Glorious!!!! (Apple Pie, Italian Dinner Casserole)

What an absolutely glorious day..  I love days like today..  slept in with a nice cozy fuzzy blanket,  got up, showered then downstairs to make a wonderful pot of coffee..  then enjoyed it with my homemade Caramel Vanilla Creamer..  Pinterest has piqued my frugal side again..  I forgot how much I adored making so much from scratch..  I think working and being so busy just made me lazy in that dept..  The weather of course inspires me to bake..  and it is perfect Apple Pie weather.. which is what I started out with this morning..  I started with the crust,  then put it in the fridge to chill and then did some cleaning and fall decorating.. still have some stuff in the garage that I need to bring upstairs..  maybe after dinner.. 

Apple Pie

Crust:

2 c all purpose flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp lemon zest
12 Tbsp(1 1/2 sticks)butter, cut into cubes, cold
1/2 c ice water
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Pie

6 to 8 apples, cored and slice(can peel if you want)
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 to 1/2c granulated sugar
1/4 to 1/2c brown sugar
1/4c flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 to 3 Tbsp butter

In a food processor put all the dry ingredients in and pulse for a few seconds to mix together,  add the butter cubes and pulse until a cornmeal consistency,  add the water and lemon juice and pulse until a dough forms,  can add more ice water 1 tsp at a time if to dry.   Divide in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or longer..  Take out of refrigerator and let sit while you are prepping the apples..
Place the sliced apples in a big bowl and squeeze half a lemon over and toss to coat,  add the sugars, flour and spices.. (I never measure anything.. so these measurements are approximate..)  
after you get the apples in the bowl with the other ingredients you roll out the dough and place in the bottom of 9 inch pie plate,  put apples in crust and then roll out top crust and place over..  seal edges and crimp with either a fork or make a decorative edge..  brush with whipping cream and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.. bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes.. 

Italian Dinner Casserole

Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green and red, yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Chicken Italian Sausage
4 slices wheat bread, cubed
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 c skim milk
1/2 tsp. ground mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated reduced-fat jalapeno cheddar cheese

In a large saute pan heat olive oil,  add the onions and bell peppers and cook for 3 to 5 minutes,  add the mushrooms and garlic,  cook another 3 minutes and add the sausage..  while that is cooking place the bread in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.  beat the eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper and put aside..  when the meat mixture is done layer half of it,  half the egg mixture and half the cheese mixture,  then repeat.  cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 45 minutes,  uncover the last 5 minutes of cook time to allow the cheese to brown slightly..  enjoy with a salad and or steamed broccoli...  

I recreated the casserole from a Mexican Breakfast Casserole I found on Pinterest..  I of course added my twist and changed up some of the ingredients..  it is yummy!!!! 

Football, Fall and Pumpkin Spice Latte

Thursday night Football!!!! Going to be a great game.. The Bears and Packers..  Have two good friends at work on opposite sides of this and it has been funny to watch them trash talk each other..  They both crack me up..  Tomorrow is going to be interesting..  
This past week has been fabulous here in GA..  You can feel Fall in the air,  it is crisper,  cooler,  the humidity has lowered tremendously..  makes me want to cook and bake all the time..  :)
This past Saturday I hosted my first Thirty-One Party,  and I am sure it won't be my last..  I love the products so much and for this party I made lots of food,  sort of my thing..  I am going to share one of the recipes I made for the party.. I did of course find this recipe on Pinterest and then added a little extra to it..  It is a Crock Pot recipe and I am right now making it on the stove to see if it a versatile recipe.. 

Crock Pot Pumpkin Spice Latte

8Tbsp Pumpkin puree
8Tbsp vanilla extract
8Tbsp sugar
2tsp Cinnamon
4 c coffee
6 c milk

Mix all the ingredients in Crock Pot, set to low and heat for 2 hours..
Top with Whipped Cream(We bought Caramel Whipped Cream in the Can from the Super T) and serve with a cinnamon stick if desired..  I didn't do that.. 
These are the extras that my daughter Rebekah(aka Boo) the Barista, and I decided on because we didn't think the Cinnamon would be enough.. 
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger.. 

The Crock Pot version was yummy..  now waiting to try the stove top version..  :)  The stove top adaptation is just as yummy, if not more so..  ahhh..  Pumpkin Spice Latte at home and not having to spend a ton of money on it..  Don't get me wrong..  I LOVE Starbucks...  but I can't afford to enjoy their drinks often..    this is a way to treat myself and only spend on a whole pot to share the same as I would spend on a Grande..  Life is Good..  

Just another Manic Monday!!! (Korean Beef over Rice)

What a day..  I had a plan when I walked into work today and that plan was changed in 2.5 seconds..  oh well..  you just gotta do what ya gotta do..  but my stress level was off the chain all day...  

I got home and decided to make a new recipe I found on Pinterest..  Korean Beef and it sure is yummy..  I basically stayed true to the recipe,  but next time I think I am going to add some vegetables to the pan..

