What started out as a two week blogging break (I was behind on several projects) turned into a two month hiatus away from my computer and I haven’t posted since the beginning of March. Where the time went I don’t know, and the summer just gets busier, but I miss visiting my favorite blogs and decided to get a few minutes in here and there and try to stay in touch with friends. I don’t cook on a regular basis any more. When I’m home by myself dinner is often a salad and something easy like avocado toast or a Marie Callender’s chicken pot pie. In the future I will share fewer recipes, ones I think are especially good, and will focus more on what going on at our beautiful North Oregon Coast.
I have a few containers of last summer’s applesauce in the freezer and I thawed one out for this wonderful apple oatmeal cake. It’s a favorite recipe because of its intense apple flavor and the texture it gets from rolled oats and coconut and nuts in the broiled frosting. It keeps well, stays nice and moist, and travels well to the beach or to favorite camping or picnic spots. The addition of Bob’s Red Mill diced dried apples is my own addition. It gives the cake an extra apple flavor punch and keeps the cake nice and moist. These dried apple bits are one of my favorite baking ingredients Reconstitute 1/2 cup dried apples in 1/4 cup warm water or apple juice before adding them to the cake. Rum is even better. You can’t taste it but it intensifies the other flavors in the cake. Be sure to reconstitute the dried apples. Otherwise they absorb a lot of moisture in the dough and it becomes dry once its baked.
I have a new 3-1/2 month old grandson, Dodson Dean, He’s twelve pound of personality-plus and is the happiest baby you could ever find. He rolled over for the first time on Mother’s Day. Did I mention he is smart too!!!!! His mommy and daddy were very excited.
The Beaverton Farmers’ Market opened for the summer last Saturday. I’m not a vendor anymore but I love to attend to see my vendor and customer friends again. I’m enjoying being the customer and not the person who has to get up at 4:00 am on Saturday mornings to set up my booth for the day. I was a vendor there for 12 years and I loved almost every minute of it. Rainy days weren’t my favorite.
My backyard is at its best in early summer. Portland is called “The City of Roses” for a reason. We have had a warm spring and my rose bushes are in their full glory right now. A good pruning last winter resulted in lots of blooms, especially on my climbing roses. Our annual Rose Festival will start in several weeks. It’s a big event with a carnival center and big parade and if you are out this way for a visit you should make sure to attend some of the events. 
I don’t have a garden any more other than a few pots of herbs and tomatoes that sit on the patio off my living room. They get good sun and everything does well. There is nothing like picking tomatoes that are warm from the sun and eating them out of hand. It takes me back to my days of growing up on a farm. I found a new variety of cherry tomato, “Rapunzel”, and I’ve planted several of them. I love what I see in the photo above and hope mine produce like the the plant shown. It’s worth a try.
Well, that’s it for now. I’m going to the beach on Tuesday and hope to have some good photos to share when I get home. Stay tuned.
I found this delicious recipe at White Lights on Wednesday. The only change I made was adding diced, dried apples.
- 1¼ cups applesauce
- 1 cup Old Fashioned oats
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup diced dried apples, reconstituted in ¼ cup warm water, apple juice or rum
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sweetened flaked coconut
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons milk
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, cook applesauce until just beginning to boil. Stir in oatmeal. Set aside; let stand for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make sure oven rack is at least 6" from top of oven. Coat a 9" x 9" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, mix until combined. Add reconstituted diced apples and mix well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in two additions; mix until just combined after each addition. Add applesauce mixture and mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until cake has browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- In a small medium bowl, combine coconut, brown sugar, walnuts, melted butter, and milk. Mix until combined and all ingredients are moistened. Carefully spread topping over hot cake, and return to oven. Turn over to broil, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly. Remove cake from oven. Cool 30 minutes, and serve warm.
You could just post your little Dodson and garden and we would be happy!
The cake looks great too..but that child’s little sweet smile..is the star today!
Rapunzel sounds like a winner!
Thank you, Monique. I would be very content to just post Dodson and garden photos. He is such an adorable little peanut. I have my hopes up about Rapunzel. I’ll post its progress.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Apple Oatmeal Cake and a Little of This and That
What a precious baby.
Please don’t forget to let us know how the tomato plant thrives. I would love a plant or two if they really grow well.
I’ll post updates, Madonna. I have high hopes for this new variety.
Your little Dodson is adorable…he does look like the happiest little guy!
My hubby will love the apple/oatmeal cakes, they are two of his favorite things.
I have never seen that particular kind of tomato plant, but will be looking for it…it is so pretty with all that fruit. Hope yours does as well.
Have a great week, Cathy.
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Thanks, Marigene. We think he’s pretty darn cute too. I’ll post pics of the tomato plant. I want mine to look just like the photo. Thanks for your comment.
Cathy Farley recently posted..Apple Oatmeal Cake and a Little of This and That
Gosh, I’d love to find that rapunzel tomato plant. I hope it performs well for you. Enjoy your summer and your grandson and don’t worry about posting! You have more important things to keep you busy.
I envy your two month break and once my gardening gets into full spring I may pull back even a little more from the computer as well. Life is short and shouldn’t be spent in front of a computer screen 🙂 Our little grandsons are almost the same age. Our Bo was born on January 18 and turns 4 months old today! Aren’t they a wonder? Apple Oatmeal cake sounds delicious and healthy too.
Hi Cathy, what little doll your Dodson is! Enjoy your summer and please post pic’s of that beautiful Oregon coast of yours.
Welcome back, you’ve been missed. Your apple cake sounds great. I’m going to see if our market carries the dried apples as I haven’t noticed them. Your grandson is a cutie…I bet he is one of the reasons that time has been flying by. 🙂 I can see why the tomatoes are called Rapunzel, I kept scrolling through that photo wondering when the tomatoes were going to end.
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Cathy, I’ve been off line for quite a while, too. Welcome back! I’m adjusting to empty nest syndrome, and find that my style of cooking is going through an adjustment– smaller portions. Plus, my job keeps me away from posting and visiting blogs. Don’t disappear entirely, because I love your recipes and pics. You inspire me to make the Oregon Coast one of our future trips. It will happen! I just made an apple sauce cake (I have yet to blog) that was so good! It’s a childhood comfort food cake for me. I’ve never seen the dried apples from Bob’s Red Mill, but I’m not lucky enough to live near the home store. Enjoy your new little Grand-Nugget and the Farmer’s Market. I know how much you love that!
Little Dodson is so precious. I smile every time I see you post pictures of him on Facebook. I love your apple cake. Apple cakes are a part of my growing up years in Michigan (Apple Country). Will have to get some dried apples from Bob’s Mill. Glad you are back Cathy.
Dodson is precious! Love that smile.
I have never heard of Rapunzel tomatoes….those are fascinating…
I forgot to tell you that you cake looks really moist. I would love to have a slice!!
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Wow they look fantastic, I just need some nutmeg. Those tomatoes are looking good and tasty. They look easy to pick too! I will have to get some if they are so easy to grow.
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Time to eat more healthy and delicious dessert, and apple oatmeal cake is the answer! Happy eating!
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