Oatmeal, Pecan and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is there anything better than some fresh baked cookies and a tall glass of cold milk? These cookies are soft, flat and a little chewy. This recipe makes quite a few so you can share, freeze them for a rainy day or if you have 4 kids like me then they will all be gone by tomorrow.

Oatmeal, Pecan and Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter, room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs, beaten

2 cups rolled oats (I like old fashioned rolled oats for the texture)

3 cups unbleached flour (all-purpose flour will work too)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixture fitted with a paddle until light and fluffy, a couple of minutes should be good. Add molasses, egg and vanilla. Mix well, scraping down sides of bowl. Add rolled oats. Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and add to butter mixture, mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by spoon fulls on cookies tray and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool on trays until set, a few minutes and then place them on a cooling rack.

It's official, I'm the worst blogger ever. Since my last post I have made many delicious meals but usually in such a hurry that I forget or don't have the time to write down the recipes, which is too bad because now I can't even remember how to make some of them. Well, it's still stinkin' cold over here and we are longing for the day the BBQ will get more use but here we are still making lots of comfort food, like stew, homemade mac and cheese, and hearty soups. Here is a recipe that is a little different than your normal pot roast. Morrocan Pot Roast 4 lb. blade roast 1-2 tbsp canola oil 1 lg. onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsp. mild paprika 2 tsp. Moroccan spice (I use Victorian Epicure brand) 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp allspice 1/2 cup dry red wine salt and pepper red pepper flakes 1 - 28 oz. can diced tomotoes with juices 3 lg. peeled and chopped carrots 1/4 cup golden raisins 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped 1/4 cup chopped parsley Preheat oven to 325 or use a crockpot Season roast with salt and pepper. Add oil to large Dutch oven and heat on med-high. Sear roast on all sides until nice and brown. Remove from pot and place on plate. Add a little more oil to pot if needed and saute onions on medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. (You don't want the onions burnt, but brown, so medium heat for a long time works best to extract all those wonderful caramelized onion falvours for this roast.) Once the onions are brown add the garlic and spices, cook another couple of minutes. Add the wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Place the roast in pot and add the carrots. Place in oven for about 3 hours till beef is tender. Once the beef is done mix in raisins, olives and parsley and heat through for a few minutes. Note: If using a crockpot on high, cook 5 hrs, low 8 hrs. Serve this with Chick pea mash and pitas. Chick Pea Mash 1 large can chick peas, drained and rinced 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp cumin 2 tbsp cilantro or parsley 1/2 water and a little more if needed juice of half a lemon salt and pepper Heat olive oil in a medium size pot, add onion and garlic saute until cooked, add cumin, cook another minute or so (toasted cumin tastes better than straight from the jar). Add chick peas and water and simmer until peas are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and mash with a potato masher or put in a food processor and pulse a few times, you still want a bit if texture to the peas, Add a little more water if it's too thick. Mix in lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. I served the chick pea mash on the side like mashed potatoes and the pitas mop up all the goodness.

Cassoulet with Vegetables

Cassoulet is a Fench casserole which can be translated to White Bean Stew. There are as many recipes for Cassoulet as there are cooks. This dish always contains white beans and usually meat, maybe bacon, ham bone, duck confit or sausage and is simmered, so it makes a great meal for a cold night.

But today I was going to make Roast Chicken with Apple Cider Gravy and after looking in my pantry and fridge was inspired to make a Veggie Cassoulet to go with it.

Cassoulet with Vegetables

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 1 cup zucchini, diced
• 6 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 1-19 oz. can white kidney beans or cannellini beans drained and rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1-2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add onions, garlic, carrot and celery, season with a little salt. Cook until softend about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary and 1 cup of stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add cannellini beans, the liquid smoke and more stock if necessary, simmer for another 10 minutes, until beans and all vegetables are nice and tender. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. This is a nice, hearty, good for you side dish. And my kids loved it! Serve the cassoulet with roast chicken, lamb or sausage.

It's a Beautiful Fall Day!

A treat for the kids when they get home from school. Chocolate cupcakes, with Maple butter cream and autumn coloured sprinkles. This better make them happy:-)

This recipe I found on the internet and it is delicious. The mayonnaise in the batter, make a tender and moist crumb in the cupcakes.

I found the sprinkles at Home Sense/Winners, this is a great place to find unique food items for a good price.

Chocolate Cupcakes

1/4 cup chocolate chips

2/3 cup cocoa (preferably Epicure Selections Cocoa, it is the best)

1-3/4 cup boiling water

2-3/4 flour

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1-1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 lg. eggs beaten

2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease well 2 dozen muffin cups.

Combine chocolate chips, cocoa, and boiling water, stir until chocolate melts.

Combine flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl.

With an electric mixer, beat mayo and both sugars until well combined, add eggs and then vanilla.

Add flour alternately with chocolate mixture in mayo and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition, starting and ending with flour (flour, choc, flour, choc, flour).

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for about 20 minutes.

Frost with your favourite white icing flavoured with Maple extract and tinted with Orange food colouring paste.

What to do with the leftovers...

So you had some family over and you made the Turkey with all the side dishes to go with it, now your fridge is full with leftovers. Here are a few ideas to use up those leftovers. Our ultimate favorite way to use most of the leftovers is to make Turkey Pot Pie. This is just as much of a tradition for us as the Turkey Dinner itself. We make sure we buy a big enough bird to make both meals and then some. In the Pot Pie I use up any turkey, gravy, veggies, bread stuffing and mashed potatoes. Left over Turkey: Mexican Turkey Salad: combine lettuce greens, diced peppers, sliced green onions, peeled, julienned jicama, (a nice crunchy, refreshing Mexican vegetable, it looks a little like a potato) diced tomatoes, chopped cilantro and cubed cooked turkey. Make a dressing of sour cream and salsa and a little BBQ sauce. Add cheese, guacamole and some tortilla chips to go with it and you have a great refreshing meal after your big Turkey Dinner. Pulled Turkey Sandwiches: pull apart all the leftover turkey meat, combine with your favorite BBQ sauce and heat gently in a pan, serve on a nice toasted bun, with a little garlic butter. Turkey pizza or flat breads: purchase ready made pizza dough or flat breads and make BBQ turkey pizza, add your favorite BBQ sauce, toppings and cheese. Turkey and Coconut Soup: Saute some onions, garlic, celery, carrots and red peppers in a little butter or oil, add a little curry powder or red curry paste. Add some turkey or chicken stock, either homemade or store bought, bring to a simmer, add your leftover cubed turkey meat. Slowly add a can of unsweetened coconut milk, juice of a lime and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving add some chopped cilantro. And of course Turkey Pot Pie! Mashed Potatoes Potato and corn pancakes: mix gently together mashed potatoes with cooked, cold corn, a little cayenne powder and salt and pepper if needed. Flour your hands and make 3 inch patties about 1/2 inch thick. Bread patties in corn meal and fry in hot oil in a frying pan. These are great served with breakfast with a fried or poached egg. Mashed potatoes are a great way to thicken soups. Use in turkey, corn or clam chowder or any cream of veggie soup. Just whisk them in when the soup is warm. Potato croquettes: Form cold mashed potatoes in a 3 inch log shape, dredge with flour seasoned with salt and pepper or seasoned salt, then dip in beaten eggs and then dredge them in bread crumbs or Panko crumbs. Fry in deep fryer or in oil in a fry pan. Use your leftover mashed potatoes to make your favorite Shepard's Pie. Cranberry Sauce If you made the cranberry sauce yourself and didn't add any savory ingredients like onions to your sauce or used a canned variety you can be creative and use leftovers in muffins, coffee cakes, pancakes, smoothies mixed with vanilla yogurt. You can mix it with a some Chili sauce and serve it with meatballs over rice, we even used it to make cranberry daiquiris. If you have any great ideas for leftover Turkey Dinner that you have created share them by posting a comment.

Our Favorite Lasagna

Seafood lasagna is a favorite in this house. I have made this quite a few times and by the end of the meal everyone is fighting for the last piece. I usually serve a salad with a vinaigrette on the side.

