Apple Chips

It's fall.  It's apple time.  It's apple chip time. 

APPLE CHIPS

• Gala apples, or apples of your choice
• Cinnamon

Core and thinly slice apples. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with Cinnamon.  Place apples in a 275 degree oven and bake for one hour.  Toss apples around or flip them over.  Bake for another hour to hour and a half until lightly browned and crisp. They get even crispier as the cool.  Store in Ziploc. 

Italian Sausage Soup

It is supposed to be in the 70's all week.  This is exciting food weather.  Almost cold enough at night to have a fire....lows in the 40's a couple nights this week.  Yay! 

The original recipe for Italian Sausage soup can be found in the cookbook Family Feasts for $75 a Week.  I did change it a bit...she used sausage links cut up, I used bulk sausage (I don't like sausage casings..eww).  The recipe also called for one carrot, thinly sliced.  I was too lazy to add this in, plus there is usually grumbling about carrots from at least one person at the table.  Just tryin' to keep the peace.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP

• 1 lb bulk Italian sausage
• 1 lg. onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t. red pepper flakes (optional...I opted out)
• 8 c. chicken broth
• 6 med. sized russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach
• Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Cook and crumble sausage over medium heat in your soup pot.  About half way through cooking add onion and garlic.  Continue cooking until sausage is done and onions wilt.  Drain grease if necessary. Add broth and frozen spinach.  Bring to a boil.  When spinach has completely thawed, add potatoes and beans.  Toss in red pepper flakes if you are using them. Simmer until potatoes are soft. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan on top. 

Note:  I did not add any extra salt or seasonings.  The sausage had plenty of flavor and the broth added plenty of salt.  Taste your soup and salt accordingly.

Today I have linked up with Tasty Tuesday.

Oatmeal Banana Bread

This is my kind of banana bread.  I like banana stuff, pudding, bread, muffins, smoothies...maybe I evolved from a monkey ;o)  The reason why I like this recipe so much is the texture.  I don't like the slimy crust of banana bread.  It kind of sticks to your teeth.  This banana bread has more texture and less slime.  I like that.

OATMEAL BANANA BREAD

Find this and many other great recipes at For The Love of Cooking!

• 1-1/2 c. flour
• 1/3 c. white sugar
• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1-1/2 t. baking powder
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1-1/2 t. cinnamon
• 3/4 c. quick cooking oats
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/3 c. low fat buttermilk
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1-1/4 t. vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine all dry ingredients together and mix well. Combine the banana, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs. Mix thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until well combined. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal....like the packets.

When I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try.  My eldest is always reminiscing about the the days of old when she only had one sibling and her momma would buy her instant Brown Sugar and Maple oatmeal packets.  This is not really an economical purchase now with more mouths to feed.  We must have been rich or something ;O)  I found this recipe in the Farm Bell Recipes section  of the Chicken's in the Road site.  I put the ingredients together this morning in a jiffy and served up a bowl.  Ummm...the person who posted this recipe has a real sweet tooth!  I quickly adjusted the ingredients and now have my own recipe for Homemade Instant Oatmeal!

HOMEMADE INSTANT OATMEAL

• 1-1/2 c. light brown sugar
• 1 T. vanilla
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 4 cups quick oats, ground up
• 4 cups quick oats, whole

Combine brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.  In a blender grind up oats, 2 cups a time, until coarse flour texture. In a large bowl combine brown sugar mixture, ground oats and whole oats.  Your done!  Store in an airtight container.

To make:  Measure 1/3 to 2/3 cups instant oatmeal into bowl. Pour in desired amount of boiling water or milk to thickness desired.  Add a slab of butter and a sprinkling of salt. 

I am going to pick up some maple extract next time I am at the store and use it instead of vanilla in my next batch, then it will truly be Brown Sugar and Maple instant oatmeal.

This post is linked up with Raising Homemakers and Tasty Tuesday.

"He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind."

Congressional Bean Soup...eat some history!

Did you know that Bean Soup has been on the menu of the Senate's restaurant everyday for around 100 years?  Did you know that they have had a candy desk since 1965...it is located in the back row on the Republican side...which is the door where most Senators enter the chambers.  Such a rich history.  Bean Soup and Candy.

This soup is delicious.  My pickiest eater had two bowls, but then again we are a bean eating family.

CONGRESSIONAL BEAN SOUP

• 2 lbs. navy beans, picked through and rinsed
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 4 celery stalks, washed and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 t. salt plus more to taste
• 1/2 t. fresh ground pepper
• 3/4 lb. smoked ham hocks
• 10+ c. water

Pick yucky stuff out of beans and rinse them thoroughly. Place beans, celery, onion, bay leaf, salt, pepper and ham hock in crock pot. Cover with 10 cups water. Cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. About one hour before serving, remove ham hocks.  If you like it soupy you can add more water at this point (that is what I did).  Stir around and then taste for salt.  Salt to taste at this point and continue cooking until ready to serve.  Delicious, frugal, simple. Serve with warm Honey Cornbread.

Cinnamon and Sugar Scones

This was my first time making scones.  This was a very simple recipe to start with and the kids loved them.  They ate'em all, licked their fingers and asked for more. 

CINNAMON AND SUGAR SCONES

Thank you Money Saving Mom.

• 2 c. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 egg, separated
• 3 T. honey
• 1/3 c. buttermilk

Topping:

• 1 to 2 T. turbinado or sugar
• 1/2 t. cinnamon

Glaze:

• 1 c. powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 to 3 T. milk
• 1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Set aside. Separate egg and set aside white. In a separate bowl combine yolk, honey and buttermilk.  Add to dry ingredients and mix until combined. Form dough into a ball.  On a floured surface roll the dough into an 8 inch in diameter circle that is about 1/2 an inch thick.  (I rolled mine on parchment paper then just picked it up and set it on the baking pan.  You could also roll or pat it out on a greased baking pan so you don't have to worry about how you are gonna move it after you have rolled it out.) Place on a greased baking sheet.  Cut into eight equal wedges. Beat egg white until frothy and brush on top.  Sprinkle with the cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.  Mix together powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until glaze forms.  You can drizzle over the whole thing, or over each scone (like I did) after you put the scone on a serving plate.  I like to drizzle it over the scone on the plate ...you get more glaze!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Some thoughts on cooking:

1.  If a recipe has oats it must be healthy.
2.  If a recipe has peanut butter it must taste good.
3.  If a recipe has buttermilk it must be southern.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA OATMEAL MUFFINS

• 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 2 T. applesauce
• 3/4 c. organic cane sugar or light brown sugar
• 2 lg. eggs
• 1 c. ripe mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
• 6 T. creamy peanut butter
• 1 c. low-fat buttermilk

Combine dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  In a large bowl combine applesauce, sugar, eggs, mashed bananas, peanut butter and buttermilk. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients and mix until just moistened.  Scoop into prepared muffin pans and bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.  This recipe makes 18 muffins.  I made 12 big ones and 12 mini muffins.

See Works For Me Wednesday for more good ideas!