Friday, October 30, 2015

Paradise Pumpkin Pie & Weekend Potluck #194

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK!! 
We're so glad you stopped by today!  
We're on our way home from Missouri...spent time with some precious TX friends this week, but I will be thinking of you all and checking on the WP party from my phone....


AND....


When I share something worth sharing...again...

Two favorites in one pie...a smooth layer of cream cheese
topped with a tasty layer of pumpkin...such a perfect match. 



Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~


Oven Baked Chili Dogs by The Better Baker
(Hot Dog! Thanks all!=)

Recipes that caught our attention ~





And, a personal favorite ~

Autumn Chowder by Everyday Mom's Meals

Your hostesses ~

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.
  1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
  2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. 
    When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!




Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Glazed Lemon Bread (Updated)

I sold baked goods at our local farmer's market this summer, so I've been making many kinds of quick breads.

If you love lemon, you'll really enjoy this simple bread. A dear friend, Betty Wilson, gave me this recipe 40 years ago while we lived in Alaska.  I've made it a number of times.  And I had requests for MORE of it this summer.

This is great with a cup of coffee or tall glass of milk. 

Using fresh lemon juice is best, but bottled juice works well too. 

This recipe is easily doubled. 

Enjoy!!! 

*UPDATE* - After tasting Bob Evan's Lemonade bread, I revised this 
recipe a bit by adding instant lemon pudding and changing up a few ingredient
amounts.  It's fabulous - if you are a lemon lover, you'll go wild for this. 


GLAZED LEMON BREAD 

1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 box (4-serv. size) instant lemon pudding
1/2 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 (scant) c. sugar 
2 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/3 - 1/2 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. chopped nuts, optional

Glaze:

1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tb. lemonade concentrate, thawed 

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 1 - 9" loaf pan. 

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and dry pudding mix; set aside. 

In large bowl, combine butter and sugar; beat until well blended, then add eggs; beat until fluffy and light. Add flour mixture alternately with milk. Blend in lemon juice and nuts, if using. 

Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes. Remove from oven; poke holes in loaf with meat fork. Pour glaze on bread while both are hot.  Let cool 10 - 15 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. 

GLAZE: 

Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice concrentrate in saucepan (or microwave).  Heat just until hot - do not boil. 

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Sunday, October 25, 2015

Cheesey Slow Cooker Stuffed Bell Peppers (Freezer Friendly Link)

I have never cared for green peppers, so we don't eat them often, but after someone gave us a few recently, I wanted to make stuffed peppers since hubby likes them...a lot. 


(hover over image to pin)

I was so tickled to find this recipe at The Recipe Critic...but I adapted it some, and hubby just loved them.  I ate the filling by itself and it was pretty tasty I'd have to say. 

The recipe called for wild rice...all I had was some basmati, so I cooked it in some of the tomato juice from the salsa (I substituted for canned tomatoes), but jazzed the recipe up in other ways. I also added some hot sauce...which hubby loves, so you can certainly adjust that to your own liking. 

She used raw ground beef...I browned and drained mine before stuffing peppers. 

You could add taco seasoning if you wanted to put a Mexican twist on this dish. 

After I made this special dish, and before I typed up the post, I happened upon this awesome idea for Freezer Friendly Slow Cooker Sausage Stuffed Peppers
from Two Maids a Milking...great idea and you can make them ahead! 

I ran to the store at the last minute and bought 1 red pepper so I could fill my crockpot. I think the cheesey topping made extra tasty. 




CHEESEY SLOW COOKER STUFFED BELL PEPPERS 

  • 6 medium to large bell peppers
  • 1 # lean ground beef, lightly browned, drained
  • 1/2 c. onion, chopped
  • (It's OK to add add onion to beef while browning) 
  • 1-1/4 c. mild (or hot) salsa, undrained 
  • (or 1 - 14 ozs. can diced tomatoes)
  • 1 cup wild rice, cooked (any kind of rice is fine)
  • 2 Tb. worchestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. pepper
  • (I used garlic pepper - we liked more)
  • 1-1/4 c. shredded cheese, divided
  • 1/4 c. water

Cut off each top of the peppers and scrape out the seeds and membranes. After I cut out the seeds with a knife, I scraped the inside clean with a spoon - it worked great). Set aside.

Combine ground beef, onion, salsa (or tomatoes), rice, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and 1 cup of cheese. Stuff each pepper with mixture. Place in bottom of crockpot. (You can crowd them a little because they get smaller as they cook). Add water to bottom of crockpot...it will help steam and soften the peppers. 

