Recipes From Two of the Best Cooks in Lake Helen

An absolutely delicious coleslaw. Can make up to 2 weeks ahead of serving and it only gets better.

Ingredients:

1 medium head Cabbage, shredded
1 large red onion, diced
1 cup grated carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup Sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda

OR
(my easy way out)

1 bag shredded Coleslaw Mix and
1 bag shredded Broccoli Slaw
4 green Onions, sliced
1 cup Sugar or 3/4 cup Splenda

Dressing:

1 Cup White Vinegar
3/4 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 cup Ketchup
1Tbl dry Mustard
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Barb�s BBQ Rub (Available at Brecht�s)
Black Pepper to Taste

Crock Pot Apple Butter

We usually buy one or two 40 pound boxes of apples at a time. We peel, quarter and core the apples. Then place the apples in large kettles of boiling water. Cook over medium heat until apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Then drain, cool and place in zipper style freezer bags, about 9 cups to the bag. Freeze apples until you are ready to make apple butter. Thaw apples before proceeding with recipe.

18 cups cooked apples
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1 Tablespoon whole cloves

Put ingredients in 6-quart crock pot. Mix well and cook on high for 10 to 12 hours. Cooking time will vary depending on the crock pot. One of mine takes almost 16 hours to cook the apple butter.

Stir mixture from time to time and taste after a few hours. Add more sugar or spices if necessary. When apple mixture reaches the consistency of apple sauce, turn off heat. Some folks leave the apple butter with this textured consistency. We prefer it smoother, so we process the hot mixture in a food processor for

a minute or so. Then we refrigerate some for immediate use and freeze some for later use. If we have made a double or triple batch (by borrowing crock pots) we also put some in jars to sell in our gift shop. We process the jars of apple butter in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Combine all else in saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour hot dressing over cabbage mixture and mix well.

Note: This is best if made a day ahead up to 2 weeks ahead. If you make it more than 1 day ahead, drain juice prior to serving.

This is a great recipe to take on picnics as there is no mayonnaise or other egg products in the ingredients.