Making Bath Salts from my Garden Herbs

 Gardens are such a special place to relax and enjoy the small of fresh herbs. Taking that relaxation to the next level is something I love to do.  

Enjoying fresh herbs or dehydrated herbs is something I do everyday in my kitchen. Herbs can be used in so many ways other than just cooking. On a hot day I like to make an herbal cold tea and on cold days a hot. Up of herbal tea makes the day warm and cozy. 

My new way of enjoying the bounty of my herb garden is with a nice warm soaking bath. After a day of working in my garden, spending the day preserving my crops, and cooking such lovely meals with all the fresh produce, I like to enjoy a nice long soak in a tub filled with bath salts with some of my herbs mixed in. This gives a wonderful aromatic scent to the water and the room. Such a great way to end a busy day. 

Copycat Wendy’s Chili

 

Squash Casserole The Recipe for People who don’t eat Squash

 Do you have members of your family that just refuse to eat yellow squash? Well this is the squash recipe for you. This casserole has the cheesiness of a Mac and cheese dish but instead of noodles is has squash that has been sautéed with onions and butter. 

Here is what you will need

About 1 lb of yellow squash

1 large onion

A couple of tablespoons of butter or olive oil

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 sleeve saltine crackers

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Slice squash and onions and sauté till soft  in a fry pan with butter or olive oil. In mixing bowl add cooked squash, crushed sleeve of saltine crackers, one can f cream of mushroom soup, and a cup f shredded cheddar cheese. Fill buttered baking dish and bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly hot. Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.

 I will make several casseroles when I have an abundance of yellow squash in my garden. This recipes freezes great and I love having these on hand for a quick side dish. Thaw in fridge overnight then po in oven for 30 minutes or until hot. 

Brunswick Stew - My Family Recipe

My grandparents the Worleys. owned a BarBQ restaurant and that is where I spent most of my time as a kid. I ate there, I played there, and as I grew older I worked there. My favorite thing to eat was the brunswick stew over BarBQ bread. To me Brunswick Stew is the ultimate comfort food because it always bring back memories of my grandma and grandpa.

This is my recipe for Brunswick Stew

 The broth from the roast will be used in the soup if more broth is need use chicken stock

small boston butt around 1 to 2 lbs
1 cup frozen green lima
4 large potatoes
1/2 cup worceshire sauce
1 large onion
1 -10 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 can cream corn
salt and pepper

for the best stew cook the boston butt and onions in crock pot for 12 hours but any cooking method will do as long as you cook the meat until it is tender

cook green lima or butterbeans (as we call them) in small amount of water - salt to taste and cook until beans fall apart or as I call it mushy and most of the water is gone

peel and cut potatoes into small cubes

In large stew pot add cooked and shredded pork and onions and all the juice collected in the crock pot (you may need to add more juice such as chicken broth or water)

add all other ingredients except the cream corn

cook this (adding chicken broth if it becomes too thick) for one hour

add can of cream corn and cook 30 minutes

be sure to stir often as the corn will stick to bottom

This stew can be frozen in small containers and will keep for about 3 months

Cucumber Dip from Dehydrated Vegetables

Never buy premade dip from the grocery store again. This is even better if you make your own sour cream from your own cows but I don’t have that option so I do buy my sour cream from the grocery store. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons cucumber powder
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
2 teaspoons onion powder 
2 teaspoons lemon powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon blackpepper

2-1/2 cups plain, whole-milk yogurt or sour cream

Directions

1. Mix cucumber powder, dill weed, onion powder, lemon powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a small bowl, whisking thoroughly until all ingredients are well blended. You may store this in a small jar (4 ounces works well) to be used later, if you like, or continue to Step 3.
2. Add the cucumber mixture to the plain yogurt (or sour cream) and whisk well to combine all ingredients.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
4. Taste and season the dip again just before serving. Garnish with finely diced cucumber, red onion, and a drizzle of olive oil, if you wish.

Canned cole slaw

Made 5 pints of canned coleslaw.  Read so many blogs and comments about how great the canned coleslaw is that I just had to give it a try.

One medium cabbage shredded

Two large carrots shredded

One small onion minced

Sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and let it sit for one hour before canning with the syrup

The syrup recipe and the amounts I used

2 cups white vinegar

1/2 cup water

3 cups sugar

2 tsp celery seed

2 tsp mustard seed

Heat to boiling then remove from heat and let syrup cool completely 

Sterilize jars and wash seals and rings

Rinse cabbage mixture and drain

Add 1/2 of syrup mixture to cabbage mixture

Pack in pint jars

Pack fairly tight in jars leaving 1 inch head space

Add syrup to cover

Put in water bath canner 

Be sure water covers jars by a couple of inches

Waterbath jars for 15 minutes

To make cole slaw drain syrup from cabbage mixture and add mayo.  

Easy 3 Minute Creamy Grits

 Why buy instant grits when you can make delicious creamy grits in just 3 minutes in your microwave.

Recipe is simple and simple to remember. It goes like this 1 - 3 - 3

For example 

1/3 cup of grits in glass bowl with a sprinkle of salt

Next add 3 times the amount of water that you had grits so that would equal 1 cup water.. I just use the same measuring cup and fill it 3 times.

Do not stir just place in the microwave for 3 minutes on high

After cooking in the microwave carefully remove bowl and add a teaspoon of butter then stir stir stir until the grits.become a super creamy delight. 

You can use their recipe for any amount of grits just remember to use the 1 to 3 ratio of grits and water.