Friday, June 24, 2011

Tamatoe Jam




  • 1 kilo tomatoes 
  • 1 kilo  sugar; ( I used a little less)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract;
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice;
  • 3/4 cup apple juice

  • Put tamotoes in boiling water for awhile. Remove and peel and core the tomatoes. Cut in small junks




  • Combine sugar and tamatoes in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.


  • Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and apple juice. Stir. 


  • Uncover and gently boil the mixture for about two hours over low heat. Stir occasionally for the first 90 minutes. Stir frequently for the last 30 minutes to keep the jam from burning.



  • The volume of the jam will reduce by half. It will darken in color and the tomato chunks will shrink. The jam is finished if it is syrupy when a little is placed on a cold plate. 

    Talula and Kitsykat



    Thursday, June 2, 2011

    Beautiful Kitchens and Kitchen Tips.

     



    1. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

    2. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle - perfect shaped pancakes every time.

    3. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

    4. To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

    5. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature & roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

    6. To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop-skillet will be much easier to clean.

    7. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead-no white mess on the outside of the cake.

    8. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato-it absorbs the excess salt for an instant "fix me up."

    9. Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

    10. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

    11. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.  (ah, an old 1940’s Fannie Farmer trick!)

    12. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh-if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

    13. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

    14. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

    15. If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

    16. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

    17. To get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area, instant relief.

    18. Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march-see for yourself.

    19. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

    Tips taken from http://www.power-yoga.com





    THE SERENITY PRAYER

    GOD GRANT ME THE SERENITY
    TO ACCEPT THE THINGS I CANNOT CHANGE;
    COURAGE TO CHANGE THE THINGS I CAN;
    AND WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

    LIVING ONE DAY AT A TIME;
    ENJOYING ONE MOMENT AT A TIME;
    ACCEPTING HARDSHIPS AS THE PATHWAY TO PEACE;
    TAKING, AS HE DID, THIS SINFUL WORLD
    AS IT IS, NOT AS I WOULD HAVE IT;
    TRUSTING THAT HE WILL MAKE ALL THINGS RIGHT
    IF I SURRENDER TO HIS WILL;
    THAT I MAY BE REASONABLY HAPPY IN THIS LIFE
    AND SUPREMELY HAPPY WITH HIM
    FOREVER IN THE NEXT.
    AMEN.

    --REINHOLD NIEBUHR