as march steadily approaches

I'm realizing I'm getting to the dregs of my canning from last summer. I have:

one quart of peaces

one 8oz peach jam

one 8 oz plum jam

2 pints salsa

5.5 pints applesauce

I still have quite a bit of freezer jam.

I made peach, raspberry peach, raspberry, strawberry and blackberry. Freezer peach is awful, and the raspberry peach is similar, just not so great. But blackberry and raspberry were our definitely favorites for the freezer, and we LOVED the cooked peach. I figured I'd just make ALL of it, then be able to actually compare. So this summer, I know what I'll be making jamwise.... though I do want to try currant and apricot this year, not gonna lie. :)

butternut squash soup

I tried this recipe from Our Best Bites and have loved it ever since. I look forward to the fall and winter because I know I can make this soup in abundance. The original is here, but here are my notes for what I do:

I use a whole lotta butternut squash. Probably double what they say. And therefore more chicken stock. I also use the biggest potato I can find, which translates to about 3 medium potatoes.

Sigh. This stuff is the BEST.

granola

3/4 C brown sugar
2/3 C canola oil
2/3 C honey
5 C rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
*nuts, seeds, flax
**dry fruit

In a large pot on med-high heat boil: oil, brown sugar and honey. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients and then add wet ingredients from pot. In a thin layer, spread onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Cook at 375 degrees for 10-11 minutes.
*Add nuts, seeds, flax (any dry ingredients) with the dry ingredients.
**Add dry fruit after baking (though, I didn't and it seemed to turn out fine).
Eat it with yogurt and other fresh fruit, with milk, or alone!

fresh and light hummus

Here's that hummus recipe that I brought over yesterday. I used a 15.5 oz can of garbanzo beans, one extra Tbsp of lemon juice and the reserved liquid from the beans instead of water (per the comments in the reviews on epicurious). It was super easy and I really liked it.