GF, Vegan 5 Spice Lemongrass Chinese BBQ Sauce with 5 Spice Mix Recipe Included

                      

*(Original post was from my old blog The Kinky Coconut, as part of Valentine's Day DIY)

Good morning loverlies!!!!!

Yup, I am really hyped up about this blog post. It leads to such yum-scruminess, that I cannot contain the joy, and must pass this lusciousness your way.

I went searching for a gluten-free hoisin recipe because there were some delicious Chinese meal options I have been missing out on for quite some time now, and I decided that just would not do.

I stumbled upon a tasty recipe and had a go at it, turned out to be fantastic and with some small adjustments of the nit picky Chef kind, I got something that has become a great base for other sauces.

Particularly for my 5 Spice Lemongrass Chinese BBQ sauce. I am breaking this recipe down for you in the 3 parts required to make the awesomeness that is Tofu Puffs with said BBQ sauce, see for yourself how lovely she looks:

                        

Deeelish-ums indeed! I wish you could scratch and sniff, the smell alone will give you happy face. It permeated the whole house when I made it and there were zero leftovers, a big hit for sure and the best parts? No MSG, no gluten, vegan, real ingredients, no refined white sugar, cheaper for your wallet than having to always order take-out, no artificial colours or gross caramels, you will have plenty to use for several meals, you can give it as a gift to the foodie in your life, and a kapow to your taste-buds! Down for the count, this sauce has officially K-o'd everything in the sauce department. Shabang!!!!!

Okay enough sillies, seriously though, you have got to make this sauce. I will be posting the recipe for the tofu puffs in the Chinese BBQ sauce, this week so you can surprise your love for Valentine's day and have an extra romantic night in.

Let us begin with the vibrant 5 Spice powder mix. I don't know if you have ever come across this before but it is big in cuisine all across Asia and the variations are endless. Here are a few pictures I found on-line for different ingredients: First one is from food.com, the second is from finecooking.com, and the last if from delmonte.ph.

                              

                              

                   

Everyone agrees that star anise, fennel, and cinnamon are always to be a part of this mélange. I personally have about 3 different variations I do which are based on the type of recipe I am doing, the end product flavour profile I am aiming for, and what spices I have in the pantry that make it all possible. I have also been known to cheat and make it a 6 Spice powder on occasion. I did not take a picture of my spice mix but found this one from chowhound.com that looks exactly the same, they all pretty much look alike anywho, so no worries.

                               

Chef Kiki's 5 Spice Mix for Hoisin Sauce  (Part 1)                                                                  

Ingredients:

(Please note that for this recipe I DO NOT use pepper of any kind. Schezuan peppercorns or pink or black peppercorns are traditionally used in 5 spice powder but I found this recipe tastes better without.) 

1 Whole Star Anise 

5 Whole allspice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp Whole fennel seeds

1 Whole Clove

Method:

In a mortar and pestle, grind all spices down to a powder. If you do not know what a mortar and pestle look like, here is a picture of marble one's, which are what I use:

                                

Store your spice mix in a small airtight mason jar until ready to use, feel free to triple the batch if you want to have more on hand for later use and you may also add pepper if you prefer it with.

Now we move onto the hoisin sauce, the original recipe apparently comes from Goop site which is supposedly Gwyneth Paltrows site, I came across a version that was on onehungrymama.com and I proceeded to change it slightly and make it gluten-free along with adding or adjusting ingredients and method. Here is my version for this lovely hoisin sauce, it's pretty close to the original.

Chef Kiki's GF, Vegan, Hoisin Sauce  (Part 2)

Ingredients:

(I prefer organic for this recipe but do what you can.)

1/4 Cup of Gluten-free Tamari Organic (Soy sauce is fine, just make sure it's gluten-free)

 1 1/2 Tbsp Kiki's 5 Spice Powder (see recipe above)

1/2 tsp Toasted sesame oil Organic (not the same as regular sesame oil, cannot be replaced)

2 Tbsp Grapeseed oil Organic

2 Cloves medium Garlic

1/2 Cup Maple syrup grade B (The darker one)

3 Tbsp Rice vinegar Organic

1 Tbsp Tapioca starch mixed with enough water to make it a very thick paste, about 2 tsp.

*2 Tbsp Massawippi*Organic Miso 

 Method:

-In a small saucepan, add Tamari, sesame oils, maple syrup, garlic clove, spice, maple syrup, vinegar. Bring to a simmer whisking often, add tapioca starch mix by whisking in. Turn off heat and cook 1 minute while whisking to thicken it.

