Found a use for the yolks!

The smells from the kitchen were good yesterday.  Along with getting the cider ready to can and baking cakes, there was also a roast, squash, and potatoes in the oven for supper.  These smells just say fall to me.

One of the Angel Food Cakes ready for the oven.

Ready to eat with strawberries or layers of Neapolitan  ice cream, maybe both!

Champion Angel Food Cake

1~1/4 c. sifted cake flour

1~3/4 c. sifted sugar

1~1/2 c. egg whites 

1~1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

• Sift together flour and 3/4 c. sugar
• In large mixer bowl beat egg whites, cream of tarter, salt and vanilla until foamy.  Beat in remaining 1 c. sugar, 2 tblsp. at a time.
• Beat until meringue holds stiff peaks that still are glossy and moist.
• Divide flour-sugar mixture into 4 parts.  With rubber spatula, gently fold each portion into meringue until flour-sugar mixture disappears.
• Push batter into ungreased 10" tube pan. Gently cut through batter once with spatula to remove air bubbles.
• Bake at 375F 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched with finger.
• Invert pan and let cake cool before removing.
   

I found this recipe for some of my egg yolks.

Butter Sponge Cake

11 egg yolks

2 c. siffted sugar

1c. milk scalded

1 tsp. vanilla

2~1/4 c. sifted cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. melted butter

• Beat together egg yolks and sugar until light-colored and fluffy.
• Add milk and vanilla.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.  Add to egg yolk mixture. 
• Fold in butter
• Bake in 2 greased 8" square pans in 350F oven, 30 - 40 minutes.  Cool on racks.  You can put the layers together and frost.

Both of these recipes are from my Farm Journal's Country Cookbook.  I bought this cookbook along with Farm Journal Freezing and Canning Cookbook right out of high school.  These two books have been used many times over the past thirty-five years.  

Finished projects & baking

This past week I have been working on some projects, and actually finished a couple of them.  Also have a couple more that I am still working on.  The first project that was finished is a wall hanging that was started last Christmas for my daughter.  Thought it was about time to get it done so she can use it this year.  It wasn't even anything difficult, just kept putting it off.

Tammy saw this panel in the quilt shop in town and like it.  

At the Shop Hop I bought the Lil' Twister and finally got around to making something with it.

  On Saturday we were going to visit some friends and wanted to take her a little something.  She also quilts, so I took along the Lil' Twister so she could give it a try.  She had fun and wanted to get one, so we went to her local quilt shop and they were out.  

The Christmas runner I made to take to my friend.

Working on a fall one for myself.  Having fun with this little template.  It looks like so much piecing, but all you are doing is sewing together squares, cutting them apart, and resewing them.

The egg whites are at room temperature so it is time to get going on a couple of Angel Food Cakes.  One of my husbands favorite cakes.  Now I need to find a recipe for all those egg yolks!
Canned up the apple cider this morning ended up with 17~1/2 quarts.

Apple Cider

On Tuesday I went to Mary's, she is an Amish lady that I have gotten to know since moving here.  It has been fun getting to know them and spending some time with her family. 

This is the Amish farm, took the picture from my vehicle before anyone came outside.

 

They had just come in with a load of corn for the silo.

Her daughter was doing the wash.  Normally they wash on Monday, but went to pick up their daughter that had been at her brothers to help for a week.

  Here are the apples that were left from our tree after making applesauce and freezing for pies.

They will be turned into cider.

 Before going to make the cider, I washed and cut the apples in the morning so everything would be ready.

The cider press.  I put the apples in the hopper and one of Mary's boys turned the handle to chop up the apples.  It was hard to keep up with him.  It didn't take to long and you could start to smell the apples and for the bees to show up.  

Pressing the first batch of apples.  I got a five gallon pail and this soup pot about one third full.  It only took us abut 45 minutes to press the apples.

My finished cider.  The cider still needs to be strained when I get home.  Strained a small amount and had a glass of cider, it was so good.  Will definitely be making cider again.  Hot apple cider will be good this winter.  

Now I am trying to decide do I freeze it or can it?  Not sure which way is best, doing a little research and talking to a few people.  If you have made cider would love to hear how you stored it.  

Enjoying another wonderful fall day here.   

Soup & Cookies

We are still enjoying beautiful fall weather.  At times the weather seems a little more like summer around here.  A week ago we went up north to list our house, the renters are moving the end of this month.  It was such a pretty drive even with the occasional rain shower.  I had my daughters camera with us so took a few pictures from the car.

Some places where just starting to change.

There were trees from full color, to just starting, to being done already.

 

 

The colors across the lake didn't show up in the picture, it was so pretty.

A little Baptist church that we go by.  Someday I want to attend a service here.

We are praying for a quick sell for our house.  This was an unexpected turn in events for us.  I am so thankful that our Lord holds all of the details in his hands.

My daughter gave me this cookbook, it has so many fun recipes in it.  Made a batch of cookies yesterday from this book.  Only 622 more recipes to try!

Oatmeal s'mores Cookies

1/2 c. soft butter

1/2c. shortening

1 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1~ 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1~1/2 c. quick cooking oatmeal

1c. chocolate chips

1c. miniature marshmallows

1. Cream the butter, shortening and sugars.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.
3. Beat in vanilla.
4. Combine flour, baking soda and salt: gradually add to creamed mixture, mix well.
5. Stir in oats, chips and marshmallows.
6. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.
7. Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.
8. Remove from pans and cool. (they can be a little hard to get off the pans, marshmallows tend to stick)
9. Enjoy with a cold glass of milk.

Turkey Barley Soup

adapted from Simply in Season

8 c. chicken or turkey broth

1~1/2 c. carrots chopped

1c. celery chopped

1/2 c. barley

1 small onion

1tsp. salt

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. each poultry seasoning, ground sage

1/8 tsp.  dried thyme

2c. chopped cooked turkey

Combine in a large pot.  Cover and simmer 1 hour.

Was very good.  Forgot to take a picture.

Will be going to make my apple cider at the Amish farm this afternoon.  Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures. 

Apple Time

Along with subbing at the school I have been making apples sauce and freezing apple slices for pies.  On Wednesday morning I picked apples and made one caner of apples sauce and froze some for pies.

 
Our tree did very well this year.  The apples where the largest that they have been for us and hardly any bad ones.  The apples are not sprayed, there is mint growing under the tree.  I read somewhere that mint or chives growing under the tree was suppose to help with worms.  Needed a place for some mint, thought it was worth a try.  I also hang a couple of jugs of "banana smoothies" in the tree.  This came from an article in Country Side magazine.  Insects love the smoothie.  You mix one banana, one cup of sugar and one cup of vinegar in a gallon milk jug filled two-thirds full with water and place in the tree to attract insects. This needs to be in the tree before the tree blooms in the spring.  One jug for small trees and two for a larger tree.

Today I am cooking the rest of the apples for sauce.  Next week the rest of the apples will be made into cider.  An Amish family by us is going to help me with making cider, they have a press.  I am excited about making cider, will be a first for me.

Have also tried a couple of apple recipes this week.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

adapted from Simply in Season 

4 c. apples peeled and sliced

1 c. cranberries

1/2 c. brown sugar

Combine in a bowl and toss until fruit is coated.  Place in a greased 8x8 baking dish.

3/4 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. flour

3/4 c. rolled oats

1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine in a bowl.

5 Tlbsp. butter

1/3 c. nuts

Cut into flour mixture until crumbly.  Sprinkle over apple mixture.  Bake at 350F until fruit is soft and topping crisp, 45-50 minutes.  Serve warm with ice cream.

Baked Squash and Apples

adapted from Simply in Season

one butternut or buttercup squash (I used butternut)

peeled, seeded and fibers removed, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Put in a greased baking dish.

2-3 apples (cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices-peeled or unpeeled)

Arrange on top of squash.

1/3 c. brown sugar

3 Tblsp. butter ~ melted

1 Tblsp. flour

Combine and sprinkle over top of apples and squash.  Cover and bake at 350F until squash is tender,

40-50 minutes.

Served this with meat loaf and baked potatoes.

Sorry for the quality of the pictures.  Had to use my camera this time and it just doesn't take good pictures.  Would love to hear what kind of camera some of you ladies use.  Looking to get a new one.

We are enjoying another beautiful fall day here in Wisconsin.  

It's Been Busy!

It has been a while since I have had the time to post anything.  It just seems that the days slip by so fast.  A week ago Saturday went on a Shop Hop with my neighbor Linda.  We had so much fun.  We left here at about 6:15am to meet at the Heart 2 Hands Quilt Shop in Neilsville where we took a bus to three other shops.  We were back to the shop at around 6:30pm.  It is always so fun to see other shops and their line of fabrics and ideas.

This was the first shop that we went to.

There is so much to see in each shop.  Did more looking then buying this trip, got a couple of patterns, one piece of material and two Charm Packs.  Am trying to get the projects done that I already have.  My friend started buying material to make each of her ten grandchildren pillowcases for Christmas.  All of her grandchildren are six and under.  I only was able to get pictures of our first shop, my camera went dead on me!

Later last week I celebrated my birthday.  My grandson decorated the cake for me.  I had bought just a Happy Birthday candy top for the cake, as they like the candy, but as you can see by the picture he found a few other things to put on grandma's cake:o)

He made a very interesting looking cake for me.  He had fun and they loved it, so did grandma!

Had some help blowing out the candles! 

The night that we celebrated my birthday our grandsons spent the night.  The next day they helped me clean out the garden.  We were able to get everything pulled up and put into piles to be taken to the compost pile later.  Now just need to have them come back and load the truck for me.  

They also had fun playing in the maple tree before and after the garden work. 

They are such a blessing to us.

Also ended up subbing one day last week and will be subbing two days this week.  The last two nights we have had a light frost so it is time to start putting up the apples.  My plan is to make some chunky and smooth apples sauce and freeze some apples for pies.  I have tried the canned apple pie filling but we prefer the frozen apple slices for pies.  I will can the chunky sauce, most of the smooth sauce will be frozen.  I like to have some smooth sauce canned for using in my baking.  Most of my recipes that call for oil I like to use half applesauce.  

My next project outside is to get the flowers cut back and get the flower beds ready for winter.  I also loaned Simply In Season from the library so have been going through it and looking at some recipes to try.  

Enjoy the rest of your day, it is a beautiful fall day here!