Simple Sensory Fun for Toddlers - Shaving Cream Painting

Looking for a simple way to entertain the kids?  Shaving cream painting is just the thing. You'll need regular shave cream and finger or tempra paint.

On a surface you can easially wipe clean (or better yet, hose off) make your pallet. A pile of shave cream plus some paint for each color. 

Let the kids mix it up and paint the table, each other, etc...  (Out Parents as Teachers group did a sensory craft like this using bubble wrap to paint on.)

Have fun getting messy - then hose it off!

Spring Garlic

The first harvest of the season, spring (aka baby) garlic is one of my favorites. 

Use it like you would green onions - it adds a garlic flavor to your cooking that's much more mellow and mild than mature garlic cloves.

Garlic is one of the easiest herbs to grow in your garden. I skip the expensive stuff you'll find at the garden center and buy some good organic garlic heads at my local supermarket or farmers market. 

Not only is garlic delicious, but it makes a great companion plant to the rest of your garden. Its aroma is thought to repel would-be garden pests, like bunnies. I use it along the edge of my beds along with other natural repellents, like nasturtium and marigolds. 

Plant each clove 4-6" apart in the fall.  (Plant them closer together if you want spring/baby garlic, then in the spring you can thin them to enjoy this culinary treat.)

As a general rule:

Plant your garlic on Columbus Day (mid-October). 

Thin to harvest spring/baby garlic mid-April. 

Cut flowers off on Memorial Day (end of May). 

Harvest mature heads on Independence Day (early July). 

Happy gardening!

Preserving the Fall Harvest - Canning, Drying & Freezing

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As summer turns to fall each year - a little voice in my head (I think of it as my inner-squirrel) starts to give me panicky reminders that it's almost over. Soon the garden that I've been lovingly caring for will be waiting patiently for the spring to begin it all again.  And, in these last weeks, I'm driven to save as much of the fresh garden goodness as I possibly can - so that on winter's dreariest days my family can enjoy the tastes of summer (and I get a head-start on gifts for Christmas). 

It starts here. My garden. How I love digging in the dirt and working out here with my kids. It means the world to me, really. In the years that we were having trouble getting pregnant and dealing with the difficulties of IVF and bitter disappointment - my garden became sweet therapy. I'm sure that's because my desperate mind connected the miracle of planting a seed in the dirt and caring for it as it grows to the babies I so badly wanted.  But, even now, as my miracle babies are about to turn two and three, I find absolute joy in my garden. 

I grew more than 120 fruits, vegetables and flowers this year - and along with being busy with fall garden prep, I've been canning, drying and freezing as much as I can both from my garden and local farms.  I've included some ideas for preserving below, from my kitchen to yours.  Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Canning

I have posted some canning recipes on my blog, and I'll continue to link them as I get the time to post the rest. This year's fall canning included: Slow Cooker Apple Butter, "Apple Pie" Jam, Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce, Peach Jam, Salsa, Jalapeño Jelly, Dill Pickles and Fruit Cocktail. Since I'm posting the recipes for these separately, I'm not going to ramble on about them here. I hope you try some - and hope you like them.

Drying

I love herbs, and my garden is full of them. Basil, lemon basil, cinnamon basil, peppery-purple basil, thyme and lemon thyme, cilantro (my favorite), parsley, sage, rosemary, lemongrass and mint all graced my fall harvest.  I save them in two ways - either in a frozen spice blend, described below, or by drying them. 

Drying herbs is really the simplest food preservation method I've tried:

Kids can help!  Put 'em to work!  My garden is a sensory classroom for my kids. When we harvest herbs I take time to show them the different smells, textures and tastes of the plants. They help cut the plants in the right places - and carry wicker baskets to gather the goodies. 

You'll need:

Fresh, organic, local herbs to pick. If you don't grow your own, have no fear - check out your local farmers market or a farm stand from a local grower.

Rubber bands

Hooks to hang your herbs from.  (I use 3M Command Adhesive hooks to prevent damage to my walls.)

Wall space to hang your herbs in a humidity controlled room (like an air conditioned kitchen).

Dry herb jars, with shaker tops, I use these, by Ball.

Get to work:

Cut your herbs carefully, especially if you'd like to encourage continued growth. Try for a six to eight inch section of stem. 

Wash herbs thoroughly with cool water. Don't soak them. 

Spread them out on paper towels for a few hours to dry. 