-Add miso off the heat by whisking it in.

-Allow to cool while you make the BBQ sauce mix.

5 Spice Lemongrass Chinese BBQ Sauce  (Part 3)

Ingredients:

1 Recipe Hoisin sauce

1 1/2 tsp Grated fresh ginger 

3 Cloves Garlic crushed

1/4 Cup Organic Gluten-free Tamari

1/2 tsp Toasted sesame oil(not the same as regular sesame oil, cannot be replaced)

3 Tbsp Organic Rice vinegar

1/4 Cup Organic Honey

3 Tbsp Maple Syrup

1 tsp 5 Spice mix

1 Tbsp Lemongrass (I use the frozen pre-chopped from Asian markets)

Method:

-Whisk all together in a bowl, bottle and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

-I usually use 1/3 Cup of sauce for a 2 portion serving of tofu or fish or meat. Meat tastes better when it marinades overnight.

Before I get to the pictures, I am going to drop some Miso knowledge on you. We get this wonderful Miso at our health food stores here in Québec, that is like nothing else I have ever used  in all my years of Macrobiotic, Raw Vegan, Vegetarian, Cheffing! It is so unique, so robust in flavour tones, and has a load of health benefits. Here is the lowdown from the company along with a link, and I have included a picture. If you cannot get this then use any Miso you like, just not Barley Miso as Barley HAS gluten.

5 year-old Special Vintage Soybean and Rice Miso

A Gluten Free Product

Our special 5 year-old vintage organic soybean and rice miso is arguably the best of all misos we have produced so far. Due to its unique blend of ingredients, we have been able to extend its natural period of fermentation to 5 years. The result is the "best blend", where all of the components come together in a balanced, full-bodied, exceptional flavor. Like all of our misos, it is produced using only the highest quality organic products, certified non-GM.

• Whole organic soybeans high in protein content. We prefer to use locally or regionally produced soybeans from the Eastern Townships, central Quebec or the Mauricie region.

• Whole grain semi polished arborio rice from Italy. Having tried several types of rice from various parts of the world we opted for round grain rice that lends itself best to fermentation and gives our miso its unique flavor.

• Sea salt.

• Natural spring water.

• An inoculum of Aspergillus oryzae and a selection of lactic bacteria such as Pediococcus halophilus and Lactobacillus delbruekii.

                           

                       

             

Easy to make and keeps for a few weeks in the fridge, you must refrigerate this sauce!

           

Recycle baby! I reuse my kombucha drink containers by cleaning off the sticky labels. First I peel them, then they sit in a bowl with a solution of 2 parts baking soda to 1 part olive oil with a good squirt of dish soap which I make into a paste and rub all over the place where I removed the label. I allow it to sit for 10 minutes and usually a good scrubby wash takes it all away. These particular bottles were very scummy and required a second solution slather and soakage.

              

I then used a funnel to pour the sauce in, normally I place the bottle and funnel together in the sink as I pour to avoid problems but I wanted you to see the method properly.

Artsy fartsy play time came next, I used my calligraphy fancy marker I recently splurged on and cut out a cardboard tag then I wrote what it was and glued some pretty paper cut out hearts with a glue stick.

             

DIY fun! I used a hole punch and punched a place to wrap rustic twine into it and then twirled it around the bottle. She looked so purdy when she was done and tastes freaking scrumptious! You must make this, I am posting the tofu puff vegan GF recipe soon, soon, I promise, so you can make it for Valentine's. Will link to this post when the time comes, aiming for Thursdays.

Made it, here is a pic & the link:

                               

                

                                                                Plain Jane

                             

                                                    Too sweet and sassy...

            

Enjoy and leave comments down below, I love to hear from you!

Listening to God's Word & Garden Growth

                                  

Good Blessed Sunday Morning!

I am enjoying the weekend, spending time with loved one's, and keeping up with my garden. 

But first, Abba and sermon time because I really need it. 

Came across this wonderful sermon from Dr. Charles Stanley at In Touch Ministries and it's titled, Your Personal Convictions. The opening first 3 minutes grabbed me and I knew God wanted me to hear this message. I am passing the link along, you need to click on this and hear the word delivered with such compassion, love, understanding, and relevance to your life. 

https://www.intouch.org/watch/the-convictions-by-which-we-live/your-personal-convictions

Speaking of life and love, I am excited to share that I made my first fertilizer "tea", to feed my plants and help them grow big and strong. It came out great and I will be incorporating it into my watering routine throughout the growing season. 

                       

Next I tackle pests with all natural pesticide, I have slugs, spider mites, and ants to contend with. However, my plants are doing well and sprouting and gaining some height.

                       

         That's echinacea, I was given small cuttings and they are very happy.

                       

This is the fresh thyme, I have since move it to the shade with the basil and mint; I noticed they were happier in less direct sunlight.

                      

Basil is doing really well, and the taste is fabulous; I am going to be testing a recipe for basil confit soon, it's not something I have made before and I am looking for pesto-like, cheese-free ideas. This might be a cool alternative, I came across it in a French preserves cookbook.

My son has sent pics of his awesome tan and delicious, fresh food. He was making fun of the girls doing hot chick poses...

                     

Look at this fish with fresh fruit, he says it tastes so much cleaner than what we eat here.

                 

I am looking forward to hearing all about his good times and new discoveries.

In the meantime, I am off to have some fun of my own. 

Enjoy the gift of today and continue to shine! God bless you.

                           

VH General Tao GF Sauce Review

                    

Good morning one & all! 

It's Saturday and what better time than now to post a review for a new gluten-free product I just discovered at a local Asian market. 

VH has finally figured out that sauces can be made without wheat and there are people who will buy it, wow! 

Now, I usually prefer to make my own sauces because I like being able to pronounce what goes into them and not expose my body to a host of ungodly chemicals that no human should ingest; but I digress; but this caught my interest.

We had to stop to get some more tofu puffs for a recipe and I was searching for a Japanese sauce I had come across in a recipe, I searched because I was wanting to check out the ingredients to see if it could be de-glutened. The latter was a dud but instead, I came across this General Tao sauce and was utterly floored to see the no gluten written on it. Feeling adventurous and realizing I was way overdue in the product review department, I decided to get a bottle. 

                    

It was just under $5.00 and I found it at

Marché Kim Phat on Taschereau on the South Shore. A bit of a trek for us but worth it because there's always so much to see there and prices are amazing! Plus there are loads of ingredients that are new to me and I get to have fun. 

Back to General Tao sauce, I have not had General Tao in YEARS, thanks to my allergies; so I was pretty psyched about this. 

First thoughts, It is much darker than the sauce I used to get on my tofu that I ordered at Wok café downtown. That one was this intense orange and v-e-r-y sweet, I liked it but having observed General Tao in other restaurants, I knew that this darker one still fell in the same category but would be more savoury. I cooked it with vegetables and tofu puffs. 

                      

It coated well and I added loads of garlic and some extra gf soy sauce to smooth out the taste. Why? Read below. 

                      

My final thoughts on this sauce? I felt it was too strong in an odd vinegary way, which totally surprised me because I have never had this sauce taste like that in a restaurant before. It needs the addition of garlic and soy. Like I said, I found it coated the tofu and veg well, was quite tasty once cooked, and was much less sweet in a good way. I would have liked a more smooth flavour that didn't sting the back of my throat and if you're looking for the authentic General Tao, you might be disappointed. It was enjoyable, for a store bought sauce but reminded me more of Hoisin with a lot of vinegar and spices. I won't buy it again but the people who ate it did not mind and we all finished our plates of food. If you don't feel to make your own sauces and need something quick/easy, then this is the sauce for you. It's decent but still not up to par with General Tao we are used to in North America.

                 

On a completely unrelated note, I am toiling away on my cookbook and am happy to report that the recipe for my black bottom pecan pie, is finally ready to go in with a worthy crust.

            

She tasted so good! It was my sons request for his birthday, instead of cake. I know it seems crazy but he does not like frosting at all, you might get him to eat cream cheese frosting on carrot cake but he really prefers this pie. To be honest, I am more of a pie person myself. Simply lovely to have sweet off-set by proper flaky goodness. It took a long while but I finally got a crust I am satisfied with, that even the gluten mouths touted as tasting fantastic with a nice flakiness minus the grit. That awful grit was so tough to get away from and it is a subtle yet ever apparent texture in so many gluten-free pies I have had; good and bad. Look how lovely the bites were...

              

Although I won't be posting the recipe here, sorry, I am excited to add it to the cookbook and will announce on here when it's ready to send off and God willing, do well. For now though, here's another pic to tie you over.

