Little Family in the Big Woods

I was looking at a past post of this French Coconut Pie, and I decided to redo it.  It looked as if something was just not right. It was the pie plate!!! Who would think a pie plate could make that much difference? Before, I had used a deep dish pie plate, and the pie filling had gotten lost in all that crust. This go round, I decided to use this vintage Corning Ware pie dish that is a little thinner and still quite lovely.    I also chose to go with a Pioneer Woman pie crust that I had previously made and frozen.   I must say that I have become a huge fan of this crust.  It is so easy to make a pie when you have this on hand.  Here is a link to the recipe: Pioneer Woman Pie Crust Just be sure to add enough flour so it will not stick to your board when you are rolling.   If it does stick, just ball it back up and try again.   That is what I had to do, and it turned out fine. Here are the directions for the pie filling: 1 1/2 cu...

Why not make individual desserts that guests can carry home for your next party or luncheon??? I usually make this dessert in a 9 x 12 inch pan.  But, it worked perfectly to make in these 4 Rubbermaid glass containers instead! Start by chopping up 1/2 cups nuts.   I like to chop these very fine.  Combine the pecans with 1 1/2 cups of plain flour and  2/3 cup melted butter.  Press this mixture in the bottom of pan (or in this case pans) and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Next cream an 8 oz pkg cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1cup cool whip.  Spread this mixture over the top of the crust.  Blend 3 cups milk with 2 small packages Lemon Instant pudding.  Spread this mixture over the cream cheese. Top with cool whip.  Add some lemon zest or other decorations if you like!  I added some rosemary sprigs and a slice of lemon. These turned out so pretty.  I added a little velvet ribbon just for fun! This dessert is great...

It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas in the Big Woods. I just love the smell of Cinnamon Ornaments in the house. These ornaments are super fun and easy to make. Especially when you make them with someone else. My daughter helped me with these. These are the necessary ingredients... 1 cup cinnamon 3/4 cup applesauce 2 Tablespoons white glue 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice, ground nutmeg, or ground cloves Mix together, then roll out to 1/4 inch using cinnamon to keep the dough  from sticking to your dough board. Cut our with cookie cutters. Let dry for 24 hours or longer. Remember to use a small straw or something to make a hole in the top for hanging with thread. We have so many cookie cutters.   But, we decided to stick with stars, angels, and trees. I used the stars to decorate this little tree in my kitchen. I used the trees on my kitchen cabinet doors. Such an easy and fun Christmas craft.

Today has been a day for making fried apple pies.  I tried using less crisco today when making my crust.  The result is a crispier pie that is easier to hold in your hand.  Follow this link for the recipe:                             Fried Apple Pies Recipe

This apple pie was a joy to make!   We picked the apples ourselves while visiting  Haney Apple Orchard in Somerset, Kentucky.  I think they are McIntosh.  The recipe, as you can see here, is an old one.  It is a recipe that my Mother (Mary Lantz) used to win blue ribbons at our county fair.  I have adapted it to be easier for me to make today by  using two bought crusts.  I followed her directions for making the filling, and then placed that filling in a bought pie crust.  I then inverted the second pie crust on top of the first and placed them in the oven like this for the first 10 min of baking. You then remove the top pan and take the pie out of the oven to flute the edges.  The top crust will fall perfectly on top of the bottom crust. It will be cool enough that you can flute the edges together.  Then, add a little sugar and cinnamon to the top before returning to the oven.  Finish baking until the crust is golden brown....

Let me introduce you to two secret ingredients for making your chocolate oatmeal cookies so much better.  Since I have started using Califia OatMilk and Gluten Free Quick Oats, I have noticed a delicious taste and texture to my chocolate oatmeal cookies.  And…they are now gluten free!  I also used chunky peanut butter in these.  You can see the peanuts in the cookies.  I always place my cookies on waxed paper to cool.  These were ready to move to a plate about 30 minutes after I made them.  Here is my recipe again: 2 cups sugar 3Tablespoons cocoa 1/2 cup OatMilk 1 stick Parkay Margarine Bring to a full boil for 2 minutes Remove from heat and add: 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1teaspoon Happy Home vanilla 3 cups Gluten Free Oats  Drop by large spoonfuls onto wax paper.  Enjoy!

These are the ingredients needed to make this delicious casserole:   1pound sausage 1cup chopped Onion 2cups mild Cheddar cheese 1 can Cream of chicken soup 1 can Cream of mushroom soup 1cup uncooked rice Cook the rice.  Brown the sausage and onion together in a skillet and drain.  Then, mix all ingredients together saving back 1/2 cup of cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees in a casserole dish for 25 min.  Remove from oven and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and return to the oven for 10 minutes.  I made this casserole with turkey sausage. It was soooooo good. This is one of those comfort food dishes. Enjoy!