One other thing that greatly increases meat safty when smoking or drying is the use of a cure such as sodium nitrite particuarly on meats that will be under 140 degrees for a lenth of time to prevent botulism cures somtimes come in jerky seasoning kits or near sausage making supplies My favorite recipes usually are salt sugar a little soy sauce and some kitchen spices oh and ground black and red pepper sometimes course ground pressed on top or a sprinkle of garlic I make it a little differnt every time oh and in the smoker it is so darn good! Robin there are a lot of ideas online to make really simple smokers from things at hand if you have an electric hot plate or frypan even a cardboard box will do I made mine out of the oven under my canning stove outside I pulled the oven elements out and put a stove top element in with a cast iron fry pan of wood chips on it works great and is well insulated for winter use I did venison tenderloins last weekend when it was 15 below

My DD is mostly a fruit fan. She also loves vanilla, so I throw a splash of vanilla extract in lots of my lite syrups (she doesn't like the black specks from vanilla beans). I've also found that if I come up with goofy names for things, she likes them better. For instance, we call canned peaches "Sunshine in a Jar", and we call strawberry-applesauce "Strawple Sauce". Peaches and Pears - I can them both diced and sliced. Depends on my DD's mood as to which jar she requests. I've thought of canning them together - but I can't get the bulk canning boxes from the orchard at the same time. Applesauce and apple-fruit blends - in particular apple-peach, apple-pear, apple-strawberry. I also will finely dice my apples and use some caramelized brown sugar for a chunky caramel applesauce. (I throw seasonal fruit in the freezer for when apple season arrives - then I can make the blends.) Peach Sauce - like applesauce, but made from peaches Honey Crimson Grapefruit - recipe in Ball Book, but grapefruit sections canned in cranberry juice and honey Strawberries packed in simple syrup She also likes my jams. Especially my fruit combo jams. DD also likes a lot of the soups I pressure can. I make a pumpkin bisque that she loves.

My favorite right now is Sol's Honey Rolls. The recipe does not call for kneading but I put it into my bread machine anyway, works like a charm: Sol's Honey Rolls 1 Cup milk 1/2 Cup honey 1/2 Cup butter [1 stick] 2 Tsp salt 1 -2 tablespoons granulated sugar* 2 pkges. dry yeast 1/2 Cup warm water [110ú-115úF] 2 large eggs lightly beaten 6- 6 1/2 cups All Purpose flour Heat the milk, add butter and salt. Set aside while butter melts. Stir in the honey. In another bowl, combine the warm water, yeast and sugar. Let it sit until yeast is completely dissolved, about 6-7 minutes. Combine milk mixture with yeast mixture. And stir in the beaten eggs. Beat in 4 cups flour. Add enough remaining flour to make a soft, but not sticky dough. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat both sides. Cover and allow dough to rise 1 hour. Punch dough down, and allow to rise another hour. Punch down again, and shape dough into rolls. Let it rise again 45 minutes to an hour or until doubled in volume. Preheat your oven to 375F and bake rolls for 25 minutes or until a deep golden brown. For a very soft crust, brush rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Note: You could omit the sugar from this recipe altogether. I sometimes use about a teaspoon of the honey called for in the recipe to feed the yeast instead of the sugar. As an alternative, I like these and I do them in the bread machine too: Butternut Squash Rolls 1 package (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast 1 cup warm milk (110ð to 115ð) 1/4 cup warm water (110ð to 115ð) 3 tablespoons butter, softened 2 teaspoons salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup mashed cooked butternut squash 5 to 5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in milk and water. Add the butter, salt, sugar, squash and 3 cups flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Form into rolls; place in two greased 10-in.cast-iron skillets or 9-in. round baking pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 375ð for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 2 dozen. Annie

I got this from here, I think, years and years ago. It's the BEST! Leila's Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken Makes approximately 8 servings This wonderful fried chicken was prepared for my family by Leila - an amazing woman who worked for us and practically raised my brother and I up from pups. It is full of delicious flavor and has the kind of crispy coating that you'll never forget. It is also fried chicken, so nowadays it's something that is served for special occasions only! 3-4 pounds cut-up frying chicken 2 cups buttermilk 2 cups self-rising flour Ground black pepper, to taste Paprika, to taste Garlic powder, to taste Vegetable oil for frying Step 1 - Cut your chicken into parts and wash well. Place in a large bowl and pour buttermilk over. Allow to sit for at least an hour. Step 2 - Mix and sift together flour, black pepper, paprika and garlic powder. Step 3 - Pour enough oil in a large, cast iron skillet to fill it about an inch deep. Heat to 375 degrees. Use a thermometer to carefully regulate the temperature and prevent the oil from burning. Step 4 - Remove each piece of chicken from the buttermilk and shake to remove the excess. Dredge in the seasoned flour. Step 5 - Drop pieces in the hot oil, four at a time. Do not crowd, as this will reduce the temperature of the oil and cause the chicken to absorb more grease. I like starting with dark meat pieces first and saving the white meat for the last. Cook each piece six minutes per side. Turn when the underside is nice and brown. To ensure doneness, cut a small hole in the thickest part - the juices should run clear. Step 6 - Serve and enjoy - either hot from the pan or room temperature! Despite some of the nutritional counts of this recipe, it is practically unbeatable for bringing back the taste (and smell) of home.