InstaFriday

Happy Friday again, wow that went fast.We have a pretty full weekend ahead, I hope you all get a chance to relax or do something you enjoy!

 Autumn porch...done.

 date night with the mister

 hello there

 only half of us are nuts for nuts

 this face.....

 um, hi.

 the girls really want to come inside. the mister would not be happy.

No Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Granola bars are a staple in my rascals lunch boxes, they eat them all the time. They loved these! They could not have been simpler to make.

Recipe by Lauren's Latest


1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl stir the cereal and oats together, set aside, in a small saucepan melt butter, honey and brown sugar cook over medium high heat until it starts to bubble, reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, pour in vanilla and stir, pour over cereal and oat mixture, stir well to combine. Pour into a lightly greased jelly roll pan (about 12X8X1) Press out to be about 3/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips and press them lightly. I placed in the freezer for 30 minutes to set up. Then slice into bars. Store in a airtight container.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

This really is a must serve dip at all football gatherings. I am not a fan of chicken wings, too much work, and mess. With this dip I can have my cake and eat it too, without all that gunk all over your fingers and in your nails. You must make it.

3 packs or cans of chicken breasts (found with the tuna)
8.5 ounce of buffalo wing sauce (I use about 1/2 a jar), if you like things extra hot add more
3 stalks celery, chopped
4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup ranch dressing
shredded cheddar and shredded pepper jack cheese to cover the dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drain the chicken and dump into a bowl, shred with a fork, add chopped celery, wing sauce, ranch and cream cheese, mix until all combined. place into an 8X11 baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray, cover with a mixture of shredded cheddar and pepper jack cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or warm flour tortillas.

Ina's Apple Crisp

Hey friends, I wanted to repost one of my favorite recipes because it is so delicious and yummy and we are in the middle of apple season and I don't want you to miss out on this winning recipe. Seriously. Enjoy.


I have spoken before of my love of Ina Garten, let me just tell you this recipe is NO JOKE! It is THE BEST APPLE CRISP....EVER! I am not kidding, just stop searching, it stops here, your done. your good. It's easy and it's the best. The End.

5 pounds McIntosh or Macoun apples (I used all kinds of apples, 5 pounds is about 10 large apples)
grated zest of 1 lemon
grated zest of 1 orange
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg

For the topping
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 13 dish.
Peel, core and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and spices. Pour into dish.

To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas. Scatter evenly over the apples.

Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm.

Trust me it is perfection at this stage, right here....but you could add a little somethin else to take it over the top.

Like a scoop of home made vanilla ice cream, that's how I roll.

InstaFriday

Oh my it's Friday, thank goodness. I am sorry about no recipe posts this week, I have been baking, just stuff that I've already posted! I spent way too much time fiddling with how to repost some of my fall favorites, hopefully will get that figured out this weekend. Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

 It's pumpkin bread season, we go through this stuff like C A N DY.

 The best part of my day.

 my new read, came recommended. It's a trilogy and similar but different from hunger games.

 I've never seen a kid more pumped to be safety patrol. love it.

 so that salsa mother and brother canned a few weeks back? It's ridunkulous.

 cousins

 I put my mice up early, cause I love them so....

 Leon could NOT hang til the Panthers played, good thing he fell asleep cause we got our booties handed to us....on a silver platter.

 So stepping out of my comfort zone and wearing color. I kind of like it.

 taco soup

Cheers.

Monday Musings

1. So I decided to download our next book club book to my new phone so I can listen to it while doing my cardio. Did I mention the book is World War Z? Z is for Zombies? Ya. a lot of scoping out the woods and turning around to see what is lurking behind me. spooky.

2. You know that person out in public with the tag hanging out of their shirt? Yeah, that lady with the sticker down her jeans showing her size and length, thinking she looks cute in her new jeans? Yes, that's me. It never fails.

3.  I tried tuning into X Factor last week, see what all the hype is about, also because I wanted to stare at Brittney Spears and listen to her talk. It was awful. Really. The Voice is so much better. If Christina could just cover herself up a bit it would be excellent.

4.  The mister and I seriously cannot wait for our shows to start. We are major couch potatoes in the fall. It makes us giddy. Silly, I know.

5. It's here people. I couldn't be happier, it's my favorite time of year. I'm heading to the attic to bust out my seasonal decor. Laugh if you want to.

