Homemade Italian Bread Crumbs

I haven't been on in quite a while as I gave up trying to learn how to post correctly on this blog. I decided to try again so here I am gonna post my instructions for making bread crumbs from scratch. As I was cleaning out the freezer at my church, I came across some hotdog, hamburger and subsandwich rolls that were way beyond their prime. Instead of throwing them out I decided to deyhdrate them and make bread crumbs. First I cut them in cubes, like croutons so they would dry faster and dried at 135 degrees for about 2 hours in my dehydrator. I let them sit overnight and the next day I ground them up in my processor and added about 2-1/2 Tablespoons of dry Italian seasoning, and 1 Tablespoon garlic salt to 8 cups of crumbs. (Adjust to what looks right to you) I mixed well and put up in large container. I compared it with some store bought and couldnt tell the difference. Easy to make, almost free to do. You could use any old stale bread, rolls, wheat or white, whatever you have. I like to use Italian Bread Crumbs in my meatloaf, Salisbury steak and it makes a good breading for baking meats. I love saving money so this was quick, fun and easy to do.

Chocolate Chip Caramel S'more Cups

I've been waiting for my sis to come down as I'm having trouble learning how to post pics with comments under them. Anyways looks like it gonna be awhile before I see her so decided to try again. I made these for a ladies get-together which I did not get to attend. Got sick instead so they went to the freezer waiting for a special moment. I guess that moment came today as its Pastor appreciation month and Pastor/sister came by to check on me. I sent her home with a dozen (minus one) for a happy. btw, she ate the one...
As I did a preview of the post, I see that the pics are not in order....Sorry will try again on another post.
Recipe is courtesy of Bettycrocker.com

1 lg. pouch Betty Crocker chocolate chip cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
24 Rolo candies
72 mini marshmallows (about 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. Make cookie dough as directed on package, using butter and egg. Shape dough into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place 1 ball in each muffin cup.

3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven firmly press 1 Rolo candy into center of each cookie until flush with cookie top. Top each with 3 marshmallows. Bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until marshmallow are puffed. Cool 10 minutes, loosen edges of cookie with small metal spatula and remove to cooking racks. Cool completely.

4. Place chocolate chips in small resealable freezer ziplock bag. Microwave on high about 1 minute or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth, cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate over marshmallow. Let stand until hardened about 10 minutes.

Makes: 2 dozen

Note: These freeze very well

Canning

Its been so long since I posted but have been busy canning this summer. Today I want to show you my pickled okra. The recipe is simple and easy to make. I used Jackie Clay's cookbook called Growing and Canning Your Own food. Jackie is a homesteading columnist for Backwoods Home Magazine and has a online blog at the magazine's website, www.backwoodshome.com/blobs/JackieClay.
Pickled Okra
2 lbs. fresh Okra
9 sm. Hot Peppers
3 Tbsp. dill seeds
4 cups white vinegar
4 cups water
1/2 cup pickling salt
1/4 cup sugar
cloves of garlic

In 9 wide mouth, hot jars, put 1 pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, and 1 tsp. dill seed in each one. Pack washed okra with stems cut short into jars, leaving 1/2 inch of head space.
Boil vinegar, water, pickling salt, and sugar and pour over okra, leaving 1/2 inch of head space. Remove bubbles. Wipe rim of jar clean; place hot, previously-simmered lid on jar, and screw down ring firmly tight. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

I followed this recipe except I left out the hot peppers(as I'm a wimp when it comes to heat) and I also put some in regular jars and liked it better. The okra tends to float to the top and it worked better staying in the liquid when packed tightly in regular jars. Also I halved this recipe as I didn't have enough at one time to make 9 jars. After reading several articles and recipes on pickled okra, its basically the same. They also state to do not open for several weeks to allow the okra to "pickle".
All this okra was given to me so cost was fairly cheap to make. I guess I need to keep better records so I can tell how much it cost to make.
Till next time, Happy Canning
Moy

I've been want to post this before the directions get like a vague memory of dajavu...I was given the recipe by Loretta Brown from church and she wanted these made for her 50th wedding anniversary that I catered. They turned out beautiful and were well liked. I was asked to make them again for Paula & George's wedding, so again, a big hit. Now looks like I'm gonna get more practice as we have graduation service at the church for our graduates soon. So, here's the recipe.

Spinach Pinwheels (the recipe had no name so I made one up)
2 packs spinach frozen 10oz. thawed & drained
1 pack dry Ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayonnaise OR 1 cream cheese (I used cream cheese)
1/2 cup bacon bits (real NOT artificial)
3 Tbsp. chopped green onion
10- 12" flour tortilla shells
Mix above ingredients. Smooth on flour tortillas. Roll up & cut to make pin rolls.

That's all the instructions on the recipe so need to post my tips. First beat cream cheese with sour cream. Add dressing mix and stir good. Then add bacon bits and chopped onion (if desired, onion in optional). Take spinach and squeeze out all water possible with your hands then take kitchen shears and cut the spinach into the mixture. I found that I only needed 1 1/2 boxes and not the 2 called for in the recipe. Stir well and spread on tortilla shells to the edge and roll up as tightly as possible. Secure with Saran Wrap and refrigerate. Cut into slices. I cut the ends off, discarded and then still got about 12 pinwheels per tortilla shell. They cut better after being refrigerated. I also made one day in advance for the wedding and kept refrigerated until needed. For the anniversary, more were made so due to time factor I made and froze them. Just take out about 30 minutes before trying to cut. Set out on pretty platter and listen to the owwwww's and ahhhhhh's.
You could also thin this by adding a little mayonnaise and serve as a dip with chips or crackers.

Just wanted to show what canning equipment I use to can. It is so necessary to have the tools of the trade to help you and keep you safe. I jar lifter is very important to keep you from burning yourself with boiling hot water. A magnetic lid lifter is very helpful in getting the lids out of the hot water and a pressure canner is necessary to can meats and vegetables. Also a wide mouth funnel is necessary to help get the food in the jars and not all down the sides of the jar. I also included some pics of pecans that I canned.
First I toasted the pecans in a single layer in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. I stayed right by the stove and kept opening the door and shaking and turning the pecans. When they were toasted to my liking, I put them in hot, DRY jars and put a previously boiled dry lid on, screwed the band on and put in pressure canner. I pressured canned at 10psi for 5 minutes. They are very tasty this way, no salt or anything else added. They are sealed and on my shelf for later use. The toasting brings out the flavor of the nut and will be great for my baking needs.
I still have about 20 lbs of tiny baby pecans to shell. It is a slow time consuming thing but I usually do this on my tv night as I'm sitting doing nothing. I do like to keep my hands busy. Will be canning more pecans as they last longer on the shelf then in the freezer. My goal is to can everything in my freezer that I can. If the freezer goes out during disaster then my loses will be few.

Today was the last canning day for this week. I put up 6 pints of chicken breast and 2pints of beef stew meat. I had taken a roast out and it needed to be cooked or canned. The pressure and time is the same for chicken as for beef so I was able to put them all in the canner at the same time. Everything sealed and looks good. So now I have a good start for my pantry shelves.

Hi all, its late again as I spend too much time on fb playing games. I worked today on canning chicken. I had so many leg quarters that I started w/them. I first decided to can them cooked versus the raw pack. So, instead of boiling chicken for a few hours, I pressure cooked the leg quarters for 5 minutes at 10# pressure. The chicken came out tender and well done. I separated most of the quarters but left a few whole to see if cutting was necessary. The whole pieces did just as good as the separated. After skinning and deboneing, I was able to get 6 pints and 1 half pint. I was rather anxious to try this as I was afraid I had cooked my chicken too long. So, tonight after church, I came home and nuked a bowl of dry spicy chicken noodles. After it was ready, I added half of the half-pint that I had canned. It was great. Really added to the dry noodle soup. I think I will make some more half-pints to have on my storage shelf. I really didn't need the wide mouth jars as the pieces were not large. Tomorrow I can chicken breast so will probably need the wide mouth. Well, gonna add my pics and off to bed.