Ready for Autumn Salad

Ingredients

• Sweet potato
• Olive oil
• Cayenne
• Paprika
• Chilli powder 
• Salt
• Pepper

• Chicken
• Apple cider vinegar 
• Soy sauce or honey bbq sauce
• Brown sugar

• Pumpkin seeds
• Water
• Butter
• Brown sugar
• Cayenne

• Lettuce
• Green onion
• Feta
• Green apple
• Grapes or cranberries
• Brianna's salad dressing... The one with a strawberry on it

Directions

1. Heat oven 450F
2. Cut sweet potato into small cubes
3. Put in pan, drizzle in olive oil. Sprinkle cayenne, paprika, chili powder. Toss. Put in oven. About 25 min.
4. Put chicken in pan on low with brown sugar, table spoon or two of apple cider vinegar, and soy sauce or sweet bbq (I did a tablespoon of both) cook on low
5. Put a handful of pumpkin seeds in a tablespoon of water and boil in water until water is gone. Then add a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon and then some of brown sugar and a sprinkle of cayenne. Stir to a bubbly boil until slightly thicker. Arrange in pan so none are overlapping, and remove from heat. It will probably turn into a type of brittle almost and that's okay. Just break apart once cool.
6. Cut lettuce, green pepper, Apple and grapes.
7. Put together with feta, nuts, chicken, and sweet potato 

Notes

I think I must be ready for the Fall... apple, sweet potato, pumpkin seeds? Geeze! Anyway, today when I opened up my fridge, wondering what to make for dinner, I looked at my sweet potato and remembered a salad Lindsay made one time for the family. And it just went from there. Jeff said it was one of the best salads he's had in his life... So maybe you'll like it too. Sorry for no measurements. If you have questions just text me. It took me about 40 minutes to make with three crazies running around and melting down. The salad looks really pretty with all the color.  Enjoy!

Apple Bundt Cake

• Note: Make a note that this recipe actually tastes best the second day so you can make it ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. Also, if you are looking for other make-ahead components, the caramel sauce can be made and refrigerated for up to a week ahead of time.
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• Cake:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium apples, for about 3 cups chopped
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, divided
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable or canola oil
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
Cream Cheese Layer:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 large egg
Glaze:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/2 to 1 tsp vanilla
Caramel Sauce:
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Generously grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Peel, core and dice 3 cups of apples. Toss the apples with the tablespoon of lemon juice to keep from browning. Add the dark brown sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and toss to combine. Set aside.
3. Using a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the oil, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. The batter will be quite thick. Drain any excess liquid from the apples (if any) and stir the apple mixture into the batter. Don't overmix! Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and egg and beat on medium speed until creamy and smooth.
5. Using a spoon or butter knife, make a trench in the center of the cake batter (going around in the circular shape of the bundt pan) about 1-inch deep (just scoop the excess batter to either side. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the trench. Try and keep the cream cheese mixture in a ring in the center of the cake so it has cake batter on either side around the circle. Once the cream cheese mixture is in place, use a butter knife to swirl the cream cheese mixture into the surrounding cake batter.
6. Bake the cake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (checking often as you may need to decrease or increase time based on your pan and exact oven temperature). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
7. While the cake is cooling, mix the ingredients for the glaze in a small pan over medium high heat. Allow the ingredients to come to a boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Pour the glaze over the cake while the cake is still in the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan before removing. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Serve chilled or at room temperature, drizzling caramel sauce over each piece.
8. For the caramel sauce, mix the butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold (or use slightly warm but not hot). If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on cake.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 C butter, softened

1 C white sugar

1 C applesauce (can use chunky if desired)

1 1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/2 C oatmeal (and more to sprinkle on top, if desired)

2 eggs

1 apple cored, peeled, & chopped (optional, esp if using chunky applesauce)

1 t baking soda

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

-In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in applesauce, cinnamon and  oatmeal. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Sift together baking soda and flour and then add slowly to wet mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with some additional oatmeal, if desired.

-Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Notes:

I changed the original recipe to adapt to my preferences, all whole wheat flour and oatmeal instead of instant oatmeal packets. It's filling and tastes like fall! I love chunks of apples in mine but you can leave those out if desired, as it does increase prep time a bit.

Picture shared from and recipe adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/apple-cinnamon-oatmeal-bread/detail.aspx