NEW Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Giveaway!

A brand spanking new Gooseberry Patch cookbook, Hometown Harvest, is up for grabs.  Hometown Harvest is a great cookbook although I may be biased since fall is my favorite time of year.  This book has several wonderful chapters, Hometown Pancake Breakfast, Church Social Soup Supper, Thanksgiving Dinner to remember, Game Day Get-Together, Pumpkin Patch Sweets, Slow-Cooker Potluck Pleasers, and Over the River and Through the Woods.  All are chock full of wonderful recipes from home cooks like yourself.  I even have a recipe in this book ~ Buttermilk Pecan Waffles.  The last chapter is is full of  memories from readers and customers of Gooseberry Patch products.

After the recipe will be all the “rules” for this giveaway!

The first recipe I tried from this cookbook is Mini Apple Turnovers.  They are super simple to make and would be perfect for unexpected guests or for tea time.

Mini Apple Turnovers
Submitted by Robyn Stroh, Calera, AL

2 9-inch pie crusts, homemade or store bought
21 ounce can apple pie filling
1 egg white
1 tbsp water

Place one crust on a lightly floured surface. With a 3 inch biscuit cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. I used a slightly bigger cutter and got about 7 rounds from each crust.

Top each circle with 1 to 2 teaspoons pie filling, cutting up the apples if necessary. I placed my apples toward one side so it would be easier to close. Fold circles in half and crimp the edges wiht a fork dipped in water.

Place on lightly creased cookie sheets. Repeat with second crust.

In a small bowl, beat egg white and water together and brush over turnovers.

Bake at 425º for 8-12 minutes or until golden.

Makes 12-14 turnovers.

To enter the giveaway for ONE copy of Hometown Harvest all you have to do is comment on this post and tell me what your favorite food to make in the fall is. One comment per person. Very, very easy. The giveaway will run until October 3 at midnight. I will pick ONE winner on October 4 and I will email the winner! If you have any questions, feel free to email me at girard dot nancy at yahoo dot com.

Happy Cooking!

Apple Muffins

I have a love/hate relationship with muffins. There are very few that I like ~ because they are dry and tasteless ~ so when I find a recipe that I like, I shout it from the rooftop! This is one of those recipes. They are moist and delicious.  The streusel  is delicious, too.  The recipe comes from Allrecipes.

Apple Muffins

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Muffins:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsps vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped apples ~ I used Gala

Streusel:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 375º and grease a 12-cup muffin pan or use cupcake liners (I even spray the cupcake liners with Pam).

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, and eggs until smooth. Mix in the vanilla. Stir in the chopped apples. Gradually blend the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Spoon into the muffin pan.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut int he butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle over the tops of the batter in the muffin pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Let the muffins sit for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Cool muffins on a wire rack.

Makes 12 muffins.

Happy Cooking!

Chili That Even This Chili Hater Loves!!

It’s true ~ I hate chili.  Mr. Meat Eater, on the other hand, would eat it 5 times a week if I would make it.  It has taken me 32 years of wedded bliss to find a recipe that even I would eat and like and plan to make again!

The recipe calls for beer and I had some Guinness in the fridge so that’s what I used and it really gave the chili great flavor.  I only used one teaspoon of cayenne so that I could actually eat it and Mr. Meat Eater added more Tabasco because we all know that if food doesn’t make you sweat, it’s not nearly hot enough.

You will have to plan ahead a bit since this cooks for about 3 hours but it’s well worth it.

I found the recipe in the Southern Living 2011 Annual and I have never been steered wrong by a Southern Living recipe so I should have known it would be good.

Chili That Even a Chili Hater Will Love

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

2 lbs ground beef ~ I used 85%
1 medium onion, chopped
3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced ~ I used 4 cloves
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (12-ounce) bottle dark beer ~ I used Guinness
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
2 tbsps chili powder
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsps ground cumin
1 to 2 tsps ground red pepper (Cayenne) ~ I used 1 tsp
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp hot sauce
Sour cream, cheddar cheese for toppings if desired

Cook beef, onion, and garlic in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring until meat is no longer pink. Drain well.

Combine meat mixture, beans, and next 11 ingredients in Dutch oven and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 3 hours or until thickened.

Garnish with sour cream and cheese if desired.

Happy Cooking!

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

I am a huge Pinterest addict and I found this recipe there.  It is wonderful and meets my criteria of being easy to make.  These are going to be on my Thanksgiving table instead of my usual sweet potato casserole. They are even good as leftovers warmed up.

This is a Martha Stewart which I typically don’t like but I knew when I read it, that it would be great.

Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

3 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark, whichever you have)
2 tbsps bourbon
salt and pepper
3 tbsps butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350º.

Place potato wedges in a 9×13 pan and add the brown sugar and bourbon and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake until potatoes are glazed and tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, tossing them every 30 minutes.

Stir in butter before serving.

Makes about 6-8 servings.

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Recently, I found a recipe for pumpkin cinnamon rolls on King Arthur Flour’s website and decided to try them.  I made them in my bread machine but the recipe says you can make them by hand, mixer, or bread machine so it is a real versatile recipe.

When I was ready to add the cinnamon before rolling, I thought there was really too much so I only used half.  After baking, I wish I had used the whole amount so they would have had more a cinnamon-sugar taste so be sure to use the entire amount even if it looks like too much.

Another trick I learned from this recipe is to make sure the rolls are completely cool before adding the frosting and it won’t melt into the rolls and it will look really pretty.  I wish I had realized this before, LOL!

The rolls are absolutely delicious and I hope you try them!

I am just going to post the link to the recipe since there are some great tips included with the recipe ~ KA’s Pumpkin Rolls  I hope that you give them a try if you like to make yeast breads ~ they would be great for the holidays!!!

Happy Cooking!

Apple Crumb Pie

Before I get started on the pie, I wanted to let you all know that I am having a virtual Christmas cookie recipe swap over on my A Recipe A Day Facebook page.  If you want to join in, all the information is under the event post.  I hope you will join us ~ the more the merrier!

My very favorite apples are Macouns.  They taste like McIntosh but hold up like a Granny Smith.  They do not cook down to much like McIntosh.  They are great for baking, cooking,  and eating ~ a really nice all purpose apple.  They can be difficult to find but my local BJs has huge bags of them for sale every fall.  Give them a try if you can find them.

This pie is super easy and really good.  I used Splenda blend instead of all sugar but otherwise made it according to the recipe.  I like to keep apple pies in the refrigerator since I like them cold and I think it helps to keep the bottom crust from becoming soggy, which I hate.  I found the recipe on allrecipes.

Apple Crumb Pie

1 (9 inch) pie crust
5 cups of apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Crumb topping:
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
6 tbsps butter

Preheat oven to 400º.

Pour apple slices into prepared pie shell. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over apple slices in pie shell.

In another bowl, mix the 1/3 cup sugar and flour and then cut in butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until apples are soft and crumbly top is lightly browned.

Makes 8 servings

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

These are, without a doubt, the best muffins I have ever made.  They are easy to make but take a bit of time to make each part.  They bake up tender and moist.  I brought some to the dog park and sent some to work with Mr. Meat Eater and everyone loved them.

I thought the cream cheese filling was a little runny and I’d have to work on it to make it less so but I wouldn’t hesitate to make these over and over.  In fact, I will be making them for Thanksgiving weekend.

The recipe came from Country Living magazine who says it came from a B&B.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Filling:
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, room temperature
1 egg
3 tbsps sugar

Topping:
5 tbsps sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup roughly chopped pecans
3 tbsps butter, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Muffins:
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 tsps cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 375º. Spray 2 12-cup muffin pans with Pam or use paper liners (I spray the liners, too).

In a medium bowl, mix the filling ingredients together and set aside.

In another medium bowl, mix the topping ingredients together and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

In another medium bowl, mix the eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the pumpkin mixture in. Mix with a fork until well moistened.

Evenly divide half the batter between the 24 muffin cups. Place 2 teaspoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture on top and then divide the rest of the batter between the cups covering the cream cheese as best you can. I am not the best at dividing but as long as there was a spoonful on top of the cream cheese, it worked.

Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin.

Bake until golden ~ about 20 to 25 minutes. Insert a toothpick in center to check for doneness.

Makes 24 muffins.

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!

My Favorite Breakfast Casserole

Way back in May, 2008, when I started this blog, this was the first recipe I posted ~ without a picture ~ so I thought a do-over was called for.

This is really my favorite breakfast casserole and I served it at my recent EB Pink Party.  It’s the recipe I usually make for holiday breakfasts since it can be put together for the most part the night before.  It’s also very easy to add or subtract ingredients and make it your very own.  I never put in the tomatoes and I have made it with ham, bacon and sausage.  All three are good but I like ham the best.

When I make for a holiday breakfast, I usually make a fruit salad and some kind of sweet rolls or coffeecake ~ very easy and delicious!

I think I found this recipe on a B&B website but I’ve been using it for so long I don’t remember for sure.

Breakfast Casserole

1/2 stick butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 -3 medium tomatoes, chopped
12 eggs, beaten
1 24 oz bag frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 to 1 pound cubed ham, thin sliced ham, cooked crumbled bacon, or cooked, crumbled sausage
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt butter and place in bottom of 13 x 9 baking pan (glass). Spread potatoes (still frozen is ok) in bottom of pan. Sprinkle chopped veggies over potatoes Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle meat over potatoes and veggies At this point, you may continue or casserole may be refrigerated overnight.

Pour beaten eggs over potatoes. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Bake another 5-10 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Remove from oven and let set for approx. 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with spatula.

Makes 6-8 servings

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!

An Old Fall Favorite ~ Pumpkin Roll

I love pumpkin rolls ~ well, actually any kind of roll but pumpkin is my favorite.

This really isn’t hard to make it just takes a bit of time.  Make sure you put enough powdered sugar on the tea towel so that the cake won’t stick to it!  I’m always surprised that I can make these since I’m somewhat of a bull in a china shop in the kitchen at times, LOL!  It’s so delicious and looks great as a dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Pumpkin Roll

Cake:
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel ~ use more if needed)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup pure pumpkin ~ not pumpkin filling
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Filling:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tbsps butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Cake:
Preheat oven to 375°. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl.

Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts, if using.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and carefully turn cake onto towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.

Filling:
Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Cook’s Note:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

Makes 8-10 servings

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!

Shells and Spinach Soup

This soup is really like Minestrone and very easy to make.  I like that it didn’t take long to simmer on the stove and it didn’t make a ton of soup.  I think that I would use a can of diced tomatoes next time just to save having to cut up the stewed tomatoes.  I also just ripped up the spinach instead of chopping it ~ very easy.  Tubetti pasta would work well in this recipe, too ~ actually any small pasta would work I think. I served it with a loaf of sourdough bread from Panera ~ yum!

I found the recipe in a Taste of Home Christmas recipe magazine.

Shells and Spinach Soup

3 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 cup uncooked small shell pasta
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans or another white bean, rinsed
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine the broth, tomatoes, pasta, bouillon, and garlic and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until pasta is just about tender.

Stir in the beans, spinach, basil, oregano, and pepper and cover and simmer for 10 or until heated through and pasta is tender.

Serve in soup bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Happy Cooking!