APPLE CRUNCH CAKE

EASY, MOIST, DELICIOUS!

What I love about this cake is that it's as easy to make as it is delicious to eat!

And the few and common ingredients you need you probably already have in your pantry.

This is case is delicious by itself, or with hot beverage and you could top with whipped cream if wanted.

I use any apples I have on hand or that are on sale.

Dry ingredients. 

(oops, didn't take a pic of mixed wet ingredients!)

Mixture will be lumpy. Here I added raisins (I was making it for someone who liked raisins), but I would not do it again, as I'm not a big fan.

 Here it is...50 mins to 1 hr later. So MOIST yet CRUNCHY and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups apples (about 4 apples), peeled and diced
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional). I like using slivered almonds. If using walnuts or pecans add them after the all ingredients are combined, so dry flour doesn't get into the crevices.

PREPARATION
Preheat over to 375 degrees.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.

Add wet ingredients, including apples, to flour mixture and mix well to combine. Bake for about 1 hr in greased 9x13, or smaller, pan. 

Done when tip of knife comes out clean. Check at 50 mins, since some ovens run hotter.

NOTE: Usually you mix sugar with eggs & oil, but in this case adding it to the flour is part of what gives this its yummy texture & crunch.

Meeting his parents!

After FIVE years of knowing my sweet and loving boyfriend, Chris, we headed out on our first "vacation" to OR to visit his parents, Molly and Peter.

We packed the dog, Tommy, and off we went. On the way there we stopped in Ashland, where we with Chris' friend, Steve and his wife Anna. Steve and Chris go way back to HS.

We had a fantastic dinner at Standing Stone Brewing Company(photo below), where I ordered their delicious Red Cabbage Cole Slaw...and got the recipe!

Here are Molly and Peter seeing us off in front of their home. Their home is so lovely inside...decorated in a Nautical theme with a ton of sentimental items from years gone by.

I came back home inspered to pull out all our treasures and display them so we can enjoy them every day.

This quilt was made my Chris' grandmother from her mother's old dresses! How lovely is that, right? I'll never throw away another piece of clothing again!

On our first day visiting South Beach, we went for a walk on the beach. It was sunny when we left the house and 10 minutes later we returned completely soaked and covered in hail!

You got it! The photo below was strategically cropped to hide the extra minutes on my "hour glass" figure!

Here Chris with uncle Larry, who we visited on our back, in Crescent City.  Sshh, don't tell anyone, but Chris is hiding his sigarette behind him.  Larry was so much fun to hang out with and I hope to go back just so we can spend more time with him. The end :)

Family Visit to PA

Below is my daughter, son-in-law, and two grandbabies! I'm in CA they're in PA, where these pics were taken during my visit for my grandson's 3rd bday. It was a "How To Train Your Dragon" theme party and it was so much fun!

 Kids pick flowers and inspect the garden

 So yeah, when you have grandchildren you can't stop taking photos of them, and you thinkg EVERYTHING about them is cute...right down to their little toes!!

 Here they are bird watching from inside  the house, since it was just too darn hot to go outside.

Another Great Find

This glass table with 4 chairs turned out more on the modern side. The chairs are not modern per se they just average low-end chairs, but painting them black gave them an "updated" feel and look.

Black is not a color most people think of when they want a "neutral" color. However, as you see here it can be a backdrop to any color you love! This entire set cost only SIXTY FIVE dollars on CL.

I look for great deals to stage my listings and when I'm done with them I resell them, since I can't keep them all.

Money-Saving Tips to Furnish Your Home!

It is always my goal to NEVER pay full price for new furniture, because I can get great things at a fraction of the cost!

Take this queen size bed frame (with headboard & footboard) for example. I got at it a garage sale for $15! The guy threw in the mirror for free. I cleaned up the mirror and sold it on CL for $20....so, you could say I made $5 on the rest!

As you can see here, the whole thing was dirty, dusty and the mirror has stickers on it. The headboard had a crack where the frame latches to it, so I just glued with wood grue.

Once I removed the stickers from the mirror I sanded it a bit and cleaned it up. Here is in all its glory!

The entire thing was retouched with black flat spray paint and it was like new! I am a professional home-stating REALTOR, so the bedding you see here is just for staging...it's an air mattress.

Cute table make-over!

As all you who know me may know, I love a bargain and see beauty where others may see only junk!

So, next time you need something, don't buy/over pay...RENEW!

As a Home-Staging Realtor, I am always looking for budget items to stage with, but I can't keep everything. This table is a good example of how to put life into things that seem to have no life left. I got it on CL for $20 and spent $8 on paint, plus used fabric I had to recover the seats. In all I estimate my total at $35.

I later resold it for $142 to a young couple who just loved it! Maybe I could've sold it for more but I wanted them to have it.

WHAT I DID: Cleaned the glass, painted the base and chairs, recovered the seats with some material I had. I as you can see I stencilled the word sit on each chair. I had another more fun design in mind, but making the stencil was easier with this simple word!

FOR THE STENCIL: I just printed out the word "sit" (again, I went for ease here!) and traced it on wax paper. If youd don't have a printer, you can tape the paper right on your screen and trace! Cut out the letters and sprayed the was paper with removable spray adhesive(get a bit tacky & sticky but not totally glues on), centered on the material and spray painted over it (using a brush didn't work for me!).  You have to hold the can about 6 inches away and spray evenly and light coats until the shape is evenly painted. Let dry and remove stencil!

I used RUST-OLEUM Painter's Touch in matte black for this and other projects.
Once I stapled the material to the seats I trimmed the excess off.
Ta dahhh!!!! All in a day's work!

Chicken Albondigas with Mint

This dish comforts me and takes me back to my childhood like no other! Growing up in Mexico, my mom grew mint in her herb garden and it's what gives this dish its delicious distinct flavor and aroma.

MAKES: 6 to 8 large servings

You can enjoy this with freshly warmed corn tortillas or by itself with just toppings.

Topping for this dish are fresh mint, lime or lemon wedges, chopped onion, and finely chopped green chiles and if you're up for it, toasted and crushed red peppers.


You mix all the goondess together and make a nice masa ball that holds together when you try to form a golf-size ball. It should not be too dry or too wet.

You want each ball to have a little bit of everything in it.

Drop the balls one at a time slowly into the pot. It only takes about ten minutes before they float to the top when done. You want a soft boil so they don't fall apart.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken (about 5 lbs) or chiken breasts and any other parts you like

2 cups corn masa for tortillas (masa for tamales is courser)

2 White or yellow onions (1 1/2 thinly sliced & 1/5 chopped for topping)

2-3 large tomatoes

1 mint bunch (finely slice about 1/2 to go into the balls & for topping)

2 eggs, beaten (keeps the balls from falling apart)

Limes or lemons for seasoning

Green and/or red chiles (optional)

Corn tortillas (optional)

Salt

From the chicken set aside about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of the breast. You'll thinly slice it and add it to the masa mix. Cook the rest of the chicken in enough water to cover the chicken completely. Season with salt and add 1 sliced onion and sliced tomato (1 to 1 1/5). Boil at slow boil for 20-25 mins until chicken is soft. Add a few mint sprigs.

While the chicken is cooking, beat egg a large bowl, add masa and remaining sliced tomatoes, onions, mint and salt to taste, about 1 tbsp (I touch a tiny piece of masa (once wet) to the tip of my toungue to taste).

Start adding warm tap water to the masa and mix until you can mix it all up into a big ball and start forming balls. TIP: I only form enough balls for 1 or 2 meals and save the rest of the masa in the fridge and make balls later as needed. This keeps them from falling apart when reheating the broth.

Drop balls slowly one at a time and let cook for about 20 mins. They will float to the top when cooked. Add water & salt as needed, as you add balls.

Serve hot with toppings of chopped mint, onion, green or red peppers, lemon, lime, and any chile of your choice. Warmed corn tortillas are sometimes nice with it too. Great for cold weather days. Enjoy!

Pan Roasted Green Chile & Tomato Salsa

Once you make this sala you can use the concept to many any other sala.

INGREDIENTS:

5-10 Green Chiles

2 - 3 Roma Tomatoes

Cilantro

Limes/Lemons

Salt

Cut tomotoes in quarters and place in foil, skin side down. Pinch the foil closed leaving a little opening for steam to escape. Place the foil pouch in a shallow pan and put the peppers around it on the pan. Road at med heat for about 5-7 mins, turning the peppers when brown on first side.


Peak inside the foil to see if tomatoes are soft/cooked. There should be some liquid and they should look soft. Lift on a piece to see if the skins are brown. It's better it they turn brown.


Put the peppers in a pestol & mortar or in a blender. Once crushed add tomotoes and mash to desired consistancy. Add salt to taste.


You can add fresh cilantro if decired. Serve over quesadillas or any other food you eat with salsa. TIP: To control the hotness, reserve some of the peppers and add to taste.


These quesadillas are made with Pepper Jack cheese on corn tortillas. A squeeze of lime or lemon makes everything taste better.

Beef & Rice Albondigas

This dish is a perfect example of what to do with your leftovers! Leftover ground beef after making meatloaf became Albondigas (Mexican Meatball Soup)!
I also make Albondigas with Chicken and cormeal. That recipe coming soon!

Brownining forms a nice tasty crust

Balls are slightly flattend so you only have to brown two sides
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Lb ground beef
1/2 cup cooked rice (measure after it's cooked)
1 egg, beaten
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion - divided
3/4 cup chopped cilantro - divided
3 chopped garlic cloves - divided
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 16-on can tamatoes
Oil (I use olive oil)
salt & pepper to taste
Lemon or lime (optional)

Mix the beef with rice and add the carrots, the egg, half the cilantro, garlic, and oninos. Add salt & pepper to taste. (put smidget of the mixture on the tip of your toungue). The mixture will a bit sticky, just wet enough to form golf-size (or smaller) balls. Form the balls.

Heat some oil (about 1/4) on a shallow pan and brown meatballs. When you put the balls in the pan, press lightly with your spoon to make them more "2-sided", as supposed to round. It's easier to brown them.

Remove them on to a plate and add the remaining onions, garlic, and cilantro to the oil. Saltee for about 5 mins and add your tomatoes. Any tomatoes you have will work.

Simmer about 3 mins and add the cumin, oregano, and 4 cups of water or broth. You could also use a cube or two of any bouillon you have. Bring to a soft boil add the meatballs. Let simmer for about 10 mins. Taste the broth and season as needed.

SERVE in a bowl with freshly chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime or lemon and maybe a sprinkle of dried red papper flakes. DELISH!!!

My New Friend....CRAIG'S LIST!

So a few days ago I got a desk & chair for $5 on CL , brought it home and "staged" it...and resold it for $40!

Wow, I'm thinking that at this rate of return I might do this more often. Here are the pics.