Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (or as I knew it Z Bar Ranch)

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

We started out from Topeka going south to Emporia, then to 50 HWY to Strong City, and worked our way out to Cottonwood Falls, then back through Strong City, then on K177 N through Council Grove, and up to Lower McDowell Creek Road to Manhattan. Which helped to avoid the KSU game day traffic, although it wasn't bad. We spent some time in Manhattan, then drove to Topeka, on HWY 24, although it was dark by that time.
Ponds were all but empty up until north of I-70 on Lower McDowell Creek Road, although I wouldn't call them full by any means, just not bone dry. We could use rain really bad. Tallgrass also had up information about invasive cedar trees, which I was glad to see. I grew up in the Flint Hills, and they can be so beautiful, but if they are left to become overgrown with cedar the beauty will be gone.

Summer Surprise

Homemade Pork Tender Sandwich, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

Its my first day of stay-cation, or at least vacation from my day job. I am off for a whole week. I came home early from helping my husband out today, and decided to work on supper.
Last week, it seemed we had a thousand things going on in the evenings. We had intended to eat these pork chops on the grill one night. We never made it around to it and by now I really figured they were bad. After given them a good sniff they smelled fine, the looked fine, so I decided it was time for a mid-summer treat! A lettuce and tomato pork tender sandwich.
I tenderized my pork chops and fried them the good ol' fashioned way, breading, buttermilk, oil. I put them in one by one and let them sit and cook on med-heat flipping them when they were golden brown. Whiles they were cooking I cleaned up, washed the lettuce, toasted the bread, cut the vine ripened tomato, heated up some beans I had forgotten about in the fridge. It was a great easy going night. Why can't cooking dinner be this nice when I come home from work?

Razberry Jam & Balsamic Red Pepper Jelly

Razberry Jam & Balsamic Red Pepper Jelly, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

My canning adventure continues. This time I made two different batches, and had my husbands help. Which was really nice, because when we woke up this morning we had no hot water!
As I had already been thinking about canning this morning, I knew I was going to make some sort of berry jam. I had my husband pick about 2 cups raspberries at my parents house. I used the same basic recipe as I did the last time, except I used mostly raspberries and then filled in a with a few blueberries and strawberries.
However, yesterday I had been at the grocery store and picked up a red bell pepper it was sweet and yummy. So, when I ran across the recipe for Balsamic Red Pepper Jelly it seemed like a great idea. It was even already set to be made in 4oz jars, double YEPPIE! I chopped up the red bell peppers and my husband chopped up the jalapeno peppers they sit and made a "juice." Then you cooked the juice with vinegar and pectin. It took quite a bit of sugar over 3cups. It smelled a lot like sweet and sour sauce. Aside from having to boil/heat water to clean everything. The day went really well. I am looking forward to trying it later.

Learning How to Can

Jam Day!, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

So, this is my third time canning, but my first time using the waterbath method. The batches of chicken stock we made earlier this spring both required pressure canning.
By comparison this was simpler.
First off, I didn't feel the need to make truck loads of jars to use throughout the year. I was satisfied with a few small jars to have on my toast or bagels, and I knew that I could make a larger variety. Besides once you open a large jar it seems like it can take forever to finish it and move on to a new flavor. I suppose if it was more than my husband and I it might be different.
Secondly, once I found a small batch recipe. I didn't feel like I needed small bushels of berries to make the jam. I only needed two cups of crush assorted berries.
After I got things set up it only took me about an hour to complete a batch of 5-6 jars. I did the three berry batch first, not knowing how long or how it would go, and then once I felt more comfortable and took a small break I made a second batch of Double Berry.
Set up and tear down wasn't to horrible either. I started out preparing my waterbath, then washed my jars. Because my jars were so small once they were cleaned I could put eight of them in my crockpot to keep warm. Because my house is also on the small side, I then prepared my berries cleaned up then prepped my canning space. The only flaw that could have been disastrous was I over filled my waterbath canner and had to carry it over filled with hot (not yet boiling) water and dump out over half of it in the sink. While I could see the potential danger all worked out ok. I used some of the hot water in the sink to clean up the dirty pots and utensils.
After they boiled away in the waterbath for 10m, and the sat in the hot water for another 5m, I pulled them out and then listened to the lids popping. "Pop! Pop!!! PopPop!" It probably took me a hour to set up, I was very slow and trying to think through the set up and process. I don't believe it will take me as long next time to set up. I had the kitchen cleaned up in about 30m, so I didn't feel like that was overly bad either. When all was said in done, later that night I had toast with jam. Not to bad a of day, if I say so myself.

