Our neighbor made a couple types of jam for Thanksgiving and brought us over a few varieties yesterday. I decided to try the strawberry jalapeño jam today.
Jalapeños with cream cheese/herb/bacon blend.
375 for 15 minutes; I’ve also made these in the air fryer with great success.
Top with jam, and then broil for couple minutes.
Delicious!
This is what Jim and I are doing every evening, and morning. We are gathering these to roast. This year I am going to try something new, I’m going to try and create my own Chestnut syrup for coffee. Fingers crossed.
We noticed a few more new trees growing on the property. They are over 10′ tall now, so in a few years, they’ll be producing. I was very happy to see these. They grow on their own, without our help, thanks to the deer stomping them, and spreading them; and probably the squirrels burying a few, and forgetting where they buried them.
We have gathered quite a few in the past few days. YUM!
Southern Living 2010 Ultimate Christmas cookbook
Jim asked for more of the Brie bites, which I’ve been making this past week by having fun with brie cheese, and a variety of marmalade’s
With the extra Brie cheese, I cut a few wedges and put on cookie sheet near cups. Mixed a bit of pear marmalade with white wine; heated in microwave and poured on top of cheese wedges. Added crushed walnuts on top of wine/pear/cheese wedge. Served with fire roasted Triscuit crackers which was a delicious combo
Southern Living is as always loaded with beautiful photos with fun ideas for decorating – some of the recipes seem to be very involved, but there are many that are appealing enough to want to invest the time.
Today, I made the White chocolate, Peanut, and Caramel Candy cookies on page 117. These took some time but they are chewy and delicious. I froze half the dough balls for later baking. Jim is enjoying them and eating as many as I leave out in sight – that is a compliment because he is so so on cookies. I used Rolos, and believe you can use other candy like snickers, etc.
This is a great way to use up leftover Halloween Candy. Yes, I will make these again. I’m now looking at the White chocolate-dipped oatmeal cranberry cookies on page 148.
Grand Marnier Or Jamaica Rum Baked Grapefruit
Cut large grapefruit in half. With a fruit knife, loosen the sections, but do not remove core in center. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and let stand for 30 minutes; sprinkle again with sugar and let stand another 30 minutes. Place grapefruit in pan, sprinkle with sugar and add 1 tablespoon of Jamaica rum to each grapefruit half.
I put Grand Marnier on one half and Jamaica Rum on the other half. Bake in a hot oven (450 F) for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with the juice in pan, to which add 4 tablespoons of rum. Allow ½ per person – I ate them both. Jim does not care for grapefruit, but he said the house smelled amazing – I was thinking it would make a great air freshener – Baked Rum or Baked Grand Marnier 
I eat grapefruit by itself without sugar, but with this recipe since it was baked, I could see this not turning out if I hadn’t used the sugar – You can also use brown sugar
From the 1947 United States Regional Cookbook
The pictures are not attractive but this is so good! My husband thought it was perfect and ate it all; I was thinking maybe a pinch of the pepper flakes next time as there was quite a bit of heat for me, but Jim said don’t change it.
Here is the link for the Oyster Stew
Someone on my page asked me what the cracker mixture underneath the dish was; I make the Cracker Party mix often and play with a variety of cracker. Here is the basic recipe, but I play with the cracker combo and today I also added Chex mix. I do 1 heaping tsp of the dill weed, because we like it. At the 15 minute mark, I pull the pan out and toss everything; I then add a bit of salt over all, and put back in oven for 5 more minutes. We do not buy chips; the guys just let me know when they are craving this. When these crackers go on sale, I stock up for the next time.
If you like a heavy garlic flavor, you might want to add more garlic to this – this was just right for us. Easy, fun snack
Cracker Party mix
1 package (12-16 oz) oyster crackers
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk dressing mix (dry)
1/4 tsp. lemon pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 to 1 cup veg. or olive oil
(I used slightly less than 3/4)
Preheat oven 250
Mix the ranch mix with oil. Add rest of ingredients. Pour over oyster crackers which I had spread out on a cookie sheet and stir/toss. I do this part on cookie sheet because I use a large spatula to toss the mixture and scrape /scoop ingredients off the bottom of pan to toss with crackers.
Bake 15-20 minutes
This has a light garlic taste -if you like heavy taste of garlic, you will want to add more. This was perfect for us for snacking and it would also be good added to a bowl of tomato soup.
Grilled Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas
A neighbor gave us several jars of tomatoes from his garden last year (20 jars) I am finishing them up so I can hand them back to him; my husband goes over and helps him pick and can the tomatoes. Last night I made a tomato soup dish Jim’s grandmother taught me over 20 years ago, which takes brandy. So I’m using the bottle of Brandy she gave me. I wanted to show you the vintage bottle holder her husband made out of metal for her. I adore the look of this bottle holder – it sits proudly on top of my refrigerator.
Grilled Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas were made from a recipe I found in a Better Homes and Garden Ultimate Mexican 20011 magazine. (recipe in photos)
They are delicious!
Mammah’s Tomato Soup
2 jars of tomatoes (probably about 28 to 32 oz each)
½ cup broth (I have used vegetable – this time I used chicken)
3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp Brandy
½ – 2/3 cup heavy cream (taste it after ½ cup and decide)
(If you do not have cream, tear up 3 slices of bread, crusts removed. Add this with the sugar)
Drain tomatoes in colander set over bowl, press lightly to release juice. Pour tomato juice and chicken broth in large measuring cup (this should measure 4 1/2 cups) Set this to the side for later. Set tomatoes to the side.
Melt butter (I used a Dutch Oven) over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, cook until soft. Add ¾ of the drained tomatoes, bay leaf, and brown sugar. Cook stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. If tomatoes brown before 15 minutes, move on to next step.
Add tomato paste and flour to pot and cook, stirring until paste begins to darken, about 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in reserved tomato juice broth mixture, the remaining tomatoes, baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, and Brandy; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. When soup has cooled a bit, puree soup in blender (I scooped out enough to fill blender ½ way, pureed, poured in the large measuring cup I had used previously; did this until I had it all pureed. Return the soup to the pot. Stir in cream.
Season
This is good topped with croutons also
Yummy.
The recipe called for mini muffin pan – I followed recipe and used mini muffin pan, but I also made some in a regular muffin tin- Jim preferred the regular muffin tin size over the mini, due to more meat than wrapper; he said the mini had too much wrapper taste over filling
I added parmesan cheese to the top instead of salsa; I put the salsa in a small dish on same plate for scooping on to the tortillas. The salsa I used had heat so I didn’t want to add more; let that be up to each personal taste. I also added cooked mushrooms and onions to the salsa mixture.
I had leftover chicken from another meal a few days before and I found this recipe; I will make again.
The boys were all talking last night about how they tried a variety of jello shots at a college party years ago – so I’m in kitchen listening to this conversation taking place in the other room, and being the curious person I am – I grabbed a bag of their gummy worms – put out 3 bowls and added something different to each one.
One was a peach vodka – too strong – we all thought – too much
Second was apple schnapps – it was ok – nothing jumped out like
the third dish which was peach schnapps – Yummy!
The other experiment – anything sitting over night – too strong – 1 hour – not enough time – 2 hours – just right.
Not something I’ll do again anytime soon, but I was curious
I made these last night. They were delicious. I let marinate overnight, and then added them to rice. There were no leftovers once the guys finished with them. Keeper Recipe.
Southern Living 1996 Quick & Easy
Papas Cutting Board 