Pancake Syrup

1 cup water
2 cup brown sugar

bring to boil and simmer 4 minutes
add 1 stick butter..not margerine
when melted remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

keep in fridge and lasts a month

Home Made Ricotta Cheese

4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 t salt
3 T good white vinegar




Directions
Set a large sieve over a deep bowl. Dampen 2 layers of cheesecloth with water and line the sieve with the cheesecloth.

Pour the milk and cream into a stainless-steel or enameled pot such as Le Creuset. Stir in the salt. Bring to a full boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and stir in the vinegar. Allow the mixture to stand for 1 minute until it curdles. It will separate into thick parts (the curds) and milky parts (the whey).

Pour the mixture into the cheesecloth-lined sieve and allow it to drain into the bowl at room temperature for 20 to 25 minutes, occasionally discarding the liquid that collects in the bowl. The longer you let the mixture drain, the thicker the ricotta. (I tend to like mine on the thicker side, but some prefer it moister.) Transfer the ricotta to a bowl, discarding the cheesecloth and any remaining whey. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. The ricotta will keep refrigerated for 4 to 5 days.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-ricotta-recipe.html?oc=linkback

By Igna food network channel

Home Made berry jam no pectin

1 cup berries
mash and bring to boil
add 1 cup of sugar
and boil for a minute

ratio  1 cup berries to 1 cup sugar

Homemade Strawberry Jam

6 cups strawberries
8 table spoons pectin
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 cups sugar

rinse and remove stems from strawberries
mash in a big pot
add lemon juice
mix 1/4 cup of sugar with pectin and add to strawberries
bring to boil of medium heat
remove from heat and add rest of sugar...3.5 cups worth
bring back to boil over medium heat and let boil for 1 minute
let it set for 5 minutes

take a spoon in ice water and dip in jam and let it cool to room temperature
it should not move from spoon too much which means jam will set.

have fun jarring!

Raspberry Apple Sauce

12 apples
1 box of red raspberry gelatin ...aka...jello powder

cook apples in boiling water until very soft.  Macintosh apples are the best.
turn into apple sauce by mashing or applesauce maker
add box of powder gelatin to apple sauce and stir

Vanilla Yogurt

1 Gallon of milk
1 cup of plain yogurt

cook 1 gallon of yogurt on high in a crock pot for 3.5 hours.  Then let cool for 3 hours.  Then mix 1 cup of warm milk with plain yogurt and then add back to warm milk.  Wrap crockpot with a blanket or towel and let sit out for 8-12 hours.  Then refrigerate and enjoy!

Add vanilla and brown sugar to make it vanilla yogart.

Some people even add maple syrup or honey and fresh fruit!

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

1 pack ground sausage

italian seasoning to taste

garlic salt to taste

1/4 cup parm cheese

1/4 mozzarella cheese

tomato sauce or pasta sauce

rice

1/4 cup bread crumbs

3 peppers cut in half

cook rice

mix cooked rice with all the above except sauce

stuff pepper with sausage mixture

top with sauce

bake 400 45 minutes

top with parm cheese and cheddar cheese

bake additional 5 minutes

Tomato Sauce

1 Can crushed tomatoes
1 Can tomato paste
salt
pepper
garlic powder
oregano
saute garlic
5 fresh basil leaves

Saute garlic
In a big pot add remaining ingredience and cook until boiling then reduce to a simmer
for about 15-20 minutes. Can add any kind of meat for additional flavoring!

Season with seasonings according to your taste! Usually 1/2 Tbls is what I like!

Salsa

1 Jar Salsa
1 can corn
1 can black beans
chopped onion
chopped green peppers
cayenne powder- season to desired taste

put all ingredients in a a bowl, mix and enjoy with tortilla chips