Homemade Mustard, a trio of flavors!

Welcome to Our Sunday Café, we are pleased you stopped by for a visit. Today we are offering another delicious recipe from our kitchen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

Mustard Trio, great for gifts.

 Left to Right:

Tomato garlic with beer, Lemon Dill with Vermouth, Maple Orange with Sherry

Keep in mind I really have no expertise with what I am doing, except having fun. That is the great thing about cooking, it is always a creative process and after wards, you have food! Each jar of finished mustard is thick. I will most likely be adding additional liquid as the aging process continues.

Tomato Garlic and Beer Mustard

1 12oz bottle light beer, like a India Pale Ale
12 T whole mustard seeds, I used equal amount of light and dark mustard seeds

Pour beer over mustard seed,cover and just let them party overnight. (save any beer left in the bottle)

The next day,

Place seeds and remaining beer into food processor, then add:

1/2 c dried oil packed tomatoes, drain well
2 T sugar
1/4 t dried garlic powder
1 t salt
2 T dry mustard powder

3 T water

Process until mostly smooth. Add the water, and continue to process until the desired consistency is achieved, keep in mind this is a course style mustard. There will be whole seeds long after the dried tomatoes have disappeared in the processing.

Return to jar and let "mingle" a day or two on the counter. Refrigerate for aging.

Oh look another quart of mustard!

I learned something interesting while making this batch, the white seeds require more liquid than the brown.

Lemon Dill and Vermouth Mustard

6T white mustard seeds

2/3 c vermouth

Pour vermouth over seeds, let them get to know each other overnight.

Place seeds and any remaining vermouth into processor, then add:

1 T dry mustard

2 T sugar

1/4 t salt

juice of 1/2 lemon, strained

1/4 c vermouth

1/4 c water

Process, this takes a while, the mixture is smaller in volume. Add 1/4 c water, continue to process.

When desired consistency is achieved, add:

1 T dry dill weed

Pulse 2 or 3 times to mix dill weed into mustard. 

Return to jar for aging. 

Maple Orange Sherry Mustard (my favorite!)

2/3 c sherry wine

2/3 c water

12 T mixed mustard seeds

Pour water and sherry over mustard seeds, allow full political conversation throughout the night.

Place seeds and remaining wine/water mixture into processor, then add:

2 T dry mustard powder

3/4 t salt

1 T cider vinegar

1/2 t orange oil

Process until combined and the mixture begins to stall against the blades, then add:

1/3 c real maple syrup

Process until desired consistency is achieved. Return to jar for aging. 

Three jars of mustard, too "hot" to taste. These will sit out at room temperature for at least 24 hours to  temper the heat.
Then they will be refrigerated for 14 days before any final adjustments will be made regarding flavor and consistency.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Our Sunday Cafe, as always we appreciate your time when you visit and your wonderful comments! 

If you like what you see here, we would appreciate it if you told your friends (we would love more followers!), if not, tell us. Our goal is to share relevant information that you will use and enjoy. 

And now, it is very easy to sign up for Our Sunday Cafe posts by email. You will find the form located in the left sidebar, thank you for subscribing!

This post is being shared with:
Sunday's at one Food Club @ Cocina Diary

Dr Laura's Tasty Tuesday @ whoislaura

12

Old fashion bean soup, cook a pot of beans weekly

Welcome to Our Sunday Café, we are pleased you stopped by for a visit. Today we are offering another delicious recipe from our kitchen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

One of the reasons I was so interested in being a part of Cookbook Sundays, is this.....

But this shot does not show everything. I was not able to get the whole shelf in the photo! There is a couple of other important items on the shelf, but they are small. Like photos of my kids in high school, and now a little book of photos of my granddaughter. Oh and that bottle of instant chlorine remover, but we no longer have a fish, I guess that could go. Although I don't think that would make enough room for another cookbook.

Even with all those, I continue to pick up unusual cookbooks when I am out thrifting, like the cookbook that only has prune recipes, or the one on Onions. Sometimes I will find a companion book to one that I already own. Other times I will find a good deal on a book I already have, knowing my daughter would enjoy having it. I am always interested in these older theme books, like this one from Southern Living,

Southern Living Inflation Cookbook, Good Food for Hard Times (Published in 1973)

Not a pretty soup, but delicious, filling and frugal.

Old Fashioned Bean Soup

adapted from Southern Living 

2 c red beans

3 qt water (I am using 2 qt water and 1 qt chicken bone broth)

meaty ham bone or hock

1 c chopped onion

2 cloves garlic minced

1 bay leaf

1 c mashed potatoes* OR 1 large potato grated if you are out of leftover mashed potatoes!

1-2 c sliced celery

1-2 c sliced carrots

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 c cream or evaporated milk

Soak beans overnight in water to cover, plus 2 inches. Drain beans, place in a large kettle, add onion, garlic and bay leaf. Add 2 quarts cold water and the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. 

