Cherry Pies for the Freezer

I've spent much of my time in this past week preserving sour cherries from my sister in-law's tree. Monday I easily spent a good eight hours or longer in the kitchen; rinsing, pitting, mixing together pie filling, making pie crust and so forth. Typically Josh's grandma and a nearby neighbor receive the majority of the fruit from her tree, but what started out as a request to make a couple of pies, ended up in over thirty pounds of cherries sitting in my fridge. Being the foodie nerd I am, I was excited and anxious to get started on my new project.

Never having baked with these particular cherries before, I spent much of that first night researching online and in several of my cookbooks for ideas, inspiration and just plain facts on preserving this fruit. I first made a batch of this jam and while it turned out pretty good, it only yielded four jars worth and required a lot of fruit and my time. I remember Josh's grandma saying how good of pies these cherries made, so that was next on my list.

I've never been a big fan of cherry pie, mom always used the store bought filling and it tasted mediocre, nothing real special in my opinion. But these, man do these make a good pie. This is what I think of as an all American pie, besides apple of course. I didn't use a ton of sugar for sweetening because I wanted the tart fruit to be the shining star in this dessert. You end up with a nice combination of tart and sweet, paired with a nice, homemade flaky crust, it's a real winner. The only thing that can make it better, is a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

So I ended up making four mini pies to deliver to share with our neighbors and then another five for the freezer. I've got a great start on my Thanksgiving desserts now, they will be a real treat come November! By the time I got done with all of that though, honestly, I was tired and over these darn cherries. The rest we ended up pitting and storing in quart sized freezer bags. I plan to send home a good amount with Josh's grandma when they come for a visit, she'll be needing to make some pies of her own. The rest we'll use for any of the desserts we want to make come winter and in smoothies. I was told they make a great addition so we're excited to give that a try.

Cherry season is definitely a short lived one, maybe even already coming to an end depending on where you live. If you can get your hands on some, by all means do so! Get your hands in the flour and make a pie, or maybe even a fruit crisp. If that's not your style, then at least freeze some to enjoy this winter. Try them in your smoothies, make a fruit filling to add to yogurt or spread on toast for breakfast. Freezing them couldn't be easier. You'll need to pit the fruit using either a pitter or simply your hands. In fact, towards the end I did this, gently tear the cherry in half and remove the pit from the middle. I then measured out the fruit in 3 cup increments and placed them in quart sized freezer bags. Three cups will be a good amount for any sort of dessert I plan to make. I didn't worry about flash freezing them because they will end up being used in desserts for the most part and I just didn't have enough time and supplies to do that. 

We're gearing up for the long holiday weekend at our house, it's also Josh's birthday. I'm planning on serving at least one cherry pie along with homemade ice cream for dessert. I can't think of a better summer time treat!

Cherry Pie {Freezer Friendly}

Ingredients:

for the crust:

2-1/2 cups flour

pinch of salt

1 stick cold butter,cubed

1/2 cup chilled shortening

1 cup ice water

for the filling:

5-6 cups pitted sour cherries

1-1/2 cups sugar

pinch of salt

3 tbsp tapioca

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine cherries, sugar, salt and tapioca. Let set for 20 minutes so tapioca can activate.

Meanwhile, to make the crust, combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Using a pastry blender or your hands, cut in butter and shortening, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Slowly add in water, half cup at a time. Using your hands mix together dough, making sure not to overwork it. Once it comes together in a ball, set aside.

Roll out half of dough onto a well floured surface using a rolling pin. Carefully place into a pie plate, trim excess dough to about 1 inch, leaving just enough dough to make crimped edges. 

Fill pie plate with prepared filling and set aside.

Taking the remaining dough, roll out again using the rolling pin. Cover pie with top crust. Trim edges and then roll the top and bottom crust together underhand so that it's sealed. Crimp the edge with your fingers or a fork.

If baking right away, brush crust with a beaten egg to give that nice golden brown finish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes to set crust. Then bake at 375 for another 30 minutes, filling should be bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving.

If freezing: place prepared pie onto a cookie sheet and freeze for several hours. Then slide into a large gallon size freezer bag that has been labeled and store in freezer. You may also cover with foil if you don't have any freezer bags on hand. Pies will keep for up to 9 months in the freezer. No need to thaw when ready to bake, you'll just need to increase baking time by about 15 minutes.

