Free THIS Month ONLY

Fonts, SVGS, and More, That Are Free This Month Only

OCTOBER 2024

Many sites offer a free font or svg for a limited time.  Some are daily, some weekly, and some offer one freebie for the month.  Each morning on my facebook page I compile a list of those freebies.  The list below are sites that offer one freebie for the entire month - these will all expire at the end of the month, and in most cases, a new freebie will be offered sometime in the first week of the next month.  

Affiliate disclaimer - I am an affiliate for a variety of sites, including amazon.  If you click on a link for a FREE item, from this blog, and then decide to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission.  This in no way effects the price you pay.

Fig & Pepper Bread

 
Fig & Pepper Bread, From First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

Our book club read First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen, this month.
It's a sort of cozy magic story, a nice, light,  fall read.  It's also book 2 in a series, which we didn't know when we chose it.. but it's perfectly fine as a stand alone book.

The book includes a recipe for a bread that is mentioned often - Fig and Pepper Bread.  What an interesting combination..  I was intrigued, so I made a loaf to take to book club.

 Not only is it pretty quick and easy to make, but it's REALLY good.  I love the uniqueness - and the sweetness of the fig really does pair so well with the kick from the pepper.  It's not something I would have ever considered making had it not been for this book, but now that I've made it, I'd definitely make it again!  Especially if I could find fresh figs...  In very rural central Pennsylvania,  I was lucky to find dried figs.  

Halloween Reading List 2023

 
Frankenstein, Dracula, the Salem Witch Trials.  Gothic, Ghosts, Hauntings.
Thrillers, Cozy Mysteries, Historical Fiction. 

I know I won't possibly read all of these this year, I'll likely only get to 4 or 5 of them at most.  But here's a look at the Halloween themed reads that caught my attention this year:

September Newsletter

 

A look back at what I've been reading,  cooking, organizing,  watching, and crafting, over the past month.

Basil Salt

 

I saw this in a facebook post, and this year I have an abundance of basil, so I thought I would try it.  I love basil, it's definitely one of my favorite herbs!  Suggestions for using it include:

On Eggs, on Chicken, On tomatoes, in pasta sauces, in soups, in salad dressings, in pasta salads...


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The Recipe
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1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 cups of Kosher Salt

Place in a blender or food processor and pulse to break down the leaves.

Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a silicone mat) 

Bake for 30 minutes at 175. 

Break apart clumps, allow to cool, then place in a jar to store.

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Making & Canning Roasted Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

 
Roasting tomatoes, onions, and garlic for home made spaghetti sauce.

Everyone is always looking for the "Best" home made spaghetti sauce recipe.  But here's the thing - there is no perfect recipe.  There can't be one perfect recipe, simply because sauce depends on the tomatoes.  They are the star.  

What you add will depend on the tomatoes that year - some years the crops will be better than others.  This year we had SO much rain - rain nearly every day.  The tomatoes are not as flavorful as last year.  (We noticed the same with the sweet corn).    Is my sauce still good? Yes, it's quite good - but it's just not as good as LAST years sauce, when the tomatoes were absolutely fantastic.  

There's no amount of seasoning, and no secret ingredient, that  you can add to make up for lackluster tomatoes.

So what type of tomato do you want for sauce?  Most will tell you San Marzano.  And if I were buying them canned, that's what I would look for myself.  But, my mother plants between 400 and 700 tomato plants every year, in numerous varieties.  By hand.  Oh yes, that's insane, plain and simple - she's in her 70s now, and finally cutting back on how many she plants not because of her age, but because so many of her customers have now passed away - not as many people can tomatoes anymore.  

One wagon of plants.  All planted from seed, started in racks on a large sunporch.

But, because I have access to so many varieties - I mix them up as much as possible.  I like the variety in my sauce.  I do use some romas - but I am not dependent on them and  frequently will make sauce without them.  

My suggestion is always to shop local.  Don't try to make sauce with grocery store tomatoes.  Find a local farmer who will sell you half a bushel of local grown tomatoes.  A farmers market is often a great place to start looking - but make sure you ask where their tomatoes came from.  Many of our local farm stores, and even some farmers market stands, buy their produce at auctions - produce shipped in from other states for the grocery stores.   Trust me - I attend the local produce auction here.  I see the trucks unloaded, it's often the exact same thing stocked in the big box stores, being purchased by the farmers market vendor.  [some local produce is also sold at this auction...  our Amish neighbors sell their produce there - so it's not all from another state.  ]

Planting by hand.

Roma tomatoes, what my mom calls "sauce" tomatoes, are shaped more like a pepper than a tomato, not as round.  They are thicker, with less water and fewer seeds, making a thicker, creamier sauce.


Once I have chosen my tomatoes - usually a good mix of varieties - I core them, and place them in pans, along with cloves of garlic and sectioned onions.  I sprinkle it all liberally with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder (scant amounts of garlic.  Garlic and herbs can make a sauce bitter if overcooked, so go easy on the seasoning at this stage)

The above photo shows a mixture of pans, but really the baking pans are best.  there will be  LOT of juice, and you will likely need to clean your oven if you use cookie sheets..

Roast at 450 until they are well, good and roasted.  I never time these things - I think a lot varies by the size of the tomato, the number of items in the oven, how accurate your oven temperature is..  I'd tell my kids to cook them until they smell done [I say the same about sticky buns] - but apparently cooking by smell is not normal.  A good rule of thumb is to check them in 30 minutes.  If they look close to done, add some herbs if you want (basil, oregano, maybe a little thyme and garlic) and cook them another 10 minutes or so. 

Then pull them from the oven  I drain the juice from the pans right into my crock pot /pan /roaster, where my sauce will go.  


Then let the tomatoes cool enough that you can touch them to remove the skins.
I remove the skins and drop the tomatoes right into my ninja (a regular blender would work).  Puree the tomatoes, pour them into the pan/crockpot/roaster where the juice is.

I puree the roasted garlic and onion and add it to the sauce, and this is when I will add more herbs - often just a bottled italian seasoning mix.  I don't add much.  Keep it simple.   Add, taste, add, taste...   I know some prefer exact measurements, but what if your basil is more potent one year than the next?  Or if the tomatoes need a bit more salt one year?  You just have to add, and taste!


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The Seasonings I Typically Add:
Remember, the olive oil was on the tomatoes when I roasted them, that's already in there.  So is the roasted garlic, and roasted onion, that I cooked right with the tomatoes.

- Celery Seed
-Fresh chopped Basil and Oregano - or dried Italian seasoning mix.  Or a little both.
- Salt and pepper

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 I sometimes add a little tomato paste - maybe a can or two per a roaster.   Sometimes I don't add it at all - it depends on the tomatoes.  The more romas I use, the less likely I am to add paste.  

Because I roast the tomatoes, I do not add sugar.  You can taste it and make that decision, but roasting the tomatoes pulls out the natural sugars, it's rare that they would need any added.

Sauce goes into the electric roaster on the right - some of the tomatoes I put straight into sterilized jars to can as whole roasted tomatoes for chilis, soups, goulash...


I leave the seeds in my sauce.   There are methods for removing the seeds - but I don't mind them.  I've read that seeds can cause sauce to be bitter, but I've never had a problem with that personally.

I don't cook my sauce for a long time - maybe an hour or so.  The tomatoes have already been roasted... normally I am just leaving the sauce simmer a bit while I am waiting on the canner.  Remember, cooking your seasonings a long time - especially oregano, basil  and garlic, can make your sauce bitter.  If you want to cook the sauce down more, wait to add your herbs until its mostly cooked to the consistency you want.

One in the jars, add ¼ tsp Citric Acid or 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice per hot jar

If your sauce goes bitter, try adding a teaspoon or so of baking soda.
Or a little sugar.

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HOW TO CAN SPAGHETTI SAUCE
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After using a large water bath canner for many years (I have my grandmothers old pan and rack) my parents bought me this steam canner for Christmas, a few years back - shown here without the lid on. I LOVE this thing. It's how I do all of my "water bath" canning now. https://amzn.to/3Ep4sSF



"Add ¼ tsp Citric Acid or 1 Tbsp bottled lemon juice to each hot pint jar; Add 1/2 tsp.  Citric Acid or 2 Tbsp. bottled lemon juice to each hot quart jar. Ladle hot sauce into hot jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center hot lid on jar. Apply band and adjust until fit is fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process pint jars for 35 minutes and quart jars for 40 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars and cool. check lids for seal after 24 hours; they should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

The Ball Guide To Water Bath Canning [for acidic foods]  Can be found online here:

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STEAM CANNING INSTRUCTIONS
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Hot pack and fill jars according to directions for that food. Set each full jar on the base to stay warm while packing and filling the rest of the jars.

When the last full jar has warmed up for 1-2 minutes, place the dome on the base and slowly (4-5 minutes) increase the temperature setting of the stove until a column of steam 8-10 inches is evident from the small holes at the base of the dome. (If you are using a canner with a thermometer in the lid watch for when the dial reaches the appropriate temperature)

Begin timing the process. Follow the water bath canning recommendations adjusted for your altitude.

 Maintain the column of steam. The dome (or lid) should not bounce from the base during processing.
When processing time is complete, turn off the stove and wait 2-3 minutes before removing the dome. Remove the dome keeping it away from your face and body to avoid burns. 

Allow your jars to cool and seal as you would with water bath canning. Remove metal bands and store the jars in a cool dark place.
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Pulled Pork Seasoning

 
Pulled Pork Seasoning

I most often use this on a pork loin.  Coat the entire loin in this seasoning, cook it low and slow all day, then pull it apart with forks, letting it sit in the juices so the pulled pork re-absorbs the liquid and seasonings.  We often add bbq sauce to this meat when making sandwiches, or use it as is in tacos.  

I typically cook a large loin like this, then package it in quart zip lock bags to freeze and use throughout the month.  And when I mix up the seasoning, I tend to make enough for a quart jar full.  It stores well in the pantry.  To make a quart jar, take the recipe below x4 .

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Pulled Pork Seasoning Recipe

Use 1 tablespoon each of:
 cumin
 garlic powder
chili powder
 cayenne pepper
 salt
 ground pepper
  paprika

And add:
1/2 cup brown sugar

The cayenne and chili pepper will add a bit of a kick - you can use a little less of those if you don't like spice.  But if you are adding a sweeter bbq sauce to the pulled pork, it will usually balance out nicely as is.

I toss all of my ingredients into my ninja and mix them thoroughly.


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