Triple Layer Mud Pie

My third recipe from Gooseberry Patch’s  new cookbook Hometown Harvest.

If you are a chocolate lover like me, you will LOVE this easy pie.  I used sugar free products where I could and I purchased a Keebler chocolate crust.  I think it would be great on one of those purchased Oreo crusts, too.

I still take crappy pictures of pies ~ that hasn’t gotten any better 🙂

Triple Layer Mud Pie
Submitted by Beth Williamson, Wakefield, RI

3 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
9-inch chocolate pie cookie crust
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
2 cups milk
2 small pkgs instant chocolate pudding
8 ounce container Cool Whip, thawed

In a bowl, stir together the melted chocolate and the 1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk and pour into the crust. Sprinkle pecans over the top.

Combine milk and pudding mixes in a bowl and whisk together for 2 minutes. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the pudding over the pecans. Set aside.

Stir half of the Cool Whip into the remaining pudding and spread over the chocolate pudding in the crust. Top with the rest of the Cool Whip.

Cover and chill until serving time.

Makes 6 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Little Piggies ~ Hometown Harvest

The second recipe I chose to make from Hometown Harvest is really a retro recipe. These were a popular party food in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Well, I still like them and make them for parties occasionally. They are always the first to go. I’ve made them for lunch once in a great while for my kids when they were still at home. Cut up hot dogs can be used instead of the smokies. I use all beef smokies and spicy mustard.  I haven’t made them in years so that’s why I chose this recipe to try.

Don’t forget to comment on THIS POST (PLEASE CLICK HERE)  for a chance to win a copy of HOMETOWN HARVEST generously donated by Gooseberry Patch.  Also, read through the comments already posted as there are some great ideas for fall cooking and some wonderful memories of fall.

LITTLE PIGGIES
Submitted by Kendra Hull, Sterling, IL

2 (8 oz) tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (14 oz) pkg mini smoked sausages
Mustard or condiment of your choice

Unroll one tube of crescents and separate into 4 rectangles. Pinch seams together. Cut eacy rectangle into 4 strips. Place a sausage on each strip and roll up. I do mine a little differently. I cut the rectangles into 6 or 8 strips and roll up. I only use 1 tube of crescents and have a few sausages leftover.

Place seam side down on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375º for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden.

Serve with mustard or other condiment.

Makes 8-12 servings.

Happy Cooking!

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!

Spicy BBQ Chicken Wings from Game Day Fan Fare

Don’t forget that I am giving away a copy of Gooseberry Patch’s Game Day Fan Fare:

To enter the giveaway, go to THIS POST and follow the directions to enter.   The giveaway ends on April 25.

One of the recipes I tried for this giveaway are these chicken wings.  They are super easy to make and taste wonderful!  They are very sticky so be forewarned!  They are really not that spicy so don’t be afraid to use all the hot sauce.  If you like things spicy, just add some more sauce!

 

Spicy BBQ Chicken Wings
Submitted by Julie Saifullah, Lexington, KY

2 1/2 lbs chicken drumettes or wings ~ I used drumettes
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup hot pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 400º.

Place wings in a lightly greased 13×9 baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and drain liquid from pan. Flip wings and bake for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the barbecue sauce and hot sauce in a bowl. Add sauce to wings in the pan, stir the wings in the sauce in the pan until covered. Bake for another 30 minutes or until wings are cooked through and sauce is thick.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Happy cooking!

A NEW Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Giveaway + TWO Recipes!!

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!!!

That’s right ~ a new Gooseberry Patch cookbook giveaway!

This giveaway is for the new Gooseberry Patch cookbook ~ Weeknight Dinners

This cookbook has a great set-up.  Each chapter is a day of the week and each day is a different type of meals with corresponding recipes:
Monday ~ Meatless Monday
Tuesday ~ Tex-Mex Night
Wednesday ~ Italian
Thursday ~ Comfort Food
Friday ~ Just for Fun

If you win, you can look for the recipe that I have in this cookbook!

