-inch thickness using meat mallet. Add broccoli to stuffing; mix lightly. Spread evenly onto chicken breasts to within 1/2 inch of outer edges. Roll up each chicken breast from one of the short ends, enclosing the stuffing mixture.
PLACE chicken, seam-sides down, in 13×9-inch baking dish. Mix soup and milk; pour over chicken. Sprinkle with paprika and Parmesan cheese.
BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).
This recipe was found at Kraft Foods
Tips I have used this recipe for a while and finding different combinations is half the fun. Add some garlic to it for a kick, or instead of broccoli, use the California Blend of broccoli, carrots and califlower. Try adding some baby swiss cheese for a smooth bite. The possibilities are endless!
