Two for One Meals

Oct 20, 2010 By Cheri in Main Dish, Poultry, Simple Bites 7 Comments

I’m not very good at menu planning for an entire week. I find that I actually spend more money then if I shop for just a couple of days at a time. Otherwise there’s always something that ends up rotting away in the fridge, or our meals are not as rounded and healthful as they could be.

When I plan for only a couple of dinners at a time I’m able to keep things more simple and I find it a lot less stressful. When I have my act together it’s a lot easier to plan ahead for some two for one meals, as well.

“What does it mean to make a two-for-one meal? Simple. For each meal you make earlier in the week, you make extra of one item to cut prep time for a completely different meal later in the week.”

This is the way I menu plan.

For a list of 2 for 1 meals, with links, and the recipe for this Cordon Bleu & Apple Panini head over to Simple Bites.

On the Go Breakfast Bagel

Oct 18, 2010 By Cheri in Breakfast, Fall, Smithfield 9 Comments Tags: bagel, breakfast, cheese, egg, green onion, ham

These Breakfast Bagels are my new obsession. I’m a savoury breakfast kinda gal and these are a quick fix substitute for a tradition breakfast. All the flavour without the fuss.

“There’s definitely no need to go through a drive-through when these are on the menu. They take only a couple of minutes to whip up and are so very portable. The way they are cooked ensures they won’t be a messy eat either.”

Read more and get the recipe on Smithfield.com

Nutty Brown Monday

Oct 18, 2010 By Cheri in Colorful Mondays 6 Comments Tags: brown monday

Zucchini Carrot Cake with Maple-Brown Sugar Frosting (top photo)

Nuts from steffenz

I luv cappuccino + rabbit from k-ko

Butterfinger Caramel Apples from TheCookingPhotographer

American Pie Kiwi Coffee from Catching Magic

Caramel Apple Doughnuts from shutterbean

Pecan Apple Pie Cupcake from h3ather

Caramel-Popcorn-Topped Brownie Cake from Scrumptious Photography

Sticky Buns from Dinner for (n)one

Dark Chocolate Almond Cookies from Try It You Might Like It

Butter Pecan Cupcakes with Caramel Sauce from misscupcakeface

Jade Chicken from Island Vittles

Beef Consomme from Island Vittles

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

Caramel Apple Cheesecake from Sushi Day

Peanut Butter Granola from Boomette

Diabetic Apple Pie from Boomette

Applesauce Spice Bars from In My Element

Colorful Mondays is a bi-weekly event featuring photos by color. By popular vote, the next roundup will be Burnt Orange Monday on November 1st. If you would like to submit a photo that fits within that theme please send a link to the photo and the webpage that you would like it to link to ([email protected]) or add it to the flickr pool. All photos must be submitted by Sunday October 31st.

Thanks to everyone who contributed this week!

Get notifications of upcoming Colorful Mondays themes sent to your inbox. Fill out this Colorful Mondays Update Form to recieve the reminders.

Fall: Apples

Oct 14, 2010 By Cheri in Fall, Fall, In Season 13 Comments Tags: apples

I‘m starting a new series on my blog called, In Season, featuring seasonal produce when it’s in season. Shocker! I realize that everywhere in the world goes through different seasons at different times. So, I’m gonna stick with what I know. But, I’ll be posting links to your recipes and giving info on the produce such as: the best ways to use it, how to store, etc. And, that can be useful for everyone right?

I’ve been inspired lately to cook with the seasons and trying hard to avoid the imports. So, in an effort to learn more and put it into practice, I thought I’d share what I find and learn with you! I definitely don’t know everything so please always feel free to add your tidbits into the comments section.

Apple season is well underway and I have been enjoying them daily for quite a while now. Fresh, in season apples, just can’t be beat. I thought it would be an appropriate start to this series since it’s one of our favourite fruits. Let’s get started!

*See bottom of post to find out next months pick and how you can participate.

All About Apples

In Season

Apples are at their peak, typically, from late August through November. This is when they taste the best! Although, they do keep well in cold storage, which is why they are available year round.

Buying

Look for firm, heavy apples that are brightly colored and crisp. Avoid apples that have bruised or damaged skin.

