My Spoiled Beagle

So it has officially been one year since I found my beloved beagle Barney walking down the road in good ole' Randolph County. What a wonderful year it has been! A late September Saturday morning, sitting on the porch drinking coffee with my mama, and he just came stumbling down the road, skin and bones but with a sweet welcoming smile on his face. My mama told me Jesus sent him to me, so after that of course I had to make him mine. Since I have no idea when he was really born, I will call this his birthday. To celebrate my little booger's special day, I made homemade Peanut Butter dog biscuits for him and his friends.

Baked Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 c flour

1/2 c milk

1/4 c dry oats
1 tbsp honey

1/2 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp applesauce

2/3 c creamy peanut butter

Mix all ingredients and form a dough to roll out about 1/2 inch think. Using a cookie cutter, cut out biscuits and place on a cookie sheet. Bake on 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Let them cool and store in an airtight container. Your little friend will love you. :)

Chicken Pillows

This recipe is quick and easy and great for fall. I had them with corn and creamed potatoes, which I also topped with the gravy.

Chicken Pillows

Ingredients:

Filling:

About 3 chicken breast, cooked and shredded

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp italian spices (I have a mixture of thyme, basil and oregano, but you can use whichever you have available)

1 tbsp minced onion

For Pillows:

1 can crescent rolls

1/4 cup melted butter

Italian bread crumbs (around 2 cups)

For Gravy:

1 can Cream of Chicken or Cream of Mushroom soup

1 packet chicken gravy mix

 

Boil chicken breasts until fully cooked, cool and shred with your hands. Mix cream cheese and sour cream until blended. Add chicken, salt, pepper, onion, and spices. To make the pillows, unroll crescent rolls and keep triangular rolls in sets of two to make 4 squares of dough, pushing the middle to seal the perforations so filling will not come out. Put 1/4 of chicken filling in each pillow and wrap around to completely cover the mixure. Dip pillow in melted butter, then dip in bread crumbs to completely cover. Bake on ac foil-lined cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the can of soup, gravy packet and 3/4 can of water in a small pot on the stove. Cook on low until warm and top each pillow before serving. This gravy is also great on creamed potatoes!

Chicken Cake Pops!

My little brother is a senior at NC State in Poultry Science and somehow became the president of the Poultry Science Club. Each meeting they have a meal provided, so this week I decided to make something sweet to go along with their Dominos Pizza. The author of Bakerella came up with the cake pops I've talked about before, but here's a new addition to the cake pop collection.

The inside consists of Funfetti cake and cream cheese icing, covered in melted white chocolate and various candys for the face. The eyes are gel black icing, which I do NOT recommend if you want to individually wrap these bad boys. Of course I had to wrap each chicken with red ribbon, representing The Wolfpack! I started out with 50 pops and when I finally got them finished I only had 34....you can bet I had an upset stomach that night. Sure hope he doesn't mind the girly tray.

Ready for fall....and apple pie!

Crisp mornings, football games, hoodies, carving punkins, the state fair, so many wonderful things about my favorite season. I love fall and everything it brings, especially seasonal food. Pumpkins, apples, and sweet potatoes are probably my three favorite things God brings us in the fall. Especially homemade APPLE PIE! My daddy has a couple apple trees in the backyard, unfortunately one tree filled with apples was brought to the ground after the hurricane winds a couple weeks ago. My mama and I gathered what we could and she made some oh so yummy apple cobbler and breakfast apple oatmeal. I decided to stock up on my apple pies for the season.

Canned Apple Pie Filling
about 12 lbs apples (I'm honestly not sure how many we had)
14 cups water
5 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar

4 cups apple juice

2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

4 tsp salt

6 tbsp lemon juice

2 cups cornstarch

Peel, core and slice apples. Soak in a bowl of salt water to keep from browning. When ready, pack into glass quart canning jars about 1 inch from the top. Combine apple juice, 10 cups water, sugar, salt and spices in a VERY large pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, mix cornstarch, lemon juice and 4 cups water in a bowl until blended. Once combined, add it heated mixture in pot and stir until the corn starch has dissolved and sauce becomes think. Pour sauce over packed apples until about 3/4 inch from the top. Seal jars with clean heated lids and rings in boiling water as I have discussed before.

**You may have to alter your amount of sugar based on what type of apple you use, as some as sweeter than others. I used red delicious and yellow delicious. Using sweeter apples like Cameo, Jonathan, Fuji, or Gala might not need as much sugar. I don't recommend Granny Smiths for this recipe, you will need a lot of sugar!**

When you are ready to make a pie, just pop open a jar and put in a pastry shell and bake! Bring it on fall, I am ready :)