A little bit of Apple Butter

I was browsing through some blogs, and an old colleague of mine said that she had made apple butter in the crock pot. I had never done that before (I had never made apple butter, period!), so I searched for an easy recipe.

Approximately 3 lb. apples
3 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cloves
Dash of salt
3/4 cup water or fresh apple cider

So. . .that was one recipe. . .and I pretty much did that, minus the adding water/apple cider (since later on in the recipe they ask you to boil it down to very little moisture anyway. And I added less sugar, something I read on another blog, that suggested if I were using sweet apples, maybe not as much sugar was needed.

So, I followed directions as needed. . .but then when I got to the part that suggested I take the lid off of the crock pot to get rid of excess water, I did something different--so ground-breaking! I decided to drain it. . .and make apple cider with the extra apple juice. Brilliant, I know! (See my "pioneer method" of getting apple juice?)

 I don't have a hand blender, and when making apple sauce, I usually just use a potato masher if I do the crock pot variation because we don't mind it chunky on occasion. So for this recipe, I put the drained apple sauce into the kitchen aid to make it smooth. So easy, so fast!

Then I added the spices, and needed to boil it one more time in a sauce pan (or crock pot again. It was getting late into the night, so the sauce pan was quicker. More dishes, yes, but it got me to bed before my alarm clock went off in the morning!)

And the kids like like it--including he BIG one. . .but not E. He thinks it is just smoother spicier applesauce and that doesn't belong on bread. Oh well. . .it is getting gobbled up anyway!

Happy fall food preserving!

A Recipe for Tracy. . . and MPM!

So here is a recipe I needed to post from my MPM, and one requested by my SIL! Here you go!!!

French Toast Casserole

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

sliced bread (about 1 loaf)

5 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

Melt butter, pour in bottom of 9x13 pan. Top butter with brown sugar and cinnamon. Put ripped up bread over the top. Beat eggs and milk and pour over the bread. Cover with tin foil and refrigerate overnight (you can skip this step). Uncover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with syrup.

You can freeze this before baking it!

Here's how it can be changed: My sister doubled the bottom so that it didn't really need any syrup at all. And she used raisin bread. MMMMMMM! I was in heaven. Thus I promptly got on her computer and e-mailed her recipe to me!

What I have done with my family (and with the extended family over) is make the bottom & spray the sides of the Pyrex (this prevents it from sticking!!!). Then I used half a loaf of "healthy bread" (which my son calls bird-seed bread--he doesn't like it! but this gets him eating it in disguise!), put a layer of cinnamon and raisins, then do half a loaf of white bread, and top it with some more cinnamon and raisins. I had to save an un-raisin-ed portion for my bro-in-law who doesn't like them. Then I topped it all with 7 eggs and milk (because we had lots!). It was delicious! We served it with bacon and fruit salad.

Crunchy Fruit Salad

(From Saturday's Snack--MPM post)

For this recipe, use your favourite fruits. I generally use grapes, bananas, strawberries, kiwis and oranges. Then I take 1/2 c. sour cream and mix it with 1-2 T white sugar and a splash of lemon juice. This will get mixed into the fruit just before serving!

For the topping, use:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup butter (or margarine)
1/4 cup oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon, oats and walnuts. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or cross cutting with 2 knives, until you have coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping on a sprayed cookie sheet or pan.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake for 15 minutes or until crunchy.

To serve, mix fruit. Mix sauce with fruit. Spoon into serving bowls. Spoon topping over fruit. You can add a dollop of whipped cream if you desire! And enjoy!

Scrumptious Cookies

Mmmmm. . .
That is the only thing going through my head right now.

Mmmmm. . .

Because I made Toasted Coconut and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies.

They are posted as my "Saturday's Snack" on my MPM for this week. I found the recipe via a colleague's beautiful blog (Bluebird Notes) at the Ungourmet. And they are heavenly.

You should really check out the photos at these two blogs! They will make you want to stir up a batch of your own! Even my hubby, who was apprehensive about the recipe LOVED them! He wasn't too impressed with the bag of cookies to give away!

So I tried a few photos of my own:

Don't you want to try some too?

Crepes

So, a few weeks ago I was in Calgary. My sister and I got a break from the kiddos for a bit and went to the Mall (aka: Toys R Us). Then she told me about a place I had to try out in the food court, so. . .I did.

And I was amazed. Who would have thought???

The place was called Crepe Works (see photo below) and you just have to check out their site to truly understand what I am talking about (my biggest hint. . .go to the menu link!!!). To sum it up, they make these crepes right in front of you on these circle grills, and then pass it along to the "fixings" part, where they make crepes that you probably never heard of before. When I make crepes at home, it consists of jams, syrups, fresh fruit. . .not guacamole or salsa. But here, there are NO limits as to what your crepe can have on it! And after all the "fixings" parts, then they wrap it up (using a nifty wooden spatula tool) and you are good to go. Their weird thing is I've always made crepes and eaten them warm. Here they are room-temp or even "cool." Another odd part of the whole experience. Just totally not what I expected from a crepe!

So, here is the end product. This is what they hand to you. . .this is your crepe (in a wrap)!

So this one is the California Chicken Crepe. I just had to try one of them with the "weird" ingredients. And, it was amazing! (And healthy!) But, yes, for all you traditional crepe-lovers, there are the "traditional" toppings (well, in this case, fillings) and those same toppings with a flare! (Please see their site and their menu!) The sad thing is it is only in Calgary!!!! Come on all of you looking to open a unique chain. This is it!!!

I felt that this quote of their summed it all up:

"The fun atmosphere and excitement appeals to customers of all ages. Combined with our novel serving style with sophisticated fare, make it a take-out experience like no other."

Otherwise you can blame it on the fact that I need to get out a little more often.

Yes, I admit it, I am getting excited about a pancake.

But. .. my son devours pancakes. He does not devour vegetables. So you see my intrigue? What happens if you mix it all up??? I'll let you know on one of my MPM posts!

Yep, still excited about a pancake. I'll stop writing now.

Menu Plan Monday

Another week. . .I'm starting out feeling a little under the weather, so hopefully things will improve! But here is my plan for the week!

Monday- Soup (Beef and Vegetable Barley for the Crock Pot), buns
did you see the snow outside??? definitely a soup day!

Tuesday- Ham Steaks, baked potatoes, peas & carrots

Wednesday- Tuna Alfredo (I add red peppers, garlic and grated cheese to this one. you can add broccoli, corn, carrots, etc to make it more of a primevera)Garlic bread, salad

Thursday (Crock-Pot Day)- Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches

Friday-Easy Quiche (Bierlink Family Cookbook, p. 43)

Snack for Saturday- Baked Pizza Dip (variation #2)
Bonus recipe--The BABE Bars

Sunday- Breakfast for Supper day (pancakes (with fruit)and bacon)

Note #1: Monday's used to have a link to www.wyserecipes.blogspot.com (i believe). No longer letting us follow it, so here is my "modified" recipe from them.
Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup
1-1/2 lb. lean ground been (i made mine into meatballs)
1/2 c. onion
1 cl. garlic
2/3 c. pearl barley
3-4 medium carrots, diced
3 ribs celery (i omit this and put some celery seed in instead)
1 (28 g. can tomatoes
3-1/2 to 4 c. beef broth
2c (or more!) water
1 (10-1/2 oz.) can tomato soup
1 bay leaf
1/4 c. minced parsley
salt and pepper
Optional add-ins: zucchini, hot sauce, potato, peppers (green and red)

Brown the meat. then put everything in the crock pot. Cook on low for 7 hours (I stirred it up a few times--maybe that changes the amount of time). Take bay leaf out before serving. Serve with sour cream and/or buns.

Note #2: I had to try another Pizza dip this week! (I had people over a few times, so. . .a variation well worth it! I've served this before baked in a bread bowl. Put all ingredients in a bread bowl, wrap in tin foil. Bake the same as recipe says. Still yum!

Note #3: I figured since the Pizza dip was a variation of last week, you deserve another recipe. Here are easy bars that bring me back to my college days, when the name "The BABE" had significance. :) Sorry . . .not sure where the recipe came from. It was a few years ago.
The BABE Bars
1 c. sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1-1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
6 c. Rice Crispy or Special K cereal
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 c. chocolate chips

Combine sugar & corn syrup in 2 qt. microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 3-4 minutes on High until boiling. Stir in peanut butter until well blended. Stir in cereal. Press into a 9x13" buttered pan. Set aside. Microwave chips in 2 qt. bowl for 3- 3-1/2 minutes at Medium until they look soft and shiny. Stir until smooth. Spread over bars, cool, cut into squares. Yum-yum!

Menu Plan Monday

Yes, I have joined the thousands of other moms who post blogs with their menu plans! This is my trial run, so please show me a little grace! I'm working on creating links, so, no links this week. (BTW-for me it a report card writing week, so my meals are nothing to write home about!)

Monday-Dill-Crusted Sole Fillets, Alfredo Noodles, Carrots in ginger

Tuesday-Mini Cheddar Meat Loaves, Baked Potato, Beans (i can hear my kids getting excited about this veggie already! :~)

Wednesday-Chicken Fajitas (Celeste, we are trying your recipe!)

Thursday (Crock Pot Day)-Crock-Pot Chili with the fixings

Friday-Soup (either Potato Soup from Best of the Bridge or . . . )

Saturday--(Free Day! or leftovers)

Sunday--Breakfast for Supper--Dutch Boy Pancakes and Bacon

P.S. Tradition at our house says one crock pot day a week and Sundays are always Breakfast for Supper! Makes my hubby happy. And when the hubby is happy, the Honey-do list seems to get looked at more often. . . :)

So here is my one recipe for you: (i can't credit it because i have no idea where is came from! somewhere amidst my old recipe cards)

Sole Fillets
1/2 lb sole fillets (you can use other types of fish: cod, halibut)
1T. mayo
1/4 t.salt
1/4 t. group pepper
1 slice whole wheat bread-toasted
1 clove garlic
2 t. butter
2T chopped fresh
1 t. lemon zests-grated

Preheat oven to 450F. Spray an 8" baking dish. Pat fish dry. Spread mayo on the board side of each fillet & season with salt and pepper. Make crumbs out of toast. Add garlic, butter, dill, and lemon. Sprinkle crumb mixture on fillets, then fold the narrow end over to form a roll. Place in pan and bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. Serves 2-4.
Serve with rice, pan-fried veggies, and lemon wedges.