My Baking Confession...

I would love to say that I bake everything from scratch, but that is not even remotely true. Scratch baking intimidates me. I am a person who likes to "wing it" in the kitchen and that does not fly in the world of edible chemistry. Baking requires discipline. Measuring is important, recipes are important, exact temperatures are important. If something is off by even half a teaspoon, the whole thing could flop. I personally can not succeed within those parameters, therefore, I cheat. When I get the urge to bake, I bust out the store bought pie crusts, the puff pastry sheets, or a boxed cake mix and improvise from there. At least I know my limitations. My favorite example of how to church up a cheap store bought item is this twist on Jiffy cornbread. With a few simple additions, the inexpensive boxed mix is transformed into a spicy, delicious treat. Imagine this tasty little number snuggled up next to a steaming bowl of chili on a cold winter's day. We can't all be professional chefs, but we all gotta eat.

Spicy Cheddar Corn Muffins:

1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

1 egg

1/3 C half and half (box calls for milk, I used half and half)

1/4 C diced red pepper

1/4 C diced poblano pepper

1/2 C grated sharp cheddar

1/2 C white sweet corn

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix contents of box with 1 egg and the half and half. Add in all the peppers, corn, pepper flakes and cheese and mix thoroughly. Scoop into greased muffin tins and bake for 15 minutes.

Eat Your Heart Out, Peter Piper

This is my second year of growing my own produce and with each season comes new lessons. The first year, I learned where to plant, when to plant and how much to plant. This year, I tackled 6 varieties of tomatoes and have vowed to try my hand at canning and preserving in order to save delicious little reminders of what summer is all about. Hopefully, these tiny jars of sunshine will get me through the subzero temperatures and the sideways snow. Being a rookie when it comes to canning, I started with a pickling recipe that's as simple as filling the jars and putting them in the fridge. I found the recipe here: Pickle It, Jam It, Cure It. If all goes well, I should have spunky purple string beans and peppers in three days. After that, the real canning begins. Jalapeño pesto, salsa, and yellow tomato sauce are on the docket. I wonder what next year's lessons will be?