Apple Cinnamon Cobbler

Fall is sort of here in south Louisiana.  It's still humid outside but not quite as humid.  So that's our Fall.  I decided that I needed a Fall-ish dessert.  Yes, I said needed.  Don't judge me.  So anyway, I made my Mama's cobbler recipe but instead of the regular fruit I used apple pie filling.  It came out great!  Like an apple pie but less work!  My kind of dessert.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top might even be necessary. Just saying.

Here's what I did:

APPLE CINNAMON COBBLER

1 stick unsalted butter (real butter is best!)

1 cup self-rising flour

1 cup sugar

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 can apple pie filling

Cinnamon Sugar:

1/2 TBS sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Place the stick of butter in a cast iron skillet.  If you don't have one, go buy one.  Just kidding.  But not really.  Everyone should have one.  If you don't, you can use a 9 inch square baking dish.  So, put the butter in the skillet and place it in the oven so that the butter can melt.

Meanwhile, mix the flour, sugar, milk & vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Don't over mix it!  Stir just until the lumps are gone.  If you over mix it, the cobbler will be tough.

When the butter is melted, take the skillet out of the oven and pour the batter in.

Then, evenly spoon the apple pie filling over the batter.  

Mix the 1/2 TBS sugar with the 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.  

Let it cool for a while before cutting.  It needs to set or it will just run all over the place.  I let it sit at least 15 minutes.  The smell is divine.  You're gonna want to cut it immediately.   It's tough, but you gotta wait.

This cobbler is so yummy.  Like I said before it tastes like an apple pie but as you can see it's super easy to make!

 

I like to serve it warm with a scoop of Blue Bell Homemade vanilla ice cream. Wow!  It's Fall in a bowl.  

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.  You can eat the leftovers cold or warm it up in the microwave.  Either way, yummy.  Give this one a try.  You won't regret it.

Energy Pods

 Hey Y'all,

I've been neglecting this blog lately.  No doubt about it.  I have joined many others in making face masks for those in need.  We've made them for healthcare & essential workers, members of the military, Native American reservations, the elderly, kids going back to school.  It has been a very big undertaking.  I have made nearly 450 masks myself!  I can't believe that!  (giving myself a pat on the back).

I just made some really yummy, healthy little snacks that can be eaten for a quick on-the-go breakfast or afternoon pick-me-up.  They are called Energy Pods.  Made from peanut butter, honey, raisins, etc, they are packed with flavor and good fats, whole grains & anti-oxidants.  Here's how I made them.

ENERGY PODS

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 TBS butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup dry non-fat milk powder
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 cups Cheerios cereal 
• 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds

Combine peanut butter, melted butter, and honey in a medium-sized bowl.

Stir in milk powder, raisins and dried cranberries.

Add Cheerios, stirring until all pieces are evenly coated.

Drop about 1 TBS of the mixture into the coconut or sunflower seeds and roll around to coat.  I put the seeds on one paper plate and coconut on another.  Roll half in each, or roll them in both the seeds and the coconut, whatever you like best.  *Tip: I like to lightly toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat. I find it brings out more flavor.  But this is not necessary.

Put some wax paper down and place the pods on it after you roll them.

Once they're all done place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge.  I keep mine in a gallon-size zip top bag.

These are really tasty!  My Pickiest-Eater-Ever-Son really liked them.  The hubby did, too.  Getting them to eat a healthy snack?  That's a win!  Yay me!  Haha!  

Chicken Leg Quarters in the Instant Pot

Hey Y'all,

I'm sorry i haven't been posting.  I have been very busy sewing face masks for healthcare and essential workers.  I've been lucky enough to donate over 300 reusable masks!  Woohoo!  My family has been very understanding (because I haven't been cooking much haha!).  All I do is is sew!  But, thank the Lord, this virus seems to be slowing a little and so has the need for masks.  Let's pray it goes away altogether.

Now, about the Instant Pot.  They are all the rage.  I actually bought one for my Mama for Christmas because she has always loved pressure cookers.  But, she said it was "too fancy" and gave it back! (That's my Mama, folks haha).  So, I have been using and loving it!  I like to use it for meal prep and that's what I did yesterday.  I pressure cooked 4 leg quarters, deboned them, bagged up some of the shredded chicken, then used the rest in a quick recipe.  Bonus, it makes great broth in the process!

Here's how I did it:

CHICKEN LEG QUARTERS IN THE INSTANT POT

4 leg quarters
1 1/2 cups water
salt/pepper
a small piece each onion, celery, carrot (optional)

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper (If you like a little spice also use some creole seasoning). 

Pour the 1 1/2 cups water into the bottom of the pot.   You must have water to pressure cook but it also helps to make a delicious broth. 

To flavor the broth a little more I like to add a few small pieces of onion, celery and carrot.  This is optional but it's worth it in my opinion. 

Then, put the steamer rack in place.

Place the seasoned chicken on top of the rack.

Plug the instant pot in and press the pressure cook button. 

The time you cook the chicken really depends on the size of the leg quarters. 
If they are small, 20 minutes is plenty to cook them and make the meat tender and fall off the bone. 
If they are big, like mine were, go for 25 minutes. 

*Note, if you have bone-in thighs instead of leg quarters, cook for 10 minutes.

Once the time is up, let the steam naturally release for 5 minutes, then carefully open the valve for quick release of the steam.

When the steam has finished releasing you can open the pot and remove the chicken to a platter to let cool.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, you can easily pull the meat from the bone. 
You get a lot of chicken!  Plus broth!

I let the broth cool, then pour it through a strainer.  It gives great flavor to anything you're cooking!

Of course you could just eat the chicken right now. Believe me, I wanted to.  But I was meal prepping.

I made skillet chicken pot pie with a biscuit topping using the shredded chicken and broth.  It came together so fast thanks to the shredded chicken I had on hand.  Plus I still have more in the fridge for later!

If you have an Instant Pot, give this a try.  It's simple and can save you a lot of time when supper rolls around.

DIY Hand Sanitizer

Hi y'all,

Things have really gotten crazy in the world lately.  This Corona Virus pandemic has everyone on edge.  We're practicing "social distancing", closing bars and restaurants, and even panic buying everything in the store.  There is no hand sanitizer to be found in south Louisiana!  My husband and I own a shop and we want to keep sanitizer by the register for our employees to use.  But we can't find it anywhere!  So, I went online and found a DIY recipe that uses items you can probably still find at the pharmacy (you might even have them at home, I did).  Bonus, it's only 3 ingredients!

DIY HAND SANITIZER

1 cup 91% rubbing alcohol (make sure it's no less than 91%)
1/2 cup aloe vera gel
15 drops tea tree oil*

You'll also need a container with a pump, like soap dispenser.  If you don't have one, you can put it in any container, like a prescription bottle or a travel spray bottle.

*tea tree oil has anti-bacterial properties but if you can't find it you can use another essential oil like lemon grass, eucalyptus or lavender.

Pour the alcohol into a large measuring cup with a spout (makes it easier to pour into your bottle later).

Add the aloe vera gel and tea tree oil. Whisk it well!  Stirring is not enough, you need to whisk it so it's homogenized it into a gel.

Use some of your leftover alcohol to sanitize your bottles.  Just pour a little in and swirl it around.  Let it evaporate.  Then fill with your homemade hand sanitizer. 

Be sure to label your bottles for safety.

Hope this helps y'all out.  Stay safe and let's all pray this pandemic ends quickly.

Sausage and Potato Sheet Pan Supper

This is a simple supper you can throw together in a flash and pop into the oven.  It's filling and yummy, too.  

Sausage and Potato Sheet Pan Supper

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into thick slices

4 medium sized Idaho potatoes, cut into cubes

1 onion, cut into cubes or thick slices

Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place everything on a sheet pan (with sides).  Drizzle with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.  Stir to coat evenly and spread everything out so it's in a single layer (this helps it cook evenly).

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring halfway through.

It's done when the potatoes are tender.

Now how easy was that?

I like to serve this with baked beans and a salad.  It's just the thing when you need a simple, yummy supper.