Easy Apple Cobbler

I had fully intended to do this post last night and schedule it to post in the wee hours this morning. But something happened last night. I forgot!!! So I'm going to post it today instead. Here is my recipe for Easy Apple Cobbler!

(Please note, this cobbler has a more cakey type crust than a pie crust type crust.)

EASY APPLE COBBLER

Peel and core 3-4 large firm apples. Normally I would use Fuji or Rome Beauty apples, but what I had was Gala, and they worked fine.


Have you ever used a melon baller to remove the seeds and core from an apple??? They work great, and are much easier than apple corers to me.


Slice the apples into about 1/2 to 1 inch slices, then cut the slices in half - this makes perfect bite sized pieces. Into an oven proof casserole dish, pour about one cup of apple juice and 1/2 cup or so of granulated sugar. Put it on the stove on warm, and dissolve the sugar.


Add the apples and a bit of cinnamon (about 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon) and just a tiny pinch of ground cloves. The cloves is optional, but I love the bit of sweet spicy-ness that it adds. Cook on top of the stove for just a few minutes until the apples begin to look a bit soft. While they are cooking, prepare the crust.


First, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 cup of self rising flour, and a nice pinch of cinnamon in a bowl. Using a wire whisk to mix these ingredients is easiest, and helps the sugar to 'sift' the flour so there won't be any lumps in the crust.

Meanwhile, melt one stick of butter or margarine in the microwave. Add 1/2 to 2/3 cup milk and the melted margarine to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour the crust right over the apples in the casserole dish. The crust will sink to the bottom, but as it cooks it will come back to the top.

Bake at 350 degrees until the crust is golden and the apple juices are bubbling around the edges.

Allow to cool for a bit, then serve alone, with ice cream or whipped cream. Leftovers are great heated up in the microwave, too.

I prefer it by itself or with some good quality cinnamon ice cream, but that's hard to come by except during the holidays.

I love the addition of the apple juice, because it makes the apple flavor so much better. I have tried this using water to cook the apples, but it's just not the same at all.

If you try this, please let me know how you like it! Blessings, Becky

Tasty Thursday - Easy and Delicious Key Lime Pie!!!

A couple of weeks ago hubby and I wanted something 'different' for a weekend dessert. As I was walking down the baking aisle of my local Kroger, a little green bottle caught my eye. KEY LIME PIE!!! If you've never tried making this pie using Nellie and Joe's Key West Lime Juice, you really should try it sometime.



First, because it's so easy! A graham cracker crust, three ingredients and some whipped cream or 'topping', and you are good to go! It's creamy, sweet, tart, tangy and really, really delicious! The bottle of juice will make probably 3-4 pies, and costs less than $3, and it will keep in the fridge for about a month, but you could measure it out into 1/2 cup portions and freeze it, and it would keep for much longer. You would just take out one 1/2 cup 'chunk', let it melt, and make a pie!

Here's what you need:

• One pre-made graham cracker crust
• One 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
• Three eggs, separated - you will only use the yolks for this recipe
• 1/2 Cup Nellie and Joe's Key West Lime Juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Chill until cold through. Serve with whipped cream.

Here's how it looks right out of the oven . . .

And here's how it looks topped with some freshly made sweetened whipped cream and a few frozen raspberries. Looks yummy, doesn't it???

If you like easy peasy desserts, and love tangy, tart, creamy, luscious desserts, please try this one soon! It's one of our summertime favorites!

Before I go, I wanted to let you know I've been creating again, and have made 4 more sachets and have started on a few more. Thanks to all of your sweet comments, I think I'll open up my Etsy shop and put them up for sale soon. I'll try to post a few pictures of my latest creations in the next couple of days, and when I get the shop up and going you'll be the first to know!

Blessings friends! Becky

Tasty Thursday - Something Creamy and Easy!

Hi Folks! I'm sorry I haven't felt like doing any cooking, so no real recipes and pics to share today. I 'am' feeling better though, and thought I would share one of my favorite dishes for when I don't feel well.

