Homemade Apple Sauce

I had mentioned in my last post that I had bought tons of different apples. I made apple pie with the more tart apples I had (like the granny smith and Jonathan apples). I had a ton of red and golden delicious left over that needed a recipe soon.
My boys absolutely LOVE applesauce. However we are less than impressed with the high price tag that comes with it.
I found a really good recipe that was easy and delicious (how can a recipe for apple sauce be hard, right?)
This recipe cuts out a lot of the sugar sometimes called for, and has a delightfully cinnamon-y flavor.
I betcha this recipe would taste wonderful if you added a couple of pears! or just use pears instead of apples.

I can't say it enough that Cinnamon might be my favorite fall smell!

We have been enjoying the wonderfully cool weather, we've enjoyed some really beautiful walks. while my boys were running through the woods, I noticed the slight sound of crunching leaves under their "little" feet.
Oh be still my heart! It is fall!!! excited does not describe it lol

I hope you are experiencing beautiful weather and walks ;-)

What recipes do you use for apple sauce?


Homemade Apple Sauce:

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 8 Apples peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup White Sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon 

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. 
2. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

Recipe adapted from allrecipes

Holiday snacks-Peppermint kiss pretzels

Cute, Easy-Peasy and yummo! all wins in my book! 

These are easy yet very addictive little snacks, don't forget colorful too! 

I bought the butter snaps 

1. Place the pretzels on a cookie sheet and heat the oven to 350
2. Place one peppermint kiss in the middle of each pretzel
3. Place in the preheated oven for 5min  (keep an eye on it, you want to chocolate to melt but not burn) 
4. Take the cookie sheet out and let cool slightly (not too long) 
5. Top each pretzel kiss with a red or green M&M 
6. Let stand to cool 
7. Place in an airtight container until ready to serve
8. Enjoy!

Mama's Broccoli Salad

I remember my mom making this salad on several occasions. I LOVE it it's one of my favorite salads.
Might not be the best for my hips but nonetheless I love it!
There are so many versions of this favorite, different nuts can be used, no onions or dried cranberries instead of raisins. the variations are endless. you just adjust to make it your own...no judgement here :-)
Thanksgiving is coming up and this salad is a MUST!
It's a definite crowd pleaser.
Make sure you cut the broccoli real small, I just really don't like big chunks of broccoli in my salad...yuck.
The sauce is a mayonnaise & vinegar mix. Slightly sweet and tart but soooo creamy.
I used good thick hickory smoked bacon cut into strips (I used scissors to cut them into strips...so much quicker)
I used sweet vidalia onions, my husband really does not like onions. but for some reason he can tolerate the sweet vidalia onions. I think they have a softer "onion" taste than most other onions.
I like walnuts in my version of the salad. although I can't complain about the salads that used almonds or roasted salted peanuts! So your choice.
If you are making this ahead of time DON'T add the bacon until just before serving. if you add it too soon the bacon looses it's crunch and you are left with limp bacon (yuck!!!)
You can combine everything else though beforehand ;-)

Hope this recipe finds it's way to your table this holiday, It's so worth it!
























And since it's the "thankful month" here are some things I'm thankful for:

• My Awesome God and Heavenly Father, He has given me sooo much (see all bottom notes).
• My Loving, caring and did I mention handsomely hot husband who has been such a blessing to me, wouldn't want to go through life with anyone else! Thank you God for bringing him into my life!
• My two tornado toddlers who make my life complete. there is never a dull moment in our house with these to cuties! God has given them such precious characters I can definitely see God's hand print on them!
• Our beautiful house that God very generously provided for us! What a blessing to call this house our home! 
• A backyard, I know this might seem funny but it is soooo crucial to me. It's been such a blessing and relief to see my kids playing safely outside in their own yard! Can't beat that!

Well those are my thankful for the first 5 days in November! I'll update as I post.

I encourage you to make a list of "thankful's" you will be surprised and blessed by the outcome of the many blessings you have right in front of you! and yes pumpkin spice creamer is a thankful in my book lol

Mama's Broccoli Salad

Ingredients

salad

• 4 cups (1 large bunch) broccoli with stems chopped
• 1/2 cup Chopped onion
• 1/4 cup nuts chopped (walnuts, pecans, peanuts, almonds...your choice)
• 1/4 cup Raisins (or craisins) 
• 1/2 lb Bacon cooked and crumbled

dressing

• 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
•  1/4 cup White Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Vinegar

Directions

1. Mix together the broccoli, onion, nuts & raisins mix well.
2. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, vinegar and sugar. Mix until well incorporated, and the sugar is somewhat dissolved.
3. Pour sauce over salad and mix well to coat salad.
4. When ready to serve, top salad with crumbled bacon an mix slightly. 
5. Enjoy!!!