                

Keep coming back because I will be posting the lovely Spirulina Apple Protein Charms recipe this week to come. Vegan treats that will fuel your workout.

              

Let me hear from you, leave comments or questions down below. God bless you!

                              

What Can Happen When the Thyroid is Not Functioning Properly?

So, thyroid problems manifest themselves in different ways and are often classified as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. There are also different medical reasons/conditions and autoimmune illnesses that can trigger problems with the thyroid. First, let's get into some symptoms because thyroid disease often goes unnoticed or can be misdiagnosed from depression to hypochondria and even masquerades as other illnesses. On top of that, triggers are many, from family history of thyroid disease, to stress, adrenal problems, to surgery recovery which can add stress to the body and trigger negative responses. Let's focus on symptoms and what you need to be on the look out for.

Here are the symptoms for Hyperthyroidism:

T = Tremor
H = Heart rate up
Y =Yawning (fatigue)
R = Restlessness
O = Oligomenorrhea & amenorrhea
I = Intolerance to heat,
D =Diarrhea
I = Irritability
S = Sweating
M = Muscle wasting & weight loss
E = Exophthalmos

Here are the symptoms for Hypothyroidism: 

                                         

• Fatigue
• Increased sensitivity to cold
• Constipation
• Dry skin
• Unexplained weight gain
• Puffy face
• Hoarseness
• Muscle weakness
• Elevated blood cholesterol level
• Muscle aches, tenderness and stiffness
• Pain, stiffness or swelling in your joints
• Heavier than normal or irregular menstrual periods
• Thinning hair
• Slowed heart rate
• Depression
• Impaired memory

When hypothyroidism isn't treated, signs and symptoms can gradually become more severe. Constant stimulation of your thyroid gland to release more hormones may lead to an enlarged thyroid (goiter). In addition, you may become more forgetful, your thought processes may slow, or you may feel depressed. 
Advanced hypothyroidism, known as myxedema, is rare, but when it occurs it can be life-threatening. Signs and symptoms include low blood pressure, decreased breathing, decreased body temperature, unresponsiveness and even coma. In extreme cases, myxedema can be fatal.

This is a great chart that shows a good breakdown of what is happening when the thyroid is not functioning: 

If you or someone you love seem to be experiencing these symptoms, please, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor, research and ask for the tests you need. Get a second, third or fourth opinion if you are not being heard; even if your tests come back as normal. (Mine came back normal for 7 years!)
Some thyroid illnesses like Hashimoto's thyroiditis do not show up as abnormal on regular thyroid screening tests. I will get into this more in another post in this thyroid series. Trust me though when I say, you are NOT wrong or crazy, nor are you alone.

There is a quiet epidemic of thyroid disease and if you're a woman over 35 your odds of a thyroid disorder are high—more than 30%, by some estimates.
At least 30 million Americans have a thyroid disorder and half—15 million—are silent sufferers who are undiagnosed, according to The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Women are as much as 10 times as likely as men to have a thyroid problem, says integrative medicine specialist Robin Miller, MD, co-author of The Smart Woman’s Guide to MidLife & Beyond.

Need more statistics? Read on...

It is estimated that 200 million people in the world have some form of thyroid disease. In Canada there is a staggering number of people affected. Recent studies indicate that 1 in 10 Canadians suffer from a thyroid condition of one type or another! Of those, as many as 50% are undiagnosed!

 It's been an ongoing battle for me for the last 8 years to have doctor's listen to me, believe me, and do the proper tests that I needed. I seem to be suffering from hypothyroidism and I can look at the symptoms and do agree with most of them. The reason I say that I "seem" to be is because I am awaiting test results, the doctor's think that more is going on in my body than just hypothyroidism. I have a myriad of symptoms and difficulties that indicate more than just a thyroid issue is troubling my system. It's frustrating, overwhelming, and a big dent in my lifestyle because every day seems to be such a struggle to feel NORMAL, to do the things I took for granted before and loved so much. I just want to be healthy, fit, strong. Did I mention NORMAL? Which is all anybody really wants, at least on the health front. I will touch more on my story over the coming weeks when I know more, I finally go see the specialist next week, it's on my mind but I don't want it to absorb all my thoughts.
We pray a lot, ask God for his best and trust in Jesus.

Thanks to the following for info and to hypothyroidismsigns.com for chart pic, feel free to click the links if you want to know more, and leave your comments or story below. It's important to reach out, share your experiences, know that you are not alone in these turbulent waters. God bless.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypothyroidism/basics/symptoms/con-20021179

http://tr-i-life.tumblr.com/post/32017595712/hyperthyroidism-mnemonic  

http://biochemlab.com/blog/hypothyroidism-causes-symptoms-tests-and-diagnosis  

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20723100,00.html  

http://www.thyroid.ca/thyroid_disease.php

The Power-up Protein Smoothie

                          
Good morning my lovelies!

Admittedly, I wanted to stay in bed when my alarm went off at 6am and I did but in all fairness I only slept four hours the night before so it was needed. It's kind of dull and drab out there and much to my chagrin winter still resides in our neck of the woods-boo! 
Time for a little ray of sunshine in the form of a delicious and nutritious smoothie.
I used to drink something close to this years ago from Surf City Shake when I went to the movies or just after my workouts were done which were near the theatre. Unfortunately, my tummy and eczema do not appreciate the dairy products in it so I have been playing. I finally found a very close match but with healthier ingredients that are bound to put a smile on someone's,(mine for now) face first thing in the morning. Without further ado I give you the recipe:

You will need a blender, a Blendtec or Vitamix are always ideal but even I am using an Oster and it's quite decent. Until I can afford a better one it does the job & I am grateful.

The Power-up Protein Smoothie
Ingredients:

-1 ripe banana
-2 cups frozen mango
-1 knob ginger chopped small
-1 Tbsp Organic, cold pressed coconut oil
(I have been known to put 2 Tbsp in but I really love coconut oil and my skin needs it).
-2 Tbsp grade B maple syrup (This is the darker maple syrup which is less sweet and has more healthy properties than the other grades. Same one used in the Master Cleanse which will be discussed later on in this blog as I usually do it at least 1-2 times a year).
-1/2 of an orange, segmented (This is my preference but not obligatory especially if you have a high end blender).
-1 scoop of your favourite protein in neutral or vanilla flavours only. No chocolate-that would just be weird.
-1/4 tsp Organic vanilla powder 
-2 tsp spirulina powder
-2 1/2 cups almond milk 
-1 Tbsp of joy (Remember to be in this moment of health, it's yours and you are doing something great for your body.)

Method:

Place all ingredients as listed in blender and blend until smooth, taste. Feel free to add another Tbsp of maple syrup if you like, also, you may add an an extra 1/2 cup of almond milk if you prefer your smoothies less thick.

Enjoy alone but it always tastes better when you share. 
Makes 2 servings

Take care, be well, & love freely...

Dandelion Jelly Recipe Discovery!*

                      

Dandelions taste yummy as jelly, who knew?

Bon matin world,

I am sharing a recipe that comes from teaspoonofspice.com for a special dandelion jelly that you need to experience; at least once in your life. 

As you know, I have been homesteading, and canning is my latest kitchen love affair. Poppa Bear is alright with this as he gets to taste the "fruits" of my labors-don't pardon the pun.

                  

It's truly fabulous, we were all a tad bit unsure as these weeds are usually frowned upon and seen as more of a horrible nuisance than a delightful bloom.

As it's spring and the chill allowed for flowers and weeds to come out a bit later than usual, I had a safe amount of time to pick these yellow flowers/weeds, to try this new fangled recipe I had stumbled across. I had never ever heard of dandelion jelly before and was truly curious and admittedly, slightly nervous. 

I had eaten organic dandelion greens when I had worked in a health food store years ago, can you say B-I-T-T-E-R? 

Whoa la! 

The tea I had also tested was a bit better and it's a diuretic, so I thought it was an okay thing to try. But I had not really enjoyed dandelion. Now it's years later and I am out picking them for jelly making, the inter web had assured me it would not be bitter at all. 

I went out when we had some bright and warm sunny weather and gathered from our back lawn. It was a carpet of dandelions and I preferred to snag them from there as no dogs had pee or poop time on them; and I knew they were pesticide free. Important things to consider when you are going to be ingesting anything you pick.

So, here's the thing that nobody is going to tell you about making dandelion jelly. You only use the petals, you need 3-4 Cups of them depending on the recipe, and it is a long process to get those petals out. I am serious! 

It took hours to get enough petals to make one small batch. It's tedious work because you have to pull the petals out from the green part, you cannot have any of it as it will make the jelly cloudy and bitter-ugh! This means 3 or so hours (get someone to help) of gently but firmly pulling, plucking, removing, and admittedly some yucky yellow stained hands. There may have been some doubts at the midway point, as to why I had foolishly taken up this task. 

