Tag: Freezer

Orange Blueberry Marmalade

Advertisements

Marmalade is a jam/jelly that is made without any added pectin. Marmalade uses the natural pectin in the rind of citrus fruits to thicken into a jelly. Marmalade also tends to use more that one fruit. This marmalade is a mixture of a few recipes I had found. First, I didn’t have any half pint jars, so I decided to plan on freezing my jelly. I based my recipe off of this recipe for citrus blueberry marmalade. The biggest differences being, I used only oranges, while the original recipe used several citrus fruits. I used frozen blueberries instead of fresh, this made my blueberries less likely to burst, though they spread just fine on toast. Finally, this recipe was not made to be frozen, so I just referenced a few other recipes about how to freeze jam, and put the consensus in the recipe. I followed the recipe below and found no problems. With this recipe, I made 6 one cup containers, however if you do make this recipe you may only get 5 cups.

Orange Blueberry Marmalade Recipe CardDownload
Advertisements

What You Will Need

  • 3 Medium Oranges
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 4 Cups Sugar
  • 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 5 Cups Blueberries
  • Freezer Safe Containers/half pint canning jars (About 6 one cup containers)
  • Dutch Oven

Directions

1. Cut your oranges into eighths, then thinly slice into tiny triangles. Add cut oranges, sugar, lemon juice, and water to dutch oven and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender. Add boiling water to freezer safe containers/jars.

2. Add blueberries and boil over medium-high for 25-30 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove water from containers, then ladle marmalade into containers. If freezing, leave 1/2 inch headroom, and if canning, leave 1/4 inch headroom. If you are canning, you can water-bath can them for 10 minutes. If you want to freeze them, add lids and let sit at room temperature for 16-24 hours to solidify, then freeze for up to 12 months, and safe in the fridge for 3 weeks.

Advertisements

0

Sugar Christmas Cookies

Advertisements

Sugar cookies are a labor of love, and this recipe was no exception. Making the dough was very straight forward, however the real effort comes into rolling the dough and cutting the cookies. This step is made easier by having helping hands to cut cookies for you while you can focus on the baking. Also, the dough makes lots of cookies. We picked out larger cookie cutters in an effort to have less cookies, but even with that we easily got over 4 dozen cookies. Since it is just my husband and I, we were able to fill 2 gallon freezer bags and freeze them for up to 3 months. And, we still had some left over to snack on. So, this recipe makes about 4-5 Dozen cookies.

Sugar Christmas Cookies Recipe CardDownload
Advertisements

What You Will Need

  • 1 Cup Softened Butter
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 Cup and 2 Tbsp Milk
  • 2 tsp Vanilla
  • 4 Cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Non-stick spray
  • Baking sheet
Advertisements

Directions

1. Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla. Add flour, baking powder, and mix well. Chill cookie dough for 1-2 hours.

2. Heat oven to 350 F. Knead dough then roll out dough to 1/4 in thick, then use cookie cutters. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray, then place cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from oven, remove from baking sheet, and let cool before icing.

3. (Opt) Whip together 8 Oz of softened cream cheese and 1/4 cup softened butter. Add 1 tsp vanilla and combine. Finally, begin adding 4 cups powdered sugar a little at a time while mixing until all is added. If desired, add 2 tsp of additional flavoring (ie. Lemon or orange), or add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder.

Advertisements

0

Christmas Dinner 2020

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I really enjoy getting gifts for others, and I enjoy Christmas dinner. Ham is one of my favorite foods and so I always make a ham for Christmas and Easter. My Easter dinner also looks identical to my Christmas dinner. Since it’s been a weird year, I will be celebrating Christmas with my husband’s nuclear family, and won’t be able to make my standard dinner on Christmas afternoon. So, I decided to make my Christmas dinner last night!

Advertisements

I always make the same things for holidays. For Christmas I always make a cooked ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potato casserole, a canned veggie, crescent rolls, and the star of the meal is always deviled eggs. Many of these foods are standard. I enjoy my ham with a brown sugar glaze and some pineapple on top (even if it does nothing for the flavor). Mashed potatoes are standard, and my gravy I made from this year’s turkey stock, and just added 3 Tbsp corn starch to thicken. Sweet potato casserole is just opening a can and a bag of marshmallows at this point. And finally, the original part of the meal is deviled eggs. I find eggs to go so good with ham, and deviled eggs are a tasty treat anyway! Mayo, mustard, and egg make a tasty appetizer and side! To cook this dinner, it only took 1.5 hours. My ham was cooked, so I just had to reheat. I then peeled and diced the potatoes, and started them boiling 40 minutes before the ham was done. I heated the gravy on the stove and once thick, would pull it off the heat when it’d boil, and I also started boiling a can of sliced carrots about 20 minutes from serving. I placed my crescents on a baking sheet and started them 14 minutes from completion, and I baked the sweet potato casserole with 7 minutes left. With about 5 minutes left I strained the potatoes and finished them with just enough time for everything else to finish.

