Easy Blueberry-Pineapple Cobbler

Easy Blueberry-Pineapple Cobbler

1 Box of white or yellow cake mix
2 sticks of butter or margarine
1/2 Cup sugar
1 pint of fresh or frozen blueberries or 1 can blueberry pie filling
1 20 oz can of crushed pineapple
1/2 to 1 Cup of chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Melt Butter.
Grease a 8 X 12 Glass pan using your cooking spray substitute
in the pan place your blueberries and crushed pineapple (I drain pineapple a little but not all) add sugar, if you use pie filling omit sugar, and mix.  In a separate bowl mix dry cake mix and pecans use amount of nuts according to your taste.  Sprinkle  dry cake mixture over blueberries and pineapple.  Drizzle ALL of the butter over top of cake mixture.  Place into oven for 45-50 minutes until golden brown.  This cobbler is wonderful.

A Little Reminder

A little reminder:  Right now while everything is fresh and plentiful, sit down and think about what you are going to cook for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Then go to the farmers market or the garden and freeze the ingredients.  This will help so much and be so much better when you do not have to run around and try to find the things you need to prepare a large holiday meal.  I will guarantee that it will taste better too.  Even if you do not normally "put up" food for the winter just having the satisfaction of knowing you are prepared for that holiday meal will be great.

Happy Birthday Julia Child

Happy 100th Birthday Julia Child! (August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004)

Southern Cornbread

 Cornbread is served almost as much as biscuits here in the south so here is my recipe... (hint: it's the same one on the back of the Martha White Cornmeal package shhhhh!)  Some tips before you start.  An iron skillet is essential when making southern cornbread, always use one unless you are making muffins or cornsticks and use cast iron for those if possible.  My mother taught me and her mother taught her to place the oil from the recipe below into the skillet and place in the oven while it preheats, once the oven is hot and so is the skillet, take it out of the oven and pour batter into hot oil.  This "seals" the bottom and the sides by cooking it and makes your cornbread crusty on the outside and moist on the inside.  Also I have never had cornbread to stick using this method.

Southern Cornbread

Ingredients:
   
1    large egg
1 1/3    cups milk OR 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/4    cup  vegetable oil or shortening or lard
2    cups Martha White Self-Rising Buttermilk Corn Meal Mix




Directions:

1.    HEAT oven to 450ºF. Place oil in skillet. Place skillet in oven 7 to 8 minutes or until hot.
2.    BEAT egg in medium bowl. Stir in milk and corn meal until smooth. Batter should be creamy and    pourable. If too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons more milk. Pour into prepared skillet or pan.
3.    BAKE 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4.    Let rest in skillet a few minutes before serving.

Just sitting down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and reflecting on what a busy summer this has been.  Peaches, Blueberries, Grapes, Green Beans, and Tomatoes.  Pickles, sweet and dill, and some relish also.  I will make kraut from fall cabbage and still have some half runners that will be ready soon.  While I work in the kitchen I always keep in mind how good these things will be when its cold outside.

Easy Coconut Cake

Good morning ya'll...  I had a wonderful day yesterday, taking advantage of this cool weather.  I whipped up this easy coconut cake and everyone that came by enjoyed it so much.

Easy Coconut Cake

Makes: 1 9×13″ cake
Ingredients:

•  1 white cake mix (or yellow, but we think it’s prettier with white)
• Eggs, water, and oil, according to your cake mix directions
• 1 can coconut milk (found in the Asian food aisle of your grocery store)
• 1 can  sweetened condensed milk
• 1 small carton Cool Whip
• 1 small package coconut

Directions:
Bake cake according to package directions in 9×13 pan.  Immediately after removing from oven, punch it all full of holes with a fork. Pour Eagle Brand milk over hot cake, then coconut milk.  Let cool.  Spread 8 oz. Cool Whip over cooled cake, and then sprinkle coconut over top.  Let set in refrigerator for about 8 hours (or more).

