My mother used to make this little gem for Thanksgiving, but it really is too good to have just once a year.  It is almost like a caramel apple, but better.  Love the crunch on the top.

Get all your ingredients ready.  Using the Granny Smith apple will yield a nice tart pie that pairs together very nicely with the sweet caramel.  I used a Marie Calender pre-made deep dish pie crust for the base of the pie and then used the pie crust mix for the cinnamon crumb to use on top.  I just like how deep the Marie Calender pie crust is and the fluting looks so much nicer than what I can do.

In a small bowl mix together the pie crust mix (for 1 pie) according to directions, then add in the brown sugar and cinnamon.  Press out the crust evenly on a 9×13 baking sheet.  Bake in a pre-heated 425 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool and crumble.  Set aside.

I have an apple/peeler/slicer which I really do not think I could live without.  They slice the apples perfectly and evenly.  In a large bowl toss the sliced apples, cinnamon, sugar and flour together.  Then place in the pie-dough lined pan.

Place foil on top of the apples.  Bake in a pre-heated 325 degrees oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the apples are soft.  Keeping the foil on top the entire baking process.

I put the pie on a baking sheet to avoid spills on the bottom of the oven.  I hate cleaning ovens.

While the pie is baking melt the caramels with the evaporated milk.  I don’t have a double boiler (I know, what kind of chef am I?!!).  If you are melting the caramels like I did in a small sauce pan, just make sure that the heat is on medium and you stir it quite often and eep your eye on it the entire time.  We don’t want the caramel to burn.

Once the pie has finished baking remove the foil and evenly pour the caramel over the apples.

Top with the pie crust crumb mixture.  Place back in oven for an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.  This can be made a day in advance.

Serve with a nice big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Your family is going to feel so loved.

This is how we do it…(that is a song that is stuck in my head )

I purchased a bag of butternut squash that was already diced.  I had a little harder time finding the pear vinegar.  I finally found it at my beloved Nugget Market.  It is a pear infused white balsamic vinegar.  On the sweeter side and just a little thicker.  Oh so tasty.

In a medium sized saucepan add the can of chicken broth (or you can use vegetable broth if you want it to be a vegetarian dish) and one cup of water.  Bring to a boil then add the quinoa.  Let boil on medium high heat for about 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and put the lid on.  Set aside.

Place the diced butternut squash on a foil lined baking sheet.  Lightly drizzle olive oil over the top and lightly season with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat evenly.

Place in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes.  We want them to have just a little crisp to them and not be totally mushy.

Just showing you how small the butternut squash was cut.  Perfect bite sized.

Whisk together the oil and pear vinegar.  Lightly season with salt and pepper.  I can totally see myself getting addicted to this vinegar.  It has a great aroma and taste to it.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork.

In a large bowl toss all the ingredients together, tossing the vinaigrette into the mix.

Best if served chilled, but I thought it was delicious warm, too.  Enjoy!

Lasagna just happens to be one of those dishes that if you are going to make one, you might as well make three.  By the time you make your sauce, boil your noodles and get all the other ingredients together, you might as well just set up an assembly line of a few more.  These freeze well and do a great job in serving a large, hungry crowd.

I really like how this lasagna incorporates the ricotta cheese and fresh basil, it is pretty, too.  Just saying. 

A few fun ways to change this up would be to use prepared pesto instead of the fresh basil in the ricotta.  Want to go vegetarian, use carrots and diced portobello mushrooms in the sauce (saute the mushrooms first for more flavor).

Once all the components have been put together let the assembly line begin,

What’s not to love here.  Fresh ingredients, lots of yummy fresh basil, spicy sausage and creamy cheese.  Serve any extra sauce on the side, a dry lasagna is a real bummer.

Hope you enjoy this delicious dish as much as I did.  Manja!

I first met this highly addictive dip in 2002, January I believe.  My dear friend, Karen, brought it to my house to enjoy while we watched the Super Bowl commercials (I’m not a sports fan….sorry).  I haven’t been the same since.  I dream about it, I make new recipes around it (yes, this is the dip that inspired my Southwestern Corn Quiche), I share it with all those I care about.  It’s really that good!  I’ve eaten many corn dips that are “cold”, surrounded by cold cheese and such, but please, don’t get me wrong, they are good too.  However, this dip takes it to the next 5 levels!  So if you are having a casual get together, please do yourself a favor and make this dip.  Your guests will swoon to your feet asking you for the recipe.  I must warn you that you will be asked to bring it to the next ten events that you attend!  This dip can be made one day ahead of time….even better, right!

First you will want to make sure that all your vegetables are chopped, your corn is thawed (if using frozen corn) and your cheese is grated.  In a 12″ skillet melt half your butter and saute all your vegetables, except for the corn.  Saute for about 10 minutes or until all the vegetables are nice and soft.  Season with salt and pepper.  Transfer vegetables to bowl.  In same skillet melt the remaining butter and saute the corn.  Salt and pepper to taste and saute for about 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to the bowl with the vegetables.

