Preserving Apple Juice

Don't waste those apple peels after your done making the apple sauce. Make apple juice. It's apple season once again and time to stock the pantry with apple sauce and apple juice.

Jonagold apples from Fruit Hill Orchard!

Recently when I was cutting up peaches I decided to use the skins to make a peach juice and add to my tea. So I thought, why not do the same with the apple peelings.

 The jar on top is the juice!

After your done with peeling and coring your apples, throw all the scraps into a large sauce pot on low heat. Add about 3 cups of water. Put lid on top and cook unto peelings are mussy, about 30-40 mins. You can add sugar if you want a sweeter apple juice, but I think it's just right. Seal in your canning pot the same you would your applesauce. This apple juice is a little weaker than the store bought juice.

 I'm excited to use it in cakes. Substitute most of the water for your apple juice. I'd love to try your favorite apple recipe. Please do share!

I WON!! I WON!! Whole Foods Smoothie Contest

My smoothie, Strawberry Chocolate Mint Lemonade cooler won the Whole Foods Contest. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would win a Whole Foods Contest. Woot! Woot!

Thanks to all who voted. Check out the Q&A blog from Whole Foods. Hope you'll enjoy the smoothie recipe. It's very refreshing and light. Thanks again to all my loyal readers!

"Live Alyssa Live" Local Fundraiser

 
Come out and help little Alyssa fight her way through this horrible disease, cancer. If you live near Fluvanna county join us today from 5:30 - 8:30 at Pleasant Grove for the "Live Alyssa Live" Fundraiser.  There is going to be a cake walk, face painting, food, silent auctions, bake sale and lots of fun. If you don't live near us, PRAY. Alyssa needs all her prayer buddies blessing her. I'll be donating a basket of fresh produce from my garden for the silent auction, come and bid. Hope to see you there.

Live Alyssa Live

Go God Go

Dill Shrimp Stir Fry

Do you ever find that you have one potato or two carrots or half of a pepper and don't know what to do with them? Try making this yummy dill shrimp stir fry. You can add your favorite veggies or what ever is lingering around the counters or refrigerator.

Dill Shrimp Stir Fry:

3 cups of your favorite veggies (diced to bite size)
1/2 pound raw shrimp
2 Tbsp. dill-licious-ness
olive oil or butter, enough to cover bottom of frying pan
grated cheese (smoked cheddar is my favorite)

Heat skillet with oil or butter over low heat. If using potatoes, cook them for approx. 3-5 mins before adding remaining ingredients. Add veggies, cover with lid and stir occasionally. Cook for 5-8 mins until veggies are tender. Meanwhile steam raw shrimp until they turn pink. This only takes a few minutes. Peel off their shells and toss in with veggies. Add the dill-licious-ness and cover for 2-4 more minutes. Add your favorite grated cheese to the top and enjoy.

Just remember that the harder the veggie, potato or carrots, take a little longer to cook so start them first. Mushrooms will cook fast, use them last. I used potatoes, mushrooms, green pepper and onions. Delicious!

What do you add to your stir fry's?

Free Starbucks Refreshers Beverage July 13

Starbucks is offering a FREE refreshers beverages this Friday, July 13 from noon to 3pm at participating stores.

Whole Foods Finalist in Smoothie Contest: Please Vote

Do you like smoothies? You gotta try my Strawberry Chocolate Mint Lemonade Cooler. My recipe has been chosen as one of the two finalist in Whole Foods Best Smoothie contest. If I win they want to do a Q&A of me on their blog and I'll also win a great prize. Please try the smoothie for yourself and vote for me. (Amy4)

Thank you to all my loyal readers.  This wouldn't be possible without your support. God bless!

Construction Zone

If you can see this post, please bear with me. I'm trying to move everything to Wordpress. I will update as soon as possible. Thank you!!

Par-bake Blackberry Cobbler

With all the blackberries mom and I picked this week, I had to get in the kitchen and start baking. I made 9 half pints of blackberry jam. Super easy, only took about an hour. Thanks to my Grandma for showing me and easier way. Once you fill the jars with your jam, put on lids and tighten the rings, just flip them over on their tops and let sit for 10 -15 minutes upside down. This heats the lids and makes them seal. I still have a problem though, what to do with all these jams and preserves?

Of course I had to make some blackberry cobbler. This time I par-baked them. Cooking them for only 20 minutes, letting them cool and then freezing for later consumption. Make sure to label with directions, you think your going to remember but if your brain is anything like mine, you'll forget.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Thank you to all the service men and women whom have fought for our freedom. May God bless you and your families.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful 4th of July. The cookouts are going, getting ready for fireworks and those yummy desserts.

Since I have to work the night shift tonight and am going to miss the fireworks my mom and I decided to go pick blackberries today. A local farm, Grelen Nursery, had a great special running for pick your own. I couldn't pass up a special on fresh picked berries. 20 pints later and what to do with all these berries?

Tomorrow I think I'll make some blackberry preserves and maybe a blackberry cobbler. I'm sure we'll be making plenty of blackberry smoothies. What are your favorite ways to use blackberries?