In a pickle...

Plum trees laden with sweet, swollen fruit, bushy bushes bursting with robust ruby berries, sturdy stalks of beans climbing towards the heavens worthy to bear the weight of both Jack and his cow...my garden is bursting with the bounty that is summer!

OK, now I'm just lying.

My zucchini aren't zippy, my tomatoes are too tart and my pickles have yet to pop (that's a little pickle pup above). Yes, my garden does show some signs of promise this year but it's time to do some canning and I just don't have the patience to wait for my few measly little plants to produce enough cucumbers to stock our larders with homemade pickles to keep my family puckered up the winter through.

So, the other day, the kids and I set out for the Farmer's Market to pick up a couple dozen cheaters. But, as it turns out, in addition to cukes, dill and garlic, we just couldn't pass up the flat (that's 12 baskets) of juicy, ripe, organic strawberries that were offered to us as an end-of-the-day-half-price deal (not to mention some peaches and nectarines for good measure). Guess I'm making jam too...it's gonna be a late night cause these puppies aren't gonna make it through the night. Boil some water...stat!

So, I'm here to tell you, that if I can can, so can you. You see, canning is really no big mystery. It's fun, it's easy, and there's nothing like having a case of your homemade goods ready at any time to pop into a pretty little bag and proudly present as a last minute hostess gift (it lasts for over a year). Yes, you too can have your very own "Martha" moments.

So, pop on your gingham apron, put your hair up with an old clothespin, download the soundtrack of Oklahoma and get jammin'...it's so County Fair.

I've experimented with lots of different recipes and techniques with varied results but, if your gonna try this just once, I suggest going with the tried and true recipe you'll find in your box of Certo pectin (the stuff that helps make your jam gel).

You'll need a big pot to sterilize the jars and to process the cans once their filled. I got this one at Costco years ago during our homemade beer making phase. A big soup pot will work as long as it is tall enough to cover the height of the jars with water plus and at least an inch. Take your clean jars (I put them through the dishwasher first) then and add them to the pot of water to boil for a while to sterilize even further. Remove them from the water with tongs and set to dry face up on a clean towel next to the stove. Take a small bowl and place the jar lids (not the rims) in it and pour boiling water over them while you make your jam. This softens the wax seal.

This is a shot of the side of one of my boxes of jars...you get the idea...so retro...I love it! There are usually 12 per box and come with the jars, lids and bands. Note: the jars and bands can be used over and over but you will need to buy new lids each time you can to ensure a good seal.

Here are some other handy tools to have...a wide-mouthed funnel, special jar-lifting tongs (although you can use regular tongs if you are careful) and and ladle. All of these items are super easy to find and inexpensive (under $5).

Start with firm, sweet fruit.

Wash, stem, and slice...

Place the fruit in a stainless steel soup pot (not the huge one you are using to process) and mix with your sugar and a little bit of balsamic vinegar. Squish it as you stir with a metal potato masher. Bring to a full rolling boil (that doesn't stop when stirred), add the pectin and boil another 60 seconds (careful not to scorch it). Remove from heat. Skim off any foamy impurities.

Now you're ready to ladle your jam into the hot jars you have set next to the stove. Use a sterile ladle and a wide-mouthed funnel and fill each jar to about 1/8" below the rim. Place a warm jar lid on each jar (make sure the rim is clean) and screw the rim band just finger tight. Lower the jars into the boiling water (CAREFUL!) and process (gently boil) for about 10 minutes making sure that the water covers the jars and that the jars are not touching.

Lift the jars back out of the water with your handy jar lifter and place back on the counter to cool. Be careful not to slip as you grip...boiling hot water splashing back up as the jar plops back into the pot is a less than delightful sensation.  As they cool, you'll hear a happy little popping sound as the vacuum seal is made. There is a little dimple at the top of each lid which will compress when a proper seal is made. If the dimple is still up after an hour or so (you can feel it by running your finger over the top), your seal did not happen. Put your jar in the fridge and enjoy now. The directions say to reprocess but this always makes me nervous. Otherwise, if your seals work...and they should...you're good to go. Label and store in a cool, dark place.

