Apple Butter

6 quarts apple sauce
4 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon canned minced ginger or 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cloves


Combine and cook on low until it thickens to a spreadable butter — or until a spoonful of hot apple butter is poured onto a cold plate and no liquid forms around the edge. Can, freeze, or enjoy warm out of the pot on fresh made bread!


(Via: http://littlepinkhouse.net/2010/12/apple-sauce-and-butter/)

A Redhead’s Oriental Chicken Soup

2 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 cup brown rice chicken broth (or water & bouillon) as needed
sweet and yellow onions, chopped
jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 head of garlic, minced
ginger (dried powder, canned or minced)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
white pepper
fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and boil until rice is soft. If one should accidentally make it a bit too spicy, add a bit of honey to each serving—not only will it cool down the broth, it will soothe the throat as well.

(Via: http://littlepinkhouse.net/2010/10/recipe-for-a-change-in-schedule/)

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

1 squash (or butternut, acorn), peeled, seeded and cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups of chicken stock
1/2 of cream/half and half
1 teaspoon curry powder
Brown sugar, some amount thereof
Salt & pepper
Cinnamon

Saute the onion and garlic long enough to get soft and translucent, but not to the point of browning. Put your squash pieces in a pan, add the onion and garlic (or take out the garlic now that the onion has soaked up the flavor), pour in your 2 cups of stock/broth and bring it to a boil.

Cook until the squash is mushy, then mash it up with a spoon.

Add the cream, curry powder, and brown sugar. Stir, then season with salt and pepper and just a dash of cinnamon.

Toss a few bleu cheese crumbles and red pepper flakes on top.

(Via: http://www.sundrymourning.com/2010/10/09/halloween-things-to-do-this-weekend/)