"Mock" Apple Pie (Zucchini Crisp)

Hello, hello, hello! :) Guess what? I am posting a recipe with nutmeg in it! *hands clapping* YAY!! :)) 
Last week Koko posted a recipe for zucchini brownies, which were very yummy! (She let me try one.) Her family had so much zucchini that they decided to let my family have a few, so I decided to make this really yummy crisp with it! It tastes just like apple crisp, except for the fact that it has seeds in it. It is a recipe that I'm going to add to my favorites! :) Happy Eating! 

  Mock Apple Pie (Zucchini Crisp) 

                      Filling: 
                           8 cups peeled, sliced zucchini
                           2/3 cups lemon juice
                           1 cup sugar
                           1 teaspoon cinnamon
                           1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (yeah!:) 

Simmer the zucchini and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, you can make the crust. Add sugar and spices; simmer another minute, then set aside. 
                   
                       Crust:
                            4 cups flour
                            2 cups sugar
                            1 1/2 cups cold butter
                            1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375*. Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon, then cut in butter to resemble crumbs. Take 1/2 of this mixture and press into a sprayed 9x13 pan to form a crust. Divide the remaining crumb mixture in 1/2 again. Put 1/2 in the zucchini mixture and mix together. Now pour the zucchini mixture over the crust, and finish by sprinkling the rest of the crumb mixture over the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy! :) 

                                                  ~Nutmeg

Simple Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello out there!  I know, I know, chocolate chip cookies are normal, and not  fun or different.  My dad makes some pretty yummy chocolate chip cookies, but they always seem to turn out flat and a little to greasy because of the amount of butter.  I started playing with his recipe, and hit upon the magic mixture!  Remember how I said they always seemed greasy?  I cut the butter almost by half and it worked!  They turned out beautifully, and looked like a cook book picture!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup and 2 T. butter (melted)

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375*.

Combine all dry ingredients (excluding chocolate chips) in a small bowl and set aside.

In a larger bowl mix together all wet ingredients BY HAND, and add half of flour mix at a time stirring well between additions.  Lastly, add chocolate chips and mix well.

Grease cookie sheet and drop about a flattened tablespoon of  batter on the pan two inches apart.

Bake for ten minutes and enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy...wait a minute.  Do guys see anything weird about this picture, or is it just me?

Looks like I'm not the only one who likes these cookies!

Brownies Infused With Invisible Zucchini

Hi everyone!  You all know how hard it is to get kids to eat vegetables.  I have found a way to hide zucchini in brownies!!!!!  I have tested it on five different kids and all of them have asked for more!  These brownies are wonderfully fudgy, and for those who like frosted brownies I have included a frosting recipe.

Zucchini Brownies

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.   Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.

 In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture.

 Spread evenly into the prepared pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Chocolate Frosting

1/4 cup milk

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 and 1/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

I hope you and your kids enjoy this yummy brownie recipe as much as the kids I tested it on did!

Really Yummy Apple Dip

Hello, everyone! Koko was pointing out the other day that I haven't put any nutmeg in any of my recipes, even though that is my blog name! Well, today I am going to post a recipe that still doesn't have nutmeg! (I mean, you could add nutmeg if you wanted to, but it may not taste that good.) ;) 
This is a variation of a super simple recipe for apple dip that I found online, and I thought I'd try it. I loved the results! It tastes so yummy! I hope you think the same thing that I did! :) Happy Eating! 

                                             

     Really Yummy Apple Dip 

                Ingredients:                  

                      8 oz. of cream cheese, soft

                      2 T. of brown sugar

                      1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl and dip apple into it. So yummy! You can experiment a little as well with different things like chocolate chips, peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread, etc. Share your variations with us, and let me know what you think! 

                   ~Nutmeg

Banana Brown Sugar Oatmeal Dream Smoothie

Hello out there!  Today, I was at a loss for what to make.  I started fiddling around with some frozen bananas.  Did you guys know that if you puree frozen bananas, you get banana ice cream?  I already knew that, so I decided to try making a smoothie with them.  It worked!

 Banana Brown Sugar Oatmeal Dream Smoothie

2 frozen bananas, quartered

1/4 cup milk

splash vanilla

1 egg

1 T. oatmeal

1 teaspoon brown sugar

Directions

Puree everything but bananas until smooth.  Add quartered bananas one at a time and blend until frothy.

This is SO good!  This is by far my favorite smoothie so far!  As I said earlier, today I was in need of a recipe.  Could those who view our blog leave your favorite summer recipes, please?  Ko-Ko signing out!

