1st Day of Kindergarten

It’s hard to believe that our little StellaJane started school this morning! To all of you embarking on the same, we hope your first day of school is a perfectly beautiful one!

  1. Winnie Nielsen says:

    What an adorable photo of little StellaJane’s first day! It is so exciting for both Mom and daughter. A true milestone.

  2. Dolly Sarrio says:

    Oh my she favors you! So precious!

  3. Karin says:

    Oh, my goodness! Time has flown. I still have her height on the wall in my dining room from when you were here. She was just a bit of a thing then. 🙂 I hope she had a fabulous day!

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Today’s Recipe: Gooseberry Jam

Honk, Honk! It’s a gooseberry?

This odd little berry is plentiful at my farm, and so naturally, we got to jammin’. ‘Cause jam is wonderfully delicious, tastes good on toast, makes a great gift … you know the drill.

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  1. Lynne says:

    This brought back memories! My dad always talked about his mom’s Gooseberry Pie! His favorite! I have never eaten Gooseberry . . . thanks for bringing me memories of my dad who if he was still alive would be 102 years old. Memories are our gifts . . .

  2. Terry Steinmetz says:

    Sounds delicious!! My hubby just told me that we used to have gooseberries in the back of our field. But alas, no more; they got plowed under. 🙁 But I can taste yours via the pictures & my mind!

  3. Winnie Nielsen says:

    I know nothing about gooseberries. What do they taste like? They are quite beautiful berries and so different because of their light color. They remind me of golden raspberries a little.

  4. Betty in Pasco says:

    I’ve eaten gooseberries when they were yellow gold colored. They are sweet and tart at the same time. Unfortunately, in the Tri-Cities, no one has offered gooseberries for sale. Now blueberries are another thing. I have some frozen in my freezer and look forward to a winter treat. I do also have to locate tart pie cherries, not the sweet ones. Thanks MJ for the memories.

  5. Paula says:

    I have dark purple gooseberries! Just one bush but there are at least 5 gallons on it. I’m excited to try the jam. Pie or tarts sound good, too

  6. CJ says:

    Boy, do I remember gooseberries! We had a row of bushes on the farm and, as kids, we had to pick them so my mom could make her pie, jam . . . or whatever. I remember a farmer friend of my dad’s paid me a couple bucks to pick berries for him so he could have pie. I liked to eat them just off the bush!

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Today’s Recipe: Honey Graham Crackers

Today’s double-the-fun recipe is part 2-of-2 on how to make your very own homemade s’mores—and is a continuation of a sneak-peek for homemade marshmallows from my mother’s book, Glamping with MaryJane.

For those of you who weren’t with us yesterday, we learned how to make fluffy Homemade Marshmallows as part of National S’more Day. (Last month, mom showed you how to smoke your own fresh-caught salmon for her oh-so-heavenly Sweet & Smoky Salmon Zucchini Rolls.)

Today, we gather up molasses and coconut to make homemade graham crackers. Aren’t your friends going to be i-m-p-r-e-s-s-e-d when they get a taste of the real thing? (P.S. Stay with me here, there’s some extra special sweetness at the end of the recipe.)

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  1. Terry Steinmetz says:

    Of course we get busted–kids are so-o-o honest! But loved the pictures of your girls eating their s’mores! Ahh, childhood & the FUN. So be a child & enjoy!! P.S. The best part of being a grandmother is that I get to experience all the childhood fun all over again!

  2. Pingback: Today’s Recipe: S’more Pie | Raising Jane Journal

  3. Kay (Old Cowgirl) Montoya says:

    When you talk about adding Coconut milk to the pan, is it the Coconut milk in a can like evaporated milk or the kind in a carton like regular milk?

  4. Kay (Old Cowgirl) Montoya says:

    Sorry, when I posted about the coconut milk I wanted to receive an answer either by way of e-mail or comment. Thanks

  5. Kay (Old Cowgirl) Montoya says:

    Ace,
    Thank you it would make a difference as canned coconut milk is thicker.
    Kay

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Today’s Recipe: Homemade Marshmallows

Today’s recipe, MaryJane’s Homemade Marshmallows, is another sneak-peek recipe from my book, Glamping with MaryJane. (Actually, in my book, my basic recipe below ends up with a host of yummy, unlikely ingredients added, but I’ll save those surprises for you until you have my book in your hands!)

Remember last month’s recipe?

Sweet & Smoky Salmon Zucchini Rolls

Oh goodness. The name alone starts a mind-blowing seismic-flavor-tastebud-overload.

But today is all about celebrating the tasty white, round, and fluffy balls of sugar-sweetness dubbed Marshmallow … because it’s National S’more Day!

And let’s not forget their partner, the homemade graham cracker, which will be part two of this recipe series, right here tomorrow. Don’t forget to check back.

Happy s’more day to you and yours. And s’more to you, and you, and you …

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  1. drMolly says:

    OHOH As soon as I saw the picture I knew it was homemade marshmallows. They are such fun!! That’s one of the lovely memories I have from my childhood – my mum helping us make marshmallows.

  2. Pingback: Today’s Recipe: Honey Graham Crackers | Raising Jane Journal

  3. Pingback: Today’s Recipe: S’more Pie | Raising Jane Journal

  4. Pingback: Today’s Recipe: Homemade Dry Hot Chocolate Mix | Raising Jane Journal

  5. NatB says:

    Am i able to use something more tasteful such as honey, rather than the corn syrup?