The giveaway will run from today to February 14 at midnight. I will use random.org to choose the winner. To enter, comment with your favorite weeknight dinner. You must comment on this post to be in the giveaway. I will email the winner on February 15 and mail out the cookbook shortly after I hear from the winner. If you have any questions, email me at girard.nancy at yahoo dot com.

I chose two recipes that go together from the Tex-Mex chapter.  Mix-Your-Own Taco Spice and Fiesta Chicken Soft Tacos.  Both were excellent.  The spice mixture is a little spicy so if you like things less spicy, use less red pepper flakes or leave out altogether.  I also forgot to add the paprika to the spice mixture but didn’t miss it at all.   The tacos were very easy to make.  My only suggestion would be to cut the chicken in small cubes or strips before sauteing.

Mix-Your-Own Taco Spice

2 Tbsps chili powder
1 tbsps ground cumin
2 tsps salt
2 tsps pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in a small covered jar. Makes about 1/3 cup.

COOK’S NOTE: I put the leftover mixture in a ziplock bag and put it in the freezer where I keep all my home-mixed rubs and spice mixtures.  Use right from the freezer.

Fiesta Chicken Soft Tacos

2 tbsps oil
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken, cubed
1 to 2 tbsps taco seasoning ~ I used 2 tbsps
1 1/2 cups chunky salsa
4-6 soft taco flour tortillas, warmed
Garnish with your favorite taco toppings

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper and garlic; saute until tender being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink ~ about 5-8 minutes depending on size of chicken cubes. Stir in the taco seasoning and the salsa and simmer for 3 minutes.

To serve, spoon mixture onto tortillas. Garnish and fold the tortilla over.

Makes 4-6 soft tacos

Happy Cooking!

Quick and Easy Lemon Bars from 101 Farmhouse Favorites by Gooseberry Patch

The Gooseberry Patch Giveaway has now ended!

I have been so slow over the past couple of days that I haven’t even gotten to write a new post here.  It seems the colder it gets, the slower I get.

This recipe comes from Gooseberry Patch’s 101 Farmhouse Favorites ~

If you want a chance to win this awesome cookbook, please comment on the previous post ~ HERE!  Comment with your favorite comfort food and you’re entered to win!!  Reading through the comments makes me hungry!

Quick and Easy Lemon Bars was submitted by Lynda McCormick who I “met” on a message board on AOL years ago.  She is an awesome cook and I wish she would start her own blog because every recipe of hers that I have made has been wonderful!  Anyway, we lost touch when the message board went away but she found me on Facebook and have been back in touch since then.

This recipe is another of hers that I really like.  Super easy, very lemony, and great to make and take at the last minute.  I made half the pan sprinkled with coconut and half the pan sprinkled with chopped pecans.  I like the coconut better only because no one else in my family are big coconut eaters and I love it.  The bars are just delicious!

Quick and Easy Lemon Bars
Submitted by Lynda McCormick, Burkburnett, TX

16 oz pkg angel food cake mix
22 oz can lemon pie filling
Optional ~ chopped pecans, sweetened flaked coconut

Combine the dry cake mix and the pie filling in a large bowl; mix well.

Spread in a greased 15×10 jelly-roll pan; sprinkle with the chopped pecans or coconut, if desired.

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

Let cool and cut into bars.

Makes 24 to 30 bars depending on how you cut them.

Happy Cooking!

Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp

Today is the last recipe I will be posting from Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook.  If you would like to win a copy of this cookbook, please go to THIS POST and leave a comment, letting me know your favorite breakfast.  The giveaway will run until August 11 and I will remind you here and on Facebook and Twitter.

I love crisps and this one quickly became a favorite because it is not very sweet which I like.  I could really taste the blueberries and not the sugar.  It’s very easy to make.  I made it for dessert after dinner and put it in the oven while we were eating.

Blueberry Oatmeal Crisp
Submitted by Amy Bastian of Mifflinburg, PA

4 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
1 cup flour, divided
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup long-cooking oats, uncooked
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
5 to 6 tbsp butter

Combine blueberries with 1/4 cup flour in a greased 11/7 baking pan and mix thoroughly.

In a bowl, combine the rest of the flour and the other ingredients except butter. Cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Sprinkle topping over the blueberries.

Bake at 350º for 25 minutes or until top is golden and blueberries are bubbly. I think mine took about 40 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Cherry Turnovers

A very easy and delicious recipe from Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook.  If you would like a chance to WIN a copy of this cookbook, please see THIS POST and comment with your favorite thing to have for breakfast!

This recipe was really easy.  I made them for dessert after dinner instead of for breakfast but Mr. Meat Eater had the leftovers the next day for breakfast.

I am not the greatest working with puff pastry.  I must do something wrong because it always looks so easy when others work with it.  Eventually I get it but I struggle with it.

Cherry Turnovers
Submitted by Lynda Robson of Boston, MA

1 (17 1/4 oz) pkg puff pastry, thawed
21 oz can cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp water ~ I used milk which I prefer

Unfold each puff pastry sheet and cut each sheet into four squares.

Divide pie filling among the 8 squares. I used a couple of tbsps for each turnover and had filling left over which I froze.

Brush edges of pastry with water and fold into triangles. Crimp edges with a fork. I didn’t brush the edges with water but I did crimp with a fork. Cut a small slit in the tops of the pastries with a sharp knife if desired.

Place the pastries on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 400º for 15 to 18 minutes until puffed and golden.

Let cool slightly.

Blend together the powdered sugar and water and drizzle over the tops of the warm turnovers.

Makes 8 turnovers.

Happy Cooking!

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Squares

This is another yummy recipe from Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook!  If you would like a chance to win a copy of this cookbook, please go to THIS POST and post in the comment section and let me know what your favorite thing to eat for breakfast is.  I get hungry every time I read through the comments!

I have been making these bars for a long time ~ 20 years at least.  They are one of our favorites ~ especially my son.  Since he moved away, I don’t make them much anymore so it was nice to see this recipe in the cookbook.

They are easy to make and I make mine just a touch different but these are very, very good.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Squares
Submitted by Jody Geary from Rockland, MA

2 (8 oz) tubes crescent rolls
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened ~ I use less fat
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
cinnamon and sugar mixed

Unroll one tube of crescent rolls in a 13×9 pan and stretch to fit if needed and pinch the seams together.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar; spread over the rolls in the pan.

Top with the other tube of crescent rolls, carefully stretching and pinching the seams together as best you can.

Drizzle the melted butter over the top and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Bake at 350º for 30 minutes or until the bars are golden.

Store cooled bars in the refrigerator.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake

Another awesome recipe from the new Gooseberry Patch cookbook!  If you would like to enter for a chance to win this cookbook, please go to THIS POST and enter by telling me your favorite breakfast!  Good luck!

This coffee cake went over like gangbusters when I made it.  Mr. Meat Eater and my DD and SIL loved it!

It’s super simple to make since it uses a cake mix.  I made it thinking I had pumpkin pie spice but, of course, I didn’t so I just looked up a recipe on the internet and made my own.  I didn’t keep the recipe so I don’t remember what it was but you’ll be able to find one if you need it.

Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Submitted by Victoria Mitchel of Gettysburg, PA

18 1/2 oz pkg yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin (NOT Pumpkin pie mix)
3 eggs, beaten
3 tbsp oil
1/3 cup water
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed and divided
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, softened

In a bowl, combine dry cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil, water and pie spice. Pour half the batter into a greased 13×9 baking pan. Set aside remaining batter.

Mix together 1/3 cup brown sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon and sprinkle over the batter in the pan.

Carefully spread remaining batter over the cinnamon mixture.

Combine flour with remaining brown sugar, remaining cinnamon and butter and mix well. Spread evenly over the top.

Bake at 325º for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Happy Cooking!