New Recipe for the Weekend

Deep Fried Apple Fritters are a perfect dessert for the fall season.  Do you have a party or dinner you need to go together this fall?  This is the perfect recipe to bring.  Do not let the deep fried scare you, this recipe is simple and delicious.  You can learn more at The Kitchn.

Yes, they are deep fried. I decided to go against the current food blogging trend of baking donuts. I understand how, even aside from the calories, that the thought of deep frying is sort of scary for some of you. I get it — boiling oil, pitter-patter-splatter, equals hot painful burns. Yep, been there (don't be like me and multi-task deep frying with social media!).
Tips for a Better, Easier Fritter

Since this isn't the shortest recipe ever and it's a bit more advanced, I'm sharing some tips to make sure things move along smoothly for you.

I'll start with the apples: core, peel and chop your apples then submerge them in ice cold water with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Push the apples down and place a piece of parchment paper on top so the apples don't bob above the surface of the water. You can do this the night before so the apples are ready to go when you're ready to fry.

And here's a shortcut for proofing the dough: Place an oven thermometer inside your oven and heat the oven to 100°F, then turn it off. Wait until the oven thermometer inside reads 90°F then place your bowl of dough inside. I use this method a lot in the winter when warm spots in the house can be hard to find, plus it speeds up the proofing in recipes like this. If you use this method, make sure you have an oven thermometer and the temperature in the oven does not exceed 90°F.

Now for the deep frying. You want to do your best and keep the oil at a steady 360°F. If it's too low, your fritters will absorb too much oil and become sodden; too high and the outsides will end up burnt, or worst — appear to be finished with a nice golden browning while the inside is still doughy.

A few deep frying rules!
Use the right tools: (1) a deep frying thermometer is a must for eliminating guess-work, (2) use an Asian-style spider spatula — not tongs — to remove the finished fritters. If you don't have a spider, a very wide slotted-spoon will also work so the fritter doesn't slip off and fall back in the oil with enough splash to splatter your tender skin.
Don't multi-task. See note above.
Minimize any splatter burns by being careful and not deep frying shirtless (guys), or in a tank top. I'm serious.
Start out only frying one or two fritters to get it down and establish and workflow pattern. Additionally, adjust any timing as needed to make sure your fritters are cooked through.

Sound good? Not too scared? You shouldn't be — apple fritters await. Now lets get started.

Glazed Apple Fritters


Makes 12 fritters



For the apple filling:
2 1/2 pounds (about 5 whole) Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For the dough:
1 packet of active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup whole milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Prep the apples: Core, peel and chop apples into small pieces. Submerge them in ice cold water with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Push the apples down and place a piece of parchment paper on top so the apples don't bob above the surface of the water. Set aside or refrigerate (for up to 24 hours) until ready to use.

Make the dough: Whisk together the yeast, 3 cups of the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon in the bowl of a stand mixer. With a dough hook and the mixer on low speed, mix in the milk followed by the eggs. Continue mixing until the dough gathers into a ball around dough hook, 2 to 4 minutes.

Continue mixing the dough, and add in the butter one tablespoon at time. Allow each tablespoon of butter to combine into the dough before adding another. If dough starts to fall away from the dough hook, add the remaining 1/4 cup of flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough comes back together before adding in next butter piece.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Make the apple filling while the dough rises: Heat the butter for the filling in a skillet over medium-high heat until butter turns brown and smells nutty. Drain the apples and add them to the pan with the butter. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, and cook until tender. Add in vinegar and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

Assemble the fritters: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Starting from the end closest to your body, scatter 3/4 of the apples over the surface of the dough then roll it up in a long tube.

Now rotate the tube of dough so that it's perpendicular to your body. Flatten the tube slightly, then scatter the remaining apples over the surface. Roll up the tube like a snail's shell — the finished dough will look like a large ball.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the apple-filled dough ball to a 1/2-thick rectangle. Some apples may pop out — don't worry if they do, just set them aside and pop them back in where you can. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch squares to make 12 fritters. Use your hand to and pull the four corners of each square towards the center. Again, don't worry about any apples falling out or if they are exposed. Pinch dough together if necessary to create a rough circle.

Place the shaped fritters on a parchment-lined baking sheet and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 30 minutes or until the fritters puff and almost double in size

Make the glaze: Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Stir in the milk and vanilla until smooth. Set aside; warm in the microwave in 10 second bursts if the glaze starts to harden.

Deep fry the fritters: Heat 6 to 7 inches of oil to 360°F a large Dutch oven. Meanwhile, line a wire rack with paper towels.

Carefully lower 3 to 4 fritters into the hot oil. Fritters will float and not sink. Fry on one side for 30 to 60 seconds or until golden brown, then flip the fritter and fry the other side for 30 to 60 seconds until golden brown. Remove fritter with a spider or slotted spoon, and drain on prepared wire rack. Repeat with the remaining fritters. (Between batches, make sure the oil temperature returns to 360°F and remove any floating pieces of dough or apples.)

Let fritters cool slightly, then brush the glaze on top. Serve immediately.

8 Foods to Always Spend Money On

What do you spend the most money on at the grocery store?  There are certain items that you should never be afraid to spend money on.  Here is The Kitchn's list of these items.  Make sure these items are on your grocery list for next week.


1. Fresh Produce

During the summer, filling my kitchen with fresh fruits and vegetables is effortless and asks next to nothing of my wallet. But as autumn rolls in, and farms around American shift into winter mode, the price of fresh foods spikes. I buy them anyway. In six years of being a student, the common cold or flu never fails to catch me if I neglect my fresh fruits and veggies. One method to maintain diversity without spending too much at once is to buy, for example, two different fruits and two different veggies, and eat them until they're gone.

