Its a Good day for Dressin

This morning in my corner of Dixie,its a breezy 57 degree's! The windows are open in my house and the AC,while not off,is turned up to 75. The fans are spinning,and there is a wee hint of fall in the air. For a Monday,life is good today! Fresh pot of generic coffee,which happens to be really good, full pack of smokes, and Dora on the TV,while I sit outside to mentally plan my day. Ive already been a busy Suzy F. Homeaker! I cut up nectarines last night,both white and orange, and put them to sugar last night. It was 11:30 before I went to bed, then woke up while the street lights were still on! So my canner got half filled, 1/2 pint jars got washed, nectarines went into a pot with the sugar soaking and lemon zest. Coffee was consumed and Facebook was checked. I have NO clue where this energy is coming from. Maybe Im kinda manic. Or maybe my new meds combo is working. I dont know.But Im not complaining. I plan to ride this UP as long as I can. If its an Up. Maybe it will be Normal. I dont know yet.
Since it IS a crisp 57 this morning, Im cooking dressing today. Or as we call it here in Dixie, Dressin. NOT stuffing. But according to the Joy of Cooking, it was originally called stuffing,but someone over in England thought stuffing a bird was vulgar,so dressing was born. Bless the prude who thought that! I make cornbread dressing. The ratio I use is 2 parts cornbread to one part white bread. Albeit a biscuit,like my Memaw makes and my mom. But Ive learned canned buiscuits work fine,or even white bread. Today going into the mix is white yeast bread I made myself. We were Oh so broke a while back {when are we not} so I made my own bread. Learned that you dont need to ever make it in a bunt pan. lesson learned.lol. I also have my cheap chicken thighs and a few drummies cooking away to make broth. I added some celery and onion to it,along with some herbs. I dont think my Memaw puts anything but salt,maybe some pepper in her broth,but I like layers of flavor. My family is a great wealth of recipes. My Mama and Memaw,and now my MIL are the best cooks I know! If I can only be half as good as they are,I will have arrived!
On tonights menu is
1. Dressing,

2. Turnip/mustard greens, {Im not too big on collards,so I didnt buy any.I also buy the pre cut,pre washed greens. It makes life SO much easier, even if some pureist would call it cheating. But honestly, Washing the greens 3 times, cutting them,and it still not being many just aint my idea of fun. So I splurge on the convience. But if you really look at it, 3.69 ish for a big bag of already done greens, is not bad compared to the smallish bunches that are only 99 cents.}

3. Rotiserie Chicken. {Our neighbors gave us a rotiserie and I fully intend on breaking it in today! If I didnt have that,Id just roast the hen I bought. I didnt have time to thaw out a whole turkey or turkey breast. Some people like chicken in the dressing, I however do not. And since Im the main cook around here, thats what the men eat,lol}

4. Whole Berry cranberry sauce.{ I always think of my Daddy saying,cranberry sauce shaped like a can! I think its a Grinch that Stole Christmas reference}

5. Rolls. { In a Paula Deen cookbook I got the easiest roll recipe EVER! Its one Cup self rising flour, 2 T of mayo, 1 tsp sugar and milk. Thats it. She says to make in a muffin tin,but I sue a round cake pan. Josh and Nate call them buiscuits,but I call em rolls. Josh said whatever you call them,theyre great. Awe,honey! lol}

6. Pumpkin Pie. {DUH!} I dont put any sugar in my pie. Nope, sure dont. I use condenced milk. Or as the older folks say, Pet Milk. But to me Pet milk is evaportated milk,and I use generic.lol}

One of my dearest friends Mel and her son are coming up for a few days, and I dont plan to cook tomorrow, its the big 2-8 for me. I ought not have to cook on my dam birthday,lol. So leftovers it is!
Im also gonna make a chicken ranch cheeseball. Simply b/c I want one!
And today I start school. The website says not till after 2 pm today, So I will have to check it later. whoooo hooo,busy day for Sarah!

Full Time College Student

While Ive always been a student of life, I like to be the student of a school too. So last week, I finally finished my school registration. Sheeew! Im taking a full load,all online this semester. I've changed my major from English,to History, now to Secondary Education. I hope to teach English or History. I am SO thrilled that I can finally be a FT student. For the first time in my almost 28 years. Ive got a lot of my basics out of the way already,thanks to night school. So now,according to my advisor, I should be able to graduate the local Community College Im enrolled in, next summer after the 2nd session. Then Ill transfer to my college to get my Bachelors. I am not sure yet if Ill transfer to UT or UM. Gone is the dream of graduating from Ole Miss. That changed when we moved here. But thats ok. I really dont care WHERE I get my piece of paper from,so long as I get it. I dont not think it will be easy by anymeans, but I have made better grades in college than i ever did in high school. While Josh and I are not materialistic at any point, 2 incomes will be nice one day.
I hope to share with students the passion I felt walking up the steps to Independance Hall in Philly,the sweeping views of Ft.Hill in Vicksburg, and being in a place like San Diego,where one of the oldest settlements in the US is. Ahhhh, I cant wait. I say Im on the 14 year plan, as in 14 years after graduating from high school,but if I stay on the track I INTEND to stay on, I can knock it out in 2 1/2 years. So Yay for me!
I know this blog today is totally self serving,but I my need to come back and re-read the enthusiasm I have today!

Pear Butter,What Really Happend

Ok, so I posted yesterday that I intended to use the crockpot and let it do the work for me.BUT, I kinda needed to have it finished by the time I picked Nate up from school.So inorder to save time,I let the pears cook in the crockpot for about an hr and half,then added them to my big deep stock pot. It still took them right at 2 hrs to cook like that,on med heat,with a lid over it.
I washed my jars.This year since I stocked up last year,I have not had to buy any jars. But yesterday I had to scour my kitchen and china cabinet for loose stragelers.I even poured a few things out from 2 half pints I had in the fridge. I washed 5 pints, 4 half pints,and one teeny lil 1/4 pint jar. Got my big canner going. It didnt start even boiling until time to put the jars into it.
So, aside from using my stock pot,I still followed the basic instructions. I got out the blender, which Ive never had good luck with,mind you,so I was a wee leary of how that would all work. But thankfully,I had all my dishes washed and had a large mixing bowl handy. So,I used a 2 cup measuring cup and added 4 cups at a time inti the blender. I hit puree for about one solid minute,then hit blend on high for about 30 seconds. It turned into a sort of taupe color with brown specks in it. The brown specks being peeling. I tasted the plain pears. to them I added 1 cup of left over preserve syrup from a batch of preserves I cooked lightly. then added 2/3 cup sugar. Plenty sweet. I think if you dont have any sugar try 1/2 cup white corn syrup,then taste.Add more as needed. so back into the pot the pears went,again on meduim heat. since I didnt like the color,I added a few drops of neon pink food coloring,and a few drops of purple. It came out mauve and I liked it. so,then I added an 11 oz bag of cramel bits. and began to stir. and stir and stir, I also turned up the heat to med/high. You know your own stove and how temps work,so on my trusty builder grade hotpoint stove between 7 and 8 is where it sat. I ran to potty, scrubbing my hands,of cource. I bet I washed my hands 5 times during the cooking process. I didnt want to contaminate anything. then I cranked up the heat to high and kept stirring the entire time. {I had the radio on,so me and the Judds,sang to the bubbling caludron} You get into a rythm with it, being sure that youre touching the bottom with the wooden spoon. Id stir for 5 minutes at a time,then check to see exactly HOW it was boiling. I wanted it to rolling boil before I jarred it up. When I removed my spoon,and the mauve lava esque stuff hit the bottom of our over stove microwave,I determined it was time to jar up. My canning funnel came in SO handy for this batch. Some things you dont have to use it with,but this stuff,it was a MUST. I removed it from the heat,and set it on my silicone pampered chef square thingie. But a dishtowel works fine too.Just double it over, b/c that heavy bottomed pot was HOT! So I began to sppon it into the jars. I spooned nad I spooned. I wound up using every jar I had washed and sterlized. 5 pints, 3 half pints and the one 1/4 pint. it worked out perfectly! And my my does hte butter taste GOOD!!!! Yes,its kinda grainy,but its b/c some of the pears are.
I fully plan on making another batch of this stuff either today or tomorrow and dont plan on changing my techinque at all. I am going to have to get up in the attic and dig around in my box of jars up there. And I may have to buy some more lids. But if I dont have enoguh pints,the pear butter will be going into quarts!
So thats how it really went down at my house with Mama's time tested recipe. The only thing she said shed do different was not use the food coloring! She likes natural colored stuff and Im more into color! I bet a package of Kooliade added while cooking would work too. And maybe since its 100 % citric acid,it would help with the browning. I think lemon aide flavor would work best.

I hope that if you try this,you sing to your pot. A long wooden spoon works great for a mic!

Caramel Pear Butter

So My Mama makes this caramel apple butter that is to die for good.Makes a great fruit dip,or spread,or probably even a good "jam cake". So since I still have pears growing out of my ears, {I really should listen to Josh when he says Ive got enough. :)} So today I called her up and asked if you could use pears to make her caramel stuff,and she siad she didnt see why not. So here goes nothing!

Recipe:
1 crock pot {I have a big one}
20ish med size pears, from other post,friends tree.Im sure the ones from the grocery will work too
2 cups white grape or apple juice. {if you dont have either of those,Im sure water would work}
1 cup sugar
1 bag of Kraft caramels for baking. Those lil pellet looking things.Found seasonaly at the grocery store. Homeade caramel would work,or 2 bags of the wrapped ones.

A large knife
Cutting board
melon baller
garbage bowl handy. {I use a sauce pot that I burned rice in,and even with all my remedies,it aint coming off,so not to toss out a perfectly burned up pan,I use it in leiu of a garbage bowl. TY Rachael Ray}
Collander
Blender or food processor
big pot
Jars. lids rings,water bath canner.{this will not be used for several hours}{about 5 or 6 pint jars}
Wooden spoon, large scooping spoon
canning funnel
sauce pan big enough to fit lids and rings in

1. set crock pot up, turn on high
2. rinse pears in collander in the sink
3. place cutting board on counter,set GB in a handy spot, grab pears.
4. cut the tops and bottoms off pears. {if there is still a nice size morsel on the bottom part, cut it off and toss it into crock pt.
5. scoop out center part of pears. Its ok if you dont get all the woody part out where the stem attaches,it will be pureed later
6. when all the pears are in the crockpot, add 2 cups juice. {mind you the pears still have the peeling on them
7. cover crock pot and let it work its mushing,cooking majic for about 4 hours{I think overnight on low would be fine too}
8.when pears have cooked down and are a mushy consistancy, pour pears into a large stock pot.
9. Using a large spoon, add pears,in small groups into the blender,return to crock pot.
10. Taste pears, if they are as sweet as you want them only add 1/2 cup sugar.But if the pears are a wee under ripe,add the whole cup
11.add caramel bits, the whole bag stir very well. return crock pot to high heat setting and cover.
12. stir about every 20 minutes until the caramel has all melted and pears are a thick,gloppy consitancy
13.while the caramel is melting and doing it yummy thing, wash your jars. It should make about 5 pints,but wash more,just to be sure.{Im writting the recipe before the canning part,so i really dont know just yet}
14. Crank up the heat under the water bath canner
15. place lids and rings into sauce pan,cover with water and boil
16. When pear mix is the consitancy you want it, spoon into jars.leaving 1/4 inch head space
17. Water bath pints for ten minutes, or half pints for 5.

ENJOY!!!
* apples may be used in place of pears. I reccomend either Granny Smith, or Macintosh. Or use a mix of both.
* Use any variety of pears you like. Mine come from a tree in a friends yard and are just yard variety green pears. If you use bosc pears,I reccomend adding some green ones in it too.Bosc are sweet,and you add sugar to it.
* My Mom sent a jar of this with Nathan to his first grade teacher for a lil "happy". She to this day still raves about it. She will be getting a pint of this pear stuff

It Looks Like We Really Live here.

This evening the weather is wonderful. So I decided to take the boys for an after supper walk. It was dual purpose. To not let the salmon patties and mashed potato's sit near my gallbladder for too long, and to actually get out and get moving. So I loaded up Caleb in the wagon,and Nathans friend offered to pull him for me. Up the street we went. About 3 houses up on the oposite side of the street, I saw one of our neighbors outside. Then 2 more gathered. And next thing ya know,theres 5 kids running around,and we neighbors were shooting the wonderful breeze! Well, Caleb escaped the free for all of children and wandered into one of the backyards. Few of us have fences here. So,I finally got to see how the other side lives. Much like US! The general objects while looking up the other side of the streets neighbors back yards is everyone has a patio table and grill! A must have around here,apparently.The ones who have small kids have swing sets,and various playing apparatus. One had a trampoline and a play house. Others had a few Tonka trucks strewn here there and yonder.
It got me thinking just now,as Im still outside on the patio enjoying the wifi. Caleb has jumped into the kiddie pool,shoes and all. Nathan and his buddy were tossing a football around. I thought about how we REALLY live here now. Ive got my clothesline in the back yard, theres a swing set, a grill,and yes, a patio table. Unlike some of the other neighbors,we have a beautiful bistro esque patio light. I love it,but we rarely use it. Our next door neighbor followed our lead and got a bistro light as well. But her yard is the yard of the month! let me tell you. Shes got a fish pond,a hot tub,and a huge deck. Us,not so much. But it was comforting to think that we really have made our new subdivision somewhat of a lil community. Most of us know each other,and most did not before we all moved in over here. We wave while taking our kids to school, you know whos grilling,b/c it smells good. You know whos on vacation and who has out of town company. I guess you could say we kinda look out for each other around here. Each others homes and kids. We pass out popcicles,fruit snacks and water to the neighborhood kids. We call each other when something happens. We bring casseroles and swap recipes. We've become friends with each other. We help each other out by feeding the animals when folks are away,we give each other extra daylilies we've dug up from our mother in laws yard. Just good people all around,I think. No, I dont know all of them by name,but I do wave! and they wave back. Some of us know each other better. But we're still a community. We just got new neighbors. They seem like a good fit here too. Its an older couple,who have grown kids.But theyre very friendly and neighborly.
Nates buddy told me a few ago, "Miss Sarah, we were going for a walk,and wound up on an adventure!" I liked that. I told him,"son, we wer just visitin. and being neighborly.thats just what you do!".
Then his Mama hollered from the street over, he went home. Caleb got fished out of the alge infested,cold pool, and now the boys are taking a shower. I just got a load off the line,and now as the sun is setting Im listening to the crickets and locust hum thier nightly melody.
Ahhh, Life is Good Today!

Old Fashioned Pear Preserves Recipe

Ok, So I have googled until my eyes are crossed at how to make pear preserves. Some say to let them sit overnight in sugar. Others say to boil them in sugar and then drain the sugar syrup off of them and "dry " pack the pears then add the syrup back over them. Well, I have come up with my own way to do it. With my Mama and Memaw's tips in the back of my mind.



First, find a friend with a pear tree. Offer a pie,and ask if you can pick pears. Or offer preserves in exchange for pears.

Pick the pears. You want to pick large to medium pears. The small ones need a wee bit more time.So therefore there will be more for later batches.

Start small.Dont make a huge batch until youve tried it before.See what works for your stove,your pot,and where you live.
First You will need:
1 canner pot. Can be found at Walmart, or even your local Mom and Pop hardware store
5 pint jars or 10 1/2 pint jars
1 pair of tongs,
1 large outh funnel
10 jar lids and rings
med size pan, large enough for lids and rings to swim in
1 large wooden spoon
1 scooping spoon, a ladle works,or just a big scooped bottom spoon
A stove,preferably indoors where there is A.C.
Time.
10 pears,fresh from the tree,or even 2 days,I've found if left in Joshes truck for 4 days they get mushy and fonkey
5 lb bag of sugar.
1 cup measuring cup
1 large stock pot
1 fresh lemon
candied ginger, optional
1 pairing knife, very sharp! that is a must,that it be sharp and you can maneouver it.
1 big bowl
1 walmart sack, or kroger or where ever.just get a sack,you know,the ones you use in your bathroom can or beside the couch.
1 dishtowel,not a good one either,get one that broke in.

So that is what you need.

Now here comes my little prodgect. I have made the sit overnight preserves,and right now currently in my own large stock pot are pears.They have been sitting in lemon juice,1 1/2 cups water,and 5 cups of sugar. I am going to test if setting them soaking in sugar really makes a difference.

Ok, so now you have all your tools. Find something good on TV or go outside and turn on the radio

Ok, Now that you have all you to do is cut the lemon in half. Squeeze the juice from one half into large bowl.Add 1-2 cups of water. if seeds get in there,pick em out. It helps to nuke the lemon for about 15 seconds,then roll it on the counter a few turns. Juice comes right out.
Now, take the pears, bowl with water in it,knife,sack,and dish towel.
find a comfy place to sit,
place bowl to the side of whatever handness you are not.
place sack in lap
take first pear and peel it,letting skin drop into sack.
put it in the bowl.be sure to roll it in the lemon juice.
follow suit with the remaining pears.
Now, cut up the pears,cut them big or small,but Id say no bigger than a quarter size,I like mine a small thin dice.
Now once thats done, add sugar.If you have 6 cups of pears, add 4-5 cups of sugar.
let sit on counter covered in dish towel over night.If youre a germaphob,place in fridge.

Day 2.
give the bowl of pears a good stir.
pour into big pot.
add remaining lemon juice. start it on high,until it boils. stir some while coming to a boil.its hard to scrub off a pan,trust me. reduce to med heat.
Now,this is going to take a while,so go turn on a load of laundry.Come back and stir the pot.
I stir mine about every ten minutes for about 45 minutes. As the syrup begins to thicken,stir it more often.
Its done when the pears are semi translucent,or fully translucent and syrup is thick and honey colored.

As the pears cook away, fill your big pot up to a bit over half full. bring to a boil,then simmer until pears are done cooking,then return to roiling boil.
Clean jars. I was mine int he sink with dish soap and vinegar.In as hot as you can possibly stand it water.Let them soak about 5 minutes.
While theyre soaking, get pot out for lids and rings. put lids and rings into pot,cover with water and bring to a rolling boil,then simmer.
rinse jars in pure hot water.invert on a baking rack,over a dish towel.

When pears are finished, place jars on a think cutting sheet,cutting board,or even a cookie sheet would work.
turn heat off lids,drain water
get funnel and place it over the first jar. Use spoon or ladle and add pears to jars.
****Be SURE to leave 1/4 inch headspace in jars.If you cant tell how big that is,I fill mine till just when the jar begins to form where the rings twist on.
Place lids on jars, then twist on rings. I use a dishtowel for this. use half of it to hold the hot jar,and the other end to squeeze the ring on tight.

Use jar tongs and put jars into water bath canner
Boil ten minutes. take jars out and sit them on the counter to cool.

ENJOY!!!!!
****At Walmart and probably even a regular grocery store this time of year,a canning kit can be found. The box has a funnel,Jar tongs, a lid picker upper thingie with a magnet on it,and this thing that looks like a ruler with teeth on the end of it. last year I used all of the tools,but now I can judge better how full 1/4 is, and I lost the magnent thingie,so I just use my hands to pick up the lids.
If you add ginger to your pears, add it when you begin to boil it,and keep it whole if you plan to remove it.If you plan to just keep it in the pears,then dice it.
* I add lemon zest to my preserves. I simply just like it.
*jars can be used again and again.so can rings,but lids should only be used once. As when youre done with whatever is in the jar,throw away the lid,but keep the ring and jar.
* dont cover the pears once theyre in the pot.they will get too mushy.

I hope you enjoy making these. I tried to give the instructions from a novice canners veiw point.This is only my second year to can,and if you read previous post from last summer,you will see that it is trial and error. This year I feel like a pro.But theres always new things to can,and tips to learn!!!

Pears,Pears,Pears

Today I made pear butter. Sarah Style.lol. I hacked on pears,chuncked them and cooked them with sugared giner,lemon zest and a shot of white grape juice. So far so good. Then Aimees cousin Kelli told me she wanted strawberry preserves. I thought hmmmm, so I cooked and cooked and cooked them pears,adding what was left in a 5lbs bag of sugar. probably only 2 1/2 cups. added some all spice,shot of cinnamon and some fresh nutmeg. got it all syrup/pulpy and cooked it for about 45 minutes. Using my handy dandy dollar tree tater masher,I smoshed them things down some more to the consistancy of crushed pineapple. lil chunky,lil mushy. Then hard boiled it for 10 minutes or so. then added a box of strawberry jello. I got 4 1/2 pints and 3 whole pints. I always wash more jars then I think Ill need, and that was a good thing today, b/c I used them all. it taste really good!!! at least the glop that I dropped on my cutting board did. I learned last year when making jelly that using those flimsy cutting boards instaed of a towel is easier to clean. then I made a pear/apple pie. COmplete with lattice crust. Forbessised lattice crust. Im scared to weave it as yet. Then after I egg washed and spirnkled brown sugar over it I thought, SHIT, I forgot to put some butter in it. So thankfully my lattice looks like a first grader did it with the gaps, so I just diced some butter and whaa la! butter. then put a pot roast on. all the while caleb tearing up my living room! now I wait.....to see if the pear pie I got volunteered to make comes out decent and not burned. I cheated on the crust and bought that kind ya roll out. That stuff is a pian in the ass let me tell ya. It would have been easier just to make it myself! I had to get out my Joy Of Cooking to find out how long youre supposed to cook apple pie and on what temp. First thing it said to do was not to let your filling set up over 15 minutes or it will be too watery. mine had been there for 20. SO I commenced to hacking more pears and apples in hopes not to have a soggy pie. we shall see.I added another heaping tablespoon of flour just for good measure though. I kinda added this and that to it,Josh requested not much cinnamon, but he didnt say nothing about nutmeg and all spice. Just checked on my pie. Thankfully, froma tip from Paula deen I put the pie on a cookie sheet,b/c its dripping out! So thats my day today, a day of domestic godessdom!!! complete with flour and pear juice all over my apnts, blood on my shirt from where I hacked my thumb whilst peeling pears, and Caleb Pbj from his pre nap smooch on my hole. aka,my belly button!!!! Disclaimer:I typed this while smoking,so my grammar is BAD!!! And Ive not eaten today,So Im a bit shaky!

Using real names now, Josh is my husband and Nathan and Caleb are my kids!