BBQ Beef Pulled Brisket Sandwiches in a Crock pot

3- 4 pound beef brisket

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sause

1- 10oz can Rotel

In a slow cooker (crockpot), place the meat on the bottom fat side up. Then mix the other ingredients and place on top of meat. Cook on LOW for 7 hours.

Remove meat and pull apart with a fork.

Place all liquid from the crock pot into a sauce pot and reduce to desired thickness.

Mix pulled beef and 1/2 of the reduced sauce. Place the other 1/2 of the sauce in a container to be used as a condiment for extra sauce lovers.

Juice Substitution

So, we are really trying to cut the sugar intake in our home and make our funds stretch.

You will need:

• 1/2 gallon organic lemonade 365 Whole Food Brand ($2.99) or 1 can concentrate Lemonade Trader Joe's (not organic) $1.99
• Three herbal tea bags steeped in 2 cups of water. I used Celestial Seasonings Herbal Fruit Tea Sampler. Approximately $3.50 for 20 bags of tea, thus $0.53 a batch.
• Stevia. I like the 365 Whole Foods liquid. 5 drops
• 2 1/2 gallon container. I used recycled glass juice jars that are 1/4 gallon each.
• Water

In your 2 1/2 gallon container, mix lemonade steeped tea, stevia and water and chill and enjoy. If you use smaller containers like I did, just eyeball it or you can weigh and measure exact amounts.

Savings

• if you use the Whole Food Organic Lemonade for the mix you are paying $1.41/per 1/2 gallon of juice
• if you use the Trade Joe's considerate frozen lemonade for the mix you are paying $ 1.01/ per 1/2 gallon of juice
• You could also cut the cost of the tea by sign up for coupons from the company, buying it on sale, or looking at TJMax, HomeGoods, and Marshalls for deals on herbal teas.

Also remember the sugar is reduced by more than half.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole in Slow cooker

This recipe was adapted from Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook by Dawn Hall

2 (10 oz) cans mild enchilada sauce

1 1/2 lb ground chicken, beef, or chorizo sausage (from Whole Foods...freshly ground)

1 cup sour cream

1 (15 oz) can pinto or red kidney beans, rinsed

1 (8 oz) bag of shredded cheddar cheese

1 (11 0z) package of tortillas

3 tablespoon butter

1 large onion, diced

1. In a saute pan, melt 2 TBSP butter and brown onions add to a large bowl.
2. In the same pan, cook the meat and then add it to the large bowl. (If using ground beef you may want to paper-towel off the fat.)
3. In the large bowl with onion and meat, add sour cream, rinsed beans, and enchilada sauce.
4. Using the remaining 1 TBSP of butter cover the inside of your slow cooker with the butter.
5. Now, add a layer of the enchilada meat sauce (using 1/4 of mix from your bowl), then cheese, and tortillas (tearing into smaller pieced if needed). Continue to layer and end with sauce on top.
6. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.

Serve with guacamole or sour cream on top.

Note: you may do Steps 1-3 and refrigerate overnight before placing into the slow cooker.

Pickled Jalapeno Peppers

CANNING RECIPE: Pickled Banana or Jalapeno Peppers

10-cups banana or jalapeno peppers, sliced into 1/2 inch secions 2-cloves garlic 4-cups white vinegar (5% acidity) 2-tsp pickling salt
Boil vinegar and salt. Prepare jars and lids by sterilizing Pack washed peppers into hot sterile jars Put 1/2 clove garlic in each quart jar or 1/4 into a jelly jar. (This is a guide, if you love garlic add more.) Pack peppers in hot jars leaving ¼” headspace Ladle hot liquid over peppers leaving ¼” headspace Remove air bubbles with a non-metallic utensil (chop stick works GREAT) Put on sterilized caps and then place rings on top. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner Best if left for 5-6 weeks before eating makes 10 cups
Just slice the jalapenos into rings - great on top of homemade pizza

Green Pepper Relish

This relish recipe is from a friend of Gloria Campbell Tippett, my Grandma's friend, Betty Mattingly.

It is processed using a water bath method.

24 diced/chopped multicolored peppers

 (I chopped and then put through the food processor using 2mm Thin Slicing Disc for 11 & 7-cup models.)

14- 2inch. diced onions

 (chopped to your preferred size.)

3 C. cider vinegar



3 C. sugar



3 Tablespoons. salt



Optional

2 t. mustard seed



1 t. celery seed



Directions:

1. Prepare peppers and onions to your preferred size. The chop size doesn't matter as long as it is uniform. I like mine chopped fine and use the food processor, but my grandma likes her chopped into large pieces.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Pour into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch head-space. Adjust lids. Process for 15 minutes in a hot water bath.
 Yield: 7 pints

Note: I added 1/2 of a clove of garlic to the last batch. Yummy.

Canning tomatoes

Wow, there is a lot of information and different ways to can tomatoes. This is ONE way of canning tomatoes and it worked well for me, so why rock the boat. I canned yellow and red tomatoes the same way. Since yellow tomatoes are not red tomatoes let's look at the difference.

"The difference in color is not just superficial. The nutritional profile of yellow tomatoes is slightly different from that of red tomatoes. Yellow tomatoes have lots of niacin and folate, less vitamin C, and less lycopene than red tomatoes. Perhaps most importantly, yellow tomatoes are lower in acid than red tomatoes, and some companies have even developed almost acid-freeyellow tomatoes." source

Here is a great video showing a how-to-canning tomatoes. This method is for a water bath, if you want to use a pressure canner follow the pressure canner instructions.

