Simply Rurban

A Meatless Yummy Meal

Posted on October 3, 2011 by simply0637

I love lentils so when I came across this recipe – I quickly decided it was going to be our new recipe for the week.

You will need a crock pot for this recipe.

Fettuccine with Lentil Bolognese Sauce (taken from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker recipe book) – serves 4

Ingredients

2 Tbl olive oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 small carrot, minced
1 celery rib, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
One – 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 Tbl tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup hot water
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup milk or soy milk
1 pound fettuccine
1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke (I omitted)
2 Tbl minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or soy Parmesan to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic, cover, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer for 2 minutes.

Veggies Chopped

Cooked veggies

Cooked veggies with wine

2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a 3 1/2 to 4 – quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste mixture and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours. I started tasting for doneness around 5 hours.

3. While the lentil sauce is cooking, combine the beans and milk in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. It was difficult in the blender and took a longer time – had to keep stopping to mix it back up and re-position – I would suggest the food processor and not the blender. Set aside.

4. When ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until is is al dente, about 8 minutes. I used a spinach linguine and it only took 3 minutes to cook. Drain well.

Ready to add the bean mixture

5. Just prior to serving, stir the bean mixture, Liquid smoke (if using) and parsley into the sauce. (I did this step prior to cooking the pasta, so that the flavors could mix)Place the cooked pasta in a serving bowl, add the sauce, toss gently to combine, and serve immediately with the cheese.

Sauce is done

Mixed together

Served

This is definitely a keeper. Stella had TWO helpings, I could not believe it. I had put some of pasta aside just in case she did not like – amazed at how much she liked it! I think this recipe serves more like 6, unless you have people that have huge appetites. It did not even look like we made a dent in the bowl after having dinner and we will have leftover night at least twice this week instead of our normal 1. This would be an easy recipe to halve.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged crock pot, lentils, meatless meal, pasta | 2 Comments

Two Days of No School!!!

Posted on October 1, 2011 by simply0637

School was closed this past Thursday and Friday for Rosh Hashanah and that also meant that the after school program was closed. For parents that work, the closing of school so often is a problem – you can only take so many days off or work from home for so many days. It seems the fall has the most half day and full days of school being closed. This coming week school is letting out early on Friday after they practice the emergency evacuation plan, then Monday closed for Columbus Day and on the same week Friday is a half day for teacher work day.

On Thursday I had 3 other children here and it was raining, so what to do?! A lot of Barbie playing was had, along with fort building, dress up and one show on Netflix. To keep my sanity I made banana chocolate chip bread and got caught up on emails. We got all ready to go for a walk in between the rain, but as soon as we were ready to walk out the door the rain started coming down in sheets.

Friday I had one other child and the sun was shining in between cloud cover and we all knew that we needed to get outside and enjoy the day – the forecast is rain for the next 5 days – I am starting to think that we live in the rain forest and maybe that is what our climate is changing to. We packed some snacks, water bottles and light jackets and headed north to do some pumpkin and apple picking – it was glorious. The girls had had a sleepover on Thursday night – so they slept the whole way up – the quiet was nice.

Our first stop on the farm was the sugar pumpkin patch, since this is close to the children’s village. The girls went crazy, filling the wagon up – I had to stop them when the count was 11! I have a lot of pumpkins to cook this weekend. We were off to the children’s village next. This is a great village with many small buildings for the kids to play in, barn, chapel, post office, jail, school house, general store, etc – I think there are about 10 buildings. What made it even more enjoyable was the mud – there is no place for the water to go anymore and streams are running everywhere. The girls ran around there for about 30 minutes.

We headed for the apple orchards and the girls picked red and golden delicious, fuji, macoun, empire and mutsu apples – picking the ones that “caught my eye” as they kept saying to each other. I, of course, pulled the wagon all throughout the orchard with some “help” from the girls – it will be awhile before my heals are the same. The smiles, giggles and conversation was so worth two sore heals! Now we needed to find the perfect pumpkins for the stoop and of course, to carve. We walked up and down the rows several times before we found the perfect pumpkin – not so round and with so many warts!

To the main building we went, to pump our own water for drinking and washing of our hands, to pay for our goodies, lunch and for me apple cider donuts – love them. Afterwards the girls ran through the maze made of hay bales and then back to the children’s village – for me it was an hour of sitting on a rock, listening to children laughing and screaming, looking out at the mountains and letting my mind daydream.

We headed home, had to walk the dog, get Stella’s soccer clothes, unload the pumpkins and goodies, then off to drop Stella at practice, home to feed the animals and then back to the field to pick her up – a really good day! Now I have to start baking the pumpkins – never made pumpkin butter, may have to give that a try!

Posted in Outings | Tagged apple picking, pumpkin picking | Leave a comment

Homemade Cleaning Products – I Am Amazed

Posted on September 29, 2011 by simply0637

After cleaning the bathroom last week with homemade cleaning products – I decided to make cleaning products for the rest of the house. Last night the castile soap finally arrived – so to my lab (kitchen) I went to mix and measure and create! Today I cleaned and used only cleaning products that I had made. I used lavender oil for all the products as the essential oil to add, wanted to keep the same scent throughout, but you could use another essential oil – tea tree, orange, lemon, rose, rosemary.

It has been raining here on and off for what seems like forever and no matter how well I dry the dog after our walks, the smell of wet dog is the scent of the house, yuck! So one of the first items I made was a carpet deodorizer and it really works – wish I could use it on the dog – I will have to research that one, later.

Carpet Deodorizer

Baking Soda
Lavender Oil
Cheese/sugar shaker

Fill the jar about 1/2 full with baking soda, add about 10 drops of lavender oil, mix with a fork. Add more baking soda to fill the jar and mix again. Sprinkle on the carpet, sweep in with a broom, let sit for 15 minutes to several hours, vacuum.

Dusting Spray

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
5 – 6 drops olive oil
10 drops lavender oil
Spray bottle

Pour the vinegar into the spray bottle, add the olive oil and lavender oil, shake. This amount was more than I needed for the whole house. I found that it worked better if I sprayed it directly onto a cotton cloth and wiped. I did spray on my dining table, which has a finish, and had to buff it with a dry cotton cloth to really make it shine. The vinegar draws the dirt out and the olive oil conditions, lavender oil just makes it smell good!

Castile General Cleaner

1 tsp washing soda
2 tsp borax
1/2 tsp castile soap
2 cups hot water
10 drops lavender oil
Spray bottle (at least a 16 oz. size)

Using a 4 cup glass measuring cup, fill with 2 cups hot water, add the washing soda, mix well, add the borax and mix well, then add the other ingredients. If you just put it all in together, the washing soda/borax will clump. Pour into the spray bottle. This cleaner can be used for general cleaning and it works really well on greasy stains – good on the stove top. Keeps indefinite.

Scented Vinegar General Cleaner

1 tsp borax
1 Tbl castile soap
1/8 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cups hot water
10 drops lavender oil
Spray bottle (at least 16 oz.)

Using a 4 cup glass measuring cup, fill with 4 cups hot water and add the borax, mixing well, add remaining ingredients. Pour into spray bottle. You can use this as a general cleaner, but due to the vinegar it will fight mildew – so good to use in the bathroom or anywhere that is mildew prone. Keeps indefinite.

Cleaning Wipes

1/2 roll of recycled, strong paper towels
Vinegar
Water
Lavender Oil
Plastic container (re-use a cleaning wipes container, or make one using a plastic container with a lid)

Cut a paper towel roll in half – an electric knife would work well. I do not have an electric knife, so I used a serrated knife instead – keep the plastic on while cutting, you will still have pieces of paper – so do it somewhere that will catch them. Place the 1/2 roll into a plastic container. I do not use cleaning wipes, therefore I did not have one to re-use, but I will ask friends to save them, if they use. I took a plastic container with a lid and cut a hole in the top – you will have to sand the cut so that it does not catch the wipes when pulling out. Put in equals amounts of water and vinegar (about a cup each) add 10 drops or so of lavender oil. I mixed the water, vinegar and lavender oil in a measuring cup and then poured in all at once. You will need to leave it for at least 3 hours or over night. Once the paper towel has absorbed all the liquid, gently pull the cardboard center out and then thread the paper towel through the hole in the top. These are great – I keep them in the bathroom and can give a quick wipe in between cleanings. They will dry up, but the good thing is that you can just add more of the mixture when that happens.

