A staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, schmaltz—rendered chicken fat—adds rich flavor to the dishes it's used in. < Back Schmaltz (Rendered Chicken Fat) Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 65 Minutes Serves: 16 Level: Beginner About the Recipe A staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, schmaltz—rendered chicken fat—adds rich flavor to the dishes it's used in. Ingredients 3/4 pound chicken fat and skin (12 ounces; 340g), finely chopped (from 5 leg quarters) 1 medium onion (8 ounces; 226g), chopped (about 1 cup) Preparation The Jews of Northern and Eastern Europe had a fat conundrum: They were living in a land of butter and lard, but couldn't use those ingredients in much of their cooking. Rendered poultry fat, from chickens, ducks, and geese, became a staple of their kitchens. The fat, known as schmaltz, is, in its most basic form, just that: rendered poultry fat. Often, though, onions are also added to the rendering process for flavor, then strained out along with the gribenes (crispy poultry fat cracklins) before use. My preferred method for making schmaltz is to save up a bunch of chicken fat, storing it in the freezer until I have a healthy amount; the more tender globules found around the neck and at the entrance to the chicken's cavity are best, but skin works too. Then I chop it up, put it in a saucepan with a little water, and cook it, stirring frequently, until most of the fat has liquified with little crispy bits of fat and skin floating in it and the water long gone. I add sliced or chopped onion towards the end for flavor (adding it sooner just means you have to contend with it sticking and burning). Then I strain it out. (Those fried cracklins and onions are good for snacking, so don't just throw them out.) I get about one cup of rendered fat from three-quarters of a pound of skin and fat, though yields will vary depending on the ratio of skin to fat. Directions: In a medium saucepan, combine chicken fat and skin with just enough water to barely cover. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring frequently, until fat has mostly rendered, water has cooked off, and chicken skin and fat pieces are small, browned, and starting to crisp, about 50 minutes. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently until lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Strain rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) through a fine mesh strainer set over a small heatproof bowl and use as directed. Reserve crisped chicken skin, fat, and onion (called gribenes in Yiddish), if desired (they can be eaten as a snack with salt, or stirred into chopped liver). A staple of Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, schmaltz made from rendered chicken fat takes some time, but pays off by adding tons of flavor to dishes like chopped liver and matzo balls. You can buy chicken fat from some butchers, or save up scraps in your freezer until you have enough. Previous Next

Really delicious! If you are really nice, when you take the lemonade over, your neighbor might share some strawberries or raspberries to crush up and put in the lemonade – YUM < Back The BEST Lemonade Recipe In The World Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 5 Mins Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 cup lemon juice 1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute) 6 cups of cold water Preparation Add water, lemon juice and sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved. Optional add ice or any fruit.

A classic, juicy Hamburger Recipe made with ground chuck, a simple burger seasoning, and all of the classic burger toppings. Plus, tips for preparing the meat and cooking the burgers so they are tender and juicy! < Back Classic Juicy Hamburger Recipe Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe A classic, juicy Hamburger Recipe made with ground chuck, a simple burger seasoning, and all of the classic burger toppings. Plus, tips for preparing the meat and cooking the burgers so they are tender and juicy! Ingredients 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons paprika ½ teaspoon brown sugar ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Cheese: cheddar cheese, or your favorite kind. Lettuce leaves. Tomato: beefsteak tomatoes are preferred, but any will work. Onion: Red or white onion, thinly sliced. Pickle slices. Condiments: ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, Thousand island dressing, Ranch dressing, homemade Chick-fil A Sauce. Preparation You can search the web and find all sorts of burger recipes, but when it comes to making a classic, no-frills, juicy hamburger, all you need is good quality meat, and a good burger seasoning. There’s no need for fillers like eggs or breadcrumbs. I’ll walk you through the simple steps to how to prepare, season, and cook the burgers, plus make-ahead and freezing instructions. What type of meat is best? The quality and fat content in the meat used in your burger will make all of the difference! When choosing the best kind of meat for hamburgers, choose ground chuck over ground beef. Ground chuck is the best type of meat for hamburgers and it’s different from ground beef as it comes from the beef shoulders, where ground beef is leftover pieces of beef from many different cuts. For an extra delicious burger try a combination of 60% ground chuck and 40% brisket. You could use ground beef, but for best results and flavor be sure the meat is at least 20% fat (not lean). A 90/10 mix can result in a dry hamburger, but if it’s all you have on hand you could add chopped bacon, or a tablespoon of olive oil. Burger Seasoning: Hopefully your pantry is already stocked with the spices you need to make this simple burger seasoning! 1 ½ teaspoons ground black pepper 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons paprika ½ teaspoon brown sugar ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon onion powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Mix all spices together and if not using immediately, store in an airtight container in a dark cool place for several months. Toppings: Cheese: cheddar cheese, or your favorite kind. Lettuce leaves. Tomato: beefsteak tomatoes are preferred, but any will work. Onion: Red or white onion, thinly sliced. Pickle slices. Condiments: ketchup, mustard, BBQ sauce, Thousand island dressing, Ranch dressing, homemade Chick-fil A Sauce. How to Make a Perfect Hamburger: 1. Prep seasoning. Combine all spices in a bowl. Set aside. 2. Form patties. Divide ground chuck into 6 equal portions and gently form into ½ inch thick patties that are wider than the burger buns (as they will shrink). Use your thumb to press an indentation into the center of each patty. Cover and set aside. 3. Grill. Just before cooking, sprinkle seasoning over the patties, then place on a hot grill, indent-side up. Close the grill lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom of the burger is seared and juices are accumulating on top of the burger. Flip and cook an additional 3-4 minutes or until the beef reaches 160 degrees F. If adding cheese, place cheese slices on burgers during the last minute of cooking. 4. Serve . Remove patties to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving in a bun, with toppings. To Cook Burgers on the stove: Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add enough oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, add the burger patties and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until 160 degrees F. How to tell when your burger is done: The cooking temperature recommendation for burgers of medium doneness is 160 degrees F. If you don’t want to use a thermometer, here’s a rough estimate for how long to cook burgers on each side. 2-3 minutes for medium rare 3-4 minutes for medium (preferred) 5-6 minutes for well done Pro Tips for Juicy Hamburgers: Handle the meat as little as possible . The more you handle it, the tougher it gets. Also avoid the urge to “flatten” the patties when forming them—just gently shape them. Press an indentation into the center of each patty with your thumb to prevent puffing up during cooking and to help them cook evenly. Don’t press down or move them around as they cook. Don’t over-cook ! Use a thermometer, or when in doubt, err on the side of undercooked, as you can always throw them back on the grill. Ice cube trick: Some chefs will place an ice cube on top of the indentations on the patties until they’re ready to cook them, to keep them from drying out. Allow meat to rest after cooking. Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions: To make ahead: Store prepared patties in the fridge for 1-2 days, placing pieces of parchment paper between them, and covering well with tinfoil or plastic wrap. To freeze: Place pieces of parchment paper between the patties and place them in a freezer safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking. Serve Burgers with: Potato Salad Pasta Salad Fruit Salad Regular or Sweet Potato Fries Chips Salad Veggie tray Baked Beans Corn on the Cob Looking to make your burger healthier? Skip the bun and serve it as a salad! Previous Next

This is a real crowd or party pleaser! < Back Shredded Mexican Chicken (Café Rio inspired) Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Crockpot 5-7 hours Serves: 20 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 5 lbs Chicken Breast – boneless skinless 1 small bottle Zesty Italian Dressing 1 tablespoon Chili Powder 1 tablespoon cumin 3 cloves garlic, minced Preparation 1. Mix all ingredients together in a large crock pot. 2. Cook in crockpot on high for 5-7 hours. 3. Remove chicken and shred with fork. 4. Reserve a small amount of juice and pour over shredded chicken to keep moist. 5. Keep warm to serve. This is best served on a tortilla or in a bowl with shredded cheddar cheese, black or pinto beans, lime rice, cut up red and green leaf lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, fresh cilantro, parmesan cheese, fresh lime slice, and tomatillo dressing. Previous Next

