Spiced Apple Sweet Tea

I've said it before but I'll say it again, I love fall.

Many dread the Autumn season because it means winter will soon be coming behind. For me, the cold seasons are my favorite and I look forward to them each year.

The cold crisp mornings are like no other. The air feels clean and fresh and your lungs can breathe deeply. I love bundling up in warm sweaters and boots, watching your breath float away on the wind.
Fall recipes are also a reason I love it. Apple pies, pumpkin scones, pumpkin lattes, and Apple teas.
Yesterday I was craving something hot and sweet, so I whipped up this mouth watering tea for the family.

Spiced Apple Sweet Tea

3 cups water

6 cinnamon sticks

3 cloves

6 tea bags

3 cups apple juice

6 tsp. Truvia (or sweetener of choice)

Apple Slices

Place water, cinnamon, and cloves into appropriate sized kettle. Bring to a boil. Turn off heat.

Add your tea bags. I used "Oolong Tea" but you can use whichever you prefer or have on hand.

Cover and let steep for 5 minutes.

Remove cover. Add apple juice and your choice of sweetener. Turn heat back on and warm until heated completely through.

Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.

Peel apple (I used green) and slice into thin slices. Place three slices in bottom of each mug.

Pour tea over top and enjoy!

*Note*

I used ground clove as we didn't have whole and once I took the lid off from steeping, the clove had clung to the edge of kettle. I scraped most out but had to drain the bottom of the kettle with a coffee filter. I think whole cloves would be much better. Although ground worked and it still tasted delicious!

I hope you have a wonderful Autumn day.

Almond Butter Banana Pancakes

Almond-Butter Banana Pancakes

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 T. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 T. butter
1/4 c. almond butter
1 1/4 c. almond milk
1 small banana, diced
Chocolate chips

In a small bowl mix together dry ingredients.

In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla together.

In a saucepan heat butter, almond butter, and almond milk until butter is melted and mixture is smooth.

Pour mixture into flour mixture along with the whisked eggs and mix until well combined. Fold in banana and desired amount of chocolate chips.
Fry on pan.
Serve with your choice of toppings. I eat mine with only butter! The chocolate gives it enough of a sweetness for me.

Creamy Maple Mocha

Creamy Maple Mocha

*makes 4 cups*

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1 T. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla, divided

1/4 c. cocoa

1 1/2 c. half and half

4 c. hot coffee

1/2 c. maple syrup

In a small bowl with a beater, beat whipping cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Beat until still forms peak. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan whisk cocoa and half & half until smooth. Heat until bubbles form around side of pan. Whisk in coffee, syrup, and remaining vanilla.

Add cocoa liquid to whipping cream, whisk together until smooth.

Poor into cup and top with whipped cream and cinnamon.

This can be made with any flavoring syrup of your choice! Caramel, vanilla, raspberry, just to name a few.

Cornmeal Pancakes

Cornmeal Pancakes

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. buttermilk (or just add some vinegar to regular milk)
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. butter, melted

Sift together dry ingredients. Add buttermilk, eggs, and butter. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Fry on a lightly greased griddle.

Serve with your favorite pancake toppings! I like mine with home-made berry syrup.
It's not too sweet for my not-very-sweet tooth!

A Little Bit of Heaven on a Roll

One night I sat flipping through an old magazine. I came across a recipe for something called "Cream Cheese Coils." The photo looks so appetizing, I had to try my hand at making them myself!
Family Night came around and I was able to test my new found recipe. When asked if he had tried one yet, my friend's fiancé replied:
"You mean that little bit of Heaven on a roll?"
There the name stuck.

Cream Cheese Coils/Heaven on a Roll

3-3/4 - 4 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar, divided
4 1/2 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. water
1/2 c. butter, cubed
1 egg
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

GLAZE:
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-4 T. water

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 c. flour, 1/2 c. sugar, yeast, and salt. In a saucepan, heat milk, water, and butter until butter is melted and milk becomes foaming and bubbly on top. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for about two minutes. Add egg and 1/2 c. flour; beat on high for two minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour until a stiff dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. (I found the less flour the easier the dough is to work with. I even wet it some with water to help roll it out.) Take a small amount of dough and roll into about 12-15 in. long rope. Holding one end of the rope, loosely wrap dough around, forming  a coil. (This batch makes about 18 coils). 
Place coils 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until double, about one hour.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, egg yolk, vanilla, and remaining sugar, beat until smooth. Using the back of a spoon, make a 1 in. wide indention in the center of the coil; spoon one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into the indentation.
Bake at 400* for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
GLAZE:
In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough water to achieve drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled rolls. Store in refrigerator.

Pollyanna Cake

Chancy turned fourteen on Monday. To celebrate we asked what he wanted for dessert. His response?

"A Pollyanna Cake"

Remember the good old movie "Pollyanna"? What about those cakes the cook whips up for a bazaar and Pollyanna nibbles on while wrapped in a napkin?

 They do look yummy! I searched recipes online, found one we had ingredients for, and attempted to bake my brother a "Pollyanna Cake".

It didn't turn out perfect. I should have baked it longer, and it made only one layer instead of the three the original shows. But hey, we have to try don't we?

