We went to an apple orchard a few weeks back and came home with a bounty of delicious apples of all sizes & varieties. The honey crisp apples were some of largest apples I have ever laid eyes on but I also discovered my new favorite eating apple there, the Liberty apple.

We have been having apples as snack for weeks now.  We’ve had sliced apples on their own, dipped in peanut butter,  slathered in homemade caramel dip, apple crisp and apple pie.  I won a dehydrator off of a local auction site (the extent of my excitement over this was somewhat embarrassing) and set off to make some apple chips.

During my apple binge I discovered a great recipe for apple crisp. It’s a little different than the normal recipe but it’s delicious. It’s from “A Taste of the Country” Seventh Edition.

Apple Crisp

1 c. flour

3/4 c. rolled oats

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

4 c. chopped & peeled apples

1 c. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 c. water

1 t. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream, optional (not really)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half into a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish or a 9-in. square baking pan. Cover with apples. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, water and vanilla; cook and stir until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until the apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired. (Duh, obviously) Yield: 8 servings

The only thing that made this dessert discovery better was remembering to pull out my new dishes from the Pioneer Woman’s line.  They are so beautiful I can’t even…

They are a gorgeous shade of turquoise and when I first laid eyes on them my heart literally skipped a beat.

Seriously, I am in love with these dishes. And a scoop of this apple crisp with a small dollop or two of vanilla ice cream offset is like a culinary work of art.

I can’t wait to make another dessert, mainly just so I can use these dishes again.  So grab a few apples a
t the store today & throw this in the oven after dinner. I guarantee you your family will thank you. Your children will be indebted to you and you can use it to your advantage. Hey, it’s always good to have a little leverage as a parent. Hope you enjoy!

A favorite Christmas treat for our family is homemade Egg Nog. This year my 7-year old daughter Hannah helped me whip up  a batch for a Christmas party for our Kids’ Ministry Leaders. After sampling it for what she said was her first time ever she decided it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted. We had to whip up another batch a few days later for our family to properly inhale, I mean enjoy. It’s super easy & because it’s Christmas the calorie intake doesn’t count. Enjoy!

 1 dozen egg yolks (beaten)

1c. sugar

1 pt. 1/2 & 1/2

1 C. heavy whipping cream

1 qt. egg nog (any store bought brand)

1 gallon whole milk

vanilla to taste

rum flavoring to taste (I usually omit this as I don’t always have it on hand)

nutmeg to garnish

yield: ~1 1/2 gallons

Separate egg yolks. Beat the egg yolks & add sugar. Beat well. In another bowl whip the heavy whipping cream with some sugar (regular or powdered sugar, whatever you have on hand). Set aside. Mix all the cold ingredients & the egg & sugar combination in a large bowl. At the very end, fold in the heavy whipping cream. Add spices to taste.

I throw a nice heaping tablespoon of nutmeg across the top. Looks so pretty & gives it a great taste!

Here’s a cookie recipe that’s a bit spendy but in my opinion, worth every penny! Also, in my humble opinion, worth every calorie. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip Island Cookies

Ingredients

1 2/3 c. flour

3/4 t. baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

1 egg

2 c. (12 oz.) white chocolate chips

1 c. toasted coconut

3/4 c. macadamia nuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sprinkle 1 c. coconut on baking sheet and toast for 3-5 minutes, checking and stirring often so that it doesn’t burn. Remove from oven and let cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in small bowl.  Beat butter, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels, coconut and macadamia nuts. Bake for 8-11 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yield: approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Holiday Biscotti Recipe

This is a favorite Christmas cookie recipe in our house. It’s a bit of a process, but worth it! These holiday biscotti are so delicious and flavorful I’m willing to bet they’ll be a new “favorite” in your house too! Here’s the recipe…

• 1/4. c. butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1/4. t. almond extract
• 2 1/2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 t. anise seed
• 1/2 t. fennel seed
• 1 c. dried cranberries
• 3/4 c. pistachios, shelled
• 1/2 c. dried apricots, snipped (I sometimes omit these if I don’t have them on hand & I think the biscotti is just as tasty without them. But, if you’re a apricot fan, by all means, throw them in!
• 1 egg
• 1 T. water

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined.  Beat in the 3 eggs, vanilla and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour with a wooden spoon.  Then stir in the anise and fennel seed, the cranberries, pistachios and apricots. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half.  Shape each half into a 12-inch long log about 1 1/2 inches. Place logs 3 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten each log to a 1/4 inch thick loaf.  Combine the 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water.  Brush egg mixture over loaves.

3. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown.  Cool loaves on cookie sheet for 1 hour or until completely cool.

4. When loaves are cool, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer loaves to a cutting board. Cut each loaf diagonally in 1/2 inch thick slices. Lay slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Turn slices over; bake for 5 minutes more or until biscotti are dry and crisp. Transfer to wire rack; cool. Recipe makes about 3 dozen.

5. Here’s the step I added. Melt white chocolate according to package directions and drizzle over the biscotti. Let chocolate harden before storing. To store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to three days or freeze for up to three months. (Or, if you live in MN in the winter, store in garage or breezeway and they will be good for a full month! ;))

6. Enjoy! Bring them out and add them to your “cookie tray” for your next holiday gathering & “wow” your friends.

Look at what my son just picked from our garden…

our first fresh garden tomato of the season! Now, I know some of you reading are not huge tomato fans and I “get that.” Well, I get not liking tomatoes bought from Wal-mart or some other such grocery store, especially during the winter months when their color isn’t even really in the red family anymore.  But, I am entirely confused about anyone not liking tomatoes that are fresh from the vine, grown in your backyard garden and picked by your own hands. They are nothing like their counterpart.  They are literally on a different playing field. Yum! Growing up we used to slice them and sprinkle a little salt on them.  This was a favorite summer “snack” in our family.  If you love tomatoes as much as I do (and perhaps even if you don’t) I have the perfect side dish for you:

Marinated Tomatoes Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 large tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 c. green onions
• 1/2 t. dried thyme
• 1 garlic clove (or if you’re a garlic lover like me, 2-3 cloves:))
• 1/4 c. minced parsley
• 1 t. salt
• 1/4 t. fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil

Directions:

Combine and whisk all ingredients except the tomatoes.  Next, add the sliced tomatoes and let them “marinate” in the dressing for about 20 minutes.  If you don’t have time to let them sit, it’s fine. They still taste delicious!  The time in the marinade just allows the tomatoes to soak up more of the flavor. I’ve found that if you whip up this recipe and then let it sit in the fridge while you grill your meat, the tomatoes have just about the perfect amount of time to soak up all the yummy flavors of the marinade. Add a starch like some bread or potato and you have yourself a meal. This is such a great side dish to any summer meal. Enjoy!

Making Sunday lunch is always a little daunting to me.  I always dream of having a big delicious meal ready & waiting for us after church.  That is rarely the case.  Sunday mornings in our house with my husband being a pastor means he leaves before I am even thinking of getting out of bed.

  And with myself and three young children to get ready, if we can manage to get to the car with everyone alive and nobody crying, then we have really accomplished something pretty amazing.However, this leaves little time for prepping a meal before I scurry out the door. So, whenever I find a delicious but easy recipe, I hold fast to it.  This is my new favorite summer pasta salad that my mom made over Memorial Day weekend.  It is a Paula Deen recipe and if you know anything about Paula Deen, you know she likes her food to taste good! But, this recipe is really pretty healthy as well. So, if you’re looking for a great meal idea, throw some chicken on the grill and slather it in some barbecue sauce and then whip up this easy salad for a great side. Simple & delicious, enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
• 1 pound bow tie pasta
• 1 cup store-bought balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 2/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/2 diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Parmesan, for topping

Directions

I grew up on this recipe of citrus slush. It’s an oldie but a goodie. Such a delicious & refreshing way to beat the summer heat!

I was home a couple of weeks ago & my mom had 3 or 4 containers of this frozen & ready to go. My kids were begging for “slushies” all week. In fact, an old childhood friend of mine came over & jokingly asked my mom, “Hey, ya got any of that citrus slush you used to make?She couldn’t have made my mom any happier. It’s a super easy recipe and best of all can be made ahead of time and then brought out when ready to serve. An especially great beverage idea for all those summer b-b-q parties and lazy summer afternoons in your backyard. Here it is:

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INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 c. sugar

3 c. water

1 (12 oz. can) frozen orange juice

1 (12 oz. can) frozen lemonade

1 46 oz. can pineapple juice

2 c. water[/sws_green_box]

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DIRECTIONS

Boil sugar & water until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Stir in frozen o.j. & lemonade. Then stir in pineapple juice and water & freeze.

That’s it, super easy! When you want to serve just remove from freezer & let stand at room temperature for a few minutes before serving so that it’s easier to scoop out. About 2 or 3 ice cream scoops (more or less depending on how sweet you want it) per glass & then pour a ginger ale, Sprite or Fresca over it.[/sws_green_box]

I tend to think the slushie is pretty sweet so I prefer to pair it with something like Fresca or Squirt, something a little more sour. My kids however LOVE it with Sprite, so to each his own. Enjoy!

Here’s a great recipe if you like rhubarb. (And probably even if you don’t).  It’s super easy & delicious! A couple of you were asking for it and some of you I know love to bake so here goes…

Crust:

• 2 c. unsifted flour
• 3/4 c. powdered sugar
• 1 c. butter

Filling:

• 4 eggs
• 2c. sugar
• 1/2 c. unsifted flour
• 1/2 t. salt
• 4 c. diced rhubarb

For crust:

Combine flour & sugar; cut in butter until crumbs form.  Press onto bottom of 15″x 10″x1″ jelly roll pan.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 min.

For filling:

Blend eggs, sugar, flour & salt until smooth.  Fold in rhubarb.  Spread over hot crust; Bake for 40-45 min. at 350 degrees F until filling is lightly brown.  Cool & cut into squares.   Makes 28 bars.