FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Apple Donut Bites!

Here is a flashback to a post you may have missed. Delicious apple donut bites... Perfect for some halloween treats, or a seasonal sweet tooth. Add some pumpkin spice to your batter for a special twist to make it more fitting! 

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 With summertime among us that brings fair season. A lot of fair food that is oh so sinful but oh so good. Cinnamon rolls, funnel cake, crepes, burgers, fries, nacho's, hot dogs, BBQ, tri-tip sandwiches, deep fried pickles, sweet potato fries, DEEP FRIED ANYTHING! Ugh! Must I say more? 

Anyways apple donut bites is my twist on a fair snack that is so yummy for a summertime treat when your craving your fair style bites. With a greek yogurt batter this recipe is a little different then your normal batter you would make. So give this recipe a try next time you have that crazy craving! 

I did NOT just lick my screen.. I swear... Oh my! 

Apple Donut Bites

4-5 medium sized cooking apples

1 Cup flour

1 Cup Greek Yogurt

1 Egg

1/4 Teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 Cup water 

Canola oil for frying

1/2 Cup sugar

1-2 Teaspoons cinnamon

Using an apple slicer slice down your apples you can peel if you wish but its not required. Mix dry batter ingredients. Add egg and yogurt in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Add to flour and stir. Mixture will be thick and dry because greek yogurt is very thick. Add water until mixture takes on a thicker pasty batter consistency. You may need more than 3/4 cup. Add water and use your judgement. You want a cake like batter!

Heat your oil to 350 degrees either in a skillet or your deep fryer. Once heated grab your sliced apples. They will still be in apple shape so just start pulling off rounds in halves or smaller pieces if you want. Gently dip apple pieces in your batter and lay in the hot oil. Repeat in small batches until apples are gone. The batter will be sticky so it may look like a lot on your apple but thats what puffs up and makes it donut like. Fry for 40 seconds to a minute or so on each side if your skillet frying. For a deep fryer keep an eye on your apple bites until they are golden brown. 1-2 minutes. Once fried drain on a paper towel. 

Mix your sugar and cinnamon and shake over drained apple bites and gently shake around to get a coating all the way around your bites.

Once coated you can sit back and enjoy this delicious sweet bite! 

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Pumpkin Smoothie

We have started a new family tradition! Pumpkin smoothie while carving pumpkins.  

Best. Idea. Ever. 

I didn't have all the ingredients for any of the recipes I looked at, so I winged it.  I'm good at winging it, I have a habit of trying things out without even reading the tutorial.  It gets me into trouble every now and then again, but no hospitalizations to date, and so my bad habit continues.

1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 cup pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, I had canned pumpkin chunks a year ago and used that)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2  teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup milk

1/2 to 1 cup ice as desired

Whipped cream for topping

Blend it all up, top with whipped cream, and drink it down. Delish!

I'm pretty sure is more like a every other day kind of tradition rather than a once a year while carving pumpkins kind of deal.

Dirt

Remember back in July when I told you this recipe was coming? Well apparently my idea of soon is within 5 months.  I made this for Harlee's ladybug birthday party but I make it a lot for camping.

This is one of my favorite desserts.  My mom used to make it every single time we went camping as a family.  Needless to say a long day of four wheeling, followed by a campfire and a great dinner, always meant dirt was next. 

You will need:

1 package of oreos

1 package of vanilla waffers

1 tub of cool whip

1 large box of instant vanilla pudding

1 box of cream cheese

3 cups milk

In your food processor crush the oreos and vanilla waffers. Mix them up and set them aside.

Mix together your milk and vanilla pudding mix. Let stand for a few minutes til it starts to thicken.  Whip in the cream cheese and cool whip.

Find a pretty glass dish or clear cup and layer the cookie mix first.  Alternate cookie and cream and top with cookie mix.

Once it's cold it will be super yummy! It also freezes well so you can make it ahead of time.

