Canning is shockingly therapeutic. Just when I feel like I have no time for anything I manage to take up new hobby. I suppose technically, canning would be classified under cooking, which I’m already wild about, but it really feels like a breed all it’s own. It all started with a couple containers of fresh strawberries. I thought it would be simple enough to make a few jars of jam. I tried and I sort of succeeded, but realized that I needed further instruction. I took a canning class at The Brooklyn Kitchen and instantly my skills improved. There are a few important details to get just right so you don’t poison the recipients of your product. Taking a class or doing some thorough research prior to attempting to can stuff will give you confidence that you will indeed, not give your friends botchulism.

Over the past few weeks I proceeded to make peach ginger jam, peach chutney and even pickles.It’s a spring/summer affair which leaves you stocked with goods to give as gifts suitable for any occasion throughout the year. Going to a dinner party? Bring some pickled asparagus spears! Orange marmalade infused with rose water makes an impressive gift for the in-laws. The possibilities are endless. And  beautifully decorated jars make your gifts extra special. Here is a small gallery of my recent adventures in canning….

How gorgeous are these blanched peaches! Sweet, sirupy goodness.

These are the tools of the trade. Canning without them is difficult. I bought this kit at The Brooklyn Kitchen for like eleven bucks.

This is my peach ginger jam cooking down on the stove.

My kitchen. It’s no big whoop but it’s spacious and efficient. It’s my dream to make it over in to a gorgeously tiled modern masterpiece. Dreams are nice.

After you process your jars you let them cool on a cooling rack. Then you wait to hear these delightful little popping noises which mean you got a seal on your can. So satisfying.

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If you’re into making your own baby food and things that totally rule you’ll love the Beaba baby food maker.When I had Fritz three years ago I was working and I suppose felt too busy to make him fresh baby food. Back then I would order cases of Earths Best, which was great at the time, not knocking it, but now I’ve decided to make Lola’s baby food fresh, like I make the rest of the families food. This little Beaba gadget steams and purees fruits and veggies in just about ten or fifteen minutes. It’s super easy to use and clean and it’s compact enough to stay on the counter top. I have to say I love, love, love our little Beaba machine. So far I’ve made Lola sweet potatoes and pears. She’s gobbling up the delicious purees and I feel great for giving her wholesome fresh food. I highly recommend that if you’r going the fresh baby food route that you invest in one of these bad boys. We give it eight strawberries and and a plum! Oh and for $150 bucks and the cost of fruits and veggies I’m sure we’ll be saving a bunch of bucks. Whoot!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

Chocolate Chip and Peppermint Crunch Crackles

Grasshopper Squares

Raspberry Chocolate French Macaroons

Seven Layer Cookies

Right now Epicurious is featuring their ‘25 Days of Christmas Cookies‘. I’m dying to whip up a few of these recipes. I’m thinking about working a trio and making a nice little holiday assortment for friends.  How fu*king good do these look!!!

I totally can’t talk right now. I preparing for a Halloween party and have been obsessing over these sugar cookies for hours. I have about 4 more various sweet and savory recipes to complete by tomorrow. I didn’t want to leave you guys hanging on a Monday. Mawahhhh-hahh-ha. Just because.

Update:

Cookie and Icing Recipes via Allrecipies.com

Cookie Cutters from Michael’s

I saw this chick on Martha Stewart yesterday. Her recipes looked pretty bangin. One copy sold to the pregnant lady in the converse high tops!

See these cookies? They’re made from the recipe on the back of Trader Joe’s chocolate chips and they’re better than Mrs. Field’s. They are not made from a mix, just fresh ingredients, and it’s hard to say which tastes better, the dough or the finished product. Try them..You.Will.Die! Danger!

Now I’m not sure if my craving is just for little food or rainbow colored little food. I made these petit cakes from Gale Gand’s Just a Bite: 125 Luscious Little Desserts. It’s the recipie for Snowballs which I slightly modified when I discovered that I didn’t have a petit mold pan. Instead I improvised by baking the batter into a sheet cake and using a circular cookie cutter to make the individual cakes. After I ran out of coconut, which I dyed with food coloring, I went a step further and decided to slice the mini cakes in half and fill with strawberry preserves, frost and decorate with purple sugar. Actually I liked those better than the snowballs. And to be quite honest I wasn’t a fan of this recipe for frosting which mostly consisted of sugar water and egg whites that were beaten over a double boiler until thickend. Very sweet but not buttery, eh. I give these cakes a 6 out of 10 on the yum scale but I love the way they looked.