Okie Redneck's Apple Butter Recipe With Red Hots

My husbands great grandmother made apple butter that the whole family loved. I waited too long to get her recipe and she couldn't remember it. It was one of those recipes that she worked with until it tasted right and looked right. This year I decided that I was going to figure it out. I went to the Internet and started trying to find a recipe to no avail. I could find some that might have worked but they had a lot of the vinegar, which was not in Mema's, so I was told. So I planned some time out and decided to figure her recipe out. I took apples from a local orchard and got started. I tweaked it until I came up with this. The family says that it tastes like hers and I was happy to get it right! I have mental hang up with the fact that it has a red tint to it so I add green food coloring to make it a rich, dark brown. There are always changes that you can make to fit your taste buds so don't be afraid to try!

Apple Butter

5 cups mashed apples

5 cups sugar

2 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup red hots

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Optional: green food coloring

Peel and core apples. Place in stainless steel pan and fill halfway up with water. Boil until apples are soft and will easily break (approx 30 minutes). Use food mill and mash the apples but don't liquefy. Combine all remaining ingredients and cook for at least 20 minutes. If you want to add food coloring to turn in brown add it now. (It normally takes me 8 drops) Place in jars and process in water bath for 10 minutes.

Makes about 3 pints

1 pound of apples=1 cup of mashed apples

I have seen recipes that call for apple sauce instead the mashed apples and am thinking about trying it next time. If you try that leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

Near the end, near the Saviour

Mema is near the end and before long she will see the husband who has been gone for 17 years, she will see the mother who she misses dearly, she will see our Saviour. That is an amazing thought. Soon she will be seeing the creator of the earth..... Just please be sending up prayers for all those who are still left here, including Matt and I. We will miss her so much and there will always be a void but it will be an amazing time for her. We will be shedding tears but also rejoicing that her race is finished.... This song is what sums it up...

wondering....

I went to check on Mema and she was laying there peacefully and wasn't even getting upset when they touched her. Which led me to believe that she was either doing really really good or really really bad. After my mother-in-law spoke with the doctor we found out some information. She is towards the end and her body is shutting down. Although I do feel sadness about this I am also relieved for her. I know that she had been wondering why she was still here and was tying to figure out what she was supposed to be doing. We have a week, give or take.

Matt and I were sitting there talking to her and she told us both that she loved us and missed us multiple times. I told her that I shot my first deer and her face lit up and she had a huge grin and asked me "Are you kidding". I told her that I wasn't and a little about my deer and she said "That's good". I am going to miss her when she is gone. I am also going to miss the fact that she loved me no matter what. But end the end we will know that this wonderful woman helped us through so many tribulations and in the end we were able to stand there beside her and help her through til the end....

Tuesday,,...

Good Morning! I have had a busy last couple of days. I got most everything done on my list this weekend and am gong to try and have the rest done in the next couple of weeks. Although I am working late tonight I may come home and take a nap!

Mema is still the same. They are trying to manage pain right now but it is such a hopeless feeling. Whatever is God's will is going to happen, I just wish that she wasn't in pain.

We were out hunting this weekend and I saw a pretty little doe eating about 60-70 yards away and then saw a buck running full speed. Pretty soon I saw a doe running full speed and the buck right behind her. I had never seen a buck chasing before so it was a neat sight to see.

Hopefully I can get christmas lights on the outside of the house tomorrow......

Goals update.... Mema update....

Matt's great grandmother was put into the hospital yesterday and we spent the evening up there with her. I am hurting so much for her because she is hurting. She is in such pain and just doesn't know what is going on much. They have her on morphine but she is still saying she is huring, which is totally unlike her. She is one tough old bird. She is 94 years old and have lived a long life. I know that God has plans, I just wish she wouldn't have to suffer like this.

***********

UPDATE: Finished #4 about 9 pm....

UPDATE: finished #6 & #7 at 5:15 I took a break to go eat lunch with Matt's Mom and Grandparents and it was a wonderful break. Now on to do #4!!!!!

UPDATE: Finished #3 at 11:45 pm

My school goals for this weekend (Friday to Sunday) are
1. weekend class (Friday and Saturday)
2. two week thematic unit

3. class observation paper from a Spanish class

4. read 100 pages for Monday nights class

5. create study guide for class discussion Monday

6. read 50 pages for Tuesday online class

7. post answers for Tuesday online class

8. book review of a Spanish text book

9. Do assignments for Monday's online class

10. Post to two discussion boards for online class

Jeff Bates was amazing!!!! & Deer Fajitas

First off, the concert Friday was amazing!!! I got to touch Jeff Bates twice!!! The show was wonderful and the crow was quite big. He sang a couple new songs and I can't wait until I can buy them. I finally got a shirt and a friend took it into the meet & greet and got it signed for me. I had such an amazing time and Matt was a good sport about it. I even got him home early enough for him to get some decent sleep before going fishing early in the morning!

*************

After getting home we heard about a tragedy that happened in the community and talked about it for a while. The next morning I called Lisa and we talked for a while and then I got a phone call back from her. Matt's great grandma had fallen the night before and had been taken to the nursing home. No one had been notified though. I called his mother and then took off to go the 25 minute drive to get to the hospital. We found out that her son didn't fill out and return all the appropriate paperwork to the assisted living facility, so they had no contact numbers to call anyone on. This is the same son who is pushing everyone to get their stuff out so that they can sell the house. Needless to say, I was upset and Matt was as well. She has two black eyes, a big gash on her head, the left side is swollen and the blood is draining from the fall so it is going all down her face and neck. They are releasing her from the hospital and sending her back to the assisted living facility with some additional help. I know that the thought is hard but it is coming down to quantity vs. quality of life. I know where she is going and just hope for her that she doesn't have to suffer much longer. Some prayers sent up would be nice.

*************

Last night I made some fajitas and they were so good! The only thing missing was deer. We always make our fajitas with deer but I didn't have any thawed so I picked up some chicken on the way home. Two bell peppers, one large onion (or two medium onions) and the meat of your choice. Throw some oil, water and a season packet and let it marinade. If you don't have a season packet throw in some salt, pepper, season salt and garlic powder. It is suppose to marinade for 15 minutes but I was running late on time so I threw everything in a pan and then sprinkled the seasonings over and threw a little bit of water in there. Cook for about 15ish minutes covered. Then serve up hot!!! I found a block of white cheese dip with jalapenos and that is what got this whole thing started! I had cheese dip, guac, salsa to have with chips and then the fajitas. Wonderful dinner and I can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch!!!!

musings...

We have been really busy in our neck of the woods and it isn't the kind of busy we want to be. The back story of all this is when Matt and I started dating he had 4 great-grandparents living. That was not grandparents, it was GREAT grandparents. I didn't have any grandparents living and my mom was gone too.... It was neat to get close to these people and get to know them. Granny Tommie was an amazing woman who could make pottery like you couldn't believe. He had a set of great grandparents, Mimi Linn and Papa Burb who took care of him after school. Mimi would make him mush and Papa was always good for a laugh. Mimi passed away 8 years ago and Papa has been gone 5 years now.

He now has one living great grandparent left and we love his Mema Mier. This woman weights maybe 90 pounds and took care of his great grandfather for years after he had a stroke. She wanted him to be where he wanted to so she got nurses to come in and take care of him during the day and she took care of him at night. Those nurses were only there to help her so she could go to work and help support them. She is now 93 and isn't doing the best. Matt has been living with her to help her be able to live at home still but last year it became too much. We had been putting off getting remarried so that she could live in her home still. I won't go into the dirty details but it hasn't been pretty. There are some family members who have shown their true colors and she isn't even gone yet. In the last week and a half family members have decided to step in and make changes. These are changes that should have been made over a year ago but it took her falling and laying there for an extended amount of time for these changes to be made.

I just that my point is, although she is older she still has a will. She has been moved to a town that she doesn't like, away from her home, and away from those who spent the time with her. I am hoping that these family members will step up and take the responsibility instead of running from it. Just please always think when decisions are made and think how they will affect everyone, not just yourself. Although there will be sacrifices, they will be worth it in the end and they can enrich the life of the person they are made for. Although we will be driving 30 minutes at least twice a week the time spent with Mema will be wonderful and the time in the car can be a good thing for Matt and myself to get to talk. I guess we will be killing two birds with one stone! Please sent up some prayers for peace and that she will know when it is time to let go.