Pollyanna Cake:

1 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 egg yolks (reserve whites in another bowl)
1/4 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Place ingredients in a mixer and mix for about five minutes until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl:

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

Using a hang mixer, whisk until soft peaks form. (Longer than you think)
Once it looks about right, slowly begin adding:
1/4 c. sugar
and mix until stiff peaks form. (Like a meringue). Carefully fold into the first mixture. Place in a sprayed cake pan. I used a spring pan but I think it would work in three regular cake pans.
Bake at 325* for about 45-50 minutes.
I didn't hang the cake upside down and it fell a little. Maybe if you did, it would stay taller and fluffier?

Once it was cooled I frosted with

Whip Cream Frosting:

1 c. milk
5 T. flour
1/2 c. butter
1/3 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix flour and milk in a pan. Boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Let cool completely. (I put in fridge on a hot pad). Cream butter, shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat well.

So there you are! My attempt at baking a "Pollyanna Cake". Maybe someday I'll find a better recipe, but this will do for now!]

Fabulous Chicken-Vegetable Bake

Last summer, I took a road trip with my Grandpa, step-Grandmother, and my two aunts. We traveled through Oregon, California, and a small tip of Nevada. We seen many wonders and I thoroughly enjoyed my first "real" road trip.
On our last stop at Crater Lake, Oregon, I bought my favorite souvenir from their gift shop.
A cookbook titled "The All-American Cowboy Cookbook: Home Cooking on the Range." 
It is filled with trivial questions, pictures, and recipes from American cowboys. Actors, singers, writers, rodeo stars, and even some Actresses. I love to read through it and dream about trying its over 300 recipes. One of the few I have made is titled "Fabulous Chicken-Vegetable Bake". It's simple, but yummy. Of course, as I almost always do, I tweaked it here and there to fit what was in our refrigerator and cupboard.

Fabulous Chicken-Vegetable Bake

1  3 to 4 pound chicken (I used thawed chicken breasts. About 8 for my family)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions (We used one. Depends on how much you like onions)
1/2 cup chicken broth (I used 1 cup. It seemed to make it able to spread over the whole easier)
5 large potatoes, cubed
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced (We only had yellow and red so I used a red pepper)
5 large carrots
4 ribs celery, sliced
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Poultry Seasoning

Of the veggies, we never follow the amount and just put as much (or as little) as we like.

Preheat oven to 425*. Brush chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with seasonings. Place in roasting pan. Brown chicken for 20 minutes.
Sauté the onions in remaining oil until nicely brown.

Stir in chicken broth. Arrange potatoes, pepper, celery, and carrots around the chicken in roasting pan. Sprinkle with more seasonings if you prefer and pour browned onions and chicken broth over all. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350* or until veggies and chicken is done.

 The onions enhance the flavor of the veggies and moisten the chicken. Perfect with a slice of homemade bread and a salad with your choice of dressing.

Bon Appétit!

Horsehoe Sandwiches



For some, this sandwich can be just too rich, but for me it's close to perfect. We make it as often as we allow ourselves in my house, and the cheese sauce is the key to the yumminess!

It has many steps and is easiest with three-four people helping out, but one well organized person can make it by themselves. I got this recipe from Fran Gillette's cookbook, "Romancing the West".

Horseshoe Sandwich:

French Fries (I make homemade ones in the oven. Recipe below; for easier step just make a batch of frozen ones)

Cheese Sauce (Recipe also below)

Bread, toasted (1 per person)

Ham Steak, fried (1 per person)

Hamburger patty, grilled (1 per person)

Take everything, stack one on top of the other, and enjoy!

Everyone layers their on sandwich in different orders, but this is the way I do it:

Toast. Ham. Hamburger patty. Cheese sauce. Fries. More cheese sauce.

Mmmm....!

Oven French Fries:

Peel as many potatoes as you need and slice into French fry shapes. Put in a large freezer bag and pour olive oil over them. Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings. I use salt, pepper, garlic, and onion. Zip baggy and shake until well blended with oil and seasonings. Pour onto a cookie sheet and bake at 450* for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Cheese Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken broth

3 egg yolks

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. ground mustard

1 tsp. pepper

1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

6 c shredded sharp cheddar cheese

NO salt

Melt butter in the bottle of pot. Add chicken broth. Add egg yolks. Warm. Add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Bring to a slight boil. Slowly add cheese until melted and well blended. Heat thoroughly.



Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Mmm.... I love my Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.
My Mom was very nice and bought me some sausage so I could make some for breakfast one morning. Yesterday I finally got around to it, and it was worth waiting for!
I thought I'd just share the recipe. I'm sure you've all have your own you like to use, but this is my favorite!

Baking Powder Biscuits:

A friend and I loved to make biscuits together and we always were trying new recipes. This is one we came across online. It's from 1933 and I have found no other recipe that I like as well as this one! We make them often in the morning or even for supper.
* We always make them dairy free with shortening and almond milk.

4 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter
1 1/2 cups almond milk or regular milk

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in shortening or butter. Add milk and stir until a soft dough is formed. Turn onto a floured surface and slightly knead.
Roll out and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on an un-greased sheet.
Bake at 400* for 12 minutes.

Sausage Gravy:
I have never tried making this dairy free with oil and almond milk, so I'm not sure how that would turn out.

1/2 pound sausage
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons of butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 2/3 cups milk

In a skillet over medium heat, grind and cook sausage until no longer pink; drain if needed. Stir in flour, butter, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil and stir until gravy is thickened.

Serve over warm biscuits.