Wednesday's Recipes and Tips

Good evening, ya'll come on in the house and have some tea. We have just finished dinner (lunch) and I thought I would share some of my recipes with ya'll. I like peach tea with a touch of lemon and I make it the easy way and it is GOOD. By the way, I have a comment box to the left of the postings and it is there for a reason - talk back to me, please. I would like your comments on the recipes and let me know what you think. Now be gentle, you hear?

Quick and Easy Peach Tea

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I packet instant peach tea mix - I use the Wal Mart brand or Crystal Lite

1 packet instant pink lemonade mix - same as above

1/2 lemon or lime - sliced

Ice cubes

In a 4 qt. pitcher, mix the tea and lemonade mix with cold water. Add the lemon or lime slices and the ice cubes and serve by the big glass full. Take some of the tea and freeze in ice trays and this makes a great addition to this tea or any other glass of tea.

This is my favorite mixture, but I also use the peach tea mix and regular lemonade or raspberry tea mix. Just mix and match and have fun. The lemon or lime slices add a nice taste and I usually add a little of the fresh lemon or lime juice to the tea. Enjoy!

Microwave Spiced Applesauce

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5 cups apple slices

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 cup cranberry juice cocktail

Makes 2 cups of applesauce

Peel and slice the apples. I peel them, cut them in quarters, pare out the core, and slice the quarters crosswise. Place in glass bowl or I use an 8 cup glass measuring cup, cover the top with plastic wrap leaving a slight vent and microwave 5 minutes. Remove from microwave, mash with potato masher until chunky and microwave 5 additional minutes. Remove from microwave and add cinnamon, nutmeg and cranberry juice. Return to microwave for 1 minute. Remove and if you like it smooth rather than chunky after it cools place in food processor to blend. We like it chunky so I skip the food processor. We use it as a spread for toast or as a side dish. Keep refrigerated for it does not have any preservatives and if you keep it longer than about 4 days, freeze. It freezes well.

One good way to serve it is to crumble a gingersnap cookie in dessert dish pretty stemmed glass, top with about 1/2 cup, more or less, of the chunky applesauce, top with whipped topping and sprinkle with additional cookie crumbs.

Cooking Tips

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• To reheat hamburger patties - place in colander over simmering water and cover. The steam heats and adds moisture so they won't be dry. I have a microwave steamer with a rack over water and this does well also. Microwave about 2 min., depending on strength of microwave. They will be moist and taste like fresh.
• Have too many tomatoes? Peel, cut in chunks and freeze. Even if it's just one or 2, they make a good addition to soups, chili or spaghetti sauce. They are too expensive to waste! If it is a small amount, I use the plastic snack bags to freeze them in.
• When filling plastic bags for freezing put plastic bags in a 1 or 2 cup measuring cup, spreading the top out over the top of the cup and fill. This keeps the bag open for you to fill and makes it easier and less messy. You can also do this when filling a plastic bag for piping frosting.
• For refrigerating or freezing fresh food or leftovers, I hope you have found the bags you suck all of the air out of. I have the battery powered and the hand pump and it is saving me money. Fresh vegetables stay fresher and it abolishes freezer burn. Love them!

Well, that is about it for today. Good eating!

Nuff said,

The Georgia Peach

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