Crockpot Apple Butter

I’m still trying to figure out how pumpkin became the official flavor of fall. Apples far surpass pumpkins in my book. I occasionally enjoy pumpkin treats, but I could make a day of eating apples! Apple muffins, pancakes or scones, a nice arugula salad with apples and toasted pecans, and a fabulous apple tart, pie, or cake would be a day fit for a queen.

For your sake, I wish this apple butter photo was scratch and sniff. This apple butter takes your senses to spice heaven while tempting your tastebuds all day while cooking. True satisfaction comes after hours of slow cooking when you can finally taste the dark brown, silky smooth, caramelized goodness.

I have made apple butter many times in the past. However, I tried something different this year: apple butter made in the crockpot. I saved this recipe from My Baking Addiction to my Pinterest board months ago in anticipation of apple season. I peeled and cored my apples, although I read that it’s not necessary for apple butter. In fact, I read that the peeling helps the apples cook down faster. Still, I preferred my apples to be clean.

Cooking the apple butter in the crockpot allows you to go about your day without watching a stove all day! You can step away for hours with only the occasional stir, and the crockpot does all the work. After cooking my apples, I used the immersion blender to create a smooth consistency. I yielded almost 7 cups from this recipe and decided to freeze it by the cup.

There are many ways to serve apple butter in sweet or savory dishes. However, smearing it on a warm bran muffin and cream cheese is my favorite way.

Give this easy and delicious apple butter a try! You will enjoy the rewards for months.

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Crockpot Apple Butter

Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 6 1/2 pounds mixed varities apples peeled, cored and chopped
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt together.
  • Place half of the chopped apples in a crockpot. Sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture and repeat layers.
  • Cook in slow cooker on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, or until much of the liquid has cooked out and mixture has thickened and is dark brown. Depending on the apple variety, some apples will break down into a sauce, some may simply get soft.
  • With an immersion blender, puree the apples in the crockpot until desired smoothness.
  • With the apples uncovered, continue to cook on LOW for 2 more hours.
  • Spoon the apple butter into sterile containers. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 weeks or freeze for up to 9 months.

Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam


My fall mood is officially on! We are nowhere near sweater weather, but I’m all in my feels now! Last weekend, I went on my annual trip to the B. J. Reece’s Apple House in Ellijay, Georgia. Mutsu has been my favorite variety for the past few years, and I bought some because they have served me so well. However, I have a new favorite or even two. The Ruby Rush and the Crimson Crisp also found their way into my basket!

I have been making the trip since I was a kid. Of course, when I was a child, we only lived 30 miles from the apples, so I’m not sure that can actually be called a “trip.” As I got older, it became a girl’s trip. And over the last twenty-plus years, it was always me, my mom, and Savannah. I have such beautiful memories of those days, and I thought of my mom so many times during this trip!

But we changed it up a bit this time. Greg joined Savannah and me, and we had the best time. Our first stop was at the apple house. I came home with three huge bags of apples, Greg bought cider, and Savannah found some apple salsa, apple butter, and fig preserves! Savannah and I even let Greg in on another tradition. You must have fried apple pies!

So, expect some apple recipes soon! The first thing I will do is make homemade applesauce for my grandson. After that, maybe some delicious crockpot apple butter or fantastic apple butter muffins!

Today, I am sharing a delicious fall treat I discovered at Starbucks a couple of years ago – Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam! Savannah introduced me to this tasty treat. She is usually dairy-free but splurges for a cold brew with pumpkin cream cold foam during her busy fall season.  Thanks for Midwest Nice for this terrific recioe! 

Savannah is the reason I came to this recipe in the first place. I made her a dairy-free version, which was pretty simple. I found non-dairy-sweetened condensed coconut milk and a heavy whipping cream alternative at the local store. It is every bit as good as the dairy version!

The pumpkin cream recipe has five simple ingredients you can whip up quickly. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week, but I doubt it will last that long! You can use it as a coffee creamer to avoid fooling with a blender. I highly recommend the blender, though! The pumpkin cream cold foam is delicious over hot or cold coffee, hot or cold chia tea, and probably many other things. I add a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice to the top.

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Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam

Course Beverages
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin puree
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  • Whisk together the whipping cream, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and whisk until smooth. Pour into a jar with a lid and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  • To make the pumpkin cream foamy, place 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup into a blender and blend 10 to 20 seconds, or until fluffy and thick. Spoon onto the top of desired drink.

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

 

I recently started going through everything I have pinned on Pinterest. So many times, I pin something and never think of it again. After years of pinning, I have too many pins and too many boards.  It’s like the rest of my life; I want organization and order. 

While looking through some recipes, I ran across this Chicken Satay that sparked my interest again. I  conveniently had all the ingredients in my panty, so it was on the menu last week. 

The marinade is where all of the flavor begins. I had my chicken marinating early in the morning to soak up all the goodness of these tasty ingredients before I cooked it at dinnertime. It’s a mix of salty sweetness, and the peanut dipping sauce is an old recipe that has been a favorite for a while. 

Although I prefer to grill, we got home late the day it was planned for dinner. So, I opted to bake my chicken instead. It was incredibly juicy and flavorful. The chicken cooks fast, and an instant-read thermometer is good to have on hand so the chicken stays tender and juicy. 

The chicken was great served with Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli!

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Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

Course Main Course
Servings 6
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs sliced into 1 1/2" wide strips by 3 - 5" long
  • chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Marinade:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste such as Sambai Oeiek
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Peanut Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or chili paste or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 garlic clove smashed into a fine paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Peanut Sauce:

  • Combine peanut butter, brown sugar, vinegar, chili flakes or paste, soy sauce, smashed garlic, oil and salt in a jar fitted with a lid.
  • Shake the jar to mix. Set aside until time to serve with chicken kabobs.

Chicken:

  • In a medium bowl, whisk the olive oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili paste, lime juice, fish sauce, ground coriander, ground ginger, garlic powder and ground turmeric and olive oil.
  • Pour marinade into a gallon-size zip top bag, add chicken strips. remove air and seal. Massage the marinade into the chicken to coat. Lay bag flat on a baking sheet and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
  • When ready to cook, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from refrigerator and allow to stand at room temperature while the skewers soak. Thread chicken on skewers, then blot excess marinade on chicken using paper towels.
  • Oven: Heat oven to 350℉. Line two baking pans with parchment paper and divide kabobs between the sheets. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until instant-read thermometer reads 165℉.
  • Grill: Grease outdoor grill and heat on high. Once grill reaches high temperature, add kabobs and reduce the heat to medium. Cover the grill and cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until instant-read thermometer reads 165℉.
  • Serve chicken kabobs warm, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and with peanut sauce.

Mexican Egg Bake

What would you like to learn how to do? Have you tried something that you do not have a knack for?

I want to learn the art of decorating cookies! I spent a small fortune on supplies a couple of years ago. I took an online class, ordered a book, and gave it my best. My 2-year-old grandson could have decorated cookies as well as I did.

It has been a while since I tried my hand at cookie decorating. However, now that I am back in the house, I can try again. It would be nice to make and decorate Christmas cookies this year since my grandson would enjoy them.

I have always been a crafty, artsy person. I even had a craft room in our last house. I have done just about anything I set my mind to. So, to say I am not accepting this failure well is putting it lightly.

I am now so intimidated by the decorating process I don’t know what the next step should be. A hands-on class might be what I need, or youtube. After all, there are all kinds of how-to videos there.

This Mexican Egg Bake certainly does not require lessons! I made it recently when Savannah came home for a visit, and we all loved it! She made the pico de gallo with a few of our last fresh garden tomatoes and jalapenos.

Savannah’s tip for great pico is to mix the onion, jalapeno, lime juice, and salt and let it marinate while you chop up the tomatoes and cilantro. After you stir the tomatoes and cilantro into the onion mixture, let it stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Mexican Egg Bake

Course Breakfast
Servings 4
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

Mexican Egg Bake

  • 5 lg. eggs
  • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 8 oz. cottage cheese
  • 2 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 1/2 c. chopped green chiles
  • sour cream

Pico de Gallo

  • 1 small finely chopped white onion
  • 1 to 2 med. jalapenos remove ribs and seeds from one of them, then finely chop
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 to 4 med. tomatoes chopped
  • 1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro or to taste

Instructions

Mexican Egg Bake

  • Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray. 9 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
  • Combine eggs, oil, flour and baking powder and mix well. Stir in cheeses and chiles and mix well. Pour into prepared dish.
  • Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until set and a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Serve with sour cream and pico de Gallo.

Pico de Gallo

  • In a medium bowl, combine onion, jalapeno, lime juice and salt.
  • Chop tomatoes and cilantro and stir into onion mixture. Let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.
  • Store in refrigerator.

Crock-Pot Cubed Steak

I have never cared to fry food. That does not mean I do not like fried food. I do enjoy fried chicken or shrimp occasionally. I do not prepare it at home because I’m not too fond of the mess and don’t care for the house smelling of fried food. So, if we get a craving, we go out for it.

I married a hunter, so I had to learn to love venison. At first, I would use ground meat in saucy recipes such as chili or spaghetti. Then over the years, I learned to appreciate that it was not pumped full of chemicals and hormones, and I began eating the backstrap and tenderloin. But, as much as I enjoy venison in its place, I still prefer beef for a juicy steak or hamburger, a tender chuck roast, and cubed steak.

I have tried crock pot cubed steak in numerous ways over my years of cooking. This recipe is hands down the absolute best I have ever tried.

Using locally grown beef that is the freshest around was a plus in this recipe! We recently discovered AAA Meats in Twin City, Georgia. Now, I don’t think I’ll enjoy eating the beef I had previously put in our freezer! AAA Meats offers excellent high-quality, great-tasting beef with no additives! If you are interested in trying locally grown beef give Abb a call at 912-682-3767. Be sure to tell him Amye sent you!  

This recipe is easy and flavorful, and the gravy was terrific over mashed potatoes! For a lower sodium option, choose McCormick’s 30% less sodium brown gravy mix and unsalted Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. I could not find a low-sodium French onion soup, but you may find it in a store near you.

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Crock Pot Cubed Steak

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Equipment

  • Crock Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 medium onions sliced
  • 8 cubed steaks
  • 2 .87-oz. envelope brown gravy mix
  • 1 10.75-oz. can French onion soup
  • 1 10.5-oz. can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Instructions

  • Place one sliced onion in the bottom of crock pot.
  • Salt and pepper cubed steak, to taste. Place four cubed steaks on top of onion layer.
  • Add another layer of onions on top of steak, then all four more steaks.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown gravy mix, French onion soup, cream of mushroom soup and water. Pour over steaks.
  • Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours.