Jolene's Recipe Journal

  A few years back, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone with an Apple Cider Beef Stew , and it was a huge hit.  Could I possibly do it again? I went back and forth between a chili and a stew several times before I finally chose the stew.  Things got a little hectic, the weather shifted on me, and suddenly I found myself, down to the wire, trying to get it together.  

  Slowly, but surely, I am conquering my fear of yeast! I've had a copy of this recipe in my to-try binder for what seems like forever.   When I was planning my #AppleWeek out, I decided it was time to just do it.   I chose a relatively warm, no-plans-to-go-anywhere Saturday, and hoped for the best.

  We drive 2 hours into Maine to visit a fast food chicken chain.  The main reason for that is the chicken, of course, but a close second to that is their amazing apple pies.  They still fry them, and then coat them in cinnamon sugar while they are still hot.  So, so good. I saw this recipe on the Taste of Home website, and I knew right away my guys would love them. I used salted butter instead of unsalted, and I used a 4" biscuit cutter.  Be very, very careful not to overfill.  They will bust open and make a mess. I like parchment paper instead of greasing the sheets. I put the cinnamon sugar mix into a small paper bag. When the hand pies came out of the oven, I brushed them with the butter, and then dropped them into the bag, one at a time, and shook gently. These went so fast, I had to make a second batch 2 days later!  Thank you so much to Edwina G. for sharing her recipe. I hope you are enjoying #AppleWeek as much as I am, be sure to ch...

There are days in September that even though the calendar says it's fall, the thermometer screams summer!  This recipe is perfect for those days.  Very little prep, very little grilling time.  . I made a lot of little modifications.  I don't do cilantro, so I used parsley. Someone drank the last of the OJ, so I used apple cider instead.  This is a sponsored post. I received products to use in recipes for this event.  All opinions are my own. Due to nut allergies, I don't keep walnuts in the house, so I used sunflower seeds instead.  Pumpkin seeds would be awesome too!  I omitted the cheese.  You really just can't go wrong with this one.  For a more filling dish, use the same dressing on chicken and grill it too. Thank you so much to Paul S. for the recipe! I just am amazed with all the great dishes the others have come up with this week, I thought I had a great collection of apple recipes going, but I'm adding to it like craz...

Welcome to #AppleWeek 2017!! When I hear the song, "It's the most wonderful time of the year" I don't think of the holidays, I think of fall.  Cooler weather, beautiful foliage, and APPLES! They are my absolute favorite fruit. Apples are the second most used ingredient in my kitchen. You can eat them any time of the day, in sweet or savory ways.