Crock Pot Apple Butter

INGREDIENTS

• 3 quarts (12 cups) apples, peeled and sliced
• 3 cups sugar
• Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice to taste
• Canning jars, washed and sterilized
• Canning lids and rings, washed and sterilized
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Place peeled and sliced apples in crock pot and cook 8 hours on high. Do not remove lid or stir until 8 hours is up.
2. Remove lid and stir apples, removing any apples from the sides of crock pot that may have gotten too dark.
3. Stir in sugar and spices to taste.
4. Cover and reduce crock pot to low. Cook for 6 hours or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally.
5. Place in canning jars while still hot. Place lid and ring and set on flat surface covered in a dish towel until they seal. Another option would be placing the filled jars (with lids and rings on) in a hot water bath for ten minutes.
   

Fruit Fluff

INGREDIENTS

• 1 container of Cool Whip
• 16 oz vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup red grapes (cut)
• 2 cans mandarin oranges
• 1 can pineapple chunks (sliced)
• 1 small box vanilla pudding

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, whisk the yogurt and pudding mix for about 2 minutes.
2. Fold in Cool Whip.
3. Fold in fruit.
4. Refrigerate until serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Homemade Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup milk
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
  
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 6 Tbs shortening
  
• 1 pkg dry yeast
  
• 1 cup warm water (105 degrees)
  
• 6 cups all purpose flour (sifted)
  
• extra flour
  
• extra shortening
  
• softened butter or salad oil
  

DIRECTIONS

1. Scald milk.
   
2. Combine scalded milk, sugar, salt and shortening in the pan in which milk was scalded. Let cool to lukewarm.
   
3. Crumble yeast into warm water in a very large mixing bowl. Stir until dissolved.
   
4. Stir milk mixture into yeast.
   
5. Add 3 cups of flour and beat until smooth. Stir in remaining 3 cups of flour, beating and mixing to incorporate all flour.
   
6. Turn dough onto lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic.
   
7. Grease mixing bowl with shortening. Warm bowl slightly by dipping in warm water.
   
8. Place dough in bowl and brush top with softened butter or salad oil.
   
9. Cover with folded kitchen towel and let rise in warm, but not hot (about 85 degrees), free from drafts, place, until doubled in bulk.
   
10. Punch dough down in bowl and turn out onto floured board.
    
11. With sharp knife, cut dough in half.
    
12. Cover the 2 pieces with a towel and let rest for 15-20 minutes.
    
13. Grease 2 (9x5x3) loaf pans. Shape each loaf with hand to fit length of pan and place in pans.
    
14. Cover lightly with towels and let rise in warm place for 30 minutes or until center is slightly higher than edges.
    
15. Start oven at moderately hot (400 degrees).
    
16. Bake loaves about 50 minutes, or until crusty and browning and loaf has shrunk slightly from side of pan.
    
17. Remove loaves from pans as soon as taken from the oven, turning out onto clean towel and uprighting loaves.

Chicken/Stuffing Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 package (either bag or box) of stuffing
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup (or cream of chicken soup)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• package of cheddar or mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cook chicken. Pull apart into small pieces. Spread into pan.
3. Cook stuffing.
4. Mix cream of mushroom soup and sour cream together and then pour over the cooked chicken.
5. Spread cheese on top.
6. Spread stuffing on top.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Kathie's Favorite Banana Bread

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.