Category Archives: Gardening

Iron Skillet Chocolate Cobbler

Alright y’all, you asked for the recipe, so here it is! Hope y’all enjoy it!

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IRON SKILLET CHOCOLATE COBBLER
Ingredients
Pudding
2 cups sugar
¼ to ½ cup cocoa
1 cup half and half
1 small can evaporated milk plus enough milk to make 1 cup
1 stick real salted sweet cream butter (not margarine)
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Crust
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350°
Melt butter in a 12” iron skillet. Add sugar, half and half and evaporated milk mixture, cocoa and vanilla extract. Using a wire whisk, heat and whisk mixture until sugar is melted and cocoa is thoroughly combined. Turn off heat.
Whisk together flour, sugar, milk and vanilla. Carefully pour evenly over the chocolate mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until there’s not much “jiggle” to the cobbler.
Serve warm with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Yippee it’s Burpee time!

Y’all know what time it is?  Yes, it’s still winter, but …… this is the time to start thinking about starting those seeds for planting this spring.  The hubs and I have started taking inventory of which seeds we need to replenish, making plans on what we are and aren’t going to grow this year, how and when we are going to plant, well, you know, all that good stuff.

This is what we bought last year.  We tried a few new items last year and quickly learned they do not do well in our soil.  So, we are marking off Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower and Broccoli.  We are also marking off Sweet Banana Peppers and replacing them with Pepperoncini and Jalapeno; they seem to sell better at the Farmers Market.

http://www.burpee.com

burpee

And here is a comprehensive, well maybe not comprehensive, but a list, of what we will be adding to our other list.  Notice some things have been marked out; that’s because we already have these seeds on hand so no need to buy more.

mylist

I would like to companion plant this year but the hubs thinks it’s too much trouble.  What do y’all think?  Should we?  If you think yes then please help me convince him by leaving a comment and I’ll make sure and read it to him!  Thanks Y’all.

Also, if you have any questions about seeds or gardening just ask.  We will be glad to answer your questions to the best of our knowledge.

Okay, now get out and get to planning and get ready for planting!

agarden

God Bless,

Dana


The Amish Way: Poems, Quotes and Words of Wisdom

The Amish WayWhile shopping at my favorite Amish Grocery I happened across this little book.  My curiosity got the best of me and I had to buy it.  Much to my delight I found way more than canning recipes and home remedies.

Tucked away in the pages of this little book I found poems, quotes and words of wisdom from some very smart and wise Amish Ladies!

My favorite saying from the Amish Sayings and Quotes collection would be the first one listed because it is soooooo true!  It’s kinda of like the old saying, “If I knew then what I know now!”

My favorite poem would be Bless this Mess because it gives me insight on how Amish ladies face the same challenges as me on a daily basis!  I guess I just somehow figured the Amish ladies had it all together and figured out that they don’t stress over laundry, dishes, dirty windows, etc!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these as much as I did and please let me know which ones are your favorite and why they are your favorite.  I will be interesting see how differently we all see things.

 
           AMISH SAYINGS AND QUOTES
 
– It is less painful to learn in our youth,
  than it is to be ignorant in our old age!
 
– You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar,
  but who wants a bunch of flies?
                     An Amish friend
                     Lobelville, TN
 
 
– If a rooster crows before goin’ to bed, he’s sure to wake up with a wed head! (rain)
                                                                                          Mrs. Robert Gingerich
                                                                                         East Rochester, OH
 
 
– Love is patient, Love is kind.
  Love bears all things, hopes all things and endures all things!
 
– A whistlin’ woman and a crowin’ hen are sure to come to some bad end!
  Always forgive your enemies.  It sure aggravates them!
 
– Any housewife, no matter how large her family,
  can always get some time alone by doing the dishes!
 
– A peck of common sense is worth a bushel of learning.
 
 
– God is great, God is good
  By His had, we are fed.
  Give us Lord, our daily bread!
 
 
– Sometimes you get discouraged, because I am so small.
  I always leave my fingerprints on the furniture and walls.
  But everyday I’m growing, I’ll be all grown up someday,
  and all these tiny fingerprints will surely fade away!
 
        
     AMISH POEMS AND WORDS OF WISDOM

        The Farmer’s Love Letter

My sweet potato, do you carrot all for me?  
You are the apple of my eye.
With radish hair and your turnip nose,
My heart beets for you
My love for you is strong as onions.
If we cantaloupe, lettuce marry,
and we will be a happy pear!
              Mrs. Robert Gingerich
              East Rochester, OH
 
 
 
      A LITTLE AMISH POEM
 
Come, let’s clean our the garden,
carry in everything that we find.
Stuff everything in jars,
with shapes of every kind.
 
When winter comes a howling,
along the shelves we’ll snoop,
and serve our hungry family,
with vegetables and soup.
 
 
       AN AMISH POEM
 
Weary mother mixing dough,
don’t you wish the food would grow?
Your lips would smile, I know, to see,
a cookie bush or donut tree!
 
 
               BLESS THIS MESS
 
I look in the kitchen, and what do I see?
But a great pile of dishes, just waiting for me.
I glance through the window, my view is all bleary.
The prints of small children, make it look very smeary.
 
My glance falls on laundry, hanging over chairs,
some of it folded, and some at me stares.
With a basket of ironing, and another of mending,
I find that my tasks, are almost unending.
 
But the toys of the floor, and the rugs disarranged,
show healthy children in this house have played.
And the dishes and laundry, are proof that we’re blessed,
with food and with rainment, so why get distressed?
 
I’ve health and I’m privileged, to work with my best.
So up and at, Thank God for this mess!
                                                 An Amish friend,
                                                Sugarcreek, OH
 
 
         AN AMISH POEM
I would rather have a little rose,
from the garden of a friend,
than flowers strewn around my casket,
when my days on earth are ended.
 
I would rather have a loving smile,
from one I know is true,
than tears shed ’round my casket,
when the world I bid adieu.
 
Bring me all my flowers today,
and the true smile as I said, now!
I’d rather have a smile or rose,
than a truckload when I’m dead!
 
 
          TABLE RULES
In silence I must take my seat,
and give God thanks before I eat.
Must for my food, in patience wait,
till I am asked to hand my plate.
 
I must not scold, nor whine, nor pout,
nor move my chair or plate about.
With knife or fork or napkin ring,
I must not play nor must I sing.
 
I must not speak a useless word,
For children must be seen, not heard!
I must not talk about my food,
nor fret if I don’t think it’s good.
 
I must not say, “The bread is cold,”
“The tea is hot,” “The coffee cold.”
I must not cry for this or that,
nor murmur if my meat is fat.
 
My mouth with food, I must not crowd,
nor while I’m eating, speak aloud.
Must turn my head to cough or sneeze,
and when I ask, say “If you please.”
 
The tablecloth, I must not spoil,
nor with my food, my fingers soil.
Must keep my seat till I am done,
nor round the table, sport and run.
 
When told to rise, then I must put
my chair away with noiseless foot.
And lift my heart to God above,
in praise for all His wondrous love.
                         An Amish friend
 
 
      HOW TO PRESERVE A HUSBAND
 
Some insist on keeping them in a pickle,
while others are constantly them in hot water.
Even the poor varieties can be made sweet and tender
by garnishing with patience; well sweetened with smiles and flavored
with kisses.  Wrap well in a mantle of charity and keep warm with
steady fire of devotion.  Thus prepared, they’ll keep for years!
 
 
        
       RECIPE FOR LIFE
 
One cup full of good thoughts
1 cup of kind deeds
1 cup consideration for others
2 cups well beaten faults
3 cups forgiveness
 
Mix thoroughly and add tears of joy, sorrow and sympathy for others.
Fold in 4 cups of prayer and faith to lighten other ingredients, and let
rise to great heights of Christian living.
 
After pouring all of this into your family life, bake well with warmth and human kindness.
Serve with a smile.
Lydia Ann Schwartz
Berne, IN
 
 
A COMMUNITY GARDEN
 
Three rows squash
1.  Squash grudges
2.  Squash criticism
3.  Squash gossip
 
Four rows of turnips
1.  Turn up for visits
2.  Turn up with a smile
3.  Turn up with a helping hand
4.  Turn up on time
 
Five rows of lettuce
1.  Let us love one another
2.  Let us welcome strangers
3.  Let us be faithful to God’s duty
4.  Let us worship God together
5.  Let us pray often for one another
                    Mrs. Robert Gingerich

 

Thanks for visiting!  I hope you enjoyed these as much as I did!

Dana

Help, we need somebody! Help, not just anybody! Help, you know we need someone, help!

the-beatles-1

 

Do the altered lyrics in our title for this post sound familiar?

Yep, you guessed it!

The Beatles, HELP, released July 1965!

Okay, enough trivia!

