I pinned then I MADE it

I love love love pinterest.  It is such an addictive thing, but I have pinned 1,857 things. 

Everything from this adorable baby idea...

From designer.inktastic.com

to these delish looking blueberry cinnamon rolls...

From beantownbaker.com

and all sorts of things in between!!! 
So I feel like such a loser when my list keeps longer and longer!  I really need to get busy trying some of these wonderful ideas.  So when I found the recipie for pumpkin butter, I decided I was totally making it.  I adore anything pumpkin , and couldn't wait to feel the sense of accomplishment from making my own pumpkin butter.  I wait anxiously every year for the Cracker Barrel to put it out.  Now I will not have to wait anymore. 
I pinned this recipie about 2 weeks ago and it was fairly simple.  It came from a fellow blogger at:
Shugary Sweets. 
Her instructions seemed simple enough. 

Pumpkin Butter Recipe:

29 oz can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup apple cider

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp nutmeg

2 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

2 tsp ground ginger

In large saucepan mix all ingredients together. On medium heat, bring mixture to a boil. Continue to simmer (on low-medium) heat for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pour into mason jars and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Enjoy cold!

*note* Do not attempt to "can" this recipe as I know there are USDA/FDA/CNN/MSNBC/LOL rules about canning pumpkin. So just don't do it.

So I quickly gathered all the necessary items.  :)

I actually had it all on hand, but the cider.  I dumped it all in the pan, and enjoyed the most wonderful fall scent.  I was actually glad it had to simmer so long.  It smelled fantastic in my house.

It wasn't difficult at all.  It just takes a little time.  I stirred it pretty regularly, but didn't have to stay and stir the whole time.  When it was finished it was pretty thick.

When all was said and done I had three yummy jarfulls.  Is jarfulls a word??  Let's pretend it is. 

The only thing left to do was enjoy it on some toast the next morning.  It tastes wonderful.  It has more of a spice flavor than the ones I bought in the past.  I love it. 

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A glimpse Inside

Tales of a Trophy Wife

Pickled Watermelon what???

Periodically my Dad dreams up something he remembers fondly from his childhood.  Sometimes we don't really believe his whole story (like that his grandmother making a WHOLE LAUNDRY BASKET FULL of sugar cookies), but he can usually talk me into most things.  It's only fair since I drag him into all sorts of crazy projects all the time.  :)  So when I told him I was going to make Watermelon Jelly, he began telling me how much he missed pickled watermelon rinds.  I was secretly grossed out, but I got on the ole computer and googled a recipe for Pickled Watermelon Rinds.  I was amazed to find tons of different recipes.  I decided this one sounded like one I thought I could handle.  Recipe Here

I am still not convinced I want to eat it, but I think they turned out ok.  They look pretty in the jar anyway.  LOL  So here is all the how to info. 

First gather the ingredients.

2 pounds prepared watermelon rind

1 teaspoon pickle crisp granules
4 cups clear, distilled vinegar
1 cup water
5 cups sugar
1 tablespoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon whole cloves
6 small pieces cinnamon stick

Then you start to prepare the rind.

Remove the rind from the meat.

 Make sure it is clean of all the red.

Then peel the green.

I found a knife worked best.

Cover with cold water and boil for one hour or until tender.  Then drain.  Cover with one cup vinegar and two cups water and let stand overnight.

Then you drain it again, and prepare the syrup.  You add the remaining vinegar, spices and sugars into a pan and bring to a simmer.   Then cover for one hour.  It didn't say to put the spices in cheesecloth, but I think it would be a good idea.  I got the impression you needed to remove them after they steep for one hour.  So I did. 

Add drained rind and syrup.  Then you allow it to gently cook for two hours.  This gives the syrup a chance to thicken.  Then you can pour the mixture into the jars. 

The original recipe called for pickling lime, but I couldn't find that anywhere in town.  I did find Ball's Pickle Crisp Granules.  It is to be used as a substitute for pickling lime.  You add 1/4 tsp of it to each jar.  Easy peasy.  Then you put the pickled rind into the jars, and seal them. 

Finally you want to put them in a water bath for 15 minutes.

I was reusing some jars so please forgive the lovely lids.  LOL

When you are all done you end up with this.  I really think they look good.  I just may have to give them a taste... well when they finally cool off enough to eat.  :)

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Watermelon Jelly

While browsing around Pinterest I found a recipie for Watermelon Jelly.  I just had to try it.  Of course I have pinned about a million things I want to try, but this one just stayed on my mind.  So when my brother came to visit on Labor Day weekend and brought this HUGE (it weighed 40 lbs. I checked) watermelon I asked him if I could use some to make jelly.  I pulled up the website's recipie.  Here is the link, and got right to work.

First you need to gather your ingredients. 

6 C. pureeded Watermelon

5C. white sugar

1/2 C bottled or fresh lemon juice

1 pkg Pectin

Then I began to cut up the watermelon.  It was HUGE so there was plenty to go around.  I went ahead and doubled it. 

It is important to remove all the seeds and then I just put the pieces in the blender and let it go.  As it finished I measured it out into a large pot.

Then you add sugar and lemon juice.  It looks so pretty and has a kind of foam on top to start with.  Then you are to bring it to a boil.  Once my pot got close to boiling I nocticed a definate problem.  The pan was not going to be big enough.  Uh oh.  So I switched to my HUGE stock pot. 

It still boiled up pretty high in there.  Once the temperature gets to 220 degrees you can add the pectin.  Then it continues to boil for another five minutes.  I would let it go longer.  I had trouble with it thickening up so I had to put it on to boil again and so did the original poster. 

Remove from heat and pour into clean, steril jars and then you can use a water bath to seal.  I just made sure they cooled and put them in the fridge.  I know they won't last as long but that is never a problem here.  ;)   It's one of the perks of having three GROWING boys. 

When you are all finished you have these beautiful jars of jelly.  I had various sizes but there were roughly 9 8oz. jars when I finished.  Of course remember I doubled the recipie.  If you decide to give it a try I would love to know.  It is very good.  Tastes just like watermelon.  :)

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Yes I "CAN"

I have the fondest memories of the wonderful jam sandwiches that my grandmother made for us. She always brought us several jars of jam when she would come. She always made rhubarb jam. It was cherry rhubarb or strawberry rhubarb, and it was ALWAYS delish! I have looked all over my little corner of Texas for some rhubarb jelly in vain. Most Texans don't even know what Rhubarb is and sound a little scared when you mention it. LOL So I knew if I wanted some I had to make it myself. Ok women have canned forever. All sorts of women. I know I can do this.

So I googled recipes.  There were all sorts of recipes and lots of friends gave me advice.  Usually in the form of some horror story of how they blew up this kind of jelly or that kind of jam all over the ceiling.  It makes it kinda scary.  I found a simple sounding recipe and decided to give it a try.  Here is the link if you want to give it a try.  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Raspberry-Rhubarb-Jam

So I gathered all the supplies.

6 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb


4 cups sugar

1 package (6 ounces) raspberry gelatin

1 can (21 ounces) raspberry pie filling

First you combine the sugar and rhubarb to set overnight.
 

Then you put that into a pan to simmer for thirty minutes or until the rhubarb is tender.  I put my rhubarb in  the blender so it wouldn't have large chunks and it worked well.  I stirred pretty regularly.

Then you add in the pie filling and jello powder.  It darkened the mix quite a bit. 
 

Finally I used a canning funnel to pour it into jars.  It came out beautifully.  Just like I knew what I was doing. 
 
 

 
 
 
I got rave reviews.  It was so easy and tasted better than I hoped.  Of course we immediately started dreaming of  things we could substitute.  I tried peach rhubarb the very next day.  It is such a pretty color, and tasted so good my dad said, "It should be illegal."  LOL  Dad is thrilled I am making jam.  I guess I wasn't the only one who missed it.   
 
 

So I think next I may try blueberry rhubarb.  Hmmm.  What flavors can you dream up?

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