Tip-sy Tuesday: Freezing Apples

We have driveway apples again and this year I decided to try freezing them  - Googled and turns out it's easy! You don't have to put lemon juice or anything on them, just freeze chunks of apples. Here's what I did:

Peel and remove the core.

Dice or slice the apples according to how you plan to use them in the future. 

Lay them out in a single layer on plates or a baking sheet (if it'll fit in your freezer) and freeze them. 

Once frozen, put them in ziplock baggies and place back in your freezer. 

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUFFY!!! 

10.15.23: 🔥 week 42

10.15.22: missed

10.15.21: crockpot ribs

10.15.20: black and blue jilly jam

10.15.19: tip-sy tuesday: layering mascara by Brooke

10.15.18: sequin pumpkin

10.15.17: birthday hat bottle topper

10.15.16: old bay knock-off recipe

10.15.15: kitten miniature pumpkin

 

Anniversary Invitation and Shadowbox

I made this shadowbox for friends after their anniversary celebration last month - they had a champagne toast so I saved a cork* and had the idea to put a copy of the invite and the cork in a small shadowbox and give it to them as a little surprise. Turned out so cute!

I blurred some info in the above pic in case they didn't want me oversharing LOL 

In case you wonder - I also made the invite for them using a free template found at Greetings Island, download and then fill in whatever info you want to include. Pretty easy to do. 

*that's not exactly the whole story - I didn't save a cork, I saved all 24 of them figuring I'll find projects to use them hahahaha!! 

10.14.23: words

10.14.21: spiderweb deviled eggs with 'rotten' filling

10.14.20: chewy granola bars

10.14.19: paper pumpkin

10.14.18: around the campfire 

10.14.17: paper sunflower wreath

10.14.16: Brooke's curly hair tip

10.14.15: bats in a pumpkin

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 41)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

10/6: 🔥 week 40

10/7: Halloween skeleton kid craft

10/8: TT baking sheet divider 

10/9: cheese stick ghosts

10/10: stacked cider bar

10/11: sausage and cheese puffs 

10/12: words (be safe)

What's Cooking ~

• chicken marsala fettuccini, roasted asparagus
• pork chops, baked acorn squash, roasted green beans
• turkey chili, green salad
• baked salmon, parmesan couscous, steamed broccoli
• burger salad
• Macey's birthday pasta bar (red sauce with meatballs, alfredo), chopped salad

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

10.13.23: MSIH hawaiian baked chicken

10.13.22: missed

10.13.21: mozzarella stuffed Italian burgers 

10.13.20: TT: easy chicken teriyaki

10.13.19: 🔥week 41

10.13.18: butterfly treat bags

10.13.2017: costume ideas (for adults, there's a bunch of them!)
10.13.2016: making babies (baby plants, that is!)
10.13.2015: Sarge's reversible Halloween scarf

   

10/12 ~ Words

 

We took 1-year old Georgie to an animal adventure park near Grand Rapids (so much fun, it was like a petting zoo on  steroids - well it was mostly fun until we did a 'safari' and the llamas were so aggressive LOL) and this sign made me laugh so I'm sharing it for our Saturday 'Words'. The animals they are talking about on these signs are mini pigs, little goats, etc...nothing that would eat you hahahha). 

a goat jumped into her stroller!

10.12.23: Friday the 13th

10.12.21: TT- preserving pumpkins

10.12.20: pineapple jack o'lantern

10.12.19: baked spaghetti squash

10.12.18: Halloween flamingo

10.12.17: paper covered wood owl

10.12.16: Cassandra's no-bake cookies

10.12.15: Halloween tree

Sausage and Cheese Puffs

These are a delicious easy appetizer that you can easily double if you want more than 24 - and trust me you do want more than 24 so you have a chance of having some leftover for breakfast the next day hahah. Mmmm we love these. I forgot to take a picture so I found this one at Taste of Home that I'm borrowing until I remember to take a photo in the future that I'll add at that time!

• 1/4 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup buttermilk baking mix
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375',. Saute sausage over medium-high heat in medium sized skillet, breaking up with fork until browned and finely crumbled, about 7-10 minutes. Drain off excess fat. Transfer sausage to medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Form into 1-inch balls. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melted and puffs are lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Puffs can be baked ahead and frozen. Thaw and then reheat in 375' oven until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen.

from Bon Appetit's "Too Busy to Cook?" 

10.11.23: halloween display table with a recycled lightbulb ghost

10.11.22: TT stacked pumpkins

10.11.21: RV storage: hanging shoes

10.11.20: 🔥week 41

10.11.19: Brooke's dia de muertos cookies 

10.11.18: butterscotch sugar cookies
10.11.17: german chocolate bread
10.11.16: fixing the toilet lever
10.11.15: meatloaf stuffed acorn squash

Stacked Cider Bar

I saw this in one of my favorite house books by Myquillyn Smith  (Welcome Home) - when she entertains she likes to have a specialty drink and this idea for an apple cider bar is so fun! I haven't done it yet but it's the perfect time of year for all things apple cider so wanted to share this now in case I don't get around to doing it in time. 

Supplies:

• apple cider (heated)
• skewers (she uses wooden kabob skewers)
• mini pecan pies, mini donuts, or mini cupcakes
• apple slices
• orange slices
• caramels (put them at the bottom of the skewer so they melt in the cider)
• glass mugs or mason jars (something heavy so the filled skewers don't tip the drink)
• coffee carafe, crock pot, or Dutch oven to heat and serve the cider
• a ladle to serve the cider
• optional rosemary for garnish if you want to feel extra fancy

Fill each mug with hot cider, thread the treats on a skewer, and serve with the skewer as a garnish. 

10.10.23: TT oven-drying herbs

10.10.22: backpack charm

10.10.21: 🔥 week 41

10.10.20: bacon wrapped cocktail sausage

10.10.19: carving pumpkins

10.10.18: mummy pumpkin

Cheese Stick Ghosts

Mickey is looking for fun things to send to daycare - this one for cheese stick ghosts is sooooo cute (and easy!!). Just draw on a ghost face with a black sharpie on mozzarella sticks. Also in the background of this photo is another cute idea of sharpie faces on orange snack cracker packages. Fun!

looks like she screenshot this from Pinterest,
I don't know who to credit. 

10.9.23: halloween and fall card projects

10.9.22: 🔥 week 41

10.9.21: crockpot pork roast with cranberry sauce

10.9.20: stitch dolls by Grace

10.9.19: yellow squash soup 

10.9.18: pumpkin pail

10.9.17: zombie brain cheese ball

10.9.16: baked crab cakes

10.9.15: spider soap

Tip-sy Tuesday: Baking Sheet Divider

I saw this idea in a magazine add, can't remember what they were advertising but I noticed that they divided a baking sheet using aluminum foil and I wondered to myself why I'd never thought of it! Just line your baking sheet with foil, leaving a little extra overhang. Make a ridge by folding the foil up in the center of the pan (or however much space you need to hold different ingredients); this way the 2 sides of the pans remain separated. In my example I put salmon on one side and asparagus on the other.

Halloween Kid Craft: My Skeleton

 

Isn't this cute?! Tesha sent this school project that Kayleigh did and it's too cute and easy not to share. 

10.7.23: words

10.7.22: pork chops with zucchini and stuffing

10.7.21: noodle ring with chicken ala king 

10.7.20: creamy polenta with tomato sauce

10.7.19: creamed corn

10.7.18: around the campfire recap 
10.7.17: framed bats

10.7.16: Brooke makes a funky pumpkin

10.7.15: boo painted mug

Around the Campfire (week 40)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

9/29: 🔥 week 39

9/30: felt photo album cover

10/1: TT keurig pod press 

10/2: crockpot pork chops with mushroom gravy

10/3: how to add fonts to cricut design space

10/4: blueberry pie filling muffins

10/5: words (chosen)

What's Cooking ~ we've been up north for a few days closing up the camper so the dinners have not been terribly exciting hahahha. 

