I counted it up, I'm working 3 jobs at present... OK, so I didn't count as much as cry in my pillow trying to figure out how to make a 24 hour day meaningful to my little family as well as profitable. :( Yeah, it was quite the a morning. But the evening got better when I made these little beauties.
So easy, so affordable, and so good. You'll have to try!!
*I purchased the wrong shrimp, so in my pictures you'll see Medium shrimp instead of Jumbo. My apologies. I served it with fried rice and egg rolls from Aldi.
Shrimp & Vegetables in Foil Packets
1 1/2 lb. broccoli florets
1 bag of shredded carrot matchsticks
1 bunch green onions
1 1/2 lbs 26/30 ct shrimp (peeled & deveined)
foil
canola oil for brushing
Sauce:
4 t sesame oil
4 T soy sauce
Tear 5 pieces of foil into 18 inch strips. Brush each lightly with canola oil.
On each foil piece add-
1 C broccoli florets
1 C carrot matchsticks
7-8 shrimp
1 T chopped green onion
Mix sauce and pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture over each packet. Fold foil in half and seal edge by folding in 2-3 times.
Cook in 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through. Serve over steamed rice.
Shrimp and Veggie Foil Packets
Chicken Enchilada Puffs
The last of our pretty Indian Summer Days are coming to a close. We tried to spend as much time outside having fun as possible, but already we are longing for those summer days that will not be back for months.
On the bright-side, I've been cooking more! :D Like these lovely little easy dinner items. Just try it one time, you'll be hooked!
Chicken Enchilada Puffs
1 package jumbo crescent rolls
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
3/4 cup cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1/3 cup enchilada sauce
2 teaspoons taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup Mexican shredded cheese for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 375 and line cookie sheet with foil and spray with no-stick spray
Place cream cheese and 1/2 cup Mexican cheese in small bowl and microwave for about 30-40 seconds, to soften. Add seasoning mix, sauce and chicken to cheese mixture and stir until combined.
Unroll crescent rolls on prepared pan. Scoop 1 large heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture into the center of the two short ends of the crescent roll. Pull outer corners of the crescent roll over the chicken mixture, and then pull the long end over, completely enclosing filling. Sprinkle tops of puffs with additional shredded Mexican cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Soy Lime Salmon
I love salmon! I could eat salmon, in some form, every single day of the week. Only problem with having it so often, you sometimes do the same marinade or same side dishes again and again. This time, I decided to make a new marinade using up a left over lime in my fridge! :)
Soy Lime Salmon
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp garlic, finely minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ginger
4 Salmon filets
Mix all ingredients and pour over your salmon. Marinate 4 hours or overnight. Grill on medium-low heat until flaky.
Crock-Pot Apples
I love something sweet, that isn't overwhelmingly sweet. And, I love my house to have that aroma of a home, not just a place to live. These apples can take care of both of those needs.
Crock-Pot Apples
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons trans-fat free margarine
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 Gala apples, cored
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
Cover and cook 2 1/2 to 3 hours on low heat until the apples are soft and begin to collapse.
Breakfast Pizza
I love breakfast... ok, well I really love breakfast at dinner-time. I mean, who has time to do the full English at 6am? Not me, for sure. So when we are wanting some breakfast like foods, or when I am in a hurry, breakfast is perfection.
And when talking about perfection, this can be found next to its definition. Tasty and quick... perfect way to fill up on a chilly fall night.
Breakfast Pizza1 pre-made pizza crust
1 16 ounce package of bulk, mild breakfast sausage
1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
4 eggs, lightly scrambled
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain.
Top pizza crust with sausage, potatoes, and cheese. Combine milk, salt, pepper, ground mustard and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Carefully pour milk mixture over sausage mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until done through.
Don't worry.... those apples will be showcased tomorrow. They were amazing! :D
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Amazing... Just amazing stuff (and so much easier than making 'real' buffalo chicken wings!)
Buffalo Chicken Pizza
3/4 pound chicken breast cutlets
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 Boboli Pizza Crust, or whatever premade, prebaked pizza crust you prefer
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
6 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to spicy heat (more or less to your own personal taste)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp oregano
Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing
Celery Sticks, if desired
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine cheddar and mozzarella cheeses; sprinkle a third over the crust. Set aside.
Lightly drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the chicken breast cutlets and grill (or pan cook) until no longer pink and completely done. Set aside to cool. Once chicken is cool, cut into thin strips.
In a large sauce pan combine butter, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and brown sugar. Stir over medium heat until combined. Add chicken and toss until combined with the sauce.
Spoon chicken and sauce mixture over cheese. Sprinkle with oregano and remaining cheese. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Drizzle lightly with Bleu Cheese dressing and serve with celery sticks, if desired.
Cajun Chicken Linguini
For some reason Reed has gotten on this 'spicy' kick of late. I'm pretty sure it was right around the time college football started because we did our annual 'go watch the opening game and pig out' night with wings and cajun shrimp alfredo. Since then, bring on the spicy and Reed is a happy boy. So after much griping and complaining that I've never made cajun chicken for him, but for others, I made him some last night. He proclaimed it on of the Top 5 things I've ever made for him. Hope you enjoy my recipe, too.
*The vegetables do not have to be chopped finely as I have done, but picky eaters, like me and Reed, like the flavor but oftentimes do not like the consistency of certain vegetables... for us, its Red Pepper. I chopped the onion, as well, just for visual consistency.
Cajun Chicken Linguini
3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
3 teaspoons Tony Chacheres Cajun Seasoning
1 pound Linguini
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded and chopped finely
1/2 whole Large Red Onion, chopped finely
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
2 1/2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
Chopped Fresh Parsley
Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Brown the chicken until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.
Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as you would like. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute until tomatoes are soft and falling apart. Remove all vegetables from the pan.
With the pan over high heat, pour in the chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add cajun seasoning if necessary, remember the sauce should be spicy!
Finally, add Parmesan cheese, chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained linguini and toss to combine.
Top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired, and a slight sprinkling of Parmesan cheese right before serving.
Sloppy Joe Turnovers
I will apologize for the picture. :) I would love to blame it off on someone else, or the camera, etc. But I just wasn't paying attention and was hungry! xx
These are so easy. We modified the original recipe that someone had given me to suit our own taste buds. Well, actually Reed modified it and I just simply wrote down his modifications. So you could call this Reed's first blog recipe! Yay, him!!
Sloppy Joe Turnovers
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
10-oz can of the larger biscuits **
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.Brown the ground beef and onion, drain. Add the ketchup, bbq sauce, sour cream, salt, paprika, cayenne and garlic powder, stir to combine. Roll out dough to 4 inch rounds. Place 1/4 cup (or so) meat mixture in center and fold over top. Seal edges firmly with fork. Bake 15 minutes.
**I mistakenly got the wrong type of biscuits, so I simply rolled out smaller biscuits into about 3 inch rolls, placed the meat filling inside, then placed another roll on top. I crimped the edges with a fork and baked the same amount of time.
Vegetable Oil Brownies
Ok, so I didn't have any margarine or butter and couldn't force myself out of the house last night to get some but I wanted turtle brownie sundaes. Yes, I had pecans, caramel, and ice cream, just no butter or margarine. Haha, well my priorities are straight!!
So I did a little search and found a recipe which I adjusted to suit my needs (and my pantry items). My dessert was lovely... how could it not be? Brownies + ice cream = nirvana!
Vegetable Oil Brownies
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil (divided)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the cocoa, 1/3 cup vegetable oil and boiling water. Mix until well blended and thickened. Stir in the sugar, eggs, and remaining 1/3 cup oil. Finally, add the flour and vanilla; mix just until all of the flour is absorbed. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Sausage Egg Muffins
It might not be officially fall, but it is cold enough that my fall comfort food cooking genes have gone into hyper-drive. So this morning, when it was all cool and cloudy, I decided a warm breakfast was what was needed. So enter these lovely little gems.
Sausage Egg Muffins1 pkg. sausage Patties (I used Jimmy Dean)
1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pkg. refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
In a skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, basically long enough to chop into small pieces. Add green onions and red peppers. Cook and stir 3-5 minutes longer or until sausage is no longer pink; drain on paper towels and set aside.
In a bowl, combine the eggs, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese and sausage mixture.
Separate dough into 10 biscuits; press or roll each into a 4 in. circle. Press into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased muffin cups.
Spoon sausage mixture into cups; press down lightly.
Bake at 350°F for 18-22 minutes or until filling is set.
The Best Home-fries Ever!!
I have some left over red potatoes in the garden... I know they are best during the spring, when they are soft and creamy inside. And, to be honest, these are very unlovable looking. But being a thrifty girl on a very (read extremely) tight budget now with the new house, I needed to use find a good use for them.
And I did!! Ok, so Reed and I did. He was my official spice sou chef. :)
Redskin Home-fries
4-6 (depending on size) large red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/8 cup red bell pepper, chopped finely
1/8 cup green onion, greens and whites chopped finely
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Microwave red potatoes, without water, in a loosely covered container until al dente. I microwaved mine 8 minutes. When finished be sure to strain any water that steamed out of the potatoes during cooking.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil, onions and bell pepper and saute until fork tender. Add potatoes and toss gently. Add your seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.
Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu
I love, love, love this recipe, especially during this very busy time of year. The flavors are deep and comforting, the color is striking and it never leaves you feeling empty. I made the full recipe below and shared it with a neighbor who just had hip surgery (what a horrible time to plan that... middle of an ice storm??)
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as me and my family... now off to finish all the pre-weekend before Christmas chores!! :D
Slow Cooker Chicken Cordon Bleu
*8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1 tsp salt
*1/8 tsp white pepper
*1 tsp dried thyme leaves
*8 thin slices boiled ham
*2 onions, chopped
*4 cloves garlic, minced
*1 (16 oz) bag baby carrots
*1 (16 oz) jar Alfredo sauce
*1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
*2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and thyme. Wrap a slice of ham around each breast and secure with toothpicks.
Place onion, garlic, and carrots in a 5 to 6 quart slow cooker. Top with wrapped chicken breasts.
In medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve chicken and carrots with sauce.
French Onion Soup
Reed is not a fan of French Onion Soup... not a fan of onion at all, except in ring form. :) So I am going to make me a half recipe of French Onion Soup to enjoy for lunch while he is at school, then give him big oniony, garlicy kisses when I get him at 4pm. :)
The recipe below can easily be doubled or tripled for additional guests. I knew that the original recipe would be a waste if cooked for me alone, so this is just enough for 2 people, possibly 3 if you serve additional food items with the soup.
I do not find this soup keeps well after 1 day, so plan accordingly.
French Onion Soup
Serves 2-3
* 3 large red or yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced.
* Olive oil
* 1/8 teaspoon of sugar
* 1 cloves garlic, minced
* 4 cups of beef stock (traditionally the soup is made with beef stock)
* 1/4 cup of dry white wine
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/8 teaspoon of dry thyme
* Salt and pepper
* 4 slices of toasted French bread
* 3/4 cups of grated Swiss Gruyere with a little grated Parmesan cheese
In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in the olive oil on medium high heat until well browned, but not burned, about 30-40 minutes (or longer). Add the sugar about 10 minutes into the process to help with the carmelization.
Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the stock, vermouth or wine, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover partially and simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
To serve you can either use individual oven-proof soup bowls or one large casserole dish. Ladle the soup into the bowls or casserole dish. Cover with the toast and sprinkle with cheese. Put into the broiler for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F, or until the cheese bubbles and is slightly browned. Serve immediately.
Orange and Brown Sugar Crusted Salmon
Once again, pulling from my box of fresh oranges I am making one of my favorite recipes. This is by far the easiest salmon recipe you will ever make. I also will say, it is one of the tastiest.
I am serving mine with some steamed broccoli over a bed of orange couscous. The Orange Couscous recipe can be found here.
Orange and Brown Sugar Crusted Salmon
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange rind
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 orange sliced into 1/4 inch slices
* 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
* Cooking spray
Preheat broiler.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture over both sides of salmon fillets. Place salmon on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil for 4 minutes then cover with orange slices. Broil an additional 5 minutes or until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Sicilian Orange Cake
My aunt and uncle always send me a box of oranges, lemons and grapefruit from their own trees each Christmas. It is probably one of the best gifts I get every year. There is something much sweeter and fresh about the fruit from the tree than fruit stands at the local market.
Each year I plan my recipes with care so I can use my fruits to make some delicious items. Yes, we do just eat some, but I plan recipes, too! :)
This is one of my favorite recipes to make. I hope you enjoy!
Sicilian Orange Cake
*2 sticks lightly salted butter, room temperature
*1 cup sugar
*4 medium eggs
*1 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
*1 cup self rising flour
*1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
For the icing:
*1 cup powdered sugar
*5 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice
Preheat the oven to 345 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 11x7 inch pan. In an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together for 4-5 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating very well between each one, if necessary adding a spoonful of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling. Beat in the orange zest. Add the flour all at once and mix in well, then slowly mix in the orange juice.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer, inserted into the center of the cake, comes out clean. *If it starts to brown too quickly, cover loosely with a sheet of lightly buttered foil. Leave the cake, in its pan, to cool on a wire rack, then carefully remove, if desired, and place onto a serving plate.
For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the orange juice until you have a spreadable consistency. Spread it over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides, and leave to set. Serve cut into slices, and store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Praline French Toast Bake (ala Paula Deen)
I have always said I want to be reincarnated as Paula Deen. The things that woman does in the kitchen makes me crazyy hungry. She is my main Food Porn lady. Mmmm butter!!
