Homemade Gum Drops

It's that time of year and the week of Christmas is here. Still busy trying to decide what I want to make and just came across these that I made a couple years ago....Homemade Gum Drops!

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups applesauce

2 boxes red or green jello

2 packets unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sugar for coating

Add the following to a large sauce pan 2 cups sugar 1 1/2 cups applesauce 2 boxes red or green jello 2 packets unflavored gelatin 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Stir and let stand 1 minute

Bring to boil storing constantly

Once boiling stir for one minute

Transfer to 11 x 7 pan sprayed with cooking spray.

Refrigerate for 3 hours

Remove from pan and cut into squares or use cookie cutters.dipped in hot water for shapes

Sit out for 8 hours for drying

While slightly sticky coat in sugar and ENJOY!

Sunday Funday Venison Chili

So my husband loves to hunt and a few weeks ago he brought home a deer.  Now I don't eat venison, or any red meat for that matter, but yet I have an entire freezer in my cellar filled with venison. Although I may not eat it I don't have a problem cooking with it as Scott loves it and I don't seem to have a problem finding others to enjoy the leftovers.  So yesterday I was home all day enjoying Hallmark movies with a mix of football and decided to make a pot of venison chili.  I would have to say that chili is probably one of the easiest things to make, its pretty simple.  Here is what you will need for my venison chili:

1.5 lbs of ground Venison
1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Jalapeno Pepper, diced
1 Sweet Onion, diced
4 Tablespoons of Garlic, crushed
1.5 Tablespoons of Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon of Cumin
2 Teaspoons of Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tablespoon Fiesta Party Seasoning (Tastefully Simple)
1 Tablespoon of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
2 Teaspoons of Black Pepper
1 Small can of Diced Tomatoes with Green Chili's
1/2 Large can of Diced Tomatoes
3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste
18 oz. Low Sodium and Low Fat Chicken Stock
2 small cans of Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed


1) Start by browning the venison in a dutch oven.  Once browned you can remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside, I covered it to keep it warm.

2) Add the 3 peppers, onion and garlic to the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.

3) Add the spices and cook for another 5 minutes.

4) Add in the venison, tomatoes, tomato paste and chick stock and bring to a boil.

5) Once boiling, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

6) Add in the beans and cook for another 15 minutes on low.

7) Remove from the heat.  I like to let it sit for a while before serving.  Scott like it as is but you can top with your favorite cheese, a spoonful of sour cream or both! Enjoy!

Southcoast'sFeathered Friends Contest

Vote today for this beautiful cardinal in the snow! You can vote once a day so be sure to return and vote daily to help this photo win!

Natural Wood Smoked Sea Salts

Scott and I were at a craft fair over the Holidays and bought a small jar of a smoked sea salt.  We got to thinking of all the possibilities and how we could probably make some smoked salts of our own. We stated with one and did some research and before we knew it we had about 7 different smoked salts and two infused salts.  With all the salt we now have we figured why not package them up and open a shop on Etsy.  I mean, what so we have to loose? 

Check out the shop to see the flavors we currently have and purchase them to try on your own! 

Oven Roasted Pot Roast

Today I woke up not feeling well and decided to stay home and rest for the day.  I haven't had much of an appetite so decided that cooking a meal Scott likes would be the perfect idea.  Since I was home I figured I would throw together a pot roast (well it might be little more that just throwing something together). Here is what you will need to "throw" this meal together for dinner.

(1) 3lb Rye Round Roast
(4) TBSP of EVOO
(1) Medium Sweet Onion (peeled and cut into quarters)
(6) Carrots (washed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
(3) Cloves of Garlic
(1) can Beef Broth
Splash of Red Wine
(1) Sprig of Rosemary
(3) Sprigs of Thyme
Salt and Pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
First add (3) TBSP of EVOO to a skillet.  While the oil heats up, salt and pepper the beef heavily and let sit.
Add the onion to the skillet and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add the carrots and the garlic to the skillet to brown.  Remove the carrots only and add to the plate with the onions.
Add the remaining oil to the pan and push the garlic to the sides.
Add the prepared beef to the pan and sear on all sides. Remove the beef and add to a baking casserole with a cover.  Add the onions and carrots to the baking dish.
Add a splash of red wine to the skillet to de-glaze the pan. Scrape the bottom to lift any browning stuck to the pan to add flavor to your soon to be gravy.
Add the can of beef broth and herbs and bring to a simmer.
Remove from heat and add the the casserole dish.  Topping the beef with the garlic and herb sprigs.

Cover the pan and roast in the oven for about and hour and half to 2 hours.
Remove and let rest for about a half hour.  Serve with mash potatoes, topping all with the "gravy" left in the baking dish. Enjoy!

Friday Night and Farm Stand Finds

Friday night Scott surprised me by taking me to The Black Whale in New Bedford for dinner.  There was about an hours wait to sit on the deck so we decided to eat inside where, to our surprise, there was no wait. We were immediately not impressed with the menu selection and costs but decided to stay and give it a shot.  The service was quick and our drinks, apps and even entrees came quickly.  The food itself was mediocre at best, once again not impressed and won't be going back anytime soon. 

On our way home we decided to go for a drive and ended up seeing a family of deer along the side of the road.  As we continued to drive we stumbled upon a farm stand.  As it was starting to get dark we pulled in to take a look.  It was an honor system stand with a great variety of veggies.  With flashlights in had we went through the bins to see what they were offering.  We grabbed a squash or 2, put our dollars in the bin and knew we would have to come back, with a little more cash!

So today we did just that.  After telling my mom about it she wanted to check it out so we headed over this morning to grab some fresh picked veggies for the week.  We grabbed some Purple Potatoes, Julienne Cherry, Green Zebra and Red Lightning Heirloom Tomatoes and some mini "lunchbox" peppers.

So tonight we will be having some roasted purple potatoes, a heirloom tomato salad and thick cut smoked pork chops.  Stay tuned for recipes and photos!

Slow Cooked Pork Roast with Veggies

Yesterday's dinner was a slow cooked quick dinner.  Its all in the prep and then let it cook all day and enjoy.  Here is what you will need to make this delicious meal:

1 Boneless Center Cut Pork Roast

10 Baby Red Potatoes (halved)

1 Small Bag Baby Carrots 

1.5 Bottles of Beer (I used Bud)

1 Package McCormick Smoked Applewood Marinade

Rub spice pack onto roast and add to lined slow cooker. Add veggies to the sides of the pot. Pour the beer over the veggies.  I let it sit overnight in the fridge and then turned the slow cooker on in the morning on low for 8hrs.  The roast just fell apart when it was done.

Best part, since there is only two of us we get to have the leftovers tonight! Enjoy, I know we will again!