Last Saturday I met my friend Katie and her son Will at the farmer’s market for a stroll and a shop. We went over to the turkey guy and Katie told me all about this awesome turkey meatloaf she was going to make that evening. After thinking about it for 6 days straight we made it last night.
Delicious!
We made 1/2 recipe for us with plenty to freeze for Asher to eat later. Although I think we will make a smaller loaf/loaves with more glaze next time…and maybe caramelize the onions.
We went for paper towels but there were raspberries, lots and lots of beautiful raspberries.
“Lets make some jam” he says “I think I’ll buy a case. Make that two”
2 cases = $50 = a shit ton of raspberries but that is what you need to make jam.
On the way home we realize the canning jars are in storage so we go pick up new ones. $10
“$60 is a lot for some jam” I say. “How much jam do we get for $60?”
“We must consult the old family recipe, passed down from generation to generation.”
“On the back of the Certo box.”
Certo boxes in hand we head home and get to work.
“Its a hard job but someone has to do it”
The box says we will have 7 pints of jam. Kind of a crap deal for $60 if you ask me.
After measuring and mushing up the berries and putting them in a pot with water and sugar we realize we have a bit more than we bargained for.
Matthew siphons 1/4 the mixture into a smaller pot and adds the certo when it boils.
Once its complete he fills 5 of the 12 pint jars. “Hmm” I say, because I am very good at math, and also stating the obvious. “If 1/4 of the recipe is 5 pints we will need 20 pints.”
WE HAVE 12 PINT JARS. its 8pm on Sunday night and we are covered in raspberries.
After some minor freaking out that 3/4 of a pot of jam will be thrown right in the trash he realizes we haven’t yet put in the certo and the big pot is only raspberries and sugar so we take it off the stove and let it cool down.
The next day I buy every single jar at the overpriced fancy kitchen store and we heat up the raspberries again, add the certo and do the canning thing.
The verdict: $50 will be more than enough to cover your jam needs for the next few decades.
This is what I was craving when I walked off the plane from Barcelona. I have made it 4 times in the past few months. Its amazing and even better after its frozen.
I’m not normally down with the casserole but it is really really delicious.
Here is her recipe and my adaptations. I like to serve it with a salad because it needs the crunch.
Ingredients
2 cups Cooked Chicken: I use 2 large chicken breasts on the bone
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese: 1 cup was fine
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot: just enough to make the mix the right consistency
1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoned Salt: wha? why? we don’t use this because I don’t know what it is
1/8 teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper: or more, lots more
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese: or 1/2 it. enough to cover the top.
Preparation Instructions
Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).
Aaaaaaand that wraps up my 2 consecutive posts on pumpkin. I will now write a week’s worth of posts on other things I have no interest in. Hope everyone is super excited to hear about baseball stats, sci-fi novels and how computers work!
I cannot get away from the pumpkin these days. Almost every blog I read today had a recipe for pumpkin. Even some of the design blogs. I can’t really say that any of these look especially good to me because I just don’t care for the stuff but if you are looking for a round-up of pumpkin recipes I read in the last week it is your lucky day!
I didn’t feel so great today so Matthew took over all baby duties (besides feeding) while I tried to sleep off the pounding sinus headache I woke up with. He also did laundry, took Asher on a walk to the supermarket, and made us a pot of minestrone soup for dinner.
Matthew was off today so we went to one of my favorite places ever, a supermarket. Here are my current top 5 favorite items. The parking is non-existent and the lines be crazy so you know they got me if I’m hauling over there with a baby to get peanut butter.
1. Salty sweet mini brownies. These dont last long so 11/7 will not be a problemo.
2. Best peanut butter ever.
3. Rice. It’s just really good.
4. Spinach artichoke dip. Hey – its no Mara’s artichoke dip but its $2 and goes freezer/microwave/table in 3 mins. Great for when people come over.
5. Naan. Also frozen. Totally delicious addition to at home indian.
Matthew had the brilliant idea to pick up a rotisserie spit attachment for the grill a few weeks ago and our life has never been the same! The roast beef comes out pretty great but the chicken…YUM.
