Carmel Apples

At one of our annual girl parties. My Aunt took me with her into a candy shop in the mall and I came out with a carmel apple that had been dipped in carmel, white chocolate and then rolled in cinnamon sugar. To say the least it was DELICIOUS!
There are a few foods I have had in my life that I haven't been able to forget. This was definitely one of them. I will fill you in on the others another time. (Just remind me to tell you the sad story about a chocolate rice crispy at Disney World.)

This summer I happened upon a chocolate store when me and the fam were doing a little outlet shopping. Boy, was I thrilled, to see the same apple in their window. I bought one and it was as good as I remembered. Ever since, I have been dying to try making one myself. I finally got around to it this weekend, and I have to say, it was DELICIOUS!!! You have got to try it! This was the first time I have ever attempted dipping apples like this and lets just say I learned ALOT!

I made three atempts at dipping before realizing what wasn't working. Instead of telling you the things that didn't work. I will make this easy for you and tell you what did work. After melting both the carmel and the white chocolate, I let it cool until it was almost room temperature. (I added a few Tbsp of water to my carmels.It made my carmel too runny. You may not need to let yours cool so long if you don't add water to it.) Once my carmel had cooled off, I used a spoon and smeared the carmel all the way around the apple. Following that I used another spoon and smeared white chocolate around the carmel and then quickly rolled the apple in cinnamon and sugar. This way worked great. I think my carmel and chocolate were too warm for my first attempts.

I had a few different things I used for toppings. I rolled some in crushed Oreo cookies. I also did one in just carmel and mini M&M's. Sliced almonds looked pretty nice around the bottom of one with carmel and white chocolate, but my favorite were the "apple pie," carmel, white chocolate, cinnamon sugar ones. YUM YUM YUM! My little boy thought it was really fun and could hardly wait for me to quit taking pictures so he could eat one.

If you want to make these you will need:
Apples (I like granny smith and honey crisp)
1-2 bags of wrapped carmels
6 squares of almond bark or white chocolate chips
Toppings (cinnamon sugar, crushed oreos, mini m&m's, reeses pieces, cut up peanut butter cups, sliced or crushed nuts of your choice, or whatever else sounds good to you.

Wax papper

Unwrap all the carmels and put them in a 2 quart sauce pan. Heat the carmel on low stirring often so it won't scorch. You may need to add 1 Tbsp of water to make the carmel a little easier to work with. Don't add more then one or it will be too runny like mine.

Heat 6 squares of almond bark in the microwave in 30 second intervals stirring in between until it is smooth.

Prepare toppings and put them out evenly on plates.

Depending on the consistency of your carmel you might have better luck dipping instead of spreading. However, The carmel needs to be quite cool or the white chocolate will melt off.

Get creative and have fun. These apples are soooooo Yummy.

Apple Crisp

I love to make this when I have an abundance of apples on hand. It is also a great way to get rid of the apples in your fridge that are about to get to the "I'm not eating that" stage.
Filling:
3-4 cups sliced apples (I like the granny smith because they are tart, but any variety will work)
2 Tbspwhite sugar
2 Tbsp flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Dash of lemon juice
Mix together and place in a 9×13 buttered baking dish.

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
¾ cup flour
1 cup quick oats, heaping (old fashioned oats work also, it will just have a little different texture.)
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 cube butter, softened
Mix all dry ingredients and then cut or crumble the butter into the mixture. (I just workit in with my hand.) Sprinkle over apples and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. You can use the same crumble mixture on top of almost any fruit. We like to do peaches and blueberries. It is also great with black berries. (You do not need to add the sugar and flour mixture to any fruit except apples.)

Chedder Broccoli Soup

I like this recipe because it is quick, simple, tasty, and less fattening then recipes that use cream. Technically you could substitute cream for the milk and evaporated milk if you want a richer, "creamier" soup. As long as you don't mind adding a few hundred more calories per serving. :)

1-2 large bunches of fresh broccoli, chopped (you can substitute a 1 lb. bag of frozen broccoli)
½ cup chopped onion
2-3 tsp chicken bullion (2-3 cubes)
2 Tbsp butter
¼ cup flour
1 cup milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups grated cheddar or colby jack cheese
Pinch dry mustard

Put chopped broccoli and onion in a 2 -3 quart sauce pan. Barely cover vegetables with water. Add the chicken bullion. Add salt and pepper if desired. Bring to a boil and then simmer until broccoli and onions are tender. In a separate sauce pan melt butter and whisk in the flour to create a rue. Continue whisking the rue for about 30 seconds. Add the regular milk while you continue to whisk the rue until it turns into a smooth white sauce. Add the white sauce to the broccoli and onions. Stir, and then add the can of evaporated milk. Add the pinch of dry mustard. Simmer for 20 minutes. Five minutes prior to serving stir in the cheese. More milk can be added for a thinner soup. Works great in bread bowls.