I do make my own pasta dough and it really does make a difference in the lasagna, put you can purchase fresh sheets of pasta dough in the refrigerator isle in the super market.

Here is the recipe:

For Poaching Liquid

1lb. fish such as cod, salmon or halibut

1 1/2 cups large shrimp

4 cups water

3/4 cup white wine

1/2 onion finely diced

3 Tbsp Epicure Selections Crab Dip Mix (or use Old Bay seasoning or your favorite seafood seasoning)

For Seafood Sauce

3 tbsp. butter

3/4 cup onion finely diced

1 glove garlic, minced

3 tbsp flour

3 1/2 cups poaching liquid

1/4-1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature

salt and pepper to taste

6 - 8 (depending on the the size) fresh pasta sheets

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

For poaching liquid; in a large sauce pan combine water, wine, onion and crab dip mix. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Meanwhile cut fish into 1/2 inch cubes. Shell shrimp if necessary. Add seafood to poaching liquid and simmer for about 5 minutes or until seafood is just slightly under done. Remove seafood from liquid and cool on a plate.

To make seafood sauce, melt butter over medium-high heat in another large saucepan, add onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, add flour, stir and cook for a minute or two without browning flour, to make a roux. Add 1 cup poaching liquid and whisk to prevent lumps, add remaining liquid. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer sauce for about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese and melt into sauce. Add seafood. Season with salt and pepper and more Crab dip mix if needed.

In a 9x13 casserole dish spoon a little of the sauce on the bottom of the dish, cover evenly with noodles and layer again with sauce and noodles, do this so there are 3-4 layers, ending with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 degrees in middle of oven for 35-40 minutes until bubbling and cheese is golden. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

What have I started? It's a world of blogs and now I'm a blogger, who would have thought? Not me! But over the years I have met many people that thought it would be a good idea for me to write down the recipes that I have come up with and share them.

I'm not a techy, I'm a foodie, so this blogging thing will be a new learning curve for me, please be patient. I plan to post regularly, but not daily unless I'm on a roll and get really good at this. If you are wondering how the name came about, I live in sunny Alberta, where big blue skies stretch out as far as the eye can see. The apple pie part is there because I make a mean apple pie. Now some people are cooks, other bakers, some are blessed to be both but most people have a preference. I like to cook, I find that I can be more creative when it comes to cooking. Baking seems more of a science to me. Many times I have "played" around with a baking recipe and it flops, but pie is another story. Yes, you first need to make pie dough and that can be tricky, but the trick is to have everything cold and to work quickly so the ingredients do not warm up to room temperature. The filling is the fun part, you can be creative with the ingredients. Because it's apple season and I just bought 2 bags of apples I'll share my favorite Apple Pie recipe. Pie Dough 2 cups flour plus extra for dusting 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 cup cold shortening cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 egg, beaten 1 tsp vinegar 1-3 tbsp. water (or more depending on how dry your flour is) Place 2 cups flour in large bowl, add salt and mix, add pieces of shortening. Using a pastry blender, fork or your cold hands (I rinse mine under very cold water) cut shortening into flour until it resembles course meal. In a small bowl combine egg, vinegar and 2 tablespoon cold water. Pour into flour and mix quickly but gently with a fork until it just starts to stick together, use more water if necessary and knead very gently about 5-10 times until ingredients just hold together. Dough should not be too dry and crumbly. (Because I live in Alberta where the weather is quite dry my pie dough might need more water than yours.) Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge until filling is made. Apple Pie Filling 1/3 cup white sugar 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 1/2 tbsp. flour 1/2 tsp.cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg pinch of ground cloves 1/4 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. butter cut into small dice 6-7 cups thinly sliced, peeled apples Preheat oven to 375F. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, add sliced apples, toss to coat, add butter pieces. Roll out half of the dough to fit into a 8-9 inch pie plate leaving a little excess to hang over the edge. Add Apple filling. Brush edges of dough with a little water. Roll out remaining dough to fit on top of apples. Press together dough at edges then trim and flute as desired. Cut a couple of slits on the top of pie for steam to escape. Glaze with either beaten egg or cream and then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. sugar. Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbly. Enjoy with vanilla ice cream.