Apple Brown Betty

My husband's favorite dessert is apple pie. The whole family loves apple pie, so I made one the other night for dessert. It was gone within three hours. Pretty good, so good that it was gone before I could take a picture for the blog. Well the next day the kids asked for more apple pie. I told them I would make another apple dessert instead. I wanted to use the last few slices of white bread I had so I made apple brown betty. It was delicious. It was rich, yet light at the same time.  If you have never made apple brown betty, you are missing out. It truly is one of the easiest desserts I have ever made. Simple and delicious. You probably already have all of the ingredients to make it. Give it a try and let me know what you think?

Apple Brown Betty

2 granny smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
6 slices of white bread, cubed in small pieces
1 stick unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp water

Coat a pie plate with butter. Then add 1/3 brown sugar, 1/3 of the apple slices, and a 1/3 of the bread crumbs. Repeat these layers one more time ending with the bread crumbs. Sprinkle with the cinnamon. Lay the cubed butter all over the breadcrumbs. Sprinkle dish with the water and a little more brown sugar. Cover and bake for 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Remove the cover during the last 5 minutes to brown the top. Be careful not to over brown it. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Either one is delicious! Enjoy!!

Being Outdoors

Hello everyone! I am so happy to get back to the blogging world. I've missed you. These past couple of weeks have been crazy , but things are finally starting to slow down. Thank God. Lately, with all of this beautiful weather, we have enjoyed as much time outside as possible. My herb garden is finally finished and everything is growing like crazy. I love being able to walk outside and pick out whatever I need. My husband made the raised bed  for me last year, but this year it is finally getting put to good use. He started a huge garden for us this year. So far, we have enjoyed the green onions and leaf lettuce he planted.

We have also been doing some  much needed work to our flower beds. Last year the heat and my Melanoma diagnosis left them a bit neglected. Not this year. I have been planting, weeding, and watering them daily. I have a new respect for gardeners. It is lots of work but I know the end result will be worth it. Well it's bath time for the kids so time to go. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

I am officially obsessed with using bourbon in my cooking. I don't particularly care for the taste of bourbon alone, but with other things I love the flavor it gives. Last week I made several batches of Bourbon Pickled Jalapenos and gave them away to our friends and family as gifts. They were a huge success so today I made little jars of Bourbon Vanilla Extract to give away. In my opinion,homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract is more flavorful and less expensive than the store bought kind. This is a great gift for someone who loves to bake. It is also a lovely Christmas gift. The longer the extract sits, the more flavorful it becomes. Have a great evening and thank you so much for stopping by!

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

recipe adapted from Southern Living 

1 cup bourbon 

1 vanilla bean

Cut the vanilla bean crosswise and place in a small clean jar, or you can split the bean and scrape the vanilla beans out and place those into the jar. Cook 1 cup of bourbon over medium to high heat in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, but no longer. Pour the bourbon into the jar and let cool to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Place the lid tightly on the jar and let sit at room temperature. Wait at least 1 week until using and shake once daily. 

Quick Bourbon Pickled Jalapenos

Happy Friday everyone! It has been awhile since I did a food post, so today I am sharing with you what  may be my new favorite condiment, quick pickled bourbon jalapenos. These are sweet, sour, and spicy all in one bite. What more can you ask for? They go perfectly on pulled pork or any type of barbecue for that matter. The pickled taste of the jalapeno cuts the smokiness and creates balance. They are also very quick and easy to make. Give them a try this weekend. You won't be disappointed.

Quick Bourbon Pickled Jalapenos
recipe adapted from Country Living magazine

1 lb jalapenos sliced into rounds
1 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 cup bourbon ( I use Jim Beam)
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons pickling spices
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seed
1 bay leaf

Transfer jalapenos to screw top jars. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, bourbon, honey, pickling spices, salt, yellow mustard seeds, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour hot liquid into a strainer over the jars of jalapenos. Seal with a tight fitting lid. Let cool until room temperature ; then refrigerate for 3 days before serving, They can be refrigerated up to two weeks.

Our Weekend

The weather this weekend was amazing so we took full advantage by spending most of it outdoors. We played chase in the backyard, worked in our garden, and cleaned up the patio. In fact, most of my day was spent outdoors today. There is something very relaxing about working in a garden, almost therapeutic. It was such a great feeling to be outdoors again. I'm hoping the weather cooperates long enough to finish an outdoor project I started. If I get to finish it then I will be sharing it with you later this week. Goodnight everyone!