Crock Pot Applesauce

Here is what I made today:

APPLESAUCE CROCK POT STYLE

12 cups apple, peeled and sliced (I don't know what kind they are..kinda reddish/green)
1/2 cup sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 cup water
Juice of 1 lemon

Peel and slice apples, removing seeds and yucky spots.  Toss apples in crock pot with cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Pour over water and lemon juice.  Give it a stir.  Cook on low for six hours.  After six hours or so give it a stir (I used a flat whisk, which seemed to make it smooth right out) and it should just fall right apart into a big batch of applesauce!  How easy was that? 

Lemon Cookies

These Lemon Cookies were a winner. 

Maybe I over did the powdered sugar a bit....but I did not hear any complaints.

LEMON COOKIES
The original recipe can be found here.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 t. lemon zest
• 1 T. lemon juice (not gonna lie...I used 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. baking powder
• 1/8 t. baking soda
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Fried Pork Chops

Mix 1 cup flour with 1 teaspoons season salt and 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper.

Rinse the chops and pat dry.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Dredge your chops in the flour, shaking off excess, and set a side.

Ready to meet the frying pan...here is where I get nervous.

In a nonstick skillet heat 1/2 cup canola oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium to medium-high heat.  Cooking pork chops in batches, cook on first side for 3 to 5 minutes...until the sides begin to get golden and when you peak it is nice and golden brown on the bottom.  Turn chops and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, this will depend on the thickness of the chops, but you do not want any pink juices to remain.

Once you think you won't kill anyone with raw meat, remove from the pan and place on paper towel lined plate and cover with foil until remaining batches are done.

PAN-FRIED PORK CHOPS
Give credit where credit is due, thank you Pioneer Woman.

• 7 to 8 very thin bone in pork chops
• 1 cup flour
• 1 t. Season Salt
• 1 t. black pepper
• 1/2 c. canola oil
• 1 T. butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and pat dry pork chops. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge in a mixture of flour, Season Salt and pepper. Shake off excess and set aside.  Heat oil and butter over medium-high heat in a nonstick frying pan. When oil is hot place 3 chops in the pan. Fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until edges start to turn golden and a peak at the underside is golden brown as well.  (Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the chops...this is where you will have to use your own discretion.)

Flip chops and cook another 2 to 4 minutes, until no pick juices remain. Remove to a paper towel lined plate and cover with foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining chops.  Serve with your favorite sides or with eggs.

Please see Tasty Tuesday for more yummy ideas!

Strawberry Coffee Cake

STRAWBERRY COFFEE CAKE
Original recipe and more pictures of how to make this bad boy can be found at Chickens in the Road.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, butter, or lard
• 1 cup strawberries, chopped
• 3/4 cup milk
• 4 ounces cream cheese or more, softened
• 4 ounces strawberry jam or more

Place first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and cut in the shortening, butter, or lard with a pastry cutter.  

Mix in strawberries.

Add milk. Place dough on a floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top and roll into an approximately 12 x 8 rectangle.

Spread cream cheese down the center then top with jam. Make cuts, about an inch and a half apart, all along both long sides. Criss-cross cut strips of dough over the top. Pinch ends to seal.

Transfer to a greased baking or 13 x 9 casserole pan or cookie sheet. (If you’re planning to take this somewhere, you might want to use the casserole pan.)   I roll out on parchment paper and then lift it on to my baking sheet. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes or till nicely browned. 

Powdered Sugar Icing:

Combine 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (one to two teaspoons) for drizzling consistency.

Make long, lovely slices.  Note: This dough spreads out as it bakes, making one giant strawberry coffee cake, enough to feed a small army or large family.

Check out Tasty Tuesday for more tasty ideas!

Crash Potatoes!!

                       Crash Potatoes 

CRASH POTATOES!!
For more detailed instructions please see the Pioneer Woman. She's got it going on.

• Red potatoes
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Parmesan or preferred topping

Wash potatoes and remove any obvious hairy spots.  Boil in salted water until fork tender. Drain.  Drizzle olive oil on cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Gently smash each potato with a potato masher (you may want to have a knife handy to sort of push the potato out of the masher after you mash it...it will make you smile if you do this from the beginning or you can yell at the potatoes and grab a knife after you have smashed a couple!)  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are crispy. 

Cinnamon Roll Cake

 

CINNAMON ROLL CAKE
The original recipe can be found at Six Sisters' Stuff.  This is one tasty looking blog.

3 cups flour
1/4 t. salt
1 cup sugar
4 t. baking powder
1-1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
4 T. butter, melted
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 T. flour
1 T. cinnamon
2/3 cups chopped pecans

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1-1/2 t. vanilla extract
6 T. butter, melted
4 T. hot water

With an electric mixer or stand-up mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 4 tablespoons melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9x13" baking pan. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks of softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the tablespoon and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out nearly clean from center. Place powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla and hot water in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Poke holes in cake with a thin poker (I used a metal skewer). Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Lemon Almond Bread

I would love to add a picture of this lovely bread sliced up to eat, but we delivered it to the neighbor who just gave us his old playset for the kids! 

LEMON ALMOND BREAD

1-3/4 cups flour

3/4 cups sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/4 c. cooking oil

2 t. finely zested lemon peel

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 c. chopped almonds (I use sliced, cuz that is what I keep handy!)

Topping:

2 T. lemon juice

1 T. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Combine egg, milk oil and lemon juice in another bowl.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients  and add went ingredients, stirring until just moist. Fold in almonds and lemon peel. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes or till wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Meanwhile stir together 2 tablespooons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon sugar. While bread is still in pan, brush lemon-sugar mixture over bread. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from loaf pan and cool on wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before serving.