Grandma Drake's Baked Apples

These baked apples have been a holiday staple in our family since my Mom was a little girl.  From what I understand, the recipe was passed along to my Grandma so I'm sure it goes back even farther than I know.  My mom and I tried to make these for Christmas while she was visiting this year.  However, we didn't trust the original recipe (thought there was too much flour) and ended up botching the entire batch.  I tried making them again this week and they turned out PERFECT!  It's amazing how food can bring back so many memories from childhood.  We eat these right along with the turkey dinner, but you could also serve them as a dessert.   

 -3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in half
-1 cup white sugar
-1/2 cup margarine (cold)
-3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cup flour (enough to make thick dough like consistency)
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-cinammon

To make the filling, use a pastry cutter.  I couldn't find mine so I just used a fork.  In a large mixing bowled, cut margarine into the sugar with a fork (or your pastry cutter) until thoroughly combined.  Then, slowly cut in flour until you get a VERY THICK, dough like consisentcy.  I ended up using a little over a cup or so of flour.  (When my mom and I made these we did not use enough flour and the filling just melted off the apples...make sure the filling is super thick).  Add vanilla and combine thoroughly with fork/pastry cutter. 

Lay apple halves, core side up in a 9X13 inch pan.  Spoon a generous amount of filling into the core/top of each apple.  Sprinkle lightly with cinammon (use your fingers to sprinkle just a tad on each apple.

Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 1/2 -1 hour.  Baking time depends on your oven and the apples. Start checking apples for doneness at 30 minutes but they will most likely cook for close to an hour.  Use a fork to poke the apple to see if it's tender.  It should be tender, but not completely soft.

Christmas Bark

Whoops...this one has been sitting in my drafts box for the last month. 

Christmas Bark is one of my favorite things to consume during the Christmas season.  Ghirardelli's version is A-mazing but gets a little pricey (at least with the amount that I consume during the Christmas season).  I'm just as happy with my version...

-24 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
-24 ounces white chocolate chips
-40 or so peppermint candy canes, crushed
-Green, red, white sprinkles

Lightly grease 2, 9X13 inch baking sheets and line with waxed paper, smoothing out the wrinkles.  Set aside.

Melt semi-sweet chips in microwave.  Heat for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.  Pour into the baking sheets and spread evenly over the bottom of the sheet.  To smooth the ridges/bubbles, I gently slam (can't think of a better word than slam) the cookie sheet on the counter a couple times.   Sprinkle half of the crushed candy on top of the chocolate and press gently with your hands.  Refrigerate until completely hardened, about 1 hour.

Melt the white chips in microwave the same as before.  Pour the white chocolate over the hardened semi-sweet chocolate layer.  Spread evenly. Cover with the rest of the crushed candies and some Christmas colored sprinkles and gently push it down into chocolate with hands.    Slam the cookie sheet on counter again to remove ridges/bubbles.   Refrigerate until completely hardened.  Remove from pan and break into small pieces to serve.  I start this by slicing a chunk with a knife and then break with my hands.

Octopus Hotdogs

I'm not a fan of hotdogs, but had to give these a try for the kids (another Pinterest find).  I save these kinds of things for when Scott is traveling for work and I want the boys to think I am super mom.  Plus, they helped me make them and thought it was a blast.

Cut 5 hotdogs into 3 pieces each.  Poke pieces of spaghetti through each piece of hotdog.

Cook hotdogs in boiling water for about 10 minutes or until warmed through.  I let the kids eat with their hands and dip in ketchup.  I wouldn't touch these things with a 10 foot pole but A & Z went ga ga for them!

Italian Salad

This salad was my dinner last night.  I almost ate the entire bowl by myself.  So good!  It was a staple in my home growing up and it's super simple.  I love veggies but I don't always love lettuce...therefore, this is the perfect salad for me.

-Box of button mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thin

-2 tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

-1/4 of a large  red onion, sliced very thin

-3/4 of an English cucumber, skin removed and sliced thin

-Quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar

-Salt and pepper

-Italian seasoning



Toss all the veggies in a bowl.  Sprinkle generously with salt and freshly ground pepper and add about a tablespoon or so of dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano or whatever mixture you have on hand).   Pour a few generous tablespoons each of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over veggies and stir gently to coat everything.  Let sit and marinate at least 20-30 minutes and then serve.  I let it sit on the counter to marinate and serve at room temperature because I don't like my veggies cold.

Scott loves to take leftovers of this stuff to work with him the following day.  He thinks it tastes even better then next day! 

*I love serving this salad with pizza so I can dip my crust in the excess dressing.  Or, just serve with some fresh Italian bread to dab up all the extra oil/vinegar.  YUM!

*You can also add in fresh mozzarella balls to this mixture. 