Chicken Wonton Salad

This recipe came from my sister’s friend Joy McClean. It is so stinking good! When I make it, I eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner until it is gone. Trust me, you will love this. It is especially good in the summer time.

2-3 lb cooked chicken, shredded (I like to wrap it in tinfoil with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and paper and bake it for 30-40 min on 350)
2 heads iceberg lettuce
1/3 package wonton squares (sometimes I use more like 1/2 the package, I really like crunchy stuff) You can freeze the uncooked wonton squares for next time. I have also used egg roll wrappers before. They are made of the same stuff so it doesn’t matter.
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

1. Toast sesame seeds or buy pre-toasted sesame seeds
2. Fry wontons in a small amount of oil; drain on paper towels(I rip them in 1 or 2" thick, rough strips before I throw them into the oil.)

Dressing:
½ cup sugar
½ cup white vinegar
5 tsp salt (I do 3 tsp)
1 tsp. Accent seasoning salt (I use McCormick Seasoning Salt)
boil until dissolved, cool.
ADD:
½ tsp pepper
½ cup salad oil (vegetable oil)
MIX well.

Toss lettuce, wontons, sesame seeds, chicken and dressing when ready to serve (wontons will go soggy if mixed too soon). I keep everything seperate and just mix it right before I eat it. Sometimes I put sliced green onions in it if I have them laying around. If you like cilantro you could also toss a little of that in to and it would be really yummy.

Crescent Shaped Dinner Rolls

I make these all the time. The hardest part is waiting for them to rise.

4 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup melted shortening, cooled
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 1/2 c. flour (I do half white half wheat)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add all other ingredients. Stir and let rise 2 hours (real sticky dough). Split in half. Place one half on a heavily floured surface. Roll out into a circle. Brush with melted butter. Cut into 12 slices pizza style. Roll from large end to small to make a crecent roll.

Curve ends slightly. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat with other half of dough. Brush rolls with butter. Let rise 1 hour. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Makes two dozen rolls.

*I have also used these for little sandwiches at baby or bridal showers.

Coconut Curry

If you like curries, you will love this!

--and it is not too spicy for kids--

COCONUT CURRY
1 1/2 lb chicken or pork (I use Chicken) cut into chunks
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can coconut milk (14 oz.)
1 large onion, chopped in to 3/4″ pieces
1 or 2 red bell pepper chopped into 3/4″ pieces
2 medium carrots, julienned and cut to 2″ length (julienned means cut into skinny long pieces like straws.)
1 can sliced water chesnuts
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 Tbsp grated ginger or 1 tsp. ground ginger powder. (I use a little less then a tsp.)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (can do more or less depending how much heat you like. For kids I would suggetst just a couple shakes-1/8 tsp)

THERE IS A LOT OF *CHOPPING INVOLVED IN THIS RECIPE, BUT IF YOU ARE A FOOD NERD LIKE ME, YOU THINK IT IS FUN!

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Braise the chicken at medium-high heat, turning to brown all sides.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken into a large sauce pan, leaving the oil in the frying pan. Shake the can of coconut milk before opening. Add to the chicken and place the saucepan on memdium heat.(sorry I forgot to take a picture of the sauce pan with the chicken bathing in the coconut milk.) Add the vegetables and all spices to the fying pan. Stir well. Saute until the vegetables start to brown.

(I had to saute my carrots seperately because my pan was too small. If your pan seems too full, do the sauting in two batches.)Transfer the vegetable mixture into the sauce pan, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes. Serve over white rice. (If your curry seems a little thick you can thin it out with more coconut milk or chicken broth. Sometimes I add 1/2 cup of hot water and 1/2 a chicken bullion cube.)

…Serves 6-8.

*Sometimes I can find a fajita peppers and onions mix on sale in the freezer section at the grocery store. They all ready have cumin and chili powder in them. I have used them in place of the peppers, onions, chili powder and cumin before and it turned out great and was less work.

Carmel Crunch Corn Puffs

This works great on regular popcorn too. Just be careful when you make it, it is addicting and you won’t be able to stop eating it.

1 bag puff corn
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. vanillapinch salt
1/4 tsp baking soda

Combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, vanilla and salt in saucepan. Boil 4-5 minutes, stirring continually (I usually only do 4 minutes.) Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Mixture will foam. Pour over puff corn in a large roaster that has been well greased. (I use a cookie sheet and try to be careful not to dump to much over the edge when I turn it). Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool on a cookie sheet or wax paper. (I am usually not patient enough to wait the whole hour. It still turns out great if you only do 30 minutes in the oven and turn twice.)

Chilli and Bean Taco Meat

I am always trying to figure out how I can add a little more nutrition to my meals and also keep them cheap and tasty. Beans are a great source of fiber and protein and make a great filler for things like chili and taco meat. I use this meat mixture for Navajo Tacos and for Haystacks. Haystacks are just like Navajo Tacos but you put corn chips on the bottom instead of a scone. You can just use chili for the meat mixture on the tacos, or even just plain homade refried beans, but this is our favorite way to eat them.

