Dried Apples

I have so many great memories of my Granny West's dried apples that she would make every year. It was a big treat for a kid who never got anything sweet. My Grandpa West made a screen sheet of sorts to place the apple pieces on with another sheet of screen placed over the top. In the morning he would climb a ladder and place this screened contraption with apples on the roof top for the day. In the evening he would climb that same ladder and bring them in the house for the night. In the morning he would climb up the ladder (mind you he was in his late 80's while doing all of this) flip the screen contraption over and leave them to bake in the sun. It usually only took a couple of days in Oklahoma to make dried apples. Granny would let me eat a few but the rest were saved for winter and her fried pies. In my case baked pies and I can still smell them. Well, this Summer on Beaty's Creek has been a scene straight out of Death Valley. We have had 15 days OVER 100' and more to come. Yesterday's temp was 107' with a heat index of 115 degrees! So, I came up with a fun little thing to do.....Dry apples on the car dash board....yep and it works!!!So if you want to have a little fun and make your car smell yummy, give this a try. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

5 pounds of Granny Smith apples- peeled and slice 1/8 inch thick
Cinnamon to taste
Parchment lines baking sheets
A car or truck dashboard ;)

Place sliced apples on your parchment lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon and place on your dashboard. Leave all day. Bring into your home overnight. Place back on your dashboard the next day. At the end of that day your apples are ready to be stored. I store mine in a ziplock bag with all the air removed.

Chocolate Angel Food Cake

Raven loves chocolate anything so why not make a chocolate angel food cake for my little "angel"......Wait, did the world just come to an end???? Did I just call my teenage daughter an angel????? Ignore the last few sentences and let's just call this a delicious cake. Ransome loved it with whipped cream and Raine made peanut butter sandwiches with it. It will be 111' on Beaty's Creek with an equal amount of humidity to top that off!!!! What gives???? I love my corner of the world but I am starting to sing Christmas songs and dream of hot cocoa by the fire. I know, come inside big momma, the heat is getting to you! Give this cake a try and enjoy it with fresh fruit! This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek this morning!

Needed:


16 egg whites
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup flour-sifted
1 t salt


Beat egg whites, until frothy. Now add in salt, and sugar and whip until stiff. Fold in cocoa and flour. Pour into an angel food cake pan and bake for 45 minutes at 350'. Cool completely before slicing.


Bake at 350' for 45 minutes.

The Best Oven Baked Brisket you will ever eat!!!

I really love brisket if it is good and juicy. I hate it when you order brisket and it comes to you dry with little more than smoke for taste. I smoke brisket and ribs but this recipe for brisket is really better than a smoked brisket. I think the apple juice adds a taste to the beef that is hard to get on the smoker. Another good thing about this recipe is you can cook it even if it is 20' outside. Of course it will be a while until we see temps like that on Beaty's Creek. We our brisket with potato salad, pickles, and onion. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.

Needed:

1 beef brisket that has not been trimmed
1 quart apple juice
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup brown sugar

Pour apple juice into a covered baking pan. Lay your brisket in the pan and coat with salt and pepper. I use a lot because as the brisket cooks in the apple juice it spreads the salt and pepper through out the meat. I now place the brown sugar on the top of the brisket and spread it all over with my hand. Cover and bake at 300' for 5 hours. Now cover with bar-b-que sauce of your choice, replace cover,and turn the oven up to 400' for 1 1/2 hours. Let meat rest for 20 minutes before you slice it. Serve on buns with a pickle and onion. Good and easy!

Greek Pasta Salad

I get tired of the same old pasta salads but I do love them in the Summer months along with our favorite grilled foods. This year I thought I had better come up with more recipes for pasta salad so...this was my first try and it's not bad. Raven loves anything Greek and this salad made for a nice cool dinner after a hot afternoon at the creek. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today. Will someone please shut the oven door, this heat is crazy!

Needed:

1 pound whole wheat pasta
2 jars artichoke hearts-chopped
1 can black olives-split in half
1 head of roasted garlic
1 T salt
1 T black pepper
1 cup mozzerella cheese-shredded
2 tomatoes-chopped
1 bottle Paul Newman's Own Family Recipe Italian Salad Dressing
1 bottle Paul Newman's Own Caesar Salad Dressing

Boil pasta al dente, pour hot water off and run cold water over til pasta is cool. Now toss in artichoke hearts, black olives, roasted garlic, salt, pepper, cheese, and tomatoes. Toss well and then pour in both dressings and stir to coat. Place in fridge for 3 hours.