Gather herbs by the stem in 1/2" to 3/4" diameter groups.  Pick off the bottom inch or so of leaves and wrap the bunch of stem bottoms with a rubber band. Hang them upside down and leave them alone for a few weeks. When they are completely dry and crumble at your touch, they're done. Put them in jars with a shaker top and enjoy for up to a year.

Spice Blends

Now, on to the spice blends.  These are wonderful and you can customize them to your cooking style. 

Kids can help!  Put em' to work!  The food processor is one of my kids favorite kitchen tools. They are great at putting food in and love to push the buttons to grind it up.

You'll need:

A food processor

Ice trays with lids, I use these by Fresh Baby that I used to make my girls' baby food in, (or plastic wrap to cover regular trays)

Large yellow onions, one per batch you plan to make

Salted butter, 3 tablespoon per batch

Olive oil, about 1/4 cup per batch (more or less to get the consistency you'd like)

Fresh garlic, three cloves per batch

Herbs of your choice - pick combinations you'll use. For Italian cooking I use a blend of oregano, basil and parsley. Basil, thyme and parsley are good to throw in with sautéed meat and veggies. Rosemary and sage for roasts. Chives with butter and garlic to spread on garlic bread or dollop on top of a steak just before you pull it off the grill. Parsley butter for potatoes or pasta. The combinations are only limited by your imagination!

Get to work:

The base is the same for each blend. To your food processor add one peeled and quartered onion, three cloves of garlic and three tablespoons of butter and purée. 

Next, add your herbs and while running the processor drizzle olive oil until the consistency is smooth and creamy. Smell that?  Mmmmm. 

Scrape the sides of your processor bowl and run it for a few seconds more.

Now scrape the mixture into one of your ice trays.  Spread it evenly. Cover and freeze for 24 hours. Then crack them apart (this will require muscles) and freeze in gallon freezer bags. In a deep freeze (-5 to -10 degrees Fahrenheit) they are good for about a year.

When you need them, grab a couple and drop them into your dish. You will be amazed - and will save all that time peeling, chopping and measuring.

Freezing

Last, but not least, freezing fall veggies is a must for me. I freeze more obvious things, like tomatoes and beans. But the majority of my fall freezing is squash.  I've read over and over that squash doesn't freeze well. And that's somewhat true - since squash is mostly water, you'll need to be prepared and willing to use it in a less-firm form (and be sure to drain off the water released when thawing) when it comes out of the freezer. But there's so much you can do with it!

Shred it:  zucchini is amazingly versatile when shredded.  Add a cup of it as a nearly invisible ingredient to baked goods like breads (try my pineapple zucchini bread) and cakes.  Or make my zucchini stuffed, bacon wrapped chicken recipe.  I freeze sandwich bags with two cups each in them stuffed into larger gallon freezer bags. Since it's pre-measured - I just thaw, drain off the excess water and throw it in.  I also shred spaghetti squash and freeze it. 

Chop it:  zucchini, yellow, hubbard and butternut squash all chop and freeze reasonably well. Chop into large, think chunks to help make up for volume loss caused by freezing/thawing. 

Lay pieces out on wax paper lined baking sheets and freeze in a single layer for two hours. 

Quickly remove and put into gallon freezer bags. Lay bags flat in the freezer. Individually freezing them this way should help to keep then from ending up as one solid block of squash - so you can scoop out the amount you need. 

Spice blend plus chopped squash = yum!  I throw chopped chunks of squash in with sauces, sautéed veggies and meat, pasta dishes and roasts.  (Whenever you poke your head in the freezer, pick up the bags and move the pieces around to prevent clumping.)

Slice it:  Slicing zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise gives you a great layering vegetable. Freeze individually, as described above.  Thaw, drain excess water and use in place of noodles for a low-carb lasagna. You can bake them in the oven with cheese for a simple side dish.  Or roll them up with cream cheese, spinach and bacon. 

These are just a few ways to savor the season a little longer. I hope you enjoy them and have some fun!

These are ideas and recipes from my kitchen and others, where noted on separate posts.  I make no guarantee for their safety.  To learn more about preserving food safely, please click here.

Slow Cooker Apple Butter - Canning Recipe

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Easy Crock Pot Apple Butter

This recipe is super simple - and because it cooks for hours your house will smell heavenly!  The canning part at the end is pretty time consuming and involves a lot of hot water - so be sure to have something to distract your kiddos at the end (or time it right so that you can put them to bed or down for a nap when canning.)

