This Perfectly Imperfect Life

This morning in the kitchen, Empire apples Hello one and all, I'm back after quite a long blogging break, and ready to share with you a recipe for the best apple sauce I've ever made!  This morning I decided to make another batch, and this time I'm freezing most of it for the upcoming cold months since someone (me) finished off the first batch in no time.  And I'm not in the least bit sorry about that because it was Just That Good.  Gala apple in hand (September) Into your slow cooker/crock pot on the low setting for at least 5 hours, stirring every so often: The first time I made the slow cooker apple sauce back in September, I used five pounds of Gala apples (17 small-ish apples), but this morning I'm using six pounds of larger Empire apples, peeled, cored, and sliced or chopped - 3 cinnamon sticks - 2 tablespoons of lemon juice - 1/4 cup water.  As with making apple sauce on the stove, the same goes with making apple sauce in the ...

I originally shared the following post in 2012 (click here ) and because I'm making it today and love it so much, I wanted to share it again with you now: I originally posted this recipe in 2009 (click here for that post). I still have no precise measurements - it's all a matter of what and how much you like any one thing!  (I love cooking this way and that's why my baking doesn't always turn out so well LOL!)  Today I added chopped zukes, fresh corn from the cob and diced chicken to what's listed below.  You can also use a pre-bottled red wine vinaigrette dressing instead of the one listed below as well. Don't like the veggies I've used? Switch them for the ones you do!  Or use whatever you have on hand .  There's so much you can do with a pasta salad to make it a great, healthy meal for a hot day. A big change I've made to the original recipe is to keep the dressing separate from the pasta salad and toss it with individual bowls vs with...

To all who are celebrating today, I hope you are having a lovely and safe holiday! This is my favorite Irish Blessing, which hangs in our hallway. I got a later start this morning than I planned on, thanks to waking up with a migraine, but dinner is finished and ready for 5pm with a few hours to spare. The corned beef brisket I buy doesn't have a spice packet, but that's alright because I use my own seasonings anyhow. I cover the brisket with water and add a few bay leaves, lots of fresh ground pepper, two dashes of mustard seeds, a dash of garlic powder, and a tablespoon of minced garlic. Once the pot comes up to a boil, I skim off the foam (and re-add some pepper if a lot came out with the foam), and then I simmer the corned beef for 3 hours, turning it over every so often if any of it is sticking out about the water line so it cooks evenly. Corned beef and cabbage, with potatoes and with or without onions and carrots, is traditionally served to celebrate Sain...

In honor of today's #plantchat topic on ways of preserving your harvest, I wanted to re-post this 'how to freeze green beans' from my Adventures In Gardening Archives.  And so appropriate as I harvested the first green beans this afternoon! ( #plantchat is hosted by @CoronaTools each Monday afternoon at 2pm est on Twitter). Title:   Preserving The Harvest (What To Do With All Those Beans!) Original Post Date:  Saturday, September 22, 2012 Happy Autumn everyone andwelcome to my first (official) "how-to" Adventures In Gardening! In my last post , I mentioned I was up to my eyeballs in (green) beans this year, so much so that I've been freezing my near daily harvests to enjoy during the colder months. Today I wanted to share with you how easy it is to freeze beans! Let's get started.  Yesterday I used a fresh batch of harvested beans.  (I clip them off right into zip lock bags so they can go right into the fridge if being used that day or the nex...

A few years ago, I shared my recipe experiment for Honey Roasted Tomato Brushetta - my attempt to replicate a very yummy appetizer I had at a local restaurant.  (Click here for part 1 and here for part 2). This morning, in between down pours and t-storms, I harvested another round of cherry tomatoes from the garden. Today's harvest, added to the last three days or so of harvesting cherry tom's, plus the cooler temps that came with the rain gave me a hankering for Roasted Tomato Brushetta!  So here is my new twist on an old favorite: Preheat your oven to 300* and then... Cut up your toms and add them to a large bowl. This equaled a third of a bowl. To your toms, add 2 tblspn of extra virgin olive oil, 1/8 tsp salt & pepper (fresh ground if you have it), garlic & onion powders to taste, basil & parsley flakes to taste.  Add a drizzle or two of honey to cut the bitterness. Mix/toss well.  Line a rimmed cookie sheet with tin f...

As I wrote this last night, the world outside was turning royal blue as the sun set behind gray, snow filled clouds that were ready to burst any moment. The candle lamps brightened the windows with their warm, flickering glow the darker it become. I've been missing my father-in-law a lot recently and this week I decided to make what I call his tomato garbanzo bean stew. He made it for us the first time during his visit in 2006 and left me his recipe. That tiny, handwritten slip of paper hasn't left the bulletin board just outside the kitchen since. I've changed the recipe up some over the years, adding two cups of low sodium/low fat chicken broth and a palm full of parsley. I use whatever pasta I have on hand. I tend to buy pre-shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese because it's difficult & often painful for me to shred my own because of my arthritis. And this week, I added a few healthy dashes of curry powder. It's not for everyone and I must admit I h...

For my Cranberry Almond Rounds, you'll need: 1 cup melted butter (which is equal to 15 tblspns) I use unsalted butter 1/3 cup sugar *or* 1/2 that amount in regular sugar & 4 sweetener packets 2/3 cup ground sliced almonds *or* 1/3 cup of the almonds & 1/3 cup of dried cranberries 1 & 2/3 cup flour 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup confectioners sugar 2 tsp cinnamon My step by step appears below in the slideshow. If it moves too quickly for you, just click on it to be taken directly to the web album where you can view each photo individually. You're wondering about the " Happy Accidents In The Kitchen " part?  Well, it all started when I made myself a Bloody Mary (or two!) *before* making these from scratch! Before today, they were just Almond Rounds.  In fact, I posted my bff's recipe for them here for last year's cookie party, but, without photos, which is why I wanted to do them again this year! Well, I messed up today's first batch somethi...

Happy Saturday all! How true the ole saying, 'Necessity is the mother of invention' can be. Today I'm going to share with you a yummy recipe I've tried with both peaches and apples in the last month using what I had on hand. Preheat your oven to 350*. Take a sheet of frozen pastry dough out of the freezer for 40 minutes or so before you begin. As soon as your're able, lay it flat. Peal & core 3 apples (Honey Crisp pictured) or peaches (I used white peaches). Chop your apples/peaches & place slices in a Large bowl. Add cinnamon to your liking. Add dark brown or light brown sugar to your liking. I used 3 packets of Sweet & Low but you could use 2 tablespoons regular sugar. No Salt!!! Add pre-chopped walnuts to your liking. Mix well until all pieces are thoroughly coated; if using apples, you may need to add a 1/4 cup  of water to help get things coated. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick spray then line t...