Blackberry Hand Pies

recipe and photo here

Blackberry Hand Pies

1 package {2 crusts} refrigerated pie dough
       (or Mom's recipe from Barbara Doney cookbook tab above)
12 oz {2 containers} fresh blackberries

1⁄4 c. sugar

3 T. all-purpose flour

1 T. lemon juice

1⁄2 t. cinnamon

1 egg, beaten

additional sugar for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 F, and line two baking sheets with parchment.

First, prepare the filling. Rinse the berries well, cut them in half, and place them in a medium bowl. Add in the sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and flour, and mix well.

On a well-floured surface, lay out the pie crusts and gently roll them out to 1⁄4" thickness.

Using a large cookie cutter or other round object, cut out circles about 5 inches across.

Place the circles of dough on the baking sheets, and spoon about 1 tbsp of filling in the center of each.

Fold the dough over, and press the edges firmly with your fingertips to seal. Using a knife, gently cut 2-3 small slits on the top of each pie. Brush them with the beaten egg, and sprinkle a little bit of sugar on top. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown and flaky. Let cool slightly, and enjoy!

Serves: 10

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins.

Total time: 35 mins.

Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread

recipe and image from here


I thought this was a nice, moist bread. Careful not to overbake.
I would like to try it with pineapple next time.

Carrot Apple Zucchini Bread

1 c. unsalted butter, melted

2 c. granulated sugar

3 eggs, room temperature

¼ c. fresh orange juice

1 T. vanilla extract

3¼ c. all-purpose flour

½ t. salt

2½ t. baking powder

¾ t. baking soda

1 t. cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of ground nutmeg

2 c. shredded carrots

1 c. shredded zucchini

1 c. diced, peeled apple (Granny Smith, Fuji, whatever you have on hand)

½ c. pecans, chopped

Cream Cheese Glaze/Frosting

½ cup cream cheese, softened

¼ cup butter, softened

2 - 3 cups powdered sugar

1-3 tbsp orange juice as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8x4 inch loaf pans. Line with parchment paper and set aside. (I use the baking spray with flour in it.)

Place zucchini in a large kitchen towel. Bring up the four corners and twist. Squeeze the towel to extract all the liquid from the zucchini, or as much as you can. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg together. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar.

Add eggs, orange juice, and vanilla and whisk until combined.

Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients along with the shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, apples, and pecans.

Pour into prepared pans.

Bake until golden brown, 55 to 60 minutes, or until loaves spring back when gently pressed with fingers.

Let cool completely before icing.

Cream Cheese Glaze/Frosting

Cream together cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer.

Add in 2 c. of powdered sugar and continue mixing. Drizzle in orange juice until desired consistency is achieved.

Frost bread and enjoy!

Notes

The carrots and zucchini in this recipe are interchangeable. Feel free to use less or more of each. You just want three cups total. 
Prep time:: 10 mins

Cook time: 55 mins

Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

es: 24 servings

Coleslaw

image and recipe from here

This is a KFC copycat recipe.

Ian and I enjoy it, but Scott is not a fan.

It says to chill 4 hrs. or overnight.

As Mom says: "If you have 4 hrs."!

Coleslaw
1 T. onion, finely grated
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. buttermilk, well shaken (I subbed kefir)
1/4 c. whole milk (I subbed 2%)
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
8 c. or 1 (16 oz.) bag coleslaw cabbage, finely diced
1/4 c. carrot, shredded (omit if you're using bagged coleslaw mix

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the first 9 ingredients until smooth and well combined. Add cabbage and carrot and mix until evenly coated.

2. Cover bowl and refrigerate 4 hours minimum or overnight. Stir well before serving.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pulled Pork Bowls

recipe and image from here

I'm making this is the crock pot today, planning to try the coconut rice,

having Swiss chard, a salad bar and 

Pineapple-upside Down Cake make by Ian.

 I'm going on an overnight field trip with Ian's class 
of 4th/5th grades (+ two other classes), 
and hope to have these 'planned-overs' on the day we return.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Pulled Pork Bowls
3.5 to 4 lbs. pork shoulder, butt roast, or loin roast, cut into 2″ cubes
1 sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced

1/2 c. pineapple juice
3/4 c. tamari or soy sauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 T. red chili paste (such as sambal oelek), or to taste
2 t. sesame oil

For serving:
Coconut rice, warmed (see recipe below)
Coleslaw (see recipe below)
4 c. fresh pineapple, diced or cut into tidbits
2 large ripe avocados, diced
Sriracha sauce

1. Place pork in slow cooker along with the sliced onion.
2. In a bowl whisk together pineapple juice, tamari or soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, chili paste, and sesame oil. Pour the mixture over the pork. Place lid on slow cooker and set to LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
3. Shred the pork with two forks and allow the meat to absorb some of the sauce.

4. To serve, spoon some coconut rice into bowls. Top with some of the shredded pork, a spoonful of the coleslaw, some diced pineapple and avocado, and a drizzle of Sriracha. Serve immediately.


Coconut Rice
1 T. coconut oil or avocado oil
2 c. white rice (long or short grain, according to preference)
1-1/2 c. light coconut milk (one 15-oz. can)

2-1/2 c. water
1 t. salt

1. In a 3 to 4 q.t pan, heat coconut oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, to toast the rice. When most of the grains have turned opaque, add the light coconut milk, water, and salt. Stir and allow to come to a boil, then lower heat, cover pan, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
2. Fluff with a fork before serving. Makes 6-8 servings

Asian Lime Juice Slaw
6 c. shredded cabbage (can do green, red, napa, or a combination)1 c. shredded carrots
1/4 c. green onions, thinly sliced
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 T. honey or brown sugar
1 T. oil (preferably flavorless like avocado)
2 t. sesame oil
1 T. sesame seeds
1/4 t. salt

1. Place cabbage, carrots, and green onions in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, stir together lime juice, honey or brown sugar, and oils. Pour over the cabbage and carrots. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and season with salt; toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed, to taste. The slaw will lose volume and become more tender and flavorful after adding the dressing.
3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Easy Coconut Cream Pie

recipe and image from here



Ian noticed we had a chocolate pie crust in our food storage,
and thought we should make a coconut cream pie.
We'll see how they taste together.

Easy Coconut Cream Pie 

3/4 c. sugar
3 T. all-purpose flour
1/8 t. salt
3 c. whole milk
3 large eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, divided
1 T. butter
1-1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 pastry shell (9 inches), baked

1. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in milk; cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.

2. Remove from the heat; gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into beaten eggs. Return all to saucepan; cook and stir over medium heat until nearly boiling. Reduce heat; cook and stir about 2 minutes more (do not boil). Remove from the heat; stir in 1 cup coconut, butter and vanilla.

3. Pour into pie shell; sprinkle with remaining coconut. Chill for several hours before serving. 

Yield: 8 servings.

Recipe Notes:
Put the lime in the coconut by stirring in 1 teaspoon grated lime peel after removing sugar mixture from the heat.
This filling is super easy and delicious in a graham cracker crust.

Dee's notes:

I followed the changes in a recipe comment and replaced 1T. of flour with cornstarch. Also, I separated the eggs and made a meringue with the whites and a little sugar. Finally I carefully browned the meringue with a little coconut on top. And if that wasn't enough, I didn't have whole milk, so used 2%, didn't have enough sweetened coconut, so used some unsweetened. Scott thought I was turning into his mom with substitutions. That would be a compliment!!!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Power Bowls

recipe and image from here

I love these yummy bowl meals. 

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Power Bowls

Ingredients
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-1 " cubes
1/2 head small cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1/2 medium red onion, chopped into ~3 big chunks
2 T. olive oil
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper
3/4 cup water
1/2 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 c. black beans (drained and rinsed)
Extra add-ins:
diced avocado
juice of lime
chopped cilantro
plain Greek yogurt


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place your diced and chopped vegetables on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables then toss, spreading the olive oil evenly on the vegetables. Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and toss again to distribute the seasonings. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, turning half way through. When done, remove from the oven and allow to slightly cool. Remove and dice the onion chunks into smaller pieces, then mix back in with the sweet potatoes and cauliflower.

Meanwhile, bring the water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add in the quinoa and return to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and cover. Simmer until tender and the liquid has been absorbed, approximately 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

To assemble the bowls, divide everything between 2 bowls starting with the quinoa on the bottom then the roasted vegetables and black beans. Top with desired additional toppings, such as avocado, lime juice, cilantro or plain Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

If you end up with a little extra than can fit into two bowls, pack some away and reheat for lunch tomorrow!

Easy Egg and Veggie Breakfast Muffins

recipe and image from here


I tried these this weekend and they were good! 
I added ham, and needed more veggies. Scott thought the spice was too much.
Apparently I missed Scott saying he bought zucchini and asparagus.
We'll have to try them again! The only negative for me was cleaning the pan.
Despite the oil, the eggs 'glued' on. Time for a new non-stick muffin tin I think.

Easy Egg and Veggie Breakfast Muffins

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

8 large eggs
2 T. avocado oil divided
1 garlic glove minced
1/4 c. yellow onion diced
1/2 bell pepper diced
1/2 cup broccoli diced
1/3 zucchini chopped
6 asparagus chopped
3 c. spinach or greens of choice, chopped
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. dried parsley
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease 12 muffin tins with one tablespoon of avocado oil and set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add one T. avocado oil.
Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes, until slightly translucent.
Add all your vegetables to the skillet and sauté for 4-5 more minutes.
Remove vegetable skillet from heat.


Scoop a heaped T. of sauteed vegetables into greased muffin tins evenly,
using up all the vegetable mixture.
The vegetables should fill up about 3/4 of the cup.
Whisk eggs in a small bowl.
Add in oregano, parsley, sea salt and pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Pour eggs over vegetables in muffin tins evenly, filling almost to the top.
Bake egg muffins in the oven for 18-20 minutes,
or until the eggs have set and puffed up.
Let cool for a few minutes and carefully
remove egg muffins from tin and enjoy hot.
Egg muffins will keep for a week in the refrigerator
in an airtight container.