This pressure cooker jam takes 15 minutes and you can use any fruit you want in your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi. If you’re wondering how to make homemade jam with no pectin quickly I have the answer for you! < Back Huckleberry Jam Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 16 Level: Beginner About the Recipe This pressure cooker jam takes 15 minutes and you can use any fruit you want in your Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi. If you’re wondering how to make homemade jam with no pectin quickly I have the answer for you! Ingredients 2 lbs fruit we used 1.5 lbs. huckleberries, .5 lbs strawberries 1 c sugar 1 tsp vanilla optional 3 tbsp cornstarch 2 tbsp water Preparation I have always made jams, but never tried it in my instant pot! My Instant Pot is just an amazing thing and figured I could probably make some easy pressure cooker jam with fresh huckleberries I bought. It came out delicious! Jam in Instant Pot You can make this as an easy Ninja foodi well, or in a Crockpot Express . They all work the same with high pressure. After you’re done you can enjoy it in the next few weeks. You cannot use this machine for InstaPot canning as stated by the manufacturer but we will show you how to do that the old fashioned way. Fresh is always best though and it never lasts long in our house enjoyed for breakfast or dessert. For reference, this is the pressure cooker I have (a 6 quart) and use for all recipe creations. You can use any fresh or frozen berries. I opt for quick versions though and you must too. 😉 I had about 1.5 lbs. which didn’t look like quite enough fruit when I put it into my pressure cooker, so I added 3/4 of a container of fresh strawberries from our garden too. So the total was 2 lbs. of fresh fruit and the combination turned out to be great. Can you peel plums to make jam? Yes! If that is your favorite fruit then by all means remove those skins and use those. I have had people comment to me that this fruit works rather well and is delicious. Ninja Foodi Jam When it is summertime we are all about fruit because it’s so fresh and inexpensive when it’s in season. There are tons of farms out here so we schedule trips to pick fresh peaches, blackberries and anything else we can get our hands on. If you have a backyard garden I suggest planting strawberries and trying to make homemade jam this year. It is SO simple and I guarantee you won’t buy a jar at the store after you try it. I would involve your kids in the process too, I assure you they’ll love it. Can you make jam from canned fruit? You can if that is really all you have. You’ll just need to drain the liquid out of the can first. It won’t have the same consistency, it will be smoother without the chunks of fruit you see here. It will be more like jelly versus jam. Fruit releases a lot of juice so liquid really isn’t necessary. Then you just add a bit of cornstarch and water at the end to thicken it up. The combination of huckleberries and strawberries worked well too. It brought some added sweetness to the typically slightly sourness of fresh huckleberries. Sugar was also needed to sweeten it up. If I were to use something like peaches I would add less sugar. Closer to 3/4 of a cup instead of 1 but that is personal preference. Here are a few questions and answers you might have right about now, let us know below if you have others we can help with… How long does homemade jam last? We usually only have it for 1-2 weeks or freeze some for later.If you do not can properly and just save it in jars inside your refrigerator it should last up to three months. Can you use a pressure cooker for canning? Nope! It is not recommended by Instant Pot to do this because it doesn’t reach the optimal temperature to kill all bacteria and store on the shelf safely. InstaPot Canning You may have heard some people online stating that they do this, it is not advised. You need to ensure that the temp. inside the device reaches a very high heat in order to kill all the bacteria that may be present and seal well. It is stated on their website that even under high pressure it will not quite get to that point. Pressure cooker jam with fruit Here are a few things you’re going to need in order to get started on this; Small mason jars – these mason jars for jam are perfect for yourself and to tie a ribbon around and use as gifts Fresh fruit – 2 lbs. made 4 jars for us. Sugar Cornstarch Water Vanilla extract & lemon juice – I think both are a good addition to any fruit jam but that is personal preference It’s a fun mason jar gift idea. Why do you add lemon juice to jam? I like the flavor in small doses. Another reason is that it prevents the growth of bacteria if you’re canning your homemade jam . Then make this homemade bread recipe and serve them together. How to Make Jam in Instant Pot Basic steps to follow are: Add fruit into Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi with sugar and vanilla. Close and lock the lid. Set to high pressure cook time for 1 minute! Allow to naturally release steam for 10 minutes and then open the valve to release the pressure remaining. Remove the lid and set aside. In a small bowl add cornstarch and water, stir to combine. A whisk works well to get it nice and smooth. I do not add fruit pectin to this, cornstarch is easier and I always have it on hand.. Set pot to saute and once bubbling add slurry for 2-3 minutes to thicken and then turn off. Take the inner pot out of the machine and put on a cooling rack or pour jam into mason jars immediately so it doesn’t continue to cook. Allow to cool before storing in the fridge. Could last longer too. Entire process including cool time should take about 30 minutes. Previous Next

