Apples for the Children

One of my favorite times of year as a teacher was "apple season."  I taught preschool for 10 years and told this story every year.  It never got old, and the expression on the children's faces was priceless.  Did you know that apples were magic?  Well they are!  Try it and see the smiles on the faces of the folks (big and little).

The Little Red House

There was once upon a time a little boy who was tired of all his toys and, tired of all his play.  "What shall I do ?" He asked his mother.  And  his mother, who always knew beautiful things for little boys to do, said, " You shall go on a journey and find a little red house with no doors and no windows and a star inside."         

This really made the little boy wonder. Usually his mother had good ideas, but his thought that this one was very strange. "Which way shall I go?" He asked his mother. "I don't know where to find a little red house with no doors and no window ."  "

    

 The little boy went on until he came to the great brown barn were the farmer kept barrel of fat potatoes and baskets of yellow squashes and golden pumpkins. The farmer himself stood in the doorway looking out over the green pastures and yellow grain fields. "Do you know where I shall find a little red house with no doors and no windows  and a star inside?" asked the little boy of the farmer. The farmer laughed too. "I lived a great many years and I never saw one." He chuckled, "But ask Granny who lives at the foot of the hill. She knows how to  make molasses, taffy and popcorn balls, and red mittens! Perhaps she can direct you."        

 So the little boy went on farther still, until he came to the Granny, sitting in her pretty garden of herbs and marigolds. She was wrinkled as a walnut and as smiling as the sunshine. "Please, Dear Granny," said the little boy. "Where shall I find a little red house with no doors and no windows  and a star inside?"

         Granny was knitting a red mitten, and when she heard the little boy's question, she laughed so cheerily that the wool ball rolled of her lap and down the little pebbly path. "I should like to find that little house myself," she chuckled. " I would be warm when the frosty night comes and the starlight would be prettier than a candle. But ask the wind who blows about so much and listens at all the chimneys. Perhaps the wind can direct you."        

 So the little boy took off his cap and tipped it politely to the Granny and went on up the hill rather sorrowfully. He wondered if his mother, who usually knew almost everything had perhaps made a mistake. The wind was coming down the hill as the little boy climbed up. As they met, the wind turned about  and went along, singing  beside the little boy. It whistled in his ear, and pushed him and dropped a pretty leaf into his hand. "I wonder," thought the little boy, after they had gone along together for awhile, "if the wind could  help me find a little red house with no doors and no windows a star inside."         

The wind cannot speak in our words, but it went singing ahead of the little boy until it came to an orchard. There it climbed up in the apple tree and shook the branches. When the little boy climbed up, there at his feet lay a great rosy apple. The little boy picked the apple. It was as much as his two hands could hold. It was red as the sun had been able to paint it, and the thick brown stem stood up as straight as a chimney, and it had no doors and no windows. Was there a star inside?  

The little boy called to the wind, "Thank you," and the wind whistled back, "You're welcome."  Then the little boy gave the apple to his mother.  His mother took a knife (AT THIS POINT , START CUTTING AN APPLE CROSSWISE) and cut the apple through the center.  Oh, how wonderful! There inside the apple, lay a star holding brown seeds.         

"It is too wonderful to eat without looking at the star, isn't it?" the little boy said to his mother. "Yes indeed"

After I cut the apple open, we would all look at the star inside.  I would then take the apple and we would dip the apple in paint and make star prints with it.  Needless to say snack would be apple slices and peanut butter that day!

This week's menu is fall inspired.  Lots of apples, cozy casseroles, and soups. 

Sunday

Pot Roast

Mashed Potatoes

Carrots

Monday

Cider Glazed Chicken***

Waldorf Salad***

Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges

Tuesday

Pork Tenderloin (Crock Pot)

Applesauce***

Green Beans

Wednesday

Clam Chowder

Applesauce bread***

Thursday

Cheesy Ziti Toss***

Green Salad

Garlic Bread

Friday

Nachos

Homemade Salsa

Saturday

Footlighter's Party & Plan for Walk For Hope  (Think Pink!!)

Pomegranite Cosmopolitans ***

International Discoveries

Normally I shoot for 1 post per week.  That seems reasonable so far.  However, last night in our house we had "Taste Epiphany".  In other words we had some new foods that had never before come out of our kitchen, and I just had to write about them.



See what I mean?  Aren't they cute?



