Applesauce

First, my apologies for so severely neglecting this blog for the last few months.  It has been a busy time for our family!  We learned that we will be adding a little sister to our family in January and, as with my previous pregnancy, I struggled with hyperemesis gravidarum.  I didn't cook much for a few months and didn't have energy for extra projects so there wasn't a lot to be blogging about.  The good news is I am feeling better now and am able to do more so I'm back!

The time of year I make and can a lot of applesauce.  We eat it throughout the year and especially with a new baby coming I want to have it on hand for her first foods.  I typically aim for 15-20 quarts of applesauce and make three varieties: plain, cinnamon, and blueberry.

I've been asked about what kind of apples I use, and the answer isn't really definitive.  For this batch I used Cortland, Macintosh, and Empire, but I have used other kinds and I'm not terribly picky about it.  What is important is to use a variety of apples in your applesauce so I aim for at least three varieties.  The different varieties balance each other well and give the finished product a great flavor.

We went apple picking as a family last night and had a great time!  We went to an orchard that is chemical free.  This means that the trees have not been sprayed with agents that would normally make the apples bigger and blemish-free.  The apples we picked were a little on the smaller side and had some blemishes but for making applesauce it makes no difference how the apples look.

We picked 20lbs of apples.  This is the amount I typically like to work with because it maxes out my stove burners, pots and pans, and my sink.  Any more and I'd have to split it up into smaller batches.  These directions can be adapted to any size batch since the only ingredient is apples!

First, wash the apples.  I put them in the sink with cold water and a splash of vinegar.  I agitate the water with my hands and inspect the apples for any that need a little extra cleaning.

Next I use an apple sectioning tool to cut and core the apples.  If you don't have one a knife works fine but will take you a little longer.

The cores get tossed and the sections (skin and all!) go in a pot on the stove with about 2 inches of water in the bottom.  20 lbs of apples fills both of my 8 quart pots.

Cover the pots and cook on med-low for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally.  It's hard to determine an exact time and my two pots finished at different times (could be my old stove!) so it is better to watch what the apples look like than to watch the clock.

This is what they look like when they're ready for the next step.  The texture is similar to oatmeal and any remaining chunks of apple are soft and break up with a spoon.

I use a fruit grinder and strainer attachment on my mixer for the next step but I have also done it with a hand crank food mill.  The food mill is definitely slower so I wouldn't recommend it for batches this large.

This attachment (and a food mill) purées the apples and separates out any seeds and the skins.  It is really easy!  The applesauce comes out one spout (into the metal bowl) and the waste drops out another into the red bowl.

If you are freezing or eating your applesauce fresh, you're done!  If you are canning your applesauce you have a few more steps.  You can choose to stop here (and I sometimes do) and pick up the next day.  Just cover the applesauce and refrigerate until you're ready to can.  When you are ready to can the applesauce just heat it back up on the stove.  I process quarts for 20 minutes in a water bath canner.

20lbs of apples yielded about 9 quarts of applesauce.  I had a little extra that wouldn't fill a jar so we just finished that off with our dinner tonight.  I've been told that these will keep up to 3 years but they never last that long in our house!

Cost comparison:

My grocery store sells large containers of plain generic applesauce for $1.73/quart.  Our apples were an extremely reasonable $.50/lb making our cost about $1.10/quart.  When you compare our applesauce to the organic generic applesauce at $3.46/quart you really see the savings!  Theirs is three times the price as homemade!  Chemical free is not the same as organic, but for me it is fairly comparable.  Homemade applesauce saves us a lot of money and tastes so much better than store bought. 

Variations:

Blueberry - add 2 cups of blueberries to 10lbs of apples before cooking.  Running the mixture through the strainer will also remove the blueberry skins.

Cinnamon - after straining, return applesauce to the stove and add cinnamon to taste, about 2 tablespoons per 10 pounds.  Cook the applesauce on low for about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

DIY Toys: Water Play

This is something we've done a few times to keep my little guy busy and in the kitchen so I can keep an eye on him while I cook.  It can get a little messy, but hey, it's just water!

I put the stopper in the sink, turn the water on at a trickle, and give him some kitchen tools to play with.  I also toss a towel on the floor between the counter and his chair to catch the drips.  When the water level reaches a few inches, (never give them more than you want to clean up!), I turn off the water and let him continue to play.

When it started getting really messy I took his clothes off.  This picture also shows the towel on the floor.

This is a great free game that keeps my little guy busy for a good 30 minutes.  Hooray!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin Bread

One of my favorite smells is this bread baking in the oven.  Delicious!

Ingredients:

3 cups while wheat flour

2 cups white flour

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast (2 envelopes)

2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons sugar

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup raisins

sprinkle of cornmeal

1. Microwave milk and water for 5 minutes on half power. While that's heating...

2. In mixer with dough hook, combine wheat flour, yeast, salt, sugar, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Mix until combined.

3. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Gradually add white flour and raisins.  I usually have to use a spatula to hand mix at the end.

4. Grease two loaf pans and sprinkle cornmeal in the bottom.  I use coconut oil to grease the pans.

5. Place dough in pans, cover pans with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes.

6. Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.  

Variations:  This recipe actually started as a plain English muffin bread.  To make it plain, substitute white flour for wheat and omit cinnamon and raisins.  I'd also like to try it with cheddar cheese and chives some time!

Dark Chocolate Edamame Bark

I love the dark chocolate edamame from Trader Joe's and we have been out if it for a while.  The store closest to us is 85 miles away, so I only go about ever other month.

This recipe came out of desperation!  I just had to make something similar to satisfy my sweet tooth.  Here's what I made.

Ingredients:

1 bar dark chocolate (mine was 5.29oz)

1/2 cup dry roasted edamame

1/4 cup raw almonds

1-2 tbsp flaked coconut

1. Break chocolate into pieces and place in microwaveable bowl.  Microwave 1 minute and then stir.  Continue to microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until completely melted.  I only needed 2 minutes total to melt the chocolate.

2. Stir in almonds and edamame.  Continue  until everything is coated in chocolate.

3.  Spread mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with coconut flakes.

4. Put the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to harden up.

5.  Break apart and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pesto Hummus

We have been enjoying hummus in our house, and this is a very easy way to whip up a batch in a hurry.

Ingredients:

1 can white beans or chick peas

1/4c prepared pesto

1 tbsp tahini

*If you make with chick peas you may need to add a little bit of olive oil to make it smooth.

Drain the liquid from the beans and combine all ingredients in food processor.  Add a little olive oil and blend longer if needed.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Casserole

Here at the C house we got a surprise when we came home from a shopping trip on Friday night - our refrigerator croaked!  Thankfully between our basement freezer and the mini fridge Mr. C uses for beer (now all in the garage) we were able to rearrange things and find spots for almost everything.  Even so, the last two days we've been trying to make meals that use up cold things.  Here's what I decided to do with some of the fridge and freezer groceries we needed to use up.

Ingredients:

3 cups hash brown potatoes

1 cup chopped bell peppers

1/4 cup diced onions

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup salsa

4oz (about two cups) shredded cheese

8oz cubed ham steak

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

salt, pepper, spritz of olive oil

1. Sauté peppers and onions with a little olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes.  I used very generous heaping measurements and wouldn't hesitate to make this again with even more.

Aren't they pretty?  While they're cooking...

2. Spread hash browns over the bottom of 2.5 quart baking dish.  I microwaved them for 3 minutes just to soften a little.

3. On top of the hash browns layer cooked peppers and onions, ham, spinach, and salsa.  

4. Beat eggs with milk.  Add salt and pepper, as well as any other spices you choose.

5. Gently pour the egg mixture over the casserole.

6. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  I used Colby.  Sorry, forgot to take a picture!

7. Bake in 375 degree oven for 50 minutes.

Not so pretty like this, but it set up well and was easy to cut and serve.

When I make this again I'd like to try a little less of the hash browns and more peppers, onions, and spinach.

There are lots of ways to play with this recipe!  How about broccoli and feta?  Bacon?  Vegetarian?  They all sound good!

Easter Eggs

I was in the store looking at a kit to dye Easter eggs and it was $3.  That's more than the eggs!  I'd seen on Pinterest that you could dye eggs with food coloring, (which now seems like an obvious method), so I opted to skip the kit and do it myself at home.  Here's how it worked out.

I followed the McCormick directions found here.  You need boiling water, white vinegar, food coloring, and the hard boiled eggs, of course.

I added 1/2 cup boiling water and 1tsp white vinegar to a water glass, then added the dye.

There are so many choices of colors to make!

The colors we made were:

Watermelon - 24 drops red, 2 drops blue

Yellow - 20 drops yellow

Jungle Green - 14 drops green, 6 drops yellow

Blue - 20 drops blue

Plum - 10 drops red, 4 drops blue

The only color I wouldn't choose to do again is the plum.  I thought it came out too brown and only made 1 because of it.

Last year little guy was only 6 months old at Easter so he just got to watch.  This year he had a great time coloring eggs with Mr. C.

Here are our finished eggs!  Happy Easter!

