Bread & Butter Pickles

My cucumbers have been doing fantastic—that’s about the only thing doing extremely well in my garden this year. We’ve had so much rain in our part of the world, it’s giving everyone fits with their gardens.
I’ve had an abundance of cucumbers. An “abundance” for me, maybe not for anyone else. Actually, I don’t even get enough at one time for a full batch of pickles, but I didn’t let that stop me from making some pickles. My sweet Jacob loves bread and butter pickles, but they must be homemade—none of that store-bought stuff for him. I was able to make two separate half batches from our garden and thought I’d share the recipe. Thankfully, batches of pickles (unlike jellies and jams) can be halved, doubled, or tripled and still have great results.
We have always used Southern Living's recipe. Bread and butters almost always turn out crunchy and they are super easy to make. Dill pickles can be so finicky and you don’t always get consistent results. I think the moon has to be just right and the proper stars aligned for dill pickles. (No, I’m not bitter at all.) Not so with bread and butters! The recipe on the SL website is for a smaller batch than the recipe in the cookbooks my mom and I have. Below is the recipe I used. I took pictures of most of the process, but with a two year old and a crawling 5.5 month old helping me, I missed a few steps.

My kitchen smells like HEAVEN while the pickles are getting mixed up and while they chill. The smell almost runs my husband out of the house but it smells divine to me, which is funny because I don’t care for bread and butter pickles at all.
Also, I’m assuming you know the basics of canning. If not, please visit here before starting.
Bread & Butter Pickles (Half Batch makes 5-6 pints)
3 lbs cucumbers, washed and sliced
2-3 medium onions, sliced
1 large bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/6 c. salt (original recipe calls for pickling salt, but we have always used regular salt and had great results)
Ice—crushed is best, but I’m still old school and have ice trays.
~~~~~
2 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 1/2 c. white vinegar
1 T. yellow mustard seeds
3/4 t. turmeric
3/4 t. celery seeds
~Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large dutch oven or pot. (I use my 11 quart soup pot. I’ve also just used a large Tupperware container, it just needs to be able to fit in your fridge.) Stir well, then add the salt and stir again.
Add ice and stir well to make sure the ice is distributed evenly throughout the pickle mixture.

Let chill in the fridge for 3 hours and drain. It’s ok if there is a little ice left, just so long as you get all of the water out. Set dutch oven on stove.
Mix together in a bowl remaining ingredients.

Pour over cucumber mixture and mix to coat.
Heat mixture til just boiling. Don’t let it boil for very long at all or you may end up with mushy pickles. Everything will turn a lovely mustard yellow color.

Immediately pack into hot jars (be sure and check the rims for nicks and make sure the rims are clean), put lids on and tighten rings finger tight. Place in a hot water bath canner, cover jars with water 2-3 inches above lids and process 10 minutes (let the jars boil for 10 minutes –set a timer) then remove with a jar lifter. Let jars set for at least 12 hours before moving them. Enjoying the happy popping sounds of the jars sealing!

A word about hot water baths: it’s a commitment. The recipe makes it sound so quick and simple. But it’s not. It takes FOREVER and a day for that massive pot of water to come to a boil. I think it took around an hour. And I started with warm water. Just warning you.

One Dish Meals—my favorite thing to make!

Lately the creative juices have been running dry about what to cook for supper. I’m pregnant, so my tastebuds have a mind of their own, my energy levels aren’t what I wish they were, and living in the city means restaurants are close by. 

At this stage in my life, recipes that are quick and easy to prepare, don’t require many dishes (have I mentioned my cute little antique 50’s house doesn’t have a dishwasher?) or crockpot recipes are very, very appealing to me right now.

So, having said all that, I tried a new recipe this week for Sunday dinner.  A friend had just made it and raved about it so I decided to give it a go. I bravely tried a new recipe and invited my in-laws over for dinner—breaking one of the oldest rules in the book: Never try a new recipe out on company!

The recipe was one that I had seen floating around on Pinterest and Facebook for a little while.  You bake chicken breast with green beans and potatoes and it looked pretty fast and easy. I was a little skeptical, but when my friend went on and on about it, I thought I’d give it a try.

It turned out amazing!!!! The chicken was so moist, the green beans were the best I’d ever had (which floored me because there was no bacon in it), and the potatoes were perfect. I made some cream cheese chili corn to go with it and Overnight Sourdough Rolls (recipe forthcoming) and my husband pronounced the meal “The BOMB!” My in-laws loved it and my mother-in-love said she was going to add it to their menu.

It turned out so yummy that I ended up making it again for supper the next night, but with center cut pork chops instead of chicken. I wasn’t disappointed. The results were just as delicious. I will have to be careful and not make it too often, lest I burn the husband out on it.

It took only about 15 minutes (maybe!) to put together and it baked for an hour and a half.  My kitchen didn’t get destroyed, it didn’t mess up every dish in the cupboard and I had time to get things done whilst it baked. Win, win, win, all the way around.

The only thing that would have made it better would have been if I’d remembered to take pictures. I will next time! You’ll just have to take my word for how yummy it looks.

Here’s the recipe:

Oven Baked Chicken, Green Beans & Potatoes

4 chicken breasts (I used boneless, skinless, and the next night I used center cut pork chops!)

2-3 cans of green beans, drained OR fresh green beans

1 1/2 lbs-2 lbs small red potatoes, quartered

1 package dry Italian dressing mix (I used Good Seasons)

1 stick (or 1/2 cup) of butter, melted

 

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Place chicken down the center of a large baking dish (I used an 11X14 Pyrex). Place the green beans on one side, the potatoes on the other. Sprinkle the package of Italian dressing mix over everything and drizzle with the melted butter.  Cover in foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is done and potatoes are tender.

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

                                                                                               {Image Source}

Since being pregnant I’ve been striving to get 80-100 grams of protein a day. Protein is vital to a healthy pregnancy and baby development. My midwife is a stickler about getting enough protein everyday and one of the ways she recommends doing it is by making a protein shake (or two, depending on how far along you are) everyday.

It makes it easier to get a lot of protein in one place and not feel like you are eating all day long. You can also add different things to it for even more protein, like Greek yogurt (Chobani has the most protein per serving I found so far).

One thing to watch for though is to make sure that the protein powder you use has very little or no sugar in it.

The one thing that stands out the most to me about getting enough protein everyday is the difference it has made for me personally as far as swelling. If I have all that I am supposed to, I barely swell at all, even after being on my feet all day. If I don’t, I can tell, as my ankles get puffy. It really makes a difference!

There are lots of different recipes online for protein shakes. The one that I use I found on Pinterest. It is low sugar and high protein. Here is the link for the original, but as you can see I tweaked it for my own use.

Chocolate Banana Protein Shake

1 cup 2% milk (about 8 grams of protein)

1/2 frozen banana

ice cubes

1-2 scoops of protein powder (I am using 2 scoops of vanilla flavored powder and getting 52 grams of protein from it)

2 tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.

Enjoy!

Venison and Veggie Soup

With the evenings beginning to turn cool, and especially with us being at the deerlease, my husband requested soups and chili for a few of the meals while we are here.

Everyone has their method or recipe for the “ultimate soup” and I thought I’d share mine with you. This recipe is very simple and fast, and is a husband pleaser. It is chocked full of fresh veggies—I used frozen, fresh, or what I have canned. It is a from scratch recipe and most of the ingredients I just throw in ‘til it looks and tastes right. There are a few ingredients that I know how much I use, but for the most part I’ll just give you the ingredients and you can tweak it to your own taste.

1 lb ground venison or lean ground beef

1/2 medium onion, cut into large pieces*

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder, to taste

Brown meat and onions in a large pot. Add salt , pepper, and garlic powder. Add 2-3 quarts of water (I really have no idea how much I put, I just pour until it looks right) 3 8oz cans of tomato sauce. Stir well, bring to a boil and add the following:

1/4 large head finely chopped cabbage

Carrots, sliced

Potatoes, sliced or cubed

Peas (my favorites to use are purple hull or black-eyed)

Butterbeans

Green beans

Whole kernel corn

Return to a medium boil and boil covered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You want the cabbage, carrots, potatoes and peas to be tender.) Reduce heat and let simmer til ready to serve. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. You may need to add more water to the broth, or continue to simmer until the broth has thickened some.

* I put it in large pieces because we love the flavor the onion gives, but we don’t like to eat the actually onions. After the soup is finished cooking I remove the onions. If you like to eat onions, chop them as small as you like ;)

Cooking with Pinterest

 

Pinterest has grown immensely popular of late and with good reason. It is a vast treasure trove of useful ideas, information and tips. I personally have found many helpful things there that I use everyday.

 A short disclaimer: While Pinterest is a great tool and resource, I must warn you that some Pinterest users do not have any qualms about posting things that should not be seen. As with any public site, there are occasionally some very offensive and inappropriate pins. People are carnal and that can not be helped. They are rare and if you are searching for recipes or crafts, etc., you are not likely to run into anything lewd or vulgar. Please use caution and discretion.                   

I love Pinterest. I probably spend more time there than I should, but there are just so many great, wonderful, neat ideas I’ve never thought of before and I need them! Well, maybe not need but I certainly enjoy looking through and finding ways of making life easier.

I (and Jacob!) have especially enjoyed all of the recipe pins and food inspirations that are available there. The possibilities seem endless. There are wonderful ideas for easy breakfasts, lunches, crockpot or oven suppers and snacks.

One of the neatest ideas I’ve seen and want to try is salad in a jar. I haven’t tried it yet but I plan to soon for some of Jacob’s work lunches.

Here are three recipes that we have tried lately from Pinterest pins:

Honey Garlic Pork Chops/Kabobs

30 Minute Rolls (recipe can be found on this blog)

Crockpot Italian Chicken

 

{My Recipe board}

 {My Desserts board}

Here are two things to remember and consider when pinning recipes:

1: Always, always, always go to the original pin’s source. You can do this usually by clicking on the pinned photo. Even if the recipe is included in the pin description and is fairly simple (or seems simple), always go to the source and double check everything before you begin cooking.

2: When you’ve tried a Pinterest recipe that you’ve pinned, go back to your pin and tell what you liked about it, if it was good and if you changed or added anything to the recipe. Your friends/followers will enjoy you sharing the recipe and will appreciate your comments about how you prepared it.

 

{Follow me on Pinterest}

Amazing Refrigerator Rolls

In case you haven’t noticed, I love breads. Bread is one my most favorite things to make and eat. I’m always on the look out for new recipes and I try out many of them.

I stumbled across this recipe in The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. It is my new favorite cookbook. My parents gave it to me for Christmas last year and I’m finally beginning to be able to use it.

These are very convenient because you mix them up the day before you need them. You can also make them over a few days—like I did—in case you don’t need all 4 1/2 dozen at one time.

Refrigerator Rolls

1 T yeast

2 c warm water

Stir together in medium bowl and let stand 5 minutes.

6 c flour

1/2 c sugar

2 t salt

Mix in a large bowl.

1/2 c shortening

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in yeast mixture and eggs until just blended. Cover and chill for 8 hours.

Shape as desired; cover and let rise in a greased pan for 45 minutes or until doubled. (I let mine rise for almost 2 hours and the texture was amazing.)

Bake at 400 F for 14 minutes or until golden. Brush with melted butter.

Yield: 4 1/2 dozen.

Dewberry Jelly—from Vine to Jar

   Yesterday I shared about picking dewberries (blackberries) and all of the fun that goes along with it. Picking berries and eating fresh berries is wonderful, but after you pick all of those luscious berries, what do you do with them?

    I came home late Friday evening and put my berries in the fridge with full intentions of juicing them the next day. We were gone all day Saturday and I wasn’t able to tend to the berries. Sunday afternoon I finally had a minute and was able to juice them. I was so worried that they had spoiled—some of the berries were very ripe—but thankfully they were just fine.

I have always loved canning and making jelly. There is such a sense of accomplishment and pride that comes with seeing all of your labor lined up in jars on shelves. I love listening to the happy popping sound of the jars sealing. While I was making the jelly yesterday I told Jacob that I really felt like a grown-up married lady now—making jelly in my own kitchen. ;) Even though we have been married for over a year, I sometimes still stop in amazement that I’m really married now. I thought I would share my jelly making adventure with you today.

The first step is to wash the berries thoroughly and remove any leaves, stems, or any other foreign matter that does not need to be in your jelly. When picking berries with children, there will invariably be foreign matter in your berry basket.

Next you need to cook the juice out of the berries. After you have washed them, place the berries in a large pot and almost cover them with water. You don’t want too much water or your juice will be diluted and weak and your jelly won’t have a very strong taste. It will just be a lot of sweet with a little flavor.

