strawberry freezer jam

Fresh, farm-ripe strawberry season is finally in full swing, even for us late-bloomers out here in the dreary Pacific Northwest!

In my house, that means freezer jam.  Lots and lots of freezer jam, storing up the beautiful fresh berry harvest for the rest of the berry-less year.

Now, we definitely eat our fair share of the berries just as they are...  fresh, sweet, juicy, red to the core and bursting with flavor.  Sometimes the whole lot of it gets no farther than our mouths.

But we are so lucky to live close to a beautiful berry farm.  We can pick berries to our hearts content (or buy 1/2 flats picked for us, which happens much more often!) until the season is done.

Strawberries come first, and then raspberries, blueberries and marionberries.  All beautiful.  All perfect.  All my favorites!

There is just nothing more simple and pure to do with berries this perfect than making homemade freezer jam.  You just can't beat it, as long as you have access to really good fresh berries.

(I'm sorry, but store-bought conventional berries just aren't going to give you great freezer jam.  You'll taste what's lacking...  Freezer jam is only as good as the berries that it's made out of!)

Give this a try the next time you get a chance to go berry-picking.  Or knock on my door and I just might be willing to part with a pint or two!

Strawberry Freezer Jam
adapted from Ball
makes 3 pints (or about 6 cups!)

Ingredients:
5 cups smashed strawberries* (from about 1/2 flat or 4 pounds berries)
2 cups sugar
6 tablespoons instant pectin

Directions:
Wash and dry your freezer-safe containers.

*The easiest way to smashed fruit, after you have rinsed, dried and hulled:  Place in a large bowl and gently smash with a potato masher until mostly smashed with lots of small chunks of berries still visible.  Measure out from this bowl...  you will likely have a tiny bit extra.  (Or if you have snacked on the berries a bit, just the perfect amount!)

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and instant pectin until combined.  Measure in the 5 cups of berries, stir to combine and then continue stirring for 3 minutes.

Pour the jam into your clean, dry containers, leaving 1/2" of headspace to allow for expansion in the freezer.  Cover and let sit on the counter for 30 minutes or so before transferring to the freezer.

Store in the freezer for up to a year.  Once you open one and put it in the fridge, try to use it up within 3 weeks (like that's ever a problem!).

Enjoy on your toast, crackers, or stirred into your favorite plain yogurt with some granola on top!

spicy pesto chicken with wilted fresh baby spinach

This meal was a delicious surprise born out of necessity.

I need to eat more greens and protein for this baby and I have been having a hard time doing that.  Nothing sounds or tastes good.

Until this, that is!

I made my homemade pesto sauce, but loaded it up with crushed red pepper flakes because I love a kick.

Then I warmed some of it up on the stove with some grilled chicken breast and tossed in a ton of fresh baby spinach until it was all coated and jut barely wilted with the warm pesto sauce.

I was so worried that all would be able to think about was the noodles that I was wishing were on my plate with this, but I didn't miss them at all!  In fact, I made it again the next day and ate it twice!!

Try this sometime if you need a good protein/greens meal and are getting tired of cold salads like I am!  :o)

Spicy Pesto Chicken with Wilted Fresh Baby Spinach Recipe
serves 2

Ingredients:
1/4 cup or so homemade spicy pesto sauce*
1 chicken breast, grilled or sautéed and sliced
3-4 large handfuls fresh baby spinach

Directions:
In a large pan over medium heat, warm the pesto sauce and chicken together.  Once they are both nice and warm, toss in the spinach, turning and stirring often until coated with the pesto sauce and just as wilted as you like (I prefer mine barely warmed, and not too soft!)

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*Spicy Pesto Sauce Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
1/2 cup (or so) extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
In your food processor, place the basil, toasted pine nuts, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Pulse until everything is finely chopped.

Turn the food processor on and slowly stream in the olive oil until you have a smooth, creamy consistency.
Store any leftover in a small jar in the fridge with a thin layer of olive oil poured on top.

Or you can freeze leftover pesto to use later!

tomato feta salad or bruschetta

This bright, fresh salad of tomatoes, feta and herbs is summer in my mouth.

I know it's not summer yet, but in this dreary, cold, damp Pacific Northwest, I really really needed some summer in my life!

Of course you can usually get good tomatoes year-round at the market, so this salad can be made anytime you like...

But can you just imagine how amazing it would taste with tomatoes and herbs fresh from your summer garden?

Even my tomato, feta & vinegar hating husband loves this salad, even though he doesn't like to admit it.

When I make it and put it in front of him, it's not long before the whole bowl is gone!!

