Author: Mandy Page 2 of 5

Fluffy White Frosting

By

On December 27, 2020

In Cooking

Fluffy white frosting is pillowy soft and looks gorgeous swirled on your favorite cake. It is easy to make and ready in about 20 minutes!

How to Make fluffy white frosting

If you have never made fluffy white frosting before you are in for a treat! Unlike buttercream frosting, this fluffy white frosting contains no butter or fat. It is made by making a hot sugar syrup on the stove and then slowly drizzling it into beaten egg whites. The frosting is then beaten for a few minutes until it holds its shape. It becomes light, airy, and amazing!

What does Fluffy White Frosting taste like?

Fluffy white frosting tastes like soft marshmallow cream! It is light and sweet and spreads easily on your cake.

How is Fluffy White Frosting different from 7-Minute Frosting?

Fluffy white frosting is very similar to the ever popular 7-minute frosting. Both are cooked frostings and both have a similar taste. However, I find fluffy white frosting to be even easier to make and it is my favorite “go-to” frosting. Instead of beating it over a water bath for 7 minutes, a hot sugar syrup is slowly drizzled into beaten egg whites and the mixture is beaten until stiff. No boiling water and no mixing it by hand for 7 minutes. Simple!

Ingredients for Fluffy White Frosting

Fluffy white frosting requires only 6 ingredients. We will go through them now:

Egg Whites – Beaten egg whites give the frosting structure and help give it a light and fluffy texture. Make sure your egg whites are free from any traces of yolk, which may prevent the egg whites from beating properly.

Sugar – Gives it some sweetness. Use regular granulated sugar.

Water – For cooking the sugar syrup.

Cream of Tartar – Cream of tartar is an acid and it helps to stabilize the egg whites.

Salt – Brings out the flavor and cuts down on the sweetness a bit.

Vanilla – Gives the frosting some flavor. If you have clear vanilla this helps the frosting to stay a bright white color. You may substitute other flavorings too if you would like.

How to Make Fluffy White Frosting

Step 1: Cook the Sugar Syrup

Stir the sugar, water, cream of tartar, and salt together in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium high heat until the mixture boils.  Wash down any sugar crystals that are stuck on the side of the pan.  Continue cooking until the sugar mixture reaches 242°. 

Boil the sugar syrup to 242 degrees
Boil the sugar mixture until it reaches 242 degrees. Make sure to check the temperature with a candy thermometer.

Step 2: Beat the Egg Whites

While your sugar syrup is boiling, place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Just before the sugar syrup reaches the proper temperature, start beating the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.

Beat the egg whites to soft peaks
Just before the sugar syrup is at temperature, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Step 3: Drizzle the Sugar Syrup into the Egg Whites

With the mixer still on high speed, pour hot syrup very slowly in a thin stream into the egg whites.  Add the vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is thick and white and holds its shape. 

Slowly pour the hot syrup into the beaten egg whites
With the mixer on high speed, slowly pour the hot syrup into the beaten egg whites.

Step 4: Frost Your Cake

Immediately spread the frosting on a cooled cake. This frosting is pillowy soft and spreads easily. Use your spatula or the back of a spoon to make beautiful swirls in the frosting. Here I am frosting my peppermint angel food cake. Yum!

Frosting a cake with fluffy white frosting
Fluffy white frosting has a soft texture so it spreads easily.

Serve

Decorate your cake as desired. This frosting is best served the same day it is made and will last up 2-3 days at room temperature.

Hope you get to try this fluffy white frosting soon! Enjoy!

Cake frosted with fluffy white frosting
Look at the beautiful swirls on this cake! The frosting tastes as good as it looks 🙂

Recipe Tips

  • Do not make the frosting too far ahead. This frosting is best served the same day it is made. It is much more delicate than other types of frosting (like buttercream) and will slowly deflate over time. It will last 2-3 days before it starts to get pretty flat.
  • Start with clean equipment. Make sure there is no grease on your beaters or mixing bowl. Any trace of fat may prevent the eggs from beating properly.
  • Separate the eggs carefully. Egg yolks contain fat, which can prevent the egg whites from beating up properly. Inspect each egg carefully for any traces of yolk.
  • Cook the sugar syrup to the proper temperature. Make sure to check the temperature with a candy thermometer. This will ensure that the frosting is the proper consistency.

Fluffy White Frosting

Recipe by: Mandy
Fluffy white frosting is pillowy soft and looks gorgeous swirled on your favorite cake. It is easy to make and ready in about 20 minutes!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients
  

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ⅓ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • dash salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Stir the sugar, water, cream of tartar, and salt together in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium high heat until the mixture boils.  Wash down any sugar crystals that are stuck on the side of the pan.  Continue cooking until sugar mixture reaches 242°. 
  • While the sugar syrup is boiling, place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl.  Just before the sugar syrup reaches the proper temperature, start beating the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form.
  • With the mixer still on high speed, pour the hot syrup very slowly in a thin stream into the egg whites.  Add the vanilla and continue beating until the frosting is thick and white and holds its shape. 
  • Immediately spread the frosting on a cooled cake. This frosting will be pillowy soft and spread easily. Use your spatula or the back of a spoon to make beautiful swirls in the frosting.
  • Decorate your cake as desired. This frosting is best served the same day it is made and will last up 2-3 days at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

Recipe Tips:
  • Do not make the frosting too far ahead. This frosting is best served the same day it is made. It is much more delicate than other types of frosting (like buttercream) and will slowly deflate over time. It will last 2-3 days before it starts to get pretty flat.
  • Start with clean equipment. Make sure there is no grease on your beaters or mixing bowl. Any trace of fat may prevent the eggs from beating properly.
  • Separate the eggs carefully. Egg yolks contain fat, which can prevent the egg whites from beating up properly. Inspect each egg carefully for any traces of yolk.
  • Cook the sugar syrup to the proper temperature. Make sure to check the temperature with a candy thermometer. This will ensure that the frosting is the proper consistency.