First is butternut squash.  Normally I am not a fan.  Can't help it, it's just the way it is.  From the time I was little, my Mom will confirm, squash in ANY form was just not something that I cared for.  I would take the "try it, taste it," two bites, and still would rather eat sawdust than squash.  (In my defense however, I would eat pumpkin pie.  That didn't even count as squash in my book.)  This past week, I had been blessed and given two lovely, fresh butternut squash.  They were gifts from 8 year olds that I couldn't possibly tell  that I didn't care for them.   I took them with good grace and thought "Now what?"  They sat on my counter not singing and dancing like the squash on "Veggie Tales", but sitting stationary, daring me to try them.

Soup....hmmmm... I would make butternut squash soup.  If it didn't work, the chickens would like it.   Apples....hey.. we have apples fresh from the orchard.  Hmmmmmm....So I cooked the squash and apples and some onion together in a dutch oven.  I have become absolutely enamored with Indian food and Indian spices, so I started spicing up the broth.  I added cinnamon, cumin, cardamom, nutmeg. salt and pepper.  I then chopped fresh cilantro and threw that in.  The boys got in the act and said it would be better with some heat to it. So in went red pepper flakes.  OH MY GOSH!  2 BOWLS LATER....we were all eating butternut squash and apple soup with Indian spices.  Yes, Mom I ate my squash. 

To go with the soup, I thought grilled sandwiches would be good.  In the grocery store  I had picked up a package of Halloumi cheese.  Halloumi cheese is a Greek cheese that can be sliced and grilled as is.  You slice it up, pop it on a skewer, or in a pan and grill it until it gets golden brown.  It's very similar in texture to Indian paneer cheese.  (Never met a cheese I didn't like.)  It doesn't get sticky and nasty in the pan, but caramelizes beautifully.  I had never had or tasted it so thought I'd give it a try.  It was amazing!

I grilled up a whole plateful of cheese.  We assembled turkey, apple, and grilled Halloumi sandwiches and cooked them panini style.  Delicious. 
Greece and India in one night.  Wonder where our taste buds will travel to tonight!

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
In dutch oven take 2 Tbsp butter and sweat 1 small onion diced for about 5 min.
Add 3-4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash
2-3 cups chopped, peeled, and seeded apple (any variety.  I used Macs)
2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
2 bay leaves
2 cans of chicken stock
Allow to come to a boil and let simmer until squash and apples are soft.  Take bay leaves out of soup.  Reserve 2 cups of soup (if you want some chunks of squash or apples.  Hubby likes texture and doesn't care for totally pureed soup.)  Puree the remaining soup.  Add reserved soup back in. 
Add:
1/4 c brown sugar
salt and pepper
2 tsp grated nutmeg
Red pepper flakes to taste ( can be omitted)
Chop fresh cilantro and add into soup.  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.  (This would be very tasty with fresh Naan.)

Grilled Halloumi, Turkey, and Apple Sandwiches
Arnold Multigrain Sandwich Thins
Deli Turkey
Halloumi cheese
Peeled Sliced Apples
Butter

In a heated grill pan, slice the Halloumi cheese.  You do not need to grease the pan.  The cheese will generally not stick.  I used cast iron and it really didn't.  Grill the cheese 1-2 minutes on each side.  The cheese will turn golden brown and will retain it's shape.  Take the cheese off the heat.
Thinly butter the outsides of the bread this.  Assemble sandwiches with turkey, apple, and cheese.  Put the  top on  the sandwich and grill 2-3 minutes each side until golden brown.

Freezer Pleasers

Our freezer saga began when we got back from our vacation this summer.  The house was in great shape, the animals well taken care of by my niece,  and a freezer that had just quit.  Thank goodness we had gone down to get something for dinner!  Our freezer was an upright, frost free, appliance that we utilized to the max.  Meats, bacon, fruits,vegetables, bacon,  bread, cookie dough, freeze pops, and bacon...(did I mention bacon?) were all in jeopardy.  Luckily, we discovered it shortly after it had quit so the food was still frozen.   We phoned my Mom who has an upright freezer and asked if we could move our groceries to her house until we either got the freezer repaired or replaced.  We called it the "Massive Meat Mobilization" and fortunately saved everything but a few bags of vegetables.  (The  bacon and the pepper sticks were safe, that's all that matters!)

