Habanero Gold Pepper Jelly

This a sweet, yet somewhat hot jelly that is so delicious! Can be served with cheese or melt it onto grilled or sauteed dishes to add sparkling flavor highlights. I've never tried it any other way than on crackers with cream cheese. So good! Tasted it at my mother-in-laws and promptly asked for the recipe. :)

Habanero Gold Pepper Jelly

• 1/3 cup finely sliced apricots (dried)
• 3/4 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup each: finely chopped red onion, red bell pepper & seeded habanero or jalapeno peppers
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 pouch liquid pectin

In large stainless steel saucepan, combine apricots and vinegar. Cover, let sit for at least 4 hours. Add red onion, red and habanero peppers and sugar. Over high heat, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. Stir in pectin. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat, skim off foam and stir to disperse peppers. Ladle jelly into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Heat process. Boil filled jars in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Makes 6 x 125ml or 3 x 250 ml jars.

Laundry Detergent

You may not "Wanna Lick the Spoon" on this recipe, but it's a good one. A friend of mine shared this recipe with me a few months ago. It's a homemade laundry detergent with ingredients that you can easily buy at Wal-mart (although I never knew they existed until now!). The ingredients cost about $12 and will make you multiple recipes worth. Definately cheaper than the liquid Gain detergent I'd beenusing until now. I've been using this detergent to wash laundry during potty training and it's been great. And I think if there's ever a true test to a laundry soap, this would be it! ;)

Laundry Detergent

• 1/3 cup washing soda
• 1/3 cup borax
• 1/2 sunlight laundry bar
• 6L water

Grate 1/2 laundry bar into 1L of boiling water. Stir until no lumps remain. Remove from heat. Stir in washing soda and borax. Mix until well combined. Add remaining 5L of water. Mix well.

Makes almost 2 ice cream pails full. Add 1/4 cup detergent for each wash load.

*This is a rather gelatenous detergent once it's cooled. But hey, we're washing laundry, not entering a beauty pagent. :) :)

Sliced Sweet Pickles

On Monday I, along with a couple friends, started off the canning season. It was a fun, but oh so tiring day! However, these pickles are so worth the work. Another great recipe from my sister-in-law Christina. :)

Sliced Sweet Pickle

In each jar, put one clove of peeled garlic and one head of dill. Slice cucs and pack into jars. They will shrink when processed, so be sure to pack it tightly. Make one recipe of brine for each quart jar (or 2 pints).

• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup vinegar
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 tsp pickling salt

Bring to a boil. Pour into jars, leaving an inch of headspace. Wipe rims of jars clean with a damp cloth. Place lid and screw ring on jar. Steam for 15 minutes in 3 inches of water. (I put a cookie sheet in the oven, fill about half way with water and set jars in for about 15 minutes @ 325).

White Buns

3 cups warm water

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt

2 TBSP fast rising yeast

8 + cups of white flour

Mix oil, sugar, eggs, salt together, add the warm water and then add your yeast, continue mixing and slowly add flour until dough is only slighly sticky ( sometimes i find depending on brand as well as humidity i can add up to another 2 cups of flour). Place in a large bowl and let rise 35 min. in a warm oven or in the sunshine covered with lid or clean tea towel & plastic.

grease 4 baking sheets and then roll out dough cutting off aprox. a sm. handfull and rolling into a ball. Place 3 buns across and 4 down if making regular buns or pan buns 4 across and 6 down. when all the dough has been cut and rolled. cover with a clean tea towel and plastic bag, and let rise aprox an hour, this also depends on humidity sometimes i find they'll be ready 45 min after letting rise. Bake 350 for 10 -12 min. this will also depend on your oven.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut bite size*
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water

Combine first five ingredients in 3 1/2 quart slower cooker. Stir.

Add chicken. Stir. Cover. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

Combine cornstarch and second amount of water in small bowl. Stir into slow cooker. Cook on high, stirring often for 15 to 20 minutes until thickened. For faster cooking, pour into saucepan. Heat on stove, stirring often, until thickened. Serves 6.

*I put the chicken breasts in whole, saves a step. This has lots of extra sauce to go over rice or noodles. We enjoy it with dirty rice (recipe available under sides).

Best Cocoa Brownies

I'm cheating here by not posting the actual recipe or a pic, but if you love chocolate (aka cocoa), this is a great brownie recipe from a respected website...

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Cocoa-Brownies-108346

I didn't have walnuts/pecans at home - next time. I'm sure you could throw in a few choc chips if you so desired.

I checked out the "Dutch process" of cocoa, be interesting to try :) ...but I did use regular cocoa in mine.

My husband likes brownies and he gave these the green light. What a treat!

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

I've often enjoyed these muffins, courtesy of my sister-in-law Jessica. She is an excellent baker. They are good plain or with cream cheese icing. The recipe is from the MacGregor Bergthaler Mennonite Church cookbook, submitted by Brenda B. My muffins always seem to flop, so I was thrilled that these turned out well for me too. :)

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

• 4 eggs


• 2 cups sugar


• 16 oz can pumpkin


• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil


• 3 cups flour


• 2 tsp baking soda


• 2 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp cinnamon


• 1 tsp salt


• 2 cups chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups 3/4 full. Bake at 375 for 16 to 20 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack.

*This recipe makes 4 dozen medium sized muffins.