Sausage Balls

Here is the first family recipe for the holidays.  My family loves these and they are already wanting some.  They are easy to make and a great little snack or finger food for a party.  I can never make enough of these during the holidays. 

1 lb of sausage - any kind that you like
1 pkg. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups of Bisquick

Mix together thoroughly, shape into small balls.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.



Cheese & Bisquick mixed together



Mixing in Sausage with cheese & Bisquick

Sausage balls ready for oven or freezer

**These are great frozen too.  Just place balls on cookie sheet and freeze.  After frozen place in a freezer zip-lock bag.  Can cook frozen - longer time or you can thaw and then cook. ** 

I apologize for not posting, for a couple of days.  I have been under the weather, since Friday.  I am finally, on the road, to recovery. 

I hope that while I have been away, you are through with Thanksgiving, and ready to move on to Christmas.  I think we have to be, whether we are ready to move on or not. 

Even with being sick, I have finally gotten up all my Christmas decorations.  Thank goodness, I have bigger kids and they can help get things out and set up.  I will be sharing some pictures this week. 

I have been collecting some recipes to post during the holiday season.  Some good family recipes for making candy, cookies and whatever else I can find.  So make sure you check in often - you won't want to miss any of these recipes.

Do you make presents to give out to neighbors, teachers, friends and/or family?  I love doing this and I think these are the best presents to receive.  What kind of presents do you make?  I would love to hear all the different ones you make.  I will being sharing some of mine too. 

Thank you to all my followers and readers.  Hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season.

Turkey Day

I hope that you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving Day!!!  I had the most wonderful day.  It was filled with lots of food, of course, family, friends and just enjoying each other. 

I ended up with about 30 people, at my house, this year.  We were wall to wall - makes it more fun.  We had all kinds of food, from the turkey & dressing to corn, fried okra, mashed potatoes, potato salad, sweet potato casserole, baked beans, and even some green beans, just to name a few.

The desserts were simply delicious and we all out did ourselves.  We had pecan pie (yum), my cheesecake, cupcakes (my oldest sons favorite), banana pudding, apple cake and my son make some brownies with cookies inside. 

I am posting some pictures of the turkey after taking him out of the oven.  It was so moist and really tasty.  I just love the recipe that I use.  It makes cooking the turkey so easy. 

How did your turkey turn out?  How did you cook your turkey?  I would love to hear how you cooked your turkeys. 

Will try to post some more pictures of Thanksgiving in the next couple of days.  I was hoping to have taken more pictures, but I was too busy in the kitchen. 

Day before Thanksgiving

Well, I am already busy getting my things done today.  There is so much to do, but I know that I will get it all done.  Some how some way, it just gets done.

I have my trusty little to-do list beside me and marking things off as I do them.   It is funny how just one little piece of paper can make your life a lot easier.  Thank goodness for lists ....

So far, I have gotten my cornbread done and my whole chicken is cooking.  These two things will be used in the cornbread dressing.  I also use some of the chicken to either make chicken salad or chicken n dumplings, for supper.   Not sure yet, which one I am going to do. 

I will try to post again later and hopefully post some pictures.  I know I probably won't be able to post anything tomorrow, but I will be taking pictures and will post them this weekend.

Hope you and your family has a most wonderful Thanksgiving!!!  I hope that you have a lot to be Thankful for ... as I know that I do.

Now off to get my cheesecake made ....

What is Hypothyrodism?

Hypothyroidism is where your thyroid is not making enough thyroid hormone.  It makes hormone, that controls, the way your body uses energy.

The Thyroid affects your whole body. If not treated, it can lead to heart attack or stroke.

The symptoms for Hypothyroidism are:

-  feeling tired, weak, or depressed
-  dry skin & brittle nails
-  hair loss
-  not being able to stand the cold
-  constipation
-  memory problems or having trouble thinking clearly
-  heavy or irregular menstrual periods

To diagnose hypothyroidism is easy.  Your doctor will do a simple blood test to measure your T4 and T3.  Then if it comes back that you have hypothyroidism you will need to take medication for the rest of your life.  That doesn't seem too hard, except for you have to make sure you dont' take it, with calcium or iron supplements. 

