Homemade Rotel

It seems that Rotel has been popping up in more and more recipes on my Pinterest board.  Of course, when I want to share with you some of the ones we've liked, I draw a blank with the exception of this one.  But really, Rotel is in everything lately.  I wasn't sure how it was much different than a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies.  Until I made my own.

Oh my.  This is ever so much better than diced tomatoes and green chilies.  It's way, way better than canned Rotel.

There's no way I'd take credit for making this up.  I learned how to make it from the Canning Granny blog, and that gal's a genius.  Today I made a small batch to use up some of the final offerings of our summer garden, but I made a larger batch a few weeks ago.  Already I'm scheming extra raised beds next summer so I can fill my pantry up with jars of this....

I've found that canning tomato products really comes down to the spices you put into them and the quantity of the same staple produce used.  Like salsa, Rotel is composed of tomatoes, jalepenos, onions and peppers.  

Apple cider vinegar, sugar and salt are also added.  I think some of the difference between Rotel and salsa is in those ingredients.

Rotel tastes more stewed, more savory.  And it cannot be understated how amazing it is on tortilla chips when stirred into melted cheese.  Out of this world.  And I'm not even a chips and dip girl.

If you've got tomatoes still left on your vines, or if your co-worker is trying to get rid of his...or even if you have to make a run to the grocery store--this is worth your time!

Homemade Rotel
Taken directly from the Canning Granny blog

About a gallon of tomatoes.  (I used Romas)
2 large peppers (green, red, yellow or orange)
1 large onion (I like Vidalias)
8 jalepenos
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1.5 T canning salt
6 tsp lemon juice

Bring a large pot partially filled with water to a boil.  Add tomatoes and cook for about a minute.  Quickly drain hot water, then dump tomatoes into a bowl of ice water to 'shock' them.  Peel the skins from the tomatoes, then dice into pieces and put back into the empty stock pot.  Dice green peppers and onions and move into stock pot with tomatoes.  Dice jalepenos, removing ribs and seeds for more mild Rotel, then place into stock pot.  Add sugar, salt, and vinegar into the pot, then place on stovetop and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes.  Sterilize jars, then add one teaspoon of lemon juice in each.  Ladle hot Rotel into each of the jars, leaving about an inch of headspace at the top.  Tightly screw on lids.  Process jars by placing them in boiling water for 15 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool completely.  The lids on the jars should pop, indicating a good seal.  Store in a cool dark place like your pantry.

Serving suggestion;  In a microwave save bowl melt a small block of Velveeta cheese.  Stir in a jar of your homemade Rotel.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Enjoy!  


   
   

Garden Spaghetti Sauce

Let me disclaim that making your own spaghetti sauce is not less expensive than buying it in the store, and it REALLY isn't more convenient or easier or faster.  However, when you see the ingredient list you'll notice there isn't anything secretive like "natural flavor" or other "ingredients that are natural or naturally derived" like this one.  And there's just something amazing about growing your own food, and then making something with it.  

Almost everything in these jars of spaghetti sauce came from our garden--from the tomatoes and green peppers to the basil and oregano.  

Of course, there are things we didn't grow too--like black pepper and salt and brown sugar--but at least those are 'natural flavors' I can identify!  

I debated long and hard this morning about making salsa instead to use up those lovely jalepenos, but the truth is my kids don't like salsa very much.  It looks too much like vegetables.  I like it, but a girl can only eat so much salsa by herself.  Spaghetti, though, they'll eat.  

I wish I could say you just dice up everything you want in your spaghetti and stick it in a pot, but I learned the hard way last year that tomato skin is unappealing on top of pasta.  It rolls off into these noticeable clumps and my kids definitely turn their noses at noticeable clumps.  What am I saying...my kids turn up their noses at tomatoes, much less their peeled rolled skin.  So you've got to boil the tomatoes for a minute, then shock them in cold water, then peel off the skins before you can dice them.  That takes some time.

Though I'm growing green onions and red onions, I didn't grow vidalias so I bought some at the store.  If I lived in Georgia, I'd totally be growing vidalias.

For some reason my red and yellow peppers ended up being green, but it's all good....

 These guys come from the little herb garden right by the patio off the kitchen.

After you boil and peel and dice and chop, it all gets tossed in a big heavy pot with the spices and a bit of tomato paste.

And it cooks for an hour into a lovely sauce like this.

I love those chunks of pepper and tomato, but if I served it like this to my children I'd find those chunks pushed to the edge of their plate when they finished their meal. 

So I'm sneaky.

I use my immersion blender a bit, until most of the chunks are blended in.  Try picking those green peppers out NOW!  (maniacal laughter)  

We take our victories however we can.

I use a wide mouth funnel to get the sauce into jars.  I might have taken 30 pictures of the jars like this.  They just looked so garden-y and fresh, and they smelled so savory and Italian!

Unfortunately I still haven't picked up a big stock pot, so to process them in boiling water for 30 minutes I had to lay them on their sides in the biggest pots I own.  Note to self: buy a stock pot.  I made that note to myself last year, too.

It isn't 'correct' but it still works.  

Case in point:

Spaghetti sauce.  This winter when I use this jar, I'm going to think about my summer garden.  It will help get me through February in Iowa!

Spaghetti Sauce
My own creation!
 
12 cups tomatoes - peeled and chopped (I used Romas)
2-3 cups green, red, or yellow peppers
3 cups sweet onions
2 T chopped garlic
fresh oregano and basil to taste (I used about 15 leaves of basil, and pulled the leaves off of about 10 branches of oregano)
24 oz tomato paste
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 T salt
2 T vinegar
1 T black pepper

Wash all vegetables.  Boil water in a large pot, then add in tomatoes and allow to boil for about a minute.  Transfer the tomatoes to another large bowl of ice water, and the skins should peel off pretty easily by hand.  Then dice the tomatoes into small pieces.  Dice the peppers and onions, and mince the garlic, oregano and basil.  In a large heavy pot, add the diced vegetables and all other ingredients.  Stir and bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for one hour.  If you wish, use an immersion or other blender to incorporate the vegetables if you have picky eaters, or leave the vegetables chunky as they are.  

Using a wide-mouthed funnel, ladle sauce into clean, hot jars, leaving about an inch of space at the top.  Add lids and secure with rings.  Place the jars in a large pot, covering completely with water.  Bring the water to a low boil and process the jars for 30 minutes.  Remove and place on wire cooling racks.  You should hear the lids "pop" as they seal.  When they are entirely cool, store as you wish.
 

 

Colombian Headband

Nope.  She's not a Colombian.  But she could pass for one!  That's my daughter.  

This precious chica, though, she's Colombian.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll know my sister and her husband let me be her auntie.  And she is heaven!  My mom and I were fortunate enough to travel to Bogota to meet this little sweetheart, and to help my sister and her oldest daughter Zahria bring her home to the states.  I know Colombia sounds scary--I'll be honest and say I was prepared to be nervous the whole time I was there--but it's amazing.  The people were warm and friendly, and the culture is beautiful.  I'd go back in a heartbeat.

My sister's family lived in Colombia for more than a month while the paperwork was processed for the adoption, and they picked up the most terrific Colombian habits.  Like a morning latte with Bailey's, and afternoon ice cream.  

My sister colored her hair brown, and Zahria had her hair done like many of the other Colombian girls.  (Forgive the cell phone picture....)
  

Among other things I've had on my 'want-to-recreate' list from Colombia, making a "hairband headband" like this on my daughter was one of them.  I'll need some practice to achieve Colombian standards, but our first attempt works pretty good in Iowa.  My steps are below!

Part the hair from just behind one ear to just behind the other, and secure the back into a pony.

 EEK!  Cousin It?

My daughter is patient, but little elbows and necks get tired fast in uncomfortable positions, so we started off laying down on the floor.

Make an 'outie' French braid, but only take hair from the right (face) side.  That is, usually when you do a French braid you take a piece from each side and then braid.  For this one, only gather from the front, then braid, gather from the front, then braid, etc.  Try to use SMALL pieces.  It will end up like this. 

 I stopped French braiding behind her ear, then secured the braid in two spots at the nape.

You'll need a length of ribbon about three times the circumference of the head you're working on, as well as a big needle with a big eye.

Using the needle, thread the ribbon under the braid near the ear where the braid started, and tie to secure.  You want about 1/3 of the ribbon to hang down to the neck (for now), and you'll need to 'weave' with the other 2/3.

The trick is to loop around each section of hair you pulled into the braid.  You want to go over the section, then slide the needle (GENTLY!) back toward the ear.

 Repeat, over and over, so you end up with this.

Once I reached the bottom of the French braid I slid the needle inside the hair that was gathered to hide it.

I'm sure there are other ways to finish this off, but I was trying to work from what I remember of Zahria's....  Tie the loose ends of the ribbon together around the end of the braid, so they form a headband.  Secure with a double-knot, but clip any loops so they don't get stuck in hairbrushes.

 And that's it! 

 You have a Colombian hairband.

Now we'll see how long it lasts!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam

Last year was my first venture into making jam.  The initial batch was a total flop and I almost gave up.  I have the terrible personality trait that if I can't be good at something, I don't want to try.  Thankfully, after some good advice from a friend, I tried a different method that used pectin and the second batch turned out fabulously.  If I do say so myself.  If you're a new jam maker, forget trying to make it without any additives at all and just get Certo liquid pectin.  Just do it.  Then follow the recipe inside to the letter.

This year's jam was not without its trials.  

Oh, it started out beautifully.  I chopped up a bunch of strawberries.  I wish I could say I used homegrown strawberries, but I can't.  I started a strawberry patch this year, but it's not established enough to produce a lot of fruit so I just grabbed several cartons from the grocery store. 

We do have rhubarb, though.  I gathered rhubarb from our little patch, and chopped that up too.  Did you know that not all rhubarb is red?  It's not.  

If you're a health nut like me, you're going to be appalled at the amount of sugar that goes into jam.  There are different types of Certo for low-sugar, but not where I live.  So I went with the full-on, diabetes-inducing, sugar jam.  Yum.  

This, though, was the point where my jam making took a nosedive.  What's supposed to happen is that you bring your jam to a full boil, then add the Certo, then boil for one minute longer.  Mine came to a full boil alright....but unfortunately I wasn't standing right next to it and it boiled over.  Everywhere.

You don't even want to know how long it took me to get that off the glass top, off the counter, off the floor and all the cupboards between.  Thankfully only the stove was burned, and not the jam--which was the issue last year when I tried to make it without pectin.

  A super sticky pot does not prevent you from ladling out this sugar-luciousness into jars.

And what you end up with in the end?  Heaven.

Though I admit I could eat this out of the jar, I really love it swirled in plain yogurt or slathered on an English muffin.  Try it.  Grab some fruit, some Certo liquid pectin, and a whooooollllle lot of pure cane sugar, and make some.  Don't walk away from the pot, and you'll enjoy it all winter long!