Caramel Apple Cupcakes

This is from the Rachel Ray magazine but I’ve adapted the recipe to be gluten free.

In autumn I get my trusty comfort food recipes out of my cookbook binder. Many recipes I have made and baked over the years, mostly by season. In the spring around Easter I make chewy lemon bars and in the summer I bake strawberry angel food cupcakes and chocolate zucchini bundt cake. Come winter it’s time for delicate and sweet Christmas cookies, chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, homemade pizza, and my father- in – law’s beef stew. Now that fall has come I’m immersed in making apple crisp, pumpkin pancakes and brownies, crockpot baked beans and caramel apple cupcakes.

Years ago when the boys were little, we made caramel apples with the popsicle wooden sticks in them. We would roll them in chocolate chips, peanuts or coconut. Most of the time we made them around Halloween. Several years ago I was getting the Rachel Ray magazine, where I found some recipe keepers and good ideas. One day I found this delicious caramel apple cupcake recipe, reminding me of those caramel apples we made years ago. I baked them right away and everyone loved them! Now every October I make them at least once.

A look at my fall kitchen

This recipe I’ve adapted to be gluten free made with gluten free Bob’s all purpose baking flour. It’s appropriate for people who are watching gluten but it doesn’t compromise taste.

You will need:

1 1/4 cup flour ( I use Bob’s Gluten free all purpose flour)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 c melted coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla ( I use pure )

3 cups chopped apples

For topping:

1 1/2 cup unwrapped caramels

1 Tbl heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin pans or line with cupcake liners. In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. ( I mixed the dry ingredients in my mixer) In a separate bowl mix sugars and eggs until smooth. Stir in coconut oil and vanilla. Gradually combine dry and wet ingredients. Lastly gently add chopped apples. Spoon batter into muffin wells. Bake until golden about 25-30 minutes.

While the cupcakes bake, make the topping. Combine caramels and heavy cream in a small pan on medium heat on the stove. Stir often until melted. Once cupcakes are done and cooled, frost with caramel topping. Store at room temperature or in refrigerator.

 

 

Forgive my blurry photo but trust me, they are so so good!

These are messy but are delicious and okey gooey! In one day a dozen of them turned into 5! Eat them with a tall glass of milk or almond milk!

Happy Fall to y’all! I hope you are baking to your hearts content or doing what you love this season!

All My Best,

Mary 😄

Celebrate Where You Are

From Livelifehappy.com

Do you remember when you envisioned what your adult life would be like? Is your story playing out the same way? Probably not. That’s okay! Life has its way of throwing surprises at us and sweet presents that are so unexpected.

As a young girl I aspired to be a teacher and would line up all my dolls and my little sister and proceed to teach them. Somewhere along the way I lost my dream and self confidence. I thought I wasn’t good enough to teach, to actually inspire children. Then as a 35 year old mom, my son’s preschool director asked me if I’d be interested in volunteering and helping out. After a few months that led to a full time job with children. From there I took early childhood education classes and landed a job as a reading paraeducator at a local school.

Fourteen years later I continue to teach young children every day. Yet I’m not a certified teacher but a paraeducator. I could continue college to complete it but I’m tired and I love what I’m doing now. So maybe I’m not living my childhood dream but that’s okay. For dreams change and take different forms as we age.

I am content where I’m at now…living and celebrating my life as it is. I’m not wallowing in lost dreams or questioning of what ifs. What’s the point of doing that? If I really think about it, my life and how it’s played out have far exceeded my expectations. I’m blessed beyond measure. My husband and I have raised two wonderful boys ( young men now), they both have met gems for girls, we hold steady jobs and we share our own haven we call home. That’s a blessed life I would say!

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 💕

Why I love October!

In October it truly feels like autumn, my favorite season of the year. There is a chill in the air early in the morning and late in the evening sending goosebumps up my spine. Even so, the days are pleasant and bright with sometimes radiating warmth on my skin. Lovely leaves change to deep reds, brilliant oranges and bright yellows while verdant grass and plant life loses its brilliance of green, giving way to the season. Soon all will be rusty brown to be coated with a white blanket once snow falls.

A passing wind storm ripped through our region last week, stripping all the crinkly leaves from their spindly branches. All the trees in our yard are bare, ready for winter and the ice and snow covering. Tom and I spent a weekend vigorously raking them in heaping piles. We loaded them in wheelbarrow loads and on a tarp to dispose of in our compost pile out back. It felt good to be working together as a team taking care of our yard. We labored quietly as the rake scraped scratchy leaves. Chipmunks squeaked back and forth, probably a warning that humans were around. Crows cawed in the distance, a true sign of fall.

