After paying close to six dollars for jam that was organic and didn’t have high fructose corn syrup in it or dye, I decided that my house would only have fresh jam. I could spend the 45 minute drive and $6/pint for this great jam at a nearby farm or I could learn to jam myself. With it being summertime, I couldn’t ask for a better season to start creating jam with all the fresh berries around.

I read on how to do it and purchased the mason jars needed. However, I could not locate pectin to save my life. I’d ask and look in the baking section and every place else but right next to where I bought jars. Finally I had my pectin and luckily enough for me, Bountiful Baskets had a raspberry add-on one week and I took full advantage.

I had bought pectin and no cook pectin to try them both. After experimenting, my conclusion is – use the original pectin. No cook made it liquidy and much more of a jelly consistency.

Recipe for jam:
- 1 1/3 c. fruit
- 1 1/2 tbsp. pectin
- 1 c. sugar

The recipe above makes two pints, so I tend to multiply it, but warning try to not make more than ten batches at once. After I tasted how good the raspberry jam tasted I fell in love and wanted to try my hand at more flavors. I bought some strawberries from the store and that went well, so a couple weeks later BB had a strawberry add-on deal and I took advantage. That week we also got a bunch of kiwi in our baskets. Hrm, kiwi/strawberry jam, why not?! It was great… My favorite so far is blackberry/strawberry and raspberry/kiwi.

So here’s whatcha do …
Put all your fruit you are using in a pan on the stove and turn on the heat to medium-high and mash the berries. I use my Braun Hand Blender, which blends it well yet leaves some good chunks of berries.

Add the pectin in three batches and after each one, mix well. I use a whisk for this and the rest of the process and it works well. Bring to a boil that cannot be stirred down, then add sugar all at once. Whisk well and make sire there are no sugar clumps. Bring to boil to a point where again, it can’t be stirred down and then boil for one minute.

Once done, laddle jam into mason jars leaving 1/2″ headspace and can using the water boil method. I add labels for easy reading and because jam makes for great presents. I also use them for donations and have sold some, which helps recoup the mason jar expense.

Flavors thus far: Raspberry, Strawberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Black/Raspberry, Straw/Raspberry, Mixed Berry, Strawberry/Kiwi, Raspberry/Kiwi, Straw/Raspberry/Kiwi, and Black/Strawberry.

We Be Jammin’ is a post from: We Arent Chefs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Cinnamon topping:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Combine the first four ingredients into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl add egg, milk and oil. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry and mix well making sure no clumps are left. Fold in blueberries and fill muffins 3/4 full. I use the big muffin cups which yields 8 muffins. Top muffins with cinnamon crumb miixture and bake for 20-25 minutes. Don’t be alarmed if the batter seems thick, it is.

Topping: combine flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix together. Add butter chunks and either use a fork or your hands and just mix the butter around and it will begin to form cinnamon chunks. Once done, sprinkle on top of muffins before going into the oven.

Cinnamon Crumb Blueberry Muffins is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Only the most evil ingredient next to trans fat to enter our food and so many of them. Manufacturers are always finding cheaper ways to produce foods unfortunately it’s usually to the detriment of our health. HFCS is no different. “High-fructose corn syrup is produced by milling corn to produce corn starch, then processing that starch to yield corn syrup, which is almost entirely glucose, and then adding enzymes that change some of the glucose into fructose.”

So what foods have HFCS?

Many of our everyday food that we eat and give our children have HFCS in it, from breads, cereals, condiments, to yogurts and so much more. Because it’s used to save money, you’ll find HFCS in generic brands more.

List:

• Breads, the one I get that doesn’t have HFCS is Orro Wheat brand.
• Rolls, I get the Hawaiian Rolls to avoid HFCS (and they are so good!)
• Yogurts, including Yoplait however Dannon does not.
• Relish, could not find a brand that didn’t have it in there.
• Ketchup, yep gotta spend the extra money on Simply Heinz.
• Croutons, Texas Toast ones do not but better yet, make them yourself!
• Sodas, of course.
• Granola Bars, Nature’s Valley plain and PB do not.
• Cereal, almost all of Kelloggs
• Capri Sun
• Prepackaged sides like rice, pasta, stuffing
• Candy bars, cookies, cake mixes, ice cream
• Jams and jellies
• Cough syrups
• Crackers
• Salad dressings, BBQ sauce
• And so much more

This is one of the ingredients that led me to start making more from scratch and canning. It’s healthier and saves money.

Sources: http://www.accidentalhedonist.com/index.php/2005/06/09/foods_and_products_containing_high_fruct

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup

The Evil High Fructose Corn Syrup is a post from: We Arent Chefs

First, I soak the beans overnight. Then, using a hot mason jar, add beans to a little over half way. Then this is where you can mix it up.  In the pic below, it includes ham, onion, garlic, jalapeños and black pepper and I do not add salt. When I go to use the beans that’s when I add salt.  Once you have your raw ingredients in, fill up the rest of the jar with boiling water leaving 1″ head space. I’ve also tried it with peppered bacon as well as vegetarian and so far the bacon is the house favorite.

Pressure can for 75 minutes at 11 pounds.

Raw ingredients loaded into the jar:

After being pressure canned:

Noisy Pinto Beans is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Take a pizza dough and roll it out, then cut it into 10-12 squares depending how big the dough is and how much you are going to fill it. Once cut up, add your favorite toppings but no marinara sauce! That will be used on the side for dipping. I didn’t have much in the house, so this was pretty simple – pepperoni, cheese and onion with some seasonings, but you can really use anything.

Once you have your insides on the dough, fold the corners over and tuck in. In a sprayed, round pan, lay the folded side down. Once you have them all in place, sprinkle some Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese on the top and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pizza Stuffers is a post from: We Arent Chefs

This past weekend, I made this again and used up the veggies from my basket which included brussel sprouts and fresh green beans. My kids and husband had no clue they were eating brussel sprouts, loved it!

Slow Cooked Beef Stew is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Bountiful Baskets is a completely volunteer run co-op that offers “baskets” of produce for only $15. Every Monday at noon, I eagerly log onto BB and order my basket to pick up the following Saturday. Each week different items are in the Bountiful Basket, they base the basket contents on what is in season, high quality, good value, and local. It’s generally 6 fruit items & 6 vegetable items. While normally there are traditional fruit and veggies we have all heard of, we often get something unique from fennel to rainbow carrots to persimmons.

Each week they also have varying “add-ons.” If you purchase a basket you can also purchase add-ons which vary in price. Last week, I picked up 12 pounds of RAW, local Arizona honey that I paid $37.50 for. That’s a smokin’ deal! During the summer months, they often do boxes of berries and I tend to take advantage of those to make jam or freeze for smoothies. Other add-ons include tortillas, granola, beans, fruit packs, olive oil, tomatoes, holiday packs, etc.

This co-op has led our family to a cheaper and healthier eating lifestyle and has opened me up for new recipes and methods. I have recently started to can and I absolutely love it!

I have a bunch of pics that I have taken of the various baskets I have gotten, here are just a few …

All of this for $15 …

Granny Smith Apples add-on, this made for a lot of applesauce.

Bountiful Baskets Co-op is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 c oats
1 c almond slices
1/2 c honey
1/3 c brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c dried cranberries

I put this all in my bread machine and just let it mix it up.  You can also do it by hand, just toss all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Depending on how thick you want them will dictate the pan size you use.  Spray the pan lightly and put in granola mixture.  Press down to flatten and bake for about 15-20 minutes.

Chewy Granola Bars is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Preheat the oven on BROIL – HIGH.

I use about six scallops between the four of us and get the thick peppered bacon from the meat department. Cut the bacon pieces in half or have them wrap around twice, up to you depending how much bacon flavor you want. I suggest to start out just using half. Wrap the bacon around the outside of the scallop and put in a toothpick to hold it. Lightly sprinkle cayenne pepper on top.

Place the scallops under the broiler for two minutes, flip and cook for two more minutes. They should be golden brown on the outside and the bacon will be cooked.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Easy Yellow Cake Recipe

Prepare the cakes and put in two 8″ round pans. Remove from pan and let cool completely on racks.

Frosting:
2 c. flaked coconut
4 tbsp. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. milk
3 1/2 c. sifted confectioners’ sugar

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add coconut; stir constantly over low heat until golden brown. Spread coconut on absorbent paper to cool. Cream 2 teaspoons butter with cream cheese. Add milk and sugar alternately, beating well. Add vanilla; stir in 1 3/4 cups of coconut. Spread on tops and sides of cake layers. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

Viola!

Coconut Layer Cake is a post from: We Arent Chefs

These are pretty quick rolls to make, the most time spent is waiting for it to rise fully. So it’s best to start them about 2.5 to 3 hours ahead of dinner time. Once these are ready to sit to rise, you can make your main course, you have about 40 minutes. Easy, tasty, and high fructose corn syrup-free!

3 c. bread flour
3 tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. dry milk powder
1 c. warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tbsp. butter, softened
1 1/4 tsp. (.25 packet) active dry yeast
1 egg white
2 tbsp. water

Add wet ingredients first then dry adding the yeast on top last. Put on dough cycle. Once done, lay on a floured area and cut into 12 equal pieces. Place the rounds into a round, lightly greased baking pan. Cover the rolls with a damp cloth, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the egg white and 2 tablespoons water; brush lightly onto the rolls. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown.

