The taste of fall..Apple Pie Jam

Much thanks and props to my buddy over at Mommy's Kitchen for the Original idea she posted about apple pie jam. I searched and found a recipe (because I was too impatient to wait on hers haha) and tweeked it a bit.

I'm a little worried that its a bit thin so next time I plan to boil it longer and hope that works. This is my first attempt to make Jam so we will see what happens.. I haven't tried it yet because its still has to sit a while and I then need to decorate the jars to give away.


Apple Pie Jam
4 cups apples, chopped, I used Fuji because thats our favorite
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 (1 3/4 ounce) box dry pectin
1 tbs butter

Wash your jars in hot soapy water or if your lucky and have a dishwasher (my kitchen doesn't have a spot for one) then wash them in it. I used 8 small jars.



While peeling and chopping your apples, start a big pot of water (enough that it covers your jars about 3/4 the way to the top) Bring it to a boil


Measure apples in a measuring cup, now add in the same measuring cup water to fill up to the 4 cup line (with the apples in it).


Add pectin and the butter and spices, lemon juice.



Bring to a boil.

Add sugars and bring back to a full rolling boil, boil 1 minute and 30 seconds.



Stir constantly.

Remove from the heat.

Skim if there is any foam, I didn't have any.

Ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4-inch headspace.



Put on lids.




Process in water bath 10 minutes.

Blueberry Nana Pie

This is one of Kyle's absolute favorites so I make it just for him.



Graham Cracker Crust
3 small or 2 large nana's
1 21 oz can Blueberry Pie Filling
1 cntr extra creamy cool whip

Layer nana's on bottom and around side of crust. Pour blueberry filling on top and cover with cool whip. Put in fridge for a few hours and then dig in!

Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin via Crockpot

1 (4 pound) boneless pork loin, with the fat left on
1/2 tablespoon of salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp of olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried thyme or 2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp of dried basil or 2 tsp fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried rosemary or 2 tsp fresh rosemary
1 cup chicken stock ( or enough to basically cover just the bottom of the crock pot )

Pour chicken stock or water in bottom of crockpot. Rub your tenderloin with oil, garlic and herbs. Place in crockpot and cook on High for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

If it falls apart like mine did, shred it and eat it anyway. It was really yummy!

Loaded Smashed Taters

I intended to use red taters but I forgot to buy any :(



Loaded Smashed Potatoes

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
Seasoned Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
6 slices of bacon, cooked, drained and chopped
1 scallion

Boil your taters until fork tender. Drain. Smash with potato masher while adding milk, sour cream and butter. Once smashed to your desired consistency (i like mine chunky,kyle likes his creamy and the kids will eat any kind of potato) toss in bacon, cheese, seasonings and scallion. Serve.

What's for dinner?

Garlic Herb Pork Tenderloin (or maybe Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin) via crockpot
Loaded Mashed Red Taters
Fresh Broccolli

Blueberry Bananna Pie for dessert

Revisiting Broccoli/Rice Casserole

Oldie but goodie!

http://sugardumplins.blogspot.com/2008/05/broccoli-rice-casserole-my-girls.html

Sliced Lemon Chicken

Jacey's Lemon Chicken
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 lemon, juiced, zested
1 lemon, sliced
lemon pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock

Spray 9x13 with pam. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Season both sides of chicken breasts with lemon pepper. Add stock, lemon juice and zest. Mix with spoon until combined. Add in lemon slices. Place Chicken breasts in juice and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked thru. Slice and serve with spooned sauce over top. You can also make a corn starch slurry and make a gravy with the sauce if you want.

Blueberry/Apricot Muffins

Blueberry Apricot Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 large egg
3 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup dried apricots, diced

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Spray each one with pam.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and cinnamon.

In a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter and vanilla extract. Pour into dry ingredients and stir until mixture is almost fully combined, then add in the blueberries and apricots -divide batter using a 1/2 cup measurment cup evenly into muffin cups.

Sprinkle about a tsp of brown sugar on each muffin and try not to make a mess like I did ok?

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each muffin comes out clean.

Turn muffins out of the pan onto wire rack to cool.

Makes 12

Cakey Brownies

We all like brownies different ways in our family so I alternate between cakey, fudgy and chewy a lot. We also don't like nuts in ours so I usually don't put any in but I decided to add just a tad for texture in these.

