What's Cooking Wednesday - Peach Orange Marmalade

This is my time of year, I LOVE preserving. It is almost OCD'ish. My husband rolls his eyes at me when ever I find a new and somewhat different recipe. This one I found and I had to try since my father is a true lover of marmalade.

Peaches, with peel, quartered and pitted 7

Orange, cut up and seeds removed 1

Maraschino cherries, pitted 1/3 cup

Granulated Sugar, amount = to pulp

Almond Flavouring 1/2 tsp.

Put peaches and, orange and cherries through food grinder. Measure pulp and return to large pot.

Add same amount of sugar as there is pulp. Add almond flavouring. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves and it comes to a boil. Boil 30 to 40 minutes, stiffing occasionally, until a small spoonful cooled on a chilled saucer jells. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within 1.4 inch of top. Seal. Makes 5 half pints.

New Residents!!!

Today while cutting hay in one of our back fields, my husband came apon these bunch.

Now we hated to move them, but it had to be done. So now I am playing Momma and feeding them in the house. We really don't know exactly what they are, hawks perhaps? They are eager to eat, not much of a problem yet. The smell hasn't started yet either! Hopefully they grow nice and strong and we are able to release them back out into the wild of the farm. We shall see. This makes three birds between my Dad and I this year. He found a baby crow bouncing along in the bush unable to find his mother and/or fly at all. Fred as we call him is living with my parents at Key River. These guys will be residents of Field.

Whats Cooking Wednesday

Since, I will always do more baking then I do cooking. I thought I would put what I baked here instead of what we were having for dinner. Since that probably will be determined about ten min before 5.

Chocolate Cake

All Purpose Flour 1 3/4 Cups
Baking Soda 1/4 Tsp.
Baking Powder 1 1/2 Tsp.
Salt 1/2 Tsp.
Shortening 1/2 Cups.
Sugar 1 1/4 Cups
Eggs 2
Chocolate,
Unsweetened, melted 2 Squares
Vanilla 1 Tsp.
Milk 1 Cup

Stir flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Cream shortening; add sugar gradually, beating between additions. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla, blending well. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, blending well after each addition. Pour into greased and floured cake pans. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 min.


Rich Butter Frosting

Butter 1/4 Cup
Egg 1
Icing Sugar 2 3/4 Cups
Vanilla 1 Tsp.

Cream butter well; stir in egg. Add sugar, a little at a time, beating until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

If you need more sugar add it until you have frosting that is the consistency that you would like.

Finished My New Book

I don't know where exactly I found the time to read. It has been one my biggest hobbies that have taken a back seat since I had kids, but for Thomas Harris I will find exception. I found myself in love with Hannibal Raising. I know a great number of my reading friends don't like reading Thomas Harris, for fear there is too much gore. This time there wasn't much at all, it seems to fill in the blanks that I had to questions that came about by reading the other three novels. This part of the series it actually the first. If that makes any sense at all. It explains why he is the way he is, and what his childhood was like. For die hard Hannibal fans it is a great read and seems to move quite quickly, before you know it the book is done. Now I am on to my next book, Cross!

My Search Is Over

Yesterday my friends I found something amazing! I found the ultimate Chocolate Chip cookie recipes. I say this with such enthusism because I have been searching a long time. The cookies were either runny and hard as hell when cooled, or too chewy and fell apart the next day. So here it is,

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter, softened 1 teaspoon baking soda

1 Cup White Sugar 2 Teaspoons hot water

1 Cup packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Eggs 2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract 1 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)

3 Cups All Purpose Flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugaruntil smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the nailla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Strin in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spponfuls onto ungreased pans.

3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated over, or until edges are nicely brown.

Found on allrecipes.com

The only thing that I did, was I didn't soften my margarine too much, I used a mixer and whipped the batter nicely then worked the chips in by hand.

Just Like That And It Was Gone

No I am not talking about anything toooo serious, but my primetime "soap opera" had its finale show last night. The OC is offically off the air. I know there are people rolling their eyes across the board. But when you watch a show from beginning to end, sometimes it feels like you having friends that are leaving. Also I am mad there isn't more questions answered. Does Ryan get married? Where and what happened to Taylor? Why are Bullet and Frank both with Julie? I do know and understand why it went off the air, there just wasn't the rating that it used to have. Well when you put something against CSI and Greys Anatomy there isn't going to be the rating that there used to be. I also think that the networks cut "good" shows with too much haste. Under the new standards Friends would have been cut, also M*A*S*H would have been cut. Both great shows, and long runners. They just needed the fan base to grow over a year or so. Well since I am rambling now I will wrap it up.

Recipe Of The Day

Apple Mince Muffins

All- Purpose Flour 2 Cups

Granulated Sugar 1/3 Cup

Baking Powder 1 Tbsp.

Salt 1/2 Tsp.

Ground Cinnamon 1/4 Tsp

Large Egg 1

Mincemeat 1 Cup

Unsweetened Applesauce 1/2 Cup

Apple Juice 1/2 Cup

Cooking Oil 1/4 Cup

Measure first 6 ingrediants into large bowl. Stir. Make a well in centre.

Combine remaining 5 ingrediants in medium bowl. Add to well. Stir until just moistened. Fill 12 greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake in 375 F oven for 20 - 22 minutes. until wooden pick comes out clean. Let stand in tin for 5 min before removing.

Loved this, they were moist, tasted really great.