Recipes

Soup Mix Sharing Jars

147 · Nov 9, 2018 · 5 Comments

This post is brought to you by Ball® Fresh Preserving Products by Newell Brands

Not all holiday gifts need to be ooey gooey sweet. Savory holiday gifts are just as lovely, sometimes even more so. I personally have been off sugar for 3 months now and I’m really nervous for the holiday season to arrive. Having the house fill up with sweets is NOT what I’m wishing for this Christmas. I would LOVE to get one of these Ball® Sharing Jar soup mixes as a gift. Not only is the soup mix soothing to the soul, but they are also good for you as well.

You can go as crazy wild as you want, adding all kinds of savory dried ingredients that are perfectly hand-picked by you, or keep it super simple and dress-up a store bought soup mix. My favorite Ball® Sharing Jars are the inspiration for my Sharing Jar Soup quartet.

I love the simplicity and earthiness of these soup mixes paired with a simple label & ribbon. As Ina would say, “How easy is that?”

Sharing Jar Soup Mix Labels

Before we get into the soup, I want to chat about the labels. I selected some classic soup recipes and created home wintery labels that are not only good throughout the holidays, but all through the winter. You can download and use these free printable label s HERE.

They are designed to be printed on card stock paper and then, using double-sided tape, taped onto one of the sections of the beautiful quart sized Sharing Jars. It’s a stunning way to highlight the character of the unique BALL® COLLECTION ELITE® WIDE MOUTH QUART SHARING JARS, which are perfect for gifting.

The Sharing Jar Soup Mix Collection

Here are three soup mixes along with their recipes that work perfectly for gifting and are typically real crowd pleasers.

SPLIT PEA SOUP, a classic, and one of my family’s favorites! You can download the recipe cards for this concoction HERE.

This spicy gem, BLACK BEAN SOUP, is a staple at many houses and will for sure be appreciated by whomever you gift this soup too. HERE are the recipe and mixing directions.

Lentils have become a favorite of mine and this soup does not disappoint! You can download the recipe for this treat HERE.

Now, last but not least is a little cheater method… If you are in a super hurry, grab a packet of a Tomato Based Soup with Pasta and an extra bag of Mexican style noodles to add to the mix and dump it into your Sharing Jar. This simple but heartwarming soup is fabulous during those winter months. Plus, it’s SUPER easy to throw together this gift!

You can download the mixing directions HERE.

Now you need to go stock up on some of the giftable Ball® Sharing Jars and get busy, those holidays wait for no one! Surprise your friends and neighbors with this thoughtful gift this season.

White Chocolate Ginger Scone Mix In A Jar

50 · Nov 6, 2018 · 6 Comments

This post is brought to you by Ball® Fresh Preserving Products by Newell Brands

When it comes to Holiday gifting, I wholeheartedly believe the best friend, neighbor, co-worker, and teacher gifts come wrapped in a jar. Don’t you? Scrumptious jellies, jams, preserved fruit, and veggies. Not to mention; candies, cookies, fudge, cupcakes, rolls… I could go on and on. I LOVE what you can do with a simple Ball® Mason Jar. This year, I’m working on all kinds of fun gifts for the Holidays that will look spectacular gifted inside of a jar. One of my favorites is the White Chocolate Ginger Scone Mix in a jar. It’s really easy to put together a whole bunch of these gifts and really not expensive at all. It’s always a bonus to save a little money during the holidays.

To put these together you will need to gather a few ingredients, grab some classic BALL® WIDE MOUTH QUART JARS and in no time you’ll have a bunch of scrumptious gifts to share with your friends and neighbors. Here’s what you need…

White Chocolate Ginger Scones Mix Supplies

BALL® HOME CANNING FUNNEL

2 tsp Ginger, ground
3 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
2 Tbsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed
1 tsp Cinnamon, ground
1/4 tsp Cloves, ground
1/4 tsp Nutmeg, ground
1/2 tsp Salt

1 cup White Chocolate Chips

3 – Quart size wide-mouth Ball® Jars

Printed copies of the baking instructions and labels on card stock paper

Ribbon

Greenery

Instructions

Now, this project makes 3-quart jars, however, feel free to double, triple… quadruple the recipe to make however many you need.

One tool I find invaluable when creating gifts like this is my handy funnel. I love this thing! It’s specially designed for wide mouth mason jars and it helps so much with keeping the mess down, not to mention wasted ingredients.

I like to line up my jars like an assembly line and then layer each ingredient.

I start with the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In a small bowl, I combine those three ingredients and then evenly distribute them into the 3 jars.

Next, I add the brown sugar, then the spices & salt.

Then, top it all off with the white chocolate chips.

Now is the extra fun part, decorating the jar. I have two options for you here. If you are a Cricut owner and would like to use my Cricut cut files for the jars, you can access those HERE.

The graphics for these labels will be different than the printable labels, however, they are both just as classy.

If you would like to print your labels, HERE is the link to be able to download this printable label, jar topper & mixing directions.

Now, all you have to do is add your jar toppers to the lid and tie your label on with ribbon along with a sprig of greenery.

Cold and Flu Rescue Kit

49 · Oct 29, 2018 · 1 Comment

This post is brought to you by Ball® Fresh Preserving Products by Newell Brands

As much as we hate to admit it, cold and flu season is on its way. There is nothing more miserable than one of those lousy winter colds. What’s almost just as bad is watching someone you care for dealing with a cold or, Heaven forbid, the flu! I’m always looking for ways to help cheer them up and let them know that we love them and hope for their better health. That’s when I came up with this idea for a Cold and Flu Rescue Kit to share with those loved ones that are suffering.

There is just something special when someone takes the time to put together a simple little gift to let you know that they care when you are feeling down in the dumps. I have been on both ends of this, and it is never taken for granted in my books. So, if you have someone in your life needing a little TLC, I have the ticket for you.

You all know of my love of all things jars, so of course, I put this little gift set together in my new favorite Ball® Quart Size Wide Mouth Sharing Jars. They are beautiful in their own right and they look even better dressed-up a bit. Here is what you will need for the whole kit.

Cold and Flu Rescue Kit Supplies

Ball® Quart Size Wide Mouth Sharing Jars
Ball® Home Canning Funnel for Mason Jars
Black vinyl (optional)
Cricut cutting machine (optional)
Cricut transfer tape (optional)
Scissors and craft knife
WhipperBerry Jar Designs
Epsom Salt soothing Eucalyptus and Menthol Mineral Bath
Small box of tissues
4×4 piece of leather
2 4×4 pieces of coordinating fabric
3 heaping tbsp. of chicken bouillon – powdered
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 cups of noodles

Instructions

Now, the vinyl decals on the side of the jars are super cute, but if you don’t have a Cricut cutting machine don’t worry, they don’t make or break this project. However, if you do have one and would like to make the decals, you can have access to my project in Cricut Design Space. It’s already all set for you, sized for these jars and everything. Cut out the decals and adhere them to the side of the jar using the transfer tape. If you need a little help applying the vinyl, I have a good tutorial for applying vinyl that you may want to check out first.

Once your vinyl is applied (if you are doing this step), the next step is to fill the jars and dress-up the lids.

The Comfort Jar

The comfort jar is filled with comforting mineral bath salts. I found two different colored Epsom salt baths that were infused with Eucalyptus, menthol & spearmint and layered it in the jar using the Ball® Home Canning Funnel creating stripes.

Next, I take a piece of cloth and trace a circle using the lid of the jar with a pencil or chalk pencil. Cut out the fabric and then place it on top of the jar lid and secure it with the band.

The Sooth Jar

This one is my favorite! It’s a tissue jar with a leather lid!!! How cool is that?

For this one, you will need a cube size box of tissues. Open the box from the side and pull the tissues out of the box. Take a third of the tissues and unfold the first tissue flap. Roll into a loose cylinder shape and place into the jar making sure to keep that tissue flap at the top. This will be the starting tissue once you put the lid on.

Again, take your leather and trace the lid of the mason jar and cut out the circle with your scissors. Next, cut an “X” with a craft knife into the center of the circle.

Place the leather inside of the mason jar band and place lid on the tissue jar making sure to pull the lead tissue through the opening in the leather lid.

I think I will be making one of these for every room in my house!

The Nourish Jar

This one is pretty straightforward. It may not be your Mom’s chicken noodle soup but, it’s pretty tasty in its own right. Plus, it’s easy to make and share.

Again, you will be using your funnel to help keep this nice and tidy. Layer your chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, bay leaves, thyme, parsley, and noodles.

You’ll top this with another fabric circle.

Print out the chicken soup recipe and add that to your kit and then you’re ready to go. Then Pin this one so that you don’t forget what to put in the jars.

Place the Ball® Sharing Jars into a basket or a bin and run to the rescue of your family member, friend, co-worker or whomever STAT! They will truly appreciate this thoughtful gift as you come to their rescue in their time of need.

Maple Applesauce Recipe + Maple Applesauce Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

40 · Oct 1, 2018 · Leave a Comment

This post is brought to you by Ball® Fresh Preserving Products by Newell Brands

What can I say about applesauce… It’s a humble wallflower that at times gets looked over in the culinary world. Longing for her Johnny to come and rescue her from the corner. (This is a Dirty Dancing reference if you are under the age of 35… “Nobody puts Baby in the corner!” Youtube it!) Meek applesauce quietly sits back and waits to shine… And shine she does. Just like Jennifer Grey’s famous leap into Patrick Swayze’s waiting arms, applesauce can elevate a boring dish to new heights or become a lovely afternoon snack paired with cottage cheese. Simple by nature, this humble sauce can easily be forgotten in the back of the pantry collecting dust rather than helping to create amazing dishes as a good supporting actor.

Many people seem to feel like applesauce is mere toddler food, not a great way to preserve the bounty of our Autumn apple harvest. Not to mention, impart great flavor in baked goods and all kinds of sweet and even savory dishes.

I grew-up eating commercial applesauce as a kiddo, as many children in our country do. However, I remember the day when I was introduced to home-canned applesauce. My Aunt Oleta’s applesauce to be exact. I have no idea what my sweet Aunt put into that applesauce but it was a pure revelation to me. We grew-up preserving peaches and pears, a few pickles now and then, but we didn’t really preserve applesauce. I guess my Mom was fine with what was available at the market. Not to knock commercially prepared applesauce, but when you have the opportunity to enjoy homemade applesauce, you will know the difference. It’s sweet and tangy with the perfect texture. Not to mention the fact that it harmonizes well with many different notes on your palette AND, it’s super easy to make!

How to Make Applesauce

If you are new to preserving, I feel like applesauce is a great way to start. It’s a very forgiving process and if you follow a few basic steps, use good ingredients, and have a few good tools on hand, you are guaranteed success. It’s also a quick process that won’t take all day if you have the right tools.

Tools

Back in college, I was a Kindergarten teacher’s aide. One year we were piloting a program where we incorporated cooking into the normal daily curriculum. Once a week we would help those cute little 5-year-old hands learn how to prepare yummy dishes, all the while learning great life and academic skills. One of our first recipes was applesauce and I was introduced to an apple peeler/corer tool. I thought that was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I was dreading peeling and coring all of those apples that day. (We had 4 classes that I worked with every day.) I thought that tool was going to make my life. I ran out and bought one soon after to make sure I always had one on hand for when I was making anything that needed peeling and coring. However, even with that handy tool, prepping the apples was a laborious & messy job. Then I was introduced to the Ball® FreshTech Harvest Pro™ Sauce & Salsa Maker.

This gem of a machine has made making applesauce and any kind of other sauce a piece of cake! For applesauce, you don’t even have to peel or core the apples at all. Awww, throw caution to the wind and even leave the stems on! This my friends is a game changer… Check it out.

You feed the softened apples into the top of the machine, they are then fed through the machine with an auger then pushed through a metal screen. The metal screen grabs all of that apple goodness on the inside of the apple and then sends the undesirable stuff, the seeds, core & skin through on its way through a different tube. It’s brilliant!

Maple Applesauce Recipe

Now, all we need are our fresh ingredients. This is the easy part, all you need are apples, cinnamon sticks & maple syrup. Yep, simple & fresh.

As with apple pie, a mixed variety of fresh apples is best to make applesauce with, leaving the skins on boost nutrition and adds subtle pink hues. The addition of maple syrup creates a slightly sweet, very Fall flavor.

With our Ball® FreshTech Harvest Pro™ Sauce & Salsa Maker to process the apples, there is no need to core or peel them.

Makes about 5 (24 oz) pint and half jars or 3 (32 oz) quart jars

12 pounds apples, cored and quartered (peeled if desired)
1 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks (optional)
1 -1/4 cups maple syrup

Directions:

Combine apple quarters, cinnamon sticks and water in a large stockpot. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are very tender, about 25 minutes.

Process apples in batches through a Ball® FreshTech Harvest Pro™ Sauce & Salsa Maker, food mill or food processor until smooth, removing cinnamon sticks. Alternately, crush apples with a potato masher for a chunkier texture.

Prepare boiling water canner. ( I use the Ball® FreshTech Electric Water Bath Canner.) Heat jars in simmering water until ready to use, do not boil. I’m using my favorite Ball® Quart (32 oz.) Sharing Jars for this recipe. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set aside with bands.

Return applesauce to stock pot, add maple syrup and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes.

Ladle hot applesauce into a hot jar leaving a ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe jar rim. Center lid on the jar and apply the band, adjust to fingertip tight. Place jar in boiling water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.

Process jars 25 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove the lid, let jars stand 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool 12-24 hours. Check lids for a seal, they should not flex when the center is pressed.

Now’s the hard part, sitting and waiting for them to rest before you can devour them!

Maple Apple Sauce Overnight Oatmeal

One way I love to use my applesauce is in the overnight oatmeal. It adds a fresh kick to a sometimes one-note oatmeal experience. This recipe is simple to whip up the night before and then pull from the fridge as you are running out the door.

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup milk of your choice

Place all of your ingredients into a jar, replace lid and shake really well.

Place in the fridge overnight. The next morning serve cold or warmed, topped with fruit, nuts & additional maple syrup if you’d like.

Recipes

How to Make Applesauce

Tools

Maple Applesauce Recipe

Maple Apple Sauce Overnight Oatmeal

Footer