French Apple Breakfast Casserole

I love collecting cute/pretty cookbooks, even if only for their covers! I found this good recipe in here.

4 Tbsp. butter
3 lg. Gala apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (Sometimes I leave the peels on for the nutritional value and time constraints)
1/2 c. raisins
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
8 to 10 1-inch-thick slices of French bread, trimmed of crusts
4 lg. eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla

1. The evening before serving, melt butter in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Add apples and saute for 5 minutes.
2. Add raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to skillet. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until apples are tender, 10 minutes.
3. Spread apple mixture evenly over the bottome of a 13x9 baking dish. Layer bread slices over apples until completely covered.
4. In a med. mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over the bread slices. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. In the morning, preheat over to 375 degrees. Remove casserole from refrigerator, uncover, and bring to room temperature. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes, or until bread is golden and firm. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

"Special Pancakes"

This is one of the original Snow family's favorite treats. (as in Grandma Snow :)

2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
8 eggs
1 cube butter (1/2 cup)

(recipe can be halved and put in a smaller pan)

Preheat oven to 425 F. Put butter in 9 x 13 pan and let melt in oven. Meanwhile, put rest of ingredients in a bowl and blend. When butter is melted pour egg mixture into pan. Cook twenty minutes or until puffy and golden-brown. Cut into squares and serve with powdered sugar or lemon, syrup, jam, etc.

Pork Chops with Orange-Dijon Sauce

(This is from the crockpot Supper Club a couple of months ago. Got it from "Biggest Book of Slow-Cooker Recipes")

6 boneless pork sirloin chops (I used beef steaks)
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried, crushed thyme
1 cup orange marmalade (I didn't have enough marmalade, so I used 1/2 cup marmalade, 1/2 cup blackberry preserves.)
1/3 cup Dijon-style mustard

Sprinkle both sides of chops lightly with salt and pepper and thyme. Place chops in slow cooker. In a bowl combine marmalade and mustard. Remove 2 tablespoons of the mixture; cover and refrigerate. Combine remaining mixture and 1/4 cup water. Pour over chops. Cook on low setting 6 to 7 hours or high setting 3 to 3 1/2 hours. (Optional- spread reserved marmalade mixture over finished chops)

Crockpot Chicken Parmesan

My sis gave me this recipe and I thought it was yummy, so thought I would share.

1 T Olive Oil

1 Beaten Egg

1/2 c. Bread crumbs or crushed croutons

1/2 tsp Italian Season

1/4 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

4 Chicken Breasts, halved

Slices of Mozzarella cheese

1 Jar Marinara Sauce

Put olive oil in bottom of crockpot. Beat egg in one bowl, and mix bread crumbs, cheese, and seasoning in another. dip chicken in egg then crumbs, and place in crockpot. Place slices on mozzarella cheese over the chicken and pour Marina sauce on top. Cook for 4-6 hours and serve on your choice of pasta!

Deceptively Delicious Doughnuts

Here's the "healthy" version from our doughnut night. I baked them in a doughnut pan which made them look very cute but these would also be yummy muffins.

1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C canned pumpkin
1/2 C sweet potato puree
1/2 nonfat milk, or lowfat buttermilk
1 large egg white
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 C all-purpose flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 C powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a doughnut mold or 12 cup mini-muffin tin with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar, pumpkin and sweet potato purees, milk, egg whit, butter, and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and spice, and mix until completely incorporated.

3. Divide the batter among the muffin cups or fill the doughnut mold. Bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted, 20 - 25 minutes. Turn the doughnuts out onto a rack to cool. When cool, dust with powdered sugar.

4. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Homemade Doughnuts

Supper Club was a huge success last night. Many thanks to my cousin Steph and her mad skills of doughnut making. We missed you all who couldn't make it. Here's Steph's recipe she so kindly agreed to share on our site.

This is the 1/2 recipe which makes 6 dozen doughnuts.

1 C water
2 Tbsp yeast
3 C milk (1 can evaporated water plus enough water to make 3 cups)
1 C sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp salt
10 - 12 C all-purpose flour
1 C shortening
4 eggs

Mix all together by hand. Let rise twice. Roll out onto floured surface to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. Cut with round cutter. With fingers push down the center. Cut out a middle round (save for doughnut holes if desired) Stretch doughnuts out and lay on floured surface. Let rise till light and airy (dimpled).

Deep fry in canola oil heated to 375 degrees. Turn when barely brown with dowel or wooden spoon handle.

Glace with mixture of powdered sugar and hot water to consistency of thin pancake mix, add yellow food coloring and lemon extract if desired. Barely yellow.

Glaze while still warm.

Ratatouille- Finally!

3 Tbs. olive oil
4 medium cloves garlic
2 cups chopped onion
1 14-oz. can tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes)
2 medium bell peppers, in strips (optional)
1 medium zucchini squash, cubed
bay leaf
fresh black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano or marjoram
1 1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme

Heat olive oil in a deep skillet. Add garlic, onion, and bay leaf, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, salt, and herbs, and stir. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft. Add zucchini, bell peppers, black peeper, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for about 10 more minutes, or until the zucchini and bell peppers are tender. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

There you go! This is one of many ratatouille variations out there. Enjoy!