Take that spice aisle!

Growing herbs is one of those things that I never saw myself doing.   It sounds more outdoorsy and earthy than I am.  I don't have a garden and it seemed high maintenance to grow them.  Why would I grow herbs when I can get them so conveniently at the store?   I really enjoy dishes prepared with fresh herbs.  But they are pricey and I rarely ever used the entire package leaving the rest to eventually end up in the garbage can.  So after my Mom gave me an oregano plant a couple of years ago, I just had to try it.   

The plants are heartier and easier to grow than I thought.  I wrote about my herb pot survival back a few months ago.  They seem to do best in a pot that's at least 12".

To my surprise, the oregano has done so well!  

There's no way I can eat that much, so I guess it doesn't stop here.  I had to try and preserve that flavor by drying it.   After a few internet searches, I ran across this method.

Bundle a few of the branches and tie them together:

Place them in a paper bag with a few holes cut out of the bag.  I had to write the date on my bag because I knew I would never remember when I started this process!

Gather the bag around the stems and tie it closed.

My sunroom, warm and airy (gets very sleepy in there...zzZzz...), was the perfect place to leave the bags.

After about 2 weeks, it will be nice and dry.

Remove the leaves from the stems.

The oregano is ready to store.  The instructions say to store in a jar or ziploc bag.

I prepared another batch and changed the date on the bag.

Not bad at all!  

I'm currently freezing the fresh thyme, but now I'm going to try drying it, too.

So take that grocery store spice aisle!!

Linking with

Tasty Tuesday
  

Strawberry Freezer Jam

The temperatures this spring have been so hot here in the south!  We went from a very mild winter directly to summer.  One of the best things as a result of these temperatures have been these beauties:

Aren't they just gorgeous!  And they taste SO GOOD!  

As a child, I loved to pick blackberries.  Yes, just walk in the briar bushes with the snakes and pick them.  Then eat them.  (Hee hee, I never saw any snakes but that was my only fear!)   Later on, I remember asking my grandmother if she would help me can blackberry jam.  The look on her face was "oh my"!  I know she thought her canning days were over and she didn't have to do that anymore!  I reassured her I would do all the work if she would just guide me.  And she did.

Grandmomma

Canning is something I have done only every few years or so.  This is the last jar of the plum jam I made a couple of years ago.  The plum tree is now gone and I just made this to see if I could!  I like to look at that label, the DIY instructions can be found here.   Next on my canning to do list is pool room slaw.  But that's later in the summer, maybe after some good locally grown cabbage is here!

Back to the strawberries.   The Sure-Jell quick and easy freezer jam is the way to go.  It doesn't last as long as canned but that's ok.  It's fresher and is not difficult to do this. 

First I set aside a bowl full of strawberries for myself.   If there's not enough for the jam, too bad, these are mine.  Yes, I am selfish like that when it comes to strawberries!

Wash the containers and have them ready first thing.

I used the mini chopper to cut up the berries...do not puree.   I am not usually a big fan of these mini choppers.  For the small amount that they handle, it just doesn't seem worth it to use them.  A knife and cutting board can usually get the job done just as fast and less gadgetry to wash and put away.  

The mini chopper worked well on the strawberries though.   I think I just didn't want to chase them all across the counter and the floor!   See that leftover Spicy Dr Pepper Pulled Pork thawing in the background?

Measure EXACTLY the amount of fruit.  I get worried when the directions use ALL CAPS and strict words like EXACTLY.  What if I mess it up? 

Also measure the sugar EXACTLY.  Ugh, there's that word again!



Things start moving faster at this point.  The directions say to "bring to a boil and stir constantly for 1 minute".    Now, EXACTLY what is a boil?   Does the minute start after I see 2 bubbles or after lots of bubbles?   Is the EXACTNESS of a boil not as important as the EXACTNESS of fruit and sugar?   With only a 1 minute window, this is information I want!

I'm sure I stirred for a few seconds past the 1 minute and it is ready to put into containers.

I just used whatever 1-cup plastic containers with lids that I had on hand.   Put the lid on and let them sit several hours on the counter before putting them in the freezer.  Of course, one of these is going directly in the frig for eating right away!

This is EASY and will be so good this winter when the fresh strawberries are long gone.

And now for that Spicy Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Soft Taco for dinner!

Kerry

I'm linking with Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Zucchini and Feta

Believe it or not, I made this recipe before I joined the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club and now it has shown up as one of our selections!  Yay! 

Make this Pioneer Woman Pasta salad with tomatoes, zucchini and feta but get ready to feed an army!  Or maybe a big family or your next potluck.   Seriously, it makes more than the 12 servings indicated on the recipe. 

Nothing special about the preparation really.  Get the pasta cooking according to the directions.

