Fruit Crisp

This has long been a summer favorite around here. I either make it with peaches or apples, usually fresh from the tree. The recipe comes from my tried-and-true Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook that I've used for 30 years. :)

5 cups sliced, peeled apples, pears, peaches, or apricots; or frozen unsweetened peach slices
2 to 4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger (I use cinnamon)

1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut (we love the coconut!)
Vanilla ice cream or light cream (optional)

     For filling, thaw fruit, if frozen. Do not drain. Place fruit in an 8x1.5-inch round baking dish (I just use my 8x8 square glass baking dish). Stir in sugar.

     For topping, in a mixing bowl combine oats, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon (or nutmeg or ginger). Cut in margarine or butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts or coconut. Sprinkle topping over filling.

     Bake in a 375º oven for 30-35 minutes (40 minutes for thawed fruit) or till fruit is tender and topping is golden. (I usually bake for 25-28 minutes in my oven.) Serve warm with ice cream or light cream if desired. Serves 6.

Here are a few options included with the original recipe that I haven't used, but I'll include them just in case:

Microwave directions: Assemble filling as above. Cook filling, covered with vented plastic wrap, on 100% power (high) for 5-7 minutes or till fruit is tender, stirring twice.

     Assemble topping as above. Sprinkle over filling. Cook, uncovered, on high about 3 minutes or till topping is heated through, giving the dish a half-turn once.

Blueberry Crisp: Prepare as above, except, for the filling, combine 4 Tbsp sugar and 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Toss with 5 cups fresh or frozen* blueberries.

Cherry Crisp: Prepare as above, except, for the filling, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Toss with 5 cups fresh or frozen* unsweetened pitted tart red cherries.

Rhubarb Crisp: Prepare as above, except, for the filling, combine 1 cup sugar and 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour. Toss with 5 cups fresh or frozen* unsweetened sliced rhubarb. 

*Note: If fruit is frozen, thaw, but do not drain. 

Mini Pavlovas

I love Pavlova. I've loved it since the first time I had it way back in 1990. Sadly, I've only had it a few times in my life, but that's about to change. I happened upon this recipe last week and it was so much easier to make than my previous experiences that I'm going to be making it regularly. :) The recipe I've made in the past makes one 11" pavlova. This recipe makes eight 3-4" pavlovas and comes together, ready to eat, in just over 2 hours. You're gonna love it! (Recipe from Our Best Bites found here.)

Pavlova:

1 cup sugar
1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch

4 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. white vinegar

Whipped Cream:

1 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbsp. sugar

Fresh fruit for topping (like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi...)

Chocolate ganache (see notes)

Preheat oven to 275º. If desired, trace 6-8 circles onto a piece of parchment with a pencil (the top of a large, wide-mouth mason jar or drinking glass works well). Flip paper over and lay on baking sheet. Set aside.

Place sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk together. Place egg whites in a stand mixer with whisk attachment. Beat for 1-3 minutes, until soft peaks form. with mixer running on medium-high speed, slowly add sugar mixture, one spoonful at a time until all is incorporated. Increase speed to high and continue mixing 3-4 minutes longer, until mixture is smooth and glossy and holds stiff peaks.

Add vanilla and vinegar and mix to combine, scraping down edges with spatula. Place mixture in a piping bag and pipe rounds onto prepared sheet. (Alternately you may simply spoon mixture onto the 8 rounds and shape with a spoon.)

Use a spoon to make a little indentation in the center of each mound, like a bowl. 

Place pan in oven and decrease temperature to 250º. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until edges are set and sound hollow when tapped. Turn off oven and with oven door cracked open, let pan cool completely. 

Pavlova shells may then be stored in air-tight containers for a day or two, or filled.

To fill, whip cream, vanilla, and sugar until soft peaks form. Spoon into center of each shell and then top with desired fruit. Drizzle with chocolate ganache (instructions below), if desired. 