You know that chicken soup is supposed to have healing properties, and when I was a child, we always had good old Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup. Over time, we kind of 'modified' how we made it, and it became a 'creamy' chicken noodle soup and I haven't turned back since.

Here's what you do:

• Take one can of Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup.
• Pour it into a small saucepan and fill your can with milk.
• Pour all but about 1/3 cup of the milk into the pan, stir and heat to bubbling. (Bear in mind this is already cooked and doesn't need to cook for a long time.)
• While the soup is heating, add 1 teaspoon corn starch to the remaining milk, and stir it well.
• When the soup is bubbling, give the milk/corn starch mixture one last stir (the starch settles to the bottom) and pour it into the soup.
• Stir well until the soup is creamy and thick.
• Serve with crackers and (in my case) green olives or dill pickles.

This is an easy, tasty and very comforting soup for when you don't feel well. I have fond memories of eating this when I was a child, AND when I was a single working girl, living alone and needing something warm and yummy for dinner!

Thanks for all your good wishes this week, and I hope to be back to normal really soon. Blessings, Becky

Tasty Thursday - Perfect Holiday Weekend Dessert!

We love cooking on our backyard grill, but sometimes desserts get boring! Sopapillas are a classic dessert found at most Mexican restaurants that I‘ve been making for years, but one night I made ours even better with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

If your grill has a stove burner on the side, you can make them right there where your family and friends can watch, but an electric skillet works well, too. You could even do a 'sopapilla bar' with a line of toppings so that everyone could add their own favorite goodies.

Red White and Blue Sizzling Strawberry Sopapillas

Ingredients:

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and rinsed
2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
few drops vanilla extract (optional)
3-4 tablespoons margarine
6 fajita size flour tortillas
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Honey
Ground cinnamon
Whipped cream topping

A few hours before serving time, cut strawberries into bite sized slices and place in a bowl with the sugars and vanilla extract. Mix well and place in refrigerator until right before serving.

Preparation:

Preheat a griddle or large frying pan over medium-high heat, then melt ½ tablespoon of margarine.

Place a flour tortilla in the butter, and cook until golden on one side, and then flip over. Once both sides are golden and puffy, place on a plate and drizzle with approximately 1 ½ teaspoons honey and sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Place about 1/3 to ½ cup of the strawberries with a little of the 'syrup' onto the center of the tortilla, sprinkle on a few blueberries, and top with whipped cream. Repeat for remaining tortillas. This serves six, but you can make as many or as few as you like - something that is really great just for the two of us!

NOTE: I actually pulled this recipe out of my recipe document file because I didn't have anything planned, and I was at the hospital all day yesterday. We ended up taking my dad to the ER yesterday, and they found he is very anemic and they kept him overnight to give him a unit of blood under very closely monitored conditions. They have to give it to him very slowly in order to not cause other, bigger problems due to the condition of his heart. We will go up there soon and hopefully he will come home this afternoon, feeling better with the new blood in his system. I hope to have something for Floral Friday, even if it is a bit late in the day tomorrow.

For those of you in the USA, have an incredible Independence Day Weekend!!!

Tasty Thursday - Sweet Slice of Summer - Part Two

Remember last Thursday's post when I said sometimes the easiest things are the best??? Well, it's still true, especially with this yummy pie! It's only got a handful of ingredients, and there are as many flavors as there are flavors of Kool-Aid! Doesn't this pie look scrumptious?



My mom found this recipe years ago, and I have tried three flavors, but I think she has tried four or five. It's called Kool-Aid Pie, perfect for summertime, and it's so easy to make it's ridiculous!

Lemon Kool-Aid Pie

• One pre-made graham cracker crust
• One 8 ounce carton Cool Whip - thawed
• One can sweetened condensed milk
• One flat, unsweetened pack of lemonade Kool-Aid
• Lemon Extract - optional
• Lemon Juice - optional
• Yellow Food Coloring - optional

Mix the Cool Whip, sweetened condensed milk and Kool-Aid. Taste for tartness. If you want more lemony flavor, you can add the extract or lemon juice. (I like mine tart, so I added 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice and 1 teaspoon lemon extract). If you want it more yellow in color, you can add a few drops of food coloring, but that's a personal preference.