Over the summer, we looked for a good freezer deal and we used up as much as we could of the food that was in the upstairs refrigerator freezer.  It was quite an adventure.  I'm a total fan of upright freezers.  When I was a kid we had a chest freezer, and my grandparents had a HUGE chest freezer in their garage.  I would be sent out to get something, and I couldn't reach very far down.  I'd have to stand on a chair or step stool to see what was in there.  My favorite part of the freezers was both my Mom and my grandmother would freeze  molasses cookies in foil  packages.  I would be standing on a stool, bent over at the waist, butt up in the freezer hunting for those cookies, when I had been sent out for onions or ground beef.  The reward was awesome when I would find one of those shiny, metallic packages.  I would eat the cookies ice cold, and rock hard.  They were that good!

Change is coming to our family in many ways, and we had been blessed to have a great deal on a freezer that benefited both my Mom and us.  We now have an upright freezer to store food in.  Hubby has a promotion, soccer is starting up for the boy child, and play rehearsals are gearing up for me.  Dinner needs to be something quick, easy, and  hearty. We were also blessed to be given a whole bag of fresh garlic cloves.  Dinners this week will be from the freezer and will be using the fresh garlic.   Many meals prepped ahead can be stored in the freezer and their ingredients can go directly from freezer to oven or Crock Pot.  After I gave birth to my boy child, many friends and family members made dinners that could be frozen and go directly from freezer to oven.  When I went back to work, that was an invaluable gift.   My sister has announced that  she is "expecting" and I'll be stocking up meals and recipes for her.

The apple pie pictured uses my Grandmother's no fail pie crust recipe.  The beauty of this recipe is the pie dough can be refrigerated up to a week, or frozen up to 4 months!  The recipe is not in this blog, as I'm planning an entire "Pie Blog."  I'll include it then....Maybe.....

Freezers sure are "cool"!  (Especially when there is bacon in them!)

***Indicates a recipe included
Weekly Menu



Shrimp and Scallops in Garlic Cream Sauce


Sunday
Shrimp and Scallops in a Garlic Cream Sauce***
Cheesy Flat bread
Grilled Asparagus
Apple Pie

Monday
40 Clove Garlic Chicken  (Chicken from the freezer cooked in the Crock Pot)***
Green Salad
Mandarin Orange Salad

Tuesday
Sweet and Sour Meatballs (Meatballs from the freezer, cooked in the Crock Pot)***
Pineapple Chunks
Brown Rice

Wednesday
Sausage Orecchiette Pasta (Turkey Sausage defrosted from the freezer)***
Green Beans
Raspberry Strata (can be frozen up to 2 months)***

Thursday
Tortellini with Pesto, Shrimp, and tomatoes (Tortellini and Shrimp from the freezer)***
Apple sauce

Friday
Rotisserie Chicken (Defrosted from freezer)***
Mashed Potatoes
Carrots

Eating with Grandparents

Check out the suit! 70's at it's finest!

This weekend is designated as Grandparent's Weekend.  When I was a kid, there was no such designated day.  Every weekend was designated as Grandparent's Day. Weekends were  when you visited.  That was when you shared a meal and spent time together. You helped around the house.  Hallmark didn't need to specify a day.  That's just the way it was.

This week's blog  is dedicated to my Grandfather Fleming.  I was so blessed to have him.  (All of my grandparent's were special.  I was so blessed to know and love them  There will be a blog for each one of them as it strikes me).  Bill Cosby says "The reason that grandparents and grandchildren are so close, is because they have a common enemy...the parents!"  My grandfather would chuckle over that quote every time.  He had a cupboard that had candy in it and when I would go down to help with chores, I would raid that cupboard.  Twix, Hershey, Reese's, Whoppers (YUMMY), Chunky bars, Baby Ruth, or Whatchamacallits, were all in there at one time or another.  I would raid the cupboard and before I would head home, Grandpa would check me to make sure I didn't have any chocolate on my face so we wouldn't get in trouble.   Wouldn't want to ruin dinner, you know.   The freezer usually had Klondike bars, and if I was scared of a thunderstorm, my fears were smoothed over with chocolate over vanilla ice cream. (Little did I know that my parents knew every time!)   God is getting even with me, however, as my son gets goodies EVERY time he visits ANY of his grandparents! 

My favorite "Grandpa meal" was Sunday afternoons.  God Bless a Farmer. Grandpa had farmed and worked with animals all his life. He was a widower and raised my father alone.    Grandpa  cooked good old fashioned food.   There was nothing light about the Sunday  meal.  It would sustain, hearten, and exhaust you.  We would get home from church and dinner would be cooking.  Grandpa  would get up early and put 3 loaves of bread on to "proof" on the heater in the kitchen.  His dog "Dummy" (sorry Mom..that was the dog's name) would be banished to the porch so that he would stay out of the dough.   The kitchen was red hot with steam and all burners and the oven were fired up. 

Sunday dinner was held between 11 and noon.  Supper was for evening.  When you farmed, you ate a big meal in the middle of the day so that you could get through afternoon work and evening chores.  Sunday's menu was heavier than during the week. 

Sunday dinner was steak, marinated and fried in a cast iron skillet.  Big slabs of perfect Angus beef, served with "A1 Sauce".  My teeth were wimpy when I was a kid and I couldn't chew the steak.  I got hot dogs." Ballpark Franks".    As an adult,  I think back on all the steak I missed out on.  Don't feel too sorry for me though.   The hot dogs were cooked in the steak pan ( that usually had bacon in it).  How bad can that  be?  Grandpa would also peel and soak pounds of potatoes in cold salt water.  Then he would cut  them into french fries.  He would  dry them so that they would be crispier,  and then cook them in a dutch oven filled with corn oil, or in later years in a "Fry Daddy".  Remember those?  The fries  would be crispy,  hot,  mealy, and delightfully salty.  I got to salt the fries.  That was my job.  Grandpa  would pull the fries out of the bubbling oil and put them on paper towels.  While they were hot, but not in the grease,  I would salt them.  One of my favorite memories is my Dad and I having french fry eating contests.  Dad beat me every time!!   

The meal would be rounded out with scalloped corn, piping hot fresh bread, and for dessert, chocolate cream pie with whipped cream.

Chocolate Dream Pie Recipe

2 Envelopes DREAM WHIP
Whipped Topping mix
2 3/4 c Cold milk
2 pk JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding
1 9-inch prepared pie shell
1 tsp Vanilla
Prepare whipped topping mix per package directions in a large mixing bowl. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups milk and pudding mix.
Whip, then beat at high speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
Spoon into graham cracker pie shell. Chill at least 4 hours.
Oh my!  The meal would be enjoyed while we watched "Wrastlin".  (That was "WWF Wrestling", but pronounced "Wrastlin").  TV trays were set up in the living room, Dummy, the dog,  would be allowed in from the porch, and big glasses of milk and iced tea were poured.   Dinner was served and we would enjoy the meal while watching "Chief Jay Strongbow", "Ivan Putsky", and" George the Animal Steele." 

Grandpa gave me unconditional love and my son enjoys the unconditional love of his grandparent's.  My mother in law's ham and biscuits, and my own mother's cookies and  lemon meringue pie are already ingrained in his memories.  God bless them all.

Here's to you Grandparents of the world!  Pass the French Fries and Chocolate Pie!

Items with *** following them have recipes to follow.

Sunday 9/12

Steak

French fries (Our favorites are Ore Ida Fast Food French Fries)

Corn Pudding**

Chocolate pie

Monday

Slow Cooked Ribs**

Noodles

Carrots

Tuesday

Beef and broccoli (Made with left over steak)

Rice (Save 1 c for Friday)

Mandarin Oranges

Wednesday

Apricot Terriaki Chicken**

Couscous

Green Beans

Thursday

 Chicken Rice Frittata (Left over special!)***

Salad

Warm Garlic Bread

Friday

Go Out to Dinner!!!

Pizza Margherita

Pizza!  The world's most perfect food

This delicious pizza was named in 1889.   Queen Margherita of Savoy was served a pizza that included the colors of the Italian flag, red (tomato), white (Mozzarella) and green (basil).   The pizza was named in her honor the "Margherita pizza".  It is delicious, especially this time of year with all of the fresh ingredients.  All of the ingredients below can be substituted with your favorite store bought, redi-made ingredients.

