Beer Bread

In my attempt to ignore the pile of laundry and the gifts that needed to be wrapped the week before Christmas, I came across a great recipe for Beer Bread while searching the web.  I love that you can take one simple recipe and add different herbs, cheeses and liquid for a unique taste each time.  I have made this three times in the last three weeks.  It stirs up quick and the leftovers are super warmed and slathered with butter!  (Not that I would know that from experience!)

The first time I made it was with dill and cheddar as suggested with a good 'ole Bud Light.  The second time I made it with garlic powder, shredded taco cheese and a lime beer (can't remember the brand).  Last night I left out the cheese and added dried onion and parsley with a Bud Light.  My favorite was the garlic powder/taco cheese/lime beer combo.  I would really like to try it with a can of ginger ale or cream soda for a sweet twist.

My hubby loves it, my kids "kinda" like it.  (My 10 year old freaked out when she found out it had beer in it.  It appears that she really listened to her D.A.R.E. officer at school about the dangers of alcohol, although I doubt they talked about any dangers of cooking with it!)

I love the idea of packaging it up for a gift.  I will have to remember it the next time I need something quick to give!  If you try it, let me know how you liked it and what herb/cheese/beer combo you used!

Tasty Tuesday - Bisquick Impossible French Apple Pie

Rick and the kids really liked this pie. I used Granny Smith apples, which were perfect. Very easy to put together while dinner was cooking and then slide in the oven for an evening snack.

Note:  This is an older version of this recipe.  The newest version which uses less apples, sugar and milk can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the post!



BISQUICK IMPOSSIBLE FRENCH APPLE PIE



Ingredients:
6 cups sliced tart apples
1-1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
dash of salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup Bisquick
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons melted butter

Streusel:
1 cup Bisquick mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons firm butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Use 10 x 1 1/2 inch pie plate.
2. Mix apple slices and cinnamon, put in pie plate.
3. Beat remaining ingredients except streusel until smooth. Pour into plate over the apples.
4. Mix all streusel ingredients in a bowl, until crumbly and sprinkle on top of pie.
5. Bake until knife inserted comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.


Enjoy!  Click here for more delicious Bisquick recipes featuring apples!

Updates

Sorry - it has been crazy chaotic around here and blogging took a back seat to everything else!

Family updates:

Carson - rolling both ways, delving into solids and playing with his toes!
Bryce - loves playing on PBS kids and going to Mom's Day Out
Lily - loving school and reading chapter books, especially Magic Tree House books
Haley - getting ready for her first concert of the school year with WB Singers
Ross - gearing up for the Halloween dance at the middle school
Rick - working less than he did during the HOT summer (yay!)
Me - started the HCG diet and have lost 17 pounds

The hot topic of conversation daily is Halloween costumes!  Carson is going to be Peas in a Pod - a hand me down from family and Bryce is going to be a robot.  No one else has decided 100% yet.

Reading Updates:

I usually do not read books during the time I am in our women's bible study at church.  I find I spend more time reading my "fun book" and less time reading the Bible and answering my questions.  I have made a few exceptions this Fall.  Here is what I am and have been reading:

                                                                                                                           













52 Simple Ways to Build Your Child's Self-Esteem and Confidence


















The last two are definitely not current hot sellers, but books I have picked up at the thrift shop because they caught my attention. 

I am really excited about the Taste of Home cookbook!  I am looking forward to having ready made meals in the freezer for those times when life gets crazy!  We have really been making an effort to stop eating out as often as we did this summer and I think this will be a great way to help us continue as we enter in the holiday season.  There are a few recipes in the book that are proven winners in our house and many more that I can't wait to try!

Other Stuff:

I am the Room Parent for Lily's 1st grade class.  Since we can't celebrate Halloween, I have chosen the theme of scarecrows.  I have found great coloring sheets and an adorable take home treat so far.  I am considering a "Pin the nose on the Scarecrow" game.  What do you think?

We finally finished redecorating the girls bedroom.  We - Rick, my mom and I - did it while Haley was away at 5th grade camp - she was so excited to see it.  She and Lily have been taking such good care of their "new" room.  They have actually been making their beds WITHOUT a reminder!  Here is what it looks like now:

We have been enjoying our new fire pit.  I love the smell of the fire right then - not so much on our clothes when we come in!  And I don't know how many times I have said "Don't get too close to the fire pit" to one of the kids!

And finally, I have been loving the fall weather - this year!  Last year I was soooo sick with morning sickness that I didn't even pull out the fall decorations!  I sat/laid on the couch wrapped up in a blanket and sucked on pieces of candied ginger!  I love my little Carson, but man I hated that morning sickness!  I also love enjoying it with him and the rest of the family!

Be blessed!

Randomness

A little random rambling this morning!

• My hubby is working lots and has had to be at work at 6:00 - 6:30am.  I really miss our time together in the morning before the kids get up!  But - I am so thankful for lots of work compared to last summer!
• I had two barbecue bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers (from here) for breakfast this morning - and they were so good! (The recipe is from her cookbook)
• Carson is turning over from his tummy to his back at least once a day.  The funny thing is that it startles him EVERY time he does it!
• Today, the little boys and I are going to our favorite thrift shop to browse.  Tuesdays are 25% off!
• Bryce is talking lots since the big kids are back to school.
• I am looking forward to breakfast at Mimi's Cafe tomorrow with my mom and niece
• Tomorrow is my birthday which I will share with a new niece or nephew.  My sister in law, Sara is scheduled for a C-Section tomorrow morning!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

We have been so busy getting ready for Carson's baptism and back to school, that I realized I haven't posted a new recipe for a while.  This is my favorite dip recipe and is great served with tortilla chips, pita chips or toasted bread rounds.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

2 8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 4 ounce can chopped green chiles, drained
2 Tablespoons canned, diced jalapeno peppers
1 cup cheese - I have used Parmesan, Italian blend and cheddar - all are delicious

Stir together cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth.  Stir in chiles, jalapeno peppers and cheese.  Pour mixture into microwave safe dish.  Microwave on high until hot and bubbly, about 3 minutes. 

Enjoy!

A Great Way to Save Money on Groceries

Have you heard about Angel Food Ministries?  It is a grocery relief program available to anyone and everyone in the US.  There are NO income requirements (a common misconception) and the food is all FIRST quality (also a common misconception).  You can order online or in person at your local host site.  You can pay with cash, EBT, and even credit or debit online.  You can order as much or as little as you want.  Our family has been blessed by this ministry for over 4 years now!

I love Angel Food pickup days!  Even though I know ahead of time what I am ordering, by the time 2 weeks have passed, I forget and it is like "grocery christmas" each month!  Here is what we picked up today:

1 supreme pizza, 1 pkg hot dogs, 1 lb ground beef, 1.5 lb beef double cheeseburgers (4), frozen carrots, frozen mashed potatoes, 1 doz medium eggs, 1 whole young chicken, 1 28 oz frozen meatloaf dinner, 1 32 oz frozen lasagna dinner, 1 16 oz can baked beans, 32 oz shelf stable 1% milk, 1 head green cabbage, 1 8 oz box cereal, 2 cinnamon rolls

And let's not forget the "bonus" items added by the host site we pick up from:

(these items are overages from a nearby food pantry)

If you are not familiar with Angel Food Ministries, you can check them out here:  Angel Food Ministries

We routinely order 1-2 Signature boxes each month for our family of 7.  At this time three of our kids are really light eaters and the baby, well doesn't figure in the meal equation yet, so this amount of food works for us.  As our kids get older, we will increase the number of boxes as needed, since the signature box is designed to feed a family of 4 for one week.

I challenge you to give it a try and let me know what you think!

Mmmm - cucumbers

Here is a recipe we have been using to enjoy our bounty of cukes.  Enjoy!

Marinated Cucumbers

6 - 8 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar or splenda
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

Combine the cucumbers and onion in a bowl.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Shake until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Pour over cucumbers and onion.  Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.  This makes around 12 servings.

I usually slice up a few more cucumbers and add to the dressing still in the bowl as we eat what is already marinated.  We enjoy this version better than those with celery and mustard seed.

Maybe I do have a green thumb?!

We have a joke in our family about my "black" thumb. 

You see...

I tend to kill plants. 

This year I have already killed the following:

a hydrangea (I was still pregnant - too distracted to keep it watered)
two purple fountain grass
half a flat of pink petunias (like I thought I would actually plant them before Carson was born?)
cilantro
carrots (I got tired of waiting for them and pulled all the sprouts out)
two hanging planters of purple and fuschia petunias

So imagine how surprised I am that my garden is actually flourishing!  The 2 raised beds were my Mother's Day present.  Maybe it is all of the love that went into them that is producing all this bounty?!  Here is what we have growing in three raised beds:

1 yellow squash plant
1 bell pepper plant
1 jalapeno plant
1 banana pepper plant
2 cucumber plants
1 basil plant
1 roma tomato plant
1 cherry tomato plant
1 grape tomato plant
1 better boy tomato plant
2 "clearance" tomato plants from Lowe's - not really sure what they are!

The best thing - I have been able to pick something almost everyday for the last 2-3 weeks.

Today I picked our first yellow pear tomato, 2 grape tomatoes, 4 cucumbers and 2 jalapeno's.  It has been great to serve my family something I grew!  And guess what - they are surprised to be eating from the garden!

Oh - do I have dreams for next years garden...I see more raised beds...more plants...more bounty...

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th!  We started our celebrating last evening with phenomenal fireworks at the park behind our church.  Today we will celebrate our freedom at church and then have a delicious barbecue at my parents this afternoon.  Here is the menu:  Stuffed Burgers, Hot Dogs, Cole Slaw, Tomatoes w/ Mozzarella and Basil, Grilled Yellow Squash, Homemade Mac and Cheese, Chips and to top it all off Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.  Yum!

Enjoy your day!