Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. < Back Sticky Orange Upside Down Cake Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cook Time: 40-45 Minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner Ingredients Sticky Orange Topping: 220g castor sugar 125ml water 1 vanilla pod, split 2 oranges, very thinly sliced The Cake: 4 large eggs 220g castor sugar 5ml vanilla extract 150g self-rising flour 150g butter, melted 110g ground almonds Preparation STEP 1 Preheat the oven to 350F. STEP 2 For the sticky orange topping: STEP 3 Place sugar, water and vanilla in a 2.5 liter, 20cm non-stick frying pan that is ovenproof, over a medium heat. Stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Add the orange slices and simmer until soft, for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. FOR THE CAKE: STEP 4 Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until thick, pale and about tripled in volume, about 8-10 minutes. STEP 5 Sift the flour over the egg mixture and fold through. Fold through the melted butter and ground almonds. STEP 6 Pour the cake mixture over the oranges and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or a skewer comes out clean. STEP 7 Turn out on a platter to serve. Previous Next

Just as good as the original recipe. < Back Little Caesars Crazy Sauce Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Serves: 1 1/2 cup Level: Beginner About the Recipe Just as good as the original recipe. Ingredients 1 15 oz can tomato sauce ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon dried basil ¼ teaspoon dried marjoram ¼ teaspoon dried oregano ¼ teaspoon ground thyme Preparation Combine all the ingredients in an uncovered saucepan over medium heat. When the sauce begins to bubble, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring often. Remove the sauce from the heat and let it cool. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, it will keep for 3 to 4 weeks. Serve hot This makes 1 ½ cup Previous Next

This is for when you want to change it up a bit and use cocoa in the entrée. < Back Cocoa Spice Rub for Fish and Meat Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 tablespoon brown sugar ¼ teaspoon dry mustard 1/8 (or dash) teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika ½ teaspoon cocoa powder 2 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon black pepper 1 ½ teaspoon salt Preparation Mix ingredients together. Save in an airtight container. Previous Next

< Back Dorisanne’s Sesame Chicken New family favorite dinner! Previous Next

This brown gravy mix is good to have on hand. < Back Brown Gravy Pantry Mix Prep Time: N/A Cook Time: N/A Serves: N/A Level: Beginner About the Recipe This brown gravy mix is good to have on hand. Ingredients 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 3 tbsp beef bullion powder 2 tbsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp dried parsley Mix and store in an airtight container Preparation To use the homemade brown gravy mix: Mix 4 tbsp of the mix with 1 cup of cold water. Whisk until smooth. Heat in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Optional preparation with butter: Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pan. Add 4 tbsp of the gravy mix. Stir it around in the melted butter for a minute. Add 1 cup of water and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for a minute or two. The gravy will start to thicken. Previous Next

Can't beat this easy food storage dinner that anyone can do! < Back Chicken Parmigiana Prep Time: 10 minute Cook Time: 25 minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 4 Chicken Breast Halves (skinless boneless) ½ cup Flour 2 Eggs ⅔ cup Panko Bread Crumbs ⅔ cup Italian Seasoning Bread Crumbs ⅓ cup Parmesan Cheese (grated) 2 tablespoons Parsley 4 tablespoons Oil (or as needed) 24 ounces Marinara Sauce (homemade or jarred) 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded) ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded) add Basil & Parsley (fresh, chopped) Preparation Preheat an oven to 425°F. Place flour in shallow dish. Place the eggs in a second dish (and beat with a fork). Combine Panko, Italian crumbs, grated parmesan, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste in a third shallow dish. (Or seasoned breadcrumbs) Pound chicken breasts to ½" thick (if they're very large you can cut them in half). Dip chicken into flour and shake to remove any excess. Dip chicken in beaten eggs & then into bread crumb mixture (press to adhere). Preheat oil in a large pan. Brown chicken on each side, about 4 minutes per side or until golden (it does not need to cook through as it will continue to cook in the oven). Place 1 ½ cups of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 dish. Add browned chicken. Top each piece with a couple tablespoons of marinara sauce, mozzarella and parmesan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden and bubbly and chicken reaches 165°F. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and serve over pasta. Previous Next

Julia Child is a legend and so is her spice blend for meats and poultry. < Back Julia Child's Spice Blend Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 teaspoon ground bay leaves 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 teaspoon ground mace 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon thyme ½ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon savory 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper Preparation Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container. Yield ¼ cup Previous Next

