November 30, 2008

December

Starting tomorrow we're going to do a bit of rewind for the the month of December. Each day I'll be posting a link to previous entries that will make perfect gifts for the holiday and why I think they would! December is going to be a crazy, wild month here in the Dianne's Dishes household, but I still wanted to share some holiday ideas with you none the less. Those of you who have been readers for a while may recognize some of the ideas, but hopefully they will give you some fabulous ideas none the less!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving...I know we did!

Until tomorrow!

Posted by Dianne at 7:28 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

November 24, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving!

With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday I've decided to take the week off and enjoy cooking, baking and just being with family. I'll be back next Monday with new recipes and of course What's For Dinner?! Until then if you're looking for some Thanksgiving recipes take a peek at my Flickr Thanksgiving set from last year.

May you all have a fabulous week and find much to be thankful for!

See you next Monday!

Posted by Dianne at 8:10 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack

November 21, 2008

Whole Grain Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food. Seriously...I think I could eat it everyday! Refried beans, queso, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, tortillas, tacos, oh my! Let's face it though Mexican isn't exactly healthy, but you can make it more healthy with a few simple tricks. So let's take a look at some enchiladas that aren't as bad for you. Don't get me wrong, this still isn't an everyday food, but there is no reason you can't take something sinful and make it a little less so, to enjoy a little more often.

What You'll Need:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (Note: You can use any color you like. I used red.)
2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken
A pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1/4-1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (Note: More if you like it hot, less if you don't. You can leave it out all together if you prefer.)
1 - 16 ounce jar of salsa, divided in half (Note: You can use mild, medium or hot...It's all according to personal taste. I used medium for this.)
1 - 8 ounce block of cheddar of Colby cheese, shredded
Whole grain tortillas (Note: If you wanted to make this gluten free you could use corn tortillas.)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a large skillet over medium heat sauté onion and bell pepper until tender. Remove from heat and stir in chicken, black pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper and 1/2 of the jar of salsa and stir to mix.

Next it's time to assemble the enchiladas!

First you want to add cheese to the middle of the tortilla:

Next add a some of the chicken mixture:

And then roll the tortilla up like a burritos and place into a 13 X 9 inch dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray:

Continue these steps until you fill your baking dish and/or run out of filling.

Next top with the remaining salsa:

Then generously top with shredded cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes until slightly golden and heated through. Serve immediately with sour cream and/or guacamole.

Notes: You could do this with most any filling. Beef, pork, shrimp, or even just veggies.

Posted by Dianne at 7:09 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

November 20, 2008

What's For Dinner?

I'm not sure what we're having tonight...Inspire me people! ;o)

What are you having?

Update: 7:46 PM: We did breakfast for dinner! Scrambled eggs and bacon for Jamison and I, and Miss G doesn't like eggs, so she wanted cucumbers with her bacon. Works for me!

Posted by Dianne at 1:23 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Sweet Potato Wedges

I love sweet potatoes! They are such a wonderful, flavorful, and healthy alternative to your basic potato. You can take them and make a fabulous side dish that will definitely please a crowd, with little effort! Want something a little different to go along with dinner tonight? Then look no further...You're there!

What You'll Need:
1 large sweet potato
Extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried rosemary (Note: I usually add this, but for some reason this go around I forgot!)
A generous pinch of coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut a sweet potato into wedges. (Note: No need to remove the skin unless you just want to. It adds flavor and nutrients.) Toss with a little extra virgin olive oil and place into a baking dish. Sprinkle with herbs, salt and pepper and bake for 35-45 minutes until sweet potatoes stick done. Serve immediately.

Notes: You could do this method with any potato, but keep in mind sweet potatoes tend to bake a little faster than other potatoes.

Posted by Dianne at 8:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 19, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Tonight we're having Old Bay Steak Sandwiches (cheese only for Jamison on gluten free bread, just steak for Alexis, with no bun, and with mushrooms, onions and swiss for me) along with some zesty fries an a side salad.

