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How to Make Hot Pepper Jelly
The post describes a recipe for homemade hot pepper jelly, ideal as a holiday gift. It serves well with cream or goat cheese and crackers. The recipe yields nine half-pint jars, which can be stored safely for one year. Detailed steps for preparation and sealing are provided for successful preservation.
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How to Make Casey’s Homemade Turkey Chili Recipe
Learn how to make my favorite turkey chili recipe to share with your family & friends! My husband, Casey makes the most delicious chili during the fall months. Amongst his friends he is known for this recipe so it’s high time we write this recipe down and share it with everyone! The longer this chili simmers or sits (even overnight) the more flavor it has. I like to serve chili with corn bread muffins on the side. Serves 10. Ingredients: Step One: Brown the ground turkey in a large skillet with the diced onions. Sauté the meat until it is fully cooked, ~ 15 minutes. Step Two: In a large…
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Farm Fresh to Favorite Recipes: Apples
As a child my family and I would go to Wilson’s Apple Orchard & Farm in Solon, Iowa to pick apples in the fall. This year I had the opportunity to go when I had a last minute trip to take care of a family member. I enjoyed visiting the orchard again and seeing how the farm has evolved over the past 20+ years. The Farm Visit: The apple orchard was established in 1980 and was opened to the public in 1985 with over 100 varieties of apples in the orchard. I remember taking a wagon ride out into the orchard with my family to pick apples when I was…
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The Best Fall Snack: Homemade Chex Mix
I only make Chex mix one to two times per year since I cannot stop eating it! This is my family’s favorite fall snack and it’s a real treat since we do not make it often. This recipe makes 12-14 one cup servings. Hint: Go ahead and double the recipe while you’re at it, it will disappear quickly or bag it up for neighbors, family & friends! Ingredients Step One: Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Step Two: Melt the butter in a 1 cup glass measuring cup. Add the Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix well to combine all of the ingredients together. Set aside.…
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Cinnamon & Nutmeg Pumpkin Bread
This pumpkin bread recipe is the perfect taste of Fall. It is super easy and fast to make and you can enjoy this for breakfast or as a snack throughout the day. Make 18 muffins, 2 mini loaves, or 1 large loaf. Ingredients: Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Step Two: In a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl add the eggs, white and brown sugar, and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree and vegetable oil, mix. Step Three: Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and all-spice to the bowl. Mix well on medium speed. Step Four: Pour…
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How to make a Botanical Pumpkin
Last year I took an everlasting wreath class at a local flower farm. It was my first time working with dried flowers and I was surprised by the colors and variety to choose from. Shortly after taking the class I went to a flower farm and cut many varieties of flowers to dry at home – strawflowers, gomphrena, celosia, amaranth, paper daisies, poppy pods, craspedia, dusty miller, etc. This year I was inspired to make a botanical pumpkin – it took 15 minutes and I really like the end result. It’s fun to be creative in a new way and I suggest you give this DIY project a try. Important…
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Learning How to Watercolor with The Mint Gardener
This was a four hour workshop hosted by Ciderpress Lane and taught by Sarah Simon, The Mint Gardener. The workshop consisted of three parts; 1. Floral Design, 2. Learning how to watercolor, and 3. Connecting with other workshop attendees while enjoying appetizers, drinks, dessert & coffee. It was a gorgeous fall afternoon to enjoy the workshop in the Ciderpress Lane orchard. This post will focus on the second element of learning how to watercolor. Each attendee was given a watercolor workbook that includes 25 beginner-friendly projects on premium watercolor paper (written and designed by Sarah Simon, The Mint Gardener), Stoneground Paint Co. watercolor palette that has 24 different colors, and…
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How to make Black Sesame Ice Cream
I first had black sesame ice cream in Vancouver, Canada at a Japanese BBQ restaurant – I immediately loved the unique flavor. I didn’t think to make the ice cream at home until a few years ago and now I think my recipe is just right to share with all of you. Serves 6. Ingredients: Step One: Put the heavy cream, milk, black sesame paste, and black sesame powder in a large saucepan on low-medium heat. Whisk to combine all of the ingredients until warmed and steaming, ~ 5 minutes. Take off the heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes (this is very important, in the next step…
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Sweet & Spicy Jalapeño Pickles
Many of us are enjoying a bounty of harvest from our vegetable gardens or visiting farm stands this time of year. I recently picked up some pickling cucumbers from one of my favorite farm stands in the area and decided to make up a sweet and spicy pickle recipe – they are refreshing, crunchy, and have just a little bit of kick to balance out the sweetness. These are great as a snack, on burgers, or to give as a gift. Makes 2 quarts (one quart is 32 oz.). Ingredients: Step One: Put the water, sugar, kosher salt, and apple cider vinegar in a medium saucepan on the stove and…
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Farm Fresh to Favorite Recipes: Cherries
My family has been going to Door County, Wisconsin since my Dad was a teenager (late 1960’s) and we enjoyed visiting my grandparents cabin right on the water every summer until it was sold 50+ years later. Door County has so many special memories for our family – my parents went on their honeymoon there, I went for the first time when I was just weeks old, sleepovers on the screened in porch and bike rides with my grandparents, endless time spent swimming, waterskiing, and exploring the area. This is where my Mom asked us to spread her ashes, Pebble Beach will always be a place we cherish. This past…