Supplies for Canning Tomatoes

• pressure canner
• NEW canning lids and canning rings
• Magnetic Lid Lifter (not necessary, but it makes it so
• glass canning jars
• Canning tongs or a Jar Lifter-This is a pair of thongs used to retrieve the jars from the hot water bath, so you don't burn you little fingers
• Funnel: You'll need this so your liquids don't make a mess of the lip of the jars or loose canning items.
• Ladel: To move hot liquids from the pot to the jars.
• Labels: So you remember what and when you canned an item.

Step-by-step on water bath method

Canning Green Beans

Canning Green Beans

The site above is a great tutorial on raw packing green beans.

Zucchini Bars

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups sugar or granulated honey (I buy it at at Bread Beckers)
1 cup melted butter or melted coconut oil
2 cups zucchini, Grated
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour (I ground 3:1 organic soft white and organic hard red)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting
4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 to 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (do to taste)
milk, as needed

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease/flour a 13x9-inch baking pan.

1. In an electric mixer or by hand, beat eggs; add sugar and butter.
2. Add vanilla; stir to mix well.
3. In another bowl sift the dry ingredients together and slowly add to the egg mixture.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until done.
5. While the bars are baking, whip the butter and cream cheese until light; add vanilla and powdered sugar.
6. Beat until fluffy, adding a *little* milk as needed if frosting is too thick.
7. Spread frosting on top of the bars when they are cooled.

Panera Bread Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups half-and-half, or 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup whole milk
2 cups chicken stock, low sodium
1/2 pound fresh broccoli, cut into florets
1 cup carrots, julienned
salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese




PREPARATION:

1. In a dutch oven saute onion in 1 TBSP butter. In the same pan add 1/4 cup butter and flour using a whisk over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly and slowly add the half-and-half (this is called making a roux). Add the chicken stock whisking all the time. Simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Add the broccoli and carrots. Cook over low heat until the veggies are tender for 20-25 minutes. Add salt and pepper. The soup should be thickened by now. Pour in batches into blender and puree or use an immersion blender. Return to pot over low heat and add the grated cheese; stir until well blended. Stir in the nutmeg and serve.

Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS
1tablespoon unsalted butter , melted
3tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

2pounds cream cheese
1/2 cup cups granulated sugar
1-2 packets of Stevia
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon lemon zest from 1 small lemon, minced
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/ 4cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with foil, tuck foil underneath pan bottom, assemble pan, then pull foil around side of pan, (see illustrations 1 and 2, below). Brush bottom and sides with butter. Sprinkle crumbs over bottom. Tilt pan in all directions to coat evenly with crumbs. Cover pan underneath and along sides with sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring kettle of water to boil for water bath. NOTE: I USUALLY DO NOT DO THIS STEP AND MAKE THE CHEESECAKE WITHOUT A CRUST.

2. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add sugar and beat on medium speed until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down after each addition. (If you don't scrape down the bowl after each egg, cream cheese that sticks to the bowl will ultimately show up as lumps in the batter.) Add zest and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer; stir in cream and sour cream.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan (illustration 2, below). Bake until perimeter of cake is set, but center jiggles like Jell-O when pan is tapped, 55 to 60 minutes. Turn off heat and leave oven door ajar, using a long-handled kitchen fork or spoon to hold it open for 1 hour longer. Remove springform pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. (Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.)


Recipe adapted from America's test kitchen

Baked Buttermilk Chicken

Serves 4

Olive oil cooking spray

4 chicken drumsticks

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 3/4 pounds), halved

2 cups buttermilk

FOR THE COATING

4 cups 365 cornflakes, finely crushed

Season Option 1

3/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4-teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Season Option 2

½ teaspoon paprika

1 ½ garlic powder

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon hot sauce

FOR THE GARNISH

Lemon wedges (optional)

Flat-leaf parsley sprig (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse chicken, and pat dry. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pour buttermilk over chicken. Cover, and let marinate 1 hour in refrigerator.

2.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously coat a wire rack sitting on a rimmed lined with foil baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside.

3. Toss cornflakes and seasoning choice in a large bowl. Remove 1 piece of chicken at a time from buttermilk, letting excess drip back into bowl, and dredge in cornflake mixture.

4. Transfer pieces to oiled wire rack baking sheet; lightly coat each one with cooking spray. Bake, turning pieces halfway through, until crisp and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a platter; garnish with lemon wedges and parsley, if desired.

Original recipe From Martha Stewart Living, March 2004 and Country Cooking

Toasted Coconut Muffins

Toasted Coconut Muffins adapted from Epicurious.com

1 1/2 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon orange peel (zest)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup of crushed can pineapple, drained, blotted with paper towel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter twelve 1/3-cup muffin cups (I use the Pampered Chef stone muffin baker). Combine flour, toasted coconut, sugar, almonds, baking powder, orange peel, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Whisk coconut milk, eggs, butter and vanilla extract in medium bowl to blend. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined.

Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool slightly. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cool completely. Enclose muffins in resealable plastic bags and freeze. Thaw before serving.)

adapted from: Bon Appétit
November 1999, by Joan Nugent, Sante Fe, New Mexico