Chocolate Ganache:

Use equal parts of heavy cream (by volume) and chocolate chips (by weight). I've found that 2 ounces of each is enough for all eight pavlovas.

Instructions: Heat 2 ounces of heavy cream and pour it over 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips. Let sit for about 5 minutes and then whisk until smooth. So easy and SO delish!! 

Photo from Our Best Bites

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Have you ever tried Dairy Queen's Frozen Hot Chocolate? It is one of my favorite treats and, in my experience, it's always available even if it's not on their menu. Full disclosure - this recipe isn't as good as Dairy Queen's. I just can't duplicate that perfectly delicious chocolaty taste. But I did my best and, after several mediocre attempts, came up with a sufficient and surprisingly easy substitute. Plus, I can make this recipe 8-10 times for the price of one DQ serving!

1 c. crushed ice
1/2 c. chocolate milk*
1 packet Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa mix**

Combine ingredients and blend until ice is broken down to almost a milkshake consistency (there will still be tiny beads of ice). I use an immersion blender, but a regular blender should work just as well. Recipe can easily be doubled.

*I use the premade chocolate milk from the store. I tried chocolate almond milk and didn't like it quite as much. I haven't tried any of the powdered versions like Nestle, etc.

**I tried other brands and flavors of Hot Cocoa and Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate was always our favorite. But use what you have on hand. A different brand isn't a good enough reason to miss out on this yummy treat!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup - Easy Version

We LOVE gnocchi soup! It is definitely a favorite around here. But the recipe I originally used takes forever to make so we didn't eat it nearly as often as we would have liked. This version of the recipe is a game changer - it literally takes at least 30 minutes off the prep time - and is every bit as good! You really can't go wrong either way, but this one is my current go-to. Yum! (Originally found here.)

2-3 chicken breasts grilled using Perfect Chicken recipe*, diced

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 white onion, diced (yellow or red onion is fine, too)

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 cup shredded carrots

1 Tbsp olive oil

4 cups chicken broth (4 bouillon cubes + 4 c. water works fine)

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp thyme

1/4 cup flour

16 oz. potato gnocchi (I literally buy this at Dollar Tree)

2 cups half and half

1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onions are translucent.

Add salt, pepper, thyme and flour. Stir to coat veggies. Add chicken broth and stir well. Add chicken. Bring to a boil, then gently stir in gnocchi. Boil for 3-4 minutes more, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes** to finish cooking gnocchi. (**Or cook the gnocchi in a separate pan according to package directions before adding to other ingredients. Then you can skip the last 10 minutes of cooking time.) 

Stir in half and half and spinach and cook another 1-2 minutes until spinach is tender. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve alone or with homemade bread, breadsticks or rolls.

*You can substitute a 12.5 oz. can of chicken breast if you don't have time to make Perfect Chicken. Or make it without the chicken. I did that once on accident and no one noticed! Or just cook the chicken however you like!

Banana Muffins

My sister-in-law, Brenda, made these for us when we were in Oregon last summer. They are really good and yummy and moist. Sadie loved them! Fortunately, they are super easy to make.

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 egg
3 mashed bananas
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. allspice

Mix sugar, oil, egg, and bananas. Stir in dry ingredients. Fill muffin cups (maybe 2/3 full?) and bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.

Hard Boiled Eggs

This is not rocket science and I'm sure there are a thousand recipes out there for making hard boiled eggs, but this has been my go-to recipe for years, so I'll keep using it. I'm posting it here just to simplify things so I don't have to search for the cookbook* anymore. 

Place desired number of eggs in a saucepan; cover with water. (Water should be at least 2 inches above eggs.) Bring water rapidly to boiling; cover pan and remove it from heat. Let stand for 20 minutes. Cool eggs quickly by filling pan with cold water.

*From the book Where's Mom Now That I Need Her (1993).

Glazed Carrots

This recipe from Lil' Luna has changed my go-to veggie side dish from broccoli to carrots. These are so satisfying and easy to prepare. Yum!

16 oz. bag of baby-cut carrots

1/2 c. water

1 1/2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Bring carrots, water, butter and brown sugar to a boil in a pan over medium-high heat. Turn to low and simmer for approximately 6 minutes.

Here is where I sometimes venture off the directions for a bit. Not all baby-cut carrots are created equal. Sometimes they are thin and petite. In that case, skip this paragraph. The recipe, as written, will work just fine. But sometimes baby-cut carrots are short but very fat and will take longer to soften up. In that case, I cover the pan and simmer (on low or medium low) for an additional 6 minutes or so. Then remove the lid and continue on with the final phase. 

Turn back to high and cook until all the water is evaporated and carrots are tender, usually another 5-6 minutes. I like to stir occasionally to give every carrot a turn in the sweet glaze. Remove from heat. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper and enjoy!

According to Lil' Luna, this makes 4 servings (94 calories each).

St. Patrick's Day Pistachio Cake Mix Cookies

I'm a fan of cake mix cookies. They are so easy to throw together and I love the chewy, moist texture. This particular recipe also adds a box of instant pistachio pudding mix and they are green so they are perfect for St. Patrick's Day. That's pretty much the only time they are on my radar so we usually only make these once a year, but they are worth the wait! (I found this recipe here.)

1 box white cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)

1 small box instant pistachio pudding

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable or canola oil

3/4 tsp. almond extract

a few drops green food coloring (optional)

1 c. white chocolate chips

        Preheat oven to 350º. Combine cake mix and pudding mix. Add the eggs, oil, almond extract, and food coloring. Mix well. The dough will be stiff. Stir in white chocolate chips. Roll into 1" to 1 1/2" balls (or use a cookie scoop). Place on silicone baking mat (or lightly greased baking sheet). Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Grandma Stowell's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jeff's grandma, Mary Helen Stowell, always (Always!) had these cookies waiting in her cookie jar every time we made the 4 hour drive to her home our first year or so of marriage. These have long been the favorite of at least a few of my kids and the recipe has been hanging in vinyl lettering on the door of my kitchen for ages. 

1 ½ c. shortening
1 ½ c. white sugar
1 ½ c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. water
4 eggs
4 ½ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
One bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
        Combine shortening, sugars, vanilla and water. Beat until creamy. Add eggs and beat. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Add chocolate chips. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes. Recipe may be halved. (Certain family members prefer these without chocolate chips, i.e., “Chocolate chip cookies with no chocolate chips.”)

Fudge Cookies (Cake Mix Cookies)

I've had this super easy and quick recipe for years and I've made it dozens of times. The recipe is quite versatile and the cookies are always moist and delicious. My friend, Leona, who gravitated to recipes using 5 ingredients or less, shared this with me and I'll be forever grateful!

1 package Devil’s Food cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
½ c. oil
1 c. chocolate chips
        Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape stiff mixture into small balls or use cookie scoop. Bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes. 

        Tip: You can try using different flavors of cake mix or chips. Roll the cookies in powdered sugar after baking or spread a melted Hershey kiss on top. Our favorite is piping melted Candy Cane Kisses over the top at Christmastime….or in July if you still have the kisses left because you bought so many extras. ;)

Peppermint Balls

These are one of my favorite Christmas treats! Once Halloween is over, I start making these and I don't stop until New Years. The recipe makes a small batch, but believe me, it's much safer that way. (Yes, you can double it.) These cookies are so pretty with the glaze and candies sprinkled on top, and they are just so, so good!

