Apple Cranberry Muffins

I made these the night I made the Bourbon Molasses Braised Beef.  Boy was that good.
The weather here in Kansas has been brutal the past couple of weeks.  Between the wind and frigid temps it's hard to stay warm.  The braised beef was a perfect meal for the weather that day.  These muffins were a perfect accompaniment and topped of the meal perfectly.  These also would be great in the morning with your first cup of coffee. 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I used 1/2 n 1/2 and water 1/4 cp each)
1 1/4 cp white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, room temp
1 3/4 cp AP flour (you could use 1/2 AP flour 1/2 whole wheat)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3-4 granny smith apples, peeled, sliced and chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, cooked down
1/4 c up sugar for cranberries
pinch of salt
1/2 cup Pecans (or your choice of nuts...optional)

Cinnamon crumble topping
1/4 cp white sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 TBL AP flour
2 TBL cold butter grated.

Direction:
Preheat oven to 375°.  Spray pans or use liners, set aside.
In a large bowl. cream together 1/2 cp butter, 1 1/4 cp sugar, vanilla and salt until light and fluffy.   Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.  In another bowl mix the dry ingredients and then stir in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until it's incorporated.  Fold in the apples and nuts.  Scoop into muffins tins and fill 3/4 full.  Lightly sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon crumble.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool and enjoy.

To make the topping:
In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients, then grate the cold butter into the mixture and using a pastry blender, mix until mixture resembles small peas.  I actually use my hands for this, works much better.     

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful weekend and Always Remember to Find the Time to Do all the Things YOU L♥ve
D♥nna

Broccoli and Cheese Soup (LC)

Well it's snowing here in KS ....again....am sooooooooooo ready for Spring and some decent weather.  I wrote this and also made the soup the day it snowed and that day was Feb. 4.    So with that said it was perfect weather for some soup and today's choice was Broccoli and Cheese.  Best part of this one is that it is LC too, and oh so yummy.

1/2 head of broccoli crowns (microwave in bowl with water for about 4 min)
1/2 onion diced
1 - 2 carrots (cook in microwave til almost tender)
3 pcs bacon
4-5 oz. velvetta
4 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2-1 cp half and half (can also use milk)
1 pkt chicken powder seasoning (makes stock)
2/3 cp water
salt and pepper

In stock pot cook bacon, when almost crisp add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the half and half and start adding the cheeses, cook until melted.  Add 1/3 of broccoli and then use an immersion blender to make it nice
and smooth.  Add the rest of the broccoli and the carrots and simmer until done.
Serve with some sour cream on top and a little bit of fresh parsley.  Enjoy

Thanks for stopping by,  have a great week and Remember to Find the Time to do all the Things YOU L♥ve.
D♥nna

Cranberry Honey Chicken Wings

I made these for Super Bowl Sunday.  Was just me watching the game but had to have some snacks.  I didn't want the usual wings with ranch or anything like that so thought I'd see what this glaze would taste like.  I'm going to use it on pork chops this coming week.  Will report back as to how they turned out.

1 cup fresh cranberries, cook down (add a bit of sugar)
1/2 cup diet cherry pepsi
1 TBL sweet chilli sauce
1 TBL butter
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 TBL hoisin sauce
4 TBL honey
1 TBL Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Pre heat your oven to 400° put some parchment paper on a large cookies sheet.  Salt and pepper your wings and sprinkle a bit of flour on them.  Place on the cookie sheet and cook for about 20 minutes.  Take out and pour the glaze over the wings and return to the oven for about another 12-15 minutes.  Enjoy.

I also had some shrimp with my own cocktail sauce.  Will share that next.
Ok, these were ok but the glaze was much better on a pork chop.  Think I'm just used to having the chicken wings with ranch.  Old Habits ya know.
Have a great week and thanks for stopping by.  Please remember to Find the time to Do all the things YOU L♥ve.
D♥nna

Bourbon beef roast

I watch "The Chew" everyday and I am a huge fan of Michael Si
mon.  Really I like all the hosts except for Daphne.  Remember folks it's just my opinion, but she acts like she's a know it all for healthy eating.  Ok enough of her on the my recipe.
Micheal made some short ribs a couple of weeks ago (something I really want to make but they are so pricey)  I decided to make a bourbon molasses roast and here is what I came up with.  And I might add YUM, YUM, YUM

3-4 lb. Rump roast (or any inexpensive cut of roast..if there is such a thing)
1/2 cup bourbon (I actually used Jack Daniels)you could use RED Wine -omit the molasses
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 - 14.5 oz of diced tomatoes
5 cloves of garlic (minced)
3-5 TBL flour
2 medium onions
6-8 carrots
5-6 potatoes
4-5 stalks celery
1/4 - 1/2 cup water
1 1/2 - 2 cups of chicken stock
salt and pepper
olive oil for searing

In a Dutch Oven heat pan and when hot add oil and heat.  Season the roast liberally with salt and pepper, add to the pot (you should hear a good sizzle) brown on ALL sides, remove.  Add a little more oil then add 1/2 of 1 of the onions and cook till translucent and then add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds.  Add the water and stir.  You should be cooking this over med-high heat.  Add the flour and stir, you will get a mixture that looks like wet sand.  Add the bourbon and molasses (or red wine) cook for about 5-10 minutes at a low simmer.  Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes and the meat back into the pot.  Add the rest of 1st onion.  Cook on the stove top for about 15 minutes.  Put in 300° oven and cook for about 4-6 hours.  Half way through add the other veggies and cook until all is tender.  You could thicken the sauce when it's all done with 1/3 cup of water and 3-5 TBL more flour.  Mix in a cup til you get a slurry and then add to the sauce while the meat is resting.  Enjoy.
With the recipe above I actually cooked the potatoes separately and had mashed potatoes.

Thanks for stopping by, have a wonderful day...stay warm if your in the cold part of the country and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
D♥nna

LC Chicken Flour Tacos

I've been experimenting with some LC recipes so I can have a variety of food.  After a while its gets very boring eating salad 1000 different ways.
There are many good LC tortilla's out there.  Unfortunately for me the best ones I've found are made in Santa Fe, New Mexico and are not sold here in KS.  *sigh*...but the other ones out there will do as long as you have the right fillings.
This is a very easy quick lunch or dinner and you get your salad included.  :)
This recipe is for 1 but you could just double or triple it ingredients for as many as you would like to feed.

2 LC flour tortillas
1 - 2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 small onion diced
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/3 cup shredded colby/jack cheese
1 small tomato diced
1/3 cup water
1-2 heaping TBL of Taco seasoning (see below)
sour cream
olive oil for cooking chicken

Homemade Taco seasoning
2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp fine black pepper
pinch of cayene pepper (more or less)
pinch of red pepper flakes (more or less)
The two above are based on the amount of heat you like
Mix all together.

In a skillet heat oil sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning then add chicken breasts and onion cook until almost done, remove chicken from pan and slice.  Return to pan and continue cooking, add more seasoning if desired.  Add about 1/3 cup of water and let simmer for about 5 minutes so the taco seasoning gets into meat.  You could use package Taco seasoning mix if you don't have or want to make our own.  Own is better though.  JMO
Heat your LC tortilla either on top of stove or in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.  Fill and top with your lettuce, tomato and sour cream.  Enjoy.  YUM

Thanks for taking time to stop by, leave a comment if you like would love to hear your thoughts.  Have a wonderful day and Remember to Find the Time to Do ALL the things YOU L♥ove.
D♥onna