Add grated potato, celery  and carrots. Add salt and pepper to taste, starting with 1 1/2 t salt. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. 

I am not usually one to call names, however, so far this is one ugly soup! Let's take another look in one hour, when we finish up with adding the milk.

Remove ham hock, if desire mash some of the bean mixture with a potato masher. Remove meat from the hock bone, dice and return to soup kettle.

Stir in milk and serve.

Still not pretty! But by golly this is a very tasty soup.

Makes about 4 qts of soup. Garnish with smoked paprika if desire.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Our Sunday Cafe, as always we appreciate your time when you visit and your wonderful comments! 

If you like what you see here, we would appreciate it if you told your friends (we would love more followers!), if not, tell us. Our goal is to share relevant information that you will enjoy and use for yourself and your family. 

You can also sign up for Our Sunday Cafe posts by email, thank you for subscribing!

An update of random thoughts:   Next time (and there will probably be a next time, this is a good yet very basic recipe) I would use white beans, 2 potatoes, 2 bay leaves as well as increase the celery and carrots to 3 c each. I would add new, 1 t thyme leaves - crushed, and 1 c frozen or fresh corn.

This post is shared with:

Cookbook Sundays @ Brenda's Canadian Kitchen

Tuesday Night Supper Club @ fudge ripple

Pennywise Platter Thursday @ Nourishing Gourmet

10

One Pan Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes

Welcome to Our Sunday Café, we are pleased you stopped by for a visit. Today we are offering another delicious recipe from our kitchen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

One Pan Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes, just like Mom made.....

One Pan Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes.

UPDATE:  This recipe would be perfect for the newer 9X13 slow cookers that came on the market recently....

There are some dishes from your childhood that never leave your " I would sure like some of that tonight", request list. This is one of those. Tried and true, real home cooking.

Home cooking is nothing more than a process of using what is available in your pantry. That process repeated time after time, becomes a recipe. That recipe is more than food, it is love and memories all rolled into one! I am sure I watched Mom make this many, many times. It was a super easy supper, one she could fix and forget, for about an hour, anyway!

Scalloped potatoes and pork chops - a freestyle tutorial.
375-degree oven or you could use your slow cooker

4 pork chops
6 potatoes
1 large onion
garlic salt
thyme
1/4 c flour
black pepper
2 cans evaporated milk
Parmesan cheese (yep the green shaker stuff)

Brown the pork chops.

Place them in a large 11X15 pan, sprinkle with garlic salt and crushed thyme.

Slice 3 of the potatoes, dice 1/2 of the onion.

Cover the chops with the onion, then sliced potatoes.

Season with more garlic salt, crush thyme. Sprinkle with the 1/4 c flour.

Slice and dice the remaining vegetables.

Season the top with more garlic salt, thyme, and fresh ground pepper.

Pour the two cans of milk over the top, cover with foil, sealing well. Bake for 1 hour.

One Pan Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes, just like Mom made!

Remove the foil, sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese over the potatoes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350-degrees, return the pan to the oven and continue baking for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Our Sunday Cafe, as always we appreciate your time when you visit and your wonderful comments! 

If you like what you see here, we would appreciate it if you told your friends (we would love more followers!), if not, tell us. Our goal is to share relevant information that you will use and enjoy. 

And now, it is very easy to sign up forOur Sunday Cafe posts by email. You will find the form located in the left sidebar, thank you for subscribing!

PS, you may also enjoy our Homemade Household page, it can be found right at the top of the blog! 

this post shared with:
Friday Potluck @ EKat's Kitchen
Ultimate Recipe Swap @ life as mom

19

Apple Butter, a slow cooker recipe

Welcome to Our Sunday Café, we are pleased you stopped by for a visit. Today we are offering another delicious recipe from our kitchen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

I love apple butter, it has many uses, besides being spread on hot toast.

Stir a couple of spoonful into pan drippings for a different way to de-glazed and make a quick and delicious pan sauce.

Mix it with cream cheese for a tasty dip.

Use it as a filling between cake layers.

Use it in place of some of the shortening/fat in a recipe.

There is more, and I am sure you get the idea.

But until I have a tree to work with............

I use to live in Yakima and I am familiar with Snokist. This company processes many of the Yakima grown apples. When I noticed these large cans at Costco, I knew my apple butter was only a crock pot away.

Start this in the evening and right after breakfast, you are ready to process your delicious apple butter.

Crock Pot Apple Butter
adapted from Sage Trifle

1 # 10 can of water pack applesauce
2 c sugar
2 T cinnamon
1/8 t cloves
1/4 t allspice

Mix all ingredients in a large crock pot. Cover with a towel or screen, cook on low all night.

Place a small plate in the freezer, to use the next morning.

