Making stevia sweetener

The mission: making my own liquid stevia sweetener.

The result: Promising, but I am not totally satisfied, so I am still working on it.

Even though I know that my stevia plants will still be there next year and will continue to grow in the herb garden, but the plants will die down when the weather gets cold enough. When that happens I won't be able to pluck the leaves to steep with my tea. I have been trying to decide how to preserve my stevia plants to use as a sweetener during the winter.

Drying the leaves works. I think the only thing I don't like about the dried leaves is that they do have a taste. I would prefer to taste the flavor of what I want sweetened rather than the taste of the sweetener.

I tried boiling some stevia, as you can see in the photo above. I then poured off the liquid and stored the stevia extract in the refrigerator. This was better, but I think it still had more flavor than I want in a sweetener.

Now I am thinking a distillation process is what I need, to get the sweetness, but not the flavor. I don't know how to do it and I am thinking it might be more trouble than it is worth. I am willing to find out more to see if I can do it.

Do you netti pot?

It has been almost two years now, but my daughter went to a homeopathic doctor who recommended she use a Netti pot for her problem sinuses. She did and raved about it so I decided I had to try it.

The concept is a simple one. Washing out your sinuses with warm water and a salt/soda solution cleans germs, and allergens from your sinus cavity to keep you healthier and cut down on colds and allergy attacks.

When I bought my first Netti pot (the one pictured at top that looks like a mini plastic watering can), I had a hard time finding it in the drug store because apparently Oprah had recommended it and every woman in America that watched that show had gone out and bought one.

I did find one soon after and have faithfully used it ever since. I will have to report that it works. I have had less colds, no flu (I do always get the flu shot.) and it has helped any sinus problems I may have had. I really haven't had a cold of any consequence since.

The only cold I almost had was "washed" away in a Netti pot frenzy. I rinsed every hour with water as warm as I could stand. The next day the rinsing was a little less frequent and the next day I was truly better.

I have a new device, pictured top, right and it is virtually the same. I usually use it in the shower -- less messy that way. The dry solution I sometimes buy is pictured under the Netti pot devices.

Sometimes I mix my own solution by using equal parts of sea salt and baking soda and dissolving about half a teaspoon in warm water for each rinse. It is much cheaper to make your own but for traveling, I always buy packets.

It is a simple idea that has really worked for me and I wanted to recommend it now that cold and flu season is upon us. I can't say it will keep you from getting a cold entirely, but I do think it can lessen the symptoms of a cold and shorten the duration. So try it. I am sure Oprah still recommends it, so you gotta know it is good.

Harvesting cayenne peppers

We have had the most beautiful cayenne peppers. We keep picking them and they keep growing. I can't say that they are my favorite, but my husband really does enjoy them. I have been making pepper sauce all summer.

I think the only thing I really need is a good recipe for a hot red sauce, something like Tabasco. I know a few of the ingredients, like peppers and vinegar, but I would sure love a good recipe.


If you have a recipe and you don't mind sharing, just post it in the comments or email me at deberah@newnan.com

Cheesecake brownies

The second brownie recipe is an easy one, too. I think when you marry brownies and cream cheese it is a match made in heaven, don't you? What could be better.

I came up with this recipe because I was trying to find a way to dress up an ordinary pan of brownies. I wanted it to be easy and tasty.

This is what I came up with. My family loved it and I hope yours will, too.

For this batch, I used a Ghirardelli mix. It was a "Buy one, get one" deal -- but not as cheap as Betty Crocker and I didn't have any coupons. The reason I bought this brand is -- no trans fats. I will admit this brand is really the best. The pan of brownies is not quite as big as the Betty Crocker Supremes, but you can't argue with the take. Yum! I am sure this recipe would work with the brownie mix of your choice.


Cheesecake Brownies

1 brownie mix, as directed
1 package cream cheese
1/8 cup sugar
1 egg

Preheat oven according to the package directions. Mix the brownies according to the directions on the box. Grease pan and pour in the brownie batter.

Mix the cream cheese, sugar and egg in a bowl and spread on the top of the brownie mix. Place in preheated oven and cook according to package directions. Remove from oven, cut into squares and save.

Today and tomorrow: Brownie receipes

For the next couple of days I will be sharing a couple of brownie recipes. Brownies are almost always a big hit, and these recipes begin with mixes so they are also easy to make.

I buy my mixes when they go on sale "Buy one, get one free," usually at Publix, and I always use a coupon. That gives me around a dollar off on two boxes. The total for each brownie mix is usually less than a dollar. I just can't resist the price and brownie mixes can be so tasty. My favorite kinds are the Betty Crocker Supreme varieties. They are always good, especially then used in this recipe.

I make this recipe for holidays and to take to reunions and family gathering. It is very rich and you can cut down on some of the fat by using skim milk to make the pudding and use Cool Whip Lite or Fat free Cool Whip for the whipped cream layer.

I often make whipping cream to use in this recipe, because I know it doesn't have hydrogenated fat -- which is a problem for some people. I try very hard not to eat anything with trans fats but that can be hard to do with mixes and pre-packaged desserts.

This trifle is made using Hershey's Heath Milk Chocolate bits. I can only find them at Kroger. Without the milk chocolate toffee bits, this recipe wouldn't be nearly as good.

Brownie trifle

1 boxed brownie, cooked according to directions
2 small boxes Jello chocolate pudding
4 cups milk
1 large container of Cool Whip topping, thawed
2 packages Heath milk chocolate toffee bits

Make a brownie mix according to directions. Allow to cool.
Mix 2 small boxes of Jello chocolate pudding with milk. Chill until firm.

Layer ingredients in a trifle bowl in this order:
Crumble 1/2 of brownie and place in bowl.
Pour 1/2 of chocolate pudding over brownie.
Sprinkle on almost all one of the packages of chocolate toffee bits. Put aside 2 Tablespoons of the bits to use on the top of the trifle.
Cover with a layer of cool whip. Make sure the cool whip covers all completely to the sides of the trifle bowl.

Repeat all layers and top with the remaining chocolate toffee bits.

Allow to chill for at least 4 hours.

Surviving a very rainy day

I snapped these photos during the weekend rain. It was sunny that morning but in the afternoon the showers began. Above, you can see the ground my husband tilled up and my sister planted. (Previously, it was our unfortunate corn garden.) It is all greens now. I think the rain was a real blessing for this patch of soil.

We were in the garden, picking green beans, when the rain began to fall. We had to run to the house so we wouldn't be drenched. It really didn't work because the drops were so huge that we were quickly soaked. We decided to wait a bit on the breezeway to see if it would get better. It didn't.


We soon decided it wasn't a day for working in the garden, so I went shopping. It rained even more there. Have you ever walked through a parking lot when the rain was above your ankles? Very unpleasant.

I went home and the ball game I was planning to watch was delayed by lightening for an hour. At least my team won!

I hope our garden loves lots of rain because we have really been getting it. I would think, as long as we don't have standing water for days, it should be fine and maybe even very good. It would be helpful to have some sun in between those rain showers!

Recycling a teapot

A couple of years ago I went to a thrift shop and purchased this nice little teapot. It was the perfect size for me and I really liked it and used it almost every day.

Then, about 6 months ago, my teapot began to crack. It had a little crazing and then just formed a little crack. The crack wasn't really so bad, but the teapot developed a leak and rather than throw it away, I decided to re-purpose it.

I thought it would make a perfect flower container, but there was that leaking to contend with. I solved that problem by putting the flowers in a small plastic cup and then lowering the cup into the teapot opening.

I love the finished result. It looks beautiful to me, especially on the old English sideboard in my entrance.

Do you have something you have re-purposed? If so, let me know and I will share it