Smokey Zucchini Salsa

This recipe is a must for any one who has a plethora of zucchini and also does some canning.  The yield for this recipe is huge; I got 30 pint jars from one batch!

You'll need to prep and brine the vegetables overnight, so be sure to start this recipe when you know you'll have time to can it the following day.

This recipe is great for those larger zucchinis you may have missed in the garden.  Just half zucchinis lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon.  You can also peel the zucchini if you like; I didn't bother, I like the extra color.

Liquid smoke can be found near the the barbecue and hot sauces in most grocery stores.  Or you can make your own homemade liquid smoke!

Tip:  I recommend placing a kitchen towel under your cutting board when cutting up lots of tomatoes...

This salsa is fantastic year round.  Its great with chips, tacos, enchiladas and really anything else!  It also makes an excellent addition to soups that call for salsa, like my Crockpot Taco Soup!

Ingredients:
-30 cups shredded zucchini
-12 small onions {or 6 to 8 large onions}
-6 green peppers, shredded
-6 red peppers, shredded
-3/4 cup canning salt
-3 tbsp dry mustard
-3 tbsp garlic powder
-3 tbsp cumin
-1 to 2 tbsp chili powder {I used 1 tbsp}
-3 tbsp liquid smoke
-5 cups white vinegar
-1 cup apple cider vinegar
-2 1/4 cups brown sugar
-2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
-10 to 15 jalapenos, chopped
-3 tsp ground pepper
-15 to 20 cups chopped ripe tomatoes {skins on}
-3 to 4 tbsp cornstarch
-3 (12 oz.) cans tomato paste

Process:
Day 1- 
Mix and Brine Vegetables:
1. Thoroughly mix shredded zucchini, onions, green and red peppers with canning salt in a very large bowl {or multiple bowls}.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2-
Cooking and Canning:
1. Prepare canning jars and lids.
2. Rinse and drain the zucchini mixture in batches.  Squeeze out the access moisture.
3. In a very large pot {I started with my two largest cooking pots and ended up switching to my canner} combine zucchini mixture with all remaining ingredients.

4. Bring salsa to a boil and simmer for about 15 minutes.

5. Pour salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch head-space, wipe rims, top with lids and place in water bath.
6. Process jars for 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.
7. Remove canner lid and let sit for 5 minutes.
8. Remove jars from canner to a wire rack or clean kitchen towel.

9. Allow jars to cool and seal.

Enjoy!

Crockpot Bacon Cheeseburger Chowder

This is a super tasty and very easy crockpot chowder.  Fantastic for one of these beautiful spring days, get it mixed up the day before or the morning of and let it cook throughout the day.  

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground beef

-1 cup diced onions {I used my garden onions, that I sliced in the food processor and froze for using throughout the winter}

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese {I like sharp cheddar}

-5 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled {I used about 1/2 cup real bacon bits/pieces}

-1/2 cup celery, chopped {2-3 stalks}

-1 cup chopped or shredded carrot {about 1 large carrot}

-2 cups potatoes, cubed {I used 3 small}

-8 oz. cream cheese, cubed

-4 cups chicken, vegetable or beef broth {32 oz.}

-1/4 cup flour {I used corn flour}

-1 cup milk

-3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced {I used 2 tsp minced dried garlic}

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp pepper

Process:
1. Brown ground beef, rinse and drain of all grease.

 2. In crockpot, combine celery, carrot, potatoes, broth, flour, garlic, salt and pepper.

I browned the frozen onions and then roughly chopped them before adding to the crockpot.

 3. Add drained beef, bacon, onions and cream cheese.

 4. Stir well.

 5. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

6. About 10-15 minutes before serving mix in milk and cheese.  Recover and cook for the remaining 10-15 minutes and enjoy!
{I forgot to take pictures just before serving; but it looked great and tasted fantastic!}

How to Roast Garlic

Surprisingly, this was the first time I roasted my own garlic! 

And its so simple, will last quite a while in the fridge and adds oh so much to so many recipes.

Ingredients:
-whole heads of garlic, as many as you want
-olive oil or another oil if you prefer {I've done this with canola oil}

Process:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Peel away an loose papery skins from the outside of each head.
3. Cut off about 1/4-1/2 inch from the top of each garlic head.  You should be able to see the inside of each clove.

4. Place garlic heads in a baking pan with cut sides up; I like to use muffin pan.

5. Drizzle oil over garlic, about 2 tsp per head.  Rub each garlic head to make sure it is coated with oil.

6. Cover the pan with foil.

7. Bake garlic for 30-35 minutes.

8. Allow garlic to cool enough so you can handle it.

9. At this point, you can either refrigerate these in an airtight container as is or squeeze the garlic from it's skin and use or store out of its skin.

I stored my in the skins in this dish all together...

You can mash it and spread it on toast of fresh warm bread, mix it with sour cream for on baked potatoes or mix it with Parmesan and toss with warm pasta.  Or really in any recipe!  Its mild and excellent in so many things!

Enjoy!

Cream Soup Mix {Condensed Cream of ... Soup Substitute}

This is a very easy and very cheap substitute for any condensed cream soups.