In the morning, this will have reduced down about 1/3 in volume. Place a small spoonful on the plate and let cool. If thick enough, turn off crock pot and prepare jars and a boiling water bath. If not let cook another hour or two, then prepare jars and water bath.

Jar up the butter, lid and cap, per manufacturers instructions. Process 12 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Apple Butter

Yield about 5 pints.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Our Sunday Cafe, as always we appreciate your time when you visit and your wonderful comments! 

If you like what you see here, we would appreciate it if you told your friends (we would love more followers!), if not, tell us. Our goal is to share relevant information that you will use and enjoy. 

And now, it is very easy to sign up for Our Sunday Cafe posts by email. You will find the form located in the left sidebar, thank you for subscribing!

This post shared with:
Recipe Swap Thursday @ Prairie Story
Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWLGLINS

14

Rhubard Raspberry and Red Grapefruit Jam

Welcome to Our Sunday Café, we are pleased you stopped by for a visit. Today we are offering another delicious recipe from our kitchen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

Rhubarb, Raspberry and Red Grapefruit Jam.

We always have "bread and butter" on jam making day as part of our supper.

It usually takes us a little while to realize how smart, our Mom was. Sometimes it will come upon us, as we prepare something for the first time and we just “know” how to do it, accurately. When finished, we might even have that a-ha moment, of complete and total understanding. 

Other times we might have a memory flashback to something that happened in our childhood, and realize that, Mom wanted us to learn and grow on our own. Those were the times we were left us to our own devices, so that we could. You might even recall working on a project, listening to her suggestions, and later wishing you had taken them. Mom would praised the work, just the same.

If we were to move out as soon as we thought we knew everything, most kids would move out at about age 13. And then move right back in, 20 minutes later, because what we thought we knew, was really just a 13 year old talking! I know it takes living and working as an adult, before you understand the wisdom of your own Mom.

Fortunately it is never too late to say thanks and express how you feel. Or to show respect for the ways that were taught and lived daily, should Mom no longer be there. My own Mom is not with us anymore. I think of my Mom often, most of it is good, and some, well we just won’t go there! You see, my Mom could be bold and loud, (did I mention loud?) in how she approached life and also, how she talked, if you know what I mean!

Growing up, we were well fed, noisy, but poor. Of course we did not know we were poor, and I did not  know we were noisy. I thought everyone lived like we did. But as I spent time with friends during grade school, I realized that no, everyone did not live like us. Their houses were quiet, with less kids in those houses! During these years, I was too young to understand the concept of creativity, but (fortunately) not too young to absorb it! And Mom was creative, in many many ways.

One time Mom had a can of green paint, I don't remember now if it was purchased or bartered for. But I do remember it was not really the right color for a living room. So she took it to the paint store and asked them to add a tube of yellow tint and shake it for her. She came home and painted the living room a nice cozy blue.

Our clothes were mended and passed down from kid to kid. When there was no one left to pass it to, she would have a “rummage” sale. Of course frequently our clothes started out from a rummage sale, so it was only right to complete the circle. She would trade what we had in excess for things we needed, when possible. Mom was also good about giving to others. Since she was never one to turn down anything for free, she was happy to share, when or what she could.

But food was where Mom was the most creative. She was willing to think outside the box to make a recipe work, or I should say, make the ingredients work. We were spoiled by her good food, and plenty of it. She knew if the food did not look and taste good, it might be wasted. That is probably a huge exaggeration, since 5 kids and a hungry husband kept her fairly busy in the kitchen. There was very little waste, and I am thinking probably none. I don't remember many leftovers in our refrigerator, as a kid.   

This June when my niece was married, my Mom inspired the wedding gift I put together for the bride and groom. It was a fun project and I gave credit to Mom, in the greeting I wrote. I felt it important to share that part of history with not only my niece, who was young when Mom first fell ill, but her new husband as well. It also was a way for Mom to be a part of my niece's wedding. All of us "kids" liked having Mom at the wedding.

I have been thinking about all of this today because of jam.  

This delicious jam recipe is from Alice Waters. As you can imagine, it tastes wonderful and is beautiful as well. The two ingredients, strawberry rhubarb and ruby grapefruit, cook to a beautiful crimson color. A beautiful sight indeed, in the pantry and as part of a gift basket. 

Sometimes the rhubarb from the garden is a greener color than I would like to use for this jam. I have also noticed that grapefruit labeled “ruby” are just pink, when you get them home and cut them in half.

These "ruby" fruits do not live up to the name!

When this happens, the jam is delicious, but a dull brown/greenish color. Not pretty at all, and truthfully not received well when given as gifts. I still have a couple of jars of this delicious, but unfortunate looking jam, from last year. I will eat it, it is delicious, just not pretty!

I think apple butter looks pretty in this color, but not rhubarb preserves. 

