Snackles: Is it dessert or breakfast?

It’s fall and that means all the stereotypical autumnal ingredients: apples, pumpkin, turkey, cinnamon, cloves, cranberries...

Of course the New England region probably deserves some credit for this seasonal list of tasty treats, as we do traditionally incorporate them into our local dishes and produce many of them quite well.  So in celebration of the season, my home, and pretending dessert is healthy, here’s what I’ve been cooking lately...

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp (dessert and breakfast in one pot!)

One quart slow cooker

3-5 apples, peeled and chopped (enough to fill the slow cooker pot  3/4ths full)
One cup of old fashioned oats or granola cereal (or a mix)
Heaping teaspoon cinnamon
Tablespoon walnuts (or other nuts, or no nuts)
⅓ cup Light Brown Sugar
3 ½ tablespoons butter, melted

1. Slice and dice the peeled apples into uniformly sized pieces.  Put about half in the slow cooker pot, add some thinly sliced butter and layer the rest of the apples on top.

2. Mix the oats / granola, cinnamon, and walnuts together and spread evenly over the apples.

3. Layer the brown sugar on top evenly.

4. Pour the melted butter all over that goodness.

Cook on high for 30 minutes and low for 60 minutes OR the slow cooker recipe book I have says cook on low for three hours. The 30 minute high and 60 minute low seems to work for me.

Serve with whipped cream, yogurt, or ice cream.

Makes four servings (or two, depending on how you go about it).

I’ve had now made three different versions of this recipe (different apples and different topping mix) and it has always come out beautifully. In a one quart slow cooker, this makes enough for two decent sized dessert servings and two leftover ‘definitely healthy enough for breakfast’ servings. It’s apples, people. Enjoy!

Thrifty Thursdays Snackles: MUFFINS

I hate to waste food. I can invent meals with the best of them. It's like the Great Depression in our kitchen; I won't throw anything out and the Month stockpiles food like there's no tomorrow.

I have had Trader Joe's pumpkin pancake mix living in my pantry for an unpublishable amount of time. Since I didn't really want to eat three pounds of pancakes in the near future and it's essentially fall flavor season, I decided to do something with it. The power of google brings us to the solution:

Pancake Mix Muffins (adapted from a post found via Taste of Home)

3 cups pancake mix (I used Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake & Waffle Mix)

2 tsp brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 - 1 2/3 cups milk

 Chocolate chips, nuts, etc for topping / mixing in.

Mix till just moist. Add toppings as desired. Bake at 375 for 18 min. Makes 12 muffins.

 I customized each muffin with different toppings: chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, vanilla almond granola, and a combo of all of the above. These muffins puffed up gloriously and were taste tested approved.

*The phrase "Thrifty Thursdays" popped into my head an a delightful alternative of what used to be "Thirsty Thursdays"...why drink heavily when you can make muffins?

Snackles: Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a comfort food I denied myself for years, since dairy often equaled 'fattening' in my head. Nowadays I feel good feeding my woman tasty treats and she's most happy if I'm sharing, so everything in moderation. This is easy and so wonderful and makes great lunch the day after (if any survives that long).

Baked Macaroni & Cheese (adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens recipe)

2 cups cooked pasta (penne or fusili work well)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon flour

Black Pepper

1 1/4 cup milk (I always use skim, lactose-free since that's what we keep in the house)

2 cups shredded milk (A mix is best: this batch has colby jack, sharp cheddar, swiss & guyrere)

1/2 to 1 cup of cracker or bread crumbs (I used ritz)

A sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

1. Cook and drain the pasta.

2. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter completely and add flour and pepper; stir until well mixed.

3. Add the milk all at once and stir until it begins to thicken and bubble.

4. Add cheese and stir until completely melted and smooth.

5. Toss well drained pasta in cheese sauce, coating all pasta evenly.

6. Distribute cheesey pasta into a square 8"x8" glass baking pan.

7. Sprinkle crushed crackers or bread crumbs on top; add a dusting of parmesan for extra cheese goodness.

8. Place baking pan into a 375 degree oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the top of the dish has browned lightly and is bubbling.

And enjoy!

Final Product!