Caramel Apples

I interrupt this series to bring you a very unhealthy recipe. Every once in awhile we take a break from our healthy eating and enjoy indulging in something not so good for us. But, I hear that if you eat healthy the majority of the time that your body can better handle and process (digest) the not so healthy things. Hey, that works for me! So hopefully our bodies were ready to handle flushing out this toxin.

So, I actually don't like caramel apples. What? Say it isn't so. Here's the deal, usually they are made with really big green sour apples. I don't like sour apples even to contrast the sweet stuff you coat them in and I don't like huge apples where I eat all the caramel off and then there is all this sour apple left to eat. So, here's what I came up with and can I just tell you, I'm craving more and it's been two weeks. These were so good!

I started with small organic gala apples. Gala apples are a dessert apple which means they are sweet to start with (how appropriate...dessert!). We washed them and stabbed them with the sticks. We melted candy caramels that we unwrapped one piece at a time....I'm a sucker for doing things the old fashioned way...no peel and stick caramel for me. Then we melted Ghirardeli milk chocolates (I heard that Ghirardeli has no hydrogenated oils and since I didn't have my organic chocolate with me at the time- we were at my mom's house we went with Ghirardeli), Ghirardeli vanilla chips (way better than white chocolate), and peanut butter chips (I have no clue what that stuff is made of but I closed my eyes and melted it).

We spread, we dipped, we drizzled, we dipped and drizzled some more. We put them on a cookie sheet with buttered wax paper. YOU HAVE TO BUTTER IT! TRUST ME! We set them in the fridge for about an hour and then, OH MY GOSH! YUM! They were amazing. What a way to go off the healthy eating kick!

Instructions:
~The caramel was really smooth so we dipped all the apples first in the caramel using a spoon to help spoon the caramel over the apples.
~Then we put them in the fridge for about 10-15 min. to cool and harden up the caramel.
~Next layer was the peanut butter because it was the thickest. I used a knife and spread a layer of the melted peanut butter chips on them.
~The chocolates weren't so easy to dip so we took a spoon and drizzled the chocolate over the apples next. Once the peanut butter and both chocolates were on the apples we put them in the fridge. The topping got heavy and started to slip off a little so next time I think I'd refrigerate for 10 min. in between every topping.
~Once all the layers are on refrigerate for about 30 min or until ready to eat.
~If they've been the fridge for a long time let them sit out for about 15 min. before eating.

To see more pictures of our caramel apple family night visit here.

Coconut Wet Cake

This is amazing! Yum. I found the idea for it online when I was trying to come up with a recipe to represent the wet cake that is common in Mexico for my kid's homeschool co-op presentation on foods in Mexico. I tweaked the recipe to make it my own and will be making this again it was so good. Terribly unhealthy so brace yourself as you read these ingredients!

1 box cake mix

Mix and bake according to instructions.

While cake is baking, mix together:
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of coconut milk (14 oz.)

When cake is finished baking, remove from the oven and while it is still hot poke it with forks to cover it well with holes. Pour the milk mixture over the cake slowly being sure to spread with a spatula evenly over the cake as it slowly absorbs into the cake. This may take some time.

Let cake cool completely and then refrigerated. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated over night as well.

When ready to serve, frost the cake with cool whip or homemade whipped cream frosting mixed with 1 cup of shredded coconut (I would toast mine and sprinkle it on top but I didn't use it at all in the pictured version).

The cake is spongy wet...it's so good! My friend Robin says she makes something similar but sometimes makes it with chocolate cake and tops it with slivered almonds so that it taste like an Almond Joy cake! Now that's something I'm going to have to try! I love Almond Joy....terrible I know.

Frost on the Pumpkin

It's looking like I won't get that caramel pumpkin pie made in time to post it on here before Thanksgiving. But if it turns out well I'll post it afterwards because it would be nice for any fall day. Meantime, here's something else.

I made this recipe a few years back for Thanksgiving as a treat for the kiddos and so I wanted to share it with you. I'm afraid it isn't healthy other than the pumpkin! But it's a yummy treat that's for sure. I got this recipe from a friend, Lynn. Thanks Lynn! I still love this little dip.

1 can vanilla frosting
8 oz. sour cream
1 can pumpkin
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
8 oz. Cool Whip (thawed)
Ginger Snaps

Mix all ingredients together (except Ginger Snaps of course!) and chill until ready to serve. Serve with Ginger Snaps as a dip!

When I made this I served it up in a little pumpkin just like the one pictured. The one pictured isn't this exact recipe but you get the idea.

Down in the Dumps Cake

When I was a little girl, my mom made this recipe and when she was a little girl, her Grandma and Aunt Neetsa made it. My mom has told me her memories of eating this yummy dessert while watching slides and 8 mm movies of their latest family vacations (camping trips usually) with their friends the Zimmers. Mom is one of 10 kids and the Zimmers had 6 kids so these two family picture-nights were no small gatherings. This dessert is so rich it can feed a small army. My memories of it are at home with our family and sometimes with company. I remember my own Grandma making chocolate pudding with ice cream so it also reminds me of her. =0)



Nothing healthy about it unless you use the chopped nuts! This chocolate cake is made by pouring hot water over top of it and then the cake bakes up on the top and the rest turns into a hot pudding underneath waiting to be uncovered. I've made this many times in my oven according the directions below but this time I made it in my crock-pot while we were out to dinner. We had company coming back to our house for dessert and when we got back it was ready and waiting for us! Crock-pot directions are at the bottom of this post....



but first just to be sure this is the longest recipe post EVER, my early married story of making this dessert was taking it to a church meeting which we were late to. My ever so skillful driving husband was taking turns quite sharply in order to make up for our being late and I cringed as I knew my hot pudding would most likely not withstand all the tipping while it was sitting on the back seat of our car. Somewhere in the world, that car probably still has a chocolate pudding stain on the back seat....try as we did, we could never soak it all up. So, consider yourself warned before trying to transport this dessert! My lesson learned, DON'T transport a dessert with the word "dump" in the name of the recipe!

Original Recipe:



BATTER:

Mix together-

2 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt



Blend in-

1 cup milk

4 tbsp veg. oil

2 c chopped walnuts (optional)



Pour batter into an ungreased glass 9x13 baking dish.



PUDDING:

In another bowl mix together-

2 c brown sugar

1/2 c cocoa powder

Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the batter.



Pour 3 c hot water over the top of brown sugar and batter.



Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min. Let cool about one hour. The water makes a chocolate pudding underneath the baked chocolate cake. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream while watching family videos.



Crock-pot cooking instructions:

Coat crock with butter before putting batter in.

Cook on high heat for 2-2 1/2 hours. (it's very forgiving so if you cooked it for 3 hours it would probably be fine)

Let cool for about 30 min. or so out of the heating element.



You can make this in a dutch oven over coals as well!

Cream Cheese Frosting

12 oz of cream cheese
1 c softened butter
4 tsp vanilla
4 c sifted powdered sugar (or more if needed)

Beat cream cheese and butter till smooth. Add vanilla and gradually add sugar while beating well. Add as much sugar as needed to make frosting smooth for spreading. This will be a thick frosting in the end.

This frosting goes well with any type of pumpkin cake or muffins as well.

Carrot Cake

I guess this is about as healthy as cake gets right? It also happens to be one of my husband's favorite cakes (the other one is Fillmore Orange Cake) and I make it for him almost every year. I made it recently for my brother's birthday too.





1 c white flour
1 c whole wheat flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3 c finely shredded carrots (I run mine through the food processor)
1 c vegetable oil
4 eggs

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add carrot, oil, and eggs. Beat well. Pour into two greased and floured cake pans (9 in.). Bake @ 350 degrees for 30-35 min. or until center bakes up and center comes out clean (use a toothpick or cake tester). Cool for 15 min. and then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

I make mine ahead of time and then wrap them with cling wrap and foil and freeze till ready to frost.

Variation~ this recipe comes out great using 2 cups white flour instead of 1 cup white flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour.

Cream cheese frosting...coming tomorrow.

Frozen Yogurt

I've made home made ice cream many times through the years in our ice cream maker but we gave yogurt a try this time. We used fresh blackberries we had picked and organic yogurt. We added organic granulated sugar to sweeten it a bit. It was really good. You could use more sugar to sweeten it more and I would recommend straining the berries first to rid them of their seeds.

My kids loved making this and have enjoyed eating it! I think we'll be making more frozen yogurts in the future! I want to try peach next!

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1 carton organic vanilla yogurt

1/2-1 cup berries or other fruit mashed

1/2 cup organic granulated sugar

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(you can add more sugar is desired to make it less tart or try using other sweeteners such as pure maple syrup, apple sauce, honey, or other sweeteners. Feel free to try the mixture before freezing it to taste test it for sweetness)

Jordan River Mud Cake

We love to outdoor cook while we camp and our dutch ovens are one of our favorite ways to do that. This yummy cake is so rich and a hit with our whole family. In the pictures I made it with a vanilla cake mix cause that is what I had on hand at the time but you're supposed to use a chocolate cake mix. It's nice though that you can see the process better with the vanilla cake mix.....

2 bag of chocolate chips (I use Ghirardelli semi sweet)

1 cake mix (prepare according to box directions and set aside)

Mix together (the mud part):

1/2 c dry baking cocoa

2 c brown sugar

4 c hot water

2 tsp vanilla

Line a 12 in. dutch oven with foil and preheat with coals. Pour the prepared batter into the dutch. Pour the mud mix over the batter. Cover the dutch with lid and place 8-10 coals on lid and 8 coals on the bottom and bake for about 40 min. Remove lid a few minutes before done and sprinkle with bag of chocolate chips. Allow chips to melt. There will be a cake layer and then a pudding layer underneath.

Variations~

-can easily be doubled

-can be baked in a house oven in a 9x13 glass pan @ 350 degrees until done

-can sprinkle chopped nuts on with chocolate chips

-can serve with vanilla ice cream (my favorite way) or with cool whip/whipped cream

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)

Sneaky Chocolate Cake

Here is the other eggless cake recipe and this one is extra sneaky with a whole can of pumpkin that you can NOT taste in the cake! I'm so impressed with this recipe because of it's rich texture! It's wonderful to sneak squash into kids, bring to a party when you're on a diet, or camping when you don't have eggs!

1 box devils food cake mix

1 14 oz can pumpkin or half of a 28 oz can (can NOT be pumpkin pie filling)

Mix the above together till well blended. (it's a little dry to mix at first but keep mixing. If needed you can add a bit of water but I haven't needed to)

Bake in cake pans or as cupcakes @ 350 for approx. 35 min. or until centers are done.

Variations:

~ mix in 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts

~ mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips

~ top with frosting

~ top with whipped cream

~ top with whipped cream and sliced strawberries

~ serve hot with vanilla ice cream

~ bake in a 9x13 with chocolate chips mixed in as a brownie

THANKS to my two friends who told me about this recipe and the one below!

Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Okay, I'm back! Sorry for the long delays....

I'm going to post two eggless cake recipes. These are great for camping since you don't have to take eggs with you. You can do them in a dutch oven over coals as well. Here's the first one. It has a refreshingly light texture.

1 box angel food cake mix
1 can crushed pineapple in it's juice

mix the above together and pour into an UNgreased glass 9x13 pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 min or until center is done.

Optional toppings: whipped cream, cool whip, sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, pie filling, etc.

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.

Healthy Apple Brown Betty

Oh my this is good! Makes a wonderful breakfast or dessert. My husband really liked this!

4 apples, preferably Granny Smith
6-7 slices whole wheat bread
1 stick butter

1 cup packed organic brown sugar

Peel apples and slice them. Slice bread into a small dice, or tear into very small pieces. Coat baking dish with butter, then add 1/3 of the brown sugar, 1/3 of the apple slices, and 1/3 of the breadcrumbs. Repeat twice more. Slice butter and lay slices all over the top of the bread crumbs. Bake in a 375-degree oven, covered in foil, until done—about 45 minutes. Remove foil in last few minutes of baking to brown

the top.

However you've had apple brown betty in the past you've got to try this version. Don't be afraid to serve it to guests for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Miniature Cheesecake

I don't have a picture of these

(not my own picture but these are what they would look like....)

but they would be nice to serve with tea. I got this recipe years ago from my friend, Aly.

3 8oz. pkgs of cream cheese

1 c sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Vanilla Wafers

Cherry, Strawberry, or Blueberry Pie Filling

Soften cream cheese. Put one vanilla wafer in the bottom of cupcake liners, flat side down. Mix together cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla till smooth. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with cheese mixture. Bake 25 min. at 350 degrees. Cool. Spoon on small amount of fruit filling. Refrigerate till serving.

Puffed Pastry Tea Treats

Puff pastry is so EASY! You can buy it already made at the grocery store (can't figure out why anyone would make it from scratch unless they are incredibly bored!) and you unfold it and bake it. You can use any shape you want to cut it out. In the pictures we used a little tea pot cookie cutter but you can just as well make circles. Bake according to the package directions and then cool completely. You can make them ahead of time and store carefully in a container or ziplock.


Once you are ready to fill them. Take a serrated knife and split them open in half. Put a filling on the bottom and put the top back on. (we then sprinkled ours with powdered sugar but it's not necessary)

You can use several different fillings. In the pictures we used whipped cream and lemon curd mixed together. You could use plain whipped cream or whipped cream mixed with any pudding flavor you liked. Chocolate pudding mixed with whipped cream would make a wonderful chocolate treat. You can also mix in fresh berries into the whipped cream.

Sorry my pictures are so bad lately! I've been in such a hurry lately. I'll work better at them.

Almond Tea Cake

I'm reposting this recipe under my tea section because it's not only wonderful (YUM!) but it's so simple. You can freeze it as well which makes prepping ahead of time great.

I got this recipe from a friend that I worked with at a preschool. Her name is Shannon but I don't keep in touch with her anymore but I still love her almond tea cake! This is SUPER easy and MAJOR yummy.

Mix together:

2 well beaten eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 stick melted butter

2 tsp. almond extract

Pour into a greased 9" glass pan. If you are going to use a metal cake pan like in the pictures, you need to butter and flour the pan first. Sprinkle the edges with slivered almonds (in the picture I was out of them so I did without). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

You can also bake it in a square and then cut it into little 1 inch squares to serve at tea.