BAKING QUEEN!!! 12/17/2009
Today I started baking for Christmas. Actually, I started baking yesterday. I have 20 loaves of zucchini bread. I also have 2 batches of hot pepper relish and 1 of pomegranate jelly. I want to make Mom's date cookies and some more rice Krispie squares. They never last long enough. I still need to make banana bread and pumpkin bread. Then just a couple of apple pies and I might be done...but you know how that turns out...you always wish you had made more. I guess I have enough zucchini left to make 16 more loaves. If I can squeeze it in I would like to make a couple of batches of cinnamon rolls. My friends, neighbors, and family will be so pleased. What is it you need to bake for the holiday season? Sugar cookies, ginger bread houses? I just like the way the house smells when you are baking....it smells full of love. Just the way I love it!!! HOT PEPPER RELISH TUTORIAL 12/16/2009
 This is how my hot pepper relish looks after I have processed my peppers. The trick to getting good relish is HOW you process the peppers. First, you have to pick nice peppers. No blemishes, or wrinkled skin, and they need to be real clean.  As you can see...I have picked a variety of colors and degrees of sweetness and hot. What you need at the end is 4 cups of processed peppers per batch of relish. These are clean. I have my Grandma's turkey roaster pan holding these. That is lots of peppers. I would say about 10 pounds.  Then I sit down at my work station. First I cut off one end....  ...then I cut off the other end.  Then slice it down the side and open up That is when I cut it in chunks, take out the seeds, and take out the ribs. This is important because it is a more porous part of the pepper and will float to the top (and look ugly). To do a good job on the ribs (and the seeds in some of the peppers) I like to use a melon baller.  The baller has two sizes. I use the big side on the bigger peppers and the small on the small peppers. It just fits better. The round edge of the baller digs a little deeper and gets more of the rib out.  This piece is nice and clean...no white ribs.  Here is the top piece. See what it looks like?  This is what it looks like when you clean it good. No White stuff.  When I get to the hot peppers...I am a wuss...I put on gloves! I cut the stem end off and cut them in half. Then I scoop out the seeds and ribs.  This is not a perfect example...but it is still good. To be efficient I clean the sweet peppers first, put on gloves, cut the hot peppers and then seed them. It just goes faster to use one tool and then the other. Once they are clean...I run them through my old fashioned meat grinder. The kind with a crank handle. I have seen them at Wal Mart. I like this to chop up the peppers...it makes the texture nice. I use a hand grinder for most of my jams and relishes. Once it is ground up I strain it a little.  Then I drain off the juice. I think I started this to keep the sauce of the relish more clear. I put ALL the peppers in a bowl and stir them real well. You need to mix the hot and sweet Peppers so they are evenly distributed. At this point I sometimes measure out 4 cups per batch and store them in plastic bags. Not more than till the next morning...we want them fresh. Then it is made like the recipe on the pectin box. It doesn't set...it just gets thick. This is how I prep my peppah relish! This stuff is great. Or at least I hope you think so. Sweet Potato Pudding 12/09/2009
 This is an old recipe that I think BFF gave me. I just love the crunchy top. So let's get started.  Here is what you need... 4 cups peeled and shredded sweet potatoes 4 beaten eggs 1/3 cup of orange juice 1/2 cup melted butter 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp salt 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped pecans bake @ 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Mix eggs....  with 1/3 cup of orange juice...  and 1/2 cup melted butter. Sometimes I only use 1/4 cup butter....just cause I can.  Mix into the egg mixture, brown sugar and the spices.  Mix in 4 cups of shredded sweet potatoes. Put in greased casserole dish. Put pecans on top. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 1 hour.  Here it is ready for the oven.  Here is the loving spoonful! I like to make this to go with a ham...or at Thanksgiving with turkey. I also like to put crushed pineapple in here instead of the orange juice...same amounts. I would like to encourage you to play with your foods. What is the worst that could happen? You might have to throw it out...or you could start a new tradition. Be brave. Blew it! 12/08/2009
I just posted stuffed mushrooms on my NEWS page...what is up with that? Anyway go check it out. It is a good recipe. CARNITAS 12/01/2009
Tomorrow I am making tamales. This is a typical meal Hispanic women make at Christmas time. They usually make it as a group of woman and make some savory and some sweet. Since this is my first time...I am following the directions on the back of the Masa. Just so you know...you can buy already prepared masa. One step cut out. I just thought for this time I would make it myself. Yesterday I cooked a pork shoulder roast and forgot to take pictures...It is my BIL carnitas recipe....TWEEKED a little. Here it is anyway.....tomorrow is tamales...yummy! CARNITAS ONE PORK SHOULDER ROAST 2-3 POUNDS ( A BIGGER ROAST WILL TAKE A LITTLE LONGER) 1 LARGE ONION CUT IN 1/8ths 4 CLOVES OF GARLIC ,PEELED 1 BIG HANDFUL OF CUMIN 2 JALEPENOS SLICED 1 BUNCH OF CILANTRO CHOPPED, JUST LEAVES ENOUGH WATER TO ALMOST COVER MEAT BAKE UNCOVERED IN 375 DEGREE OVEN FOR 2-3 HOURS. MEAT MUST BE FALLING OFF OF BONE. COOL. PICK FAT AND BONES OUT OF MEAT. SHRED. RESERVE COOKING BROTH. I USUALLY STRAIN OUT VEGGIES. PUT MEAT AND SOME BROTH BACK IN PAN AND COOK TILL BROWN. CAN BE FROZEN AT THIS POINT FOR FUTURE MEALS. THIS MIXTURE IS GOOD IN BURRITOS, TACOS, AND TAMALES. IT IS NICE TO HAVE ON HAND FOR QUICK MEALS SO PICK A BIG ROAST. |