Korean Beef

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red peppers (to desired spiciness)
pepper
1 bunch green onions, diced


Cooked white or brown rice

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and brown hamburger with garlic in the sesame oil. Drain most of the fat and add brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, pepper and crushed red peppers. Simmer for a few minutes to blend the flavors. Serve over steamed rice and top with green onions.

As you all know I have a rice cooker and I love it..  I always cook my rice in it..  for this recipe I cooked white rice in water with beef bouillon cubes...  it was very good..  I also didn't have green onions..  so chopped half an onion and cooked it first,  then added the beef and the garlic..    I served a salad to round out the dinner.. 

Rain!!!! (Cornbread and Beef Skillet Pie)

What a day..  Our STL came back from his 4 day holiday vacation today and was he on FIRE!!!!   It is a transition period at work,  coming out of back to school/college and going into Fall and Halloween set..  which means there is a lot of clearance throughout all the dept's that I get to play in each day,  which means I get to reset many of those endcaps..  Set 5 yesterday,  4 today..  fun times I tell ya.. though I do love to see the new stuff coming out..  my amazing Sr TL Andy does a little of the work too..  he closes a lot.. he's pretty awesome..  just don't tell him I said that..  we don't want his ego getting any bigger than it already is..  :) 
I also hit it big in the butter world today..  while helping push frozen this morning I saw something out of place,  and me being the OCD person that I am and wanting my fingers to thaw out a minute I walked over to Dairy and picked up this lb of unsalted Organic Butter..  never seen the brand before etc..  so I thought I would find it's true home.. it was marked, are you ready for this??  .76 cents..  I bought 7 of them for $4.56 after my discounts..  I am in heaven..  I couldn't even get 1 organic one for much less than what I paid for 7...   that made my whole day!!!!

So for dinner while going through email and looking at some recipes that are supposed to be an hour or under to prepare I came across a recipe that intrigued me and I used it as a base for what I made tonight..  and it is taking longer than an hour..

Cornbread and Beef Skillet Pie

olive oil
red onion, chopped
green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers, chopped (about 1/4 of each)
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
3 potatoes, diced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Worcestershire sauce
1/2 lb to 1 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken
4 tsp flour
1/2 c beef broth
salt, pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder, paprika, steak seasoning
Sriracha sauce,  a couple tbsp or to taste
1 to 1 1/2c Cornmeal mix
2 tsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 c or more milk

In a large skillet over medium heat olive oil,  add the onions, peppers, celery, carrots and potatoes,  cook about 10 minutes..  add the mushrooms and the garlic, cook another 2 to 3 minutes, add the worcestershire sauce and stir well.. letting absorb into the vegetables,  add salt and pepper and the sriracha sauce..  add the beef and cook until brown all the way through stirring constantly,  add other seasonings, the flour and stir to coat,  then add the broth..  while that is cooking in a medium bowl mix the cormeal, sugar, egg and milk until it forms a nice cornbread dough..  you can either drop by spoonfuls on top of the beef/vege mixture or spread over the top and place in a 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes until the bread is brown on the top..  enjoy with a nice green salad..  

the original recipe had onions, peppers and mushrooms,  also tomato paste and no seasoning besides the salt and pepper..  I like to jazz things up a bit..  hope you enjoy!!!!

Happy Birthday!!! (Parmesan Chicken with Angel Hair Pasta and Marinara Sauce, Caramel Apple Cheesecake)

So today is my oldest daughter, 2nd childs 25th birthday..  and this Mama is starting to feel a wee bit on the old side..  Knowing that 2 of my kids are 25 and older now just blows my mind because I am constantly reminding myself that I am not in my teens anymore..  I still feel young..  sometimes..  :)

The girls and I were at the pool  yesterday and overheard a woman looking at a Southern Living Magazine talk about an Apple Caramel Cheesecake.. so of course I had to figure out how to do one and I have been told it is a keeper..  I made her Parmesan Chicken over Angel Hair Pasta with a Crock Pot Marinara Sauce and the rest of the Garlic Knots I made Wednesday..

Parmesan Chicken

3 Boneless Chicken Breast, laid flat and cut in half to make 2 thin pieces ( I do this instead of pounding it flat)
1 stick butter, melted
yellow mustard
Worcestershire Sauce
Italian Bread Crumbs
Parmesan Cheese

Mix the butter, mustard and Worcestershire Sauce in a bowl,   mix the breadcrumbs and the finely grated Parmesan cheese on a plate..  dip the chicken in the butter mixture and then in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Place in a 9x13 pan,  when all the chicken has been coated pour the remaining butter mixture over the chicken and sprinkle with the rest of the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or so.. 

Crockpot Marinara Sauce

2 large cans Crushed Tomatoes
1 6oz can tomato Paste
1 large can water
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Italian Seasoning Blend
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced

Place all in Crockpot, stir well and cook on low for 8 hours...  serve over pasta..  makes enough for 2 meals..  freeze the extra..

