Homemade Strawberry Syrup

I woke up this past Saturday thinking I wanted pancakes.  However I did not have any syrup and I always wondered how it would taste homemade so I proceeded to read about 6000 recipes. I got the jist that the bulk of them used one part brown sugar, one part white sugar and one part water.  I had all of those things and some strawberries I needed to use up.  Swwwweeet! 

And sweet it was.  I had mixed the strawberries that I strained out of the syrup into the pancake batter and that was actually my mistake when it came to sweetness.  I rarely come across anything that is too sweet for my sweet tooth and the basically candied strawberry pancakes were it.  The next day I decided to give it a second try since I had leftover syrup and without the candied strawberries in the batter it was great.

The syrup had a fun pink tint to it due to the strawberries, however I'm not as handy with a camera as I am with a skillet.  The strawberry flavor was a nice light tone and not overpowering.  However if you'd like super strawberry flavor use more.  You can also use other berries, fruits, butter, maple or other extracts, only brown sugar, dark brown sugar instead of light, or only white sugar and other variations if you'd like a different flavor. 

I know what you are thinking "STOP JABBERING and get to the recipe!"  Your wish is my command....

Ingredients:

1 Cup Light Brown Sugar

1 Cup White Sugar

1 Cup Water

1 Cup Sliced Strawberries

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1 Large sauce pan, it needs boiling room.

Directions:

Put strawberries and brown sugar in sauce pan.

 

Over medium heat slowly stir in the water and stir constantly until brown sugar is dissolved about 1-2 minutes. The mixture will just be starting to get warm.

Slowly pour in white sugar while stirring and constantly stir until the white sugar is dissolved.

Turn heat to high bringing mixture to a boil for 2 minutes while constantly stirring.  

(Do not stop stirring at this point or it WILL overflow.  

If it starts to bubble too close to the top just lift off the burner 

for a few seconds until it pipes back down.)

Turn heat to medium low.

Add vanilla and stir.

 

Simmer for 15-25 minutes stirring often. I did it for 25, the longer the thicker it will be the shorter the thinner it will be.

Strain into a bowl.  Figure out something yummy to do with the strained fruit.

Use a funnel to transfer the syrup from the bowl to a mason jar or some other kind of containing/pouring device that will be convenient to transfer your super yummy syrup to your pancakes, waffles and other culinary awesomeness creations.

The syrup will keep for a few weeks in the refrigerator.  

Reheat in the microwave at 50% power until it's the desired temperature.

 

Text all of your friends and brag about what a domestic goddess you are because you just made homemade syrup and none of those store brands have anything on you.

Mmmmmmm!

 

Who would have thought homemade syrup was actually this easy?

I hope you not only enjoy eating it but enjoy making it!



Much love and super yumminess!

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

A few days ago I ran across a recipe for homemade cranberry sauce.  I had never even thought to try to make it and when I saw how easy it is I was like what!!!!!!  Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite additions to any holiday feast and I had to try it.  Even though I had already purchased some of the canned stuff I ran out and got fresh cranberries.



This is the same basic recipe that I saw on a million and one websites.  I made some earlier and it's so wonderful!  I'm pretty sure I'll never buy that canned stuff again.

Ingredients:
12 Ounces Fresh Cranberries
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Orange Juice

(Some people added cinnamon, I did not)

Directions:
Bring orange juice and sugar to a boil, stir frequently.
Add cranberries, reduce heat to medium, stir frequently.
Cook for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Let cool then put in a bowl to gel in the refrigerator, for several hours or over night. It will thicken as it cools.

Yes it's that easy!!!

You'll hear these wonderful little popping sounds as the cranberries start to burst open.
I saw many people say they used a splash guard, so I put mine on at first but found I didn't need it since I used a pan deep enough that the concoction didn't pop out.
I also went ahead and added about 3 dashes of salt while it was cooking.

I also saw commentary on recipes where people had noted that they ran theirs through a food processor or used a hand mixer on it after it cooked to give it a smoother consistency. However I love the whole berries myself.

This made a little less than 2 cups of cranberry sauce, and it'll surely be a hit amongst your cranberry sauce lovers, so you may want to double or triple the recipe for a large group.

DO IT!!  It's so easy and yummy!!  Not to mention a beautiful addition to your holiday spread.  Your friends and family will be impressed that you were domestic enough to make it from scratch.  It can be our little secret how easy it really is. ;)

ENJOY!!

Much Love!  & Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potato casserole is a fantastic edition to any holiday menu!!  It's definitely one of my favorite dishes to make now.  So many years I went to Thanksgiving and other holiday feasts where the person who contributed the sweet potato dish came up with this bland from the can puree with nuts mixed in and topped with marshmallows.  Not that I did not enjoy it, however when you decide to try a homemade sweet potato casserole that actually consists of flavorful ingredients that make your sweet potatoes go boom pow in your mouth, you'll never want to go back to eating that can of sweet potato puree covered in marshmallows.  I just pulled mine out of the oven and it's so tempting to dive in now!
 
I'm not sure how large the ones you have there are, but the ones here are to me about a medium size and so it's about 8 sweet potatoes to come up with about 8 cups give or take a little.  I've never weighed them out or I'd tell you that, I just eyeball it. =)  Also do not forget to take your butter out of the refrigerator about half an hour to an hour before you want to use it so it will be soft and workable!
 

Ingredients:

Casserole:
8 Cups Quartered Fresh Sweet Potatoes
1 Stick (8 Tbls) Softened Butter (I prefer unstalted.)
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup White Sugar
1/4 Cup Orange Juice (I use 1 Fresh Orange for juice.)
1/4 Cup Milk or Cream
1 Tsp Vanilla
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
1 Cup Pecans (Optional)
 
Topping:

1 Cup Brown Sugar
2/3 Cup Flour
Couple of dashes of cinnamon.
6 Tbls Softened Butter (Again I prefer unsalted.)

Directions:

First up you want to wash the sweet potatoes.  Then cut the ends off of your sweet potatoes and cut the the potatoes into quarters. Put them in a big pot, peels still on, cover with cold water and then bring them to a boil.  Boil until they are tender, mashing consistency, and the peels are starting to pull away.  (Some people prefer the flavor of baked over boiled, if that is you go for it!)

Drain the water and let them cool until you are able to handle them, about 15-20 minutes.  Pull the peels away and cut out any eyes (hard black spots). 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mash the sweet potatoes.

 

Add butter, mash or stir it in until it's pretty much completely incorporated into your potatoes.

Add the rest of your ingredients except for the pecans and stir well.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a 9x13 baking dish.  (I like to do a light spray of canola oil into the baking dish before adding the mixture for easier clean up later, but it is not necessary.

Top with pecans.











Now mix your brown sugar, cinnamon and flour for the topping.  Then use a fork to turn in the butter into the dry ingredients until they are completely mixed and a nice moosh.

Sprinkle the topping over the top of the pecans. If you like less crunch and sugar on top only make a half recipe of the topping.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes until the topping is crispy and starting to brown.

Some people just prefer marshmallows, if that is you, skip the topping, throw on your marshmallows and cook until they are melting and starting to brown.

A couple of years ago I was actually requested to make a sweet potato casserole with  marshmallows covered in a crispy topping... hmmm!  I did my best, I covered it with mini marshmallows. Mixed roughly guessing now (I did not write it down) 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and about 2 tbls of butter, creating a more granulated mixture. Sprinkled over the top and this is what came out.  It was actually devoured by all and insanely praised.  One of those things I'm not sure if I'd ever be able to recreate! =)

I hope you and your guests enjoy!
 
Much Love!   And Happy Thanksgiving Eve!!