appetizers · Daily Thoughts · Dips · Uncategorized

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

This morning it was such fun to go to a friends house with 3 other friends to make jelly. It reminded me of stories from women who use to meet with ladies to sew or make jelly or batches of cookies. We had a blast. Some chopped while others measured sugar or vinegar to pour into the pan. One friend sat and cut out the material to make the lids look festive. All in all, it was such a lovely day. There is nothing quite like cooking with other women to bond you into a more fun and deeper friendship. Pass the jelly and grab a cracker…this makes a great hostess gift for the holidays. Pour it over a 8 oz bar of cream cheese and you have a wonderful appetizer that people love. Thank you Shirley for the great morning which is such a nice new memory!

3 green bell pepper, minced
4 fresh jalapeño peppers, deseeded and cut into small pieces
6 cups white sugar
1/2 teas cayenne pepper
1 (6 fluid oz) container liquid pectin
3 drops of green food coloring

In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine peppers, vinegar, sugar and cayenne pepper. Cook over medium high heat. Stir frequently until mixture begins to boil.
Stir in pectin, boil 5 minutes longer stirring constantly and then mix in green food coloring. Skim off any foam and remove from heat.
Ladle into sterilized jars. Seal and process in a boiling-water canner for 5 minutes. (we did not do this, but simply wiped the cleaned jars (and lids) and place lids on the jars when mixture was still warm. We tightened the outer lid and placed jars in fridge, where they will stay.) If you plan on storing these on the shelf instead of fridge, you will need to process in the boiling-water canner.
We doubled this recipe which gave us 18 (6 oz) jars.

Uncategorized

Gingerbread Biscotti

Since the weather has cooled, it has been delightful to sit down at night and flip through old issues of Southern Living Christmas. This recipe was in the 2006 edition. I can’t believe it had slipped by me in the past. I am trying to stay out of my retired hubbies way, which means more time in the kitchen. Not to say that we aren’t enjoying being together 24/7, 1440 minutes a day, but who is counting! Just like this past Friday, when he called after he got out of men’s Bible study at church. He ask what I was up to and if I was enjoying being at the house by myself. I guess I shouldn’t have said that it was just wonderful and I was loving the quiet solitude, but it slipped out before I realized it. When I responded that I had had my own time of Bible study and had just finished praying for him, that the Lord would give him the desires of his heart (of course I meant him getting a job as that is what he is wanting), he came back with, “so you will be gone when I get home?”  I will be putting more butter and an extra egg yolk, here and there, into his desserts that I make him, we wouldn’t want his cholesterol to get too low, now would we?

So back to this recipe. I am headed to the kitchen as soon as I post this. It sounds perfect to package up and take to friends. It doesn’t have enough butter or eggs for me to give Randy. Oops, did that come out hostile?

These will make an ideal gift, packaged with a pretty Christmas or Thanksgiving bow to take to your hostess..

Preheat oven to 350.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 up molasses

2 1/2 cup flour

1 teas baking powder

1 teas baking soda

1 1/2 teas ground ginger

1 teas cinnamon

1/2 teas ground nutmeg

1/4 teas ground cloves

1/4 teas salt

1/2 cup sliced almonds

Beat butter and sugars in a large bowl at medium speed with mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well. beat in molasses.

Combine flour and next 7 ingredients; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in almonds.

Divide dough in half, using floured hands, shape each portion into a 9″ x 2″  on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 28 minutes or until firm. Cool on baking sheet 5 min. Remove to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 300.

Cut each log diagonally into 3/4″ thick slices with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion. Place slices on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, turn cookies over and bake 8 to 10 more min. Cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 2 dozen