6. Speaking of laughing. The mister and I almost cry from laughing so hard every time this comes on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpP1P01lN_w

7. What ever happened to Burt Reynolds?

8.  Happy Monday!

Apple Cake

My mom made this cake often when we were growing up, she took it to many potlucks, I was always first in line to get a slice. It's yummy.

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
juice and zest of of 1 orange
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 large apples, cored, peeled and sliced
2 tsp cinnamon
5 Tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour and bundt cake pan, set aside.
Mix first seven ingredients in a large bowl until combined. In a small bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over apple slices until fully coated.Pour 1/2 of cake mixture into prepared cake pan. cover with apples, pour rest of batter over apples (the batter is thick) I use a spatula to try to smear the batter and cover as many of the apples as I can.

Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 30 minutes then flip onto cooling rack.

InstaFriday

We are being spoiled with some gorgeous weather this week, the kind that allows you to open your windows and let the fresh air blow through. Enjoying every second of it. Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend.

 birthday sleepovers, no sleeping going on/

 fall sports starting up, so cute.

 I think Leon didn't sleep during the sleepover either, NOT.

 pinterest inspired crafting while watching footbal

 I love how it turned out

 open windows

apple season

Chunky Apple Sauce

As much as I adore Spring and all the beautiful flowers and the warm weather, Autumn is my true love. I love the crisp air, shorter days, gorgeous leaves and the food. The soups, stews, root vegetables, something roasting in the oven for hours, then enjoyed in front of a crackling fire. Also with Autumn comes Apple season, so many varieties all so delicious when eaten at their peak. My brother and sister in law dropped of a huge bag of apples fresh from the orchard so I have a lot of  baking to do. I first started with a batch of applesauce. There is nothing better then home made apple sauce.

Recipe by Taste of home

8 cups peeled, chopped tart apples (about 3 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (if using sweeter apples use less sugar)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract

In a dutch oven combine the apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook over med-low heat until the apples are tender (30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add vanilla, mash apples until desired texture is reached. Serve warm or cold.

InstaFriday

this face never gets old.

kettle corn at the local fair. inhale.

our view over labor day weekend, thanks to some dear friends.

my first pumpkin spice latte of the season.

afternoon homework

can't wait to give this a whirl.

Southern Bourbon Mountains: Alzheimer's

Southern Bourbon Mountains: Alzheimer's: BB with my little peanut I have wanted to write this post for a long time but have hesitated because I did not want to embarrass the s...

Chocolate Almond Granola

We love granola in our house, we (I) eat it by the bowlfuls. I top it on yogurt or eat it right out of the bag as an afternoon snack. This recipe made a lot and it has very few ingredients. I thought the mister would enjoy that it had cocoa in it. He is a chocoholic after all.

Recipe by Lauren's Latest

8 cups quick cooking oats (I mixed half quick cooking and half regular, I actually prefer regular oats)
1 cup sliced, toasted almonds
2 cups unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup maple syrup (use pure, if you can)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa (heaping)
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, coconut. Set aside. In a small liquid measuring cup melt butter  in microwave, add cocoa and maple syrup. Microwave for another 30 seconds or until there are no more lumps. stir, add vanilla. Pour mixture over bowl of oats and stir well to make sure it's all coated. Divide between 2 cooking sheets, bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Cool and store in airtight container.

Monday Musings

1. Here's what I know for sure....if there is a spider web within 50 feet of me I WILL walk through it, face first. Then after cursing and pulling the web from my hair and eyelashes I will fell remorse for that spider who probably worked all night on that web, and is currently cursing me.

2.  Another thing I know for sure, stopping running for a period of time then trying to start back up is not easy, it's a battle, in my head, and I HATE it!

3.  After re-reading number 1 I think I realized why I actually got bitten by a spider this summer and almost died (not really) almost. I totally deserved it.

4.  http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/03/13642085-green-mile-actor-michael-clarke-duncan-dead-at-54?lite/&ocid=ansmsnbc11 this makes me sad. R.I.P. Michael.

5. Honestly I am not sure what I'm more excited about, FOOTBALL or FOOTBALL FOOD.

6. Another cool song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghb6eDopW8I

7. In 3 days we will have a teenager living under or roof. Where did the time go? I hope I don't screw this up.

8. Fact: the first bullet proof vest AND windshield wiper blades were made by women. Pretty cool.

9. Fact: I just realized I am typing Monday Musings on Tuesday, you are so lucky

10. Have a wonderful week, are you ready for fall? or milking every last morsel of summer fun you can?