homemade marshmallows

These little treats have become a new Christmas staple for me to make. After making so many other things from scratch, I began to wonder if those nasty-styrofoam-tasting-marshmallows bought at the store might possibly have had better origins at one time. When I tasted homemade marshmallows for the first time, I honestly never wanted the others in my drink again.

For those of you thinking this might be too hard….don't worry, it's not too hard, and the results are amazing. You probably have all the ingredients on hand already. My son thinks they are some fluffy-goodness candy. 

Whip until thick.

Let set, uncovered, for four hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

So here is the recipe. (It makes at least 9 dozen of these medium-sized marshmallows).

Homemade Marshmallows 

(Alton Brown)

Ingredients

3 packages unflavored gelatin

1 cup ice cold water, divided

12 ounces granulated sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

Nonstick spray

Directions

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer along with 1/2 cup of the water. Have the whisk attachment standing by.

In a small saucepan combine the remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar, corn syrup and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, clip a candy thermometer onto the side of the pan and continue to cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches this temperature, immediately remove from the heat.

Turn the mixer on low speed and, while running, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once you have added all of the syrup, increase the speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12 to 15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping. While the mixture is whipping prepare the pans as follows.

For regular marshmallows:

Combine the confectioners' sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the sugar and cornstarch mixture and move around to completely coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Return the remaining mixture to the bowl for later use.

When ready, pour the mixture into the prepared pan, using a lightly oiled spatula for spreading evenly into the pan. Dust the top with enough of the remaining sugar and cornstarch mixture to lightly cover. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into 1-inch squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the confectioners' sugar mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of each marshmallow with the remaining mixture, using additional if necessary. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

ham corn chowder

It has been one of those wonderful Mondays. For lunch I made my favorite soup and have decided to share this amazing recipe because it is a perfect cool weather meal. Enjoy!

Ham Corn Chowder

3 cups cubed ham
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (or 1 pint frozen)
4 cups milk
1 cup sliced celery
 4 or 5 medium potatoes, cubed
2 1/4 cups water
1 large sweet onion, chopped
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
basil

Saute onions in butter in large pot until soft but not brown. Add water, potatoes, celery, and ham. Cook about 15 minutes then season with salt and pepper. Add corn and milk and allow to simmer until hot, but not boiling. Sprinkle bowls with basil when serving.

cherry pie

A few years ago, Jeremy's stepmom, Barbara, gave him a dwarf cherry tree for his birthday. This year was the first full harvest, and we picked six pounds of cherries. The kids loved to help pick, because the lower branches were just at their height. They tasted a few, but the cherries were too tart to eat right off the tree. I spent an hour or so pitting them while the guys were pouring footers. I like to make at least one meal for any crew we have working, and I especially like to feed hard workers.

I knew a meal was out of the question right now, so I thought fresh cherries might work instead. I pitted and washed the cherries, added the ingredients, and put them in a large stock pot.....on the grill. The crew wasn't going to be around long enough to taste the cherry pie, so I took some of the warm cherry pie filling and poured it over vanilla bean ice cream. It was heavenly!!! Later that evening when the pie was finished, I shared it with my family; my dad even told me cherry pie was one of his dad's favorites. I love learning about family history....it always seems to happen while eating or working. How 'bout that!

Cooking cherries on the grill.

Cherries over ice cream.

Fresh from the oven.

Delicious!

Classic Cherry Pie

2 quarts cherries
2 cups sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup water
3 heaping Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
red food coloring (optional)
2 9-inch pie shells

Drain cherries and heat juice to boiling and add sugar and butter. Mix water and cornstarch; add to juice. Thicken. Add almond flavoring and food coloring. Put in pie shell and bake at 450 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes.

Note** I had to be adjust a little because I was cooking the whole batch of cherries at one time. This isn't hard to do if you keep the ratios the same. Typically, I would make a lattice top for the pie, but the full top with sugar sprinkled worked pretty well too.

grilled quesadilla

I am learning to be creative with the grill now that I am without a kitchen, and the gas has not been connected to my canning stove. So, alas, I am using the grill. Tonight I made grilled quesadillas with grilled chicken, onions, peppers, mozzarella cheese, and soft taco shells. I added fresh cilantro from my garden - which really made the flavors pop. Yum.

baked chicken dinner

Yesterday I spent some time with my mother and she let me try a new recipe she had created. She has always made very good baked chicken, so when she told me she had tried something new with it, I wasn't sure how it could get any better. As always, her recipe was great. This new baked chicken recipe tastes like a gourmet meal, and is actually easier than her original recipe. I decided to make it tonight for my family (and so I wouldn't forget her directions).