Alright, it's 10 pm but...gotta make those pickles...it just takes a few ingredients...

Cut the little stem end off of the cucumber as it will muck up your pickle juice.

Sterilize your jars, take them out of the boiling water, place on the counter and add the fresh dill, mustard seed and garlic cloves to your hot jars...

Next add your washed and stemmed cucumbers...really pack 'em in as they shrink as they pickle. I think I got about 6-7 pickles per quart jar.

Boil the vinegar, water and salt until the solids are dissolved then pour over your pickles in the jars. Add the lids and rims (as above) and process for abut 15 minutes.

Here are the recipes:

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Place in a large soup pot and bring to a rolling boil:

• 4 cups crushed strawberries
• 7 cups sugar (!)
• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Add and boil 60 more seconds:

• 1 pouch Certo liquid pectin

Ladle into sterile jars and seal as directed on your Certo package directions and above. Label and store in a cool, dark place.

Makes 7-8 cups of delicious homemade jam

 Garlic Dill Pickles

Wash and cut the little stem off:

• 18-20 small pickling cucumbers

Boil:

• 4 cups white vinegar
• 4 cups water
• 4 Tbs. pickling salt

Shove equally into three hot sterile quart jars:

• A big bunch of washed fresh dill
• 6 small peeled cloves of garlic
• 2 Tbs. mustard seed

Pack in your cucumbers, pour hot liquid into the jars to about 1/2" below the rim. Place jar lids on (that you have softened in hot water), screw on bands and process in your big pot for 15 minutes making sure that the water covers the jars by one inch. Remove from water to cool and seal.
 
Label and store in a cool, dark place.
 
Makes three quarts of puckerlicious pickles. Note: try adding dried red chili peppers, bay leaf, and/or pickling spice for variations and/or a little sugar for sweetness.

Say peas...and thank you...

At the beginning of this past school year, I was standing near Carly's locker helping her juggle a pile of shelves and books and magnets and mirrors and noticed an unfamiliar face nearby. I heard that a new boy was joining her class and thought "This must be him...I'll say hi and hook him up with a couple of classmates.." Turns out, he was actually a returning student from another class and I had just never met him...but here's the weird thing...

Instead of giving me a bewildered "Who are you and why are you talking to me" look like most awkward thirteen-year-olds would, he smiled right back at me, put out his hand, reached for mine, gave it a firm shake, looked me in the eye and politely introduced himself...to me...an adult, no less!

Don't ask me why (and to tell you the truth, I don't even remember this kid's name) but I was completely floored. Big deal...a kid shook my hand...why was I so blown away? Then, it occurred to me...in the words of Ward and June Cleaver, "kids these days!"

Manners...where have they gone? I'm not asking for the moon and stars here, really I'm not. I'm just talking about the basics: please, thank you, hello, good-bye, have-a-nice-day-kind-of-stuff. And God, forbid...how about giving your seat to an elderly person or opening the door for a lady...or how about a little eye contact and a sincere smile now and then? Where has it gone?

Don't get me wrong...I do believe this behavior still exists...every now and then and, for the most part, at family funerals under the watchful eye of Aunt Gladys. But, here's what I'm looking for: quite simply I want our kids to feel, and enjoy, and cherish and be accountable for their personal connections.

No cell phones here...this is connecting!

It feels that we have somehow silently slipped into a virtual reality where we condone the sad fact that our kids are forming their social skills in a world devoid of touch and tone; where cousins sit at the family table texting their friends while they should be interacting with each other, teasing the "baby in the brood" and bonding through the mutual mockery of Grandpa's ear hair...like we did.

The only things bigger than baby Michael's diaper and the bow in my hair were Grandpa Henry's ears.

Guess who I blame...us!

If our kids can teach us to program our Bluetooths or use canvas bags at the grocery, don't we owe it to them to share the good stuff that used to be expected of us? And, you know how we're gonna do it...by doing it ourselves!

Dads...when's the last time you pulled out the chair for your wife and nudged your son to do the same for Sister? Moms...when's the last time you closed your cell phone before you reached the grocery checkout so you could be sure to give your clerk a proper "have a nice day?"

Remember this little guy...I think it's time to bring him back.

OK...so here's my plan...here are the three things we're gonna work on this summer to unplug our over-amped connections.

1.) Say please and thank you...sincerely. Until I really made an effort to actually take note, I was shocked how many times my kids just took the Popsicle and ran. It's up to us to grab them by the ear, yank them back to the scene of the crime and give them the gift of stopping for a second to feel and express gratitude.

2.) As my cousin from Texas used to say in her southern drawl, "drive friendly now." I'm going to slow down, get off the phone, talk to my kids in the car, not my automated bank teller, let the other guy into traffic and smile at him when he let's me in...or one better, even when he doesn't.

3.) Simply put...be nice...especially to old folks. Let's face it...I practically am one! I figure if I teach my kids to show good old-fashioned respect for their elders, it just might rub off onto the way they treat each other.

Carly still remembers her weekly visits with Great Grandma Finy (and the cold 7-up Grandma Liz let her buy from the vending machine).

We're going to spend more time with grandmas and grandpas and I'm going to give the kids a nudge to note when Grandpa Don holds Grandma Liz tight around the waist leading her when they dance or when Grandma Alice puts her napkin on her lap at the dinner table and places her fork correctly on her plate when she is finished.

20 years ago at our wedding...and Mom and Dad are still dancing.

Looking back at this manifesto, it's hard to believe I started this post with the intention of sharing a great recipe using "peas.". Guess I had something I wanted to get off my chest! Phew, I feel better now. Let's make some ravioli..

So, the peas in my garden are going crazy right now and are so fun to watch as they grow and change from day to day. Last week, we picked the young shoots right off the vine and ate them whole.

This week, they're plump and tender so we're grabbing them by the handfuls, unzipping their snappy little jackets and tossing the little buggers almost raw into salads and pastas...yum! The heat's officially here though so soon they'll get too fat and starchy to enjoy.

So, I thought I'd find a way to use a heap of them at once. After searching my cookbooks and the Internet for inspiration, I decided on a pea ravioli. I did the mad scientist thing with ingredients I had on hand and, if I don't say so myself, the results were awesome! Here's what I did...

Since I didn't have enough ripe ones ready last week when I was experimenting, I used bagged frozen petite peas...worked great! The dregs of my fridge also produced goat cheese, ricotta, shallot, garlic, and bread crumbs...this should do.

After sauteing the shallots and garlic, I tossed everything into a food processor and mashed it up until it looked like guacamole...

We tasted it and decided that something was missing.... lemon zest! Carly nailed it.

Next, I blobbed a heaping teaspoonful of the concoction onto squares of pasta (OK, I made mine from scratch because I didn't have won ton wrappers but, unless you're into it, go for the convenience and buy the wrappers at any market...you should find them in the fridge section near the tofu).

Place a bowl of water next to your work area and lightly wet the edges of the dough using your finger then fold them like this, pushing out extra air as you go and pressing the edges to seal. Charlie thinks they look like little houses. But, then again, given his line of work, he would.

1.

2.

3.

Carly pulled some fresh chives, oregano and thyme from the garden. I chopped them fine then floated them with some fresh peas in a chicken broth I infused with lemon and garlic.

Next, we gently boiled the ravioli for a few minutes, drained them then slipped them into the broth...light, aromatic, sweet and tangy...it was crazy good! Charlie liked it too but called the broth "too fast!" Huh? Too fast? "Yah," he said, "It was frustrating trying to chase the ravioli around the bowl as they slipped around in the thin broth!" Give me a break...

He asked for his next plateful to be plain with just butter and cheese. "OK," I said, "as long as you say peas..."

Spring Pea Ravioli in Fast Broth

Saute:

• 1 small shallot
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1 Tbs. olive oil

Pulse in a food processor with:

• 1 cup of thawed frozen peas or fresh that have been blanched
• 3 heaping Tbs. goat cheese
• 2 heaping Tbs. ricotta cheese
• 1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbs. bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. lemon zest or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Place 1 heaping teaspoon of filling in the middle of a won ton wrapper and fold. Boil gently in water for a few minutes until al dente and serve about 5-6 per person with "fast broth"* or butter and cheese.

Garnish with

• fresh peas
• chopped herbs

*1 quart of chicken stock with just a touch of lemon zest and garlic to taste.

Serves about 6 as a first course or light lunch

He may not be a snappy dresser...

...but he sure knows what to say to make a girl swoon.

Although you may not know it by the Spiderman underwear he's wearing on his head in this vintage photo...my boy is wicked smart.

You see, the other day I received a love note from him and I've gotta tell you, he could have asked for anything after I read it...a trip to Disneyland, the inappropriately expensive Star Wars Death Star Lego set he covets, a personal audience with George Lucas himself...I would have found a way to get it for him. Here's the note:

This kid knows how to play to his audience. Did he think I would want to hear, "Mommy you're so pretty," or, "Mama, you give me the best hugs"...well...yes, I guess! But when you think about it, what would be the ultimate compliment my child could bestow on me; the one guaranteed to drop me to my knees..."You give me the right food at the right time!" My boy knows what feeds Mamma's soul! He gets me.

I think the fact that it was so unexpected was what made it that much more of a gift. As I sat at my desk, banging on the computer keys posting yet another bill into Quickbooks, Will puttered around at my feet building something with the Lincoln Logs I keep close by in an attempt to temporarily stave off his ritual zombie-like communion with Sponge Bob or one of his fellow mind-mutating cartoon minions.

With my back to him, I couldn't see that he had put aside his three story wooden masterpiece, sneaking a sheet of discarded paper from the recycling bin and a pencil off the floor to go to work on a his spontaneous prose. Yah, Will is funny...he's cute...and the kid can dance but "Mr. Sensitivity" he is not (as opposed to Carly, my love bug, who at 14 still crawls into my lap and won't sleep until I tuck her in). So you can imagine, when I take priority over a play date, a Wii session or a bean and cheese burrito, I feel like I've won the lottery. Happy belated Mother's Day to me...I must be doing something right!

So, for all of you who want a way to give your kids "the right food at the right time" too, here's one of my favorite make-ahead snack solutions...one alternative to the industrial-sized packages of Costco chicken nuggets and petrified potstickers we all keep in our freezers to keep the hungry tribe at bay.


Try these mini pizza's with a wholewheat crust (trust me, they won't even know it's healthy). Or, if you're chicken, I'll give you my standard white flour pizza dough recipe as you ease yourself in to the wonderful world of whole grains.

Willy is a cheese and olive fan...check out those big boy teeth!

Start with warm water in a measuring cup with a spout, add the yeast and a squirt of honey to feed the little yeasty beasties.

While the yeast is doing it's thing, pulse the flours and salt in a food processor fitted with a dough blade until it is mixed and fluffy.

Add the olive oil into the measuring cup with the bubbling yeast mixture and pour it through the feed tube with the motor running until the dough comes together. Note: if your yeast is not showing signs of life (bubbly and foamy) toss it and start again. Your poor little fermented friends have gone on to the big bakery in the sky (the yeast may have been bad or maybe your water was too hot).

Here is some overachiever yeast but yours should be good and bubbly too.

Time to knead...

Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead until it is relatively smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).

Enjoy the process. Get into it. Use your body weight, rocking back and forth into the dough versus pumping with your arms. Hard to believe this is coming out of my mouth but...take your time! I'm all for instant gratification, but making homemade yeast dough is one process that just can't be rushed (as simple as it is)! Give yourself this ten minutes, knead, think nice thoughts and breath in the smell the wonderful warm yeasty aroma wafting up from your dough as it transforms. Can you tell? I think bread (and especially making it with your own hands) is magical!

Shape the dough into a ball and place it into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, put in a warm place and let rise until it is doubled in bulk. If it's a cold day, I turn on the oven for a minute, just until it clicks on, then turn it off and place the bowl inside the toasty space...like a perfect warm day, not hot.