Chop the veges into bite-sized pieces.  

Chop the parsley.

Slice the lemon and get ready to squeeze!

  

Stir it all together with olive oil, salt and pepper.

I liked it.  I did add more feta.  Next time I'll have more tomatoes and zucchini and less pasta.  Call in the troops, it's time to chow down!

Kerry

I'm linking with the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club

and

Simple, Perfect Chili and not so chilly

It was 58 degrees outside, a perfect day to make some chili.  Well, ok, that's not real good chili weather but that's as chilly as it's gonna get for a while here in Bama.  So I best get on with making my selection for the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club.  Don't delay another day because tomorrow the temp is supposed to be back in the 70s!

I have a standard chili recipe that my family loves.  But I chose this one to try something different, not like chicken chili different, but just different.  Turns out PWs recipe is actually very similar to my standard as far as ingredients.    A friend of ours has won chili competitions out in Texas.  He will tell you that real chili doesn't have beans in it.  I will tell you that real chili does have beans in it cause that's the way it always has been, it just does.

Here's the beef...and garlic.  (Yeah, it looks green and nasty thanks to the fluorescent lighting...moving on)

...and the spices.  I usually don't measure the spices out into individual bowls.  Seems like a lot of extra dishes to wash.   But the recipe said to do it and I guess I wanted to be like the Pioneer Woman, so I did. 



I did have to add water a few times as it cooked.

It is simple.  It is perfect.  The Bassman liked it too.  I'll be adding more liquid, it was pretty dense.



Now, bring on the 70 degree days!  I'm ready!

I'm linking up with Sweet As Pie Cooking Club and Tasty Tuesdays at

Kerry

Miss Mattie's Southern Pimiento Cheese

When I read the February issue of Southern Living and about the same time my friend posted her delicious pimiento cheese pictures of this pretty lunch I could taste a blog post in the works.    You see, I wanted to make all 5 of those recipes in the magazine, they were all different and interesting.

Hominy Grill's Pimiento Cheese was first.  It was good, though not as spicy as I thought it would be. 

Next up was Miss Mattie's Southern Pimiento Cheese.   This one stopped me with a mouth so full I could hardly speak until it was gone.  I may never make it to the others on the list because of Miss Mattie (whoever she is).   It has sweet jalepenos and toasted pecans.

Sweet jalepenos?  I have seen sweet jalepenos in small town grocery stores, of all places, but couldn't find them in Publix.  Remembering that I have made sweet pickles from hamburger dills before, I decided to try it with jalepenos.    I had half a jar of jalepenos to work with.  I emptied most, not all, of the liquid.  Then spooned in some sugar.  Put the top on and shake, stir, shake, shake the jalepeno jar to get it all mixed up.  Allow the sugar to melt.  Leaving it out of the frig will help too.

This stuff is good!  I've never been to the Chocolate Angel Cafe and Tearoom in Richardson, Texas.  I may just have to stop in if I'm ever in the neighborhood.  Maybe I'll meet Miss Mattie and tell her how yummy this is!

The February Southern Living Pimiento Cheese recipes are here.  I'm linking up with Tasty Tuesday.

Corn, Corn and PW Corn and Cheese Chowder

Sweet!  I'm so happy to not only be a member of the Sweet As Pie Cooking Club, but also to get to choose a recipe for the upcoming selection for March.  Yay! 

But first there's the corn.  There's a lot of corn around here.  My father grows it in his garden and we freeze it for use during the winter months. 

It's good, the whole family loves it.  I mean, we have it every other Sunday after church for lunch.  Sometimes prepared 2 ways.  We joke about it, "Are we having corn today?"  It's a lot of corn!  It's in his freezer, my sister's freezer and my freezer.   See? 

Told ya.

PW's Corn and Cheese Chowder was a good opportunity for me to use some of that corn in a recipe that I had never tried.  Actually, I have had corn chowder only once in my life.  I don't remember where so obviously I was not impressed!  All I needed to purchase from the store was the cheese and peppers, the rest of the ingredients were on hand.  

My attention to detail was lacking though, because I didn't notice the red,yellow,orange colors for the peppers in the recipe.   I picked up green and red and they turned out just fine. 

I also used whole milk instead of half and half since that's what I had on hand.   I do like the way Sweet and Savory Snacks lightened this recipe.

I did use less cheese than PW, and more onion?  Yes, we like onion too.   Thinking the Bassman wouldn't think this was man's food, I served it along with some chicken fingers.

Add some fresh cracked pepper and enjoy!  The Bassman and I liked it.  There were leftovers for him to take to work and we gave some to our kids to take home.  Nothing went to waste!

I'm linking up with Sweet As Pie Cooking Club and Tasty Tuesday