Coupon Shopping at Kohl's

With warm weather coming I've been busy putting together a summer wardrobe for my son.  I look for nicer clothing and shoes second hand but for casual play shirts I just can't justify paying $3 when I can get some brand new for almost the same price and on better condition.  When I wrote about shopping at consignment sales I mentioned that I have lots of ways to find kids clothes for a good deal.  Kohl's is a place I can find affordable things for my son.  I don't have many store credit cards, (just this one and Target), but I love my Kohl's card.  It is absolutely a store card worth having if you are going to shop there.  There are lots of sales and coupons that you can only take advantage of if you have a Kohl's card.

I was a little short on casual shirts for the little guy, so I was excited when I saw these coupons in my mailbox!  I went to Kohl's and found boys shirts on sale for $6.99, and after my $10 off coupon and 30% off, they were $3.49 each.  Though I would never ever pay it, 5 shirts could have cost me $70.  Yikes!

My little guy is almost ready for summer!  Today it snowed here but I'm holding on to hope that it will warm up soon!

Biscuit Donuts

This is a "too good to be true" simple idea that I've seen on Pinterest quite a few times.  I was at Real Deals this week and saw honey butter refrigerated biscuits for $1 so I decided to give it a try!  It is really just as easy as it looks and the donuts are delicious.

All you need is a can of biscuits and some oil to fry them in.  I used a Dutch oven to heat the oil, the handle of a wooden spoon to pick up the donuts, and a cap for a wine bottle to cut the holes.

I found lots of different topping ideas on Pinterest but I chose to just sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top for my first attempt.  I found one with a chocolate red wine frosting.  How fantastic does that sound?!

Pour about 2 inches of oil in the Dutch oven and heat it on medium about 5-10 minutes to get it up to temperature.  There were no bubbles or boiling in my pot.

While the oil is heating, cut holes in the biscuits using whatever small round cutting tool you have, or use a knife to freehand.  The hole helps them cook thoroughly and makes them easier to handle.  Also prepare a plate or baking sheet with a few paper towels on it.  After the donuts fry you will need a place to put them to cool and the towels will absorb extra oil.

Using the spoon handle to pick up the biscuit dough by the hole, gently place the dough in the hot oil.  It doesn't bubble very furiously.  I was pleasantly surprised that this made zero mess on my stove and I didn't get burned with splattering hot oil.  The dough will puff up very quickly.

Let it cook only about a minute and then flip using the wooden spoon handle.  Cook one minute on the second side as well.

Transfer to the paper towels to cool.  I sprinkled a little cinnamon and sugar on top of each one as they came out.

Don't forgot to toss the little donut holes in at the end!  I used a slotted spoon to flip them and remove them from the oil.

This is not by any stretch a healthy breakfast, but it is very simple to make and inexpensive.  I think it has a little bit of a "wow factor" too if you want to serve for a special occasion like a birthday or for visiting overnight guests.  Donuts don't get any fresher than this and these taste great!

DIY Toys: The Sunday Paper

When my son was an infant he never wanted to be put down.  I think it's a pretty common challenge parents face and so I hope you can relate!  Reading the Sunday sales ads and clipping coupons are important to saving on groceries and household supplies in our family.  My son sat with me while I read the ads and we talked about the pictures.  Colorful, shiny sales ads are fascinating for babies.  I'd say that just like it is never too early to start reading to your children, it is never too early to start this activity with your little one.

Here's my little guy at 14 months enjoying the Sunday paper.  If I find more pictures I'll be sure to add them!

At 18 months we now use this opportunity to practice vocabulary and it is a great tool for eliciting language.  My son points to and labels objects, and I ask him questions like, "where is the blue shoe?" and "how many dogs do you see?"  Many times he asks me "what's that?"

Here are some of the things we talk about.

Pet Stores - These have lots of animals!  We look for dogs, cats, sometimes birds and fish. We talk about the sounds they make.

Drug Stores and Dollar Stores - Because they usually highlight seasonal items, this is a good opportunity to talk about holidays and weather.  With Easter just around the corner we have been spotting lots of bunnies!

Supermarkets - We talk about food, of course!  Pictures of produce, meat, and bread are the most recognizable.  Prepackaged food is more difficult to identify but we try.

Sporting Goods Stores - My son loves shoes and boots so he gets pretty excited about these ads.  We count shoes and talk about what color they are.  He also likes playing with balls so he loves to see pictures of basketballs and soccer balls.

Big Box and Department Stores - These are a little more difficult, but we do point out the things he loves like babies and toys.  Sometimes in the ads for kids clothes and toys we will spot a character he knows like Elmo or Pooh.  These are also good for learning the names of types of clothing.

It isn't all educational!  Eventually we get to the point when it is more fun to wad up the papers, tear them, and listen to them crinkle under his feet while he stomps on them.  Today he got it in his head that he wanted to hide.  He would lay down and ask me to cover him, then throw off the paper and yell "boo!"  What a goofball!