Home Canned Sweet and Sour Sauce

This is one of our family's favortie ways to use up garden produce. We've outgrown the pint-size jars and so this year I chose to can this sauce in 3 cup jars. I didn't even know they existed until I started searching for them, knowing a quart of sauce would be too much. They are as tall as quart jars, but skinnier. I hope they will be the perfect size for our needs.

Mexican Garden Goulash in the Slow Cooker

We had just a few garden items left including tomatoes, onions, and green peppers. I created this dish to help use them up before they spoiled. It makes a large batch which is perfect to make dinner prep non-existant another night. Just freeze any leftovers in meal size portions and reheat another night.

Hearty Sausage and Red Lentil Soup

With the temperatures beginning to cool off, the warmth of a good hearty soup fills the need for dinner. Serve with some hot biscuits or homemade bread along with a green salad and you've got a full meal.

Pumpkin Cream Pie

You know that if this pie showed up at the next potluck dinner, you would want to serve you up a piece before anything else just to make sure you got one. As you can see, it was devoured at our house almost before I was able to capture a picture of the final piece!

Bacon-wrapped Chicken Skewers

This is the all-time favorite skewer dinner at our house! I'm not claiming it to be the healthiest recipe out there since it does contain bacon, but oh, it is soooo good. We end up having it a few times each summer and sometimes in the winter. It is often requested for birthdays and other special occasions.

Chicken Salad for a Crowd

I am finding myself feeding a crowd more and more frequently as my family grows. I am the second of nine children so I'm sure my parents felt like they were feeding a crowd everyday! Now that most of my siblings are married and have kids of their own our numbers have grown exponentially. We are blessed to have 6 of the 9 siblings living in this area

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

We have many family members with food allergies so it can be challenging to feed them when they come for a visit. I always like to do my best at being a hostess and allow my sister-in-laws a bit of a break from planning all the meals so they can have a bit of a vacation. They always jump in and help in the preparation of meals when they are here, but they are so thankful that the planning and shopping has been done.

Freezer to Crockpot Mediterranean Chicken

Isn't it the loveliest of all pictures? This is another meal we enjoyed during our kitchen remodel when I was cooking in a crockpot on the bathroom counter and eating on paper plates in the basement. The activity tablecloth is on the table since the other half of the space was being used to paint a school project. Ahh - the joys of remodeling! During that remodel, I learned to love the freezer to crockpot method. It was the only way we survived the remodel with home-cooked food! It has made my life since the remodel so much easier also. I serve a freezer to crockpot meal at least once a week to free up my dinner prep time to be used shuttling kids to and from events.

Taco Pulled Pork

This is a quick and easy way to flavor meat for tacos, tostadas, burritos, chimichangas, etc. We often use pork, but you can easily do it with chicken or beef as well. Start by cooking your meat long enough that it will pull apart. You'll find my instructions for cooking pulled pork here. I always have some unflavored pulled pork in the freezer to use as the base for meals. 

Coconut Syrup

If you are looking for something to add pizzazz to your traditional pancake breakfast, look no further! This coconut syrup is amazing! It also tastes great drizzled over cake or ice cream. My cousin's wife served it this summer on a camping trip and I have been craving it ever since.

Freezer to Crockpot Honey Mustard Pork Roast

Now that school is in full swing and the kids keep me busy between the hours of 4-6:00 pm, I am back to loving my freezer to crock pot meals! I purchased a package of pork roasts a few weeks back. The total package weighed just over 5 lbs and there were two pieces in it. I made this recipe and I also packaged up a Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast to use another time.

I let the meal thaw and then placed it in the crockpot at about 3:00 on high. I did cut the roast in half knowing that I was getting a bit of a late start. (I knew two smaller pieces of meat would cook faster than one larger piece.) I basted the roast a couple of times during the cooking process, but otherwise I was free to help kids with homework, piano practice, etc.

Just before serving, I sliced it up and drizzled a little of the thickened sauce over the top. Simple and delicious. I served mashed potatoes and green salad on the side.

Freezer to Crockpot Honey Mustard Pork Roast
2-3 lb pork roast 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 small clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons Dijon or regular mustard

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Add just before cooking:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a gallon ziplock bag. Knead until well mixed. Add the pork roast. Label bag with instructions to add 1 Tbsp cornstarch just before cooking. Freeze. Thaw before cooking. Dump everything into the crockpot. Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and add to crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Coconut Crispy Ice Cream Crunch

We all need a dessert recipe in our collection that allows us to make it well ahead of the occasion. This is a perfect one for that! You can trade it up by choosing a different flavor of ice cream. Using gluten-free rice crispies makes it a gluten-free choice. This is one recipe I turn to when my family members come to visit who have celiac disease and have to avoid all gluten - (Dessert without gluten is tricky to pull off for those of us who don't have to think about it everyday. It would also work as an egg-free dessert which is also tricky to think of on the spot.) It's ready in a snap and can be pulled out of the freezer whenever you need it. This was my version of a gluten-free birthday cake. I made one using Mountain Blackberry Ice Cream and another using Maple Nut. Both were delicious and devoured!

Coconut Crispy Ice Cream Crunch
½ cup butter or margarine	2 cups flaked coconut
½ cup brown sugar, packed	1 cup chopped nuts, optional
3 cups crisp rice cereal	½ gallon ice cream, softened (any flavor)
In a pan over medium heat, cook butter and brown sugar until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Press half of mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Spread ice cream over crust and top with remaining mixture.  Freeze until firm.

Sautéed Garden Vegetables

Side dishes during garden season are quick and easy. We enjoyed grilled hamburgers with fresh corn on the cob grown at my brother's house and a zucchini carrot stir-fry - simple and delicious!

To sauté vegetables, pour 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add sliced zucchini and carrots. I also like to add 2-3 Tbsp chopped onion. Heat to med high and cook, stirring occasionally until veggies are tender. Season with your favorite mix of herbs. We love a garlic herb mix we can get in bulk at our local grocery store. Simple and delicious!

Note: If you lost your zucchini in the garden jungle and it grew too big, just scoop the seeds out before slicing. It still sautés up to be delicious.

Raspberry Syrup with Ultra Gel

We got to pick my parent's raspberry patch recently. It is a highlight of the summer - the kids are getting old enough that they can actually be helpers and know that we will make some delicious items with what we pick. I often make freezer jam with all of them, but this year I decided to make some raspberry syrup as well. 

I stretched my berry puree with applesauce for the syrup just like I do with the freezer jam recipe. I used about 6 cups of berry puree and 2 cups of applesauce to get my 8 cups of fruit puree called for in the recipe. It was a little bit of guessing since I just poured some puree into my 2 qt measuring bowl and added applesauce and tasted to make sure it still tasted as much like raspberries as I wanted. You can use all berry puree if you want to. The applesauce just stretches the more expensive berries and we can make more syrup or jam that way.

This recipe is very versatile. You can use whatever variety or mix of fruit puree you would like. You can also buy the frozen juice concentrate at the store and turn it into syrup - let your imagination dictate the flavor you want to try.

Soft Set Jelly/Syrup
8 cups fruit juice or puree	1 cup corn syrup
½ cup lemon juice	1 ½–2 cups Ultra Gel*
4 cups sugar
Combine fruit puree and lemon juice in a non-reactive pan. Combine sugar with 1 cup ultra gel and then add to fruit puree. Sweeten to taste with corn syrup (or honey or agave nectar - use the sweetener that you prefer) Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in additional ultra gel gradually until it reaches the thickness you desire - leave it thinner for syrup or thicker for jelly. Return to heat and boil 1 minute. Ladle into jars immediately and process for 35 minutes in hot water bath. Makes approximately 5 ½ pints. *Ultra Gel is the same as ultra sperse and instant clear-jel and these can be used interchangeably as the thickener in the above recipe. **This recipe can be frozen instead of processed with great results. ***If you are on a sugar-free diet, use whatever you desire to sweeten this syrup. Just store it in the freezer instead of canning it since we are cautioned against canning an untested recipe.

Taco Filling or Taco Soup for 100

Every now and then, I get the assignment to be in charge of feeding a large crowd. Sometimes it is a family reunion, a neighborhood party, or a church social. I decided I should start recording what I did so I could refer back to it the next time an assignment comes around. I figured there were others out there like me. You could easily reduce this recipe if you didn't have such a large crowd. It freezes very well so I always make it ahead and store in the fridge or freezer until the day of the event. When ready to serve, just heat and eat. This served 100 when we had about 40 kids in our group. If you were serving only adults, you should plan on it feeding 80.

Taco Filling for 100

4 lbs dry red beans (or pinto)

4 cups brown rice

10 lbs hamburger

2 large onions, chopped

2 cups taco seasoning mix

1-2 lbs frozen corn

3 #10 cans crushed tomatoes

Toppings - 

6-9 lbs of lettuce salad mix (2-3 large bags lettuce from Costco)

2 quarts Ranch dressing

4 lbs sour cream

3-4 lbs shredded cheese

2 quarts salsa

9 lbs tortilla chips (3 large bags of Costco tortilla chips)

Soak and cook the dry beans. Cook the brown rice. Brown the hamburger with the onions. (See my trick on how to do this large quantity here.) Mix the beans, rice and hamburger with the remaining ingredients. Store in gallon ziplock bags until ready to heat and serve. It fills 6-7 gallon bags. This mixture freezes well so you can do it well ahead of the big day.


To serve - Place tortilla chips on the plate and top with taco mix. Add additional toppings as desired. This mix could also be rolled in flour tortillas.


To make taco soup, add 2 more #10 cans of crushed tomatoes, adjust taco seasoning amount to taste, and add water if needed. Serve in bowls and top with chips and other toppings as desired.

Frosted Meatloaf

We were invited to a 50s themed party recently. We were asked to bring potluck dishes that were popular in the 50s. I had to do a little research. Jello molds, casseroles, and meatloaf were all options I came up with. I was intrigued by a recipe titled "Frosted Meatloaf." I had never heard of this before. With a little more searching, I learned that frosted meatloaf is a traditional meatloaf with mashed potatoes on top - frosted like a cake. My husband decided this is what he wanted to try.

