Orange-Almond Apple Crumble

approx. 10 cups sliced, peeled apples
juice and zest of 1 large orange
1 stick of butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup oats
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup chunky-ground almonds
*you may want extra sugar

Spread apples in buttered 9X13. Sprinkle orange zest and juice across the apples.
You may sprinkle extra sugar across your apples for a sweeter dish or if your apples are tart.

Melt butter, blend in brown sugar, then oats, then flour. Sprinkle over apples. Sprinkle ground almonds across the flour-sugar mixture. Bake for approx. 1 hour at 375.

We enjoyed this so much, I think I'll make another one tonight! ;-)

This post is linked to:
Delightful Order
Thrifty 101 
Diaper Diaries 
Fingerprints on the Fridge 
Grocery Cart Challenge 
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating 
Life As Mom

Apples and Peanut Butter...

This has been one of my favorite snacks for years! Half and core the apples, scoop in the pb and you've got a great quick-n-frugal snack!

Apple Bread with Homemade Ice Cream

Yummy apples with a nice, lightly sweetened bread underneath, served hot with homemade vanilla ice cream!

I used an odd-shaped baking dish for this, but you can use a deep, glass 5x9.

Mix;

1/3 cup cane sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.

Toss in;

4 1/2 cups peeled, sliced apples

Dump apples in buttered baking dish.

***

Cream 1/4 cup butter with 1/2 cup cane sugar.

Add 1 egg

1/2 t vanilla

1 1/4 cup unbleached flour

1 t baking powder

Spread thick batter over the apples in the baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 32-35 minutes.

Serve hot.

Served here with some leftover homemade ice cream from the freezer.

Applesauce Pudding...

This recipe is from More With Less, but I take a few liberties with it.

I use;
1 and 1/2 pkgs of graham crackers,
1 quart of homemade apple, pear, or blended sauce,
cane sugar,
and cinnamon.

I layer them in a square baking dish, starting with the crackers and ending on top with the applesauce, cane sugar, and cinnamon.

Chill before serving so as to soften the crackers. (This sets quick-within 15 minutes, so its a great go-to dessert.)

-This is also so easy that one of your little kitchen helpers could be taught to fix it!
-I topped with some leftover whipped cream but it's not necessary, its yummy without it!
My kids love it!

More Apples!

Well, I asked the Lord for more apples and more apples He gave!

(See the burnt spill on the pan- the rest is in my oven- oh bugger!)

Here's another bushel of those Arkansas Black apples and a bushel of Pink Lady apples..yum!



Apple Orchard Trip!

Saturday, we got to go to the Apple Orchard!

...ah one of my favorite places in the whole wide world!

This is the orchard, on a hillside.

You can smell the apples when you get out of your car!

Heaven!

Here's 2 bushels of drops that I bought for $10 a box. Not bad, huh?

Some will be juiced, lots will be eaten, some may get canned! ;-)

You know what these are?

I bought  a peck of these Arkansas Black Apples, otherwise known as Winter Apples.

Why? Well, most of you know, I'm sure, but just in case you don't...these apples are very firm and crisp and will store easily through the winter.

Lord willing, we will go get a box (or 2, fingers crossed) of these to store. The drops will be $10!

I ate 2 of these on the way home!~

We love apples!

Its so exciting to go to the orchard!

Some days are apples and some days are peppers, and some days are both..

I have been buying a (yes a whole) box of apples every month(on my once-a-month shopping trip) and my family hasn't had any problem gobbling them up. My last box was a box of local Gala apples. They looked very pretty and were the perfect size, not too big! Looks can be deceiving however and these apples were more of the texture of Red Delicious apples, mushy and no one here likes them very much. One of my kids said they were 'sandy' and DH said they were like applesauce! Needless to say, they started rotting from the inside out! So, I felt it my duty to oblige them if they wanted to be apple sauce! ;) So I spent some time making apple sauce and apple juice from them.

My kids of course, had me open one right back up and requested eggs and applesauce (one of their favorite 'meals', however usually for breakfast).
Then I braved the mud bog, uh garden, and saw my poor pepper plants withering so I decided to pull all the peppers before they withered too. In order to cut okra, I had to take a shovel to brace myself because I was sliding and sinking so bad in the mud. DH stood back watching, letting me know that he would go get the camera if I fell! ;) I had mud up past my ankles and around the bottom of my skirt by the time I was finished. -sigh-
(I forbid the kids to come near the garden, because last year it got wet like that in the spring and they were up to their knees in the mud!)

Dried Candied Apples

This is a little treat that my kids love and ask for come fall! My oldest, now 16, makes sure (as only a teen can) that I don't forget to make at least one batch of these.

They are super easy BUT they can get super messy, so here's the way I do it and my tips on how to keep the mess to a minimum:)
Peel and slice apples and put them in a bowl of water with about a 1/4 cup of lemon juice to keep them from browning. Then dip apples in sugar (your choice of sugars) and place on tray.

NO degree in Rocket Science required! It is that easy!

BUT if you are REALLY interested in doing this, PLEASE read the tips below!

-Use only one cup of sugar at a time to keep from getting it all wet.

-Allow trays to drain in the sink about an hour before drying in the machine.

(They drip a messy syrup!)

-Will need to dry a little longer than regular apples.

**A good sub for candy!**

FOR MORE KITCHEN TIPS, VISIT TAMMY'S RECIPES!

Baked Apples

Oh how I love this time of year!!!

Apples and pumpkins are everywhere and harvest time means feasting time is right around the corner! The weather will soon be starting to change, and the cool romantic weather will be rolling in. The leaves will be changing colors before we know it and rainy days will likely come to visit more frequently. Then, before I can think twice; snow, Thanksgiving, and Christmas will be here! Yippppeee! These apples put me right in the spirit!

All you have to do is core the apples and place them in a baking dish with a little water.

Fill the center of the apples with a pat of butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for an hour at 375. Your house will smell like fall for sure!

I cooked an apple pie today....

DH was tickled to find this sweet treat in my kitchen tonight!

So were the kids, but of course they wanted theirs 'a la mode'. The neat part about this pie is it was made with apples from the orchard - without a trip to the orchard!
Yes you read that right!
You see, I took the time to ask our local grocery store (you know, the kind that has an older man's name, not the chain stores;-)..if he could sell me a box of apples. He said 'why sure' and he charged me what the orchard charges and I didn't have to pay for half a tank of gas to drive all the way out to the orchard! Yippee!
But I did miss the beauty of the orchard, but there's still time and I did save that $$ on gas!

That's my Frugal Friday tip!
Check with your local grocery for orchard size deals! :-)
Go HERE for more Frugal Friday!

Apples?

Could it be?

Yes, it's a little apple!

No, we didn't go to the orchard...but I do love it there....

This is right here in my yard on my little dwarf winesap. This is the very first little apple on this tree.

It is so exciting to see this little beauty!

We make a family pact that the first apple would be sliced and everyone would get a bite!

Leftover Couscous= Apple Cinnamon Couscous

Ok, Ok, so I can't say Couscous, but I did manage to cook some and its easy! We ate it one night with a chicken dish served over it in the place of rice.....but what to do with the leftovers?

I chopped up a couple of apples and cooked them in a little butter just until they were no longer crunchy. 

I tossed in about a cup of applesauce, 1/2 cup water, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, and cinnamon and heated until sugar dissolved and poured over the reheated couscous. 

Huge hit with the kids!

This could be used for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Apples from the Orchard Cake

We bought 2 bushels of apples last year so I had to dig for lots of apple recipes. This is one that could become a favorite!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups flour (I used fresh wheat)

1 3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup of oil or butter (if you are going lowfat, you can use applesauce here but its not as rich;)

4-5 small apples, cubed

1 cup pecans

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

*******

Grease pan (may use 9x13 or even a Bundt). Preheat oven to 350.

Mix eggs and oil, add other ingredients.

Bake 1 hour. Let cool. (Remove from pan if using Bundt.)

ICING:

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

******

Mix all ingredients together. Cook over medium heat, bringing to a boil. Cook 2 to 3 minutes after boil is reached. Pour over cake. (Make sure you use a big enough plate if using Bundt!)

*****************************************************************************

For more In Season Apple Recipes, visit Tammy's Recipes HERE!

Click HERE to see my Dried Candied Apples. *Be sure to read and follow the tips!