Easy as Pi

Happy Pi Day! 

Time to make something in a pie pan to celebrate Circumference divided by Diameter Day. And I now have a go-to recipe for such an occasion. 

History:  This recipe was inspired by a dish served at my women's church group in February. I promptly lost the recipe from the lady who made it but then on a search through my collection of cookbooks, I found one similar. It comes from the 1999 Quick Cooking Annual published by AAL (now Thrivent). In the cookbook, it is called Fast Fruit Cocktail Cake but the lady in my women's group had used a can of Red Tart Cherries, so I suppose you could use any canned fruit. I chose to add dark chocolate chips because... obviously cherries and chocolate go together. 

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg, beaten

1 can red tart cherries

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients until well mixed. Pour into greased 9-inch round pie dish. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. 

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

Hello! It is your friendly sporadic blogger here to share a little about our day. 

 Today was a snowy day at home, so we decided to make some effortless Banana Pumpkin Muffins. I have made them before but as a chocolate version. Since the recipe simply requires a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin (secret revealed!), there are actually endless possibilities. 

Here's how we whipped them up today:

1 box Duncan Hines Banana Supreme Cake Mix

15 oz canned pumpkin

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup crushed pecans

1/2 mashed banana

1 egg 

(Note: I mix in the egg for added fluffiness at the last minute 

because my little helper likes to get her hands on the yummy pre-egg batter.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. 

Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Enjoy!

Setting up the ingredients.

Little helper/ Little eater. 

Delish!

We've discovered Play-Doh

I can't believe we are there already but we are. Eva can play with Play-Doh. Her attention span for it is about 5-10 minutes but I think that is pretty good. She still likes rolling it in her hands and flattening it out.

Using cookie cutters with the Play-Doh.

My grandma used to use phonebooks
as booster seats for us. This seemed to
fit the bill today. 

This was when I said, "Smile and show Mommy your Play-Doh."
Obviously, not willing to deviate from the task-at-hand.

So, the traditional store-bought playdough is easy to come by but there are a few homemade recipes out there that do the trick, too.
This is one like my mom used to make for us kids:

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• Food coloring
• Saucepan
• 1 cup flour

Directions

1. Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm.
2. Remove from heat and add flour.
3. Stir, then knead until smooth. The cream of tartar makes this dough last 6 months or longer, so resist the temptation to omit this ingredient if you don't have it on hand.
4. Store this dough in an airtight container or a Ziploc freezer bag.

My wonderful friend, Ruth, who spends two days-a-week with Eva, made something similar to this recipe for our little girl one week.

1 cup oatmeal baby cereal (or rice cereal for a gluten-free option)
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup apple sauce (one packet of the squeezable kind)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Food coloring of choice

Mix the baby cereal and cornstarch together well. Add in the apple sauce, vegetable oil, and food coloring and knead with hands until the dough is a thick, moldable consistency resembling play dough. Repeat for additional colors. Dough can be refrigerated when not being used for up to 4 days. Simply microwave it for approximately 15 seconds or however long to warm it up to where it is moldable. 

Caramel Apple Grape Slab Pie

Fall brings yummy apple recipes. I felt like making an apple pie but I wanted something to be a little different. I found an apple slab pie recipe at pillsbury.com but decided to add grapes and caramel. Super yummy on a super great fall afternoon.

5 medium apples and about a cup of grapes. Add caramels.

Covered in flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
Spread onto pie dough in a jelly roll pan. 

Streusel made with flour, sugar, oats and cold butter.
I should have cut in more butter and mixed it better.

Top with streusel. Put into 425 degree oven for 38 minutes. 

We did all the prep outside since it was so nice out.  Yay for apples.

Top with whipped cream. Delish.

Pioneer Woman Meatloaf

I caught the first five minutes of a Pioneer Woman episode the other day. She was making an Italian version of her Favorite Meatloaf. I didn't even know she had a favorite meatloaf but that makes sense.

I was inspired. I had extra bread, eggs, parmesan cheese and bacon (yes, she wraps her meatloaf in bacon). So all I needed was meat. I will encourage you to look at her favorite meatloaf recipe because I didn't want to take photos of raw meat for you. I did cook it about 30 minutes longer than she did because I really didn't want the meat to be pink.

