Apple Berry Crisp-Cobbler

Apple Berry Crisp-Cobbler
Kristen W
One 9x13 pan

FILLING:

3-4 fresh apples
   *Best Option: without peeling, slice off around the core, use a dicer/chopper to dice into 1/2" cubes
   *Option 2: peeled and thinly sliced

About 1 c. of blueberries (frozen "wild blueberries" are smaller and work well)
¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon
2 TB flour

Place fruit in 9x13 dish. Sprinkle with salt, cinnamon, and flour and then mix.

CRISP TOPPING:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

¼ tsp. baking powder

½ cup butter, cold

1 cup oatmeal (half whole oats, half quick oats...or whatever you have)

In large bowl, mix brown sugar, flour, and baking powder until blended. Cut in cold butter until it’s broken up and evenly mixed.  Add oats (adding oats last keeps them from being crushed up) Mixture should be crumbly.

-Evenly spread over fruit.

-Bake at 350 for 45 minutes for fresh apples. (keep a few cut pieces of butter close by, and check part way through cooking. If there are parts of the topping that look totally dry, throw a piece on top!)
   ***If I make it beforehand, I broil it right before serving, just until the top is warm and bubbly - it helps with the crispness. WATCH the whole time though. Burnt crisp is not good.

-Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream.

Quinoa Red Bean Chili

Quinoa Red Bean Chili
Yield: about 8 servings
Adapted from Mel



1 TB oil
 1/2 c diced onion
 1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
 2 cloves minced garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
 2 tsp chili powder (add more to taste when serving)
 1 tsp cumin
 1 tsp dried oregano
 1 tsp salt
 1/4 tsp cinnamon
 Pinch of cayenne pepper (plus more for heat, if desired)
 1 c. uncooked quinoa (rinsed and drained)
 3  15-oz cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
 4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
 3 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
 1 1/2 c. frozen corn kernels

In a skillet set over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering and add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until the onion starts to turn translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

SLOW COOKER:
Scrape the mixture into the insert of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker.
Add the quinoa, beans, broth, and tomato sauce. Give the mixture a good stir. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Stir in the corn kernels to heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed. The chili will thicken as it sits.

STOVE-TOP:
Add the quinoa, beans, broth, and tomato sauce. Stir in the corn kernels to heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed.

****Serve the chili as is in a bowl, or over a potato, or over a sweet potato for a deliciously unique taste! Top with cheese, sour cream, avocados, fresh lime wedges, cilantro, or any other chili topping you desire.

Ooblek

Ooblek
Classic Family Tradition


Everyone should roll up their sleeves and prepare for some gooey fun.

This is easy. Pour the cornstarch into the bowl. Don’t rush to add water – take time to feel the cornstarch. Cornstarch does not feel like any other powder. It has a texture that can be compared to that of whipped cream. The grains of cornstarch are so small that they will fill into grooves of your fingerprints and make the prints stand out.

After you’ve taken-in the feel of the powder, it's time to add water. (You should add the food coloring to your water before adding it to the powder.)

There are no exact formulas regarding how much water to add, but it will end up being about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water per cup (235 ml) of cornstarch.

The secret is to add the water slowly and mix as you add it. Don’t be shy here – dig in with your hands and really mix it up. This is usually when you notice that this is not your average liquid. Add enough water so that the mixture slowly flows on its own when mixed. The best test is to reach in and grab a handful of the mixture and see if you can roll it into a ball between your hands – if you stop rolling it and it “melts” between your fingers – success!

********
Notice that the goo does not splash (or even move) if you hit it quickly. Squeeze it hard and see what happens. How long can you get the strands of goo to drip? What happens if you let the goo sit on the table for a minute and then try to pick it up? How does it feel? Hows does it move? Try bouncing a ball on the surface of the cornstarch. You get the idea – explore!

Snow - Homemade

Homemade Snow

Equal parts:

Cornstarch
Shave foam
     *(must be foam, not gel. Equate brand works great)


Mix together thoroughly (and messily!) and enjoy!
I'd recommend either doing it outside so you can rinse everything and everyone off, or do it on a tarp etc.

Coconut Crack (Kennedy)

Coconut Crack
Kennedy

Mix Together:

5 1/2 c. Rice Chex
5 1/2 c. Corn Chex
2 1/2 c. Golden Grahams
1 1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 1/2 c. shredded almonds

Cook on Medium:
1 c. sugar
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. butter
* Cook on medium and boil for 2 mins

Remove from stove and add 1 tsp. vanilla

Pour over mixture and mix together. Leave in bowl for 1 hour and stir it periodically for it to cool off. Then after a few hours cover it so it doesn't dry out.

Ebleskiver

Ebleskiver 
-Round Danish Pancakes-
Basic recipe adapted by Steven and Kristen
Yield: about 35 Ebleskiver... we like to double this recipe for 4-5 people



3 Large Eggs – separated
2 c Buttermilk
2 TB sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 c All-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 TB melted butter for oiling the grids

Beat the egg yolks in a bowl then whisk in the buttermilk and salt until thoroughly mixed.

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon together in a separate bowl.  Add to the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth and most of the lumps are gone.

Beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the first mixture.

Brush melted butter into the wells and turn ebleskiver pan on.  Fill each well 2/3 full.  Sprinkle in any filling, and use a skewer to cover the fillings with the surrounding batter. Allow them to cook until the bottoms are golden brown then turn over with a bamboo skewer to cook the other side (approximately 1-2 minutes.) You may need to tuck in the edges of the pancake after you flip it if the batter has grown outside the well.

-If you are going to put in a filling, fill the well, then place the filling on top, and kind of push down and bury it in the batter, so when you turn it over it doesn't contact the cooking well. Otherwise it will look burnt. You'll find what works best for your fillings with practice. It's delicious no matter.

**In a pinch, you can also use pancake mix as a basic batter, but still separate the eggs and beat/fold the whites into the batter. 


TO EAT/SERVE...

Fillings while cooking:
Cream cheese, jalapeno-type cheese dips, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, lemon curd, jam, Nutella, banana, cut cheese cubes, pepper jack cheese, sautéed apples with cinnamon

Drizzle or Dip in:
Jams, Melted Cheeses, Applesauce, Yogurt, Apple Syrup, Buttermilk syrup, maple syrup

**Favorite combos**

-Cream cheese filling dipped in Apple Syrup

-Banana with Nutella or jam filling, dipped in the opposite Nutella or jam not used in filling

-Sausage filling, dipped in maple syrup

-Sausage and cream cheese filling

-Cooked hamburger and cheese

-Sausage and pepper jack

-Nutella and cream cheese

-Cream cheese and lemon curd, dipped in raspberry/strawberry jam

Mexican Hot Chocolate

Mexican Hot Chocolate
Kneaders, Joanna's recommendation

Hot chocolate mix:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1-2 cinnamon sticks

For serving:

1/2 cup hot water

3 1/2 cups milk

1/2 – 1 tsp. vanilla

Whipped cream

In a saucepan, combine cocoa, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.

Whisk in hot water, bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes.

Add milk and stir to heat thoroughly.

Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla. Beat with a whisk until foamy.

Serve hot with cinnamon sticks and whipped cream.