That Apple Pie Jam I keep babbling about.

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play 084My friend Wynn shared this recipe for Rum Raisin Apple Pie Jam with me somewhere around my second bushel of apples this fall.  It looked interesting, so I gave it a whirl.   I followed the recipe to a T, with the exception of the sugar. 9 cups of sugar to 6 cups of apples?  That made my teeth hurt just reading it.   I cut the sugar back to 2 cups  and used some of the excellent dark rum Peter brought Pat from Guatemala.   Continue reading →

College Football Food.

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Saturday’s plan was to sit and watch college football most of the afternoon & evening, which never fails to inspire me to cook a big pot of something and maybe even bake a batch of bread to go along with whatever is in the pot.  This Saturday, with it’s line up of conference championships, inspired me to make some recipes from college friends. That and some Double H andouille sausage I picked up at the Holiday market.   Pat asked if I was going to make gumbo with the sausage.  Considering I have at least 3 different batches in the freezer and it not being a favorite of at least one household member who says watching football with her parents is sort of like this beer commercial, I decided against it. She was already in for a long day of football with us (First SEC Championship, then the ACC & Big 10 games) and I didn’t want to antagonize her.   Besides, gumbo takes time – not just the time to chop all those vegetables, make a broth and a roux, it needs to simmer for a few hours and is really best after all the flavors have had time to meld – next day gumbo is way better than fresh gumbo.  Instead, I went for jambalaya, which is infinitely easier and far quicker.  You can start chopping your veggies and an hour later, your jambalaya is ready to serve.  Not so with gumbo. Continue reading →

Life is what happens when you make other plans.*

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DSCN4537It’s a known fact about my childhood that going to sleep in your own bed did not necessarily mean you were going to wake up there.  My parents were big fans of spontaneity and surprises.  As in, let’s put the kids in the car at 4 am and drive to so-and-so’s house to make breakfast.  Or let’s go surprise so-and-so at the beach.  Decide to head out on a camping trip at 8 in the evening?  Just par for the course. Continue reading →

Pie.

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name 001Apple pie, hands down my favorite dessert of all time, is one I spent years trying to master. There are lots of recipes out there for the ‘perfect’ apple pie – and I’ve read most of them.  Most of them advise using a certain type of apple – and most are limited to one variety.  The key to a really great apple pie is to mix up your varieties.  Right now, with some of the most flavorful apple varieties available around Central Virginia, is the time to make an apple pie.  And maybe one for the freezer. Continue reading →