A Jam Good Time

I realize that there a lot of posts out there on how to make jam but I wanted to share a few of my, well let's just call them calculated mistakes. I am a Splenda junkie, now I know there is some controversy on Splenda but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. With that said I was wanted to make a low sugar/no sugar jam that everyone in my family could enjoy whether they can't have sugar or they are anti-Splenda. I found this great pectin that said on the package "No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin" which was exactly what I was looking for. I started by picking 4 quarts of strawberries from a local farm that had pick-your-own. I was a bit late in the season but I managed to find the ripest, freshest strawberries left in the well picked patch.

I started by capping (cutting the green top off) the strawberries and mashing them with a potato mashed until they reached the chunkiness I like in my jam.

Once I had the strawberries all mashed up I turned to the directions on the package for freezer jam because I think that it taste so much fresher from the freezer. After reading the directions on the package I saw this little box in the corner and after looking at it I realized it was guidelines for adding sugar… hmmm. So I decided I was going to try the honey substitution and then I made a few batches with no sugar. I ended up making A LOT more jam then expected but I am very excited to have strawberry jam in January. A few tips from my experience in jam making.

1. Clean and dry all your jars/containers before starting the cooking process.
2. Follow the directions exactly, including the exact amounts of ingredients.
3. Fill the jars, leaving ½" for expansion in the freezer.
4. Clean the rim with a damp cloth to allow for the best seal to keep in the freshness
5. KEY TIP!!!! Only make ONE (1) batch at a time. Doubling the recipe could prevent the jam from setting properly.
6. ENJOY!

Happy Jamming!

Sammy Gene

Taco Soup

Mexican is my all time favorite type of food. So when in a pinch I love to create with my taco seasoning. What you will need:

 2 cups shredded chicken (rotisserie or precooked)
1 jar salsa (any kind)
1 jar taco sauce (or tomato juice whichever is handy)
2 cups frozen corn
A few shakes of taco seasoning (to taste)
A few shakes of chili powder (to taste)
2 avocados
1 lime
1 cup sour cream, plus a few scoops for garnish
Shredded cheddar cheese

In a large pot over medium high heat add chicken, salsa, taco sauce (save a table spoon for guacamole), and corn. Let the ingredients simmer for a half hour, then add the taco seasoning and chili powder to taste, one cup sour cream, and cover for another half hour. In the meantime cut the avocados. In a small bowl add taco seasoning, a tablespoon of taco sauce, and a tablespoon of lime juice mix and stick in the fridge. Back to the soup, if the 'soup' is not soupy enough add a little tomato juice to loosen things up. After all the flavors have had time to merge you are ready to serve. Scoop soup into a bowl and garnish with the guacamole, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

On this beautiful evening I also made some ice coffee for the Hubby and myself! Yummmmm

Oh and the tater-tots, that is where the meal planning process started so I felt the need for follow through (as mentioned before I am not planner)! Happy eating!

 Sammy Gene

Got Buns Hun

One kitchen appliance I find incredibly addicting is my hand-me-down bread maker. In the past few months I have blown through the standard book of recipes that come with the machine and I have started to get a little creative by adding a few spices here and spiced olive oil versus plain olive oil there. One lesson I learned the hard way (or should I say the sticky way) is when the recipe calls for bread flour it is a good idea to stick with that. I tried to substitute all-purpose flour for bread flour and the result was a sticky dough ball. Not to worry I rescued that little guy by kneading in a little more flour and letting it rise just a bit longer.

The lesson here is that BAKING is like chemistry (you can tell everyone you are a chemist in the kitchen), the recipes are mixtures with precise amounts of each ingredient that will react in such a way to produce an end-product that resembles (or in some cases slightly resembles) the picture in the cook book. Altering a baking recipe will alter the outcome causing a so-called "flop". I have flopped many times, I am not big on pre-viewing the recipe before starting the baking process, therefore usually missing one key ingredient. Below are a few tricks that I have found work in a pinch for key ingredients:

• 1 cup milk: 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water, or 1 cup nonfat milk, or 1 cup water plus 1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
• All-purpose flour: An equal amount of whole wheat flour can be substituted in some breads, cookies and bars; texture will be coarser
• Flour, self-rising: An equal amount of all-purpose flour plus 1 Tsp. baking powder, 1/2 Tsp. salt, and 1/4 Tsp. baking soda (the things you learn the hard way)
• 1 Tsp. baking powder: 1/2 Tsp. baking soda plus 1/2 Tsp. cream of tarter
• 1 cup half and half: 7/8 cup milk plus 3 Tbsp. margarine or butter, or 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 egg: 1 Tsp. cornstarch plus 1/4 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 Tbsp. molasses

So the key is to follow the recipe and if you are missing one of those key ingredients do not omit it entirely or alter the amount. Some recipe books have a section in the back with key substitutes to help in a pinch. Happy Baking!!

Sammy Gene Y