 We have many orchards around us so we make at least one trip a year. And, if you're lucky, not only will you be bringing home some delicious apples, but you will be toting a bag of warm apple cider donuts as well. I bet you can smell the cinnamon sugar right now - can't you?!?! So - what to do with all of those apples. How about an easy apple pie filling that you can put into the freezer now and pull out say around Thanksgiving. Did I mention that it is EASY? Here's what to do: For each 9-inch pie you will need - 3 cups peeled and sliced apples (about 3 to 4 medium apples - I find mixing tart and sweet apples together give the best flavor) 1 Tablespoon flour 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg a couple of pats of butter Mix all of the ingredients together except for the butter. Pour into a quart size freezer bag (or use your vacuum sealer). Add the pats of butter and seal up - removing as much air as possible. Now put that gem in your freezer. Easy - right! When you're ready for pie, remove the filling and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Place your pie crust in your baking dish - homemade or store-bought (no judgement here - I've done both!) and dust the bottom crust with just a little bit of flour. Add your filling and top with your second pie crust. Crimp the edges and cut slits in the top to allow the steam to escape. Brush the top crust with a little bit of milk and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 50 minutes. And voila - you have pie. I hope you try and enjoy this.  I've been on a hunt for just the right pizza dough recipe for my family and I finally found it. I use my bread machine to mix the dough but you can use a stand mixer or it can be done by hand.
Ingredients: 3/4 cup warm water 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 Tablespoon milk powder 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 1/4 cups bread flour In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. If using a bread machine, add ingredients in the order suggested in your manual. If using a stand mixer, mix all ingredients by hand and then transfer to your stand mixer for the kneading. Feel free to get creative by adding some garlic powder or herbs to your dough mix. Kneading - if kneading by hand, knead dough for 10 minutes or until it springs back when touched. If kneading by stand mixer, knead for 5 - 7 minutes (setting #2 on the KitchenAid). If mixing and kneading by bread machine, use the dough cycle. When kneading is complete, transfer dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm area until about doubled in size. If using a bread machine, skip this step. Roll out your dough - it will make 1 16" pizza or 2 13" pizzas. Or shape as you wish! Preheat your oven to 425°F and prebake your pizza crust for 8 -9 minutes. Remove from oven and load it up with your toppings. Reduce your oven temperature to 375°F and return your pizzas to the oven to bake for another 20 minutes or until done. Enjoy! Here's a great recipe to use up that leftover Easter ham. Simply add in the amount you want. Or try adding in leftover vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, or carrots - anything goes. The recipe below is just a springboard for your imagination and it can easily be cut in half or in thirds. Enjoy!  6 cups diced potatoes
1 medium onion, diced 1 1/2 cups diced celery 3/4 cup butter 1 quart milk 6 cups water 3/4 cup flour 2 tsp. salt 1 lb. Velveeta cheese, cubed Add potatoes, water, celery, onion, and salt to a large stockpot and cook until barely tender. Melt butter in a small saucepan and 3/4 cup flour. Blend well and add to the potato mix. Stir until well thickened. Add cheese, milk, and any additional ingredients of your choice (ham, broccoli, etc,.) and stir until cheese is melted. Serve with artisan bread. Looking for a great side dish for the big game this weekend? These beans are the bomb! I make them up and put them into the crockpot instead of the oven to make it sooo easy. Give them a try :-)  In a medium skillet, fry
1 large onion 2 Tablespoons of butter until the onions are translucent. Place in a mixing bowl. To the mixing bowl, add and combine: 1 pound bacon that has been cooked and drained and cut into 1 inch pieces 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup ketchup 1/4 cup barbeque sauce 2 Tablespoons mustard 2 Tablespoons molasses 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper Add the following beans to your crockpot: 16 oz. can butter beans 28 oz. can Bush's baked beans 16 oz. can pork and beans Pour the sugar mix on the beans and combine it all together. Cook on low setting in the crockpot 4 hours or until heated through. OR bake in the oven at 350°F covered for 45 minutes then uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. And BOOM! You are now the favorite person at you game day celebration! TOUCHDOWN! I was first introduced to this recipe when I was on a mission trip in Haiti. We were staying in a home sponsored by a local church and they made this for breakfast one morning. They were kind enough to share it with me and it is a favorite in our home especially during the holidays. I usually mix it up after dinner and put it into the refrigerator overnight. Then pop it in the oven the next morning.  2 Cups Oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup melted butter 1 egg, beaten 1/2 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon cinnamon Mix all ingredients well. Put in a greased baking pan or casserole dish. Leave overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes. Cut into squares, serve in bowls with warm milk poured on top. Sprinkle with additional sugar if desired. Fall is in the air and that means soup in our household. This recipe is new to us this year and has already become a favorite.
Ingredients: 2 lbs. cooked chicken, shredded or cubed 32 oz. chicken broth 15 oz. canned black beans (drained and rinsed) 15 oz. canned corn 1 can tomato soup (10.5 oz.) 16 oz. salsa 1 pkg. taco seasoning 2 Tbsp. oil 2 Tbsp. flour 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream plus more for topping additional water if needed, salt to taste What to do: Put oil in pan with chicken, taco seasoning, and flour. Cook for a few minutes until heated through. Add broth, black beans, corn, salsa, and tomato soup. Heat to boiling and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cheese and sour cream and stir. Add salt if needed. Top with your choice of sour cream, corn chips, avocado, fresh tomatoes, hot sauce, cilantro, or cayenne pepper. This soup goes together FAST and is perfect for those busy weeknights. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!  Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, here is my "husband approved" recipe for Slow Cooker Cabbage Rolls. These are wonderfully simple and oh so tasty.
Ingredients: 10 cabbage leaves 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 egg, beaten 1/4 cup water or broth 1/4 cup minced onion 2 cloves minced garlic 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1 lb. lean ground beef Sauce mix: 1 pint tomato sauce 2 Tbs. honey or brown sugar 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce Prepare the cabbage by adding the head to a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and drain. You can also freeze the cabbage and then thaw and skip the boiling part. The goal is to have leaves soft enough to roll. Combine the rice, egg, water or broth, onion, garlic, beef, salt, and seasonings in a large bowl. Place 1/4 cup meat mixture in the center of a cabbage leaf and roll up like a burrito. Place the roll seam side down in the slow cooker, Mix the sauce ingredients together and pour over the rolls. Cook on low 8 hours in your slow cooker. Leftover cabbage can be sliced and fried in butter with a little garlic and onions and served as a side dish. That's it - dinner is done! I love it when the appliances do the cooking for me. Enjoy your St. Patrick's Day celebrations! **recipe inspired by Melissa K. Norris at Pioneering Today (one of my favorite homesteaders!) Some of the best soups are made with items you already have in your cupboard. This is one of those soups. I found this recipe in the Taste of Home's cookbook many years ago and it quickly became a family favorite. It goes together quick so it is perfect for those busy weeknights. 2 quarts water 8 chicken bouillon cubes 6-1/2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted 3 cups cubed cooked chicken 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream In a large saucepan, bring water and bouillon to a boil. Add noodles, cook, uncovered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Do not drain. Add soup and chicken; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream. Yield: 10 - 12 servings  Too good not to share!! I found this recipe on the Six Sisters Stuff website and it got a "thumbs up" from everyone in the house. What you'll need: 1 butternut squash (peeled, seeds removed, and cubed) 2 Tablespoons olive oil 3 Tablespoons honey 1/2 - 1 teaspoon cinnamon (depending on how much you want) Salt and pepper to taste What to do: Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside (I also lined my baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up). In a large bowl, toss squash with olive oil, honey, and cinnamon until all pieces of squash are lightly coated (I used a gallon Ziplock bag for this). Spread squash in a single layer on the baking sheet (if you need to use two sheets to make sure they are all in a single layer, please do that - if there is any overlap, the squash will steam instead of roast and we are going for that caramelized outside). Roast in pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes or until squash reaches desired tenderness. Top with salt and pepper and serve. This recipe went together fast and the aroma is amazing. Enjoy!  This bread is made with summer squash and is sweet and moist. There is no need for icing.
What you'll need: 2 large eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lemon extract 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup yellow squash 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger What to do: 1) Butter and flour your springform bundt pan 2) Preheat the Ninja Foodi on 275° F for 10 minutes 3) Grate the summer squash in the fine side of a box grater; squeeze out the liquid; blot with a paper towel 4) Combine 2 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. lemon extract, and 1/3 cup vegetable oil in a large bowl. 5) Add in the ground ginger, salt, flour, and baking powder to the wet ingredients and stir to combine 6) Fold in the summer squash and pour into prepared springform bundt pan 7) Set pan on the rack in the low position into the inner pot of the Ninja Foodi. Set the Bake/Roast function to 275°F and bake for 35 minutes. 8) Remove from Foodi and cool completely on a baking rack before removing from pan Ingredients:
1 cup water 1 lb. ground beef 2 T. Glass Farm Greens Taco Seasoning Blend 1 4 oz. can mild diced green chilies 1 cup cooked rice 4 large Glass Farm Greens Bell Peppers 1/2 cup grated cheese 1. Pour water in the instant pot 2. In a medium bowl, mix together ground beef, Taco Seasoning Blend, green chilies, and cooked rice. 3. Scoop ground beef mixture into each pepper and fill just to the top. 4. Place stuffed peppers on rack and lower into the instant pot. 5. Close lid and set pressure release to sealing. 6. Pressure cook on high setting for 8 - 12 minutes. 7. Quick release pressure. Check to see if peppers are cooked thoroughly. 8. Remove peppers from instant pot and sprinkle with grated cheese. |
