Apple pie

This post is devoted to another fall favorite of mine and Ty's absolute favorite dessert, apple pie! I love how this classic American dessert perfectly marries, yet spotlights the tartness of granny smith apples, the flakiness of a perfectly made pastry crust, and the fragrances of all those fabulous spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. This was actually my first pie and boy was I happy with how it turned out. You will be too! Enjoy!

What you'll need:
1 package of pie crusts (normally comes with two)
5-6 granny smith apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2 lemon juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. of butter

Directions:
1. Prepare pie crust according to directions on package for 1 filled crust pie.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix slices apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a pan and cook the apple mixture for 5 minutes. Not too long otherwise the apples will turn a bit too mushy.
5. Spoon apple slices into pie crust

 6. Arrange lattice crust on top of apple mixture. It's really easy! For detailed instructions, please see the Simply Recipes website.
7. Bake for 45 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and let cool down!

Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Fall is here, fall is here! It's time to pull out those chunky sweaters, patterned scarfs, and cute boots.  It's also time to get ready for some delicious fall flavors. I know I have! I'm already craving those fall-y decadent and creamy soups, heartwarming baked desserts, and roasted vegetables and squashes and meats. To celebrate the coming of fall, I made a spiced pumpkin cheesecake, my first cheesecake in fact! The recipe is an adaptation from Paula Deen's pumpkin cheesecake recipe and I have to say, it's so good and really easy to make. The hardest part is honestly waiting for the cheesecake to set in the fridge! Hope you enjoy!

 What you'll need:
2 pre-made graham cracker crust*
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* If you use pre-made graham cracker crust like I did, the recipe below makes two cheesecakes. Make sure you get two pre-made cracker crusts from the store otherwise you'll have too much filling!  Another thing is I added a lot more cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves than the recipe asked for. Feel free to add as much spice as you want. 

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat the cheesecake until it's soft and moldable (enough)
3. Mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar, spices, flour, and vanilla until it is fairly well mixed. Mix in blender or food processor for a really good mixing
4. Pour filling into crust. Bake for 1 hour. Some reviewers have said the pie can take longer to cook. Poke the cheesecake with a toothpick after 1 hour and see if the cheesecake is runny. If it is, keep baking and check every 10 minutes. You don't want it to overbake!

 5. Cover cheesecake with plastic liner and refrigerate for at least 4 hours!

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

Hi, this is Tyler, this is my first guest post!  I've selected Beef Bourguignon, a very tasty dish.  This is the third time I've made it.  This dish originates in Burgundy and brings a deep richness of flavor via red wine.  I first had this dish after a long day of skiing in New Mexico and decided I had to make it myself.  My spin on it is intensely flavorful and relatively simple.

What You'll Need:
2 lbs cubed beef (very easy to find)
1 large yellow onion
1 package baby portobello mushrooms
1/2 bottle inexpensive Pinot Noir or Burgundy
2 shots brandy (optional)
1 small 6 oz can tomato paste (perfect size)
12 oz beef stock or top off crockpot
Salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Garlic Powder
Celery Seed
Thyme
Oregano (I use a lot of seasoning in things)

Directions:
1. Place all the beef in a large frying pan.  Brown the meat on high heat, turning the chunks to brown each side.  Some pink on the inside is ok, it's going to be cooked for a long time in the crockpot.   

2. Dump all the meat into a pasta strainer.  This will drain off most of the drippings and make your final result healthier and less greasy. 

3. Dice the yellow onion and quarter the mushrooms.  Place these in the crockpot with the drained beef.  

4. Turn your crockpot on high as you prepare the liquid portion of the stew.  Pour in the red wine, the stock, the and scrape the tomato paste in.  Optionally add a small amount of brandy for intense flavor.  Stir it all together. 
5. Add all the seasonings.  For me I can never add too much dried oregano but be sure to get your salt level right and be sparing with the cayenne.  Taste the liquid and adjust accordingly, don't be alarmed by the "booziness," the alcohol will cook off. 

 

6. Top off your crockpot and set it to low.  Let it cook overnight or while you're at work, I usually put it in before bed.
7. When you come back to you have a huge batch of stew!  Like any stew it keeps well in the fridge, I get at least 4 servings out of this, if not more. Such a good value.