Butterscotch Apple Cake

I began making this awesome apple dessert a couple of years ago  after seeing it in a Taste of Home calendar.

I'll always remember the first time my sister-in-love, Susie,  tasted it.  She was hesitant as she said she doesn't care for butterscotch.

She surprised us both!  One bite and she was raving.  She said she couldn't wait to go home and make it for her husband. She has told me they enjoy it now too.

It's been a family favorite ever since.  I love that you can make a small pan of it or double the recipe and bake it in a 9" X 13".....

Or even make little 'grab 'n go' treats as I did this time when I baked them in muffin tins.

That's what I do when I'm in a rush...

They're nice and moist..and they say...

"M.O.R.E. Please" 

Serving with a drizzle of glaze or caramel is optional.

It's really very moist and doesn't need a topping.

BUTTERSCOTCH APPLE CAKE

1-1/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. white sugar

(I used half Splenda)

1/2 c. vegetable oil

(I use half applesauce)

2 eggs, beaten

2 c. peeled, chopped apple

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/2 c. butterscotch chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8" square baking dish. In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt and cinnamon.  Blend sugar, oil and eggs until smooth; stir wet mixture into dry and mix just until combined.  Stir in the apples, pecans and 1/4 cup butterscotch chips. 

Pour into prepared pan.  Sprinkle with remaining butterscotch chips.  Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

Yield: 4 - 6 good-sized servings

(Of course, if you bake them in muffin tins, the baking time will be shortened. I baked mine about 25 minutes...that's using Splenda, that bakes faster.) 

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Pumpkin Spice M-M-Mochaccino Mix

I was SO happy when I recently came across this awesome mix at Just a Pinch Recipe Club online.

I've already made 2 batches of it.  It's soooo yummy!

And have shared the recipe a few times as well.

Being able to enjoy a cup of hot tea or cocoa, especially during the winter months, really helps soothes my body and soul.

I love giving homemade gifts for the holidays and this one is very special. I've always loved a coffee/cocoa mixture. And I know the recipients will be very pleased this holiday season as well. 

This warm-your-insides drink is very tasty and oh-so creamy too.

When we went to visit our daughter Deb recently (The Queen Mommy) - I took some mix for her to try out. She's a coffee/tea/cocoa 'connoisseur' of sorts. {Check out her recent post here for numerous homemade coffee creamer recipes!}

I was a little leery as she is pretty particular about tastes/textures, but was so tickled when she called the next day to say she needed this recipe.  It was sooo good she didn't really want to share any with her hubby, but gave in to him...

I took a sample to my daughter-in-love and son to try, and he was NOT happy when he realized there wasn't more.

(So of course, I quickly took more over to them...along with the recipe).

Put some of this mix in a pretty bag inside a coffee mug - add a bow and the recipient will be very pleased. 

 I love that you can use lite or sugar free products to suit dietary needs, and the results are still out-of-this-world-yummy! 

PUMPKIN SPICE MOCHACCINO MIX

3 c. regular powdered creamer

2 c. plain hot cocoa mix

(I used sugar free)

1/2 c. vanilla creamer (I used sugar free)

(the original recipe used marshmallow mocha creamer - sometimes found at Aldi's - I couldn't find it)

4 TB. pumpkin pie spice

(I have a recipe for making your own here)

1 TB. ground nutmeg

1 rounded cup instant coffee

(I used decaf)

Mix all ingredients well until smooth and there are no lumps.  Store in air tight container.

In bottom of your mug, place 3 rounded Tablespoonsful of the mix.  Add 1 c. heated milk. Stir well until dissolved and enjoy.

It tastes great using hot water too, but milk gives it an extra boost.

Certainly feel free to drizzle with caramel syrup just to make yourself feel really pampered!

(If you want it to dissolve easier, try mixing a cup of mix at a time in the blender until it's becomes more powder-y, but I don't think it's necessary with this recipe.)

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Homemade Holiday

Popular Butternut Squash Bake

                                                                

This is a family favorite recipe and is a great addition to any meal, but especially a holiday one.