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 12:58 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

Want to take a basic baked potato and take it to another level? Why not stuff it with goodness? This recipe is simple, yet so delicious...You really get bang for your buck (so to speak!) ;oP

What You'll Need:
1 potato, cut in half and baked until tender, pulp removed after baking (Note: I like to bake them in the oven, but if you don't have time you can "bake" the halves in the microwave. I think potatoes in the oven though are much better, but if time is a factor alternatives always work!)
3-4 broccoli florets, chopped
Pulp removed from baked potato
2 tablespoons of sour cream (Note: I usually use light sour cream.) Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup of shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cut potato in half and baked it flat side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Bake until potatoes stick done (30-40 minutes) and remove from oven and cool.

Remove pulp from the cooled potato leaving 1/4 an inch of pulp in the potato, much like you would when making potato skins. Place pulp in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In the bowl with the pulp add sour cream and stir to mash together. Stir in cheese and broccoli, along with a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Divide mixture and place half into each potato shell and place in a baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and potato is slightly browned.

Makes 2 servings.

Notes: You could use other types of cheese or veggies if you preferred.

Posted by Dianne at 8:12 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 18, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Tonight we're having homemade pizza.

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 3:09 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Chicken and Mushroom Kabobs

Kabobs are a fun way to present normal ingredients and give them a little flare! They don't take much work, not to mention they are healthy to boot, yet they still have a bit of a wow factor to them. You can easily take them and make them any way you like, but who says you can't have a little fun with your healthy food?

What You'll Need per Person:
1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast
6-8 button mushrooms
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Seasoning of your choice
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Cut chicken into approximately even sized chunks. Place on a bamboo skewer and brush with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and seasoning of your choice. (Note: If your seasoning has salt in it omit the sea salt.) Repeat process with mushrooms as well.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms are tender and chicken is slightly browned and done through.

Serve with rice.

Notes: Any meat or veggie will work. It's completely up to you and your tastes.

Posted by Dianne at 12:12 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

November 17, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Tonight we're having baked chicken breasts, a broccoli stuffed potato for me, a plain baked potato for Jamison and some broccoli for Alexis, along with a side salad.

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 12:23 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

White Whole Wheat Yeast Rolls

I love white whole wheat flour! You can use it pretty much cup for cup in place of white flour* and the results are fabulous! It's extremely easy to take something not so good for you and make it better with whole grain flour. Want a yeast roll that is a little better for you and ridiculously easy to make? Then look no further!

*I have yet to play around with white whole wheat flour in dessert type dishes, but I plan to in the near future. For bread though it works great!

What You'll Need:
2 cups of white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2/3-1 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of yeast
1/4 cup of honey

In a large bowl stir together flour and salt until well mixed and set aside.

In a glass measuring cup mix 2/3rds cup of warm water with yeast and honey and let sit for 3-5 minutes until foamy. Add the flour mixture and stir until dough forms. (Note: If you need more water add it slowly until dough comes together.) Knead for about a minute in the bowl until dough is slightly elastic (Note: No need to turn it out onto the counter) and then form dough into golf ball sized circles and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet:

Let the rolls rise in a warm place. (I usually do this in my oven with the light on) for about an hour or until rolls have risen:

(Note: Whole grain flour isn't going to rise quite as much as white flour, but you should still see a change in size.)

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Bake rolls for 12-18 minutes in preheated oven until golden brown. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container after cooled to room temperature.

Notes: This would be perfect on your Thanksgiving table!

Posted by Dianne at 8:03 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 13, 2008

Or Maybe Not...

Hey everyone...The day has just gotten away from me. I've been non-stop busy all day long. Tomorrow isn't looking much better. I'm hoping to get an entry up tomorrow, but I'm just not sure. It will all depend on how things play out. If you don't see an entry, let this be your explanation and I'll catch you all on Monday!

Posted by Dianne at 7:11 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Another Late Entry Today

Hey everyone! Just wanted to let you know that today's entry will be this afternoon evening. It's a busy day, so check back later for the new recipe and What's For Dinner? too!

Posted by Dianne at 8:41 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

November 12, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Tonight we're having broiled lemon pepper Tilapia, roasted potatoes for Jamison and roasted sweet potatoes and asparagus for Alexis and I.

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 12:09 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Blogging By Mail

My Blogging by Mail package arrived yesterday! My package was sent by Michelle from Our Full House.

Along with the goodies Michelle also included a couple of recipes in the little notebook, which was very nice.

