Month: April 2013

Strawberry Lime Jam

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I LOVE STRAWBERRY JAM!  I love that freezer jam tastes so fresh which I haven’t found in a canned jam.  Well I haven’t had a freezer so last year I added lime juice hoping it would help maintain the fresh flavor.  It did!  I love the lime and strawberry flavors together, so this year I added the zest.  It is so yummy. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
Low-Sugar Pectin (Sure Jell)
6 cups crushed strawberries (about 6 pints)
4 cups Sugar
1 tsp butter
Juice and zest from 1 large lime

-Wash 5 pint jars, and screw bands in hot soapy water (or you can run them through the dishwasher which is my preferred method).  Place flat lids in small saucepan and cover with water. Put saucepan on the stove.

-Measure sugar into a bowl.  MAKE EXACT MEASUREMENTS!  I slide a butter knife across the top of my measuring cup.

-In another small bowl  mix 1/4 cup of sugar, from the sugar you have already measured out, with a package of low sugar pectin (again I use Sure Jell).

-Clean strawberries and lime.  Crush strawberries in a food processor or smash with a potato masher.  DO NOT PUREE!

-Measure Strawberries into 6 or 8 quart sauce-pot.  Again MAKE EXACT MEASUREMENTS.

-Mix lime juice and zest into the mashed strawberries.

-Stir pectin-sugar mixture and butter into the strawberries.

-Bring mixture to a full roiling boil (doesn’t stop boiling when being stirred) on high heat stirring constantly.

-Stir in the rest of the sugar quickly, bring back up to a full roiling boil stirring constantly. Boil for exactly 1 minute, again stirring constantly.

-At this point turn on the hotplate to the flat lids to high.

-Quickly ladle jam into jars, filling to the thread for the screw bands.

-Wipe the jar rims and threads with clean damp paper towel.

-Drain water off of flat lids and place on top of jars with screw bands, tightly.  Turn jars upside down for 5 minutes, then place them right side up.  Let stand for 24 hours.  Store unopened jam for up to a year.

Yields 4-5 pints

Chicken with Tropical Barbecue Sauce

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It was late in the day on Sunday and I really just wanted to throw something in the slow cooker for even later.  What did I have on hand?  First I checked my trusty Fix-It and Forget-It  Cookbook and right there on page 176 was the answer.  Thank you Lois Stoltzfus from Honey Brook, PA.  It was just a simple, no fuss meal but I was grateful to have it cooking away as I watched the afternoon session of our Church’s world-wide conference.  Love my slow cooker.  Seriously.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup molasses
2 T. cider vinegar
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
2 t. prepared mustard
1/8-1/4 hot pepper sauce (I used about a teaspoon of Sriracha sauce, but that wasn’t spicy enough)
2 T. orange juice
3 whole chicken breasts, halved ( I used about 5 boneless, skinless breasts)

1.  Combine molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire Sauce, and orange juice.  Brush over chicken.
2.  Place chicken in slow cooker (I poured the rest of the sauce mixture over the chicken).
3.  Cover.  Cook on Low 7-9 hours, or Hight 3-4 hours.

I served this with rice and some canned tropical fruit, chilled.  Yummmm….

Source:  Lois Stoltzfus, Fix-It and Forget-It, p. 176.

Mango-Strawberry Masque

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This clarifying, hydrating masque unclogs pores and helps reduce acne.   Of course, you are certainly welcome to use it as a super healthy snack .                                                                                                                                                                                       Ingredients:

4 slices of mango (an antioxidant)
1/2 c. plain yogurt (an exfoliant)
4 strawberries (collagen boosters)

Directions:

1.  Mix all ingredients in a blender until you’ve got a paste.  Then massage onto skin.  Leave on for 10 minutes.

2.  Rinse off and shield your eyes from the glow you’ve unleashed!

 Source:  cosmoforlatinas.com

AMAZING 100% Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes!

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You are going to LOVE these pancakes!!! They are delicious and made with wholesome ingredients. I like to make the batter a little thinner so I can get crunchy edges. 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl:
2 cups whole wheat flour (I like to use Hard White Wheat and grind it fresh. Hard Red Wheat tastes really good too!)
1 cup oats (you can use instant or old fashioned rolled)
1/4 cup dry milk powder (mix in with flour)*
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder

2. Now add the wet ingredients:
1/4 cup of oil (I like canola oil)
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups water (I use 3 cups to make the batter thinner so it makes those crispy edges! Yum!)

You can add in blueberries, chocolate chips, apple dices and cinnamon, some pumpkin and cinnamon, nuts, or whatever your heart desires!

3. Whisk batter until mixed well. Let sit for a few minutes. Do not stir again. It will flatten the batter.

4. Pour some batter onto a very hot and buttered griddle or frying pan. Let it cook on that side for a minute or so until edges start looking done and bubbles start to pop. Flip pancakes once and let finish cooking.

5. Serve with butter and syrup, fruit, or whatever you like on pancakes. My husband doesn’t like to put sugary syrup on them, so he eats them with homemade applesauce. I’ll stick with maple syrup! : )

These freeze well. Delicious and healthy!

*Notes: 
1. If you do not have dry milk powder, you can omit that and use 2 1/2 cups of milk in the place of water. The milk helps them brown nicely, so you at least need some. You could just use 1 cup of milk and 1 1/2 cups of water if you prefer to use less milk. 

2. I have a friend with a sweet tooth who said he added a few tablespoons of sugar to the recipe. I think he’s crazy because then he drowns it in syrup, but whatever! Ha ha! If it makes him feel better, he can add sugar with no objection from me!

Source: Me : ) 


General Conference

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I think my 2 favorite weekends of the year happen the first week in October and the first week of April.  What a miraculous time we live in, that, in all corners of the earth we can hear a living prophet speak! I was so excited yesterday when they announced a new temple would be built in my home town of Cedar City Utah!!! But, I believe that the talk by Sister Elaine S. Dalton was what I needed to hear most.  Often times I find myself worrying more about what others think of me and forgetting that I am a daughter of God!  I know that the messages are inspired, and that we each will hear something that touches on something that we, individually, need.  
 

 

Sweet Potato and Turkey Chili

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 This is chalk full of healthy veggies and protein.   It’s perfect for a cold day.  It was our favorite chili this winter.  The chili has a unique flavor and the sweet potatoes are the best part!  It makes a big batch and freezes well so it’s ideal for when you need to take a meal to someone else or are having guests over.


1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 diced large onion 
4 cloves minced garlic 
1 diced green bell pepper 
1 minced jalapeño
20 ounces ground turkey breast
2 teaspoons cumin
2  teaspoons kosher salt
½  teaspoon pepper
1  teaspoon oregano
1  teaspoon chili powder
2  teaspoons paprika
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 28 ounce can tomatoes (not drained)
3 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinced
32 ounces beef broth (one box/carton)
1 28 ounce can pumpkin puree (make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling 
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder


Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.  Add olive oil and saute onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapeno for 5-10 minutes, until veggies are tender and fragrant.   Add turkey and cook until no longer pink.  Sprinkle in cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika.   Add turkey mixture to slow cooker.



Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, pumpkin and stir.  


Then add the cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker and mix it all together well.  Place lid on pot and cook for  4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 on low.   The chili is done when the sweet potatoes are soft.


When done, turn off heat and let chili sit with lid off for 10-15 minutes to thicken.  


Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites