tracy0504

Kohl's has never been my go-to store... most of their women's clothing aren't my style and they're pricey, although I have bought a few dresses from there and a pair or two of boots but only during BF sales... I mainly buy the throws, candles and Christmas socks during BF...

I usually make peach cobbler, but my kids won't eat it, two of them don't care for peaches and one doesn't like warm fruit... Apple cobbler has been a request but I always make a crisp or pie... this year I think I may try it with this recipe... I may cheat and use ready made crust and there is a note at the bottom on how to make it without cooking the apples first (which is what I'd probably do). Apple Cobbler Ingredients For the apple filling 5 pounds apples, peeled, about 9-11 large apples; use a variety of flavors 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, from 1 small lemon 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from 1 small lemon 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 5 tablespoons all purpose flour*, See notes if you are making this without cooking the apples 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon cardamom, optional 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract For the cobbler topping 2 & 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup buttermilk**, cheater version okay, see notes 1 egg 1/2 cup cold butter, chopped into chunks 2 tablespoons sugar, granulated or raw sugar or both Instructions Make the apple filling: Choose your apples. You need 5 pounds of apples for this recipe, which is about 9-11 large apples. I like to use a mix of apples for the best flavor, like Granny Smith, Gala, and Golden Delicious. Use a microplane grater to zest 1/2 teaspoon lemon peel into a high-sided 12-inch skillet. (SEE NOTE for instructions on how to make this without cooking the apples first; you can skip the skillet and place raw apples directly in the baking dish.) Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the pan, about 3 tablespoons. Peel all the apples with a vegetable peeler, or one of those handy apple peelers. Slice the apples very thin, about 1/8 inch, see photos. You should end up with about 9 cups of sliced apples. Add your apples to the skillet with the lemon. Toss the apples with the lemon juice occasionally as you peel, so the apples don't brown. Cook the apples. (Remember this is optional! See notes!) Once you have all the apples peeled and sliced in the pan, set it over medium heat on the stove. Add 3/4 cups granulated sugar and 3/4 cup packed brown sugar over the top of the apples in the pan. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons flour, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon cardamom (optional but delicious), and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt on the apples. Stir it together gently so you don’t break all the apples. Once the mixture is all moistened and you don’t see patches of flour or cinnamon, set a timer for 20 minutes. Cover the mixture with a lid but don’t walk away. Stick around and stir the mixture every 3 minutes or so, replacing the lid each time. Cook for 20 minutes, until the apples are fork tender but still hold their shape. The apples will not soften more while baking in the oven, because of the magic of pectin. So have a taste and see if you want to cook a longer or shorter time. Only you can know your apple al dente perfection level. Once it's off heat, stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Scrape the cooked apples and all the caramel-y-ness into a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Set aside to cool for a couple minutes. Make the cobbler topping: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients: 2 and 1/2 cups flour, 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder. Whisk it together. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup buttermilk* and 1 egg. Pour it into the bowl with the flour, then use a pastry cutter to cut it into the flour, making a shaggy dough. You can use a spoon or fork if you don't have a pastry cutter, be sure to use a cutting motion rather than stirring. It's okay if there are still some dry spots of flour, see photos. Pour or spoon the flour mixture on top of the apples in the 9×13 pan, and spread around evenly. Chop a stick of butter into 1/2 inch pieces. Scatter evenly over the top of the flour mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the top. I used half granulated sugar and half demerara (raw) sugar to give it extra crunch. Bake at 375 for 45-55 minutes. The top should be turning light brown. Once it is light brown all over the top (not just in a few spots) and it's bubbling like crazy, it's done. If you like an extra crispy top, broil the cobbler for 1-3 minutes at this point. No need to move the oven rack up. It gives it an extra crisp browning that I just love. Who doesn't want a crispy crunchy top? But don't walk away! Keep an eye on it, I can't tell you how many things I've lit on fire in my broiler. Check it every 60 seconds. You are supposed to let it cool completely. Hogwash! Wait 15 minutes to let the juices set up and then dig in! Vanilla ice cream is just not even optional for serving. Store leftovers loosely covered on the counter; transfer it to the fridge after 2 days. Notes *How to make Apple Cobbler without cooking the apples first: I do prefer cooked apples for this cobbler, but I know it’s a lot of extra steps and sometimes you just need to git er done! It’s so easy (and still very tasty) to make this with raw apples: Follow all instructions as given, but instead of mixing the lemon and sliced apples in a skillet, place them directly in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Add all the ingredients called for in the filling directly on top of the raw apples in the pan, with only one change: *use 1/2 cup all-purpose flour instead of 5 tablespoons.* This will help thicken our sauce as it cooks in the oven. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gently stir the mixture together, being careful so your apples don’t go flying everywhere. Your apples should have a light sauce clinging to them, with no obvious patches of flour or sugar. Press the apples down gently in the pan. Top as instructed in the recipe with the cobbler dough. Bake as directed, keeping in mind that the longer these apples are in the oven, the better they will be. Take it out of the oven when the cobbler topping is as browned as you can take it! You can even top with foil in the last few minutes of baking if you want, to slow the browning process while still giving the apples plenty of time to soften.

Congrats!!

They took away the 1% cash back on purchases, which has helped me out in the past... some people shopped there so much they racked up hundreds of dollars in cash back rewards... so there's one disappointment about the "re-branding"...

Hmmmm... I think we'll see early sales from the usual suspects, Wally World, Tar-jay, Kohl's... I don't think Wally World or Tar-jay (or any of the smaller stores) will be affected by the coming election at all, depending on where the store is located and the demographics people are still going to shop... I live close to the Canadian border and we have a lot of people who come from Canada DAILY to shop in Tar-jay specifically (several Tar-jays in the area to be exact)... if they only stock up to supply for the Canadians they would still make a killing because they do not care and are not affected by our election... but we see the same things on sale every year because there is always someone in need of one or more of those items, electronics, games, toys... now how much of a sale we will see on the usual products is a good question...

I got nothing... I remember using Shopkick a few years ago... you got points just for entering certain stores and walking around scanning certain items... those points would add up and be eligible for gift cards to stores... I haven't done a lot of in-store shopping since Covid so I haven't used the app since 2020 or so... but I enjoyed it when I did... how much you earned was based on you... I earned enough to select a $25 Walmart gift card and that would have been higher if I would have started earlier in the year...

I am in need of a new tree this year... 30% off is not bad, but checking past sales ads to see if there were other deals closer to BF...

I really enjoy revisiting the old ads, but then I get a little sad because it's not the same any more... I liked waiting for the ads to get "leaked" on this site and being one of few who got early viewing privileges...

I hope it's not too long... although I saw a comment on FB from another longshoreman/woman who said they will just re-route to another port on the opposite coast like they normally would and they are waiting for the business...

I'm interested to see what their inflation-free holiday meal prices will look like from October 14-December 25... I know I can easily spend $200 just for Thanksgiving dinner and that's a conservative number... with food prices ridiculously high, I'm sure I would be looking at over $200 easily this year just for that one meal.

I love the holiday scents... I buy candles every season (too many most of the time) and couldn't wait for the Fall candles to come out so I can buy too many

When I saw how early it was starting this year, I have to admit I smiled a bit... I know it's too early for some, but it's a simple pick me up for me... something that I can indulge in guilt free, inside my home, and doesn't cost me extra... Can't wait!!!!

You know it's begun when you see this post!!!!

Sad, but true... Just the other day I was thinking back on the stores I used to hit up every BF, starting with K-Mart on Thanksgiving morning, Toys R Us and/or KB Toys were always a stop... how standing in long lines in the cold, snow and/or rain was the norm and I couldn't wait to do it... but yeah, it's pretty much dead in 2024...

1. Alright, before we open those doors let’s get a group photo…on the count of three say “smile now, cry later” 2. Stood outside in line for 3 hours to stand in the checkout line for two hours to buy one thing!! 3. Just let me rest my eyes for 10 minutes and I’ll be good to go…

Good Monday Morning

Annnnd Happy Birthday to me