The Parsley Patch

A spicy, yet sweet delicacy that takes the place of applesauce or as a topper to cottage cheese is a delicious fall food. Unlike applebutter made by your grandmother, it doesn’t have to be a laborious affair. Using a crockpot to cook the butter to thick perfection makes the process making and putting up this tasty treat simple and easy.

This quintessential Halloween treat gets a sophisticated update that no adult could pass by. With dark chocolate, homemade caramel and crushed cashews covering a sweet tart Empire apple, all the tricks fade and only the treat is left to temp you.

This is a general guide for hot water bath canning of acidic foods such as fruits to make preserves, jellies, jams, etc. Non-acid foods such as vegetables and meats must be processed by the pressure canning method. Consult the specific instructions that accompany your brand of mason jars for the exact procedures as they may differ between manufacturers.

To do something a little different for Easter, we grew pots of rye grass and then inserted sugar cookies that we baked on bamboo skewers into the pots to create a “blooming pot of flowers.”