Chocolate Pie

My sweet Madison loves to bake! And we love to taste the things she bakes. It's a match made in heaven, really.

Every few days, I'll find her in the kitchen whipping up something delicious.

She recently made one of The Pioneer Woman's chocolate pies. She started with a homemade pie crust and filled it up with the decadent chocolate filling!

The topped it with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

I wish you could taste how good this was! Yum yum, smack, slurp!

Thank you, Madison!

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Smockity Cooks: Homemade Country Gravy

Have you ever made homemade country gravy? I used to be intimidated to make it. I tried a couple of times, but it always turned out lumpy and tasteless.

Then I resorted to buying those packets of gravy mix, but I always wanted to learn how to make it for myself. I did a little research and, after many trials and errors, finally perfected my method!

Here is a step by step video of how to make perfect homemade country gravy, from beginning to end. Also, see my Fried Chicken Coating recipe.

In case you were wondering, the interrupter was trying to wear this top with a black and red plaid skirt to church.


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Cheese Ball Igloo with Cream Cheese Olive Penguins

This cheese ball igloo with cream cheese olive penguins is an appetizer I love to take to winter parties. It is always a big hit and tasty, too!

I make my favorite cheese ball recipe the night before and press it into a bowl lined with plastic wrap. A couple of hours before the party, I mix up some cream cheese with a little milk so it will be easily spreadable, and after I've turned out the cheese ball, I cover it with the cream cheese mixture.

With a toothpick, I make marks to look like ice blocks in an igloo. I scoop out a little spoonful for the entrance and cut "ice blocks" from a block of cream cheese for the door way.

The penguins must be prepared at the last hour so they won't get limp. I use large olives for the body and small olives for the head. Slit the large olives and fill with cream cheese. Using a toothpick (frilled if you can find them) secure the small olive atop the body.

Use carrot slices for the feet with a wedge cut out for the beak.  Make a small slit in the small olive and slip the "beak" in place.

Try it! This cheese ball igloo will be the hit of any party!

Be sure to check out Balancing Beauty and Bedlam for more great appetizers.

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Dump Cake Recipe

I posted a dump cake recipe, a family favorite, at Daily Dwelling. Head on over there to check it out.

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Thanksgiving Recipes

I've been nominated for Funniest Homeschool Blogger. Vote for Smockity!

Since the big day is right around the corner, I thought I'd round up all the Thanksgiving recipes I've posted and put them here in one place.

You'll never find a simpler way to prepare the most delicious turkey ever, and turkeys are $.33/lb at Walmart right now!

Some of my children actually request this sweet potato casserole recipe for birthday dinners throughout the year.

And you know what makes it really frugal? When an 18 wheeler carrying a truck load of them overturns on the interstate and the trucking company is owned by a member of the church, so an email goes out that there is a ton (literally) of sweet potatoes that are in good condition, but can not be sold, and anyone who wants them can have them.

That means we have a lot of sweet potato casserole in our future and no one at our house minds that one bit!

Here is my super simple homemade pie crust recipe. It never fails to make a light and flaky crust. We'll be using it to make a few pecan pies with the free pecan bounty we have every year about this time.

Check out Money Saving Mom's Thanksgiving on a Budget and  Life as Mom's Frugal Friday for more ideas and recipes. And be sure to look at Amy's Finer Things to see what fine things everyone is enjoying.


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Cooking a Whole Chicken

In this chicken and dumplin' recipe, I mention that I start out by cooking a whole chicken. It really is the cheapest way to buy chicken and super simple because you just plop it in a pot and you're done. No cutting or chopping involved.

I usually boil the chicken whole in a big pot of water, but now I have come across a better idea.

You absolutely must read The Happy Housewife's post about cooking a whole chicken.

She gives step by step instructions on cooking a whole chicken in the crock pot and then using the bones and skin to make chicken broth.

Happy also breaks down the cost per person of the two meals she was able to make out of one $4 chicken! Incredibly, one of the meals works out to 30 CENTS per person!

Read the comments, too.  You'll find lots of great tips there, too.

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World's Best Vegetable Casserole

You won't even miss the meat! Plus, this casserole is super quick & easy to put together, and there's no clean up if you use a disposable pan! You'll need:

1 30 oz package of Ore Ida Crispy Crowns
1 15 oz can of Cream Corn
1 15 oz can of Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 15 oz can of French Style Green Beans, drained
1 15 oz can of Black Eyed Peas, drained
1 10 oz can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 sleeve of Saltine Crackers, crushed

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well. (Crushing crackers while still sealed in sleeve will prevent a mess.) Resist the temptation to season it. Not even a pinch of salt! The crackers & cream of chicken soup will season it perfectly.

Pour into 9x13 pan. Bake for 45 minutes and serve hot.



And that's all there is to this casserole!

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Some Favorite Links

Here are a few of my "Friday Favorites" this week.

I think these Chocolate Truffles with Sea Salt from Pioneer Woman would make a sweet hostess gift. Since party season is right around the corner, I think I'll be trying my hand at these.

Deputy Headmistress has written a very wise post about A Composite Titus 2 Woman.

The Happy Housewife gives some great tips on Raising Content Kids that I enjoyed.

Be sure to check out Friday Favorites for more great links.

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Peanut Butter Pie

This recipe comes from my friend, Kimberly, at Raising Olives. Kimberly is a homeschooling mom of 9 children, married to a very patient man and striving to serve God everyday.

This is one of my quick, easy, go-to recipes for company. You can make this ahead of time since it is frozen, just set it out about 15-30 minutes before serving. I like to make one of these pies along with some type of fruit dessert in the event that someone is allergic to or doesn't like peanuts.

Don't let the fact that it is a peanut butter pie fool you, it is not your typical peanut butter pie and is one of my most frequently requested recipes.

1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
16 oz. whipped topping
6 oz. cream cheese
1 chocolate crumb pie crust

Blend first 4 ingredients and pour into the pie shell. Freeze for at least one hour.

Did I mention quick and easy?

Pumpkin Bread

Liz is a SAHM to 3 boys, 18, 15 and 12. She blogs over at Hoosier Homemade about her homemaking adventures in cooking, baking and frugal living.

I am so happy to be sharing this Pumpkin Bread with all of you here at Smockity Frocks. Thank you Connie, for having me!

This is a quick bread, very light and does not have a heavy pumpkin flavor. It goes together rather quick and makes about 6 mini loaves. I like making the mini loaves, they bake quicker and are easy to freeze also.

Ingredients:

• 3 c. Sugar
• 1 c. Oil
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1 (16 oz) can solid pack pumpkin (be sure it’s not pie filling)
• 3 c. Flour
• 1 t. Ground Cloves
• 1 t. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 t. Ground Nutmeg
• 1 t. Baking Soda
• 1/2 t. Salt
• 1/2 t. Baking Powder
• 1 c. Walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar and oil in large bowl. Mix in eggs and pumpkin. Sift dry ingredients in another bowl. Stir into pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. Fold in walnuts.

Divide batter into greased pans. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 40 – 45 minutes for mini loaves, and 1 hour 10 minutes for large pan.

Mexican Lasagna - A Gluten Free Crowd Pleaser

Today's recipe comes from Linda at Gluten Free Homemaker.

Linda is a stay at home wife and mother of three boys. She has homeschooled for 13 years, and her oldest graduated in May. In 2000, she was diagnosed with celiac disease and has been eating, cooking, and baking gluten free ever since.

This dish is one of those recipes that I often fall back on when I’m having company, especially when there are a lot of mouths to feed. I also rely on it when taking a meal somewhere. I have gotten requests for this dish and for its recipe multiple times. It’s easy to understand why. Traditional lasagna has been a favorite for generations, and these days Mexican is a favorite style of food. The thing I love most is that this version is much easier and can be put together much more quickly than traditional lasagna.

It also happens to be naturally gluten free, and chances are pretty good that you know some one who is on a gluten free diet. I usually serve it with gluten free corn bread and salad. If you don’t bake gluten free but need to feed someone who eats that way, just serve it with plain tortilla chips and a salad (with no croutons) or other vegetable.

Mexican Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients

1 can refried beans
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 – 1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix (McCormick is gluten free)
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
4 – 6 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
corn tortillas (about 6)

Instructions

Brown and drain the ground beef, adding the onions and garlic if desired. Add the taco seasoning and prepare according to package instructions (usually add ¾ c. water and cook about 5 minutes). In a small bowl, combine the refried beans and tomato sauce. Spread a little of this in the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish (8 x 8 in.) that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray or greased.

Cut the corn tortillas into strips about 1 inch wide. 5 strips works well, and you can cut several tortillas at a time. Add a layer of tortilla strips to the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping the strips.

Put half the meat mix over the tortilla strips, spreading it out to the edges. Add half the remaining bean/tomato sauce mix, then top it with a layer of cheese. Repeat the layers--tortilla strips, meat, sauce, and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes. Let it stand 5 – 10 minutes before serving and then enjoy! I know you will.

Crock Pot Chicken Posole Stew

Hi! I’m Amy Green, author of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, a blog dedicated to fabulous food made a little healthier.

I struggled with my weight my entire life, and after eliminating refined sugars and gluten from my diet I’ve been able to maintain a 60+ pound weight loss for the past six years. I believe that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to food and that everyone has to figure out what works best for them. Much of what I cook, including this Posole, is naturally sugar-free and gluten-free, so my blog contains so many recipes that will work for anyone.

There are few things my husband loves more than coming home from a long day at work to a house that smells delicious. And, there are few things that I love more than a delicious, simple, inexpensive meal with little clean-up.

This Chicken Posole Stew makes both of us very happy. In fact, the first time I made it I put everything together in 15 minutes, needing only a few prep dishes. That night, Joe got home from work, changed his clothes, and then went right for the CrockPot to get a taste of what smelled so good. He even called me the next day from work requesting that we eat leftover Posole for dinner.

Posole is a Mexican stew, originally made with pork.

You can make Posole a million different ways but the one constant ingredient is hominy, which is just dried corn that has been soaked until the hull can be removed. Hominy gives the stew a rich corn tortilla flavor and makes it satisfying. Hominy is either white or yellow and can usually be found in the canned vegetable section of your grocery store. I paid $0.75 a can.

Chicken Posole Stew
serves 4 – 6

For the stew:

2 bone-in chicken breasts, skin removed
2 (15 oz.) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
3 cups good quality chicken stock
2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
3 scallions, both green and white parts, sliced thinly
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons light ancho chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons Mexican oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Optional toppings:
Chopped cilantro
Queso Fresco or other good quality Mexican cheese (Monterrey jack would work)
Shredded radishes (Use the large holes on your box grater)
Avocado
Sour cream
Tortilla chips

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the CrockPot. Put remaining ingredients in and stir the top to mix in spices. Cover and cook on low for 5 – 6 hours, or until chicken and carrots are cooked through and tender. Remove chicken from CrockPot and shred with two forks. Return chicken to CrockPot, stir to combine. Serve with toppings if desired.

Enjoy!
You can top this stew with anything you’d put on a tortilla soup. Some of my favorites include:

• Chopped cilantro
• Queso Fresco (a crumbly Mexican cheese that isn’t greasy)
• Shredded radishes for a crispy, spicy crunch
• Avocado
• Sour cream
• Tortilla chips

Sometimes breast meat cooked in the CrockPot can get a little dry. A favorite trick of mine whenever I cook any meat is to salt it with about ½ teaspoon of kosher salt several hours before cooking – or even overnight. This helps the meat stay really nice and moist. Don’t worry about the meat being too salty. That won’t happen.

What are your favorite meals to make in the CrockPot? Let’s talk about it.

Pecan Apple Delight

This guest post is brought to you by the author of Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. A mom of five and frugal living expert, Jen shares with humor and authenticity on a myriad of topics.




With apple picking season right around the corner, there’s nothing our family loves more than the smell of baked apple treats, and I have a delicious one for you.

