Category: fall

When the fair comes to town so does the craving for a classic carnival sweet treat, caramel apples.

The annual parish (you all say county,  Louisianians say parish) fair is in town this week which means time to develop a recipe for fair inspired, fall delicious baked caramel apples.

The Might Thomas Carnivals

I don’t think you ever outgrow the love of fairs and carnivals or the classic food offerings associated with these only come to town once a year midways of amusement.

Dave the Builder gets a kick out of my proclamation “fair music!” when I hear “Up Around the Bend” by Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Back in my midway days, I definitely pondered perpetual motion twirling around the Tilt-a-Whirl, Scrambler, and Flying Bobs.

My tastes in carnival rides runs along the same lines as my interior design and decorating tastes.  I keep the line moving to the center of traditional and classic and go easy on the thrills and frills.

Say AHHH

No creepy clown sightings or clowning around with the prize winning flavor of a caramel apple.

Baked Caramel Apples

red delicious apples, cored and hallowed ½ way down center of the apple

Per apple:

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 heaping teaspoon caramel flavored frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Wash, core and hallow out apples about ½ way down the center.  Place apples upright in baking dish.

Sprinkle the inside of each apple with lemon juice.  Dust the center of each apple with cinnamon.

Add a generous teaspoon of the caramel flavored frosting to the center of each apple.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until apples are soft.  Serve warm as side dish or as a fabulous fall dessert topped with your favorite flavor of ice cream or whipped topping.

No need for butter or margarine with this recipe.  The salted caramel frosting pulls double delicious duty as both butter substitute and caramel flavor.

Easy.

Delicious.

Classic fall flavor.

Great Northern Bean and Chicken soup is the taste of fall in a bowl.

The culinary concept of the one-pot meal is brilliant.

Easy and quick from prep to finish are two of my favorite ingredients, and this easy and quick recipe for Great Northern Bean and Chicken soup hits a hearty high note.

For a weeknight dinner big on taste and easy peasy prep appeal, give this recipe a try.

Great Northern Bean and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon minced garlic

2 cans Great Northern beans

1½ cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 32 ounce box chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

2 cups water

Directions

Melt the butter in Dutch oven (or just toss the butter in with the veggies like I do).

Add the sliced carrots, chopped celery and chopped onion.  Sauté until onions become translucent.

Once a good bubbling boil is reached, reduce heat to low and allow soup to simmer for 45-60 minutes.

Remove the bay leaf and serve with crackers or cheesy cornbread.

Spicy sea salt and black pepper crackers add a touch of the all important c’est si bon.

Simple serves a satisfying dish.

How do you define homemade?

I like to take culinary liberties with the word homemade.

My homemade state of mind is firing on all culinary cylinders at this time of year.

Shortcuts that simplify, enhance and spice up the homemade baking and cooking experience top my ingredients list.

Store bought banana nut muffin mix is just an extra teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground cloves, and two ripe bananas thrown in for good measure away from scratch.

Welcome to my this is how we define homemade world.

Spiced up banana-nut muffin bread served with sliced apples and grapes make for a lovely fall afternoon nosh.

My daily life is messy, clean it up routine finds me at the kitchen sink washing dishes several times a day.

The upside of this daily routine is it allows me a pondering session.

At one time or another over the last 40+ years, I’ve stood in that exact spot pondering and appreciating the view from outside my kitchen window.

Gazing merrily along I spotted one lone falling leaf of deep golden amber.

That one lovely leaf was all the verification I needed to determine it’s soup weather!

The beauty of fall was the inspiration, but leftover instant mashed potatoes became the culinary catalyst for this recipe.

I like to come up with a soup, stew or chowder rich in hearty simplicity.

I think this simple corn chowder delivers.

Corn Chowder

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1/3  cup all-purpose flour

8  cups chicken broth

1 can cream of mushroom soup

2 medium potatoes, diced

1 cup prepared instant mashed potatoes

¼ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon fine black pepper

2 bay leaves

1 package frozen sweet corn

2 cans cream style corn

Directions

In a large pot melt butter over medium heat.  Add diced onions and saute until tender.  Add flour to the onions, stirring onions and flour constantly until onions are coated.

Pour in chicken broth and cream of mushroom soup, stirring until well blended.

Add potatoes, bay leaves, kosher salt and fine black pepper.

Stir to incorporate and bring mixture to a boil stirring.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 minutes or just until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add instant mashed potatoes, whisking until well blended.

Next, add frozen corn and cream style corn, stirring to incorporate.

Reduce heat to simmer, and allow chowder to heat through, uncovered, 10 – 15 minutes longer.

For no reason other than I adore the beauty of this cottage and its outdoor fall finery,  I’m including these images for the fall of it.

I like this definition of homemade.