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Strawberry plants with dead leaves over the winter

How to Clean Up Strawberry Beds

By

On December 12, 2020

In Gardening

Strawberries are a wonderful plant to include in your home garden! With proper care they can produce sweet juicy strawberries for many years. However, strawberry plants can take a beating over the winter. Leaves die and if you did not prune your runners the previous summer your berry patch can easily become a tangled mess like the picture below:

Strawberry plants with dead leaves over the winter
Strawberry plants can easily become a tangled mess over the winter. Cleaning them out before growth starts will help to keep the plants healthy and maximize yields the following spring.

Today I will show you how to clean up your strawberry beds so they are ready for growth in the spring. Let’s get started!

Why to Clean Up Your Strawberry Beds

There are several reasons to clean up your strawberry beds before growth starts in the spring:

  • Old leaves and plant materials left behind can propagate diseases.
  • Snails and slugs can become a problem when there are a lot of dead leaves and places for them to hide.
  • Dense plantings compete for light and nutrients, which will decrease productivity and lead to smaller berries.
  • Pruning increases air circulation which will reduce the chance of diseases to spread.

When to Clean Up Strawberry Beds

One of the best times to prune strawberries is in the summer, right after the final harvest of the year. However, since leaves may die over the winter months, strawberries should be cleaned up and pruned a second time in late winter. This is past when any damage will occur due to cold weather but before they put on lush spring growth. Late January through early March is generally a good time.

How to Clean Up Strawberry Beds

Step 1: Pull up old plants

Strawberry plants die for a number of reasons and they need to be removed from your strawberry bed. You can recognize these plants because the leaves are dead and there is no green growth at the crown. Since strawberry plants naturally decline in productivity after about three years, also pull up any plants that are hard and woody and show little new growth.

a dead strawberry plant
This plant has brown, dead leaves and no green growth at the crown. Pull it up and remove it from your strawberry bed.

Step 2: Prune away dead leaves, runners, and flower stalks

Dead leaves are of no benefit to the plant and can spread diseases. They also give a place for snails, slugs, and other pests to hide. Prune these off at their base, being careful not to damage the crown of the plant. Also remove older leaves that are very long and dull, or leaves that are red or yellowed. Leave the healthy green leaves growing close to the crown of the plant.

Cut away dead leaves at the base of the strawberry plant.
Prune away dead leaves at their base. Leave healthy green leaves and be careful not to damage the crown of the plant.

Sometimes old flower stalks are still attached to the plant. They serve no purpose at this point so make sure to remove them as well.

Also remove runners, or the stems that go between plants, as these can become rather tangled. If the daughter plants are rooted and healthy, I usually leave these in the ground but take them out if they look unhealthy or if they have not rooted properly.

a dead flower stalk on a strawberry plant
Remove old flower stalks as well as the runners that go between plants.

Step 3: Pull up plants that are overcrowded or not where you want them

In the summer months strawberries send out a multitude of runners in every direction. If not pruned off these take root and form a new plant. Sometimes these runners end up in a good location, and sometimes they are not where you want them. Do not be afraid to dig these up and transplant them elsewhere in your planting bed. For example, the strawberry plant below ended up too close to my walkway so I carefully dug it up and moved it to a different location.

a strawberry plant
Although this strawberry looks very healthy, it is too close to my walkway. In this location, it will not be able to develop a full root system. I carefully dug it up and replanted it elsewhere in my bed.

Also remove strawberry plants that are too close to each other. Strawberries that are too close together they will compete for light and nutrients which will decrease productivity and lead to smaller berries. Dense plantings also reduce air circulation, trap moisture, and spread diseases.

How should your strawberry plants be? Plants should be spaced at least 6 inches apart so they have plenty of room to grow.

If you find plants too close together carefully remove one of them. If the plant looks healthy you can move it to another location in your strawberry bed. Or, you can plant it in a pot or share it with a friend.

two strawberry plants growing close together
These two plants are too close together. I kept one and moved the second plant to a new location.

Eventually this is what we want to end up with: healthy strawberry plants, spaced at least 6 inches apart, with dead leaves and runners removed. This is such a big difference from where we started out!

strawberry bed after pruning
After pruning strawberries are spaced appropriately with unhealthy plants, dead leaves, and runners removed.

Growing Tips

Now that your strawberry beds are cleaned up, here are a few more growing tips:

Add Mulch

When you are finished cleaning up your strawberry bed you can add some mulch around the base of your strawberry plants. This will help to keep the soil moist, prevent disease from spreading as easily, regulate the soil temperature, and keep the berries off of the dirt. Clean straw works well for this.

Water Regularly

Spring rains usually provide enough water for your strawberries but make sure to water them if you have a dry spell. The soil should be kept moist but not overly soggy. Strawberries need about an inch of water per week.

Wait to Fertilize Until After Harvest

As tempting as it is, now is not the best time to give strawberry plants a big dose of fertilizer. This can lead to too much leafy growth and poor berry production in the spring. The best time to fertilize your berry patch is after they are done producing berries for the year in June or July.