This cauliflower soup recipe is the best! Roasted cauliflower makes it taste amazing, and a little butter (instead of cream) makes it luxuriously creamy. Recipe yields 4 bowls of soup. < Back Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 55 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 large head cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into bite-size florets 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Fine sea salt 1 medium red onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more if needed Scant ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg For garnish: 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, chives and/or green onions Preparation I know “cauliflower soup” might not sound super appealing if you’ve never had it before. Trust me, it can be so delicious! Today, I’m sharing my favorite cauliflower soup recipe, and I can’t wait for you to make it at home. Why You’ll Love This Cauliflower Soup This soup calls for basic ingredients but yields amazing flavor. If you have a head of cauliflower in the fridge, you probably have everything else you’ll need. This cauliflower soup is the perfect accompaniment to salads and sandwiches. This traditional cauliflower soup will go with just about any other fall or winter flavors, including butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, and greens like arugula and kale. It’ll warm you up without weighing you down! This soup freezes well for later. This recipe doesn’t yield a ton (about 4 medium bowls), but if you have extra, just freeze it! This creamy soup is special diet-friendly. It’s gluten free as written. Check my recipe notes to learn how to make this soup vegan/dairy free by using cashews instead of butter. How to Make the Best Cauliflower Soup Roast Your Cauliflower Behind that creamy beige exterior, you’ll find loads of irresistible roasted cauliflower flavor. Roasted cauliflower is key here—cauliflower develops caramelized notes with a greater depth of flavor as it roasts in the oven. Build Flavor Once your roasted cauliflower is almost done, you’ll sauté onions in a soup pot until tender, then add garlic and vegetable broth. Then, add your roasted cauliflower and simmer the mixture on the stove for about 20 minutes to meld the flavors. Add Butter for Creaminess You’ll transfer the contents of the pot to a blender and add butter. Butter is an easy way to add mega creamy, luxurious flavor and texture without any cream. If you’re like me, you always have butter in the fridge, but rarely heavy cream! Blend Until Completely Smooth I recommend blending this soup in a stand blender, rather than an immersion blender, because stand blenders yield the creamiest results. Fortunately, the ingredients used here are fairly soft, so even an inexpensive stand blender should work well. The final texture, in my opinion, is absolutely worth dirtying the blender bowl for. Season with Nutmeg and Lemon Juice We’re using small, subtle amounts of nutmeg and lemon juice here. You probably won’t be able to pinpoint them while you’re sipping your soup, but they offer a certain je ne sais quoi factor. They take this soup from great to fantastic! Sprinkle Something Fresh on Top I tried garnishing my soup with fresh parsley, green onion and chives. I loved them all and couldn’t pick a favorite, so use whichever you have on hand! INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. If desired, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly and evenly coated in oil. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer and sprinkle lightly with salt. Bake until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized on the edges, 25 to 35 minutes, tossing halfway. Once the cauliflower is almost done, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the broth. Reserve 4 of the prettiest roasted cauliflower florets for garnish. Then transfer the remaining cauliflower to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld. Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, working in batches if necessary. (Do not fill past the maximum fill line or the soup could overflow!) Add the butter and blend until smooth. Add the lemon juice and nutmeg and blend again. Add additional salt, to taste (I usually add another ¼ to ¾ teaspoon, depending on the broth). This soup tastes amazing once it’s properly salted! You can also add a little more lemon juice, if it needs more zing. Blend again. The individual bowls of soup with 1 roasted cauliflower floret and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, green onion and/or chives. This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer. Previous Next

This ‘Fall Garden Relish’ recipe is designed to help you use up leftover bits and bobs from a vegetable garden in the late fall. You can of course also make it with the bargain autumn harvest-time priced veggies from your local green grocer or grocery store. < Back Fall Garden Relish Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Serves: 4 x half-liter jars (1 US pint) Level: Beginner About the Recipe This ‘Fall Garden Relish’ recipe is designed to help you use up leftover bits and bobs from a vegetable garden in the late fall. You can of course also make it with the bargain autumn harvest-time priced veggies from your local green grocer or grocery store. Ingredients 500 g cabbage (finely chopped. 1 pound / 4 cups / 1 quart. About 1 small head, or ¾ of a medium-head) 400 g cauliflower (finely minced. 3 cups / 24 oz / 1 medium head) 500 g green tomatoes (unpeeled, chopped. 2 cups / 18 oz / 4 medium) 350 g onion (finely chopped. 2 cups / 2 medium) 300 g green bell pepper (finely chopped. Measured after seeding, chopping. 2 cups / 10 oz) 150 g red bell pepper (finely chopped. Measured after seeding, chopping. 1 cup / 5 oz) 3 tablespoons pickling salt (OR non-bitter, non-clouding salt sub) 900 ml white vinegar (5% acidity or higher. 3 ¾ cups / 30 oz) 3 teaspoons celery seed 1 ½ teaspoons turmeric 700 g sugar (white. 2 ¾ cup / 24 oz) 3 teaspoons mustard powder Preparation This ‘Fall Garden Relish’ recipe for home canning from the University of Georgia is designed to help you use up leftover bits and bobs from a vegetable garden in the late fall. You can of course also make it with the bargain autumn harvest-time priced veggies from your local green grocer or grocery store. The recipe’s unassuming title is very deceptive, and its simple ingredient list has so little extra flavoring added in the way of spicing, that the first time you make it, you may not hold out much hope for it. But, somehow the light hand with the spicing is exactly right to let the complexity of the vegetable mixture shine through. It’s a tangy, crispy relish, with a fresh, moorish taste that definitely makes using up odds and sods into a delicious virtue, and may well become the jewel in the crown of your annual canning. And despite the unexciting name, it does make a great gift: people love this relish. This recipe is another unique gem from the invaluable “So Easy to Preserve” put out by the University of Georgia. You can easily double (or triple) the batch; just make sure it’s always piping hot before going into the jars to be canned. THE RECIPE Jar size choices: Either quarter-liter (½ US pint / 250 ml / 8 oz) OR half-liter (1 US pint / 500 ml/ 16 oz) Processing method: Water bath or steam canning Yield: 4 x half-liter (US pint) jars Headspace: 2 cm (½ inch) Processing time: 10 minutes either size jar Instructions Prep veg and put into a large bowl. Mix veg and either salt OR salt sub well and refrigerate veg mixture 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Toss a few times if desired. Drain well. While it is draining, put everything from the vinegar down to the dry mustard into a large pot. Mix, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add the drained veg. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. After 10 minutes, bring back to a boil. Pack hot into quarter-liter (½ US pint) jars or half-liter (US pint) jars. Leave 2 cm (½ inch) headspace for either size jar. Debubble, adjust headspace. Wipe jar rims. Put the lids on. Process in a water bath or steam canner. Process either size jar for 10 minutes; increase time as needed for your altitude. Best after at least a month of jar time. RECIPES NOTES Don’t peel the tomatoes. You can use any color of bell pepper (or sweet pepper); the suggested color combo is just for looks. For the cabbage, you could use white cabbage, savoy cabbage or even red cabbage. In fact, you could try taking this to being a reddish relish by using red cabbage, red onion, and all red bell pepper. For the sugar, you could dial the amount back, or use the same volume amount of granulated Splenda®, OR 3 teaspoons liquid stevia. We recommend Better Stevia liquid stevia . Previous Next

Bottled chicken is so tasty and versatile. It is so handy to have around and can be used for soups, sandwiches, casseroles, and more. < Back Bottled Chicken Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 75 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients Raw chicken breasts or cooked legs and thighs Salt Garlic, granulated Preparation Fill pint jars with chicken. If you are using *raw chicken, cut it into sizes that are easy to fill bottles. If you are using **cooked chicken, cut it into easy to manage pieces. Fill the jars with a ½ inch space at the top. Put ½ teaspoon of salt, and a ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic (for quarts – 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon garlic) on the top of the chicken in each pint. (I prefer to use pints when bottling meats) If necessary, fill with a little hot water or broth and use a wooden utensil to make sure that all the trapped air pockets are filled. Wipe the bottle rims and put on ***lids and rings. Hand tighten the rings, but don’t over tighten. Place jars on the canning rack in the ****pressure canner with the water going about halfway up on the bottle. Close the canner and turn the heat on high and listen for the air to escape out of the vent. Once the air starts to come out, time it for 10 minutes and then put the weight over the vent to help continue to build pressure. Depending on your elevation, you will either let the dial go to 11 pounds (altitudes 0-2000 ft), or 12 pounds (altitudes of 2,001 to 4,000 ft.). Once it has reached the correct pressure, process pints for 75 minutes (quarts for 90 minutes). Turn the heat off and let the pressure release slowly by itself. Once the gauge registers 0, release the lid being careful not to burn yourself with the steam or the water dripping off of the lid. Using a bottle lifter, carefully remove bottles from the canner and place on a towel on the counter to cool down. Don’t touch them until the next day. After they have rested overnight, wash them with soap and water to remove residual broth and remove the ring. Label item and date on the lid (don’t put cute tags on the glass because they are too hard to remove) and store in your pantry. *If you are bottling chicken breasts, it isn’t necessary to cut it up. Just place raw meat directly into the jar until full. The only time I pre-cook the chick is when it is on the bone (e.g., legs, thighs, and stripped bones where the breast has been removed) because it makes it easier to remove the meat with less waste. Some people bottle the legs and thighs with the bone, but I don’t like the bones taking up space. **If you cook the meat beforehand, don’t throw away the broth. Bottle it separately for soups. ***Follow the directions on the lid boxes ****Anytime you are canning anything with meat, it needs to be pressure canned. Previous Next

