Heirloom Seeds for your kitchen garden

I know it's not even Xmas yet, but you may want to go ahead and order your seeds for next summer's garden. I've found that if I wait till Feb, there's a backlog. Also, it's not going to hurt your seeds to start them inside pretty early.

My favorite place to order seeds is here. This is Heirloom Seeds. They are an awesome family company in PA. They've got many organic varieties as well. I also like that they have a section titled "Southern Favorites" for all y'all living down south dealing with heat and bugs and such. HS gives you a nice description of each variety, so you can be sure to pick the one that's best for you.

Seed packs also make great stocking stuffers for the new gardener. Start with something easy like pole beans or cucumbers (the "muncher" is my favorite) till you get the hang of it. Remember, a $2 pack of tomato seeds will give you enough tomatoes to feed your family, your neighbor's family, and all your friends for the entire season.

Don't have a backyard? Tomatoes, basil, eggplant, and peppers grow great in containers. You can pick up a book on container gardening to help you out as well. I barely have a backyard because I live in the city, so I use containers alot. I also have convinced several people to let me grow a few plants in their yards in the 'burbs, and that's more fun for everyone! You might be able to find a community garden near you by clicking here. Community gardens give you a space to grow your food.

Take a little risk and grow a garden this year! Let me know if you have questions or need more info.

Mom's Pumpkin Bread

Sure, there are a million recipes out there for pumpkin bread, but none of them are as good as my mom's. I like to make this to give to my neighbors for X-mas. It's fun to put the loaves in the wagon and walk around the neighborhood with Noah passing them out. They freeze beautifully! You can get nice holiday-themed disposable loaf pans at most grocery stores (or Target) this time of year. Make all your loaves in one day, then freeze till you plan on delivering to save time. It's not a bad idea to bake a few extra, just in case you get invited to a last minute party or something (you social butterfly, you...)

Making this (and any baked good) with local pastured eggs makes the flavor even better. :)

Pumpkin Bread (a la Betty)
4 c. sugar (1/2 brown, 1/2 white)
1 c. vegetable or canola oil
1 can (1 lb. 13oz) pumpkin
1 egg
5 c. flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. allspice
2 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins
2 c. nuts (optional) [walnuts are best!]

In a large mixing bowl, mix ingredients in order as given. Stir in raisins and nuts by hand last.
Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 1 hour, or until toothpick inserted in center is clean. Makes 3 loaves. (cut in 1/2 for one generous loaf or 2 small)

pumpkin loaf + eggnog + rum = yum!

Howard Family Holiday Candy

Every year my mother-in-law makes something she calls "Christmas Candy." When she says these words, my husband and his sister start bouncing around like kids on Xmas morning. Christmas candy is simple to make, and it's great to take with you to holiday parties or dinners.

And don't forget that homemade gifts cost you less and can be made in big batches.

You probably have all the ingredients already in your pantry, which makes it even easier. If you can get yourself some local pastured butter it will add a rich flavor to this already yummy treat.

So, here we go:

Grease a baking sheet and stick it in the freezer.

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup sugar or evaporated cane juice

1/4 cup water

Cook together in a pot over medium heat until temp reaches 285 on a candy thermometer. I recommend stirring pretty constantly with a silicon spatula while it cooks.

Ok, when it reaches 285, you've got to be ready to work fast!

Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans or almonds), and pour out on the center of the baking sheet. The candy will be a thick liquid, and will have changed to a light caramel color. Don't worry about pouring it evenly or in a perfect square or anything--just don't let it drip over the edges of the baking sheet!

Throw the baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours, or overnight if you can.

When the candy is set, you move on to the last step:

Take a 1 lb bag of chocolate chips (I like 365 brand, of course, and only $1.99) and melt 1/2 of them over low heat. You don't want to turn your heat on too high, because they will burn the bottom of the pan. When they are melted, you pour it over the top of the set candy. Spread around evenly, and throw back into the freezer till set. Take it out, turn it over, melt the remaining chips and repeat.

Break up the candy in rustic, uneven pieces, throw it in a holiday tin and give it away as a hostess gift...or just eat it all while you watched TiVo'd General Hospital after the kids have gone to bed.

Simple. Yummy. Finished!