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The Super Easy Way to Blanch Corn!

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Jun 182013
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I love it when fresh corn starts coming in from the fields. I always get LOTS extra to put in the freezer for later but the problem with that is that you have to blanch corn before putting it away. It is typically a long and tedious process and makes a huge mess in my kitchen. Blanching is the scalding of vegetables in boiling water or steam. Blanching slows or stops the action of enzymes. Up until harvest time, enzymes cause vegetables to grow and mature. If vegetables are not blanched, or blanching is not long enough, the enzymes continue to be active during frozen storage causing off-colors, off-flavors and toughening. Once you blanch it, it has to completely dry. Like I said…it’s a process.

Sooo, I heard about an unusual process to blanch corn and I just had to try it. It sounds bizarre, but it totally works and is MUCH faster and easier than the traditional way.

dishwasher corn

All you have to do is shuck the corn, lay it in the dishwasher and turn it on the rinse and dry cycle (DO NOT ADD SOAP). THAT IS IT!!!

Seriously!!

Once finished it is blanched AND dried and ready to go into freezer bags and frozen for later. Ta-Da, you are done and in a fraction of the time.

 Posted by The Jilly Bean at 1:23 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

Bacon Cajun Baked Beans

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Jun 032013
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bacon cajun baked beans

Baked beans are a must have for any gathering at my house. Not only are they great, they are economical when feeding a crowd. And we love a crowd. During the summer we do a lot of entertaining…and love every minute of it. So, you will see that to make this, I double everything…one batch just isn’t enough to feed this hungry crowd…and there is never a bite left.

Everyone loves this recipe. I am constantly asked to write it down for folks.

And today I am sharing it with all of you!!

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Remember I always double it for my house, so the ingredients that I used shown in my picture are for a double batch, but the recipe below is for a single batch. Also, I grabbed the wrong kind of tomatoes for my picture, use diced tomatoes, not crushed.

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Cook the bacon and onions.

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Mix the baked beans and cajun seasoning in a baking dish.

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Place the bacon and onions on top.

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Mix the sugar and tomatoes together.

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Then place on top and bake.

3 slices of bacon

1/2 cup minced onion

2 (15 ounce) cans baked beans

1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 teaspoons sugar

Fry bacon and onion until bacon is crisp. Place baked beans in a 3 quart baking dish, stir in the Cajun seasoning, mixing well. Layer the bacon/onion mix on top of the beans. Mix together the diced tomatoes and sugar, then pour over the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes.

 

 

 Posted by The Jilly Bean at 10:17 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lemon Buttons

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May 222013
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042 copy

While I love to cook, it is no secret that I am not a fan of baking. I CAN bake, it just isn’t my favorite thing to do. It is more of a science that cooking. With cooking I can experiment and throw whatever suits my fancy together and add a pinch of this and a dash of that. Baking requires exact measurements, precise temperatures and paying close attention to the details. It also usually requires time. Not always, but usually. And that is something I am always short on…which is why I like short-cuts…quick and easy meals and desserts that don’t take away lots of what I am already short on.

These cookies are not only quick and easy, they are a HUGE favorite. And they disappear VERY quickly. I made a batch the other day for our Mother’s Day celebration and they were gone almost as quickly as it takes to make them…and I had a request from one of nieces to please bring several batches to her birthday party…so today I am getting ready to make 4 batches of these little bites of sunshine to take to celebrate a young ladies birthday this weekend. Come on in and join me as we get to baking.

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4 ingredients. That is ALL you need!

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Mix up the cake mix, egg and whipped topping until it forms a dough.

Place the powdered sugar in a separate bowl.

 

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Place teaspoon size balls of dough in the powdered sugar and roll around. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Lemon Buttons

1 package Lemon Cake Mix

1 large egg

4 ounces Cool Whip

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cake mix, the egg and the cool whip in a bowl. It is going to form a very stiff dough, and be a little sticky. I then drop one teaspoon of dough into the powdered sugar and roll into a small ball. Place the dough on a greased cookie sheet, approx 2 inches apart and bake for 10 minutes. It will make between 5-6 dozen cookies, but they are small cookies.

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I know that sounds like a lot of cookies, but if your house is anything like mine, they won’t last long.

 

 Posted by The Jilly Bean at 11:07 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Orange Glazed Carrots

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May 172013
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Orange Glazed Carrots

This is a favorite side around here. We just love it beyond what words could describe. It is super easy to make and is also really quick for those nights when you need to throw something together for the family or to impress unexpected guests. I ALWAYS keep several cans of carrots on hand just for those times when I get a call at the last minute from someone inviting themselves to supper.

Yes, people invite themselves to supper at my house often. I am always asked…”Does that not bother you?”

No, it really doesn’t. There is always room for one more at my table. Always. I love nothing better than to spend time with friends and family…except being able to cook for them. So, let’s get to cooking!

Orange Glazed carrots ingredients

You will need 2 cans of sliced carrots, some butter, orange marmalade and just a dash of cinnamon. If you don’t feed the masses, or have a teenage boy living under your roof, both of which I do…you can cut this recipe in half to feed a normal amount of people. I am not sure what a normal amount of people for dinner is though, it has never happened here.

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Melt the butter, orange marmalade and cinnamon over medium heat in a saucepan until it is melted. It will look like a sauce and smell wonderful. Just make sure to stir it often so it doesn’t burn.

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Drain the carrots and then add them to the butter/orange marmalade mixture.

Simmer, stirring often until the carrots are heated through and glazed with the sauce.

Serve while hot.

This will be enough to feed 6-8 people, depending upon the appetites of the people that you feed.

Orange Glazed Carrots

2 (15 oz.) cans sliced carrots

2 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons Orange Marmalade

Dash of Cinnamon

Mix the butter, orange marmalade and cinnamon in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it all melts and becomes a sauce, stir often. Add the carrots and heat until the carrots are hot and glazed.

Serve immediately.

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 Posted by The Jilly Bean at 9:30 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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