Apple Pie Filling

For 1 Quart
3 1/2 cups fresh apples, washed, peeled & sliced
1/4 cup clear jel *
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup apple juice
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. lemon juice



For 7 Quarts
6 quarts fresh apples, washed, peeled & sliced
5 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups clear jel *
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/4 cup water
5 cups apple juice
3/4 cup lemon juice

Soak the apples in water with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Combine sugar, clear jel, cinnamon, nutmeg in a large kettle with water and apple juice. Stir on med-med high heat until mixture starts to bubble and thinkens. Add lemon juice and continue stirring and boil for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, drain apples and fold them into sugar mixture.

Pour into hot jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust 2 piece lids and process - pints 25 minutes, quarts 30 minutes.

*Replace clear jel with tapioca. 1 jar - 2 tablespoons, 7 quarts - about 1 cup (it's like 3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp)

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have had quite a few requests for this recipe. I don't know what makes it different than your normal recipe - but apparently, some of you think it's better - so - here you go!

In a large bowl combine and mix the following:
2 eggs
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Then add:
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
1/2 - 1 full bag of your favorite chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate - but my husband likes using the semi-sweet mini's)

Put rounded spoonful dough onto UNGREASED cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 11 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for atleast 5 minutes before transfering to a cooling rack.

Apple Crisp

4-6 medium to large apples - washed, peeled, and cored

Lay slices in the bottom of an 8x8 lightly sprayed baking dish

Crumble topping:
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup butter (soft, not melted)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Sprinkle ontop of sliced apples, bake at 375 for 30 minutes - serve with ice cream!

Pesto Sauce

Oh Pesto! How can you not just love it?

2 cups fresh basil leaves, washed and dried off
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Put basil and garlic in food processor. Turn it on, and start drizzling in the olive oil. You want it pasty, but not too oily. You may not need the full amount, so just eyeball it to the consistancy you like. Mix with 12 - 16 oz. of hot pasta of your choice! My personal favorite is the small shell noodles. My kids prefer speghetti or fetticini.

This will compliment a breaded chicken or fish dish really well!

Lion House Dinner Rolls

These are my favorite rolls ever! I'm so glad i came across the recipe and can share it with you!

2 cups warm water (115 degrees)
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
2 tbsp. active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter or shortening
1 egg
5 to 5 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter, melted

In large bowl of an electric mixer, combine water and dry milk powder. Mix until milk is dissolved. Add yeast, sugar, salt, 1/3 cup butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet. Increase mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add 2 more cups of flour, mix on low until just mixed, then on medium for 2 minutes. Dough will be getting stiff at this point, so use your dough hook, or add remaining flour and mix by hand. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time and mix again until dough is soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff. You do not need to use all the flour, just enough to get it to the right consistency.

In a large bowl, pour a couple of tablespoons of oil, and turn dough out into bowl, rolling it around as to get all sides of the dough - this will prevent the dough from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size - about 1 1/2 hours.

Sprinkle cutting board or counter top with flour and roll out and shape the dough as desired.

Place rolls on a greased baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove plastic wrap and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until browned. Brush with melted butter while hot. Makes 2-3 dozen depending on the size you make them.

Too Much Zucchini?

Maybe I'm the only one who had their zucchini plants explode this year! It seems like I couldn't keep up with the overwhleming amount coming off my vines each week. This summer, I froze over 40 cups of zucchini, that will be long gone by next spring! To freeze zucchini to use in recipe's, cut, remove seeds, and shred. Put in freezer bags. It's that easy!

Asside from Zucchini Bread, try these other yummy ideas to use up that shredded zucchini!

* Add 1 cup to your hamberger/turkey meat for burgers on the grill.
* Add 1 cup to your next meat loaf mixture
* Add 1 cup to the next batch of brownies you make
* Add 1 cup to your speghetti sauce
* Add 1 cup to your choclate cake batter
* Add 1 cup to your pancake batter
* Add to your cookie dough
* Add 1 cup to your muffin dough
* Add to any soup
* Add 1/2 cup to your pizza dough, or sprinkle over the top of your pizza


The sky really is the limit with shredded zucchini! If it's shredded small, it's less detectable by your children. And with it having virtually no flavor, it can be added to just about anything, and you have instant vitamins added.

Best Brownies!

I'm a sucker for a good brownie, and these - by far - are the best I've ever had! Thanks Cindy for sharing your recipe!

4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup nuts (optional)

Mix well. Pour into a lightly sprayed 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 35 minutes