Freezing Sweet Corn

It seems there a million ways to freeze corn and I have tried at least half of them. When we lived on the farm where there was an abundance of sweet corn (thank you neighbors), I would spend a whole day freezing sweet corn. And who wants to spend a whole day on the weekend freezing corn? After a couple years of this time consuming activity, I mastered a process that works great for me. It's relatively messy free (well you know it is corn so it is a little messy), less time consuming, and I don't necessarily need any helpers, although it's so much more fun to have family or friends helping! This is how it works for me:

• My first rule is clean, clean, clean. Everything must be clean! I use one of my kitchen sinks to cool the corn after it has cooked, so you must clean, disinfectant, and rinse your sink. I start with hot water and baking soda and scrub, scrub, scrub! Then I spray vinegar and tea tree oil, leave it on for a few minutes, then rinse with hot, hot water. Ok - you get it, right? I just go a little over-the-top on this part because you don't want gross stuff on your corn.
• After the cleaning, shuck your corn.
• Boil water on the stove in a very large kettle (I use my canner) add 3 T sugar. If using a smaller pot, 1-2 T of sugar will be fine.
• When the water is boiling, add your ears of corn making sure there is room for them to turn in the pan.
• Boil for 3 minutes.
• Transfer the ears of corn into you clean sink filled with cold water and as many ice cubes as you can fit in it.
• Leave the corn in the sink until it's cold, mine takes about 5 minutes. 
• To start, place an angel food pan on top of a plate, then place it on top of a cutting board. Place the large end of the ear of corn into the hole of the pan. Use a sharp knife, start at the top and cut the corn off the cob in a downward motion. After the kernels have been removed, scrape the back of your knife blade over the cob so you get the yummy corn juice in your pan.
• I bag my corn in quart freezer bags and use my handy dandy Ziploc air remover to take out the air from the bags. If you use this gadget, make sure you buy the Ziploc baggies that are designed for this purpose. Otherwise regular freezer bags work fine if you make sure you get as much air out of the bags as possible.
• Place bags in the freezer in single layers so it can freeze rather quickly.
• I bought some stacking plastic bins at the dollar store and I store my bags in those after they have frozen. It would be easier if you have a separate freezer for this, but I didn't get around to that purchase yet!

I froze 6 dozen ears today and it took about 4 hours for the entire process and not one kernel on the floor! But, I had sticky corn juice in my hair and all over my arms - haha! Oh well, we will certainly enjoy that frozen corn in the middle of winter! Happy freezing!

Love  and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Kitchen Organizing-The Refrigerator

I don't know about you, but at my house refrigerator organizing can be challenging! I'm pretty sure my husband can open the door and stand there, right in front of everything and still can't find what he's looking for! It has taken me quite a few years to figure out a system that actually works for us. I thought I would share my tips and maybe some of them will work for you.

• I limit my groceries for what I will be cooking or eating that week. I like to freeze meals ahead so my freezer is full and I don't have to waste time on what I am going to cook every night. I usually buy organic produce which doesn't keep too long and I hate to throw food away, so my refrigerator might look a little bare, but that's how I like it!
• Many of the items I make myself such as chicken and beef stock, yogurt, peanut butter, salsa, jelly, applesauce, syrup, dressings, and iced coffee. Most of my jars are labeled so my husband knows what is in them, and some I date with a sharpie so I know if it is getting outdated. 
• I keep my condiments in a clear container because we usually have more than one with a meal, it's easy to take the container out and put it on the table.
• I use another basket for my baking ingredients such as yeast, dry buttermilk, and coconut.
• I use a basket for my eggs because I don't like cartons. (I know - weird).
• I keep one shelf reserved strictly for leftovers or the current day's meals.
• I store cheese sticks, goat cheese, and soft cheese in a basket in my cheese compartment. It works great when the kids come and grab a cheese stick, then everything doesn't get all mixed up.
• I keep my fruit in a basket in the fruit and produce compartment. I use the meat compartment sometimes for extra veggies because I don't keep extra meat around, I either freeze it or cook it the same day that I buy it.
• I use the enclosed door on the side of the refrigerator for milk, cream, half-n-half, and iced coffee.
• On the other door shelves I keep items that we don't use as frequently such as dressings, bottled lemon and lime juice, grapeseed oil, and protein drinks.

I bought my baskets at the dollar store for a grand total of $4.00! I clean my refrigerator with white vinegar and a few drops of tea tree oil in a spray bottle. Happy organizing!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi

Chicken, Veggie Pasta Primavera

This is a recipe we got from our dad. It is one of my "go-to" recipes when I need something quick and that everyone likes.  I don't really measure everything exactly, I just keep tasting along the way. You can adapt it to what you and your family like.
Here's what you need:

• 1 Packet of Knorr brand Vegetable recipe mix or Spring Vegetable mix
• 2-3 chicken breasts, thighs or whatever you like, I slice mine into smaller pieces to cook faster, but you can use them whole
• 2-3 c chicken broth or stock
• fresh veggies that you like, I use stringless snap peas, broccoli,  okra, or whatever I have that needs to be eaten
• pasta I use a small box of Angel Hair, but again.. use what you like

Start your pasta water boiling and cook the pasta. In a skillet, cook chicken until it's not pink anymore then add stock and Knorr mix, add veggies and put the lid on. Cook until veggies are cooked/steamed but still crisp. Drain pasta, save a little pasta water to add to the chicken and veggies,it will help the sauce still to the noodles. Add pasta to the skillet with chicken and veggies and gently toss to mix. You can add more broth if you want it to have a little more sauce. When your veggies are how you like them, it's done!  Enjoy!


~Simply Angie

Homemade Potato Salad

A simple potato salad recipe for a summer picnic. I don't usually measure the ingredients for this recipe because I gauge the texture and flavoring simply on how it tastes. We like our potato salad with a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients:
10-15 whole baby red potatoes, leave skins on
3-4 hard boiled eggs
1/2 diced shallot or onion (optional)
2 dill pickles (diced) (optional)
1/2 - 2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 T yellow mustard
1-2 T sugar
pepper and salt to taste
paprika
Place whole potatoes in medium size pan with cold water covering them and add about 1 inch above the potatoes. Heat over medium high heat until the boiling, then turn down (but still boiling) until the potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes). When potatoes are done, pour the hot water off and run cold water over them while in the pan. While they are cooling, mix mayonnaise with mustard and sugar. If the mixture is too thick, add a small amount of milk. You don't want it too runny because it needs to stick to the potatoes, eggs and pickles. Taste to make sure it is sweet enough or if you like it a little more tart, add about a teaspoon of mustard. Let this sit for a few minutes while you are quartering the potatoes and cutting the eggs. Add pickles and shallots to the potatoes and eggs. Add the liquid mixture and stir. I sprinkle the top with paprika and black pepper. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. My favorite is to make it the day before and refrigerate it overnight. Enjoy!
Love and peace,
~ Simply Tammi