Remove from pan and let cool on rack for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Dinner Rolls is a post from: We Arent Chefs

100 chocolate wafers, melted (8 ounces)
6 ounces of Philly’s cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp. milk
2 c. powdered confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate; cool slightly. Blend in cheese and milk. Add sugar gradually. Stir in vanilla. Frosts two 8″ layers.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting is a post from: We Arent Chefs

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. 2% milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter and sugar in mixer on medium-high until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Beat in one egg at a time then add vanilla and blend until thoroughly mixed, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternatively ending with the flour mixture. Mix until the batter is smooth but be careful to not over mix.

Spread batter evenly into pans or cupcake holders and bake for 20-25 minutes. Put a toothpick in the middle to test, if it comes out clean – the cakes are done.

Set the pans on a cooling rack for a few minutes then completely transfers the cakes over to the cooling racks and let stand until cool.

Spread one of the many frostings on it and you are good to go!

Easy Yellow Cake is a post from: We Arent Chefs

I’ve also gotten some new gadgets for the kitchen I can’t wait to discuss. So let’s start, first up – a recipe and then the greatest knife ever.

I’ve Been a Bad Blogger is a post from: We Arent Chefs

I like to cook Pot Roast slowly all day long so it’s moist and falls apart. In a roaster I will put in some water with minced garlic, salt, and pepper and just let the meat slowly cook all day long.

Serve it up with some mashed potatoes, bean and veggies and your family will be happy and full!

For mashed potatoes, take the desired potatoes and peel them and cut into chunks. Place in boiling water and cook until they are very soft and almost fall apart when you put a fork through them. Once potatoes are done, drain and put back in pot. Mix milk and butter in then add garlic powder, salt and pepper. There you have it, easy mashed potatoes!

You can make gravy with the juice left over from the pot roast by mixing it with flour or corn starch. Make sure to mix it up well so there are no clumps.

Pot Roast w/ Mashed Potatoes is a post from: We Arent Chefs

1/2 c. margarine
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 can condensed sweetened milk (14 oz.)
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch morsels
1 1/3 c. flaked coconut
1 c. chopped nuts

If you do not have graham cracker crumbs handy, just take about a package and half of graham crackers and place them in a Ziploc bag. Seal then go over with rolling pin until all lumps are out, should be fine.

Add margarine and graham cracker crumbs in bowl and mix together well. Spray a 13×9″ pan and take crumb mixture and press onto bottom of pan. Pour milk over that then top evenly with remaining ingredients. Use a fork and press down the top firmly.

Bake for 25-30 minute on 325* degrees.

*325 for glass pans, all others 350.

Magic Bars is a post from: We Arent Chefs

1 1/2 c. sour cream
1 1/2 c. mayo
2 tbsp. parsley
2 tsp. dill seed
2 tbsp. diced onion
1 package of dried beef, cut into pieces
Bread for dipping – rye or breadbowl

Mix together well, refrigerate for one hour before serving.

You can hallow out a breadbowl and place the dip there and use the bread for dipping or cut up pieces of rye bread. Rye tastes quite good with this dip.

Dried Beef Dip is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Rye bread
Corned beef, sliced thin
Swiss cheese
Thousand Island dressing
Sauerkraut
Butter

Heat up griddle, put temperature around 300 degrees.

Butter one side of bread and lay butter side down on the griddle, then place Swiss cheese. Next spread desired amount of Thousand Island dressing and add meat then sauerkraut. Add the other slice of bread closing the sandwich and butter the outer side. Then just let grill on each side until bread is toasted and cheese is melted.

Cut in half and serve with a pickle and chips, yummy!

Reubens is a post from: We Arent Chefs

2 chicken breasts
1 Roma tomato
3 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 c. white wine
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. basil
Salt & Pepper
1 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

Boil chicken breasts in separate pan until done, then cut into chunks. In saucepan, combine garlic, cream, wine and spices and cook over low to medium heat. Once it begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer. Slowly add cheese and continuously stir, then add in diced tomato. Mix in chicken and let simmer for three to five minutes.

Toss over some angel hair pasta and that’s it!

Pasta Primavera is a post from: We Arent Chefs

Enchilada sauce
Taco meat
Jalapenos
1/2 brick pepper jack cheese
Mexican cheese – mixture of pepper jack, cheddar, colby
Tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Warm tortilla up and put in a couple spoonfuls of taco meat, then add two slices of cheese and desired amount of jalapenos. Fold up and place in greased glass baking pan.

Once you have all the enchiladas wrapped up and placed in the pan, pour the enchilada sauce over the top. Place the the rest of the pepper jack cheese on top of the enchiladas and add more jalapenos if you wish. Then sprinkle the Mexican cheese on top covering it up.

Cook about 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Enchiladas is a post from: We Arent Chefs