Smells like apples in here and it’s 68* too…yeah!!!

We haven’t turned on our heat yet and it’s been a tad bit chilly in here about 60 when we get up but much nicer this evening and tonight I started a fire in the wood stove, just for nights right now.

Well everything turned out like I had hoped it would. Daddy and mama had some of my apple upside down cake and said it was awesome.

Want a super easy yellow cake mix recipe? Here, try this:

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs (separated if you want a white cake)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Mix all together until smooth and bake in a 8x8 for 30ish minutes at 350*. Now I spray the pan, sprinkled the bottom with brown sugar, added about 2 sliced apples and poured the cake mix on top of it.

Then the caramel apple jam turned out great. It set and isn’t to hard or to soft.

 

Since a few of you have asked for the recipe, here it is:

Apple Caramel Jam

Makes about 4 large jelly jars

6 cups diced apples ( make sure they are pretty small or else you'll have to puree them a bit before adding the pectin )

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp butter

1 box fruit pectin

2 cups white sugar

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg (I didn't have nutmeg today so use pumpkin pie spice)

In a large kettle, combine the apples, water and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until apples are soft. About an hour. This is when you decide if you want chunky jam or smoother. I wanted semi smooth so took my hand blender and pureed it a bit. Stir in pectin and bring to a boil stirring constantly.  Add sugars and spices. Return to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute stirring constantly again.

Remove from eat, skim off any foam. Put into hot sterilized jars. Leave 1/2" head room. Put on caps. Process for 10 mins in a boiling water bath.

And my Apple Jelly turned out beautiful and it’s a soft set which I think is really best for a jelly. Jelly is a lot harder then jams. It takes patience and lots of time but in the end it’s worth it (however I’m not going to make any more in the near future). Since I hate throwing out the pulp I made the jelly first like apple sauce so that after straining off the juices I was able to take the left over apple sauce and make it into baking apple sauce ( a no sugar added, thicker sauce for muffins, cookies and such ).

 

It turned out pretty clear and such a pretty golden color. The lumps you see are air bubbles, they are disappearing as it cools.

   

I water bathed the jars and the little jars with the plastic lids are for the freezer.

So here’s what I ended up with…

In between all of this appling Joss and I played. She loves having me build with the Lincoln logs and she tears it apart. See…

So there was my day. I did get some exercise in also but after being on my feet most of the day my calf is screaming tonight. It’s up and icing now. Tomorrow I am going to go swimming at 5 am. Nanette sent me some excellent water exercise to try so that’s what I’m going to do tomorrow for an hour and a half or so. Then it’s library day at our local library.

I hope you had an awesome day. Sleep well. Blessings my friends!!