Sour Cream Apple Bars

For any of you who have been following along on my cooking adventures for long know that I'm usually a nut when it comes to taking pictures.  I usually take pictures of the ingredients and most of the steps along the way.  That's why I'm in such shock right now.  I've made these delicious sour cream apple bars, from Homebased Mom, no fewer than 6 times in the last 6 weeks and I only have a few shots of the finished product.  No ingredient shots.  No shots along the way.  I guess I was just so distracted by how good they were, that I couldn't seem to remember to grab my camera.  So, hopefully this one picture and the sheer number of times I've made these will convince you to try out this easy and delicious autumn apple treat.

Click here for printable recipe.  

Crust:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats (I used regular oats)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice

Filling:
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tart medium apples, peeled and shredded (I used Granny Smith)

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
FOR CRUST:  In a large bowl, combine softened butter with brown sugar and beat until creamy.  Add oats, flour, pecans, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice and beat until well mixed.
Press 2/3 of crust mixture onto bottom of ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. 

FOR FILLING:  Combine all the filling ingredients and mix well.  Gently pour the filling over the hot, partially baked crust.  Crumble the remaining crust mixture over the top of the filling and press down lightly.  Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until top is golden brown and the center is set.  Allow to cool in the refrigerator before cutting into bars.  Store in the refrigerator.  Enjoy!

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Menu 11/15 - 11/21

It wasn't until typing up this menu that I fully realized that next week's menu will include Thanksgiving!  I'm feeling wholly unprepared for the upcoming holiday season and hope that somehow my brain will catch up to the calendar sometime soon!  This week's menu includes some oldies but goodies!  Enjoy!  

(Please ignore the funky formatting on this post.  Sometimes blogger drives me bonkers!)

Monday-Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage



Oreo Turkey Treats (a fun tradition at our house) 
Tuesday-Peanut Butter and Banana Streusel Muffins

Trish's Chicken Tortilla Soup






 
Wednesday-Turkey Wafflewiches (one of my kids' favorites)

Thursday-Sweet Potato Soup with Coconut and Spicy Relish (new)


French Peasant Bread (so easy and so good)!

Friday-Karey's Raspberry-Chocolate Chip Pancakes

French Bread Pizza



Saturday-Garlic Chicken Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes

Sunday-AnnaLisa's Quick Cinnamon Rolls


Chicken with Chile-Cheese Rice (new)

Go check Organizing Junkie for lots more Menu Plans!

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Pasta with Cremini, Asparagus, and Walnuts

This recipe is one I found in a church cookbook from my friend Adelia.  I was pretty sure my hubby and I would enjoy it, but I was a little more nervous about the kids, since both mushrooms and asparagus are ingredients that have the tendency to scare them off sometimes.  Luckily I didn't have anything to worry about....I don't know if it was the kid-friendly noodles or the nuts sprinkled on top or the mild mascarpone cheese flavor, but my kids not only tried it, but ended up devouring it.  I ended up wishing I'd made a one-and-a-half batch of it after my teen son gobbled up way more than his fair share!  I've made it twice more since then (although not with the bacon yet) and they've loved it every time. Thanks Adelia! 

 Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

1 lb. farfalle pasta
3 Tbs. butter
3/4 lb. cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (8-oz.) package mascarpone cheese (or cream cheese)

1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)

Directions:  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the farfalle and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally.  Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
 

Add the asparagus and saute until asparagus is crisp-tender. 

Add the noodles.  Stir in  mascarpone cheese and nutmeg and toss until the cheese coats the pasta, add the reserved cooking liquid 1/4 cup at a time to moisten (I normally don't use any water).


Stir in 1/2 cup of the walnuts.  Season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper.  Mound the pasta in a large bowl.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon (if desired), and remaining toasted walnuts.  Serve immediately.  Makes 4-5 servings. 
 
Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon-Brown Butter-Pecan Topping

Before moving to the DC area 14-years-ago, I was a Minnesota girl.   I used to scoff at 40° weather and laugh when I heard about people who didn't know what it felt like to have their nose hairs freeze together.  But all that's changed now.  I guess you could probably call me a wimp now.  

In Virginia, autumn is a long, glorious season with most days in the 50's and 60's.  The streets are lined with tall beautiful oaks and maples ablaze with color that make even driving around the DC beltway a scenic drive this time of year.  But despite the beauty and the comparative mildness of DC autumns, every morning I wake up wishing I could snuggle under the covers a little longer.   I shiver my way to the shower and bundle up in sweatshirts and jackets until it starts to warm up in the afternoon.  One thing that gets me warmed up a little faster though is a good hearty breakfast--like these pumpkiny pancakes!    I love the slight chewiness and tang that the ricotta cheese adds to the flavor and the brown butter topping is out-of-this-world!    It'll warm you right up and thaw out those nose hairs in no time!  :) 

 Click here for printable recipe.  

The ingredients:

TOPPING: 

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted

PUMPKIN PANCAKES:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (we used 100% whole-wheat flour)
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1-1/3 cups milk
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

FOR TOPPING:  In a small heavy saucepan, cook butter over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.  Add the maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Remove from the heat; stir in pecans.  Set aside.

FOR PANCAKES:  In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, pumpkin, and cheese.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. 


Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle, turn when bubbles form on top.  Cook until the second side is golden brown. 

Serve with brown butter/pecan topping.  Enjoy!

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Menu 11/8 - 11/14

It's been a crazy couple of months here at our house, but I'm realizing more than ever that the time I spend menu planning is time saved later in the week.  I've got a big grocery trip to do before any of this can happen, but here's the optimistic plan:  

Monday--BBQ Pulled Chicken and Slaw Sliders (new)

Tuesday--Award Winning Chili

Lion House Cornbread

(This picture does not do this justice.  This cornbread is yummy and moist.)

Wednesday--Grandma's Apple Fritters

Orange Chicken and Rice

Thursday--Asparagus Pasta with Cremini and Walnuts (new)

Friday--Apple-Walnut Pancakes

Bruschetta Pizza

Saturday--Potato Soup

Bread Bowls

Sunday--Mom's Breakfast Cake

Thai Chicken Pasta

Go check Organizing Junkie for lots more Menu Plans!

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Flourless Chocolate Cake (my new favorite chocolate cake recipe!)

We don't actually have anyone in our immediate family who is allergic to gluten, but no matter--this   chocolate cake recipe (from my friend Mirien at Mirien's Kitchen) is simply the best I've ever made.  I've been asked for the recipe time and time again and no one can believe that it contains absolutely no flour and instead is made with 2 cans of garbanzo beans.  It's got the perfect texture and just the right amount of moisture (my big beef with most other cakes) and we thought it was even better than the gourmet chocolate cupcakes we bought from a bakery.  We've made this into cupcakes, single layer cakes, and my sister-in-law even used it to make a 17-layer cake (check out the picture at the bottom of the post)!   You simply need to try this totally gluten free recipe to believe it! 

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:


CAKE: 
1 package (12-ounces) semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

2 cans (15-oz. each) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 eggs
1-3/4 cups sugar
2 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:    In a small bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 2 minutes on 50% power, stirring frequently until smooth.  In a blender, blend the beans and eggs until creamy.

 

Add remaining ingredients, including the melted chocolate and blend well.  If your blender is not big enough, pour into a bowl to mix.  Put batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan (NOTE: if you're making this cake for someone who is gluten intolerant then do NOT flour the pan with flour.  Use a little cocoa instead.) and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick in center comes out with moist crumbs--DO NOT OVERBAKE.  For cupcakes, bake for 20-25 minutes.  When cool, frost with chocolate frosting. 

Check out this 17-layer version my sister-in-law made for her sister's 17th birthday!  

Enjoy!

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Spinach Lasagna

A couple of my kids recently went a whole month of eating vegetarian.   We are not big meat-eaters anyway (especially red meat), so their experiment into vegetarianism actually ended up being an enjoyable challenge to find ways to eat meatless in a way that wouldn't scare off my more carnivorous husband.  :)   This spinach lasagna recipe from my friend Adelia had a wonderful flavor that made it so we never even missed the fact that there was no meat. Served up with some crusty French Peasant Bread and a Mixed Green Salad with Raspberry Dressing, it was a totally meat-free, but completely delicious meal! 

Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:

9 dried lasagna noodles
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2  Tbs. butter
1 (7-oz.) jar roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped
1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (24-oz.) carton cottage or ricotta cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (plus more for top if desired)
2 cups feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for filling)
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed (I used 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 (29-oz.) jars meatless spaghetti sauce
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)

Directions:  Cook lasagna noodles for 10-12 minutes or until tender but still firm.  Drain noodles, rinse with cold water.  Drain well.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot butter until tender, but not brown; stir in chopped sweet peppers.  Set aside.


Pat spinach dry with paper towels.  In a  medium bowl stir together spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, feta, 1/2 cup Parmesan, eggs, basil, oregano, and black pepper. 

Stir sweet pepper mixture into spinach mixture. 


Spread 1/2 jar of the spaghetti sauce evenly in a 9x13-inch baking dish. 

Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce.

Layer with half the sweet pepper-spinach mixture

and top with 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce. 

Repeat layers, ending with noodles.  Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over the top (I did not need all of the remaining sauce).  

Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I sprinkled some additional mozzarella cheese as well).

Bake COVERED, in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.

UNCOVER and bake an additional 10 minutes more or until heated through.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Makes 10 servings.  Serve with crusty warm bread and a green salad. 

NOTE:  This also freezes well. 

Enjoy!

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