Apple Bars

 

• 1 cupsifted all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoonbaking powder
• 1/4 teaspoonsalt
• 1/4 teaspoonground cinnamon
• 1/4 cupbutter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cuppacked brown sugar
• 1/2 cupwhite sugar

• 1egg
• 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
• 1/2 cupchopped apple
• 1/2 cupfinely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoonswhite sugar
• 2 teaspoonsground cinnamon

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of white sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the apples and walnuts. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining cinnamon and sugar; sprinkle over the top of the bars.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in preheated oven; finished bars should spring back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan, and cut into squares.

Witches Hat Treats

This is a fun kids activity I found in a Tatse of Home magazine.  The kids could help with pretty much every step and they had lots of fun.

Ingredients / materials:

1 Box Cake Mix (you choose flavor)
1 container white frosting
12 Sugar cones
12 chocolate wafer cookies
pastry bag for frosting
candies/sprinkles for decorating.
Food coloring

1.  To make a kind of holder for the ice cream cones, wrap a bundt pan with aluminum foil.  Poke one hole in the center and 11 holes evenly spaced around the pan.

2.  Push one ice cream cone down into each hole.

3.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

4.  Prepare cake mix according to package directions.

5.  Place about 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp batter into each cone.  (The kids were even able to do this part using one of those ice cream scoops with the squeeze release handle....or whatever you call those things.)  The remaining batter you can use to make regular cupcakes.

6.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to cool.  If cakes have coked over the top a bit, trim it off (and then eat it)

7.  Mix frosting with food coloring to get desired color. (we did orange).  Place in pastry bag with desired attachment. (a smaller one works best)

8.  Place 12 cookies on work surface.  squeeze a dollop of frosting on each cookie.  Overturn cones and place on top of frosting. 

7.  Decorate with frosting and sprinkles as desired.

Sausage Ragu over Polenta ($)(*)

Really good! One of my new favorites!

Polenta:

1 Cup Polenta (Corn Grits)
3 Cups Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. Butter
olive oil

Ragu:

20 ounces lean turkey sweet italian sausage
1 jar pasta sauce (low sodium if available)
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup water
1 large onion
1 clove garlic

1/2 Cup grated parmesan cheese

To make Polenta:

Bring water and salt to boil in mecium pot.  Gradually stir in polenta.  Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened (about 30 minutes.)

Spread polenta into medium bowl coated with olive oil.  Allow to set for at least 10 minutes.  Overturn bowl onto plate and polenta (hopefully) will fall out and hold its shape.

To make Ragu:

Heat medium pot over medium-high heat.  Cruble sausage and add to pot (remove casings if necessary).  Cook, stirring, until cooked through, about six minutes.  Remove sausage from pan and wipe pan clean. 

Add olive oil to pot and heat over medium heat.  add onion and cook until softened, about six minutes.  Add garlic and cook about one minute.  Add pasta sauce, water, and sausage.  Simmer over low heat approximately 20 minutes.

Place one serving of polenta on each plate and top with a generous scoop of ragu.  Top with cheese. 

Makes five servings.  Each serving approximately 420 caloreies.

Dump and Go Minestrone - Slow Cooker ($) (*)

*from the New Abs Diet Cookbook
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
32 ounces Chicken broth
1 can cannellini beans, drained and risned
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomateos
5 large carrots, thinly cliced
1 Cup diced Celery
2 clovest garlic, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 package whole wheat rotini or similar pasta
1 ten ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry.

1.  Dum all of the ingredients, except the pasta and spinach, into slow cooker.  Stir, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

2.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Add to crock pot with spinach.  Cook for ten minutes.

makes 10 servings.

Beef and Blue Salad (*)

From The New Abs Diet Cookbook

2 Plum tomatoes, diced
5 Cups Chopped romaine lettuce
1/4 cup sliced onion (optional)
1 small clove garlic crushed (optional)
4 tablespoons lite balsamic vinagrette
grilled flank steak, sliced very thin
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese.

combine lettuce, tomato, balsamic vinagrette, salt and pepper (and optional garlic and onion).  Toss to coat.  Plate salad with thin-sliced steak and top with blue Cheese.

Romaines of the Day Salad ($)(*)

From The New Abs Diet Cookbook

2 Cups Chopped Romaine Lettuce Hearts
1 Avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/2 Cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained (low sodium if available)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Optional: 2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro and 2 tablespoons diced scallion

Mix the lettuce, avocado, tomato, beans, in a large bowl.  Mix the oil, lime zest and juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Pour over the salad and toss well to coat.

Makes two servings.

Anything Quiche

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
2 Eggs, Beaten
8 oz. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Anything (Bacon, Frozen, chopped spinach - Thawed and squeezed dry, ham, Whatever!)
2 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 Cup Milk
Pie Crust

Mix all together and pour into unbaked pie shell.  Bake at 350 for 40 to 45 minutes.