Just a few years ago, I won $100 for it in an American Profile 'side dish' contest! Besides being in my own cookbook, It can also be found in two of the American Profile cookbooks -

Hometown Recipes for the Holidays and Blue Ribbon Winners! WOOOHOOO!!

(If you're not familiar with the American Profile...it's a paper-magazine-type publication that comes tucked inside newspapers across the country...similar to USA Weekend, etc. Not every newspaper carries it, but many do - from coast to coast).

I've been told this tastes like 'dessert'. 

One of my blogging buddies, Loy of Grandma Loy's Kitchen  tried it and she and her husband had a cold piece later with Cool Whip on top! Check out her page at the link above.

Whenever I take it to church potlucks, one of my friends hollers to the crowd "Marsha's squash dish is here"!

How fun is that???

Not only is this dish magnificent, butternut squash is just plain good for you!! It's full of fiber, but did you know that winter squash, like our friend the butternut, are also good sources of vitamins A and C, several B vitamins, potassium, and omega-3 fatty acids?

Squash rocks.  

I normally double the topping recipe and get raves about the crunchy topping! 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BAKE

1/3 c. butter or margarine, softened

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 - 5-oz. can evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. mashed, cooked butternut squash

TOPPING:

1/2 c. crispy rice cereal (if using chex, crush slightly)

3 Tb. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. chopped pecans

2 Tb. melted butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 11" X 7" baking pan.

 Cream the butter, and granulated sugar in a bowl using a mixer. Beat in the eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla. Stir in the squash. The mixture will be thin. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until almost set.

For the topping, combine the cereal, brown sugar, pecans and melted butter in a bowl; mix well. Remove the casserole from oven and sprinkle on the topping. Return to the oven for 5 - 10 minutes or until bubbly.

{I normally double the topping recipe for added crunch and flavor}

(And I've reduced the amount of sugar from original recipe)

​

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Simple Celery Salad

I love celery.  Always have preferred it over carrots, which are sometimes just too hard for me to chew.

So when I was given this recipe many years ago I was excited to know my hubby really liked it too.

I recently had celery that needed to be eaten, and so....this is the recipe I went to.

Only I normally make it with lime jello, so I realized after using

lemon, I really do prefer the lime, but it's good either way.

I just used what I had on hand.

Can't go wrong.  Give it a try.  It's easy and delicious.

CELERY SALAD

1 3 ozs. pkg. lime or lemon jello

(I use sugar free of course)

3/4 c. boiling water

3/4 c. mayonnaise

2 c. finely diced celery

1 c. cottage cheese

1 c. chopped nuts

(we prefer pecans)

Dissolve jello in boiling water; chill for about 20 minutes or until it just begins to set up. Whisk in the mayonnaise until smooth, then add remaining ingredients. 

Pour into pan and let chill until set.

Yield: 4 servings

(Prior to Weight Watchers Points Plus made this equal to 2 points each serving)

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Cottage Cheese Salad

This #2 recipe for the day calls for celery & cottage cheese also.

Do you like cottage cheese?

I really do, but I grew up on it. I remember my grandpa topping his cottage cheese with apple butter - I still love it that way.

I usually enjoy eating it along with fruit or veggies, like peaches, pears or tomatoes.

I'm not a big meat eater so it's good to know I'm getting some protein when I enjoy a helping of cottage cheese.

When I first heard about this recipe from my friend, Dottie's husband, Jim Ragland, I couldn't even imagine what this combination would taste like!

I really wasn't sure I'd like it at all....

But I was pleasantly surprised and have enjoyed it often since the first bite!

Start with the measured amount of garlic salt and add more until you're happy with it.  I always use more.

It's very tasty and once you have the eggs hard boiled, it's quick to make.

COTTAGE CHEESE SALAD

1 - 24 ozs. carton of cottage cheese

(large or small curd)

2 - 3 hard boiled eggs, chopped

(I prefer more)

2 stalks celery, chopped

chopped onion, to taste

1/2 tsp. garlic salt (more to taste)

1/4 tsp. pepper

Mix together; cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. As long as your cottage cheese and eggs are fresh, this will keep for several days.

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