Gingerbread Pancackes

This is another Holiday tradition for our family. I think every year I will make powdered sugar frosting to go with them and they are never around long enough. My 6 year-old son requested that I make them "everyday on Saturday." I think that means he liked them.

1c plus 2 T flour
1/3 c fine cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 c sour cream
3/4 c milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 1/2 T molasses
1/2 tsp vanilla

Sift flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt into a large bowl, you'll be adding the wet stuff in a minute. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs until frothy. Then whisk in the sour cream, milk, oil , molasses, and vanilla. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the liquid. Whisk batter until just combined. Set aside for 5 minutes. Heat a large skillet or your griddle, make sure to coat the surface with oil or nonstick spray. Cook each side until golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup, and applesauce. I've never tried it with applesauce, but I'm sure it's good.

*When I made these last weekend I substituted applesauce for the 1/4c oil and they were great, no one knew the difference and we saved a couple calories. Small victories!

Steve at Lunch

I thought all of you faithful followers should be rewarded by seeing just how Steve spends lunch time. Granted the day before this photo he had a fabulous lunch of Venison loin and mashed potatoes that he brought home untouched *growl* and today this is what he gets :)



Stay tuned gingerbread pancakes coming soon!

Apple Crisp

I have recently canned a MILLION apples. Everything from applesauce to apple rings and apple pie filling. My favorite had to be the apple pie filling because I use it to make apple crisp. I'll give the recipe for the pie filling and you can "jar" it or you might be able to figure out how to just make enough for one apple crisp.

7 qts peeled, cored, and sliced apples
4 1/2 c sugar OR 3 1/2 c white sugar 1c brown sugar (we used the option with the brown sugar)
1 c cornstarch
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 c water
3 Tbs lemon juice

Make syrup, combine sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and water, add lemon juice. Cook syrup until thick. Pour a little syrup int eh bottom of the jars. Fill jars with apples and really smoosh them in, leaving 1 in head space. Fill remaining space with syrup taking care to get all the bubbles out. Place lids and rings on. Process for 40 minutes in hot water. Let the jars sit in the bath for a while before you move them so they can seal properly.
*Note: Processing time is for 5000 ft. Please adjust to your altitude.

Apple Crisp

1 jar apple pie filling
8 graham crackers crushed (the squares, not the big ones)
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c oats (not instant)
1/2 c flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter

Place apples in a baking dish. Combine all remaining ingredients until coarse in texture and butter is evenly distributed. Sprinkle over the apples and bake at 350 for 30 mins.

Dutch Oven Lasagna

Dutch ovens are among the greatest inventions ever created. They are so versatile and make food so yummy. I took a dutch oven cooking class awhile back and learned a lot. FYI NEVER use foil when cooking with your dutch oven.

1 lb ground beef
1 onion
lasagna noodles UNCOOKED
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 large jar spaghetti sauce
1 container Ricotta cheese
1 soda can size of V8

Preheat your oven to 350. Cook ground beef and onion in the dutch oven on the stove. Remove meat mixture and set aside. Break your lasagna noodles to form a layer. Pour about half of the vegetable juice on top, then dollop the ricotta, half the meat and half the cheese, then pour sauce on top of that. then you will layer more noodles and more juice, ricotta, meat, cheese, sauce. Then put the dutch oven in the oven and let cook for about an hour. You can test it to see if it's done by poking a knife through the center. If the noodles give lots of resistance, you know it's not done.

*I love lasagna this way, it's different and super good. You could also make this on a campfire, super easy. Just remember to add about 12 coals to the top of your oven.

Red Candy Apples

This was the first time I tried this. It was totally out of desperation. It was the morning of my son's preschool Halloween party. I had NO candy. Just a bunch of leftover apples. I looked this up online and found I had everything. I held my breath as I started. I have heard horror stories. Amazingly enough there were no incidents. I think the trick is to be patient, don't try to rush it! Another important note: you need a candy thermometer, it's a must with this.

8-10 apples washed dried and stemmed

1. Corn syrup (1/2 cup)
   • Use light corn syrup if you want to color your coating.
2. Sugar (2 cups)
3. Water (3/4 cup)
4. Food coloring (if desired), (1/2 tsp)

Prep: Butter a cookie sheet. Put sticks in the bottom of your apples.

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Start to heat over medium-high heat, stay on the lower side of medium. Stir to dissolve sugar. You want all the sugar to dissolve before it starts to boil.

Once it's dissolved bring to a low boil. Keep it at the same heat, it will continue to get hotter. DO NO STIR!! Just let it go by itself. I kept coming back to make sure it wasn't morphing into a red monster or boiling all over my stove, it was fine.

Keep an eye on your thermometer and take the candy to 290 that's a soft crunch stage. Once it gets there take the candy off the heat and roll your apples around to coat and set on the cookie sheet to cool. They are ready to eat in just a couple minutes. Seriously they are beautiful and look impressive. Good luck!

*If you want to take it up one, right after you roll in hot candy you can roll the apples in nuts, candy, crunched up cookies, really anything that you think would taste good with your apple.
Recipe found on www.mahalo.com

Dinner in a Pumpkin

This is a seasonal favorite in our house. Every October we break it out. Steve loves it. The meat mixture is infused with the taste of the pumpkin while it cooks in the oven. So fun and so good. My only beef is the water chestnuts. I wish I could think of something else to use, just for a little variety. I don't mind them but something else might be fun too, what do you think?

1 large pumpkin large enough to fit the following:
1 onion, chopped
1 lb ground beef, cooked
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs brown sugar
1- 4oz can mushrooms (optional)
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
2 cups cooked rice
1- 8oz can sliced water chestnuts

Clean out your pumpkin and move your oven rack down. Start the rice. Heat a skillet and saute onion for 5 minutes and brown the beef. Combine cooked meat with all other ingredients and mix well, let heat through and fill up your pumpkin. Bake at 375 30 mins to 1 hour.

* The longer this cooks the softer the pumpkin will get. I like it a little soft but not to where it falls apart. I'm not gonna lie I've had gooey pumpkin on the bottom of my oven before so put it on a cookie sheet to bake!

Potato Bacon Soup

I have never been a huge fan of the potato soup but this one I liked. It may have had something to do with using home grown taters. It was super easy and there was just enough leftover for Steve's lunch.

1 large potato grated (the original recipe called for frozen hash browns)
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 c milk
1 small onion finely chopped
5 slices bacon
1-2 c cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Mix soup, milk, and water in a pot. Add has browns and onions. Just a side note, when this starts to warm it smells amazing. Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Cook the bacon to almost burnt. Drain and crumble into small pieces. Serve soup topped with cheese and bacon crumbles. Super yummy! yummy