Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread and Baby Birds

Since my epic Apple pandowdy failure, I have been looking for a way to redeem myself.  I found this terrific Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread to serve at our Easter family breakfast.

Easter weekend, I cleaned up our porch and started some spring decorating to give it a little life.  You know, because I felt it was important to bring out all the pretty things...for the next snow storm!

As I went to get on our step stool to hang the sign and wreath, a bird came out of nowhere at me...and now I know why.

Over the past few weeks, we have been hearing a lot of commotion at our front door.  My husband said the birds were tearing apart my wreath and flying off with pieces to build a nest somewhere.  There has been much too much noise in the mornings from them, I told him, I thought they might be building a nest "in" the wreath...a mother always knows!

So, as the world waits for the Royal's Baby Sussex, we are awaiting our own little babies here at our front porch.  Until then, the porch and front door are off limits to everyone and we are all garage bound for the time being.

This apple bread was awesome (thank goodness!).  The recipe called for a loaf pan, but since it was Easter morning and everything was closed in our little town, I had to improvise with one of my bundt pans...no worries, it was perfect!

Apple Pie Pull-Apart Bread

Courtesy of Pillsbury.com

1 tube of Pillsbury Biscuits (I used Grands Flaky Layers)

1 medium apple, cored, and thinly sliced

cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/3 cup sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg)

Line a bread pan with parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Toss the apple slices in the cinnamon sugar and set aside.  Slice each biscuit in half - creating 16 rounds.  Coat each biscuit round in the cinnamon sugar.

Layer the biscuits alternating with the apple slices (begin and end with a biscuit) in the bread pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Let cool and remove from pan.

One Year Ago: The Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad

Two Years Ago: Bundt Pan Chicken

Three Years Ago: Alabama White Sauce

Four Years Ago: Mayan Chocolate Cookies

Five Years Ago: Alouette Pizzette

Lemon Lush Dessert

For this year's Lenten season, among a few other things, I gave up sweets/dessert/treats.  Let me tell you, this was a tough one.  Not even a taste of chocolate at all (except for that one frozen Moccachino coffee drink, not sure if that counted or not...), it was after all, one of our hot fake Spring days earlier this month.  Okay, then if I am confessing here, there was a maple bar during my traveling in March, right after Ash Wednesday.  Since that was technically breakfast, does that really count?  Really?

Each year since birth, I have always given the girls a new swimsuit in their Easter baskets, to launch the beginning of a new summer season, but since they just got new ones at Christmas, I decided to change it up this year...and yes, they are twenty years old and still getting baskets from me.  I know!

As they are graduating from one college next month and moving on to new universities in the fall, they both got a set of tee shirt sheets for their upcoming new residences.

Since I was not baking desserts for the past six months, which gave me a little more time, I have been having so much fun with my stamps that my Grandmother passed down to me.  I also received another whole set from a mom friend.  I had to buy a drawer organizer for everything....I could open my own stamp classes and studio with all these goodies now!

When Easter did come around I jumped on this new lemon dessert.  It was so perfect at our Easter dinner.  It is so luscious and creamy!  I am all about anything shortbread, so this salty crust with the sweet filling and topping was wonderful.

One comment from my critics though....(a.k.a. the family), it wasn't tart enough.  Next time, I think I will add some lemon zest to the shortbread crust and also add a bit of fresh squeezed lemon juice to the pudding mixture and see if that will make them pucker up enough for their tastes!

Lemon Lush Dessert

Courtesy of Cooks Home

1-1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup pecans, chopped, plus extra for topping

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

16 ounces, Cool Whip

1 cup powdered sugar

4 small (3.4 ounce) boxes lemon instant pudding

5 cups milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut butter into flour with a pastry cutter.  Mix well and add pecans.  Pat into the bottom of a prepared 9x13 baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool.

Whip together cream cheese and the powdered sugar.  Fold in half of the cool whip (8 ounces).  Spread over cooled crust.

Combine lemon pudding and milk.  Beat until thick.  Spread over cream cheese layer.

Spoon and swirl the remaining cool whip on top of pudding.  Sprinkle with pecans.

Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

One Year Ago: Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Two Years Ago: Bundt Pan Chicken

Three Years Ago: Alabama White Barbecue Sauce

Four Years Ago: Derby Day Delights

Five Years Ago: Alouette Pizzette

Italian Chicken Sheet Pan Supper and False Spring

Ah Spring is in the air.  There are light green leaves starting to open up on our trees and the grass is almost fully in.  Temperatures are in the high 70's and beautiful sunshine.  I have our patio furniture out and table set for our weekly Sunday night family dinners.

Then this...(no exaggeration either), the next morning we woke up to this!  I did not get to have my dinner with my pretty little pillows, decorative placemats and lanterns!  

I no sooner got everything set and all #@%* broke loose!  Torrential down pouring rain, then wind, then snow.  I'm seriously starting to wonder if I'm ever going to get to enjoy our deck.

Since I am so busy decorating our patio, then bringing everything back in, then setting up outside again, then hauling it all back one more time (I think you get the picture), I need more quick sheet pan dinners like this one!

Italian Chicken Sheet Pan Supper

Courtesy of Pioneer Woman

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

5 cloves garlic, minced

 1 cup plus 3 Tbl olive oil

8 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs

1 pound green beans

2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes

1 loaf crusty ciabatta bread

2 Tbl minced fresh parsely

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

To a bowl or pitcher, add the vinegar, parsley, basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and 1 cup of the olive oil.  Whisk until well combined.

Put the chicken in a large zipper bag and pour in half of the dressing.  Seal the bag and squish to coat the chicken.

Trim the ends of the green beans and put in a large bowl with the tomatoes.  Pour over the remaining dressing and toss.

Using tongs, arrange the chicken skin-side up on a sheet pan.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans and tomatoes to the sheet pan, leaving the excess marinade behind.  Roast for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, rip the bread into large chunks.  Add to a bowl, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss.

After the chicken and vegetables have roasted for 20 minutes, shake the pan to prevent sticking, then add the bread chunks to the pan.  continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is golden and crisp, about another 10 minutes.  Sprinkle the sheet pan with parsley and serve.

One Year Ago: Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Two Years Ago: Bundt Pan Chicken

Three Years Ago: Pesto Cheesy Chicken

Four Years Ago: Lemon Orzo Shrimp and Asparagus

Five Years Ago: Cheese Souffles

My poor husband, while I am inside a toasty warm house whining, he is doing all the hard work.

Skirt Steak with Romesco Sauce and Kylo Zen

Having to say good-by to 2 of our family pets in less than a year has been very difficult on us.  It has been many months of healing and learning to cope without seeing our special friends every day.  We talked and contemplated about getting another puppy...but in the end decided that Princess Brinkley, really should have a play friend.

After weeks of searching, I found our new family member in Idaho.  I took a very, very big leap of faith and flew to pick him up.  

We have named him Kylo Zen (Star Wars fans will understand).  Unlike Kylo Ren though, our sweet boy has been Heaven sent to us.  He is a kind, gentle and calm soul that has been the perfect therapy for us.

Skirt Steak with Romesco Sauce
Courtesy of Bon Appetit

Romesco:
1 tomato, quartered
1 Tbl plus 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 slice 4x4x1/2 crusty white bread, cut into 1/2 cubes
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skins rubbed off
4 cloves garlic cloves
2 Tbl red wine vinegar

Steak:
2 Tbl Kosher salt
1 Tbl sugar
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted, ground
1-1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 (2 lb) skirt steak or flank steak

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place tomato in a small glass baking dish.  Drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil and scatter thyme sprigs over.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast, stirring occasionally, until the tomato is completely soft, about 30 minutes.  Scatter bread cubes over tomato.  Roast until the bread is light golden and crisp, about 10 minutes longer.  Let cool slightly; discard thyme sprigs.

Meanwhile, char bell pepper directly over a gas flame or under broiler, turning occasionally with tongs, until blackened all over.  Transfer to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 15 minutes.  Peel, stem, and core bell pepper.

Pulse remaining 1 cup oil, tomato mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Add water by tablespoonfuls to thin, if needed.

For the steak, build a medium-hot fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grille to high.  Grill steak until charred and cooked to desired doneness, 10-12 minutes for medium-rate.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Thinly slice against the grain.  Serve with romesco sauce.

One Year Ago: 3rd Annual Masters Champions Dinner - Spanish Style Paella
Two Years Ago: Bundt Pan Chicken
Three Years Ago: Torta Rustica
Four Years Ago: Cambozola Platter
Five Years Ago: Easter "Cheesecake" Baskets

Yes, he is already incredibly spoiled and very loved!

4th Annual Masters Champions Dinner...Sweet Corn Creme Brulee

The Masters Champions dinner finally arrived and we celebrated our 4th year of hosting the traditional event.

I was anxiously awaiting to see what Patrick Reed was going to select for his Champions Dinner.  He definitely went All-American menu and we followed his lead to the "Tee"...no pun intended.

