Upside Down Popover Pizza

This is soooo good! :)

Upside Down Popover Pizza
1 pound pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
½ medium green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon each dried basil, marjoram leaves, crumbled
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
8 ounces of mozzarella cheese sliced
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Popover Batter:
Beat together 2 eggs, 1 cup flour, 1 cup milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil and ¼ teaspoon salt

Preparation:
In large skillet cook sausage until browned, pour off any excess fat. Add onion and green peppers. Cook for a few minutes.
Stir in flour, basil, marjoram and tomato sauce.
Heat well, then pour into 13x9 inch baking pan. Arrange mozzarella slices on top. Pour popover batter over all. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned. Serve at once.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

This is always such a treat in our house when the Fall season arrives...I decided to start baking a little early for the season! My daughter requested that I make my pumpkin bread (which is a wonderful recipe from my friend Denise!)..so, after she left for school this morning, I baked up a bunch of loaves!

PUMPKIN BREAD preheat to 325°

3 cups white sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cloves
2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp nutmeg
1+1/2 tsp salt
Mix above ingredients in large bowl

1 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin (1 small can)
Blend these into above mixture

Add 3+1/2 c flour and mix well

Bake at 325° in 2 greased loaf pans for 1hour 15 min
or 1 hour for 4 small loaf pans

Enjoy!


**Edited to add...this morning I decided to put a little less of the mix in each loaf pan before baking..I was able to make 6 small loaves from this batch of mix!**

Tomato Cheese Tart

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 1/4 cups half and half

8 oz. shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese

about 3 medium fresh from the garden tomatoes, sliced into medium width circles

1 tsp. rosemary plus extra

1 tsp. oregano plus extra

1/2 tsp. salt

lots of fresh ground black pepper

1 Pillsbury pie crust

basil to garnish

1 9 inch tart pan (the shallow one with the fluted edges)

I love to grow tomatoes in my garden and this year I have A TON of tomatoes on the vine. After making a huge pot of sauce I still had some tomatoes left over so I decided to try making a tomato tart. It turned out delicious so try it and enjoy for yourself!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place 1 Pillsbury pie crust in the fluted tart pan and press down the edges. Mix the eggs with the half and half, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.

Sprinkle the cheese over the egg mixture. Place the tomatoes on top of the tart in a circle starting from the outside working into the middle, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle the top of the tart with the extra herbs and more fresh ground pepper and salt. Put into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. When timer goes off turn the oven temperature up to 375 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes, watching that it does not brown too much. This tart can be serves warm or cold and can be garnished with fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!

submitted by Nicole

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:
4 Cucumbers
1 Onion sliced
1 Cup of White Vinegar
1/2 Cup of Water
3/4 Cup of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Dill

Slice up cucumbers and onions and toss together in bowl. In small saucepan, combine vinegar, water and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, and pour the mixture over the cucumber and onions. Stir in dill. Cover and refrigerate until cold. Marinate at least one hour for flavors to mix.

My Homemade Apple Pie

It is just about that time of year again...baking apple pies and the wonderful smell of Autumn in the air!
But, in this house, I have been baking apple pies all summer long.
This is the recipe I use.

*Preheat oven to 425 Degrees.

Ingredients:
Pastry for a two-crust pie (I cheat and use Pillsbury)!

Filling:
6 Cups thinly sliced, peeled Apples
3/4 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Nutmeg
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

In large bowl combine all filling ingredients. Mix lightly. Spoon into pastry lined pan. Top with remaining pastry. Fold edge of top pastry under bottom pastry, press to seal. Flute edge.Cut slits in several places in top of pastry. Bake at 425 degrees for 40-45 Minutes or until apples are tender and the crust is golden brown. About halfway through baking, I usually wrap the top edges around the pie with tin foil to prevent burning of the crust on the edges while it cooks.

I am so ready for a piece..are you?!

Fresh Mozzarella with basil

This is something I absolutely LOVE!
I usually serve this before a pasta meal and my guests really enjoy it :)

Ingredients:
Fresh Mozzarella
Big Beefsteak Tomato
Fresh Basil leaves
Olive Oil

Slice up the fresh mozzarella and Beefsteak tomato. Layer one on top of the other (see photo) on serving dish.
I also tuck in Basil leaves as I layer the cheese and tomato.
Drizzle olive oil over all.

Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The flavors blend nicely and tastes delicious!

enjoy!

Butter Cookies

A recipe from my sweet friend Nancy. :)
These are the most delicious cookies and will melt in your mouth!
I hope you enjoy them as much as I do :)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 lb. Butter (2 sticks)
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Vanilla

Beat together butter and sugar. Add flour and baking soda.
Use mixer or knead by hand to mix.
Add vanilla last.

Roll into balls approximately 1" in diameter.
Place on buttered (not sprayed) cookie tin. Flatten balls with a fork
dipped in flour.

Bake at 350 degrees until edges only are lightly browned.

HONEY APPLE CAKE

I found this recipe in an old Apple Recipe book I found upstate NY. When I serve it I cut the pan up into single serving size squares and put on a serving tray and dust with powdered sugar. The optional topping is yet another way to enjoy this dessert, if you like EXTRA sweetness!


Ingredients...
3 EGGS, beaten
2 cups SUGAR
1 cup VEGETABLE OIL
1/4 cup HONEY
1 tsp. VANILLA

3 cups SIFTED FLOUR
1/2 tsp. BAKING SODA
1 tsp. BAKING POWDER
1 tsp. SALT
1 tsp. CINNAMON
1/4 tsp. NUTMEG
1 cup CHOPPED NUTS
3 cups CHOPPED APPLES

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

In a large bowl bet together the first five ingredients. In another bowl sift together the dry ingredients and stir into liquid mixture. Beat well. Fold in nuts and apples. Lightly grease a 9 X 13 X 2-inch pan. Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Bake 45 minutes.

Optional Topping...
1 stick BUTTER (1/2 cup)
1 cup LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
1/4 cup MILK
1/4 cup HONEY

Combine ingredients in a heavy-bottom sauce pan. Boil 2 1/2 minutes. Pour over cake while still hot. Sift powdered sugar on top. Serve with Vanilla Ice Cream or Fresh Whipped Cream. Enjoy warm!

Submitted by Nicole

HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM

Ingredients...
1 qt. cold HEAVY CREAM or WHIPPING CREAM
1 cup SUGAR + more to taste

Begin by placing a glass bowl and whisk or electric mixer whisk attachments into the refrigerator or freezer depending on your time allowance. When the utensils have had a chance to 'chill' remove them and pour the cream into the bowl. Immediately begin whipping the cream until it forms semi stiff peaks. Add sugar a little at a time until thoroughly combined and tastes as sweet as you would like it to be. You may refrigerate this whipped cream until you use it but it is BEST fresh. Enjoy!

Great add-ins...always fold in these ingredients until incorporated.
1 Tb. Chocolate syrup
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Vanilla

submitted by Nicole

PEACH COBBLER

This is a fantastic version of Peach Cobbler. Do yourself a favor and only use fresh peaches, not canned in juice. The most important thing about this recipe is not to overmix. This will cause the cobbler part to become doughy. Less is more! The kitchen will smell soooo good when this is in the oven, enjoy!

Ingredients...

1/4 cup + 2 Tb. Butter

2 cups Sugar

3/4 cup Flour

2 tsp. Baking Powder

Dash of Salt

1 tsp. Nutmeg

2 tsp. Cinnamon

3/4 cup Milk

2 cups Sliced Peaches, about 9 medium fresh Peaches.

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt BUTTER in 2 Qt. dish and set aside. Combine 1 cup SUGAR, FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT. Add MILK and BE CAREFUL NOT TO OVER MIX - STIR GENTLY ONLY UNTIL INCORPORATED! Pour batter over BUTTER in baking dish. DO NOT STIR. Combine PEACHES, CINNAMON, NUTMEG and 1 cup REMAINING SUGAR. Spoon over batter and DO NOT STIR! Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

You will love this recipe! By using fresh peaches you will achieve the perfect dessert. I like to serve it with VANILLA ICE CREAM or HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM. Sprinkle a little bit of nutmeg over your topping and ENJOY!

submitted by Nicole