Best Apple Pie

Pie Crust for top and bottom. You can use 2 frozen pie crusts.
7 medium granny smith apples
1/2 cup butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 425F.
Peel, core and slice apples. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add 3 tbsp flour and mix, forming a paste. Add water, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Mix well and bring to a boil. boil on medium heat for 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Pour 1/3 cup into a measuring cup and set aside. Add remaining filling to apples and toss well.
Pour apple mixture into prepared pie crust, mounding slightly. Slice remaining pie crust on a cutting board and place on top of pie in a lattice pattern. Brush remaining 1/3 cup cup of filling onto crust.
Cover pie loosely with aluminum foil. Lightly spray foil with Pam first to avoid sticking. Place pie on a pie sheet lined with foil, shiny side down. Bake at 425F for 10-12 minutes.Reduce heat to 350F and bake for 50 minutes. Remove foil last 10 minutes to allow crust to brown. Pie is done when apples are soft when pierced with a fork and crust is golden-brown.

Serves: 8-10 people

Recipe adapted from https://audreysapron.wordpress.com/2013/12/20the-best-apple-pie-ever

Cream Cheese Cranberry Bread

1 cup butter

8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups fresh cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan or a bundt pan.

Cream butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing well. Mix well with a whisk. 

Slowly mix dries into wet batter until combined. Fold in cranberries and pecans.

Pour into prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes.

Optional: Combine the juice of one orange and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix well until lumps disappear. Pour over hot cake in the pan, as soon as it comes out of the oven. 

Recipe modified from http://julieseatsandtreats.com

Easy Crock Pot Pot Roast

 



Easy, quick pot roast recipe that tastes really yummy!

2-3 lbs chuck roast
1 T Sunflower Oil
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 T flour
1 packet dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
12 organic baby carrots, sliced
1/2 large yellow onion, sliced
3 medium to large yellow potatoes, peeled and cubed

Heat Sunflower oil in large skillet, Combine salt, pepper and flour, Pat on both sides of roast. Brown roast in hot oil, about 4 minutes each side.

Place roast in crock pot and add onion soup mix, water, potatoes, carrots and onion.

Cover and turn on high until roast starts to simmer. Then turn down to low and cook 6-7 hours.

Serves: 6

Organic Sea Salt Hair Spray

Organic Sea Salt Hair Spray is quick and easy to make. It gives hair volume and body, without being sticky or greasy.

1 1/2 cups hot water
2 Tablespoons organic sea salt
1 teaspoon organic coconut oil
1 teaspoon organic hair gel

Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl. Allow to cool and pour into a spray bottel Shake and spary onto damp or dry hair. Air dry or dry with a blow dryer with a diffuser. Keeps indefinitely. 

SHEPHERD'S PIE

This Shepherd's Pie recipe takes a little time to make but is well worth the trouble. I like to double the recipe, make two, and freeze one for another day.

1 lb ground beef
2 cups mashed potatoes ( I use 6 medium potatoes)
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 pkg brown gravy mix, I use McCormick
Reserved potato water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and boil 6 medium potatoes until soft. Mash and add 1 tsp salt, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Blend well with an electric mixer adding some reserved potato water for desired consistency. Prepare brown gravy mix per packaged instructions. Brown ground beef in skillet. Drain, add vegetables and brown gravy. Heat on low for 5 minutes. Spoon meat into a 9-inch square baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle remaining Cheddar Cheese on top. Heat in oven until cheese is melted on top.

Serves 6

S'Mores Bars

Chewy graham, Hershey bar and marshmallow bars are easy to make and really yummy.

1 c butter
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 2/3 c flour
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
10 Hershey milk chocolate bars (1.55 oz each)
6 c miniature marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, combine flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture and beat until blended. Press half of dough into a 9"x13" pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Arrange chocolate bars over baked layer; sprinkle with marshmallows and then scatter remaining dough over marshmallows. to form top layer.

Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 16 bars.

Note: I used a nonstick baking pan. If you aren't, you may want to lightly grease pan just in case. Cookies shouldn't stick due the large amount of butter in the batter, but, you never know.

Cherry Cobbler

1/2 c sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 20 oz can sour red pitted cherries
1 1/2 c sifted all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c butter
1/3 c milk
1 egg, slightly beaten


Combine 1/2 c sugar and cornstarch; gradually stir in cherries and juice. Place over moderate heat; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil for 1 minute. Pour into a shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 c sugar into a bowl.  Cut in butter coursely. Combine milk and egg; add to dry ingredients. Stir just until flour is dampened. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto cherries. Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees until top is brown. Serves 4.