~ a peaceful place to rest ~

This is one of my favorite cookbooks. My mama got it for all of us girls a few years back.

It is packed full of fun recipes, and I love how they are a combination of easy recipes that you can make by throwing together a few different cream o' soups and this and that and then there is also the "from scratch" recipes. It's a really good combination of both. 

I tend to cook more from scratch but on occasion I get a hankerin' for an easy throw-it-together type of meal. You know the type where you just open cans and dump it all together and it turns into a beautiful delicious casserole. You know, the type that you find at a "Church Supper". Ehem!



The last couple weeks my husband has been working late LATE nights and I'm the kind of wife whose house isn't precisely perfect at all times BUT I really like for my a few things to be "put together" when my husband gets home. I like for him to be welcomed home by a peaceful environment after a hard day of work. He is an excellent provider and awesome daddy and my goal on a nightly basis is to make our home his opportunity to refresh, re boost his energy and rejuvenate his spirit.  Sometimes I fail miserably but most times if I've put any effort into it at all - a peaceful home is exactly what I accomplish. 

So in order for me to accomplish this peaceful place of rejuvenation. I start at about 3:30 pm (after naps) - I make sure that all my daily projects are cleaned up for the day, make sure my dishes are in order - kitchen counters are wiped down and I have dinner lined out. I usually turn on some music and if I didn't make beds earlier I get those made-up and sometimes I'll run the vacuum through the house. Sometimes, I might even light some candles and make sure I don't look like a total wreck and the boys are "in order" (you know, clean and not too stinky/sticky :).

Sometimes I also like to have a dessert cooling for after dinner and last week I made this.

This recipe came out of the "Church Suppers" cookbook I just was telling you about. I chose this recipe because #1 - I had what ingredients it called for and #2 - I am a huge fan of that apple/cinnamon smell simmering through the house. I knew that smell would add to the comfy welcoming home of our daddy that I was hoping for after his long day of work.

 

 It is a pretty easy recipe but there was one thing that was kind of challenging and that was the fact that there was no time given on how long to bake it. So what I ended up doing was I put it in the oven for 20 minutes and would check it and I just kept adding 20 minutes to the timer when I checked it - after I finally got the color I wanted on the top I covered it with tinfoil so it wouldn't get any darker... I ended up cooking it somewhere between 45 - 60 minutes total and I think I put the tinfoil on it after 30 mintes. I think it will depend on your oven and your location for how long you should bake yours - so, maybe just do the same check it every 20 minutes thing and keep track that way. I wish I would of kept better track of how long it baked for so I could recreate it for next time because it came out perfect this time!

 I baked it till it was just perfectly golden brown on top and till I could stab it with a butter knife and it came out clean and there was no resistance with the apples and I could tell they were cooked through. It turned out so delicious and beautiful!

Plus it made my house smell so scrumptious!!

I hope that you try this recipe and I encourage you to grab this cookbook if you ever see it for sale anywhere. It's a goody!


So, I'm so curious - is there any other cool ideas that you have that you do to
make your home a peaceful place to rest for you and your family?