I also echo the earlier comments, so amazing that a CF member would learn to can just for the purpose of sending homemade items. Awesome Gina! And I love the sound of cranberry marmalade, that must be quite the flavour explosion on toast! With oranges coming into season, I'd love to get my hands on the recipe, if possible.

Nice gifts, I've heard about the versatility of Rachel Ray's menus, and look forward to see one posted on our "recipes from the swap" thread.

Tracey, sounds like you're enjoying your gifts immensely!

Catherine

How cool is that? ;)

I have that cookbook. The format is a little different and it took me a little while to adjust. Now it makes perfect sense and I find myself using it often!

Great job on the marmalade, Gina.

Yummo. (ducking and running)

What a GREAT cookbook! I love that one!

ACK, hope you find your Tampon~

What a nice gift, the oil sounds interesting. Let us know what it tastes like and what you do with it.

Gina, excellent effort! (Shaun, what the...I don't get it.)

Waiting for a report on the avocado oil, too. The package looks lovely, and the marmalade sounds delish!! And with the hours I'm working lately, 365 30 minute meals sounds like a winner!! Nice job, Gina!!

Shaun, I must be dense as I don't get it either. Enjoy your wonderful swap package!

That is a wonderful swap package. When the picture first came up, it was large, and I started reading the Florence card about a tampon behind the car...then the picture minimized, and I never did get to finish reading the card, darn it! Oh well, I loved the swap. Nice job Gina. That jam sounds wonderful. I also love cranberries.

So glad you like it Tracey. Yes, I survived canning! (Do I get a T-shirt now?)

Here's the story Tracey: I took a day trip up to Santa Ynez Valley wine country, thinking I would make out like a bandit with shopping up there. You know - wines, authentic California gifties, hand-crafted goodies... Well, it was an almost total bust. Everything in Los Olivos was made in China, the whole town has become one wine-tasting shop after another - not bad if you want to go up there for that - but I didn't go up there to get "sideways" (this time).

So I perused some overpriced and under-stocked shops and local grocer, we had some lunch, kept driving - past some closed apple and berry and nut farms (closed!), then drove on to Solvang (the Danish town). Well, Solvang's Danes have long since quit that carpy tourist trap.

So, with a long face, heavy heart and tummy full of gawd-awful aebleskiver, I came back home without a homemade item.

I emailed Jessica for ideas and she suggested she come over and teach me to can. Oh. Yeah. Sure. Me. Can. Uh-huh. Snicker! Guffaw! Snort, etc!

So I said okay of course because I'm compulsive and curious.

I perused the web and found a recipe that sounded tasty, then found some fresh cranberries at Trader Joe's of all places.

Jessica came over and showed me that there was no pressure thingies, no temperature thingies and we didn't have to wear lab coats. I was impressed and incredulous at how simple it was. I was still nervous that whatever I ended up concocting would kill someone.

My kitchen didn't blow up, cranberries did not cover the walls. I survived. It was fun. I'm considering my next recipe.

Sigh.

Dang forums.

Enablers.

Canny-camp revelers.

Swap merry-making.

Harumph!

Sooooo glad you liked it Tracey!!!!!

What a great package! But I'm especially intrigued by the avocado oil - that sounds delicious!

Great job Gina!

Oooo! The avocado oil sounds very interesting! What does it go on besides salad? I would love that cookbook, too! I can't imagine no repeats! The marmalade is an amazing combination. I'll bet it's really yummy! What a lucky gal you are!

Gina, such a super job. I can't believe you learned to can for this! So wonderful!

The Card! Read the card! hee hee!! THATS what I was talking about!

Yay for you, Gina! That Cranberry Citrus Marmalade looks "yummo!" Please share the recipe, pretty please?

Hmmmm....I thought Avocado oil was a body oil??? No?? Hmmm...
Well, you could always try it and see what happens, Tracey ;o)

Enjoy your goodies!

Bwahahaha.

I just loved it when Gina asked me if we needed to sterilize the clean jars and I said 'nope!' The only supplies I brought was canning tongs, rings for the bottom of a pot, oh yeah a stainless steel pot, and a lid rack from Norpro that someone gave someone else in the last swap - I HAD to have one of them. She had the rest!

Enjoy Tracey, it was fun for me to participate in more than one swap box!

Oh yeah and I brought my P-Touch labeler - I'm labeling my labels, LOL!

Very special gift indeed!

Yuuummmm! I can just taste the Cranberry Citrus Marmalade on my morning toast. Mmmm Mmmm good!

Great box!

How nice! Now I can also put a face to your name Gina..

Your swap package is lovely:)Rachel seems to be a fav here.. I should look into her more..

The oil..yum..I think she says that too: No?

Gina, you put together a very interesting pkg...I love it.

Now...if I could just find my pencil....

