Freezing fruit and veggies for smoothies

I've got an idea!

I cannot tell you how many times I have wanted to make my daily smoothies only to find the fruit i have selected has gone bad. Now, when I buy fruit, if i  know i am going to use it exclusively for smoothies in my nutribullet I freeze it. Bananas would always  go bad on me before I could use them. Now, you can chop up the fruit and just  throw it in a ziplock or a container and freeze, but what you will get is a lump of fruit all stuck together. It is very difficult to separate the fruit if it has been frozen like that.

So, what I do is, peel the bananas, chop into 1 inch sections, place on a cookies sheet lined with wax paper.  

Then I put  it in the freezer for a couple of hours, which usually turns into a day because I forget to get it out. When I get it out, I then place the fruit in a plastic freezer container.

When I want to do a smoothie, I select whatever combination of fruits I want and place them in the nutribullet with some water. Here in the picture below is frozen grapefruit and oranges. I am about to add a 1/4 inch cut of fresh ginger and a garlic clove. Sounds disgusting, but actually good, only if you really like garlic. I good way to get your natural antibiotics with the garlic.

 

Another veggie that I have problems with is spinach. So there are a couple of ways to do spinach that I find time saving. 

• One, is just to put a  handful of spinach in quart size ziplocks and put them in the freezer and freeze. When ready to use, open the bag up and dump the contents into your blender or bullet. 
• Another way is to use cupcake pans. You will need a blender and some orange juice.

1. Pour 1 cup of orange juice into your blender add 2 to 3 handfuls of spinach.
2.  Blend until smooth and liquidy. 
3. Add more spinach until the bag is done.
4.  Pour into ice cube trays or cupcake pans. 
5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer until frozen. 
6. When frozen solid remove from trays or pans and put in plastic container or ziplock bag.

Other things that I freeze are basil, since I have had so much growing in my garden. I also like to freeze buttermilk and tomato paste, because inevitably i do not use the whole can or carton. I also did lemons this year. My friend Claudia, had pulled a bunch of lemons off her tree, because of an impending freeze. I had a boatload of lemons, so, I juiced them all and put them into ice cube trays and then froze them. I cannot tell you how many times i run  out of store bought lemons. Being able to open up the freezer and pull out a couple of cubes has saved me from having to run to the store. 

Here is the link for freezing spinach.

http://www.positivelymommy.com/2013/04/how-to-freeze-spinach-for-smoothies/

Asparagus quiche

       

Today it is chilly in Florida...Woke up to the 42 degrees. I'm sure the people in the northeast want to shake me and say that's not cold.  I know, i know....and I'm from Maine. I know what stinking cold is. I got all dressed up this morning for my walk with my buddy, Claudia. I put on my black turtleneck sweater, grey wool leggings, black leg warmers, gloves, hat and was ready to go. I stepped outside and we decided it was too windy to go. Oh well, so much for a walk. Maybe later when it warms up?
 It is Wednesday, the day before I can get groceries. Pickings are slim in the fridge. We had fish last night with sweet potatoes and asparagus. I had enough asparagus left over to make a quiche. I decided to pair that with a salad and to bake some lemon poppy seed muffins. Sounds good eh? Let's get started. You will need the following groceries.

For one 9 inch, 8 servings, you will  need.
Filling

 2 cups fresh asparagus cut into 1.2 inch pieces
1 medium onion , thinly sliced
8 mushrooms, sliced
2 T butter
4 eggs
1 cup half and half
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 t each pepper and nutmeg
1 cup grated jack cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Crust

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cold butter, cut into pieice
s1/8 t salt
1 whole egg
1 t lemon juice

1. For crust, combine flour, butter and salt in food processor. Blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
2. Add egg and lemon juice. Blend until dough just holds together.Roll into a ball. Chill for 30 minutes.
3. On floured board, roll out dough to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Flute edges or press rim with a fork. Prick crust. 
4. Bake crust at 400 F for 12 -15 minutes
5. Saute asparagus, onions, and mushrooms in butter over medium heat for 5 minutes.
6. Beat eggs, half and half, milk,salt, pepper and nutmeg thoroughly.
7. Place sauteed veggies in pre-baked crust.

8. Sprinkle with Jack cheese

9. Pour in egg mixture. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese.

10.Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or until firm in center.

Homemade yogurt in a cooler

Rita in CapeTown

For my Jessica, Joy, and Anne, God's awesome girls in my life.




Homemade yogurt in a cooler




I cannot always be there, even though I wish I could be with all my heart so we could laugh and cook together.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I have digestive issues. One of the many things that i try to incorporate in my diet is homemade yogurt. I am not a big fan of store bought yogurt for a couple of reasons. I don't like the way they taste...too sugary. Most of the time the good bacteria that is suppose to be in there is just inactive. I have much better luck with making my own.Now, in all fairness, when i was in Capetown, I will say the have the dreamiest, tastiest yogurt I have ever tasted that is from the store. While i was there, the couple that we were staying with had a passion fruit tree. I had never tasted passion fruit before, and I just love it. It is absent from Florida stores. I miss that passion fruit and the yogurt with passion fruit in it.
 Now my yogurt is tart,but I like it that way. I have tried adding flavours after it is made, but mainly prefer to put a cup of it in my nutribullet with bananas, strawberries and cherries and make a shake. I really like this.

Ingredients and supplies for 1/2 gallon milk

4 sterile pint size mason jars with lids
1 cooler large enough to house the  jars
1 thermometer
1 stainless steel pot
1 pk yogurt starter ( i like to use yogourmet found in health food stores)


Start out with a good milk. Most of the time I use good quality raw milk. When i can't get my hands on it I use organic milk.  I start with a half gallon. If you have a large family you will need more to start with. I go through a  half gallon by myself in a week's time.

Pour the milk into your stainless steel pot big enough for the milk. Turn heat on medium and let the milk slowly come up to 180 degrees using a thermometer as your guide.  Make sure your thermometer is accurate.  It will take awhile. Steam will start to rise.When the temp gets near 160 start to watch it like a hawk because there is a fine line that you can cross and your milk will separate and curdle. You do not want this to happen.
 Remove from heat and set on protected counter to cool down to 110-114. At our house, which is in Florida, this will take anywhere from an hour and a half to 2 hours depending on the current temp of the season.

While the milk is cooling, after about an hour, heat about 2 quarts of water up on the stove and let it remain there covered until time to add to the cooler. Check the temp to make sure it is not too hot...You want it to be around 112.

As the yogurt temperature draws down to 114,  get a 2 pint measuring cup out. Pour about a cup of the milk into the measuring cup and add the packet of yogurt starter. Mix well until dissolved. Add the mixture back into the pot of milk. Check your pot of water to make sure it is at 112. If too hot and cool water a cup at a time.
Pour the milk into the jars and seal with lids not too tight.

Place 2 jars in cooler..pour some of the water into the cooler. Your goal is too fill with water only up to the lids..Do not submerge the whole jar in water. Add the other jars. You may have to take out some water or add depending on water level.
Close lid and cover cooler with a large towel to double insulate. After 6-10  hours open the lid up and pull out the jars. Wipe off excess water and check to make sure the yogurt has set by tilting the jar. If set, put in fridge for a couple of hours to complete the setting of the yogurt. Enjoy.




here is the original recipe I started from

http://yogurt-everyday.com/making-yogurt.html

Shepherd pie individual size

Today my husband requested shepherds pie, individual size. I have made them many times before, so I thought i would share my doctored up recipe. My son, Jason is suppose to  be coming in tonight. I have not seen him since January. I want to make sure there is food in the house, because he sure has a healthy appetite.


5 potatoes peeled, cubed
1 stick butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 lb ground beef
1lb mushrooms
1 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves
2 onions
1 can of veg-all mixed vegetables (you can also add fresh or frozen veggies..just takes a little longer to cook if using fresh veggies.)
1/3 cup A1 sauce
2 T brown sugar
1/2 cup marsala cooking wine
1/4 cup water
1 pk frozen pastry puff, rolled out and cut into small circles the size of your bowls.

Bring water to boil in a medium saucepan. Add potatoes and boil for 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain water, reserving about a cup of the potato water. Add water back to potatoes. Mash with masher. Add butter, sour cream, salt and pepper. Whip until  smooth and tasty. Add more butter, sour cream, S&P to your taste. Set aside.
Here is a handy gadget that i use to peel potatoes. It fits on your middle finger and for me it gives me better leverage and control while peeling the potatoes.

Preheat oven to 350. Brown the beef  in a large skillet. Drain and set aside. Turn heat down to medium and add 1 T olive oil and wait until it starts to shimmer and starts to spatter when you add a sprinkle of water in the pan.That's when you know the pan is ready. Add onions and saute a few minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes until soft. Add the ground beef back into the skillet. Add the can of veggies. Mix together in a small bowl the A1 sauce, brown sugar, marsala wine and a little of flour until smooth. Add this to the skillet and mix in well. Let it all saute for a couple of minutes.. You will see the mixture start to meld as it cooks.. Add water if it looks like its going to start sticking. Let it cook for about 15 -20 minutes.

 Scoop the beef/veggie mixture into small casserole dishes. Top with mashed potatoes, making sure to close in all gaps.

 Cover mashed potatoes with the pastry puff and pinch ends all the way around the rim. Place all the casserole dishes on a cookie sheet if they will fit. I did 3 today. I put them in for 20 minutes...just enough to cook the dough and warm the insides. You can cook it longer, but you must watch the top to make sure it  doesn't burn.  These are fabulous on a cold winter night alongside a salad and some bread. Bon appetit!

Rita's shabbat bread

Today is St. Patricks Day. My oldest daughter has invited us over for dinner tonight for corned beef and veggies. I am making bread and mint chocolate brownies.

Rita's shabbat bread

• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 egg
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons yeast

Preparation

Place all ingredients in above order in bread machine. I use a 4 compartment bread pan that my friend gave me. It keeps us from eating the whole loaf at once..We use one or two per shabbat meal and freeze the rest for the following week.I line each compartment with parchment paper which i have already cut out to size. 

After dough cycle completes, cover your hands with flour and remove  the dough from the bread machine.

Cover a clean, hard surface with a little flour to  keep the dough from sticking. I use a sugar shaker with the wholes on top filled with flour for easy to grab flour. 

 Knead the dough a few minutes  and then cut into 4 pieces. 

Shape each piece individually. Spread out the piece and then flap over the ends together. Turn the dough and flap over the other ends, pinching the ends together.

 I then kind of roll the dough longways to get it to shape up a little better. Place the dough into its compartment.Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on racks.After 5 minutes, mix 1 T honey and 1T butter together. Melt in microwave f or 20 seconds. Brush the mixture over the top of the bread for a simply divine melt in your mouth experience. Remove dough from pans after 15 minutes and continue to cool on racks if you can keep it out of your mouth.
The smell of this bread is so tantalizing.

Mint chocolate brownies

My daughter invited us to dinner at her house for St. Patricks Day. She was serving corned beed and cabbage. I wanted to make chocolate mint brownies. Somehow when I was calculating the chocolate I failed to see that you need 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate and 16 T of butter in all. Luckily I had enough. My husband loved these. He actually started out not feeling good with a headache and stiff neck, but by the time desert came and he had one of these and his infamous milk with ice...he was smiling away and couldn't stop eating them.

Mint Brownies

Ingredients

For Brownies

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

For Filling

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons whipping cream
2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon mint extract
5 drops green food color
For Topping
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Whisk 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder in a small bowl.
3. Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
4. Melt 6 oz semisweet chocolates and 10 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering water.

1. Once everything is melted remove from heat and whisk in 1 cup and 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla.
2. Then add the 3 eggs, one at a time, making sure the eggs have been completely added before adding the next egg. Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth
3. Add the flour mixture to the wet batter.
4. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 35-45 minutes. Do not wait until a toothpick comes out clean you want it to have wet crumbs on it!
5. Let the brownies cool on the counter or in the fridge.
6. In a medium sized bowl combine 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons butter softened, 3 tablespoons whipping cream 2 oz cream cheese softened, 1/4 teaspoon mint extract and 5 drops green food color. Whisk until creamy.
7. Spread the filling over the cool brownies and place in the fridge to cool.

1. Melt 6 oz semisweet chocolates and 6 tablespoons of butter in a medium bowl over a pan of simmering water.
2. Once it's melted pour over the filling and tilt the pan to spread it out. Put back in the fridge to cool for an hour.
3. Enjoy!

Here is the link to the recipe I used with pictures.

http://littlebgcg.com/2012/11/mint-brownies.html

When you run out of confectioners sugar..what to do?

I was trying to make  mint chocolate brownies and i thought i had enough confectioners sugar. I needed 2.5 cups and was short 1/2 cup. I flipped the house over searching for more confectioners sugar, but couldn't find any anywhere. I usually have tons of it hanging around, because i am always making cakes for someone. So, I searched the internet and was surprised to find out i could make it by using 2 ingredients. Want to know what they are? table sugar and cornstarch.So, for every cup of table sugar, use one teaspoon of cornstarch. To prevent it from clumping up, cornstarch has been added as an anti-caking agent. This article said to use a blender, not a food processor. I have a blender, but decided to use my nutribullet instead with the milling attachment for nuts. I put 1 cup of sugar and 1 t of cornstarch and put the bullet on for 10 seconds. I couldn't believe when i opened up the top there was powdered sugar. I was ecstatic. A lot of times when i try something from the internet that someone has posted it doesn't work, but this worked fabulously. So, I was able to continue on with making the brownies without having to stop and run to the store.

Beef bolognese

 I am a big fan of spaghetti and making my own noodles and sauce. I have perfected it to my liking. When I was in Capetown recently I had beef bolognese for the first time and I absolutely could not get enough.. My new friend, Ree, and my daughter's mother in law made it for us. She shared the recipe with me but didn't give me all the measurements for the ingredients. So I tried to make it using my judgment and taste buds.

1 lb of ground beef
2 onions finely diced
1 T olive oil
3 cloves of garlic minced
1/3 cup vinegar
2 T brown sugar

2 T tomato paste
1 t paprika
1/4 cup  blackberry  wine
Water
Tsp of flour

spaghetti noodles 

Saute onions in oil with  medium heat in saute pan until soft. Add garlic and saute for one minute.Remove from pan and brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain grease and put meat back in pan.  Mix together  vinegar and flour in a small bowl. Then add tomato paste, brown sugar, and paprika  Add to the beef and stir until blended into meat. Add the wine. You do not have to add the wine, but I thought it was a little too sweet. I feel that the wine opened up all the flavours so that they melded together beautifully. Turn heat down to medium low and cook for 15 to 30 mintues..if it starts to stick to pan add a little water to help it makeit saucier. While that is cooking boil water and cook noodles according to package instructions.

Plate the noodles and ladle the meat sauce over the noodles. You can add freshly grated parmesan cheese over the sauce. Enjoy!

Foot rub tutorial

I have had numerous requests over the months about making a foot rub tutorial.  So this is for my family members and friends. I am no expert and don't even claim to be. I just do this for enjoyment and pleasure. Have a great time doing this.

On Saturdays my husband and I give each other foot rubs. I like my feet rubbed but I wanted a little bit more work done on my feet  besides just rubbing them. I began to scour the internet and youtube for different techniques used on the feet.While in Maggie Valley, North Carolina two years ago, I went to a massage therapist and told her my woes. She listened to me and kept asking me questions for over an hour before she even touched my feet. She gave me the most wonderful treatment on my feet. She used only her  hands on different points of my feet. When I do my husbands feet, my hands tire easily, so i use these tools to help conserve energy with my hands and he ends up with a good foot rub. So,this my version of the foot rub. Because I have so many digestive issues I began to study reflexology. Below is a diagram of the bottom and the top of the feet.

1. Set up:

•       The chair:
• So the first thing you wanna do is find a comfy place for the person who is getting their feet rubbed. We use  a lazy boy chair all the way laid out and foot rest up which puts my husbands feet waist level if i am sitting on a stool or low padded chair.
• Put a towel under the feet to absorb oils from seeping into chair.
•     Room ambiance:
• If you like, you can set mood music on for the "foot rubbee" . When its your turn to get your feet rubbed  you can change the music  to your liking.
• A lit aroma candle may also be pleasant for the ladies.
•  My daughter Jessica likes a blanket that has been warmed up in the dryer for a couple of minutes. I like that idea.
• She also  likes a wringed out washcloth that has been warmed up in the microwave with her choice of fragrance oil on it. I place it over her face during the foot rub.
•     Equipment:
• Set out all your equipment you will be using in order including the oils.
• We tried using an oil warmer, but that didn't work for me. It feels nice and warm to the feet, but burns the hands when trying to use it.

