d's delights- cooking and crafts

Fall APPLES!! This weekend, we went to an apple orchard, and Will got to pick apples for the first time ever.   He thought that was pretty neat.   Of course, I now have a lot of apples…   Here is one of my favorite easy apple recipes.   I’m not a great baker, but this iseasier than making an apple pie.   The hardest part is peeling and cutting the apples. Here’s the original recipe, with my additions/adjustments in parenthesis. ½ C Flour ½ C Oats (I used almost a whole cup) ¾ C Brown Sugar (I used almost a whole cup) ¾ C Sugar 1 tsp Cinnamon (I always use more-  plus I add a dash of ground nutmeg and cloves and allspice, if available) 1 stick room temperature butter (when using more oats and flour, it help to use more butter.  I put another half of a stick sliced on the top to melt down in.) 4 or 5 Big Apples.  (I think I had 7 smaller ones.  It doesn’t matter what kind, and you can mix the kinds up for different flavor...

Red Leaf, Avocado and Apple Salad Dressing:                2 Tbs Olive Oil                2 tsp lemon juice              ½ tsp Dijon mustard                Salt and Pepper Red Leaf Leaf lettuce, washed and torn ½ Avocado, chopped or sliced ½ Large (or one whole small) Granny Smith Apple, chopped or sliced Shake up dressing ingredients.   I used more Dijon mustard because I like it. Tear up some red leaf lettuce, add the avocado and apple.   Toss in dressing. This was pretty quick to make, and it was yummy. Tips: To save half of your avocado, put some olive oil on the bottom of a plastic container, then put the avocado upside down in the container, making sure to seal...

Snack Time! I would say that one of the hardest things to do when you are trying to watch your eating habits is to try to figure out what kind of snacks to have.   We know by now, that instead of leaving outsnacks altogether, that it is wise to just choose some healthier choices inyour snacking instead.   It keeps your blood sugar levels in balance and you don’t go into that crazy OHMYGOSH IMSOFREAKINHUNGRY I COULD EATEVERYTHING RIGHTNOW mode.   Eating healthier snacks more often also causes you to avoid making that easy trip into McDonalds for that side of fries and big ol’ Coke.   You also want to feel like you’ve been satisfied after a snack, and that you may have even been a little naughty!   So here are a coupleof quick snacks that I’ve been eating a lot of to quell my temptation to eatcrap. Apples and Peanut Butter Cut up anapple… any kind, but I’ve been using Granny Smith because the tartness goes wellwith the peanut butter.   Spread some ...

We all have pitch-ins to go to- whether it’s with church, friends, family… We all have to go to them at some time.   I confess that I want the dish that I bring to be ALL GONE when we are done.   This means it was good.   I also hate it when someone else brings a similar dish, and so mine doesn’t get eaten as much!   One way to avoid that is by bringing unusual dishes to a pitch-in.   (But not too unusual- because then no one will eat it!) However, you really don’t want to be slaving over this dish for hours.   So, here are two favorite side dishes that are easy to whip up and always yummy!   In my next post, I will share two fruit dishes that you can take to pitch ins. Apple-Sweet Potato Salad 1 ½ Lb. Sweet Potato 1-2 Large Apples (Granny Smiths work great!   Or use one red apple and one green one for color and taste variety.   I leave the skin on) 1-2 Large Celery Ribs Dressing:         ...