Cook on low for about 5-6 hours or high for 3 hours until peppers are tender.
(The sides of peppers tends to burn on high...I suggest using low)

About 15 minutes before serving, sprinkle remaining cheese; enjoy when cheese is melted.



Fresh Tomato Pie


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Saturday, October 24, 2015

Leader Enterprise - Oct. 21, 2015 - Apples




I thought it fitting to get your juices (or shall we say cider?) flowing about the most popular fruit in America - Apples. The Economic Research Service of the U. S. Depart.of Agriculture estimates Americans, in years past, have averaged the equivalent of about 47 pounds of apples a year. That's a lot!

Select apples that are firm and bruise free. Store in refrigerator to slow ripening and keep the flavor. Chilled properly, they should last about 90 days. When I was a kid, we always wrapped apples separately in newspaper and stored them in a horse tank in our cool basement. That way, when one apple went bad, the ones around it were protected. There's another saying with much truth "One Bad Apple Spoils the Bunch". I know that refers to many other things besides the fruit itself.
Apples are thought to help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, type 2 diabetes and asthma. No wonder they say "An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away"!

I'm sure I've shared this apple dumpling recipe before, but some things are just worth sharing again. I've made these in a college kitchen for over 100 at a time, and they go quickly. Definitely a family favorite apple recipe.



SIMPLE APPLE DUMPLINGS
4 Granny Smith, or any favorite baking apple
2 - 8 ozs. pkgs. refrigerated crescent rolls
1 stick butter (I cut back from 2 in original recipe)
3/4 c. sugar (or xylitol for sugar free)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-12 ozs. can (diet) Mt. Dew soda or 7-Up

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" X 13" baking dish. Peel and halve apples. Separate crescent rolls; roll up apples in crescent rolls from big end to little end. Place in prepared pan.In small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. In saucepan melt butter add sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour mixture over the apples, then pour the Mt. Dew around all the dumplings.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until apples are tender. Serve warm with ice cream or milk Tip: I cover the pan with foil after 30 minutes as the rolls tend to brown too much after that length of time in the oven.


BAKED ACORN SQUASH WITH CINNAMON APPLES
2 - 3 acorn squash
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 Tb. all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt 
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
(or substitute 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for both spices)
2 - 3 lg. apples, cored and chopped (unpeeled)

Preheat oven to 350. In small bowl, stir together brown sugar, butter, flour, salt, cinnamon and allspice. Wash and halve the squash. Clean out the seeds and 'stringy stuff' and arrange in ungreased 9" X 13" baking dish. Fill the 'holes' with chopped apple, then drizzle the sugar mixture on top. Add about 1/2 c.water to the pan so it will steam the squash as it bakes. Cover dish with foil. Bake 60-70 (less time if the squash are small) minutes or until squash is tender.

EASY CINNAMON BAKED APPLES

For 6 Apples: Cream 1 stick butter, 3/4 C. Brown Sugar and 1/2 tsp. Vanilla. Core each apple leaving bottom intact. Fill with creamed sugar mixture. Then divide 1/4 c. red hot candies evenly on top. Place in baking dish; pour 1 c. apple cider in bottom of dish. Bake uncovered at 375 for 45 minutes. Or you could 'bake' them in your crockpot - 4 - 5 hours on low or 2 - 3 hours on high. They're sure to make your house smell wonderful. 

If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~ Anonymous. 

(This week would have been our dear granddaughter, Ashtyn's 21st birthday...she's celebrating in heaven...and she LOVED butterflies...this quote is in memory of her). 

Friday, October 23, 2015

Snickerdoodle Bread & Weekend Potluck #193

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK! 
So happy you took time to stop by today! 

AND...


When I share something worth sharing...again...

This bread is such a taste treat.  Same flavor as the cookies -
makes a great gift. 



Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~


The Best Ever Chicken Salad by Mirlandra’s Kitchen

Recipes that caught our attention ~


Philly Cheese Meatloaf by Of The Hearth


And, a personal favorite ~

Ham-Waffle-Breakfast-Casserole-Text
Ham & Waffle Breakfast Casserole by Sunflower Supper Club

Your hostesses ~

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FIVE blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

Linky Guidelines:

If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.
  1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
  2. LINK BACK HERE from your post so that others can find the fun. 
    When you are kind enough to follow our guidelines, we work hard to get you as much exposure as possible so that your time here is well invested. We want this to be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone!






Thursday, October 22, 2015

Chocolate Coconut Chia Smoothie (no sugar added)



An easy, rich and creamy protein shake to get your day started...

