Fat Frog Diary

  The link below is how I got started learning to water bath preserve, and it's much easier than my foggy memories of my mother and grandmother "putting up" tomato sauce, pickles of every kind, applesauce, and other delights for the palate, bought from the farmer's market.  I have very fond memories of slurping in childish greed on a home-canned dill pickle that maybe wasn't as crunchy as the processed ones from the store but was infinitely tastier. Even the "failures" were greeted with joy and greed because they had to be consumed immediately rather than waiting a few months into fall and winter.  (10) Canning 101: A Beginner's Guide (Back to Basics) - YouTube I strongly suggest you check out the comments section of the video. Rachel gives links to Amazon so you can purchase a kit that had the tools, water bath canners, and even jars and lids. She even has a discount code for the jars and lids.  The best part is that she shows you how to use the gia

 Shout out to Laura Davidson of A Beautiful Plate (www.abeautifulplate.com) for this recipe. It checks all the boxes for me. It's easy, fast, no peeling, no sugar, and delicious. I can even take it to the next level and water bath preserve the applesauce for this winter. You can switch up the apple varieties or add in cranberries or blackberries for a different flavor. Credit where credit is due! You can read her notes here: Instant Pot AppleSauce (No Sugar Added) - A Beautiful Plate Instant Pot Apple Sauce yield:  2   QUARTS   prep:  10 MINUTES   MINUTES cook:  7 MINUTES   MINUTES additional time:  10 MINUTES   MINUTES total:  27 MINUTES   MINUTES This incredibly easy instant pot apple sauce recipe is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, requires zero peeling, and contains zero added sugar. Using an Instant Pot, it can also be prepared in less than 30 minutes too! Almost all of the dietary fiber in apples is found in the skin; since you will be blending the apples once cooked, t

 Found this great recipe for easy summer salads. Yes, I said plural. This recipe has options! I used canned chicken, making this recipe a great "shelf special" to keep on hand. CHICKEN AND GARBANZO BEAN SALAD (w/options) 2 c cooked chicken, beef, or Spam 1 15oz can garbanzo beans/chickpeas 1 cup cubed cheddar or Monterey Jack 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 sm. Green pepper, chopped 2 green onions, chopped ********** ½ c mayonnaise 2 Tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp garlic powder Leaf lettuce Cherry tomatoes Nuts, chopped (optional) ******************* Mix the first set of ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix together the second set and add to first set in large bowl. Mix well. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Serve on leaf lettuce and garnish with cherry tomatoes and optional nuts if desired.