Apple Cinnamon Bread

1/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 apple, peeled and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next add half the apples and half the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Iron Skillet Cornbread

I loved the way cornbread cooks in an iron skillet.  The crispy bottom makes all the difference and if you cook your cornbread in an iron skillet, that's what you'll get.  The key to a crispy bottom is HOT oil in a HOT skillet.  I don't like to use "packaged cornbread mix".  Sure it's easy, but it's just as easy with the right recipe and just as cost effective.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
2 cups yellow cornmeal

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Add the oil to a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and put it in the oven till the oil gets very hot and you hear popping sounds. Combine all the dry ingredients together and mix very well. Whisk the egg and buttermilk until completely mixed. Add to the dry ingredients, and mix well. Be careful not to over-mix.

Remove the cast iron pan out from the oven "very carefully" and place on top of stove. Turn oven down to 400 and pour the batter into the cast iron skillet.  You'll notice that it puffs up around the edges and sounds like it's frying.  That's what you want to hear. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. The top of the cornbread should be golden-brown, and the bread should be pulling away slightly from the sides of the pan. 

Let cool for 10 minutes before trying to cut and serve.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

I live in Texas and we usually don't have very cold winters. The normal is usually in the mid 40's to upper 50's. BUT this winter, we've had our coldest in 14 years.  It stayed in the 30's for highs and 20's for lows for all of last week.  So I decided that we needed something that would be hearty and warm so I made a big pot of beef stew.

Instead of cooking it on the stove, I used my crock pot and it took a little longer, but the meat was so tender you could cut it with a fork.  I've decided to include the cooking directions for both ways, stove-top and crock pot.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups water
2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 onion cut in half and quartered
4 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups chopped carrots
1 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas,
1 cup chopped turnip (optional)
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (optional) I love tomato so I add it.

Crock Pot Directions:

First using the first 3 ingredients, put your olive oil in a large skillet and heat to medium hot.  Take a large zip bag or paper sack and add your flour, salt, pepper to taste and stew meat.  Shake till meat is covered with flour. Cook in olive oil till brown on all sides. Remove and place in crock pot.

Add the next 8 ingredients to your crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours, then cut it to low if you have that setting and cook it another 3-4 hours adding the last 4 ingredients the last hour.   Easy-pesy.

*Note:  If you do not have a "LOW" setting on your crock pot, leave it on "HIGH" till hour 6, cut it off then add your last 4 ingredients and let sit for 2 hours

Stove Top Directions:

Heat oil in large pot. Add beef and flour, stirring to coat beef; brown.
Add water, broth, salt, and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour.
Stir in potatoes, carrots (or turnips), and rosemary. Simmer 1-2 hours.
Add corn, green peas, and simmer for 30 minutes longer.

Enjoy!!