Fresh Apple Crisp

Isn’t fall fabulous? The leaves change to beautiful colors; the temperature drops; and you can do all sorts of fun activities like apple picking! We took R to his first orchard recently. He loved picking apples, although the goats on the farm were still a little daunting.

You will need:

• 8 tart apples
• 3/4 c flour
• 3/4 c packed brown sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/4 t ground nutmeg
• 8 T unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Then you will…

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Set out a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Peel, core and cut the apples into 1-inch pieces.
3. Spread the apples in the baking dish.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine together the flour with the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
5. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is coarse and crumbly.
6. Sprinkle the flour mixture on top of the apples.
7. Bake until golden, tender and bubbling, about 50-60 minutes.
8. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving. It’s particularly yummy with a little vanilla ice cream or fresh cream on top.

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Feeling ambitious or extra chef-y? Making your own blue cheese dressing at home is super simple and quite delicious. This goes especially great with Baked Chicken Wings.

You will need:

• 1/2 crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 c sour cream
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
• Up to a 1/2 c heavy cream
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A few splashes of your favorite hot sauce

Then you will…

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine together the blue cheese, sour cream, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Slowly mix in the heavy cream until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste.
4. Allow to sit at least 15 minutes before serving so that the flavors can meld together.

Baked Chicken Wings

I adore these baked chicken wings! They are so easy and very flavorful that they make me smile every time I make them. Plus you can change up the spice level to meet your mood!

You will need:

• ~2 lb chicken drumettes
• 2 t garlic powder
• 1 t fresh cracked pepper
• 1 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 T your favorite hot sauce (adjusted to your spice preference)
• 3 T unsalted butter, melted

Then you will…

1. Preheat you oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder with the pepper, thyme, paprika and salt.
4. Toss the chicken with the seasoning mixture and gently rub into the wings.
5. In the small bowl, mix together the hot sauce and butter.
6. Pour the sauce over the seasoned wings and gently rub in so that all the wings are coated.
7. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Rotate the pan 180 degrees.
10. Bake for another 15 minutes or so until cooked through. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees.
11. Remove from oven and serve with blue cheese or ranch dressing. Carrots and celery are great accompaniments too!

Banana Pancakes

R really loves pancakes and bananas, so we made some banana pancakes the other weekend as a treat. They also freeze well after you cool them, so that you can defrost in the microwave for a quick toddler breakfast before school or work.

You will need:

• 2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
• 1 c milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg
• 3 T unsalted butter, melted
• 2 T sugar
• 2 t baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 c flour

Then you will…

1. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the banana with the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter.
2. Whisk in the sugar, baking powder and pinch of salt.
3. Gently stir in the flour, just until mixed.
4. Warm a nonstick pan over medium heat. Lightly grease with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Drop the batter onto the pan to get your desired size. They will puff up, so be sure to leave space between the pancakes. We made silver dollar pancakes with about 2-3 tablespoons per pancake.
6. Cook until the edges look like they are starting to set and there are small holes on the top, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Flip and allow to finish cooking through until golden brown, about another 2 minutes.
8. You will likely need to cook in batches, so you can always preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit and keep the pancakes warm on a cookie sheet until you are done.

Maple Grilled Chicken

This is a fun marinade for chicken, especially when you grill it!

You will need:

• 1/2 c pure maple syrup
• 2 t sambal-oelek or sriracha
• 1 t paprika
• 5 T olive oil
• 1 lb chicken breast or tenders

Then you will…

1. In gallon ziplock, mix together the maple syrup with the sambal-oelek, paprika, and olive oil.
2. Add the chicken and toss to coat.
3. Grill over medium heat about 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Turn regularly and baste with extra sauce to keep the chicken juicy and help a glaze to form.