Fall

Apple Crisp - This is the BEST apple crisp recipe I have ever tried

The BEST Apple Crisp

Fall is my all time FAVORITE season! We have several apple trees and this year, the Macintosh tree was loaded! I love picking an apple right from the tree and biting into while it’s still a little warm from the sun. Mmmmm! And, my son loves to grab an apple off the tree when he gets home from school — it’s a perfect snack!

I also love baking and cooking with apples. Some of my favorites are Apple Bundles, Apple Cake and Apple-Cranberry Fruit Salad. But nothing says fall like a pan full of warm apple crisp! And, my mother found this great recipe that I wanted to share with you!

Hassleback Cheesy Potatoes It's a Keeper

Hassleback Cheesy Potatoes

Just what is a Hassleback Potato, you ask?  Fanned out like an accordion, these spuds were named after the Restaurant Hasselbacken in Stockholm, Sweden.  It was here that these delicious cheesy potatoes were created.

While these little gems may look intricate and difficult to make, they aren’t. They are just a few simple steps away from traditional, every day, run-of-the-mill baked potatoes.   All it takes is a few swipes of your knife (be sure to take note of the wooden spoon trick below) and some scrumptious toppings.  And viola!  Hassleback Cheesy Potatoes!

Italian Wedding Soup It's a Keeper

Italian Wedding Soup

In the winter, I have a love affair with soup.  It tickles my fancy and it warms my soul.  OK, I don’t know about the soul part, but it makes me feel good and I love it!

I especially love soups that are full of hearty goodness.  Lots of veggies.  Rich broth.  And, of course a little cheese doesn’t hurt either!

I have a particular affinity for Italian Wedding Soup.  Maybe it’s my Italian heritage coming through.  Or, maybe it’s because I love the little meatballs?  It’s probably the meatballs!  Until recently, I never made my own Italian Wedding Soup.  I thought it was too complicated.  You have to make a broth and then dozens of little meatballs.  It was one of the dishes that I would rather order out.  Until recently.

I took the best parts (according to me) of several recipes and combined them all to come up with this one.

Weight Watchers Pork Tenderloin

Seasoned Pork Tenderloin: A Super Fast Supper

Everywhere I go, I find myself in conversations about food.  I also find myself scribbling down recipes on scraps of paper, backs of envelopes or, even napkins.  I can’t help myself.  I think I have an addiction.

This recipe is from one of those instances.  I was at church and, as usual, engrossed in a conversation about food.  We were going back and forth about our go-to recipes.  You know, the ones that you end up making about once a week!  My friend was telling me about a great pork tenderloin recipe that was super simple and packed with flavor.   That sure got my attention! 

Nepa mom

Guest Post: Making Life Easier with Bulk Cooking

I am so excited to introduce a special guest-blogger today! Megan from NEPA Mom is sharing how she makes her life easier with bulk cooking. Megan is a very busy stay-at-home mom/blogger who shares family-friendly activities, great deals, and reviews of products that make her life easier!   NEPA Mom is a great site to bookmark if you’re looking for things to do in northeastern Pennsylvania, or if you’re planning to visit.  It’s such a wealth of information-you’ll never search for something to do with the family again!

So with a big round of applause, let’s welcome Megan!

Apple Bundles

While I enjoy the long, lazy summer days, it’s the cool, crisp days of fall that I really crave!  I wait all year long to enjoy the few short weeks, where the mountains are covered in orange, yellow and red patches and the days are cool and sunny.  You know…when you need to wear a sweatshirt but you can still get a sun burn!

This was the perfect autumn weekend!  Bright sun, colorful leaves, two whole days with nothing to do but visit the pumpkin patch and the apple orchard!  Bliss!

This weather always inspires me to cook and bake!  And, since we had just left the Ritter’s Cider Mill with all of our favorite finds (buckets of Jona Gold, Macoun and Gala apples, apple cider donuts and, of course, apple cider), I wanted to find some new apple recipes.

Mashed apples used to make apple cider

Pressing the mashed apples to make cider

Birdseed Biscuits

I was looking for a fun project that Joey and I could make for his grandmothers and great-grandmother for Mother’s Day.  I came across this recipe for Birdseed Biscuits in Family Fun Magazine. Since our families love our feathered friends, I thought this would be the perfect hand-made gift!

And, since we had to mix the “biscuits” and bake them, I thought I would share our experience on my blog!

Roast Chicken with Balsamic Bell Peppers

Photo by Jim Hitchcock

I found this recipe in one of the many cooking e-newsletters that I receive.  It sounded and looked great so I thought I would give it a try. 

Raspberry French Toast Bake

I’m always looking for new recipes to make breakfast more special.  When I came across this recipe, it looked divine!  I couldn’t wait to try it!  So, I assembled everything and took it over to my parent’s house for Sunday brunch.

The Chili Test

I’ve been looking for a great chili recipe.  In the past I’ve just used the pre-packaged seasoning mixes and added it to ground beef, onions and green peppers.  The other day,  I came across a recipe that looked good so I’m giving it a try!

Chicken Stew with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Photo taken by my husband!

For this week’s taste test, I pulled out a recipe that I’ve been dying to try for some time — Chicken Stew with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables.  I came across this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine (October/November 2009) and it found its way into “my pile”!  It appeared that this recipe would take a bit of time to make since I had to roast the vegetables before making the stew.  My plan was to have this as a weeknight dinner so I did a little prep work on Sunday afternoon.

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