Month: July 2011

Desserts

Upsidedown Apple Pecan Pie

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

I have joined a new recipe club that is just out of this world. When I saw this recipe, I knew it would become a favorite so wanted to share it with you….The new Recipe Club is “Just a Pinch” and I highly recommend that you check it out. The recipes there are so good and are quickly becoming ones that I am serving to company.
upsidedown apple pecan pie
Added by francine bryson [frannie] on Jun 24, 2010
francine from pickens, SC (pop. 17,837) says:
this is the pie i won the nc state grand prize apple cook off with . is looks like alot of a steps but its more simple than it sounds Cook time: 1 Hr Difficulty: MEDIUM
Prep time: 20 Min Serves: 8

Ingredients
– 2 store bought pie crust
– 6 c cored and sliced apples
– 1 1/2 c pecan halfs
– 1 stk butter, softened
– 1 1/8 tsp cinnamon, ground
– 1/2 tsp nutmeg – 1 1/2 c brownsugar
– 1/2 c white sugar
– 2 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh
– 3 Tbsp all purpose flour
– 1 Tbsp apple pie spice
– 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
1. rub soft butter on bottom and sides of deep dish pie pan , place pecans round side down till cover whole inside of pan, spread brown sugar till all nuts are covered , place one pie crust on top of nuts press till forms the bottom of pan set aside

2. in bowl place lemon juice, flour, spices, vanilla mix well, add sliced apples and toss till coated, pour into piecrust making as even as u can cover with other pie crust, fold over sides crimp together dont worry about looks this is the bottom of your pie poke holes at random with fork for steam

3. place in 450 oven for 10 mins reduce heat to 350 for 45 mins

4. remove from oven, let sit till the bubbling stops ( importiant = u must flip this over to serve while its still hot the pecans are the top of your pie should be very shiny and all pastry is covered serve warm with ice cream

Daily Thoughts

Friendship at Home

Chocolate Castles3 Comments

This was such a wonderful day. Fixed lunch for some friends today and instead of eatting and rushing out the door to go back to committments or errands, we actually sat around until almost four just visiting and talking. We learned alot from each other. One of the ladies is facing the “empty nest” season of her life and is anxious about what she will do with herself. One friend is wondering what career she will be studying for as she is single and knows that she will need to be doing something that will provide not only a living, but doing something that she loves. Another is enjoying the “golden years” of her life and was telling us about the neighborhood that she has lived in and the neighbors that are eager to help in return for her teaching them English. Another has been having health problems and is “coming back to life” after some months of some real pain. We all had stories that we shared, as we sipped on tea and cupcakes. There was enough food to send home with the ones who wanted to take chicken salad for sandwiches for their dinner. It was just so refreshing to sit and learn from ladies ranging in age from the middle 30’s to the late 70’s….it reminded me of stories I have read in magazines, that women used to take the time to do just what we did today. We were encouraging to each other, sharing stories of our families and our lives that hopefully might inspire each of us in our attempt to live our lives, to reach out to others. Thank you sweet ladies for staying and sharing. The laughter and the fellowship were refreshing! One of the ladies actually brought me vegetables from her garden. Another brought me a wooden spoon that her husband had made. Beautiful gifts, given from the heart…I think we all learned today that these are the times that grow us, not only in listening to friends, but makes us want to do this again.; very very soon……..This was not an afternoon in the South, it was in our home in California! They might not have Sister Schubert rolls here, but we did just fine without them today.

Desserts · Fruit

Emergency Fruit Crostatas

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WHen you hear that friends might be dropping by for a cup of coffee and you don’t have anything in the freezer, you can whip up these crostatas in a matter of minutes and they will think you have been under the direction of Paula Deen herself, all week…….This recipe actually comes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Pastry Queen, which comes from the Hill Country of Texas. I have used this cookbook over and over and the recipes have never failed to bring anything but highest raves from our family or friends. This recipe works well with almost any fruit you might have on hand, fresh, canned or frozen, but if you are using frozen, you need to defrost and drain thoroughly before placing them on the dough. Top with ice cream or whipped topping when serving and it makes a most wonderful addition to a cup of coffee, tea and great conversation.

