Bite Sized Apple Pie

This stuff is delicious!  I use a really easy pie-crust recipe  but you can also buy premade crust and roll it out if you want to.

Flaky Crust Ingredients:
1.5 cups flour
2 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/6 cup Crisco
1/3 cup COLD butter
1/4 cup COLD water

Directions:
1. Mix flour, sugar, shortening first.  It doesn't have to be smooth.  Pea-quarter sized granules make for flaky crust.
2. Mix and add water as needed, but only enough to make it hold together.  A good doughy consistency.

Bite Sized Apple-Pie Ingredients:
1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 pkg. (14.1 oz..} refrigerated pie crust
3 tbsp. melted butter, divided
2 medium tart apples, each cut into 8 wedges

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon, set aside 1 Tbsp. On a lightly floured surface, unroll the pastry. Brush with  2 Tbsp. melted butter, sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture.

Cut each sheet into 8 one inch strips, about 8 in. long. Wrap one strip around each apple wedge, placing sugared side of pastry against apple.

Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar mixture. bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Serve warm. Makes 16.

Glaze (optional):
3-3/4 cup (l lb. box) C&H® Pure Cane Powdered Sugar, sifted
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup butter or margarine (2/3 stick), softened

1)  Be sure to keep the heat on low-medium.  Stir often, or it could burn to the inside of your pan.  Once it seems thicker in the pan, turn the heat down and let it simmer for a little while.  Stir occasionally.  Once it is completely set, put it all in a bowl and place in the fridge.  Tada!

CrockPot Pot Roast

Tender, flavorful, healthy, and delicious.  Did I mention tender?

1 2 - 3 pounds beef chuck roast
1 pound (16 oz) baby carrots
4 medium potatoes, cubed (I use whatever I have on hand- red, Yukon gold, or Russet)
1 large sweet onion
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes (optional- I make it with and without this and it tastes great either way)
2 cups beef broth
1 chicken bouillon cube

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan (I seriously recommend using a big wok or something) over medium high heat. Pat beef with paper towels and season all sides with salt and pepper. Sear beef in the saute pan until a nice crust forms (about 3 minutes on each side). Place beef in crock pot. Don't drain the drippings.

Add carrots, onions, potatoes and garlic to the pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Pour in the diced tomatoes (with juices) and stir to combine. Arrange vegetables over the beef in the crock pot and pour in the beef broth with the bouillon cube dissolved.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Pot Roast Gravy

Pot Roast drippings/liquid
2 Tablespoons butter, cold
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 - 2 teaspoons cold water

Pour all the liquid out of the crock pot into a small or medium sauce pan. Let simmer over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Mix butter and flour together in a small bowl and mash together with a fork until well combined (kind of like a buttery paste). Slowly whisk in the mixture into the liquid until starting to thicken and combined. If you like thick gravy, add the cornstarch as an added thickening agent. Just combine the cornstarch with cold water until dissolved and stir into the gravy, whisking until smooth. Season with freshly ground black pepper (I don't normally need anymore salt).

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This recipe is delicious, and who doesn't love casserole?

Ingredients:
6oz noodles
2tsp oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
12oz broccoli, chopped
1tbsp butter
3tbsp all purpose flour
1-3/4c fat free chicken broth
1 cup 1% milk
12oz cooked/shredded chicken breast
4oz shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
cooking spray
3tbs shreddded parm cheese
2tbsp breadcrumbs

Directions:
1. Cook noodles until slightly undercooked
2. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add Garlic and cook until golden brown.  Add broccoli, salt, saute and cover for 3 minutes until broccoli is softened.
3. Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly spray 9x12 dish with cooking spray.
4. In a large pot, heat butter over medium-low.  When butter is melted add flour, pinch of salt, stir well.  Cook 2-3 min.
5. Slowly whisk in broth until well combined.  Whisk for 30 seconds and add milk, bring to a boil.  Simmer on medium heat, mix occasionally until it thickens.  (6-7 min)
6. Remove from heat and add cheddar and 1tbs of Parm.  mix until cheese is melted.
7. Add the chicken, noodles, and broccoli to the sauce and mix well until evenly coated.
8. Pour into dish and top with Parm cheese and breadcrumbs.  Spray a little more cooking spray on top and bake for about 20-25 min.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie (Real Pumpkin)

This recipe takes more time, but the results are absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
1 pie pumpkin (though you can use a normal one, you have to add more sugar)
1 cup sugar (I use brown)
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3 cups pumpkin 'glop' (instructions below)
18oz milk (or whipping cream)

Directions, Pumpkin "glop":
1.) Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or warm water, no soap.  Cut the pumpkin in half.  Scoop out the insides, much like you would for a jack o'lantern.  Heavy Ice Cream Scoopers work great.
2.) If using an oven, place the halves 'inside down' into an oven-proof container.  Cover it (the old roasting pans work great for this) and pop it into the oven at 350 for 45-90 minutes.  Test with fork prongs to see if the skin is ready to come off.
     If using the stovetop, cut the halves into smaller pieces (like a watermelon works well) and place into a steamer.  This takes approx 20-30 minutes to achieve desired softness.
     If using a microwave, remove the stem and put the pumpkin into a microwavable bowl.  Put a couple of inches of water into the bowl, cover, and put in the microwave.  Cook on high until soft.  It may take 20 minutes or more, so be sure to test every 5 minutes after 15.   Whichever method you choose, the skin must be soft and separate from the fruit.
3.) Scoop out the fruit from the pumpkin skin, throw skins away.  Once all pieces are scooped out, begin to blend.  You want to get a nice smooth consistency.  Hand mashers can work, but that takes time.  Normal blenders work well, but be careful as you feed the pumpkin in.  We wouldn't want to chip any silverware or wooden spoons!
4.) Your pumpkin 'glop' is finished!

Directions, Pie:
1.) You will need at least 3 cups of pumpkin 'glop'.  Mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, ginger, salt, eeggs, milk, and vanilla extract together with the glop.
2.) Pour the contents into the pie crust.  The easiest way to do this is to have the pie crust waiting on one of the oven trays, pulled out of course.  This way you need only push the tray in to close the oven, and there is no mess to clean up.
3.) Bake at 425 for the first 15 minutes.  Then turn the temperature down to 350 and bake for another 45-60 minutes, or until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Who doesn't like cookies?
Who doesn't like pie?
The perfect merging of the two worlds!  And it's easy!

Ingredients:
9-inch pie crust, store bought or homemade, your choice.

1/2c Flour
2 large eggs
1/2c white sugar
1/2c brown sugar
3/4c real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1c choc. chips
ice cream or whipped cream for serving

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Beat eggs in large bowl until foamy.  Beat in Flour, sugars, butter, nuts.
3. Spoon into pie shell.
4. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until knife halfway between center and edge comes out clean.
5. Cool on rack or serve slightly warmed.
6. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  I like to pour chocolate syrup over the whipped cream for added luxury.


I found this recipie over at SixSisters.  They are so inspirational.

Taco Salad!

This one isn't a crock pot meal, but it is so quick and easy that I thought I would share it anyways.

For a family of four to have seconds, i use 2lbs of meat, but if it's only one or two, I'd say go with 1lb

Ingredients:
Ground Beef (I use 85% lean, 15% fat.  Tastes good.)
Mild Taco Seasoning Mix
Shredded Sharp Cheddar
A good salad mix, though you could just go with lettuce
Fritos

Directions:
1) Brown your meat in a large skillet, follow the directions on your taco seasoning to get that going.
2) Put frito layer on the bottom of whatever dish you are going to eat out of.
3) Put meat and toppings over the fritos.
4)  Enjoy!  I use the original Fritos, because they add a great taste!  But feel free to experiment!  Fritos has a few flavors now!

30 Minute Home-made Dinner Rolls

These dinner rolls are only around 30 minutes to make, and they keep well for a few days.  Everyone seems to love them, and I find it is less expensive to make them than to go out and buy them, especially when living in Hawai'i!  This recipe can also be used to make cinnamon rolls, just add cinnamon!


Ingredients:

1c2tbs warm water
1/3c oil
2tbs active dry yeast
1/4c sugar
1/2tsp salt
1 egg
3 1/2c all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Combine water, oil, yeast, and sugar.  Let rest for 5-10 or until frothy and bubbly
3. Mix in salt, egg, and 1c flour until combined.
4. Add remaining 1/2c flour.  Dough should be sticky.
5. Spray hands with cooking spray and shape dough into 12 balls.
6. Let balls sit for 10 min on lightly greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake about 10 min or until lightly golden.

So far, they've gone good with everything I've made.  If you can't think of a side, go with the dinner rolls!
BTW:  I found this recipe on Six Sisters.  They're awesome, and if you ever feel experimental, check out their stuff!

Crock-Pot Pork Stew

The list of ingredients is what I use, but feel free to experiment!  The beauty of the pork is that it is very good at being the meat that goes with just about everything, and it's sweet!

Ingredients:
1lb Pork Loin Roast
2cups Sliced Carrots
1cup Green Beans
2cups Northern Beans (white ones)
1tsp salt
2tsp oregano
2tsp rosemary (I use ground rosemary)
2tsp thyme
1tsp lavender (optional, but it really tastes great)
2tsp basil
1tsp pepper
2tbs flour

Directions:

1)  Lay the pork into the crockpot.
2)  Add the vegetables (carrots, beans, anything else you feel like adding)
3)  Add water until there is about a 1/2 inch above everything in the pot.
4)  Add seasonings (salt, oregano, rosemary, thyme, lavender, basil, pepper)
5)  Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or more, because soup is always great the longer it cooks.  Just be aware you need to add water as the levels will drop a bit once you go past 8) or on high for 4-6.
6)  Approx. 30 minutes before serving, mix the 2tbs of flour with some water in a mixing cup.  It must be pourable.  Slowly mix into the soup.  Add more if you desire a thicker consistency.


I have yet to find anyone that doesn't love the taste of this soup, and it's really simple.  If you don't have the coordination for slicing (let's face it, a lot of us have that problem) then feel free to substitute with precuts, or even with canned!   The pork will fall to pieces the moment you take a fork to it in the crockpot, so there is no need to pull it out and mess with it on a cutting board.  The longer it is in the crockpot, the more likely you can just use your serving spoon to break the pork up and stir to have even distribution of meat and veggies.

If anyone is curious, the bread on the plate was a homemade dinner roll.  I will be adding that recipie soon.  It's a 30 minute prep and cook, so it isn't too much work and it tastes wonderful!