Mojito Jelly

I began with this recipe as my inspiration...

http://robbingpeter.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/mojito-mojo/

My version:

1 Cup water

1/2 Cup Pineapple Rum (it is what I had around)

bunch of mint (remove stems, tear leaves up a bit)

First three ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, remove from heat and let cool 15+ minutes

1 Cup fresh squeezed lime juice (10-12 limes)

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Tablepoon additional rum (or more)

a few drops green food coloring

add next three ingredients bring to a boil that you can not stir down

1 box pectin

3 Cups sugar

add the pectin and bring back to a boil you can not stir down

add the sugar and bring back to a boil you can not stir down

continue stirring at this boil for 1 minute

remove from heat and follow your regular canning procedures

Bacon Jam

I've been in love with making jam and jelly since about October of 2011. (GWW to be exact)

I've loved onion jam, and savory blueberry jam as much as, if not more than strawberry margarita and dutch apple.

So my next jam adventure: BACON JAM

I began searching through recipe after recipe until I found one that I thought would agree with me.

http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-jam-463068#ixzz1q4042wNN

I followed it almost entirely....

1 lb bacon, (cooked in the oven for about 20 minutes at 375) then chopped into pieces

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 large yellow onion sliced

4 tablespoons brown sugar

a few dashes of chipotle Tabasco sauce (although many other recipes called for Siracha)

1 cup brewed coffee

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

and the extra water

I followed directions from the original recipe:

cooked the bacon

sauteed the onions and garlic

added back the cut up bacon - with the rest of the ingredients (minus the water)

simmered for the 2 hours, adding water along the way

I cooled the mixture and then added it to my food processor in two batches

...

but here is where I was perplexed....

1) this was a lot of effort and only a few tiny jars of "jam" would result

and

2) this was nothing like jam... no pectin... no sugar... no jamming process at all.

So I took this spread and added into to my favorite jam pot.

added in a splash more apple cider vinegar

a splash more balsamic vinegar

and 3 cups apple cider or apple juice

bring to boil

add pectin, stir, bring to boil

add sugar, stirring constantly until boils, continue 1 minute more

then do your jamming process as usual.

the taste testers in the house at the time of completion liked it, but mentioned it could stand to have a stronger bacon flavor...

things to consider....

a) I got rid of as much bacon grease as I could in the interest of healthy arteries... you could leave some in, or cook the onions in it as suggested in the recipe I started from.

b) use less apple cider (apple juice) and sugar in the final jamming cooking.

overall a nice first attempt and all 11 mini jars will be donated to the St Jude's tournament at Allied Gardens on 3/25/2012... but if it rains and the event is cancelled, they may find their way to another good cause near you!

I love the Fall

As I've grown older and more mature, I have discovered that my favorite season of the year has changed and matured as well. Growing up I loved summers, I loved going to the pool, swimming, grilling burgers and enjoying ice cream and popsicles. Now that I'm a bit older and wiser, I know that summer is full of dangers, the heat, the sun (skin cancer) and over charred foods. I love the Fall now. I love when the cool air is just cold enough to require a blanket but not so cold it takes me an hour to warm up in bed. I love the "snuggling" weather of the Fall, just before it gets so cold I don't want to get out of bed in the morning. I love pumpkin spice lattes, hot cocoa and hot apple cider time. I enjoy picking out my own pumpking at Bates Nut Farm and carving them with my family. I love making home made chex mix and eating it right out of the oven on a cold or rainy day. I love that it is the soup time of the year. This is the time of the year when I want to bake, even though I am really bad at it. Its a time for arts and crafts, sewing, scrapbooking and making holiday gifts for our loved ones.

So tell me my few and far between followers... what is your favorite thing to cook up on a rainy day? or what would you like me to try my hand at and post for you?