TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

They are another tradition around the Green Household.

~Simple~

&

Delicious!!

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
2 teaspoons butter, melted
1 pinch salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Toss seeds in a bowl with the melted butter and salt.

Spread the seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet

bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown

stir occasionally

VENNISON STEW

Wes has been quite "the chef" lately.

He searched around for some recipes for Deer Stew:

2 pounds venison stew meat
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 can chopped tomatoes

1 can mixed vegetables

2 diced potatoes

1 can white beans

1 large can tomato juice

2 tsp. Worst. Sauce

spices: cayenne pepper, Mrs. Dash, Salt, Pepper

Wes has made two versions of stew.

The first was made from Deer Steaks that he grilled out on the grill, then

cut up for larger chunks of meat.

The second was made from ground vennison, so it was more

like a vegetable soup.

*with the addition of the spices, it does not taste gamey*

You can also use lemon juice or Italian dressing for a marinade before grilling

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JELLY

Making homemade Jelly is not hard at all!!!

It is just TIME consuming!!

The hardest part is preparing the jelly jars.

Make sure you follow the directions on the box

(washing, boiling, inspecting...)

There is NOTHING like the taste of homemade jelly!

I grew up with homemade jelly, and I just do not like the flavor

of store bought jams and jellies.

We have been" living off" of Granny's and Grandma's

Strawberry jelly donations for the past couple of years, and I thought it

was time to make our own.

I have always called it jelly, but it is really a jam

(with all of those wonderful pieces of fruit)

STRAWBERRY JAM

4 c. sugar

2 c. crushed strawberries

1 envelope fruit pectin

Add sugar to crushed strawberries in a large pan; mix well.

Add pectin, bring to boiling and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Continue stirring about 3 minutes. (There will be some sugar crystals remaining.)
Quickly ladle jam into jars and cover with tight-fitting lids.

Let stand until "set".

Use the next morning, store in freezer, or give to friends!

HAM & POTATO SOUP

It is that time of year again! Soup Time!!

Here is a variation of our favorite Pot Soup. Wes & the kids LOVE ham!!

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.

In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through.

Top with Bacon Bits & Shredded Cheddar Cheese

HOT APPLE CIDER

I had the best Hot Apple Cider while on Spoon River Drive. It has been

so cold and rainy, I decided to find my own recipe:

6 cups apple cider
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
1 orange peel, cut into strips
1 lemon peel, cut into strips

Pour the apple cider and maple syrup into a large stainless steel saucepan.
Place the cinnamon sticks, cloves, allspice berries, orange peel and lemon peel in the center of a washed square of cheesecloth; fold up the sides of the cheesecloth to enclose the bundle, then tie it up with a length of kitchen string. Drop the spice bundle into the cider mixture.
Place the saucepan over moderate heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cider is very hot but not boiling.
Remove the cider from the heat. Discard the spice bundle. Ladle the cider into big cups or mugs, adding a fresh cinnamon stick to each serving if desired.

JALEPENO JELLY

12-16 red jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 pinch salt
6 cups granulated sugar
2 packages liquid pectin

few drops red food coloring

DIRECTIONS
Chop/Dice jalapeno peppers. You can leave in as many seeds as you like. The more seeds, the hotter the jelly will be.

Transfer the peppers to a large saucepan, and stir in the cider vinegar & sugar. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When the mixture comes to a rolling boil for one minute, then stir in the liquid pectin.

Ladle into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Seal jars in a hot water bath. Refrigerate jelly after seal is broken.

It is fun to serve on a square of cream cheese,

just scoop it up with an assortment of crackers!

**I also used the same recipe for green jalapenos. Just use a few drops of green food coloring

just before putting it into the jars**

TOMATO PIE

My container garden is growing WONDERFULLY!!! We have had lots of tomatoes and peppers already this summer!

I remember seeing a recipe for a Tomato Pie somewhere before, and I wanted to try and make one to use up those extra tomatoes we have.

I found a couple of different recipes, and I combined them to make my own! It's taste is similar to a vegetarian pizza.


Ingredients:
1 unbaked pie crust
2 Large Tomatoes
1/2 small onion diced
1/2 sliced Green Bell Pepper
3 diced mini carrots

1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 package shredded swiss cheese
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash


Preheat oven to 350.

Blanch the tomatoes for 1 minute (to remove skins).

Peel and slice tomatoes and drain on a paper towel.

Place slice tomatoes in pie shell, top with onions, pepper, and carrots.

Mix mayo, s. cream, cheese and seasoning in a small bowl.

Spread mixture evenly over the veggies.
Fold over the top of the pie crust and bake for 20 minutes, or until browned.

Slice like a pizza and serve!! YUM YUM