My First Apple Pie in a LONG Time

 

Since I have been gluten free for about 8 years now, I haven't eaten many pies, and I have never been a big apple pie person.

We have had a storm almost every day for a month. I have one apple tree that has lots of fruit on it as most of the other trees none. I noticed that the storm had knocked off lots of the fruit onto the ground. I hated to see those apples being wasted. 

I picked up all the apples that hadn't been bruised and wondered what to do with slightly green apples. I had a gluten free pie crust in the cupboard, so I decided I would make an apple pie for myself. 

I made it and used some oatmeal / sugar / and a little of the crust mixed to put on the top of the pie. I was on the phone with my friend Matt while I peeled and cut up the apples, and we joked about me celebrating my birthday for a month and so I found this little "Happy Birthday" sign in with my birthday candles, and I took a photo and sent it to him. 

I the started eating it and the crust was my favorite part as I a said, I am not a huge apple pie person, but it was really good with a nice crust, so I just kept eating it and ate 1/4 or more of the pie! I haven't eaten any for a few days now so I probably should have frozen it, but even if I throw the rest out, it was fun to have a pie. 

I froze the second crust and filling for Thanksgiving. It will be easy to put together and saving some time, and then my kids can help me eat it. 

Have a blessed day!

How To Freeze Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Squash, Potato, Yam, Butternut, Acorn, Banana, Squashes, Pumpkin

I got a case of sweet potatoes from our local food bank as they call me when they have overages. 

They asked me to help distribute them, so I spent a day and a half taking them to neighbors, friends, and agencies where I often take food when they have overages. 

I love yams and sweet potatoes. I learned years ago to purchase extra yams after the holidays when they are on sale and freeze them so I can afford to eat them later as when they are over $1 a pound, I can't afford buying them. 

I kept a case of the potatoes for myself to bake and freeze for the next few months. I actually purchase my yams for Christmas dinner early last year and baked and froze them so I would have less to take up space in the oven when baking the turkey and squash. 

Basically, I wash them, cut out any bad spots, leave the peel on as I like that but you can peel them if you want. I then bake them in a large baking pan, of on a lined cookie sheet and cover them with foil and bake until soft. 

I share in the video how I bake the yams or sweet potatoes until they are soft. Once soft, I mash them up and add butter, salt, and pepper to them and put them into containers and freeze them with the date and contents. 

I really like the black stackable containers that are BPA free sold in the ten pack. I can stack and label them and clearly see what is in them. Living alone, I don't eat much, I like to make food in bulk when available and then freeze it into containers so I can just bake or broil fish or chicken and pull out the veggies / rice etc from the freezer so dinner is easy. 

 Hope this video is helpful. Have a blessed day!

Cracker Jack Caramel Popcorn Recipe - Paper Bag Popcorn

 

I was looking for some kind of wedding "thank you" treat to hand out at the reception. My sister said they gave out bags of popcorn at her daughters with a sticker saying, "Thanks For Popping In" on the front. 

I said plain popcorn wouldn't be great, but the caramel popcorn I make would get super sticky in the heat and wouldn't do well being made ahead of time. 

Here is one recipe we use that has marshmallows in it. 

Here is another sticky recipe we use that has peanut butter in them. 

There is another type of popcorn treat I make and give out at Christmas that has melted chocolate with different flavors on it, but worried that would melt in the heat and make a huge mess if anyone opened it at the reception as it is outside and will most likely be hot.

Here is a link to the post about that.

My sister then suggested my "Aunts" recipe for popcorn. I had NO idea what recipe she was talking about as I have never had that aunts recipe of any type of popcorn. She said "The one that you make in a paper bag." I told her I had no recollection of anything like that. She said "It is like "Cracker Jacks" as it doesn't get sticky like others. 