Also stop over and say hello to Laurel who I sent my Blogging by Mail package to!

Back tomorrow with a new recipe...Back later with What's for Dinner?!

Posted by Dianne at 7:40 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 11, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Jamison is in class tonight. Alexis wants to make soup, so we're having Vegetable beef soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.

What are you having?

Update: 6:46 PM: Oops...Forgot the grilled cheese!

Posted by Dianne at 2:02 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Cupcakes? What's better to take to a party that you know will be attended by a lot of children? So that's just what we made for our Halloween block (road) party! This cupcake is simple, straight forward and delicious. Of course you can eat these cupcakes anytime and their decor could be shifted to fit any season. What's not to like about that?

And no you didn't read that title wrong...I said buttercream! If you've been around Dianne's Dishes for a while you'll know that usually I am NOT a fan of icing made with butter at all, but I played around with it until I found something I actually liked!

So grab your cupcake pans and grab some butter...You'll be glad you did!

What You'll Need for the Cupcakes:
3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup of organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/3 cup of safflower oil
3 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
2 tablespoons of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Line 2 cupcake pans with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together dry ingredients until well mixed. Add remaining ingredients and stir until batter is smooth. Add to cupcake pan that has been lined and fill each cup 3/4ths of the way full.

Bake for 18-22 minutes or until cupcakes stick done. Cool to room temperature, frost (see below) and add sprinkles (or not).

Notes: If you want to make lemon cupcakes you could add lemon extract instead of vanilla. Peppermint? Add in mint extract, etc...You get the idea! ;oP

What You'll Need for the Buttercream Icing:
2 sticks of butter, very soft
1 - 16 ounce package of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of vanilla
1/4 cup of cold water
Food coloring (optional)

Add butter to the bowl of your mixer and beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat on low until completely smooth. If you want to color your icing add food coloring now. Use immediately to frost cupcakes or cake.

Notes: As I've mentioned before I rarely sift anything and that includes powdered sugar. Now if I were making an Angel Food Cake, I'd definitely sift, but for icing it's not necessary unless you just get a kick out of sifting. :o)

Posted by Dianne at 12:31 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Check Back Later!

Hey everyone. Check back this afternoon for today's recipe and of course What's For Dinner! I'm running a little slow this morning! :o)

Posted by Dianne at 8:48 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 10, 2008

What's For Dinner?

I'm not sure what we are having this evening. Alexis and I had a big lunch with my sister and the boys and I'm not hungry right now (and don't foresee being hungry anytime soon!) so it's hard to figure out what to make.

What are you having?

Update: 9:21 PM: Jamison ended up cooking dinner. He made spaghetti.

Posted by Dianne at 2:54 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Chili Cheeseburgers

The first time I had a chili cheeseburger was my first year in college at the University of Tennessee. I can't remember where I got it, but I remember being very impressed with the whole concept. Don't get me wrong, even then I realized how simple the concept was, but until that point I had never really thought of a chili cheeseburger...Chili dog yes, but not a burger. Years passed and I hadn't had another and then one day I started thinking about just how simple it would be to do. I don't make them that often, but occasionally I like a nice chili cheeseburger...Chili? Cheese? What's not to like?

What You'll Need for the Chili:
Extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
A pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon of chili powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/4-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (Note: More if you like it hot, less if you don't. You can omit it all together if you prefer mild chili.)
1 - 15 ounce can of red kidney beans
1 - 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1- 14.5 can of diced tomatoes

In a medium sized pot sauté onion until tender with a little sea salt. Add the rest of the spices and stir to mix. Next stir in kidney beans, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Bring to a quick boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for at least 30 minutes. (Note: The longer chili cooks the more the spices meld. You could dump all of this minus the olive oil into your slow cooker and cook it on low for about 4 hours that way too. I usually don't add meat to my chili, especially if I'm using it on chili cheeseburgers, but if you want you can add that too.)

Next comes to fun part...What do you want to put in/on the burger?

If you want you can easily use a veggie burger. A regular hamburger would be great too, or how about a turkey or chicken burger? Another non-meat option would be a grilled portabella mushroom cap. I've never tried that, but now that I type that sentence I think next time I just might!

Cheese is also up to you. You can use cheddar, or American, or Swiss, or Monterrey Jack, or a mix! You can even leave the cheese off all together for a basic chili burger if that's more to your liking.