Baked chicken, steamed potatoes, candied carrots

Baked Chicken

Thaw chicken breasts and trim fat. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with vegetable oil cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in dish. Coat topside of chicken with mayonnaise, then lightly layer with herbs. (I used basil, parsley, ground pepper, cilantro, oregano and an Italian spice mix.) Crush Ritz buttered crackers until fine and coat the top of the chicken breasts. (I crush the crackers by placing them in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Test the thickest part of the breast with a food thermometer; poultry should read 170 degrees when finished cooking. This chicken is so tender and the taste is absolutely delicious. Thanks Mom!!!!

baked chicken fresh from the oven

Candied Carrots

I like the look of petite whole carrots. I washed the carrots and trimmed the ends of the greenery. I put them in a microwave-safe covered dish with about 4 Tablespoons water and microwaved for 5 minutes. When done cooking, I brushed butter on the carrots and lightly coated with brown sugar. I put the lid back on the dish to keep the carrots lightly cooking until ready to serve.

Steamed Potatoes

I found a yellow potato in the fresh produce section at Meijer that is in a steamable bag. They cook in 8 minutes in the microwave and taste so good. These fresh potatoes are great without anything added, but if you prefer, you can add a little butter and herbs.

A gourmet meal start to finish in less than an hour. No leftovers, so I think we will do this again!

cupcakes and chocolate buttons

The idea of serving cupcakes at Claire's birthday appealed to me this year because cupcakes are so quick and they instantly look cute with some icing and decorative paper cups. I found these baking pearls that I love, because you simply drop them on the icing and they stick instantly; they don't roll around at all. (I should say, they don't roll around on the icing....they roll around on the floor quite well when you get "help" in the kitchen). :-)

For Claire's cake, I used a 6" baking ring pan. It took longer to cook than normal, but I think it is because it is so deep, so plan on doubling the time on a smaller deep pan. I recently learned the trick to a smooth looking cake. Most cakes "dome" when you bake them. Before icing, let cake cool completely then take a cake saw, or serrated knife, and cut the top off the cake so it is level across. Then ice as you normally would.

I also found this cute button fondant mold, but did not want fondant on the cake, so I used colored chocolate from Wilton. I followed the chocolate directions for warming, then spooned the chocolate in the mold and let cool in the refrigerator. After icing my cake, I put the chocolate buttons on the cake and also used some of the aforementioned pearls.

Here is Claire eating her cake. She insisted on using her fork the whole time and didn't want to get messy. Her Papa even took the fork away, and she stared at him - not touching her cake - until he gave it back. She never did get really messy.

A year has gone so fast.
I love you, my little dear.

for the birthday boy

For their birthdays, I make my children the cake or meal of their choice. The morning of my little man's birthday he requested a red cake with m&ms. I am not a big fan of things in my cakes, so I thought that using the m&ms on the decoration might be to his liking....and mine. I gave it my best shot. I made a two-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese filling and icing, and used mini m&ms. He liked it, so that is what counts. :-)

pulled pork chili

I had some leftover pulled pork in the fridge and wanted to make a warm fall meal. I threw together a few ingredients for chili, cooked some noodles, added some cheese, and dinner was ready. Yum!

Pulled Pork Chili

2 pounds cooked pulled pork
2 16oz cans diced tomatoes
2 16oz cans light red kidney beans
2 16oz cans tomato sauce
1 1.4lb can whole black beans
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
salt
pepper

Warm the pork, add tomatoes, sauce, and beans. Simmer. Add spices and continue to simmer until flavors blend. Serve warm over pasta. Top with cheese.

homemade pasta sauce

I was reminded today of the passage in Matthew 9:37 where Jesus was talking with his disciples and he said “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” The interesting thing about harvest is that it doesn't wait for when it best suits us to work. When the harvest is ready, we need to stop whatever else we are doing and gather the harvest. The same is true of the Lord's call on our lives. He is calling, and we need to act with obedience and promptness, because his call is an indication that his harvest is ready and he needs us to work.

My harvest today was tomatoes, and it was time to make pasta sauce. I wash them and remove the stems, then boil them in water for a few minutes. Next, I run them through my KitchenAid sieve, which removes the peel and seeds, and purees the rest. Then I add my spices to the tomatoes and cook again. Pour into the pint jars and process for 40 minutes. Pretty easy!

some of my tomatoes (small size this year)

my KitchenAid attachment

my pasta sauce

my kitchen help: Frederick and Elauna
note: one needed an apron :-)