And it's DE-LISH too! 

It will help boost your energy any time of day!





CHOCOLATE COCONUT CHIA SMOOTHIE 

1 Tb. chia seeds
1 frozen ripe banana
(peeled, sliced & frozen) 
1/2 c. ice
1/2 c. plain Greek yogurt
2 Tb. salted almond (or peanut) butter
1 Tb. honey or agave nectar, according to taste 

Add coconut water and chia seeds to blender; allow to stand for 5 - 10 minutes so seeds will expand. (they help keep you feeling full).
Add remaining ingredients and blend until frothy. Divide between 2 small glasses; serve immediately. 

Or, if you prefer, freeze mixture into popsicles. 


*Disclosure:  This post includes my amazon affiliate links. You are not obligated to purchase, but when you do through one of my links, I will make a small percentage on the sale. Thank you for supporting my site.












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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

3 Fun Fall Kid-Friendly Treats {Blast from the Past}

Simple & fun..even for the kids!


Quick and easy - and so festive! Basic ingredients are
oats, brown sugar, Bisquick, butterscotch or chocolate chips and candy corn!


MMM - your whole house will smell divine while this is warming!
Such a taste treat for cool temps...


Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Crunchy Tuna Salad

Oopsie - I had intentions to share this during summer months. It's good any time of year, but quick and easy for summertime.  Makes a great lunch any season of the year. 

I've been making my tuna salad like this for years, but until I saw it here at 
Veronica's Cornucopia, I never even thought to share it on my blog. 

I made this for lunch the same day I saw her post and it was so tasty.
And it was just fine the next day when I finished it off. 

I am all about CRUNCH so I added celery as well as apple...and I doubled the apple amount. Make it to suit your own taste buds...and need for crunch.  

What a way to dress up a little can of tuna! This makes a great sandwich.  Quick & Easy!




CRUNCHY TUNA SALAD 

1 small (5 ozs) can tuna, drained well
1 hard boiled egg, diced
half a small apple, sliced and diced
1/4 c. chopped celery 
1 Tb. sweet pickle relish, optional
2 Tb. sweet onion, diced, optional
2 Tb. mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients in a bowl; serve on bread, or I prefer it with cheese and crackers.  Makes 2 sandwiches.


Linked to Weekend Potluck
             Meal Plan Monday


Special Pimento Cheese
(original recipe from same tuna salad gal, Veronica=) 




Sunday, October 18, 2015

Oven Baked Chili Dogs

CALLING ALL ADULTS & KIDS TOO! 

These chili dogs may be somewhat messy, but they are outta this world wonderful as well! 

I know most hot dogs are not among out healthy choices in the world, but hubby and I have really gone wild over Nathan's all beef hot dogs,
and that's what I used for this simple recipe. 

Instead of putting cold hot dogs in the oven, I first boiled them, just to warm them up a little, then put them in the buns and added the chili, cheese and onion before covering them with foil and baking for a little while.

It just speeds up the process so unless you have time to let them heat completely in the oven (45 minutes), you can warm the 'dogs' then add to the buns.

I am not much of a sandwich person, but when I'm going to eat
a bun with a burger or dog, I want it warm, and this is such a great
way to do that. 

I added this recipe  to my second cookbook, after seeing it at Tonya's 4 little Fergusons blog, which is 'on hold' at this point in time. I love Tonya and her precious family and am excited about seeing them again in Oct. 

Also, I did NOT add the mayo, mustard and relish as hubby wasn't in favor of that AND the chili, but I hear tell it's very tasty. 

These special dogs need to be eaten with a fork.

(TIP) - If you're in a rush, just warm the hot dogs and the chili before baking - it will cut your baking time in half). 



OVEN BAKED CHILI DOGS

8 hot dogs (we love Nathan's!!)
8 (whole wheat) hot dog buns
mayo, mustard, and sweet relish, optional
2 (15 ozs. each) can Hormel Chili Masters 
(or use you own favorite chili)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 onion, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Spread mayo on inside of each hot dog bun. Add relish and a stripe of yellow mustard if desired. Fill buns with hot dogs and squeeze them all into a 9" X 13" baking dish, lined with nonstick foil for easy cleanup. 
(you may be able to place 2 of them in the opposite direction to get them to fit).
Top hot dogs with chili, cheese and diced onion.  Cover (with nonstick foil) and bake 45 minutes. 


Linked to 
          Weekend Potluck
           Meal Plan Monday


You might also enjoy these ideas...



TRASH: Kid's Card Game - Fun for all!








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