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Chocolate Dipped Mint Leaves

This past month I fell in love with a mint bush I was gifted. I love the smell, the taste, Just had no clue of anything fun to do with it. I have thought about teas and jelly.. Nothing really exciting popped into my head until we were headed home from our trip and drove past an olive garden. LIGHT BULB! I love their after dinner candies. They hit the spot and bring a meal to a close. So why not do an upscale version of an after dinner bite with chocolate dipped mint leaves? Oh yes! This just happened and they are delicious bites to end a wonderful meal with! Specially if you have a white chocolate dipped on... That is my favorite!

Make a good sized batch of these and have in your freezer ready to go!! Or make big batches during the holidays for a light candy! 

Sucks when you can't grab one of these through the screen, huh? Darn!

Chocolate Dipped Mint Leaves

20 Mint leaves

1/4 Cup melted dark chocolate

1/4 Cup melted white chocolate

Wax paper lined 13x9 cookie sheet

Using a double boiler melt down your chocolates separately. Pour melted chocolates into two separate little saucers to dip out of. Take ten leaves to dip on one and one in another. When dipping a leaf get both sides coated by sliding it through the chocolate. Allowing it to drip excess chocolate and then lay it on wax paper to dry. I let them completely harden in the freezer then put em zip-locs to keep in the freezer!

Click here to print recipe!!

Flag dessert

I know, I know, these are ridiculously popular but I couldn't help myself, I had to make one too.  

I used cheesecake but you could use just about any dessert you wanted.  Pudding, angle food cake. Get crazy with it. Flag food is so much more fun.

I think it looks awesome both with and without the whipped cream, my kids sure did appreciate the whipped cream though!

Apple Donut Bites

 With summertime among us that brings fair season. A lot of fair food that is oh so sinful but oh so good. Cinnamon rolls, funnel cake, crepes, burgers, fries, nacho's, hot dogs, BBQ, tri-tip sandwiches, deep fried pickles, sweet potato fries, DEEP FRIED ANYTHING! Ugh! Must I say more? 

Anyways apple donut bites is my twist on a fair snack that is so yummy for a summertime treat when your craving your fair style bites. With a greek yogurt batter this recipe is a little different then your normal batter you would make. So give this recipe a try next time you have that crazy craving! 

I did NOT just lick my screen.. I swear... Oh my! 

Apple Donut Bites

4-5 medium sized cooking apples

1 Cup flour

1 Cup Greek Yogurt

1 Egg

1/4 Teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 Cup water 

Canola oil for frying

1/2 Cup sugar

1-2 Teaspoons cinnamon

Using an apple slicer slice down your apples you can peel if you wish but its not required. Mix dry batter ingredients. Add egg and yogurt in a separate bowl and whisk until combined. Add to flour and stir. Mixture will be thick and dry because greek yogurt is very thick. Add water until mixture takes on a thicker pasty batter consistency. You may need more than 3/4 cup. Add water and use your judgement. You want a cake like batter!

Heat your oil to 350 degrees either in a skillet or your deep fryer. Once heated grab your sliced apples. They will still be in apple shape so just start pulling off rounds in halves or smaller pieces if you want. Gently dip apple pieces in your batter and lay in the hot oil. Repeat in small batches until apples are gone. The batter will be sticky so it may look like a lot on your apple but thats what puffs up and makes it donut like. Fry for 40 seconds to a minute or so on each side if your skillet frying. For a deep fryer keep an eye on your apple bites until they are golden brown. 1-2 minutes. Once fried drain on a paper towel. 

Mix your sugar and cinnamon and shake over drained apple bites and gently shake around to get a coating all the way around your bites.

Once coated you can sit back and enjoy this delicious sweet bite! 

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Kool-Aid Ice Cream

Oh yes... This is for real everybody! No fancy Ice-cream equipment needed either. Just plan a little ahead you can have a sweet summertime treat ready to go for a hot day. Wanna be the cool mom on the block? Or are you like me and YOU JUST WANT ICE CREAM.... Well then this recipe is probably for you! Your kids will go wild for this though, I promise! Great idea for kid's birthday parties, too!

It is easy and tastes delicious! So why not try? You know you wanna! Its okay. Made it for the kids? Psshhh... Yeah right! This is for me! I don't judge... My husband & I still fight over otter pops! 

I didn't eat all of this...... I swear.... What did I say about judging?!