Mix all the vegetables together.  Let cool about 20 minutes.  Add your cheese, the mayonnaise and if you want a little extra kick, a sprinkle of cayene pepper.

Once all the ingredients have been stirred together place the mixture into your baking dish.

Top the dip with the remaining cheese.  At this point it can be refrigerated up to one day in advance, covered and refrigerated.  OR bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or so, until it is golden brown on top and bubbly. 

Serve with your favorite corn tortilla chips and enjoy!  (This dip is very forgiving….I usually use a bit more cheese than called for).

Making Jalapeno Poppers for the  Fourth of July!   Today, for Super Bowl Sunday!  Perfect.

OMG!  Major taste factor here.  This recipe is a prime example on how just a few ingredients can yield such a tasty little appetizer.  I mean just because there aren’t very many ingredients does not mean we are compromising on flavor!

The bubbly, cheesy filling paired with the slightly crisp bacon and spicy jalapeno is the perfect prelude to any bbq or Southwestern style fare.

Heck, I just might make these little puppies as my main entree.  Paired with an ice cold beer, of course.

Please, please, please take my advice and use gloves.  The oils from the jalapeno will permeate your skin and there is just no telling how long it will linger.

Then you’ll forget that you handled spicy jalapenos and you will touch your eye or something and you will yell, with pain, on how the stinging hurts.

I’m just sayin’!

It is important to use pepper Jack cheese, too.  It gives the poppers such a nice dimension of spice and flavor to them. 

In a small bowl mix together the cream cheese (at room temp), cheddar cheese and pepper Jack cheese.

Cut the jalapenos in half and remove the seeds and membranes (this is really where all the spice is in a jalapeno).  Notice I have gloves!

That’s a lot of jalapenos.

Fill each one with the cheese mixture and place on a foil lined baking sheet that has been lightly coated with cooking spray.

Wrap each jalapeno with a half of a slice of bacon.  Secure the bacon with a toothpick.

Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes.  The cheese will be golden and bubbly and the bacon should be slightly crispy.

These can also be made several hours ahead so all you have to do is pop them in the oven when your guests arrive.  Enjoy.

Of course, anything with bacon always takes it to the next level for me, just sayin.

They are a little time consuming but worth every step, let’s get started.

The ingredient list really isn’t very long, just some nice fresh brussels sprouts, good quality bacon (I used maple flavored for another layer of flavor), one thinly sliced sweet onion, olive oil, a little butter, and salt and pepper.

Wash and clean your brussels sprouts, then cut them in half.   Place on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle olive oil onto the sprouts and toss until they are lightly coated.  Salt and pepper, place in a preheated, 400 degree oven.  Mine took about 30 to 35 minutes to achieve a nice deep caramelized state.  Watching them and tossing them at the half-way mark (15 minutes into roasting).

While the brussels sprouts are roasting cut your bacon into small pieces and fry in pan.  I used a nice hardwood spoked maple bacon.  It really gave this dish a nice flavor.  Once the bacon is crisp, remove from pan with slotted spoon and allow the bacon to drain on paper towels.

Using ALL the renderings of the bacon add 2 teaspoons of butter to the pan.  Add the thinly sliced onions and keep on high to medium high heat until you start to see a little bit of brown, then turn the heat down to medium to low and allow the onions to slowly cook.

Ahhhh, this is the color we are going for.  Taste to if it needs a little more salt and pepper, adjust accordingly.

The onions took me about 3o minutes to caramelize.  If they look like they are browning too quickly, reduce your heat.

Look at that, would you!  Just nothing but pure deliciously roasted brussels sprouts.  Brussels sprouts are very dense, so I think that is why they took a little longer than I had anticipated to roast. 

It sure was worth the wait…..now toss the bacon into the sprouts and place the sprout mixture in the pan of onions.  Serve immediately.

If I were you I would just double the recipe because you will be licking your plates wanting more!  Enjoy.

I am going to get a head start on eating healthy again, and this is the perfect meal to start with.  You can omit the chicken or turkey and use this as a side dish to your next meal.

I think this is what I am having for lunch today!!  Yummmmmmmmm.

All the fresh ingredients.  It was not necessary for me to soak my dried cranberries since they were nice and plump when I purchased them.

Make sure the liquids are boiling before you add the quinoa.

While the quinoa is cooking, add the remaining ingredients into a bowl.

Once the quinoa has soaked up all the liquids then fluff it with a fork and toss it into the bowl with the remaining ingredients.

See how healthy eating can be.  Enjoy.

By the way, if you are struggling with side dishes I really encourage you to check out the cookbook from which this delicious recipe was procured.  I love Cook’s Illustrated magazines and all their cookbooks.

Once you have measured, chopped and squeezed, this recipe comes together quickly.