1 package raw pizza dough  (grocery store freezer section or your favorite pizza parlor.)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2-3 fresh tomatoes sliced
1 lb mozzarella 
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp basil leaves shredded

Put the pizza dough in flour and stretch it to fit a greased pizza pan.    Spread the tomato sauce on the crust, but leave 1/4 of an inch around the edge.  Layer tomato slices and mozzarella on the pizza, leaving the edge.  Mix the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder, together.  Sprinkle all over the pizza. 

Bake 450 for 10 min (heat your oven to the directions on the pizza dough wrapper.)  The directions listed here were for dough purchased at Hannaford.

***There are mushrooms on the pizza that is pictured right in the middle because I like them!***

***You can also substitute pesto sauce for the tomato sauce if you prefer!***

After School Treats

It's that time again!  Just ending a heat wave that really was brutal!  Hopefully it will cool down a smidge or two so that everyone can concentrate and not miss the beach too much.  (Fat chance that that will happen, but it is worth a shot!)

I was thinking of concentrating on crock pot meals, but with the weather being so warm, and the grill working hard, I'll save the crock pot theme for another week.  Getting ready for school also brings back memories of after school treats!  So this week I've been asking folks what their favorite after school treat was or is.  What's yours?

My favorite after school treat was my mom's waffle sandwich.  It was "left over"  brilliance.  My mom took waffles that she had made for breakfast and would put the leftovers in the fridge.  Then when I got home from school she would take a waffle, split in half and toast it until it was crispy and warm.  She would put one half on a plate and would spoon applesauce over the top.  Then she would take crushed walnuts and sprinkle them over the applesauce.  Finally, she would take maple syrup and pour it all over the top. OH YUM!  Toasty, appley, maple yuminess!  My waffle recipe is included in the "After school treats" section on the side of my blog.

My hubby's favorite after school treat was homemade chocolate chip cookies.  His mom and dad both worked, so homemade cookies were a treat.  When I asked if they had a cookie jar that they were kept in, he laughed and said "No, they never lasted that long!"    Cookies and milk are the classic after school treat!  Hubby also  remembers a whole sleeve of Fig Newtons in his Grandfather's (Pop's) old, black, metal lunch box.   He remembers waiting for Pop to come home from a long  day on the road crew, and going through the lunch box to see what was left.  There would always be some cookies left  for him.

When I asked my son about his favorite after school treat, he grinned.  He remembers cookies as well.  Sugar cookies.  They are his absolute favorite after school treat...however, much to my dismay, his favorite sugar cookie comes from a mix out of a red envelope.  Not the recipe handed down generation from generation, but a prepared cookie mix that you just add butter and an egg....heartbreaking. SOMEDAY we WILL have a cookie bake off and he will see the light....I hope!

 My son's second favorite after school treat is peanut butter cookies.  Then magic happened.  As we were talking about them he asked, "Hey, will you teach me how to make them?!"  HECK YES!   Out to the kitchen we went  to get everything ready.  Will there be any left for school?  Probably not!

Baking cookies for after school

To get ready for this week of being back to school and work, I've done alot of prep work ahead.  Predicing and packaging ingredients for dinner make meal prep quick and easy.  I have prebrowned a full pound of hamburger for the tacos and chili.    I stored it in a Ziplock bag in the fridge so that I can measure out what I need when I prepare each meal.    I have also put some bacon that I cooked ahead  for Friday's salad.  Onions and  tomatoes are chopped and in the refrigerator as well. 

 ** Means Recipes are included on the side of the blog under "After School Treats".    Full steam ahead....oh!   Pass the cookies please! 
Monday
Tacos
Rice and Beans

Tuesday  (Back to School)
Chicken Parmesan (cook extra chicken w/o sauce  for Friday's salad)
Spaghetti
Carrots
 Peanut butter cookies  **

Wednesday
Chili (Crock pot)
Cornbread **

Thursday
Hamburgers on the Grill
Corn on the Cob
watermelon

Friday
Chicken Caesar Salad (grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mandarin oranges, mushrooms, and bacon)
Grilled Bread with garlic and ricotta

Saturday
Leftovers! 

Fresh Salsa

4-5  fresh tomatos, chopped
1 small onion diced
2-3 large green, yellow, orange, and red peppers, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp chili sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Makes 5-6 cups of salsa

Mix all together in a bowl and refrigerate.  Season to taste.  Cover with plastic wrap.   If the tomato acid bothers you, add a Tsp of sugar.  Serve with chips, nachos, or on top of your favorite steak or chicken.