SUMMER CANNING

We are canning and freezing everything that doesn't move. My son better watch out, if he sits in front of the TV to long...soup him up. So here are some jar labels I just made. Enjoy.

Download it HERE

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Guilt Free Pumpkin Bread

Okay, I admit it. I love it when I bake. I love the fact that it is usually gone before 9 am, when I bring it in to the office. I love the little messages of how I am a goddess. I hate the winter and being cooped up is really not me. Last night I had to cancel my training session with my Boxing coach because of the weather. The beautiful early afternoon snow turned ugly when it froze over by 5pm. Of course, our street crews didn't know what to do with it. I saw three accidents and had to do a curb check to stop at one intersection. So as a public service I went home and baked.

Here is what I was working on.

The Recipe:
Ribbon Pumpkin Bread
1 C Pumpkin
1/2 C unsweetened Applesauce
1 Egg
2 Egg Whites
1 T Oil
1 2/3 C Flour
1 1/4 C Sugar
1/2 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Cinnamon
1/2 TSP  Cloves
1/3 C Walnuts (optional)

Filling:
6 oz reduced fat cream cheese
1/4 C Sugar
1 T flour
2 egg whites


1. Make Filling set aside
2. In a mixing bowl combine pumpkin, applesauce, eggs, and oil. Add the flour, sugar and spices in half increments. Stir in nuts.
3. Pour half the batter into a greased pan and layer the cream cheese and back to the rest of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.Cool for 10 minutes.


The hardest thing about working with colored bread is just realizing it is colored. The first one I did was not done, and turned out more like lava cake. I always feel like I am burning the bread to get it done. It is an exercise in trust.

Credits: Guilt Free Cookbook,
Thanks Eric Maxwell for your ready camera and the awesome pictures. I will make more promise. Here is a link to his little project http://ericmaxwell365.blogspot.com/ 

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Cold and Crusty Outside, Crusty Inside?

So I am in love with canning and freezing foods. Especially when they can become my favorite comfort foods. I have been craving chicken potpie, that will have to be another days work. So I made 3 piecrusts for the freezer. Here is the recipe:

     3 C. All Purpose Flour

     1/2 tsp. Salt

     1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

     1/2 lb Lard

Pretty Simple.
1. Put the dry ingredients in the food processor and then add the lard. Pulse. I cannot stress this enough, pulse. It needs to incorporate and if your not careful the food processor will sling the dough around and not incorporate. Dough resembles coarse crumbs.

2. Put flour on the clean surface and divide the dough into 3 equal balls. I add a bunch of flour to the dough, because nothing is more disgusting and annoying than trying to get dough into a bag or out of. However when you are ready to bake add a couple of spoonfuls of water.

The image above, is showing my Tupperware piecrust sizing sheet, the circles are how large to make the dough. I always check before I freeze to make sure it will actually make the correct size. Because there is nothing worse than not freezing enough dough.

Now for your smile of the day, below are sock monkey slippers, yes there is flour on them and dough on the floor. Just a hint, clean the kitchen afterwards, not before.

 Some days the sock monkeys log more mileage than my shoes. Sad, but its winter.

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