Final Thoughts

There you have it! Now that you know how to clean up your strawberry beds you will be rewarded with beautiful sweet strawberries in the spring. They are perfect for eating fresh, strawberry shortcake, or homemade strawberry jam! As always, Happy Gardening!

a healthy strawberry patch
Strawberry plants put on lush new growth in the spring.
fresh strawberries
Enjoy your sweet strawberries!

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Garden Update – December

By

On December 6, 2020

In Gardening

December is here already! It is definitely starting to feel like winter and the weather has been changing a lot this past month. We have had lots of rain and on clear days the temperature routinely gets down to freezing at night. Despite this, I am still working in the garden on the few sunny days we have. Here is what has been going on in the garden this month:

Getting the Garden Ready for Winter

The main thing I have been working on is putting the garden “to bed” for the winter. I covered the garden with a thick layer of leaves from our trees and covered it with a tarp. The tarp helps to hold the leaves in place so they do not blow away. Also, it prevents soil erosion and leeching of nutrients from the heavy rains. The worms will be very happy and hopefully by spring most of the leaves will start to break down into the soil.

Cover the garden with leaves
We cover our garden with a layer of leaves. They will break down over the winter and add organic matter to the soil.
Garden covered with leaves and a tarp
After the leaves are on we covered our garden area with a tarp to hold them in place.
Worms in the leaves
Look at all these worms! They will help to break down the leaves over time.

Garlic

I planted our garlic at the beginning of October. We had some very nice weather and it grew about four inches tall by November. Since the weather is colder now it has slowed its growth. I mulched around the garlic shoots with leaves. Since I covered much of my garden with a tarp over the winter, I put some overturned buckets and a crate over my garlic so the tarp (and heavy rainwater) would not be sitting directly on the plants. I will uncover them in the early spring when temperature warm and growth begins.

Related Post: How to Plant Garlic in the Fall

Garlic growing in December
Since I covered our garden with a tarp over the winter, an overturned crate or bucket will prevent the tarp (and heavy rainwater) from sitting directly on the plants.

Peas

My peas are still doing great! They are about 12-18 tall now and very healthy. Yesterday we had temperatures in the high 20’s and a hard frost. The peas looked fine as soon as the frost melted later in the day. Although peas should be hardy down to about 20 degrees, I will cover them with a blanket if the temperatures get down to the mid-20’s or below because I do not want to chance any damage. I am looking forward to earlier peas in the spring!

Related post: How to Overwinter Peas

Overwinter peas in garden
Our peas are doing great despite some heavy frosts. I am already looking forward to our peas next spring!

Carrots

Our carrots are one of the few crops still in the ground. We have just a few carrots left this season, which is a real treat. Storing them in the ground has kept them crisp and crunchy. It is nice knowing that I can go outside and dig some fresh carrots whenever I need them!

Blackberries

My blackberries have gone dormant for the winter and have lost some of their leaves. We had some strong winds that blew the canes off of their trellis so I had to go outside and carefully wrap the canes back around the wires.

Several weeks ago I decided to start a few new blackberry plants, so I allowed them to root both in a pot and in a new area in my planting bed. You can read more about propagating blackberries here.

Propagate blackberries
It is very easy to propagate blackberries! Here I started one in a pot for a friend.

Raspberries

Our raspberries have stopped growing for the year and they have lost most of their leaves. I planted them a year and a half ago as an experiment and they took off and did much better than expected! I do not have a permanent trellis for them yet (one of my projects for next year!) so I put them in tomato cages to keep the canes off of the ground. That seems to do the job, although they do not look too pretty. I pruned away some of the excess shoots as I was putting them in the tomato cages so the plants are not overcrowded. The raspberries look very healthy and I am looking forward to a large harvest next summer!

Raspberry canes in tomato cages
Tomato cages are helping to keep my raspberry canes off of the ground this winter. I plan to make a permanent trellis next year.

Final Thoughts

It has been a slower month around here and nice to finish up some last gardening chores for the year. Have you been doing anything in your garden this December? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, Happy Gardening!

Spaghetti with Kielbasa, Peppers, and Onions

By

On November 25, 2020

In Cooking

We make this spaghetti with kielbasa, peppers, and onions often at our house. Basil and fresh garlic give the oil-based sauce a delicious flavor along with the seasoned awesomeness of kielbasa. Everyone loves it and there are no complaints – a win!

This spaghetti is super simple to make and requires only 10 ingredients. It is ready in less than thirty minutes, and the sauce is completely ready by the time the noodles are done cooking! It is perfect for a busy weeknight and also reheats well for lunches during the week.

This will take you through how to make this delicious spaghetti with kielbasa, peppers, and onions step-by-step. Let’s get started!

Ingredients for Spaghetti with Kielbasa, Peppers, and Onions

Kielbasa – Use whatever kind of kielbasa you like. Depending on what brand you choose the package size can vary from 12-16 ounces.

Peppers – I like to use a red and green bell pepper but you can also use two green peppers or whatever color you prefer.

Onion – A large onion adds a mild sweetness.

Garlic – This recipe calls for 3 cloves of fresh garlic, and it gives the sauce a lot of its flavor. You can certainly use more than this if you really like garlic!

Basil, Cayenne pepper, and Salt – The basil adds flavor and the cayenne adds a subtle heat. You can adjust these to taste.

