Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter or margarine, softened (2 sticks)

1 ½ cups light brown sugar, packed

½ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups flour

1t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 ½ t. apple pie spice

3 cups rolled oats

1 bag chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans ( if you want)

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs and vanilla with a hand held mixer or your kitchenaid until well blended.

In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, apple pie spice.

Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring until just combined.

Fold in rolled oats, nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Cool 2 minutes and remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 4-5 dozen depending on size of cookie

Homemade Lollipops

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup white corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp. Flavoring See note 1, below.

food coloring See note 2, below.

l/8 tsp. Citric acid (optional) See note 3, below.

1. Use 1/4 to 1 tsp. depending on concentration of flavoring.

2. To make opaque odors add 1/2 tsp. liquid white coloring (Liquid Whitener).

3. Citric acid may be added to fruit flavors to add tartness. Use 1/8 tsp. dissolved in 1 tsp. warm water.  Add at same time as flavoring.

Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in saucepan. Cook on high heat until mixture reaches 280 degrees F. Lower heat to Medium High. Continue to cook mixture to 300 degrees F. Remove from heat. Let stand until bubbles subside (approximately 265 degrees F). Add flavoring and coloring. Stir until blended. Do not over stir. 

This is where I buy my lollipop supplies. 

Sweet Creations

If you live out West you may be able to find these things in a local craft store..

Nimitzkies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup crisco

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 t. raspberry extract

2 t. lemon extract

2 1/2c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix first 4 ingredients until light and fluffy.

Then add flour ,soda and salt and mix again until well combined.

Drop by rounded teaspoons.

Flatten slightly and add your favorite sprinkles

Bake 6-9 min depending on if you like soft or crunchy cookies.

Take out at 6-7 min for soft.

Take out at 8-9 for crunchy..

Canning Apple Pie Filling

Canning to some is something only "supermoms" do.. Well let me set the record straight, I ain't no supermom! Just a mom who loves to be in the kitchen. I love to feed my family of seven (5 kids) good food. With larger than average children and hubby, I have to fix insane amounts of food. So even though canning can be time consuming on the front end, it actually saves a lot of time on the back end.

Some of the canned apples right out of their hot water bath..

Here is Mr. Ben cranking out more apples on my apple peeler corer slicer, that I have had since we got married.

16 years..

Miss Katherine is busy stuffing the jars with the Granny Smith apples..

Our favorite apple to can with.

This is what 16 quarts looks like in one big pot of cold water and lots of lemon juice to keep them from turning brown..

Here is your recipe for apple pie filling.

I double, triple, quadruple according to how much I had.

I had a half bushel of Granny Smith apples straight from an organic farm in Elijay, Georgia..

4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 Cup cornstarch
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt10 cups water
3 T. lemon juice
6 pounds applesIn a large pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Add salt and water and mix well.
Bring to a boil and cook until thick and bubbly.
Remove from heat and add lemon juice.
Sterilize canning jars, lids and rings by boiling them in a large pot of water (you can follow the jar directions for sterilization if you want further details)
Peel, core, and slice apples (this is where my handy dandy pampered chef 16 year old peeler, corer, slicer came in).
Pack the sliced apples into hot canning jars, leaving a 1/2-3/4 inch headspace. (9 year old daughters are quite good at this task)
Fill jars with hot syrup and gently remove air bubbles with a spatula.

this is mommy's job
Put lids on and process in a water bath canner for 20 minutes.

14 year old big brother managed this on his own, with a lot of teeth pulling to get him to do it..