Praline-Apple Bread Using Local Apples this Season

My gal pal Tyne Morgan has been a busy cook it seems lately- she’s been baking up a storm and trying lots of new recipes. On a recent visit she was telling me about this Praline-Apple Bread recipe she had made and how simply delicious it was. She has Facebooked me the recipe about 3 weeks ago and I finally got around the making it the other day. She was right- a great recipe for this fall.

Be sure and visit a local orchard and pick up some local Granny Smith apples to make the bread and don’t forget to use Missouri Northern Pecans (they are wonderful to use in recipes like this). I just bought some at the recent Chestnut Festival this weekend for my holiday baking this season!

Praline-Apple Bread
From Southern Living Magazine

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups finely chopped, peeled Granny Smith apples (about 3/4 lb.)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake 1/2 cup pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring after 4 minutes.

Beat sour cream and next 3 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until blended.

Stir together flour and next 3 ingredients. Add to sour cream mixture, beating just until blended. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup toasted pecans. Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup chopped pecans; lightly press pecans into batter.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 50 minutes to prevent excessive browning. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.

Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil in a 1-qt. heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat, and spoon over top of bread; let cool completely (about 1 hour).

Note: To freeze, cool bread completely; wrap in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

(PHOTO: From Southern Living Magazine and recipe from Debbie Grusska, Hobart, Indiana)

Honey Apple Salad

It's apple season in Missouri! Orchards all over are offering the freshest apples on the farm and at the farmers' market. Check out a local orchard in your area.

Here is a simple recipe for a Honey Apple Salad that is perfect alongside bbq! It's one of my mother's favorites and it brings lots of childhood memories back for me.

Honey Apple Salad
from my mother's kitchen
3 1/2 diced red apples
2 T. lemon juice
2 c. grapes
1 c. sliced celery, thin
1/2 c. chopped dates
1/2 c. mayo
1/4 c. honey
2 T. sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

In a large bowl toss apples with lemon juice. Add grapes, celery and dates.

In a small bowl combine mayo, honey, sour cream and salt, mix.

Pour over apple mixture and toss; stir in walnuts.

Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins

It's surprising to me that being pregnant I haven't really cooked a whole lot of new dessert recipes. Guess i just turn to the old stand byes- guess that's human nature in us all though.

(PHOTO: 28 weeks and counting)

My sister-in-law Annie gave me a cookbook awhile ago and I was thumbing through it last week (I finished my fifth baby book and was in the reading mood- just completed the book Your Best Birth...I think it's the one book every pregnant woman should read). I came across a recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins and thought to myself...cream cheese, blueberries and lemon peel- how could you go wrong!

I also liked that the recipe included healthy ingredients like bran flakes! I just took these lovely muffins out of the oven about 30 minutes ago and they smell and taste wonderful!

They will make me and Caston (our little one that's on the way) a great late night snack tonight and a sweet start to breakfast in the morning!

Blueberry Cheesecake Muffins
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup, plus 1 T sugar or sugar substitute
2 eggs
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup bran flakes cereal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup soy flour (or just use another 1/2 cup of ap flour)
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
3 T melted butter
1 jar of no sugar added blueberry fruit spread (you'll find it with the jams and jellies at your local grocery store)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar, 1 egg, lemon peel and vanilla and beat.

Combine cereal, flour(s), 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Whisk milk, butter and 1 egg in small bowl, then add to cereal mixture. Mix gently until blended.

Spoon about 2 T of cereal batter into all muffin cups. Spread a about 1 tsp of fruit spread on top of batter. Then spread cream cheese mixture over fruit spread. Combine remaining 1 T of sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture over cream cheese mixture.

Bake 33 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool muffins for about 10 minutes. Refrigerate leftover muffins.

Just Peachy Breakfast Shake

It seems all I do anymore is eat- 24/7. And, if I’m not eating I’m hungry! But, I guess it comes with the territory of being pregnant- 21 weeks and going strong.

I can’t complain though- I’ve had a wonderful pregnancy and told my husband how much I enjoy being pregnant.

We found out that our house will be expecting a little boy come November. My husband was very pleased, knowing that he will have a little fishing buddy in the near future and!

Here is a quick breakfast treat that is both healthy and flavorful! I found this recipe on What to Expect.com.

Just Peachy Breakfast Shake
1 medium banana, frozen and sliced

1 cup frozen unsweetened peach slices

¾ cup vanilla yogurt

½ cup calcium-fortified cranberry juice

Soy protein powder (optional)

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor and process until pureed. Pour into a tall glass and serve.

Simple Grape Salad

When it comes to food- I want simplicity. Sometimes we get bogged down by fancy recipes with extravagant spices and ingredients, that we loose the true taste of the food.

That’s why I enjoy this recipe so much. It’s my mother’s recipe for a simple grape salad (that I served for Christmas dinner). The key to a this recipe is ensuring the grapes are ripe and tasty. Plus, I only use Missouri Northern Pecans because they are sweet and small (you can find them in most all grocery stores.)

Simple Grape Salad
By My Mother

2 ½ lbs. grapes
1 (8oz.) cream cheese, room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar
1 cup sour cream
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in sour cream and add to grapes. Mix brown sugar and nuts together and sprinkle over grapes.