Giuseppepaolo

I have a thing for freezer jam. A lifetime love affair actually. If my taste buds had them, they'd drop to their knees with each bite. It's the fresh fruit flavor that gets me every time because freezer jam is never heated which means the fruit isn't cooked. You mash, dice, mix and pour. The only heated ingredients are the water and pectin. And it's super easy to make. No special equipment needed other than your clean sterile jars. Peaches are in season right now....juicy and bursting with flavor. Perfect for making jam. Add a bit of ginger and you've taken things to a whole new level. Fresh, sweet and zingy. Did I mention easy? (just want to make sure that sinks in). Wash and peel your peaches and you're ready to roll! Here's a little ginger tip before you get started. Use the edge of a spoon to scrape the skin off your ginger. Want another tip? Keep your ginger in the freezer. Not only does it prolong the life, but frozen ginger grates super easily! Ginger...

These gems are bursting with flavor....tender, juicy and a bit spicy. We have here some Blackened Chicken, a Cajun Salsa, some delicious Cajun Dip drizzled all over it....all wrapped up in a pita. Pure yum factor going on here. The inspiration for such a diverse concoction comes from the tahini I used in the dip. Sesame King Cajun Tahini to be more specific. I had no idea there were flavored tahini's out there....so cool! They currently have Garlic, Honey, Cajun and Olive Oil flavors. All of which would be great in so many recipes. Hummus of course (how fun to have various flavor themes), dressings, sauces, dips. Before  Sunshine International Foods sent me some of their tahini, I had only used it in hummus. They have unknowingly guided me to expand my ways. Cajun Dip 6 tablespoons Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon Sesame King Cajun Tahini 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro, finely chopped 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning Salt and pepper to taste (about a pinch) Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl,...

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. The gardens are filled with ripened produce and the farmers markets are loaded with whatever you can't / don't grow. But soon enough, it all comes to an end. (boo-hoo) No fear! Sunday Supper is hear! Today it's all about saving summer! We have how-to's on dehydrating, freezing, making sauces, jams, pickling, oh my gosh...there's so much you can do to save those summers flavors. I recently made Grilled Fig Onion Glazed Pork Tenderloin and afterward I was bummed cuz I won't be able to make this year round. Figs aren't always in season. And that's when it dawned on me....I can make a savory jam with the very same ingredients I used to make the glaze....voila! My summer flavor has been saved for the whole year! Savory Fig and Sweet Onion Freezer Jam makes about 10 cups of jam Printable Version 1 tsp light olive oil 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced sweet onions 2 tsps white balsamic...

Chocolate hazelnut spread. A great flavor combination. And, that very famous brand.....which I really did like.....except for one thing. It left a strange waxy coating in my mouth. And honestly.... it's not the healthy snack spread that's boasted about on those commercials. I mean...really....2 tablespoons at 200 calories? Over half of the calories come from fat.  Not to mention 21 grams of sugar, 12 grams of fat, plus....artificial flavors.  As if we should expect anything else. After all, it is the sad fact of processed food.  But that's beside the point....my focus here is on an amazing alternative. Because no matter how much I question the "famous" one....I still crave that combination.  Because really...I do love it. And now I have a great, healthy, easy alternative. That not only leaves my mouth feeling 'wax-free', but makes me feel so much better about eating it.  My daughter found the recipe on Instagram and unfortunately there wasn't a website...

For the past week I've had ' blueberry ' on the brain. Not because they're so good for you. Not because they contain antioxidants. Not because they're loaded with vitamin C, manganese, and fiber. And the fact that they're low in fat and calories and are just so dang tasty , has nothing to do with why blueberries have been on my mind either. I buy them every week so whats so special now? Well, ever since I attended A Very Blueberry Thanksgiving last weekend, I can't stop thinking about these Little Blue Dynamos . So I decided to hit the kitchen and make something that was meant to last. Longer than a side dish or a smoothie. Freezer jam!!  I'm a huge fan of freezer jam. Not only is it easy but it's worry free (no concern about canning and lids sealing or the chance of botulism). And the fresh fruit flavor in freezer jams just can't be beat. That's right..fresh fruit as in.... not cooked . There is a very different flavor going on between cann...

It works. Blueberries with your Thanksgiving feast. I swear! If you're not much of a cranberry fan, then go for the little blue dynamos! If you LOVE blueberries, then just do it! You get that slight tartness with a little sweet, of course, but blueberries also work in savory dishes. I promise! Until yesterday, I had no idea that blueberries were so versatile. I attended A Very Blueberry Thanksgiving luncheon with Food Bloggers of Los Angeles, hosted by Erika of In Erika's Kitchen , sponsored by Blueberry Council and Rioja Wines . Every dish had blueberries in it, from the appetizers to the main course and last but not least, the dessert. The courses were magnificently paired with 6 different Rioja Wine varieties. One thing that stuck in my head, as I listened to the Little Blue Dynamos guys talk about blueberries, was the quality of produce that comes from Chile. For some reason I have always thought that imported produce wasn't as regulated as domestic. Well, Chile is an ...

It's canning season. Summer is ending today and fall begins tomorrow. August 12th was Can it Forward Day. What an exciting day that was. Really...fun, informative, and inspirational. Ball had a fun filled day of live online canning seminars....FREE!! With lots of giveaway opportunities. It was through one of those many opportunities that I won a Ball Home Canning Discovery Kit from Debby over at A Feast for the Eyes  Thank you so much Debby!!! Can I tell you how thrilled I was? That cool little basket was the biggest score for me. I don't have any special tools or anything for my canning adventures so having this basket that gets submerged into the boiling water along with the jars was a huge plus! No more dropping jars into the water cuz they slipped from the tongs that I've always used that aren't for holding jars. No more spilling near boiling water on me as I take the jars out cuz there's always just a little bit of water on the lid. And it's not like the ba...

There are a lot of different kinds of salsas running around out there. There's red tomato, tomatillo, strawberry, mango...etc etc. But have you tried Mushroom, Jalapeno, and Cilantro Salsa? Let me start off by telling you a little secret. Sometimes I get stuck on being a purist. I get attached to the original and am reluctant to embrace the new. I kinda have to mull it over....consider it....talk myself into it and then ease on in. It's not often that you'll see me among the first to jump on a bandwagon. With that said...in making this salsa....I was...timid. Not sure what to expect and how it would fill the roll that red tomato salsa has. Well...it doesn't. But that's not a bad thing. It has it's own roll. It's own flavors and it's own character. Once made...it's best after it has sat for a couple of hours and served at room temperature. It's even better the next day. I mean way better. Sitting here thinking about it, I want some with a tray of ...