Quick Update and Enjoying Some Lemonade . . .

I made the CELERY SALAD again. I used craisins (dried cranberries) instead of the dried cherries, less expensive, and toasted the pecans more this time. It is even better than the first version!

I made the CURRY with no meat a few days ago. I just used beef broth powder. It was almost as good as the version with the ground beef. When I made it with a can of chicken from Costco and chicken broth, it was lighter and in a way I liked it even better.

I have the first make-a-mix ready to post, yummy waffles! I do have to type it up n

ow that I have all the amounts figured out, and I forgot to take pictures when I made them . . . :-} Sorry it is taking so long.

I have been getting the extra fruit from Bountiful Baskets. It is ripening fast since my home is so warm. Trying to keep up is crazy! I am so thankful that I have found this great source for putting fruit up for our family! It has been years and it is a beautiful sight! This is grape jelly, apples slices, apple butter, apricot/pineapple jam, bing cherries, and mango/pineapple jam. I missed the blackberry jam when I made the picture. Today I am bottling the peaches, as they ripen . . I have to go through them and do a few each day since they are ripening at different rates At least I won't have such a completely miserable swamp to live in this way.

I am so thankful that this opportunity BB (Bountiful Baskets) has come into Tucson for obtaining fresh produce. It was getting kind of discouraging with the garden as it has had good and bad days. I know, what should a person expect from beds that have been neglected for years? Nothing has happened but all the good soil being washed away for years.

All the good produce that I have been able to afford, has reminded me what my goal is and that it will take time. I have met some really nice people who can give me lots of guidance on gardening here, that is encouraging. When the new BB comes in, it gives me a lift and I get outside again and keep at it. Is there anything as wonderful as early morning air, gentle early sun rays shining on your back ,the birds singing all around you and finding something new that has struggled against the odds to grow? Not much, except family!

I would really encourage all of you who have any room to garden, however you can. it will give your soul a lift not much else can. God has given man intelligence that has made it possible for those with just a porch or patio to even garden in containers. Check out this master gardeners ideas and successes at Prudent Homemaker. She has great ideas, that work!

Get Rid of Your Chase Bank Cards

I just found this information on the website, "Preparedness Pro" I hope that you will take the time to check this out. With all that is going on around us, we need to be as informed as possible!

Go to this website to see it for yourself and a lot of other good info! http://preparednesspro.wordpress.com/

June 27, 2009

Get Rid of Your Chase Bank Cards

Posted by Kellene under Uncategorized | Tags: chase bank, credit, credit bill passed, credit cards, financial preparedness, minimum payment increase, rate increases |
[5] Comments

I don’t usually post on Saturdays, but an important issue came up this morning. So in the name of financial preparedness, I’m sharing it with you as I believe it’s vital to those who are trying to make the best financial decisions to be better prepared.

Chase Bank has just informed hundreds of thousands of card holders who were beguiled with a “low, low interest rate for the life of the balance of your credit card” deal that their minimum payment is going up.

As you know, a bill was recently passed which forbids credit card companies from increasing your RATE. But there is nothing that says they can’t increase your minimum payment. Well, get this. My sister’s minimum payment is more than doubling! It went from $500 a month to $1300 a month! BUT…Chase Bank is telling their customers that if they want the low minimum payment they are welcome to apply for a higher interest rate card!

It’s understandable why a lot of people are incensed by this. It’s a mockery of the bill that was passed and it’s an unfair punishment in the name of greed against all of the credit-worthy customers who qualified for this excellent low rate in the first place.

May I suggest that you not only get rid of your Chase Bank credit cards, but you get rid of your personal and business checking accounts there too. As the song goes “You’ve got to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.”

More Ideas for BB Produce

OK, I promise, that the make-a-mixes are coming! I have dug some of them out and still looking for more. I haven’t used them in years, so they will be coming a little at t time. I will put a label at the sidebar for them.

In the meantime, here are some of the ways that I am using the produce that I have gotten from BB (bountiful baskets). We got apricots and pineapple, so I just had to bottle a little sunshine. Apricot Pineapple Jam was a favorite of my mom’s and I loved helping her, just to make sure it was up to snuff!

Apricot-Pineapple Jam

• 5 cups prepared fruit (about 2-1/2 lb. fully ripe apricots and 1-1/2 fully ripe medium pineapples)
• 1 tsp. EVER-FRESH Fruit Protector (optional)
• 1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
• 1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
• 6 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

Process

1. Pit apricots; do not peel.
2. Finely chop or grind fruit.
3. Measure exactly 3-1/2 cups prepared apricots into 6- or 8-quart sauce pan
4. Peel and core pineapples; finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 1-1/2 cups prepared pineapple into sauce pan.
5. Add fruit protector and pectin; mix well. Add butter to reduce foaming.
6. Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
7. ADD sugar; stir.
8. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
9. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon

Fill Jars

1. Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops.
2. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids.
3. Screw bands Place middle part of lids in a pan, boil, and keep hot until ready to place on jars tightly.
4. Immediately turn upside down and let them cool.

If the lids do not pull down tight, they are not sealed! I take the lid off and check to make sure the glass and lid are clean. Next I put the lid back on, turn the whole jar upside down in a pan of water, with the water coming half way up the height of the jar. Boil for about 15 to 20 minutes and let it cool as before.

This recipe came from the KRAFT website and they go on to tell you how to process the jam in a water bath. I have never done this, but if you would like to go to the side of caution, here are the instructions.

Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary. Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Curry using celery and onions from BB **sorry no picture, I thought I had one, don't)

• 1 lb. ground beef, browned (I made it with a can of Costco chicken and it was also pretty good!)
• 1 whole bunch of celery, chopped in ½” pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced in ½” pieces
• 1 can (13.25 oz) mushrooms, drained & chopped up
• 6 c. water
• 2 T. beef bullion powder
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce (4T.)*
• 1 T. A-1 sauce (2T.)*
• 1 T. Lemon juice (2T.)*
• 1 t. curry powder (1 ½ t.)*
• Salt to taste
• 2-4 T. Corn starch, optional

*I use the greater amounts because i like my foods to make a "statement" and have a little "kick"!

Just throw this all in a pot and simmer until the celery is done to your taste! I leave it a little crunchy, just because I like my veggies to have a little texture left when I eat it. If you want it to be thickened a little, mix the cornstarch with 1/2 c. water, add to pot and simmer another minute or two.

Serve over rice is our favorite but one daughter prefers it over noodles. I tried it over instant mashed potatoes when I was tired, it was late and I was hungry . . . eewww, mistake!

Granny Smith Apples from BB

My oldest daughter was a pretty good little cook by the time she was 11. Later, for some reason, she decided that such menial tasks were not cool and took pride in NOT being a cook. Now, she is raising a cute little guy who is ALL BOY who has an intolerance for soy and sensitivity to dairy. (The results are bad enough that he will even ask if something has soy. He is only four years old.) All this, while feeding the rest of the family . . . pretty tricky way to live life!

This is her Apple Crisp, it’s delicious! . . . Mama is so proud . . . J

Apple Crisp

Filling

• 5 c. fruit
• 2-4 T. sugar

Topping

• ½ c. oats
• ½ c. brown sugar
• ¼ c. flour
• ½ t. each nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger
• ¼ c. butter
• ¼ c. chopped nuts or coconut

Mix fruit and sugar, place in an 8” X 8” pan. Stir it around and let the juices develop. Mix all the other dry ingredients, cut in butter. I do this by putting it all in a bowl, mixing it with the electric hand mixer. Sprinkle over top of fruit. Bake at 375 ° for 30-35 minutes. Don’t forget the ice cream when serving!

Favorite "Make-A-Mixes"

The other day I was making waffles from some of the church cannery pancake mix, for a treat. They weren't. I am thinking about making up some of the mixes I used when my kids were younger for quick breads and other quick ideas. Would anyone else be interested in seeing them?

Let me know if you're intested and what you would like to see!

Pineapple Salsa

This looks so good! If you are a southwesterner, you know that anything can make good salsa! If you aren't a southwesterner, it's time you learned ;-)

To check this out click HERE to go to Sabrina's blog (same Sabrina as the link to the right).

I'm making some . . . today!

Wonder Box for Black-Eye Peas

First a little bit of a disclaimer. These Black eye peas have been stored since about 1988. Pinto beans that old would be very difficult to cook soft. These took longer than normal, but did get soft and yummy. So far the wonder box has been a fun experience just learning what it will or will not do.

Pick through and rinse the peas the same way that you would pinto beans. If you aren't sure what I mean, click HERE. All dried beans and peas should be picked over this way. I put 2 c. of black eye peas and 4-5 cups of water in each pan or cooker. Salt to taste (I used 1/2 t. for low salt).

1. Pan on top of stove: Cover and boil for 15 minutes, then place in the wonder box. The temperature was 204 degrees, but dropped to 194 within 30 minutes. 2. The wire you see coming from under the lid was a remote thermometer to track the drop in temperature. Since the lid was not down tight, it did lose some heat, even though it was covered immediately with the wonder box top pillow. I left them cooking for 7 hours. 3. I just covered the crock pot, placed a folded towel over the top and cooked for about 7 hours.

1. This first pot of black eye peas were cooked in the Wonder Box. I had to cook them on the top of the stove for about 30 more minutes to finish them up. 2. The black eye peas in the small crock pot were just right. 3. These are my favorites for dressing up the black eye peas. The liquid smoke is a quick cheap way to kind of give the flavor of bacon. Use a little at a time, too much can really louse up your food! The Frank's hot sauce is more peppery without being so HOT like Tabasco is. The bacon bits is . . . well bacon . . . and of course everything is better with bacon! Right? Oh, and don't forget the cornbread! The little gadget in the front of the picture is the remote thermometer that I used to track the temperature. I find it to be really handy to have in the kitchen and out at the BBQ.

Celery Salad from Bountiful Baskets

I am determined to not waste anything fomr my BB (Bountiful Baskets)! If we don't use it all, we are not saving as much as possible. It has become quiter a fun game for me. So here is one of the salads that I am making today. Later, I will adding a couple more cucumber salads.

Sorry that there aren't more pictures. While Gabriel was here, I put black-eyed peas in the wonder box and small crock pot, then started the salads. In the middle of it all, Stephen brought Lincoln and picked up Gabriel. Poor little Lincoln got hungry and fussy. Since I get to be the ogre who is teaching him to take a bottle when mommy isn't here, things got a little hairy around here!! Just don't seem to be as good at multi-tasking as I used to be.

CELERY SALAD ----Really wonderful light salad for the hot summer weather . . . love it!

• 1 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1 1/2 T. fat free mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 T. plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped, toasted pecans
• 2 t. lemon juice
• 1/8 t. salt

Look below to see how what I put in the salad. Notice anything interesting? There is an extra bowl of something that looks suspiciously like peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber. I was trying to make a couple of salads and got the stuff mixed up!

I had put it in before I realized what I had done. It just makes the salad a little lighter flavored and juicier.

This would also be really tasty using craisins instead of dried cherries. I think I will add left over chicken, diced, so that it will be a complete meal in one dish. ;-) not that I am lazy or anything like that!