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Every fall one of my favorite afternoons is spent concocting my Brandy-Apple Butter.  The weather must have a certain bite in the air, the girls must all be napping and I must be in the mood - it is a magic moment when it all comes together!  This is a delicious, and easy recipe - jar it for friends and give to your host for all of those holiday parties coming up!  And its uses are practically endless - on toast or French toast, of course - but try it on baked chicken, thin down and use as a salad dressing, scoop it over vanilla ice cream, yum, yum, yum!

Recipe:  Brandy Apple Butter

~ 5 lbs. Jonathan apples {chopped/peeled or not - it is up to you}

~ 3 c. organic apple juice

~ 3 c. water

~ 1/2 c. brandy

~ 3 T. maple syrup

~ 1 1/2 c. sugar

~ pinch of salt

~ 2 T. cinnamon

~ 1/2 t. allspice

~ 1 t. cloves

In a large pot, combine water, juice and brandy - whisk together and heat over medium flame.  Meanwhile, chop your apples - add them to the pot and cover.  Cook for 30-45 minutes until the apples are very soft {skin is starting to pull from the flesh of the apple}.  Drain off excess juices {I like to reserve this for making apple-flavored cocktails!}.  With either a food mill or food processor, process the apples and maple syrup until you achieve a smooth consistency.  Return the apple butter to the pot and return the pot to the stove, again over a medium flame.  In a serparate bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients - whisk them together well - then whisk into the apple butter.  Cook covered for about 5 minutes - remove cover and cook additional 15-20 minutes or until thick.

 

I am not an expert at jarring, but my mother taught me a quick trick.  Have your jars washing in the dishwasher while you are making the apple butter - ensure it is running on the highest temp and sanitation rinse.  When the hot apple butter is ready to jar, remove the hot jars and lids from the wash.  Quickly fill them up to the top, ensuring there are no air pockets as you fill - place the lid on as quickly as you can.  As the apple butter and jar cool together, they will create a seal so that you can not pop the top of the lid - they are good to go for shelf storage!  If for some reason, you do not create a seal, the apple butter is still usable, just refrigerate and consume within 2-3 weeks.   

After dealing with this last night, I needed a happy pill - and nothing works quite like my Mom's scones.  The recipe came from my Grandmother and over the years my Mom has tweaked it a bit - as have I; while Mom's called for margarine, I use butter - read on, bake and take a moment to yourself:

Recipe:  Sweet Scones

~ 3 c. flour

~ 8 oz. butter {cold}

~ 2 1/2 t. baking soda

~ 1/2 c. sugar

~ 1 c. organic whole milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  In a large bowl sift the dry ingredients together.  Cut butter with pastry cutter or hands - pour in milk and mix well - be sure not to over mix.  Pour contents onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into a large rectangle - score the dough into squares.  Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.  Let cool briefly before drowning in honey and devouring.

When our lives began to get pretty busy as kids - soccer games, ballet and such - there was always a no-fail quick breakfast that delighted my brother and I: Gooey Eggs on Toast.  For those who like their eggs {scrambled or otherwise} a bit runny - this is for you.

Note:  Over the years I have changed this up with vintage Irish Cheddars and Havarti cheese in an attempt to make it a bit more - well - gourmet, I suppose.  But, truly, you cannot get the gooey, smooth, cheesy constancy without slices of good 'ole American.

Recipe:  Gooey Eggs on Toast {for two - or mama and two babies}

~ 5 eggs

~ 1 T. butter

~ 1/4 c. milk

~ salt and pepper

~ 3 slices of American Cheese

{In order to get the right state of gooey-ness, this is best prepared in the microwave}

Add eggs to microwave safe bowl, whisk together.  Add milk, salt and pepper - whisk in.  Add butter and cheese {broken into little squares} and stir in.  Cook in microwave for 2 minutes.  Remove and whisk again - return to the microwave and continue to cook in 30 second increments until the eggs are cooked to your liking.  If they are looking close, but still a bit too runny, cook in 10-15 second increments as to not over cook.  Pour over a piece of buttered multi-grain toast!

After several years of our French Press sitting on the shelf {lost the directions in the move from England and could not for the life of me remember how to use it}, I pulled it down this morning, and sought guidance.  I used coarse ground Organic French Roast and a touch of vanilla soy - the result - perfection.

{strawberry jam on challah, fresh fruit, cappuccino and oj}

Last year my husband and I caught a showing of 'Super Size Me' and it literally changed our lives.  During the challenge and research involved in attempting to move away from processed foods - we came across some alarming facts about high fructose corn syrup.  We began a feverish campaign to rid our fridge and pantry of this genetically modified sweetener - and it was a challenge.  If you are not familiar with the vast use of this product {as I was not} you would be shocked at how commonly it is used - soft drinks and sweet treats are to be expected, but my favorite whole wheat bread?!  It was at that moment that I became a compulsive label reader; and rediscovered the purity of good whole foods - one of my favorite finds was Bonne Maman jams which I had used when we lived in Europe - finding it locally was such a thrill - a simple, but wonderful pleasure that makes my morning toast that much more delightful...

This morning I prepared a very special brunch for my family in honor of my husband.  As we were expecting guests to join us, I wanted to create something that did not require my presence in the kitchen all morning.  While visiting my husband's family in Pittsburgh last month, his mother {who is a wonderful cook} baked a delicious egg strada for breakfast one morning - as they are ideally prepared the night before, this was a perfect choice.  I turned it up a notch with turkey sausage and havarti cheese - the result was an ooeey-gooey delightful dish.

And what is brunch without Mary?  There is something so beautiful about these blood red libations poured into crystal glasses...

Recipe:  Havarti Egg Strada

~Turkey Sausage

~ 1/2 c. white onion

~6 eggs

~2c. milk

~4c. shredded Havarti

~loaf of a dense white bread {organic if possible}; crusts removed and slices buttered

Butter a deep baking dish and set aside.  Brown sausage and onion - set aside.  Gently whip eggs and milk until completely combined. 

To Build:  Create a layer of buttered bread slices {butter side up} in dish.  Top with half of the sausage, then top with 1/3 of the havarti.  Repeat layer.  Add another layer of bread, top with havarti and pour egg mixture over entire dish.  Cover and let set-up overnight.  In the morning, heat the over to 350 and bake for 45 minutes - or until golden and bubbly - enjoy!

... to Athena Eats.  For those of you finding me though my design blog, Athena Says, you may remember my background with the culinary arts.  Cooking and baking have always had a very special place in my heart and I wanted to devote a place to collect my new passion for food photography and my timeless passion for crafting beautiful meals.  I hope to inspire you to find beauty in what you eat everyday... welcome.