Note: When you first start mixing, it's kind of gunky, but as the ingredients begin to blend, it will become thick and creamy.

When you've got it to the right lemonyness, pour the filling into the pie crust, and refrigerate for at least two to three hours, but preferably overnight.

(That is spearmint on bottom and the lighter on top is lemon balm.)

Now for the fun part. You can also make:

• a lime pie, using lemon-lime Kool-Aid with lime juice,
• an orange sherbet pie, using orange Kool-Aid and orange extract (and I promise it tastes just like orange sherbet!),
• a strawberry pie, using strawberry Kool-Aid and strawberry extract, and maybe some sliced strawberries on top???

This is a delicious dessert, sweet and creamy, and so easy anyone can make it. Try your favorite flavor of Kool-Aid pie, and you'll be pleasantly surprised how good it is!

From the shores of beautiful Lake Chatuge in Hiawassee, Georgia - have a great weekend!!! Becky

Tasty Thursday - Sweet Slices of Summer - Part One!

Sometimes the best things are also the easiest! That's especially true about summertime desserts. My hubby and I just love fresh, in season fruits. Right now peaches and watermelons are the best, and we've already eaten at least four watermelons this year. They are just so good, and kept cold in the fridge, are a great evening treat instead of some heavier desserts.

Here's what we had tonight . . .



Doesn't it look delicious? Icy cold and so sweet and juicy!



Do you see anything that looks out of place in this next picture???



Here, look a little closer . . .



Yes, that is a salt shaker you see there with the watermelon. I don't know about other parts of the world, but here in the southern US, a bit of salt on watermelon just makes the flavor POP! It's not enough to make it salty, just enough to bring out the sweetness of the melon. For years, people have debated over using salt on watermelon - or not - and rarely do they change their opinions. But, I actually converted my husband long ago. He didn't want to be converted, but I made him taste it, and he was sold!


Here's hubby digging into his share . . . see that salt shaker right beside him???




Delicious!




But hubby and I aren't the only members of this household who just L*O*V*E watermelon. Take a look at these two girls whose mouths are watering . . .




Aren't they waiting so patiently? Here's Bailey Sue, watching every move I make.





She keeps licking her lips, like she can taste it , but this is the best pic I could get of that tongue darting out so fast.




But finally, success - she got her first bite. Yummmmmmmmmm!

I only give them two or three bites each, but it's funny to watch them wait, and then take their bites from my fingers. And their 'styles' are so different. Bessie Mae just grabs hers and runs, and often tries to take part of a finger with it! But Bailey Sue is delicate and dainty, and she'll take just the tiniest bit of one corner and pull it until I let it go. Then she practically swallows it whole!

Sweet treats and desserts don't have to be rich and sticky and sweet. As I said above,, sometimes the best things are also the easiest! Why not enjoy an ice cold slice of watermelon soon!

Blessings friends! Becky

Tasty Thursday - Slow Cooker Roast Beef and Veggies

So, I know everybody has posted a similar recipe, but this is one of my favorite dishes to make this time of year. Not because I'm a big fan of beef roast normally . . . {hint, I'm not!!!} . . . but because I like what I'll be doing with the leftovers all weekend!

Now that we're beginning to get decent tomatoes, I will be partaking - no, feasting - on one of my all time favorite sandwiches, but I'll tell you more about that in a later post. For now, let's make a wonderful one pot meal.


Cast of characters:

• Nice boneless chuck roast - 2 pounds or so.
• Potatoes, (4 -5 I prefer medium sized) You can peel them or not - I do peel them.
• Carrots (4-5 large), peeled and cut into 3-4 inch long chunks
• One large onion, peeled and cut into large chunks
• Two celery sticks, cut into 3-4 inch long chunks
• 5-6 average sized cloves of garlic
• 1/3 Cup flour (can be Plain or Self Rising)
• 1/2 Tsp. Salt
• 1/4 Tsp. Black pepper
• 1/2 Tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 Tsp. Garlic powder
• One envelope Onion or Beefy Onion soup mix (Lipton)
• One can beef broth
• Canola oil - enough to cover the bottom of a skillet

First thing, prepare your veggies; you'll be glad you did down the road a bit.

