Mulberry Madness

Last week, while picking radishes and lettuce from the garden, I noticed our mulberries were starting to ripen.

A few found their way into my basket, but it was obvious I was going to need to come out with baskets and bowls just for the berries.

Last year, because it was so hot and dry, there were barely enough mulberries for the birds and wild animals.   This year the trees are laden.  We've been picking every day, twice a day and have picked and frozen pounds and pounds of these delicious berries.

We always keep some fresh to snack on and to cook with.

The very first quart we picked, went straight (after rinsing)  into my 8 x 8 pan, ready to be made into cobbler.

Yes, you can leave the little green stems on, thank goodness!

This is my favorite Mulberry Cobbler recipe.  It has a delicious shortcake like crust and the mulberries cook up sweet and juicy underneath it.  I originally got the recipe from Circle B Kitchen, HERE, and made a few slight changes to it.

Mulberry Cobbler

1 qt mulberries 

2 tablespoons lemon juice (one small lemon)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water (if  using frozen berries, eliminate the water)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tablespoon butter

Topping:

1 1/3 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup lard or butter

1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Place mulberries in an 8 x 8 pan.

In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, water, cornstarch, salt and sugar.  Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.  Microwave for 30 seconds.

Pour the cornstarch mixture over the berries in the pan.  Mix gently.  Cut the butter into small pieces and dot the top of the berries with them.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Cut in the lard or butter with a knife or pastry blender, until the pieces are the size of small peas.  Slowly add the milk, stirring until a soft dough is formed.  Form into a ball and knead on a floured board for 20 to 30 seconds. Roll the dough out to the size of your baking pan.  Dough will be 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. 

Place the dough on top of the berries.  Cut 2 or 3 slashes on the top for steam to escape and sprinkle the top with a little more sugar.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.  We like it completely cooled.

Delicious plain or serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

I've made three cobblers since we started our harvest.  They don't last long around here.

I also made Mulberry liqueurs, one batch with vodka, one batch with brandy.

They won't be ready until September.

And, yes, of course I've made Mulberry Jam.

Mulberries do not have a lot of natural pectin, so the jam tends to be more saucy than other jams.  This makes it perfect for topping pancakes, soaking into biscuits and topping ice cream.  Some people strain their jam of the fruit and seeds to make jelly, but I like to keep them in.  The seeds which rise to the top when you make the jam, stir easily through the jam once opened and don't rise back up.

So, what do I do when I have plenty of eggs and Mulberry Jam?

I make fresh popovers and jam!  Perfect for brunch or tea.

My husband has requested a Mulberry Pie for dinner tonight, so I must be off.  I hope you're enjoying mulberry season too.

I'm linking to:

Tasty Tuesday - Saltine Toffee

We were in the mood for something sweet today.  Mr B. likes chocolate.  I like toffee.  Solution?  This delicious and easy candy, made using ordinary saltine (soda) crackers.

Saltine Toffee

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a cookie sheet with tin foil, shiny side up.  Fill the sheet with a single layer of saltine crackers.  About 40 should do it.

In a saucepan melt 1 cup of butter.

Add I cup of brown sugar.

Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.

Pour over your crackers and spread to completely cover them.

Pop in the oven and bake for 6 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with 2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips.  Wait for about two minutes until they begin to melt and then spread the melted chocolate over the top with a spatula.  You'll probably want to rush the waiting for them to melt part, you can't.. just wait..they'll melt.

Sprinkle with finely chopped pecans.

Let cool completely then break into pieces.  

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - 10 Tasty Tidbits To Eat When It's Too Hot To Cook

It's too hot to cook!  

I truly wanted to bake something beautiful to take pictures of, but it's just too hot.

Living the middle of nowhere we don't have pizza or chinese food delivery.

Which is why I'm sharing 10 tasty tidbits, that I like to munch on when it's too hot to cook.

10 Tasty Tidbits To Eat When It's Too Hot To Cook

1 - Celery and peanut butter

2 - Celery and cream cheese with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper on it

3 - Frozen grapes

4 - Popcorn made in the microwave with no oil or butter

This is the exact popcorn maker that I use.  You can find it here

5 - Cheese and crackers

6 - Raw veggies or crudites or whatever you'd like to call them.  Ranch dip is always good with them if I'm in the mood.

7 - Cole Slaw

8 - Ham or prosciutto wrapped around a slice of cantaloupe or cheese

9 - Sliced apples served with this Caramel Dip = Instant Caramel Apples  

Caramel Dip

Add 1/4 cup of brown sugar and  1 tsp of vanilla to a small block (4 oz) of cream cheese softened. Add more brown sugar if desired.  Mix well and serve with sliced apples

10 - Chocolate Sundaes using this chocolate syrup which my Mom remembers being in the fridge when she was growing up.  It's a good thing to keep on hand. Why buy it when you can make it?

Chocolate Syrup ( makes 3 cups or 24 oz)

1 cup cocoa

2 cups sugar

1/8 tsp salt

2 cups boiling water

1 tsp vanilla

Combine the cocoa, sugar, salt and water in a pot and mix.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.  Cool slightly and add the vanilla and stir well.  Store in a tightly covered jar in the fridge.

Use 2 tsp of syrup to an 8 oz glass of milk or 2 tbspns over ice cream.  Yumm.

What do you like to eat when it's too hot to cook?

Tasty Tuesday - 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

This morning, I decided to make Toasted BLCTs for breakfast.  That's Toasted Bacon, Lettuce, Cheese and Tomato Sandwiches.

Mr B. LOVED them.  He loves bacon and always enjoys bacon sandwiches of any kind, but this morning he was apparently blown away by this ordinary sandwich.  "That's the BEST BLT I've ever had."  He exclaimed.  "Never mind all that Tasty Tuesday stuff you were going to post today, you have to post the recipe for these."

LOL  Well, I didn't DO anything different than usual, but I did cook up different bacon.  Steakhouse seasoned bacon.  Thick sliced.. always thick sliced.  So, apparently, that's the secret to a superb bacon sandwich.  I thought I'd pass on the secret to all of you, if you have a bacon lover in your house.

It turns out, that I'm two for two today, because Mr B. also really likes the 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars that I'm sharing with you.

I saw these on Pinterest and pinned them onto my DELICIOUS board of recipes that I want to try.  I have so many recipes pinned, that I thought it was about time to start trying some of them.  The recipe originally came from Practically Living .

2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

These bars are not like cake despite being made from a cake mix, so do not expect them to raise up like cupcakes.  They will be thinner, dense and moist, like a cross between a brownie and a cookie bar.

The 2 ingredients in 2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix gently, just until cake mix is moistened:

1 Angel Food Cake Mix - Just add water kind (any brand)

1 15 oz can of Lemon Pie Filling (any brand)

Don't over mix.

Spread into an ungreased 9 X 13 inch cake pan.

Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Dust with powdered sugar when you take them out of the oven if desired.  I chose to skip this and they were quite sweet enough without the extra sugar.  It would look pretty though.

Let cool completely in the pan before cutting.

2 Ingredient Lemon Bars

Delicious alone with a cup of tea or coffee.  Try serving with blueberries or with a twist of candied lemon peel on top.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - Tzatziki

I love greek food.  I especially love tzatziki, the cool, creamy, garlicky sauce that accompanies souvlaki and is great as a dip with pita and raw vegetables.

Yogurt and cucumber star in Tzatziki

Tzatziki

2 cups of plain yogurt, drained  (Greek yogurt is best and doesn't require draining - it's already thick)
2 cloves of finely chopped garlic (chop your garlic on a little salt, the salt will absorb the garlic juices, so none goes to waste)
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, diced and drained
salt
1 tblspn of lemon juice
1 tblspn finely chopped fresh dill

To drain the yogurt, put it on 2 or 3 coffee filters in a colander over a bowl and let sit for about 2 hours.  You want it thick like sour cream.

To drain the cucumber, salt it and leave it in a colander for about half an hour to release the moisture.

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Refrigerate for at least two hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Serve with grilled meats, pita triangles or fresh vegetables.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - Salmon Chowder

If you're a soup fan and like salmon, you're sure to like this delicious Salmon Chowder.  It's thick and hearty enough to be a stand alone dinner or serve a small bowl of it with a sandwich or salad for lunch.

Salmon Chowder

Salmon Chowder

1 cup of chopped onion
2 celery ribs thinly sliced
2 tblspns butter
2 tblspns flour
1 tspn salt
1/2 tspn dill
4 cups milk
2 cups of fresh or frozen cauliflower, chopped and cooked
1 large 14 3/4 oz) can of salmon, drained, skin and bones removed
1 10 oz pkg frozen peas thawed
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

In a large pan or dutch oven, saute the onions and celery in the butter until soft.  Stir in the flour to make a roux and continue to cook for a minute to cook the "floury taste" out of the flour.  Add the salt and dill.  Stir in the milk and keep stirring while you bring it to a boil.  It will thicken.  Turn the heat down to medium-low.  Add the cauliflower, peas and salmon and heat through.  Stir in the cheeses, until melted.

Serve immediately.  (4-8 servings)

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - Cherry Cola Salad

This past weekend was HOT!  It was over 100 degrees in the sun and humid.  Perfect weather for a nice cool dessert, like this Cherry Cola Salad.

