My mom gave me the coolest thing ever from Willaims-Sonoma . She gave me a pumpkin and apple shaped "hand pie" press.



This is what the finished product looked like...not as great as the ones in the catalog, but I'm happy, and to be honest the pies didn't last long enough for it to matter too much. The great thing about these presses is that the kids are able to help (very easy to use).



Fancy, that yummy little pies that little hands can help to make. DeeLight

Comfort Food

Back to school, September, the slight change in temperature all make me think of fall. Which makes me think of "Comfort Food". You know the kind of food, that warms your soul, makes you think of childhood, and big family dinners. Well today I wanted to share a couple of recipes that are my kind of comfort food. The first recipe is a new recipe with familiar flavors, and the second is an old family favorite.

Upside Down Apple Ginger Bread Cake

I must admit I was a little sceptical about this recipe, I tend to use Southern Living, Martha Stewart, or Paula Deen type recipes. You know the kind loaded with fat!!! This recipe was found in The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook (I have had this book for years but never really used it). The results were fantastic!!! This cake is especially tasty served warm from the oven.

Any where there is an option given to use margarine or butter, I used butter. I don't even have margarine in my house. I know , I know butter is so, so fattening, but it's also so, so tasty!!!

1T stick margarine or butter melted

1/4 C packed brown sugar

2 C thinly slice peeled Granny Smith Apples

1 1/4 C all purpose flour

1t ginger

1t cinnamon

3/4 t baking soda

1/4 t nutmeg

1/8 t cloves

1/3 C granulated sugar

1/4 C stick margarine or butter, softened

1/3 C molasses

1 L egg

1/2 C plain fat free yogurt

1/3 C chopped pitted date ( optional)

3 T chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350

1. Coat bottom of 9 inch cake pan with melted butter.

Sprinkle brown sugar over butter.

Arrange apples spokelike over brown sugar.

2. Spoon flour into measuring cup; level with knife.

Combine flour and next 6 ingredients; set aside.

3. Beat granulated sugar and 1/4 C butter for 5 minutes on medium speed.

Add molasses and egg, beat well. Add flour mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition.

Stir in dates and walnuts if desired.

4. Pour batter over apple slices. Sharply tap pan on counter to remove any air bubbles.

5. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. Run narrow metal spatula around sides to loosen. Place plate upside down on pan; invert cake onto plate. Serve warm. Yield 8 servings.

This next recipe is an all time family favorite!!! I can remember my grandmother making it for family dinner, my mother has made it and still makes it for family dinner, and I make it quite often as well. It probably one of my husbands favorite foods, a real crowd pleaser!!!

Chicken and Noodles

Stew Chicken:

Whole cut up chicken with skin

celery

salt to taste

pepper to taste

cover with water

After chicken is cooked discard skin, bones, celery.

Chill broth, and skim fat.

Noodles:

3 eggs

6 T cream

3t salt

beat with whip

Add 1 1/2 C flour and blend

Work in more flour if needed to create a workable dough

Place dough on a floured surface and roll thin.

Leave the dough to dry 6-8 hours.

When dough is almost dry, slice into noodles.

Chicken and Noodles:

Bring broth to boil (add canned if you don't have enough)

Add noodles to broth, along with chopped chicken

Simmer about 8 minutes or until noodles are done.

Lower the temperature and add 2 T Butter, salt and pepper to taste, and milk or half and half to desired consistency.

This particular dish isn't very photogenic, but I promise the taste will not disappoint!!!

Fancy that, something new and something old, recipes just like new and old friends can bring comfort!!

DeeLight

What's For Dinner

School is back in full swing which means Girl Scouts, Piano Lessons, Soccer... So what's a mom to do about dinner?

PULL OUT THE CROCK POT!!!

I found a version of this recipe online, and made a few changes to simplify it, and make it more to the tastes of my family. It was sooooo easy and sooooo good!!!! I'm not just saying this, it really was good!

Crock Pot Tortellini

Brown:

1/2 lb ground beef

and

1/2 lb bulk sausage

(drain)

spray the inside of a crock pot with cooking spray

pour 2, 24 ounce jars of Marinara Sauce into crock pot

(I used Bertolli's 5 Cheese Sauce)

add the meat and cook on low for 6-8 hrs

(you could cook it for less time if you needed to)

15 minutes before serving add:

refrigerated tortellini

(I used one regular sized pkg and one small pkg of cheese tortellini)

1-2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

If the sauce seams to thick you can add chicken broth or water

Let cook for the remaining 15 minutes and serve!!!

Yummy Stuff!!!!

Fancy That, something yummy from the crock pot on a busy school night!!!

Dee Light

Milk and Cookies Anyone?

My littlest helper and I have been making cookies. Oatmeal Raisin Cookies to be exact!!!

(This recipe was adapted from a Martha Stewart Recipe for Mixed Fruit and Nut Cookies.)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2 1/4 c flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 C butter

1 C light brown sugar

1/2 C granulated sugar

2 L eggs

1 t Vanilla

1 1/2 C coconut

2 C oatmeal

1 1/2 C raisin bran

1/2 C raisins

Combine flour, soda ,and salt. Set aside.

Cream butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Add Flour mixture, beat on low.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Drop onto greased cookie sheet. I usually flatten them a little.

Bake at 350 degrees to desired doneness (8-10 minutes).

Fancy That, a glass of milk and an oatmeal raisin cookie. Yum, Yum!!!!

DeeLight

Sand Plum Jelly

There is nothing like homemade jelly. It's not just the taste, it's the process. I like knowing that I'm making something that my great grandmother, grandmother, and mother made. I do a lot of cooking, but there's just something about jelly, the boiling pots of juice the fruit jars and lids...I just don't know what it is about jelly.

Here are the fruits of my labor. I don't do anything fancy, I just use SureJell. I have tried other ways but SureJell is my favorite.

Fancy That, a homemade jar of jelly!!

DeeLight

T-shirt and Cupcakes

Okay, I haven't done the jean jacket. I did however embroider a T-shirt for my daughter this morning. She wore it to school today so I didn't have time to take a pic of it, but I will. I am making cupcakes again another recipe from the Cake Dr. If they are good I will post the recipe on Wed. Well I have got to check the cupcakes so I will blog later.
Fancy that a T-shirt and cupcake all in the same day,
Dee Light

Cupcakes

Blogging is new to me, but my friends assure me it is something I will enjoy.

I made the best cupcakes yesterday and let my daughter frost, and decorate them after school.
I made them from a recipe found in "Cupcakes From The Cake Doctor" cook book. The recipe was so easy.

Cupcakes
1 pkg plain yellow cake mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz.) vanilla instant pudding
1 C whole milk
1 C vegetable oil
4 L eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 t almond extract ( I was out of almond and used 2 t vanilla)

place cake mix and all other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix for 30 seconds on Low and scrape down the sides. Continue mixing for 2 min. scraping the sides as needed. Scoop 1/3 cup of batter into each paper lined muffin cup filling almost to the top. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Gently loosen the cupcakes from the pan with a knife if needed ( I had to loosed the tops as they had risen over the top of the paper liner and were slightly touching the pan). Let the cupcakes cool and frost with your favorite frosting.

I make a butter cream frosting and add about 1/4 cup of creams cheese. That keeps it from being too sweet. You can add 1/2 cup of unsweetened Cocoa powder for chocolate butter cream.

Frosting
1 stick of butter
1/4 C of cream cheese
3 C confectioners sugar (give or take)
3 t milk
1t vanilla

Yum! Yum! Fancy That a fabulouse cupcake made from a mix.