Scattered Thoughts From A Maryland Cottage

Scattered Thoughts From A Maryland Cottage
The Yin and Yang of Thankfulness
Showing posts with label colors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label colors. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Warmth of Colors and Giving

I had such a wonderful time this year canning. I made old favorites like apple saucepeach and blueberry jam, wet walnuts. Then I tried new recipes like Holiday Jam and Carrot Cake Jam thanks to talented canners that love to share! I was very pleased with a lot of the recipes I tried. I didn't get to try some I still intend to make. I made mini sprinkle packs and my kids and I assembled gift packs for our friends of "Make Your Own Sundaes" for Christmas gifts that included Maraschino cherries, wet walnuts, strawberry topping, waffle cone bowls and some jams. Below is one of the recipes we really enjoyed.


Carrot Cake Jam

1-1/2 cups finely grated peeled carrots
1-1/2 cups chopped cored peeled pears
1-3/4 cups chopped pineapple, including juice
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit® Classic Pectin
6-1/2 cups sugar
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands

Directions:

1.) PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
2.) COMBINE carrots, pears, pineapple with juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring frequently.
3.) ADD sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
4.) LADLE hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight.
5.) PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.



What I really like about this recipe is that you can make it and gift it any time of the year!


Carrots are very easy to buy and versatile for soups, roasting, baking and just plain snacking. 


Nothing is insurmountable!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Making Memories and Snowflake Sugar Cookies! CT Scans Clear a bonus!

Am I blue? Not me!
Sugar Snowflake Cookies
by Woman's Day Magazine

Recipe Ingredients
3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp lemon extract

1/2 tsp salt

4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Decorating Icing (see recipe)


You also need: 4-in. tree, snowflake and flying-dove cookie cutters; small ziptop bags; green, blue and yellow paste food colors; candy flower and star decors; and fine white decorating sugar
Recipe Preparation
1. Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl with mixer on low speed until fluffy. Beat in egg, extracts and salt. Beat in flour just until blended.
 2. Divide dough in thirds. Shape each third into a 1-in.-thick disk; wrap separately. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm.
 3. Heat oven to 375°F.
 4. On floured surface, roll out 1 disk at a time to 1/4 in. thick. Using floured cutters, cut out trees, snowflakes and doves. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheet(s). Reroll scraps and cut once.
 5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until golden at edges. Cool slightly on sheet on a wire rack; move to rack to cool completely.
 6. Tint 1 cup icing green, 3 Tbsp icing yellow and 1/4 cup icing blue. Spoon 1/2 cup white icing into a ziptop bag. Put remaining white icing in a bowl.
 7. To thin icing for spreading: Add drops of water to tinted and white icing just until thin enough to spread.
 8. Trees: Spread green icing on cookies. Let dry 3 hours. Cut tip off corner of bag of icing; pipe garland. Add decors.
 9. Doves: Spread thinned white icing on cookies, leaving beaks un-iced. Let dry 3 hours. Dip a fine brush or a toothpick into yellow icing; paint on beaks and eyes. Using icing in bag, pipe wing outlines. Immediately sprinkle with white decorating sugar.
 10. Snowflakes: Spread thinned white icing on cookies. While wet, use a toothpick to drop on dots of thinned blue icing. Drag the pick through both colors to marbleize. Let dry 3 hours. Pipe outlines; sprinkle with white decorating sugar.
 11. Let cookies dry at least 6 hours.Storage tip: Store airtight with wax paper between layers at cool room temperature up to 3 weeks.



DECORATING ICING: Beat 1 lb confectioners’ sugar (3 1/4 cups) and 1/4 cup Just Whites (see Note) in a large bowl with mixer on low speed until combined. Add 1/3 cup water; beat until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 8 minutes or until icing is very thick and white. Makes 2 1/2 cups.

Note: Find Just Whites (powdered egg whites) in your store’s baking section


call a friend and you can double the batch while you chat over Life's ups and downs.....
cherished memories of Mom or Grandma
my kids talk about how much it meant to them...
start a tradition...or just treat someone special
I like to bring containers to people I don't always think of:
the building service people in my school, the security staff,
the next door neighbor that collects my mail when I go away,
the sweetest checkout person at the grocery store, the woman at the pharmacy that always treats me with kindness. Sometimes they look so surprised when I tell them they make a difference in my day, make my life easier - but it's true. Amen.
P.S. 3 month chest scans, ct scans, blood work and tests - clear for cancer! whoopppeee!
Thank You Lord! jennifer
pssst do have have any suggestions for a different direction with my blog - I write about what I like, what I know, how I feel...what are you wanting to hear about?
What tweeks your interest?

Friday, June 11, 2010

I See Your True Colors.... that's why I love you

You with the sad eyes
Don't be discouraged
Oh I realize
It's hard to take courage
In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all
And the darkness inside you
Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow
Show me a smile then
Don't be unhappy, can't remember
When I last saw you laughing
If this world makes you crazy
And you've taken all you can bear
You call me up
Because you know I'll be there
And I'll see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that's why I love you
So don't be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
True colors are beautiful
Like a rainbow
True Colors - Cyndi Lauper

I Got Your Back Girl!  Jennifer

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
                                                                Tennessee Williams