Apple Pie Pizza

 

Do you ever crave apple pie, but not want to go through all the work to make it?! Well I have a great recipe for you then! The other night I really wanted something good for dessert, but did not feel like cleaning up a large mess.

I looked in the fridge and saw we had some apples but not enough to make a whole apple pie. We also had a crust in the freezer. I thought why not marry apple pie, apple crisp, and pizza together?! Bam! Something delicious was born! It is the perfect portion for about four people, even though James and I made it a two person portion! We are pigs!

This Apple Pie Pizza also has a little bit of a pecan pie edge to it because of the added chopped pecans. They really added more depth to the dish, and I am so happy I decided to throw some in there!

Apple Pie Pizza:

• 2 medium apples, diced and peeled


• 1 pre-made pie crust, defrosted


• 2 tbsp butter, melted


• 1 tbsp cornstarch


• 1/2 tsp cinnamon


• 1/4 cup oats


• 1/3 cup brown sugar, divided in half


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/3 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. In a 9-inch round non-stick pan, press out your pie crust. Make sure it covers the bottom of the pan and rises about 1 inch on the sides.


3. Combine diced apples, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, and half of the brown sugar in a bowl.


4. Combine oats, other half of the brown sugar, and pecans in another bowl.


5. Place apples in the pie crust. Cover with oats, brown sugar, and pecans. Pour melted butter over the crumb topping.


6. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Tip: I would suggest letting the Apple Pie Pizza to cool before cutting a serving for prettier slices!

Positive quote of the day:

"You had the power all along, my dear."

-Glinda the Good Witch

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins

I admit it--I am a total Pinterest addict. I love getting new ideas from there, but I have to admit some of the pins I stumble across seem a little "made-up" or "fake".

I saw the idea of one box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree just the other day when I was scanning the infinite number of pages in the recipe section. I love the idea that you just need to throw to things together, and BAM! you have deliciousness!

I must acknowledge that I was not a believer that these were going to turn out well. No eggs?! No oil?! No butter?! I felt a little out of my baking comfort zone, but I chugged along. I am trying to be healthier, and these are supposed to be very, very low-fat.

As I was mixing the batter together, I felt it was a little stiff, so I altered the recipe. Since I did not want to add any fat, I added 1/2 cup of water. I chose water because I did not want to up the fat in the muffins, and all we had was whole milk and half and half. I am sure skim milk would be great too, but I would assume everyone has water on hand!

Three Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins:

• 1 15oz can pumpkin puree


• 1/2 cup water


• 1 box yellow cake mix

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners (I used a larger muffin pan and made 6 muffins. The recipe would easily make 12 regular sized muffins.)


2. Mix all ingredients together.


3. Fill each muffin liner 2/3 - 3/4 full.


4. Bake for 30 minutes.

When I made my muffins, I decided to top them with a little sprinkling of brown sugar. That is totally up to you! These were really tasty and moist! The only addition I would add next time might be a little cinnamon to the batter. Overall, they turned out so pretty, and I will definitely make these easy muffins again!

Positive quote of the day:

"Even after all this time the Sun never says to the Earth, you owe me. Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky."

-Hafiz

Chicken And Dumplings

This classic dish is one of my favorite comfort foods. I crave it anytime the weather starts to cool down. I never knew how simple and easy it was to make until I made a pot of chicken and dumplings a few years ago.

I am a huge fan of buying rotisserie chicken that is already cooked from my grocery store. It saves me time and tastes great. Plus whole uncooked chickens are usually more expensive anyway.

I loved these and so did James. I will definitely be making these often this fall and winter. I love that it is a one pot dish as well! Less mess, less fuss dishes end up being my favorites!

Chicken And Dumplings:

• 2 32oz cartons of chicken stock/broth


• 3 cups shredded chicken (1 whole chicken shredded)


• 1 box dumplings (can be found in your freezer section!)


• 1 tsp salt


• 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large pot.


2. Shred chicken and set aside.


3. Add dumplings to boiling chicken stock, boil for 10 minutes. Reduce to simmer.


4. Add shredded chicken to pot with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30-35 minutes.


5. Serve with cheesy toasts and enjoy!

Positive quote of the day:

"Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider, is chaos for the fly."

-Morticia Addams

Enchilada Pasta Bake

So the other day, you know when I made the Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Bake, I made wayyyy too much pasta. Basically double what I needed to make that dish. So I froze the leftover, and then used it to make this dish! My mistake actually helped me out by not having to boil pasta twice!

This is another one of those awesome dishes that would be great for any potluck. It is a little different from the ordinary pasta bake, and definitely has a kick. This is a dish kids would love and gobble up!

