Apple Buttermilk Cake

We ended up celebrating Thanksgiving with the Dewey family. They always include us in their family events and treat us like we are part of the family. They are the best! We had a great time with everyone.

It was a last minute decision to go, so I had to create something easy to share. I made a salad with apples, dried cranberries, almonds, and feta. I also baked an apple buttermilk cake. I thought it would be a nice addition to all of the traditional holiday pies.

The cake has a buttery, buttermilk base and is topped with apple slices. I used Granny Smith and sprinkled them with cinnamon and brown sugar before baking. It gave the cake a nice sweet crust. The cake has a moist crumb and the apples are nice and tender. This is an easy cake to make and a scoop of vanilla ice cream makes it even better.

The holidays are here! If there are any specific holiday recipes you would like to see in December, just let me know. I am going to start my holiday baking this week. I can't wait!

If you didn't finish your shopping on Black Friday, check out my holiday gift idea post. I hope you find it helpful!

Apple Buttermilk Cake

(Printable Recipe)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of fresh nutmeg

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup shaken buttermilk

1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, and sliced

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

A little bit of extra cinnamon

Turbinado sugar (to sprinkle on top of cake)

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Beat butter and 2/3 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add egg and beat until combined.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour, and mixing until just combined.

In a small bowl combine the apple slices with the brown sugar and extra cinnamon. Stir until apples are coated.

Spoon batter into cake pan, smoothing top. Place sliced apples evenly over top and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake until cake is golden and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool to warm, 10 to 15 minutes more. Invert onto a plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you wish.

If you like this apple buttermilk cake, you might also like:

Plum Nectarine Buttermilk Cake from Two Peas and Their Pod

Salt-Kissed Buttermilk Cake from 101 Cookbooks

Strawberry Buttermilk Cake from Dishing Up Delights

Buttermilk Spice Cake w/Cream Cheese Frosting from One Perfect Bite

Peach Almond Cake from Two Peas and Their Pod

Spinach Salad with Oranges, Pomegranate, and Almonds

Tomorrow is the big day! Is everyone ready? I sure hope so. We are still without plans, but don't worry about us, we are excited to have a relaxing day. I am sure we will cook up something tasty, it just won't be the traditional feast.

If you need a last minute salad idea, I have a great one to share. I made this Spinach Salad with Oranges, Pomegranate, and Almonds for our Thanksgiving meal and it went over really well. I bought a big tub of fresh spinach from Costco. I added orange slices, pomegranate arils, and almonds. For the dressing, I whisked together olive oil, POM juice, red wine vinegar, fresh orange juice, a little agave, salt, and pepper.

The salad was gorgeous! I love the color the pomegranate and orange slices add. The almonds provided a nice little crunch too. The dressing was light and added just enough sweetness to the mix. Wow your family and friends with this salad tomorrow!

If you are still looking for Thanksgiving recipes, here are a few of my favorites:
My dad's famous Potato Rolls
Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest
Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Yams, and Brussel Sprouts with Rosemary
Pumpkin Blondies
Apple Cinnamon Galette
Pumpkin Cake Roll

**And some good news-our blog was featured in the Salt Lake City Tribune today. Check out the article here! Thanks for mentioning us!**

Have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Spinach Salad with Oranges, Pomegranate, and Almonds

(Printable Recipe)

Fresh spinach (I use the fresh spinach from Costco)
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
1 pomegranate, peeled and seeded
Almonds

Dressing:
1/2 cup POM juice
1 T red wine vinegar
Juice of one orange
2 T agave nectar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper-to taste

1. Add fresh spinach to a large salad bowl. Add the oranges, pomegranate arils, and almonds.
2. To make the dressing-in a small bowl add the POM juice, vinegar, orange juice, and agave nectar. Whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest

I never liked cranberry sauce when I was a kid. My dad used to buy the jellied cranberry sauce in the can because my brother requested it every year. I think I tried it once and was grossed out. We would always open the can and plop it onto a plate. It held the shape of the can-even the lines stayed in tact:) I am pretty sure it tasted like the can too. My brother was the only one that would even eat it.

When I got a little older I discovered fresh cranberries and was wowed by their flavor. For years I had been missing out on good cranberry sauce thanks to my brother's odd love for canned cranberry sauce. I am glad we now serve fresh cranberry sauce at our Thanksgiving feasts. (My dad still buys the jellied stuff for my brother though. I guess it is tradition...ha!).

Fresh cranberry sauce is so easy to make. I love watching the berries go pop, pop, pop in the pan:) I add orange zest and a squeeze of fresh orange juice to the cranberries. They compliment each other nicely. We like things a little tart so I don't add too much sugar, plus it is healthier:) Increase the sugar amount if you need to. It can be made a couple days in advance too, so there is no excuse to not serve the fresh stuff. It is easy and the best!

This is a great side to add to your table. It is great on leftover turkey sandwiches too. I also like to spread it on my whole wheat toast or add it to a brie panini. So many uses for this fabulous sauce! Enjoy!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest

(Printable Recipe)

1 bag of fresh cranberries
1 cup of water
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange
Squeeze of fresh orange juice, from the zested orange

1. Wash and pick over the fresh cranberries. Set them aside.
2. Bring the water and sugar to boil in a medium saucepan. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the cranberries to the pan. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on the stove for about 10 minutes. You will hear the berries start to pop. This is the best part:)
4. Stir in the orange zest and fresh orange juice. Let the cranberry sauce cool to room temperature.
5. Chill in the refrigerator. The sauce can be made a few days ahead of time.

If you like this cranberry sauce, you might also like:
Morning After Cranberry Sauce Muffins from Serious Eats
Jalapeno Cranberry Sauce from Closet Cooking
Apple Strudel with Cranberry Sauce from Baking Obsession
Cranberry and Horseradish Relish from A Good Appetite

Mixed Berry Cobbler Recipe

My dad was visiting from Illinois last week. We really enjoyed having him around. He insisted on celebrating Thanksgiving while he was in town. It is his favorite holiday-good food, football, and family. We designated Saturday as our Thanksgiving and cooked up a feast.

I only have one oven so we woke up early on Saturday and started preparing the big meal. On the menu: turkey, sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh cranberry orange sauce, spinach salad with pomegranate/oranges, roasted vegetables, potato rolls, and mixed berry cobbler for dessert. Wow, that is a lot of food! I got tired just typing it out. We were in the kitchen all day. It was fun though, I love cooking with my dad.

I don't even like Thanksgiving foods-I don't eat meat, not a stuffing or mashed potato fan, etc. but I still had a great time with my family. I really enjoyed the salad, roasted veggies, and my dad's potato rolls are the BEST! If you are looking for a good roll recipe for your turkey day, try my dad's:)

Josh requested berry cobbler for dessert, I think he is sick of all of my pumpkin creations:) I used frozen berries-blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries from Costco. The cobbler dough was easy to mix up. I love rustic desserts, nothing fancy, but still extremely tasty. I topped the cobbler with vanilla ice cream and no one complained about not having anything pumpkin:)

If you are looking for a dessert to please your friends and family, try my berry cobbler this year.

Our feast was a success. The food was good, but spending time with my family was the best part. Thanks to everyone that has been keeping my family in your thoughts and prayers. My little nephew's surgery went well, but he is still struggling. We really appreciate your love and support.

Mixed Berry Cobbler

(Printable Recipe)

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. lemon zest

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

7 cups mixed berries, I used frozen (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries)

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon zest

Fresh lemon juice

Turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

In the bowl of a mixer, mix the butter, sugar, and 1 tsp. of lemon zest until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Scrape down the sides if necessary. On low add about half of the buttermilk, stir and add in half of the flour. Add in the rest of the buttermilk and then the rest of the flour mixture. Mix just until combined. Don't over mix.

Put the berries in the baking dish. Add the lemon zest and spritz the berries with fresh lemon juice. Next, add the sugar and cornstarch. Stir everything together in the baking dish.

With a spoon, drop the cobbler dough onto the berries. The dough will be sticky. Sprinkle the dough with the turbinado sugar.

Bake the cobbler for about 45 minutes, until the berries are bubbling and the dough is golden brown. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then serve. It is best with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

If you like this cobbler, you might also like:

Pear, Blueberry, and Ginger Cobbler from Cookin' Canuck

Apple Cobbler from Baking and Books

Peach Cobbler from Under the High Chair

Blackberry Cobbler from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Crockpot (Slow Cooker) Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

When we were in California for the Blogher Food Conference we stopped to visit Josh's mom in Placerville, which is Apple Hill country. We drove through the orchards, vineyards, and forests. It is a beautiful area, but beware if you get car sick. Those windy roads killed me:) It was worth it though because we bought the best apples ever.

We stocked up on: Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Empire, Honey Crisp, and Mutsu apples. I had never had a Mutsu apple before, but it is now one of my favorites. They are big green apples that are crisp and sweet, but also have a little tartness to them. It was so fun sampling new apples and picking them out ourselves.

I love eating apples for a healthy snack, but of course my mind kicked into cooking/baking gear and started dreaming up what I could make with these apples. When I saw Cookin' Canuck's family applesauce recipe, I knew I had to try it.

I love this recipe because it is effortless! You make the applesauce in the crockpot (slow cooker) and there is no canning involved. The hardest part is chopping the apples, which I didn't mind doing. I like chopping, it's a great stress reliever:) I used a mixture of our CA apples-Gala, Honey Crisp, and Granny Smith. I also added in lots of cinnamon. The house smelled amazing while the applesauce was simmering.

I like chunky applesauce so I didn't mush it up too much. If you want super smooth applesauce puree it in a food processor or blender. My favorite way to eat applesauce is on whole wheat toast. I use applesauce instead of jam. Weird? Probably, but that is me:) You can also stir it into your oatmeal, use it in your baking, or just enjoy it plain.

Crockpot (Slow Cooker) Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

Recipe adapted from Cookin' Canuck

(Printable Recipe)

5 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 2 medium Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced Fresh lemon juice

2 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water

Place all of the apple pieces in a large bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the apples and stir. Add in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour water into the bottom of a large crockpot and add the apples. Put the lid on the crockpot and turn on. Cook for about 8 hours on low or on high for 5 hours. Stir occasionally. If you want smooth applesauce, puree in a food processor or blender. I like mine chunky. Keep in the fridge for a week or 2. You can freeze it.

Makes approximately 4 cups of applesauce.

If you like this applesauce recipe, you might also like:

Applesauce Spice Cake from Simply Recipes

Whole Wheat Apple Spice Muffins from Pinch My Salt

Cranberry, Raisin, and Walnut Applesauce from Food Blogga

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod

Plum Cinnamon and Plum Raspberry Jam

I haven't made jam in years. Our plum tree went wild this year so I was pressured into making Plum Cinnamon and Plum Raspberry Jam. The plums made me do it!

We made freezer jam and it was really easy. We started with the Plum Cinnamon Jam. Pitting the plums was the hardest part, but Josh helped, so it didn't take long. The cinnamon gave the plums a sweet finishing touch. I hated seeing how much sugar was involved, but it made a lot of jam and you only use a little at a time.

Next, we made Plum Raspberry Jam. Raspberries were on sale and they are the perfect compliment for plums. The jam is a little tart and a little sweet. I love the bright red color of this jam too.

We put the jam in plastic jars, but you can use glass jars if you wish. Our freezer is now full of jam. We love using it on our honey whole wheat bread. If you ever have an abundance of plums, try making jam. Homemade is the best!

I am submitting my jam recipes to Under The High Chair's Jam Swap! If you made jam this summer, you should join in on the fun. The deadline to submit is November 1st!

Now for some "housekeeping items." I have been working on a few new features for the blog. I've added Link Within so it is easier for you to find similar recipes. I am also highlighting recipes from other blogs at the end of each post. I am in the process of adding printable recipes to all of my posts. It takes some time, but I am getting there. I also added a recipe converter on the left hand side. I would appreciate feedback from my readers. Is there anything else I can do for you? Leave a comment and let me know. Thanks and have a great weekend.

Plum Cinnamon Freezer Jam

(Printable Recipe)

2 lbs. plums
5 ½ cups sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 box of Sure-Jell

Pit 2 pounds plums, do not peel. Finely chop into 1/4 inch pieces. Add to a 1/4 cup of water and simmer 5 minutes.

Stir sugar into the plum/water mixture. Add the cinnamon and stir well. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.

Mix 3/4 cup water and 1 box Sure-Jell pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 1 minute. Stir the mixture into the fruitand sugar.

Stir constantly for 3 minutes. Fill clean, dry containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of the tops. We used plastic container jars, but you can use glass jars. Wipe off the top edge of containers and quickly cover with lids.

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Store in freezer until opened. After opening, store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Plum Raspberry Freezer Jam

(Printable Recipe)

2 cups of fruit (we did an even mix of diced plums and raspberries)
4 cups sugar

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 box of Sure-Jell

Pit 2 pounds plums, do not peel. Finely chop into 1/4 inch pieces. Smash raspberries with a spoon or potato masher in a bowl. Strain through a sieve to remove the seeds.

Add fruit to a 1/4 cup of water and simmer 5 minutes. Stir sugar into the plum/raspberry mixture. Add the lemon juice. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes.

Mix 3/4 cup water and 1 box Sure-Jell pectin in a small saucepan. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 1 minute. Stir the mixture into the fruitand sugar.

Stir constantly for 3 minutes. Fill clean, dry containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of the tops.

We used plastic container jars, but you can use glass jars. Wipe off the top edge of containers and quickly cover with lids.

Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. Store in freezer until opened. After opening, store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

If you like plums you may also like:

Plum Conserve from Simply Recipes

Plum Almond Tart from Smitten Kitchen

Plum Cupcakes from Zoe Bakes

Plum Coffee Cake Muffins from Two Peas and Their Pod

Recipe for Fruit Pizza

Today is my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday Crissy! We had her family over for dinner last night and had a great time celebrating. My niece and nephew always put a smile on my face. They are just too cute! Aubrey is three and quite the entertainer. We grilled shrimp because they are her FAVORITE. She loves "shrimpies." We also had sweet corn, watermelon, and grilled lemon basil potatoes.

Like me, my sister is not a huge cake fan, so I made her favorite dessert, fruit pizza. The crust is basically one big sugar cookie. I added lemon zest to the dough and cream cheese frosting to enhance the flavor. I used strawberries, blueberries, peaches, and kiwi to decorate the pizza. It was almost too pretty to cut! Everyone loved it.

Fruit Pizza

Adapted from All Recipes

(Printable Recipe)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

Zest of one lemon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. salt

Frosting:

1 package of cream cheese, (8 oz.) we used reduced fat

2 T sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 T fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon

Fruit:

Strawberries

Blueberries

Peaches

Kiwi

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a pizza pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer. Add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla. Mix until well combined.

3. In a bowl, add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk.

4. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture on low speed, using the mixer. Mix just until combined.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. You want the crust to be light golden brown. Let the crust cool.

6. Make the frosting. Mix the cream cheese, sugars, lemon juice, and lemon together untilsmooth. Spread over cooled cookie crust.

7. Arrange fruit on the cookie pizza. Chill until ready to serve. Cut in wedges.