August 7, 2011

Busy week in the kitchen!

This week has been so busy in the kitchen! I have worked with canning peaches from this season. We usually go down to one of our favorite farmers markets to get our peaches and I got three bags this week. First, I had some left from last week to use though. I made a peach cobbler jam with those! That was yummy!! With the other bags I made just some peaches in a simple syrup with a little cinnamon and jarred them up for later in the year to enjoy. With two bags though, I made peach butter! It is actually in the crock pot now waiting to be jarred up! I had to taste it and it is incredible! It is another late night of being in the kitchen though because Randy has been making sauce all day with these tomatoes we are growing in our garden!

Aren't they gorgeous!

I have been roasting some for freezing for the past few weeks. The flavor is incredible!

Maryjo made cantaloupe preserves this week also. She actually had to take it with her to go babysitting and do part of it. It is a three part recipe. Our A/C went out on Friday and it was miserable in the house so we limited cooking in the house. It worked out well and she was able to get our preserves done and finish them at home that night! And Praise God our A/C was back on that evening!!! Sweet relief!
Hanni did make cherry preserves with amaretto on Friday morning and had a ball making them. I don't know how smart it was of me to give her a knife but I was watching her and she did great! Her cherry preserves are awesome too!!

The only person who doesn't like them is Hanni who doesn't like jellies and preserves. She insists that we call them Hanni's favorite cherry preserves with amaretto though! Ha!

Gracie also got in on the action this week and helped Randy make blackberry jelly! We got some gorgeous blackberries from the farmers market!

In between all of the kids making things and Randy doing his thing and my peaches, I had to make Eli some blueberry syrup and some more blueberry orange marmalade for him. He loves it and says he doesn't want to run out. We went to the farmers market and got blueberries and Eli got his blueberry goodies! I pray my blueberry bushes make it. They aren't looking so hot but they will certainly come in handy and save money with my baby boy loving blueberries so much!!
Tonight for dinner I made chili with a twist. Pumpkin! I am craving fall and found a recipe that looked great with pumpkin in the chili. I had to make it. Everyone loved it so it will become a regular recipe here I'm thinking!

I have to admit I love canning food and love the fact that more than half I what we purchase or grow isn't going to waste but being used! Now I just have to work on the area it is all going to go and put it all up!!