Oh how I long to make beautiful, crimson colored jam. So I asked myself, what would Mom do?

I knew that she would of taken the ingredients that she had and used them to make the best batch of jam possible. And that is when a solution came to me, use a small portion of my home grown raspberries to get that beautiful crimson color. Lets make jam..........shall we?

Crimson Rhubarb Grapefruit Jam

adapted from: Alice Waters

2 pounds rhubarb, crimson if possible sliced 1/4 inch - this is cleaned and ready to use, 2 pounds.

2 (organic) ruby grapefruits*, juice from both and the zest from one

1 c raspberries

4 c sugar

Combine the grapefruit juice and raspberries, simmer 5 minutes or until raspberries are soft. Press through a sieve to remove seeds.

The grapefruit/raspberry juice is very crimson,
this will make a pretty batch of jam.





Combine rhubarb, sugar, zest and raspberry/grapefruit mixture in a large heavy bottom stainless steel kettle. Let sit 1 hour (or overnight). Prepare six 8oz jelly jars and lids according to manufactures instructions. Place a plate in the freezer to check thickness of preserves. Bring preserves to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

Rhubarb, Raspberry and Red Grapefruit jam cooking. 

Continue to cook and stir 12 minutes, warning the preserves will boil up the side of the pan and may splatter. Stir constantly to prevent sticking and scorching. To test thickness, place a small spoonful of preserves onto the chilled plate, the plate should cool the preserves quickly.

When the preserves are chilled from the plate, they should be thick enough not to run, quickly across the plate. If not thick enough for your preference, continue cooking another minute or two. Check thickness again.

Here is a another great tip, from Mom. Place clean jars in a larger glass pan upside down, add 2 inches of water. Keep in a 350 degree oven until needed. 

 When ready to fill jars, remove pan from oven carefully. Turn jars over, emptying out any water. Fill those jars close to you, lid and cap. That way if you dribble jam while filling the others, it just does not matter!

Fill jars to 1/4 inch from the top. Attach lids and rings, secure tightly. Place jars in boiling water bath, process 10 minutes.

Let sit on counter to cool. Makes 6 full jars and some for now. I tested the little bowl of preserves, just to be sure this is good. Oh yeah, good and pretty!

* If you are unable to get organic grapefruit, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add your grapefruits (weigh them down with a plate, they will float) and boil for 3 - 5 minutes. You want to melt any wax coating off the rind. Then proceed with the recipe as written.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Our Sunday Cafe, as always we appreciate your time when you visit and your wonderful comments! 

If you like what you see here, we would appreciate it if you told your friends (we would love more followers!), if not, tell us. Our goal is to share relevant information that you will use and enjoy. 

And now, it is very easy to sign up for Our Sunday Cafe posts by email. You will find the form located in the left sidebar, thank you for subscribing!

this post will be shared with:
Hearth n Soul 19 @ a moderate life


Culinary Smackdown Lets get tangy with citrus! @ kitchen flavours

Pink Saturday @ How Sweet the Sound

25

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, the best chocolate chip cookie I have EVER made!

Welcome to Our Sunday Café, we are pleased you stopped by for a visit. Today we are offering another delicious recipe from our kitchen. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever made. The additional bonus to these cookies, because you brown the butter, you don't have to wait for any ingredients to come to room temperature, that makes this a great spur of the moment treat. Almost like instant gratification, in chocolate chip cookie form.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from: How Does She ?
350-degree oven

1/2 c butter

1/4 c butter - cut into 4 slices
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar

1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 T vanilla

2 c flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda

1 1/2 - 2 c chocolate chips
1 c pecan pieces or walnut pieces

Place the 1/2 c butter (1 cube) into a small flat pan, melt over medium-low heat, then carefully let butter brown to a golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the 4 slices of butter in bottom of the mixer bowl, add the brown sugar and sugar, add cooled butter and mix until creamy.

Next add the whole egg, the yolk, and vanilla, beating well.

Add flour, soda, and salt, mix well. The mixture will be smooth and creamy. Quickly mix in chips and pecan pieces.

Using a large cookie scoop (2 T size) scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes. Edges will be golden, do not over bake.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting Our Sunday Cafe, as always we appreciate your time when you visit and your wonderful comments! 

If you like what you see here, we would appreciate it if you told your friends (we would love more followers!), if not, tell us. Our goal is to share relevant information that you will use and enjoy. 

And now, it is very easy to sign up forOur Sunday Cafe posts by email. You will find the form located in the left sidebar, thank you for subscribing!

Tuesday Night Supper Club @ fudge ripple
This is shared with:  I'm Lovin' It @ Tidy Mom
Potluck Sunday @ Mommy's Kitchen

This post is being submitted for:
12 days of Bloggie-mas 5 cookies @ a moderate life

14