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:
1 cup Whole Milk
6 slices White Bread
2 pounds Ground Beef (I used ground beef and ground turkey)
1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
3/4 teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
4 whole Eggs, Beaten
10 slices Thin/regular Bacon

Sauce:
1-1/2 cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
Tabasco To Taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes. Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.
With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form loaf. Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Keith liked this recipe. I love Ree the Pioneer Woman but had a hard time falling in love with this meatloaf. So take it or leave it is my verdict.

Pi Day is Coming

Pi Day is coming and it is special this year because 31415 are the first five digits of pi. Cool? Super cool.
I am rarely inspired to make a pie for Pi Day but this weekend I did make a pie. Let's celebrate early!
I am not sure what to call this pie . It is half Brownie Pie, half Derby Pie (shout out to my YT lovers), 100% ooey-gooey deliciousness.

Ingredients:
Pie Crust
Pecans
Dark Chocolate Chips
Brownie Mix  - 2 eggs, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup oil
Chocolate Chip Cookie Batter - 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup chocolate chips

I prepared the brownie batter and the chocolate chip cookie batter separately. Then I poured them into the pie crust. I gently swirled them. Sprinkled the top with dark chocolate chips and pecans. Baked at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes.

"I'm gonna get that camera!"

Snuggling Banana Oat Muffins

Huh?

Well, little Miss Eva has been sick this week. Extra snuggles were in order. In fact, she really didn't want me to put her down at all. What is a mom to do? How 'bout this:

Once both mom and baby were content with the new set up, I could attempt to make the banana muffin recipe that my sister-in-law passed along. I was excited to try it because 

a) I had "all" the ingredients on hand,

b) It looks healthy enough to share with baby. 

Click on the recipe for full directions.    

Banana Oat Yogurt Muffin Recipe

The ingredients were:

1 cup Greek yogurt (I had 1/2  a cup and used another 1/2 cup of sour cream)

2 ripe bananas (I used three)

2 eggs

2 cups rolled oats

brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips (yup!)

Oh, and I had cupcake liners!

It took me a little longer to make the muffins than the recipe says, probably because I had a baby strapped to me, but they were fairly simple to make. I also yielded 15 muffins perhaps because I put an extra banana in there. 

I love anything I can put butter on, so this was definitely a win in my book. Maybe you'll try the recipe and enjoy them, too. 

Oatmeal Muffin Apple Cobbler

I adapted a recipe I found while searching Apple Recipes on Southern Living. I had all the ingredients on hand, so this was an easy choice. With the abundance of delicious apples in the fall, I can't help that I love baking with apples.

Ingredients
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds)* I used Gala apples. 
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter
3 large pears, peeled and sliced (about 1 1/2 pounds) I used a different variety of apples... Honeycrisp. 
Oatmeal Muffin Batter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup uncooked regular oats
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Prepare the Oatmeal Muffin batter as follows. Combine the ¾ cup flour, the oats, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Stir together milk, melted butter, and lightly beaten egg; add to dry ingredients, and stir just until moistened. Set aside.

Combine apples, brown sugar, and 2 tablespoons of  in a large bowl, stirring to coat apples.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple mixture; bring to a boil, and cook, stirring often, 10 minutes. Add pears to skillet, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Spoon hot fruit mixture into a lightly greased 10-inch (8-cup) deep-dish pie plate or shallow 2-quart baking dish. Spoon Oatmeal Muffin Batter evenly over fruit mixture.

Bake at 425° for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Garnish with pecans, if desired.

Look at this little sous chef.
She fell asleep on the job. 

*2 (21-ounce) cans apple pie filling can be substituted for apples and pears. Omit brown sugar and flour. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pie filling, and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Proceed with recipe as directed.

Yum! Enjoy!
(I wish I had had whipped cream on hand, too).

Grilling Up Fruit

A few weeks ago we spent some time at a summer rental cottage with extended family. We had a fabulous time! We played games, watched sunsets, swam in the lake, built campfires and shared meals together. All the meals were fit for kings. 