Storing

Store in a cool dry place. For longest storage, store in the crisper drawer (or a plastic bag) of the refrigerator. Remove apples that are over-ripe as they will cause the others to ripen more quickly. Should keep for one month in the fridge.

Best Uses

There are so many apple varieties that I’m gonna stick with the basics for this one.

Best for Baking:

Spy Gold, Spartan, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Mutsu, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Cortland, Baldwin, Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best for Applesauce:

Spartan, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Mutsu, McIntosh, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Cortland, Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best for Pies:

Spy Gold, Spartan, Pink Lady, Northern Spy, Mutsu, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Cortland, Braeburn, Rome Beauty, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best Eaten Fresh:

Spy Gold, Spartan, Red Delicious, Pink Lady, Mutsu, McIntosh, Jonathan, Jonagold, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, Empire, Cortland, Braeburn, Pippin, Winesap, Gravenstein

Best for Drying:

Spartan, Jonathan, Honeygold, Honeycrisp, Gala, Empire

You can, of course, use the apples you have on hand for whatever recipe you want to make. You just may not get the absolute best possible results.

Random Tips

*To stave off browning, toss cut apples with lemon or orange juice.

1 pound of apples is equal to (approximately):

4 small apples
3 medium apples
2 large apples
3 cups, chopped
2 3/4 cups sliced
1.5 cups grated

Recipes

I put the call out on Twitter for peoples favourite apple recipes. These wonderful people graciously obliged. Make sure to head over to their sites, read their posts and grab the recipes!

Puzzle Apples

“These Puzzle Apples would be great to put in your child’s lunchbox. They might possibly even be quite proud to show these off to their friends. Which means extra points for Mom (or Dad).”

~ Kitchen Simplicity

Butterscotch Apple Crisp

“I normally like to make most of my foods from scratch. But, sometimes there is just no substitute for the instant pudding packages. This recipe uses a boxed package of butterscotch pudding. So delicious!”

~Kitchen Simplicity

Apple Lemon Cinnamon Muffins

“I have been making this recipe for years. And, I really enjoy it. It is not overly sweet, which I prefer in a breakfast muffin. I like to put strawberry jam in the center because I always like a bit of jam on my muffins and so it saves me an extra step later on.”

~ Kitchen Simplicity

Maple Walnut Apple Chips

“These blew me out of the water and have changed my idea about dried fruit. If it’s done right, it’s downright amazing. They’re like a maple walnut apple pie and a chip all in one, just without the calories. Who can resist that?”

~ Kitchen Simplicity

Apple Strudel

“A traditional Apple Strudel with a lovely combo of sweetness and saltiness.”

~ Kitchen Simplicity

Apple Cinnamon Sticky Buns

“The buns are light and fluffy with just the right amount of sticky cinnamon topping and delicious apple centre.”

~ Baked by Rachel

Apple Coffee Cake Muffins

“My mission was to find a recipe or a few to create amazing coffee cake muffins, with apples. Success! The final product is so delicious. I ate one and went back for another. And had another as an after dinner snack. Don’t laugh, you’d do it too!”

~ Baked by Rachel

Apple Pie

“Don’t fear the pie. You can make one. They do take some time and a bit of love but they’re absolutely worth it… This is the hands down best apple pie I have ever had. I’ve had a lot of pies growing up and none compare to this one.”

~ Baked by Rachel

Toffee Apple Dip

“I absolutely love this dip. It’s a great appetizer or snack. Just be careful … it’s a little addicting.”

~ Becky Higgins

Roasted Parsnip and Apple Soup

“This soup is pleasantly easy to make and is layered in complex flavours. Pair it with a nice crusty bread and you have yourself a fabulous end of summer meal.”

~ Guilty Kitchen

Lazy Sourdough Apple Pankcakes

“Begin by making a lazy sourdough starter in the evening, and the next morning, enjoy Sourdough Apple Pancakes with the kids.”

~ Simple Bites

Classic Applesauce

“A basic step-by-step tutorial on how I make and can my applesauce. It’s straightforward, easy to make in large batches and just delicious!”

~ Simple Bites

Tonka-Bean Spiced Apple-Raspberry Cake

“Don’t sweat it if you don’t have tonka bean, just use a teaspoon of cinnamon instead.”

~Under the High Chair

Carrot, Leek and Apple Soup

“For fun, toss in some whole-wheat garlic croutons for crunch and bacon because–well, bacon needs no explanation, really.”

~ Under the High Chair

Squash-apple Soup with roasted ginger

“Apples and Squash for September Bloom Day”

~ Mahlzeit

Ooey Gooey Caramel Apple Blackout Cake (vegan)

“Digging your fork into this cake is like eating ultra-moist and robust chocolate pudding with baked apples and just enough cinnamon spice inside.”

~ Desserts for Breakfast

That’s it for this months roundup. Feel free to share your thoughts, recipes and tips below.

The next In Season roundup will be Brussels Sprouts. You can email or tweet me your posts and/or tips all the way until November 15th. Feel free to pull from the archives, or send me your new posts as you make them! All I ask is that you send me a short blurb along with the link with some sort of description of the recipe or article. You can take it right from the post or write something new. It’s up to you! If you don’t want me to include a picture please let me know. Even if you don’t have a blog or a blogpost feel free to submit your tips and I’ll include a quote from you. Can’t wait to see your submissions!

Are there any other headings you would like to see on these posts?

Leafy Green Monday

Oct 4, 2010 By Cheri in Colorful Mondays 3 Comments Tags: green monday

Green Apple from Rachel Cowan

Basil Ice Cream from Dinner for (n)one

Asparagus from Muffet

Romaine, Asparagus & Cucumber Salad from In My Element

Snap Peas in Brown Butter

Snap Peas in Brown Butter from Boomette

Fresh Peas from Shetha

Fresh Spinach Pasta from Vincent Ma

Oregano from ruhama

Roasted Asparagus With Parmesan

Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan from Boomette

Green Bean Salad with Basil & Pine Nuts from mediterrasian.com

Mint from Try It You Might Like It

Asian Grilled Green Beans from Boomette

Spinach from Kevin van der Leek

Colorful Mondays is a bi-weekly event featuring photos by color. By popular vote, the next roundup will be Nutty Brown Monday on October 18th. If you would like to submit a photo that fits within that theme please send a link to the photo and the webpage that you would like it to link to ([email protected]) or add it to the flickr pool. All photos must be submitted by Sunday October 17th.

Thanks to everyone who contributed this week!

Vote for the next Colorful Mondays theme. Which, as requested, has a Halloween color theme.

Get notifications of upcoming Colorful Mondays themes sent to your inbox. Fill out this Colorful Mondays Update Form to recieve the reminders.

Homemade Pizza Pops

Sep 28, 2010 By Cheri in Fall, Homemade, Lunch, Main Dish, Smithfield 7 Comments

My mom used to make homemade pizza pops often when I was in elementary school. I was always so proud that my mom could make something from scratch that all the other mom’s bought at the store. In fact they were my birthday meal request for my 8th birthday party. Poor Mom! She had to whip up a wackload of these puppies to feed an army of little girls. I can still remember how special I felt that day and how proud I was.

I have simplified them a bit from the way my mom made them by rolling out the dough and cutting it into squares (she cut out circles and used a press to seal them together). Although they don’t look quite as purty they are an easy alternative to the store-bought variety.

“Throwing something frozen into your child’s lunchbox is a great way to beat the morning rush. It also means that you won’t have to worry about food going bad because the frozen item will slowly thaw throughout the morning and help to keep any other food cool.

When deciding what items you want to freeze for school lunches it’s important to keep in mind how they reheat in the microwave. You don’t want to send something in your child’s lunch that will just become a gloppy unappetizing mess once the lunch hour hits.“

Get some freezer lunch ideas and the recipe for these Deluxe Pizza Pops on Smithfield.com.

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More

All About Apples

In Season

Buying

Storing

Best Uses

Best for Baking:

Best for Applesauce:

Best for Pies:

Best Eaten Fresh:

Best for Drying:

Random Tips

*To stave off browning, toss cut apples with lemon or orange juice.

1 pound of apples is equal to (approximately):

Recipes