Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes

I know what you're thinking, baked potatoes...in my slow cooker???  YES!  It's easy and believe it or not, they taste good.  Now I will admit, they are not the same as having them right out of the oven, but in a pinch, it works.

 Step 1:  Wash potatoes and scrub if necessary

 Step 2: Prick each potato several times with a fork

Step 3: Rub olive oil all over potato and season with salt and pepper

 



 

Step 4: Cook on low in the slow cooker for 8 hours.

 

 

Sorry about the last picture being crooked, but that is what the potato looks like when it's done before all the good toppings.  I didn't put any water in with the potatoes when I was cooking it and they turned out fine (to my surprise).  Although, I would rather cook my potatoes in the oven, this did the trick too.  It will work on those days when there just isn't enough time to get everything done.

How to Can Apples

We are so fortunate to live right down the road from an orchard which means fresh apples, slushies, donuts and other produce from summer to fall.  Bill favorite variety of apples is Honey Crisp.  When they came into season, I purchased half a bushel, which was plenty for Bill to eat some and me to can some!

HOW TO CAN APPLES

 

The first thing you want to do whenever you can it to get everything that you need out and ready.  Wash all of you jars (I used mostly pint sized) for sterilization and keep them in the oven.  Make sure that there are no cracks in your jars.  You will need about 10 lbs of apples.

 

Boil your lids until it is time for them to go on to the jars.

Prepare boiling water bath canner.

Wash your apples in cold water.

 

Next, peel and core your apples.  Be sure to discard any blemishes or brown spots on the apple.  As you can see in the picture, I used a vegetable peeler and the metal apple slicer.  If you save your scraps, you can use them to make homemade apple cider vinegar (which I am attempting to do now).

 



 

 

Below is my 1 gallon jar that I put all my scraps in to HOPEFULLY make apple cider vinegar.  If it doesn't work, then I will feed them to the chickens.  So far the scraps have been fermenting for 2 weeks.  I will keep you posted on my progress...now back to canning the apples!



Slice your apples length wise between 1/4 to 1/2" thick and put them in a bowl with water and Fresh Fruit to keep them from turning brown.

 

 

Once all the apples are sliced, prepare a light syrup of 2-1/4 cups of sugar to 5-1/4 cups of water in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. 

 

 

 

 

Drain your apples from being in the Fresh Fruit water, then put them in the stainless steel pot with the syrup and bring to a boil.  Once at a boil, reduce heat and boil gently for 5 to 8 minutes until the apples are completed heated through.

 

 

 

Pack apples into your hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/2" head space.

Be sure to stick a knife down the side of your jar to remove all the air bubbles.

Ladle the hot syrup into the jars, leaving 1/2" head space.

Wipe off the jars (they can be very sticky if you spill any of the syrup), apply the sterilized lids, and add the rings (should be fingertip tight).

 

 

 

 

Add apples to the water bath canner and process jars  in the boiling water bath canner for 20 minutes.

Remove jars and let cool on a towel on a counter for at least 24 hours.

 

Be sure to label your sealed jars with what the item is and the date that you processed it.

 

I did have something unusual happen to me while canning my apples.  Long story short, I had one jar that sealed, but over half the syrup mixture had evaporated.  After seeking the advice from several ladies that have canned most of their life, I decided to go ahead and open the jar and use the apples.  They had not turned brown and nothing appeared to be wrong with them except that the syrup had evaporated.  Come to find out, there was a small crack around the rim that I had not seen before.  Be sure to check your jars carefully for cracks.  Happy canning! 



Delicious Apple Crunch

Fall...my favorite season of the year.  I am a hot person by nature, so when the cool temperatures come, I consider it perfect weather.  When I think of Fall, I also think of apples and pumpkins.  After canning several batches of apples, I still had a few left over and decided to make this Delicious Apple Crunch recipe.  The secret ingredient that makes it better than other recipes is the cinnamon!

Delicious Apple Crunch

Ingredients:
5 cups sliced, peeled apples
1 cup of flour
1 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup of quick-cooking oats


Directions:
Arrange apples in the bottom of a greases 8" square baking dish.  Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.  Cut it butter with a pastry blender until crumbly.  Add oats and mix well.  Sprinkle over apples.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes, or until apples are tender.  Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

3 Ingredient Peach Cobbler

I love the weather outside today, the sun is shining and it's in the low 70's.  I adore the Fall season for it's cooler temperatures and the changing color of the leaves.  It won't be long and the crops in the field will need to be harvested.

After a visit to our local orchard (which is literally down the road from our house), I purchased some Monroe peaches from South Carolina and WOW - not only were they big, but the flavor was out of this world.  My overall intention was to can them, but we ate most of the first batch we bought.  I did, however, make a simple peach cobbler one night.

3 Ingredient Peach Cobbler

Ingredients:
2 lbs of peaches, cut up to your liking
1 box of yellow cake mix
1 (16oz) can of Diet Sprite (or 7-Up)


Directions:
Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and add the peaches to the pan.  Next, sprinkle the cake mix (dry) evenly over the peaches.  Pour the can of Diet Sprite over the cake mix.  Be sure to get the entire cake mix wet with the soda.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden in color.  Let cool 10 minutes and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

I admit, it's been awhile since I've blogged.  With the remodeling of our house just about complete, things are starting to slow down to a "normal" pace again.  I was able to process about 50+ pounds of tomatoes this weekend, which felt like quite an accomplishment.

The following recipe is adapted a little from one i previously saw on Pinterest.  It's quick, easy and only took 30 minutes.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Brown 1 pound of hamburger and 1/4 cup of chopped onion.

 

Once made into sloppy joe mixture, line the pan with biscuits.

 

Bake in the oven on 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until biscuits are done.

 

 

 

Sloppy Joe Casserole

 

Ingredients:

1-pound of hamburger, cooked

1/4 cup of chopped onion

1/4 cup of green pepper (optional)

1 tube of buttermilk biscuits

1 can of Manwhich Sloppy Joe Sauce

Shredded cheese (optional)

 

 

Directions:



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brown hamburger, onions and green peppers (optional) in skillet.  Drain grease.  Add the Manwhich (or I make my own sauce) and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Grease the sides of an 8x8 casserole dish.  Take out a tube of buttermilk biscuits and cut 4 of them in half.

Pour the sloppy joe mixture in the dish, line the border of the dish with the biscuits, sticking the biscuits somewhat down in the sauce.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until biscuits are cooked through.  The last 5 minutes, sprinkle with cheese and let it melt.  Let cool a few minutes before serving.

 

I know the picture doesn't do it justice, but trust me, this is a dish you'll want to make when you're in a hurry and the biscuits add that extra touch!    

Super Moist Zucchini Bread

This year has been wonderful for our zucchini plants.  We have had an overabundance of produce and one of my favorite things to make and freeze is zucchini bread.  I use butterscotch pudding to make it super moist.

Super Moist Zucchini Bread

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
1 t salt
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t baking powder
1 small box of Instant Butterscotch Pudding
2 cups of sugar
2-1/4 cups grated zucchini
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
2 cups of flour
1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:
Mix eggs, sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla.  Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and pudding.  Add zucchini and flour, mixing thoroughly.  Pour mixture into 2 greased medium size bread pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until middle is done (insert a toothpick in the middle of the bread, if it comes out clear then it's done).

Freezer Pickles

I don't know about you, but my cucumbers are growing wonderfully this year and I have quite an abundance.  We love cucumbers at our house and eat them almost nightly when they are in season.  Before my mother-in-law passed away a few years ago, she shared this amazing recipe for "Freezer Pickles" with me.  They are the perfect treat on a hot summer day and when it's to hot to can, you can whip up a batch of these for the freezer.

Wash cucumbers and pat dry.
Thinly sliced cucumbers (do not peel).

Dice, one small onion.

                                                                  You will need the salt!

                                                               
                                               Put cucumbers in a bowl and sprinkle with
                                                      2 T of salt and let stand for 2 hours.

  You will make a syrup mixture

of the sugar and vinegar.

   Pour the pickles into the sugar/vinegar syrup

and gently mix with a rubber scraper

until all of the sugar dissolves. 

Put the pickles in 2-3 small containers,

pour the syrup mixture over them,

seal and freeze until your ready to thaw and eat.

FREEZER PICKLES

Ingredients:
1 quart of thinly sliced cucumbers (do not peel)
1 small onion, diced
2 T salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vinegar

Directions:
Cut cucumbers and onions as directed.  Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 T of salt and let stand for 2 hours.  After 2 hours, drain the pickles in a colander using as little water as possible to get the salt off.

Next, mix 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar and 1/2 cup of vinegar in a bowl creating a type of syrup.  Do not heat, but stir occasionally while the cucumbers are in the salt mixture.

Now, pour the pickles into the sugar/vinegar syrup and gently mix with a rubber scraper until all of the sugar dissolves.  Put the pickles in 2-3 small containers, pour the syrup mixture over them, seal and freeze until your ready to thaw and eat.