Here, I will share a few ideas for desserts by campfire (or grill)... the first of which I have no photo. Uncle Mark brought pie irons, so we made cherry pie tarts. Three ingredients: Cherry pie filling, bread, butter. Make sure to bring a can opener to open the filling!

Uncle Stu treated us to campfire bananas stuffed with marshmallows and chocolate (I think you could also put in some peanut butter). So decadent!

Inspired by a cooking show, I fired up some apples stuffed with dried fruit, oats, brown sugar and butter. Another tasty treat! 

Taking the core out of the apple is not as difficult as one may think.

Easy Boston Cream Pie

Keith claims that Boston Cream Pie is one of his favorite desserts. So when I saw this recipe, I had to make it right away... and true to form it was EASY. 

Ingredients:

Angel Food Cake

Cool Whip

Vanilla Instant Pudding

Milk

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Slice the Angel Food Cake into 3 layers. Combine the Instant pudding with 1 cup milk and 1 1/2 cup of Cool Whip. Spread pudding mixture in between the cake layers. 

Melt 1 cup (or more) of chocolate chips. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip. Spread over the top of the cake. 

Done. Wasn't that easy? Tastes delicious, too. 

Uncle Chip kept Eva entertained during the cake making process. 

Bars for Mailing

I found two recipes that I am excited to make and send to a friend who is having a baby (Carrie Ann: Spoiler Alert!)

One recipe is from the Martha Stewart website... which made me think it was pretty fancy, but it seemed very similar to a Rice Krispie Treat which made me compelled to look for a second recipe on the Rice Krispies Treat website.

Recipe #1
Coconut-Pecan Cereal Bars

1 package shredded coconut
1 1/2 cup pecan halves
1 package mini-marshmallows
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups cornflakes (I am using Frosted Flakes)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread coconut and pecans on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Then line the pan with wax paper leaving overhang on the sides and spray paper.

In a large nonstick pot, heat butter and marshmallows until melted. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal, pecans, and coconut. Press into baking pan. Cool until firm. Cut into squares, removing wax paper. Enjoy!


Recipe #2
Trail Mix Rice Krispie Treats

2 cups mini-marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries or dried cranberries
1/2 cup nuts or seeds

In a large nonstick pot, heat butter and marshmallows until melted. Stir frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until combined.

Add cereal, oats, fruit, and nuts until well-coated. Press into muffin-pan cups that have been coated with cooking spray. Cool until firm, lift out of pan with a fork. Enjoy! (note: These were a little less solid than I had hoped... next time I will use more marshmallows.)

My little sous chef.

"Happy Pi Day" Quiche

We celebrate Pi Day. Who doesn't? Since I have always worked in a Math department, Pi Day celebrations are a must. I used to work with a lady who would bake the most wonderful cookies that were, of course, cut out in the shape of the Greek symbol pi. I have been involved in Pi Day demonstrations, lectures, and history seminars. I have a Pi shirt.

Our annual celebration at CSCC consists of filling our conference room with pies (or any edible that is round).  It is usually a two-day celebration since some of our faculty have M/W schedules or T/TH schedules. And now that we are on semesters, it seems Pi Day (March 14th = 3.14) falls on Spring Break, so we will celebrate this week.

I have chosen to give up sweets as part of my Lenten discipline, therefore I opted to create a quiche-pie for this week's festivities. (Comment from my husband: "You are telling me that my 8-month pregnant wife is giving up sweets for Lent?!?" In honesty, I have not been fully sacrificial since Ash Wednesday but the sweets in my life have been severely limited and my awareness of Christ's sacrifice for us, as sinners, has become a daily reminder.)

Mushroom-Bacon-Swiss-Spinach Quiche:

1 9-inch pie crust
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 small onion
1 small can of sliced mushrooms (or 5 fresh mushrooms, sliced)
Large handful of fresh spinach, cut into strips
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

Sprinkle bottom of pie crust with Swiss cheese.

In a frying pan, cook bacon pieces. Place bacon on top of Swiss cheese in pie crust. Drain fat from the pan then saute onions and mushrooms. Add spinach to pan to lightly wilt the spinach. Spoon veggie mixture into pie crust.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, flour and mustard powder until thoroughly mixed.

Pour egg mixture over veggie layer.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until firm. Enjoy!