Tomato Feta Salad Recipe
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6 cups seeded, diced tomatoes (or 3 pints cherry tomatoes, halved)
3/4 lb crumbled feta (preferably French goat feta)
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup italian parsley, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Gently toss together the tomatoes, feta and onion in a large bowl.

Add the vinegar, oil, basil, and parsley;  Toss gently again and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature with sourdough toasts or fresh french bread slices.

You can mix this salad up so many ways...   My favorite is tossed with a bunch of chopped fresh romaine.

You could also mix it with cooked, cooled pasta or quinoa for a great summer potluck dish.  Or of course it is amazing just the way it is!

Halve this recipe if you'd like, but I doubt you'll have any problem finishing it off!

Come share in the tomato love at the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange, hosted by Gimme Some Oven & Bake Your Day, sponsored this week by KitchenAid.  Also visit Recipe for Change to learn more about how to support tomato farmers.

fresh strawberry yogurt parfaits

Do you have a simple breakfast that is your go-to comfort food for casual weekday mornings?

Oatmeal maybe?  A bowl of cereal?  Toast with jam?

Well, this...  this is my go-to breakfast!

A simple parfait made out of fresh fruit, plain yogurt and homemade granola (my favorite is coconut almond!).

There is really no way to go wrong with this one...  You can use whatever fruit you have (bananas are especially great with plain yogurt!), whatever yogurt you have and whatever granola you have!

I especially love this with still-frozen blueberries.  Mix it up and let it sit for 10-15 minutes and the blueberries start to thaw a bit, while also freezing the yogurt a bit.

Yum!!

Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Parfaits Recipe
serves 1

Ingredients:
3-5 strawberries, diced
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup granola

Directions:
Layer & enjoy!  Simple as that!!  :o)

homemade powdered laundry detergent... with Dr. Bronner's!

Yesterday I whipped up a batch of laundry detergent in less than 5 minutes.

Yep, it's true...  and I can't even think about going to the store in less than 5 minutes, much less get there, buy laundry soap and get back home!

I have made homemade laundry detergent before (this whipped version!) and love how economical it is...

But I must say this method is my favorite so far, just because of the ease of prep.

I couldn't believe how fast it came together!!

I also started my big laundry day and the clothes are coming out great.  I especially love the faint smell of peppermint...  yum!

I used Dr. Bronner's soap (I used peppermint for this batch because I sent my husband to the store, but I would love to try the lavender next time!) because I am not a huge fan of the smell of Fels-Naptha bar soap.

You can find 20-Mule Team Borax and Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not the same as baking soda!) in your store's laundry aisle.  Baking soda will be in the baking aisle where baking soda is.  Or in your cupboard.  :o)

Dr. Bronner's soap will be with the organic natural stuff (not with the regular soaps probably!) or you can order it online here!

Try this next time you are about to run out of laundry soap.  If you're like me, you may never go back to buying pre-made again!!

**This batch makes about 4 1/2 cups of Detergent, or 36 loads.**

Because it is so easy to whip up, I like to make a smaller batch for storage reasons.  Feel free to double, triple or whatever this recipe to make as much as you'd like to make and store at one time!!

Homemade Powdered Dr. Bronner's Laundry Detergent Recipe
adapted from Heart Cries

Ingredients:
1 bar Dr. Bronner's soap (or Fels-Naptha, if you can't find Dr. Bronner's!)
1 1/2 cups Borax
1 cup baking soda
1 cup washing soda

Directions:
Grate the bar of soap using the large holes of your box grater, or a food processor shredding attachment like I did.

Then, if you have a food processor, dump the shredded soap in the processor with the regular blade attachment and pulse until you have small bits.  If you don't have a food processor, and your shreds are fairly large, chop them up with a large knife until they are smaller.

In a large bowl, mix together the grated soap, borax, baking soda and washing soda until combined.

Dump this into a lidded container and use 2 tablespoons (1/8 cup) per full load of laundry!

perpetual slow cooker chicken stock

When I first saw this recipe from Nourished Kitchen for perpetual chicken bone broth, I was instantly intrigued and had to try it for myself.

If for no other reason than simplicity and anytime access to chicken stock (which I love to use!)...  although I must admit the easy nutrients sounded pretty good to me too!

I had some leftover turkey legs and bones from Thanksgiving, so I threw those into my slow cooker with half an onion, a few cloves of garlic and some peppercorns...  covered everything with water and turned the slow cooker on for the week!

A week?  The slow cooker is on for a week?!  All the time?!  Yep!

And besides the bit of warmth it adds to our house (so nice during these cold winter months!), it also keeps our house smelling deliciously like homemade chicken soup.  Yum!

According to Jenny, this broth tastes lightest on day 1 (24 hours after starting), richest on day 5, and then lighter again on day 7.