Then, mix the flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning together.

About now you want to put the skillet with canola oil on the stove to start warming up. I put mine on medium high.

Now coat the roast with the seasoned flour. Coat it really well, and put it into the pan of hot oil.

Cook in the hot oil until it is well browned on the bottom, then turn it over and brown the other side. Now, a lot of people leave out this step, but it really adds a lot of flavor, and unless I'm in a real hurry, I always do it. It doesn't take a lot of time, and makes a big difference in the flavor.

So does this next step . . .

While the second side of the roast is browning, cut a few slits into the roast and stuff it with chunks of fresh garlic. Oh, my! Can you say F*L*A*V*O*R??? (Note: the cooked, beefy garlic is delicious spread on some crusty bread!)

Once the other side is browned, transfer it to the slow cooker and top it with the veggies.

Mix the envelope of soup mix and the can of beef broth together, and pour it over the veggies and roast.

Put on the cover, and cook it on high for a while. Because I started it late, and because I was at home all day, I cooked it on high for about 4 to 4 1/2 hours, then turned it to low for the remainder of the time. You use the instructions from your slow cooker.

And this is the finished product. So yummy - ready for our dinner, and tomorrow it will be ready and waiting for sandwiches!

I sure hope you've enjoyed this recipe. It's one I've been making for many years. Probably since the mid-seventies when I was a single girl and had friends over to my apartment for dinner. In a couple of days I'll tell you all about the sandwiches I'll make with the leftovers. Until then, be blessed! Becky

Tasty Thursday - Dothan Chicken Pie

Hello Everyone! Hope your Thursday is really tasty! Mine, I am afraid, probably won't be as I have to go pick up my parents and take them to a new doctor for a visit. When my dad's last blood tests came back they indicated some kidney problems, so we'll be going to see a kidney specialist today.

BUT! I'm still going to share a tasty recipe with you anyway! This recipe, I call Dothan Chicken Pie because my friend Fay made it for me once when I went to visit her, and on that same trip I found a local cookbook that had several variations of the same pie. Never content to leave well enough alone, I tweaked it a bit (added veggies and a few more seasonings) and now think it's just right! By the way, when I have a recipe I make a lot, I tend to write it in order of the steps involved. This makes it easier for me at the time I'm cooking it. You'll see that in a lot of the recipes I'll be sharing here.

Here's the recipe >>>

Dothan Chicken Pie

~~~Do ahead:

Cook and pull chicken breasts to make 3 cups of meat.

Reserve broth from cooking chicken.

Boil 2-3 eggs to hard boiled stage.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

~~~When you are ready to bake it:

Mix 1 can cream of chicken soup and 2 cups chicken broth. I usually use an immersion blender to make sure it's really mixed well.

In large casserole dish (9 x 13 pyrex works great) layer chicken.

Top with mixed soup and broth.

Season to taste with salt and pepper = this time I used Natures Seasons, Italian herbs and red pepper flakes (and any other seasonings you wish to use).

Drain 1 can of mixed veggies and sprinkle over chicken.

Chop or slice eggs and layer over veggies.

Mix 2 sticks melted margarine, 2 cups milk and 2 cups self rising flour until there are no lumps, and pour over other ingredients.

Bake for 1 hour or until bubbly and golden

This is so very easy, and I've taken it to familes who had just lost a loved one, to my aunt and uncle who were moving, and other occasions, as well as just making it for us to eat, and everyone loves it! Since it's just the two of us, I usually put it in two dollar store (throw away) aluminum cake pans and bake both, then freeze one of them for later.

I hope you try this recipe, and really hope you enjoy it. Let me know how you liked it! Blessings friends! Becky