Pear Apple Sauce

With so much fruit left over we decided to make one of my favorites, Pear Apple Sauce!

Don't be intimidated. This is one of the easiest recipes ever.


Pear Apple Sauce

Ingredients:

Apples and pears, enough to fill the crockpot
2 tsp ground cinnamon




Directions:

1. Peel, core, and slice apples and pears into chunks. Place in large crockpot on high.

2. Add ground cinnamon. Let cook for several hours until fruit begins to soften.

3. Stir mixture occasionally. Use potato masher to break up any large pieces. Let continue to cook until fruit is desired softness/consistency. 

4. Enjoy! Delicious warm or cold. Can be frozen in Tupperware and enjoyed later.

This was a smaller batch. Don't be afraid to fill it to the top of the pot, it cooks down a lot.

I like having a few varieties of apples in it for a mixture of tastes and textures. You can even make it with brown sugar or nutmeg if you want to try that variation. I've also made it with a handful of frozen berries or leftover fruit from my refrigerator tossed in. Really, there is no way to go wrong with any assortment of fruit!

I love to make this for Christmas dinner. Spiral glazed ham + apple pear sauce = yum. I love having foods hot and ready whenever it's time to eat, and not take up room in the oven or on the stove top for big dinners. 

One of my favorite things about it, is that it makes your house smell amazing.

Let me know if you try it!

Apple Pear Crisp

I was excited to whip up some apple/pear treats after our harvest, and figured I would make one of Zach's favorite desserts, a crisp!

I started with a recipe from Our Best Bites, found here, but substituted pears and apples. Here is my version!



Apple Pear Crisp

Filling Ingredients:

3 1/2 lbs ripe but firm pears and apples (6-8), peeled, cored, and sliced into 3/4″ wedges.

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch salt

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of ground nutmeg

Crumb Topping:

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

6 tablespoons cold butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350.

Directions:

For fruit filling, gently combine fruit and sugar in a large bowl and let stand for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Whisk cornstarch, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in small bowl. Toss juice mixture with fruit and transfer to an 8 or 9 inch square pan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. 

For topping, combine oats, brown sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon and either grate the cold butter with a large-hole cheese grater, or cut it into small cubes and use your fingers to crumble the mixture together. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit in pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes.  The topping should look golden brown and crisp and the fruit should be soft.  Let cool to luke warm before serving.  Serve with ice cream.

Breakfast of champions!

I will definitely use this recipe again for future crisps! I even enjoyed eating it for breakfast the next morning warmed in the microwave, then served with milk, like a bowl of oatmeal. Yum.

Last Day of Vacation: Perfection

What is the best way to spend the last day of your vacation? Hang out in your pajamas all day watching movie with your family.

Until next time, Iowa!

Iowa: Good Eats

Yum! Look at those cheeks. I want to eat that baby!

Only half kidding, we were actually at my new favorite restaurant in Iowa, Bubba-Q's when these delicious baby pictures were taken. (Bubba Q Bacon Cheeseburger, please!)

Oh my, cuteness x2!

We also enjoyed some good ol' home cooking provided by Greg and Kay. Yum!

Some kind of caramel, coconut, pecan cake. Mmm. 

Burgers & corn on the cob = good ol' Iowa eatin'!

Kay's famous Dirt Cake recipe, for posterity's sake.

 What are your favorite foods to eat when you go home? I'm already starting to think about making classic Christmas treats to help us make new memories in our new home.

Share any delicious tried and true family recipes below!

Family Dinner in Iowa

To end our three week vacation to Iowa, Kay graciously hosted a family reunion so that we could see and visit everyone. We had a delicious pot-luck dinner and enjoyed chatting and spending time with family.

Lucy and Clara got to meet everyone. Lucy especially loved meeting baby Max. Other highlights of her evening included: Aunt Dixie sneaking her cookies before dinner, a "Big Sister" shirt from Aunt Dixie, and a gift bag of bracelets , clothes, and books from Aunt Bonnie! Lucky girl! (She insisted on changing into her new clothes immediately.)

Clara loved being snuggled and held all evening, her new embroidered blanket from Aunt Dixie, and gift bag of baby clothes and ball/rattle from Aunt Bonnie!

We sure do feel loved in this family. Thanks for all the gifts!

Lucy trying to kiss and hold every baby at once.

Sooo much food!

Desserts!

Proud grandmas!

The siblings.

With spouses.

I feel so blessed to have married into this great family. From the first day I met everyone I felt so loved and welcomed. I can't wait to visit and see everyone again soon!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

Clara has discovered a new skill set: toe touching, baby push-ups, and ...*drum roll*.... rolling from back to front!

Iowa: Back Porch Fun

In addition to the pear and apple harvest we enjoyed, Lucy loved checking out Papa's potted garden on the back porch. She loved helping pick tomatoes, and eating them too!

Tennis ball in her hand, not a huge unripe tomato.

Pretty!

Some other adventures Lucy enjoyed while on the back porch included "tennis", sidewalk chalk drawing, running around in a bathing suit while Papa sprayed her with the hose, and bubble blowing with Nana.