Homemade Applesauce

I've decided that Fall can come now.  Our weather has been so fickle.....Hot sunny for a day or two....then muggy and rainy.....mushroomy........ENOUGH ALREADY!

So yep, Fall can come now.  Cooler weather, trees changing, jewel tones, scarves, plaid, pumkin lattes, (ALL things PUMPKIN!!!), the Wishbook, The Back to School frenzy, Harvest festivals, baked ham....apple sauce....Ham and applesauce to me are a match made in heaven.  And now Heaven just got better as I made my OWN applesauce, spiced up a bit.

BUT...

I have a secret....

I've never made applesauce before....I've always just bought it..

SHOCKING and ......lazy..... I know...

Until NOW!!!  OK!!!  I never knew it was so EASY TO MAKE!!!    I'll never buy applesauce again...unless its in those cool squishy packets the boys suck up in 2 seconds flat....


Anyways, go buy, or pick apples and make this sauce. It only takes 20 minutes!  You'll thank me.  I thank myself......

Homemade Applesauce

4 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped.  (I used Gala Apples)

1/4 cup of granulated sugar

3/4 cup of water

1/4 - 1/2 tsp of cinnamon*
pinch of ground cloves

*adjust for your own liking

What to Do:

In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool.  Put in blender and pulse until a smooth consistency.

Enjoy.

FamilyLife Recipes #1 - Encourage One Another and Build Each Other UP!

A totally different kind of post.....Food for the soul instead of the gullet.  Kinda something I want to do on here.  My blog, so I can :)

"Encourage One Another and Build Each Other up" - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

These words have been running in my mind a lot today.  Who needs encouragement?  WE ALL DO!  Moms, dads, and kids too!  This last one has been speaking to me.  How often have I encouraged my kids lately?  It seems like all I do is tell them what to do and not do.....No fun...  Not building up for sure.

A couple of days ago I was visiting with some moms at the park down from my street and one of my friends was telling her little guy how happy she was to be his mom.  That truly impacted me.  When was the last time I said that to my little boys?  Not for a LONG TIME.  Not good.  So I pondered this for a while.  And I made a decsion.

"Encourage one another and build each other up"

Daily.

Kids grow up fast I am realizing.  My oldest will be going to full day school in a week and a half.  And turning 6!  My youngest will be heading to pre-school....My time with them all the time is coming to an end......I need to encourage them as they move on to this new stage.  Tell them I love them and I am proud of them.  In their short-comings.....encourage and up lift.....not tear down......Encouragement is more helpful in promoting change and good behavior...(did I learn nothing from potty training ;)

So "encourage one another (your kiddos) and build them up" (today) Tell them you love being their mommy and that you are proud of them....even when they aren't perfect....especially when they aren't perfect because we aren't either.

Hugs to everyone.

Rosemary Olive Oil Popcorn

What does Movie Night at your house look like?

Maybe it's like at my house - filled with animated cartoons, popcorn, Smarties, licorice and pop or floats....It is fun! ....BUT....

What do you wish Movie Night looked like?

A lot less cartoons?  Less popcorn mess?  Maybe minus the red dye candy and cheap chocolate?

Me....My ideal Movie Night would be a historical fiction or "based on" movie, a glass of wine, cozy blanket on the couch with my hubby and some refined snacks.....a GOOD chocolate (Lindt - Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt...fav!!!) and a savory nibbly.  Be it a hot savory dip with Multigrain tortilla chips or......a fancy-shmancy popcorn....

I do ADORE popcorn.. But I ADORE it more when its "Fancy"  I'm a bit of a snob really.  I like it with Sweet and Salty....I like it with different flavor powders that you get from the store.....I like it caramel, or covered in this...Candy Popcorn....

Or...whilst watching fancy movies...I like it this way!

Rosemary Olive Oil Popcorn

adapted from Alaska from Scratch

• 1/4c unpopped popcorn, popped however you like to pop it!
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary (fresh or dried)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

1. Put popped popcorn in a bowl. 
2. In a small bowl, mix together oil and seasonings until well combined. Drizzle over popcorn. Stir popcorn until popcorn is well coated. Taste for seasoning and adjust where you like.
3. Serve hot.

Saskatoon-Blueberry Jam

Saskatoon and Blueberry season!

 One of my favorites.

 I really do go through the year in food seasons.  January is leftover Christmas cookie season, March-June - Strawberry season, July - Cherry season, End of July -August - Saskatoon/Blueberry SEASON!!!  September......Concord grapes....but we'll discuss that one later this year.

Right now  I am immersing myself in Blueberries and Saskatoons.  What is a Saskatoon you ask?  It is bluish purple berry.  It's similar to a blueberry but yet very different.  It grows wild all over Alberta and lots of areas in Canada.  For my part of the province prime picking is NOW!  And this year is a good season as the weather has been conducive to big juicy berries.

I like to combine Saskatoons with Blueberries and Saskatoons are a more hardy-seedy berry.  The blueberries combine well in flavor and add a wonderful juiciness that I love!

So as I am up to my eyeballs in both berries I am aiming to preserve as many as I can.  I do like to freeze most of my berries and then MAKE JAM!!!!

My little family LOVES Jam!  This year I've made a triple batch of my Strawberry-Rhubarb jam and now Saskatoon-Blueberry!  This is the first time I've tried this combo and I LOVE IT!  So does my husband.  You can make this jam straight Blueberry if ya like.  We like the Saskatoons in there too. 

Here is the recipe!

Saskatoon-Blueberry Jam

adapted from Bernardin

What you Need:

2 1/2 cups of crushed Saskatoons

2 cups of crushed Blueberries

1/4 cup of lemon juice

7 cups of granulated sugar

2 pouches of  liquid pectin (I like Bernardin)

What you do:

1.  Prepare canner, jars, and lids as per usual for jam (sterilising of jars and sealers, and boiling water in canner.)

2.  In saucepan stir together fruit, lemon juice, and sugar

3.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of butter to the mixture to reduce foaming

4.  Over high heat bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down

5.  Add pectin to mixture

6.  Boil mixture hard for 1 minute stirring constantly

7.  Remove from heat and process jars.

Processing:

1. fill jars full of hot jam mixture to about 1/4 inch from the top.

2. Wipe edge so that the surface is clean.

3.  Top with sealer and ring.  Tighten

4.  Place in canner and process. 10 minutes.  (if you live in a higher elevation you have to add a few more minutes.  Check on line.  In my town I needed to add 5 more minutes

5. Remove from canner and rest jam jars on a towel for 24 hrs.

6.  Enjoy!  

Makes 7 - 1 cup jars.

Watermelon Frosty

I've had a bit of a break on CoffeeBiscotti - 2 weeks of crazy fun and busyness.  My husband and I went on a horse back riding adventure in the mountains.  Just the two of us - no kids.  My mom and dad came up to care for our kiddos.  They had a BLAST!  Thanks Mom and Dad!

Our horse adventure was with a camp organization that does adult camps.  We ate amazing food....I DIDN'T HAVE TO COOK!, rode up in the mountains, down steep hills, over rivers, bushwacking through trees and brush...yep it was crazy but SO much fun!  Not something some people, (myself included) could see me doing.  But I embraced the adventure and had a great time.

Then we rushed home to prep for William's 4th birthday party, Pirate style.  So much fun.  We had a cake made for us which was awesome.  Thanks Erin!  So needless to say we need a vacation from our vacation....:)  But we are refreshed, and that is a good thing.  :)

The long weekend is upon us and thankfully the weather is cooperating! Yahoo for heat and sun!!!  I have an abundance of watermelon left over from the party....so off to my favorite blog sites to see what I could do with it.  JACKPOT!  A cold drink to sip on the deck!  This frosty drink is simple to make and tastes amazing!  It would be great as a breakfast smoothie as well.  Hmmmm....tomorrow.....:)

Enjoy!

Watermelon Frosty

adapted from: Run to the Kitchen

What you Need:

• 2 cups frozen watermelon cubes
• ½ frozen banana
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• ½ tablespoon honey
• 2-3 leaves of mint
• 1/3 cup of vanilla yogurt
• 1/4 cup of milk

What you Do:

1.  Combine all ingredients and blend in blender.  Garnish with more mint.  Enjoy!