Roswell Adventures

So, a couple of weeks back Bountiful Baskets had a couple of add-ons I couldn't resist - honey crisp apples and cranberries. I had visions of creating and canning all manner of holiday-style deliciousness. And then reality set in. Yes, I did make several batches of applesauce - and even canned two batches (keeping a mind, each of these batches was 3 or 4 jars). I also have made several varieties of cranberry sauce - and canned some of that, as well.  Upon launching ourselves into our Thanksgiving trip, I snagged a dozen or so apples and 4 bags of cranberries to complement whatever else we decided to have for our meal. I haven't made a pie in ages...if it has been that recent. In fact, I'm having a difficult time recalling the last time I rolled out a pie crust. After all, if God had intended for us to make our own pie crusts, he never would have created frozen pie crusts! Right? Well, with gluten-free ready-made pie crusts being only sl...

I love cabbage, and I have eaten and cabbage rolls other people have made. But, shoot, I don't even roll enchiladas! I am not going to spend time rolling cabbage. So, here is my alternative - Cabbage Unrolled :) Crackers make the perfect accompaniment. We decided a sprinkle of Parmesan would make it complete! I love easy, throw-together meals...especially those that taste better the next day and give you a few meals of leftovers :) I was kind of a slacker and missed out on early pictures. When I first added the cabbage, it filled my Dutch oven, and my first thought was "Holy cats! Is this going to work?" It cooked down very nicely, though. When I took the lid off, it looked really soupy. Then I stirred it, and I realized the consistency was actually just right. So I added the cheese and put the lid back on for a few minutes.  I actually had a little less than a cup, but it had already been shredded, and I didn't feel like shr...

I first learned about Harvard beets from Chuck, and I started looking for recipes. He told me the ones he enjoyed years earlier had orange in them, so when I found a recipe that seemed close, I went with that and changed some ingredients...OK, most ingredients were altered at least a bit. This is the results:   Not my best food photos, but dinner was ready! Next time I'll take some time to stage it better and wipe the inside of the bowl down...maybe ;)   OK - let's get started!  Start off by peeling and slicing your beets. Then put them into a steamer.   Next make your sauce. I like to make mine in my big cast iron skillet. That gives the beets lots of room.  Once the beets are fork-tender, add them to the sauce. Stir to coat then turn to low (or shut the burner off for a while if you are using cast iron, because that keeps them plenty warm).  Let them sit in the sauce for at least 30 minutes (OK, I admit...

Whilst strolling through Pinterest a couple of weeks back, I stumbled upon a luscious picture that took my breath away. The caption read: Jalapeno Popper French Toast. Since I didn't have time right then to investigate further, I pinned it so I could return later. "Later" turned out to be earlier this week, and much to my dismay the link from the picture would not connect. And it was such a deliciously melty picture, too!  So I did a little searching, found a couple that looked promising: Mrs. Happy Homemaker and Basil . They weren't exactly what I was looking for, so I struck out to create my own recipe. For starters, I'm a bit lazy for roasting and peeling jalapenos, so I decided a fine chop was the way to go. Next, I thought about what my dad told me about grilled cheese who-knows-how-long-ago - use a blend of cheeses. Since I had some bacon from my last trip to the butcher, fresh sourdough bread from our trip to Ruidoso, and an array of cheese, a stop for j...

With overnight temperatures dropping close to freezing, it's time to start enjoying some warm, evening beverages. Since any caffeine after about 4 PM will keep me up most of the night, my thoughts turn to hot chocolate. Fortified hot chocolate. No fancy foam or whipped cream. No drizzle of chocolate syrup. Just chocolately goodness - with a bit of a kick. The second most awesome aspect of this beverage is how easy it is to make!  First pour a bit of each of these into large mugs.   Then pour the milk into a heavy pan and heat until nice and steamy. We used Silk Original Almond Milk. After making it the day before with sugar, we determined since we had inadvertently bought regular instead of unsweetened we would leave out the added sugar on the second go-round.  This is the rest of the cast - cocoa powder, a little sea salt, and some natural vanilla. Our vanilla is in a jar because we make it ourselves and see no point in having a fancy bottle. ...