Since our dining room/wine cave/grotto is still under construction, our friends were kind enough to open their home for our annual event and our group gained another new couple this year.

Unbeknownst to me, the customized and personalized printed menu that I did for everyone at last year's Champions Dinner, was quite a hit and people actually kept them this entire year.  So of course, this is now also in our annual event for everyone...so much fun! 

Sweet Corn Creme Brulee
Courtesy of Taste of Home

1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4-1/2 tsp butter
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup (2%) milk
8 large egg yolks
1-1/4 cups plus 2 Tbl sugar, divided
2 Tbl vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, saute corn in butter until tender.  Reduce heat.  Add cream and milk; heat until bubbles form around sides of pan.  Cool slightly.  Transfer to a blender; cover and process until smooth.  Strain and discard corn pulp.  Return to pan.

In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and 1-1/4 cups sugar.  Stir a small amount of hot cream into egg mixture.  Return all to the pan, stirring constantly.  Stir in vanilla.

Transfer to six (6 ounce) ramekins.  Place in a baking pan; add 1 inch of boiling water to pan.  Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until centers are just set (mixture will jiggle).  Remove ramekins from water bath; cool for 10 minutes.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with sugar.  Broil 8 inches from the heat for 4-7 minutes or until sugar is caramelized.  Refrigerate for 1-2 hours until firm.

One Year Ago: 3rd Annual Masters Champions Dinner - Spanish Style Paella
Two Years Ago: Creamy Rosemary Potatoes
Three Years Ago: Torta Rustica
Four Years Ago: Cambozola Platter
Five Years Ago: The Masters Pimiento Cheese Sandwich

Smoked Pimiento Cheese Crostini and The Masters

It's Spring and you know what that means...it's Masters Week once again at our house.  We're all about Egg Salad or Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches and the upcoming Masters Champions Dinner.

I have played around with a few different Pimiento cheese recipes for fun every year during Masters week and found this new one, which we are sure is now our new favorite!

Smoked Pimiento Cheese Crostini

Courtesy of Taste of Home

48 slices French baguette (1/4 inch thick)

Carmelized Onions:

2 Tbl canola oil

2 large onions, chopped

1/2 cup beef broth

2 Tbl balsamic vinegar

1-1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

dash dried rosemary, crushed

dash dried thyme

Pimiento Cheese:

2-1/2 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese

2-1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 jars (4 ounces each) diced pimientos, drained

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread on baking sheets.  Bake 4-6 minutes or until light brown.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Add onions; cook and stir 4-6 minutes or until softened.  Stir in broth, vinegar, sugar, and seasonings.  Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 12-15 minutes or until liquid is evaporated, stirring occasionally.

In a large bowl, toss cheeses; beat in mayonnaise, pimientos, Worsestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and seasonings.  Spread 1 Tablespoon mixture over each bagueette slice; top with 2 teaspoons onion mixture.  Sprinkle with bacon.  Bake 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted.

One Year Ago: 3rd Annual Masters Champions Dinner - Spanish Style Paella

Two Years Ago: Queen Elizabeth's Drop Scones

Three Years Ago: Mike's Marinating Mess

Four Years Ago: Chicken with Gorgonzola Sauce

Five Years Ago: Cheesy French Dippy

Apple Pandowdy and Epic Failures

It is very hard for me (and anyone really) to say I'm sorry, admit I am wrong...but even more so, to succumb to epic failures in the kitchen.

Stay with me on this one...it's a doozy!

Many years ago my husband and I got addicted to the HBO mini series "John Adams" with Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney.  You MUST watch this, it is fantastic.

One of the lines from Abigail Adams is, "To be good, and do good, is the whole duty of man comprised in a few words."   LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this line and advice.  Ever since I heard that, (and my kids will tell you this), that has been my mantra to them, if not every day, than at least once a week..."Be good and do good".

Well one day, I ended up down the cyber rabbit hole (I'm sure you know what I'm referring to), and learned that Abigail Adams was famous for her Apple Pandowdy.  "The word dowdy comes from the Middle English "doude", which means exactly what your're thinking.  Shabby, messy, inelegant."  Who knew?  Abigail's Pandowdy made use of the abundance of apples in the region.

This sounded like a wonderful new recipe to try out...

I got everything together and knocked it out.  As I was putting it in the oven, I realized that I accidentally grabbed the salt and sprinkled it all over the puff pastry, instead of the sugar!

I scraped off as much salt as I could and baked it off to see if it would work...it didn't!  It definitely didn't!  I was so upset I wanted to cry.  My containers for the sugar and salt are not even remotely similar.  My head was obviously somewhere else that morning.

