Slow Cooker Peach Butter

What do you do with a whole case of peaches that are getting smooshy and soft? Make peach butter! I have always been intimidated by the phrase "butter". Apple Butter, Peach butter, Pumpkin butter. Which is kind of silly since real butter is really easy to make! Especially if, like me, you leave the heavy whipping cream to long in the mixer. There is a fine line between thick cream and butter and I seem to cross it.... A LOT! Probably because I try to do to many things at one time. But in the past I have always thought fruit butters are hard to make. I mean the Amish make them and sell them so in my mind that means it must be difficult. But today I am glad to prove my thought wrong!

The other day Keith came home with a crate full of peaches. Sadly we didn't realize that if you have them in a fridge and then take them out and leave them they get soft. What a waste, I thought.  But I decided to slice and freeze them for smoothies which my boys love, so I did. While scanning some recipes on Pintrest, where now days everything is getting you in the mood for Fall, I saw a few for Slow Cooker Apple butter. I am a sucker for Slow Cooker recipes so I read it. Then I read all the comments. People raved about how easy it was and how delicious it came out. One comment caught my eye. It asked "Can you use this recipe with Peaches?" There was no reply but it got me curious. I started to research peach butter recipes for the crock pot and HAPPY was I to see that there were several..... Hundred. But I went with the one with 5 stars. How can you go wrong with that? Thankfully this recipe was worth ever star it got. It was easy and DELICIOUS! I am now interested in making my own and trying all the butters! Pumpkin, Apple and whatever other kinds I can find! Seriously this was so delicious! So easy! I am not intimidated any more! So I am now going to share this amazing recipe so you can save money and make your own peach butter! When I try the other fruit butter recipes I will post those too.

Peach Butter
5 lbs Peaches (fresh, frozen or it said you could use canned)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice (this was NOT in the original recipe but I like this flavor)

Peel the peaches( I didn't because my peaches were frozen and it still turn out nice) Core and chop them. Put them in a food processor or blender. Puree till smooth. Add to crock pot and add all ingredients. Mix well. Cook on low 6 hours or till it is thick and brown. I stirred it a few times during the time. I also cooked it about 2 hours more because it was kind of runny. Probably due to them being frozen. Let cool and place in the jars. If you want to seal them, process in a water bath for 15 minutes. With this recipe I got a little more then 2 pint jars. I sealed to and left the rest in my fridge for Breakfast.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It was delicious!

Pancake Mix

I love pancakes!  We like to make them for dinner when I have not really planned dinner in advance. They are quick and easy and who doesn't like a nice stack of pancakes with syrup? You could always use Bisquick to make pancakes but I like to make a pancake mix up from scratch.  It is really simple. You mix up the dry ingredients and then when that is mixed you can take out what you need from the mix and make pancakes. Here is the pancake mix that makes some nice fluffy pancakes.

Pancake Mix
Mix together:
12 cups flour
2 TBSP salt
3/4 cup baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups powdered milk

Combine well. Store in a airtight container.

To make Pancakes:
1 1/2 cup pancake mix
2 TBSP melted margerine
1 cup water
1 egg
Combine all ingredients and beat till smooth. Cook on hot griddle.

*After evacuating to Puerto Rico for the summer after our major flood here in Galena, I learned to make pancakes like my mother in law did. They are delicious!! You add a little vanilla and some cinnamon to you mix. Cook and top with some blueberries syrup and whipped cream.... May not be really healthy but it is REALLY DELICIOUS!!!

Cranberry/ Blueberry Nut Bars

I made these the other night for the first time. They were super easy to make and quite delicious. However they were NOT the type of bar I was thinking they would be. They were more like a cake. A delicious cake! I think if I want more of a bar, then I would pour it into a bigger pan to make it more thin, but if you like a berry kind of a coffee cake this is a good one. I used Blueberries instead of the cranberries that the recipe called for and it was so yummy. It would be a good for a breakfast or a dessert. For a dessert it would be good with some Cool Whip.

Cranberry Nut Bars
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup frozen or fresh cranberries
1/2 cup pecans

Grease a 8 in pan. Beat eggs in mixture bowl till thick. Gradually add sugar beat till blended. Stir in flour and melted butter. Blend. Add in Cranberries and nuts. Hand mix softly to avoid smashing the berries. Spread in pan. Bake 40-45 minutes till golden brown. Cool and cut into bars.

Skyline Apple Muffins

I LOVE these muffins! Mom used to make these growing up and I remember the crunchy sugary top with the soft, moist muffin. These are some of my favorites to make when company come over or when I have apples that need to be used. They make quite a few muffins that are pretty BIG. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

Skyline Apple Muffins
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup sour milk or buttermilk( I use milk with a little vinegar in it)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup grated apples
1/2 cup pecans
Topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp butter, melted

Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, milk, baking soda, salt, vanilla, flour. Mix well.  After mixed fold in apples and pecans. Pour into muffin tins or greased muffin pans.  Mix topping ingredients together. Sprinkle muffins with toppings. Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Makes about 15 muffins.

Cappuccino muffins

Here is a yummy muffin that I like to make. I am not big on coffee but these are not heavy on the coffee flavor.

Cappuccino Muffins
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 TBSP instant coffee
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/2 cooled melted butter
1 egg beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients. Pour into greased muffin pans. Make about 18-24 muffins. Bake in preheated oven 375 degrees. 10 -12 minutes.

Overnight Coffee Cake

This is a delicious coffee cake recipe that is easy and you can make it the night before, when you have guest over. Then you can stick it in the oven and have breakfast. I remember mom would bake this when we were growing up. She would make these for Sunday mornings. It has been a favorite of mine. I like to take these to potluck breakfasts. I don't make this to often in Galena because sour cream is hard to get out here. You might could use yogurt. But I have not tried it with yogurt.  I hope you enjoy this yummy recipe!

Overnight Coffee Cake
 3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sour cream (you probably could use yogurt, though I have not tried it)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 brown sugar

Cream together butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, white sugar, and eggs. Mix dry flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Mix with creamed mixture. Add sour cream and nuts. Pour into greased 9X13 baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 cup brown sugar on top( you can add more nuts if you want) Cover and refrigerate over night. Bake 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.  Serve warm or cool.

Spiced Cake Doughnuts

This recipe is from a sweet missionary friend that was with us in Zambia for a few years. We had a lot of good times together and I loved going to visit them. Uncle Mark is one of the BEST story tellers I have ever heard. Most of the time I don't know if the story is true or made up but he holds you captive in his stories that is for sure. He has served in many branches of the military and has been deploy a few times. Aunt Stacey is an awesome mom and has held down the fort with 5 kids while Uncle Mark was deployed. They are now missionaries in Kenya.

Aunt Stacey has a great recipe for Cake doughnuts! I am usually a fluffy yeast dough kind of a doughnut eater but these are really good! I love the flavor of the nutmeg and cinnamon that these give and they are super easy to make.  They also make a good Fall kind of doughnut to eat. So if you are looking for a sweet cake like doughnut to eat. Try these!

 Spiced Cake Doughnuts
3 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup melted margarine
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 milk

Mix 2 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg. In another bowl mix eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add milk and butter to the flour mixture and then add the egg mixture. Mix all together. stir in remaining flour. Mix well. cover and chill for 2 hours. Roll out dough on flour surface. Cut into doughnuts. Fry in HOT(350 degrees) oil till golden on each side. Drain on Paper towel. Dust with powder sugar or make a icing glaze to drizzle on top.

Glaze: ( I don't really measure this so I don't have the exact quantities)
about 1 cup powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla or almond flavoring
a little milk to make the glaze to the right constancy.
Mix together well and dip top of doughnuts in glaze.

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

November is here! Bring on the pumpkin treats, Hot Chocolate and the Macy's Day Parade! I love this time of year! Of course here in Galena the fall season of pretty color leaves and crisp days to wear sweaters has past and snow is already on the ground but it doesn't mean we can enjoy all the yummy treats that Fall has to offer! I love the flavors that are associated with Fall. Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, all those yummy spices that tickle my taste buds. Pumpkin, squash, apple, pears, cranberries and all those delicious foods that mix with those delicious spices..... I am drooling already! So lets start the feasting! So this month I am going to share recipes that are associated with Thanksgiving and Fall.

The recipe I have today is a constant at our house, even without Fall. Mostly because I LOVE pumpkin! Pumpkin Pie Pancakes. Can you say yum? Can't go wrong on that breakfast lunch or dinner. Saturdays breakfasts or even Tuesday dinner. Who says Pancakes can only be for breakfast? We eat them quite often for dinner! I love the flavors of these! So do my kids. They like to have Chocolate chips added to their pancakes.... Can't really go wrong on that either! Make up a batch and enjoy these yummy Fall(or Anytime) Pancakes!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes
1 cup flour ( I add more due to the egg replacer I use, I have never made these with eggs so I don't know if they get fluffy or not with eggs but the egg replacer doesn't work so well unless you add more flour. I add about a 1/2 cup more if not they are really flat)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP sugar
1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk with 1 tsp vinegar is what I use)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup( or more) chopped pecans or walnuts.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin spice, salt, and sugar. Whisk in buttermilk, pumpkin, eggs, oil and vanilla. Blend well.  Add pecans. Heat griddle over medium heat spray with PAM. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls on griddle. Cook till bubbly and golden brown on bottom and flip over and cook on other side till golden brown.  Serve with syrup! YUM!!

Mom's Granola

Well it is a rainy, cool, Saturday and it is a bowl of cereal and cartoons kind of morning. I LOVE CEREAL! Lucky Charms, Captain crunch, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon toast crunch. Yes a bowl of sugary goodness! But there is one cereal I love even more and it can always be different. You can change up or add ingredients to make this granola your own. My mom would always have this on hand, and speaking of on hand, it is a great snack to eat right out of your hand. With a cold bowl of milk this is one great bowl of cereal! Try it! You may never buy granola again.... I don't. This can be put in a jar and decorated with a pretty bow and makes a great WELCOME to the Neighborhood gift. Here in Galena, shopping for friends birthdays is a bit harder but homemade gifts are loved. This could be a great one to use.

Mom's Granola
Combine:
2 cups oats
1 cup coconut shredded.
1/2 cup wheat germ or sunflower seeds
1 1/2 cup nuts(chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts. I like to add a bunch of different ones.)
1 tsp salt
Stir in 1 can Sweetened Condensed milk. Mix thoroughly
Add 1/4 cup oil
Spread in shallow baking pan lined with wax paper. Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees after golden brown take out of oven.

Don't add these before baking because they get tough and burn but after the oven I then add Craisins, Raisins, Dried apples, dried apricots, dried blueberries, dried peaches, or any other yummy dried fruit. You can add whatever ingredients you like in your bowl of cereal. Make it your bowl of cereal.