Monday, December 23, 2013

Some new recipes for the Holidays!


Merry Christmas Eve Eve! :) 

I have been busy in the kitchen tonight preparing for Christmas Eve fun.  One dip I wanted to try is a tweaked version of something I saw at the store.  Bloody Mary Shrimp Dip

I used one block of soft cream cheese and a half cup of mayo.  I combined those until smooth with a spoon.  I then added a 4 oz jar of my original recipe Bloody Mary Jelly.  Again, combine until smooth.  Add one 7oz can of shrimp, that has been drained, rinsed, drained and then chopped.  I used my Pampered Chef Hand Chopper.  Gently fold the shrimp into the dip.  Chill overnight or 24 hours.

I also have Sausage Balls prepped and ready for the oven.  A nice pork roast with kraut and hot dogs in the crockpot on low.  I have hamburger thawing to make a huge dish of Taco Bake, it doesn't last long around here! And finally I will make another new recipe tweaked with Joyful Jars.

I am using a package of little smokies and a roll of crescents.  I will baste some of the smokies with Hot Berry Mango-ilow and then wrap in a small version of a regular crescent.  The others I will bake as is and use Beer Bomb Butter as a dipping sauce for the smokie rolls.

I hope you all enjoy your Christmas with family and friends and pleasant memories of Christmas's past.  It is a bittersweet time when loved ones are gone and we grow older but remember with a smile and love in your heart. 

Merry Christmas to you all!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Getting Ready for 2014

Merry Christmas!

As of January 1, 2014 Joyful Jars is my FULL TIME occupation. I am "stepping out in Faith". I never dreamed 16 months ago, I would be doing this. God has laid this in my lap and I have to pursue it to the best of my ability. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart for a your support, encouragement, ideas, creative recipes and friendship. Be ready for more tantalizing tastes to come...my mind is spinning with thoughts !

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Hot Berry Mang-ilow!


New to my line of jalapeno jams...specially named for one of my friends....
HOT BERRY MANG-ILOW!  Strawberry-mango-jalapeno jam.  It has a heat to it but it calms down with the cream cheese.  More on this later...gotta run!

Saturday, October 26, 2013


Jack-o-lantern smiling bright
Witches flying in the night
Ghosts and goblins, cats and bats
Witches with their funny hats
A full moon can't be beat
As we go out to Trick or Treat
 
Remember how fun it was to go trick or treating? Picking out the best costume.  Walking thru fallen leaves on the streets of the little town close to where I grew up. (It could have actually been a "Disney movie" town, as it was founded in the early 1800's.) Passing children from school. Meeting at the firehouse after the siren went off for the night of treating to end. Those were the days when you would receive apples, homemade popcorn balls and "regular size" candy bars!  Flash forward a few decades and I was helping MY daughter pick out her costume.  We drove into a bigger town where she went to school.  She would take her time and not run down the street, like the others, just to get candy.  She even would go up the hill and down the street to those "out of the way" houses, where elderly men and women would anxiously wait to see if a little trick or treat-er would stop by.  Ahhh...memories.
 
I love creating and this time of year is fun to make SODA POP JELLIES.  Yes, they are made from soda pop.  Yes, soda pop is already sweet enough, that is why I reduce the sugar in every recipe! It is so fun to create names and labels for them.  I took the pictures in my back yard on a knob of ground. I loved using the witches hand to "grab" the goodies!
 
Sometimes, you just have to be a little "childish" and have some fun in the kitchen!  If you haven't tried soda pop jelly, you might want to.  I have found some flavors such as root beer and crème soda to keep their taste the best! 
 
Happy Haunting!!!!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

The End of One Season and On to Another....

With the first of September tomorrow, this month brings an end to the farmer's markets I attend.  Easton Farmer's Market will be held just two more Thursdays, the fifth and the twelfth. I had an amazing time each Thursday I was there.  I LOVE the atmosphere.  The water park in the middle of the square with the families playing and relaxing in the lawn. the music that is played to "drown out" the traffic noise.  It makes each evening a fun and different experience.