I am not one to use any of the anti-bacterial products on the market – I feel that they cause more problems than anything else, but I do believe in disinfecting while I clean, especially the bathroom and the kitchen counter. So after doing some research I am now using vinegar and hydrogen peroxide for that purpose. This method was tested by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as a safe way to get rid of Salmonella, Shigella and E. coli bacteria. They suggested using: “a combination of 3 percent hydrogen peroxide (the same strength you find at the drugstore) and undiluted white or apple cider vinegar. Put the two in separate spray bottles and spray one immediately after the other. You can spray it directly on fruits and vegetables and also on surfaces, such as cutting boards and countertops.”

I really liked how the homemade cleaning products worked and want to use them only, but I do have some store bought that I need to use up, but I am finding it hard to choose those items over what I have made. Let me know if you have any green cleaning products you have made and how they work. Happy cleaning!

Consult my favorites on Amazon.

Posted in Recipes | Tagged bakiing soda, green cleaning products recipes, lavender oil, Vinegar | 2 Comments

What Do You Get for An 8 Year Old for Her Birthday?

Posted on September 28, 2011 by simply0637

Stella has been invited to a birthday party this weekend and I went to several stores looking for the perfect gift for an 8 year old girl – but I could not really find anything that was worth buying. I thought about what I could make that could be completed within the week and would be liked and I thought about a pair of fingerless mittens. I went to my 2 favorite free knitting pattern sites: www.ravelry.com and www.knittingpatterncentral.com. I couldn’t really find a child’s pattern that I liked, but I found one for adults, but of course it was for a different weight yarn than what I wanted to use – so I re-wrote the pattern for the size I wanted and using the yarn I had. After 2 starts I had the pattern!

Lace & Fur Fingerless Mittens

Size: Child or small wristed adult
Gauge: 20 sts = 4 inches
Yarn: 1 skein chunky weight yarn (you will use about 1/2)
1 skein Fun Fur (you will not even use 1/2)
Needle Size: US 8
1 darning needle

Stitch Explanation
K = knit
P = purl
sk2p = slip 1 stitch as if to knit, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch – 2 stitches decreased
YO = yarn over
P2tog = purl 2 stitches as one, decreasing one stitch

Pattern:
Lace
Row 1 (WS): Purl
Row 2 (RS): K1 *yo, k2, sk2p, k2, yo, k1; repeat from * across
Repeat rows 1 & 2 for Lace Pattern

Ribbing
Row 1(RS): *K2, P2; repeat from * across
Row 2 (WS): knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches
Repeat rows 1 & 2 for ribbing

Make 2

Cast on 33 stitches with the yarn only, using the knitting on method. Work in Lace Pattern until piece measures 4 1/2 inches, ending on a RS row.

Next Row (WS), decreasing: P3, (p2tog, p4) 5 times – you will now have 28 stitches

Add the fun fur to the yarn and work in the Ribbing Pattern, starting with Row 1 and work for 12 rows.

Continuing with the Ribbing Pattern and only using the yarn, work for 4 more rows. Bind off in Ribbing Pattern. The fingerless mitten should measure 8 inches.

To Finish: Beginning at the bound-off edge, seam sides of fingerless mittens, sewing for 5 1/2 inches, then weave the yarn through the edge, leaving a 1 1/2 inch space for the thumb opening and then sew 1 inch to end (another way to state: seam sides, leaving a 1 1/2 inch opening for the thumb, about 1 inch below cast on edge). Weave in all ends. This project took me less than 3 hours to make (had some interruptions!) and I think you could make 2 pairs from 1 skein of yarn. After the photos, I was told that I needed to make another pair for Stella, who would have thought?!

Posted in Crafts | Tagged fingerless mittens, knitting pattern | 4 Comments

Get Clean While Making Felted Soap

Posted on September 27, 2011 by simply0637

A couple of Mother Day’s ago I purchased a couple of felted soaps for gifts from one of our local shops – Whimsies. I love Whimsies, the store supports local artists, fair trade and co-op craft organizations. After purchasing the soaps I started researching and trying to figure out how to felt soap – I could not find too much out there, which was disappointing. This summer, one of Stella’s friends was doing camp at Stone Barns and he showed me that he had felted soap – I told him he had to come over and show me how to do it. I went off to the the local craft store and bought an assortment of felt, when Mateo came over for my lesson on soap felting – he told me I had purchased the wrong kind of felt – that I needed wool. Now I knew why I could not find directions on how to do this – I was looking for the wrong material. So then it was off to the web to search for a supplier and to find tutorials on how to do it. I found 2 great suppliers: www.livingfelt.com and www.weirdollsandcrafts.com . I ordered some wool and Mateo and I waited for the package to come – the day it came he was over to show me and to make some felted soap. After getting my tutorial from Mateo I was a little confused, so we both went to the computer and watched on how to felt soap – I think this is a good one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eH46r94yEw.

