Apple Croissants

Natausha's 

Apple Croissants

1 can Pillsbury croissants
1 small can canned apples or apple pie filling
Butter
Cinnamon

Prepare apples by chopping them. Unroll croissants and flatten.
Place 2 tbs of apples in wide end of croissant and sprinkle with cinnamon. D and Bake. Baking temperature and time are on croissant can. I may have baked a minute or two longer due to filling. 
Remove from oven and smother in butter. Enjoy!

Bison and Sweet Potato Chili

Jessica's recipe is on her blog and you can find it by clicking HERE I'll post the list of ingredients for you, but go to her blog to get the full tutorial and leave her some blog love by leaving a comment.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 3 cloves garlic diced
• 2 lb ground bison or beef ( I used 1 lb of bison 1 lb beef)
• 2 large sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces)
• 1 cup of peeled and diced butternut squash (I just added this as I had it on hand, you don't have to)
• 28 oz of canned, diced tomatoes (I used Muir glen organic tomatoes)
• 32 oz of vegetable broth
• 1.5 tsp sea salt 
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• avocado for garnish
• diced green onions for garnish
• cilantro (optional)

Maple Bacon Cookies

Calla didn't feel she needed to post any info, but here's the details of what she used. :)

 Betty Crocker Maple Bacon cookie mix, frosting starter with caramel flavoring:-)

Tomato Pie

Faith's Tomato Pie:

One pre baked pie shell for each pie. Four to five large ripe tomatoes for each pie. Wash and slice the tomatoes. If really juicy, let drain on rack for a bit. If not so juicy, no need to drain. Layer tomatoes, salt and pepper and basil in pre baked shell. Make mixture of one cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated, three-fourth cup good quality mayonnaise, not low fat. Spread may and cheese mixture on top of tomatoes.....bake in 350 Degree preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until cheese mayo mixture is nicely melted.

Picante Soup

Here is Kelly's recipe:

Picante soup :

2 cans black beans
1 can red beans
1 can garbanzo beans
1 bag frozen corn... or a can of corn
1 large bottle of pace salsa (must be Pace) I like mild... the flavor is really good. But medium is what I used that night.
1lb hamburger

Brown hamburger (optional with onions)
I brown the meat in the pot then empty the grease...
Dump everything in a pot and heat.
Don't drain beans...
Perfect for Halloween night because it's easy.

Streusel Topped Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Brianna's recipe from a blog can be found if you click HERE  There's a whole tutorial on the link, but here's a glance at the recipe:

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Chocolate Chip MuffinsRecipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 Duncan Hines spice cake mix
1 15-oz. can pumpkin
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 12-ounce package chocolate chips

Streusel Topping

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons butter

Instructions:

Ignore the directions on the box. Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, pumpkin, sour cream oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on low for 30 seconds or until all the ingredients have been moistened, then beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until the batter is smooth. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly in the cupcake liners. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, then cut in the butter with two knives until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping over the batter. Bake the muffins for 20-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out completely clean. Cool on a wire rack before serving. Makes 24 muffins.

Pumpkin Spice Baked Donut Holes

If you click HERE you'll get to the blog where Sally got her recipe. There's way more details in the link, but if you want a quick glance, here's some info:

Dry Ingredients

1. 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
2. 2 tsp of baking powder
3. 1/2 tsp of salt
4. 3/4 tsp of cinnamon
5. 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
6. 1/2 tsp of pumpkin spice
7. 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
8. 1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
9. 1 egg
10. 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
11. 1/2 a can of pumpkin puree (about 6 oz.)
12. 1/2 cup milk

Donut coating

1. 1/2 cup sugar
2. 2 tbsp cinnamon
3. 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
2. With a whisk, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpkin spice.
3. In a separate bowl mix the pumpkin, vegetable oil, brown sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla extract.
4. Combine all ingredients and mix together to create your dough.
5. In a WELL GREASED mini muffin pan spoon in the batter evenly. (You will probably have some left over to save for the next batch).
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until you can stick with a toothpick and pull out clean.
7. Allow muffins to cool for about 2 minutes. If you would like to have the donuts look more like holes than muffins you can remold them as long as they are still warm (don't burn yourself!).
8. For the coating: In one bowl melt the butter. In a separate bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar. Dip the donut holes in the butter and then roll around in the cinnamon sugar mixture. If you are sticking with more muffin like donuts you can dip just the top of the donut in the butter and coat only the top with cinnamon sugar. Don't over do the sugar as it will take away from the delicious pumpkin taste!

Sopapilla

This was a recipe I got from Chris at a recipe night and then brought it as one of my favorites on Liz's last hosted event. I served it warm but I like it even more the next day once it has cooled down and solidified more. 

3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese softened  (I used only 2)

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 (8 oz) cans crescent roll dough'1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sliced almonds

honey (optional)

1.  Preheat 350 degrees
2.  Beat cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups sugar & the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth.  Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough & use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles.  Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.
3.  Drizzle the melted butter evenly over the top of the cheesecake along with the almonds.  Drizzle w/honey (optional).
4.  Bake until the crescent dough has puffed & turned golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Cool completely in pan before cutting into square.

Cheese-less Cheesecake

From Ashley Olivine

Crust:
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup pecans

Blend until the chunks are gone, then press into container.

Filling:
2 1/2 cups cashews (soak overnight before blending, remove excess water)
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup lemon juice
Blend until smooth. Pour into container, on top of crust. Freeze until firm. If completely frozen, let it sit out before serving.

Vanilla Granola

This recipe was requested by Tiffany. It's our family's favorite. We go through it faster than cold cereal.

VANILLA GRANOLA
8 c. quick oats
2 c. sliced almonds
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 c. canola oil
1 c. honey
3 Tbsp. vanilla
craisins or raisins, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 300-degrees. Combine first 7 ingredients (dry ingredients) in a large bowl. In a saucepan combine oil, honey, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute then pour over oat mixture and mix well. Divide and spread mixture over 2 large cookie sheets (ungreased) and bake at 300-degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven and stir the granola with a spatula so it won't stick when it dries. Leave on pans until the granola hardens. Break up granola, add the craisins, and store in large Ziploc bags or containers. Serve plain, with yogurt, or with milk.

Spinach Salad

I brought this recipe a long time ago.  I don't remember what the topic was but am thinking it was March and the topic was "Green".  It was one of the first ones Liz hosted because I was still in TLF.  My sister wrote up a post about it on our family recipe blog HERE. It has candied almonds, fruit, spinach, and delish dressing.

3 bunches spinach or 1 10-12 oz. bag of spinach rinsed, dried & torn

½ head of lettuce, cut or torn

1 c. grated cheese (Mozzarella or Swiss)

Add any or all of the following:

2 11-oz. cans mandarin oranges

1 c. nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts, or pecans)

strawberries, sliced

1 c. cottage cheese

2 c. diced chicken breast (sauteed in olive oil & garlic), optional

1 pkg. Won ton skins, cut in strips and fried (delicious, but more work)

Dressing

In blender combine:

1 c. Canola oil

¼ c. white vinegar

¼ c. sugar

1 ½ T. red onion

1 ½ t. salt

¼ t. dry mustard powder

1 ½ t. poppy seeds

Make the salad & top with dressing the right before serving.  (Use as much dressing as desired for the salad.  Refrigerate any dressing that is not used.)  Optional:  for individual servings,  place salad on a salad plate and top with pink dressing and poppy seeds.

Serves 10-14

Candied almonds

1 egg white
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. salt
3 t. cinnamon

Heat oven to 250 degrees.  Place parchment paper on a jelly roll pan.

Beat egg white and vanilla until frothy, not stiff.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir in almonds.  (My recipe doesn’t say how many almonds to use. I halved the recipe and used about 1 ½ cups of almond slices and it seemed like a pretty good amount.)  Pour on parchment paper which is on the jelly roll pan.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Shoyu Chicken

DeAnn is my mom, and I don't know where she got this from, but I've had it since I was young as something we would eat when we were stationed in Hawaii. My kids always love it and it is a quick dinner. I believe this is the one I brought for dinners in 30 minutes or less.

DeAnn’s Shoyu Chicken

½ to ¾ C. brown sugar

¾ C. soy sauce (preferably Aloha Shoyu)

1 ½ C. water

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp. ground ginger

Put all ingredients in the pot. Add some chicken that's cut into pieces. It can be thawed or frozen, and boil until cooked. Serve with rice.

White Chili

Our family loves white chili.  The kids always eat it well.  I have tried a few versions and like them all, but this one is our "go to" and the one we always end up doing.

White Chili

1 lb chicken- cooked and cubed
1 medium onion- chopped
1.5 tsp garlic powder
1 T vegetable oil
1 T minced garlic

Cook chicken. Saute onion in vegetable oil with garlic powder and minced garlic.  In a big pot add the following:

2 cans Great Northern Beans (rinsed and drained)
1 14 oz. can chicken broth
1 small can chopped green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper

Add chicken and onion mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer 30 minutes. Stir in before serving:

1 cup sour cream
3/4 small container whipping cream

I've been told it's great in a bread bowl, or with cheese and olives on it, but we just eat it as is and with tortillas that have been warmed and browned in a pan until they are slightly crispy. 

Let Me Explain

I created a facebook page but wasn't sure if that was the best forum to put our recipes on.  I wasn't sure how we'd manage it, tag things, label with months, etc. All I could think of was that a blog would be the best way that we could do things like that.  I'm not sure if everyone will be confused with how to use a blog and post on here, but I can always post people's recipes too.  We'll see if it works out in the end.  I'm open to any other ideas.  One thing that might be fun, is even if you move away, updating the group with where you are and what your family is up to if you ever occasionally hop onto the site to snag a recipe.