Small Batch Preserving

Every summer as my garden starts to produce tomatoes, I take advantage of this recipe.

Fresh ripe plum tomatoes

You only need 6 pounds of tomatoes, which is perfect for the Ball Canner I bought to preserve jams and jellies.

Seasoned Tomato Sauce

Seasoned Tomato Sauce

★★★★★

CANNING, Sauce

INGREDIENTS

12 cups chopped ripe plum tomatoes (about 6 lbs.), unpeeled

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp dried

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 bay leaves

2 tsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice

1/2 tsp pickling salt

DIRECTIONS

Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, sugar, pepper and bay leaves in a large stainless steel or enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reuce heat and boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1.25 hours or until very thick. Press through a food mill or coarse sieve; remove and discard seeds and skins.

Add vinegar and salt to pulp.

Remove hot jars from canner and ladle sauce into jars to within 1/2 inch of rim (headspace). Process for 35 minutes for half-pint and pint jars as directed by your canning preferences. I use a Ball Electric Canner and on it you choose SAUCES and PROGRAM number 6.

One and a half hours of cooking, later …
Using a food press to remove tomato seeds and skin …
Into my Fresh Tech Electric Canner by Ball
7 cups finished project

Serving suggestions:

Savory Seafood Sauce
Stir together 1/2 cup Seasoned Tomato Sauce, 2 tbps each: lemon juice and prepared horseradish

Herbed Pizza Sauce
Combine 1 cup Seasoned Tomato Sauce, 1/2 tsp each: dried oregano, dried basil and dried parsely and 1 clove crushed garlic.

Link to Small Batch Preserving:

CENSORSHIP has killed SCIENCE

How many times have you heard about a cure for Cancer, a cure for Diabetes, or even a cure for Autism?
NONE of these, unfortunately, panned out but we got to hear about them. Got hopeful. Discussed them with our doctors. Tried one for Autism. And patiently waited for another breakthrough.

We don’t get that hope with the big tech censorship that’s in place.

We don’t hear from doctors treating patients outside of an ER if they mention a particular drug. A drug that HAS to be discussed and dispensed by your physician. A drug that has long term dose complications (for some) and a telephone book list of contraindications, for others.

Shutting down the DISCUSSION from doctors treating patients OUTSIDE an ER or HOSPITAL is what’s missing.

Shutting down other countries SUCCESS with a drug is making this political.

Pulling small dose studies that show strides in favor of large dose studies that harmed patients, is what’s hurting science.

I cannot post that a neighbor took #HCQ successfully without FB or Google or Twitter pulling it down.

We might as well be LIVING in China.

CENSORSHIP has killed science.

Sourdough and Peach Grilled Cheese Sandwich

A Peachy take on your Classic Grilled Cheese sandwich

Peach and Muenster on sourdough 🙌🏻
if grilled cheese is served in heaven …

The Grilled Cheeserie’s Shaved Peach Melt

★★★★★

Quick & Easy, Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons pickled mustard seeds or whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon honey

3 slices English Farmstead Buttercup Cheese (2.5 ounces)

1/2 small peach, pitted and very thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)

4 or 5 fresh basil leaves, torn

2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices bakery style bread

I Tablespoon salted butter

DIRECTIONS

1). Combine the mustard seeds and honey in a small bowl. Arrange the cheese slices, peach slices, and basil on one slice of the bread. Drizzle with the mustard mixture. Top with remaining bread slice.

2). Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwich; cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until the bread is golden and toasted and the cheese has melted.
Serve immediately.

The Grilled Cheeserie started as a food truck shortly before the Peach Truck.
This melt is incredible with Buttercup cheese, a small-batch variety made in North Carolina, which Peach Truck gets from the Bloomy Rind in Nashville. If you can’t find Buttercup, use Muenster, or another cheese that melts easily.

The Silent Majority SPEAKS🗣

I can’t keep up. I just can’t. I’m exhausted trying to figure out what we’re all supposed to do, believe, and be offended and outraged by next.

Two months ago, First Responders were all the rage. In fact, they were heroes. We gave them free coffee, meals, and cheers as they drove by. Today, we hate them and want them defunded because they can’t be trusted.

