Pear Honey, Warm croissants, salted butter, watching Brave with my Best Girl!

 This weekend we went to gather apple pears at a Ms. Lawanda's house in Cullman.  Her Grandfather, and Father had grafted a pear onto an apple tree, and made the most amazing little globes of juicy fruit I have ever eaten in my life! She let us gather two huge Wallmart bags to take home- it was very difficult because if hey hit the ground they would burst open, because they were so filled with juice! I told her that I wanted to make some pear preserves with the fruit, but she told me that her Grandmother had tried many times, and it always failed because of the moisture content.  My sister told me to just make pear honey-so I did! Oh My Goodness! It is so wonderful!
  So today Bella and I had a wonderful brunch of warm croissants, salted butter, pear honey, and a fresh pot of tea-while we watched the best Mother /Daughter show of all time-BRAVE!
I wish all Monday's could be so good!



This is how I made the Pear Honey!

 Clean pears, and check for spots.
If peel is tough -remove peels-mine were soft so I just cut them up!
Put in a heavy bottom pot- if not it might burn!
Start with two cups of sugar, and about 1/4 cup water- pore over fruit, and start the temp on med. high
As the fruit cooks down it will release the juice
Keep adding about a cup of sugar per hour until it starts to thicken-depends on how much fruit you have and how juicy it is. Taste , and stir often when it starts to resemble the flavor of honey it is done!
I put mine in left over containers and put in fridge- but I might transfer to a freezer container tomorrow.
Enjoy!

Craw Tater Sauce!

My lifelong friend Cris Wright invented a new AMAZING sauce! It's called Craw Tater Sauce! It is to dip your taters in at a crawfish boil-but I have been using it in Everything! This stuff will wake up your taste buds! Missouri Jane's is the first restaurant to serve this amazing sauce, so y'all come on in and try it!!

WE ARE STILL HERE!!!

Well, I made it ONE YEAR!!! What a ride! I will be adding more cooking ideas as I get them, and sharing my journey into food festivals. Any ideas? Please share!

How we make GUACAMOLE at Missouri Jane Cantina

Everybody loves my Guacamole-and it is so simple to make! Here at Missouri Jane we make it to order-mild or hot!
The list of ingredients are:
Avocado
lime
salt
cilantro
tomato
onion
That's it! Of course if you want to add some heat, add jalapeno or Serrano chilies, and when I am making it for myself, I always add fresh garlic! I don't add the garlic in the restaurant because not everyone enjoys the flavor.
The amount depends on you!
For one avocado,
1/2 large lime-juiced
1/8 t. salt
2T. cilantro-chopped
1/4 c. tomato
3T. onion
This is to your taste, sometimes I add more lime, and I tend to like more tomato than most.
I have had many people ask me how to make this, I thought everyone already knew!
YUM!!

Here are some photos of the process and ingredients-bear with me while I learn the ins and outs of posting photos with descriptions!

Outsider Art at Missouri Jane

Hey!
When you come in to Missouri Jane Cantina & Creamery, you will see lots of interesting things!
Photos that I took while living in Honduras Central America,  a seven pound-yes I said 7lb-sweet potato that a Mr. Lenox in Lacey's Spring grew, lots and lots of horses, cool tables with bamboo legs- and some Outsider Art!
I visited the famous Outsider Artists Howard Finster, from Athens Georgia, and his world famous museum-(what a place let me tell you), several years ago with some friends. We had a wonderful time looking at all of his treasures! He was sitting in his chair and visiting with folks, such a kind man. He told us the story of how he was painting an old bicycle, and saw the vision of an angel in a drop of paint, and that is how he started. Well he was so inspiring, and I had always done photography because I had no talent for painting, but I realized that day that it didn't matter- I had all of these ideas in my head that needed to come out!
So..I started painting,but I didn't want my photography and painting to be confused so I used the name of my Great Grandmother-Missouri Jane. The images that I painted were things that I had lived as a child, so I chose the name Missouri Jane because I loved that name and because it just fit!
Little did I know that one day I would open a restaurant and use the same name!
 Later, I went back to Athens for Fenster Fest in 2004 , even though Howard was not there, His spirit was, the night before there had been a huge storm that washed away a lot of the artist  tents and canopies, but they did not give up!  They said that if Howard were alive -He wouldn't let them give up!
 So,I bought the cross to add to my collection, and to remember the day.

I hope you will stop in sometime, and have a bite to eat, and look around at all of our "treasures".

Tennessee Valley Deals!

Hey Yall!
Welcome to the Missouri Jane blog spot! This blog is all about food, and life in general, in and around rural Alabama.
I'm new to the blogging thang, so bear with me! I am going to be sharing some of the recipes that I use at my restaurant Missouri Jane Cantina & Creamery  in Somerville Alabama. Some of the things that I have learned    in my life, and travels while living in Honduras Central America.

We are having a lot of fun here at the Cantina and the Creamery, and hope that you will come and join us soon!!

Korean Crackers-YUM!!!

Bella had to got to the Doctor today-I thought she had the chicken pox, but it turned out to be infantigo-too many scratches or bites from playing outside-anyway as we wait for the the prescriptions to be filled, we always go pick up sushi at the local Asian grocer--

Well, today while we were waiting for the rolls we shopped! They have the neatest things in that store. I wish I lived near a china town, I bet you could find some amazing bargains!

 Today I picked up a bag of Korean Crackers-called BONGBONG! They look like little hats! Or thin cinnamon rolls, or jelly rolls. So cute, and so tasty too!

If you have always wondered, and never ventured inside you should try out your local shops, the people are always friendly, and grateful that you want to try something new!

I will post a photo soon!