Flavors of Fall - Apple Butter and Banana Bread!!

Besides cleaning this weekend, I also had to catch up on some baking, etc.  I had purchased a large bag full of ripe bananas at the grocery store for $1.46 and several bags of apples. I made banana bread with the bananas, and was able to make 4 large loaves and 8 mini-loaves.  These are great to make ahead and freeze to share with friends and family.  Fall always bring with it apples and I love apples and the smell of apples cooking.  Since I was a little kid, I have always loved apple butter, so what better way to use the apples than to make a batch of crockpot apple butter!  This was my first time making apple butter, but absolutely not my last!  Check out the recipes below and Enjoy!

Banana Bread Recipe

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (3 to 4 bananas)

1/3 cup water

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat flour for these)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray  loaf pan with pam (or grease and flour pan if you are out of Pam, like I was! - Hence the flour around the edges of the loaf). Mix sugar and butter.  Stir in eggs until blended.  Add bananas and water and stir.  Stir in remaining ingredients, except nuts, until moistened; stir in nuts.  Pour into pan.  Bake 8 inch loaf for 1 1/4 hours, 9 inch loaf for 55 to 60 minutes; cool 5 minutes.  Loosen from sides and remove to cool on rack.

Crockpot Apple Butter

8 lbs apples (Gala, Fuji and Braeburn - not Granny Smith)

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 teaspoons cloves

1tablespoon vanilla

Peel, core and slice 8 pounds of apples (about 15 large apples).  It's best to use 3 types of sweet apples for a good flavor.

Place apples in crockpot on low for 6 hours with lid on.

After 6 hours, carefully mash the apples.  (I removed my apples and put them into batches in my blender).  Return cooked apples to crockpot.

Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon to apple mash.  Simmer on low for 8 hours.  If apple butter is still too wet after 8 hours, simmer with lid off for 1 hour.  If it is too thick, slowly add apple juice until it is the right consistency.  Apple Butter is the right consistency when a wooden spoon will stand up in it.

This recipe makes 2 1/2 quarts or 5 pints.