So I thought I would try one of her fab breakfast dishes for dinner... Yeah, its a thing of mine... I do not like breakfast food in the morning. I am barely coherent enough to speak before noon. However I find breakfast food, especially southern breakfast food, is just too heavy to start out your day.
Back to the recipe... This is FAB!! But omg, I am doing Slim in 6 about 20 times today to work off the calories... those yummy... buttery.... praline sugar-coated...creamy calories. -sigh-
Praline French Toast Casserole
Serves 8 Recipe from: Paula Deen
* 1 loaf French bread
* 8 large eggs
* 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
* 1 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* Dash salt
* Praline Topping, recipe below
* Maple syrup
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping:
* 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.
Sunday Beef Roast
This is one of my mom's favorite recipes: Simple ingredients, simple to prepare, and delicious when served. It's called the Sunday Beef Roast because it takes 4 hours to prepare; just the perfect amount of time to load up the kids, head to church, then come home to prepare sides.
The ingredients make a gravy, albeit very salty for my palette, that is divine. All you need are some green beans (crock pot anyone?), rolls, and perhaps a side salad or quick made glazed carrots to make this the perfect meal.
I hope you enjoy this roast as much as I did every week!
Sunday Beef Roast
*4 1/2 lbs sirloin tip roast (or rump roast or chuck roast of similar weight)
*1 envelope dry onion soup mix
*1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
Place roast beef on foil in small covered roaster pan. Stir onion soup mix into cream of mushroom soup in bowl; spoon over meat. Fold foil over top.
Cover with roaster lid. Cook in 300°F oven for 4 to 4 1/2 hours depending on the degree of doneness you want. Serves 8 to 10 easily.
*If you do not have a roaster pan, you can place into another pan and tightly cover with aluminum foil.
Snow + December = Homemade Tomato Soup
Can you believe that its December already? I am busy buying and wrapping gifts, sending gifts to far away relatives, and actually thinking about sending Christmas cards out before 12/23 this year!!! Yesterday, to add a bit more reality, we woke up to the heaven's sprinkling us with wet, white snow. To me this is an easy mathematical problem... Snow + December = Homemade Tomato Soup!!
I honestly couldn't wait to make it... I hurried to the store after dropping Reed off at school to pick up some bay leaf as I had used the last during Thanksgiving, and grabbed some Gouda for grilled Gouda cheese sandwiches while I was there, and rushed home to make the soup. :) It was delish!! Made the whole snow thing even a happier time...
Homemade Tomato Soup
* 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
* 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 stalk celery, diced
* 1 small carrot, diced
* 1 yellow onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 cup chicken broth
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Preheat oven to 450F. Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf and add basil right before serving.
Slow Cooker Creamy Potatoes and Sausage
My mom made this recipe over the weekend. Lemme say this, it is not only stupid easy to make but amazingly tasty. She didn't tell the little ones what was in the creamy mixture as many do not care for the sour taste of cream cheese. The addition of the ranch dressing and cream of celery mix took it to a different cheesy taste level.
She served it with the onions, as is seen to the left, as that is not a vegetable of choice for Reed I left it out at home and added some crumbled pieces of leftover bacon to the mix when I made it last night.
Slow Cooker Creamy Potatoes and Sausage
* 3 lbs potatoes, red, Yukon, russet, Idaho, with or without skins, cubed
* 2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
* 1 small onion, sliced (if desired)
* 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
* 10 1/2 ounces cream of celery soup
* 1 ounce dry ranch dressing mix
Layer potatoes, sausage and onions in a slow cooker.
In a bowl blend softened cream cheese, cream of celery soup and envelope of dry ranch dressing mix. Pour over vegetables and sausage.
Give it a little stir and cook on low 6-8 hours.
Dutch Apple Pie, the Shelle Way
I love an apple crisp... you know, cut apples, mixed with sugar and spices, covered with an oatmeal mixture and baked, then served with ice cream. It is the easiest of all desserts to make, therefore I keep the ingredients on hand just in case I have an itch for something sweet.
I decided to take my love of the apple crisp and make it into a pie...and I am totally pleased with the results..
Shelle's Apple Crisp Pie
Pie Filling:
* 1 (9 inch deep-dish) pie shell
* 5 cups apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 2 tablespoons butter
Topping:
* 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 3/4 cup rolled oats
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest
* 1/2 cup butter
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Remove pie shell from freezer. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but do not seal.Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
While filling is baking, make the Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle oatmeal topping on top of apples. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until oat mixture is browned and apples are tender. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.
