Fall Sewing

I am participating in this kids' clothes sewing challenge this week.  

I did this back in the Spring, and it helped motivate me to get several projects done.  Hopefully, I will have as much success this season!

When the week is over, I'll let you know how I did!

Apple Recipes

So what did we do with all of those apples?

We started out with some homemade applesauce...


Homemade Applesauce (recipe source: Sing For Your Supper)
4 apples, peeled and cored 1/2 cup brown sugar pinch salt juice of one lemon 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup water
Cut the apples into large chunks and put them in a heavy pot over medium heat; add the brown sugar, salt, lemon juice, cinnamon and water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the apples are extremely soft and mushy. Using a potato masher, mash the apples together until you have an applesauce-like consistency.  Serves 4.

Next up was an apple pie...

Apple Pie (recipe source: Your Homebased Mom)
Mix: 2 C flour 1 C sugar 1 egg yolk 1 tsp baking powder Add: 2 sticks butter, melted
Press 1/2 of dough into a glass pie plate.  Being sure you have an even layer on bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
Afer pressing 1/2 of pie dough into pie plate, pile 7-8 apples (sliced, cored and peeled) onto crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon and 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar (or more).

Crumble remaining dough on top by breaking it into small pieces.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes – 1 hour (Time will vary depending on how thick you slice the apples, you want them tender but not mushy.)

We made apple chips...


Oven Baked Apple Chips
(recipe source: Our Best Bites)

apples, cored
ground cinnamon

Slice apples in uniformly thin slices (1/8 of an inch or less) and place on a parchment or silicone baking mat lined baking sheet in an even layer.  Slices can touch each other, but try not to overlap. Fit as many apples on a sheet as you can (they shrink a lot!)  If desired sprinkle with cinnamon and gently rub in.

Bake apples at 170 for 6-8 hours, until dry and slightly shriveled, and curled up around edges. Turn off oven and leave door shut until completely cooled.  Remove apples from baking sheet and store in an airtight container.

Then I made some apple butter...

Slow Cooker Apple Butter
(recipe source: My Baking Addiction)
Yields: 4 pints

6 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:
Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples and mix well.  Cook in slow cooker on low for about 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.  Uncover, stir in vanilla and continue cooking uncovered on low for about 2 hours.  Use an immersion blender to puree the apple butter until smooth.  Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze.  Serve on breads, muffins, pork chops or just eat it with a spoon.


And finally some more applesauce (in the slow cooker this time)...

Crock Pot Applesauce
(recipe source: Skinnytaste)
Servings: 12 - Makes 3 cups

Ingredients:
8 medium apples
1 strip of lemon peel
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 inch cinnamon stick
5 tsp light brown sugar (unpacked) - or agave

Directions:
Peel, core, and slice the apples.  Place them in the slow cooker.  Add the cinnamon stick, lemon peel and brown sugar.  Set crock pot to low and cook for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally, apples will slowly become a delicious applesauce.  Remove cinnamon stick and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth or if you prefer a chunky sauce, leave sauce intact.

I still have about 15 more apples left, and I am still trying to figure out what to make with them!

Project 52 - Sports

The theme for this week's Project 52 is Sports.  Just watching sports on this rainy Saturday...

Apple Picking

Last Saturday we took the kids to Jones Orchard in Millington to pick apples.  We have never done that before, and it was a lot of fun.  The type of apple that was ready to pick was called Arkansas Black (Richie loved that)!  This was a fun fall activity that I hope we will do again.
















They also had tons of pumpkins that we enjoyed looking at.

After apple picking we went to lunch at Fino's.  We are trying to eat some things off this bucket list that a friend told me about from the Commercial Appeal.  

I will let you know what we did with all of the apples in another post.  Happy Fall!

Fresh Apple Cake

I made this Apple Cake over the weekend to take to a dinner party.  It is one of my favorite fall desserts.  I found it in Southern Living a couple of years ago.  You can choose from three different frostings.  I have always made it with the Browned-Butter Frosting.  It's a great fall recipe, and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do!

Fresh Apple Cake

(recipe source: Southern Living)

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake pecans in a single layer 5-7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

Stir together butter and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl until blended.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Stir in apples and 1 cup pecans. (Batter will be very thick, similar to a cookie dough.) Spread batter into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 45 minutes). Spread your choice of frosting over top of cake; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup pecans.

Yields: 12-15 servings

Browned-Butter Frosting

(recipe source: Southern Living)

1 cup butter

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Cook butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, 6 to 8 minutes or until butter begins to turn golden brown. Remove pan from heat immediately, and pour butter into a small bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until butter is cool and begins to solidify.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add powdered sugar alternately with milk, beginning and ending with powdered sugar. Beat mixture at low speed until well blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

Fall Family Football

The weather was so nice here over the weekend, so Richie took the kids outside for a family football game.

The American girl dolls were brought out to cheer on the girls.

The girls were the Ole Miss Rebels.

And the boys were the Arkansas Razorbacks.

It got pretty intense.

Tebow...

There were lots of water breaks needed.

To settle the "tied" score, they did some racing after the game.

Project 52 - Birds/Flying

The theme for this week's Project 52 is Birds/Flying.  I waited around for birds for as long as I could, but all Griffin and I could find were bees and this one butterfly which he promptly scared off (and that is why it is out of focus)...oh well.  This was a hard theme!