A pretty use for leftover herbs

Today the clouds are low and gray and heavy laden, lumbering slowly across the sky. The hills are dusted with the powdered sugar of first fall snows, but here in the valley, sky mists over with icy drops of intermittent rain leaving slightest wisp of snowy memory on the brain.

Days like this, energy and time slow to a trickle, mimicking the coquettish mountain stream as it murmurs and meanders and falls into winter's beckoning breath.

It can be hard to battle the coming gloom and gray of winter.

But sometimes the laughter of a child, the warm scent of a gingerbread latte, or a little bit of leafy beauty brought indoors can help keep the clouds at bay...at least until that next snatch of sunlight heads your way.

When using fresh herbs for cooking I often have quite a bit leftover, especially if I purchase them at the Good Food Store. I always save the extra and try to remember to use them up in other recipes, but usually I forget and they end up going in the trash. I've read they can be chopped and frozen with either oil or water in ice cube trays, but I can be lazy and forgetful and that method has never really appealed to me.

I've always thought greenery was just as pretty as the flowers themselves, and so when I have quite a bit of extra herbs I've started saving them in mini vases and places them in nooks around the house. This works especially well with the stalkier herbs like thyme and rosemary.

It's like getting two-for-one! Yummy fresh taste in your prepared dishes and a little bouquet to make you smile for days after.

All is Grace,
Carie

Easy Crockpot Apple Butter

One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to take a day trip down the valley to a couple quaint apple orchards. My mom has been making apple sauce and apple butter every fall for as long as I can remember and I've always relished the memories - and especially heavenly smells - this tradition brings me.

The last couple years we have taken my kids too. And although Sassy got bored on the way there and kept requesting to play Lego Junior on my phone, I bravely held out. I mean, I didn't get technology on short road trips, why should she? I'm hoping she'll develop a grasp for imagination and the ability to love staring at the changing scenery as it flows by. One can dream...

The first farm we usually go to was unexpectedly closed, but thankfully my mom remembered a smaller one that was close by. It was open and currently staffed by the cutest-feistiest-little ol' couple you ever did see and their polite friendly grandson. They let us sample all the apples, their cider and raw honey. We left with three cases of apples, three gallons of fresh cider and tummies full of fruit.

Bubba, ever the goof.

"Me thinks I may have overestimated the size my mouth."

Our view from the car. Not half bad.

Even though I love apple sauce, I love apple butter even more...So other than sheets of apple crisp, I used most my apples for this purpose. The nice lady at the orchard recommending making the butter in a crockpot, and so after searching for recipes on line, I mixed a few together and have been really happy about the result. Now I just need to make some bran muffins to spread it on...

EASY CROCKPOT APPLE BUTTER

• Apples  (Enough peeled, cored and sliced to fill your crockpot to heaping. They will cook down considerably)
• 1 cup granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbs Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp Cloves
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 Tbs Vanilla extract
• 2 tsp Lemon juice

Yields: Anywhere from 4 to 10 pints depending on apple used and size of crockpot.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel, core and slice apples. Add to crockpot until full. Don't worry about leaving too much room for the sugars, they should filter through the cracks.
2. Mix sugars and spices.
3. Spread over top the apples.
4. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. 
5. After a couple hours, stir to evenly coat apples with spice mixture.
6. Check around the 8 hour mark. Depending on the apple you used, adjust the time. If the apples were softer like my Macs, you should be able to use an immersion blender at this point. If they are still too firm to blend, then cook an additional hour or two.
7. Taste for sweetness. If too sour, add an additional 1/2 cup of granulated and brown sugar, or to taste.
8. Stir in the vanilla and lemon juice.
9. Allow to simmer with the lid off for an additional 1 to 2 hours, or until the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency.
10. Spoon into canning jars and freeze with lids off, leaving room for expansion. 
11. Enjoy on baked goods, graham crackers or out of the jar!

If you have a corer-peeler, I highly recommend it. However, if you are using a softer apple, such as a MacIntosh, it may be easier to peel by hand, then use it to core and slice. As I peeled the apples, I piled them into the crockpot so I could get a rough guess on how many I needed.

Make sure your lid will still fit.

After several hours on low, stir to coat.

After pureeing, check for sweetness, adjust accordingly, then add the vanilla and lemon juice. Simmer until reduced to taste.

Spoon into freezer safe jars.

Lil' Peach was super excited about the huge box of apples, and I was excited at how busy they were keeping her, until I realized she was methodically eating her way through the box...

So I faked her out and gave her a box of lego "apples" instead. This is probably the only second the ruse actually worked. Let's just say, nap time soon followed.

So there you have it! It's super easy, and if you have little helpers who can handle a peeler, I say a little child labor never hurt anyone. It will cut your actual prep time down a ton. I hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall as much as I am! 

All is Grace,
Carie

Autumn Mantle

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I like... love...  ADORE fall. I love everything about it. The crisp clean air, the ombre of colors, cozy sweaters, beautiful scarves, pumpkin spice lattes, warm satisfying stews - I like it all. It probably has something to do with being born on the first day of Autumn, and that I am a nerd who has always appreciated the aroma of just-opened-box-of-crayolas and the start of a new school year.

For me, the true sign that Autumn was on its way was when my mom would pull out her boxes of fall decor. The bright colors of summer would get tucked lovingly away and the rich, warm colors of leaves and pumpkins would make their appearance. I definitely got my love of seasonal decorating from her...

When we moved into our house five years ago, I fell instantly in love with the mantle in the living room. Our house is small and there aren't many horizontal spaces to decorate, so I take full advantage of the centerpiece in our living room. I especially like what I came up for this year's decor.

When it comes to decorating, one of my mottos has been to try and use what you already have, especially things that have meaning for you. You'll save money and enjoy the decor more when it has history and a personal touch. 

Also, look for items that can be used for more than one season. Neutrals in creams, browns or black work really well for this purpose.

This bird vase came from Real Deals and I use it almost every season...dried leaves and cattails in the fall, frosted berries in winter and farmer's market finds in the spring and summer.

A couple times a year there is an awesome vintage market in town. That's where I got the rustic toolbox. I'm super excited to experiment with what to put in it for a Christmas centerpiece. If you can't find one, I'm sure there are templates somewhere online for building your own. It's a pretty simple design.

This cute little chalkboard used to be my Grandmother's. I remember playing school with it when I was a girl and totally going through a Little House on the Prairie kick. It was looking worse for wear so I rubbed some lemon olive oil into the wood and she's as good as new! I was kind of scared to use it up so high on the mantle, if it broke I'd be crushed. But I don't want to just hide all the beautiful valuable things in a box, never to get used. Everything will eventually return to the dust it came from and I'd rather get as much enjoyment out of it now, than have a bunch of nice old junk for my kids to sort through after I'm gone that doesn't hold any meaning or memories for them.

One of my closest friends is super crafty. She made the little easels like the one above for Christmas gifts one year. I was lucky enough to get an extra one. It's such a fun way to display verses or pictures...

When we first moved into our house, I started the tradition of saving all our wine corks. I try to remember to date them, and write a little snippet of what happened that evening, who we had over for dinner. It's been fun to look back at them over time and reminisce...plus I think they add a beautiful touch.

Target had these super cute pumpkins a few years ago. I love how organic and understated they are. I added some faux leaves and berries to create a contrast with the dark wood.

I usually have real candles in the fireplace, but Lil' Peach is at the get-into-everything phase, so I've switched them out for a set of LED candles I got at Costco a couple of years ago. The ambiance isn't quite the same as real candlelight, but they have a timer and will light up at the same time every night and last for about five hours.

This mantle display is a good representation of how I like to decorate... a good mix of history, personal meaning, neutral building pieces and a bit of the outdoors. I'd love to hear what have been your favorite ways to decorate for Autumn!

Next time I'll share my recipe for crockpot apple butter.
Yum.

All is Grace,
Carie

Bubba and Sassy. These two get me every time. I especially love the one of them waiting for Daddy to get home from work.