Peanut Butter Banana Overnite Oats

With hectic mornings and no time to make breakfast a few days in my home...I thought I would try my hand at making overnight oats. You will find many recipes on Pinterest or the internet for different flavors...I am actually surprised with what is out there. I wanted mine to be as healthy as possible. I also doubled my recipe to fit into a quart size jar. I put in 1 cup of rolled oats, 2 teaspoons real maple syrup, 1 teaspoon flax seed a dash of cinnamon, mixed well, then added 2 Tablespoons peanut butter and 1 cup of cashew milk, mix well. I then put a lid on the jar, refrigerated overnight. In the morning I added a bit of vanilla Greek yogurt with a bit of cinnamon on top with some banana slices. This was so filling, I couldn't finish it....It actually kept me pretty full well into lunchtime. 

The flavors were great together...It wasn't too sweet either...The peanut butter helped with that too! MMMM it was pretty dang good. I am planning on keeping a couple few jars of this in the refrigerator each week to grab on the go!!!

 Next one I am making will be with peach. 

If it's family approved, I will leave ya'll a recipe for it!

Gramma's Vintage Rhubarb Custard Pie

Ingredients

• Pastry for nine inch double crust (or single, if preferred)
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (cane sugar preferred)
• 3 tablespoons flour, divided (may substitute gluten free flour blend)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2-3 cups diced fresh rhubarb
• Milk for brushing pie crust

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees...Line 9 inch pie plate with the bottom crust.

Combine 1 cup of sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix in eggs and rhubarb. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of flour into the bottom of the crust. Pour rhubarb filling into the bottom crust.

Roll out top crust. Cut vent holes or weave into lattice. Apply to top of pie. Crimp edges to seal.brush milk on top of crust then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar over the crust.

Bake 350° F and bake about 40-45 minutes or until the custard is set. Cool before serving. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Rustic Farmgirl Cast Iron Skillet Meals W/ Recipes

I have been spending some time trying out new recipes...With the cooler weather and the beautiful changing colors of the leaves falling from the sky... It got me in the mood to make some Autumn inspired suppers! And boy were these meals hearty, colorful and delicious. They were praiseworthy of sharing too...If they  are good, why not share right? I couldn't keep this all to myself. So here you go...I am sharing the recipes with ya'll!!!

~Skillet Cranberry Roasted Chicken & Potatoes~

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 4 skin-on chicken breasts or thighs
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
• zest + juice of 1/2 lemon
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Rub the chicken with 2 tablespoons olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic and lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken, skin side down, and sear until golden, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 5 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons butter, the potatoes, carrots, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, deglazing the pan and scraping up any browned bits off the bottom. Simmer the wine for 5 minutes or until reduced slightly. Remove from the heat and nestle the chicken into the potatoes. Add the lemon juice.

In a small bowl, toss together the cranberries, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the cranberries over the chicken. Transfer to the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Plate the chicken and potatoes and drizzle with the sauce left in the pan. EAT!

 

~Sausage & Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash~

(serves 6)

Prep 15 min~ Cook time 1 hour~

Ingredients

• 3 Acorn Squash, halved
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 Small Onion, finely chopped
• 2 Large Celery Stalks, finely chopped
• 2 Apples, diced
• ½ tsp sage
• 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Using a sharp knife cut off each end of the acorn squash removing as little as possible, then cut in half.
3. Spoon out seeds.
4. Brush olive oil inside and on top of Acorn Squash.
5. Sprinkle Salt and Pepper over Acorn Squash to taste.
6. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour depending on size of your squash until tender and you can pierce with a fork, but still holding it's shape.
7. While the squash is baking begin sautéing the sausage for about 5 minutes, drain and pat dry with a paper towel to remove as much grease as possible, but don't discard grease in the pan.
8. Using the grease from the sausage add your onions and celery to the pan and sauté for another 2-3 minutes until it starts to brown. (add olive oil if necessary)
9. Add apples and sauté for another 2 minutes or until softened.
10. Stir in sage and bread crumbs.
11. Add ¾ cup Parmesan cheese and stir until cheese begins to melt. Set aside.
12. Once squash has finished baking and reached desired tenderness spoon in meat mixture until the squash is filled.
13. Return to the oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes depending on size of squash.
14. Remove from oven and top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
15. Enjoy!

~Autumn Pear Salad With Pecans & Golden Raisins~

Ingredients

• 3 medium golden pears (or regular) cored and sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• DRESSING:
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, saute pears in butter and syrup until just barely tender. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Meanwhile in a large bowl, toss lettuce with pecans and golden raisins. Top with cooled pears.
3. In a small bowl, whisk all dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Gently toss salad to evenly coat. Serve immediately.

These suppers were a delight to our family and friends who joined us for fellowship! Hope you make them and enjoy them yourself!

 I had left over Italian sausage and the pear salad, so I heated up the sausage adding two sunny side up eggs and coupled that with the salad for breakfast the next day! Boy was that delish!!!

Enjoy dear friends! See you next time!

Fire Cider~ Master Tonic Brew For The Winter Season

  Fire Cider (also sometimes called Master Tonic) Is a traditional folk remedy infused with powerful anti-microbial, decongestant, and circulatory herbs and spices. Adding a tablespoon of this to your diet every day can help boost your immune system, stimulate digestion, help with colds, flu's and warm you up on cold days. An awesome homemade remedy for a mid-Winter pick-me-up!

Once you’ve made the fire cider recipe, this powerful brew needs to steep in a dark cupboard for 4-6 weeks to extract all the goodness from the ingredients. Once the tonic is fully brewed and strained, fire cider can be taken straight by the spoonful, added to vegetable juice, or drizzled on salad with olive oil. For daily immune support, gargle and swallow one tablespoon of fire cider every day after breakfast. If you are fighting a cold or infection, take 1 Tablespoon of the tonic 5-6 times a day. 

Do not dilute the tonic in water as it will reduce the effect.

Be careful: The tonic is very strong and hot, especially if you did not add honey! Do not use this tonic on an empty stomach if your'e not used to it...It can cause nausea. Try starting out by using a teaspoon full for the first few times gradually, then up to a tablespoon!

This tonic is safe for everyone including pregnant women and children: using smaller doses, hence all the ingredients are all natural and non toxic!!! Mix ingredients ( except honey) together in a quart size jar, add the apple cider vinegar filling the jar and covering all ingredients ( I use raw apple cider vinegar with the Mother). Place jar in dark, cool place making sure you gently shake the jar daily for 4-6 weeks. Once it is steeped...Use cheese cloth or a nut bag to strain out the pulp. pouring the vinegar into a clean bottle or jar. Be sure to squeeze out as much liquid from pulp as possible. Add the raw honey to the liquid until desired sweetness. You can omit the honey if you wish!

Hope this helps y'all during the Winter months coming upon us very quickly! Stay well friends!!!

Amish Apple Butter & Old Friends Coming For A Visit

Amish Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 6 lbs. mixed variety apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 3/4 cups apple cider
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and mix well. Cook on the high setting for 2 hours, stirring periodically. Turn the crock to low and cook 7-8 more hours. Puree with an immersion blender if desired for a smoother consistency.
2. Process jars in water canner (boiling for 10 minutes)
3. Enjoy!!! Good for one year on your pantry shelf

My daughters friend Reagan & her parents came for a visit this week all the way from Northern Cali. It was a short but sweet visit since they were making their way up to Michigan to see their other daughter in college. We were blessed even for the short time the girls had. They have missed being together since our move to Indiana in July.

Of course we had to take a few snapshots of their moment together. Hoping that they will see each other this coming Summer while my girl may fly out to go to Hume Lake with her bestie Bella! 

I love this family photo of them with my girl who is barefooted...

Made me smile!!!

Chicken Scratch 6/30/16~ Yay Summer & Basil Lemonade

Yes, I went to the thrift shop again...I found some sweet linens and spent about $5....Doesn't take much to make this girl happy. I'd rather hunt for treasures than go shopping for new clothes. lol.... Our Summer thus far has been pretty quiet. Our girl has been getting together with friends and saying her goodbyes before we head out on our new adventure. Yup!!! Things are looking up around here. Saying good riddens to this place won't be a problem for me. There are just too many bad memories here. I can't wait to hit the road with my peeps in just a matter of a few weeks and never have to turn back. It is so exciting!!! We are beginning a brand new beautiful chapter of our lives and this one's a good one! Can't wait to share with y'all soon. 

I wanted to leave you with this recipe...It calls for limes but I had to use lemons instead...Which was still very delicious. If you like basil...You will really enjoy this refreshing lemonade! It may be a little quiet here, but don't worry I will be back periodically as we are preparing for a very BIG move. I am also putting bartering on the back burner for now as well. But look look what I recently received! Two bags of the most delightful homemade teas, I ever did smell in my life. Can't wait for some real sweater weather to enjoy this glorious tea in...

Where we are going will be real sweater weather indeed! Can't wait!!!!

Lastly, I received this lovely handmade stained glass cross from a fellow Farmgirl Sister! My package to her is so late.....She has been so sweet and cooperative with me as we have been going through our transition...That is what I love about my farmgirl community...

These ladies are precious and so patient. It will be such an honor to hang this cross in our new home.

I realize this post is a complete random chicken scratch of a mess...

Bare with me. I'll be back soon!!!