 

We at SGC need help from our readers!  Help in finding out how we are doing on our blog.

We ask that you please take a moment to answer a few questions and express your opinion.  Please be honest, courteous and constructive with your feedback.

Take Our Survey!

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You have until July 14 to complete the survey.  Once you have taken the survey just leave your name and e-mail address in the Leave a Comments section located at the top of this post.  (Don’t worry, it’s not a trick. We will not share your e-mail, we will only use it to contact you if you win).  We will choose, at random, a winner on July 15.

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Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned

 

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

I have a confession to make.

I. Am. A procrastinator… There! I said it.

It’s a sad truth and one that I am always trying to overcome.

But I have to say that sometimes it’s not my procrastination that gets in the way of my “want to’s” or “need to’s”– sometimes it’s just life! And nothing makes me more sick than having to throw away tomatoes that went bad before I had the chance to do anything with them. It takes time to can them and there are times when it will be more than a week before I have enough time to can a bushel or two of tomatoes. What is a girl to do?!

Needless to say, when I found out that you could FREEZE whole tomatoes to can later, I was elated! I have done this many times and each time I’ve canned them, the tomatoes taste as fresh as they did the day I picked them.

All you have to do is to wash them and let them dry completely. When they are dry, seal a single layer of tomatoes in a gallon-sized freezer bag.

I did notice that a lot of the tomatoes split when they froze, but as long as you get to them before they are freezer burned, you’re in good shape.

This weekend, in anticipation of the garden coming in and needing to freeze more veggies, I decided to free up some freezer space by canning the last of my tomatoes.

Here is how I take my tomatoes from the freezer to canned. In this case I made our favorite salsa {this recipe can also be frozen or eaten the next day}:

I used-

10 cups pureed/hand crushed tomatoes {most people use Roma, but these were beefsteak tomatoes}

1 pouch Mrs. Wages Medium heat Salsa mix

1/2 cup Bragg’s Organic Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider

2 tbsp Granulated Garlic Powder

Tomatoes: From Freezer to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

 

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

1. Take out your precious rubies and inspect them. Make sure they aren’t freezer burned.

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

2. The coolest part– when you run the frozen tomato under hot water, THE SKIN SPLITS AND PEELS RIGHT OFF!! It’s so much fun to do AND it saves a lot of time!

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

3. After you have gotten the skin off of the tomatoes, you have to let them thaw. You don’t have to let them thaw completely, but do let them thaw mostly. I set them out at 11:00 a.m. and they were ready to process at about 7:00 p.m.

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

4. Once your tomatoes have mostly thawed, drain the water off of them, remove the stems and any unsightly spots. Now you are ready to puree and crush! Some of you may prefer diced. That’s fine. We like ours to be a little chunkier than what they serve in Mexican restaurants so a combo of pureed and hand crushed is perfect.

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

5. In a large stock pot and over medium high heat, pour in your tomatoes…

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

… and stir in 1/2 cup of 5% Acidity vinegar {I chose Bragg’s ACV but the recipe on the Mrs. Wages package calls for distilled white} and 1 pouch of Mrs. Wages Medium heat Salsa Mix and granulated garlic powder. Bring to a boil and then back the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then you are ready to can! Be sure to add a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice to each jar if you are canning. As mentioned above, you could also freeze this or put in an airtight container, refrigerate, and serve the next day.

Tomatoes: From Frozen to Canned- SouthernGalsCook.com

I got 2 quarts and almost a full pint from this batch. I didn’t have quite 10 cups of tomatoes– more like 9, but that’s okay. It still tastes great! You can add in some jalapeno if you want to.

A couple of side notes–

1- Since your tomatoes lose a lot of liquid in the thawing process, it makes for a thicker salsa. We love it!

2- mrswages_2267_10043009

We are not endorsed by Mrs. Wages, but I love the product. It’s all natural AND it doesn’t have cilantro in it. I do not like cilantro. You could add it if you wanted to. The ingredients are: DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES (ONION, GREEN BELL PEPPER, JALAPENO, CHILI PEPPERS, GARLIC), SALT, SPICES. It tastes so, so, so, good. We add a pint to our chili instead of diced tomatoes!

3. acv

We are not endorsed by Bragg’s, but again, this is a product that I love and believe in. Not only is it awesome in recipes, but the health benefits are incredible!

If you have any questions about this recipe, leave it in the comments section below or email us at SouthernGalsCook@yahoo.com

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