How Do You Like Them Apples - Apple Cake

I love apples, any kind of apples, and I have tried them all kinds of ways.  With meat, in baking, in sauces, with dips, candied apples, you name it, I've tried it.  My son has been bugging me for Apple Cake so I made this cake yesterday.  It's great for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, all by itself, or for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.  Recipe below.

Peel and core the apples.

A few of the ingredients, and cinnamon sugar coated apples.

Remember the Bakers Joy to spray your pan, It's the best!.  Folding in the apples.

 Ready to go in the oven.......And all done and ready to eat!

 HEY, Someone stole a piece already!

Apple Cinnamon Cake

5 - 6 Medium size baking apples

1/4 cup of sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick of butter, softened

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp lemon zest

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup of milk, skim is fine

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a tube pan with Baker's Joy, or grease and flour the pan, set aside.  Peel, core and slice the apples.  Mix the apples with the 1/4 cup of sugar with cinnamon, set aside.  Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl, set aside.  In a large bowl beat butter, the 1 cup of sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, vanilla, and then the milk until well mixed. Beat in the flour mixture gradually.  Fold in the apples and pour into prepared tube pan.  Bake in the center of the oven for 50 -60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Take out of the oven and let rest for 10 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack and cool.  You can either dust with powdered sugar or glaze.  Glaze recipe is below.

GLAZE:  1 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of milk.  Stir until no lumps appear, drizzle over cake.

It's a Frame Up!

I took my sister to a few garage sales in my area, and while looking around I noticed a box of sheet music laying on the ground.  On the box $1.00 was handwritten, so I asked the person taking the money if that was correct, and she said yes.  I paid for my find, put it in the car and went onto the next sale, not knowing what was in the rest of the box.  After we got home, my sister and I started looking through the box, and to our surprise there were some very interesting finds in there.  Music from as long ago as the late 1800's!  We had to be very careful because the paper was disintegrating as we touched it.  My gears started turning, as they always do,  and I thought what can I do with these to help preserve them - I'll frame them.  The size of most of the music sheets/books is 11x14, big frames and costly, so I thought I will wait until I see a sale, and I put the music sheets away.

 I had to go to JoAnne Fabrics for sewing machine needles and while walking around the store, they always have a sale, I found these frames.  They are black/brown in color, perfect for my decor, the size was 16 x 20 with the mat size of 11 x 14, imagine that, PERFECT!  The original price was $24.99 each, on sale at 60% off, so I got them for $9.99 each.  I took the last three frames they had in the store.  When I got home, I pulled out my music sheets and framed three of them.  Now I will share some with my sister, after all, had it not been for her I would not have found these little treasures.  Some of the edges are tattered and torn, but that gives them a story, someone long ago used these sheets as they learned how to play an instrument of music.

Grilling On The Inside

It's starting to get cold outside, and sad to say, we won't be able to use the grill until next year.  Everything tastes better on the grill, meat, chicken, fish and vegetables.  It was raining the other night, so I thought I would give the grill pan a try to grill up some steaks.  I melted 3 tablespoons of  butter in the pan and seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper, grilled for 7-8 minutes on each side and that was it.  I can't even tell you how awesome tasting these were! 

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.......

I like using fresh herbs as opposed to dried, when I am cooking.  In Spring every year if I plant nothing else, I always plant herbs.  I love being able to go right to the deck and cut whatever herbs I need for that nights dinner.  The fresh smell of basil is my all time favorite, then rosemary.  I always have basil, rosemary, Italian flat leaf parsley, sage, oregano, chives, cilantro and thyme planted in huge pots right outside the back door.  Having fresh herbs makes all the difference in a dish.  When I don't have fresh, I buy them at the market, but the bunches are always so big.  So, I started freezing them in olive oil, in ice cube trays.  It's easy and you can take out only what you need.  This is how I do it:

Start with ice cube trays from the the dollar store.  Chop up the herbs you want to freeze. Mark the tray on the side with the initial of the herb you are putting in the slot, so you know what is in there.  Scoop the herb into the slot and then fill with olive oil.  Cover and freeze.  When ready to use, pop out of the tray and defrost in a bowl or just add to whatever you are cooking.  

Winter Cleaning - UGH! THE WINDOWS

When we built this house, I didn't realize that Palladian windows don't open, I have 4 of them and 1 large picture window.  They are very high up and you can't reach them to clean them, especially when you are short, afraid of heights and don't like climbing ladders.  I can't afford to hire window washers, so I took a trip to the Home Depot to see if they could help me out, and they did!  While perusing the aisles, I came across this Windex Outdoor Glass and Patio cleaner.  I took it home, hooked it up to the hose, and VOILA! Instant clean windows.

This is the stuff you need to get.  Turn the nozzle to rinse the window, turn nozzle again to soap it up, then turn nozzle back to rinse again, E-A-S-Y.

Start washing those dirty windows!

LEFT: Then I did this monstrosity of a window, the transom windows and storm doors, everything sparkled when it was all done.   

RIGHT: I have 3 of these type windows that could not be reached. One in front of the house and 2 in the back of the house.

 Then it was around to the side of the side of the house.   It was a big job but I only used 1 bottle of cleaner! AMAZING stuff.  Now I have to get my son to do the inside of them! He is NOT afraid of heights.

Easy Caprese!

I had a huge box of grape tomatoes that I got at Costco and I knew that outside of putting them in a mixed salad, I would probably end up throwing them out because they would go bad.  I had just picked some fresh basil out of my herb box on the deck, the last of it I am sure of the season, and my brain clicked, Caprese Salad! This would also be good as an appetizer, cube the mozzarella or use Bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), toss with the other ingredients and serve in small cups with appetizer forks.  So flavorful!

I washed all of the tomatoes.

 This fresh mozzarella is great, it's already sliced for you, all you do is open the package!

 Layer in any pattern you like, grape tomatoes on the side, sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with sliced basil,

DONE! Easy Caprese

When Black Cats Prowl And Pumpkins Glow!

Ghost's and Goblins, OH MY!  Halloween is approaching fast here in the U.S.  For those of you who don't know what Halloween is, it's the night before All Soul's Day.  October 31st has always been a favorite of mine since I was young.  As kids, we would always talk about our costume and what we were going to be for Halloween.  We would travel in groups and go to as many houses as we could, to get as much candy as we could, sometimes going back home to get another bag for our goodies.  Every neighbor had their lights on, and was eager to fill your bag.  The talk of the night would be "what did you get at that house".  It was so much fun in those days.  Were I live, I don't get any kids unfortunately, it's very dark, no sidewalks and a dead end street.  I still decorate, I guess for me, and the hopes that someday "Trick or Treaters" will find there way to my door.

My "Franky -stein" Flag and "Gordy" he's dressed up and ready for trick or treating. He's fiber optic.

The good witch, she's fiber optic too.   This "dirty rat" even scares my daughter!

Gotta love a Jack-o-Lantern!  Kitty cat all dressed up for Halloween.

Boo to You Picture and Skeleton.  Skeleton Garland and metal Jack-o-Lantern that lights up.

The little black cat in the pumpkin is my favorite decoration, he is so cute in his little black witch hat.  Witch with a Jack -o-Lantern and moon necklace my sister gave me. 

The mantel redecorated for Halloween, and resin pumpkin. 

 

This stuffed witch is another favorite of mine.  I love her hair, it's all crazy like a witch and she even has a wart and a big nose.