PS: Try mixing half broccoli and half cauliflower :-)

Recipe courtesy of my mom

Ham & Swiss Sliders- A Football Party Must!

So fall has come, and the leaves have begun to bare their gorgeous colors, In a last display of glory before they fall to the ground. My favorite tree is the little apple-like tree in our front yard. It has all the fall colors combined ranging from Green to Yellow to Deep Red...LOVE IT!
But I'm not going to bore you with poems about fall colors ;-)
Fall holds another big past time that most southerners wait the whole year for in eager anticipation...FOOTBALL season.
I am absolutely no football fan, I grew up in Europe and Soccer was the main sports there. But I must admit that I love the idea of getting together and just watching and enjoying (well I guess that depends on if your team is winning or how much you care lol) a good ol' football game.
as of now football is still going on (as far as I know lol) and people are still gathering together to yell at a TV.
I love the team spirit people have. And I've learned a lot about the south and their football!!! don't come between them!!!
Football usually means tailgates and football parties, and these wonderful events usually require easy to prepare yet delicious treats, easy to grab or add to an ever growing plate of food as you dash back to the game. Heaven forbid you miss that ONE second of the game! HellOooooo!!!
These are just that, the ideal football food...sliders...yum! They are easy to make and eat and are simply addictive!!!

Ham & Swiss Sliders
Makes 24 sliders

Ingredients

• 1 lb. deli ham (I used Black forest ham but honey ham is great too)
• 1 lb. Swiss cheese
• 24 Slider buns or King’s Hawaiian Rolls (2 packages)
• 1 stick butter, unsalted
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 TBSP mustard
• 1 TBSP poppy seeds

Directions

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Slice the buns in half and place on baking sheet. (I was able to squeeze all 24 on one baking sheet) Place one piece of ham and 1 slice of cheese  on each bun.
2. In microwave or on the stove-top  melt butter. Add brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce,  mustard and poppy seeds. Spoon mixture over the top of each bun, coating with mixture. Allow to sit for 30-60 minutes – do not cover!
3. Preheat oven to 350. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.

You can prepare the buns a day in advance, just don't cover them with the poppy seed sauce until just before your party.

Recipe slightly adapted from Haute apple pie

Panera's Signature Macaroni And Cheese - Crave Worthy

So I have a confession to make...I am totally and completely, without a doubt hooked on Panera's Macaroni and Cheese. If I didn't have kids I would have never know it even existed. (ouch the thought alone!)
It's on the kids menu. A bit on the pricey side. But hey what can I say I'm hooked.
So you can imagine my extreme excitement when Panera posted their recipe on their site awhile back (Yes Panera does share quite a few amazing recipes on their main site, definitely worth a look if you are a regular there and are on a budget.)
This means that I can have my own Panera macaroni and cheese, not have to pay $10 for a small bowl, and I don't even have to leave the house....Bring it on!!!  I can make a full meal portion for a fraction of the price. You would think they used imported specialty cheeses in their dish for the price they make you pay!

Surprisingly I'm not a mac n cheese type of girl. I find the texture, taste and overall appearance lacking. The only good thing about mac n cheese dishes is the crispy buttery breadcrumb layer on the top.
I have failed miserably at each of my attempts to make a creamy, cheesy dish that does not separate or have a floury taste like I find most recipes do.

This recipe has none of those lacking qualities and where the other recipes fail, this one overly exceeds expectations. This macaroni and cheese dish is full of flavor decidedly creamy and lacks at nothing in my opinion. However...I do not advice doubling this recipe. Keep it simple and stick to one batch at a time. it's hard to keep the creaminess once doubled.
Also I was shocked at the secret ingredient they use to provide a zap to the flavor.....hot sauce!

This dish doesn't even need a buttery crispy layer of toasted goodness. this dish chooses to go stag.

My kiddos are in bed being entertained by the bear himself "Winnie the pooh". although I think he's doing a horrible job. Pitter-patter of feet and giggles can be heard. hmmmm this needs some investigation.
I'm planning on busting my kids, making some tea and then sitting down and dreaming of eating this amazing mac n cheese....since the most devastating thing is that this creamy dish from heaven is off limits to me. With a whopping 27 points for one normal serving (or large serving at Panera the small kids version is 13 points for anyone interested.)
Enjoy your night and definitely give this a whirl it's a lot cheaper and oh so good. Comfort food done best!




