Palligators etc. by Anna: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Lime-Pineapple Sauce

I started trying to make Pineapple Lime Jam, but couldn't bear to add sugar to so much wonderfully fresh fruit. Also, not having a proper zester, I just very thinly sliced the lime and chopped it with a kitchen shears. I did cut off a few spots from the lime. Then, having looked up Pineapple Sauce, again tweaked the recipe. This recipe only has 2 tablespoons of sugar. Much more to my liking!

Lime-Pineapple Sauce

4 cups fresh pineapple, chopped
1 lime chopped, all except seeds
2 tablespoons brown sugar

put in saucepan, cook over med/high heat, pick out unsightly bits of skin that have been "juiced", blend to desired smoothness (with hand blender...or whatever you have), simmer on low to desired thickness, can some and leave a bit out for use in the near future.

Taste test: Wow!! It's Limey. Changing the name: Lime-Pineapple Sauce! Oh, well, it will be good with ice cream.

In the future, I might half the lime and double the pineapple, but that's another day or year...or may never revisit this one, just because I like to keep experimenting...not because it is bad. Please, please, tell me if you have tried this and if you tweak it!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

The Creative Kitchen

Just got finished canning some apple spice cake topping (page 95). I reserved this book at the library thinking that it was sewing projects. Well, it has a couple sewing projects in it, but mostly great homemade gift ideas. Cakes, salsas, seasoning mixes, chutney, candies, sauces ... Yumm! It is such a fun book that I could add it to my collection...but Kevin would say, "That's why it's at the library. Well, I guess I agree... Therefore, I decided to make a post about this book, using page numbers and giving comments/reviews. I hope you like it...

Page 95: Apple Spice Cake Topping -- Delicious, tastes like caramel apples. Hoping the canning of it works out, because I will be excited to take it out this winter. The girls said they would like it any time!

Page 114: Apple-Spice Sauce -- Used this in combination with this Apple Pie Filling recipe. Tasty!! It didn't turn out as smooth as the picture showed, but I am going to use it as a spice cake topping, and I think it will be just fine. I think I will make a bigger batch to can in the near future as I have many more apples to deal with.

Want to try: Peanut Butter Sauce and Chocolate Fudge Sauce (pg 114), Malted Cocoa Mix (pg 88), Peanut Butter Bars (pg 34).

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

More in the Basement

Before: a small paneled wall that separated the "rooms".

The girls went to Nana's house overnight and this is what I started... We were told that before we decide how to break up the basement space we should consider taking down all the paneling and knowing what we have to work with. My friend, Anna, came over one day and I showed her the new look. "Wow!! But what's different?" She couldn't figure out what we had changed, but knew she liked the change. Right now, I have a blanket draped over the undone wall to prevent slivers, etc. When L wakes up from her nap, we'll all go down there and do a little more arranging.

After: a temporary set-up with a half wall...considering how we like it, before tearing it all down.

My Girls

Above is the type of clothes combinations that L brings me in the morning to help her get dressed in. Today, she brought me: a dress, pants, skirt and pull-over sweater. Below is a similar situation with Kj. I give her bits for a "silly lunch" and she puts it all together. She has: cinnamon-raisin swirl bread, deer sausage, cheese, carrot and peanut butter. I ask her what her favorite bread topping is, and she replies, "Sausage and peanut butter."