Harvest Time Stove Top Apple Butter

    Thanksgiving has come and gone. I hope you all had a wonderful day! Some people might go from Thanksgiving straight to Christmas, but my mind is still on 'Fall' mode, so that means more fall recipes! Apples are just one of the many wonderful foods that are popular during the fall months, and I love to use them as often as I can!

     I have always loved apple butter! Its delicious, full of warm flavors and also really easy to make! A lot of recipes are made for the crockpot, but not everyone has a crock pot, so I wanted to make a recipe that everyone could use! With just a few simple ingredients, you can turn delicious apples into terrific apple butter!

     We ordered 2 bushels of apples a few weeks ago, and we've been eating a lot of them, but we can possibly eat both bushels before they go bad, so I had to do something with them! I made apple butter with a few and I hope to make apple sauce and apple-pie filling soon!

Ingredients:

7-8 Large Apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 cup Apple Cider

3/4 cup Sugar of Choice
 
2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Allspice

Pinch of Salt

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 TBS Lemon Juice


Once you have peeled and chopped your apples, add them to a pot on the stove along with the apple cider. Turn it on to medium/high.

Bring it to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Make sure to stir every few minutes to keep it from sticking and burning.

Once the 20 minutes are up, add in the sugar, spices, salt, vanilla and lemon juice.

Bring the mixture back up to a boil and then reduce the heat back to a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, making sure to stir often.

Turn the heat off and taste the mixture to make sure the flavors are to your liking. You might want to add more cinnamon, vanilla or allspice! Transfer to a blender or use an emulsion blender to puree the mixture to your desired texture.

 

 Once you have it blender, add it back into the pot at medium/low heat.

Cook for around 10 minutes, stirring almost constantly to keep from sticking. Then, turn the heat off and allow the mixture to cool. Transfer to an air-tight container or Ziploc back or eat it right away! You can keep it in the fridge for a week or two, or in the freezer for several months!

 

     As I was making this batch of apple butter, I was also making homemade bread! You can imagine how good our kitchen smelled! There is nothing better than homemade apple butter on fresh homemade bread!

 

 

    This apple butter is delicious on homemade bread, biscuits, muffins, oatmeal, pancakes, waffles, French toast and so much more! It can be enjoyed warm or cold and is terrific by the spoonful!

     I really hope you try this recipe out and that you like it as much as I do! Apple butter has always been a favorite of mine and I am so excited to have made some for myself and with my own recipe! If you love it too, please share this recipe with your friends and family so everyone can make homemade apple butter!

 

Please share my blog with your friends and family to spread the love of a healthy lifestyle and help others become the healthiest version of themselves!

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Happy Holidays!

Hannah

White Bean and Kale Soup Recipe

     Cooler weather calls for warmer meals, and that is just one of the many reasons why I love fall! I love being able to cuddle up in a blanket, drinking coffee and reading....Watching the leaves fall outside in the crisp air and being warm and cozy inside! With the weather (finally) cooling off here, I am getting excited about making more warm and cozy meals like this soup recipe I am sharing today!

 

     I haven't always been a fan of vegetable soups, especially ones with kale in them, but as I have grown, but taste buds have matured! Now I love all kind of soups with all kinds of vegetables( including kale!).  Soups are perfect for easy dinner ideas, healthy meals and they even make delicious lunches! Whenever and however you choose to eat soup, I know you will enjoy this recipe!

      This soup is vegan, dairy-free, oil-free and gluten-free! Its super simple and yet so full of flavor and textures! Make this soup on those chilly fall evenings and serve it with some fresh homemade bread!

Ingredients:

1 Yellow Onion- Diced

1 cup Chopped Carrots

1 TBS Garlic- minced

1 1/3 cup Quinoa

1 can Diced Tomatoes

2 cans White Northen Beans

9 cups Veggie Broth

2 cups Chopped Kale

2 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Ground Mustard

Salt

Pepper


     First, get all the veggies chopped. Heat up a pot on the stove and add in the onions. I prefer to do this without any oil, but you can add some in if you wish. Cook until the onions begin to soften.