I have spent the day canning tomatoes , and got 15 more quarts.  I did get to be outside for a while to enjoy this nice cool weather that we are having.  My Tattler reusable canning lids came today and I used them on some of my jars of tomatoes, cant' wait to see how they do.  They did pass the Foodsaver Vacuum seal test using my mason jar attachment.  Worked just as well as regular canning lids.

Since the temp is in the upper 60's I think I will go to the County Fair and check out the home economics, and agriculture exhibits tonight.  Have a good evening ya'll...

Ask Aunt Martha

I have added a email address that everyone can use to ask questions, send ideas, or share recipes. It is located in my profile or just pop me an email to askauntmartha@gmail.com

Good Morning Peaches...  When I went out on the porch this morning there was definitely Fall in the air, 62 degrees.  My friend Shari and I picked 2 bushels of tomatoes yesterday so guess what I'll be doing in the kitchen today.

Test Kitchen: Reusable Canning Lids

The other day I came across the Tattler Reusable canning lids and decided to give them a try.  (I do not advertise on my site and definitely do not receive money from any company that I mention here).  These appealed to me because I hate throwing the used lid away and have for years.  I have tried to find other uses but they just seem to multiply until I get rid of them.  You should NEVER use a metal canning lid more than once.  I have used them under the plastic storage lids to keep liquids from escaping, and even considered making a wind chime from them but thought it would be tacky.  So I have ordered the Tattlers and they will be here soon.  I will be testing them and will report the progress so stay tuned-Aunt Martha

Larder and Pantry

Larder

A larder is a cool area for storing food prior to use. Larders were commonplace in houses before the widespread use of the refrigerator.
Essential qualities of a larder are that it should be:

• as cool as possible
• close to food preparation areas
• constructed so as to exclude flies and vermin
• easy to keep clean
• equipped with shelves and cupboards appropriate to the food being stored.

In the northern hemisphere, most houses would arrange to have their larder and kitchen on the north or east side of the house where it received least amount of sun. In Australia and New Zealand larders were placed on the south or east sides of the house for the same reason.
Many larders have small unglazed windows with the window opening covered in fine mesh. This allows free circulation of air without allowing flies to enter. Many larders have tiled or painted walls to simplify cleaning. Older larders and especially those in larger houses have hooks in the ceiling to hang joints of meat or game. Others have insulated containers for ice, anticipating the future development of refrigerators.

Pantry

A pantry is a room where food, provisions, dishes, or linens are stored and served in an ancillary capacity to the kitchen. The derivation of the word is from the same source as the Old French term paneterie; that is from pain, the French form of the Latin panis for bread.

I interchange these words in my blog...  I use them to describe where food is stored-Aunt Martha

Homemade Apple Pectin

Jams and jellies need a substance called pectin in order to gel. Some fruits are naturally high in pectin, but others are lacking. Adding commercial liquid or powdered pectin is one way to get a low-pectin fruit jelly to gel. But you can save money by making an equivalent product from apples.
Homemade liquid pectin can be made from apple scraps - the cores and peels. Just stockpile these in the freezer until you have enough for the recipe. Keep in mind that tart, under-ripe apples contain more pectin than sweet, ripe ones.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Straining overnight: 8 hours
Total Time: 9 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: Approximately 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts apple cores and peels, or whole apples chopped into 1-inch chunks
• water

Preparation:

Place the apples in a large pot. Add enough water to not quite cover the apples.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the apples are getting mushy, This can take as long as an hour.
Strain overnight through a jelly bag or through a colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Compost the pulp left in the bag or colander. The slightly thick liquid that strained through is your apple pectin.
Use your homemade pectin to make jelly with low pectin fruit. Combing equal parts low pectin fruit juice and an equal amount of homemade pectin. Measure the combined liquid, and from there follow a jelly recipe for how much sugar and acid (usually lemon juice) to add.

Rhubarb Crisp

Rhubarb Crisp

5 c. sliced rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 c. sugar
3 T. flour
For the topping:
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Place rhubarb in an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish. Stir in the granulated sugar and flour. For topping, in a mixing bowl combine oats; brown sugar; flour; ginger. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts. Sprinkle topping over filling.  Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden. If desired, serve warm with ice cream or light cream.

Homemade Cultured Buttermilk

This is one of my favorite recipes,  I use a lot of buttermilk in cooking and it seems to be so expensive at the store.  So I make my own.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup cultured buttermilk (from the store or home cultured)
• 1 to 2 quarts skim,1%,  2%, or whole milk from the store or raw milk

Also needed:

• 1 clean, dry quart or half gallon jar with a tight fitting two piece lid.

Pour buttermilk (1/4 cup for a quart jar or 1/2 cup for a half gallon jar) into your clean jar.  Top off the jar with your plain milk.  Tightly screw lid to the jar and shake vigorously for 1 minute.  Place in a warm (but not hot) area out of direct sunlight.  Let it sit there for 12 to 24 hours, until thickened.  Refrigerate when thick.  Use within two weeks.  If you re-culture this regularly, you can carry on re-culturing indefinitely. 

If you use skim, it may end up a little thinner.

When I am down to my last 1/4 to 1/2 cup I make another batch using the last of the batch.

Apple Muffins

Apple Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
2 tablespoons wheat germ
3 small tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Cinnamon and sugar mixture for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 12 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners. In a bowl, mix together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, apple juice concentrate, and buttermilk or sour milk.
Stir flour mixture and wheat germ into the egg mixture until dry ingredients are just moistened. Gently stir in about 2/3 of the chopped apples and chopped walnuts or pecans.
Spoon batter into prepared muffins cups, filling each about 2/3 full. Top muffins with reserved chopped apple and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake apple muffins for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops spring back when pressed lightly with fingertip. Cool for 5 minutes in pan on a rack. Turn apple muffins out onto rack to cool completely.

Hush Puppies

Hush Puppies

(20-24 Small Hush Puppies)

• 1 pkg."JIFFY" Corn Muffin Mix

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• frying oil

---

Preheat deep fryer oil to 375°.

Stir all ingredients until well mixed. Drop by teaspoon into hot oil and fry 4 minutes (2 minutes on each side). Drain and serve.

A Word About Products and Brands

I do not advertise products or brands on my blog.  If I find a certain product that works well for me or I feel is superior then I will mention it in my posts.  This is not an advertisement site to persuade you to buy certain products or brands like so many out there.  My purpose is to share my experience and learn from you.

Thank you!
Aunt Martha

Scones

Scones

(12 Scones)

• 2 cups"JIFFY" Baking Mix

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup margarine or butter
• 1 egg (reserve 1 Tbsp. to coat tops)
• 1/2 cup sour cream

---

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine "JIFFY" baking mix, soda and cream of tartar.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  In separate bowl, beat egg with a fork.  Add sour cream; blend well.  Fold in 1/2 cup of fruit (optional).  Stir into crumb mixture to make soft dough.  Turn onto floured surface; kneading about 10 times.  Roll out to a 9"x6" rectangle.  Cut dough into six, 3" squares.  Cut each square diagonally in half making 12 triangles.  Place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Brush with reserved egg.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on rack for 10 minutes.  Serve warm. 

Optional:  Stir together half box "JIFFY" White Frosting Mix with 1-1/2 Tbsp. boiling water.  Mix well and drizzle over warm scones (optional).

Keep Fruits and Vegetables From Turning Brown

When peeling fruits such as apples or vegetables such a potatoes, place them in water with a little vinegar or lemon juice added to it.  This will keep them from turning brown before you finish with the batch and will not effect the taste.

Usually 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water will do the trick.

Seasoning Wood Utensils and Cutting Boards

Wood Cutting Boards

Before you cut anything on its wood surface, you should "season" the wood. "Seasoning" your cutting board means that you'll apply a coating of oil to protect it.

The oil will help keep food particles out of the pores of the wood. It will also help the wood resist stains and odors. And, it will help prevent the wood from drying out and shrinking. Don't use a cooking oil, though, as it will turn rancid over time. Instead, you'll want to use walnut or mineral oil. Walnut oil is usually the choice pick since it's 100% natural.  However, if you or someone in your family is allergic to nuts, then you'll need to use mineral oil instead. 

Wood utensils  should be treated in the same way and NEVER put them in the dishwasher. 


It is also a good idea to treat wood rolling pins in the same manner, just wait until the oil soaks in before you use it.

Do NOT use cooking oil to treat wood it becomes rancid after a time.

Tips For Food Transport

Anyone that cooks often transports food to various places and activities, Potluck Dinners, Family Reunions, Church Picnics, and Food for the bereaved, just to name a few.  Here are some tips to make the process easier and hopefully gets your food to its destination intact.    

Use A Cooler

Use a cooler to transport HOT foods as well as cold.  To keep food hot, line the cooler with your tablecloth or dish towels (this insulates as well as keeps food from sliding) and place hot food in cooler.  This works much better than a regular box and keeps the food hot until it gets to where you are going.  Use a separate cooler for cold items.

Buy Dishes at Yard Sales

Buy plates and pans at yard sales, garage sales, and thrift stores... These are usually less expensive than disposable plates and pans and can be left behind or passed on.  The next time you take food to the bereaved or a funeral, use a plate bought at a yard sale to take a cake or a container that you picked up.   Attach a tag that you have written a message such as "This plate does not need to be returned fill it up again and pass it on"  The recipient will be grateful that they don't have to worry about getting it back to you and you saved money by not having to buy aluminum or disposable containers and you don't have to worry that you will not get Grandma's caketaker back.

Take your own plates and eating utensils

Once again, buy plates and eating utensils at yard sales and thrift stores, take these with you on church picnics and other outings.  It is much easier to eat from "solid" plates than disposable, also consider that you are saving the planet by keeping foam and paper out of landfills.  Take along extra to share with others.  Place them in a plastic bag and tote back home to be placed into the dishwasher, then place them into the cooler that you used so that they will be ready for the next trip. (hint: these do NOT have to match)

Plan What Food You Take

1.  Is it easy to transport?

2.  Does it hold up well enough to be eaten later?

3.  Does it require minimum heat/cold?

4.  Will it look as appetizing once it gets there as when it did out of the oven?

5.  Take with you any serving utensils that are needed.

6. A wet dishcloth sealed in a zip lock bag always comes in handy.

Pies

Tinfoil is your best friend when transporting pies. If you're transporting just one pie, take an extra metal pie tin, flip it upside down and use it to tent the pie. Then seal the edges of the two pie tins together with a strip of tinfoil. Just to reiterate: You don't want a pie to hit you in the back of the head if you get in an accident, so secure it in the trunk. Use the grippy-drawer-liner technique to keep the pie from sliding around, or better yet, stash it in the laundry basket next to your casserole.
To transport two pies, place them side by side on a baking sheet, wrap tinfoil around the pies and baking sheet, and then secure the tinfoil around the baking sheet's edges. Store the baking sheet in your trunk with a grippy drawer liner under it to keep it from sliding around.

 All Those Yummy Leftovers
 
If you're going to take some goodies back home, be prepared and arrive with your own plastic storage containers and zip-close plastic bags, also take a roll of aluminum foil. Pack a load of disposable plastic containers in a reusable fabric bag. You can pack the containers full and have a convenient tote at the ready to carry them to the car.

Cinnamon Roll Waffles

I found this recipe and decided to give it a try this morning, they were wonderful and so easy.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 can Pillsbury Grands refrigerated cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tbs milk
• 1 teas vanilla

Preparation:

Preheat your waffle maker and coat with cooking spray substitute. Remove dough from can.
Place one roll in the center of your waffle maker  Close and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Whisk together the icing from the package, confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth and serve over hot waffles.

Easy Yeast Rolls

(1/4-ounce) package active dry yeast
3/4 cup water water (98 to 105 degrees F)
2 1/2 cups plus 1/2 to 1 cup biscuit mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Dissolve the yeast in the water. Put the 2 1/2 cups of biscuit mix in a large bowl; stir in the sugar. Add the yeast mixture, stirring vigorously. Sprinkle the work surface generously with the remaining 1/2 to 1 cup biscuit mix.