Easy Ranch Dressing

I'm back! And it feels pretty darn good to be sitting down to write. I've missed it so. After dealing with so many technical issues for the past few months, I was starting to lose hope. My schedule also got pretty intense for awhile and what little time I did have was devoted to trying to fix things instead of creating new recipes, writing and photography. I won't lie, I lost my enthusiasm a bit. But I promise, it's all good now. I'm excited to start cranking out new ideas for you. You'll notice some of my most recent posts are missing, I'm honestly not sure if I can retrieve them, they might be ones I'll rewrite, I'm really not sure. It's not a huge setback though and I'm ready to just move forward! Thank you for sticking it out with me through all of this chaos.

I'm pretty picky about my ranch. There really aren't any bottled brands that I love, they all taste so, well, fake. I'd much rather enjoy my salad than feel like I'm choking down something.

Now that summer is officially here, you can find fresh dill everywhere. Whether you grow it yourself or pick up a bundle from the farmers' market, it's really cheap and so flavorful. In fact, I can't get enough of all the fresh herbs right now. Without adding calories, you can jazz up dishes quite simply.

You'll love how easy this ranch dressing is to make on your own, in fact the kids could even do it. While it's great for salads, it's also great for dipping those garden fresh veggies in. I actually brought dinner to a friend recently and included a jar of ranch to go along with the veggies I chopped up for snacking. In fact we're currently going through a batch every other week. If I can get the kiddos to inhale more veggies then I'm not complaining!

Easy Ranch Dressing

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
2-3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp celery seeds

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Transfer dressing to a container and store in fridge until ready to use. For best results, let chill for at least a couple hours.

Stir well before serving.

7-Layer Tostadas

It's been a little while! In case you haven't been following along on social media, the family and I spent almost two weeks in Florida over the Christmas holiday. It was such a needed break for all of us, especially this mama. I can't tell you how good it was to enjoy those days with my loved ones and to experience that beautiful state together. I've come home feeling recharged and ready to jump back into not only blogging, but getting back to our normal day to day activities.

So, thank you for sticking around. I'm anxious to start sharing new recipes and posts with you!

One of the things I missed most while traveling was having my kitchen, or just a kitchen in general to cook in. During our last several days in Florida, we stayed with my husband's aunt and uncle. They had plans for New Year's day so that night we made our way to their local grocery store and purchased ingredients for a simple dinner. I was craving veggies at that point. Not something I would ever have expected from my former self. While it was certainly a very simple meal we prepared together, it was delicious.

I tried having salads, etc as much as I could during our vacation. But you know how it is, it's just hard to always eat like you would normally when on the go. Returning home gave me new energy for meal planning and just cooking in general. I've kept my little notepad near by, jotting down any new ideas that came to mind.

These tostadas were one. We love taco nights in our house and it's fun to come up with new variations to ensure we're never bored. I also love a good layered taco dip; you know the one, with a seasoned sour cream, refried beans, etc. I decided to mix the two together in this meal of ours.

The hubby has to have his meat. Myself on the other hand, I like it, but could really care less. I went with a meatless version, the beans are a great source of protein. I laid these out family or buffet style and let everyone make their own. The kids love that! It gives them control over their food. Everyone ate really well that night, and that always tells me when my meals are a hit. Or maybe just the fact that they were getting tired of eating out. Ha!

I also love this idea for parties. You can set up a little do-it-yourself bar and let everyone make their own tostada. Taco or walking taco bars are always a hit, so here's a different approach. Just make sure to have extra shells on hand, for scooping up the extra goodness on your plate. It's a given!

7-Layer Tostadas

Ingredients:

8 oz. sour cream

2 cups {or one can} refried beans

2 avocados

2 tomatoes, diced

1 green pepper, diced

8 oz. grated/shredded cheddar cheese

head of lettuce, chopped

Salsa, for topping if desired

Tostada shells

Directions:

Mash avocados together in a medium bowl to your desired consistency and set aside.

To assemble tostadas- layer ingredients onto prepared tostada shells in this order: sour cream, beans, mashed avocado, lettuce, cheese, tomato, green pepper and salsa. Of course, you can really layer them in any order you desire.

