Apple Pie Filling

I wanted to share this recipe for making apple pie filling. I have made pie filling before and canned it and was not super pleased with the results. It seems my recipe was a little too runny and the pie didn’t set up well. This recipe is new to me but it is definitely a keeper. I got the recipe from the Mennonite Country Style Recipes and Kitchen-Secrets. This is one of my all time favorite cookbooks and if you ever have to opportunity to buy it, I highly recommend it. Anyway, here is the recipe!

9 1/2 cups water, 4 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups cornstarch, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ground allspice. Combine in large saucepan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 3 tbsp. lemon juice. Slice apples directly into jar adding layers of syrup as you fill (otherwise there will be too many air pockets). Leave at least 1 in. headspace. If jars are filled too full, syrup will spew out during processing. Tighten lids and process in boiling water bath for 25 min. Yields approx. 7 qts.

Well, we better get busy. Enjoy your day and God bless.

September 26, 2013 6

Hand Pies

Strawberry-Rhubarb Hand Pies

3/4 cup diced strawberries
3/4 cup diced rhubarb
1 T cornstarch
2 T sugar
2 1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup lard or shortening
3 T cold water

Toss the finely diced fruit with cornstarch and 2 T. sugar.
Mix flour, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in butter and lard. Stir in water. Knead slightly. Roll out the dough and cut with a biscuit cutter (about 2 1/4 inch).

Spoon a teaspoon or two of fruit filling in the center of the dough circle. Dampen the edges of the dough with water and top with another dough circle. With a fork, crimp the edges. Cut a slit on the top. Optional: You may brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Eat warm or at room temperature. These are best eaten in a day or two.

June 25, 2013 0

Rhubarb Pie

1 cup rhubarb chopped fine, 1/2 stick melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, 2 eggs beaten, 1 pie crust. Combine all ingredients. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees appox. 35 min.

June 21, 2013 0

Mongolian Beef

This recipe from thefamilyhomestead.com Crystal Miller

2 lbs round steak, cut into small pieces

2 T soy sauce

2 T cornstarch

4 carrots, peeled and sliced very think

1 bunch green onions, cut into 2 lengths

6 large mushrooms, sliced very thin

¼ cup olive oil, divided

Sauce

¼ c soy sauce

1 T cornstarch

1 t cane juice crystals

2 t red pepper flakes (this makes this dish quite spicy.. so reduce if you dont like your food real spicy)

1 t salt

pepper, a few shakes

1 ½ cups water

In a medium size bowl combine meat, 2 T soy sauce and 2 T cornstarch and let sit for a few minutes. In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients.

Heat a large frying pan and add half the olive oil. Add meat and cook until meat is no longer pink. Remove from pan and put in a bowl. Add rest of oil to frying pan and add carrots. Cook until the carrots are just tender and add onions and mushrooms. Stir fry these until the veggies are soft. Add the meat and heat. When everything is hot add sauce ingredients and cook and stir until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Serve over brown rice..

¼ c soy sauce

April 30, 2013 0

Homemade Window Cleaner

Jess found this recipe for homemade window cleaner. It really works!

2 cups warm water, 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup alcohol, 1/4 white vinegar. Mix all ingredients together. Shake before using.

April 3, 2013 3

Flowers

Here are a few pictures of some flowers that are blooming around our house now. I am pretty sure these are called violas. I so enjoy their tiny bright blooms. So cheerful. Purple and yellow are my favorite color combinations for flowers.

Yesterday, we made strawberry rhubarb jam. I had enough rhubarb to make a rhubard pie as well. The recipe I use is :

1 cup rhubard- finely chopped, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch and 2 eggs well beaten. Combine all ingredients and pour into 1 unbaked pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees until done. It takes about 45 min in my oven. I have made this pie for about 25 years. It is a family favorite.

Today was friends day at church. We had a great day. Probably about 70 people in total. Our numbers usually run in the 40’s. We had some really good music, a good sermon from our pastor and a great fellowship meal afterward because you all know how much we like to eat. I took pinto beans, green onions and a peach sauce pie. We won’t be having evening bible study tonight so we plan on just relaxing this evening. The girls and I will be traveling down to Jessica’s tomorrow to watch the boys. She will be having an ultra sound tomorrow to (maybe) discover if she will be having a boy or girl. This all depends upon the baby’s cooperation of course.

Enjoy your day and God bless.

June 12, 2011 5

Cherry Pie

Today has been kinda a resting day. So much has been going on here lately, I thought the girls and I needed a day to rest. Of course, as all you know there is no such thing as a completely resting day. Especially during the week. Anyway, I decided as I was resting to make a cherry pie. I used the cherries we picked over the weekend. I put about 3 cups of pitted cherries and about 1/2 cup sugar. I brought this to a boil and let it boil down some. Then I thickened it with 2 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp. water.

Then I made my pie crust. The recipe I use is: 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/3 cup milk, 1/2 cup oil. Mix all this together, then add 2 1/3 cups sifted all purpose flour.

Then I divide the dough into 2 parts for the bottom crust and the top. I must warn you though this next picture is not too pretty. I have never been good at rolling out pie crust. I want to be, so I keep trying. Maybe someday.

The finished product. I know it doesn’t look too good but I believe it will taste great. Especially with that homemade vanilla ice cream I’m making. We are also having pork tenderloin, pinto beans and mashed potatoes. I think I will have cornbread with this. Today for lunch I had my first batch of wilted lettuce and green onions, so I had to bake cornbread to go with it. Now, where I from they would have said a “mess” of lettuce and onions but I didn’t want to confuse those of you who do not understand mountain talk. For you all who don’t know what this is, I’ll explain. First pick the lettuce and onion, fry some bacon. Then you wilt down the lettuce and onion with the hot bacon grease. Add a little salt and enjoy with cornbread. Hubby likes pinto beans with his. Anyway you fix it, it is good! My ice cream maker is finished, so I must go. Take care and God bless.

June 9, 2010 3

Clematis

My first post on the Mac without assistance. I believe I can do this! I thought I would share a picture of my clematis. I think it is very pretty this year. Very exciting day today. We will finish language for the year. Yeah! I will be spending most of my day washing clothes. The wringer will get a work out today. We have had rain all week. I put off during the laundry hoping for sun today. We’ll see. Right now it doesn’t look too promising. The wringer is kinda fun to use though and I am getting faster at it. It requires more attention than the automatic machine. Last nights supper was baked chicken, green beans, stuffing, sweet potatoes and home made rolls. Watermelon for dessert. I am experimenting with using less salt in our food as I have been having some high blood pressure issues. I marinaded the chicken in a Mrs. Dash marinade(no salt). It was really good. I have a cookbook that tells how to make different types of seasonings. The other night I made a taco seasoning to use on our chicken tacos. (Chicken was on sale this week at our local grocery) I did not put any salt in the seasoning and honestly could not tell it was not there. Here is the recipe I used: 2 tsp minced onion, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cornstarch, 1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper, 1/2 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp dried oregano. If you want to use salt, the recipe calls for l tsp. As I said, I used no salt and could not miss it. I got this recipe from my (and Jessica’s) all time favorite cookbook. “Mennonite Country-Style Recipes & Kitchen Secrets” by Esther H. Shank. This is a marvelous cookbook. If I had to choose only one cookbook to use, it most definitely would be this one. Well, my friend the wringer, is calling to me. Take care and God bless.

May 19, 2010 2