Tart treat

Higher temps are coming...

2/3 Cranberry juice
1/3 Pineapple juice
Splash of lime (big splash...as in 1/4 wedge)

Just eyeball the portion according to the size of your glass.

Simple comfort

It has been a stressful week. I needed some comfort, in a bowl.

This simple dish reminds me of the wonderful comfort from Mama's kitchen.

Hamburger Pasta Goulash

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef (85/15)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 TBS minced garlic
3 cans of diced tomatoes (no salt)
2 to 2 1/2 cans of water (adjust to desired thickness)
1 1/2 cups of uncooked elbow macaroni
3 TBS tomato paste
Salt & pepper to taste*

In a dutch oven cook ground beef, garlic and onion. Drain fat.
Add diced tomatoes, water and tomato paste and simmer on low (covered) for one hour.
Bring to boil and add macaroni. Lower heat and cook 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and cover. Let sit 10 minutes before serving

* I add pepper only.
Sometimes I add 1/2 of a diced bell pepper while cooking the beef.

Summer canning

Waiting on peppers... we're out of pepper mustard! (similar recipes call it pepper butter)

42 Jalapeno peppers (wash, remove stems & seeds)
2 C Prepared yellow mustard
1 Q Cider vinegar
6 C Sugar
1 T Salt
1 1/2 C Flour (approximately)
1 1/2 C Water

You can combine varieties of peppers for a milder flavor (Anaheim, Banana, etc)

OPEN YOUR WINDOWS!

Remove stems & seeds (from most or all) peppers. Wear gloves for this task. Grind them up in a processor.

Place in a large pot and add the mustard, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil over a medium heat.

Lower heat while you combine flour and water to make a paste and add to mixture, taking care that the paste isn't lumpy. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Process in a water bath for 10 minutes.
(Most recipes don't call for the water bath process, but I do it anyway)

Makes about 7 pints or 16+ half pints

Yum~