The New Concord Farmer's Market will hold it's last session on the 28th which is the last Saturday of the month. Lots of time to still get fresh made apple butter, fresh baked goods and fall produce.  Even though we have had some rainy days, the sunny days made up for it and we had lots of people attend and purchase amazing tomatoes, potatoes, rhurbarb, freshly baked pies and some Joyful Jars!

So with the end of Farmer's Market season, so begins Bazaar/Craft Show season.  I have lots of ideas for cute baskets, many themed for the holidays. What is easier than picking up a package ready to give? Fall favorites and Winter themed goodies will be back on the stove for processing.

Speaking of processing, look at those beautiful organic pears I purchased the other week.  Oh they were wonderful and sweet!  They became wonderful Vanilla Pear Butter, Cran-Pear-ry Jam, Pear Jam and a few jars of a special Vanilla Caramel Pear Sauce.  YUMM.
I love using good, local produce that I know hasn't been altered with sprays and etc.  I have had bushels of organic apples, peaches that have turned into delicious flavors of jams and butters.


Back to work.  Spiked Apple Jelly is needing my attention.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

August??


A picture of my coneflowers from my garden.  I love flowers and my flower gardens,  even though they get somewhat neglected with my canning business now.
My kitchen looks like a produce department at the local grocery store! I've had tomatoes, zucchini, onions, plums, peaches, apples, peppers, hot peppers, cucumbers tucked in boxes, bags and whatever else so I can to keep them handy and ready for use. Canning jars strung about the dining room and kitchen.  Who's kitchen doesn't look like this in mid August if you enjoy canning and gardening?  Sometimes I get a bit jealous when I read of others going to Farmers Markets in January and etc.  They are bringing home good tasting vegetables and it will be months before I can even buy a tomato plant let alone eat a fresh one from the garden! But I don't think I would ever want to live anywhere else. 

Over the last few weeks I have processed Bread and Butter Pickles, Yellow Squash Relish, Spaghetti Sauce, Seedless Bread and Butter Pickles and of course, many jars of jams and jellies!  It was fun doing the veggies...something different!  I even think I will do some Zucchini Salsa over the weekend!  :)

Wednesdays lately have been "Mom Work Days".  I can up jams and jellies throughout the week and on Wednesday, my mom comes up and will "clean" the jars for me so I could label them for the markets that begin on Thursdays.  It has been enjoyable and a nice way for her to "feel part of the business".   Today's lunch was fresh green beans, potatoes, onions, ham and kielbasa, simmered all morning.  I even baked fresh bread!  I topped a slice with fresh warm blackberry jam.  It was delicious! 

Enjoy life everyone.  I know this is rambling and not much sense to be made, but I guess that is how I am feeling right now...as I look at the produce sitting here!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

I Can Get Distracted....

Beautiful jars shining in the sun at the farmers market!
Today began at 6 a.m.  It was a chilly but beautiful morning! Dishes done, spaghetti sauce, to be canned for winter time use, was in the slow cooker simmering down to a nice medium sauce. 
Next was the bushel of peaches.  Oh they smelled wonderful! Nothing like a fresh, juicy peach waiting to be peeled.  I sat at the kitchen sink, watching the birds fly around from feeder to water bowl and back, and found it very relaxing. Time spent doing repetitive work lets you have time to think, about the past, the future, the next few hours, etc.  I had tackled the bushel and placed the peels and pits in freezer bags to put away for a later date.  I save them to cook down and make a beautiful jelly that is delicious on chicken! 
So, on to getting the jars washed up and the canner simmering and then..........
Then, somehow, I got distracted.  Everyday for about one month I walk past the "pile" of things I have purchased lately. I have enjoyed buying a few new things for the walls and shelves but have not found a "home" for them yet.  Well, today was as good as any other day...(as my peaches sat in the huge Tupperware bowls on the counter waiting to become fabulous tasting jam!)
My mind wondered and I spent time on hanging some prints, thinking up a cool way to use the ladder I purchased and so on.  Now it is time for canning.
...THEN I looked at the canning shelves.  THEY called me....needed me to rearrange them!  SO I did...and now it is past 10 p.m. and I have not canned one thing today.
Tomorrow will start early again BUT it will end with beautiful jars full of Sunny Peach and Fuzzie Navel Jam to show for all my hours of being awake!
Leads me to wonder...where does time go?

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Am I famous?? :)

From the local paper.  Our first rainy day of set up at this particular market!
Rain, rain, rain!  We have had lots of it around here in SE Ohio.  I must say, I dislike having my picture taken, but this is great advertisement and LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL THE JARS LOOK!  I think they look like little jewels shining in the somewhat clouded, spotty sunshine sky.

The other day I made more of the Blueberry Lime and Blackberry Jelly.  My hands are stained from the berries but I think that is part of the fun of cooking...getting your hands in there and feeling the fruit and working with it to be mashed but also chunky so you can see the and taste the chunks of fruit.

I have a busy weekend ahead and I can feel the tension of hoping I have enough of everything coming on.  My mom, Becky, is coming over today to help clean the jars and label them.  I have over a bushel of peaches in the car but I bet that will be too much to ask for her to peel them all for me!  LOL  Maybe if I make the pout face like I am six years old again? 

Everyone enjoy the day.  It is beautiful here today. 

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

OH...Lordy...It's HOT!!!

Good Afternoon Everyone! 

Oh my golly...we  have gone from rain every afternoon to icky, sticky humidity..BIG TIME!

Unfortunately I don't have a nice cool cellar or breezeway to do my canning but we have come up with the next best thing.  My husband put up the pop-up tent and the campstove out on the deck and I am processing the jars out there! LOL  It actually is working out pretty good.  The house is still 78* with the a/c on.  I can't imagine what it would be with the canner going at full speed ahead too!

I cook up a batch and jar it in the house and take out to the cookstove to keep warm until I get a whole canner full.  

As I was making Wrangler & Red Raspberry last night, I looked for a recipe on SBCanning's blog, Canning Homemade, and found a delicious Red Raspberry Vanilla Jam!  Of course my good friend Cindy uses her words more eloquently than I do, (LOL) so I will just say it is dang good!   I love the taste of vanilla.  It has just enough to give it a little sweeter taste than the plain red raspberry.

Today, I did six batches of Friki Tiki Colada.  It is a summertime favorite!  And as I was getting my fresh blueberries from the freezer, I thought about something different to do with them.  It didn't take me long!  I have fallen in love with a drink at a restaurant called FlipSide.  They have the most amazing Blueberry Lemonade!   So, that is my attempt later on this afternoon.  I have a feeling with my ingredients, it will be a hit also. 

I have some new shelving units to put my canning equipment on, so I will take a break from canning and do some housework.  Enjoy your day my friends!  Be blessed and full of praise. 

 
 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

I Love Creating in the Kitchen!

Good Evening All,

I think after about 20 days in a row of rain, the system has moved out of the area.  We are to have low humidity and sunshine for at least four days! YEA!!!  My poor flowers need some sun to dry up the soaking puddles they are sitting in. I didn't mind the rain as I've been in the kitchen or running errands most days.

I've added to my inventory of four ounce jars.  I made lots of delicious jams yesterday and today and a few new ones also.  First up....CANTALOUPE Jam!  I don't even eat cantaloupe BUT this just interested me so much, I had to try it. It has a sweet, mellow flavor. I am sure to make more due to the fact that I believe people will want to try it and then LOVE it.  Second in the canner was a combination of Plums/Pears/Apples (still working on a name for it). I love black plums when they are just ripe enough and so juicy you really need to have a towel in your hand to catch the juice. This jam almost has the consistency of a fruit butter.