Cook the berries on high, crushing them with a potato masher or a wooden spoon. You’ll know when they are done because the berries will turn red and the juice will be close to boiling. It’s fine if it boils, but not for too long.

There are two ways to do the next step. You can mush the berries through a very fine strainer or sieve, or you can strain them through cheesecloth or an old t-shirt. Either way is fine and works great, just make sure not to get any of the crushed berries and seeds in your juice. You want just juice. I used an old t-shirt this time as I didn’t have a strainer. You can get more juice when you use a strainer. If you use cheesecloth or an old t-shirt twist it very tightly and use a wooden spoon to help get the most juice out that you can. This will take a little while. The berries and juice will be hot, so be careful.

You can use the juice immediately, or refrigerate it for a few days, or freeze it for later use. This juice is ready for jelly or for cobblers or anything that you need blackberry juice for. It will make your kitchen smell wonderful. 

  From a gallon size ziploc bag full of berries I got almost a gallon of juice.

Now comes the fun part!   Here’s what you’ll need: jars, rings and lids, a jar filler, a large pot, pectin and the recipe below.

Prepare your jars and lids by checking the rims of the jars for nicks or bumps or anything that would prevent the jars from sealing. The rims need to be smooth. You can check the rims by wetting your finger and  feeling around the tops of the jars. Heat your rings and lids in a small pot of hot water. Fill the jars completely full of hot water and set aside. This ensures that they do not crack and burst when the hot jelly is poured into them.

There are 2 different types of pectin out there—liquid and dry. We have used both and my mom and I prefer to use the pouches of liquid pectin.  Certo is great and Ball also makes liquid pectin in pouches. They are both wonderful and work the same. The methods for liquid and dry pectin are different. I’ll be demonstrating the liquid pectin method.

Here is the recipe:

3 3/4 – 4 cups prepared juice

7 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 pouches liquid pectin

Combine the juice and sugar in a 6-8 quart pot and cook on high, stirring frequently, until it reaches a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.

Add the liquid pectin, being sure to get all of the pectin out of  both pouches. Stirring constantly, return to a rolling boil and  boil hard for 1 minute ( set a timer so you can be sure of the time). Remove from heat. Skim foam from top. (The foam is a great sneak peek and sample of what your jelly will taste like. We often throw a pan of biscuits in the oven while we are making jelly so we can sample the jelly by the foam.)

Empty the water from the jars  and pour the jelly into them. A jar filler is the best thing to use, but if you don’t have one, just pour slowly. Fill the jars, leaving about a 1/2 inch headspace from the top.

Oh, look, the hubby snapped a picture of me ;) Now you can see how messy my kitchen gets when I can ;)

Next, place the rings and lids on the jars and screw them a little past. finger tight (as tight as you can get them with your hands). Turn them upside down and leave them for 5-10 minutes. This heats everything up and helps the jars seal better.

Next, turn them over and listen for them to seal. The popping sound of jars sealing is one of my favorite sounds. Let them set overnight before moving them.

Hurray! The finished product! From my juice (almost a gallon) I was able to make 8 pints and 2 half pints of jelly.

Taco Seasoning

Here is a quick recipe for taco seasoning like the packages you buy at  the grocery store, only without all the MSG and extra added stuff. This is how my Mom has made our taco meat for years and it is so good. I’m not sure where she found the recipe, but we use it all the time. I’ll also include the chili variation at the end.

Taco Seasoning

Brown 1 lb. of hamburger meat, straining to remove excess fat and grease. Add the following and mix well:

2 T. chili powder (make sure it doesn’t have salt in it. It needs to be pure chili powder)

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 – 3/4 t. salt

A dash EACH of onion powder and garlic powder

You may need to add a tablespoon or so of water to help everything mix well. Adding a can of Ranch Style Beans or pinto beans to the meat is very yummy and helps it go further.

Chili Variation:

Prepare as for taco meat, using either hamburger meat or chili meat and adding 1/3 c flour, 2-3 cups of water, and a small can of tomato sauce. Let simmer til thickened.

Banana Nut Bread

I am not a banana eater. I liked them when I was younger but can live without them now. My husband loves bananas but he eats them in phases. The last several times I’ve bought bananas I’ve had several go bad. I would forget to freeze them for later use in smoothies or recipes or whatever.  Yesterday I had some reach that point where they either needed to be used or frozen because it was almost over for them.
I mentioned banana bread a couple of weeks ago to Jacob and he had been after me ever since to make some and yesterday was the day. It turned out so delicious and yummy and made the apartment smell heavenly.
 I can never wait for the bread to cool completely before diving in. I love it with butter and a tall glass of milk. Hope you enjoy this quick and easy recipe!
Banana Nut Bread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour the bottom of a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 c. chopped pecans
Mix together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and set aside.
Stir together the following:
1/2 butter, melted
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup plain yogurt (optional)
1 t vanilla extract
Add to dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour-1 hour 5 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove loaf from pan and allow to cool completely on wire wrack. Yield: 1 loaf
This recipe can also be used to make muffins.

Roasted Vegetable and Chicken Primavera

This is a very simple, tasty meal I tried recently. It was hit and I wanted to share it with y’all. I can see this being a great recipe to use when your garden is producing more veggies than you know what do with. I know my Mom and I were always on the look out for new veggie recipes.

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the following:

1 medium zucchini, sliced or julienned (the thinner the better); mushrooms, quartered; 2-3 medium tomatoes, quartered; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 medium bell pepper, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped

Drizzle veggies with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. (I also added some crushed red pepper, but go easy on it as it gave it a real bite.) Toss to coat.

Transfer to a shallow baking dish and bake for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies are tender and lightly browned. (The tomatoes will turn  to mush)

OPTIONAL: About half-way through roasting the veggies, you can cut up the grilled chicken and toss it in with the veggies. This makes it even better!

Other ingredients:

Pasta: I used spaghetti, as that was what I had on hand, though I think any would do.

Grilled chicken breast .The original recipe I found called for chicken sausage, but it is much better with grilled chicken breast.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and pour into large mixing bowl. Add roasted veggies and sliced chicken breast and toss.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

24 Days of Thanksgiving; Days 18 &19

Ok so I said I should be able to start posting more regularly since we're settled in, but I wasn't expecting  the effect my husband's work schedule to make such an impact on my day ;)
 While we are here--at least for a little while--Jacob is working four ten hour days. That means we have a three day weekend every weekend. That's like two Saturdays in a row!
 That's what I'm thankful for today and yesterday.
 We slept in, which is something we haven't be able to do in forever and Jacob made breakfast. Jacob washed his truck and I cut out sewing patterns, but other than that we did a whole lotta nothing.  We made supper together and I tried out a new dinner roll recipe. (Recipe below) I'll be making them for Thanksgiving this year.
 I think today we'll probably venture out and maybe do some Christmas shopping.
  I'm so thankful for our uninterrupted, relaxed time together. I know that it won't always be like this, so I want to cherish and end enjoy every moment.

30 Minute Rolls

1 C plus 2 Tbsp warm water
1/3 C oil
2 Tbsp yeast
1/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2 C flour

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
In your mixer bowl combine the water, oil, yeast and sugar and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.  Using your dough hook, mix in the salt, egg and flour.  Knead with hook until will incorporated and dough is soft and smooth. (Just a few minutes)
Form dough into 12 balls and then place in a greased 9 x 13 pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until golden brown.

Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen

Venison Shish Kebob and homemade pita bread

For supper last night Jacob and I were adventurous and made something neither one of us had ever cooked before--shish kebobs. It was due largely in part to our pastor's message Sunday night--he talked about shish kebobs and had the entire congregation's mouths watering. We decided immediately that was what we were having for supper the next night. Aaahhhh, the power of suggestion!

 I had some venison backstrap in the freezer from a whitetail deer Jacob shot last year. I let it thaw then marinated it for several hours in and oil and vinegar dressing, pepper, garlic powder and a bit of steak seasoning. I know, the spice combination may not be very authentically Middle Eastern, but this was an experiment. I cut up yellow and zucchini squash, onions and bell peppers, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Lessons learned: Next time I'll slice the squash thinner and use cherry tomatoes. Everything else was perfect.

I made some almost whole wheat pita breads. They would have been 100% whole wheat, but I didn't realize that I was almost out of whole wheat flour. So they are 75% whole wheat :) Jacob LOVED them and called them "Bible breads". He especially loves them with peanut butter.  I was glad because he hasn't cared for some of the whole wheat things I've made in the past. I'll share the recipe in a minute.

Here are some photos of our evening for you to drool over:

My manly man manning the grill :) Notice our brand on the truck?

 

 Hungry yet?

Almost whole wheat pita bread

1 T yeast                                               1 T honey

1 1/3 c. warm water                               1 T oil

2 t. salt                                                 3 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

In a large mixing bowl sprinkle yeast over warm water. Stir in salt, honey, oil and 1 1/2 cups flour. Beat til smooth.

 Stir in 1 cup flour. Knead in as much of the remaining flour to make a smooth and elastic dough. Cover and let rest  for 10 minutes.

  Punch dough down. Knead until smooth and elastic. Wash out bowl and grease with a little oil. Place dough in greased bowl and turn to coat.. Cover and let rise til doubled.

  Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal parts. Shape each piece into a ball and let rest for 30 minutes.

  On a lightly oiled or floured surface, roll or pat each piece into a 7 inch circle. 

 Preheat oven to 500* F and place an upside down pizza pan on bottom rack of the oven. Let breads rise for approx. 30 minutes. When bread is ready to bake, gently place one or two breads on the hot pizza pan. Bake for four to seven minutes or until lightly golden and puffed up into a ball.

  Cool on wire racks, but cover them so they do not dry out. If not using right away, store in plastic bags.

Enjoy!

Encourage One Another Link Up
Raising Homemakers Link-up #58 

Cinnamon Rolls--from scratch

Here is my almost world-famous (at least around here) cinnamon roll recipe. It's super easy and almost fail-proof. I usually mix it in my KitchenAid mixer, but it is easy to mix by hand as well. The dough is soft and doesn't require much kneading. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Rolls~

1/4 c. warm water
1  T fast acting yeast
2 T sugar

Mix and let stand 5 minutes. (Mixture will be frothy)

1/2 c boiling water
1 T butter
1 T sugar
1 t salt

Mix and let butter melt. Add 1/2 c cold water.  Add yeast mixture and 2 3/4 -- 3 c. flour, a little at a time. If using a mixer, let mix for a few minutes until the dough begins to stick to the beater and leave the sides of the bowl. If mixing by hand, knead until the dough is soft and elastic (about 5 mins). Cover and let rise til doubled, about 20 mins.

Photo A

Punch dough down.On a floured surface, press or roll dough to make an approx. 12x18 inch rectangle. Spread melted butter on rectangle and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. (photo A)

B

Starting with the long side, roll dough up, jelly-roll fashion and pinch to seal seam. Cut 1 1/2 inch slices (photo B) and place in buttered baking pans and let rise til doubled. (photo C)

C

D

Bake at 375 * F for 10-12 minutes or until golden.













For the glaze, I use a regular milk, powdered sugar and vanilla glaze, but I add a few tablespoons of very soft ( almost melted) cream cheese. I have no idea how much of what I use, I just keep adding til it tastes/looks right. Drizzle glaze over warm cinnamon rolls and expect them to disappear rapidly.

Peach Cobbler--from scratch

Last summer before I married, my mom and I canned and put up lots of vegetables. Hers were done in quarts, and mine were done in cute little pints. :) I put up mostly squash and green beans, but I also canned 12 quarts of peaches for peach cobblers. This made Jacob very happy and I finally made a cobbler a couple of weeks ago.

11 quarts of peaches, plus a jar of red plum jelly and bread-and-butter pickles

 Having the peaches canned takes so much work out of making a cobbler. All you have to do is open a jar and pour the peaches--syrup and all--into a pie crust.
 Below is the recipe I used. It's easy and fast--especially if you make your pie crust in a mixer. I use my KitchenAid mixer for just about everything.

Pie Crust for (2) 8 or 9 inch crusts:

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 t. salt
1/2 c. shortening
2 T butter, cut into pieces
5-6 T cold water

Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles small peas.
Add water, a little at a time, until ingredients are moistened and dough begins to hold together.
Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a ball and flatten slightly.
 Roll one portion out to use as bottom crust. Place in pie pan, pressing firmly against bottom and sides. Set aside. Roll out remaining portion and cut into strips (to be used for the lattice top) OR leave in one piece.

Pour 1 quart of canned peaches  (including all of the syrup) into crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Lay strips of crust across top of pie to form a lattice top, OR place second whole crust on top and cut a few slits in the top. Either way, crimp or flute pie crust edges to seal.
Bake at 425*F for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.