Easy Homemade Fruit Rolls Ups - 1 ingredient!

Olivia's first day of 1st grade is tomorrow and naturally, I'm frantically preparing stuff for lunches. I do not buy any prepackaged lunch snacks. I'm frankly horrified by the ingredients in most of them and none of it resembles anything in my pantry or refrigerator. Fruit roll ups are probably some of the worst of them, so we make our own. These are so very simple, take about 10 minutes of prep, and require only ONE ingredient - you guessed it! Fruit!

Here's what you'll need:

• About 6 cups of cut up fruit - any fruit will do! I like to mix fruits together. Today I'm making apple, peach, strawberry roll ups. I usually like to start with an apple or pear as a base and then toss in whatever else is in the fridge (citrus notwithstanding). This is a terrific way to use up fruit when you've overbought or have just forgotten about some fruit you bought last week. Oh, come on - it's happened to you before too, hasn't it?!
• Food Processor
• Cookie Sheet with edges/sides (otherwise known as a Jelly Roll Pan in fancy circles)
• Parchment Paper
• Optional: Cinnamon. Its good for you, it really is! But, I'm not the biggest fan of it. I like to make a few batches now and again with a sprinkle of it thrown in for something different.
• Optional: Agave Nectar or Honey. To be honest, I rarely add this, but there are times when I've been duped by beautiful looking fruit only to cut into it and realize its way too tart or not ripe enough. A tablespoon of agave or honey helps mellow that out.

Step 1: Cut up fruit, remove seeds/pits and throw it all into the food processor. You'll need about 6 cups. I don't recommend any more than that per batch because its just too thick and takes a really long time to cook down.

See all that beautiful fruit? Don't bother taking the time to skin the fruit - it takes up time (and who has any extra of that laying around) and the skin is loaded with nutrients, like the all-important fiber!

This is my only waste. Can you hear my compost bin singing?!

Step 2: Puree it, baby! Don't worry too much about getting every last chunk of fruit. So long as its mostly pureed, you're good to go!

 

Step 3: Line a cookie sheet (ahem: jelly roll pan) with parchment paper. A little trick I've learned is to lay the parchment paper so the curve from being on a roll is placed downward and then go along the edges of the pan and gently crease the paper along those lines. This makes it much easier to manage since the paper isn't fighting you nearly as much.

 

Step 4: Spread your puree over the parchment paper as evenly as possible. Then, give the whole pan a little shake to help even it out some more.

See how the parchment paper folds over the edges of the pan rather than rolling up toward the puree? See the chunk of fruit I found when spreading my mixture? I told you it didn't have to be perfectly pureed!

 

Step 5: Pop that pan into the oven on the LOWEST setting possible. My oven's lowest temp is 170 degrees. Now, walk away for a minimum of 4 hrs. Go run errands, clean your house, read a book, knit a sweater, just let them be. Trust me, you won't forget about them because your house will start to smell heavenly! 

 

After 4 hrs, I start checking on them. Each batch is different and when I start to see that the edges are getting done, I like to transfer my pan to the warming drawer on medium or high. This allows them to cook much more slowly and decreases the odds that you'll end up with what we lovingly call "fruit crisps." My children gobble these up just the same, but if that's not my goal, I'd rather not end up with that outcome. I typically move the pan to my warming drawer after 4-5 hrs and cook for several more hours in the warming drawer. If you don't have a warming drawer to transfer them to, you will now need to start checking on them every hour.

 

Now, I need to stop here and explain a little something. Have you seen any of those Pinterest pins with perfectly uniform, beautifully portioned homemade fruit roll ups? I'm going to let you in on a secret....they're lying to you. I know, right?! Unless you have some magical power to spread the mixture perfectly even and a magical oven that cooks everything perfectly evenly, you will not get an entire batch of roll ups to look like that. Don't fret, perfectionism is overrated.

 

Step 6: Use a pizza cutter to cut off strips of roll up as it gets done. It should be dry, but pliable. If it breaks when you try to roll it, you've got a "crisp" on your hands. If you try to keep cooking the entire sheet so you can cut it all up at once, you'll have a mix of crisps and roll ups. Do not get hung up on perfectly portioned roll ups - just go with it and cut off strips starting from the outside and working in. Trust me, you'll know if its not cooked enough!

See what I mean? Some of it is done and some of it is nowhere near done!

**sorry for the orientation of this picture - blogger and I are clearly not getting along here**

Isn't this a pretty little roll? Notice I'm only showing you one - I don't want you to get any crazy ideas about all of my rolls looking like they've rolled out of a factory because its nowhere near the result you'll get.

Step 7: Roll and store in the fridge. Do me (and the environment) a favor and don't bother trying to perfectly cut slips of parchment paper to roll these things up onto. Its a) completely unnecessary - if they're fully cooked, they won't be very sticky, b) a waste of resources - that unnecessary paper you spent your hard earned money on is going into the trash after having served no useful purpose other than to mimic a store bought roll up, and c) a waste of time - again, who's got lots of that to waste away?!

 

I've stored them for up to 2 weeks without any trouble. But, I'll be honest, they're usually gone after a couple of days. I have to ration these things my girls love them so much! Case in point:



Yes, her hair is wet because she *just* had a bath. And, yes, she's happily putting food on her face. *Sigh* Kids!