Apple butter is a fantastic way to save the amazing taste of fresh, ripe apples and makes a nice gift. 

Kids can help!  Put 'em to work, they'll love it - or at least be grateful to you for it when they grow up. Maybe. Hopefully. 

Yield: 10-12 half-pint jars (cut it in half if you need less)

You'll need:

A 6-quart slow cooker

12 pounds of your favorite local, organic and freshly picked apples (I used Galas)

5 cups of dark brown sugar

3-4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (to your taste)

1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)

3 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

10-12 half-pint jars with lids and bands

A water bath canner

Get to work:

Wash and peel your apples, checking for and removing any bad spots or spoiled fruit.

Sprinkle each apple with a bit of ascorbic acid fruit preserver to keep it from browning. 

Add about half of your brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves to the bottom of your crock. 

Use an apple corer to make cutting all those apples a breeze.

Begin adding apples to the crock, when it's about half full add the rest of your brown sugar and spices. Cover with the remaining apple slices.  It's ok if the apples are mounded up higher than the top of your crock, as long as the lid will still fit snug around them. 

Cook on low for 3-4 hours, mashing with a potato masher every 20 minutes or so. 

When the apples have softened, add raisins, if using, and lemon juice.  Turn the heat to high and let it cook for another hour.  This is a good time to get your canner, jars & lids warming up.  Stir and mash often.

After an hour on high you can get the texture where you'd like it using a submersion blender.

Pour into hot jars, adjust lids and boil in a water bath canner for 10 minutes. Uncover canner and turn heat off, let jars sit in hot water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from water, cool over 24 hours and check seals. 

Recipe adapted from The Crockin' Girls Slow Cookin' Companion. I make no guarantees about its safety. Please see this link to learn about canning food safely:  http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH1451

Follow all manufacturers instructions for canning jars, lids and bands. 

"Apple Pie" Jam - Canning Recipe

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The apple is the ambassador fruit of fall, don't you think?  This time of year we see apple goodness everywhere.  You know the regulars - apple pie filling, apple butter, applesauce...  I love this recipe because its something different.  This is an apple jam that is pretty close in taste to a really good apple pie filling, but not so sweet or sticky. It's currently open in our fridge and disappearing fast - hubby and kids all give it high marks.

Kids can help!  Put 'em to work!  My little ones were glad to help measure, pour and stir this yummy jam.

Yield: about six half pints

What you'll need:

6 cups peeled, chopped apples, organic and freshly picked, if possible (about 8 medium, I used half Gala and half Granny Smith)

Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon

2 cups unsweetened apple juice

3/4 cup golden raisins

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 Tbsp Pectin

1 1/2 cups sugar or Splenda^®

6 (8 oz) half pint mason jars with lids and bands

A waterbath canner

A large pot

Get to work:

Put your clean jars and lids on a low simmer, do not boil. Get your waterbath canner going so it will be boiling when you are ready.

Note: I made three batches of this jam, so the photos below will reflect that quantity of ingredients. 

Wash those apples. 

Peel apples with a potato peeler. 

Sprinkle each one with an ascorbic acid fruit preserver to keep from browning. 

Use an apple corer/slicer to speed things along. Chop each slice into smaller chunks. Sprinkle with fruit preserver again to prevent browning. 

If making one batch - throw your apples into the pot along with the apple juice. (If you want to make multiple batches, get all of the prep work done and measure into separate bowls so they are ready to hit the pot as soon as the batch before goes into the canner.)

Zest your lemon. 

Using a strainer to catch the seeds, juice the lemon. 

Lemon zest and juice, measured and ready.

Combine raisins and cinnamon in a small bowl. 

Measure out your sugar. 

Mix together apples, apple juice, lemon peel and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until apples begin to soften. Stir often to keep from burning.  Remove from heat and whisk in pectin.

Add raisins and cinnamon. Return mixture to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Skim off foam, if necessary. 

Pour hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.

Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.  Turn off heat and remove canner lid.  Let jars remain in hot water for an additional five minutes.  Remove jars and allow to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours.  Check lids for seal after 24 hours. 

Give some as gifts. Eat some!  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Ball®. I make no guarantees about its safety. Please see this link to learn about canning food safely:  http://extension.missouri.edu/p/GH1451

Follow all manufacturers instructions for canning jars, lids and bands.  Adjust boiling times as needed for high altitude.