Apple Harvest Banana Bread

 

Apple Harvest Banana Bread

Trying a new recipe. I was looking for a banana bread recipe that included apples and landed on this one.  It is in the oven now so we will see.  It is a very healthy version from Hostest at Heart.

Here is the link

Hot Pepper Jelly

 Hot Pepper Jelly

This recipe is from Wise Guide Link. I made it for the first time on October 26, 2026

The peppers are from Linda and Tom Pecht,

Equipment

• 1 multi-use waterbath canner

• 1 canning funnel

• 1 jar lifter

• 7 regular mouth lids and rings

• 7 jam jars

Ingredients

• ¼ cup finely diced hot peppers (such as green jalapeños) seeded and stems removed

• 1 cup finely diced sweet bell peppers (mixture of red and green) seeded and stems removed

• 2 cups distilled white vinegar (5%)

• 1 box (1.75 ounces) original Sure-Jell pectin

• 6 cups granulated sugar

Instructions 

1. Cook: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the hot peppers, bell peppers, vinegar, and Sure-Jell. Stir and set over medium-high heat. Stir and bring the mixture to a rolling boil, which is a boil that does not cease when stirring, 6-8 minutes.

2. Add sugar: Once at a rolling boil, add the sugar. Stir continuously and allow the mixture to return to a rolling boil. Let it boil for exactly 2 minutes.

3. Fill: Remove from the heat and ladle the jelly into sterilized jars. Clean off the rim of each jar to ensure none of the jam will interfere with the jar's sealing. Place a prepared lid and ring on each jar. Tighten to finger-tip tightness.

4. Water bath: Lower the jars into a prepared water bath canner fitted with a rack. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Then, remove the jars from the canner and set them on a cooling rack. The jars should seal quickly. Allow to cool for 12 hours before checking the seals.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tbspCalories: 44 kcal

Chunky Mushroom Super Chili

 This recipe is from Jackie Johnson. Jackie taught cooking classes for Nicolet College. I made this for the first time in 1995 and it has ben my go to chili recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 # lean ground beef
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 1 green pepper coarsely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 cans (16 oz each) whole tomatoes, undrained, chopped
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 # fresh mushrooms quartered
• 1 cup picante sauce or salsa
• 2 T chili powder ( I use less)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• I include roasted corn salsa
• Optional toppings: sour cream, chopped avocado, chopped onion, shredded cheddar cheese

In a large sauce pan or Dutch oven, brown ground beef with onions, green pepper and garlic, frain fat. Add remaining ingredients except the toppings; mix well. Bring to a boil. Rescue heat, cover and  simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls; top as desired and serve with additional salsa.

Makes 9 one cup servings.

Beef Short Ribs

 My wine group is doing a wine vs sake event. I opted to bring short ribs which are to pair with a Tannic, Bold Red (e.g., Syrah, Nebbiolo, or Cabernet) versus Gamier, Richer, Textured Sake (e.g., Yamahai or Kimoto style) NOTE: Looking for a richer, gamier, textured sake (like a Yamahai or Kimoto style) to take on a tannic, bold red wine.

This is the recipe I chose from New York Times Cooking, https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019034-garlic-braised-short-ribs-with-red-wine

It was delicious but a lot of work and time. This is something you make over a long winter weekend. Mike actually didn't like it that much so I will likely not make it for him. (10/17/2026)

Total Time

About 4½ hours

The ultimate hands-off, do-ahead dinner, these are done on the stovetop in a large Dutch oven but can easily be adapted to a slow cooker if that’s your thing. When purchasing the ribs, ask for the thickest, meatiest ones available as they tend to shrink quite a bit once braised.

NOTE: prepare 2 days in advance

Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 5 pounds bone-in short ribs, at least 1 ½ inches thick

• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

• 2 large heads garlic, halved crosswise

• 1 medium onion (about 10 ounces), chopped

• 4 ribs celery (about 8 ounces, chopped

• 2 medium carrots (about 6 ounces), chopped

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 cups dry red wine (about half a bottle)

• 2 cups beef stock or bone broth (use beef bouillon dissolved in water if unavailable; chicken stock will work in a pinch), plus more as needed (NOTE: Homemade chicken stock is better than using beef bouillon)

• NOTE: Plan to use about 3c. wine and 4c. beef stock.

