A revelation came to me in the last year when I started reading about other bloggers making their own apple butter. I was intrigued, but a little hesitant to give it a try. I started by making apple jam first. (which, by the way, was delicious) Then I set out to try my hand at apple butter. It takes some time to make, but I was surprised at how incredibly easy it was. Basically, if you can make applesauce, you can make apple butter! It’s all done to taste too, so you can make as much or as little as you want. If you have an abundance of apples, just increase your spices. If you’re trying to use up some leftover apples, just decrease your spices for a small batch. Just don’t try to make it when you have a cold, because you need to have your sense of smell and taste! Trust me on this one!

Any variety of apples will work. I get my apples straight from the orchard, so I asked for a peck of apples suitable for making butter. They filled the bag with winesap, jonagold and a few others. Below is the recipe I used.

Ingredients

about 6 pounds of apples (or half a peck)

½ cup water, apple juice or cider

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 cups brown or raw sugar

1-2 teaspoon ground cloves

4-6 teaspoons cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon in mine!)

Directions:

Peel, core, and roughly chop apples. Place them in a slow cooker with the vanilla and ½ cup water, juice or cider. Cook on low for about 6 hours or high for 2-4 hours. (Total time will depend on how hot your cooker runs.) Once apples are tender, puree them into applesauce with an emulsion blender. Add sugar, cloves and cinnamon and place the lid back on, leaving room for steam to escape. (I put mine on crooked, but I’ve seen others who have used chopsticks to leave a crack.) Cook on low for another 4-6 hours, stirring and tasting occasionally. Adjust spices as needed. Once your butter reaches your desired consistency, pour it into sanitized glass jars or an airtight container.

I made these labels for mine. They can be cut with a 2.5″ circle paper punch and fit the front or the top of regular Ball mason jars. You can store it in the refrigerator for 2-3 months, or process the jars in a water bath for 10 minutes to create a seal. Sealed jars will keep in the pantry for 18-24 months. (For more information on canning, visit www.freshpreserving.com or check out this link from the USDA). Yields about 6-7 pints.

Home-made apple butter goes great on toasted whole wheat bread, biscuits, crackers, french toast and most of all, a spoon headed straight to your mouth!

While I was looking for ideas to use up my Splendor apples, I came across this recipe for Caramel Apple Jam. The ingredients are quite similar to apple butter, which is on my list of things to try making. But the process for jam is much less time consuming, so you might imagine why I chose to start with the jam first. Of course, I had to adjust my recipe a bit from the original, based on some of the user comments and my personal experience making jam. I also changed the name, because I didn’t think it tasted like caramel at all. But, give it a try and tell me what you think.

Cinnamon Apple Jam

Ingredients

6 cups diced peeled apples (I went with Jonamac and Winesap)
1-2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 box of Sure-Jell
3 cups sugar
2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

In a large pot, combine the apples, 1 cup water and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are soft. (this is the most time consuming part of the task). When the apples are tender, add up to one more cup of water, if needed, stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Adjust caps. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water bath. After 10 minutes of cooling, I like to shake up the jars and turn them over ever few minutes so that all the fruit doesn’t settle on one side of the jar. If you’d like to label them, you can even use these printable labels I created. The size fits nicely on the top or the front of jars and can easily be punched with a 2.5″ circle paper punch.

Enjoy your apple jam on buttered bread, toast, biscuits, and/or french toast.

Recently I was on a quest for a good chocolate oatmeal cookie recipe. It all started when she posted a really yummy recipe for Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. My 4yo LOVES chocolate, so I thought this would be a great way to get some more whole grains into him and maybe entice him to eat breakfast more often. Well, that little stinker just picked all the chocolate chips out and left the oatmeal crumbs behind.

So, I headed to the Weelicious facebook page, told her what happened and asked if she had any ideas for a completely chocolate oatmeal cookie. She replied that night with a link to her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Sea Salt Cookies with a suggestion to replace 1/4 or 1/3 cup of the flour with cocoa powder. I was set.

In addition to adding cocoa, I decided to replace the white flour with whole wheat and set out to make two batches. The first batch I reduced the flour by ¼ cup, replacing it with cocoa powder. They were a perfect balance of oatmeal and chocolate, which made for a nice breakfast cookie or mid-day snack. The cookies were really good, without being addictive…which can be a benefit if you’re like me and lack self control. I kept a few at the house and sent the rest of the batch to school for my son’s birthday. I’m pretty sure everybody loved them because only 2 came back!

The second batch I made by replacing 1/3 cup of the flour with cocoa. This batch was absolutely heavenly! They were so decadent and highly addictive. If you’re looking to wow some friends, this is the way to go. Here’s the new kid approved recipe:

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Sea Salt Cookies
(Makes 4-5 Dozen)

1 Cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar (light or dark)
1/2 Cup Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 cup and 3tbsp whole wheat flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 Cups Old Fashioned Oats
10-12 oz Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Sea Salt Flakes (Weelicious used Maldon Sea Salt, but I couldn’t find that, so I used freshly ground sea salt. She stresses that you should NOT use iodized salt on the top of the cookies.)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Using a standing or hand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar for about 4 minutes until creamy and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla until thoroughly combined.

4. Stir the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a separate mixing bowl.

5. Slowly add the flour mix to the butter/sugar mixture until combined.

6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips mixing well until combined (I don’t have a stand mixer, so I used my hands for this part)

7. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

8. Press down each cookie and top with a few flakes/grinds of sea salt.

9. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

10. Cool and serve.

You can also freeze this cookie dough. After step 8, place the cookie sheet in the freezer for several hours until frozen. Once they are frozen, move cookies to a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months (that is if you can resist them for that long!). When you’re ready to bake them, just pop them in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

*Note: I realize these cookies have a decent amount of sugar and butter. However, I believe a little bit of sugar is OK. Especially when it’s balanced with a hefty dose of whole grains and an otherwise healthy diet.

If you missed this one, don’t worry, because it will be back around in January. Visit them online for more info. Or you can sign up for their email alerts and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far.

• Southeast Indiana is known as the birthplace of the American wine industry because it was the site of the first successful winery established in America. (who knew?!)

• Indiana (along with West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky) is part of the largest designated wine area in the United States. The region encompasses 16 million acres!

• Indiana is one of the top 10 states for wine production.

• Indiana has more than 60 wineries scattered across the state from northern tip to the southern border and everywhere in between.

• Indiana wineries vary in size and purpose offering local hot spots, family-friendly destinations and romantic weekend getaways.

• Award-winning wines range from dry to sweet and white to red…so, there is something for everyone’s palate.

• Indiana’s small, family-owned wineries offer the novice wine drinker ample opportunity to taste new wines, ask questions and learn about the art of wine.

• Several Indiana wineries offer banquet facilities and/or catering services, making them the ideal location for a family reunion, wedding or other celebration. (hint, hint, I have a birthday coming up!!!)

Here’s what I have on my agenda for the summer:

Now that I know all these interesting facts about Indiana’s wine industry, I’ve got to get started on my touring and tasting.

• The Vintage Indiana wine festival will kick off my summer of wine. As the state’s largest wine festival, the June 4 event will give me an opportunity to sample more than 200 Indiana wines…while experiencing a day full of entertainment, learning opportunities and samplings of delicious food from some of Indiana’s top culinary experts. I can’t wait! (Care to join me? Click here to see how you can win tickets.)

• Easley Winery will be my first stop. Located in downtown Indianapolis, it’s the ideal destination. They offer free weekend tours and for $2 (plus tax), you can sample 7 different wines. Plus, I’ve recently learned that the owners have young children and can totally relate to those of us who like to (or have to) bring our children along. Sure, I’d love to go without them, but paying for a sitter isn’t always the most ideal. I’m told that Easley provides crayons and other kid friendly fare to keep the littlest patrons happy.

• Mallow Run Winery will be added to my list of date night destinations for the summer. Named the 2008 winery of the year, Mallow Run offers 18 different wines. Plus, with the summer upon us, the winery offers live music every Saturday night from 5-8 p.m., along with Bazbeaux Pizza by the slice. (yum!)

• J&J Winery is part of the Richmond/Wayne County Indiana Chocolate Trail that I have on my agenda for the summer. I have no idea what to expect from this winery, so it should be fun.

• Shady Creek Winery’s location along the shore of Lake Michigan will make it an ideal stop on our trip to the Indiana Dunes this summer. Not sure what to expect, other than panoramic views and a relaxing evening with my husband. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Here’s how you can make it happen:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Lightly grease a muffin tin and press refrigerated biscuits into each cup, pressing dough all the way up sides of cups. (I use the Jr. Biscuits, but you can use regular flake biscuits and split them in half for each cup.)

3. In a separate pan, scramble eggs and diced ham.

4. Spoon a helping of of the egg/ham mixture into each cup and sprinkle with cheese. (I used cheddar jack)

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown.

6. Serve with your favorite sliced fruit.

I have purchased endless varieties of boxed cookies from our local health food store. While many of them have measured up to my standards of healthiness, none of them have measured up to my family’s taste buds. When I was given the opportunity to try Bear Naked’s Soft-Baked Granola Cookies, I had a feeling that I would love them but that my family would balk at the healthy ingredients. I was sent a box of the Double Chocolate to try, as well as a box of the Fruit & Nut variety. After scanning the ingredients (whole grain oats, whole wheat flour, walnuts, evaporated cane juice, coconut, canola oil, etc…), I was all the more convinced that I would get to enjoy these cookies all by myself. Well, much to my surprise, I was wrong! My daughter spotted the Double Chocolate and said, “Mom, are those chocolate?! Can I have one?!” I handed one over and started to open the box of Fruit & Nut cookies. Before I had finished, she was asking for a second! I managed to sneak one for my husband and one for myself to review and stowed the rest away to parse out as special treats.

