Can You Can Left-Overs? Yes You Can!

     We have all had that moment when we pack up the dinner left-overs, open the fridge door and realize that the refrigerator will not hold another thing. Grrrrr! It happened to me last night. At 5AM I began filling up jars for canning. Yes, you can can your left-overs. You have my permission. :)
     I filled up three pints with left -over chili from Saturday night, a quart full of pasta sauce with meat from my son-in-law to be, a quart of sliced chicken breast meat, and a bowl/pint of purchased chunky soup that my son opened but wouldn't eat because it had mushrooms in it. It was such an easy project that I decided to do this every week! I am so stoked! My inner tightwad is totally thrilled! Here's how I did it:

1. Always use clean, sterilized canning jars:
   
I wash my jars in hot, sudsy water, rinsed, then placed them in a large kettle filled with hot water. I allowed the kettle to come to a rolling boil. I t usually requires about 10-15 minutes to thoroughly sterilize the jars once the water is boiling. It is also good practice to have a smaller pot of water for the lids and bands. The water in this pot does not require boiling. We only need the rubber to soften up for a good seal. I usually allow it to heat up until there are bubbles forming around the lids.

Taking Stock Part 3: Recipes from the Fridge

     This is the third installment of  My Pantry Basics, and this time I thought we might examine the contents of my refrigerator. I make some of my own condiments, mayonnaise is at the top of the list. We use this pretty regular for various meat and pasta salads, sandwich spread, and various other cooking uses. And even though we use a goodly amount, I still recommend making mayonnaise in small quantities. It has the potential to go off rather quickly.

Beef Stew for a Wintry Night

    So here we find ourselves in February, a time when Winter can't decide to sleep in or give us a right good sucker punch. Here in Tennessee the weather is mild- up into the 60s, with everyone running around in
 t-shirts. This week Old Man Winter is obviously taking a break just when I was gearing up for a cold front. I wanted beef stew for dinner. There's nothing better on a cold wintry night than curling up with a tummy full of stew, a hot cup of tea, and a good movie.
     Beef stew is one of those dishes that plays well with others, meaning that it can be made ahead and reheated. It can be made in a crock pot, for those with limited time. It can be canned and put into your food storage. It is the ultimate comfort food, not just eating it, but making it can also be a comfort. Stew is forgiving of those who are new to cooking. You can add almost anything and it still taste respectable. Stew can feed one or a family, and usually without great expense, especially if you are of the gardening persuasion. It is versatile, and allows for creativity and variety. It can be served over rice, pasta noodles, or some other grain base. And last, but not least, you can opt to include dumplings if you want to dress it up just a little.
       Old Man Winter will be back, and he will be hungry when he gets here! I'll make extra! Stews on!
 
Now on to the recipe!

First, let me tell you about the recipe. It comes from a vintage cook booklet, Favorite Recipes for Country Kitchens,  from General Mills, published in 1945. I love these sweet little booklets for all the genuinely "made from scratch", home cooked dishes. I also love the art work on the cover! Why can't things be this way again?  So pretty and so nostalgic! When I dream, this is what I see.