Easy Apple Pie Rolls

Easy Apple Pie
I just love the smell of apple pie baking in the kitchen! But the one thing I like better than smelling it is eating it!

I like to think of the recipe as a mix between apple pie & biscuits. The cook book calls the dessert “Roly Poly Pudding”, although I might call it something more like “Easy Apple Pie Rolls” (I know – not nearly as exciting as Roly Poly Pudding 🙂

The recipe is basically a biscuit recipe (which might be familiar to you, if you already make biscuits in your kitchen), and a group of other ingredients that would be used in making an apple pie.

Biscuit Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
2/3 cup milk

Filling:
1/4 cup softened butter
3 cups cored, peeled, and finely chopped apples
1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

First lets make the biscuit part of the recipe.

Mix all of the dry ingredients together, then “cut in” shortening with a pastry blender

To cut in = using pastry blender, large fork, or clean fingers 😉 to combine shortening with dry ingredients. You know you’ve properly “cut in”, when the mixture breaks apart into small bits that resemble a lumpy cake mix before you mix it 😉

Add the milk a little at a time while mixing gently. The batter does not have to be smooth, and is ready to work with as soon as it can be picked up & rolled out.

Then, on a surface dusted with flour, roll the dough out into a large rectangle (approx. 8X12). Spread 1 tablespoon of the softened butter over the dough.

Spread the apples over the dough, leaving about an inch on all sides. Then, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over apples.

Why don’t you go ahead & turn your oven up to 400 right now, that way it will be heated enough to put the rolls in when you’re ready.

Mix the granulated sugar, water, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of the butter together in a pot & cook until dissolved. Pour this mixture into a shallow baking dish.

Starting with the longest end, carefully start rolling up the pastry. When you’re done, you should have what looks like a 12 inch long tube – not a VERY fat stumpy 8 inch log 🙂 Slice the roll into 1 inch pieces, and place them in the baking dish with the sugar mixture – apple side up. Spread the remaining butter on top of the rolls, and then bake them for 30-35 minutes.

These would be great served with some heavy whipping cream or a spoon of vanilla ice cream!

Have a Marvelous day!
Pearl

Backyard Bling – Using Candles, Glass Beads, and Chandeliers to add Sparkle to Your Outdoor Space

colorful garden candle holders

I recently received a letter from a reader in response to an article that I had written about decorating with chandelier crystals.

After Rebecca saw the idea, she sent me this question…


Dear Pearl,
I think that your idea is so creative! But I am having a bit of a problem. Instead of taking crystals off of a chandelier, I want to put crystals on one. I have a really cute patio set that’s just begging for a little bit of light. I already have a wrought iron chandelier with some candles on it. I burned the candles for a while so they would get that cool drippy look, and now I would love to hang some crystals on it. I just can’t seem to find a place that sells them. Do you know of any places where I could buy some? Also, what do you hang them with? I want something a little more artsy than fishing line, but I don’t think that ribbon will hold up outside in the California summer. Any thing you can suggest? Thanks so much for your wonderful idea, I will have to try it sometime!
Rebecca


So… I thought I would share a few ideas to help get even more creative ideas flowing.

This sweet little candle holder is a simple glass jelly jar. I like to save jars from our pickles, jelly, and other sauces to use for other uses such as flower vases, candle holders, and pencil holders, etc. A simple jar, metal wire, a crystal bead, and a tealight candle can pull this look off for under $1! These little lights would be beautiful hung throughout your garden.
hanging candle holder with crystals

This display is made even more special by using different colors. It also appears as though the crystals are hanging on ribbon. The other beads that are threaded on the ribbons also make a very nice touch.
crystals with ribbons

This is a nice example of a chandelier that someone has tied on different crystals and glass beads using different colored strands of metal. Also notice the use of tealight candles where electric fixtures may have once been.

lampshade chandelier

Many ideas come to mind while looking at this piece. You could take any metal lampshade – strip off the fabric – and use the frame for building your new artsy light fixture. Simply hang a jar from the center – or several jars around the outer edge for holding your tealight candles. You can then build your fixture by adding all of your special touches.

Also, you don’t have to stop with your chandelier crystals! You could also add any number of other items that you might have around the house such as; spoons, forks, vintage keys, strands of beads from old necklaces & bracelets, large seeds, buttons, shells, marbles, beach glass, small ornaments, charms – or anything else that pops into your creative mind 🙂

To hang your objects, you could use fishing line, metal wire, copper wire, ribbon, twine, or anything that will hold up outside. You could twist, knot, drill small holes, glue, or any number of different methods of holding everything together.

