Chili Sauce & Jalapeno Jelly

So, now the Elections are over and I for one and sick and tired of the whole thing. I swear. If I hear one more thing about the economy and such....!! grrrr.

Okay, so I can't resist, just one last opinion, I'll try to stay off the soapbox in the future:

We've had worse times.
Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and go to work.

p.s. Nobody is served if all we ever do is wait on someone else to bail us out of our own stupidity and bad decisions. Grow up people, and take responsibility for yourselves. Mommy and Daddy (read as Uncle Sam) shouldn't have to bail you out. Plan ahead, stop thinking that just because you want something now and the credit company is giving you the go-ahead, it doesn't mean it's a wise buy. Think. Plan. Prepare. Stick to it.
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Okay, enough of that -
As promised... the Chili Sauce & Jalapeno Jelly Recipes!


Amy & MaryEllen's Chili Sauce for Canning

14 lbs Tomatoes (28 cups)
9 Bell Peppers (2 yellow, 2 red, 5 green)
2 Yellow Onions, medium sized
2 c. Brown Sugar
1 c. Granulated Sugar
¼ c. salt
2 ½ c. Cider Vinegar
2 Tb. Nutmeg
2 Tb. Allspice
2 Tb. Cinnamon
1 ½ Tb. Ground Clove
1 Tb. Paprika
1 Tb. Ground Ginger
¼ tsp. Cayenne Pepper, if desired

Peel, core and remove all spots from tomatoes. Dice or you can process in a ‘meat’ grinder.
Dice bell peppers, removing seeds, or again use the grinder. Chop onion.

Combine all ingredients in very large stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until reduced to a soft mash consistency.

To can: Pour into sterilized pint bottles, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Clean any spilled sauce from the bottle rims, put lids on immediately, lightly tighten rings onto bottle lids. Heat process the bottles in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes (rolling boil, water completely covering jars). Remove jars from water bath, re-tighten rings and let sit. Do not touch lid centers, wait for each bottle to seal (they will pop and the lid will no longer have a raised portion in it’s center). Any unsealed bottles must be refrigerated and eaten promptly. Makes approx. 21 pints.
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From what my mom has told me, Chili Sauce is what was used before ketchup/catsup. It doesn't taste anything like ketchup, but it does go on just about anything you would put ketchup on.

Try your Chili Sauce out on eggs, omelets, in breakfast wraps, on meatloaf, as a tortilla chip dip, in tacos, burritos and any Mexican dish.

Remember, you can cut the recipe down and make smaller batches. I was getting my tomatoes from a large and well fertilized garden, we had an abundance this year.

AND... here is a surprisingly delicious recipe for Tomato Soup:

1 Quart Tomatoes
1/4 c Sugar
1/4 finely diced Onion
1/2 tsp Marjoram
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp to 1 tsp Ground Cloves
Salt to taste

Bring to a slow boil and serve hot with buttered bread on the side. Serve with grated cheddar cheese melted on top.

p.s. I do not like tomato soup - this recipe passed the test, I could not stop eating it! All those flavors - very addicting ;)

Jalapeno Jelly

First: Get some rubber gloves - you'll thank me later ;)

Ingredients:

1 lb. Jalapeno peppers (2 cups chopped)
2 c. water
1 c. apple cider vinegar
4 c. sugar
1 pkg sure-jell pectin
1/2 tsp. butter
1-5 drops green food coloring (I used the flourescent one - it was surprisingly pretty)

~Finely chop the peppers, discard the seeds
(here is where the gloves come in handy - no you don't HAVE to have them, but be beware of rubbing your eyes anytime in the next 24 hours- just ask me how I know...)

~Combine all ingredients, including food coloring and bring to a rolling boil, stirring continuously. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

~Remove foam (the butter should have reduced most of this) and bottle/can:

To can/Hot water bath: Pour into sterilized pint bottles, leaving ¼ inch of space at the top. Clean any spilled sauce from the bottle rims, put lids on immediately, lightly tighten rings onto bottle lids. Heat process the bottles in a boiling water bath for 5-10 minutes (rolling boil, water completely covering jars). Remove jars from water bath, re-tighten rings and let sit. Do not touch lid centers, wait for each bottle to seal (they will pop and the lid will no longer have a raised portion in it’s center). Any unsealed bottles must be refrigerated and eaten promptly.

Serve Jalapeno Jelly on crackers with a schmear of cream cheese. It is also superb served with Jalapeno Poppers (like the kind you get at Costco).

Have fun!

Did you give up on me?

So, did you give up on me ever posting again??

Hope not ;) 'cause I'm baaaaack!

First, you gotta see this - Lex on the phone to daddy in Iraq - isn't this adorable?!!



I've been busy busy busy! You would think that being off work I would be LESS busy, but no. I have no idea how I fit work into my schedule before, honestly. Or, I wonder if I just find ways to fill my time no matter what I do or how busy I am.

My mother has taken to calling me 'Molly Homemaker' If I don't show up on Tuesdays to do some sort of homemaking project at her house she makes my dad call me to see where I am and to make sure that I know they are home (they do travel a lot and are not home EVERY Tuesday). Anyway...

So a few of the projects that I've schlepped over to my mother's house (where I can get help as I need it)are:

Canning:



Peach jam & syrup, Cherry jelly & syrup, Chili sauce, and Tomato sauce. I still need to do the Jalapeno Jelly :0 (Many many days of canning!)

(NOTE: We created the Chili Sauce recipe, and a super incredible Tomato Soup recipe - I'll post them if you want - oh, don't be misled by the name 'Chili' - it's got no hot peppers in it at all, just spices and bell peppers)

Sewing:

Olivia Quilt,


Serendipity Quilt,


Civil War Quilt squares of the month,




and the last of my Summer Quilt. Oh, and I did manage some general mending in there too.

On the other days I've scrapped - Christmas stuff, so I can't show it, you'll just have to take my word on it. Okay, so I do have this altered bottle - got to love this recycling stuff, particularly when the economy has been the way it has lately!



I am still being very careful about my back. I can't sit for too long, or stand or walk for extended periods of time. I get exhausted easily too. But I am crossing my fingers, hoping that I can return to work at the end of November. I don't have a dr.'s clearance for that yet, but if I go asking, return to work papers in hand, I just might get the okay. Limits in place I'm sure, but at least an okay.

Anyway, lots to pack in in one blog, but I'll work at doing it better :)

Creatively Juicing, uh, er..canning ;)

I KNOW this is dated the 2nd of March, and I really DID do this project way back then, I just forgot to finish the darn post!

Anyway, please forgive me, enjoy any creative flow you might get from my little fun project I did here, and then go play with your little treasures :

If Beauty, Spunk and Energy could be canned, this would be it.

Alas, I can only manage to stop time in my art and not IRL.

I've taken a perfume canister from Hollister (I think I only bought it for the canister - oh that kind of shows how bad/addicted I am ;)

- Anyway, here is the end product I created -

My attempt at capturing and stopping a moment in time by freezing it on a canister.

Canned Alexis
(no... not "Can it Alexis!" LOL! Although a 'Can' do Alexis or a 'Can'tcha just stop growing... might have been just as appropriate ;P)

I DID add some stickers, rubons and cardstock embellies. The stickers got all scrunched and munched to make them look a bit like the Hollister item# sticker. The only other bit'o altering was a touch of distressing with sandpaper to some edges :)