Perfect Apple Crisp

Not going to lie. This WAS pretty perfect. Perfect crunchy top. Perfect warm and gooey apples. Just...perfect! And the best part? Super easy to make!

The Perfect Apple Crisp

as seen on The Girl Who Ate Everything, adapted from Allrecipes,

Ingredients

10 cups all-purpose apples, peeled, cored and sliced (I used about 6 Granny Smith apples)

3/4 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups quick-cooking oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, nutmeg, and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples.

3.Combine the oats, 2 cups flour, brown sugar, pecans, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Recipe: FAIL

I am posting this because, well, we have all had these.

You stumble across an amazing recipe. Pork and apples are an amazing combo. You are positive it is going to be a sure-fire hit.

And disaster strikes.

I had stumbled across this recipe probably two years ago, and since I am attempting to incorporate new recipes each week, I decided to give it a whirl.

This was the result:
A mass of pork and apples, blackened on the sides and a giant ball of mush within. Not to mention totally and completely flavorless.

I am posting the recipe to see if anyone has suggestions for ANOTHER recipe (and it does not have to be a crock pot recipe) involving pork and apples. Or perhaps an idea of where the hell I went wrong.

Crock-pot Pork Tenderloin with Apples

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. lean pork tenderloin

2 large Granny Smith apples, chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1 bunch green onion with 3" greens, thin sliced
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon balsamic or cider vinegar

Directions:
Trim excess fat from the pork and slice in 1 1/2-inch pieces.
Place pork slices in the crock-pot with the remaining ingredients, mixing to combine.
Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours (and I turned off my crockpot at 6.5 hours).

Fall Harvest Bread

Pumpkin and apples. Perfect! Katie recently posted an updated version of this on her blog with fresh cranberries and pecans and I think I am going to give it a whirl this weekend! I still have some granny smiths in the fridge so why not? And seriously. The lighting in my kitchen SUCKS.

Fall Harvest Bread
adapted from RecipeZaar, discovered on Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 can (or 7.5 oz) canned pumpkin
2 large eggs
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. applesauce
1/4 c. apple juice (I did not have any, but used apple cider!)
1 small apple (I like granny smith) peeled, cored, and diced

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Spray 9x5 loaf pan (or can sub muffin pan or double recipe for cake/bundt pan) with pam with flour for baking -- or grease and flour.
-Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in bowl.
-Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, oil, applesauce, and juice in large bowl.
-Mix until just blended.
-Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture and stir until just moistened.
-Fold in apples.
-Spoon batter into prepared pan (it will be all lumpy - don't worry).
-Bake for 60-70 minutes or until wooken pick inserted into center comes out clean.

Apple Biscuit Bars

These were awesome. The apple filling was perfectly cinnamony and the biscuits were not too sweet and moist as can be. The perfect after-dinner dessert, and since it is only an 8x8 pan, we did not have a ton of leftovers to tempt me this week!

Apple Biscuit Bars

courtesy of Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
2 ½ c. flour
½ c. sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, chilled.
¾ c. milk
1 tsp vanilla

6 small apples, peeled, cored and diced
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 packet gelatin

1 egg white
raw sugar

Directions:
-In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
-Whisk to combine and cut butter into dry ingredients until pieces about pea-size.
-Add milk and vanilla and mix lightly until combined into a soft dough.
-Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
-Meanwhile, combine apples, sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice in saucepan over medium heat.
-Cook, stirring occasionally until apples soften well, about 20 minutes.
-Stir in gelatin, boil for 30 seconds and move from heat and set aside to cool.
-Preheat oven to 425 degrees and prepare an 8x8 pan.
-Remove dough from fridge, divide in half, and spread half of biscuit mixture into bottom of baking pan.
-Spread apple mixture over top of biscuit mixture.
-Roll out remaining biscuit dough, place on top of apple mixture.
-Brush with egg white, sprinkle with raw sugar and place into oven to bake.
-Bake until biscuit top turns slightly golden brown and center is bubbling, about 25 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Notice the layers...YUM!

Taffy Apple Salad

My aunt made this salad when she was visiting from Idaho and I could have eaten it all. It became the salad I brought everywhere this summer and without fail, it was always a hit. I made it to bring to a surprise party tonight and thought it was too good a recipe not to post. It looks totally weird in the pictures....and speaking of which, WTF is wrong with my picture taking skills lately??



Taffy Apple Salad



6-7 Red Delicious Apples

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained (I also sometimes use a large can of chunk pineapple, drained)

1 jar lightly salted peanuts

1 bag bite-size Snickers

1 large container Cool Whip




-Cut apples into bite-sized pieces. Add pineapple and almost all the peanuts..

-Quarter Snickers and add to apples. Mix in Cool Whip.

-Garnish with leftover peanuts. Chill until serving.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars

One again, this recipe is courtesy of Katie at Good Things Catered. Does this girl rock, or what?? This are delicious and so spicy and apple-y that it makes a perfect fall dessert! And I apologize for the terrible pictures. It was dusk and the lighting was terrible.

Apple Spice Cookie Bars
from Good Things Catered

Ingredients:
2 c. plus 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
small pinch ground cloves
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 apples, cored and diced (a little less than 2 c.)
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9x13 pan with foil and baking spray.
-In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.
-Whisk to combine well and set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugars and butter and beat on medium high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
-Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to combine.
-Add vanilla extract and beat to combine.
-Turn mixer on slow and fold in flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
-Fold in apples.
-Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan and sprinkle top generously with cinnamon sugar.
-Place in oven and bake until cooked through, when top slightly bounces back to the touch, about 30 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan, cutting and serving. (bars will be very soft)

Fruit Salsa

Last year, one of my classmates in my graduate class made this when we visited her school and if I would not have looked like a heathen, I would have taken a spoon to the bowl. I have given the recipe out so many times because everyone always loves it so much!

