Snozzberry Syrup

Hand pick your snozz berries for best results. Ideally, you will harvest them before they bloom. If the berries stay on the plant too long, they can dry up. Sort and rinse 7 pints of fruit. Carefully chop each berry into 18 pieces and boil them with the juice of 1 lemon for 5 minutes until they get soft. Pour fruit into a mesh strainer to separate the fruit from the juice. Press them if necessary but do not badger your fruit or it may spoil. You should get about 5 C. of liquid. Boil 7 C. sugar and 2 C. water to form a simple syrup. Add berry juice and boil (med-high) for 5 minutes. The syrup will have expanded to the top of the pot. Turn heat off and let cool. In your canning pot, boil enough water to come to the top of the jars (10 C. easily) and also boil your canning lids. Fill canning jars with syrup. Wipe rim of jar with clean paper towel, place a canning lid on top, fasten with screw-on band. Submerge jars into boiling pot of water, and boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water and let cool for a few hours. Jars are properly sealed when you hear them 'pop'.

Chicken and Pesto

We had BBQ chicken on the grill served with spinach and pesto pasta.

Pesto
1/4 C. pine nuts
1/2 C. basil
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled
salt to taste

Puree on high until it forms a smooth paste.

Fun Skirt

For Halloween, I am going as an 80s punk rocker. I made this awesome skirt from pink satin and black tule. It's too much fun!! Simplicity pattern 2067, skirt B.

Baby Socks

Baby socks in pearly white. There is a ribbon slot just where cuff ends and sock bottom begins, but I don't know what color I want to use just yet.

Grilled Pork Chop

Pork chops on the grill with rice pilaf and steamed cauliflower. I sat at the pool soaking my feet while I BBQed today. Quite possibly the most relaxing thing on earth you could think of.

PICKLES

The pickles have arrived once again! I ran out of jars (I guess I didn't move with them) so if you have extras and live in CLE, let me know.

Brine solution:
6 Tbs kosher salt
3 pint vinegar
2 pint water

Crayons

These crayons are for sale. Click my Etsy button on Contact Me page.

Gas

Thank you gas company. They sent us 6 compact fluorescent bulbs, too!

Corn Bread

1 1/2 C yellow cornmeal
1 C flour
1/4 C brown sugar - packed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 C sour cream
1/2 C low fat milk
1/4 C butter - melted

Pour 2 cups of water into the rice cooker and close lid. Press the cook button and bring the water to a boil. Coat a 2-quart baking dish that fits in the inner pot with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream and milk together. Add to the dry ingredients, stirring only until moist. Drizzle in the butter, stir slightly, and pour the cornbread batter into the prepared baking dish. Cover the dish with a piece of aluminum foil, but do not crimp the sides. Use a foil pan lifter to open the lid, using caution to avoid steam burns. Using a cooking mitt, place the foil lifter and baking dish into the inner pot. Close the lid and cook until the cornbread is dry on top, about 45 minutes. Using the foil pan lifter, carefully remove the cornbread to a wire rack to cool slightly. Cut cornbread into pieces and serve while warm.