Return of the Apples

Continuing on with the apples vs. pumpkins war, a previous post for Crock pot Applesauce is coming back and being made into something else yummy, Applesauce Cookies with Caramel Frosting.


First, my lovely assistant (aka DD) and I assembled our ingredients.

The gelato container is not gelato; it's my homemade applesauce!

When I made the applesauce I left it chunky but I didn't want chunks in my cookies so I pureed it in the food processor.  And in the process, wondered why I never made baby food for my kids.  It's not that hard to puree something!

Anyway,  they bake at 375 for 8 mins.

I didn't get any pictures of making the frosting but you bring butter and heavy cream to a boil.  Then turn off the heat and add vanilla.  After it cools, add powdered sugar.  I think I added the powdered sugar too soon because I had lumps but these cookies are seriously amazing!!  My whole family agrees and hubby even ate them for lunch today because he ran out of time to get something else.  There's definitely worse things, right?!  And my parents will vouch for them, too!

So here's the picture you've been waiting for; the finished product!  With the original link below.

http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/12/applesauce-cookies-with-caramel-frosting/

Score:

Apples - 3, Pumpkin - 2

 

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

I recently tried a recipe for slow cooker creamed corn.

It was pretty easy and yummy.

Start by placing 3 cans of corn in your crockpot.

Once you have taken the corn out of the cans, add milk, sugar & pepper and mix.

Then put butter and cream cheese over the top and cook on high for 2-3 hrs.  I started it on low for 3 hrs then bumped it to high for last 1 1/2 hr.  Then mix it all up and cook on high for 15 more mins.

Yummy!

Pardon the name of the original blog - I don't usually use language like that!

http://damndelicious.net/2013/11/24/slow-cooker-creamed-corn/

It's definitely worth a try and may make the holidays easier.

If you ever try any of the things I blog about, please leave a comment and let me know!

Ingredients

• 3 (15.25-ounces) cans whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into thin slices

Instructions

• Place corn into a slow cooker. Stir in milk, sugar and pepper until well combined. Without stirring, top with butter and cream cheese. Cover and cook on high heat for 2-3 hours.
• Uncover and stir until butter and cream cheese are well combined. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

Notes

Adapted from Family Fresh Meals

Apple Vs. Pumpkin - The Pumpkin's Side

Every fall there's kind of a friendly competition between apples and pumpkins.  Some people swear by the fresh baked apple goodies and others are all about the pumpkin spice.  My last two blogs were about apples.  Now I have some pumpkin recipes I would like to share with you.

I have made a few things before that took pumpkin.  Mostly pumpkin pie mix but some plain pumpkin.  I always just bought canned pumpkin but this year we had several pumpkins from the CSA and I wanted to try to actually cook them and not just decorate with them like I have in times past.  So once again, Pinterest came to my rescue!

Look at these beauties!!

There are multiple different methods for cooking pumpkins but the one I found that looked easy was the following:  Simply wash the pumpkins, cut them in half, scoop out the insides and put them in the crockpot on high for 2-3 hrs until a fork will pierce through the rind.

Now what to do with this yummy pumpkin ...

I had two recipes I wanted to try.  One for pumpkin bread and one for pumpkin butter.

First up, the butter!
Pumpkin, honey, apple juice, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice and salt

Cook in the crockpot on low for 6 hrs.

Yes, that is a different crockpot than in the other picture!  My hubby found a brand new crockpot at the thrift store for $10 so now I have two!!

The original blog suggested almond butter, pumpkin butter sandwiches so I decided to try it.  We have several jars of almond butter than need used up because we accidentally bought way far ahead on almond butter!  It's really good!

Next up, bread!
Pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and sugar

 Blend the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger) and add to the above mixture

Yummy!!

Here are the original links for all the above recipes:

http://www.blessthismessplease.com/2014/10/best-easiest-way-cook-pumpkin.html

http://tasty-yummies.com/2014/10/28/how-to-make-crock-pot-pumpkin-butter/

http://www.peanutblossom.com/blog/2010/10/fall-baking-best-ever-pumpkin-bread.html/

 

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Continuing on with my love of fall, I had to share a leaf picture and look at those yummy apples!  

I used them to make slow cooker applesauce and I am in LOVE!

Mix apples, lemon peel, cinnamon sticks and brown sugar.

Cook on low for 6 hours and Wa-La!!

The most amazing applesauce!!

