I love muffins! I had a lot of apples and so this is one of the many things I made with them. Will make again for sure!

Apple Strudel Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped apples
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Stir in apples, and gradually blend in the flour mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan.
4. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture is like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over tops of mixture in muffin pan.
5. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

Candy Corn Sugar Cookies

I used a recipe for sugar cookies and then form them and baked, and they are adorable!!!! Small, but great bite size cookies. Perfect for Halloween parties!

Sugar Cookie

• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together.
3. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts. Leave one section uncolored. Dye with food gel one part yellow and the other orange.
4. Line a loaf pan with wax paper. Enough to over to cover the sides too. Press the white dough evenly on the bottom, then the orange, then the yellow. Chill in the refrigerator several hours.
5. Once chilled, removed cookie dough and slice into 1/4 inches slices and then start making triangles (like candy corn).
6. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Baked French Toast

I forgot to take a picture and it was a eaten. If I don't post the recipe, I'll forget what recipe I used and this is a keeper. Easy and everyone loved it.

1 stick of butter
3/4 cups of brown sugar mixed with
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 loaf french bread cut into 1-1/2 inch slices
5 eggs
1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concetrate
1 1/2 cups half and half

Melt butter in 9X13 pan. Sprinkle one third of sugar mixture into the butter and gently stir. Place bread slices into the pan. Sprinkle remaining sugar mix over bread. Beat eggs, half and half and orange juice and pour over the bread. Refrigerate overnight. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes. Serve warm with hot syrup.

Meatballs with Mushroom Gravy

These were pretty yummy. Simple too. Good combo!

1 - 1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 medium onion- chopped

8 saltine crackers- crumbled

1/4 cup milk

1 egg

salt & pepper to taste

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Mix all ingredients except soup. Roll into small balls and fry on top of the stove, turning occasionally so balls will brown. After balls are browned, pour off excess grease. Mix soup with 1 can of water and pour over meatballs in skillet. Cover and simmer 1 hours. (If gravy gets too thick, you can add more water.)

Coffee Cake

This was a fantastic recipe from The Pioneer Woman. Even non-coffee people loved it. Very dense. You don't need much. For sure repeat this!!!

Pioneer Woman’s Coffee Cake Literally

CAKE
2 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) regular (salted) butter
3 tablespoons instant coffee (I used Folger’s Crystals)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla

ICING
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) regular (salted) butter
1 pound powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons instant coffee
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream (add as needed)

FOR THE CAKE

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round baking pans.

Add 3 tablespoons to 1 cup boiling water. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
In a separate bowl, add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.

Combine above ingredients, then pour into pans. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until set.

Allow to cool completely.

Combine all icing ingredients, then ice cake. Chill for an hour before serving.

Pancakes and Syrup

These are both good recipes. I've used the syrup recipe three times already and this was good, but not my fav pancake recipe. I'm always trying new ones. I really am a fan of pancakes and waffles that have flax seed or wheat germ in them. :)

Wheat Germ Whole-Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1. n a medium bowl, mix eggs with oil and buttermilk. Stir in baking soda, wheat germ, salt and flour; mix until blended.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides, turning once.

Simple Maple Syrup

• 2 cups white sugar (I've used half brown sugar and half white too)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon maple flavored extract (I've used maple and butter flavored extract too)

1. In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and stir in maple flavoring. Serve warm.

We all loved these green beans. Easy and great!

Sauteed Green Beans

• 5 slices bacon (center cut)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (chopped whole almonds)
• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen cut green beans (used fresh green beans)
• 1/4 cup butter (no need for this with using some of the bacon drippings)

1. Place bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until browned on one side, then turn over to cook on the other side. Add the almonds to the skillet at this time, and cook, stirring until light golden brown.
2. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the bacon drippings. Crumble or chop bacon, and return to the skillet. Melt the butter in with the drippings. Add the green beans; cook and stir until tender, about 8 minutes.