Christmas Pepper Jelly

Thanks to the mass marketing commercials, advertisements and decorations that have been bombarding us the past several weeks, there's no surprise that the Christmas season is fast approaching & gift giving is on everyones minds. Although we had already done our Christmas shopping months ago, we still have a few things that we are going to make to add to it. I just love homemade gifts. So today I took a few minutes to whip up a batch of jelly that we plan to give out next month. It's not only easy & festive, it's super tasty. This is really good served over a block of cream cheese with crackers.

Christmas Pepper Jelly

3 jalapeno peppers
8 small green bell peppers
1-1/2 c. vinegar
6-1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 box (2 pkgs - 3 oz. each) liquid pectin
3-4 drops green food coloring
6 half pint canning jars with seals & bands

Wash jars and boil in a water bath canner to sterilize.


Using a small knife, remove stems and seeds from jalapenos & bell peppers. Slice into thin strips.


Transfer sliced peppers to a food processor. Pour in 1 c. vinegar. Pulse until mixture is well blended.


Transfer mixture to a medium stock pot. Add in remaining 1/2 c. vinegar, sugar and cayenne pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil.


Pour in pectin and stir. Bring back to a boil and let boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly.


Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Add in food coloring and stir.


Immediately ladle into hot jars leaving a 1/4" headspace. Wipe rims to remove any spillage. Place seal and band over each jar. Tighten to fingertip tight. using jar tongs carefully place filled jars back into canner and fill with enough water to cover to jars. Bring to a full rolling boil and let process for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water bath and allow to cool. Listen for the "ping" sound to make sure jars have properly sealed.


Click HERE for printable recipe

Pampered Chef - A Taste From Memory Lane

Back in 1993 I was introduced to the Pampered Chef home show circuit. Not really knowing what it was all about I attended my first party. Ok, it's kitchen stuff and that is right up my alley so needless to say I was instantly hooked. Back then I was still single and living on my own, so my kitchen repertoire was not as filled as it is now, so I signed up to host my own party in hopes of being able to get a few free items or at least a discount towards my purchase. Once my party sales were in, I was overwhelmed by my outcome. I had nearly $1000 in sales and was able to get a ton of stuff for free and my discount was huge. I was able to get nearly every piece of the classic stoneware for free! What I did buy out of pocket was dirt cheap so I really raked in.

Now, that was over 16 years ago, so...do I still use my Pampered Chef items? I most certainly do!! In fact, I was never so happy to move to our new home last year. Our old house had a nice kitchen but it was next to none in the cupboard department. So needless to say from the time I moved from my apartment and then married and traded up to our house, kitchen space was very limited. My pampered chef stoneware stayed in their boxes and were stored on the shelves in our garage. Each time I wanted to use them I had to go out there and pull a piece out. It worked but it was a hassle at times. Now I have cupboards galore and each piece is nestled in it's own little home inside a cupboard and no longer living in their boxes. That was one of the first things I unpacked and made sure I had a place for.

Among other things, one of my favorite Pampered Chef memories was my first taste of the show. Yes, I'm talking food here. We were served a taco ring and boy was it tasty! I since then have made this easy meal for my family and friends over the years and each time have gotten rave reviews. My Mother reminded me of this dish just last night so now that it is fresh on my mind, I thought it would be perfect to make for an easy dinner today. Some of you may have sampled this before but for those of you who haven't, here's the easy and quick recipe for it.

Taco Ring

3/4 lb ground beef
1 (1-1/4 oz) pkg taco seasoning mix
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese (not featured in photo above as I forgot to add it to the picture)
2 Tblsp. water
2 (8-oz) pkgs refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (I made 3 rings in this batch, therefore the reason for so many int h photo)
1 medium bell pepper
1 c. salsa
3 c. shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato
1/4 c. chopped onion (optional)
1/2 c. pitted ripe black olives (optional)
sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F.



Cook ground beef in large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Remove pan from heat. Stir in taco seasoning mix, cheese and water.


Unroll crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a round pizza stone with wide ends overlapping in center and points toward outside. (Make sure to leave a round hole in the center - kind of like a doughnut hole...therefore your crescent rolls will not be touching in the middle.) If you are not using a pizza stone a large cookie sheet will work, just remember to lightly grease it before placing your crescents on it to keep things from sticking.


Scoop meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. I use a cookie scoop as it makes it easier for me. When completely filled with meat, take the small end of each triangle and gently roll it up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough at center of ring. (Filling will not be completely covered). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Shred lettuce and chop tomato, onion, olives, and bell pepper (if desired). If you want to do something fancy, scoop out a bell pepper and fill with salsa and put into center of ring. Garnish with toppings and finish with more shredded cheese and sour cream.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Recipe Source: Pampered Chef

Barefoot Lasagna

I was watching the Food Network the other day and saw a recipe that Ina Garten made for Portobello Mushroom Lasagna. I knew this was one that I had to try for myself. However, I thought I'd revamp the recipe to suit my tastes. So in honor of the Barefoot Contessa herself, I came up with my own version. It is certainly a rich lasagna and tasty indeed. Now, without further ado...I give you my Barefoot Lasagna...

Barefoot Lasagna

16 oz. lasagna noodles
2 lb. ground beef
1/4 tsp. dry Italian seasoning
8 oz. grated Italian style cheese
12 oz. small curd cottage cheese
1 egg
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
4 c. milk
12 Tblsp. butter or margarine
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
10 oz. pkg. baby portobella mushrooms
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350* Lightly grease bottom of a large rectangular baking dish. Set aside.


Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and return to pot they were cooked in. Drizzle with enough olive oil to toss noodles and lightly coat. This will keep them from sticking together. Set aside.


Do not rinse mushrooms, only wipe with a dry towel to remove any dirt. Then remove stems from the cap. Slice caps and set aside.


In a small mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, grated Parmesan, egg and grated Italian cheese. Stir to mix well. Set aside.


In a large skillet combine ground meat and Italian seasoning. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Drain grease and set aside.




To prepare sauce: place milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Do not boil milk. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large skillet, melt 8 Tblsp. of butter. Then add in flour. Stir to mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes. Slowly stir in warm milk to flour mixture. Stir until well blended. Add in nutmeg. To your taste add in salt and pepper. Whisk mixture and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.



In a small skillet, melt 2 Tblsp. butter and 2 Tblsp. oil. Once completely melted add in 1/2 of the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. Saute until oils are released then immediately transfer to a bowl. Repeat with remaining mushrooms. If at any time the mushrooms look "dry" add in a bit more oil to the pan and continue to cook.



Spoon a little of the sauce onto the bottom of your prepared casserole dish. Then add a layer of noodles. Spread a bit more sauce over noodles to lightly coat. Add in 1/2 the meat mixture and then a layer of 1/2 the cottage cheese mixture. Top with a layer of noodles. Repeat layering process using the remaining meat, mushrooms and cottage cheese mixtures. Top with another layer of noodles then remaining sauce.


Bake for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Recipe inspiration from Ina Garten

BBQ Spaghetti

U sing up left over bbq brisket and chicken from this weekend, I thought I'd add a little pasta to it. I would have added a photo but it tasted so good there wasn't any left for me to photograph. Hubby said this is a sure fire make again meal.

BBQ Spaghetti
1 (16-oz) pkg. spaghetti noodles
4-6 c. chopped leftover bbq meat
1/2 a bottle of your favorite bbq sauce
water
grated cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a medium skillet add chopped bbq meat and sauce. Add in a little water to help stretch the sauce. Simmer until heated through.

Spoon bbq meat over pasta and top with grated cheese.

Click HERE for printable recipe

Joan's Tortilla Soup With A Tweek

Here is the link to the original recipe that I adapted this soup from. She has some mighty tasty things on her blog.

Original recipe: Easiest, Creamiest Tortilla Soup

Joan's Tortilla Soup With A Tweek

1 1/2 lb. ground meat
1/2 an onion; diced

1 can mexican style chopped tomatoes, undrained
4 cups water

2 pint jars turkey stock
1 small can diced green chile's

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 large loaf of Velveeta; cubed

2 (10 3/4 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon pepper

dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/4 cup sour cream

Brown ground meat with onions, drain.


Add turkey stock, chopped can tomato, chile's, 4 cups water, frozen corn and spices. Simmer about 20 minutes.


Add cream of mushroom soups, Velveeta. Simmer just until cheese is melted. Stir in sour cream and serve warm.

Click HERE for printable recipe