Oil – I use olive oil, but any cooking oil will do.

Spaghetti – I usually use plain spaghetti but feel free to experiment with other pasta shapes.

How to Make Spaghetti with Kielbasa, Peppers, and Onions

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients

Start by chopping the kielbasa and all of the vegetables. This sauce goes together very quickly so you want to have everything ready to go. While you are doing this, start heating the water for the spaghetti.

Chopping green peppers.

Step 2: Cook the Kielbasa

Add the kielbasa to a large frying pan and cook it until it starts to brown. You may need to add a little oil to the pan if your kielbasa is very lean.

Cook the kielbasa until it starts to brown.
Cook the kielbasa until it starts to brown.

Step 3: Add in the Vegetables and Start Cooking the Spaghetti

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions (usually about 8 minutes).

After you put the spaghetti in, add the remaining ingredients to the kielbasa. Cook over medium high heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

kielbasa peppers and onions
Add in the vegetables and seasonings and cook until tender.

Step 4: Add in the Spaghetti

Drain the spaghetti when it is finished cooking and add to the vegetables in the pan. Mix well so the noodles are thoroughly coated with the delicious oil from the sauce. Taste the spaghetti and add more salt, basil, or cayenne pepper if desired.

spaghetti with kielbasa peppers and onions
Stir in the spaghetti and mix well so the noodles are evenly coated. It is now done and ready to serve!

Serve

Serve the spaghetti topped with a big sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese and a side of roasted garlic green beans. Yum! Now there’s a quick meal your whole family will enjoy 🙂

spaghetti with kielbasa, peppers, and onions

Hope you get to try this spaghetti with kielbasa, peppers, and onions soon! Happy Cooking!

Spaghetti with Kielbasa, Peppers, and Onions

Recipe by: Mandy
Kielbasa sausage, peppers, onions, and fresh garlic give great flavor to this spaghetti. It is quick and easy to make–perfect for a busy weeknight!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 12 ounces dried spaghetti
  • 1 package kielbasa rope sausage (12-16 ounces depending on the brand)
  • 2 bell peppers, sliced
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil, or to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

  • Start by chopping the kielbasa and all of the vegetables. This sauce goes together very quickly so you want to have everything ready to go. While you are doing this, start heating the water for the spaghetti.
  • Add the kielbasa to a large frying pan and cook it until it starts to brown. You may need to add a little oil to the pan if your kielbasa is very lean.
  • Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to the package directions (usually about 8 minutes).
    After you put the spaghetti in, add the remaining ingredients to the kielbasa. Cook over medium high heat for about 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
  • Drain the spaghetti when it is finished cooking and add to the vegetables in the pan. Mix well so the noodles are thoroughly coated with delicious oil from the sauce. Taste the spaghetti and add more salt, basil, or cayenne pepper if desired.
  • Serve the spaghetti topped with a big sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

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Spaghetti with kielbasa, peppers, and onions
Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

By

On November 19, 2020

In Cooking

Cranberry blueberry crisp started when I was looking for a dessert to make one evening. We were out of fresh fruit in the house but I had plenty of berries in the freezer! I added the brown sugar and oat topping from my apple crisp recipe and we ended up with a new family favorite!

Cranberries and blueberries really are a pretty awesome combination in this dessert. On their own blueberries are too sweet, and cranberries are too tart. Together they are amazing. And beautiful too!

Cranberries and blueberries
Sweet blueberries and tart cranberries are the perfect combination in this berry crisp!

This will take you through how to make cranberry blueberry crisp step-by-step. Let’s get started!

Ingredients for Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Apple crisp uses only eight simple ingredients. Let’s go through them now:

Ingredients for cranberry blueberry crisp
Cranberry blueberry crisp requires only a few simple ingredients.

Cranberries – Fresh cranberries are usually available in the fall. Make sure to grab a few bags to stash in the freezer so you can make this crisp all year long! Frozen cranberries work great too and you do not have to thaw them before using.

Blueberries – Fresh or frozen blueberries work fine here too. Again, you do not have to thaw them before use.

White sugar – White sugar is used in the filling to sweeten up the berries.

Flour – Flour helps to thicken the berry filling so it is gooey and delicious instead of thin and watery. Regular all-purpose flour is what you want here.

Brown sugar – I prefer brown sugar in the topping because it gives it a nice caramel-like flavor. You can also use brown sugar with the berries instead of white sugar if you prefer.

Oats – Oats give the topping a nice texture. I usually use regular oats but quick oats can be used too!

Nuts – Nuts are great in this crisp! They toast in the oven while it is baking and give it a great crunch. Walnuts, pecans, or almonds are great choices here. You can also leave them out if you like.

Butter – Real butter gives this the best texture and flavor! I use salted butter because I like how the salt in the butter helps to balance the sweetness of the sugar.

Now that we know what goes in our cranberry blueberry crisp, let’s find out how to make it!

How to Make Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Step 1: Prepare the Berry Filling

Start by stirring the flour and sugar together in a large bowl. Mixing these together first will help to prevent clumps.

Mix the sugar and flour together first before adding the berries. This will help to prevent clumps.

Add in the fresh or frozen berries and stir until they are evenly coated. Then transfer the berries to an ungreased 8-inch square pan and set aside while you prepare the topping.

Cranberries and blueberries in the pan for cranberry blueberry crisp
Transfer the berries to an 8-inch square pan and set aside while you work on the topping.

