Sharing Some of My Fall Favorites... Homemade Apple Bread

One of my very favorite things about Fall has to be Apples!!

I LOVE apple season!  When my kids were little, I can't remember a time that we didn't go to the Apple Houses in North Georgia and pick out our favorites to take home!  We would walk around and sample all of the different kinds of apples grown in that area.  We would watch them pack the apples and watch the kitchen workers bake homemade fried apple pies!  Sweet, sweet memories!! <3

Two of my personal favorite apples are ...

Honey Crisp

and



Mutsu

Both of these are great!!

I have so many "Apple Recipes" that I want to share with you!  Today, I am sharing my recipe for Homemade Apple Bread!

For this recipe, you can use any apple you would like to.

Here's what you will need:

3 cups of peeled, chopped apples

1 cup of canola oil

1/2 cup of milk

2 eggs

2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 & 1/2 tablespoons of cinnamon

2 teaspoons of vanilla

2 & 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Optional:  1 cup of chopped nuts

First, go ahead and peel and chop your apples and set them aside.

Then, mix your oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla together with a mixer. 

Add your flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon to the creamed mixture. 

Add your milk to that...

Lastly, stir in your apples and nuts with a large spatula or spoon.  Then, pour into greased and floured loaf pans.



Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until done. 

Your house will smell so good!

Now... it's time to make them pretty!!  I like to add a powdered sugar icing to my apple bread!

Basic Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla

whisk in about 2 tablespoons of milk and then add 1 tablespoon at a time to your powdered sugar mixture until you have the right consistency for a thick glaze

** You can keep adding powdered sugar and milk until you get the consistency right.

Now, be creative and add your icing!!

A DELICIOUS TASTE OF FALL!!!! <3

I hope you'll give this recipe a try! I have many more coming soon!!

<3 Acts 20: 35

"I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive." KJV

This week's favorites...

Decorating our pumpkins!  I had too much fun decorating our pumpkins this year!

Ashley and Ricky's "Alabama" Pumpkin

Avery and Jamie's "H for Hackney" Pumpkin ;)

Austin's Alabama Carved Pumpkin!! He did this one by himself!  He is so creative!

So much fun!! <3

P.S.  Pumpkins were on sale at Aldi for $1.99 each! Hope you can get a good deal on yours too!

It's Finally Fall Y'all!!!

Yay!! It's finally here!  There is just something about it... I love the colors, the smells, the food, the crisp morning and evening air!

 

I love starting school

 

 

 

I love getting new pencils

 

I love the fall flowers

 



 

 

I love my front door fall wreath

 

 

 

It's not too hot.  It's not too cold.  I just think fall is pretty much the perfect time of year!

 

 

 

Well, now that you understand my love of fall,  I have so many yummy recipes that I would like  to share with you that I enjoy making for my family and friends  in the fall months. 

 

I am going to start with my recipe for

 

Roasted Chicken

 

Here's what you'll need:

 

One whole fryer

 

 

Notice the very affordable price!  Roasted Chicken is such a great way to feed your family a wholesome, healthy meal for very little cost!

 

You will also need...

 





 

Olive Oil

 

Salt, Pepper, Dried Rosemary, Dried Thyme, Lemon Pepper and a couple of small Lemons

 

Now, first things first we will need to unwrap our bird and wash "him" out under cold running water.  Always be sure to remove any organs from the inside cavity. 

 

When you have him all cleaned out and ready to work with, place him breast side down in a 9 x 13 pan. 

 

 

 

Pour about 4 tablespoons of olive oil on your bird and massage the oil all over the chicken from top to bottom.

 

Then, cut your lemons in half and squeeze the juice of two small lemons onto the bird.

 

 

 

After squeezing the lemons, place the lemons inside the bird.  This will make your chicken VERY MOIST!!

 

 

 

Now it's time for the spices... I just mix all of the spices together on the plate.

 

 



 

Then, I sprinkle the spice mixture onto the bird and massage it in...

 

 

 

 

 

Flip your bird over and repeat the same steps with the spices.

 

 

 

 

Great!! Now, I tie the little legs together with a string that can bake in the oven and I clip a tiny slit in the sides to tuck the tips of the wings inside so they won't burn. 

 

Last, but not least I cut several pats of butter and slide it in underneath the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

I always roast my chicken breast side up.

 

Cover the entire chicken loosely with foil.  (meaning try not to let the foil touch the chicken) :)

 

 

** Be sure you wash your hands thoroughly after working with raw chicken!!

 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  Then, turn the oven to 250 degrees and bake low and slow all day!!

 

 You can just go on about your life while the magic happens!

 

 

I check on my bird throughout the day and often baste or spoon some of the cooking juices onto the bird.

 

 

 

Your house will smell wonderful!!  You can roast a chicken anytime of year, but there's just something about roasting a chicken in the fall!  It's so comforting!!

 

After hours and hours of the mouth-watering delicious smells filling your house, take your bird's temperature with a meat thermometer.

 

 

 

His temperature needs to be 190 degrees. 

 

When he's done, I melt some butter and brush it all over him and put him back in the oven  uncovered so the outside skin gets nice and lightly browned.  Then I take him out of the oven and  continue to baste him with the cooking juices and let him rest until it's time to eat. 

 

 

 

This is a DELICIOUS meal!!!

 

I served it tonight with homemade mashed potatoes and broccoli.

 

Hope you'll give it a try!

 

 

 

Ephesians 1:3 <3

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." KJV

 

 

This week's favorite:

 

My Amish Spices

 

 

Yes, I said Amish!! When we were working in Pennsylvania a couple of years ago, I did lots of my grocery shopping  in an Amish grocery store near where we were staying!  I'm talking it was pretty much me and them shopping there!  I parked my car right beside their horse and buggies!!  I loved it!! ;) It was called Centerville Bulk Foods.  The prices on spices were incredible!  So, I stocked up!  For instance Poppy Seeds are so expensive here, but there, I got this entire container (at the time, it was full)  for 99 cents!!  You can't beat that!!

 

 

 

 

Suffering from a little "Writer's Block" and a little "Empty Nest" ...

Writer's Block:  "A condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work." (Wikipedia)

Causes: "Blocks may be produced by adverse circumstances in a writer's life."  Hmmmm... I'd say this has happened to me this past summer! Let me explain...

First off, take a look at this little picture.

These were  my babies... and then I blinked.

~ <3 ~

 

 

I guess those of you who actually read my Blog have been wondering what happened to me since my last post  back in March!  I last wrote about buttermilk and that was it!! Today, is October 11 and I am finally sitting in front of my computer trying to break this long streak of silence and hopefully get back to writing! I have missed sharing with you! If you only knew what all I have been up to since spring, you would be worn out just listening to it! Let me fill you in on a little bit...

First, it all started with our Avery finishing up his Senior year of homeschooling and graduating back in May. 

 

We were so happy for Avery to reach this "finish line" in his life!

 

That alone was quite a big thought to realize that he would not be at our "school table" anymore and you can imagine as his Mama of 18+ years and his teacher of 13 years, I was a little "sad" to think of it, but I hardly had time to have a big cry because the next big thing would be lots of wedding showers and parties, because Avery was getting married!!!

 

I was busy with planning, shopping, cooking... and then, just like that... it was Avery and Jamie's BIG DAY!

 

June 7, 2014 <3

 

It was a beautiful day for our sweet little couple! We watched as they left the church building and started their new life as husband and wife.  I realized that day that one of my "little birds" had just done what was  all natural and had left "my nest" to start his own. 

 

You might think that I probably sat down and had a great big ole cry over my little boy growing up.  You would be right.  I sure did!

 

My tears would soon be dried up, temporarily, because it was time for even more wedding showers and parties! Wedding #2 was coming soon!  Our Ashley was heading down the aisle in a couple of months!

 

Before we got there though, we had a few other big events.  Anthony and I celebrated 25 years of marriage on June 24!!   Yay us!! <3

 

June 24, 1989 <3

Look at us!! We were just babies too! It wasn't always easy, but  I'm so thankful for the life we share... <3

 

We had a quiet celebration here at home. We had supper out  and had a fun day outdoors hiking and I enjoyed taking pictures of a nearby waterfall. 

 

Then in August, Anthony and I were so excited to go on a vacation with his parents, his sister and her husband and one of our dear friends.  We enjoyed God's beautiful creation in Banff, Canada!

 

It was so beautiful! If you ever have an opportunity to visit there, take it!! You will not believe how amazing it is!! This was great medicine for a stressed out Mama!!!

 

We came straight home and my next event was PTP (Polishing The Pulpit).  I was honored to be able to be a teacher for the 4 year olds this year! That was a very busy week, but very worth it!! I loved meeting all the sweet babies that were in my class!

 

Two weeks after that, it was Wedding Time for Ashley and Ricky!! Here it was again... that feeling that I had been hiding under a rug.  Here came that "Empty Nest" feeling again! It was time to let go of another one of my "birdies". 

 

September 12, 2014 <3

 

Ashley and Ricky tied the knot!! It was another beautiful ceremony and you guessed it... more tears!! Don't get me wrong, I am very happy for both of my children to know that they have married such wonderful Christian spouses and that they have so many exciting things ahead in their futures.  I have gained a beautiful daughter and a handsome son! I have prayed for my children to find their perfect mates ever since I knew I was expecting! I know God has a perfect plan and He has blessed me so very much!! It's just that to me,  they are still these sweet little  kiddos...



Whew... letting go is so hard to do.

 

Two of my little birdies have started flying on their own.  They are doing well! I have one left in my nest, my Baby, Austin.  We started 10th grade this year and he's working his first real job and next month, he will be driving on his own.  He's getting ready to do just what his brother and sister have done...  GROW UP!!

 

 

So, now that my days are starting to change, I'm hoping to find more time to write and share here on my Blog! I have been cooking and snapping pictures all summer long in hopes that  I would recover from this "Writer's Block" and be able to share some of the things I've worked on.  Thank you for listening to me ramble on about my busy summer and me missing my babies being babies!

 

I know that some of you have gone through this very thing and some of you will be going through it soon! My best advise if you find yourself in my shoes... PRAY about it and TRUST God to help you through it! Oh, and go ahead and have a great big ole cry... you'll feel so much better!

Philippians 4:13

 

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." KJV <3

 

 

This week's favorite...

 

 

 

This glass milk bottle that I picked up while in Canada! My sister-in-law, Tammy and I both got one at a small bakery in one of the towns we stayed in while on our trip.  I keep my buttermilk in it! I love, love, love it!! <3