October is a time of soaking in the best of the season. Hay bales, propped up scarecrows with straw plunging out, yellow and red mums in crude pots decorate front yards. Pumpkins and gourds lay strewn everywhere while fields are freshly cut of corn and tall grass. Apples fall with a patter from trees, feeding wild turkeys and deer. Little gray wisps thrust from chimneys, leaving a fall smokey scent in the air. It’s one of my favorites as it reminds me of my grandfather’s camp.

Apple cider making is under way as well as fresh baked pumpkin goods. It’s time for fall festivals and church bazaars, fun places to visit and pick up baked goods, grown vegetables and fruits or handmade crafts.

As fall progresses my thoughts are on a festive Thanksgiving and joyous Christmas soon after that. I look forward to spending ample time in my kitchen baking and smelling the fragrant aromas of my labor.

Right now I’m battling something medical with my kidney and bladder. I’m going to a urologist at a local hospital but have been told that there’s a waiting list. I have a firm faith that all will be well. I am strong and able to deal with it. It’s just a challenge to continue to work while this is going on.

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 💕

I Wish Grandpas Never Died

Recently one of my Facebook friends mentioned a new Country song by Riley Green called I Wish Grandpas Never Died. I downloaded it right away on Spotify and fell in love with it. It instantly reminded me of my dear Grandpa Gould, who I lost in 1988 when I was in college. He had been sick for many years with a blood disease but it progressively got worse.

My early memories of Grandpa were of westerns and cowboys…it’s as if he was one himself and it ran through his veins. An old cow yoke hung in his living room and he was always watching the infamous Gunsmoke on television. When I stayed overnight that’s what we would watch with a candy bar or a bowl of Jiffy Pop popcorn. One of his favorite actors was John Wayne. I remember my mom rented him a vcr and videos of his best movies when he was sick. I think he truly enjoyed that even if he was not himself.

A photo my mom gave me a few years ago of my grandpa and I. My first birthday.

Grandpa loved to tell corny jokes and even if I didn’t think they were funny, I always laughed out of respect. He served in the United States Army and fought in World War ll in Germany. Grandpa rarely talked of those times, probably it was too painful to visit them in memory and even more so to share them with others. Although this was true, one time he recounted a story of enemy planes overhead. I asked him if I could interview him for a school paper and he obliged. Unfortunately my memory is terrible and I don’t remember any details from this exchange. Sadly it’s lost forever I guess.

This is a grandpa’s love…my grandpa and I . Look at how pudgy I was!

Growing up I was very close to my mother’s parents, Nanny and Grandpa Gould. When Nanny sometimes watched me Grandpa would come along. One time he helped me bake a mini cake in my Easy Bake Oven. Another time I hid from him at his house. My mother was calling for me and I thought it would was funny to hide behind Grandpa’s stuffed chair. I was four at the time and everyone panicked as my grandparents lived near a raging river. My family thought I got swept away or something and searched for several minutes, not finding me. Eventually someone discovered my charade. My grandpa spanked me twice. I’ll never forget it. He was scared. My mom and Nanny were terrified something had happened to me. I earned that spank and never hid from my family again. I respect my grandpa for teaching me right from wrong. This fleeting memory will always stay with me….one of respect and love.

My sister Barbie, my grandpa, my brother Del, me and my brother David celebrating Grandpa’s birthday.

I wish grandpas never died, that mine lived longer than he did. I wish he could’ve met my husband Tom and see us dance at our wedding. I wish he could’ve met my two sons and held them on his lap with pride. Mostly I long to talk to him and to Nanny about my life now. How I’m truly happy, much happier than I’ve ever been and that this life has been wonderful. I’ve made it that way!

I know Tom wishes his grandpa could’ve lived longer, he lost him when he was around 11. I know my sons’ wish Tom’s dad, their Papa Blowey could’ve lived to see them grow and thrive. He was the kind of grandpa that wrestled on the floor and played fun tricks to get the boys to laugh. One day when he had us over for dinner he placed a Billy Bass fish that sung on a platter. Around it there were french fries, making it look like real food. Once our family sat down to eat, he pushed the button and the fish started singing. The boys’ eyes popped out of their head with sheer amazement! He was a great grandpa to them and they remember that. How proud he would be, I’m sure he’s looking down with pride and knows how they turned out.

Tom’s dad

No one wants to say goodbye to their grandpa, the man who jokes, laughs and slips a treat here and there. But it’s all part of this life. We have to let go and move on. Thankfully we have our memories to keep dear to us. It’s amazing we had those moments, ones that we can keep forever, close to our hearts.

In memory

Stuart Gould, my grandfather

Thomas Blowey, Tom’s grandfather

Robert Blowey, Tom’s Dad, my sons’ grandfather

William Doyle, my paternal grandfather

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 💕

Being Gutsy…

My nephew Lucas and my dad, who everyone calls Top Shelf

Being gutsy is staying true to your beliefs and values

even when someone challenges you

Being gutsy is staying strong in any situation

easy or difficult, either way being on top is the

positive outlook ( a few years ago my dad lay in a hospital bed

sick but told the nurse he was on the “ top shelf”)

Being gutsy is fighting cancer everyday but laughing

anyway and finding the joys in every day( my niece is doing this, fighting

but mostly importantly LIVING)

Being gutsy is working hard day in and day out

having a strong work ethic and taking pride in every action

( my husband Tom practices this and it’s one of the many reasons

that I love him and I’m proud of him)

I know many souls that are gutsy

they’re living with extreme strength

and faith

with a quiet and steadfast perseverance

Rest In Peace Mrs. Geneen

Maybe you live gutsy

Plowing forward through your troubles

Making the best of it

Praying to God

and having eternal faith that all will be well.

Here’s to all the gutsy people in my life,

they have taught me strength

Persistence, confidence, and faith.

My cousins and I. Carmen in the middle

Anita, Sherrie, Dad, Tom, Laura ( Rest In Peace), Mrs. Geneen for your strength and example ( Rest In Peace) ,Theo for her strength through her trials, my cousin Carmen who has battled back from a horrific attack and tours now to teach others , my stepfather Gary and many more.

Theo on the right front, a woman who smiles no matter what

My niece Ella and my stepfather Gary who has had recent health challenges but still on top

All My Best,

Mary 💜🌈

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Years ago my co-worker Judy gave me her apple crisp recipe that has become one of my family’s favorite desserts. Every fall I make it several times and then again on Thanksgiving for Dylan. It always comes out bubbly and delicious and usually my family eats it all the same day! Now that I need to bake differently, (if I’m going to have any) I’m adjusting my recipes to be gluten free. Here’s my adapted recipe that worked for me. Ignore the salt…haha…I didn’t use any but had a brain cramp that I needed it. 😂

You will need:

• 5 cups sliced apples ( peeled)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar ( I use 3/4 and it’s just as sweet)
• 3/4 cup King Arthur Gluten Free flour
• 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats
• 2 tsp. Cinnamon, sometimes I add more
• 1/2 cup butter, cold

Begin by peeling and slicing the apples. Place in a buttered 13x 9 pan or a 9 inch square pan. Combine flour, oats, cinnamon and brown sugar. Press mixture on apples. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. It’s great with almond ice cream or whipped cream or simply alone. Enjoy warm or cold.

See it’s so good that it’s almost gone! I just made this!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. I’ve had a few days off due to staff development ( I opted out of it as I’m taking a 12 hour course the next few months) and tomorrow off to observe Columbus Day. I plan to bake cookies for work, rake my back lawn and do my Pilates dvd that I love.

All My Best,

Mary

A Glimpse of Fall

Beautiful serene Lake Willoughby in Westmore, Vermont

It’s a warm pleasant morning in the 50’s with the sun coming up to gift us a new day. October is well under way bringing a crinkled up mosaic of leaves in ambers, yellows, pinks and deep reds. Everywhere you venture in this land you see a patchwork of colors, immersing you in a new world other than rich greens. There’s no place I’d rather be than here in my home state in October!

My back yard showing the season.

Every October Tom and I indulge in a foliage ride in either New Hampshire or beautiful neighboring Vermont. Last year we ventured down the infamous Kangamangus highway through Lincoln into Waterville Valley, NH. Cars and people were everywhere, an indication of all the mystical beauty surrounding us. This year Tom mapped our journey ahead, planning to go through Dalton NH across the covered bridge into Vermont. We went through Lunenburg VT up north and stumbled upon lovely Lake Willoughby in Westmore, Vermont.

During our Sunday ride, the warm sun beat on us through the windshield. All we saw where idyllic farm lands, cows grazing in pastures, country dirt roads, as seasonal turned leaves lit the way as we rode. We didn’t pass many stores, gas stations nor restaurants. This ride held lost north country lands and homes that host quiet rural living. It was the perfect foliage ride of peace and exploration!

Upon entering Westmore, Vermont we were greeted by massive cliffs with surreal views. A sprawling Lake Willoughby was on our left as we explored the winding road parallel to it. We came upon a small beach where a few families eagerly snapped photos, as we did. A lone canoe and a small kayak were parked on the beach, beckoning one to venture out on the lake. Across the road a quaint country store stood with a small campground beyond. Hiking trails wound through the woods, appealing to nature enthusiasts.

Tom and I decided that we would visit Lake Willoughby again in the future and trek up one of the trails. It’s peaceful and tranquil gorgeousness spoke to our souls. It’s not often that we find such peace, one that can’t be described in mere words. Silence does it justice for this level of tranquility needs no words, just paying homage to it’s beauty.

Coming home we were fortunate to be able to see fall colors in our own yard, solidifying our love for our land. Going on a foliage road trip is exciting, especially when you explore a new place you’ve never seen before. The only perfect ending to that scenario is returning to the subtle serenity of the place where you belong, home.

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 🍁❤️

My Gluten Free Journey

Okay friends I need to share with you what’s going on with me. For awhile now ( just over a year and a half) I have noticed that certain foods irritate my stomach and I’ve experienced significant changes, which led me to the doctor. Of course he had no answers for me. In the past I’ve had trouble and had to solve my own problem by taking note of what I ate and the reactions the food caused. In a few weeks I learned that eating dairy products and drinking milk made my stomach sick and upset my stools. Now I know I’m lactose intolerant.

I’ve figured out that breads, ( I only eat oat bran bakery bread but it’s not gluten free) cereals, oats that aren’t gluten free, dressings with gluten and rice pilaf mixes are all not agreeing with me. It’s been a challenge to change our eating habits and it’s more expensive at the grocery store! ( I ask you why do the healthiest foods cost more?) Every time I eat any of these foods I have gas and some bloating and undesirable stools.

Two months later and I think I’ve figured out how to eat so my body is happy and calm. I mostly avoid granolas unless they are gluten free, most breads, salad dressings and sauces such as rice pilaf mixes. I’ve learned to shop the gluten free section at the grocery store and on Amazon Prime. I eat more fruit in the morning, skip cereals and breads and if I do have toast it’s gluten free. Canyon Bakehouse gluten free bread is my choice for now. I put it in the freezer and take out a slice when I wish to.

I used to think the gluten free idea was crazy but now that it affects me, I know well that it’s a real thing affecting many people. It takes much planning, shopping, searching and patience to maintain my path to wellness. Sometimes I cheat and eat something with gluten or dairy and soon after pay for it. Even if the food tastes good I try to remember the ending result and how my body doesn’t accept it. I think I’ve done well in a short time and feel healthier and balanced. The last challenge is finding gluten free foods at restaurants. That’s where searching the web pays off, you can look at menus ahead and see the healthy gf options.

This is my personal journey, one that I’ve had to rack my brain over without a doctor’s help. Sometimes I wonder why this food intolerance has plagued me but asking this question doesn’t change anything. So I accept it and deal. Move on and focus on eating that makes my body whole and healthy. If you are also on this path, I wish you the power to accept and learn all you can about it.

Until next time be well, my friends. It’s October here with a colorful array of foliage. Probably the next post I write will share fall moments with you.

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 🍁

Netflix Binging Recommendation

Recently someone recommended Outlander, a mini- series on Netflix. I started watching one afternoon while Tom was hunting. It took just a few scant minutes to become hooked…I absorbed the beautiful scenery, the costumes from the 19th century and a refreshing air of adventure drew me in. It starts out slow and sets the scene for the story. Hang in through the first few episodes. Picture a married British combat nurse during the post World War 2 era. All I say ( without giving too much away ) is that she goes to an ancient site where she slips back in time to the age of 1743. There her life takes a swift turn in the Scottish Highlands with the McKenzie clan. It’s riveting, exciting, has sexy scenes and more!

Watch Outlander and try not to get hooked! I can’t wait to turn Netflix on now…to fill up on the scenery and adventure! It’s simply wonderful and a vacation back from your armchair!

All My Best,

Heart and Soul

It’s All About Tomatoes!

Last night we had a hard frost here in northern New Hampshire. Despite the glittery ice frosting the plants in the garden as well as the flowers in the window boxes, stark reminders of the growing season lie on the kitchen counter, fresh garden tomatoes. Red ripe juicy globes await to be roasted into sweet caramelized sauce. An overflowing bowl of more tomatoes will be simmered slowly into a thick spaghetti sauce for pasta.

Tomatoes ripening

Every late September into early October, I allot my weekends to put up my tomatoes. Sometimes I make spaghetti sauce and others I roast them. In preparation for the sauce, first I boil them with their skins on. After that I plunge the beauties into a cold water bath. This process makes it easier to skin them.

With cutting board and a sharp knife, I cut out bad spots. Next I load them in the blender and pulse it so they’re smooth. It’s time to simmer the sauce with basil, Oregano, Salt, Pepper, a tablespoon of Olive Oil and two tablespoons of sugar. I also add Prego Spaghetti sauce to thicken it. It still tastes homemade but hold together better in a thick yummy sauce.

Tomatoes are a wonderful tasty addition to stir frys, grilled cheese sandwiches, pesto veggie sandwiches and one of Tom’s favorites BLTs. Once you’ve home grown your own tomatoes, you get spoiled for the taste knocks it out of the ballpark and you can’t go back to store bought. The taste just isn’t the same!

Can you taste that scrumptious tomato? I’ll enjoy a few more before next September. The wait will be long and difficult, but it will be well worth the wait!

Until next time enjoy those fresh tomatoes!

All My Best,

Heart and Soul 💕