Oh sure, overripe bananas get all the glory with their banana bread, desserts, and smoothie options…….. BUT don’t discard those overripe oranges. < Back Uses For Overripe Oranges Prep Time: N/A Cook Time: N/A Serves: N/A Level: Beginner About the Recipe Oh sure, overripe bananas get all the glory with their banana bread, desserts, and smoothie options…….. BUT don’t discard those overripe oranges. Ingredients Oranges Preparation 1 . POMANDER BALL - makes a great centerpiece especially around the holidays. And if your orange is really wrinkly, try adding more cloves to it. 2. CITRUS CLEANER TIPS – When making your own cleaners, glass bottles are non-reactive. Amber bottles are often recommended to eliminate light decomposing especially in essential oils. Keep in a cool, dark area. Make sure your surface can have a citrus based cleaner first. 3. DRIED ORANGE GARLAND - With a food dehydrator, or an oven, you can make beautiful, dried orange slices for a garland or ornaments. 4. STOVE POTPOURRI - You can customize with scents you like and items you need to use up. I recommend getting a small pot from the thrift store to use so any residual oils won’t transfer to foods. And always keep an eye on your stove. 5. DRIED ORANGE PEELS - You can use dried orange peels for a variety of items: Citrus Peel Tea Kindling Garden Orange Facial Exfoliant Orange Peel Soap 6. ORANGE SLICES IN YOUR BATHWATER - What an easy way to use up oranges than to slice them up and place them in the bath. Citrus is an exfoliant. 7. CLEAN A MICROWAVE - ADDITIONAL TIPS, INFO, AND USES: Storing your oranges in the refrigerator can extend their life up to two months vs. a couple of weeks on the counter. If you can’t use them in any of these applications, one of the best things we’ve done is set up a lazy compost area, and we use a compost bucket in our kitchen. Some plumbers feel that using citrus peels in your garbage disposal, as often recommended, can give you problems. Did you know that trashed produce is really not good at all? Uneaten food that ends up rotting in landfills is a large producer of methane. Food waste is a loss of financial, water, and land resources. By reducing that waste, we can help use those resources more wisely. Previous Next

How much is in a can? Well, it depends on the size. < Back Can Sizes How much is in a can? Well, it depends on the size. Can Size Name Weight Volume Picnic 10 1/2 to 12 ounces 1 1/4 cups 12 ounces vacuum 12 ounces 1 1/2 cups No. 1 11 ounces 1 1/3 cup No. 1 tall 16 ounces 2 cups No. 1 square 16 ounces 2 cups No. 2 1 pound 4 ounces OR 2 1/2 cups 1 pint 2 fluid ounces No. 2 1/2 1 pound 13 ounces 3 1/2 cups No. 2 1/2 square 31 ounces scant 4 cups No. 3 51 ounces 5 3/4 cups No. 3 squat 23 ounces 2 3/4 cups No. 5 56 ounces 7 1/3 cups No. 10 6 pounds 6 ounces TO 12 cups 7 pounds 5 ounces No. 300 14 to 16 ounces 1 3/4 cups No. 303 16 to 17 ounces 2 cups Power in Numbers Programs Locations Volunteers Project Gallery Previous Next