Apple Pie Recipe with Crust and Crumb Topping.

Apple Pie!

I realize Apple Pies are easy but I really like making them haha! I made one for Thanksgiving! I did not make my own crust because I don't have the counter space to make one at the moment. I did use Trader Joe's frozen crust dough though! It was pretty good! I also made a crumb topping for one.

INGREDIENTS:

1. Pastry for 9in Two crust pie.
2. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar.
3. 1/2 cup of white sugar.
4. 1/4 cup of flour.
5. 1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
6. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
7. Dash of salt.
8. 4-6 cups of peeled and thinly sliced apples.(I used Gala Apples)
9. 2 tablespoons of butter.

DIRECTIONS:

     Heat oven to 425. Mix sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir in apples. Put into pastry-lined pie plate. Put your butter on top in slices. Cover with top crust. Cover the edges with foil. The last 15 minutes of baking remove the foil. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Make sure you put in some slits with a knife in the top crust.

INGREDIENTS FOR CRUMB TOPPING:

1. 1 cup of flour.
2. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar.
3. 1/2 cup of firm butter.

DIRECTIONS FOR CRUMB TOPPING:

     Mix all ingredients together until "crumb" looking. Place on top of the apple mixture and cook for the same amount of time and heat. Use the foil on the edges as well.

    

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup!

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup!

Soup brings back some funny memories of when my friends and I would try to make our own soup! Surprisingly enough when we made it, it turned out pretty good! Although, now,  I would probably think there was WAAAYYY too much salt haha! Here in the central coast of California the weather has gotten cold and cloudy. Last night I decided to make my own Chick Noodle Soup. I had it for lunch with my husband today! He said it would go well with a Grilled Cheese Sandwich! Here is how I made my own Chicken Noodle Soup.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 or 2 cups of Egg Noodles.
2. About 1 tablespoon of Butter.
3. 1/2 or 1 cup of chopped Celery.
4. 1/2 or 1 cup of chopped Carrots.
5. 1/2 lb of cooked, and cut up Chicken Breasts.(I just cooked the chicken in a skillet)
6. 1/2 teaspoon of Basil.
7. 1/2 teaspoon of Oregano. 
8. Salt and Pepper to taste.
9. 4 cans (14.5 oz.) of Chicken Broth.
10. 4 cans (14.5 oz) of Vegetable Broth.

For the Chicken and Vegetable Broth I used Trader Joe's Organic kind. Both of them are 32oz. each and under 2 dollars. If you don't use it all, you can just stick them in the fridge until you need it. And, yes, my celery and carrots were also organic. I try to choose the healthier choice when I can.

DIRECTIONS:

    In a large pot over medium heat, put in your chopped celery and butter. Cook until tender.(5 minutes) Pour in chicken and vegetable broth and stir in chicken, carrots, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and noodles. Bring all this to a boil and put your heat on low and simmer for 20 minutes.

When I made this I just eyeballed the measurements. This should be pretty exact. You can always add more or less depending on how you like your soup.

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Creamy Tomato, Spinach, and Chicken Pasta!

Creamy Tomato, Spinach, 

and Chicken Pasta!

Back home there is a restaurant called Noodles and Co. I LOVE their "Penne Rosa." This dish is very close to it and I kind of put my own spin on it to make it just a little bit different! We had this for the first time last night! It is husband approved! haha!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil.
2. 1/4 or 1/2 of an Onion, chopped very finely. (or no onion at all)
3. 2 cloves of Garlic, minced. 
4. 1 can of Diced Tomatoes.
5. 1/2 teaspoon of dried Oregano.
6. 1/2 teaspoon of dried Basil.
7. A pinch of Red Pepper Flakes. (if you do not want it spicy at all, leave this out)
8. Black Pepper to taste.
9. 1/2 teaspoon of Salt.
10. 2oz.(1/4 cup) or slightly less of Cream Cheese. (use any kind, I used Cooper Cream Cheese!)
11. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese.
12. 1/2 lb.(half a box) of Penne Pasta.
13. 3 handfulls of Spinach.
14. Chicken, grilled. (I used Trader Joes, grilled chicken, for a quick make of chicken. They are strips grilled and frozen)
15. 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender (7-10) minutes. Drain the pasta.
2. While waiting for the pasta to cook, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook both in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium-low heat until softened and transparent (about 5 minutes).
3. Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, salt, and some freshly cracked pepper to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of water to the skillet and stir until the tomato paste is dissolved into the sauce.
4. Turn the heat down to low. Cut the cream cheese into a few pieces and then add them to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Use a whisk to stir the sauce until the cream cheese has fully melted in and the sauce is creamy. Add half of the Parmesan to the skillet and whisk until it is melted in. Add the remainder of the parmesan and whisk until melted in again.
5. Add the fresh spinach and gently stir it into the sauce until it has wilted (3-5 minutes). Add the chicken(if you use the trader joes chicken I used, you will need to heat it up in the microwave just to dethaw it a little bit) and the pasta and stir until it is well coated in the creamy tomato sauce. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve!

