food SKULLBIKER'S 2023 FLOG(food log)

[skullbiker]

As with my GLOG, I'm getting started a bit late with this thread!
I'll start out today with my simple lunch.
A peanut butter & jelly sandwich.

Using this jelly.

All I can say is that it is wonderful.

 

[Ratatouille]

I actually never had a PB&J sandwich till about five years ago. I knew of its existence, but it just isn't a thing over here. (Chocolate sprinkles on bread for breakfast is though, but that’s another story.)

I was on another forum when someone mentioned it and decided right then and there to make myself a PB&J sandwich. It was love at first sight and bite.

Reading this, I think I need to alter the classic and use a pepper and fruit jelly. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[Nulle]

(Chocolate sprinkles on bread for breakfast is though, but that’s another story.)

Oh yes, I've eaten loads of those when in the Netherlands. Yummy. And Vla, too.

 

[ahayastani]

Reading this, I think I need to alter the classic and use a pepper and fruit jelly.

Peanut combines well with dried peppers. I like to add it to salsa macha, which I liberally apply on marmalade spread on bread. Works well with strawberry and mango marmalade.

 

[skullbiker]

Peanut combines well with dried peppers. I like to add it to salsa macha, which I liberally apply on marmalade spread on bread. Works well with strawberry and mango marmalade.

The mango sounds good. I’ve been freeze drying the mangos I had frozen from last season and still have a bit to go. I think I’ll try making some marmalade/jam and add some jalapeno powder to the mix.

 

[skullbiker]

Since I like a tasty snack/desert occasionally I'll share this one that will also add some protein into your diet.
Take a box of sugar free Jello Instant Pudding, I like chocolate.

Then I dig out my little cheapie battery powered whisk.

Then get out (2) 11 or 12 oz. bottles/boxes of protein drink to use in place of the milk. I use one mint flavored and one reg. for a minty taste. I occasionally add in some pepper powder for a little zing.

Put about 2/3 of the liquid in with the pudding powder and mix/whisk for about 2 minutes. Then add in the rest of the liquid and mix/whisk another minute or two, it should be thickening slightly.

Then pour it into your desired size of bowls and put in the refrigerator to cool, then enjoy it.

 

[skullbiker]

I'm going over to the Florida Strawberry Festival today. I like to watch the Strawberry Shortcake Eating Contest.

https://flstrawberryfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-Shortcake.pdf

I will likely eat many different strawberry foods today. .

 

[skullbiker]

First stop……….dish your own Strawberry Shortcake.

 

[skullbiker]

Strawberry Pizza(dessert), almost forgot the pic!
Flakey crust smeared with cream cheese and strawberrys with sauce on top.

I had an awesome Cuban Sandwich for lunch but wolfed it down with no pic.

 

[Ratatouille]

That strawberry pizza looks amazing!

 

[skullbiker]

That strawberry pizza looks amazing!

It was really good but I’m still a sucker for a bowl of strawberry shortcake!
The portions of strawberry shortcake they had at the eating contest were 4 pounds and they had ten minutes to eat it. The guy that won did it in 6 1/2 minutes.

His trophy.

 

[Bou]

The trophy is awesome

 

[skullbiker]

I made up some smoked jalapeno powder this week, I actually finished it this morning.
I took the peppers that I smoked, blended, and froze from last summer and blended it again. A total of 14 pounds of mash split among five 1/2 gal. jars to pour into the 5 freeze dryer trays. Three with a mix of jalapeno, rocoto, and Sugar Rush Peach peppers. One with Orange Spice Jalapenos. And one with nice ripe jalapenos.

Two and a half days later the trays come out and the water removed is frozen to the walls of the vacuum chamber by the process of sublimation.

And here is the water from that ice.

The super dryed mash.

And the result, 5 pints of awesome powder, vacuum sealed in the jars and good for many years in storage.

Last week I finished freeze drying my mangos from last season, about 50 pounds of Mango Sorbet got dried down to nearly nothing weight wise. I cut those into little "cookies". Gonna be a lot of sweet snackin'.

 

[Ratatouille]

A freeze dryer is every girls dream.

 

[Tinkerbelle]

Come the apocalypse I shall hunt you down for my chili pepper fix

 

[Downriver]

THAT is a beautiful thing @skullbiker. I wish they'd come out with an "economy" model (aka affordable).

 

[ahayastani]

THAT is a beautiful thing @skullbiker. I wish they'd come out with an "economy" model (aka affordable).

I was afraid to ask, but... how much for a monster like that?

 

[Ratatouille]

I was afraid to ask, but... how much for a monster like that?

I have been Googling second hand freeze dryers since this morning.

 

[skullbiker]

I was afraid to ask, but... how much for a monster like that?

I bought my large sized one from HarvestRight six years ago and looking now, prices are about the same as then. As of January 1 of this year two other manufacturers have come online selling home units. Mine has dried MANY pounds of produce, fruit, etc over the years that I have owned it.
Pricing and info here: https://harvestright.com/product/home-freeze-dryer/
Obviously, the small size is cheaper.

 

[SineNomine]

I have been Googling second hand freeze dryers since this morning.

Since this morning, I've been thinking about whether I can build one.