Apple Slump
Eight apples down…twelve to go. Last night, we made Apple Slump. This was a recipe I came across at Mother-Daughter Book Club last month. We were discussing a book called The Mother Daughter Book Club, of course! And since it was about a mother-daughter book club that was reading Little Women, what would be more appropriate than to include a recipe for Apple Slump. This was a delicious dessert! It received rave reviews from all family members. I used wheat flour instead of white and the apples are so sweet I think you could use less sugar. Just don’t tell that to Blooshusband! He always objects when I say I could put less sugar in a recipe!
An Apple a Day….
Last night, I was in charge of dinner for the teachers during parent-teacher conferences. We served up Cafe Rio salads buffet-style and let the teachers help themselves. It was a huge hit! The apples I bought, however, were not. I bought 40 Gala apples and I think only 1/4 of them were taken. I gave some to the people who were helping me, but still ended up with 20 apples to add to the 3+ lbs. sitting in my fridge. Anyone have any ideas as to how I can use these up quickly?
Chicken Chili
This recipe is an old favorite at our house. It’s very easy and is my go-to recipe when a neighbor or friend is sick, has a baby, etc. When I make it for people, they always ask for the recipe.
Chicken Chili
1 10 oz can chicken
1 8 oz can diced green chilies (drained)
2 cans chili beans
2 cans beans drained (whatever you like will do here)
1 c. chicken broth
1 onion, diced
2 t. chili powder
Brown the onion. Add all ingredients to the Crockpot and let it simmer til heated through.
This recipe is even better the next day!
Go on over to Grocery Cart Challenge to find more recipes.
Oatmeal Pancakes
The Grocery Cart Challenge is doing a recipe swap, and I’m always up for trading recipes. Here’s one of our favorites:
Oatmeal Pancakes
2 c. water
2 c. rolled oats
4 eggs
6 T. vegetable oil
Combine and beat slightly. Let soak for 5 minutes while you gather the remaining ingredients.
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 t. salt
2/3 c. nonfat powdered milk
4T. sugar
Add these ingredients to the liquid and oatmeal mixture, then mix until blended. Cook on griddle until bubbled on top and undersides are lightly brown, turn and brown other side.
How to Get Rid of Almost Two Pounds of Strawberries in One Day
This weekend I made a run to the store to buy some fresh fruit to make one of our favorite desserts. Turns out they were selling strawberries for $.99 a pound, so I bought 8 for $7.92. Yesterday, I used one of those pounds for dessert and another to make smoothies. Two down, six to go!
This dessert recipe is really good. So good that my friend actually requested I bring it for dinner over the weekend. The conversation went something like this:
“I was wondering if you would like to come have dinner with me on Sunday. We could cook out on the grill.”
“I would love to. Shall I bring our own meat and a side dish?”
“Or you could bring dessert. That pie you made last time was really good!”
“Is that a request?”
“Yes, if it’s not too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all.”
How to Make the DH Eat Tofu
I have made several attempts to find recipes in which to hide tofu. Since the DH doesn’t like it, I have to disguise it. I’ve tried it in dips, I’ve tried soups, but I think last night’s meal might have been the best. I made Tofu Burritos. Before you say “EWWWW!”, you mix soft tofu with a mixture of refried beans, salsa and sour cream. I even put it in my food processor. Blending tofu with something else has become a favorite of mine when it comes to sneaking it past the DH’s lips.
The disappointment was… he figured it out! Usually, that’s because he can taste it. Not this time! He said he mostly tasted the green onions. After pressing him for details he said it was because it seemed just like the sort of thing I would do…
I give this recipe a thumbs up with a couple of changes. First, a whole pint of sour cream is too much. I found it kind of stole the flavor. It should be decreased by at least half. I would also put in a whole can of refried beans instead of half and add some chili powder or cumin to it. I loved baking these in foil on my grill. It only takes about 5 minutes and they come out all crisp and warm.
And now I’m off to find new ways to disguise tofu lest I get caught red-handed again. (Of course all of the smirking and giggling done by the DD’s had nothing to do with tipping him off! )
So Glad to be Done with Holiday Knitting!
I decided this Christmas I wouldn’t be knitting many presents for friends and family. All I did was two washcloths for my niece and four for a couple of friends. I’m so glad to be done with those! My hands were really aching after knitting all that cotton yarn. It felt so good to pick up DH’s Cabled Sweater Vest from Men In Knits! Paton’s Classic Wool Merino (in Natural Mix) is much easier on the hands and wrists- even with the cables!
And since I’m done with all my shopping, I’ve just been doing my cooking and baking for treats for the neighbors at a leisurely pace over the last few days.
I discovered a new recipe for fudge. My Mom’s recipe, for some reason wouldn’t set up anymore. So I found a new one on Allrecipes. It sets up perfectly, tastes really good, and you cook it in the microwave. Easy and good. I always like it when cooking happens that way!
How Does Your Garden Grow?
I was excited to see some tiny melons on my Sugar Baby melon plant. They were so cute I just had to take some pictures!
My Mr. Stripey tomato plant was an experiment this year and one that I think will have been worth it. I can already see the striping in the green tomatoes!
I also made one of my favorite recipes today: Benito Bean Dip.. It’s from one of my favorite cookbooks, Lickety Split Meals. You can download some free recipes here. They are usually good, simple and healthy.
Queen of the Kitchen
I made one of my favorite recipes for breakfast this morning: Oatmeal Muffins. For those of us who make oatmeal, this is something to do with the leftovers. I found the recipe here: http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/muffins.htm . Just use the instructions for cereal muffins and check them after 15 minutes. I burn them if I bake them for 20! :-0