Don't let the name of the original blog fool you, this does not taste like some kind of healthy food.  Try it!  Just do it!

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/10/crock-pot-applesauce.html

Apple Cinnamon Bread

Fall is here!!  Well, kind of, it's supposed to be 80 tomorrow but it's generally much more fall-like around here!

I love fall!  I always feel the best emotionally in the fall.  And apparently, motivated to pick up a poorly neglected blog that hasn't been updated in almost 4 months.  Yikes!!

Every truly, genuine fall recipe calls for cinnamon and brown sugar, right?!

For this recipe, I also pulled out a dairy-free trick.  I didn't want to use butter in this recipe because if I did, I really wouldn't have much better left-over (like maybe a few Tbsp) and I was not running to the store, just for butter.  So anyway, I used applesauce instead of the butter.  Shown below, being added to some sugar.

 

Once you have your batter mixed up, pour half of it in a greased, floured bread pan.

Then you start layering the batter, half an apple, and the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Look at that yummy goodness!!

 

If you, too, would like to make this yummy bread, check out the recipe from 

The Happier Homemaker:

http://www.thehappierhomemaker.com/2014/09/apple-cinnamon-bread/ 

Enjoy!!

 

 

Smothered Chicken

Time to stop procrastinating.  I made this recipe for dinner last Sunday and I'm just now getting a blog done on it.

Without furthur ado, Smothered Chicken...

To start with, you make a sauce of milk and cheddar cheese condensed soup.

 Thinly slice up some potatoes (4-5 medium - if they're smaller, just guesstimate it.  If you over guess, then you're in good company because we did, too!).  Thank you to DH for slicing for me!

Spread some of the milk/cheese sauce on the bottom of the pan.  That's right, this chicken is totally surrounded in cheesy yummines!!

Make 3 layers of potatoes and cheese sauce mix.  Salting and peppering each layer as you go.  

Make no more than 3 layers, though or it will take too long to cook.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 mins.

Meanwhile, chop up some bacon in 1/2 inch pieces (or so!)

Cook the bacon then add some chicken breasts (or chicken breast tenders) to the grease.  

Lightly sear on each side.

When the potatoes are done, put the chicken breasts on top of the potatoes and cover in the rest of the cheese sauce.  Bake 30 mins

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bacon.  Bake 10 mins or so (until cheese is blubbly)

The original recipe, which I am linking to, was from "South Your Mouth."  When I think of southern cooking, I think 'comfort' and there's some comfort in this recipe, for sure!  I did think it was a little salty because there's several times the original recipe calls for salt, plus the bacon but it was yummy!

 http://www.southyourmouth.com/2014/03/smothered-chicken-cheesy-potato.html?m=1

 

Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole

So it's been awhile since I blogged again but last night we tried a unique recipe that I wanted to share with you.   


When I think 'chicken bacon ranch' I immediately think of Pizza Ranch's Chicken Bacon Ranch wrap and the amazing chips, dipped in ranch, that go with it.  I used to work there so believe me, I know how good it is!

 When I think 'tater tot casserole' I think of a family recipe - What Cheer Casserole.  It's my family's take on tater tot casserole.  My grandma used to always make it when my mom would come down to visit my dad before they were married and because she always had it in What Cheer, she called it What Cheer Casserole and that's what we've always called it.  It's hamburger, ketchup, frozen mixed veggies, cream of mushroom soup and tater tots all layered up and baked.  Love it!


I saw a recipe for Chicken Bacon Ranch Tater Tot Casserole on Pinterest and was intrigued but couldn't bring myself to dare to try a different tater tot casserole.  Well, the 'chicken bacon ranch' part got to me and I just had to try it!  I've had the ingredients for almost a week before I finally got a chance to try it!  This was my status on Facebook last night:   "Can't go wrong with chicken, bacon, ranch, potatoes and cheese, right? Well, I'm hoping so because I tried a new recipe tonight!"

So I got out this pan (which holds nostalgia as well because my great-aunt had bought it for me as a wedding present and then she passed away the Sunday before our wedding):

To the pan, I added 1/2 bag of frozen (thawed) corn, a bag of frozen (thawed) peas, large can of chicken with rice soup and 2 cooked chicken breasts.

Add some milk, sour cream and liquid ranch:

Doesn't that look good?!

Add some tater tots

I didn't get a picture of this but you also add shredded cheese and cooked bacon.

Bake and eat!

Ingredients

• 1-2 cups cut up chicken breast
• ½ cup ranch dressing (the liquid ranch in a bottle)
• 8 oz. shredded cheese (your choice of kind)
• 4-6 slices of bacon (add more or less as you wish)
• Tater Tots
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 26 oz. can of chicken with rice
• 15.25 oz can of corn
• 15 oz. can of peas

Instructions

1. First you're going to want to cook up the chicken. I usually cook mine in a frying pan. While that's going you can get the rest of the items ready. Get a 13x9 baking dish or something close to that size. Put the corn, peas, chicken with rice and the chicken in the baking dish and mix it up. Make sure to drain the peas and corn before putting them in.
2. In a separate bowl mix the milk, sour cream and ranch together. Pour that in with the rest of the ingredients that are in the baking dish. Mix that all together. It will look a bit soupy, but that's okay. Once it cooks it won't look that way.
3. Next you're going to want to top it off with the tater tots. Then sprinkle the cheese over the top. Next you will want to cut up the bacon in small pieces and sprinkle on top as well. I use already cooked bacon with mine.
4. The oven can be preheated to 400 degrees or you can check the package of tater tots and cook at that temperature. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the tater tots are golden brown. ENJOY!

http://kathyssavings.com/chicken-bacon-ranch-tater-tot-casserole/


Official Opinion:  This is a unique recipe.  I love the flavor of using the liquid ranch instead of just a ranch dressing packet.  The combination of everything left DH and I thinking, "not bad but not too worried about making it again soon."  DD loved it and actually had seconds when I made it yesterday and asked to have it for lunch today!  That's pretty good because she doesn't usually respond to new recipes that way.  DS must have liked it, too because it took him forever to eat his serving because he kept stopping to say, "Yummy!  Yummy!"  He has not been thrilled about left-overs today, though.  But hey, he hasn't thrown it on the floor and stomped on it like he did with the quiche so we're making progress!

Enjoy!!  


 

Asparagus Quiche

Don't let the title fool you, there is a lot more than asparagus in this quiche but because I had quiche from the CSA, and eggs from the CSA as well,  I decided to do some Pinterest searching for quiche recipes.  Found this one and it was yummy so let's begin!

"Let's start at the very beginning!  A very good place to start!"

And so we begin with a pie crust ...

Sautee some mushrooms

Boils some asparagus

Mix eggs and heavy cream  (sorry for the blurry picture)

 

Add other goodies

To the eggs and heavy cream I have added green onions, a red pepper, cheese (the original recipe called for a white cheese like jack or meunster but I couldn't find it pre-shredded so I used colby-jack), asparagus, mushrooms and bacon (only 3 strips instead of 6 because as I explained in a previous post, I confused myself with all my similar recipes this weekend and ended up short some ingredients).  

I was under the impression from the original recipe that this would make one quiche but I ended up with enough for 2.  Maybe I should have bought deep dish crust ...

Anyway, here they are baking away with the original recipe and link below:

 

Ingredients

• 1 store bought prepared pie crust
• 8 ounce sliced mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 pound asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 large eggs
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 roasted red pepper, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup white cheese, shredded (jack and muenster)
• 6 strips of smoky bacon, cooked and cut into bite size pieces
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a removable bottom tart pan with non stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium skillet saute mushrooms with oil until golden.
4. Set aside to cool.
5. Fill a medium saucepan with enough water to cover the asparagus.
6. Bring water to a boil; add asparagus and boil 1 minute.
7. Drain immediately and set aside to cool.
8. Roll out the prepared pie crust, press into the sides of the tart pan. 
9. In a large bowl lightly beat the eggs, add the cream and stir together.
10. Add the onions, red pepper, shredded cheese, cooled mushrooms, cooled asparagus and bacon.
11. Salt and pepper to taste.
12. Gently fold all ingredients together and pour into prepared tart pan. 
13. Set pan on a cookie sheet, bake 50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
14. Cool in the pan 15 minutes before removing the tart pan sides.

http://www.ladybehindthecurtain.com/asparagus-bacon-quiche/


So here's the finished product:
I really liked it.  Hubby made it through almost 2 pieces by heavily covering it in ketchup.  DD picked out the asparagus/pepper/mushroom and ate eggs/cheese/bacon.  DS ate most of one whole piece before putting the rest on the floor and stomping on it.  So anyway, here's that promised pic: