Toffe Dip for Apples

Okay, I totally stole this idea from my cousin. (shout out to Shelly!) I made a plate with apple dip and some apples to share with our neighbors. It is so yummy. While I was making it, I couldn't help but sample each batch. :) It's creamy, and the toffee adds just the perfect crunch.

Ingredients:
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.) - softened.
3/4 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 bar (8 oz.) of Heath Toffee (pound into small pieces using a ziploc bag and a rolling pin.)

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixer or with a hand mixer until blended and creamy.

Serve with sliced apples.

Yum!

Apple Pie with Crumb Topping

I made this for our neighborhood chili/pie cookoff and it was a hit! It was my 3rd attempt to make a good apple pie (my favorite). This is by far the best recipe I have come across.

Crust:
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 C. Butter flavored shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 C. water

Directions: Add shortening to flour in a bowl and cut with a fork until there are a lot of small little crumbs of flour/shortening in your bowl. This is the secret to a nice flaky crust. Add salt and mix a little bit more. Your mixture should look like this:

Add 1/4 Cup of water and smath with hands. Roll out with flour (not too much) then spread into pie crust. (The crust was super crumbly when I tried to put it in, so I just smashed it in with my hands. There was a little bit of dough left over.)

Filling:
5 Cups of apples peeled ans sliced to desired thickness (I did mine about 1/8 of an inch thick and I used Cameo apples - perfect for pies!)
1/2 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 squeezes of fresh lime or lemon juice (just enough to coat)

Mix in a bowl until apples are coated.

Topping:
3/4 C. Flour
1/2 C. Sugar
5-6 Tbsp. Butter

Smash with fork until crumbly (like the pie crust was.) Sprinkle on top. There will be PLENTY of topping.

Bake 10 minutes at 425, then leave the pie in and change the temperature to 350 and bake for another 40 minutes. It should be nice and golden around the edges and the filling should be gooey and bubbly.

I forgot to take a picture before it was gobbled up, but I took one while it was baking.

Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup

In honor of fall (my family calls it the season for soup). This is pure heaven! It's reminiscent of Black Angus' soup if you've ever tried it. We had it tonight with broiled steaks and it was so yummy! A perfect compliment to the terrific steaks.

Ingredients:
4-5 Large potatoes peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
42 oz. of chicken stock (or 5 cups of water with 8 chicken bullion cubes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 onion diced
5 strips of bacon fried (reserve 1 Tbsp. bacon grease)
8 oz. cream cheese (I forgot this in the picture!)
Cheese (any melty type you like)
green onions chopped
Sour cream

Directions:

1. Fry bacon according to directions and save a Tbsp. to add to soup later. Crumble bacon into small pieces.

2. Add to a large pot: Chicken stock, onion, potatoes, salt, pepper, bacon grease and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce temperature to a simmer and allow to cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

4. When potatoes are soft, bring temperature to a boil again, and then take off the heat so that cream cheese does not curdle when you add it. It needs to be hot enough to melt the cream cheese, but not boiling. Add salt to taste.

5. Add cream cheese and stir until all is blended.

6. Garnish with bacon, green onions, cheese, and sour cream.

Enjoy!

Not a Recipe... but...

I just wanted to share with my fellow domesticators that my little boy has arrived. He is actually a month old now and I'm slacking on announcing this. His name is Cannon McKay and he was born on June 16th. He weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz. and he's just as sweet as can be. I would share the recipe for how he was made, but that would not be very domesticated of me. ;)

Ashley

This blog rocks!

Hi ladies!

I just wanted to say how excited I am about this blog. I know that I haven't been the best contributor and I will get better, I promise. Yesterday I forgot to make a grocery list before school and I didn't really have time to run home and make one before going to the store. I just popped on here for a few minutes and made up a list of yummy meals that I know Jarom is going to love. So, this blog saved me tons of time and stress! Just wanted to add a little testimony for y'all. :)

Ashley

I posted this as a comment to Skipper...

I'll go next. :) I'm Ashley. I've been married to my love Jarom for almost 3 years. We are having our first little boy in June. I haven't felt much like cooking lately (take-out is my friend), but this will soon change as I become a stay-at-home-mom. :) I will hopefully learn a lot from this blog and maybe even contribute a recipe or two. Add me to the list of "kitchen illiterates." :)

Oh, and my favorite thing to make for dinner is Chicken Enchiladas. I'll post the recipe 'cause it's a good one.

Ashley