Let’s get started with the star of the show, the maple pecans.  First, in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat, toast the pecans just until fragrant, about 3 or 4 minutes.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of the butter, the maple syrup and 1/8 teaspoon of salt.  It will bubble a lot, don’t be afraid, just stir until the butter has melted and sprinkle with the salt.  Now return the pecans to the heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the nuts are dry and glossy, about 45 seconds; transfer to a plate or parchment or wax paper.

Wipe clean the skillet.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet over medium heat; when the foaming subsides (well, it never really totally subsides…let’s just way when the butter has melted), add the shallots, orange zest, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots have softened, about 2 minutes. 

Now stir in the 2 teaspoons of flour and combine until all is incorporated.

Toss in the green beans and then add the chicken broth and orange juice. 

Increase the heat to medium-high and cover.  Cook the beans until they are partly tender but still crisp at the center, about 4 minutes.

Now uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 3 or 4 more minutes.  Remove from heat and adjust the seasonings with the salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to your serving dish and sprinkle with the pecans.  Make sure you don’t eat them all before they get to the table.

I hope you enjoy these deliciously tasty green beans as much as I do.

These rolls were easier to put together than I thought they would be, and the fact that they made about 40 rolls are perfect for those large holiday gatherings.  Even if you don’t use them all, they freeze quite nicely.

Don’t like pumpkin?  Use pureed butternut squash or a pureed yam, your results will still be stunning.

First, scald your milk in the microwave for about 3 minutes.  I find that using whole milk will result in a richer, more moist and tender roll.

After you scald your milk, mix your butter and sugars together.

Now add in your pumpkin.  Stir until all is incorporated and your butter has melted.  Place this mixture in your large mixing bowl.

Now we need to proof the yeast.  Place the yeast in a small bowl with about 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Add the 1/4 cup of hot water (not too hot, you don’t want to kill the precious little yeast), but then again if it isn’t hot enough, it won’t wake them up.   When my tap water is uncomfortable to the touch, I know it is just right.

Here’s the yeast after about two or three minutes.  See how it gets nice and foamy.  That’s when you know you are going to have success!

Add the yeast into the mixing bowl with the pumpkin mixture.

Add in one egg.  See him?  Give the mixer a good whirl.

Now start adding in your all-purpose flour, one cup at a time.  About five cups will do the trick.

Once the flour has been incorporated the dough might still be slightly wet.  Place the dough onto a lightly floured surface and incorporate just a little more flour so the dough is no longer sticky.

Ahhhh, this will form a nice, soft ball of dough.

Place in a lightly greased glass bowl and cover with a dish towel.  Set the bowl of dough in a warm, draft free area.  It will take about 1 hour or so to completely rise.  It will almost double in size.

After the dough has risen, punch it down.  On a lightly floured surface divide the dough and roll the dough out into two long ropes.

Equally cut each rope of dough into 20 rolls, yielding 40 total rolls.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Don’t have parchment paper?  That’s okay, just lightly grease your baking sheet.  Roll each cut piece of dough into balls and place on the baking sheet.

We need to let these puppies rise one more time, about 45 minutes.  Be sure to find a warm area for them.

Now pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and bake these delicious little bundle of joys for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

When they come out of the oven lightly brush a little bit of butter over the top of them.

Just look at this, would ya!  These are so light, tender and moist that I think you won’t be able to eat just one!

I am sure that these will be the center of attention at your Thanksgiving feast this year.

May your day be blessed with family, friends and, of course, good food.

It is deliciously sweet, easy, and can be made a day in advance.

I get really confused on what is a sweet potato and what is a yam.  But here is a great site to help you figure out the differences.

Just be sure to use the orange-fleshed potato for this dish.  It is a little sweeter than the lighter fleshed “sweet potato”.

Look at that brilliant color. 

Peel and cut.  Make sure that when you cut your potatoes that they are all cut about the same size so they will all cook evenly and be done at the same time.

Boil the potatoes in some lightly salted water for about 20 minutes, or until they pierce effortlessly with a knife.

I just had to get my food mill out, but you can just mash them with a potato masher or put them in a large bowl of an electric mixer and whip them until smooth.

Now add the sugar and one stick of butter (mine was at room temperature) to the mashed potatoes.

Now add in the eggs, vanilla and evaporated milk, and just a touch of nutmeg for the season.

Place in a baking dish.

Here comes the best part. 

For the streusel topping mix together the brown sugar, flour, melted butter and chopped pecans.

Sprinkle on top of the potatoes and press down to make a blanket of streusel to cover the top of the potatoes.

At this point you can cover and put in the refrigerator for Thanksgiving day (one day in advance).  Take out of the refrigerator about an hour before you are ready to bake, this way it won’t be so cold when you pop it in the oven and it won’t take as long to bake.

Bake in the oven at 325 degrees f. (I used 350 and it was fine).  Bake for about 30 minutes, it will be nice and brown on top and bubbly on the sides.

A yam, a sweet potato, whatever this tuber is, it is quite delicious!

Happy November!