Be warned, get comfy, listen to some good jams, and have beverages on hand. We sat out back in the shade under the tree and it took about 3-4 hours to get the 4 cups I used. I have been kind enough to provide you with a different recipe from the one I made, which only uses 3 cups. Trust me, you will appreciate it by the second cup of dandelion petal separating. 

Despite all the irritating time it took, I must say, that I was pleased to have tried this as the recipe yielded a delightful and novel taste; that was uniquely addictive.

Enjoy it!

http://teaspoonofspice.com/2014/04/make-dandelion-jelly/

Dandelion Jelly

Makes About 5 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 3 cups packed very fresh dandelion blossoms (from unsprayed plants!)
• 4 cups water
• 4 cups sugar (don't use less or jelly won't gel)
• 1 box powdered pectin for less sugar recipes
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice (fresh lemons have varying acidity - so us bottled)
• 1 drop yellow food coloring if desired (without this coloring is a bit more greenish)

Directions

1. Using your thumb fingernail, cut and pluck the yellow blossom out of the tiny green leaves holding it. (Your thumb will get sticky and the flower will separate into petals.) Remove as much of the green as possible because green is bitter and turns the jelly green; I had just a tiny bit of green on almost each blossom.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add 1 1/2 cup blossoms; turn down to low and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off water and steep for about 15-20 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain out and gently push on blossoms to remove some of the water. Add water back to saucepan and bring to a boil. Add remaining blossoms; simmer for 10 minutes and strain out blossoms, pressing to remove water.
3. Measure steeping liquid to 3 cups; add sugar, pectin, lemon juice and food coloring and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil for 1 minute, then skim off foam with a wooden spoon.
4. Pour into hot sterilized half-pint jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace and store in the refrigerator - or process according to canner manufacturer's instructions.

Notes

This great idea is from the cookbook "Cider Beans, Wild Greens, and Dandelion Jelly." If you can't collect enough dandelion blossoms at one time, freeze your collection until you have enough.

Use the jelly on lemon scones, crackers with goat cheese or cream cheese, warmed to glaze BBQ chicken, in salad vinaigrette or almost any way you use honey. 

Here are pics of my dandelion adventure:

                    

I steeped my petals overnight in the fridge after letting them cool on the counter for about 2 hours. 

                    

I used liquid pectin as I was out of the powdered kind, do what works for you just make sure your liquid to sugar ratio works with your amount of pectin or else it won't gel. I also used 1/4 Cup of lemon juice in my recipe and would highly recommend using fresh juice in place of bottled if you can. The gelling will be much better. I also did not need any added colour as steeping the petals overnight yielded a stronger colour.

                     

As it was my first time ever making jelly and canning, I used some mason jars and some jars with lids I had on hand. I did the whole sterilizing thing before, as well as processing them according to a Bernardin canning book I have and their website info I had researched. The bottom right pic above lid is being pointed to because I had not noticed the ding in it. It turned out that one jar ended had some water seepage. 

It's okay, we sacrificed ourselves and ate that one as a tester. The recipe had jelled so well that I was easily able to drain the excess water when it was cool enough to handle.

                   

So, taste wise I am going to give this a solid 4 out of 5. It's a four because the first bite was initially a bit stronger than expected, slightly off putting but the more we chewed the more we like it and the more we wanted. Yeah, it was a cool experience and I will definitely make more which I will give as gifts, sell in my soon to come Etsy shop, and I may have a giveaway or two that will include a jar of this.  

                       

I tried it on plain toast and on toast with cream cheese, the taste was slightly 

honeyesque with earthy notes and a sweet deep finish. Very pleasant. 

                

You need to try this out and get the little one's involved in helping you to pick the dandelion heads. As a child I used to bring my mother dandelions to show her I loved her, not realizing they were considered a yuckie weed. She would say thank you and put them in water to let me know she was happy I was showing her love with something I thought was beautiful. They always seemed to vanish before the next morning though. Times have changes, now she appreciates my picking them as the jelly is something I give as a gift, and it disappears quickly for entirely different reasons.

             

Leave questions or comments down below and let me know if you try this out. I love to hear about your kitchen adventures, don't forget to subscribe and God bless!  

*Repost from my blog The Kinky Coconut 5/31/2016