Once upon a time, my husband and I took a dozen or so teens to a youth conference in Knoxville.  The kids sold this apple butter and paid for almost the whole trip- hotel, tickets, and all! It's that good.

Although we don't do the trip to Knoxville anymore, I still make this sweet, warm, and spicy apple butter every year to share with family and friends.  The whole house just fills up with this wonderful spicy apple aroma- better than any candle out there.  And the butter is smooth, thick, and oh-so flavorful.  And yes, you need to share it.  No one likes an apple butter hog.

The ingredients here are simple: apples, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ground allspice, and ground cloves.  The flavors of autumn!

The type of apple you use is really important.  You will need 5 pounds total.  I like to use 3 pounds of Granny Smith, 1 pound of Gala, and 1 pound of Red Delicious.  I find this is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and using more than one variety of apple gives the butter depth.  Here's another list of good varieties to use in apple butter.

I start off by mixing 3 cups of white sugar in a medium-sized bowl with 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and a quarter teaspoon each of allspice, cloves, and salt.  Sometimes I like to sprinkle this mixture on a piece of buttered toast.  Is that weird?

Because the apple butter cooks for a really long time in the Crock-Pot, I make it as soon as I wake up.  I was just getting ready to start peeling and slicing the apples when TLO woke up and insisted on helping.  Good morning, Reed!  I guess this is a #ReedCooks recipe, now!
A little update on our growing boy: he is getting so big!  Birthday #3 is a little over a month away and he is PUMPED.  Right now he is absolutely obsessed with anything construction.  He's constantly talking about excavators, dump trucks, bulldozers, graders, front-loaders. backhoes, and cranes.  Tracks, hydraulics, exhaust, cabs, booms, arms, and on and on and on and on.  I know way more than I ever thought I would about "mighty machines".  So yeah, picking a theme for the birthday party was no problem!

The most time-consuming piece of the preparation is peeling and slicing the apples.  We bought this handy-dandy apple peeler at our local grocery store for 12 bucks a few years ago.  It does a great job.  Obviously, you don't need an apple peeler to make this butter.  Just peel the apples and slice or dice them pretty thinly.

Be sure to remove any skin and the core of each apple.  You don't want any hard pieces in your smooth apple butter!

Throw the apples into a large crockpot as you slice them.  When you are finished, pour the sugar mixture on top.

Yummmmm.

Mix them together, and try not to eat them right out of the Crock-Pot!  Or let your two-year-old eat them.  I was unsuccessful in that endeavor.  Oh my goodness, they already smell amazing.

After that, your work is done!  Put the lid on the Crock-Pot and let the apples cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 11-12 hours.  Whisk the butter every few hours or so.  Otherwise, just sit back and let the wonderful spiced-apple smell fill your home.  I can't stop thinking about it!  Seriously, the smell is almost as good as the apple butter.  But only almost.

After 11-12 hours, the apple butter will become very smooth and thick.  I usually take the lid off of the Crock-Pot for the last hour or two to make sure the butter is nice and thick (depending on the types of apples I use).  Scoop the butter into clean canning jars.  I don't can my apple butter- I just ask people to keep it in the refrigerator.  It is good for about a month after opening... if it lasts that long.  It won't!

I like to make the jars look all purty- especially if I am giving them as gifts or selling them for a fundraiser.  I put the lid on the jar, cut colorful squares of fabric, and screw the band on over the fabric.  Sometimes I will tie a gift tag under the band as well.  They dress up nicely!

I don't make our jar look pretty; we just dive in right away!  Warm or cold, this apple butter is wonderful on toast, biscuits, rolls, or just plain-old butter bread before bedtime.

Whenever I go to a holiday dinner or family potluck, someone always asks for these yummy veggie pizza bites.  I have tried explaining that I am capable of making other things, but this dish causes "selective hearing"- if you know what I mean!  But I'm not complaining- it is so easy to make.  And I NEVER have any left over to take home.  EVER.  Which always makes me feel really good, but at the same time I want more for me.  So lately I've been saving part of the pizza back for myself at home.  Is that bad?

I whipped this up the other night before my sister came over for a relaxing movie night.  The ingredients are pretty simple, and most you may already have in your pantry and refrigerator.  The recipe (included at the bottom of the post) calls for a variety of vegetables, french bread, cream cheese, mayo or Miracle Whip, and a packet of dry Italian dressing.  I must note, however, that I usually use mayonnaise, not Miracle Whip, for this recipe.  I only had Miracle Whip in my fridge, and I wasn't feeling a trip to the store, so I decided to use it.  The result was still really good, but I think I like it with mayo better.

First, I chopped up all of the veggies.  I pretty much always use a blend of carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower, but feel free to substitute as you see fit.   You have the power!  (Evil laugh).

Yep, I just did an evil laugh over chopped veggies.  Let's not focus on how sad that is...

Next, using a standing mixer or blender, whip together the cream cheese (the whole block), 1/2 cup of miracle whip or mayo, and a packet of dry Italian salad dressing.

Reed heard the mixer and came running.  He's just a little obsessed with it at the moment.  He likes to do all of the switches.  He is teething so bad in this picture- his little cheeks are all swollen.  How long until the two-year-molar nightmare ends?

Once the ingredients are blended well, use a spatula to scrape the mixture into a Tupperware bowl, cover, and refrigerate it for at least an hour.  It can refrigerate overnight if that's your thing.  If possible, you really want to make this recipe the day you plan on eating it.  However, this time in the fridge allows the ingredients to really marinade together and also make the mixture easier to spread later.  Meanwhile, drink a cup of coffee, take the dog out, give the kid a bath (that's what I did), or have a dance party.  Or be boring and wash the dishes (also what I did).

After an hour or so, slice your french bread (if you couldn't find it pre-sliced), and prep your space to begin assembling the pizza bites.  It is a pretty complicated process...

Begin by spreading a pretty thick layer of the cream cheese-Italian dressing-mayo mixture on each slice.

Then, sprinkle the veggies on top of the cream cheese mixture.  All done!  So complicated.

The result is creamy, crunchy, feel-good deliciousness!  And I like to think that it is healthy, too.  But honestly, I don't really care.  It is pretty, fulfilling, and a big hit with all ages.  You will love it!  I promise!

Veggie Pizza Bites
Ingredients:
-8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 bag vegetable medley (broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix)
- 1 loaf of french bread (Italian bread will work fine, too)
- 1 packet dry Italian dressing

Instructions:
1. Chop vegetables into small pieces.  Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. Using a standing or hand mixer, blend together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and dry Italian dressing.  Mix well and refrigerate, at least one hour.
3. Slice french bread.  Spread cream cheese mixture on each slice and top with veggie blend.  Serve immediately.

The weather this first week of May has just been, well, ugh.  Not fun.  Rainy, windy, just cold enough to make me not want to go outside.  What happened to April showers and May flowers?  Not happy.

Perspective.  That's what I needed.  A little perspective.  And food.  I had a bunch of way over-ripe bananas, so I decided to make my favorite banana bread and jazz it up with some walnuts and crumb topping.  Living life on the edge over here!

Now I don't want to take credit for something that is not mine, so right away let me tip my hat to "Banana Banana Bread" by Shelley Albelun on Allrecipes.  If you are looking for a nut-free, comforting banana bread recipe- Shelley's your girl.  However, like I said, I like to live dangerously, so I added walnuts and a crumb topping to her recipe.  Giving the weather a one-two-punch, if you know what I'm saying.

I compiled all of my ingredients here- your standard banana nut bread ingredients.  You want to make sure you have super-ripe bananas.  Speaking of perspective, here's what is hiding just outside of this picture (blocking all my light)...

Reed crooning the ABC song on a ninja turtle ukulele in his underwear.  Priceless!  He will be grumpy about me sharing this picture someday, I'm sure.  Don't care!

I began by asking Reed to mash up several bananas.  I had 4 pretty big bananas, so use 5-6 if you only have smaller bananas.  And if you are cooking with a toddler, you may want to add an extra one just in case he/she gets a little hungry...

Then, mix together the dry ingredients: 2 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

In a separate bowl or mixer, combine 3/4 cup of brown sugar and a stick of butter.  Beat this pretty well.

Next, add 2 beaten eggs and the mashed bananas to the brown sugar-butter mixture.  Mix until blended.

When you're ready, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and pour in the nuts as well, should you choose to use them.  Stir this until just moistened.

The joy of cooking!  Yes, I know it has raw egg in it.  It was just a little bit, and I was going to lick the spoon if he didn't.  Future Rocky Balboa?  Didn't that guy eat raw eggs?  Reed has the boxer shorts going on, anyway.

Spray a 9 by 5 loaf pan with cooking spray and spread the mixture evenly in the pan.

Now, let's talk about this crumb topping!  This  topping is sweet, buttery, and really takes this bread to the next level.  Plus, it's really simple.

With a fork or a food processor, combine 1/2 cup of brown sugar with 2 heaping tablespoons of flour, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of cold butter, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Pulse or cut in the butter until it is evenly mixed.

Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the batter in the loaf pan.  It's ready for the oven!  ​The bread will need to cook at 350 degrees for about an hour, or until you can poke it with a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Let the bread cool in the loaf pan for a little before you get it out.  I like to spread some butter on mine and serve it warm or at room temperature.

We really enjoyed having this banana nut bread during our first chilly week of May.  We ate it for breakfast for a few days and it was satisfying and delicious until it was gone.  I hope you love it as much as we did!

Banana Nut Bread with Crumb Topping
Find base recipe: "Banana Banana Bread"

Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 plus 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/3 cups mashed bananas
​- Dash of cinnamon
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan with cooking spray.

Mash the bananas well.  Mix together first three ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
In a mixer with the paddle attachment, combine 1/2 cup of softened butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar.  Add 2 eggs and mashed bananas and mix well.  Pour into dry ingredients and add walnuts.  Mix until just combined and pour into prepared loaf pan.

In a food processor or small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar, dash of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of flour, and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of cold butter.  Pulse or cut in with fork until combined.  Sprinkle evenly on top of batter in loaf pan.

Bake for about 60 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out dry.

I started my search for the perfect baked sweet potato fry recipe last year when Reed really started eating "big boy" food.  I'm kind of a freak when it comes to Reed's eating habits; I introduce "healthy", new foods as often as possible.  Last summer we found ourselves spending a lot of time on the go, and Reed would eat these fries warm from the oven at home (yum-o!) or cold when he was teething while we were on the go (eewww).

I've perfected this recipe over the past year.  These fries are crispy, and flavorful.  We never have leftovers.  In fact, when I made them for this post, my husband didn't even get to eat any!  Sorry, honey!  I'll make more! FYI, they do have a little kick to them, so if you are making these for a really little one (like introducing solids-18 months), you may want to cut back on some of the spices.  As usual, I'll include the recipe at the end of this post.

If you have sweet potatoes at home, you probably already have everything else you need.  This recipe is really simple and easy.

Start off by trimming the ends of the sweet potatoes so they are fry-sized in length.

Next, peel the potatoes.  This is my least favorite part.  I'd make Reed do it, but that is unloving, dangerous, and negligent.  Plus, he's too busy with his "new piano".  I'm burnt toast now!  Just kidding.  Kind of.

I try to make each potato even before I slice it.  Sweet potatoes can be really weird looking sometimes.  They are not as fry-friendly as regular potatoes, when it comes to cutting them, anyway.  After trimming them, I slice them down the middle, and then slice each half again.  It helps to have a really sharp knife.

Next, cut them into fries.  Sheesh- my hands are white!!  I'll try to get a little more tan for y'all.

Time for the seasoning!  Melt a half of a stick of butter in a small bowl in the microwave.  Add your spices and the melted butter to the potatoes.  I have here (about) one teaspoon of salt, a half a teaspoon each of pepper and paprika, and a quarter teaspoon of garlic powder.  Although, I must admit I ALWAYS go a little heavier on the spices, and I rarely actually measure them.  But I did this time for you.

Stir everything around so the fries are all coated evenly.

Spray some cooking spray on a baking sheet and spread the fries out evenly.  Make sure they have plenty of room to groove- no crowding!  Bake these guys at 450 degrees for 20 minutes or so, turning them occasionally.

One of my favorite dips in the whole wide world is ketchup and tartar sauce mixed together.  Maybe a lot of people do this, maybe I'm weird, but I love this on any kind of fry.  This mixture is especially tasty with these sweet potato fries.  Our boys are totally in the dipping phase right now, too.

Well look who decided to show up!  I called in a Matt and an Oliver.  I'm telling you, kids love these fries, and they smell GOOD!  Matt is a growing boy,  Oliver is just a mooch.

We made three potatoes-worth of fries, and they were gone in five minutes.  Seriously. The boys were eating them with both hands (maybe I was, too!)  They are sweet, a little spicy, and perfectly crispy.  Plus, I like to think they are a little healthier than regular, old fries.  Let's just say they are!
Let me know if you try them!  Enjoy!

Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:
- Three sweet potatoes
- 4 T butter
- 1 t salt
- 1/2 t pepper
- 1/2 t paprika
- 1/4 t garlic powder

Peel and slice sweet potatoes.  Coat potatoes in melted butter and spices.  Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.

 I woke up Saturday morning with a hankering for lunch meat "pinwheels"- that's what I've always called them, anyway.  Meat, cheese, and veggies wrapped up in a soft tortilla- yum! See, I eat healthy sometimes and even have a health food hankering!  Told ya.

My sister and I have a standing Saturday evening night out with our boys.  Her son, Matthew, is 18 months old; my son is not even two and a half.  She lives just a few minutes away, my mom often babysits the two while we are at work, and my sister and I are really close.  So our boys are BFFs, to put it mildly.  Whenever they see each other they start squealing and laughing and then they yell and grunt at each other.  Boys are weird.

This past Saturday, the Saturday upon which I had a hankering for health food, we planned to take the boys to a nearby natural playscape after their naps.  It is at Rowe Woods, part of the Cincinnati Nature Center.  My sister is a pass-holder and I had never been to the PlayScape.  Well, I take that back.  I went once but my car broke down on the way and so I made it there (rolling in) and had to call someone to come get me.  So that doesn't count.

Ok- so the pinwheels.  These little things are so yummy and perfect for a picnic at the park.  I placed Reed on his usual spot on the counter-top and made these babies in just a couple of minutes.  Super fun, easy, and healthy!

The ingredients are pretty simple, and you could definitely add or take away according to your tastes.  I chose plain flour tortillas, thinly sliced ham, thinly sliced swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and this nifty chive-flavored cream cheese.  

Start by dicing a tomato and cutting the lettuce.  I chose to slice the lettuce in long strips to make it easier to lay on the tortilla.

Next, scoop about about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese and spread it evenly across the tortilla.

Well thanks, Reed.

Told you this cream cheese is good!  And, yes, he used the same spoon to continue spreading the cheese.  We faithfully double dip in this household, too.

Okay!  Next, lay out the lunch meat on the tortilla.  I left about an inch on the edges because the meat will shift when you roll it.  I really loved how Reed could make this with me.  I try to get him involved in the kitchen as much as possible.  It never fails- if he makes it, he will try it and probably like it.

Then layer on the cheese. I chose Swiss because I am obsessed with Swiss cheese above all other cheeses, and that is a very high compliment. I think cheddar would be great, too. You really can't go wrong with cheese in my world.

See how there is a space along this edge?  That is so important to have or you will have lunch meat and cheese hanging out of the roll up. 

Go ahead and add your other ingredients.  I laid out the lettuce in a single layer and sprinkled the lettuce with tomato.  Delish!  Time to roll up!

Make sure you roll as tightly as possible. Then, if you have time, wrap the rolled tortilla in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for an hour or so. This makes everything stick together and helps the tortilla get nice and soft from the cream cheese.

When you are ready to slice, cut off the ends first so all of your pinwheels are even and pretty.  Slice along the roll-up around every inch or so.

Ta-da!  Beautiful pinwheels!  I made some veggie-free ones in case the boys decided to be picky on our picnic.  Toddlers...

We packed them up and headed to the natural PlayScape!  We ate as soon as we arrived so the boys would be able to play uninterrupted.  As you can see by Reed's trademark stuffed face, these were successful.  That face gives me such satisfaction.

Once we finished eating, we set the boys loose in the PlayScape.  It was creatively designed and I think Matt and Reed felt like they were on an adventure or quest or something.  There were tunnels, bridges, rocks, sticks, and little hidden play areas everywhere.

Little explorers!

After they played for a while, we went outside of the PlayScape to Matt's pond, a boardwalk/nature area where you can see all kinds of animals.  On the way there are little nature education stops that I found really interesting.  I know Reed will love these kinds of things too once he gets older.  They had everything from leaves, to fossils, to composting, and everything in between.  But for now, the boys ran past the educational parts screaming as loud as they could, chasing each other and disturbing all nearby wildlife.  What else do adventurers do in the wild?

The pond was definitely my favorite part.  We saw a turtle and a goose.  It took Reed a while to figure out what we were doing because he really wanted to swim.  But once he realized I was not going to let him swim in the cold, muddy pond and disturb all of the wildlife and break all of the rules, he was cool and was really excited about all of the things he saw.  The boardwalk is literally right on the water and it is so serene and beautiful.  This goose kind of freaked him out though- they literally swim right along the boardwalk!  Boy won't forget what a goose looks like now!  Ha.

Our pinwheets and playscape outing was a big success.  The boys were not only completely worn out by the time we got home (mission accomplished) but I really think they learned a lot, too!  You can check out the Rowe Woods playscape and other information about the Cincinnati Nature Center here.


Easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
- 4 flour tortillas
- 8 slices of Swiss cheese
- 12 slices of deli ham
- Chive or Garden Veggie cream cheese
- Lettuce
- Tomato

Spread about 2 tablespoons of cream cheese evenly over each tortilla.  Layer ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  Roll tightly.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Remove plastic wrap and slice rolls every inch.  Refrigerate until you are ready to eat.  Enjoy!