Two months ago, truck drivers were the heroes, as well, for keeping America moving and the grocery stores stocked. Today we block the roads with protesters, drag them out of the cabs and beat them half to death.

Just 45 days ago protests weren’t “essential” and were considered criminal, selfish and a murderous activity. Today they are gloriously critical and celebrated. All of the obvious criminal and murderous activities are simply ignored. If you protest about lock downs for freedom, you are selfish and you will spread a virus. If you protest, loot, and riot for social justice, you are a warrior and the virus fades to the background.

Trust the experts. No, not those experts. Don’t wear masks … wear masks, but only good ones. Wait, don’t wear masks, wear anything as a mask. Never mind on the masks. Not sure, but if you don’t, you hate people because you could be an asymptomatic spreader. Wait. That’s not a thing anymore?

For 3 months, NOTHING was more important than social distance. In fact, we gave up all of our liberties for it. We canceled schools, medical and dental procedures, yet allowed the murder of babies, canceled activities, closed businesses, eliminated every spring rite of passage from prom to graduation, denied people funerals, even at Arlington, and we wrecked the economy for it. Then came social justice, and social distance was no more. Now things are more cut and dried though. A thousand people at three memorials for someone they never even met. It’s a matter of “respect”. But you can only assemble 100 or less people.

I’m really confused now. Look at the data, NO, not that data. Do the math. No, you can’t do the math like that. Only the experts can understand the data and math. What do you mean other cities/states/governors are interpreting the data differently? Pools are safe in Indiana, but not Michigan? Playgrounds are safe in your town but not mine? Amusement parks are safe in Florida but not Ohio, nor Michigan.

If you are silent you are part of the problem. If you speak, you are part of the problem. If you have to ask, you don’t understand. If you don’t ask, you don’t care.

It’s all so predictable, tedious, and exhausting. Nothing adds up. It’s one gigantic Math life problem, with ever changing denominators that I’m sure the media and politicians are eagerly ready to solve for us…until the next “crisis”.

Cereal out of Pancake batter? Yes, please!

Banana Pancake Cereal

Banana Pancake Cereal

INGREDIENTS

1 cup 1% milk, buttermilk or almond milk

1 cup unbleached all purpose or whole wheat flour

1 ripe banana

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

cooking spray

1 cup fresh mixed berries, for topping

1 large banana, sliced

optional whipped cream and colored sprinkles, for topping

DIRECTIONS

Add milk, flour, 1 of the bananas, eggs, oil, vanilla, baking powder and salt to a blender and pulse until smooth and throughly mixed.

Pour pancake batter into a condiment squeeze bottle. (Or use a ziplock bag and cut a tiny whole in the corner as well.)

Heat pan to medium high heat and spray with oil.

Squeeze little small pancake dots the size of a nickel and cook until top is dry and forms bubbles.

Toss the pancakes with a spatula and cook for a few more minutes.

Occasionally toss the pancakes around to help cook more evenly until slightly browned.

Transfer to 4 bowls and add sliced bananas, fresh berries and your favorite toppings (I like to drizzle honey).

NUTRITION

Serving: 2/3 cup pancakes 1/3 cup fruit, Calories: 272kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 9.5g, Fat: 4.5g, Saturated Fat: 1.5g, Sodium: 378.5mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 16.5g Blue Smart Points: 5 Green Smart Points: 6 Purple Smart Points: 5

This lighter version of Macaroni Salad with tomatoes and black olives is the perfect side dish for any summer BBQ.

Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes

Macaroni Salad with Tomatoes

Make Ahead, Pasta, Pasta, Salads, TO TRY

INGREDIENTS

6 oz uncooked elbows, wheat or gluten-free

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup Hellmann’s light mayonnaise

1 tbsp white vinegar

dash garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

2.5 oz sliced black olives

salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, tomatoes (and any juice from the tomato), olives, onion, garlic powder, oregano salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add elbows and mix well.

NUTRITION

Serving: 3/4 cup, Calories: 125kcal, Carbohydrates: 21.5g, Protein: 3.5g, Fat: 3.5g, Saturated Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 2.5mg, Sodium: 165.5mg, Fiber: 1.5g, Sugar: 0.5g Blue Smart Points: 4 Green Smart Points: 4 Purple Smart Points: 4 Points +: 3