Tuesday, July 10, 2012

My First Time EVER

I put up my first EVER spaghetti sauce yesterday with tomatoes from the garden! WooHoo!

I was so scared of doing this. I just knew I was going to mess it up. But, all went well and, at the end, I got the pinging of the lids! Let me tell you though, I did not rest easy until I did hear that pinging.

Want to see all the pictures? Me too. But I was paying such close attention to what I was doing, I forgot to take any! I had to be careful. I have this horrible habit of not reading the directions through before starting a recipe. You can imagine what interesting results that has resulted in over the years.

And you'd think I would have learned my lesson by now. But, no.

Anyway, the jars look like this:


And as soon as I do this again, I will (hopefully) be comfortable enough to take some photos!

This time I used directions that my friend Julie at Healthy, Wealthy and Wise: Not...but learning sent me. Next time, I'm using the suggestions sent by my friend Kim at My Field of Dreams. I'm just waiting on more tomatoes now.

I've also tried a couple of new recipes this week---homemade Nutella Rice Krispies and Cherry Cookies.

For the Nutella Rice Krispies (which I found at the Cupcake Project) I used a recipe I got from NuNaturals for homemade nutella! What?! Yep, that's right.

RAW Healthy Homemade Nutella

8.9 oz jarred white beans, rinsed and mashed with a fork or in food processor (I used a box of 365 organic Cannellini beans, no salt added)
3 or 4 TBS cocoa powder
6 packets NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend (I used this but I have to wonder how it would be if I used the liquid Stevia from NuNaturals---like the vanilla and the cocoa?)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp oil (Shocker! I used coconut oil)
2 TBS ground flax
pinch of salt
sprinkle of cinnamon
up to 1/4 cup liquid to thin (I just used water...but have to wonder how coconut milk would taste)

Mix everything together! I just used my mixer but I'm going to use the food processor next time. The recipe says to use it as a spread OR spread it out on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer to be cut into chocolate strips. I'm definitely going to try this next time.

I really liked this recipe because it doesn't use hazelnuts. I don't like Nutella and I think it's because I am not a fan of hazelnuts.



Nutella Rice Krispies

1/2  cup honey
1/2 cup Nutella (the last time I made these, I used Trader Joe's Almond Cocoa spread and wanted to eat every dang one of those things)
4 cups Rice Krispies (I used Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal because it's organic and gluten free)

Combine the honey and Nutella in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
Stir. If the honey and Nutella are not hot and thoroughly combined, you can continue to microwave for ten seconds at a time and stir until they are. (I don't use the microwave much so I did this in a saucepan on the stove top). Mix the cereal into the bowl and stir, making sure to coat all of the cereal.

Spread mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish and refrigerate for at least three hours.
Cut into squares and eat!

The cookie recipe was found right HERE and I actually followed the recipe word for word. Except when I didn't read the directions first and didn't add the dry ingredients to the cereal in the food processor---Oopsy! They turned out good anyway! 



 
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Erewhon Rice Twice cereal
1 cup Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Gluten Free cereal
1/4 cup arrowroot flour (I used Bob's Red Mill all purpose, gluten free)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups rolled gluten-free oats
1/2 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup unsweetened dried cherries, chopped
1 cup unsweetened carob chips

"Fit a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Meanwhile, put the coconut palm sugar in a blender and process until powdered. Add the powdered palm sugar to the butter and beat for 2 – 3 minuets on medium high. Add applesauce and egg. Beat until combined. Mix in vanilla.

Add the Erewhon Rice Twice cereal to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until very fine. Add the brown rice cereal, arrowroot flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt. Pulse to combine." (This is the step I messed up on- I put the cereal in the processor and then into the mixer. On top of the cereal I put in the rest of the ingredients mentioned in this paragraph AND THEN read that I was supposed to put it all in the food processor).

"Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in one addition. Beat until combined. Add oats and flax meal. Stir to combine. Add dried cherries and carob chips and mix just until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop to evenly portion the dough. Space two inches apart. Roll the balls of dough and then flatten them out. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the edges just start to get light golden brown. Let cool until set on the baking sheet, about 8 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature."


 
If you try any of these, let me know how you like them! 
 
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12 comments:

  1. Oh your Spaghetti sauce is so pretty!!! Have you found you seen the book at the grocery store I think it is just called Canning. It is a wonderful book. Once you start it is so much fun. Not to mention when you hear the lids go PoP!! I love that sound. My tomatoes aren't quite ready yet but I can't wait to make some too. I should publish this recipe I have for sauce but it is so much work. Great taste though. Do you have a food mill? That makes life easier too.
    Your recipes look so yummy, but I am in crazy hungry mode right now so no goodies in the house for me. :) I would eat the whole batch.
    Have a wonderful day Pam

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  2. Oh my! I am SO impressed! I have never have the courage to try canning anything. It looks delicious, though!

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  3. Hi Pam. That homemade tomato pasta sauce looks great. We haven't got any tomatoes yet, even though they are all inside in our new greenhouse! All this is very impressive what you are cooking up over there. You'll be putting us all to shame! Keep up the good work.

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  4. The sauce looks amazing! You did a great job!! My grand-daughter is the canner on this side of the family. She is a regular Betty Crocker!

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  5. Man oh Man I wish I could cook and bake like you,I just don't have those genes!

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  6. Beans can taste like chocolate> Seriously? I will have to give that a try.

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  7. You go girl! You have been busy, haven't you? I love Nutella and this looks mighty tasty...I may have to give it a shot when I need it for filling! Thanks!!!...:)JP

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  8. Woo-hoo! Yay, canner! As soon as our big tomato crop comes on, I'll be canning tomatoes like crazy. I ran out from last year's canning very early, so I need to watch my amounts this time. I seem to do more freezing this year. The Nutella recipe looks cool. It wasn't in my last packet from them, but yours was about two months later. I need to try that one.

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  9. Very cool! I love that you made your own sauce and how wonderful it will be to taste all that summer goodness in the fall.

    Brilliant on the healthier Nutella!

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  10. I don't know why this post didn't show up yesterday on my reader, cause those pictures sure look yummy. How many tomatoes did you use to fill those two jars? I would love to can a few, my mother in law used to do it and she would always tell me about the pinging noise.
    Pam, I think you're a super nice lady and very fun to know, but you're killing me with the homemade Nutella recipe. I grew up on Nutella, and still eat it right out of the jar, there's nothing better when you really have a sweet tooth. Still, your rice krispies cookies look delicious. :)

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  11. Oh my, you have been busy. I am truly impressed. If I could ever get off my computer maybe I could be like you!!! I have never made my own sauce or put up anything in a jar. Way to go, you rock.

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  12. I am so glad it all came together for you. That is awesome and they look so good. Today I just canned up 4 quarts of veggie/chicken soup and 2 containers to freeze. Canning is such a great way to have all this yummy later on.
    You did great Pam. I am very proud of you and all you're doing and trying and sharing. Thank you!!
    Have a great and blessed day.

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