Apple Crisp

I've mentioned before that Dad loves apple treats, and that's an understatement. He also loves crumble, and that's an even bigger understatement. This recipe is a favorite for both of us. For me because it's easier than pie - literally - I don't have to deal with making a crust. For him because I've doubled the topping since my original version and he's in crumble-lovers heaven. That being said, this recipe is altered for only the most serious of crumble-lovers. You can halve the crumble if you're not a die hard.

Ingredients

10 Cups Apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (Golden Delicious or Granny Smith are always sure bets)
1 Cup Sugar
1 Tbsp Flour
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg

Crumble Ingredients

2 Cups Oats
2 Cup Flour
2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup Butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350

2. Mix the first set of ingredients together, then mix with the apples, making sure to cover the apples well. Put the apples in a greased 9X13 dish, or you can split the recipe and put it into two pie plates (freeze one for later!).

3. Combine the crumble ingredients until well incorporated and cover the apple mixture with it.

4. Bake for 45 minutes.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream... SLURP!

Fajitas

We heart fajitas!

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts or 12 oz of Steak, cut into strips

6 Flour Tortillas

1 Medium Bell Pepper, cut into strips

1 Medium Onion, sliced

1 Medium Tomato, chopped

1 Clove Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Seasoning Ingredients

1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 Tsp Oregano

1/4 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Ground Red Pepper

1/4 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/8 Tsp Onion Powder

Directions

1. Place meat in a bowl and sprinkle the seasoning over the top. Chill for at least half an hour.

2. Heat an iron skillet to medium-high and add some oil. Add the peppers, garlic, and onions and cook for about three minutes. They should still be slightly crisp. Remove mixture from the skillet.

3. Add more oil to the skillet and put the meat in. Cook through. Add the onion mixture back into the skillet, as well as the tomatoes. Cook and stir until heated through, about one minute. Add the lime juice and stir.

*Serve in warm tortillas with black beans, Mexican rice, avocado, sour cream, and salsa.

Mom Tips

I do all the prep work for this meal during the day so I can just throw it together at dinner time. I slice and chop the veggies, and cut the meat and add the spices to it. It comes together really quickly. Then later, while I'm cooking on the oven, I wrap some tortillas in some foil and heat them in the oven on about 300 degrees until I'm done.

You can also make this recipe with steak. Use about 12 ounces. I like to order our beef from Hearst Ranch because it's grass-fed. You can always find great coupon codes and free shipping, and the beef is excellent. Once you order for the first time, they start sending you great deals on free meat. They have fajita packs, which means I don't have to slice the beef myself!

Macaroni & Cheese with Chicken & Broccoli

I'm a mac & cheese freak. I was raised on boxes of bright yellow Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. It was also, sadly, my staple in college. Legend has it that Nana would secretly buy boxes of generic (and less expensive) mac & cheese, set an old, empty Kraft box on the counter, and try to pass off the generic as the real thing. She didn't get away with it.

Now that we're all older and wiser, chemically laden boxes of Kraft are a thing of the past. But if I'm being completely honest, sometimes it still calls my name when I pass by the Pastaroni/Minute Rice/Kraft Mac & Cheese aisle.... What can I say? Old habits die hard!

So anyway, one day I was reeeeeally craving some mac & cheese, but Dad doesn't like mac & cheese (blasphemous!), so I went hunting for a recipe that might satisfy us both. What resulted is the recipe below. Even though Sister likes all of the ingredients separately, she won't even touch this - she doesn't do casseroles. The rest of us love it! It's pretty time-consuming, so I usually make a giant batch of it for dinner on a night when Sister isn't home and freeze some portions for Dad to take to school for his lunches. It freezes beautifully. It also makes a great dish to take when visiting a new mother. It's never had anything but rave reviews - not counting sister!

Ingredients

1 Pound Chicken Breasts, sauteed then cubed smallish
2 Tsp Olive Oil
2 Heads Broccoli, steamed for 3-5 minutes
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Flour
2 1/4 Cups Whole Milk (or 2 cups cream)
1 1/2 Cups Grated Fontina Cheese (or Farmer's cheese)
2 Cups Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt
Pepper
1 Pound Macaroni, cooked
1/3 Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Directions

1. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually mix in milk. Bring to a boil while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly.

2. Add both cheeses (save 1/2 cup of cheddar for top) and stir until sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Mix sauce with pasta, chicken and broccoli.

4. Add the mixture to two casserole dishes. Top with seasoned breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Cook in 350 degree oven for 20 or 30 minutes.

Mom Tips

This recipe is very forgiving, so if you have more or less than is called for of chicken, broccoli, or pasta, it will still work. Truth be told, mine is never exactly the same twice.

Only chumps buy bread crumbs! I always throw bread heels in the freezer and when I have a bunch I throw them in the food processor to make my own. You can add seasoning to it to make "seasoned" breadcrumbs.

Trader Joe's has a very affordable New Zealand grass-fed cheddar cheese that's $5 a pound. It comes in organic grass-fed as well, but it is $8 a pound.