Brown Sugar

1 cup White Sugar
1/4 cup Molasses
Food Processor

For every 1 cup sugar add 1/4 cup of molasses and pulse in the food processor.
If you like light brown sugar use half the amount of molasses, but I am a dark brown sugar girl.
Pulse till there isn't any lumps of molasses left or any white sugar left.
Then store in an air tight container.

My kids thought brown sugar was from a different plant so we sat down and made brown sugar together. I used a spoon (it gets out frustration and it gets some of my physical therapy done at the same time) and just paddled it down until it came out right so everyone would get a turn. A food processor is faster, and less messy.

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Muffintop Cookies

1 (7 oz) box blueberry muffin mix or cranberry or any muffin mix you like
2 oz cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips

3 Graham crackers crushed

Preheat oven to 325°.
Cream together butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar.

Fold egg in.

Combine muffin mix with the butter mixture and mix well.

Fold in white chocolate chips.

Chill for at least one hour.

Drop by tablespoonful onto greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.
Sprinkle with graham crackers then lightly press it into the top.
Return unused batter to fridge. *Needs to be chilled when not being cooked.

Bake for 8 minutes or until just turning brown around the edges.

Transfer to wire rack until completely cooled.
 *This will give you a more fluffy muffin like cookie.

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Ways To Water

Here are some of the common ways to water your garden, with pros and cons of each. The systems described below are best when used with a timer so you don't have to remember.

The most common way most gardener’s water is hand watering. It’s one of the easiest watering methods, it's not the most effective. It wastes water sprinkling around the plant and not getting it down to the roots. Also, the water may be distributed unevenly. Hand watering with a hose or watering can is best used on containers and individual plants. In fact, the best way to hand water is to create a rut around each plant fill it with water. Let it sink in, then move to the next plant.

The easiest is sprinklers because all you do is set up the sprinkler and let it run on a timer and you’re done while the water soaks into the ground. This wastes a lot of water in the process watering around the garden instead of the plants. This type of watering should be done in the morning hours so the leaves dry before the heat of the day and don’t bake your leaves. Also, watering shouldn't be done at night. Night time watering can leave the leaves open to disease.

A more efficient way to water is to lay soaker hoses around plants and along rows. These low-flow hoses weep water into the soil around plant roots and are less likely to waste water. Soaker hoses also work best on flat ground to evenly distribute the water. Soaker hoses focus water near roots where the garden needs it the most.

Similar to soaker hoses is the drip irrigation system in that you'll be directing the placement of water near the plant roots. However, it's even more efficient and wastes even less water. The downside is the cost and up keep. There are more parts to the drip irrigation system that needs to be checked frequently. They are prone to clogs and leaks. The drip irrigation is more expensive than any other watering system.

Not only is the scheduling of your watering important, how you water makes a big difference too. Depending on your area, the season, there may be watering restrictions in place or water may be very expensive. Using efficient watering systems not only will be better for the plant, it can save water and money for you.  

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Spiedie Chicken

4 Chicken breast cut into chicken strips
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 sprigs of fresh parsley (finely chopped)
4 tablespoons crushed garlic
2 tablespoons water

In a large Ziploc bag mix the lemon, sugar, vinegar, oil, seasoning, parsley and garlic until sugar is dissolved.
Place chicken strips in the bag remove all air, then place it in the fridge for 2 hours to marinade.
Take the chicken out and grill it about 6 to 9 min each side depending on thickness until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
Remove from grill and let rest about 3 to 5 minutes.

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Cherry Pie Filling

4 cups pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornstarch

Mix sugar and corn starch in a small bowl and set aside.
Place pitted cherries into a medium sauce pan.
Place a lid on top of cherry pan and let them cook on medium for about 6 min.
Remove from heat.
Pour sugar mixture over the top and mix thoroughly.
Return cherry pan to heat set to low and cook till it thickens up about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat.
If its to thick add a sprinkle of water and still.
Let cool.
Use your favorite pie crust to finish up your pie.

Before it was cooked and mixed with the sugar mixture:

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Lemon Pie

Filling

½ cup fresh lemon juice about 2 lemons depending on size

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup cool whip

Crust

1 ½ cups fine crushed graham crackers

½ cup white sugar

6 tablespoons melted butter
Top
Lemon Zest

For the crust -mix crackers, white sugar and melted butter, until thoroughly mixed.

Press the graham cracker mix into a 9 inch pie pan.

Bake at 375° for 7 min, then let it cool about 30 minutes place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

For the filling- squeeze lemon juice through a strainer until you have ½ cup.

Pour into a medium bowl with 1 can sweetened condensed milk mix on low.

Then slowly fold in cool whip until completely mixed.

Place filling into pie crust.
Zest from your fresh lemons sprinkled on top (I like to do a lot more zest but my kids aren't fans)

Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve.

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