Apple Pie Crostata!

I joined an online group last week called Sundays with Joy. The group is baking their way through Joy the Baker Cookbook: 100 Simple and Comforting Recipes. Each week we bake a new recipe and post about our adventures. We can make changes the recipes or make them exactly as it says and post our results on Sundays. I will not be posting the recipes unless I have made significant changes. If you want the recipes you can buy her book at the link above. If you want to know more about this group or to join click here.

So this weeks recipe was Apple Pie Crostatas. I made the recipe exactly as it read except for the addition of cinnamon in my pie crust and caramel on top.

They were fun to make and delicious! Especially with vanilla ice cream!

Buffalo Ranch Chicken

I crave medium buffalo wings all the time. I rarely indulge in them as I know they are not very healthy. However I found this recipe a while back on Pinterest and have been making it for months. The kids love it and ask for it almost every week.The nice thing about this recipe is that is makes enough for 3 meals for my family of 5 big eaters. All 3 of my kids are teenagers. So I usually make a batch and freeze it so we always have some on hand.

The other things I like about this recipe is that the chicken is a base for other recipes that I like to make, like my Buffalo chicken taquitos. But we often serve it simply on some nice toasted hamburgers buns.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken

3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 

1 bottle buffalo wing sauce (I use president's choice)

1 packet of dry Ranch Mix (found near the salad dressings) 

Place all ingredients into the slow cooker and give a good stir. Cook on high for 5-6 hours until chicken is tender and shreds easily.

Let cool. 

To shred I place the chicken in my Kitchen Aid Stand mixer with the paddle attachment and turn on for 30-60 seconds. Voila! all shredded. or you could do it the slow way and use 2 forks. Totally up to you.!

Enjoy! This recipe is not very spicy once cooked. I often add more buffalo sauce when I serve it to those who like things with a kick.

Mini Corn Dog Muffins

Good Evening Folks. I have to apologize for my lack of posts this summer. I have been super busy, but now that school is starting next week, my house is back on a routine. So... that means regular posts!

This summer has been full of road trips to Manitoulin Island to visit the bf's family and to Thunder Bay to visit my family and attend my cousin Tegin's beautiful wedding! Congrats Tegin and Jeff! Also just been busy with the kids and with work. We did lots of cleaning out junk and decluttering as well. 

Part of this routine I speak of consists of my kids helping with dinner at least one night a week each. We are trying to teach some life skills. So tonight we decided to make mini corn dog muffins. The kids try and get my to buy Pogos and such but I do not like processed foods and rarely buy them. So this recipe made them happy. 

I made the salad and directed one of my kids as he did the rest. Super easy to make!

I saw this recipe a while back on Pinterest. This is the original recipe Mini Corn Dog Muffins.

Mini Corn Dog Muffins
Makes 36

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
12 regular hot dogs (I prefer Schneider's Red Hots) cut into 3 pieces each

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray mini muffin tins with oil.

In a large bowl combine; butter, eggs, sugar and buttermilk. Mix together well.

In a separate bowl combine; flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.

Add dry mix into the wet and stir until just moist and combined well.

Spoon 1 tbsp of batter into each muffin cup. **I use 1 tbsp ice cream scoop**

place hot dog into the center and bake for 10-12 min until corn bread is golden around the edges.

Can be reheated for a few seconds in the microwave.

Serve with Ketchup and mustard! I have to say these did not last and I am sure if there were more they would all have been eaten as well.

Chocolate Chip Banana Breakfast Cookies

These delicious bites are an awesome way to start the day! They are fairly healthy, soft and chewy and taste just like banana bread!!!


This is another recipe I found at Once a Month Mom. I made a double batch and divided them up and froze them. The kids love them and so do the adults. They do not last long at all.


1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
4 med ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups oats
4 tbsp ground flax seed
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. add vanilla and eggs and stir until combined. 


In a medium bowl stir together flours, oats, ground flax, salt and baking soda.


Add flour mix into wet mix and stir until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 


Spoon onto cookie sheets. I use 1 tbsp cookie scoop. 


Bake 8-10 minutes. 


**Note: These cookies will not flatten when baking they stay puffy.




To Freeze: cool and place into freezer bag or container. Place in freezer.


To Serve: let thaw before serving

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

I have been finding myself so busy lately and always scrambling last minute to pull meals together and they have become a little boring or due to time constraints I was running out and buying dinner. Which by the way I am not a fan of and I was doing it way too much.

So in a journey to solve this dilemma as I will call it. I have been searching the web for inspiration. The biggest inpiration has been Once a Month Mom. With their monthly menus that get prepared at the beginning of the month.

I have been taking different recipes from different month menus and making my own meal plan. This recipe is one I have adapted from the website.

Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup milk

1 egg

1 cup shredded cheese

1 cup pepperoni (cut into small pieces) **can be substituted by your favourite pizza toppings

2 tbsp fresh basil 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin cups

Whisk together flour and baking powder. Whisk in eggs and milk until well combined.

Stir in cheese and pepperoni (or other toppings). Let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir again and divide among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle 1 tbsp basil on top of the cups. Bake 25 min.

Serve with pizza sauce or  ranch dressing for dipping

**Note: These freeze really well. Just cool, place in freezer bag, label and freeze.

To reheat: place in micro wave for 2 minutes/

Cheezy Mini Meatloafs

I stumbled upon a awesome website this week called Once a Month Mom. They do freezer cooking. I was browsing through May's menu and really liked some of the recipes. The provide grocery lists and recipe cards that customize for the number of people you need to feed. AWESOME!! I didn't want to make the whole thing so I chose a couple recipes to start with. 

This is one of them. it is easy to make and of course it can be frozen for a later date. I often find myself scrambling for time in the evening and for something to make after a busy day.

1 lbs ground beef

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

6 oz mozzarella cheese cut into 12 pieces

Combine all the ingredients except cheese and mix well. I made mine in silicone baking cups! so easy to clean up after. but regular muffins tins would work as well.

Divide mix evenly among muffin tins. place piece of cheese into each center and cover the top with more meat. 

Bake 350 for 15 minutes.

If freezing Cool and place into freezer bag and freeze.

To serve Place into microwave for 1-2 minutes until hot.

These were not quite cool when I placed them in the bag

Granny's Tourtiere

So it's been a while since I posted it has been a busy month. But I will catch up eventually... I have lots of recipes to post. I need to set some time aside weekly to maintain this blog. I love it, but sometimes sitting down to write posts feels like a chore. 

This is another one of my granny's recipes. I always looked forward to having it when we visited. When I was visiting her in January my cousin was over too and asked my granny to teach us how to make it. 

This is delicious and needs no substitutions or additions.

1 1/2 lbs lean ground pork

1 cup diced onion

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp clove, ground

1/4 tsp pepper

1 bay leaf

1 double crust pie dough (I will post my recipe soon)

Combine all ingredients except pie dough in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil; when pork is no longer pink Reduce heat and simmer for 45 min or until tender. Remove bay leaf.

Fill pie shell with meat and top with crust. Pinch edges to seal and make a few slits in the top of the crust. Bake 425 degrees for 15min then reduce to 350 for 15 min longer.

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies.