Makin' Apple Butter!

I know I've missed a few weeks, but instead of getting bogged down in trying to catch up (and getting overwhelmed in the process), I've decided to post this (past) entry, then just start from today. If I get enough time to post from past days/events, I'll do that as I get the chance.

Caleb and I made apple butter a few weeks ago and I'm just getting around to posting about it. I had looked up a crock pot apple butter recipe that turned out to be amazing. We used Golden Delicious apples (we had them on hand), and we used this thingamajig to peel/core/slice the apples and it saved us a lot of work!

Caleb then used his kid-friendly knife (thank you Pampered Chef!) to chop up the apples. In hindsight, a finer chop would have been better.
"Mom, my hands are all sticky!"
Loading the apples. This cooks for 8-10 hours...so the comment was made on the original recipe "Great to do overnight!", so I opted to. However, later on in the recipe comments, she says that you need to "stir often to prevent the burning of the apples". So, that meant that I had to get up every couple of hours during the night to stir it. Next time, I'll do it during the day!
Layering the apples with the sugar and spices! Again, these chunks were WAY too huge!
Eric caught this picture of me instructing Caleb.
I love the deep brown color it is starting to get. I didn't get a final picture, but it actually looks like apple butter (not just brownish applesauce). I added a little bit of caramel flavoring (get it? caramel apples?) and loved it! The sugar needed to be decreased a little, so in the recipe below, I included my new measurements! Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Butter

5 lbs whole apples, peeled and finely chopped
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar-free caramel flavoring*

Place apples in slow cooker (sprayed with nonstick cooking spray) in thirds, layering sugar between each layer. Add rest of ingredients on top and pack them down as well as you can. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat to low. Open and give it a stir. Keep covered and cook 8 hours or until thick and dark brown, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for the last hour on low. If a smoother apple butter is desired, you may puree in blender or food processor. Place in sterile jars with lids and process for 10 minutes in hot water bath or you can freeze.

*I use DaVinci (or Torani) Sugar-Free Caramel Syrup, used to flavor coffee. See image below!





Tuesday

'Twas a fun day today! There are so many pictures that I wanted to post, so I give you full permission to skim if you don't want to look at multiple pictures of my two sons having fun! (But, if you have ample time, I'm sure it'll make your day brighter!)

Here Caleb is waiting for Grandma to get here by snuggling with Mikey. Did I mention Mikey had to be put on a diet? Yeah....I knew he was getting a little large when it took him longer than normal to get out the cat door. HA! So, no more "auto-feeder" for him-- just 1/3 cup AM and PM.
Adam decided after breakfast, that he wanted to eat mine as well. (Well, what was left of it...I managed to eat a few bites). He asked to get up on the stool, then sat there like a big boy and polished off my scrambled eggs and grits...just like he was at some diner.
He has started making this face when he sees me pull my camera out!Earlier, I found the two boys playing in their "cars"...who needs Power Wheels when you've got laundry baskets and storage bins??

Once my mom got here, we took off to Lyda Farms to get some fall pics and get apples for the rehearsal dinner. There are too many pics to put a caption with each one, but if there is anything you need to know about the pic, I'll include it, how's that? Oh, and these are not in any kind of order...I can't figure out how to get my blog to upload pictures in the order I want them, and with this many pictures, it takes too long to rearrange!

Looking at the goats and chickens.
That boy loves him some apples!
This squash/gourd cracked Caleb up because it looked like a cross between a goose and a snake!
Every picture like this one was taken right before he decided to throw the pumpkin down! I'm glad they don't bruise easily!Wondering how I'm getting so many good smiles out of Caleb? Well, it was bribery, my friends. I told him he would get a mini marshmallow for every "real" smile he gave me...you know, the kind where they actually look at the camera? He earned 17 marshmallows today!
Getting measured!
Look at those cute jeans!!
Lyda Farms has this cute caterpillar every year...and it is so much to go get pics made in front of it!
Gotta love the cornstalk horses!
Another goose-shaped gourd!Before Grandma had to go home, Caleb and I put on our wedding attire to make sure they fit okay. Caleb decided that once he got back from Gatlinburg, we were going to go on a date in these clothes!

Monday

It's a preschool day! Caleb's enjoying his swirly straw from Angela! (Drinking milk is ALWAYS much more fun out of a straw!)
Adam and I ran a few errands, stopped in to say hello to Stephanye (my brother's lovely fiancee) at her work, then ate lunch at Burger King before going to pick up Caleb.
While waiting on Caleb in the pick up line, Adam reached over, grabbed Caleb's hat, and put it on his head while he read a book. Cute!And then I caught this video of him making faces/sound at himself in the mirror!


When we got back home, we played outside for a bit. Caleb actually took this picture of me and Adam! I thought he did a great job!
You know how Caleb made a "salad" the other day? Well, here's he making a "soup" out of the rain water that was in his wheelbarrow...plus a few weeds.
Look at those shoes!! Size 6, baby! I can't believe Adam, my 19 month old, is wearing Caleb's old sneakers! He loves to climb up the ladder to the slide on our play ground!
Tomorrow, Grandma is coming over to go with us to Lyda Farms to go look at pumpkins and hopefully snap some fall pictures! Be prepared for a long post!

Sunday- A Different Kind of Day

This morning, Adam and I stayed home from church as he had had a fever the day before and I didn't know if he was contagious or not. SO, we worked around the house and played a little.
We put away some clothes that needed to be put away. Adam was fascinated by Caleb's hangers!
Giggles...over hangers?
And a video to prove it!


We met Daddy and Caleb at Sams for lunch (yay for free samples)...Caleb had been disobeying so he got to ride in the cart with Adam (Adam loved it!)...here's a cute pic of them!
The rest of the day was spent looking at houses for Angela who is hoping to be moving up here very shortly! We had a wonderful day!


Day 31: Saturday-- A WHOLE MONTH of Posts! :)

Hey everyone (or whoever is reading my posts these days)...can you believe I actually managed to post each day?? Now granted, sometimes those posts were done a few days afterwards, but I managed to at least get something down to remember this stage in our life by. These past 30 days have shown me how important it is that I do remember how simple life is right now...I will continue to try to post as often as possible! Thanks for sticking with us!

Eric went to work this morning, so I had the boys to myself. Adam was running 102 degree fever, so he looks a little lethargic in these pictures (still cute though)! Caleb found these mushrooms in our front yard and thought they were pretty cool!
It was quite a cool morning, so I let Caleb run around outside and tried to snap a few pics while I was swinging on the family swing with Adam.
Adam being snuggly...A video of the boys "helping" with the chickens!
Miss Chris likes to poise below the bird feeders and wait on lunch to arrive...
Caleb showing off his baseball skills...Remind you of anyone?
(Silas, from Da Vinci Code)

Caleb making a "salad" with the "vegetables" (weeds) he found!
Once Daddy got home, the boys took a nap (well, Adam did...Caleb chose not to) and then when they got up, we went out in the front yard and Adam and I played on the picnic blanket while Caleb and Daddy played soccer together.

Caleb waiting on instructions...
Learning to dribble...
A rare picture of Mommy with her boys! :) (although I'm with them all the time!)
Caleb all tuckered out from soccer...I love this picture of them! :)
Adam was EXTREMELY snuggly all evening...he even cuddled up with Daddy while Caleb and I made supper. So cute!
And here's Caleb describing what he is doing!