Panera Bread’s Signature Macaroni & Cheese 


Ingredients 

• 1 (16-ounce) package of small shells pasta
• ¼ cup butter 
• ½ cup all-purpose flour 
• 2½ cups 2% reduced fat milk (or half & half) 
• 4 oz or 6 slices white American cheese, chopped (you can find this at the deli counter)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) shredded extra-sharp white Vermont cheddar 
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• ¼ teaspoon hot sauce 

Directions 

1.  Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and set aside.
2.  Melt butter over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 11/2- 2 minutes until light golden brown, whisking constantly. 
3. Gradually whisk in milk (or cream); cook over medium heat, whisking until mixture thickens and bubbles about 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat. 
4. Add cheeses little by little stirring until just incorporated. Add mustard, salt, and hot sauce, stirring until all the cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. 
5. Stir in pasta and cook over medium heat for 1 minute (or until thoroughly heated). 

Serves 4 to 6 

Recipe courtesy of Panera bread, Adapted by Head Chef Dan Kish 

Garlic-Lemon-Butter Shrimp Bake with Mustard

If you are anything like me, you are pressed for time and frazzled to the bone by the end of the day. Dinner does not make itself...as we all know...kinda wish it did ;-) I usually end up scouring the internet about 30 min before dinner time should be placed on the table, frantically looking for some miracle recipe that will somewhat make itself in preferably 15min. Well this recipe that I am about to share is just that! Not only is it quick...it's amazingly badtastically good ;-) We scarfed it down in less time than it was made, and let me tell you..that's pretty quick! This recipe is amazing!

 Garlic-Lemon-Butter Shrimp Bake with Mustard

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 pounds medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined, with tails attached (I used two 1lbs bags of frozen cooked shrimp, just make sure they are thawed out and patted dry before cooking, and only bake them for 7-8min)
• 3-5 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 pkg angel hair pasta or spaghetti 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2. Boil water for pasta, add the bouillon cubes to the boiling water and add the noodles. cook until aldente
3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and parsley. When the butter melts completely, remove from heat.
4. Arrange shrimp in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 (for large raw shrimp) 7-8min for (thawed cooked shrimp)  minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
6. Strain the noodles.
7. Serve over hot cooked noodles.  Enjoy!

serves 6

Recipe by Moi :-)

Lazy Hazy Afternoon and April's Amazing Poppy Seed Chicken Bake!

Hubby was home and the weather was amazing!

Munchkin #1 having fun in the sun

Hubby doing what he loves, taking care of the yard and being outside

The kids LOVE having daddy home!

Guess who!

Oops ya caught me mom! Munchkin # 2

The beautiful flowers (hardly ) growing on our bushes near the window

Smelling the roses

My friend April's amazing chicken bake

Giving thanks for all our blessings!

Dig in....mmmmmmm

We had an awesome day, enjoying Gods beautiful creation. There is nothing better than a lazy hazy afternoon with nothing on the agenda but relaxation! Hope you all have an awesome day! and remember to take time for the important things in your life! They won't always be around! God Bless

April's Amazing Poppy Seed Chicken Bake

Ingredients

• 4-6  whole chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
• 2 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 sleeves crushed buttery round crackers (ritz crackers work the best)
• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 stick butter, melted

*I added 1-2 cups of frozen veggies, I only used 4 whole chicken breasts, I also tried using the garlic butter ritz crackers! (Amazing!)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place the chicken into a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, stir together the condensed soup, sour cream and milk. Pour over the chicken. In a separate bowl, stir together the crushed crackers, poppy seeds and melted butter. Sprinkle over the chicken and sauce.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until the top of the casserole is browned and the sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy with some fresh sweet tea and some homemade bread! 

Cinnamon Bun Wafffles...Ingenious!!!

Ingenious idea really!  I was wondering what to do with the pre-packaged ready to use cinnamon buns I had in the fridge that needed to be used ASAP! This was when my oven wasn't working and I was not about to nuke them (yuck to the thought alone). What to do, what to do...
Pinterest came to my rescue and this idea popped up! Ingenious simple perfect! I could use my waffle iron to cook the round circles of cinnamon goodness!

The first batch I did stuck pretty bad to the grill but once I got the hang of it and after using the pam spray this idea worked wonderfully and made for an awesome change in our breakfast!
It's really easy and actually is faster than the oven.
Give it a try...just remember to spray both sided of the waffle iron well before cooking the waffles.

