Tag: fishkill farms

Homemade Apple Butter

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After our recent trip to Fishkill Farms, I knew that this was going to be the perfect opportunity to finally make homemade apple butter this season. With fresh organic apples from the farm and a recipe from Skinnytaste, I decided to spend a Sunday afternoon making this delicious spread that reminds me of my childhood days. I was nervous with how it was going to turn out, but I have to say, it was pretty spot on!

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Ingredients:
 
  • 6 large apples, peeled, cored, finely chopped (honeycrisp, gala, ambrosia) – *I used a couple extra apples and the apple type was whatever we found at the farm
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar, not packed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg – *For all the spices, I had an Apple Pie spice that I used instead which had these ingredients

Directions:

Place the apples in a slow cooker. Top with sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and mix well. Cover and cook high 5 hours, or low 10 hours, stirring once halfway, until the apples are tender and dark brown.

Uncover and puree with an immersion blender. *(I do not own an immersion blender, so I actually had to spoon it out and blend it in my regular blender…not really recommended, as it’s hot and this is a difficult procedure! However, it got the job done.) Cook on high uncovered 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Spoon into jars or containers, cover and refrigerate.

Makes 2 cups.

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Nico has been enjoying peanut butter and apple butter sandwiches for lunch as I did as a child, and he absolutely loves it! I have enjoyed some on toast as well. If you have other great ideas for how to enjoy apple butter, please share!

Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween last night. My boys dressed up as Curious George (Nico) and the Man in the Yellow Hat (hubby). Luca was a skeleton (with a pumpkin hat), and I was a panda (naturally). We enjoyed our neighborhood Halloween Parade, which was fabulous, and then took off for some Trick or Treating. Nico had his first candy this year, and had no idea what to do with a lollipop. It was a pretty funny experience to say the least. We let him have a few pieces…and then my husband and I had a few too many pieces…and now I need to GET IT ALL OUT OF MY HOUSE!

21 Day Fix Round 2 starts tomorrow as well as my Thankful for Fitness Challenge Group, and it’s healthy eating and living from here on out so that I am going into the holidays feeling happy, healthy, and strong.

Who’s with me?

Happy Sunday!

XO,

Gina

Fishkill Farms

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I look forward to the fall and harvest season every year. So yeah, maybe I’m basic and I like pumpkin spice lattes. At least I own it. But before my coffee drinking days growing up, I always loved the fall. The new school year was always exciting to me…starting fresh (with brand new school supplies…am I the only dork who was obsessed with school supply shopping? I craved it!), seeing my friends again or meeting new ones, football games, tailgates, parties, social events, soccer season…I loved all of it. And now as a mama, I look forward to the excitement on my little boys’ faces (or at least one of them this year…the other slept in the carrier the whole time) as they run toward the pumpkin field. Those big, bright eyes lighting up when I tell him he can pick one out for himself to bring home. His joy brings ME joy, and I love seeing him so happy and running free in the great outdoors.

We had a fantastic time upstate at Fishkill Farms where we not only got to pick out a pumpkin for each member of the family (and some extra exciting indoor white pumpkins for mama), but we also got to explore the apple orchards and run around from tree to tree looking for delicious fruit to take home and dream about what to make with them. Speaking of…stay tuned for an apple butter post in the near future! 😉

It was a little hectic getting inside the farm with the traffic…definitely not rainbows and butterflies…more like milk and tears and stopping along the side of the road to nurse. But that’s life these days and as crazy as it may be, it was worth getting in there and seeing that little boy’s smile.

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What are your favorite fall traditions?

Yesterday, Nico and I did pumpkin painting for the first time which he thoroughly enjoyed. I am looking forward to doing some more fall and holiday themed art projects with him throughout the season.

Yesterday also kicked off Week 3 of the 21 Day Fix for me. Haven’t missed a day yet and going strong. Really loving being back in action, and this program is keeping my nutrition in check on a whole different level than ever before.  I may even do another round when this is over!

Hope you are all having a great week!

XO,

Gina