I had one more puff pastry sheet left, so I gave it another try....

I took all the "over salted" puff pastry pieces off the first batch and tossed them away.  I scooped up all the apple filling and placed it in a cast iron skillet.

Then, I cut out larger pieces of the pastry and baked it off, per directions.

I'm happy to report, it was saved and I learned a very valuable lesson(s)!

Apple Pandowdy
Courtesy of Bon Appetit

6 Tbl unsalted butter
4 pounds Pink Lady and/or Granny Smith apples
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 Tbl all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 Tbl vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 lemon
1 package frozen puff pastry, thawed by covering pastry sheet with plastic and leaving at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cook 6 Tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling often, until bubbling and golden, about 5 minutes; set aside.

Prepare your apples: Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from apples.  Stand them upright and slice down along core, working all the way around to remove big loves of flesh.  Cut lobes lengthwise into 1" pieces.  Discard peel and cores.  Transfer apples into a large bowl.

Add 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, 3 Tablespoons flour, 1 Tablespoon vanilla, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to bowl with apples.

Using a microplane or fine rasp grater, grate zest of 1/2 lemon over apples.  Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice from zested half over apples, catching any seeds. 

Toss apple mixture until combined, then transfer to a shallow 3-qt baking dish.  Drizzle all but 2 Tablespoons brown butter over apples.

Dust cutting board with a light coating of flour and unfold puff pastry on floured surface.  Dust top with flour.  Cut puff pastry into irregular 1" pieces.

Arrange pieces of puff pastry over apples, overlapping but spreading to cover almost completely.  Brush pastry with remainng brown butter.  Springkle with granulated sugar.

Bake pandowdy until pastry is puffed and golden around edges, 25-30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices are thick and bubbling and pastry is brown all over, 30-35 minutes longer.

Using a spoon, press pastry down into warm juices (but don't submerge); let cool slightly.

Serve pandowdy warm with ice cream.

One Year Ago: White Trash Cookies
Two Years Ago: "Clinks" Spinach Salad
Three Years Ago: Mike's Marinating Mess
Four Years Ago: Spicy Sausage Skillet
Five Years Ago: The Masters Champions Dinner

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce

When empty nest syndrome set in, I had to decide if I was going to fight it, or let it get the best of me.  So after a few months of feeling sorry for myself, I decided it was time to get out and start doing things again.

When I met my husband, he had never been to a concert...he grew up in Southern California, how is that even possible?!?!  Ever since I took him to his first concert, he has been addicted and loved every one of them.

Now that we have a lot of time (and a little bit more money) doing that empty nesting thing, we are trying to get to more of those concerts.  This past weekend was Michael McDonald!  So much fun!!!

We started our pre-concert festivities with friends over for some appetizers and wine beforehand.  One of our daughters called in the middle of our get together.  I told her I couldn't talk because we had company over and were heading out to a concert...I would call her tomorrow.  Her epic response was, "Well, aren't you two just living it up now that we're out of the house!"   In my head..."and the problem with that is what???"

I was inspired to make these from one of my Sur La Table menus I downloaded awhile ago.  I am completely over the top for these little shrimp bites. Delicious!!!!  Super easy and so good...I could eat an entire platter of these morsels!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp with Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce
Adapted from Bon Appetit and Jake's On The Lake, Tahoe City, California

For the Shrimp:
18 large or extra-large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
18 basil leaves
9 slices prosciutto (from 4-ounce pkg.), cut in half, lengthwise
olive oil for brushing

For the Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce:
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 Tbl Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise (I like Best Foods Olive Oil flavor)
2 Tbl sherry vinegar
pinch kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the Creamy Garlic Dipping Sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate.

While the sauce is getting happy, make the shrimp...

Arrange the 1/2 slices of prosciutto out on a work surface.  Place a basil leaf at one end of each slice.  Place a shrimp on top of the basil leaf and roll up tightly.  The prosciutto should be stretchy and slightly sticky, helping the shrimp bundle to stay wrapped.  Set onto a platter or baking sheet and repeat until all shrimp are wrapped.

Brush both sides of the shrimp with olive oil.  Heat grill pan to medium-high.  Grill shrimp about 5-7 minutes, turning frequently, until the prosciutto has crisped and the shrimp are pink and opaque.  Transfer to a platter and serve with dipping sauce, or serve on individual plates with a small spoonful of sauce.

One Year Ago: White Trash Cookies
Two Years Ago: Bobotie
Three Years Ago: Mastering The Art of Desserts
Four Years Ago: BBQ Chicken Fiesta Salad
Five Years Ago: Mushroom Soup