Pinned It Made It Monday Week 35

Happy Labor Day! Last Week was a Peachy Week. I was able to purchase Colorado Peaches (the best kind to get) for only 88 ¢/lb!!

This weeks Pinned It Made It comes from THIS pin. Jalapeno Peach Jam....YUM! I remember having this many years ago (so long ago, I'm not sure where LOL) and remember really liking it. Oh my, it's even better than I remember!

Jalapeno Peach Jam

Ingredients

6 Pounds Fresh Peaches (about 15)
6 Fresh Jalapenos
6 Cups Sugar
1 Large Lemon, juice only (I just used 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice)
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 (1.75 oz.) package Pectin
                 
Directions

• 1 Wash fruit and jalapenos well. Puree peaches in a food processor until slightly chunky. Some chunks are good. You don't want it completely smooth.
• 2 Process the jalapenos separately until they are a very fine dice.
• 3 Add peach puree and jalapenos to a large pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring regularly.
• 4 Stir in sugar, lemon juice, and pectin. Continue to stir until everything is dissolved.
• 5 Continue to let the jam simmer for another 15 minutes to thicken. Add a small amount of butter which will help prevent foaming. If any foam does come up though, try to scrape it off the jam.
• 6 Boil your jars and lids for ten minutes to sterilize them. Once they are sterilized, use a funnel and ladle to fill each jar, leaving about 1/4 inch of room at the top of each jar.
• 7 Wipe each jar clean and place a clean lid on it. Then screw on the band that holds the lid in place. Be careful. The jar will be very hot!
• 8 Place all the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes to process them. Make sure the simmering water covers the jars by at least an inch.
• 9 Remove the jars and let them cool completely for 24 hours. At that point if there are any jars that aren't sealed well (if you can press down the center of the lid and it pops up) then put on a new lid and band and re-process the jar in boiling water.
• 10 Store sealed jars in a cool dark place for up to a year.

I also canned peaches, froze peaches and made peach seed/skin jelly.

14 qt canned

8 VERY FULL qt frozen (probably more like 5 cups in each bag)

12 pint canned (these are for Aaron to take to college)

16 large jelly jars and 2 regular jelly jars Jalepeno Peach Jelly

16 regular jelly jars of Peach Seed/Skin Jelly

We've already used 2 jars of the Jalepeno Peach! We've had it with cream cheese and crackers, on hamburgers, fish, and last night I used it as the marinade on chicken wings. So yummy!

Pinterest Candy

When we meet with my cousins for Christmas we do a food/candy exchange. This way kids of all ages can participate.

This year I made candy found on Pinterest for my gifts. I made homemade Butterfinger Candy for DH's contribution and it only takes 3 ingredients! It is chewier than crispy, but was a huge hit.

For my gift, I made Brownie Peanut Butter Balls. Yummy! It too only took 3 ingredients, but I added a 4th.

Here are the recipes:

Candy Corn ButterfingersTaste of Home forums
(Printable Recipe)

1 lb. candy corn
16oz jar peanut butter (I used Peter Pan Honey Roasted peanut butter)
16oz pkg. chocolate candy coating

Melt candy corn in microwave on high 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking in 15-second intervals til melted, stirring after each interval. Stir in peanut butter. Spread mixture in an 8x8 pan lined with parchment. Cool completely. Cut into squares. Dip in melted chocolate candy coating. Lay on waxed paper to set.

**note: I read on a blog that if you keep them in the refrigerator they will get crispy. I have a few left to try that with.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Covered Brownie Bites

1 brownie mix such as Pillsbury
2 Cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 Cup peanut butter
1. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions. Bake until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center but still slightly undercooked. Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes. When you are able to touch brownies comfortably, scoop brownies with a medium cookie scoop, roll tightly into a ball and place onto a wax paper lined baking sheet. Continue rolling until brownies are gone. Freeze brownies until very firm, a couple hours or overnight. No worries if your brownie balls aren’t perfect, once frozen reshape them. They are easier to handle when chilled.
2. Place chocolate chips over a double broiler (or heat in microwave until smooth) to melt, then stir in peanut butter until creamy smooth. Roll each frozen brownie ball into chocolate and place onto wax paper to dry. Enjoy room temperature or chilled.

note: the only thing I did different was to melt a little white almond bark and a little peanut butter to it and then "fling" it all over the tops of the balls.

Just Do It!

Happy New Year! I want to wish each of you a very Happy & Healthy 20212. My word(s) for 2012 are Just Do It!

My goals this year are:

1. Just Do It!: Get Organized! It's time for things to go that I don't absolutely love...in my home and my studio.

2. Just Do It!: Create: now I know you are thinking "duh" with all the creating I do with my blog, but I want to be MORE creative and create with a purpose...create for a reason and give it away or for the home...make those things I see on Pinterest or other blogs that inspire me instead of just saving ideas...create things that are lovely for my home, family and friends.

3. Just Do It!: Lose: having goals to lose weight are usually failures, but I am going to strive to lose 15 lbs this year and keep it off. I need to lose more, but I want to be realistic and set a goal that is doable.

4. Just Do It!: Scrapbook more: I have really let my scrapbooking slide and Aaron keeps wondering when I am going to continue to work on his. For a teenage boy to ask this means I need to get busy with it.

5. Just Do It!: Sew more: Okay, there is a story behind this. I used to vendor in lots of craft shows and stores BK (before kids esp) and even when Benjamin was little. Then after Benjamin was born, I would make little blankets and clothes for him and do a few shows and stores. Then when I was pregnant with twins, I just "knew" one was a girl and was making a little doll. For those of you who know me, I lost the twins due to a car accident when I was 5 months pregnant (and one was a little girl) and I quit sewing. I don't know how to explain what happened inside of me, but I wasn't able to finish sewing the doll or on fabric for years. I got to where I could sew on paper, but still not fabric. Fast forward 15 years (the twins would have been 15 on Dec 22) and I was able to make a sweater pillow for my son's girlfriend. It felt so good to sew something pink and girly. I believe God brought Kassy to our lives not only for my son, but to heal my heart wholly. This doesn't mean I will ever forget my babies, or will ever stop missing them, but it was so freeing and therapeutic to sew on something other than paper and I have seen so many lovely ideas on Pinterest and the internet that I would like to create, but just haven't been able to make myself do. (this story is NOT for sympathy comments, but for healing for me to tell it and make myself real).

By not setting too many goals, I hope I can carry thru on each of them.

What is your word(s) for the new year? I would love to have you share them with me.

Here is a picture of the pillow I made for Kassy. She loved it and I even bought some sweaters to make pillows for us for our couch. I saw this idea on Pinterest and bought the pillow and sweater at Goodwill. The pillow had a Christmas theme to it, but was very firm. I measured the pillow, cut the sweater and sewed on 3 sides. I then fit the pillow into the sweater and handstitched the 4th side shut

Here is a close up of the flower. I made a rolled flower with the cream (some fancy lacy stuff from JoAnn Fabrics) and a smaller rolled flower from ribbing off a pale pink sweater.