The Basics Series - Homemade Apple Sauce Homemade Apple Sauce is one of the first things I remember helping with when I was a kid. Both my Mom and grandmother made applesauce. Often they did it together, and, as the kids it was often our job to squish the apples through the old-fashioned Chinois with the wooden pestle. I don't know what has become of the chinois, but I still have Grandma's pestle. It's handy for all sorts of percussive tasks in the kitchen. Because of that, I admit it is a ... Read More about Homemade Apple Sauce
Snacks
Fresh Ginger Cookies
Level up your cookie game! It's the time of year when we all begin to crave these favorite fall flavors. I submit that these Fresh Ginger Cookies are going to fulfill those cravings better than any pumpkin-spice-whatever could hope to do. They're chewy and rich and just so satisfying, alongside a cup of coffee or tea. How about a fantastic mid-day pick-me-up or after-school snack? Maybe pack some up to take on your weekend leaf-peeping expedition, if you're lucky enough to live where there ... Read More about Fresh Ginger Cookies
Whole Wheat Gingerbread Brownies
Fun with Brownies These fantastic Whole Wheat Gingerbread Brownies are the result of what I like to call kitchen shenanigans. I know not everyone regards cooking and baking quite the same way that I do. To me, it's an adventure. The only limit is my imagination. Well, total failure is a bit of a limiter, but we don't need to talk about that right now, do we? What if... What if I sub in whole wheat flour? It will be nuttier, richer, and maybe a little more dry, because whole wheat ... Read More about Whole Wheat Gingerbread Brownies
Double Apple Bourbon Cake
Summer is really losing its grip here in the Northeast. The temperature has cooled off a lot - we have days of mellow sunshine and the beginnings of fall colors. It's the perfect time to make this Double Bourbon Apple Cake. When apples are just beginning to get ripe, nearly any variety is good for baking. Later in the season, everyone wants Granny Smiths and Northern Spies, but in September and October, my favorites are Cortlands. Cortland apples, developed about 20 minutes from my ... Read More about Double Apple Bourbon Cake
Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is one of the first new recipes I ever posted on The Creekside Cook. It only seems appropriate that I bring Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies back to the top to celebrate a new design. It had become increasingly evident that my old blog wasn't working all that well anymore. That is no surprise since I created the design back in the Middle Ages of the internet. Technology has changed a lot since then. I'm loving the new look, and I hope that you do as well. You can let me know in the ... Read More about Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies
Avocado, Bacon and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
March is the month when I really get over winter - like completely over it. I am ok with winter in November, December, January and even February. It's supposed to be cold and snowy, and I don't mind staying in and making big pots of stew. But when March rolls around, it's time to be planning the garden, ordering the seeds I forgot back in January, making sure we have all of the seed starting supplies that we'll need, and checking to see if the daffodils have begun to peek out. This has been a ... Read More about Avocado, Bacon and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Lemony Dill Hummus
...with Cucumber Dippers! Hi there! I am picking my head up from the pails that contain our farmer's market produce to put this fantastic recipe together for you! Farmer's Market is a lot of fun, but I am not sure we could handle more than one market a week - getting everything looking good and ready to sell is a lot of work. There are people who do a market just about every day of the week, and they must be exhausted all the time! Or maybe they are a lot younger than we are. Yeah - that last ... Read More about Lemony Dill Hummus
Blueberry Ginger Buttermilk Cake
A lovely late summer cake! Alas, this will be the final blueberry post for the summer of '14. Not the last blueberry thing we'll eat, for sure. We freeze blueberries to use in the wintertime. They are equally good as the fresh ones in a cake like this. If you run across this recipe for Blueberry Ginger Buttermilk Cake later on in the year, don't hesitate to use frozen berries in it. But fresh ones are what we have today. A final picking that Larry did with his Mom the other day. Blueberry ... Read More about Blueberry Ginger Buttermilk Cake
Coconut Milk Fudgesicles
Coming up with a good dessert can be a challenge in the summer time. We don't have AC, so unless it is going to cool off really well at night, I am not turning on the oven. We eat a lot of fresh fruit, and enjoy plenty of ice cream, but while that may satisfy us, it doesn't do much for the blog, ya know? But, every so often, I stumble across a concept that not only takes care of my desire to have a sweet recipe here on the blog, but also blows me away. This is one of those recipes. It is ... Read More about Coconut Milk Fudgesicles
Zucchini and Black Bean Quesadillas
I know a lot of people complain about how prolifically zucchini grows, and I might even make a joke about it every so often here on the blog, but honestly we do love it. You still might want to lock your car doors if you stop by and leave your car in our driveway for very long, though. Zucchini have minds of their own, and have been know to form little squads that somehow make their way to the back seats of the unwary visitor. And this is the time of year when people leave their dogs tied on the ... Read More about Zucchini and Black Bean Quesadillas
Spicy Tomato Cheese Crackers
You know those cheese crackers you can buy in the store? The little orange ones that have some kind of magnet in the bottom of the box, perfectly attuned to human physiology, so that you can't keep your hand out of there, but just keep going back in the box for another one? For a long time, they just had one flavor, but they keep adding more and more all the time, including spicy ones. Did they really have to make spicy ones? They seem to have an even stronger magnet in those boxes than the ... Read More about Spicy Tomato Cheese Crackers
Chili Toasted Almonds
So, in my last post, I mentioned that Larry is not the world's biggest fan of chocolate. He is, on the other hand, rather fond of treats like these Chili Toasted Almonds. I can't say that I blame him, because they are awfully good. Maybe you want to whip up a Valentine's treat for someone in your life who likes things more spicy than sweet? I think these almonds would be a perfect fit for that kind of thinking. Almonds are also very good for you, so you will also be sharing some health benefits, ... Read More about Chili Toasted Almonds