Blackberry Jam

A few weeks ago, my husband, daughter and I, went blackberry picking.  It was so much fun, and we for pretty cheap we brought home quite a lot of blackberries.

I threw 2 pounds in the freezer for later, and then used some of the rest for homemade Blackberry Jam and a Blackberry Cobbler which was to die for as well.

It was pretty easy to make, it doesn't need pectin which I don't always have on hand, so this is a great recipe if you need to use up fruit for a quick delicious jam.

Blackberry Jam

4 cups of blackberries
2 cups of sugar
2 tablespoons of lemon juice


Mix all ingredients in a saucepan.  Crush the berries using the back of a spoon or a potato masher.

Turn the heat on to medium and bring the contents to a boil, simmer for about 15 or 20 minutes until it is thick and has reached the jam point.  The way my great grandmother taught me was by taking a teaspoon of the jam and putting it on a small plate.  Then running the spoon through the jam, if it separates and doesn't run back together, it is ready.

In Portuguese we call it Ponto de Estrada.

Transfer the jam to clean and sterilized mason jars.  If you're not canning, just let it cool and then place in the refrigerator.  If you're not using right away, then you can proceed with canning the usual way.

Copycat Wingers Sticky Fingers

It has been a while since I've updated the food blog, my apologies for that.  If you follow me over on my main blog, you will understand that a lot has been going on, and well, life has just knocked us upside the head.

With that said, I've been trying to cut down on my grocery budget, make delicious filling meals, but not spending too much money, especially on meat products.

I've tried to work with what I can find at the store, since many times the meat I want is either not available, too expensive, or we are only limited to 2 which is not easy for someone who buys for 2 weeks at a time.

Anyway, this is one of the meals I made the other day, and it is definitely going on our rotation of favorites.  It is pretty inexpensive to make, and super tasty.

I chose to serve mine as a salad, so we had some salad fixings and then just topped it with the sticky fingers and drizzled on some ranch dressing.  So good!!!

Copycat Wingers Sticky Fingers

Bag of crispy frozen chicken strips
1/3 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup water


Cook your chicken strips according to package directions.

In a small saucepan, mix the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Stir well, and once the sugar is completely dissolved and it starts bubbling, remove from heat.  Let sit for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.

Place the chicken strips in a bowl, pour on the sauce and stir to coat all the chicken.  Serve immediately with some ranch dressing on the side.