Nancy

I'll be making more of this marmalade to send to friends for the holidays - it's pretty tasty if I may say so myself! I found the recipe on the web in a couple of places, like fooddownunder.com. Here it is:

Cranberry Citrus Marmalade
==========================================
Ingredients:
1 grapefruit
1 orange
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups fresh cranberries
1 3/4 oz powdered fruit pectin
6 1/2 cup sugar (I only used 4 1/2 cups - that's plenty sweet for me - what say ye Tracey?)

Method:
Remove peel from 1 grapefruit and 1 orange; scrape excess white membrane from peel. Cut peel into thin strips. In large kettle, combine peel and 2 1/2 cups water; cook, covered, over low heat until tender, 20 minutes.

Section grapefruit and orange; chop fruit. Add with 3 cups fresh cranberries to peel; simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in powdered fruit pectin. Bring to boil; stir in sugar. Bring to full rolling boil; boil hard 1 minute stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim foam. (I didn't do that). Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle into hot sterilized jars. Seal.

Yield: 4 pints

Cool stuff. I'm not much of a marmalade person for eating plain..but that looks good!

I love Rachel Ray Recipes!

And avocado oil is soooooo good for you!

I forgot:

Using hot water bath method boil jars for 10 minutes. Doh!

That's so special that you learned to can just for a swap partner -- that's really homemade . Sounds like a great recipe you picked too Gina .

Oil sounds intriguing & I bet you'll get lots of use of that cookbook Tracey.

What a thoughtful gift! And thanks for the recipe, Gina. I was just getting ready to ask for it. I may have to get to canning again. I gave away a lot of jars before the move, darn. Sometimes I just put stuff in the freezer to avoid the sealing process.

And you are skeered of the Mall!! LOL! Congrats to you Gina! I love that you took on the canning venture for this swap. I'm guessing it was a good time with Jessy helping out! Tracey, I have no doubt that you will enjoy this package. Share a good thirty minute meal with us....I need something new for the work week after the commute!

David

Gina, you deserve a standing ovation! Terrific job and thank you so much for sharing your recipe. The marmalade looks dee-lish! (hee hee) I'm glad others have chimed in on RR's 30 minute meals. That's a good time frame for me since I always end up starting dinner so late. I'll have to check it out.

The avocado oil sounds wonderful. I love avocados--it seems like it would be great on a salad. Tracey, enjoy your bounty from California (the BEST state!) :)

Loved the card, too!

I'm very impressed with you resolve Gina. I'm sure you have such a sense of accomplishment with your newly learned skill.

Tracey, I always wondered what I was missing by not having time to stop at Solvang. So, I can cross that off my list?

Cathy

These swaps are dangerous! Now we have Gina canning! Whoda thunk...LOL

Great swap parcel Gina, enjoy Tracey

lab coats....tee hee

cranberry citrus marmalade - sounds delicious! too cool, that Gina learned just for you, Tracey ! :-)

Gina, what a great package - I am impressed. Seems you are a bit psychic.

Stacy

I love the whole canning story. The marmalade sounds wonderful!! And the avocado oil -- I'm very interested to hear how that tastes!!

I love it!

Jessy, will you come over my house next??? Pleeease? I already know how delicious all your canned goodies are. Will you teach me next? :) LOL

Gina, very impressive. You should be so proud. I'm sure Tracey will enjoy it even more knowing the special effort you made to learn to can.

Jessica - the traveling canning proselytiser! David I'll have you know the local mall just went through a renovation and added all kinds of stores, restaurants, etc. and I ain't been there yet! Who cares about P.F. Changs and yadda-yadda. I can just stay home and think up canned concoctions now!

I've only had plain avocado oil, which has essentially no flavor, but I assume the lemon avocado oil will have a lemon flavor. I love avocado oil for its high smoke point but don't have any on hand at the moment. It's a great choice, especially for someone who has not tried it.

Sounds like you had fun canning! And I think cranberry is one of my most favorite flavors.

Great package, Gina.

Lars

That's a great package! Very impressed with the canning, Gina, so cool to do that! and a great choice, the marmalade sounds so good! Looking forward to hearing what recipes Tracey picks from the cookbook! Great choices, Gina! Enjoy, Tracey!

Wow, what a cool canning story! I am going to try that marmalade, too. It looks incredible and easy! Thanks!
I am a fan of Rachel Ray, so I would love that book. The oil is interesting, too, let us know what you make with it.

But it is that card that got me snorting my coke on my keyboard! LOL

Linda

Awesome gifts!
The marmalade sounds great!

And Gina.............

psst....sneak on over to the Harvest forum....all we do is talk canning!!! LOL

Gina, you go girl!!! I love the idea that you tested the waters and canned your homemade item! I'm betting jams, jellies, etc. are next on the agenda! :) Fantastic package! (I agree, Solvang is a place to drive by, not to!) Tracey, enjoy your gifts!

Thanks for the recipe Gina and yes 4 1/2 is plenty. I've been eating it by the spoonful cause I was too tired to make bread. Well maybe by the second pint I'll have some bread.

Report on the avocado lemon oil. It is unbelievable. I tossed brussels sprouts with the oil S&P and roasted them. What a fabulous taste. I can't wait to make more. It's definitely a winner.

Thanks again Gina

Tracey

Wait - something about tampons, Linda's snorting coke on her keyboard, and Gina's psychotic! Whoa! Crazy thread!!

So here's the thing. I think there is no way you really like that marmalade so I will take that second jar off your hands. And besides, you already can your own marvelous stuff. And you probably don't have enough time to make a dang thing out of that cookbook (what with all that canning of your own) so I will relieve you of the temptation by also taking that off your hands. You can send them C.O.D., no problem. And then, well, I was going to leave you with the oil but that will just remind of the things you really didn't need and gave to me, so I will also take that off your hands. No worries that it's already open.

Hey, just trying to be helpful here. You're welcome. Don't mention it. What are friends for?

Marcia

p.s. I got my computer back tonight! It had 83 trojan viruses and a nasty spyware infection.

p.s. if you get that stuff in the mail by the weekend, it would be great.

Wow, Gina... just wow. What an overachiever... learning to camp just for a swap. LOL. (Solvang sucks, doesn't it?) I am very impressed, needless to say. What an accomplishment. And I would like to say two thumbs way up for avocado oil. I've used it for my lemony avocado salad and yours sounds like it would take care of the lemony part, too, Tracey.

Jessy, will you come over my house next??? Pleeease? I already know how delicious all your canned goodies are. Will you teach me next? :) LOL

Lori316 be careful what you wish for because I DO travel to visit CF friends...

Really??? Just how far do you travel?? I want to learn to can! :-D How neat that you 2 worked together to make that marmalade, and that Gina learned a new skill. Way to go, Gina, and Jesse.

That package sounds great. I checked out one of Ray's cookbooks from the library, and it looks really good, although I haven't tried anything yet. (I'm too busy using my new cookbook Lynn gave me.) Anyway, what I like best about her cookbooks is they're silent - you don't have to listen to her talk. She has some really good looking recipes, though.

That oil has got to be very yummy. Okay, can I say yummy?

That card. I read it without my glasses on, and I thought it said tarragon, which was funny, too. I thought she had put her pencil in somebody's food. Oh well, not nearly as funny as tampon.

Sally

I can vouch for Jessica's impromptu visits with CF friends. I am still embarrassed that, at the time, I didn't understand the significance of such a visit.

Diana - I still haven't learned to camp, and I'm not gonna - LOL!

I am begining to see canning as a work of art. Beautiful swap. Adele

(Pssst Cathy....neither did I....I think the caliber of the CF forum visits really started to evolve after that)

Adele, you have no idea. Once you start ,get ahold of a book called Mes Confitures and a whole world of artisinal stuff opens up! Its addicting, I tell ya, I search my house for fruit and jars.

Gina, you marmalade looks wonderful. I will have to try that recipe. That is the cookbook that I got for my DD and DIL's Christmas stocking.

Lemon avocado oil, that sounds soo good.

Nice, nice package!

So. Gina. Are ya hooked? hehehe...

What a nice box. And the marmalade sounds good (as does that oil!)....added it to my collection of tryme recipes.

Oh yum - the marmalade sounds so good. I'm getting the bug to jam...this may have to move to the top of my 'to-try' list!

Great box, Gina! And, Tracey - try to save some of the marmalade for your homemade bread!! ;)

Lori

Ummm, maybe Katie! I'm planning to can some more of the marmalade and I want to try the apple pie jam too - next weekend, so I can send some goodies out to friends before Thanksgiving. Hooked? Dang, I'm so compulsive about things. Guess I'm not the only one around here like that!

Tracey - I watched RR's 30-Minute Meals this morning - she is such a pro!

Yep you're hooked! Next you'll be making sauerkraut like the rest of us.

I have to tell you the marmalade is the best. I've had it on toast every morning. I've got to make some before I run out.

RR makes it look so easy. This sounds stupid but I have to find some time to cook. I haven't even had time to cook a 30 minute meal. There are so many great recipes in the book though I can't wait to get started.

Tracey

I like a lot of RR recipes too, often they are just the ticket at the end of a busy day. I'm sure the lemon olive oil will be wonderful on lots of things and the craberry marmalade sounds perfect - sweet and tangy. Tasty choices Gina.

Tracey, be sure to share what you try from the cookbook - please - lots of us are time challenged ya know.

Lee