Later, I was able to sample both varieties. I tried the Double Chocolate first. I absolutely loved them as well. They had a chewiness to them but not a weird chewiness. I did notice that there was a packet of desiccant in with the cookies to off-set the fact that Bear Naked does not use preservatives. The flavor was rich and decadent, while also really tasty and substantial. The almonds, walnuts and peanuts gave a very nice texture as well. The Fruit & Nut variety did not disappoint either. Also chewy and substantial, the walnuts, cranberries and coconut provided a wonderful mix of flavors and textures. When my husband returned home from work, he tried both varieties. While he preferred the Double Chocolate, he conceded that the Fruit & Nut were also delicious.

We are planning a road trip to the beach next month and Bear Naked Soft-Baked Granola Cookies will be on my list of car snacks to purchase. It is unusual to find a 100% natural snack that is this delicious. My daughter doesn’t need to know that they are free of preservatives, cholesterol, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, hydrogenated oils and trans fats. That will be Mommy’s little secret.

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Thanks goes to Mary for providing this review. I am a bit jealous I wasn’t able to do it myself. With my son’s peanut allergy, I didn’t want to take the risk, but I knew it would be a great product you all would be interested in. As always, though, The Average Parent–and contributors–have pledged to Blog with Integrity. What this means is that although we occasionally receive free products from PR and marketing reps, the recommendations we make are based on our own experience in the real world. We promise to only provide reviews on the products and services we absolutely love, and we define this as something we would purchase for ourselves or as a gift for others. For more details about our review policy please visit the Disclaimer Page.

The Benefits

1. Spending 4 hours prepping food with friends is a lot more enjoyable than trying to scramble around the kitchen at 5 minutes to 5 wondering how you’re going to get dinner ready with a tantrum-throwing toddler and a counter surfing beagle nipping at your heals.

2. When we hold a freezer cooking session, we head to a local church to take advantage of their large kitchen. The extra space and industrial dish washer make everything a lot easier.

3. We “pay” the church by supplying a few extra meals for needy families, so it’s a very easy and inexpensive way to help others.

4. Freezer cooking in large quantities gives me the opportunity to work out discounts with local retailers and butchers for bulk buying. (We use locally-raised organic meat, so the bulk-buying discount is really helpful! Thanks Moody’s!)

6. An added bonus of freezer cooking is that we can buy ingredients in bulk without worrying about waste.

7. Best of all, I don’t have to worry about what’s for dinner because it’s already in the freezer.

Tips

Now that I’ve told you the benefits of freezer cooking, I bet your dyeing to get started! Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. If you’re a freezer cooking pro, I’d love to hear what you’re doing too!

1. Head to your local library and check out a few freezer cookbooks for ideas and recipes. My favorites are Fix, freeze, feast: prepare in bulk and enjoy by the serving, Don’t Panic – Dinner’s In the Freezer, and Once-A-Month Cooking Family Favorites.

2. Start small, with a couple friends, and 2-4 easy recipes such as a marinade poured over meat.

3. When I decided to organize my first freezer cooking session, I contacted Ziploc to see what tips they had to offer. Not only did they provide me with some bags and containers to test drive (and give away), but they also pointed me to their website to find a list of foods with their particular shelf life. This really helped when planning our meals.

4. Do not be cheap when purchasing your freezer containers. Generic freezer bags and plastic containers simply don’t hold up as well as Ziploc does. You can still save money by looking for sales and clipping coupons…but make sure to invest in quality containers.

5. We opted for the freezer bag method because of its ease of use. I don’t have an extra freezer, so space is at a premium in my house. Ziploc bags take up the least amount of space, but meals can become difficult to organize if you just toss them in without care. One tip is to lay the bags flat in a baking dish to flash freeze in a flat shape. Once the meal is frozen, remove the dish and stack meals for better freezer organization.

6. Place your Ziploc bag inside a cereal box and stand it upright to easily fill with liquid ingredients. Just make sure to tape the bottom of the box so your bag doesn’t fall out (I learned this the hard way!)

7. If you don’t have a large kitchen to use with friends, consider doing a meal swap. Invite each of your friends to prepare one freezer meal at his/her own home, and then plan a get together to swap meals.

8. Invest in a community box that contains regularly used cooking supplies such as herbs and spices, sugar, flour, cooking oils and condiments. Buy these items in large quantities and divide the cost among your cooking group.

9. Mix marinades in a large clear liquid measuring cup instead of a bowl. This will allow you to easily divide the sauce among meals.

10. You can save time and energy by letting your butcher do the hard work for you. For example, the butcher can tenderize meats, cube it or slice it in specific fashions for your meals, at no extra cost. (My group has been able to negotiate a small discount from our butcher too.)

11. Let the meal cool before packaging it. This will keep freezer bags from melting and prevent ice crystals that are likely to form if a meal isn’t cooled first. You can use the cool down time to clean up.

12. Label food containers with the meal name and date prepared. If using reusable containers, use a dry erase marker that can easily be erased for the next freezer meal.

My friends and I have successfully completely two freezer meal sessions and are planning to continue on a monthly basis. This month we’ll be enjoying chili, breaded cheesy chicken bundles, beef chimichangas, honey pork chops, parmesan garlic chicken, and apricot glazed pork roast. Our group also donated these 6 meals to be given to a local family in need. Next month should be even better now that we know what we’re doing and more people have joined our cooking group.

What will you be eating this month?

I’m a strong advocate that parents need plenty of “me time”. But, that can sometimes be difficult when you’re on a tight budget. After instituting a spending diet for my own family, I’ve been even more diligent in looking for affordable ways to have fun. One idea I thought of was to host a wine or beer tasting, on the cheap.

How it Works

Invite 5-10 people for an informal get together at your house and instruct them to bring their favorite bottle of inexpensive wine or six pack of craft beer (less than $10), along with one pairing item (see suggestions below). While keeping the cost below $20 for each person, it’s a great way to broaden your horizons while exploring new drinks that are really affordable.

To help you plan a similar event, I’ve put together some suggestions. Read on for details.

Wine, Beer and Pairing Suggestions

Wine (Top Picks from The Wine Mom)

• Chateau Saint Michelle Riesling Columbia Valley – Good for someone wanting to try Riesling for the first time. It’s an every day Riesling with characters of juicy peach, apricot, ripe pear and sweet citrus, with subtle slate and mineral notes. Usually sells for about $10.
• Concha Y Toro Syrah Marqués de Casa Concha 2004 – Sells for around $7 and has had great reviews. Penfolds is a reliable brand and usually sells for around $10. This particular bottle has been noted to be ripe and pure, with lovely violet, blackberry and plum aromas and flavors that glide along sweet, imbedded tannins.
• Robert Mondavi Winery Moscato d’Oro 2005. A great desert wine that’s affordable and tastes great. The Mondavi Riesling and Fume Blanc are also great. All are around $10.
• Trader Joe’s brand Charles Shaw (affectionately known as Two Buck Chuck), a few of them have even been award winning.
• Almond Creek Vineyards, almond sparkling wine.Available at Trader Joes for $7.
• Anything from Barefoot or Yellow Tail – They frequently run specials that price a bottle at around $6.

Beer (My personal faves)

• Left Hand Milk Stout – Roasted malt and coffee flavors in a classic cream stout.
• Rogue Hazelnut Brown Nectar – a nutty twist to a traditional Euro brown ale. Dark brown in color with a hazelnut aroma, rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish.
• New Belgium’s Fat Tire Amber Ale – One of the cleanest tasting ambers I’ve ever had, Fat Tire has a sense of balance with toasty, biscuit-like malt flavors coasting in equilibrium with hoppy freshness.
• Paulaner Salvator – Brewed in Germany, it is the first double bock to be brewed and is considered to be one of the best of its style. Often referred to as the “Cabernet of Beers” or liquid bread, it has hearty, rich flavors of malt, toffee, bread, and a bit of coffee.

Pairing Items

Hard and Soft Cheeses
Crackers
Fruit – apples, pears, strawberries, cherries and/or grapes
Chips and Dip/Salsa
Chocolate
Roasted nuts
Variety of Breads
Pizza
Savory Appetizers or Desserts
Snack Mix
Antipasto
Pasta
Sliders
Buffalo Wings
Saltines for cleansing the pallet

For more ideas on pairing, check out these resources:

Williams-Sonoma Pairing Wine with Cheese & Desserts
Cabot’s Wine and Cheese Guide
Cabot’s Beer and Cheese Guide
BeerTravelers.com

Tips

1. Encourage each guest to bring something different and use facebook events or an email discussion loop to coordinate who is brining what.
2. Ask each guest to jot down a few notes about the drink they are brining so that tasters have an idea of what to look for.
3. Provide small drinking cups for sampling, as well as paper and pens for guests to jot down their thoughts.
4. Make sure to have plenty of non-alcoholic drinks on hand and designate a driver if necessary.
5. Print off a tasting guide for each guest. (not everybody knows how to taste or what to look for.) Check out these links for beer or wine tasting guides.