In the Kitchen :: The Perfect Apple Pie

All my little one wants to do these days is make Apple Pies!  It's hilarious.

We'll be driving home one night and she'll just say lets make an apple pie when we get home!

So...

We did.

We used apples from our trip to Stuckey Farm.

It's getting to be time for Apple & Pumpkin pies so we are testing them out!  haha.

Here's what you'll need to make The Perfect Apple Pie (according to Pillsbury) :

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 box of Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and place one pie crust in a 9-inch glass pie plate.

I used my Giadda one which wasn't glass and it still came out fine.

In a large bowl gently mix the filling ingredients.

To make this recipe family friendly aka my kid could do it without making a huge mess, I put the ingredients in small bowls so all Ells had to do was dump them in.

Spoon the filling mixture into the pie plate.

So good...

Then top with the second crust and wrap excess under the bottom crusts edge. 

Make sure to slit and/or cut shapes in several places on the top too!

Bake for 40-45 min or until apples are tender and crust is golden brown. 

Then let cool for 2 hours.

We let cool for about 45 min before my husband broke down and cut into it... which I think caused it to be a little bit runny... so our fault... still delicious!

Yummm!

Pinteresting Recipe

I've been in the mood for "easy" lately.  I think it's because I feel like I haven't settled back into my groove yet.  I feel like I've just been bouncing around trying to catch up.  Last night I ran around the house, cleaning the house for the house cleaner.  Makes no sense I know... It's almost so she doesn't think we are complete slobs, but more that if there is stuff all over the floors, they don't get cleaned and then I'm paying for nothing. 

When I finally hit the bed, my body was just overcome with exhaustion... which might have explained how I slept through 4 alarms this morning... weird.  And even went to bed earlier than usual... weird. 

But back to the easy thing.  Our pantry has been looking very sparse lately so along with "easy" recipes, I was looking for ones with minimal ingredients -- like 3 or 4 total.  I was sure I'd find nothing but that's why we love Pinterest these days... You can seriously find anything (I think).

So I searched for "3 Ingredients" and sure enough I got a recipe.  I made this a couple of weeks ago, but remember I'm still trying to catch up. 

3 Ingredient Fruit Cobbler

Ingredients Needed: 
Frozen Fruit of choice
Vanilla or White cake mix
Sprite

You pour the frozen fruit into a glass pan that has been greased.  I just sprayed mine with a quick coat of Pam. And we had some frozen peaches and mango in our freezer so that was my choice.  I figured it would be OK if it turned out and if it didn't it wouldn't be too much of a loss.

Once your fruit is in place, you evenly sprinkle the cake mix over top. 

Then you bake for 45-55 minutes at 350 degrees and it comes out like this...

Oops.. that's Baby Kakes, my little helper, but I don't have an after because we ate it before I remembered... I will get better, right?!  At remembering?!? 

It was OK.  I will say that it was much better the next day, but all in all not too bad for a 3 ingredient recipe. 

Happy Halloween.

Hopefully I'll remember to take pictures tonight.  ha. ha.

Zuppa Toscana!

I am in love with Olive Garden.  They are seriously my favorite place to eat on the semi-cheap.  I mean what girl can't get enough bread sticks and salad?!?  We used to go to Olive Garden all the time with my family on Sunday nights when I lived at home.  Affordable option and great family times... we were like the commercials!  Ok, not really, but kinda. 

Anywho...
A few years ago I decided to change things up a little.  Instead of the salad, I decided to try the soup.  I'm not a huge fan of minestrone soup and my grandpa always got their Zuppa Toscana so I decided to try it.  I mean, potatoes and sausage, where could you go wrong?!

So I did and loved it. 
Like loved it so much that I got it every time instead of salad.
Like loved it so much that I talked about it to everyone.
Like loved it so much that I usually got two bowls even if I was full after the first.  It's unlimited just like the salad you know. 
Like loved it so much that I got my husband hooked on it. 

Like loved it so much that I had to have it more often than when we went out...
So, I found a copy cat recipe. 

