Applesauce Pancakes

Great for Breakfast and even better for Dinner!

Applesauce Pancakes:

Recipe by: Corey Pauley- may be used for own consumption but not for profit.

Dry Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
• 2 Tbsp of Granulated Sugar
• 4 tsps of Baking Powder
• 1 tsp of Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp of Salt
• 1 tsp of Cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp of Melted Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup of Applesauce
• 1/2 cup of Milk (might need more depends on consistency of batter-if it seems too sticky add more in a little at time)

Now take above Dry Ingredients and put them into a big mixing bowl. Blend all the dry ingredients well with a whisk. At this point make a well in your dry mix,and add the wet ingredients in the order stated above. Check the consistency of your batter after a minute or two if it seems to be to sticky please add in a little extra milk at a time. (You will want it to look like regular pancake batter)

Now when cooking the pancakes you might be used to seeing them just golden color to them, and ready to flip, these will have a bit darker appearance when cooking because of applesauce, and cinnamon producing the color. I also found myself thinking that it was good to flip, but wait an extra 30 secs or so because the applesauce makes it a bit heavier and increases cook time. (this is also will have to do with how you cook them, we all have learned or are learning when making pancakes it can be a patient and perfecting art of food..smiling to myself after having burnt or gooey middles a few in my day).

But here is my finished plate..   started eating my eggs when I looked over and saw this:

My 4yr old's plate (half of pancake-his normal portion) was gone, disappeared you ask? No that little boy ate that thing fast, he said thanks Mom those were so yummy.

Well I can say Mother tested and Kiddo approved!

Hope you enjoy this recipe, please leave a comment if you are going to try these, did try them or wanting me to bring you some.

To happy full tummies,
~Corey

What I Won! Thanks Red Heart!

Hello Readers,

     I don't usually do 2 posts in a day but this was too good not share what I got in the mail today. Some of you may remember awhile back I had entered into a contest with Red Heart Yarn via of Facebook to complete in winning a Red Heart Prize Pack! I was very close for so long in the running. Many of my friends and family voted and pushed for voting for me. And for that I would like to give the biggest Thanks for it. Here is the original post I put on my blog for it. http://coreycreativecorner.blogspot.com/2012/10/cute-pink-teddy-bear-hat.html
I did not win but they decided to make honorary runner up prize packs to be sent out! I was so excited to hear of this news!

     So today I recieved this in the mail:

     I couldn't wait to open this box but the UPS driver dropped it off right before I had to leave to pick up my oldest son for school... so it had to wait! UGGG! I've been waiting.. couldn't believe that it was finally here! 

So I came straight in to find the box and was like a gitty little girl on Christmas day awaiting to open her present! Got the scissors out & opened the box.

I Found:

     It was so stuffed pack I sat on the floor pulled this huge tote bag out! Yippee I love the heavy duty of this bag and that it fits so much I can just imagine my self toting around a big afghan I'm working on now wherever I go. 

See Below:

Its as big as the box but wait till you find out what's inside this tote bag....oooh its good!
Here's the grand picture that would tickle any yarn lovers heart!!!!

Look at all of that! I feel like the luckiest and most blessed Crocheter in the world. It has Knitting Needles in it I might even try now since I have a pair.

The Contents included are: (all Red Heart Materials)

• Red Heart Large Tote Bag
• Pair of 5mm Knitting Needles - Susan Bates
• 1-5mm Size H-8 Crochet Hook- Susan Bates Bamboo (so excited to try it out)
• 2 books of Patterns for Winters Warmers (1) & Kids Winter Warmers (2)
• Susan Bates Red Heart Tape Measure (retractable & key-chain)
• 2 skeins of Team Spirit in Red & Blue (which work with UofA here)
• 2 skeins of Boutique Rigoletto 1-sequins, color of Onyx & 1-Metallic, color of Amethyst
• 2 skeins of Boutique Ribbons 1-Fire & 1-Aurora
• 2 skeins with Love - color of lettuce
• 2 skeins of Sashay(totally excited to try these out) 1- Disco &1 - Tango
• 2 skeins of Baby Sheen (fine) color of Lilac  

With all that I am so excited to look through those patterns and get some ideas going. I could and probably will dream about crocheting tonight!
Once again thank-you for all your support and votes along the way.
~ Corey

Oh the Joy (healthy) of a Pot of Beans!