• 4 sprigs thyme

• 1 cup parsley, coarsely chopped

• ½ cup finely chopped chives

• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

• Preparation

  1. Step 1

     Heat oven to 275 degrees. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. (Be sure to rinse your short ribs quickly in running water to remove any bone chips created by the saw the butcher used to cut them. Then pat dry. I don't know why short rib recipes don't mention this important step.) Season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper (and dust lightly with flour). Working in batches, sear short ribs on all sides until deeply and evenly browned, 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned short ribs to a large plate and continue with remaining ribs.

  2. Step 2

     Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of remaining fat, leaving the good browned bits behind. Reduce heat to medium, and add garlic, cut side down and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion, celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and continue to cook until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato paste has started to caramelize a bit on the bottom and up the edges of the pot, about 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

     Add red wine (Pinot Noir or Cab Sav) and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned or caramelized bits. Let this simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just to take the edge off and reduce a bit. Stir in beef stock along with thyme. Using tongs, return short ribs to the pot, along with any juices that have accumulated, nestling them in there so that they are submerged (if they are just barely covered, nestle them bone side up so that all the meat is submerged, adding more beef stock or water as necessary to cover). Bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to oven. (Someone suggested placing parchment paper over the top and then the cover. It is suppose to keep the meat from drying out.)

  4. Step 4

     Cook, undisturbed, until short ribs are meltingly tender and falling off the bone (you should be able to shred the meat with a fork), 3½ to 4 hours.

  5. Step 5

     Using tongs, remove the ribs from the pot, taking care (for presentation purposes, really) not to let the bone slip out and transfer them to a large plate. (While you could serve the short ribs right out of this pot, the vegetables have all given up their flavor and texture and aren’t worth much now, so feel free to strain the sauce for easier eating.) Scatter parsley, chives and lemon zest over the top of the short ribs. (NOTE: I suggest making a gremolata first rather than scattering the parsley, chives and lemon zest)

     
     

  6. Separate the fat from the sauce, season with salt and pepper and serve alongside.

  7. Could serve with polenta, mashed potatoes, egg noodles

  8. Comments:

  9. I made this on Wednesday afternoon for a Friday night dinner for 6. Separated the sauce from the meat, straining the sauce. After cooling it all overnight in the frig and removing the fat layer I just tossed the meat back into the sauce to warm it up while I made polenta. I steamed some vegetables to serve alongside. My guests raved about it. It was seriously delicious. Thanks for making me look good!

  10. Very tasty, but I went about this a different way. After removing the meat from the cooking juice, I removed the garlic husks, and the "twigs" from the thyme, as they were so fibrous, and then used an immersion blender to liquefy all the cooked vegetables, and the expressed cooked garlic. Made a really rich, thickened sauce. I poured it back over the meat and put into refrigeration over night. so I could remove excess fat.

  11. Definitely TAKE THE TIME to STRAIN, remove garlic skins, etc. but disagree the veggies "have given all their flavor" so I blender puree them & return to sauce for a velvety finish. Lemon zest blend at end LIFTS the dish; don't skip it!

  12. My dutch oven was too small to accommodate the entire list of ingredients, so I started part 1, 2 and most of 3 in the Dutch oven, then transferred it to my Instant-Pot. I used the slow cooker option for 4 hours, then strained the juice from the IP back into the Dutch Oven, and reduced the liquid by half. It is spectacular. Thank you!

  13. After the ribs are done, I trim off any remaining fat or membrane, strain the gravy and refrigerate overnight so I can remove the hardened fat the next day. An hour or so before serving, I reheat the ribs in the gravy while I make polenta and prep the garnishes.

  14. will say I followed the advice of some other folks on this forum and blended the vegetables and braising liquid at the end, making a thick gravy of sorts. I then shredded the meat which was indeed very tender, mixed it all back together and was left with a short rib sugo. I ladled this over pasta with a dollop of creme fraiche.

  15. Next time I plan to lose the garlic and substitute prunes and apricots for the garlic.

  16. Remove half of veggies before cooking in oven, return halfway through

  17. This was wonderful! I read other notes and followed some great tips. I strained liquid after removing everything from the oven and left that in a bowl and set it in an ice bath. That rushed the fat separation process. Scooped it off with a spoon and then strain the remaining liquid again. I put that liquid back into the empty Dutch oven on the stove, brought it back to a low simmer, and I puréed the solids that strained off the liquid in a blender. Then added that to liquid. Great great gravy!

Zucchini Brownies

 Zucchini Brownies

I was frantically looking for my favorite pineaple zuchini bread recipe and cam across this recipe that I must have cut from the Menominee County Journal years ago. It is from Debbie Grinsteiner, Debbie's Kitchen Korner. 

I was worried about the fact that there were no eggs.  Apparently the grated zucchini supplies all the liquid needed to bind the brownies together. It was moist and delcious.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cips sugar

2 cupes grated zucchini, unpeeled (If using a large zucchini, cut in half and scoop out the seeds)

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsps baking soda

2 tsps vanilla

2 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup oil (I used Canola oil)

1/2 cup nuts, options; (I used chopped pecans)

1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Combine oil and sugar. Add the zucchini and vanilla. Mix flour with cocoa, salt and baking soda. Adds this gradually to the zucchini. (NOTE: If the mixture feels crumbly after folding in the dry ingredients, let the bowl sit on the counter for 3 to 5 minutes. The sugar will pull water out of the zucchini, turning the dry mixture into a thick, glossy batter.) Stir in the nuts and half of the chocolate chips, if using.  (NOTE: I think the chocolate chips add an important sweetness to the brownies). Make in a greased and floured 9 X 13 inch pan. The batter is stiffer than I expected so spread evenly. I sprinked half of the chocolate chipes on top as well. 

Bake at 350 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes.

Dust with powdered sugar.

I didn't try this but the recipe says you could make this a little healthier by cutting the sugar to 1/2 cup and substitute 1/2 of the oil for applesauce. This would change the texture of the brownie.  Instead you could try these ideas for making the dessert healthier. The brownie would still be fudgy and chewy.

• Reduce the sugar to 1 cup.
• Keep the full ½ cup of oil using a neutral, "heart-healthy" oil (like avocado or canola oil)
• Use dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips on top to add rich chocolate flavor.

Tomato Galette 

Katie made this for breakfast during a fun family event at the cabin, August 2026. It was delicious!!!

Hi Beth!

Here’s the recipe…. Embarrassingly easy!

CRUST:

2 cups AP flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 T apple cider vinegar

Pulse the flour and salt in a food processor to combine.  Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Transfer mixture into a large bowl.  Drizzle the vinegar and 1/4 C ice water over.  Mix with a fork, adding more ice water by the tablespoon as needed, just enough until a shaggy dough comes together.  Turn out onto a floured surface and knead lightly until no dry spots remain.  Be careful not to overwork.  Pat into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours.   Dough can be made up to 2 days ahead.

FILLING:

1 1/2 lb heirloom tomatoes, sliced 1/4 “ thick
2-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Salt
4 oz firm cheese, such as Gouda, Asiago, or cheddar ( I used a mix of Parmesan/ Asiago)
1 large egg, beaten
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 lemon
1 T finely chopped herbs ( I used your fresh basil)

Place tomatoes on a cooling rack and lightly salt both sides.  Let sit for 30 minutes for the tomatoes to release liquid.   Pat dry with paper towels to absorb the liquid. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees when ready to assemble the galette.

Unwrap the dough and roll out onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper.  Roll until about 1/8” thick.    Scatter the grated cheese over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2” border,   Arrange tomatoes and garlic over cheese.  Bring edges of dough up and over the filling, overlapping as needed.  Brush dough with beaten egg.  Sprinkle with pepper and sea salt.   Chill in freezer  on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. 

Bake galette, rotating halfway through, until crust is golden brown, about 55-60 minutes.  Let cool slightly.   Grate zest from 1/2 lemon and scatter over galette along with the minced herbs.   Serve at room temperature, or reheat in a 275 degree oven for 10 minutes. 
- can be cooked a day ahead and stored at room temperature
-the galette may seem quite juicy when done, but the liquid will resorb
 after 10 minutes

Enjoy!!!!

Gazpacho Soup

 https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017577-best-gazpacho?eafs_enabled=false