1 cup sugar
2 cups flour (not self-rising)
1/4 teas salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled butter, cut into small pieces
4 tables ice water
1 cup fruit
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter baking sheet generously. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse together 1/2 cup of the sugar with the flour and salt. Add the butter and pulse 3 to 5 times, until mixture is crumbly. Pour the water through the feed tube, 1 tablespoon at a time and pulse until the dough begins to hold together. Remove the dough, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. (*if you are in a huge hurry, freeze the wrapped dough just long enough to prepare the fruit filling. It will be a little harder to work wtih, but its an acceptable trade-off when time is short).

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Use your hands to press the dough into 1/4″ thick rounds on the prepared baking sheet. Each round should be about 6 in in diameter. Open a can of fruit pie filling of your choice, peach, apple or cherry and spoon 1/4 cup fruit into the center of each of the crostatas, leaving an edge all around. * If using the peach or apple pie filling, I also sprinkle lots of cinnamon over the fruit and sugar. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 sugar evenly over the fruit on each crostata. fold the dough edges toward the center, making 3 searate flaps. With your thumb and forefinger, firmly pinch together the seams beteween the folds.
Bake the crostatas for 12-14 min until brown around the edges. Cool the crostatas on the baking sheet for no more than 10 min or they will be difficult to remove whole. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cakes · Desserts

Strawberries & Creme Cupcakes

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

I have missed writing on the blog since last Wed, but we had friends visiting from Texas and we played Tour Guide and Bed & Breakfast for some of our sweet friends we have known for over 30 years…..But….now back to routine and baking. Several ladies are coming over for lunch tomorrow so I wanted to make something new. After thinking about the heat (well, for here it is hot, 91 degrees) and how good strawberries always taste so good in the summer, I wanted to try something a little different. We are having a salad luncheon, so made homemade chicken salad and will put those into a cut tomato, beside spinach salad and grape salad (which is already on the blog). For dessert, we will have chocolate dipped strawberries alongside a french vanilla cupcake with strawberry glaze in the middle. Below is the recipe and they are delicious, already had to try one.

1 box Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix
1 box (4 oz) french vanilla instant pudding
4 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
Beat all ingredients until well blended, about 2 mins. Pour about 1 tablespoon batter into paper cupcake liners.
Place about 1 teas of Marie’s Strawberry glaze for strawberries (it comes in 14 oz tub alongside the fresh strawberries in the produce department) in the middle of the batter and then cover this mixture with enough batter to fill 3/4 full. Bake according to cupcake directions on box and then cool. Frost with the follow: and store in fridge after frosting, covered in tupperware or plastic tray

1 (1 lb) box powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 to 1/4 half and half or whipping cream (enough to get frosting to where it is of spreading consistency)
1 teas almond extract
Beat until smooth and frost cupcakes. When serving place chocolate covered strawberry beside cupcake on small plate and drizzle more of the strawberry glaze over the cupcake after removing it from the paper container.

Desserts

Lemon Fling

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Served this for dessert the other night when we had friends over and they really loved it. It is a great summer dessert, light and cold and we ended our Spaghetti and Meatballs dinner with it. It was a hit!
Ingredients for Crust:
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 sticks margarine

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Filling:
• 1 (8 oz. each) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 cups whipped topping
• 2 boxes (4 serving size) instant lemon pudding
• 3 cups milk
Preparation:
Crumble flour and butter together. Blend together and add the nuts;  press in bottom of a 9x13x2-inch pan. Bake 15 minutes at 375 °; let cool.
Cream confectioners sugar and cream cheese together. Add 1 cup whipped topping. Whip together and spread on cooled crust.
Mix 2 boxes of lemon instant pudding with 3 cups milk (do not follow the directions on pudding box). Pour over second layer and top with whipping cream*
Beat 2 cups heavy whipping cream with 1 cup powdered sugar and beat until thick. If you want the whipping cream sweeter, add more powdered sugar.

Breads · Meats

Homemade Pizza

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Wanted to share this with you. Last Wednesday, I went to our new grocery store that is absolutely wonderful. It made me feel like I was in Texas walking the aisles of Kroger, with the bright lights and wide isles. Oh to walk in a new grocery store is one of my favorite things to do. Just explore each isle and know that I will proably be taking home a new item, that I had never seen before. I was searching for the Sister Schubert Rolls, which were not there, but I am not complaining. I have learned to make do and have even made homemade rolls myself since the SS rolls are unavailable to us. But as I was walking through the deli, I spotted a bag of garlic-herb pizza crust. It was cheap and it looked just like what I would love to make for dinner. So I bought it and drove home all excited to make homemade pizza. It was so simple. I even threw it around in the air, just like you see them in pizza kitchens. I sauted 1/2 lb of italian sausage with onions and green bell peppers (you can adjust the amount you would want), with garlic and italian seasoning. While the meat mixture was cooking, I baked the dough for about 8-9 min after drizzling a little olive oil over it. Pulled it out of the oven and spread pizza sauce over the dough. Spread the meat mixture over the sauce and sprinkled 3 types of italian cheeses over this. Baked it for about 20 min at 375 until the cheese was bubbling. Took it out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 min. We thought it was one of the best pizzas we had eaten. So easy, took 30 min and was so inexpensive. Look in your deli/bakery for the dough which needs to be rolled out. Makes a great homemade pizza.

Daily Thoughts

Jay Leno, Here We Come

Chocolate Castles2 Comments

What a weekend! Tonight we have tickets to go to see Jay Leno so be looking for us. Looking back, I should have left my hair pink so maybe they would think we are younger than we look and pick us out to sit on the front row. We are wearing our Depends in case we do get up front and don’t want to look like “old foggies” that have to get up and head to the bathroom, halfway through the show. Ha. Tomorrow there is a huge car show in Glendale, which is the town right next to Pasadena and Paul Revere and the Raiders are singing on stage. Now, I know, they must be old, as they were singing when I was a teen ager. So Randy is all excited about tomorrow. Cars and Paul Revere, all in the same day. He has the whole day planned already. Luckily, since getting my hair cut yesterday, there is only about 2″ of hair on my head, so I can sleep a little longer as I won’t have to do anything to my it. Just get out of bed, shower and blow dry my hair, which should only take about 2 min…1 min per inch. My hair is officially shorter than Randy’s so it takes him longer to get ready than it does me. But….it makes the perfect cut for riding in a convertible. I have to tell you about last night. We go to eat our traditional Thursday night Mexican food but decided to try a different restaurant. When we pulled into the parking lot, they charged us $2.00 to park, so Randy pulls out $2.00 and hands it to the nice young man and he tells us where to park the car. After parking the car, we walked across the parking lot, having to pass the young man who took our money and Randy says to him, “does the $2.00 pay for you to watch our car to be sure nothing happens to it?” Oh my gosh, I was so embarrassed. The young man answered him by saying, “your not in Mexico sir, just a Mexican restaurant”…..I loved his comeback! But now I am too embarrassed to go back there, so guess we are now on another quest to find good Mexican food and hopefully we will be able to continue going back there unless Randy gets us thrown out of that parking lot.

