Parmesan Sage Pork Chops {Recipe}

Another part of our eating local, knowing where our food comes from, getting away from factory farm meats is buying our pork from a local farmer.  In February, D and I bought a whole pig we named Wilbur 2. Not to keep at out house but to keep in our freezer so we would have tasty pork for the rest of the year.  Wilbur joins Ferdinand 2, the 1/4 steer, who also lives in the freezer.  (We had previously bought a pig and steer so that is why they have the 2 after their names.)

We like that we supported both a local farmer, the same folks who run the CSA that we have taken part in in the past, and we know how the animals were cared for.  We also have a great local butcher who processes the meat and makes the best bacon and brats ever.  Seriously, we can't eat regular store bacon after eating Wilbur bacon - it is that good.  Don't worry, I will have some bacon-y recipes coming soon but today it is about the chop...the pork chop.

Growing up my family never had pork chops for dinner. We were more of a beef, chicken and fish family.  So I always wondered what my friends were talking about when they said it was "pork chop night." When I got older, I tried making pork chops and always ended up with something tough and dry. I think shoe leather may have a similar texture. 

D has shown me that this isn't the normal state for a pork chop.  That they can be juicy and delicious.  He finds the tastiest recipes.  This is one of them.  

Parmesan Sage Pork Chops
Source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (we used a smoked salt - so good)
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning blend
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sage
• 2 boneless pork chops
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Spray a square baking pan large enough to fit pork chops without touching.
• Combine flour, salt, and ground pepper in a shallow dish.
• Combine bread crumbs, Italian herb blend, Parmesan cheese, and sage in a 2nd shallow dish - a pie pan works great for for the shallow bowls
• Place beaten egg into a 3rd shallow bowl. 
• Heat skillet over medium heat with butter and olive oil 
• Rinse and dry pork chops.
• Gently press pork into flour mixture to completely coat, shaking off any excess flour.
• Dip into beaten egg, making sure to coat entirely.
• Press one side firmly into bread crumbs. Repeat on opposite side.
• Gently shake chop to remove any lose bread crumbs.
• Place breaded pork chops in skillet.
• Brown pork chops about 4 minutes on each side, then transfer to the baking dish.
• Bake in preheated oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes(or until juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted into the middle of pork reads 160 degrees). 
• Let sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Caprese Salad {Recipe}

One of the things that D and I are working toward is eating more foods that we know the source of.  Or foods we make from scratch. It is a bit more time consuming but we have found that the results are worth it.    

As we work toward that end, a couple of months ago, I bought a cheese making kit from Amazon.  This is the one - Mozzarella and Ricotta Cheese Making Kit.  $25 and it has enough rennet and salt and citric acid to make many many batches of mozzarella cheese (something like 40 batches).  And you can use the leftover whey to make ricotta cheese.  So it is like a double win.  It takes about 30 minutes, a gallon of milk and the stuff in the kit to make 3/4 of a lb of mozzarella cheese.  The instructions are very easy to follow and our first batch turned out to be amazingly tasty.  The only thing I would do differently is to get some food safe gloves since stretching the cheese when it is so hot is not entirely comfortable. 

The cheese was softer and smoother than the stuff you get in the store.  I added a bit of extra salt since I knew we would be using it for a Caprese Salad appetizer later that night.

Cheese making aside, this is one of the easiest appetizers ever and perfect for a summer evening on the patio.

Caprese Salad
Ingredients

• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Fresh Tomatoes
• Fresh Basil Paste (which is what you use when Meijer is totally sold out of fresh Basil and ends up being so good)
• Olive Oil
• Grey Finishing Sea Salt

Directions

• Slice fresh mozzarella into thin slices about 1/4 inch thick
• Spread a thin layer of basil paste onto each slice
• Slice tomato the same thickness
• Layer on a plate
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Sprinkle with finishing salt

You can serve with a basket of crostini or do as we did and skip those letting the tomato, basil and cheese flavors shine alone.  Don't skip the glass of wine, though.  :)

Fresh Strawberry Pie {Recipe}

Making my Dad a strawberry pie for Father's Day is becoming a regular tradition.  Two years ago, I made him this baked strawberry pie.  Last year it was a strawberry meringue pie.  After getting one baked and one fresh, Dad said he like the fresh kind better.   I have to say, I agree.

So this year, the search was on to find another fresh strawberry pie.  Brown Eyed Baker to the rescue!  I have actually made this pie twice and the recipe below is with my minor modifications.  And since I am not great at making pie crusts, I just went with store bought and it was still delicious.  So if you are like me and have a tough time with pie crusts, don't feel bad about going with store bought.

The Father's Day Pie was a huge hit and according to my mother, he only let her have one piece.  Upon that news we made him another one for his birthday and he was so excited to see the candles in his birthday pie.

Fresh Strawberry Pie
Source:  Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust

For Filling:
4 pints (about 4 pounds) fresh strawberries, gently rinsed and dried, hulled
¾ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons pectin for low-sugar recipes(make sure it says for low/no sugar on the container or box)
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

• Prepare pie crust according to package instructions

To make the Filling

• Select 6-7 ounces misshapen, underripe, or otherwise unattractive berries, halving those that are large.
• In a food processor, puree the berries.
• Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, Sure-Jell, and salt in a medium saucepan.
• Stir in the berry puree, making sure to scrape the corners of the pan.
• Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, and bring to a full boil.
• Boil, stirring consistently to prevent scorching, for 2 minutes to ensure that the cornstarch is fully cooked (mixture will appear light and frothy when it first reaches a boil, then will darken and thicken as it cooks).
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in lemon juice.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Check the remaining berries and measure out 3 pounds of the reddest and prettiest ones; halving only extra-large berries.
• Add the berries to the pot wit the the glaze and fold gently with a rubber spatula until the berries are evenly coated.
• Pour the berries into the pie shell, piling into a mound.
• Turn any cut sides face face down so all you see is the outsides of the berries.
• Arrange the berries so that holes are filled and the mound looks attractive. 
• Refrigerate pie until chilled, about 2 hours. 
• Serve within 5 hours of chilling.

Fresh Strawberry Mini Muffins {Recipe}

Back in June, D and I went strawberry picking.  This is the 4th year we have picked at this farm and we now make it a priority to get there and pick a bunch of berries every Spring.  This year's haul was almost 20 lbs.  We would have picked more but our backs and knees just couldn't take it.  Next year we are bringing 2 gallon buckets to sit on like we saw some others doing.

If you follow us on Instagram, you may have seen this photo of the fields that we were picking at.  

 In addition to freezing a bunch for smoothies, I was perusing Pinterest to see what possible tasty treats we may need to make.  So many possibilities but in the end, I decided that these mini muffins were one of the delicious treats treats we needed to make.  Plus, doesn't everything taste better when it is mini? 

Fresh Strawberry Mini Muffins

Modified from Flavor Mosaic

Ingredients
    1 egg
    1 cup white sugar
    1/3 cup applesauce
    1/3 cup  skim milk
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla
    1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    3/4 cup fresh strawberries, chopped into small pieces
    2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Direction
    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    Spray muffin tins with baking spray.
    In a large mixing bowl, add the egg and sugar and mix on low until combined.
    Add in vegetable oil, milk, vanilla, continue mixing on low.
    Mix 1-1/2 cups flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.
    Slowly add to liquid mixture until combined.
    In a small bowl, toss strawberries with 2 tablespoons of flour to coat.
    Manually fold in Strawberries into the batter.
    Fill mini muffin cups about 1/2 full.
    Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.

These were delicious and the perfect accompaniment to our morning cup of coffee.

Indian Roasted Carrot and Celery Root Soup {Recipe}

I am participating in a Fitness Challenge through D's work.  In addition to the fitness challenge part, there are nutrition challenges too.  This week's was to try a new fruit or vegetable every day. This was a bit difficult since we eat lots of fruits and veggies and our CSA share the last three years has exposed us to a variety of new vegetables.  So I headed to the grocery to see what I could find.  There were only a few items that would work, one of them was Celery Root. 

Source:  BubbleWS

Now these things are quite unattractive but turns out that underneath a knobby exterior is delicious, earthy tasting goodness.  But how best to eat the celery root?  I decided to roast it since roasting usually brings out such delicious flavor.  But what else?  I hit the fridge and found some carrots.  I was thinking of a delicious carrot ginger soup D and I had years ago.  But I wanted something with a kick so decided to go Indian. Tandoori and Sweet Curry - Yum!  Preparation is so easy. Roast, boil, blitz, enjoy!

I have been eating a serving as a starter for lunch or dinner (all the fiber helps to fill me up) but double the amount to a cup, add a salad with some shredded chicken on top and you have a low cal, low fat, filling meal.

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do.  If you want to kick up the spice, add more Tandoori or Sweet Curry.

