Rustic Apple Crumble Recipe
This rustic apple crumble recipe combines fresh apples with the warm flavours of cinnamon and cloves, topped with a crisp oatmeal crumble. Simple to prepare, this dish makes a stunning Thanksgiving dessert, Christmas dessert or served up pretty much any day of the week in the fall and winter months!
***
Like most basic white chicks, fall is my favourite time of year. I love the crisp fall air and crunchy leaves underfoot. I love the earthy reds, oranges and browns that mix with the evergreens here in the Pacific Northwest. I love the cozy glow of candles as the nights get darker, and the warm scent of pumpkin spice that seems to infiltrate life at this time of year. And I love apples.
Ever since we moved to our old place with the big ol’ apple tree where we first started homesteading, apples have become a fall treat that we eagerly await each year. I hardly ever buy apples from the store anymore, and would rather wait until the abundance of the fall harvest to enjoy them fresh, preserve them and bake them into all sorts of goodies.
Applesauce was the very first thing I ever canned, and it’s a standby every year!
The Gravenstein apple tree at our old place has been on the property for roughly 100 years or more. A couple winters ago, the snow pack was so heavy that the largest two branches broke off the tree. The owners had the tree filled with concrete in hopes of preserving what remained. This year it rebounded and gave us lots of apples. Although not nearly as many as we got a couple years ago when the tree was three times its current size!
But I also love to enjoy apples while they’re in season, because there’s really no better time than fall to combine flavours like apple, cinnamon and cloves into all sorts of tasty treats.
By far my favourite apple recipe of all time is this humble but impressive rustic apple crumble. Aside from the time it takes to peel and slice the apples, the rest takes just minutes to prepare and less than an hour to bake to perfection.
It’s always a crowd pleaser and goes well with dinner any night of the week, or for any special occasion. It’s my go-to recipe for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner (in addition to this divine no-bake whipped pumpkin pie), and Ryan and I even shared some on our anniversary this year after doing dinner at home for the first time. (We had steak and mushrooms with beet greens and garlic out of our garden, by the way, and it was absolutely delish).
I love to bake my apple crumble in my cast iron pan, but you can also make it in a regular baking dish or pie pan. Cast iron adds a rustic feel (and adds iron!) to the dish, so if you have it, cook with it!
But the coup de grâce was definitely the rustic apple crumble skillet that we baked up with our first batch of apples from our tree this year. And it was extra special, not just because it was our 4-year anniversary (woot woot!) but also because this is our last year enjoying the fruits of that tree.
While we’re still transitioning to our new house, we’re saying goodbye to that old apple tree this year and inheriting a hazelnut tree instead! I’m absolutely LOVING our new place, but I will definitely miss the apple tree:(
Hazelnuts are getting ready to fall off the tree at our new house!
Whether you have an apple tree on your property or you buy them from the farmers market, now is the time to gather them and turn them into all sorts of yummy foods that will sustain you and your family now and in the months to come.
Whatever you do with your apples this season, be sure to put this apple crumble recipe on your fall menu. Then put on your sweater, sip a chai latte and enjoy all the comforts of the best season of the year:)
Happy fall y’all!
Rustic Apple Crumble Recipe
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 2 pounds of apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp. all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
For the Crumble Topping
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine all ingredients for filling in a large mixing bowl. Stir until well-combined. Spoon filling into a baking dish, pie plate or cast iron pan.
- Combine dry ingredients for crumble topping in a mixing bowl. Stir in melted butter and mix well to combine. Crumble topping should be a little bit clumpy from the addition of the butter and just slightly moist throughout.
- Spread topping evenly over apple filling. Bake for 45-50 minutes and enjoy warm with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream:)
CATEGORIES
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
My Favourite Things – 2022 Edition (aka. The Modern Homesteader’s Christmas Wish List)
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Every year around this time, I compile a list of my favourite things: Things that I love, use or covet for my own homestead, and things that I know other modern...
Homemade Beef Jerky Recipe (Dehydrator + Oven Instructions)
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. Homemade beef jerky is a delicious way to preserve meat for food storage and for easy transport to take on hikes, camping trips, road trips and to pack in a...
For many, wood heat and wood burning stoves conjure up nostalgia and cozy feelings. But more importantly, wood heat is reliable, affordable and gives us the ability to heat our homes without relying on the grid or on other types of energy, which are currently in short supply.
While we typically think of wood stoves and traditional fireplaces when we think of wood heat, there is an even MORE efficient and sustainable way to heat our homes with wood…
Introducing the Rocket Mass Heater: A slow release radiant heating system that consists of a fire box, an insulated combustion chamber that burns fuel at very high temperatures, and a thermal mass -typically made out of cobb and stone- attached to the exhaust pipe, which snakes through the thermal mass before connecting to the chimney pipe.
Due to their highly efficient design, rocket mass heaters emit more heat for longer than conventional wood burning stoves and fireplaces, and are more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than other types of wood heat.
They burn at a higher temperature, emit practically no smoke at all, and charge the thermal mass around them, which continues to emit radiant heat long after the fire goes out. Not to mention, rocket mass heaters require much less fuel than conventional wood stoves or fireplaces. Some estimates even say rocket mass heaters can reduce fuel consumption by up to 90 per cent!
If you’ve thought about going off-grid or you’re simply looking for alternatives to expensive, unreliable electric heat and you’re in a position to build and install one of these bad boys at home, I highly encourage you to consider a rocket mass heater for your homestead, Earthship or otherwise humble abode.
Thanks to guest contributor Sunflower Craig from Permies.com for this insightful article on rocket mass heaters! Click the link in my bio @anna.sakawsky or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/rocket-mass-heater/ to learn more!
#woodheat #rocketmassheater #woodstove #energycrisis #alternativeenergy #homesteading #modernhomesteading #offgrid #sustainableenergy
“Not eating mushrooms is like not eating an entire food group… And a healthy one.”
Mushrooms have had a bit of a bad rap in the west for a long time. Depending on the type of mushroom in question, they’ve either been regarded as something to turn your nose up at or even something to be afraid of.
But in recent years mushrooms have started gaining momentum as both medicine and superfoods, and with more and more people looking for natural alternatives to conventional (and often harmful) prescription drugs, psychedelic mushrooms are even being legalized and used in small (micro) doses to treat mental health issues with promising results.
The story of mushrooms and the entire fungi kingdom is as complex and captivating as the mycelium networks they fruit from, and the potential health and wellness benefits of adding more mushrooms into our diets and lives are only just beginning to be understood.
I sat down with Louis Giller of @northsporemushrooms for the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine to talk all about the wonderful world of fabulous fungi, how to get started foraging or growing mushrooms at home (even if you live in an apartment!), and why mushrooms of all kinds (edible, medicinal and psychedelic) are rightfully having a moment right now.
If becoming more self-sufficient and optimizing your overall health and wellness is part of your master plan for 2023, mushrooms should definitely be a part of your approach.
Start by checking out my full interview with Louis in the winter issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine - Link in bio to sign in or subscribe.
And while you’re there, be sure to check out our feature on medicinal mushrooms, as well as our elevated mushroom recipes, all of which make perfect winter meals for your family table.
Link in bio @anna.sakawsky or head to https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
#mushrooms #medicinalmushrooms #eatyourshrooms #fantasticfungi #homesteading #modernhomesteading
When I first started growing my own food at home, the gardening world seemed pretty black and white to me: plants grow in the dirt, outdoors, in the spring and summer. That’s what us city kids always learned in school anyway.
And obviously that’s not wrong, but once you get into gardening and growing food, a world full of endless possibilities starts to open up, including growing food indoors year-round.
Sprouts are considered to be a superfood because of how nutrient dense they are and when we eat them, we get the health benefits of all of those nutrients in our own bodies.
If you live in a climate that remains colder half the year or more, sprouts can be an excellent way to get the benefits of gardening even when it's not "gardening season".
I've got a full list of tips & tricks on growing sprouts indoors all year round that includes:
-How to grow sprouts
-Different ways to use them
-Where to buy seeds and more!
Visit this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/grow-sprouts-indoors/ or check the link in my bio to see all the details.
Living a slow, simple life isn’t easy in this fast-paced world.
No matter how much I preach it to everyone else, I still struggle with the guilt, shame and “not enough-ness” that I feel every time I choose rest, relaxation, stillness, disconnectedness or being “unproductive” when I feel I SHOULD be working, hustling, moving, checking emails and being “productive” (which is almost always).