Dear Readers,

     I apologize to you, I said 2 days ago that I would have promised pictures of my YUMMY Ham-Bone Soup to give the results the next day. Well life got in the way of posting a blog yesterday. I think I'm trying to fight off something. More and likely a sinus thing because I have irritated throat and a slight ear ache. Of course it left me restless in my sleep the night before, so I curled up in bed with my 4 yr old watching old school Scooby Doo Shows (love that he loves old school cartoons, it make for happy T.V. time) and playing with his Lego's at the end of my bed. Such a great little boy who doesn't mind letting his Mamma rest.


     Onto the Beans and thank-you for your patience! So lets see this is where I left you with the beans:

So here above is that meaty ham-bone in the pot of beans with the beans simmering. 

In the picture below is what the bones will look like once that ham-bone has done its job:

Then now comes the start of what is so good... The pot of beans with the goodness of ham left in it. See picture below, warning it looks yummy!

Now at this point I have crocheted a bit,  rested a bit.. good thing I was able to. Oh and got some chores that I put off done. I love that feeling when you have dinner cooking in a crock-pot it frees up your afternoon/evening of prepping and doing all the necessary juggling to get dinner done on time. I love when my crock-pot does the work for me.








So here is the anticipated photo of my lovely dinner, served on the fresh drop biscuits with local honey!

Oh... I'm drooling just looking over that bowl. I have leftovers I might of froze, but on this cool day it sounds like its calling me for lunch today!

Hope you enjoyed and please I LOVE COMMENTS, so please post below questions, if you made some of your own, or if you just love the idea of a healthy meal for the New Year!

Till I post again
~ Corey

Ham-Bone Soup

Do you ever have that bag of beans you don't know what to do with?? You know your supposed to eat them right?! There supposed to be healthy for ya-so we all been told. Well every year after the New Year- I try and make Ham-Bone soup as its called in my family. We always slice all the yummy ham away for sandwiches and leftover plates.. but by the end of it your sick of ham. Or so you thought. Save that bone with little extra meat left on it.

Really simple to make. You can either do it in your Crock-pot (as I am today) or do it in a big pot on the stove.

What you'll need is:

• Ham-Bone with some meat left behind from that ham dinner (you might be able to find it from your local store or butcher)
• Bag of  Beans. Your choice.. haven't found a bean you can't do this with? Today I had a bag of mixed beans and partial left bag of pintos 
• Seasonings..this is a bit up to you. In our house garlic, onion powder, rosemary (just a tad), parsley, salt and pepper go in. The amounts are really up to you.

Now if you choose to do the pan method you will want to soak over night or rapid boil beans to start. If your doing Crock-pot method you will not need to prepare the beans ahead of time, except if your not home while cooking or you want to have a faster cook time. See below for Crock-pot instructions regarding beans.

Crock-Pot Method: If you are not going to be home while cooking your meal please do the prep work for your beans ahead of time for your meal. So either for quickness (reducing the time to 6 hrs of cooking) or low heat for 8hrs pre-soak or rapid boil your beans. If you will be home, then you can choose this method. After rinsing your beans put them into your crock-pot and cover the beans with about 6- 8 cups of water place ham-bone down in the pot as you see in the above picture.(This pic has been on high for about hour so you can see it simmering the beans) Place your seasonings in to your beans according to your liking. If you know you don't like some of what I mention above omit them. If there is something like a bay leaf or others add it in. Always remember less is more, you can go back after the beans have cooked and add a little more salt & pepper. Cook on High for at least 4hrs and Medium for the next 4. By this time you should know if you soup is beginning to take shape. *If you don't have Medium setting on your crock-pot please cook on high for 5-6 and last 2-3 on low* Pull ham- bone out of soup at this point to a plate. If all meat hasn't come off the bone, wait until cooled to the touch and pull meat off of the bone and put that yumminess back into your soup. Stir soup and you should be good to go.

