My, oh my, I'm so busy!

And I haven't posted for a month. Thought about it . . . hmmm, should I post or watch continue to watch Homeland . . . hmmm. 

That's what happens when you learn how to use your cable box and see what kind of free stuff you can watch. Now, I'm suck into Homeland and I need to make it stop. If only Homeland would make want to exercise at the same time. You know like a combination Homeland and Insanity workout. 

I've been really busy and not with baking stuff. Been working late at my job-job. Thank goodness, I was smart enough to ask if I could work from home Thanksgiving week.  On Monday and Tuesday, I put in 12 hour+ days only stopping when WG came home from the restaurant. But I have been making . . .

"WHAT?" you asked

Lilikoi Tea Cupcakes with Lilikoi Jelly filling and cream cheese frosting

that lilikoi filling peaking out under the frosting

Using stuff that I got and made from Hawaii--Lilikoi tea and Lilikoi Jelly. The jelly looks a bit scary--like an experiment gone bad. A dark almost black color. But don't let that fool you it is soooooo good. {see my post on the making of the lilikoi jelly} Found some frozen passion fruit at my supermarket and will be testing out some lilikoi [now do I really call it lilikoi if I got it from the frozen food section my suburban supermarket?] curd next. Maybe I'll try some lilikoi bars. 

All filled with goodness

So these cupcakes are version of my earl grey cupcakes with orange marmalade filling. The jelly was a little loose so I heated it up and add some cold butter to thicken up. Tested out at work first, it was a thumbs up. Then made a batch for the restaurant.

Applesauce
I've gotten a little obsessed with the damage fruit section at the market. WG brought home a bag of apples from the Asian Market the other day. He said the lady from the store was packing the bags of apples and turned to him and said, "you like? $1!" and of course he took it. Then he brought it home and said, "Here! Make something with it! $1."

So I made some applesauce, no sugar, just apples and a couple of cinnamon sticks and for $1, I got  2 1/2 pints of apple sauce how can you beat that. 2 pints to the restaurant to go with some pork chop dish and the rest will be for applesauce cake.

Apple butter
So what's the next step after applesauce, apple butter, of course.This time in a crock pot over night, peeled and cored apples [got 6.5lbs from the damage fruit section; the apples were barely damage; mostly just ugly looking], some white and brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Then wake up the next morning, give a blitz with immersion blender and cook down for another 2 hours with the cover cracked. How hard is that? My house smell great from the apples and spices.

Roasted Tomato Salsa 
This will be the third time I mentioned the damage fruit and veggie section but is your friend. Especially if you hit it at the right time when just put it out. I hit the jackpot the other day. Not really thinking I needed anything from the produce section when I see several pack of tomatoes. Usually when you see tomatoes, you can tell they are either really mushy or going bad in a matter of seconds but these pack must have just been put out and didn't look that bad. In fact I thought they look as good as you picked them from the normal bin of tomatoes. So I picked the best and biggest pack and another with tomatoes and head of green cauliflower in it. [for roasting, of course] A total of 15 average size tomatoes and head of green cauliflower for $2.50. So what do you make with all these tomatoes, roasted tomato salsa {see this post on this recipe}

A little batch of pickle veggie slaw 
I obsessively made these this summer. So good. Had a bunch veggie that I didn't want to waste so why not pickle them for my lunch {see my post on this recipe}.

Sweet Potato cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Holy Cow! This is so good {recipe from smittenkitchen} even without the marshmallow frosting. No time in the morning, I barely can make it in on time these day. Let alone make and pipe out a marshmallow frosting then torch it. If I did that before work for a breakfast party for work, I should get some kind award. Any who! DID I MENTION THAT THIS RECIPE IS SO GOOD AND EASY! MAKE IT!!!!! 

Butternut Squash Butter 
Guess where I got these squash from [I know, I know. All of you are screaming, for crying out out loud enough with the damage fruit and veggie section]? But it is true and I roasted up 2 nice size bsquash and made some butter with them {recipe from food 52}. I fiddled with the spices, used cinnamon, ginger and smig of clove [that's what I use in my pumpkin/sweet potato pie and I love that taste]. Using the butter for some bar cookies I plan to make after I finish this post. Hope to get some pictures. 

cooking down the butter with all it's spices

. . . and last but not least all the other goodies that I make for the restaurant. I did make a pumpkin cheesecake for the restaurant. That looked really good. I used Kabocha pumpkin. I hope people like it.

Kabocha pumpkin food milled and ready for the cheesecake

I think I'm going to try and make up a batch of persimmon butter. But I need to troll you know where to see if i can get some gently damage one for the butter. I have a bunch of persimmon lovers that would like this on their morning toast.