1 can of your favorite chili or 2 cups of leftover homade chili
1/2 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/4 cup water
1 can refried beans or 2 cups homade refried beans

Combine cooked ground beef, taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add chili and then stir in the refried beans. You may need to add more water. You want it to be the consistancy of chili. Once it is all combined heat through and serve as haystacks or navajo tacos.

Scone Dough (Navajo Tacos)

Okay people. I am a sucker for a good scone! And these are the bomb. Got the recipe from my sister Merry.

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. powdered milk (if you don’t have powdered milk just do 3/4 cup warm milk and 3/4 water instead of 1 1/2 cups warm water. I put the milk in the microwave to warm it up.)
1 tsp. salt
4 cups flour (I use at least 1 cup wheat flour)
Deep pan for frying with 1-2 inches of oil.

Let yeast disolve in water and milk, add honey, stir in dry ingredients, let rise until doubled. Pull off pieces, pat flat with floured hands and fry in oil, in a frying pan until golden brown on both sides. Serve as Navajo Tacos by layering with, cheese, Chili mixture, Lettuce, tomato, sour cream, green onions, salsa, and anything else you like. You can also just serve them with soup or with butter and honey, or butter and cinnamon and sugar. YUMMMMO!!!

Party Slush

3 packages any flavor koolaid
3 cups sugar
3 quarts of water
1 cup of pinapple juice
Sprite or 7-up

Combine all the ingredients in a freezer safe container. Ice cream buckets work well. You can split it into two things if you don’t have a large enough container. Mix it really well until all of the sugar is dissolved. Freeze until solid. Usually takes at leat 24 hours so you need to make it in advance. Take it out 2-3 hours before you need it and start chopping at it to break it up. Once it is slushy, add Sprite or 7-up and serve. I like a 3:1 ratio of slush to sprite because I like my slush thick. You are supposed to do 2:1.
You can use all one flavor of Koolaid or mix them to make a specific color or flavor. Lime by itself is really good. We also like strawberry, orange and lemonade mixed together (that is what I had at my wedding). Tropical punch, orange and lemonade are really great together too. This is super fun for b-day parties, baby showers or just a refreshing summertime drink.

Spinach Salad

I do a variation of this salad at least three times a week. The best part is you can add or subtract about anything and it is still going to taste fabulous. I buy the huge bag of spinach at Costco and it lasts a week or two. It is also way easy to take to dinners or pot lucks.

Spinach
1 small Johnny Gold apple, chopped
1/2 and english cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup grated motzarella cheese
1/3 cup craisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup thin sliced red onion

VARIATIONS:
Add cubed cooked chicken or canned chicken to make it a meal
Add a couple chopped hard boiled eggs
Use sliced grapes instead of craisins
Crush pistachios instead of sliced almonds
Add halved grape tomatoes
Add skinned grapefruit or orange chunks
Add chopped avacado
Add diced pear instead of apple
Basically look in your fridge, see what you have, and throw it all together.

Fill a LARGE salad bowl 3/4 of the way with spinach. Add toppings. Dress salad with poppy seed dressing (just enough to coat) and toss. See recipe in post below for poppy seed dressing.

Poppy Seed Dressing

I just love love love this dressing. Did I mention I love this dressing. I have always been a ranch girl but I have to admit I think I am starting to prefer poppy seed. The best part about this dressing is it is so easy to make and as long as I have poppy seeds around I always have all the ingredients.

1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dry mustard (If you don't have dry mustard, just squirt a little regular in there.)
If you have a handy dandy tupperware salad dressing shaker thing just put all the ingredients in and shake well. If you don’t you can use a quart jar and do the same thing. Just shake really well each time before you use it because the oil seperates.

Easy Crock Pot Fajitas

This recipe couldn’t get any easier. And to top it off it is super good! If you feel like you don’t know how to cook, start with this recipe and you will feel pretty proud of yourself. You could also use this meat mixture for a yummy taco salad.

2-3 large chicken breast
1 can pinto beans (Don’t drain) or two cups cooked pinto beans + 1/3 cup water
1-1/4 cup salsa (I like to use 1/2 red salsa and 1/2 green salsa)
1 large onion sliced wedge style (optional)
1 green or red pepper sliced wedge style (optional)
Tortillas
In a large crock pot add chicken (may be frozen,) beans and salsa. Cook on Low 6-8 hours or high 4 hours. You want the chicken shred easily. If you want onion and green pepper in it, add them about 1-2 hours before you plan on serving the meal. You can put them in earlier they just get soggy. Using two forks shred the chicken. Serve in tortillas with your favorite toppings. We like: Sour cream, salsa, grated cheese, tomato, lettuce, and olives.