Thursday, October 30, 2014

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #119

Welcome to the Foodie Friends Friday
Linky Party!!

Meet Our Co-Hosts!

Cindy's Recipes and Writings In the Kitchen with Jenny HTML Map


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies

I used up the leftover chocolate and caramel candies from Halloween in the Loaded Monster Cookie Bars.  This brownie recipe will use up all of your chocolate and peanut butter candies!

Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies                                                  Printable Recipe

1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Reese's Fast Break Bars
1/3 cup Reese's Pieces 

Monday, October 27, 2014

Loaded Monster Cookie Bars

Every year it happens.  People buy bags of chocolate goodies to give out and they over buy. Not as many kids show up as they thought.  Maybe they did run out of goodies to give out.  So off to the next day to get hit the 50% off sale off of leftover Halloween treats.  Either way, this bar cookie is easy to make and will use up the leftover chocolate bars and candies or that "on sale" bag that just had to be bought.  If you have a lot of peanut butter and chocolate candies leftover try my Peanut Butter Candy Bar Brownies.


Loaded Monster Cookie Bars                                      Printable Recipe

1/2 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup quick oats
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mini candy bars (IE. Snickers, Milky Way, Nestle Grand, Hershey’s Chocolate Bar)
2 small pkts M and Ms (or approximately 1/3 cup)

Sunday, October 26, 2014

Iowa Food Blogger Giveaway -- $150 Visa Gift Card

So many great bloggers from my great state of IOWA!! We put all our awesomeness together to present to you an...


Thanks to...

Michelle @ Simplify, Live, Love











Jennifer @ Jeni Eats.






...and me!



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Growing, Harvesting and Canning Black Beans

I love black beans and I always try to have cooked ones on hand.  I prefer to home can the dried ones so I can control the salt and the cost. It is also a good source of food nutrients if you have a power outage and no access to water and/or heat source to cook them in.  They also don't require a freezer and will keep for at least 12 months on the shelf.

Canning dried beans yourself is so easy.  I use organic and this year I even GREW some organic black beans. (More on that later.)

Growing, Harvesting and Canning Black Beans

Dried black beans (scan 2/3 cups per pint jar)
Water
Salt (optional)
Pressure Canner (Beans cannot be water bath canned)

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts

We purchased an apple press this year and are pressing our own apple cider.  I mentioned this to someone and she told me about apple cider donuts.  Intrigued, I looked them up.  I decided I must make them!  I have tweaked my Baked Eggnog Mini Donuts with Eggnog Glaze recipe to include the flavors of fall.  Careful, they are addicting, especially warm.  I had downed a half dozen before I knew it.  Good thing I made them mini size!

As an after thought I thought an apple cider glaze instead of a cinnamon and sugar dusting might be lovely so I have included ingredients for that also.  

Baked Apple Cider Mini Donuts – makes 20 mini donuts           Printable Recipe


Donuts:
2-1/2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup apple cider reduced (see instructions)
1-1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Couple dashes salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Friday, October 17, 2014

Pork Meat Balls with Dijon Cream Sauce with Wini Moranville

This recipe is from a fellow Iowan Blogger Wini Moranville.  After checking out her e-cookbook,
which is full of 22 wonderful recipes, I chose this pork meat ball recipe to share with you.  The recipe is simple and the dish looks divine.   See link at end to see how you can order your own e-cookbook for only $2.99! (Price as of 10/17/2014)

A bit more about the cookbook from Wini:  It's the result of a collaboration between French-born chef David Baruthio and me. (Chef Baru owns the widely acclaimed Baru 66 restaurant in Des Moines, Iowa). I just love the way this recipe shows that the French know their way around a meatball just as much as Italian-Americans do. 

Of course, we don't think of meatballs as something you'd braise, but in fact, on two different occasions, two different renown chefs (including David) have given me their recipes for meatballs, and both times they've been cooked partially submerged in liquid (not baked dry, as so many recipes call for). This method of cooking meatballs may just change your meatball-loving life!

A word about the recipe: As you shape the meatballs, you're going to think they're super soft and too flimsy to fry. You're going to wonder where the breading is. There is no breading in this recipe; hence, what you get is pure, rich, meaty flavor, along with that fresh green spark of the parsley. The trick is to use lots of oil to keep them from sticking. Use a large tablespoon to gently turn them. And don't worry--you'll drain off most of that fat!

P.S.  A HUGE thanks to Wini for taking the step by step photos for me to share with the recipe!



Pork Meat Balls with Dijon Cream Sauce


Monday, October 13, 2014

Apple Pecan Cheesecake Bars with Caramel

I love cheesecake and caramel apple pie so why not put them together in one dish? Drizzle on some caramel or leave it off.  We decided it is good either way!

Apple Pecan Cheesecake Bars with Caramel                                Printable Recipe

2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter, cubed
2 – 8 ounce packages light cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 Tablespoon sugar

Crumb Topping:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup quick oats
5 Tablespoons cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party #116

Welcome to the Foodie Friends Friday
Linky Party!!

Meet Our Co-Hosts!

Cindy's Recipes and Writings In the Kitchen with Jenny HTML Map


Chicken, Corn and Potato Chowder

This chowder contains so many of our favorite flavors. Smoky bacon and good ol' Iowa sweet corn take it to the next level.  Won't you join me for a bowl...or two?

Chicken Corn Potato Chowder

olive oil
salt
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or tenders
2 cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes (skin on)
6 slices bacon, chopped
1/3 cup diced onion
2 jalapenos, diced

2 cups chicken broth
2 cups sweet corn with juice or 1 can creamed corn
1/2 cup milk
3 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour (for GF use oat flour)
salt and pepper to taste

Boil and drain potatoes. Set aside.
Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken breast to lightly coat.  Sprinkle with salt (pepper if desired.)  Grill chicken breasts until no longer pink.  Chop and set aside.
In large pot, cook bacon until done.  Remove bacon and dump out all but about 1 tablespoon grease.  
Add onions and jalapenos and cook, stirring constantly until onions are translucent.  Do not walk off or it will burn.
Add chicken broth, corn, cooked potatoes and heat. Let cook for a bit to let the flavors mingle.  
 Add chicken and allow to reheat. Stir in milk.
In small saucepan melt butter. Add flour and whisk smooth.  Cook for about a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste. This is called a roux.  
Whisk roux into hot soup to thicken.
Ladle into soup cups or bowls.  Top with extra bacon if you like!

Monday, October 6, 2014

How to Make Homemade Applesauce

Homemade applesauce will taste so much better than anything you've ever eaten from a store.  My family doesn't mind a little bit of tart so we don't add any sugar at all. If you prefer a sweeter sauce find a sweet variety or you can use a little bit of sugar.   

We have found that if you see an apple tree, ask the owner if you can pick their apples.  Most time we find they will give them to you rather than have to mow over them or keep picking them off after they fall.  

Many times people don't know what kind of apple tree they have.  They may have moved in and it was already there.  Not every apples makes good sauce.  I usually take a box and test them out first.  Some have no flavor, some have a weird texture.  Once we know we like them we sauce them.  If we don't we press them for cider.  Still no waste!

If you are ready to make your own applesauce with no additives, no preservatives, no sugar and most likely no chemicals..scroll on down!

How to Make Homemade Applesauce

Wash your apples well, especially ones that have hit the ground.