Orange, Pineapple, Mango Jam aka Sunshine in a jar.

I seriously love this stuff, it is one of the jams that I could just eat out of the jar, and may have on occasion haha.

I got several oranges in my bountiful baskets and decided to make up some of this and some Orange chili jam ( I will post that recipe in a couple days).
Start with about 4 pounds of oranges, cut the ends and then half then quarter slice out the pit and seeds then cut the quarter in half then slice into 3 pieces,

Put in pan  add 4 cups water 1 can crushed pineapple ( 1 jar if you have your own canned) 1 can of mangos or about 3 fresh chopped mangos.

cook for about for about 1 hour .

 Add 6 cups of water and 9 cups sugar

Cook down for about another hour then use a hand blender and puree.

 Add 2 packs of sure jell bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add to sterilized pint jars, water bath for 10 minutes.

 

 

Orange, Pineapple, Mango Jam 

 

 4 Pounds Oranges

1 Can crushed pinapple

1 can chopped mangos or 3 fresh chopped

4 cups water

9 cups sugar

6 cups water

2 packs Sure Jell

 

Cut the ends, then half, then quarter, slice out the pit and seeds of oranges then cut the quarters in half and slice into 3 pieces,

 

Put oranges in pan add 4 cups water,crushed pineapple, and mangos. Cook down for about an hour . Add 9 cups water and sugar cook down for about another hour. Then use a hand blender and puree. Add 2 packs of sure jell bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add to sterilized pint jars, water bath for 10 minutes.

 

 

 

Make Your Own 57 Steak Sauce

 

 

I think this taste just like store bought without all the extra ingredients. It is pretty easy to make also. Plus one less thing to have to go to the store for.

 

MYO 57 Steak Sauce

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup water
1 1/3 cups white vinegar
1 cup tomato paste
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbls. prepared mustard
2 tsp. apple juice, frozen concentrate 1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. turmeric

Start by putting the raisins and the water in a blender (or a nuti bullet ) blend until smooth. Measure out 1/4 cup of the puree.

 

 

 

 

Pour into a medium sized sauce pan, add the other ingredients, mix well, heat on a medium high heat to a good boil.

 

 

 

 

 

Reduce heat and simmer for 1/2 an hour or until thick. Let cool and refrigerate covered for at least 24 hours before using.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheddar Hamburger Spaghetti

This is suppose to have chicken in it but as I have mentioned before Andy doesn't like chicken so I have to use hamburger instead.

Brown 1 pound of hamburger add 2 cans of cream of chicken soup ( I make my own) 11/2 cups milk 1/2 tea. salt 1/2 tea. pepper.

add 2 cups shredded cheese

add I package ( 16 oz) cooked spaghetti ( I break them in half before I cook them) mix well.

pour into a 9 x 13 pan If needed mix a little better.

Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top

 

 

and bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cheddar chicken hamburger spaghetti

1 package (16oz) spaghetti ( broken in half)
1 pound hamburger
3 cups cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tea. salt
1/2 tea pepper

Cook spaghetti according to package. Meanwhile brown hamburger then add soup, milk, 2 cups cheese, mix well. Drain spaghetti and add, mix well pour into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake uncovered in a 350 oven for 30 to 35 minutes

C

Navajo Fry Bread and Navajo Tacos

We love Fry Bread although I don't make it as often as my family would like. Mine is ok not as good as my Step Moms or my sister's but passable and I use a mixer and a roller instead of by hand and then patting it out by hand, never could get the hang of it. [ My Step Mom says my hands are the wrong color haha]. Any how here is how I make it.

 

Navajo Fry Bread 

4 cups flour

2 Tbs. baking powder

1 1/2 tea. salt

3/4 cup powder milk

1 1/2 Tbs. shortening

2 to 21/2 cups very warm water

 

 

You can mix this by hand or in the mixer.

First add all you dry ingredients.

 

Mix together

 

Then add your shortening [you can use lard if you want] and mix.

After the shortening is mixed in slowly add your water it needs to be very warm not so hot it burns your hands but almost hot.

 

Mix or knead until  a soft dough is formed then knead or mix for a few more minutes.

 

 

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a flat ball.

 

 

Grease your bowl and put the dough back in.

 

Cover with a warm damp towel and place in a warn place to rest for about 10 to 15 minutes.

 

Pinch off medium apple sized balls.

 

Pat out with hand or use a rolling pin to about 1/8 to 1/16 of an inch you don't want it to thin or it will be crunchy. 

 

Put about 1/2 inch of shortening in you pan and heat to almost  smoking [needs to be very hot]. cook until golden brown then turn. 

 

and cook until golden brown on the other side.

 Let sit a few minutes before serving so they can soften a little.

 

For Navajo Tacos put a piece of bread on a plate and cover with Chile then top with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. Yummy Yummy.

 

Sometime when I fix mine or smaller kids I will tear the bread before I cover with chili, then you don't have to try and cut it when all put together.   

 

How to make Dandelion Tea

Somebody asked me how to make dandelion tea so I thought I would do a quick post on it. I can’t post pictures since our dandelions are not growing yet.

You can make tea from the leaves , flowers or root.

For fresh leaves use about a 1 to 2 ratio ½ cup leaves to 1 cup water.
Put leaves in pan and cover with water let boil about 3 minutes then strain and add sweetener of your choice. You can drink it hot or iced.

You can also dry the leaves for storage to have year round. If using dried leaves use 2 Tablespoon dried leaves per cup of water.

　

You can add the blossoms to the leaves if you would like or you can make a tea with just the blossoms. I found this recipes over at http://wellnessmama.com/4505/iced-lime-dandelion-tea/

I haven’t tried it yet, but can’t wait to, it sounds so good
Lime & Dandelion Tea
1 quart of dandelion flowers (or more)- Pick them fresh and use immediately so they don’t wilt! Get only the yellow parts, and pull off any leaves (use in salads) or stems
3 quarts of cold water
1 cup of hot (not quite boiling) water
The juice of 3-4 limes
2-3 tablespoons dried stevia leaf or sweetener or choice (honey, cane sugar, etc, to taste)
1/2 cup dried red raspberry leaf (optional)

In a jar or cup, pour the hot water over the stevia leaf and dried red raspberry leaf using) and stir well. If using another sweetener, put it in the warm water instead. Let steep 5-8 minutes and then strain off the herbs.

Pour the sweetened liquid from the stevia

Add the Dandelion flowers and mix gently. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or until completely chilled and serve. You can strain out the flowers or pour them into the cups. Bonus points if you freeze them into ice cubes for decoration!
You can also make a tea with the roots most people dry the roots but you can use the fresh root if you like. If using fresh roots clean and chop add 2 tablespoons fresh root each cup of water.

To dry the roots start by washing the fresh roots make sure they are clean you may need to soak them in water for a little while to help get the dirt off.

Preheat your oven to 150. In the meantime chop you roots into about ½ inch pieces spread the roots on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven to dry about 2 hours when they are brittle turn the oven up to 375 degrees and cook them for another 10 minutes. Use 1 Tablespoon of root per cup of water. Put the root in the water and bring to a boil and simmer for 5 to ten minutes until desired strength. Drain off the roots and add a sweetener of you choice, you could also add some cinnamon , Ginger or lemon if you would like..
You can also make a tea with the whole plant make sure it is clean chop in to smaller pieces then add 1 ½ cup dandelions to a pot and cover with 3 cups water then add a pinch of baking soda and boil for 3 to 4 minutes strain add sweetener of your choice you can add some lemon , cinnamon or ginger if you would like.

If you would prefer Dandelion coffee there is a real good recipe here .

　

Canning Pickled Beets

We didn't plant any beets this year but Travis gave us a bag of them so I was able to do up a few.


10 to 15 med sized beets
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1 tea. allspice
1Tbl. cinnamon
1 tea. cloves


Start by washing the beets. Then put in a large pot cover with water and cook until fork tender. Depending on the size it can take 30 minutes to a couple hours.

 

Take out and put into a bowl then peel the peels should just slid off. Some of the larger ones you will have to peel.

 

Then slice into  about 1/4 inch slices or you can cube them.

Pack into your jars.

I wait until I see how many jars I have then I can figure if I need to make more juice for them.

 

In a med pan combine your sugar, water, vinegar, cloves,allspice,cinnamon.and cloves. Bring to a boil and boil for about 10 minutes. Make sure the sugar is all dissolved.

 

 

Pour liquid in the jars over the beets leave a 1/2 inch head space.

 

 

 

run a nonmetallic utensil down inside the jars to remove the air bubbles. Wipe jar tops and threads clean. Put hot lids and rings on jars  process in a waterbath canner for 30 minutes.

I like to let mine sit a month or so I don't know if is necessary to but I always do.

 

I got 8 pints out of that bag not to bad.

 

 

Make Your Own Cream Soups

This is so easy to make, and if you have the mix already to go it only takes a few minutes to make. You will never have to worry about not having cream soup for your recipes plus you will know just what is in it.

Homemade cream soup

2 cups instant non fat dry milk powder
1 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup instant low sodium chicken bouillon granules
2 Tbsp. dried onion flakes or powder
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in airtight container.
To substitute for one can of soup, combine 1/3 cup of the mix and 1-1/4 cups cold water. Whisk well, and cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Add to casseroles as you would the canned product. I also make it with Beef bouillon granules as I cook more with beef then with chicken

Mushroom soup: Add ½ cup finely chopped or dried mushrooms
Celery soup: Add ½ cup minced celery or dehydrated
Chicken soup add ½ cup diced chicken or dehydrated
or you can add any think you would like or use as is.

Start with 2 cups powder milk

 

Add 1 cup Corn Starch

 

Add 1/4 cup Chicken Bouillon granules

 

2 Tbs dried onion flakes or powder

 

1/2 tea. Pepper

 

Mix Well

 

Store in a airtight container

 

 

 

 

To Use

Add 1/3 cup of mix to 11/4 cups cold water.

 

 

miw well and put over a medium heat.

 

Heat and stir until it starts to thicken

 

Bring to a slow boil until thick

 

It is kind of hard to see but it is thickened  take off heat and use as you would canned cream soup.

Now that you can make your own it is one less thing to take up room in your storage and pantry.