Big Pot way: Follow instructions on bag as to how you want to pre-soak or rapid boil.

Then add back in to the beans what is called for water amount on the package -usually about 6 cups, add ham-bone and seasonings. As stated above choose to or not to add more or less seasonings according to your taste. Bring to a simmer and turn down heat to low to medium heat. Cook for about 2-4 hrs until you get the consistency you want of your soup. At this point remove ham bone, your soup should be full of flavor and all the extra meat should of fallen off the bone by this point. If it hasn't you may wait till the bone is cooled enough to pull the meat off and stir it back into your bean soup.

I like to serve my soup with either fresh biscuits or cornbread-choice is yours. Tonight I will be serving it with biscuits.

Will take pictures tonight of my soup and post tomorrow for your eyes to enjoy!

Until then

~ Corey

Where Have I Been??

Hello to you all:
   
    I feel like I've been ignoring this blog and my followers a bit lately and I apologize, my health has been getting a bit in the way. Most may not know I have had 3 back surgeries yes 3 which has become debilitating enough already as it is. I have a disc that collapsed on me a few years ago at my L-5/S-1 disc. The 1st surgery was to try and repair the disc and clean up the bone spurs that were effecting me. I felt great for about 2 weeks post-operative and then the disc collapsed completely. Then under the care of a spinal surgeon he did the 2nd surgery to replace the disc with what is called a cage and place bone chips in the middle of it. Secondly to put a titanium plate on the front side (yes through the front) to hold it all in there and in place. I had a hiccup to say in the matter of placing this plate in place because my artery (blood supply) was too large to put the regular plate in place. It would of cause other serious problems and blood clots would be a sure risk. Instead they put somewhat of a triangular plate on that has 2 pins in the S-1 vertebra and it hooks over the L-5 vertebra. If this all seems confusing to you believe me its not easy either to live with. The plate from what I can feel inside shifts and I still get a popping sound in my spine. It also still has the sciatica nerve pinched. Which was the problem in the first place. So as you can see it is very frustrating to have gone into the 2 previous surgeries in hope that the pinched nerve would of been taken care of and to have it still a problem. Which leads me to what was supposed to be a minimal 3rd surgery which wasn't. I came out of surgery in a lot of pain and to have a decent size of an incision on my back with staples. Looked like something out of horror movie. I have pictures but I won't share I promise. The doctor after surgery said I had a cyst on my nerve and that there was damage to the nerve, but he couldn't be sure how bad it was. I've not been the same since that surgery and I'm not now.
   
     I now live as a Mom, but disabled due to the condition. I have been on medication for a while now..to deal with the pain. I will have to therapy and pain management. I've seen a neurologist but after many x-rays, MRI's with and without contrast, and CT Scan. They agree my spine has not fused but also agree that there's nothing medically they can do for me. My Spinal Orthopedic Doctor who has done the previous surgeries says that they think it would be good for me to have another surgery but I don't see that happening in my near future. 3 has been enough for me and unless they have a miracle and 100% guarantee I won't be having another.

    Its hard living this manner, as a Mom I want to succeed and provide the best, but find many days where I don't feel like I've done enough or completed all my goals. I would like to work, but this prevents me from sitting & standing too long, and lifting is not anything I can really do. So its frustrating to be in this state.

    I am thankful for a husband who understands and is willing to work hard for our family. I do crafts, crocheting, blogging, and other odds & ends while I can...and stop when it becomes too much. I try to remain positive and keep my thoughts on my God because he is my strength when I have none and push on.

So with that out of the way-I am going to try and make this year a great year! We have made some new decisions for family this year. And I want this year as some may of heard be a year of finishing things and/or keeping up with things. I have goals of completing projects in crafts I've started, crocheting, sewing, scrap-booking, and much much more!

So Look Out for MANY Blogs to come!
~ Corey

1st Completed Crocheting project completed of 2013!! Here's to a Great Start!!!!