These are quick and easy to make. Throw them in the oven and before you know it, you have a warm and hearty breakfast you can either sit and enjoy or take with you and eat on the run. < Back Ham and Egg Cups Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 15-18 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 12 deli slices of ham 12 eggs ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or of your choice) Salt and pepper to taste 2 green onions, diced with greens (optional) Preparation Grease a muffin tin and line each hole with deli ham. Break a whole egg into each ham cup. You can break the yolk if you would like. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with green onion pieces and cover each cup with a bit of shredded cheese. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until eggs centers are barely solid. Eat with salsa and enjoy, or take them on the run for a hearty, stick with you, breakfast. Previous Next

< Back Caramel Corn The melt in your mouth part of Homemade Caramel Corn is really true, you know. It’s hard to get the perfect taste to caramel corn because all people like it different ways. But for our family? We’ve found it. This recipe is perfect for us, with sweet caramel and just a hint of saltiness Previous Next

I love a good seafood and crawdad boil! < Back Seafood Boil Spice Mix Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients ¼ cup pickling spices ¼ cup sea salt 2 tablespoons mustard seeds 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns 2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon celery seeds 1 tablespoon minced dried chives 2 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons dried oregano 5 bay leaves Makes 1 cup. Preparation Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse ingredients until mixture forms a course powder. Store in an airtight container. Shrimp: add ¼ cup of spice mix along with 2 teaspoons salt to a large pot of boiling water. Cook for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve hot or chilled. Lobster, crab, or crawdads: add ¼ cup spice mix to one part distilled white wine vinegar to 3 parts water. Boil and add seafood. Cook for 2 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve hot or chilled. Previous Next

Whipped Buttercream Frosting is the best frosting ever! This flour frosting (ermine frosting) is made without powdered sugar. It has the rich creaminess of a buttercream & the light, airy texture of a whipped cream frosting without being too sweet! < Back Whipped Buttercream Frosting without Powdered Sugar Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 24 Level: Beginner Ingredients Preparation This Whipped Buttercream Frosting recipe pretty much blew my mind. I’m not a big frosting person; most buttercream frostings are just ok, and I can take them or leave them. Well, this buttercream frosting is amazing, and it uses (are you ready for this?) granulated sugar! Yep! Regular, old granulated sugar. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to make frosting without powdered sugar, this is it! Don’t worry – it’s not gritty at all. In fact, this ermine frosting has the texture of a light whipped cream with the flavor of a sweet, vanilla buttercream. It’s honestly the best frosting (buttercream or otherwise) that I’ve ever had. It’s sweet but not overwhelmingly, make-your-teeth-ache sweet. I’ve put answers to a lot of the questions I’ve received in the recipe notes. Please take a second to read through those notes before making the frosting. How to make frosting without powdered sugar Step 1 Whisk the milk and flour together in a small heavy saucepan before beginning to heat. Step 2 Once combined, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it has thickened. At this point, it should be the consistency of a thick paste. Step 3 Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract. Step 4 Let the mixture cool to room temperature before continuing. This step is key. If the mixture is warm, it will cause the butter to warm up, and you’ll end up with a thin, runny frosting. Step 5 In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together on medium-high to high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides to avoid gritty frosting. Step 6 Add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture to the beaten butter/sugar mixture, and beat on medium-high to high for 5 minutes. It may look separated at first, but keep whipping the frosting until it is light and fluffy. What flavors of cake go well with this frosting? This frosting has a light, sweet vanilla flavor that works well with a number of cake flavors. Here are a few ideas! Red velvet Chocolate cake Carrot cake Zucchini cake Spice cake White cake Can I make this frosting in other flavors? You can! Here are some of the different flavors of this frosting that I’ve made. Chocolate frosting Oreo frosting Brown sugar frosting Peppermint frosting Cinnamon frosting Cream Cheese Frosting Troubleshooting tips First , not cooking the milk mixture long enough. The mixture should be a thick paste. If it’s too wet, the frosting will be too loose. Second , the cooked milk mixture needs to cool completely. If it’s too warm, it will melt the butter, and you’ll end up with loose frosting that doesn’t come together. Third , using butter that’s too warm. The butter should be at a cool room temperature. It should dent if pushed, but it shouldn’t be too warm and certainly not beginning to melt. Fourth , using other types of sugars. This frosting needs to be made with granulated sugar, not powdered sugar. Fifth , not whipped the frosting long enough. The frosting needs to be whipped to get the right light and airy texture. Cutting the time short could leave you with a grainy frosting or a frosting that separates. If your frosting is still a little gritty after beating it for 5 minutes, go ahead and add the cooled milk/flour mixture. That will usually smooth out any remaining sugar. A couple people have reported that a film has formed on their milk/flour mixture. I haven’t had this happen, but another person said that she’s had good luck with blending the milk/flour mixture with a blender before cooking it. She said that it removed any lumps and helped prevent skin from forming. INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. It will be the consistency of a thick paste2. Make sure that you whisk the flour and milk together well before you begin cooking it to avoid lumps. 2. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. This step is key. If your mixture is warm, it will melt your butter, and you’ll end up with runny frosting. 3. Stir in vanilla. 4. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy on medium high, about 5 minutes. Make sure that you scrape down the sides and really incorporate the butter and sugar to avoid gritty frosting. 5. Then add the completely cooled milk mixture. 6. Beat it for about 5 more minutes on medium-high to high until it looks like whipped cream. It may look separated at first, so keep beating it until it comes together and looks like a whipped cream. Recipe Notes 1. Make sure that your butter isn’t too warm! The butter should be at cool room temperature. You want it to dent if you press it, but you don’t want it to be so warm that it’s near melting. 2. When cooking the milk/flour mixture, you don’t want it to look wet. It should be like a thick paste. If it’s wet and runny, your frosting will be too loose. 3. If you’re using a hand mixer, beat it on high. This recipe work well with a stand mixer because it has the power to really whip the frosting. 4. Please don’t cut the mixing time short! I know it’s tempting, but it’s important to beat the butter and sugar together for the time the recipe calls for to keep it from being gritty. If you cut the mixing times short, you won’t end up with the right texture of frosting. 5. To get the best flavor, you’ll want to use real butter and pure vanilla extract. 6. I recommend chilling any leftover frosted cake or cupcakes. 7. Nutrition values are estimates. Previous Next