Cakey Brownies
before being cut:

Cakey Brownies
3/4 cup butter, I used country crock spread because i am out of stick butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp peanut butter
1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with shortening and dust with cocoa powder

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Remove saucepan from heat and stir in sugar and cocoa powder until well combined.

Add eggs and vanilla, peanut butter and beat lightly with a wooden spoon until just combined.

In a separate small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda and salt. Whisk.

Add flour mixture to the chocolate mixture, stir in milk until well blended.

Stir in nuts, if using.

Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a cross between crumbs and a thick batter.

Cool on a wire rack and then cut.

What's for Supper?

Lemon Chicken, Corn on the cob and McKenna's Favorite Broccoli & Rice Casserole.

Dessert, brownie pie.

Recipes, pics and reviews coming SOON!

Grilled BBQ Chicken using homemade sauce

3 cups Ketchup
¾ cups Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Paprika
2 Tablespoons Liquid Smoke
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Honey
1 teaspoon Cayenne


Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan and heat it for just a few minutes on LOW. Cook for 10 minutes.

Brush on chicken and grill or bake.

Homemade Biscuits

You can thank my "bible" which is my betty crocker book for this recipe~!!




2 cups flour
1 tbs baking powder
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter (I used country crock since it was already soft)
2/3 cup milk

In bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Cut in shortening and butter with pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center, add milk and stir JUST UNTIL DOUGH CLINGS TOGETHER. Do not over mix!


Knead on a floured service for about 8 strokes. Roll, cut and bake at 450 for 10 minutes until golden. Brush with melted butter.

Makes 14 or so.

PMS Crunch..Better than Midol

Can't take credit for this one!! I found a new blog that I just LOVE! She is such a witty, funny writer and such a great cook.

http://asouthernfairytale.com/

If your like me when your pms'ing you want chocolate, sweet and salty and this is the perfect combo. So easy and even my kids are diggin it!

So here goes :)
YOUR HUSBAND WILL THANK YOU.......


PMS Crunch
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1 box rice chex cereal
1/2 bag pretzel twists ( i use these for my salt.. you could use peanuts but, I don’t like them in this)
Melt the chocolate chips and butterscotch chips over low heat on your stove.
I spread my cereal and pretzels in my big 10 x 13 baking dish.Spoon, drizzle, pour the chocolate over your cereal and pretzels.
Mix it well (I use my hands, it’s messy but, it works)
Spread the mixture out on parchment paper to cool

Cinnamon Toast

This was a staple growing up and def a staple for my kiddos!



white bread (we use sara lee whole wheat white)
1 teaspoon butter per slice
1 tablespoon sugar per slice
sprinkle with ground cinnamon


butter bread, sprinkle with sugar (can add more) and then cinnamon and then put under broiler until nice and toasty :)

*~Western Burgers~*

Ok I usually don't justify the way I cook or what I like but this is one of those things that people look at me like I'm flat out crazy for loving. So for the following reasons I will justify this recipe.

1) It's a very very special family recipe handed down from my great grandmother. She made it for me, my nana made it for me and my mom taught me how. My great granny was a cafeteria lady for many many years and towards the end of the year when they had a lot of condiments left, they had to find a way to utilize them since they couldn't throw them out. So they came up with this. I love the story, love the smell and the sentimental memories that come with it.

2) Never trust a skinny cook :) Since I am not one then you should trust me.

3) TRY IT. Because I SAID SO..


Western Burgers

1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 small onion
1/2 small green bell pepper
2 turns of the pan, worchishire sauce
salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder to taste (for meat)

sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup mayo, we use miracle whip in our house but use what you like
1/4 cup plain jane yellow mustard.don't even try to be a mustard snob and bust out the grey poupon. not only would it not taste right it would just be wrong. hear me!
1/4 cup worschishire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1 to 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 large hamburger buns, you will use each the top and bottom giving you 6

Saute hamburger, season and add onion and bell pepper. Cook until no longer pink.

Meanwhile, mix together your "special sauce"

Take all 6 halves of the hamburger buns and lay on cookie sheet. Add a teensy bit of cheese on bottom.



Preheat broiler

Mix meat with sauce and spoon, or use an ice cream scoop and take a dollup of your meat sauce mixture and place on top of bun. Top with cheese and repeat until all 6 are full.



Place under broiler and broil until cheese is melted and edges of buns are crisp and the western burgers are bubbly.




These are also WONDERFUL eaten cold out of the fridge.

Trust me...