Next, add in the carrots and garlic. Saute for about a minute before adding in the seasonings.

(Sorry for the picture quality! My camera  was getting foggy from the steam!)

     Saute the seasonings for a few seconds before adding in the quinoa, tomatoes and beans. MAKE SURE TO DRAIN AND RINSE YOUR BEANS. It makes a huge differnce in the taste of the soup as well as your digestion later!

     Cook to warm everything through and then add in the broth. I added all but 1 cup of the veggie broth at first and reserved the last cup for the end. Bring the broth to a boil , add in the kale and reduce to a simmer.

     Cook for 25-30 minutes at a simmer or until the quinoa is fully cooked. The quinoa will absorb quite a bit of the broth, so you might want to add more broth at the end( I added my reserved 1 cup).

 

     Isn't it pretty? Its so colorful looking! You can serve the soup right away, or let it cool down and put it in the fridge of a few days or even freeze it for a few months! Its never a bad idea to have soup in the freezer for those days when you don't feel like cooking!

We ate the soup right away with some delicious bread! It would also be great with some crackers or cornbread! I loved this white bean and kale soup and so did my family! Its perfect for families because it is easy to make, full of fiber and veggies and taste amazing!

     I hope you try out this recipe and that you love it as much as I did! I really cannot wait to make it again! This is a great recipe to share with you friends and family, so pass it along so that everyone can have a delicious soup recipe this Fall!

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Stay healthy, happy and laughing!

Hannah

Fall Inspired Vegan Recipes

     Fall is here! I love fall so much :) The weather here is slowly beginning to cool off, and it is getting darker earlier as well! We are slowly breaking out the sweaters and cozy blankets and praying that it doesn't decide to warm up again!

     Fall comes with its own set of flavors, from pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg to caramel and apple .. the list could go on and on! With these delicious flavors, you can make a million different recipes that are 'fall inspired' to get you in the mood for the season! I have many recipes here on my blog that I have shared with you in honor of my favorite season-Fall! In case you've missed some, or you need a refresher, I am going to share them with you again!

 

Okay! Lets get into it! I am sharing the links to the recipes, so feel free to click over to them for the recipe and step-by-step instructions!

 

 

Meatless Monday Chili has to be first on my list! We make chili all the time during the colder months and this is a great vegan, oil free, and delicious recipe!

Pumpkin Muffin Tops are of course a must have for the fall months! Pumpkin and cinnamon make these muffin tops the perfect fall snack or even breakfast! For a completely vegan option, sub in maple syrup for the honey!

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Faces are a great and fun way to make your meals more festive! These are also great for little kiddos to help them eat their veggies! Perfect as a side item or a delicious snack!

Healthy Homemade Bread is a staple recipe to have anytime of the year, but especially in the fall and winter months! There is nothing better when its chilly outside than a warm slice of bread with jam, pumpkin or apple butter or dipped in some soup!

 

This Sweet Potato Casserole is on of the best I've ever had(not to brag or anything)! Its super creamy even though there is no butter or milk in it! Its great for the Thanksgiving table!

 

Harvest Salad is a delicious, healthy, and flavorful dish that is perfect for lunches, dinners and the Thanksgiving table! Its great warm or cold, so it does wonderfully in packed lunches!

 

 

Gingerbread Cookies are a delicious treat to make in the fall months! They are packed full of fall flavors and are perfect with  cup of coffee! For the vegan version, sub maple syrup for honey and vegan cream cheese for regular cream cheese!

These are just a handful of the fall inspired recipes that I have here on my blog! Hopefully you enjoy these recipes and they get you in the festive, fall mood! Each one of these recipes contain delicious fall flavors, healthy nutrients and are all really easy to make! Delicious food can still be healthy, even during the holidays!

Please share these recipes and my blog with your friends and family to help everyone live a healthier lifestyle!

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Stay healthy, happy and laughing!

H. Banana