Fresh Cranberry Apple Pie

This was a tart delicious pie!  I didn't layer the fruit and it worked out fine that way:o)

FRESH CRANBERRY APPLE PIE
Pastry for 9 inch 2 crust pie
1 3/4-2 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
3 c. sliced pared tart apples (2-3 med.)
2 c. fresh cranberries
2 tbsp. butter
Stir together sugar and flour. In pastry lined pan, alternate layers of apples, cranberries and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with apple layers, dot with butter. Cover with top crust with slits, seal and flute. Cover edge with 2-3 inch strip of aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until crust is brown. Remove foil last 15 minutes of baking.

Penne with Sausage, Onion and Cranberry Sauce

I got this recipe here when trying to find easy recipes using fresh cranberries.  It is SO good!!!!!  You'd never guess there's cranberry in it until you run into a little piece of one and I used double the amount called for even!  I used orange juice in place of the sherry just because it was what I had on hand.

Click here for the original.

Penne with Sausage, Onion and Cranberries
1/2 pound dried penne or other small pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen and thawed
5 links sweet Italian sausage, sliced or crumbled
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup dry Sherry
3/4 cup chicken stock, preferably low-sodium or homemade
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup pasta water

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat and add the onion. When the onion is soft and translucent, add the cranberries, sausage, basil and oregano.
2. Cook until the sausage begins to brown and the cranberries are popping. Add the Sherry and turn the heat up to medium. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove and cooked-on bits. Once the Sherry is reduced by at least half, add the chicken stock and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is a bit tart for your taste, you can add 1/2-1 tablespoon of sugar to sweeten it.
3. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water.
4. Once the pasta is cooked, add the pasta water to thin the sauce. Toss the pasta and the sauce and serve.

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This was SO good!!!  I tripled the recipe and we had very little leftover.  I used round steak.

The recipe is from food.com.  Everyone in the family loved it--even Willow(almost 2 years old now).

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/2 cup water, plus
2 tablespoons water, divided
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb boneless round steak or 1 lb charcoal chuck steak, cut into thin 3-inch strips
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 cups broccoli florets
1 small onion, cut into wedges
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
hot cooked rice

Directions:
1 In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons water and garlic powder until smooth.
2 Add beef and toss.
3 In a large skillet or wok over medium high heat, stir-fry beef in 1 tablespoon oil until beef reaches desired doneness; remove and keep warm.
4 Stir-fry broccoli and onion in remaining oil for 4-5 minutes.
5 Return beef to pan.
6 Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and remaining cornstarch and water until smooth; add to the pan.
7 Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
8 Serve over rice.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday
Lunch:
Sandwiches
Cantaloupe
Dinner:
Broccoli beef over brown rice
Leftover blueberry pound cake

Tuesday:
Lunch:
Bean bowls
Dinner:
Shar's mom's roast
Noodles
Crowder Peas
Cookies(box)

Wednesday
Lunch:
Mac n cheese w/ hot dogs
Dinner:
Homemade pizza
Salad
Choc. pie

Thursday:
Lunch:
Split green pea soup
Bread
Dinner:
Penne w/ sausage and cranberry

Friday
Lunch:
Grilled cheese
Soup
Dinner:
BBQ Beef casserole

Saturday
Lunch:
leftovers
Dinner:
Oven omelette
Chocolate pb cookies

Sunday:
leftovers and/or dinner out

Pumpkin Soup

Last year, for the first time, I cooked and canned our jack-o-lantern pumpkins.  It was a huge job to do three big pumpkins and I thought I'd never do it again...but all winter we've had delicious things made with this pumpkin and now I am sure I will.

Today I made pumpkin soup.  I'm eating meatless for awhile so this will also make a good meal for me on the nights I'm cooking meat for the rest of the family.  I didn't use heavy whipping cream but instead used evaporated milk.  This was from allrecipes but I made changes and am putting that recipe below.  

Ingredients

6 cups vegetable stock
3 teaspoons salt
4 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.
Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Menu Plan March 7-13

Monday March 7
Lunch:
Frozen bean burritos
Dinner:
Spaghetti and meatballs(no meatballs for me)
Garlic bread
Pecan pie

Tuesday March 8
Lunch:
Mac n Cheese with hot dogs(for kids)
Dinner:
Individual pizzas
Salad

Wednesday March 9
Lunch:
Sandwiches and goldfish crackers
Dinner:
Blackeyed peas
Cornbread
Chocolate pie

Thursday March 10
Lunch:
Packed snack meal(fruit, cheese, goldfish crackers, pb on saltines)
Dinner:
Tuna sandwiches
Macaroni Grill Noodles

Friday March 11
Lunch:
Bean bowls(hot beans topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream)
Dinner:
Steak  (I'll either make a greek salad or grilled cheese)
Mashed potatoes
Crowder peas
Chocolate peanut butter cookies

Saturday March 12
Lunch:
Leftovers or sandwiches and goldfish crackers
Dinner:
Broccoli beef over brown rice 
Blueberry pound cake

Sunday March 13
Lunch:
Split green pea soup, bread
Dinner:
Hibachi Buffet