Potato Leek Soup (French)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large leeks, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped into ½- inch pieces
• 7 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme (lemon thyme very nice) 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup heavy cream (or substitute milk)
• Chives, finely chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so as not to brown.
2. Add the potatoes, broth, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft.
3. Fish out the thyme sprig and bay leaves, then purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender until smooth. (Alternatively, use a standard blender to purée the soup in batches; see note.) Add the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until thickened. If it's too thick, add water or stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
4. Note: If using a standard blender to purée the soup: be sure not to fill the jar more than halfway; leave the hole in the lid open and cover loosely with a dishtowel to allow the heat to escape; and pour blended soup into a clean pot.
5. Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen, without the cream, for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. Once heated through, add the cream and bring to a simmer before serving.

Cinnamon Pears in Apple Juice

 No sugar added - 6 pint jars or 3 quart jars

Ingredients: 

• 6 to 9 lbs pears (about 18-27 medium) 
• 3 to 6 sticks cinnamon (one for each jar)
• Ball Fruit-Fresh Produce Protector
• 5 cups unsweetened apple juice 

Prep:

1. Wash pears under cold running water, drain. 
2. Cut pears in half lengthwise, core and peel. 
3. Treat with Fruit-Fresh to prevent darkening 

Cook:

1. Drain pears.
2. Cook pears in a small amount of water, one layer at a time, until hot throughout.
3. Heat the apple juice just to a boil
4. Pack hot pears, cavity side down and layers overlapping leaving 1/2-inch of headspace. 
5. Put one cinnamon stick in each jar
6. Ladle hot juice over pears, leaving 1/2-inch headspace.
7. Remove air bubbles
8. Clean jar rims, place jar lids and tighten bands to fingertip-tight.
9. Place jar on the rack elevated over the simmering water in canner.
10. Repeat until all jars are filled 

Process:

1. Lower the rack into simmering water.
2. Water must cover jar by 1 inch.
3. Adjust heat to medium high and bring to a rolling boil 
4. Process pint jars 20 minutes for pint jars (25 minutes for quart jars)
5. Turn off heat and remove cover
6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes
7. Remove jars from canner placing on clean hand-towel 2 inches appart
8. Do not retighten bands. 
9. Allow to cool unmoved for 12 hours 
10. Test lid seals and replace bands
11. Label and store jars in a cool dark place

Dilly Scapes (Liz)

Clean: 

• Countertops
• Stove
• Sink
• Canner and rack
• Funnel 
• Plastic tool for de-bubbling
• Glass Canning Jars matching lids with bands (1/2 pint size)
• Jar Lifter
• Cutting Board
• Chopping knife
• Hand towels 

 Solution:

• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• 1/4 cup pickling salt

1. Bring solution to a boil stirring regularly. 
2. Then lower heat to just below boiling. 

Jar Ingredients:

• 1 sprig dill
• 1/2 sprig oregano (try lemon tyme?)
• 1 pepper corn
• 1/8 tsp celery seed
• Fresh garlic scapes washed and cut to length for the jar
• optional: 10(ish) granules of Pickle Crisp

Directions:

1. Simmer glass canning jars for 11 minutes. 
2. Remove from canner and place on a clean hand-towel on the counter. 
3. Fill jars (hot) with ingredients above. 
4. Cover the ingredients completely with hot brine using a ladel. 
5. Push extra garlic scapes into the jar until tightly packed and bubbles are eliminated.
6. Wipe the rim and threads of the jar clean and dry. 
7. Put lid onto the jar and finger tighten. 
8. Rolling-Boil jars for 11 minutes covered in a minimum of 1 inch of water. 
9. Turn off the heat and remove the canner lid and allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
10. Remove jars from the canner and place on a clean hand-towel with 2 inches between each jar.
11. Allow to sit, unmoved for 12 hours before tightening the lids.
12. Check that the lids are securely vacuumed then tighten the jar bands
13. Store in a cool dark place for 4-6 weeks to pickle completely and eat within a year for best flavors/textures. 

Dad's Medicinal Muffins

• 1 cup Whole wheat flour  
• 1 cup Oatmeal
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp Nutmeg
• Dash of Cloves (1/4 to 1/8 tsp)
• Try adding Turmeric
• Short 1/2 cup Brown Sugar (unpacked)
• 1 Tbs Molasses
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 cup dried (but not candied) Ginger
• Small handful: dried Cherries
• Small handful: dried Blueberries
• 1/2 Apple diced (fresh)
• Smallest handful: Raisins
• Add nuts if desired 

 Cook for 16 min at 400 F.

*Classic muffin recipe base 

Healthier Blueberry Bread/Muffins - Lexie

Ingredients:

• 3 over-ripe bananas (freeze and thaw in skin for easy mixing)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup old fashion oats 
• 1 cup frozen blueberries or fresh blueberries 

Directions:

1. Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan or makes 12 muffins in muffin tin.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
3. In a medium bowl, mash the bananas. 
4. Mix in eggs, yogurt, syrup, vanilla, and baking soda.
5. Add flour and oats and mix to incorporate. 
6. Fold in blueberries gently.
7. Bake for 50 min as bread or 20-30 min as muffins
8. Cool on wrack completely before cutting.

About 115 calories for each of 12 muffins 

About 130 calories for each of 10 bread slices

Optional: Make into amazing french toast by placing slice of bread on one egg on a skillet and cook until egg is cooked and bread is warmed through. Top with a little thin vanilla icing before serving warm.