Santa Maria Pinquitos Baked Beans

Santa Maria Pinquitos Baked Beans, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

I have been cooking with dried beans for sometime now. When you are working with dried beans, it may seem more complicated but really its quite easy. Just make sure to plan a little bit ahead.
Night Before: sort through beans for rocks and bad beans, rinse, and soak in water and salt. We use about 1T per 4 cups of water.
Morning: Rinse beans and put in crock pot, season and cover with lid.

These beans I seasoned with:
Onion Flakes (I was out of real onion)
1 Garlic Clove
2 Bay leaves
Covered with Chicken Broth (homemade see earlier post)

I let them cook on high for 2-3 hours. (Each type of bean will cook at a different rate, check bag for suggestions. If I am gone all day I cook on low). Once they were done I drained them and let cool, put in fridge.

When I was ready to bake them, I mixed them with:
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 (15oz) can of Tomato Sauce (low sodium)
1 T of Worcestershire Sauce (low sodium)
1 T of Chili Powder
1 T of Garlic Powder
Mix well and put in baking dish
uncovered with (4 uncooked slices) bacon and another 1/4 cup of brown sugar, baked uncovered for 1 hour at 350.

Easy Crockpot Chili w/Dried Beans

I recently read a recipe in Midwest Living Magazine that talked about using dried red kidney beans in chili. Whiles they liked the flavor they didn't care for all the presoaking and precooking. My thought was well soaking isn't a problem, but pre-cooking? Really I had just made a batch of chili using dried beans instead of canned beans the other day, and I didn't precook. I have made this recipe twice this winter and both times it turned out just fine. Sorry I didn't get a photo, it was chili and I was hungry!

This fits in a medium sized crock pot. Its the only size I have so I have no idea what it holds.

This is important, the night before you have to soak your beans. However, I put most of my it together the night before.

Night Before:

Soak 1-1.5 cups of dried beans, in water (follow bag instructions)

Heat 1 T oil in large skillet, coarsely chop 1/2 med onion, 1/2 of med green bell pepper, and mince 1 T of garlic, saute in skillet add:

Brown 1lb of Hamburger or Ground Turkey (if you use Turkey up the chili flakes)

As it browns add the following seasoning mix (adjust as you like)

2 T of Chili Powder

2 t of Cumin

1 t of Garlic Powder

1/2 t of Chili Flakes

1/8 t of Cinnamon or Coco Powder (which ever you prefer)

1/4 t or to taste of Kosher salt

Black Pepper to taste

Add to your meat and pepper mix in skillet, once browned add to crock pot.

There is a new product from Rotel called Rotel Sauce. It comes in a small can and I found it with the tomato sauces at the store. Add 1 Can.

1 Can of Crushed Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Stir in with meat, cover and place in fridge. Leave beans in water, cover, and leave on counter.

Before I leave for work in the morning I just do a few more steps:

Drain soaked beans and rinse, and add to crock pot.

Stir to incorporate everything, add 1.5-2 Cups of V-8 Spicy Hot Low Sodium Vegetable Juice, to lightly cover everything and fill crock.

I also put a few frozen cinnamon rolls in a pan in the oven to rise. When I come home I pull out and warm up oven, and the bake according to package directions.

Cook chili covered on low for 8-9 hours. If you happen to be home for lunch stir, if not, don't worry it should be fine. Stir and taste before serving make sure beans are done, if by chance they are not turn on high, and they should be done in a hour.

Trying something new... Canning!

Trying something new... Canning!, a photo by KS Girl on Flickr.

Earlier this fall I was thinking about making and freezing chicken stock. I usually make a batch in January and freeze it to use throughout the year, but as I thawed some out to use this fall I noticed it getting watery. As I was contemplating this problem, Thanksgiving approached and I needed a container to put some turkey stock in that I had made I reached for a quart ball canning container. It all clicked for me as I looked at the jar sitting on the counter. After Thanksgiving I began to research the process of canning stock, and discovered I would need a pressure canner. I did some online research and some shopping around town and realized that this would be quite an investment for something I wasn't even sure I wanted to do.
Over the next week I looked at several recipes for canning stock, googled canning, and watched several videos before deciding that this would be a good investment. One evening I was discussing my new idea with my Dad and he asked if I would like a pressure canner for Christmas, I told him I would have to think on it. He was kind of excited and thought this could be fun and different.
Mom on the other hand quickly remembered her days of being forced into canning the entire garden with her mother. She informed me of how hot and miserable it was, and that it takes all day. Any fantasy I had that it would be quick and easy she made sure to shoot down quickly.
After giving it some thought and discussing it with Dad I said that it could be a nice Christmas present. I woke up Christmas morning to find that Santa had a box special for me, and indeed it was a pressure canner. A nice big one too!
This last Saturday afternoon we all got together in my parents nice big kitchen and made 16 pints of chicken stock, with more ideas of items to come. A new hobby for me and my family.