I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas before I shut my computer down for the next few days.  My littles are tucked into bed with instructions that Santa won’t come unless they are sleeping.  After the last few days of celebrating they’ve had I can’t believe that they will be up long.I’m sitting here enjoying a nice hot cup of Friendship Tea as I blog.  I have probably shared this in the past but if you don’t remember – here’s the simple recipe.  (also can make a beautiful last minute gift – just put it in a mason jar with a ribbon tied around the lid…)

Friendship Tea

• 1 cup Instant Tea
  2 cups Tang
  2 pkgs of presweetened lemonade (if unsweetened add 1 cup of sugar…pink lemonade makes it look even prettier…)
  1 tsp cloves
  1 tsp cinnamon

Mix together and store in covered jar.

Use 1 heaping tsp or more to 1 cup boiling water

Friendship Tea has become a ‘comfort’ drink for me.  It reminds me of childhood – being warm and snuggly, under a blanket and enjoying a good book.

We still have a few Christmas celebrations left but so far things are going nice and smoothly (knock on wood).

We’ve had too many Christmas’s that the girls have laid on my lap and let me open their presents from Santa for them because they were just too sick.  Really, really hoping and praying that they wake up super excited tomorrow morning!   They are at such a wonderful age for all the Christmas magic of the season…except Pip – but she really does enjoy eating the wrapping paper! 

The other day I got really nostalgic about some of the movies I used to watch at Christmas time when I was a kid.  They included The Muppet Christmas Carol, One Magic Christmas, and The Night They Saved Christmas.  I decided to order them so that I could have my kids have the same memories of them as me.  (I have now added Elf and Bad Santa to those favorites…but don’t worry, I won’t let the girls watch Bad Santa for a long while). 

I never expected the movies to arrive before Christmas since I asked for the ‘Free Shipping’ method.  But, much to my surprise – two of the movies arrived today!  It was a Christmas Miracle :)  Jared and I are watching the Muppets tonight and I’m sure I’ll be watching it again with the girls tomorrow night while Papa is at the Packer Game with Uncle Brian. 

Pip still only has her one tooth…but she’s been such a happy adorable baby.  Also – so tolerant of the crazy schedule and rocked to sleep naps in the car seat.  We are so blessed to have these wonderful babes. I won’t leave you in suspense too long – I’ll be blogging more about this next week.  I’ll leave you with yes – that’s a bedazzled beer bottle full of High Life AND a caterpillar/pumpkin teeth beer bottle full of High Life.  AND yes – it is for one of our Christmas celebrations…

And with that – Merry Christmas to everyone!  I’m signing off the computer for a day or so and just taking the time to enjoy my family and this wonderful holiday!

See how to make your very own felt stockings HERE!

Jam, in my mind, is a summer creation. I associate the sticky process of making jam with fresh berries, but that's not always the case. Frozen berries can make excellent jam. And jam is not reserved just for berries.

I certainly broadened my jam repertoire this summer with new creations involving tomatoes, basil and ground cherries (not all in the same jam). This fall, I fell in love with my cranberry jam creation. And a surplus of pears led to my latest jam, Vanilla Pear Jam.

This jam retains the distinct texture of the pears and combines their sweetness with flecks of vanilla. This jam was an experiment for me with whole vanilla beans, which might become a staple in my kitchen. There's something satisfying about using ingredients in their purest form.


Vanilla Pear Jam
8 cups chopped pears
4 cups sugar
2 vanilla beans

Chop the pears into fairly uniform pieces, removing the cores but leaving the skins intact. Split vanilla beans down the center, and scrape out the tiny seeds. Combine pears and sugar in a large, heavy-duty pot. Add both the vanilla bean shells and the seeds. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the pears are soft enough to mash with the back of a spoon.

Remove pears from heat, and remove the vanilla bean shells. Puree the pear mixture in a food processor or blender to reach desired texture. A potato masher may also be used.

Return the pear mixture to the pot, and continue to cook over medium heat until the pears are fairly thick (approximately 20 minutes). Remember, the jam will thicken slightly once you remove it from the heat. There are various ways to test jam, such as a plate method or spoon test. The nice thing about jam is that even if it's thicker or thinner than intended, it still tastes delicious.

Ladle jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Cover with sterilized lids and bands. Process in a hot water bath 10 minutes. Cool completely. Check to ensure each jar is sealed. Any jars that aren't sealed should be refrigerated.

Lesson learned while putting my jars in the basement: dropping jars on a concrete floor may pop the seal. I figured that's better than the jar itself cracking and ruining a jar of jam.

Notes: I used several varieties of pears (Bosc, Red Anjou, Green Anjou and Bartlett) for my jam, but one would also work. This recipe should yield approximately 3 half-pints of jam.

~Kerry Blondheim, Nonesuch exist

I am happy to be introducing you to my cousin (through marriage) – Kerry Blondheim.  I first discovered what an amazing baker/cook/canner (hence – Queen of the Kitchen) she is when I was collecting recipe’s for our cookbook – Farm Fresh Recipes.  She sent me TONS of fantastic recipes that helped fill our cookbook with a great variety.

Recently we were chatting and I asked Kerry to be a guest blogger for the orchard.  She’s going to share with us her recipe’s and experience creating dishes that use anything that we grow at the orchard.  I think you’ll be happy to see the variety she shares with us all!

Before I post her first recipe – here’s some questions she answered for me:

When did you start creating in the kitchen?

I "helped" my mom in the kitchen from an early age. She was wonderful about encouraging my interests without worrying about the messes I'm sure I created. The first cake I made and decorated was an igloo-shaped cake, not a simple sheet cake. I was probably 7 years old at the time.

How did you learn to cook?

My mom encouraged me to follow recipes, and she let me practice making things on my own.That resulted in a few learning experiences, like the time I used granulated sugar to make frosting for my dad's birthday cake. I hadn't realized that confectioner's sugar was powdered sugar. Those type of lessons stick with you.

What is your favorite thing to make?

This is a tough question because I enjoy both cooking and baking. My favorite creations are probably cupcakes and bread. I have a tremendous sweet tooth, and there's something extremely satisfying about making bread that's far more delicious and healthier than most loaves in the store.

What is the biggest lesson you've learned in the kitchen?

In addition to learning about confectioner's sugar, I've had a few other mishaps. I learned to make sure I knew my sugar container from my salt container when I made a very salty blueberry cobbler. And I learned to double check that I added all the ingredients when I made banana bread without flour, of all things. Fortunately, I covered those basic lessons when I was younger than 10, and my family forgave me for all of them.

Do you have any 'tricks' for cooking?

It's not really a trick, but don't be afraid to experiment or go outside your comfort zone whether it's trying a new technique or a food that you don't usually use. The trick I'm working on mastering now is learning how to bake and cook with a 3-month old!

Who is your favorite 'taste tester'?

My husband David is the only captive audience I have as a taste tester, so he wins this category. I've taken things into work as well and shared with other family members, but David is the one who tries everything. He's a really good sport, probably because there's more treats like Tequila Sunrise Cupcakes than soups where I sneak in ingredients he thinks he doesn't like, such as squash.

What do you do with all that food!?

Most of my breads go into the freezer until we're able to get to them. Treats with shorter shelf lives like cupcakes or the pumpkin flan that's baking right now become our treats for the week or get shared with others. And the fullness of our freezer is really what inspired me to start canning, which has become another hobby. This summer, fall and winter, we've canned 287 3/4 pints. That's a record I'm going to attempt to break next year! A lot of our canned goods become Christmas presents for co-workers and family members. I'd love to start selling some of my canned goods, breads or cupcakes, but I'm not there ... yet.

Anything else you'd like to share with my readers about your kitchen life feel free to include!

I use my blog as my virtual recipe box, so I can find favorite recipes and share recipes with others. You can follow my kitchen adventures online at www.nonesuchexists.blogspot.com.

  Kerry, my cousin David, and their son, AJ

Stay tuned for the first recipe Kerry’s sharing with us:  Vanilla Pear Jam

I’m crossing my fingers that Kerry’s going to find a jar to share with me ;)

Before I get into my analysis on Cameo Applesauce, I hope you take a little time (less than a minute) to see my video on our suction peeler/corer/slicers.  You’ll quickly see that they work fantastically and are so easy to use my 3 year old can do it!