Easy Buckeyes

Scott isn't much of a sweets guy.  This is great, cuz I'm not much of a baker.  However, this year, he kept hinting that he was craving Buckeyes...a staple at Christmas time in our home state of Ohio.  Believe or not, in all my 34 years I've never eaten a buckeye, let alone made one.  I wanted to surprise him with a batch.  Thank goodness for the Internet because I found this recipe for "Almost Instant Buckeyes."  I think making these will now be an annual tradition in the Segal home.  They got great reviews from the hubs, kids, and friends/neighbors. 

-1 (10 ounce) package peanut butter chips

-1 (16 ounce) can vanilla ready-to-spread frosting

-1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

 

Line some cookie sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper.  Melt pb chips in microwave.  Stir after every 30 seconds.  They will take about 2 minutes to melt.  Remove from microwave and stir in frosting...I use a hand mixer. Let stand about 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle. 

Roll peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls; place on cookie sheet.  Refrigerate (or freeze) for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt chocolate chips the same way you melted the pb chips. 

 

 

Pierce each pb ball with a toothpick and dip into the melted chocolate.  Leave a small area around the toothpick uncoated so the ball resembles a buckeye.  Place dipped ball on a wax paper covered cookie sheet, pushing the candy off of toothpick with tines of a fork (or a clean finger).  To smooth  out the toothpick mark, give the hole a pinch and then smooth it down.  Let stand for 5 minutes or until set. (I put mine in the freezer).

 

 

Makes about 5 dozen.

 

 

These truly were a cinch to make...I mean I made them so how difficult could they be??   Mine don't look as pretty as those on the website but hey, it was my first go at them!

Shrimp Chip Dip

I love this dip! It's super salty and great with chips or crackers. It reminds me of holiday events at my Aunt Chris' house when I was younger. I don't really like seafood, but still crave this dip.

-1 can cream of shrimp soup
-1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
-garlic salt to taste

Mix ingredients thouroughly and then chill. Serve with chips or crackers. The trick to no lumps in your dip is to blend the cream cheese well before adding in the soup.

From the kitchen of Christine Allman.

Chris Kringles

These are my favorite Christmas cookies. I'm not much of a baker the rest of the year, but I do bake some cookies for friends during the holidays.  These cookies taste like brownies with powdered sugar on them. Santa likes them too!

-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-4 squares unsweetened chocolate

Melt these two ingredients together. Heat slowly, mixing every 30-60 seconds in microwave or heat in a double boiler, stirring constantly.

-2 cups sugar
-4 eggs
-2 teaspoons vanilla
-2 cups flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 cup powdered sugar

Mix chocolate and oil mixture with sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. Stir in dry ingredients until mixed thoroughly. Refrigerate dough, covered, for a MINIMUM of 2 hours or overnight. Drop teaspoons of dough into powdered sugar and roll to coat. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.*

Cool slightly (about 2 minutes) and then remove from cookie sheet before completely set. Makes about 3 dozen.

*While I have the cookies in the oven baking, I stick the bowl of dough back in the fridge or freezer to keep the dough cold. The dough is much easier to work with when it is super cold.

Chicken Marsala

This was my first go at Chicken Marsala at home and it turned out quite well. I used a few recipes to come up with this one...I elimated some steps and ingredients in the other ones. I am all about simple here! Enjoy.

-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1/2 cup flour
-5 teaspoons dried marjarom
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon pepper
-1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
-1/2 bunch of scallions, sliced
-3 tablespoons butter, divided
-1/4 cup chicken broth (more if you would like sauce for pasta/rice)
-1/4 cup dry Marsala or sherry (more if you would like sauce for pasta/rice)

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Slice each breast in half. (I do this while breasts are still frozen - they cut a lot easier when they are slightly frozen). Place each breast between plastic wrap and pound slightly to 1/8 inch thick. Stir together flour, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Press chicken into flour mixture on both sides. Shake off excess. In large skillet, cook mushrooms and green onions in 1 tablespoon of butter until tender. Remove from skillet. In same skillet, cook chicken in a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat for about 4 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Return mushrooms and green onions to skillet. Add broth and Marsala. Cook, uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until mushroom mixture thickens slightly and chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. If you want to serve with rice or angel hair pasta, add additional broth, Marsala, and butter to make enough liquid for a sauce.

Beef, Barley & Quinoa Soup

I had a little barley and a little quinoa left in my pantry and was trying to come up with something that I could use them both in... I decided to adapt the soup recipe on the back of the barley box a little bit.  The fam seemed to like it so I think I'll make it again.

-1/2 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
-1/2 cup onion, chopped
-1 clove garlic, minced
-8 cups beef broth
-2 cans of Rotel
-1/2 cup Barley, uncooked
-1/4-1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
-1 can lima beans, drained/rinsed
--1/2 cup celery, chopped
-1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
-1-2 bay leaves
-1 family size package of frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)

In large stock pot, saute onion, celery, and garlic in a little olive oil until tender. Add all additional ingredients EXCEPT quinoa and frozen veggies.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour, stirring occcassionally.  Add in quinoa and frozen veggies and cook about 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Add additional water if needed since the soup with thicken upon standing.

Turkey Noodle Soup

-3-4 cups cooked turkey or chicken, roughly chopped ( I used my leftovers from Thanksgiving)
-1 cup celery, sliced
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 large family size back of frozen mixed veggies (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
-4 cans chicken broth
-2 cans waters
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1/2 package egg noodles
-1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon
-1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
-1 bay leaf
-1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

In a large stock pot, saute onions, celery, and garlic in a little margarine.  Add all ingredients EXCEPT frozen veggies and noodles.  Simmer soup for 30-40 minutes.  Add in frozen veggies and noodles and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Spaghetti Bread

Again, thanks Pinterest for hooking me up with this recipe that I found here.  Spaghetti baked in bread....hello carb overload!  This family loves their pasta and bread so I knew this would be a hit.  So easy, so good!  It's as yummy as it looks, I promise!

-1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
-6 oz spaghetti, cooked
-1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
-8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes
-1 egg white
-Parmesan cheese
-Parsley flakes

Spray baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (or use parchment paper).  Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.  Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly.  Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese cubes. (I mixed my spaghetti and sauce together first).  Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid.  Lift braid with both hands and place on large sprayed baking sheet. (or transfer parchment paper to baking sheet). Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley (I added garlic powder).  Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly and slice to serve.

Next time, I think I'll add in about 1/2 pound of browned ground beef or Italian sausage.

Balsamic and Brown Sugar Glazed Pork Tenderloin

I'm always looking for new crockpot recipes to try.  Here's a great one I found on Pinterest...it's courtesy the blog,  C+C Marriage Factory.   I make pork tenderloins all.the.time (seriously about once a week).  However, I have yet to make one in the crockpot.  This recipe is seriously tasty.  I served it with my favorite Brussel Sprout recipe.

-1 (2 pound) boneless pork tenderloin (or regular pork loin)

-1 teaspoon ground sage

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon pepper

-1 clove garlic, crushed

-1/2 cup water

Glaze

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1 tablespoon cornstarch

-1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

-1/2 cup water

-2 tablespoons soy sauce

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Crispy Cheddar Chicken

Is anyone else addicted to Pinterest?  I love trying new recipes and Pinterest has become my favorite place to get dinner inspiration.  I've tried quite a few new recipes (check out my Pinterest Food Board)lately and most have gotten high marks.  I'll post them all soon.  For now, here's one that I found on Jamie Cooks It Up via Pinterest.

-4 large chicken breasts

-2 sleeves Ritz crackers
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/8 teaspoon pepper
-1/2 cup milk
-3 cup cheddar cheese, grated
-1 teaspoon dried parsley
-1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
-2 tablespoons sour cream
-2 tablespoons butter

Cut each chicken breast into 3 large chunks.  In a small food processor grind up the ritz crackers (I just put the crackers in a large ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin...I'm old school and still don't own a food processor).  Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine.

Dip each piece of chicken into the milk, then the cheese, and finally the cracker crumbs.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan.  Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken.  Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

Into a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

 

My kids were acting up while I was making dinner and I completely forgot to make the sauce for the chicken.  Whoops!  The chicken was still fantastic without it.  You can't go wrong with cheddar cheese.  

 

 

Herbed Chicken in White Wine

I had a 1/3 of a bottle of white wine left from Thanksgiving and did some searching online for a new recipe to try to use it in tonight.  I came up with this after making some adaptations to this chicken recipe that I found on allrecipes.com.   During dinner, Scott asked if we could "add this one to the meal rotation." My five year old (who is usually telling me his dinner is gross) said "Mom, you're a great cook."  I think this recipe is a keeper!

-5 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces (about 3 pieces each breast)

- garlic powder to taste

- 1 package (8 ounces) fresh mushrooms, sliced

-1 medium onion, diced

-1/2-1 teaspoon dried basil (I never measure but this is approximately the amount I used)                   

-1/2-1 teaspoon dried oregano

-1/2-1 teaspoon dried rosemary

-1/2-1 teaspoon dried thyme

-1 clove minced garlic or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

-ground black pepper to taste (probably 1/4-1/2 teaspoon)

-1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

-1-2 cups dry white wine (I used some chardonnay)

- 1 (10.5 ounces) can chicken broth

-about 1/2 cup water and 2-3 tablespoons flour stirred together until smooth in a separate bowl

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with garlic powder, and brown on both sides. Remove chicken to paper towels.

Add mushrooms, minced garlic and onions to pot.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.  Add wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.  Add chicken back to pot and sprinkle in all the herbs and seasonings.  Finally, add the chicken broth.  Give it all a thorough stir to combine.  Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.  Add the flour/water mixture to pot and stir until combined.  Continue to simmer on low (this time uncovered) for another 30 minutes or until your sauce thickens a bit.

