One Bowl Apple Cake

It’s late March, early April during a Pandemic of Covid-19, when someone calls to see if you need anything from the store, the only thing you want is fruit.  You know, REAL fruit.  But, it is late March, early April in rural western Pennsylvania with limited grocery stores to begin with, so the only fruit that appears is apples. There’s always plenty of apples.  I’d love to have strawberries…real strawberries, or blueberries! Blueberries would be nice.  (Actually, I snagged a box of blueberries, but the cashier accidentally opened the box and they spilled all over the conveyor belt. Using her gloved hands she touched each berry and put them back in the box…I opted out of purchasing them AND I didn’t want to brave the store to run back and get a different box, so apples it is!) Purchasing in bulk is also prevalent during a shelter in place order, so lots of apples.  To use them up and also to provide entertainment, it’s time to share a recipe.  Enjoy!

One Bowl Apple Cake

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 ¾ cups sugar

2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon

½ cup oil

6 medium Gala or Fuji or Honey Crisp apples*

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and oil.  Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown)  Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl.  Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients.  Pour mixture into a greased one 9×13 or two 9” round pans.  Bake for approximately 55 minutes (Much less time if using smaller pans.)

*FYI – 1 apple = approximately 1 1/3 C chopped X 6 = 8 cups chopped. (No need to be exact! ALSO, I use any type of apple I have.)

 

Lenten Blessings

I have had the privilege of hosting Wednesday evening suppers throughout Lent. Our community is pretty unique in that we celebrate Lent together among denominations.  So, on one Wednesday,  the Presbyterian pastor preaches at the Lutheran church, another one the Reformed Pastor will preach at the Methodist church, etc.  We all worship together and grow and learn with different congregations.  It was truly a blessing and as we head into Holy Week, we will have a few more opportunities to worship together.

This year, my husband and I decided to host supper before each service.  It has been a fun time to get together and socialize a bit before church.  It was a huge blessing for me.  And, speaking of blessings, I printed out a couple and made table tents of them so that they could be on display so if someone arrived late, they could say their own prayer before eating.  As the season progressed though, we started just holding up the printed cards and everyone prayed together. We used two different blessings.

The first one was handed down to me from my mother’s father. John Dunlap Wise.

Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the many blessings that are conferring us from day to day. Bless this food now to us. Watch over us and guide us through life, and at death, accept us. Amen.   I can hear his voice and his cadence as I pray it.

The second one I found online:

For food that stays our hunger, For rest that brings us ease, for homes where memories linger, we give our thanks for these. Amen.

They are great blessings to share. Happy Easter!

Stuffing Balls – A Recipe

We are about to enter our final summer holiday weekend at our River House.  School is back in session and the days of boating and swimming are soon going to be in our past, but we have one weekend left to enjoy.  We also have one more weekend this summer to return home at weekend’s end with a car full of buns.  The “too many buns saga” continues.  Everyone brings buns and yet, no one chooses to eat them.  I’ve shared my recipe for French Toast Casserole before and now I’d like to share my Aunt Martha’s Stuffing Ball recipe.  Another great use for leftover bread and buns!

STUFFING BALLS

1/4 C Butter

1/4 C Chopped Onions

1 C Chopped Celery

Saute butter, onion and celery until soft.  Beat one egg. Add 1/2 can of Cream of Chicken soup, 1/2 C Water, Salt and Pepper and add to above mixture.  Pour mixture over 8-10 C of bread cubes (or ripped up pieces of buns!) Form Balls.  (Makes about 20 balls.)  Put in 9×13 Casserole dish.  Mix 1/2 Can Cream of Chicken soup and 1/4 C melted butter.  Pour over stuffing balls.  Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes.

I Need More Friends For This Recipe!

My counter proudly displays a bag of batter.  It is a mixture of flour, milk and sugar and I tend to it daily.  It started as a single cup of ingredients, given to me by my friend, Lisa.  Yes, Lisa gifted me with a 1 cup start bag of Amish Friendship Bread.  I was excited to receive it and remembered making it at different times in my life. When my oldest children were little, they loved getting it and then doing the assigned tasks daily.  Day 1 – You receive your fermented batter in a ziplock one gallon bag.  Just place it on your kitchen counter.  Day 2 – Squeeze the bag several times.  And it goes on for 10 days.  Day 6 you get to add a few more ingredients, but most of the time, you just lift the bag, squeeze it a few times and move it to a different location on your counter.  On day 10 you get to actually bake something and the bread that it makes is delicious!  However, with the bread you bake you are also supposed to give away 4 bags of starter to four of your friends.  The first go round, you may actually have people, like me, who would be excited to receive it, but after that, people have lost interest, so you end up with 4 starter bags for yourself.  I hate to waste, so originally I was baking the bags I couldn’t share.  At this count, I think I have 12 loaves of friendship bread in the freezer for when those friends who rejected my bag of batter show up for tea!  I’ve been blessed to gift people with a baked loaf of bread more often than not, but I seriously need to figure out the math once and for all to try to create a smaller batch.  But, until then, I’ll keep squeezing and baking and blessing others with a surprise loaf of Friendship Bread.

Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.    –1 Timothy 6:18

Miserly Moms Recipe – Baking Mix

In an attempt to clear the clutter of my home, I looked to my bookshelves.  So many books, so little time.  And, my cookbooks?  I’ve mentioned them here before.  I LOVE books and I LOVE cookbooks and there has been one book on my shelf for years that was a little of both.  Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy. I read it cover to cover once and wanted to share it with a friend.  I didn’t give it to her, however, because there were a couple of recipes in it that I wanted to save for myself.  Every morning as I sit to journal at my dining room table, I see the title and think I should give that to my friend so she can learn from it too.  But, I never take the time to look for the recipe to copy down. Last week that day came.  I got out the book, I scanned the index, I found the recipe (& a couple more) and I made copies of the pages I wanted.  I delivered the book to my friend explaining that it was intended for her for years.

Today, I again, face clutter.  Now, instead of one book on a shelf, I have 5 pages of paper with recipes on them from the book.  Highly unlikely that I will use any of them…except for perhaps the one that I sincerely wanted and meant to copy in the first place.  So, to clear the clutter again, I am copying the recipe here and the wasted paper and loose pages will leave my home….never to be thought of again.  Oh, and next time, I’ll give the book away and just search the internet for a recipe!

Baking Mix (Similar to Jiffy Mix or Bisquick)

8 C Flour

1 1/4 C Nonfat Dry Milk Powder

1/4 C Baking Powder

1 TBS Salt

2 C Shortening

Combine flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt in a very large bowl. Cut in shortening until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Store in tightly closed covered container in a cool place (cupboards are fine). Makes about 10 Cups.

“No Scone for You!”

If you would’ve told me that you can have part frustration and part laughter when raising a child with Reactive Attachment Disorder, I would’ve told you, you were crazy.  That is if you had told me that during the frustration part and before I learned to laugh.  Or should I say, choose to laugh?

OH, I cry….a LOT.  But so many times when I attempt to tell of the events that made me cry, it makes me laugh.  The things we live through are stranger than fiction and only others who are raising similar kids can understand.

It starts early when the little ones are literally caught with their hand in the cookie jar….I mean literally.  He is standing there with Oreo crumbs on his face, the cookie jar on his lap with his hand in the jar.  “Did you take a cookie?”  “No, I did not.” Many kids may do that same thing, but kids with RAD take it a step further.  As they hone their gift of lying, they will fight this fight to the death.  He did NOT take the cookie and you are a fool to even consider the possibility.  He will take any and all punishments necessary, but he will not back down and admit the obvious truth.  It’s who he is. Frustrating? Yes.  Laughable? Eventually.

This week was a real struggle for our family.  Lots of real, sad and frustrating moments when the light of laughter hit me.  After two days of battles and tears, we were still implementing a punishment for some major bad behaviors.  Our son came home to see if we had forgotten the trauma he had caused our family and asked if the punishment had been rescinded. When I told him that it hadn’t he exclaimed, “Well, no scone for you!”  I burst out laughing!  Seriously, you think you can win back my affection with a day old scone that you received from Panera bread for free when they donated it to your school?! But, the scone story doesn’t end there, it turns out I wanted the scone.  I mean, some days, it feels like I don’t get any treats at all and I  knew the scone was in his backpack and I love Panera Bread Scones.  After he left for his basketball game, I convinced myself that I did indeed deserve the scone and I took it out of the bag.  I left it on the table to enjoy later. In the meantime, our kittens thought that they deserved the Scone and while I was out, they drug the Scone containing plastic bag onto the new carpet in the living room to enjoy. Just my luck! No Scone for me. The best part, though, is that when my son came home and asked “Hey, where is that Scone?!” I could honestly reply, “The kittens got it.”

Does a Scone make up for the pain? No, it doesn’t, but a boy with a heart that thinks it might may a little.

By the way, if you are having a “No Scone for You” kind of day, you can make your own!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Tender and crumbly, these simple cinnamon chip scones taste like cinnamon rolls and are packed with sweet cinnamon chips! Don’t leave out that heavy cream; it’s imperative to their rich taste.

Ingredients:

SCONES

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (careful not to overmeasure)
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons (115g) unsalted butter, frozen
• 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream (plus a little extra for brushing)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/4 cups cinnamon chips¹
• optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

GLAZE

• 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
• 3 Tablespoons (45ml) black coffee (or milk/half-and-half/cream for a plain vanilla glaze )
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust baking rack to the middle-low position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Grate the frozen butter (I used a box grater; a food processor also works – here is the one I own and love). Toss the grated butter into the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, your fingers, or two knives until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the cream, egg, and vanilla together. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then toss the mixture together with a rubber spatula until everything appears moistened. Slowly and gently fold in the cinnamon chips. Try your best to not overwork the dough at any point. Dough will be a little wet. Work the dough into a ball with floured hands as best you can and transfer to the prepared baking pan. Press into a neat 8″ disc and cut into equal wedges with a very sharp knife. Using a pastry brush (or your fingers!) brush lightly with a little bit of cream and then sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Separate the scones and line them on the baking sheet with a little space between each one.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. During this time, make the glaze by whisking all of the glaze ingredients together until completely smooth. Drizzle over scones right before serving.
5. Make ahead tip: Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 extra days. Scones freeze well, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up to your liking before enjoying.

Recipe Notes:

1. I use Hershey’s Cinnamon Chips, pictured in the post above. If you can’t find them: I usually see them in Walmart and grocery stores in the fall-winter months. Or sometimes year round! But no fret if you can’t find them– they’re sold on Amazon for relatively cheap for a pack of 6. If you do not want to buy them, feel free to make my chocolate chip scones which is the same recipe but uses a little less cinnamon, chocolate chips, and a simple sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar instead of glaze.

DID YOU MAKE A RECIPE?

Tag @sallysbakeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #sallysbakingaddiction.

Wacky Cake & Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

Wacky Cake is one of the first recipes I remember my mom teaching me to make.  I had forgotten all about baking Wacky Cake until I read Twice Loved by Wanda & Brunstetter that mentioned the recipe.  The story is set in 1945 and celebrates Christmas.  At the end of the novel, there is a section on Wartime Recipes.  I had no idea two of my favorite comfort foods actually were aimed to stretch food rations.  Though I didn’t have to worry about rations when I was growing up, I’m glad these recipes stood the test of time!

WACKY  CAKE (My Mom’s recipe)

1 C Sugar

3 TBS Cocoa

1 1/2 C Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 pinch Salt

1 C Cold Water

6 TBS Vegetable Oil (original recipe says “Salad Oil”)

1 TBS Vinegar

1 TBS Vanilla

Sift dry ingredients together into an ungreased 8×8 baking pan. Make 3 holes in dry ingredients. Put Vinegar in one hole; Oil in one and Vanilla in one. (Mom thinks this might have been just to keep kids busy when they were helping.) Pour cold water over all and stir until moist. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.  Leave in pan & frost.