Then I kept the kettle warm with a batches of Strawberry/Kiwi Jam, Strawberry Margarita Jam, Plum Spice Jam (a new recipe), Wicked Watermelon and finally Rhubarb Pie Jam. 
The Rhubarb Pie Jam is an original Joyful Jar recipe.  I had rhubarb, blueberries and wanted to create something different and I did! I cooked them down, added some spices and brown sugar and it reminds me of a pie filling.

I love to create different flavors and not keep the same flavors cooking each day. This keeps my mind busy with ideas flowing and keeps the customers on their toes, looking for new flavors and how they can incorporate them into their lives.

Enjoy the evening, wherever you are.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Fresh picked red raspberries from my neighbors farm.



Oh I wish you could smell the smells....

 
 
My kitchen smells so divine! My neighbor, Cathy (she has a beautiful garden, fruit trees, bushes and a produce stand), has the first berries of the season coming on!  We have had so much rain, that everything seems to be a little late coming on around here.  The sun comes out for a few hours and then with the humidity, the weathermen start "tracking storms" in the afternoon.  But the berries have started to ripen and so far, I have brought home six quarts. 
 
The red raspberries are so refreshingly tart but also a tad sweet.  I have been eating them by handfuls...I have to remind myself they are for jam.
 
Yesterday and today I made batches of Red Raspberry Jam.  I saved two cups to try a new recipe, Blushing Peach Jam. I had about two cups of the fresh North Carolina peaches in the freezer waiting for the berries.  The aroma coming from the kettle was amazing! 
 
I enjoy trying out new recipes.  Which reminds me I have a cantaloupe in the kitchen.....Stay tuned! 

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Happy Independence Day!



 
I can't believe it is July already!  The months have gone by quickly.  We have had quite a bit of rain in my area.  It seems everyday about 2:00 or 3:00, they are 'tracking' more showers and storms.  The ground is pretty saturated in some areas.  At least I don't have to worry about watering the plants. 
 
I have enjoyed my summer of canning so far.  I had a great first time at the Easton Farmers Market!  The atmosphere is wonderful! The day was sunny and breezy and I had the perfect spot to watch the children play in the water fountain.  I look forward to going back later in the month.
 
A good friend brought home some North Carolina peaches for me last week.  YUMM.  I was so excited to good fresh picked peaches.  I was going to make the jam that very evening but a storm came through and knocked the power off for six hours.  I made the jam the next day and it is delicious!  I am looking forward to the peaches making their way up here.  Specials are being posted by local markets for next week deliveries.
 
 
Enjoy the day friends.  

Monday, June 24, 2013

June 24, 2013!~ Promises, Promises!

Good Morning One and All!
I have been so absent on this blog and I apologize! I have just not found that extra eight hours per day needed.  But I PROMISE to at least once a week, check in and give you all updates.  I understand that no one will want to follow me if I don't "talk to you"! 
I am busy as usual.  My jars are in seven retail shops now.  I have been doing "tastings" and will just begin my farmer's market season this Thursday.  I really enjoy the process of being creative and seeing the look on someone's face when they think something that sounds so odd..such as Bloody Mary Jelly, can taste SO GOOD!
I am making Thattsa Hotta today and boy is that also true for the outside temp!  Hot and humid the last few days here in Ohio and for a couple more.  Last night would have been a wonderful night to set up the outside cookstove and process some jars under the SuperMoon!
I hear the jam bubbling in the kitchen. Have to run!  Bye for now. :)

Monday, April 1, 2013

So Many Uses for Joyful Jars!

Well, it's been forever since I stopped by the blog!  I have been busy!!  Here are some pictures/ideas for you to use at your home with Joyful Jars products!
 
The first picture is Roasted Red Peppers stuffed with goat cheese and drizzled with "Thattsa Hotta" Jam.
 

 This picture shows "Caramel Apple Butter" on warm brie cheese with slices of Granny Smith apples and melba toast!
 Here are cupcakes made from HOLY SHEETCAKE!, a local baker here.  She filled the middle with various flavors of my jams and they were simply fabulous!  Such as "Strawberry Lemonade Marmalade" in a vanilla cupcake with buttercream frosting!  Or "Red Raspberry Spread" in a vanilla cupcake.  Also this was very good...."Chocolate Covered Cherry" in a chocolate cupcake!!
 Seasonal favorite "Snowstorm" or "Friki Tiki Colada" is wonderful as a glaze and dipping sauce for grilled shimp!
This is the best!  A "Spicy Bloody Mary Jelly" that can be used as cocktail sauce for shrimp....as a condiment on grilled hamburgers instead of ketchup...as a glaze on meatloaf! 
 
So don't just think of toast or a biscuit!  My jams and jellies can be so much more!!  And they are delicious!  I want you to THINK OUTSIDE THE JAR when you taste one of my jams.  Experiment.  Live on the edge!  Enjoy life! 
Have a great day!  I promise not to stay away so long before posting again!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

I found a new passion!

     Well today was a great day!  My good friend, Dawna, owner of Holy Sheetcake!, delivered me a huge box of fresh cupcakes.  Not just any old cupcakes.  These are special because in the middle of each yummy cake, presented in an adorable holder, is a large dollop of JOYFUL JARS JAM!  
     As I carefully took each one out of the box and placed on a plate...I thought..please don't drop these!  I cut into each one that had a different wrapper and was not disappointed!  Lemon Drop, Bushels of Blackberry, Strawberry Lemonade!  Ohhh, they were delicious!   We make a great team.  Her wonderful, moist and fresh cupcakes with buttercream frosting and my Joyful Jars of specialized unique jams.
     And then I found a photo program that I have been wanting to try and I think I should have just stayed away.  LOL I will now spend time, I don't have, on tweaking the pictures till I think they are just right!
     Enjoy life friends.  It is way too short! :)

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Snow Days and Canning

Well, it is winter in Ohio so that means "snow days".  In a perfect world, my storage area would have 1000 plus jars of jams and jellies put up! But this is not a perfect world and the days have come and gone.  Household chores, tax forms for four (no one knows how to read their W-2's but Mom!), lots of hand chopping and some kitchen mishaps, has kept my numbers down but I have enjoyed the new flavors I made over the weekend. 

Meyer Lemons and Clementines were the lead flavors.  Strawberries and blueberries, frozen fresh last summer for winter-time use, were added on the side.  Such wonderful blends of tart and tangy, sweet and yummy! I have creatively named them "Lemon Drop", "Oh My Darling...", "Zing in the Blues", "Strawberry Lemonade".

I also made Zucchini Bread Jam, a few new batches of Thattsa Hottsa and a chutney.  It is the first time I made a chutney.  It smelled wonderful cooking on Super Bowl Sunday.  A mixture of red and white onions, brown and white sugar, jalapenos, raisins...can you imagine that over a grilled pork chop?!  YUMMMM.  I can not wait to try it.  Here is a picture of my jars of joy that I made this weekend.  I hope you enjoy the picture!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Designing my Jars

I found a company, Online Labels, that I purchase my labels from.  I love them.  And the design download is fun and easy to use.  If you are looking for labels for anything....check them out!http://www.onlinelabels.com/

Monday, January 7, 2013

Happy 2013!

Hello Everyone!  I am hoping you are enjoying the year 2013 so far.  It has been a pleasant beginning for me. 
After taking time off during the holidays, I will be back in the kitchen this weekend making some unique flavors that will be excellent for Valentine's Day baskets!  I had a few recipe ideas that I didn't have time to make for Christmas.  I have been compiling a list of "year-round favorites" and the "seasonal" list.  I want my ingredients to be a fresh as possible, therefore, I will only use the best quality ingredients I can find.
Thank you for your support and I hope you will enjoy the new flavors headed your way!

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