'Tis the Season for Apple Butter!

Burning leaves, pies, boots, pumpkin, and apple butter are a few reasons why I love Fall. That being said, I always try to eat as many pumpkin and apple-inspired foods as I possibly can during that three month period! I grew up eating a lot of apple butter. When I was a wee one, I went with my grandparents to a small festival nestled in a very rural area. I still remember the people gathered inside the barn on a crisp autumn day, chatting and churning the apple butter. It was a heart-warming experience! Now, I've discovered a way to make apple butter in my own kitchen. It doesn't come close to an Apple Butter Festival experience, but it sure cooks up a delicious spread!

What you'll need:

5 lbs of Granny Smith apples
4 c. of sugar
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
cornstarch (optional)

What you'll do:

First, you'll need to core and peel your apples. {Probably my least favorite part of the recipe, I should have conned Alex into doing it!} Cut the apples into itty bitty pieces. The smaller you cut the pieces, the quicker the apple will break down while in the slow-cooker. Unfortunately, I did not have a food processor, but if you have one, it would probably make this step a little easier. After the apple is cut up into small pieces, place the apple mush into the slow-cooker. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch and stir well.

Turn your slow-cooker on low for 8-10 hours or until the apples have broken down completely. The butter should now be a thick sauce. You many need to cook it longer if there are still big chunks of apples floating around. If it's too thin, keep reading.

I've had a hard time getting my apple butter to the right consistency, and that's when the cornstarch comes in handy. Apple butter should be the same consistency as a jelly or preserve when it's at room temperature. However, it should be a semi-thick liquid when it's hot {think Prego spaghetti sauce}. I added a couple tablespoons of cornstarch to the apple butter and let it continue to cook for another hour or so.

I turned off the slow-cooker, put the hot butter in warmed mason jars with lids, submerged the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes, and voila!

Burlap Wreath

I had no idea how messy burlap was until I decided to make a Fall wreath out of it. I have shards of burlap on my couch and all over my living room floor. Despite the disaster area, the wreath turned out quite adorable and has a perfect minimalistic touch to it.

~B

Ham, Beans, and Corn Muffins, Oh My!

My mother always used to make ham and beans in the Fall.  There is something really comforting about coming home to a delicious dinner in a crock pot. I totally winged this recipe and it turned out amazingly well. If you're looking for a simple, inexpensive meal, this recipe is for you! Here's a little comfort from my kitchen to yours!

What you'll need:

1 lb dry great northern beans
2 lbs cooked turkey ham, cut into 1 inch cubes {I cut the edges off the ham}
1 small onion, diced
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. dried parsley
salt and fresh ground pepper

What you'll do:

First, you'll need to give your beans a good rinsing. I ran mine through warm water for a couple of minutes. I read somewhere that soaking the beans isn't necessary, so I decided to skip this long procedure. After rinsing the beans, put them in the slow cooker with 3 cups of water. Add all of the remaining ingredients and  stir the mixture well.

Turn the slow cooker on high for about 6 hours. While the ham and beans are cooking, you may need to add more water-- just enough to cover the ham and beans. After 6 hours on high, I reduced the slow-cooker temperature to low and let it cook for an additional 2 hours. You may need to adjust the timing and temperature depending on your slow-cooker. Each slow-cooker is different. The beans are ready to eat when they are soft.

Ham and beans just aren't the same without cornbread! I picked up a box of jiffy and substituted the egg for 1/4 c. of eggbeaters, used skim milk instead of 2%, and tossed in about a tbsp. of sugar {I normally don't like to add sugar to foods, but it makes the bread taste AMAZING!} I sprayed some PAM into a muffin tin for 6 and 15 minutes later, dinner is served.

One serving size is about a cup of beans {220 calories}, 2-3 oz of turkey ham {~100 calories}, and one corn muffin {150 calories}.

It's comforting eating comfort foods that are under 500 calories! ENJOY!

~B

Skinny Slow-Cooked Carnitas!

Mexican food has always been one of my weaknesses. Just recently, Alex and I went to a restaurant near Sandusky, Ohio and I decided to try carnitas for the first time. Oh man, they were delicious! I don't even want to know how many calories and/or fat went into that entree. I decided to make my own carnitas at home; Now, I know exactly what I'm eating, and I can frequently indulge in Mexican food without that feeling of guilt afterwards.

What you'll need:

2.5 lbs of pork shoulder roast
1 tbsp. minced garlic
cumin
1 tbsp. Goya dry hot adobo all purpose seasoning (found in the international foods aisle of your grocery store)
1 can reduced sodium fat-free chicken broth
2-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (found in the international foods aisle of your grocery store)
2 bay leaves

What you'll do:

First, go ahead and cut the pork into 3-inch portions (if it isn't already sliced). Season the pork with salt and pepper. On medium heat, brown on all sides for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, insert knife into meat and make a few slits in each portion. These slits will help the meat absorb the flavor of the juices while it is in the slow-cooker.

Pour the whole can of chicken broth into the slow-cooker. Add the bay leaves, chipotle peppers, cumin, minced garlic, and adobo seasoning into the broth and stir well. Add the pork to the broth mixture, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours.

After 8 hours, use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the large portions of pork and place in a large bowl. With a fork, shred the pork into bite-size pieces.

We used 6" Mission brand yellow corn tortillas (80 calories for 2 tortillas), and piled on 1/2 cup pork (200 calories), and topped it with a couple avocado slices (60 calories), and some fat-free shredded velveeta (60 calories).

Mexican food for only 400 calories! ENJOY!

~B

52 Things I Love About You

Today we celebrated our one year anniversary.  I wanted to show Alex how much he means to me by making him a gift that he can keep forever. I originally found the "52 Things I Love About You" gift idea on Pinterest. I decided to use this idea and modify it a little to celebrate our first "52" weeks together. I wanted the cards to look old and worn and I used non-traditional fonts to create a vintage look.

Rustic Headboard

Got some spare time and lumber lying around? Why not make a new headboard? Alex and I wanted a cozy bedroom with a natural feel so we decided to create a rustic headboard. It took a lot of sawing, sanding, and painting, but the bedroom looks fantastic!

~B

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Well, Alex and I are trying to lose some weight for the wedding and finding tasty, low-calorie, low-fat meals can be a little daunting. I stumbled across a spaghetti recipe on Pinterest that sounded fantastic and had some excellent reviews. So, what's the problem? It was full of red meat, refined carbs, and ginormous amounts of cheese-- a big fat mess. Modifying recipes to be healthier hasn't always worked out in our household {ugh, I'm remembering an Orange Marmalade French Toast Casserole recipe that I attempted not too long ago} Surprisingly enough, even after making a generous amount of healthier substitutions, the modified spaghetti casserole still had a lot of flavor and will definitely be an addition to our menu!

What you'll need:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 jar of spaghetti sauce {I used a sauce made by a local Italian restaurant}
8 oz. fat-free Philadelphia cream cheese
1/4 c. light Daisy sour cream
1/2 lb. light Daisy cottage cheese
4 tbsp. I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light {ICBINB}
13 oz. box of Barilla whole grain thin spaghetti
1 bag of Kraft reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

What you'll do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While you're waiting for it to heat up, go ahead and cook your pasta according to the directions on the box. I cooked mine for 6 minutes-- you'll want the pasta to be al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese in a large bowl. Mix it thoroughly and set aside.

Go ahead and cook the turkey. Feel free to add any spices that you like-- I added a little cumin and minced garlic to enhance the flavor. After it's cooked and browned, drain the fat. Pour the spaghetti sauce over the turkey and set aside.

Spread two tablespoons of ICBINB on the bottom of the 9x13 casserole dish and cover with 1/2 of the noodles. Pour the big bowl of creamy goodness on top of the noodles and spread it evenly. Add the remaining noodles and spread the other two tbsp of ICBINB on top of the noodles. Pour the meat sauce on top and spread it evenly.

Place the uncovered casserole in the oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the dish, add some shredded cheddar to the top of the casserole, and pop it back in the oven for 15 more minutes.

We had some leftover green onions and mushrooms in the fridge, so I sauteed them right up and topped the casserole off.

I added up the calories for each ingredient and discovered that 1/6 of the casserole is approximately 581 calories. Not too shabby, if you ask me. ENJOY!

~B