Okay – now onto the Cameo’s!  Cameo’s are a newer variety to the orchard and so far our customers have been extremely happy with them.
I’m happy to say - I really liked the cameo’s as a sauce apple.  They were smooth, sweet but with a slight tang.  I really liked this one – the flavor stayed with me after I ate it.  It was quite pleasant.  (sorry no post-cooked picture…)

Past apple tests:

• McIntosh
  
• Gala
  
• Tolman Sweet
  
• NW Greening
  
• Granny Smith
  
• Jonathan
  
• Baker’s Mix – October
  
• Valstar
  
• Jonagold
  
• Fuji
  
• Fireside
  
• Golden Delicious
  
• Braeburn
  

 

Join me TONIGHT at The Glitter Workshop (6138 Mineral Point Road, Madison WI) from 4 until 7 to create your very own (or that perfect gift for the someone you haven’t figured out yet…) book wreath!  

All you need is YOURSELF!  I have books (edges pre-dyed or charred), wreath bases and hot glue!  Yup – you get to enjoy one of my favorite tools in crafting – hot glue!

Wreaths will start at $12/wreath depending on what size you want to do.  The one I’m holding in the picture is a $12 size. 

These are seriously a fantastic piece of art you can display in your home year round!  I sold quite a few last holiday season and I have heard that they are still enjoying them to this day.  To make things even better – they’re super easy to make!

Our Braeburns are still nice and crisp.  Without a doubt a good keeper. 
It was time for me to put the Braeburn to the test.  I peeled, cored and sliced the apples up and put them in the slow cooker.  They cooked up pretty decently.  I wasn’t a big fan of the sauce flavor (even though I do like to eat them fresh).  The sauce was sweet with maybe a tanginess to it – but I’m not exactly sure how to word the flavor exactly.  It was definitely not my favorite of the sauces…

Past apple tests:

• McIntosh
  
• Gala
  
• Tolman Sweet
  
• NW Greening
  
• Granny Smith
  
• Jonathan
  
• Baker’s Mix – October
  
• Valstar
  
• Jonagold
  
• Fuji
  
• Fireside
  
• Golden Delicious
  

As many of you know – once apple season slows down – crafting season begins for me!  One of the big things that I do in December is the Craftacular in Madison.  The show is actually going to be tomorrow, December 3rd from 10-5 at the East Side Club.  I hope you stop by if you have a chance or are in the area.

Also – the apple store itself will be open tomorrow from 9 to 12.  If you need cider, apples, honey, canned goods, etc, feel free to stop on in.

Here’s some links to ‘sneak peaks’ I’ve given about vendors you’ll see there:

If you’re just tuning in here are previous Craftacular Posts:

• 1.0

• 2.0

• 3.0

• 4.0

• 5.0

Now, I’m going to talk a little about what I’m offering and how I altered my display a bit.

One thing that is going to be different this year is that I won’t have a lot of quilts, bags, or aprons.  If there was anything that you wanted to look at please let me know now and I’ll be sure to pack it along.

One of the new things I’m offering this year are tutu’s.  I made both my girls one for their Halloween costume and I loved them so much I had to make more for you all to pick from!  Not only are there fantastic tutu’s but there is also a good selection of ‘Magic Apple Wands’, funky headbands, and fun hair pins.  If any of you remember my display from previous years it was all just brown wood.  Well, earlier this week I decided to modify it a bit – I spray painted the earring racks and other display items with chalkboard paint.  I tried to spray paint a few of my apple crates white but that really didn’t work so I had to go to brush painting white.  I think the white will really help you see into the crates at what’s displayed inside.  Overall – I’m really happy with the new look and can’t wait to see what you all think tomorrow! Capri dancing around in the rainbow tutu.Another new item I have this year are hand-dyed t-shirt rosette head bands.  Of course, I had to get some fun manikin heads to put them on!  Here is  a close-up of my earring racks.  I organized my earrings this year by price and then wrote with a chalk pen next to them how much they are.  This will hopefully ease your ability to shop for the perfect pair! Every time I tried a different tutu on Capri she would come up with a new dance move!  It’s amazing what those little circles of tulle will do to your child!

 

I will also be having a few ‘craftacular’ specials on earrings and ornaments so be sure to stop by my booth!  Hope to see many of you at the show tomorrow!