I am on day 4, and it has been amazing each day...  I can't wait to taste how good it is on day 5 if it's only going to get better!

As you dish up some broth to sip, or use in your soup or cooking, simply replace with fresh cold water and there you have it...  perpetual chicken stock!

At the end of the week, you should be able to easily crush the end of a bone with your finger tips.  That is how you can tell that all of the nutrients have been given.  If they haven't, feel free to continue to use another day or so!

Perpetual Slow Cooker Chicken Stock Recipe
adapted from Nourished Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 chicken carcass, or bones - raw or previously cooked*
an onion, peeled and quartered
a few cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled
a tablespoon or so of whole peppercorns
some parsley leaves and stems, if you have them

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in the slow cooker.  Fill to the top with cold, filtered water, cover and cook on low for at least 24 hours or up to 7 days!

As you dish up a serving, pour through a fine mesh strainer or a reusable coffee filter.  Season to taste with salt and replace that amount of water into the slow cooker to keep the broth going.

*You could also place a whole chicken in the slow cooker and then remove it and take off the meat for another use when it's cooked through.  Return the carcass to the pot and continue with your stock!

homemade condensed cream of chicken soup

I promised you that this super quick, easy homemade version of condensed cream of chicken soup would get it's own post soon...

So here it is!

(I apologize for this picture, but there's really no way to make

condensed soup look pretty.  There's just no way.)

This stuff is amazing.  Seriously amazing.

I'm pretty sure I won't ever go back to buying cream of anything soups again.

Why?  Well, for starters...  I really like knowing exactly what's in my food.

But even more important?

This homemade stuff takes only seconds to throw together, and it's all stuff you keep in your cupboards!

Oh and did I mention it tastes so much better than the store-bought stuff?  Because it does.

I actually licked the spoon after I made this.  I bet you've never done that with your can of cream of chicken soup!

(Oh if I want cream of mushroom soup, I will just add sauteed chopped mushrooms to this same recipe.  And sauteed celery for cream of celery!)

Homemade Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup Recipe
adapted from Tammy's Recipes
this recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups, or the equivalent of 1 regular can of condensed soup

Ingredients:
3/4 cup chicken stock
3/4 cup lowfat milk, divided (1/4 cup + 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon paprika (or cayenne, if you like a little spice!)
salt & pepper, to taste
1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons flour

Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock, 1/4 cup milk and all the spices to a boil over high heat.  In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup cold milk and the flour until smooth.

Whisk the flour/milk mixture into the boiling stock mixture and continue whisking and cooking until it has reached the thickness you desire and until the 'floury' taste is gone.

Use as needed in your recipes!

(Try my Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Casserole...  a perfect place to use this recipe!)

homemade whipped laundry soap

I have been wanting to make homemade laundry soap for years.  Literally...  years!  I was mostly intrigued by the cost savings, of course, and let's face it...  I just like making things homemade!  :o)

I had been procrastinating and trying to decide between making powdered or liquid laundry soap (powdered being easier...  both taking up quite a bit of room - which I just don't have in my tiny laundry room/pantry) when I came across this idea of a whipped laundry soap!

Apparently it's a bit more work than powdered or liquid detergents, but it definitely wasn't hard and I love that it is much more compact, making storage and use that much easier!

Why is it whipped?  Well, as far as I can figure, this soap is whipped for 2 reasons...  #1 being that it's just too firm to use after the first phase is done...  & #2 being that whipping it incorporates air, stretching the concentrate.  Much like adding water stretches the concentrate in store-bought liquid detergent!

I got the idea from my sweet friend Carrie, over at The Backyard Farmwife...  who got the original idea from Dana over at The White Silk Purse!  Thanks for the inspiration ladies!!

Homemade Whipped Laundry Soap Recipe
adapted from The Backyard Farmwife & The White Silk Purse

Ingredients:
2 bars Fels Naptha* laundry bar soap
2 cups 20-Mule Team Borax*
2 cups Arm&Hammer Washing Soda*
6 cups water (+ more if needed!)

Directions:
phase 1:
In a large pot, heat 6 cups of water on medium-high heat.  While the water is heating, grate the bars of Fels Naptha soap.  (You can use your food processor, or do this by hand!)

Add the grated soap to the heating water and stir frequently until completely melted (around 10-15 minutes!).  Be careful not to let this boil over!

When the soap is melted, turn off the heat and add the borax and the washing soda.  Stir continuously for about 3 minutes, until the powders have dissolved into the liquid.

