Berry Business

Tags

blueberries, gardening, landscaping, raspberries

I love berries. Hubster & I decided it was finally time to work on incorporating berries into our garden.

Friends of ours have golden raspberry bushes in their garden that we’ve coveted for so long, and they’re given us a few canes to transplant. My parents have red raspberry bushes and spared a few canes to add to our garden. We have some black raspberry bushes growing on the steep bank along the road so Hubster dug them from the hill. All these raspberries were transplanted into our far raised garden bed.

We also purchased 3 dwarf blueberry bushes; 1 jelly bean blueberry bush and 2 peach sorbet blueberry bushes. While I’ve been resting my sprained ankle, Hubster planted them in the front of the middle raised garden bed.

We should figure out some netting or caging to keep the plethora of birds away from our new crops, but we’re just not that far yet. Hubster loves strawberries, but we haven’t built a proper strawberry box yet, so they might need to wait another year…

What type of berry is your favorite?

XOXO,
Yong Wifey

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Laurel Festival – Fruit Pizza, Take II

Tags

blackberries, blueberry, cookie dough, cream cheese frosting, dessert, fruit pizza, raspberries, red raspberry, sugar cookies

It’s been a while since my last post. Sometimes life gets very busy and hectic. Hubster and I haven’t been home together in a week, and the week before that were extremely busy. Over the next few days I’ll share what’s been going on the past few weeks.

Last weekend was the Laurel Festival Parade and Hubster’s Aunt always had a cookout, since her house is along the parade route. I brought another fruit pizza, per Pumpkin’s (and my nephews’) request. Topped with blackberries, blueberries and red raspberries (unfortunately store-bought and not handpicked). As always, everyone loves this dessert. I doubled up the crust again. Hubster wants me to make this again for the Fourth of July, although I prefer to make new things and not make the same thing time after time.

Mixed Berry Fruit Pizza

How to Freeze Berries

Tags

Baking, berries, black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cooking, food, frozen berries, frugal gardening, gardening, how to, raspberries, recipe, strawberries

Last summer Pumpkin and I picked a multitude of red raspberries, we had over 25 bushes behind our house. I made fresh berry Pavlovas, raspberry jam, raspberry pies, raspberry pancakes, raspberry smoothies… We had red raspberries in our cereal, salads, iced-tea, water… It was the summer of raspberries. The summer before that was the summer of strawberries (from Hubster’s grandparents’ neighbor’s garden). Three summers ago, it was the year of blueberries (from the pick-your-own farm).

This summer I was able to get a few black raspberries already, enough to pop into our mouths. There aren’t too many bushes, since my neighbor can’t get into the woods to pick the red raspberries, I usually leave him the black raspberries.

Mmm... Black Raspberries

Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
Last year we also froze many raspberries to last us through out the year. I used the last of my raspberries near the end of February. If done properly, you can have delicious berries the entire year. It’s a great way to extend your berry season and save yourself money.

How to Freeze Berries:

1. Wash berries and thoroughly dry them.

2. Pick out any extremely ripe berries and eat them now, they will not freeze well.

3. Arrange berries in a single layer, not touching, on a cookie sheet.
*If freezing strawberries, prepare them how you want to use them later; half or slice them before freezing.

4. Place trays in freezer over night.

5. Once berries are completely frozen, place them in a freezer bag or plastic container and return to freezer.

How do you save sweet bits of your summer to enjoy during the winter?

Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Pie

Tags

almond, almond cream cheese pie, berry drizzle, berry sauce, cream pie, dessert, pie, raspberries, raspberry, raspberry almond, raspberry cream cheese pie, raspberry drizzle, raspberry sauce, recipe

Today is my half-birthday, so I decided to make myself a pie! Raspberry Cream Cheese Pie was my favorite desert at the restaurant where I used to waitress. I’ve been looking for a recipe as close to theirs as possible, so I ended up modifying several ones I looked at to come up with my own. I embellished even, to make mine superior (to my taste buds at least). I finally used the last of the berries I picked this past summer and froze.

Dessert Time!

Crust Ingredients:
1 1/2 crushed graham crackers, 1 stick butter, 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Crust Directions:
Crush graham crackers and coat with melted butter to make pie shell. Toss in 1/2 c. chocolate chips and then press on bottom and sides of a 9″ pie dish. Bake pie crust at 350°F for 10 minutes, just to set. Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Chip Graham Cracker Crust

Filling Ingredients:
2 – 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, 1 3/4 c. whipping cream, 6 Tbs. sugar, 1 1/2 Tbs. almond extract,

Filling Directions:
Whip heavy cream in chilled metal bowl. Mix together 2- 8 oz. packages of softened cream cheese and whipped cream. Mix in almond extract and sugar, continue blending. Add mixture to the pie crust and chill.

Almond Cream Cheese Filling

Topping Ingredients:
2 1/2 c. red raspberries, 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. pineapple juice, 1/4 c. cornstarch

Topping Directions:
In a food processor, blend 2 1/2 c. red raspberries, 1 c. sugar, 1/4 c. pineapple juice, 1/4 c. water, 1/4 c. cornstarch. Cook mixture over medium heat and cool, drizzle over cream cheese pie and serve. I only pour about 1/3 of the topping on the pie and leave the rest in on the table as some people like less, some people like more

Raspberry Almond Cream Cheese Pie

*Garnish with fresh whole raspberries a chocolate drizzle and a few chocolate curls.

Keep cool until ready to serve. Makes about 10 pieces.

What is your favorite type of pie? What about your favorite berry?

Young Wifey Raspberry Jam

Tags

jam, jam making, raspberries, raspberry, raspberry jam

This July, I picked many fresh raspberries. I used some in my pavlova, topped pancakes/waffles with them, put them on cereal, tossed them into salad, and ate others by the handful. I wanted to make some into jam, but knew I wouldn’t have the chance while they were fresh (or before they were devoured). I thought of freezing them for later jam and smoothie making. I love berries in the off season, however the frozen ones usually become mushy once thawed. To overcome this, I froze the berries on a baking sheet in a single layer. Once they were frozen I moved them to a bowl and sealed well. It worked like magic, they didn’t clump together or turn mushy when defrosting them. Now I was ready for my berry adventure… So last night, I made Jam!

The Process:
I had to first prep the jars, I’m new to jarring and canning and found this as the trickiest step. I used my tea kettle to warm water, which I then used to heat the jars and lids in my sink. I kept the bands at room temperature so they were easy to handle.

Then it was time to make the jam… I measured about 4 c. raspberries and cooked them with 1 c. apple cider (the recipe called for apple juice, but this is all I had on hand, it’ll make for an interesting dynamic in flavor), mashing berries as I boiled the mixture. I gradually stirred in the pectin, bringing to a steady boil. I then stirred in 4 c. sugar and boiled for 3 minutes. Then it was time to pour the mixture into the jars.

Prepping the Jars

I filled the first two jars, leaving a little more headroom then suggested. The remaining 6 jars, I filled leaving only  1/4″ before placing the lid on the jar and sealing with the band. Then I placed the upside down jars into the sink and filled it with more hot water (enough to cover the jars completely).

Upside Down Steam Bath

Young Wifey Jam

After 1/2 hour in their steam bath, I removed them from the water to test their seals. As I pushed on the center of the lids, they didn’t move, telling me that the seal was set. Then I was supposed to let them sit for 24 hours before opening or refrigerating.

The result: A little too sugary for my liking, but it will make a nice dessert topping… I was thinking about spreading some on Nilla Wafers. Yum!

Pretty Pavlova & Egg Yolk Beauty

Tags

Baking, berry picking, dessert, egg white recipe, egg yolk conditioner, egg yolk facial, meringue, natural beauty, natural facial, pavola, raspberries, raspberry, summer dessert, whipped cream

Pretty Pavlova

Berry Picking Boots

While on holiday, we had lunch at my sister’s in-laws’ house, and her MIL made a yummy berry Pavlova. I was my first! After my first bite, I was making plans to make one with the raspberries that would soon be ready at home. It was something I always wanted to make, but it hide in the back of my head when the opportunities arose. It is the perfect summer dessert, light, delicate, fruity and refreshing. Lemon Meringue Pie was my first perfected dessert in my college days, but due to my computer crash in 2006 (lost my recipe files) I haven’t since made a meringue dessert. My first mission would be to start searching for the perfect meringue recipe. (I could have just asked for the recipe at my sister’s MIL, but I think my sister once did and was answered with “Oh, you want a pavlova? I’ll make you one.”)

Meringue Recipe

Ingredients: 4 egg whites, 1 c. sugar, 1-2 Tbsp. Rice Flour, 1 tsp. white vinegar 
 I remembered my how-to for meringue, just not the exact measurements and baking needs. I found one that looked right instruction wise, but had some other added ingredients. Nevertheless, I made that one. Before starting the meringue, I lined a baking tray with wax paper and trace an eight inch circle on the middle, to use as a guide. I preheated the oven to 250°F. I brought 4 egg whites to room temperature before I began to beat them with my electric mixer. I slowly added the sugar, one Tbs. at a time and continued to beat until stiff peaks formed. Then I folded in the rice flour (the original recipe called for corn starch) and vinegar and then piled the mixture on top of the wax paper. I made a well in the middle (and reminisced of my mashed potato sculpting days…) and smoothed the edges. I baked the meringue on the center rack of the oven for 1 hr 15 minutes, until it was hard to the touch and had a hint of gold. I turned off the oven and left the door ajar until the meringue was completely cool.

Unbaked Meringue 

Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
2 c. heavy cream, splash of vanilla (or almond) extract, 2 Tbs. confectioner’s sugar.

Directions:
Start with a chilled metal or glass bowl and chilled metal beaters (I just didn’t have time, this time). Lightly whip cream until small peaks appear, add sugar and vanilla. Do not over beat or cream will become too thick and butter-like.  

Whipped Cream

Fresh Picked Raspberries
Pumpkin woke up as soon as Hubster left for work today, and I decided to get a start on raspberry picking. The second summer in our house, we discovered that in the woods behind us, there is a huge patch of overgrown red raspberry bushes. Usually we gather a couple handfuls to throw on our cereal, and then Pumpkin gets tired and we leave the berries for the birds. This year, we stuck on our boots and went out picking. We each carried a large cup, since it’s easier to manage than a bucket and would empty them into a bowl once they were full. I filled 4 cups and Pumpkin filled 1 1/2 cups and his belly. Resulting with an overflowing bowl. There are still a few days of good picking on the bushes. If I can get out there (get my son out there with me, that is), I wonder what else I’ll be able to make.

Bowl of Berries

Assembling My Pretty Pavlova

I waited until it was time to serve before assembling. I placed the meringue on a plate and filled the well with the fresh whipped cream, spreading it up to the edges. Then, I covered the top with the fresh raspberries and  presented my pavlova to my family. Yum!

Raspberry Pavlova

 

 

Inside View

What to do with 4 Egg Yolks?
I hate wasting egg yolks when I only need the egg whites, so I started to brain storm uses. I didn’t want to make mayonnaise, sauce, custard, or another dessert… (although next time I make a dinner with a hollandaise sauce, I’ll make a Pavlova for dessert). So I decided to pamper myself. I gave my hair an egg yolk conditioning treatment for my hair (after shampooing and wringing out extra water): I mixed two egg yolks with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil (I used EVOO, because that’s what I have on hand) and 1/4 c. warm water. Then I poured it over my scalp and hair (avoiding my face), coating  thoroughly and let to set. I gave myself a facial: I blended the two remaining egg yolks with a tsp. of honey and lightly applied to my (freshly washed) face, neck, shoulders, elbows and knees and allowed to dry. Twenty-five minutes later, I hopped in the shower to rinse my hair and my face clean from my egg goo.

XOXO,
Young Wifey