Slow Cooked Baked Apples With Caramel

What a great fall treat. I eat mine as is, but a scoop of ice cream would really top this off.  I love the smell of the apples and cinnamon throughout the house.


Ingredients:

3 apples of your choice (I picked Gala)
1/4 cup of instant oats
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
3 pats of butter
3 dabs of caramel (I used the Dulce de leche I made)

Wash your apples really really good.  I used a citrus juicer to take the core out of my apples and then trimmed around the sides and bottom with a paring knife.  I wanted to be all about the apples, so I didn't hallow it out too much.  Just enough to make sure I got the core out.

Mix your oats, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Pack this mixture in your apples.

Place a pat of butter on the top of the mixture.

Place the apples in your slow cooker and if you have any left over oat mixture, sprinkle it on top of the butter.

Cover and cook on low for about 3 hours.  If you wanted to add a little water to the bottom you could, but I can't resist opening the lid, the condensation from the lid defiantly drips down to the bottom of the slow cooker to meet that need.

I check to see if it is done to my desire, I like the apples soft but not mushy, so mine took about 3 hours to cook.  I test it by inserting a fork into the sides of the apples.

I then added a dab of Dulce de leche that is in my refrigerator and place the lid on the slow cooker and let  the Dulce de leche warm up a bit, for me that was about 5 minutes, I couldn't take it anymore, I had to eat one.

There you go, cut open, serve with ice cream, maybe add some chocolate, your call.

Enjoy,

Debra

Adapted from the recipes of: http://missouri.u-la-la.com/dangerously-red-delicious/

Crochet Bottle Cap Bat Pattern

Supplies Needed:

1 bottle cap - I used a regular soda pop bottle cap
4 ply yarn - black
2 small red beads

F/5 3.75mm Hook

The pattern I am giving is basic and you will need to modify the rounds based on the size of the cap.  The cap I am using is a standard soda bottle cap.

This is in American Standard Terms.

Ch = Chain
Rnd = Round
Sc = single crochet
YO = yarn over



Here we go:

Body:

Ch 2
Rnd 1:   Sc in the second chain from hook (5 times), do not join (5 sc)
Rnd 2:   2 sc in each sc from the previous round (5 times), do not join (10 sc)
Rnd 3:   2 sc in each sc from the previous round (10 times), do not join (20 sc)
Rnd 4:   1 sc in each sc from the previous round (20 times), do not join (20 sc)
Rnd 5:   1 sc in each sc from the previous round (20 times), do not join (20 sc)

At this point, test and make sure that the crochet rounds you have made cover the outside of the bottle cap.  Place the cap inside the crochet rounds you have made. You should see only the opening to the bottle cap.  If you are using a smaller bottle cap, you may need to only do one round of 20 single crochet.  If you are using a larger bottle cap you may need to do another round or two of 20 single crochets.  Just make sure that when you place the bottle cap inside of your crochet rounds that the last round you completed goes up to the top rim or just a little over the rim on the cap. 

Now to decrease:

Rnd 6:   Place the hook through the next sc, yo, pull through, place your hook through the next sc, yo and pull through, you should have three stitches on your hook, now yo and pull through all three stitches. You will need to do this 9 more times for a total of 10 sc decreases. 

At this point, when looking at your work, you are starting to form a ball, go ahead and place your cap into this ball with the rim at the top of your last crocheted round. 

Rnd 7:   Once you have the cap inside the ball that you have made, with or without the yarn scarps, you will continue to decrease until closed. I did 5 more sc decreases.  Fasten off and weave in ends.  

Wings (2)

On the side of your cap you will have at least one row of 20 sc that run along the side.  What you will want to do, is put your hook through one side of a sc post and up through the other side. It gives the appearance of a stitch on your hook.  Then attach your yarn with a slip stitch by pulling the hook back through the post that with your sl and sl this to the post.

Ch 1, this counts as an sc.

Complete the process on the next post to the left but instead of sl, complete a sc.  

Complete this step 3 more times.  

Ch 1, turn

Sc in each sc across, for a total of 5 sc, chain 1 and turn.  

Completed the previous round 4 more times.  

Decrease 1 sc in next 2sc, sc in next sc, decrease in next 2 sc's for a total of 3 sc on this round, ch 1 turn.

1 sc in each sc for a total of 3 sc, ch 1, turn.  

Decrease 1 sc in the next 2sc from previous round, sc in next sc, ch 1 turn.

Decrease 1 sc in the next 2c from the previous round, ch 1, fasten off and weave in ends.  

Skip 4 sc post from the ending of the previous wing made and make another wing as instructed above.  

Ears 

Decide how you want your wings to look and determine which side you would like your ears.  Once you have determined this, then you can observe that there are 4 post to work with.  

I place each one a little bit differently, but the stitch is the same.  

The first post from the top right, you will want to slip stitch your yarn onto the post and ch 2.  

Sl into the 2 ch from the hook.  

Sc into the first sl made.

Sl into the next post.  

Sl into the next post.  

Ch 2

Sl into the 2nd ch from the hook.

Sc into the next stitch, which is the sl made for the ch 2.

Sl into the next post.  

Fasten off and weave in ends.  

Tail

Complete the tail the same way your would one of the ears.  

Work from the bottom and use post 2 and 3 to complete the tail.  

Eyes:

I attached two small red beads for the eyes.  


I made three of the bats and ran a fuzzy stick through the back of each back.  I then attached the two ends on each side of the pumpkin web and then formed the fuzzy stick to my liking.  The wings are flexible as well, for forming into different shapes.  

Tomorrow, I will bring a another insect of some type for the web.  

I am not sure what to make.  Any suggestions:

Enjoy,

Debra