Fruit Salsa

In a bowl mix:

4 Red Delicious Apples, cut to tiny pieces

2 Kiwi, skin removed, cut to tiny pieces

One bag frozen strawberries, chopped (again to tiny pieces)

Add to fruit:

Juice of one orange

2 heaping TBSP apple jelly

4 TBSP brown sugar

Mix everything together. I usually prep this the night before to let the flavors come together. Serve with cinnamon sugar pita chips. You can buy them (Athenos makes a great one) or make them. Making them is a HUGE PITA so I often just buy them.

Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips

Brush flour tortilla with butter and cut into chips (whatever size you desire). Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven until crispy.

Recipes: Potato Soup and Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce

It was a chilly, rainy day in Cleveland today. No snow, but the perfect day for some comforting soup. My friend Holly made this awesome potato soup the other day for our department's 14 days of Christmas lunches, and I stole her recipe (although I attempted to lighten it up a bit)

Holly's Fab Tater Soup

-6 leeks, chopped (white and light green parts)

-2 Spanish onions, chopped (I only used one)

-Saute leeks and onions in one stick of butter until onions are transparent (I used half a stick of butter and some EVOO instead).

-Add approx. 12 potatoes, cut up. Cover with chicken broth and cook on medium-high until potatoes are tender (Holly uses Yukon Gold, I used regular old Idaho because they were on sale).

-When taters are cooked, mash with a hand masher

-Add approx. 3 cups heavy cream (I used fat free half and half) and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

-Serve with sourdough bread

Seriously, it was awesome. I made it early in the afternoon and then reheated it after we got home from the choir concert at school. It was SUPER thick by the time we ate, so when we eat the leftovers tomorrow, I plan on adding a smidge more chicken broth to thin it out a bit. I chunked up the sourdough (as directed by Holly) and we used them as croutons.

I wanted something sweet later on, so whipped up this recipe from Weight Watchers, Baked Apples with Vanilla Sauce.

Ingredients:

4 apples, cored

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 C Splenda

1/4 C water

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 oz (about 2 T) sugar-free fat-free instant vanilla pudding mix

3/4 C fat free milk (I definitely needed to add more milk, because it was WAY thick)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a peeler, peel a 1/2 inch horizontal strip[ around apples to help release juices during baking. Place apples in a baking dish. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon, ginger, and Splenda. Place 1 T of cinnamon mixture in cored-out center of each apple; sprinkle remaining cinnamon mixture over apples. C ombine water and lemon juice and pour around apples. Bake until apples are soft when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven an d let cool. Pour pudding mix into a bowl and whisk with milk . Drizzle over apples and serve.

Dinner for Two

Last Friday, Chuck and I had a lovely evening at home. We did not have the kids so I wanted to try out some new recipes. I had my first attempt at homemade foccacia bread, italian sausage and pepper pasta from Weight Watchers, and a fantastic fall pie from Good Things Catered. We watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,which sucked, and just enjoyed a much-needed relaxing night at home. The pasta was AMAZING and made a HUGE ammount. We ate leftovers all weekend!

Italian Sausage and Pepper Pasta (courtesy of Weight Watchers)

• 1/2 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, Italian-style, casings removed
• 2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin
• 2 medium yellow pepper(s), cut into 2-inch long thin strips
• 1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup(s) red wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted recommended
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste
• 1/4 tsp table salt
• 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fusilli
• 1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
  
  
• Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat with back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove to a plate.
  
  
• Heat oil in same skillet. Add yellow peppers and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lightly colored and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
  
  
• Add wine and garlic; cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt and browned sausage; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is heated through, about 10 minutes.
  
  
• While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sauce and basil; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving.

My foccacia bread was a random recipe off the internet...I want to try a different one. This was really good, but not what I was looking for.


I plan on making this pie for Thanksgiving and wanted to give it a whirl.

Autumn Apple Pie

Ingredients:
1 recipe basic pie dough
9 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1/4 c. golden raisins (I did not add these because I did not have any)
1/4 c. dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. granulated sugar
4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 egg, beaten
raw sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
-Roll out 1/2 of basic dough recipe into disk about 1/4 inch thick and 2 inches wider than the pie dish.
-Gently fold in half, then in quarters, place into pie dish and unfold evenly pressing into all edges of dish.
-Place dish into fridge.
-Roll out other half of pie dough to the same thickness.
-Using a small cookie cutter, cut the dough spacing each cutout about 1/2 inch apart.
-Place top and cutouts in refrigerator.
-Meanwhile, in a large pot, place apples, raisins, cranberries, sugars, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and cornstarch over medium low heat.
-Stir, cover and cook until apples begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes. (I overcooked mine, so they were mushy)
-Remove top of pan, stir and continue cooking uncovered until begins to thicken, about 2-3 minutes.
-Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice, and let cool completely.
-Place baking sheet in oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Remove pie dough from fridge and pour in pie filling, leveling top of filling.
-Top filling with cutout dough piece and trim ends.
-Brush bottom of cutout pieces with beaten egg, and place on edge of pie.
-Brush top of pie dough with beaten egg.
-Place tin foil loosely around edge of pie (or use pie protector) and place in oven on preheated baking sheet.
-Cook until pie dough is cooked through and middle is bubbling, about 60 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.
(Mine is DEFINITELY not as pretty as Katie's!)