Easy Apple Cake Recipe

When we received a bushel of Honeycrisp apples for Christmas, I immediately thought of the apple cake recipe that my mother-in-law gave me many years ago. 

I've often made this cake during the holidays because we have so many out of town guests. Our family members come in from all across the United States, which means they hail from different time zones. Therefore, we have early risers who quietly start their mornings so others who are still sleeping can rest uninterrupted.

With the various sleep habits, we are not going to find a great time to have breakfast together. The apple cake is perfect for me to make in advance and have available for whatever time of the day our guests need breakfast. 

This apple cake is similar to a pineapple upside down cake.  The fruit goes on the bottom of the prepared pan which means it is on the top of the cake when it is turned out of the pan.

The cake does not need to be refrigerated, which is another plus for making this delicious cake and leaving it out for breakfast, or throughout the day as a snack. 

 

Apple Cake Recipe

To begin, set out the butter to soften.  Also, wash, core and thinly slice apples.  Each apple will be cut into sixteenths.

Ingredients  

• 3 large eggs 
• 2 cups sugar 
• ½ cup vegetable oil 
• ½ cup softened butter 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 2 cups flour (I use 2-1/4 cups Swans Down cake flour) 
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 cup walnut pieces (if desired) 
• 4-6 large Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apples, cored and sliced  

​

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 F 
2. Generously butter a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish 
3. Combine all of the dry ingredients and set aside  (cake flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon) 
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs with an electric mixer until frothy. Gradually add the sugar, oil and butter (a little of each at a time). Beat until sugar has dissolved. 
5. Stir in the vanilla (with the mixer on low speed is fine) 
6. Add dry ingredients mixture to the egg mixture along with the walnuts (with the mixer on low speed is fine) 
7. Spread the apples over the bottom of the prepared baking pan and drizzle with a few pinches of sugar 
8. Pour the batter over them, smoothing to cover all the apples 

Bake for 1 hour 

Set aside to cool to room temperature. Turn upside down on serving plate. I use my cutting board as the serving tray for this cake. Not only is it the right size, but a knife will not harm it.

 PrepWorks Dishwasher Safe Apple Slicer and Corer – 16-Slice Thin Apple Cutter with Safety CoverCheck Price Swans Down, Cake Flour, 32oz Box - Pack of 6Check Price Thirteen Chefs Large Acrylic Cutting Board, 16x10 Inch with Rubber Feet, Clear - Dishwasher SafeCheck Price

 

If you happen to be the recipient of a bushel of apples, you may also wish to check out my Apple Cobbler recipe or my Chocolate Covered Apples.  They are both delicious! 

 Easy Apple Cobbler Recipe Chocolate Dipped or Covered Apples

 

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AI and Photography

 

AI generated image from original photograph

AI has come a long way since I last wrote a review on it two years ago.  You now hear a lot of negatives (mainly when people try to pass an AI feature off as their own) but I believe there are many useful purposes for AI in photography and editing.  I also believe it is important when a creation has added AI features that you represent it as such.

In the image above I started with a photograph of myself, as you see in the center of the collage.  I then went into ChatGPT and asked it to create a collage with my favorite pastimes: photography, Bible class, Book club, photographing lighthouses, and bird watching.

Caricatures using ChatGPT

Another fun thing to do in ChatGPT is to make caricatures.  These are very easy to make and ChatGPT allows you to make up to 4 images a day for free.  If you want to do more in a day then you would need to upgrade to their paid version.  I have made several of these caricatures and always enjoy the outcomes.  Here are the steps I take to make the images.

• Enter ChatGPT in your browser.
• Sign in to ChatGPT
• On the left side of the screen you will see images as a choice-hit that
• Now a box will come up asking you to describe image here
• This is where you list your activities that you would like to show in your caricature.
• Now to the left of the box you will see a plus sign and this is where you add your photograph
• When all is added you just click on the button to start and it will create your image.  This will take a few minutes.

Below you see a caricature I made of my dog Dixie.  I put her activites as running in park and chasing squirrels.

Dog Caricature created on ChatGPT

For my brothers-in-law birthday, I wanted to create a special card so I put a photo I had of him on ChatGPT and listed his favorite pastimes: the theatre, chess, visiting Branson MO and cigars.  I asked for a caricature and here is the resulting image which I then put on the front of his birthday card.

Caricature Created by ChatGPT from Photograph

 Generative Fill in Photoshop

Another great way to use AI is a fun feature in Photoshop called "Generative Fill".  In this feature you use a photograph that you had taken and add something to it.  You can do this by circling the area where you want to add something and then selecting generative fill in the Edit drop down menu.  You will have a box pop up where you can describe what you want to add.  Here is an example.

