Read more about loquats at:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/citrus/loquat.htm

Loquat Jelly
(about 4 or 5 half-pint jars)

4 cups loquat juice
4 cups sugar

To Prepare Juice-Select full-size loquats that are still hard. Wash, remove blossom ends. Place in a saucepan and barely cover with cold water. Cook slowly until pulp is very soft. Extract juice*.

To Make Jelly-sterilize canning jars. Cook juice down until thick and cherry colored. Measure juice into a saucepot, add sugar and stir well. Boil over high heat to 8 degrees F above the boilng point of water, or until jelly mixture sheets from spoon.

Remove from heat; skim off foam quickly. Pour jelly immediately into hot canning jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a Boiling Water Bath.

*EXTRACTING THE JUICE
-Place fruit into a flat-bottomed saucepan and add cold water. For apples and other hard fruits, add up to 1 cup per pound of fruit.
-Bring to a boil on high heat. Stir to prevent scorching.
-Reduce heat.
-Hard fruits such as loquats may need 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the firmness of the fruit. Do not overcook; excess boiling will destroy the pectin, flavor and color.
-Pour everything into a damp jelly bag and suspend the bag to drain the juice. The clearest jelly comes from juice that has dripped through a jelly bag without pressing or squeezing.
-If a fruit press is used to extract the juice, the juice should be restrained through a jelly bag.
-A jelly bag can be made from firm, unbleached muslin or cotton flannel with the napped side turned in. Or try four thicknesses of closely woven cheesecloth. Always keep your jelly bag damp when extracting juice.

Blueberry-Pineapple Parfaits

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks, drained
container (8 ounces) fat-free flavored yogurt
½ cups fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries, thawed and patted dry
½ cup granola

In a small bowl, combine the pineapple with half of the yogurt. In small cups, layer the pineapple-yogurt mixture, blueberries, and granola. Repeat layering twice. Top each parfait with a dollop of yogurt.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 233 calories; 4 g protein; 49 g carbohydrate; 3 g fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 3.2 g dietary fiber; 43 mg sodium

Number of 5 A Day servings: 1.5

For more recipes, visit http://www.5aday.com

Crust:
2 cups almond flour (just ground almonds)
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T splenda
pinch of salt
4 T butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Mix all ingredients with mixer. Spread mixture into bottom of a 9x9 glass casserole and 2" up the sides. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes and let it cool.

Filling:
2-8 oz. packages low fat cream cheese
8 oz. skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 T splenda

Mix well and spread in the crust.

Topping:
12 large strawberries
1 T splenda
1 tsp. fruit fresh

Roughly blend strawberries. Add splenda and fruit fresh. Mix well and pour over filling. Chill.

* Apples have for many centuries been associated with the occult sciences. Why? If you cut an apple in half horizontally, you will reveal a five-pointed start, or pentagram. A symbol often used in the occult sciences for casting spells and such.
* Apples have also been credited with bestowing longevity or eternal life.
* The Granny Smith apple was first grown in New South Wales, Australia, by Mrs. Smith, a grandmother. The apple is the most widely grown and eaten fruit in the world.

* Waxy build-up? Apples and many other fruits and vegetables arrive at your grocer's with a wax coating. This is done to seal in moisture and extend the storage life of the produce. The food industry assures consumers that the wax is safe to eat. Sadly, it is also a pain in the tush to scrub off.
* All dried up. Want to dry some apples, but don't have the time right now? Apples can be stored in a cool, dry room for a few weeks, until you can get around to them.
* For a new twist to you your table setting, try making apple candle holders. Use an apple corer or knife to carve out the top of an apple (don't go all the way through) to fit either a taper
candle or a tea-light.
* To prevent the cut side of apples from browning, coat them with something acidic, such as lemon juice or an ascorbic acid dip.
* Good all-purpose apples: Cortland, Crispin, Empire, Fuji, Granny Smith, Jonagold, Jonathan, McIntosh, Winesap.
* Best apples for eating raw: Gala, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious.
* Best for cooking: Gravenstein, Rhode Island Greening and York Imperial.
* Best for baking: Cortland, Northern Spy, Rome Beauty, Winesap, York Imperial.
*Apple yields: 1 pound fresh = 2 large, 3 medium or 4 small; 2-2 1/2 cups chopped or sliced. 1 pound dried apples = 4 1/3 cups, 8 cups cooked.

Try eating apples in some new ways:
*Add thin slices of apple to sandwiches - such as ham or turkey with your favorite cheese for added flavor and crunch.
*Cooked apples taste great in savory dishes with chicken, pork, cabbage, onions and potatoes.
*Liven up your favorite coleslaw recipe by folding in crisp, chopped apples.
*Top butter crackers with thin apple wedges after spreading them with peanut butter or cream cheese.

The beauty of this project is the colors on the drink pouches match everything.

Resources for more "Recycled Art":

Many projects that we find fun to make in 2007 have their origins in the Great Depression. At that time most if not all housewives were very resourceful. Most saved everything they had, never threw anything away and were truly experts at turning "trash into treasure."

Here is one example of a recycled art that has been around for years that you might enjoy. Gum Wrapper chains are fun to make and can keep you busy on long car rides this summer.

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/5751/gumwrpr.htm

Where to shop for recycled art products:

http://www.recycleart.com

http://www.koolaidpurse.com

Although it was originally thought that only the jars of Peter Pan peanut butter with product code beginning with 2111 was affected, FDA is advising consumers that ALL Peter Pan peanut butter purchased since May 2006 is affected; only those jars of Great Value peanut butter purchased since May 2006 with a product code beginning with "2111" are affected.

To date, the Great Value peanut butter with the specified product code has not been linked by CDC to the cases of Salmonella infection; however, the produce is manufactured in the same plant as Peter Pan peanut butter. Therefore, FDA believes that the peanut butter is at the same risk of contamination. Great Value peanut butter made by manufacturers other than ConAgra is not affected.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01565.html

Jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter that have a product code on the lid beginning with the numbers "2111" should not be eaten. FDA has advised that these jars be discarded. These batches were produced at one facility in Georgia and an investigation is underway. The first person diagnosed with the salmonella may have been as early as August 2006. I don't think we have 100% confirmation it is the peanut butter. However, the peanut butter was a common food eaten by 288 individuals who have had confirmed cases of salmonellosis.

For the most recent update, please see the following link:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01563.html

As of today, there are no other brands implicated - just the Peter Pan and the Great Value brands with the product code beginning with 2111. Other brands should be considered safe to eat.

A very important bit of information I'd like to share concerns canning on smooth top ranges. Do you have one? Everyone does. They are easy to clean and always look pretty, but yours may not be suited for home canning.

Before you begin your next canning session be sure and read your manufacturers instructions. Issues include: inadequate contact between canner and burners, scratching of the glass surface, over heating protections built into the range which can interfere with cooking times, and incorrect matching of canner to coils.

Home Canning references and recipes are available to Blanco County residents. Come by and see us!