Crockpot Applesauce

I forgot how much I love homemade and warm applesauce until I started making it again this last winter! I was excited to have found apples marked down to 25c/lb for quick sale...so I grabbed up all I could and whipped up some of this deliciousness for our freezer...I got 5 pints in all (it could have been 6, but my tummy got in the way!). I can't wait until fall to make more of this...it's so perfect for a cool day!

The Ingredients...

...4 large apples. Peeled, cored and sliced.
...juice from one lemon (if you don't have a lemon on hand, don't go buy one. 2 1/2 T will substitute quite nicely)
...1/2 t. cinnamon
...1 t. vanilla
...1 T. brown sugar
...1/4 c. water

Directions...

Place apples in crockpot. Add in remaining ingredients and stir to coat all apples. Turn crockpot on low for 6 hours. After four hours, mash apples with potato masher until desired consistency.

My Thoughts...

When I make this, I usually do a double batch. My crockpot can hold a double batch just perfectly...and it will freeze into about 3-4 pints. I don't buy applesauce at the store anymore. Unless it's for baking. This is more of a eating applesauce than it is a baking one. Besides, why would you want to waste this deliciousness in a baked good. It deserves all the attention to itself!

To see other delicious recipes (and some super cute July 4 picnic ideas!) check out Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!

Homemade Cream Cheese Spread

I love putting a cream cheese spread on my bagels! It adds so much more flavor than butter and is a nice change from peanut butter or jam. So yesterday when I had some strawberries leftover after making some homemade strawberry rhubarb jam, I decided to make an attempt at some homemade cream cheese spread!

The Ingredients...

...5 oz. cream cheese (really. it's however much you want to use. I just used 5 oz. because it's what I had leftover after a frosting recipe I made)
...1 cap full of vanilla extract
...Smashed Strawberries (yet again, how much is up to you. I just kept mashing and adding until I felt it tasted right.)

Directions...

Soften cream cheese and stir in vanilla. Smash up strawberries and stir in. Store in refrigerator.

My Thoughts...

This was quite comparable to the store boughten cream cheese spread. I'm eager to try this again with different flavors. I haven't done an actual price of this homemade version...but I do know that it most definetely cost me under $1 to make. Which sure beats the pants off of the store bought price any day! Next time I have a craving for cream cheese spread on my bagel, I'll just whip up my own!

Bagels from Scratch!

I love bagels. I do not, however, love the pricetag on bagels. The solution? Homemade!

The Ingredients...

...1 c. water
...1 1/2 t. salt
...2 T. white sugar
...3 c. flour
...2 1/4 t. yeast

Directions...

Place ingredients in bread maker in order listed. Set to dough setting and let run cycle. When cycle is finished, let dough rest 5 min. on lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 9 sections, and roll into balls. Poke hole in middle of each ball and form into bagel shape. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Three at a time, boil the bagels for one minute, turning after 30 seconds. Let drain on clean dish towel. Place onto baking sheet lightly dusted with cornmeal. Bake at 375* for 20 minutes.

My Thoughts...

So good! And the best part? These only cost 32c for the whole batch as opposed to $1.19 and up for a pack of 5 at the grocery store! I will definetely start making these myself, especially since it's a really easy process! Next time I think I will try adding some garlic or onion and make a flavored bagel!

Chocolate Crinkles

I love cookies. I especially love these cookies. I don't know what it is about them that makes them so dang delicious...but they are honestly one of my favorite cookies. And one that could always be found in my grandma's cookie jar. Which is maybe what creates their appeal...

The Ingredients...

...1 c. cocoa powder
...2 c. sugar
...1/2 c. oil
...4 eggs
...2 t. vanilla extract
...2 c. flour
...2 t. baking powder
...1/2 c. powdered sugar

Directions...

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar and oil. Beat in eggs one at a time and then stir in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder and then stir into cocoa mixture. Cover dough and chill for at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350* and grease cookie sheet. Roll dough into 1" balls and coat in powdered sugar. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for one minute on cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling rack.

My Thoughts...

These are good! So good that I can't keep my hands off of them...which is baaad!

To see more great recipes check out the Recipe Swap over at Grocery Cart Challenge!

O'Henry Bars

You know those recipes that you grew up eating...but once you moved away from home for the first time, moved out on your owned and eventually got married, you kind of forgot about them? Yeah, this is one of those recipes. Both my grandma and my mom used to make these bars all of the time...and after rediscovering the recipe over the weekend in one of my grandma'a cookbooks I decided to make them...

The Ingredients...

...2 c. quick cooking oats
...1/2 c. white corn syrup
...3/4 c. margarine
...1 c. brown sugar
...1 (6 oz.) pkg. chocolate chips
...3/4 c. peanut butter

Directions...

Mix the first four ingredients and spread into greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350* for 12-15 minutes. Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter, spread over cooled "crust" mixture and cool. Cut into bars and serve!

My Thoughts....

Okay, first off, this isn't my picture. I borrowed it from Three Lab Bakery. But it is my recipe...I just forgot to take a picture of the finished product before they got all gobbled up! This is such a delicious recipe...and childhood memories of eating these at my grandma's house came flooding back with each bite. This is a simple, but delicious bar that you must try. Stat. So get to your kitchen and get mixing!

Macaroni Salad

This is a crowd pleaser. A tried and true crowd pleaser. Where there is summer and picnics, grill outs and barbecues...there must be this salad. It is also a great little side dish to whip up for those hot days when turning on the oven is just not an option. Plus...it's simple!

The Ingredients...

...16 oz. shell macaroni
...1 large grated carrot
...2 stalks celery, chopped
...2 c. mayonnaise
...1 can sweetened condensed milk
...1/2 c. sugar
...1/4 c. vinegar

Directions...

Cook macaroni according to package directions. In a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sweetened condensed milk, vinegar and sugar. Add to macaroni and stir in celery and carrot. Let marinate in refrigerator for several hours, or overnight.

My Thoughts...

Just like Grandma used to make. This is so tasty and creamy to boot. It's also a crowd pleaser, because let's face it....what kind of a summer eating event doesn't include a salad similar to this?

For more great crowd pleasing recipes, be sure to check out the Ultimate Recipe Swap over at Life as Mom.

Popcorn Cake

It's hot here. Really, really hot here. And me being the fr

ugal (crazed?) person that I am...we haven't turned on the air conditioning yet. Yep. We're crazy...

I wanted to make a cake. But that requires turning on the oven...which makes our kitchen feel like a bizzilion and one degrees instead of the normal million degrees :) So I found this recipe, which was really good and required no extra heating of the kitchen...

The Ingredients...

...18 cups popped popcorn
...1 bag marshmallows
...1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
...1/2 bag of chocolate chips

Directions...

Pop popcorn and place in large bowl. Melt butter and marshmallows together and stir into popcorn. Once everything is mixed well, add chocolate chips. Press into greased angel food or bundt cake pan and let cool. Turn onto plate and enjoy!

My Thoughts...

This was a painless, heatless treat...and it was good! It was basically a really giant popcorn ball, but in cake form. I will definetely be making this again...it was delicious!

For more delicious recipes, check out Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam!