Playdough

From Mrs. Dowdle (Cascade Elem. Art Teacher)

½ cup cornstarch

1 cup baking soda

¾ cup COLD water

food coloring optional

Mix together cornstarch and baking soda in a medium pan. Add cold water all at one time and stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture reaches the consistency of slightly dry mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Spoon out and knead. Store in an airtight container. This makes a very smooth white easy to handle dough. Objects may be dried at room temperature and painted or you may add a few drops of food coloring to the mixture.


Note:
I made this the other day and forgot to take pictures. I only had 1/2 cup soda, so I substituted 1/2 cup salt for the rest of the soda. It turned out fine.

Peach and Tomato Salsa

From Adele Matthews and Janice Brady

6 large onions (peel and chop)(wear swim goggles to prevent tears)

6 bell peppers (any color)

8 jalapeno peppers (use rubber gloves to chop)

6  quarts peeled and chopped tomatoes (Roma seem to be best)

2 quarts peeled and chopped peaches

1 bunch cilantro (finely chopped)

1 ½ tsp garlic salt

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin           

3 tsp red pepper (cayenne)

¼ cup salt

1 cup sugar (mix with clear jel before adding)

1 cup clear jel (mix with sugar before adding)

3 cups red wine vinegar

Mix above ingredients in a very large bowl. Heat until simmering in large pots.

Fill quart jars until ½ “ from top, then clean off top of jar and hand tighten new lids and rings onto jar. Process quarts in pressure canner for 20 minutes at 10 lbs pressure. This is the amount of time and pressure for 5,000 feet altitude.

Makes 12 to 13 quarts. Let cool and enjoy.

Note: I often make a half batch as my tomatoes ripen. It is still a big batch.

Also: if you don’t have peaches you can substitute more tomatoes or mangoes. You can also use frozen peaches. Both are good, but peach is my family’s favorite.

One more thing: Use a pressure canner! There are enough vegetables in this salsa that it is risky to use a water bath.

Blackberry Cobbler

My blackberries are ripening so we had our first taste this week.

Filling:

¾ Cup sugar

3 Tbs. flour

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. cinnamon

Dash of cloves

2 – 3 Cups blackberries (fresh or frozen)

Combine above ingredients in 8 or 9 inch pan.

Topping:

1 Cup flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ C. buttermilk or sour milk (just add a little lemon juice to ½ C milk)

3 Tbs. butter, melted

Stir together and place large spoonfuls on filling. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs sugar and ½ tsp cinnamon.

Bake at 375 for 30 – 35 min.