Jolene's Recipe Journal

If I had to choose just one berry to eat for the rest of my life, it would be blueberries.   They can be used in such a variety of ways, from pancakes to BBQ sauce.   We celebrate #NationalBlueberryMonth by eating them as many different ways as we can!   along with stocking the freezer for all the other months of the year.   My cake mix collection is getting a bit large again, so I went searching for recipes and found dump cakes.    We like cake quite a lot, so I was surprised to see a category we haven't tried.    When the weather turned rainy and cool for a few days, I took advantage and printed this recipe to try. Of course, rainy and cooler weather in July also means everyone is inside and underfoot.   The cake went together almost as written, except I used 1 cup of butter instead of 3/4 cup.   It turned out fine.   I was distracted when putting the topping together, and I had to have measured something wrong.   It was delicious, but more the consistency of a glaze.    N

Corn is one vegetable I know my family will eat without complaint.  Green beans are another, so when I found this dish combining the two, I immediately put it on the menu.   I've probably made it a half dozen times already, and it always disappears. Corn season is coming up soon, and I plan on using fresh and will adjust the cooking time.   If you aren't a fan of thyme, try basil or parsley. Recipes like these are very much the reason why I've loved Taste of Home since the 90s- family friendly food with easily available ingredients.  Thank you so much to Kimberly S for sharing her recipe.  Want to become a Community Cook?  Check out the requirements and apply here ! Green Bean and Corn Medley Print With Image Without Image Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal Ingredients 3 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed 10oz package frozen corn, thawed 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme Green bean and corn medley, quick and easy to make  1/4 t

Yesterday was National Blueberry Picking Day, and we are big fans of blueberries here.  My grandmother used to have 150 blueberry bushes and would sell to the local bakeries and restaurants.   If you came to visit, you were given a bucket and a row and strict instructions on picking.  Roll the berries between your thumb and first finger, but don't take off the blue "frost." Pick one bush clean before moving on.   And heaven help you if you picked a red or white one!   My dad ended up with a dozen of the bushes in the 80s, and we'll be moving those bushes to our new home this fall.    This year our berries are running a little late, so I stopped by a local farm and picked some up to make this recipe. I used whole milk instead of 2%, it's what we keep in the house. As I was putting the ingredients together, I kept thinking, "The guys are going to devour this, I really should double it".   Mine did take about 8 minutes past the time range, but I n

Strawberry picking kicks off summer for our family.   This year it was delayed a bit by rainy weather, but the wait was absolutely worth it.   I saw this recipe on the cover of April/May 2017 Taste of Home, and I knew it was the first thing I would make when berries were ready. Two changes - I used raw sugar to sprinkle the biscuits, and Redi Whip instead of making the whipped cream from scratch due to time constraints.   I'll definitely do it for real next time! Hands down the best from-scratch shortcake biscuit I've ever made.   The vanilla in the strawberries is fantastic.   I'm off to the farm to get more berries, because I know my family will want this again very soon. Thanks so much to Angela L for sharing the recipe! Grandma's Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake Print With Image Without Image Yield: 8 Author: Jolene's Recipe Journal Perfect taste of summer! ingredients: 6 cups fresh strawberries, sliced 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoo

It's time to #FillTheCookieJar again!   This month we are sharing recipes that are perfect for back to school- whether it's putting them in lunchboxes or as a treat when the kids get home.    I was a bit resistant to this theme, considering we've only just begun our summer vacation here in New Hampshire.   Back to school time has always been difficult for my son when it came to lunches and snacks.    My son was tested for allergies at 2, and it showed an epipen-worthy peanut and tree nut allergy.  He beat the odds, and at 13 years old, outgrew his peanut allergy.   The problem?  All those years of wanting to eat peanut butter was ruined by the actual allergy testing itself.   His food challenge consisted of eating increasing amounts of peanut butter, but it wasn't salted and was no sugar, etc. He has tried over the last year to find things with peanut butter he likes, and there's been a few.   He was advised to keep eating small amounts to decrease the odd

July is National Ice Cream Month and we are kicking things off with our favorite frozen treats to beat the summer heat! One of the first things my husband and I bought as a couple was a blender.  He'd just moved to New Hampshire from Boston, and was getting acclimated to "country" life.   He was amazed that people chatted with each other in the store checkout line, that neighbors waved to each other.  He wondered how long it would be before he lost his accent and would be out tipping cows. He assumed the role as bartender, and after combining the Baileys and ice cream, decided it needed a little "something".   He found a partial box of Junior Mints leftover from a trip to the movies, and in they went.   We both loved it, and when I asked him what he'd call it, he didn't hesitate- the Cowtipper.  For us, the  amount of Baileys is perfect, but if you want it less strong, you can replace 4oz of it with whole milk. Thank you so much to Sue at Palatable Past