Friday, July 22, 2011

Cookie Sheet Apple Pie

This is so yummy! When you are looking for a dessert for a large group this is always a hit.Took this to a birthday party recently and everyone really enjoyed it. I made an Amish "perfect pie crust recipe" for it and it really was perfectly tender and just the right size for my 15 inch long jelly roll sheet pan.



*Crust;
Mix;
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
Cut in;
1+1/4 cups Crisco
Add;
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup cold water
1 Tbs. vinegar
Mix well and form into a ball.
Divide in two and chill .

Filling;
6 lbs. Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced thin
2+1/4 cups sugar
6 Tbs. small tapioca
2 tsp cinnamon
Mix filling and set aside to soften the tapioca.

You will also need some
butter for dotting apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out bottom crust to completely fit rectangle pan.
Spread apples evenly over bottom crust.
Dot apples with butter here and there.
Roll out top crust and place over top.
Seal and crimp edges and bake 1 hour .
Cool and cut in squares.

* This recipe will make 5 single crusts.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Chicken Spinach Salad with Orange Balsalmic Dressing

This summer has proved to be a very busy one so whenever I can throw a salad together as a meal I'm all for that. I decided to try adding orange marmalade to white balsamic vinegar and I liked the results a lot. As I always say play with this if you like a sweeter or more tangier dressing before you serve it. I also used frozen chicken tenderloin strips but any chicken will work.

Cook in a non-stick fry pan about 7 Min's on both
sides till lightly browned :
5 frozen tenderloin strips
1 tsp oil
Sprinkle 1 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar over chicken and
cook a couple more minutes to glaze.
Cut chicken in large chunks to toss in the
salad before adding dressing.

Make salad with;
1 bag fresh spinach,which can be cut if desired
1 small sweet onion chopped
1 chopped tomato
2/3 cup dried craisins(cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 Lge. drained can of mandarin oranges

In salad cruet shaker blend well;
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 dashes of soy sauce
2/3 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp sugar
2 drops orange extract flavoring
Add 1 cup canola oil and blend well.
drizzle over salad with chicken and toss at serving time.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Dirt Road Sopapilla Cheesecake

Sopapilla Cheesecake




2 cans crescent rolls

2 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened - not low fat - go for the good stuff!

2 C sugar (divided)

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C butter

ground cinnamon



*Roll one can crescent dough into bottom of greased 9x13 baking pan.

*Stretch dough and pinch seams together to form crust.

*Blend together cream cheese, 1 C sugar and 1 tsp vanilla

*Spread over dough - not too close to edge

* Stretch second can of crescent rolls over cream cheese layer to form top crust

*Melt butter and 1 C sugar and 1 tsp vanilla and pour over crust

*Sprinkle with cinnamon

*Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes

Jalapeno Popper Pizza

Jalapeno Popper Pizza




1 can of pillsbury crescent rolls

2 8oz packages of softened cream cheese

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3/4 cup of real bacon bits

1 8oz package of shredded cheese (I prefer Monty Jack or a Monty Jack mix but Mozz works too)

3 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed and chopped



Spread crescent roll dough on the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish. Pinch together to make a crust and bake at 375* for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.



While that's baking, mix up cream cheese, bacon bits and garlic. When the crust comes out of the oven, spread the cream cheese mixture on top evenly. Sprinkle the peppers all over, and then cover with shredded cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes at the same temp, or until the top is bubbly and melted. Cut and serve.



*if you like it hotter, add more peppers, if you like it milder cut them smaller and use less of them.. but for heaven's sake, do not forget to remove the seeds and don't handle them with your bare hands. They sting when they get in your skin and you don't want to chance rubbing your eyes with that juice in your skin..*

Summertime Strawberry Jello

Strawberry Jello Salad




Ingredients:

2 Large boxes Strawberry Jello (reg or sugar free)

2 cups boiling water

2 Large Cans crushed Pineapple, drained well, juice reserved

Whipped Cream

Sour Cream (fat free)

quart of Strawberries, sliced

chopped walnuts, if desired



Instructions:

Dissolve jello in boiling water, add pineapple juice. Cool slightly and stir in pineapple. Chill til slightly set, stirring often. Stir in strawberries. Chill until set. Spread a thin layer of sour cream over the top, and then a thin layer of Cool Whip. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.