½ c. butter

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 egg

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. peppermint extract OR 10 drops (approx. 1/16 tsp.) peppermint oil 

1 ½ c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ c. crushed peppermint candies* (like candy canes or starlight mints)

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream ingredients together, stirring in crushed candy last. Form into balls and bake for 9-11 minutes until barely browning around edges. Do not overbake. Allow to cool and then glaze with a powdered sugar & milk or water mixture. (I use 1/2 c. powdered sugar with 2-3 tsp. milk for the glaze. Stir well and add a drop or two of peppermint oil, if desired.) Sprinkle with some crushed peppermint candies. 

        Note: I used to use peppermint extract, which is what the original recipe called for. Now I always use peppermint oil and I add a drop or two to the glaze as well. I poured my oil in a bottle with a dropper which made it so much easier to use and measure. 

*I usually use Brach's Crushed Candy Canes. 

Best Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

We love these cookies! Whenever I make cookies, I leave a few out on a plate and put the rest in a gallon ziplock in the freezer. That keeps me from eating them all. With these, my kids actually prefer them frozen. I got this recipe years ago from my friend, Dana, and it's been our favorite peanut butter cookie recipe ever since. 

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2 ½ c. flour
2 c. milk chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet)
        Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs together. Add dry ingredients. Mix and add chocolate chips. Scoop onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for 7½ - 10 minutes. Makes 5 dozen.

Perfect Turkey Gravy

This gravy is pretty easy and it tastes great. I found the recipe here. 

½ c. butter, cut into about 8 pieces

1 tsp. coarse black pepper

½ c. flour

4 c. pan drippings OR 4 c. chicken stock

        Pour drippings into a fine mesh strainer then allow the drippings to cool a bit so that the fat rises to the top and starts to solidify. Use a spoon to remove the fat. If you don’t have enough drippings to equal 4 cups, add enough chicken or turkey stock until you have 4 cups of drippings.

        In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Sprinkle in pepper. Slowly add in flour, constantly whisking to combine. After a few minutes, the flour will be well incorporated into the butter. Slowly begin to pour the drippings into the pan, constantly whisking. Allow the gravy to cook for several minutes, so that it can thicken up. Serve immediately or keep on very low heat until you’re ready to serve. 

 

Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this delicious recipe, but I'm sure glad I did. These are by far my favorite pumpkin cookies ever. While I love the flavor of pumpkin cookies, I don't love how cakey they always seem to be. Well, with the eggs eliminated, these cookies solve that problem. These are chewy and perfect and I can't get enough. The amounts below are doubled from the original recipe, otherwise there wouldn't be enough! You're welcome. :)

2 sticks (1 cup) butter
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

7.5 oz. (1/2 can) 100% pure pumpkin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cloves

3 c. flour

2 c. chocolate chips

        Preheat oven to 350°. Cream together butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and pumpkin and mix until smooth. Combine all dry ingredients and add to the rest, mixing just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

        Bake rounded balls of dough (I use a cookie scoop) on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11-14 minutes or just until they start to puff up a little. Cool slightly before removing from pan.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bites

Here's another easy recipe from Sadie's Food and Nutrition class. These yummy little balls have a good dose of protein and yumminess. 

1/4 c. peanut butter (can sub with almond butter)

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. water

1 c. uncooked oats

3 Tbsp. mini chocolate chips or mini M&M's

1/2 scoop protein powder (optional)

        In a medium sized bowl, mix all ingredients with a spoon. Add 1 tsp. water, if needed, to help it stick together. Using a portion scoop, form into 1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet. If needed, roll the balls a little tighter between your hands. Store in refrigerator or freezer. 

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

Rice Krispie Treats have never really been my thing. They're fiiiine, but there are desserts and cookies I'd rather make instead. That was my attitude before these came along. These are a game changer. Now the only reason I don't make these often is because I might eat them all. I used to always double the recipe and spread them in a big jelly roll pan, but that's pretty dangerous these days with fewer people living at home. I just don't have that much self-control!! My SIL Kristin gave me this recipe years ago (also available from this website). By the way, the recipe says to use an 8" square pan, but a 9x13 works, too. They just won't be as tall.

1 stick (4-ounces) butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 tsp. coarse sea salt
6 c. Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
        Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.
        In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don't take your eyes off the pot as the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.
        As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off, sprinkle salt over the butter, and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. Be careful not to cook the marshmallows.
        Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the cereal. Quickly spread into prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed or parchment paper sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners. A silicon spatula works almost as well. Let cool and cut into squares. Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars.

Easy Ice Cream

You know it's going to be a good day at school when you get to make and eat homemade ice cream in science class. Thanks to Sadie's 8th grade science teacher for this fun hands-on experiment and treat. :)

1 quart freezer bag

1 gallon freezer bag

1 c. milk

1 c. half & half

1/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

ice

1 c. rock salt

        Pour milk, half & half, sugar and vanilla into a 1 quart freezer bag. Empty most of the air from the bag and carefully seal it completely. Mix well by shaking.

        Place the quart bag into a 1 gallon freezer bag. (Make sure the small bag is completely sealed!) Fill the large bag full of ice and add rock salt. Seal the large bag. Make sure that the ice mixture coats the entire outer surface of the smaller bag. 

        Put on your gloves/mittens and shake, shake, shake...(shaking up and down works best!). Continue to shake until you have ice cream.

        Remove the small bag from the large bag. Reseal the large bag and throw it in the trash. Wipe off the outside of the small bag around one bottom corner. Cut the bottom corner of the bag and carefully squeeze your ice cream into cups. Enjoy!

Mini Tacos

These cute mini tacos (or wonton tacos) are easy to make and fun to eat. Sadie brought this recipe home from her Food and Nutrition class at school and it's a keeper.

24 wonton wrappers

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

2 c. salsa

1 c. shredded cheese

1/2 c. fresh chopped cilantro

sour cream

        Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a mini-muffin tin with non-stick spray. Press wonton wrappers into mini-muffin cups. Brown ground beef and drain off fat. Stir in taco seasoning mix and 3/4 c. salsa. Spoon beef mixture into wonton cups. Top with a little salsa and the shredded cheese. Bake about 6 minutes or until wontons are golden brown. Remove from oven and top each with cilantro. Serve immediately with remaining salsa and sour cream as a garnish.

Cheesecake

This is my mom's no-bake cheesecake recipe. It's the one I grew up on and as far as I'm concerned, it's the best. Period. My mom had a unique twist to her presentation. She topped each piece with crushed pineapple. I know. It doesn't get much better than that!

Crust:
1 sleeve graham crackers, crushed (~11 crackers)
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. melted margarine or butter
        Combine these ingredients to make the crust. Press down in pie dish or square baking dish. Set aside. (Optional: use a premade graham cracker crust if you must.)

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk*
1/3 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
        Mix the cream cheese and condensed milk together well, stirring out any lumps. Gradually add the lemon juice and vanilla. (The filling will thicken upon addition of the lemon juice.) Pour filling over prepared crust. Refrigerate a few hours to set. When serving, top each piece with a spoonful of crushed pineapple, if desired. 

*To make your own Sweetened Condensed Milk:
1 heaping cup powdered milk
½ c. hot water
¾ c. sugar
        Mix ingredients together very well, making sure there are no lumps. (Hint: dissolve the powdered milk in the hot water before adding the sugar.)

Cilantro Ice

No, this is not some new popsicle flavor. I came up with this idea because I often buy cilantro for one specific recipe and never know how to use up the rest before it goes bad. This solves the problem and I love having it on hand.

Chop up entire batch of cilantro. Put in an ice cube tray in relatively equal amounts – I put 1 or 2 Tbsp. in each section. Add just enough water to keep it together, pushing the cilantro down in if necessary. Freeze. Pop the ice cubes out and store in a zip lock freezer bag. Indicate on the bag how much cilantro each ice cube contains so it’s easy to know how many ice cubes you need when your recipe calls for fresh cilantro. Problem solved!