Make sure that any electrical element is made for outdoors if you plan to use it outside.

The final look of your piece will totally depend on your personal taste, and what kind of look & feel that you’re trying to accomplish. Just remember, the rule is… there is no rule! It’s your “nest” so use your imagination to feather it in any way you choose 😉

[Added Note]
* You can pick up crystals & other objects for your creations in a number of places. You can look in the local paper, yard sales, thrift stores, craigs list, or online stores such as ebay.
Below I’ve included a sample of things that you can find currently on ebay.

Quick Dinner Recipes – Easy to Cook and Delicious to Eat!

Country Farmhouse Kitchen

Don’t let the constant nagging question of “What’s for Dinner” get you down! For today… you shall conquer!
(sorry got a bit carried away 🙂

I wanted to share this quick dinner recipe that will give you that… cooking in the kitchen all day feeling – while only spending a few actual minutes of your time preparing your family’s evening meal 😉

This is a great “toss it & forget it” kind of comfort food, and it’s so easy & delicious! You could easily toss the ingredients together before leaving for work in the morning, and then you can think about other things besides running around the kitchen when you get home! It would also be a great choice for your Sunday dinner. Just toss everything in the crock pot before you leave for church, and when you get home, you’ll have a wonderful meal waiting for the family table.

Creamy Italian Chicken & Broccoli

Ingredients:

1 packet of Italian Salad Dressing mix (usually comes in 1.7oz packets)
2 1/2 Cups of water
4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 bag frozen broccoli (or 2 cups of fresh steamed)
8oz cream cheese
1 can of cream of chicken soup

Place first 3 ingredients in a crock pot and cook all day on low – or 4 hours on high.

One hour before you’re ready to eat, remove the chicken and add the cream cheese & soup to the liquid in the crock pot. Whisk everything together, then add the broccoli and chicken (can shred the chicken if you’d like) and allow to simmer for the last hour.

Ideas for Serving

If you have quick dinner recipes that you’d like to share, send them in!

– Serve over rice or your favorite type of pasta – (you can prepare a larger batch at the beginning of the week, that way you’ll have enough for 2-3 meals)

– Great with a fresh green salad, or some sliced garden fresh tomatoes on the side

– This meal freezes very well after it’s cooked, so you could make a double batch and freeze half for a future meal! This will help you save both electric and time, as well as help you keep the heat out of the kitchen during the summer months!

Great New Updates to the Site!

Great New Updates to the Site!

1. I’ve spent a bunch of time learning how to work with Photoshop, because I wanted to add some new graphics, logos, backgrounds, etc. to the site. Let me know what you think!

2. I’ve added a few new categories that you will see soon. Two of these new categories are;

* Featured Etsy Shop – This is where I will be featuring great Etsy shops that I come across

* Featured Sites – This is where I will be featuring some of the best Home & Garden sites

* The Best Home & Garden Pictures – This will be a section that is intended to bring you great inspiration for your home & garden!

These new categories are intended to help readers find great products & information, as well as help site/shop owners to enjoy new visitors.

3. The Best of Home & Garden Website Directory
I’ve put together a directory that will ONLY list “The Best of Home & Garden” – which is where you will be able to find some of the best sites on the web! Sites have already started being added to the directory, and many more will be added on a regular basis. I believe this directory will become a great resource for all of us! * The new banner will be up at the directory soon 🙂

4. I’ve installed a “Top 5” section to the site, where I will post the top 5 people who make the most comments during the month. The list is updated in real time, and will include both the name & direct website link of the top 5 contributors (I may decided to include up to 10). I am excited about this section, because I know that it will help many with increased visitors to their sites, as well as increased page rank from search engines like google.

Doing my best to bring you the best…

Pearl

Several New How-to Articles Today!

Cherry Cottage Red Mosaic
Recent “Best of Home & Garden” Award Winners!

Cherry Cottage Red Mosaic

I wanted to share several new articles that I’ve added to the article bank today. I hope many of you are able to use the information in these new how-to resources. If you would like to share an article, tip, or resource with our readers, please feel free to send me a post below!


Your Own Family Homestead For Pennies on the Dollar

Ideas For Your Own Home Business

Back to School for Less

Head Lice – How to get rid of head lice quick, easy, and cheap!

Lavender – Fragrant Luscious Lavender for Your Garden

You’ve Got to Laugh – A funny Video

I had to share a recent video clip of my little nephew. He’s such a cutie, and he makes us all laugh! I thought you might be able to use a good laugh since the bible says… that laughter is like a good medicine. So…. here’s your daily dose!