Ingredients

• 1 large celery root, peeled and chopped
• 2 lb carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 cups chicken stock sub veg stock to make vegetarian)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon  pepper
• 1 teaspoon Tandoori seasoning
• 1 teaspoon  Sunny Paris seasoning, Penzeys
• 1/2 teaspoon  Sweet Curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large bowl, toss celery root and carrots with the olive oil
• Place on cookie sheet
• Roast for 60 minutes or until soft
• Once carrots and celery root are roasted, place in a large pot with stock
• Bring to boil
• Reduce heat
• Puree with stick blender (or in a food processor)
• Add spices and seasonings
• Let simmer for 10-15 minutes to let flavors meld

Nutritional Info
Serving size: 1/2 cup

• Calories: 58
• Carbs: 8
• Fat: 2
• Protein: 2
• Sodium: 284
• Fiber:  4

Mini Peanut Butter Cup Cookies {Recipe}

I think that these cookies from Brown Eyed Baker were the cookie for Christmas 2012. There were everywhere on Pinterest, everywhere on the internet and a huge hit at our Christmas Eve party!  And why not?  They are decadence in a tiny package!

I think that I heard the phrases "these are sin in a double bite," "how did so much flavor get packed into this little cookie," "these things are the devil," and "I cant stop eating these! floating around the party.  My mom even asked to take some home so she could have them with her morning coffee.  That is a huge compliment since she is not a sweets person at all. 

These delicious cookies couldn't be easier to make. 

Thanks to my fabulous KitchenAid stand mixer, the dough went together in a couple of minutes.  While the cookies were baking, D and I unwrapped the mini peanut butter cups.  I think this was the part that took the longest of all.  It takes a while to unwrap all those candies.

I followed Brown Eyed Baker's recipe as written since I didn't want to mess these up.  Though I did use organic peanut butter.  I thought there was already enough sugar in there and didn't want to add any more.  Considering the response, I don't think having no sugar in the PB made any difference.  I also only got about 36 cookies versus the 48 BEB got.  

So if you need a quick, decadent and easy dessert to bring to a party - these should be your choice.


Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Source: Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup organic no sugar added creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
48 miniature Reese's peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a stand mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter and both sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix for another minute or so to combine.

Reduce mixer speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined, giving the dough a final mix with a rubber spatula to ensure all of the flour is incorporated.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, which works out to be about 2 teaspoons worth of dough, and place 1 ball in each of the cups of a miniature muffin pan.  Do not  press into the pan.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown and slightly puffy.

Remove from the oven and immediately press a miniature peanut butter cup in the middle of each cookie, pressing down so that the top of the peanut butter cup is even with the top of the cookie.

Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pans, and let cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Try not to eat them all before your party!

Chocolate Covered Mashmallows {Recipe}

I came across this pin for caramel and chocolate covered marshmallows from A Turtle's Life for Me.  I thought they would be perfect for our family's Christmas Eve party.  However, I couldn't get the caramel right and it kept slipping right off the marshmallows no matter what I tried.  Blerg!!  I wasted about a dozen marshmallows before I decided that plain chocolate marshmallows would have to do.

Once I made that decision, these went really really fast.

I found these great red and white paper straws at my local Meijer that reminded me of candy canes (they were in a box like this).  Cut in half they were the perfect size for the sticks.

Don't these look delish?  Everyone at the party thought so too which is why out of a whole bag of marshmallows, there were only six left at the end of the night. 

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows
Source: All over the internet

Ingredients:
1 pacakge of marshmallows
1 package of chocolate bark
2 T Crisco
Red & white paper straws cut in half (you can also use lollipop sticks)

Directions:
Break up the chocolate bark into a small saucepan.
Melt over low heat.
Once melted, add 2 tablespoons of Crisco to make the chocolate smooth and glossy.
Insert the 1 cut straw into each marshmallow
Place a piece of parchment paper on your counter
Dip each marshmallow into the chocolate, tapping the straw against the rim to remove the excess chocolate.
Place onto the parchment paper.
Let cool.
Repeat until all your marshmallows are covered.
They only take about 5 minutes to get hard and are ready to serve.
Enjoy! (Don't eat to many before your guest arrive! :-D)

Crispy Garlic Mustard Pork Chops {Recipe}

We like to try one new recipe each week.  It helps us branch out from our favorites.  Do you try to do the same? There isn't any rhyme or reason to what recipe we try, we grab some meat out of the freezer ,in this case, the meat from the freezer was pork chops from WilburII, and do a search on what else but Pinterest.  I mean, where else would I go to try to find a pork chop recipe?

This recipe caught my eye. I love that it uses panko, so much better and crunchier than bread crumbs. I was intrigued by the idea of brushing the chops with lemon to add flavor. I hadn't seen that before. Plus, I love anything I can put the delicious Trader Joe's Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce. That stuff is great on almost anything.

D thought it was great and this recipe is definitely going into our recipe rotation. 