Award-winning old-time Dutch Oven recipe < Back Candied Chicken Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1.5 hours Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 fryer chicken, cut into pieces, dredged in flour and browned in a little oil in the bottom of a #10 Dutch oven ½ cup ketchup ¼ cup mustard 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 cup brown sugar ¼ cup onion, diced ¾ cup water 1 teaspoon salt Preparation Dredge chicken pieces through flour and brown in the Dutch oven on the stove-top over medium heat. Mix the sauce ingredients together. When chicken has been browned on all sides, remove Dutch oven from stove-top and pour mixed sauce over chicken. Cover and bake for 1 ½ hours, at 350°F. Serve over rice. Previous Next

These homemade candy canes are SO much better than store-bought, and so fun to make! Just make sure you have a stick of butter handy to keep your hands buttered for pulling so it doesn't stick to you. < Back Homemade Candy Canes Prep Time: Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: approx. 10 Level: Beginner About the Recipe These homemade candy canes are SO much better than store-bought, and so fun to make! Just make sure you have a stick of butter handy to keep your hands buttered for pulling so it doesn't stick to you. Ingredients 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp. cream of tarter 1 tsp. peppermint extract 1 tsp. red food coloring Preparation In a heavy-bottomed large saucepan or small pot, combine the first 4 ingredients and stir until sugar dissolves. Cook, without stirring to a hard-ball stage. (265 degrees.) Remove from heat and add peppermint extract. Divide into 2 portions, and add coloring to one part. Pour out onto buttered cookie sheets. (Pour half onto one sheet, then add coloring to the rest and then pour onto the second sheet.) When it's cool enough to handle, start pulling each part separately. (Best done with 2 people, but if doing alone, go back and forth pulling each.) When you feel like you just can't pull anymore, form into ropes and twist them together. Cut into 8" lengths, form into the shape of candy canes, and place on a lightly buttered platter until fully hardened. Previous Next

< Back Carrot Cake Your grandmas classic carrot cake. Previous Next