Easy Apple Sauce/Butter

I got this applesauce recipe from my friend, Katey but made changes. I try to simplify things as much as possible. I also love apple butter so my version is more like apple butter. Yum. When I was making it I felt like Diane Keaton in Baby Boom making Gourmet Baby Apple Sauce.

1. I core my apples and cut them in half.
2. I fill my crock-pot with them till it's full to the top.
3. I turn on the crock-pot on low for about 8 hours.
(I often do this before bed and let them cook all night.)
4. Then I sprinkle a heavy amount of cinnamon. (you can add as much as you like to your own taste.)

5. Once cooked, I puree the apples and then ladle it into jars.

That's it. I leave the skin on for extra fiber. I use gala apples which are a dessert apple and so sweet I don't need sugar. I don't add water because I want it to be thick like apple butter. I don't add lemon because I'm happy with my apple butter color (and the skins make it a dark apple sauce.

You can by all means peel the apples first.

Here is Katey's original recipe. Thank you for sharing it Katey!

4 lbs tart apples, cored and sliced thin

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

1.       Mix apples (about 12 cups) with cinnamon and sugar and put into crock pot.

2.       Pour water and lemon juice over apples. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.(I cook them overnight and we have it for breakfast, yum!)

3.       Dump apples and juices into food processor and puree well.

Oven Bacon

My mom showed me how to cook bacon in the oven like she learned when she worked in restaurants. It's super fast, super easy, and super quick clean up. Ignor the parts that got burnt because I left it in there too long.
Cover a cookie sheet with foil. Lay bacon on the foil. Put in the oven on Broil till cooked to desired crispness. No turning over necessary. Watch carefully though, it's done very quickly compared to stove top cooking. Throw the foil away and wash the pan with some soap and water to get the extra grease off and you're done.

Cream Cheese Eggs

I realize that this post might gross out some people but I have to post it all the same. My mom made these for us, and my Aunt Noreen made these for her kids (this is the only way her kids would eat scrambled eggs), and now I make them for my kids. They are so creamy and yummy.

Cut up small cubes of cream cheese and just before scrambled eggs are done cooking add the cream cheese cubes and stir till they soften. (the picture also has some diced green onion in them)

Homemade Pancake Syrup

I have a confession to make. I don't like pure maple syrup. I've tried for over a year now to acquire a taste for it and I just can't do it. So, I had to solve the issue of not using store bought refined sugar syrup to be healthier but I couldn't bring myself (or my family for that matter) to use pure maple syrup. None of us like it and it's a total shame I know. I do use it in cooking but not for pancakes.

My mom reminded me about making homemade syrup. I remember my uncle making this every time we went to their house growing up and I have to say it's a welcome alternative around here. I make it with organic sugar which is evaporated cane juice instead of refined sugar.

1 cup water
2 cups organic sugar
1/2 tsp mapliene (usually found by the extracts in the grocery store)

Bring water to a boil in sauce pan and then add sugar and mapliene. Stir till sugar has dissolved completely.

This syrup is thin like pure maple syrup is. It taste wonderful and brings back lots of fun childhood memories of having pancakes in my Uncle and Aunt's cheerful strawberry decorated breakfast room. We will be making this from now on.

Instant Pancake Mix

I've struggled for a long time on deciding what I want to do for pancakes...I want them healthy, I want my husband to like them (and not make jokes about them), I want them to be easy, and I don't want them to cost a fortune. Is that asking too much?

I've done the box mix that I love but it's pricey and sometimes the tops flip off....long story but that's where the jokes come in....
I've done the fully from scratch- good, but a lot of work when I'm wanting something quicker....
I've done the whole wheat flour- turns out like a...mmm, how do I describe it???
I've done the whole wheat pastry flour- turns out good but have to make it from scratch
I've done the white flour, but it's not a whole grain...
I've done the healthy blender versions (even gluten free with brown rice)...not so much my thing

So, I've finally decided on making my own dry mix (nice and fast in the morning) that is healthy (uses whole wheat pastry flour) and is cheaper to make (saves me money) and it taste great (made from scratch)!

for the dry mix:
6 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp baking powder
1 tbs salt
2 tbs sugar

Mix the dry mix together and store in your pantry up to 3 months. Be sure you are using fresh baking powder. (Baking powder has an open shelf life of 6 months.)

When you are ready to make pancakes, take out your mix from the pantry and add to 1 cup of mix:
1 egg
1 c buttermilk (or milk)

Whisk it well and let it rest for about 5 minutes while you prep the griddle. You can also make a double batch if desired using 2 cups of mix, 2 eggs, and 2 cups buttermilk (or milk).

I'm going to try doing 1 cup of ground oats with 5 cups flour for the mix next time but for now, this turned out wonderful. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, mix 1 part milk to 1 part lemon juice or just use milk.

Crock-pot Brown Rice Breakfast

4 cups water
1 cup brown rice

Cook on low over night.
Serve with your choice of butter, brown sugar, raisins, maple syrup, milk, etc.

Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I made up this recipe a few years ago when I was trying to use up apples. This coffee cake is wonderful in the fall or winter but the best part is that it's easy!



1 box spice cake mix (plus ingredients on the back of the box)
2-4 apples peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 c brown sugar combined (optional)


Mix the box cake mix, the apples (2 large or 4 small) together. Add the ingredients called for on the back of the box EXCEPT for the water. The juice from the apples will make up for the water you are leaving out. Mix well until it looks like peanut butter and apples. Pour into a greased pan and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon if desired. Bake according to box mix directions. Test center for doneness.

It doesn't look like much when you spread it into the pan but it does bake up.

Crock-pot Cream of Wheat

My kids actually don't like this one but my husband and I do. It's cream of wheat in the crock-pot. Cream of Wheat is very high in iron. =0)

This makes a great first cereal for babies....I made it all the time for mine and it was much cheaper than buying Gerber's brand baby cereal.

7 1/4 c water
1 1/3 c cream of wheat (preferably the 10 min. cook time but the shorter cook time ones will work fine too)

Put water and cream of wheat in the crock. Cook on low all night (6-8 hrs). In the morning it may have a skin on the top which you can throw away or if it's not too thick just stir it. You can kind of see one starting in the picture but underneath that is creamy cereal. Serve with butter, brown sugar, raisins, honey, maple syrup, etc. like you would oatmeal. You can also mix in the honey, brown sugar, or maple syrup the night before.

This serves 6-8. It doesn't work well for leftovers so it's important to make the right amount. You can half this recipe to serve 3-4 by using these measurements:

3 3/4 c water
2/3 c cream of wheat

Oatmeal Pears in the Crock-pot

I made this oatmeal pear crisp in the crock-pot the other night so that it was ready for us in the morning for breakfast. We served it over yogurt. I didn't add the brown sugar to this one trying to have a healthier version and it was still mighty good. I did add a bit of water...I think about 1 cup just to help the oatmeal cook a little. It was yummy and my kids liked it! =0)

Egg Sandwich

I love an egg sandwich. My mom and dad used to make these for breakfast a lot when we were growing up. It reminds me of garage sale days. Dad was the garage sale king...and I always loved putting on a garage sale with him. Mom would usually come out with these for us while we were negotiating deals on our junk. =0) Good memories. And THAT is why I always think of garage sales when I have one of these. Life is funny!

While bread is toasting, fry an egg and break the yoke. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put between toast and layer with a slice of cheese.

Egg Pita

This is my new breakfast on the go and no mess eggs for kids. It's a great on the go breakfast for adults running out the door in the morning but it's a less mess meal for toddlers too...or in our case, a messy 7 year old eater.

Put scrambled eggs mixed with grated cheese into a warmed pita pocket. My kids aren't thrilled with pita pockets but they love these pita pocket egg breakfast sandwiches. I use whole wheat pitas. The one in the picture is actually a package that came already sliced and propped open, ready to be filled and not only was it whole wheat but it had flax seed and a bunch of other good stuff in it. You never know what you'll find. =0)

Fall Oatmeal

I made this yummy fall oatmeal by adding a half cup of mashed sweet potatoes with some cinnamon. You could also use canned pumpkin with some cinnamon.

Strata Loaf

I found this idea on the web and I loved it! It's perfect for bringing to a brunch or breakfast potluck. It's a sausage strata in a french loaf. It was pretty yummy too!

1 large french bread loaf (white)
olive oil
4 eggs
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1/2 c cheddar cheese (you can substitute jack)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c milk or half and half
2 c chopped (precooked) sausage (I used turkey sausage) or bacon/ham....
1 tbsp minced dried onion (or 1/4 diced onion or 3 chopped green onions)
(I used the dried onion so that my kids couldn't find the onion but it gave it a great flavor)

optional- throw in everything but the kitchen sink....diced bell peppers, mushrooms, olives, diced tomatoes, whatever you like.

Cut the top off the loaf and hollow it out with your fingers being careful not to break through the crust. Leave enough bread to have a good layer as your base. Tear the removed bread into 1 inch chunks and place in a bowl. Spray or brush the loaf halves with olive oil and place in oven on a cookie sheet lined with foil at 350 degrees. Let the loaves get toasted while you continue to prepare the rest.

Add to the cubed bread the chopped sausage and minced onion. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk and add the remaining ingredients until mixed well. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and sausage and combine well with a spoon.

Take the loaves out of the oven and evenly divide the egg/bread mixture between the two loaves. Spread the mixture out evenly in each loaf. Top with a little more grated cheese and bake for about 35-45 min. at 350 or until the egg is cooked through.

Slice in about 2 in wide slices with a serrated bread knife. Cover with foil and take to your brunch or potluck. Oh and it freezes really well too!

Quiche

I've been cooking a lot lately but haven't had much time to blog about it. I'll try to get more recipes posted this week though. I love quiche. It's one of those comfort foods for me. I'm not even a big egg person....I don't like eggs plain but I love quiche. Here's my recipe for a double batch so that you can freeze one for later. I try in the fall and throughout the winter to make double of everything so that I have a lot of freezer meals. Although traditionally a breakfast item, quiche makes a nice lunch or dinner served with a salad. My kids absolutely love it too which makes it a nice family dinner that I know everyone will enjoy.

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2 single pie crusts (homemade or store bought)

6 eggs beaten

3 c milk

1/2 c chopped onion (yellow or green) or sprinkled dry onion flakes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 c shredded cheese (cheddar -mild or sharp, swiss, jack, etc. whichever you have on hand)

1 c chopped fresh spinach or chopped steamed broccoli (optional)

1 tbsp flour

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Prick pastry shells and bake in 450 degrees for about 10 min (on a cookie sheet) or until pastry shell is lightly cooked. Remove from oven and turn oven down to 325 degrees. Meantime, mix together beaten eggs, milk, onion, salt, and pepper. Stir in spinach or broccoli. In a separate bowl, toss together cheese and flour. (The flour will keep the cheese from melting into a clump.) Add cheese to egg mixture and mix well.

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Pour egg mixture into hot pastry shells evenly distributing the egg mixture between the two shells. Bake at 325 degrees for 35-40 min. or until a knife comes out clean from the center. If desired cover edges of crust with foil to prevent darkening. In the pictures I did not cover mine. Let sit for about 10 min. to cool a bit before serving. Each quiche should serve about 6.

Piggy Pancakes

Got this idea from another blog and wanted to share it here. My kids were tickled piggy pink to have these. I made them from my sneaky pancake recipe and they loved them.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

With a few cooler days around here I'm getting that Fall feeling even though I haven't done nearly as much summer cooking as I had hoped. So the other day I decided to try out another version of the this eggless chocolate cake recipe. Instead of Devil's Food Cake mix, you use Spice Cake mix. Once again, I'm totally impressed.

1 box spice cake mix (I use Better Crocker)

(do not add any of the ingredients on the box.)

1 14 oz can of pumpkin or 1/2 of a 28 oz can (can NOT be pumpkin pie filling...just pure pumpkin)

Mix together and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 min. or until centers come out clean with a cake tester.

Notes: These were SO yummy that they could easily stand up to any complex pumpkin spice cake recipe. They were super moist too.

Try sprinkling with a bit of powdered sugar for presentation.

WW points (2 points per muffin) for all those keeping track.

Homemade Organic Yogurt

I have been wanting to make my own organic yogurt for some time now since our family loves yogurt and organic yogurt is expensive. (Not to mention it's just another way to cut out the store varieties that are filled with high fructose corn syrup and lovely things like that.) Nothing artificial about this one! So, I attempted it this week and it turned out well! =0) I bought a yogurt machine which isn't as "from scratch" as some but since I was wanting to make it quite regularly I thought it might be the way to go instead of having an ice chest underfoot in my kitchen all the time. Remember, I like healthy and homemade but I'm also all about easy and convenient! =0) If you want to do it the hard way, click here.