Crispy Garlic Mustard Pork Chops

Source: Adapted from BAS Cooking

Ingredients

• 4  bone-in pork loin chops (about 8 ounces each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick), patted dry
• 4 tablespoon Trader Joe's Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce  (You can also use honey mustard)
• lemon juice
• 1 cups panko
• 1-2 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for baking sheet
• 1-2 tablespoons dried Italian herb mix (We used this).  Amount depends on how herb-y you like your food.
• Coarse kosher salt and ground pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Coat pork loin chops with lemon juice
• Lightly brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil; set aside
• Season both sides of the pork chops generously with salt and pepper
• Spread one side of each chop with 1 teaspoon honey mustard
• Dividing evenly, combine breadcrumbs with chopped fresh herbs and a tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl
• Sprinkle mixture on one side of the pork chops, over the mustard, and pressing lightly to ensure the panko mixture doesn't come off
• Transfer pork, coated side up, to prepared baking sheet
• Bake until crust is golden and pork is opaque throughout (meat should register 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 14 to 16 minutes
• Serve

---

Don't forget that theWinter Wonders & Holiday Happenings linky party hosted by Claiming Our Space, Black Fox Homestead, Life with the Hawleys, Lilacs and Longhorns, Practically Functional, The Thrifty Rebel and Yellow Spool is still happening through next Thursday. Each of us will have our own project or recipe to share so make sure to stop by to check out what we have each created as well as to link up your own winter or holiday inspired posts.

Scalloped Corn Casserole

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We had seven for dinner, including us. Of course, we made way way way too much food.  Isn't that always the case on the holidays?  Here is what our spread looked like.  You can see the scalloped corn casserole at the far end.

One of the wonderful things about combining D's family with mine is learning about the dishes that are part of his family's traditions. This casserole is one that his grandmother made every year and now his mom makes it.  I don't think D would believe it was Thanksgiving without it.

If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as much as he does.

Scalloped Corn Casserole
Source: My Mother-in-Law

Ingredients
2 whole eggs, well beaten
1 can evaporated milk (sweetened condensed milk can be used if you wish)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp. garlic salt
1 Tsp. black pepper
2 cans creamed corn
1 sleeve saltine crackers, finely crushed
3 tablespoons butter

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large glass bowl, mix eggs, evaporated milk,onion, garlic salt, and black pepper well.
Add creamed corn, making sure mixture is combined completely.
Mix in finely crushed saltines until thoroughly incorporated.
Butter 9 x 9 deep casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of butter, leaving some butter at corners.
Pour corn mixture into dish. Add two tablespoons of butter on top and finish with additional garlic salt and black pepper.
Bake approx. 45 mins. to one hour.

Spicey Peanut Salmon Salad

On Sunday afternoon D decided that he wanted to make something healthy for lunch. We had been out to dinner Saturday night and had overindulged a bit.  So something light and healthy was a good thing.  It was delicious! The spiciness of the peanuts coupled with the salmon salad was just about perfect.

We think that it may need a drizzle of something.  But we just couldn't come up with any ideas. Do you have any ideas? Even without the drizzle, it was a great lunch!

Spicey Peanut Salmon Salad
Source: D's Brain

Ingredients
1/4 c dry roasted peanuts
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t Bankok Blend (from Penzeys) though you could use an Indian-type seasoning blend
1 T vegetable or canola oil
12 oz canned salmon (we used canned Sockeye Salmon from Costco)
1/2 c plain lowfat yogurt
3/4 t Northwoods Fire seasoning (from Penzeys)
3/4 t Sandwich Sprinkle (from Penzeys)  
Chopped lettuce

Directions
Mix cumin, chili powder and Bankok Blend in a small bowl.
Heat oil in small pan.
Chop peanuts into small pieces.
Add spices from small bowl to oil, stirring to combine with oil.
Place peanuts into heated oil, stirring to coat. 
Heat until the spices darken.
Turn off heat.
In a separate bowl, combine salmon, Northwoods Fire, Sandwich Sprinkle and yogurt; stirring to combine completely.
Place salmon mixture in fridge for 30 minutes to let flavors mingle.
Serve a scoop of salmon on a bed of lettuce, sprinkle with spicy peanuts

Apple Spice Cake with Honey Ginger Buttercream Frosting

Several weeks ago my aunt and uncle were visiting from Oregon so we put together a little dinner party.  Since they only make it to visit once a year, I wanted to make something special for dessert.  I was looking for something that incorporated some of the usual flavors of Fall - apple, ginger, honey, molasses, cloves - it doesn't get more Fall than that. 

Now, I have to admit that this recipe is a bit time consuming.  So I would suggest making the filling, which ends up having a consistency like a a chunky applesauce, the day before so it can cool completely. Also, be careful when separating the layers, I ended up breaking one into pieces so I ended up one layer short.

The cake was not too moist and held up great with the chunky saucy apple filling.  The frosting added just the right amount of sweet zing.  Of course, I adore ginger so I may be a bit biased.

