Christmas Jam

 So I made this recipe early this morning.  I found this recipe a month or so ago and I saved it because I wanted to make it this holiday season.  Then I couldn't find the recipe.  I turned my recipes upside down looking for it.  I was beginning to believe I had imagined it.  Well I found it, and then I had to wait on the cranberries.  As soon as they became available I added them to my grocery cart.  Guess what?  They were out of them.  So I say all that to say this.  This was a recipe worth all the hassle.  It smells like Christmas.  Now I know some of you will scratch your head at that, but others will know exactly what I'm talking about.  But when I sampled it, it tasted like Christmas.  I've already thought of all kinds of ways to use it this holiday season.  Maybe with some brie cheese, over cream cheese.....

I saved out a jar this morning to put in the fridge so I could try it.  So while I was waited for my pot to boil I made some toast. 

So let's get started.  There are a couple of things you need to do before you get to these ingredients. 

Take the lids and the rings off the jars and place in a pan with some water.  Put it on the stove and bring to a boil.  This sanitizes the lids and also makes them warm when you use them.  That rubber seal will stick better.  If you want to try this and have never made jam before there are lots of articles about water bath canning on Pinterest. 

Bring them to a boil and then turn them down some.  You want them to stay warm. 

This is the water bath canner I borrowed from a friend.  No pressure to it at all just boiling water.  You can use a stew pot if you do not have one of these.  

There is a wire rack in the bottom so the jars do not sit right on the bottom. 

Put some water in the pot, I used hot water to try and not have to take as long to boil.  Then put the jars in.  Water goes in the jars too. 

Have about an inch or two of water over the jars.  Turn on the heat and bring to a boil or close.  This sanitizes the jars but also makes them warm before you put hot stuff in the jars. 

Now wash and check your cranberries.  I really thought there would not be as many mushy ones since it was early in the season but there were. 

You need 4 cups of cranberries.  This is a little over one bag.  But that all depends on how good your bag of cranberries are. 

!/2 cup water

1 cup orange juice. I used some with no pulp.  I don't know if it makes a difference or not. 

1 1/2 cups sugar. 

You are going to put all this in a pot and place over medium heat.  Stir well. 

While you are waiting for the cranberries to pop, measure out the spices.  1 teaspoon cinnamon.

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.  These are all warm spices and they smell so good. 

You want the cranberries to pop.  You can see some are beginning to pop.  And they will splatter on you if you are not careful. 

It is beginning to boil and pop.  

It starts to thicken a little as they pop. 

Once they have popped and it starts thickening add the spices.  Stir. 

Then add one packet of Sure Jell pectin.  Cook for 5 minutes, stirring the whole time.  It will begin to start thickening.

Stir.

Stir.  It's thicker. 

Before I started I put this plate in the fridge. 

To test to see if it is thick enough, take the plate out and put a splat of jam on the plate.  Let cool a little. 

Then drag your finger through it.  If it doesn't fill back in you are good to go.  

Now move your pots close to your jars. 

The directions said use a magnet to get the lids out of the hot pot.  I happen to have a magnet so I used it but you could use tongs or something else. 

This is a handy jar retriever. 

Take out a jar.  Turn on side in pot and let the water drain out.  I couldn't safely take a picture of that. 

The funnel is a lifesaver.  It keeps your jars clean. 

Add the fruit to the jar.  You do not want to fill it all the way up.  There's a ridge on the outside and you can use that as a guide. 

Add the lid

Put the ring on and "finger" close.  You don't want it tight. 

Use the jar retriever and put it back in the pot. 

I have 5 filled jars back in the canner. 

Turn it up to canning. 

Put this pan on top of the jars.  It says to evenly heat the jars.  Wait for it to start boiling. 

While waiting for the pot to boil I made some toast to try it out.  It is so good. 

It's beginning to bubble. 

Put the lid on and boil for 10 minutes. 

My google picture frame is the best timer.  It is voice activated and you can see the time count down. 

Take the lid off. 

There's my jars.  Remove them from the pot. 

They all popped soon after being taken out of the pot.  You listen for that pop. If one does not pop you can put it in the fridge to eat now.  When they cool take the rings off and store. 

Christmas Jam Recipe

4 cups fresh cranberries

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 packet fruit pectin

The recipe says you can add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice when you take it off the stove.  I chose not to add the lemon juice. 

One-Pan Creamy Parmesan Chicken & Rice

 I ran across this new recipe a couple of weekends ago and wanted to try it.  When it says one pot I am willing to try it.  Anything that doesn't use every pot and pan in your kitchen is worth trying.  This recipe didn't disappoint. 

Add some green beans and a piece of fresh bread and dinner is served. 

Make sure you have some non minute rice for this recipe. 

Cut your chicken into pieces.

Salt and pepper the pieces well. 

I decided to try this olive oil to cook the chicken in.  It really smells good. 

Drizzle some in the bottom of a pan.  The recipe calls for a skillet.  But you need a lid later on in this recipe so I use this pot.

Put the chicken in the pot and cook on all sides.  You don't have to cook all the way done. 

It's cooking good. 

Remove from the pan.  Leave the liquid in the bottom if you can. 

Chop up an onion and you can chop up 3 cloves of garlic too. 

Add to the pot and saute until softened. 

Once the onions are soft, add 1 cup long grain white rice.  Not sure if brown rice isn't recommended or not but it calls for white rice. 

Stir it around and brown the rice a little. 

Now we are going to add 2 cups chicken broth and 1 cup heavy cream. 

I use the garlic that is kept in the fridge. I add it now with the liquids. 

Stir the liquids with the rice. 

Bring to a simmer. 

Add the chicken back to the pot.  Stir. 

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes.  When cooking time is up remove lid and stir the rice. 

While the rice is cooking, grate 1 cup Parmesan cheese. 

Stir well.

Add the cheese to the pot. 

Stir to melt the cheese in the rice mixture. 

Sprinkle a little parsley on top.  Fresh would have been better.

Cheese is melted and it is ready to eat. 

And serve with your favorite sides. 

One-Pan Creamy Parmesan Chicken & Rice Recipe

boneless skinless chicken breast cut into pieces

1 cup long grain white rice

2 cup chicken broth

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 small chopped onion

3 cloves minced garlic

olive oil

salt and pepper

fresh parsley

Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes.