Pear Butter

(at least this is how I did it)
About six pounds of pears; peeled, cored, and sliced on my apple peeler (the softer ones had to be done by hand)
Three big cooking apples from my friend Teresa the veggie grower--completely optional of course)--peeled, cored, sliced.
I cooked the above till soft in my crockpot, and then used the stick blender to make a nice smooth pear sauce, although I guess you could probably leave it chunky.

Then I added about a half cup or so of demerera cane sugar, and part of a bottle of organic agave syrup I had left over--maybe half a cup. I guess you could sweeten it a lot more than that if desired.

Then I threw in some allspice and ground cloves to taste--watch it on the cloves! ;-) I grated some nutmeg and tossed it in there. The I cooked it in the crock pot with the lid ajar so as to cook out some of the moisture. When thicker, I canned in hot sterilized jars using the water bath method--at least ten min for half pints. I do a longer time for pints. Let cool and listen to the lids pop. :-D

Has this canning thing gotten outta hand?

I bought an apple peeler. Peels, cuts, cores. or some combination of the previously listed. It made this recipe easy, easy, peasy.

initially I said I loved it, but it fell apart after two batches of apples. I'm taking it back; it didn't even last a week.

I hadn't thought of other uses for a contraption like this, but my friend the veggie grower said she uses hers for potatoes as well. I might actually make potato dishes now, just peeling them with lightning speed.

Apple Maple Jam

about 6 lbs finely chopped apples
6 cups sugar
1 cup maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepot. Bring slowly to a boil. Cook rapidly to jellying point. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Pour hot into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Adjust caps. Process ten minutes in a boiling water bath.

Yields approximately 4 pints.

from canning-recipes.com

My hubby is a big encouragement. Sometimes He surprises even me, however. A text exchange this week...

Me: "That sewing machine is kinda quirky. Kind of like me, I guess."

Hubs: "Not quirky. Fun!!!"

Me: "Tell that to the people I bug the crap outta."

Hubs: "Most of them desperately need it."

Awwwwwwww, gee. :-)

Several Interesting Blogs...

I used to work with Barb and I had no idea she was such a writer. Hey, back in the dark ages, when we both worked at a record company here in Nashvegas, she was a radio promoter--so who knew? But suffering has a way of making a person either really bitter or really thoughtful, and she has chosen the latter. Worth a look!

Also, here's a couple canning blogs I really like...



Put Up or Shut Up (cute name, eh?)



Food in Jars

A tasty experiment

Two boxes of mac and cheese (I used Back to Nature Harvest Wheat Elbows and Cheddar), cooked according to box

Ten crushed rosemary basil saltine crackers

Turkey Bacon bits (K-Roger)

A couple dabs of cream cheese

After mixing all, include fresh vine ripe tomatoes, diced.

Well, it will be a cost saver...

Memphis has announced they will not flunk children between kindergarten and third grade, and only flunk a child once time between fourth and eighth grades.

It's a totally sticky wicket, I know. I have lots more experience in this than the average childless person. ;-) So I have opinions:

*Basically, I think it will be a money saver for Memphis. Less years of school for a kid, at 10K a pop (which is considerably higher than Nashville, but still with dismal results). Cynical, I know, but I've seen enough in direct contact with Metro Nashville administrators and teachers to see it that way.

*Unless the teachers and administrators really buckle down with the interventions mentioned, it will be very easy to just let the kids cruise through, without adequate learning measures being met. As the article says, otherwise they just get the same curriculum and approaches as the previous year, likely without different results.

*Unless parents care and get involved in their kids' education, there isn't that much that schools can do on their own. That's something I know profoundly, first hand.

*The kid doesn't need to work, doesn't need to even show up, and the parent doesn't need to even try to do anything. The kid isn't getting retained, no matter what.

I really hope I'm wrong.

A quote from the article...

"If the schools in Memphis are determined to identify students who are struggling and apply different interventions, it's possible it could do the trick," said Jay Greene, endowed professor of education reform at the University of Arkansas and senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

"Unfortunately, the track record on this approach is not that good," he said.

Truly remarkable

How that kiddo stands up to the onslaught of their parent is beyond me. No wonder kiddo's so angry. We need so much wisdom in this situation. I'm praying that God will be glorified somehow, and that our influence will be very positive, to help that young person become a mature, loving adult that finds the peace they seek.

The stress of this adventure is so far beyond what we have experienced prior to this last set of years. It's a lesson in dealing with injustices we cannot control, much to our great sorrow.

"...It is vitally important that there be no criticism of the Project in the country at this precarious time," then (Dr. Ferris) added semi-accidentally, as a semi-joke, "that there be no criticism of anything at this time." -- Ayn Rand, "Atlas Shrugged."

in my farmers market booth

Don't overlook this tasty dish...

Yeah, I know, the title "Almond Vegetable Quiche" doesn't sound very promising to you, perhaps. However, I was very intrigued and set out to try it. The final result: something I think is quite tasty, low carb, healthy, and nice for an easy dinner or for breakfast or brunch.

I have posted the recipe as found originally below. The Tennessean doesn't keep their links active for long, and I didn't find this recipe anywhere else in my cursory Google search.

I mixed up everything except the sizeable veggies (for which I substituted one medium, ripe tomato, diced, and a diced green pepper), poured a bit of the mixture into the silicone bundt, and then dropped in the veggies. Then I put in the rest of the mixture. This is important in baked goods so as to have a finished product that doesn't crumble into pieces, and it resulted in a very nice "quiche-bundt" with no crust to boot. Really, you should try this.

Trader Joe's sells almond meal, but you could always put almonds into a food processor and pummel the life outta them. ;-)

ALMOND VEGETABLE QUICHE
6 eggs
1/2 cup mayonnaise or kefir
Pinch of baking soda
1/2 cup red cabbage
1/4 cup onion or shallots
1/2 cup cauliflower
1 cup almond flour
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients and pour into a silicone Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour.
Recipe from Sepehr Homayoon of the Baha'i Center of Nashville.

I am, indeed...

...so grateful.