This is a photo I created an image for a challenge group I am in called" Monthly Artistic Playtime". They provided the hearts and lettering, and we were challenged to create an image using that.  I added a photo I had taken of the Northern Lights for the background and then with generative fill I added the two Cardinal lovebirds.

Valentine Greeting

Creating Images in Meta AI

In this one I had a photo that I took of my backyard when it was snowing, and I wanted to use it for Christmas.  I used Meta AI to add the wreath with the red bow, the twinkling lights and the greeting.  Meta AI is found on Facebook and is very easy to use.  You can find it on your home Facebook page in the lefthand column

Christmas Decor edited with Meta AI

2023 Review on AI and Photography

In 2023 I first wrote a review on fun ways to use AI and creativity with photographs. AI has come a long way in the past two years, but I thought you might like to see what I wrote two years ago.  Here is a link to that review.

Fun with AI in Photography

Zazzle Card from my Designs

Valentine Card

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The First Gentleman Book Review

 The First Gentleman, a thriller by former President Bill Clinton and the master of thrillers, James Patterson.

The First Gentleman is Clinton, and Patterson's third collaboration with the first two being The President Is Missing and The President's Daughter. The books are not a series, so it doesn't matter what order you read them in. 

The First Gentleman: Plot

President Madeline Wright is in the middle of a reelection campaign and preparing a plan to save the US economy. But that is not her biggest problem; it's her husband, Cole Wright.

Cole is a former NFL star who played for the New England Patriots and is now the first gentleman. Cole is being charged with a 17 year old murder of a cheerleader, turning his world upsidedown.

Two investigative reporters, Garret Wilson and Brea Cooke, set out to write a book and uncover the truth about this cold case. Is Cole Wright guilty of murder? You will have to read this book to find out.

The story alternates between personal moments and political drama. You will be drawn into a web of secrets, investigations, and power struggles that feel real. Patterson keeps the chapters short and suspenseful, making this hard to put down. I do have the other two books and can't wait to read them.

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The First Gentleman: A ThrillerBuy Now

 

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A Review of Making Hot Cocoa from Scratch

Few things are as good on a cold winter's day, than a big mug of hot cocoa.  The smell alone is enough to take me back to my childhood and the cocoa my Mom use to make.  Drinking it at the kitchen table, looking out the window at a glittering snow covered landscape.  It was magical.

Mom never used hot chocolate mix, she made it from scratch, by the cup. In each mug, she would put powdered milk, cocoa and of sugar. Then she would boil water on the stove and pour one cup each in our mugs with the homemade mix.  Then all you had to do was stir.  Delicious!

The recipe is simple and easy to make....

• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon cocoa
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup boiling water

Making your own hot cocoa from scratch is so much better than buying mixes.  Store bought mixes have all kinds of preservatives and additives that you really don't need to put in your body.  Making your own cocoa lets you control what you put in your body.  Another great thing is that you can adjust it to the flavor you like.  More or less sugar, more or less cocoa, however you prefer it. 

If you want to be adventurous, you can flavor your hot chocolate.  Just add the following to the original recipe.  Remember, one addition per cup.

Cinnamon hot chocolate - add 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon

Peppermint hot chocolate - add 1/8 teaspoon of peppermint extract and 1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Coffee flavored hot chocolate - add 1 or 2 teaspoons of black coffee, to taste.

Orange hot chocolate - Replace half the water with orange juice and add a pinch of cinnamon

Three Adult Beverage Hot Chocolate Recipes

1.  add 1 ounce of warm Kahlua

2.  1/4 ounce Peppermint Schnapps and 1/2 ounce chocolate liqueur

3.  1/4 tsp. cinnamon, pinch of ground cloves, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg, 1 and 1/2 ounces of spiced rum.

I keep these ingredients in my cupboard all the time, that way I can have hot chocolate any time I want, or make it for guests.  Some times I also make it for a hostess gift, especially during the holidays.  Just bag the ingredients separately and put them in a decorative tin or box for perfect gift giving!

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Amicool External DVD Drive Review

Do you still own a desktop or laptop with a Cd/DVD player ? When my last computer met its' fate the replacement laptop did not have a CD/DVD player. At the time I wasn't concerned as through the years had pivoted away for media and store all documents and photos in the cloud.

Until ... I decided to tackle the media from years ago. In all forms saved on Cd's, DVD's, USB thumb drives and on and on. The library actually offers a digitize service free of charge; however, the wait list was long. Instead an external DVD drive was purchased for under $25 and it works like a charm.

The Amicool had over 11,000 online reviews with average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. A great affordable alternative for laptops and desktops without an internal drive. 

Features 

Slim, light and unobtrusive the Amicool is features packed:

DVD Drive

USB 3.0 C CD Burner

Cd/DVD Optical Drive Rewrite

Backward compatible

Compatible Windows 7-11

MacBook Mac Linux OS Apple

Recommendation

I highly recommend and this drive delivers as promised!

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My Children Save My Life Every Day - A Song Review

 

My Children Save My Life — Every Single Day

All my life, I've said this sentence without thinking twice: my children save my life every day. It was never a slogan or something I tried to turn into meaning. It was simply the truth as it lived in me — steady, quiet, and constant. I realize that's a lot of pressure to put on our kids, but nevertheless, it's an honest feeling.

When I wrote the song My Children Save My Life, I realized I wasn't just writing about my children. I was writing to them. I was also finally giving words to something I later discovered so many parents, especially mothers, feel but rarely articulate. 

Over time, I've seen versions of this same sentiment shared again and again on social media: my kids saved me, my children gave my life purpose, I wouldn't be here without them. Different words, same heartbeat. 

That's when I knew this feeling deserved its own song.

As you read this article, you'll find some of the lyrics I wrote for this song filtered throughout.

Wanting to Hand Them an Easy World - Yah, I Know, It's Not Easy!

I want my children to have an easy life. Not a perfect one. Just an easier one. 

When they were little, and even now, I want to hand them all the answers. I want to give them the map, the shortcuts, and the warnings written clearly so they can bypass that broken ground altogether.

I want to keep them close. I want to block the shadows. I want to win every battle for them so they can stay peaceful. 

I know, logically, that children are supposed to struggle sometimes, that challenges shape them, that lessons learned firsthand matter more than anything I could explain. 

But emotionally? Like many parents, I don't want my children to suffer. When they struggle, I don't watch from a distance (but sometimes I'm forced to), I dig deep alongside them.

Is that selfish? Maybe a little. 

If their life is easy, mine feels easier too. But mostly it comes from love. From instinct. From that deep, almost unbearable desire to protect their spirit. 

That's where the song begins — with that wanting. That hope that if I could just give them the book of life, filled with every secret to an easier road, they'd never have to stumble.

The truth is, that wouldn't work, because nine times out of ten, the likelihood they'd listen is slim to nil. But that's ok too, because it's evidence that, in the end, it's up to them.

Life, of course, doesn't follow the maps I draw.

Watching Them Become Who They Are

One of the hardest truths of parenting is realizing that no matter how much wisdom you carry, life still belongs to your children. They have to live it themselves. I've watched them stumble. I've watched them rise again. I've watched them make choices that require courage, quiet courage, the kind that doesn't announce itself.

There's a line in the song that holds a complicated truth for me: I'm grateful for their strength, yet at the very same time, I hope they never really need it. 

That's the paradox of being a parent. You want your children to be capable and resilient, but you don't want life to demand too much of them.

What humbles me most is realizing they don't need my book of life after all. They don't need every secret written down. They find paths I don't see. They bypassed broken ground, which I thought was unavoidable. And in doing so, they teach me something I'm still learning.

Choosing Faith Over Fear

Parenting is a constant balancing act between faith and fear. Fear wants control. Faith asks for trust. Trust is not passive — it's an active choice, one I have to make again and again. Letting go doesn't mean loving less. It means loving differently.

I'm still practicing. I'll never be a pro at letting them go. But even in silence, I feel their hearts. I send them peace. I remind myself that I'm not their answer — I'm the road that helps them through. I'm the doorway into living, not the path they have to choose.

My children don't just shape my life.
They save my life.
Every single day.

And that truth deserved its own song. It was my Valentine's Day gift to them this year. 

*************

I Write Lyrics About Life:

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iTunes:   Drageda Lyrics on iTunes

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National Toast Day Review

Toast Day is held each year on the 4th Thursday of February. It was begun in 2014 by The Tiptree World Bread Awards to celebrate toast and all the breads we make it with. (Tiptree is a brand of fruit preserves, conserves, and marmalade made in England by Wilkin & Sons Limited, so it makes sense they have an interest in toast.)

The organization is in the UK, but the popularity of this day has found a following in the United States.  

The Shades of Toast

Some people like their toast barely toasted (my mother, for one. I used to tell her that her version of toast was more like ‘warm bread’, LOL). 

Others like their toast almost burnt, which is a way I learned to eat it as a small child from my great-grandmother, Banny. At the time, the only toaster she had was a non-popup toaster used in the 1920s to 1930s. You lowered each side, inserted the bread, closed the doors and ‘watched’ it closely. Only one side was toasted at a time. One had to lower the doors, and flip the bread to toast the other side. And, yes, I do remember that toaster - it looked like the one pictured here. Banny, my GG, would wait until the smoke was coming out of the toaster (burnt), then toast the other side. Then she would lightly scrape the burnt part off.

It may sound weird to you today, but as a tiny child who adored her ‘Banny’, I thought it was great, and I loved the burnt flavor. The rest of the way we ate that toast was dipped in coffee (Banny) and cocoa (me). To this day, cocoa and toast is a favorite of mine. Although, I no longer eat my toast burnt! Most people prefer their toast toasted somewhere in between barely and burnt. 

Toast Toppings

Now, the toppings for toast are endless, and depend on your preference. Butter is a standard topping, but favorites run anywhere from jam/jellies to peanut butter to avocados. Then there are standards like poached eggs on toast and toasted sandwiches. 

Summary

So, if you like toast (and most of us do), mark the 4th Thursday of February on your calendar in order to celebrate this ‘toasty’ day! 

Related Holidays:

• National Cheese Toast Day - September 15
• National Bread Day - November 17

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on ReviewThisReviews: Holidays

*A review of National Toast Day was written by Wednesday Elf

*Images: 

• Vintage Toaster image from Rare Historical Photos/Vintage Toasters toasters/
• Toast/toaster images from Pixabay

 

Elite Gourmet ECT-3100 Long Slot 4 Slice Toaster, Reheat, 6 Toast Settings, Defrost, Cancel Functions, Built-in Warming Rack, Extra Wide Slots for Bagels & Waffles, Stainless Steel & Black

Oregon Growers, Marionberry Jam, Strawberry Jam, & Red Raspberry Jam Variety Pack - Marionberry Preserves, Strawberry Preserves, Red Raspberry Preserves, Organic Jelly - 12 Oz Each (Pack of 3)

Nature's Own Butterbread, Sliced White Bread, 20 oz Loaf

Thomas’ Plain Bagels, 6 Pre Sliced Bagels with No High Fructose Corn Syrup, 20 Oz Bag

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Mischief and Manors Book Reviewed

I have recently started reading through the Change of Heart book series by Ashtyn Newbold and I have not been disappointed.  

This entire series is a  very romantic, very entertaining series built around characters with charm and wit.

Book 1 of the series is Mischief and Manors.  The title describes well what a reader should expect.  The mischief element is introduced by the two young brothers in the story.  Manors is also clear in reference to the homes.  Changing the spelling to "manners" would also have been appropriate since having the proper manners in society definitely matters.

Romantics at heart always love books with gentlemen and heroes.  This series is based on women who need a real gentleman and hero in their lives.  All Regency Romance novels are written based on a time period in the past when woman have little or no control over their own lives.  Happiness and romance are secondary to financial security and marriage arrangements may not include the woman's personal considerations.  

 

Synopsis of Mischief and Manors

Annette Downing and her two young brothers are orphans who were taken in my their uncle's widow when their parents died 5 years before the book's beginning.  Ruth Filbee is a cruel, selfish, and viscous woman who didn't want the children, but also didn't want to be criticized publicly for not taking them in.

 Mischief and Manors:
A Regency Romance (Change of Heart Book 1)Check PriceWhen Annette and her brothers were invited to spend the summer at Kellaway Manor, Annette couldn't get away from her aunt and the town of Silton fast enough.  Even though she thought she had found a way out of Aunt Ruth's house by accepting the vicar's marriage proposal, it would not be a love match.  Simply an escape from her aunt's abuse and guardianship.  She hoped to have time away from all of the stress by visiting her parent's friends, the Kellaways.  

Annette had visited the Kellaways in the past with her parents, but her brothers had never been there.  She knew their mischievous antics could cause problems, but she hoped she would be able to instruct them.  She had done the best she could to raise her young brothers, but she knew she needed help.  The need for help was another reason why she was considering the vicar's proposal.

Dr. Owen Kellaway remembered Annette, and she certainly remembered him and his own mischievous ways when he was young.  After all, when she was previously there, he had led her into an "adventure" that ended up with her being hurt.  

Owen was immediately drawn to Annette and her dedication to her little brothers.  The more he learned about their lives, the more he wanted to help them, but Annette wasn't interested in a relationship with Owen.  However, she did realize he could help her instruct and properly teach her brothers to be gentlemen.  She finally agreed to a proper friendship.  She had no desire to be taken in by his charm or flirtation, but she thought she was safe to have him as a much needed friend.

____________

It is pretty evident early on that Annette and Owen's friendship will develop into a love relationship.  However, Annette's aunt had accepted the vicar's proposal for Annette and she has threatened to send her brothers to an orphanage.  No matter who Annette marries, her aunt is still her brother's guardian and has total control over them.

As with any "Cinderella" story, you really want to see the wicked guardian's plans thwarted.  

 

        

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Books by Ashtyn Newbold Previously Reviewed on ReviewThisReviews.com

• The Last Eligible Bachelor 
• The Ace of Hearts 
• The Captain's Confidant  
• With Love, Louisa
• Lord Blackwell's Promise
  

   

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Mischief and Manors (Change of Heart Series) Reviewed by:

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