Unwrap the package and separate the circles

Make sure you let the waffle iron get good and hot, spray both sides generously with pam cooking spray and then place one circle on each waffle iron

let it cook until done, be careful not to scratch the grill when taking the waffles out. Top them off with a frosting glaze...yummy!

Loaded baked Potato Chowder - Oven free!

Chowder is one of those dishes that makes me want to cuddle up in a large fluffy blanket and listen to the wind howl out side while I enjoy my piping hot potato chowder!
And this one does not disappoint! I love all cream based soups yum! can't get enough! especially now the weather is getting cooler. I've had some problems though with my oven, it's been a mite finicky. this recipe luckily does not use the oven...but...yes it does use my very nifty "can't life without" microwave (mine is a 1300, if you have a microwave that is under 900 you might have some difficulties with this recipe, mainly with the cook times). as I just mention this soup is made entirely with the microwave and has turned into one of my fav. soups.
Try it out on a colder night when you don't have the energy to clean a but load of dishes (wich is always for me lol) just try this recipe out!
Use God's plentiful provisions well and enjoy!

Loaded baked Potato Soup

Loaded baked Potato Chowder

Ingredients:

• 3 Baking potatoes
• 3 1/2 cups Milk devided (I used %2)
• 4oz Cream cheese, softened
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2-3 Green onions with tops
• 4oz Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Coarsely ground black pepper
• Optional topping like Bacon, Broccoli, Sour cream

Directions:

1. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise; place in a Deep Covered Baker. Pour 1/2 cup of the milk over potatoes. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 11 minutes. Remove baker from microwave. Move center potatoes to ends of baker and outer potatoes to center. Cover; microwave on HIGH 8-11 minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Remove baker from microwave. Coarsely mash potatoes. 
2. Meanwhile, whisk cream cheese until smooth in a seperate bowl. Slowly add remaining 3 cups ) milk, whisking until smooth. Add cream cheese mixture and butter to baker. Microwave, covered, on HIGH 3-5 minutes or until mixture is hot. Slice green onions. 
3. Carefully remove baker from microwave. Grate cheddar cheese over chowder; add green onions, salt and black pepper and mix; until cheese is melted. Serve with toppings, if desired. 
4. Serves 6 (8cups)

Adapted from The pampered chef

Pizzzzzzzzaaaaa!!! yummy pepperoni pizza bites

So awhile back I had shared an amazingly easy pizza dough recipe! I am hooked and have been making that my main go-to recipe for anything using pizza dough, it's home-made, inexpensive to make and doesn't require a lot of time! all A+  in my mind!!!
So I came across this recipe and had bookmarked it to try a month ago (that's how long it takes to get to something *sigh*) these pizza bites are über easy and really really good...addicting good and most importantly  the kids LOVE it, even more than the store bought ones! and anything that my kids give the two thumbs up for is a blessing ;-)
so here is my recipe that...yes...again I found it on Annie's eats ;-) but there is a great monkey bread version of these on the confections of a foodie bride...go try them you will be hooked just like us and it takes the same amount of time as buying them from the store. The pizza dough can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer without problems, just pull it out and let thaw, then whip up these bad boys and voila!
Click here for the pizza dough recipe. Be creative and make different variations ;-) like maybe add some cooked sausage, green peppers, switch up the cheese...add mushrooms,olives, bacon!? whatever you're favorite toppings are ;-) be creative!

Pull off a a small piece of dough a little smaller than a golf-ball

Flatten out the dough

Put pepperoni (however much you want) and mozzarella square in the middle of the dough

Pull the dough over the pepperoni and cheese and squeeze the seams together to close, make sure there are no holes

Form it into a ball and place it into your greased glass pie pan

Brush on olive oil mixed with Italian spices and garlic, top it off with fresh grated Parmesan

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 for 15-20 min or until it's lightly browned

The pizza bites pull apart really easy ;-)

Yummy cheesy/pepperoni goodness!

Even Chunky here loved them ;-)

Easy pizza Bites

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough recipe
• Your favorite pizza toppings (make sure you cook meat before adding to the dough)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp Italian spices
• 1 garlic clove crushed and placed in the olive oil with the Italian spices
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Warmed simple marinara sauce

Direction:

• Preheat oven to 450 and grease a glass pie pan
• Make a batch of the pizza dough according to the recipe (feel free to use your favorite pizza dough recipe)
• Make the pizza bites according to the pictures above
• Bake the pizza bites in the preheated oven for 15-20min or until lightly browned
• Make simple marinara sauce 
• Dip the pizza bites to your hearts desire and enjoy!

Adapted from Annie's eats