Apple Pie Bites

Kelly sent me this recipe from another blog, Cookin' Up North. However, the original recipe is from Taste of Home. These are fairly easy to make and are the perfect size, so you can eat them without feeling too guilty! :) 

1/2 c sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 refrigerated pie crust (14.1 oz)

3 tbsp melted butter, divided (2 tbsp, then 1 tbsp)

2 medium tart apples, cut into 8 wedges

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon and set aside 1 tbsp

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crust

Brush with 2 tbsp melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture

Cut crust into sixteen 1 inch wide, 8 in long strips

Wrap one strip around each apple slice, placing the sugared side against the apple

Place apple bites on a parchment lined baking sheet

Brush tops with melted butter (the 1 tbsp) and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture (also the 1 tbsp)

Bake at 425 for 13-15 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown

Serve warm. (These can also be served with ice cream! Yum!)

Funnel Cakes

This is a Paula Deen recipe that my friend Adrienne sent me. She made them and said they taste just like funnel cakes from the fair! To quote Adrienne, "Long live Paula!" 

2 cups milk

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) melted butter

Powdered sugar, for topping

Canola oil, for frying

In a deep skillet or stock pot, heat oil (This particular recipe didn't have the amount of oil listed, but I read one that said use 3 cups)

Combine milk, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients

Beat with a mixer until a smooth batter forms

Fold in melted butter

Pour batter into a funnel or squeeze bottle. Make sure to place your index finger over the hole, to prevent the batter from pouring out

Bring funnel or bottle over hot oil and release your finger to start a stream of batter. Move in a circular motion to create spiral shapes

Fry 2-3 minutes, until golden brown and slightly puffed

Remove from oil and place on paper towels to drain

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately

Steak Fajitas

This is another recipe from Kelly. The original came from Simply Recipes. It calls for cooking these on the stove, but the grill is also an option. (Kelly and her husband love them that way!) 

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb of flank steak, skirt steak or carne asada

1 large yellow onion, peeled and sliced with the grain, not against the grain. Slice first in half, and then slice off sections a half inch wide at widest point.

2-3 bell peppers of various colors, stemmed, seeded, de-ribbed, sliced lengthwise into strips

Salt

MARINADE

juice of 1 lime

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 fresh Jalapeño pepper, seeded, ribs removed, finely chopped (be careful not to touch your eyes or anywhere near your eyes after handling a Jalapeño pepper!)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, including stems

Mix all marinade ingredients, then coat the steak with it

Allow steak to either sit at room temp for an hour, or put in the fridge and allow to marinate longer

Before cooking steak, wipe off most of the marinade and sprinkle steak with salt

Cook steak on the stove (If you do it on the stove, first heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan before adding steak) or grill until medium rare to medium well. (About 10 min or so) Once cooked, tent with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 5 min

Either in a pan or in an aluminum foil packet on the grill, cook veggies for 5-6 min (Again, if you're using the stove, just use the steak pan and add a little more oil)

Slice meat at an angle, against the grain, into thin slices

Serve meat and veggies with warm tortillas

Optionally, you can add lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole

Broccoli Chicken Roll Ups

This recipe came from my friend Kelly. She got the original from allrecipes.com. These are basically homemade Hot Pockets! Yum! They would work great as an appetizer or main dish.

(Kelly said she has made these with AND without the bell pepper and onion, and that it's good either way.)

2 cups chopped, cooked chicken meat

2 cups fresh chopped broccoli

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 400

Mix all ingredients, except for crescent rolls, in a large bowl

Place about 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto each roll and fold up

Place on a non greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 min, until golden brown

Nutterbutter & Chocolate Overload Cupcakes

My cousin Brit sent me this recipe and it sounds crazy good, but oh so bad for you! (The best tasting things are never good for you, huh?!) It came from Just A Pinch Recipe Club.

CUPCAKES

1 box Devil's Food Cake mix. Prepare as directed

1 pkg regular sized Nutterbutter cookies
1 pkg mini Nutterbutter cookies
1 can chocolate frosting
 

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
1 c creamy peanut butter
8 tbsp butter, room temperature
2 c powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp heavy cream.You can use milk also, until frosting is thinned a little
2 tsp pure vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Take 12 NutterButter cookies and cut them in half.

Line cupcake tins with cupcake papers and drop a half a cookie in the bottom of each.

Mix cake mix according to directions on the box.

Chop approx 12 cookies coarsely and mix them in the cake mix.

Fill the cupcake tins and bake approx 15-18 min.

Prepare Frosting--
Cream together peanut butter and butter. 

Add vanilla. 

Slowly add powdered sugar.

Add cream or milk to thin the frosting as desired.

Frost cupcake

Leave a well in the center, then place a dab of chocolate frosting and place a mini NutterButter on top.