Kool-Aid Ice Cream

1 Packet of Kool-Aid. Any Flavor you desire. (Pictured is cherry flavor)

3/4 Cup sugar

2 Cups whole milk

1 Cup Half n' Half

Mix packet of kool-aid with sugar in a metal bowl. Add Milk and Half n' Half and stir until sugar mixture is dissolved. Pour into shallow freezer container cover with foil and freeze for 1-2 hours. 

After 1-2 hours have passed pour slightly thickened mixture back into metal bowl and whisk until smooth. Once smooth return to shallow baking container and freeze for 8 hours

*TIPS* I use a metal loaf pan for freezing my ice cream in. Use your Kitchen Aid mixer with wire whisk attachment for your mixing. Specially after it has slightly thickened. Or get buff arms and do it the old fashioned way. Your choice! 

Hope you try this summertime treat and enjoy! Thanks for reading!

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Grilled peaches

It's grilling season folks, and this girl is excited! Last summer the AC went out in my rental house and to avoid making my 103 degree house any hotter I grilled everything. I mean everything.  I grilled eggs for breakfast, avocados, quesadillas, you name it I grilled it or we didn't eat it.

Unless it was ice cream, then we ate it and I didn't grill but I bet I could figure out how to grill ice cream too. Just let me do some research, and by research I mean pinteresting. 

So grilled peaches, eat them for dessert or side dish, your choice my friend, but I like 'em for a side dish and then again for dessert. Grilled peaches are yummy yummy yummy.

You will need:

olive oil

halved peaches

brown sugar

I use an olive oil mister to spray the peach halves with olive oil, or you could just pour a little bit on them.

Grill face down for 3-5 minutes.  

Flip and sprinkle with about a teaspoon of brown sugar.  

Cook til the brown sugar is liquified and golden and gloriously delicious. 

Proceed to eat them all before anyone else sees them.

Or share if you're feeling overly-needy for a pile of compliments, because you're about to get overloaded with them.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb pie. A sweet, delicious treat perfect for summertime. I hadn't ever made one myself so when we moved into our house I was excited to see a rhubarb plant in the backyard. With this beautiful weather we have been having in our area this rhubarb blossomed up and was saying cut me down and make a pie! So I did! Takes me back to my childhood days when I would bounce for joy when my mom would bake this pie! Hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy every bite of it! 

So heat your oven to 425 degrees and lets do this! 

Slice of heaven. 

~ Strawberry Rhubarb Pie ~

~ Use your favorite pie dough recipe OR dough recipe below ~

Flaky pie crust Ingredients 

4 Cups Flower

2 1/2 Cups shortening

2 Teaspoons salt

12 Tablespoons ice water

Pie filling

4 Cups sliced strawberries

4 Cups chopped rhubarb

2 Cups sugar

3 Tablespoons tapioca

2 Tablespoons flower

2 Teaspoons vanilla

1 Teaspoon lemon zest

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

2 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons butter cut into little squares

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Blend salt & flower together in a bowl. Fork in shortening. Pastry cutters are life savers for this task. Use fork if you don't have one though. Once flower and shortening is blended together leaving no loose flower start adding your water 1 tablespoon at a time until your mixture takes on a doughy texture. Not too wet though! Divide dough in two separate balls.

Stir all filling ingredients together in a bowl and let sit for 15 minutes to allow tapioca to slightly swell before cooking process. While waiting roll out your bottom crust into your pie dish allowing crust to hang over sides but firmly pressed to fit in the pie dish. Pour in your pie filling. Roll top crust over entire pie. Trim excess dough off edges but leave enough to roll up and crimp into a crust. Roll your edges and crimp. Slice six one inch long vents into top of pie. Using any excess dough you may have depending on the size of your pie plate top with any cut out decorative shapes you would like. I like rolling up tiny balls and placing them over the top like polka dots everywhere. Finally sprinkle sugar over the top and evenly place buttery cubes all over the top.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and roll up edges to catch any drippings as the pie bakes. Place on rack below the rack the pie will bake on. Place pie in oven and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Decrease oven temp to 375 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Let cool and sit for an hour or so. Serve warm if desired. Ice cream is a wonderful addition to this dessert as well! Enjoy! 

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