Lemon Pepper Pasta with Capers

Lemon Pepper Parmesean Pasta with Capers

6 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 tblsp lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup parmesean cheese
1/4 cup capers
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
12 ounces dried pasta
1 cup broccoli (steamed)
1 cup chicken (cooked & cut into bite sized pieces.)

1. Cook the garlic and lemon zest in the butter and oil, watch it to keep it from browning.
2. When the garlic is soft, add the broth and turn the heat to high; simmer until reduced by half & then add the cream, parmesean cheese and capers. Turn the heat back to medium and simmer until thickened.
3. Cook the pasta according to directions (i use corkscrew pasta- nom) and drain. Toss the pasta with the broccoli, chicken & lemon caper sauce.

Serves 5-6

Enjoy!!!

Chewy Apple Cookies

thanks to my overzealous apple picking adventures the other day, i have an ABUNDANCE of Cortland apple- just sitting here...begging to be cooked.

sooooo, cookie! and not cakey cookies either, chewy, COOKIE cookies! :)


Chewy Apple Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter softened
2 2/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp apple pie spice
2 cups chopped apples + 4 tbls butter & 2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.
Peel and chop the apples- saute in butter & cinnamon until soft (about 5-7 min) let cool.

Cream together the shortening, butter & brown sugar. Add the eggs one at a time & then the milk. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, apple pie spice, ground cinnamon, allspice & ground nutmeg. Add to the wet mixture & then stir in apples.

Using a small ice cream scoop; drop spoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 8-10 min. Remove from oven, let sit on the cookie sheet for abot 2 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!

The Best Apple Crisp

The Best Apple Crisp:

5-6 apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces (I used Cortland)
3 tbsp. sugar (i used 1-2 tblsp Turbinado sugar as well)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/3 c. flour
1 1/3 c. light brown sugar
1/3 c. old-fashioned oats
2/3 c. chopped pecans (optional- i left them out)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 stick of melted butter

Preheat oven to 350. Peel and slice the apples then toss them with the granulated sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon. Set that aside.

Toss all the dry ingredients together until they're well mixed, and then add the melted butter. Mix until the crisp topping looks like crumbs- big crumbs.

Toss a few of spoonfuls of the topping mixture into the apples and mix them together. Heap the apples into a buttered 9x9 dish (or bowl) and press the crisp topping on top. Bake forabout 50-55 min until the topping is brown and the apples are bubbly.

Serve with vanilla ice cream (or whipped cream or cool whip- etc etc) and enjoy.

FYI: it's ADDICTIVE! i sent the bowl wo work with the husband & he said it was gone in 4 minutes! dangerous.

God Bless

Jewish Apple Cake

Jewish Apple Cake:

5-6 apples (i use a mix of cortland, macintosh & granny smith)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional- i leave out)

Preheat oven to 350
Grease a tube pan (i use Bakers Joy)

Peel, core and chop apples into small chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. With a stand mixer (or hand mixer) mix together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla.
Mix wet & dry ingredients, then add the eggs, one at a time.
Make sure to scrape the bowl.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan & spread half of the apples over it.




Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top.


Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

Enjoy!

God Bless!

strawberry shortcake

You Need:

1 pint strawberries
1/4- 1/2 cup sugar
Cool Whip
Bisquick & ingredients for making bisquits- on box

You Need To:

Follow the instructions on the Bisqick box for making the strawberry shortcakes bisquits.
Cut up the strawberries & mix with the sugar (to taste) and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 min.

Once the bisquits are done, cut on half and layer on the strawberries & Cool Whip.

Yummmm. God Bless.

PUMPKIN OATMEAL COOKIES

my good friend megan wanted a recipe for pumpkin cookies, so i gave her the iced pumpkin cookie recipe that i always use; however she deemed these too "cakey" for her liking. so she set off on quest to find a pumpkin cookie recipe that actually produced "cookies" and not little pumpkin cakes.

it pleases me to announce that she found that recipe! and it's good! i made these for a cookout on Sun. (and threw my frosting recipe on top) and they were a huge hit.

her recipe includes raisins & nuts and as we all know, those are NOT allowed in my cooking- so i did half the recipe with nada & half with chocolate chips. i also added 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice-nom!

many thanks to friend megan:

PUMPKIN-OATMEAL COOKIES:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (eeew)
3/4 cup raisins (double eeew)
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

PREHEAT oven to 350°. Lightly grease baking sheets (or i line them with non-stick foil. that stuff is freaking great!)

COMBINE flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl.
Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well.
Optional: Stir in nuts and raisins (or chocolate chips).
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets (i use a mini ice cream scoop)
BAKE for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting: (i used my fool proof frosting recipe & added a little kick! i also HALVED the recipe but if you want more frosting then by all means...!)

1/2 cup Crisco
1/2 cup butter- softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/4-1/2 cup milk
4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (kick)

Cream together the Crisco & butter- alternate adding the sugar & milk until desired consistancy. Add the vanilla & PPS
Mix well & spread or pipe onto cooled cookies.

This frosting is best when you let it harden a bit- so i would actually make these the night before you need them and let the frosting set. it sets within 30 min or so anyway, but i always find that it's better the next day. same goes with these cookies- the pumpkin flavor really comes out the next day!

Enjoy!

Quick Pumpkin Pankcakes

i needed to use up the remaining 1/2 cup pumpkin that i had so i whipped up some quick pancakes. and i say "quick" because i used the wonderful Biquick! i have another recipe for some "homemade" pancakes, but this one is great for on the go!

Bisquick Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups of Bisquick pancake mix
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp clove

Combine all dry ingredients until well blended. Add the milk, eggs, vanilla & pumpkin into dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly (there will be some lumps).

Add some butter or oil to your pan or griddle and ladle away. Once bubbles form & start to pop, flip the pancakes over & cook for an addtl. min or two.

Enjoy!

Apple Dumplings

thanks to The Pioneer Woman i gained about 5lbs last night- ugh. these things are so freaking good it's wrong. just wrong.

see? how can you resist?

Apple Dumplings (i halved this recipe since there are only 2 of us who are eating it- i was also fine with a smaller pan with the recipe cut in half)

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 small can Mountain Dew
cinnamon

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

then go to the gym, because you'll feeeel yourself getting fatter. omg.

Enjoy & God Bless (your soul!)

Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo

You Need:
3/4 cup butter- softened
2 cups whipping cream
2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese
1 box (lb) fettuccine
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
fresh (or dried) basil

You Need To:
Using a hand/stand mixer: Beat the butter until smooth; add the cream & parm cheese & mix on low until well blended. Set aside.

Cook the pasta according to the directions- drain and IMMEDIATELY add the hot pasta to the butter mixture. Toss to coat & add the salt/pepper.

Chop the fresh basil (or use dried) and spinkle on each serving. YUM!

God Bless.

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

when you need dessert in a serious hurry- these things kick ass:

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
1/2 C Butter
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk
4 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 C Peanut Butter
3- 3 1/2 C Quick cooking Oats
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 C choc chips (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter in a saucepan: add sugar, milk & cocoa. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil for 1 minute (no more no less) Stir in the PB, Oatmeal, Vanilla & Choc Chips and drop onto wax/foil paper. Let cool until set. (pop them in the fridge to cool quicker)
Store in an airtight container in the fridge (or 1 day @ room temp)

Freaking awesome- you WILL eat the whole batch if you don't watch yourself. for real.