Recipe: Crockpot Applesauce

Don't forget to enter my Lunchbox Love Note giveaway!

I got some early apples.  Yummy.  Unfortunately, they are too tart to eat straight...

They are also kind of soft, and wouldn't do well in baked goods.

Applesauce it is.

If there's anything that smells better than apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, I'm not sure I'm aware of it. I don't wear perfume, but if I did, it would be something along those lines.

I wanted to make this applesauce without any added sugar, but it was just too tart.  Add a little maple syrup, and you've got something special.

Crockpot Applesauce

1 peck apples, cored and sliced  (I like my applesauce with the skins on, so that it turns pink)
1 c water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp lemon juice
~1/4 c maple syrup, to taste

Thanks to my brother for bringing me Penzey's cinnamon... no Penzey's in Vermont, alas.

Place all ingredients in a crockpot (mine is 5 1/2 quarts, and it was pretty full).  Cook on low for 8 hours.

All cooked down.  My house smells fantastic.

Running it through my chinois

Only peels left

Run through a food mill or a chinois, stir in maple syrup if some sweetness is needed, and enjoy.

Yummy!

Recipe: Brownie Sundae Cones

Don't miss your chance to enter my Giveaway for Lunchbox Love Notes!

My sister came up with this idea a couple of months ago, and I am unabashedly poaching the idea from her... too good not to share.

I have extra brownies baked in cones, and I am planning on freezing them, to pull out when the mood for a brownie cone sundae hits us!


Brownie Sundae Cones

1 box brownie mix (and ingredients to prepare the batter according to mix instructions)
16 ice cream cake cones (flat bottomed)

ice cream of your choice (I used vanilla)
caramel or hot fudge topping (or your choice)
whipped cream
maraschino cherries (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Prepare the brownie batter according to box directions.  Place cones in cupcake pans (so they don't fall over), and fill about half to three quarters full with your brownie batter.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the brownie comes out clean.

All baked

Let cool, and top with a scoop of ice cream, a squirt of whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel (or your topping of choice), and a cherry if desired.  Enjoy!

Dannon Activia Selects

This is a sponsored post through Foodieblogroll, and I am being compensated.  That doesn't mean the product isn't awesome, and it doesn't mean the coupon isn't wonderful.

It's no secret that I like yogurt.  Sometimes, it's nice to have some that I didn't make myself.  Dannon Activia is a great choice.  It has special cultures that help with digestive regulation, and it's available in a couple new varieties - Dannon Activia Selects.





They have a Greek yogurt, which is thick and creamy, with 12 g of protein per serving.  It's available in some delicious looking flavors - Vanilla, Blueberry, Strawberry, and Pomegranate Berry.




They also have a French style yogurt, with fruit on the bottom and a silky texture, available in Cherry, Mango, Pineapple, and Blackberry.

And you could try it free!  Follow the link below to print out your coupon for some free yogurt, good through 8/15/11.

Visit the Activia Selects Facebook page to get your FREE coupon now!

I hope that you enjoy your free yogurt!  I know I'll enjoy mine.


This sponsorship is brought to you by Activia Selects who we have partnered with for this promotion.
FREE coupon offer good 8/3 /11 - 8/15/11, up to 1 million coupons, on any Activia Selects Single Serve, up to $3.00. One coupon per household. Offer valid in the U.S only. VOID IN LA, NJ, CA. Coupon valid until 8/15/11.
Residents of LA, NJ, CA will be given a '$1 off 3 Activia Selects' coupon.

Gifts for the Lunch Packer: Back to School Edition - Fun Extras PLUS Lunchbox Love Giveaway!

This is a series of posts I'm going to do about good gift ideas for the lunch packer - or for the follower of my blog!

First things first, I want to disclose that I am an Amazon Affliliate, and the links I post are my affiliate links.  All opinions of products are my own.  I have not been compensated by Lunchbox Love in any way.
Some of this post is a re-post of one I did at Christmas, but I have many new readers since then (hello, and Welcome), so a recap is a good thing.

Sometimes, a lunch needs a little extra something to make it really special.  For fun, I like to use cookie cutters - I don't tend to go crazy with the cuteness, but I like a little something.

I have a wall of cookie cutters in my house.  Seriously.  A giant peg board,  covered in cookie cutters.  I need better hooks, so they are always falling off, and are not always prettily put away, but some day I'll get them up there and take a picture for you.  It's impressive.  I've been collecting for a long time.

Cookie cutters are wonderful for lunches.  They can make boring things interesting.  Nothing like a carrot flower to perk up a carrot!

I love this little butterfly set, but then again, I have a true butterfly lover!

These are from a larger butterfly set, but I used a mini one on the babybell

I don't own this fairy tale set (yet) but it looks lovely!

Like to spell messages in lunches?  Here's one big alphabet set from Wilton, and another one, too.  I have a large alphabet set and a mini one, and both have their uses.

These mini animal cracker cookie cutters would be perfect for lunches, don't you think?

Whatever you get, cookie cutters are good fun, for way more than just cookies!

*****

Image courtesy Say Please, Inc.

Another way to make lunches extra special is to put a note in them.  I particularly enjoy Lunchbox Love notes from Say Please, Inc.  Each note contains a "Did You Know" trivia fact on one side, and a sweet note on the other.  (Two notes per pack of 12 cards are blank on the note side, for special personalized notes)

Image courtesy Say Please, Inc

Image courtesy Say Please, Inc

Image courtesy Say Please, Inc

They have special sets for holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas), which are really fun.

Image courtesy Say Please, Inc

They also have 32 different volumes of Lunchbox Love Notes for kids - volumes 17-32 are all new for this school year), as well as special volumes for Birthday Boys, Birthday Girls, and Tweens & Teens.  In addition, they have a few volumes for grown ups in your life.  Want to give a special note to someone you work with?  They've got it covered.

Now for the fun part - Say Please is offering Volumes 17 & 18 to one lucky reader, as well as a 10% off coupon code for everyone!  To enter - please visit Say Please and then come back here and tell me your favorite thing about them.  If you like, you can leave a trivia tidbit in your comment.

As always, I need a way to contact you.  Anonymous commenters, with no contact information, cannot win.  If I can't contact you, I can't get your information to Say Please and you can't get your prize.  Simple as that.  US entries only, please.

One comment per person, please.

I will choose a winner, using Random.org, on Wednesday, August 10 at 6 PMish, EST.

Back to School EasyLunchbox Giveaway: WINNER

Thank you to all who entered!  I hope that those of you who do not win still look into getting some EasyLunchboxes - seriously, the best thing to happen to my packing.

As chosen by Random.org, the winner is... #15 - Shautel

Shautel said... I would love a set of containers because I send my lunch to school with my youngest son and I also make meals for my husband to take with him when. He works out of town and I try to send him at least 2 to 3 meals.

I will send your email address over to Kelly at EasyLunchboxes, and they will get in touch with you as to how to redeem your prize.

Thank you again, and keep a look out later for my next Gift Ideas for the Lunch Packer post, which also includes a giveaway!

Recipe: Fruity French Toast Kebabs

I'm picking the winner of my Easy Lunchbox Giveaway tomorrow, so be sure to enter!

I had friends coming over for dinner, and decided to do breakfast for dinner.  I wanted to do something fun, so I made these Fruity French Toast Kebabs.

I saw the idea in a cookbook a while back, but made them my own.

Try them - though they are a bit messy to put together for sure - they are worth it.

I used some day old wheat rolls I found at the grocery store.  A firmer bread would be better, and wouldn't fall apart as much.  I'll include regular bread in the recipe.  I used strawberries and a peach, but you could use your fruit of choice.

Fruity French Toast Kebabs, fruit salad, and bacon.  That's a breakfast for dinner I can get behind.

Fruity French Toast Kebabs

1 loaf of wheat bread (a bit stale works well)
4 eggs
1 1/2  c skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange
1 peach, cut into cubes
~4-6 strawberries, cut into quarters

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and orange zest.  Cut the bread into ~2" cubes. 

Hello, fruit

Bread all soaked.

Working several cubes at a time, dip the bread into the egg mixture.  Don't leave it in too long, or it can get soggy.  Strain out with a slotted spoon, and thread onto a wooden skewer - put a piece of bread, a piece of peach, a piece of bread, a piece of strawberry, repeating to the end of the skewer.  It is best if the fruit is smaller than the bread, so that it doesn't touch the baking sheet.  It will cook better that way.

All baked and browned

Place the skewers on baking sheets, and bake for about 20 minutes, or until bread is golden brown.  Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup.

If you have extra fruit, make a fruit salad. 

Recipe: Roasted Veggie & Feta Filo Rolls

Don't miss your chance to enter my Easy Lunchbox Giveaway!

More garden bounty - unfortunately, not my garden (blasted woodchucks, I've given up on gardening), but others so kindly share with me.

I made up these roasted veggie feta filo rolls and they were so fun to put together - The Boy helped me with half of them!

You could use other veggies that you happen to have on hand - I will list the recipe as I made it, but please do let me know if you try it, what works for you.


Roasted Veggie & Feta Filo Rolls

1 c fresh green beans, chopped into small pieces
1 c carrots, diced into about 2" pieces
1 small zucchini, diced into about 2" pieces
1 small yellow squash, diced into about 2" pieces
2 small beets, peeled and diced into about 2" pieces (mine were golden beets)

1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp oregano, or favorite spice blend (I used Teeny Tiny Spice Quatre Epices and a little King Arthur Flour Pizza Seasoning)
1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 c feta crumbles (I used fat free)
Frozen filo sheets, thawed (I used 24 sheets)

Butter flavored cooking spray (or melted butter)

All roasted

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Combine veggies in a roasting pan with olive oil, lemon juice, and spices.  Roast for about 15 minutes, or until tender.

Transfer the veggies to a food processor and pulse until chopped coarsely.  Stir in feta.  You should have about 4 c of filling.  Lower oven temperature to 375 F.

With feta

The Boy helped

Working one sheet at a time, and keeping the rest of the sheets covered so they don't dry out, place a piece of filo on a large cutting board.  Spray lightly with cooking spray (or you could brush with butter) and fold in half.

Spray with cooking spray again, the other direction.

Spray again, and fold the other direction.

Top with about 1-2 Tbsp filling, and then fold the edges over the filling.  Spray lightly again, and roll up like an egg roll.  Place seam side down on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spray the top to make sure it gets a little crispy.

Repeat with remaining filling.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.  Enjoy!