Ramona GirlFarmer

INGREDIENTS ·           1.5 cups apple sliced ·         1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries ·         1 navel orange ·         2 sliced oranges ·         ¼ cup honey or sugar ·         ¼ cup lemon juice ·         2 cups apple cider unfiltered ·         1 cup unsweetened 100% cranberry juice ·         1 bottle sweet red wine of choice ·         Fresh rosemary sprigs and cinnamon sticks for garnish INSTRUCTIONS ·         Add sliced apples, oranges, cranberries, red wine, cranberry juice, apple cider, lemon juice and honey or sugar to a large pitcher and stir well. ·         Place rosemary sprig and cinnamon sticks on top for garnish. ·         Let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight before serving. ·         Enjoy! (Thank you My Incredible Recipes)

Adding a chamber vac to the homestead has been a real game changer. I have been able to cut up fresh vegetables from the garden and vacuum seal them and store in the freezer. Bell peppers, cabbage, onions and I got creative with small bags of mix for omelettes. After cooking green beans in the instant pot (a lot of green beans) I vacuumed sealed them and use them with a variety of meals. I love green beans. I always cook large meals, for the leftovers. I vacuum seal one or two helpings to put in the freezer. Before the chamber vac, I would get tired of the same food and it would end up going to the chickens, now it goes to a later lunch!! I highly recommend any homesteader to seriously consider a chamber vac sealer. Food lasts so much longer in the freezer once it is vacuum sealed.

To make the best tomato sauce you need to remove the peels. The easiest way I have found is to freeze them. I just wash them off, cut off the stem and pop them in a gallon freezer Ziploc bag. Best to use the ripe, flavorful tomatoes out of your garden to make amazing sauce. When you are ready to make sauce, simply defrost the Ziploc bag of tomatoes. I set them in the sink overnight or use the microwave defrost setting. Once thawed, use clean hands, and the peel will slide right off the tomato. Easy as that.

You can make hard boiled eggs using fresh eggs with or without an Instant Pot. However, they can be hard to peel when you use fresh eggs, the instant pot seems to be a little better. Stovetop: Cover the eggs with water and bring to a boil. Ten minutes at a rolling boil, then pour off as much water as you can without burning yourself! Add icy cold water to cover eggs. Swish them around, adding more ice or cold water to get the eggs cooled quickly. Peel once they are cool. Instant Pot: I use the 5-5-5 method for the Instant Pot, it is easier to remember that way. Using the rack, you can put as many eggs in without going past the max line. Add 1 to 2 cups of water and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Be sure the relief valve is closed. Let the pressure release on its own for 5 minutes. Then, using a wooden spoon or meat fork, release the remaining pressure. Carefully put the eggs into a bowl of icy water, they will be hot, you may want to use tongs. When completely cooled, they will peel easily. Enjoy!

While looking for another way to make mashed potatoes I stumbled onto a very yummy alternative. Originally from Scotland and most likely created to use up leftovers, this dish has become a favorite. Ingredients: 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes 1 head Savoy or green cabbage, finely chopped 2 large onions, diced 1 stick butter 1 cup sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded salt and pepper to taste Preparation Directions: Preheat oven to 400˚. Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain and put back into pan. Mash potatoes until smooth and set aside. Melt butter in large skillet and sauté cabbage and onions until wilted, but not browned. Remove from heat. Mix the potatoes, cabbage, and onions with half the cheese, and stir until cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put mixture in a 2 quart (or 9x9) casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with lid or foil and bake for 30 minutes. Bake an additional 5 minutes uncovered until cheese on top is golden and bubbly. (Recipe from 12Tomatoes.com, adapted from Undiscovered Scotland.)