State Fair Food Entries

My food entries were due at the fair yesterday morning for judging. I entered 3 items: banana bread (no nuts), scones, and strawberry jam (didn't get that in the picture).
Everything looks good to me, I hope the judges thought so too! I got up at 5 to bake the banana bread, as I work out with some friends every Wednesday at 7 (Mondays too). The scones I made the night before, up to the point of baking, and baked them after I got home from my workout.

It was fun to see and talk to the other entrants during drop-off. I usually don't enter food (except for jam, which I usually drop off when I bring my clothing entries), so that was new for me. More younger entrants than for the textile categories, and a lot more men. Judging was yesterday afternoon, but I didn't stay, so I won't be able to find out my results until I go to the fair (August 4-14 this year).

Strawberries

It's strawberry season here in Wisconsin, or at least it was last week.
We picked strawberries 3 separate times this year, and got a total of about 30 pounds. I might have gone a wee bit overboard.

Here is the beginning of mango-strawberry jam. We ran out of jam about 3 months ago, and I am making sure that we do not run out this year.

See? I went a bit overboard (and this isn't all of it). Over the past few days I made strawberry syrup, strawberry jam, strawberry-rhubarb jam, strawberry-raspberry jam, mango-strawberry jam, strawberry sorbet, vanilla yogurt, frijoles, refrigerator pickles, and pickled garlic scapes.

It got pretty hot in the kitchen some of those days. We don't have working a/c.

It was worth it though, as it all tastes SO good, and we'll especially appreciate it this winter when we get to have a taste of summer.

I also celebrated my 41st birthday on Wednesday. Calvin planned a dinner of my favorite comfort food (homemade macaroni and cheese), and instead of cake (which I don't care for very much), my favorite dessert (creme brulee).

Fun With Food

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you know that I've been having fun learning how to put up food. I've been making jam for years, but have always wanted to try other things, specifically tomatoes. When a friend asked if I was interested in taking a canning class in late August, I was there. At the class, we made jam with no added pectin, salsa, and canned whole tomatoes. Doing the tomatoes was just the boost I needed to start on my own.

I've belonged to a CSA (Springdale Farm) for about 5 years, and every year, we get lots of cucumbers. I don't really like cucumbers. This year, we also got dill once in a while, and in the weekly newsletter, they sent a recipe for refrigerator pickles. Both Calvin and David like pickles, so I gave it a try. They declared it a success! Next year I might try a cooked recipe that is canned.

I made basil-garlic tomato sauce (from the Ball Blue Book) using tomatoes from my garden, CSA, and the farmer's market. I needed 20# of tomatoes, and when I told the farmer I was making sauce, she offered me a price break if I would take the 'ugly' brandywines. Yay! The sauce took forever to reduce, but it was worth it, and I now have 9 pints sitting on my shelves.

I also put up tomatoes for the first time. These are Clint Eastwood Rowdy Reds, from my garden. I managed to keep the late blight mostly at bay this year.

Outpost had a truckload sale last Saturday, and one of the specials was an 18# box of organic peaches for $20. I bought one and put up 13.5 pints of sliced peaches in a light syrup. Unfortunately I dropped one pint on the floor. I learned that I should always wear shoes when canning (I was fine, but it was close!).

I have to say, I love that I can take this...

...and end up with 7 quarter pints of really really good ketchup.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies

Beth came over today, and we had a Christmas cookie baking marathon. Caleb is off on a Boy Scout campout, so it was just Calvin and Connor as our helpers. We made 5 different kinds, for a total of about 300 cookies.

The boys fought over using the mixer, but settled down after we threatened to kick them out of the kitchen. We might have threatened other things as well.

Connor was a pretty good helper.

The boys had fun with the sprinkles. Can you guess which trees Connor decorated?

It was really really hard to resist playing in the powdered sugar, and finally, he just gave in. It does look like snow, after all.

My half of the cookies. We made gingersnaps (11th recipe), spritz (trees, dogs, and wreaths), mexican wedding cakes, double chocolate kiss cookies (2nd recipe), and chocolate chip (yeah, all these neat holiday cookies, and David wants plain chocolate chip cookies).

Think these will last until Epiphany? Yeah, I don't either.

I.Am.Obsessed.

I've become obsessed with bento lunches, and it's all Rowena's fault. It all started innocently enough. About a year ago, I found out about Vegan Lunch Box. While we are not vegan, or even vegetarian, I enjoyed seeing the lunches she made for Schmoo, and got lots of ideas for the lunches I was making every day for Caleb. I started using containers and getting thermoses, and tried making lunches that had as little waste as possible.

About a week ago, someone asked for lunch ideas on one of my email lists. Since this year I now make two lunches a day (Calvin's school has no hot lunch program. Caleb's does, but it's expensive, and he wasn't too keen on the selections), I thought I'd play, and listed a bunch of my ideas. Then Rowena had to go and post her Sunday Morning shoutouts. I looked at BabyHopes Domesticity Flickr Album. Do you see them? Do you? The darling little cow and piggy hard boiled eggs??? Oh my, I had to try that!

Through BabyHopes, I found the Lunch In A Box blog a few days ago. Oh. My. Goodness! This site is packed (hee!) with information! Tips! Tutorials! Ideas! Recipes! Yesterday I went out to Wal-Mart to get the ice-cream molds, and they still had them! (I was afraid I had missed out, since it's now September, and it seems the stores get rid of seasonal stuff so fast). I bought 6! I got home, and had a note from Lori that our Williams-Sonoma had the same molds that were on the Lunch In A Box blog on sale! I went and got those too! I boiled eggs right away! I am obsessed!

Two piggys and two cows cooling in their ice bath, plus an extra boiled egg. I wanted to do the star mold too, but couldn't find another rubber band. Here is how you mold boiled eggs.

Aren't they cute?? The top molds are the WS ones, the bottoms are the Wal-Mart ones. Calvin is getting a cow for his snack this morning, and it's a surprise. I stuck some paprika in the eyes and mouth on his for contrast. He's going to love it.

After I unmolded them (the Wal-Mart ones unmolded a bit easier than the WS ones. Next time I will spray the faces with butter spray, or rub a bit of oil on them), Connor wanted a 'piggy-egg' right away.

Next to try: Make your own jello/fruit cups (I bought white grape/peach juice for this. Yum!).

After that: yaki onigiri

Calvin will eat just about anything, and doesn't really care for sandwiches, so I am going to have so much fun making neat little lunches for him this year. :) Connor and I will have to start having bentos too!