Apples, Apples, Apples

My friend Mara emailed me her recipe for Apple Crisp. It tastes good, so I thought I'd share.

Apple Crisp

4-5 c. apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thin

2 T. sugar

1/2 c. oats

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

4 T. butter, room temperature

Toss the sliced apples in the 2 T. sugar and transfer them to an 8x8" baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. (You can use a pastry knife, a fork, or your hands.) Evenly distribute the oat mixture on top of the apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. Yummy. =)

Blueberries

Almost a hundred years ago now (or that's how it feels, at least) the five acres of property I grew up on in Bemidji was mostly wooded, and our backyard was filled with wild blueberry and raspberry bushes. It was a relief when my Mom had them bull-dozed over and cleared the land years later. Berry picking started to be a chore instead of a treat. Who knew that 24 years later I would be wishing they still grew there so that my kids and I could go to Bemidji and pick berries. So this week I (gladly) inherited almost an ice cream pail full of hand picked wild blueberries. "Can you do something with these?" Um..... YES! In the wake of nostalgia, I dug through my recipe box until I found Grandma Shirley's Blueberry Bundt Cake recipe. It is so simple, yet so very elegant... just like she was. I can imagine serving it on those blue and white porcelain dessert plates, if I had them. You will love it, I promise.

Grandma Shirley's Blueberry Bundt Cake

Pam for Baking

1 c. butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

3 eggs

1/2 c. milk

3 c. flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/8 t. salt

2-3 c. blueberries

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bundt pan with Pam for Baking; set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla. Alternately add eggs and milk, mixing until combined after each addition. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Spoon into prepared pan and bake for 80 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for a bit and invert it onto a cake plate. When completely cool, dust the top with powdered sugar.

Yield: 24 servings (5); 18 servings (6); 12 servings (9)

Potato Chowder

This recipe originally comes from the Week 1 Weight Watchers book, but I modified it to make six servings instead of one. I also re-entered it into the Recipe Builder to make sure the caloric measure is accurate. The recipe called for corn from the cob; I had frozen on hand. I also added cheese or I doubt my husband would have eaten it. I really liked this chowder; I imagine it would be a good one to make and take to work for lunches this winter. Let me know what you think.

Potato Chowder

6 new potatoes (just about tennis ball size)

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 (10 oz.) bag frozen corn

1 red pepper, diced

2 (3 oz.) packages pizza-type Canadian bacon, rough chopped

3 c. skim or 1% milk

4 oz. 2% Velveeta, cubed (this is my variation)

salt and pepper to taste

Clean and pierce potatoes. Microwave on a plate on high power for 10 minutes. Allow to cool and mash with a fork (lumps and skin are all good). Meanwhile, coat a medium saucepan with Pam. Add celery, onion, corn, and red pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bacon, milk, Velveeta, and potatoes to pan; mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. **DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL. (Because it's milk-based, the soup will scorch easily. Trust me.)

Yield: 6 servings (5)

Product Spotlight -- Potato Dumplings

I do not have the time or the skill involved in making authentic potato dumplings, at least not ones that will even compare to my mother-in-law's or Auntie Tootie's. I was skeptical when I brought Ragna's mix home with me, but I put them to the ultimate test: my husband and my father-in-law. The results?? They loved them! Not LOVED like they love Deb's or Tootie's dumplings, but "loved" like "these will suffice when we can't get the real deal" loved. They told me that I could make them again someday, so that has to count for something. =) I even bought a tiny boneless half-ham (which Joshua exclaimed "Woah, Mom! That's a biiiiiigggggg hotdog!" when I put it into the cart) and put little cubes in the middle of the dumplings. I sliced and browned the rest of the ham to serve along side. If you're interested in Ragna's dumpling mix, it's next to the other instant potatoes and sells for around $3.00 a box. One box makes 12-14 dumplings and fed four adults with a couple left over. I appreciated that it's made right here in Minnesota.

Product Spotlight -- Smoothie Mix

Concord Foods Smoothie mixes were definitely a yummy find. The kids and I stumbled upon the Yoplait frozen smoothie kits, but they're almost $3.00 for one bag. These little smoothie packets are $.89, and you can find them in the produce section on a display stand. We tried the orange flavor this morning, but it also comes in banana, pineapple, and strawberry (pictured above). Instead of using fresh oranges (or pineapple), I used two 11 oz. cans of mandarine orange segments, drained. Plus instead of the 1/2 c. of water, I substituted 1 Yoplait Fiber One vanilla yogurt plus one yogurt container of milk. Our freezer makes smaller ice cubes, so I added 12 instead of the suggested 8. The product was a thinner version of a traditional smoothie, but the flavor was not compensated, and it was easier for the kids to drink that way. There was plenty of smoothie for all three of us, too. We can't wait to try another flavor tomorrow! =)

Double Whammy

Today is a "two-fer." You'll get a M-M-M-Monday recipe and a product review. See, I started working part-time at the local grocery store, and while verifying prices I get the opportunity to check out some of the more inconspicuous items, ones that have definitely gone unnoticed by me during regular, run-of-the-mill shopping excursions. Today's feature product is Read's German Potato Salad (pictured above). My grandma Shirley used to make the very best German potato salad, complete with large pieces of bacon and warm dressing. Unfortunately it is also one of the many recipes she took with her when she passed. My mom and I have been searching for a recipe similar to hers, to no avail. The closest we've come is from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. The beauty of Read's is that I don't have to prepare it, and it tastes good. Just open the can, add sausage, and viola! -- supper is served.

The taste of Read's German Potato Salad was good... I'd say an 8 out of 10. ((I'll have to think up a more creative rating scale for future posts. Suggestions are welcome!)) It was tangy, saucy, and the potatoes were not mushy. I suppose it could be doctored up by adding freshly crisped bacon and sauteed onion, but then the caloric count increases as well. It was a good, quick meal as I prepared it with the turkey sausage, and relatively low in calories for the size of the serving. I will purchase this product again, but I'll have to save it for another evening when I'm eating supper solo -- I just can't convince my family to participate in my German tastes.

German Potato Salad & Sausage

2 cans Read's German Potato Salad

1 (14 oz.) Hillshire Farms Turkey Sausage

Cut sausage into bite size pieces (on a diagonal makes it look fancy). Transfer to a large skillet and begin to warm through. Add potato salad and cook over medium heat until bubbly.

Yield: 4 servings (7)

Raisin Bran Muffins

I was thumbing through the little blue notebook I keep my weekly WW recipes in, and I was thinking, I'm going to have to start trying some new recipes if I'm going to keep this blog business up each week. And then I stumbled across this yummy muffin recipe given to me by a fellow WW member and teacher-friend back when I first started. She got her bran from the Old Mill in our area, but it is probably accessible in the whole foods section of your grocery store (by the produce). It really is a delicious option for breakfast or an afternoon snack. I haven't made them in forever, but I just might have to whip up a batch tonight.

Raisin Bran Muffins

1 1/2 c. wheat bran

1 c. skim milk

1/2 c. unsweetened or natural apple sauce

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 c. brown sugar, slightly packed

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. raisins

In a large bowl, combine bran and milk; let stand 10 minutes. Add applesauce, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla; mix well. Slowly add both flours, baking soda and powder, and salt; mix to combine. Fold in raisins. Spoon batter into 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 servings (2)