Apple Yogurt Cake

Aaron and I have barely seen each other this whole week. He is studying so hard for the first actuary exam, as well as applying for internships and preparing for interviews. He is also a youth leader in our church which takes up his Wednesday nights and some Saturdays (which is the only day we have time to spend together...).
 I haven't been too busy, just trying to find things to do while he studies. Baking, photography, reading, and some more baking. Here's one of my favorite recipes I tried this weekend. It was delightful to say the least.


Apple Yogurt Cake
Adapted from this recipe

1/3 cups (150 grams) whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp (115 grams) brown sugar
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4 Tbsp coconut oil
7 Tbsp applesauce
2 large eggs
1/2 cup yogurt
2 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
zest of 1 lemon

Topping
2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch cake round.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat  sugar, butter, and coconut oil until it has lightened. Slowly add applesauce and beat until creamy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture alternately with the yogurt, beginning and ending with the flour.
Stir in the sliced apples and the lemon zest, and pour the batter in the prepared pan.
Mix the topping together and spread evenly over the top of the cake.
The original recipe suggests a baking time of 40 minutes, but I think it needs to bake for over one hour (until a tester inserted into the center (not through an apple if possible!) comes out clean.
Let cool completely before serving.

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Chicken Apple Stew

Aaron and I found an advertisement on KSL for free organic apples! We left right after my last class and picked about 50 lbs of apples. We have been waking up every morning at 6 am to preserve apple juice and apple sauce, and when we get home we work until about midnight. After 4 days we are done; we are so proud of how we are filling up our little food storage. Aaron started cooking apples early this morning and I woke up to an ethereal condensation accumulating on our windows. I am so completely in love with mornings like this.

The misty windows and smell of apples inspired me to make a stew for dinner tonight. I adapted the recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks, Simple Food for Busy Families. It has chicken, sweet potatoes, apples, rosemary, and apple cider. Perfect for a chilly evening.

Roasted Chicken Apple Stew

1 32-oz carton of chicken broth
1 Tbsp organic chicken bouillon (I love Better Than Bouillon)
1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp rosemary
1 sweet onion, peeled and quartered
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb baby potatoes, washed and halved (I used peeled baking potatoes and they tasted great)
2 large apples, cored and sliced
1 lb chicken breasts or thighs (dark meat adds flavor to stews)
1 tsp. thyme
salt and pepper

Add chicken broth, bouillon, apple cider, garlic, and spices to crock pot, stir.
Dump all the vegetables in the liquid and then nestle the chicken in between all the goodness. Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

I skipped Friday Favorites today because I posted a list of my favorite tutorials yesterday, if you are interested in learning more about Photoshop, Illustrator, and design concepts check it out!

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The Big Twenty-Two

This year my birthday was on Monday, which leaves very little chance for celebration--especially since I am on campus from 8am until 7pm. Blah. 

Instead of celebrating it on Monday, we decided to celebrate it on the weekend. Which wasn't actually that exciting anyway, but I have to say it was a birthday I will remember :)

For my birthday weekend I decided to take advantage of the fall season and freeze some peaches and applesauce. Kind of strange, but cooking is my therapy. I get to use my hands to create something and it helps me de-stress and forget about everything, even if it's just for an hour or two.

After buying over 20 lbs of apples and having no tools to can any of them, I had to get a little creative... First I let them soak in a vinegar-water mixture, and then I started peeling (not peeing, which is what I almost wrote). I tossed them in the crock pot and let it do it's thing.

I made a ton of applesauce and apple butter, and along the way I dehydrated a few. Apple chips = amazing snack.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself creating recipes and relaxing all day. Aaron went on a hike with the youth in our ward and when he got home (over 12 hours later) he was sore, burnt, and tired. I was tired, sticky, and content, so we watched a movie and called it a night.

With applesauce coming out of the wazoo, I decided it would be appropriate to make an applesauce cake.
I topped it with vanilla bean cream cheese icing and drizzled it with a bit of apple butter.

Holy Moses, twas delicious.

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