Serve immediately. Makes enough for 6.

December

Oh December, where have you gone? The whole year itself has flown by. We've had a busy month so far and have made some awesome new memories.

We kicked the holiday season off with our community's annual Holiday Hoopla event. Our 8-year old performed with her dance team. It was freezing outside that night, but lots of fun! The kids loved seeing Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive.

Next, we spent a morning riding the snowflake express. Another annual event that has become popular in our town. A train ride complete with hot cocoa, cookies, Christmas carols and of course, Santa.

I look forward to my cookie exchange each year, this year happened to have marked my 6th one. As always, the ladies all brought an awesome selection of cookies.

We played a couple games, this reindeer one being new to us. I purchased cheap pantyhose from the Dollar tree and balloons.  Each team picked a leader to wear the "rack". They were given six minutes to blow up as many balloons as they could, while the leader stuffed them into the pantyhose. Whichever team's rack was the biggest won. It was silly, fun, and they were all good sports!

Later that night the hubby and I also attended a fun holiday party. I made him partake in a little photo fun!

While we were gone, the girls spent the evening decorating cookies at my parent's home. They were quite into it. And the stocking hat, I have no idea. She's become obsessed with wearing it everywhere. I said she should be the poster child for my father in law's company!

Now that Christmas is just one week away, the family and I are looking forward to Christmas break off. Almost two weeks of vacation and relaxing.  I've decided to take this time off from blogging and just enjoy some time off from work and with my family. I might try to squeeze in one more post before Tuesday.  Otherwise, expect to see regular posts back in January.  Follow along on Facebook and Instagram though, I'll be sharing what we're up to!

Exciting new things are lined up for 2016, starting with a much needed updated look for the blog! I can't wait to show you. But for now, take time to slow down yourself this season and have a very merry Christmas!

Orange Cranberry Rolls

A couple years ago at Christmas time, I advertised that I was taking orders for cinnamon rolls. I was still working from home as a child care provider and then also decorating cakes/cupcakes on the weekends. Cinnamon rolls happened to be one of the best sellers at my farmers' market booth and I got to thinking, who wouldn't love to wake up on Christmas morning to fresh baked sweet rolls?!

So it was a go, and a big hit at that. My husband was working second shift at the time, so I spent the evening mixing up close to 200 rolls. They rose over night and then on Christmas Eve. morning, I baked them for customers to pick up. All they would have to do is simply reheat the next day and enjoy.

I wish I had time to do it again this year, because I would definitely offer in addition to the cinnamon rolls, my caramel pecan and these new orange cranberry. Next year for sure!

I love a good baking project and sweet rolls are always a welcomed treat in my house. Sundays are my favorite day for baking. I try to have all of our work done around the house, so I can use the day for baking and preparing meals for the upcoming week. I had originally planned to bake scones but after some thinking, I quickly decided to give the sweet roll version a try.

I used my favorite cinnamon roll recipe and just adapted it to the orange and cranberry flavors. Everyone in the house loved the results! Even if a couple of them picked out the cranberries ha! They still went for the citrus flavor. These might have to be a new favorite when it comes to special breakfast treats.

Orange Cranberry Rolls

Ingredients:
2-1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 cup milk, room temp
2 eggs
5 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
4-1/2 cup flour
1 tsp orange zest

for the filling:
2 tbsp melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup dried cranberries
zest of one orange

for the buttercream:
1 stick butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
Zest and juice of 1/2 orange
splash of milk, if needed for additional thinning

Directions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve yeast into milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Add in eggs, melted butter, sugar and salt. Mix to combine. Gradually add in flour, you might need to add in up to one half cup more. Mix in orange zest. Once dough has come together, switch to the dough hook and knead for five minutes. Remove dough and place into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm spot for one hour.

When dough is ready, punch down and turn over onto a well floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a large rectangle, about 18x16 inches. With a pastry brush, spread melted butter on dough. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cranberries and orange zest.. Starting with the long side, roll up the dough, making sure to pinch seams to seal. Using a sharp knife, cut into 15 slices. Place rolls into greased baking pans.

Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When ready to bake, place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool while you mix up buttercream.

To prepare buttercream: In a large bowl, cream together butter, orange zest and juice. Gradually add in powdered sugar, mixing together well. Add in milk by the teaspoon, in small increments, just until the buttercream has reached your desired consistency. Frost rolls with buttercream when done.

Delicata Chips

I know what you're thinking, why the squash lady? Bear with me here though. We still have to eat, and foods other than desserts. I've got some of those up my sleeves this holiday season, but let's try to round this out a little bit, shall we?

I told you all about my small makeshift root cellar we put together this year. Well, I'm being a good steward and not letting those veggies go to waste. And I've personally come to love squash of all varieties in my adult years. Crazy how that happens. It's still a work in progress with the children and even the hubby, but we're getting there. They at least humor me and give most everything a try.

Delicata, or sweet potato squash, is one that I've only tried just this year. It's fairly small and has a very delicate skin, in fact you don't even have to peel it. It's also one that won't last for long in storage, so I'm making sure we eat these up before some of our others.

So far, I'm keeping these pretty simple. Cutting them in half and then slicing each side into smaller pieces, tossing with olive oil, salt and pepper and then roasting in the oven. So good! Each slice is tender and has a wonderful, almost sweet taste to it. They are great for snacking or of course, as a side dish. You won't need any sort of dipping sauce, but I've always had good luck getting the hubby to try new veggies when he can dip them in hot sauce; so I figured why not?  Even better in my book. I've still got a couple of these left in our winter storage, we might try stuffing them for a new variation; but if all else fails, I know we'll love this version just as much!


Delicata Squash

Ingredients:
1 medium delicata squash
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce or buffalo sauce, for serving

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with foil and set aside.

Wash the skin of squash. Slice in half the long way and using a spoon, scoop out pulp and seeds. Then slice each half again into 1/2 inch slices.

Place squash onto prepared baking sheet. Toss all slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, then using a spatula turn all slices over. Bake for another 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Serve immediately with hot or buffalo flavored sauce, if desired.

Veggie Club Pizza

Did you enjoy a nice Thanksgiving holiday? About shopping, have you ventured out yet? Our family spent the day between both of our families, ending the night at the hockey game. It was a good day surrounded by our loved ones and good food. As for the shopping; the hubby and oldest went to one store and that was it. They picked up the two items they went for and came back home. I haven't really had the desire to shop so I'm staying put in the house.

Before Thanksgiving, we ended the work week with our usual potluck day. All staff members bring in a dish and we take over the conference room as we stuff our faces. We always end up with way too much food and spend our lunch hour chatting among each other and enjoying that relaxing time.

I chose an easy appetizer that I haven't made in years. It's quick to assemble the night before and can set in the fridge for awhile before serving. Did I mention that it's just really good too?

Now you can certainly keep this a traditional veggie pizza, but I love the addition of shredded chicken and crumbled bacon. It adds a bit of heartiness without being too heavy. In fact, I even kept a small section strictly only veggie for my vegetarian friend to enjoy.

Since I love experimenting and creating new recipes on a regular basis, I don't always rely on the same dishes when it comes to party planning. But this used to be one of my go-to appetizers for potluck gatherings or any time I had many mouths to feed. And even though I typically prefer to cook from scratch, even I can use some shortcuts. The crust starts with a couple tubes of crescent rolls and that's okay, they make for a tasty crust and everyone loves it.

We're officially into the holiday season, a time where every weekend seems to be a new party of some sort. It's the time of year where we're constantly whipping up desserts and appetizers to bring to parties. Tuck this easy one in a safe spot, you'll want it create it soon!


Veggie Club Pizza

Ingredients:
2 tubes crescent rolls
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dill weed
salt and pepper
1 cucumber, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 cup shredded or gated cheddar cheese
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken breast
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press crescent rolls out onto a large baking sheet (10x15-inch) and bake in oven for 12 minutes, just until crust is set and lightly browned. Remove from oven to cool while you mix up spread.

In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add in garlic, dill weed and a pinch of both salt and pepper. When crust has cooled, using a knife or spreader, spread over crust.

Top with cucumber, tomatoes, cheese, chicken and bacon. Serve immediately or cover and store in fridge.