Homemade Cleaner

An LDS mom shares her recipes for cleaning products here.

Apple Butter Recipe

I found this yummy looking recipe on the DomesticCents blog (unrelated, but she also has directions for making cinnamon scented pinecones).

Crock Pot Apple Butter
adapted from All Recipes

5-1/2 pounds apples – peeled, cored and chopped/shredded
4 cups white sugar (use less sugar if you are using a sweet apple)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of salt
Directions – Here’s the thing. I didn’t exactly follow the recipe. I used more than 5 pounds of apples but I’m not sure how many. I just filled my crock pot (it reduces by almost half). I also played with the spices a little to make it how I wanted.

1.Put the apples in your crock pot. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl them dump them in with the apples and mix it all up. You can add more sugar or spices part way through if you need to. I like mine extra spicy but if you don’t then you might want to lessen the spices.
2.Set it on High for 1 hour then reduce it down to Low for 12+ hours (overnight). You are trying to get it to cook down past the point of applesauce. I read somewhere a great tip on how to tell when it’s done. Scoop out a teaspoonful of it and set it on the counter. If in 5 minutes it hasn’t leaked a ring of water then it’s done. Mine took a VERY long time to get to that point but I’m glad I waited for it. Cook the last two hours with the lid off of the crock pot.
3.When it got to the end I used my hand mixer right in the crock pot to make it even smoother. My mom put hers in the blender which yielded and even smoother butter. It just depends on what you like

Inspirational Quote

In Elder Eyring’s devotional talk at BYU Idaho (September 2001) he mentioned being frugal. I know he was referring to BYU-Idaho operating on a tight budget but he seemed to want us to apply it in our daily lives as well.

He said, “You want to have a beautiful place that you live in someday in your family. You want to have things as nice as you can have them. But I'll tell you something. One of the things that you do is to always look at every nice thing you have as God's and treat it very, very carefully…

In addition, you will not ever, ever ask for more than you need…. Now I testify to you that that blessing is both a practical one and a spiritual one. It's practical because then the Lord will provide when we do need something, and He'll provide generously because He trusts us. But it has another benefit as well. I testify to you that that spirit of sacrifice, that spirit of trying to give just a little bit more and ask a little less brings down the powers of heaven.

How Did Your Tomato Garden Grow?

If your tomatoes didn't do as well as you would have liked you might want to check out these six easy steps to a GREAT tomato garden.

Feeling Overwhelmed?

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the thought of food storage and provident living there is a great article in September's Ensign. The title says it is for newlyweds- but it really is for anyone just starting out and wondering where to begin- they share a story about a couple that started out just buying two extra items each time they went to the grocery store- and how that paid off- click here to read the article.

Canning Beef Stew and Chili

You Can Can has posted two new yummy recipes for canning in your pressure cooker. You just bottle these and you'll have a delicious dinner that you can pull off of the pantry shelf! Their chili and beef stew recipes look especially good.

Now Is the Time for FALL Gardening

Planting a garden, even a small one, allows for a greater degree of self-reliance.- lds.org, provident living, gardening

It's time to get your Fall garden ready. For more information on West Texas Fall Gardening contact Debbie Frost, county extension agent, 432-498-4071 She is really helpful.