Homemade Apple Sauce with Crumb Topping

21 large apples I use Fuji and Gala Apples

2 cups water

½ cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel all the apples and core them. Once you have them all peeled and cored cut the apples up into small chunks. Place the apples in a large pot, add water, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat with a cover. Once apples are soft about 20 minutes use a potato masher and mash the apples in the pot. Uncover and cook down until most of the juice is gone. Let cool and place in mason jars or container with lid. Keep refrigerated.

Crumb Toping

½ stick soft butter

½ cup flour

½ cup oats

½ cup brown sugar

Smash in the flour, brown sugar and oats into the butter using a fork. Keep mixing until it become crumbly. You might have to add flour.

Sea Food Chowder

Sea Food chowder is one of my family favorites for winter time and also on game day.

Here is what you will need

1 jar clam juice

1 can tiny shrimp (rinsed)

1 can crabmeat (rinsed)

2 cans minced clams

2 cups Heavy whipping cream

2 cups 2% milk

½ cup Diced Onion

½ cup Diced Celery

5 Slices of Bacon Diced

¼ teaspoon Garlic powder

¼ teaspoon Chicken Bouillon

3 Piled and diced Russet Potatoes

In a large pot brown the diced bacon. Remove from pan. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan, sauteed onion and celery in the bacon fat. Once onions and celery are slightly browned add the 1 jar of clam juice, the juice from the 2 cans of minced clams, and the diced potatoes. Cook on med high heat until the potatoes are tender. When the potatoes are ready add the heavy whipping cream, milk, garlic powder, chicken bouillon, clams, crab and shrimp. Cook on low for 30 minutes. If you would like a thicker soup stir in 2 tablespoons of flour mixed in water.

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef $2.89 I used ground chuck you can find cheaper meat


1 can stewed tomato $0.93


I can tomato sauce $0.98


1 can corn with juice $0.87


1 cup black beans $0.24


1 cup pinto beans $0.17


1 package taco seasoning $1.28


½ cup chopped onion $0.34


Grated cheese $0.54


Sour cream $0.10

Brown ground beef in a large pot. Drain off fat. Cook onions into the meat. Once onions are done add stew tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, beans and the taco seasoning. Let simmer for 30 minutes.


Top bowls with grated cheese, sour cream, diced onions and tortilla chips.


Makes 6 to 8 servings depending on the size of the bowl


For us it is a 6 serving meal. Let’s remember that I have teenage boys.

Total cost: $8.34 Cost per serving of $1.39


For this meal I used previously cooked and frozen beans. I cook my beans in a crock pot and freeze in zip lock bags. (sandwich bags I double bag them) Do not drain your beans you will need a little juice in each bag. Each bag equals one cup.

My $5.00 Dinner Challenge

This week I put myself to the $5.00 dinner challenge and I have to say it was a challenge, because when I cook I make more than 4 servings at a time. Let me just say that I have two teenage boys, one that plays football and the other plays football and lacrosse. One serving for these very active boys just doesn’t cut it. So I have come to the conclusion this week, if I can make a family meal that cost me $1.25 a serving I am happy with that.

Meatball Sandwich

One package of Colombo Sandwich Rolls $1.88

24 Italian Meatballs 1 oz each 4 meatballs on each sandwich $2.64

I purchased the meatballs from Sam’s Club it was a 6 pound bag for $10.99 making the meatballs $0.11 each

Deal Monte Four Cheese Spaghetti Sauce $0.98

Parmesan Cheese or Grated Pizza Cheese $0.54


Total Cost: $6.04
Price per serving $1.01

Mahi Mahi Fish Taco

I love fish tacos, but I needed to find a more health way to eat one, since the only fish taco I have ever had is one deep fried.

Grill the Mahi Mahi in a smoking hot cast iron skillet.  Once the skillet is good and hot (you should be able to see smoke coming off the skillet) lightly sprinkle the skillet with canola oil and spread around the skillet with spatula.  Season the fish with salt and pepper.  Sear fish until brown on both sides.   Fish should cook for about 2 ½ minutes on one side and 2 minutes on the other side.

Heat corn tortilla shell over a hot burner. Top with tarter sauce, red onion cilantro, shredded lettuce or shredded cabbage. Add a squeeze of lime.

Tarter Sauce

¼ cup of mayonnaise

¼ cup of sour cream

¼ teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon horseradish

1 to 2 slices of claussen kosher dill sandwich slices pickles chopped finely

Seasonal Corn on the Cob

It saddens me that the end of the season is here for fresh corn on the cob.  So what did we do we had a corn on the cob feed at work.  A local farmer brought in a big gunny sack of fresh corn on the cob. Yes!  We couldn’t get that bag shucked fast enough and into a pot of hot water, we didn’t care that it was only 9:30 in the morning we wanted the last of the corn for the year.  Boy was it good!

Girls at work shucking the corn.

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Here is what we put on the corn on the cob.

1st spread mayo on the corn


2nd roll it in hard cheese like parmesan


3rd sprinkle with chili


Top with a squeeze of lime.

OK so it’s not the best for you with all that mayo, but I’m telling you it is really good.  It is worth the life time on the hips or not I just ran an extra few miles to cover the extra calories.

Justin’s Famious Peanutbutter Energy Bars

¼ cup butter

I 16 oz. Jar of Adams Natural Crunchy Peanut butter

½ cup honey (we use local honey it helps our allergies)

½ cup dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1 tablespoon Molasses (Brer Rabbit mild)

3 to 4 cups of Bran Flakes

¼ cup Craisins or other dry fruit (We like apricots or golden raisins)

Melt butter in a large pan. Once butter is melted add peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, molasses, and corn syrup. Cook on low heat until all ingredients have melted together. About 5 minutes. Next add the bran flakes and dry fruit mix well. Butter a glass rectangle pan, spoon in the mixture and spread evenly. Press down with buttered hands to compact the mixture tightly in the pan. Let cool. Cut into bars.