Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween


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Thursday, October 27, 2011

One of my favorite things about fall is...


It' a two blog day! (See earlier post about Apple Slump...YUM!)

One of my favorite things about fall is carving pumpkins. I am by no means good at it, but I still think its fun. At the end you get a fun jack-o-lantern and toasted pumpkins seeds. Its a two for one-er.

Morgan went to a farm on a field trip earlier this month and got to pick out a pumpkin. She painted it last weekend with tempera paints, but the paint flaked off. So we hacked it up.

To explain whats going on in the pictures a little better: The pain was flaking off. Morgan drew on the pumpkin with permanent marker. I took a stab at with a steak knife and cut out the top.We scooped the seeds out. I stabbed at the pumpkin some more with the knife and tried to cut out what she drew. We washed off the remaining icky paint. A few mistakes were made (its supposed to be a haunted house if you can't tell), but we had fun.

We took turns taking pictures. Morgan has quite an artistic view when she takes picture I think. (Hers are usually the close-ups.) Next budding photographer?

Last years pumpkin was also a haunted house but we used templates and had special carving tools. I couldn't find where I stashed them this year. I think they got lost in the move.

2010




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Apple Slump Recipe



One of my very favorite fall foods is my Nana's apple slump. The name may not make it sound appealing, but don't let that fool you. It is quite amazing. It is a once a year request. Not because you can't make it any other time of the year, but because it is so rich and heavy that you can only eat it once (well... until the left overs are gone).

I wish I had a picture and the recipe to share with you all, but I have not gotten the secret recipe from her yet. She would probably be more than willing to share, but its one of those things that is more magical when you don't know how to do it yourself and don't have to. It just wouldn't be the same without Nana's love.

What I do know is that it involves a big pot of apple sauce, molasses, and biscuits. The biscuits are cooked in the apple sauce and you top it all off with a big pad of butter. YUM!!!

I was not able to find the exact way my grandmother makes it online, but I did find Rachael Ray's version. I love her magazine and everything I have tried to make from her turns out great, so I would definitely trust her on this one. Her recipe for Apple Slump seemed to have the same concept.

Click the picture to be directed to Rachael Ray's recipe on her site.

Apple Slump Recipe

  • 8 Servings
  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 30 min
20 30 50

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 3 tablespoons chopped and chilled
  • 2-1/4 pounds gala apples, peeled and cut into eighths
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup whole milk

Directions:

  1. In a small Dutch oven, melt the 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the apples, then stir in 1/2 cup sugar, the lemon juice and cinnamon. Cover and simmer until the apples are nearly tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and remove from the heat.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the 3 tablespoons chilled butter, working it in with your fingertips until crumbly. Add the milk and stir to combine.
  3. Return the Dutch oven to medium-low heat and spoon the batter onto the hot fruit to almost cover the surface. Cover and simmer until the batter is cooked through, about 20 minutes.




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