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

crus
1 stick butter, melted
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed

Mix together, press into the bottom of a 10 inch springform pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes..  set aside..  turn oven down to 300 degrees

2 Granny Smith Apples
Caramel Sauce(homemade or storebought)

cover the bottom crust with about 1/3 c caramel sauce..  peel and thinly slice 1 apple and lay it on top of the caramel..

Cheesecake

3 8oz pkgs low fat cream cheese
1 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 16oz pkg low fat sour cream,  can also use greek yogurt..(I haven't tried it,  but might one day)

Beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy,  add the eggs 1 at a time and beat well after each one,  add the vanilla and sour cream and mix well..  pour over the baked crust and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until it is set.  turn oven off and crack open door and let cool slowly for an hour,  remove from oven,  cool on counter and then refrigerate overnight..   garnish with more caramel and apple slices and a dollop of whipped cream in the center.. 

my beautiful Granddaughter Samantha Riley helping me make birthday Cheesecake for her Aunt Saundra!!!

Life Happens When We are Busy Making Other Plans.. (Dirty Rice)

Many years ago when my children were younger I came across a simple recipe that the kids loved..  Dirty Rice..  I made it often,  maybe once or twice a month..  it is a frugal recipe,  which as a mom of 4 growing children was a great thing..  well I actually forgot all about it until one day not long ago I had an epiphany and it came back to me.. something quick, frugal and easy that I could cook during the week when I don't have much time,  not to mention everyone LOVED it..  so I began looking for a recipe and think maybe I have found one compatible..  I am also comtemplating going back to a mostly vegetarian lifestyle..  sooo  I could still do it using red beans, black beans, kidney beans or cannellini beans..  very versatile recipe..

Dirty Rice

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green and red/orange/yellow bell pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef, turkey, chicken or 2 c beans
salt and pepper
seasonings of your choice
2 c rice
4 c beef broth

In a large saute pan heat olive oil,  add the onion and peppers and cook for about 5 minutes..  add the garlic,  saute for a couple of minutes,  add the beef and cook until no longer pink in the middle.. Add the rice and stir,  add the seasonings of your choice.. I like using garlic powder, lemon pepper, steak seasoning, paprika and red pepper flakes..  add the beef broth and stir,  bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally..  serve with steamed broccoli, a salad and bread..  I used white rice with this recipe this time,  but next time I will probably use brown rice..

It's been a while..

I know,  it has been forever since I have written in my blog..  Life, a house, kids, a granddaughter, work and being so tired all I want to do is sleep has been getting in the way..  I haven't really made anything new lately until Saturday..
I invited some friends over for dinner and knew I was going to make a cheesecake,  just didn't know what kind.. I had grabbed some strawberries from the Super T before I left work Friday because they were uber cheap and was thinking about how I could incorporate them into dessert..  I thought about doing the strawberry swirl cheesecake.. but I had done that one before..  I wanted something different and new.. so I thought and thought and started thinking about what goes well with strawberries.. then I thought,  CHOCOLATE...  yes.. I will make a chocolate cheesecake..  so I kept thinking...(I know amazing that my head didn't catch on fire from all the thinking)..  I decided to maybe use cocoa and melted semi sweet chocolate in my regular cheesecake recipe..  so I set out on my Chocolate Cheesecake adventure and it turned out even better than I had hoped it would..  :) 

Chocolate Cheesecake

1 1/2 packs graham crackers, crushed
1 stick butter, melted..

mix together and press into bottom and up sides of a 10 inch springform pan,  put in a 350 degree preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.. remove and let cool while making the filling

3 8oz pkgs cream cheese, softened.. I use the low fat
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1/4 c cocoa
3/4 pkg of semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
16 oz low fat sour cream

In a large mixing bowl beat the cream cheese until fluffy,  scrape the bowl and then add the sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved, add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time beating well after each one..  scrape the sides and bottom of bowl and then add the cocoa, mixing well..  scrape again and then add the melted chocolate a little at a time.. scrape the bowl again and then add the sour cream..  beat well, scraping bowl as needed.. esp the bottom,  don't want to miss getting everything incorporated.. Pour into crust and bake at 300 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes.. turn the oven off and then crack the door open and let cool slowly.. after an hour take out of the oven and let cool on the counter another hour,  then refrigerate until ready to add the finishing touches..

Fresh Strawberries
Melted Strawberry Jam or Preserves
Mini Chocolate Chips..

Remove outer ring from cheesecake pan and run an offset spatula between bottom of the crust and the bottom of the pan, loosening around the edges..  hold over a serving plate and carefully place on the platter..  the offset spatula is what makes this an easy process and a really good non stick spring form pan..   cut the tops off the Strawberries (Prewash and dry them) and place them cut side down on the cheesecake until you can't get any more on,  melt the jam or preserves in the microwave and brush over the strawberries liberally,  then sprinkly with mini choc chips and refrigerate until ready to serve..