Lemon Cooler

Hello!  I'm back!  Let's all have a round of applause for Nutmeg, who filled in for me while I was on vacation!  *clapping*  Now for today's recipe.  Who doesn't like a glass of lemonade on a hot summer's day?  Many of you probably use the powdered lemonade.  Today I will give you a recipe for fresh squeezed.  It is an extremely simple recipe for a one person.

 Lemon Cooler

the juice of 1 lemon

1 1/4 cups water

1 T. sugar

Directions

Add all ingredients to a glass.  Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  If desired, add ice.  Sip and enjoy!

I hope you all enjoy this wonderful fresh squeezed lemonade!

Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwich

Hello, everyone! If you are still here after reading the title of this post, I'll tell you that it is SO GOOD! I love it! It took me a little bit to get used to the idea of eating peanut butter and pickles together, but once I did, I realized that I made a good decision. You should really try it. This is probably also the simplest recipe I've put up here yet. I hope you like it! Comment and tell me what you thought! Happy Eating! :-)


                                               

(Photo credit: Joy The Baker)

Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwich

                                                

                             Peanut Butter

                             Six or seven pickles (any flavor will work)

                             Two slices of bread

                             Maple Syrup (optional) 

Spread the peanut butter generously on the bread, and lay the pickles on top. You can put some syrup on there, but I thought it was good without it. Add your own touches and play with the flavor. Enjoy! ;-) 

                                                 ~Nutmeg

Mini Blackberry Cobbler

Hello, everyone! It's Nutmeg here! It's blackberry season, and I have a really good recipe for a mini blackberry cobbler that I love! It is a great way to use our wild blackberries that we have growing in our woods. You can double, triple, or quadruple this recipe to make as much as you want, but for today I decided to make a really little one. :) Happy Eating!! :)

                                                Mini Blackberry Cobbler

                         Filling:
                               1 Tablespoon of Flour
                               1 Tablespoon of Sugar
                               1/2 cup frozen blackberries, thawed

                        Crumble topping:
                               1 Tablespoon Flour
                               1 Tablespoon Sugar
                               dash of cinnamon
                               1 1/2 teaspoons butter

Directions:
For the filling, mix together the flour, sugar and blackberries, and spoon into a custard cup.
For the topping, mix the flour, sugar and cinnamon together, and cut in the butter. Sprinkle it on top of the blackberry mixture and bake at 400* for 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling. Oh, so yummy!! Enjoy! :)

Red Beans and Rice

Hey everybody! This is Nutmeg! :) Koko is on vacation so I'll be posting for her today and Monday. :) I have a really yummy recipe for red beans and rice that I thought I would share with you! What my family does is after we eat a ham, we freeze the bone that is in the middle and add it to our beans. It gives them a really good flavor!  I live in a family with seven kids, so any dinner recipe I put up here will make alot... :) This one makes quite a bit, so you can half it if you want. :) Happy Eating! :) 

                                    
                                   Red Beans and Rice

                                   2 bags dried red beans
                                  12 cups water
                                  2 stalks of celery
                                  3/4 onion
                                  dash of basil
                                  2 bay leaves

                                 13 ounces of beef smoked sausage (just a tube   of sausage from Walmart)

                                  ham bone, optional
                                  4 cups brown rice

Pour red beans and ham bone in a crockpot with water. Cut up celery, sausage and onion in small pieces and add to the beans. Sprinkle basil on top and add bay leaves. Cook the beans for several hours until soft. 
For the rice, we use a rice cooker, but if you do yours on the stove, then cook the rice and add it to the beans. Serve and enjoy! 

(Sorry for the bad quality in the picture...I used my little hand-held camera for this one. ;)
                 

Italian dressing chicken with fried potatoes and green beans

Hello, everybody! I have a really yummy and really easy recipe for a dinner that our family loves! Chicken is a really cheap and easy dinner to make, especially for a large family! I hope you enjoy it! Happy Eating! :) ~Nutmeg

        Italian dressing chicken with fried potatoes and green beans

                  For the chicken: 
                               oil
                               9 chicken drumsticks
                               1 bottle of Italian dressing

Grease a large skillet with the oil, and thoroughly cook chicken. Pour the bottle of Italian dressing over it and let it cook for about 5-10 more minutes and enjoy! 

                For the potatoes:
                             oil
                             6 potatoes
                             dash of Creole seasoning

Pour some oil in  a pan on the stove and let it heat up. Cut up the potatoes into cubes and fry them, stirring often. (otherwise they will burn to the pan) Sprinkle the Creole seasoning onto them and let it cook for a little bit longer to blend the flavors. Enjoy! 

               For the green beans:
                             2 bags of frozen green beans
                             dash of garlic
                             salt
                             onion, optional

Chop up the onion and fry it in a pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add the green beans and cook until thawed out. sprinkle on garlic and salt, and enjoy! 