Here's the recipe I used:

4 c milk (I used pasteurized organic whole milk-if it's not pasteurized you'll need to bring it to a boil first. Because I used whole milk it came out very thick and rich (similar to yoplait's custard brand)....but if you use low fat milk you may need to add some other things in which you might want to read this guide about making yogurt.)
1/4 c organic sugar (evaporated cane juice or rapadura but NOT refined sugar)
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

1/2 c plain yogurt (I used organic plain yogurt- it must be plain or it won't work-this is your "starter" for bacteria-it must be as fresh as possible and you can make a lot of batches at once using most of the carton. I plan on using some of the rest of the carton for frozen yogurt...post to come)

Heat the milk, sugar, and vanilla to about 170 degrees on the stove (just before a boil). Let sit and cool to around 90-110 degrees. (You'll need a thermometer.) Mix 1/2 c yogurt into the milk and pour into glass jars. Plug in machine and let sit for 8 hours (all machines vary so follow directions of your machine). If you let it sit too long it will become tart. Remove from machine and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least an hour before consuming.

You can make it into frozen yogurt, you can serve it with berries, granola, sliced fruit, etc.

Tip: I start this process in the morning because although easy, it is time consuming. Heating the milk takes about 15 min. Letting it cool takes about an hour to an hour and a half. Plus the 7 hours for cooking...then cooling takes another hour. Then an hour to refrigerate...which I just leave it till morning and we have it at breakfast.

Oh, and where did I get my yogurt maker? I knew you were going to ask that.....beat you to it. Walmart.com. But I won't tell you anything more about it cause it's my Favorite Gadget Thingy of the month for September....so simmer down and have patience. =0)

Healthy Cookie

1 cup butter, melted

¾ cup honey

2 eggs

1 t. salt

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking soda

1 t. vanilla

½ cup buttermilk or milk

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

2 cups whole rolled oats

1/2 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Mix butter, honey, eggs, salt, cinnamon, soda, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir in flour and oats. Fold in raisins or chocolate chips. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Allow cookies to cool 3-4 minutes on cookie sheet before removing cookies to cool on a wire rack.

Variations~

~don't have buttermilk? Mix 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 tbsp lemon juice. Let sit for about 5 min. then use.

~omit raisins or chocolate chips.

~add 1 cup of chocolate chips to make it sweeter.

~butter a glass 9x13 pan and smooth batter into pan. Bake till center comes out clean. Once cooled, cut into bars.

~you can freeze the cookies or bars for easy snack on the go or breakfast on the go.

Fruit Oatmeal Bars

These make either a great brunch cake, a fabulous tea treat, an extra scrumptious granola bar, or a pretty healthy (pretend there isn't so much butter in it) dessert with ice cream. Talk about a versatile recipe!

It was requested that I put this recipe on here after I served it to a dear friend the other day! =0) So here ya go.....

3 c whole wheat pastry flour

3 c old fashioned oats

2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar

3 sticks refrigerated butter, cut into pieces

2 10 ounce jars Smuckers Simply Fruit jam

Mix all ingredients except jam. I used a pastry cutter to cut the butter in and then used my hands to blend it together well till it was crumbly. You could also try putting it in your mixer and it would probably work well. Press one half of the mixture into a buttered 9x13 glass pan. Spread with a jam. Sprinkle second half of mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely (refrigerating works best), then cut into squares.

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Variations~

-you can cut this recipe in half and make in an 8 in. square pan.

-try different jams...in the pictures we used strawberry but you can make them apricot, blueberry, or blackberry....they are all fabulous!

Oatmeal Pear Crisp

Wonderful breakfast or healthy dessert....

3-4 peeled and sliced or halved pears
about 2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup organic brown sugar
1/2 stick of butter sliced

Spray glass pan with olive oil. Lay pears at the bottom. Mix oats and brown sugar together. Spread over the pears. Layer sliced butter on top and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 or so minutes or until golden brown on top.

Serve for breakfast plain or with yogurt.
If serving for dessert, top with cool whip, whipped cream, ice cream or yogurt.