Soup Season!

Phoenicians are celebrating our exodus from 3-digit temperatures - Fall has arrived! Kids born and raised in the desert are even breaking out their sweatshirts for the "chilly" 70-degree mornings.

While I may not be ready for boots and sweaters, the cooler temps do give me a great excuse to try out some new soup recipes. We recently had a large amount of potatoes and broccoli to get through, so I jumped on the trusty www.allrecipes.com and used my favorite "Ingredient Search."

I changed the servings on the site (another handy tool!) in an attempt to make half of the original recipe. However, I forgot that the numbers don't change in the actual step-by-step instructions. So, in a last-ditch effort I threw in more potatoes (4 total), onion (1 whole), but only had 20 oz. (2 frozen bags) of broccoli florets. I used the original recipe's amounts for the broth and seasonings, and added a dash of Cayenne per one of the comments. The result was excellent! I think my "mistake" of using slightly less broccoli helped to avoid the overwhelming broccoli flavor that a few comments mentioned.

I did end up with quite a bit left over, so I'm hoping it's great for leftovers, too! All in all, it's an easy recipe for a tasty, filling dish.

*BONUS! Did I mention it's vegan?! Don't tell your guests... They won't even miss the heavy cream or butter. :-)

Click here for the full recipe!

Homemade Fruit Leather

Local summer produce yielded several kinds of fruit, and we took full advantage of the offerings through Bountiful Baskets. We soon found our kitchen full with: 12 pints of blueberries, 18 lbs. of cherries, and 21 lbs. of apricots!

The question is, "Is it possible to have too much fruit?" Unfortunately, yes. To avoid letting anything spoil or go to waste, we had to find options other than snacking on these raw fruits. Of course, we can throw them in smoothies (like the ones mentioned in a previous post), but you can only consume so many meals through a straw!

Introducing... homemade fruit leather (or "fake fruit roll-ups" if you're Alison's kids)! I've found several different recipes for drying fruit into strips for longer-lasting healthy snacks, and they all vary in procedure and cooking/drying time. So, I experimented with every method and can attest to this tried-and-true recipe. I prefer the raw flavors of the fruits mentioned above, so I did not add any honey or lemon juice, and they all came out great!

Homemade Fruit Leather

• 4 cups of fruit
• water
• 2 TBSP honey (optional)
• Lemon juice to taste (optional)

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or plastic wrap (It won't melt at your oven's lowest temperature).
2. Set the oven to the lowest temperature (mine says "WM," others are around 150 degrees F - Do not exceed 150 if you're using plastic wrap!).
3. Blend your desired fruit to a smooth liquid in a blender or food-processor.
   *For less liquid-y fruits (like apricots), simmer them in a saucepan on low heat with just enough water to cover first. 
4. If you like your fruit leather especially sweet, add honey. If you like tart fruit (or you're working with a very sweet fruit like grapes), add lemon juice.
5. Poor the liquid fruit mixture onto the baking sheet. You want a thin, even layer. Spots that are too thin will dry early and become crispy. Spots that are too thick will take too long to dry and/or become sticky.
6. Dry in the oven for 4-6 hours.
   *The first time you work with a new kind of fruit, you will have to start checking after 4 hours. Drying time can vary based on your oven's lowest setting, the thickness of the fruit, and whether you added water or lemon juice. I found apricots to take the longest - over 8 hours! I recommend trying this first on a rainy day when you'll be at home. Then, it's great to put in overnight, and wake up to the sweet smell of dried fruit!
 

Enjoy!

For the Birds!

The Phoenix desert is known for a large variety of hummingbirds. While we have one or two that frequent a nearby tree, we wanted to bring them in a bit closer. To keep this new hobby frugal, we acquired a used hummingbird feeder, and researched a homemade hummingbird nectar recipe. It's too easy not to share!

Homemade Hummingbird Nectar

1. Bring to a boil 4 parts water to 1 part sugar.
2. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring until all sugar is dissolved. *It is important to maintain the 4:1 ratio for the health of the birds (and to avoid attracting other animals and insects).
3. Pour the cooled nectar into your feeder!

I was surprised to learn that the nectar does not need to be red. Adding food coloring can actually harm the birds. As long as your feeder has some element of red (which can be as simple as a ribbon tied to the end), the hummingbirds will find it.

More than one site used a temperature chart to determine the frequency of replacing the nectar and cleaning the feeder in order to keep the birds healthy and prevent fermentation, mold, and/or attraction of insects:

High temperatures		Change nectar after
71-75		6 days
76-80		5 days
81-84		4 days
85-88		3 days
89-92		2 days
93+		change daily

Chart Credit: http://www.wildbirdshop.com/Birding/humfeed.html