FROSTING

1 C Powdered Sugar

2 TBS Cocoa

2 TBS Melted Butter

2 T Cream or Evaporated Milk

1 pinch Salt

 

CREAMED CHIPPED BEEF ON TOAST (from Twice Loved by Wanda & Brunstetter)

2 TB S Butter

1 (4 oz) package of chipped beef (can be rinsed to reduce the salt), chopped or shredded.

2 TBS Flour

2 C Milk

Pepper

Melt butter in A saucepan over medium heat. Add beef, stirring to coat in butter. Add flour, stirring to coat beef, and cook for about 5 minutes. Slowly add milk, stirring continuously as it comes to a boil and thickens. Pepper to taste. Serve over toast.

A Couple of Recipes to Share

The day after Christmas and I have had a couple of people ask me for recipes….so I decided to share with all!

For Ethel, I’ll share the recipe for CANDY CLUSTERS that my sister-in-law Pam gave me years ago.  (It’s good for me to share on the blog since my 3×5 note card is stained and fading!

CANDY CLUSTERS

3 1/3 C Rice Krispies

3 1/3 C Cheerios

1  12 oz Can Peanuts (approximately 2 1/3 Cups)

1 bag Pretzels (broken in small pieces) – approximately 3 1/3 Cups

1 1/2 pounds White Chocolate

Mix Cereal, Peanuts & Pretzels in a large bowl.  Melt Chocolate. Mix in well, Then Spread into flat pan, let harden and then break into clusters.

For Pam & Erin, also, glad to put the recipe for ITALIAN MEAT BALLS on the blog….easier to find than searching through all the cookbooks I have with the plastic binding from miscellaneous church groups who have fundraised in the past.  This particular recipe came from First Family Favorites-First Assembly of God, 5650 S. Telegraph, Dearborn Heights, MI 48125.  Nope.  Never been there.  Nope. Have no idea where this cookbook came from.  Must’ve been a treasure found at a yard sale or thrift shop!  Lots of family favorite recipes though!

ITALIAN MEAT BALLS

1 pound Ground Beef

1 C Plain Bread Crumbs

1/2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Small Onion, minced

1 tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Black Pepper

1 TBS Parsley Flakes

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

2 Eggs

Mix together well and roll into balls. Brown in frying pan with a little oil.  Add to your favorite sauce.  Good without sauce too. —- Becky Sampson (whoever that is!)

 

What Can I Do?

You hear that your friend or relative had surgery or an injury or is just plain sick.  You want to do something, but you just aren’t sure what to do.  I know I love having meals delivered and my family especially loves when someone brings a meal when I am out of commission.  So, you can take a meal for the family to enjoy and it doesn’t have to be anything too special. Remember, it’s the thought that counts! This week while my sister in law was recovering from elbow surgery, I made a dish that I thought even her queasy stomach might enjoy.  You might enjoy it too….just something quick & easy.  Take it to a friend or make it for yourself.  I think it’s a great idea for fall. (And, if it’s a dish that the kids won’t enjoy….order pizza!)

Creamed Eggs on Toast

• 5 Tablespoons butter
• 4 Tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
• 3 -4 slices bread, to toast
• butter

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter over medium-high heat.
2. Whisk in flour.
3. When bubbly, whisk in milk a little at a time.
4. Add salt.
5. Continue to whisk til thick and bubbly.
6. Remove from heat and add chopped eggs.
7. Toast and butter slices of bread.
8. Lay slices on individual plates and spoon on Creamed Eggs.

Crock Pot Apple Butter

Thank you Mrs. Hall for sharing this recipe with Lori’s Second Grade Class in the fall of 1999!  I’ve used it many times and am always impressed with the results!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

8 C Applesauce (You can buy 2 48oz Jars!)

3 1/2 C Sugar

1/2 C Vinegar

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp Cloves

1 tsp Allspice

Put all ingredients in crock pot on high for 4 1/2 to 5 hours or until thick.  Leave lid off crock pot.  Stir occasionally as it thickens up.

It’s as simple as that!  Enjoy!