Pour the liquid equally into 4 pint jars.  Add just enough water to bring the contents up to the "shoulders" of the jars.  Place the lids (I like the plastic ones!) on the jars and let them sit at least 8 hours or more... overnight or a few days if your life gets crazy sometimes like mine does!

phase 2:
In the morning (or whenever you get to it), take a knife and cut down into the soap... breaking it up so that you can get it out of the jars (it will be firm, crystal-y, jell-like...  whatever.  Don't worry about how it looks at this point!).

Dump the soap, 2 jars full at a time, into the bowl of your stand mixer.  Pour about a tablespoon of hot tap water into each jar, swish to rinse a bit, and add to the mixer.

Beat on low speed for a few minutes and then up to medium speed until the soap is thick and creamy and looks just like butter and sugar you have just creamed for cookies!  (Just don't lick the beaters!!)

Spoon the whipped soap back into clean pint jars and put on the lids.  Repeat the process with the remaining 2 jars of soap.  You will end up with more jars of soap than you started with...  I started with 4 jars after phase 1, and ended up with 6 after phase 2!

Store the jars in the laundry room with a tablespoon measure (in an empty jar) to use for measuring.  One tablespoon of this soap will clean a full load of laundry!!

Enjoy having fun with all your leftover laundry-soap money now that you have made such a cheap alternative!

*Fels-Naptha laundry bar soap, Arm&Hammer washing soda, and 20-Mule Team borax can all be found (VERY CHEAPLY!) in your laundry soap aisle of most any grocery store!  Note:  Washing Soda and Baking Soda are not the same thing!

not-so Green Smoothie

We all know we need to eat more greens right?

Dark, leafy greens... as in a big salad.  But really, how often can we (and do we?!) eat big green salads, especially without dousing them in not-so-good-for-us salad dressing?!

Well, here's the solution...  Green smoothies!

Yep, I said green smoothies.  I know, I know...  green is not the most appetizing color of a beverage, and in fact this smoothie is not even 'green'...  but I am talking more about the philosophy of this smoothie than of the actual color.

Green smoothies are about upping your daily intake of dark leafy greens.  All it takes is some greens (anything really...  the darker the better!) and some fruit!  Simple, right?

This smoothie is a mixture of banana, frozen berries, mixed greens/spinach & a bit of ice and water to thin it out.  That's it!

It's really more of a method than a recipe...

Throw some fruit in a blender, add in as much 'greens' as you can fit, blend until smooth, add in a bit more fruit, water or juice if the greens are too strong and enjoy a healthier you.  That's it!

The bonus:  My two-year old and 7-month-old both LOVE these smoothies!  (As do I!  Although I can't seem to get my husband or 9-year old to try them!)

We try to 'green smoothie' as close to every day as we possibly can!

Green Smoothie Recipe #1 (berry)

Ingredients:
1 banana
2 big handfuls or more mixed greens/spinach
1-1 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1/2-1 cup water

Directions:
Blend until as smooth as you'd like... using more or less water to get the consistency you want!

or try this one:

Green Smoothie Recipe #2 (tropical)

Ingredients:

1 banana

2 big handfuls or more mixed greens/spinach

1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup mango or other tropical fruit nectar or puree

Directions:

Blend until as smooth as you'd like... using a bit of water to get the consistency you want!

(I use my food processor for these because my blender broke...  and it works great!)

homemade vinegar & honey sore throat and cold remedy

Being pregnant and/or nursing for most of the last 3 years has made cold season a little more miserable than usual...

So when my friend Nazra (who blogs over at MakeItBakeItCreatIt.blogspot.com - go check her out!) gave me this recipe that her family has used for years to soothe sore throats and help combat cold season, I had to give it a try!

I have already been taking straight shots of organic apple cider vinegar (or diluted in water) for the health benefits this cold season, but let me tell you...  it's not so fun.  So when Naz mentioned that she takes this remedy of honey and vinegar mixed with hot water, I just had to try it!

I immediately fell in love (well, as much as one can love a cold-remedy that is!) as it tasted great and every sip soothed my very sore throat!

And since I already know the health benefits of raw organic apple cider vinegar and honey (and I added a little salt to her recipe for the additional throat healing!) I know this recipe is a keeper and will be used for years to come in my family!

Thanks Nazra!!

**Click here for a website with more information on the health benefits of Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, for those of you who hadn't heard this before!!**

Vinegar & Honey Sore Throat and Cold Remedy Recipe

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons organic raw apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons raw local honey
pinch of kosher or sea salt
boiling water, to taste

Directions:
Measure out the first three ingredients into a mug.  Pour in the boiling water, stirring well to combine.  Drink as soon as it has cooled off to 'drinkable'!  (This makes one serving.)

Take at least once a day during cold season, or more often if you have a sore throat!