Condiments are also up to you. I have a friend who likes mayo and ketchup. But what ever you like will make the perfect burger for you. My burger usually consists or either a veggie or normal burger, cheddar or American cheese and lots of mustard on a whole grain bun. Serve with oven fries and a side salad and you've got the perfect meal!

Notes: Everything in this is gluten free except for the bun. If you wanted a gluten free option you could leave the bun off all together or use a gluten free bun in place of the regular bun. You could also use black beans if you preferred or even a mix of both black and red.

Posted by Dianne at 8:37 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 7, 2008

What's For Dinner? 2 for the Price of 1!

Jamison worked from home yesterday, so even though he had class last night we still got to eat together. We ended up having homemade pizza!

Tonight we're having pot roast, mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 1:07 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack

Cheesy Sausage Rolls

As a kid from time to time my mom would make sausage rolls. I can't remember exactly how they were made, but I remember there was a dough of sorts, along with sausage. For a while now I've been thinking of making a sausage roll, but I decided to take it a step further and add some cheese, because seriously, how can you go wrong with sausage and cheese??!?!?

Note: It has come to my attention that my recipes/photos are being scraped from this site and posted on other sites without my permission. If you are not reading this through www.diannesdishes.com or the associated RSS feed then the content is stolen. I have not authorized my content to be posted anywhere else. Please e-mail me at diannesdishes at gmail dot com and let me know if you see things from my site that have been posted somewhere else. Thanks!

What You'll Need:
1 cup of warm water
1 tablespoon of yeast
2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 pound of sausage, cooked and crumbled
1 to 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar or Colby cheese (Note: I used Colby Jack. You can use as much cheese as you like or as little. It's completely up to you.)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Mix yeast and warm water and set aside until it foams.

In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Slowly add water until dough ball forms. (Note: You may need all of the water, some of the water or even have to add a bit more. Humidity and flour...Such a strange relationship! ;oP You want this dough to be basically like pizza dough in consistency.) Once dough ball forms turn out and knead the dough on a floured surface for 1-2 minutes until elastic.

Once dough is kneaded shape it into a rough rectangle and roll the dough out until it is roughly 1/4 of an inch thick:

It doesn't have to be perfect so don't sweat it if it's not.

Next add sausage to the dough spreading it out relatively even layer:

I cooked the sausage and had it in the fridge ready to go.

Next add the cheese:

Again use as much or as little if you like. You could even just skip the cheese and have your basic sausage roll, but really who would want to do that! ;oP

Carefully roll the dough into a roll:

I usually roll from the longer side to longer side making it a longer roll.

With a serrated knife carefully cut the roll into slices and place on a baking sheet:

This is basically the same principle you use when making cinnamon rolls.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly browned and cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

Notes: You'll need to store these in the fridge. You can reheat them before serving by placing them on a baking sheet in the oven at 375 F for about 10 minutes.

Posted by Dianne at 7:43 AM | Comments (8) | TrackBack

November 6, 2008

Baked Apples

I'm in an appley mood this week, so let's do another apple recipe shall we?

Traditionally when you think of baked apples, you think of a whole apple, that has been cored and filled with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and/or nutmeg and possibly some raisins. But I wanted to try something a little different and it worked! These apples turned out to be amazing, all with no butter or sugar...What's not to like about that?

This could easily be a side dish, or how about using it to top waffles or pancakes? You could even use the apples to make a muffin! The possibilities are endless!

Note: It has come to my attention that my recipes/photos are being scraped from this site and posted on other sites without my permission. If you are not reading this through www.diannesdishes.com or the associated RSS feed then the content is stolen. I have not authorized my content to be posted anywhere else. Please e-mail me at diannesdishes at gmail dot com and let me know if you see things from my site that have been posted somewhere else. Thanks!

What You'll Need Per Person:
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 tablespoon of honey
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Toss together apple, honey and olive oil until apples are coated. Place in a baking dish. Top with cinnamon and nutmeg and bake for 25-30 minutes until apples are soft. Serve immediately.

Notes: How easy is that? This version is much healthier than your standard baked apple, but trust me...You'll never miss the butter or the sugar!

Posted by Dianne at 7:23 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

November 5, 2008

What's For Dinner?

I'm not sure what we're having tonight. I'm exhausted from staying up late watching election returns and to see Barack's speech! It will most likely be something simple and quick.

What are you having?

Update: November 6, 2008: 9:24 AM: I ended up having whole grain chicken enchiladas and Jamison and Alexis had pancakes.

Posted by Dianne at 1:26 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Getting To Know My Blog Daughers: Ingrid From 3 B's...baseball, baking, and books

You've heard from Nella, so now it's time to get to know Ingrid a little better! Ingrid blogs at 3 B's...baseball, baking, and books. Stop by and say hello. Be sure and tell her her blog Mom Dianne sent you! ;o)

Thanks to both of you for playing along and now without further ado....Here's Ingrid!

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with the name?

3 B's...baseball, baking, and books. Those are three things that I really enjoy a lot and spend what little free time I have doing. They also all happen to start with the letter "B".

2. How long have you been blogging?

Since June, LOL, I had to check. It's gone by so FAST

3. What made you start your own blog?

I'm not sure it was any one thing. But the first blog I found and read was Bakerella. I'm not very daring when it comes to leaving my comfort zone. I've referred to myself as a scaredy cat baker. Blogging and reading other blogs has helped me be a bit more adventurous. I still have a waaaaaays to go.

4. Do you cook everyday? Or is there a specific time in the week that you cook more than others?

No, I don't cook everyday. I have a set of twins and a singleton. The Twins are VERY active. More often than not we are only home in the evenings about three out of seven sometimes not even that much. When we are home I cook especially on weekend mornings. My children love breakfast. Saturday mornings are Mom's and that means eggs, biscuits, hash browns, and sausage or bacon. Sunday's are Dad's and he makes pancakes.

5. What is your favorite kitchen tool?

Hmmmm, fave baking tool is my Cuisinart 7 speed digital hand mixer. (Not too often do I use my Kitchenaid.) My fave cooking tool is my Furi knife sharpener. Another cool thing in my kitchen is the floor to ceiling bookcase my Dad made for me for my birthday.

6. If money was no object and you could take a food vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

This is a tough question. I grew up between here in FL and NYC so I've eaten A LOT of different (authentic) cuisines though not at famous restaurants that everyone has heard about. These were at "mom & pop" places. My Dad loves eating and it was him that exposed me to different foods. I didn't appreciate it then. To answer your question I'd like to go to Italy for the food and France for the pastries.

7. If you could spend the day with one famous cook/chef and cook with them for fun, who would it be and why?

Geeesh, I struggle with choosing just one of anything but I think maybe Paula Deen. She seems so real and personable. I just hope I focus enough to learn a thing or two.

8. What is your favorite food to eat?

Finally an easy question.....salad!

9. What is your favorite food to cook?

Anything that ALL THREE of my children eat without complaining!!!!

10. If I was going to cook one recipe from your site, which one would you recommend and why?

I only have two dishes posted on there but out of the two I'd suggest the Bavarian Sausage Hot Pot! ALL THREE of my children liked it and they each had seconds!

Posted by Dianne at 8:05 AM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

November 4, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Jamison is in class tonight. Alexis wants left over chicken noodle soup. I think I may have a chili dog and of course apple pie for dessert while watching election returns since it's election day and all! ;oP

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 1:56 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Election Day Apple Pie

For election day I wanted to do something that was the epitome of Americana and you just can't get more American that apple pie! Apple pie is just one of those quintessential American dishes that you'll find time and time again across America. As I type this the smell of the warm pie is wafting up through the house and it just screams America!

Apple pie, while delicious, is also extremely easy to make. I wanted to play around with my normal recipe a bit, so I tweaked it and what you see here is the result. It's luscious, cinnamony and oh so delicious! Warm or cooled, this pie will definitely win raves! You could even pair it with some vanilla or caramel ice cream for an even bigger treat, but over all what's better than a little all time American traditional food, using in season local ingredients, on election day all with a message baked right in? ;oP

So if you haven't already, don't forget to get out there today and vote! :o)

What You'll Need:
1 double pie crust (Note: I actually bought crust for this pie, but you can make it from scratch if you prefer. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.)
5 apples, cored and chopped (Note: I used 4 Golden Delicious apples and 1 Fuji apple. There is no need to peel the apples, unless you just want to add an extra step for yourself! ;oP)
2 tablespoons of cinnamon (Note: I adore cinnamon. If you aren't as fond of it as I am, then you can use 1 tablespoon instead.)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon of vanilla powder (Note: You can omit this if you want. This was new addition that I have been wanting to try and I must say I liked the little kick it gave!)
1 cup of natural brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 cup of unbleached all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten
Organic cane sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Press pie dough into a pie dish and set aside.

Place chopped apples in a large bowl.

Add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla powder, brown sugar, salt and flour and toss to coat.

Pour apples into the pie dish. (Note: They may stand up a bit over the edge of the dish...This is ok.)

For the top crust you can do it one of two ways: 1) You can place the dough on top and use a knife to make vent holes or 2) You can cut out a shape(s) with small cookie cutters and then place the dough on top. Once dough is on top, crimp the edges to seal the pie and place it on a baking sheet.

Next brush the top of the pie with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes until pie is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: I know some people like raisins in their apple pie (me not so much) so if that sounds good to you, you could add in 1 cup of raisins as well.

So if you haven't voted yet, what are you waiting for? Go on! Go vote! ;o)

Posted by Dianne at 7:16 AM | Comments (7) | TrackBack

November 3, 2008

What's For Dinner?

Tonight we're having chicken and veggie kabobs, rice and roasted asparagus.

What are you having?

Posted by Dianne at 1:14 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Getting To Know My Blog Daughters: Up First Nella From Peckerwood Gravy!

For a while now I've been planning to reintroduce my blog daughters to you by having them answer a few questions to get to know them better! This was such fun! So take a look below and get to know Nella from Peckerwood Gravy Company a little better. Also don't forget to stop by her blog and say hello and tell her her blog Mom Dianne sent you! ;oP

Ingrid's turn will be up soon, so don't forget to check back!

For now let's get started with Nella's answers!

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with the name?

Peckerwood Gravy Company. My husband's grandmother used to call grandpa a peckerwood whenever she got a little exasperated with him. In the Midwest, a woodpecker and a peckerwood are the same. My cousin came up with the Gravy part. I added the Company. It is just plain silly.

2. How long have you been blogging?

Since March of this year, eight months.

3. What made you start your own blog?

I just wanted to share my recipes, food stories, my love of good food, restaurants, and travel. I love the Midwest and I don't want the food culture to be lost.

4. Do you cook every day? Or is there a specific time in the week that you cook more than others?

I cook almost every day. Now, it is just for the husband and I during the week. Weekend cooking is usually for a family get together. If I cook too much, I take the extra over to the parents. I also try to bake at least once a week. I give away a lot of what I bake. I can usually unload the baked goods off on husband's work, the folks, my daughter and her family, and the neighbors.

5. What is your favorite kitchen tool?

My Kitchen Aid Mixer. My daughter and I refer to it as "The Kitchen Trophy". Proudly displayed on the counter at all times.

6. If money was no object and you could take a food vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Italy. I love Italian food, any region. I've been to Rome, that was the appetizer trip. I would love to travel the entire country cooking, eating, and drinking the wines. Wait a minute, did you ask me what heaven would be like?

7. If you could spend the day with one famous cook/chef and cook with them for fun, who would it be and why?

Alton Brown, and it definitely would be fun! I actually understand the cooking and baking process better, the way he explains it scientifically. I love his sense of humor too. He is my favorite!

8. What is your favorite food to eat?

Potatoes! In any form, at any meal. I love, love, love them.

9. What is your favorite food to cook?

Bread. I love the way bread dough comes alive. When I look at the dough after the first rise, I always say, in my best scary scientist voice, "It's alive!" While kneading, I usually "lose myself". I think and pray about things, people, just stuff. It's rather Zen like. And the smell..........it's a food of love thing. I love myself when I make bread.

10. If I was going to cook one recipe from your site, which one would you recommend and why?

Since I know you like quick breads and yeast breads and that you like to cook healthy, the Banana Bread or the Cinnamon Rolls would be my choice. Both can be adapted to organic very easily. I've baked them both organic. And the house smells really good!

Posted by Dianne at 7:13 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack