Originally uploaded by Range Kleen

Home canning has come back to the mainstream. Many home chefs are canning gourmet versions of common foods, saving the bounty from a garden, and making gifts for friends and family.
If you are thinking of doing some canning for the first time, or scaling up your operation, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Take advantage of farmer’s markets and sales on in-season produce. Right now, berries are at their peak. Jam is an obvious choice, how about also making some cans of blueberry pie filling to keep ready for a quick weeknight dessert? Tomatoes are also in season. If you are making a batch of your family’s famous tomato sauce, make the batch a bit bigger and can some to enjoy later.

• Home canned goods make great gifts: housewarmings, hostess gifts, holidays, reunions, gift baskets and more. Make some signature flavors and keep them on hand, your friends and family will appreciate that your gift is practical, healthy and made with love. But, watch out! You may get more requests than you can handle!

• When making big batches, it can be difficult to keep an even temperature with your heating element weighted down on the stove. The heat builds up underneath and can also cause discoloration to the stovetop. We make a  Canning Kit http://www.rangekleen.com/index.php?cPath=16_35_384 with a taller, sturdier element and deeper drip pan to eliminate these problems.

Also, check out our canning recipes at www.rangekleen.com

http://www.rangekleen.com/recipes.php?pID=5&category=Canning&submit=View+Recipes)

Cheese tortellini and chicken soup

4 cans chicken broth, it seems to get thick so I have an extra can in reserve to add if needed

2 boxes Tyson cooked and cubed chicken

1 box/bag three or five cheese tortellini, dried

2 cloves fresh garlic minced

2 fresh green onions chopped

8 mini carrots diced

8 Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced

Put in Range Kleen Stock Pot chicken broth, minced garlic, green onions and diced potatoes, cook until it boils, turn to low or simmer add chicken, pasta and carrots cook for 25 to 30 minutes, salt and pepper to taste.

If not using precooked chicken – I put 2 cans of broth in stock pot with potatoes, garlic, etc.  I then cook my cut up chicken breast (approx 1 ½ lbs.) in the other 2 cans of broth in a separate non-stick skillet – once chicken is cooked I combine in the stock pot, adding the pasta and carrots and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.

Really great served with a crusty bread!

Originally uploaded by Tasquah

Instead of buying the chocolates that will possibly ruin your New Year’s resolution, this year why not make your special someone their favorite meal and or dessert. But maybe try to make it healthier. There are a number of websites that you can go to that will be a great help for finding healthier recipes.

Once you have your recipes picked out you may find that you need some new cookware or some new bakeware to make this wonderful fare for your someone special. Check out Range Kleen’s website for our Stainless Steel Cookware, or possibly even our Enamel Cast Iron Cookware – we even have it in red! Range Kleen also offers a complete line of bakeware for all of your baking needs.

If you chose to bake cupcakes this year and want to have a special way to present them to your special Valentine’s you may want to see about getting some of Range Kleen’s GO GO CupCases – what a great way to give someone special something special.

Originally uploaded by hgrieser

One of the big decisions that you have to make this weekend is, What am I going to eat during the Super Bowl?

Here is what some of the Range Kleen Associates will be eating:

John, IS Manager – Loaded Nacho – loaded with everything you can think of
Kasey, Client Support – Salsa and Chips
Karen, Internal Sales Coordinator – Hot Wings
Steve, Director of Sales Services – Wings or Chips and Dip
Sheri, Controller – Taco Dip
Dave, VP/CFO – Chips, Pretzels/dip
Deb, Packaging Associate – Cheeseball
Kathy, Packaging Associate – Chips and Cheese and crackers
Becky, Packaging Manager – Chili
Matt, Director of Operation – Chicken Jalapeño Dip
April, Logistics Coordinator – Vanilla Oreos
Cindy, Sales Services Coordinator (that’s me) – Pizza Dip

Let us know what you are planning on having or if you are interested in getting the recipe for something that we are having send an e-mail to info@rangekleen.com and we will be sure to send it to you.

GO TEAM!!!!! To bad it’s not the Brown’s, wait until next year!