"Lower Sugar" Slow Cooker Applesauce

 

The early harvest Michigan apples have arrived!  I picked up a bag of Paula Reds today and decided to try to make some homemade apple sauce in the slow cooker.  I browsed through lots of recipes and for the most part, they are very similar.  Mine uses less sugar than a lot of the recipes, and I used brown sugar, rather than white sugar which gives it a little bit of a richer taste.

The hardest part of this recipe is peeling the apples...so if you can do that (which you can), then you can make this applesauce!!!

"Lower Sugar" Slow Cooker Applesauce

3 lbs. apples (about 8 medium sized apples), I used Paula Reds, use your faves or a few different ones
1/4 water
a heaping 1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
cinnamon

Peel, core and chop apples into chunks.  Place into slow cooker and add the water, brown sugar, and sprinkle in some cinnamon.  (not too much...you can always add more when you serve it!).  Mix it all up, place the lid on the slow cooker and turn onto low for 6 hours.

Mash the apples with a potato masher.  This will leave tiny bits of chunky apple.  If you like no chunks at all, then use an immersion blender.  I just mashed with the masher.  They should mash very easily.  If they don't, then cook longer.

My son has already given me two thumbs up for this recipe, and he is the applesauce expert in my house!  We are eating it hot right out of the slow cooker!  It is fabulous!!!

I would definitely make this again!

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

For as much as I love to cook, you would think that I would have a garden. However, I am terrible at taking care of plants/flowers/gardens, etc. I kill most everything that I touch. Even if I follow the care instructions perfectly. Also, I do not like bugs. And with all plants, come bugs. So, it’s just better if I buy my produce, or drop hints to my friends with gardens, that they can off load some of their harvest to me anytime (subtle, aren’t I?).

Anyhow, the first time I made this a few years ago, my friend Tara P. had shared some cherry tomatoes with me (as well as some yummy peppers!) from her garden. It just so happened I needed dinner for that day and I wanted to make some pasta and use those cherry tomatoes. I searched around online and came across some recipes and settled on this recipe. I made this again last night with a combination of store bought tomatoes and some from my neighbor's garden (she gave them to me, I didn't help myself!)

Roasted Cherry Tomato Pasta

2 bags of cherry tomatoes (NOT grape tomatoes)
2 tbsp. cup olive oil
4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tbsp. dry basil)
½ cup kalamata olives, chopped
12 oz. your favorite pasta


1. Heat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Line a pan with foil, heavy duty is best, but any will work.  Place tomatoes in pan and drizzle with the olive oil.  Pour the vinegar over them and then sprinkle with kosher salt. 
2. Roast tomatoes 18-20 minutes, or until tomatoes look blistered and about to burst.
3. Prepare pasta and place in a serving dish.
4. When tomatoes are done, carefully lift foil out and pour the contents over the pasta (this is why I prefer heavy duty foil...sturdier).
5.  Stir in basil and olives.

Both times I have made this I didn't have or couldn't get fresh basil, so I used dry.  I know it will be even better when I use the fresh basil. 

Enjoy with a salad and some red wine!  Delish!


 

Chocolate Chip Blondies

The kids and I were craving something sweet one evening around 9:00.  I told them if we could find a quick and easy recipe we would make it.  So we each grabbed a cookbook from the cupboard and started looking.  I found this recipe in a Taste of Home "Bake Sale" magazine and adapted it.  These are easy, quick and yummy.  Perfect for packing in school lunches!!

Chocolate Chip Blondies

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In a microwave safe glass mixing bowl, melt the butter.  Add brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix until just blended.  In a small bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Grease a 9x13 metal pan with cooking spray or Crisco.  Spread the batter into the pan.  It will just cover the bottom, you will have to spread pretty thin.  But they will puff up some when they bake.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  I use an insulated pan, so I have to bake mine for more like 28 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.  While still warm, run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen bars from side.

Enjoy with a big glass of milk!!