We all know that our culture praises productivity and busy-ness, and most of us know it’s a scam that keeps us stressed, burnt out and focused on the wrong things in life. Ultimately many of us end up feeling unfulfilled even though we’re spinning our wheels every day working to keep up with the demands of the world and our never-ending to-do list. Most of us would rather be resting, relaxing, spending quality time with our loved ones and doing things that light us up rather than simply keep us busy. But it’s hard to break free from the societal pressure to do more, produce more, earn more, acquire more and ultimately BE more.
So while I still struggle with this daily, and I don’t have any easy answers for how to overcome this, I wanted to share that today I’m choosing slow; Today I’m choosing to be present in the here and now rather than worrying about yesterday or tomorrow; Today I’m choosing snuggles with my baby boy over emails and deadlines, and while I still feel that guilt rising up inside me, I’m making a conscious effort to remind myself that the world won’t end because I chose to slow down today, and at the end of my life I won’t regret taking this time with my son, but I might regret NOT slowing down to enjoy it.
I encourage you to apply the same thought process to your own life and give yourself permission to slow down and enjoy the gift of time you’ve been given today. After all, you never know when it might be your last day. And if it were your last, how would you wish you’d spent it?
In the dark, bitter cold days of midwinter when we’ve been deprived of quality time in the sunshine and the trees are all bare, it can be easy for almost anyone to feel depressed and to overlook the tiny miracles that are happening all around us.
Signs of life abound, even in the dead of winter!
Connect with nature and enjoy the little things to help beat the winter blues. Go for a walk in the woods or the park and really pay attention to the natural world around you. Watch the songbirds flitting back and forth, gathering winter berries. Look for signs of greenery and new growth; Maybe even some snowdrops or crocuses have begun to emerge from the ground where you live.
If you're feeling the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) right now, please check out my full list of Natural Ways to Combat SAD and additional resources to seek out help from various care providers here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/natural-ways-treat-seasonal-affective-disorder/ or visit the link my bio.
Spring is coming!
While most people run to the store every time they need something, you and I are not most people. Oh no friend… We are modern homesteaders.
We’re a special breed, and one thing that sets us apart is that we are always thinking about preparing for the future and about stocking up when the things are abundant (and cheap!) which they aren't so much right now.
When it comes to citrus fruits, if you live in a place where you can grow them yourself, then you’ll probably have more than you can handle fresh when they’re in season. Knowing how to preserve them will help ensure nothing gets wasted.
Whether you're a seasoned homesteader or this is your first season preserving, I've got a hearty list of ideas of how to get the most out of your citrus fruits for the year to come! Visit the full list here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-ways-use-preserve-citrus-fruits/ or check out the link in my bio.
What do you usually do with your extra citrus fruits? Have you tried any of these preservation methods?
Let me know in the comments below!
Checking in on all my #homesteadpantrychallenge participants today :)
During the pantry challenge I always find it pretty easy to make my way through the canned items. A side dish here, a breakfast there, but what about bulk items that we have on hand like bags of sugar and flour?
Well have no fear, this bread recipe is a game-changer! Not only does it only require 3 simple ingredients (plus water), it can be whipped up in a bowl using an ordinary kitchen spoon and it comes out perfect every time. It will help you make your way through that 5lb bag of flour just sitting on the shelf, and it only takes a couple minutes to prepare.
This is a really nice bread to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar or as part of a spread or cheese board. For the full recipe click here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/easy-no-knead-homemade-bread/ or visit the link in my bio.
Let me know how it turns out and if you decide to add any herbs or other toppings to spice it up, I want to hear about it!
I’ve tried my hand at many skills and tackled my share of adventurous projects over the years. Along my homesteading and journey I’ve tried everything from candle-making to cheesemaking, sourdough bread to fermented vegetables, canning and dehydrating to rendering lard and more. When it comes to home medicine, I’ve learned how to make may useful concoctions, from herbal teas, tinctures and syrups to poultices, salves, ciders and more. But encapsulating my own placenta after the birth of our son was definitely a first, and by far my most adventurous “kitchen project” and foray into home medicine so far.
I have to admit, I was a bit squeamish at first, but I’m fascinated by this kind of stuff and love learning skills that allow me to take my health and well-being into my own hands. I also love challenging myself to try new things and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
A few of the possible benefits of consuming placenta after birth include:
• Hormones in the placenta can improve mood and lessen symptoms of postpartum depression
• Can reduce postpartum bleeding
• Provides a natural source of iron and other micronutrients
• Can help boost milk production
And did you know, around 99% of mammals are know to consume their placenta after birth? Only humans and marine mammals do not typically consume their placenta.
But more and more humans are opting to consume their placentas after birth to reap the potential health benefits. The most popular way to do so is through encapsulation.
First the placenta is steamed, then it is sliced thin and dehydrated before being ground up into a fine powder. The you add that powder into some capsules using an encapsulator and you’re done!
I’ve been taking 2 capsules 4x/day for the past week. Any real results are yet to be seen but I didn’t want to pass up the only chance I’ll probably get to try my hand at this home medicine project! I mean, you just never know when this skill might come in handy;)
So tell me, what’s the most adventurous thing YOU’VE tried in the name of homesteading and/or natural health? Comment below and let me know!
Since the weather is often cold, dark and gloomy, there aren’t as many fun, free things to do outdoors, so it’s easy to blow your budget on other things that will help you beat cabin fever like eating out, going to the movies and even going shopping just for something to do.
But the flip side to this is that, once January hits, many people are motivated by the fresh start the new year brings and are ready to hunker down for a while and get their finances on track after the holidays. So in many ways that makes winter the perfect time of year to adopt some frugal habits.
Visit this link https://thehouseandhomestead.com/12-frugal-living-tips-for-winter/ or the link in my bio for the full list of Frugal Winter Living tips, and if you're already looking and planning towards Spring you'll also find more frugal living tips for every season linked at the bottom of the list!
Our#homesteadpantrychallenge is in full-swing and now that our little one has arrived, simple and frugal pantry meals are a necessity to ensure we are getting adequate rest and not overdoing it during these newborn days.
When I'm staring at the pantry wondering what to make, I love referring back to this list for a little bit of inspiration for either bringing back an old recipe, or creating a new one.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱:
Breakfasts
Soups
Homemade Breads
Main Dishes
Snacks & Sides
Sweets & Treats
So whether you’re trying to save a little extra money on your grocery bill, or prioritizing rest this season these 35 frugal recipes will help you get good, wholesome, delicious homemade food on the table every day, which means you have one less thing to stress about.
Check out the full list at https://thehouseandhomestead.com/frugal-recipes-roundup/ or visit the link in my bio.
Eat well friends:)
I hope you had a wonderful and restful end of holidays, and are also feeling ready to get back on track with your daily schedule here in the new year. It can sometimes feel like a lot to get going, but those "regular days" help us to regulate our rhythms, and in turn help us slowly, gear up for the Spring season ahead.
In our Winter Issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, my friend and fellow homesteader, Ashley Constance of @alittleselfreliant wrote "Breaking Your Cabin Fever" a list of ideas for staying productive over the winter months.
If you're feeling a bit restless and up to it, this list of ideas is a perfect way to get back into a daily routine.
From making and creating, to preparing, planning and organizing you'll be feeling ready for Spring in no time.
To see the full list, subscribe to Modern Homesteading Magazine here at https://modernhomesteadingmagazine.com/subscribe/ or visit the link in my bio.
Homesteading is a year-round lifestyle, and
for whatever reason, homesteading is most often thought of as a three-season “activity.”
1. 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨.
2. 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳.
3. 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭.
So much of homesteading centers around preparing for winter. But what happens when winter finally arrives?
Sure, we could just hunker down and relax, enjoy the fruits of our labour and rest until spring returns and the really busy seasons begin again. But the very nature of most homesteaders is that we tend to enjoy keeping busy. In other words, we tend to go a bit stir crazy sitting around on the couch for too long.
Now, let me just make this clear before we continue: I think it’s VERY important to take time to rest whenever possible so that you can feel rejuvenated and be more productive when you really need to be, but if you’re looking for some (mostly relaxing) homesteading activities that you can do throughout the winter months to help keep you occupied, I’ve got a few suggestions for you:)
My full list of winter homesteading activities can be found here https://thehouseandhomestead.com/winter-homesteading-activities/
Happy homesteading!
0 Comments
Trackbacks/Pingbacks