Our first attempt at felting soap, was good, but not what I was envisioning in the coverage of the soap.

I was off to the library, where they had to get felting books sent from other branches. I read about the history of felting, different methods of felting and was intrigued and wanted to try more, especially needle felting.

It was off for more soap and back to the sink!

I found this way very successful and experimented with not just 2 colors, but several and different ways of wrapping the roving around the soap. This way is also easier for the kids to do because in the beginning the roving stays put.

Felting Soap

1. Get some bars of soap, preferably natural soap and either square or rectangular on the smaller side to start with – easier to handle and learn.

2. Pick out 2 colors (you can do more once you have the method down). The roving or wool comes in many colors – once you decide on what colors you want – firmly grab the roving and pull a piece out. If it not long enough you can always place more on top of the first piece.

3. Lay the roving out, one color north to south and the other color east to west. The fibers needs to cross in order to lock and felt.

4. Wrap the felt – I like to have the ends for the different colors happen on opposite sides of the soap – so the completed project is more balanced in the coverage.

5. Place you hand inside of a pantyhose (knee highs work well) and the then grab the wrapped soap and pull the pantyhose over the soap, then place pony holders around the soap.

6. Fill the sink with hot water – I usually also add a pot of boiled water – do it to a temperature that you can stand putting her hands into. Place a towel on the counter next to the sink.

7. Dip the soap into the water and push the water through – making sure that the whole thing is thoroughly wet – then start rubbing. Just like you were in the shower roll the soap around in your hands – in all directions – you want to make sure the the fibers start connecting. If it gets too soapy, just rinse in the sink water. Once you see the fibers coming through the pantyhose – take the pony holders off and the panty hose and then keep rubbing the wool – you can now really rub it and make sure where the wool over laps that the fibers have interlocked – you can check by pulling a little on the wool.

8. Once the wool roving has felted, rinse the soap under cold water, squeezing the water and air out. Place the soap on the towel and roll up in the towel getting even more of the water out. Shape it and let dry. It will take at least a day or more for it to dry – I flip the soap a couple of times to make sure it is drying out everywhere.

9. You can now use in the shower or tub – once the soap is used up, you slit open the felted skin, insert another bar of soap, sew up and use again.

I am going to try a couple other ideas for felting soap that I have been thinking about – I want to include knitting and needle felting, which most on that when I have completed the projects.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged felted soap, wet felting, wool roving | 2 Comments

Breaking the Dinner Rut – Add A New Recipe

Posted on September 26, 2011 by simply0637

I have found that I get into a rut in regards to cooking dinner. I tend to do the same recipes over and over again, sometimes making a change in the recipe from time to time. I have so many cookbooks and tend to get more each year as presents – I also get recipes sent to me or find them on-line – putting them into the ever expanding folder – saying I am going to make them, but there they stay. About 2 years ago I decided that I was going to try one new recipe a week and I have done it pretty consistently, except during the summer – here it is fall and I have started back up again. During the winter months I get organic produce delivered on Thursday – so that evening is when I will sit down and put together the meal plan for the following week and is also the night that I take out the cookbooks in search of the new recipe. The new recipe is usually made on Sundays when I have more time to devote to cooking dinner. Stella always has to try to new recipe, but about half the time she does not like it and then I end up eating is all during the week – that has made me, if I can, cut the recipe in half.

Casserole of Roasted Vegetables and Beans (from 1,001 Low-fat Vegetarian Recipes Cookbook) – 6 servings

Ingredients

Vegetable Cooking Spray
6 small zucchini
4 ribs celery
2 medium-sized sweet onions
1 medium red or green bell pepper (I omitted and substituted more zucchini and celery)
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp pepper (I used a combination of black and white pepper)
2 cans (15 oz) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste
3/4 cup fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs (I used organic wheat breadcrumgs – store bought)
1/2 cup grated low-fat Parmesan cheese (I missed read this and used the grated Parm cheese I had in the fridge)
1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp paprika

1. Spray aluminum-foil lined jelly roll pan or similar pan with cooking spray.

2. Cut zucchini, celery, onions and bell pepper into 1 inch pieces and arrange in single layer on pan. Spray vegetables generously with cook spray and sprinkle with oregano, cinnamon and pepper.

3. Roast vegetables at 425 degrees until browned and tender, about 35 minutes. I stirred after about 15 minutes – so they were evenly roasted.

4. Combine roasted vegetables, beans and tomatoes in greased 2 quart casserole, season to taste with salt – I used sea salt.

5. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese and cilantro, sprinkle over top of casserole. I read the ingredients too quickly when I was making the grocery list and used the Parmesan cheese that you would sprinkle on pizza – even if I had used the grated fresh Parmesan cheese I would increase the amount. I halved the recipe but still did the full amount of the breadcrumbs and cheese and it did not hold well.

6. Sprinkle with paprika and bake at 350 degrees until casserole is browned and hot through, about 20 minutes. I really enjoyed the casserole – the spices really made for a nice flavor, along with first roasting the vegetables – definitely will get your protein with this one!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged beans, casserole, recipe, roasted vegetables | Leave a comment

Rich, Dark and Creamy – Apple Butter

Posted on September 23, 2011 by simply0637

To look at a jar of applesauce and a jar of apple butter is like looking at day and night, but you can’t make apple butter without starting with applesauce. Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of applesauce – this is done by a long, slow cooking of the applesauce to the point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes turning the apple butter a deep brown, the cinnamon, cloves and allspice help in the rich brown color. Apple butter was a popular way of using apples in colonial America and well into the 19th century.

Apple Butter Recipe

Ingredients

9 quarts of applesauce – fresh or canned (see my Applesauce post from 9/21/11 for an easy to follow applesauce recipe)
2 Tbl ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
3 – 4 cups of sugar or you can use same amount of honey, stevia or frozen concentrated apple or white grape juice

Equipment

Consult my favorites on Amazon.

Crock Pot (6 quart size – if yours is smaller that is ok)
Small sauce pot
Jar grabber
Lid lifter or tongs
Jar funnel
9 – 11 half pint canning jars or 5 – 7 pint size or a combination of each
Set up choptsticks
Dishtowels
Large spoons and ladles
1 water bath canner

1. Place a dishtowel under the crock pot and fill the crock pot within one inch of the top with applesauce (about 5 – 5 1/2 quarts) – you will use the remaining applesauce in a later step. If your crock pot is smaller that 6 quart still fill to within one inch of top.

2. Add the cinnamon, cloves, allspice and 2 cups of the sugar and then stir to incorporate throughout.

3. Cover the crock pot loosely – you want the steam to be able to escape this is what helps it to thicken and cook down. I place chopsticks on the crock pot and then lay the cover on top of those. I usually start this after dinner. Turn the heat on high for about 1 hour, then turn to medium for 2 – 3 hours and then to low and allow to cook. Since I start this after dinner it cooks overnight and I am greeted with the best smell when I get up in the morning. It will need to cook between 12 – 18 hours. You don’t need to stir, but you can and I do – just to make sure it is not burning and to prevent a skin from forming on top.

After 12 hours of cooking

Cooked down, ready for the next step

4. In the morning check the butter, once it has cooked down to about 1/2 of what you started with you will then add the remaining applesauce and another 1 – 2 cups of sugar – I use 1 cup. If your crock pot was not 6 quarts – just fill the crock pot again to within one inch from the top. Make sure to stir the sugar in completely.

5. Let it cook for another couple of hours, this allows the flavor to mix with the applesauce just added. I usually let it cook for another 2 – 3 hours.

6. About 1 1/2 hours before I am ready to fill the jars – wash the jars in hot, soapy water and the sterilize in the water bath canner (or you can use a dishwasher). Once the water has come to a boil, turn off, but let the jars stay in the water.

7. About 30 minutes before you are ready to start filling the jars – place a dishtowel on the counter and take the jars out of the bath water. Turn the bath water back on, so that it is boiling when you are ready to put the filled jars back in. This is when I heat the jar lids in small pot of water – once the water boils turn the heat off, but keep the lid on.

8. Turn the crock pot off. If you want the butter smoother, use a handheld blender at this point. If you do not own one, make sure that the applesauce you are putting in is smooth. I don’t do either – I like a chunk of apple every once in awhile – but it is what you prefer.

9. Fill the jars to within 1/4″ of the top. Take the lids out of the water, making sure the tops of the jars are clean, put the lids on and then screw the rings on.

10. Place the jars into the boiling bath water and boil half pint jars for 5 – 7 minutes and pint jars for 10 minutes, start timing after the water has come back to a boil. Once the jars are ready to take out, use the jar grabber, if not using the lifting rack. Place them on the dishtowel and wait for them to seal, sometimes they have sealed but the lid has not sucked down, press down and if it does not pop up it is sealed. If they still have not sealed turn them over for about 15 – 20 minutes and they should seal – if not refrigerate (once cooled) and use within 2 – 3 months. The sealed jars have a shelf life of 18 months to 2 years.

Posted in Preserving, Recipes | Tagged apple butter, applesauce, canning | 1 Comment

Easy to Make Homemade Apple Sauce

Posted on September 22, 2011 by simply0637

Apple sauce making started first thing Sunday morning and ended on Tuesday evening, my counter, stove, floor and myself were all in a constant state of sticky. Wednesday was spent cleaning the kitchen and all the utensils, putting them up for next time. I love homemade applesauce, the main reason is that there is no sugar added and believe me it is so sweet you would not know that it was just apples and cinnamon.

Last year we picked one tree and I did all the apple peeling with a paring knife. This year I invested in an apple peeler and I would highly recommend doing the same if you feel that you will be doing this on a once a year basis or throughout the year.

You will need apples that are sweet, not granny smiths. Once you can/jar your apple sauce it has a shelf life of 2 – 3 years! You can use Honey Crisp, Winesap, Fuji, Rome, Cortland. The first time that I made applesauce the recipe I found said to use an assortment of apples, but now since I pick a whole tree – I just use the one kind – mainly because the other apple farms in the area are not organic and I don’t want to mix organic apples with non – both ways made great applesauce.

Applesauce Recipe

Ingredients

Apples (one bushel will yield about 12 – 13 quarts), but you can use whatever quantity you want
Cinnamon
Water
Lemon juice (optional)

Equipment

Consult my favorites on Amazon.

12 – 13 quart canning jars and lids, I prefer the wide mouth, easier to scoop out
1 – 3 pint size canning jar and lids
Large pot for cooking the apples
Small pot for heating the lids
Jar grabber
Lid lifter (optional – I use tongs)
Jar funnel
Spoons, ladle
Water bath canner
Sieve (I use the blender, which adds the step of peeling the apples) think I will invest in a sieve for the next batch
Apple peeler

1. Wash the lids and jars in hot, soapy water. If you have a dishwasher you can wash and sterilize, if not after washing the jar, sterilize them in the water bath canner – once the water boils turn off, but let the jars sit in the water. You want to keep the jars warm so they don’t crack when adding the applesauce or in the water bath canner when sealing the jars.

2. Place the lids in a small pot of water and cover.

3. Wash, peel, core and cut up the apples. If you are using a sieve you just need to wash, core and cut the apples.

4. Put 1 inch of water into the large pot and add the cut apples until completely filled. If you do not want the apples to brown you can put the cut apples in a lemon juice wash prior to placing in the pot – I do not. Cover and turn the heat on high, once the water is boiling, turn the heat down to medium and keep the pot covered. Stir the apples occasionally – they are done when the apples are soft throughout. Turn the heat off and allow to cool, some.

5. Heat the water in the small pot with the lids, once the water boils turn off but keep the top on – so they will stay hot until needed.

6. Take the jars out of the bath water and then turn the heat on high and let the water come back to a boil.

7. If you did not peel the apples, put the apples through a sieve and put the processed apples back into the large pot – if you did peel the apples, puree batches in the blender and place back into the large pot.

8. Season the applesauce with cinnamon, based on your taste. Make sure to mix the cinnamon really well in the sauce – you want to make sure the cinnamon is dispersed throughout the whole batch. The apples do not need any further cooking, but needs to be kept warm until you are ready to fill the jars.

9. Put a dish towel down on the counter and line your jars up. Take the lids out of the small pot – so that they are ready to place on the jars.

10. Using a ladle, fill the jars to 1/4″ of the top, wiping the tops clean. Place the lids on the jars and then tighten the rings around the jar.

11. Place the jars into the boiling bath water and boil pint jars for 15 minutes and quart jars for 20 minutes, start timing after the water has come back to a boil. Since I had several friends ask for some of my applesauce I re-purposed some glass jars, sterilizing them, but not sealing them and told them to refrigerate and use within 30 days.

12. Once the jars are ready to take out, use the jar grabber, if not using the lifting rack. Place then on the dishtowel and wait for them to seal, sometimes they have sealed but the lid has not sucked down, press down and if it does not pop up it is sealed. If they still have not sealed turn them over for about 15 – 20 minutes and they should seal – if not refrigerate (once cooled) and use within 30 days.

Posted in Preserving, Recipes | Tagged Apples, applesauce recipe, canning | Leave a comment

Who Needs Potato Chips – Grab Some Apple Chips

Posted on September 21, 2011 by simply0637

I have been busy for 3 days preserving all the apples that were picked on Saturday. All my time has been spent on apples, with the Stella detours during the day, walk to school, pick up from school, stop at the playground, theater arts class, soccer game, dinner. I can’t wait to not feel sticky for a couple of days. The first things I started were the apple chips. Last year was the first year that I had made them, may have something to do with having just purchased my dehydrator – but they went fast. Last year we went through 4 bags, each bag lasts about 2 weeks if used for snacks in Stella’s lunch, so this year my goal is 10 bags – and 5 are done – the other 5 will come when we pick the other tree.

Apple Star

Apple Chips

Ingredients

Apples – MANY
Lemon juice
Water
Dehydrator
Time

1. Wash, peel and core the apples – I do about 4 apples at a time, so they do not turn to brown. If you are doing a lot of apples – I highly suggest investing in an apple peeler that also cores.

2. Slice the apples and put the slices into a bowl of water with lemon juice.

3. Place on dehydrator racks.

4. Depending on the apples, drying time can range from 6 – 12 hours. About 4 hours of drying time – I turn the apple slices and change up the trays.

5. At about 6 hours, I tend to check on an hourly basis – taking the ones done off the trays and condensing the slices onto trays. When you decide they are done and this is by your preference – I do a combination of really crisp ones and not so crisp.

Starting

Done

6. Once they are cooled, place in a food-saver type bag and seal, keep some out for instant snacking!

Posted in Preserving | Tagged apple chips, dehydrating | Leave a comment

Oats Aren’t Just for Oatmeal – Try Oatmeal Pancakes

Posted on September 20, 2011 by simply0637

There is a restaurant, The Flying Biscuit Cafe, in Atlanta, that almost every time that I go I have to have their oatmeal pancakes – I LOVE THEM! This restaurant used to be a small treasure that only the locals knew about, they grew their space and people started talking – now there is usually a wait to eat there – but it is worth it. They came out with their own cookbook, and of course, I bought it – just so I could get the recipe for their oatmeal pancakes. I have had the cookbook for about 9 years and have never made the pancakes – until now. Stella told me that these need to be regulars and no matter what you put on them they are delicious! I only made two changes to their recipe, but they are very minor.

Hearty Organic Oatmeal Pancakes (thanks to the Flying Biscuit Cafe)

Note directly from the cookbook: The secret to these hearty pancakes is patience. The oats must soak at least two hours, and the cakes should cook over medium-low heat. If the heat is too high, the cakes will brown on the outside but still be raw in the center. Use regular rolled oats, not the quick cook variety; the texture of the oats is what makes these pancakes so good.

Ingredients

2 cups organic rolled oats
2 cups nonfat buttermilk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbl unsalted butter, melted and cooled (I only had salted butter so I omitted the salt below)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbl sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Canola oil for griddle (I used butter)

1. Combine oats and buttermilk in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight. I combined the oats and buttermilk and covered, but I left it out overnight – I wanted it to sour a little.

2. Add eggs and melted butter to the oat mixture.

3. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to oat mixture.

4. Preheat griddle over medium-low heat and lightly coat with canola oil (I used butter). Ladle batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto griddle. Spread out batter with the back of the ladle. When bubbles appear, gently flip cakes and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.

Makes about 20 pancakes, serving 6 – 8 people.

Apple Topping

Ingredients

Several apples
water
cinnamon
sugar

1. Cut apples into medium sized chunks and place in a medium sized sauce pan that has about 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. Cover and turn on high heat.

2. When it comes to a boil, turn heat down and stir. When apples are to your softness liking, add some cinnamon and sugar, if needed. Mix well.

3. Take a potato masher and mash the apples, leaving some chunks.

4. Top the oatmeal pancakes with it and cut in!

Posted in Recipes | Tagged apple topping, oatmeal pancake, recipe | 1 Comment

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