Homemade Applesauce

I made homemade applesauce tonight for preschool lessons this week and it was yummy (and SO easy!)  Wanted to keep the recipe someplace quick where I could find it again.

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped


3/4 cup water

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1.In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Preschool Spinach Salad

I got this recipe from a girl at our preschool. Really easy and a little different that the normal spinach salad with strawberries (the apples in it are yummy!)

I made it using spinach, granny smith apples (sliced thin), feta cheese, and walnuts. Toss with the dressing recipe below!

2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T white wine vinegar
1/3 c sugar
1 T oil
1 t poppy seeds (optional)

Sweet Grilled Chicken Waldorf Salad

I found this chicken marinade recipe on recipezaar and I thought it went well with this easy waldorf type salad. The flavor combination was really good; I wanted to post so I could recreate it. It's a keeper!

Chicken Marinade (this makes a sweet flavorful chicken)

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

3 TBS ground mustard

3 cloves minced garlic

1 lime, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 C brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt)

6 TBS olive oil

ground black pepper

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1. In a large bowl whisk together ingredients beginning w/ cider vinegar through salt.

2. Then whisk in olive oil & pepper.

3. Place chicken in the mixture--cover & marinate in fridge for a few hours

4. Remove chicken from marinade & grill it up--while it cools, make your salad & then chop up chicken to add to salad.

Waldorf Salad

bag of salad, whatever kind you prefer

2-3 apples cored & cut into bite size chunks

chopped pecans

craisins or mixed dried fruit

crumbled Feta cheese

Raspberry Vinaigrette (Kraft makes one that is Light and really good!)

For the salad, just toss all of the ingredients together in the bowl adjusting amounts to your preference. I like lots of pecans & dried fruit in mine. This is a great summer salad; it's really sweet but the feta cheese helps balance that and also the lemons & limes you use in the chicken marinade.

Enjoy!

German Apple Puff Pancake

Another new breakfast thing I made this morning. It turned out really good and yummy. I might would make a little more "batter" next time because I think more batter might make it taste even better. If I make it again and try that, I will repost with my modifications included. Until then, enjoy!

Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter, divided in half
4 large apples, peeled and sliced (I used Granny Smith)
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
4 large eggs
1/3-1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)

Directions
1. Set oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
3. Place 2 Tbsp butter in each of the pans.
4. Place the pans in the oven and bake until the butter has melted; remove from oven.
5. In a bowl, beat the flour, 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, sugar (if using) salt, milk and eggs until smooth.
6. Arrange the apple slices into the two pans onto the melted butter.
7. Divide the batter evenly between pans, over the apple slices.
8. Mix the sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the batter in each pan.
9. Bake until puffed, and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes.

Best Apple Pie Muffins

I made these tonight to take to Joy for the Journey tomorrow. They are good (kind of a lot of work for just muffins), but you can try them out tomorrow night if you are going!


Ingredients

Topping
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I had to use more flour than this...not sure how much, just added it until it was more crumbly)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Muffins
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups diced peeled firm tart apples (such as Spy, Granny Smith)

Directions

1. Topping: In a small bowl toss together sugar, flour, butter and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside.


2. Muffins: In a large bowl whisk together brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, soda and salt.
4. Stir oil mixture into flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
5. Fold in apples, mixing just until combined.
6. Spoon into greased muffin cups filling 3/4 full.
7. Sprinkle topping over evenly.
8. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and tops spring back.