**Note: The men in this family really like this jello.**

Grandpa's Favorite Apple Pie

This is a recipe I found using macintosh apples that are my husbands favorite. They are a less tart, quicker cooking apple.

Mix:
5 cups sliced peeled Macintosh apples
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tbls.minute tapioca

Measure in a bowl:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
Cut in with pastry cutter:
2/3 cup crisco
Measure :
6 level tbls. ice cold water and blend in with
the flour mixture
Divide into 2 balls and roll out one crust on floured
board. Place bottom crust in pie pan
Add apples evenly and dot with butter.
Roll out top crust and place over the pie.
Trim ,seal edges together and then crimp .

Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

My Spaghetti Sauce

I remember a young bride calling me once to tell me she had been thinking about my spaghetti sauce all night. If you use your crockpot leave cover on to retain the heat the first few hours. Hope you like it.

3 large cans Hunt's or home canned whole tomatoes,blended in processor
1 medium can tomato paste
1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic or 2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbls. brown sugar
1 tbls. italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1 tap basil
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbls. grated parmesan cheese
Browned Italian Sausage or Meatballs

Cook in a crockpot all day or over low heat
on stove all day stirring occasionally.
Serve over pasta.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Milk Onion Gravy

This was a recipe my mother used to make when she wanted something other than butter for our potatoes with a meal. I remember as a teen coming home from high school dances and making this to have over toast all the time.

Place 3 Tbs.s butter in a deep pan over medium heat.

Stir in: 1 large chopped onion and cook stirring until transparent.
Sprinkle 2 Tbs. flour over the onion and stir over low heat
until mixed well.
Slowly add 2 cups milk while stirring constantly until mixture
comes to a boil.A drop more milk can be added if it seems too thick.
Add salt and pepper.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Salmon Patties

There seems to be so much hype in the news today about how healthy Salmon is for us that I thought I would post my salmon patties recipe here. I think it's one of the most reasonable meals you can put together and if you brown them nice and crispy even the kids will enjoy them. You could also serve them on a bun with Mayo and lettuce. The tender little rows of bones can actually be crushed right in for more nutritional value or easily removed if you prefer to.

1 can wild Alaskan salmon
1 package of saltine crackers, crushed
1 small minced onion
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp parsley flakes
1 Tbs. Lemon juice
1 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2tsp pepper

Drain Salmon and section it down the middle
to remove tiny bones if desired.
Take a fork and mash salmon in a medium bowl.
Add everything but crushed crackers and mix well.
Add crackers in and blend well with your hands.

Preheat enough oil to crisp both sides of
patties over medium heat in a large frypan.
Form into smooth burger style patties with your hands.
Fry on one side until brown and crispy.
carefully flip them over and brown the other side.
Turn fire down and cook a couple more
minutes on each side until centers are set.

Serve plain or with a sauce of your choice that goes well with fish.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Fried Apples


This is a great recipe for those yummy fried apples you get at the great homestyle restaurant with the rockers on the porch :) . Yes I know even Paula might be shocked at the butter content but portions are supposed to be served sparingly along side a meat dish such as pork chops :)

6 firm peeled thick sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup real butter (this is important!!!)

Melt 1 cup butter in a large fry pan. Add apples and cook stirring for about 10 mins. Stir in the sugar and cook till apples become transparent but not mushy and hold their shape.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Cheddar Stuffed BBQ Meatloaf


Hello everyone! A while ago we made an awesome cheese filled meatloaf and had a pic ready to post along with the recipe but things got really hectic around here so we never got around to it. Well we made it again so I decided today was the day to get back in the swing of things so without further delay.... lol

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend together well in bowl with your hands:
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 med. minced onion
2 eggs
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp Italian seasonings
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Divide meat mixture in half and pat one half into a 9 by 13 in pan.

Sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese generously over the top of the meat in pan.

Carefully pat the other half of meat over the cheese pressing the edges down into other meat to help seal the cheese center.

Bake about 40 mins in 350 oven while you prepare the sauce for the top.


Mix well:
1 cup catsup
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Remove from the oven and spread the sauce over the top of the meatloaf and bake another twenty mins. Let set for 5 mins before serving.