I hope this give you some ideas and instruction for your Christmas dinner! Merry Christmas!

Advertisements

To see recipes for what I make, you can click a link below!

Click here to see my recipe for Cooked Ham!

Click here to see my recipe for Mashed Potatoes and Gravy!

Click here to see my recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole and Honey Roasted Beets!

Click here to see my recipe for Deviled Eggs!

Advertisements
1

Seasoned Turkey Stock

Advertisements

To limit waste after Thanksgiving, I like to use what is left of the turkey to make stock. Last year was my first time, and the frozen stock lasted me a year. Last year I didn’t flavor my stock before it was frozen, and it was a huge shame. This year I seasoned my stock with onion, celery, and garlic. These flavors go well with turkey, and can be used in a variety of dishes throughout the year. I purposely left out herbs because I want a very versatile stock. I also didn’t add salt to this stock, though I would need it if I were to make a soup with it, I didn’t want any future dishes to be too salty as a result of a salty stock. Otherwise this stock is straight forward. Boil, strain, then store.

Seasoned Turkey Stock Recipe CardDownload

What You Will Need

  • 1 Cooked Turkey with Meat removed
  • 1/2 Onion, quartered
  • 2 Celery Stalks, cut into 1/3s
  • 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and halved
  • Large Stock Pot and Lid
  • Ladle, Large Wooden Spoon, Small Bowl
  • Strainer
  • Large Dutch Oven
  • Freezer Containers

Directions

1. Place the turkey bones into the stock pot. Soak in water for 10 minutes. Drain. Cover bones with water, leaving about 1-2 inches until the lip of the pot. Place on stove over medium heat. Add in your cut veggies and let simmer uncovered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Every 10 minutes, skim off bubbles forming on surface and place in a small bowl on the side.

2. Once most bubbles have seemed to stopped settling on top, turn up the heat a little to bring the pot at a gently boil. Boil for 2 hours covered, then remove the lid and boil for another hour uncovered. Remove from heat and let cool for about 1 hour.

3. Once cooled, place your strainer on top of your dutch oven and place in your sink. Pour about 1/2 of the liquid and bones into the strainer. Shake your strainer, then discard what is in your strainer. Place the strainer back on top of the dutch oven, and pour the second half of the stock into the strainer. Shake and discard remaining bones. Use a ladle to transfer broth into freezer safe containers. Label then store.

Advertisements
1

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Advertisements

Mashed potatoes and gravy are a must in our house for any and every holiday! I’ve made chunky mashed potatoes and creamy, I’ve made watery mashed potatoes, and I’ve made airy mashed potatoes. I always use white or yellow potatoes. I find them easier to work with and the aren’t nearly as starchy as russets. Next, how chunky or smooth your potatoes are is based on how long you let them cook. If they cook until they are fully tender, you are more likely to get smooth mashed potatoes, if you strain them early, you will get a chunky mashed potatoes that will take longer to come together with a mixer. You want to avoid adding too much liquid of they will be runny, and if you want them airy, you can bake them for 10-15 minutes in a casserole dish. If you bake them too much longer, they will turn very starchy and heavy. Less cooking time for airy mashed is better.

Advertisements

As for gravy, I used the last of the turkey stock I had made last year. If you don’t have a turkey stock, you can make some the day of, by boiling the neck submerged in water for about 4 hours, but you can always use a chicken stock. You’ll want to season as you desire, salt, maybe some butter, sage, rosemary, or thyme. You also want to start by mixing the corn starch with a small amount of broth before adding it to the gravy. Corn starch doesn’t create clumps as much as flour, but it can still happen, so it’s good practice. This recipe makes 8 adult sized servings of mashed potatoes and gravy.

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Recipe CardDownload
Advertisements

What You Will Need

  • 7 lbs White Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
  • 1/2 Cup Butter (1 Stick)
  • 1-2 Cups Milk (As Desired)
  • Large Dutch Oven
  • Mixing Bowl
  • 2 Cups Turkey Stock/Chicken Broth
  • 1/2 Cup Turkey Drippings
  • 1/2 Cup Corn Starch
  • Small Saucepan

Directions

1. Place your cubed potatoes into the dutch oven. Rinse several times, then cover potatoes with 1-2 inches of water. Place over medium heat, cook for 30 minutes or until a potato falls apart when stabbed with a fork.

2. Strain your potatoes, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Add butter and slowly add milk and begin smashing potatoes with a mixer or a hand masher. Taste and add salt as desired.

3. Add broth to a small sauce pan, reserving 1/2 cup. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch with reserved broth. Once fully combined, add to heated broth. Bring to a boil and serve once thick.

Advertisements
2

Website Powered by WordPress.com.

Up ↑

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started