Mom's Apple Crisp

My mom always made apple crisp as I was growing up. I'm from a small town where apples are plentiful in the fall. Every year they would have the "Velarde Apple Fiestas." From this came an assortment of apple desserts. My mom said she got the recipe from there many years ago and it has been a staple at our family gatherings ever since! Mmmm..I'm having a piece as I blog! Enjoy :)

Mom's Apple Crisp



Topping: 
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 1/2 brown sugar
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans


Mix all the ingredients together until crumbly. Set aside. 



Filling:
12 yellow apples
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 - 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar


Peel and slice the apples. Place the apples in a pot with two cups of water and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the water from the apples reserving one cup of the juice. Place the apples and the one cup of juice back into the pot. Add the lemon juice, pineapple, flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter. Stir and cook for about 5-7 more minutes. Then place the apple filling in a glass 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle all of the topping over the apples and bake  for 30 minutes until crust is nice and golden. 


Mmmm...enjoy! 

Awesome Chicken Nuggets Recipe

This recipe for chicken nuggets was taken from Paula Deen and boy is it good! She uses crushed sour cream and onion potato chips as the breading and it gives such an awesome flavor! My kids ask me to make these all the time, a definite must try! By the way, don't skip the sauce, it really makes the dish!

Chicken Nuggets with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce


1 bag sour cream and onion potato chips (crushed as fine as you can get them so they will fully coat the chicken)
3 chicken breasts, cubed (or you can use chicken tenderloins)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Honey mustard dipping sauce, recipe below


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the eggs and milk in a shallow dish and also put the crushed chips in a separate shallow bowl. Make a little assembly line. Take the chicken, dip in the milk and egg mixture, then press into the chips to coat really well. Place the chicken in a single layer on a cookie sheets. Drizzle the tops of the chicken with melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes. 


Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce


3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon horseradish (I use the creamy kind from Kraft)
1-2 tablespoons orange juice


Stir together the mayonnaise, honey, mustard, lemon, and horseradish. Then stream in the orange juice to thin out the sauce to the consistency you like. Place in refrigerator until ready to use. 


*This recipe was tweaked a little from the original (I increased/decreased ingredients to what worked for me). You can find the original recipe on food network: 
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/chicken-nuggets-with-honey-mustard-dipping-sauce-recipe/index.html

Grandma's Apricot Bars

So my grandma is famous for her baked goodies but infamous for not measuring her ingredients, which makes it hard for me to replicate and archive! However, I got this one down pretty good! These are the best crumbly apricot bars you'll make at home! Mouth watering just thinking about them!

Apricot Bars

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 cups apricot preserves (you can try any fruit preserve, I just prefer homemade apricot when available)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt together. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add flour mixture and blend well. Press half mixture in bottom of 13x9 inch bar pan. Spread jam and then sprinkle with remaining flour mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until crust is golden.

Enjoy :)

Yummy Pasta Bake!

Need something warm and comforting and yummy all in a spoonful!?

Fear not! 

This easy-peezy Pasta Bake is ready in less than an hour and both adults and kids love it!

Pasta Bake

1 pound pasta (I use ziti or penne)

1/2 pound ground beef (or go meatless)

1/2 onion, diced

2 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 jar marinara sauce (I prefer Emeril Lagasse's marinara or make your own)

6 slices of provolone

8 ounces sour cream

2 cups mozzarella, shredded or sliced

basil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Cook pasta according to package directions. 

Cook ground beef in a skillet. Add onions, mushrooms, and zucchini and cook until tender. Add marinara sauce. Once the pasta is cooked and drained toss with the pasta sauce. In a 9x13 casserole baking dish put half the pasta then cover with the provolone slices. Now spread the sour cream over the provolone and put the remaining pasta in the dish. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and strips of basil. Bake for 25 min or until cheese is melty and bubbly. 

Enjoy :)

Keeping Bows/Barrettes Organized!

My daughter has a container full of little bows and barrettes for her hair. In an attempt to keep them organized we pinned a piece of ribbon on her vanity and clipped them all. Now they look nice, neat, and organized!!

Cake Deco..

As a way to make extra funds, I bake and decorate cakes! I didn't go to school or take classes for this, so it's not perfect but here they are! :)

You'll never eat fruit alone again ;)

This fruit dip is absolutely the best fluffy concoction. My sisters swear you don't even need fruit, just a spoon! Always a hit! 

Fluffy Fruit Dip

6 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. cool whip

small container of marshmallow fluff

An assortment of fruit (bananas, grapes, nectarines, and pineapple are my faves!)

Mix the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth, add cool whip, then add marshmallow fluff. Chill and serve with fruit.