Brining a Turkey

You can brine your turkey up to 24 hours.  So, make sure that you leave yourself plenty of time.  This recipe is for a 18 to 20 pound turkey.

3 cups coarse salt
5 cups of sugar
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 dried bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp of whole black peppercorns

Put salt, sugar, onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, fresh thyme, parsley, peppercorns and 10 cups of water in a large stockpot.  Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar have dissolved.  Remove from heat; let brine cool completely.

Add turkey, breast first, to the brine.  Cover; refrigerate 24 hours.  Remove from brine; pat dry with paper towels.  Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.

Lisa's Chicken Pot Pie

This is my families all time favorite recipe.  This is the dish that Thomas, my son in college, wants when he comes home.  It is really easy to make and it is delicious.  Hope you enjoy one of our favorites dishes to eat.


2 boneless chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can sweet peas & carrots, drained
2 medium potatoes, cooked and cubed
1/2 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
Pillsbury pie crust

Place one pie crust in a 13" baking dish.  In a large mixing bowl, mix both cans of soup, milk, salt and pepper; mix well.  Add chicken, potatoes, corn, sweet peas, and carrots and mix.  Pour mixture into prepared dish.  Put remaining pie crust on top: cut slits in top.  Bake at  350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.

**Use that left over turkey from Thanksgiving instead of chicken!!***

Thought for the day

I got my Thanksgiving grocery shopping done yesterday.  Holy cow !!!  Not sure that I left anything at the store - it all ended up in my van. 

I know that I will have to run, for last minute things or things that my family has used up, before I get to baking or cooking.  I always have to get more butter and of course, eggs. 

I am getting so excited that Thanksgiving is just a week away.  It is NEXT Thursday!!  I usually can feel myself getting stressed about everything that needs to be done in the next week, but I don't anymore.  (Don't ask any of my family members this question, they might give you a different answer.) I have my to do list and I have finally realized that it doesn't matter anymore, if everything is perfect.  What matters most is that we get together as family and friends.  For that, I am truly Thankful. 

There are so many things to be thankful for this year ... I am not sure if I can list them all.  On facebook, I have been doing the "Today I am thankful for .... " each day of November.  It has been fun and really makes you think of ALL the things to be thankful for. 

I will try to post how getting prepared for Thanksgiving is going, from cleaning to the cooking.  I hope to post something at least every other day  until next week. 

Please feel free to post a comment on how your week is going.  Have you gotten your grocery shopping done?  How about the cleaning?  Can't wait to hear how your week is coming along ...

Southern Corn Bread Dressing

Well, I have found a recipe for corn bread dressing.  It is not exactly like my grandmother's, but it is really close.  I hope you will enjoy this recipe and make it your own.

7 slices white bread (dried in warm oven)
Corn bread (2 pans)
2 cups of chopped celery (if you don't like celery - use celery salt)
1 large onion, chopped
8 Tbsp (1 stick) butter
7 cups stock reserved from cooking hen (or any store bought chicken stock will do)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sage
3 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Crumble dried white bread slices, and corn-bread; mix together and set aside.  Saute' chopped celery and onion in butter until transparent, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.  Pour over corn bread mixture.  Add stock and mix well.  (The best way to do this is to dig in and get your hands dirty.  It works best to mix with hands. You need to make sure all cornbread and bread is broken up.) Add salt, pepper, and sage.  Add beaten eggs and mix well. 

Pour into a greased pan.  Cook for about 45 minutes or until done. 

** I make the dressing the night before.  After mixing together I will cook a little bit for tasting.  To make sure that there is enough seasoning, bread and/or butter.  My family always shows up for tasting time.  I think they like this, as much as, eating it on Thanksgiving day.  **

** To make it a little richer in taste you can add a can of cream of chicken.  This really gives it a nice taste and some extra texter.  **

Today's scripture

Scripture of today 11/15/10

Psalm 113:3-4

vs 3 "Everywhere - from east to west - praise the name of the Lord."

vs. 4 "For the Lord is high above the nations: his glory is far greater than the heavens."

Roasting a Turkey

The very first time I had to cook the bird for Thanksgiving, I was horrified.  My grandmother had cooked it for years, in a brown paper bag, covered in cooking oil.  That is all that I can remember about the way she cooked it. Hey, I learned the dressing recipe, not how to cook a turkey.  Then, it was handed down to my mother, well, needless to say, I didn't learn anything there either.  So, the first year, I was on my own, and with a house full of people coming.

Needless to say, I had nightmares the night before.  I was going to over sleep or that when I took the turkey out of the oven it was still raw.  However, none of those things happened.  My turkey came out just beautiful and was rather tasty, if I say so myself.

I did a lot of research about how to cook a turkey and watched hours and hours of the food network.  (I still love watching that channel, especially this time of year.)  I have taken different things from different cooks - to finally come up with a recipe that I really like and have cooked this way for a couple of years.  I hope you enjoy it.

1 Tbsp of salt
1 tsp of pepper
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 celery stalk, cut into large chunks
1 large lemon, cut into halves
1 bay leave
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of parsley
1 fresh or thawed turkey, (18 to 20 pounds), rinsed and patted dry, giblets & neck removed
1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
1/4 cup of salted butter, melted
1/2 cup of white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
cheesecloth
kitchen twine

Preheat over to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position.  Stir together melted butter and wine in a medium sauce pan.  Fold a very large piece of cheesecloth into quarters, so that it is large enough to cover breast and halfway down sides of turkey.  Immerse cloth in butter mixture; let soak.

Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack set in a roasting pan.  Fold wing tips under turkey.  Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt and pepper inside turkey.  Also, place onion, carrots, celery, bay leave, thyme, parsley, and lemon inside turkey.  Tie legs together with kitchen twine.  Fold neck flop under; secure with toothpicks.  Rub turkey all over and underneath the skin with softened butter; season with salt and pepper.  (I also put a little thyme & parsley into the softened butter.  You can also use sage)

Remove cheesecloth from butter mixture, squeezing gently into pan.  Reserve butter mixture for brushing.  Lay cheesecloth over turkey.  Place turkey, legs first, in oven.  Roast 30 minutes.  Brush cheesecloth and exposed turkey with butter mixture.  Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.  Roast, brushing every 30 minutes, 2-1/2 hours more; cover with foil if browning too quickly. 

Discard cheesecloth; rotate pan.  Baste turkey with pan juices.  Roast, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 180 degrees.  Transfer to a platter. 

**My turkey is too big to put in my oven, legs first.  So, I had to put it in lengthwise and didn't worry about rotating it. **

Scripture for today

Well - I am having a hard time deciding on what scripture to post today.  For the past couple of days in my Bible time, it has been on Hebrews chapter 11.  What a chapter?  

I have read this chapter a couple of times, but this time around it is really hitting me. 

So for the weekend - my scripture for the day is - Hebrews chapter 11 !!!  Read it and then re-read it.  Hopefully it will hit you too.

Thought for the day ...

Are you one of those people that is waiting for a big miracle to come your way?  Well, there are a couple of them, that I would love to come my way, especially in my financial world.  I would love to just wake up one morning and be debt free or go to the mailbox and there be a hugh check for me.

After having a conversation, about this subject, with a dear friend of mine, I realized that there are many miracles that is happening all around me, and I am not even seeing them.  I am so blinded, by my only looking for a big miracle, I am not seeing, the small ones. 

Whatever size the miracle, it is still a great miracle. 

So, I started opening my eyes, to see, just what I had been missing.  Low and behold, I was missing some great things going on in my life.  How could I be missing these?  My eyes were on the bigger picture and all this time, I was not seeing what was right in front of me. 

There are miracles that happen everyday, in our lives.  We just have to open our eyes to see them.  Take for instance, I got a letter in the mail from my homeowners insurance.  They said that they were dropping my insurance because I had some missing brick/sliding/stucco, from my  house.  Instead  of panicking, I called my agent and asked him about this.  He told me to take some pictures and send them to him.  Well, he called me this morning and told me that everything was taken care of, not to worry.  Thank you Lord, for my miracle.   I passed that test.  (a discussion for another day)

So, open your eyes and see what all kind of miracles you are missing, that are happening right around you.  What have you seen?  I would love for you to share some with me.

Today's scripture

Scripture for today - Friday 12th

John 10: 9 & 10

vs. 9 - "Yes, I am the gate.  Those who come in through me will be saved.  Wherever they go, they will find green pastures."

vs. 10 - "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.  My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."

To do list for Thanksgiving

Ok, as promised, here is my to-do list, for the week of Thanksgiving. 

My first year, of having Thanksgiving at my house, stressed me out.  I had a lady, tell me, to do a list of every single thing that needed to be done, whether I thought it was crazy or not.  I still have that original list and I go by it each year.  Of course, things have changed from it, but I honestly don't know, that I would have done without that one simple list. 

You don't have to go right by mine, use mine as an example.  Hopefully it will help you get going.

Here is mine:

Week of Thanksgiving:

Monday & Tuesday
1. Clean house - go back through and do a deep clean
2. Wash Clothes - that way you don't have to worry about this at the end of the week
3. Clean off back porch
4. Check grocery list - this is to make sure that I have everything that I need. 
5. Start thawing turkey - Monday
6. Cook cornbread - 4 pans - Tuesday

Wednesday:
1. Cook chicken - AM - for dressing
2. Make dressing - afternoon
3. Make sure turkey is thawed
4. Get turkey ready for cooking PM
5. Get extra tables out and clean them
6. Pre-cook dressing - PM
7. Buy bags of ice

Thanksgiving Day: (these times are from last year)
1. Cook turkey - 3 hrs - 8:00am
2. Cook dressing - 30 min - 11:30
3. Cook Green beans - 30 min - 11:45
4. Cook potatoes - 30 min - 11:00
5. Make potato salad -
6. Cook Macaroni & cheese - 20 min - 12:00
7. Make tea - sweet & unsweet - AM
8. Cook rolls - 12:00
9. Set up tables - 12:00
9. Get out all paper products - 12:00

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

This is an easy and simple recipe.  I love using the Crockpot - makes life even more easier.  Or you can cook this in the oven 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until juices of chicken run clear.

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken
1 (15 oz) can pineapple chunks, undrained
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Rice, cooked

In a crockpot, combine pineapple chunks (with juice) and teriyaki sauce.  Add chicken breasts.  Cover and cook on low for 6 - 8 hours or on high for 4 - 6 hours.  Serve over rice. 

Note: Thicken the sauce by dissolving 1-1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch in 1/4 cup water and adding to crockpot.  Cook on high, stirring occasionally, until thickened.  Can also add chopped carrots, green peppers, and onions at beginning of cooking.
Yield: 4 servings

Thanksgiving

So, how does your family celebrate Thanksgiving?

We get together with our extended family.  There are about 35 people, sisters, cousins and their families, that come to my house, for lunch on Thanksgiving.  We have a potluck style luncheon, with everyone bringing a dish or two.  We always have so much food, and really good food too. 

Do you have your menu done?  Here is a look at our menu, hopefully it will give you something to go by. 

Turkey (20 pounds+)  - me
Dressing                     - me
Potato Salad              - me
Green Beans              - me
Sweet Pot. Cass.      - Denise (sister)
Fruit Salad                - mom
Okra                        - Sondra (cousin)
Deviled Eggs             - Sondra & Lori (sister)
Corn Casserole          - Lori
Mac & Cheese         - me
Cream Corn              - mom
Baked Beans             - Kristy (cousin)
Mashed Potato          -Lori
Rolls                          - me

Desserts:
banana pudding   -  Rachael (niece)
cupcakes  -  Denise
Pecan Pie   -  Sondra


Then there is the list of non cooked items - which usually I furnish.
Cups
plates
napkins
silverware
tea
ice
2 liter drinks

Hopefully my list will give you some ideas, if you are having a hard time, on what to serve this Thanksgiving.  Don't over do it, keep things simple. 

It can be overwhelming, if you let it.  I love doing it, and I love having everyone over to eat.  This is the only time that we get to see some cousins, from out of town.  That is one reason why we eat on paper plates, we don't have to wash all those dishes. 

Please take one lesson from me, don't spend your whole time in the kitchen.  I did that for the first couple of years and didn't get to enjoy my company.  Let the food sit - it is good for a hour or two.  Get someone else to help you clean the kitchen.  Just because you are having it at your house, doesn't mean you have to do all the work. 

I will be sharing some of my Thanksgiving recipes with you in the next couple of days.  All except for the dressing - that one is a family secret.  But I will be glad to find a cornbread dressing recipe and post it.  Will also be working on my TO DO LIST for the week of Thanksgiving.  That is another way that I keep my sanity.

Love to hear from you - What are some of your family traditions?  What all does your family cook?  Can't wait to hear ...

Scripture for today

Hebrews 6:15

" Then Abraham waited patiently and he received what God had promised."

God's Word

I am so thankful that I have God's Word.  There is so much information in this one book, called the Bible.  If you are hurting, need comfort, advice (about anything) and anything else under the sun, it can be found in God's Word. 

This is something I am finding to be true.  For the past 4 yrs, I have been reading the Bible all the way through.  With each time, I have learned something new.  I had thought about not doing it next year, but I have decided to read through it again.   I can't wait to see what I will learn next year. 

I am hoping by the end of this year, I will have it written out, how to read through the entire Bible, in one year, two different ways.  I bought me a Bible 4 yrs ago that it has it broken down for me.  It gives me scriptures to read each day of the week, such as: some old testament, some new testament, Psalms and Proverbs.   The book is Change your Life Daily Bible by Becky Tirabassi - her website is www.changeyourlife.com.  (Change your life is in no way paying me for this endorsement of her website or Bible.) 

I am wanting to share a verse each day that has touched me or just a verse to share.  Please feel free to share verses with me.  I love to see what verses influence other people.

Today's Verse:

Hebrews 4:16
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

Mary

Last night was Mary's first middle school basketball game.  She really did good.  I was proud of her. 


As always, I was a nervous wreck.  That has become the normal for me.  I was always nervous when the boys play baseball, especially when they pitched. 

In the picture, is Thomas and Mark showing their support for their sister.  Between the two shirts it says - WE LOVE MARY.  On the back of the shirts is has Brother 1 and Brother 2.  They love that they can finally cheer for their sister.

For years, their sister has cheered for them while they have played countless baseball, basketball and football games.  She would take her Barbies with her, but she always cheered for them.  They said this was their time to cheer for her. 

I am so thankful and proud of my kids.

Final Thyroid Story

Well, this is the conclusion to my thyroid story. 

It has been almost 10 years since I found out that I had to have thyroid surgery and that I had thyroid cancer.  It has been a long journey.  Some of it, being good and some of it, not being easy, but I have come through it and am a fighter. 

Each year, since my surgery, I have had to have a I-130 Whole Body scan done.  It meant that I had to come off my medication for two to four weeks.  That was always the worse part of the whole test.  It was horrible having to come off my medication, but I knew it was something I had to do.  I tried not to worry about each test and the results, but it is hard, not too.  I am so very thankful to God, that they all came out negative for anymore cancer. 

I really don't think I could have gotten through any of this ordeal without God's grace.  There were days that I didn't feel like getting out of bed, but I knew that I had too.  With God's grace, I was able to do just the things that I had to get done.  With God's grace, my husband and kids were fabulous through all of this.  They were there from day one and are still there for me now.  I just can't thank them or God enough for being there for me.

Now for the future - I am not sure what it holds.  I am suppose to have another Whole Body scan done, but now there is a new test that I don't have to come totally off my medication.  Thank you Lord for that.   I know that there is so much more to learn about thyroid cancer and being hypothyroid. 

I am wanting to post the things that I find so that we can all learn together.  I would love to hear from any of you that have thyroid issues and things you have learned.  Maybe we can all learn together.

Thank you for letting me share my story with you. 

Mary' Birthday

It has been crazy around here this week.  Mary's birthday was yesterday, she turned 12.  It is hard to believe that my baby girl is 12, almost a teenager.  I really don't know where the time has gone.  Kids really do, grow up, way to fast. 

As a tradition, in our family, we go out to eat, at a restaurant of the birthday person's choice.  She wanted O'Charley's, so that is where we went.  Here is a picture of my three kids - from left to right - Thomas, Mary and Mark.  We had a great time. 

This weekend isn't going to be any calmer.  Mary has a scrimmage game tonight and one tomorrow.  Can't wait to see her play on the middle school junior varsity team.  Then everyone is coming over tomorrow night for a family birthday party.  I am making a big cookie cake and a big pot of homemade chili.  Looking forward to having everyone over.

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Thyroid Story - Part III

Let me see - Where did I leave off?

I thought that when the doctor took out the rest of my thyroid that my journey was over with, little did I know, it was not.  That was one of the hardest summers, that I can ever remember and it was one, that I will never forget. 

I had to go in, after the surgery, to have a thyroid scan done just to make sure that there were not pieces of my thyroid left behind.  Well, not sure how it happened, but there was a tiny piece left and it was still active.  So, this meant, that I had to have the radioactive iodine done. 

Doesn't sound too bad, does it?  Well, for the most part it wasn't.  The worse part was the time it was taking to get the test done and the hospital to read the report.  You have to know, that during this time, I was not taking any thyroid medication at all.  If you don't know anything about thyroid, then you will not understand why this was so hard, and the worse part.

I remember sleeping late most mornings, finally getting up and dressed, just before noon.  Then it was time to lay down and take a nap.  I felt so sorry for my kids, during this time, because I just didn't have the energy to do anything.  However, they were the best kids any mother could ask for.  They were there for me.  No one understood, not even my mother.  Until the time, that I was talking to her on the phone and I was out of breath. She asked me what I was doing, and I told her, folding a load of clothes.  It took everything I had to fold that load of towels.

Anyway, the radioactive iodine, wasn't really that bad.  I had to stay in the hospital for 3 days and 2 nights.  I was in total isolation.  At first, that was really nice.  Heck, I had three kids ages of 13, 7 and 3.  I could only take things into the room that I didn't want to bring out.  So, I took magazines and coloring books.  Thank goodness I am a TV junkie.

The nurses couldn't even come into my room.  They would leave my food, on throw-away containers, just inside the door.  They put a large trash can in my room, in order for me, to throw any leftovers away.  Every inch of the room had either paper taped down or saran wrap.  I did do some coloring on the walls and floors.  That was actually fun.

After, the treatment, I had to wait so many days so that I could have another thyroid scan done.  This time they did a whole body scan, to make sure there was nothing else showing and that all the iodine, had gotten all the way out.   (I still haven't had any medication) The results seemed like it took forever to be read.  The person was either out of town or just too busy, to read my report.  The report finally got read and everything was fine.

So, therefore, after many months of agonizing fatigue, pain and emotional roller coaster, I got to go back on my medication.  It takes a few days for it to get into your system.

For additional information on Thyroid and Thyroid Cancer, you can visit About.com.  They have a lot of great information regarding Thyroid subject.
Stay tuned next Friday for the final installment to my Thyroid story ...

Homemade Applesauce

I made on Halloween weekend.  This recipe was very easy to make and tasted really good.  Hope you enjoy!!!

Homemade Applesauce

2 lg. navel oranges, zested and juiced
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 pounds of Granny Smith apples (about 6 to 8 apples)
3 pounds of sweet red apples - Macoun, Mcintosh, Winesap (about 6 to 8 apples)
1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon in a large bowl.  Peel, quarter, and core the apples (reserving the peel of 2 of the red apples) and toss them in the juice.  Pour the apples, reserved apple, peel, and juice into a nonreactive Dutch over or enameled iron pot.  Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice and cover the pot.  Bake for 1-1/2 hours, or until all the apples are soft.  Remove the discard the red apple peel.  Mix with a whisk until smooth, and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves: 2-1/2 quarts
Prep time: 20 min
Cook Time:  1 hr. 30 min.
Level:  Easy

** Note:  I used Fugi apples.  Make sure to put long peels into the dish.  It was hard finding the smaller peels.  Also, I used a potato masher along with the whisk.  **