Category Archives: Recipes

Update: 28 in 28

So today marks the three month mark since turning 28. I thought it would be a good time to revisit my 28 in 28 list to see how I’m doing!

Here’s the update!

1. Get Christmas cards out on time! (I get kind of close every year!)
2. Visit one new place each month.
August: Gruene, TX
September: Bardstown, KY
October: West End, Dallas, TX
3. Sign up / walk for Alzheimers Walk. (Completed)
4. Let’s go for 12 crafty projects. (0/12)
5. Start a private blog for my niece. (In Progress)
6. Save money.
7. Get this wardrobe together. (In Progress)
8. Revisit music scene. (It’s coming up – look at the schedule!)
9. Run 5k.
10. Get blog to 6,000 views per month.
11. Hike Enchanted Rock.
12. Try one new recipe per month. (3/12)
August: Dr. Pepper Crock Pot Brisket
September: Chicken Enchiladas
October: Broccoli Rice Casserole
13. Organize recipe book.
14. Find a new, more challenging job.
15. Lose 10 pounds.
16. Start etsy shop and sell some photos.
17.
18. Send one 12 handwritten notes per month. (Check your mailboxes.) (1/12)
19. Get a dog or pet (I’m going to say sea monkey’s count).
20. Buy a watch.
21. Get a new phone. (Completed)
22. Find and attend one Texas antique car show. (Completed)
23. Do something out of the ordinary, on a whim.
24. Write one children’s book.
25. Go horseback riding / visit a ranch.
26. Go canoeing / kayaking.
27. Keep on traveling!
28. Focus on me. (In Progress)

Unilever Spread: Thanksgiving Dishes

6 Replies

When I think about Thanksgiving, food is one of the first things that pops into my mind. Where are we going to go? What dishes are going / need to be cooked? Options are decided, grocery lists are made and it begins to add up. I was recently contacted by Unilever to make two of my favorite recipes using Country Crock spread instead of butter. I jumped at the opportunity! The first recipe is very new (to me) but the first time I tried it, it was downright delicious. I knew it had to be on my Thanksgiving menu! I’ve also found that it’s a very popular dish in the South for holiday cooking, Broccoli Rice Casserole.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

1 lg. package chopped broccoli

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ cup cheese whiz

1 cup milk

1 chopped onion (medium)

1 cup Minute Rice (uncooked)

½ stick (4 Tbsp) Country Crock

Grease cooking dish. Mix all ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

My second recipe was Swedish Apple Pie. This is one of my absolute favorites! It’s best right out of the oven with some ice cream and is a winner at any gathering!

Swedish Apple Pie

4-5 apples (peeled and sliced)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter / Country Crock spread
1 egg
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

1. Cut up enough apples to fill your pie dish 3/4 full.
2. Mix together 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the apples.
3. In a bowl mix: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 stick of butter / Country Crock spread and 1 egg (1/2 c. walnuts, optional). Pour and spread over the top of the apples. Try to cover as much as the apples as possible.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the top is a little brown (or you can stick a toothpick in the batter and have it come out clean).

Country Crock spread has some great health benefits. As someone who is also trying to keep an eye on cholesterol, it’s really appealing.

0g. Trans fat
No hydrogenated oil
70% less saturate fat
30% fewer calories than butter
No cholesterol

Cooking with the Country Crock spread was even better. Since it’s a spread, it blends so well with whatever meal you are cooking. There is no need to take time to wait until it softens or melt it in the microwave. It just blends right into your ingredients! Talk about convenience! Taste wise – it’s delicious. If you are use to only using one certain product, try using Country Crock (they have an array of different products). I personally, didn’t find a difference and my meal turned out great. Once again, check out the nutritional value, that’s enough of an incentive for me!

Check out the Country Crock website for more information on where you can buy Country Crock spreads as well as recipes and nutritional values.

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Swedish Apple Pie

Leave a reply

It’s the fall and one of the first things I think of is apples. Here is a great recipe – you will thank me for this. Seriously. It’s the easiest and best “pie” recipe I have yet to find. My mom found the recipe in a church cookbook. We all know, church cookbook recipe’s are FANTASTIC! It’s an alternative take to apple pie. Instead of a crust (who likes making pie crusts anyway) there’s a cake like batter on top that is just delicious. If you don’t believe me, just try it and let me know what you think!

Here we go:

Swedish Apple Pie

Cut up enough apples to fill your pie dish 3/4 full.

Mix together 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the apples. On this one, I think I did 1 Tbsp. of each, whoops. Regardless, it is wonderful! The extra cinnamon was fantastic!

For the topping:

In a bowl mix: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 stick of butter (melted) and 1 egg (1/2 c. walnuts, optional).

Pour and spread over the top of the apples. Try to cover as much as the apples as possible.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the top is a little brown (or you can stick a toothpick in the batter and have it come out clean). I completely forgot to take a picture of the finished pie. It looked so good, I jumped a little ahead!

Personally, I like it best right out of the oven with some ice cream.

Alternative fruit (peaches) can probably be used as well. I hope you like this recipe as much as we do! Let me know what you think!

Swedish Apple Pie

4-5 apples (peeled and sliced)

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 cup flour

1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar

1 stick butter (melted)

1 egg

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

1. Cut up enough apples to fill your pie dish 3/4 full.

2. Mix together 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the apples.

3. In a bowl mix: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 stick of butter and 1 egg (1/2 c. walnuts, optional). Pour and spread over the top of the apples. Try to cover as much as the apples as possible.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until the top is a little brown (or you can stick a toothpick in the batter and have it come out clean).

5. Go ahead and cut yourself a piece first. You wouldn’t want to serve it if you didn’t know it was good, right?!