Apricot Freezer Jam - No cook version

The apricots that neighbor Frank gave me have been turned into jam. Really, really good jam.

Apricot Freezer Jam

3 cups apricots, mashed (about 17 small apricots)

2 tablespoon lemon juice 

1/2 teaspoon lemon rind, zested

5 cups granulated sugar 

1 pkg pectin + 3/4 cup water - stirring constantly, bring to boil and boil for one minute

Directions:
1 Mix apricots, lemon juice and rind.
2 Add sugar, stir 5 minutes until sugar dissolves.
3 Let stand 20 minutes.
4 Following directions above, add pectin .
5 Ladle into cartons or jars, filling to within 1/2 inch of top.
6 let stand until set, 24 hours or overnight. Cover and freeze.

To serve, thaw and store in refrigerator.

Farm Fresh To Me

Have you tried THIS service yet?

The produce is AMAZING!  So fresh, literally picked this morning before it was delivered to my door.  I've actually been using this service for two months and I'm really pleased with the selection and quality - I'm not affiliated in any way with Farm Fresh To You...just wanted to recommend a service that I think is really good.

Time to get my fruit and veggies on so I can get some energy to finish painting Allie's bedroom furniture.

Oh yeah.  Uh-huh.

Happy Valentines Day

I'm not sure what's happening tomorrow.  All I know is that I need to be ready to 'leave' at 11:00am.  My guess is that I'll be spending the day with Jeff - out and about on the town doing fun things like window shopping, lunching, people watching and then coming home to devour this bowl of luscious chocolate covered strawberries with the man I love.

 

 I sure hope so!

Jamba Juice Recipes = Deliciousness

Welcome Pinterest friends!  So glad you're here :)   Our favorites are Banana Berry, Mango Madness, Peach Pleasure, Razzmatazz, and Strawberry's Wild. 

 1 Scoop = 1/2 cup

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Smoothies are a favorite around my house and since we make them every week I thought I'd compile a list of our favorite Jamba Juice Recipes for you all to enjoy.  (By the way, these recipes are easily found on the internet and Pinterest).

 

Jamba Copycat Recipes:

ALOHA PINEAPPLE 10 oz. pineapple juice 1 scoop plain yogurt 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops pineapple sherbet 1 scoop ice 

BANANA BERRY 12 oz. apple juice 2 scoops bananas 1 scoop blueberries 1 scoop frozen yogurt 1 scoop raspberry sherbet 1 scoop ice 

BERRY LIME SUBLIME 12 oz. raspberry juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop raspberries 2 scoops lime sherbet 1 scoop ice 

BRIGHT EYED AND BLUEBERRY 12 oz. soymilk 2 scoops yogurt 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop blueberries 

CARIBBEAN PASSION 12 oz. Mango-passion juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop peaches 2 scoops orange sherbet 1 scoop ice 

CITRUS SQUEEZE 6 oz. pineapple juice 6 oz. orange juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops orange sherbet 1 scoop ice 

COLD BUSTER 12 oz orange juice 2 scoops peaches 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops orange sherbet 1 scoop ice 

KIWI BERRY BURNER 12 oz. Kiwi juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop raspberries 2 scoops raspberry sherbet 1 scoop ice 

MANGO-A-GO-GO 12 oz. Mango-passion juice 3 scoops mangos 2 scoops pineapple sherbet 1 scoop ice 

MANGO MANTRA 4 oz. orange juice 8 oz. enlightened base 2 scoops mangos 2 scoops peaches 1 scoop ice 

MIGHTLY CHERRY CHARGER 4 oz. raspberry juice 6 oz. soymilk 2 scoops cherries 1 scoop strawberries 2 scoops frozen yogurt 1 scoop ice 

ORANCE-A-PEEL 12 oz. orange juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops frozen yogurt 1 scoop ice 

ORANGE BERRY BLITZ 12 oz. orange juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop blueberries 2 scoops pineapple sherbet 1 scoop ice 

ORANGE CHERRY CHEER 6 oz. orange juice 6 oz. soymilk 3 scoops cherries 1 scoop frozen yogurt 1 scoop orange sherbet 1 scoop ice 

ORANGE DREAM MACHINE 6 oz. orange juice 6 oz. soymilk 2 scoops frozen yogurt 2 scoops orange sherbet 2 scoops ice 

PEACH PLEASURE 12 oz. peach juice 2 scoops peaches 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops orange sherbet 1 scoop ice 

PINA COLADA 12 oz. pineapple juice 1 Tbls coconut 1 scoop bananas 2 scoop frozen yogurt 2 scoops pineapple sherbet 1 scoop ice 

PUMPKIN SMASH 8 oz soymilk 1 scoop pumpkin mix (from can) 4 scoops frozen yogurt 2 scoops ice 

RAZZMATAZZ 12 oz raspberry juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops orange sherbet 1 

scoop ice 

STRAWBERRIES WILD 12 oz. apple juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 2 scoops frozen yogurt 1 scoop ice 

STRAWBERRY NIRVANA 4 oz. apple juice 8 oz. enlightened base 4 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 1 scoop ice 

STRAWBERRY SURF RIDER 12 oz. lemonade 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop peaches 2 scoops lime sherbet 1 scoop ice 

SUNRISE STRAWBERRY 12 oz. soymilk 2 scoops yogurt 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop bananas 

GUMMIE BEAR 12 oz. peach juice 1 scoop peaches 1 scoop of each: orange, lime, pineapple, and raspberry sherbet and frozen yogurt 1 scoop ice 

TANGO TROPIC 12 oz. peach juice 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop peaches 1 scoop raspberry sherbet 1 scoop orange sherbet 1 scoop ice 

TROPICAL AWAKENING 4 oz. pineapple juice 8 oz. enlightened base 2 scoops strawberries 1 scoop blueberries 1 scoop bananas 1 scoop ice

Mango on a Stick

I just purchased a box of ripe mangoes from Costco so that I can
attempt to make a Mango on a Stick that will hopefully resemble these...

According to my source it's not that complicated.

"The hardest part is impaling a mango with a sturdy stick by making an incision with a paring knife at the base of the mango just to the side of the fibrous pit. Push the knife in about 1 inch and pull straight out. That will leave a perfect guide for a Popsicle stick to be inserted--the perfect sturdiness for a mango. You can then very easily peel it with a "Y" vegetable peeler without handling the sticky, slippery mango.. Then, working vertically, slice five "petals" off the outer perimeter, starting a little higher than halfway up the mango. The pieces should be about 3/4" thick for easy eating.  For the next layer in, make your cuts so the center of the next set of petals is where the gap between the first petals is (so that the petals alternate...hard to describe but just look at your photo). Keep working in until you reach the center."

This will be interesting.

Orange Fluff Fruit Dip

I purchased strawberries from my local Farmer's Market on Saturday and just had to make my favorite fruit dip to serve along side them. Orange Fluff Fruit Dip is delicious and is one of our family favorites. I have an abundance of home made marshmallow fluff in my fridge, so it's that much easier to make this dip.

realmomkitchen.com

Orange Fluff Fruit Dip

Ingredients: 
8 oz. cream cheese, softened  
2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (The BEST recipe HERE)
Juice from 1 orange 
Zest from 1 orange

Directions:

With a mixer, blend softened cream cheese and marshmallow creme/fluff together.  Add juice and zest.  Blend well.  Chill until ready to eat.  Serve with pineapple, strawberries, grapes, oranges and bananas.  Delicious!

Dipping Strawberries

My secret to perfectly dipped chocolate strawberries is this:

1 pkg. (7 oz.) BAKER'S Dark Semi-Sweet Dipping Chocolate*
10 extra large strawberries

*You can substitute Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate.  Baker's makes both.

MELT chocolate as directed on package.
DIP strawberries into chocolate; let excess chocolate drip off.
PLACE on wax paper-covered baking sheet or tray. Store in refrigerator for 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

For best results, serve strawberries the same day they are dipped.

Strawberry Freezer Jam

Summer is in full swing and the strawberry's are plentiful. It must be time to make some jam.

This is the recipe that my sweet mama makes and it's incredible. It's basically the recipe from the Sure-Jell box. It makes a thinner, runnier jam - NOT a thicker preserves type of jam - Got it?

Anyhow, my sweet mama has made this for YEARS and YEARS for all of us kids and all of her friends. At Christmas, my brothers and I (and our families, of course) look forward to a quart of this stuff to take home to eat on toast, ice cream or even in milkshakes!

Seriously so good!

Keep jars of this in the freezer and take them out when you are ready to use them. Once thawed, they will last approximately 1 month in the refrigerator. If it lasts that long...

Strawberry Freezer Jam
Makes exactly 4-12oz. jars
2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
4 cups sugar
1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
3/4 cup water

Mix crushed strawberries with sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the pectin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 1 minute. Stir the boiling water into the strawberries. Allow to stand for 3 minutes before pouring into jars or other storage containers.

Place tops on the containers, and leave for 24 hours. Place into freezer, and store frozen until ready to use.