Link & Mingle { EIGHT }

Hello Friend!  I hope you are having a great week!
I've enjoyed all of the apple recipes I've been trying this week.
Like these

Apple, Brie, & Arugula Quesidillas

Goat Cheese, Apple, Walnut & Arugula Pizza

Beginnings of Apple Butter

Toasted Goat Cheese, Apple & Arugula Sandwhich
with Apple Honey Mustard dressing

Maybe sometime in the next week or so I will put up the recipes of these.
In the meantime, why don't you hang out here for a little bit and get to know some new bloggers.

The long of it is, the "Link and Mingle: Sisters in Blogging Social Media Linkup". The short is, the "Link & Mingle". Call it what you wish. :)

Meet our weekly hosts!

Shaylee Ann | Mother {at} Heart

Kim | Singledou[b]t

Kendra | Adventures of Brad & Kendra

Courtney | Thoughts From the Birdhouse

Britt | Yellow Umbrella

and for this week's co-host, we have

Amy | The Ramblings of Miss AimyMichelle

Hannah | Thirsty World Designs

Thank you, ladies!

The "rules" are thus:
visit/follow/like as many links as you can.
link up to as many social media sites that apply to you (please link up only links that apply - blog posts and other links that do not apply will be removed).
Share, tweet, and blog about this link party if you so wish.
Grab the button {below}.
Have fun meeting new people!

Links are connected to each header, to show you just what you should link up. :)

We would love it if you followed all of your hosts and co-hosts, but that's not mandatory. 
Just have fun! :)

If you would be interested in co-hosting this party periodically, send an email to {shaylee.motheratheart@gmail.com}.

Want to have this blog hop on your site? Click the URL at the bottom of each linkup to get the code. Tweet #link&mingle if you post the hop!

Alright, ladies! Button-up, link-up, and meet-up! :)

Tweet

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<center> <a href="http://www.mother-at-heart.com/search/label/Link%20and%20Mingle" target="_blank"><img alt="Mother {at} Heart" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3PXw9zgVBkQDxrK6AhSTn3_nOiyWtU6V6_h1oYI_AVrjWtMqf8s2ReJbikDvd807rHniqIwDWpmUd8qSYzRKBHaQulovtMbAABXzLLk6kW33z2XSq38AOsSbEsGlr6_FIuKoEKCvFps/s487/button.png" width="250"/></a></center>

Thank you for linking up!

Come back next Thursday for another round of the Link & Mingle!

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{Post Sponsored by This Lovely}

Its Raining Apples

This Sunday, I went apple picking with my church upstate.  Apple Picking is one of my most favorite events of the year. It was a tad rushed this year due to my needing to be at work at 3pm but I still had a blast and got lots of apples.  I would have gotten more but my budget and arms couldn't take much more.

 I took pictures with my real camera.  Maybe I will share those tomorrow!  

Anyway, so I have been struggling with what to make with my apples this year. Last year I did a series called "Apple A Day".   Over the course of a few weeks, I tried several apple recipes:  Apple Pie Cheesecake, Apple Pie Muffins, Apple Pie Bites, etc.  So this year I wanted to try different things but what to make?  Yesterday, I planned to make apple cider and/or Apple butter but had some other things come up so didn't end up doing those.  

Although, I did make one thing using the apples yesterday.  We made these Apple, Brie & Arugula quesadillas.  OMG.  they were so amazing.  I found some recipes yesterday that I think I am going to try and this was one of them.  Maybe I will make it again soon and will take better pictures.  

So, all this to say... What should I try this year?  I really want to make cider and apple butter.  Any good cider recipes out there? Also, anyone know how to make hard cider?  Is it complicated?  Really want to make Hard Apple Cider!  

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you have a lovely fall day!

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{Post Sponsored by This Lovely}

Apple A Day: Apple Sauce

(Printable Recipe)

I actually made this about 6 weeks ago and even wrote up the recipe but never added the pictures and posted it.  Now, I seem to have lost 75% of the pictures so you just get this one.

Its not even the finished product (which was super yummy)

I got the base of this recipe from my good friend Kristina.  She's pretty awesome and so is her blog.  She's got great organic and healthy ideas.  I added a few items to my recipe like Grand Marnier.  The alcohol mostly burns off but leaves a subtle flavor.  It is a sugar free otherwise.  

What you Need:
6 cups apples (Variety)
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 cup Grand Marnier
2-3 cups water
nutmeg
Brown Sugar (optional)

Directions:
Peel, cut and chop apples into slices or chunks.  Place apples into large stock pot or crock pot. Add water, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg to taste, and 1/4 cup of grand marnier.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low heat.  If using crockpot, put on low.  Let simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Taste as it cooks for flavor.  Add more water or grand marnier if apples get dry.  Because of the long simmer, the alcohol will boil off.  I did not add sugar as I wanted to keep this on the healthier side.  But add in sugar to taste.  The Grand Marnier will add a little bit of an orange flavor to it.  Once the apples are soft, you can either blend with an immersion blender or leave chunky.  Serve hot or cold.

Apple A Day: Apple Pie Cheesecake

(Printable Recipe)

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me.  I love cheesecake and I love apples, so to combine the two sounded like a great idea.  I made it for our church's community dinner.  I got lots of thumbs up for it.  I made a few changes to the original recipe but otherwise it was the same as what my friend listed.

Apple A Day: Apple Pie Muffins

(Printable Recipe)

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• I made these for church a couple of weeks ago.  They were a big hit but unfortunately I must not have taken pictures. If I did, they have disappeared... Sorry about that, but take my word for it, they are yummy.

Apple A Day: Apple Pie Bites

(Printable Recipe)

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• I love finding fun ways to use the apples I got from apple picking this year. I love it even more when I can make single serving recipes or ones that I can snack on.  

I found these apple pie bites online.  They are great tasting, small and easy to make.  You can't eat just one...  They are even good cold.

Apple A Day: Apple Pie in an Apple

(Printable Recipe)

Earlier this month, some of us from my church went apple picking.  Knowing that I was going to want to make lots of things with apples,  I went for the largest bag they had which was half a bushel. I would have gotten more but i soon realized that meant I had to carry more.  

Since then I have been trying as hard as I can to try various recipes and ideas using the apples.  My first recipe to share is Apple Pie in the Apple.  Its actually really easy and fun.  Its a great recipe to impress guests with or just to make individual servings for your family, roommates, etc.

Oh What To Do

So its Sunday and usually that means its a busy morning with all of my church responsibilities, but I have the afternoon to do whatever I please.  So iI decided this morning to make a to do list.   And I am going to let you in on it.