Serve over warm egg noodles or rice.   

Roasted Asparagus

This is the only way I make asparagus anymore.  All three Segal boys fight over these at the dinner table....no joke.  So, so good (and easy)!

-1 bunch thin asparagus spears, trimmed (woody stalks removed)

-a few tablespoons olive oil

-Parmesan cheese

-sea salt

-ground black pepper

Lay asparagus on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with a salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese.  Toss the asparagus with your hands and make sure spears are evenly coated in oil/seasoning.  Arrange the asparagus onto the baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake at 425 degrees until tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. The spears will just be starting to brown.  I promise you'll never make your asparagus any other way!

Raspberry Walnut Baked Brie

I am obsessed with Brie.  I could eat an entire round of it in one sitting.  I just tried this baked Brie recipe off of allrecipes.com last weekend.  Loved it and it's super simple!

-1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, thawed
-1 (8 ounce) round of Brie cheese
-1/3 cup raspberry jam (I used raspberry preserves)
-2 tablespoons chopped walnuts (I used a little more than this)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray.  Lay the puff pastry onto the prepared baking sheet. Center the Brie wheel onto the pastry.  Spread the jam over the top of the Brie.  Sprinkle the walnuts over the jam.  Fold the puff pastry over the top of Brie, sealing the openings.  Bake in preheated oven until the pastry is golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Serve with crackers (my favorite for Brie are Table Water Crackers).

Spanish Rice

This is a recipe that is so versatile.  I usually make it with leftover taco meat. When I make tacos, I brown 2 pounds of ground beef and drain the grease.  Then, I add a packet of taco seasoning and water along with a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and a can of corn (drained).  This is my effort to sneak a few extra veggies/fiber/protein into the kids' tacos. We usually need about 1 pound of this beef mixture for our tacos leaving the second pound for me to use for something else....like this Spanish Rice.  It can be eaten as a main dish or as a side dish. Scott has been known to pile it on top of tortilla chips to make some nachos or on top of shredded lettuce as a taco salad.  It also works well as a burrito filling.

-1 pound ground beef with taco seasoning and corn and black beans (see above)
-4 cups cooked brown rice
-1/4-1/2 cup chopped peppers (red, green, yellow...whatever you have)
-1 can diced tomatoes (or rotel)
-2 carrots, chopped (or a about 10-15 baby carrots, chopped)
-2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
-1/2 medium onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-shredded cheese (cojack is my fave)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Saute onion, celery, garlic, carrots and peppers in a little olive oil until tender.  Mix in beef mixture, rice, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, and a little water.  Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes until water is incorporated.  Add more water as needed so rice doesn't burn.  When serving, sprinkle with a little shredded cheese.  I also like some jalapenos on mine.

A Year of Slow Cooking

Here is another of my favorite websites to check for new crockpot recipes to try....

A Year of Slow Cooking

A few years ago, the author of this blog made a New Year's resolution to use her slow cooker every day for a year.  That was in 2008 and she is still blogging new crockpot stuff.  She has tons of fantastic recipes on her blog including making yogurt and baked sweet potates in her crockpot.


 

Crockpot Beef Stew

If possible, I always try to double recipes so I can freeze half for a future meal.  This makes enough for me to freeze half for another meal in a few weeks. 
-2 lbs stew meat
-2 cans beef broth
-2-3 cans tomato juice
-2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
-1 large bag of frozen mixed veggies (green beans, corn, peas, carrots)
-1 can of lima beans, drained
-1-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
-3-4 bay leaves
-2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
-black pepper
-paprika

Mix all ingredients together in your crockpot.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours. 

Chicken and Dumplings

Has anyone else become obsessed with the Crockpot Girls?  I use my crockpot at least 2 times per week.  It's perfect for soccer practice nights when we have to eat dinner and be out the door by 6pm.  No pots and pans for me to clean up (well, except for the crockpot!).  I am always on the hunt for good crockpot recipes so I am loving the crockpot girls new website! 
I tried the CP girls C&D recipe last week and it was a hit with the fam.

-4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
-2 tablespoons of butter
-1 (10.75 oz) can of cream of chicken soup
-1 (10.75 oz) can of cream of celery soup
-3 1/2 cups of chicken broth
-1 onion, finely diced
-1 cup celery, diced
-1 cup carrots, diced
-Chicken boullion seasoning or cube
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 (10 oz) package of refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces

1. EXCLUDING THE BISCUITS put all ingredients in…
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
3. About an hour (give or take) before serving, remove chicken and pull into pieces and return to the soup mixture, place the torn biscuit dough in and cook until the dough is no longer raw in the center.
made chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight.