Grandma's Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 2 1/2 cup(s) All-Purpose Flour
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• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt 10 tablespoon(s) Cold  Butter Or Margarine, cut up
• 6 tablespoon(s) Vegetable Shortening
• 6 1/2 tablespoon(s) Ice Water

Apple Filling:

• 2/3 cup(s) Sugar
• 1/3 cup(s) Cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) Nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) Salt
• 3 1/2 pound(s) Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, And/Or Braeburn Apples, each peeled, cored, and cut into 16 wedges
• 1 tablespoon(s) Fresh Lemon Juice 
• 2 tablespoon(s) Butter Or Margarine, cut up
• 1 large Egg White, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon(s) Sugar

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Directions

1. To prepare pastry: In food processor with knife blade attached, blend flour and salt. Add butter and shortening, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition, until large moist crumbs just begin to form.
2. Shape dough into 2 balls, 1 slightly larger. Flatten each into a disk; wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight. (If chilled overnight, let stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.)
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4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cookie sheet on rack in lower third of preheating oven to bake pie on later. To prepare apple filling: In large bowl, combine sugar with cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add apples and lemon juice, and toss to coat evenly.
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6. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll larger disk of dough into 12-inch round. Ease dough into 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass or ceramic pie plate. Gently press dough against bottom and up side of plate without stretching. Trim dough edge, leaving 1-inch overhang; reserve trimmings. Spoon apple mixture into pie crust; dot with butter.
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8. Roll remaining disk for top crust into 12-inch round. Center round over filling in bottom crust. Trim pastry edge, leaving 1-inch overhang; reserve trimmings. Fold overhang under; bring up over pie-plate rim and pinch to form stand-up edge, then make decorative edge. Brush crust with some egg white. Reroll trimmings. With knife or cookie cutters, cut out apple and/or leaf shapes; arrange on pie. Cut short slashes in round to allow steam to escape during baking. Brush cutouts with egg white, then sprinkle crust and cutouts with sugar.
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10. Bake pie 1 hour 10 minutes or until apples are tender when pierced with knife through slits in crust. To prevent over-browning, cover pie loosely with tent of foil after 40 minutes. Cool pie on wire rack 3 hours to serve warm. Or cool completely to serve later.

Bark Bark Pepper Mint Bark!

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package White Almond Bark
• 24 little candy canes
• 2 oz Rumpleminz Schnaaps

Directions

1. LINE baking sheet with waxed paper.
2. MICROWAVE morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70 percent) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.
3. PLACE peppermint candies in heavy-duty plastic bag. Crush candies using rolling pin or other heavy object. While holding strainer over melted morsels, pour crushed candy into strainer. Shake to release all small candy pieces; reserve larger candy pieces. Add schnaaps. Stir morsel-peppermint mixture.
4. SPREAD mixture to desired thickness on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved candy pieces; press in lightly. Let stand for about 1 hour or until firm. Break into pieces. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Krista's Kracivaja Russianaja Goulasha

I was introduced to Russian Goulash when I was studying Russian and stationed in California.  I’m not quite sure why, but it was a dish that you often saw served at lunch counters and restaurants in the Russian and Slaviz areas of San Francisco. This warm and tasty cross between a soup and a stew is sure to become a family favorite.  Serve it over a bed of noodles, some rice or even in a bowl with fresh hot biscuits on the side.
I particularly like this recipe because it doesn’t call for browning the meat before placing it in the crockpot-how quick and easy is that?  Of course if you wanted to go the extra mile you are welcome to brown your beef/venison cubes.
Also, you don’t need to use a fine cut of meat for this dish. It is going to be cooked “low & slow” so you can use a tougher (& more frugal) cut.  That makes it a BARGAIN!

2 LB Beef or Venison
1 Onion
1 Clove Garlic
1/2C Ketchup
2TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1TBS Brown Sugar
2tsp Salt
2tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1C Water
1/4 C Flour

-Cut Beef or Venison into 1 inch cubes and place in the bottom of the crockpot

-Slice onion and lay on top of meat.

-Mince garlic & combine with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, paprika, mustard powder & water.  Pour over meat & onion.

-Cook on LOW for 8-10 hrs

-Dissolve flour in 1/4 C cold water and stir into Goulash.

-Cook on HIGH for an additional 15 min to thicken.

Variations:

Add sliced sweet peppers and/or chunks of carrot on top of the onion layer (as in the photo).
Use 1TBS prepared mustard instead of mustard powder.
Thicken with 2TBS Cornstarch dissolved in cold water instead of flour.
Use 1TBS molasses or white sugar instead of brown sugar.

Slow Cooker Not Lasanga Lasanga

I just love using my crock pot (also known as a slow cooker) for weekday dinners.  There is nothing like being able to put a meal together in the morning and then forget about it till it’s time to eat!

Lasagna is a great meal to make in the crock pot.  Traditionally this Italian style dish takes a while to make-there is the boiling of noodles, the pain of putting it together, and then a long bake time.  The crock pot not only removes the worry of needing to be home an hour before dinner time to get it in the oven, but you can use dry noodles and completely eliminate a step!

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• 1 large jar spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu in the 1 lb. 10 ounce jar)
• 1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain off any grease.

Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese, so that all the cheeses are combined.

Grease the slow cooker/Crock Pot with some vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides.

Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that. Then repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese for another 2 layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until noodles are tender.

Grandma Bea's Snickerdoodles

• 1 cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. cream of tarter
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tablespoon sugar
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix 1 1/2 cup sugar, shortening and eggs together.
  3. Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, and soda. 
  4. Chill dough for about 10 minutes.
  5. Roll dough into balls the size of walnuts. 
  6. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
  7.  Roll cookies in this mixture. 
  8. Bake for 8-10 mins. Do not overcook, keep a good eye on them. They are easy to overcook.
  9. Cool completely on wire racks.

Basil Multi Grain Grilled Turkey and Cheese

Ingredients:
2 Pieces Multi Grain Bread
4 Medium sliced Roasted Turkey
3 Pieces Swiss Cheese
1 Tbs Butter
Basil
Paprika
Sliced Tomato
1/2 C Sour Kraut
Spicy Dijon Mustard


Butter one side of each slice. Sprinkle with Spices. 

With Buttered side down add Turkey, cheese, Sour Kraut and tomato. Grill until golden brown on each side. Add Spicy Mustard!

Alpine Meatball Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground pork OR another 1/2 lb. ground beef
• 1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese, divided
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. allspice
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 10 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups cooked rice

Preparation:     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, combine beef, pork, 1/2 cup Swiss cheese, egg, 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, celery leaves, nutmeg, allspice, and 1 cup cooked rice and mix gently. Form into 1" meatballs and place on a large baking pan.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until browned. 

Combine 1 cup Swiss cheese with soup, milk, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and 2 cups cooked rice in large bowl. Add cooked meatballs and mix gently. Pour into 3 quart baking dish. Bake 325 degrees 40-45 minutes, until sauce bubbles around the edges.

To freeze, bake meatballs and cool completely in refrigerator. Combine with remaining ingredients and pour into lined baking dish. Wrap, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw overnight in refrigerator. Stir casserole gently, then bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until hot and bubbly.