    • MaryJane says:

      Kinda doubt it. This recipe took us six months to perfect. Marshmallows are no easy feat. Do you have the ChillOver powder?

      • NatB says:

        I do not…….. I made them with agar agar and the corn syrup taste is overpowering, they did not taste good…….texture was perfect though!

        • MaryJane says:

          These do not taste good made with agar agar because of the aftertaste. Maybe that’s what you’re referring to. Also, you need to use good quality organic corn syrup and our ChillOver which DOES NOT have the aftertaste of regular agar agar. Guess you’ll need to make your own recipe at this point.

          • NatB says:

            Not sure why my last post was deleted……..but in it, I asked why I need to make my own recipe? I have since purchased the ChillOver, so I am not sure why I was encouraged to make my own recipe?

          • MaryJane says:

            We always tell people that if they make dramatic changes to our recipes by substituting other ingredients, we can’t be of much help, that’s all. If you want to use honey instead of good-quality organic corn syrup, you’re on your own! We didn’t test for that.

  6. NatB says:

    I was writing to ask your advice – it’s not that I was trying to alter your recipe. I was using the ingredients I had at hand. I since have purchased the ChillOver, and awaiting it to arrive in the mail. I will let you know how it turns out! I agree, it was probably the agar agar that had the bad taste, so I am glad I wrote and that you gave me that perspective, thank you.

  7. Laura Schuck says:

    I really want to make your homemade marshmallows.

    Unfortunately, I am allergic to corn….

    Usually I substitute Lyle’s Golden Syrup for corn syrup in a recipe. I know the flavor is altered, but at least I have made a food I can eat!

    Is there another syrup substitute you might recommend I try?

    Thank you, Laura

  8. Susan Liana Whatley says:

    Hi!
    I make homemade marshmallows with gelatin all the time, but my mother-in-law is allergic to the gelatin, and so can’t enjoy them with us. I’m excited to try your Chillover powder to make marshmallows she can have. I was wondering, though, if you thought I could use my regular recipe (I have a daughter with egg allergies, so can’t use yours) and just swap out the Chillover powder for gelatin? Are the egg whites important to making the Chillover powder work? I currently use a recipe that doesn’t have any eggs in it.
    Thank you for any advice you can offer!

    • MaryJane says:

      Hi Susan, let us ponder your question and get back to you. We’ve never tried it your way but it sounds like it might work. It would be good to know.

      Here’s what my DIL Ashley, our food guru had to say:

      Hi Susan,
      The egg whites add body to the marshmallows in our recipe. If you you have a recipe that works without egg whites, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t swap the gelatin for ChillOver powder. The only trick would be adding the right amount of ChillOver powder to your recipe, since it isn’t a 1:1 swap with gelatin. If your recipe is a similar size to ours, I’d recommend using 9 t ChillOver powder, just like our recipe. Also, ChillOver powder is activated differently than gelatin, so I recommend preparing it per the instructions in our marshmallow recipe. I hope this helpful.

  9. CYNTHIA GODWIN WILLIAMS says:

    Love it!! Marshmallows are my 3 year old grandsons favorite and now his MiMi can make them for him !! Thank You!!

  10. Elisabeth Perkins says:

    Hi MaryJane!
    I just made my first batch of your homemade marshmallows! They turned out perfect! I just had two questions. How should you store the marshmallows once you have cut them? Secondly, about how long will they last? (If you don’t eat them all that day, lol)

    • MaryJane says:

      Here’s what my DIL, Ashley, MaryJanesFarm food guru had to say:
      Hi Elizabeth,
      I’m so happy to hear that your marshmallows turned out so well! As far as storage, they can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1–3 days, but for longer-term storage, I always put them in the freezer. Freezing them will not change their texture, and they defrost quickly. While thawing, they may weep a little, and need to be re-dusted with powdered sugar.

  11. Shannon Trausch says:

    I made these marshmallows yesterday and they’re delicious! They’re very soft, though, and smushy. They hold their shape and I was able to cut them but they’re sticky and left a residue on the knife. It’s possible that I didn’t cook the syrup long enough, or that, in measuring nine teaspoons of Chill Over, I came up a bit short (mine didn’t look as thick as yours in the tutorial on this page), but if you could also give me an idea of what the texture should be that will help. Should they be bouncy, like storebought? Should they be softer?

    Again, they’re delicious, and after having been vegetarian for twenty-five years I’m thrilled to be able to make my own marshmallows. Thanks for the great recipe!

    • MaryJane says:

      Here’s what my DIL, Ashley (MaryJanesFarm Food Guru), had to say:

      Hi Shannon,
      These marshmallows are slightly sticky, and will leave a bit of residue on the knife, but should cut clean and hold their shape. Once coated in powdered sugar, they should no longer be sticky. As far as being bouncy versus soft, if you were to gently press a marshmallow, it might leave a dent, but it shouldn’t collapse.

      • Shannon Trausch says:

        Thank you! I believe I didn’t cook the syrup long enough. My thermometer read just under 240 degrees but the syrup was at the soft ball stage and I didn’t want to overcook it. Next time – and there will definitely be a next time! – I’ll cook it longer. I was still able to toast the marshmallows over the fire and they were probably the best I’ve ever eaten, so no regrets here. 🙂

        Thanks again, for the help and for the wonderful recipe!

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photo-of-the-day

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