I’m still working on the perfect name…Apple Delicious Upside Down Treat, Melt in Your Mouth Apple Goodness, Pecan Apple Delight?

Regardless of the name, YOU WILL WANT TO MAKE THIS!

I have made this for hundreds of people and every time, the recipe requests come. I can't believe I am sharing this tried and true secret because it's one of those recipes that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, yet you can really whip it up at a moment’s notice.

Not only will it make you drool, but it's easy and INEXPENSIVE (if you do it right).

This is one of those recipes that you can't goof up no matter how hard you try. It's also one of those recipes that if you forget the actual recipe, you can improvise. Since many of my friends can't stand when I do that, I will be specific.


How's this for specific? Ha Ha...please tell me I am not the only one who scribbled down chicken scratch over a decade ago, improvised for years, and then couldn't believe when I actually found it....


In this...I know...stay tuned for my newly improved recipe planning.

Below is why we cannot go wrong with this recipe...ever. We are going to start by layering pure heaven.


I used a round 11 inch stonewear pan, and layered the bottom with:
1. 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2. 1/4 cup light corn syrup
3. 1/2 cup - brown sugar
4. 1/2 cup - chopped pecans (if you are pecan lovers...I recommend a bit more :)


The pecans are definitely optional. I LOVE them, but this would be delicious even without them.

Brown sugar storage tip:
This was a tip that I didn't learn until I had been married for many years, so hopefully it will be useful.


How can I be at the bottom of a 7 pound Sam's Club bag of brown sugar and still have it be nice and soft?

Put a piece of bread in the top of your bag or container and the brown sugar will not solidify. The bread absorbs any moisture keeping it baking day perfect. I replace the piece of bread as needed.

Back to the recipe...
5. After you have sprinkled the pecans, put a layer of diced, sliced or chopped apples (use what you have, but Granny Smith are the best).

I have an apple, peeler, slicer, corer gadget, so I normally just use half moon slices. Since I didn't want anyone to feel left out, I showed you all options. :)


6. Next, divide biscuits into smaller pieces, and roll them in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. I used Pillsbury Grands (16 oz. can), but if you have homemade biscuit dough in the freezer, this would be the best of yum and health.

In my opinion, the cinnamon/sugar is purely optional. If you are short on time or want to cut out the additional sugar, skip this step. Since it's my daughter's favorite thing, this was not an option. :)


7. I sprinkled the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture on top (optional).


8. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.


9. In order to flip this properly, you need to let this cool. If it does not cool, it will still taste delicious, but it will not be presentational...just soupy sensational.

Can you tell I know from experience? :)

When it has cooled slightly, pick out your serving plate and place it on top of your baking pan. This step is always a bit tricky, since you must flip it fast.


My son got one in action...hee hee










AHHH....pure delight I tell you, and easy enough that my nine year old daughter can make it. This is a great recipe for your "cooking with kids" days.

I have doubled this recipe and made it in a 9/13. Then I just flip it onto a cookie sheet. I have also made this "low fat" by using low fat biscuits and cutting down on the butter. You did know that brown sugar and corn syrup have virtually 0 fat grams?

Now, just don't ask about all the other nutritional benefits...it's just pure pleasure eating. hee hee
And my son just looked over his shoulder and said, "It looks better in real life." Awww...


Do you want to know why this recipe ended up being such a frugal delight?

Here are a few grocery shopping tips that I follow:

Pillsbury biscuits were stockpiled when on sale BOGO, and I had coupons for all items. I never pay more than $.50 for any Pillsbury items, and you shouldn't have to either. There are always coupons for Pillsbury. I bought over 20 items and averaged $.25 a piece.


Corn syrup was $.18 for this whole bottle. I bought the 4 marked downs bottles that were left and will be making this recipe quite a few times in the future.


Apples were marked down because of that teeny tiny bruise there...see it? Yep, I'll take $.49/lb and cut that baby out.


So, enjoy the melt in your mouth apple coffee cake, Pecan Apple Delight, Better than Cinnabons or whatever great name that’s decided. One thing for sure…this is a winner.