COUNTRY STORE "FRIED" APPLES

This is a recipe Friend Sue shared with me.  This is a really good dessert to serve when entertaining because you can keep the apples warm in the slow cooker and they are ready whenever you are. I know because she served it to our canasta group that way.  Loved the taste of the apples.

COUNTRY STORE "FRIED" APPLES

5 - 6     cups - firm, tart apples (about 4 medium apples apples)
1/3       cup brown sugar
1          teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4       teaspoon ground nutmeg
2          tablespoons cornstarch
1/2       cup apple cider

Peel, core, and slice apples into medium-thick slices.  

Place the apples slices, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small to medium slow cooker.  

Dissolve the cornstarch in the apple cider and blend well.

Pour over the apples and stir to blend.

Cover and cook on low heat 5 - 6 hours; stirring about halfway through cooking.

Serve warm with or without ice cream for a "crustless" apple pie.

GERMAN APPLESAUCE CAKE

I have so many cookbooks and I don't really need anymore.  BUT sometimes I see one I just can't resist.  That was the case last week when Friend Janice and I went to an estate sale.  This cute little cookbook is entitled the big fat red juicy Apple Cook Book and is shaped like a big fat juicy red apple.  It was only 50 cents and I saw quite a few recipes that looked interesting.  So you know what happened.....I bought it.

When I needed something for my husband to take to share with the others in the tax office at Fort Leavenworth, I decided to chose a recipe from the cookbook.  (I don't know what I will do when they finish with all the tax work.  I will have to find somewhere else to share my baked goods.)

I let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack and then covered it with the plastic lid.  It was so nice and moist this morning when I cut it.  I cut half of it for my husband to take and I am going to take the other half to Hillcrest Thrift Shop today when I go to "work" my shift.

I am also taking 3 grocery bags full of clothes I am donating to the thrift shop.  Yesterday afternoon I brought down tubs of spring/summer clothes.  (I know winter won't go away, but...) This morning I went through the pants in the tubs and in my closets to see what still fit after losing the 10 lbs this winter.  I just went through the pants. I will tackle the tops another time.

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GERMAN APPLESAUCE CAKE

1         cup sugar
1/2      cup shortening
2         eggs
1-1/2  cups applesauce (no sugar added)
1         cup raisins
1/2     cup chopped nuts
2        cups flour
1/2     teaspoons cloves
1        teaspoon cinnamon
2        teaspoons soda dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

TOPPING
1/4    cup sugar
 1      teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 9 x 13 - inch pan with cooking spray.

Cream shortening and sugar.

Add eggs and beat until light.

Add applesauce and soda alternately with dry ingredients.

Stir in raisins and nuts.

Pour batter into pan.

Mix sugar and cinnamon for topping and sprinkle evening over the batter.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until done.

Cool in pan on wire rack.

TUTU EASTER BASKET

Internet Friend Sandy got creative and made her granddaughter Hayleigh a "tutu" Easter basket.  When she shared a picture of it with me, I asked her if I could share it on my blog.  She was nice enough to give me instructions along with a few pictures so you might be able to make one for that special girl in your life.

Sandy had a metal basket that she wasn't using except for holding her thread in her craft room. She wasn't sure where she had gotten it but thought she had bought fruit in it at the Dollar Store. She also said she had made many tutus for her granddaughter and thought about using this basket to make the tutu Easter basket. (The basket was perfect since it already had the holes in it.)

She used both white and pink tulle to make the "tutu". Using rolls of tulle that she had bought at JoAnn's that were 6 inches wide and 25 feet long, she cut the tulle in 12 inch long pieces. Then folding each piece in half, she pushed it through each hole and then knotted it on the other side. (the outside of the basket)

She said she put the white tulle through every hole on the first row and 

staggered the pink tulle between the white tulle in the second row.

I love how it looks just like a little tutu.

View from the top

All finished with the handle back on.  Sandy wrapped a small ribbon around the handle to cover it.











I am sure that little Miss Hayleigh is loving her tutu Easter Basket that her grandmother Sandy made her. Really good job, Sandy.

UPDATE!  Sandy sent me this picture of Hayleigh and said she loves it. Looks like she does.

APPLE STREUSEL COBBLER

Friend Fran was the hostess for our NNL Mexican Train group this month. Fran likes to hostess gatherings, but she doesn't do much cooking anymore. Last year, knowing I like to bake and especially for my blog, Fran asked me if I would be willing to make the dessert when she was the hostess. You know what I said....In fact I didn't even hesitate.  

It took me a while to actually find something that I wanted to make, but I found this recipe in a cookbook I got at an estate sale called Cooking Made Plumb Easy. It is a collection of favorite recipes by the employees of Jay R. Smith Manufacturing Company in Montgomery, AL. This particular recipe was contributed by Darrin Knight in Finishing. (There was no date of publishing for the cookbook.)

It is so good....it serves a 5 - STAR rating.

Remember that the print friendly button on the bar at the bottom of this post will allow you to remove the images if you want to print the recipe.

APPLE STREUSEL COBBLER

2       (21 oz) cans apple pie filling (no sugar added)
2       eggs
1       (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (fat free)
1/4    cup margarine, melted
1/2    teaspoon cinnamon
1/4    teaspoon nutmeg
1/2    cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2    cup flour, unsifted
1/4    cup cold margarine
1/2    cup nuts, chopped
1/2    cup oats (I used rolled oats)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 9 - inch square baking pan (or equalivant size - I used my 8 x 11 - inch rectangular baking pan.)

Spread the apple filling evenly in the bottom of the pan.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs.

Add the condensed milk, melted margarine, cinnamon, and nutmeg to beaten eggs

Mix well.

Pour over apple filling.

In a different medium bowl, combine the sugar and flour.

Cut in the cold margarine until crumbly.  (It helps if you cut the margarine in thin slices and then use either a fork or your hands to crumble.)

Add nuts and oats.

Sprinkle over the custard.

Bake 50 - 55 minutes or until set.  (I baked mine for 50 minutes and lightly touched the center.)

Cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm with ice cream (if desired). 

Refrigerate leftovers.

Makes 8 - 12 servings.

APPLE CINNAMON PANCAKES

On Wednesday nights I have handbell practice at the church from 6 til 7.  That means we have to eat dinner early (earlier than my husband likes to eat...but I don't want to eat after 7).  Unless we have leftovers, I usually offer to cook pancakes or waffles.

Yesterday I decided to give the recipe for pancakes that was on the back of the package of Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix a try. Well, let me tell you. They were so good that I decided I needed to post them on my blog just in case Pillsbury changed the recipe on the back of the package....and you know they will.

They were super easy - and just right for the two of us.

APPLE CINNAMON PANCAKES

1        package Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
1        large egg
3/4   cup skim milk






Beat the egg first in a medium mixing bowl.  Then add the mix and the milk and stir just til moistened.

Spray your skillet with cooking spray over medium heat.

Pour amount of batter for desired size of pancake.  (I used a medium size ice cream scoop.) Cook until bubbles form on top and start to burst.

Flip and cook on other side another minute or two.

Continue until finished with batter.  I made about 8 pancakes in all.

Now if Pillsbury changes the recipe on the back of the package, I will have it forever here on my blog. 

CALIFORNIA BEAN DIP

I made this recipe for California Bean Dip as an appetizer when we had the NNL Dinner Club over Saturday night.  I don't usually do appetizers well, but I saw this recipe in a cookbook called Holidays & Parties that I had bought from a student for a fund raiser when we lived in CA.  It was contributed by Donna Abby for Crescenta Valley High School in La Crescenta, CA. It sounded pretty easy so I decided to give it a try.  It was very well  received by everyone.  I will certainly not hesitate making it again if I need to take an appetizer to a gathering or need one when hosting.

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CALIFORNIA BEAN DIP

2       cans black beans, drained
1       cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1       bunch fresh cilantro
1       (12 - oz) container, sour cream (reduced fat or fat free - ok)
1       (12 - oz) container guacamole
1       can diced tomatoes
1       small can black olives
1       bunch green onions
Tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large glass container ( 9 x 13 - inch), spread the drained beans in the bottom.

Top with the shredded cheese and

bake until cheese melts (about 5 minutes)

Wash the cilantro.  Pinch off the leaves from the cilantro and sprinkle over cheese.

Spread the sour cream on top. (Drop using a small spoon dollops all over the mixture and then spread them out.)

Spread the guacamole over the top of the sour cream the same way as you did the sour cream.

Sprinkle the diced tomatoes over the top.  (I diced the tomatoes to make them even smaller.)

Slice the olives and sprinkle them over the tomatoes. Dice some of the tops of the green onions and sprinkle them on top.







Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least an hour before ready to serve.

Serve with tortilla chips.