And now...
Like love it so much that I will share with you! 
Because according to Mr. K - "This is something we'll be making for the rest of our lives!"
If you haven't tried it already, you must and if you have, let me know how much you love (or don't) it! 

What you need:

1 lb Italian Sausage

2 large russet baking potatoes, sliced in half, and then in ¼ in slices

1 large onion, chopped

¼ cup bacon bits (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups kale or Swiss chard, chopped

2 (8oz) cans chicken broth

1 quart water
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1. Chop or slice uncooked sausage into small pieces.

2. Brown sausage in your soup pot

3. Add chicken broth and water in pot and stir.

4. Place onions, potatoes, and garlic in pot.

5. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.

6. Add bacon.

7. Salt and pepper to taste.

8. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

9. Turn heat to low.

10. Add kale and cream.

11. Heat through and serve!

via

Yummy for my tummy.

-- Chef Babs --

Ok, so call me crazy, but yesterday I joined weight watchers online.  My mom does it and I need to get back down to wedding weight.  This will mean consistent trips to the gym as well.  I know.  I know. 

So this week I planned to actually cook three meals. 

There are some really good recipes on there.  Plus, this is one of my goals for 2011 - To Cook More!

So, last night, I attempted Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce!

YUM!  It was delicious! 

And really not that hard. 

Unless you forget to cook the pasta while you are doing everything else!  haha... At least angel hair doesn't take that long to cook!

Anyways, it was a success.  I wish I had a picture of mine, but here is a picture of it I found.  It looked almost exactly like this especially because I put it in a big white pasta bowl.  The only thing missing last night was a glass of wine. 

Any recipes you have tried recently? 

Reminders: 
Check out the Stella & Dot Sample Sale I'm having here.  There are still many items left and I am going to add a few as well.
Look for new giveaways soon!

-- Thanksgiving Menu --

Last year I did My First Thanksgiving.  This year, we'll be back up in Good Ol' Fort Wayne.  So, once again we'll be attending two and I'll be cooking one at my mom's house!  It's very interesting how this stuff happens, right?!  And every one's is a bit different...


In the heart of Martha, I'll be using a Cheesecloth again on the turkey.  I thought this was DELICIOUS and it seemed to keep the turkey pretty moist!  I saw the recipe on a Martha Thanksgiving special last year and kept rewinding on the DVR to make sure I was doing it right.  This year, it's all me. 



My turkey from last year.



For our Appetizers we will again be doing the Marscapone Cheese Stuffed Dates wrapped in Prosciutto. These were a major hit last year and were requested again by my mom.  See the Giada recipe here.  I think I might also try something with polenta because we have a block of it and I don't know what else to do with it.  Still undecided on bit appetizer two.  Then we'll have a veggie tray. 

We are going to make a salad that will include a spring mix lettuce, almonds, cranberries, red onions, blue cheese, and some bacon crumbles with an italian-ish dressing.  Dressing is still a bit undecided as well.  Looking for a recipe...any suggestions?! 

Side Dishes are a lot like last year as well.  We are just doing steamed green beans with onions, broiled sweet potato chunks with olive oil, salt and pepper that my mom makes, homemade mashed potatoes, Roasted Acorn Squash, Dried Cherry and Italian Sausage Stuffing, and I think that's it.  I'm sure I'm forgetting something. 

Desserts will include Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake (from Sam's), Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Whoopies, and something else that is still somewhat undecided. 

I'm hoping all turns out well.  It's me and my mom cooking in her new kitchen.  I'm sure lots of pictures will come from that day!  :)  Oh...I almost forgot the most important things!!!  LOTS OF WINE AND BEER!  :)  Well, maybe not too much due to the definite oncoming of headaches from drinking, but I know I love me a little glass o' red!

Now off to figure out the table settings... What do you think of these ideas?!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: 3 days! 

S-U-C-C-E-S-S-!

Well, it was a success! Everything went well! All the food was fully cooked and got to the table warm. I'm so glad that I DVR'd Martha Stewart Thanksgivings as they came in handy the morning of for cooking the Turkey. I even got to watch my favorite - SHREK - perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade! Love that Lord Farquad! :)

I tried the Cheese Cloth to brown the turkey, I think the effect was quite nice. I also used, as Martha directed a butter and wine mixture to drizzle or more or less drowned the turkey in every 30 minutes! LOVELY! The skin was to die for! Mm mm Mm mmm Good!

Then there was the Dried Cherry and Italian Sausage Stuffing. While making this, it was what I was most scare for. I thought I had completely screwed it up but it turned out to be the biggest hit of the day! My brother requested more and more and more of it and Mike's dad who doesn't eat stuffing EVER said it was the best item on the table! :) TadAhen!

My Brussels sprouts or Alien Heads as Mike calls them were OK...I could do without them. They were a very easy recipe, but there were TONS left over. Just Thyme, butter (browned), and salt and pepper. My mother did ask me where you buy brown butter and I had to clear that one up. She's a funny one.

The Acorn Roasted Squash was DELISH. Apparently my sister, Elizabeth had requested this because she had had a Canadian Thanksgiving a few weeks before and they had made squash. She though I made this especially for her, but the truth is...my mother forgot to relay the message and this was a happy coincidence. Libby was very excited, but did not eat enough of it. I've never made squash before...VERY VERY hard to cut, but very very DELISH.

Green Bean Casserole. Enough Said. Mike's Request that we don't do anything fancy to the green beans. I did forget to put more French's fried onions on top, but no one seemed to mind.

The Candied Sweet Potatoes were handed over to me from my Grandpa. He said I can make them from now on. I did OK on them. Apparently the only thing I could do better is let them marinate over night. I guess when I only make one dish at a time I might attempt to do that, but I think for now, the fact that they turned out EXTREMELY EDIBLE and scrumptious is alright by me.

And I almost forgot the Mashed Potatoes which were a little different, but which I enjoyed VERY MUCH!!! I like things a little different... things that make you think, "what is that taste?" but not in a bad way... These were just right. LOVE!!! I may make these more often!

My Dried Dates stuffed with a cream cheese/marscapone/chive mix and wrapped in prosciutto were a HUGE HIT!!! Everyone loved them. People I thought would never try them ate like 5 of them at one time! :)

Pies -- My apple pie and pumpkin pie were a huge feat for me! I spent all day Wednesday before baking these! They were beautiful! And wonderful! I don't think I'd make them again. I think I'll try new ones next time! The pumpkin was a bit heavy for me with the cream cheese in there and the apple was way too citrus-y for me, but they were both lovely to look at!

It's a good thing that Darla brought her Strawberry Shortcake Dessert and Grandma brought her Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie Ala Bob Evans! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am very proud of myself for doing all this and actually making it through. Next time hopefully there will be more help from the boy's end. The dishes are finally done and the Christmas Tree is up. Now to finishing the Christmas Lights, getting the house back in order and back the wedding plans.

My First Thanksgiving

I wonder if the Pilgrims and Indians felt the same way I do...a bit nervous and cautious about hosting their first Thanksgiving. I would imagine they did. Well here we go... Below is my menu. I hope all turns out well. I will be posting about the experience :)



Appetizers:
*Dried Dates stuffed with a mix of cheeses and chives wrapped in proscuitto (we'll see how this turns out)
*OlivesCheese/Crackers/Summer Sausage
*Deviled Eggs
*Veggies and Dip
*Roasted Pecans

Dinner:
*Thanksgiving Turkey and Gravy
*Dried-Cherry and Italian Sausage Stuffing
*Brussel Sprouts with Brown Butter and Sage
*Roasted Acorn SquashGreen Bean Casserole
*Candied Sweet PotatoesMashed Potatoes
*Cranberry Relish


Desserts:
*Deep Dish Apple Pie
*Pumpkin PiePecan Pie *Pumpkin Pie
*Another Dessert

The stresses amid the wedding planning have definitely made the stress levels rise! Good luck to Mike and I!