Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Good Customer Service & Tomato-Basil Jam

Wow! Whatever happened to that-good customer service? I won't bore you with horrible details, but being a webmistress for over 10 years, I'm used to dealing with server companies and getting pretty decent service. Making a simple transfer of administrators set off a really bad chain of events that the server company refused to correct. As a result, all websites held on their server are now being transferred to another company. I made multiple attempts to ask for help. I kept being told the same excuse. Some policies really need some updating and change. This is a competitive world so you would think that the policy of "the customer is always right" would be in place. Sorry for these folks, it sure isn't. They made an error which cost me and another tech a lot of hours and work.
Oh, and I do this for free! I volunteer my services which normally cost a few hundred bucks so that several organizations I treasure get website building and maintenance. Now moving....ARGH!

Those of you who run small or large businesses should really consider the old standby, let the customer be happy. From what I was lead to believe since childhood, it's what runs the economy.

OK, I'm off my soapbox now. Back to canning! Tomatoes up the galore. Do you remember that cool tomato smashing tool I showed you? I'm finally getting to use it, that along with my Vitamix blender. Making Tomato-Basil Jam. I'll use it like ketchup.

Tomato Pineapple Basil Jam

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled (diced to measure 3 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup lemon juice (I used 1/2 cup bottled lemon juice)
3 T. snipped fresh basil (I used pineapple basil)**
3 cups sugar
Powdered pectin for lower sugar recipes (Ball low sugar/no sugar 3T. of flex batch) (Pomona Pectin 3 t. pectin 3 t. calcium water)


Seed, core and finely chop tomatoes.  (Here's where I swish them.) Measure 3 1/2 cups tomatoes and add to stainless steel saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat. Simmer, covered for 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in lemon juice and basil.  Add sugar and return bring to a  boil, stirring often. Add the pectin and return to a full rolling boil for one minute. Remove from heat and quickly skim off foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized half pint jars, leaving a 1/4 headspace. Wipe jar rims, add lids and rings. Process in water bath for 10 minutes at a full boil. Makes 5 half pint jars.
**You can use any kind of basil.
 This recipe came from a Better Homes & Garden magazine. Enjoy your last tomatoes all winter long.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Monkey Butter--for the big and little monkies in my family

I admit my attraction to this recipe is because I'm from Hawaii and love bananas, pineapple and coconut. These are the main ingredients in this delicious butter. I do not advise that you can this as bananas don't can well, but you can freeze it. It is a small batch recipe with ingredients readily available. A beforehand note, you can find ground coconut at the bulk section of a Winco store. It you can't find it, flaked coconut works as well.
Here's how it works:
You need 5 medium ripe bananas without brown spots
1- 20 ounce can crushed pineapple-don't drain it
1/2 cup ground coconut
3 cups sugar ( I mixed raw organic sugar with stevia)
3T bottled or fresh lemon juice

Slice all the bananas and put them in a large pot. Add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is thick. If the bananas are still chunky, use an immersion blender and smooth the mixture to your satisfaction. You can see in the photo above how it should look. Ladle the hot mixture into hot, sterilized jars.leaving a 1/2" headspace. Attached lids. Bounce the jar on the counter to release any air bubbles. Keep on the counter until cooled. Makes 4 - 5 pint jars, or 10 - 12 half pint jars. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
This is so good on pancakes, toast, ice cream, banana bread. I could go on. It's a super treat for the family.
Whenever possible, find organic canned pineapple and grated or ground coconut and of course, organic bananas. It makes this delicious butter even better. Have you tasted organic products? The taste for some outweighs any extra cost.

Friday, September 19, 2014

It's almost Fall-time for Spice Bread

I love the spices we associate with fall-cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cardamon and cloves. This awesome bread recipe should be doubled. It gets gobbled up so quickly, leaves you wishing for more!
You can add the glaze if you like. Sometimes I do, but mostly I leave all that sugar off. Here's the recipe I'd like to share with you. Dropping in on a friendly neighbor with one of these loaves always gets you "welcomed back."

12 Servings Prep: 20 min. Bake: 55 min. + cooling
Ingredients
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 cups all-purpose flour (I use freshly ground soft white wheat flour)
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup canola oil
GLAZE:
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons 2% milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar
and milk. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and
cloves. In another bowl, whisk eggs, honey, oil and brown sugar
mixture until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until
moistened.
Transfer to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (cover top loosely with
foil if needed to prevent overbrowning).
Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool
completely. In a small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth;
drizzle over bread. Yield: 1 loaf (12 slices).
Freeze option: Securely wrap and freeze cooled loaf in plastic wrap
and foil. To use, thaw at room temperature. Glaze as directed.

 Let me know if you're baking this bread. Put on some coffee, I'll be over!

 Weather has cooled off here. Some more warm days predicted. I don't know what it is but I love to grab my camera and save the colors present and the ones changing. Welcome fall!

Friday, September 12, 2014

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I've searched high and low looking for my version of this very popular dressing. Modern cooks have added dill to the spices. I like to make it just like what's in the bottle only with fresh ingredients. I found the post on a wonderful blog and must give her credit. Here's her photo of the dressing.
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Recipe

    1 C. buttermilk
    1/3 C. sour cream
    1/3 C. mayonnaise
    2 large cloves garlic, minced
    2 Tbs. fresh chives, minced
    2 Tbs. fresh parsley, minced
    1/4 tsp. salt
    1/8 tsp. cayenne powder

NOTE: fresh herbs provide the best flavor, but in a pinch, you can use dried herbs.  If using dried herbs, use 1/3 the of quantity listed for fresh.

Whisk together buttermilk, sour cream and mayonnaise until well combined.  Add garlic and fresh herbs.  Stir again to thoroughly combine.  Season with salt and cayenne powder.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before using.  This dressing is thick and creamy.  If you prefer a thinner dressing, use a little less mayonnaise.

So thanks to Urban Overalls I finally have my favorite dressing recipe and thought I would share it with you just in case you don't read her blog. Just keep it in a glass pint jar and figure you'll be making a lot of it. Fresh greens are so abundant now and I am planting more for the fall. Chow down ladies!