Since many of my dishes are not the healthiest (sorry!), I have decided I might start revamping some of them to cut calories and fat! I will test them out and post them on the blog soon!

Enchilada Pasta Bake:

• 1 lb ground beef


• 1 packet taco seasoning (or make your own!)


• 2/3 cup water


• 1 can enchilada sauce


• 1 cup cheddar cheese


• 4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 a regular block)


• 1/4 cup sour cream


• 8 oz. penne pasta (1/2 a regular box)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.


2. Brown beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain off grease.


3. Add seasoning and water to beef. Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer and let beef simmer for about 5 minutes.


4. Add cream cheese and 1/2 cup cheddar to beef. Make sure to incorporate cream cheese all the way. The heat from the pan/beef should force it to melt quickly.


5. Remove from heat and add sour cream to beef.


6. Combine pasta and beef. Place it in a 9x9 greased pan. Cover with remaining cheddar cheese.


7. Bake for 30 minutes.

Positive quote of the day:

"Jealousy comes from counting others' blessings instead of your own."

-Unknown

Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake

This is one of my new favorite creations.

James:  "Where did you find this recipe?"

Me: "I just came up with it on my own! Do you like it?"

James: "Oh yeah. This is great. You need to Pinterest this one!"

It is very sweet that he gets my blog and Pinterest confused! And yes, we do use the word "Pinterest" as a verb! He claims he does not like Italian food or pasta. I think he just has not had the right stuff because before I could finish my one helping of this pasta, he had already eaten two man-portions!

I have sort of been on a casserole/bake kick lately. I think I like the "make extra and eat leftovers idea". This dish would be awesome to bring as a meal to someone or potluck dinner. It can be frozen and popped in the oven later.

Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Bake:

• 1 jar of sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce (or alfredo sauce w/ diced sun-dried added in)


• 8oz of penne pasta (1/2 a box usually)


• 2 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)


• 4 strips of bacon (cooked and crumbled)


• 1/4 onion (diced)


• 1 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (shredded)


• 1/3 cup half and half

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and grease 9x9 pan.


2. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Set aside and crumble.


3. Cook pasta as instructed on box and drain.


4. Using bacon grease, cook chicken cubes over medium heat. When there is just a little pink left, add onions to the pan. Cook until chicken and onions are fully cooked.


5. Combine sauce, pasta, chicken, bacon, 1 cup parmesan cheese, onions, and half and half.


6. Place in baking dish and top with the leftover 1/2 cup parmesan cheese.


7. Bake for 25 minutes or until top is bubbly.

Positive quote of the day:

"I am not lucky. I am blessed."

-Unknown

Cupcake Packaging: Great For Bake Sales!

Hey all! So if you have not heard, or just do not have a Pinterest account, cupcakes are the new hit trend! People are even using them instead of large wedding cakes at their weddings!

This past weekend, my church had their Bazaar. Like I said in a previous post, I wanted to supply the bake sale with something! I made another batch of those delicious Butter Pecan Cupcakes and some just vanilla with fun orange colored icing!

Part of the reason why I wanted to make cupcakes was to try out this adorable packaging that I have seen all over Pinterest! It was easy and simple! Plus your cupcakes will not get smashed! Yay!

Supplies:

1. clear cellophane gift bags (found at the dollar store!)


2. ribbon


3. plastic tumblers

All you have to do is place your cupcake in the cup. (I found it easier to ice the cupcakes after placing them in the cup, so I would not mess up the icing!) Next put the cup in the gift bag. Finally tie the gift with ribbon.

This was a super simple project! They were easy to transport to the bake sale and looked awesome! Even the preacher told me my cupcakes were beautiful when I saw him in church the next day! Woohoo! Win for me! :)

Positive quote of the day:

"So keep your head held high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling because life is a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about."

-Marilyn Monroe

Peanut and Red Curry Panang Pork

Lately Momma and I have been on a major panang curry kick! I would say we have dined for lunch at one of our favorite local Thai restaurants four times over the past month. This does not include the to-go order by the way!

This dish has a perfect balance of spices. Each spice only adds more depth to the flavor.

Now this recipe is somewhat a semi-homemade type of meal. It is perfect for those nights that are a little chilly. If you want something that will hit the spot, but not muck up your kitchen, here is your new go-to dish! The recipe below is enough to serve two!

By the way, you can find red curry panang sauce and peanut curry sauce at any major food store. Just look in the Asian foods aisle.

Peanut and Red Curry Panang Pork:

• 2 pork chops, sliced


• 1 tsp sesame oil


• 1/4 tsp salt


• 1/3 cup red curry panang sauce


• 1/4 cup peanut curry


• 1 tsp red curry paste


• 1 tbsp molasses


• 2 tbsp chicken broth (can sub. with water)


• 1 1/2 cup broccoli


• 1 1/2 cup cooked rice (for serving)

Directions:

1. Put sesame oil into a skillet over medium heat.


2. Slice pork chops into 1/4 inch thick strips. Sprinkle pork strips with salt. Add them to the pan once oil is hot.


3. Add broccoli to the pan after pork is cooked. Let the broccoli saute for about 2-3 minutes.


4. Add peanut curry sauce, red curry paste, red curry panang sauce, chicken broth, and molasses to broccoli and pork.


5. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve over rice (I used brown minute rice!)

 

Yum! Broccoli!

 

Pork slices starting to cook in tasty sesame oil!

 

Oh no, I am hungry again just by looking at this picture!

Positive quote of the day:

"Life is like an echo; what you send out comes back."

-Chinese Proverb

Brown Sugar and Butter Pecan Cupcakes

 

I have been messing around with a few recipes lately in preparation for the upcoming bazaar at my church. Almost every year, since I was quite young, I have made something to supply the bake sale with. Many of my contributions were totally from the amateur league of cooking. I am talking chocolate chip or sprinkle cookies here! By no means am I saying that those treats are not tasty, I just want to make something different and delicious!

Thoughts of cupcakes have been lingering in my head for a few weeks now, and I knew I need to check out some recipes! I could have stuck with the a go-to like chocolate with chocolate buttercream frosting, but I wanted a fall feel to these babies! After some searching, I found and altered a recipe for these brown sugar and butter pecan cupcakes!

These guys are very good, and I will be throwing together another batch for the bazaar bake-sale! I only got a dozen cupcakes out of the recipe I tried, but the one I will list on here will easily make 24 cupcakes.

It has been a while since I have picked up a piping bag, so please excuse my "not-so-perfect" frosting. Also, I had to rig a piping bag due to a blow out in my nice one. After scraping icing off everything, I just used a plastic bag and that did the trick!

Brown Sugar and Butter Pecan Cupcakes

Batter:

• 2 cups cake flour


• 2 cups self-rising flour


• 4 tsp baking powder


• 1 tsp salt


• 12 tbsp butter


• 2 cups brown sugar


• 1 1/2 cups half and half or whole milk


• 2 egg


• 2 tsp vanilla


• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

Frosting:

• 1/3  cup milk


• 2 cups brown sugar


• 1 cup butter


• 6 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350, and add cupcake liners to tin.


2. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.


3. In a mixer, add butter and brown sugar. Blend until light and fluffy.


4. Add egg and vanilla to brown sugar/butter mixture. Beat together until all incorporated.


5. Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the milk to mixer. Once this is blended, add the second half.


6. Fold in pecans by hand.


7. Fill cupcake tin about 2/3 - 3/4 up with batter.


8. Bake for 24 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting.


9. In a saucepan add butter, milk, and brown sugar. Stir mixture frequently and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.


10. Sift 4 cups of confectioner's sugar into the lukewarm butter, milk, and brown sugar mixture. Mix together until smooth.


11. Once cupcakes are cool, frost them with the icing. You can add a pecan half to each cupcake for decoration. (I am thinking about making some cinnamon brown sugar pecans to top mine for the bazaar!)

Positive quote of the day:

"Each day is a gift. Don't send it back unopened."

-Unknown

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

This recipe is super yummy! I love twice baked potatoes! Well, to be honest, I love almost anything with potatoes in it! This recipe is an easier way to get the twice baked potato taste, with less work!

I will warn you; these will go quick! I would take these to a potluck or add them to my Thanksgiving menu! This recipe does include a pound of bacon, so they are probably not appropriate for a "healthy meal" haha!

Twice Baked Potato Casserole:

• 4 cups of cubed potatoes


• 1 pound bacon


• 2 cups cheddar, shredded


• 2/3 cup half and half


• 1/4 cup sour cream


• 1 tsp salt


• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350.


2. Cook bacon in a pan until crisy. Set aside.


3. While cooking bacon, go ahead and boil potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender.


4. Put potatoes, sour cream, half and half, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix until blended, but leave potatoes somewhat chunky.


5. Add bacon and 1 cup of cheddar to potatoes and mix together. Put potatoes into cooking dish.


6. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese on top of potatoes.


7. Cook for 25 minutes at 350. Broil for 1-2 minutes at the end if you want your cheese bubbly and golden brown!

Positive quote of the day:

"What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives have not happened yet."

-Unknown