EASY NO-SUGAR-ADDED APPLE BREAD

 It has been a long time since I cooked something "sweet" for us or anyone. My sweet-tooth can really been aching too. We haven't even been eating as much frozen custard either. Gosh. I wonder why. Maybe two new additions to the family - Mr. Charlie and Mr. Parker have something to do with it. I said when we first adopted them that our lives would never be the same. Needless to say-that was an understatement if there ever was one.

We will be taking them to the vet later this afternoon to get their second round of shots. Anxious to see how much they weigh. Using our scales and weighing myself first and then picking them up one at a time, I think they have gained 1.2 lbs since their first visit. They gained the pound in one week, no gain the next week and then 0.2 pound this last week. Eating, sleeping, and playing with each other are their favorites things to do. Charlie likes to jump up my leg which really hurts and explore. Parker is trying to learn (bad) things from Charlie. Parker can drink from the faucet in the bathroom. Charlie eats faster than Parker and will move over to Parker's plate when he finishes his own portion to help Parker finish.

Yesterday started early because we had to be at church 45 minutes early as our Sunday school class was hospitality for both the 9:30 and 11:00 services. We ended up missing the first quarter of the Chiefs vs Rams football game because it started at noon. After they ended up losing the game, I decided it was time I went to the kitchen to bake something. I managed to almost get it in the oven before the kittens woke up and came upstairs to the kitchen and started bugging me. 

The recipe I chose to make was for an Easy Cake Mix Apple Bread. Besides just sounding good, I had a Sugar-Free cake mix so that meant I could make it sugar-free. I also had some cinnamon sugar that I had mixed up using Erythritol. The only mistake I made was deciding to make it into 5 mini loaves instead of two 8 x 4 inch loaves. One slice of a mini loaf wasn't enough; I had to cut another second slice to satisfy myself.

Satisfy yourself making this Sugar-Free or use a regular yellow cake mix and sugar.

EASY NO-SUGAR-FREE APPLE BREAD

BREAD:

 1     box yellow cake mix (without pudding) (I used a SF yellow cake mix)

1/2   cup oil

3/4   cup milk (I use skim milk)

3      eggs

1      tablespoon ground cinnamon

3/4   teaspoon ground ginger

1/4   teaspoon ground nutmeg

2      cups coarsely shredded, peeled tart apples

TOPPING:

2      tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute (Erythritol, Splenda, etc)

1/2   teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour bottoms only of two 8 x 4 - inch loaf pans or five mini-loaf pans. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients for the bread except the apples on low with electric mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape down the sides using a spatula. Increase speed and beat 2 minutes.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and then add apples and

stir to blend them in with the batter.

Divide batter between pans.

Combine the topping ingredients and then sprinkle evenly over the top of each loaf.

Bake for about 40 minutes for mini-loaves or 45 to 50 minutes for larger loaves. Test doneness with a toothpick. Remove and cool 10 minutes in pans on wire racks.

Then remove the loaves and finish cooling them on the wire racks. Wrap in foil to store. You can freeze them or give them to friends. They will certainly appreciate your kindness.

Charlie and Parker eating....

and napping...

Charlie

Parker

Hope you have a good week!

SUSAN'S ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

 Yesterday afternoon our Quilters' Canasta group met at Friend Susan's house. Even though it wasn't officially fall until today, the temperature felt like fall. It was in the 50s in the morning. Wayne even decided to wear long pants instead of shorts to play golf. He said he thought his golfing buddies had wished they had worn theirs.

It was a fun afternoon even though my partners and I didn't win. It was just so good to be with friends. We ate dessert after we finished the game and before we played at least one hand we call the revenge round that hopefully the losing team can win. Unfortunately we lost the game and the revenge round. At least the dessert was delicious.

Susan served this Zucchini Chocolate Cake she had made, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some blueberries and blackberries. It was so good. 

I asked Susan if she peeled the zucchini even though the recipe said not to because I couldn't see any in the cake, but she said she didn't. 

ZUCCHINI CHOCOLATE CAKE

3/4      cup margarine

2         cups sugar

3         eggs

2-1/2   cups flour

2-1/2   teaspoons baking powder

1-1/2   teaspoons baking soda

1         teaspoon  cinnamon

1/2      teaspoon salt

1/2      cup cocoa

2         teaspoons vanilla

2         cups shredded raw unpeeled zucchini

1/2      cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a Bundt pan or two loaf pans. (Susan used a Bundt pan.)

Cream together the margarine and sugar til well blended. Beat in eggs.

Sift together the dry ingredients and then add to the wet mixture. Mix well. Add vanilla, zucchini, and milk and stir til blended.

Pour into pan(s).

Bake Bundt cake about 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (If you are making 2 loaves, bake for 40 to 50 minutes.)

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHERRY CAKE

 Friend Sandi told me about a recipe of her mother's that I might want to try. She even made it before I had a chance and brought a generous piece for everyone last week when Blankets of Hope met last Tuesday. It was so moist and delicious that I decided I was going to make it the next day with my twist, of course.

You see after not being able to get together for a good year and a half, the handbell group at church is finally going to be able to play at church again with masks and social distance. Our first evening of practice was last Wednesday. We will be playing once a month in the traditional service and we can't wait. 

