mom's applesauce.

I have such fond memories of my mom making applesauce my entire life.

I even remember her hiding our vitamins in the applesauce.

But most of all, I just love that she actually made it homemade.

It is so easy and much cheaper than buying it in the store.

And it really is much more tasty. You can mix up different apples & spices.

Plus, you get to eat it warm when it's finished.

No recipe or measurements needed.

Just "what mom does"

Enjoy ♥

a variety of apples

no need for peeling [just wash] Put the apples in a pot and cover with water

Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 35-45 minutes on low.

Use a food mill to process the apples

sugar and spice & everything nice.

add your favorite spices to taste*; cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves.

add granulated sugar or brown sugar to taste*

or enjoy it plain.

*to taste = add sugar or spices for however sweet or spicy you prefer it.

This will last about a week or so in the refrigerator

and can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

& that's if it lasts THAT long!

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butt(::)n

♥

blueberry crumb cake.

a buttery cake on the bottom, fruit or nuts in between, and a thick crumb topping.

What a diverse recipe, as you can change the fruit

mix fruit together, add nuts or chocolate

and it can be baked in so many different pans. I used a 9" cake pan and cut into slices.

You can easily double the recipe and use a 9x13 pan to cut the cake into squares.

adapted from Ina Garten

this lovely cake is sure to please a crowd

& can be served for breakfast, brunch, and dessert.

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butt(::)n

♥

fudge brownies.

I usually take pictures of the baking process,

but with these, I just wanted them out of the oven and in my mouth!

This is my favorite homemade fudge brownie recipe, adapted from joy of baking.

Only 8 ingredients make up these gooey brownies.

With 1 1/2 pounds of melting chocolate*, [thank you Fudge Shoppe!]

6 farm fresh eggs, 2 sticks of unsalted butter

2 cups of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder

and a pinch of salt complete these treats.

*I combined 1/2 semi sweet & 1/2 dark chocolate. I definitely recommend doing this,

and using good quality chocolate, not chocolate chips.

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butt(::)n

♥

getaway.

those trees.

mini apples.

the sun bursting forth.

my love covered in sweet sun spots.

a pretty bird [& wonderful hostess]

a tall 'tree'...

every picture displays how beautiful the weekend truly was.

i love to get away, especially with my husband, and especially visiting great friends.

this was our second trip to Rochester, NY so we were a little familiar...

we enjoyed the weekend meeting new friends, going to the market,

drinking so much coffee, great food from so many new restaurants,

apple picking, the irish pub, and just relaxing.

we can't wait to go back ♥

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butt(::)n

♥

farm stand adventures, 3

A sweet little stand on the way home from church

that I have passed for the past 3 years and never stopped.

well........ I finally stopped and I am so glad that I did.

a basic setup,  yet completely filled with all sort of fruits and vegetables

& so many varieties of each.

plum tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, beef tomatoes

every apple. literally

herbs, fresh lavender, hot peppers, fresh cut flowers

oh, and little jars of jam made right from their garden.

this summer, I made a point to visit every farm stand within 10 miles of my home

so many of which I didn't take my camera to, but I am so ready for next summer

& by then, I plan to have all of my canning tools ready to go!

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butt(::)n

♥

keep up.

hi! fall is definitely here ♥

i am doing my best at embracing this season as much as possible
by baking autumn desserts and wearing fall clothes...

but also trying to embrace a new season of life..

...a season of change.

the simple joys of life are so close
we just need to reach for them
and apply them to our daily lives.

butt(::)n has a lot planned.
anything with cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice.

muffins, pies, leaf & apple shaped cookies

applesauce, apple butter, apple dumplings
all sorts of cakes and quick-breads.

and so so much more!

a first sign of fall for me...pumpkin cupcake liners at the store :)

enjoy this season.

yellow

butt(::)n

♥

pecan pie.

a great pecan pie is one of my favorites.

you literally combine everything in a bowl, pour into your shell, and bake.

this pecan pie, i didn't get to eat unfortunately.

i had to give it away :( but i was told that it was really great

especially because i added some bourbon for some extra flavor.

all i keep hearing, though, is that the crust is the best part! yippy!

enough talking, let's see some pieeeeeeee!

preheat oven to 350 degrees

combine 1 cup light corn syrup, 3 eggs,

1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter,

1 teaspoon vanilla + 'a splash' of bourbon [or more]

add 6 ounces chopped pecans

pour into pie shell + bake 60-70 minutes.

pecan pie is a fall dessert staple.

i can't wait to bake it more throughout the season!

mini pies, pie in a jar, even chocolate pecan pie!

or a new recipe i saw, 'apple pecan pie'.

lots planned for this season, so keep reading ♥

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butt(::)n

♥

a slice of pie.

 finalllllllly updating about my apple pie from last week.

i'm super behind on posting all of the baking i've been doing

but please stay tuned. i have much to share with you all.

this apple pie was just devine.

the crust was buttery and flakey

the crumbs were slightly brown

the filling was barely pouring over the edge

absolutely my new favorite ♥

ooh, yum.

pie tips!

1. The crust is SO important. Yes, pre-made is easiest, but all you need is flour, shortening/butter, salt, & water! You can make a few and either freeze the dough or refrigerate for a few days until you need it. If you need to use pre-made crust, be creative and spice it up a bit. Decorate it with a pretty edging, egg wash, and cinnamon sugar. A little goes a long way.

2. What you put into your pie really counts. Substituting fresh apples for apple pie filling is silly. I know it's convenient & I've done it before, but I've been trying my best at baking completely scratch and I urge you to do the same (if you can!) If not, just like the crust, add your own ingredients to make it one of a kind. Add more spices, maybe some fresh fruit, raisins, nuts, something to make it special and different.

3. Bake seasonally. Fall is here! Bake with what's available to you. Apples, pumpkin, cranberries, figs, & pears.

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butt(::)n

♥

apple pie.

apple pie is so homey ♥

you really cannot get any more domestic than this.

the aroma while baking an apple pie is just beautiful.

the smell of spicy cinnamon & nutmeg, and fresh cut apples.

i just love it.

i used a basic recipe from a sweet little old lady from Iowa.

she was in the October edition of Taste of Home 'Picks of the Crop'

she uses over 500 pounds of apples during the fall and winter

to bake for friends & family from September-December...every year!

her recipe is standard.

pie dough made of flour, salt, & shortening.

filling made of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, & flour

crumb topping made of flour, butter, & sugar.

step 1. make the dough

 step 2. make the filling

 step 3. make the crumb topping

step 4. fill the pie and  top with crumb

pie is in the oven..

check back for a second post !

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butt(::)n

♥

just peachy.

the end of summer means using up all of the peaches you possible can.

i decided to spend one afternoon baking a peach bundt cake

I also made homemade peach butter to go with it.

my goal for this summer was to actually can a lot of things

but that completely fell through. WAH

but, I hope to accomplish this goal this fall/winter with some basics.

applesauce. jam. red sauce.

but for now, peach cake with peach butter.

[recipe for peach bread]

and of course, smitten kitchen with the peach butter recipe.

i really count on other food bloggers to help me find great recipes

they inspire me to be better at what i do, and to try my best.

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butt(::)n

♥