Baked Chicken with Butternut Squash Pasta

There's really not much I can say about this recipe except... it's good!

We love pasta dishes around our house, and we're always looking for new and different ways to make it, and this is one of favorites. Why? Because it combines two of my favorite things... butter and brown sugar! Not to mention, it has some veggies in it too.

Start with sautéing an onion, two bell peppers, and one butternut squash in a skillet with half a stick of butter, and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil

After you get everything in the skillet, throw in a pinch of salt and pepper, and two tablespoons of light brown sugar. Oh yeah.

While all this is going, get your pasta ready! We used eggshell because that's what we had. FYI--Whole Foods has the BEST pasta we've ever put in our mouth.

Here's the recipe! I hope you like it!

Butternut Squash Pasta

1 stick of butter
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil (more if you like)
1 yellow onion
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 butternut squash
1 lime
2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

!. In a skillet, saute' the diced onion, bell peppers, and squash with 2 Tablespoons of light brown sugar, half a stick of butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. While this is cooking, start your pasta
3. When all is done, pour the veggies over pasta, and add the other half stick of butter.
4. Add the juice of one lime, and more salt and pepper.
5. Serve!

Chicken!

For this chicken recipe, I sprinkled salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder, and baked it at 350* for about 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Rolls

It's that time of year.  Fall... the season to cook.  I'm not sure what it is, but cooler weather always makes me want to eat.  These cinnamon rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving morning!  Homemade... from scratch, and they melt in your mouth!

The ingredient list.  Flour, Sugar, Buttermilk, and Sugar

 Cut butter into cubes, and pour on top of flour

 Next, mash the butter into the flour.  The idea is for the butter to be flattened into the flour.  This will make your dough flaky when it's done.

 Next, mix with buttermilk, add some flour, and roll out on a cutting board.

 Roll the dough out, then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar.

 Roll the dough.

 Cut into small rolls, place them in a skillet, and bake at 400* for about 20-30 minutes.

Here's the recipe!  I hope you like it!

Cinnamon Rolls

2 cups flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
Cinnamon
Sugar

1.  Smash butter and flour together.  Keep the butter as cool as possible.
2.  Pour in buttermilk, and stir until a dough forms.
3.  Roll out the dough, and knead it for a couple of minutes.
4.  Roll out until smooth and flat, and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.
5.  Roll it into a tight spiral, and cut into small rolls
6.  Bake at 400* for 20-30 minutes.

ENJOY!

Skillet Apple Pie

I'd like to take a minute to one... apologize for not blogging in two months, and two... to thank everyone for continuing to visit... and three... to thank my professors for bestowing the courtesy to give me a little free time so I could blog...  Now... Let's get back to business...

My Favorite place on earth is the Smoky Mountains.  If you want me to forget my worries... what bills have to be paid, what paper or assignment is due... send me there!  

This is Nany's cabin!  We love to stay with her, and while we're there, she always fixes us good food.  A couple of weeks ago, we spent a couple of nights with her, and we got there, she had this pie waiting on us!  It was literally one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth!  And it's a piece of cake to make... or..err.... pie!  Whichever...

Start with a stick of butter... melt it... 

Then mix in a cup of brown sugar, and let it cook for a couple of minutes. 

Get a pre-made pie crust from the grocery store, and lay it over the butter and brown sugar mixture.  Next, in a bowl, mix your apples with sugar and cinnamon, and spoon it over the crust.

oh yeah...

Next, cut some holes or slits... whichever works for you, and place it over the apples, and seal it off with your hands.

Don't forget the vanilla sugar....

Bake at 350* for 1 hour.... I hope you like it!

• 3 Granny Smith apples
• 3 Braeburn apples
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 (14.1-oz.) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons Vanilla Sugar
• Vanilla Ice Cream

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Peel apples, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Toss apples with cinnamon and 3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2. Melt butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat; add brown sugar, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and place 1 piecrust in skillet over brown sugar mixture. Spoon apple mixture over piecrust, and top with remaining piecrust. Whisk egg white until foamy. Brush top of piecrust with egg white; sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. Vanilla sugar. Cut 4 or 5 slits in top for steam to escape... or 3 holes... whichever.

3. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly, shielding with aluminum foil during last 10 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Cool on a wire rack 30 minutes before serving. Serve with butter-pecan ice cream.