2. Hormone- and Antibiotic-Free Meats

This is a big one. While I'm still not at a place where I can buy local meat, it's important for me to eat meat from animals that have not been fed diets filled with pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. In particular, antibiotics and hormones in animal diets have been tagged as possible culprits for a myriad of health trends today, none of which are positive. While local and grass-fed are always best, if that's not an option, try to make a priority to buy organic meats from your supermarket.

3. Hearty Breads

Most "wheat" breads are barely better than white breads in terms of nutritional value. I always scan the label and look for at minimum 3 grams of dietary fiber per slice. Even better, I buy heartier, grain-rich artisan breads from the bakery section of my mainstream grocery store. For just a few dollars more (or cents if they are on sale!) my sandwiches, sides, and snacks feel just a little fancier and I stay full for longer.

4. Quality Dressings

If you're not going to make your own salad dressings, it's worth it to invest in higher quality, albeit pricier, salad dressings. Cheap salad dressings are filled with a myriad of ingredients that you're better off avoiding, including partially hydrogenated oils, older oils that may be rancid, high fructose corn syrup, too much sugar, too much salt, and MSG, to name a few. Again, check the nutrition label: buy the options that have the fewest unrecognizable ingredients.

5. Yogurt

Good yogurt is worth investing it, particularly if you like Greek yogurt. More expensive yogurts are usually made with fewer and better ingredients and feature less sugar than cheaper brands.

6. Chocolate

Cheap chocolate is sad and makes me sad. It's often full of additives and never melts properly on my tongue. Splurging on quality dark chocolates satiates my sweet tooth and replaces cheaper desserts, such as packaged baked goods and other empty carbs. Ditching processed desserts and treating myself to good chocolate is one of the best decisions I've made.

7. Coconut Oil

Yes, that tiny jar is expensive. But if you cook with lots of oils or butters, coconut oil can be your new best friend, as its one of the healthier fats. Extremely versatile, you can use it for sautéing anything, spreading it on your toast instead of butter, dropping a spoonful into your breakfast smoothie to keep you full for longer, and more.

8. Raw Honey

Honey is an antimicrobial and antibacterial food, and in moderation can be one of your best sweetener options. However, most honey in stores has been pasteurized, which eliminates most of honey's virtues and renders it little more than syrupy sugar. Raw honey, while a bit pricier, comes with a host of benefits and is a great natural sweetener in recipes and drinks.

5 Things to Re-energize your Space

Are you bored with the rooms in your home?  If you have had the same furniture layout or decor for years, maybe it is time you try to switch things up.  These five easy tricks can give new life to your home.  These are all ways to give your home a new look without breaking the bank.  You can learn more at Apartment Therapy.

Often I find myself tempted to buy things for my home not because I actually need new things, but because I suffer from ennui. I suppose it's the human condition: a space which seems exciting and fresh one year can seem a little same old, same old the next. But there are plenty of ways to make a space feel fresh and re-energized without pulling out your wallet. If your home is feeling a little stale, try one of these five strategies for refreshing your home without spending a dime.

1. Get rid of things.
Earlier this year I got rid of about half my furniture. I was sort of forced into it: I was staging my house to sell, and everyone knows that a house looks bigger with less stuff in it. My house did look bigger, post-purge, but what surprised me the most was how much more I liked my house. (It almost made me not want to move after all!) Getting rid of furniture meant that the pieces that were left were ones I really liked, and that they had room to breathe.

So try this at home: go into a room, and pick out one piece that doesn't really need to be there. Or just get rid of a little bit of clutter. Bonus: if you sell your old things on Ebay or Craigslist, you can actually make money while improving your home.

2. Move furniture (and art!) from room to room.
When I shot Sarah Hazel's house tour, she gave me a bit of advice for keeping your home feeling fresh: "I think that furniture gets bored staying in the same place all the time. Rearrange often." Sure enough, the next time I visited her home, furniture, art, and tchotckes had wandered all over the place. Even though it was the same stuff, I felt like I was seeing these things for the first time.

So shake up your house with a little re-arranging. Move a rug from your bedroom into the living room. Hang a big painting in the bathroom. If you're feeling really bold, you could switch two rooms entirely. You'll feel like you have a whole new house, but it won't cost you anything (except maybe beer for your furniture-moving friends).

3. Finish a project you've been working on for a long time.
Everyone who is even slightly DIY-inclined has a dirty secret: at least one project that lies moldering in a cabinet or garage, waiting to be completed. Want your home to feel fresh and new? Finish it! You've already paid for the materials, and finishing that project will free up space, add something new to your home, and give you the satisfaction of completing something you started.

4. Do a deep clean.
Yeah, yeah. Cleaning is boring. But cleaning, especially when your home really needs it, is also deeply satisfying. Tidy up, do a deep clean, open up the windows for some fresh air, and you may feel like you have a whole new space.

5. Change your perspective.
Don't feel like moving furniture? You can always move you. As I write this, I am sitting on the same side of the dining room table that I always sit on. On the other side of the table, there is a whole half of a room that I have never experienced. I think we all get into these house ruts — sitting in the same spot on the sofa, sleeping on the same side of the bed. Try changing it up. You may see your home in whole new way.

A New Kind of Pumpkin

Everyone craves pumpkin in the fall.  However, the pumpkin flavor is already starting to appear in our favorite foods.  Have you had a pumpkin coffee or beer yet?  There are many more pumpkin recipes that you can start trying now for fall.  Here is one of our favorites, and you can learn more at Allrecipes.