Lots of Apple Recipes!

Since I just went to the apple orchard and since we have LOTS of apples, I thought I would post about some good recipes that I have made using apples!! These are all REALLY good recipes!

Apple Dumplings (from the kitchen of my friend Arlene)
2 tubes crescent rolls
2 Granny Smith apples (or whatever you have)
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8-12 oz. Mt. Dew (or Sprite, 7-Up, Squirt, Mellow Yellow)
Cinnamon

Peel and core apples. Slice into 8 pieces each. Roll up 1 slice in 1 triangle of crescent dough. Repeat with remaining fruit. Place in 13"x9" dish. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in sugar and vanilla. (Don't caramelize or dissolve completely. Keep it lumpy.) Pour over dumplings. Pour soda around contents of pan. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Bake @ 350 degrees for 40 minutes.


Apple Pie
1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 crusts)
6 cups peeled, cored, and sliced apples
3/4 cup plus 1 Tblsp. sugar, divided
2 Tblsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. apple-pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tblsp. butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 Tblsp. milk or cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fit 1 pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan. Mix apples, 3/4 cup sugar, flour, apple-pie spice and salt in large mixing bowl until apples are coated. Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie dish; spread evenly. Scatter butter pieces over top of mixture. Fit top crust over apple mixture. Wrap excess top crust under bottom crust around edges. Press edges together to seal; flute. Brush top crust with milk. Make slits in top crust with knife to create steam vents. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake pie until golden, 40-45 minutes.


Apple Crisp
4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cream or Ice Cream, if desired

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 8 inch square pan. Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples. Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream or ice cream.


Chicken Salad
2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped tart apple
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tsp. buttermilk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Croissants

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cherries, celery, apple and pecans. In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt, and pepper; add to chicken mixture an mix well. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad onto each croissant.

Locked out!

So, I went to the grocery store this morning -- my usual Wednesday morning routine. I did my shopping, paid for my groceries, put the groceries in the trunk of the car, went to put Isaac in the car and realized I had locked my keys in my trunk with the groceries!!! I couldn't believe it -- I have only locked myself out of my car one other time and that was almost 10 years ago! I felt so dumb. So, I had to call Jason and have him drive all the way from work to come and let us in the car. I couldn't call someone to just come get us -- my groceries were in the trunk! Thankfully, there was nothing that would get bad too soon and it was cool today so that helped too. I just hate when I do stuff like that -- I feel really stupid and I just want to kick myself!!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to a local Pumpkin Patch last night with several of our friends. It was a really fun time. Isaac loved all of the animals -- chickens, sheep, cows, horses, pigs. We could have just gone to a farm with animals and saved ourselves some money. But it was a good time.

We took a hayrack ride out to the pumpkins. We bought a few small pumpkins to do some fall decorating with.

Isaac is in to shooting guns right now. So, everything becomes a gun -- sticks, straw, or whatever else he can find!

To my Honey!

Happy Anniversary to my honey -- seven years!! I can't believe seven years ago at this time we were getting ready for our wedding. It was such a wonderful day -- I loved every minute of it. I'm so thankful that God chose to bless me with such a great and Godly man. I have enjoyed every day of being a wife and pray that I will continue to be the wife God wants me to be.

Picking Apples

My mom and I went today and picked apples. Isaac loved it. We came home with so many apples -- I think he could have picked them all day. I just made some apple crisp and I think next week I'll make a pie or something else. But I have ALOT of apples!! It was fun though and it was a BEAUTIFUL day!!

Bruschetta Recipe

My mom gave me this recipe yesterday plus tomatoes from her garden. So, we are going to try tonight at dinner -- but I have already taste tested it!! It is good.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup shredded mozzerella (or grated parmesan)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except cheese. Put on toasted bread and top with cheese.

Seven years

Jason and I are about to celebrate our Seven year anniversary on October 5th. I cannot believe we have been married seven years -- it has gone by so fast. We went out to dinner last night for our anniversary (I was going to take our picture to post on here but forgot -- and we were dressed up and everything). Anyways, we went to a really nice restaurant here. It was VERY expensive but it was so nice. The food was SO good -- I want to go back but I know it won't be for a LONG time because it is expensive. Everything is sold ala carte so just my steak alone with nothing else was $29.99!!!! I know -- crazy! So, we have leftovers that we brought home -- I can't wait to eat them for lunch today! :-)