Step 2: Make the Topping for the Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Measure the brown sugar, flour, oats, and nuts into a large bowl (you can reuse the bowl the berries were in). Pour in the melted butter and mix with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined.

Make the topping for cranberry blueberry crisp
Add the melted butter to the dry ingredients. Mix well until thoroughly combined.

Once the topping is mixed together sprinkle it on top of the berries. To get some larger chunks I squeeze some of the topping together in my hand and then gently break it into bigger pieces. Make sure to get all the way to the edges and cover the berries evenly. The crisp is now ready to go into the oven!

Sprinkling the topping on cranberry blueberry crisp
Sprinkle the topping over the berries. Make sure to get all the way to the edges!

Step 3: Bake the Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Bake the cranberry blueberry crisp at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If you are using frozen berries you may need to cook it a little longer, for a total of about 40-50 minutes. The crisp is done when the edges are bubbly and the juices have thickened. The topping should be a beautiful golden brown color.

Cranberry Blueberry Crisp
Cranberry blueberry crisp warm from the oven. Yum!!!

Serve

Let the crisp cool for a few minutes before serving. This will help to thicken the delicious goo around the berries. Add a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and you have an insanely delicious dessert! Yum!

Cranberry blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream
Cranberry Blueberry Crisp with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

Hope you get to make this cranberry blueberry crisp soon! Happy Cooking!

Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Cranberry Blueberry Crisp

Recipe by: Mandy
Sweet blueberries and tart cranberries come together perfectly in this beautiful dessert. This cranberry blueberry crisp has a crunchy brown sugar and oat topping and tastes delicious with scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

Berry Filling

  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
  • 2 cups cranberries (fresh or frozen)

Topping

  • ½ cup flour
  • ½ cup oats
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
  • ⅓ cup butter, melted

Instructions

  • To make the berry filling stir the sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Add in the berries and mix well.
  • Transfer the berries to an ungreased 8-inch square pan. Set this aside while you make the topping.
  • Measure the brown sugar, flour, oats, and nuts into a large bowl (you can reuse the bowl the berries were in). Pour in the melted butter and mix with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined.
  • Sprinkle the topping over the berries in the pan. Make sure to get all the way to the edges and cover the berries evenly.
  • Bake the cranberry blueberry crisp at 375° for 30-40 minutes. If you are using frozen berries cook the crisp slightly longer, for a total of 40-50 minutes. It is done when the edges are bubbly and and the filling is thick. The topping should be a beautiful brown color. Set aside to cool a little before serving.
  • Serve the cranberry blueberry crisp warm with a big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Enjoy!

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Quick & Easy Cranberry Blueberry Crisp
Refried beans with chips

Super Simple Refried Beans

By

On November 13, 2020

In Cooking

Refried beans with chips

We have taco night about once a week at our house. Tacos, burritos, nachos and the like are family pleasing favorites. One thing that all of these have in common is a big pot of refried beans!

The name “refried beans” is a little bit of a misnomer because these beans are not actually fried twice as the name would suggest. The term “refried beans” comes from the Spanish word “refrito,” meaning recooked. Refried beans are traditionally boiled until tender and then mashed and cooked again with spices before serving. To keep things simple, we will only cook the beans once and then mash them right in the pan. Easy!

With only three ingredients, the recipe presented here is a “blank slate” that you can customize depending on what you like. You can easily scale this recipe if you are cooking for a large number of people. Read on to learn how simple it is to make these amazingly delicious refried beans at home!

Ingredients to Make Refried Beans

These beans use only three simple ingredients. We will go through them now:

Dried beans – Today I am using dried pinto beans, but you can also use black beans or whatever type you prefer.

Salt – This give the beans some flavor. I use plain old table salt.

Onion powder – Onion powder gives the beans good flavor and a very mild sweetness. I usually buy granulated onion rather than true onion powder because it does not get clumpy in the container. Either will work fine though so use what you have.

How to Make Refried Beans

Step 1: Cook the Beans

Place the beans and salt in a large pot. I like to add the salt in as the beans are cooking because it penetrates the bean and adds a lot of flavor. Add in enough water to cover the beans by at least three inches.

Place the pinto beans in the pot.
Add the pinto beans and salt to the pot. Pour in enough water to cover the beans by about 3 inches.

Cook over high heat until the water start to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender. Place the lid on the pot but keep it cracked so steam can escape.

Check on your beans often during the cooking process to make sure some water is still covering the beans. If too much water evaporates they will burn and stick to the bottom of the pot and you will have to start over (don’t ask me how I know this 🙂 ) So, if the water level is getting too low, just add in a little more and continue cooking.

Step 2: Mash the Beans

When the beans are tender drain out most of the water. Since you will need some water to help mash the beans it is okay to leave about half an inch or so in the bottom of the pan. After draining most of the water place the pot on the counter.

Add the onion powder to the cooked beans.

Next add in the onion powder. I use about a tablespoon, but you can adjust this to taste. Then it is time to get out the immersion blender.

An immersion blender, also called a hand blender, has a small blade that spins. Using this is preferred over a regular blender because the beans can be blended right in the cooking pot! Blend the beans with an up-and-down motion until the desired consistency is reached. You will probably need to add in some additional warm water so the beans are not too thick.

What if you do not have an immersion blender? A potato masher will work just fine. The only difference is that the beans will not be quite as smooth as they would with the immersion blender. They will still taste delicious though!

Mash the beans with an immersion blender.
Mash the beans with an immersion blender until smooth. Add in some warm water to help them blend easier and prevent them from getting too thick.
Refried beans made with an immersion blender

Once you are done blending taste the beans and add more salt or onion powder if needed. You can also stir in other spices if you would like. See the variations listed below for some ideas!

Serve

Serve your beans warm. They can be used as a side dish with Mexican food, or as a part of tacos, burritos, or nachos. These are very versatile and the possibilities are endless!

Refried beans with cheese, chips, and salsa

I hope you get to try these refried beans soon. Happy Cooking!

Variations

Are you ready to kick it up a notch? These beans are a “blank slate” and it is very easy to add more seasonings to them. Here are some additions you can add in after they are done blending:

  • Fresh garlic or garlic powder
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Lime juice
  • Cheese
Refried beans with chips

Super Simple Refried Beans

Recipe by: Mandy
With only three ingredients these refried beans are surprisingly easy to make at home. They are a great addition to your family's taco night!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dried pinto beans (around 2½ cups)
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • water, as needed

Instructions

  • Place beans and salt in a large pot. Add in enough water to cover the beans by at least 3 inches.
  • Cook over high heat until the water starts to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours or until the beans are tender. Be sure to check on the beans often while they are cooking and add more water as needed to keep them covered.
  • When beans are tender, drain most of the water from the pot. Add the onion powder to the beans.
  • Using an immersion blender, blend beans until smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender a potato masher may also be used. As you are blending the beans add in more warm water as needed until the desired consistency is reached.
  • Taste beans, and add more salt or onion powder if needed. You can also stir in other spices if you would like. See the variations listed below for some ideas!
  • Serve warm as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

These beans are a “blank slate” and it is easy to add more to them.  Here are some additions you can stir in after they are done blending:
  • Fresh garlic or garlic powder
  • Chopped cilantro
  • Chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Lime juice
  • Cheese
You can also try using different types of beans, and black beans are especially delicious.  Have fun trying new flavor combinations!

Don’t forget to pin for later!

How to Make Refried Beans
Blackberry vines

The Easiest Way to Propagate Blackberries

By

On November 8, 2020

In Gardening

Blackberries are a wonderful plant to include in your garden! They produce large harvests of delicious berries and are very easy to care for. But after many years, productivity can start to decline and you may want to start over with a new plant. Luckily it is very easy to propagate blackberries and you will soon have plenty of healthy starts to plant in your garden or to give away to friends!

Blackberry vines
Blackberries are easy to grow and produce large harvests year after year!

When to Propagate Blackberries

Late summer to early fall is generally the best time to propagate blackberries. By this time your plants are done producing berries for the year and new stems (primocanes) are actively growing. Also, your new plants will be able to become established before cold winter weather arrives.

How to Propagate Blackberries

While there are a few different ways to propagate blackberries, I think the absolute easiest way to start new blackberry plants is through a process called tip layering. Tip layering is where the end of a healthy vine is covered with soil so it forms roots. We will now go through this process step-by-step:

Step 1: Select a Healthy Primocane

A primocane is a blackberry stem that is in its first year of growth. Choose a healthy primocane that is at about the diameter of a pencil to ensure vigorous, healthy plants. If you have your vines on wires or a trellis, make sure the primocane is long enough to reach the ground.

Blackberry primocane for propagation
Choose primocanes that are about the same diameter as a pencil.

Step 2: Plant the Tip of the Primocane

Next choose where you want to plant your blackberry start. If you want to plant it in a new location (or start one for a friend) the easiest way is to start the blackberry in a large pot filled with planting soil or potting mix. I usually use a 1-gallon pot so the roots have plenty of room to get established.

Dig a small hole in the soil and plant the tip of the primocane about 2-3 inches deep. Carefully remove any large leaves on the side of the stem that would be under the soil line but make sure to leave the tip of the stem intact. Gently firm the soil around the stem.

  • Push the blackberry tip into the soil

If the blackberry vines are long enough to reach, you can also start them directly in the soil where you want your new plants to grow. That is what I did in the picture below:

A new blackberry plant

Step 3: Water Lightly and Keep the Soil Moist

Water the pot lightly and keep the soil from drying out. Set the pot where it will not be disturbed.

A new blackberry start in a pot

Step 4: Cut the Stem from the Parent Plant

After about a month you can test to see if your blackberry plant has grown roots. You can do this by very gently tugging at the stem. If it feels firm and stays in place, the blackberry has started to grow roots and is ready to separate from the parent plant.

Cut the stem about 1-2 feet above the soil with using sharp pruners. Your new blackberry start is now ready to plant!

About a month after planting, the stems will grow roots and be ready to separate from the parent plant.

When to Plant Your Blackberry Starts

You can choose to plant your blackberry start immediately or wait until the spring. One advantage of fall plantings is that the blackberries can get a good root system established over the winter. Blackberries may also be more susceptible to cold weather if they are in a pot rather than in the ground.

The first year after planting your new blackberry plant will not produce any berries. But new primocanes will start growing and it will come into full production in the following year or two. You will soon be enjoying large harvests of sweet juicy blackberries!

Marionberries

Hope you get to enjoy blackberries in your garden year after year. Happy Gardening!

Be sure to pin for later!

