A safe home canned version of “Rotel” that is flawlessly substituted into recipes. This stewed tomatoes recipe is still one of my favorite home canning finds. It combines the nice tang and acidity of tomatoes with the kick of a pepper and a slight sweetness. Exactly like Rotel? Maybe not. But it just might be better. We go through so much “Rotel”. Diced tomatoes and pepper are just a great addition in so many home cooked recipes. In fact, before I found this recipe, I was picking up … [Read more...] about How to Make Stewed Tomatoes/ “Rotel”
Homestyle Food
Confident Home Canning – a List of Resources
Important Disclaimer – this post is to be used as a tool to help better understand home preservation methods. When home canning, follow all recommended USDA guidelines. I love canning. And it goes hand in hand with my love of gardening. But probably what I love most about canning is that I can turn bushels of garden bounty into food preserved in my pantry. It allows me to taste the freshness of summer well into the dreary winter months. Plus, it’s really satisfying to see all the beautiful … [Read more...] about Confident Home Canning – a List of Resources
Reasons to Garden and Preserve Food
Gardening to preserve food isn’t exactly as common as it would have been, say, 100 years ago or more. People might have a garden and use it for fresh produce during the summer. That is fairly common, however gardening to stock up for winter use is almost a lost art. And why not? Food is readily available at grocery stores all year long, in many different forms and with little extra preparation or work needed from the consumer. It involves no weeding, watering, sweating, nor the hours … [Read more...] about Reasons to Garden and Preserve Food
Easy Beef Stroganoff
A fast and wholesome easy beef stroganoff that you can whip up in 30 minutes to serve a hungry family. Don’t reach for the frozen pizza! Grab some ground beef instead. A cook from scratch version of this dish that’s straight forward and customizable. Did you grow up having Hamburger Helper for supper? In my childhood home, fast yet fairly wholesome was the name of the game in the middle of summer. Heck, fast and wholesome was the only type of meal we had unless it was the dead … [Read more...] about Easy Beef Stroganoff
The Superior Cookware – Cast Iron
The very thought of cooking with cast iron pans can be daunting for a good number of people. Instead, many choose the Teflon non-stick, hard anodized aluminum, or ceramic pans that line store shelves. I’m guilty myself of having some hard anodized pans that I received as a gift. However, soon after I was married, I was awakened to beauty of cast iron. While many see cast iron as old-fashioned, I have to say… grandma knew what she was talking about here. However, because so many opt for the “new … [Read more...] about The Superior Cookware – Cast Iron
Homemade Pumpkin Purée
Have you ever looked at that can of pumpkin you get out every year for the holidays and think “Hmm, I wonder if I could actually use a real pumpkin instead of this canned version?”. This was me. I love pumpkin everything. Everything. But I hate having to buy canned pumpkin because, well, it’s not truly homemade then, is it? And then you hear the rumors… “Real pumpkin is just stringy”. Well, I’m here to tell you it’s a lie, and that I used real pumpkin, pureed, to make one bomb pumpkin pie… a … [Read more...] about Homemade Pumpkin Purée