Apple Pie Cupcakes

  Since going to the orchard on Friday and getting apples I have been trying to use them as much as possible when cooking and baking {as well as just eating them as a snack}. I wanted to try a new recipe at some point and when I saw these cute little guys I knew I had to make them. =)
  With hubby off at work, and the day starting off cloudy and cool again I decided it would be a wonderful morning to do some baking......Of course when I went to make the frosting I didn't have all my ingredients so had to make a quick grocery run while they were cooling.

Apple Pie Cupcakes 

Adapted from

annies-eats.com  

 Cupcakes:
yields- 24 cupcakes

• 3 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time; add vanilla. Mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add alternately with milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Pour into paper lined muffin tin and bake @ 350* for 18-22 minutes. Let cool in pan for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

Apple Filling : 

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 large apples; peeled, cored and diced

In a skillet melt butter then add sugar and cinnamon and cook until bubbly. Add apples and reduce heat. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Cool completely. After the cupcakes are cool cut a cone out of the center and spoon in the apple filling. Top with Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 scant cups 10x sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp milk

Beat butter a few minutes add sugar and mix together.  Then add vanilla, salt and milk. Beat for about 3 minutes until nice and fluffy.

  I had to try one {of course} and see how they were and oh my goodness!.....sooo yummy and the perfect-sized apple pie. =) I think I may take some into the guys tonight and see what they think of them, but I think they're just great!

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How great is the love the Father has

lavished on us, that we should

be called children of God!

And that is what we are!

~1 John 3:1

Happy Fall!!! =)

♥ Sheila 

Broiled Flounder Parmesan

  If you like fish and quick/easy dinner ideas then this oh so delicious recipe is for you! =) Since fall officially arrived on Friday my hubby and I {well to be honest it was mostly me ;)} decided to celebrate by doing a few "fall" activities. Our first order of business was to go get some apples and cider at his great uncle's orchard....which we did, but it ended up being a rainy day and not the best for hiking or anything like that. So we had a change of plans and spent the afternoon at an auction instead!
  Anyway, until we finally made it back home it had cleared up a little and Daren wanted to get some dove hunting in before dark and since I hadn't started anything for dinner we had to think of something quick and easy. We had just bought some fish and I remembered this recipe and decided that was what we would have.

Broiled Flounder Parmesan

•  1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp celery salt
• 2 lbs tilapia {or flounder} fillets 

 Mix together all the ingredients except for fish. Line a pan with foil. Broil fillets for 2-3 minutes. Flip and broil 2 more minutes. Remove from oven and top with the cheese mixture. Broil for 2 minutes or until topping browns and fish flakes with a fork. Do not overcook!

  What made this even better was that Daren fixed it while I cooked some rice etc...=) The recipe originally says to use tilapia and we normally do, but flounder is what we had this time and it was just as good. Fresh fish is definitely better, but frozen is what we used and it was still yummy. I like to make rice pilaf with this, but I didn't have any and was in a hurry so just used brown rice. It is good just doesn't make as colorful of a plate as I like to see. =) 

  We still didn't get finished in time for Daren to get his hunting in, so we just went for a walk instead. Which I thought was a better idea anyway! ;) He wanted to walk around some of the corn fields and look for deer and we did get to see a doe and fawn! All in all it was a great start to the fall even if it didn't go like I had first planned!

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The Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

~Zephaniah 3:17 

 

Blessings always! =)

♥ Sheila

  

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

  I love baked oatmeal so when a friend suggested using apple pie filling as an ingredient I just knew that I was going to have to try that. We don't fix a big breakfast every morning, but I do like to cook something a little extra special at least a couple mornings a week.
  It was one of those cold cool mornings {which they pretty much all have been lately} and I really would have just loved to stay in my warm bed, but I finally drug myself out because I wanted to make this and have it ready when Daren got home from work.
  Decided that since I love blueberries so much as well, I was going to try using blueberry pie filling instead of apple. {I'm so glad I did, it was amazing!}
  Mixed everything up, put it together, popped it in the oven and after it was finished I still had time to spare until my hubby made it home. After eating this I was happy {and Daren was too :)} that I forced myself to get out of bed...was a great start to the day! =)

Blueberry Baked Oatmeal

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup oil
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 3 cups quick oats
• 1 can blueberry pie filling

Mix sugars, oil and eggs until smooth. Add rest of ingredients (except pie filling) in order

given. Mix well. Pour the pie filling into a greased 8x8 pan  .

Top with the oatmeal mixture and garnish with a sprinkling of blueberries (I used huckleberries) and bake @ 350* for 25-30 minutes until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm with or without milk.

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"This is the day the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it."

~Psalm 118:24

Blessings on your day! =)

♥ Sheila

 



S'more Bars

 Yesterday was a wonderful rainy day. Daren had to work so I spent the morning canning more tomatoes and some hot peppers as well. After taking a little break I decided that it was a good day to bake something too....
 I've had this recipe for awhile and have been wanting to try it....was extremely easy to make and I thought they were tasty. =)

S'more Bars

• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 2 cups mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; stir in butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 11x7x2" pan. Bake @ 350* for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Bake 5-7 minutes longer or until marshmallows begin to brown. Cool on a wire rack.

 These were defintely not quite as ooey, gooey as the real thing, but was still a great little reminder of summer on a cool, rainy day! A day when I don't feel as bad if I spend alot of the afternoon on the sofa curled up with a book, a fresh baked treat and a cup of hot tea! =)

 Blessings on your evening!

♥ Sheila