Everyone loved the cake, with a couple of people asking for seconds.  However, I have to say it was even better the next morning with a cup of coffee. :-D

Four-Layer Appalachian Stack Cake
Source:  Modified from a recipe from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
5 cups apples, pealed and rough chopped
2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 dark brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
1 large egg
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt


Directions

For the filling:
Bring apples and cider to a boil in a large pot. Reduce to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until apples begin to break down and liquid has reduced 30 - 40 minutes. Add 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar and 1/2 cup water; simmer until apples are very soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Set aside.

Put butter and the remaining cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; mix in egg, molasses, buttermilk, baking soda, flour, spices, and salt.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean and tops spring back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans to loosen; invert to unmold. Remove parchment; reinvert onto racks. Let cool.

Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 bottom layer on a serving platter. Top with 1/3 of the apple mixture, spreading to edges. Stack 1 top layer on top of apples, and top with another 1/3 of the apple mixture. Repeat with remaining cake bottom and apples, and top with remaining cake top. Let stand at room temperature at least 1 hour before serving.  (I ended up only having 3 layers because I broke one into 3 pieces when trying to get it on the cake plate...whoops!)

Honey Ginger Buttercream Frosting
Source: Laura's Little Kitchen
Ingredients
3/4 C softened butter
1 to 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/3 C honey
1 T powdered ginger
2 to 3 t frsh grated ginger
1 t vanilla extract

Directions
Start with softened butter in the bowl of the mixer.
Beat until creamy.
Add powdered sugar until it reaches desired stiffness.
Beat on high until smooth.
Mix in honey, powdered ginger and fresh grated ginger.
Beat for a few minutes until smooth again
Mix in a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Add additional powdered sugar to adjust the thickness if needed.
Use an offset spatula to front just the top of the cake.

---

If you haven't  already, I hope you stop by to link up to the Thanksgiving Treats & Fall Fun link party. Claiming Our Space has joined up with Love and Laundry, House on the Way, One Creative Mommy, Mamal Diane, Jane's Adventures in Dinner and 4 You With Love to bring you our own Thanksgiving Treats and Fall projects!

Apple Struesel Caramel Cupcakes

This post was originally seen as a guest post on Practically Functional. ________________________________________________________________
Today I am sharing what has become my new favorite dessert of the Fall - Apple Struesel Caramel Cupcakes.

We have a monthly family dinner at our house the first Sunday of every month.  I love this because it not only gives my parents, D's mom, my brother, my great-aunt and a close friend, who is like family, a chance to get together and catch up in the midst of our busy lives - it also gives me an excuse to bake something new at least once a month. Sunday, I decided to try a recipe I found on Oh My Sugar High. 

Of course, I can't leave any recipe well enough alone and had to change it up a bit.  I swapped some of the ingredients up - added brown sugar, more apples and used a goat's milk caramel sauce.  I think the results of these  small changes were delicious!  The apple flavor was not overwhelmed by the cinnamon and the sweetness of the caramel was the perfect combination with the cupcake (which isn't the moistest I have ever had but the vanilla ice cream takes care of that). 

Everyone loved it and even my mom, who originally wanted to split a cupcake with someone else, ate the whole thing!

A couple of tips - make sure to watch how the cupcakes are baking. I didn't watch and the bottoms of some of mine got a bit burnt.  Wipe up any struesel that spills on the flat part of the cupcake pan.  The sugar in it will burn and make the oven smokey.  

I hope you enjoy this dessert as much as we did!

Apple Struesel Caramel Cupcakes
Source: Oh My Sugar High

Cupcake Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cup of low-fat milk
4 small apples, diced - 2 for batter and 2 for topping
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 tsp Cinnamon

Streusel Topping Ingredients
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp powdered cinnamon
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup of cold unsalted butter, diced into cubes
1/4 cup rolled oats

Caramel topping (we used some Beekman 1802 Cajeta - a delicous goat milk caramel.)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add eggs and beat for a minute or so after each egg
Add vanilla
In a separate bowl, mix together all dry ingredients
Alternate dry ingredients with milk into mixer, starting with the dry and ending with the dry.
Lightly fold 2 diced apples into batter.
Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray
Scoop into into muffin tins (about 3/4 full)
Sprinkle remaining diced apple on top of cupcakes
In the same bowl that previously held the dry ingredients, mix all struesel ingredients by hand until you have a texture that is coarse and crumbly
Top apple-sprinkled cupcakes with streusel topping
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean
Let cupcakes cool on wire rack for 15-20 minutes.
Just before serving, heat caramel sauce and take the ice cream out of the fridge to soften slightly
Place cupcake on plate with a scoop or two of ice cream.
Drizzle with caramel sauce.

Enjoy!

Jessi, thanks so much for letting me share my new favorite fall dessert with all your readers!

Pan-fried Hake with Lemon and Herb Butter Sauce

D brought home a package of Hake from Costco several weeks ago. Yeah, Hake.  Have you heard of it?  I hadn't.

Turns out it is very similar to cod - meaning it is a light, flakey white fish. Even with all that info, I still needed to hit the internet for recipe ideas.  Apparently Hake is a common fish in Europe so it is fitting I found an Irish recipe that looked looked like it would be tasty.  Turns out it was even better than tasty, it was a-freaking-mazing! The lemony, herb-y flavor was so good.  D asked if there was another fillet for his to polish off.

This recipe is definitely going on the "To Make Again" list, which is good because Costco sells this stuff is a really big bag.

Pan-fried Hake with Lemon and Herb Butter Sauce

Source: Borda Bia (Irish Food Board)

Ingredients

• 2 - 6 oz hake skinless fillets (can also use cod, haddock or trout)
• 1-2 T olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 T butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 T herb mix (I used Italian herb blend)
• 1-2 T lemon juice

Directions

• Season fillets with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
• Carefully add the seasoned hake fillets to the pan.
• Cook for 3 minutes, or so, until the fillet is just beginning to crisp.
• Add 1 tablespoon of butter pieces to the pan around each fillet and cook for another couple of minutes until the fillet is crisp.
• Flip the fillets over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until done. (time is dependent on how thick the fillets are).
• Transfer to warmed plates while you make the sauce.
• Reduce heat to low. 
• Add the rest of the butter to the frying pan to melt.
• Once melted, add lemon juice and the herbs to the pan, scraping up any bits that hare stuck to the bottom the pan, 
• stirring with a spoon to combine.
• Season to taste.
• Spoon sauce over the fillets and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Steamed vegetables and white or brown rice

Steamed broccoli and sautéed new potatoes

Wilted collard greens

---

1. Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $25 Visa gift card and 2.  The Fall Fun and Howling Halloween Linky Party runs through the 18th.  Make sure to stop and link up Fall or Halloween related projects, recipes or posts.

Peanut Butter Choco Chip Cake - A Delicious Mistake

This recipe was originally a guest post on Posed Perfection.

---

Today I am sharing my Peanut Butter Choco Chip Cake.  Sometimes misreading a recipe turns out great. This is one of those times. 

I had a large summer squash hanging out in our CSA basket and just wasn't up for another stir-fry or roasted veggie dish.  I was craving something sweet.  That's when it hit me, on one of the Tout It Tuesday linky parties, A Little Nosh had linked up a recipe that looked like it would fit the bill.

I gathered up my ingredients and started to mix everything together when disaster struck! Or rather my apparent inability to follow a recipe while trying to read emails on my phone and put together the week's menu plan struck.  I had doubled the amount of agave nectar. Of course, I only noticed when the batter was way too soupy (even if it smelled a-freaking-mazing!)

Whoops! I would like to say that this is an unusual occurrence but, sadly, that isn't the case.  Note to self: stop trying to multi-task when baking.

Since I didn't want to waste this fabulous smelling concoction that I had mixed together, it was time to get creative.  Result? The recipe was no longer flourless.  I added more squash along with more peanut butter plus I doubled the cocoa and finally sprinkled choco chips on top. (can you have too much chocolate?)

Ingredients

• 1-16 oz jar peanut butter (I used Smucker's natural peanut butter)
• 2 cup of grated squash (I used the medium hole side of my box grater)
• 2/3 cup of agave nectar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 c flour
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 Tbsp of dark cocoa powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips + 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix everything together.
• Pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I brought the cake to work and a number of people came back for seconds. I had to move it to our floor's little kitchenette since I was tempted to have a third piece. Yup, I ate two pieces before lunch, it was that good.

I love it when an disaster, with a little tweaking and some additional ingredients, turns out delicious!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $25 Visa gift card and the Fall Fun and Howling Halloween Linky Party starts on tomorrow.  Make sure to stop by Claiming Our Space or one of the lovely co-hosts to link up Fall or Halloween related projects, recipes or posts.

---

Grilled Peaches - An Easy & Healthy Dessert

I love peaches!

I love them on their own as a snack, love them in jam, love them in baked goods and love them in ice cream (I think you are getting how much I love them) so I was very alarmed when we began to hear news that the peach crop in our area was going to be severely limited due to our early spring heat followed by crushing frosts.  We are trying to avoid buying produce shipped long distances so this was sad news.

Luckily, some trees did manage to produce small numbers of peaches so we have been able to secure small amounts.  No canned peaches this year but enough to enjoy some of the usual later summer treats.This is one of those tasty treats.  It is the perfect ending for a grilled dinner since it uses the grill and no need to fire up the oven or cooktop.

Now grilled peaches, on their own, with no added "stuff" are very good but when you pair it with brown sugar, vanilla and a little zing of ground ginger. Wowie! You have yourself something delish. For added decadence, serve with a creamy vanilla ice cream.

Grilled Peaches with Ginger
Modified from this recipe found on Quick Dish from Tablespoon
Ingredients

• 4 peaches, ripe yet not too soft, pitted and cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

• In a large bowl, mix together brown sugar, ground ginger and vanilla.
• Add peach quarters, mixing to ensure all pieces are covered with the sugar mixture.
• Let sit 15-30 minutes. During this time the mixture will become wetter and more liquidy.  
• Toss every 10 minutes or so to ensure peaches stay coated.
• On a hot grill with clean grates, place peaches, flesh side down. Cook for 3-5 minutes, depending on the heat, which should be turned down if the peaches begin to burn. 
• Flip peaches to other flesh side and grill for another 3-5 minutes.
• Peaches should now be soft and ready to serve.

Some serving ideas:

• drizzled with a little honey
• paired with vanilla ice cream (my favorite)
• topped with toasted almonds

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

OK, full disclosure here,  I have no idea what this recipe tastes like. I don't like banana bread.  Never have, probably never will.  However, D loves it!  He said it tasted great and he took a loaf to his work and it was gone in less than an hour.  Additionally, several people asked him for the recipe.  So I am thinking that means it was pretty good.

How did I end up making banana bread when I don't even like it? Well, D loves the stuff and I found a bag of bananas in our freezer when looking for ice cream something else.  When we have a banana that is too spotty, it goes in the freezer banana bag for use in baked goods.

I modified the recipe slightly using agave nectar instead of white sugar.  We had bought some a while ago and needed to use it up. The only change that this made was the color was a bit darker, which is pretty common in baked goods using agave nectar, so don't be alarmed if this happens to you too.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Adapted from:  La Petite Vie who adapted it from Southern Food

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 4 ounces butter, softened
• 2 ripe bananas
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 325°
• Grease and flour a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
• Cream brown sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.
• In a second bowl, mix together agave nectar, bananas, eggs, and vanilla extract.  
• Add wet mixture to creamed butter and sugar.
• Combine dry ingredients in a third bowl and stir into the mixture in the mixing bowl just until moistened.
• Fold in chocolate chips until well incorporated. 
• Pour batter into loaf pan
• Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. 
• Cool the loaf in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out and cool completely, right side up.  
  
  Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Fridge Pickles

Right now is pickle making time here in Michigan. OK, it isn't anything official so I should probably say it is pickle making time in our kitchen in Michigan.   Last year, I tried both fridge pickles (which according to D turned out fantastic) and the hot water bath processed kind (which did not turn out anywhere near fantastic. He tried one and threw the rest of the jars away they were that bad).

After that horrible outcome, this year, I decided to stick with the fridge pickles using the exact same process as last year. This means getting some Balls Kosher Dill Pickle Mix.
We bought 2 quart containers of pickles from the farmers market and that made about 8 pint jars of pickles.

This couldn't have been easier to make which is the beauty of the mix. Plus, I couldn't stand another sad D face after trying and spitting out those horrible pickles last year. Because we has smaller pickles and used smaller jars, I ended up needing to make another batch of the pickling liquid, even after making a double batch the first time.

Ingredients

• Ball Kosher Dill Pickle Mix
• White vinegar
• Pickling cukes with the end cut off and sliced as you desire (I went with wedge shapes)
• Clean and sterilized jars and lids (I ran my through my dishwasher and then used the heated drying cycle since these are going in the fridge)

Directions

• Prepare the pickling liquid according to the directions on the box
• Pack your cukes into the jars until they don't jostle around when you give the jar a shake
• Pour the hot liquid over the pickles, leaving 1/4 head space
• Close up the jars with the lids
• Let cool before putting in the fridge.
• Let "pickle" for at least 3 weeks before eating.  They should be consumed before 3-4 months passes.

How easy is that?  I think it took me longer to cut up all the cukes than all the other steps combined.  That is my kind of recipe.

Now D is counting the days until 3 months/90 days is up.  We are at 83 days and counting down. :-)

Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce

This post was originally seen on This Gal Cooks.  I hope you take a minute to check out her blog with all it's great recipes.

---

I got the base for this recipe from a friend many years ago.  Her family used to live on a farm and Peach BBQ Sauce was something they made every summer.  She and her sisters would be in charge of picking the peaches for this tasty treat. She remembers those time fondly now but she said at the time it was the pits (no pun intended).

