Hot 'N Spicy Nuts 'N Bolts

A favorite holiday staple at our place is this tasty snack mix, which we call nuts 'n bolts, but which is known by many other names. Here's a somewhat zippy version. Feel free to use the cereals and munchies of your choice. We love adding Old Dutch popcorn twists but if you aren't Canadian, you won't be finding those on your grocery store shelves. I often add bugles and hickory stix as well. Suit yourself.

• 4 cups cheerios
• 4 cups pretzel stix
• 4 cups crispex cereal
• 4 cups popcorn twists
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1-2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1½ tsp. garlic salt
• 1 ½ tsp. dry mustard
• 1 ½ c tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Mix together the cereal, popcorn and nuts in a large roasting pan.
2. Melt butter and add seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Drizzle over cereal mixture and stir well to coat.
3. Bake at 200° F for 2 hours, stirring every ½ hour.
4. Store in airtight container.

*While I'm at it, I always do a double batch.

Enjoy!

Apple Cake

 It's that time of the year...apples are plentiful and apple desserts are the best! This moist apple cake recipe is written on the back of a stained and worn recipe card...an adaptation of my favorite carrot cake and one that I have been baking for many years. While I'm at it, I usually prepare a double recipe and put one cake in the freezer without frosting. It's handy to pull out at a moment's notice and serve for dessert with ice-cream and caramel sauce. We are in the middle of corn harvest on the farm and the guys like a treat out in the fields every once in awhile. I baked them an apple cake yesterday which they ate on disposal plates, with a plastic fork (and without the flower) but enjoyed nonetheless!

Apple Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 3 cups coarsely grated apple
• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1. Combine eggs, sugar and oil in mixer.
2. Add apples.
3. Add remaining ingredients and mix .
4. Pour into greased 9x13 inch pan and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes.
5. Frost with cream cheese icing when cool.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 brick)
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups icing sugar...or until desired thickness

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Apple Pancakes

 It's apple season and I love apple baked goods. We are so fortunate to have a brother-in-law who has an apple orchard in the Okanagan and is so generous with his apples. Whatever variety...they are all good in these apple-iscious pancakes!  This recipe came from a newspaper many decades ago and is an old favorite in our home.

 

Apple Pancakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup coarsely grated apple
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tablespoon butter, melted

1. Mix dry ingredients.
2. Stir in apple.
3. Combine eggs, milk and butter;
4. add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Pour small amounts onto lightly greased hot griddle
6. and cook until bubbles form on the surface;
7. turn and brown on the other side.
8. Serve with hot apple cinnamon sauce and whipped cream.

Hot Apple Cinnamon Sauce:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup grated apple
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Combine sugar, juice, and cinnamon and boil to a heavy syrup over medium heat (about 5 minutes).
2. Stir in butter and apple...cook another minute or so.

Add some sauteed Mennonite farmer sausage, and call it a meal!

Salsa

 Since there's an abundance of tomatoes and peppers out there right now, I thought I would share my salsa recipe. It's a recipe I got from my sister Kathy decades ago and is a staple at our home. I cook up a large batch in fall and we enjoy it year-round.  This is a zippy salsa; if you prefer yours on the mild side, remove all the seeds and ribs from inside the jalapeno peppers.

• 10 cups tomatoes (peeled, chopped and drained)
• 8 small jalapeno peppers chopped (remove seeds for less heat) 
• 3 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green peppers 
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/3 cups vinegar 
• 1 can 12 oz. can tomato paste 
• 1 tsp. cumin 
• 1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes 
• 3 Tablespoons pickling salt 
• 3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.
2. Ladle into jars; tighten lids and process for 20 minutes in hot water bath.

*Optional : Stir in 1/3 cup cornstarch diluted in cold water and simmer for several minutes to thicken salsa before filling jars.

Yield: about 6-7 pint (500 ml) jars

This also makes a wonderful, tasty fresh salsa.  Place chopped veggies in a large bowl.  Mix vinegar, tomato paste, herbs and seasonings and add to chopped vegetables. Stir to combine.  Keeps well in the refrigerator for a week.