I'm sure you see where I am going with this story. I told them that I felt our first practice after 18 months deserved to be celebrated with a treat. As for my twist on Sandi's mother's recipe, I used sugar-free yellow cake mix and a can of no-sugar-added cherry pie filling. I also used unsweetened applesauce which Sandi might have done also and since I didn't have any mini chocolate chips, I used a 10 - oz bag of dark chocolate chips. I even sprinkled some sugar-free powdered sugar I had made. Of course when using the no-sugar-added cherry pie filling, it isn't as sweet as Sandi's. I really can't tell the difference when I use the sugar-free cake mixes. I wish they would make more varieties other than yellow and devil's food, but they are better than nothing. The sugar-free brownies mix they make is very, very good if you have never tried it.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHERRY CAKE

1     box vanilla cake mix (I used a sugar-free yellow cake mix)

1/2  cup applesauce (I used unsweetened applesauce)

2     eggs

1     can cherry pie filling (I used a no-sugar-added cherry pie filling)

1     cup or less mini chocolate chips (I used a 10 - oz bag of dark chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and

stir together until well blended.

Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 40 - 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes and

then remove to finish cooling.

Remove to cake platter or cake storage container.

Before serving, you may sprinkle some powdered sugar over cake to make it pretty.

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Here are a few pictures of Charlie and Parker napping which they do a lot of. They have certainly made a change in our lives. 

Charlie is sound asleep. I think the markings around his eyes are really interesting.

Well, Parker was sleeping and woke up or I should say opened his eyes, just as I took the picture. He didn't get up. He ended up closing his eyes and slept a little longer.

A BETTER FACE MASK

 When I put away my mask-making stuff earlier this year, I really didn't think I would be making masks again as school started. I guess the good news is that I am using a new pattern that is less stressful to make, fits better, and doesn't make my glasses fog up. Tyler was really excited about that aspect.

I saw some friends at church wearing the new 3-D mask and asked them where they got the pattern. They gave me the website and even printed the pattern for me.

Besides how nice they fit, they look expensive and not homemade. That was so important to me when I was younger. I always thought it was an insult when someone would ask me if I had made the outfit I had on. If they said, "Now you didn't make that, did you"? I would always feel proud of the job I had done.

Unlike the other mask and tutorial I gave last year, this mask is not reversible. That is a disadvantage in some ways, but it means I can use a muslin-type for the liner. It also uses a little bit larger piece of fabric. That means the pieces I cut earlier for the other pattern won't work for this pattern. I will have to come up with something else to use them.

I am giving you a link to the pdf pattern for the mask in various sizes. Kate also has a video which I watched too many times. I decided to take various pictures as I made several different masks in case you didn't want to watch the video as many times as I did. The first one I made wasn't right and it took watching the video and a little luck to finally figure out what I was doing wrong. I just couldn't see it well in the video. Then it was so easy.

Decide which size pattern you need to use and cut a piece from the print you want to use and one piece from the material you are using for the lining. Place the two pieces on top of each other with right sides together. Using a 1/4 inch seam, sew across the top and then across the bottom leaving the ends open. Always remember to trim the threads each time.

Clip across the two corners on the top and the bottom to reduce the bulk when you turn it.

Turn right sides out and press. Now top stitch 1/4 inch in from the seam on the top and the bottom still leaving the ends open. (I made the picture bigger so you could see the top stitching, but you still have to look hard to see it.)

Looking at the liner side, fold the bottom and the top toward the center almost 2 inches. (In the video Kate says to fold along the lines on the pattern. It was easier for me to just measure the same amount once I made the first one correct.)

Press along this fold line and pin to hold in place in the middle if you need to. Top stitch again 1/4 inch in from the folded edge across the top and bottom making a nice ridge along the top and bottom of the mask. 

 

Now you are ready to work with the ends that you have left open. First fold in about 3/8 inch toward the center and press.

Then fold over again the same amount and press. It is okay if it doesn't lay flat. Cut 2 pieces of your elastic cord about 9 inches long. If you are making masks for a child, you won't need that long of a cord. I cut the cord 8 inches for my grandchildren.

You will lay the cord along the second fold line and

hold it in place with your fingers.

You will stitch down this casing along the edges making sure you don't let the cord slip and catch it in the seam. Then you will pull up the two ends of the cord and tie them in a knot one time and pull tightly. You can cut off the extra ends if necessary. Gently pull the cord so that you pull the knot inside the casing. You might need to use something to help push it in but then it will slide easily. (If the loop in the cord is too long for the wearer, just pull the cord until the knot comes out and retie it making the loop shorter. If the loop is too short thereby making it hurt over the ears you will have to cut another piece of cord and feed it through using a small safety pin and retie it.)

To make the mask 3 - D and finish it, fold the mask in half matching the corded ends.

Pull out the folded pieces at the top and the bottom keeping the masked folded with the looped ends together. Now we come to the part that I had difficulty with seeing in Kate's video and understanding what she was saying. When you follow the last instruction, your mask will look like this.

It really helped me if I tried to keep the mask folded and together.

Then opening the mask slightly bring the pointed end down behind the main part keeping it flat feeling underneath. (The white point you see in this picture is the other end since you still have it folded in half. I will show several pictures at this point to help you see how to make it 3 - D.)

In this picture I turned back the folded finished edge so you could see the finished point underneath. 

Then I pinned it in place so I could stitch it down.

After you do one half, you will do the other half. This is how each end will look underneath.

Now you are ready to sew these folded flaps down to finish the mask. I just used my pressure foot as my guide and sewed the distance from the sewed down casing across the ends.

Now when you open it up, it will stand on its own and you have a 3 - D mask. The top flap fits over your nose and under your glasses if you wear them. The bottom flap fits under your chin.

Here are some of the masks I made for my MO grandchildren. They like cats.

Here is a picture of me in one of the masks I made for myself.

Here is the LINK I promised you to Kate's website where you can download the pattern for the mask. I used the adult/teen size for myself and Madison who is 11. She says the cords need to be shortened. I used the Big Kid size for Tyler who is 9-1/2. I hope you will try this mask pattern and that my photos will make it easier for you.