We like our sauces to have just a bit more heat so we made a few modifications to make this perfect for us. It keeps in the fridge for weeks or it is easy to can (using the hot water bath process) for gifts. It is great with ribs, chicken or pork chops on the grill. It can also be used for roasted/pulled pork or beef.  I have even seen a few recipes on the internet where this type of sauce is used on fish.


Spicy Peach BBQ Sauce

Ingredients
7 Medium Peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Ketchup
1/2 Cup Vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Clove Garlic – crushed
2 teaspoon Salt
1 Tablespoon minced fresh jalepeno
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon Ground Mustard
1 teaspoon cumin

Dash of Pepper

Directions
Place all ingredients in a large nonreactive pot.
Heat to a boil.
Puree with a stick blender or pour carefully into a blender to puree.
Once pureed, simmer until the sauce thickens (at least 15 minutes)
If you are planning in using the sauce quickly, put the sauce into glass jars and let the flavors mingle overnight before using.

If you plan to hot water process, you should process for 15 minutes

Fudgy Raspberry Brownies

When I saw the raspberries at our local farmer's market last weekend, I knew I had to make a batch of chocolate raspberry brownies.  Why?  Other than one can never get enough chocolate, chocolate and raspberry is one of the most divine flavor combos there is. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I found the recipe on www.food.com and thought it had potential.  However, as usual, I couldn't leave well enough alone and had to make some tweaks.  Only had 4 oz of unsweetened chocolate. No milk chocolate chips so went with a semi-sweet. I skipped the almonds all together, didn't have any in the cupboard and I am not a fan of nuts in my food (it's a texture thing). I added fresh raspberries as a "middle layer" and incorporated the raspberry jam into the batter itself.

Yum!

My kitchen smelled a-maze-ing while this was baking. I could barely contain myself. The wait while it pan was cooling was almost too much!

Fudgy Raspberry Brownies
Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup raspberry preserves
• 1 quart fresh raspberries

Directions

• In a large bowl, melt together butter and unsweetened chocolate and 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips in a microwave - heating 30 seconds at a time. Wisking together as it melts.
• Once chocolate and butter are completely melted, add sugar and whisk together.
• In a second bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla.  Add small amounts of the chocolate mixture to the egg mixture so you don't end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate batter.  Combine both mixtures into the large bowl.
• Add baking powder and flour to chocolate mixture, 1/2 cup at a time.
• Add raspberry jam to chocolate mixture until combined.
• Add chocolate chips to mixture.
• Spread about 1/2 of the batter in a 13" x 9" x 2" pan that has been lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with a non stick spray.
• Spread 1/2 of the raspberries on the batter.
• Spread remaining batter in the pan.
• Spread the remaining berries on the top of the berries.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool completely in the pan on a rack before cutting and enjoying.

Grilled in the HuskCorn on the Cob

Last week in our CSA basket we got our first corn of the season. I was so excited. Being able to make corn on the cob on the grill is one of my favorite things about Summer. Something about cooking it this way, versus the usual boiling, makes it taste so darn good.  I think it takes on some of that grilled, smokey flavor.

We have tried a variety of ways to cook corn on the cob (wrapped in foil with and without an ice cube, seasoned and unseasoned, cooked in the husk and cooked not in the husk) but I think this preparation is my favorite. 

It is tender, flavorful and pretty darn easy to pull together. I hope you try and and let us know how you like it.

Grilled in the Husk Corn on the Cob
Source: Just the way we have always done it
Ingredients

• Corn - still in the husk
• Olive oil
• Seasonings of your choice (we like salt and garlic powder)

Directions

• Soak husks for at least 20 minutes, placing a plate on top to make sure they are completely submerged. 
• If we are just making a couple of ears, we use the sink and a bucket works great for larger batches.
• Once soaking is finished, remove the outer layer of husks but don't throw them away yet.
• Peel back the remaining husks, but do not remove them completely. Leave them attached at the bottom.
• Remove the silks and rinse.
• Dry corn (so the olive oil will stick)
• Pour a bit of olive oil on the ear and rub to cover entirely (this will ensure the seasoning you add will stick to the corn)
• Sprinkle with your seasonings
•  Rewrap the cob with the husks
• To hold it all together, use one of the husks you removed, torn in half, as "string" to tie the husks together at one end.
• Now you are ready to grill!
• Place on the grill over medium heat, grilling on one side for 5 minutes, then flipping it over to the other side for another 5 minutes. 
• After 10 minutes, move to an upper rack or farther away from the heat and let cook for another 5 or 10 minutes.
• Remove the husks, add butter or any other seasonings and enjoy!