Apple Pockets

Another recipe from Parents, I made these with the kids tonight-they turned out scrumptious!

Prep: 20 minutes, plus baking
Yield: 10 pies

2 Golden Delicious Apples
2 Tbs Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
Flour for dusting rolling surface
1 pkg refrigerated biscuits

Heat oven to 350. Peel apples & grate into a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine sugar & cinnamon. Stir half of cinnamon sugar into grated apples. Roll each biscuit to about a 5" circle. Spoon apple mixture onto circles. Fold circles over and pinch edges to make half-moons. Place on a baking sheet. Brush pies with water and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. Bake 20 minutes.

Tips & Tricks:
I had crescent roll dough instead of biscuit dough and it worked well. I used granny smith apples, and used squares to make triangle pies instead of circles for half-moons.

How Kids Can Help:
Kids can fill pies, fold over & pinch edges. Older kids can help roll out dough.

Thai Chicken-Broccoli Wraps

This delicious recipe is from the latest issue of Parents Magazine

Yield: 6 sandwiches
Prep: 20 minutes

12 oz boneless chicken breast strips
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 cups broccoli-slaw mix
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Peanut sauce (recipe below)
3 10-inch whole wheat tortillas, warmed

Sprinkle chicken strips with garlic salt. Coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Cook and stir seasoned chicken in hot skillet over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Coat pan again with cooking spray, add broccoli slaw and ginger to skillet. Cook stirring constantly until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Peanut Sauce:
3 tbs peanut butter
2 tbs hot water
1 tbs reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ginger.

Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth.

Spread tortillas with peanut sauce. Top with chicken strips and broccoli slaw mix. Roll up each tortilla, and cut in half. Serve immediately.

Tips and Tricks:
I use fresh garlic, in place of garlic salt & stir fry with the chicken.

How Kids Can Help:
Kids can help assemble tortillas.

Nutrition Facts:
223 Calories, 19 g protein, 7 grams fat, 21g carbs, 71 mg calcium, 4g fiber.

The Cook's Library

I am one of those cooks that prefer to have a recipe to work from. I rarely follow a recipe down to the letter, but I'm not into just throwing stuff into a pan and hoping it comes out okay.

Over the weekend, one of my husband's aunts gave me a pile of old issues of Everyday With Rachael Ray. Each issue is packed full of cool gear, cooking tips and tons of yummy recipes (each with a photo). I've already tried a couple of new recipes and have many more than I plan to make. This is one publication that has clearly and easily won me over as a great reference for cooking.

I'm also a big fan of Light and Tasty magazine. Each issue has over a hundred recipes and is catalogued not only by type of dish, but by health requirements, such as low sodium or low fat. All the recipes have nutritional information and many have diabetic exchanges as well. This is real food for real people, and I can feel good knowing I'm providing a delicious yet nutritious meal for my family.

Recently, in a parenting magazine, I read a review for a book by Jessica Seinfeld, wife of Jerry, on sneaking healthy foods into your kids. I encourage my picky son to make healthy choices and try new foods, but I'm also guilty of sneaking carrots into meatloaf and squash into pancakes, as an insurance policy against the bizarre eating habits of little people. So when I was in a bookstore, I checked out the cookbook and liked what I saw. It's going on my Christmas list.

Be sure to check out the new item in our sidebar, The Cook's Library. Everyone gets stumped sometimes, and it's always nice to have a recommendation behind a book or magazine. Here are our picks! Be sure to let us know if you have any that you rely on, so we can check it out.

Happy reading!

Chicken Breasts With Pan Gravy

This recipe is from the current issue of Everyday With Rachael Ray.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Four 7- to 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter

Lightly season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper, then coat with the flour, shaking off any excess.

In a large skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to serving plates to rest.

Add the shallots to the skillet and cook until just translucent, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and cook, stirring up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until reduced and syrupy, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and any juices from the resting chicken. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken.

Tips and Tricks
If you don't have shallots, use 2 green onions and 1 clove of garlic. You could also use finely chopped yellow onion. I used Vidal blanc wine, which is a semi-sweet wine, and it tasted great. If you don't drink wine or don't have any on hand, substitute additional chicken broth. You could also use sherry, but stay away from cooking sherry, it's mostly vinegar and it doesn't taste good. Use thin sliced chicken to cut your cooking time. Place the flour in a resealable plastic bag to easily coat the chicken.
Make It Healthier
Omit salt. Use low-sodium broth. Use salt-free butter or trans-fat free spread.
How Kids Can Help
Shake bag to coat chicken. Press garlic. Measure ingredients.

No Baste-Turkey Dinner and a Week of Delicious Leftovers

Here's a delicious way to plan meals and save money! Whole turkeys are typically extremely inexpensive (especially this time of year!), and with easy leftover meals, you can enjoy an entire week of delicious turkey-based dishes! Turkey is delicious, healthy, and is high in Triptophan so it is a natural antidepressant.

Prep: 20 minutes, plus roasting
Yield: varies by size of your turkey. For my family of 4, a 12 lb turkey will feed us for a week.

1 turkey, thawed
Pam cooking spray
1 brown paper grocery sack

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove neck & giblets from turkey. Rinse with cold water inside & out. Pat dry with a paper towel. Place turkey in brown paper bag & staple closed. Place in roasting dish in oven. On a lower rack place a cookie sheet to catch drippings. Roast until meat thermometer reads 190 degrees, about 4 hours for a 12 lb turkey. About one hour before turkey is done, remove bag & discard bag, spray turkey with Pam. Return to the oven.

Carve turkey, and clean all visible meat from bones. Reserve any tiny pieces in a bowl for casseroles. Reserve carcass for soup. Reserve drippings for gravy.

Tips & Tricks:
Almost any chicken recipe can use turkey in its place.

Sunday: Turkey dinner with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (make extra mashed potatoes & gravy, reserve leftovers for Tuesday & Wednesday.)

Monday: Turkey Noodle Soup

Tuesday: Leftover Turkey & Potatoes from Sunday

Wednesday: Turkey Dinner Casserole

Thursday: Turkey Divan

Friday: Enchiladas (use the tiny bits of turkey you reserved from Sunday to save time-no chopping needed.)

Saturday: Leftovers from the week. Or, for more recipes, try here.

Pumpkin Maple Pie with Fresh Pumpkin

You wanted more pumpkin and we heard you! This delicious take on a traditional pumpkin pie comes to us from Real Life. She has a great Mom Blog with lots of frugal tips and a Christian perspective. Check her out!

1 unbaked single pie crust
1/2 cu sugar
1/3 maple syrup
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 lg eggs
1 cu evaporated milk
1 (15oz) can pumpkin or 2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin**


Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate, coated with cooking spray. Beat sugar and next 5 ingredients at medium speed until well-blended. Add milk and pumpkin. Beat well. Pour into prepared crust. Bake at 425 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350. (Do not remove pie from oven) Bake an additional 50 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.

Tips & Tricks: Want a home-made pie crust look without all that work?
I love Pillsbury refrigerated roll out pie crust. You can use your own decorative pie dish and decorate it any way you want. The easiest way to decorate the crust edge is to fold the extra under, and press a fork around the rim.

**How to cook with fresh pumpkin:
This is super easy, and, in my opinion, always tastes better than canned pumpkin. You can use it in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin.

* Cut a medium sized pie pumpkin in half sideways (not up-and-down)
* Place the halves open-side down on a baking sheet
* Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until the "meat is easily scraped out and mashed
* Scrape the pumpkin out with a spoon into a bowl, then mash with a potato masher. If you need a super fine texture, such as for soup, blend in a food processor.

Ghost Meringue Cookies

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 45 minutes plus standing
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

2 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Orange food coloring, optional
1-1/2 teaspoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add extracts and vinegar; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved, about 6 minutes. Beat in food coloring if desired.

Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag; insert a #10 round pastry tip. Fill bag with egg white mixture. Pipe 1-1/2-in.-diameter ghosts onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Add two chips on each for eyes.Bake at 250° for 40-45 minutes or until set and dry. Turn oven off; leave cookies in oven for 1 hour. Carefully remove from parchment paper. Store in an airtight container.

Tips and Tricks
These cookies look like large hershey kisses, with an orange tint and chocolate chip eyes. In place of the pastry bag, I used my Pampered Chef cake decorator with a smaller tip. The cylinder is solid, so my three year old was able to handle it. I also left out the almond extract.
Make It Healthier
At 15 calories apiece and zero cholesterol, these are guilt free treats!
How Kids Can Help
Measure ingredients. Older kids can use the mixer. Pipe ghosts onto parchment paper.

Strawberry Ghosts

Prep/Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

30 fresh strawberries
8 squares (1 ounce each) white baking chocolate
1/8 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Wash strawberries and gently pat with paper towels until completely dry. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt white chocolate at 50% power; stir until smooth. Stir in extract.Dip strawberries in chocolate mixture; place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet, allowing excess chocolate to form the ghosts' tails.

Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze for 5 minutes.In a microwave-safe bowl, melt remaining chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Dip a toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each face.

