Apple Spice Muffins

 

These muffins are oh-so tasty and delicious!  They’re exceptionally moist

because of the apple sauce and really hit the spot as a mid-morning or after-

school snack.  They’re even great without the cream cheese frosting, (less

messy) for when you’re in a hurry and on the run. Dressed up or dressed

down,  these tasty cinnamon muffins are sure to hit the spot.

 

 Apple Spice Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

2. Whisk  together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. With an electric

mixer on  medium-high speed, cream butter and both sugars until pale and

fluffy.

3. Add  eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down

sides of  the bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low, add applesauce and then

the flour mixture. Beat until just combined.

4. Divide batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops spring back when touched. Transfer

to a wire rack to cool completely before removing. Store in an airtight 

container. Can be frozen for up to 2 months. Makes 12 muffins.

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 package (4 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature

1/8 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and confectioners’ sugar

until smooth; beat in vanilla and cinnamon, if using.

2. Top each cupcake with frosting using a knife, spatula or piping bag.

Cupcakes can be dressed up for Halloween using a variety of chocolate,

colored sprinkles, candies, caramel and cookies. Frosted cupcakes can be

refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; bring to room temperature

before serving. 

This recipe can also be found in Southfields Village Voice Magazine, Volume 2, Issue II, September 2011 – November 2011, Page 17.

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Hungry Farmboy Hamburger Pitas

You might not be’ef this, but when we buy beef … we buy it in bulk;  a full cow … or a half a cow … depending on how much room is in the freezer. Scout’s honour. So this situation makes for a lot of ground beef, and as a result I have spent a large portion of my life coming up with meals made from it, because let’s face it, a person can only eat so much spaghetti. This is a recipe I created, based on ground beef and easy, nutritious foods that are usually in my pantry.  It’s a real crowd-pleaser, full of flavour, and hits the spot with famished, hard-working, farmboys!  There isn’t a farmboy for miles who won’t thank you for making this dish.

   

Farmboy #1

Hungry Farmboy Hamburger Pitas

6 X-large pitas, white or whole wheat

BBQ sauce (we like Dianna’s)

2 lbs. lean hamburger meat, cooked

2 large onions, diced

1 cup corn, blanched, and drained

1 ripe tomato, diced

1 really large or three regular sized mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 cup flour

1/8 cup + 3 tablespoons water

1 cup beef bouillon

1 teaspoon gravy browning

3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Farmboy #2

Method

1. Chop two onions into chunks & cook in olive oil until transparent.

2. Add chopped mushroom to onions and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, then set aside.

3. Cook hamburger meat in skillet until no longer pink, drain off the fat and finish by patting with paper towel to remove the last of the grease.

4. Return cooked beef to the pan and add the cooked onions, mushrooms, corn, and bouillon (if you have any beef bouillon left over from cooking a pot roast,  use it here, the results are to die for). Stir over medium heat, for 3 minutes.

5. Thicken the bouillon. Mix water and flour together and whisk until there are no lumps. Add gravy browning, mix and pour into the hamburger mixture.  Stir hamburger until most of the liquid has been thickened. Remove from heat.

6. Spread each pita with BBQ sauce, coating evenly.  Then place a generous helping of the hamburger mixture onto each pita and spread it evenly. Divide the cheese evenly between the pitas. Add tomatoes if using.

7. Bake in a 425 °F oven on the centre rack for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble and turn slightly brown.  Cool for 10 minutes and cut into wedges.

 Farmboy #3

Ryan’s calf’s around somewhere …

lying on a fresh bed of straw, all pretty and pampered.

Hamburger pita’s without tomatoes are delicious!

Hamburger pita’s WITH tomatoes are super delicious!

And this is what you’ll be left with when you make these for the people you

love.  They will swoon and rave and thank you endlessly.

Can you feel the love yet? I know I can. Now go find your farmboys, or

somebody’s else’s farmboy, and show ’em some love!

Love, TSW ♥

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Toasted Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich

You say tomato, I say, tomáto

This really is an old standby, but sometimes we need a reminder of  just how

good it is, because sometimes we forget.  At least that’s how it was for me

whenI whipped this up.  I’ve been staring a hoards of tomatoes salvaged from

mygarden, which got terribly neglected in the last couple of months.  With the

impending cooler weather, my husband graciously gathered them all up and

nicely put them all over my deck so that everyone who came, could see what

lovely tomatoes I grow. (I think it had more to do with him wanting to plough

up my garden and plant his winter wheat).

[A sure sign of fall; the leaves on the field of soybeans, are turning yellow]

At any rate, I’ve got all these tomatoes and I just haven’t had time to do

anything with them. So yesterday, well past lunch time, rushed and famished,

I made myself a toasted tomato sandwich.  What an absolutely delicious

surprise it turned out to be.  In fact, it was so good … I had to make a second.

[Beets, zucchini and ripe tomatoes from my garden]

So what’s the t’mater with you?? 

So, if like me, you have an abundance of garden tomatoes sitting around, just

waiting to be used, make yourself one of these toasted delights.  If you live in

Ontario, like I do, it’s one of the last tastes of summer, you’re likely to have for

awhile.  So you won’t want to miss it!

 

 

Toasted Tomato & Lettuce Sandwich

Bread – in this case, I used some sliced round Calabrese bread, but feel free to

use whatever you like best.  Some prefer toasted, some don’t — the good thing

is — there are no rules!

Tomato – red, juicy, vine-rippened and … just picked.

Lettuce – washed, crisp leaves.

Mayo – a generous helping of mayo is always great with tomatoes.

Salt & Pepper – a light sprinkling of each, pulls all the flavours together.

Time Saver:  I’m sure I made this in under 5 minutes.

 

From my garden, to yours …..  don’t worry about it, it doesn’t  ‘tmater!

TSW ♥

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