I asked her to send me my "aunts recipe" and the picture at the top is what she sent, she got it that way from my Aunt who got it from someone named "Hatch" and I have no idea who that is or if my aunt knew them. It took me a week or two to have the time to make it, but I also had to find paper bags to make it. I was finally able to find the items and to make the recipe. Here is the recipe:

Wedding Reception Popcorn

1 C. Brown Sugar

1/2 C. Butter

1/4 C. White Karo Syrup

Pinch of Salt

1/4 TSP Baking Soda

 3 Quarts Popcorn

* Can add nuts, pretzels, M&M's, chocolate chips or anything else that sounds good

2 Paper Bags

Mix the top four ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and put in for exactly 3 minutes. Take it out and stir it, and then put it into the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes longer. 

Have the two bags inside each other and the dry popcorn in the bag and ready for this next part. Take the heated mixture out of the microwave and stir in the baking soda.

Once it is fully mixed and stirred, pour it into the paper bag into the center so the caramel isn't on the sides. Roll the top down over each other on the bags and start shaking vigorously.

Put it into the microwave and heat for exactly 1 minute. Shake vigorously and put in the microwave for 1 more minute. Shake vigorously and put in any of the "other" ingredients at this point and shake them until coated. Pour out onto a cookie sheet and let cool. 

When cool, put into container.  

At this point, I will share that I thought 1/2 cup of butter was LOTS and that perhaps it could be made with 1/3 to 1/4 cup, so I tried that recipe and had people taste test both types, one with the larger amount and one with the lesser amount of butter. The one with the 1/2 cup butter was the winner as it was really creamy and smooth tasting, but it does leave a greasy film on your fingers. 

The batches with less butter were more like "Cracker Jacks" and still sweet and good, but not as decadent as the 1/2 cup batches, so we decided to go with the full 1/2 cup butter for each batch. 

Enjoy and have a BLESSED Day!

How To Make Kombucha For Low Cost at Home

 

I was buying about $60 in kombucha weekly for a long time but finances made it so I couldn't afford to spend that money on it anymore so I looked into making my own. 

 

 

I noticed when I was drinking it, I seemed to have better gut health. I used to drink Soda every day before switching to the kombucha and felt I needed something to quench my thirst as I didn't seem to absorb the water I was drinking.

I had limited funds to start the process, so I went to thrift stores and yard sales in order to find flip seal jars. I was also able to find gallon fermentation jars in the second hand stores and yard sales. I never paid more than $2 for any jar. Usually, I am able to find them for around $1.50 a jar.

I was able to put out to friends asking if they knew anyone who had a scoby to start fermenting the kombucha. I wondered if I could make it work. 

 

I couldn't believe how easy it was to make! Basically, you just boil 8 tea bags and 1 cup of sugar. Bring it to a boil and let it steep until completely cooled.The tea is black, green, or oolong tea. I've used Oolong and Green and both were great.

Once the tea is cooled, you put the 2 cups of start you keep out from the fermented tea, and the scoby goes in and you just put a clean cloth with elastics over it and let it ferment for 6 to 10 days.

You put a few ounces of fruit juice to flavor it into the flip top jars, and then fill them up with the fermented tea. Wipe the tops and put the flip top on and shake. Allow the sealed jars to ferment with the fruit juice for a day or two checking how much carbonation has been created.

Once there is a psst sound coming out when you uncap the jar, you can put it in the fridge to drink for the next few weeks. If you don't fill the jars over full, you don't need to allow the pressure to escape. I pull out the jars every day or two and allow the pressure out. If the jar doesn't have much of a "PSsT" sound, you can leave it out for longer.

It is super easy and I was surprised at that. I really wish I had looked into making it earlier.

the longer it sits, the less sweet it will become.

 

Have a blessed day!

Ten Minute Portugues Kale and Kidney Bean Soup

I've been making Chourico Soup for over 30 years. 

I have a long recipe where I use fresh cut up peeled potatoes, cook down the kidney beans, use fresh Kale rinsed and cut into strips. 

However, being a single mom of five children for so many years, I learned to adapt the recipe to make a great Portuguese soup by modifying the recipe using canned kidney beans, frozen cut kale, and canned potatoes. 

Basically, you just boil the chourico, and dump all the other ingredients into the boiling water and once it is all hot, you can eat it. 

I use 4 links of sausage, four cans of kidney beans, 10 medium potatoes (four cans of potatoes), 2 bags of cut and frozen kale.

The longer the soup sits, the more flavor the soup has as it absorbs the spices from the chourico. The soup can be at its best a few days in. 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Thanks for watching and have a blessed day!

Zucchini Muffins For My Girls - It's Been Years

I was driving past a "give and take" booth in town today and saw a huge zucchini for the taking. I didn't stop, but thought that I should make some zucchini muffins for Princess Four and Five as we had just been talking about how many years it has been since I made them muffins. 

I used to make hundreds of muffins in the fall every year and would freeze them in Tupperware in the deep freeze and would take them out for events and when the girls would come home. 

I would also freeze the zucchini in the freezer already grated and ready to make more as needed through the year. 

I went to a second hand store and there were two large zucchinis on the counter. They said that someone just left them on the checkout counter a few hours earlier. They said they were going to take them home. I asked them if they were going to make zucchini bread and one of them said that she had never tasted it before as he mother had never baked for her. 

I was so sad that she had never had that chance to enjoy fresh baked goods. I thought that sealed the deal that I would drive by the "give and take" booth and pick up that zucchini if it were still there and I would make the girls some zucchini muffins to take when they head off to school / home. 

I got home and the girls were really excited about making muffins. Princess Five wanted nuts and no chocolate chips, and Princess Four wanted nuts and chocolate chips. It was a group effort and we looked up the recipe on my blog since I used to make them all the time. Here is a link to that post. 

I posted some tips that make it easier. I figured that Princess Four who is headed home tomorrow, could drop off a container to each of her sisters as she passes through their towns on her way home. I think that taking a piece of home with them makes it easier for them to go. 

It was fun baking with my girls. I was reminded about a recipe for some yummy zucchini brownies my friends Julie gave me and wanted to link them here, along with the zucchini spaghetti I make as well linked here. I have a veggie salsa recipe with zucchini linked here. 

Have a Blessed and Safe Day! 

Marshmallow Buttery Caramel Popcorn Recipe

I went to a scout activity tonight and someone brought a fun and yummy treat made of popcorn. It wasn't sticky and it tasted so good. 

I asked for the recipe and found out why it tasted so good. ha ha 

She said the recipe is:

Marshmallow Buttery Caramel Popcorn

1 - 16 ounce bag or marshmallows
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar

Melt all ingredients and once melted and mixed throughout, pour onto popped corn and mix. 
Allow to cool on cookie sheets. Serve

I will warn you now that if you taste this, you will not be able to stop. I ate several cups full of this and will NOT be making this unless there is somewhere to take it so I don't end up eating it. 

Have a Blessed Day! 

Small Pieces Dried Fruit For Children or Oatmeal Packets

I shared yesterday about how I have been dehydrating apples. I had a thought today about how when my daughter gives her babies dried fruit, she has to break off little tiny pieces and it is a bit time consuming to have to continually break off pieces when they want more every few seconds eating the fruit. 

I had the thought to chop the apples and pears super small before dehydrating them and putting them on the non-stick mats so they don't fall through the slats on the dehydrator plastic. I prepared the apples and pears as I usually do by using the apple corer peeler and once it was peeled and cut, I then wash it and cut out any worm marks. 

I then cut tiny slices off and spread them apart so that they didn't stick together or it would be just like a larger dried piece. I let them dehydrate over night and then moved them around so they can dry evenly and then dried them for another 12 hours. 

If you didn't want to feed them to children, you can use them to make your own oatmeal mix by adding some quick oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and some dried apple slices. 

I will keep them in the cupboard for the baby when they come for Thanksgiving. All I have had for him in the past, or the other kids, was cereal. I wish I had thought of this earlier as I am always looking for some treats for the kids because their mother doesn't allow any chocolate or candy with red dyes for health reasons, so sometimes it is hard for me to find something to give them as a treat. This will be something to give them that is healthy and a treat. 

Have a Blessed Day! 

It's Apples and Oranges - Food Bank Service

This past week I did something I haven't done in six months or more and used to do on a regular basis. 

I was at a food bank board meeting last week and they told me that they knew they would be getting a few pallets of apples this week and I could probably take and distribute them to neighbors as I used to do on a regular basis. 

They get large overages sometimes on things and being in a small town, we could never distribute it all before they go bad. I contacted them this week and they told me they not only got several pallets of apple cases, but they also got several pallets of orange cases. 

I loaded up my car four times with just under 80 cases of fruit and distributed them for two days to friends, neighbors, family, new neighbors and just some people that came to my mind to call. 

It is amazing how may hours it takes to give away fruit. It took hours driving it around town as I would have to call, text, or run to the door and sometimes people weren't home and I had to drop it at their door. I delivered all of them as I didn't dare take it home and see if people would pick it up as I don't have room or need any of the fruit as I have a fridge full of fruit currently and so I just did it so that the fruit didn't go to waste and knowing it could help people. 

I am always sad when the food doesn't get distributed and it goes bad and goes to 
waste. I had lots of people thank me for dropping it off and it was a good workout as I worked in my yard both days as well. My neck, back and shoulders are a bit sore as those apple cases are HEAVY! 

On my last trip, I was able to get some donated Easter Baskets for my neighbors family and loaded them up with two cases each of the apples and oranges as they have 8 kids. I bet they enjoyed getting those baskets. Their mom was thrilled when I shared that they sent baskets for her kids. 

I am SO grateful for the food bank and being able to serve on the board for so many years. I think I am the longest standing worker / board member now. It has been such a blessing to my family and my church congregation and friends. There have been many times when the freezer went out or they had overages that I have been able to distribute the food. 

It was interesting to see that my congregation has donated the most food during the annual scout drive for the past two years now and I believe it is because they have become aware of the food bank due to my sharing overages with them. Before I got divorced, I didn't even know we had a food bank in our community. I was trying to purchase expired produce from a local store as I love salads and they told me they donated to the food bank. The rest is history! 

It is truly a blessing in the lives of SO many, and I am grateful for the work that it does in the community. I donated a TV and a bag of clothes this week as they give away the clothes and household items for free as well. It has probably answered the prayers of MANY people other than just me. 

Consider volunteering at your local food bank or pantry. The blessings flow both ways when we serve. Have a BLESSED and FOOD filled Day!

Hand Cranking Ice Cream Makers - Fastest Easiest Yummy Ice Cream Recipe

For many years, I have taken crank ice cream makers camping with our family. We also used to make ice cream at home with regular motor ice cream makers. 

I haven't gone camping over Easter for the last few years and each time I find a hand crank wooden ice cream maker, I have purchased it as they are hard to find. I would sell the older ones in rough shape and then keep the better ones. 

I purchased one recently and decided that I really don't need more than one crank bucket. It is more of a novelty now that we aren't going camping as the kids are always busy. 

I had someone come today and they wanted to buy the oldest looking bucket. He has an old washing machine motor he wants to put on the crank on a pulley system. 

I was surprised that all three wooden buckets were by the same maker, "Sterling Freezer" Woodenware by Richmond Cedar works, but you can see by the look that they changed over the years. 

I made a video sharing my favorite ice cream recipe. I collected many recipes for homemade ice cream as my mother had cut out recipes from all sorts of newspapers and magazines for years so when I first purchased the makers, I tried many of the recipes and ended up throwing many away as they were so much work. 

I happened upon the recipe I share in the video and on a former post and since that time, I have never tried another recipe as this one is so fast and easy and I could make it camping. 

Here is the recipe:

1 pint cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk

cookies, candy bar, nuts, fruit or other flavorings or mix in items. 

Here is the link to my first post on this.
Here is a post where I share about it camping and show making it at sand dunes. 

Here is a picture of the happy couple taking one of the makers to its new home. 

Have a sweet and blessed day!