Cakes · Daily Thoughts · Desserts

Exercise and Haupia Cake

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As you know, since we moved to California from Texas, we are living in our first condo and to say that we are pressed for space doesn’t really quite tell the whole picture. When you are used to those “big Texas houses with lots of storage” and move to a condo with one closet for the both of you, no pantry and sparce space for storing anything but cans of tuna, this was truly an “attitude adjustment” move. After selling everything we owned that was larger than a postage stamp, (well, not everything, I kept Randy and he kept me), we have had to be “creative” in how and where to store our necessary items for everyday living. We have crockpots and big serving dishes under beds and all the rubbermaid is in the utility closet, which also houses our washer and dryer, stackable of course. There is now the entire length of our hallway, shelves, full of cooking pots, pitchers, cookbooks, ice buckets, well, you get the idea. This all came to a head when the other night, with a housefull of guests (that was actually 4, which is all we can get in this place without making anybody sit on the potty, just to be able to sit during dinner) we were sitting down to eat, we discovered that I had not put out napkins. One of my sweet guests offered to go get napkins when I yelled, “NO NO” let me get them….I just didn’t have the heart to send her into the bathroom to look in the cabinet under the sink to obtain the dinner napkins. I was afraid that as she was digging through the rolls of toilet paper to get the napkins that she would discover the huge cans of tomato sauce that won’t fit into the cabinets in the kitchen, due to their height. So I ran to retreive the napkins, all the while smiling and saying, “oh my gooness, I needed to run to the “pantry” to get the new jar of parmesean cheese anyway, so I am glad to get the napkins”. As we finished dinner, the guests offered to help me clean up the dishes so we could play farkle (which is a whole other story sometime), but I didn’t want to tell them that they needed to be in great shape and were of the age that getting back up from being on their bellies on the floor, all the while pushing pans to the middle of the floor uner the bed, might be a little bit of a problem, so I just said, “oh no, lets not waste our precious time together, Randy will just help me later”. So we all gathered around the table and ended the evening with this great cake. The Haupia Cake. Bet you wondered how this story was going to finally get to the Haupia Cake, but we are almost to the recipe. I found this old recipe while going through some of our important papers, like wills, birth certificates, and old Southern Living magazines when I came across this recipe from years ago. It is such a moist, delicious coconut cake and you can leave in in the fridge a few days and it just keeps getting better and better. After I went to the garage to get my Kitchen Aid mixer out of the trunk of the car, I made this cake as a surprise for Randy, knowing he would love to have it as a dessert that night. He has been waking up at 5 every morning to go out walking. He and our friends loved the cake. He was so excited that in one sitting, he was able to put on the 5 lbs he had lost since walking. But what are cakes for? Since we are getting ready for out of town company, I need to go and move my cookie sheets out of the guests bed. Keeping them between clean sheets keeps the dust off very nicely and leaves me a little more room in my 2 kitchen cabinets for dishes I don’t have room for under the beds or in the bathroom. Need to leave a little space in there for the towels. So don’t ever let me hear you say you don’t have room to have people over for dinner. It just takes a little creativity…..and a cabinet in the bathroom!
Haupic Cake
Preheat overn to 350 Grease a 13 by 9″ pan
Prepare a yellow cake mix according to directions, baking it in the 13×9 pan. Cool completely and slice in half long ways to make two layers.
Prepare filling:
In a saucepan, mix 6 tablespoons cornstarch with 1 1/2 cups sugar. Stir in 3/4 cup water and a 12 oz. can of coconut milk. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Add 1 teas almond extract and 1 cup shredded coconut. Stire until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Spread filling between cake layers and on top of cake. Cool cake until the filling becomes firm.
When ready to serve, beat 1 cup heavy cream with 6 tables powdered sugar until it becomes stiff. Frost cake with the whipping cream and sprinkle shredded coconut over top. Refrigerate cake, keeping it covered.

Fruit

Lemon Breakfast Parfaits

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What a way to begin your day. These are something that you would see at a upscale restaurant. So easy and very good for you.

3/4 cup fat-free milk and dash of salt
1/2 cup uncooked couscous
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 cup lemon yogurt
1 tables honey
1/4 tsp grated lemon peel
1 cup sliced peeled kiwifruit
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh raspberries (or strawberries)
Chopped crystallized ginger and minced fresh mint
In a small soucepan, bring milk and salt to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 6-10 min ur until milk is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; cool.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, yogurt, honey and lemon peel. Stir in couscous.
Combine kiwi, blueberries and raspberries and spoon 1/4 cup into each of six parfait glasses.
Layer with couscous mixture and remaining fruit. Garnish with ginger and mint.

Meats

Pork Chops with Peppers and Onions

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4 boneless porkchops, about 1″ thick
2 tables olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 tables tomato paste
2 small red or yellow bell peppers, quartered and cut into 1/4″ slices
1 small onion, cut into 1/4″ slices
4 gloves garlic
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth

Warm oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season chops with salt and pepper, cook until browned 3-4 min per side. Remove chops and sat aside.
Add tomato paste to skillet and cook, stirring for 15 sec. Add peppers and onion to skillet. Season with Salt & pepper. Cook, stirring occasionaly until vegetables start to brown, about 3 min. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 min. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up and stirring in any browned bits in the skillet. Return chops to skillet, reducing the heat to low. Cover with lid and cook until internal chops temp reaches 160 degrees. (this will take about 20 min) Serve over rice.