Real food… that’s been on my mind with each grocery list, each shopping trip, each meal preparation. I’m finding more and more ways to make things from ingredients (because real food IS ingredients) than to make pre-packaged things or “just add water & eggs” things.

My dear cousin mentioned that she likes sautéed apples with pork dishes – so I’ve made them with pork chops and ham steaks recently.

This morning, I decided to make sautéed apples, with extra “syrupy” goodness, to go over homemade pancakes. While I am trying to really pack our meals full of nutrients, sometimes it’s nice to have something fun like pancakes.

Before I carry on for too long, here is what I used for the sautéed apples:

(Remember, I’m feeding 5 kids and 1 or 2 adults for every single meal. You may not need to make as much as we do, or you might, or you may even need to make more.)

Sautéed Apples

Half a Stick of Butter
6 Granny Smith Apples – peeled, cored, sliced 4 times long ways, 3 times across
4 tsp Cornstarch
1 cup Cold Water
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg

Melt the butter in a large skillet or saucepan.
Add apples to melted butter.
Cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat, until apples are nearly tender.
Mix 4 tsp of cornstarch with 1 cup of cold water, stir thoroughly.
Slowly add cornstarch & water mixture to apples, stirring constantly.
Add 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg to apples.
Boil mix for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and set aside.

Homemade Pancakes

3 cups All-Purpose Flour
2 TBS Baking Powder
2 tsp Salt
2 TB Sugar
2 1/2 cups Milk
2 Eggs
2 TBS melted butter (make sure it’s melted! I learned this the hard way.)

In a large mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Mix thoroughly.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, add milk and butter. Mix thoroughly.
Pour egg/milk/butter mix into dry ingredient bowl. Mix gently – break up large lumps, smaller lumps may remain. Don’t over mix.

Preheat a skillet – I use 2 large cast-iron skillets. Once preheated, pour 1/4 cup batter in 2 or 3 spaces in your pan. Let cook on just below medium, brown on both sides, firm in the middle.

Then, I let the kids choose 100% real maple syrup or sautéed apples and syrupy goodness for their topping.

Enjoy!