Punch down the dough and separate it into about 12 little balls. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

While the oven is preheating, pat the dough balls into mini rounds or use an awesome muffin top pan. It makes perfect little deep dish pizzas. I don't remember where I got mine but I did a quick search and saw that they are available at Target, Bed, Bath and Beyond, Sur la Table...all over the place. Buy one...they're fun to have.

Spoon on some sauce and your favorite toppings. I like fresh basil, garlic and tomato...

Here's a "mean" trick...dice up some zucchini or julienne some spinach and hide it under the cheese. The kids won't know it's there and you'll be sneaking in some additional goodness...

But...the kids do like to make their own. Willy's is the one in the middle with the pepperoni and cheese. Check out Carly's...

I've made a ton of these with the kids' friends too. It's a great rainy day play date thing...

I make a bunch of 'em, stack 'em and freeze 'em. They're the best after school snacks. I tend to microwave them because I'm always hungry NOW but I must admit that they do turn out pretty chewy. I recommend using a toaster oven...if you can wait!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

Dissolve together in a 2+ cup glass measure:

• 1 Tbs. honey
• 1 1/4 cup very warm (not hot) water
• 1/4 ounce packet of active dry yeast

After it is bubbly, add:

• 2 Tbs.olive oil (plus extra for greasing bowl)

Pulse together in a food processor fitted with a dough blade:

• 1 1/4 cup white flour (plus extra for kneading)
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt

With the motor running, slowly add the wet mixture to the dry through the feed tube of the food processor until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a clean, floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic and let rise in a warm place for about an hour until it is doubled in bulk.

Punch down the dough, shape, top and bake at 450 degrees for 9-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your dough. If you make them free form (without the pan), preheat your oven to 500 degrees with the cookie sheet in the oven. Shape your pizzas on a cutting board, piece of cardboard or pizza peel sprinkled with cornmeal so they don't stick. Carefully slide your pizzas onto the super hot sheet (BE CAREFUL!!!). This is the trick to a crispy crust if you don't have a pizza stone (like me). Bake for about 10 minutes but watch them to make sure they don't burn.

Makes 12+ mini-muffin top pizzas depending on how thick you like the dough.

White Pizza Dough

Follow directions for whole wheat dough using these ingredients.

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 ounce packet of active dry yeast
• 3 cups white flour (plus extra for kneading)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. oil (plus extra for greasing bowl)

Sticky Situations...

April was full of 'em!

So...I'm sorry I haven't had even a minute lately to stay in touch.

I've missed you so!

I promise to post a real post really, really soon but, in the meantime, I wanted to draw your attention to the right hand side of this page* where I have added a new feature: "Recipes You've Requested." From hasty shouts across supermarket checkout isles to in-depth conversations over margaritas and bean dip, it's easy for me to lose track of the many oh-so-wonderful recipe requests I receive at random times throughout the week.

Soooo, until I figure out a better way to do it (which I will need to do), as soon as I get your request, I'll try to hop on my computer and slap the recipe up on the site, no fuss, no muss. There probably won't be any photos and there's a chance you'll get a scanned copy of crumpled piece of stained paper out of my files ... but at least you'll have it before next Christmas!

Today I'm adding recipes for the Black-Eyed-Pea Salsa and the Cinco(!) Leches Cake I served on Cinco de Mayo. For a "school night", it turned out to be a pretty fun fiesta (note evidence below). Thanks to our amigos who joined us!

I hope you also enjoy the other recipes I've added throughout the past month including a killer, no fail, recipe for Milk and Honey Whole Wheat Bread...it's the one I make every year with our school's second graders as part of their Lenten tradition.

Together, those 60 sticky little hands produce 36 loaves of beautiful brown bread in one chaotic but memorable morning. I cherish this day every year and revel in the gift I receive by sharing this tradition with them.

So, please enjoy the few recipes I've shared to the right* and stay tuned for more Mudpies really soon.

*Note: if you receive Makemudpies via a feed (i.e. if it comes to you by email) you probably can't see the columns on the right including "Recipes You've Requested," my Twitter feed, blog archive etc... Simply access the blog via http://www.makemudpies.com/ to see the entire blog in all it's glory!