How to Propagate blackberries in 4 easy steps

Garden Update – November

By

On November 2, 2020

In Gardening

The weather is getting COLD! We had our first freeze here in Oregon at the end of October, which is about a month ahead of schedule. I have been preparing my garden for the winter and finishing up for the year. Here’s what’s happening in the garden this month:

Carrots

Carrots are one of the few crops still in the ground. We have quite a few carrots left this season, which is a real treat. I like to leave them in the ground because it acts like a big refrigerator, keeping them crisp and crunchy to use over the winter. Although the tops are starting to die back, the roots are big and healthy. It is nice knowing that I can go outside and dig some fresh carrots whenever I need them!

Carrots in November
Although the tops are starting to die back, my carrots are still in the ground and doing well!
Bolero carrots and Purple Haze Carrots
Beautiful home grown freshly dug carrots! Purple Haze and Bolero are shown here.
Purple Haze Carrots
Purple Haze carrots are absolutely beautiful! They are crispy and sweet too!

Garlic

I planted our garlic at the beginning of October. We had some very nice weather and it has green shoots that are already a few inches tall! Next year I will plant it a little later to prevent this because the green shoots make the bulbs more susceptible to winter injury. I will continue to mulch around them with leaves to insulate and protect them over the winter.

Related Post: How to Plant Garlic in the Fall

Garlic in November
My garlic is about 4 inches high now. I will mulch around the shoots to protect them over the winter.

Peas

My peas are doing great! They are about a foot tall now and very healthy. The slugs and snails have been bothering them a little so I have been putting some slug bait out to take care of the problem. I will mulch around them as soon as the weather gets colder. I am looking forward to earlier peas next year!

Related post: How to Overwinter Peas

Overwinter peas
My peas are about a foot high now. Next spring they will have a head start and start producing earlier.

Popcorn

We had so much fun this year growing popcorn! We harvested it last month and then let the cobs dry in the garage for a few weeks before removing the kernels. My kids enjoyed helping with this part!

Removing kernels from glass gem popcorn.
My kids enjoyed helping to remove the popcorn kernels from the cobs. We got about 4 cups of popcorn this year!

Since the seeds were still not all of the way dry yet, I spread them out on a big pan and set them on top of the cabinets where they would not be disturbed so they could continue to dry. I tested a few kernels every few days until they popped well. Then I transferred them to pint jars for longer term storage.

We got around 4 cups of popcorn kernels from our small 4 x 4 inch raised bed, which does not include the 10 or so ears that we saved for decoration around the house. It was such a fun thing to include in our garden this year!

Getting the Garden Ready for Winter

I have been starting to rake leaves and scatter them over the garden. I also spread some lawn clippings around to enrich the soil for next year. Once all of the leaves have fallen at the end of November I will cover most of the garden (but not where I have things planted) with a large tarp to help hold the leaves in place so the worms can go to work! As much as I love working in the garden, I am looking forward to a few months off!

Are you done with your gardening chores for the year? Let me know how things are going in the comments below. As always, Happy Gardening!

Garden Update – October

By

On October 24, 2020

In Gardening

It is hard to believe it is already October! The weather is changing and cooler weather is here. We had a challenging gardening month because wildfires stretched across Oregon and the thick smoke hid the September sun for weeks. Despite this, it has been a very busy month in the garden! Here is what we’ve been up to:

Apples

Our apple trees are doing great! I love having a 5-way grafted tree because apples ripen over a much longer season. While our gravenstein apples are ready in July, our other types are ready now. A few weeks ago I picked a 33 pound box of apples. And there are still plenty more on the tree!

What have we been doing with all these apples? Most of them have been eaten fresh. We also made some apple crisp, which is my absolute favorite fall dessert! You can check out the recipe here.

Box full of apples.
Lots of apples for apple crisp!

Beans

I cannot remember bean plants ever being as productive as ours have been this year. The variety I planted was Hickok from Territorial Seed. After setting a large crop in July, we got a second large crop a month later. In mid September we still had flowers and small beans on our plants!

I finally had to pull the bean plants after the weather started getting cooler at night. We have been enjoying lots of garlic roasted green beans! Yum!

Hickok green beans.
We picked beans up through the middle of September. It was a great year!

Beets

I did not plant many beets this year. After our radishes were done in June I poked a few seeds in here and there. I was surprised that they got as big as they did! I will have to plant more next year.

We got some beautiful beets this year! I will be sure to plant more next year.

Blackberries

The canes for our marion berries are growing long! I wound them around the trellis so they were not dragging on the ground. This also prevents them from sprouting new plants. The blackberries seem healthy and strong so think we will have a pretty good harvest next year!

Marion berries on a trellis.
I wound the blackberries around the trellis so they do not drag on the ground. I think we will have a great harvest next year!

Marigold Flowers

I finally took our marigolds out last week. I saved the seeds and you can read more about that here. Marigolds produce SO MANY SEEDS and I will have plenty to plant next year!

Taking marigold seeds out of seed heads
It is easy to save marigold seeds for next year!

Peas

I planted peas a few weeks ago and the seedlings are about 4 inches tall now. I usually start my peas in the fall and overwinter them for a bigger and earlier crop. You can learn more about overwintering pea plants here.

Related post: Why Garden Planning Starts in September

  • Planting pea seeds
I usually plant peas in the fall and overwinter them for an earlier spring harvest.

Sweet Peas

Shortly after I planted my peas, I also planted my sweet pea flowers. After I saw “volunteer” sweet peas coming up already I knew the seeds would sprout easily. I planted a row along the bottom of my trellis so they can get established before winter comes. I am looking forward to early flowers in the spring!

Related post: How to Save Sweet Pea Seeds

Popcorn

Each year we grow something we have never tried before, and the kids chose popcorn to grow this year! We planted the popcorn after the weather warmed in June. However I did not realize that popcorn takes 110-120 days to mature, which is significantly longer than regular sweet corn. It FINALLY got ripe and the end of September.

Glass Gem popcorn.
The popcorn is finally ready. It is SO pretty!!!

Ideally we would have let the popcorn dry in the garden but we had to pick it and bring it indoors since the weather has been so wet. The ears were so beautiful! We pulled the husks back and displayed some of the prettiest ears around the house.

We peeled the rest of the corn and put it in a box in the garage to dry out. We put one ear in the food dehydrator to speed up the process. It was very difficult to get the moisture content just right but finally we got it to pop! So fun!

Place the popcorn in a box to dry.
We peeled the rest of the popcorn and put it in a box in the garage to dry out. It is so pretty to see the variety of different colors!

Pumpkins

We finally picked our pumpkins for the year! One weighed in at 15 pounds and the other was 25 pounds. We did not get as many pumpkins as we do some years. This may be because they were planted in a little more shade. The kids are already looking forward later in the month when they will get to carve them!

Sunflowers

I had to take some of my sunflowers out of the front yard so I made these cute DIY sunflower bird feeders. The birds found them right away and the seeds are almost gone already. It has been a lot of fun to watch the birds out our back window!

Chickadee bird on DIY sunflower birdfeeder.
The birds love these sunflower bird feeders!

Tomatoes

I took out my tomato plants a few weeks ago. The weather has been getting cooler and the tomatoes started ripening much slower. Before I pulled my plants I picked off all of the green fruit to ripen inside. You can read more about ripening green tomatoes here.

Only nine months to go until fresh tomatoes again next year! I am already thinking of what varieties I want to plant 🙂

Related: Cherry Tomato Taste Test

  • Green cherry tomatoes in a basket
Our tomato plants grew huge this year! It’s no wonder we got so many tomatoes! We picked the last of our green tomatoes to ripen inside.

Final Thoughts

It has been a busy month around here but a lot of fun to harvest everything. What have you been up to in your garden? Let me know in the comments below!

Hope you are able to enjoy this beautiful fall weather! Happy Gardening!

Onions, peppers, tomatoes, and green beans

Garden Update – September

By

On October 22, 2020

In Gardening

September is here and the mornings are getting cooler. Fall is right around the corner! Although the garden is slowing down for the year we are still getting plenty of fresh vegetables. Here is what has been happening this past month:

Apples

Our second apple tree has many apples that are getting ripe. We picked a box full and got over 20 pounds of apples! We have been eating them fresh as well as making apple pie and apple crisp. Yum!

Cucumbers

I finally pulled up our cucumber plants. They were not as productive as some years and I think they did not get enough water. Look at this funny cucumber we got today:

Two cucumbers grown together
A double cucumber!

Green Beans

Our green beans are still doing very well. Although production has slowed down we are still getting enough for 1-2 meals per week. There are lots of blooms and small beans still on the plant so we will get at least a few more weeks of picking before they are done for the year.

Related: Garlic Roasted Green Beans

Cherry tomatoes and green beans in a basket
Our green beans are still hanging in there. It has been a great bean season!

Onions

We pulled all of our onion plants a few weeks ago and got over 25 pounds! After cutting off the stems we put them in a big box in our garage. We use onions in everything and it is so nice to have them fresh from our garden!

White onions
Lots of onions! We use them in everything though so they won’t last long 🙂

Peppers

Our sweet bell peppers are FINALLY getting ripe. We could have picked them when they were green but we love allowing them to get fully ripe and sweet! I planted one orange bell pepper this year and it has outperformed my red peppers by a mile. It is amazing how productive this plant is! See how many beautiful ripe peppers it has?

  • Orange peppers on plant
  • Orange peppers and orange pepper plant
So many peppers! We got over 20 peppers from one plant!

This variety is called Orange Blaze, and it is an AAS winner. It produced over 20 peppers on one plant. It will be going in my garden next year for sure!

Popcorn

Our popcorn is still ripening. We had some hot days and the plants did not like it. There are 2-4 ears of popcorn on each stalk but they still need a few weeks before they will be ready to pick. Hopefully they will be ready before the cold weather sets in!

  • Popcorn plants and tassels
  • Popcorn ear on stalk
Our popcorn plants are over 11 feet high. Hopefully they ripen before the weather gets too cold!

Pumpkins

Our pumpkins are now fully orange and I am just letting them sit in the garden to finish ripening. One pumpkin plant is still flowering and trying to produce a pumpkin, so I will not take out the plants quite yet. The kids are looking forward to carving their pumpkins this year!

Orange pumpkin in the garden
Our pumpkins are getting big!

Sweet Pea Flowers

I took our sweet peas out last week. I saved the seeds and you can read more about that here. In a week or two I will plant the seeds and overwinter them so we will have earlier blooms in the spring.

Brown sweet pea seeds in bowl.
We have plenty of sweet pea seeds for next year!

Tomatoes

Our tomato plants are still doing great! We are still getting several pints of cherry tomatoes each week. I have been freezing the extras to use in soups during the winter months. You can read more about that here.

Related: Cherry Tomato Taste Test

Final Thoughts

It has been a great year so far but I will probably have to take out most of my plants soon with the weather getting cooler. What have you been up to in your garden? Let me know in the comments below!

Hope you are able to enjoy the last few weeks of summer! Happy Gardening!

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