apple roses

I got the idea from this blog to make these lovely apple roses in honor of Opal's feast day (St. Therese of Lisieux) today. Aren't they awesome?! I didn't have any puff pastry dough, but I do know how to make a pretty good pie crust (thanks, Mom!), so I subbed that. The crust didn't hold up maybe quite as well as puff pastries would have, but it mostly got the job done. Opal, of course, got to enjoy some, too (chopped into little bit)-- her first "official" treat.

Ingredients:
enough dough to make two pie crusts
3 Apples - I used honeycrisp
4 cups Water
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

4 Tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1 pinch Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
Powdered Sugar for dusting (optional)
Parchment Paper

Wash and core the apples. Slice very thin- about 1/8 inch slices. Place water, 3 TBSP sugar, lemon juice, and apples in medium pot and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes, or until apples soften and can easily bend. Strain apples and let cool in a colander. Place apples on paper towels to cool and dry completely. While the apples are cooling, prepare the crust and roll it out into a large rectangle. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over the crust, pressing it down slightly. Cut the crust into 1/2" strips with a pizza cutter. Arrange about 7-8 apple slices aong the first strip, overlapping as you go to create the "petals." Roll the apples up in the strip of crust (fairly tightly so the apples don't fall out). COntinue with the remainder of the apples. Place on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until golden. Enjoy!

fresh melon with cilantro

I've had a lot of things on my to-post list these past few months, but I thought this one was too good to pass up getting on here for a couple of minutes to share. A couple of weeks ago, I did a search for foods that were good for energy, as I've been zapped lately. Melon of any kind ranked high on the list, as they're packed with energizing vitamins and minerals. And their high water content fights fatigue by keeping you hydrated. I believe it. I've been trying to find ways to spruce it up a bit, and I saw several recipes online that added cilantro and lemon juice- and some onions, so I gave it a go. I just cut up some in a bowl and added what I thought to be a balanced amount of lemon juice, diced red onion and cilantro. I also saw mint in some recipes, which sounds yummy, but I didn't have any of that on hand.

Kielbasa potato cabbage soup

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I made an Irish-sounding soup. Aside from a bit of chopping, it was easy- basically, just put everything in a pot and let simmer. I thought it was pretty good, but then, I liked everything that went into it. And I doubled almost everything that went into it, since we had company and like leftovers-- we ended up with quite a bit extra.

Ingredients

1 small head cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups water
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 pound smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, halved, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 large carrots, chopped ( didn't have any carrots, so we did without)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

In a large pot, saute the cabbage, onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until tender. Combine the water, vinegar and brown sugar; add to cabbage mixture.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 60-70 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

recipe adapted from taste of home

slow cooker Thai yellow curry

From 01/12/2013 (by Eye-Fi)

I served this flavorful dish over short grain brown rice with a cucumber/grated carrots/green onions salad with cashews and a dressing of soy sauce, lime juice, white sugar and red wine vinegar...delicious!

Ingredients

8 chicken thighs, (with skin and bones) (I used 2 lbs of chicken breasts, as a.) we didn't have thighs, and b.) we generally like breasts better)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 can coconut milk (I used TJ's "lite")
1 jar yellow curry sauce
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 cup green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup raisins
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; brown chicken, in batches if necessary. Transfer to slow cooker. Drain fat from skillet.

Add chicken, onion, garlic, ginger, cocnut milk, curry sauce, lime zest, lime juice to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until juices run clear when chicken is pierced, about 4 hours.

Stir in red pepper, green beans and raisins; cook, covered, on high until pepper is tender-crisp, about 30 minutes. Serve sprinkled with cilantro.