6 Amazing Uses for Apples

An apple a day does more than you'll guess! Go beyond apple pie and learn how apples help you out at home.

Click here to read the rest of this article from Reader's Digest.

Freezer Jam: A Baby Step To Canning

For years I researched the art and craft of preserving summer fruit, but I could never bring myself to go ahead and try it myself. What if I did something wrong? What if my jars exploded in the heat? What if I hurt myself or someone I cared about?

Click here to read more. . .

Peach Streusel Crisp

Peach Streusel Crisp--a great way to use up those over-ripe peaches!

• 9 ripe peaches
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/4 t. vanilla
• 2 T. flour

Topping:

• 1 stick cold butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Grease the bottom of an 8 x 8 pan or medium casserole dish. (Double recipe for a 9 x 13 pan!)
2. Peel and pit peaches, slice, and place in a bowl. Top with sugar, flour cinnamon and vanilla. Toss to coat and set aside while preparing topping.
3. Make streusel by cutting the butter into the flour, sugar, and cinnamon. This is easily done by hand, or use a pastry cutter, or by using two forks in a chopping motion until it has a course texture.
4. Put peaches in the pan, top with strusel, and bake for 30 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and peaches are bubbling.
5. Top with vanilla ice cream!

Very Berry Crumble Bars

I am not sure where I got this recipe, but it's super simple and oh so wonderful!

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. yellow cake mix
• 2 cups oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup strawberry ice cream topping
• 3/4 cup blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix the cake mix, brown sugar and oats together.
2. Add the oil and the egg and mix well.
3. Pat half of the dough into a prepared 13 x 9-inch pan.
4. Spoon the strawberry topping over the dough, and top with the blueberries.
5. Crumble the rest of the dough over the topping and blueberries. B
6. ake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.
7. Cool and cut into bars.

Cranberry Orange Scones

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons orange juice

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Stir in cranberries and orange peel.
4. In a small bowl, mix buttermilk and egg; add to dry ingredients all at once, stirring until mixture is just moistened.
5. On a floured board, knead gently a few times, but not too much.
6. Form into a patty on an ungreased cookie sheet; cut into 8 wedges with a knife but do not move it.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F.
8. for 15-25 minutes or until light golden.
9. Mix together powdered sugar and orange juice into a glaze; drizzle over scones.
10. Separate scones and serve warm.

From Recipezaar.

A tip for bananas

If you leave a bunch of (or one) bananas out to ripen, you can put them in the fridge when they are to your liking, and they will stay that way for about 2 weeks.

Crescent Roll Yummy Goodness--Yummy-O!

• 1 roll of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
• 1 can of apple pie filling or peach or blueberry, cherry or any pie filling
• melted butter
• cinnamon
• sugar (optional)
• Cool Whip or ice cream

Basically you just add a few dashes of cinnamon to the pie filling to give it more of a homemade taste (a few dashes of ginger powder gives the filling a nice little kick as well) and put about a tablespoon of filling in the crescent roll, roll it up, brush the crescent with some melted butter and pop it in the oven (follow the directions on the crescent roll package) and you are good to go. When they are done (and cool), add a dollop of Cool Whip on each roll. You can plate it with a sprig of mint and a dusting of cocoa powder if you have it and you want to be really fancy smansy and you're good to go! You can even serve the leftovers as breakfast treats without the cool whip.

http://chroniclesofmommyhood.typepad.com

The Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake--Oh Yeah Baby!

OK. I know what you are thinking. This is not quick. It is not cheap. And it sure isn't fat-free. This is one of those special occasion recipes. . .enjoy!


Crust:
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)
1/3 cup margarine, melted

Filling:
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/4 cup water
4 8-ounce pkgs. cream cheese
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks

Optional Garnish:
2 ounces shaved white chocolate
whipped cream

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This will be your water bath.

2. Combine the raspberry preserves with 1/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes on high in your microwave. Stir until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds (toss 'em out), then let the strained preserves sit to cool, then put the bowl in the refrigerator until later.

3. Measure 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or crush 20 Oreo cookie wafers -- with the filling scraped out -- in a resealable plastic bag) into a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a 9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side. Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the cheesecake in the water bath. Put the crust in your freezer until the filling is done.

4. Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix for a couple minutes or until the ingredients are smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.

5. Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle 4 ounces of white chocolate chunks onto the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the cream cheese filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the cream cheese. Just a couple passes is fine, you don't want to blend the raspberry and cream cheese together too much. Pour the other half of the filling into the crust.

6. Carefully place the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the cheesecake is cool, use the foil from the bottom to cover the cheesecake and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

7. Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2 ounces of shaved white chocolate. To serve, slice the cheesecake into 12 equal portions. Apply a pile of canned whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve.

Makes 12 servings.

Berry Dessert Nachos

• 3/4 cup(s) sour cream, light or fat-free
• 3/4 cup(s) frozen
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tortilla(s), flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 3 cup(s)
• 2 tablespoon nuts sliced
• 1 tablespoon semisweet chocolate
  
  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream, Cool Whip-like stuff, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Cover and chill while preparing tortillas.
  
  2. Lightly brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter. In a small bowl, stir together sugar and 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; arrange on two ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp. Cool completely.
  
  3. To serve, divide tortilla wedges among six dessert plates. Top with raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, or any combination thereof and sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and grated chocolate.

What a Cool Idea! Bite-Sized Beauties

• Slice kiwi into 1/4 inch thick slices, then use a cookie cutter (heart or star shaped) to cut out the middles.
• Cut (heart or star) shapes from 1/4 inch melon slices and fit the melon shape into the opening of the kiwi.

AWWWW. How cute!