• salmon on the grill, parmesan couscous, microwaved asparagus (put in glass measuring bowl, about an inch of water, microwave for 5 minutes in the camper microwave)
• meatloaf (I baked it ahead of coming up), mixed veggies, mashed potatoes
• grilled marinated chicken, pasta with red sauce, wilted spinach
• grilled chicken, mozzarella and spinach sausage, orzo salad (halved cherry tomatoes, peas, feta with olive oil, salt and pepper, and parmesan)

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

10.6.23: strawberry tarts

10.6.22: caramel pie

10.6.21: antipasto skewers  

10.6.20: dilly bean hack

10.6.19: 🔥week 40

10.6.18: skeleton pumpkin man

10.6.17: Ronda makes a Halloween Treat Box

10.6.16: Dog on the blog - sweet potato dog cookies

10.6.15: Make a spooky terrarium

   

10/5 ~ Words

No I am not going thru a place where I feel like I'm not being chosen, I just like this message :) Happy Saturday! 

10.5.23: baguette toasts

10.5.22: taco-cuterie by Jen

10.5.21: how to make a salami rose 

10.5.20: crochet owl basket

10.5.19: baked zucchini

10.5.18: paper strip pumpkin

10.5.17: mummy picture

10.5.16: m&m cookie bars

10.5.15: squash ghosts

Blueberry Pie Filling Muffins

• I followed this recipe exactly other than I didn't add fresh blueberries, and I think these muffins would have been better if I would have added them. The flavor is good, and they look really pretty - I baked mine for 18 minutes and it was a couple minutes too long, they were a touch dry. Start checking these at around 16 minutes. I just copied and pasted from the site and for some reason I have a long narrow post, weird. Hopefully it isn't too hard to follow in this format, if so click here for the original source (Betty Crocker) and make them following their post. 

  

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Filling

  • 2/3cup blueberry pie filling (from 21-oz can) 
  • 1/3cup fresh blueberries 

  Streusel

  • 1/2cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats 
  • 1/4cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 
  • 1/4cup packed brown sugar 
  • 1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • 2tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces 

  Muffins

  • 3/4cup milk 
  • 1/4cup vegetable oil 
  • 1egg 
  • 1tablespoon grated lemon peel 
  • 2cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour 
  • 1/2cup granulated sugar 
  • 2teaspoons baking powder 
  • 1/2teaspoon salt 

  Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 400°F.Place paper baking cup in each of 12 regular-size muffin cups or grease with shortening or cooking spray.
  • 2
    In small bowl, mix filling ingredients; set aside. In medium bowl, mix all streusel ingredients with fork until crumbly; set aside. 
  • 3
    In large bowl, beat milk, oil, egg and lemon peel with fork or whisk until blended. Stir in remaining muffin ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). 
  • 4
    Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter in bottom of each muffin cup (spread, if necessary, to cover most of bottom of cup). Alternately drop rounded 1/2 teaspoon blueberry mixture and 1 teaspoon remaining muffin batter in different areas in each muffin cup, layering as necessary. (Cups will be three-fourths full.)
  • 5
    Sprinkle streusel evenly over batter and blueberry mixture in each cup.
  • 6
    Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Serve warm if desired.

    

    
    
    

    

    
    

    

    
    

    10.4.23: turkey meatball soup

    10.4.22 breakfast banana splits

    10.4.21: Halloween tree 

    10.4.20: 🔥week 40

    10.4.19: vietnamese spring rolls

    
    

    10.4.18: skeleton hand wreath

    
    10.4.17: sissy's Halloween decor 

    
    10.4.16: photo coasters

    
    10.4.15: pumpkin bisque