• massage brush

  tennis ball

  golf ball

  spikey therapy ball

  smooth stones

  pencil with an eraser

  essential oils of your chose....rosemary is very good for achy muscles

  coconut oil as a base which you add the few drops of essential oil to

  towel to place under feet to protect surface from oils

  comfy  blanket to cover up with

  pillows to prop up feet

  nice smelling candle and music to set the mood

the Procedure:

• I start with one foot at a time. I will do all of the following procedures and then switch feet and start all over again.. For me it takes 45 minutes to an hour to complete both feet.

1.  Massage brush.

• Wrap your hand in the elastic to keep it on your hand if it has one.
•  Start just below the knee and and brush down to the top of the toes using  long strokes. Continue to this for a couple of minutes just to get the circulation going. then move to the bottom of the feet.
•  If the foot rubbee  has a ticklish foot, be prepared for sudden reactions. My husband just about goes through the roof the first time I put that brush on the bottom of his feet. So, I  have learned to move slowly and not use as much pressure. After he is acclimated and no longer wants to kick me in the teeth, he can tolerate it. I will brush from the top of the toes down to the heel. Then i will move in circular motions over the foot.

2.   Tennis ball.

•  Place the ball in the palm o fyourhand and press into the foot with pressure for about 5 seconds each. Start at the toes and work your way all the way down. You can also roll the ball over the foot but beware it likes to jump out of your hand and roll on the floor. Roll it up and down on the sides of the feet and on top of the foot.

3.    Golf ball and therapy ball

•     Repeat same techniques with golf ball and therapy ball. I like the therapy ball because it feels invigorating.

4.     Smooth stones

• Place them in between each toe. They feel amazingly cool and stretch your toes out gently. With the stones in the toes, take a pencil with an eraser and start with the big toe and press into the toe at the top for 5 seconds and then release. I then move down that toe trying to get every area. Move over to the next toe and repeat until all toes are done. Work your  way down the entire foot moving across the foot and then down. When done, remove the stones.

5.    Using your hands.

•     Now its time to rub the feet with your hands. Put a little coconut oil in your hand and then add a few drops of the essential oil of your chose.
•  Rub this into the foot you are working on.
• Use gentle but firm pressure depending on the foot rubbies liking. I have more power in my thumbs so I tend to use those more.
•  Use small circular  movements with your thumbs going in opposite directions .
• You can also use your fist, driving and twisting your knuckles into the arch of the foot.

6.    Toe twists:

•  Lighlty grip each toe and turn and gently rotate it three times in each direction.
•   Support the base of the foot the whole time.

7.  Toe flex

•     Using the palm of your hand grab all the toes and bend all of them at once for about 10 seconds.
•  Reverse, flex all the toes at once. Repeat 2 more times.

8. The arch of the foot

•     Right foot facing you: start at the inside of the foot just under the bridge, where the arch starts.
•  Use only your thumbs and walk I( like an inchworm)  and scoot your thumbs across from right to left.
• When you reach the side of the foot, drop down to next row and start again right to left. Move all the way down the arch or the soft part of the foot.
• This is especially good for the colons.

9.    Ankles:

• knead in small circular movements around the ankle bone. This  helps to reduce fluid retention.

10.    Top of the feet.

• You can use the pencil eraser or your fingers. I use my fingers on my  husband feet because they are so big and i have small hands. He has to use the eraser because his fingers will  not fit in the web of my feet.
• Stroke the grooves between the tendons or web on the top of the foot.
•  Press and release from the base of the toe to the end of the groove.

11.    Foot shake:

• When i do my husbands feet I put one finger between his big toe and next toe and shake his entire foot for about  30 seconds.
• When my  husband does mine, he rests my ankle bone on the edge of the palm of his hands.
• He moves the ankle back and forth while steadying it.
• The foot should shake easily. I can't do this to my husband. His leg and foot weigh too much.

12.    Ankle socket;

•     Place the heel of the foot in one hand. With the other hand grab the bridge of the foot on the underside and pull towards yourself on the heel  as if you are water skiing and leaning back.
•     This will stretch the foot  and the leg.

13.    Toe cracks

•     Wipe off excess oil on toes.
•  Place the towel over the toes and grab each toe individually and pull straight up.
• The goal is to try and get the toes to pop, much like knuckle cracking.

14.     And there you have it. You are done with that foot.  Repeat all steps on the other foot.

For those interested I have placed on youtube 2 tutorials on this procedure in case you don't quite understand my explanations. Here is the link in case the videos don't work.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX2rwNJnvyQE9TZBemSgKs3KmHGwXrTsC&feature=mh_lolz

Tomato Basil soup

What a gorgeous day today. Woke up about 7:30 and went walking with my buddy Claudia.. It was 51 F.

I bought a bunch of large tomatoes on sale for $4.00 on Monday. We just came back in this week from Capetown and picked up some kind of stomach bug while on the many planes we rode on. We just finished the chicken noodle soup I made, so I think I will make some fresh tomato basil soup. I am not a fan of Campbells tomato soup, but when I tried tomato soup from scratch I was seriously impressed.

So  I used 4 of the 9 tomatoes. Last time I made this soup, I boiled water and dropped them the tomatoes for a minute or two and then dunked them in ice water so that the skin would detach easily. Well, I didn't feel like doing that this time. So, I just chopped up the tomatoes and gutted out the seeds. I looked for basil on my plants outside, but there was not enough to use, so I went to the freezer and dug through until i found icecube frozen basil that i had sealed in bags. I also couldn't find any tomato paste so I pulled that out of the freezer also.

  I  heated up my stockpot on medium high and added olive oil. I waited until the oil started to sizzle a little. I added 1.5 chopped red onion and 3 carrots  roughly chopped. I sauted it for 10 minutes. Then I added 3 garlic cloves minced for one minute. I then added the tomatoes, 3 cups  chicken stock, salt and pepper, 1/3 c sugar, basil and tomato paste. I brought it to a boil and let that cook for 40 minutes.

When it was done, I added 3/4 cup of heavy cream and  transferred the soup in batches to a blender  to process. Tip to those that try to do this...Only fill it up halfway and keep your hand on the blender otherwise you will have a big mess when you push the power button for the first time. Out of the top of the blender it will spew everywhere like a volcano erupting. What a mess. Now, seriously I know to keep my hand on the top and it was there just not firm enough.

After cleaning up the mess, I continued to process the soup in batches until it was all done. I then returned it to the pot and turned the heat down to low. I think  I will make croutons a little later today and also tomato, cheese bruschetta to go with it..yum yum...

Here is the recipe I  used from Barefoot Contessa.

• 3 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
• 2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Croutons, for garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Strawberry freezer jam

Today I wanted to try to make freezer jam. I bought a bunch of strawberries that were on sale. In the past I have tried making preserves by the canning method and most of the time it fails. I have had one or two successes with getting the strawberries to gel right. I had heard that freezing was much simpler, so I decided to give it a go.
I searched high and lo on pinterest for a good recipe. Here is the recipe I used

 http://comfortablydomestic.com/2011/06/20/easy-strawberry-freezer-jam/

When I went to go look for my pectin, I realized that I had "ball" classic pectin and not instant pectin...so off to the store I went. I came back...washed and hulled the strawberries.

 Dropped them into the food processor and pulsed  5 times and then a few more times until it looked right to me...not pureed, still a little chunky. I transferred the strawberries to a big bowl. I then mixed together 1.5 cups of sugar and  5 T of instant pectin in  a separate bowl. I added this mixture to the strawberries and mixed  until the sugar was dissolved. Then, I continued to mix for 3 minutes. Next, I ladled the jam into plastic and glass containers leaving 3/4 inch head space. I set them out on the table to rest and gel. As I was writing this I realized I had failed to put the lids on, so I put the lids. So, if anyone is following this,  make sure to put the lids on after putting the jam in the jars...Duh...They are still sitting on my table, 2 ready to go into the freezer and one into the refridge...Yum yum...can't wait to taste.