Homemade Apple Butter - Yumm...

Well... It's been one of those weeks.  It all started with a "Mama", "Mom", "Mama" Monday.  Things were normal for about... humm.... let me think... 5 minutes first thing Monday morning. Then we had whining, croupy coughing, runny nose and constipation all day topped off with a fever of 103.1 by dinner time.  What a wonderful combination.  When it rains it sure does {pour} sometimes huh? Poor baby Ella...  

Tuesday was somewhat of a repeat of Monday but today has been much better. Her fever broke around noon and she's finally coming around.  Sweet "little" Ella is back!  So... to celebrate our fever free afternoon I made a batch of homemade Apple Butter .  Yummy, yum yum...  Apple Butter takes hours to make but the it's so worth it.  I was going for the {smell} factor today.  There's nothing that the {smell} of homemade goodness can't cure!

Here's a scratch and sniff shot!

Recipe

Peel, core, and dice 5.5lbs of apples in very small fine pieces.  Size is key here!

   

These are wonderful tools for this process!  Check them out... 

Apple Peeler & Corer by Williams Sonoma

Apple Peeler & Corer by Pampered Chef

Place your apple bits in a slow cooker and set aside.

Mix the following ingredients together in a separate bowl...

• 3 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon of ginger
• 2 bay leaves (adds a little zing)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour this mixture on the apples and mix well.

Set your slow cooker on high for an hour.

Reduce heat to low and cook for 9-11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and dark brown in color.  Once you reach a consistancy you're happy with, spoon your apple butter into sterile containers, cover, refrigerate and/or freeze.

Spread some of your delicious homemade apple butter on a slice of mutigrain toast, add fresh fruit and you've got a yummy breakfast!

Food-A-Licious Flower Pot Surprise?

Here's a Food-A-Licious Friday dessert I thought I'd share with you.  It's {fun} to look at, {easy} to make and oh so... yummy to your tummy.  You can make a flower pot surprise for just about any occasion.  This flower is one that is guaranteed to live and be loved by all.  Well... it's loved by my {all}!  Hah...

Ingredients...

• 1 regular size package of Oreo Cookies
• 1 bag of Gummy Worms (optional)
• ½ stick of Butter (room temperature)
• 1 (8oz) pkg. Cream Cheese (room temperature)
• 1 cup Powder Sugar
• 3½ cups Milk
• 2 small packages of Instant French Vanilla Pudding
• 1 (12oz) Tube of Cool Whip
• 1 package of Chocolate Rocks

Plastic or Ceramic Flower Pot 

Silk Flowers (or anything else you choose)  

Steps...

Crush Oreos and set aside.

Cream together butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar.

In a separate bowl, mix together milk and instant pudding.

Combine all of the above ingredients and mix together.

Fold in Cool Whip!

- Plug-er' Up -

Cut a circle that fits the bottom of your pot out of your cool whip lid. Recycle baby!

Add a few dots of hot glue to secure your circle (if you desire).

Place your Cool Whip circle over the hole in the bottom of your pot.

- It's Layer Time -

1st Oreos and a few Gummy Worms

2nd Pudding Mixture

Then repeat...

- Finish-er' Up -

Make sure Oreos and Gummy Worms are your final layer.

Sprinkle your oh so... cool Chocolate Rocks on top.

Refrigerate!

Decorate with Silk Flowers before serving and enjoy the smiles and questions you receive when you serve this yummy dessert.

Happy Friday!

{Note}

I thoroughly wash and sanitize my pots, silk flower stems and Cool Whip lid. This is an important step, so don't leave it out. :)