Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam and a Pole Vaulting Teenager

My kitchen has been shut down for the last couple of days. We had the final push for the remodel and I am happy to say things are almost done. I spent all day Tuesday on my hands and knees scrubbing my white tiled floor getting it ready for a reseal. I am not looking for sympathy here, but needless to say that wasn't a good thing to do for a girl who has to participate in a triathlon in a couple of weeks. I am sore where I didn't even know muscles existed!

Once again rhubarb mysteriously showed up on my doorstep! Rhubarb has a short shelf life so I had to work around the kitchen mess to create some Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam. I have to say it was a welcome break from the remodel.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam

2 cups crushed strawberries
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 package powdered pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon extract
4 1/2 cups sugar

(1) Combine strawberries, rhubarb, powdered pectin and lemon juice in a large pot. (2) Bring to a boil and stir frequently. (3) Add sugar, stirring until dissolved and return to a boil. Boil 4 minutes, stirring constantly. (4) Remove from heat and skim foam. Add lemon extract. (5) Put jam into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust caps and process 10 minutes in a boiling water canner. (6) ENJOY!

This jam is sweet, tangy and unique. The combination of strawberries and rhubarb really work to create a wonderful jam. You can use Splenda in place of the sugar without much change in the taste of the jam. The only thing that you will miss is the calories which is OK because bathing suit season is upon us. You want to jazz up a boring peanut butter and jelly sandwich use Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam.

Peanut Butter and Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam Sandwich

2 slices of thick bread
Peanut Butter, your choice
Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam
1/2 banana, sliced thin

(1) Spread both slices of bread with a heaping amount of peanut butter and Strawberry-Rhubarb Citrus Jam. Top with banana slices. (2) ENJOY!

This sandwich is delicious. It is perfect for a lunch, a snack, a hike, a boat ride, or a picnic. You will not be disappointed with the tangy tart fresh taste of the jam.

Now, back to the remodel. After spending all day scrubbing my tile floor they came yesterday morning to seal it. That means nobody on the floor for twenty four hours. I have a very open kitchen to the rest of my house and two dogs and one teenage son (17 years old) who still lives at home. So after the floor was sealed, honey and myself went to great pains to block the entire kitchen from anybody (or dog) making the mistake and walking on the floor. I am here to tell you that our kitchen was as secure as Fort Knox! I have one very smart dog and one dog that is scared of her own shadow. My scared puppy ran and hid when we starting securing the entrances to our kitchen. My smart dog was curious but we said "no" and he accepted that and kept his distance for the entire twenty four hour dry period.

Now, on to my son Luke! Luke had left for school before the sealing took place. After the sealing, I was on my way to meet my husband (Kenny) at Ikea to pick up some new decorations for our kitchen.

So, Kenny says to me, "Do you think we should text Luke and tell him about the kitchen and not to walk on the floor?"

I responded, "No, he will know not to walk on the floor!" I mean come on! Every entrance to our kitchen has gates, couches, chairs or tables blocking the way!"

While we were at Ikea my cell phone rang. It was Luke saying he was home from school. When I told him not to walk in the kitchen my statement was met with a long bout of silence.

"You are standing on the kitchen floor right now, aren't you?"

"Yes, but I won't do it again," Luke says.

"Luke, didn't you see the entire kitchen was blocked off?"

"Sorry."

Sometimes the frustration level with teenagers will lead you to want to pull your hair out or drink! It just so happens that our Ikea is right by Kenny's favorite pizza, Unos. So, after Luke's "misstep" we decided to split a pizza and a pitcher of beer. By the time we were finished with our meal and beer we were prepared for any damage Luke had done to the kitchen floor. No harm done, everything was fine!

This morning we started to put our kitchen back together. I spend most of the time shaking my head about Luke finding his way into a kitchen that was as secure as Fort Knox. He literally had to pole vault over tables and chairs! To take a word from his vocabulary, "WHATEVER!"

Have a great day and a fun holiday weekend.

Pass the Homemade Roasted Garlic Taco Sauce, PLEASE!!

How I got on to wanting to learn how to can foods is beyond me. Once I start thinking about something though, I almost always become obsessed with wanting to do it. It is not like my garden is ever overflowing with brilliantly-colored fruits and vegetables. Quite the opposite. I start out with good intentions, but never have the time to devote to caring for my garden. Last year the only thing that survived my lack of a "green thumb" was my basil and a few lonely salad cucumbers. Hardly the bounty to start canning with! But, I love the canning jars and the fact that I could give gifts of homemade jams and jellies. And, if I could effectively learn how to can homemade soups, I could send them to my son who is in college.

The word that resonates through my search for information on canning is... MICROORGANISMS!! Forget it!! The last thing I want to do is poison my friends and family. My honey (Kenny) bought me the equipment, so I just had to try.

That brings me to my homemade taco sauce. This is something that I make a lot because we are a family of spicy eating. It is fresh tasting, free of preservatives and extremely cost effective. The good thing about this taco sauce is that it freezes well. So, if you aren't on a quest to can, then pop several containers in the freezer for your eating pleasure.

Gin's Homemade Roasted Garlic Taco Sauce

3 cups tomato paste
2 heads of roasted garlic, cooled
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Ancho pepper powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
t tablespoon hot pepper sauce
5 cups water
1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 corn syrup or honey

(1) Combine all ingredients in a large stock pot. (2) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thicken. (3) ENJOY!!

The color of this taco sauce is a deep hue of red. The taste is fresh, spicy, with the tang of sweet roasted garlic. Obviously, it goes great with tacos. It also can be used to make soup, meatloaf, and fresh salsa. You can add or delete chili powder to suit your taste for spicy foods.

I did can this. All I do is keep staring at the jars trying to decide if they are free of bacteria, microorganisms, molds and yeast! I feel pretty confident that I did everything correct and my taco sauce is safe to eat. I will tell you just how confident I am that I canned my taco sauce properly. Next week I am going to Tampa to visit my son who goes to the University of South Florida. He has had mono since Thanksgiving and FINALLY has started to feel better. The last thing I would want to do is to poison him with my canned taco sauce. I am taking him a jar!! Stay tuned........