Chicken and Fresh Fruit Salad

A Taste of Sunshine!

Ok, just close the drapes, pretend there isn't any snow on the ground and the temperature outside isn't below freezing. Now put on some Beach Boys music, get in the kitchen and make this really easy and fabulous salad, and sit back to enjoy a taste of sunshine!

Ingredients:

Steamed, Diced Chicken

Spring Salad Mix & Baby Spinach Leaves

Mandarin Oranges

Sliced Strawberries

Green Grapes, Halved

Dried Cranberries

Glazed Pecans

Crumbled Blue Cheese (completely optional)

Rasberry Vinaigrette dressing

I make this quite often during the summer months for a quick light meal and usually serve it with fresh baked muffins....cranberry-orange muffins are wonderful with this! But last night I just figured we could use a momentary escape from all the snow we've been getting. (And of course we played the Beach Boys, danced like no one was watching, and had a great time in the kitchen!) ~Enjoy~

Autumn Recipe Swap

The leaves are beginning to change colors, there's a crispness in the evening air, and the farmers' markets are brimming with Autumn delights! I love this time of year, especially when it comes to cooking and baking....chilis, stews, breads, pies...you name it. So I've decided to host an Autumn Recipe Swap! All of those who participate, will post their favorite Autumn Recipe along with a picture to share during the last week of October. Let's see those Autumn favorites!

Entry Guidelines:

1. Leave a comment here letting me know you'll participating with the name of your blog

2. Grab the button here in the sidebar and post it on your blog

3. Post your recipe during the week of October 25th-31st

I'll keep a list here of all the participating blogs so during this week we can visit the blogs listed and then swap recipes!

PARTICIPATING BLOGS:

Love Laugh Quilt

Cottage Garden Quilter

Willow Tree Treasures

Originals by Connie Ione

Deb's Primitive Country Kitchen

Old Farmhouse Cooking

Bea's Buzz

From My Farmhouse Window

Future Mrs.K

Hand-Crafted by Mary Ann Miller

White Sheep Primitives

Kim's Country Kitchen

Hot Banana Pepper Rings

Things have been heating up here at Kim's Country Kitchen! Today, I canned 14 pints and 5 quarts of Hot Pepper Rings. I really need to learn not order so much from my Farmer's Market...lol. I honestly had no idea I would get so many jars from a 1/2 bushel (this is why I decided to keep a canning journal!) I also learned that "laytex gloves" do not work well...my hands still feel a bit of the burn. I highly recommend a good pair of traditional Rubber Gloves when canning hot peppers. This recipe is really quite easy though.

Ingredients:

1/2 Bushel Banana Peppers (or less!)

Wash, deseed, and slice peppers

Canning Liquid:

1/4 cup canning salt

1 quart white vinegar

3 quarts water

(For a 1/2 bushel of peppers, I had to make two batches of liquid, so really one peck basket of peppers would be plenty and still yeild about 12 pints)

Pack your sliced pepper rings into hot, sterilezed jars. I added a clove of garlic to each jar as well. Wipe your jar rims and seal. Process full jars in a boiling water bath for no more than five minutes (or you'll have mushy peppers)

And when all is done, you'll have beautiful jars of Hot Pepper Rings to enjoy with Chili, Italian Pasta dishes, or on sandwiches!

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Kimberly

Kosher-Style Dill Pickles

It's canning season here and I've been in quite a pickle! This weekend I canned Dill pickles and Bread & Butter pickles, and I have enough cucumbers left to start the seven day process for Sweet Pickles! Today, I'm sharing with you my recipe for Kosher-Style Dill Pickles pictured above. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 pounds cucumber approximately 3-4 inches in length with ends sliced

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup canning salt (not table salt!)

1 quart vinegar

1 quart water

3 Tablespoons pickling spices (I tie these in cheesecloth)

Combine sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a large sauce pot. Tie spices in cheesecloth; add to vinegar mixture; simmer 15 minutes.

Pack cucumbers into hot jars and add the following to each jar:

1 Bay Leaf

1 Clove of Garlic

1 piece hot red pepper

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seed

1 Head of Fresh Dill

Bring vinegar and water to a boil. Pour hot liquid over cucumbers, leaving a 1/4-inch head space. Adjust caps. Process pints and quarts for 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

Yield: about 7 pints

Note: I used about a 1/2 bushel, or 2 peck baskets, of cucumbers. I had to make two double batches plus one single batch of liquid and I got 19 quart jars.

Fresh Rasberry Coffee Cake

It's Raspberry season here and time for Fresh Raspberry Coffee Cake!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

3/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup fresh rasberries

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine, softened

2 to 3 teaspoons water

1/4 teaspoon Almond extract

Directions:

Heat oven to 400 F. Spray 8 or 9 inch square pan with baking spray

In medium bowl, beat 1/2 cup butter, milk. vanilla, and egg with spoon. Stir in flour, granutlated sugar, baking powder and salt until moistened. Fold in rasberries. Spread in pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes.

In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle over warm coffee cake. Enjoy!

I've also made this with fresh blackberries and lemon extract instead of almond...wonderful!

Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberry season is just around the corner and what better way to enjoy these wonderful berries than with homemade Blueberry Cobbler...topped with a bit of Vanilla ice cream is one our personal favorites!

(Frozen blueberries work just as well)

Ingredients
Cooking Spray

4 cups/1 litre blueberries, fresh or frozen (thawed)

1/2 tsp/2.5 mL Lemon Extract

1 cup/250 mL all-purpose flour

1/2 cup/125 mL sugar

1 tsp/5 mL Baking Powder

Dash salt1 tbsp/15 mL Original Grapeseed Oil

1 tsp/5 mL Original Double-Strength Vanilla

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

2 tbsp/30 mL sugar

1/4 tsp/1.2 mL (more if desired) Purest GroundCinnamon 6 oz.

Cooking Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Spray a 1-1/2 quart/litre baking dish with Watkins Cooking Spray. Add blueberries and lemon extract; toss lightly. Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well, then make a well in center. In measuring cup, combine oil, vanilla and egg whites; mix well. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Drop 8 dumplings of dough onto blueberries. Sprinkle with a mixture of remaining sugar and cinnamon. Bake 35 minutes or until bubbly and browned.Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Makes 8 servings.Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 200Protein 4 gCarbohydrates 38 gSodium 62 mgFat 3 gSaturated Fat 1 gCholesterol 53 mgDietary Fiber 2 g.

Enjoy! ~Kim

Why am I doing this?

I really never intended to be a "sales" person; it just happended. I grew up watching both my grandmother and my mom using Wakins' products in just about every room of the house. I especially remember my Grandmother saying there was nothing better than Watkins' Vanilla every time she baked her infamous chocolate chip cookies. I was sure that was her secret ingredient! For years, I couldn't find anyone who sold Watkins so I decided to sell it myself...merely to have access to these incredible products. I soon noticed that whenever friends or family noticed Watkins items in my kitchen they were eager to place orders...so here I am: a Watkins associate!

Here on my blog you'll soon find a variety of my favorite recipes, both old and new, a few household tips and tricks, as well as many of my favorite Watkins' items. Cooking and Baking are just a couple of my many hobbies and I love to share new recipes. So stop by often, pour yourself a cup of coffee, and pull up a chair! I hope you'll enjoy this endeavor!

Blessings,

Kim