I keep a container of this in my pantry and have the recipe and instructions written right on the container so I can refill and use as needed.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-2 cups powdered milk
-3/4 cup cornstarch
-1/4 cup powdered chicken bouillon
-2 tbsp dried minced onion
-2 tsp italian seasoning

Process:
1. Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

Process for 1 (10.75 oz.) can substitute:
1. In a small saucepan, combine 1/3 cup dry cream soup mix with 1 1/4 cups cold water.
2. Whisk and heat until thickened.

Optional:
When cooking the mixture you can add things like diced mushrooms, chicken, celery, etc. to customize the creamed soup for your recipe.

Crockpot Cheeseburger Chili

This chili is great!  Its easy and has tons of flavor.  There are also many ways you can alter this recipe to make it your own.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

-1 lb. ground meat {I have used turkey and beef, although last time I used a bacon pork sausage; all are great!}

-16 oz. bag frozen corn {you could also use a can of hominy or 15 oz. can black or kidney beans}

-1 onion, finely diced

-14 oz. tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce

-7 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes {or 1 cup diced fresh tomatoes with a sprinkle of liquid smoke; found near bbq sauce in the grocery store, I find its usually on the top shelf}

-1 packet of chili seasoning {I use 1/4 cup Homemade Chili Seasoning}

-1/4 cup ketchup

-2 tbsp prepared yellow mustard {or Dijon}

-2 tbsp brown sugar

I used 1 pint crushed tomatoes, plus a sprinkle liquid smoke
and 1 pint green tomato pasta sauce from
our garden in place for the tomato sauce and fire roasted tomatoes.

Optional Toppings:

-shredded cheese

-sour cream or plain greek yogurt

-diced fresh tomatoes

-thinly sliced green onion or other diced onion

-thin sliced fresh jalapeno

-real bacon pieces

-diced pickle

Process:

1. Brown meat.

2. Place onion and meat into the bottom of crockpot.

3. Add tomato/spaghetti sauce and tomatoes.  Mix well.

4. Add ketchup, mustard and brown sugar.

5. Add chili powder and mix well.  

6. Stir in the frozen corn, hominy or bean.  Cook chili on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

 7. Enjoy with your toppings of choice!

Homemade Chili Seasoning

This is the best Chili Seasoning I have ever tasted!  Love it!  And its VERY easy and inexpensive to make!

I also like that this recipe doesn't have any salt in it and yet is so tasty and almost smoky in flavor!  Enjoy!

Tomorrow, I'll post my family's favorite Cheeseburger Chili Recipe where I use this awesome mix!

Ingredients:
-1/4 cup chili powder
-2 tbsp garlic powder
-4 1/2 tsp onion powder
-2 tbsp oregano
-1 tbsp paprika
-2 tbsp cumin
-1 1/2 tsp thyme

Process:
1. Combine all ingredients, mix well.  

1/4 cup = 1 packet of seasoning mix

2. Store in an airtight container {I used an empty clean bouillion jar}.

* I also wrote the recipe on a wide piece of painter's tape and placed that on the jar so that I never have to search for the recipe.

It's FALL! ... Crockpot Lentil & Ham Soup

So they {the weather people} were talking frost; so we spent an afternoon harvesting all of the produce left in the garden!  Above is the trailer full of our harvest.

Little Miss J helped me separate the red tomatoes from the green, turning tomatoes the following morning; she's a fantastic helper!

These are the red tomatoes, which became ketchup! 

An update on the chicks...

The chicks we got last month sure are growing...

We have also had a very broody hen, Ombre!  She has been sitting on one of her eggs and about 10 eggs she has stolen from Toothless!  Luckily she isn't too mean of a broody, I can look under her to see whats happening without getting bitten.

Here you can just see one of the hatched chicks under her.

There's the pile shes been sitting on!  And the tiny fluffy butt just under her.

Look at those two little cuties {she hatched 3, but one didn't survive}.

They are SO CUTE!

Big Mr. J and I found a salamander in the grass one rainy morning, we kept it in a tank for a couple of weeks and now its time to let it go so it can find its safe place for winter.

Well, I think its about time I get to the recipe that I intended to share with you today!  Its a keeper...

Lentil & Ham Soup is super easy to do in your crockpot!  Plus its very tasty, similar to split pea soup, but yet different.  I found this recipe from BHG.  Enjoy, its the perfect time of year for it!

Ingredients:

-3 cups chicken broth {or 3 cups water plus 3 chicken bouillon cubes}

-3 cups water

-1 onion, quartered and thinly sliced

-1 1/2 cups celery, chopped {about 3 stalks; I only had the "heart" of the celery left so I used the whole thing}

-1 1/2 cups carrots, thinly sliced {about 3 carrots}

-1 1/2 cups lentils {I used 3/4 cup red split lentils and 3/4 cup small green lentils from Trader Joe's}

-about 6 oz. cooked ham {I used about 2 cups chopped}

-1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

-1 tsp garlic salt, my addition, optional

-about 3 cups fresh spinach, about 1/2 a 9 oz. bag {you could use the whole bag if you wanted, it does add a tasty freshness}

-Parmesan cheese, for serving, optional

Process:
1. Combine broth, water, onion, celery and carrot in crockpot.

2. Rinse and drain lentils, add to the crockpot.

3. Add in the ham and thyme.

I also added 1 tsp garlic salt.

4. Stir and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.  Stir occasionally if you are home.

5. Just before serving chop spinach and stir into soup.

6. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy!

 7. Top with parmesan, if desired.