Easy Homemade Fruit Roll Ups

Ingredients:

• 6 cups fruit, cut up
• Optional: Cinnamon
• Optional: Agave Nectar or Honey

Directions:

• Puree cut and seeded fruit in food processor
• Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper
• Spread puree mixture onto parchment paper as evenly as possible
• Cook on lowest temp possible (approx. 170 degrees) for 4 hrs
• After 4-5 hrs, or when the edges are starting to get done, transfer pan to warming drawer on medium or high for several more hours. If no warming drawer, start checking on mixture every hour.
• Use a pizza wheel to slice of strips as they get done.
• Roll strips and store in the refrigerator.

Crock Pot Peppered Pork and Parmesan Risotto

I don't know about you, but I love easy weeknight meals. I'm not, however, the world's biggest fan of crock pots. They do a fine job of preparing winter meals with little fuss, but you will not see me signing up to eat 365 meals out of a crock pot. Why? Simple. I prefer flavor. All that said, there are several meals that I routinely prepare in the crock pot, including peppered pork and risotto. While its not the most colorful meal (let's be honest, most crock pot meals lack true color), it is a family favorite and perfect for a warming, comforting, home cooked meal on a busy evening.

 

 

 

 

Here's what you'll need:

2-3 lbs. Pork Loin

Fresh Garlic

Pepper

2 cartons Chicken Broth (never mind the single box pictured)

1 box Arborio Rice

1/2-1 cup Parmesan Cheese (not pictured)

 

 

 



 Step 1. Trim any excess fat off the loin.

Step 2. Peel and dice or press the garlic. I use a press to minimize the amount of garlic smell on my hands, but if you like to dice it by hand, go for it! As far as jarred garlic goes - just say no. Really. Do not be tempted. Preparing the pork takes longer than any other step and really only takes about 10-15 minutes. If you don't know how to easily peel the garlic, simply cut off the end, turn a large knife (like the one pictured above) so the blade is flat and lay it on top of the garlic. Use the heel of your hand to give it a good thwack - the garlic will separate easily from the skin! Now, the amount of garlic is entirely based on personal preference, but do keep in mind that crock pots mellow flavors so more is typically better. See the picture below for an idea of what is *left over* from an entire bulb.

Step 3. Pepper. I prefer cracking the pepper and I use a lot of it - until my hands & arms are tired. Again, a reminder that crock pots do a number on flavors.
Here's an idea of the quantity of pepper I use - again, its a personal preference, so play around and see what combo you prefer:

Step 4. Rub. Get your hands in there and rub down the loin with all that glorious garlic and pepper.

Step 5. Flip the loin and repeat the garlic and pepper steps.

Step 6. Add 1 entire carton of chicken broth (I use low sodium whenever possible) to the crock pot and then place the loin into the broth. I don't recommend putting the loin in first, unless you prefer to have all that garlic and pepper washed away when you pour in the broth.

Step 7. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

Step 8. Remove the pork. It should be fully cooked at this point and don't be surprised if it starts to fall apart on you.

Step 9. Add the box of Arborio rice and another carton of chicken broth. The rice should be fully submerged and then some. Then, add the loin on top. I've been tempted in the past to skip the second box because there *seems* to be enough broth, but I'm always disappointed with the half cooked, half raw outcome. Here's what it looks like when you're running low on chicken broth:

Can you see how the individual rice grains are clearly visible? The problem with this scenario is that the rice on top (where the broth is no longer covering) will not cook as quickly as the rice underneath. Stirring it only results in mouthfuls of soft and firm rice all at once. Its not a good outcome, I assure you.

Step 10. Cook the rice for 45-60 minutes. Here it is about halfway through cooking - see how the individual rice grains are starting to be harder to recognize? That's what you want!

Step 11. When the broth has been absorbed and the rice is porridge like, remove the loin and set aside. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Here is what it should look like prior to adding the cheese:

Step 12. Serve & Enjoy! (And, let's be honest, you really should add a veggie to this dish - might I suggest a simple side salad?)

Crock Pot Peppered Pork and Risotto

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. Pork Loin

Fresh Garlic

Pepper

2 cartons Chicken Broth

1 box Arborio Rice

1/2-1 cup Parmesan Cheese

 

 

Directions:

Step 1. Trim any excess fat off the loin.

Step 2. Peel and dice or press the garlic and rub onto the loin.

Step 3. Crack fresh pepper all over the loin.

Step 4. Rub.

Step 5. Flip the loin and repeat steps 2-4.

Step 6. Add 1 entire carton of chicken broth to the crock pot and then place the loin into the broth. I don't recommend putting the loin in first, unless you prefer to have all that garlic and pepper washed away when you pour in the broth.

Step 7. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

Step 8. Remove the pork. It should be fully cooked at this point and don't be surprised if it starts to fall apart on you.

Step 9. Add the box of Arborio rice and another carton of chicken broth. The rice should be fully submerged and then some. Then, add the loin on top.

Step 10. Cook the rice for 45-60 minutes.

Step 11. When the broth has been absorbed and the rice is porridge like, remove the loin and set aside. Stir in the parmesan cheese.

Step 12. Serve & Enjoy!