 I don't know why it's called a salad.  I guess it's because of the cherries... like a fruit salad.  Regardless of it's name, it's very very cherry and very very easy to make.

Cherry Cola Salad

1 - 6oz pkg of cherry gelatin

1 1/2 cups of boiling water

1 1/2 cups of cola (1 can of cola)

1 can (21 ounces) of cherry pie filling

Whipped cream or topping (optional, unless you're me and then it's mandatory)

Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water.  Add the cola. Watch it fizz!  Stir in the cherry pie filling.

Pour into an 8 inch square baking pan.  Put in the refrigerator until firm.

Cut into 8 or 10, serve.  Add whipped cream or topping.

Enjoy!

Yes, this is my piece... lots of whipped cream.

You can also make a diet version of this.  Use sugar free gelatin, diet cola and lite pie filling and lite topping.

Tasty Tuesday - Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake, fresh from the oven.  I wish you could smell it.

Today's recipe is another family favorite.  My Mom calls this coffee cake "divine", so I thought it would be perfect to share with you before Mother's Day.  It would be perfect for brunch with strawberries and eggs benedict.

Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9" x 13" x 2" pan.  You'll need 3 bowls.

Topping - Mix and set aside:

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
4 tbsn white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs and vanilla.

Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream. ( always start with the dry ingredients, then add some sour cream, then dry.. etc)

Spread half your batter in the pan.  Sprinkle with half the topping.  Repeat.

Spread half of your cake batter into the pan and sprinkle with half of the topping.  Spread the rest of the batter on top and cover with the remaining topping.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.  Cut into squares or rectangles.

Walnut Sour Cream Coffee Cake.  Enjoy!

Enjoy!!

Tasty Tuesday - Roast Pork Loin with Roasted Vegetables

Tonight, called for something easy to make.  One of the easiest meals to make is a roast dinner.

The results make it taste and look like you spent all day cooking, but I won't tell anyone how little effort you really put into this meal.  It will be our little secret.

Roast Pork Loin with Roasted Vegetables

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

1 - 3lb  Boneless Pork Loin Roast

3-4   Potatoes, peeled and cut into halves or quarters depending on size

1 large onion, cut into eighths

Baby carrots - a few per person

Asparagus - fresh or frozen 

Olive Oil

1 tspn or to taste of Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper

1 tspn or to taste of Thyme

Lightly grease the bottom of your roasting pan with olive oil.  I use the bottom of my broiler pan for roasts.  Put your roast in the pan, fat side up.  The fat will run down and baste the meat as it cooks.

Place the onions, potatoes and carrots into a bowl and drizzle some olive oil over them.  Toss them gently with your hands until they are well coated with the olive oil, then place them around the roast.  Sprinkle the roast and vegetables with garlic powder, salt, pepper and thyme.

Boneless pork loin in lightly oiled pan with vegetables and seasonings

Pop the roast into the 400 degree oven.  We're going to sear the pork to seal the juices in and give the outside a bit of a nice crispiness.  Set your timer for 10 minutes.  When the 10 minutes is up, turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees.  

Continue to cook for another 30 minutes then take the roast out of the oven  and turn the vegetables and add your asparagus.   Drizzle a little more olive oil over the asparagus and a little on the pork.

Add your asparagus to your roasting pan

Put the pork back into the oven and continue cooking for 40 minutes.  Go and relax, play with the kids, watch tv, spend time with your significant other.  Pork usually takes 20 minutes a pound, but it will cook more slowly with the vegetables surrounding it, so we add an extra 20 minutes.

Remove the roast pork and vegetables from the oven.

Serve.

Roast boneless pork loin with roasted vegetables.  Delicious!

Enjoy!

 Happy May Day!

Source: tonysky767.tumblr.com via Tori on Pinterest

Tasty Tuesday - Scottish Oat Scones

Scottish Oat Scones served with jam and tea.

I got this recipe from my Mom, who said she got it originally from The Quaker Oats Wholegrain Cookbook.  It's become a long standing favorite.  These scones are delicious served with scrambled eggs, frittatas or omelettes in the morning, with tea in the afternoon, and are super simple and quick to make.

Scottish Oat Scones

Grease a cookie sheet and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2/3 cup                    butter or margarine, melted

1/3 cup                    milk

1                             egg

1 3/4 cups               oats (uncooked of course)

1 1/2 cups               all purpose flour

1/4 cup                    sugar

1 tblspn                   baking powder

1/2 tsp                    salt

1/2 cup                   raisins (optional)

Add melted butter, milk and egg to combined oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.  If you are adding the raisins, stir them in.

Pat the mixture out on a lightly floured surface to form a 12x9 inch rectangle.  Cut dough in quarters, then each quarter in half.  Cut each rectangle in half to form two triangles.  (Sheesh! This sounds like math class!  Trust me it's not that hard.)

Transfer triangles with spatula to your greased baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.  Serve. 

Scottish Oat Scone dough cut into triangles.

Tips:

• If using margarine, make sure your margarine does not have water in it.  Your results will NOT be the same if you use margarine or spreads with water in them.
• If you're in a hurry and don't want to cut the dough, simply pat the dough into a greased 12x9 inch cake pan and bake.  You will most likely have to increase the baking time to 15 to 25 minutes, depending on your oven and pan.  Watch them.  Then cut as if you were making bars, to whatever size you wish.

 Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - Tori's 'nanas

Have you heard of Yonanas?

It's a handy dandy gadget that transforms over ripe bananas into a tasty frozen treat similar to soft serve ice cream.  Mmm, that sounds yummy.

I've seen the machine in action on tv.  You put three frozen bananas into the chute on top of the machine and push down hard... from a tube at the bottom of the machine, comes creamy frozen goodness.  You can add other frozen fruits to the machine with the bananas to make various delicious flavor combinations.  The three bananas make 2 servings.

I really like the idea.  I always have over ripe black speckled bananas and I don't always want to make banana bread, my normal go to recipe for over ripe bananas.

However,

I don't have enough counter space for another kitchen machine (it's about the size of a coffee maker).
There doesn't look to be a good way to get all of the banana mixture out of the machine.
It doesn't look that easy to clean.
The cost.  From my research they go for about $49.00 and I can't justify spending that much money on a gadget when I believe my blender can do the same job, or close to the same job.

I decided to make my own Yonanas without a Yonanas machine.

frozen bananas and blueberries

It's super simple, super healthy, and the results are declicious.

Tori's 'nanas

1 frozen banana ( I cut up my ripe, speckled bananas and put one banana per baggie into the freezer)
1/2 cup to 1 cup frozen fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, melon, etc. (I usually use a good 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup (or less) water, milk or juice  Add gradually.

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend. It will take a few minutes of stopping and starting the blender and stirring around the ingredients.  Keep at it until the mixture is creamy.

Spoon into serving dishes, garnish with fruit if desired and serve.
Makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings.  Double recipe for more.

In the back, Banana-Blueberry garnished with blackberries. In the front, Banana-Pineapple-Coconut (use pineapple  juice or coconut milk in place of water) Both were made with the above recipe, so you can see the size of the servings you will get.

You can use any flavor combinations from strawberry- banana to peanut butter-chocolate chip-banana.  I'd love it if you'd share your favorite flavor combinations.

You may love 'nanas so much you may decide to buy the Yonanas machine.  If you do, or you already have it, I'd really love to hear what you think of it.

Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - Lemon Bread

Springtime and lemons.

There's something about spring that makes me crave lemony treats.  I'm not sure if it's the memories of the Lemon Meringue Pie at Easter, but I'm sure they play a part.

When I'm craving something lemony I reach for this family favorite. The recipe has been passed down through my family.  I make it regularly, all year round.  It's moist with just the right amount of tartness.  I know you're going to love it.

LEMON BREAD

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Generously grease a loaf pan.

In a bowl stir together:

1-1/2 cups      flour

1 tsp.              baking powder

1/2 tsp.           salt

                       Grated rind of one lemon

Grate your lemon rind.  Only the yellow, the white can be bitter.

Add the lemon rind to the other dry ingredients.  Stir it up.

In a large bowl, cream together and mix well:

1/2 cup           shortening
1 cup              white sugar
2                     eggs

Cream the sugar and shortening together.

Add the eggs.  I like to beat my eggs first.

The creamed mixture should look like this.

Add your dry ingredients (the flour mixture) to the creamed sugar mixture alternately with:

 1/2 cup milk

Always start and end with the dry ingredients.  

Add some of the dry ingredients (flour mixture) to the creamed sugar mixture. Mix it.

Add some of the milk to the creamed mixture. Mix it.  Keep repeating these two steps until everything is combined.

Pour your batter into your well greased loaf pan.

Bake for one hour.

While you're waiting for the bread to bake, stir together:

1/4 cup       white sugar

                  juice of one lemon

Let it sit while the bread bakes to make a lemony syrup.

When your bread is finished baking, take it from the oven.

Immediately take a skewer and make some holes in the top of the bread.

You can also use toothpicks or a double campfire cooking skewer like I did.  

  

Stir your lemon syrup and pour it all over the top of the bread.

Mmmmm The lemon syrup soaks down into the holes you just made.

Let the bread cool completely before removing it from the pan.

Time for tea!  I'm having a slice of Lemon Bread with mine.

Enjoy!