Crunchy Ranch Chicken Tenders

I realize there are 2 back to back ranch recipes and yes I'm serving them together. It's close to grocery day and I'm out of everything. These chicken tenders are using ranch on purpose, the potato casserole was not suppose to have ranch dip but its all I had and the kids were napping so I couldn't make it to the store. So we might be all ranched out tonight but thats ok because my kids eat Ranch with everything!

I didn't notice any ranch flavor so I reccomend marinating it for about 30 mins in the ranch ( i added that to the recipe )


Crunchy Ranch Chicken Tenders
2 large boneless/skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup ranch dressing
1 tbs water
1 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes
pinch of salt and pepper

Mix ranch and water together (the water is only to thin out the ranch), add salt and pepper. Let set in the refrigerator for 30 mins or so to let the ranch soak in.

Dip chicken in ranch then roll in potato flakes.

Spray 9x13 with pam. This made 14 chicken strips for me.

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes until golden brown and cooked thru.

Ranch Baked Potato Casserole

6 medium to small russet potatoes (i would prefer red potatoes but i didn't have any)
6 Bacon, Cooked & Crumbled
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, probably could use more but i ran out, hey its close to grocery day!
1 cup Green Onions, Sliced
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Ranch Dip (i was out of sour cream so i used this instead)
1/4 cup butter (i used country crock since it was already soft so i could mix it)
1 teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Black Pepper


Preparation Instructions
Peel, cube and cook potatoes until just tender. Drain and place in a large bowl to cool slightly if making the casserole right away. If you are going to make this to reheat later, let the potaotes cool thoroughly. Combine the remaining ingredients and mix into the potatoes. Transfer to a 4-1/2 quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered for 30 mins or until bubbly and brown at 400°F. Add 15 minutes to the cooking time if the casserole has been refrigerated.

Cheesy Chicken & Broccoli Mac

This is on the menu for 9/2

Modified Rachael Ray Version


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 pound chicken breast tenders, chopped
Salt and pepper, cumin, garlic powder
1 small onion, chopped
1 pound macaroni elbows
2 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets, (thawed)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
3 cups shredded Cheddar

Directions
Place a pot of water on to boil for macaroni.

Heat a medium pan over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and chicken and season with salt and pepper. Saute a couple of minutes then add onion and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until onions are tender and chicken is cooked through. Turn off heat and reserve.

To boiling pasta water, add pasta and salt to season the cooking water. Cook until pasta is done according to package directions.

While pasta cooks, heat a medium sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter and melt, then add flour, salt and pepper and whisk together over heat until roux bubbles then cook a minute more. Whisk in milk raise heat a little to bring sauce to a quick boil. Simmer sauce to thicken about 5 minutes.

Drain macaroni or pasta and broccoli florets. Add back to pot and add chicken to the pasta and broccoli.

Add cheese to milk sauce and stir to melt it in, about a minute or so. Pour sauce over chicken and broccoli and cooked pasta and stir to combine.

Serve

Made this again.. Strawberry Cobbler

We have some strawberries that were too green and just didn't have much flavor so this is the perfect way to utilize them instead of just eating from the carton. So yummy!



http://sugardumplins.blogspot.com/2008/05/strawberry-cobbler.html

Chilli Cornbread Casserole

Chili CornBread Casserole



This was super yum but my cornbread made too much. If you like more cornbread than chilli then its perfect. If you cut it to serve and then mix it all up then you don't notice. But next time I will probably not make as much cornbread. Up to your personal taste. My kids and hubs ate it up!

1 lb. hamburger, browned
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1/2 of a bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 can chili beans(do not drain)
Worschishire (like i've told you plenty of times, i do not pretend to know how to spell or say that word nor do i plan to google the proper spelling)
salt & pepper
pkg of chilli seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup additonal cheddar cheese for batter (optional)
Homemade cornbread, recipe as follows OR you can buy the jiffy mix, i just always forget to buy it.

Mix Brown hamburger with onion, pepper and garlic. Add Tomatoes, chili beans and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes. Put into greased 9x13 pan and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top. Mix corn bread mix according to directions. (I add some cheese to the corn muffin mix before pouring it on top) Pour corn muffin mix on top of the chili and cheese cover completely. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

My go to cornbread recipe from my Betty Crocker BIBLE
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil, melted
2 eggs
2 tbs sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk dry ingredients in bowl. Mix eggs and oil in milk mixture with fork and then add into dry ingredients. There you have it folks, easy cornbread.