Breakfast Apple Crumble

Yesterday I really wanted apple pie for breakfast. Weird? Maybe. But since apple pie isn't the most nutritious food, I made a breakfast version. It totally hit the spot.

Breakfast Apple Crumble

4 extra large gala apples

2 T. all purpose flour

1/3 c. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1 T. lemon juice

1 c. oats

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. ground flaxseed

1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, softened

pinch salt

Peel and core apples and cut into thin slices.

Add flour, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Toss together.

Pour apples into a pie pan and set aside.

In a bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, whole wheat flour, and flaxseed. Cut in butter and add salt until the mixture is crumbly.

Pour the oat mixture on apples and spread evenly to cover all the apples.

Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until top is nicely browned and apples are tender.

I ate a big bowl with milk. If you serve it as a dessert it would be delicious with ice cream!

Enjoy!

Tomato Basil Soup

Okay, so this recipe is not really homemade, but it's quick, yummy, and versatile. I was in the mood for tomato soup and I had some fresh basil on hand and this is what was born.

Tomato Basil Soup

2 cans tomato soup

2 canfuls water

2 T. fresh basil, minced

grated cheese

1 can diced tomatoes (optional)

cooked noodles (optional)

canned beans (optional)

any vegetables (optional)

cooked chicken or pepperoni (optional)

I used fresh minced basil because I love it. You could also use 2 t. dry.

I used fresh mozzarella for my cheese. It's available at most grocery stores and it has a very mild, creamy flavor.

I just cut it up in small squares instead of grating it.

Prepare soup with water. Add basil (and any additional ingredients you like) and heat thoroughly. To serve, put a handful of cheese in the bottom of each bowl and top with hot soup. Garnish with more basil or black pepper. The cheese gets all melty and yummy! Mmmmmm.

I am a sucker for tomato soup. It's filling and healthy! I didn't add any extras to mine this time, but I will in the future. This is such a fun shortcut recipe and you could really add anything you want. Enjoy!

Whole Grain Cookies

Yay for cookies! I love 'em. This recipe came from a neighbor and it is outstandingly good for being whole grain. You could feed these to your kids (and your husband, for that matter) and they'll never even know they're eating healthy cookies.

Whole Grain Cookies

1/2 c. butter, slightly melted

1/2 c. coconut oil, slightly melted

1 c. white sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

1 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/4 c. ground flaxseed

2 c. whole wheat flour

2 c. oat bran, oat flour, or oats (I used oat bran)

1 c. (or more) chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, and sugars.

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

Add salt, baking powder, soda, and flaxseed.

Finally, stir in flour and oat bran.

Add chocolate chips.

With a cookie scoop (my favorite tool) scoop balls of dough onto and ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 400 F for 8 minutes. Makes about 48-50 cookies.

The finished product is a golden brown, chewy piece of heaven.

I've heard things about coconut oil that suggests it's actually a very healthy fat. It's a naturally occurring fat that contains no cholesterol. I'm not going to promote it or pretend that I know much about it but it's interesting to learn about. You could probably use all coconut oil in this recipe but I'm not sure how they would turn out. If anyone tries it let me know! :) Enjoy!

P.S. Any kind of chips would be great in these cookies: butterscotch, white chocolate, cinnamon, etc. Go crazy!

Blueberry Muffins

I've always wanted to find the perfect blueberry muffin recipe. I actually love the prepackaged varieties, but I've just had this desire to make a homemade recipe that I love just as much. I've tried several recipes and I'm always disappointed. This one, however, (that I found on thepioneerwoman.com) is a winner. They are moist, flavorful, and delicious.

Blueberry Muffins

3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. oil

1 egg

1 (heaping) c. plain yogurt

1 t. vanilla

1 c. blueberries, fresh or frozen

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.

Add wet ingredients (except blueberries) and mix just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.

Divide into 12 greased or paper-lined muffin tins.

Bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes.

I am excited to try these muffins with different fruits. I'd like to try raspberries or cranberries. Go ahead and mix it up. Dried fruits and nuts would be kind of fun, too. Enjoy!

Poppyseed Chicken

This recipe came from my sister-in-law and it is delicious. I used cream of chicken soup and she prefers cream of mushroom soup but either way it's a winner at my house! It's quick and easy and my whole family loved it.

Poppyseed Chicken

2 (12 oz.) cans chicken breasts (or 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and chopped)

1/4 c. chicken broth

1/2 c. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup

1 T. poppyseeds

1 roll ritz crackers

1/4 c. butter, melted

Combine chicken, broth, sour cream, soup and poppyseeds.

Spread into an 8x8" baking dish. Top with crushed ritz crackers. Drizzle with melted butter.

Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes.

I served mine over rice with tomatoes and peas and I mixed it all up on my plate. I gotta say it was great. The warm chicken mixed with the veggies was perfect.

If you're pressed for time, this is a great chicken dish to try. It might be fun to experiment with some different flavors, too. Try adding garlic, cheese, mushrooms, or any of your favorite spices to really make it your own. Enjoy!

Crockpot Catalina Chicken

Merry Chirstmas...last week! We love Christmas so much at our house. It's such a wonderful time of year when we can celebrate the greatest gift that Christ offers to us. What a blessing. I love everything about the Christmas season. I especially love the yummy food that we all share. But let's face it, after the business of this season, sometimes I need a meal that is quick and simple. Well if you feel the same way then here you go! :) I got this recipe from the Kraft website and but I decided to cook it in the crockpot instead of the oven. It turned out so good and it's already a new favorite at our house. You'll never believe how simple this is!

Crockpot Catalina Chicken

5-6 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 c. catalina salad dressing

1/2 c. peach or apricot jam

2 T. dry onion soup mix (about 1/2 the packet)

For the sauce, stir together dressing, jam, and onion soup.

Place frozen chicken in crockpot and pour sauce over the top.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours and tada:

The most tender chicken you've ever seen. So delicious! Serve chicken over rice with sauce poured on top. This recipe serves about 5 but if your family isn't quite that big it makes wonderful leftovers. Enjoy!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Some of my favorite recipes are the ones that have been handed down from generation to generation. I got this recipe from my mom who got it from her mom. It is by far my all time favorite pancake recipe. It originally calls for 2 c. of all purpose flour (and it's very yummy) but I decided to use a little whole wheat flour. Either way is sooooo good!

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. all purpose flour

1 c. whole wheat flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

2 eggs

2 T. oil

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 milk (if needed)

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together.

Add wet ingredients and mix well. Add milk to thin the batter, if needed.

Cook on a hot, greased griddle.

This recipe makes about 18 pancakes. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Enjoy!