I turned to my favorite recipe for meatloaf. You can use whatever recipe you like. Just bake as directed.

Once removing from the oven, top with warm mashed potatoes. I dressed up some instant mashed potatoes with a little sour cream and chives from the garden.

Then sprinkle with grated cheese. Return to the oven if needed to melt the cheese.

Slice and serve.

The family loved it when I made one for a trial run. We then made another the next week for the party. It was a hit! 

You can very easily make extra meatloaf mixture and store it in the freezer to make preparation go quickly the next time you would like to serve it. I always use at least 3 lbs of hamburger when I am doing this. Since you can form the mixture into meatballs, meatloaf, or hamburgers you have lots of options, but you only have to get your hands dirty the one time.

Salsa Verde Shredded Chicken

We love chicken cooked this way! I use it in many Mexican style dinners and it is so easy to cook up a large batch.

I place 5-6 frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot. Then I dump in a bottle of salsa verde. We like the mild version, but you can make it as spicy as you like. I add 1-2 tsp of chicken bouillon. That's it - put the lid on and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. To prepare ahead and freeze, just combine everything in a gallon ziplock bag. To use, thaw and cook as above.

When you can poke a fork into the chicken and twist easily, you know the chicken is ready for shredding.I lift it out of the crockpot and into a casserole dish so the juices don't get all over the place while I shred it with two forks. (Reserve all the remaining liquid in the crockpot - the next post will tell you how I turn it into delicious enchilada filling.)

Here is my pile of shredded chicken. I usually plan it so that I use some of the chicken for dinner and freeze the rest for another night. To freeze, allow to cool completely and bag in freezer ziplock bags or containers.

You can top a taco salad, roll some in a burrito, make enchiladas, bake up some chicken nachos, top a tostada, use it in white chicken chili - really your options are about limitless. 

You can do the same thing with red salsa or picante sauce. You can also substitute pork roast for the chicken. It really is that simple - 

First Garden Harvest

Emma helped me pick our first harvest last week - onions! They are volunteers and have grown so tall they are getting seed heads on top. We pulled up about 10 and left a few other smaller ones still in the garden. We really just planted the garden last week so it seems strange to be able to harvest the same day we were planting.

We washed those onions and chopped them up. Some we froze to save for salsa making day when the tomatoes and peppers are ready and some we used to make my grandmother's recipe for potato salad. 

I call it a recipe, but there really isn't a recipe. My grandmother died when I was only 9 years old, but her salad still makes it to family get togethers. My aunts shared the directions with me. Mix together cooked potatoes, chopped hard boiled eggs, chopped dill pickles, and chopped onion. Add mayonnaise and a little mustard for the dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

Decorate the top with additional sliced eggs and a sprinkle of paprika, if desired. 

Knowing that my grandmother lived on a small family farm and always planted a garden, I'm sure she used some funky shaped onions in this salad over the years. When you grow your own food, you don't care what shape it is, you just enjoy it!

Freezer to Crockpot Taco Soup

A warm bowl of taco soup is a hit at our house from the cool, Fall days of October through the chilly, windy, Spring days in April. It is a great meal to prepare ahead and have ready to throw in the crockpot for an easy weeknight meal.

I made a couple of these meals before the remodel began. To cook, just allow to thaw or defrost in the microwave.

Throw in the crockpot and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3. It really just needs to be heated through so if you are in a real big hurry, just throw it in the microwave. The flavors have had a good time to blend during the time it was in the freezer so the slow cooking process is not really needed.

Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese as toppers. 

We love to sprinkle in a few Fritos as a final step. Delicious!

As a freezer meal, I combine all the ingredients below in a ziplock bag. Once it has thawed, I add the water. It couldn't be easier on a hectic weeknight and all the family loves it!

Taco Soup
2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed	1–2 tsp taco seasoning
2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes	1 Ranch seasoning packet, optional
1 (15 oz) can corn, drained	¼ cup dry onions
1 lb hamburger
Combine all ingredients in a pan or crockpot. Add water depending on how much liquid you like. Heat through. You can use 3 cups precooked dry beans—kidney, pinto, or red beans work equally as well. The leftovers freeze very well.

Freezer to Crockpot Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast

Another successful freezer to crockpot recipe. This method is quickly becoming something to love. You don't always have 5-6 weeks without a kitchen like we are living through right now with our remodel, but everyone always has at least one day each week with some reason why preparing dinner just won't work into the schedule. This method of preparing quite a few meals all at once and then freezing them for later can help us eat healthier and stay within our food budget since we wont' be feeling the need to run out for take-out or fast food. I've decided I will probably keep a few of these meals in my freezer all the time even after the new kitchen is done.

Freezer to Crockpot Cranberry Lemon Pork Roast

2-3 lb pork roast

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1 16oz can whole berry cranberry sauce

1 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp cornstach (added later)

Place all ingredients into a gallon ziplock freezer bag except for the cornstarch. Label bag with instructions to add 2 Tbsp cornstarch just before cooking. Thaw before cooking. Dump everything into the crockpot. Mix cornstarch with a little cold water and add to crockpot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.