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991

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Chili Sauce Recipe!

Chilli Sauce!

As if Chicken Fajitas weren't good enough already, putting chili sauce on them is even better! haha!

My mom is the best at making it. Mine doesn't even compare, but this is how we make it!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 tablespoons Butter or Margine.
2. 3 tablespoons Flour
3. 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
4. 1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
5. 1 teaspoon Salt
6. 1 teaspoon Cumin
7. 2 ripe Tomatoes (coarsely chopped)
8. 2 cups Water
9. 1 can mild Green Chillies or Jalapeños (chopped and to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

Saute onion in margarine about 5 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook another minute. Add the flour. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often. You want this roux to get nice and brown. Add the rest of the ingredients, then whisk,Simmer 30 minutes.

Want to know how to cook Chicken Fajitas? Click--> HERE! <-- 

Want to know how to roast Green Chillies? Click --> HERE! <--

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991

INSTAGRAM: @haleymarie1991

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken and Rice Casserole!

My grandma use to make this all the time! This brings back one specific memory from when I was little and I lived in New Mexico. One day is was just me and my dad at home. We were going to go on a bike ride with some neighbors but I got hurt, so we stayed home and he made me this. That's what I think of every time I make this.

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 cups of Rice. (you can use minute rice, wild rice..any kind you want)
2. 2 cans of Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup. (I use the 98% less fat kind)
3. 1 cup of Milk and 1 cup of Water. (These are my families measurements but I use 3/4 milk and 1/3 water because its too soupy if I do it the other way when it is just the two of us)
4. 3-4 Chicken Breasts, boneless.
5. A Casserole Dish or a 13x9 dish.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the 2 cans of soup, milk, water, and 2 cups of rice into the dish and mix together well. (I use a whisk)
2. Put in your chicken. Place them to where it starts to be covered by the other ingredients.
3. Preheat your oven to 350. Cook for 30 minutes.

This is really good with steamed broccoli and melted cheese. We also steam Asparagus with it too at times. If you want to know how to steam fresh Asparagus Click--> HERE <--

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991

INSTAGRAM: @haleymarie1991

Something Sweet Saturday: Brownie Truffles!

Brownie Truffles!

My mom makes Brownie truffles all the time! She use to make them for my birthday, my friends birthdays, and Christmas! They are really easy to make, too!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 6 cups of ground up Brownies. (use a food processor, and a batch of brownies that were made 3 days before at the least. Click here for brownie recipe --> BROWNIES <--)
2. 1/2 cup of Heavy Whipping Cream.
3. 3 teaspoons of Vanilla.
4. 1 lb. of chocolate. (almond bark, or gardelli chocolate bars, unsweetened)

NOTE: You will need wax paper and a cookie sheet!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Ground up your batch of brownies to make 6 cups.
2. Put the 6 cups into a bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, and the vanilla.
3. Mix, and roll into small little balls. Put in the fridge and chill for 20 minutes or even 2 days.
4. In a pot, fill it with 1/4 to 1/3 of water. Take a smaller pot or metal bow and put it inside the pot with the water. Put the chocolate in the smaller bowl and stove on medium. Melt the chocolate.
5. Once it's melted, drop the brownie balls into and roll it around with a spoon and lay it on wax paper which should bee on a cookie sheet.
6. Once you have finished, put them in the fridge for the chocolate to harden. (freeze after the chocolate is hardened)

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991
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Something Sweet Saturday: Brownies Recipe!

Brownies!

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1 cup of butter.
2. 4, 1oz squares of unsweetened chocolate.
3. 2 cups of sugar.
4. 4 eggs.
5. 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
6. 1 1/2 cups of flour. 

NOTES: You will need a 13x9 baking pan.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a sauce pan, melt 1 cup of butter and the 4, 1oz unsweetened chocolate. 
2. Remove from the heat; stir in 2 cups of sugar.
3. Blend in 4 eggs, one at a time.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla.
5. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of flour.
6. Mix well and pour into baking pan.
7. Bake at 350 for about 22 minutes.

TWITTER: @haleymarie1991

INSTAGRAM: haleymarie1991