Tips and Tricks
After the ghosts are finished, keep them refrigerated. Drawing the mouth was harder then it sounds, so we just made chocolate dots where the mouth would be. The original recipe called for 1 teaspoon of shortening, but I omitted it. I also substituted vanilla extract for the almond extract.
Make It Healthier
Don't use the shortening.
How Kids Can Help
Press buttons on microwave. Dip strawberries.

Sweet Potato Fries For Fall

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

2 sweet potatoes, peeled

butter flavored cooking spray

Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch or thinner slices. Use pumpkin and leaf cookie cutters to cut shapes from the slices. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray.

Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Tips and Tricks

I used the Pampered Chef Creative Cutters set (see sidebar) to make these fall themed fries, but you could use any cutters you have. Make them for every holiday! I also diced up the remaining potato, coated and baked it, and it made perfect finger food for my baby. Coat with olive oil if you don't have cooking spray, but be sure to check them often, because olive oil has a low smoking point.

How Kids Can Help

Cut shapes from slices. Stir to coat.

Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
4-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place potatoes in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasonings; toss to coat.

Bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once.

Tips and Tricks
Place all ingredients into a resealable plastic bag and shake to coat to cut prep time.
Make It Healthier
Omit salt.
How Kids Can Help
Coat potatoes. Measure ingredients. Scrub potatoes.

Nutrition Facts
3/4 cup equals 147 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 24 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein
Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 fat

Halloween Spider Cupcakes

Prep: 1 hour
Yield: 24 Cupcakes

1 cake mix prepared according to package directions to make 24 cupcakes
1 container chocolate icing
1 bag skittles
1 bag twizzlers pull-aparts
1 bag candy corn

Bake cupcakes, cool, & frost. Create spiders by arranging 8 twizzler strings, 2 skittles, & 2 candy corns to resemble leggs, eyes, and fangs.

How kids can help:
Kids can help assemble spiders

Halloween Mummies

Prep: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 sandwiches

8 hot dogs
1 package of crescent roll dough (8 rolls)
ketchup
mustard

Preheat oven according to roll dough directions. Cut dough into thin slices using a knife or an egg noodle cutter. Wrap each hot dog in strips to resemble a mummy. Bake according to directions for rolls. Create eyes & mouth using mustard & ketchup by putting each into a ziploc bag, cutting off the corner and using it as a miniature pastry tube.

How Kids Can Help:
Kids can help wrap mummies

Rustic Potato-Leek Soup

This recipe was submitted by Jen of Mythbuster Beauty. She has a great site dedicated to great skincare & beauty products, she reviews several products & companies each week! Great site, be sure to check her out!

4 pounds leeks (rinsed and and chopped into 1 inch pieces. Use only white and 3 inches of light green portion)
4 tb. butter, unsalted
1 tb. Wondra Flour, or Flour
5 cups chicken stock, or canned broth
1 bay leaf
2 lbs. red potatoes chopped

Heat the butter and I usually add some chopped bacon into a large stockpot (I love my Le Creuset pan for this), until melted and foaming. Stir in leeks and increase heat and cover for 15-20 minutes, but do not brown the leeks.

Sprinkle flour over the leeks and coat evenly until it dissolves.

Increase the heat and pour in the stock, whisking continually. Add the bay leaf, potatoes and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.

There are 2 variations of this soup that I haven't tried, one adds Kielbasa, and the other White Beans to this soup.

*This recipe is from a cookbook called "The Best Recipe Soups and Stews" by Cooks Illustrated.

Pumpkin Pudding

I know you are all still craving pumpkin, so here you go! I'm trying this one out this week, as my parents are in town. This recipe is from Lei at My Many Colored Days. She has posted a great list of fun Fall things to do, so check her out.


Prep: 15 minutes, plus 60 minutes baking
Yield: 12 servings

2/3 c white sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 package spice cake mix
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1 29 oz can pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Blend together sugar, eggs, evaporated milk,pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, clove and pie spice. Pour into baking dish. Spread dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon, margarine, chopped nuts. Bake for 60 min. or until knife comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Mexican Seasoning Mix

Yield: approximately 15 tablespoons
(3 tablespoons is equivalent to one seasoning packet)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (I like to use white whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour)
2 T chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp salt
4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano

Put all of the ingredients in a blender. Cover and blend until powdery for 5 seconds or less (don't over blend). Use the "pulse" feature if your blender has one. Add more cayenne powder if you prefer it hotter.

Store in an airtight container for up to six months.

Tips & Tricks:
The mixture works well even if you skip the blender/pulse step.