Turn the dough out onto the surface and knead well, 15 to 20 times. Shape the dough as desired. (I shape heaping tablespoons of dough into balls). Place on a lightly greased baking sheet, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Just before putting into oven, brush rolls with melted butter. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush the rolls again with melted butter while they're hot.

My Grandmother's Canning Kitchen

Many times when I am working in my canning kitchen I think back on my grandmother's canning kitchen.  It was called the "summer kitchen".  This room was on the back of her house, I have no idea what it was before it was turned into a kitchen or if grandpa had built it on to the house, but this room seemed to be made especially for what it was used for.  It was a bright and airy room with plenty of windows, for these were the days before central air conditioning.  This room was used in the summer so that the house would stay cool while grandma was cooking and preserving all the wonderful things coming out of the garden.

The Summer Kitchen seemed to have endless work space with counters and tables worn smooth from years of cutting, slicing and chopping.  The ever present coffee pot was always on the back of the stove, no one ever came to grandma's back door without being offered a cup of coffee and a bite of whatever was cooking at that time.  I also remember a bottomless cookie jar that held baked goodies for the children and any adult that came through.  There was a door that led downstairs to the cool dark recesses of the cellar under the house.  This is where the bounty of the summer was kept and I was always captivated by what could be found down there, row upon row of canned goods, potatoes and other "root" crops.  The dried fruits and vegetables were kept up in the attic. 

It seemed like the summer kitchen had "seasons",  every thing that went on in that kitchen was dictated by what was "in season", blackberries, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes, corn and green beans.  This room was made for work but grandma and the aunts would always find some fun to have, neighbors would stop by and help or just sit and talk, there always seemed to be children passing in and out just to see what was "on the stove".

When I moved into my house some forty years ago I felt like a canning kitchen was a little old fashioned so I used my regular kitchen to do the things that needed to be done in the summer.  My house had a large laundry room with a sink in it, I found myself using this room as an extension of my kitchen until I realized that I needed to rethink the canning kitchen.  After all, I had a large laundry room with space that wasn't used very much, only when I was doing laundry.  I guess you can say that my canning kitchen evolved.  First I moved the washer and dryer to a more convenient place in the house and replaced the sink and added a counter with plenty of work space and placed a table in the middle of the room.  I used the room like this for a while because it provided a great place to wash and prepare produce before transferring them to the "real" kitchen.  I then added a used stove.  Through the years my canning kitchen has evolved into a very pleasant work room with a dishwasher and two freezers, a chest type and an upright.  I by no means spent a lot of money "redoing" this room.  I bought used appliances (all but the freezers) and did it over a period of years, not all at once.  Now I have a room that I can truly say is one of my favorites, one that I feel my grandmother would be comfortable walking into and getting down to business.

A Summer Kitchen

As I look out my kitchen window, while washing a few dishes left over from breakfast, I reflect on what a busy place my kitchen is in the summer.  I look out over the garden and see all of the vegetables that will ripen and need to be put up for the winter.  At times it seems that it is a lot of work, but in the middle of winter when you open that jar or get something out of the freezer that taste so fresh, it is well worth it.  Even if you do not have a garden, many farmer's markets sell fresh produce and most of it is grown locally.  You do not have to buy or harvest bushels of produce to have good things to eat this winter.  Can and freeze in small batches, its much easier than doing it all at once.  Make a few jars of  jam or jelly...  you will be surprised at the sense of accomplishment that you get from just two or three jars that you made yourself.  We will go into detail in later posts on how to can and freeze produce, and make jams and jelly.  Stay tuned!

A Bakers Secret... Cooking Spray Substitute

Here is what bakers use to keep baked goods from sticking, its made from ingredients that are easily found in any kitchen.

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Shortning
1/2 Cup Flour

Mix ingredients until fluffy using a mixer, pour into a jar with a lid.  Use a pastry brush and liberally coat baking sheets and pans.  (there is no need to flour pans after using this)  I use this for any recipe that calls for a greased, or greased and floured baking dish.