~Note from Nutmeg: The green beans are also really good with some butter in the pan in place of no-stick spray. Hope you guys like this recipe! :) 
                              

Inside Out Crab Rangoons

Hey there!  Remember the little guy who helped me with the watermelon sorbet?  He absolutely loves crab rangoon, so I decided to make something like an inside out crab rangoon for the little guy.

 Inside Out Crab Rangoons

1 can crab meat

8 oz. cream cheese (1 block)

1/4 cup sour cream

2 green onions, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions

Heat oven to 350*.

Combine cream cheese and crab meat until all looks the same.

Add all other ingredients, and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until sides are golden-brown and bubbling.

Don't turn the oven off!  You need chips to go with this positively yummy dip, so why not make wonton chips?

Wonton Chips

1/4 package wonton wrappers

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions

Cut wonton wrappers in half lengthwise.  Place on a pan and brush with oil.

Bake for 5 minutes, or until edges are golden brown.  Enjoy!!!!

Yummm, there isn't anything quite as delicious as homemade dip, and this happens to beat all!  If you are a fan of Chinese food, this is for you!

Mom's Taffy Apple Salad

Hey Everyone!  One of my favorite treats as a kid was my momma's terrific taffy apple salad.  She only made it once in a while, so I thought it must  be difficult.  Turns out I was dead wrong!  This is so easy,  a seven year old could make it!  The reason she didn't make it more was because she couldn't stay out of it!  In fact, none of us could! 

Mom's Taffy Apple Salad

one 8 ounce container of whipped topping

one 3.4 ounce package of french vanilla pudding mix

8 small snicker bars

6 apples

Directions

Put whipped topping and pudding mix into a bowl and stir until completely combined.

Cut snickers and apples into desired chunk size, and add to whipped topping mixture.

Mix together and devour!!!!            

I hope this is a hit with all of you out there.  It sure is with my family!  This recipe is also perfect for potlucks you accidentally forgot about.  Make sure to be one of the first people in line though!  Otherwise you won't get any!  

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

Hello, everyone! Nutmeg here! I have an amazing recipe for brownies! After you try these, you will be addicted! :) Hope you enjoy, and Happy Eating! :) ~Nutmeg


                     

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

                  For the chocolate chip layer:

                                     3/4 cup butter, softened

                                     3/4 cup brown sugar

                                     1/4 cup sugar

                                     1 large egg

                                     2 teaspoons vanilla extract

                                     2 cups all-purpose flour

                                     2 teaspoons cornstarch 

                                     1 teaspoon baking soda

                                     1/2 teaspoon salt

                                     1 cup chocolate chips

                                     2 cups mini Reese's peanut butter cups

                 Brownie layer: 

                                     1/2 cup butter

                                     8 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet (or semi-sweet) bakers' chocolate

                                     1 1/4 cups sugar

                                     3 eggs

                                     1 teaspoon vanilla extract

                                     3/4 cup all-purpose flour

                                     1/4 teaspoon salt

                                     

                                     1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Make the brownie layer first, even though it goes on top. To do that, melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted. (This will take about 6 minutes) When it is melted, remove it from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. (this will be about 15 minutes) Meanwhile, make the chocolate chip cookie layer. (directions below) once the chocolate/butter mixture is cooled, stir in the sugar until it is combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Whisk in the vanilla, then gently fold in the flour and salt. Set aside. 

For the chocolate chip cookie layer, cream the butter and sugars, then add the eggs and vanilla. Add in the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Add in the chocolate chips. The dough will be very thick and sticky. 

Spread the chocolate chip cookie dough into a greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle the Reese's peanut butter cups on top, then pour the brownie batter on top. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of that, and bake for 20-26 minutes. The middle shouldn't jiggle when you shake the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the middle should come out relatively clean. Let the brownies cool for about and hour before cutting and serving, and enjoy! :) (WARNING: these brownies are VERY rich, but soo yummy! They are rather addicting...USE CAUTION)  ;) 

Mulberry Cake

Hi out there!  My family and I live out in the country with berry bushes and trees all around us.  Our mulberry tree gave us a wonderful crop this year, so I thought I would put it to good use.  For those of you who like only slightly sweetened desserts, this is for you!

Mulberry Cake

3/4 stick of butter

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup granulated sugar plus 2 tablespoons extra

2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 cups mulberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Add butter to a 9 by 13 baking dish and set in the oven to melt.

In a separate bowl combine all dry ingredients excluding mulberries, add milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

 

When butter is fully melted, pour berries into the baking dish, and add batter on top.

Bake for 45 minutes and sprinkle the extra sugar on top.  Bake for another 25 minutes or until it turns a light golden brown.  Happy eating!

I really do enjoy this recipe.  Served with ice cream it is even better!