Spicy Tomato Preserves

This is the other Tomato Preserves recipe that I promised. Try this one morning with My Sausage Gravy and Black Pepper Drop Biscuits. My Oh My!

Spicy Tomato Preserves
Yield: about 6 half-pints
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1 1/2 quarts small yellow, green or red tomatoes (about 2 pound)
1 tablespoon mixed pickling spices
1 (1/2-inch piece fresh ginger
4 cups sugar
1 cup thinly sliced and seeded lemon (about 2 lemons)
3/4 cup water

Wash and peel tomatoes; drain. Tie spices and fresh ginger in a spice bag. Combine spice bag, sugar, lemon and water in a large sauce pot. Simmer 15 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook gently until tomatoes become transparent, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Remove spice bag. Remove tomatoes and lemon from syrup. Boil syrup 3 minutes or longer to thicken. Return tomatoes and lemon to syrup; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 20 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Harvest Sweet Bread

It's very hard for me to find "real" stone ground corn meal or grits. so when anyone is traveling to the Carolina's I always request a bag or two of each. However I have recently found a company that I really like, that is available locally, yes they are from Four Oaks, N.C., House-Autry Mills has been the choice of Southern cooks since 1812. That's good enough for me. This recipe was on the bag of Yellow Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix. Just wait until you try it!

Harvest Sweet Bread
12 servings
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1 cup House-Autry Self-Rising Corn Meal Mix
1/2 cup self-rising flour
2/3 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups carrots, finely grated
2 whole eggs
3/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

Cream oil and sugar. Blend eggs and add to oil and sugar mixture. Combine Corn Meal Mix, flour and cinnamon and add to mixture. Add carrots, nuts and raisins. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a well-greases 8 x8-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees F. for 45-50 minutes.

Black Pepper Drop Biscuits

All I know is another biscuit recipe on the blog is all I need. But this one is very different from the others, it's a drop biscuit and it only makes 4. You can double the recipe if you need more.

I particularly like these drop biscuits, seasoned with black pepper, with stews or dishes with a thick gravy. They're great for sopping up every last drop. These have a little kick to them. If you prefer regular biscuits, don't add the black pepper, or just use half for a milder flavor.

Black Pepper Drop Biscuits
4 biscuits
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1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon solid vegetable shortening
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Lightly oil a pie tin.
3. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. The dough will be slightly sticky.
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and drop into the pie tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned.
5. Serve right from the oven.

Jesus Doesn't Change - Saints and Scriptures Sunday

Hebrews 13:1-9

Stay on good terms with each other, held together by love. Be ready with a meal or a bed when it's needed. Why, some have extended hospitality to angels without ever knowing it! Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you.

Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, "I'll never let you down, never walk off and leave you," we can boldly quote,

God is there, ready to help;
I'm, fearless no matter what.
Who or what can get to me?

Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn't change - yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.

Don't be lured away from him by the latest speculations about him. The grace of Christ is the only good ground for life. Products named after Christ don't seem to do much for those who buy them.

Please visit Dianna at The Kennedy Adventures each Sunday for more Saints and Scriptures.

Bacon-Topped Okra and Tomatoes Over Rice

OMG! How Southern can we go, tomatoes, okra and rice, we are talkin' Deep South. I really am on a tomato and corn kick this week. I think it's because our season for both will shortly be coming to a close.

Use a large can of good quality tomatoes, chopped, out of season. I also use tomatoes I have chopped and frozen with great results.

Bacon-Topped Okra and Tomatoes Over Rice
8 servings
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4 bacon slices
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 pound fresh okra, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
Hot cooked rice

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon.

2. Saute' onion in hot drippings over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomatoes and next 4 ingredients. Reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, 10 minutes or until okra is tender. Serve over rice, and sprinkle with bacon.

Feel Good Friday

Sometimes I wonder if I feel good 90% of the time because I don't have enough sense to feel bad. Why bother to feel bad anyway, unless you are in physical pain and have no control over the situation. Was it Abe Lincoln that said, "You're only as happy as you make up your mind to be"?

I stay away from negative people, they are just not allowed in my space. Just another perk of getting older. There are still people that piss me off, but what can you do about family.

Over the pass 8 or 9 years I've learned to find something good in every bad situation. I know that sounds corny, but it works. If someone rear-ends you, try being grateful they didn't hit you head-on doing 60. If you burn dinner, be thankful there is a pizza place that delivers quickly and you have enough money to pay for it. You get the idea! Try it I promise it work.

What you all should really be "feeling good" about is that I didn't write about canning, freezing and dehydrating this week.

We all know that when you're happy you automatically "feel good".

For much more interesting posts than this one please visit The Girl Next Door Grows Up-Feel Good Friday.

Fresh Corn Cakes

These are not your ordinary corn cakes. These are so good I could have them with a bowl of hot water and call it supper.

Golden brown and hot off the griddle, these corn cakes are loaded with bits of melted mozzarella.

Fresh Corn Cakes
about 3 dozen
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2 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plain yellow or white cornmeal
1 (8-ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Pulse first 4 ingredients in a food processor 3 to 4 times or just until corn is coarsely chopped

2. Stir together flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in corn mixture just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon 1/8 cup batter for each cake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or large nonstick skillet, forming 2-inch cakes (do not flatten or spread cakes).

3. Cook cakes 3 to 4 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn and cook other sides 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Sprinkle with salt to taste.