Fall is a delicious time of year!

Fall is BY FAR, my favorite season of the year! There is something magical about the way the air turns crisp and chilly, the leaves turn a golden color, and it sets the mood perfectly for the next 4 wonderful months. Along with the change of season, so does the wonderful dishes that come with it! Comfort foods start to come into cravings, and my husband drops, "subtle," hints for those rich flavors of fall! Last night, we entertained a family new to the Naples area. We introduced them to some wonderful Italian dishes, but I couldn't help but also throw in some of that country girl flavor I was raised with! Following is a recipe that I initially came up with to forever remember the flavor of the apples my family grew on the farm back home. My family has always had the best desserts floating around, and I hope one day this one will be one that makes it's way around the family recipes as well! This is my apple pie recipe, I am not a baker by any means, but this one is a blue ribbon winner and paired with some vanilla ice cream-it's the perfect ending to a meal.

Make a flaky crust recipe, I always lattice top my pies, use your preference. Set aside.

On the stove, melt a stick of unsalted butter, add a few tablespoons flour and make a soupy roux. Stir in a teaspoon of vanilla, teaspoon cinnamon, half cup brown sugar and white, 1/4 c water, couple shakes of nutmeg, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and mix with about 6 apples, sliced and peeled.
Brush egg whites to the bottom pie crust, this prevents it from getting soggy! Place apple mix inside, top with crust, and brush egg whites to the top crust. Sprinkle with sugar, bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy! This is all that is left of ours :)

Football Food!

With football season upon us, it's time to reconnect with that part of my brain that acknowledges my husband's love for food that isn't the most healthy-but puts a big smile on that handsome face of his. The first on the list today, is the infamous chili. It's one of those dishes that is hard to screw up-but you want it to taste a way you can't really put into words. I sat down this time and really put together a recipe I thought might meld the flavors together I was looking for...instead of just, "winging it," like my husband says. I think it was a step towards success, as I watched my son and Tyler devour it-whether over chips as a nacho topping, or by the spoonfuls, accompanied by cheese, large dollops of sour cream and chopped onion. I snuck the last bit away into the back of the freezer for a later date-let's hope this is one blog Tyler doesn't read so I can keep that little bit of goodness to myself!!

Football Chili!

Brown a pound of ground sirloin, set aside. Heat some oil in a pan, and add minced jalapenos (we do 4-5 but we love it scorching!) a couple of anaheim or poblano chiles minced, and a chopped onion and saute until onion is translucent. Add a generous amount of garlic and saute a minute longer. Add a couple teaspoons of onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, cumin, paprika, a handful of finely chopped coriander stems, couple teaspoons crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper. Fill the palm of your hand with chili powder, about a quarter cup, add that to the pan. Add a can of tomato sauce, and a small can of tomato paste, I use a large (soda can size) of V8 as a substitute when short handed and it works fine, and stir that through. I also sometimes coarsly puree a can of stewed or diced tomatoes and add that for texture, and then add beans of your choice. I use 3 cans, sometimes 4-depending on the consistency of the chili at this point. Usually whatever I have on hand, a can of kidney, pinto and great northern is what I used this time, then add a beer (we used a medium ale), a cup of pre-made au jus, the ground sirloin, and stirred it all together. I simmered it on low heat, stirring every so often for about an hour or two-just making sure it wasn't sticking, or cooking the liquid out too fast, I like mine a certain consistency. We topped it off with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, scallions, a dash of hot sauce, fresh cilantro leaves and shredded cheese...served with some warm, homemade cornbread. In the future when the game is on, and friends join us, a double batch will be prepared in the crockpot! We hope you enjoy, I know our tummies were warm and happy :)