violet jelly made with real flowers

violet jelly

contributed by emma

ingredients

• 2 to 3 cups loosely packed violet blooms
• the juice of one large lemon
• 2 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1 package of Sure-Jell pectin
• 3 1/2 cups sugar

1. First you’ll want to make your violet infusion. Gather two to three cups of violet blossoms and pour 2 1/2 cups of boiling water over them. The mixture will begin to turn aqua then eventually a deep blue or purple depending upon the shades of violets used.
2. After the violets have infused for a sufficient amount of time, strain and add the juice of one lemon. The blue will quickly turn a bright pinkish violet.
3. Now, you’ll make the jelly just as the Sure-Jell pack instructs. Mix the pectin with the flower juice/lemon mixture and stir over high heat until it reaches a heavy boil. Boil for one minute then add the sugar all at once. Keep stirring, return to a boil for one minute. Remove from heat and quickly ladle into prepared jars. Process in a water bath for five minutes. Remove from water and let sit for 24 hours.
4. Serve with hot homemade rolls and enjoy!

pandemic pancakes

pandemic pancakes

contributed by Isabella

ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp almond/peanut butter
• Baking soda (feel it in your heart. Maybe a pinch, maybe a dash) 

instructions

1. Whisk eggs and baking soda together very well in cup or glass. 
2. Add in nut butter and whisk again, very well. This may take a minute — batter should turn color of the nut butter and little to no egg should be visible. The consistency will be pourable but not overly liquid-y. 
3. Cook these as you would normal pancakes, pouring small blobs onto a heated skillet and flipping when golden brown. You can leave the center slightly uncooked/a bit mushy or cook it all the way. They will be fluffy either way. 
4. Transfer to plate when each pancake is done and serve however desired — syrup, honey, powdered sugar, fruit compote, etc.

IT'S TIME FOR CUPCAKES!!!

yellow cupcakes with cream cheese frosting

two recipes in one!!!

ingredients for 12 cupcakes

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened (that's a whole stick of butter)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk

ingredients for a huge amount of cream cheese frosting

• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese (obviously), softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened (that's half a stick of butter)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5 cups (yes, FIVE) powdered sugar, aka confectioners' sugar
• this will make A LOT of frosting, probably way more than you need — double the cupcake recipe to compensate
• scroll to the very bottom of the recipe for frosting flavor ideas

supplies

• muffin tin
• muffin cups
• two large mixing bowls

instructions

Before you do anything, set out the cream cheese and butter a few hours in advance so they can reach room temperature. This will make the mixing stage so much easier. And go ahead and put the muffin cups into the muffin tin. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

1. For the yellow cupcake mix, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, powder, salt) in one of your large bowls.
2. Dump the 2/3 cup sugar and softened 1/2 cup butter into the other bowl and beat them together with a mixer. 
3. Throw in the 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla; keep beating until everything is smoothly combined. 
4. Then pour the contents of the wet ingredients bowl into your dry ingredients bowl and keep mixing. 
5. Slowly add the milk and keep mixing until you can't see the milk any more.
6. Using a big cooking spoon, drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter into the muffin cups. Don't overfill them! Maybe fill them up about halfway. The mixture will rise during baking.
7. Slide that muffin tin into the oven for about 15-20 minutes. (16 minutes worked perfectly for me.)
8. While they're baking, get started on the cream cheese frosting (see below).
9. When the timer's up, pull them out and check them by lightly pressing the top of a cupcake or two. Does the top spring back? If so, they're done.
10. Let them sit in the muffin tin for a while, then put them on a wire rack to cool, if you have one. Otherwise, just sit them out on the counter or something. 
11. The cream cheese frosting will be very easy. Clean out the wet ingredients bowl from making the cupcakes and then throw in all the frosting ingredients — cream cheese, butter, vanilla — but not the powdered sugar. 
12. Mix the wet ingredients together. 
13. Once everything is smooth, drop in the powdered sugar about two cups at a time (you don't have to be precise).
14. If the frosting is too thick or chunky even after repeated mixing, add another 1/4 cup of butter (4 tbsp, or half a stick) and keep mixing. 

If you're lucky, you'll finish the frosting right as the cupcakes are ready to come out of the oven. Let the cupcakes cool as per step 10 above, then add your frosting. It's not a good idea to put cold cream cheese frosting on top of a hot cupcake.

frosting flavor ideas

Look, this frosting tastes pretty good without any type of flavoring, but there are plenty of flavoring options. Add any of these flavors before you add the powdered sugar.

• Lemon: add 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 tsp lemon zest (tiny shavings of lemon peel) 
• Lavender: add about five drops of lavender to make lavender flavored frosting. 
• Cinnamon: add one big teaspoon of cinnamon
• Chocolate: 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• Raspberry: 1/4 cup of raspberries

You get the idea.

Enjoy your cupcakes, you glorious creature!!!

bullshit-free muffins

bullshit-free muffins

easy and fast

ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• plus whatever stuffins you want in your muffins!
• you will need a muffin tin, muffin cups, and TWO bowls too

instructions

1. preheat oven to 400
2. stir together the dry ingredients (flour, powder, salt, sugar) in a big bowl
3. in a separate bowl, thoroughly stir together the wet ingredients (egg, milk, oil)
4. make a little cup or hole in the center of the dry ingredients
5. pour the wet ingredients into that hole
6. quickly mix everything together with a fork (do not use a mixer or beaters)
7. once it's thoroughly mixed together, drop in 1 cup of muffin stuffins, such as 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup chocolate chips, 1 cup cranberries, etc.
8. pour the batter into the muffin cups in your muffin tin
9. bake for 25 minutes
10. pull it out and let them cool for about 10 minutes before trying to yank them out of the muffin tin
11. enjoy! 

cheesy broccoli potato soup

cheesy broccoli potato soup 

delicious quarantine flavor

ingredients 

• 6 cups broccoli florets 
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 4 cloves of garlic 
• 3 large potatoes 
• 3 cups whole milk 
• 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons flour 
• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 

instructions 

1. chop up the garlic and onions
2. chop up the potatoes into bite-sized pieces
3. melt the butter in a large pot, add the onion and garlic; cook for 4-5 minutes until the sexy scents are released to bless your kitchen
4. add the potatoes, broth and salt; bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 8-10 minutes until the potatoes are fork-soft
5. use an immersion blender to chop up the potatoes and thicken the liquid 
6. add the broccoli and milk, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-7 minutes
7. at this point you can use the immersion blender on the broccoli or you can leave it in there as glorious green chunks
8. mix the flour and cheese until the flour completely coats the cheese
9. add the floury cheese (or cheesy flour) to the soup one handful at a time — let it melt completely before you throw in the next handful
10. add the pepper and more salt if you please
11. serve with a little sprinkle of cheese and a dollop of sour cream