Homemade Sriracha ~ Hot Sauce Series pt 1

My first try at making homemade Sriracha. It turned out better than I could have ever expected! Sure to become a family favorite. My husband has already given rave reviews, saying it was better than any he had ever tried!

This is also the first in a series of videos in which I will be making different versions of hot sauce for the first time, and I can only hope that they all turn out this well.

The ingredients I used for this:

7 dragon peppers

3 guajillo peppers

1 sweet red pepper

5 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

white vinegar

Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!

Homemade Tomato Juice

If you like tomato juice, you will Love this! It is a bit of work, but it is more than worth the time and effort. My Grandmother gave me this recipe when I first started learning to can, many years ago. The juice is a little more thick than most tomato juices you may find, because of the way it's prepared. For our family, this is exactly how everyone likes it....a family favorite!

Savory Seasonings Salt Blend ~ "Crazy Salt" copycat

This is a delicious "copycat crazy salt". Very Simple. In the video I have cut the recipe in half.
Here is the full recipe:

Savory Seasoning Salt Blend

(Copycat Crazy Salt)

Ingredients:

1 cup salt

2 Tbsp dried parsley

1 Tbsp rubbed sage

1 Tbsp dried rosemary 

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 Tbsp of ground marjoram

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp basil

1 Tbsp dill seed

1 Tbsp celery seed

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp soul seasoning

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Place all the seasonings that you feel need to have a "finer" grind straight into the grinder and grind. Place these and all other ingredients straight into a mason jar, or something that it can be properly mixed in.  Shake well until thoroughly mixed. Pour into a shaker or dispenser and enjoy on all your favorite foods. Also makes a great seasoning when cooking. 

Canning Tomatoes ~ 2 Methods

In this video I show you how I water bath can tomatoes. I show you the 2 methods that I use:
Cold pack method: packing the prepared tomatoes in the jar cold (raw).
Hot pack method: boiling the tomatoes for just a few minutes before packing them in the jars. This is more like stewed tomatoes.
I get fantastic results from both methods, but I do tend to use the cold pack method more... it really just depends on your preference of final product.
Hope you enjoy the video!

1st Use of Canning / Cooking Pit pt 2 ~ DIY

Yay! I get to use the canning pit for the first time. I Love it! And, how we fix our air flow issue.

Building a Canning / Cooking Pit DIY #1

The outdoor cooking / canning pit that my husband built for me out of "scraps".
Part 1 is how he builds it and why. (Hint: reduces lots of heat from the house).
Also an issue or 2 we must address.

Quilt Binding / Bias Tape ~ How to Make Your Own

For the first couple of years of my quilting experience, I did not know how to do this. This is one of, if not the Most useful thing that I have ever learned as a quilter. It can be used in other crafts as well. Personally, I've used it for quilts, wall hangings, diaper bags, changing pads, covering the seams in a quilted purse or bag, and pillows, just to name a few.
If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section and I will gladly try to clarify anything.
Have a Great day!

Quilted Baby Crib Comforter

Materials

1 1/4 yard main fabric

1 1/4 yard coordinating fabric

1 yard coordinating fabric for binding OR purchase pre-made binding

Small bag quilt batting (45 x 60 inch)

Matching thread 

Tools

chalk

rotary cutter & cutting board or scissors

ruler

Taco Soup

A simple and delicious hearty crock pot meal the whole family loves!

TACO SOUP

1 - 1 1/2 pounds ground meat : your choice of meat....I'm using beef here.

1 - medium onion diced, or more if you like lots of onions

1 - package Ranch dressing mix
1 - package Taco seasoning
1 - Tbsp garlic powder

2 - cans diced tomatoes : if you like it spicy you can use RoTel tomatoes.

1 - can tomato sauce

1 - can kidney beans, your choice light or dark

1 - black beans

1 - can corn

2 - cups water

1 - bag corn chips (or tortilla chips)

Mozzarella & Colby Jack cheese (or cheese of choice)

sour cream

Note: you can add to or substitute many items in this recipe, so that makes it easy to make it to your own personal taste, including the beans, they can also be pintos or chili beans.

Directions: 

1. Brown ground meat and saute' onions together.  Strain out grease if necessary, and place in crock pot.

2. Place all dry ingredients, ranch mix, taco season & garlic powder, into a bowl and mix well. Pour in with meat and onions in the crock pot, and stir well, making sure to coat all of the meat and onions.

3. Optional: pour beans & corn into a strainer to drain off water that's in the cans. 

4. Add corn, beans, tomatoes and water into the crock pot.

5. Set crock pot to low heat & cover. Cook for about 8 hours. This too is adjustable according to your schedule. It would not hurt it to cook longer (as long as it's on low heat), nor would it hurt to eat it sooner. Everything is already cooked, so as long as it's hot, it can be safely eaten. The long / slow cooking time is to give all of the ingredients time to "marry" and also softens the beans and corn. 

6. When ready to eat, dish out and add condiments to your liking. Chips, cheese, sour cream, etc. 

     Enjoy!