Crazy Crust Apple Pie

The one that makes its own sweet, crumbly, biscuit-like crust!

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 45 Min
READY IN 1 Hr
Original recipe yield 1 - 9 inch deep dish pie

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 (21 ounce) can apple pie filling
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, then add water, shortening, and egg. Mix on low speed until ingredients are combined, then beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Spread into pie pan.
3. In a medium bowl mix together pie filling, lemon juice, and apple pie spice. Spread over crust; do not stir.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, until crust is browned.

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“The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.” Frank Lloyd Wright

Chicken and Dumplings

Perfect for autumn nights, this main course is speedy, low in fat and a delicious one-dish meal

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 20 Min
READY IN 30 Min

Ingredients:
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh carrots
3 (14.5 ounce) cans reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 2/3 cups reduced-fat biscuit/baking mix
2/3 cup fat-free milk

Directions:
1. In a Dutch oven coated with nonstick cooking spray, saute celery and carrots for 5 minutes. Stir in the broth, poultry seasoning and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered. Add the chicken.
2. For dumplings, combine biscuit mix and milk. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto simmering broth. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a dumpling comes out clean (do not lift cover while simmering).


Nutritional Analysis:
1 cup chicken mixture with 3 dumplings equals 282 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 1,022 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 28 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1/2 fat.

Chili

I use ground turkey and nobody can tell the difference. Can be made on the stove or in the slow cooker. It's quick, easy and so good.

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr 45 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 55 Min

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 (46 fluid ounce) can tomato juice
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup chili powder

Directions:
1. Place ground beef in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and crumble.
2. In a large pot over high heat combine the ground beef, tomato juice, tomato sauce, kidney beans, pinto beans, onions, bell pepper, cayenne pepper, sugar, oregano, ground black pepper, salt, cumin and chili powder. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. (Note: If using a slow cooker, set on low, add ingredients, and cook for 8 to 10 hours.)

Mississippi Mud Cake

A very rich cake and one of my favorites

Original recipe yield 1 - 9x13 inch cake

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

12 ounces marshmallow creme

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 13x9 inch baking pan.
2. Cream together cocoa, white sugar, and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, and vanilla and beat well.
3. Mix flour, baking powder, coconut, and chopped pecans together into the egg mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes.
5. When done spread marshmallow cream over top of cake while still hot. Let cake cool completely then ice with chocolate icing.

To Make Chocolate Icing:
1 box confectioners' sugar
1 stick butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup canned evaporated milk

Directions:
1. Beat together the confectioner's sugar, the remaining cocoa, vanilla, and butter. Continue to beat and add enough evaporated milk to make icing
2. Spread on cake.

White Chocolate Cake

This is a very heavy white chocolate cake with a white chocolate frosting. I used 3 cake pans instead of 2, raspberry jam between the layers

PREP TIME 20 Min
COOK TIME 35 Min
READY IN 55 Min
Original recipe yield 1 - 2 layer 9 inch cake

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. white chocolate
1 cup butter
1/2 cup boiling hot water
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs (seperated)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup nuts
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup coconut

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. In small saucepan, melt white chocolate in boiling hot water. Stir until smooth, and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well with each addition. Mix in melted white chocolate and teaspoon vanilla. Stir in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
4. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold in egg whites into batter
5. Gently fold in nuts and coconut.
6. Pour into two 9 inch round cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

To make Frosting:
Frosting:
1 can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup sugar
4 teaspoon butter
nuts

Directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan mix milk, sugar and butter, bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick.
2. Add vanilla and cook over low heat 15 mintues.
3. Add coconut and nuts and beat.
4. Spread between layers, on top and sides of cake.

Pineapple UpsideDown Cake

The best. Many pineapple upside down cake recipes are too dry so I add all of the pineapple juice. I use pineapple rings and place the cherry in the center of each ring.

PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr
READY IN 1 Hr 30 Min

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
8 maraschino cherries
1/4 cup walnut halves
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Drain pineapple and reserve 1/2 cup of the juice.
2. Melt butter in a 9 inch round pan. Arrange cherries and walnut halves in the pan according to how many servings you want. Sprinkle with brown sugar, and then pineapple.
3. Cream together shortening and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, and beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with reserved pineapple syrup, beating after each addition.
4. Spread batter in pan over pineapple. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes in the pan, then invert onto plate. Serve warm.

Frozen Salad Ice

These are great to keep in the freezer and they are ready for a HOT summer treat. They can also be added to a Sangria wine punch recipe.

PREP TIME 15 Min
READY IN 1 Hr 15 Min

Ingredients:
2 cups white sugar
1 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
4 bananas, diced
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (20 ounce) can peaches, drained and cup up
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions:
1. Combine all fruit.
2. Cook sugar, salt and water to make syrup.

Cook the syrup until it comes to a good boil and sugar is good and dissolved.

3. Pour over fruit.
4. Proportion fruit into cupcake lines in muffin tins.
5. Freeze until solid.
6. Remove papers and store in plastic bags until ready to use.