Blackberry Cheesecake Cups...An In Season Sweet Treat From Sweet Basil

Blackberry Cheesecake Cups

Mini-desserts allow for better portion control and are simply adorable to serve at a dinner party. These low-fat cheesecake cups use reduced-fat cream cheese and low-fat Greek yogurt for a healthier treat. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 large egg whites (4 eggs total) 
• 2 8-oz. packages reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 pint fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup fresh raspberries and a dash of sugar (or preserves) 

 

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a rack in center of oven and another 2 rungs below; preheat to 325°F. Fill a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 1 inch water. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners and mist with cooking spray.

2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1 egg white in a bowl until evenly moistened. Spoon 2 rounded teaspoonfuls into each muffin cup. Press evenly to form a firm crust. Bake until golden and slightly puffed, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

3. Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix remaining 6 Tbsp. sugar, flour and lemon zest; add to cream cheese. Mix on low speed until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. On medium speed, mix in yogurt, vanilla, whole egg and remaining 2 egg whites, one at a time, until smooth. Divide cream cheese mixture among muffin cups (about 1/4 cup for each). Place pan on middle oven rack. Place baking pan filled with water on rack below. Bake until cheesecakes are slightly puffed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature in pan on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Before serving, top each cheesecake with 2 to 4 blackberries. Mix remaining berries and 2 Tbsp. water in a small pan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until berries are soft and sauce has thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon 1 Tbsp. glaze over berries.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 38 minutes
• Yield: 12 cheesecake cups (serving size: 1 cheesecake cup, 1 tbsp. glaze, 2 to 4 berries)

Enjoy!

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens on Facebook. Look for us on Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram, Google+ and Twitter. We are a local Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, with great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840's general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer’s market. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, fruit orchards and more. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193). We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia.

Recipe post by Tisha Johnson Matthews, of Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens. Recipe and photo courtesy of Health, with photo credits to Jonathan Kantor. HealthSpecial thanks to J. David Matthews, of Barnesville, Georgia for support and patience with all that I try and test.

Nutritional Information

CALORIES PER SERVING:	226
FAT PER SERVING:	10g
SATURATED FAT PER SERVING:	5g
MONOUNSATURATED FAT PER SERVING:	0.0g
POLYUNSATURATED FAT PER SERVING:	0.0g
PROTEIN PER SERVING:	7g
CARBOHYDRATES PER SERVING:	28g
FIBER PER SERVING:	1g
CHOLESTEROL PER SERVING:	44mg
IRON PER SERVING:	1mg
SODIUM PER SERVING:	183mg
CALCIUM PER SERVING:	63mg

 

Health

Photo: Jonathan Kantor

SAVORY BRAISED CHICKEN...A Slow Cooker Recipe From Sweet Basil

For a weeknight meal, prepare Steps 1 & 2, cover and refrigerate bacon and sauce separately the night before. Place in the crockpot as you're drinking your morning coffee, and it's ready that evening. Serve over pasta for a fabulous meal!

INGREDIENTS

▪4 slices bacon (turkey bacon works well!)

▪1 large onion, thinly sliced

▪4 cloves garlic, minced

▪2 tsp. fresh or dried sage, crumbled 

▪1 tsp. fresh or dried basil, chopped

▪1 tsp. fresh or dried thyme, chopped

▪1 tsp. fennel seeds

▪1 tsp. freshly ground pepper

▪1 bay leaf, chopped

▪1 cup Holland House white cooking wine

▪about 2 lbs. of fresh tomatoes, or a 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, with juice, coarsely chopped

▪1 teaspoon salt

▪10 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 3/4 pounds), skin removed, trimmed

▪1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool.
2. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, fennel seeds, pepper and bay leaf and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add wine, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add tomatoes and their juice and salt; stir well.
3. Place chicken thighs in a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Sprinkle the bacon over the chicken. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook until the chicken is very tender, about 3 hours on High or 6 hours on Low. Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Enjoy!

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens on Facebook... Look for us on Pinterest, Youtube, Instagram, Google+ and Twitter. We are a local Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, with great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840's general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer’s market. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, fruit orchards and more. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193). We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia.

Recipe post by Tisha Johnson Matthews, of Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens. Recipe courtesy of Tisha Johnson Matthews, Sweet Basil Farms, with photo courtesy of kitchen daily. Special thanks to J. David Matthews, of Barnesville, Georgia for support and patience with all that I try and test.

Pork Chop Casserole...A Better For You Recipe From Sweet Basil

A healthy, but yummy  version of a  classic comfort food. 

 

Ingredients 

8 pork chops
1/2 c. chopped onions
1/2 c. chopped bell peppers

2 tbsp. each of chopped rosemary, Italian basil, parsley and oregano

1 tbsp. thyme

1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 c. water
3 c. brown rice (cooked, almost done) 
1 1/2- 2lbs. frozen or fresh chopped vegetables (such as mixed with corn, peas and carrots)
1 tsp. each of salt and pepper 

 

 

Pour a small amount of oil, such as pecan or olive oil into a large skillet, heat on medium. Place pork chops and in the skillet and brown on both sides. Lift chops out of skillet. Place in onion, green peppers and herbs; cook until tender. Add a small amount of shortening, if needed to cook onions and peppers. Add mushroom soup, water, rice, and peas mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish. Arrange 1/2 pork chops over the rice and peas. Add the rest of rice and peas and top with the remaining pork chops. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

 

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farms and Gardens on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Pinterest and more. We are a Middle Georgia producer and provider of farm fresh fruits, vegetables, and more. For more information about us, find us in Social media.

 

Recipe provided by Tisha Johnson Matthews, of Sweet Basil, and tested by J. David Matthews, of Barnesville, Georgia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This little piggy went to (Sweet Basil's) market...

Sweet Basil is proud to announce Daisy & Pork Chop's litter of babies are here, and growing well. These little babies should be on the smaller side for Mini Pigs...A few should be in the Micro range. The previous litter between these two produced mostly Micro Minis, around 30 pounds. Full grown, at most they should weigh 40- 50 pounds, and be about the size of a basset hound, but a little wider ;) . Pigs are highly intelligent, loving animals, and make great pets. They are very social, and get along well with most other animals, such as dogs, cats and rabbits. (Just make sure they are either raised together or you introduce and supervise very closely.) Very easy to potty train and teach tricks! They love to play!!! Watch the videos of ours on FB and you tube. 

If you are interested in getting a pet pig, please contact me. Reservations are being taken, now, with a deposit. The babies will be ready in about 3 weeks, but don't wait till then. These are too cute to last, they'll go fast! 

 

Girl # , $250

 

Girl # 2, $250 

Girl # 3, $350  

Girl 4, $250

  

Girl # 5, Reserved. 

 Boy # 1, $225

Boy # 2, $  He is tiny! $250 

 

Boy # 3, $300

We are Sweet Basil Farm & Garden on Facebook, Google + and all social media (find and like us for more videos, pictures, recipes, helpful tips and more.) We are a Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, putting great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840s general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer's market. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193). We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia.

Sweet Basil Farms & Gardens is owned and managed by Tisha and David Matthews, Barnesville, Ga. 

Garden Fresh Scalloped Tomatoes...An In Season Recipe From Sweet Basil

INGREDIENTS

• about 3 lbs. of ripe tomatoes, cut into thin strips or diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper
• 1⁄2 cup  basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp. oregano, chopped
• 2 tbsp. thyme, chopped
• 2 banana peppers, chopped
• 1 cup  parmesan cheese, freshly grated (or freshly shredded) 
• 1/2 to 1 c. of water 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place a large saute pan over medium heat. 
3. Meanwhile, combine the tomatoes, banana peppers, garlic, sugar, salt, and ground peppers in a large bowl. 
4.  Add the tomato mixture and water to saute pan, bring to a low boil, stirring often, for 5 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat, stir in the herbs.
6. Pour the tomato mixture into a shallow (6 to 8 cup) baking dish. 
7. Sprinkle evenly with the Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is browned and the tomatoes are bubbly, and most liquid is gone.
9. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.
10. Serve hot or warm.

Enjoy!  

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens on Facebook. We are a local Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, with great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840's general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer’s market. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, fruit orchards and more. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193). We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia. 

Recipe post by Tisha Johnson Matthews, of Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens. Recipe and photos courtesy of Tisha Johnson Matthews, Sweet Basil Farms. Special thanks to J. David Matthews, of Barnesville, Georgia for support and patience with all that I try and test.

Mexican Summer Salad...A Garden Fresh In Season Recipe From Sweet Basil

This recipe makes a great summer salad, with fresh garden ingredients. Add some grilled chicken and/or shredded cheese to make a quick and easy complete meal. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 3 cups mixed greens or iceberg lettuce (cold) 

• 6 large ears of corn, shaved off the cob or 2 cans (8-3/4 oz each) whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 can (15 oz each) Whole Black Beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 medium seeded and diced bell pepper
• 2 large diced tomatoes, or 1 can (10 oz each) tomatoes w/ peppers 
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• splash of lime juice 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil  

DIRECTIONS 

1. Shred lettuce in a large bowl.
2. Toss together all vegetables, spices and juice into greens, until combined.
3. Drizzle the oil, toss with tongs. 

Enjoy!  

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens on Facebook. We are a local Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, with great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840's general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer’s market. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, fruit orchards and more. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193). We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia. 

Recipe post by Tisha Johnson Matthews, of Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens. Photo courtesy of April McKinney. Special thanks to J. David Matthews, of Barnesville, Georgia for support and patience with all that I try and test.

 

You want me to give what to my chickens?

So...My first summer of owning chickens was pretty hot. They were suffering pretty bad in the heat, especially my Brahmas and bigger breed chickens. I made them popsicles, froze vegetables and fruit with water and everything else a chicken lover could do. When urged by longtime chicken breeders to buy and keep on hand a commercial electrolyte solution, I did. (the shame of simply saying no is about the same as when you have your first baby, and telling a mom of 5 her advice may not be the best.) As with everything, I brought the package and began googling. To my astonishment, I discovered that potassium carbonate was an ingredient. To those of you who don't know what that is, let me just show you how it can be made..."naturally": 

Yes...The reaction that occurs when a battery is leaked, makes potassium hydroxide...which is used to make potassium carbonate.So...Since I try to use natural and organic processes and products whenever possible, this didn't seem like the best option for me. (Ever put your tongue on a battery?! Yea...Not giving that to my chickens!) Bananas work very well for potassium for me and my animals! The price was pretty stiff, too. And if you're like most people, you got into chickens to have cheaper, fresher and natural eggs. The recipe I use is below. Click here for a people friendly recipe.

Animal Electrolyte Solution 

INGREDIENTS 

1 cup water

2 teaspoons sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS 

Mix all ingredients...Using an old juice bottle or other plastic bottle allows you to shake the solution, mixing it completely, and store any leftovers easily. Otherwise, stir until completely. Keep any remaining solution in a closed container, in cool location for a few days.

If your chickens are showing signs of distress from the heat, use full strength, otherwise mix into their drinking water as needed, one cup per gallon of water.

Add this solution to water for your dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and other animals.

Note: If your animal is showing signs of dehydration, call your vet. Always use your best judgment. I am not a vet or medical provider. The recipe I am providing worked for me, in my situations, with my own animals.

Follow us, like us, share us. We are Sweet Basil Farm & Gardens on Facebook. We are a local Middle Georgia producer of farm fresh fruits and vegetables and members of the American Poultry Association, licensed by the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture as Poultry Dealers and Brokers, and a proud member of the Georgia Grown program, a division of the Georgia Dept. of Agriculture. We also breed, sell and ship poultry, pet pigs, bearded irises and much more. We have an 80 acre working farm, with great emphasis on all natural gardening and livestock management practices. An 1840's general store is situated on our property, and serves as our on-site farmer’s market. We have a large vegetable and herb garden, fruit orchards and more. Conveniently located off of Interstate 75 near the Johnstonville Rd exit (#193). We are six miles west, located in Barnesville, Lamar County, Georgia.

Special thanks to J. David Matthews, and my chickens of Barnesville, Georgia for support and patience with all that I try and test.